How My Uber Driver Showed Me What It Means to Be a Christian

Today I woke up at 4am to catch a flight to Philly. As I’m sure you can imagine, it was a fun time.

Got to my gate... realized I forgot my headphones in the car. First time ever. Wonderful. When I’m traveling, I rely on my headphones about as much as I rely on air to breathe. (Okay, that may be a little dramatic, but you get the point.)

My flight was only an hour, so I thought I‘d at least be able to make it through the flight with some coffee. Got coffee on the flight and—not kidding—it tasted just like cigarette smoke smells. I don’t know HOW in the world I drew that comparison, but it’s the first thing I thought of when I took my first sip. Lovely.

Then, after I picked up my bags in baggage claim, I sat down at a table next to a snack stand. For some reason, the woman behind the counter couldn’t have been more irritated with me. She began cleaning all the tables and seats, asking me to get up and move around all my stuff so she could wipe down my table and chair. Don’t really know why she didn’t seem to enjoy having me there... let’s just give her the benefit of the doubt and say she was having an off day. ;-)

So there I am. Tired, no headphones to listen to podcasts, music or to at LEAST block out the noise of the airport, an annoyed store owner two feet away from me, and—oh, that’s right—8+ hours of being stuck in this airport before I could head to the retreat center I’m playing music for this week. I decided I’d just take an Uber to a Panera near the retreat center and do some work for the next million or so hours.

Cue my Uber driver, Frank. After this morning of fun, I just wanted to sit quietly on my phone and make it to Panera. I’m usually super social, but I just really wasn’t in the mood this morning. (Sure, my morning wasn’t absolutely horrible, but we’re all allowed to have our moody days, right?) But Frank, a friendly, rough-around-the-edges Philly native, started asking me questions about myself and why I was visiting. I asked him a few questions too, and ended up getting to learn a lot about his faith life (and so many other things). He then proceeded to offer to take a detour so I could drop my guitar and suitcase off at the retreat center before heading to Panera, so I wouldn’t have to awkwardly lug it around all day. How kind. I told him he didn’t need to do that, especially since that’s definitely not usual (like... whatsoever) for an Uber driver, and he’d be wasting time and money, but he insisted.

We arrived at the retreat grounds, which turned out to look more like a college campus than anything. Huge and confusing, with all of about two people around to ask for directions. Nobody seemed to know much. Frank walked around with me from building to building, trying to find out where the check-in desk was so I could ask them to keep my stuff for the day until I returned. We did that for FIFTEEN MINUTES. Frank and I walking around the campus cluelessly. The whole time, I thanked him and said we could just head to Panera because I didn’t want to waste any more of his time. He insisted that he wanted to find out where I could leave my luggage until I could check in later on so I would have an easier day.

We finally (praiseee GOD, hallelujah!) found the building where I could check in, but of course, no person behind the desk. Frank ran off to find someone that worked there and spent another 5 or 10 minutes until he found someone for me to talk to.

Thankfully, she let me keep my guitar and suitcase behind the desk. (Can you imagine if she didn’t let me, after ALL of that?!) So, after a 35+ minute detour, running around trying to help me find out where to drop off my stuff, Frank finally drove me to Panera, laughing about how confusing and absurd the whole experience was. Not as simple as he thought it was going to be. But as many times as I apologized and thanked him, he just smiled and said he’d have rather been helping me today during that time than anything else, insisting it was no problem.

In a matter of an hour, I went from having a not-so-great day to one of the sweetest I’ve had in a while. All Frank was obligated to do was drive me to my destination, but he instead ended up wasting 35 or 40 extra minutes with me just so I could have a slightly less difficult day today.

It made me think. We often have this idea that being a good Christian means making gigantic sacrifices or doing HUGE heroic things. But most of the time it’s not. Frank reminded me of that. In his mind, he didn’t do anything grand, yet his above-and-beyond kindness, and the joy he exuded while showing it to me, turned my whole day around and refreshed my soul. You might have come to read this blog post thinking you were going to hear a story about some amazing, out-of-this-world thing an Uber driver did for me or shared with me. But that’s just it…it may not seem amazing at first glance, but it’s an amazing story to me.

After about the first ten minutes of walking around the retreat grounds, trying to find the right building, Frank said he’d once learned at a retreat that when a situation (like simply trying to find the stinking front desk!) turns out to be more confusing or harder than expected, God always has a reason for it. And he said he knew there was a reason for our situation becoming so hilariously ridiculous. A reason that we were doing this together. I agree. God changed and humbled my heart today through Frank. I want to be more like him... his small act of kindness shined boldly with Christ’s love. Something I genuinely needed to feel today. And I won’t forget it.

So when you worry you need to do great and marvelous things to be the kind of person God calls you to be, remember that’s the case only about 1% of the time. The other 99% of the time, small things done with great love can and WILL change lives little by little. Frank understands that more than most, and I want to, too.

