No Longer Slaves

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You unravel me, with a melody
You surround me with a song
Of deliverance, from my enemies
Till all my fears are gone

My sister emailed my family this song a few weeks ago, but I didn’t get around to listening to it until now while (finally!) reading emails. Turns out, it’s the perfect message for this mid-semester morning.

It can be so easy to dart our eyes around quickly and stumble into listening to the world’s message on every front in life, especially during stressful times. The common lies that we choose to hear and believe are sometimes shocking. Concerning school: “You should be scared. That exam is going to be so difficult. And you definitely didn’t study correctly for it. Plus, you’re not even smart enough to be doing this.” Concerning relationships: “You never do anything “fun.” Fun friends do this. Why can’t you just shut up and join the crowd for once?” Concerning identity: “You’re not unique in any way. You are not special. You’re just like everyone else.” Concerning ability: “You don’t have any talent whatsoever. People are probably laughing at you behind your back.” Concerning practically everything else: “You should be worried. You should be hesitant. You should be filled with fear. Good luck getting through this.” That’s why the constant refrain of this song couldn’t be any more powerful or true:

I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God. Continue reading →

Golden Golden

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IT’S MY GOLDEN BIRTHDAY!

I can barely control the all-Caps right now. I’ve looked forward to my 22nd birthday for years.

YEARS.

Since I was a child.

And it turned out to be everything I could have hoped for, and more. I don’t know why I’ve been blessed with such wonderful and thoughtful friends both near and far, but everyone just went above and beyond to make my birthday so special. So thank you all – to my lovely family, to my family of friends from home, to my family of friends from Pécs, to my family of friends from everywhere! I’m truly overwhelmed by the immense outpouring of love I’ve received today. Twenty-two is going to be such an amazing year!

Goodbye, 21

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I love birthdays.

And that’s an understatement when it comes to my own – I adore my birthday. I get so excited for it when each new year begins, and then when February itself actually rolls around… caution: birthday on my mind! This year, since it’s my golden birthday (eek!), I thought I’d do a fun thing and share some random (seriously, random) things I’ve learned over these past years. And with that, the first nugget:

Trust God.

I remember writing a “song” when I was younger that consisted of this one line (I’m definitely not a songwriter!): “When in trouble, trust God, ’cause He’s the only one that can help you!” Even though that was many years ago, I still remember the tune I came up with for the song! No matter how old I get, I feel like each year, I get the opportunity to trust God in a deeper way based on whatever I’m going through at that time. It’s a great yearly lesson for me to hone in on. I was quite young at the time, but if I were to add to the song now, I’d add something about trusting God at all times, not just in troubling ones. The results are pretty sweet and adventurous when we can trust God in the good and the bad.

Parents and sisters are the BEST.

It’s always such a riot talking with my parents and sisters on Facetime or over text. My family is awesome and I miss them like crazy! They never fail to build me up or make me laugh, and they understand my quirks like no one else can.

Cooking & baking from scratch is a good test in patience.

I like popping pre-made food into the oven, waiting the required 20 or so minutes, and then eating to my heart’s delight. But cooking from scratch requires…shudder… preparation. And lots of patience from a loudly-grumbling belly.

Choose your guns and stick to them.

It’s not easy to be swayed by acquaintances (let’s be honest, a “no” to a relative stranger is easy to pass out), but it’s much easier to be swayed by friends or people we know really well. Sometimes, I’ve found it’s a good thing, especially when it concerns food. But in other times, I’ve learned that if I have a set plan in my head beforehand on busy days where I need to be productive, going along with the crowd is no bueno, even if I’m the only one going my own way. I always find that I’m much, much more content accomplishing the things in my plan rather than trying to please friends by saying yes.

And yet, spontaneity is an adventure waiting to happen!

Then there are times when plans that have wiggle room can be amended, leading to memorable adventures. With fun pictures! Continue reading →

Happy February!

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year because… February is here! For those who know me, February is my favorite month of the year and I absolutely adore it. Not only is my birthday in February (and I celebrate it for at least a week), but it’s the most unique month too, with only 28 or 29 days, depending on the year.

And this year is even more special because it’s my golden birthday! I’ve been looking forward to this birthday for years. Years. (I think I’m more excited for my 22nd year than I was for my 18th and 21st birthdays combined! Who knows, there may be 22nd, golden-birthday celebration pictures coming from Vienna this year… at least, that’s my wish!) There’s just something so lovely and wonderful about February that makes me want to smile, so, happy February, and enjoy this blessed new month.

Reveling by Reflecting

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Happy New Year! I blinked, and we went from January 2014 to January 2015… at least it feels that way! Time really does fly; it’s a phenomenon I’ll never get over no matter how many years I see.

New Year’s Eve is one of my favorite times of the year because it’s full of so many pensive moments. December, filled with its end-of-the-year festivities, already lends itself to being a month where one can be quite introspective. But NYE seems to be the day where all that introspection comes to a head. I’m able to think back on the year’s events, and really appreciate all the ways that I experienced God’s goodness throughout the year. And wow, 2014 was a wonderful year full of spiritual growth for me. I experienced first hand what it truly means to put 100% of trust in Christ for each moment of the day, no matter how big or small the moment, and what it means to live an adventurous, abundant daily life filled with Christ’s leading. Those are concepts that, though I learn about them periodically, I seem to have the opportunity to delve deeper in with each year that passes by.

Now, we’re one full month into the year, and already it’s turning out to be a fantastic one – but of course, it has to be, because this is my golden year! (I really mean that, too, because it’s the year I turn 22 on February 22nd! But I’m getting ahead of myself…) A few days into the year, I happened across a four-day devotional on my phone’s Bible app called the One-Word Theme. My family and I already have a similar tradition: each NYE, we talk about where we’ve heard God leading us for the new year – spiritually, mentally, emotionally, the works. But I’ve never had those end-of-the-year/beginning-of-the-year reflections condensed into just one word. So I began praying and keeping my ears peeled for what my “one-word theme” for 2015 might be. I wanted to be careful in listening during my quiet times because, just as the devotional writers admitted, it’s easy to choose a good word for ourselves the first few years of adopting this habit, rather than listening for a God-word. So after a full month of the year, I’ve heard my one-word theme for 2015: intentional. Continue reading →