Everything is different

Awhile ago I found this quote and I really think that it describes my life. 

This year has been really difficult for me. Last year at this time I had just graduated from high school, had a boyfriend, great friends, and the whole world in front of me. Over the last year a lot of things have happened that have turned my life upside down. For awhile I was unhappy because I felt like everything was just going wrong. Then I sat down and thought about it and realized that yes, everything has changed and become different in the last year, but different isn't always bad, it's just different. 

A year may have passed but I have so many more years ahead of me. Some may not turn out how I want, but God has a plan for me and I need to trust him. I am a firm believer that everything happens because it is in God's plan and I believe that God will not give me something to overcome unless he knows I can handle it. So even though everything is different than last year, this is my life now and I am going to just sit back and live and love the life in front of me and not look back on the past. 

Its been a long time.....

It has been quite sometime since I have written a blog. I can't decided if it is because I have been to busy or just because life has been going so wonderful I didn't need to vent. Well my first year of College is winding down. I have one more final tomorrow and then one more on wednesday and then it's summer for me! Things have been a bit stressful lately with trying to stay caught up in school, work, and have a social life. But I think it has been going pretty well. I feel like things are starting to look up. Over the past few weeks it feels like so many things are working out in my favor and I couldn't be more grateful to God for that. For awhile I was kind of feeling alone and like no matter what I did things just would stay bad. But I stuck though it and now things are looking up. Now that i'm done with the stress of this semester i'm hoping that I will be blogging more. But lets face it I don't have much to complain about right now, but I am still on my journey of searching and discovering this world so I know I will be back (:

Until next time,

Regan Lechner

Throw the Stone

Here is one of my favorite bible verses of all time that I wanted to share with you (:

John 8:1 to 8:11

"Jesus went across to Mount Olives, but he was soon back in the Temple again. Swarms of people came to him. He sat down and taught them. The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone and said, 'Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. Moses, in the law, gives orders to stone such a person. What do you say?' They were trying to trap him into saying something incriminating so they could bring charges against him.

Jesus bent down and wrote with his fingers in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, 'the sinless one among you, go first; throw the stone.' Bending down again, he wrote some more in the sand.

Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. 'Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?

'No one, Master.'

'Neither do I,' said Jesus. 'Go on your way. From now on, don't sin."

Art can change your life

As you may have noticed I have a bit of an obsession with One Tree Hill. Mostly because it influenced most of my high school years. It is an excellent show that I would highly recommend. I am terrible sad that it is over. Anyways, one of the girls named Peyton on the show is an artist and draws a lot of pictures that have meaning to her, had meaning to me, and may have meaning to you. 

So here are a few (:

Who to blame?

It is human nature to need someone or something to blame when things go wrong. I know I am guilty of this. I feel like a lot of people blame God when things go wrong. I can understand this because trust me I have blamed him a lot. But that doesn’t make it right. I am a strong believer that things happen for a reason. I believe that everything that happens in our lives God intended on it happening to teach us a lesson or make us stronger. Yeah, at times I still think wow really God why do I deserve that? It is common when your car breaks down, you have a bad break up, or a friendship ends to blame God. But maybe he had that happen for you. Maybe your car broke because you needed a new one. Maybe you had a bad break up because it wasn’t a healthy relationship. Maybe a friendship ended because that person was not meant to be in your life. Life isn’t going to be easy, but if it was then what would be the point in living? Life is worth living for our success and failures. For the good and the bad. Those are the things that make life so beautiful. Yeah, at times it is still difficult to understand, but I strongly believe that having the idea that things happen for a reason will make my life much better. I believe that God will never put a challenge in my life if he knew I couldn’t overcome it. I know I have not had a difficult life. Yes, there are some things that I wish hadn’t had to happen, but I now know that without them I wouldn’t be who I am. I don’t think that God is trying to punish me. I think he is trying to make me stronger. I am so grateful for this, because I know that who I am is because of him. I know that I wouldn’t have the good without the bad and I owe that to him. I am blessed to have someone who cares so much and to have someone who I know wont ever let me down. I now know things happen for a reason and I hope other people can understand that as well.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on my own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make paths straight."

Proverbs 3:5-6

Quote Three: Moving on

Quote Three (:

I know, from experience, that moving on is very difficult. But you need to move on in order to be happy with your new life. when one chapter of your life ends another one opens and it was God's intention for you to get a new opportunity. At first it may not seem like it's what you want but give it a chance and if it isn't right for you then God will have you move on once again. But he doesn't do anything for no reason. Everything he does is to benefit you as a person and he wouldn't give you a challenge if you were not strong enough to over come it. Trust in God and it can change your whole outlook on life. For me I trust him with everything and at times I have my doubts but at the end of the day I know he knows me better than anyone and I have faith that he will make everything will be okay. 

Am I good enough?

I want to share with you one of my most inspirational quote and photo from my favorite TV show One Tree Hill. 

BROOKE DAVIS: I was worried I wouldn't be enough for you. That's why I lied. That's what I'm afraid of. Not being enough. Not good enough, not smart enough, not pretty enough.

I feel like many teenage girls go through a period in their life when they don't feel like enough. I know I have. In High School I was very insecure. I put other people's opinions before myself and that was stupid. The past few months I have finally realized that I need to do things for myself. Because there are only two opinions that matter. Myself and God. I am already perfect in God's eyes which means I just need to be happy with myself. I am currently reading a book called Life of the Beloved by Henri J.M. Nouwen and wanted to share a quote that relates. 

"I have called you by name, from the very beginning. You are mine and I am yours. You are my beloved, on you my favor rests. I have molded you in the depths of the earth and knitted you together in your mother's womb. I have carved you in the palms of my hands and hidden you in the shadow of my embrace. I look at you with infinite tenderness and care for you with a care more intimate than that of a mother for her child. I have counted every hair on your head and guided you at every step. Wherever you go, I go with you, and wherever you rest, I keep watch. I will give you food that will satisfy all your hunger and drink that will quench all your thirst. I will not hide my face from you. You know me as your own as I know you as my own. You belong to me. I am your father, your mother, your brother, your sister, your lover, and your spouse....yes, even your child....wherever you are I will be. Nothing will separate us. We are one."

I have finally realized that if God loves me as much as he does then I can and will love myself. 

Suddenly those negative thoughts:

not good enough

not smart enough

not talented enough

not pretty enough

have changed into:

I AM good enough 

I AM smart enough

I AM talented enough

I AM pretty enough

I AM enough for myself and God and no one else's opinion matters.

I hope that this blog post can give other people a better outlook. At times I still find myself falling into my old way of thought but then I look in the mirror (figuratively speaking) and focus on what makes me the person I am. I am happy with who I am and I know that I am who I am because God intended on me being that way. God doesn't make mistakes and would never give me an obstacle if he knew I couldn't overcome it.  Next time you don't feel like enough listen to that faint voice in the back of your head that says you are enough, because you are (: