Enough

"Dear God,

I tell you almost every day that I love you. I just forget a lot of the time that you love me too. 

You love me enough to make the right song play on the radio. 

You love me enough to give me a mind to stretch when I'm learning. 

You love me enough to give me a voice to sing about you. 

You love me enough to put people in my life that bless me all of the time. 

You love me enough to hurt me. It's kinda weird, but even though you cause me pain now, it will save me from worse pain later. 

You love me enough to correct me when I'm wrong. 

You love me enough to let me smile when I see a paper clip. 

You love me enough to let me rebel against you because you'd rather have a free will praise you than a puppet.

You must love me a lot. You died for me. 

Why don't I FEEL your love? I have to fake it sometimes. I desperately want to feel loved. Let me feel it. 

Amen. -M."

I wrote this in my journal almost a year ago. Lately, the thought that just keeps popping up in my head is that God loves me enough. 

Not too much. 

Not too little. 

Just enough is how much Jesus loves me. It's a lot, obviously; more than I can imagine, but it's the exact amount that I need. 

How do I even comprehend the love of Jesus? He created me, knows my past, my fears, and my scars. He knows who I was.

He knows the masks I wear and the true me. He sees me as I am today, not as a work in progress, but as a child of His, "holy and dearly loved" (Colossians 3).

He sees the things I desire, but He knows best what I need. He understands the dreams I have for my life, but it will be His story that turns out better than I could have ever imagined. Jesus loves who I am going to become in Him.

So, Jesus loves me with an incomprehensibly perfect love. Yet it's not too much. I think that there is no limit to God's love, and that's how much He loves me.

* * * * * * * * *

And you. (Yes, you!)

God loves you enough. Enough to time something just right in your day. Enough to give you the family, friends, home, and possessions you have now. Enough to write your story, however it may look like, exactly the way it is.

He loved you enough in your past to let you make mistakes and to learn from them. He loves you enough today to give you freedom to choose whether you will obey Him or not.

He will love you enough tomorrow to let you live the BEST life ever. I know it's the best because God planned it for you. :)

It's enough to bring a smile to your face or a tear to your eye when you realize He's using each moment in your life to say, "I love you SO much."

Why don't we believe this? Why don't we FEEL like God loves us so much?

Well, I don't know. (Really? SO HELPFUL!! Just kidding.) Some days I get it. I understand that God loves me and life is beautiful. Then some days I feel like God ditched me and ran to the other side of the universe. What's the deal with that? I have a few possible explanations.

Most of the time, when I feel distant from God's love, it's because I ran away. Not Him. Then I'd get mad at God and push Him away, and then I'd have to pretend everything was fine at a moment's notice when anyone asked how I was doing. So that might be one reason why, if God feels far away from you right now. But that's just from my personal experience.

The other theory I have was inspired by the a page in the book "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. This particular day I read about how Christians should have faith instead of emotion. The author writes, "If we continually try to bring back those exceptional moments of inspiration, it is a sign that it is not God we want. We are becoming obsessed with the moments when God did come and speak with us, and we are insisting that He do it again." So days like this one were truly a blessing from God, but we can't expect them to be the norm. Chambers goes on to say , "Never live for those exceptional moments - they are surprises... We must never consider our moments of inspiration as the standard way of life - our work is our standard."

Sometimes, I think God lets us feel unloved (not become, mind you) in order that our faith might be strengthened. He still does love us unconditionally and watches to see if we'll believe that and continue to live in joy, even if we're not happy.

I know it's the song everyone's sick of now, but Oceans by Hillsong is a great summary of this idea. "Your grace abounds in deepest waters, your sovereign hand will be my guide," the song says. Trust that God loves you enough when you don't feel it. He hasn't left you.

Make sense? I hope it does. Thanks for reading!

-M

It's the Little Things

Hi readers! M. here; it's been WAY too long since I've posted. Apologies, guys! I've been branching out into other types of writing lately, like spoken word poetry and songwriting (!) but I'm back now with a Simplex story for you today!! (Just a forewarning: it was really awesome.)

