A Fresh Page

5 hours and I'm 17.
                                              5 hours until 2015.
                                                                                       5 hours until fireworks fly.
                                                                                                                                               5 hours to say good-bye.

At a glance, this year has looked Frozen, with a few Hobbits and Mockingjays here and there. It looks like fun and games and ALS Ice Bucket Challenges. Looking back, we remember the triumph of the Sochi Winter Games (Well, other than that one darn snowflake refusing to open). Who will forget the intense battles for the gold medal in both men's and women's hockey? My heart is still pounding.

2014 also looks a lot like hijacked planes that went missing. It looks like tragedy. It looks like ISIS, but also a time of triumph for the Christian martyrs in the Middle East. But it also looks like fear- the uncertainty and dread of the uncontrollable that gripped us with the outbreak and the rapid spread of Ebola .

It looks like a year of political mayhem. It looks like unrest in Ukraine and controversy over the morals of the Russian government. It looks like the return of the age-old issue of racism and justice in the Ferguson shooting. It looks like delicately balanced governments that can be overturned with the production of a single, crude comedy such as The Interview. It looks like threats that may mean nothing but may mean everything- it looks like nationalistic feuds. But that's nothing new.

2014 looks like chaos. It looks like tragedy. It looks memorable. It looks unbelievably exciting.

2015 looks like nothing, right now.

To the Christian, it is no secret that the world will be spiraling downhill evermore until Jesus returns. So to be honest, I am not overly optimistic about the year that begins in just 5 hours. I'm not overly convinced that 2015 will be any more peaceful or safe than 2014 was. And to be honest, I'm not worried, either.

This year that is about to come to a close was full of lessons for all of us, I'm sure. Valuable lessons. And the thing about valuable lessons- they lose their value if they are not remembered nor put into practice.

"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?" --Anne Shirley

I find it interesting how so many people consider the new year 'a clean slate,' while being fully aware of the people they hate, the people they want to get back at, and the people they refuse to forgive. The start of a new year means zilch unless you make it mean something. And the only One who can make it mean something is the One who made you mean something.

So here's to the start of a fresh year with a fresh slate. A year that is going to be crazy and hectic no matter what, but a year that can either bring out the best, or the worst in each of us. We can decide. So skip the pointless resolutions, and simply take a look back and what you learned. The hard way, the easy way, the "God sure has a sense of humour" way. And get ready to apply it in the tests that God pulls you through next.

Learn from the past, don't dwell on it. Forgive and forget. Be the one that makes this year the best one ever for everyone you come in contact with. May the joy that is set before you get you through the day, and NEVER give up. Carpe diem!

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're doing something. -- Neil Gaiman

Psalm 90:12~

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Philippians 3:14~

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which 

God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Starting at 12:00 tonight, you will have 8,766 hours to do whatever you please with. I pray that what you please is what God pleases, as well. Take a deep breath, we're diving in! Happy New Year!

Up and At 'Em

There is one thing about this generation that scares me almost more than anything. It was always there, but I never completely realized specifically what was wrong. All I knew was that something was off. It is something that is plastered everywhere and shown in everything. It's in the songs kids listen to, the clothes teenagers wear, and the mindsets of so many young people. Scroll through the most popular memes, the most pinned quotes, and the statuses that are so similar for so many people. It's a never ending list of the same sin that is engulfing this generation, and it is hardly noticed.

Laziness.

"I'm a proud supporter of messy hair and sweatpants." "Tonight I'm meeting Netflix and playing hard to get off the couch." "A good neighbor is one that does not put a password on their wifi." "Not to be rude but I don't really care.... like, at all...." "I'm training for a marathon! [On Netflix]" "You and me, pizza, movies, popcorn. Think about it." "Can't get out of bed. Send help. Or waffles. Maybe just waffles."

Those are just a couple examples of some t-shirts/bags/pictures/statuses that I have seen over and over again. Some just randomly scattered throughout the internet or on strangers or at stores, but quite often coming from people that I know well. Once in a while, the jokes are sort of funny. And once in a while, we all need a holiday, a time to rest and recuperate and recharge for the next spurt of business and hard work. But this generation is getting it all wrong.

We are telling ourselves that laziness is cool. Lethargy is awesome. Drowsiness and leisure is the best way to spend our time. Doing nothing is how to be content. It's okay to live life on the computer or at the TV. There's no need for effort- nobody minds! Just be chill.

