Category: Inspiration

The Meaning Series Part Four: Individuality

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Individuality is probably one of the most discussed topics in modern day society; you cannot go on a social media website without seeing some sort of quote about being yourself. Be yourself is one of the most widely used themes in many well known movies throughout the decades. Everywhere you turn, you hear messages about embracing your individuality, but what does that mean? The definition will likely vary a little for everyone, but to me it means accepting the person God created you to be. It would make sense that as creations, we ought to look to our Creator to find out who we are and who we’re meant to be.

Psalms 139:13-14 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful I know that full well.” Emily P. Freeman, in her book A Million Little Ways; Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live, says “I can’t imagine anything more dangerous to the enemy of our hearts than people who know who they are.” If we know who we are, we’ll be less apt to fall for Satan’s lies about who he tells us we are. Though the concept has been secularized by some, I believe that it remains a pretty spiritual concept. If we know who we are, we’ll be better able to find God’s purpose for our lives. A big part of this, is being honest with ourselves about our personalities and passions.

Being that I have a couple of teen years in my rearview, I’ve experienced (And am still experiencing) some of this process. I’ve gone through a good deal of different stages, which have resulted in some interesting photographs. In jr. high school, I went through a stage where I looked like Laura Ingalls Wilder with glasses and acne. For a brief period of high school, I went through a phase with small colored hair extensions. Those were fun, but a bit of a pain.

Nonetheless, discovering who you are goes much deeper than hair and clothes phases. It’s something that you often find bits and pieces of when you least expect it. I remember taking a short, unofficial, free version of the Meyers Briggs Personality Test during my freshman year of high school. Prior to that test, I always saw myself as an introvert. I’ve never been someone who feels comfortable in large crowds, and I sometimes feel like hiding behind a very large object in a new environment. Thus, as you can imagine, I was surprised to see my Meyers Briggs results say I’m extraverted. In retrospect, it makes sense, as I tend to gain energy around people, even if I’m somewhat shy and reserved. Another surprise came during that same year, when I discovered my passion for communicating through song. Watching movies about characters who wrote songs made me want to try my hand at it myself. Little by little, I began using songwriting as a medium to express emotions and beliefs, and found that I loved it. I still write songs, and hope to get them published someday. In addition to discovering a love for songwriting, I’ve also discovered that I enjoy singing and I have begun taking voice lessons.

True, these are all relatively small pieces of myself, but each piece brings us a little closer to the person God created us to be. You can’t define yourself by things like extravert or songwriter, but those things bring out deeper parts of your personality. In my songwriting, I’ve found a sense of carefreeness in myself that I might not have discovered otherwise, being that I often tend to be a bit on the uptight side. In my extraverted-ness, I’ve come to see how being around other people makes me feel alive. Each piece of yourself is part of the larger picture of you, and each person is part of the larger picture of God’s creation. If you look at the journey of finding yourself in this light, it becomes something bigger than you: God and living a meaningful life that touches the lives of others. Everyone has a purpose and a voyage in life, and finding out who you are as a person, and who you are in Christ, is one of the first steps to beginning that voyage.

The Meaning Series Part Three: Community

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Today’s topic in The Meaning Series is Community (No, not the TV show). I wasn’t quite sure how to address this one, as it’s going to be a bit of a broad topic, but I think the word Community about covers it.

People need other people. It’s been this way since the Garden of Eden, when God decided to create someone for Adam to be with. Humans were not meant to live a life of solitude, we were meant to interact with other humans, forming meaningful relationships. In the modern age of the 21st century, this will likely look a little different for everyone. Studies show that Milennials are marrying much later in life, creating more of a need for creative solutions such as living with a roommate. I think we’re entering an era where the threshold to adulthood will look very different in coming years than it did in past generations; leaving the Church with questions about how to minister to their congregation.