By the way, how are you liking L's writing? I'm so excited that she gets to blog with us!

The story kind of begins on Friday night a few weeks ago. I spent the night at a friend's house and we stayed up till 4 in the morning, which was super exhausting but so much fun! We got up around 8:30 that morning and my friends introduced me to a TV show called "Once Upon a Time." I'd never seen it before, but I did enjoy the first two episodes.

While I was watching the show, I checked my email and I'd gotten two pins from L! They were super encouraging and I knew that today would be a good day.

I got home a little before lunchtime and went to get our 15-month old up from his nap. He wasn't feeling too well and had a runny nose, so I sat down on the couch and got to snuggle with him. Now, this child is not a snuggler; he's always up and running around, so I was really suprised that he sat there with me for several minutes! It definitely put a smile on my face.

At 2:00, I went to a lady's house to discuss a weekly childcare job for her kids. I got to meet them and they were so friendly! I was so excited to start working for them next week!

When I got home again, I had a great conversation with my mom about college stuff and got to snuggle with the baby AGAIN!! By this point, I'd started to notice that God was "up to something."

Other things that happened on that Saturday:

The sky outside was GORGEOUS!!
I got compliments on the shirt I was wearing twice in one day!! 
I was able to read several chapters of "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis, which I love!
I got to babysit a family from our church in the evening... 
When I drove home after watching the kids, I heard not one or two, but SIX songs on the radio in a row that encouraged me, blessed me, challenged me, and shifted my focus to Christ!! 
And I had to do dishes and shower when I got home, but I still got to bed before midnight!!!


By halfway through the day, I was starting to catch onto God's scheme. It was like he dumped a bucket of love on me, like never before. it was a day of lots of little things, but they sure counted!!

Lately, I've been using the phrase, "God chose." I've stopped asking God, "Why did you do this bad thing to me?" or "Why did you give me a bad day?" because I know the answer is always, "Because I did!" God doesn't need a reason for doing things in my life; he created me! And as a Christian, I gave Him control of my life, so questioning His motives is, honestly, really counterproductive!

I'm thankful. It really is the little things that make me feel blessed to be alive.

Thanks for reading! And I love hearing from you guys! Comment below!
Until next time! -M.

50 POSTS!!!

50TH POST AUTHOR INTERVIEW-CELEBRATION-COOL-THINGY

(translation: I (M.) couldn't come up with a good title for the 50th post. You'd think we have this down by now, but noooo.....)

ACTION KEY:
(A word in this color means this author is speaking, acting, or being described)

M: purple

L: green

E: blue

M: Simplex is now a real word! I'm pleased to announce that "Simplex" has been officially added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary... Not really! We're not that famous. (and we probably never will be!)

L: BUT WE'RE AWESOME!!!

E: And so is the LEGO Movie!! (Breaks into song and dance) "Everything is awesoooome..... Everything is cool when you're part of a team!!"

M: (stares at E. with slight concern)

L: (begins to laugh hysterically)

M: And so begins our interview... and impending demise.

QUESTION 1: TELL US SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT ONE OF YOUR FELLOW AUTHORS.

E. M enjoys using parentheses in weird and crazy ways... (M ponders the opportunity(but doesn't do anything about it(or does she???)))

L: and E. never gets enough sleep! (E. yawns)

M: and L is secretly a pop star! (L breaks out in loud song)

QUESTION 2: DESCRIBE THE OTHER GIRLS IN ONE WORD.

M: L is pondering and E is Engaging.
E: M is a rainbow and L is twirly!

L: E. is Random and M. is thoughtful.

M: We make a make a good mix!

QUESTION 3: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERISTIC OF GOD?

L: The fact that He knows us perfectly and still loves us perfectly!

M: The way He has a perfect plan for everything; how His story is woven through all aspects of our lives!

E. HIS SENSE OF HUMOR!!

QUESTION 4: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO POST ON THE BLOG?

