I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen, not only because I see it but by it I see eveything else. C.S. Lewis
Our 6th Annual Vision Benefit is on Thursday, and it definitely is the majority of what my little mind can comprehend right now. It is so exciting. CCCOC is such an amazing agency. I have enjoyed watching God work in and through CCCOC for years, especially these last 2 that I have worked there. I mean, it's a great example of watching your Father at work and joining Him where He is already working. We provided $91,959 of unreimbursed services last year to clients using the sliding fee scale program. When you combine that with the recent grade of a "low" F that Illinois received in serving mental health needs, it's easy to see a place where God is at work, healing His children. It's so neat to be a small part of this. In the planning of this fundraiser, I feel like God has done so much. It is awe-inspiring to see what He has done to get us ready for Thursday. (And our staff has been so faithful as well!)
We really need this fundraiser. We really need people to join with us to be able to accomplish what we've already started (and more). We really need to bring in sponsors to cover these unreimbursed services as we continue to see more and more people in need of therapy who cannot afford it otherwise.
I know that our Heavenly Father knows our needs, don't get me wrong. I mean, our needs come directly from the work we are joining Him in. I know that CCCOC strives to let God be in charge at all times. So, with that in mind, I will close with one of my favorite verses that seems to be appropriate...
" Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Eph. 3:20-21)
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Special Moments
One of the happiest moments that I can remember surround one momentous occasion--the birth of my baby brother. I still remember so much of it so vividly. I had wanted a sibling for so long. I could barely believe it was happening. I don't even have to close my eyes to feel like I'm back in that waiting room, brushing the bright pink hair of my poochie doll, as Dad comes down the hall of the hospital, with a towel aptly tied around his waist to hide the split in his blue hospital pants. So many people wanted to fight to see the little bundle of joy that Dad was showing off. Not wanting to participate in the fight, I sat brushing, anxiously awaiting my turn. But Dad insisted that it was everyone else who needed to wait because the big sister got first peek. And there he was, Travis Nathan Truesdale...20 years ago today.
I didn't think I could be prouder, looking at such an amazing miracle. What could be more special than the birth of a little brother? But now, looking back, that really was only the beginning. There are countless other moments since that one. I am so proud of my "not so little" brother now for so many reasons. Travis is such a success and has really grown to be quite a special man. It's so neat to be able to say I not only "look up" to my little brother, but I respect and admire him, too!
He's been grown up for quite some time now, but today, he's officially not a teenager anymore. What a momentous occasion! So, although that was just the beginning, today I celebrate the beginning as I say, "Happy birthday, Travis! Way to go!"
I didn't think I could be prouder, looking at such an amazing miracle. What could be more special than the birth of a little brother? But now, looking back, that really was only the beginning. There are countless other moments since that one. I am so proud of my "not so little" brother now for so many reasons. Travis is such a success and has really grown to be quite a special man. It's so neat to be able to say I not only "look up" to my little brother, but I respect and admire him, too!
He's been grown up for quite some time now, but today, he's officially not a teenager anymore. What a momentous occasion! So, although that was just the beginning, today I celebrate the beginning as I say, "Happy birthday, Travis! Way to go!"
Found While "Packing"
I don't want to over-do the quotes, but I found the following quote from a field trip I took with the Cornerstone Academy kids to the Holocaust Museum downtown (Chicago). It seemed so appropriate after my earlier entry. It is from an inscription on the walls of a cellar in Cologne, Germany where Jews hid from the Nazis.
"I believe in the sun even when it is not shining.
I believe in love even when feeling is not.
I believe in God even when He is silent."
My struggles seem trivial compared to those who wrote and read those words day after day. If they could write them while going through their journey, I definitely find comfort in reading them. I hope you can find your peace as well.
"I believe in the sun even when it is not shining.
I believe in love even when feeling is not.
I believe in God even when He is silent."
My struggles seem trivial compared to those who wrote and read those words day after day. If they could write them while going through their journey, I definitely find comfort in reading them. I hope you can find your peace as well.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Quotes
Okay, so I'm not a big Grey's Anatomy fan, but these two quotes are very dear to my heart, so here goes. (Meredith said them both.)
"A couple of hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. Never leave that till tomorrow, he said, which you can do today. This is the man who discovered electricity. You think more people would listen to what he had to say. I don't know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I'd have to say it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you're wrong? What if you're making a mistake you can't undo? The early bird catches the worm. A stitch in time saves nine. He who hesitates is lost. We can't pretend we hadn't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore. Until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin really meant. That knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beat the hell out of never trying."
"Sometimes reality has a way of sneaking up and biting us in the ass. And when the dam bursts, all you can do is swim. The world of pretend is a cage, not a cocoon. We can only lie to ourselves for so long. We are tired, we are scared, denying it doesn't change the truth. Sooner or later we have to put aside our denial and face the world. Head on, guns blazing. De Nile. It's not just a river in Egypt, it's a freakin' ocean. So how do you keep from drowning in it?"
"A couple of hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. Never leave that till tomorrow, he said, which you can do today. This is the man who discovered electricity. You think more people would listen to what he had to say. I don't know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I'd have to say it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you're wrong? What if you're making a mistake you can't undo? The early bird catches the worm. A stitch in time saves nine. He who hesitates is lost. We can't pretend we hadn't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore. Until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin really meant. That knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beat the hell out of never trying."
