"Love is a choice" I'm pretty sure we've all heard or seen this at some point in our lives and, typically, it's referring to marriage. But......love is a choice in any and all situations.
When a friend unknowing hurts you, choose to love
When a friend knowingly hurts you, choose to love
When someone you know is crazy annoying in your opinion, choose to love
When someone is driving horribly around you, choose to love
When your spouse fails you, choose to love
When someone has gossiped about you, choose to love
When someone you barely know hurts you, choose to love
When someone cheats you, choose to love
When anyone does anything to you that hurts, angers or produces any negative reaction, CHOOSE TO LOVE!
"Love is PATIENT, love is KIND. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Cor. 13:4-7
We need to be the change we want to see.....don't think for a second that it's ok to treat others poorly just because they might or have. It's not.....it never will be. You change, you love, you be gracious, you turn the other cheek. It's difficult, it's hard, it's a process and will be something you stive towards for the rest of your life but do it.....do the unexpected in today's world. Surprise people <3
The best is yet to come…wrong. It’s time to
remove the YET from that phrase.
I anticipate my brother cringing as I write the
following sentence, but he deserves credit. Over a month ago, he instructed me
to stop stating such dreams or ambitions and actually start doing them.
For example, “pick up that guitar and play!” As the weeks have passed, I
realize the truth in his blunt observation. I can justify my excuses or I
could actually live such dreams and ambitions with fuller freedom.
So, did I do something wrong?
It was wrong to believe the line, “the best was YET
to come….” Instead, the best is actually here. So, what is God asking in how I
communicate, how I live, and how I dream in 2015?
Truthfully, it isn’t about me. It isn’t about
getting it right or getting it wrong. It isn’t about timing or even if I am
ready. It isn’t about…
Just stop the excuses and justifications and
start unraveling the truth of Jeremiah 29:11-13. It is about grasping
the heart of our heavenly father and fully seeking him. In the past,
I would often focus on verse 11, which highlights the HOPES and DREAMS
in this plan called, “life.” But, what does God ask in verse 13? He is simply
requesting that I SEEK him.
When I seek God, I actually seek how he has
designed me as his daughter. He inspires me to do the things that bring me joy
and unexpected peace. Such as traveling and airports; random adventures and
road trips; being active and competitive in sports; dancing in the kitchen and
singing in the car; sipping tea and warm wool socks; writing while watching
people; and laughing with a wide grinned smile.
I made mistakes and I’ve made remarkable changes
and choices in 2014. I am far from perfect, as I will always be motivated to
learn and grow. Hence, it is my desire in 2015 to understand how I can seek God
more.
What does that look like? How will that change my
dreams and ambitions?
Insert drum roll, it looks like…I don’t actually
know. The most important line is that specific one, so allow me to state
the obvious. I don’t fully know. In a year from now, I’ll meet
you at Starbucks or Timmy’s or Second Cup or even in my living room and I can
tell you what I’ve learned.
So, stay tuned…
Though what I do know is that the best is here. It
is HERE in the moments that form today.
The waiting is done. I don’t need to share a fluffy or inspiring new years resolution.
Instead, I press into my Heavenly Father and ask, “What are you asking?” And I
hear him whisper, “My beautiful daughter, the best is here.”
So, whomever you are that read these words…
I value you being apart of these last few years,
the dreams shared, the memories created, the lessons learned, and the tears and
laughter exchanged. I’ve been told that I am inspiring, but the truth is
you actually inspire me. It is now time to live in the best together and
embrace it for all that God intend it to be!
It means to undo. A basic word to
describe a desire to investigate, solve, and explain.
"We plot, we plan, we assume
things are going to go a certain way and then they don't and we find ourselves
in a new place, a place we haven't been before, a place we never would have
imagined on our own. And it was difficult and unexpected and maybe even tragic
and yet it opened us up and freed us from the past to see things in a whole new
way. Suffering does that…it hurts…but it also creates. How many of the most
significant moments in life came not because it all went right, but because it
all fell apart? It's strange how there can be art in the agony"
(Bell).
