So far, my book has been on Amazon Kindle for about 2 days. No sales yet. I have read about those breakthrough authors who made millions selling on Kindle. Well, as my book obviously states, they are the exceptions to a well known fact that most authors never get rich.
Good thing I have a back up plan for my career, right?
Yes, I am very excited to earn my Master's degree in Social Work. I hope to start Spring of 2014. When I realized that authors make very little money and I really don't want to teach English, I knew I had to find something else. It was then that I turned to my other passions in life. One of those passions is encouraging and serving others. What better way to do that then Social Work? I hope to one day work for a center that provides alternatives to abortions for women undergoing an unplanned pregnancy. Being pro-life is something I have always felt should be default for everyone. A baby starts developing as soon as conception occurs. I feel that people who find themselves pregnant with a child they were not prepared to have need to know that there are other ways to handle the situation other than abortion. Specifically, I would love to counsel women who decide to keep their babies and help them discover ways to get back on their feet and provide for themselves and their child.
Anyway, needless to say, I am feeling discouraged about my writing. Since I cannot make any money that way, will I just stop altogether? Is it worth keeping my art if it will not yield a profit? Decisions, decisions, I say. Hopefully, this book will sell something. I am just praying now that anyone who does happen to come across it and download it to their Kindle or i-Pad, etc., will take something away from it after reading. Soon, I will have a print version available. The proof was shipped out to me this morning. It will be for sale on Create Space's webpage (createspace.com) and Amazon.com.
Now, I am getting into the rut in my amazing summer that is called summer school. No, I did not fail a course. I chose to do summer school so that I could take less classes next semester to prepare for my wedding. However, I am dreading the work that summer school entails. I know it won't be extremely difficult, just time consuming. I would rather spend my days working and then coming home to relax. Also, I would like to spend my days off chilling at the pool working on my tan and hanging out with friends. I guess I am learning that balancing work and play is an art form and I need to practice.
One more thing: wedding planning is not easy! To any future brides and grooms out there: be warned. You will spend countless hours creating guest lists, worrying about how you will feed all your guests, staring at online pages adding stuff to a gift registry, and making sure your wedding party all wear the same thing...
My bridesmaids finally got their dresses. Of course I picked a dress that is about to be discontinued in a few days. This made it very stressful on my girls, especially the ones who could not pay for their dress up front. I apologize deeply for being such an inconvienent bride. :-P But, I have been blessed with people who will help me make invitations, decorations, and keep me fron losing my mind.
A mind is a terrible thing to lose. Especially for me. :-P
Here is a link to my book on Kindle. Take a peek if you have an e-Reader. If you don't, stay up on my blog because I'll post a link to the print version.
Peace out,
Julia
Exceptions:
A Novel by Julia Hall
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
I love Blogging...
Mondays are a GREAT day to blog!
Just Sayin'
Anyway, I am kicking myself for not taking the time this weekend to work on my novel! I have another blog that has most of the chapters I have completed thus far. I need to provide a link to that blog on this blog. It is a novel I call "Exceptions". It is about an FBI psychologist who loses her brother and reconnects with her father, who has been separated from the family for years. She also learns to reconnect with her spirituality in the process. I am so excited to have it finished. My goal is to get it finished this summer and self-publish it on the Amazon Kindle website. If you have a Kindle, iPod, iPhone, iPad, or Kindle app for Windows you can read it that way. If you don't have those, you can access the book through my blog.
Here is the Link to my Blog: Exceptions: A Novel by Julia Hall
Anyhoo, I am coming to terms with the fact that I probably need a second job. Things are getting more expensive. I have already spent almost $100 dollars in gas this month and I barely drive 150 miles per week!! This time last year I could drive that much for like 60 or 70 dollars a month. It's crazy! Also, I started paying this month on Chris's wedding band and I have been paying my medical bills each month, too. It's ridiculous. I am hoping that everything will go well as far as my job situation. If I can get a job that offers good health benefits, I may be able to afford some allergy shots and that will greatly improve my asthma and allergic reactions to dust.