#BelikeFrank

Messy Life // Needy Heart

Vulnerability. Such a popular word these days, isn’t it? Millions of people have read Brené Brown’s books on being vulnerable, living authentically and “showing up and being seen.” (And I’m one of them!) Podcaster and absolute social media BOSS Jordan Lee Dooley watched her business take off when she coined the phrase “your brokenness is welcome here” and printed it on t-shirts and mugs and sweatshirts and hats and… well, basically anything you can think of. And I love it. I love it all. I love that these days, it’s more acceptable to be truly authentic and open about where our hearts and our lives are at any given moment. No need to hide our messy lives and needy hearts under a mask of perfection. Because nobody—not even one person—is perfect. We can finally be real - with ourselves and with each other.

So if all of this is true, then why is it so easy to still somehow fall into the lie that we have to have it all together 24/7? No screw ups, no big unanswered life questions hanging over our heads, no oh-my-gosh-I-have-no-idea-what-I’m-doing moments allowed? Some of us (myself included!) still live life believing that we have to have everything figured out—the big life decision all the way down to the smaller day-to-day details. And if not, we’ve failed. If not, we’re somehow not good enough. If not, there’s something wrong and we have to fix it ASAP. We must have everything under control... or at least that’s what we tell ourselves.

Looking back, when I was little, I thought I’d have life figured out when I was a teenager (well that couldn’t be further from the truth, am I right?). Then when I was in high school, I thought, “I’ll definitely have it all together by the time I graduate college.” I seriously wish I could laugh and say to my 16-year-old self, “Hate to break it to ya Dana, but by the time college graduation comes around, you actually won’t have a single clue what you’re doing with your life. Not. A. Clue.”

Well now, I’m a full-fledged adult. Can you believe it? And I’m grateful to report that when I hit my twenty-second birthday a few years ago, all of the sudden all my problems went away, things I’d been struggling with for ages were no longer difficult whatsoever, all of my self-consciousness disappeared, and I now know every single step I’m supposed to take in my career, my relationships, and in my faith, and I never misstep... like ever. Let me tell you, it is THE best.

Alright guys— if you actually believed that, even just for a second, I’ve got to say I’m almost a little flattered. Now let me give you the reality straight up:

I’m a twenty-something girl and not only do I still deal with some of the same worries, problems, and questions I had years ago, but each year and each new season of my life ushers in a whole new host of them. No struggles? Yeah right. Let me tell you, even as I’m writing this right now... the struggle is real. Like REAL real. Just like anyone else, I still have my moments of not feeling good enough, or smart enough or talented enough... and I have to reassure myself by repeating the exact same encouraging truths I tell everyone else to my own heart time and time again. And my emotions. Man, emotions can be a rollercoaster. One day I might feel fine, like everything in my life is close to perfect, but the next day I may feel anxious and have a minor internal freak out... or two or three... about one thing or another. And honestly, half of the time I’m thinking to myself, “What the heck am I actually supposed to be doing right now?” and I just try my best and wing it, hoping that my best is good enough. And don’t get me wrong, I do feel prepared for a lot of situations, but on the flip side, I often feel completely and utterly unprepared for others. Some days I smile and say to myself, “Yes Dana, you’re really doing this. You’ve got this.” I loooove those days. Yet other days are full of moments that make me think, “You’ve got this? Ha... yeah right. FAR from it.”

I don’t know which day you’re having today... the “I’ve got this!” kind of day or the “What the heck am I doing?!” kind of day. But I want to tell you that, whatever the case may be, it’s okay. It’s okay to feel confused. It’s okay to feel like you need help. It’s okay to feel like you can’t do this alone, can’t face this problem you’re encountering alone, can’t figure out this next step, or even this next moment, alone. Because hey, guess what... you can’t. You can’t do this life alone. You weren’t made to. And you don’t need to have it all together and under control every hour of every day. You were never expected to. Somewhere along the line, you probably put that expectation on yourself. I know because somewhere along the line, I did, too.

So I know I said when I was little, I thought I’d have things figured out when I was older and wiser. But now? Now I know that the end game isn’t to have everything figured out and feel like I have it all together all the time. Because I never really will & that’s okay because this is my security and I hope it becomes yours as well: we can always lean on the One who DOES have it figured out... every moment, every situation, every problem, every puzzle piece. He fits them together with ease when we don’t even have the slightest clue how to.

Do you know what that means? It means we don’t have to tense up and hold our breath on those days that make it painfully obvious to us that our lives are a little messy and our hearts are a little needy. Instead, we can take a moment, give it all to God, and just breathe.

So take a second right now. Breathe in. Breathe out. God’s got this.

What If You Couldn't Fail?

