Have you ever though about all the different names for God?
Teacher
Father
Bridegroom
Friend
King
Or His characteristics?
Gentle
All-powerful
Loving
Jealous
Patient
Those are very, very few of the words that describe how multi-faceted our God is. He is the very essence of the word "everything" - all that exists. No one word can describe Him. A million words could not describe Him. He...is.
Lately, I've noticed about myself that I can only truly focus on one aspect of God at a time. When I pray, I often catch myself praying to the father figure, or the friend, the bridegroom, etc. I do this because my mind is so small, compared to God, that I simply cannot fathom all that He is.
My Earthly little mind can think in terms of being the bride of Christ: "Okay, I'll think of my relationship with God in terms of a husband/ wife relationship." It can also think in terms of being the daughter: "Even when I stray, my Father welcomes me back with open, loving arms. He is a kind and gentle father." But I cannot fathom those two things at the same time. You see, my mind is small and wired in an Earthly manner. Being someone's daughter AND wife is not a thing that happens here. That would be weird, to say the least!
As much as I try I just cannot fully grasp, at once, all that He is.
And...AHHH! I Just love that.
I love that, because it reminds me how truly small I am and how HUGE He is. The fact that I cannot fully understand Him just makes me realize that He is the God big enough and awesome enough to worship. I would not settle for a God any smaller.
I know this is a short post, and it doesn't really have much of a lesson, but I just wanted to share what has been on my mind lately. Every time I realize that I can't fully understand God, I feel thankful for His magnitude. I feel so....happy (for lack of a stronger word) that He reveals Himself to me piece by piece, never fully revealing His entire self. It would be far too much for me to handle, if He did reveal His entire self at once. He's too big. Too great. He just...IS.
The indescribable God that I worship.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Friday, May 23, 2014
Sing and be Happy
Hi Soul Surfers,
I wanted to share a little this week on a topic that has been especially pertinent to me during the last year or so - (re)finding joy.
If you know me at all, you know I am a naturally joyous person. I always have been. I am happy, bubbly, joyful...and it's genuine! I have trouble vocalizing my good traits, but that is one I can admit to with confidence.
During my later years of college, though, I found myself becoming overwhelmed with the stressors of life. My light was flickering, as I started to lose what I consider to be my best trait. I started to lose my sense of self, because if I'm not happy, what am I? Who am I? By the time of my graduation from Pepperdine, I was on reserve battery life, joy-wise. I was jaded and exhausted. (Side-note: If I had gone to school anywhere else, my situation would have been 1,000 times worse. Pepperdine is the most wonderful and uplifting place, and kept me focused on God, even during stressful times. What more could I have asked for? Nothing.)
Upon returning home after college, I began to de-stress a little. I was finally able to see what was going on with me - this loss of joy. I remembered how, from as early as I could remember, I was so happy. I could find beauty and joy in anything and everything. I wanted that back. I wanted to be myself again.
I'm sharing this story, because I know I am not the only one who has felt this way. I also realize how important this quality is to our Spiritual, and even physical, well-being. So, how do we retrieve that joy we each had as a child? How to we "get back to ourselves?" Here are some tips I found helped/are currently helping me:
1. Pray - This is probably a no-brainer. If it is, I'm sorry. But as soon as I realized what was going on with me, I prayed to God about it. At the time, I didn't even really know what I wanted or needed from God...I just began praying. First, I prayed to help me "get back to my old self." Later, it became clearer to me that what was different within me was my lack of joy, so I began to pray to God to restore that joy. Even later, I began to pray to God to reveal ways in which I could restore my joy, which brings me to point 2:
2. Fill time with uplifting things - Part of (actually a lot of) what was bringing me down, I realized, was what I like to call "Earthly burdens." These are things that either cause worry, cause sadness, or are just general Spiritual buzz-kills. Many of these types of things, I realize, cannot be taken away or hidden from. For example, child hunger cannot be ignored; it is a real issue and needs to be addressed, even if it is a sad and terrible thing. However, many Earthly burdens can be managed and replaced with uplifting things. For instance, I noticed media was a source for all kinds of unnecessary stress in my life. Whether it was pressure to be "worldly," rather than "Godly," or maybe even TV shows or movies based on topics unfit for princesses such as ourselves, I found unnecessary burdens everywhere. The good thing? These can be replaced. I began filling my time with purposeful activities like spending time with my family or reading a great Christian book (or starting a blog...what?) Even though I am still a Pretty Little Liars addict, and am a sucker for a good Real Housewives drama-fest (shout-out to muh girl Vicki,) I began to see a dramatic difference in my joy levels. It's amazing how everyday activities we hardly even notice can make such a huge difference on our attitude and well-being.
