Happiness is temporary; joy is permanent.
Okay, hear me out on this.. the last couple days I've heard the word "joy" thrown around quite a bit and it's really got me thinking.. is there a difference between joy and happiness? Yes.
What brings someone happiness? Things. People. Actions. Sin. Think about it, a person can make you happy.. for a little while.. and more often than not this ends as quickly as it begins. A new car makes you happy until it develops a problem. Getting phone calls make you happy.. until they stop coming. Partying can be fun and make you happy.. until the party is over. Temporary. Short-lived.
What brings someone true joy? Love. Forgiveness. Salvation and eternal life. All pure things -- pure and unending. Selfless love -- whether it be friend to friend, brother to sister, wife to husband -- brings both parties joy. Being completely forgiven and feeling totally blameless brings about an overwhelming joy. And more than all else, receiving salvation and eternal life is joy.
As with everything in life, I'm sure there are exceptions. I could even be totally wrong about all of this. Either way, I am so grateful to be a joyful person and for all the reasons I am. Do you have happiness or joy?
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Cameras and Pictures
Alright, deep thought of the night:
You know how when you take a picture you see the square or rectangle through the viewfinder? And then you snap the picture and the picture you see is exactly what you saw through the viewfinder. Well, what if there's really more to the picture than we can see? What if you could dig deep into the file of the picture and see an even bigger picture.. showing more around the edges. How crazy would that be? In a way, it's kinda even scary.. like what else could people have access to of our photos? Weird to think about.
On a random note, my new favorite song is How He Loves Us and I would suggest to anyone to listen to the YouTube version of Kim Walker / Jesus Culture in concert and listen to it all the way through. It's amazing. I love thinking of Christ's love as a hurricane as put in the song -- all-powerful, completely consuming, incomprehensible -- and myself as a tree in the hurricane -- helpless, small, totally vulnerable to this love greater than anything I could ever imagine.
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking.
You know how when you take a picture you see the square or rectangle through the viewfinder? And then you snap the picture and the picture you see is exactly what you saw through the viewfinder. Well, what if there's really more to the picture than we can see? What if you could dig deep into the file of the picture and see an even bigger picture.. showing more around the edges. How crazy would that be? In a way, it's kinda even scary.. like what else could people have access to of our photos? Weird to think about.
On a random note, my new favorite song is How He Loves Us and I would suggest to anyone to listen to the YouTube version of Kim Walker / Jesus Culture in concert and listen to it all the way through. It's amazing. I love thinking of Christ's love as a hurricane as put in the song -- all-powerful, completely consuming, incomprehensible -- and myself as a tree in the hurricane -- helpless, small, totally vulnerable to this love greater than anything I could ever imagine.
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Tonight, We Are Young
As I lay there in my friend's backyard tonight, I couldn't help but feel like my surroundings weren't real. Everything was just too right -- too peaceful. The stars were amazing. I love looking at stars. It makes me feel so small and insignificant, I love it. My friends had started talking so I turned over on my side and as I looked up at the sky I saw my first ever shooting star. Boy was that incredible. And the conversation following was just as great. Being able to sit there and have deep conversation with these awesome friends was so sweet. Talking about how blessed we are and how to better love our friends. Probably the best part was just listening to my brothers in Christ talking about how they personally can serve better their other brothers. Everything was so surreal. I got a feeling that I've rarely ever had and it was so amazing. I don't know why God has blessed me with such amazing brothers and sisters -- maybe because I need them, maybe because they need me, or maybe we all need each other a little -- but I am so so so thankful for them.
"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If they fall down, they can help each other up. But pity those who fall and have no one to help them up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can deend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." -- Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If they fall down, they can help each other up. But pity those who fall and have no one to help them up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can deend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." -- Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Random Thoughts of the Night
Okay these two have really no relation to each other, but here's what I've been thinking:
1) Why is our generation so obsessed with noise? I'm completely included in this, although I don't like it. Why do I always pull up some source of music when I get on my laptop? And why do I have to turn the volume in my car up until the windows vibrate? Tonight I've been sitting here in silence and it's just so peaceful. Thought flows so much easier without background noise to hinder it. I think we've grown up in such a fast-paced world where quick, rash decisions are acceptable and actions are rarely thought through that having the distraction of noise is inevitable.
2) I think I've mentioned before that I like analogies. Well, yesterday I came to the realization that people are just like puzzle pieces. Every one is a slightly different shape -- some are big and some are small, some are rough around the edges and some are smooth -- but somehow we all fit together in this big puzzle of life. The unique thing about us people as puzzle pieces is that we're control of ourselves and where we (try to) place ourselves. As someone who LOVES working puzzles, I can vouch that oftentimes a piece will appear as if it fits in a spot though it does not. Recently, I've felt like I've been struggling to find the right place to fit my little puzzle piece. I've also been learning that, just like one doing a puzzle, you can push and turn the piece around all you want and it still won't fit. The biggest difference in this analogy is that we are people -- living, changing, growing people. This is the most difficult part of the problem. With people constantly changing, I wonder if we can ever find the perfect place to fit our own little puzzle piece around the perfect other puzzle pieces for us.
