"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I'll be honest. Today, this Thanksgiving morning, I didn't wake up in a thankful mood. This is the first Thanksgiving without my dad, and that is not something I'm thankful for. You can not even imagine how much we all miss him. I had to sneak away at several points yesterday to lock myself in an empty bedroom to call Mitchell and just cry. And I cried hard. During one of my meltdowns, I blubbered through my tears, "the more and more family members that show up, the more and more I notice that my dad is missing." I woke up in the middle of the night thinking, "it's not fair." It's not fair that there are families out there who get to spend Thanksgiving with their dad. It's not fair.
But then God quietly whispers to me a Bible verse I've come to know well. "In ALL things, give thanks." In ALL things, in EVERY circumstance. But HOW can I give thanks for losing my dad? That is not something I'm thankful for. As I sat there contemplating what God had just whispered to me, it hit me like a lightbulb. This verse, based on 1 Thessalonians 5:18, doesn't say FOR every circumstance, give thanks, it says IN every circumstance, give thanks. So on this day, in this circumstance, I give thanks.
Love hurts. I thought I knew what this statement meant. But there's something I've come to learn over these last few weeks. What I thought I knew was only a glimpse, a taste of what it really meant to love so much it hurts. Love hurts. Boy, does it ever. I love my dad so much it hurts. I miss my dad so much it hurts! It all just hurts.
But then I think.....what an incredibly blessing it is that I was given the ability, the gift to love someone this much. How amazing is it that I was able to love my dad so much that it hurts? I can't imagine not being able to love like this. Love HURTS. And I'm glad it does. So even though I feel an incredible amount of pain, I wouldn't want you to take the pain away even if you could. The pain is my reminder of how much I love my dad. Even though I wish I didn't have to feel this loss, I'm glad I hurt so bad, because that means that I must've really, really loved my dad. Can you imagine if I would be in my position right now and NOT feel what I'm feeling? How tragic would that be! We all hurt right now because we love my dad! Love HURTS. The pain I feel is so deep because my love for him is so deep. I wouldn't trade the deepness of it all for anything.
It makes one wonder, what I'm feeling right now is this deep, intense love for one person, for my dad. What Jesus did, the pain he endured, because of his love not just for one person, but for every single person. Imagine the incredible amount of pain he felt, not only being nailed to the cross, but the pain in his heart because of the amount of love He has. It is because of His deep and intense love that I am allowed to love at all. For that amazing gift, I am truly thankful. Because of JESUS, and God's great love for me, I know what it means when I say, "love HURTS!"
Thank you, Lord for letting me love my dad SO MUCH! THANK YOU for letting me love so much that it hurts.
This past weekend, my mom, Matthew, and I spent some time in Nashville. Mom had originally planned a trip to come visit Mitchell and I, but after everything that happened with dad, it turned into a more, "mini move" home. I'm planning to spend the rest of the semester at home! That in itself is a blessing! I was able to meet with professors, figure out my life at school, and just spend some time in Nashville. I can't speak for mom and Matthew, but I know that I felt a little out of my element leaving home. For several weeks, it was really our safe zone, our own little bubble. I told my mom that being in public made me feel like I was in one of those nightmares where I would show up to school naked! I felt exposed and uncomfortable to say the very least. I was excited to see Mitchell, who had been back in Nashville for a few days, but leaving home was harder than I think any of us expected it to be.
As we went through the motions of airport security, my feelings of unease disappeared as soon as a man working for TSA stopped me and said, "you're the family from the news!" as he pointed to my Run with Randy jacket I had on. A little confused, I looked down and saw what he was pointing to and realized he knew we were the family who had lost their father and were now Running with Randy! He continued by saying, "I'm so sorry for your loss" and proceeded to tell me how inspired he was by our story. I could not believe it! Was this real life?! Even the TSA officers knew our story? How amazing is that?! Run with Randy really is spreading! Praise God!