One Bible passage that I have always loved and that I believe applies here is Matthew 12:48-50. “He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”” I believe that this is a particularly powerful and overlooked passage in the Bible. I love the idea that as Christians, we’re one big family; that all of my Christian friends are my brothers and sisters. Could you imagine what it would look like if we, in the Body of Christ, operated like this? One phenomenon that I’ve noticed at different churches throughout the years, is that we often fall into a pattern of looking like small, individual puzzles in the same box rather than one big puzzle. What if we really took the time to invest in each others lives and love each other like a family?

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m a big fan of 80’s TV shows. One thing that I’ve noticed in watching some of those shows, such as Full House, Who’s The Boss, Boy Meets World, etc., is that they really show strong examples of loving those who aren’t biologically related. On Full House, Jessie and Joey really become Uncle/Second father figures to D.J., Stephanie, and Michelle. On Who’s the Boss, Tony and Angela treat other’s kids as if they were their own. On Boy Meets World, Cory and Shawn are close enough to be brothers, with Cory’s parents treating Shawn as their own son. Not to mention that Mr. Feeny is like a grandpa to his students. What would it be like, if we as Christians looked like that? What if we saw each other: our friends, our mentors, and those younger than us, as family? Imagine the witness of Christian love this would be to the world. What if, instead of living disconnected and independent of each other, we lived in such a way that we could count on others to be there for us, and in turn, we were there for them. What if we lived out friendship and community in such a way, that we really became a family? I believe that a vital aspect of life is other people, both our biological families and those who aren’t related to us. As the song, No Man is an Island by Tenth Avenue North says “We’re not meant to live this life alone.” This may look different for you than it does for me, and yet even more different for your neighbor across the street. Nonetheless, we all need others and God calls us all to be one big family; loving each other as He loves each of us.

The Meaning Series Part Two: Work

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Work is something that has always been part of the living experience. Throughout the ages, people have always done some sort of work. As early in the Bible as Genesis 2:15, we read that The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.(NIV). In some of the earlier ages of human existence, work was mostly limited to fieldwork; tending to crops and animals. Today work can include anything from fieldwork to working as a high executive at a major business firm. Throughout the mid 1900s, America experienced the wave of the women’s movement, which gave woman the right to work in job fields that have typically been limited to men. Throughout my preteen years, I remember watching TV shows from the 1980s and being drawn to hardworking female characters. As I watched them, confident, well respected, and influential, I knew that I too wanted a career someday. For me, it was never about money, but rather contributing something to society. The characters on those shows were like big sister figures, telling me that yes, I have a voice and I too can succeed in a career.

I believe that it’s important for people to work in some way, shape, or form. Work is not limited to a career, it could mean the stay-at-home-mom who works to take care of her kid(s). Some of you reading this blog might have aspirations or dreams to become a famous singer or actor. You may be wondering what you ought to be doing right now. Personally, I believe that even if your end goal is to become a famous singer, it’s still important to have an “ordinary” job in the mean time. Kelly Clarkson was a waitress before she was a majorly successful pop singer. There is something inherently human about working, it was commanded by God even before the Fall. I think that the first time I really experienced the value of work firsthand was when I was thirteen. I had written a manuscript of my first book to try to self publish. Self publishing costs money, and being that I was only thirteen, I didn’t have a whole lot. My parents agreed to pay for part of it, but I had to come up with the remainder. Thus, my Dad had me work in the yard with him to earn the money to publish my book. There were days that I sweat like never before, but I was determined. After a lot of hours working, I earned my share of the money that I had to come up with to publish my book. The feeling of productivity and accomplishment was incredible.

I believe that working towards our goals, even if the work only looks like serving tables, makes the end goal seem a whole lot more special. Furthermore, by working, we have the chance to contribute to the well-being of society. For instance, waiting tables may not seem like a lot to you, but to the tired family coming home from a road trip, it’s a major blessing. I challenge you to, throughout the week, look at the work you do, no matter how “small” through a different set of eyes. Colossians 3:23-24 says Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men…It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

The Meaning Series Part One: Dreams

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Today is day one of a new blog series that I’m starting, called The Meaning Series. The Meaning Series is going to basically talk about some of the things that I believe give meaning to life. The series isn’t in order of importance, but rather in a random order. This is going to be a five part series with a different topic for each post, covering the subjects of dreams, work, community, individuality, and faith. Today, I’m going to be discussing dreams.

I suppose I’ve always been a big dreamer. I love possibilities, looking at what could be rather than what is. I’m probably more of an idealist than a realist. Some people would argue that dreaming is futile and silly, but I disagree. It is dreams that have created some of the realities we see today. Where would we be without the dreams of the founders of America? Or, Martin Luther’s dream for equality? Dreams (along with hard work) are the things that progress society into something better and brighter. You may be thinking “Wait, how can my dreams benefit others?” I believe that if you look to the heart of your dreams, you’ll find that they often aren’t just about you, but about something that you feel you can offer others. Say you want to be a be a writer; Do you desire this because you feel you have something important to say to your readers and you want to teach through story? Or, say for example, you want to be an actor; Do you believe that film is a medium that influences society greatly and are there truths about the world that you want to demonstrate through your acting and movies?

Sometimes, if you take a closer look at your dreams, you’ll find a lot that you didn’t realize was there.

Thus, I urge you to hold onto your dreams. Keep working hard to make your dreams a reality. From my perspective, dreaming, and wanting something more in life is an important part of living and being fully alive. Don’t miss out on life now in the midst of dreaming, but hold onto those dreams, in hopes that someday in the future, they’ll be a reality.

Frozen Actress Calls Young Girl Battling Cancer

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This is very touching article. The actresses who voices one of the characters in the Disney movie Frozen calls up a young girl battling cancer. If more people took the time to brighten another’s day as Kristen Bell did, the world would be a better place. 🙂

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/slices/frozen-star-kristen-bell-calls-young-girl-battling-cancer-encouragement

A Balanced Life

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Good morning everyone. It’s been a couple of days since my last blog post, so now seems like a fitting time to write another one. Today’s topic, as you may have figured out by the title, is going to be about balance. In other words, juggling multiple things on your to-do list in a way that doesn’t make you loose it. It’s kind of funny that I’m writing about this during the summer, which is typically a more stagnant time of the year for me. Nonetheless, I’ve found lately that I’ve been having a harder time keeping everything in balance than I did during the school year. With unlimited free time, it’s a little easy to loose focus of goals and responsibilities. I haven’t done near as much writing for my book as I had hoped and I really need to study more to take my permit test again. Though I’m writing about balanced life, this reminds me a little of an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bell-Air when Will’s mom called him and asked if he was eating a balanced diet. He held up a pizza and a sandwich, balancing them, and answered yes

Here’s a GIF to illustrate this

If only balancing life were as easy as holding up food.

Anyways, back to my point, as I got a little off topic here. I think that in some ways, it’s easier to get off balance in the summer than the school year, as homework takes up a good percentage of time during school. In the summer, it’s pretty much up to you to balance your time, and not spend too much of it watching 80s TV and reading blogs (confession time!). Thus, I’m going to come up with a couple of ways to keep life balanced (And try to follow them myself!)

1. Make small goals. You can’t expect to accomplish everything in one day. If you do that, you’ll either procrastinate everything or get worn out trying to do impossible tasks. In my case, this would look like writing a couple of pages in my novel a day rather than trying to write the whole thing in one day. It would look like starting on the book for my summer reading list and doing a little at a time, rather than trying to read the whole thing at once. If I make small goals for the day, I’ll be able to complete them, feel accomplished, and still have time to relax and read my new Karen Kingsbury book.

