Nobody is ever 100% reliable. It's absolutely impossible. Yet, we place so much trust in people to fulfill our needs mentally, emotionally, and physically. We are only setting ourselves up for disappointment. Obviously this statement doesnt need to be taken to the extreme all of the time. We can still put our trust in our loved ones and those who are actually trustworthy, but we just need to be mindful that nobody is perfect. Nobody can be reliable 100% of the time.
God is the only One we can rely on all of the time. He is always with us. He never leaves us, never forsakes us. Even if He is silent, He is at work. He hears our prayers. He loves us. One-hundred percent of the time.
We've all had our share of heartache when it comes to relationships. Not just significant other relationships; I'm talking about friendships, family relationships, co-worker relationships, etc. A lot of this heartache comes from a broken trust or a broken promise. Some heartache might come from something hurtful that was said, or even something that WASN'T said.
I just want to get the point across that nobody is fully reliable.
It's nobody's fault. We are all guilty of being unreliable. If we were able to be reliable, we would need about 200 more hours in a day, and the ability to be in multiple places at once. The only One who CAN be that, is God. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere at the same time. He makes things happen according to His perfect will.
This is also something we have a hard time remembering: His perfect will.
A lot of the time its hard to wait on His perfect timing. We get caught up in thinking that we know how and when things should happen. Part of not relying 100% on people, is relying 100% on God. He has our best in mind. I can't stress that enough. He knows our beginning, our middle, and our end. How comforting is that? Yet, we still try and plan things on our own. I'm as guilty as the next guy. Just rest assured that when God comes and interrupts your plans, its for your own good. He's saving you from destruction that you probably dont even see coming.
Trust Him. Trust only Him. He is our refuge and our strength.
Just remember, our life is a journey. Nobody will ever be perfect, but why not strive for perfection? If you mess up, learn from it. Start new. Don't be disappointed in yourself because you made a mistake. Learn from it, conquer it, and move on.
"You cant start the next chapter if you keep re-reading the last one."
Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.
Psalm 9:10
They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted you and were never disgraced.
Psalm 22:5
You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 3:15
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5-6
The Lord says, "I will rescue those who love me, I will protect those who trust in My Name."
Psalm 91:14
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Homemade Pizza & Quality Time
There are two things I can't get enough of: cooking and friends. I really enjoy hosting get-togethers and cooking for people who don't mind eating the things I make. Nothing that I make is ever bland. I cant stand bland food. I grew up with a family whose go-to seasonings were just plain old salt and pepper. Talk about boring.
This weekend I had one of my very good friends over. Taryn is her name. She is one of the sweetest, most genuine, kind-hearted people on the face of the earth. When she and I get together, we mostly lounge, watch movies, laugh, and eat. This weekend we made homemade pizzas. Yum. She loves just plain old sausage and extra cheese. I can't argue with her there. I made a buffalo/BBQ chicken pizza with green peppers and mushrooms. It was amazing. We took a trip to Trader Joe's and Target that day to buy our ingredients. Of course, since we stopped at Target, we purchased more than just ingredients for our pizzas. But, thats besides the point. After our pizzas were done cooking, we devoured what might have been some of the best pizza I've ever eaten in my life. It was delish. We popped in a few movies (four to be exact,) and vegged out the whole day. We watched Beethoven, Super Bad, Crazy Stupid Love, and Knocked Up. It was perfect. My best friend Courtney came to join us halfway through our movie marathon. After all four movies were finished, we called it a night.
Sunday morning came early. It always does. I picked up Jordan and we headed up to church at Substance in St. Paul. We had to make a stop at Dunn Bros, of course. Its tradition. After our bodies were properly fueled, we were ready to take on a full day. The sermon was great, as always. Pastor Peter always hits the nail on the head. I love his preaching. He is so animated and includes so much scripture in all of his messages. This week was the first sermon of the series called "Resisting Temptation." He based the sermon on Mark 14:38 which says, "Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Everybody has their own temptation. Once the devil figures it out, he will do anything and everything to keep you from a close walk with God. We need to keep our hearts, minds, and bodies guarded by reading and studying The Word, asking God to reveal our temptations and faults to us so we know what to fix. Then, we need to ask God to build and install a supernatural resistance to temptation, and identify a plan of escape when we do experience temptation. God is always transforming us for the better. Following Him is never boring.
For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.
Psalm 84:11
The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to rescue each time.
Psalm 34:19
For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
Psalm 1:6
Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.
