Instant pick-me-up.

Need a laugh? Watch this video :)

Michigan.

Rain Boots.

My friend Somer asked me this week to update my blog on what God's been doing in my life lately. I told her that was a good idea.... and then proceeded to blankly stare at my computer screen. Because I couldn't think of anything to write. I tried to dig really deep and think of something super profound.... something spiritual. Wise. Something worth writing about. You know what I came up with? Not much. The only thing I found was honesty--- because, in all honesty, I have no idea what God is doing in my life. Now I am not saying that God is not doing anything--- I just said I don't know what it is He is doing in my life--or why. I feel like I've been under a little rain cloud lately-- and not the fun, puddle jumping kind of rain cloud. It's been a cloud of sad, lonely, and ill-adjustment. Now I'm not asking for recruits for my pity-party... I just thought maybe I'd share what I'm struggling with. I share this because life is not perfect, it's hard-- and I've done a lot of overcoming and maybe by sharing our struggles we grow. I've been asking God a lot what am I doing here--this place/stage of life that I'm in-- and why? I have yet to find my niche, my joy, my peace. Somewhere, deep down, I bet God is stretching me and preparing me for something. But I have not found it easy. Maybe God is calling me to go find and don my rain boots and face my puddles and look forward to the metaphorical rainbows that lie ahead--while looking adorable and very stylish in my robot/alien wellies.

The big questions in life.

Adorable.

From "My Friend Is Sad" by Mo Willems.

Ant hill.

I was at a tattoo parlor on Tuesday. No need to trip out... it wasn't for me, I was there for moral support and to give a free ride. My friend was getting a tattoo in Hebrew on her wrist that says "pray." It's absolutely beautiful and very inspiring. Her tattoo artist asked her about it, why she chose Hebrew, and why she chose the word pray. She told him that she is a Christian, and what a great reminder it will be to always pray. Her tattoo artist began to comment on his observation of the Hebrew God and how different the "Old Testament God" is from the "New Testament God." I chimed in that we serve the same God... our God never changes. He is and was and always will be the same. I think people can get so caught up in the misconception of an angry bitter Old Testament God.  In Bruce Almighty, Jim Carey describes God as "a mean kid sitting on an ant hill with a magnifying glass" waiting to burn off our "feelers" and watch us "squirm." I believe this is more or less how that tattoo artist sees God. I talked to him a little bit during the ink session. I understand where he was coming from. I understand that God's ways don't make sense in our minds but in the end, what it comes down to is that God is love. He is not mean, He is good and has always been that way. And here's a little reminder (in song form.)

And remember how Bruce all Mighty ends? Bruce completely changes his view of God after relationship with Him (and of course acquiring all of His powers. A little unorthodox, I know.) Bruce's life is forever changed, he is a happier man in the end and he even gets the girl.

Faultless.

On Sunday morning I went to church. On Monday morning I went to the dentist.


The service Sunday morning was on James 1:19-27. I enjoyed the service and the preacher gave a "good" sermon. In theory all sermons are "good"-- a sermon would only be deemed "bad" if the pastor were spitting blatant lies or the church goer was being convicted in an area they did not feel like being convicted in. No, I think it comes to is this: we call church services "good" IF we were actually paying attention. Allow me to share with you what stood out to me in the service that morning. The pastor reminded us that we are called to "live the Word." He quoted, "Many people mark their Bibles-- but don't let their Bibles mark them." Wow. So how do we "live the Word" and how do allow the Bible to "mark" us? Although there are probably a variety of ways, we can begin with our service. The Bible reminds us in James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." The preacher edified and thanked the congregation for all they had done and all the ways that they had served in order to fulfill this mandate. He congratulated them on their many missions trips and successful ministries in Africa and all over the world. It made me cry. Just a little bit. This is where my heart is. I want to help kids for the rest of my life-- I want my life to be a ministry. I'm not exactly sure what it will look like-- but I know I want to look after those in distress and those in need.


Flash forward to Monday morning-- Dentist office
I was in the waiting room-- waiting-- and talking to the receptionist at the desk. She asked me if I was in college, a fair assumption given my age and culture. I told her what I had been doing and where, and she asked me about the conditions of where I had been working. She told me that she lacked any real desire to travel (and do missions) because she didn't want to see. She said she didn't think she could handle seeing people in dire need. I understand that it can be hard to face something so trying as poverty or starvation-- I've never seen starving babies face to face before. There's a lot out there that has yet to break my heart. But her comment made me sad. Because I realized that it is that mentality that prevents so many people from doing something. Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is what prevents us from practicing that true and holy, faultless religion that calls us to help those in need. I don't believe that everyone is called to be a missionary in a foreign country-- but I do believe that we are called to open our eyes and take our fingers out of our ears and listen and see the opportunities God has given us to help the less fortunate. And it starts with you.