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Seasons

“What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t happened yet.”

“And whatever you do, don’t look back!”

That line seems to appear in many movies, books, and TV shows, where the protagonist has to choose whether to move on or to look back at a painful past. Usually, the audience knows immediately that the character shouldn’t be swayed by old emotions and memories, and just needs to move on.

But in our own lives, is it really that easy?

Discerning God’s will can be one of the most challenging things we ever do. I know because it’s just as hard for me as it is for you. And if it’s not hard for you, well, teach me your ways!

Sometimes God is calling us out of an old season of our lives into a new one. A fresh one. A beautiful one.

But then that good ol’ past is calling out our names. “Don’t forget about this desire you had! Don’t forget about that missed opportunity!”

Sometimes we do things in life that we really regret. But it’s important to take all you learned from that choice and leave the rest behind. God is constantly calling us into a deeper relationship with Him, and before we can do that, we have to let go of some old baggage.

Despite how obvious choices are presented in the media, we don’t know the future, the ending, or how other people feel. We just have to go with what we believe is right. The past may seem more alluring to some than others, and it can be hard to do the difficult thing that separates our future from our history.

We fear for the future, clutching at every last moment we can have of it. When I was a child, I feared growing up with all I had in me, trying to stay a kid as long as possible. But when that day came and I realized that there was so much I was missing out on, I was ready to move on. God waits patiently for us to make that decision to move on from what we’ve grown comfortable with. God knows our deepest desires and our painful mistakes. But He is willing to use those things for His bigger purposes, if we follow His call.

This saying will always stick with me, no matter what. I tell myself this when something good or bad happens, because it keeps me hopeful.

The best is yet to come.

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:9

What to Think Right Now

“Remember when you once dreamed of being where you are right now.”

-Tom Holland

I was reminded of this powerful quote while going through an old diary. Ironically, I am in a place now where I had only dreamed of being at that time. Not some fantastic location, either physically or mentally. Rather, I’m away from a lot of the stress factors in my life, and perhaps that was what I really needed.

Right now can be a really hard time to be appreciative. I totally get that. I feel the pain of those missing out on their “lasts”, or celebrations that only come once, or just going crazy while being surrounded by the same few people day after day. I know it must be so hard to worry about something we can’t control.

But as I’ve said time and time again, because it can never be said enough, fear is the greatest robber of all. I have talked about how fear steals joy, but fear also deeply damages our relationship with God. It causes us to not do what God wants us to do, and instead view His calling as a disruption in our daily to-do lists.

This virus is a major disruption in our lives. But do we have to let it be?

We could use this time to reach out to others. We could try new things, get more rest, look back on the past to see what God is doing. God isn’t silent during this time, but we can only hear Him if we listen with an open heart. I emphasis open because if we don’t want to hear what He’s saying, or we aren’t prepared to act on it, then what’s the point in listening?

I have a friend, a dear friend of mine who I absolutely love of course, but one thing she does that bothers me is that she often asks me for advice, but already has her own plans in mind. She will repeatedly ask me the same questions and wait around until I just say, “Go along with whatever you wanted.” It annoys me because I feel like she’s not really asking for me to guide her to the right decision, she will just hear the part she wants to hear.

We can so easily fall into the trap of just hearing what we want to hear from God and getting disappointed by the results. Even if God does tell you to do something and it doesn’t go as planned, it doesn’t mean you heard wrong, it just means that God’s plan isn’t going the way you expected. He has something even bigger in store for you.

I hope that you can find at least one thing to feel grateful for during this time. The biggest gift you can give yourself is not throwing a pity party for yourself, but rather feeling hopeful and thankful for your life.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

-1 Chronicles 16:34

Encountering Jesus

“This is freedom. This is peace. This is joy in uncertainty. This is a deeply rooted inner-knowing. You are on a daily, grace-filled journey.”

-Morgan Harper Nichols

Happy Easter!

I know that this is probably a bittersweet day for you, as you find joy in the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, but feel somber not being able to congregate. Before the virus was publicized as how serious it is now, my first hope was that church would be open for Easter. Although it is still disappointing, I believe that there is a lot that can be taken away from having Easter at home this year.

