OneWord365, the 2016 Edition

Late in 2013 I heard about OneWord365, and immediately I was intrigued by the concept of choosing a word to focus on for an entire year. I mean, just one word, instead of making a list of resolutions that would almost certainly be broken.

So at the end of 2013, I picked my word for 2014, intentional. It was a good word for the season of life that I was in, and for most of the year I keep with my goal of being intentional about the things in my life: grad school and my career, my walk with God, and my relationships with others. But then the time came to start considering a word for 2015, and I was stuck. I couldn't figure out a word that I wanted to focus on for the year. So I halfheartedly chose a word (forward), and then forgot about it for the rest of the year. 

However, at the end of 2015, I knew that I really wanted to pick one word for 2016. I went through lots of words in my head (most of which I've already forgotten), but none of them felt quite right. I was certain that like last year, I'd choose a word just to say that I had one, and it would have no impact on my life whatsoever. So I welcomed 2016 with no word in mind.

Then, on the evening of January 1, my word found me! I was flying back to Indy from the East Coast, just as the sun was setting. Watching the array of colors across the clear sky from the plane I thought to myself, "Wow, this is amazing, I should get out my phone and take a picture!" And myself replied to me, "No, no. Let's not look away to take a picture. Let's just enjoy the moment, and savor it."

At that moment, I knew that that was my word: savor. 

So this year, you'll find me trying as much as possible to enjoy life's little moments, while they are happening. I'll spend lots of time reflecting, having slow lunches and leisurely walks, hoping to savor every bit of this beautiful life.

If you could choose one word to focus on for all of this year, what would it be? Let me know!

Be blessed and shine anew!

Subscribe to The Journey Deeper by Email

Indy: A Next 'Nother New Place Again

The view from my living room window! This picture doesn't even do justice to the beauty of the fall season.

About five months ago I packed all my stuff and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana for a new job. I'm not sure why I thought it would be easy to move 700 miles from my sisters and all my friends to a state where I only knew one other person, but I was certainly wrong about that.

Everything about moving, and being in this new city has been...not easy. It's not Indy's fault, it's a nice city. It just seems like all the things that fell into place and led to me coming here haven't stayed in place since then.

But even in this there are lessons to be learned, and old lessons to be reminded of. Here are five lessons from the first five months here:

1. Life changes, and yet, it doesn't. There are lots of things that are different about my life here (like not having friends that I can randomly make plans with), but there are lots of things that are the same. Fall is still gorgeous, I still hate getting out of bed in the morning, and perhaps most of all, I worship the same God at my new church.

2. Friends are awesome. First, shoutout to my roommate who puts up with me, particularly in my first few months here when she was the only friend I had. She'd make sure that I'd get out of the house and do things. Second, shoutout to all my old friends who've been messaging and following up with me to make sure I'm still alive and okay in my new home state (y'all better come visit me!) Third, shoutout to the new friends that I'm making here, which is exciting and cool and different.

3. Know yourself. It's always funny how new things and new situations teach you more about who you already are, and influence the person that you are becoming. I've learned a lot so far about the person that I am (for better or worse) and what I need to be content.

4. Just go with it. Sometimes (actually, a lot of the time) things don't work out quite the way you expected. It's been tough to learn to go with the changes, knowing that it will eventually work out. Which leads me to my last lesson...

5. God is in the new place too. One of the things that I sometimes forget (especially when things don't seem to be working out) is that God is with me here in Indy, same as in Jersey, and in Ithaca and in Bim, and everywhere else I've been. And I still need God just as much here as I have everywhere else.

Be blessed and shine through the changes!

Subscribe to The Journey Deeper by Email

Life Happens and Seasons Change

Hello there!

It's been a while since I've really been here...but you know, life happens. And lately, so much life has been happening that I haven't had time to write about it, or about anything else. But I promise that I'm back, and I'll be sticking around!

Part of the reason that I haven't been here in a bit is because I've felt a little disconnected from God. I mean, we still see each other, and we chat and stuff, but we haven't had time to really connect recently. This is probably because I've been alternating between being busy and being exhausted, even though Jesus has been like, "but I'm your rest. Come to me." I'm still learning what that really means, to rest in Jesus as I walk through life with Him.

Life has a way of keeping things rolling, and sometimes, instead of a gentle current going along, it feels more like you're in an avalanche and you don't know which way is up. Or at least I do. But even in these moments God reminds me of His sovereignty and His love, be it through a beautiful sunny morning, or a breathtaking view of trees along the river, or the beauty of the fall foliage.  Through my busyness, God still calls to me to stop and consider His wondrous works.

