Random things

Here are some random things that have been clunking around my head this week (well, random to you maybe, but not so random to me. God tends to work in themes. Or maybe he just repeats himself. Kind of like the tips for good reading interpretation--you can pick out key ideas just by looking for repeated words. When God's got his finger on something in my life, it tends to become clear as one [or two] things come up in several ways and through several means in one small span of time.)

• Being forgiven doesn't make sin any less icky. I can be secure in God's acceptance of me and yet still experience the painful consequences of my bad choices. This is not fun.
• No matter how I feel in the moment, God is totally in control.
• God's purposes for me are always good, and I can trust him.
• Trying to manage and control and manipulate is pretty much a guaranteed recipe for anxiety.
• On the other hand, trusting God is the way to real peace (the deep kind, not the superficial kind). When I live here, no matter how bad I'm feeling, it can feel good underneath.