plugged in.

i learned so much going to Madagascar....abandoning my home for another country. i didn't only learn spiritual things...i learned practical things. i think i grew up a little in going...you know...life lessons that can (and never will be) taught by a book or in a classroom? i learned things like:

~ how to successfully line dry clothing so they're not stiff.

~ how to search and destroy a cockroach at any given hour of the night.

~ how to make meals with unknown ingredients (like on those food network shows!)

and the last one...and maybe the most important...

~ how to live unplugged.

i know, i know. this topic is all the rage these days. i think its maybe every other day that i'm reading a post or hearing someone talk about unplugging from the world. i am not nearly as unplugged as i'd like to be...and its mostly my fault...but also the fault of the culture i live in.

its hard to not compare America to Madagascar. lets face it, they're nothing alike. but when you go to another country for an extended amount of time, or even outside your comfort zone, you start to see things differently and often times, more clearly. 

so, that being said, here is my advice for how to unplug:

put. down. the. phone.

there. i said it! i can walk into a group of my friends and every single one of them will be on their phones. i was just telling someone the other day that when my roommate and i are watching Netflix and it suddenly goes down...we jump on Pinterest and send funny pins to each other. in silence mind you. WHAT HAPPENED TO US?

the reason the 4 months in Madagascar was so awesome and hard to leave was because i spent more time away from a screen talking to real life people than i did in front of the screen talking to people who give me the best (and often times phoniest) version of themselves. there...i said it again! what everyone has been thinking, but not really saying.

when i put down my phone i had some of the sweetest times with Jesus. i got to spend time with some of the most beautiful people i've ever met in my entire life. i was able to see children...really see them. see their hurt, their joy, and their overwhelming unconditional love. i was able to look into the eyes of dying and broken people and see that Jesus made them and loves them so enormously that He sent me, plain ol' me, to tell them about that love. let me tell you, when you put down that phone, you will see that.

you will see dying and broken people searching for love and truth. you will see your sin so clearly, it makes you want to throw up. you will see Jesus, and His mighty outstretched arms, waiting to embrace you.

so, take a little time. join me and put down your phone and look around. chances are, when you have your phone in front of your face, you're missing out on seeing something God wants you to see. and that, my friends, is more important than any picture you will take, text you will send, or tweet you will post.

affirmation

a lot of my friends have been blogging lately (which i love!)....and its inspired me to blog...since mine has been lacking. if you want to hear about the fun lives of some of my friends you can check them out here, here, and here!

life these days has been kind of crazy. the days have been filled with Disney World (wahoo!!), work, BIG prayers, some more Disney, and lots more BIG prayers. and, wouldn't you guess, my word for the year has been popping up in the most unexpected places! friends stepping out, in faith, to obey what the Lord has called them to.

maybe its just me, but when i see my friends stepping up and being bold, it pumps me up! it makes me chant like i'm at the World Cup singing Ole! and the enemy (darn him!) sees that and tries to flat out knock me on my rear end! he says:

"you can't do that!"

"who would ever say that's ok?"

"you're. not. good. enough."

does that last one ring true to anyone? Bueller....? he sees you praying those BIG (quite huge) prayers and getting all excited for and because of the obedience of your friends, and he doesn't like it. not one stinking bit. i'd like to say that i don't fall for it...ever...but the sad thing is, i do.

one of my favorite quotes and the most affirming one to me is:

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

gosh, there is such truth in that! when will i ever be good enough to do what God has called me to do? on my own, never. but one of the most beautiful things about Jesus is that He is enough. i will never be the best at anything i do, on my own. everything i do is incomplete without Jesus. He makes it complete. He makes me complete.

so, next time, remember that you are, in fact, enough. not because of you, but because of Jesus. always because of Jesus.