Ways to beat the blues

'How did you get sick?!' was my Father's reply this morning when I told him that I was twenty-six. At least I'm not so old that my hearing's gone like some people. :)

Today I am twenty- six, and I do not feel much different. However, sometimes when I think about how much has happened in the past twenty-six years I get concerned. A lot has changed and happened! Can I handle another decade or two or three or four or five? That makes me sound like my life is really hard. It is not. I just have average first world problems for the most part mixed with blessings galore. I can sometimes focus on the few negative things even though I know life is beautiful thanks to Christ.

Steve, my husband, pointed out today that I can dwell too much on the negative. Steve is generally an optimist and I love that I'm married to him. He can always turn my raincloud into sunshine. I prefer to think I'm a realist though. The reality being that there is so much sin, and life is hard sometimes! It can be overwhelming. Steve also pointed out that its in those times of feeling overwhelmed that I'm listening to myself not preaching the truth to myself.
So after pondering this, and deciding that he was right again, I thought of ways to get my focus off of negativity and onto Christ and heavenly things.

1. Recall scripture. I love that so many times there's the phrase: "But God..." in the bible.
example: Ephesians 2:4-6 '4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,' (ESV)
That phrase: "But God" can come after any negative thought and suddenly you're thinking about how the power of God trumps anything bad that can happen or is happening.

2. Pray

3. Christ. Just remember the hope there is in Christ.

4. Seek Fellowship. Don't hide in your basement all alone with your thoughts, go talk to a solid brother or sister in The Lord who will preach truth to you when you can't. Be with the church.
5. Appreciate God's creation.



This was this view I woke up to this morning. Steve whisked me away to Niagra Falls for my birthday and just being around such a majestic and powerful display of God's power in creation made me thankful and amazed.

6. Worship. 
11 Psalm 30:11-12
'You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
    you have loosed my sackcloth
    and clothed me with gladness,
12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!'

These pointers are nothing new, but hopefully you are reminded of ways to be encouraged or how to put whatever is heavy on your heart into perspective.

Running

I've been trying to change for the better, physically, lately. Running a lot. My friend and I signed up for a half marathon in October and I'm hoping it will go better than my last one (no drinking a large coffee and eating a chocolate chip cookie right before the race starts).
With running, improving is an objective and measurable goal.  On our early 0545am runs, my friend and I often discuss why running is a good and worthwhile discipline. "I heard John Piper runs", "I feel so much better after" etc. The great thing is we can see when we are getting faster and running farther.

Why is it that the most worthwhile objectives are the most difficult to attain?

Running is a constant reminder to me of our spiritual journey.  It is opposite of our nature to act and think like Christ, yet it is our goal as Christians to strain towards Christ-likeness. Like looking at an Olympian in peak fitness and then looking down at your own meager fitness level. When we see His perfection in comparison to our current state we yearn to be rid of all our sin and filth.  God awakens in us that small part of us that knows we aren't as we should be. That there's something better. That if we remain the same we will waste our lives.
I'm reminded of Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit". Gandalf proposes a grand adventure to this comfortable Hobbit. He is the last person in Middle Earth who would want to go fight off a dragon and reclaim dwarf treasure! It is the exact opposite of his nature. Yet Bilbo does go. Gandalf awoke that tiny adventurous part of him that knows there is something much bigger than his simple life. The hardest part was getting him out of that Hobbit hole! (Much like getting me out of my bed at 0530 am to run!)

I just want to encourage my fellow believers to persevere. Do not be discouraged if your old nature kicks in and you feel so far from being like Christ. His grace is sufficient.  There's a part in the movie "Chariots of Fire" where Eric Liddel falls during an important race but then you seem him look up, get back on his feet and take off. He won that race somehow. Gives me goosebumps every time I see that part.
Christians are not to be stagnant; we were made for a higher purpose. Christ calls us out of our hobbit holes to do hard but amazing things for His kingdom.

Philippians 3: 13-14
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining  forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I love my sister

Sisterhood is such a blessing. Last night I skyped with my sister all the way in Honduras. Growing up we were inseparable...we shared the same room, played soccer together, had the same friends and basically got punished bad if we ever fought. Our parents were determined to make us friends, and we were. Even now she's the only one that truly gets my sense of humour and knows when my sugar level is low and can tell me straight up what how I'm failing in life when I need to hear it.

Sisterly love. 

You don't choose who your family is and its not like you can back out of your blood connection with them. So I'm thankful God gave me her. This pic summarizes how making our bouquets for the wedding went... also its exactly how it went  every time we washed dishes together.

A dearly missed guest

Spring. Just as many of the plants sprouting new life I feel like I am as well. I love that Steve and I got married in the spring, even though on April 20th there were flurries and we had to cut our photo shoot short due to the fact it was freezing! Now we're back from our honeymoon and while we start to set up our new home all the little buds are popping up everywhere. It feels like life is synchronized right now, or at least harmonized, like some beautiful orchestra.

Until April 20th I feel like I've had my head to the ground. I've been so focused on completing the details of the wedding that it wasn't until that beautiful day I could look up and be amazed. Amazed at what God has done in my life and Steve's. The wedding felt like the climax of not only all the planning but also our lives until this point. I think about all the different ways our lives could have gone but didn't. Its marvelous at how God providentially orchestrated our lives.

One person I didn't mention in my speech at the end of the wedding was my mother. Part of me just wasn't up for crying and all the emotion that would follow. I had cried many many times in the days leading up to the wedding due to my mother not being present for the planning but most importantly the big day.