Our Journeys

I often teach Sunday school at my church, and one lesson that I taught a while back was called “Our Journey with Jesus”. The kids were supposed to take a literal journey through different activities that related to Jesus’ life as a child. I often think that our life is one long journey with Jesus, one that takes different paths at times as we figure out what we truly believe.

My pastor this morning mentioned that the Bible does not explicitly say how Mary Magdalene knew it was Jesus once He said her name. It was in an instant that she just knew.

Humans are unique creatures that have to come to their own conclusions in different ways. Our way of recognizing Jesus is so different from even our family members or friends. But it doesn’t mean that one way is better than another.

Our lives are normally so crazy that it’s easy to block out Jesus’ voice. But here in the silence, the stillness, the pause on the daily lives of many, Jesus will find you. Not every moment of finding Jesus is one where we are surrounded by our brothers and sisters in Christ. Not every moment is in some faraway retreat center or foreign country.

It can be here. It can be now. As long as you let Jesus fill you with His love, grace, and abundant mercy, you can have that moment no matter where you are.

I hope this Easter brings you joy and contentment, a sense of peace in this time of great uncertainty. We can still have those emotions that God wants us to have on such a wonderful, miraculous day for celebration.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

1 Peter 1:3

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?'”

John 11:25-26

A Glimmer of Hope

Holy Saturday, or Easter Eve, isn’t often talked about as much as the other days during Holy Week. I would guess that it was a pretty bleak, depressing day, as the disciples stayed in hiding, Jesus was already in His tomb, the sky was dark and threatening. The day before haunting the minds of the witnesses.

This may be the year that we have the most similar experience to the disciples. We are likely trapped in our homes, afraid, uncertain of the future. We can make the most out of this, though, instead of just dwelling in the moment.

Think about it: if the disciples had known what was in store just the next day, they wouldn’t have been afraid. They would’ve celebrated, maybe even cry tears of joy.

During this difficult time, we don’t know what’s ahead. We don’t know if the numbers will rise tomorrow, if someone we love will be affected tomorrow, if we will get stricter rules tomorrow. You may be feeling hopeless.

But what if we have hope that the number of cases will go down as soon as tomorrow? Perhaps we will be able to see our loved ones sooner than we expect. We may not have to be quarantined for all eternity! 🙂

I could be wrong, but I know that if we keep trying to see how God’s working through everything and trust that there will be better days ahead, then we don’t have to worry or feel discouraged. This virus is completely horrible, as I’m sure you’d agree. But Jesus dying, our leader being striped of His honor and brutally killed, was worse. So if Jesus can turn that event into something life-altering, saving, redeeming, He can do it will this virus too.

How God Brought this Blog out from Difficult Circumstances

On a more personal note, I thought I’d share about why I started this blog. I was not going through one of my most difficult seasons, actually. I was doing something that felt worse– relapsing. I had come out of a season stronger and closer to God through trials and storms. Life was going pretty well. But suddenly, all in one weekend, several major things started going horribly wrong for me, and I felt myself breaking down.

That was many months ago, and looking back I realize that perhaps one of the reasons why those events had to happen is because I needed to start this blog. It’s helped me grow closer to God, and I hope it’s inspired and helped you, too.

I’ve seen God bring good out of pain on many occasions, and I truly believe that God is going to do the same through this too. God is working, it’s just that it’s hard to see it sometimes. It may even take years before we understand why God caused this virus to spread. But I know that if we have hope, we will be able to get through this.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Romans 15:13

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Hebrews 11:1

What is Love?

Definitions of Love

I think that there are almost too many definitions of love out there. A lot of the time people think romantically, which was what automatically came up when I was trying to find an image to go with this post! Just out of curiosity, I looked up several definitions of love. Apparently “true love” is “a strong and lasting affection between spouses or lovers who are in a happy, passionate and fulfilling relationship” (Yourdictionary.com). Other examples were between family and friends, caring about one another, or in terms of couples, having attraction.

None of these definitions satisfy me.

A Different Meaning

I believe that those types of love are important, but if someone remains single their whole life, that does not mean that they haven’t experienced “true love”. If someone loves their relative or friend (not romantically obviously), that does not mean that they aren’t “truly loving” that person.

