Seeking Satisfaction

Hey friends!
     Can we all just throw our hands up for spring break?! I totally am over here. Jill and I have kicked off our spring break with a full schedule. There's movie days, cookie making, shopping extravaganzas, and a whole lot of time with some spectacular people. Today we woke up early and shipped our parents to Vegas for their 20th wedding anniversary. Seriously how exciting is that?! So, Jill and I decided to start spring break proper: pancakes and an Audrey Hepburn movie. May or may not be the way we start every morning.... We are so stoked for this entire next week and have been looking forward to it for about a month. The reason we're so excited is what we chose to put on the agenda: things we love to do, our favorite people, and unique bonding time with one another. We've been itching to get rid of our parents so we can get started with this jam packed week. This week will be without a doubt be filled with genuine joy and overwhelming excitement because of what Jill and I are making a priority.

-- "For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things." - Psalm 107:10 --

     Recently, I've found myself seeking joy and recently I've found my joy in all the wrong places. As much as I say on the blog to find your joy and excitement in only Christ and live your life doing what you're passionate about; I've not been living that out as genuinely as I should. I've sought out dead ends, I've devoted me time to stressful things, and I've turned in circles seeking satisfaction. Not until I started a study wth my sweet friend Jackie Cole, did I realize where my downfall was. Ironically, it was deep within myself. The Bible study we committed ourselves to was one on living free and breaking the bond between us and our strongholds. It was life changing and eye opening. This study helped me realize how present my God is in my life and just how often He shows up for me ( spoiler alert: it's all the time). But probably the biggest take away was the source of my satisfaction and also my dissatisfaction. Through prayer and the word, God revealed Himself to me time and time again. The way He revealed Himself to me was as my ultimate sustainer, absolute ruler, one and only, and everlasting Father. He is mine and I am His. He is all I need. It took time and even took testing, but I came to see that my God alone is my satisfaction. Only He can meet every desire I will ever have. But, there's a catch: I had to get rid of the source for my dissatisfaction.

     Now, this doesn't mean I've been leading an unhappy depressed life. No, I was choosing to find happiness in places God wasn't center and give my time to things God wasn't apart of. I was turning to other worldly things for satisfaction rather than God alone. There's an ugly word for that: it's called an idol. Ouch.  Like everyone else, I had this deep craving in my heart, and I bet like many of you, I tried to meet that craving in my own way. Through my bible study, I came to understand God created us all with that deep rooted craving. God also created a way for that craving and desire to be eternally met. It's through a unique and intentional relationship with Him and Him alone. If we strive for that relationship while still holding hands with our idol, no craving is being met. But once we let go of all worldly attractions and turn both eyes and hand up to God, our satisfaction will be forever sustained. God is just so cool like that. After the six weeks of the study, I've identified the harsh yet real idols in my life, that are deeply rooted within. I've also taken initiative to rid myself of them and replace them with God. It's not easy, far from it. But it's beneficial and oh so rewarding. I want to always feel that sense of craving because it encourages me to actively seek after a way to fulfill it. Now I know who it is I'm earnestly searching after, for I now know I need not search any other place. God has proven himself worthy of all my joy and attention, and boy does He deserve it.
     In the same way I'm going into my spring break choosing things that bring happiness; I'm taking that approach to many other areas of my life. In the pass six weeks I've gotten a lovely glimpse at what true satisfaction and joy is and how appealing it was. The peace it brought was instantaneous, the joy it brought was lasting, and the feeling over all was one of release. I'm releasing what I thought would make me happy and fill me up over to the one who already has that job. God's got this sewn up in our lives, we don't have go out searching and hoping something else can provide only what He can.  From now on, as challenging and testing it will be, in taking what I read in my study and putting it into action. I'm seeking God and not this world, I'm letting go of control and taking a step back. My God has, is, and will forever satisfy every need I have and He will abundantly do the same for you as well. Earnestly seek and choose Him in all areas of you life. He's already waiting for you there.

XOXO- Em