Throughout our weekend in Nashville, several other individuals asked us what the "Run with Randy" stitched on our jackets meant. We were blessed with the opportunity to share dad's story with all of my professors and Belmont, and all of Mitchell's co-workers at Capitol who knew that I had lost my dad, but had no idea that Run with Randy was a cause we had started. We felt so blessed to be able to share this story with those people who asked. Here are some pictures of our trip!
Some say its our story to share, but it really isn't. This whole thing, dad's passing away, organ donation, Run with Randy, the overwhelming amount of family and community support, its all God's story. And I think He has written it so beautifully! Even though there is an incredible amount of pain involved, the many blessings we've seen as a result of this tragedy have left us amazed at the faithfulness and sovereignty of the God we serve. THAT'S the point of this story. That is what we want people to take away from this- that God is GOOD, and He LOVES us, and we KNOW where my dad is right now!
A sweet and dear friend of mine recently asked if she could share our story with one of her classes. She said she too had been SO inspired by our story and faith throughout all of this! I told her the same thing I have told so many of you who say the same thing about our faith being inspiring. THANK YOU so much for sharing that with us, it really encourages us to press on! But, what I also told her was, we are clinging to our faith so tightly because it is all we have! It is something my dad taught us in the way he lived his life. Our faith in God really will see us through any situation. I'm so thankful that God is using our situation to touch so many of you. It really is humbling.
We want YOU to be involved in this journey, and a part of the story that God is writing RIGHT NOW! Help us spread the word! Want your own Run with Randy gear? Let us know!! (email runwithrandy@gmail.com) Tell your friends to join Club 8:06 and pray with us every morning! Follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook! Share the story of an amazing man, and let's leave a legacy of hope and healing through Run with Randy!
I'm missing my dad so much today, I can hardly even stand it. I was laying awake last night thinking about things, wondering how people live the rest of their lives with this painful, gaping wound in their heart. I have to believe that God makes us stronger day by day, and ever so slowly, gives us the strength to get by. Still, the longer he is gone, the more and more I miss him. From where I am now, my heart won't be able to handle it. I'm praying that God gives me the strength I need. The pain of missing him is overwhelming and painful. Instead of thinking all about that, I tried to focus my heart on the next time I see my dad, and all of the things I'll say and do. While I still miss him terribly, it gives my heart joy to think about the next time I get to see my dad!
The next time I see dad...................he will be alive and well.
The next time I see dad...................he won't be hooked up to any machines or tubes.
The next time I see dad...................he won't be in pain.
The next time I see dad...................he'll be able to smile back at me.
The next time I see dad...................he'll hear me when I say "I love you."
The next time I see dad...................he'll be able to say, "I love you too Em."
The next time I see dad...................he won't be laying in a hospital bed.
The next time I see dad...................he will show me all the people he saved through organ donation.
The next time I see dad......he will introduce me to his mother who went to heaven before I was born.
The next time I see dad...................he'll introduce me to my Aunt Susan.
The next time I see dad.....we'll go back and re-live my wedding day and he'll show me he was there.
The next time I see dad...................we'll finally have our daddy/daughter dance.
The next time I see dad...................his hands won't be swollen to twice their normal size.
The next time I see dad...................his hands will feel just like they used to around mine.
The next time I see dad...................he'll squeeze back when I am holding onto his hand.
The next time I see dad...................he'll pull me close when I snuggle up under his arm.
The next time I see dad...................he'll hug me fiercely the way he used to whenever he saw me.
The next time I see dad.......he'll say "I'm sorry" for when I sat at his bed and begged him to wake up.
The next time I see dad...................he'll show me why he had to leave to go to heaven so soon.
The next time I see dad.......I'll tell him I'm sorry for all the ways I disappointed him or let him down.
The next time I see dad...................I'll thank him for giving Mitchell his father's blessing.
The next time I see dad...................I'll thank him for treating me like his princess.
The next time I see dad...................he'll tell me how much he loves his grandchildren.
The next time I see dad...................he'll tell me how me watches over them from heaven.
The next time I see dad...................I'll thank him for all he did for me.
