Category: 2020 Blogs

One of my high school mentors used to tell my friends and I, “in a world full of easy access to information, ignorance is a choice.”

Ignorance is a choice. You can choose to be ignorant of the things of the Lord because it’s up to you to decide whether or not you are going to learn from His Word and His people. You can choose to be ignorant of what’s going on in your country because it’s up to you whether or not you’ll pay attention to what’s going on. You can choose to be ignorant of what’s going on in your family or friend’s hearts because it’s up to you to decide how you will invest.

Stay informed. Start now. Please don’t be lazy with the resources you have and instead steward them. Be ready for whatever the world throws at you. Pay attention to what you’re ALLOWING to inform you. If pop culture and social media are the only things in your vision, cut some of it out and start replacing it with what you know is speaking TRUTH. Start discussing your views and ask questions! Use the technology that’s right in front of your face.

You do have a choice. You don’t have to stay up to date on things, but don’t complain when the ever-changing events in the world catch you off guard.

How will you be informed today?

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will LOSE it, but whoever LOSES his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 16:24-25

I think society has an attitude of self-preservation. When we’re feeling down about ourselves, chances are we can hop on Instagram and find any affirmation for our procrastination and lack of dedication. I know I have grown quite comfortable with these motivational Instagram stories that pet my ego. Is this not creating a habit of total self-gratification? If that is the attitude I am carrying, then I will only entertain a mindset that ultimately only benefits me, and even then, it will disappoint me in the long run. I’m thinking through this question: what if, instead of seeking to preserve myself and make sure that I am completely taken care of on every side of my life, why don’t I aim to give what I can even if it costs me something? If Jesus is saying I will only GAIN life, what am I really “losing” by giving it?

Disclaimer: I don’t believe the Lord is asking me to give up all my belongings, always drag myself in shame and guilt, and never enjoy another manicure again.

What I AM saying is that if I’m taking the Scripture at face value before I take a hand-lettered picture from Pinterest at face value, I think I would find myself giving a little more than I do now and worrying a little less about what I will gain. When I give to Jesus, it becomes HE who provides for my image, career, social media followers, and any other possible factor I could think of.

Lord, teach me how to be a Loser.

Hello Friend! Happy New Year:)

This year I have chosen to focus on the word “mercy.”
I had a whole list of words, yet this one seemed to weigh the heaviest on my soul, and here’s why:

1) I want to learn to be merciful, just as my Father is merciful (Luke 6:35-36).
2) I want to pray for mercy on the behalf of others and specifically pray for the Lord’s mercy on His people as we equip and prepare ourselves in these rapidly changing times.
3) I want to remember that mercy is one of God’s central characteristics.

Let me elaborate on #3. Sometimes it’s easy to view the Lord with intimidation as if He’s waiting to throw a lightning bolt down from heaven the minute I fail, or give me struggles as my due punishment.
But then, I remember that my God is merciful; it is a part of His very being. I see that every reason He has in calling me, every struggle He allows me to walk through, and the foundation of every word He speaks to me is all coming from a place of mercy.
Every breath that I breathe is an act of mercy to me. Even my struggles may be an act of mercy from my Lord because He knows exactly what I need and uses every circumstance to teach and mold me. It is because of His mercy that I learn what I do when I do, no matter how difficult it may be in the moment, because the lessons that I understand now are equipping me for the future.

So this year, I will grow in character as I seek to take on the quality of mercy that Jesus so graciously exemplifies for me. And I will be assured knowing that His mercy never runs out.

Consider the words He may be using to get your attention in 2021; I can’t wait to see what kind of things we will be contemplating!

Do you ever feel like you can’t shake off the envy that creeps into your heart or the comparison that fuels your insecurity? Are you ever tired of the fear that drags your soul down and the worry that casts a shadow of gloom on your day? Me too. Telling myself to “stop worrying” is entirely unhelpful because if that were the solution, I would have done that a long time ago. 

Question: What DO I do to eliminate these unwanted intruders? 

Answer: Practice GRATITUDE and THANKSGIVING.