“What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” 

This is the question I’m turning over and over in my heart as I enter into this new year. Think about it. What would you try if you knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that you’d succeed?

Now think about this: How many of those things, those dreams, have you shied away from out of fear? 

Fear of failure…

Fear of embarrassment…

Fear of being different…

Fear of judgment…

Fear of having to sacrifice more than you’re capable of…

Fear of things turning out differently than you had hoped…

Fear of the unknown…

If you’re like me, you’ve probably shied away from a lot of those dreams of yours for these reasons and countless others. But the common theme that strings all of them together is an underlying spirit of FEAR.

It’s a powerful thing, fear. It can hold us back from so much. It can stop us from dreaming and risking and living the lives of purpose and passion that we were created for. And really, I wouldn’t blame any of us for being held back by fear, if it weren’t for this one truth:

You and I are children of God. Did you get that? I said, we are children of GOD.

Do we understand this? Do we fully comprehend what it means to be a child of the one, true, almighty and eternal God? I’m not sure we do.

Being children of God, we’ve received a great gift—the Spirit of God. On the day of our baptism, the actual Spirit of our Creator flooded our souls. He now lives in us. We are where the everlasting God, the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega DWELLS! How is this possible?! I’ll never be able to completely wrap my tiny little mind around it, but all I know is wherever we go, whatever we do, He’s now there, too.

Now, if this wasn’t the case, if we didn’t have the Holy Spirit, I’d understand why we’d all allow fear to dictate our choices and run our lives. But this ISN’T the case. So why do we often live like it is?

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (1 Timothy 6-7)

You and me, we’ve got to start thinking bigger. We’ve got to start dreaming God-sized dreams. We’ve got to stop living with a spirit of timidity. Timidity would be normal and completely called for if we were children of the world—weak, helpless, selfish, out of control. But as children of God, you know what should be normal? Boldness, bravery, love, and strength.

If we’re children of the King of the universe, then we’re also heirs to everything He has. Our inheritance is not fear. It’s courage, freedom, peace, purpose, joy and power, not because of anything we’ve done but because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross 2,000+ years ago.

“[A]nd if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…” (Romans 8:17)

No longer do we have to be slaves to fear. We’ve received the power of our Father now, and that changes everything.

So let’s think about this again: How many desires and dreams of your heart have you shied away from out of fear? This is what your Father has to say about that…

Fear of failure… What if you fail? But, My child, what if you succeed? Don’t you know you’re strong? Don’t you know I’m with you wherever you go? You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. Even situations that end up looking like failures are transformed into situations that magnify My glory. I make all things beautiful, both successes and failures. No matter what, the faith you show in taking a leap will be used to build My Kingdom. Stop doubting. You’re a child of God.

Fear of embarrassment… How many times was my Son made fun of, persecuted, and rejected for carrying out My mission for Him on earth? And yet, He didn’t let that stop Him. Are you afraid of embarrassment? How about you start looking to Me instead of men. My approval is all you need. It’s all that really matters, anyway. Let it be your foundation. Remember, you’re a child of God.

Fear of being different… Guess what… you’re already different whether you like it or not. I chose you and set you apart long before you even took your first breath. You weren’t created to be like this world. You were created to do great things, even when those things seem small or insignificant to you. You’re unique, you’re different, you’re Mine. You’re a child of God. Don’t be afraid to live like it.

Fear of judgment… What if you’re judged for going after the dreams I’ve planted in your heart? You may be judged, but there are worse things. The people around you don’t know your heart like I do. They can’t possibly judge you. Only I can. And if you trust Me and risk in hopes of answering My call, judgement is the last thing you’ll get from Me. Rise above the fear of what others will think. I think you’re wonderful, and I love you. Does any other opinion truly matter? Remember, you’re not a child of man, you’re a child of God.

Fear of having to sacrifice more than you’re capable of… There’s no sacrifice you can’t make. There’s no obstacle you can’t overcome. I’ve given you power and strength. I can do all things, even the impossible. I live inside of you. That means YOU can do all things, even what may seem impossible at first. Don’t ever think I’ll give you more than you’re capable of. With Me, you’re capable of much more than you can imagine. After all, you’re a child of God.

Fear of things turning out differently than you had hoped… If you step out in faith, I can’t promise things will turn out exactly as you planned. What I CAN promise is that they will turn out exactly as I planned, and what I plan is always so much better. I have plans to give you a hope and a future far beyond what you could expect. So what if you try something new and you don’t end up where you thought you would? You’ll end up where I want you to. It’s all part of the adventure of being a beloved child of God.