The next time I see dad...................I'll thank him for teaching me to love like Jesus.
The next time I see dad...................I'll thank him for giving me my first Bible.
The next time I see dad...................I'll tell him thank you for teaching me the way to heaven.
The next time I see dad...................I'll tell him how much I love him!
The next time I see dad...................I'll thank him for being such a wonderful father and friend to me.
The next time I see dad...................I'll cry tears of joy, not sadness.
The next time I see dad...................all the pain of missing him will be gone forever.
The next time I see dad...................my heart won't be broken from the loss of him.
The next time I see dad...................I will never have to be without him ever again.
The next time I see dad...................I will be by his side forever.
The next time I see dad...................I'll thank him for choosing my mama so well.
The next time I see dad...............I'll tell him how proud of am of her strength, grace and faith in God.
The next time I see dad...................he'll tell me how beautiful she is, and I will agree with him!
The next time I see dad...................I'll be able to Run with Randy in the clouds and streets of gold!
The next time I see dad...................We will sing together with all of the angels.
The next time I see dad...................he will lead me to the arms of Jesus and to the throne of God.
The next time I see dad...................we will spend eternity worshipping our Savior and King!
It's been a week since my father went home to be with Jesus. In many ways I feel as though this hole in my heart has been there a lot longer than that. In other ways, I feel as if this week has literally flown by because of the many things to do this week and all of the people around our house.
Losing my dad has been the single most gut-wrenching, excruciating, horribly painful experiences of my entire life. I can't even begin to think about it because the pain threatens to completely paralyze me. The fact is, I'm not ready to openly share about it all yet. What I do want to share with you is one of the many blessings I have witnessed as a result of the worst event of my life. Yes, I did say blessings because even though time has been awful, there have been many blessings along the way. As I feel led, I will be sharing them. One of the biggest blessings was the graceful way in which two families were joined as one with a bond that God himself sealed and made to last forever.
When we were up in Fargo when dad was in the hospital, we stayed at my Uncle Steve and Aunt Darlene's house. I'm so beyond grateful we had a home to stay at instead of a hotel. Even now I believe wholeheartedly that they were acting as angels that week. They stayed at the hospital with us and often times gave us guidance when the medical terminology was too much for us to understand. But even more than that, it was so comforting coming home to a home-cooked meal, our dog Max, the warmth of a fireplace, a hot bubblebath and massage, and the welcoming embrace of two family members who love my dad as much as I do. My uncle Steve and aunt Darlene are one of the many blessings that God gave us during this time. We will always remember everything they did for us and how they walked along side us every step of the way.
It's not that the Berndt's and the Sipe's didn't know each other before this. They did. We've been together for various events such as graduations and other holidays and events. However, those events have never bonded us the way in which these last couple of weeks have. I can't really describe what it means to us knowing that our two families have merged into one big loving support system. It's amazing to see God's hand in uniting us in such a deep way. And while I wish with all of my heart that my dad was still here, there is no denying that God is working for our God even in this horribly tragic situation.
I have never in my life experienced death this close to home. It's completely shocking and scary to be honest. Now I know why you need so many people around in these times because all I want to do is lay around and cry. Having so many people around helps keep our spirits up.
My cousin Kate perhaps said it best. She walked up to my uncle Steve and said, "I've always known you guys but not like this. I've really grown to love you. Will I ever see you again?" To that, my uncle and aunt said that of course we would see each other again! I'm so glad it's not just me who feels that this bond was made between the Sipe's and the Berndt's. I really hope it lasts forever. I was telling Mitchell the night after dad's funeral. I said how I really honestly felt like I have one family now instead of a "mom's side" and a "dad's side". Again, I see this as another HUGE blessing.
