That Moment When Life is Like a Roller Coaster

That moment when you wait in line, not sure of what the roller coaster is going to be like. 

That moment when you fasten your seat belt. 

That moment when you say a prayer. 

That moment when it starts off.

That moment when you start your slow climb to the top of a steep incline.

That moment when your almost to the top. 

That moment when you want off the ride… right now!

That moment when the roller coaster goes from strait up to strait down. 

That moment when your hanging on for dear life. 

That moment when you can't breath. 

That moment when you scream.

That moment when you raise your arms up.

That moment when the rides over in a second.

That moment when you laugh.

That moment when you go and ride it again.

Roller coasters go up and down, right and left, upside down and right side up. They might seem unpredictable, but really, they are mapped out and planned to go wherever it’s tracks take them. When riding a roller coaster, you might be having the time of your life, you might be scared for your life, or both. 

I think roller coasters are fun, but don’t ask me to go on one that goes upside down. Nope, no thanks, I would rather live a nice and long life.

Some rides make me dizzy, others, I want to ride over and over again. Some rides I am terrified while on them, but when its over, I’ll think that it was super fun! 

I guess what I’m trying to say is, just like the roller coaster goes up and down, right and left, upside down and right side up, so does our emotions when we are on them. 

Isn't this so much like life is? 

That moment you are waiting, not sure of what’s ahead.

That moment you are getting ready.

That moment you are saying a prayer.

That moment you are starting a new season in life.

That moment you are moving slow, but you know that it won’t always be this way.

That moment when you feel like you are on the top of the world.

That moment when you regret a decision.

That moment when life plummets strait down at record speed.

That moment when you are hanging on for dear life.

That moment when it hurts so bad.

That moment when you scream.

That moment when you finally are joyful.

That moment when you are out of the woods.

That moment when you laugh.

That moment when it starts all over again.

Although your life might feel unpredictable and scary at times, always remember that God laid out your life's tracks. He built it and mapped it out just for you, and His ways are always better than what any man-made plan can even begin to compare too.

Enjoy where you are on this crazy roller coaster ride they call life. Because one day you’re going to look back on all that you have been through, all the times that flew by so fast. Times that were fun and times that were terrifying. When that season in life is over, you might even miss it, wishing it back.

Life is like a roller coaster. Take the chance, pray always, and cherish ALL of the ride, both highs and lows. Trust Him with the outcomes of each situation.

Stay rooted to the “tracks” that God has made for you, and thank Him for the carefully laid plan that He has for you, because when we are following God’s plan for us, there is no limit that is too high or too hard for us. 

Do you like roller coasters?

Can you see how roller coaster rides and life are so much alike? 

How can we enjoy this ride, even if it's hard? How can I pray for you? 
Let's talk!

On The Other Side Of Pain

On The Other Side Of Pain

Written by Brooklyne

On the other side of pain 

You grow stronger

On the other side of pain 

You grow tougher 

On the other side of pain

You grow closer

On the other side of pain

You grow wiser 

~~~

Whether emotional or physical

On the other side of pain 
Pressures will refine you

On the other side of pain

Whether long or short lived 

On the other side of pain

You will withstand the test 

On the other side of pain

~~~

Throughout the pain you endure

You make a choice 

To suffer and suffer

Or to suffer and grow

Throughout the hardships you face

You make a choice

To give up hope 

Or to fight through the pain

~~~

The pain will not last forever, and if it lasts

You have not healed 

Wounds will fester  

And you grow weaker

But if you heal, if you let God heal you

You have made the choice

To learn from pain 

And you grow stronger

~~~

Against all odds

Despite all opinions 

Facing all fears 

Enduring all pain 

When you get on the other side 

When its all over and gone 

When the pain is in the past

When you are free from the burdens 

~~~

You will grow stronger

You will grow tougher

You will grow closer to Him 

You will grow wiser  

You can conquer 

You can succeed 

You can learn 

You can listen 

