Fun with friends…  Caroline and her sweet friend Susanna.

 

 

 

Life… What is the meaning of life? This is the million dollar question… right? All of us… live our lives… asking ourselves, “What is the meaning… the purpose of my life?” We all need a purpose… a reason… something to live for.

We live our lives… Holding to people and things on Earth.

Life… Is NEVER certain. We live… we try… we struggle… we feel.

We shed tears of joy… tears of sorrow.

We hold tightly to… relationships… careers… families… money… Anything on Earth that helps us to feel grounded… meaning… stability… purpose in the uncertainty of our lives.

The things in life we hold with tight fists… At times prove harmful… destructive… dangerous to our well-being.

Often these things on Earth are wonderful… beautiful… meaningful.

Blessings sent from God above.
Blessings that enrich our lives.
Blessings that make us better people.
Blessings that make life more enjoyable.

At some point in our lives these blessings hurt.

Anything we hold tightly too… At some point will cause pain.

Money… Leaves us continually yearning for more… never content.

Careers… One day come to an end.

Relationships… Make life more beautiful… Make life more complicated… Make us happy… And at times make us crazy.

Families… Provide a place to belong… Peace… Love… Security.

Dysfunctional family units create life-long struggles… emptiness… voids… Our human flesh longs for this bond… this belonging… this comfort found within wholesome family bonds.

God created us with hearts that feel deeply…

The joy of happy family moments.
The pain of rejection.
The fear of abuse.
The peace of simplicity.

We were created to live… And live abundantly.

The unfortunate… heart-wrenching part of life…

“Everything we hold onto tightly… Will one day come to an end.”

Earthly things we cherish at times will be threatened away from us.

At some point in life… EVERYTHING we hold tightly too… will be taken away.

Such uncertainty… such fear… living life with this knowledge.

So we hold tightly to the things of Earth… Those things that provide our inner humanness… our deeply feeling hearts… with a sense of belonging… comfort… stability… meaning… and purpose.

Is it possible to hold too tightly… To grasp with fists clenched in pale white… To suffocate in a quenching grasp?

For fear of losing the things that we cherish most in life?

We hold tightly… quenching… refusing to ease our grip on the things… the people we think we can’t live without.

Sometimes the strength of our grip suffocates relationships.

The loss of material possessions leave us in disarray.

We fear the loss of those we love dearly.

Is there any hope in this life?
Is there anything we can hold onto with certainty?

We have one sure hope… one certain relationship… one real meaning and purpose in life…

A Father… Who loves us despite our failures.

A Father… Who will never leave us nor forsake us.

A Father… Who accepts us just the way we are.

A Father… Who will be there to catch us when we fall.

A Father… Who promises to provide for our needs.

A Father… Who will comfort us in our loss.

We have one certainty… In this world of uncertainty.

We have God!

Matthew 6:19-20 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word. Psalm 119: 114

Friends, We all live in fear of uncertainty at times. We live… We lose… We die… Where is our hope? Where is your hope? Seek Christ… He truly is our one certainty in life… Our one firm hope!!!

Blessings,

Crystal

Every summer the kids and I have a blast swimming. My kids are all fish… they love the waters. They have all learned to swim around the age of 4, except for Sweet Caroline. Caroline began swimming around the beginning of the summer, she will be 3 in August. Needless to say, she is a little water bug. I love summer with my kids! I hope you enjoy a little piece of our summer vacay fun!

Blessings,

Crystal

Family fun! So blessed to have family visit us in Bloomington. A little family reunion… Good times!