3. Read the Bible - I will be the first to admit, I am the worst at this. I think it comes from a place of not being able to read two sentences without getting distracted, but whatever. No excuses. This tip helps so much. This probably won't come as a surprise to most of you, but did you know the answer to any question or trouble you are having can be found in this little book?! WHAT. Sometimes it still surprises me, and I don't know why. But I like it. It's a nice surprise. It is no coincidence that reading the Bible is going to make us happier. "Gospel" literally means "good news." Seriously, it's like a Vitamin D pill to the soul.
4. Remember - Look back on things that you did when you were a child, at your happiest. For me, I would sing. ???.....I don't know... I just remember, when I was really happy, I would always catch myself singing, or humming, or whistling a song. Lately, I've been finding myself doing that a lot, and that's how I know I am starting to get back to my happy old self. While you're reflecting, it also helps to store away a few really good memories. You can save these memories for a gloomy day, however, when your brain is in the "good-memory mode," at least for me, it stays that way for a while. It's hard for me to stop thinking about good things that have happened to me (blessings) once I have started. It's all in the way you train your brain.
5. Be nice - Doing little things for people is a great mood-booster. I know nice things shouldn't be done solely to make ourselves feel better, but who am I to argue against the fact that when I commit an act of kindness, I feel happier. If done from a genuine place, little acts of kindness can really help to bump up the joy factor, because you feel better about yourself knowing that you care for other people. It's a fact. Maybe not. I might of made that up. But it's true, isn't it? Have you ever written a heartfelt letter or held the door for an elderly person only to think "ICK. That made me feel terrible. Never doing that again...?"
Joy is not merely a nice accessory. It is a necessity. It give us strength. It is a virtue. It ties us in closer to the One who loves us. The One we strive to be like. Speaking from experience, it is also something to want, for without it we are.............unhappy.
I hope these tips can help you if you have lost some of your spark, or strengthen it if you have not. They have helped me get back to me and I am, once again, JOYFUUUUULLLLLLLL ( <---- data-blogger-escaped-a="" data-blogger-escaped-br="" data-blogger-escaped-imagine="" data-blogger-escaped-in="" data-blogger-escaped-singing="" data-blogger-escaped-that="" data-blogger-escaped-voice.="">
be happy,
becca
I wanted to share a little this week on a topic that has been especially pertinent to me during the last year or so - (re)finding joy.
If you know me at all, you know I am a naturally joyous person. I always have been. I am happy, bubbly, joyful...and it's genuine! I have trouble vocalizing my good traits, but that is one I can admit to with confidence.
During my later years of college, though, I found myself becoming overwhelmed with the stressors of life. My light was flickering, as I started to lose what I consider to be my best trait. I started to lose my sense of self, because if I'm not happy, what am I? Who am I? By the time of my graduation from Pepperdine, I was on reserve battery life, joy-wise. I was jaded and exhausted. (Side-note: If I had gone to school anywhere else, my situation would have been 1,000 times worse. Pepperdine is the most wonderful and uplifting place, and kept me focused on God, even during stressful times. What more could I have asked for? Nothing.)
Upon returning home after college, I began to de-stress a little. I was finally able to see what was going on with me - this loss of joy. I remembered how, from as early as I could remember, I was so happy. I could find beauty and joy in anything and everything. I wanted that back. I wanted to be myself again.
I'm sharing this story, because I know I am not the only one who has felt this way. I also realize how important this quality is to our Spiritual, and even physical, well-being. So, how do we retrieve that joy we each had as a child? How to we "get back to ourselves?" Here are some tips I found helped/are currently helping me:
1. Pray - This is probably a no-brainer. If it is, I'm sorry. But as soon as I realized what was going on with me, I prayed to God about it. At the time, I didn't even really know what I wanted or needed from God...I just began praying. First, I prayed to help me "get back to my old self." Later, it became clearer to me that what was different within me was my lack of joy, so I began to pray to God to restore that joy. Even later, I began to pray to God to reveal ways in which I could restore my joy, which brings me to point 2:
2. Fill time with uplifting things - Part of (actually a lot of) what was bringing me down, I realized, was what I like to call "Earthly burdens." These are things that either cause worry, cause sadness, or are just general Spiritual buzz-kills. Many of these types of things, I realize, cannot be taken away or hidden from. For example, child hunger cannot be ignored; it is a real issue and needs to be addressed, even if it is a sad and terrible thing. However, many Earthly burdens can be managed and replaced with uplifting things. For instance, I noticed media was a source for all kinds of unnecessary stress in my life. Whether it was pressure to be "worldly," rather than "Godly," or maybe even TV shows or movies based on topics unfit for princesses such as ourselves, I found unnecessary burdens everywhere. The good thing? These can be replaced. I began filling my time with purposeful activities like spending time with my family or reading a great Christian book (or starting a blog...what?) Even though I am still a Pretty Little Liars addict, and am a sucker for a good Real Housewives drama-fest (shout-out to muh girl Vicki,) I began to see a dramatic difference in my joy levels. It's amazing how everyday activities we hardly even notice can make such a huge difference on our attitude and well-being.
