All Things New

Up until now, I have managed to stay largely silent in the online discussion of race and culture in America, specifically regarding the many events of the past year or so. I believe these conversations are far more beneficial to all parties when they happen face-to-face. However, I’m going to dip my toe in the water and throw my two cents in, starting with the Confederate flag issue. I will be the first to admit, I don’t have any sort of attachment or association with the Confederate flag. It means nothing to me one way or another. I have not studied the history of it; I have heard claims from both sides of the argument that it is absolutely racist and absolutely not racist. I have heard adherents to the flag claim “Southern heritage”. Maybe there is some sort of attachment there; I’m not going to pretend that I understand it. But what I do understand is what that flag means to so many people in America today, many of them my own dear friends. People who have been marginalize...

The funny thing about social media is that I’m almost never being “social” when I’m interacting with it. Nine times out of ten, I run to social media when I’m bored. Instead of striking up a conversation with the person next to me in the waiting room, I scroll through Instagram. Instead of paying attention at a sporting event, I live-tweet it. Instead of spending time in prayer before bed, I check Facebook. Instead of reading a book or chatting with a coworker during lunch, I browse Buzzfeed for the billionth time. In all these instances, I pull away from authentic, genuine connection in favor of a detached semi-reality. Why? I’m not quite sure yet…maybe just because it’s easier and more self-indulgent. Still figuring that out. I do know one thing – this past weekend was one of the most enjoyable ones of the summer, and I think much of it had to do with the fact that I completely unplugged from social media for 48 hours. It all began when I realized that I had no plans on ...

I consider myself to be fluent in sarcasm.  In thinking lately of how I use my words, I've decided that sarcasm probably makes up a good percentage of how I communicate, especially with friends and family. I love to jest, joke, and poke gentle fun. As an oldest sibling, I have a natural tendency to (playfully) pick on others. In my opinion, some of the most fun conversations involve witty, sarcastic banter. It (usually) seems harmless, but I've come to find that really it often lacks sincerity, substance, or grace.  The more negative side of my verbal personality is that I have a tendency to be intentionally harsh with my words. I have a temper, so when fired up, I'm pretty skilled at throwing out a quick, hurtful quip. I often react quickly, which leads to me saying things I probably wouldn't have the nerve to say if I wasn't angry.  On top of those things, how easy is it to complain? I can get caught up in this, as well. I have found a discontented, complain...

Oklahoma City. April 19, 1995. 9:02 AM. 168 people killed, hundreds more injured, and thousands affected in one of the worst domestic terrorist attacks in history.  It's hard to believe that this Sunday marks 20 years since that moment. I wasn't even quite 5 years old at the time, and though I lived in Oklahoma, I didn't live near OKC. Obviously, there's not much I remember from that specific day. More than anything, I remember absorbing the feelings of those around me -- shock, sadness, anger. Even at that age, I think I realized that something terribly evil had happened.  Through the years, and especially each April, I have found myself researching the events of that day. Poring over news articles and videos. Searching for survivor accounts. Stumbling upon photos in disbelief. Visiting the Oklahoma City National Memorial . I've been engrossed in the story again this year. For me, and I would assume for most Oklahomans of my generation, the bombing can often se...

Today is my last day as a staff member at Redeemer Church . Whoa…that’s a strange thing to write! For the past three and half years or so, I have been employed as the administrative assistant. It has not exactly been what I expected, but then again, most things in life aren’t. I am not surprised by how much I enjoyed my job; however, I am a little surprised by how much I learned. So, in typical blog-post fashion, here are the top 5 things I learned by being in administration at Redeemer. 1) Being in an admin position teaches you to appreciate the little things. I’ve always known that there is a lot of work that goes unnoticed to help churches operate smoothly, but I never knew just how much until I myself was working behind-the-scenes. Especially after Redeemer made the move to Roosevelt where we have to set up each week, I have seen how much time and energy people put into something they believe in. So many people are faithful in the small things that often go unnoticed in order to ca...

To be honest, I’m feeling overwhelmed today. At first, that seems a bit absurd to say. My life is going pretty well. I have started a new job that I enjoy, my friendships are stronger than ever, and I’ve had a lot of fun opportunities lately. Plus, it’s a beautiful, sunny day in Oklahoma. But even (especially) on the sunny days, there are still shadows. I am constantly being confronted by brokenness, pain, and suffering. There are so many horrors in the world. ISIS is on a murderous rampage. I can’t stop thinking about the flight in which 150 people plummeted to their deaths in the French Alps. Young women and girls are being trafficked as sex slaves. People are dying from war, hunger, and natural disasters. Then there are the things that hit closer to home: Violent and unpredictable storms threatening already-ravaged communities. The huge issue of racism that’s just beginning to be dealt with at my alma mater. Broken families and broken homes, many existing under a facade of happines...