The perfect example of true love is what Jesus did for us on Good Friday. You are probably rolling your eyes, thinking about how this is the typical “Christian” response. But let me tell you something– it can be the most comforting thing in the world to realize that someone fully human and yet having the power of God was willing to give EVERYTHING up to pay for your poor choices. All because He loves you more than anyone else ever can.

Obviously we can’t love each other as much as Jesus loves us, but we can demonstrate His example of true love.

Of course I’m not telling you to run out in front of a car in the hopes that you’ll prove your love for someone. What I’m saying is that my main issue with the media’s definition of love is that it’s so selfish. We don’t have to give up anything. We are merely looking for someone that makes us feel good.

You need people in your life that reciprocate your love or make you happy, but you also have to be willing to love difficult people. Even those that you love with all your heart may be in situations that cause you to give up something for them. If you’re willing to be selfless, like Jesus, then you are showing true love.

So this Good Friday, think about all that Jesus gave up to be in such a horrific situation, being mocked and betrayed, poked and stabbed, nailed to a wooden cross after this torturing, just for you. All He asks is that you be willing to accept this gift of love and share it with others.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 4:7-8

Jesus’ Call to Action

What comes to mind when you think about the Last Supper and Jesus’ time in the garden?

For me, I’ve been trying to give it more thought this year since I’ve had more time to really appreciate Easter now that my regular life has been disrupted, as I’m sure yours has too. In a way, it’s a blessing, because although I miss getting to go to church for Easter and celebrating, it makes me spend more time thinking about what Easter actually means to me.

I’ve been reading through the Easter passages this week, and today I read about what happened on Thursday. Usually I just skim it and think about the overall messages. While I tried to read more in depth this time, some initial thoughts came to mind…

Who Do You Usually Turn to?

One overall message that comes to mind that I think is very important is how Jesus turned to God in his time of trouble because even His closest friends bailed out on Him. I’m sure you’ve have that moment in your life where someone near to you let you down. For me, those have been the most heartbreaking moments of my life. It makes me feel discouraged and as though I can’t trust anyone.

But those are also the moments when I’ve drawn closer to God. In a small group I’m in, we were actually discussing what benefits can come out of hardships, and the one that was often repeated was that our trials cause us to grow nearer to God. He will always be the One waiting for us when we need Him, even when His answer to our pleas is no.

Jesus asked God if there was any way for Him to not have to die on the cross. But He also said “let Your will be done”. We can ask God the tough questions, why things are the way they are, can things change…but we also have to make room for His will to be done. Sometimes, as difficult as it is, God’s answer is that He will be with you, but the suffering isn’t over. That can be hard to come to terms with, since we usually want our faith to feel easy and a way to make our lives better. And it does make our lives better because we always have a reason to feel joyful– God will never leave us.

A New Find in a Familiar Passage

I don’t know if reading this passage about Jesus in the garden with his sleeping disciples showed me different things now that I know about the Enneagram and being a Nine, but I felt compelled to respond to the section where Jesus finds that all of the disciples are asleep for the third time He’s come over to them. He is frustrated and gives them a call to action.

“The hour has come”, or “the time is near”, as different translations put it. He wants them to stop sleeping and start being there for each other.

I think that this is an appropriate call to action for us today. For me personally, it can be hard to get going and actually do something about what’s bothering me. Sometimes I feel called to reach out to difficult people or take on responsibilities that I know I should do but don’t feel like doing.

But the hour is now. The time will never be “perfect”. We need to step up and do our part for Jesus, or else we will be like the disciples, sleeping as their Lord and dearest friend was about to be killed on their behalf. I used to laugh at them and think that they were ridiculous for being able to sleep through such an event. But now I feel shame as I realize that every time I say no or “maybe later” to what God’s calling me to do, I’m acting the same way.

So today, think about what Jesus is calling you to do. Perhaps it’s something you’ve been avoiding, or maybe a new task that has yet to come to mind. Jesus doesn’t want us to sit around, even when we are quarantined. There are many ways for us to reach out to the isolated or spread God’s love through the media. The perfect time to do His will is now.

“Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.'”

Matthew 26:45

Trusting God Through Everything

First of all, I’d like to apologize since I was really getting into the groove of posting regularly, just to abruptly stop even though right now is the perfect time to share encouragement (even though I believe every moment is a good time for encouragement), but especially through all of the changes going on in our lives right now with the Coronavirus. People are stressed, worried about catching the virus, losing their jobs, loved-ones getting it, and maybe even how to stay sane while feeling isolated from others.

Before I go on any further, please know that all of you out there are in my prayers. I know that many are going through much severer times than I am right now. I feel very fortunate that my grandparents in Hong Kong are okay, people are trying to do the right thing and stay home to protect others around me, and much of my family is staying employed. However, I know that is not the case for many people, and I am determined to do my part to encourage those who may have hit their rockiest time right now, and if there’s anything I can do for you specifically, let me know.

I recently saw a video from a singer that I follow, and her message was that you can say that you trust someone as much as you want, but you can never truly know if you do until it’s put to the test. You have to have that trust be put into action for it to go into effect.

For example, if your friend claims that you can tell her anything, you won’t really know if you believed that statement until you tell her something personal. Or when a little kid is stuck inside a burning building, he has to demonstrate his trust for his parents by being willing to jump out the window into their arms, knowing that they will catch him.

This virus and all the consequences surrounding it are a test to see if we really trust God.

I have noticed a startling pattern in my life. Often during my hardest times in my relationship with God, the thing that has brought me back has been when I truly had no other option but to trust God, and He’s always been able to pull through. Now, I’m saying this while knowing that a lot of my prayers have not been answered the way I wanted them to. I’m going through some situations with people that are frustrating and some of them have ended up poorly, even if I prayed about them. That doesn’t mean that God isn’t there for me.

I’m also not saying that it’s easy to trust God. It’s been really hard for me lately to trust Him, to be completely honest.

The other day, someone told me that I seemed to have great confidence in my faith. I wish that were true. I am confident that my faith has grown over the years, through difficult circumstances and through kindness poured out from others, or directly from God in the Bible. But you don’t have to be without doubts to trust God. You just have to be willing to not simply think “I trust God”, but to actually apply it in your life. You have to not only pray that God will help you, but stop worrying about it. If you are actively looking for God’s hand in your life, you will find it. That I am sure of.

For all those Disney fans out there, I have to say that one of my all-time favorite scenes is where Aladdin has his hand stretched out to Jasmine and he says, “Do you trust me?” I personally think that this is one of the most romantic scenes in all of the Disney movies I’ve seen because it shows a depth in their relationship and a true conflict that many face in their relationships.

Unlike Jasmine, who barely has any reasons to actually trust Aladdin, we have a multitude of reasons why we should trust God. Take a look at His promises in the Bible. Think about the narrow escapes you’ve made in your own life, or what God’s done in other people’s lives. We have reason to trust God through this difficult time, and others to come.

God is asking you always the same question– “Do you trust me?”

So the question is, are you willing to make the leap of faith to prove your answer?

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.”

Psalm 5:11

A Meaningless Life

“Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”

Ecclesiastes 2:8

Do you ever read a verse in the Bible and go “WOAH, like…I actually relate to that!”?

So I read this verse the other day and it really struck me. A lot of times in my life I have wondered if what I’m doing is really worth anything. I have done some pretty trivial things in my life, blowing them all out of proportion in my head, just for them to not work out. I focus my time and energy on things and end up with nothing in the end.

I think that whether we seem to have achieved anything at the end of a particular journey is the motivation behind it. I’ll give you two examples from my own life. (Yes they will be cringy but hopefully you can relate better haha)

Example A: In middle school, probably the most awkward time of most people’s lives, I really wanted to be friends with this one person, so I went to great lengths to try and do whatever I could to connect with her. I went to embarrassing lengths, to be honest, and now I regret that. She ended up not really realizing that I wanted to be friends with her, after all that, and eventually we both just moved on. My motivation behind wanting to be friends with her was not really that I cared a lot about her, it was more that I really wanted to have that person as my friend because it would open up doors for me and because I wanted to be more like her. In the end, I was left with really nothing to show for my efforts.

