Showing posts with label change. Show all posts
Showing posts with label change. Show all posts
Saturday, September 7, 2013
"you'll never learn"
Ray Bradbury was a genius. He said so many wonderful things.
Sometimes I'll spend hours reading his quotes - and maybe I won't agree
with every single thing he says, but still, he is so profound. One of his
quotes hits me hard every time I read it. It's like he knew my worst
flaw and shot this quote at me like a dart.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
being the whole person God wants me to be, on the internet and otherwise
Hi, lovely readers.
As you know, I am a devoted Christian and follower and lover of Jesus. You also know that I face struggles and trials at times, and also have really good days. You'd probably say you know me pretty well from just reading my blog.
Two and a half years ago, I started Rejoice Always. I was younger and newer to this whole blogging thing, and so my dad put restrictions on me. I told him I wanted to blog my spiritual life, and he said "Okay, as long as that's all you blog about." Just so I didn't write my social security number or, you know, random stuff on here. Just to be safe.
And this blog has been so, SO good for me. I have been able to share things with you that encourage you, whilst using it as an outlet for my writing and to open my heart. Jesus is the single most important thing to me in life, and as such, it's fitting that if I were to talk about only one thing on a blog, he would be it.
But I have a whole, complete, rounded, full life, just like you all. I have interests, hobbies, insecurities, fears, loves, experiences, good cries, and secrets, just like you all. And as the most important thing in my life, Jesus illuminates all of them.
So, sometime in the future, I will be leaving this little blog. I am so very sad to see it go, but I need another, bigger outlet (so no, I am not stopping blogging altogether). I hope you, my wonderful readers and friends, will follow me there. It won't be an "everything-in-my-life-but-Jesus-because-I-haven't-talked-about-that-in-two-and-a-half-years" blog. By no means will it be that. I will talk about Jesus just as much as I do here at Rejoice Always, because he is my life. Things won't really be changing, as far as blogging goes.
But there will be more. Because I believe my life is unique and beautiful, just like everyone's lives are. I believe that God has given me a wonderful purpose in this world; a purpose only I, Sarah, can fulfill. I love writing, so I think blogging is the way to share that purpose with the world. I need to get out there because people might need to hear what I need to say.
I know what you're probably thinking: "But, Sarah, you are already sharing things that people might need to hear!" I know. This change is not only for my readers, but also for me. I need an outlet for my creativity and my heart and my imagination and my overflowing love for Jesus. I need to be who I am - all of who I am, on the internet, at home, at church, with my friends, at the zoo, on airplanes - everywhere. I can't show you part of me (or even the most important thing to me) without all the rest of it. I don't want to show you an idealized version of my life. Or even if it isn't idealized, it doesn't show the whole picture. I want you, my readers, to see all of me. Because I have something to say.
Like I said, I hope you will follow me to my new internet home. I will still keep this blog up so that I don't lose the work of the last two and half years, and Rejoice Always will always be very, very close to my heart. I have made so many memories here and met some lovely people. I don't know when this move will be happening exactly - it probably won't come to fruition for quite some time. There are still so many things to think about But I wanted to let you know. About what I think of freedom, and living life for real.
I hope this all makes sense. I don't want you to think I will be doing things a lot differently than I already do... it's hard to explain. Thanks for sticking with me. :) I love you all.
-Sarah
As you know, I am a devoted Christian and follower and lover of Jesus. You also know that I face struggles and trials at times, and also have really good days. You'd probably say you know me pretty well from just reading my blog.
Two and a half years ago, I started Rejoice Always. I was younger and newer to this whole blogging thing, and so my dad put restrictions on me. I told him I wanted to blog my spiritual life, and he said "Okay, as long as that's all you blog about." Just so I didn't write my social security number or, you know, random stuff on here. Just to be safe.
And this blog has been so, SO good for me. I have been able to share things with you that encourage you, whilst using it as an outlet for my writing and to open my heart. Jesus is the single most important thing to me in life, and as such, it's fitting that if I were to talk about only one thing on a blog, he would be it.
But I have a whole, complete, rounded, full life, just like you all. I have interests, hobbies, insecurities, fears, loves, experiences, good cries, and secrets, just like you all. And as the most important thing in my life, Jesus illuminates all of them.
So, sometime in the future, I will be leaving this little blog. I am so very sad to see it go, but I need another, bigger outlet (so no, I am not stopping blogging altogether). I hope you, my wonderful readers and friends, will follow me there. It won't be an "everything-in-my-life-but-Jesus-because-I-haven't-talked-about-that-in-two-and-a-half-years" blog. By no means will it be that. I will talk about Jesus just as much as I do here at Rejoice Always, because he is my life. Things won't really be changing, as far as blogging goes.
