Ephesians 4 | Living Out Our Deepest Values

In my walk as a Christian and my journey through this life, I’m always looking for direction and reminders for living out my deepest values and allowing them to guide my choices, big and small.

How wonderful that we have the bible to guide us! The second part of Ephesians 4 in the New International Version, is clearly subtitled, “Instructions for Christian Living.” If you’re on a mission to live well as a Christian too, I’d say “look no further;” although the bible is full of these instructions, so do look further! For now, here is what Paul instructs us to do in Ephesians 4:

• Speak truthfully to your neighbor

• In your anger, do not sin

• Do not steal, do honest work

• Have something to share with those in need

• Speak “what is helpful for building others up according to their needs”

• Do not grieve the holy spirit

• Get rid of bitterness, rage and anger

• Be kind and compassionate to one another

• Forgive one another

I feel like when I was young, I was taught to be kind as if it was easy, and for the most part I found that it was. I may have a selective memory, but I don’t remember having any significant conflict of my own. My siblings and I got along well (until the summer we spent playing Nintendo). But as I got older I found myself facing conflicts and feeling angry. Even in my desire to be kind, I found myself hurting others with my words and actions. Being kind suddenly wasn’t so easy. As adults, we are challenged by this world and the instructions Paul gives us become more like instructions for putting together furniture, simple pictures that don’t pan out so well when put into action.

Looking at these instructions as an experienced adult, familiar with many of life's challenges, I notice how these instructions are saying so much more. Three stand out:

1. “In your anger, do not sin.” Paul acknowledges our anger and that we do have it, that it is a reality in this world. I appreciate that recognition so that we can learn to face it with good choices, learning how to respond “in our anger” so that when it bubbles up, we do not sin.

2. Speak “what is helpful for building others up according to their needs.” This is written as, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29.

   What really speaks to me here is that he adds “according to their needs.” I hear Paul telling us to choose our words carefully, recognizing who we are speaking to and how those words will be received, to use words that “benefit those who listen.” This is a wonderful reminder for me when I feel convicted in my truth and want to share “my wisdom” with my children. They may not hear it as I intended if I am not careful to choose words that are “helpful for building others up,” specifically words that will land well with the person I am speaking to.

3. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger.” Now this is a project. I also just shared how grateful I am that Paul recognizes that we do have anger, so what does that make us if we feel anger, yet are also instructed to “get rid of all .. anger?” It makes us a work in progress. This may mean we are working through old traumas or simply replacing a sharp reaction with a deep breath and a smile. Either way, the end goal (that we may never reach) keeps us progressing and living out our deepest values, by bringing God’s grace and love to each choice we make, big and small.

In summary, Ephesians 4 reminds me to strive for a pure heart with no bitterness, rage or anger by speaking words that are helpful in building others up, so that in moments of anger I will not sin. This helps me live out my deepest values of contributing kindness, sharing God’s love and encouragement with others, and living with a positive perspective and a deep gratitude to our Lord. And when I stumble, I can remember that I am a work in progress and be kind and encouraging to myself! I hope you will do the same.

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About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

Emotional Well-Being | Peace Found in Perspective

We were winding our way up and over the mountain and back down to the west side of the island, which we are currently calling home. My husband and I were engaging in a gratitude conversation, sharing how blessed we feel. Life could have easily taken a different turn at many points in our journeys, both together and as we were growing up. Why were we spared from a more tragic experience? Why did God guide us and bless us? Who are we to be so fortunate, with so much suffering in this world?

One answer is that we will never know and our goal is to follow God’s guidance so that He can use our journey in intentional ways that we may never understand.

Another answer is perspective. I’m sure there are many out there that would not look at our journey as incredibly fortunate. While you can’t deny the great privilege we have with access to clean water, loving friends and family and so much opportunity, we have had our fair share of struggle.

As we made our way back to a comfortable home where our three healthy and incredibly capable children waited, I realized my perspective could be different.

Now I was pondering this; why am I so blessed to be able to feel blessed in moments of struggle? Even through seasons of sadness, stress, frustration and desperation, somehow we continue to feel so incredibly blessed.

I know that depression has visited so many different walks of life and the specific situation we are in doesn’t always dictate how we feel about ourselves, our current state and the world around us. Sometimes when light is shining right on us, we feel darkness. Sometimes when friends are reaching out, we feel alone.

So all I can really share, in hopes that it will help those struggling emotionally, is what has helped me: Being grounded in faith, surrender and gratitude.

• Stay grounded in the Lord through prayer

• Surrender yourself, your world, your relationships and especially worldly things

• Rejoice that God has a plan and each step has a purpose

• Serve others and pray for them

• Take action - small and easy steps forward build momentum

• Find things to be grateful for - simple and small can build momentum here as well

“I continue to be grateful and always aware that I am in charge of my faith and my perspective,
but not my life.”

In today’s “you can have it all” culture, this belief may not be popular, but I believe in putting God’s plan before any worldly desires. In fact, I aim to cut out worldly desires and let go of dependency on my own dreams to embrace the journey set in front of me. This has filled me with gratitude and joy, even through hard times. Be careful not to just pretend, but to really dig deep and decide what desires can be released and what to pull into focus. In Ephesians chapter 4, starting at verse 17, Paul “insists” we no longer live as Gentiles “darkened in understanding and separated from the life of God” (Ephesians 4:18). Our hope and joy and gratitude comes from our connection to our God.

Ephesians 4:21-24
“Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in the true righteousness and holiness”

This isn’t at all to say we are sad because we’re not living for God. Rather, through sadness we can remain or at least regain our sense of gratitude and joy through a shift “in the attitude of your minds” and rejoice in the truth that we were “created to be like God in the true righteousness and holiness” and that God is in control of the this beautiful creation around us. I surrender my own worldly desires to an all powerful and loving God who created the incredible life that surrounds us, for which I am so grateful.

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About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

Common Ground | Identity

My 5 year old has recently discovered The Lion King and it’s his new favorite movie--to the point where he wants to watch it multiple times a day. He jumps forward and back to his favorite scenes. This morning we sat and watched some of it together and I was surprised when he shared a favorite scene with me: It was the part when the baboon leads Simba through the dark forest and pushes him to think about who he really is.

