"What lies behind us and what lies before us...

.....are all small matters compare to what lies within us."

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the past. Reminiscing on the good times, regretting the bad. But now that I really start to think about it, I realize that I'm just wasting my time. The past in unchangable. I can't go back in time and fix my mistakes, I can't relive the memories. Plus, humans naturally make mistakes and by trying to fix them I would probably just make it worse. I've had friends from the past who I miss the good times with, but now I realize that if their not here with me now then they probably didn't have a place in my life anyway. But the friends that are here for me even when I don't need them, the ones that know when I do just by a simple word, and the ones who take my hand and walk beside me; those are the people God placed in my life for a reason. I'm learning that everything happens for a reason. Everything leads up to something in the future. Whats going to happen in my future, I have no idea. Nobody knows. But worrying about the future is just as bad as worrying about the past. I think sometimes people(often including myself) live in fear of regretting things. From past experience I know that sometimes you don't something because your afraid of regretting it, but in the end you actually regret not doing it. Life is full of regrets, you just gotta learn from your mistakes to avoid making them twice. I have no idea what the plans for my future are, but someone does and one day He'll show them to me. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Knowing this, I have no reason to be afraid of what lies ahead of me, because there is hope. Everyday I can just be as happy as the happiest person in the world. Not to say there aren't those days I just feel down, but when I do he always sends someone along to bring me right back on my feet. From now on I'm gonna live life to its fullest. Not because life is perfect, but because I'm willing to see beyong the imperfections and make the best of whatever comes my way!
~*Elizabeth
first written: 11/14/07