Hope

      It's easy to feel hopeful on a beautiful day like today, but there will be dark days ahead of us too.
There will be days where you feel all alone and that's when hope is needed most. No matter how bad it gets or how lost you feel, you must promise me that you will hold onto hope. Keep it alive! We have to be greater than what we suffer... My wish for you is to become hope. People need that. And even if we fall, what better way is there to live?
     This is part of Gwen's graduation speech in The Amazing Spider Man 2 (the new one). I think what Gwen says is true, we need to BE hope for others because they may be in a tough area of life and need encouragement. It is true there WILL be days we feel all alone and have no hope, but for me as a Christian, I know God is there for me no matter what the situation. This can encourage me and any of you other Christians out there to be hopeful and know you will be okay in the end of it all. Since we have our source of hope I think it is important to give hope to others by just being their friend. Hope can change everything, it can help us through some of our toughest situations, it can help us when it feels like all is going downhill. Hope is what this world needs, and we can make that happen by BEING HOPE.

-Julia-

Life Goes On

     I was listening to "Adventures in Odyssey" (yes I do still listen to that) and I heard Connie's mom mention that "Life goes on", and truthfully it does. Life does go on and we need to realize that horrible things happen to us but life will keep moving and no matter how bad the situation, life won't stop, it WILL keep going. No matter what happens you will be OKAY. We don't need to worry because GOD will take care of us and our problems. For example my dad's cancer was a horrible thing that came by surprise (since no one else in his side of the family had ever had cancer before) and the process of surgery and healing was a hard thing (we are still going through the healing process) but I need to know that all will be okay and that life isn't just going to pause for me and wait for me to be ready to start up life again, that's sadly just not how things work. I hope that you all have a good group of friends that can help and support you through the times when you just wish you could put life on pause. Life if the kind of thing where you have to be all in and I know it is hard through those times life seems to be going against you. Let me close this post just by giving you these few quotes...

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."
-J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

"There are moments when troubles enter our lives and we can do nothing to avoid them. But they are there for a reason. Only when we have overcome them will we understand why they were there."
-Paulo Coelho, The Fifth Mountain

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27

-Julia-

Fairytales

     Many people always mention how life isn't a fairy tale but if you think about it, it all depends on your perspective. Looking at a Christian's point of view (and from being a christian) I have realized my life IS a fairy tale. People may not understand that so instead of leaving it at that let me explain.

     Let's look at how an everyday fairy tale goes, in the beginning you start with a princess or a newborn baby. The beginning of my fairy tale would be when I became a Christian, around 6. Next comes the moment where the main character in the fairy tale (usually a princess or prince, in this case I am God's princess) reaches the situation in their life. I am in the middle on my situation, my relationship with God. At age 12 and 13 I realized how I was struggling with my relationship with God. I knew he was there and that he loved me but that was it, it didn't really impact my life and actions much (besides serving at church). I often have to remind myself that I have to work on the relationship with God and that I'm not just going to wake up one day and be super close to Him. But basically, I was struggling (which I can post about later if you'd like).

     In the middle of a fairy tale is usually the part where the prince or princess (or whoever the main character happens to be) begins to get a solution to their problem. My solution (to my relationship with God) is slowly coming. I feel as if I am getting closer to God more and more each day. I think it really helps me that I go to church every week (most of the time with Daniel Pyon or my mom who are both amazing). But I can tell it is going to be a while until the solution is complete... but that's okay, because I have the comfort of knowing it's coming. Now that the middle is over we know what comes next, the end.

     We all are familiar with the ending of fairy tales, happily ever afters. In the end of fairy tales the princess gets her prince (vice versa). My fairy tale ends a bit different though. In my fairy tale I'm the princess and my prince is God. My happily ever after is heaven. 

     Some people don't get this but they hopefully will one day. My happily ever after IS and WILL be heaven and I'm so excited for that day, but until then I will continue to grow my relationship with God and help to lead others to the truth, God and his love. For those of you who don't yet believe you can also have this happily ever after by asking God to be your Savior and to be in charge of your life.

Just so you all know I am going to try to post once a week but no promises, because it sometimes is SO hard to know the right words to say. But I hope you all like this post and that my words can encourage you throughout your life journey.

-Julia-