All Things Hold Together

"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." 

Colossians 1:17

What does that mean to you?

It may seem pretty straight forward, but do we fully comprehend all that is being said in that tiny sentence?

                I consider myself pretty privileged to live in  a country where I have the opportunity to study at a Christian university. To have a place where you can openly talk about God, start every class with a word or prayer, have chapel once a week, have access to spiritual advisors/counsellors, etc. - I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem like a typical North American university to me! We are truly blessed.Anyway...I'm getting a little off course. This verse, Colossians 1:17 is our theme verse for this academic year. And what a fitting one at that!

          
                 I have heard this verse since I was a young little tot, and never before have I really comprehended it's meaning, especially those last seven words - "and in him all things hold together." Did you catch that? ALL THINGS! Really? This doesn't just include our families, our marriage, our relationships, our jobs, our finances, our ____________ (you fill in the blank)....it also includes the stress, the madness, the confusion and the chaos of everyday life. I don't know about you, but I would gladly give that to a God that promises me that he will hold it all together.

                 So why do we worry so much? Well partially I think it's just human nature to worry, and partially I just don't think we've grasped the Supremacy that God has. God has told us time and time again that he will hold onto us; he is the glue that keeps us in tact. His reign is so supreme, that we shouldn't have to worry about any of that stuff.

Are you thinking a little bit differently about this verse?

Yeah, me too.

Crazy Cat Lady Cliche

Hey Friends,

             I'm sure we've all heard of single women and the crazy cat lady stereotype, right? Yeah, well this morning I was listening to the radio and they mentioned a story about a woman that possessed the largest cat memorabilia in the world. In most cases this wouldn't have fazed me....but they kept cracking jokes about her probably being single. Bullseye.

              Does this bother you? Or am I just being overly sensitive? Normally I think the Crazy Cat Lady thing to be hilarious, but for some reason it just rubbed me the wrong way today.

              Anyway...when I got home today I started looking up this idea on our good friend Google and these little gems showed up (strangely enough, even though I was slightly off putted by the story I heard this morning, these pictures still made me howl):

{Source}

{Source}

{Source}

And last, but certainly not least....

I'm sure most of us have seen this unfortunate video. In a sad way I feel sorry for poor Debbie. Sadly, people will remember this about her. Poor Debbie. Best of luck to you in your attempt to find love.

Hope these gave you a chuckle.

 

The "F" Word

         Just in case you're wondering, the "F" word I am referring to is "Failure" (but I got your attention, didn't I?) - I thought I would clear that up before going any further.

[source]

           As most of you know (and if you didn't, I'm telling you now), I am in school going through to get my bachelor's degree in education. And today, marks 1 week until I am in an ACTUAL classroom, with ACTUAL students, with them ACTUALLY expecting me to teach them something. Yikes - talk about pressure! This makes me incredibly nervous (scared, emotional, frightened, etc. etc.). And it's not like I should be nervous at all. I mean, I have tons of experience working with kids (oodles and oodles!). But every time I think about it, this little poisonous idea of failure seeps into my mind. What if I don't know what to do? What if I can't speak in front of them? What if I can't handle a classroom? What if I'm not creative enough? What if, what if, what if....

           This causes me much anxiety and a little bit of an identity crisis. You see, as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a teacher. Always! I worked hard in school, got good grades, volunteered in the field, made connections, and completed 3 years of university...all in hopes of coming out with this diploma.

           The thought of failure is poisonous. It's a moment of doubt, which causes you to question everything. We all have these ideal "timelines" that we have for our lives. Graduated by 21. Dream job at 23. Married by 25. Kids by 27.

But what if our life doesn't go according to "plan"?
Did we fail?

            If I don't get married by 27, did I fail? What if I don't get married at all? If you don't have kids by the time you thought you would have had some, who are you really letting down? We set these horrid, impossible standards for ourselves. We don't know what our future is going to bring, but we do know who controls our future. God. He's got everything in control. We just have to sit back, and let him lead us.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lead not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall make direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Did you get that? Lean not on your OWN understanding!! 
Jesus says "I've got the plan. My timeline for your life is perfect. Trust me!"

--------------------------------------------------------------

             With that being said, I still have anxiety about next week, but I am trying my best to give it up to the Lord. "Cast all your cares upon him, for he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7)

Do you have a fear of failure? (Please tell me I'm not the only one!!!)