Our greatest resource, the key to heaven?

The date this was finished was actually Sept. 16th

Try to look at this child and not smile!

So I started writing this blog like a month ago and put it off for a while. Not really sure why. Now I'm sick with pneumonia and I've been laying in bed for almost a week now watching tv and inevitably thinking a lot. But I'm going to attempt right now to finish it. So hold onto your horses peeps cause I am slightly feverish.

Okay.... sooooo.. This is a BIG one. I want to try to tackle this well but it's going to be tough because I think it's a HUGE thing. it's also really important to me. I'm going to give it a shot though because it's been on my mind for a while and it's something that is really important to me.

One of the things we struggle with as people when it comes to happiness, or the lack of it, is ourselves. Makes things difficult because well, the one thing you will always have the rest of your life is you. When you were a kid do you remember that? Do you remember the weight on your shoulders being that heavy? What do you mean you didn't think about it?

Can you remember when life started to get a bit harder? When you started to grow up and think the world wasn't such an amazing place. That people suffer, hate, lie. What changed from being a child? Children can still suffer and lie so does getting old just go hand in hand with more suffering? What do kids have that we don't?

Maybe trust? acceptance? Innocence?

What the heck am I getting at with this?????

CHILDREN.. Our greatest resource and the key to heaven is CHILDREN and this can be seen metaphorically, literally or palatorically (I made that word up)! This whole blog and it's focus is to try to explain what I know to be true but also explore what Jesus said about children. Key word being Try.. Might have to read between the lines on this one cause my heads pretty loopy.

I can not stress enough how amazing children are and let me tell you Jesus constantly stressed the importance of children. I'm going to quote a few bible verses where Jesus talked about children but I'm sure there are more. I could also talk about so many experiences in my own life where kids have helped me and things I've learned.

Mark 10:13-16
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them.

So Jesus was Indignant. He was really upset that the disciples were hindering the children. Then he went on to say that if we can't be like kids we won't receive the kingdom of heaven. We need to be like them. What does that mean? Maybe that we too need to trust? Have faith? Acceptance? Innocence? Enjoy life for what it is.. Could kids in their simplicity understand something that we as adults and our more mature minds can not grasp?

No way! All concepts are easier understood as we become more "Intelligent". lol I'm talking to myself now! uh ohhhh...

I used to pray a lot that I would gain more knowledge and wisdom. As I aged I guess I figured I should know more and more so I could understand everything and have nothing to fear, I didn't like fear. Strangely the more I have done that the more I have feared. Something wasn't working. It's like chasing a fix. No matter how much you know and learn, you only end up opening a new door to confusion, a new can of worms. I believe it's an endless cycle. How do you break that?

Have you ever looked at a kid running around playing, laughing, not a care in the world and thought, "That child needs to know more." Of course not! But maybe you wished you could be like that? I think we can. I truly truly do. And I believe we are supposed to be.

Just so people know I quickly want to say I don't think knowledge is bad although I suppose it seems like I do lol. What I am saying about knowledge is if we make it our goal to know in an attempt to enjoy or we will run the risk of loosing sight of the simple basic truths. Butterflies are pretty, marshmallows are fun to eat, clowns are scary (little personal one there lol).

I have now started to pray that I need to know less and learn to trust more. Not that I know less.. That I need to know less..I want to loose the NEED to know everything in order to not fear. That I don't feel I need to know everything. That I can trust.. Look at the beauty all around me and frolic in a field of daisies. Return to innocence (Awesome song from the 90s).

I realize adults can't be kids. There is responsibility and knowledge that we need to gain as we grow but... Strive to be like a child.. It could be good. It could be GREAT.. Laugh for no reason. Eat something that you probably shouldn't lol.. Fever talking maybe?

I think as adults we begin to kind of poison ourselves and our conscience. Entertainment, money, power, we take in garbage. We think we need it. We can easily get lost. Probably why being like kids is also the key to heaven.

I guess..

We just need to loose the idea that as we age we need to be less trusting and less child like. not trusting hurts us.. Even though we feel like we will get hurt by trusting. Truth is we could get hurt either way. Protect yourself with in reason but.. Don't live in a brick wall a child would never understand. Gauge your wall based on that maybe? Let go a little too.

Speaking of hurt. Don't get me started on how wrong it is to hurt a child. Jesus talked about that too.

