MIRACLES

SMILE

GOD IS SO GOOD

Today is my roommates birthday, and there was just one thing she really wanted for her birthday: snow. Of course, you can probably imagine how happy I was when it snowed last Sabbath and then stayed on the ground. I thought for sure that it was God's answer to our prayer (we prayed about it several times a day).

But then it melted. As the days got warmer, and Thursday got closer and closer, I began to lose faith in God. I still prayed about it, but in the back of my mind, a little voice of doubt kept reminding me that the forecast said it was supposed to rain. I finally developed a backup plan: fake snow for our room. It'll be worth something, I reasoned.

This morning, God woke me up at 4am. I tip-toed downstairs to the kitchen to collect the fake snow from around Whistling Winds (left over from Open House). It was then that I ran into Shannon. She had been doing her devotions in the laundry room and must have heard me, so she came into the kitchen.

"Sam!" she said excitedly, leading me to the window. "You have to see this!" As I looked through the large window I saw, to my amazement, snow flurries whipping around in the wind. They were rapidly covering the sidewalk outside and piling on the bare tree branches.

"God answered our prayer!", she continued. "Let's pray right now." As we bowed our heads to pray and thanks God for his gift, I was filled with joy, the kind that comes from within and spreads throughout your whole bod until you just want to laugh and hug somebody. God had come through!

After she went back to her devotions, I sat there smiling, and a song came into my mind.

                    God is so good.
                    God is so good.
                    God is so good.
                    He's so good to me.

 Later, I was talking to a friend of mine and he said that he knew it was going to snow. I asked him how he had known and, because he's the kind of person to check details, thought maybe he had checked the weather forecast (and that it had changed), but what he said I will never forget.

"I knew it was going to snow, because we prayed about it." It was then that kicked myself for doubting God. Why didn't I have that kind of faith? God knows all the desires of our hearts, and He cares about all of the little things that matter to Him. I should have trusted in His love, but instead I made a backup plan, just in case He failed to come through. God answers prayer. Maybe not right away, or in the way we expect, but He always answers a faithful plea.


                    He answers prayer.
                    He answers prayer.
                    He answers prayer.
                    He's so good to me.

STRONG

Miss Frazzled

Today, for some odd reason that I have not been able to detect, I have been extremely frazzled. Whether I'm having short term memory loss or missing something obvious, I've really been out of it. I'm surprised they haven't kicked me out of recording orchestra yet, because I have been butchering every take with some silly little mistake or another. And it's not just in recording. People, places, and ideas are frustrating and confusing me. I am confusing myself.

Days like today aren't an unusual occurrence. Circumstances beyond my control are a catch phrase in the script of my life. Life isn't supposed to be perfect. If it were, when would I ever grow? Trials and obstacles are God's way of growing my character and helping me become more like Him.

Through everything I face, I cannot hope to endure in my own strength. Only with God by my side can I get through one of my frazzled days.

To Be Vulnerable

I'm an optimist. At least, I try to be. Don't get me wrong, I love to laugh and I am genuinely happy most of the time; but there is a lot of my smiling that I make up. I don't want to have to explain a complicated situation to someone who I'm not sure is going to care anyway. I'm always "Good." or "Peachy.", but a lot of the time I'm really struggling inside.

 

I think it's unnatural for humans to share everything they are feeling. To dig deep down and reveal their innermost thoughts and motives. It's uncomfortable. No one wants their faults explored. When you open yourself up you become vulnerable and easy to hurt. And no one wants to get hurt.

But there's also an overwhelming need to relate to those around you. To have someone truly know you, the REAL you. We want others to know what we're feeling, but most of the time we're afraid of the reaction, the result of pouring our heart out to someone else.

But without this honesty and openness, one cannot love. Who can love a friend that they know nothing about? And if we are blocked off from our parents, how do we love them?

"To love at all is to vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable." - C.S.Lewis

As much as I would love to, I can't just close off my heart to everyone and be untouched. Change comes no matter what I do. The only way to be have compassion towards others, to love in all I do, and to reach out to those around me, is to be vulnerable.

I WANT TO TRAVEL

LET IT GO

THE GLASS

ADVENTURE

LAUGH

SMILE

Baby Wisps

 

Katelyn Ana Maria Antuña, otherwise known as Baby Wisps. Yes, it's a bizarre nickname, but I think it fits her just right. She's the kind of girl that is stunningly beautiful, yet doesn't seem to know. To be honest, she reminds me of an angel. She is an amazing violin player, a faithful friend, and has the coolest face-framing curls (hence the the name, Baby Wisps). It seems like we've always been some kind of friend, whether just occasional or very close. But our friendship definitely grew last spring when we got to be in the great outdoors together. We went hiking and sat outside during meals. Its been a while since then, and now Katie is one of my best friends. We laugh together, cry together, and scheme together. She's definitely not perfect, but she has a spot in my heart that no one could ever replace.

Matty

Matthew Addison West. I have to admit, I didn't really like him when we first met. I thought he had a perfect life. I mean, he sure wasn't ugly, he was friends with everyone, his family wasn't poor, he was super spiritual, he was a genius, and he was one of the friendliest people I'd ever met. It's kinda silly, but I resented him for that. For being happy so easily. But as I got to know him, I realized that he was just a normal guy. He had problems just like anybody else. He made mistakes. And that's when we clicked. I don't remember when exactly I started calling him Matty, but I haven't really been able to call him anything else since. We have a surprising amount of things in common (and of course our share of differences) and have come to be great friends since then. Matty has taught me so much in the time that we've been friends, but most of all, he taught me not to judge people by how easy you think their life is. A skeptical start turned into an amazing friendship. Who woulda thunk?