Look Around You!

Hey there everyone!

So I was at small group the other night and our leader, Bonnie , thought that it would be great to start off the discussion by watching an episode of “Planet Earth”. Now, if you haven’t seen it yet, you should either rent it, or buy it, or borrow it from a friend or catch it on television because it’s amazing and I’m not even kidding you. But anyways, we watched “Jungles” and saw how the Bird of Paradise danced a performance for a potential mate. Based on the fact that we were talking about relationships the past month or so, I assumed the Bird of Paradise would make an example of how people act and how silly people look during courtship sometimes lol Granted, we did touch on that a bit but the conversation took a turn and we began marveling at the intricacies of God’s creations. Like how there are internal mechanisms within species of insects and animals that control their population. How crazy is that! And then I began noticing all the subtle hints God has placed in creation that reveal to us the truths of life.

Like how a dying tree can fall and give life; death is not the end but simply the start of new life…

And like how even though we don’t see the sun everyday, it’s still there giving the world light; God is still there even if it looks like He’s not there…

And like how even the tiniest sparrow receives food everyday, God will provide for us…

And like how God has orchestrated creation in a seemingly endless symphony and personally choreographs every tiniest movement, how much more will God be able to handle the things of our lives?

Do you see?? It’s all right here! Right here in front of us and yet we miss it so many times. We worry so much about the little things and yet it is evident in everything around us that they are so insignificant in the broad sense. Yet, God sees them with the greatest importance and is so excited when He is given the chance to help us with these things. He love us so much and I think this is why God has placed all these things around us and placed us in the middle of a massive universe on a tiny planet; to show us evidence of His love and how easily He could handle our problems.

So I want you to take this with you on this rather cloudy day in Raleigh, North Carolina. God has not forgotten you. He is orchestrating an entire symphony our ears cannot hear and our eyes cannot behold and our minds cannot comprehend but He has not forgotten about you. Doesn’t make you feel all warm inside? Doesn’t that make you want to shout for joy and bask in that kind of love forever? I know I do!

Just think, that feeling you’re probably feeling right now multiplied by a trillion is how it’ll be in heaven!

BUT that’s another blog for another time haha

So look around you! I want you all to look for evidence of God’s love for us in creation and then tell me about it! I want to hear it! I’m sure it’s awesome! haha

Till Next Time…

Perception

Ah! What a beautiful day! It’s days like this that I can’t even fathom being angry or bitter about anything. The sun is shining, the grass seems a little bit greener and everything just looks amazing! So this got me thinking (no surprise there ) about when things don’t look shiny and bright and beautiful. When days are cloudy and blahish. Should we appreciate things less? Are the things we see in the light any less beautiful than in the cloudy?

The answer, of course, would be a resounding no. The cloudiness does not affect the structure of things and distort them into something unpleasant. It’s only our view of it. Our perception.

Now our perception can be a very powerful thing and used in an improper manner can result in major unhappiness and can affect the way we see things for a lifetime. Even things like a bad memory can permanently distort your view of something that would otherwise be something very pleasant. Like for me, when I see snow, I see something that jogs a very warm memory but someone else could look at it and see a boatload of problems. Or when I see water or swimming, it sparks fear in me. I remember an accident that occurred with swimming so now every time I see a pool or a lake or even the ocean sometimes, I can hardly stand it. But someone else might see a pool and feel an overwhelming urge to jump in. They can just imagine the feel of the water on their skin and the warmth of the sun on their faces.

See? Perception. It can make or break a person.

So, in closing, where ever you may be at this time, just take some time to change your perception on certain things. See the beauty in nature despite what the weather may be, take something that once meant something bad to you and try and turn it around. You might find that it’s easier than you think!

Have a great day!!

P.S. BLOG UPDATE!! I noticed that my last blog had the highest views since I started writing it! Thanks you guys sooooo much for reading! I appreciate every single last one of you