When I start giving thanks for where I am, I can be thankful for what I have. My worry, comparison, and discontentment become a fading memory as I put my focus on what I DO have instead of on what I DON’T. Instead of wanting my friend’s personality, I thank my Creator for the quirks I get to call my own. Instead of wishing to live in an entirely different lifetime, I can delight myself in the purposes of the Lord, knowing that He set aside this time for a reason and set me IN this time for a greater plan. Thankfulness is a choice, and the Lord tells us in His word to give thanks because it glorifies Him (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

What if the difficulties we’ve walked through in 2020 are not merely the result of circumstances? Have we extended our Thanks to the King, who is sovereign over these circumstances? Have we humbly accepted what He has offered?

You may think you have nothing to be thankful for, but I challenge you to think again. Are you breathing? Give thanks. Do you have food to eat every day? Give thanks. Are you struggling, worrying, and fearing? Even in THIS, give thanks. I don’t know about you, but I know that MY hope rests in something greater than what I’m personally battling and what’s culturally happening. My peace, joy, and purpose come from the very One who designed me for this era of history. We should not be surprised when we see destruction, violence, and disease because that’s a guarantee in our fallen world. Yet, we are still MORE than conquerors in Christ (Romans 8:37)

So, how do you shake off the despair and worry? Give thanks. Put your hope in the Hope Giver and Life Sustainer. Ask yourself if there is anything you are harboring that may keep you from giving thanks. My God is bigger than all of me and my life; therefore, I choose to give thanks this day.

verb (used with object) to go or look through (a place, area, etc.) carefully in order to find something missing or lost

I used to find myself daily searching for something to fill my emotional longings, yet I often didn’t know what I was searching for. I was on a quest to find answers for my questioning mind, and it seemed like a valiant effort to achieve freedom from my discontentment. I found that walking down an obscure path with no map proved more challenging than I had anticipated. I looked high and low for answers until I finally recognized what was right in front of my face. 

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

I now see that my search’s objective is a deeper relationship with my Father in Heaven, and my directions are His Written Words (the Bible). HE is my end goal and my reward. Everything I could possibly need or want I find in Him. I don’t have to crawl through small spaces and look under rocks to try and find the answers because the answers are right in front of me. I don’t need to participate in worldly efforts to “find myself.” I no longer need to rely on celebrities to tell me what new programs or practices I should embrace.
Why do I make the journey of life harder for myself? Ultimately I will find FULLNESS of Joy in the presence of my God (Psalm 16:11), and my shelter will be with Him (Psalm 91:1). Today I choose to seek Him because He tells me this is not in vain.

Contemplate this: What are you searching for, and when will it be enough?

When I entered high-school, a common phrase I heard was, “I don’t have enough time.” That bothered me so much. I couldn’t understand why there was never enough time in the world for me or anyone else to do everything we wanted and thought we needed to do.

Upon further contemplation, I arrived on this idea: I believe my God gave me a specific amount of minutes in a day and days in a week for a reason. It worked for Him, right? So, maybe it’s not so much the AMOUNT of time I have, but rather, the WAY I SPEND my time that matters. That’s probably not a new perspective to you, but honestly, it was a revelation to me when I finally started applying it. If my days are explicitly designed the way they are, then it’s up to me to steward the time I have!

Maybe PRIORITIES should have been the title of this post. What I prioritize in my life is often shown through what I do with my day. The activities I’m involved in, the friends I have, and the shows I watch are good indicators of what I value. So, maybe my priorities are the thing that needs to change, not my wishes coming true that the government would add a couple of days to the week?

I have the power to choose what I participate in and what will take up space in my life.
No excuses today (I’m not making time for those).

I rarely see myself as a traditionally competitive person. I’m not the girl on the basketball court ready to win the game no matter the cost. In fact, If you know me, you probably expect me to softly decline any invitation to play a sport that involves big teams and a ball. I could write a whole post on why, but what I want to mention here is that a characteristic of most competitive games is the fierceness in which the players perform to reach the goal.

