New Year, Same Jesus

Why are people so obsessed with the New Year, and the expectations that come along with it? Why is there such a thing as New Year's Resolutions? What's so enticing about dividing life into a 'past' and a 'future'? Today is a regular Wednesday, and tomorrow will be a regular Thursday. The only difference between the two will be the year tacked onto the end of the date. A '2014' does not make today any less of a Wednesday, and a '2015' does not make tomorrow any more of a Thursday.

Bombarding my newsfeeds are phrases like, "New Year, new me!" and, "The New Year starts a blank slate!" and, "Tomorrow is the first blank page in a 365 page book. Write a good one!" There is nothing new or blank about tomorrow that isn't new or blank about any tomorrow in our lives. The only difference is one number. 2015. Then the numbers will change again the next day, and they will continue to change every day after that.

The different date does not make me any less single, any more fit, any more smart, or any more happy. January 1 does not "cure" all of the "flaws" I am taught to believe I have just because it is the start of a new calendar year. There will continually be a new year, and it will continually be filled with my flaws.

I believe the hype surrounding New Years is just for comfort purposes. It is a comforting notion to believe that you can leave what's in the past exactly where you want to leave it-- in the past. It is also comforting to believe that when you look ahead you can see a blank slate and become the person you've dreamed of being with nothing holding you back. Those are comforting beliefs, but the new calendar year is not going to give you those comforts. Your past will follow you into the new year if you don't address it. Your future isn't a blank slate solely because you label it 'blank slate'. There is only one entity that can rid you of your past and lay out your blank future all at one time.

No more, "New year, new me." Instead, "Jesus Christ, new me."
The New Year doesn't start a blank slate; Jesus Christ starts a blank slate!
You don't have to say, "Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one." because Jesus Christ is the first blank page of your book with infinite pages! And you know it's going to be good in Heaven!

Are you looking for a significant other to make you feel complete? Turn to Jesus Christ and He will make you more complete than anyone on this earth ever will. Are you unfulfilled with the way you've been living your life? Are you looking for something to wipe your slate clean? Are you longing for a new life with a genuine purpose?

1 Peter 2:24
"He Himself bore our sins on His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed."

Y'all, the answer is not the inception of a calendar year, the answer is the sacrifice of our Savior. The dates will continue to change, but the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us on the cross will never change. He gave up His life so that we could have a life eternally with God. And the great thing is that you don't have to wait until a new year to change your life, you can change it whenever you decide to accept Christ and start following Him.

1 Peter 1:3-5
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has cause us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

Whether you do not know Christ and are searching, or you are a believer and have found yourself straying from your faith this year, He will always be there waiting for you to decide to turn your life around. 

Psalm 107:19-21
"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men."

Instead of making a New Year's Resolution tomorrow to smile more, eat less, get fit, or find a spouse, how about making a Life Resolution to ensure that you have eternal life, beyond what this earth says it can give you. You can have the Living Water the Lord promises to you if you accept His word and start living your life for Him. Instead of focusing on outward flaws this year, try focusing on inward flaws. Reach out to Christ to heal you from the inside and start to watch Him manifest in all aspects of life.

xoRO

Inside Depression

Depression is a locked door from the inside.

It's a dirty look in passing.

A suffocating wake of hurt and pain- with no inception, and what seems like no end.

Depression is not communal.

It's not something openly understood or accepted.

It's solitude- in every capacity of the term. 

Life is one less pill consumed;

One cut too shallow;

One rope too weak;

One jump not high enough.

Life is a culmination of missed signs, tears not seen, suffering hidden in that locked door from inside.

Depression is a battle never won.

It lingers your entire life- patiently waiting for a wavering chemical imbalance paired with less than ideal life circumstances.

Depression chokes you when you're already gasping for air.

It kicks you in the side when you're already bleeding internally.

It is undoubtedly, irrevocably, incapable of showing mercy.

Depression does not see its aftermath.

It does not take into account the brand it burns into the world- the irremovable scalding heat that cannot be forgotten.

Depression sees no future- therefore it cannot take into account any repercussions it may cause.

Depression has blinders on both eyes running down a track that has no finish line.

Depression is a selfish disease that knows no other life but it's own.

In depression there is no one else.

In depression there is no future.

In depression there is no reason, no rationale, no justification.

Depression is a locked door from the inside. 

With no windows and no key.

The bright light is the most appealing sight it has ever seen.

