Community

      In August, I set a goal. I was going to make sure that I had at least one social event planned every week. At the time, I just thought it was going to be a goal that prevented me from staying in my apartment every night and doing nothing (which I was completely content with). Little did I know that it was going to become a major part of my life. The people that I meet up with have become a huge part of my life. They are the people that I want to share exciting events with. They are the people that I call up when I am afraid to go and do something on my own. They are the people that I swap recipes with. They are the people who let me share stories from work with, whether those stories are frustrating or funny. They are the people that are there for me, in both a physical and emotional sense. They are my community. 

      In preparation for this blog post, I did what all great researchers do... I went on Pinterest. I simply typed "community" into the search bar and perused the things that came up. I looked at quotes from Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Mr. Rodgers, and of course... the cookie monster. But one thing that I noticed as my eyes swept left to right across the pages is that so many of the quotes were about depression. About loneliness. About pain. And it really got me thinking. Do we only view "community" as the anecdote for loneliness (I don't know about you but I have definitely been lonely in a room full of people)? Or do we view it as its own critical part of our well-being? I think we should begin to challenge each other to view it as a critical part of our well being.

      There is a second part of community that I would like to point out. Being in a community helps you to feel like you aren't alone. In the right type of community, it will help you to feel like if you weren't there, someone would notice. Someone would care. For most people, this is a huge thing. It helps them to have the confidence to be who they need to be, who they were created to be.

      According to many experts there are three main types of community: location based, identity based, and organizationally based. As I wrap up my thoughts I challenge you to think about the communities you are a part of. What are they doing for you? What can you do for them? 

      This is something that has been on my mind for a while so feel free to comment below and let me know how community impacts your daily life. I'd love to hear your stories!

The Silver Lining

          So, I’ve been on an “adventure” lately and am trying to figure out what lessons are coming from these experiences. My car has been giving me all kind of trouble. You know, the kind of trouble where no one can figure out what is wrong or how to fix it. Then they are convinced that it is fixed and your car refuses to leave work at the end of the day. So, you learn a lot about the local tow truck drivers, their families, and their business endeavors. Yeah, that kind of adventure.

But, I’ve figured out a few things from this “adventure.” And I figured that those lessons would make a great blog post. So here it goes:

1.       People ultimately are cool: I have had person after person offer to help me out for the past month. From giving me rides to work, to offering to bring me groceries, to meeting me at the mechanic with hot chocolate and a peanut butter cookie and better yet… a hug. I think that we all get into our day to day routines and forget that we are all interconnected and that we need each other.

2.       A supportive family is a blessing: From the first phone call saying that I was stranded, to the hysterical second phone call, to the defeated third phone call, my family has been there for me. The Mom willing to drive 2 hours after a long day at work, the Dad who is trying to search his brain for what could possibly be wrong with the car and helps you find and purchase a new car, and the Grama who is just going to replace the car that is doing you wrong. Not a lot of people have such a strong supportive family and I am so thankful that I do.

3.       Money can be a pretty big deal, but it shouldn’t have control: This one is pretty self-explanatory, but don’t let money have power over you. That’s a bad idea.

4.       Sometimes it isn’t your lesson to learn: Someone pointed out to me that the car trouble might not exist because of a lesson that I need to learn. Maybe someone needed to know that I depended on them. Maybe someone needed another person to talk to. Maybe they needed me to not be on the road as they were driving. Maybe they needed to see how to trust God in any situation. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t about me.

Now, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I am thankful for this whole “adventure,” but I will strive to discover all of the lessons to come out of it. Because if you’ve got a situation, it’s worth your time to find the silver lining.