Something for everyone...

I don't want to overwhelm the non-scrappers here (Andy & Tom K.), but thought this one had a message for others out there today too.
It seems to me that it is such an easy thing to get overwhelmed with sadness and burdens and hurts in this world lately. Besides the news and the ongoing war issues, I read emails and blogs about people and the challenges (sometimes life-threatening) that face them from day to day. I hurt for what each of us has to endure...and if you haven't had to endure something difficult, let me warn you that there will come a time for you too. Life is like that. We all have moments and times where we walk through dark valleys and face uncertainties. There are different circumstances and different 'degrees' of darkness, but it's a fact of life that we all realize at some point.
I have learned to rely on faith and to trust not in myself, but in the future and the One who holds that in His hands. That is where my peace and contentment and joy in life come from- every single day.
This scrap page contains some very reflective journaling. It actually was easy to write when I stopped for a few minutes and really looked 'into' the picture. Teagan's life and death have touched my very core, and to this day, it affects how I live my life. I never would have dreamed that I could have peace in life after her death, but it has happened. I never would have believed life held the fullness that I have been feeling, and yet it does. Sometimes, as I've said before, I feel a bit guilty about this contentment, but last night I did some reading and the author had a good point.
It's not me. Anything 'good' in me is a result of nothing I have done...but is all because of God's grace. Totally humbling. To think that God loves me enough to take a mess of a life (that's me!) and pour out goodness and comfort and peace- well, that's enough for me to be 'filled' for the rest of my life. Totally undeserved. Totally beyond what I could imagine, and yet exactly what expresses the nature of God.
I love the fact that in sharing Teagan's picture and bits of how her life has changed mine, that God is clearly seen. Wow. That's what I think is amazing. He works through anything and everything...good and bad. What I hope through my life each day, is that others can see a bit of Him reflecting from me. Whether it is a scrap page, my response to clothes strewn all over the floor, my best moments and my worst. I can't say that I'm a perfect example all the time, but I do know from experience that there is someone in my life who is the perfect example, and He is worth trusting no matter what may come your way.
That's my 'scrap sermon' for today.
Here is the journaling from my page:
because of you...
I have laughed my loudest, cried my hardest and searched the deepest part of me. I have realized my weaknesses and discovered my strengths. I have shared my soul with others.
because of you...I have learned to live in the moment and appreciate the present. I have learned to be quiet and reflect on the past. I have gained new insights & sought new purpose in life. I have learned when to hold on and learned to let go. I have learned to embrace what I cannot see and I have deepened my faith in the future.
because of you...I am more grateful, more humble, more sensative and more forgiving. I am more open, more joyful, more confident and more hopeful. Although you only physically touched me for four short years, your spirit still inspires me each and every day.
Dear Teagan~
My life is enriched beyond measure...
because of you.