1 Peter 2:11
You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.
Genesis 4:7
After church, Jordan and I joined friends Lauren, Petey, and Taryn at Pier 500 (the best restaurant this side of the Mississippi, in my humble opinion.) After a delicious lunch, Jordan and I headed to Dunn Bros again to refuel, and then back to River Falls to her aunt and uncles house. The Packer/Giant game was on. Unfortunately (no, I'm not being sarcastic,) the Packers lost. I'm a Vikings fan. I have been my whole entire life, but I was honestly hoping the Packers would win this game! I thought it would have been great to see them in the Super Bowl two years in a row. But, what can you do? NOTHING! muaahahha..... but seriously.
The Swanson family and I headed up to Hudson to catch a movie to finish off the weekend after the game. I love them all so dearly.They're all HUUUUUGE Packer fans, so I think they just wanted to get their minds off the loss. Whatever helps I guess. :)
War Horse is a long movie. That's all I have to say about that. I cried three times, but only because I love animals. I don't even like horses that much. They actually scare me. But freakin' War Horse was a tear-jerker! I sat next to Kyle and Melissa and we were doing commentary a lot of the time. There was a couple of times I couldnt contain my laughter. Nothing new there. Hopefully we didnt ruin the experience for anyone else in the theater. And by that I mean I hope we didn't interrupt the lady who answered her phone DURING THE MOVIE! Who does that? As I've said before, "sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you're just plain nuts."
This weekend I had one of my very good friends over. Taryn is her name. She is one of the sweetest, most genuine, kind-hearted people on the face of the earth. When she and I get together, we mostly lounge, watch movies, laugh, and eat. This weekend we made homemade pizzas. Yum. She loves just plain old sausage and extra cheese. I can't argue with her there. I made a buffalo/BBQ chicken pizza with green peppers and mushrooms. It was amazing. We took a trip to Trader Joe's and Target that day to buy our ingredients. Of course, since we stopped at Target, we purchased more than just ingredients for our pizzas. But, thats besides the point. After our pizzas were done cooking, we devoured what might have been some of the best pizza I've ever eaten in my life. It was delish. We popped in a few movies (four to be exact,) and vegged out the whole day. We watched Beethoven, Super Bad, Crazy Stupid Love, and Knocked Up. It was perfect. My best friend Courtney came to join us halfway through our movie marathon. After all four movies were finished, we called it a night.
Sunday morning came early. It always does. I picked up Jordan and we headed up to church at Substance in St. Paul. We had to make a stop at Dunn Bros, of course. Its tradition. After our bodies were properly fueled, we were ready to take on a full day. The sermon was great, as always. Pastor Peter always hits the nail on the head. I love his preaching. He is so animated and includes so much scripture in all of his messages. This week was the first sermon of the series called "Resisting Temptation." He based the sermon on Mark 14:38 which says, "Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Everybody has their own temptation. Once the devil figures it out, he will do anything and everything to keep you from a close walk with God. We need to keep our hearts, minds, and bodies guarded by reading and studying The Word, asking God to reveal our temptations and faults to us so we know what to fix. Then, we need to ask God to build and install a supernatural resistance to temptation, and identify a plan of escape when we do experience temptation. God is always transforming us for the better. Following Him is never boring.
For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.
Psalm 84:11
The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to rescue each time.
Psalm 34:19
For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
Psalm 1:6
Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.
1 Peter 2:11
You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.
Genesis 4:7
After church, Jordan and I joined friends Lauren, Petey, and Taryn at Pier 500 (the best restaurant this side of the Mississippi, in my humble opinion.) After a delicious lunch, Jordan and I headed to Dunn Bros again to refuel, and then back to River Falls to her aunt and uncles house. The Packer/Giant game was on. Unfortunately (no, I'm not being sarcastic,) the Packers lost. I'm a Vikings fan. I have been my whole entire life, but I was honestly hoping the Packers would win this game! I thought it would have been great to see them in the Super Bowl two years in a row. But, what can you do? NOTHING! muaahahha..... but seriously.
The Swanson family and I headed up to Hudson to catch a movie to finish off the weekend after the game. I love them all so dearly.They're all HUUUUUGE Packer fans, so I think they just wanted to get their minds off the loss. Whatever helps I guess. :)
War Horse is a long movie. That's all I have to say about that. I cried three times, but only because I love animals. I don't even like horses that much. They actually scare me. But freakin' War Horse was a tear-jerker! I sat next to Kyle and Melissa and we were doing commentary a lot of the time. There was a couple of times I couldnt contain my laughter. Nothing new there. Hopefully we didnt ruin the experience for anyone else in the theater. And by that I mean I hope we didn't interrupt the lady who answered her phone DURING THE MOVIE! Who does that? As I've said before, "sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you're just plain nuts."