~~~

Choose to fight through the pain

Let God heal you

Grow through your trials 

Because on the other side of pain 

You will be stronger 

Give your burdens to Him

Make the right choice 

Grow through your suffering 

Because on the other side of pain 

You will be stronger 

~~~

If you are hurting. 

If you are dealing with pain 

Whether a broken bone or a broken heart,

Give it to God 

Because the ultimate Physician 

Will lift your burdens and heal your pain 

Keep fighting, and once you are on the other side of pain 

You will realize that you have grown stronger! 

Because pain and sin have entered the world, we have to suffer. But we have the ability, with God's help, to turn our suffering into growth. This morning was very sad for me and my family, last night something got our bunnies. Death of even the smallest creatures is so hard. I can't imagine losing a loved one. I wrote this poem the other day, and now I know how real it is. Everyone is going through something, whether it be physical pain or emotional pain. And although pain hurts and is hard, God WILL comfort us if we let Him. He has the ability to heal us, and we CAN grow from our pain. 

Have you ever grown stronger on the other side of pain? How can we let God heal our pain so that we can become stronger? How do we move past our pain and learn from it instead of dwelling on it? What did you think of this poem? 

How is your September going? Are you looking forward to cooler days? 

Lets take a vote on whether or not I should write a post of our latest fun in the mud?! Y'all want to hear about our tough mudder experience? P.S. This is my 30th post!!!
Lets talk in the comments! 

Why, God?

Why, God?

Written by Brooklyne 

"Why, God?"

"Why aren't you trusting Me?"

Two questions 

One of pain and "Why's"

Full of confusion

The other a hard solution

Full of hope 

***

Everyone's "Why's" are different 

But God's answering question is the same

***

If you are so worried 

If you are still hurting 

If you don't understand 

Even if you never will

Why aren't you trusting? 

God wants us to trust Him even if we don't understand the "Why's." Our unanswered questions are answered, just with a question for us. Why aren't we trusting? This is a real struggle for me, but I am learning that in order to really find peace that surpasses all understanding throughout this turmoil, I need to really ask, seek and knock. 

A few weeks ago, I was asking for peace. I would pray and pray but never felt peaceful in what I was going through. I thought I didn't know the right way to pray for peace, maybe I was doing it all wrong? No, I wasn't doing it all wrong, but I was missing something, though. 

I would pray and then expect this peace to wash over me like I had heard in stories. But I was frustrated when I wasn't feeling peace. 

I took a walk in the woods and sat by the creek, I told myself that I wasn't leaving until I had figured something out. I contemplated, "What is Peace?" To me, it is staying calm and feeling God's presence in all of the craziness of life. 

While I was in the woods, I was listening to the sounds of nature. The creek, birds, trees in the breeze, etc. One sound interrupted the quietness of the woods, it was a woodpecker. The noise of him pecking on a tree was like knocking on a door. Instantly a bible verse came to me, and at that time, I had no idea how that bible verse would help me find the peace that I was looking for.

 It was Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you."

As a kid, I learned this verse as a song, and after hearing that bird, this song was stuck in my head. Now that day, I didn't quite figure much out, but a few day's later, I read a post on Sarah Keatts blog, One Name. Go here to read her post. The last few paragraphs really hit home and made me realize that what I was missing was the seeking Jesus part. I was asking, but not seeking. Now it makes since for me to have had that song stuck in my head.

I was putting all of my effort into asking and was disappointed, but now, I'm learning to ask AND seek Jesus in all of this. Because, Jesus is the Prince of Peace! 

The last part of Matthew 7:7 is to knock, I see this as moving forward. I want to be able to take a step of faith and knock, even when I don't know if that door will open or close.

Instead of asking "Why?" I want to learn to be trusting in Him.

Do you catch yourself asking "Why?" a lot? Have you ever wondered how to really find peace that surpasses? What does Matthew 7:7 mean to you?? How can we stop worrying and start trusting? 

Happy first of August! I hope that your summer has been a blast so far! It is still NOT over yet! *desperately holds on to summer for as long as possible* 

July Camp Nano was awesome! And I made it to my 10,000 word count goal!!! Im so excited to see where this story takes me! :D Did you do Camp Nano? Have you read any awesome books lately? 

Lets talk about it! Comment below! 

➳✩➳✩➳✩

God's Way, Not Ours

A few months ago, late at night, my Dad decided to put together a bike he had bought for me that day. I had needed a new bike because my old one was to small and we were getting ready for our triathlon. Go HERE to read about the triathlon! 

