Faith, Hope, and Love

At the beginning of 2015, I tried something new. I had given up resolutions many years before, and decided to try picking a word for the year instead . My word was intentional . It felt like a good word. I wanted to be more intentional about my career, and so in 2015 I pursued different opportunities to get back into writing and the editorial world. I wanted to be more intentional about my creative hobbies, like writing and photography, and so I looked at a lot of different class options and made some new contacts. I wanted to be more intentional about my relationships--mostly friendships, but also in the romance category. And so I said "yes" to things I was tempted to say "no" to, and signed up for things at church and beyond in order to get involved and meet more people. I wanted to be more intentional about my health, and did a barre class once a week for a while. And drank more water, and ate healthy in general. I wanted to be more intentional at ...

I've started to think about them often-- Beatrice and Scovia . They are the two Esther Home Girls that are sponsored through IF: Gathering and who I'll get to meet when I'm in Rwanda in July . I don't remember if I gave to the campaign that allowed their dreams to go to college possible, and so I've browsed through the small profiles/update we've been given , hoping to come up with gifts that can bring with me. Maybe a scarf? Or a set of my favorite colored pens? Maybe those things would be too small, too trivial? I don't know. And then I hear insecurity whisper: Maybe everything you have to offer will be too small, too trivial. Not just to the girls, but on the whole trip. And I tremble with fear. By nature, I am a pretty cautious person. I don't like to take risks, and any adventures I embark on are generally strongly vetted (or are only adventures because I finally decided to actually step outside  my home). But God has been nudging me...

Dear Family and Friends, In February, I participated in a women’s conference called IF: Gathering. The theme this year was all about faith—if God is real, then what? If I believe in His word, then what? If I trust that He is good, how do I respond? At the end of the week, we were asked to think about our “next step of faith” and offered different ways for us to actively live out our faith. One of those ways was through a mission trip to work alongside Africa New Life Ministries in Rwanda. Rwanda is a small but densely populated country nestled in East Africa. During the 20th century, Rwanda reached a height of violence in the 1994 Genocide. Now, over 20 years since the Genocide, Rwanda has and continues to demonstrate to the world the power of reconciliation and forgiveness. Africa New Life Ministries is a child sponsorship organization that provides a comprehensive level of care to the students, ministering to both physical and spiritual needs as well as focusing on the comm...

Here's the funny thing about God: He's never late. Even when you feel like things are not going to happen and you're down to the wire and you're stressing, He comes through. Just when He wants to. I've had God do things in His timing many times in my life, and so I've learned to not worry and trust in that He will provide what I need when He wants. That doesn't make the wait any easier... but I am learning. There was the time I graduated from masters and had no job and no plan. I came back to Houston and spent about 3 months looking for something. I was at a point when I was ready to give up. And then I got a call and was offered an internship I never even applied to. His Perfect Provision and in His Perfect Timing. And then when the three-month internship was ending, I was once again feeling the pressure of the job hunt. Nothing seemed to be available and the few jobs that were wouldn't even acknowledge my application with a form rejection lette...

This summer, I have the opportunity to go to India and serve with As Our Own , an organization that rescues young girls from the sex trafficking industry and raises each of them as their own daughters. The provide for all their needs and they remain a part of their family even after they go to college, get married and have daughters (or sons) of their own. As part of our preparation for the trip, each of us going had to share "our story." What pivotal milestones had led us to where we are now? How had God prepared us for this time and this place? I was very hesitant to do this, and struggled for a week and a half, trying to decide what to share. I've been a Christian more or less my whole life. And yes, I do know that you aren't born  a Christian. At some point each person has to answer God's call on their own. I just don't remember exactly  when I did that. My dad is a clergyman and started a church the year I was born. I was always involved in things ...

One thing that I have loved about being a teacher is having built-in vacations. Summer, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break... and then the cycle repeats itself. It gives me the freedom/time to do things I've always wanted to do. Or really, one thing I've always wanted to do: travel. Over past breaks, I've been to England, France, Germany, Nigeria, Spain, Costa Rica, and Ghana. Each trip was special in its own way and has allowed me to feel like the globetrotter I always thought I'd become. But all those trips were only about me (except, perhaps Costa Rica and Ghana, since I did take students. And we did renovate a school building in Ghana). And as you may have picked up on some of my recent jobs, I've been trying to focus on "seeking God first" and making sure the things I do bring Him glory in some way. So when my co-worker suggested we spend our Spring Break in Haiti to work with a school, I was immediately on board. It would be a chance to trave...

