listen.

everyone has a story to tell they just need someone to listen.

lately Ephesians 5 has been on my heart and mind.

and living a life of love. following Christ's example.

so i've been trying to do so.

although a lot of people won't listen when you try to tell them about True Love because so many people are all talk these days and no action. i'm one of them. but i'm trying not to be.

i once heard it said "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care"

and i have been realizing how true that is.
people want someone to listen to them, someone to care.

i was at the grocery store the other day, and i asked the tired-looking, non-smiling cashier how she was doing today, and she started to say some well rehearsed words and then stopped and looked at me with this confused/happy look and said she was doing good! and that no customer has ever asked her that before. So her and I had a lovely 3 minute talk. I wished her a lovely rest of the day, and walking away i notice her have a sparkle in her eye and a smile on her face.

i know thats just a little thing, and i probably won't see her again but just little things like that, i feel is a way to spread His love.

there's other ways i've been seeing it too. i know when i was going through highschool i always looked up to the seniors SO much. and a few weeks ago, i realized there's all these younger grade girls here, who i don't know if they look up to seniors like i did, but i don't want to chance it and ignore them, so i've been becoming friends with all these 7th grade girls. they looked lonely one day, so i started talking to them, and now every wednesday i see them. they talk. i listen.

listening to others lovely, but listening to someone who normally does the listening, is a beautiful thing.
(:

i failed.

have you ever been reading God's Word and you see something and you're like "i need to apply this to my life!" so you write it out on a notecard, put it in your back pocket, so you can read it whenever you're at work or wherever you are and keep being reminded of it? And its going all good until that night ... you had to be somewhere you really didn't want to, and would rather be anywhere else but THERE [where you are], and you have so much to do, but you're at this place where you don't wanna be, and its a perfect oppertunity to apply whatever you're trying to apply to your life at the time, but you don't. you forgot about it. you were stuck in selfishness.
then you get home, and you hear a Voice say "hello love. whats in your pocket?" so you take it out and SMACK! you get hit in the face.
and you realize that you were just given an opportunity to apply this to your life. a "test" so to speak. and you realize that you failed it.

so it is.
i failed.

but
i find Grace. i find Love. He gives me more chances.
i am grateful.

The still, quiet, winters... hushed by blankets and blankets of snow speak loudly of a reminder to be still before God. Breathe in. Breathe out. and see Beauty. Slow down and take time. Live every moment. See the little things in life that are Beautiful! Listen to peoples hearts! REST in God's Love