We just returned from our honeymoon, and it was the best week with Jared... a time to rest and enjoy each other before we came back home to reality and chaos. Toward the end of the trip I wasn't feeling well, and because we were in Mexico, it was difficult to see a doctor. I didn't want to be rushed to the hospital, so I waited until I got home. Turns out, I have a couple infections, but I'm on plenty of meds now and I'm on the mend. All that to say, I've had a lot of time to lay on the couch and think over the past few days...
There's a new song called Fight Song by Rachel Platten and it's currently on repeat through my speakers. She says, "like a small boat on the ocean, sending big waves into motion... like how a single word can make a heart open... I may only have one match, but I can make an explosion."
Perhaps we all need that as a reminder today...
As I sat on the plane home a couple nights ago I was reading the newest issue of the Darling Magazine... I highly recommend it. The opening page is a letter from the editor and she suggests there is a spark inside each of us. And just like a bonfire, there are times when it's tough to fan the flame. It isn't always easy to keep the fire going, and often times we let the mundane creep in and we spend our days going through the motions. We resemble zombies... we walk around without purpose, pursuing careers that we don't find meaning in. Perhaps it's bold, but maybe it isn't the office job or the ins and outs of motherhood that are keeping us from fanning the flame, perhaps it's the way we view ourselves within those bounds. We forget that we have purpose and that it won't pursue itself.
I'm a dreamer, and for years I've been praying over my first baby girl, Millie. There are a million things that I want her to know about the world around her, and the role that she plays inside that world. I want her to know that she is worthy, and perfectly designed... that her crazy, frizzy, bouncy curls are beautiful... that she's a fighter for the millions of girls around her that can't fight for themselves... that her mistakes do not define her... that she was created with every shade of color... that it's okay to be deep and complex and to ask questions... and it's also okay to be witty and find humor and whistle through life... I want her to know that the King of Kings hand picked her for her time in history, and no one else can do what she was sent here to do. If she likes art, I want her to create out-of-the-box masterpieces, because that's what she is. If she wants to play sports like her daddy, I want her to know that she can compete with the boys... that being a girl isn't a handicap, but a privilege. I want her to know that she has a voice to speak among men. I pray that whichever path she chooses, or the many throughout her life, she will use her spark to light something within the people around her. I pray that her joy will be contagious, and her spirit will be like a well of living water that others are drawn to. She may be a tiny piece of this world, but I pray that she brings a big boom... knowing deep within her soul that she was created with a purpose to be Jesus to the world.
Thankfully, I have a mom that instilled all of that within me. Of course there are moments when I forget those things, but she's quick to remind me. I want to remind you all of that today. Perhaps you've never heard any of those things, and you find yourself going through the motions to pay the bills and put food on the table. Or maybe your husband or wife walked out on you and your kids and you have no idea which way to turn or what to do... perhaps you took a leap of faith, and you're still waiting for God to hold up his end of the bargain... maybe you need to be reminded that you deserve to be treated like you're the prize. You might be like a little boat on the ocean, but you have the potential to make big waves, and God has not forgotten about you.
If you already know those things, it's time for you to wake up and walk in it. It's time for you to reach out to the girl next to you and remind her that she isn't in this one alone. Use your spark to fan the flame in someone else. One word can change everything. Speak life into her. Ask her about her story. Listen to what she has to say. Don't be afraid to say you're sorry. Don't be afraid to make things right. Our time here is so limited, but we are here on purpose and we must be for each other.
The Great Robin Williams once said, "You've been given only a little spark of madness, you musn't lose it."
Fan the flame.
There's a new song called Fight Song by Rachel Platten and it's currently on repeat through my speakers. She says, "like a small boat on the ocean, sending big waves into motion... like how a single word can make a heart open... I may only have one match, but I can make an explosion."
Perhaps we all need that as a reminder today...
As I sat on the plane home a couple nights ago I was reading the newest issue of the Darling Magazine... I highly recommend it. The opening page is a letter from the editor and she suggests there is a spark inside each of us. And just like a bonfire, there are times when it's tough to fan the flame. It isn't always easy to keep the fire going, and often times we let the mundane creep in and we spend our days going through the motions. We resemble zombies... we walk around without purpose, pursuing careers that we don't find meaning in. Perhaps it's bold, but maybe it isn't the office job or the ins and outs of motherhood that are keeping us from fanning the flame, perhaps it's the way we view ourselves within those bounds. We forget that we have purpose and that it won't pursue itself.
I'm a dreamer, and for years I've been praying over my first baby girl, Millie. There are a million things that I want her to know about the world around her, and the role that she plays inside that world. I want her to know that she is worthy, and perfectly designed... that her crazy, frizzy, bouncy curls are beautiful... that she's a fighter for the millions of girls around her that can't fight for themselves... that her mistakes do not define her... that she was created with every shade of color... that it's okay to be deep and complex and to ask questions... and it's also okay to be witty and find humor and whistle through life... I want her to know that the King of Kings hand picked her for her time in history, and no one else can do what she was sent here to do. If she likes art, I want her to create out-of-the-box masterpieces, because that's what she is. If she wants to play sports like her daddy, I want her to know that she can compete with the boys... that being a girl isn't a handicap, but a privilege. I want her to know that she has a voice to speak among men. I pray that whichever path she chooses, or the many throughout her life, she will use her spark to light something within the people around her. I pray that her joy will be contagious, and her spirit will be like a well of living water that others are drawn to. She may be a tiny piece of this world, but I pray that she brings a big boom... knowing deep within her soul that she was created with a purpose to be Jesus to the world.
Thankfully, I have a mom that instilled all of that within me. Of course there are moments when I forget those things, but she's quick to remind me. I want to remind you all of that today. Perhaps you've never heard any of those things, and you find yourself going through the motions to pay the bills and put food on the table. Or maybe your husband or wife walked out on you and your kids and you have no idea which way to turn or what to do... perhaps you took a leap of faith, and you're still waiting for God to hold up his end of the bargain... maybe you need to be reminded that you deserve to be treated like you're the prize. You might be like a little boat on the ocean, but you have the potential to make big waves, and God has not forgotten about you.
If you already know those things, it's time for you to wake up and walk in it. It's time for you to reach out to the girl next to you and remind her that she isn't in this one alone. Use your spark to fan the flame in someone else. One word can change everything. Speak life into her. Ask her about her story. Listen to what she has to say. Don't be afraid to say you're sorry. Don't be afraid to make things right. Our time here is so limited, but we are here on purpose and we must be for each other.
The Great Robin Williams once said, "You've been given only a little spark of madness, you musn't lose it."
Fan the flame.
