Tag: Christianity

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So, You Want to Make a Difference

so-you-want-to-make-a-difference

So, you want to do something extraordinary?

 

Yeah, me too.

 

Make a difference. Change people’s lives. Bring hope to those seemingly hopeless. Impact, encourage, and inspire the world.

 

Sometimes, we just have this ache to…do something.

 

We see the model Christians over in Africa, digging wells and building schools, and those young teens starting nonprofits. We watch as people intervene in crises, take in refugees, adopt a houseful of kids, have this whole change-the-world-plan by age fourteen, and we’re over here in our cozy little homes drinking pumpkin spice lattes and sweeping the kitchen floor and feeling guilty.

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Why Do You Do What You Do?

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Why do I even do this?

 

Deeply breathing, I eke out the words, one by one. And slowly, slowly, my fingers begin to glide over the keys, and I let my thoughts run.

 

I don’t really know what I’m doing.

 

Oftentimes, the words come out more vulnerable than I’d like them to be.

 

What if I’m not living the life I’m supposed to be living?

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When We Can’t Explain the World’s Pain

when-we-cant-explain-the-worlds-pain

Wordless.

 

Sometimes that’s what life makes us.

 

When we see the tragedies in the world, our own selves falling apart, the world splitting with injustice, and evil, and suffering – we don’t know what to say.

 

In our heads, we know that God is all good, all powerful, and full of compassion and love.

 

Yet when life makes us ache, brings us to our breaking point, and the world shouts, “How could you believe in a God that allows you to suffer?” we’re often silent.

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When Your Soul is Longing to Be Enough

when-your-soul-is-longing-to-be-enough 

Enough.

 

I have a love/hate relationship with that word; the whole concept of adequacy and fullness.

 

Because deep inside of me, there’s this longing to be truly enough…and an aching dread that I never will be.

 

I know that sounds extremely un-Christian and negative, so please do hear me out. This is something I think really needs to be addressed.

 

In a world that seems to require perfection, how can we, as imperfect humans, truly live freely?

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How to Pursue Purpose-Filled, Intentional Living

how-to-pursue-purpose-filled-intentional-living

I don’t want to write just to write.

 

I penned these words in my journal on July 17th, 2015, a time when I was wrestling with the difference between simply writing words, and writing words that mean something.

 

After timidly claiming the title of “writer,” I decided that maybe that wasn’t who I truly was.

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Today-Living (Or, What to Do When You Have No Idea What to Do With Your Life)

today-living-or-what-to-do-when-you-have-no-idea-what-to-do-with-your-life

Lately, I’ve been having this series of existential crises, those “What am I doing with my life?!” freak-out sessions of ranting and frantic heavy-breathing and banging my head against walls because I literally have no idea in the world what’s gonna go on with my future.

 

It’s…exhausting.

 

I’ve been talking a lot with my amazing parents and my amazing friends about the whole thing, and they’ve tirelessly said Amanda, stop. Breathe. It’s gonna be okay, God’s in control, you’ll figure it out, God’s plan will prevail, and you don’t need to worry.

 

But they’ve also said one thing that has really stood out to me, and if you’re in any similar situation, I hope it’ll help you too.

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Realistically Living the Graceful Life (And So Much For That Hiatus)

realistically-living-the-graceful-life-and-so-much-for-that-hiatus

Hey, friends. At the end of Tuesday’s post, I said something about taking a little hiatus from blogging so I can recharge and get back into school.

 

However, I’m back for a few minutes today, because I had a few things to say.

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What The Christian Life is Really About (Hebrews Bible Study: Week 13)

What The Christian Life is Really About (Hebrews Bible Study- Week 13).png

Welcome to week thirteen – the final week – of the Hebrews Bible Study on Scattered Journal Pages.

 

And wow, we’ve made it so far. I don’t have the time to bring up every lesson discussed in these thirteen weeks – so that’s what the previous post list is for, of course. This means now that if you want to access any study on any chapter in the entire Book of Hebrews, they’re all in the archives, open for the reading. I’m excited about that!

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