My Irrevocable Call

I LOVE Today!

So, by the time this is posted, it will be Valentine’s Day!  (I am currently writing this in red pen on a legal pad…yes, the red is for Valentine’s Day.)  Happy Valentine’s Day!

I don’t care if you have been single for fifteen years or have been married to your high school sweetheart for twenty, each and every one of you probably have strong feelings about February 14th.  These feelings probably begin the moment you see that red, heart-shaped balloon at the grocery store or hear the advertisement about the roses from a local florist on the radio.  The pink, the chocolate, the hearts, the flowers…I know something is going on in your head.  Valentine’s Day evokes emotion, but for a lot of people, it evokes the opposite emotion of the one intended!  

In my life, I have encountered people who love Valentine’s Day and people who strongly dislike it.  Regardless of relationship status, you love it or you strongly dislike it. 

Those who dislike Valentine’s Day say that it is simply a Hallmark Holiday; just another day for people to exercise their consumerist ways.  I have also heard that this day reminds those who do not have a significant other that they are single.  The list goes on…

As for people who love Valentine’s Day, I am totally one of them!  (Go ahead, those of you who have dreaded today, judge me.)

I love love in general…all kinds of it!  I love loving people, I love being loved by people, I love brotherly love, I love romantic love, shall I continue?  My goal is to show love to everyone I come in contact with every day.  (Do I always meet this goal?  Of course not!  I’m working on it.)

Love is the greatest thing we have; the fact that we have a day dedicated to celebrating love (romantic or not), in my mind, is pretty cool.  Have we gone overboard with this holiday in some areas?  It is a definite possibility.  Don’t let that keep you from embracing the day anyway!  Enjoy eating candies shaped like a heart and wearing red and pink on the same day!  (It is most likely this is the only day you will get away with it.)

This Valentine’s Day, I challenge you to fall in love with loving.  Look past the flaws you may or may not see with this holiday and just show love to everyone you possibly can!  Keep in mind, there are so many looks of love; I am not suggesting you buy your barista a dozen roses (but if you do, I want to hear about the outcome), a kind smile and warm greeting while patiently waiting for your coffee should suffice.  Text your grandma.  Hug your friend.  Bake some cookies to share.  Hold the door for the stranger walking a bit behind you.  I can guarantee that showing love to people will make this day a great one.  Challenge accepted?

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.  1 Corinthians 13:4-8a 

Inspired.

Last week I was asked what my passion is and what keeps me from spending time on that passion…the first thought that popped into my head was, “My life wouldn’t be the same without music.  Nothing keeps me from spending time listening to music, singing, or humming.”

 Anyone who has had a conversation with me most likely knows that I absolutely love music.  Mom says that I always have!  When I was little, for whatever reason, I thought my parents were having an argument and to stop the “argument”, I got in between them and said, “Let’s sing a song.”  Even as a small child, I thought music possessed some sort of super power.

Why?  What is the purpose of music?  What gives music the power to impact people (myself very much included)?

After spending an extensive amount of time “researching”, I discovered that the purpose of music for me is inspiration.  This probably sounds like an extremely cliché answer, and I am not usually a fan of cliché answers, BUT, please let me explain. 

 I have always wondered about people who write a hit song or paint a masterpiece and say they were simply “inspired”. 

To me, inspiration has the connotation of being something that only happens to artists, musicians, inventors, or creators of some kind, but inspiration is something that happens to everyone, every day.

Songs inspire me in several different ways, none of them being the flashing light bulb above the head kind of way.  They just inspire me in various moments of my life!  Upbeat songs inspire me to dance.  Sad songs inspire me to sympathize.  Indie music inspires me to go against the grain.  Worship songs inspire me to praise my Savior and be thankful for everything He’s given me.  Patriotic songs inspire me to pray.  Love songs inspire me to be patient.

I am inspired to do something by every song I listen to.  Music has a way of making me think about things that I may normally let pass straight through my mind.  Some songs slow life down a little; allow time for me to process my thoughts about any given topic.  After listening to a new song, I become a little less ignorant or oblivious; the song does not have to be about something “important”, but learning another person’s perspective on anything can be inspirational in itself. 

In my opinion, inspiration is necessary for living a fulfilling life.  Everyone should find out what inspires them to think, do, love, laugh, and whatever else helps them to live their life to the absolute fullest.  Anything can be inspirational and everyone can be inspired, the trick is figuring out what it is for each person.  I have found that music is one of my main sources of inspiration.  Music continually inspires me and so I will continue to listen!

Purpose

“What on earth am I supposed to do with my life?”