Example B: For several years, I knew of a family going through a really rough time. I gave whatever I could to them, knowing that they probably couldn’t even give me much appreciation in return. I cared very deeply for them and I knew that what I was doing to show them love, even if it might have seemed “over-the-top”, was what God wanted me to do. In the end, I really have nothing to “show for it”, but I still know that I did what was right and I feel like I did gain some things: compassion and understanding, to name a few.

I think it’s important to frequently check in with yourself and see what your motivations are behind your actions and pursuits. Sometimes the motivation starts off as good, but turns more selfish as you go along. Other times it’s the opposite. But if you want to live a meaningful life, you should have self-awareness and listen to the sometimes unconscious realizations of your heart, telling you what you should and shouldn’t do. If you are beginning to feel like you are really just being nice to a person because you feel like you have to or you want something out of the relationship, then you should change your mindset. If you feel discouraged because you have been showing God’s love to someone who is not reciprocating, remember that you are still doing the right thing and eventually you will reap the benefits of these actions. If nothing else, you will have become a better person. But also make sure to surround yourself with people who care about you and fill you up, too. It’s easy to become drained when constantly pouring out but never getting poured into.

A lot of people worry that at the end of their life no one will really remember them or their accomplishments anymore. Honestly, if you weren’t the leader of a country or the face of a movement, that’s quite likely, at least eventually. But the thing that really matters is how you impacted others and how you felt at the end of your life. Did you do what God was telling you to? Did you make other people feel like they belonged? Did you notice that one person who needed a friend and loved on them?

Take the time today to think about what you want to have said yes to at the end of your life. Use today to be the day to make that yes an honest one. Every day that you are here is for a reason, and if you use each day of your life, then you will never regret a single moment.

True Joy = Releasing Control

Returning to Our Regularly Scheduled Program…

So…remember how I said I would be talking about joy as my first “series”? Remember how that was like…five months ago or something? Well, as you can see, I often go off topic and somehow wander back, ha-ha. Anyway, I have been thinking about joy again, so I wanted to pop into this series again, although I’m not sure if my next post will be related to joy, we’ll see.

Inherited Control-Freakness

I come from a long line of control freaks. I’m not being judgmental when I say this, they are self-proclaimed. I, myself, am also a bit of a control freak. I might not seem like it on the surface level, because I tend to go along with what other people want and I try to be flexible because I care deeply about pleasing others. However, I am actually quite stubborn, and I inwardly panic whenever things don’t go the way I plan.

I am more like this when I am placed in leadership positions or just when planning my own life, but my family often tries to control one another. A certain member of my family sets out what the other person must eat for lunch each day, and gets irritated if that person does not eat it. Money, food, how a room is decorated…those are just a few things that I often have to argue about with my family because I get frustrated with them trying to control me.

Am I saying that planning is a bad thing? NO!!!! I am definitely not, because you should be prepared and it’s silly to go into situations and build more stress for yourself if you don’t prepare. However, I am saying that at some point, the only way to have full faith in God and in His plan for your life is going along with “God’s flow”.

Going with the Flow

So I have this friend, and we occasionally talk about the future. Every time, he repeatedly states how he just “goes with the flow” and acts like he has no control over his life. Later on, I talked to another guy and he basically said the same thing. I feel like the world is often split into two groups: The Planners and the Floaters. Neither are wrong, yet neither are right.

Going with the flow may appear to relieve more stress and show more faith in God. But God will only work with you if you’re willing to actually, you know, do your part? Frankly, I feel like going with the flow in ALL areas of your life might actually add more stress because you often step into situations and are faced with a bunch of decisions that have to be made on the spot. I am horrible at that, so I could never float through life that way. However, there are definitely decisive people out there, so if that works for you, I’m glad.

The combination of going with the flow and always being prepared is going with God’s flow. I know that sounds a little silly, but that’s the only name I can think of that accurately depicts what I’m speaking of.

Going with God’s flow means that you are trusting God and not freaking out when things don’t go the way you anticipated. However, it also means that you are willing to work hard and still prepare for the future, not just expecting things to somehow work out.

