A few weeks ago I did a book review of "He's Making Diamonds" by S. G. Willoughby. Today, I have a wonderful announcement! Our guest author is none other than Sara Willoughby herself! AND if you head on over to her blog R5:3-5, you'll find that she's completely revamped her site! In honor of the new website, she's also holding a giveaway, so if you're interested in that, check out her new site at www.sgwilloughby.com and you can enter to win a copy of "Fierce Hearted" by Holley Gerth! Now, without further ado, here are three truths about storms in life.
3 Truths About Storms In Life I used to live in the lighting capital of the world. I loved thunderstorms. Still do, actually. The way the lighting lights up the sky, forever unpredictable. The thunder rolling across the sky from far away, or booming right above you so it shakes the house. There’s just something about thunderstorms that make you feel small. That make you realize how awesome and powerful and majestic the One who created them is. But the thing is thunderstorms can be beautiful, but they can also be scary, and rightly so, because not only are they majestic, they are dangerous.The gusting winds can tear things apart, the pounding rain can cause floods, and the lighting can kill you. I still love thunderstorms, but I’ve learned that storms in life can be a lot harder than real storms. The tend to last longer than the typical afternoon thunderstorm. They also affect us where it hurts most: not only physically, but mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Today I want to share three things about thunderstorms that also apply to life-storms.
I don’t know what storm you are going through in life right now. Perhaps you are even between storms. But hang on to these truths. The storm will end. The storm is not without a purpose. And the storm glorifies God if we choose to let it. Storms can hurt. But good can come from them too. About the Author: S. G. Willoughby is a seventeen-year-old girl with Lyme disease, toxic mold poisoning, and MCS. Currently, she resides in Arizona with her parents and two siblings. In her spare time she loves to write, read, and have adventures. You can find her at her website, she writes at FoundWhoIAm, and Th!nk Magazine.
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This last week at youth group, our youth pastor asked us, "How would you introduce Jesus?" He then asked us to write down our responses, and I thought I'd share mine:
Do you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Well, I do! I just love a good old PBJ with some nice, creamy peanut butter and good old strawberry jelly. But here's the thing - I don't like the crust. Well, I'll eat it if it's honey wheat bread, but if it's whole wheat... ew. All those grains are so dry, it just tastes too healthy, I can't take it! I'm just trying to relive my good old kindergarten days, and these little grains are ruining my vibe! Well, have you heard of a guy named Jesus? Now he's the kind of guy who eats the who PBJ, even the crust. He doesn't care about the little grains. He doesn't even care if it's crunchy or creamy peanut butter, or whether it's grape or strawberry jelly. He eats that entire sandwich, and he enjoys it. You know, Jesus is the same way with people! He loves them, no matter what. He doesn't care about who they are, what they've done, what sins they've committed. He loves them, and he loves them even with the grains on the crust. And he loves YOU too, whether you're crunchy or creamy, strawberry or grape. Because that's who Jesus is - the ultimate PBJ lover. HE'S MAKING DIAMONDS: A TEEN'S THOUGHTS ON FAITH THROUGH CHRONIC ILLNESS
By: S.G. Willoughby "He's Making Diamonds" is Sara Willoughby's own heart poured out onto paper. Three years ago, she got sick. Really sick. And no one knew why. It turned out that her home was contaminated with eleven different toxic molds. She now knows that she has toxic black mold poisoning, multiple chemical sensitivity, and Lyme disease. She was just 14 when she got sick. Through her struggles with chronic illness, Sara has learned many things. In many ways, she is wise beyond her years, but she is the first to say that she is still learning, and that she doesn't have all the answers. Her sickness has forced her to grow up much faster than most teenagers, but she has still taken initiative to share what she has learned through her illness. She started a blog, R535, to share with others her experiences, and to let those facing chronic illness themselves that they are not alone. But she wanted to do more, so she wrote a book. In her book, Sara reviews the questions she's asked through her battle with chronic illness. "Why is there sickness?" "Where is God in the middle of this storm?" "Am I a burden?" Her illness has taken her to many places in her relationship with Christ. She's experienced the highs and lows of life. But through it all, her relationship with Him has been strengthened. She could have given up. But instead, she chose to learn from her struggles, and to share what she has learned with others. Sara is one of my dearest friends. I have seen her work so hard on this book, and now it is finally published! I am so proud of her, and I'm so happy to see all her hard work in print. Please check this book out! You can find "He's Making Diamonds: A Teen's Thoughts on Faith Through Chronic Illness" here. I wrote this in one of my journals a little over a month ago. It has become even more relevant for me in the past few weeks.
