7 Resolutions for the New Year

The dawn of a new year brings about a brand new reason to get some things in our lives order.  We call these things resolutions.  Although for some people resolutions can be more daunting than inspiring, for others it’s just what the doctor ordered.  Here are the habits I plan to adopt starting January 2015:

I plan to...
1. Persistently Pray - Time with the Lord must be planned.  It doesn’t just happen.  Someone once said when you fail to pray you fail to involve God in your day.  I intend to start each day with an invitation addressed to God; giving him full permission to lead and guide my footsteps.  My prayer life has grown quite a bit in the last few years, but this year I want an even deeper commitment to pray, reflect, and listen.  The discipline that this requires is definitely a challenge, but I’ll start with scheduling the time, getting a pen and paper, and opening The Good Book.

2. Manage Each Moment -  I remember someone once told me how much they regretted watching a particular movie, because they would never get those two hours back.  I thought about their reasoning and even though it seemed extreme, it was in fact very true. Every moment lived is a moment that can never be lived again. So I intend to spend my time wisely.  We all know finding time to work is important, but making time to play (rest) is equally important.  And each should be done with great intention.

3. Maintain a Minimalistic Mindset - I recently told my sister about the two women living inside of me. (I’m only joking...kinda lol)  One loves to save money.  She thinks she has enough and needs nothing more.  But then there’s the other one that wants to go SHOPPING!  She loves stuff and doesn’t believe she can ever have enough.  I fight with each of them from time to time, but in my heart of hearts I am most like the first woman.  I fully believe the only thing wrong with wanting more is that it’s never enough.  So in 2015, I intend to be thankful and to control my impulsive nature by making financial goals and by taking on the challenge to creatively use what I already have.

4. Live Long (and Strong) - One thing money can’t buy is the feeling of accomplishment after climbing 14 flights of stairs (I literally had to do that once, when the elevators were down in my apartment building), the satisfaction of running a mile in record time, or the relief of leaving the doctor’s office with a good report.  There’s no use in having money if you’re not around to spend it.  Your health is your wealth.  So I intend to manage my health by scheduling time to exercise weekly and committing to a daily diet that includes vegetables, fruits, and grains. 

5. Hope Higher - “You have not because you ask not.”  What more needs to be said?  Little hope produces little results.  So I intend to hope BIG, ask BIG, and in turn experience GREATNESS.  Greatness in my finances, greatness for my family, and greatness in my home. I do believe God is able to do literally anything but fail. I intend to see His fingerprints in every area of my life.

6. Build my Back - There’s a prayer I once heard that ended with ‘instead of asking God to remove the mountain ask Him to strengthen your back for the climb.‘   I am no longer interested in an easy life.  Ease will never produce greatness; it only breeds apathy.  I intend to pursue the strength it takes to endure the storms of life and be able to tell the story of how I got over.  Nothing worth having ever comes easy, so looking for ease is now a thing of the past.  (I have a feeling this is going to be an easier said than done resolution.) 

7. Consistently Connect - My dad always says there are two things in life that will change you: good books and good people.  In 2015 I intend to surround myself with good people.  In times past, I became so busy doing things that seemed important I failed to establish and/or maintain relationships with good people, abandoning the accompanying benefits. And it’s not just about becoming at beneficiary but becoming a good person someone else can benefit from.  Friends are so often underrated, next year I want to invest more and reap more in this area.

-walkthetalk in 2015
-sarah

The Miseducation of Christmas: Only One Thing is Needed

You’ve seen the commercials.  You’ve read the ads.  You’ve probably been a part of a ruthless crowd or at least one of a million cars headed to a popular shopping outlet.  I’ve tried to comprehend it because I realize how exhilarating it is, even for me, to shop til I drop or to use 2 or more coupons on one item; buying it at a price that is close to nothing.  Jyeah! The propaganda is geared toward me.  Geared toward people who love to buy when they feel they’re getting a ridiculous deal.  For people who will use any excuse to get one. more. thing.  For people who often confuse being blessed with the consumption of many things or who equate the amount of love they have with the amount of money they spend.

Although never directly instructed, I believe Christmas is a God ordained tradition that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ.  He came in a manner that was hard for many to accept, but just as it was prophesied, He was the Savior of the world.  Lowly, meek, and plain.  He didn’t come to be served but to serve and to transform the hearts of all men who recognize their need for a Savior.  He instructed us to live as He lived.  He led by example and taught that the last should be first and the first should be last (Matt. 20:16).  He taught us to be merciful as He was merciful and to love others as He loved us (St. John 13:34).  So the idea to spend a month or two thinking and buying for others is actually not too far fetched.  It is, in fact, very much like Christ to slave in the kitchen for a remarkable dinner you and your family will undoubtedly enjoy.  How bad is it really to wake up early, head to mall, and shop for your friends and family until midnight; making sure to get the best deals the stores have to offer?  What could be so problematic that I would deem it necessary to write a whole blog post? 

