But What Color Are His Eyes...

Photo Credit: Elias Galarza

     Today I was teaching my teenagers about Moses and his incredible encounter with God on Mt. Sinai and the "Tent of Meeting". It's said in the Scriptures that God talked with Moses, like a man talks to a friend. #mindblown

     And then of course, there's the scene where Moses asks to see God's glory. And God basically tells Moses that he wouldn't be able to handle all of His glory (the true essence of God - eternal and endless love, etc.) and live. But instead, God shows Moses a portion of His glory.

     And let's not forget about Moses' face glowing after encountering such love and such glory. It glowed to such a degree that it freaked people out and Moses ended up wearing a veil over his face. I mean what. Wow.

     And with that, I'm provoked to go deeper in my journey with God.

     Moses was a man that wanted to know God face to face.

     And as love does in our vertical relationship with God, so then does our love in our horizontal relationships with people.

     In high school I remember always looking at people dead in their face, but not in their eyes. You know what I'm talking about right? We end up looking at people in a very general way and because of that there is a lack of true connection, at least a connection that is beyond the surface level.

     And then later on in life, I somehow adopted the skill to look people intentionally in their eyes.

    It's so powerful.

     And honestly, that is the one practical skill that has made all the difference in my adult life, and has challenged me and helped me to connect with and love people in a deeper and more meaningful way.

     You have to get close to someone, square in their face to actually see, register, and remember what their eye color actually is.

     It's a bit intimidating, I know.

     And I believe I know why. It establishes true and legitimate intimacy. And true intimacy is costly, and often makes us get squiggly at first, but then when you take a deep breath, you realize that you were made for this.

     Looking in his eyes, you become invested.

     Looking in her eyes, you become invested.

     And that is when love begins to truly flourish.

     So, I inadvertently had a bit of staring contest with a guy today. Don't get excited. Please.
   
     It's just that I now love looking people square in their eyes. And did you notice, that sometimes, depending on the reflection of light in their eyes, you can even see yourself in their eye's pupil, you know the deepest, darkest part of their eyes. I find that absolutely extraordinary.

     But you won't see this hidden and mysterious story behind their eyes, until you are in close proximity to someone's face.

     We often get away with not paying attention in life.

     But now is the time to pay attention. To the big things, to the small things.

     Even the color of their eyes.

Wisdom's Knocking:

“The soul, fortunately, has an interpreter
- often an unconscious but still a faithful interpreter
- in the eye.”

 ― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

It Takes a Village

Photo Credit: Mark Gonzalez

      I use to think that the road to success was a one man victory. But I’m learning more and more that no one reaches any sort of lasting success without an amazing support team around them.

     I mean, this morning, upon waking up, I received one of thee most encouraging text messages from one of my dear friends and writing accountability partner/encourager. I’m well aware that trying to write over the weekend is quite the task for me, at times almost impossible.  And I’ve finally admitted to myself, that I can’t do this on my own. And now, I don’t think I want to.

     There’s something to be said about sharing a victory rather than hoarding it and trying to own it single-handedly.

     And then I think about how that not only applies to my short-term goal of writing 30 posts in 30 days, but how it applies to my romance journey thus far.

     I cannot tell you how many girlfriends who have let me cry on their shoulders, how many amazingly kindhearted prayer warriors wept with me in the midst of my heartbreak and disappoint and how many of you dear readers have put up with hearing me talk about my fruitless crushes over the last few years.

     But this has made all the difference. 

     And it will make my romance victory that much sweeter.

     However, even in the trenches, I’m experiencing love and healing and growth—in ways that I didn’t even know that I needed.

     But if you feel like you are in the trenches alone, chances are, you are.

     But you don’t have to be.

     Communication is a two-way street. You must be willing to let the people in your life, your inner circle know what’s really going on with you. Yes, I know, there’s a challenge already presented in this, the challenge of being humble and flat out real.

     But this is vital. Absolutely vital.

     And if your inner circle isn’t capable of being a true support system, it’s time to reevaluate who you are actually calling “friend” in your circle of relationships. 

     And  it’s okay, everyone is not meant to be in your inner circle, but someone should be.

     We were not meant to thrive alone.

     We were meant to thrive together.