I’ve been thinking about this too. As the years go by, I find I sometimes question my life choices, basing the value I put on myself and the life I’ve lived so far on a worldly, cultural idea of worth. As I look closer at where I’m putting my energy, my worldly goals and why I pursue them, I find that the foundation is based on a mis-guided definition of success and acceptance.

Interestingly, if you asked me directly what I value most, money, power and acceptance would not be on the list. If you sat with me and reminisced on the past 15 years (even the whole 37 that has been my life so far), I would be full of stories of wonderful times, amazing blessings and struggles full of growth and God’s work. Still, I live this parallel life in my mind: full of hope and dreams and goals, like I haven’t “arrived” or “achieved” yet. These ideals are not aligned with my true values, rather they are designed by what I subconsciously think is expected of me from other people. My success (or lack of success) is based on other people’s acceptance and in the back of my mind, they will only accept me if I live up to the standard set in our culture of a fancy career that pays well and all the material possessions to show for it.

Despite falling into the patterns of this world and reaching for such “goals” at times, I know these things do not define me and I must really ask myself what is important in determining where I put my energy. More importantly, I must remind myself what is important in determining who I am. When I pray and study the bible, all signs point to my value as a daughter of God, and a believer in Christ. When I focus on God, I am fully in the moment with no story of my past choices or family history hindering my complete confidence and joy of who I am, where I have been and what may come next. I see beautiful moments of struggle, triumph and hope filled with God’s amazing work and I feel so much Love flowing through me.

Unfortunately we tend to define WHO we are, by the journey we have been on. The truth though, is that we are sons and daughters of the most amazing Creator. Our journeys, although they influence us, do not define us. Rather we are to live in faith and define our identity not in worldly measures, but in the Lord;

Romans 12:1-2
“Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Likewise, we must remember that this truth applies to everyone around us as well. We all have our own experiences and journeys through this world, beautiful threads woven in and out of triumph and struggle, passing by, through and around each other, but always accountable to God’s judgement alone and always with His love and grace awaiting us.

Romans 14: 3-4
“The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand”

If we use a person’s journey to judge who he/she is, we are missing out on the beauty that is in all of us as creations of our Lord. Our ambition to “succeed” keeps us focused on becoming someone we think we should be, and taints our view of those around us, often separating us, rather than uniting us in God’s love. Judgement after all is the work of the Lord, not of man, and does no good when brought between us.

Romans 14: 13
“Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way”

When what we have (or don’t have) is set aside, we can then see each other in a new light and see ourselves for the beautiful creations of our God, of whom we were meant to represent.

I invite you all to join me this week in seeing others through God’s eyes. Set down the experiences, “successes” and struggles that are scattered throughout the journey of a friend, a coworker or a family member and instead see the core of the human that was carefully and perfectly designed by our creator.

In Romans, Paul gives quite a lengthy and very clear instruction on how to view, treat and live among one another, despite any differences, even those regarding our beliefs, our faith and how we choose to live.

Romans 13: 9-10
“The commandments, “Do not commit adultery”, “Do not murder”, “Do not steal”, “Do no covet”, and whatever other commandments there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law”

Romans 14: 19-23
“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall. So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”

Romans 15: 1-2
“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.”

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About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

Love Purified | And What Remains?

During these unique circumstances, this image of what we’ve coined “the rat race” being pulled to a halt keeps running through my mind. It actually feels refreshing, although it’s hard to say it’s good when so many people have lost their jobs, their means to eat and cloth and keep a roof over their family's head. But if we can’t control the things that happen to us, we can control our reaction and our perspective.

The unknown? Starting over? Struggle? Change? Through the journey my husband and I have been on, I feel like we have been training for this since the day we met. We’ve learned to flip the perspective - what's new? What's possible? What's good? What remains?

While some of us pause, we can use this time to take inventory of the things that fill our lives. Notice them, then set them down. When we let go of things like worry, frustration, habits, distractions and “stuff”. What remains? God, prayer, love.

Romans 12:2
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

There is opportunity in this change.

There is hope in this shift.

Flowers will bloom from this darkness.

The opportunity is to go deeper with our connection to our God. Be still. Listen more. Observe the world around you and appreciate God’s creation. Take time each day to breathe and let go of fear and the attempt to control. Release the things of this world and “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”.

As our family moves around often, physical stuff passes through our lives in a more fluid way than it would if we had a stationary home. As I get more experienced in releasing physical things, I’ve also exercised my ability to set down the emotional things and the habitual things that tie us down and keep us fixated on this world, with our priorities off balance. Just as the physical act of exercising the core of your body is important to the whole of your body, the act of surrendering the things of this world, to make space and time to strengthen your spiritual core is important too, and so good.

And just as the act of releasing physical things is a cycle(take in, let go, buy something else, pass it on to someone else), so is the process of “renewing our minds”. We take in so much throughout the days and weeks and need to complete the cycle of recognizing it and setting it down, making room for God to do His work in us and through us, time for prayer to strengthen our spiritual core.

Then ponder a flipped perspective, with a strengthened core, “so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

What’s new in your life?

What’s possible? (anything really)

What’s good?

What remains?

Below are song lyrics to the Rivers & Robots song, Shepherd of My Soul. They are a beautiful prayer and worship in a time of uncertainty, changing the perspective into a time of renewal, hope and transformation.

May you see the blessings arising from the struggle.

Shepherd of My Soul
Rivers & Robots

Lord of the mountains and sea
You are treading a path set for me
God of the seasons and sky
You have always been holding my life

And Lord, You are the shepherd of my soul
So I lay down my plans, I give up my rights
And let You take control of this surrendered life

So I put my trust in the one
Who created the stars and the sun
You are eternally kind
Always faithful and endlessly wise

You comfort, You sustain
In shaking You remain
Unmoved and unafraid
Forever and always
You lead me by still waters
Lead me through the valleys
Lead me in Your wisdom
Shepherd of my soul

Through valleys of shadow and death I am not afraid
By my Father's breath every star in the sky was made
And who can I fear when You're standing right here by my side?
Always leading, protecting and guarding my left and my right
Father You make all things new
Great God of creation
Father You will always be my rock and salvation

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About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

Oneness | Oneness with God

I fall out of alignment often. I get busy and am running all day, crashing at night and getting up to start the marathon again the next day. I fill my mind with the ever changing to-do list to make sure nothing falls apart, that bills get paid, meals get cooked, kids get to activities, that I am caught up at work and that the next family project is on track. Currently we are planning an extended trip to visit family, so there is always a new to-do list, no matter how many tasks I get checked off.