3. Read the Bible - I will be the first to admit, I am the worst at this. I think it comes from a place of not being able to read two sentences without getting distracted, but whatever. No excuses. This tip helps so much. This probably won't come as a surprise to most of you, but did you know the answer to any question or trouble you are having can be found in this little book?! WHAT. Sometimes it still surprises me, and I don't know why. But I like it. It's a nice surprise. It is no coincidence that reading the Bible is going to make us happier. "Gospel" literally means "good news." Seriously, it's like a Vitamin D pill to the soul.
4. Remember - Look back on things that you did when you were a child, at your happiest. For me, I would sing. ???.....I don't know... I just remember, when I was really happy, I would always catch myself singing, or humming, or whistling a song. Lately, I've been finding myself doing that a lot, and that's how I know I am starting to get back to my happy old self. While you're reflecting, it also helps to store away a few really good memories. You can save these memories for a gloomy day, however, when your brain is in the "good-memory mode," at least for me, it stays that way for a while. It's hard for me to stop thinking about good things that have happened to me (blessings) once I have started. It's all in the way you train your brain.
5. Be nice - Doing little things for people is a great mood-booster. I know nice things shouldn't be done solely to make ourselves feel better, but who am I to argue against the fact that when I commit an act of kindness, I feel happier. If done from a genuine place, little acts of kindness can really help to bump up the joy factor, because you feel better about yourself knowing that you care for other people. It's a fact. Maybe not. I might of made that up. But it's true, isn't it? Have you ever written a heartfelt letter or held the door for an elderly person only to think "ICK. That made me feel terrible. Never doing that again...?"
Joy is not merely a nice accessory. It is a necessity. It give us strength. It is a virtue. It ties us in closer to the One who loves us. The One we strive to be like. Speaking from experience, it is also something to want, for without it we are.............unhappy.
I hope these tips can help you if you have lost some of your spark, or strengthen it if you have not. They have helped me get back to me and I am, once again, JOYFUUUUULLLLLLLL ( <---- data-blogger-escaped-a="" data-blogger-escaped-br="" data-blogger-escaped-imagine="" data-blogger-escaped-in="" data-blogger-escaped-singing="" data-blogger-escaped-that="" data-blogger-escaped-voice.="">
be happy,
becca
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Gifts and Talents - Part 2
Hey surfers! So today, as promised, I wanted to talk a little bit about Spiritual gifts. Now before I start, I feel I need to say that I, in no way, am confidently wise on this subject. I just recently became intrigued by it, and thought I would study to learn more about it. That is why I would ESPECIALLY love some feedback this week from everyone. I am really interested in learning more about this subject.
First things first:
What are Spiritual gifts? It states in 1 Corinthians that Spiritual gifts are simply special gifts given to each of us through the Holy Spirit. Just like the physical gifts God has blessed us with, each of us have a special Spiritual gift given to us to help us each serve the Lord better, and in our own unique way. When we, as Christians, all pitch in with our different gifts, we become a whole, working body.
I think 1 Corinthians: 4-6 explains it best:
4 "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work."
Although we all use our Spiritual gifts differently, we use them to serve the same God and the same Spirit issues them to us. (We have a pretty sweet bond that way, don't ya think?)
Soooo....what are the different Spiritual gifts?
They are listed in 1 Corinthians as:
wise counsel
clear understanding
simple trust
healing the sick
miraculous acts
proclamation
distinguishing between spirits
tongues
interpretation of tongues.
If you're like me upon reading that, you may have no idea what your gift is! To that I say: take the online Spiritual gifts quiz. I'm not even kidding. I totally did, (because I think we all know I love my quizzes) and it actually ended up being incredibly helpful! It helped me figure out what my gift is, and it went into more detail and explanation. I know it sounds silly, but I actually loved it! Thank you, Google.
I think it's important to remember, no one has all of the gifts. That would be cray. Plus, this way we all need each other to create one working Spiritual body - just like our human bodies need all of the systems to be there and be working in order for the body to function properly.
