It feels like you’re fighting a fight you can’t win… No matter how hard you try…

My recent conversation with a Christian councilor, who found the right word to describe it for me: belonging. The need that everyone has, one more than another, but we all need that feeling. If life, day in day out, does not give you that sense, it’s going downhill pretty fast… You start your days bright and early, with your best foot forward, bringing ideas and opinions to the table. But if those constantly get negative attention, where does that leave your positive, trying to help motives?

I don’t know, every story is different, and always has 2 sides. All I know is this feeling drove me partly to depression before… Though: I definitely do not want to go there again!! But how can you prevent from a surrounding living area, to turn things around positive? The only thing I know and have learned from my previous experience: is God. I had left Him behind, but He never left me… That’s a huge thing, which gives me peace right now.

So how to cope then, with this bucket filling up with negative inputs? These days, I don’t even think half of the people realize what they’re doing to each other. That’s something to consider. But does that mean to sit in a corner or run away from the problem? I mean, how many times do we try, right? Well, God did not give up on me… So why should I give up?! When you’re not able to use your gifts or talents, or if they’re not appreciated or accepted, then why in the first place did God gave me those? I can’t just step out of my normal life and start a whole new one… A big word that’s helping me a lot is: patience. We might often not realize it, but later in life, we see, it turns out for the good. I see patience as hope – somehow connected. The hope we can have in Christ is so worth it! We belong to Him and that in itself is a huge comfort. So when you feel like you’re constantly put in a negative place; think of Jesus; He’s been put there a lot…

And just, let go! Let it go… move on, show your other cheek. Yes, easier said than done. Circumstances may take or leave your talents, but they can’t touch your love for Christ!

‘My brethren, count it all joy when you fall in various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.’ (James 1: 2-4)

2 Blogs today… In a way they could relate to each other. ‘Fly by’ was written at the beginning of this week, “when you feel it coming” today. In the end it’s the hope we may find in Christ Jesus our Lord and God.

I would like to share, that it really helps me personally to write about different matters. And maybe you or someone else can relate or find relieve in them as well, since we’re not the only one in this world who struggles… May God bless you in all that you do and in the choices that you make!

The saying: “The time flies by.”

I woke up this morning, just thinking, where does the time go?! Well, it’s going somewhere alright! When I see our kids grow up so quick, when a week just came and went, while our animals still need to be taken care of and so on and so on. It’s a blessing to live life. It’s God’s gift to all of us. How we live it is our choice. And if that includes God Himself, than that’s a blessing too!

In these times, where you have to stay at home, you might not find things fly by so fast. On a farm, that’s not really the case usually. But, to state things on the bright side; there are lots of things that you can do, that you’d ‘normally’ won’t. For example: play board or card games: its fun and you can really get to know each other in a different way. Go through your stacks or files of pictures: there are so many good times to remember… Or… pick up a Bible and read… just read… It may transform how we see things, it guides the way of life. One of my favorite Bible books is Proverbs. It contains so many wise advices that we can apply to our own lives.

You know, our life on earth may go quick, but this “coming and going” has a purpose… If we look at the Israelites, preparing to leave slavery and bondage from Egypt: they were preparing to go with God… When they were waiting and eating inside their homes, while leaving a blood stained door post on the front door of our house. Being warned, that night, an angel flew by… If they were prepared: the angel skipped the house, if not: the forewarned death would happen… We are through this story in the Bible warned too… How? Well, if we look at our hearts, is the ‘front post’ stained by Jesus’ blood? Looking at our lives, are we walking, living in faith with God? If so, as Christians, our destiny on earth, after death, is life in Heaven!

I would not have that chance fly by! I see my life as a gift, all that happens in it, though sometimes challenging, are bringing me closer to that hope! That is, the knowing hope in and through Jesus Christ. With God’s love for me and His grace, He’s preparing me and all of us who believe in Him, for that glorious moment to see Him; face to face. Yes, we will meet our King, The King of all creation!

Don’t let it… fly by…

Love – the word that has a lot of power. In many ways the word love can be defined. Our daily lives are filled with it, though not always felt or recognized. As ‘fallen’ humans, we want to feel loved. Sometimes in a way of: look at me! Look at what I am all accomplishing… Or just simply through words or a simple gesture. Even when you feel lonely or feel beaten by life… Love is still in the air. The only thing is, do we want to receive it? Do we listen to others, or to their advice? Do we except that hug out of willingness or ‘must-do’. Love is; give and take…

Now Christ is exactly that! He give(s). All we need to do is take… God Himself is love. Out of love and compassion He created us, humans. Every single conception of life is a gift from God. All our detailed genetics are unique; a one of a kind. Rumors these days and even some facts are about genetic manipulation. In my eyes; who is in charge of that, and who wants to play ‘god’? Why does a human raise need to be ‘changed’ or ‘manipulated’?

Back to love – we’re ought to love our neighbors, everyone around us, even our enemies. In short: God takes us sinners and wipes us clean through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. Forgetting the bad and looking for good through forgiveness.

This is a good way to strive for the good. It will bring hope! Love – the so much needed attention in our lives. Another year is gone by, have we paid attention to all the love coming towards us? Or do we only focus on the bad, sad, negative situations? Are we looking at the bright sides of things, striving to make the best out of it?

Love: Love is…: Love is God. Take His love, receive it in hope, use it in your daily activities. You’re not alone. Never. Let us not focus on proving ourselves to the world in a self-centered way. But let us proof ourselves in our faith in God our King. He loves us – we love Him. It’s give and take. Are we taking what He gives and are we giving back what we receive(d)?

We don’t know what tomorrow might bring; the only thing we can be sure of is that God will be there, always!

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‘Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.’ (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7)

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‘Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He love us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us the Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.’ (1 John 4: 7-19)