Category: Encouragement

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Book Update Wisdom Wednesday

Bible “Retellings” Explained

For the past decade or so, “remakes” have swept the box office and have added new (and often upsetting) updates to the original. True fans of the original are completely against these updates, wishing that the directors had never touched an already perfect movie.

In the same way, in the book world, fairy tale “retellings” are popular, but they’re more widely accepted than movie “remakes.” With fairy tale or folk tale retellings, anything goes. Swap the genders of the main characters, change the setting, or tell the story from a different point of view (POV). By far, though, this is my favorite Cinderella retelling:

Credit: @berkeleymews

I’m currently reading a Peter Pan retelling, told through Captain Hook’s POV, and it paints Peter Pan as the bad guy who kidnaps boys from their homes and forces them to ingest pixie dust in order to stay young forever.

What Is a Bible Retelling?

Like a fairy tale retelling, people have taken liberties of retelling Bible stories. I love the idea of telling a Bible story in a different genre. A dystopian retelling of Jonah? The story of Hosea that takes place during the Gold Rush? Those changes in setting help us understand the timeless principles in the Bible and apply them to our lives in unique ways.

A Warning for Bible “Retellings”

With fairy tale retellings, anything goes. You can change anything about the story and it’s still inspiring, engaging, or interesting. However, there is clear instruction in Scripture not to change, add, or take away anything from the Bible. If you’re going to write a Bible “retelling”, make sure it’s accurate to the original story. You don’t have permission to make up new scenarios that replace the Bible, like What if Potiphar’s wife was arrested for trying to assault Joseph, instead of Joseph getting put in jail? That’s actually in the Qu’ran, so you’re accidentally creating a new religion. God had a plan for Joseph, so even though we in our flesh wish things were different, we can’t rewrite Scripture and pretend they were different.

Retellings vs. Allegories

A retelling is telling the same story from a different perspective, or imagining “what if” situations that would change the outcome of a story. An allegory, however, has themes from a story that keep the same essence of the story but with different characters who may or may not follow the same script.

When we read biblical fiction, even if they’re based on real people, even if they’re historically accurate, even if it’s literally the exact same story just set in space instead of Ancient Israel…stories “retelling” the Bible can only be allegories. They should never be taken as gospel. They should never be a replacement of the Bible, or even a Bible study. But maybe they will inspire you to read Scripture for yourself and study what the story is actually about.

Biblical Allegories vs Books With Biblical Themes

There are books that take Bible stories and put them in new genres, but there are also stories that take ideas from the Bible and put them in their stories. These themes include:

  • Redemption
  • Forgiveness
  • Healing
  • Hope
  • Perseverance in trials
  • Love
  • Salvation

They are not based on a specific part of Scripture, but they have themes that you can find in Scripture. My Internet Shutdown series contains Biblical themes, including all those listed above!

My Bible “Retelling” (Allegory)

I’m writing a Biblical allegory that was inspired by Galatians 1:6, which reads in the ESV:

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.”

My story’s premise is, an enemy has crept into the ranks of an army and has turned the people away from the king one by one. But one will be faithful to the king, even when faced with convincing lies. Will the one be victorious, or will the lies overcome the undefeated army?

As I began writing this story, I saw influences from the book of Daniel. Even in an enemy territory, Daniel was faithful to God. Also, God was there, even though Daniel wasn’t in his homeland, where the temple dwelled.

Someone from my critique group also saw some parallels from the story of David. David, a man after God’s own heart, is the kind of character I want to model my character after. The one who is faithful has such a close, deep, and personal relationship with God, that he recognizes the lies right away.