Another huge blessing that I cannot forget to mention....having Mitchell's mother and father here for the week. I was surprised by how hard I cried when I saw them! I was so happy they were here and I know Mitchell was as well. One of the many things that breaks my heart about all of this is the fact that his parents never had the blessing of meeting my dad. Boy, do I feel sorry for anyone who didn't know him! But at the same time, they were able to hear story after story about how kind, loving, caring, and faithful my dad was. They were able to witness the impact my dad had on not just our family, but our entire community. They were able to experience the deep love my family has for my dad and for each other. Also, they were able to meet the rest of the family this week, so now the wedding will be a, "hey, good to see you again!" instead of a "nice to meet you." This is something we are definitely counting as another blessing.
I'm so grateful to God for the way in which he is working for the good of us all, even in this painful experience of losing our dad. I'm beyond amazed by the way in which he brought our family together so beautifully and bonded us in such a real and deep way. When I think ahead to our next big family event, it will probably be Mitchell and I's wedding. While that day still brings tears to my eyes because I know that my dad won't be there in person, I'm so thankful that our family was brought together now to make our wedding day even more special.
Our family not only knows each other now, they love each other. How extremely fitting that it was dad who brought us together like this. He's still teaching us how to love! This whole experience has taught me the importance of family. There are so many things in life that we pour so much time and energy into that just don't matter. Our faith in God and our family (and friends that are like family!) are the things that are getting us through this, and they are what truly matter.
Praise be to God for the gift of family! I'm so thankful for the blessings. I truly feel that I have one big family now, whether you are a Sipe or a Berndt, or a Lesnar or a Friebe, it doesn't really matter. We all have one thing in common, we love Randy Berndt, and together, we are Team Randy!
There are many more blessings, and as I feel led, I will share more. But for now, do me a favor and go hug your dad and tell him you love him.
Today marks our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY! I can't believe it's been one year already. So much has happened, and yet it feels like it was just yesterday Mitchell and I met at orientation. It really has been the best year of my life and I can't wait for this next year! I love you, Mitchell!!! This past weekend, he took me on an amazing fall date. He knows full well that Fall is one of my favorite times of year, so what could be better than going to a pumpkin patch?! We had so much fun, even though it was blazing hot!! The date days (yes, he spanned these over Friday and Saturday) consisted of movie night in a fort, Jeni's ice cream, a day at the farm/pumpkin patch, shopping, and Dave & Busters! He is really the best. I love him so crazy much!
Yes, he had a fire place going on his computer! :)
He's into the details! :)
Senior Year/College Probs
I'm finally sitting down at my computer to write my monthly recap, and I'm blown away that September is almost over! When did that happen?! The first month of senior year....dunzo. Crap, that means I am one month closer to having to figure out what the heck comes next! (More on that later) If I've learned anything this first month being back at school, it is that college is NOT real life. In fact, it kinda sucks to be honest. People keep telling me to "enjoy this time because it's the best years of your life". I sure hope not! While I'm trying hard not to wish my life away and enjoy being in the moment, I'm really looking forward to real life.
College life consists of this: waking up (too early) in the morning to go to class for 4-5 hours, interning (working for free), and coming home to work on homework for at least 7 hours every single night. Pleas tell me what job in the real world is like college? I know real life is going to have its own set of challenges, I'm not naive to that fact, but I'm ready and excited for those challenges. This whole college thing? Kinda over it, to be completely honest. I want a normal schedule! I want to be able to sleep for longer than 5 hours a night! I want to be able to just unwind after work and not have to worry about homework or projects and papers! Dangit I just want to be married already!!
Okay, so that's one part of my brain....totally over this college thing and ready to be done. But then the LOGICAL part of my brain says, "um hello....that means you'll have to figure out what to do with your life after college." Crap. That's right. As stressful as college is, it's fairly predictable in that I know what I'm doing. Even though it's kicking my but, I can handle it because I know what to expect, for the most part anyway. Real life? Yeah, I don't quite have that figured out yet. Senior year brings up the one big question, "what next?" Well, for us that's fairly simple. 2 weeks after graduation is our wedding! HURRAY!! Then after that is the honeymoon!!! HURRAYYY AGAIN! Then after that, real life. NOT HURRRAYY!
