"More Than Anything" --Songs and Scripture Series

Follow @makenzie_jones

Follow me on  

Lenny and Larry's Baked Nutrition

LinkedIn

Instagram

YouTube

Dog Sit and Walk with Rover

Fiverr

Care.com

Athlete Network

Shop and Save with ibotta

I’m not going to lie, this song is kind of depressing, BUT it is also full of hope. While it can be scary to think that our negative situations may not change, it is encouraging to know that the deep-down things that truly matter are already taken care of. It is a tough concept to grasp, but it can help calm a lot of fears in the unknown. (Fear of the unknown is one of my biggest challenges.)

More than Anything by Natalie Grant

I know if you wanted to You could wave Your hand

Spare me this heartache and change Your plan

I know any second You could take my pain away

But even if You don’t, I pray

…You know more than anyone that my flesh is weak

And You know I’d give anything for a remedy

I’ll ask a thousand more times to set me free today

But even if You don’t, I pray

…When I’m desperate and my heart’s overcome

All that I need, You’ve already done

…Help me want the Healer more than the healing

Help me want the Savior more than the saving

Help me want the Giver more than the giving

Oh, help me want You Jesus, more than anything

Over the years, this idea has come up in my life through various situations, most profoundly when I’ve had to remind myself that I will be just fine if I can never run again. Being honest, that is also one of the scariest things I’ve had to tell myself. It’s been basically my life for so long, but I know that sometimes that is how God works. His plans are not always what I expect or hope.

Balance. What a concept.

Hope and reality. Desire and contentment. Perseverance and acceptance. Work and patience. Just to name a few.

It is easy to begin to lose hope when things go downhill, especially when multiple things start to snowball. Even with a strong faith, the hard love facts of this faith can be depressing. “God might take away my greatest treasures? Why would He do such a thing? If He loves me, He will keep me happy; He will heal me. Life will be good. What kind of a God makes bad things happen?” These are all questions that people both new and mature in their faith may ask in times of trial, and it’s real. Why would God take away what we love? Because He wants us to love Him more. He has a greater plan to use us beyond what we are comfortable with.

I get stressed when I think that my life may never be the same in a variety of circumstances. For example, with injury, I can cling to the hope that He has the power to heal anything beyond what seems humanly possible, but I also have to come to terms that He may not. He had the power to take Jesus down from that cross and save His own Son from death, but He didn’t. Why should I, a sinner, expect anything better than Jesus, His perfect Son? He has a plan for our pain. Just as Jesus rose again to save the world, there is a greater purpose beyond the pain I go through.

While I can’t ignore the fact that things may not get better, I can’t lose hope in the fact that they can. And through it all, I have Jesus, and that’s all that matters. I have all I need because my eternity is secure in heaven.

Through my trials of life, I have grown closer to God and more satisfied with my life than I ever could have if things always went smoothly. I didn’t get all the opportunities that I had thought of or hoped for, but I got some that changed my perspective and made an impact on others’ lives in ways that would not have happened if things went my way.

What God’s Word Says:

“For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

“The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Matthew 26:41

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26

“…he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead…yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised…not for him alone, but also for us…” Romans 4:19-25

“Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed. Save me, and I will be saved, for You are the One I praise.” Jeremiah 17:14

“See now that I Myself am He! There is no god besides Me. I put to death and bring to life. I have wounded, and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of My Hand.” Deuteronomy 32:39

“You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In Your love, You kept me from the pit of destruction; You have put all my sins behind Your back.” Isaiah 38:16-17

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

“Lord, be gracious to us; we long for You. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.” Isaiah 33:2

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:17-18

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12-13

“Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” 1 Timothy 6:6-7

“Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.” Psalm 27:3

“My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” Psalm 51:17

“…Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” Matthew 26:39

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory forever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

“Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.” 1 Chronicles 16:11

“Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You.” Jeremiah 32:17

Finally Spring Break!

Shew, after those last snow days, it felt like spring break would never come.  Finally, I got a week of break, though, but it never seems long enough!  We had a track meet on Saturday, but then I finally got to spend some time at home.

One of my favorite verses appeared on my Peanuts daily calendar.