On another note, I decided this month not to go into Education. I feel the Lord leading me in a different direction. I plan to continue on in my English bachelor's degree and minor in Criminology. After I graduate, I plan to apply to the Master's of Social Work program at Kennesaw. If I am to do this, I definitely need a job with more flexible hours because the Master's of Social Work will require an internship that will be a couple of days a week. Getting a job that has day, evening, and weekend hours will be best.
I am praying that the Lord will give me the strength to get on with my life even if I feel it is not always fair. I have been asking a lot of God lately and I am not sure that He always answers in the way I expect. I have heard stories of people who needed to adopt children from China or go on missions trips to faraway countries who were short thousands of dollars and miraculously received checks in their mailbox days before the money was due. This has never happened to me. I have raised a lot of money in one day when I went to Paraguay a couple years ago, but I have never received random checks in the mail. I need money, I but I feel that God has called me to keep working faithfully and be the best worker I can. Also, if I am the best student I can be, I have a feeling He will reward me. I will be able to pay my student loans, medical bills, tuition bills, and other bills off no problem if I just keep working hard. Luckily for me, I am taking just two classes online this summer and three classes in the fall. That way I will have lots of time to work. Hopefully I will be able to be wise with my money, afford what is still needed for my wedding, and help Chris and I get off to a good financial start in our new life together.
Thanks again for reading! I appreciate all my readers very much :)
Love,
Julia
Just Sayin'
Anyway, I am kicking myself for not taking the time this weekend to work on my novel! I have another blog that has most of the chapters I have completed thus far. I need to provide a link to that blog on this blog. It is a novel I call "Exceptions". It is about an FBI psychologist who loses her brother and reconnects with her father, who has been separated from the family for years. She also learns to reconnect with her spirituality in the process. I am so excited to have it finished. My goal is to get it finished this summer and self-publish it on the Amazon Kindle website. If you have a Kindle, iPod, iPhone, iPad, or Kindle app for Windows you can read it that way. If you don't have those, you can access the book through my blog.
Here is the Link to my Blog: Exceptions: A Novel by Julia Hall
Anyhoo, I am coming to terms with the fact that I probably need a second job. Things are getting more expensive. I have already spent almost $100 dollars in gas this month and I barely drive 150 miles per week!! This time last year I could drive that much for like 60 or 70 dollars a month. It's crazy! Also, I started paying this month on Chris's wedding band and I have been paying my medical bills each month, too. It's ridiculous. I am hoping that everything will go well as far as my job situation. If I can get a job that offers good health benefits, I may be able to afford some allergy shots and that will greatly improve my asthma and allergic reactions to dust.
On another note, I decided this month not to go into Education. I feel the Lord leading me in a different direction. I plan to continue on in my English bachelor's degree and minor in Criminology. After I graduate, I plan to apply to the Master's of Social Work program at Kennesaw. If I am to do this, I definitely need a job with more flexible hours because the Master's of Social Work will require an internship that will be a couple of days a week. Getting a job that has day, evening, and weekend hours will be best.
I am praying that the Lord will give me the strength to get on with my life even if I feel it is not always fair. I have been asking a lot of God lately and I am not sure that He always answers in the way I expect. I have heard stories of people who needed to adopt children from China or go on missions trips to faraway countries who were short thousands of dollars and miraculously received checks in their mailbox days before the money was due. This has never happened to me. I have raised a lot of money in one day when I went to Paraguay a couple years ago, but I have never received random checks in the mail. I need money, I but I feel that God has called me to keep working faithfully and be the best worker I can. Also, if I am the best student I can be, I have a feeling He will reward me. I will be able to pay my student loans, medical bills, tuition bills, and other bills off no problem if I just keep working hard. Luckily for me, I am taking just two classes online this summer and three classes in the fall. That way I will have lots of time to work. Hopefully I will be able to be wise with my money, afford what is still needed for my wedding, and help Chris and I get off to a good financial start in our new life together.
Thanks again for reading! I appreciate all my readers very much :)
Love,
Julia
Monday, May 16, 2011
The End of the World as We Know it!
