Happiness or Contentment:that is the question

For those of your who have read previous blogs. I've been going to an AWESOME church here in LA. The Lord was so faithful to lead Martie and I to a wonderful group of believers. To elaborate a little more I wanted to share what I learned on Sunday. I think it's a message for each and every person to hear!

We as people often strive and want to be happy. You've often heard if _____ is happy, then everyone's happy. The question, Rankin (the pastor at Pacific Crossroads), brought to my attention is does the Lord desire for me to happy or to be content.

So what does it mean to be content you ask?

"Contentment is a sweet, inward, gracious frame of spirit which freely submits to and delights in God’s will, whatever that will may be." Jeremiah Burroughs

WOW, don't we all want this to be said about us? If you don't consider yourself to be content, then you are discontent. With discontentment comes grumbling and complaining. Grumbling/complaining is a true reflection of thoughts and feelings of discontentment with whatever circumstance we find ourselves in.  Discontentment hurts the heart of God. When we are discontent we aren't trusting Him!

Since most of us find ourselves discontent,  Rankin shared 4 lies that fuel discontentment. Before I share them, I want to explain what will follow. When I find myself believing lies from the enemy, as a  believer, I should seek the TRUTH! I wish I could say I always do this, but I don't. Nonetheless, I am going to take time and refute these lies with Truth from the Word of God!

4 Lies that fuel discontentment:

1. God is holding out on me

" No good thing does He withold from those who walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11 Simple truth. Now we only have to choose to believe it.

2. God owes me.

As Americans, we are raised to believe we are entitled to....."life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Hmm, there's that word happiness again.  The Bible says "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 We are all sinners thus we all deserve death. May this realization break our mindset of entitledness and usher us into a spirit of thankfulness of the GIFT of eternal life.

3. The IF ONLY game

You know the drill. "If only, I had this___" "If only ____" "If only ____" and so the list could go on for miles. We spend our time and energy wishing, wanting, and waiting for ______.  Rather than being content with  what we have, what our situation is we desire more.

"Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food." Isaiah 55:2

We spend our lives trying to achieve ____ when in reality it will NEVER satisfy our deepest longing. Seek the Father to be satisfied!

4. I know what's best for me

"you knitted me together in my mother's womb, I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:13

The very one who created you and me. Before the world began knew exactly what is best for us. He created us and formed us uniquely to #1 bring Him glory, but He chooses to show His great love to us throughout this life.

The sermon had LOTS of other content, but I wanted to share this portion with everyone. The Father "has no greater joy than to hear that His children are walking in the truth" 3 John 1:4 May we walk in this truth and all strive to one day be able to say as Paul did in Philippians 4:12

"I know how to be brought low,

and I know how to abound.

In any and every circumstance,

I have learned the secret of facing

plenty and hunger,

abundance and need."

Time Flies

Two more weeks have flown by.  I'm loving LA and my rotation more each day! Somehow I still haven't done anything super touristy. I kinda like, that but since I only got 2 months left here, I plan on changing that this weekend! 

Last Friday I got off at noon. I couldn't have been happier.  Another student at work had mentioned a great hike in the Santa Monica area to me.  So Martie (my dear roommate that I sleep inches from her beautiful face), Lauren (a sweet friend from the best camp ever aka JH Ranch), and I went to Topanga State Park.  To get there we drove on the Pacific Coast Highway. This is the also known as Highway 1 that runs along the entire coast of California. One word to describe this BEAUTIFUL. The hike was fun, reminded me of how unathletic I am but nonetheless great way to end the week. 

 Everyone says California is so dry, but the mountains are green as can be.

 Loved this pic.

Just trying to fit in and be artsy.

Saturday began with Martie watching the Auburn game; which of course I have no interest in so I cleaned, ROLL TIDE!  Then Pure Barre. I've tried this once before but thanks to Martie I now have accountability and we have been going regularly. I'm just hoping the Lift. Tone, Burn. pays off. Our weekend was also spent by the pool and visiting some different parts of town. We walked and shopped around Larchmont Road, Melrose Avenue, and Burbank. 

In other news, Martie and I (keep leaving Tricia out because she went back to the home state for 10 days) went to an awesome church on Sunday!  Loved it so much we already joined a small group and my soon to be comedian, but wanting to work a little before getting famous roommate, might even work there.  We are OBSESSED, to say the least. Small world, my supervisor also goes there. It's definitely going to be wonderful getting plugged in and being in community out here.

ATTENTION: Breaking News

The World Trade Center's were destroyed by the government. Yep, you read correctly. Apparently there is no way that the planes would have caused the building to collapse so quickly. AND the NYPD and fire departments are all under a strict regulation not to speak of what was in the building.  Because the government used explosives to blow them up. AND The mortar couldn't have possibly caught on fire by gasoline it needs to have been kerosene.

Now for the background! While sitting outside for lunch yesterday, the school "Plant Manager" was informing his custodian co-workers of what really happened on 9-11. He knows this because "he made an A in science". As you can imagine, I was trying not to hysterically laugh and keep a straight face.  More and more these days I love hearing crazy people talk!

Today we woke up early and went to get our exercise on at Pure Barre wearing our game day gear.

As much as we disagree on the best team in the nation, SEC folks gotta stick together and show the west coast Real Football.

Need to get back to watching the Crimson Tide DOMINATE Penn State.

Rollllllllllllll Tide ROLL Y'all!!