This question is one I tend to ask myself a million times a day.

I know that I am not the only person who asks this question as well as I know that I am not the only one who has not yet found the answer…or have I?  Have I found the distinct purpose for my life and I am just questioning it because it seems too simple?  

Me, the girl who thrives on simplicity…it’s quite possible!

Ecclesiastes 12:13

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹³ Now all has been heard; 
   here is the conclusion of the matter: 
Fear God and keep his commandments, 
   for this is the duty of all mankind.

When I question my purpose, I always turn to this verse.  ”Duty” and “conclusion” both in the same verse?!  It really doesn’t get a whole lot better than that!  

I take this verse and think, “It’s literally that simple.  God wants me to love Him and serve Him with all of my life.  If I do that, I am fulfilling my purpose.”

For whatever reason, this thought has not completely permeated my brain.  

I am plagued by the thought that I have to be something better than what I am.  I need to work harder in school so that I can find a fulfilling job.  I need to leave my handprint on this world somewhere so that I am not forgotten.  I need to accomplish something great, or else I have failed.  

I look at all of that and cannot figure out why, in all of my thoughts, I have forgotten that I am already loved unconditionally and viewed as useful, without being able to check any of the above things off my list.  

He loves me more than I can ever comprehend.  He sees me every moment of every day and still sees me as being worth pursuing even when I fail.  He thinks that I am cool enough to help others see the works of His mighty hands.  He fulfills my every need; why search for anything else?

I avoid complication at all costs.  I like simple answers.  Letting God define my purpose is the simplest answer to the most complicated question.

Now I just need to accept this answer and get to loving and living the way He wants me to!

I can do whatever I put my mind to.  I should do whatever He puts my mind to.

Too Content(.)(?)(!)

I tend to think that I am content in all circumstances.  

I am content being in an empty apartment, cooking, listening to music, reading, and writing.  I am content having friends that I do not see on a very regular basis because I am content with catching up and I am content with picking up where I left off.

I have been content with my relationship with God because I am content knowing that He loves me and pours His grace out on me each and every day.

I have read that I should be content in all circumstances and I strive to do so.  As content as I am with my current state in life, I feel as though I should be doing more.

Last Sunday it hit me like a ton of bricks: “being content” is not synonymous with “staying put”.

We were created to go and do and make and be CONTENT while doing so.

We are all given gifts that are meant to be USED and not STORED!

But godliness with contentment is great gain. 1Timothy 6:6

Yes, we are told to be content in all circumstances but this is not an excuse to remain motionless.  Circumstances are temporary and easily transformed.

I believe (I) we (am) are called to be content while using (my) our gifts to serve Him.

I need to read that last sentence aloud while standing in front of a mirror.  :)

I don’t have myself together, but He has ME.

Here I Go…

I don’t think I even knew what a blog was until here recently…I still wouldn’t know exactly how I would define a blog, yet here I go…blogging.

I have never been a girl of many words.  I am completely content keeping my mouth shut while sitting through conversations of all sorts…nodding…smiling…adding “mmhmms” into the mix when necessary.  I say what I want to say when I want to say it and avoid using meaningless words to fill in gaps of silence.  I use my ears more than my vocal cords and that is fine by me!  I LOVE to listen.  

Listening opens up an array of doors in life.  The door I most frequently open would be that of music.  I listen to music almost constantly.  When I am not listening to music, I am probably singing or humming to myself (and/or to whoever is within earshot of my voice).  I don’t even want to imagine what my life would be like without music.  I know that may sound completely cheesy/ridiculous/silly but I TRULY don’t even want to THINK about it!  I bring music into every part of my life and have done that for as long as I can remember.  For this reason, I think I owe my listening skills to music.

In middle school, I was sitting in tech class and my teacher called me a sponge.  I’m assuming Sponge Bob popped into your head but trust me, I’m nowhere near that level of cool.  ;)  Not Bob, just a normal sponge.  He told me, in front of the class, that I soak up everything.  I like to think that this teacher was right about me.  

I listen.  I learn.  I accept.  I understand.

Continuing with the sponge metaphor, I would rather soak up than be wrung out but I think it’s time I share a little of what I have collected with all my (almost twenty!) years of listening.  

I will not claim to always know what I am talking about.  Some, or possibly all of this, may be meaningless to anyone but me, but I refuse to keep so many of my thoughts to myself when maybe, just possibly, they could have a positive impact on someone else.  

I am a nineteen year old college student who is determined to find my irrevocable gift from God to help me fulfill His irrevocable call.  

for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. Romans 11:29