On this dreary Monday morning, I pose a question to all my loyal readers:
Is 6:00 PM local time, Saturday May 21st, 2011 the end of the world?
I do not know. I really don't want to know. All I know is that Jesus says in Matthew 25
“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids[a] who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’
7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’
9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’
12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’
13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return."
It would appear to me that Mr. Harold Camping, the man who predicted 6 Pm on May 21st, has just tried to predict the day and the hour. Jesus Himself said that we will not know. Also, Mr. Camping first predicted the coming of Christ on September 6th, 1994. Obviously, that did not happen. Since then, he attributed the mistake to a mathematical error in his calculation of the timeline of Biblical History. You see, he believes that the flood began exactly 4990 BC. Mr. Camping also thinks that the Lord means 1,000 years when he talks about days because of a verse in 2 Peter 3:8:
8But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
So, this preacher determined that God would take "seven days", or seven thousand years, between the beginning of the flood of Noah and now to destroy the earth. His formula looks like this:
4990 BC + 2011 - 1 = 7000
The minus one came from the fact that the calender does not have a 0 BC. It just went straight into 1 AD. So, in other words, this man has decided that the Lord encrypted the Bible with a mathematical formula to predict the rapture. Camping also believes that according to Revelation 9: 5
5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
...that people who are not raptured this Saturday will be tortured for exactly five months until October 21st when God will judge everyone according to their actions and the earth will be destroyed.
So do you think this man is a false prophet? Personally, I do. I am not too worried about whether he really is right, though, because I believe in the Lord and I know that He has saved me. However, something to consider is this verse in Deuteronomy 18:
21 “But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’ 22 If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.
In other words, Mr. Camping was wrong once already. By the standards God gave Moses in the Old Testament, Mr. Camping did not truly hear from the Lord on that one. My opinion is that this is no different. However, should the world really end on May 21st or June 22nd or September 13th (just making up random days here to get my point across), don't be afraid. Follow Jesus's advice in Matthew 25. Don't be the bridesmaids who were not prepared for the groom's return. Be ready! But don't be worrying too much about when Jesus is coming back. Do your best to follow his commands and learn to be more like Him each day on this earth. Smile at someone, let them know God cares for them, invite them to church or Bible study, but don't abandon your daily life as though it will all be gone on Saturday. Just enjoy the life the Lord has given you on this earth and be ready and waiting for the day he comes to take you home, whenever it may be!
Hope that gives you a little peace if you were concerned about Saturday. For now, just worry about today. God says to think about today because tomorrow (and saturday!) will worry about themselves.
Peace out!
Julia
Is 6:00 PM local time, Saturday May 21st, 2011 the end of the world?
I do not know. I really don't want to know. All I know is that Jesus says in Matthew 25
“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids[a] who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’
7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’
9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’
12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’
13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return."
It would appear to me that Mr. Harold Camping, the man who predicted 6 Pm on May 21st, has just tried to predict the day and the hour. Jesus Himself said that we will not know. Also, Mr. Camping first predicted the coming of Christ on September 6th, 1994. Obviously, that did not happen. Since then, he attributed the mistake to a mathematical error in his calculation of the timeline of Biblical History. You see, he believes that the flood began exactly 4990 BC. Mr. Camping also thinks that the Lord means 1,000 years when he talks about days because of a verse in 2 Peter 3:8:
8But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
So, this preacher determined that God would take "seven days", or seven thousand years, between the beginning of the flood of Noah and now to destroy the earth. His formula looks like this:
4990 BC + 2011 - 1 = 7000
The minus one came from the fact that the calender does not have a 0 BC. It just went straight into 1 AD. So, in other words, this man has decided that the Lord encrypted the Bible with a mathematical formula to predict the rapture. Camping also believes that according to Revelation 9: 5
5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
...that people who are not raptured this Saturday will be tortured for exactly five months until October 21st when God will judge everyone according to their actions and the earth will be destroyed.
So do you think this man is a false prophet? Personally, I do. I am not too worried about whether he really is right, though, because I believe in the Lord and I know that He has saved me. However, something to consider is this verse in Deuteronomy 18:
21 “But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’ 22 If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.
