Romans 8:18

Lately I’ve been listening to the song Truce by Twenty One Pilots at least once a day. Why have I been drawn to this piece so much?

My life has been in a grand transition for the past six months and I’m still trying to figure out what God truly has in store. I’ve encountered a lot of grief and hardship from within myself, my peers, and my loved ones. I’m trying to understand how my mind works (like not being able to focus on anything until I’ve written this post) and battle my own worst enemy—myself. I’ve prayed about circumstances that I could never even fathom being in and my heart has ached for the world around me. We do not have it easy.

However, there is hope in our trials and tribulations. Hope: “that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.” That hope is our Heavenly Father and his promises. One of my favorite verses that I’ve had to share with many people lately has been Philippians 4:7, which declares: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

As for “Truce,” I think it gives me consolation that the present circumstances are worth it. Twenty One Pilots, this band of two, has been a great solace for me as I’ve dealt with the stress of college, tried to figure out God’s plan for me, and began counseling for my anxiety. “Truce” has a brief message, but it’s a great one. We are going to struggle and go through pain, but let’s not shy away from the misery and look at our whole life with pride.

Let’s not forget the significance of our daily life: sharing the joy and hope we have found in Christ.

“Take pride in what is sure to die.”

Watch: Truce

~Annah

Free and Brave

In my English class we have to do something free and brave. With this in mind, I have decided that I will share this poem with you all that I wrote last year. It is not terribly tragic or anything, but it is very personal to me and makes me very emotional, and I even had trouble sharing it with my parents. I feel that the best and most relatable messages are also the most vulnerable, so here goes:

The comment you threw out
To me; just an insignificant ash.
Not meant to hurt,
But burning me deep;
Forgotten about easily,
But keeps me from sleep.
I’m a sensitive soul,
An unfortunate detail…
The positives aren’t retained,
The negatives are forever.
The things you brush away,
Never think about again,
Are stuck inside of me…
Eating at me…
I’m crumbling within.
It’s imbedded in my brain,
No time to turn back.
You walk away fine,
Never noticing the crack
That grows within me,
Cutting deeper inside;
This pain doesn’t go away,
It cannot subside.
Insecurities build up.
I have turned quiet.
A girl once loud
Is now quite silent.
My courage, my esteem
Has gone down with the years
And I’m having trouble breathing,
I’m holding back tears.
These comments are there,
They come and they go,
But I never forget them
And I’m wondering, “So,
They say that sticks and stones
Will do more damage
Than words to my bones,
But I don’t think that sticks
Or stones, for that matter,
Have ever made anyone
Feel very alone…
That they aren’t good enough…
They’re failing some people…”
It’s really pretty rough
Having people surround you
And say haunting things
That they aren’t aware of…
That make you believe
That those things that aren’t true
Could maybe be so…
That it’s not possible;
Dreams come and go.
Maybe people really are
As bad as they seem…
They won’t love me,
I’m not in that theme
Of beautiful women
Who look their own age…
Who don’t look like children;
They belong on a stage.
Society is terrible,
A poison to all,
But these people I love,
These comments they say,
Don’t help in the long run.
I must get away
To a place I feel welcome.
Those words are tiring
On my weary soul.

A’s are Not the Answer

Finished the prelab sheet?

Yes.

Completed this week’s English reading?

Yes.

Ready for the Communication test?

Ready as I’ll ever be!

How’s getting a good amount of sleep going?

It could be better.

Did you make time for God?

Shoot.

This was my mindset the past couple weeks and I was completely stressed out. In the midst of a college semester, many people start to feel overwhelmed with work, and I am no exception.

Last week, I brought up my concerns to a friend and he told me something I could never even fathom doing. Every now and then he takes a day off from all schoolwork. He brought up the point that we tend to place too much stress on grades and school and we equate it with true success—but it’s really not. Ever since then, this thought process has been nagging at me. While I might not have the guts to take a day off anytime soon, I need to change the way I’m prioritizing, and my hunch is many of you have the same struggle. Especially as college students, we place too much importance on getting good grades.

So maybe you spent hours studying for that test and aced it. Great! But how can that feel satisfying if you know your spiritual life is struggling? I’m not saying you shouldn’t spend time for homework, but God comes before it for sure. He didn’t place us on Earth to obtain a 4.0 and make the Dean’s list; I hate to break it to you.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” ~Matthew 28:19

God wants us to spend our days making Him our first priority. Our culture likes to convince us homework, relationships or our career path matter the most—that those are the things we should be putting all of our efforts into. But if you are a Christian, you should maintain the mindset (if you don’t already) that all aspects of our lives have to be viewed from our position in Christ first and foremost. If you are truly holding fast in your relationship with Christ, there should be no worry or stress for any of these topics.

Besides making time for God, you should make time for yourself too. Everyone needs a break. Yeah, you might not get everything done, but that’s okay! Yesterday I took time out to play my flute because that is something that brings me peace. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the first couple months of my college experience it’s that you need to relax. There will always be homework, so take a break now and again. Trust me—I was super stressed too.

The truth: when you reach Heaven’s gates God will not be congratulating you for your A’s.

~Annah

Living a Young, Extraordinary Life

Today marks 75 years of Young Life. Whether you are familiar with the ministry or not, what I want you to know is that it drastically changed my life. I would not be who I am today if not for Young Life.