I'm reminded through these little moments that even as I am tumbling along through life, God's hand is still in all of it, especially as I watch the seasons change in the leaves and trees, and the seasons change in my own life.

Every year the trees instinctively know what to do, their lives set on a cycle that continues through each new generation. The leaves change, and fall off the trees, but they do not despair, for they know that this loss has a purpose and new life will bloom again. I take comfort in these trees, in their beauty, and in the knowledge that the trees' lives have been planned and mapped out by my Creator, and so has mine.

Seasons change, and they should.

Be blessed and shine through life!

Subscribe to The Journey Deeper by Email

Biweekly Bits #18: Wilderness and Growth

After writing 26 bits, I realized that there is so much I could elaborate on with each of my bits. So I decided to turn them into a biweekly (i.e. fortnightly) series, for the next year.

Everyone needs a wilderness experience. Seriously, at least one. College in Ithaca was mine. I was far away, basically in the middle of nowhere, and I knew no one when I got there. Ithaca has been the place where I've spent some of the loneliest days of my life thus far. It's also the place where I have grown the most, both as a person and as a follower of Christ. Some lifelong friends have also come out of that Ithaca experience. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I have often wondered what person I might have become without the wilderness experiences that have shaped me. To be honest, wilderness experiences are not pleasant. I remember when I went to college, I was alone, lonely and worried about surviving my first four years of adulthood, all on my own and more than two thousand miles from the warmth of my family. I was worried that I'd fail all my classes and waste the thousands of dollars that my parents had invested in my education. I was worried that I'd be friendless, since I knew absolutely no one on campus when I arrived there.

But even through my worries I knew that I had comfort in Jesus and that I could cling to Him through every challenge that I faced. I grew leaps and bounds in my relationship with God. I met people who mentored me and challenged me and supported me. I began to mature in my faith, choosing to love and serve God for myself, and not because I grew up going to church. And in this time I learned some important lessons about wilderness experiences, a few of which I will share with you.

1. The wilderness separates us from the things that distract us

This might be the biggest and the hardest of all the lessons I learned. Sometimes we get so caught up in all that we have, and the busyness of life, that we brush God off to the side. So he uses wilderness experiences to get our attention, to draw us away from all of the things that creep in between us and Him. In the midst of his trial, when everything had been taken away from him, when his wife advised him to curse God and die, Job was able to look to God and say "I know that my Redeemer lives" (Job 19:25). He turned his full attention to God in the midst of his trial.

2. The wilderness reminds us of our need for, and dependence on our Savior Jesus

There's nothing like having nothing to do but rely on God to remind us how dependent we are on Him. We see this in the life of David, when Saul was seeking after him, which caused him to flee all that was familiar and rely totally on God for his safety and security. Yet it is in the these moments that David drew close to God, speaking of God as his refuge and strength (Ps 46), or his light and salvation (Ps 27), or his rock (Ps 18). David knew that he was utterly dependent on God, who is the provider of all things, even when we face the wilderness.

3. The wilderness forces us to grow and mature

Wilderness experiences are places of growth. They allow us to draw close to God, deeper into our knowledge of who God is, and how we can be his servants. Part of this maturing process comes in community with other believers, but there is a stage where in order to grow in intimacy with God, we must spend time in intimacy with God. In our wilderness seasons we should take the time to know God through His word, to communicate with him through prayer, to spend time in quiet reflection. The growth that we experience prepares us to face even the strongest of temptations well-armed and well-prepared.

We see this in the life of Jesus, where during his time in the wilderness, he is tempted by the devil (Matt 4:1-11). No matter what approach the devil takes, Jesus is able to respond with the word of God, in its proper context. And in these responses we can truly understand why we need our times in the wilderness. "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Father" reminds us to focus on God. "Do not put the Lord your God to the test" reminds us of God's power and might, and our dependence on him, and "Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only" reminds us of our daily call to worship and serve God.

There is much to be learned from our wilderness experiences, even when we feel like life is falling apart. The wilderness strengthens us, because we are made to look only to the true source of our strength. But the wilderness is always temporary, and we should use these times to grow ever closer to God. Let us consider life's wilderness experiences as a gift from God, an opportunity for introspection and growth.

What are some wilderness experiences that you have had in life? What scriptures did you use to encourage yourself through them?

Be blessed and shine, even in the wilderness!

Subscribe to The Journey Deeper by Email