Well the problem is addressed by Jesus when he decides to visit Mary and Martha (St. Luke 10:38-42).   The sisters were both believers in Christ and very excited for His visit but only one responded appropriately.  With the best intentions in the world, Martha grew bitter working hard in the kitchen, while Mary sat comfortably at Jesus’ feet.  Martha eventually confronted her sister, but was rebuked by Jesus who confirmed that Mary had actually chosen the right thing.  Martha was concerned about so much, but Jesus said only one thing was needed and that was the thing she neglected.  He did not scold her for cooking or for preparing the house for His visit, but to forgo the opportunity to sit at the feet of Jesus could never be justified.

This Christmas I intend to do the right thing. To comfortably sit a Jesus’ feet and be thankful, not for the great deals at Macy’s, but for the Savior of my soul.  In two or three years the sweater will be faded, the shoes will be scuffed, the newest gadget will be old, and the food will be digested.  My Savior, however, will still be relevant.  He will still be a very present help.  He will still be my most constant and devoted friend.  He will still be God.  While there is nothing wrong with buying gifts and loving one another, let’s remember Jesus.  The Christ.  Let’s worship Him.  Let’s learn of Him and challenge ourselves to be more like Him, not just during this season but all year-round!

Happy Birthday Jesus!
#walkthetalk

-Sarah

Why It’s Ok To NOT Fit In

Ok.  So we’re not going to talk about clothes here.  Nothing really to say about that but buy clothes that fit people!  Now to the subject at hand, have you ever noticed how many people say “I just don’t fit in” with a sad countenance?  I have heard that so many times over the years I’ve started to wonder how many people are actually a part of this “in” crowd?  When everyone says they don’t fit in, somebody should stop at some point and ask “fit in what?”  That uncanny feeling of being different and sometimes even an outcast is something we all face at some point in our lives.  So as oxymoronic as it may sound, it is normal to feel strange.

I felt strange, primarily in college, because I didn’t know who I wanted to be.  I saw my options and none seemed appealing.  I didn’t see myself as the super religious girl, who attended all the church services on campus, sang in the college gospel choir, and learned all the "churchy" lingo.  I didn’t see myself as a super scholar, who cared only about grades, accolades, and honors.  I didn’t see myself as a party animal, who had to hit the hottest clubs and dance with the hottest boys every weekend.  Nor did I see myself as a loner who only wanted to be left in solitude.  It seemed as if most people were comfortable in their skin and fit into some category, all the while I felt like a lost sheep roaming for a home.

It was not until I met a few other girls that shared my same dilemma that I realized this feeling was normal!  They too felt like lost sheep roaming for a home.  This didn’t mean they would automatically become my best friends, but it did mean I wasn't alone.   I learned that very few people, if any, fit in the aforementioned categories and in that way I was more like everyone else than I thought.  It meant I needed to get comfortable feeling uncomfortable and allow myself to go through the grueling process of getting to know me.  There were questions  I needed to ask myself without the pressure of having to agree with a group.  And so without an audience or “amen corner” I’d ask questions like; What do I believe about God?  What do I love about life?  What do I consider fun?  Where should I go on the weekend? What do I think about sin?  What kind of person do I want to be? How should I fill up my free time?

The answers to these questions didn’t come all at once (for fuller transparency I'm still answering some today) but in time I became more like...me.  I found others that agreed with my priorities in life and determined that where we disagreed I’d always remain true to myself.  Open to learning, of course, but never at the expense of my own thoughts and convictions.   So it’s okay to be strange.  It doesn’t feel good to be left out, but sometimes not being a part of the crowd keeps you out of a lot of trouble and can be a blessing in disguise.  Ask yourself hard questions.  Give yourself time to answer and discover who God has called you to be.  Resist the temptation of being like everyone else and do us all a favor...be you. 

-Sarah

My “Very Christian” Response to the Mike Brown Case (and every other social injustice that preceded or followed it)

"An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" -MLK

I’ve been taught to turn the other cheek (Matt. 5:39).  I’ve learned that vengeance is the Lord’s (Romans 12:19).  But there’s something inside of me that says I have to do something!  When the world yells “No justice, No peace” but the bible says "Follow peace with all men" (Hebrews 12:14)  how do I, as a part of the body of Christ, embark upon change for an underprivileged exploited people, who so happen to be my own people?  

