Are u Satisfied?

Are You Satisfied?

That is the question that I was faced with tonight as i heard a young couple speak about life, love, relationships, and fulfillment.
When I look back on my life a few years from now I don't want to see how I wasted so much time on pursuing trivial things, things that mattered so much then but now are insignificant .We live in a world, constantly being distracted by temporary satisfaction in whatever it is that makes us the most happy at the time. How many countless hours have I wasted on facebook, twitter and other social networks? Not to mention all the relationships I have pursued that ended in a crushing blow to my self esteem. I put all my hope in imperfect people, thinking they would make my life more satisfying, when really I was left disappointed. If only I could date him, have physical intimacy, work out harder, or changed something about myself then I would be more satisfied with my life. I could change my major or life direction. These are the type of things that keep us forever wanting, forever trying to attain . The next step, the next best thing. We all think this way. I mean, don't you? When does the longing ever end? Are we ever truly content with our lives? Epiphany! Tonight I was reminded how all these things that i persistently pursue have left me empty and in many cases hurt. That is such a hard reality.

Some college students were asked a couple questions, "What satisfies you, and do u think u can ever be ultimately satisfied? Here are some of their responses when asked what satisfies them. Food, chocolate, sex, my boyfriend, my friends, my job, exercising...those are the most satisfying things in life? Yes, I could not agree more that those are all great things, but how sad would it be if those pleasures were the best there is, all there is.

C.S. Lewis once said

if the things of this world leave you unsatisfied then there must be something greater.

It was so good to be reminded again of my purpose, our purpose. What am i really here for? No wonder why i feel unsatisfied with the things the world has to offer. I have not been focusing on the things that will last, the eternal things. There is nothing more fulfilling then pursuing Christ, and then everything else is just icing on the cake. That is what we were made for.

-Nellady

TOMS

As most of your know TOMS shoes are high in demand right now. I really hope that this is not just another fad. I hope that people see what a great thing this is. To express yourself through a really unique pair of shoes, while also helping a child by giving them a pair. Every time you buy a pair, another pair is dropped off to a child in need of shoes. One for one. Doesnt get better than that.

I really wish I could have met the founder of TOMS, Blake Mycoskie, when he came to NC State. I think we would have connected. He seems like such a cool guy. I mean how awesome would it be to sit down and talk to him about all the places he's been and new projects he is doing to help people. This is one of my dreams/aspirations. I follow his twitter posts and love how he travels to exciting places. There is nothing more contagious than to watch someone fulfill their dream. I am glad that I can be a part of that in some small way. I wish I had this many pairs! http://twitpic.com/11te12

See if you can find both my pair of TOMS on the TOMS wall, or post your own pics with your TOMS. www.tomsshoes.com/flag.aspx Feel free to check out Blake's blog if you want to know more about the cool stuff going on. This is a link to everything, his blog, twitter. etc. Check it out! www.tomsshoes.com/Community

So if you are one of those people who havent bought a pair yet and are on the fence, well just go for it! Go to TOMSshoes.com You wont regret it, promise!

Heartbreak Warfare

This is a hard post to write about, because I feel more exposed than normal. There is always a risk to writing about matters of the heart.

Let me be completely honest with you. This week I was challenged. The issues I struggle with most came at me, full speed, like in tennis when the machine spits balls at you too fast too react. (especially when u are bad at tennis like me) This is how my life felt this past week, one tennis ball after another flying right in my direction, hitting me from every angle. When you pray to God for brokenness and humility, be prepared for Him to step in and show you all the areas in your life where you have failed miserably. Just admitting to you how I have failed is humbling in itself. Life can be painful.

Like John Mayers new song "Heartbreak Warfare", heartbreak warfare is disappointing and no one ever wins. I will not go into the details but there is someone who I care about that I hurt, and sadly, that person hurt me deeply as well. I had been clinging so tight, placing all my faith in a person, only to be sadly disappointed. But God gave me the ability to LET GO. I feel like God is wiping my slate clean, so that I can start over again, move on. Look ahead and not behind. God has the power to redeem us, to rid us of the sin in our lives and all that is holding us back, even ongoing things. For me, it was a relationship. But I now have so much peace in letting go, forgiving, and admitting where I was wrong.

I learned that "every action has an equal and opposite reaction." No one is exempt from falling into temptation. I didnt realize until now the extent of my actions and how much I hurt someone I care about. I fell so far down that I felt like the hole was too deep to climb out of. I realized how far from perfect I am, and that I should stop trying to pretend that I am. Now I can appreciate God's grace in a whole new way because I know that I need Him, more than I knew before.

As i was singing in Raleigh worship on Tuesday night I looked around the room and realized that all of us are in the same boat. None of us are exempt. We struggle. We make mistakes. Let us not judge, but instead learn how to support and love each other better.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." -James 1:2-4

"But above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins"

"Take heart I have overcome the world"

I am so thankful that God addressed these areas of my life, broke my heart, and showed me how much I need Him. He wiped out everything and showed me how to love and forgive better. Such a beautiful thing!

So I challenge you to ask God how He can work in your life to transform you into the person He wants you to be. What is holding you back? And how can you love better?

~Nel