Delight

"Bliss."
1. supreme happiness; utter joy or contentment
2. (Theology) the joy of heaven
3. heaven; paradise

Synonyms: joy, happiness, delight.

(From http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bliss and https://www.google.com/search?q=Bliss+definition&oq=bliss+definition&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j0l5.4998j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=91&ie=UTF-8)

"Better is one day in your courts

than a thousand elsewhere;

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

the Lord bestows favor and honor;

no good thing does he withhold

from those whose walk is blameless.

Lord Almighty,

blessed is the one who trusts in you."

--Psalm 84:10-12

I used to think of bliss as a distraction from the important things, but really, bliss is that place one step away from experiencing heaven. 

Bliss happens when you delight yourself in the Lord.

I read the passage above this morning in my quiet time, and this part stuck out to me: "no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless...blessed is the one who trusts in you."

God really does love His children. He doesn't spoil them, but He surely likes bless them...just because. 

For example, yesterday, while I was walking my dog around in my backyard, I saw that my favorite tree had almost lost all of its leaves. Looking down, I saw a multitude of beautifully colored leaves and collected a few:

 

Aren't they lovely?

They remind me of how beautiful God is and that while the world is constantly changing, there are still things that never change like beauty, love, truth, and goodness. 

My point is: delight yourself in the Lord. 

God gives blessings everyday, but it's hard to always recognize them. That's why it's so important to be on the lookout for the things that will catch your eye. They just might be presents from God telling you that He loves you and thinks you're amazing. :)

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." --Psalm 37:4

Two Poems Diverged

One of my new favorite movies, Dead Poets Society, mentions two poems that have struck me in these last few days. One is an excerpt from Henry David Thoreau's Walden about why one would go to the woods, and the other is a poem by Walt Whitman called "Oh Me! Oh Life!" which answers the ever-popular question, "Why are we here, in the world, and what is our purpose?"

The reason why I mention these two poems together is that they both attempt to answer this question with two different perspectives.

Henry David Thoreau wrote in Walden:

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear, nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion. For most men, it appears to me, are in a strange uncertainty about it, whether it is of the devil or of God, and have somewhat hastily concluded that it is the chief end of man here to 'glorify God and enjoy him forever.'"

Thoreau makes a very good point, that we are here to choose life over death, and to avoid the realization at the end of our lives that we had not lived.

Unfortunately, he says that "most men...have somewhat hastily concluded that it is the chief end of man here to 'glorify God and enjoy him forever.'"

What a shame, to believe that such a glorious calling is nothing but a hasty conclusion!

If I were to visit the woods, this would be my purpose: to enjoy God and glorify Him. At this season of my life, I praise God every day for the trees. The leaves and their colors are absolutely captivating, and it my heart skips a beat realizing that God made me ruler of all of it (as well as you!); that you and I are in fact the crowning glory of those beautiful colors on the leaves, the constellations in the stars on the dark night sky, and the brightness that overcomes the cold morning air in the sunrise at the beginning of every day: that all of us were made to top those beautiful sights, and to give our glory back to the Lord (2 Peter 1:3-11, ESV).

I disagree with Thoreau: this is not a hasty conclusion at all. I did not come up with that conclusion on my own. It is in fact what I was assigned to do by the Voice of Truth Himself on the day He gave me breath (Jeremiah 1:5, ESV; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, ESV). It's not a conclusion I made for myself: it's a calling.

I believe that Walt Whitman describes the facts of life much better: that amongst our hurt and pain, our hearts cry out, "Oh me! Oh life!" and "what could I possibly be good for?"

"O Me! O life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring-What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer. 
That you are here-that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse."

Whitman knows quite well that we are sad wretches, searching around the earth for an answer to what we are good for, what we were made for, and why we are here, still daring to live. The answer: that we're here! That we are a part of a beautiful story set all around us, and we are important characters in it! And that our lives will contribute a verse to the greatest play of all time.

As Professor Keating very well stated, "What will your verse be?"

The Season of Change is Coming Soon

I was just thinking a minute ago about how seasons sometimes have subtitles.

Winter: the cold season and the season of Christmas, the new year, and even Valentine's Day. (A thought just occurred to me about Valentine's Day. It is a holiday in which we celebrate love, but we celebrate it in the middle of winter--it's cold, nasty, and difficult. Doesn't that in and of itself represent what love is all about? How love is about caring about someone or wanting the best for them, even when it's cold, nasty, and difficult?)

