To My Brothers

I’ve lost count of how many articles I’ve scanned, blogs posts I’ve read, & conversations I’ve had centered on the topic of prolonged adolescence. 20 & 30 somethings don’t often get a good rap. Society thinks they’re stuck in college or even high school. Refusing to grow up. Wandering without direction. Relying on their parents for far too long. The list goes on. And we seem to be the hardest on men.

I’m not denying that there’s some truth in that. But I don’t think it’s limited to men or 20 & 30 somethings. And I think at some point we all have to take a bit of the responsibility for the problem.

I look at men & yes, I see a generation…multiple generations…that are falling short as leaders. Men who seem to have momentarily misplaced their true identities. 30 somethings without careers. Families falling apart, sacrificed on the altar of ministry. Responsibility put on hold to chase seemingly crazy & selfish dreams.

I get all of that. And I’m not trying to say that it’s okay.

But there is another part of me that is full of nothing but compassion for my brothers. A part of me that looks & says at a certain point I can’t blame the 20 & 30 somethings entirely because it’s a generational issue. As a result they often lack mentors to help guide them. They don’t have people who can say “I’ve been there. I get the struggle. And I’ll love you in the struggle but care too much to let you stay there.”

I think buried underneath it all is oftentimes an identity issue. It’s something that we all struggle with at the core of our human nature. A battle that seems to only be made tougher by the pressures of our society and the pervading notion that what you do, not who you are, gives you worth.

I see multiple generations of men who are struggling to discover & live their true identities. And honestly it makes me sad. My heart breaks for them because as their sister I want them to experience the joy in living in the freedom of Christ as the person He has designed them to be.

So to my brothers, as your sister in Christ I care about you. About your faith. About your dreams. About your (future) wives & families. My prayer for you is a community that offers a little more tough love & a little less judgement & criticism.

And as I said, ladies, I don’t think it’s limited to men.

What do you think? Am I letting men off the hook to easily?

 

Consistent in the Chaos

Sometimes life seems to be a big pile of chaos. A tangled mess that I can’t sort out. A schedule that is ever changing. For someone who is a scheduler, a planner, that can get overwhelming at times.

So I make it a goal to find consistency among the chaos. People…places…things…that remain consistent amidst the change. Somedays that’s why I love my favorite coffee shops. I can count on that cappuccino to be a taste of consistency. :)

How do you find “routine” in an ever changing life? Or don’t you need routine?

 

Throwback Sundays…Inviting Others Into Your Dream

If you don’t have someone you can get lost in big idea conversations with for hours over dinner or coffee, find that. I think it’s the first step towards DOING something. Invite someone into your dream. Find someone who doesn’t think you’re crazy, who wants to encourage and support you. Someone who believes in your dream as if it’s their own. It’s more fun that way. :)

Live out your dream. Don’t just live in it.

Check out the rest of the post here. I believe that just as much, if not more, today that I did the day I wrote it.

 

Home

Home is an idea, a concept, a feeling, that has often alluded me.

I honestly never felt what I would call homesick until I visited Nashville.

Growing up my parents divorced when I was 5 so “home” was always two houses. And my one set of grandparents I also spent a lot of time at.

At the age of 14 I went to a high school an hour and a half from “home” and lived in a dorm as a result. I LOVED it. But, add one more place to the list competing for “home.”

College came and I moved to Milwaukee for school. That was the first place that felt like home to me. I loved that city and although a piece of my heart and a branch of my roots will always be there, I never felt homesick when I left.

But Nashville, I felt homesick after my first visit. It was the craziest thing. And it took me a couple of days to even sort it out in my head. But, almost every time I have left since I’ve moved here, I’ve been homesick. The only times I haven’t is when I’ve left with friends. And went to friends.

Perhaps that’s because at the end of the day home is more about people than it is about a physical place because our hearts can be tied to & invested in people. I like that definition because it means that home can be several places. And as I’ve met friends who live in various parts of the country and even the world I feel like my roots just keep on spreading.

Yes, they’re deeper in some places, like Nashville, than others. But then there are places I’ve never been. Places that I am ready to go to with my whole heart. Places I honestly feel homesick for even though my feet have never touched that part of the globe. I am so ready to go to those places. To expand home. To plant roots around the world. Because it feels like life…like home.

It’s Live!

If you missed it, the STORY 2011 website went live earlier this week. I’ve already started counting down to September 15th. (133 days if you’re wondering :)) The team got together last Friday in Chicago & it’s full steam ahead from here on out. I’m excited to be working with a such a great group again this year.

Here’s a little sneak peak at the website, but I highly recommend checking out www.storychicago.com for a taste of STORY 2011. If you are part of the creative class, would you consider joining us in Chicago? We’d love to see you there!