I also think it's cool that some of the Spiritual gifts overlap with the gifts we talked about last week. I don't know about you, but I'm just learning all kinds of things about myself! :))
I know I am not a font of information on this subject yet, but hopefully this helped a little. I will definitely keep everyone posted ( <-- data-blogger-escaped-and="" data-blogger-escaped-any="" data-blogger-escaped-are="" data-blogger-escaped-br="" data-blogger-escaped-but="" data-blogger-escaped-gather="" data-blogger-escaped-gifts.="" data-blogger-escaped-haven="" data-blogger-escaped-heard="" data-blogger-escaped-i="" data-blogger-escaped-in="" data-blogger-escaped-information="" data-blogger-escaped-intended="" data-blogger-escaped-interested="" data-blogger-escaped-is="" data-blogger-escaped-it="" data-blogger-escaped-m="" data-blogger-escaped-maybe="" data-blogger-escaped-much="" data-blogger-escaped-new="" data-blogger-escaped-no="" data-blogger-escaped-of="" data-blogger-escaped-on="" data-blogger-escaped-over="" data-blogger-escaped-pun="" data-blogger-escaped-so="" data-blogger-escaped-something="" data-blogger-escaped-spiritual="" data-blogger-escaped-subject="" data-blogger-escaped-t="" data-blogger-escaped-that="" data-blogger-escaped-the="" data-blogger-escaped-too="" data-blogger-escaped-years="" data-blogger-escaped-you="">
I hope everyone is doing well. PLEASE let me know if you want to talk more about this with me, or if you have any prayer requests, if you want to write a blog post, if you just want to talk...whatever! I love it all! :))
Hang loose,
-
P.S. I think the website I went to for the Spiritual gifts test was www.spiritualgiftstest.com
First things first:
What are Spiritual gifts? It states in 1 Corinthians that Spiritual gifts are simply special gifts given to each of us through the Holy Spirit. Just like the physical gifts God has blessed us with, each of us have a special Spiritual gift given to us to help us each serve the Lord better, and in our own unique way. When we, as Christians, all pitch in with our different gifts, we become a whole, working body.
I think 1 Corinthians: 4-6 explains it best:
4 "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work."
Although we all use our Spiritual gifts differently, we use them to serve the same God and the same Spirit issues them to us. (We have a pretty sweet bond that way, don't ya think?)
Soooo....what are the different Spiritual gifts?
They are listed in 1 Corinthians as:
wise counsel
clear understanding
simple trust
healing the sick
miraculous acts
proclamation
distinguishing between spirits
tongues
interpretation of tongues.
If you're like me upon reading that, you may have no idea what your gift is! To that I say: take the online Spiritual gifts quiz. I'm not even kidding. I totally did, (because I think we all know I love my quizzes) and it actually ended up being incredibly helpful! It helped me figure out what my gift is, and it went into more detail and explanation. I know it sounds silly, but I actually loved it! Thank you, Google.
I think it's important to remember, no one has all of the gifts. That would be cray. Plus, this way we all need each other to create one working Spiritual body - just like our human bodies need all of the systems to be there and be working in order for the body to function properly.
I also think it's cool that some of the Spiritual gifts overlap with the gifts we talked about last week. I don't know about you, but I'm just learning all kinds of things about myself! :))
I know I am not a font of information on this subject yet, but hopefully this helped a little. I will definitely keep everyone posted ( <-- data-blogger-escaped-and="" data-blogger-escaped-any="" data-blogger-escaped-are="" data-blogger-escaped-br="" data-blogger-escaped-but="" data-blogger-escaped-gather="" data-blogger-escaped-gifts.="" data-blogger-escaped-haven="" data-blogger-escaped-heard="" data-blogger-escaped-i="" data-blogger-escaped-in="" data-blogger-escaped-information="" data-blogger-escaped-intended="" data-blogger-escaped-interested="" data-blogger-escaped-is="" data-blogger-escaped-it="" data-blogger-escaped-m="" data-blogger-escaped-maybe="" data-blogger-escaped-much="" data-blogger-escaped-new="" data-blogger-escaped-no="" data-blogger-escaped-of="" data-blogger-escaped-on="" data-blogger-escaped-over="" data-blogger-escaped-pun="" data-blogger-escaped-so="" data-blogger-escaped-something="" data-blogger-escaped-spiritual="" data-blogger-escaped-subject="" data-blogger-escaped-t="" data-blogger-escaped-that="" data-blogger-escaped-the="" data-blogger-escaped-too="" data-blogger-escaped-years="" data-blogger-escaped-you="">
I hope everyone is doing well. PLEASE let me know if you want to talk more about this with me, or if you have any prayer requests, if you want to write a blog post, if you just want to talk...whatever! I love it all! :))
Hang loose,
-
P.S. I think the website I went to for the Spiritual gifts test was www.spiritualgiftstest.com
Monday, May 5, 2014
Gifts and Talents - Part 1
I was praying the other night, and I found myself "lacking." Just feeling like although I'm trying hard to love with every bit of me, there's just more to give to God - a reserve battery power that I can't figure out how to tap into yet.
Has anyone else ever felt this?
Anyway, so I prayed to God to help me figure out how to find this love within myself - to love Him with all of my heart AND my soul AND mind AND strength. All of it. I was beginning to feel very frustrated with myself.
So literally the next day, I found a book called "The Young Lady in Waiting." The book addresses everything I've been thinking about. (And besides that, it's just a great book for girls our age....from what I've read.)
Now, I know I shouldn't be surprised, but when God answers my prayers like that, it always stuns me. It shouldn't....because He always answers prayers...but when it's so obvious like that, and answered so quickly, it just always amazes me. So I thought I'd share.
