Author Archives: Chayli

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Life would be such a drab and dull thing without joy. Laughter would be stilled; humor would not exist; and we would wallow in despair so complete it would destroy us.

And yet. . . in a way life would be much simpler if we didn’t have to be joyful. It’s one thing when the sun is shining and our hearts are at rest. It’s quite another when life takes an unfair turn and we’re left gasping for breath at the injustice of it all. Joy is not the natural response to hard times. Anger is. Despair is. Sorrow is. But joy? Whyever joy?

How can God expect it of us?

And expect it of us He does. Rejoice evermore. . . in every thing give thanks. . . count it all joy. . . There’s no doubt what He wants from us as His children.

It looks fairly impossible from a human standpoint, this joying in all things. But joy is not something we stir up within ourselves or somehow create. Joy is a gift from God, and He loves to give good gifts to His children. Don’t try to concoct your own version of joy; just ask Him for His. Choose joy, and let Him remind you how much He loves you. No matter the trial, He has promised to never leave us, to walk with us through it, to give us as much strength as we need.

And that in itself is a reason to be joyful. He hasn’t left us alone to stagger beneath our pain; He’s right here with us. And while the laughter may be drowned in tears for a while, the joy can still be present. Joy in Him if in nothing else.

He is reason enough, and more. ...continue reading →

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Not everyone is lucky enough to spend nearly every day of their life with one of their best friends. . . but I am.

Not everyone is blessed with a brother that pursues the same interests and loves the same God. . . but I am.

Not everyone has someone who can read their thoughts and finish their sentences. . . but I do.

Here's to twenty-one years with the best brother ever. . . here's to you, Will. ...continue reading →

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God is so good. The passing of the years testifies to that. We grow, and we change, and if we abide in Him, we grow and change for the better. Life brightens and darkens; our roads wind seemingly aimlessly, but the path laid out behind us creates a portrait we never could have foreseen.

The future is no different. God’s hand paints beautiful pictures when we are surrendered to Him, and what does it matter if those pictures have their splashes of pain? It makes the painting all the more beautiful in the end. Chaos in the hands of the Father breeds peace; confusion begets trust. And every moment when given to Him can be made into something beautiful that brings Him glory. ...continue reading →

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I wonder how big God's smile was when He decided to create friends.

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I wonder if we realize how empty the world would be without them.

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There would be no glancing at someone across the room and bursting into laughter at an inside joke. . .
. . . no mad dashes through Target in the middle of the night looking for a certain kind of candy
. . . no sitting out in the yard in pjs till all hours of the night, whispering in the rain and trying to laugh uproariously without waking up the entire neighborhood
. . . no bursting into the same song at the same time
. . . no long discussions about things that matter
. . . no wandering through K-Mart with tears streaming down your cheeks
. . . no tense rook games that last till three in the morning ...continue reading →

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From dark to light the Voice speaks life,
And worlds and souls take wing.
From heav'n the guardians look down;
A little angel sings.

From light to dark men's hearts soon turn,
A selfish path they keep.
And as he sees their fall begin,
The little angel weeps.

Years upon years, with sorrow vast,
What evil mortals sow.
But of the love that waits for them
The little angel knows. ...continue reading →