In other words, Mr. Camping was wrong once already. By the standards God gave Moses in the Old Testament, Mr. Camping did not truly hear from the Lord on that one. My opinion is that this is no different. However, should the world really end on May 21st or June 22nd or September 13th (just making up random days here to get my point across), don't be afraid. Follow Jesus's advice in Matthew 25. Don't be the bridesmaids who were not prepared for the groom's return. Be ready! But don't be worrying too much about when Jesus is coming back. Do your best to follow his commands and learn to be more like Him each day on this earth. Smile at someone, let them know God cares for them, invite them to church or Bible study, but don't abandon your daily life as though it will all be gone on Saturday. Just enjoy the life the Lord has given you on this earth and be ready and waiting for the day he comes to take you home, whenever it may be!
Hope that gives you a little peace if you were concerned about Saturday. For now, just worry about today. God says to think about today because tomorrow (and saturday!) will worry about themselves.
Peace out!
Julia
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Can you spell R-E-A-D?
Have you ever known someone with dyslexia? Have you ever made fun of someone with dyslexia? Are you someone who either has dyslexia or has severe difficulties reading and writing? Then this post is for you.
My gran (my maternal grandmother) told me when I was younger never to make fun of people who do something worse than I do. For example, I have always been really good at writing and reading. It's my passion and my gifting. My gran, however, had problems with reading and writing when she was young. She would tell me stories of how she would go up to the board to spell things in school and get made fun of because she could not spell. This always made me so sad. I could not imagine what life would be like if you could not spell or always spelled things backwards, etc.
Then I met my fiance. He is incredibly smart. However, he gets teased a lot about his spelling. Every time I would see another Facebook posting of his where people were teasing him about his spelling, it made me a little sad inside. People sometimes don't realize how hard he works at english and writing papers. I have been helping him with his papers pretty much ever since we've been together. He has improved tremendously. Also, just because he has problems with spelling, it does not mean he is not good at anything. He is amazing with technology and mechanical things. He builds computers, soups up his airsoft guns, installs stuff in his car all by himself, and even created a prototype of an electrolysis thingy (see what I know about electrical engineering!). He's brilliant. However, it can be hard for some people to understand that if they only focus on his issues with spelling.
This brings me to the point I want to make. I believe God has called me to help children learn to read and write. Too many kids sit in crowded classrooms and struggle because they don't get the attention they need. I would love to specialize in individualized curriculum for kids who have either dyslexia or who have a hard time with spelling and reading comphrehension. However, I am really scared that I will not have the funds to survive what it takes to become certified as a teacher. I am already an English major with almost two years of coursework under my belt. Now, I will have to tack on another load of courses leading to certification. This scares me. it costs money to do that and the internships are unpaid. It seems impossible for me to handle. especially with getting married and needing to help bring in money. I feel like I can't just do a free internship and not make any money on the side while my husband to be has to work like crazy to keep the finances rolling in.
Friends, I need prayer for direction and faith that the Lord will provide if He really wants me to be a teacher. I teach preschool on sundays at my church and I love it. However, "real" teaching is a lot different. In public schools, I would not really get the chance to talk about God as much, if at all. Also, I may encounter children with behavior or attention problems. It kind of scares me. Also, becoming a "real" teacher would require me to do more school and be in school longer since I am already halfway done after this summer with my English degree. I am not sure what I should do.
All I know is that I want to help others not see reading, writing, and spelling as subjects that are extremely difficult. Language is important to all of us and I don't want anyone to be demeaned because they struggle with language arts. People that I know and love have experienced the frustration that these subjects can bring when they don't get the help they need. Hopefully, I will be able to help others learn that spelling, reading, and writing are not things to be afraid of.
Peace out!
Julia
My gran (my maternal grandmother) told me when I was younger never to make fun of people who do something worse than I do. For example, I have always been really good at writing and reading. It's my passion and my gifting. My gran, however, had problems with reading and writing when she was young. She would tell me stories of how she would go up to the board to spell things in school and get made fun of because she could not spell. This always made me so sad. I could not imagine what life would be like if you could not spell or always spelled things backwards, etc.
Then I met my fiance. He is incredibly smart. However, he gets teased a lot about his spelling. Every time I would see another Facebook posting of his where people were teasing him about his spelling, it made me a little sad inside. People sometimes don't realize how hard he works at english and writing papers. I have been helping him with his papers pretty much ever since we've been together. He has improved tremendously. Also, just because he has problems with spelling, it does not mean he is not good at anything. He is amazing with technology and mechanical things. He builds computers, soups up his airsoft guns, installs stuff in his car all by himself, and even created a prototype of an electrolysis thingy (see what I know about electrical engineering!). He's brilliant. However, it can be hard for some people to understand that if they only focus on his issues with spelling.
This brings me to the point I want to make. I believe God has called me to help children learn to read and write. Too many kids sit in crowded classrooms and struggle because they don't get the attention they need. I would love to specialize in individualized curriculum for kids who have either dyslexia or who have a hard time with spelling and reading comphrehension. However, I am really scared that I will not have the funds to survive what it takes to become certified as a teacher. I am already an English major with almost two years of coursework under my belt. Now, I will have to tack on another load of courses leading to certification. This scares me. it costs money to do that and the internships are unpaid. It seems impossible for me to handle. especially with getting married and needing to help bring in money. I feel like I can't just do a free internship and not make any money on the side while my husband to be has to work like crazy to keep the finances rolling in.
Friends, I need prayer for direction and faith that the Lord will provide if He really wants me to be a teacher. I teach preschool on sundays at my church and I love it. However, "real" teaching is a lot different. In public schools, I would not really get the chance to talk about God as much, if at all. Also, I may encounter children with behavior or attention problems. It kind of scares me. Also, becoming a "real" teacher would require me to do more school and be in school longer since I am already halfway done after this summer with my English degree. I am not sure what I should do.
All I know is that I want to help others not see reading, writing, and spelling as subjects that are extremely difficult. Language is important to all of us and I don't want anyone to be demeaned because they struggle with language arts. People that I know and love have experienced the frustration that these subjects can bring when they don't get the help they need. Hopefully, I will be able to help others learn that spelling, reading, and writing are not things to be afraid of.
Peace out!
Julia
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Mediocrity
Oh glorious mediocrity
So bland and diffused
Your pleasant simplicity
Leaves me so confused
Why do I feel that I am
Talented and artistic?
Then life hits - with a slam
My dreams are not realistic
Mediocrity, killer of purpose
Discouraging the bright from shining
No one on earth deserves this
Plucking their wings for flying
No one wants to be average
Or hover around the mean
We all need a little leverage
To help ourselves be seen
We climb those corporate ladders
We compete in professional leagues
We demean ourselves with chatter
That helps us to believe
That maybe our lives aren't worthless
Or boring as school time lectures
Really we just mask the hurt of this
Life lacking depth and texture
If we took time to stop and think
That we are fine the way we are
Mediocrity would not dare to sink
The wishes we place upon a star
Don't succumb to the deceit
That wealth and fame employ
Don't let fear of the average defeat
The dreams that you enjoy
Your life is what you make it to be
You are the painter holding your brush
Don't shy away from mediocrity
Rather, just stand up and tell it to hush
Become who you dreamed of when you were small
Don't be afraid to stand apart
Because in the end, what prevails over all
Is the dream inside your heart
So bland and diffused
Your pleasant simplicity
Leaves me so confused
Why do I feel that I am
Talented and artistic?
Then life hits - with a slam
My dreams are not realistic
Mediocrity, killer of purpose
Discouraging the bright from shining
No one on earth deserves this
Plucking their wings for flying
No one wants to be average
Or hover around the mean
We all need a little leverage
To help ourselves be seen
We climb those corporate ladders
We compete in professional leagues
We demean ourselves with chatter
That helps us to believe
That maybe our lives aren't worthless
Or boring as school time lectures
Really we just mask the hurt of this
Life lacking depth and texture
If we took time to stop and think
That we are fine the way we are
Mediocrity would not dare to sink
The wishes we place upon a star
Don't succumb to the deceit
That wealth and fame employ
Don't let fear of the average defeat
The dreams that you enjoy
Your life is what you make it to be
You are the painter holding your brush
Don't shy away from mediocrity
Rather, just stand up and tell it to hush
Become who you dreamed of when you were small
Don't be afraid to stand apart
Because in the end, what prevails over all
Is the dream inside your heart
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
There is Life After Death
Death, you bring such great sorrow
Like the sting of rain on a cold day
Death, you take my will for tomorrow
And chase all my good dreams away
Where did all my loved ones go?
