You have the responsibility to let your words speak life

As I'm working to grow in my faith, I'm learning that the pastor at my local church (shoutout to North Point) is a brilliant man. He brings life to scripture like I've never really heard before. He can take one verse out of the Bible and teach an entire sermon about that one verse; really diving into the meaning behind it. And at the end of it I'm like, "Wow. Never really thought of it that way." And while I don't agree with every single word that comes out of his mouth or every belief within this specific church, I can always find meaning within every service. It also helps that he approaches every sermon with some humor in mind, which is a direct key to my heart.

Now, I've only been following North Point closely for about a month, so I don't have a great feel for their encompassing beliefs, but the pastor has made it a point (on several occasions) that he, and the church, recognize that not everyone in the room is going to be at the same stage in their faith. That some in the room may be at a complete loss and they're just trying to find SOMETHING to grab hold to. He makes it a point that he's not trying to push specific beliefs upon you...he's simply informing you of what it means to be a Christian in the eyes of North Point Church. And I think that is AMAZING. That if you choose to come to North Point and really grab hold of what it means to be a Christian here...WELCOME. But also, if you choose to come to North Point and you're just not sure...you haven't made up your mind in terms of what you want out of faith or a church...you're also WELCOME. How CHRISTIAN is that, right? I think it's so wonderful; that's exactly what it means to be a Christian in my eyes.

Sorry...got on a little tangent there about how much I'm enjoying this new church. Now to the actual topic of discussion: the idea that "you have the responsibility to let your words speak life". That is a quote from my pastor (told you, he's brilliant). Repeat that several times. Let it sink in. What does it mean to you? To me it means that you are responsible for letting others know your truth. Don't hide behind a curtain, afraid to show who/what you really are. You have ideas and God put those ideas in you for a reason. If you're holding them back, not sharing them with the world, you're doing yourself and everyone else a disservice. You have a purpose...don't hold back from that purpose.

My purpose, as I've come to learn over the past couple of months, is that I'm meant to do more than sit behind a computer screen, crunching numbers, 8+ hours a day. I'm meant to share my outlook on life with those around me. I'm meant to show others that it's okay, and even welcomed, to be 100% yourself. I'm meant to share with women what my daily struggles are so that they know they're not alone. I'm meant to encourage women to embrace their natural beauty and not stress about what the social world is telling them they're meant to look like. Ultimately, BE YOU.

Now, I also understand that sometimes it's hard to know what being "you" means. What if you have no idea who you are? What if you're still trying to figure that out? I'm here to tell you...that's okay too. I was feeling a little lost and unsure too...until a month or so ago when I started getting back on my spiritual journey; my journey to find my faith. If you're feeling lost, I encourage you to do the same. Church may not be your thing, and that's totally okay (not quite sure it's my thing either), but find something. Meditation is a good place to start. It's going to be pretty frustrating at first. You'll constantly get this feeling like...ughhhh, this really isn't for me. This really isn't working. But give it time. I promise you, it helps. Getting into a clear headspace, focusing in on your body, really helps give clarity to your crazy life. It helps you to reflect and reflecting allows for significant changes.

Don't hide behind a mask, girl. Let yourself shine. As a wise man once said, "you have the responsibility to let your words speak life".

A place to be #unapologeticallyme.