 "Die-in" Protest in Chicago

As a follower of Christ there is probably nothing I’d rather do than to study the life of Jesus.  He, in my small mind, is the answer to every ill and calamity.  His presence alone shocked people.  His words offended those who thought they had all the answers.  His philosophies were often deemed blasphemous, but never once contradicted or negated what was established before His appearing on earth.  And so as remedial as it may sound I am compelled to ask myself  “What would Jesus do?”

Jesus was (and still is) a world changer.  Entering the scene where, much like today, there were groups of people who were discriminated against.  There were those who were outcasts and even shunned, including, but not limited to, Samaritans, lepers, tax collectors and prostitutes.  But from the start of His ministry, Jesus stood in solidarity with those who were looked down upon and discriminated against.  His mission was to save the lost and open the eyes of the blind (both naturally and spiritually) as opposed to establishing a kingdom on earth and furthering the agenda of the oppressing self-righteous.  He demonstrated very early that His role on earth was to dwell among those who recognized their need for a Savior and who submitted their lives to His Lordship.  He proved that He was the long awaited Messiah by not simply being served but by serving.  He debunked the theory that defined greatness as the accumulation of riches and the abuse of authority, rather one that possessed the humility of a servant-leader and stood in the face of adversity.

Me and Alex protesting in Chicago

So in response to the Mike Brown case, Eric Garner and all African American men in the U.S today who have been profiled, mistreated and abused by our system of “justice,” I stand with you.  I follow the lead of Christ and “turn the other cheek” not by laying low, but by challenging the opposition with all weapons down.  I’ve realized that I cannot practice “turning my cheek” without first being in the presence of my enemy.  I follow the lead of Christ and allow vengeance to be His not by denying the issues, but by confronting the issues; all the while resisting the temptation to get even.  I follow the lead of Christ and embrace humility not by staying neutral but by forming an opinion and doing all I can to support the efforts of justice with or without the spotlight.  I follow the lead of Christ and “follow peace with all men” not by remaining silent, but by speaking up and participating in peaceful tactics that convict the hearts of men. 

Who better than me?  Who better than the church?  Together we can be the hands and feet of Christ and change the world!  It is during times like these that we see the impact of Christianity.  We see our faith at work; no longer hypothetically, but pragmatically.   If we are the salt of the earth we can influence the world in a way that will be second to no other organized effort.  It is time.

#walkthetalk
-sarah

Ever been hugged by God?

I remember when God embraced me.   Like a hug from a father, I was enveloped in love.  It was during a conference at my home church (Temple Church of Christ- whoop whoop!) when the minister called the youth to the altar.  I was hesitant because I've never felt totally comfortable with someone laying hands on me and/or pushing praying for me in front of a crowd, but I wanted to be obedient so I went to the altar anyway.  I began praying and praising the Lord and before I knew it a warmth surrounded me like a heating blanket in the dead of winter.  The warmth was reassuring and accepting.  It didn't scold nor did it pacify, but it held me in a way that exposed my weaknesses and re-enforced my constant dependence on a God who wanted nothing more than to see me prosper.

Although I have not felt God's embrace to that level of tangibility since that conference, I am made aware of His unfailing love every time I find myself in a place of: (1) Unity - I was in the midst of believers that night.  I was not isolated or in the company of people of differing faiths.  This created an atmosphere wherein God often chooses to reveal Himself.  (2) Submission - I submitted myself to the minister's call.  I didn't necessarily feel it, I just obeyed and in my obedience God met me at the altar. (3) Prayer and Praise - When I got to the altar I was told to pray and praise God.  To my surprise the minister did not even attempt to pray for each individual who responded to her call, but she instructed us to pray and praise.  I did as she instructed knowing all I ever needed would ultimately come not through the touch of a minister, but through God.   It was in that moment that God embraced me and communicated His love for me as an undying, unconditional, and unwavering force that could never die.  I was forever changed.

The picture posted above truly illustrates the mystery of God's love.  The first time I saw it my mind went right back to my experience and my heart melted once again.  It seems with all the promises and assurances the Word of God provides the one of love is often neglected.  The Word is truly sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) in that it is able to present the standard of a Holy God and show how miserably I measure up, but it also explicitly conveys God's unwavering love toward me by outlining His plan to save me (John 3:16).  I am dumbfounded by this love.  I am taken aback, flabbergasted, but mostly humbled not just by the fact that God loves me, but how He loves me. Oh, How He love us!

#walkthetalk

-Sarah