Biblical Allegories I Recommend*

Until my book comes out (which won’t be for AT LEAST a year), here are some Biblical allegories that I have read and highly recommend:

  • Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers (allegory of Hosea)
  • Amok by Anna Tan (allegory of Samson; the other books in the same series have biblical themes but are not based on any particular book in the Bible)
  • Destined Duology by Hannah Gaudette (allegory of Christ’s sacrifice)
  • In the Field of Grace by Tessa Afshar (Ruth)**
  • Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar (Rahab)**

I have read countless books that have biblical themes in them, and adding them all to a list would be too long 😅

*Note: this list will be updated as I read more books with Biblical allegories! I have some more on my TBR (to be read) list.

**Tessa Afshar writes Biblical fiction. While her work shouldn’t replace Scripture, it does contain historically and biblically accurate information. The settings of the book listed correlate with when they take place in the Bible. The author uses creative license to make the characters more relatable for the story, and she makes a note when a detail of her story is not included in the Bible.

Conclusion

As always, when reading Biblical fiction, you should read the book of the Bible that correlates with the story you’re reading. If you pick up Redeeming Love, read the book of Hosea, for example. While I write my current work in progress, I’ll be studying the stories of David and Daniel, which both span over multiple books in the Bible. Maybe I’ll share my musings of these parts of Scripture on this blog. For now, let me recommend the Bible Project. Their YouTube videos are insightful and give an overview of each book of the Bible.

Categories
Encouragement

5 Ways to Choose Joy This Holiday Season

It’s the most wonderful time of year…except when it isn’t.

How does it feel to see everyone celebrating around you, doing all the Christmas things and getting everything ready to spend time with loved ones, but you’re dealing with:

  • overwhelming feelings?
  • the loss of a loved one?
  • strained relationships?
  • unhealthy expectations?
  • nagging depression?

I’ve been there. In fact, this is the first year that I’ve really been excited for Christmas in a long time. Not because things have changed. Each year comes with its own blessings and struggles. No, it’s because this year I’ve decided to choose joy.

I have to be honest that a post like this is challenging to write. I don’t want to downplay the stuff all of us are going through. If you lost someone recently, celebrating Christmas without him or her is devastating. How does it make sense to put on a happy face and forget about it? That’s not what I want you to do at all. I hope the tips I share will help you put your grief in its proper place so you can get through this month and maybe even find something to celebrate.

At the same time, I don’t want to put a wet blanket over people who really do get excited for Christmas. I’ve met a few lovely friends who decorate their houses the day after Halloween. Our Christmas decorations were up the week after Thanksgiving this year, but the year before that, we put up our tree on Christmas Eve! If this is your favorite time of year, enjoy it. But understand that there are people dealing with seasonal depression and/or traumatic events in December, so don’t be surprised if you run into someone who’s not as excited as you.

If you’re struggling this year, or know someone who is, and you want to be joyful, here are five tips to help you choose joy this holiday season:

1. Acknowledge How You Feel

The first step is to name how you’re feeling. I’ve learned through dealing with anxiety and going through the toddler stage of parenting that it’s important to put a name to your emotions. You may even be feeling two different emotions at the same time. Maybe you’re excited for this time of year, but you feel guilty because your loved one isn’t here to enjoy the holidays with you. Maybe you’re looking forward to seeing your family but you’re disappointed that your finances aren’t where they should be, so you can’t go all out on gifts this year.

Whatever you’re feeling, write down all your emotions or say them out loud. Welcome them. Feel them. Cry if you have to. Scream, take deep breaths, or go for a walk to release your anger. Grieving is healthy, and it’s a necessary step to moving forward in your life.

2. Spend Time with Others

Sometimes just sharing how you feel can help you feel better. You’re not alone. There are people all around you who have similar struggles, blessings, and reasons to be thankful. I’m not saying you have no right to complain, but you do have people available to give you the support you need.