While I've found much freedom with this new major and am enjoying every minute of it, it kind of put me back at square one when it came to knowing where I was going post graduation. I was studying music business and was going to get a job in music publishing. That was pretty clear cut. But then, God decided I had gotten a little too comfortable and wanted something different with my life. Trust me when I say, I'm all about the Lord's plans over my own, but I would be lying if I didn't say I was scared out of my mind. I loved the idea of switching to be a Communications major because it opened me up to so many possibilities! Who wouldn't love that, right?! The possibilities are endless....that's a good thing....usually. Not for me right now. See, endless possibilities make it much harder for me to narrow my focus and decide what kind of job/career to pursue. I feel like I'm having another life crisis where I can't seem to figure out what I want to be!! Can you see my I feel like I'm losing my mind? I have issues...and its all college's fault!
Alright so it really isn't all that bad, and I know that full well. It will be fine. I've actually started working with career services and they have resources that are helping me narrow my focus and decide what areas to pursue. And like I keep telling Mitchell, a job is a job. Coming right out of college, I may not find my dream job, and you know what? That's perfectly okay with me, because at least we'll have each other. It will all work out. God called me to this, and I know He'll bring me through. I thank and praise Him for that!
Whew! Okay, so now that my mini rant/freak out/ meltdown is over, let me fill you in on what has been going on this first month back at school. When I say it's been crazy, I mean it's been crazy. Like more than an emotional roller coaster. We have the whole emotional theme park with multiple crazy rides of emotions/stress/meltdowns/revelations!
A verse that has been convicting me to the core lately is Matthew 6:25-34. I'm declaring this a life verse that I want so engrained in me, it will become a part of who I am! Lord knows I need more faith and less worry in my life these days.
"So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life -- whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not." "And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you? You have so little faith!" "So don't worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."
Spring Internship!
The first week back, I had an interview for a spring internship. In true Emily fashion, I was trying to be ahead of the game! I met with a pastor from Cross Point church and I am so blessed to announce that I will be interning with their Communications department! :) I'm actually really excited about this because Mitchell and I absolutely love our church. Cross Point really is one of my favorite things about life in Nashville. We've each found our unique ways to be involved and serve, while still being able to share the weekly services together. I couldn't ask for a better home church, and I'm really excited to see how it works behind the scenes and work with the incredible Cross Point team! Praise God....this was a win!
Mitchell is Awesome
Can I just take a moment to brag about my man for a second? I know he would never say this on such a public forum because he is too humble, but I'm just so dang proud of him, and I know we'll want to remember this when we look back at these posts in 20 years! He was just accepted in the Curb College One on One program! This means, he will be personally mentored by an industry executive at Sony Music here in Nashville. He'll get to meet all sorts of publishers and spend time in recording studios and pitch meetings! It's such an amazing opportunity for him and he deserves it! WAY TO GO MITCHELL!!
Daniel Bible Study
The second week of school I joined an all girls Bible study with some other Belmont girls and a faculty member who is kind of leading us through this. We decided to do Beth Moore's Daniel Study. WOW! Talk about some heavy stuff. It's been an incredible first few weeks so far, and we will do this same study until the end of the semester. I don't know where to even begin sharing about this study. I didn't quite know what to expect to be honest. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to learn from the book of Daniel. I quickly realized that I had SO much to learn about Babylon and the culture that surrounded Daniel back then, and how we're living in our own modern day Babylon of self absorption, idolatry, and material comfort. It's convicting me every single week, and I can feel the changes being made in my heart from it. If I tried to explain it all to you, we would we here forever. I would just recommend you do the study for yourself. Trust me when I say it'll be well worth your time! It wasn't long ago that I was praying to God about the fact that I felt I needed a good group of girlfriends who would encourage me in my own walk with the Lord. I'm so grateful He answered this prayer! He is good!