Fear of the unknown… I won’t sugarcoat it. There are plenty of times I’m going to lead you into the unknown, and it’s bound to get a little uncomfortable. But nothing great happens inside your comfort zone, and I know that. When you risk, you may not always know what’s going to happen next, but I can assure you of this: You’ll always know the One Who is leading you. I’m always worthy of being trusted. I will never let you down. You’re my child, and I’ll carry you every step of the way. There’s no need to worry.

A new year is here, guys. We can live like we’ve been living, or we can live with a greater sense of freedom in who we are in Christ. We are loved. We are powerful. We are capable. We are temples of the Holy Spirit. All because we belong to our Father in heaven.

So I’ll ask this one more time… “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” 

Now go ahead and do it. Make that change you’ve been thinking about, go after that dream you’ve had in your heart since before you can remember, talk to that person you’ve been wanting to get to know better, take that baby step or huge leap you’ve been too afraid to take. You may fall or you may fly, but really, nothing is ever a failure if you’re brave enough to try. Don’t you know? You’re a child of God, and you’re braver than you realize.

Verse of the Moment: God's Doing a New Thing

Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:

"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

Isaiah 43:16-19

Maybe you've been struggling lately. Maybe you're just feeling a little run down. A little lost. Maybe you feel like you're up against giants that are too mighty for you to handle alone, or you just don't know what the next season of life is going to hold or how to even step into that next season at all. Whatever the case may be, we have a God who has turned around situations that seemed absolutely hopeless and made them into beautiful testimonies of his strength, power, love and faithfulness. He's the kind of God who doesn't promise to lead us AROUND our problems, but he does always promise to lead us safely THROUGH them. Sometimes he doesn't make the ocean in front of us disappear, but, instead, he parts the waters right down the middle and leads us straight through the waves and into freedom. (Moses and the Israelites probably did NOT expect that to happen, but our Lord is King of the unexpected, isn't He? :))

So if you're trying to figure out what to do next in whatever situation you find yourself in, be encouraged. Maybe God still has you waiting and wondering at the moment, but it's okay. Maybe he's keeping us in the dark just long enough to teach us that he's our true light. Maybe he's waiting to reveal his plans for our future because he wants us to first realize that HE is the way. Maybe he's about to do a new thing in your life, and the struggle you're facing today is preparing your heart to receive it tomorrow. Believe this: He's going to make a river where there's now only dry land because he ALWAYS provides when we surrender and trust in him. He'll never leave a child of trust hanging because that's simply not who he is. But today, maybe God's calling us to praise him while we're still out in the desert because, river or no river, he is still GOOD. Remember, thanksgiving always comes before breakthrough because gratitude opens up our hearts to receive all the Lord longs to give us. So let's thank him today for the awesome blessings he's already given and the new ones he's preparing for us.

Jesus, we trust in you. Amen.

The Waiting Game

Waiting.

My gosh, that word. THAT word. Everyone can relate to it. There are thousands of YouTube videos on it, pinterest graphics with quotes about it, instagram posts with long captions meant to provide encouragement for those who feel stuck in it, and even whole books written on that one topic. The idea of waiting has become so familiar to us, and especially to many people who feel called to marriage, that it’s now become popular to define the span of time between college graduation and finding that person you’re going to spend the rest of your life with as the dreaded “season of waiting.” 

But really, no matter what age we are, it seems like we’re always waiting around for something…

Waiting for that guy to ask us to prom.

Waiting to save up enough money to buy that car.

Waiting for the weekend to come around.

Waiting for the college we’ve always dreamed of attending to send us that acceptance letter.

Waiting for God to reveal to us what our vocation is.

Waiting to hear back from that job we just interviewed for.

Waiting to meet our future husband or wife.

Waiting to finally have a child after struggling with infertility for years.

Waiting, waiting, and more waiting. I think you get the picture. 

You get the picture because you’ve also felt the uncomfortable ache of hopes and desires that have yet to be fulfilled. You’ve felt the tension between where you are and where you desperately want to be. You’ve felt the frustration and confusion of once imagining that your life would follow this perfect little timeline you created in your mind, only to realize that life is actually nothing like what you had imagined or planned. Like for real, years ago your timeline was somehow chucked out the window (against your will, might I add) of a car driving 80 mph and it doesn’t seem like it’s gonna show up any time soon.

You get it. I get it. Everyone gets it because every single human being has felt the weight of “the wait,” whatever it is they may be waiting for. And because of this, it can easily seem like life is just one big waiting game. We wait for that experience, that opportunity, that person, that open door, that thing we want SO badly. When we don’t get it, we often end up finding something else to look forward to. And if we are lucky enough to recieve what it is we’ve been wanting, we may dance around with so much energy and excitement that people might mistake us for the energizer bunny. We may even swear that we’ll never ever need anything else ever again because this thing right here… this is enough to keep us on Cloud 9 for the rest of our lives.