This week's thought is heavily influenced by that book. I wanted to do a two-part thought on "gifts." This first week's is about physical gifts God has given us each, individually, and how we can use them to glorify Him. Next week's will be more about Spiritual gifts - a topic I'm newly getting into. I had decided last week to do these two topics, and once I started reading the book, I found some very interesting material that goes hand-in-hand with this week's topic of physical gifts.
SO....
I don't know about y'all, but I don't ever think about my "gifts." It makes me feel very prideful, for whatever reason. But today, I want to invite us all to think about the gifts God has blessed us with. These gifts are numerous and personalized to make each of us unique. I believe He has given us each these special gifts so that we can use them to serve Him and to help each other.
Here are some examples of physical gifts and how we can use them:
1. Teaching - Some people are natural-born leaders. These people feel comfortable preaching and teaching. If this is you, consider (if you haven't already) starting a small group, a bible study, or maybe even Sunday school teaching. If you have speaking and really being able to get through to people - use it, honey! Work it.
2. Encouragement - This goes hand-in-hand with what we talked about the last couple of weeks. Awesomely, this is something we can all do. Some of us are born just wanting to encourage others. I am one of those people. I LOVE seeing other people happy and seeing other people succeed.... Probably more than I like seeing myself happy. Even if this isn't one of your main qualities, though, I'm sure as Christians we all like to help and encourage each other....and it so easy! Send a little note. Make it a point to tell people how much you appreciate them. If there is someone who you really look up to spiritually, tell them what parts of their faith you really admire. A little bit of encourage can really change someone's day.
3. Some Christians really have a heart for service...and are really good at it! I know all kinds of friends who love LOVE missions as a way to serve God. I think this is a great and major way to serve God. If this is you, I urge you to just exercise this gift as much as possible. This is a gift I admire; I think the world needs more people like you! I can't name all the service opportunities out there; there are too many. All I can say is, if this is you and a service opportunity opens up, don't be afraid to take it. Share your passion and gift with the world!
Now, I have only named a few of the most generic and obvious gifts. Think about what God has specifically given you. Are you a great listener? Maybe God gave you the gift of music? Hospitality? Pick the top 3 (or if you want, go for all of them,) write them down, and then think of different ways you can use them to serve God and help others.
I love this exercise, because it helps - at least me - to figure out who I am in Christ and how I can serve better. Besides this, it reminds me of all the blessings God has given all of His children. We are all unique and truly His!
Has anyone else ever felt this?
Anyway, so I prayed to God to help me figure out how to find this love within myself - to love Him with all of my heart AND my soul AND mind AND strength. All of it. I was beginning to feel very frustrated with myself.
So literally the next day, I found a book called "The Young Lady in Waiting." The book addresses everything I've been thinking about. (And besides that, it's just a great book for girls our age....from what I've read.)
Now, I know I shouldn't be surprised, but when God answers my prayers like that, it always stuns me. It shouldn't....because He always answers prayers...but when it's so obvious like that, and answered so quickly, it just always amazes me. So I thought I'd share.
This week's thought is heavily influenced by that book. I wanted to do a two-part thought on "gifts." This first week's is about physical gifts God has given us each, individually, and how we can use them to glorify Him. Next week's will be more about Spiritual gifts - a topic I'm newly getting into. I had decided last week to do these two topics, and once I started reading the book, I found some very interesting material that goes hand-in-hand with this week's topic of physical gifts.
SO....
I don't know about y'all, but I don't ever think about my "gifts." It makes me feel very prideful, for whatever reason. But today, I want to invite us all to think about the gifts God has blessed us with. These gifts are numerous and personalized to make each of us unique. I believe He has given us each these special gifts so that we can use them to serve Him and to help each other.
Here are some examples of physical gifts and how we can use them:
1. Teaching - Some people are natural-born leaders. These people feel comfortable preaching and teaching. If this is you, consider (if you haven't already) starting a small group, a bible study, or maybe even Sunday school teaching. If you have speaking and really being able to get through to people - use it, honey! Work it.
2. Encouragement - This goes hand-in-hand with what we talked about the last couple of weeks. Awesomely, this is something we can all do. Some of us are born just wanting to encourage others. I am one of those people. I LOVE seeing other people happy and seeing other people succeed.... Probably more than I like seeing myself happy. Even if this isn't one of your main qualities, though, I'm sure as Christians we all like to help and encourage each other....and it so easy! Send a little note. Make it a point to tell people how much you appreciate them. If there is someone who you really look up to spiritually, tell them what parts of their faith you really admire. A little bit of encourage can really change someone's day.
3. Some Christians really have a heart for service...and are really good at it! I know all kinds of friends who love LOVE missions as a way to serve God. I think this is a great and major way to serve God. If this is you, I urge you to just exercise this gift as much as possible. This is a gift I admire; I think the world needs more people like you! I can't name all the service opportunities out there; there are too many. All I can say is, if this is you and a service opportunity opens up, don't be afraid to take it. Share your passion and gift with the world!