In these seasons, I am sometimes able to stay in tune with the more important things in life. I can take a minute (even if it is literally just one minute) to sit quietly with the Lord and make sure that my heart and my mind are in the right place. I want to be sure that I am aligned with the Lord and He is guiding my choices, my words, my interactions with others and that His light is present in my presence. Other times I fall off track.

The difference is subtle at first. It’s like I’m running on momentum, but the more I wander off on my own, the more lost I get. I start to get flustered and miss things. It’s like “Peace” has left the building.

The wonderful thing is that I can realign and reconnect. God has not left me, I have just been too preoccupied to notice and recognize His presence. So I realign in prayer and in silent acknowledgment of God and total acceptance of His work in my life. I imagine that we are like a pair in a team-building activity where God guides me blindly through an obstacle course.

THIS FEELS SO RIGHT.

I have yet to find the best way to describe how being aligned with God feels to me, but my best attempt is to say it is a feeling that I am in the most comfortable and correct place, extending beyond the concepts of time and space. To-do lists can be left undone, as long as it’s what is meant to be. Chaos can surround me and I don’t let it pull me in. Peace and grace are strong pillars of my being and I am moving along a predestined track at just the right speed, to be at just the right place whenever God wants me there. May God guide and move me, not the worldly chaos.

1 Corinthians 2:9-13
But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

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About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

The Advent of Revolution | Grandeur in The Little Things

“When I look at the clues that indicate the nature of Jesus – born in a barn, questionable parents, spotty ancestry, common name, misdirected announcement, unattractive looks, reared in a bad neighborhood, owning nothing, surrounding himself with unattractive co-workers, and dying a shameful death – I find his whole approach unable to fit into the methods that automatically come to mind when I think about “winning the world.” His whole approach could easily be described as nonthreatening or nonmanipulative. He seemed to lead with weakness in each step of life. He had nothing in the world and everything in God and the Spirit.”

― Gayle D. Erwin, The Jesus Style

In 2010, my husband and I decided we were going to leave Oregon and spend a month and a half in Costa Rica. We felt like it was a God-guided choice and we would find wonderful things awaiting us: a mission and place to serve, a community to be connected, a growing and developing faith and relationship with the Lord. At least that’s how I imagined it. Our church community prayed for us, God opened opportunity and gave us visions and certainty, and soon we set off to find whatever it was that God had waiting for us.

We arrived and one of the first people I met and connected with happen to be the local pastor’s wife. Hallelujah! God had great things for us! My mind started spinning and I asked her about her church, searching for God’s place for me in it. The big magic would seem to end there. My husband was hesitant to jump into anything. He was even hesitant to attend church. In my fervor to grow in my faith, I honored my husband as best I could with as little arguing as I could and focused on prayer and the Word. Fast forward a year and I was attending church once in a while, mostly just with the kids. But I was helping the pastor’s wife build a preschool/kinder as a teacher's assistant. This wasn’t the big fireworks project either. It ended after one year, but it was a year that I embraced God’s guidance. I was reading my bible nightly and my coworkers (2 ladies) were a light in my life. We would meet to discuss school and take 30 minutes of each meeting to study the Word together. It sounds simple and “regular.” Isn’t that just what all “good Christians” do? But it was wonderful and together with the quiet time at night where I was reading the Word on my own, it was a season of deep and personal connection to the Lord that guides my path to this day.

A friend came down to Costa Rica with her family for a while during this time and joined us in a book club, reading David Platt’s book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream. How fitting. We were rebelling against the American Dream just by being in Costa Rica and living in a different culture. My husband and I had moved out of our apartment and arrived in Costa Rica with only what could fit in our suitcases. Over a year later we still needed nothing more and I began to realize the big fancy mission project or Mother Teresa worthy life wasn’t necessary either. I was building my personal relationship with the Lord in a way I never would have, had I depended on a community of people, other people to give me answers, showy events or acts to brag about. God was telling me WAIT in such a powerful whisper that it slowed me down and opened my ears and my heart to listen. God was saying SURRENDER to what is - don’t chase after the picture I painted in my head, however righteous that picture was. God was saying LOVE in a way that is difficult and only feels good when you’re through it. God said GRACE, for experiences and people that I longed to live up to the greatness I envisioned. God moved my heart ever so slightly in the smallest and most powerful ways, highlighting the little things that make all the difference. And He still does. And I still only need what can fit in a few suitcases… what matters is what I carry in my heart.

I came across the book The Jesus Style by Gayle D. Erwin. I carried it with me. I sort of read it a few times, or more. I’ve slowly been getting back through the chapters and it challenges me in such simple, deep, and at times difficult ways. I continue to struggle with my desire for greatness (lingering remnants of the American Dream) when I think about my goals and my vision for my life. But if it is to follow Jesus, I must wait, surrender, love and have grace, over and over and over again. These are daily reminders I need for the little things, the choices we make regularly. One of my coworkers in that school and a bible study friend shared with us one day how she prays about everything. A casual disclosure in a short chat over snack time with the kids that stuck with me for all these years. When she makes her grocery list and again when she is walking around the store, she prays about what to buy, that it’s the right choice financially and for the health and well being of her family. Small prayers and small actions that are God-focused are truly the grandest of all things. A quote on my desk right now shares this sentiment:

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world” ― Anne Frank

This reminds me that even to make a big difference, small prayers and small actions that are God focused are truly the grandest of all things. How wonderful that small choices bring us closer to God and our waiting on the Lord can be a simple act of remaining connected and realigning when we stumble. In November, it is a great thing to remember to be grateful. Then comes December and what a great thing to celebrate Jesus. But let’s not make it a “season.” And let’s not get lost in the lights, but turn deep into our hearts as we wait on the Lord, drawing closer to Him in patient, loving and graceful surrender. His arrival is not our party to plan for, but our gift to be ready to receive.

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About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

Salt and Light | God is the Chef, We are the Salt

How are we to be in this world? What does it mean to be “salt of the Earth”?

Acts 9:15
“But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake."

When we think of salt-seasoning, we often think of cooking and getting the salt quantity correct. But being salt of the Earth doesn’t work quite the same.

Acts 9:3-4
“Suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice…”

When God came to Saul, he appeared suddenly, unexpectedly. God told Saul:

Acts 9:6
“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

When Saul got up he didn’t find lighted arrows in front of him, leading his way with a map and a guide book in his hand. Instead “when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.” Acts 9:8

When you were baptized, did you come out of the water with clear instructions? Did God provide a recipe book or text book on how to be the perfectly balanced instrument? To have the perfect flavoring of salt-seasoning? I often find myself looking for that manual, forgetting that God is leading us, one step at a time and often blind. God is the chef, we are the salt.

In Acts 9:10-15, God calls to His disciple telling him to go and heal Saul, a man who has come to “arrest all that call on (God’s) name”. Would this make sense to any of us? Heal those who persecute you, help those who do you harm? Help those who do harm unto others? Yet this disciple went and healed Saul, both vessels of God’s work, moved by God’s guidance,

Acts 9:20
“At once he (Saul) began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.”

God is the chef, we are the salt.

Some days I feel lost, disconnected, but today I felt like “salt-seasoning” and it lit up my heart.

I aspire to be good, kind, courageous and a positive influence on those around me. While I have many failings, consistent realignment is where I am winning. I often surrender it all to the Lord; all I have and all my hopes and dreams. At the same time I give thanks for all the blessings He has bestowed upon me and all the blessings to come.

I want the Lord to be the architect of my life.

“I continue to be grateful and always aware that I am in charge of my faith and my perspective, but not my life.”

I wrote this in my last post and have carried it with me. I posted it in front of me at work. Today it adjusted my attitude and I found myself, without effort, more positive and hopeful. A coworker thanked me for my words and I realized I had brought peace to her heart in the midst of a chaotic moment. Because I was aligned with the Lord in my heart, He was able to use my calm and surrender to bless others around me. The perfect salt-seasoning to flavor their lives with His love and bring light to both of us. And the only direction I had was to let go and not be in control; blind faith.

I had been thinking and writing down different ways we can be salt today and the Lord laid out a very simple, yet effective and beautiful way to flavor the world: let His light shine through us.

Matthew 5:16
“You are to let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father . . ."

I’m far from a chemist, but metaphorically it makes sense as a writer and a creative that letting light shine through us can bring about the perfect balance of “salt” or flavoring in our words and actions. It makes sense as a lover of metaphor, that likewise, the perfect balance of “salt” sprinkled in our daily lives can make His light shine all around; a cycle I welcome in my life!

Ideally, we hold a beautiful balance of strong faith (be the salt) and amazing wonder (shine His light); an experience to both strive for and consistently come back to.

We are not here to design our own destiny and determine our own “work” and so I will continue to surrender and give thanks that God is in control if we choose to let Him.

“I continue to be grateful and aware that I am in control of my perspective and my faith, but not my life.”

Lord, let me be your salt seasoning. I surrender and open my heart to your light.

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About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

Adventuring with God | Adventuring with God is Surrendering to God

In my third year of college, I began to get anxious. I couldn’t envision what my time at University was preparing me for and even though I was 100% confident in my choice of major, I had no idea what my future would look like nor did I have much guidance or goals. I knew I wanted to travel and as my grades started to dip, I decided to take a break from school and “get out.” I started by going to live with my sister and we ended up with a plan; we would fly to Costa Rica and travel around, with our only goal being to find a deserted beach and camp there. It was going to be an adventure:

1. an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks

2. an exciting or remarkable experience

Well, it was an exciting and remarkable experience. Our deserted beach campout never happened, but God had so much more in store for us. While we were there trying to make choices on where to go and what to do, I wrote a lot in my journal and felt an overwhelming feeling of “readiness”. I had no idea what for, but I was okay with that now. I was experiencing the “real world” and discovering that not knowing was okay. Then God showed up in the most amazing ways.

Thank you God that you are in control.

In my last post, I challenged myself to push my limits of gratitude.

Quoting myself from the last post, “I am so grateful for the journey itself and that it is an adventure.”

Adventure brings us opportunities to choose, the choice to choose Him.

My husband and I recently celebrated our 13 year wedding anniversary. It was only about 6 years in when we thought that God had given us such an adventure that we could write a book. I now realize we all have great stories, but I did go as far as to map out the timeline of our adventure and it clearly falls into “chapters”.

Each chapter marks a phase of our lives where things happened around us and impacted where we lived, who became our community and the experience our kids have had growing up. When I step back and look at it, what really stands out to me is how we surrendered the outcome to God and followed our hearts.

2 Corinthians 2:14
But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.

It has been 14 years of trusting God and following His light as best we can (while sometimes failing) at every intersection we come across, and I now understand that “adventuring with God” really means “surrendering to God”.

I continue to be grateful and always aware that I am in charge of my faith and my perspective, but not my life.

Whether it’s troubled times or joyful times, thank you God that you are in control.

Josh Garrels Train Song:
Shame on you, shame on me
Lord he took all our shame and pain, and set men free
And I've got that fire on the mountain
Fire in my soul
It's been a long time coming, long time
And ready to go
I'm stepping out the door
Doing what feels right
Following my Lord, through the darkest night
And when the path gets narrow
I'll follow him
And when the world comes down, around
I'll follow him
He said, sing it on the mountain
Or in the valley low
He’s my God, and he never lets me go
He said, sing it on the mountain
Or fight in valley low
Every mans going to see, and everyone will know
That peace runs deep in him
I said peace runs deep in him
Peace runs deep in him.

---

About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

Perpetual Creativity | Art Appreciation

Lately my husband and I have had some good conversations. The other day we found ourselves in awe of how amazing God is to put such sweet, abundantly healthy and oh so delicious water inside a coconut that grows on a tree. That’s just one of the many examples of “art appreciation” we can experience when we know that we are living on a planet and in a space that truly is a work of art. Reading through Genesis 1, I can almost picture God as an artist with His clay or His paintbrush adding piece by piece, then pausing to examine His work;

“And God saw that it was good”.

Still, God’s work is always in motion.

So much greater than the tangible world around us, God’s artwork is moving and changing. It’s something we can always feel wonder and amazement for if we open our eyes a little more.

