"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus"There’s no sugar coating it: sometimes giving thanks is H A R D. We all have something to be thankful for, sure, but in times of suffering, fear, darkness, unknown futures, in the days that we feel EVERYTHING that can go wrong is going wrong , we are still called to be thankful. To clarify, though, we are not expected to be thankful FOR these circumstances necessarily, but we are called to be thankful IN them. Thankful in times of physical illness. Thankful in times of unrest. Thankful in times of unemployment. Thankful in times of financial hardships. Thankful in times of personal conflict. Thankful in times of confusion and heartache.So in the midst of what feels like the hardest season of all my 24 years, I’m thankful. I'm not thankful for the circumstances that have left me broken hearted and confused. Im not thankful for my mom's illness, for the car accident I️ was in, or for the unexpected loss of my dream job. I'm not thankful for the chronic illness that has taken away so many of my abilities or for the way Satan has successfully attacked me in my time of weakness. I'm not thankful for the circumstances this year that have taught me true faith and patience.But here's what I️ am thankful for.I’m thankful for the amazing best friends who have answered all the panicked phone calls, who have reached out, shown me love and carried me through this.I’m thankful for my family who has continually reminded me I’m still worth loving; and beyond that who has stepped up to support me without making me feel in any way less of an adult.I’m thankful for the promise that this season, however long it is, will end in some kind of victory.I’m thankful for the belief that through these times, God is shaping me to be exactly who He intended me to be from the very beginning.I'm thankful that through these times, I have felt called to share my faith with those who don't know Jesus.I'm thankful for the amount of motivation and perseverance I have learned through my fight back to health.I’m thankful that when I️ feel like I’m drowning in the midst of my brokenness and failures, the holidays come around to remind me to count my blessings and successes.And I’m thankful that I️ have so many people around me to remind me of this every single day when I forget it all over again.To those of you who also find yourselves in a difficult season and having a hard time giving thanks, know that you are not alone. From the bottom of my trench to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.
Life lessons from Taylor Swift
Heres the thing about Taylor Swift: you either hate her or you love her. And no, thats not a revolutionary idea. Isn't that true of every single one of us? I, personally, fall in the "love her" category, and this is why:When I️ was 15 and a teenager fiercely seeking independence, she released a song that reminded us all to appreciate and love our parents. She pleaded with us to remember that they were the ones who would swoop in and save them every time we needed saving. She reminded us to thank them for protecting us, loving us, and giving us all of our best days.When I️ was 17 trying desperately to recover from years of torture from high school bullies, she released a song about bullies and mean people of all kinds. She talked about not even feeling okay because of all their hurtful words, and most importantly, she emphasized learning to rise above these people and their words to create your own success story.When I️ was 19, she released a song about what it’s like to be in your 20s, to feel "happy free confused and lonely at the same time". To feel like you’re simultaneously living the dream and somehow also feeling isolated and confused. Amen, sister.
When I️ was 21, she released a fun, lighthearted song about not letting the haters get you down. She reminded us to keep dancing, keep living, and keep our lights shining bright. She asked us to brush off hateful comments, judgemental people, and to just keep being unapologetically REAL regardless of what others think.And now, in 2017, in the middle of a messy, messy, world, she releases an album with a message more important and more relevant than ever before. No, I️ can’t say I️ relate to being madly in love, or to saying that I’m doing better now than I️ ever was before, but heres what I️ have learned that I can relate to, and it’s important:No matter what you do, people will always hate you, break you, and make you out to be something you’re not. If you live your life trying to please an audience of millions, you are bound to fail 100% of the time. Sometimes these false perceptions will be an innocent misunderstanding, but other times it’s a result of actual intended malice- people who intend to hurt you, and you let them succeed. They spread this false image of you so far and wide that even YOU begin to believe it’s the truth. And that’s the most dangerous part of all. So at some point in your life, you must make the conscious decision to choose to believe in your true self, and refuse to believe in the "you" that the world has made you out to be. And only when you do that will you achieve true, real, raw, genuine happiness.
Thank you, Taylor, for your music, and your heart, but more than anything, for being willing to spread a message of self-love and acceptance no matter how many people told you to keep quiet.
