True Happiness

Hey Dear Sisters!
I'm sorry this post is so long overdue. I've spent the weekend at my grandparents and they are blessed with this lovely thing called an Internet connection at home--something I don't have anymore :( so I've been enjoying myself with that luxury/blessing (and it really is one too! if you're normal and have Internet at your house, no matter how slow, be thankful because some people actually have it!! -- that'd be me lol) but anyway, so here I've been basking in the use of the Internet-- and I was doing good stuff too!!! I was really surfing around other amazing blogs that other sisters have started and do, and i was looking up all this stuff and doing a lot of "research", and i won't lie, i was doing a considerable amount of playing around as well :) . But then in church this morning my grandma's pastor said something that got me thinking-- and it was only vaguely related-- but it was like God said, "Katie, you've had four days of unimpeded Internet service and how much of that have you used to benefit others as opposed to benefiting yourself?" ...
...
...
The ratio was like 95% me, 5% others.
It's funny how we can get so caught up in other things--even good things!-- and miss out on the opportunity to really model Christ and His love and also to be a blessing to others by our service to them.
You'll notice the title of this post is "true happiness"-- I had a happy time tonight as i had the awesome privilege to spend time with my oldest and one of my very best friends--who i never get to see anymore! :( But we had a few hours to spend together tonight. But as we talked, God gave me the inspiration and she gave me the incentive to share with you some passages from a book I've been reading.
The book is entitled God Girl and it's by Hayley DiMarco. It's about how a girl of God aught to behave and the character qualities she should exhibit. One of them is "true happiness". Even though the principles she brings to light are simple, they're totally profound and unique, and are challenging my way of thinking! I just wanted to share a few of them with you!
     "...Happiness is based not on circumstances or success, but on the very nature of God. He promises to be your joy...Happiness is found not in your circumstances, but in your thoughts."
     "A girl who knows true happiness is a girl who knows truth and loves it. Unhappiness comes when you know the truth but you aren't so happy about it and when you do things that disagree with what you know to be right."
     "A God Girl knows true happiness because she isn't lying to herself about what her heart knows, but she puts all her faith on the fact that God is trustworthy...True happiness is within the reach of anyone willing to risk taking God at His Word and refusing to believe anything else, even if she feels it deeply or hears it repeatedly."

                      is this hitting anyone else? or am i the only one wincing here?!

i know i tend to focus WAY to much on my feelings. but it really struck me the way she goes on to state how we can have true happiness. The first point is to "tell yourself the truth"-- or quit lying to ourselves. This is something i never really thought about like this before.
     "The pursuit of truth is the passion of every God Girl."
Right-- got that. I want the truth, to know it, to search for it, to hold to it firmly once I've found it.
     "God offers you...the most that you could ever receive, and all you have to do is to tell yourself the truth. And the only way to know what that truth is, is to look into the Word of God. In every area where she has trouble, the God Girl searches out the truth and then repeats it to herself. She takes those lies she's been believing and edits them out of her vocabulary."
     "Anytime you say "I can't," "it's too hard," "I'm depressed," or "I'm afraid"; anytime you panic or worry; anytime you act in anger, bitterness, or frustration-- you are lying to yourself."
And here's the kicker:
     "God's Word is all true, so if what you say or believe is the opposite of God's Word, it's a lie. Lies make you unhappy. They destroy lives and make things difficult. But the Truth gives you strength, hope, and power."
those are POWERFUL words dear sisters! sometimes we allow ourselves to plummet into unhappiness or depression because we believe the lies that the devil daily spits at us. And he has special, tailor-made ones for each of us. He's not all-knowing like God, but he's not stupid either! He's knows your weak points! He knows mine!
And sometimes too, we allow ourselves to dwell on all the troubles and problems in our lives, instead of counting our blessings and standing on the promises. Instead of thinking, 'you know, it'd really be nice if i had Internet connection at my house', i should be thinking 'you know, i have my own laptop, which many people don't. I have three libraries, however hick-ish and small, that all have (free!!!) Internet access i can use, within six miles, ten minutes, of my house' praise God for it!
So... (i swear i didn't set out to write a book! lol it just was like once i got going, thoughts just kept coming)
Anyway...
I'm making it a point this week to every day try to train my thought into this direction/way of thinking. I challenge you to join me, dear sisters!!!!! Every morning let's set out on the fresh day our Lord has seen fit to bless us with with a prayer to Him to guide us in this decision and to train our thoughts to dwelling on the truth (which He tells us that His "Word is truth" (John 17:17)-- so let's be in it so we know what it is to think on it!!!) and ask Him to help us. Let's purpose each morning/day not to plummet into despair at the very real problems we may be facing, but to dive into the Word for consolation and the truth which brings us true happiness!! (Psalms 119:81,82,83,86,87,88 &92-94 tells us to do just that! verses 81-88 say four times right in a row that even when everything seems to be going wrong, we are to hope, remember, not forsake, and keep God's Word! Verses 92-94 tell us whenever we're afflicted to open God's Word!!!)And be willing to take God at His Word-- I'd say it's a risk worth taking!!!
Let's purpose to open God's Word in moments of discouragement, anger, frustration, hurt, despair, or fear!!! Don't plummet into despair~~~
                                              Dive into the Word!!!
I love you all so very very much!
Love and prayers in Christ!