Consistently inconsistent.

(Photo Credit: J. Hall)

(I acknowledge that I need to be more disciplined in my blog writing by posting a little more diligently. Not for others, but for myself.)

So, over the past several months...I've began observing patterns. You know, everyday routines in my life or the lives of those around me or the just in our culture in general. And one thing I've consistently noticed is inconsistence. Interesting, right?

I got to thinking what's so different now from when my mom or grandma were my age. People get married later in life, yes, but is that a bad thing. People change jobs a lot and go back to school to further their education, but that's something to be admired and respected, right? Change is everywhere. But change is great. Or so I seemed to be trying to convince myself.

But what I began to realize is that it isn't going back to school or getting married later in life that has me concerned. It's the "Why?"... It's the lack of consistency and constant desire for change in OUR culture, among OUR generation that seems alarming.

We've become a generation full of indecisiveness. I've changed jobs several times since college, no big deal and I've never thought about it negatively. However, recently I started to examine the WHY? (You know, the most important of all the W's...). Why do I always have the desire to switch things up? Why do I get the itch to move and start all over? Why does marrying one person and accepting them as my husband for a lifetime scare me?

My discovery was discouraging (but nonetheless insightful). Our generation (of course this is a generalization and does not apply to everyone) lacks loyalty. Lacks commitment. Why should I buy into something when something better could hit the market in just a short matter of time?

No big deal though, right? Wrong. Does this aspect of our personality become so second nature that it bleeds over into our relationship with Jesus? Do we lack commitment? Do we lack loyalty? Are we always bought in with just one piece of our heart? Eager to buy into to the next adventure...eager to change? Our we indecisive when it comes to our relationship with the Father? When it comes to following him?

CAN WE BE FRUITFUL WHILE BEING SO INCONSISTENT, SO INDECISIVE?

So, now you know what I've been up to the past few months...or some of it at least.

To be continued...

The fruit needs the root...

‎"The root of your salvation glorifies God privately, and the fruit of your salvation glorifies God publicly." - John Piper

the past is yesterday

"God doesn't let your past dictate your future..." 

When it rains...it hurricRAINS...

Lately I've noticed that Rainy Days don't seem to be anyone's favorite. 

At the Starbucks where I work, on rainy days the customers seem quieter, the air colder, everyone's mood more soaked with tension and frustration. That includes the employees I work with. And it got me thinking about rainy days recently. Occasionally to customers I'll say, "have to have the rain days to appreciate the sun, right?" Seems simple, silly really.

But isn't it kind of true? In fact, I would say that rainy days are essential to appreciating the sun. Not only that, but rain days are crucial to the beauty of life that relies so heavily on the rain. Without the rain, things don't get fed, they don't get nourished, they don't grow. 

So when it seems disgusting out, cold and wet, and my mood is damper...I'm going to start remembering that I need to appreciate the rain. Because through the gloom and the gray and the cold darkness of it all, I am able to grow and to live...and to better understand how fond I am of the light. 

The Commitment Trick

It's been an incredibly long time since I updated my blog; however, I've still be writing and my life has continued to provide some incredible material.

Most recently life has handed me a pretty simple lesson, one about commitment. A lesson that, let's be honest here, I probably should have learned by now.

About two weeks ago I moved into a new rental house with a roommate. A house that isn't on the brightest street in Greenville (for those of you still behind, it's a tad sketchy). So when a friend asked me to babysit an 8 month old German Shepherd, I was thrilled. I thought the dog might make me feel more secure. Now, I don't know much about German Shepherds so I didn't quite know what I was in for.

And by that I mean, 85 pounds of sheer energy. Charlie, the shepherd puppy, likes to run laps in the house knocking over most anything in his body's path. He also likes to eat anything that seems inedible. For example, tissue paper is his latest find. He also loves my gloves, cotton balls, glass root beer bottles, and santa (maybe he had a bad experience with the guy). So, you're getting the picture that Charlie isn't easy to deal with right? He wants to bite at my hands to get my attention, he wants to jump on me to greet me, he wants to start every morning at 6 or 7am by whining (non-stop).

For the past 10 days, Charlie and I have enjoyed three walks a day...and it's on those walks that I began to fall in love. Charlie, who hasn't been leash trained, would simply walk beside me, stopping when I stop. Sitting when I say sit. Licking at my hand. The walks weren't just good for Charlie...and even on the nights I came home after work, with it super cold out, tired and ready for bed....I came home and grabbed Charlie's leash, put him in the car and took him downtown for a walk. I knew he needed it.

Tonight as we walked downtown, I realized something simple...Charlie had gotten me to commit to him. I look forward to the walks as much as he does and in the few times that I don't...I put his needs above my own. His need for walks have become more important than my desire not to walk (for whatever my reason at that time).

Thank you Charlie, for teaching me about myself...about committing to something and seeing that something through. For teaching me that sometimes what you don't feel like doing can be exactly what you need to do. And for making me get out and do it, cause otherwise you'll destroy my house. :)

So, maybe you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but maybe that's because the dog is busy teaching you.