1) Why is our generation so obsessed with noise? I'm completely included in this, although I don't like it. Why do I always pull up some source of music when I get on my laptop? And why do I have to turn the volume in my car up until the windows vibrate? Tonight I've been sitting here in silence and it's just so peaceful. Thought flows so much easier without background noise to hinder it. I think we've grown up in such a fast-paced world where quick, rash decisions are acceptable and actions are rarely thought through that having the distraction of noise is inevitable.
2) I think I've mentioned before that I like analogies. Well, yesterday I came to the realization that people are just like puzzle pieces. Every one is a slightly different shape -- some are big and some are small, some are rough around the edges and some are smooth -- but somehow we all fit together in this big puzzle of life. The unique thing about us people as puzzle pieces is that we're control of ourselves and where we (try to) place ourselves. As someone who LOVES working puzzles, I can vouch that oftentimes a piece will appear as if it fits in a spot though it does not. Recently, I've felt like I've been struggling to find the right place to fit my little puzzle piece. I've also been learning that, just like one doing a puzzle, you can push and turn the piece around all you want and it still won't fit. The biggest difference in this analogy is that we are people -- living, changing, growing people. This is the most difficult part of the problem. With people constantly changing, I wonder if we can ever find the perfect place to fit our own little puzzle piece around the perfect other puzzle pieces for us.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Home Sweet Home
One month later and I'm back at home.. for about 9 hours. Then to Myrtle Beach for my family vacation. Putting my thoughts of the last month into a single blog post would be impossible -- partially because of how many I have, partially because they aren't describable with words. I wish there was a way to duplicate feelings and atmospheres, but there unfortunately is not. Workcrew was basically exactly what I expected, but more. I expected it to be fun, but I had no idea it would be that much fun. I expected it to be hard, but I really had no idea it would be that hard. I expected to grow in my faith, but I had no idea whatsoever that I would grow as much as I did. I think this is a great testament to how much greater God is than anything we can think or imagine.
Everyone I've talked to since I've been back wants to know what the best part of camp was. The best part of camp for me was seeing so many kids come to know the Lord. After working long and hard all week long, going to the Say-So and seeing kids stand up and proclaim that they gave their lives to Christ that week was the best feeling in the world. On a personal level, my favorite part of camp was the community and the people. I honestly didn't really realize just how precious these people are to me until I was leaving. I feel like living with people really creates a relationship that can't be paralleled. There will definitely be more posts about Workcrew and all that it entailed in the future, but for now this is all I can put into words.
Everyone I've talked to since I've been back wants to know what the best part of camp was. The best part of camp for me was seeing so many kids come to know the Lord. After working long and hard all week long, going to the Say-So and seeing kids stand up and proclaim that they gave their lives to Christ that week was the best feeling in the world. On a personal level, my favorite part of camp was the community and the people. I honestly didn't really realize just how precious these people are to me until I was leaving. I feel like living with people really creates a relationship that can't be paralleled. There will definitely be more posts about Workcrew and all that it entailed in the future, but for now this is all I can put into words.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Leaving
I leave for Workcrew in three days. I'm freaking out. I still need a bunch of stuff. I'm trying to see everyone before I leave and I think all I'm doing is actually stressing myself out. I shouldn't have worked before I left, but there's no changing that now. Today at work one of my managers teared up when we were leaving because this was the last time we're gonna see each other until I'm back. This made me feel good, but also kind of sad about all the time I'm going to miss spending with everyone in Roanoke. Especially my friends that are about to leave for college. I'm nervous that no one will write to me.. this is silly. I know that whoever writes and the frequency I receive letters is all perfect in God's plan. I've started to feel some "pressure" for Workcrew. Not bad pressure, good pressure really. Pressure to represent Roanoke well and to really set the tone for my month. I'm not really nervous but there is a slight fear of the unknown. I'm afraid my friends are going to forget me.. this too is silly but I can't help but think it. This post is all over the place but my main point is: I'm so excited for Workcrew and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store. I've memorized my address :)
Sarah Gray
Workcrew
Young Life's Lake Champion
247 Mohican Lake Road
Glen Spey, NY 12737
:)
Sarah Gray
Workcrew
Young Life's Lake Champion
247 Mohican Lake Road
Glen Spey, NY 12737
:)
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
The "Old" Me
So, a little background about me: I accepted Christ when I was 8 at a Christmas musical at my church. I had grown up in a Christian home and attended church almost every Sunday. Accepting Christ and being a Christian was the logical and -- at the time -- easy thing to do. My life walking with the Lord stayed simple until I entered middle school.