Now, I have only named a few of the most generic and obvious gifts. Think about what God has specifically given you. Are you a great listener? Maybe God gave you the gift of music? Hospitality? Pick the top 3 (or if you want, go for all of them,) write them down, and then think of different ways you can use them to serve God and help others.
I love this exercise, because it helps - at least me - to figure out who I am in Christ and how I can serve better. Besides this, it reminds me of all the blessings God has given all of His children. We are all unique and truly His!
Monday, April 28, 2014
Please and Thank You
Hey player haters. Just kidding, y'all aren't player haters. I don't even know what that means; I got it from a Chingy song.
Anyway, this week we have a special guest writer....my sister! You won't want to miss this! She's the best!!! :))
Okbye.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way
I will keep today's post on the shorter and sweeter side. I just have small, but hopefully powerful, thought to share. Lately, I've been thinking about the importance of showing each other kindness and encouragement. Life is so busy and demanding; it can get anyone down. I stumbled across this quote the other day, and it reminded me of what a HUGE difference a few kind words can make:
I can only speak for myself, but all too often I find myself getting overwhelmed with whatever is going on in my life and becoming unbearably bitter and cranky (friends, roommates, and sister can all attest to this.) And when I think about that...well...I really don't like it about myself. If I am so overwhelmed, it is likely that people around me are, too. (Like...duh, Becca.) They don't need my bad attitude hanging around like garlic breath after lunch. In fact probably, what they need more than anything, are a few words of kindness.
Okay....the FREAKIEST thing just happened...literally as I'm writing this, my mom opens up her mail.....and one of her sweetest and best friends had written her a little encouragement card. .....WHAT?!
Okay, well that tied in to this post perfectly...
...because what I was going to say next is that I challenge all of us women to send out a little bit of encouragement and kindness to each other every time we notice someone who especially needs it. Or maybe even call each other out (in a good way) when we deem it necessary.
I, personally, vow (okay, "vow" is a little strong,) but I am going to try to, at least once a week, send out some little bit of encouragement to someone. Whether it be a card, a nice note, whatever. I am going to try to let the people I think are great know how much I appreciate them. Yes, it will feel a little awkward at first, because sending a heartfelt message is not really a "thing." But what if it was? I challenge us to make it the norm. There is no harm in a few nice words. So let's do it. It might just make someone's day.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
While We Wait
Hi everyone! First of all, I'm sorry this post is a little late. I'm not starting off so well as far as consistency goes.... :/ BUT I was out of town! At the most beautiful place:
Our cabin! (Cue angel chorus)
2. Another thing we can do to help develop our patience is....
.....work on our physical patience! It kind of sounds silly at first, but I truly believe in a strong connection between character and virtue. If we practice patience in everyday life, well....it's kind of like muscle-memory in dance - it'll just come more naturally to us in all aspects of our lives. There are many opportunities to practice patience, daily. Let's start seeing those opportunities in a positive light and use them to make us spiritually stronger! (I'm excited to do this...like really excited.)
3. The obvious: PRAY! Praying is like spiritual Windex - it can fix anything! ( <--- If you get that reference, I love you.) Seriously, I overlook this all too often. God listens to and helps us through any and all of our problems. This problem is no exception. In the Bible, many people prayed about patience. Heck, some of those people were frustrated and let God know! Psalm 44:23-26 says:
Pray to God for help, and He will help you, period. He loves us and wants us to grow stronger as Christians. Next time we find ourselves especially impatient, let's pray about it right then and there and just see how much it helps!
Hopefully this post was helpful. I'm glad that I have an awesome support group of Godly women that are going through some of the same things as I am. The thing is, we are going to wait on God no matter what. We get to choose whether we will do that either uncomfortably or patiently. Let's choose patiently. Together.
BTW, I didn't proof-read this. Too tired. I apologize if there are any blaring grammatical errors. Okay. That's all.
DEUCES.
Our cabin! (Cue angel chorus)
We had a HUGE flood last summer, so my family had to go up to check on the work being done. It is the first time EVER I have gotten to see it in the snow!!! Ahhhh so magical.
Anyway, that's my excuse for being late with my posting. Also, note that I am very tired writing this post. Bear with me if it is slightly incoherent.
All of that being said, I have read all of the posts on the Facebook group (I'm so happy to see so many people involved and being such an awesome support group to each other!), and I noticed that many of them center around the topic of "waiting" - waiting for a job, or maybe for the right guy, or even just waiting to see how God's plan for us pans out. Many of us are in a season of our life where this topic is just especially relevant. Many times, at least for me, it seems like I'm waiting on everything. Because we are young adults, and so much is unknown and undiscovered.