But then, you know what? Whether it’s days, weeks, or years later, we somehow find ourselves desiring the next thing. And we begin the oh-so-wonderful waiting game allll over again. Believe me, it can be pretty difficult and pretty painful, I know. And I highly doubt you’ll ever hear anyone say that waiting is a super fun experience. That’s why I’m here to tell you there’s another way. There’s a much, much better way.

Now, I bet you’re dying to know what this alternative is. It’s actually really simple. Let me explain.

When I was in high school, all I wanted was to get into my dream college. When I got into my dream college, all I wanted was to fast forward through the summer to start my freshman year. When I started my freshman year (and many of you know it was not the awesome experience I was expecting), all I wanted was to find a way out of college. When I realized that wasn’t going to happen, all I wanted was to finally figure out what God wanted me to do with my life and my gifts. When I miraculously got the opportunity to record my first album senior year, all I wanted was to find a record label. When I got signed to a record label less than a year later, all I wanted was to figure out how to do music and ministry full time. And now that I’m a full time singer/songwriter and speaker, I find that my heart still has so (so, so, sooo) many other desires and dreams that I have yet to see fulfilled. In fact, I don’t know how, when, or even if they’ll all be fulfilled.

But I’m honestly learning to be okay with that. Because I’ve realized that God doesn’t want me to remain stuck in a never-ending cycle of always wanting more as I wait to have my every desire (no matter how good) satisfied. Instead, He wants me to say yes to the alternative, and that alternative is to just start LIVING. Living with joy, gratitude, love, hope, and faith. Because this moment matters just as much as any other. If it didn’t matter, I wouldn’t be living it. You and I both know that it’s tempting to believe that life begins when we finally step into that certain season, or receive that awesome opportunity, or meet that special person. But the truth is that our life began the moment we were born, and we’re meant to embrace it in all of its glory every single second, not just in the moments when we feel we’ve finally received what we’ve been praying for. A few months ago, this truth smacked me right across the face when I reflected on these two passages in scripture:

John 10:10 - [Jesus said,] “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Psalm 23:1-3 - “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.”

SO many questions flooded my mind when I first read these verses. These were the big two:

1. If Jesus came to give me life to the full, doesn’t that mean He not only wants to give me that abundant life in the future, but right now as well?
2. If the Lord is truly a good shepherd who never leaves me wanting for (aka "lacking”) anything, what does that mean about the things I think I should have or wish I had at this very moment?

Over time, this is what God showed me: 1) Yes, Jesus is my shepherd, and He’s yours, too. He came so that we might be able to live each moment with abundant joy, peace, purpose, and beauty. Not just some moments, but every moment. And because He’s such a good and loving provider, we are never left wanting for the things we truly need. That means what we have today is what we need today. So if God hasn’t given us something or someone, it must mean we don’t need it right now, no matter how much we may want it. In fact, it’s better that we don’t have it. Why? Because God’s plans are so much sweeter than ours, and anything (no matter how good) that’s outside of those plans will just side track us on our journey toward eternal joy, fulfillment, and life. 2) Right now, you have the one thing you need most. You have God. From now into eternity, the only Person you’ll ever need is God, and guess what? You’ll never have to wait around for Him. He’s here right now to love you and to be loved by you, to guide you through every circumstance of your day, to lead you to the people you’re meant to love, help and do life with, and to transform you into the person you were created to be along the way. All of this can, should, and WILL happen right here, right now, if only you choose to stop reaching for the future and start embracing the gift of the present with an open heart. Life has its share of those exciting "this is what I've been waiting for" moments, but it's also composed of all the ordinarily beautiful moments in between, and if we don't live those moments too, we're going to miss out on the wonderful adventure that's right in front of our eyes. 

So, my friend, be encouraged and be grateful for this day. Where you are is exactly where you’re meant to be. This season of your life is so amazingly anointed, you can’t even being to imagine. It holds every single opportunity, blessing, challenge and beautiful person you’re meant to have in your life at this very second, nothing more and nothing less. This season holds a special purpose and mission all its own, and it’s your job to wholeheartedly LIVE it out, not just halfheartedly WAIT it out.

So, I challenge you to find the beauty and the adventure in this very day. Once it’s gone, you’ll never be able to relive it. I challenge you to name three things you have today that you once prayed for. Praise God for the goodness He’s shown by answering those prayers, and praise Him for the prayers He’s preparing to answer in the future. But most of all, I challenge you to draw closer to the heart of Christ today. Despite who or what you may or may not have in your life right now, you have Him. The Creator of the stars, the moon, the mountains, the oceans, and every human heart gives Himself to you today and forever. He’s the greatest possible gift you could ever want or need. And He’s all yours.

To the Person Who's Tired of Taking the Path Less Traveled

I know what it feels like.

