Hey, guys!

My days at home are coming to an end as Tribeca Summer Project quickly approaches. Its incredible to think that in just a few days I’ll be down in NYC! These past few weeks at home have been really awesome, and I’ve definitely had a lot on my mind. These are just some of the things that I’ve been thinking about recently:

-I always hear about gaining my freedom in Jesus Christ, but sometimes that’s really hard for me to comprehend. I guess sometimes I struggle with feeling free since I let a lot of things weigh me down. I’m someone who definitely takes on the weight of the world and gets stressed/overwhelmed easily. I spent some time reflecting on what it is in everyday life that makes me feel free, and I came to this answer: light. I have a paralyzing fear of the dark…probably due to my overactive imagination. I welcome any light sources into my life with open arms. I looked up how often the word “light” was used in the Bible and was really surprised. Its all over the place! I read up on some of it usages in the verses, and was really surprised. God is my ultimate light source. There were quite a few verses referring to God being a light in the dark, and I think that’s so awesome! I spent some time thinking about how to reflect this in my artwork, and I came to the conclusion that a lighthouse would work perfectly. The purpose of a lighthouse is so similar to how God works in my life as a light source. A lighthouse provides light for the boats coming in so they can see their path and avoid any dangers. God is definitely my lighthouse. He gives me direction, protection, and eases my fears of stumbling through some unwanted surprises.

-I also spent some time thinking about how independent I’ve become, which is drastically different than last year. Last year I was an emotional train wreck for most of the year and really relied on the company of others to help me through the year. I was going through a lot of big changes in my life, and some of them were harder to deal with than others. I hated being alone to the point where I was almost completely dependent on being with other people. However, this year I’ve become a lot more independent…sometimes to a fault. I’ve become a lot more comfortable with my identity in Christ and the person who I’m turning in to. Because of this, I’ve definitely pulled myself together, which has caused me to not rely so heavily on others, but more on God. However, throughout this process I realized that I value my alone time too much at times. I really enjoy being alone, going places alone, having me time, and keeping to myself. Don’t get me wrong, I also really value my time with my friends and family, but I’m not overly dependent on them. Lately I’ve been forgetting about how needed the company of others truly is. I really would be content just keeping to myself, but that can be a problem. I’ve seen God do some truly amazing things in the lives of my friends, and this has strengthened my faith. We really need fellowship with others in order to see the unique ways that God works in other people’s lives. While it is important to have some alone time and time solely with the Lord, it is also very important to have time with others. I feel like I need to find a healthy balance in the middle, which is something I hope to work on throughout the summer.

-Those are the two major things that have been on my heart lately. These past few weeks I’ve been spending time preparing for project and spending time with my friends and family. I’m terribly excited to go to NYC since this is a dream come true. Please just pray that I make the best of this trip and just open my heart completely to things the Lord wants to teach and show my team down there!