learning lessons.

I learned something this week about friends. I learned that I expect people to treat me with the same loyalty, support and respect that I show them. But I've come to realize that my perception of what friendship ought to be is entirely different than reality. Some people are simply unreliable, not out of spite or cruelty but simply because they place their own needs first. On that same note, though, some friendships last simply because the friends choose to make time for each other. And regardless of my own circumstances, these are the friendships I will choose to cultivate in my own life.  

    "A friend loves at ALL times, and a [sister] is born to help in a time of need."

                                                                                                                                    -Prov. 17:17 

thoughts for Tuesday...

Well, after a long break, I have rejoined the blogging world. In my defense, I was deathly ill. Well not exactly but seasonal allergies really are no joking matter. 

The last week felt extremely long, probably due partly to the fact that I felt unwell and also partly because of dove hunting season which caused us to be in Madera much longer than can really be healthy. :) 

Either way, I am home now and ransacking my brain for blog ideas. So far though, any good ideas have yet to surface. I had all these brilliant epiphanies of how true happiness comes from within oneself and people with too much time on their hands resort to gossip as a pastime, which is ridiculously annoying. But then I decided that I am not Dr. Phil and really have no desire for comments to surface with the dreaded, "are you talking about me in this blog????" thread. 

So instead of getting into all of that, I will just reflect on myself and say that despite many recent frustrating and extremely trying instances, I have learned that the only thing I can control is my own attitude and my reaction, and the only way I obtain this sort of strength is through much prayer. Choosing anger or resentment only proves that my antagonizer has the power to bring destroy my happiness. The real strength comes through choosing to completely ignore negativity and completely ban it from my attitude. 

At The Well this Sunday, Brad talked about how every action in our lives can be an act of worship to God, not just the songs we sing in church on Sunday, but our lives and our actions and the way that we honor God in every aspect of life. I really believe that. Even in the way that I relate with people, regardless of whether we have anything in common or not, the way I treat them reflects what is in my heart. And if my actions show even a fraction of the love of the God I claim to follow, then they surely bring honor to Him and not me, and that denying of self to reflect Christ is worship. 

And that is what I have been thinking about lately, and working on in my own life. 

<3 Bethany.

And He said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

                                                                                                                                                                                         -Luke 9:23