Just to add to my feelings of uncertainty and uneasiness about life post-graduation, Belmont informed me that it was already time to "apply for graduation". Yeah, it freaked me out too. While I'm so excited to graduate and finally be done with college, and then get married a couple weeks later, it also scares me to death knowing that there are a lot of uncertainties that go along with graduating. Besides the whole job hunt and all of that jazz, there is also the question of "where the heck are we going to live?"
Where to Live
I'll be the first to admit that I worry and obsess over this way more than I should. Mitchell keeps telling me that it doesn't make sense to even start looking yet, because the things we find now may not even be available in the spring. I know he is right, but there is a part of me that just needs to know! I need to know where we're going to live, right?! Well, that's the kicker about this whole having faith thing. The truth is, I actually don't need to know. God will provide for our every need. That includes a place to live. And I'm preaching this as much to myself as I am to you reading. God will provide for our every need. Nashville is full of options when it comes to housing, and just like the first job out of college, our first home doesn't have to be our home forever. As I'm writing this I'm reminded of how patient the Lord is with me. He knows I need it!
One day as I was driving home from Show Hope, I got lost. I mean really really lost. I was trying to avoid traffic so I decided to take an alternative route home. Bad idea! I ended up going the complete wrong direction, AND my phone was too low on battery to power my GPS. I was going to lose power in a matter of minutes. It was a stressful few minutes and I spent most of it on the phone crying with Mitchell because I was overwhelmed and lost and overly emotional because of sleep deprivation. He did his best to calm me down (his patience with me is also something I'll never fully understand), and I finally made it to a road I was familiar with just in time for my phone to die. As I was driving home that day through areas of Tennessee unfamiliar to me, I realized something. There are SO many housing options in Tennessee. Really, there are. I'm thoroughly convinced that God let me get lost on purpose to show me this. It was like he was trying to show me how ridiculous my worry about this was. Of course we'll find a place to live! Of course He'll provide us a home! I was driving myself crazy with worry for absolutely no reason at all. Plus, I was also reminded how beautiful the state of Tennessee is.
So basically three life lessons have been learned thus far: 1.) God cares about the jobs we have, and He will provide. 2.) God cares about where we live, and He will provide. and 3.) Worrying won't add a single moment to my life (Matthew 6:27).
Sing!
A few weekends ago, Mitchell and I went to see Ed Sheeran at the Bridgestone with some friends. WHAT AN AMAZING PERFORMER! Seriously, I was and still am blown away every time I think about it. He had NO band. Just him, his guitar, and looper petal. He was able to sell out an entire tour with the most simply stage setup. You know why? Because his songs are killer, that's why!!
Seriously, this guy is an amazing songwriter, and performing. Here is my list of favorites!
I think its because of all of the uncertainties in life right now, its making me homesick for my family and for home. I think maybe because its a place I've always felt safe. I think it also has to do with the various health concerns my family has been experiencing lately. My grandpa Berndt has been hospitalized after having 3 strokes, and we're all praying like crazy for him! God has him in His strong and mighty hands, we know that, and my grandpa is a man of faith, but it's still hard being this far away from family when I want nothing more than to be right there with them. A couple weeks ago it got to me too overwhelming and I was so unbelievably homesick so Mitchell and I made a trip home. Very sudden and unexpected but very much needed. Mitchell is really the best for putting up with me. He loves my family so good and they love him too! Its rather comical when we look back on it now how sudden this trip home was. My mom was probably the most surprised, but she sure didn't complain!
I'm sure I don't have to tell ya'll this because I'm sure you already know that my family is the best! I can't tell you how good it was to be home again. It was refreshing and just all around therapeutic for the both of us I think. I'm also grateful I was able to go up and see my Grandpa in the hospital. We're praying for you Grandpa! We love you!!! We were also able to drive to Alexandria to see Grandpa and Grandma Sipe. Grandma had just had surgery on her knee and was recovering. Grandpa was getting ready to have a heart procedure. It was nice to be able to spend time with the grandparents! I would've gone crazy knowing all of this health stuff was happening and I was stuck on the other side of the country!