I know what it feels like to be one of the only people not doing that thing that everyone else (like, literally EVERYONE else) is doing. I know what it feels like to look around at the people at school or on your soccer team or in your dorm and feel just a little out of place. Out of place because the things that everyone calls “normal,” the things they think aren’t a big deal, are actually a pretty big deal to you.

I know what it feels like to go against the culture that surrounds you, the culture that says drugs, drinking, impurity and so many other things are just part of being a normal teenager (or 20-something) in 2017, and if you don’t do them, you’re weird or boring or both. Living in a world that constantly says it’s cool to love things and use one another can really wear down our determination and desire to live the life we know we’re called to.

Believe me, I know it can be seriously tiring to be different. It can get pretty exhausting trying to not give in for the sake of fitting in. Remembering what’s right and wrong, what’s good and what’s not, what’s true and what’s false can get really confusing really fast when you see so many people doing the wrong thing but promising you it’s actually good (or at the least, it’s not that bad). And when people keep telling you the same lies over and over again, it’s easy to end up believing them.

So yeah, I also completely understand what it feels like to wonder, “What if I just didn’t care as much? What would happen if I just gave in? Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad.”

But back in high school and college, when those thoughts entered my mind, I made sure they didn’t stay there for long. I kept pressing forward on the path I knew God wanted me to walk. No, it wasn’t always fun or easy, there were definitely a few stumbles along the way, and it was almost never the popular or mainstream thing to do. But, guys, it was SO worth it.

That’s why I want to tell you this today: Don’t give in. Don’t give up. Don’t change yourself or the way you live to fit the mold of what everyone else around you is doing, no matter how tempting it may be. No, it’s not “cool” to entertain ourselves with things that hurt us and hurt others, both physically and spiritually, no matter how many misguided friends tell us otherwise. Sure, you can try to satisfy yourself with all of those things, but I promise you, everybody that tries ends up feeling emptier than before. You can let yourself believe that you’re young and you just want to have fun, but you know the truth deep in your heart. Everybody does. Some just ignore it better than others. Don’t ignore it.

I also want to remind you of this: You’re not alone. There are so many others who are fighting against the pressure they feel to give in and fit in, too. But you know what? You weren’t created to fit in. You were created to live a life worthy of the calling God’s given you, and living out that call requires you to be different. So go ahead, be different. Be confident in yourself, be bold in your convictions, and don’t apologize for not following the crowd. Did you ever notice that it’s not the crowd-followers who make a difference in the world? No. It’s the people who are brave enough to do the right thing, follow the path less traveled, and be the person God created them to be who leave their mark.

Be that person.

Speaking Truth to Your Heart

You know something I’m beginning to learn? My thoughts run my life. From the moment I wake up each morning to the moment my head hits my pillow every night, my thoughts are always there. Every minute, every hour, and every day of my life, I have this constant inner dialogue running through my mind.

It might seem obvious, but it took me a long time to realize that the thousands of thoughts we think each day have a lot of power over us. Why? Because what we think directly affects how we see others and how we see ourselves. My perception of the people around me influences how I treat them. And you guessed it, the perception I have of who I am influences how I treat myself. But it’s so much more than that. What we allow ourselves to think about who we are seeps into each and every corner of our lives, for better or for worse.

On any given day, the thoughts we have about ourselves dictate our emotions, whether we feel content and confident or depressed and insecure. And time and time again, I’ve seen firsthand how these emotions impact what we do or don’t do, like whether we:

• Take time to pick up the phone and call that friend who’s having a rough week or waste yet another hour on the couch watching Netflix (because Stranger Things 2 is even more addicting than the first season, am I right?).
• Allow others to use and mistreat us or surround ourselves with people who will treat us with the dignity and respect we deserve.
• Decide to go to that party where we know we’ll be faced with temptation, or opt to catch a movie with friends instead.
• Boldly take that leap we feel God’s nudging us to take or shy away from doing what we feel called to.

The way we feel, the way we act, the way we interact with others, the way we LIVE... it all begins with our thoughts. Crazy isn’t it?

With all of this being said, here’s what I want you to know: Just because a thought pops into your head, it does NOT automatically make it true. In fact, many of the negative thoughts you think about yourself are false. They are lies, plain and simple. But here’s the thing, if you allow these lies to float around in your mind long enough, you’ll actually start believing them. They’ll begin to chip away at your identity, your true identity in Christ. (Uh yeah, what the heck. No bueno.)

So, the moment our thoughts start leading us away from our true identity, we need to get them in check... like ASAP. But, what exactly should we do when those lies that bring discouragement, anxiety, and feelings of insecurity try to fill our heads and hearts? Fight them with the ultimate Truth—the Word of God given to us in Scripture. It’s alive and active, and sharper than the sharpest double-edged sword (Heb 4:12)... a powerful weapon that we have at our fingertips. And it’s ours to use!

