Thursday, September 29, 2016

How Fast?

Whenever I go to write a blogpost, I always put the title of the post first before even writing out my thoughts. Why is this important? I don't know it's just very amusing to me. While I'm writing, I will change the title but I'll always put the title first, not last. Weird. I'll stop rambling now.

Believe it or not, this post has a purpose. My initial ramblings might have mislead you, but believe me, I have a purpose. It is this. How Fast? How fast does our life change? One of the lesson's I've learned these past three months is that our life changes according to how much we listen to the Spirit. Let's rewind to about two years ago, 2014.

April, 2014.
 CCCC Southwest States Tour. I was 12 years old, and touring with my Choir across the Southwest States. Where did I see myself in two years? Finishing up middle school, a excellent musician, popular. Classic 12 year old. I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life. I just kind of figured whatever was supposed to happen would happen and it would all be good.






It was fun :D.

December 2014
Next stop, Guinness World Live Nativity. Me and a few friends went up to help break the record. We ended up meeting quite a few Youtubers, which was rad. I didn't have many friends. I had started LANV that fall. I was awkward, but what 12 year old isn't? This was by far the highlight of the year. So many memories. Like the Choir Trip in April, I didn't have a sense of direction.





I don't even know that this ^ picture is XD.

Fall, 2015
 Start of Freshman year. I had just skipped a grade that summer. One word to describe me: stressed. I was hoping to get a lot out of the year, since I was starting seminary as well. A month into the year I was bored, tired, lazy, and ungrateful.


My Haiti trip, December 2015.
This trip was undeniably orchestrated by God's hands. Many things happened on this trip that changed my life and the life of my entire family. They are:

1. I developed a sense of overwhelming gratitude, happiness, and fulfilment. These orphans taught me how to be happy, how to serve and love, and they strengthened my testimony in Christ.

2. We met Americans living in Haiti, doing humanitarian work. My mom LOVED the idea. Previously, we had tried applying for jobs in Hawaii, but it never worked out. We needed to be in Vegas. But after this trip, it was very evident to my mom that we needed OUT of Vegas. So after meeting these families, she called my dad that night and said "You should really look into international teaching jobs. I think it would be fun."

3. This was my first taste of being immersed in nature, service, and complete selflessness. I also got my first taste at international travel, and from then on I was HOOKED.

Now, I know what I love. I have a pretty good group of friends, I'm changed. I did pretty good in my first semester of High School.









Late March, 2016
We buy the plane tickets to Costa Rica. It's official, we're going. We start the process of finding rental homes, getting rid of possessions, and figuring out legal documents, etc. There's no turning back no. I tell all my friends, and it's hard. Really hard.

May, 2016
My first Elevation. I'm not going to say much, only that it was life changing and I wouldn't change that experience for anything in the world. So many new friends, so many new experiences. I learn more about myself, the things I love, and about God. I learn more lessons and principles that helped me become the best I could ever be.







June, 2016

We move. We move. To Costa Rica. AHHHHHHH. Just. Life is so different. My way of thinking is so different. My style of life is so different. I don't really know how to explain it. You just have to be immersed in my life to truly understand. If you had asked me two years ago if I thought we were going to Costa Rica, I would've laughed in your face. Lessons I've learned so far:

1. Jesus Christ loves me more than I know.

2. Service is the way to happiness.

3. Nature is my best friend.

4. My family is actual kind of cool and I really enjoy them.

5. Adventure is radical.

6. I am rich, and I am ungrateful for my prosperity.

7. Living life on purpose is so beautiful.

Things that have happened here that have changed me:

1. Spending majority of my Sundays serving.

2. Not having a piano has made me appreciate my talents a lot more.

3. Becoming Class President in two of my classes has given the greatest opportunity to make new friends and practice leadership skills.

4. I have found a second family, my Williamsburg family. My people. They teach me the culture of belonging.

5. I have become completely vulnerable to hurt and pain, but in doing so become abundantly open to happiness and true friendship.

6. Spending excessive amounts of time in nature has allowed me to feel a direct extension of God's love and power.

7. Being covered in mosquito and spider bites has made me appreciate my health.

8. Last but not least, I have come to learn that hard work, faith, perseverance, and a testimony in Christ will bring you unfathomable happiness.

So I have a question for you. How fast? How fast will your life change? Will you listen to the promptings of the spirit as it seeks to guide you? Will you sacrifice for God's kingdom? Will you diligently search the scriptures and pray for an answer to your problems and tribulations? Will you leave yourself open to deep, vulnerable, and loving relationships? Will you lead? Will you expand? Will you live without regrets; will you live on purpose? Will you follow Christ?

Savannah


Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Epiphany - A Guest Post by Dallin Ward

I used to think that when I had an epiphany or came to a new understanding of truth, I had finally come to the end of a journey and all of my problems regarding that issue would be solved. Now I am learning that such is seldom the case. It is true that one journey has ended - that's what the epiphany was - and it's also true that such an end in thought is a call to greater living. This means that instead of just understanding truth, I am now challenged to apply it to my life.
This can hurt a lot.
I've had this experience with the concept of love for the last few years, and specifically the last few months. Years and years of thinking and searching and trying to understand led me to some fantastic epiphanies and truths about love, and I feel like I understand it really well. Applying it has been quite a struggle. Love hurts sometimes. That's something I might not have been able to tell you a year or two ago. Trust me, it does. The great thing about love though is that it doesn't stop being love even when other people suffer because of loving action. Wrestling taught me about this.
For a long time, I believed that to wrestle with love was to never hurt anybody else. I thought that I couldn't wrestle really aggressively and physically and lay a beating on the guy across from me and still love him. It turns out that this is false. God never said to never hurt other people. In fact, He tells us in Proverbs that the wounds of a friend are faithful (Proverbs 27:6.) Faithful. How can that be?
It took me a long time to understand, and I could explain it to you. I'm not going to, however. I'm getting distracted from my original point. :)
The original point, and what I really want to end on, is this:
Epiphanies are the bugles of war. Once you understand greater truths, there is no turning back to the way things were before. You have something better to live for, and if you don't live for it great calamity will fill your soul. To live truthfully is a fight; a battle that can only be won because Jesus Christ is fighting too. He wants to bring you home.
Will you fight with Him?


Dallin is a friend of mine :). You can find his blog here: http://thoughtsofasimpledreamer.blogspot.com/