Love Does

This is an excerpt from the book Love Does by Bob Goff:

What's your next step? I don't know for sure, because for everyone it's different, but I bet it involves choosing something that already lights you up. Something you already think is beautiful or lasting and meaningful. Pick something you aren't just able to do; instead, pick something you feel like you were made to do and then do lots of that. You weren't just an incredible idea that God never got around to making. The next step happened for the world when God dropped you on the planet. You're here and I'm here. God decided to have us intersect history, not at just any time, but at this time. He made us to be good at a few things and bad at a couple others. He made us to love some things and not like others. Most of all, He made us to dream. We were meant to dream a lot. We're not just a cosmic biology experiment that ended up working. We're part of God's much bigger plan for the whole world. Just like God's Son arrived here, so did you. And after the Son arrived, God whispered to all of humanity..."It's your move." Heaven's been leaning over the rails in the same way ever since you got here, waiting to see what you'll do with your life.

American Dream

There is a song by Casting Crowns called "American Dream." A part of it reads:

His American Dream is beginning to seem
More and more like a nightmare
With every passing day
"Daddy, can you come to my game?"
"Oh Baby, please don't work late."
Another wasted weekend
And they are slipping away

--
As I get older, I realize that a career and family are hard to mesh together. I have never really wanted "The American Dream", whatever that is. I feel as though the American Dream is a cycle...repetitive. The American Dream reminds me of a 9-5 job. When I think of a 9-5 job, I think that it is difficult to pursue happiness because it seems as though you hardly get a break, downtime.

Most of you know that I have always wanted to live overseas. I love traveling because it reminds me of how great God really is. Going out into the world reveals His creative imagination of land and people groups. Personally, living in the States makes it so easy for me to live in my own little world. I truly believe that living overseas, especially in a place where you must learn the host country's language due to English not being dominant, making an individual "forced" (or obliged) to make connections with the locals. Sometimes, I learn the most when I am exploring God's creation and talking with His people all around the world.

The American Dream is different for everyone, but do you even want your dream to be "American"? Make the best of reality, but don't let "reality" stop you from chasing your dreams.

I follow the Creator of all things because...

He is my Hope in a hopeless world.
He knows me and my desires better than I do.
He loved me before I was born.
He forgives the unforgivable in you and me.
Despite our sinfulness, He has always and will always love us.
He chose to create me (and with purpose!).
He chose the cross so that you and I don't have to.
He never leaves my side.
I want to explore His creation with Him.
His timing is perfect.
He comforts me when no one else can.
Without Him, I am so restless.
He is faithful despite my unfaithfulness.
Only He can satisfy my thirst and hunger (which then makes me long for Him all the more which is good!).

What Moves You?

As I am realizing that I do not know what I want to major in, I have had to ask myself a lot of questions. Even though it is frustrating that I do not really like the small offering of majors at my school, the Lord is really making me search within my heart of "what moves me" and to not let that shape what is and isn't offered at my school. It is actually quite intriguing to think hard about what I really enjoy doing. It is even more intriguing (and calming) to know that God has known my passions since before I was even born. I have even been THANKING Him lately for knowing my passions even when I do not. The chorus of one of my favorite songs right not is as follows:

Don’t stop the madness

Don’t stop the chaos

Don’t stop the pain surrounding me

Don’t be afraid, Lord, to break my heart

Just bring me down to my knees, yeah

Sometimes when things are going too well for me, I tend to shrug God off, but when He brings chaos in my life, I begin frustrated and confused but I end up on my knees crying out to the Lord and seeking Him. So, even though I so badly want God to reveal to me what my major is and what my career is, I am enjoying being on my knees seeking the right relationship I need with Him, and being at peace with the fact that He will reveal in due time. For now I just need to be happily in love with Him.