Spring: the season of new beginnings, life, and resurrection. (Obviously, that would be why we celebrate Easter in this season, but we also celebrate Mother's Day, and late into the season, we celebrate Father's Day. We celebrate the lives of those around us in the spring.)

Summer: the season of EXTREME heat, and the season of rest. (I find a lot more pictures of the beach and vacation articles on Pinterest during this time of year, don't you?)

And finally...

Autumn (I like the name autumn better than fall!): the season of change and color.

Autumn is not here yet, but it's coming soon. (Did you know the autumnal equinox is next Tuesday?)

I always think that this time of the year is strange--when we are all ahead of the autumn season. School has started, so all the parents and students are saying, "It must be fall, since we're getting into the school routine and starting sports [and other extracurricular activities]." I have even seen Halloween decorations and specialty costume stores put up. My grocery store is covered with candy bags decorated with spiders and ghoulish faces on them. Halloween commercials are now found on every television channel.

Yet, when I look outside at my backyard, the tree is still green--not a hint of orange, red, or yellow. All the bees are buzzing around flower bushes, the sky is still as blue as a robin's egg, and it's 86º at only one o'clock in the afternoon.

Autumn usually means that I don't have to see ants crawl into the side of the house. It means that I get to enjoy how the wooden fence in the backyard gets wet, dark stains from the hundreds of raindrops and how the cold foggy mist feels on my face after a rainstorm. It means that I can wear sweaters, scarves, fuzzy socks, boots, and blue jeans every single day of the week, and so will everyone else I know. It means that I can bake pumpkin bread with chocolate chips and drink caramel apple cider at coffee shops. Autumn is the season of reading books next to a fireplace, sleeping with extra blankets, and enjoying comfortable walks outside, knowing that it won't be too hot or too cold.

No wonder we are all ready for the fall...but it's not here yet!

Right now is the season of patience. It's the season where farmers are preparing their fields knowing that it will rain soon, and there will be plenty to do when harvest comes. Right now is the season where everyone wants something in their lives to change, and they anticipate it wholeheartedly.

It reminds me of the seasons of life we have with God. How we impatiently anticipate a change that God is about to grant to us, but He hasn't quite decided to do it yet. It's that difficult season of waiting.

Right now in my backyard, it's still extremely hot. The tree is still green, even though I really want to see it turn orange and red. I likely won't see the flames blazing in the fireplace this evening, and I didn't notice any fog or mist in the atmosphere early this morning.

But I know all of those glorious things about the season of change are coming. I trust God that He's going to give us those gifts...in a little while, but not quite yet.

What do we do in a season of patience? What do we do when we're waiting on God to bring change into our lives?

We pray, we breathe, we worship, we meditate on God's Word, and we take in the gifts that He's already given us for right now.

I heard this at church yesterday: waiting on God is not necessarily the same as waiting in line. It's more like how you want a waiter to serve you when you are at a restaurant. Waiting is the act of serving God, not a lack of action on God's part.

The gifts that I can appreciate about my backyard right now is that the tomato plant is still producing yellow and red cherry tomatoes. The tree may not be orange, red, and yellow, but throughout the summer, I've seen it in dozens of shades of bright and dark greens. I've seen tons of squirrels and birds visit the tree and appreciate it more than I have. I have enjoyed the feelings of putting my hands in cold water, and seeing how my face looks when it's sun-kissed.

I still anticipate, but I can still appreciate. And that is the beauty of patience, even when I long for the season of change.

"O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. 'Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, that He might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation.'" --Isaiah 25:1, 9b

"I'm Thankful For..." Link-Up

It's that time of the year again. Thanksgiving is a little over a week from now. Schools are studying Plymouth Plantation, the cooks of the families are making the longest grocery lists known to man, and Macy's, once again, is planning the ultimate parade.

But what is Thanksgiving really about? Surely it's not only about eating twice as much as you really should one day per year, and watching football or parades.

No, it's about taking time to think about all of God's graces and blessings in our lives that we have to thank Him for.

Here are a few of my favorite things to be thankful for:

1. Interests and Talents
Imagine a world where humans were talent-less, had no inspiration or creativity, and no capability to do something great for God. I'm so thankful for that opportunity: to wake up every day and decide to glorify God with the talents He gave me and the interests that He has set in my heart.

