Learning to Live in 2013

2012 has really flown by, and I just wanted to start this off by saying a little thank you to Jesus. Lord, I feel like I have grown so much this year spiritually, physically, and mentally. Thank you for all the wonderful relationships I have gotten to start and grow with people. Thank you for allowing me to serve You. Most of all, thank You for loving me through all the ups and downs of this past year! Here's to many more years spent serving You!

If you have ever seen my site before, you may have noticed it has had a slight makeover. You also may have noticed it has been re-titled, "Learning to Live Without Bubble Wrap." That's what I want to do this coming year. I want to live without bubble wrap.

What does that mean?

Living without bubble wrap DOES NOT mean I won't be playing with bubble wrap this year. That would be sad. Who doesn't like to pop a few strips of bubble wrap every now and then, right? Living without bubble wrap DOES mean living fearlessly. Now I don't mean living dangerously, because you know...

YOLO.

NO.

Imagine this. You are nine years old. You decide you want to ride your bike in your safe suburban neighborhood for an hour or two... or three. You dig out your bike from that junk pile of a garage. You even put on a helmet to appease your mom. You make sure the tires are full of air. Good news they are! You kick the kickstand up and swing your leg over the seat. You can almost taste the freedom in that afternoon breeze. Suddenly, your mom walks outside. She tells you she doesn't think you will be safe enough. You remind her about the helmet, but she's worried about the rest of your body. I mean, heaven forbid you fall off! No she cannot have her baby getting hurt. So, she of course pulls out two thick rolls of bubble wrap and some duck tape. As you stand there miserably in the yard, she begins to wrap you up. The other kids walk to your driveway and stare. They're waiting impatiently for you to come ride your bike with them. She finally finishes, and you waddle to your bike. You (with great difficulty) mount yourself on the bike and suddenly realize... you are unable to peddle. You now know what it is like to be the Michelin Man.

Although the bubble wrap would keep you extremely safe, it would also keep you from doing anything.

That bubble wrap is sort of like that little fear bubble we sometimes like to put ourselves in. Sometimes, we are afraid of doing things. It's different for all of us. You may be surprised to find out some of the things I'm afraid of doing: anything to do with spiders or turkeys (except for eating them... turkeys, not spiders), public speaking, laughing at the wrong part of the movie, talking to people I have not seen in a while, listening to recordings of me singing, watching scary movies, (one of the biggest ones) talking to boys that I think are cute. We all have fears, it's only natural, but here is what the Good Book has to say about that.

"Be strong and brave. Don't be afraid of them and don't be frightened, because the Lord your God will go with you. He will not leave you or forget you." Deuteronomy 31:6 (NCV)

This verse is from Deuteronomy 31. In this chapter, the Israelites are just about through with their whole "wandering in the desert" episode when they learn that their faithful leader Moses will not be leading them into the Promised Land. Nope. They get a new leader. A young leader. An untested leader. Good or bad? You make the choice. Anyways, they know their going to have to face off against some different nations if they want to claim the land God has given them. So, what are God's chosen people told to do in this time of transition and uncertainty? Be fearless.

Why?

Because God is with you. In 1 John 20:18 it says that "perfect love expels fear." If God is love, and you're living in Him, what do you have to fear?

"What then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31 (NIV)

I remember when I was little, one of my favorite Veggie Tales episodes (right next to the one about Esther where the girl sings about puppies) was about how Junior the asparagus was afraid of the dark, but who wouldn't be when they have monsters in their drawers? Anyways, they sang a song to Junior that I still remember it said: God is bigger than the Boogie Man. He's bigger than Godzilla or the monsters on t.v. Oh, God is bigger than the Boogie Man, and He's watching out for you and me.

I think that about sums it up. God is bigger than anything. So, don't stress it and don't worry.

Love without limits, give until it hurts, and don't expect anything in return. Now that is living without bubble wrap.

"The whole point of what we're urging is simply love-love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God." I Timothy 1:7 (MSG)

"Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it!" Ezra 10:4 (NIV 1984)