God’s story never ends with ashes

I had no idea what would happen when I decided I want to write a blog for real.

I have been toying with the idea for some time.

But last year I finally did, it's not even that many months ago.

I was afraid, I did not know how much I should share.

But at the same time, I knew that to write, I needed to be myself.

And being myself means writing about what is important to me.

First of all, God, my love to Him and more than anything, His love for me and for everyone.

“God has paid us the intolerable compliment of loving us, in the deepest, most tragic, most inexorable sense.”-- C.S. Lewis in The Problem of Pain

But it also means being honest of my downfalls as a human and as a mother.

Bearing my stuggles and questions, my insecurities and problems, my pain and suffering.

But what I most look forward is sharing the joy.

God has promised me love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness.

Galatians 5:22: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”

What I could never imagine was the blogging communities and groups, and the bloggers, I would encounter.

I have shared my feelings of disconect here in Ecuador as ex-pat and I have recieved love and friendship in return.

I have told about mistakes, imperfections and errors, and I have been conforted and accepted.

I never imagined how intimate the relationship between a blogger and her readers can become.

I can only be thankful to you all and praise Lord for answering to my prayers.

“What wings are to a bird, and sails to a ship, so is prayer to the soul.” ― Corrie Ten Boom

It has been such a short time and I have found new friends, wonderful blogs to follow and encouragement for my mission.

And I have felt God touching my heart, calling me to His word and teaching me through all this.

It is more and more clearer to me that I must decrease so He can increase.

I want to be filled with His love and shine it through, share His love with everyone else.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

John 3:30

The prize I'm searching is to see God's light piercing through me.

Like a jar of clay, wearing thinner and thinner every day.

If you could only see Him shining through me.

May I praise Him, revere Him and serve Him.

May my life be a living sacrifice for Him.

A glorious day of love and brightness, sculpted by pain.

I am still lost in the mist, fooled by the fog.

But I know in my heart, I will see.

“Of one thing I am perfectly sure: God’s story never ends with ‘ashes.” — Elisabeth Elliot

Word for the Year - JOYFUL!

I have never liked making New Year's Resolutions. 

Mostly because I can't keep them.

yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Habakkuk 3:18

I had resolved not to do any this year either.

And then I heard about choosing a word for the year.

A word, what I novel idea.

“the joy of the Lord is our strength” Nehemiah 8:10

It called my heart and talked to me in a way a resolution never has.

But still, I was a bit wary of the concept at start.

A word... kind of like name for the year... like many non-Christian cultures do?

Then a fellow blogger explained how she does this by praying and trying to find what message God has her for the coming year.

I started to notice more and more people doing this.

They would pray and ask for God for a word, something to aspire and work towards for the coming year.

What I liked even more was when I heard about the scripture for the year.

At first I was scared.

I worried if I would imagine everything and just choose something out of the thin air.

So, I was wary and didn't want to take the first step.

 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22

It is too normal for me to doubt myself, belittle the person I am.

The wonderful thing is that God doesn’t think the same way about me.

For Him, I matter, I am important.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12

And He gave me the word.

JOYFUL

This word has a lot of meaning to me, because I have been on a journey towards joyfulness.

Trying to understand what being joyful really means.

And trying to find the joy in Christ.

The real joy, the one that really matters.

So, this year is going to be year of joy, happiness, gladness, elation, lightness, exultation and jubilance.

At the same time, I am even more scared.

Because I know that God gives us the both sides.

And in some ways, this will be another year of sorrow.

Because true joy can be felt only in the presence of sadness.

If you enjoyed this post maybe you would like to read My Top 5 Favorites of 2014.