I've had a lot of posts about being single. How it sucks , how I'm fine with it , how I don't care and how I hate being hit on . Blah, Blah, Blah. Don't get me wrong--they are all very true. But I think I'm finally getting to a point where being in a relationship (or not being in one) isn't a secret obsession of mine. A thing that I act cool about, but really I'm hurt and confused about why I wasn't good enough or whatever. I'm finally just moving on from it all. Because when I think back to all those past relationships, I'm not so sure if I'd be all that happy if they did work out. None of them were bad people or anything, but I think they all were/are bad for me. Realizing that has made it hurt less. Realizing what would be good for me has made it hurt less. One of the things I've been really focusing on for the last few months is Matthew 6:33: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto ...

So maybe I should reconsider my decision to leave the journalism world. After all, accroding to this Common Ground post , it's the #1 Sexiest job for women. Followed by teachers... but only if they are Teach for America. Which I am not. So I am apparently not a sexy teacher (sigh). Photographer is #3... so maybe if I take my hobby more seriously I could still be seen as sexy. I lack a sexy career. Which is sad, considering that the top three are kind of within my reach. It'd explain why I'm still single, perhaps. I kid. Although, I have been thinking a lot about my singleness over the last 2-3 months. I promise, I'm not one of those crazy girls who is psychotically planning her wedding and just needs to put a groom in the mix and she'll be happy. Generally, I'm very content with my life. But... I do want to find "the one." And I am kind of tired of waiting around for him. Yet, I don't know how to find him. About six weeks ago, I ran into o...

Happy Ash Wednesday! Or is that what you say when Lent begins? I'm not sure... as I've never really observed Lent. Last year was my first "go" at it, and all I did was participate in this Lenten devotional. This year, I'm not fasting, but I am giving up secular music. I had kind of stopped listening to secular radio for a while, but fell off the wagon over Christmas (I love me all types of Christmas tunes!). Plus... the Christian radio stations in Dallas DRIVE ME INSANE! But at the same time, I feel like my focus is being drawn away from Christ when I'm listening to Rhianna sing about sex and stuff like that. I used to wake up singing hymns, or I'd burst out into a worship song as I washed dishes. Now I'm singing, "What's my Name?" Not liking that at all. Not that I think anything is wrong with secular music. And it's not like I plan to never listen to any of it again. But at least for the next 40 days that's the plan becaus...

So I just finished a week of living a life of No Impact . Or at least trying  to live a life of No Impact. I wasn't always very successful, but I think it was still a worthwhile week. I've walked away from it a changed person. I'm more conscious of the choices I make and how they affect the environment, and I've taken steps to change a few bad habits and swap them for more eco-friendly ones. And while I may still be more "lime" than "green," it's a start. And I think that's the more important thing. Well... today, I received another challenge. The Awakening , a young adult group at the church I go to in Dallas, is doing a three week series on "Life on Purpose." Purpose as in "what you're supposed to do in life; your calling, etc." Although, I also took it as "on purpose" like the opposite of "on accident." Mostly because I think lately, or at least since losing my job , I've kind of been livin...

Earlier today I decided to be a bit more productive than I usually am after my 4-hour stint at my part-time job and made my way to the bookstore hoping to find some "direction." Ever since I lost my magazine job (and to be honest, even a few months before then), I've been feeling a bit jaded and confused. I'm suddenly wondering if what I always wanted to do with my life is what I'm supposed  to be doing, and asking myself if the profession I've always dreamed of pursing since I was about five-years-old is really for me. What if I'm honestly just no good at it? What if I just thought  I was? I had one day left on my "birthday gift" from Borders (I got a free raspberry-lemony iced tea!), so it seemed like the place to be. In the reference section, I grabbed a Writer's Market hoping to discover a few new avenues and alleys I never thought to walk down before. In the job section, I found "Fired to Hired," which I embarrassingly picked ...