A Time For Everything...

Ecclesiastes 3

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

This is one of my favorite passages from the Bible. It reminds me that there are times when you're standing on top of the mountain and there are times when you're walking in the lowest, deepest, and darkest part of the valley. It reminds me that you cannot have or appreciate those times on the mountain unless you've traveled (and lived through!)through the valley!

This was my great-niece Marley Hope...


This is me with my great-nephew Elijah...


Lately this passage makes me think of Marley and Elijah. Marley is my first great-niece, who only lived 2 months before God took her to Heaven to be with Him. My family has been through a lot over the years, but I believe the loss of a baby is one of the most devastating things a family can go through. You can't make sense of it. Elijah is my great-nephew. He was born on January 1, 2010. Since he lives in Michigan, I only got to meet him for the first time over Memorial Day weekend. He is 5 months old now and proof that there IS a time for everything. I've always believed "everything happens for a reason", but when it comes to death, its hard to find the reason. I trust God. I do wish that Marley could've lived, she would be 2 years old this September if she had. But I KNOW she is with my Savior, and for that, I am thankful. I think her death was our time to break down, and then he sent Elijah for our time to build up.

Sometimes it seems as though there are more valleys than mountains. I think this is because we don't always appreciate the mountains when we are there. I was walking through the valley earlier this year and finally felt as though I climbed the mountain a couple months ago. Right now, I feel as though I am happier than I have been in a very long time. I praise God for that. I finally feel alive again. Life seems enjoyable again. Will there be a time when I will walk through the valley again? Of course. There are no guarantees that life will be good all the time. But I know one things for certain: Mountain or valley - God will be walking with me!

On Fire by Switchfoot (lyrics)

They tell you where you need to go
They tell you when you'll need to leave
They tell you what you need to know
They tell you who you need to be

But everything inside you knows
There's more than what you've heard
There's so much more than empty conversations
Filled with empty words

And you're on fire
When He's near you
You're on fire
When He speaks
You're on fire
Burning at these mysteries

Give me one more time around
Give me one more chance to see
Give me everything You are
Give me one more chance to be... (near You)

Cause everything inside me looks like
Everything I hate
You are the hope I have for change
You are the only chance I'll take

When I'm on fire
When You're near me
I'm on fire
When You speak
And I'm on fire
Burning at these mysteries
These mysteries...

I'm standing on the edge of me [x3]
I'm standing on the edge of everything I've never been before.
And i've been standing on the edge of me
Standing on the edge

And I'm on fire
When You're near me
I'm on fire
When You speak
(Yea) I'm on fire
Burning at these mysteries... these mysteries... these mysteries
Ah you're the mystery
You're the mystery

There are lots of things that cause the heart to tremble, but you can quickly stop those tremors with a visit to the throne. Nothing causes God to shake and He is your foundation. So whatever comes your way, you are steady because His strong, unmovable hand is always holding yours.

I believe there are the many things you do in your life that from the very start, you have no idea how it is going to turn out. I know I feel that way all the time. I overanalyze every decision. But I think the only time that we truly live is when we LIVE IN THE MOMENT! I've come to learn that we can't dwell on the past and we can't worry about the future. God knows how it all will end. And why worry about how it will end here on Earth? If God is your Savior, you KNOW how it's going to end: eternity with God!

I believe the best moments in our lives are those in which we feel the most alive. In those moments, I think we feel our lives have meaning - and when they have meaning, we are glorifying God! The moments I have felt most alive was when I was in Africa and when I work with children. As the verse says, there is a purpose for everything. My lifes purpose is to work with children and to help people. I believe that with all my heart. The best way to feel alive in every moment is spend it with God. Allow him to be there in every time of your life. When you are sad, allow Him to comfort you. When you are happy, allow Him to share in your joy. When you grieve, He grieves with you. When you rejoice, He rejoices with you! When He allows pain in our lives, it's for a higher purpose! You can't get more personal than that! We have a very personal Savior, and I am glad for all the times He has allowed in my life, good or bad.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
~John 16:33

You and I experience Christ's peace when we realize that peace isn't the absence of pressure. It's the presence of God in the midst of our chaos...Often the trials we mourn are really gateways to the good things we long for.
~from a Proverbs 31 Ministries devotional

It is God with whom we travel, and while He is the end of our journey, He is also at every stopping place.
~Elisabeth Elliot

Again, if you've read this far, thanks for reading my randomness! Be blessed!