Change in Us Creates Change around Us

 It’s a three-day weekend because we are celebrating the birth of Martin Luther King Jr. I remember on our trip in Washington D.C., his memorial was so tall that it towered over all the others. It was majestic. I thought of the life that he lived. He didn’t let people stop him on his mission, even when he was imprisoned, or his life was threatened. He did not stop because he knew that change had to occur. He fought for equal rights for all people. He wanted change. His fight was one worth fighting. It makes me think that I want to only fight for what is worth fighting and that fight must bring change. 

It’s a new year with new journeys and a new perspective on life. The only way we can allow the new into our lives, is that we must change. We may have to change our ideas, or our attitudes, or our jobs, or our habits. Whatever it is, we all must engage in change so that the world around us can be a better place. We cannot force other people to change, but if we choose not to change, then we choose not to grow. Being stagnant in life brings unsatisfaction and an unhealthy life. 

Change is difficult. It is more than saying a speech or tweeting or screaming on social media with a meme that defines how others around us must change because we made changes in our lives that we believe we must force others to do. I cannot demand that someone else changes. I can inspire them with my own life how healthy change can be. As Christians, we must commit ourselves to change. We must embrace change in our own lives and the life of the church continually because change brings growth. For many Christians, change is nonexistent. It’s not an insult. It’s a truth that I have struggled with my entire Christian life. 

The church struggles to change. Music anyone? That fight has been going on for centuries. Some people are still screaming that we must sing songs that were created in bars. You know what that means? Those music writers were in bars…all the time. Change of leadership is a constant fight. We don’t like change because we must give up something. If we give up something, we gain something so much better, but many people believe that if we give up something, it is lost forever. Maybe we must lose some things forever. Martin Luther King Jr. knew that racism needed to end…forever. 

That was the secret that Martin Luther King Jr. knew. He knew that if we would give up our prejudices, we would gain a much better country with everyone being able to use their gifts and talents to create businesses, art, educational institutions, and communities where love exists over hate. It is only with change that we can create. If we set goals for the New Year, then we must give up a bad habit to create a new habit. That new habit will make our lives better. We must make a better world, so we may have to change some of our attitudes and ideas so that others may benefit from our change. So, we must give up something. 

Martin Luther King Jr. did not fight for himself. He fought for others. He fought for change. His memorial towers over others because his work made such an impact on this country, but his work is not finished. Change is constant. It will always be with us. We don’t have to lose our faith in God to change. We should gain faith as we change. As we start this new year and enter this three-day weekend, may we fight the good fight as we change every day to make the world a better place for people today and in the future.  Let us all choose one area in our life that we can change to make those around us better and healthier. 

An Abundant Place

It’s a New Year, and many of us are setting goals and attempting new undertakings. This year, as I continue to have a daily commitment time with God, I decided to use devotionals or books to help with my time, so that I could not just acquire more knowledge, but to have a fresh perspective on scripture. As I was looking for a devotional, I discovered that two people that have mentored me in my writing wrote a devotional about finding God in the noise of our lives, as we discover our own abundant place. I bought it, and the excellence of An Abundant Place is beyond words. 

When it comes to published devotionals, I’m finicky. As a Bible College graduate and a seminary graduate, I appreciate new perspectives on scripture, not retold jokes or stories that I’ve heard or have used, which is why I have appreciated the devotional, An Abundant Place by Kathi Lipp and Cheri Gregory. They bring a fresh perspective to scripture as they use their own experiences, along with a new understanding of the passage that I may not have considered with an understanding 

For me, having my own time with God living in the city comes with noise. In fact, I surround myself with noise. As I write this, music is playing in the background, and yet I can hear birds chirping outside my window, along with trucks and cars zooming down the street.  I must hear God through the noise. I can make the excuse that it’s too noisy to have a quiet time with God, or I can create a place of quiet in my head for time with God.

I must make the choice to worship God, even if the noise refuses to stop. “God has given me an abundance of opportunities to worship Him. I just need to quiet the noise and pay attention to what he has already provided.” (Lipp, page 42) Worshipping God depends on my attitude, not on what is occurring around me. If I do not like the style of music, then my grumbling is the noise that is stopping me from worshipping God, not the music. If I am frustrated with the distractions and interruptions, then maybe I need to see those distractions and interruptions as God trying to speak to me. Maybe that small child’s voice is what I need to hear. 