These are the messages that are being sent to kids and teenagers everywhere. And it's actually terrifying, because this is the generation that will be the leaders of the world in a few years. And what did we learn during our teen years, arguably the most significant years of our lives? That a life of doing nothing is desirable, and that settling for 'okay' is the new standard.

It's rare for someone to put extra effort into a date with their significant other. Everybody is settling for the norm. Surprises or special outings are becoming notable events, because they hardly happen anymore. People don't bother to dress nicely for school, for events, for get-together's, for anything. Why? Because comfy is the new stylish. It's the attitude of 'Just Deal With It' that so many people have adopted. Haters gonna hate. There is no more attempt at formality- everyplace should be comfy, cozy, and laid back. That's the atmosphere that everyone wants. If it's too loud, we retreat to our headphones and devices. We lounge wherever we want- forget decency. It's a thing of the past. Courtesy and decorum are so old-fashioned.

It's scary in the sense that the habits of laziness that are being formed in millions of kids now are going to be put to the test in no time, but it is scary for another reason. Just as we are becoming lazy in the physical sense, those attitudes are overflowing into our spiritual lives. I know that without a doubt. Why? Because I can be the laziest person ever on weekends or holidays. I treasure the days where I can nap off and on, drink tea, watch my favourite show, eat chocolate, and read books. I love being able to relax and forget about schedules and homework. I love sleeping in til noon, and wearing my pajamas all day long.

And the happiness I feel from a day of doing absolutely nothing puts my mind in such a state of idleness, that it can hardly speed up enough to really focus on anything of importance, like maybe devotions. There are always opportunities to bless my parents and siblings by doing extra chores... but really weekends should be me-time, right?

The comfy/slouchy styles are cute, the quotes are funny and #relatable, but there is someone I know would disagree with all of them. Why? Because his life was lived with the exact opposite mindset. Jesus Christ. There is nothing wrong with resting- in fact resting on the Sabbath is a command. But rest is not the same as laziness. Those who are apathetic in their spiritual walk will be satisfied with where they are. They won't make goals, they'll read their Bible recreationally. Maybe a Psalm when they're feeling happy, maybe a few Proverbs for a dose of wisdom, but there is no drive. There is no discipline. They are not passionately seeking to grow and mature. No, to the lazy one, Christianity is a hobby. A cute side-job that provides necklaces, good music, and fun times at youth group.

Laziness in a relationship with Christ is why there is so little supernatural activity in North America! Too lazy to give, too lazy to work, too lazy to help. When God calls, when he nudges someone to step out of their comfort zone, they won't because it's too far. It's too scary. It's too hard. They literally can't even.

2 Peter 1:8,9~

The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are short-sighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

2 Peter 3:18a~

You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

There cannot be growth without effort. There cannot be knowledge without seeking. When we first responded to Jesus' call to servanthood, we did not apply for ease. We applied for daily carrying our crosses. And from what I've learned from the Gospels, carrying the cross was not very comfy.

Living a life of ease is to live a life like everybody else in this world. But to live a life in Christ is to life like Jesus did. In other words, to live life big! Passionately! Exuberantly! It's to live life outside of the comfort zone. Not just stepping out once and a while, but live outside of it so long that there is no such thing as your comfort zone. It's so hard to see Christ working when you stay where you're working on your own ambitions and pleasures and desires. It's outside of all that; outside of your bed and couch, and in the world that God called you to save, that you'll see how he's working.

1 John 2:5-6~

But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

What has God commanded that we must obey? Love Him more than anything. Love others more than ourselves. Give all we own to the poor. Be a witness. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Not our own interests). Judge not.

Or what about "Follow me"? If that doesn't scream 'action,' I don't know what does! And when we follow Jesus, I can promise he won't lead you to your bed, except to kneel in prayer. I know he won't lead you over and over again to the fridge. He won't compel you to pick up the remote to watch 4 seasons of your favourite show in one day. Naw, chances are that following Him will actually help you grow. In grace, in knowledge, in wisdom, in love, and in your relationship with Him and with others. He'll pull you through the hard times, and dance with you through the good. Life could be an adventure! Purpose and joy could be yours! What more could you want? Pizza and netflix? Thought so.

James 1:22~

But be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

So the thing about a comfort zone- it encompasses everything that is tragically demeaning the lives of this generation. Leisure, bliss, pleasure, and laziness. The thing about outside of it, that's where everything that Jesus is can be found: peace, joy, and love. 

So as it is technically 7 minutes into the morning, I will say this: Good morning, sunshine! Rise and shine! Out of bed, out of the sweats, and forward to the adventure of a lifetime!