Things that I've learned/am learning as of recently

You think this blog title is better than the last three - sigh, meh, and well huh? Yeah me too!

I left the Ranch almost two months ago and I honestly thought it would be great! And it really hasn't been all bad. I just thought it was going to be an easy transition, no big deal. I have loved being able to go down to the beach and just be - it never gets old, even in the middle of winter and cold weather. I have loved having a free place to stay while I try to figure out what the Lord has for me. But as you know from earlier posts, you can tell that it hasn't been super great or fun either.

In the midst of the good and the hard there are some things that I've learned, re-learned, or I'm still learning and here they are:

God is good all the time! (Joshua 23:14)

God is faithful! (Deuteronomy 7:9, Deuteronomy 32:4)

He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11)

Dear, sweet, real friends are SO important and such a blessing! (Proverbs 18:24, Psalm 133:1-3)

Sometimes things are just hard and sometimes it's hard to remember that God's bigger than the hard. (John 16:33)

Having joy when things are hard, is hard, but worth it in the end. Still working on this. (James 1:2-4)

Allowing the Lord to fill you with joy is good for the soul. (Romans 15:13)

Allow the Lord to infuse peace into your life! This has been huge! (Colossians 3:15)

Be thankful! Choose to be thankful! I feel like joy, peace, and thankfulness go hand and hand. Be thankful for those near you, especially. Near you doesn't have to be near you in terms of location, but near to your heart as well. The people nearest to my heart don't live in Virginia Beach. They are scattered up and down the East Coast and some of the nearest and dearest to my heart are 3000 miles away. (Philemon 1:4-7, Hebrews 12:28)

In trying to encouraging friends who are struggling, I find that I too become encouraged. (James 27:17)

Sometimes life is hard, but hard doesn't have to mean bad. Wouldn't life be a lot more fun if life were always easy? As it talks about in James, it's the hard times that brings the great thing. So, here's where I'm at with this thing called life and a relationship with the Lord. I don't know exactly where I'm going, but right now, I'm okay with that.