So, I’m starting my year with this devotional, in which I can also write down thoughts and notes and will be able to see worshipping God with abundance throughout the entire New Year. Our time with God is precious. Our worship is precious. We must make the most of every opportunity to reveal to God our devotion and love to him. No matter what church we attend, what the worship music is like, or how many people are in the church, may we take ownership of our worship to God. It’s a New Year, and a year, in which we can commit to a change. If we change our perspective on how we worship and our frame of mind of worship, we will be able to worship God as he deserves. Let us worship him with an abundant mind as we join Him in An Abundant Place. 

 

The ABCs of Thanksgiving

 I learned this from a youth ministry game book, and I have used it in my classroom. Thanksgiving can be a difficult holiday for people as families gather and loved ones are missing, or if you are someone unable to make it home for this holiday, and you are alone. So, here is an exercise to just realize that Thanksgiving is about being thankful for the good in your life. Write down the alphabet and next to each letter, write one thing that you are thankful for that starts with that letter. (I usually limit it to five people for my students, but some of us may have twenty-six people that we are legitimately thankful for more than anything else in this world.)

Here is my list: 

A-America-We have issues, but I’d rather live here in America and try to be a change agent than anywhere else in the world. 

B-Books

C-College Basketball (Maybe not UCLA vs. Gonzaga, but there’s always Duke!)

D-Disney 

E-Entertainment (From movies to television to live theater plays, to sports events, I love being entertained.)

F-Family

G-God’s grace

H-House (It’s new. It’s owned. Finally.)

I-Intelligence (I have learned from some of the most intelligent people in the past few years.)

J-Jesus 

K-Knowledge (The knowledge that I have and have gained throughout my life, and the knowledge I will continue to gain in the future. 

L-Lattes (Along with the coffee shops in which they reside) 

M-Mosaic (A church that loves me, with all my flaws)

N-Netflix (Cobra Kai season four on Dec. 31. Need I say more?)

O-Opportunities (Ones that I have pounced and claimed, and ones to be obtained.) 

P-Peace (The peace I have had in my life this last year, even with a lot of stressful situations.)

Q-Quiet moments

R-Red House Writer’s Collective (A group of writers, agents, and editors that have been more than my coaches this year, but also friends)

S-Sounds (The fact that I can still hear and enjoy music is phenomenal.) 

T-Teaching (The rewards are few but large) 

U-Understanding (From my bosses to my friends, people who have been understanding this year have been remarkable.) 

V-Victories (Victories, even small wins, in my life.) 

W-Writing (Rediscovering the love of writing has restored my soul) 

X-X-Boyfriends (They taught me much)

Y-Young People (They teach me as much as I teach them.) 

Z-Zany ideas (I have plenty.)

Sparks of Joy During the Holidays

 The holidays are upon us, whether we want them to be or not. It’s supposed to be a season of joy, but for many people, it can be a season of sorrow. For them, loved ones are gone from this earth, or their finances are so tight that they will choose not to have a traditional dinner. Others may be alone for the holidays. Whatever sorrows may come our way this season, let us find ways to find the sparks of joy. 

One of the first sparks of joy is to be grateful for what we have in the present. For me, moving cost me financially, but I am so grateful to be in a larger home and in a new city. We can all be grateful for the needs that have been met in our lives, even if some needs are still outstanding. During this holiday season, we can take a day to stop and look around us to see what we have in our present that grants gratefulness. It will heal our soul, which in turn heals our physical and mental health too. 

Another spark is to see the small joys that have occurred over the last year. For those of us living in California, our world around us is more open than it was a year ago. We can gather with friends, family, and even our church family. We can celebrate the good times this year has brought and be grateful for overcoming the difficult trials that have been upon us. Some of us can celebrate having gone on a vacation; others can celebrate going to a concert, or even the movie theater. Then, there are those of us who are sports fans who find just a spark of joy watching and cheering for our teams in this last year. 

A spark that many of us do not always recognize is the actions that people do for us, even if they are small, like responding to our posts on social media. The small sparks of people praying for us helps us realize that we are not alone in our struggles, which is a reminder that we must let people know that we are praying for them. We can become so busy into what we are doing that we miss those small sparks that are right in front of us that people are doing with us or for us. They can be small acts of kindness that we forget because we are so busy focusing on what we must do, that we do not stop to see what others are doing around us. This holiday season, may we stop and see. 

