2017 was the most painful year of my life.
Countless things went wrong. My trip to the hospital was just part of the pain. Another part was the death of a very close loved one from church. I could try to make a list of everything that went wrong this year, but I won’t. It wouldn’t be profitable. All I can say is I learned a lot about life. I learned that bad things happen. No matter what we want to believe, sin is in this world, and bad things will happen in this life. It doesn’t matter how much faith you have, or how much you read the Bible. Bad things will happen. Good things will happen too. This year was also a year in which my relationship with the LORD, with my family, and with my church has grown immensely. Through the hardships, I have matured a lot. I have high hopes for 2018. I hope that there will be less suffering and sorrow. Less pain. But I know that if the pain continues, I will grow closer to what matters, just like this year. But let’s hope the sky will clear. Let’s hope for happiness. No matter what happened to me this year, I have found peace where I always find it. I found a way to smile with my friends and family in the face of death. I have found a way to laugh even in the darkest night. That way is Jesus Christ. I hope you have found this light in the darkness just like I have. If you haven’t, it is never too late. You can find this light right now. Close your eyes, bow your head, and cry out to God. Ask Him to enter your life. You will never regret it. If you have any questions or comments, please talk to me. I’ll help with anything I can. No matter what happens, happiness can be found in Christ. So, happy new year!
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Getting outside is awesome. Seeing the world is awesome. But sometimes it snows.
If you aren’t in the mood to bundle up in five pounds of insulating clothing to take a hike in three feet of snow, just don’t. Grab a book and sit on the couch with your favorite beverage (I prefer coffee) and observe nature from a safe distance. Maybe sit by a window with your journal and scribble out whatever comes into your mind. Read. Write. Drink. And observe the magic of a snowy day indoors. Perhaps read about snowflakes online. Where do they come from? How many fall on average a year? Get your mind moving by answering these questions. Maybe write down the answers in a notebook, and start a nature journal. The possibilities are endless. And lastly, a merry Christmas to every single Creation Scribe reader! I wish you a joyous time and I pray that you would feel the love of Christ this Christmas. Thank you for giving me a reason to write and take pictures! What do you do when it snows? Any ideas or suggestions? Tell me in the comments below. "But he who dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose." God gave us roses. As I write this, the beautiful red and white flowers you see in the photograph above are sitting on the table in front of me. Close your eyes and think about these roses. Can you picture them? The flowers you are thinking of are gorgeous gifts from the creator, but they aren’t all I mean. I mean roses in life as well as the flowers. Something absolutely wonderful, but just out of reach. Rather, you could reach it if you endured the hardships that come with it. The thorns are all that stand in the way, but you aren’t strong enough to survive the pain. Or you think you aren’t. So you leave it alone. Think about roses in your life. Is there something you want so much but don’t want to go through the hardships that block your path? Maybe it’s a friendship. Or a money situation. Or your relationship with God. Sometimes it’s worth the prick of a thorn to get to the rose. Sometimes it’s not. The choice is yours. Find your rose. Push through the thorns. You may find that your rose was worth the pain. Tell me what you think in the comments below. What's your rose? What are your thorns? Snow.
As I write this, the weather app is currently saying that it will begin to snow in five minutes. The first true snowfall of the season! The clouds outside are huddled together in a grey blanket, as if to keep each other warm while it snows. All is still. It's a love/hate relationship that I have with snow. Sometimes I wish it were warm and snow-free outside, but most of the time I love it. I love the way the birds and animals stand out. I love how the snow makes it possible to see the tracks of animals in places you usually wouldn't. Come February, however, I will probably be saying that I am sick of snow and that I wish it were spring. But now I'm ready, so bring it on, snow! What are your favorite things about the snow? Tell me in the comments below. A few nights ago, the sky was dark (as it usually is at night), and the moon was shining gorgeously above. I was incredibly tempted to shoot a picture of this brilliant sight, so I did some research, grabbed my camera and my tripod, and headed outside. I adjusted my settings, got my camera in focus, and "click."
I waited... Once the camera had finished taking the picture, I eagerly looked at the results. This beautiful picture you see above is NOT what I saw that night. What I saw was a disgustingly blurry image of what looked like someone smiling with chapped lips in a dark room. Not pretty. So... I gave up and found this image on Google? WRONG! I tried again a few nights later. Although the sky wasn't very dark yet, the moon was clearly visible and I decided to give it another go. Yet again I adjusted my settings, got my camera in focus, and "click." I waited... Lo and behold, the image you see above popped onto my tiny camera preview screen. I had successfully shot the moon! Yay! So, here is my encouragement to you. No matter how many times it takes you to get a photo just the way you want it, try again. Eventually, you will either give up because you never really cared in the first place, or you will get that photo perfect! So grab your camera and get out there! And never give up. Thoughts? Let's talk in the comments below. :) |
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