If you’re feeling alone, here are some places where you can find a community:

  • Your family: If you have a healthy relationship with your family, awesome! They’re your people. Enjoy spending time with them, and if you’re struggling, reach out to them and be honest about how you’re feeling. You can also be a listening ear and shoulder to cry on for people in your family who are feeling lonely or sad this season.
  • Your neighborhood: Sometimes, all it takes is for you to leave your house to make a friend. I made a friend literally across the street from my house while walking my baby in the snow about two years ago. Make friends with the people who live next to you, across the street from you, and around the block from you. Go to local events your village or town hosts.
  • Your church: I was just talking with some of my friends about how I never felt a deeper sense of belonging than when I joined my church. I accepted Christ about 19 years ago at this point, and I’ve been at the same church since. I know there’s been a lot of hurt around church lately, but I want to encourage you to try it again. Join a small group. Do life with other believers. Pray about if it’s time for you to come back to church and be part of God’s larger community.

3. Reflect on Seasons Past

I have to admit that decorating my house for Christmas is actually one of my favorite parts of the season. It’s a lot of work getting all the stuff out of my attic and down to the main level, but I love looking through all the pieces we’ve collected over the years: the ornaments our family members have given us; the gifts my husband and I have given each other; and the heirlooms our families have passed down through generations.

My favorite decoration is a little bear ice skating. The bear has a magnet on it that allows it to skate around the pond. The magnet is wearing off, but the music takes me right back to when I was a kid. My grandma would decorate her house for Christmas, and she’d fill her basement with toys and other gifts for us. My grandma has been in heaven for almost 20 years, but I still remember how I felt when I had Christmas at her house.

Now, when Christmas is hard to celebrate, I remember the warmth I felt at my grandma’s house on Christmas. The times I’d go to the diner with my dad on Christmas morning. The presents. The family. The hugs.

4. Make New Traditions

If you have trauma or loss surrounding your Christmas traditions, it may be challenging to celebrate them this year. “Daddy always used to put the star on the Christmas tree, but now Daddy isn’t here.” “We always used to kiss under the mistletoe, but finding out about the affair makes me not want to go anywhere near that spot in the house.” If your traditions are more painful than joyful this year, work on making your own traditions.

One year for Thanksgiving, my mom, sister, and I didn’t have turkey. We didn’t have sides. Instead, we had chocolate cake and biscuits, and we did improv. To this day, we still look back on that as one of our favorite Thanksgivings.

If you’re having a rough year, don’t feel the pressure to do it all. If your family doesn’t normally do traditions, maybe try participating in some this year. Go for a drive and look at the lights around your neighborhood. Bake some delicious cookies. Send some Christmas cards. Or…cuddle up with a blanket and take a nap. That’s a holiday tradition I’ll gladly support (and participate in)!

5. Worship

There’s a reason the Psalms are filled with commands to our own soul to bless the Lord. It doesn’t come naturally to us! But since I’m a follower of Christ, God wants me to worship Him, no matter how I feel. God is still good, even when I don’t feel it.

If you’re a follower of Christ, make some time to pray and read the Bible. I’ve found that saying the words in the Bible out loud help me feel better.

Conclusion

I’m not a therapist or a medical professional, but I know a thing or two about anxiety from personal experience. These tips are meant to help those with mild generalized anxiety disorder, or mild holiday blues. If you feel the need for extra support, help is out there!

Whatever you do this month, I pray you can choose joy this holiday season!

YOUR TURN: What are you most looking forward to this season?

__________________________________________________________

Personal updates!

  1. I’m still writing the draft for book 3! I have the bulk of Original Thought written, with a few chapters titled “Add More to This”. My critique group has been helping me come up with ways to fill in the story through their questions. I was hoping to finish the first draft by the end of the year, but I might have to do a little more writing in the new year!
  2. The Instagram algorithm is confusing! I’m slowly growing my reach on Instagram, but most people are as confused as I am about how to make it grow. I just keep posting and engaging in other people’s posts. Hopefully something clicks soon. There’s a reason I wrote a post about an Internet shutdown; I’m not tech savvy at all 🙂 Hopefully the WordPress algorithm is more in my favor, and brings the right people along!
  3. My book series is on sale on Amazon: For the month of December, my books are on sale for 25% off. Now’s your time to get it! Check out my book page to find out how to get In Real Life and Human Again.
  4. Please write a review! If you’ve read my book before, please leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Writing reviews allows other readers to find my book!
  5. My blog post schedule is random: I was going to write this post last week and schedule it, but I figured I’d have time to write it later. That was definitely wishful thinking! I was hoping to have a blog post out every Monday, but I can’t commit to that 100%. I’ll do my best!

