Recently, I was talking with some friends about some heavy things that some of their family members were going through. We were talking about how hard it is to be away and care deeply about what is going on, and not being about to “do anything” about it.

We came to the conclusion that for those particular situations, even the people who are near by can’t really do anything about it either, and sometimes we just have to be okay with the fact that there’s nothing that we can do.

I’ve been ruminating on this conversation and have been noticing that people say that a lot – “There’s nothing we can do.”, “What can you do?”, “Welp, there’s nothing you can do.”

While there may be many situations in our lives that are out of our control, there are no situations that are out of God’s control. And while we might not be able to change anything, He can.

BUT, there is something that we can do. Pray. Praying isn’t my natural first response – normally it is doing. But when you’ve felt like you’ve run out of options, and there’s nothing left – you can always pray.

It doesn’t matter what the situation – Our Heavenly Father longs to hear about it – and even if you don’t know how to pray, just call out His name, and he knows your heart, my friends.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. — 1 John 5:14

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. — Jeremiah 29:12

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. — Hebrews 4:16

He listens to us, and there is power in prayer. There IS something you can do about it. It’s never too late, or too soon to pray.

Hi. My name is Kitty. Today I will be writing Jami’s blog. You’re welcome world. Things I love; food, eating food, looking at food, watching humans eat food, going outside, eating grass, eating rabbit poop, stabbing people with my talons, Penny, punching Penny in the face, bullying Penny, sleeping, using my eyebrows to get what I want, annoying others, people aggressively patting my head, running around naked, and most of all my mom (at least that’s what I tell her).

Hello. My name is Penelope Jane, but you can call me Penny, Penelope Cruz, Penne pasta, penn state, pumpkin spice latte, pendulum, or peñata. Things I love include, my mom, outsmarting Kitty, my mom, breakfast, dinner, treats, my mom, our friends, night night, my mom, wine, long walks in the woods, that one ugly tennis ball in the dog run that mom never lets me take home, my blanket, barking at every single sound that comes from outside of the apartment, my mom, naps, cuddling, sitting on the back of the couch, PAKOUR!, my mom, and most of all my my mom.

We like living with our moms. And cuddling with each other. Sometimes we fight over toys, but Kitty usually wins because she’s a bully. When our moms are away at work, we face time with each other in our crates and scheme to keep our moms on their toes. Penny is the brains, Kitty is the brawn, but one thing we’re both really good at though, is peeing on the carpet.

Our moms think we are pretty cool, and we are glad to have them as our moms.

Actually I (Penny), really have to pee, and my mom’s not listening to me, so we have to go now. And Kitty just punched my in the face… typical.

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Kitty and Penny

 

I have never been very good at receiving – help, or gifts, or compliments, or anything that you are supposed to receive, really.

It’s not that I don’t like or appreciate the gifts that people give me, they just make me feel uncomfortable – like I don’t know what to do with it.

Friend: Hey Jami, you are really pretty. 

Me: Haha… oh. Okay. 

Me inside my head: JUST SAY THANK YOU AND TAKE THE COMPLIMENT, JAMI! 

I have learned a lot about accepting and receiving the things that people give. I have learned to think about it from my own perspective and how I would feel if someone didn’t receive the “gift” that I was giving them – I would be sad/upset that they didn’t take it. I usually put thought (whether it be a little or a lot) into giving somebody something, and I get sad or frustrated when someone makes an effort to avoid it. So why would  I refuse someone else the opportunity to give me something that they put thought into (whether a little or a lot), and cause them to be sad or frustrated or whatever negative thing that they might feel?

JUST RECEIVE THE GIFT!

When I was on bed rest for 6 weeks in East Africa, far away from my team, I had to learn to accept help from the friends, acquaintances, and strangers around me because I often could not help myself. I definitely think that was a good thing that came out of a terrible situation.

Two examples:

1. Today, I offered to get someone a soda because I was going to go get one for myself.  She tried to give me money (a $10 at that), and I said, no thanks, this one is on me! And she tried to fight me on it. I told her, “You get to be nice to people all the time, let someone be nice to you! Just receive!” I cannot count the amount of times she thanked me for the silly little soda today. A gift with very little thought behind it.
2. Think of it another way. After Adam and Eve sinned, God orchestrated an unimaginable plan to bring us back to him through the life, death, and resurrection of his only Son. He asks us to receive the gift that he has given to us, and often we say we don’t need it, or try to give something back for it (think $10 bill), or live ungratefully. But he patiently gives us opportunities to receive. A gift with a lot of thought behind it.

So my friends, as hard as it is to receive, remind yourself that you were thought of, that you maybe don’t deserve it but they want to give it to you anyway, and JUST RECEIVE IT!

Above all remember to daily receive the love, blessing, and grace that our Heavenly Father gives us new each morning with thankful hearts!

And if you haven’t received Christ’s amazing love, He is holding it out, waiting for you to put out your hands and receive, and I am praying that you will do just that.

 

It’s likely that at some point everyone has experienced the grief process. What a lot of us do not realize is that grief can be attached to things other than the death of loved ones.

People have grief over a friendship torn apart, ending a chapter of life (think moving, graduating, etc.), the loss of a job, etc.

They also call it a grief PROCESS for a reason. It is just that. It is not simply a feeling you experience and then move on. It is a long-term series of emotions and thoughts that you have while you still have to try and live a “normal” life.

I’ve experienced grief attached to ending my previous job in new ways this week. I realized how much I loved that job and how sad it makes me that I don’t get to do it any more.

It’s been almost 3 months since I left and I am still not “over” it. I just am not. And I don’t know if I ever really will be, because it is something that meant so much to me. And that’s okay. 10 years from now, I might still have a moment where I get a little teary over it.

It’s okay to let your grief run it’s course no matter how long it takes. But I feel that it’s important not to let it take hold of your heart and your spirit and not to let it drag you down into a miry abyss. That’s what the enemy wants you to let grief do to you.

Even Jesus wept over Lazarus dying (I have also heard speculation that he was crying about the reality of death in general, but regardless…) even when he KNEW that he would raise him from the dead.

It’s okay to feel, my friends. Jesus was fully human and felt the whole range of emotions from his righteous anger while flipping tables to his compassionate weeping over the reality of the death of his friend.

I think partly this blog is to tell myself that it’s okay that I am still crying over something that happened 3 months ago (which really isn’t a terribly long time, I know), but I think I want you to know that you can feel too.

But while you’re feeling always remember the hope to which you have been called at the cross where someone else’s blood was shed for each and every one of your transgressions. Without this important piece it will be easy for you to sink into that seemingly bottomless chasm (this is the Google definition of abyss…powerful, huh?).

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. — Proverbs 3:5-6