I’ve been inspired to do the gratitude challenge again, where I actually list out as many things that I can think of that I am grateful for. Gratitude is something I practice daily, but to actually list it out helps us live in that space more and draw closer to God continually as we go through our day (or get drawn back).

It’s pretty easy when you realize that you are living in a moving museum of God’s living creations. When you can look at a coconut, a thunderstorm, waves crashing, a grain of sand or an ant running off with your bread crumbs that are three times his size; you see the awesomeness of God’s creativity. This gratitude practice that opens our eyes to God’s artwork is powerful and can truly bring us Joy.

In Jeremiah 10 verses 1-16, we are reminded of how silly we are to worship creations of man - our cars, our toys, our technology, our clothes - rather than be inspired daily by the amazing creations around us. These creations that are not only beautiful works of art, but also truly sustain us and invite us to move in motion with one another, with the Artist always in the midst.

3 For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. 4 They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. 5 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.” 6 No one is like you, LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. 7 Who should not fear you, King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you. 8 They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols. 9 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple— all made by skilled workers. 10 But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath. 11 “Tell them this: ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.’ ”

While humans can create some really wonderful things and many are inspired by God or guided by the Holy Spirit that lives in us, it’s good to remember the ultimate Artist and live in gratitude to Him daily; for through power, wisdom and understanding, He created all that surrounds us and it moves on His command.

12 But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. 13 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. 14 Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud; they have no breath in them.

I am grateful that God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7) so that I too, can be His beautiful creation.

Still, God’s work is always in motion.

I am grateful that God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” so that I can be a growing and evolving work of art.

I am grateful that God sent Jesus and Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide me through the museum of His creations while I’m here on earth.

I am grateful for community that God has led me to, over and over again.

I am grateful for the smell of the ocean and the air when it’s about to rain.

I am grateful for the amazing creations that sustain us as food.

I am grateful for the body that is so well equipped to move me through this journey of life.

I am so grateful for the journey itself and that it is an adventure.

I am grateful for all that I learn through experience, both joyful and difficult.

I am grateful that the Lord guides me and keeps me safe.

I am grateful for the challenges and valleys of darkness that have exercised my faith.

I am grateful for the laughter that has blessed me with so many moments of joy.

I am grateful for the people that are so dear to me and fill my heart with an insane amount of Love.

I am grateful that God is waiting nearby, ready to be accepted into their hearts either for the first time or again and again as they journey through this life.

And we can be grateful for things that seem to be small, but truly were created in God’s wisdom and have way more power and purpose than we give them credit for. When we realize this and can live in this truth, joy flows through our hearts.

I am grateful for the colors that cover the flowers.

I am grateful for bees.

I am grateful for hugs.

I am grateful that people help each other.

And in all these moments of life, we are constantly moving - living creations of God: growing, learning, building faith in our hearts and sharing love and light as we flow through this painting in motion and blend with the colors of the souls around us.

Only God could be such a talented and never ending artist.

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About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

Adventuring with God | Adventuring with God is Surrendering to God

In my third year of college, I began to get anxious. I couldn’t envision what my time at University was preparing me for and even though I was 100% confident in my choice of major, I had no idea what my future would look like nor did I have much guidance or goals. I knew I wanted to travel and as my grades started to dip, I decided to take a break from school and “get out.” I started by going to live with my sister and we ended up with a plan; we would fly to Costa Rica and travel around, with our only goal being to find a deserted beach and camp there. It was going to be an adventure:

1. an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks

2. an exciting or remarkable experience

Well, it was an exciting and remarkable experience. Our deserted beach campout never happened, but God had so much more in store for us. While we were there trying to make choices on where to go and what to do, I wrote a lot in my journal and felt an overwhelming feeling of “readiness”. I had no idea what for, but I was okay with that now. I was experiencing the “real world” and discovering that not knowing was okay. Then God showed up in the most amazing ways.

Thank you God that you are in control.

In my last post, I challenged myself to push my limits of gratitude.

Quoting myself from the last post, “I am so grateful for the journey itself and that it is an adventure.”

Adventure brings us opportunities to choose, the choice to choose Him.

My husband and I recently celebrated our 13 year wedding anniversary. It was only about 6 years in when we thought that God had given us such an adventure that we could write a book. I now realize we all have great stories, but I did go as far as to map out the timeline of our adventure and it clearly falls into “chapters”.

Each chapter marks a phase of our lives where things happened around us and impacted where we lived, who became our community and the experience our kids have had growing up. When I step back and look at it, what really stands out to me is how we surrendered the outcome to God and followed our hearts.

2 Corinthians 2:14
But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.

It has been 14 years of trusting God and following His light as best we can (while sometimes failing) at every intersection we come across, and I now understand that “adventuring with God” really means “surrendering to God”.

I continue to be grateful and always aware that I am in charge of my faith and my perspective, but not my life.

Whether it’s troubled times or joyful times, thank you God that you are in control.

Josh Garrels Train Song:
Shame on you, shame on me
Lord he took all our shame and pain, and set men free
And I've got that fire on the mountain
Fire in my soul
It's been a long time coming, long time
And ready to go
I'm stepping out the door
Doing what feels right
Following my Lord, through the darkest night
And when the path gets narrow
I'll follow him
And when the world comes down, around
I'll follow him
He said, sing it on the mountain
Or in the valley low
He’s my God, and he never lets me go
He said, sing it on the mountain
Or fight in valley low
Every mans going to see, and everyone will know
That peace runs deep in him
I said peace runs deep in him
Peace runs deep in him.

---

About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

4th Sunday of Advent | Love: Mini Advents: Spreading LOVE & Making Space for God

1 John 4:7-8 NIV
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

• Because God is love.

• For love comes from God.

• Dear friends, let us love one another.

I was not raised by religious parents. Celebrating traditions in Christianity were not part of my childhood. Yet I am so incredibly grateful – every, single, day, - for the life that the Lord has given me; hardships included.

As I search for guidance on what to write for the fourth advent week, I can’t help but pause at the pattern of the four weeks. It is a familiar pattern that I believe is meant to be a model for our lives.

This pattern begins by wishing, wanting, hoping for something. Still, we don’t get overwhelmed in our desire, rather we find peace in our faith that our hope will one day be realized. This knowing brings joy to our hearts and as joy helps to open our hearts, Love can flow freely from above, to around us, and back up in gratitude.