Thanks again for checking in! Tune in next week for another encouraging blog post.

Categories
Wisdom Wednesday

Favor or Punishment?

I wrote this post in 2019 but never uploaded it. God’s favor has been with us through some crazy times, and this post was a good reminder to me that His favor doesn’t always look like how we expect. Enjoy, and God bless!

******

The day after I experienced the favor of God in parable form, I woke up to a cold shower, snow, and a husband who needed to be to work 1.5 hours early. How could I still have God’s favor, even in the midst of these trials?

That’s when I learned my second lesson about favor: Favor does not always look like we expect.

Let’s start from the beginning. We have the favor of God because of the work that Jesus did for us on the cross. Because of the sacrifice of God’s Son, we have eternal life, and an abundant life that we can live now. The favor that is described in the Bible has little to do with material possessions. It really describes our relationship with God, that God is now pleased with us, and that He wants to grow us into efficient, joyful children that produce His fruit.

When we talk about favor, we usually think of Romans 8:28 — “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (NIV). Romans 8:29, the verse right after it, says, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (NIV). God’s plan for us is not to have all the money in the world, all the status, or even all the power. God’s plan for us is to be like Jesus. That’s what God’s favor is.

One example of a human experiencing God’s favor in the Bible is Mary. The angel Gabriel said that Mary was highly favored with God, and that she was blessed among women (Luke 1:28). However, I’m sure she didn’t feel the favor of God when she had to tell her husband she was pregnant, and when she had to live with the ridicule of people not understanding the power of God at work in her life. And having been pregnant, I’m sure she wouldn’t have been thinking God’s favor was with her as she experienced morning sickness and all the other uncomfortable symptoms that come with carrying a child! Of course, the miracle inside her womb was the greatest blessing we could ever imagine, but to Mary, in that moment, it probably didn’t seem that way.

If she had favor the way that we view favor, her husband wouldn’t have sought to divorce her. If she had favor the way that we view favor, she wouldn’t have given birth where people fed their animals. If she had favor the way that we view favor, she wouldn’t have had to run from King Herod, who wanted every baby boy under the age of two killed. If she had favor the way that we view favor, she wouldn’t have lost her twelve-year-old son when He was in the temple.

God’s favor is God’s grace. The moment that brought you the deepest shame, in Christ, will be the moment where you’ve experienced the greatest grace. The moment where you’ve hit rock bottom is where you discover that God is everything you need. The moment you realize you have a debt you can’t pay is the moment you realize that God has credited righteousness to those who trust in His promises (see Romans 4).

Whether you’re in a good or bad season, God’s favor is with you.

“The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” – Isaiah 58:11

Categories
Encouragement Marriage

Overlooking the little things

And we’re back for another episode of “What’s going on in my life?” Except I’ve been so busy that I’m not writing about what’s going on in my life. This is a Marriage-Monday-on-a-Wednesday post I wrote in September 2019 but never shared. After reading it, I felt encouraged, so I hope it encourages you as well!

***

I always make a joke that my husband leaves his socks on the floor. This is something he actually never does, but there are little quirks of his that annoy me. So as to not embarrass him, and to show respect to him, I’m not going to share those quirks, but I am going to talk about how those quirks make me feel. I feel like he doesn’t listen to me. I feel like I’m wasting my time. I feel like what’s important to me isn’t important to him.

But when I think about it, the “little things” that annoy me aren’t as important to me as Lenny is to me.