Wisdom’s Knocking:

“I alone cannot change the world,
but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”

- Mother Theresa

Promised Land Blues Pt. 1

Photo Credit: Hannah Anderson

We often think that when we finally get what we've been waiting for, for SO long, that all the pieces will finally fit in our lives and everything magically falls into place.

I just got a message from a reader that expressed her difficulty finding joy in the place of promise.

Can you imagine that?

You are in your Promised Land and you are trying to figure out how the heck to actually be happy.

You've waited for years to get asked out on a date by someone you actually find attractive and sexy.

You've waited for years to finally get married.

You've waited for years to finally have your dream job.

You've waited for years to have kids.

And now you have it all.

And yet.

You struggle to find the joy you for sure thought you were going to have in this season.

But this sentiment doesn't actually surprise me.

Because the struggle points to a need for a constant reliance on something Bigger. Something Bigger than the promise, something Bigger than our own egos and our own ideas of perfection and success...

Wisdom's Knocking:

Often there are still giants to be defeated in your promised land, 

but the culmination of your training in the wilderness can help you to slay these giants.

Sunrises and Sunsets

    Photo Credit: Evan Kaufmann

Sunrises look a lot like Sunsets

Often we might confuse the two

But when the light of love is shining

It is said, you'll find your way through.

My heart is pressed firm on every side

And another gift is given to one standing nearby

I hold back the tears and I clinch my fist

Because Sunrises never looked like this.

And the weather man says there's more showers ahead

I reach for my raincoat, but grab a scarf instead

Ill prepared for heartbreak and afraid to tread

Because a vulnerable girl is one under-dressed.

But there are stories written throughout the course of my spine

Holding my head and heart in place, purposely divine.

We are important. We are.

Sunrises look a lot like sunsets

Often we might confuse the two 

But when the light of Love is shining

Love is finding its way to you.

Kairos

     

Photo Credit: Lindsay Coleman

     Of course, it's when I don't care that it happens.

     I mean, do you find this happening in your life. You wait for and anticipate some sort of goodness happening, even try to go about pursuing it in someway, only to be smacked upside the head with a piece of brick. Well done.

     But when you are in an aloof state of mind, don't care, barely brush your teeth, and probably didn't put deodorant on, the heavens begin to open and you find yourself having divine encounter after divine encounter and open doors after open doors, everyone is singing your praises and always saying yes, and somewhere in the mix of king invites you to become a queen.

     That was my day to day.

     Most of you know I work in television. I've found this weird niche of sorts that is just enough production and just enough glamor. I don't often talk about my work on this blog because of the high profile people that I'm in contact with and work with. And I don't want to exploit them in some way to merely get a few more readers.

     But my two worlds: The Church & Hollywood become quite surreal at moments.

     If you've been tracking with me, you know that I've been battling a bit of anxiety, fear of death, and overall sadness for the past month or so. Not to mention, I get these weird "Death Feelings" a few days or weeks before someone of prominence or influence (whether in my own life or culturally speaking) dies. This has been happening since I was teenager or so. And yes, it freaks me out. So with the month of December, my grandpa, Paul Walker, Nelson Mandela, and a couple of other prominent people passing away, basically set me on edge in the wackest way.

     I give you all this backstory for you to know that I am not and was not really in the mood to try and impress anyone at work today. I did my best to be hardworking, kind, loving, and patient, but my constant prayer was: "Jesus take the wheel."

     But in the midst of the glitz and the glamor, I could see ever so clearly that this wasn't all that mattered in life. And my tight grasp on my own career path loosened. I wasn't trying to control every outcome by trying to be perfect. I honestly think I was starting to become surrendered. And yes, it was very, very freeing.

     I know that being aloof can be a standoffish quality, but it's only a few degrees from coming to the end of yourself, and becoming truly surrendered.

     Some of you are wondering when "It" is going to happen for you. And the "It" can be many things.

    With that, I'm here to tell you 2 things.

     One. It will most likely happen for you.

     Two. Now forget that it's going to happen to you and live your life fully and sincerely through the ups and downs.

     Because like they always say, it will come when you least expect it.

Wisdom's Knocking:

"Kairos (καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning 

the right or opportune moment (the supreme moment)."

Def. Credit: Wikipedia