Remember when you were little and your mom put you down for a nap? If you were anything like me (or...ahem...my sister), you wouldn't go without putting up a mean fight! I don't know why, looking at it now, but naps are the worst things in the world to kids. Ugh...so painful. But moms are going to get a nap out of you, whether you kick and scream or not. It's inevitable. So why waste all that energy and frustrate the both of you?
That's how I've been looking at "waiting" lately.
In my opinion, God has a perfect and beautiful plan for us. That plan will be fulfilled in His perfect timing. Whether we choose to be patient and happy with that or whether we choose to be uncomfortable and squirmy like a child at nap time is completely up to us.
I think we can all vouch that being patient is really hard. It can be difficult for several reasons. It is personally hardest for me in that sometimes I can't tell if I should wait (meaning, take no action in my current situation, leaving it completely in God's hands) or take affirmative action (make a choice, and have faith that God will take that choice and still lead me where He wants me. For example, in my unemployment I often wonder: "Should I just take it easy and let God open the right door for me? Or should I take more steps - place matters into my own hands a little more - and see where God leads me that way?
That's my personal battle with patience, but it is different for each person (I assume.)
Now knowing that it is obviously a difficult virtue to develop, we can say that because of its difficulty, it builds our spiritual character. ....and that's really awesome. God doesn't ever give us anything we can't handle, but He does give us some character-building challenges. Because He wants us to grow in Him! Isn't it awesome that he cares about us enough to want us and help us to grow stronger, more solid?? Sorry, I just got a wave of excitement when I thought of that....wow. YEEYUH.
So...how can we develop our patience in Christ?
1. First of all, it's good to know that every (stinkin') bad experience we go through is actually used to build virtue within us. So bad things we go through are actually awesome. It's all in the way we look at it. ( <--- Jedi mind tricks? No? Ok.) Seriously though, the more we wait... the better we get at it AND the stronger we get. That's why James says:
"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." -James 1:2-4 (MSG)He knows that only good things come from the situations God hands us. He knows wassup.
2. Another thing we can do to help develop our patience is....
.....work on our physical patience! It kind of sounds silly at first, but I truly believe in a strong connection between character and virtue. If we practice patience in everyday life, well....it's kind of like muscle-memory in dance - it'll just come more naturally to us in all aspects of our lives. There are many opportunities to practice patience, daily. Let's start seeing those opportunities in a positive light and use them to make us spiritually stronger! (I'm excited to do this...like really excited.)
3. The obvious: PRAY! Praying is like spiritual Windex - it can fix anything! ( <--- If you get that reference, I love you.) Seriously, I overlook this all too often. God listens to and helps us through any and all of our problems. This problem is no exception. In the Bible, many people prayed about patience. Heck, some of those people were frustrated and let God know! Psalm 44:23-26 says:
Get up, God! Are you going to sleep all day?
Wake up! Don’t you care what happens to us?Why do you bury your face in the pillow?Why pretend things are just fine with us?And here we are—flat on our faces in the dirt,held down with a boot on our necks.Get up and come to our rescue.If you love us so much, Help us! (MSG)
Pray to God for help, and He will help you, period. He loves us and wants us to grow stronger as Christians. Next time we find ourselves especially impatient, let's pray about it right then and there and just see how much it helps!
Hopefully this post was helpful. I'm glad that I have an awesome support group of Godly women that are going through some of the same things as I am. The thing is, we are going to wait on God no matter what. We get to choose whether we will do that either uncomfortably or patiently. Let's choose patiently. Together.
BTW, I didn't proof-read this. Too tired. I apologize if there are any blaring grammatical errors. Okay. That's all.
DEUCES.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Gossip HURL.
Okay, okay... the title of this post....might be...a little LAME-O, but it'll stick with you. So ha.
I know I said I was going to post once a week, but I got too excited! What can I say?! Plus, I have a really good topic for this one. So double ha. This is a topic that I feel is relevant to any woman, no matter what stage of life she is in. Whether she struggles with this herself (and I'm talkin' to myself, here) or she is a victim of this, GOSSIP affects most women.
Let me start with an illustration:
(Based on a true story)
A few months ago, my family and I were visiting my grandma (Gaga) at the assisted living facility where she lives. It was "grandparents day," so there were some...ahem...light hors d'oeuvres - oatmeal cookies and diet Coke. So naturally, we took some to nibble on while the Seniors reminisced.
Flash forward to that night:
Our stomachs...were...mmm let's just say.. IN SHAMBLES. I'm serious, we could not figure out what was wrong; we were SO sick! Then it dawned on us (via my sister.) The "oatmeal cookies" were laced with Metamucil---- I KID YOU NOT. It was not normal. Or fun. Our stomachs were TOE-UP.
You guys, gossip is the Metamucil cookie. It will tear anyone that "eats" it into shreds.