Though I’ve never pictured myself as a star NBA player, I’ve recently noticed that I do carry similar qualities of competitiveness, I just never noticed HOW. Personally, competitiveness shows its face in my relationships. It appears when a friend wins an award, or my sibling receives more attention than me. I feel the need to make sure I’m doing enough that’s earning me applause from others too, and spiritually speaking, I compete for positions that will make me look more “holy.”

Sometimes it feels like this idea of competition in my faith comes straight from the Enemy’s heart, Satan, who seeks to kill and destroy. Certain people can make me feel threatened, and as a result, I mistake who the real enemy is. I compete against the very people who are there for my growth, and the people I am called to serve. I easily doubt others’ good intentions by assuming they don’t actually care what’s best for me. What am I accomplishing as I push and elbow my way to achieving a slice of recognition, or a title of “success?”

So I ask myself: Can I use this competitive spirit by fighting the real Enemy? How can I compete WITH my brothers and sisters instead of AGAINST them? A quality I tend to overlook in a competitive athlete is their DEDICATION. Determination, sweat, and maybe even tears gave them a victory after a hard fought game. In Basketball, that competitive edge and focused mind is actually a vital and helpful quality!

Lord, help me to turn what the Enemy means for evil and let it be used for GOOD. If I am to utilize competitive spirit, then let the glory be for YOU. Let me not forget what you value!

The other day I was reading John 8:1-12 in my Bible (look up the passage for additional context as well as explanations of customs and characters). In this passage, the Pharisees (religious leaders) had caught a woman in adultery. They were getting ready to stone her in public (as was the custom of the day), that is, until their plan was interrupted when Jesus approached the crowd. The Pharisees knew who Jesus was and decided that they were going to trap Him by saying, “Moses (a figure from the Old Testament) commanded that those who commit adultery should be stoned, but what do YOU say?” They were hoping Jesus would falter in his words and bend the old law, but He stunned everyone with one simple statement, “He who is without sin may cast the first stone.”

In case you didn’t catch the meaning, Jesus meant that NO ONE had the right to cast a stone because NONE were without sin. I find it easy to deceive myself into thinking that I am better than someone simply because my sin doesn’t appear to be too terrible, and I’m sure the Pharisees were doing the same thing. I tend to weigh it on a scale, and as long as my side is not heavier than the thief or murderer, my sin doesn’t really matter.
The truth is, I am a Pharisee. The only One who can save me from myself is Jesus, yet I look at a stranger’s mistakes, and still verbally and mentally abuse.

So contemplate with me today: What stones are we tempted to cast? Are they ours to throw?

Writing my first post has been a long process, and I realize that’s rooted in the fact that I have a hard time doing things that require me to jump off a cliff and go for it.

Why do I wait? What is holding me back? What is keeping me from taking the risk, especially a small one? Fear that the person I’m reaching out to will not want my friendship? Doubt that the neighbors won’t appreciate my efforts? Wondering if anyone wants to read what I have to say, and questioning my ability to write well in the first place? Well, sure. All of the above and more. But what if I end up missing out on more and lose more by NOT doing the activity or idea presented to me?

With every question asked above, I’m excited to say I’m recognizing the Lord teaching me the meaning of GOING FOR IT in 2020. In January, I chose the word “obedience” as an anchor for my year. Obedience to the One I call my Savior, King, Creator, Father, and Friend. It’s what keeps me grounded in my daily walk and the choices I make. Sometimes obedience asks for spontaneous decisions and, often, it requires me to lay aside my wants and truly dig deep to find what means the most to me. It takes saying yes AND saying no. Obedience means I will be called forth into multiple missions, assignments, new activities, and new opportunities. Every risk taken will have different outcomes; however, I must first START those missions, TAKE those assignments, and DO those new activities to SEE those outcomes! My sweet younger brother reminds me daily that I have all I need RIGHT NOW to take my next step. Every moment adds to the bigger narrative of my life, with not one lesson learned wasted, and not one detail lost!

Right now, you’re having firsthand experience of what it looks like to watch me go for it. I am posting on a blog, giving my best to walk with the Lord, and choosing to have hope for the future.

Join me and take that leap of faith, sweet friend! Let’s see how the Lord will use it!