8. we don't have to be craft thieves because He gave us each our own

When I was planning my wedding, I became obsessed with etsy.com. I mean literally, I checked like how I envision people checking the stock markets, or some people check their Facebook accounts. If you aren't well versed on all things etsy, let me give you the quick version: IT'S AMAZING! All kinds of handmade, and not handmade crafts. You can type in "hand made pallet shelf with mason jar" and you get this picture, with a link of someone who is willing to make this for you and ship it right to your doorstep:

Created and owned by Etsy shop: Rufcreate

Back in August, my obsession was at 100% and my dream was to be a featured seller on etsy, with some craft EVERYONE would want! But, the problem was... I didn't have a craft. I thought about making frames, stamps, invitations, you name it. I got SUPER into flower arranging. I'd go down to the farmers market, pick out bunches of flowers and make my own arrangements. My house was filled with them, and I started daydreaming about being some flower arranging professionals intern. I had a plan: I could study with them in my spare time, gain experience and then eventually open up my own shop. Sadly, this dream came to a screeching halt when I realized I'd have to some day be a business owner. Economics almost killed me in my undergraduate studies, and there was no way I was going back to that.. EVER (sorry econ lovers). I still arrange flowers for around my house, but because I like it, not because I feel the need to be America's (or the worlds) next best flower arranging extraordinaire in order to gain acceptance while I am shunning my actual talents and goals. 

My kitchen a few weeks back.  Arranging for fun!
R.I.P. to my precious peony that NEVER bloomed :(

Just to clarify, I think developing new talents can be great, beneficial. But what I am referring here is when we suffocate our real talents, dreams, goals in order to chase after some other "craft" that isn't really our passion at all. Maybe it's someone else's, and you've seen them have so much success, you covet it, and decide to get really good at it. I've done that before. "They had so much success, and so many people like it--that's what I should be doing, why am I not good at that?" All the while, my poor little passions are weeping in some dark room somewhere getting crushed by the invasion of some new impostor dream.

Even more so than my crushed dream of flower arranging, I realized that I was trying so hard to run away from the things I am already good at, my God given talents. I was trying to replace them; create something new. I was trying to give away something tangible, that someone could hang on their wall or put on a shelf somewhere. But I figured out that the things I'm best at, I may never be able to sell on etsy. It reminds me of a quote by Bob Goff that I heard at the NYWC. He said, "Stop doing stuff you're able to do and do the stuff you were made to do." 

I am able to wrap lace around a mason jar and sell it for $10. 
I am also able to hot glue buttons on frames and maybe those will sell for a little bit more. 
I learned that I am able to arrange flowers, even without being a professional.
But I was made to spend my life investing in people with love, leadership, encouragement and compassion. 

I still love crafting, don't get me wrong. But it's an "able to do" thing for me. Now, you might find a way to make that something you were made to do, and that is fine. Plenty of people are made to create beautiful crafts and touch the lives of others by sending their precious pieces of art around the world (I'm just not that good). The point is: stop stealing other peoples crafts. Develop your own. Find what you were made to do. Find your passion. Find what will change this world one person at a time. If you just spend your life getting good stuff that you don't think matters... you will have wasted your life. 

Finally, one of my favorite Bob Goff quotes from his book, Love Does,"I used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I'm more afraid of succeeding at things that don't matter."

Just do stuff that matters.

7. the earth could have been a giant desert

This is a picture from somewhere between Big Bear and Orange County, CA. Probably closer to Big Bear with a view like that. Being in Big Bear made me think many profound things, but one smacked me on the head like a ton of bricks...

God could have put us anywhere. 

Earth could have been a giant bubbling bowl of witch's brew. It could have been one island with one food and your thirst quenched by salt water. It could have been a giant desert. But it isn't. We live in this spectacular place filled with beauty and awe. I mean, when you look at this beautiful creation, how can you not believe in a Creator? I have some pregnant friends, and when I think about pregnancy, I wonder, "How can this not scream of a creator that is bigger than His creation?" (I mean just think about it)... 

We find this written in Romans 1:20, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

God could have put us anywhere, but He chose this beautiful place for us to reveal Himself one scene at a time. Take that in. Breathe in the fresh air knowing it was meant to woo you. Sit under a mature maple and be covered by the umbrella of His lovely creation. 
Be wooed and enveloped, that is precisely what He intended. 

Princess Madison and I conquering one giant rock at a time. 

Big Bear Lake, with lots of ducks that Madison
would really like to get acquainted with.

6. joy is simply a matter of remembering

This morning I woke up with a simple prayer, "God, please help me to experience joy today." One precious thing I have learned over the past year is that joy is not like happiness. You see, happiness can be thwarted, shaken, circumstantial. Let's say you walk into the Post Office and see that there is a line of at least 400 people, and oh.. ONE person working. GREAT! You're unhappy. Maybe that's just me. Anyways, circumstantial. But I want to tell you something important: Joy is not circumstantial like happiness. In fact, Paul tells us in Philippians 4: 11-13 we can have joy in all circumstances. (He uses the word "content.")

"... for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need."

I read that at first and thought, "Well Paul was in prison so maybe he was losing his mind because he actually thought that was possible." I know, bad on me. But it's honest. I thought, PAUL WAS CRAZY! 

But the truth is, Paul wasn't crazy. If we believe that The Bible is God's inspired word, as I do, then we must believe that this is an attainable truth. I know, the groans set in and we regurgitate from the core of our beings a pathetic little "hhhhhooow?" Don't worry, Paul has an answer for that too. If you're like me, you speed read through the text and find the answer as quickly as you can as if your heart will explode any second and you're looking for the magic words to prevent the inevitable catastrophe.

Read a little further, at whichever pace you so choose, and He says this: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

The answer to this contentment or joy: Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Just typing His name makes me feel better. 

I KNOW this truth. I've READ those verses. I have the answer to perfect joy pinned on the map as a place I've visited many times. I know where to find it. So why did I wake up this morning and ask for it again? Because we forget, don't we? My goodness, we are so forgetful! But no need to fear, all you have to do is whisper these words "God, please help me to experience Your joy today." That's what I did, and less than 10 minutes later, I saw this in my quiet time (from Jesus Calling, Sarah Young).

"Don't let your well-being depend on your circumstances. Instead, connect your joy to My precious promises. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go." 

Thank you Jesus for answered prayer. You are sweet to me.

Joy comes from the presence of God, which is always with us. We find that reminder in His promises. Want joy? Remember Jesus. Remember that He loves you, wants to know you, is always with you.

That's it. 

Remember that and go be joyful. Remember that He answers prayer. Remember that when you walk into a room Christ is already there.  

Remember. 

Hanging out with Jesus this morning. (Jesus Calling, Sarah Young).

"Heavenly Father, I pray for those that read this message. I pray that they be filled with your undeniable joy. I pray that they know you and will believe your promises. If your promises have not yet been revealed to them, I pray that you do so now. I pray that they will be still and know You are God. I pray in Jesus' precious name because there is no way to You except through Him. Thank you for being Big even though we are small. Amen."