But there will be more. Because I believe my life is unique and beautiful, just like everyone's lives are. I believe that God has given me a wonderful purpose in this world; a purpose only I, Sarah, can fulfill. I love writing, so I think blogging is the way to share that purpose with the world. I need to get out there because people might need to hear what I need to say.
I know what you're probably thinking: "But, Sarah, you are already sharing things that people might need to hear!" I know. This change is not only for my readers, but also for me. I need an outlet for my creativity and my heart and my imagination and my overflowing love for Jesus. I need to be who I am - all of who I am, on the internet, at home, at church, with my friends, at the zoo, on airplanes - everywhere. I can't show you part of me (or even the most important thing to me) without all the rest of it. I don't want to show you an idealized version of my life. Or even if it isn't idealized, it doesn't show the whole picture. I want you, my readers, to see all of me. Because I have something to say.
Like I said, I hope you will follow me to my new internet home. I will still keep this blog up so that I don't lose the work of the last two and half years, and Rejoice Always will always be very, very close to my heart. I have made so many memories here and met some lovely people. I don't know when this move will be happening exactly - it probably won't come to fruition for quite some time. There are still so many things to think about But I wanted to let you know. About what I think of freedom, and living life for real.
I hope this all makes sense. I don't want you to think I will be doing things a lot differently than I already do... it's hard to explain. Thanks for sticking with me. :) I love you all.
-Sarah
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
where I am right now
Do you ever feel unsatisfied with yourself?
I don't necessarily mean the pretty much ever-present feeling that you'd like a different nose, or you want to get more sleep at night, or whatever. I mean an overwhelming desire to change multiple aspects of your life.
Sometimes I stop and think about everything I'm doing wrong - I'm not going to bed early enough, I'm not doing my homework on time (or I'm cramming and not doing my best), I'm not getting up early enough in the morning, I don't have all the clothes I want, my income is scanty ($64 a month dissolves so easily and quickly, somehow). I don't think of others enough. I complain a lot. I don't have as much energy as I want to have. I don't exercise enough. I'm not completely satisfied with my appearance. The list goes on. And sometimes I just wish I could press a button or wave a magic wand and tada! my life is perfect.
That's definitely not how it works, though. And it's SO HARD. Because most of those things are good things! Things I should want! I'll be honest, it's discouraging to realize that I can't just decide I'm going to wake up earlier and then DO IT. It takes prayer and faith and hard work and perseverance.
Another reason that it's hard is because it's part of the process of sanctification. And sanctification is one of the hardest things in the world to go through. It takes immense trust (yet another thing I don't have), and I just want God to hand me some kind of certificate or something that says "Congratulations! You have achieved the highest standard of _________!"
Examining this post now, I realize that I'm not doing too well with patience. :/
But it's okay, because of who I am in Christ - I am saved, I'm a saint, I'm God's daughter, I'm beloved, and I'm guaranteed eternal life and happiness.
One minute I'm despairing about how much I need to change and how unsatisfied I am with myself, and the next breath I'm motivated and pleased with where I am. Funny how my emotions fluctuate like that. Thank goodness there's a never-changing God who unconditionally loves me for who I am.
Happy Wednesday :)
Sarah
I don't necessarily mean the pretty much ever-present feeling that you'd like a different nose, or you want to get more sleep at night, or whatever. I mean an overwhelming desire to change multiple aspects of your life.
Sometimes I stop and think about everything I'm doing wrong - I'm not going to bed early enough, I'm not doing my homework on time (or I'm cramming and not doing my best), I'm not getting up early enough in the morning, I don't have all the clothes I want, my income is scanty ($64 a month dissolves so easily and quickly, somehow). I don't think of others enough. I complain a lot. I don't have as much energy as I want to have. I don't exercise enough. I'm not completely satisfied with my appearance. The list goes on. And sometimes I just wish I could press a button or wave a magic wand and tada! my life is perfect.
That's definitely not how it works, though. And it's SO HARD. Because most of those things are good things! Things I should want! I'll be honest, it's discouraging to realize that I can't just decide I'm going to wake up earlier and then DO IT. It takes prayer and faith and hard work and perseverance.
Another reason that it's hard is because it's part of the process of sanctification. And sanctification is one of the hardest things in the world to go through. It takes immense trust (yet another thing I don't have), and I just want God to hand me some kind of certificate or something that says "Congratulations! You have achieved the highest standard of _________!"
Examining this post now, I realize that I'm not doing too well with patience. :/
But it's okay, because of who I am in Christ - I am saved, I'm a saint, I'm God's daughter, I'm beloved, and I'm guaranteed eternal life and happiness.
One minute I'm despairing about how much I need to change and how unsatisfied I am with myself, and the next breath I'm motivated and pleased with where I am. Funny how my emotions fluctuate like that. Thank goodness there's a never-changing God who unconditionally loves me for who I am.
Happy Wednesday :)
Sarah
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