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Dance is a communal art — it’s meant to be shared and experienced in the flesh together. 

Even though I knew this, I didn’t really realize it until the pandemic lockdowns. On one hand, it was cool to take class “with” friends miles away but eventually, the novelty of it wore off and I began to crave the fellowship a shared studio brings. How you can walk into the studio still half asleep, nod good morning to the friend across the room, drop your five different bags of stuff (because why can’t dancers just have one?), pop your hips, and proceed to loosen your IT bands on the foam roller all without saying a word. The subtle, wordless communication that happens as you figure out who’s going in what group across the floor. You’re all working hard individually, thinking about your own corrections. Cheering each other on and whispering “nice!” when your friend hits that quadruple pirouette in the waltz combo or commiserating as you all fight for that eight count developpe. 

And it’s not just class, it’s performances too. The dancers on stage, the orchestra in the pit, the stage crew in the shadows, the audience in the house — all experiencing the same thing from different perspectives. Each person stepping into their unique role of the process. 

Just as dance is a communal art, life is the same. This adventure is meant to be lived in community. 

Sometimes it seems easier/safer/less messy/more convenient to keep dancing as if we were a one man show — to isolate our selfish solos in a single spotlight. I confess I have a tendency to do this sometimes; for reasons either real or imagined, I’ll avoid the people that point me to Jesus. It may feel good in the moment, but is it easier in the long run? nope, that’s a big fat lie from the Enemy. 

Think about it in terms of a performance, a solo act can only go on for so long before the artist needs a rest. It’s also only as dimensional as that one person, we might be super engaged but we’re only experiencing a little bit of the story. When an entire cast and crew and orchestra are working together, we get a production with depth, scope, and perspective.

I was thinking about how life in community is like a dance. Sometimes the choreography will take you close to someone for a while, maybe in a little pas de trios or pas de quat but then other times you may just be standing on the side in b+ smiling across the stage at each other. There are seasons of life that we will be in close proximity and deep friendships with each other, then there are other seasons where we’re so focused on our own choreography and spacing that we have no idea what someone else’s is. I think that’s ok as long as we’re letting the Master Choreographer, as long as we’re letting Jesus, direct the show. 

All that to say, what the writer of Hebrews says in chapter 10 verses 23-25: Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on to love and good deeds, not  giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching. 

Friends, may we bravely share the stories we carry and realize the unique steps we dance are part of the Grand Choreography. May we wisely discern which dancers to stay in proximity with, who to whisper reminders to, and who to smile at from across the stage. 

For these many bodies form one Body. And the Story only makes sense when this mosaic of souls courageously + humbly experience the Music together.

Every day.
Your Kingdom come.
Your will be done.
On earth as it is in heaven.

Every day.
Opening these hands.
In surrender and offering.
Hope{full} trust

Every day.
Sober minded.
Seeking good.
Set apart.

Every day.
Recognizing the Imago Dei in others
To serve not to be served.
Remembering eternity.

Every day.
Choosing joy.
Patient endurance.
Taking courage.
Making peace.

Every day.
Resting in your grace.
Listening to your voice.
Trading my plans for yours.

Every day.
Stewarding the moment.
Step by step.
Steadfastly faithful.

Every day.
Your Kingdom come.
Your will be done.
On earth as it is in heaven.

Recently, I found myself in a situation where I was feeling like my gifts hadn’t been used to their fullest extent; that I had more to offer but there wasn’t an appropriate time or place to do so. I began to think that maybe I had wasted an opportunity because, in my mind, I wanted to be most efficient and effective in a short amount of time.

As I sorted it out internally, God gently reminded me to lay aside my pride: who am I to say how I’m most “effective” for the Kingdom? All He asks me to do is to steward the moments that I am given.

Yes, I should be diligent to prepare towards the tasks He is calling me to, but just because I can or I’m “qualified” to do certain things doesn’t mean I’m supposed to in every single circumstance. 

The burden of determining the results of our faithfulness does not lay on our shoulders. May we be freed from the prideful lie to think otherwise. 

Let us rest in the grace that allows us to leverage the current moment with excellence. May we resist the treadmill of feeling like we didn’t “do enough” and instead trust that He is enough.

Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom…May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the works of our hands for us — yes, establish the works of our hands ~Ps. 90:12,17

For the past year and a half, I think we’ve all experienced a heightened sense of trepidation. It’s a daily battle to distinguish truth from falsehood and fear is a valid emotional response that needs to be acknowledged.

Psalm 34:4 has been on my mind, “He delivered me from all my fears…”

I’m realizing that, at it’s root, fear is a lie 
Fear is a lie of scarcity.

Fear says there’s not enough.
God says, “those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (Ps. 34:10)

Fear says, “I can’t handle it”
God says, “My grace is sufficient and I have given you everything you need for life in godliness” (2 Cor. 12:9, 2 Peter 1:3)

Fear says “I need to have it all figured out”
God says, “My burden is light; trust me and I will direct your steps” (Matt. 11:28-30, Pr. 3:5-6)

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! (Ps. 34:8)

In Him is abundance.
Life abundant.
Resources abundant.
Grace abundant.