2. Be conscientious of how much time you’re on the computer. I’ll be honest. This is a hard one for me. In modern day life, it seems that everything we do is online. I have my novel to write, my blog, email, other people’s blogs…You name it, it’s on the computer. Nonetheless, I’ve noticed that when I’m on the computer for too long, I tend to get stressed and somewhat sluggish. Thus, I really have to be careful about that in the summer, as it’s very easy to spend hours attached to the screen without realizing where the time has gone. If you have the same problem, try to think of hobbies and pass-times that you have offline, such as reading a book, watching a movie, hanging out with friends, or spending time with your pet (In my case, a cat).

3. Take some time to relax. As much as we all have things that we want (and need) to do, it’s important to remember to set aside some time to relax as well. I have a tendency to push and push myself until I burn out, but my mom reminded me yesterday how I only have a little bit of time left to enjoy summer before school starts and things get crazy again. This year, on top of classes, homework, and working towards my writing/songwriting goals, I’m going to get a part time job (Which I’m super psyched about). Thus, I’m sure that things are going to be in constant go-mode come the end of August. I’m willing to bet that all of you out there are busy during the school year too, so I urge you to take some time to enjoy the summer. While it’s important to remain productive in the summer, it’s OK to take some time to read that new book or watch a good old episode of Who’s The Boss (An eighties show that shows yet another example of how my taste in TV isn’t exactly current).

To conclude, life is all about balance. You can’t work around the clock and you can’t relax 24/7. You have to balance work, goals, relationships, and chill-time.

As the Bible says, “There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens…” Ecclesiastes 3:1

Appreciating Diversity: God’s Fingerprint on His Creation

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I’ll be honest, people fascinate me. Some people like to observe trees or mountains or animals, but personally, I enjoy observing people. I find it incredibly interesting to observe differences among people. The ways that different people think, feel, and interact among others. Perhaps it has something to do with being an author. Being that I tend to see life as a story, it seems only natural that I would see people as an interesting cast of characters. Naturally, on the surface, there are the obvious things that we notice.

Baker. Activist. Stay at home mom. Career woman. Firefighter. Actor.

The list goes on and on. Nonetheless, I try to look deeper than labels. Why is that person the way they are? What life experiences has shaped that person’s political, religious, and life views? What are their deepest desires in life? What are their motives? I often find it incredibly hard to view people through the lens of black and white, because I believe that people usually have experiences and dreams that have helped shape who they are.

Furthermore, I don’t just look at outside experiences that shape people. I believe that a lot of who a person is at their core is the fingerprint of God. God’s stamp of approval, saying “This is my unique child, whom there is no one like.”

Perhaps a person is deeply moved by the underprivileged.

An expression of God’s compassion. 

Maybe a person is drawn to ensuring equality

An expression of God’s justice.

Maybe a person is into the arts, loving things like painting and music

An expression of God’s creativity. 

Unfortunately, as a society, we sometimes have a hard time understand and relating with those who are different than us. You see this everywhere, ranging from the local high school’s hallways, to hateful comments on Youtube and social media. Instead of embracing each others differences, we view people negatively for being different. What if we didn’t turn a nose down on people who are different, but instead embraced those differences? What if we saw those differences as a form of beauty, rather than a threat? I believe that if we appreciated, learned from, and tried to understand people who are different than us, we’d be a much kinder and more Christ-like society. God created mankind in His image. Though we’re all fallen as a result of Adam and Eve, I believe that we still bear the unique fingerprints of our Creator.

I personally am grateful that God decided to make each of us so unique, and create a diverse group of humans. Imagine how boring the world would be if we were all the same. Not to mention that we wouldn’t function that well as a society. If everyone had my personality, we’d have a whole lot of people who wrote novels and observed people, but things like scientific discovery and mathematics would suffer greatly. Nonetheless, because of all of you out their with your unique and special personalities and concerns, our society is able to function in a way that we can flourish in multiple areas of life. I encourage you to take a fresh look at the unique and awesome people all around you and appreciate the masterpiece of God’s creation.

In the words of Britt Nicole, “you’re worth more than gold!” 🙂