I am humbled by our lack of understanding when faced with God’s greatness. I cannot pretend to comprehend His great design, but God must have not designed this process lightly. There must have been much care and attention put on this process; both in the worldly structure (hope for provisions, success, relationships) and within us as His creations (hope for His guidance, His gift of eternal life). Regardless of what we are hoping for, with peace and joy, Love can spread and grow within us.

Are we constantly living mini advents year-round? Do you hope for things? Believe in them and live in faith for those things? Does this bring you joy? Do you spread Love when you are experiencing joy?

“Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God”

Could this be a recipe for making space for God in our lives? For God’s pattern was this - Jesus came, gave us hope in salvation and left us with peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Max Lucado seems to have said something similar. In the article, “Max Lucado Launches John 3:16 Movement” his take on John 3:16 is discussed:

Max Lucado, author of 3:16: The Numbers of Hope, calls the well-known verse “a 26-word parade of hope: beginning with God, ending with life, and urging us to do the same.”

“John 3:16 has always been that one verse that I thought summarizes, encapsulates, [and] carries the heart of the Gospel like no other verse,” Lucado said Monday on Christian Broadcasting Network's The 700 Club.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life, John 3:16 states. (Christianpost.com)

For God so LOVED the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Because God loved the world, He sent us hope, the Prince of Peace, that whoever believes and holds this hope, will have eternal life.

The last key step in bringing God and love to our lives, to this world; we must now choose to make space in our lives for the Holy Spirit to thrive and spread Love.

For no cake was ever baked without the action of making it. While God is all powerful, He wants our participation in the kitchen.

This month (and beyond) I will look for His presence and make space for it in my life by having hope and living in the peace and joy of that hope.

This way I can both honor God’s gift of Jesus and prepare for His return, by living in Love, by living with God here and now.

Peter 1:22-23
“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”

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About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

Forgiveness | The Lord is Our Redemption

The Lord is our redemption; He teaches us to forgive; He is our source

18Who is a God like you, who removes guilt

and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;

Who does not persist in anger forever,

but instead delights in mercy,

19And will again have compassion on us,

treading underfoot our iniquities?

You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins;

20You will show faithfulness to Jacob,

and loyalty to Abraham,

As you have sworn to our ancestors

from days of old.

Micah 7:18-20

I believe we are tasked to spend our days in this journey, that is life on Earth, aiming to be a vehicle of light in this world.

Resentment, justice, fairness – these are not meant to lead us astray from this goal, nor to out rank the task of spreading light.

It’s true that justice and fairness (as well as humility) are important when tasked with positions of leadership or maneuvering a difficult situation. Yet when struggling through a time when someone has hurt you, taking an emotional stance in the name of justice and fairness only brings more trouble to us and those around us. It can lead to sadness, then to anger and resentment. May we instead, move closer to the Lord and “delight in mercy.”

The more I ponder these deep and powerful emotions and choices, the more I believe that fairness and justice have no place in the process of healing through forgiveness.

We are tasked to be vehicles of light in this world.

In seasons of heartache and struggle, expecting those that hurt us to owe us anything seems to foster deeper resentment. We cannot control their choices, no one really owes us anything emotionally. God is our source of fulfillment and healing.

Maybe all anyone owes at all is a personal goal to be their own vehicle of light. And maybe it doesn’t really have anything to do with me or you. Their choices are between them and God. Your healing is between you and God.

We are tasked to be vehicles of light in this world.

Maybe all anyone owes you, is to do their best to forgive, regardless of and irrelevant to those that did the hurting.

Or maybe they just do not owe you anything.

God is our source of fulfillment and healing.

I have been hurt and I have hurt others. I have found in my own experience, healing is not tied to our ability to talk things out or come to a place of understanding. Our separate journeys of forgiveness and redemption lead us forward on our paths with the Lord.

God is our source of fulfillment and healing. Through Him we can forgive others and ourselves, through Him we can find redemption. We are tasked to spend our days in this journey that is life on Earth, aiming to be a vehicle of light in this world.

Two people, each turning to God for forgiveness and redemption, will find their way back to one another, should their paths be meant to intertwine. Either way, let us follow the Lord, “Who does not persist in anger forever, but instead delights in mercy”.

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About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

Interruptible | Finding Space and Keeping Doors Open for God

I am a mom. I have three beautiful, active and awesome kids. There are 7-8 years difference between the older two and my youngest. Between all the activities and a part time job, I am often in the middle of what feels like insane multi-tasking. I admit, my 3 year old has developed a bad habit of yelling to get my attention. We are working on fixing it, but it gets tricky in moments where 3+ people are attempting a conversation with me. I know many of you can relate. Not to mention the “background” noise of life, dinner cooking or focusing on driving and remembering which activity or store or... where are we supposed to be going? Who asked me a question first?

Recently I found myself desperately craving quiet. When I was finally able to find the time, it was night. Everyone was in bed. It was later than I wanted, but I decided not to dwell on that. I kept the house dark and sat by the window, looking out at the trees or up at the stars speckled across the sky. My headache started to fade and as I opened my heart to the Lord in meditative prayer, I pondered how to let God lead me through my days. How can I assure that I'm not forcing my own path, rather than walking the path laid out for me? Allowing God to intervene in our lives can be a deep and profound experience; it can feel like a daunting, never ending task. It can also be simple. How can I bring this quiet space into my day more frequently? This is where my doors open to God’s knocking.

There is a pattern or a web that links each small choice and behavior, bringing us either closer to God or farther away. Reminding myself that closer to God may not always mean easier, I choose to search that out. He has proven to me over and over again that the most important things that open up space in my life to hear Him, to allow room for Him in my daily life, are the small choices I make daily. They are the moments in which I choose to be present and connected. They often only need to last a matter of seconds to have an impact.

Embracing the few moments of quiet before I hit a wall of exhaustion and moved to bed, I reminded myself of three simple and practical, daily choices that bring me closer to God. Here is my list:

Breathe: We breath “good enough” to stay alive, but intentional breathing can give us that pause we need to reconnect. It can also center our soul a bit to be able to hear the Lord in all the chaos.

