Thursday, August 31, 2017

Journey Magazine

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This summer I decided to take on a little project of creating my own magazine! I did it by hand kind of like a scrapbook to make it more fun and make use of some materials I had on hand, and it turned out way better than I thought! With a little help of some friends, in about a week I put together "Journey" magazine and want to share it with more people, too! 






If you know me fairly well, you can only imagine how much I want to go to a goat yoga class. I would be in childlike euphoria.









Saturday, August 12, 2017

"I Have This Hope"

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Songs are something that have been able to click with me in many ways over the past several years. Sometimes it is like the song was literally written for me. There are so many I could outline with how they relate to my life and faith, but this is one that I did a Bible study with myself with a couple months ago.

by Tenth Avenue North
As I walk this great unknown
Questions come and questions go
Was there purpose for the pain?
Did I cry these tears in vain?
I don't wanna live in fear
I wanna trust that You are near
Trust Your grace can be seen in both triumph and tragedy

I have this hope
In the depth of my soul
Through the flood and the fire
You are with me, and You won't let go

But sometimes my faith feels thin
Like the night will never end
Will You catch every tear, or will You just leave me here?

So whatever happens I will not be afraid
Cause You are closer than this breath that I take
You calm the storm when I hear You call my name
I still believe that one day I'll see Your face

I found so many verses to go along with these lines of the song, and I didn't even have the internet to help me. Just my handy Bible keyword help in the back. Imagine how many I could've found! That just goes to show how relevant the Word is to everyday life.

Through school last year and many things this summer, I have felt hopeless. Depression is a real thing, and it is hard to get out of. Many times and in many situations, I have felt completely alone. However, something always keeps me going. I know that I could not have made it through with such a positive (relatively) attitude if God was not there igniting a little flame in my soul to keep me from totally giving up. He was the only thing I had, and in these times (and helpful now) I saw that He is all I need anyways. If I can make it through the worst of times with only Him and me, imagine how great life can be when I am back on track with friends, family, school, church, and sports! I know that God led me through these awful times so that I can learn to fully depend on Him so that I can have this story to tell. I am prepared for anything that comes my way because I know that He will never fail me and never leave me. I have seen it in my own life and have lived to tell about it, and that is what I intend to do. I am alive, and I am going to tell about it!

Time after time I have gotten my hopes crushed. Literally everything that I thought was good or headed in the right direction. Things would go good and look hopeful, then bang, farther back then when I started. Things get better, smack, back further again. I quit getting my hopes up for anything. This world does nothing but disappoint. It will never give us anything that is certain or totally satisfying. I quit letting myself even get excited and just expected the worst. That can be good preparation to not be let down, but it's not a very fun way to live either. But God. He is certain. He does totally satisfy. He never disappoints. All good things come from Him, and He wants to give us good things. By setting my hopes on His work alone, I am able to find joy in my circumstances because I know that that part of life will not be a failure. 

(To the song...) Heck yeah this life is uncertain. I have questions out the wazoo. Why do things have to keep going "wrong"? Is this even worth it? I have a tendency to act out of and live in fear, but I want to know that God is with me, and I don't have to live that way. His grace is with me in the highs and lows. The hope I have comes from the parts of my soul so deep that it is not of myself. I wonder where that comes from sometimes. I ask myself how I am making it through another day. But it is because I know God is with me through it all. Sometimes I feel like I have nothing left and there will never be an end to whatever struggle I am facing at the time. Still I am reminded that God can calm any storm that comes my way, and one day I will have perfect peace for eternity.

(Now also out the wazoo are these verses, so I'll list the references and a few of the words)

First verse-
Acts 1:7, Isaiah 55:8-9, Job 37:5, 1 Timothy 6:17 "...wealth, which is so uncertain..put your hope in God, who richly provides us with everything we need for our enjoyment."
James 1:2-4, 12, 1 Corinthians 15:57-58, 1 Peter 1:6-9, Hebrews 13:6, Psalm 23:4, 27:1, 34:4, 1 John 4:18, John 14:27, Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 1:8, Matthew 10:31, Mark 5:36, Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 56:3, 147:3, Romans 5:17, 20, 2 Timothy 2:1, Hebrews 4:16 "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Psalm 9:9-10, Ephesians 1:7, 2:7, Titus 2:11, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Chorus-
Romans 5:1-5, 15:13, 12:12, Hebrews 6:19, 1 John 3:3, Psalm 62:5-8 "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I will not be shaken. My salvation and honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock , my refuge. Trust in Him at all times; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge." 
 37:34, 33:20-22 "We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You."
 42:5 "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God." 
46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble."
Isaiah 43:2, 1 Peter 4:12-13 "Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed."
Romans 8:35-39, Hebrews 13:5, Psalm 147:10-11, Matthew 26:41"Watch and pray so that you do not fall into temptation. The Spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
11:28

Second verse-
Romans 1:17, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Romans 8:26-27 "The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. He who searches our hearts...the Spirit intercedes...in accordance with God's will."
Psalm 30:5 "Weeping may remain for the night, but joy comes in the morning."
Revelation 7:17

Bridge-
Isaiah 40:11, Psalm 145:18, Isaiah 26:3, 1 Corinthians 14:33, Psalm 130:5-6, Proverbs 8:17, 
Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek me with all your heart."

Here was just a little bit of hope from God inside of me shared with you :)
So when you find yourself feeling hopeless and let down by the world, remember that God is always there and will never let you down. 
I have this hope.