Joy found in trials...

ooooh Joy: a state of happiness or felicity!

I encountered joy amongst trials in a time where most would not be able to find joy...
when we are surrounding in trials we often get down and fester in the negativity we are surrounded in. But through Christ I have found joy in trials that seem to occur in my life. It's funny how in the midst of situations we often do not think or rarely think their could be good in it?....how fabulous of a Father we have to have HOPE in our life. In the book of James it talks about trials and overcoming them. I beleive that in our trials we must not lose sight of the bigger picture. Have hope in everything, love eachother and be positive. Negativity is what gets us down and what can rain down in such a poopy way that before we know it we are left feeling bitter. Be optimistic and sincere with relationships in life. If someone does a wrong to you, love them back even more; protect yourself yes, but love the other person still and be careful to not build up feelings of dislike.

There is Joy and Hope in everything....The jounery doesn't end here...it's a life choice...what are you going to choose?....
I know the constant state of hoping and having joy in each thing in life is what gets me through...my hope is found in Christ and my joy is also found in the situations in life i'm faced with that continually Christ gives me peace and peserverance to grow and learn to love even more through the tough times.

-A

Inspiring!!

EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS:

Taken from the following website I included in the previous post to click on is an incredible analogy....just so heart warming!

The all important ingredient is focus and an attitude of trust in the Lord.

The following is one of the best illustrations I know of the importance of keeping a focused and right attitude:

The colorful, nineteenth-century showman and gifted violinist Nicolo Paganini was standing before a packed house, playing through a difficult piece of music. A full orchestra surrounded him with magnificent support. Suddenly one string on his violin snapped and hung gloriously down from his instrument. Beads of perspiration popped out on his forehead. He frowned but continued to play, improvising beautifully.

To the conductor’s surprise, a second string broke. And shortly thereafter, a third. Now there were three limp strings dangling from Paganini’s violin as the master performer completed the difficult composition on the one remaining string. The audience jumped to its feet and in good Italian fashion, filled the hall with shouts and screams, “Bravo! Bravo!” As the applause died down, the violinist asked the people to sit back down. Even though they knew there was no way they could expect an encore, they quietly sank back into their seats.

He held the violin high for everyone to see. He nodded at the conductor to begin the encore and then he turned back to the crowd, and with a twinkle in his eye, he smiled and shouted, “Paganini . . . and one string!” After that he placed the single-stringed Stradivarius beneath his chin and played the final piece on one string as the audience (and the conductor) shook their heads in silent amazement. “Paganini . . . and one string!”²⁷ (And, I might add, an attitude of fortitude.)

Swindoll goes on to say:

This may shock you, but I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-do-day basis is my choice of attitude . . . Attitude is that “single string” that keeps me going or cripples my progress . . . When my attitudes are right, there’s no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.

Yet, we must admit that we spend more of our time concentrating and fretting over the strings that snap, dangle, and pop--the things that can’t be changed--than we do giving attention to the one that remains, our choice of attitude.²⁸

For the Christian, however, we are not talking about just a positive attitude. We are talking about an attitude that comes from a heart focused on God and that trusts in Him.

think about this, probe, look at your life and evaluate your attitude to everything! In evyerhting we do, we can make a difference.

What difference are YOU going to make.

Listening to:

Jon foreman cure for pain
Phil Wickham I have decided to folow Jesus

Much Love,

Liv

blabber

As I sit here in a coffee shop and wonder about life. I watch around me the people and interactions they have. I have to question the guy that works here, he is so happy and full of life and to every person he serves a drink to they smile and laugh. He brings such happiness to strangers faces with his spunk and style of serving coffees. I wonder if he knows our great God? People like him make me smile, to know that throughout the day that a random stranger behind a counter can make you smile from his random personality of smiles and love he has as he serves coffee. A true servants heart. I know of another lady at a café at school. I delight in her personality. Each time I buy something from the café. She smiles and is happy every time, I can’t think of any time I didn’t go in that she was rude or unhappy. She is such a joy to talk to and you can tell she really cares and loves life. I wonder what is under the surface for her. If underneath her smiles if there is hurt? What is her life like? I couldn’t imagine it being bad but people these days are so good at hiding behind their smiles. I am one of those people that with my personality I can easily suppress things and choose to fill the void in life with laughter and happiness that can sometimes be a show so people can’t see my hurt. Why is it that we are so scared to be vulnerable sometimes?

I think because when we are truly vulnerable we feel naked. We feel that we are exposed and it is scary. We wonder if people really knew our deepest things that we would not be accepted or that we would be treated or looked at differently. I also think that if at those moments of vulnerability the person or people you are vulnerable with, if they shut you down or you open up and they leave you with your words; you develop this unconsciousness to not reveal what your really thinking because of that one time you were shut down when you were open and raw with people.

My heart goes out to you.

I know the pain of opening up and feeling left to dry out. I know the feeling of not wanting to open up again because of fear of hurt or not being loved. I encourage you to open up and be able to love and say what you want to say without having to be loved back. To bring the meaning of vulnerable to a whole different level. To break free from it to find freedom. For God to be that comfort in time of feeling alone and not heard.

I won’t lie, I still struggle with being vulnerable.I am learning things about that myself that I am noticing to be careful of. Not because they are horrible but because I focus so much on others that I sometimes forget me. I'm too afraid of hurting others. I like to carry their burdens for them and be that shoulder to lean on. To be honest I could go for a while without thinking about me because I love people and I love loving on them. I’m a people pleaser. I love pleasing people and not letting people down. I love making people happy when they are sad and reaching out to the broken hearted. Often times I find it easier to reach out to those that are strangers and show them love than my own family. I’m not sure if that is because there is hurt around family. Also the whole issue of vulnerability scares me. I’m not sure but I know that I’m continually working on breaking free from vulnerability.

