I don’t know what to say, so I’ll begin with what I feel…

Gah, it’s so hard to not start writing with the phrase, “I know…” I’m just going to face it, I don’t know anything, really.  I’ve been taught a lot, but you never really know something until you’ve mastered it, and I’ve heard that takes at least 10,000 hours…

But really, what do I know?  It’s Valentine’s Day, and I’m just feeling a little bit down on myself.  Not terribly down, but, you know, just… out of it, I guess.  Life is taking on that quality where everything seems meaningless…

Instead of feeling down on myself, I will think about the things that I love. In The Sound of Music (I know, but bear with me), one of the songs says to think of your favorite things so you don’t feel so bad.  With this being the “Day of Love”, why not think on some things that stir up some passion?

1. I love my God.  I know that no matter where I am or what I feel, He is always with me, and I have never surprised Him in a way that He can’t handle.  I know that in Him, I always have someone to go back to.
2. I love my Family.  They have been a great support to me, especially in the recent years.  I know that I always have a place to call home that will offer a bed, warm food, and a listening ear.  I now that no matter what my difficulties are, I can turn to someone who can give me trusted advice.
3. I love what I do.  I love that I get to serve in amazing ministries and work with some great people.  I have never heard so many stories that evoke even more love from me when I think I’ve reached my “cap”.  I’ve learned to love people no matter what the situation is that they have gone through, and to see them as their Heavenly Father sees them.  I’m very thankful that I get to show them a small glimpse of that love, too; everyone deserves to see it.
4. I love the people that I get to serve alongside.  I can easily call them my friends, because they are there with me through thick and thin.  Some of them know me deeply, and some only have a cursory knowledge of me, but they all inspire me to dream big and then go after my dreams.  When my faith falters, at the perfect time – whether they know it or not – they have a story of how God has been faithful.
5. I love the times where I can be alone.  I need these times to take a step back and look at everything.  I am nowhere near perfect, but I can get things just a little bit more right when I can figure the mess out from a distance.
6. I love the future I have.  Although I have not experienced it yet, I know that God has “good plans for [me].”  I know that I can trust Him to do what is right for me.
7. I love it that my life is not my own.  How foolish and sad would it be if I went around acting as if everything revolved around me?  I would rather help someone out, make someone else’s life a little bit easier, than take for myself.
8. I love seeing where I have come from.  We all know we’re not perfect, so I’m just going to stop saying that.  Your past is yours, and mine is mine.  What is hard for you, may not be hard for me, and what is hard for me, may not be what is hard for you.  What has been hard for me, though, has been overcome by me, and I am both grateful and proud of it.
9. I’m happy to be an American.  Honestly.  We have a lot of dumb people and dumb drawbacks, but there are not many other nations that have the freedom to do as they please or go as they wish.  For that, I am very grateful.

Feelings don’t always tell us the truth.  They are only commentators on the now, and therefore must only be used for observing the moment.  We cannot trust them to direct our future or even to tell us an honest story about our past.  Don’t be taken by how you feel, but rather, have the control to dictate your own life and direct it towards what you know is good.