I finished a Bible plan on YouVersion (“Living Room Reset” by Kirk Cameron) with some of my friends from church. On the third day, Cameron shares a story about a man who was annoyed that his wife left her slippers on the floor every single day. It would drive him crazy. It annoyed him every day of their marriage, until the day that she passed away. After that, he wished he would trip over her slippers, because that would mean she was still around to leave them there.

Sure, Lenny and I may bicker or get on each other’s nerves, but what really matters? That we’re still together. That he’s still around. That I’m still around. And that we’re seeking to honor God in our marriage.

Because we’re both busy in this season, we’re finding that a lot more is annoying us about each other. We seem to be snippy with one another (OK, I’ll admit it, I get snippy with Lenny because that’s how I handle stress), and there is literally friction between us. But we’ve forgotten that we’re busy because we’re building our lives together for each other. We’re working to make sure we have enough money to go on vacations and take care of our son and fulfill our dreams. To get annoyed that we’re getting in the way of doing our daily tasks is so backwards, because the daily tasks we’ve taken on are for the sake of each other!

Generally speaking, if you’re in a busy season with your spouse, you need to overlook the little things. You need to decide that your spouse is more important than whatever you have on your to-do list today. If your husband had a rough day at work and needs to vent, put down the book and let him vent, especially if he’s like my husband and chooses his words very carefully! If your wife comes to you crying and she confesses that she doesn’t feel good enough, take your eyes off the television and look into hers. Aside from God, your spouse should be your number-one priority.

So the next time your spouse leaves his socks on the floor, or he leaves his dish in the sink instead of putting it in the dishwasher, or she decides to have a deep conversation with you when you’re about to go to bed…just remember that the one you said your vows to on your wedding day, on one of the most important days of your life, is doing life with you now. He is still your prince charming. She is still your princess. You are still meant for each other, even when life happens.

Categories
anxiety

Rediscovery

It’s been a while.

Over the last couple of months, a few people have been asking me if I still write. The answer is yes, although I haven’t been sharing publicly.

First of all, in case you haven’t heard, I published my first book last May. In the meantime, I also had a baby boy last June, so my marketing has been lacking to say the least. Thanks to those who have purchased In Real Life and shared about it with others.

After all that these past few years have been for all of us, on top of me and my husband buying a house, on top of getting pregnant (which was anxiety-inducing just as much as it was joyful), on top of having a traumatic birth experience, on top of struggling through the sleep/eat/poop schedule of a newborn, on top of resigning from my full-time position and navigating stay-at-home mom life, on top of discovering my son in a new and exciting way through early toddlerhood…

I’m finally feeling like myself again.

Only I’m not myself. At least, I’m not the person I was before the pandemic started. Truthfully, for me, the pandemic (besides all the scary stuff) was a time of reflection and much-needed solitude. I took part in some rest and learned boundaries while also making time for my beloved friends and family. I learned the value of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual rest on a whole new level. I learned the weight that stress heaves over us, and how even outside experiences (such as current events) can deeply affect us on an intimate, personal level.

So, join me, if you will, as I rediscover myself first and foremost as a follower of Christ, born again in Him, and also how that affects me as a mother, as a wife, as a homeowner, as a member of a suburban community, as a New Yorker, as an American.

For those who are brand-new to the blog, welcome! And for those tried-and-true friends who have been around here for a while, thanks for your support and encouragement. According to the stats on my page, I’m seeing that people have still been viewing my posts consistently even though I haven’t written anything in a while.

God bless, and have a great day! See you next week.

Categories
anxiety

God Is

Well, after a crazy couple of months, I’m back. This season has been incredibly hard for me. I know it’s been hard for a lot of you, but just because we’ve all gone through it, doesn’t mean it’s any easier for me. My story is valid because it’s my story.

At the beginning of March, before I knew the extent of all COVID would be for our world, I was thriving. Alone time was amazing. I could finally write and do everything I was pushing off. I could finally prove that God IS hope in the midst of hopeless situations.

