Pretty Things.

To all of these things I say welcome. And welcome to you, dear summer.

Friends.

Pretty braids.

Secret-telling in pretty tents.

Summer picnics in the warm sun.

Traveling to the world's largest ferris wheel.

I love you summer.

Life.. Is A Journey

There seems to be a recurring theme in my posts, though they may be few. And that is that life is a journey. A puzzle to be figured out and sorted through. And something that I have only started to see recently. It's easy to look at life one-dimensionally, thinking that it just is the way it is. And that people think the way they do, just because they do. Recently, I've been doing a lot of soul-searching, as far as what I believe and have begun to question a few things that I originally thought to be true. While it can be scary to question things, I think it's the only way to truly find out what you believe in. If I simply believed the things that I believe in, only because that's the way that I've been taught, does that mean that I really believe in them? I'm not saying that I'm questioning my faith in the Lord, because I've already been through that and now completely know Him to be true, but the "politics" of believing in Him. Practicing a religion can be ridiculous, and I think that many "religion-practicing" folks would have to agree. It's ridiculous sometimes the petty rules that we've established that have to be followed inside of the church, and they are what, many times, shy people away from church. The exact opposite of what we as a body of believers should be doing. I think that many people have started to recognize this, and it's become trendy to say that you're not a Christian, but a follower of Christ, masking, to a certain extent, all the damage that we as Christians have done to the name of Christ and the stigma that's been attached to Christians as a whole. I don't agree with many of the things that I've seen done in churches, and outside of churches by Christians. I'm embarrassed, quite frankly, and there are times where I want to deny, not Christ, but Christianity. I think that's where the idea comes from of being a "Christ-follower" and isn't that what Christianity is supposed to mean anyway-following Christ? I think the part that I've been so confused about lately are the logistics of following- are you Calvinist or not? Which creation theory do you believe? Should women lead in the church? Should you play a guitar in the worship service or sing a capella? --And the mind boggling part to me is that absolutely no one is going to have the same ideas about everything, but yet everyone thinks that they are right. Granted, we're only human, but then who's really right? Does it even matter? Where is the dividing line between judging and taking action? How do you love unconditionally?

I haven't figured out most go the answers to these questions, and I may never. But I feel like I'm in a good place, with an open mind. I'm willing to hear both sides and though I'm a bit afraid of what I might hear, I have to know to be able to honestly say what I believe. It's important, not just for me, but I think for everyone. This may not make any sense at all, but it's where I'm at right now and I'm following the path that the Lord has laid at for me.

Thoughtfully,
Briley