Anyways, I like putting things together, so I decided to help him. The bike came in a big box and was already halfway assembled. Unwrapping the protective bubblewrap, styrofoam, cardboard, plastic and zip ties that covered the actual bike took quite awhile.

Once it was all laid out, the handle bars, seat, and the front tire were the parts that needed to be attached to the main frame. This bike came with instructions on how to put it together and a few tools. Laying on the floor, the bike didn't look much like a bike to me. It’s pieces were scattered about in various piles and looked more like a mess than a bike. 

The directions went something like this. It showed a diagram of the bike. Named bike parts using the alphabet, Part A and Part B etc. Then over the next few pages, it gave us the steps and order to accomplish these said steps. It even had pictures. Going to be easy, right?

This was our first time to assemble a bike, in the past, we had always just bought the bike already put together. Since this was a first time thing, we had to keep close attention to the instructions. It told us to attach the handle bars first, so we took the bolt cap off and slid the handle bars down into the frame. There was a line on the handle bars that said how far to push it down. That went fairly well, moving us along the list of steps in the instruction booklet. 

Next up was the front tire. This proved to be more difficult. All we had to do was put the frame over the tire and where the spokes met, tighten and secure it to the bike. The problem was our bike frame was too wide to correctly fit over the wheel. I wondered if we had the wrong part, maybe the manufacturers gave us the wrong size tire or frame? 

My Dad tried to force the frame together to make it smaller, but it still was too loose fitting over the tire. We tried different methods of securing it, but nothing was working. Stumped, I went back to the instructions. I carefully reread over the steps and realized that we had overlooked one small, teeny tiny step. Our problem was we needed to put this certain part on the tire BEFORE putting the frame over it to attach it. We were trying to put it on AFTER. Once we realized how to put it together the right way and in the right order, we finally finished the bike!  

Then, after we put on the seat, it was time to test out our bike assembly skills. I looked over the bike and knew all the bolts were tight, I knew everything was locked into place, I knew it was ready to be tested out, but something gave me hesitation. What if we put it together wrong? What if when I sit down, it all crumbles back into a bunch of pieces again? The visual of me lying in a mess of broken bike parts did not sound appealing! Pushing my doubt aside, I climbed up on the bike anyway. I was choosing to trust that it would hold.

 And it did! I now had a brand new bike! 

So you might ask, what is the reason for this post? How can I apply how you put a bike together to my life?

Well... 

Have you ever felt like you live under a protective layer of bubblewrap, styrofoam, cardboard, plastic and zip ties? Ok, not literally. You know what I mean. 

Have you ever felt like you hide your mess of disassembled pieces under that layer? 

Have you ever felt like you just want to lay the real you out all across the floor and see the scattered piles and pieces? Your worries, your fears, your wants, your hopes, your thoughts, all the jumbled mess. Even if it doesn’t look much like how it is supposed to look. 

Where is our life going? 

Do we get a book of instructions to know what happens next?

Have you ever felt like you overlooked or skipped a seemingly small step, but it turns out a 

important one? 

Have you ever tried to put the blame on someone other than yourself?

Have you ever felt like you tried to force it to work?

Have you ever went back to the instructions and realized your mistake?

And then, have you ever felt like you now know, the right way and in the right order?

Have you ever had to push aside doubt? 

Have you ever had to choose to trust?

These are questions that we all have to ponder ourselves. But I will say, we couldn't have put the bike together without taking all the bubblewrap off. Only after we saw everything laid out and unwrapped, could we move forward and build the bike. We can't move on and live the life that we were meant to live without letting go of our outer mask. Our so called protective layer of bubblewrap.

God sees through the bubblewrap. God know’s everything from our smallest worry to our biggest fear. He know’s the dreams that we have and the plans that we make. He sees all of this! He sees the good and the bad and loves us just the same. He loves us because we are His children. We are His chosen people (1 Peter 2:9)  And He has a plan for each of us. A unique and beautiful plan. One that turns our messy and scattered piles into someone that we were meant to become. God can make us whole. 

We need to realize that not all of our plans are His plans. His way is the right way. We might think we have it figured out. We might think we can just skim read through the instructions and be good. But we will miss the important steps to building our characters and the life that we long to live. We need to read and follow our instructions very closely. 

~The Bible is our Instructions and our Directions. It tells us steps and shows us how to live. 

John 14:21 