Mark 9:42 "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.

Jesus wasn't putting that lightly at all! Children need love and guidance!

Jesus also said treating a child well is treating him well..

Mark 9:35-37
Sitting down, Jesus called the twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

I think we need to treat children amazingly. Raise them knowing they are the future, they are God's gift and help teach us his truths. Beware of causing a child to become untrustworthy or sad. Kids eat up encouragement like a hungry shark!! I encourage you to encourage some children you know!

Then after you've done that take some lessons from those children. Think less.. Trust more.. This in turn will cause you to worry less, enjoy more, laugh and dance more!! Start believing in Santa Clause again if you have to! We are all children in God's eyes! :)

I want to leave you with a few quotes I found about children that I think ring true. I realize this has been my most disorganized blog but hey I'm running a fever and it's a really hard topic to tackle. I should probably return to it when my brain isn't boiling and in more detail because I barely scratched the surface.

Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music. ~William Stafford

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man. ~Rabindranath Tagore

Children are one third of our population and all of our future. ~Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health, 1981

While we try to teach our children all about life, Our children teach us what life is all about.
~Angela Schwindt

My mind and I

I haven't written for a while and man my head is about to explode! Man oh man oh peter pan!

So I've been doing some fun stuff the last few days/weeks, and things that have been really good for me. I've been trying to stay on track (not drink, sleep well, stay close to God) but let me tell you, it ain't been easy dude! And fail is a word that comes to mind right about now.

I don't have an issue with drinking or people who drink so let me say that first. What I have an issue with is if drinking is destroying someones life or areas in their life. If drinking is a crutch, something you use to not have to face things or just straight up makes you feel like poop then you got to kick that to the curb (I've been trying and doing pretty well). But I fail there too.

Why? y? wigh?

I notice that Joel sometimes doesn't like Joel, that is to say I can't stand myself sometimes. The way I think, the places my mind goes. I get frustrated or down, I want to be the best person I can be. To be kind and loving and accepting to all people and when I fail I get mad at me. When I was drinking I got a break from Joel every once in a while (okay more like 3 or 4 times a week) and to be honest it helped me deal with me, my failings, but in reality that is no way to deal.

Since I have been drinking less my mind and I have been hanging out much much more. I know we will learn to like each other one day, even admire each other but right now or after a bad freaken day I just want a break. That is what I want.

Sometimes what we want is not what we need..

What do I think I need? I need to like who I am, my thoughts, my rights and my wrongs and live with sometimes the bad things, learn from the bad things. I need to learn to live with out escape so that I can truly help others. Truly be me with no me missing.

Failure sucks, or does it? The bible says....

Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

So Jesus was tempted with the same stuff we are tempted with, he get's it man. Think of how much he probably wanted to run away from who he was. What he knew he would eventually have to do. Man he probably wanted to get drunk A LOT! maybe even thought about getting drunk before facing the cross. But he had a mission of love to carry out and he needed to be present for it.
We all have a purpose and I think we should be present for it too. It could be amazing.

We aren't alone in our battle with ourselves, we have God and other people because as humans we really are all on the same team

We all have demons to face and they come in many shapes and forms. It can sometimes seem easier to not face them at all. To run run run.. It's when we stop, turn around and face them that we can once and for all defeat them. I think the demons in our lives love it when we drink to ignore them. They love to be ignored because it means we aren't actually going to do anything about them.. Man they get scared when we stop running! Having friends to talk to about things helps too. Friends understand, people understand. And let me reiterate again how hard this has been for me.. BUT

Should I also just run from the things in life that are difficult?

"Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty... I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led diffcult lives and led them well."
-- Theodore Roosevelt

Why would he have envied people who had difficult lives and lived them well? Why wouldn't he want to have an easy life?

Maybe there is a hidden secret in overcoming difficulty. Maybe it is in those times (when we actually face those things) that we gain true victory in our lives. We find ourselves and we begin to see what we are here for. To love, to inspire, to fight for truth and not take this precious thing we call life for granted.

It's going to be hard! But it's going to be worth it.

Thank you God for my struggles and the ability to face and overcome them so I can truly appreciate what it is to live!

First video!!

Hello there! Here is my first video blog. It's just my sister Leah and I hanging out talking about things and having fun.