How Does this Relate to Joy?

Have you ever stressed over something, an event perhaps, that you were in charge of. You were so panicked that by the end of it, you wanted to just go away and never be in charge again? While others enjoyed themselves, you spent the night stressing over everything and worrying that things weren’t going to work out. In that situation, you are missing out on having a good time, or experiencing joy.

In another situation, you may have planned every last detail down to the tablecloth design and then everything still ends up going poorly. Believe me, this has happened to me on numerous occasions and I can feel your pain! But because you were so disappointed and discouraged, you never took the time to learn from the experience. And in a way, this also causes you to lose joy because you may end up making the same mistakes in the future.

I don’t believe that joy and fear can coexist, as I stated in a previous post, and trying to control everything is a way of demonstrating fear. It’s basically telling God to His face that you don’t trust Him and you think you know more than Him.

Ouch, that wasn’t what I was thinking when I freaked out over not being able to decide the location for my last meeting, was I?

It’s easy to not realize what our little habits are doing to destroy our lives and our relationship with God. But the more ingrained these thought patterns become, thinking “oh, if only things had gone the way I had planned” or getting angry with people, the more we lose track of who we are supposed to be: joyful humans who are sharing the love of God. It’s easy to let negative thoughts fill our heads. We think that criticizing ourselves for something we can’t control is okay, and it’s not. That is ultimately shaping our actions and our opinions of ourselves.

So today, try to let loose a little bit and see what happens. Trust God and believe that even if things don’t go exactly the way you want, maybe something better was actually waiting for you. It hopefully will also help your relationships too.

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

~Matthew 6:25

What Are We Doing?

“What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.”

Tim Ferriss

Do you ever take the time to just sit back and observe your habits?

Well, I was about two weeks ago. I realized that I was spending a crazy amount of time on my phone, and I challenged myself to use my phone no longer than two hours. Then I realized I could do even better: one hour.

So, I met my goal…but I was still wasting time. Instead of going on my phone, I was watching Netflix, looking up whatever things I had forgotten to check on, and all sorts of things that would take up time that I should’ve spent doing other things.

The good news is that I did spend more time relaxing (without a screen) and doing my Bible study, but I still was wasting a lot of time. There is always going to be another way to do the thing you are trying to avoid.

I wasn’t even realizing what I was doing for about a week and a half, but a couple days ago I sat back and asked myself “what am I doing?”.

And that made me think. In the United States, we have so many opportunities. We have so many ways we can help each other, get to know new people, and try new things. But what are we doing?

More and more people are feeling anxious, lonely, inadequate. What are we doing that’s causing these problems?

In a country where we are generally known as being progressive and workaholics, the main prayer request I receive from my friends or the frequent complain that I hear is this: I really need to stop procrastinating! I’m not getting anything done.

Or, more personally, you may be letting yourself slip into a cycle or a mindset that you don’t want to be in.

A problem that I have is generally not admitting the truth to myself. I would (and still) say yes to things that I don’t want to do, and force myself to think that they will be fun just to please other people. I pretend like a relationship is fine when I know that it’s mostly one-sided. I forget who I am when someone else defines me.

You may have similar problems or something completely different. The important thing is to notice when you begin to slip into thinking negatively, listening to unwise council, spending hours not doing what you should be getting done, hanging onto a bad relationship. It’s hard to have difficult conversations with others, but having that difficult conversation with yourself? That’s the worst of it. You have to admit that you were wrong, or someone else you trusted was wrong. You have to change.

I think that our society needs to change. And I’m not going to just be that person criticizing the way things are and putting myself separate from that. I know that I have fallen into the same traps of overlooking people, letting what the world says influence my choices. I know that it takes a community, not just one person, to make the differences we wish to see in the world. But I also know that if every person did one intentional thing to become more productive, more loving, more informed…that would change everything.

Maybe if we all take just one step closer to becoming more of who we were created to be, we wouldn’t feel defensive when asked the simple question “what are we doing?” because you can answer in confidence. You can say, “I’m doing what it takes to love others…to change the world.”

So, what are you doing?

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Romans 12:2