I've said in this year, "the best
is yet to come…."
I'll admit, I haven't always
experienced the best. Though, I can acknowledge I've seen pieces and mere
fragments of the best in this year. Truthfully, the best has unraveled in ways I didn't
anticipate or expect.
Ironically, my own line of "the
best is yet to come" has left me discouraged, even hurt. Then I am reminded that maybe, just maybe,
the "best" isn't about me. I've always loved sports and being active,
which generated a competitive spirit that would push me to achieve a personal
best. Because, the moment I'd cross the finish line, the victory oozing from my
being, it was worth it. The victory out weighed the months of training, the
thoughts of giving up, and the questions that doubted if it was possible…
And then I stumbled across something I
wrote when I was nineteen…
"For so long I have been on this
marathon, as each stride I take I run away from a relationship with my father….
Recently in my brokeness, I've run away from a boy who loved me. He had been
someone said to be the best and even perfect for me, yet for some reason our
strides were never in step with each other. After letting go of him, I ran even
harder. I was in peak physical shape and I was convinced that I wouldn't slow
down. My broken heart created enough will power to endure countless hills,
lengthy valleys, and even weary meanders. Then one of the bystanders from the
crowd caught me off guard, as his bold voice yelled, "I AM HERE. I HAVE NEVER LEFT." He continued to explain
how he had watched the duration of my marathon, the high and low points of my
race. He had been faithful to watch and cheer. His presence was something
I'd never felt before. Then he promised with such declaration, "I SHALL PROVIDE." He reminded
me to be patient in endurance and granted such hope to push towards the finish
line. So, I invited my Heavenly Father to run with me and he transformed
my stride...."
Life will unravel...
But are you inviting those who want
the "best" for you to be apart? It isn't about me. It's actually
about you…God created us to unravel in his presence. Because he is HERE, he is
in the BEST, and even in the BETTER.
So, these are my final questions that
I invite you to ask with me. What if, I just would steady my heart?
What if, I just lived life from a place of peace, allowed life to unravel, as I
experience the best without personal effort? What if, I just let God reveal his
best and eliminate my perception of the best?
Those questions encompass what I am choosing to do…
For I cannot see what is in front of
me, yet I will choose to have a steady heart and peaceful mind that keeps on going; keeps on loving; keeps on forgiving; and keeps on believing…
Have you ever driven late at night and
looked out your windshield and counted the stars? Or pulled over and hunted for
the North Star to guide you in the black abyss of the night?
When I was a child, I had the
privilege of re-creating the Milky Way upon my ceiling with blue sticky tack
and plastic glow in the dark stars. Often, I couldn’t fall asleep and I’d
create shapes, especially triangles, and would connect each star together. The
years have past, yet I still connect the stars at night like dots upon a
mountain cliff or roof terrace.
Why do I love the stars?
It’s a mystery…
Approximately, 100 thousand million
stars are estimated to exist by scientists, yet the exact number of stars is
left unknown. Recently, Coldplay crafted a song called, “A Sky Full of
Stars," as the lyrics echo in my mind. Furthermore, God declares unto
Abraham that he will have descendants as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5)!
Oh the mystery...
Truthfully, I love the stars because I
am reminded of the mysteries of life. At the age of sixteen, I made a
promise, “I want to find a boy who likes making diamonds in the sky.” I
haven’t found him. Instead, I have found countless people to explore the
mysteries of life with. It's in those unknown and uncharted portions of life
with those I love, I have witnessed such healing and restoration, such
meaning and revelation, and such understanding and celebration!
Life is a mystery of stories...
It's a process of understanding the
mystery, as each verbalized story is like connecting one star to another.
I sometimes look up at the sky and marvel at all stories that are left
untold. If each star resembles a person, then why do we feel so disconnected in
our world? I believe that no human being is alone in the galaxy of life and no
story should be left untold. Instead, the mystery of our stories collides in
the sky like a massive meteor shower.
I look at the stars tonight...
Those unexplainable mysteries of
life...
And another story left untold...
