2014: Reflecting & Reflection
As of this month, I've been a "blogger" for one year. This has officially been the longest kept diary of my 21 year old life. Which is a huge surprise to myself because I didn't have high hopes for this blog. I figured that the first post would be my last. Obviously, that's not the case.
This place to write has given me reason and motivation to reflect. When I talk about reflecting, I'm not talking about looking on past events in your life and merely pondering and cherishing them. Reflecting (to me) means taking a new idea, thought, epiphany, or experience and connecting it to all or any of the factors that make up you. In my case, that factor is Jesus Christ.
Jesus will always be present in my life (whether I decide He is or not), but this year I've been able to see His presence in many ways. I've seen Him through late night discussions with my roommate who is venturing her new found faith, VBS songs sung across the Pacific, Facebook messages from my friends in Guinea, laughter and friendship in bible study, new friends and old, and through saying goodbye to the place that entertained my childhood. In these moments of 2014, I was able to acknowledge Him.
What a beautiful way to reflect on the past year - by reflecting on Jesus.
I hope that through my reflecting on Jesus, I'm able to be a reflection of Him. By reflecting on His abounding and redeeming love, my love will grow to be more like His. I hope that throughout this past year, my reflecting on Him has given me greater ability to be a brighter reflection of Him.
Dear Lord,
Let my heart continually seek the heart who seeks sinners. Offer opportunities to me, so I may be a reflection of that heart for this world and it's people. May the year 2015 be another year of continual reflection and reflecting.
This place to write has given me reason and motivation to reflect. When I talk about reflecting, I'm not talking about looking on past events in your life and merely pondering and cherishing them. Reflecting (to me) means taking a new idea, thought, epiphany, or experience and connecting it to all or any of the factors that make up you. In my case, that factor is Jesus Christ.
Jesus will always be present in my life (whether I decide He is or not), but this year I've been able to see His presence in many ways. I've seen Him through late night discussions with my roommate who is venturing her new found faith, VBS songs sung across the Pacific, Facebook messages from my friends in Guinea, laughter and friendship in bible study, new friends and old, and through saying goodbye to the place that entertained my childhood. In these moments of 2014, I was able to acknowledge Him.
What a beautiful way to reflect on the past year - by reflecting on Jesus.
I hope that through my reflecting on Jesus, I'm able to be a reflection of Him. By reflecting on His abounding and redeeming love, my love will grow to be more like His. I hope that throughout this past year, my reflecting on Him has given me greater ability to be a brighter reflection of Him.
Dear Lord,
Let my heart continually seek the heart who seeks sinners. Offer opportunities to me, so I may be a reflection of that heart for this world and it's people. May the year 2015 be another year of continual reflection and reflecting.
Hi Natalie,
ReplyDeleteYour parents were telling me about this blog, and I had to check it out. It's really neat that you've been able to stick with this for over a year, and your entry here has answered a question I've been curious about: what makes a college student want to start a faith blog? I just started a religion blog myself (www.ninthandfillmore.com) and would love to chat with you sometime about doing a guest post about your experiences as a young faith blogger. Sounds like it's been a rewarding adventure thus far!