23. What is your passion? How did it become so?
Theology. Learning it, studying it, living it.
Basically, I feel in love with Jesus and the rest was history.
I also had a lot of experiences at school and in youth ministry my senior year of high school that put the desire in my heart to be a religion teacher.
I’m trying my best today to see the beauty of ambivalence rather than being frustrated in it.
If anyone ever wants to know one of the best ways to warm my heart, find me some purple or blue orchids and send them my way by surprise! You have no idea how much this would thrill me. Just saying.
In the messages of Medjugorje, Our Lady tells us to reflect on this statement often and for a long time. She does not want us to close our hearts to the greatness of the love of God. There is reason for this. The love of God is everything. We need to remember, we need to reflect… in order to know and in order to live. I repeat: “Great is the love of God!” The love of God is EVERYTHING.
Today has been a really beautiful day. And I really needed it. The past week has been really hard.
I’ve got a lot of stuff going on in my heart, and some days it becomes really confusing as to what I should be doing with all of it. Things feel very lonely, and I feel very distant from everyone, especially people I used to feel really close to. It’s like I’m not living in the same world everyone else is anymore. This was starting to make me feel really awful… but I’m beginning to see that maybe this could be a really good thing.
I am trying to do something different here. I’ve been looking for appreciation and gratification in all of the wrong places until now. I’ve been trying to find my own value based on the opinions of other people… which is something that I know shifts back and forth far too easily with time. People are much too easily swayed.
I have decided not to post as many things on Facebook or Twitter for now. I’m going to take myself out of the social scene a bit until I feel as though I can enter back in with all of the right intentions for being there. I’m also planning on spending some more of my own time in solitude and silence. I’m giving up some things that I’ve realized cause me to attach myself to everything else that isn’t the Lord. My gratification needs to come from Him alone. He alone can give me the peace that my heart so greatly desires. And I’ve been attaching myself to everything but Him lately it seems. So it’s time for some healthy detachment… right here, right now. I think that Lent was my perfect segway into this. I finally feel ready to do what I know I need to do. I need some serious discipline in order to be a saint. I need to let go of some things I’ve been holding onto for far too long and give in to the complete and total love of my Creator. Some of the things I’ve decided to do may seem a bit radical or strange to other people… but I know that these things are what I need right now. So I’m going to follow through.
Today has reminded me of the Lord’s loving care and providence at work in my life. It has been a complete confirmation of the things that have been stirring in my heart over the past couple of days. Even when I’m doing things alone, God sends me people when I need them. I had lunch with a complete stranger today, and it was beautiful. I was just eating lunch by myself outside of Whole Foods, and some random lady came up and asked if she could sit with me. What followed was some really good company and blessed conversation.
The Lord is telling me I can do this. He wants to open me up to change, and so far it’s working. It’s very gradual, but it’s working. I don’t know exactly what the Lord’s plans are for me right now or why He’s doing what He’s doing, but that’s exactly the point… Right now He just wants me to trust Him blindly. When he says jump, I need to jump without hesitation. The last thing I need to do is fear what I’m jumping into… the Lord will not let me fall. His will shall never take me where His grace cannot protect me. To persevere in trust… that’s what this is about for now. And to depend on nothing and no one but Him first and foremost. This is what will make me into a saint… and that is always the goal, to be holy because God is holy.
God not only takes what is broken and makes it new and beautiful… He also makes it better than we ever thought it could be. Lord, have your way with me! Make me a new creation all for your glory’s sake! Amen, amen. Let it be done unto me.
Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.
This is not true. Introverts just don’t talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.Myth #2 – Introverts are shy.
Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite.Myth #3 – Introverts are rude.
Introverts often don’t see a reason for beating around the bush with social pleasantries. They want everyone to just be real and honest. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in most settings, so Introverts can feel a lot of pressure to fit in, which they find exhausting.Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people.
On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.
Nonsense. Introverts just don’t like to go out in public FOR AS LONG. They also like to avoid the complications that are involved in public activities. They take in data and experiences very quickly, and as a result, don’t need to be there for long to “get it.” They’re ready to go home, recharge, and process it all. In fact, recharging is absolutely crucial for Introverts.Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone.
Introverts are perfectly comfortable with their own thoughts. They think a lot. They daydream. They like to have problems to work on, puzzles to solve. But they can also get incredibly lonely if they don’t have anyone to share their discoveries with. They crave an authentic and sincere connection with ONE PERSON at a time.Myth #7 – Introverts are weird.
Introverts are often individualists. They don’t follow the crowd. They’d prefer to be valued for their novel ways of living. They think for themselves and because of that, they often challenge the norm. They don’t make most decisions based on what is popular or trendy.Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds.
Introverts are people who primarily look inward, paying close attention to their thoughts and emotions. It’s not that they are incapable of paying attention to what is going on around them, it’s just that their inner world is much more stimulating and rewarding to them.Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun.
Introverts typically relax at home or in nature, not in busy public places. Introverts are not thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies. If there is too much talking and noise going on, they shut down. Their brains are too sensitive to the neurotransmitter called Dopamine. Introverts and Extroverts have different dominant neuro-pathways. Just look it up.Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts.
Introverts cannot “fix themselves” and deserve respect for their natural temperament and contributions to the human race. In fact, one study (Silverman, 1986) showed that the percentage of Introverts increases with IQ