A final spark is to realize the good things God has given us throughout our lives. From our health, even if we have difficulties, we are still alive, to our talents and gifts that we can use to serve others and to create in us a heart that is open to making the world a better place. God has given us our memories of times that we have had with people we love and opportunities in our lives that have changed us. God has given us grace and love without our effort being used to receive them. 

This week, as we start the holiday season, whether we are gathering with many, few, or having time to ourselves, may we take the time to see the sparks of joy that have occurred in our lives, so we can recognize the sparks of joy in our future, and send sparks of joy to the lives of others around us. 

The Cost of Freedom is Sacrifice

 This last week we celebrated those who have served in the armed forces with Veteran’s Day. America recognizes that those who sacrifice everything in their lives, do it so we can maintain our freedom. I just wonder if we understand that freedom only comes with sacrifice. In the past two years, I cannot help but notice that many people chose not to sacrifice anything for their freedom, and yet, they want their freedom. If we want to be free, we must sacrifice. 

Our armed forces sacrifice time. They sacrifice time with their families. They sacrifice time that they could be pursuing a “dream job,” so that all of us can have freedom in this country. As they sacrifice, are we just to receive the fruits of their sacrifice, or are we to sacrifice so that someone near and dear to us can be free? It’s an age-old question. Sacrifice is difficult. Usually, when I sacrifice, it costs me something, and not only do I not feel free, but I feel burdened by that which I must do, so that my sacrifice frees someone else, or even myself. 

Do we even understand that sacrifice must be an act that we all perform to have a free country today and in our future? If most people choose to be selfish and just take, then those who are sacrificing are doing it for naught because the majority will overrule the minority. If everyone were to sacrifice just some small part of their life for someone else, then there will not only be freedom for others, but we will also begin to truly love our neighbor. Then, the future will contain more freedom because of the sacrifice we have today. 

The question to be asked is what can an ordinary person do to sacrifice? It could just be the simple tasks in life. It could be being kind to a server in a restaurant or any store clerk. If we are flying, we know the rules. As we fly through the skies with our freedom, let us choose kindness to our flight attendants because we must remember that they are humans who need to see the love of Jesus more than to hear our political rants. It’s letting the person who is in a hurry in front of us. 

If we cannot do these little sacrifices, then when big sacrifices are asked of us, we will not be able to perform. I know because for a time in my life, I chose not to sacrifice. I was led to believe that I needed to be confident and not let people walk on me. There’s a difference between being a doormat and sacrificing, which can lead to true confidence. In that period of my life, I was at the lowest point of self-confidence, and instead of serving, I just complained about what others were not doing. Not only did I not have confidence, but my selfishness led to a burden of having to repay debt financially and loss of friends. In order to have freedom and healthy relationships, I realized I had to begin to sacrifice with the idea that the sacrifice was for others to be better. 

Jesus did not let the little parts of life to worry him. He chose to sacrifice. He chose to treat people with love and kindness, even when he had to explain that their actions were wrong. Yes, he overturned the tables in the temple. That was because people were being selfish in his father’s house and not sacrificing, and these same people demanded sacrifice from those who followed them. Sacrifice means we give up something. Jesus gave his life so we could have freedom from sin. 

As we enter the holiday season, may we remember to sacrifice more than we get. It’s better to give than to receive. Giving requires sacrifice. Sacrifice requires us to think of others instead of ourselves. Sacrifice is a habit that we must develop. We have less than forty days of this year left. May we take this time to sacrifice our wants and begin to sacrifice so others may have their needs, and then we will all gain freedom. Freedom comes with a price. That price is sacrifice. 

Being a Cheerleader Creates Grattitude

 Today in Los Angeles, they ran the LA Marathon. What is always intriguing to me is how people stand on the street and just cheer for strangers to keep running. They are not famous. They are not even connected to these people in any way. They are just cheering for them because they are accomplishing a major feat. It makes us healthier when we cheer for others. It makes us more grateful when we cheer for others. It makes us connect with other humans and makes us more humane as we rejoice with others. 

As we start November, I am reminded that it should be a month of gratefulness. For so much of our lives, we only see what is wrong in the world, or in our own lives, that we can miss what is the best of life right around us. As a Los Angeles Dodger’s fan, I was disappointed that they did not repeat as World Series Champions, but I couldn’t help but rejoice with Atlanta and their World Series Championship. There were great players on that team with one who had been on that team for eleven years and it was his first World Series Championship. Just because we do not get the prize in life that we desire, doesn’t mean we cannot be happy for those who do. It’s all a part of being grateful for what occurs in life. When I achieve something great, I want others to rejoice with me, so I must rejoice with others when they achieve something great. 