Now, I speak from personal experience when I say that if we reject the lies that try to make their home in our hearts and speak the truth of the Word of God to ourselves instead, we’ll be victorious every time. It might take a while, and we might have to persevere in fighting those negative thoughts, but believe me, God will always triumph in the end.

So, if you’re feeling down, remember this: The way your thoughts and emotions make you feel about yourself or your situation isn’t reality. The Truth of God is reality. Find it in Scripture today. Let Him speak truth to your heart.

(To give you a head start, below are some common lies we tend to believe about ourselves paired with the truth God proclaims to us.)

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What we believe:                                      

1. I'm too broken & sinful to be forgiven by God.
2. I'm unloved/unlovable.
3. I'm worthless.
4. My future is hopeless.
5. I'm unimportant & have no purpose.
6. I'm not good enough or beautiful enough.
7. I'm too weak and incapable to face the challenges in my life right now.

What God says:

1. "'Yet even now,' says the Lord, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.'  Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil." Joel 2:12-13
2. "While we were yet still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man -- though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God showed his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8
3. "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-34
4. "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
5. "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide..." John 15:16
6. "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalms 139:14
7. "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Made to Take Chances

In high school, if someone had asked me if I thought of myself as a "risk-taker" I would have said yes in a heartbeat. In my mind, risk-taking was a "Heck yeah, I wanna ride that scary rollercoaster!" or an "I would SO go bungee jumping!" kind of thing. But in reality, it's more. It's so much more. 

What happens when... 

...God nudges us to go up and start a conversation with that person in the school cafeteria or local coffee shop or church pew who looks like they could use a friend? 

...We hear God whisper in the depths of our heart that it's time to end a relationship that just isn't right for us?

...God calls us away from a career we've known for so long to step onto a completely new path?

What happens then? The problem is, so often nothing happens at all.

When the time comes to take the real risks--the truly important ones-- that God asks of us, we chicken out. All of the sudden our courageous facade falls to pieces. Then we scramble to think of every excuse in the book to justify why we're ignoring what we know God is calling us to do. 

"Someone else can do that. It doesn't have to be me."

"What will other people think?"

"I'm so comfortable with where I am right now...I wouldn't want to mess that up."

"There's no way I'm good enough (smart enough, talented enough, strong enough...) to do that."

"What if I fail?"

And the list goes on.

For so long, I listened to these excuses more often than I listened to God's voice. But in college, something changed. As the years passed, I came to know the Lord much more intimately. The more I got to know Him, the more I grew to love Him. The more I loved Him, the more I trusted and desired His Will for my life, from the huge decisions I'd have to make all the way down to the smallest details of each day. Soon, I grew sick of denying His plans for me, and I became tired of living within the limits of what I was comfortable with. Playing it safe was no longer an option. God told me I was made for more. I was made to take chances.

Once I was willing to step outside of my comfort zone God's faint whispers became louder, the desires He'd planted in my heart became stronger, and countless people and opportunities were divinely placed in my path. One of these opportunities had to do with something I'd been pushing away for years. Throughout college, I had been writing Christian music and felt like God wanted me to do something more with it, but I was constantly flooded with doubts and had always stubbornly stuck to my safe plan of going into the medical field. Then, early in my senior year, a local music producer came up to me in church (I'd never seen him before in my life!) and asked if I'd like to work with him to produce an album full of my original songs. Believing this was the next step the Lord wanted me to take, I said yes (even though I was BEYOND scared), recorded throughout my last year of college, and my debut album was released right after I graduated. As you can probably tell, that one risk changed the course of my entire life.

Since then, there have been countless moments in which God has gently whispered within my heart, "Trust me and take this next step." Whether it was accepting a job in youth ministry, signing with a record label, traveling around to different communities to share my story and music, or simply letting God take the lead in relationships where I previously hadn't before, each risk challenged me to push past my fears and embrace the feelings of discomfort and vulnerability that inevitably arise when stepping into the unknown. 

And if I could turn back time, I would do it all over again. Here's why: 

Every chance I've taken has stretched me... like a LOT. Each has been an opportunity to deepen and reaffirm my trust in God, my faith in His love and providence, and my surrender to His divine plan. Each has left me completely surprised at how brave, bold and capable I can be when I lean on the Lord's strength and not my own. Each has been an opportunity to conquer my fears and desire for worldly comfort, leaving me feeling more alive, more free and more truly myself than ever before. With every journey I've taken into unknown territory, He's never once failed me. He's taken care of me each and every time, revealing His perfect faithfulness. However, the most incredible part of it all is witnessing how the Lord has worked through my decisions to say "yes" to Him. He's encouraged, inspired, consoled, and drawn hearts closer to Him through me... now that's crazy. None of these amazing things would have happened if I'd played it safe and stayed within the confines of my comfort zone.

