THE LIST

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Over the past year I’ve lived intentionally by enjoying each season. Rather than wishing my life away and dreaming for another season (both a figurative season and a literal calendar season) I’ve attempted to set my eyes and heart and enjoy the “now.”

For this week’s LIVE IT OUT! LIST let’s think about what we love about this present season. I’m going to list out why I’m loving winter (a literal calendar season). I invite you to join me in this OR you can list why you are loving your present figurative season in life (where God has you right now).

 

 

~Winter apparel is so forgiving. :)

~I have a super cute turquoise sweater with a bow stitched into the front. So girly an so ME.

~With pine trees everywhere, my town looks like a winter wonderland when it snows.

~Snuggling in warm jammies and fluffy socks is the best way to watch my favorite TV shows.

~Everything seems to slow down during winter.

 

Ok, your turn. Take sometime to list out why you love this season.

 

In The Middle Of Questions

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The benefit of simply standing still in the middle of questions.

I dislike unanswered questions. I’ve been known to badger those who have answers to my burning questions to the point of annoyance. It’s not fun to stand in the middle of a bunch of question marks floating around, sometimes spinning around me like a tornado. Swirls of life uncertainties makes me feel vulnerable and exposed. Lack of control gives me the jitters! Anyone else?

After an interesting blog conversation last week with THIS POST I realized that many of us live in unanswered questions about life, about careers, about faith. I thought I would share a reader email with you (with permission from the reader, of course). This question surrounds the topic of finding your dream job and navigating careers but it also encompasses what many of us are experiencing –– that we are standing in the middle of questions.

Here is part of the reader’s email:

I don’t know what my dream job is right now and that’s frustrating because it’s hard to work towards an invisible target. I’m ok with not having my dream job right out of college. I mean, if I obtain my dream job at 23, what am I going to do with the rest of my life? (Besides get married and have children which is my real dream job but presently unobtainable). While I’m definitely grateful for these last 10 months here, I’m ready to move on. But where? How? What are my goals, long-term and short-term? What do I want to do with my life or even just my single years? Where do I step next? Those are questions I can’t answer right now and for a goal-driven planner, that’s aggravating.

Raise your hand if you ever feel like this about life in general? ME! It is difficult to stand in the middle of questions–frustrating. I invite you today to not run away from those questions swirling around you but instead stand still right in the middle of  the questions –– even if answers are nowhere in sight. It is when we stand still in the middle of questions that God grows and builds our faith. Our questions don’t aggravate Jesus (in fact, I believe He strongly welcomes our questions and doubts). Though He doesn’t always provide clear cut answers right when WE think we need them, the Lord is ready and willing to pour out His peace upon us so we live in contentment of our present circumstances rather than in turmoil.

I love the Bible passage where Jesus and His disciples were out on the boat in the middle of a wild storm. Jesus was sound asleep, not worried about a thing. The disciples woke Him up, begging for Jesus to “save them.” Check out what Jesus did,

But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matthew 8:26-27)

In the middle of the storm and in the middle of our tornado of swirling questions, Jesus brings calm and peace. Of course the winds of the storm obeyed Him, for He is the creator of the universe –– the winds are at His command.

Let’s take time to embrace the swirling of questions in our life knowing that by standing still in the middle of the storm (life’s uncertainty) we find our powerful and awesome Creator, Jesus, who is in control.

 

Standing still in the middle of questions means we…

~take the opportunity to build up our prayer life. Pray harder and enjoy real conversations with God.

~take the opportunity to build up our trust in God’s timing and His plan.

~take time to be grateful for the “now” as we ask questions about the future. There is life to LIVE in the now and lessons to learn that bring us closer to God and strengthen our belief that He is in control.

Answers to the questions will come. I think that it is in the journey of standing still in the middle of questions which is more important than the actual answers. This is hard to see at the moment…the moment when we feel overwhelmed by the storm of questions. It is hard to just stand still. I encourage you to pray today for God to pour out His peace upon you as you trust Him while you stand in the middle of questions. He is faithful to calm the storm.

Would love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment…let’s chat!

The List

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I wanted to take some time to reflect and list out why I love what I do. This is a good practice to undertake every now and again when we get stressed out at our jobs and reminds us of what makes our heart sing. Though I’m keenly aware that many of us really don’t love our career or jobs, I encourage you to find something that you can pinpoint…something good to hold on to. For when we change our hearts toward that of gratitude our perspective changes as well.

 

Why I love doing life and ministry with young adult women…

~You girls hold nothing back…you really share the real and the raw.

~I love that I can sit in my jammies with my computer on my lap and communicate thoughts and words…hopefully those thoughts and words will resonate!

~I love that you all don’t mind when I get silly and post lists about well…makeup and stuff.

~ I LOVE that you all use this blog as a catalyst toward deeper conversations between you and Jesus.

~I love that I can share my personal struggles and you don’t judge. :)

~ I love that I share what the Lord had put on my heart and then YOU all add to that conversation with really amazing thoughts. That is true community.

When I set out to write my book Stress Point I had a vision (God-given) that women from all over the world would allow their King Jesus to transform their life as they LIVE OUT! the Kingship of Christ in every corner of their life. I’ve prayed that Stress Point would be the spark that ignites deeper conversations between you and Jesus. And OH HOW HE ANSWERED those prayers.

I’ve heard from women all over the world –– France, Ireland, Mumbai –– and from all over the United States. Women from all kinds of life situations have told me that they now see how Jesus is relevant in their career, in their finances, in their love life and in their friendships. I really feel there is a movement of young adult women to do life differently and make Jesus famous. (there’s another hint of my next book project!)

 

So this week I really need to beg a favor from you if you don’t mind. If you have read this blog for some time and enjoy the conversation and how it brings you closer to Jesus, would you share LIVE IT OUT! blog with your friends?

If you have read Stress Point and have decided to ditch the drama in your life and LIVE OUT! your faith, will you tell a friend about your experience reading the book and your experience of growth in faith?

It is through word of mouth–sharing exactly how Jesus is the center of your life– that this movement of young adult women can flourish.

Will you join me in this movement? It will take some bravery on your part to step out and share things that you might hold very close to your heart. But, this bravery of heart comes from the overwhelming experience of KNOWING that you daily worship the King of Kings…why would you want your friends to miss out on that?!?

Thank you for sharing my words with your friends. I heart you!