New Year's Resolutions: An Update

Well, 2014 is coming to a close, and it’s been a great year! I graduated from Hendrix in May, worked at Cavanaugh Church this summer, and moved to Waco, TX, in August to attend Truett Seminary. There’s been a lot going on, but it’s all been good stuff, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the way this year turned out.

I thought that since 2014 is nearly over, now would be a good time to look back on the resolutions I made a year ago and see where I ended up on each of them as I start thinking through what I want to accomplish next year. I basically had four major resolutions for 2014, along with some smaller ones, and I feel like I did pretty well on most of them. So here’s an update on my 2014 New Year’s Resolutions and how I think they went this year.

1. Write every day.

My first major resolution was to write every day. I didn’t know exactly what I would write each day, but I knew that I wanted to write something, and I did. Sometimes it was really short, and sometimes I would spend an hour or more on one writing project in a day. But I wrote something every day, and I feel like it was really good for me as a creative outlet.

For next year, I want to keep writing every day, but I want to make it even more meaningful. I’m not exactly sure how that’s going to look yet, though. I may set aside a certain block of time each day just for creative writing, or I may set a goal of writing one big creative work this year (like a book or a movie). I’m not quite sure yet. But I know I want to take this goal further in 2015, because I think it’s been really good for me.

2. Bible journaling and verses of the day.

This was actually my most successful New Year’s Resolution, I think. I was able to stick to my Bible reading plan every day, reflect on what I read, and share a verse on social media. It was great. It taught me how to appreciate parts of the Bible that I usually just gloss over, and it taught me how to share God’s word in a way that’s meaningful to me and hopefully to others, as well. I’m really glad I decided to go through with this goal in 2014.

However, I think I’m going to change this one up in 2015 as well. While I enjoyed sharing a verse online every day, I started to feel like it may have been a bit of overkill towards the end. So I think that instead of doing a verse every day next year, I’ll just share verses and thoughts that mean a lot to me as they come up organically.

I’m also changing up how I journal next year. I’m going to keep doing my daily Bible reading out of the Old and New Testaments, but instead of journalling on two big passages every day, I’m going to focus my journalling time on more intense studies of individual books of the Bible. I want to really dig deep into specific parts of Scripture, letting them saturate, and maybe even tying in outside materials like commentaries and other people’s Bible studies. So that’s what I’m going to focus my Bible journalling on for next year, and it’ll probably turn into some fun blog posts as well.

3. 1 Second Everyday

I tried to do 1SE this year, but I just didn’t find it to be meaningful. It was distracting me from enjoying what I was doing when I was with family and friends, and I was constantly thinking, “OK, what is my 1SE going to be today?” That’s not meaningful or organic. It’s just distracting and stressful. Also, the 1SE just has a lot of bugs and doesn’t do well at keeping up with the newest operating system or hardware releases. So I abandoned this goal during the year, and I think it was the right decision for me. 1SE is a great idea that has been a wonderful experience for a lot of people, but it’s just not for me at this point in my life. However, I do want to incorporate video creation back into my routine again. I’m not sure what that’s going to look like yet, but you’ll be the first to know when I figure it out!

4. Keeping a regular blog schedule.

For those of you who read this blog regularly, you probably know that I’ve been posting articles weekly all year. I was able to fulfill my goal of publishing a personal blog post every Tuesday of 2014, and I’m super-proud of that! I’m going to continue my weekly blog posts on Tuesdays in 2015, and I hope you guys will stick around to read them.

You may have also noticed that my Stuff Devon Likes posts haven’t been as consistent lately. I tried to do one every Saturday this year, but to be honest, I got kind of burned out on them. I ran out of interesting things to write about, and when I had something interesting to write about, I never felt like I gave myself enough time to fully think it through. So I’ve decided to turn Stuff Devon Likes into more an organic, sporadic series of blog posts rather than a weekly one. I think this will allow me to choose things that I’m passionate about and spend more time on them, which will ultimately result in better blog posts.

5. Other goals.

Thoughout the year, I started working on some other goals that weren’t New Year’s Resolutions but were important to me, and they’ll become New Year’s Resolutions this year. The biggest new goal was to improve my health. Since I graduated college, I’ve started eating healthier, exercising regularly, and sleeping more. It’s been great. I feel better than I have in years, and I’m much happier with the way I look. But there is still a lot of room for improvement in that area, and I’m working on some concrete goals for my health in 2014.