M: I like writing about Simplexities or something creative, fun, and engaging.

L: Well, I haven't posted much yet but I enjoy writing stories!

E: I enjoy posting my drawings and funny wallpapers.

M: For example, the picture to the right was drawn by E. during the early stages of the interview, in 5 minutes, on a simple dry-erase board. THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is called talent!!

QUESTION 5: WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO?

L: Simon Peter. He messed up pretty bad, but Jesus forgave him and he did some pretty bold stuff for the gospel.

E: Donald Duck. No further questions.

M: Well, most of my friends are taller than me. My neck gets sore sometimes.

QUESTION 6: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BLOG POST UP TILL NOW?

E: Creative Writing Prompt #6 or #15.

L: "A Lot can change in Two Weeks."

M: Creative Writing Prompt #13. (but now, probably this 50th post!!)

(Pause of awkward silence, but only for a moment...)

E: Moo, I'm a cow, and you can't do anything about it!!

M: Wow, ok....

E: MOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

L: I like M.'s responses to E.

M: It's getting late, can you tell?

L: In other words, I love you both.

M: AWWWWW!!

E: .......moo?.......

CAN WE GET TO THE LAST QUESTION BEFORE YOU THREE GO INSANE?

M: Too late! 

E: (rises and begins to walk around the room like a penguin)

M: (sighs dramatically) We are all insane already.

E: Moo.

L: (Laughs at everyone in the most loving way possible)

THE LAST QUESTION: (FOR THIS INTERVIEW, ANYWAYS)

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE, SAGE WORDS, WISE WORDS, HUMOROUS WORDS, WORDS OF QUESTIONABLE INTENT, OR OTHER WORDS YOU WISH TO IMPART TO THE READING AUDIENCE?

L: Jesus loves you!!! M. and E. are awesome! And eat more Pizza.

E: Don't get brain freezes reading the blog. And doughnuts are good.

M: Paperclips. 'Nuff said.

Sore Feet and a Cloudy Sky

Hi readers! M. here with a simplex story of my weekend.

WHAT HAPPENED:
1. My feet got sore, and 2. It rained. Fairly simple weekend. Sounds boring, you say. (Yawn) So why on earth am I blogging about such a dull weekend?? (Haha, silly question. That's what ALL bloggers do!)

I had a few realizations about my sore feet and the rain. I felt inspired, and I learned a few somethings about God and myself from them.

That's the simple story. Here's the rest.

On Friday and Saturday I attended a homeschool convention. For a few hours during the weekend, I ran the exhibit hall, serving the vendors in small ways. (getting water, coffee, etc.) I forgot to get some comfortable shoes before the weekend and had to borrow my mom's shoes, which didn't fit quite right. Hence, sore feet! Not very interesting, you say? Well, it isn't. The thoughts I had on the way home, however, were.

I was thinking about thankfulness. I want to be a grateful person, and I try to thank God for His blessings each day. I wondered how I could be thankful for sore feet, but soon realized that I was thankful.

I was thankful because the fact that I had sore feet meant I could walk.
I was thankful because the fact that I had sore feet meant I could walk and had shoes to walk in.
I was thankful because the fact that I had sore feet meant I could walk, had shoes to walk in and had the convention to walk around at.
I was thankful because the fact that I had sore feet meant I could walk, had shoes to walk in, had the convention to walk around at, AND the freedom to walk around in this homeschool convention in America.
I was thankful because the fact that I had sore feet meant I had feet!! Get the picture? It wasn't that I was necessarily thankful for the soreness of my feet, but rather the reasons my feet were sore and the blessings I had in spite of this annoyance.

Simplexity #1 - check. Let's move on to the second event of the weekend.

RAIN.

Like I've mentioned before (repeatedly and perhaps to an annoying extent) I really love rain. It always reminds me of God's love for me. I collect my "rain stories" and store them in my memory for, well, other rainy days. Or late nights. Or blogs like this. (Stop rolling your eyes!)