6/3/18 "Sarcasm" I don't want a genuine relationship. I just want what the world things is a relationship: kisses, hugs, holding hands, piggy back rides, dates to the movies, falling asleep on each others shoulders. These are all temporary. I mean, why would something lasting be practical anyway? I like the idea of a relationship, but I don't want the commitment. I'm bored, so I want a simple fling to keep me occupied. Nothing real, nothing lasting, nothing genuine. Just something that I can have fun with, and after a few months I'll forget it ever happened. Yep, no commitment. I don't have to worry about spending the rest of my life with that decision because it'll be over with in the blink of an eye. Totally forgettable. Nothing important. Nothing truly beautiful and lasting. Nothing real, nothing incredible. All that takes work. Just give me the easy, fake junk. That'll do. This past week, I had the most amazing time playing the Tin Man in a local production of the Wizard of Oz. We rehearsed for a month and a half, performed five shows in three days, and had a whole bunch of fun together! Here are a few things I took away from my time with my 38 castmates:
- Give your best effort, no matter the circumstances I originally auditioned for the role of Dorothy, and I'll be honest, when I didn't get the part, I was a little disappointed. But despite my initial disappointment, I decided to do my best and really work hard on the role I did have. Besides, it was still a really great role. I ended up having a lot of fun as the Tin Man, and in the end, I wouldn't have traded it for any other role. - Don't worry about petty drama As with any show, there was a lot of drama backstage. I just learned how ignore everything and keep working hard on my role, and in the end, I came out on top. When you focus on things that aren't important, you aren't at your best. I learned how to keep myself focused, and in the end, I wasn't distracted. - Friendship is amazing In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy learns how incredible true friends can be. Throughout my time in the Wizard of Oz, I became great friends with my fellow actors and actresses, and we all learned so much together. We grew together, we laughed together, we worked hard together. We had an amazing time together, and we grew closer than ever. The Santa Fe shooting this morning was the 2nd school shooting this week. The 3rd this month. The 16th this year. It's only halfway through May. This shouldn't be happening. No one should have to deal with this, and yet this is the world we live in.
I got a text from a dear friend today. I'd like to read it to you: "There was a shooting 30 miles from where I live this morning. And I'm asking you to check the news because we can't afford to be closed-minded and just assume evil is in the world. We have to know both sides so why know why we choose to belong to the good. Every day here in Texas, my friends are going to school anxious about what the day holds, and I'm sick of it. Everyone cries out, and God holds us, but they need to feel Him there. Would you please pray?" I wish my friend never had to send that text. I wish no one had ever gotten hurt. I wish a lot of things. But wishing isn't going to do anything. Wishing isn't going to do anything. A couple of months ago, I had the amazing opportunity to go to the Amazon jungles of Brazil and hang out with some friends of mine who are missionaries on the river. It was a wonderful time, full of fellowship and fun. Though I have tons of great memories from the trip, one moment in particular has stuck with me.