Called to Love
I am always hesitant to say or do anything that will rock the boat or start a divisive conversation. But I think its only fair that if I’m an openly proud Christian, I should be equally vocal about my opinion on “controversial” issues. So here’s my jumbled thoughts on #nationalcomingoutday. Sure, gay people are not living life exactly according to how God intended or instructed. But I’ll be the first to admit, neither am I. I’m completely imperfect, broken at times, and consistently make mistakes. My sin is no better or more holy than yours, because that’s simply impossible. The coolest thing about Christianity, though, is that God loves me anyway, despite so many flaws. Everytime I walk, run, or sprint away from Him and into a sinful world full of bad decisions, he chases me down more intensely than before and quietly whispers “I am here, and I still love you”. Over and over again, until I finally listen. He doesn’t give up or say “well now she’s really done it....” he continues to love and pursue me until I choose to hear the whisper. His love did not come with a caveat, like “I love you but only if you make good choices and do exactly as I said” or “I love you but you need to be better”. In fact, He explicitly showed love to those who made the wrong choice. That’s simply who He was. Jesus didn’t come to save those who already knew Him. He came for the broken, the hurting, the criminals. He came for the tax collectors, the unloveable, the “least of these”. He came for the lepers, and showed them love amongst those refused to do so. He is the KING of unpopular opinions and controversial decisions. He loved to rock the boat in order to save those who were deemed “unlovable”. He was mocked for what He did, and ridiculed for who He loved. But He did it anyway. What if, instead of trying to “pray away the gay” we as Christians decided instead to pray FOR the gay and agree to walk alongside them lovingly and patiently as Jesus himself once did? And not because we want them to change, but because we want them to experience His pure and real love. Christianity has nothing to do with loving other Christians, and everything to do with radically loving everyone the way Jesus did, without caveats, without judgment, without pointing fingers. Why? Because it’s what Jesus would do.
“Oh Jesus, friend of sinners Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours”
To my best friend on her wedding day:
It's crazy for me to think that by the time you're reading this it will be your wedding day already. Today is the day that God fulfills one of his most beautiful promises to you, and I can't wait to watch it happen. I remember so vividly the number of times we talked (and fantasized) about our future husbands and our fairy tale endings during shared car rides.
I remember crying with you on my bedroom floor, praying that God would provide healing for both of our hearts during a difficult season.
I remember when you got a voicemail from some random guy, and ditched our super important TV date to go call him back.
I remember awkwardly waving from the living room window as you walked out on your 2nd date with Brett (I really just wanted to check out the man bun...).
I remember the night you bounded into my room, jumped on the bed, slid under the covers, and gushed about how amazing it had been to be with Brett all evening. I had never seen you (or anyone for that matter) so happy before, but it was hard for me that night, in that moment, to see how truly special this was, and I know you knew that. I'm so thankful you gave me grace during that time like you do so well.
I remember when you called me late at night and said "Brett and I have something we want to tell you!" I was already crying at that point because I knew exactly what you were going to say. It's really special to say that I was by your side watching this relationship develop, grow, and flourish, and I hope I continue to be by your side for the rest of the story. The incredible, unbelievable reality is that today begins the most beautiful and brave adventure that you've ever embarked on. Today begins a life with Brett where you can be THAT excited and in love every single day. It would be naive to think that you will never have stress, hard days or troubles in your marriage; but one of my favorite things about you two is that you have already acknoweldged these future struggles and given them over to the Lord.
Today, you will make the most beautiful bride I have ever seen. You will leave "Miss Rockwell" at one end of the aisle and become "Mrs. Craig" at the other. In the years to come, you will become the most incredible loving wife. And someday in the future, you will make the most selfless, compassionate mother in the world. But first, the all-important wedding. Today you will make a promise to Brett and a promise to God; to put Him first and each other second. A promise to stick it out through tough times and enjoy each other during great times. A promise to better each other every day for the rest of your lives. As one of your best friends, I think I owe it to you to make a promise today too. I promise to always be there for you, in every valley and on every hilltop. I promise to remind you of God's goodness on the days when you cannot see it yourself. I promise to encourage you to be your best, for you and for Brett. I promise to be a sounding board when you face life's important decisions. I promise to be your biggest cheerleader as you embark on every new adventure.
And of course, I promise to beg Brett to send you to AZ for a girls weekend AT LEAST once a year. I hope and pray that you're as excited about Brett every day for the rest of your life as you were in my bedroom on the night of the Angel's game. Looking back, I think we both knew then that this would happen, and it's time to make it official.
Welcome to your forever, Mrs. Craig. ❤️