Just some serendipity... (:

Today has been one of those crisp fall days I daydream of. Not a cloud in the sky. The sun is bright, and gives you those tingles when you happen to stand in its open warmth. A day like today would be perfect for a wedding. Ahh yes. Fall, my favorite season.

This morning my sister and I met a group of friends for a 5k walk to support finding a cure for diabetes. I've actually been living with type 1 diabetes since December 5, 2008 (Yes, I remember the exact day...it was quite traumatic!) So we decided to do JDRF's walk to cure diabetes. It was great. We had good laughs, met other people, and got to enjoy a walk on a perfect fall day. (I needed the exercise too, I don't know what it is, but around this time every year my fluff starts to reappear)

Well after the walk, my sister and I visited a florist. It's our mom's birthday on Monday, so we ordered a bouquet to be delivered to where she works. (Shh to any of you who know my mom!) ;) My dad's birthday is today. I'm just doing some blogging until we start our little cook out for him. Can you believe that's all he asked for? Such a simple, easy to please man.

After we had been home a while, I got away in my room to just ready my Bible, journal, and pray. Just to have that precious time with God. Today I read in Romans chapter 12. Wow. Specifically verses 9-21 spoke to my heart. It says:

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil;
hold fast to what is good. Love one another
with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in
showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal,
be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice
in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant
in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the
saints and seek to show hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and
do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one
another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the
lowly. Never be conceited. Repay no one evil for
evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in
the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends
on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never
avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of
God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will
repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "If your
enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give
him something to drink; for by so doing you will
heap burning coals on his head." Do not be
overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

In my Bible, this passage is titled "Marks of the True Christian." I gotta say, I don't live like that. It's a shame really. Most of the time I don't give a second thought to what I am doing. But I should. I need to. I'm commanded to. Being a Christian is no cake walk. It's a battle. A battle between God and Satan, what is good and what is evil. A battle over our souls. I have no doubt in my mind that by God's grace I have been saved. But that does not make Satan give up. He is the joy stealer, and wants to drag us to join his misery. But God is victorious and has not left us without help. His spirit in us guides us, as long as we do not grieve it (take it where it should not go) or quench it (ignore it).

These verses should be at the forefront of my mind every day. I want to make a poster of them... Hmmm... Maybe that will be my next project ;)

It Doesn't Take a College Education to Live the Good Life

I don't think any high school graduate really knows what to expect when they start the highly anticipated world of...college. To be honest, high school is overrated. Don't get me wrong. I've got some great high school memories. Eating out at Tokyo Express with all my friends, ministering to a third world country, and laughing at my prom date when his fancy car's battery died when we were pulling out of my driveway...are just a few memories that bring a smile to my face.
"I don't want to graduate!" were the very words I spoke to my homeroom teacher at the beginning of my senior year. Yeah. That changed. I went through times of feeling completely suffocated. I wanted out. I wanted to graduate. College looked better and better every morning after I stayed up until 1 am doing homework and woke up at 6 am only to repeat it later...(I remember my parents telling me how late they'd stayed up during their college days. They'd be bugged eyed in their books and sipping cup after cup of coffee. So far this year, I haven't been to bed past 12. *knock on wood*)
College is pretty sweet. High school had its good days, but it was definitely time for me to move on. We all get there; ready to move on to the next big thing in our lives. We start to view our lives as a cage...It gets mundane. Repetitive. We want a new job. We're ready for marriage. We long for kids. We want to travel. Maybe we'll finally start that business we've dreamed of. Why are we always dreaming of something better? We get discontent with where we are. The life we know now isn't good enough, and if we could just have that one thing we'll be happy. I sigh at myself and shake my head because I've been a discontent dreamer. Ungratefulness is poison. The most miserable times in my life were time I was discontent. I've been learning the value of having a grateful heart. Wow! It's pretty amazing. I don't wake up dreading the day ahead. I'm just glad to have life! I can't even tell you the joy I feel. It's ridiculous. I'm not encouraging to live as a happy-go-lucky person. No. I'm talking about genuine gratitude, not an annoying fake front that we'll eventually give up trying to keep up.
Am I grateful for high school? Absolutely. It helped to bring me where I am. I thought it as torture sometimes, but I wouldn't take that part of my life away from me. In fact, I wouldn't change a thing.

"Gratitude changes the way we start the day, spend the day, and look back on the day." ~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Some more high school memories...

Graduation night with my sisters!

My prom date

The kids I grew up with...