When "Normal" Gets Messed Up

Here's a canvas that I had fun painting this week!

       First of all, this is my first blog post since September, and I am very sorry about that. My Junior year of high school has been insanely busy with loads of homework and after-school activities! I'm going to try to make time to blog again though. Pray that I can keep up with it please!
       
        Besides for being very busy, my life has been pretty routine recently, and I have been striving to make more time for God every day. For 2015, I decided to read the whole Bible in a year following the She Reads Truth reading plan. I am loving some parts and struggling through other parts. I know that God is going to help me grow so much through this though! These last few weeks, I have also been having more time to do what makes my soul happy, which is painting! I feel like I have complete peace with myself and God when I relax and paint canvases.
    
      Anyways, the title of this blog is "When Normal Gets Messed Up" because earlier this week, my life got thrown for a loop when I found out that one of my friends is pregnant. She is a senior in high school. My heart absolutely broke in two for her. I was shocked and upset and could not imagine what she was going through. And finding out who the father is made the situation a whole lot more complicated. It tore me in two even more. I about lost it. I did not understand why God let this happen or what good was going to come from it. And I'm still not sure that I do now. This could ruin both of their futures. Out of all my friends, these two knew what they wanted to do with their lives, and this was sure not part of it. But, I do know that they are very close to God and are trusting Him with the situation which puts me at peace about it. They are both amazing people and I know that whatever happens, God does have it under control, and he will not abandon them. I found a quote by C.S. Lewis that speaks to the situation, "God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons we could learn no other way." Please pray with me for them and their families that they make the right decisions and trust God to help them through it.

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." ~Romans 8:28


https://www.pinterest.com/pin/144185625545275287/

The thing is, all of our lives go through ups and downs, and sometimes there is no "normal" because something happens that turns everything upside down and backwards. It might feel like life might never settle back down and you will never get a break from whatever is going on. But you will! For me, this past semester, my "normal" schedule of school, sports, and free time got completely changed because I started taking harder, more time-consuming classes. I never thought I would see the end of homework assignments and due dates and tests. Finally, after the first semester, I got a break, and it felt so good. Now, back in full swing of the second semester, I am trying really hard to stay on top of all my work, so it doesn't feel overwhelming. I want to have more time for the important things - strengthening relationships, reading, painting, and doing everything to glorify God. I hope that if your "normal" feels messed up at the moment, that you may find peace in the chaos, and find some time to do what makes your soul happy!

After all, who really wants "normal" anyway?

XOXO, Heather