I’ve also been reviewing my Spanish and doing some brain training through apps on my phone (Duolingo and Elevate). These have been great ways to work areas of my brain that aren’t always used to their capacity in school, and I think it’s been a good way to keep my mind sharp. It also adds some diversity among the reading, papers, and tests that I’m always doing for school. I’m very happy with the way those goals are going, and I’m going to keep doing them.

My personal journaling has kind of taken a backseat lately. With my focus on fitness and sleep (as well as my time commitments with school and work), it’s been hard to make time to sit down each day and really think through the events of the day and the feelings I experienced. I want to get back to that, because I think it’s really good for me. So maybe one of my resolutions for next year will be to set aside a specific time each night before bed to do some intense journaling. I’ll let you guys know how that goes!

So there you have it. That’s an update on how my New Year’s Resolutions went in 2014 and where I plan in taking them in 2015. I know this post went a little long, but if you took the time to read it, I really appreciate it. I’d love to hear how your resolutions went this year and what you plan on doing in the coming year! You can contact me on social media or though my contact page, and I’d be happy to chat with you. As usual, thank you guys for reading. I hope you have a safe, happy new year, and I can’t wait to share 2015 with you!

What Christmas Means to Me

Last week, I became frustrated by the never-ending “war on Christmas” posts I saw on my Facebook feed, and I wrote a long blog post about why I think the whole war on Christmas thing is a joke. However, I realized that my blog post was more of an angry rant than any kind of constructive conversation-starter, so I decided to scrap it. Maybe one day, I’ll re-work it and share it with you guys. But not right now. Because Christmas isn’t about angry rants, even if some people’s Facebook feeds may suggest otherwise.

When I decided not to post my war on Christmas article, I started thinking about how I could recognize Christmas on my website in a more reverent, meaningful way. And then I realized that a lot of my frustration stemmed from the fact that my understanding of what Christmas means may be a lot different from what other people’s understandings of Christmas. So I decided to write up a blog post about what Christmas means to me, not to tell anyone else that they’re wrong, but to articulate exactly how I view the holiday and why it means so much to me.

Honestly, I’ve had to do a lot of thinking recently about what Christmas really does mean to me. I used to take it for granted. Growing up, I didn’t really consider what Christmas was or what it meant. But this year, I’ve been doing some real thinking on the subject for a lot of different reasons. I think Christmas has different, deeper significance to me this year than in the past, and I’m happy about that. Here’s what Christmas means to me.

1. Christmas means a change of pace.

No matter what walk of life one is in, Christmas means taking a break for most people. Whether it’s taking a vacation from school or getting a few days off work, Christmas is a time to relax, sleep in, and spend some time for yourself. This drastic change of pace shows just how big of a deal Christmas is. It’s very rare that most everyone in society takes a sort of Sabbath together to recognize an event. That’s huge, and it’s something worth truly thinking about. How can we use this change of pace not only for our own wellbeing but also to commemorate the holiday more meaningfully? I think that’s something we should consider.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to recognize those who don’t get to enjoy a change of pace on Christmas day. Doctors, military personnel, and thousands of other workers don’t get Christmas off, and I thank them for what they do. The reality of life is that the world still has needs even on holidays, and we would be in a really tough spot if those people all decided to take a day off. So if you’re one of those people working instead of resting on Christmas, thank you, and I hope you get to celebrate the holiday in your own unique way.

2. Christmas means time with family.

This is one aspect of Christmas that I’ve always agreed with in my mind, but I’ve never really thought about it or tried to be intentional about it until now. Living far away from my family and not being able to see them as often as I would like has given me a much deeper appreciation of the precious time that I have with them. And Christmas is an especially special day that I’m very grateful to get to spend with my family. Christmas reminds me of how important it is to be there for the little things that in the long run turn out to be big moments, like when Aiden sees his Christmas presents for the first time or when the family gets together to watch Elf. There’s just something extra-special about being with family this time of year, and I hope each of you gets to experience that this Christmas.

3. Christmas means celebrating the birth of Christ.

And of course, we can’t forget the whole basis of the Christmas holiday. This is actually an aspect of Christmas that I’ve downplayed in previous years, and I think we all have a tendency to do so. We can get so caught up in the gift-shopping and busyness and fighting against the “war on Christmas” that we forget to simply contemplate the magnitude of what Christ did for us on the first Christmas day. God came to earth as a baby. He chose to live a full human life just like we do so that we could have a relationship with him. He could have come to earth as an adult. He could have just not come at all. But the God of the universe, the savior of the world, came to earth in the form of a baby two thousand years ago. And that blows my mind. I’m choosing to spend some time this Christmas season thinking about that and thanking God for it, and I hope that you will, too.