It doesn’t mean we won’t experience hardship. Many are the afflictions of the righteous and in this world we will have trouble (Ps. 34:19, Jn. 16:33).

It’s the juxtaposition of now and not yet.

There is sweet in the bitter.
There is joy in the pain.
A letting go to grasp hold of.

As we persevere in this yearning for eternity we get glimpses of glory to come.

Let us remember: where fear whispers “what if” He says, “I am”. May we not let fear obscure our eternal perspective but may His joy be our strength to freely + courageously step into the good works He has prepared for us. 

A lot of the time I share Peter Pan’s sentiments when he emphatically sings “I won’t grow up.” And I think, to a degree, that’s a healthy attitude to have as we fight to maintain a childlike wonder + curiosity in a broken world.

Yet, often it’s led me to mourn getting older as if it were a bad thing.

Lately, I’ve realized more keenly the perspective age can bring. Nearing the end of my twenties, I’m starting to see the fruit of seeds sown in intentionality and God’s faithfulness is coming to life in a whole new way. Though it can be bitter to leave certain seasons behind, this life adventure only gets sweeter. Growing up isn’t all that bad.

Friends, may we continue to find the magic in the world + grace in the moment, fixing our eyes on Jesus as we faithfully steward the time and take hold of the abundant life found in Him

On January 1st, some friends and I embarked on a journey to read the Bible in 90 days. The task was daunting at first and required a lot of intentionality, perseverance, and endurance but as we got into a rhythm, it became a highlight of my day. We unintentionally finished Easter Weekend and it was really sweet. Here are a few things that scratch the surface of what I learned.

My biggest takeaway from the experience is that God is consistent. Society will tell us that the God of the Old Testament is different than the God of the New Testament and that we have to explain away His commands that don’t match our version of xyz. Going into this study, I had been exploring this topic a little bit and, intellectually, I knew that God is God regardless of the time period or circumstances. But reading His word in its full context entirety cemented it into my heart. God is wholly loving and wholly just; He does not contradict Himself or act against His nature in any way. He is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow, and forever. 

Reading everything in chronological order as it was written and seeing God’s attention to detail sparked awe and worship. This book was written by dozens of authors over thousands of years and it all tells the same story! Not to mention, it has been accurately preserved for thousands more years!

A few themes kept recurring as well.

• I am the Lord your God
• God is holy
• God’s love and faithfulness are unending
• God wants our whole heart. He asks us to love Him with all that we are
• God calls us to holiness
• God is with us
• In the Lord is rest
• God’s people are set apart and made holy in Him
• Do not be afraid
• Wait for the Lord
• God is personal — He makes Himself available and invites us to be known
• God equips His people

More and more these days, I am realizing the need for Biblical literacy among Jesus followers. The cultural conversations surrounding us today are fraught with confusion. A lot of ideologies we see coming to the forefront sound like good ideas at first but upon further examination, they aren’t consistent with God’s word. This is a much bigger conversation that we’ll probably touch on in future posts. 

In the mean time. may we take the time to humble our hearts under the authority of scripture and prioritize studying the inspired and inerrant words of the Creator as He reveals more of Himself and strengthens us to take our place in the Grand Narrative.

If you’re looking for somewhere to start, I highly recommend the Every Word study. You will not regret it!

“You know what assuming does?” My mom said after I had said something unverified and probably inaccurate. “…makes an a** out of you and me” “Mommy!” I gasped (she is not prone to using obscenities at all) but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense (not to mention, it’s pretty clever). 

Spreading information that could lead to false conclusions is one thing; acting on it is another. Whether we realize it or not, we act on assumptions every day. Sometimes, these actions end up being harmless, other times, assumptions seep into our worldviews, are mistaken for truth, and affect our decision making. We constantly need to be fact-checking our assumptions with the Word of God, particularly when it comes to how we interact with our fellow human beings. 

Our culture is quick to put people into mental buckets as if we were sorting laundry. And just like if that orange sock accidentally slips into the wash with your white dress shirt, categorizing people can be dangerous. If we’re always viewing people through the filter of the group with which we think they associate, we automatically put barriers into our relationship. Not to mention, it’s also exhausting to constantly evaluate and treat fellow human beings according to what group we assume they identify with. 

What if we built bridges instead of fences?

Instead of being quick to ask someone about their enneagram number (might want to do some research on that btw) or MBTI, maybe we should take some time to walk with them and really get to know them. If we don’t take the time to put others first and attempt to step into their world, we’ll never know who they really are.

In the same way, maybe we should also be slow to put labels on ourselves. 

It’s easy to base our identity on the we ideas we hold, trends we enjoy, jobs we perform, or the company we keep. Yet those are mainly external attributes and ultimately only a small part of who we really are. In the long run, these groups are mostly social constructs and subject to change with the cultural tides. Deep, deep down, with all of these things stripped away, do we really know who we are?

We are God’s imagers; created for a specific purpose and placed within an intentional sphere. That’s a fact that will never change. When we view others through this lens, we ascribe to them their innate dignity (by operating under assumptions we deprive them of it). Seeing people as God sees them also changes our heart attitude from one of judgment to one of compassion. It frees all of us to live as who we were created to be.  