One moment, one decision- and you're free.

Depression doesn't see years, it sees minutes.

Depression doesn't see rocking chairs, it sees a hospital bed.

Depression doesn't see friends and caring hearts, it sees judging eyes who can't possibly understand.

Depression is the loneliest place.

But no one tells depression what waits for it if it holds on just a little longer.

Depression does not know patience, and what HOPE there is in temperance.

In depression there is only one tangible way out.

Depression is a disease of this world that cannot be cured by this world.

The only cure for depression is JOY and the only place JOY exists is in the undying love and saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Depression cannot comprehend unconditional love.

But depression cannot exist in the midst of holiness.

Holiness is not self-sufficient- it needs a source; and the only source is not of this world.

Depression looks to this world for relief and that's what it thinks it finds in death.

Depression is a daily battle between what is good and what is not.

It's easy to look onto depression and tell it what is awry, but it's not as apparent in it's own depths.

Judgement manifests within and without depression.

It's a fuel to the never-ending fire.

Stop feeding the flames.

Depression cannot be understood unless you're sitting in the locked room with it.

But that room is small, and dark, and uninviting.

Unless you're there you cannot possibly comprehend.

And unless you have known joy prior it's difficult to fathom.

From someone who has been in that room, from someone who has failed to escape by my own hands, and from someone who was freed, not by worldly medicine, but by the key of the intangible One who FREES and gives JOY. 

There is more than just one way out,

And it involves a LIFE you have to live to believe. 

A better place awaits, and it's attainable without having to close your eyes forever.

xoRO

Girls' Engagement Ring Fantasy

I see girls constantly pinning, retweeting, and posting “dream future engagement rings” on Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook. In case you were unaware, this is a daily hot topic among young women. DAILY. It seems that at this stage in our lives (college-ish) the cut, color, and style of our future engagement ring is like, a big deal or something.

WHY?!

I heard a girl the other day say that she wants a certain size ring (big) or she’s not going to like it. And to be completely realistic, more than half of the rings I see on social media are expensive for 99% of America. Excuse me, but are you marrying your RING or your HUSBAND who spent a lot of money to get you that ring? And it shouldn’t matter how much money he spends, anyway.

HE BOUGHT IT BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU.

He didn’t have to take the time out of his day to think about you. He didn’t have to spend his money that he earned to commit his entire life to you. Plain and simple, he didn’t have to do any of that. But he chose to. He chose you. He chose a ring that he would like to see on your finger for the rest of y’all’s lives together. An engagement ring is not just for you, ladies. An engagement ring is a privilege you get to show off to the world that you are on your way to being off the market for good.

By the time my relationship with my boyfriend gets to the point where he is shopping for rings, I trust his judgment. I trust he knows my ‘style’ enough and who I am as a person enough to pick out a ring that he thinks fits my personality. Whatever he spends his time and money on is special enough in itself that I will appreciate it no matter what it looks like. (By the way, it’s kind of hard to make a diamond look bad…) When the time comes that I am lucky enough to have a diamond slipped onto my hand, I can guarantee you I won’t be looking at the color, cut, or style. My eyes will be filled with tears, my nose will be running, and I will be embracing the MAN that I will spend the rest of my life with, not the RING. (Sorry, I’m a crier).

So ladies, stop ‘shopping’ for your imaginary engagement ring. We are bombarded so frequently with this idea that money and a nice ring play a significant role in our future. I’m guilty of fantasizing, too. But I stop and remind myself that it’s the man I marry that is going to matter, not what is on my hand. Diamonds are not going to be the most important part of your marriage. I can guarantee you that.

xoRO

What will you do with your college degree?

The question that every college student has heard more than once in his or her life:

“What’s your major?”

And the almost-as-famous follow-up question:

“So what do you want to do with that?”

I am a Mass Communications major with a concentration in Advertising/Public Relations (I’m still trying to decide between Advertising or PR). I have no idea what I want to do with this degree- all I know is that I love people, I love to write, and I’m pretty darn good at communicating with others. That’s what makes up a good communications major, right?  I’ve been asked what I want to do once I graduate more times than I can remember, and each time I’ve given a lot of thought to my answer….

Is it bad that all I want to do when I graduate is be a mom? Yes, I want to have a job and provide for my kids. Sure, it would be nice to marry a man who is very successful at what he does so that I don’t have to worry about finances. All of that is great to hope for, but are those wishes really the most important things in life?