From my experience with Young Life I have discovered this organization loves making people uncomfortable. There was always a moment of doubt before I participated in any trip, because I felt that I wasn’t cut out for it. But I always stuck it out and ended up more transformed as an individual than I had been prior to the experience.

Words cannot effectively describe my experiences through this organization. I can’t put into words the feeling of understanding Jesus’ sacrifice and crying for fifteen minutes, because my heart was bursting with contriteness. I can’t express what it was like to stand on top of a mountain and throw all of my sins over the edge, or cling to God as I hiked, because I physically and mentally could not have done it otherwise. I have watched broken teens find Christ, and you cannot find something more impactful... people singing their hearts out, with tears streaming down their faces because they have seen the Light. The ever-increasing hole in their heart finally found its filling.

See, the thing about Young Life is the people. They are the coolest people you will ever meet. Every member of staff is bursting with love and encouragement. Every person I have gotten to know has been a blessing. It is one thing to grow with God, but quite another to be surrounded by such a beautiful community that shows nothing but love for one another. It broke my heart every time I left a camp, because that type of community is not prevalent in our daily life.

Thank you, Dad, for allowing this wonderful ministry to be built 75 years ago. I know I am among countless people who have a similar sentiment. God is good.

~Annah

“Passing Through Meridians of Greater Times”

These are lyrics from the song “Meridians” by Greyson Chance. Many of you have probably heard that name before, but if not, he is an eighteen year old who was fairly popular in 2010 thanks to Ellen DeGeneres. Back then, he was known because of his young age and impressive vocal range. Since then, he took a few years off and most people, including myself, forgot the name. But a couple months ago, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon his new work.

As an avid music lover, it’s clear that music culture these days is incredibly disappointing. Mixed with my love of writing, I take not only an interest in the sound, but more of an interest in the lyrical aspect. Most popular artists have songs that are sexual or derogatory, with auto tune and no originality.

There is a lack of passion and lyrical significance that music is supposed to have.

What’s spectacular about Greyson is that he’s only eighteen and is defying contemporary music expectations. He is an artist our generation desperately needs: an original singer-songwriter.

Music is supposed to be an art. Part of its definition is “more than ordinary significance.” Greyson’s love songs are not as simple as “I really, really, really, really, really, really like you.” (No hate on that song, it’s quite catchy, but not exactly the epitome of lyrical depth.) They hold a bit more weight than that. His writing is eloquent and poetic, and he knows how to create something beautiful.

But the sad truth is that Greyson’s incredibly underrated, which breaks my heart. (What? How is 330,000 views underrated?! Well, compared to Carly Rae Jepson’s “I Really Like You” 100,000,000 views—it’s  underrated.)

Great music doesn’t come from an expensive studio, or thousands of dollars, or hundreds of contributing people. Greyson understands what music should really be about: art and passion. All you really need is a powerful voice and a piano.

But my point cannot be complete without the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn1Qi9YsXSs

~Annah

"Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder"

Ever heard that saying? I’m guessing most of you have. It’s an expression used to display the thought that beauty varies in the mind of each individual. And while I am touching base specifically on the female side of beauty, we are all subject to unrealistic standards, both male and female. Don’t get me wrong.

So who is the beholder for you? Maybe you’ve viewed the beholder as yourself, a significant other, your family, your friends, or even strangers. In today’s world, it seems society is the main beholder. But I’m here to suggest that the beholder we are speaking of is God. Or at least, he is the only one that matters. I want to discuss beauty with you from a Christian standpoint.

Society enjoys embedding its picture of “beauty” in our brains. Whether we want the opinion or not, it’s always there: on television, in magazines, online, and so forth. You are supposed to have a certain physique, a perfect complexion, specific makeup products, and a sundry of other physical features.

You may have heard a million beauty speeches before, and how we’re all beautiful in our own way, but I want to emphasize that you don’t have to feel compelled to look a certain way. As Christians especially, we should know this more than others. We should, but we usually don’t.

So what’s stopping us from loving ourselves? Why are we always finding flaws? I think at times we all struggle with truly believing that we don’t need to have a certain appearance. This, to me, is a result of two reasons: comparing ourselves to others and becoming caught up in the world’s view of beauty, instead of God’s.

I personally struggle with comparison frequently. Being premature, I look younger than I actually am, and I tend to be very self-conscious of that fact. It doesn’t help that the world tends to be shallow and vain, as is portrayed through the seemingly perfect appearances of celebrities.

But think of what Paul says in Galatians 1:10 when falling prey to comparison. “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” We, as Christians, should feel liberated from trying to uphold anyone else’s standard of beauty.

Now think of God’s view. God loves us and thinks you are gorgeous. He adores every inch of you, even if you don’t. He could care less if you brushed your hair or put makeup on. Every single woman is his label of beauty, not just women who are a certain height or weight or skin tone. If you want to find true beauty, according to God’s standard, just look in the mirror.

So let joy seep through every pore in your being, knowing, “You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a diadem in the hand of your God.” (Isaiah 62:3)

Take solace in knowing that as Solomon says of his wife, God agrees, “You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.” (Song of Solomon 4:7)

So let us, you and I, embrace who we are. Not who we want to be or who we are not. Don’t live by anyone else’s standards of beauty. Don’t even live by your own standards. Live by His. Do not let society convince you that you are not beautiful. The Greatest Beholder views you as breathtakingly stunning.

~Annah