“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host”. Psalm 33:6-7    

Breathing connects us to our existence, and is proven in the world to reduce anxiety, relieve stress, increase energy levels and even help with weight loss. More energy and less anxiety is likely to lead to more prayer time, less chaos, more mental clarity and more space for God in my life overall.

Fast: Fasting is found often in the bible as a way to draw closer to God. I have applied this to my life in many ways, less clothes, less stuff, etc… but the most tangibe is usually to simplify the diet. Avoid foods that make us feel really full, sleepy or foggy. When I wake up, I try to first breath, pray & drink water rather than desperately scramble for coffee. I have found this leads to better food choices and my intention when consuming food and liquid is more wholesome. I have also found it works better for me to eat smaller amounts or spread out meals regularly rather than make a big event about fasting. I may spend the morning drinking water, noticing the clarity and lightness it brings, then wait until 1pm to eat something nutritious, natural, “straight from God” and say prayers of thanks as I eat slowly. I don’t count the hours, but rather try to listen to what is right and always pray for guidance, even about the small things. Setting a number of hours or days and filling myself with anxiety as I restrict my consumption just leads to a misguided focus. Fasting is meant to bring us closer to God, so that He is the focus.

“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.” Daniel 9:3-5

Drink water: We know that water is essential, so there is little explanation in this one. Water keeps us healthy, refreshes us, cleans us. Water is a source of life; therefore I do not want to take it for granted and have developed a habit of feeling immense gratitude when I drink water. Since we should be drinking water often throughout the day, this is an opportunity to be present in this gratitude and have a clear, wholesome moment with God. We can make it a moment of prayer where we imagine our hearts opening and creating space for God to speak to us.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

The common thread in applying these practical activities to our daily lives, is that the intention brings us fully aware of the present moment. Being present and aware is the place where God is waiting for us. He is not screaming like my 3 year old, but when we stop to listen, or just be in His presence, we are grateful for the interruption.

All in a moment, I notice where I am, what else is in existence around me. I always find something to smile about. God is always there. I don’t think about the past or plan for the future. I often forget what my to-do list is for the day. It only takes a moment or two to be beneficial and I am always brought back to my spinning mind and crazy life feeling more capable, clear, confident and relaxed.    

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

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About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

Seeing the Other | Not as the Other

Ephesians 4:1-3
Unity in the Body of Christ
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

My youngest child is in a really amazing preschool program. The kids play a lot, they do crafts, and they dance. They are supervised and guided, but given freedom to express their unique, developing character. There are many reasons why I am so grateful for the experience he is having.

I have been lucky to have some really good conversations with his head teacher. She is passionate about education, studies education, observes, contemplates and believes in the natural process of learning. She is a wise, studious, strong and patient person and I have developed a lot of respect for her through our conversations. As a woman of color and a mother, she has been faced with too many unnecessary, ignorant and hurtful situations. I wonder, how can we get her running a diversity program in all schools? How can I play a supportive role? We need to hear from her, our kids need to see her leading.

In preparing myself to write something about “seeing the other”, I came across this study about how being exposed to people of all body shapes and sizes makes us more comfortable around all different body types. Of course. We know we are being mentally trained to prefer “skinny and tall” when we flip through magazines, watch shows, commercials and clothing ads. What then must be happening when we flip though our history books in elementary school and memorize the presidents, the leaders of our country? How do we present this to our youth, to our students? Diversity, or lack of diversity, needs to be addressed. In this era, kids of all ages should be taught about changing this and given history lessons on women of color who have been scientists and astronauts, politicians and great doctors, engineers and writers, film directors and teachers. How do we expect anything to change if we don’t address it head on?

My son’s teacher was asked how she would approach racism in a classroom:
“I talk with individual children, and I later follow up with a group discussion facilitating open ended questions about respect, diversity, tolerance, and a small glimpse of US history.

I have also read picture books that talk about different skin complexions where they are celebrated but have a message of us all being connected as human beings. I teach art projects on skin colors where children can make self portraits using colors that they choose that represents how they see themselves. Or just a small circle time, everybody laying on their tummies, sticking their hands in the middle, and looking at all the shades we are, allowing dialogue to take place of what differences they notice, and why those differences exist.

My favorite preschool book to use with any age is The Colors of Us by Karen Katz. If children as young as two can recognize physical differences, then they are old enough to learn about positive perspectives on skin color (in a developmentally appropriate fashion, of course).”

While it is so important to open hearts and minds as Jesus’ exemplified, we must also be dedicated enough to take the time to listen to "the other" and be humble enough to lift them up into leadership roles so that all our children can grow up with these examples and be naturally comfortable around people of color who really shouldn’t even be seen as “the other”. Truly, those we deem as "other" are our neighbors, our friends and our family. They should more often be our coworkers, our bosses, our teachers, and our role models.

Similar to “seeing the other”, Jesus says “love your neighbor”. Consider this review of what Jesus said about loving our neighbor http://www.christianbiblereference.org/jneighbr.htm :
“In His sermons and parables, Jesus seeks to shock us out of our selfishness and worldliness and create in us a true passion for the welfare of our fellow men, women and children around the world. Universal love is at the very heart of Jesus' teachings; it is God's earthly work for us.

What matters to God is our love for Him and our love for each other. Wealth, power and status count for nothing in the kingdom of God. When we truly love our neighbors, we do our part to make the world a better place, and we find our own fulfillment in life.”

If diversity hasn’t found its way into your daily life, seek it out with love, respect and intention. I assure you, there is no lack of amazing people of color, it is a history that lingers on and presents division in our present day life. Without intention, we will not break the divide. We must ask ourselves, are “wealth, power and status” guiding our actions or inactions? And if “universal love… is God’s earthly work for us” what are we doing to assure that it is spread amongst us all? Furthermore, are we lifting up those who have been held back? Are we supporting those that have been unfairly treated? Are we assuring that our children see “the other” with the heart and love of God? In this present day, I believe it takes more than teaching kindness. If “the other” is not visible, how will we ever see them?

I know my son is growing and developing in such a beautiful way through this preschool program. Additionally, it provides a framework for my son to see the world and acknowledge the beauty in its fullness.