I went with one of my missionary friends I was staying with to visit a nearby village. Afterwards, we came back to the village where he and his wife lived, and since it was a particularly hot afternoon, I decided to take a quick jump into the river. After my little swim, I got out of the river, onto the dock, and headed up to the house. As I climbed ashore, I got mud all over my feet. Now, the mud there is a little different than it is here. The mud here is more water than dirt, so it washes off quite easily, but the mud there is just wet clay. It sticks to you, it’s slimy, and it’s just downright nasty. Of course, I had this mud all over my feet, so I waited outside the house so as not to get everything inside dirty. All I needed was a towel to dry off, and I could take care of the mud myself with a bucket of water. Instead, my friend grabbed the hose and started washing my feet himself. I don’t mean that he just held the hose and I rinsed my feet under the water. No, he got down on his knees and washed my disgusting, slimy, ant-bitten, blistered feet. He didn’t have to, but he did. I was perfectly capable of doing it myself, but he served me. It wasn’t just an act of service, though. It was a display of love. Love is service. It’s sacrificing your own comfort and preferences for others. By simply washing my feet, my friend was showing that he loved me. Jesus of all people washed his own disciples’ feet. In a world that tells us that we’re the most important, and encourages selfishness, I’m encouraging you to be selfless. I’m encouraging you to serve, to love, and to sacrifice your comfort for others. It doesn’t have to be a huge thing, either. Sometimes, it can be as simple as washing feet. Hey guys! I didn't write my usual two posts a month last month because I was actually out of the country. I was on a mission trip for two weeks, smack-dab in the middle of the Amazon jungle! I had already been to Brazil last year in June with a team, but this time it was just me and my friend Rebekah. In June, we were visiting two villages a day, providing medical care and a vacation Bible school program. The rest of the time, we were traveling down the river on a big boat, where we ate all our meals and slept in hammocks on the top deck. But this time, I wasn't on a boat with a group. I was with my friends who are missionaries stationed in a village on the Uraria river. I stayed in their house, helped them with little jobs around the village, and went along with them whenever we had church services in any of the surrounding villages. It was an amazing experience that I'll never forget. Below is a slideshow of my trip. Enjoy!
There's so much tragedy in our world. Everywhere you look, people are hurting. But we have hope. I don't have the answers, but I just have to trust that something good will come out of tragedy. God is good, and He has a plan for everything, even the hardest times. Where there is pain, He is healing. Where there is suffering, He is refuge. Where there is heartbreak, He is solace. God is good, and he has a plan. God is enough for your pain, your suffering, your heartbreak, your tragedy. God is enough.
I cannot do anything by myself. I'm not strong enough. I am so weak. But I have hope. I have God behind me, guiding me in His ways, and giving me strength to do his work. Where I am weak, He is strong. Where I am empty, He is full. Where I am exhausted, He keeps going. God is enough for my weakness, my emptiness, my exhaustion. God is enough. In whatever circumstance, we can trust God's plan that there is something good to come, because God is enough. I love thrift stores. Whenever I go to a thrift or antique store, it’s like a treasure hunt. I love to transport myself back in time with all the vintage trinkets. In my little town, we have eight vintage stores, and that’s not including the hundreds of yard sales during “Flea Across Florida,” which is basically a holiday where everyone just has their yard sales on the same day, all across the state. I go thrifting every few weeks, so I like to consider myself experienced. Here are a few tricks and tips for when you go on your next treasure hunt!
- Map your route. If you don’t know where you’re going, then you’ll spend more time figuring out the next destination than actually looking for antiques. - What do you want? If you go shopping without any idea of what you want, you could end up spending way too much money, or getting something that you don't really need/want. Have a goal! - Collect something! If you collect something, you’ll always have something to look for whenever you go into a store. For example, I collect cassette tapes. Whenever I go into a store, if I’m not looking for something exact, I can always fall back on my collection. - Don’t hoard! If you buy something new, you should probably get rid of something too. You want new, fun treasures, not clutter. - Don’t rush, take your time. If you're going to fast, you're not looking hard enough. You miss the best deals when you rush! - Bring a friend! It’s always a great time with friends by your side. Not only is it just plain fun, but it's another set of eyes on the lookout for a great deal. Don't have any friends interested in thrifting? Bring your grandparents! They are so fun to bring along, and they're great at pinching pennies. - Make friends with the sellers/store owners. I’m such an extrovert, and I love to meet new people. There are so many cool people to meet, and antique stores are no exception. One time, I was in a store with a few of my friends, and we found a whole stockpile of cassettes, which made me super excited. The owner of the store thought it was awesome that we liked older music, and even gave us a discount because she thought that it was so cool! Now, she even lets me know when she gets some new cassettes! - Try to find new stores in your area. Don’t just go to the same store every time. Branch out! Make new friends, and find new trinkets! What are your tips and tricks for treasure hunting? Let me know in the comments below! |
AuthorHi, I'm Abigail! Welcome to my blog. Hope you enjoy! Archives
August 2018
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