Middle school sucked. I mean that. I was constantly trying to fit in. I did what everyone else did, changing myself to be just like everyone else so I would feel accepted. Following Christ wasn't easy anymore during this time of my life. What was easy, was following the crowd, saying mean things, and doing things out of character. I'm not proud to say I pushed my relationship with the Lord aside when things became tough.
When high school rolled around, I grew out of this conformity stage. Unfortunately, I replaced the desire to conform with the desire to find my worth. The way I viewed myself was completely based on how others viewed me. I valued other's opinions of me far too much. I defined my worth by how many people liked my profile picture or how many friends I had.
Boys were probably the greatest place I tried to find worth. Whenever I was around guys I would constantly feel pressure to make them like me or at least interested in me. If a guy I liked didn't like me, I was devastated. I was upset when boys wouldn't text me first and especially when they wouldn't text me back. My standards in the guys I liked dropped significantly. If a guy liked me, I would basically convince myself that I liked him. The reality was, I liked their attention, not the boy himself.
Along with trying to find worth in boys, I also tried to find fulfillment. This was miserable and unsuccessful. Boys were just one of the many lacking sources of fulfillment. Also on the list were school, sports, relationships, parties, etc. I would look to these things to find complete satisfaction and every time I came up short.
When I got serious about walking with the Lord, I found the fulfillment I had been desperately searching for. God never fails me and never leaves me walking away unsatisfied -- unlike all these other things. What I've learned is that these things aren't bad things. School is important to your future, sports are a great source of enjoyment, relationships are beautiful, and (clean) parties are lots of fun. What I didn't realize at the time, is that although these things are awesome, that's all they are. Awesome, but they aren't worth living for.
The Lord is so cool in the way He works. He knew even better then I did how much I struggled with boys. And in His perfect timing, He brought me away from this struggle and back to Him. The sweetest part about this, though, is the way God loves me through this. Instead of taking away any communication or relationships with boys, He actually blessed me with more. These relationships are so different, though. He blessed me by putting guys in my life who love Him and who love and encourage me. I don't feel pressure to make them like me or be interested in me. I can talk to them about anything and our relationships are so much deeper than surface level.
The Lord works in crazy ways and I am so extremely blessed.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.
Middle school sucked. I mean that. I was constantly trying to fit in. I did what everyone else did, changing myself to be just like everyone else so I would feel accepted. Following Christ wasn't easy anymore during this time of my life. What was easy, was following the crowd, saying mean things, and doing things out of character. I'm not proud to say I pushed my relationship with the Lord aside when things became tough.
When high school rolled around, I grew out of this conformity stage. Unfortunately, I replaced the desire to conform with the desire to find my worth. The way I viewed myself was completely based on how others viewed me. I valued other's opinions of me far too much. I defined my worth by how many people liked my profile picture or how many friends I had.
Boys were probably the greatest place I tried to find worth. Whenever I was around guys I would constantly feel pressure to make them like me or at least interested in me. If a guy I liked didn't like me, I was devastated. I was upset when boys wouldn't text me first and especially when they wouldn't text me back. My standards in the guys I liked dropped significantly. If a guy liked me, I would basically convince myself that I liked him. The reality was, I liked their attention, not the boy himself.
Along with trying to find worth in boys, I also tried to find fulfillment. This was miserable and unsuccessful. Boys were just one of the many lacking sources of fulfillment. Also on the list were school, sports, relationships, parties, etc. I would look to these things to find complete satisfaction and every time I came up short.
When I got serious about walking with the Lord, I found the fulfillment I had been desperately searching for. God never fails me and never leaves me walking away unsatisfied -- unlike all these other things. What I've learned is that these things aren't bad things. School is important to your future, sports are a great source of enjoyment, relationships are beautiful, and (clean) parties are lots of fun. What I didn't realize at the time, is that although these things are awesome, that's all they are. Awesome, but they aren't worth living for.
The Lord is so cool in the way He works. He knew even better then I did how much I struggled with boys. And in His perfect timing, He brought me away from this struggle and back to Him. The sweetest part about this, though, is the way God loves me through this. Instead of taking away any communication or relationships with boys, He actually blessed me with more. These relationships are so different, though. He blessed me by putting guys in my life who love Him and who love and encourage me. I don't feel pressure to make them like me or be interested in me. I can talk to them about anything and our relationships are so much deeper than surface level.
The Lord works in crazy ways and I am so extremely blessed.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.
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