It seems I will never be satisfied with a simple life, but I will always be overwhelmed by the life I strive for.  By being overwhelmed, I mean I will always feel that what I am striving for is out of my current grasp.  I am yet to find a middle ground that actually makes me happy.  There is only one solution to this problem.  I have to learn to be a harder worker.  Sometimes I think I'm working hard, but really I only discover I simply haven't become aware of how much harder I could be working.  This happened to me in college Chemistry.  I've always been one to get good grades without working rediculously hard at it.  When I was in this class, though, it wasn't good enough.  I thought I was studying hard.  I wasn't "slacking off" from what usually got me an A.  I didn't realize how much harder I could be studying until not getting the grade in this class forced me to push harder or not make an A.  I pushed harder and had an epiphany about my own level of work.  It had room to be expanded.  I think I'm having one of those epiphanies.  I'm hating the sound of my own singing right now.  I've always loved my voice, as egotistical as that sounds.  But it's true.  However, I get "ok" marks.  I've never risen above the rest, never been the cream of the crop, when it comes to singing.  Rather than dislike the way I'm doing it and work harder, I have always looked to understand my excuses.  I always comfort myself with what I am doing well or what keeps me doing well enough.  I'm not satisfied with that so much, but I'm blind to the need to do more.  So, recently, I've been feeling very unhappy with the sounds that come from my mouth.  It's not as much a feeling of defeat, from what I can tell, as it is an epiphany of how I can and why I need to do better.  So I have a choice today.  I will never be satisfied with simple mediocrity.  I never have been and never will.  But now that I see where I am, will I expand my ability to work in order to make the mark?  I better. 

 

 

 

"And hope does not put us to shame,

because God's love has been poured into our hearts

through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." 

Romans 5:5, English Standard Version

 

Romans 5:3-5, according to the Message, is a powerful translation of the context: "There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!"

I love the feeling of hope.  Hope is a great, great thing that drives us a lot.  But I'm sure you've all discovered that when we hope, we can get hurt.  Hoping for what God will do next will not leave us disappointed, these verses seem to underscore.  I also think we don't have to fear hope when we hope for righteousness.  "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled," Matthew 5:6, NIV. 

It must be worth it to search our hearts (and ask the Lord to search it) just so we will know that we hope for righteousness and hope for/wait on the Lord.  Because if we know that is what we're doing, we know our hopes will not be let down.  We won't have to be afraid of our own hopes.  I hate that feeling!  What is hope if it's tainted by fear?  And - this is strong and possibly trite, but I think you all will agree - what is life without hope?  Thank God for hope!!

How happy can you really be if you always smile, regardless of circumstances?

How happy can you really be if you only smile because of circumstances?

-- just my random thoughts.  Have a great day!