What happened to the times we shared?
I begged for them to stay, but no,
They were taken and I left, scared
Would I ever see my friends again?
How can I be sure where they are?
Maybe there's life beyond grave, I'll pretend
I'm not sure heaven is real so far
Then I heard the gentle crash
Of peace against the raging emotion
I had tried so hard to stash
In the depths of my depressed ocean
Can it be true that there is One
Who conquered the grave's nasty sting?
One who did what they said couldn't be done
And causes my soul to sing?
Hallelujah, Death, you don't scare me now
I no longer cower when you appear
When I die, I'll be safe and sound
With my Savior holding me near
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This poem explores the intense feeling a person may feel when they are not sure that they know Heaven is a real place and are completely overwhelmed and depressed by thoughts of death or wondering what happened to their loved ones. After reading poetry of Emily Dickinson in Lit class, I realized that her poems focused so much on death because she was trying to understand it and what would happen to her when I died. I wrote this from the perspective of someone like her who is searching for the truth and in the end finds God.
Like the sting of rain on a cold day
Death, you take my will for tomorrow
And chase all my good dreams away
Where did all my loved ones go?
What happened to the times we shared?
I begged for them to stay, but no,
They were taken and I left, scared
Would I ever see my friends again?
How can I be sure where they are?
Maybe there's life beyond grave, I'll pretend
I'm not sure heaven is real so far
Then I heard the gentle crash
Of peace against the raging emotion
I had tried so hard to stash
In the depths of my depressed ocean
Can it be true that there is One
Who conquered the grave's nasty sting?
One who did what they said couldn't be done
And causes my soul to sing?
Hallelujah, Death, you don't scare me now
I no longer cower when you appear
When I die, I'll be safe and sound
With my Savior holding me near
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This poem explores the intense feeling a person may feel when they are not sure that they know Heaven is a real place and are completely overwhelmed and depressed by thoughts of death or wondering what happened to their loved ones. After reading poetry of Emily Dickinson in Lit class, I realized that her poems focused so much on death because she was trying to understand it and what would happen to her when I died. I wrote this from the perspective of someone like her who is searching for the truth and in the end finds God.
Monday, April 25, 2011
There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
that can succeed against the LORD. Proverbs 21:30
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy Monday, everyone! I know nobody likes Mondays, but they seem to be good blogging days for me :-P
I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter celebrating the power and magnitude of what God has done for us! I hope each one of you experienced the new life that you have through the death and resurrection of Christ.
On another note, I would like you to take a moment to read the scripture verse at the beginning of the post. All right, so why did I put that verse there? Well, last night, my fiance and I were talking over budgets and finances with his parents. Planning a life together can be very difficult and it takes a lot of time. Everything looked good. Then came the scary question:
"What will you do if one of you loses a job?"
To be honest, we live in an economy where usually both the husband and wife have to work. I know many couples like that. Part of me wonders if they all had this scary of a question posed to them when they were working on finances. It can be easy at this time we live in to lose a job. People get laid off, companies shut down, contracts fall through, etc. However, I realized that a lot of what I have based my future plans on is rooted in conventional wisdom.
There is nothing wrong with conventional wisdom. However, a lot of people I have talked to say that Chris and I should just wait to get married until one of us has degree and a job with benefits, etc. Yes, that would be wise because we would not have to worry about money. However, the Lord has called us to something different. I always say, the Lord pays for what He orders. For example, my church will start paying staff members in May, the same month that finances start to go down because families go on vacation over summer, etc. Conventional wisdom would say that my pastor should wait to pay his staff until the school year starts back and families attend more regularly. However, my pastor knows that this is what the Lord wants him to do. And the Lord will pay for what He has ordered.