My serious point in all of this is that gossip is so destructive. I know from personal experience. I've been on both ends - the gossiper and the gossipee. I grew up in a small town church where gossip was the first language. It hurt, devastated even, a lot of good people - including my own family. I don't mean to bash the church or the members of it, but I know - I have seen with my own two eyes - that nothing good ever comes from gossip.
That in itself is no big news. We know that gossip hurts people. We get that.
So what are some more powerful reasons to stop gossiping?
Firstly, God hates gossip. That in itself should be enough to make me want to stop in my tracks. Proverbs 20:19 reinforces this:
" Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler."God specifically states how he hates gossip and even goes further to say how we shouldn't associate ourselves with people who do! Whoa. That's pretty humbling. Do I do either of those things? (Yes.) Or maybe both? (Also yes.) God does not put up with gossip, and neither should we.
Have you ever been in a situation where you found yourself in the midst of an argument, or maybe someone simply didn't like you, because of hearsay? I have. It's not fun. It's really not fun when people who don't know you are automatically at odds with you, because of something said that wasn't true. Cool. Gossiping causes a lot of unneeded fights between people who might otherwise get along.
Proverbs 26:20-21 actually addresses this exact issue:
"When you run out of wood, the fire goes out; when the gossip ends, the quarrel dies down. A quarrelsome person in a dispute is like kerosene thrown on a fire."
Even if for no other reason, we should stop gossiping because it will stop a lot of fighting and a lot of hate - the fighting and hate that gossip itself created.
I was sketching the other day, and I created this little dude. ^ I thought it would be a good illustration to go with today's thought, because it looks very tangled and jumbled up - much like gossip makes us feel. At first, gossip seems harmless, just as this drawing looks very bright, happy, and harmless. However, when we become woven into the gossip web, it is near impossible to get out. It is so hard to stop. As I looked closer at this drawing, it kind of sucked me in. I found that it went from sweet to almost wicked very quickly. I felt that if I were in this drawing, I would never make it out alive.
To me, gossip is the same way. It is so dangerous to us, because it is near impossible to escape from it. Take it from me. It is something I continue to work on every single day.
Let's be each other's Gossips Anonymous support group. Let's help each other get over this bad habit. Because I don't think that any of us, who are trying so hard to become stronger women of God, really want this. We don't want to hurt God, and we don't want to hurt each other, do we?
Here are some great scriptures that talk about gossip, if you are interested:
Leviticus 19:16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD.
Proverbs 11:13 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
Proverbs 20:19 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.
Jeremiah 9:4 Let everyone beware of his neighbor, and put no trust in any brother, or every brother is a deceiver, and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer.
2 Corinthians 12:20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.
Let me know what you think of this, and don't forget to comment! :))
And remember, let's be the Pepto Bismol to each other's Metamucil cookies. ( <----- data-blogger-escaped-i="" data-blogger-escaped-just="" data-blogger-escaped-m="" data-blogger-escaped-of="" data-blogger-escaped-proud="" data-blogger-escaped-really="" data-blogger-escaped-reference.="" data-blogger-escaped-sorry="" data-blogger-escaped-span="" data-blogger-escaped-that="">
XOXO
Sunday, April 6, 2014
First Post! Gnarly dude.
Hi everyone!!! I'm so excited for this first post! ( <--- Can you tell?) I was sitting around on Facebook the other day (normal.) and found myself missing friends - friends from high school, friends from church camp, friends from Pepperdine - and I wanted to create a place where we could all interact with each other and talk about God! I want this blog to be a place where we can all connect/ reconnect with each other, share with each other where we each are spiritually, and get together to lift each other up in a place that studies God in a unique a creative way.
That brings up the next point:
Is it just me, or does anyone else long for creative and thought-provoking Bible studies? Don't get me wrong, there is something to be learned with each sermon, lesson, or devo we attend, but I've often noticed the same lesson being taught over and over. I want this specific study to be all about 1. Things we are all going through, so that we can relate to each other and encourage. 2.) New, fresh, and interesting topics that energize us spiritually.
So:
I have a loose curriculum we can go off of, but PLEASE feel free to let me know by email, text, FB, snapchat.... if you have an idea for a post, and I'll give it a go! P.S. If anyone wants to take the reigns one week, I also don't mind that. If you have wisdoms you want to share, DO IT. This isn't about me being the head honcho, it's about all of us...and the kewl bond that we have (pssst! JESUS!)
Did someone say curriculum?
I DID.
Finally, for the first week, I found a really cute and interesting study. It's called "A Bad Cup of Coffee," and really, who can't relate to that? So without further ado, here is your first small group lesson! Enjoy! And don't burn your tongue...
I'm sorry, for this first one I had to send you a direct link; technically I am not allowed to repost it onto my blog. And that's cool, because I'm not about that plagiarizing lyfe.
Don't forget to leave comments, so we can get this party started!
Hang loose. Deuces.
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