Beautifully Broken

Hey God, I know you have your plan.  I completely  trust that You know better than I do.  I am  t hankful that You  are always looking out for me. But God... Usually this prayer is me telling God that I know He knows best, but it ends with phrases like "But God, I really think _______..." If you're like me, you've probably tried to inform God of why your own plans seem great.  What goes in the blank for you? -But God, I should get this job offer. -But God, getting that promotion would really help out. -But God, I really think this is the perfect time to start dating that person. -But God, my plans for college/my career sound safer than what I think You're telling me. -But God, I want to get married by this time, and have a family by this time. -But God, I know you created me, but I'm unsure that I'm enough. -But God, I'm sure someone else will be better at telling them about You. Those are just some things...

Confidence.  I'm not sure I have ever met someone who has truly mastered this concept.  Being a twenty-something year old, and I'm sure this is true in any life stage, there seems to be so many things that try to shatter the confidence we have built up in ourselves. Here are some things for me personally that can threaten to take away my self-confidence: Starting a new job/moving somewhere totally new and battling loneliness.  Realizing feelings about a boy or relationship may be unreciprocated.  Having friends decide you are no longer worth their time.  Social media and the comparison game.  SO many things we go through every day that attempt to weigh on how we see ourselves/where we find our self-worth. So two of the key words I have used above are SELF-worth and SELF-confidence.  Here may be part of our problem! The sermon this past Sunday as well as the worship seemed to focus on confidence, but not just in ourselves.  Lyrics in "Do ...

If you are friends with me on social media or have talked to me in person recently, I would like to apologize (but not really) for the explosion of camp pictures and stories I have subjected you to.  I have been able to volunteer at camps for children with cancer or other reasons for hospitalization over the last 5 years, and I cannot begin to describe the amount of joy these camps bring. First of all, they are just plain fun.  Getting to hangout with awesome kiddos and teens for a week and do all the camp activities is awesome, but that isn't where the joy truly is found.  One of the theme songs for the week is R. Kelly's World's Greatest.  Here are a few of the lyrics of this song: I am a giant I am an Eagle oh I am a lion Down in the jungle I am a marching band I am the people oh I am a helping hand  I am a hero If anybody asks you who I am, just stand up tall look 'em in the face and say I'm that star up in the sky I'm that mountai...

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) The Bible tells us often that there is a time for everything.  When I am writing and reflecting, I tend to focus on the hardships of life.  The verse I would consider my "life verse" or go-to verse is John 16:33, which discusses that while life WILL have...