2. Family
This is one of the obvious Sunday school answers, but at the same time, it's actually profound. I remember reading an article several months ago about a cause supporting orphans in Romania who were psychologically harmed. It was so sad to see some of the videos that were posted and how none of those children had any family that was willing to give them support to lead exceptional and extraordinary lives. That's why I'm especially thankful this year to be with my family every day. Thanks to them, I'll be able to truly celebrate Thanksgiving, and I think that's something that a lot of Americans often take for granted.

3. Education
Education is a bit more than being past the point of unintelligence, or just being able to say that we're smart, or have a bigger brain than an alligator. Education is the gift from God in which we learn how to think, not what to think. I'm grateful that I have so many wonderful educational opportunities that teach me how to think critically, follow Christ, and pursue the interests and talents that (again), God has given me to glorify Him.

4. Friends
I've had some bumpy roads this year with a couple of friendships of mine. But through those rough times, I've learned to be patient and loving, and even trusting the people who care about me, even when there's a risk of getting hurt in the end (but there's also a chance of wonderful things to happen as well). On top of that, I've learned that I have to love the Lord above all else, because He is the only one who gives me self-worth. 

5. Communication
Where would anyone be without the ability to communicate? For crying out loud, this blog would be non-existent. We'd all probably be swaying to and fro in the fetal position trying to figure out how to live life on our own since we would have no capability to get help from others. I think that loving our neighbors strongly connects to communication. It's so fascinating how a 6 word tweet can bring thousands of people to a concert, or 500 words can change minds when they are spoken on a podium. I've even seen people's hearts turned around over one Bible verse. I'm thankful for our ability to communicate. Without it, we'd likely be able to truly love one another.

Now it's your turn! I have created a link-up for all of you readers to share what you are thankful for. If you're having trouble thinking of some, don't worry! The link-up ends on Monday, December 2nd, so you have plenty of time.

Don't forget to comment on this post, invite your friends to follow this blog, and have fun linking-up!

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods." --Psalm 95:2-3

How-To Plan a Picnic

It's about time I made a how-to post that doesn't remind you of school.

How-To Plan a Picnic 

by Hayley Robinson

There are not too many beautiful autumn days left in the year, so what is one way that you can be outside and make the most of it? Plan a picnic!

Just in case you're not comfortable with planning an outdoor lunch, here's how to look like a pro when you take a friend, family member, or anyone else you care about on a special autumn day picnic.

You will need:

• A blanket or a location picked out with picnic tables (several parks have these)
• A basket or cooler that can carry the food safely to the location without it being spoiled (You might need a couple of these: one cooler/basket for the food, another for the blanket and silverware, cups, napkins, and plates)
• Recipes for your favorite packed lunch
• Silverware, Napkins, Cups, Plates, etc. (Paper and Plastic work well, unless it's a slightly windy day. If so, the picnic might end in an empty cup chase!)

Step 1: Location, Location, Location

You always want to pick the location which is the most convenient. If you're going out on a Sunday picnic with your family after church, it might be best to pick a location closer to the church, your house, or if it's not too much trouble, a scenic location that you don't always go to! Wherever you go, make sure that it's convenient, but also special.

Step 2: Picking the Day

When you plan the location, you want to keep the day in which you will be arriving in mind. It might be a bad idea to plan a picnic right after your dad's ultra-busy day at the office planning an event he's been working on for weeks, or the day right before your friend has two papers and a project due. You also want to keep a close watch on what the weather will be for that day. If it's rainy, cold, or foggy, or if you just had a snowfall, it will likely be a bad day to have a picnic. Of course, the weather can be beyond your control. Simply be on the lookout!

Step 3: Menu
The key to making a lovely picnic is to keep it simple. Don't make a 4-hour recipe that has to cook overnight and bake in the morning that you can't refrigerate in a cooler. Make sandwiches or salads or even soups that you can keep in a thermos (if you can manage to bring the right serving-ware). Sometimes you don't even have to go that far into preparing. What our family has done in the past is go to Subway at 10 in the morning, buy sandwiches that don't have very much wet ingredients (so that they aren't soggy by lunchtime or afternoon) and keeping them in a cooler. For sides, we buy boxes of cookies and bags of chips from the grocery store with cans of soda, lemonade packs, or Gatorade. Overall, it's a delicious and memorable lunch that I'll remember for several years to come! I repeat: keep it simple. You'll feel so much better knowing that you did your best without the stress.