One of the major lessons she taught me was to trust in the sovereignty and providence of God. Her life alone was an example of God's sovereign providence. I learned a lot from how she lived in freedom and joy in her Saviour. I saw this in the way she jogged every morning, how she served tirelessly at church, how she shoveled snow in -30 C weather (and really enjoyed it...she actually loved shoveling) ,  the way she cheered for me and Lauren on our various sports teams, the way she loved and showed patience to my Dad...

When she passed away from cancer in 2005, she never complained about God's plan for her life. She was only thankful. I remember our last conversation with each other she said she was at peace with dying but just sad she couldn't be there for my wedding and other big life events. She loved love and it was her marriage to my Dad that I fondly look back on. I often use it as a standard for how a Godly marriage should look. She was a beautiful, Godly, happy, hard-working and thankful Mom. I didn't want to give the impression that I had forgot her on April 20th. I couldn't stop thinking about her. 

I could picture what she would've been like: laughing, poking fun at our friends Bill and Don, checking to see if I needed anything, smiling at Lauren, loving the food (she always loved food) and then just hanging out with Dad and her sister, Auntie Kathy..I think she would have loved the outdoorsiness of the reception hall and all the music. She probably would have played the piano and sang a song as well....but she wasn't there. She was somewhere far greater and better. To say I wanted her to be at the wedding would be purely selfish...I know she is enjoying her Saviour now and experiencing what this earthly marriage is just a picture of.

I am so thankful for my Mother, Faith. God blessed me with almost 18 years of her influence on my life and  God used her mightily to build many people's love and faith in Him. 

It's so exciting to now be sitting in my new home with my husband Steve. A fresh start and a chance to carry on Faith Dibbley's legacy in trusting The Lord and loving her family. 

Pins

5. http://fashiongonerogue.com/editorial/page/4/
3. www.theknot.com
2.www.stylemepretty.com
1. www.stylenscream.blogspot.com
4.www.instructables.com

The first test

Fellow humans. I hope if you are reading this today you are feeling as excited about 2013 as I am.  New Years are worth celebrating and being excited for!
Today I woke up extremely groggy and still partially annoyed from working the old Night shift in the ER. One of my New Year's resolutions was to have more love and patience for my patients. This requires me to be constantly in God's word and communicating with Him because, believe me, almost every shift I am pushed to the limits of my patience.
I came home from Christmas in Thunder Bay with a lot of love to give to people. I was refreshed! Excited! Pumped to share the love of Christ with everyone!
It was going so well until last night.
There was a 90 year old man with a bowel obstruction. He was partially deaf and had an anxiety problem. Even when his wife was in the room he called out constantly. He would yell "Nurse!" every time you walked by his door. Then his wife left and we had to insert a Nasogastric tube to decompress his stomach. Goodness. Our conversations went as follows:

NURSE!!
Yes?
What is happening to me? I am an old man! Where is the doctor? I know I will die soon, just let me die. I promise you I am not a gangster. When is the doctor coming??
The doctor saw you an hour ago and will be back in the morning after your CT scan is done.
WHAT?!!
The doctor will see you in the morning.
Come closer I cannot hear you!
The DOCTOR will SEE you in the MORNING!
WHAT?!
The doctor will see you in the morning.
Morning?
Morning.
Nurse. You are so lovely. I could be your grandfather. Please help me! Where is my wife?? What is this (*pulls at tube in nose)??? This bed is going to kill me!
I turn around and walk out.

*Patient vomits.*

Nurse! There's Blood! Look! There's blood in the vomit!
No..that's the chocolate I told you not to eat.

3 hours later, after many of the same conversations:
NURSE!!!
...yes?
What is this???? *Patient is holding Nasogastric tube in hand. The whole thing is out of his nose and dripping all over him and the floor.*

Heavens! Well even after last night I know there's hope for more patience. Prayer is key. On nights like last night, talking to God reminds me that I'm not alone. That God loves me and that man in bed "D". Also, I plan to bring a bible in my bag everyshift...sometimes I forget it at home and then I totally regret it!

Another New Years resolution is to blog more consistently. One thing I'll be doing is everyweek I'll be posting my favourite Pins of the week from Pinterest. I am a huge fan of Pinterest! I want to share the treasures I find on there.
I also recommend watching Les Miserables for those who haven't already seen it. SEE IT! :)

Happy Saturday!

Happy New Year!

Kings Kaleidoscope - "All Glory Be to Christ"

Should nothing of our efforts stand
No legacy survive
Unless the Lord does raise the house
In vain its builders strive

To you who boast tomorrow's gain
Tell me what is your life
A mist that vanishes at dawn
All glory be to Christ!

All glory be to Christ our king!
All glory be to Christ!
His rule and reign will ever sing
All glory be to Christ!

His will be done
His kingdom come
On earth as is above
Who is Himself our daily bread

Him the Lord of love

Let living water satisfy
The thirsty without price
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
All glory be to Christ!

All glory be to Christ our king!
All glory be to Christ!
His rule and reign will ever sing
All glory be to Christ!

When on the day the great I Am
The faithful and the true
The Lamb who was for sinners slain
Is making all things new

Behold our God shall live with us
And be our steadfast light
And we shall ere his people be
All glory be to Christ!

All glory be to Christ our king!
All glory be to Christ!
His rule and reign will ever sing
All glory be to Christ!

(via www.joshuaharris.com)