Ephesians 4:15-16
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

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About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

New Creations | Living a New Creation Journey

Ephesians 5: Walk in Love
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God…”

We are living a predestined life journey, yet we determine our own journey both at the same time. Our life stories become full of pivotal choices, slight adjustments, unexpected opportunity and events that happen to us. We live in this web of events and wonder about God’s plan for us while we debate what choices to make in our lives. The complexity of how one event effects and responds to other events is often beyond our comprehension.

I am so grateful to the Lord for my husband. He was the final blessing in my life that revealed the truth of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I had been searching off and on since my grandfather passed away when I was 14. My grandfather was a very spiritual man toward the end of his life and had opened a Christian book store. I was so intrigued by his faith. I am sure he prayed often, because I could sense the peace and power in the places he had spent his time, even after he passed.

I continued to explore through high school and then faded off in college. When I met my husband, it wasn’t his detailed knowledge of what the bible said that impressed me most, but his unwavering conviction of a biblical truth and the one true God. He spoke about God like he was a true friend, a role-model, someone or a concrete something that he looked up to, truly loved and depended on. Through my husband’s faith, I had found what I was looking for!

A couple years later I was baptized. It was such a simple adjustment, yet so deep and profound all at the same time. We continued to be part of our amazing church community until we packed up and moved out of the country. During the years leading up to our move, I joined as many bible studies as I could with two small children and continued my journey in faith. A theme in one of these bible studies was how God gave us the freedom to choose. CHOICE is on my mind a lot.

I am amazed at how God guides us and is always there for us, while at the same time allowing that space for us to CHOOSE HIM. It is the most perfect balance of love, intention and strength. As a parent, the love we have for our children drives a desire for their freedom, independence and joy. We intentionally weave around them trying to put in place all the right steps and opportunities that will lead them through this journey safe and fulfilled. Yet it takes so much strength not to pull them away from wrong choices and force them into a safe bubble. We persist, knowing that there is usually little joy in a life chosen for us.

I imagine God must have to redirect new opportunities for me all the time! As I wander off, how does He so gently guide me back? His power is so great that there can exist a predestined plan for me, all while providing space for me to choose for myself, what God has already set out for me. My husband was put in front of me, in an unexpected place, at an unexpected time, yet I still needed to choose to speak to him, to listen to him and to decide to join him in this life journey.

A concept tricky to comprehend, until we understand that this path laid out for us is the only choice that will truly fulfill us; it is the path carefully and lovingly formed by our Creator. All we need to do is choose God.

The amazing beauty in all of it is that God truly is in control, and he has offered us redemption and the Holy Spirit so that we have a constant guide as we choose to follow in His light. To be honest, this is still not completely comprehensible to me, but it shouldn’t be! God is so amazing and I embrace the AWE-someness of it all. This most amazing God has laid out a web of events that is and will be our journey, we have the freedom to choose within that and The Holy Spirit lives within us and is our guide. I find this so beautiful and so real. It’s a never ending, awe-inspiring concept for me. Maybe that’s because we’ve chosen a spontaneous, nomadic lifestyle… or was this always God’s plan for me?

Ephesians 5:8-14
“... 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

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About the Author

Leona Abrahao is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

Third Sunday of Advent | Learning to Find JOY in the Holiday Season

I know it sounds silly. The holiday season is suppose to be full of joy. In my experience though, it won’t just float down upon us, or come wrapped in a decorated box. By following the evolving traditions of modern culture, are we finding true joy? Or just moments of surface happiness, strung together like Christmas lights around the tree?

Over the years, my husband and I have simplified holidays, birthdays and anniversaries. This has been about not doing, not buying, not planning things. It is a very cleansing experience and opens up space for what truly brings us joy. There is a lot of intention in our choices, but they also come from a specific lifestyle we have chosen. We are both lovers of adventure, travel and experience, and over the last 12 years we have lived between 3 countries and in numerous homes. Moving will drive you to insanity if you cling to material things, so we don’t.

I can clearly divide our 12 years together into 7 “seasons”. While we are continuously working toward maintaining the lifestyle we have chosen, we often make last minute, unexpected decisions. We try to intentionally leave our hearts open to opportunity that may present itself, and to be aware of the Lord nudging us in a specific direction.

When we approach times of change and are faced with uncertainty, we can feel scared and anxious.

Luke 2:8-9
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

We push and pray ourselves into believing in the future, into having Faith in what God has for us, into believing in His promises and His word.

With each “seasonal change”, I imagine myself (and the life-journey I am on), as a painting that the Lord is carefully adding to or revealing. We can’t imagine what He has in store for us in the future, but as we dream about tomorrow’s adventures, we can choose hope and excitement.

It is not easy to choose hope and excitement over fear. In this struggle, I cling to my faith. Some moments I feel like a child telling myself, “there’s not a monster by the closet. It’s only a pile of clothes” or “it will all work out, everything will be okay”.

It’s not easy to choose hope and excitement over fear. Yet it is possible.

This year the Lord has us in yet another new season. He has sat down in front of the canvas and is ready to reveal a new chapter in our lives; now pause. Again.

He has sat down in front of the canvas and is ready to reveal a new chapter in our lives.

Breath in that truth.

Luke 2:10
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”

While we have the freedom of choice, God is there with us, guiding us, encouraging us and lighting the right paths at all the forks in the road. His Holy Spirit lives with us and it all began with the birth of Jesus Christ. There is no uncertainty in this truth, regardless of what unexpected changes we may be facing. This “good news” that has brought us “great joy” is here with us now, in this moment. We do not need to wait.

As the shepherds sat in the field, ready to wait out the night and in anticipation for a new day, they were probably a little cold and maybe a little anxious. They became “terrified” by the sudden appearance of angels. It was unexpected and powerful. Yet it was in this moment that the Lord brought them joy.  In these moments of uncertainty, in seasons of transition (whether it is a big life change or just a new year) we have the opportunity to experience true joy.

When we have been stripped of the comforts that we thought we needed to fill our lives with, whether through hardship or choice, space is created to return to what truly matters. What is it that truly matters? Each year, this becomes a topic of conversation, revolving around gifts, stuff and the chaos of the season. Often times we acknowledge the fact that we do too much, buy too much and make ourselves too busy. Sometimes we are afraid of missing out on something or feeling empty without “the holiday cheer”. But if we can face the truth that “GOD IS ENOUGH” - more than enough! - we can find ways to create space in our lives to find joy in what we have.

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About the Author

Leona Abrahao is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.