As a result, I am calling all fellow
star watchers to have the confidence to share a mere piece of your story as a
point of connection to another human being. Don't let the mystery hinder the
healing and restoration, meaning and revelation, and understanding and
celebration!
Charlene
P.s. In addition, God continues to
remind me to look up and he will grant the desires of my heart like the million
of stars that dot the sky. So, don't forget to look up at the stars tonight,
ok?
They say traveling brings out the BEST
and the worst. I ponder this familiar statement and read, "may the God of
hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may
overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13 NIV).
Above 40,000 feet in the air, the
worst happened with multiple moments of explosive vomit. I sat in my confined
middle seat and questioned, "should we just go home?" But, I heard
God boldly say time and time again, "the BEST is yet to come!" So,
with little faith and a smudge of doubt I mumbled a prayer, "vomit cannot
be the BEST...I choose to receive only the BEST oh Lord."
The best did come...
The BEST exhibited itself by exploring
European culture, swimming in caves of the Mediterranean Sea, eating fresh
Italian pasta and glorious gelato, deepening new and old friendships,
discovering breathtaking landscapes upon ATV's and bikes, and looking up at the
stars as the waves crashed upon the shore.
Sometimes the BEST requires patience
and a willingness to wait. Furthermore, the BEST requires perseverance and hope
for what cannot be seen or even touched. In addition, the BEST requires an
eagerness to receive what your Heavenly Father has already provided in advance
for you to simply experience.
Truthfully, the BEST might not be what
you envisioned or anticipated or even expected. As a result, the best
ironically endures a point of completion and a verbalized goodbye. The
old saying states, "every good thing comes to an end." But, I'd like
to add that the best always ends so another beautiful piece of life can be
explored and experienced.
So, I've returned home and frequently been asked,
"how was Europe?" I cannot help, yet glow and respond with a single
response, "the BEST!" Ironically, I returned home to hear
discouraging news. Hence, I am realizing the power of declaring the best
upon the days and weeks before me and especially on those whom I love.
Furthermore, when I don't understand certain pieces of life, it is actually an
opportunity to humbly ask God, "please reveal only the best..." For
sometimes His best is discovered in seasons of waiting; endured in transitions
with such perseverance; and simply accepted with mere awe and wonder because it's
right before you!
In the process of unpacking the
contents of my backpack, I realized that overflow comes from a point of believing
and declaring the best! I re-read the passage and began to declare the
best in a place of overflow. So, "may the God of hope fill you with all
joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the
power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13 NIV).
Will you join me in declaring the
best?
Charlene
P.S. And I pray that you may discover God's abundant overflow for you just like this picture from Greece!
“Amazing Grace! How sweet the
sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am
found, was blind, but now I see.Twas’ grace that taught my heart
to fear, and grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace
appear the hour I first believed!Thro’ many dangers, toils and
snares, I have already come; Tis’ grace hath brought me safe
thus far, and grace will lead me home.When we’ve been there ten
thousand years, bright shinning as the sun;We’ve known
less days to sing of God’s praise than when we first began.Amen!”
I sat and watched as his eyes
gently closed and each eyelash lightly fluttered. For a few minutes, I just
patiently hummed the hymn and he eventually fell back asleep. In those wee
hours of the morning, I watched him and thought of my friend who had done a
similar thing for me. At the time, my body was weak and exhausted, yet she
gently hummed the song, “This Is Amazing Grace.”
In that hospital room, I once
again grasped the truth of the words hummed. Such, AMAZING GRACE evident in my
life, those free and unmerited blessings and favour that dotted moments of
this past year.
A year ago, I returned from
Europe and said, “I will go back…” Why? In 2013 the trip celebrated the ending
of a painful and even difficult chapter of life (seizure precautions and a
broken engagement). Hence, I wanted to go back and celebrate a new chapter….
AMAZING GRACE restored!
In a few hours, I depart for
Europe. I cannot help, yet re-read the words of the hymn and listen to the song. Tis my
prayer that in these coming weeks you and I may celebrate God’s AMAZING GRACE!