What if we viewed others as God’s imagers? What if we invited dialogue with the intent of listening and understanding instead of spewing generalizations and talking past each other? What if we treated one another with dignity and respect even if we find out we have arrived at different conclusions from the same set of facts? What if we sought out those who are different than us and chose to love them instead of only surrounding ourselves with people who will affirm our assumptions?

I guess what I’m trying to say is, let’s give each other a little grace. Let’s attempt to lay aside our assumptions and instead be quick to listen and slow to speak. It might save us from looking stupid and build up others up in the process.

“…put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another…beyond all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity…” ~Colossians 3:12-14

Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man… 
~Romans 1:23

This verse scripture has been running through my brain for the past few months. We often read it and think it applies to other people. But what if we are the ones who have become fools?

I think all of us feel it. Our hearts are confused and aren’t quite sure how to react. The violence this country saw on January 6th and in the preceding months is disgraceful. Social media is rife with arrogance. It’s saddening to see disrespect for humans made in the image of God. The finger-pointing and blame game is exhausting. The spreading of disinformation, outright lies, and manipulation tactics undermine honesty and integrity. Our distrust of one another is valid.

Why? James says it well. 

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. ~James 4:1-2

We want something that we don’t have. What is it that we want? Could it be that we have placed people/ideals/causes/slogans/you name it on a pedestal that is reserved for God and God alone? Have we misplaced our hope in things that will never meet our expectations?

Please understand, I am not suggesting we become complacent. There is a time and a place to fight for noble causes, to stand for truth, to keep people accountable, and to reflect God’s justice here on earth. There is a time and a place for righteous anger (though it should not lead us to sin or to take vengeance into our own hands). 

What I am suggesting is that we take a look at the posture of our own hearts. At the root of it all is pride. Pride says “I deserve this.” Pride says, “You owe me something.” Pride says, “I know better than you” or even (consciously or subconsciously) “I know better than God.” Pride blinds us to the bigger picture. Pride leaves no room for compassion or others-centeredness. And our corporate pride has led events to reveal what’s festering under the surface and have boiled over into one gigantic mess. 

So what are we supposed to do? Most of us do not have a large platform. Most of us are not called to public office. As we ask ourselves, “where am I placing my hope?” let us remember that all of us have a sphere of influence whether it be at home with your kiddos (so much respect for you, SAHMs), in the corporate world, as an instagram blogger, as a store clerk, tradesperson, artist, or anywhere in between. May we steward our influence well. 

Let us seek to point our sphere to the Hope that will never disappoint. There is healing and reconciliation found in Jesus — the One who humbled himself to death on a cross. On our own strength, we’ll continue to make a mess of things but as we love others in humility, we can bring hope to the brokenness.

Practically speaking this is not a formula, nor is it an exhaustive list of actions to take but it might be somewhere to start. Let us:

1. Humble ourselves before God and our fellow humans.
2. Grieve, mourn, and lament the brokenness we see
3. Check our own hearts and repent of the sin we find
4. Make an active effort to resist evil both inwardly and outwardly
5. Act on our convictions shaped by scripture

May we humble ourselves to seek wisdom, discernment, and understanding before making knee-jerk reactions. Let us remove any idols that may have taken up residence on the pedestals of our hearts. May we be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry. May we not seek to slander our fellow image-bearers but call them to accountability in truth. Let us run our races with endurance, fixing our eyes on Jesus, in whom we have a hope that will never disappoint. Lord, show us how to courageously be lights in the midst of darkness. Heal our hearts and heal our land. Kyrie Eleison, we need you. 

Scriptures: James 4:8-10, James 1:19-22, Psalm 139:23-24, 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, Titus 3:1-2, Colossians 3:12-14, Philippians 2:1-18

May we be grace[full]y courageous in 2021; steadfast in the truth, marked by kindness, and strengthened by joy to press forward in endurance towards the One in which we have hope that will never disappoint.

At the beginning of 2020 I was asking God what I needed to say “no” to in order to say “yes” to other things He might have for me. What, even good things, did I need to say “no” to?

When everything got shut down, it was frustrating because it felt like a lot of the things I took for granted as being consistent in my life got taken away. At first, I tried to control it all by creating a strict schedule for myself even though nothing was really on the calendar.

But then I realized that, in a way, God was answering my prayer and asking me to loosen my grip on my expectations for life. He was saying “SLOW DOWN, rest in me, see what I have for you.” With everything cleared off the table, I didn’t have to say “no” because it was already done for me. Instead, I was freed to say “yes” to opportunities that I previously might have been oblivious to. God began opening doors to use + explore my gifts in different ways.

Not saying it was easy at all – 2020 has been rough, frustrating, disheartening, and so full of growth and grief. It’s been a somber kind of beautiful.

One of my many takeaways from this year is the reminder that in Jesus, there is abundant life beyond what we can imagine despite how dismal the world around us may seem. I’m still going into 2021 with a lot of unknowns but through it all, He is unchanging; consistent in the chaos, faithful to expand our horizons and shift our perspectives.