Storybook Called Life.

When I was a kid, my grandfather was a preacher
He'd talk about love, yeah he was something like a teacher
He said God only helps those
Who learn to help themselves
He was a million miles from a million dollars
But you can never spend his wealth

Pandora picked this song for me on Monday and I must have literally “YouTube’d” it more than 10x in the last week. It’s called Preacher by OneRepublic. I think there are some songs that speak to your heart and this is one of those to me. 

I had an epiphany and I think part of it came after replaying “Preacher” over and over throughout the past week :) All of a sudden it sunk in how much I have been through in the last three years and I started to get this feeling that I was invincible - like if I can go through all of this, there’s nothing I cannot do. I’ve literally been to the bottom and back again. And then it hit me… It’s not because of MY strength or personal fortitude that I made it through this – it’s because of God and HIS strength. I truly believe that God helps those who help themselves but it’s through trials that we grow stronger in our faith and relationship with Him – not by our own doing but by His. In our weakness He is strong. Adversity is a teacher and in going through trials you may not be able to see how much you are growing but looking back it’s amazing and truly a gift to see how far you’ve come and what you have learned about yourself and your faith along the way. I was literally beaming with joy thinking how much this experience has strengthened and developed my relationship with Christ and confidence to take whatever life throws at me, knowing He is in control.
 
As one of the verses says, “He was a million miles from a million dollars, but you can never spend his wealth.” – I may have been through some really difficult experiences but I can’t put a price on what I have learned in my walk during this time.  It’s the storybook called life.

I’ll leave with a quote that I came across this week:

"At any given moment, you have the power to say: This is not how the story is going to end." ~Christine Mason Miller

Never lose your faith and never give up. Let God write your story by staying in faith and following your heart. Things will happen in life but it’s up to you to decide how you will respond. We can’t always see how the story will end but we can stay in faith knowing who has the pen :)

you can learn a lot in one week.

1. Don't pick up 1-866 numbers, I promise it's not someone you know on the other line. When someone tells you that you've won a car - you did not win a car. There is no such thing as a free car.

2. People die at casino's all the time. Sadly enough, do not be surprised if you see someone have a heart attack playing the slots - EMT's are there on site and within 15 minutes someone new will be sitting at the same slot machine. If going to Vegas, brush up on your CPR skills so that you can help too.

3. If a cab driver tells you he has to take the back roads to get you to the airport and he hands you a slip of paper with his personal email address, get out. If something feels off, it probably is.

4. Do not make eye contact with homeless people. As much as you want to be nice to them, some of them are crazy. To that note, do not look back at someone who you know is staring at you. Just keep walking. They want you to look back - but don't show them that you are scared. If you run into the same crazy person again, RUN. If they then tell you they want to kill you- call the police.

6. If someone asks if they can try to heal you in the grocery store, politely smile and walk away quickly.

7. Pump your brakes when driving on the snow... do not hold the brake pedal down to stop.

8. Not all fire alarms sound the same. Just because it doesn't sound like the normal fire alarm - you should probably still evacuate!

9. Sometimes we just need to stop and be aware of how blessed we really are.

10. Trust that he'll lead you where he needs you :)

Laugh Often. Seek Joy. Have Faith.

Since receiving my IDEO brace in November, my life has changed dramatically. If I look at where I was this time two years ago, or even a year ago, you would notice a huge difference in the activities that I am able to do. I've gone from being able to barely walk around the grocery store to sprinting up bleachers during my lunch break. In every sense of the way, I've gotten my life back. I have learned so much from this experience (& still am) seeing the ways God has made me stronger for what I have been through.

One of the lessons I've come to learn is that no matter what you are facing you really have to find a way to laugh everyday. I am always thanking God for the gift of optimism and cheerfulness he put in my heart. I tend to see the glass as half full (not to say I'm 100% optimistic but I'm pretty close to that!) and it's very much a true blessing to see the world in this way. I think one of the keys to staying so positive is making sure that you laugh everyday. Even during the hard times in life, when things don't seem to be going your way, you have to stay in faith and find something good in everyday.

Look at life with an open heart and ask God to show you how to help others around you so together we can live in Christ's joy and strength. Just as there are ways to make a difference in the world by helping others, there are ways to bring happiness by spreading your smile. Help people to laugh and you will laugh too. Seek joy in trying circumstances and never lose your faith. When you start to see the humor God puts on your daily path, you will know what I mean :)

"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11