Error On The Side Of Kindness

This one seems obvious, right? Kind people are beauties! I don't think I have ever known someone and said "Gosh, I would really like that person more if they weren't so kind…"

This is something that I strive for in my every day life. Sometimes it's easy, like when I'm hanging around my best friends. And sometimes it's hard, like when I'm dealing with frustrating people at work. Or worse, when a good friend hurts me. But no matter what situation I'm in, it is equally important to approach it with kindness and compassion. And sometimes that means laying down my own wants & needs (or pride) in favor of someone else's. So why?

Well, the way I see it… life is not about the little battles we can "win", it is about love. 

I had the honor of meeting Gary Parsons a few years ago. [Actually, like almost six years ago. Dang… time flies!] He is very involved in the YoungLife community and one of the most inspirational men I have ever met. One thing he said has always stuck with me…

"When in doubt, error on the side of love. You can't go wrong"

Kindness. It's that simple and...

So. Freakin. Beautiful. 

So this one time, two of my best friends put up with me and walked around lost in London for an hour all because I wanted to find this underground coffee house I saw once on the Travel Channel. If that's not an example of beautiful kindness… I don't know what is!

Choosing Self-Control

It's been a while. And I am sorry. Between life and distractions… I just couldn't fathom taking an hour out of my night to be vulnerable right here. Because this right here… is terrifying. The last thing I want to do is be less than 100% real here. We all have our own stories to tell. And when told with honesty, they can change minds, hearts, and lives.

Perhaps another reason I have been putting this off is that I am secretly terrified to be talking about the Fruits of the Spirit. I feel so unequipped. It's because I really am. We all are, and we need to accept that. We all fall short of these beautiful things. We will never achieve these attributes without choosing what's really important, and what is really worth it. You have to choose to listen to the Spirit inside of you. You have to choose it today and you'll probably have to choose it tomorrow. Actually, let me rephrase that…

I have to choose it today, and I will have to choose it tomorrow. 

The world is full of brokeness and beautiful temptations. 

I will choose to live in the Spirit that is within me. I will CHOOSE self-control. It's okay to deal with things differently than the rest of the world. It's a "me" generation these days. Doing what makes ME feel good or doing what I want at the very moment I want it. 

But there is a reason self-control is a beautiful thing. Because it leads to patience. And patience leads to peace. We don't need to live in the fast lane. There is something really beautiful about a girl who makes her choices with prayer and control. She will not be easily swayed by this world.