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

~The Bible is our Guideline. It give us a perfect example. 

John 13:15 

“For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.”

1 Peter 2:21 

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us and example, that you should follow His steps:”

~The Bible is our Map. It tells us where we are going if we follow in Jesus footsteps.

John 14:1-3 

“Let not you heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

~The Bible is our Recipe. It gives us the ingredients for how to live.

John 15:12 

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Lastly, we have to choose to trust. God’s got us. Don’t let our doubts creep in and tell us otherwise. God has a plan and is in control. Take each day one step at a time. Lets strive to read through our instructions God has given us. Lets open up and let Him come in and create in us a new heart. Lets ask him to give us peace and help us trust in Him. God is not finished with us. Lets choose God’s way, not ours!

Proverbs 3:5,6 

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct they paths.”

➳✩➳✩➳This was really deep, wasn’t it? Have you ever put together a bike before? 

What are your thoughts on God’s Way, Not Ours? Can you relate to anything I said? Have you ever felt like you don't know how to trust? 

Have you ever felt like you don't know how to find the peace that surpasses?
 If you have read through this whole post, 
I want to say thank you and your amazing! This was a very long post and if you have persevered, then I give you a two thumbs up! 
Lets talk in the comments! And, ya'll, this is my 20th post!!! ➳✩➳✩➳

A Special Mission

Some see a weed. Some see a wish. Some see a mission. 

Ok, maybe I am the only one who can see a mission in a dandelion! This new perspective came one day as I was trying to capture, with my phone camera, dandelion seeds as they were in mid flight. You know, the perfect picture of the fuzzy parachute like seeds gently floating by? I thought It would by pretty easy, right? After all, others have obviously mastered this art.

Lets just say, I tried for thirty to forty minutes and never quite got a “Pinterest worthy” picture. I tried all sorts of methods. I tried blowing the dandelion, my little sister tried blowing it, we tried waving it, even lying on the ground and looking up as my sister blew the seeds down didn't work. We tried taking lots of pictures in a row and even then nothing seemed focus on the seeds, or we would just miss them all together! I did get lots of good pictures, but none of them were what I thought I could capture. Seriously, has anyone ever tried to take a picture of a dandelion blowing away? If you have any tips, I’d love to know how it is done! 

My creative brain kicked in with one of the pictures (top picture.) I was able to angle my camera to make the seeds look like a small heart which was really cool! In this same picture, one seed’s fuzz was stuck to the dandelion and hung there. It was holding on and wasn't letting go to be carried away into the unknown. As soon as it let go, it could be planted to grow more dandelions. 

Wait a minute! Now my writers brain was spinning way out of control. The dandelion seed was holding on. It wasn’t letting the wind carry it away. It was waiting and doubting, scared of the unknown. It was given a job to spread the seed, planting it. It’s only mission was to plant the seed. It didn’t need to water it or give it light, that was natures job to grow it. All it had to do was let go and be carried. 

Do we ever try and find excuses for not letting go? Are we letting our fears and doubts hold us into place, keeping us from being carried? Are we scared of the unknown? Are we uncertain of where we are going? Of what our mission is? 

Each and every one of us is given a special mission. One that God has perfectly planned for us. Some might know what their mission is, but if you are anything like me, then you don’t know quite what God has in store for you yet. I do know that God wants all of us to spread the Word, to be a witness to others, and to be a example by living like Him. 

Whether it be speaking in front or hundreds of people, or talking to a friend. Whether it be participating at church, or a simple act of kindness to your neighbor. Whether it be traveling to other countries as a missionary, or finding your own mission field close to home. Each of us has our own special mission. Our own calling that God has put on our hearts.

We are all given talents that God wants us to use for His glory.

So, like the dandelion seed, sometimes we hold on too long. Sometimes we won't let God carry us away into the unknown. We are unsure, waiting and doubting. We were given a job to spread the love of Jesus, to share the truth. All we have to do is plant the seed. God does the rest, making that seed grow. All we have to do is let go and be carried. What is holding us back? 

I want to share with you all, some of the pictures I took of dandelions…

Have you ever tried to photograph dandelion seeds blowing away? What is your favorite picture that I took? Do you know what your special mission is? Or is God wanting you to trust Him and let Him carry you? What are some ways that we can step out of our comfort zones and let go of our fears, so we can witness for Him?