A few stories:

When I was about 9 or 10, my family and I were on a road trip. It was late at night, and I had finally thought that I had picked out the big dipper. Without warning the car was in the midst of a torrent for no longer than two minutes, but it stopped, also with no warning. My mom remarked that it felt like a bucket had dumped tons of water on our car, then ran out just as fast as it poured.

I remember when winter rain came once, my brother and I put on our heavy snow coats and jumped on the trampoline in the rain.

There was one time when it started pouring in the middle of class. A few minutes later, our teacher let us out on break, but the rain had stopped and the sun shone vivid through the clouds. The crystal reflections on the walls and pavement flashed brightly.

At a mission trip meeting, the first of our summer storms hit. We finished before the downpour did and went outside to party. Let's just say over 80% of the group left for home soaked.

Two of my favorites happened at camp.

1. We were at Bible lesson time, in a tin-roofed building. A pile of hundreds of muddy shoes sat near the door, and as a Dad in the group taught, the rains came. The sound was deafening, words no longer discernible. I thought it was beautiful.

2. Last August. We were about to begin a team-building exercise when the skies opened. Of course we HAD to be doing the rock-climbing activity right at that point! The rain stopped a few minutes later, but everyone and everything was wet and slippery. We finished team-building and headed back to camp about a 1/4 mile away, but the storm was far from over!! No one got back to the cabins with even an inch of dry clothing. I loved every minute.

Sorry for the memory dump. Anyway, back to this Sunday's simplex rain.

It was different. I had fallen asleep in the afternoon due to my exhaustion from the weekend. I woke to the sound of the skies screaming. Normally I delight in those moments, but this rain, this torrent was angry. It was sad. I was usually overjoyed for summer showers, but when I heard this one, I knew something peculiar existed within the deluge. I still don't really understand why this rain made me feel bitter, for a storm has never done that before.

The simplex thing about it was that I had a chance to open up my rain-memory book and tell myself the joyful stories again, the ones above along with others.  The peaceful recollections brought a sense of acceptance. This rain reminded me of the song "How He Loves," in which the lyrics say this:

"He is jealous for me

loves like a hurricane, I am a tree

bending beneath 

the weight of his wind and mercy."

God's creativity astounds me, reminding me that I've had hundreds of rain stories to collect and yet none are alike! AND I could be thankful about the rain too, the way I learned this weekend!! I don't think I've even learned the whole lesson yet, but these little thoughts were definitely part of it.

Thanks for reading, as always! I hope you enjoyed my attempt at making my weekend sound interesting. :) See you next time!
-M.

The New Look and Other News

Hi Everyone!!!

How do ya like the *new* look??? I wanted something a little more fun for summer!!! 

In other news, it's L's birthday!!!! Well, it was last Friday. ;) (happy dance)

In other news....

Well, it's been a bit crazy 'round here. (My house, that is) We had lots of juggling with new foster babies and car trouble and my brothers' guinea pig died, too. :/ And that all happened in the last two days!!

One of the books I've been studying lately is Galatians. It's been cool to dig deeper into the first chapter. It talks about Paul's warning to the churches of Galatia about false teachers. He then goes on to share his testimony of his conversion and some of his missionary journeys. It's a pretty cool chapter, and I can't wait to get into the rest of the book!

Worldview was also awesome!! I staffed for a week in June and had an amazing time! I was so grateful to see friendships form and hear great conversations throughout the week. 

Last week I volunteered for our church's VBS program and it was such a blast!! My brother, my friend and I acted in the drama and got to walk around the campus in character afterward. I played the "bad guy" and had a great time with it! My character did come to a conversion experience on the last day, which got me thinking about the simplexity of it all!!!

Oh, and another cool thing! I was on the road the other day and I saw a truck with the word "Simplex" on the back!!!!! It was probably talking about that really complicated science term that pops up when you google it, but it still made my day!

There you have it, my completely random post for today. ;) I'm in a random mood today anyway.

See you next time!

-M.