"Sometimes reality has a way of sneaking up and biting us in the ass. And when the dam bursts, all you can do is swim. The world of pretend is a cage, not a cocoon. We can only lie to ourselves for so long. We are tired, we are scared, denying it doesn't change the truth. Sooner or later we have to put aside our denial and face the world. Head on, guns blazing. De Nile. It's not just a river in Egypt, it's a freakin' ocean. So how do you keep from drowning in it?"
I'm scared of the dark....night of the soul!
Some nights are darker than others...have you ever noticed that? There are so many variables; obviously a big one is where you are at, but also the atmosphere and the weather play a big part too and can discourage you and make it hard to find your way. I guess the same is true in life. I think all of us experience different dark nights of the soul, some are darker than others. A lot of it depends on where you are, spiritually. But the atmosphere and the weather play a huge part. When you have great support around you and hold on to your instructions (the Word of God), they can help you remember where you are and help you stay focused on what you need to.
I've always wanted to be able to say I'm not scared of the dark, but there are times I realize that it's not always true. I remember being in an unfamiliar field. We were far from the city, so there were no lights. It was so dark. I could hear animals near me, but I had no idea of anything going on around me. The ideas of what could happen to me without warning were numerous until I had only one thought: I NEED LIGHT. I could turn on the high-powered flashlight, so I was lucky. In a dark night of the soul, sometimes I feel the same way. I just need light, The Light. I know He hasn't changed, but it's just so dark, and I can't just "turn on the light." I had read that it's about trust. The Light is there. You just can't see it. But when you need Light, what you WANT is to SEE the light. Learning to trust that The Light is still there, still guiding you when you can't see on your own can be scary. Now, what if it started raining, even to the point of being muddy and slippery. The weather you're going through can feel unbearable, and even leave you dirty and bruised. But The Light is still there....hold to that truth and Keep an eye on your support and instructions until daybreak. Don't give up and don't trust just anybody. He's still in control. He will take care of you, even when you can't see it.
Okay, so basically, I am learning by leaps and bounds about my time here in Chicago. It has been by far the darkest I've known in my life. God has been so faithful, even when I haven't been. There have been some really hard times, times when I was just scared, beat up and torn apart at the seams, but looking back, I am thankful for even those darkest moments. They are all a part of me. Many times, I thought I was "stuck on survive," wondering if I would make it through. It's not that things are easy (by NO means), but I can at least see the Light now...and can see that it was there the whole time. So if you're going through dark times, I urge you to live knowing the Light is still there, knowing you will see it again, someday. This world isn't our home anyways, all we have to do IS survive this world (living our lives in the Light-even if we can't see it) then we go home to the perfection of our Daddy.
I pray that each of you feel the comfort of your Father's arms, but when you don't, I pray that you will be given the strength to know He's still holding you.
I've always wanted to be able to say I'm not scared of the dark, but there are times I realize that it's not always true. I remember being in an unfamiliar field. We were far from the city, so there were no lights. It was so dark. I could hear animals near me, but I had no idea of anything going on around me. The ideas of what could happen to me without warning were numerous until I had only one thought: I NEED LIGHT. I could turn on the high-powered flashlight, so I was lucky. In a dark night of the soul, sometimes I feel the same way. I just need light, The Light. I know He hasn't changed, but it's just so dark, and I can't just "turn on the light." I had read that it's about trust. The Light is there. You just can't see it. But when you need Light, what you WANT is to SEE the light. Learning to trust that The Light is still there, still guiding you when you can't see on your own can be scary. Now, what if it started raining, even to the point of being muddy and slippery. The weather you're going through can feel unbearable, and even leave you dirty and bruised. But The Light is still there....hold to that truth and Keep an eye on your support and instructions until daybreak. Don't give up and don't trust just anybody. He's still in control. He will take care of you, even when you can't see it.
Okay, so basically, I am learning by leaps and bounds about my time here in Chicago. It has been by far the darkest I've known in my life. God has been so faithful, even when I haven't been. There have been some really hard times, times when I was just scared, beat up and torn apart at the seams, but looking back, I am thankful for even those darkest moments. They are all a part of me. Many times, I thought I was "stuck on survive," wondering if I would make it through. It's not that things are easy (by NO means), but I can at least see the Light now...and can see that it was there the whole time. So if you're going through dark times, I urge you to live knowing the Light is still there, knowing you will see it again, someday. This world isn't our home anyways, all we have to do IS survive this world (living our lives in the Light-even if we can't see it) then we go home to the perfection of our Daddy.
I pray that each of you feel the comfort of your Father's arms, but when you don't, I pray that you will be given the strength to know He's still holding you.
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The Beginning
This is definitely not the beginning of my journey (duh!), but this is the beginning of my blog. With all of the (MAJOR) changes in my life, I realized the need and desire to work (uh, blog) through it all. Some of these things will have already happened, some are happening as I type. Some of my posts will be very abstract, some very concrete. Some will be very full of joy, some will seem dark and possibly awkward. All of the posts are parts of my journey that are very real to me at that time. There will be a couple posted today just to catch up. :o)
I'm finding that with this transition, many loose ends that have been literally hanging around are tying up. So much is happening at what "seems" to be so fast. I don't want to lose any of these moments. I can already see how some of them are shaping me. (I have this odd feeling that the rest ARE shaping me and this blog may help.) I'm trying not to write this for anyone but myself, but feel free to take part in my journey with me (or watch from the sidelines).
Take care!
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