So that’s where I’m at this Christmas. I know that Christmas means something different to everyone, but no matter where you’re at this Christmas or what it means to you, I hope that you have a blessed holiday with people you love. May you feel warm and loved this Christmas, and may the God who came to dwell among us fill your life with peace, if even just for a day. God bless, and merry Christmas.

Seminary - Semester One

I can’t believe my first semester of seminary has already come and gone! It seems like it wasn’t that long ago that I was packing up my car and heading to Waco to start my studies at Truett. But I’ve been in Waco for four months now, and my first round of classes is complete! So I thought this would be a good time to reflect on my experience with seminary so far and give you guys on update on how everything is going.

This semester, I took all of my introductory courses. I took Introduction to Christian History, Introduction to Christian Scriptures, Introduction to Christian Theology, and New Testament Greek I. These classes are pretty basic and are mostly meant to build a solid foundation for when I move on to the more advanced classes in the coming semesters. However, they kept me pretty busy, and I learned a lot of great stuff this semester.

I think the thing I was looking forward to most about seminary was the ability to focus my studies solely on topics that pertained to my vocation. I loved studying Religion and Psychology as an undergrad, and I think I learned a lot of helpful things, but I was really excited to dig deep into the Bible, Christianity, and theology at seminary. And my first semester did not disappoint. I learned a lot of information that I found interesting and meaningful in my ministry, and my classes made me even more excited about my studies by giving me a taste of what’s to come.

I’m always amazed at the end of a class by how much I’ve learned without even meaning to. I feel like classes are meant to saturate your mind with so much knowledge in a subject that you can’t help but pick up at least the basics. And that’s definitely the experience I’ve had with my classes this semester. I’ve learned so many new names, words, and concepts this semester, but it hasn’t felt overwhelming or burdensome. It’s been super-interesting and fun. I learned all this stuff on accident, and I think that’s the way it should be.

I’ve also been blown away by how kind and supportive my classmates have been this semester. Seminary is not a competition. We’re all in this together, and we’re each willing to do what it takes to help others succeed. It’s fun to talk with my classmates outside of the classroom about the things we learn in class. It helps me remember what the professors are teaching, and it’s also interesting to see how other people’s experiences affect how they view the subjects we’re discussing in class. I’m loving it.

One thing I realized this semester is just how short seminary is going to be. Three years sounds like a long time, but it’s really not. And I’m already one-sixth of the way into it. That’s crazy! I’m really trying to appreciate these times and recognize that they’re going to be gone before I know it.

All in all, I’d say my first semester of seminary has been a huge success. It’s better than I ever imagined it would be, and I couldn’t be more pleased. I’m excited to take a break and get ready for next semester. Thank you all for supporting me and keeping up with me on this journey. I couldn’t do it without yo. Here’s to a restful holiday and a successful semester in the spring!

The Calm Before the Storm

It’s that time of year again! And unfortunately, I’m not referring to the holidays. I’m talking about finals. The bane of every college student’s existence, and for many, the most stressful time of the semester. Soon, students at Baylor will be dragging themselves to their classrooms at odd times to take the long, comprehensive exams that they’ve been preparing for all semester. I may be exaggerating just a little bit, but finals are a stressful time for most students, and I’ve been known to get a little tense around this time myself.

But there are no finals today. Because today is one of the most precious days in the academic calendar: Dead Day. Every semester right before finals, the school gives students some time off to prepare for the tests. No classes, no meetings, nothing. Just time to relax and study at our leisure. It’s glorious, and I look forward to it every semester. But in a way, everyone knows this peaceful bliss is only temporary. Soon enough, the day will end, and it will be finals time. This truly is the calm before the storm.

In a way, Dead Days are a gift. They’re the school’s way of letting students know that they understand that what’s coming is hard, and they want to give students an opportunity to recuperate and prepare before the hard part comes. Unfortunately, life isn’t always as generous as colleges are in this respect, and we don’t always get a time of calm before the craziness ensues. But when you do, here are a few things to keep in mind. This is what I’m trying to remind of myself of on this Dead Day.