The Shocking Truth

If 5 years ago I knew that God would be telling me what He is telling me now, I would have been in denial. I might be ignoring Him right now for a brief period. And somehow, I did know all along that this was coming. I did not want to face the truth: how my plan or idea for my life wasn't going to work since two things I wanted most were conflicting one another. I have always wanted to be teacher (probably only because I was a bossy child since I am the older child, I am rather organized when it comes to school, and I just simply love learning) but I have always wanted to do overseas work that doesn't involve teaching (but may involve either some sort of community outreach or business). So, since I desire more to do outreach overseas than teaching (and also my “passion” for teaching has dissolved, which now I realize was never actually a passion at all), now I am stuck with the daily battle (yes, daily, it’s awful) of how to get there (what do I major in, does my school offer that program, what organizations should I be connecting with, should I start learning a language now, what language would that be, do I find “the one” here or there, I know what area I want to live in but which country exactly do You want me to eventually live in Lord). Thankfully, this entire dilemma requires me to lean on the Lord for strength and answers, to pursue Him more, to trust that He has a specific plan for me and that it is way beyond my wildest dreams (it is always an exciting adventure with the Lord!), to try my hardest to worry less, to become more bold and less timid, and this dilemma requires me to have peace in the midst of this short season of drought until He finally reveals to me my next big step (which I anticipate to be what I should major in). One last note on teaching: I do have a bit of an interest in teaching English overseas, but I believe that is the closest I would come to a teacher career because, again, teaching is not my passion.

For some people, it is hard switching majors in college because they do not know what you want to do in life, especially at this age. It is so strange living your life for so many years thinking you know what you want to be, but then you grow up and live a little and think outside of the box. It is especially hard because throughout high school I did not have an open mind to exploring other classes such as accounting, psychology, and marketing that could have helped me see what other careers are out there because since I have always only looked at education, I feel I have no idea what else I could do and what certain careers entail. Nonetheless, I am so glad I am starting to look at what else is out there because honestly, I feel free (and it wasn't until about 8 months ago that I felt imprisoned by something I thought I wanted). I do not regret not realizing all of this sooner because my school’s education program is what led me to that school, and this school has helped me in so many ways besides academically. I am starting to realize my dreams and am going after them, and I encourage you to do the same. And it is okay for your dreams to change because that is essentially what happened to me.

Dream with Great Expectations

One of my favorite songs proclaims, “Lord we come with great expectations.” For so long I believed that I had did not have a right to ask God for things or to do things because He already knows the future and I did not want to change what would happen. I can now see how silly this is. God desires us to pray audacious prayers. When we come to the Lord with great expectations, we are showing Him that we know He can do anything and everything, that He is all powerful. When we have great expectations of Him, we desire Him to do something that reveals His glory, and THAT is worth wanting and expecting.

            I dream of a life overseas, bringing spiritual restoration to western Asia. I have dreamed of living overseas since I was 9 years old, and I have dreamed of bringing spiritual restoration to western Asia since I was 14 years old. I also dream of being a world traveler, and I feel sorry for those who have no desire to travel. YOU ARE MISSING OUT. Traveling abroad is very educational and exciting. You meet wonderful people and explore God’s glorious creation. I dream big, and when I dream big, I dream big for God because my goal is to bring glory to Him in all that I do and bring glory to Him throughout the earth. This is my dream because God so amazingly and lovingly dreamed life for me and you, so I want others to fall in love Him like I have.

            Are you restless? Are you unhappy? Do not settle; reach for the stars and dream BIG. If your dreams align with God’s dreams, He will make your dreams come true, and they will probably be better than you expected.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness. It sounds so beautiful on the receiving side, but on the giving side, it is difficult, especially if you feel the wrongdoing is unforgivable. The term "accident forgiveness" from Allstate Insurance sounds so appealing because of the company's mercy. No one is faultless so receiving forgiveness is uplifting. Even though I know the Son came to this earth to be the ultimate Healer and Teacher and then die for everyone's mistakes and I should thus be merciful to others, it's hard to not let my selfishness and narrow human perceptions get in the way. But, if we forgive people when they sin against us, our heavenly Father will also forgive us. If we do not forgive others, He will not forgive our sins. What great motivation to try to start truly and genuinely forgiving others!