Progress, Not Perfection

Sometimes we have to do things that we don't like to do. In a day, you may spend most of your time doing things that are "have to" instead of "want to". When we get caught up in this daily grind, it can be easy to feel bitter about all the "have to" things. Bitterness can sneak up on us in relationships as well, perhaps when we feel like a friend is not putting as much into the relationship as we are or if our family doesn't respect our needs. Here are some tips and bible passages to help settle those feelings of bitterness and allow us to live a happier life. 1. Focus on this that bring you joy. "Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8) 2. Put your trust in God. "We know that all things work together for good for...

What do you do as a family to unwind and recharge? How does your family ensure that you have quality time together each week? Teens live busy lives and sometimes it seems like there is no time for family any more, and friends take priority. But, it is important to seek that time with family to unwind together, laugh together. I follow a page on Facebook called Mindful Christianity Today. They post quite often and share some great inspiration to remind us what being a Christian is all about. The above photo is one that they have shared recently. I would recommend giving them a follow if you have Facebook. It's a great way to keep God in mind even when mindlessly scrolling through social media. Click here to check them out. Comment your family traditions of self-care and relaxation. Maybe you watch a movie together every Tuesday or make breakfast together each Saturday.

Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth.    He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;  he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.    “Be still,and know that I am God!  I am exalted among the nations,  I am exalted in the earth.”    The  Lord  of hosts is with us;  the God of Jacob is our refuge. (Psalm 46:8-11) Box breathing is a calming technique that you can use anywhere to settle your mind, relieve stress, and take a time out. I find it helpful to use a visual to help me to do this, but you can simply count if you prefer. It is simple: inhale for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale for four seconds (repeat as needed). Click here to use the video to help you try it. You can add box breathing to your prayerful time of the day as a way to remove distractions before you begin your prayer practice. It can also be helpful to us...

Jesus tells us to love our enemies. Sometimes, when I am struggling to love my friends and family, I think about what a HUGE task it is to love our enemies. We often do not use the word "enemy" too much these days, so let's take a moment to think about what Jesus was talking about when he said to love our enemies. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us to pray for those who persecute us. Perhaps we have been wronged by someone, an organisation, a company, a family member. The point that Jesus is making here is that it is easy to love people who love us and are kind to us. But, it is harder to love people who treat us poorly. For me, I also find it hard to accept that I might not be able to change those people, in fact I probably won't be able to change them. The only person I have that kind of control over is myself. It takes courage to change. But Jesus calls for radical change in the way that we think, the way we speak, and the way that we love. I had ...

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice  ( Philippians 4:4) As we know, each week of advent has a theme and this week coming up, the theme is Joy. During this season, it can be easy to feel the stress of life with school, work, and family commitments. But it is important to think about the amazing gifts of God and the marvelous coming of God's son that we are preparing for during advent. I often find myself turning to the Psalms when I am seeking a prayer because I like the idea of praying a song that was written so long along and yet still holds true. For this week, I offer you Psalm 71. Psalm 71:18-24   New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) So even to old age and gray hairs,     O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might      to all the generations to come. Your power  and your righteousness, O God,      reach the high heavens. You who have done great things,   ...

There are events in life that happen which totally change how we see the world, how we live, and how we love others. When these things happen, it can feel like we are starting life over again. For example, I sometimes think back to high school and I feel like that was a totally different life. Who I am now is so different, and yet the same. It is a wonderful example of life's paradoxical nature. This was on my mind in the last week because my Grandpa had a heart attack last Thursday. He has been in the hospital and is making a slow recovery, but he has heart failure which means that his heart is no longer functioning the way that it should be. Because of this, he has to follow a very strict diet, weigh himself every morning, sleep in certain positions, and many more things. This is going to be a total change in his life. At 76 years old, it is like he is starting a new life. It is hard to imagine that our lives can continue to change and totally turn us around. I think a lot ...

Everyone experiences faith differently in their lives. It can be unfair to proclaim one's faith as stronger or more serious than another person's since everyone's relationship with God is different. James Fowler wrote about how faith develops throughout our lives and I had the pleasure of reading a lot of his work during my undergraduate degree. I found a graphic that summarizes his stages of faith development to save you four years of intensive study: When we are very young, our idea of faith is quite limited. We copy the things that our parents do, but according to Fowler, we do not really have an understanding of spiritual concepts just yet. Jumping to adolescence, one can see that in the struggle that teens have to form their own identities, they question religious values of their parents and communities. This is a normal part of growing up. We do this in many aspects of our lives, so it would be kind of strange if no teens questions the religious beliefs of t...