My definition of Vulnerable:

To be able to love and not be loved back

this is truely an awesome read if you have the time CLICK :)

some words that are inspiring I have come across:

*glory in God rather than in people.

* A believer’s greatest strength is focus, dependence and faith in the Lord, but this is also his greatest place of vulnerability.

*Defeat will always follow Victory!

*1 Corinthians 10:12 So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall.

Much Love,
Liv

Kings of Leon

Saweet music video!

CLICK

-A

A start to a new Beginning...

This blog has been lonely for quite some time now and I wish to repost on it. I have debated the thought for some time and have lately just wanted something to ramble on with everything that goes on in life. I loved being in Kaleo and writing each week, it really helped me gather my thoughts and see things in a different light!

So here goes it....

I will try and write every once in a while and totally feel free to comment on it! I'd love to hear your feedback and responses to it!

A verse that is defiantly dear to my heart that hmmm is just so freeing and incredible to reflect on...

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

In other words; don't be shy! Preach it!

With the sweet words of good ol Saint Francis of Assisi....

"Preach the word at all times and if necessary use words!"

In Christ we have the power to show love to others

To be disciplined in life and our walks with God and encourage others

To have the power to take charge and do things with a kind heart and not be shy because we know that God has our back :)

recommended sweet song to listen to here :)

Much Love,

Liv

confusion is so often my middle name.

im in another thinking mode tonight.

so here it goes..

pray..how often do we forget the significance of it.

i know i do...so often.

for instance...thoughts for next year are getting to me...where should i be?

where does God want me?

I know i should be praying diligently but i am finding it so hard to get to the point of actually praying and surrendering school. Why is it so hard to surrender things?

I feel as though i am being so stubborn lately. Not wanting to give up things to God ...things that are on my heart that i know i should be asking to him in prayer...and i do but not diligently. It more when i remember....maybe i am not giving myself enough credit?...i mean i pray each night i go to bed and i pray throughout the day but maybe i think im feeling as though im not praying specifically for what i actually want to seek answers and guidance for.

man oh man.

confusion is so often my middle name.

I was talking to a friend not too long ago and he came to the conclusion that he thought God does not give us answers all the time because he wants us to hope and probe it and trust in him! It was something along those lines and it really hit me and i thought hmm that is a very very good thought lol!

mmmmm

so where to go from here...

which door to open next?

that is the journey i am on

opening doors and testing them...probing it...

we are constantly on a journey in life

we need not forget that God wants to be apart of it!

mmm

so i leave you with this

will you surrender your worries to God?

I am on that journey and am seeking his will for my life

I know that i will only be satisfied in serving him and doing what he wants for my life

dased and confused

-Alivia

Unsettled/Unsatisfied/Wondering/Walking/Desiring...

such a different life I am living from being in Kaleo this time last year to being in a secular college this year. Not a bad life but very different in the daily things I do and different people and surroundings. When I first came back from BC back to ontario I had major culture shock for a few weeks and still am adjusting. I found myself not fitting in and not satisfied with the things in this world and what the world says you have to do to "be happy". I still am frustrated with things and am searching for answers. Searching for answers to tell people that are seeking to know something greater than just worldly things. I constanlty have been stumped the past months with questions people raise about Jesus and "christianity". I have been careful on using the word christian. Not because I am ashamed of it..not at all! But because there is so many mis understandings about this word. People have said they are a christian and represent Christ in such a horrible way. They are no different and are not set apart from the world at all. It saddens me to see that they are mis representing Jesus.
On another note the question that has stumped me so much is...when people say

"I believe that everyone has there own gods they are happy with and the end."
or
"I beleive that there is a God who governs all religions"

now that 2nd one is illogical because so many religions are so different but the first statement does raise a lot of questions.
where is fulfillment in that statement. How does everyone have their own gods? How is someone content in saying that? How did this world come to be if there are many gods? Are they all connected? How can they all be connected if there are so many different aspects to all these different religions the world has going on and even new religions are popping up.
I just don't get it. I don't know how to say my God is the REAL God who died for you and me for our sins!
I know so much in my heart this is true but I seem lost for the words to describe to people. It's not as easy as I would like it to be. Not that I was expecting it to be easy but I just feel like I don't have the words to say. Or enough "proof" as one might say?

UGH. I am just frustrated with finding the right words to say. Are there the right words? Actually bam there you go right words to say and than the person realizes or maybe starts to see a little the truth?
Someone says "I believe In God"...what does that actually mean? Today that can mean so much in the world we live in.
Believing in God is more than just believing! It is actually having this incredible relationship with a creator that created the world and me and you and gave us free will. Believing is also living your life for God. Not just being a hearer but a doer also as James says!
So much of this relationship with Christ has been altered today. People have altered it to just believing in God but still going back or staying in the same state of their worldly desires. That is not taking up your cross and following God like he says. If you follow God than you need to be willing yo become a disciple of his. It is sacrifice, love, desire and so much more. It is a journey a road you take that is never-ending. You are always learning and learning and oh learning.

So what does it really mean to be a Christ follower to you?
and
what would you say to those people that say "everyone has their own gods"? would you be as stumped on that as I am?

That is my blurb for now. I just needed to get that off my chest as I have been wondering and probing this for a while.

until next time.

-A