Step 4: Decorations
If it's a bit of a special occasion for a picnic, I suggest sweet and simple decorations. Maybe find a classic wooden basket to keep the food in (if a cooler is not needed), or a decorative blanket that you don't mind having on the ground. Perhaps find paper plates with flowers on them, or break out the nice glasses and silverware (if you can manage to keep them safe). Be creative, keep it simple, and have fun!

Step 5: Enjoy!
By this point, everything should be ready to go. Hopefully these tips were helpful for you and that you will have a beautiful autumn picnic while the season and nice weather lasts!

Question for the Reader: Do you enjoy picnics?

"Jesus said to them, 'Bring some of the fish you have just caught.' So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast.' None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish." --John 21:9-13

Halloween/Reformation Day

Happy Halloween everyone!

Or for those of you who celebrate it, happy Reformation Day to you as well!

I know it's not quite Halloween yet, but I thought I'd send my best wishes to you early, since it's unlikely that I'll be blogging tomorrow due to a busy schedule.

I hope you all stay safe and enjoy the day that the Lord has made, whether it's dressing up in a costume, eating candy, carving pumpkins, giving gifts to others, or doing the same-old same-old Thursday night routine, remembering God's presence and love.

For those of you in need of a good tune for the day, I would recommend the youtube link below. It is Mendelssohn's 5th Symphony, otherwise known as "The Reformation" Symphony. Mendelssohn based it off of Martin Luther's hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." It is one of my favorites, especially during this time of year. (Note: If you don't have time to listen to the entire thing, the 4th movement is my favorite part.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTdZTSqpwyg

God bless you all on this coming Halloween/Reformation Day! :)

Question for the Reader: What's your favorite way to celebrate October 31st?

"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." --Romans 12:9

September Resolutions: Keep It Simple

We all know that according to the calendar of the United States, September is the month in which fall begins: the season of change.

Change has been the roaring theme of my life recently, and I'd like my resolutions for this month to reflect that. I don't want to be a person who is constantly freaking out about things that don't truly matter. Instead, I'd like to bring all of my focus to what matters the most: love. Loving God, and loving my neighbors as much as I love myself (which of course implies that I have some self-love and respect). 
So please do not be surprised that my resolutions have been cut down to the size of a fingernail in comparison to the norm. My goal is to simplify my life to a point where God has plenty of room to work. :)

1. Adapt to changes, even when they're uncomfortable.
2. Keep things as simple as possible--don't add, reduce.
3. Maintain self-respect...without pride or vanity.
4. Love Thy Neighbor: be merciful, kind, respectful, and generous to everyone around you, as well as obedient to your leaders.
5. Love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

These 5 resolutions are not only my resolutions for this month, but 5 things that I intend to grow in myself as I live the rest of my life in Christ.

Not only do I want myself to grow in these areas, but I hope that you may find them helpful in your own life as well.

Here's to the season of change!

Question for the Reader: What season of life do you find yourself in?

"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king's matter." --Daniel 2:20b-23

The 30 Day Blog Challenge, Day 10: Storytime!

This is a children's story I came up with. Even though the first day of fall isn't until September 22, I felt inspired by the beginning of the school year to write a short story about autumn. I hope you enjoy it.

Prompt: Tell a story.

Alice was quite little, but not little enough to fit under a microscope. Just little enough to where she was the size of a big sunflower petal. As a matter of fact, that's where she grew up: in a sunflower. One day, however, it was high time for her to leave the house, or in this case, the sunflower, and blow away to find a new life for herself. 

So that's what she did. When all the petals blew away, that's when she blew away to a far away land, called Winterville. Now, Winterville was a very cold, white & blue place where flowers never grew, but instead, only icicles and snowflakes were the closest to a flower that anyone could find!

This was very unsettling to poor little Alice where so many big and cold things were surrounding her, when she was so used to sunshine, clear skies, and everything bright. 

Alice asked the mayor of Winterville what happened. He said, "It was a great and powerful spell that fell upon the land. This used to be a place called Springville, but when everything fell cold and white, we changed the name because it was no longer spring." 

Alice didn't know what to do! She simply had to break the spell. Because she was so sad at what had happened, she went to a nearby tree to rest and weep. All of a sudden, when a small tear ran down her cheek and fell to the ground, a tree grew! It had so many gorgeous and vibrant colors on its leaves that she ran around with her special water from her sunflower house and planted all sorts of these trees. 

And that, friends, is how autumn came to be: all because of a little sunflower girl named Alice.

The End.

Question for the Reader: What is your favorite childhood story?

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew, a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace." --Ecclesiastes 3:1-8