And you know what? God wants to grow, stretch, and work through YOU, too--in a million different ways-- if only you choose faith over fear, His strength over your weakness, and the greatness He calls you to over the mediocrity the world offers.

Mother Angelica once said, "I'm not afraid to fail... I'm scared to death of dying and having the Lord say to me, 'Angelica, this is what you might have done had you trusted more.'"

You were made to take chances. So take a deep breath, trust, and take the plunge.

Will it be difficult sometimes? Heck yes.

Will it be worth it? Always.

Adiós Social Media!

“Mom, I DO NOT have a problem with my phone! Stop telling me I do!” You don’t want to know how many times I’ve said this to my mother over the past few months. Let’s just say, if I had a dollar for every time—well, you know how it goes.

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Wanna know what I wish I’d done this morning when I woke up? Prayed.

You wanna know what I actually did this morning when I woke up? I checked Facebook, then Instagram, and then I realized I had planned to give up social media for Lent and TODAY IS THE BEGINNING OF LENT!

I quickly tossed my phone on my bed, wondering how many mornings over the past months I had absentmindedly checked Twitter, Instagram or Facebook before I’d even lifted up a word of thanks to God for blessing me with another day.

In the past, I’d grown accustomed to seeing multiple people post on Facebook the Tuesday before Lent, saying something along the lines of, “Hey everyone. Just wanted to let you know you won’t be seeing me on here for a while. See you all in 40 days!” I saw the many statuses each year, but I never gave them a second thought—until this year.

When I was younger, I, like many other kids, hopped aboard the “give up sweets for Lent” train. I was in love with candy, ice cream, cookies, and basically anything that had sugar in it—still am (for real, Talenti Peanut Butter Cup Gelato is absolute heaven)—so I thought it was a pretty good sacrifice to make for Lent. However, during more recent years, I’ve prepared for the Lenten season by trying to dig deep and truly figure out what vices are keeping me from having a deeper, more intimate relationship with God and what additions to my daily routine would help me grow to better know and love Him and those around me.

Last year, I chose to go to Eucharistic Adoration for an hour each day during Lent. (I could seriously write HUNDREDS of posts on how that daily time spent with the Lord completely changed my life.) But this year, I’m joining many others in giving up social media for these next 40 days*.

Here’s why:

Surprisingly, I never used to be super into social media. My friends actually used to make fun of me for being so horrible at responding to their texts, messages or online comments because I never had my phone with me! However, everything changed when I launched social media pages for my music. What first began as something I “had to do” for music became a genuine obsession. I’m not exaggerating. Dozens of times throughout the day, I unlock my phone and tap on the Instagram icon before I’m even aware of what I’m doing. It's crazy. It’s become almost instinctual. Every morning when I wake up, every night before I go to bed, every time I pull into the garage, every time I sit down to watch TV, every time I take a break from work, most of the time I spend hanging out with family or friends, I’m checking social media.

Valuable time I could spend doing worthwhile things and making amazing memories is being completely wasted online. When I could be praying, I’m on Instagram. When I could be reading, I’m on Twitter. When I could be working on new songs for my upcoming album, I’m on Facebook. When I could be bonding with my parents or my brother or my friends, I’m staring at my phone instead. What I’m always telling my youth at church to do—to unglue their eyes from their phone screens—I should really be telling myself. And now I finally am. (Hallelujah!)

I’ve now come to understand the damage social media can do to the human heart because I’m experiencing it first hand. What’s been enthusiastically sold to us as an innovation that helps us connect with one another is actually causing many of us to disconnect from the beautiful souls right in front of our faces and ignore the beautiful God who’s trying to speak to us amidst the noise of witty statuses, controversial posts, and viral videos. It's a huge problem for people both young and old, and we won't be able to deal with it unless we face the overwhelming reality that our phones, laptops, and technology in general have quickly gotten in the way of the daily interactions we have with our loved ones and with God.

SO, with all of this being said…

During these next 40 days, I’m going to have authentic conversations with the people sitting in the same room as me. So strange, I know. They’re going to have my full and undivided attention—something I suspect hasn’t happened in a while. During these next few weeks, I’m going to spend more time with the Lord, listening to what He’s been wanting to tell me for so long and talking to Him about my troubles, joys, questions, fears, hopes and dreams. It's going to be real, and it’s going to be awesome. (If you haven't chosen what to give up this Lent, and you find yourself in the same situation as me, I encourage you to think about giving up social media during these next 40 days as well!)

So I guess this is my way of officially letting you guys know I won’t be online much until Easter comes around...

“Hey everyone. Just wanted to let you know you won’t be seeing me on here for a while. See you all in 40 days!”

*While I won’t be spending hours a day online, I’m allowing myself 10 or 20 minutes a day to post a photo or two and respond to important messages from you guys. ;)