I made another delicious dessert!  This time it was apple cobbler.  I used honey vanilla greek Yoplait frozen yogurt, honey caramel Greek Gods yogurt, an apple pie yogurt, apple cinnamon Newtons, granola, Honey Nut Cheerios, honey, cinnamon, apple butter, and apples of course!

We had quite a variety of weather over spring break.  As it always works out, the weeks before and after were both beautiful and warm.

This was on Tuesday on my way to meet a friend at school to do a speed workout on the track.  It was sunny when I left home, but decided to dump snow again 5 minutes later.  Don't worry; I was practically stopped.  No one on the roads could see where they were going.

For the workout, I wore some bright, very coordinating clothes to help keep me warm!  The wind was awful even when the sun came out every few minutes, but I actually wasn't too cold.

Candy bar coffee creamer:  pretty good! It is just hard to beat the actual chocolate, though.

While Mom and I took a shopping trip to Knoxville, I got a  new dress for this summer at

American Eagle, one of my favorites.

One of my other favorites, Target, always has fancy things for me to try.  This is a pasta sauce made from mainly squash and pumpkins.  It was fantastic!  I used it to make pasta and pizza sauce.

At Walmart, I found a quick way to get garlic flavor in my Italian foods, like pizza.  Just buy it in paste.

Peanut butter is just one of those things....yum. 

 I picked up some Ben & Jerry's greek frozen yogurt that is peanut butter banana and found a cool  Justin's peanut butter cup that is dark chocolate on the outside at Target.  I also picked up a portable pack of that brand's maple almond butter.

Ya know, bananas are cool, too.

Sam's is a great place for bulk, and sometimes you can find original things that you wouldn't expect, too.  This is a big box of Kimberly's Bakeshoppe granola with all kinds of seeds, nuts, and dried fruit.

On Thursday, the weather was much warmer!  I wore shorts and a t shirt to the track for my workout.  I met a friend and another one showed up towards the end, too.  It was a fantastic workout, and it helped that the weather was nice.

Nothing too fancy here, just chocolate Bear Naked granola and cereal with vanilla greek yogurt with dark chocolate bits.

The Saturday at the end of spring break had a track meet scheduled on it, too, this time at

Hardin Valley Academy, a very nice and newer high school in Knoxville.  It was a cold and ugly, rainy, windy day, all my least favorite weathers in one.  My first race, the 1600, was not a very good one for me.  I placed 7th and ran a decent time, but I still was not happy.  Weather didn't help that.  I sat in the car for a while to try and thaw out.  I was shivering on the start line, then still cold when I finished and just miserable.  After a while of sitting in the car, the rain stopped, but the wind blew hard.  I warmed up for my second event, hoping to redeem myself, if only for my own peace of mind.  The temperature outside had dropped about 15 degrees from the start of races, too.  Of course, as we got ready to line up for the 3200, the rain started again.  One of my best friends was such a trooper, and she and her dad stayed to cheer me on!  I told her that she did not have to, and I wouldn't have wanted to do that at all, but they said that they wanted to.  I started out in front, but got passed by a great runner from Beech Senior High School that I had gotten to race and talk to her and her twin at many cross country meets over the years.  I had not had much track experience at this point, but at the last 100 meters of the 7th lap, I decided that I felt good, so I picked it up and passed her about 10 meters or so ahead of me and kept pulling it out in that final lap.  I needed that boost to end my day!  After my cool down, I was still freezing, but it didn't seem so cold now that I was finished and could go inside. 

I had told Mom earlier that if I made it through that day all I wanted was some coffee.  Luckily, a McDonald's down the road made that dream come true.  We also went out to eat after that of course, too.

I follow a blog that I try to look at on my phone every day called 365 Promises.  How perfect that this would come up on a race day.  In the race of life, I know that I can persevere through every trial and struggle because my Savior has a better reward for me when I am finished with life than anything here on earth could ever promise.

After the race, we went to my absolute favorite, Salsarita's!  I always get a large burrito bowl with chicken, guacamole, black and pinto beans, and all the salsas and some veggies.

Foursquare is a handy little app where you can see nearby locations, deals, pictures, and reviews.  At some places, you can get free stuff or coupons when you check in!  This one was for free chips and salsa.  Chili's has one for this appetizer, too, each time you check in.