07/26/2012-08/07/2012

Lessons #208-216:  If it seems like God isn’t answering your prayers, it’s not because He’s not listening to you.

It’s probably because you’re not listening to Him.

07/23/2012-07/25/2012

Lessons #205-207:  Band-aids don’t heal your wounds.

They’re a temporary fix.  They make you feel better for now.  But the underlying wounds are still there, and won’t heal until your body is ready.

In the same sense, temporary fixes for your problems won’t solve them.  Ignoring them and acting like everything is okay may help you feel better for now.  But the underlying issues at hand haven’t been resolved yet, and they won’t be until you’re ready to resolve them yourself.  You can’t heal until you allow yourself to.

07/19/2012-07/22/2012

Lessons #201-204:  Strengthened, inspired, and humbled.

God will never disappoint a broken, contrite, and sincere heart.

07/11/2012-07/18/2012

Lessons #193-200:  There’s a fine line between being selfless and letting people walk all over you.

It’s important to remember to take care of yourself, and to prioritize your needs.  Your feelings are important too.  Don’t be so caught up in making sure everyone else is happy that you end up hurting yourself.  It’s okay to be a little selfish every now and then.  Remember that you deserve to be happy too.

07/10/2012

Lesson #192:  Shallow roots.

You won’t be successful in anything that you pursue in which your intentions and motivations are rooted in something shallow (vanity, pride, greed, lust, etc.)  If your heart isn’t in the right place, your brain and your decisions won’t be either.

07/05/2012-07/09/2012

Lessons #187-191: The “worst” is never the worst.

“God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It’s a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. It’s a good thing when you’re young to stick it out through the hard times. When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face. The “worst” is never the worst.”

(Lamentations 3:25-30, The Message Translation)

06/30/2012-07/04/2012

Lessons #182-186: Most people will tell you what you want to hear.

But the people who really love you will tell you what you need to hear, even if you don’t want to hear it.  Keep them close, and listen to what they have to say.  Appreciate the fact that care enough about you to know that even if it hurts you now, it’ll be better for you in the long run.

06/27/2012-06/29/2012

Lessons #179-181:  Don’t be too hard on yourself when things don’t go your way.

Further down the line you’ll probably realize that it wasn’t really what you wanted in the first place.  What feels like disappointment now could be God’s way of saving you from bigger disappointments and heartbreaks down the line.

06/26/2012

Lesson #178:  If you look back and feel stupid about the mistakes or decisions you made in the past, it doesn’t necessarily mean you were stupid or foolish when you made them.

It just means that you’ve grown enough to know better now.

06/23/2012-06/25/2012

Lessons #175-177:  The peaks feel higher when you know what rock bottom is like.

Be thankful for the tough times; they make you genuinely appreciate the times when things are going well. 

02/20/2012

Lesson #51:  Don’t develop tunnel vision.

If you’re praying for God’s help, don’t be so intent on getting your way that you fail to recognize when He has already answered your prayers.  Turning a blind eye to His “No” or “Not right now” won’t change His answer.  It’ll only delay what He has planned for you, which is most likely better than anything you had in mind in the first place.  Things won’t always turn out how you envisioned, but trust that they will always turn out how they were supposed to.  Remember that He knows you (and what’s best for you) better than you know yourself.

Adding on to this one…

06/22/2012

Lesson #174: Sometimes, we’re so blindly intent on getting our way, that we can’t see the blessings that He’s already given us.

You’ll never find what you’re looking for if you keep looking elsewhere for something you already have. You’ll waste your time looking in all the wrong places for something that’s right in front of you that’s been there all along.

06/21/2012

Lesson #173:  Pain bears strength.

The most hurtful situations, when handled properly, give you the most strength and teach you the most valuable lessons.  Stick it out; it gets better eventually.  The pain is temporary.  The lessons you learn and the strength you gain will stick with you long after your wounds have healed.

06/16/2012-06/20/2012

Lessons #168-172:  Pride is never worth a friendship.

Too many friendships go bad because one or both parties have too much pride to apologize and/or forgive.  Realize that it’s not worth it while you still have time to fix it.

06/15/2012

Lesson #167: God is an expert in fixing hearts.

After all, He designed them.

06/14/2012

Lesson #166: Re-posting and re-learning this one.

02/23/2012

Lesson #54: Don’t ever let your emotions compromise your character.

Everyone finds themselves in situations that they’d rather not be in. You hear things you wish you hadn’t, find out things you wish you didn’t know, and may even get hurt (intentionally or unintentionally). The true tests of your character come when your emotions get involved. It’s easy to do or say something out of character when you’re hurt or when you feel that you’ve been wronged. Always remember your values and your morals, and remember that your actions and words are the primary representation of who you are. Remember that, though you can’t always control the situations you’re placed in, you can always control how you react to them. No matter what, don’t ever let your emotions compromise your character and your judgment. Make the right choices. Even if it hurts…