A Year in Review & A Year to Come

365 days ago, I made a few resolutions for 2015 - to delete instagram, to take a weekly day off for Sabbath, to be more physically active, and to blog weekly, and I must say, i'm quite proud of how things turned out.

Deleting Instagram - the whole point of this resolution was to step away from how social media can suck oneself in; from seeking validation in something else, to falsely increasing our importance. I remember the first month or so - finding myself naturally going through my social media rhythms, and swiping to where my Instagram app would be, only to be reminded that it wasn't there anymore. But over time, the draw for it faded away. Yes - I survived without Instagram!

With that being said, and with the new year here - I've decided to come back on Instagram. At first, I wrestled with whether or not I should just cut it out completely, but I also thought - "if I return, I definitely want to use it in a way to further and build God's kingdom", and of course - God responded. I got to go to a seminar at Urbana entitled: "Jesus on Instagram: How Social Media Can Further God's Global Mission". We discussed on how social media can be bad for our souls - procrastination, becoming restless and isolated, and how it cultivates pride, envy, greed and lust; but just as it is bad for our souls, its bad for every soul and therefore, as the speaker noted, we must use it. As followers of Christ, we are called to be light in the darkness, to bring God's comfort into the pain and hurt in the world, extending that compassion through the means of social media! With that being said, there are also ways social media can be good for our souls - how it can reveal sins in our hearts and increase our gratitude. I hope i'll be able to steward my digital presence in a way that honours and brings glory to the LORD this year.

Taking a Sabbath - The past school semester, i've been learning more and more about what it means to take a sabbath; it's a time to refocus and re-orient your attention back on God, remembering Him so that we don't end up drowning in the business of life. I haven't got it down yet at all, but I do hope to continue practicing this spiritual discipline more and more; I definitely do look forward to my day off every week! I'm also proud that i've been able to manage my time well enough to take a day off in the first place too!

Be more Physically Active - okay, i'll admit this wasn't consistent throughout the entire year, but I can say that this past semester i've hit the gym 3x a week (even during exams!), and I haven't skipped a day (besides the thanksgiving long weekend). It feels good, I see results, and i'm quite happy with it! Hoping to keep that up next semester (keep me accountable!)

Blog Weekly - well, in a 52-week year, i've managed to post 46 times; eh that's not too bad! I know i've had my on and off times, but i'm glad I was still able to fit some in - I will attempt to continue blogging more; it is so so good to record how God has been faithful in your life; big or small.

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2016 is here; and with it comes a new set of resolutions i'm quite excited to take on! Most of these came from my experiences and reflections from Urbana.

Committing to Praying for the Persecuted Church - one night at the conference, we spent a session learning about the needs of the missionaries overseas, especially the ones who were in nations where living out the faith and sharing the gospel was dangerous and risky. From Matthew 25:31-46, we learnt the importance of helping and supporting our brothers and sisters in Christ - and I think for a long time i've always thought of that meaning those at church and at fellowship - but no, the family of God that we've been adopted into is a global one. The main thing that those overseas asks for, is prayer - and I definitely have not been doing that. Especially with my encounter with God during worship (refer to my previous post), I realized how much more our prayers are needed! So this upcoming year, i'm planning to dedicate each month to a nation on the World Watch List (you can learn more HERE). Each month i'll have a different coloured string tied around my wrist to remember to be in constant prayer for not only the persecuted, but also the persecutors as the Bible commands (Matthew 5:44). #OneWithThem

Being More Aware - At Urbana, we stepped into the stories of many different cultures, we learnt about different faiths and religions and we explored many social justice issues. The truth is, I found myself to have no response to some of these things; my heart felt dead, I didn't feel sad, I didn't feel angry; just nothing. Though one thing I did feel, I felt bad. I questioned why I didn't feel anything, why didn't my heart break at the sound of these things? Was it because I just didn't care? (I hope not!) Perhaps it was because I was simply unaware. I feel that I've always lived in a sheltered environment growing up, i've never taken the initiative to read the news and be informed about not only what's going on in the world, but also the different cultures and religions. I hope I can spend more time learning and stepping into the stories of different communities and cultures. How am I to speak with those of different faiths and cultures if I have no clue as to what they do/what it means? How am I to empathize and take action with injustices when I have no knowledge on the subject? So this year - I'm going to try to spend more time being informed, reading the news, and being more aware overall.

Read More - I'm not usually a reader; it's hard for me to pick up and get through a book regardless of the genre but I really want to read more. I've picked up two books at Urbana and as I begin the first one, Redeeming Sex by Debra Hirsch, I suddenly start to fear that I didn't get enough! I have a whole list piled up, so hopefully i'll be able to get through some more this year. I'm not going to set a number, I just want to read more - books, news articles, scripture, whatever I can.

Please keep me accountable! Have you made any new years resolutions?

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