It’s another Tori Kelly Tuesday here on the blog, and it’s a sassy one at that.
Enjoy this lovely lady’s tunes!
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Am I There Yet?
I’m directionally-challenged.
I don’t know what “turn southwest” means (I mean, is that left or right?!), and sometimes when my Google Maps app lady tells me to turn right, I accidentally turn left thinking I’m completely correct. I could chalk it up to normal human error, but even then, I still have the hardest time deciphering (what should be simple) highway directions. My internal conversations as I approach and am on highways goes a little like this:
(heart speeds up) Must… edge… into… oncoming… traffic… safely. Anddd success!
Hm, do I take this exit?…
Or THIS exit?
Wait, no, I think I just exited too early.
Or…wait… Am I even on the right highway?
WHERE AM I?
Okay, I’ll take the exit in a quarter-mile.
Wait, there are two directions to exit in. Is it left or right? Left. Or. Right. LAYO, CHOOSE!
(veers left)
Google Maps Lady: Rerouting…
(face palm)
Such is my life when I’m out on the road and not too familiar with my surroundings. Yes, I definitely panic when I’m waiting on the Google lady to tell me where to go, and she hasn’t said anything in 5 miles, and I see a stoplight coming up, and I wonder, do I turn? Am I going straight? What do I do, Google Maps lady?? It was at a time like this recently – when I began to internally panic as I drove to my destination – that God really started to tug at my heart and speak to me about patience and listening to Him in my life. Continue reading
A Country’s Birthday
Happy July 4th! It’s been a minute and then some since I’ve written here, because pesky final exams for my first year of med school got in the way, but I’m back for the long haul (meal planning for the fall will hopefully free up more writing time for me!).
I’ve always loved Independence Day (hello, fireworks!), but there’s been nothing like this past year abroad to make me truly appreciate this wonderful country I grew up in. Although I’ve lived abroad before, this past year has made me acutely aware of the world’s views on Americans (and Texans). A lot of the perceptions stem from various sources – American movies or people met in passing while travelling – and for some, the views could cause a bit of self-consciousness. But for me, I think the things that might render Americans unsavory to some are the things that most endear me to them. Yep, I’m talking about things like the food… we certainly do serve somewhat “bigger” portions here in comparison to other countries, but nowhere else can I find the deliciousness that is Chick-Fil-A. But I’m also talking about things like the intense sense of patriotism, the general kindness of people toward one another (especially toward strangers, at least in Texas), and the work ethic evident in many of our citizens.
So I’ll take the American jokes any day. Because it means that I’m part of an amazing country where 239 years ago, our forefathers had the mettle, the courage, and the ambition to declare our independence and start us on the path to where we are today. I couldn’t be more proud to be an American than I am today. Happy Independence Day!
Forever
Chills.
If any song could even begin to sum up the immense importance of Good Friday, it would be Forever. No words could adequately express the pain, love, and the fulfilling victory that were in play on the day that Jesus was crucified. Just listening to the words of this song gives me chills. How can Someone love us this much?
But He does, and He did. It was indeed a Good Friday for humankind on that day over 2000 years ago, and I couldn’t be more grateful that Jesus willingly chose to die in the most humiliating, painful way possible… for me, for us, and for the world.
The ground began to shake
The stone was rolled away
His perfect love could not be overcome
Now death, where is your sting?
Our resurrected King has rendered you defeated!
Forever He is glorified
Forever He is lifted high
Forever He is risen
He is alive, He IS alive!
Hope in Christ
Happy Palm Sunday! This week leading up to Easter is my favorite time of the year (even more so than my birthday, which is a lot). I’ve been asked: is it because of the bunnies? Or the Easter eggs? Or the chocolate?
Well, not quite.
Easter is my favorite time of the year because of one main reason: the sheer hope that it represents for us all. Maybe it seems trivial, but hope? That’s a priceless gift that’s worth getting excited about, and it’s one I’ve come to treasure greatly over the past couple of years. If anyone’s ever thought about life and what it is we are all here for on this Earth, without hope of any kind, there is literally no reason for life. I mean, if we have nothing to put our hope in, and nothing to hope for, what’s the point? Is the point to just go through the daily metro, boulot, dodo routine of life, die, and be done? Even if we want to be noble and say, “Well, I want to leave a legacy behind” or “I want to make an impact on this world through some good deeds,” what is the point if there is no hope of that legacy or those deeds meaning something beyond this finite world? In my eyes, there would be no point.
We’re all searching for something to inject meaning into our lives. Different people seem to find that meaning through various avenues, but for me, the absolute best way I’ve found purpose for my life is through the unending hope that comes from Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Because of my salvation through Christ, I have hope of an eternal life beyond my present one, and all the Earthly work for Christ and His kingdom are building blocks for those glorious future days. That’s what Easter’s about, which is why I love it: it’s about remembering and being thankful for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, and celebrating His resurrection, which brought the free gift of salvation – and consequentially, hope – into the world. Continue reading