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Chili. Not Chilly.
This has been the warmest winter I have encountered in my twenty-four years of living. We had a fifty degree day today. It's January 10th. In Wisconsin. That just does not compute. Usually a typical Wisconsin winter makes me hungry for chili. Its just delicious! Despite the unusually warm weather, I made a reaaaaalllyyyy good pot of chili tonight to have for the week.
Heres my recipe:
2 Packages of Tenderized Stew Beef, diced
2 1/2 C Beef Broth
1 1/4 C BBQ Sauce (i used Trader Joe's)
1/4 C Soyaki Sauce (Trader Joe's)
1 Whole Sweet California Onion, Chopped
3 Green Peppers, Chopped
1 Jalepeno (exclude seeds), Minced
2 Cans of Black Beans (Drained and Rinsed)
1 Large Can of Diced Tomatoes
1 Large Can of Tomato Sauce
Seasonings: Lawry's Seasoning Salt, Black Pepper, Cumin, Kayenne Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper (Season to Taste)
Brown meat with onion in a little bit of the beef broth. Once cooked, add all other ingrediants and simmer for an hour or two. Chili, in my opinion is always better the second day. I also like it on the spicier side. Feel free to add or leave out any ingredients. I like to garnish with cheddar goldfish, sour cream, or cheddar cheese. Give it a try! It's delish!
Heres my recipe:
2 Packages of Tenderized Stew Beef, diced
2 1/2 C Beef Broth
1 1/4 C BBQ Sauce (i used Trader Joe's)
1/4 C Soyaki Sauce (Trader Joe's)
1 Whole Sweet California Onion, Chopped
3 Green Peppers, Chopped
1 Jalepeno (exclude seeds), Minced
2 Cans of Black Beans (Drained and Rinsed)
1 Large Can of Diced Tomatoes
1 Large Can of Tomato Sauce
Seasonings: Lawry's Seasoning Salt, Black Pepper, Cumin, Kayenne Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper (Season to Taste)
Brown meat with onion in a little bit of the beef broth. Once cooked, add all other ingrediants and simmer for an hour or two. Chili, in my opinion is always better the second day. I also like it on the spicier side. Feel free to add or leave out any ingredients. I like to garnish with cheddar goldfish, sour cream, or cheddar cheese. Give it a try! It's delish!
Monday, January 9, 2012
True Beauty Lies in the Heart
I finally realize what beautiful is. God sees me as beautiful; not the way the world sees beautiful, but the way beautiful should be seen - through the eyes of God. So what if I don't wear a size four and have my hair and makeup done perfectly every single day. That shouldn't matter. Being beautiful means being like Jesus in every way possible. We become beautiful when we become more like Christ. It's a process. It never ends. That, in itself, is beautiful.
To want to be healthy and fit is one thing, but to obsess and idolize over the way your body looks is wrong because you're putting those thoughts and worries above God. The Lord looks at your heart.
Your body is a temple, and should be kept healthy and pure. But, if your thoughts dwell mostly on what you see in the mirror, you are not following Gods Word, therefore you are sinning. God made you in His image. If you feel the Holy Spirit prompting you to change your body because you are unhealthy, then by all means, get in shape. But true beauty lies in the heart. Don't allow the enemy to consume your thoughts every time you look in the mirror. God doesn't make junk.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous -- how well know it!
Psalms 139:14
Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
1 Peter 3:3-4
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.
1 Timothy 4:8
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7
To want to be healthy and fit is one thing, but to obsess and idolize over the way your body looks is wrong because you're putting those thoughts and worries above God. The Lord looks at your heart.
Your body is a temple, and should be kept healthy and pure. But, if your thoughts dwell mostly on what you see in the mirror, you are not following Gods Word, therefore you are sinning. God made you in His image. If you feel the Holy Spirit prompting you to change your body because you are unhealthy, then by all means, get in shape. But true beauty lies in the heart. Don't allow the enemy to consume your thoughts every time you look in the mirror. God doesn't make junk.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous -- how well know it!
Psalms 139:14
Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
1 Peter 3:3-4
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.
1 Timothy 4:8
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7
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