1. The storm is coming.

It’s easy to slip into the trap of denial. Often, when I’m dreading something that’s coming up in the future, I just act like it isn’t going to happen. If I don’t have to worry about it, it can’t hurt me, right? Wrong. Because eventually, the appointed time for whatever it is that I’m dreading is going to come, and if I don’t recognize that and plan for it, I won’t be prepared. Sure, thinking about finals and deadlines is uncomfortable. It may even be daunting. But pretending that things we don’t like aren’t going to come is just irresponsible, and that’s not what these times of rest are for.

2. You can handle it.

On the flipside of that, just because something’s coming that you’re not looking forward to, that doesn’t mean you can’t handle it. The whole point of these times of calm before the storm is to prepare for what’s to come. And the truth is that things like finals aren’t so bad if you just put a little bit of effort into them. Time management is key. Make a reasonable plan to prepare for what’s to come, and stick to it. Because you can handle whatever it is that’s coming your way. You are capable, and if you use the time you’ve been given wisely, you will succeed at whatever it is that’s coming. You just have to keep reminding yourself of that.

3. This time is precious. Don’t waste it.

Finally, the time of calm before the storm is very valuable. You should cherish it. You won’t always be so lucky as to get this special time, so use it to its fullest capacity. Get plenty of rest, prepare for what’s to come, and do something that makes you feel alive and fulfilled. Those are the best uses of your time of calm before the storm. If you’ll take that time seriously and use it wisely, you’ll be ready to handle whatever it is that comes afterwards. And once you conquer that, you’ll be ready to move on to something bigger and better.

For those of you who are college students, enjoy what’s left of your Dead Days, and best of luck with finals. If you’re not in college but this blog post still applies to you, I’m very thankful that you took the time to read it. And if you’ve read this far despite the fact that this subject has nothing to do with your life, thank you. I don’t know why you’re reading this right now, but thank you. This is the calm before the storm, and it’s just as important what you do now as when the storm itself comes. So use your time wisely to rest and prepare, and you’ll be just fine. Have a great week, friends, and I’ll see you next Tuesday!

Love Alone Is Worth the Fight

Last week, I sat down with my family for movie night, and we watched The Giver. I had already seen the movie in theaters (and even written a review about it for Stuff Devon Likes), but while I was watching it for a second time, something struck me. I used to think the story of The Giver was about freedom and choice. But now I think that I was mistaken. I think the story is ultimately about love.

For those of you who haven’t seen The Giver or read the book that it’s based on, basically it’s a story about a post-apocalyptic dystopian community where all forms of inequality and all sources of conflict have been eradicated. Race, social class, the ability to choose one’s own career, weather, pain, and even color have been removed from the community. Citizens take injections each morning to suppress their emotions. The people pretty much become dull cogs that keep the machine of the community going. Jonas, the main character in the story, discovers what’s happened and has to face the fact that there is more to life than he has experienced within the community. The ultimate question for Jonas becomes whether or not love is worth all of the terrible things that come along with the ability and freedom to love, such as heartbreak, pain, and even war and death.

Obviously The Giver is an exaggeration. We do not live in a world where we are encouraged to give up everything that makes us unique in order to keep the system going. I hope it never comes to that. But there are some aspects of reality within the story. Because the truth is that we all face the dilemma that Jonas did at some point or another.

Each of us is constantly faced with the choice between love and apathy. We can choose to invest in people, things, and ideas that we care about but may potentially let us down. Or we can choose to not care about anything in order to protect ourselves from pain and loss. I’m afraid that too many people have chosen the latter. They walk through life like the people in The Giver, with no attachments to anything, simply trying to get by. And that’s no way to live. Love is what makes life worthwhile. It’s what makes life exciting and fun and ultimately meaningful. Love is the most important thing. How could we possibly choose to live without it?

If you’ve read this blog for very long, you probably know that I’m a pacifist. I don’t like fighting or the use of violent imagery to make a point. But one of my favorite songs ever is by Switchfoot, and it’s called Love Alone is Worth the Fight. Because as much as I hate fighting, if there’s one thing in this world that’s worth fighting for, it’s love. I have no problem standing behind that.

Today, you’re faced with a choice. You can choose apathy, or you can choose love. I would encourage you to choose love, in whatever form that may take. Maybe it’s showing a stranger on the street some kindness. Or sending care and money to a child overseas who is struggling to survive. Or choosing to forgive someone in your life who has wronged you. Yes, all of these things involve risk. They may even involve pain at some point. But they’re worth it. Love is worth it. So choose love today.