When others achieve something great and reach a dream, we can become inspired to chase our dreams. Once we turn our dreams into goals, we then can reach one goal at a time. Someone posted on social media that they do not need to create anything but to just be a living being. I disagree because we are all here for a purpose, so we can all create. If we are willing to create something new, we can make a small difference in the world, even if we never are able to see that difference. The difference could cause someone to donate money to a cause that is close to their heart and much needed in this world.  So, let us create. 

Once we begin to create, we realize that those who achieved something great were always creating, and instead of becoming envious, we can rejoice. Even though I do have a tinge of jealousy when others succeed, I realize that instead of being jealous, I can rejoice at their creation and be inspired to create what I can. Creating something new can be a new dish for dinner, a handmade item, a schedule to live each day with fullness, or some kind of art. 

In this month of November, people all over the world are writing a first draft of a novel, in one month. Others are raising money for cancer research by growing facial hair. Others are creating presents for those near and far for the upcoming holidays. I can look with envy at those who are creating, or I can join them because I know I can’t beat them because creating is not a competition but a complement to our completion. That, and I may be slightly participating in one of the November events, and trust me, it’s not facial hair. 

So, in this month of thankfulness, may we find a way to empower and encourage others in their achievements. It makes us grateful. It inspires us to do something even mediocre that can influence someone else. We may never know our sphere of influence, but we can hope that whatever we create, we bring just a bit of joy to someone else. Besides, now that the baseball season is over, the college basketball season begins. It will be a great year for my two teams. One, with all their starters back, UCLA, and the other with a coach retiring, Duke. It will be epic. It will be inspiring. Greatness will be achieved, and I will just cheer for them as loud as I can. 

Do We LIve by Fear or by Faith?

 

Today is Halloween. Every year in my class, I ask my students for a warm-up exercise what it is that they fear. The tough kids always write “nothing,” which is a lie because the moment they have to face an administrator, they are scared. The top fears are death, bugs, spiders, the dark, and heights. We all have fears, whether they are rational or irrational, we all have them. For people who tell me they don’t, we can read their social media posts and see all the fears. People fear that they will lose their freedom or lose the country that they know. People fear that they will lose their jobs, or their health, or their family. The question isn’t what is that we fear. The question is how we can overcome our fears and why it is important that we do. 

I know the roots of Halloween are evil. I know because a youth pastor informed us as young children of the roots. His teaching didn’t make me fear Halloween. It made me fear disobeying any of the rules that were set-up by the leaders in our church. If the leaders were able to have us follow the rules because of fear, they could control us. Leaders have been doing this for centuries. No matter which church you have attended, which political party line you align yourself, or any boss that you have over you, leaders have at some point led with fear. Why do they do this? Simple. If we lead with fear tactics, then people will not be rational and will just obey the words of the leaders, then the leaders will control us. 

Fear is about control. If we feel out of control with something in our lives, then we fear what could happen or is happening. One reason people fear the future is that it is out of their control. People do not like change because they fear what they cannot control. We must let go of the concept that we have to control other people. we cannot control other people as much as we will try. If we can control people, they will follow the control for a specific amount of time, and then they will stop following us. 

If we notice how people attempt to get us to purchase their wares, or vote for their candidate, or even attend their church, we can recognize when their driving force is for us to fear so they can control what we do. It may not sound like fear and control, but the moment we say that people cannot be Christians if they do this or that or vote this way or that or say this or that. Sin can be forgiven, including the sin of getting people to fear that God does not love them, so that they can be controlled by humans. 

So, where do we go from here? We begin to find those who are leading with empowerment. They make room for innovations, even if those innovations seem silly. If we look at history, people always laughed at people who were inventing. Instead of laughing, we have made room for inventors to keep creating. The television show, Shark Tank has incorporated the spirit of inventions, as people are always going on the show to get their new idea and product on a mass market. 

Let us take a close look at that which we fear. Are we allowing our fears and those who push our fears to control us, or are we controlling our fears and living a life of faith despite the bumps in the road that try to detour us and put us into despair? We can overcome our fears and let our lives be led by faith. Our fears will exist, but we cannot allow the fears or those pushing our fears to control us. We must allow for God to control our hearts, so that we are not walking by fear but by faith. So, no matter how we view or celebrate Halloween, we can all, give our fears and those who control them over to God and have a night of faith.