GOOD NEWS is....fall break is coming up! I'm so excited to work on some wedding plans and spend some more time with family. Autumn in Minnesota is my absolute favorite! Plus, Mom is coming in November to visit!!! I know I will have lots of quality family time, and it makes me so happy just thinking about it. Family really is the best. And when it comes to family, I'm beyond blessed. :)
Sidenote: how amazing do they look?! They've both been losing weight and getting fit!
So proud of them!! Mom is even doing PIYO with me!!! :)
Minnesota from the sky!
30 Day Challenge: I DID IT!
For those of you that have been following along on my 30 Day Challenge, I finished it!!! Hurray!!!! I really do think it was a worthwhile thing to do. I'm kind of a nerd who is into all of that self improvement stuff. ;) My main takeaways were:
1. PUSH goal
Setting the goal that makes all of the others possible. Mine had to do with my spiritual health and growing closer to God during life's various obstacles and triumphs.
2. Setting goals
Seems kind of obvious, but I can't say I've ever put my goals down on paper. And I certainly never made goal milestones before, but this challenge forced me to. And it's kinda fun checking off the milestones and feeling like I'm actually getting closer to those goals!
3. Skillfully Crafted and Diligently Maintained to do list
I was the person who put 50+ things on her to do list. This challenge taught me how to make a list that was actually doable and manageable. I still use this technique and probably will for the rest of my life. Even Mitchell is doing it now!!
4. Time Management
I was forced to look at how much time I was wasting on social media, and how having it on my phone made me extremely unproductive and unavailable at times. I made the decision to remove Facebook from my phone, and the results of that have been astonishing!!
5. Positive self talk
Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed or like I can't do it, I remember a verse that says, "i can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."-Philippians 4:13
Testify!
I'm one of those people who is very interested and convicted by other people's testimonies. I absolutely love hearing people's stories of how they came to know the Lord. They give me so much joy!! All of you know by now from reading previous posts how much I look up to Candace Cameron Bure. I recently listened to a recording of her testimony and was moved to tears at multiple points throughout. She shares about her belief in the power of prayer, and how she prayed for her husband to come to know the Lord like she did. It was incredibly moving and I really do encourage you to check it out!
Well, there ya have it....September in kind of a nutshell. It's been a challenging month, but a time where Mitchell and I have learned so many different life lessons. The most important being that God will provide for our needs. He will provide for your needs too! All you have to do is put your faith in Him!
Happy Thursday! Almost made it to Friday!!! I'm so happy about this, I think I could cry. (Or maybe its just the severe lack of sleep and higher than usual stress levels that are making me more emotional than usual....) I wanted to quickly share something that I read from Philippians.
"I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing, forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made." Philippians 3:12-16
I LOVE this passage, especially in this particular season of life. School is back in session and life is moving forward at full speed! Mitchell and I have trouble sometimes catching our breath! Just when we feel like we've made some sort of progress, we see all that we have left to do. The joy from making it as far as we have is overshadowed by the doom we feel about all that's left ahead of us. This passage spoke directly into my drained and slightly discouraged heart today.
"But we must hold onto the progress we have already made."
-Philippians 3:16.
That's what is crazy about the Word of God. A passage I've come to know well can take on multiple meanings in my life depending on where my heart is when I read it. Today, it gave a sense of encouragement that I needed to hold onto how far we've come. It's important to hold onto that progress, because at times, it is the very thing that keeps us going.
While I know its important to keep pressing on and to run the race and fight the good fight, its really really hard sometimes when you feel like no progress is being made, or when you feel like the progress you've made pails in comparison to how far you still have to go. That's a frequent attack made by the enemy isn't it? He wants me to feel like I'm not making any progress at all in hopes that I'll give up and throw in the towel. That's why holding onto the progress we've already made is so important! When you have proof that you're moving forward, its easier to keep it up. Progress is progress, no matter how small.
If you're like us and feeling worn and drained, I hope this passage can breathe some life back into you , just like it did for me! I think it's especially important in times like these to remember to put our....
