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Every time I hear this song, I feel like it’s God’s way of reminding me to always run back to him, wherever I am.
- eating just the right amount, instead of stuffing your face with all of the food insight
- finally achieving that goal you worked SO hard for
- getting into all of the classes you wanted
- finding the perfect pair of non-see-through leggings
- doing exceptionally well on a paper, project, or assignment, especially if it was the product of a lengthy procrastination session
- eating 8/9 fruits and veggies a day
- discovering a new favorite pen
- getting everything done on your to-do list
- going to bed before midnight
- running a mile in 8 minutes or less
- finding something you thought you lost
- finding bomb.com, black attack, waterproof mascara and eyeliner that don’t smudge
- submitting a paper more than ten minutes before the deadline
- shaving your legs without missing a single spot
- doing the right thing, however difficult it may be
- walking away from temptation
- waking up without “snoozing”
This keeps me going. (Taken with instagram)
Jules Henry
Peggy Hackney, Making Connections: Total Body Integration Through Bartenieff Fundamentals
I recently completed a research project on Ludwig Van Beethoven for my Music for Dancers class and I am still so incredibly moved by his persistence and undying passion for his art. To make a long story short, Beethoven was insanely talented. Unfortunately, he lived a rough childhood. His mother passed away at a young age, his father was abusive and an alcoholic, and because of his great dedication to his music, he was seen as “half-crazy” by many women. He literally breathed this art form. He indulged in his music so decadently that he could never stay focused on just one composition at a time, he was constantly making new creations and striving for perfection. At just 29 years of age, he experienced the first symptoms of deafness. What a horrible tragedy! Can you imagine losing a sense as important as hearing as a musical artist?
(This is my favorite part of the story.) In one of Beethoven’s journals, he confessed:
I would have ended my life - it was only my art that held me back. Ah, it seemed to me impossible to leave the world until I had brought forth all that I felt within me.
I am so inspired and moved by this incredible man! He could have given up, proclaimed himself a failure, and committed suicide but instead he chose to put every ounce of himself into what he felt he was meant to do - make music. To overcome his hearing loss when composing, he cut off the legs of a piano in order to be able to place his ear on it as it lay on the floor to feel the vibrations the notes made. He composed his last four symphonies completely deaf and even with the disability he remains an iconic musical genius.
In my eyes, he’s so much more than that, though! My favorite part of his story is that he knew what his purpose was and did everything possible to fulfill it. What if we all lived with that same devotion and vigor? God called each of us to be courageous and be the salt of the earth, to drop everything and follow him. If Beethoven can overcome deafness as a musical genius, then surely we can overcome the temptation of sin. And like Beethoven, we can find ways to outsmart it and continue living out our purpose - to serve God.
(Source: soultips)
Friends With Benefits
I’ve heard my peers jokingly blame Adam and Eve for all of their current pain and suffering. “It’s all her fault! If she would have just said “No” to that evil snake then life would be so much easier!” “Adam fell because of Eve…it says that in the Bible.” Maybe it’s nice to have someone to blame for our shortcomings yet I can’t help but think to myself:If I were Eve, would I have been able to say “No”? Probably not.
It applies to us differently, but the bottom line is that we all sin. Everyone experiences temptation and has a main area of weakness that presents struggles and opportunities to do something we wouldn’t be proud of. Sin was designed to be fun, appealing, and appetizing but the remorse that follows afterwards is absolutely miserable. Personally, whenever I fall and choose to push God away to satisfy any temporary needs, I feel as if Satan is laughing at me for believing his lies once again. That’s not who I want to be. That’s not who God wants me to be. God wants so much better for us, better than anything I could have ever dreamed up myself.
I always think of it like a father and a daughter at a playground. The daughter (just a few years old at the time) is playing in the sand and eating it, because that’s what three-year-olds tend to do. The father looks at his daughter adoringly and thinks “you are such a treasure and I love you. Spit out the sand because I have something so much better for you.” God loves me with that same passion; why else would he send his only son to die for me?
Finding the strength to say no to sin is difficult, but knowing how great and wondrous God’s love is for me is a reminder that I am never alone. And when someone loves you this much, how could you notwant to be a better person? It all starts with blind faith in Him and His great plan.
Jesus, I trust you.