To Bemoan is to Mourn.

So, as I was reading my devotional in Jesus Calling today I came across a word I didn't exactly know the meaning of.

"bemoaning", or, "to bemoan"

Yeah...you probably don't know what it means either, so let me inform you. :)

I quickly googled it, otherwise I would have no idea what my devotional was about. hahah.

Advertisement (Bad banner? Please let us know)	be·moan  (b-mn) tr.v. be·moaned, be·moan·ing, be·moans 1. To express grief over; lament. 2. To express disapproval of or regret for; deplore:

My devotional:

"I am with you. These four words are like a safety net, protecting you from falling into despair. Because you are human, you will always have ups and downs in your life experience. But the promise of My Presence limits how far down you can go. Sometimes you may feel as if you are in a free fall, when people or things you had counted on let you down. Yet as soon as you remember that I am with you, your perspective changes radically. Instead of bemoaning (I bold faced it to emphasize) your circumstances, you can look to Me for help. You recall that not only am I with you, I am holding you by your right hand. I guide you with My counsel, and afterward I will take you into Glory. This is exactly the perspective you need: the reassurance of My Presence, and the glorious hope of heaven.

Zephaniah 3:17; Psalm 73:23-26



The word "bemoaning" really stuck out to me. First of all, I didn't know what it meant, and secondly, I've been "bemoaning" things all week. To bemoan means to grieve, lament, experience sorrow, pity, complain, wail about, weep over. I've been doing a lot of this lately....but I had no idea what to call it. After reading this I realize that to bemoan something means to express emotion over it. To grieve over it. To pity yourself and cry and wail like a big baby, at least for me anyway. The devotional said, "instead of bemoaning your circumstances, you can look to Me for help".

Instead of crying yourself to sleep each night over feeling lonely, or grieving your past, or throwing a temper tantrum because God isn't giving you what you want.....rethink it. Don't dwell on it, don't dwell on what you don't have, and don't dwell over what you do have. It continues in saying, "This is exactly the perspective you need: the reassurance of My Presence, and the glorious hope of heaven."

All the previous things I mentioned can be cured by one thing: perspective. Rather, a change of perspective. To cure the loneliness or grief, we need not dwell on it, or wail over it, or pity ourselves for not having a soul mate yet, we can be reassured of God's presence, and the hope of heaven that we have.

Sometimes I tell my self that it's ok to be human.....that inevitably, I will make mistakes, say something I shouldn't have said, or try being something I'm not. Through all of this, "I am with you. These four words are like a safety net, protecting you from falling into despair."

I will not grieve because I have hope in heaven. (Psalm 73:25)
I will not despair because I make mistakes. (Psalm 73:26)

I will not bemoan my circumstances because God is my help. (Psalm 73: 24-26)

Don't bemoan. It causes you more pain than good......................... :)

The Golden Rule Broken Down

So, I was hanging out with one of my best friends a few nights ago, and he gave me the best piece of advice I'd ever heard from him.

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Say about others as you would have them say about you.
Talk to others as you would have them talk to you.
Love others as you would have them love you.
Believe in others as you have them believe in you.
Cultivate relationship with others as you would have them cultivate relationships with you.
Listen to others as you would have them listen to you..."

He said, "It's so basic, yet I honestly tend to forget to do these things. I hope that you never do for they are the real source of joy. God won't make you happy (he never promises that), but being what God is to you towards others will."

Man. Sometimes I think that sinners have more encouraging words than Christians. Or maybe it's just that they represent the Bible better than we do at times. Needless to say, I learned my lesson and hope to never forget to live like this. After all, Jesus just didn't toss the Golden Rule at his disciples, he preached it on the Sermon on the Mount. THE BEST SERMON EVER GIVEN. Yeah, It's THAT important. Jesus said, "this sums up the Law and the Prophets". Meaning, "that's it. The Golden Rule...." Treat others the way you want to be treated, with love, kindness, and good character.

Matthew 7:12

I have a love/hate relationship with love.

There comes a point in your life when you realize you're tired at working at relationships.
For me...that point is now....age 21.
Maybe I'm the only one who's felt this way, and that's fine.
I'm just sharing my thoughts and feelings........

As I look back over the past 6 years of my life, I can only think of a few things.
1. I wasted time worrying about boys.
2. I wasted time ON boys.

I'm not addicted to them, and I don't love every one of them.
I refuse to believe that I wear my heart on my sleeve, but my sleeve seems awfully wet from drying tears they've cause to fall from me.
I'd like to think I'm merely figuring out God's greatest attribute: love. loving. lover.
After all, God is THE greatest lover. He is love.
I can't argue the definition of love, and all that encompasses it...because....I can't get my mind around it. It's as simple as that.....the conclusion it took me 6 years to find. Love is too great for me to comprehend, because God is too great for me to comprehend.

I will never understand why He loves me. It's obvious that no man on earth has ever loved me in return, which is hard to swallow, but at the same time, it's easy to realize that an infinite being you've never met loves you deeply and intimately. I'm still trying to figure that one out.

I'll be honest, in the midst of loneliness the only thought that enters my mind deals with love.
The love of God.
The love He freely gives.
The only love I've ever known.
The greatest love I've ever known.

Right now, this very moment....1:47am, there's no place I'd rather be than with Jesus.
No more pain, no more worrying, no more heartbreaks.
The perfect picture of love standing right in front of me.

He loves me when no one else does.
When you think all love in the world is lost.
Or when love seems to happen for everyone else except you.
When you think you've lost your chance at it, or from ever experiencing it, you realize...you just don't give a rip anymore. At least, that's where I'm at.

I probably won't care if a guy never talks to me again. For the rest of my life.
I'm sure after awhile females would get boring, and too dramatic for me, but the thought of never having to worry about men seems like sort of a relief.
In fact, living in a world of women is the only solution to not worrying about men that I can come up with at this moment. Then again, it is 1:50 in the morning and I wish my laundry would hurry up.

I guess...the point in writing this is... that I refuse to get my hopes up. I refuse to like someone who doesn't like me back. I refuse to let my interest and curiosity get me into trouble and heartache because, well, it's just not worth it anymore. If you play a sport and suck uber bad....eventually you stop playing. You give up, throw in the towel, and walk away. But, it's ok...because that's when you feel free and such relief.

I felt that way when I walked away from my last softball game. Relief. I formed a love hate relationship with it. On the fence of deciding you hate something, or love it. So then you just decide it has to be both because it's easier than actually having to choose indefinitely.

That's where I'm at. I have a love/hate relationship with love. Or maybe I just hate loving and not being loved back. God is enough. God's love is enough... keep repeating this....