simple thoughts on a tough subject...

i wanted to address a couple comments i had a few weeks ago 

on the Choose Joy entry.

i sincerely thank each of you who commented

& especially my two readers who left such raw thoughts.

i won't quote them but you may refer to the comment section if needed....
 

in the entry, i had quoted kay warren's definition of joy:

"joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life,

the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be all right,

& the determined choice to praise God in all things."

a

"settled conviction about God

quiet confidence in God

& a choice to give praise to God"

i had a couple comments regarding god being in control of all (emphasis on the all)

the details of our life

or not.

& i will say my friend susan left a most fabulous, scripture filled response

that you can read here too

i'll be honest with ya'll

& give you my completely un-seminary based, very simple thoughts regarding this subject.

please don't throw tomatoes at me

as i don't do well with conflict.
this subject has been tossed around by theologians for years
so i will delicately give just a few thoughts
of my own. i know. funny right?

i believe in the word of God.

period.

i also know that no one, none of us truly understands His ways.

& we don't want to truly understand His ways right?

would we marvel & worship a God we have all figured out?

i think not.

so we base our beliefs on the written word

and to argue over how we interpret some of that seems futile.

so

back to the original question.

i personally do not believe God is in control of every single detail of our world.

he's been all about us having a free will since the garden of eden.

do i believe He's ultimately in control & can intervene in the thoughts
& plans of man at any time?

absolutely.

He's the creator.

 i'm just a mom. i'm just a simple person who trusts easily

& obviously has no problem being transparent and sharing my thoughts.

when i first read kay's definition 

i honestly didn't get tangled up in the "does he control every single detail". 

i believe he's in control of my life.

that i'm in the palm of his hand.

i do.

while i've never been on the front line of a war

i didn't survive the holocaust

or any other horrific , unimaginable situation

i have seen my share of death & dying.

i've watched many small children battle cancer

& i've sat beside them while they cried out in pain

& were scared to fall asleep because they were afraid they wouldn't awaken.

i've been with men younger than i am now when they passed away.

i've watched grown men lay helpless in a hospital bed while disease eats away their life

i've prepared bodies after their passing moments after their loved ones said goodbye.

& as you know, i watched my own awesome husband lose a horrific battle with cancer.

i've lost babies before i could carry them to gestation.

i've seen sadness

but i've never doubted  Him.

i've never doubted He is good

that while He created a once perfect world

and a once perfect everything,

i believe He loved & because He loved

He allowed a choice. our way or His way.

in my heart i believe sickness and death and cancer and all the crap in this world

is not from him.

it's a result

of our broken world.

it broke in the garden when "we" were given a choice

& "we" chose our way.

i believe that the entire plan was that of redemption.
all along.
i believe that He knew.
all of it. all along.
before adam breathed a breath.
as beth moore speculated in her hilarious, yet brilliant way just yesterday
it's as if He God, looked at Jesus just before He breathed in to adam
& said...
you sure about this?

because He loved

because He is holy & just

He had a plan. a way for redemption

& that including coming to earth in the form of a man

& bearing all the sin upon himself

& enduring a horrific death

so that there was a payment made for the sin. the bad choice "we made"

(john 19)

jesus's death as payment for sin was never plan B.

one day we will have a new heaven & a new earth

we will see Him face to face.

what we see & what we understand now

is tainted because we are NOT God.

we are the created. not the creator.

but back to the issue in my comment section~

personally

i don't believe He controls every detail of my day

& 

i don't get all out of whack trying to figure out if He made me choose my nailpolish

or not. that doesn't matter to me.

does He allow or does He send?

good grief.

i'll be honest.

bottom line,

i love Him & trust Him regardless.
did He send?
did He allow?
i love Him & put all my trust in Him.
regardless

i just do...

please don't all ruffled up with me or disappointed in my simplicity.

i am introspective

i ponder

i like to figure people out 

i like a plan

& i like "to know"

but as far as many things i believe spiritually

& about our heavenly father,

i'm pretty simple minded.

"I tell you the truth, 

anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child 

will never enter it."

mark 10.15

i love this blog.

this outlet for me to share.

and my friend, i love that you are here.

i pray my words never cause anyone to stumble

&

i pray my words are pleasing to Him.

~~~

{all the images today were from a senior session i recently had the honor 

of photographing.

i was so moved as this beautiful young woman gracefully danced

before me that evening & i thought they seemed perfect for this post.

i've spent a lot of time thinking through what & even if i might respond.

this images seem simple and so pure.

as i hope you know my thoughts are in sharing my heart...}