Thoughts on Life - (About This blog)

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. Helen Keller

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Life at times is challenging -
Difficult even.

Sometimes the good moments aren't enough to bring a desire to push through the bad moments. So what happens at that point? Many people turn to other things they possess to try and be happy (some good, some bad and some depending on what you do with it) or some people turn to other people to make them feel good about themselves. Some people just give up. There have been moments in my life I've been stuck in all those places temporarily. Along most of my journey through life I've turned to my faith in God during difficult times - of which there have been many - and have wrestled with some deep issues.

Yet, sometimes - even my faith doesn't seem to be enough. So I struggle through trying to understand why the trials come, what happened that made me deserve trials and how to get out of them (preferably the quickest way)...BUT God has taught me that sometimes the quickest way isn't the best way out.

(Because my journey isn't about me.)

Many good character traits are developed when the journey drags ON and ON for what seems like forever. Every bad thing in our lives can produce beautiful results if we let them. We aren't isolated individuals that go about our days not affecting others. For one thing that should encourage us to help others along. It should also caution us to be careful how we treat each other. We have a lot of power to harm or heal hurting people.

The journey is about going through life in a messed up world and trusting that God is directing our steps - somehow always knowing how much we can handle - protecting us even when we are doubting His existence, His understanding of our pain and His capability to help us.

This blog is a reminder to me (and maybe you too?) to turn my attention upwards and let His love guide me through, over and around all the obstacles that make life difficult.

In my most recent trial (that has been going on for years) I came to a point of desperation. In January I wrote this prayer to God:

O God, I am a broken, worthless, useless, unloved person. I don't know where to begin. Help me to know and understand and accept (not just accept but embrace) the path you have for me.

I was too overwhelmed to be able to write anything else. I love poetry and often write when I am discouraged. Recently when I sit down to write I can't seem to find words strong enough to encompass the emotions and fears I've been facing.

Yet my thoughts have wondered down a lot of paths...so I bought a journal from a local Christian bookstore and I realized the uplifting quotes and Bible verses written on the pages could be my inspiration. I will write on them. Take the quote at the beginning of this post. It stirred something in me as soon as I read it and I knew out of all the journals it would be leaving the store with me.

Because Helen Keller was blind I understand her quote is deeper then just outward appearances and experiences of things. It is all about the inside - the journey - both the trials and triumphs - and how they touch our hearts.

At this time I don't plan to post any personal struggles involving people I know out there for the whole world to see...My goal here is to write about how the heart views and experiences faith and hope. In reading, reflecting and writing on quotes from famous people and Bible verses maybe I - and some of you out there - may think through difficulties differently...

More hopeful -
resulting in less imprisonment by the pain we know and develop an ability to make the world around us brighter with our influence.