Made new::.

Hello there! One of my best friends Natalie wrote a post that was very personal and it inspired me to share my feelings as of lately with you. Now I know some of you may be going to click off my blog right now because it seems I do that a lot, but what can I say? I have a huge heart and a strong desire to share with people. 

Have you ever felt stuck? As if your feet are in cement, and it is drying faster than you ever thought possible? I've been feeling like that lately. Actually, I've been feeling like that for the past few months. I'm sure I am not the only who is or has been/felt this way before. The past few months have definitely been packed full of trials, change, pain and heartache like you wouldn't believe. It all left me very hopeless and sad feeling. 

There comes a point, though, where you need to take some time to evaluate the last few days, or however long you've felt like this, and I mean really reaaallllyyyy evaluate it. When I did this, I realized that I acted like a defeated child through it all. Ya know, the ones who yell and scream over someone taking their lego and then after a few minutes they just quit the game all together. Defeat. I was defeated. But by what? My circumstance? My situation(s)? It was a slap in the face kind of moment and I knew that God was the one doing the slapping (in the most loving way of course..).

The summer is a time of new things. New beginnings. Each day is not only a gift, but it's a chance to start new. Even though you don't feel like it, you are not the same person you were when you fell asleep last night. Your thoughts have changed, your heart has changed, your feelings have changed and your goals have changed. John 1:16 talks about how from the fullness of the Lord we receive grace upon grace. During this time of change and transition in my own life, each morning when I wake up I thank God for another day and repeat to myself those words: grace upon grace. And there is peace in those words. There is comfort in that phrase.

Hard times don't need to be seen as the "end of the world". But rather they need to be looked at as blessings. For I know that through every hardship God is growing me and teaching me something through it all. I know that He makes me new each and everyday. Along with knowing that truth, I also know and have come to realize that there are a lot of things in my life that I need to change and even some things that need to be removed. And that sort of stuff can be hard. We're only human.. change is always hard and uncomfortable. But I know that God has something far greater planned for me than the pain and hopelessness I have been feeling. I am alive in him.

I know there is a reason for my feeling prompted to write this post. So I hope that whoever you are out there reading this that may be feeling down in the dumps, that you find hope in my words. But more importantly that you find hope in Gods word. Be made new in Christ today.