I recently took a quiz about my personality, and one of the sections was entitled ‘Motivations’: Motivations for working and motivations for life in general. Want to know the thing that least motivates me? Money. Want to know what motivates me the most? Philanthropy. Money scored 1 out of 10; Philanthropy scored 10 out of 10. What greater way to show philanthropy in this entire world than MOTHERHOOD. Taking care of and pouring everything you have into a person that can give nothing back to you but love (and most of the time tears). If I fail at every job I try, but am successful at being a mother, then I will be content with my life. God will provide.

What do I want to do with my degree? I want to take that piece of paper, frame it, and I want to show my kids one day a document that says I was successful at something I set forth to do in my life. For four years I was able to manage my time and learn those things that made me grow intellectually. I was able to sit through hours of lectures, study, teach myself most of the material (if we’re being honest), and perform decently come exam day. But grades are only a part of my college life- and a very small part in fact. I can only learn so much in the classroom and that isn’t the only thing that will tell me if I was successful or not in my 20’s.

You know what else I’m going to show my kids one day? I’m going to show them my championship soccer rings- those that show them I sacrificed my time and my body for a team that did the same for me. The rings that tell them their mother tried her best at something and managed to come out on top- not once, but twice (I still have two more years to play so hopefully that number will reach four!). They will see that hard work and dedication can pay off in the end, but also that in the end it’s just a ring and memories, a ring and memories that are very special but fleeting. I will tell them the most important things I got out of my college soccer career were perseverance, patience, and relentlessness, not the diamond-studded jewelry. Without those traits I would not have been successful.

I’m going to show my kids one day my sorority badge- the badge that labels me a member of a sisterhood greater than myself. The letters I wear that show I was part of a group of girls that are making a difference in this world across campuses nationwide- that show I was and will always be part of a Greek community that will do anything for its brothers and sisters. Greek life is important to learn how to get along with people very different from you. Not everyone in your group is the same; in fact there are more people different from you than there are similar. But I have learned to find the similarities in people and work with those I never would have connected with otherwise. The world is so diverse, and I will be able to show my kids that I was able to get along and make lasting relationships with people that were very different from me. I think that is something important to pass down to them.

I am going to show my kids one day all the pictures I have taken. I want to show them my world and my life through my eyes. I want them to know that the little things in life- like the beauty of a bluebonnet at my parents' ranch, and the breath-taking sunsets on the coasts of Texas- are just as important to enjoy as the bigger things in life. I am going to pass down my love for life to my kids. We are only given one life, and we are supposed to enjoy every second of it. I want to show my kids that I can see the positive in every situation, no matter how horrible the situation may seem. Everyday there is something to enjoy and everyday there is something to be thankful for. I want to show my kids the beauty of this world, and show them how to see it even when it's hard. Life is hard, but being able to see the good makes it all worth it. 

I will also show my kids my wedding ring and wedding band. I will show them through my relationship with their daddy what true love looks like. A ring that symbolizes a commitment that was not initially formed to be broken, no matter the hardships that may come along. My husband and I will be an example to them of how parents should look and how a family should be. All centered around Christ. Children need those good examples in their lives and I want to be the best example for them. I grew up in a household with two loving parents who stayed together and who showed me what a marriage should look like, imperfections and all. One of the greatest gifts I can give to my kids is someone to look up to.

If I didn’t have all of those things to show my kids one day, the most important thing I could ever pass down to them is Christ’s love. From the day I first thought of my future children I have been praying for them. I am going to show my kids the Holy Bible. I will share with them the One who completely changed my life for the better, and the One who wants to change their lives as well. I will share with them the beautiful passages of God’s promises to His people. I will share with them the Gospel that guarantees a life beyond death, greater than any of us could ever imagine. I will share with them their divine Creator, the One who made them in His image, and wants them to seek after Him in all that they do. The ultimate, greatest gift I could ever give my children is the opportunity to know the Lord, and the opportunity to live in eternity with Him and with their parents.

What am I going to do with my college degree? I’m going to use it as a testament of one small part of my life that I conquered. My college degree is not and will never be the most important thing I acquire in my life. My major today may not teach me the valuable things in life I need to be taught. The most important thing I will receive and give to this world will be my children, and I am going to make sure they know what really matters in this life and after it. I am so excited to be a mother some day. That’s what I want to do with my college degree.

xoRO