Here we get to the key point of the verse above. No wisdom, no amount of earthly money or earthly job security can stand against the Lord. Yes, we need to work hard and be good stewards of the finances the Lord has given. However, we should not be stingy and we should not cling to our money or our jobs with clenched fists. Why? Because when you are holding everything you have before God with clenched fists, He has to pry open your hands to receive the things in your life that should be turned over to Him. Everything in our lives belongs to Him and we should not hold it back. We should come before him with open hands. Be willing to say: "God, if I lose my job, I don't know what on earth I will do. But you can do things that surpass earthly wisdom, so let me hand this job over to You."
I may seem crazy. Why would I tell people not to worry about money or job security in an economy like this? Well, I am not the first person to tell you not to worry. Jesus Himself said "who, by worrying, can add a day to his life?". The Lord will provide for you, for me, for our family and friends, for our churches, and our country. I'm not perfect. I have anxiety problems for heaven's sake! But I have learned that I cannot add anything to my life by worrying. It only makes things more depressing.
Be open to throwing convention to the wind when God calls you to something that seems impossible. Remember, all things are possible with God and you can to ALL THINGS through CHRIST who STRENGTHENS you!
Happy Monday again!
God Bless,
Julia
that can succeed against the LORD. Proverbs 21:30
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy Monday, everyone! I know nobody likes Mondays, but they seem to be good blogging days for me :-P
I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter celebrating the power and magnitude of what God has done for us! I hope each one of you experienced the new life that you have through the death and resurrection of Christ.
On another note, I would like you to take a moment to read the scripture verse at the beginning of the post. All right, so why did I put that verse there? Well, last night, my fiance and I were talking over budgets and finances with his parents. Planning a life together can be very difficult and it takes a lot of time. Everything looked good. Then came the scary question:
"What will you do if one of you loses a job?"
To be honest, we live in an economy where usually both the husband and wife have to work. I know many couples like that. Part of me wonders if they all had this scary of a question posed to them when they were working on finances. It can be easy at this time we live in to lose a job. People get laid off, companies shut down, contracts fall through, etc. However, I realized that a lot of what I have based my future plans on is rooted in conventional wisdom.
There is nothing wrong with conventional wisdom. However, a lot of people I have talked to say that Chris and I should just wait to get married until one of us has degree and a job with benefits, etc. Yes, that would be wise because we would not have to worry about money. However, the Lord has called us to something different. I always say, the Lord pays for what He orders. For example, my church will start paying staff members in May, the same month that finances start to go down because families go on vacation over summer, etc. Conventional wisdom would say that my pastor should wait to pay his staff until the school year starts back and families attend more regularly. However, my pastor knows that this is what the Lord wants him to do. And the Lord will pay for what He has ordered.
Here we get to the key point of the verse above. No wisdom, no amount of earthly money or earthly job security can stand against the Lord. Yes, we need to work hard and be good stewards of the finances the Lord has given. However, we should not be stingy and we should not cling to our money or our jobs with clenched fists. Why? Because when you are holding everything you have before God with clenched fists, He has to pry open your hands to receive the things in your life that should be turned over to Him. Everything in our lives belongs to Him and we should not hold it back. We should come before him with open hands. Be willing to say: "God, if I lose my job, I don't know what on earth I will do. But you can do things that surpass earthly wisdom, so let me hand this job over to You."
I may seem crazy. Why would I tell people not to worry about money or job security in an economy like this? Well, I am not the first person to tell you not to worry. Jesus Himself said "who, by worrying, can add a day to his life?". The Lord will provide for you, for me, for our family and friends, for our churches, and our country. I'm not perfect. I have anxiety problems for heaven's sake! But I have learned that I cannot add anything to my life by worrying. It only makes things more depressing.
Be open to throwing convention to the wind when God calls you to something that seems impossible. Remember, all things are possible with God and you can to ALL THINGS through CHRIST who STRENGTHENS you!
Happy Monday again!
God Bless,
Julia
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