Suddenly, the phrase “new normal” came into our vocabulary, and I realized that this wasn’t a temporary blip in history. This was a life-changing, catastrophic event that would affect every person on the planet. And suddenly, I didn’t have all the answers. I didn’t have the perfect Instagram post or Tweet to comfort anyone. I could barely comfort myself.

But I know the One who knows the future. I know the One who WRITES the future. And I realized just this week, after hitting a wall at the end of April, that I literally had the weight of the world on my shoulders instead of trusting God to fight my battles for me.

It’s been hard to open up WordPress and write anything public. My journal has been FILLED with my prayers, thoughts, feelings…the good, bad, and ugly. And after looking back at my journal entries from a few months ago, I realize that God has been faithful to comfort me and equip me for this very moment.

This past Sunday, I listened to a sermon by Pastor Robert Madu, who was guest speaking at Life Church. At the beginning of the message, he confessed that he was telling God that he didn’t ask for any of this. God reminded him that in the beginning of the year, Pastor Robert asked for more of God, whatever it takes to get closer to Him. Well, God answered his prayer, but not in the way that he expected.

That line spoke to me. What did I ask God for in the beginning of this year? God’s word for me this year was “holy.” I didn’t understand it, and I didn’t like it. It wasn’t a trendy word, like “adventure” or “success.” It was something I couldn’t do on my own, something that forced me to rely on Him. After all that’s happened this year, I’ve learned that God is the ONLY one I can rely on.

I wanted to share some of what I learned and prayed for at the beginning of 2020. My hope in sharing is that you would be encouraged that life will go on after COVID is over. Sure, we’ll have to face “a new normal,” but were we even happy with the “old” normal? (I know I wasn’t). What is normal, anyway?

So, without further ado, here are some lines from my journal for each day of January (except for some days where I didn’t write). If you all like it, I’ll share my journal entries from February and March:

January 1st: “God is a dreamer.”

January 2nd: “God is leading me, and this is the year when my faith in Him will grow…He’s calling the body back to Himself, and I’m included.”

January 3rd: “God is the God of the plains. We crave mountaintop experiences and fear valley experiences, but most of our lives are in the middle” (inspired by a YouVersion plan about holiness).

January 4th: “God is holy, pure, ‘other.’ When you come in contact with a holy person or thing, you can defile him if you are unclean. But Jesus was able to touch sick people and make them clean” (inspired by the Bible Project’s video on kadash).

January 5th: “God grows me in the season of waiting. And in the year where all my dreams are coming true, I want to even see God work in my everyday life.”

January 7th: “To be holy means to be set apart from sin for the purpose of serving and/or bringing glory to God” (inspired by notes from the Zondervan NIV Study Bible).

January 8th: “God loves us too much to leave us as we are” (inspired by a sermon preached by Pastor Steve at LFCC’s Young Adult Ministry)

January 11th: “God will prove Himself holy” (based on Ezekiel 36:23).

January 12th: “The waiting period is an opportunity to learn what God says and what we need to do” (inspired by a sermon preached by Pastor Ed at LFCC).

January 14th: “Thanks be to God that we can be holy by His grace. Amen!”

January 16th: “GOD IS SO GOOD! I’m trusting Him for the battles bigger than me” (inspired by a sermon preached by Pastor Steven Furtick at Elevation Church).

January 19th: “Let God show you the potential of what you have. When God calls you to do something, He provides the resources” (inspired by a sermon from Pastor Ed at LFCC).

January 20th: “It amazes me that God calls us holy people, but we’ll never be perfect until we die. I guess God sees us from an eternal perspective. He sees us how we were destined to be.”

January 21st: “We are a dwelling place for God.”

January 22nd: “Never doubt in the dark what God has told you in the light” (inspired by a sermon preached by Pastor Steve at LFCC).

January 23rd: “God will take your greatest hurt and make it your greatest ministry.”

January 25th: “I know this is hard but I can’t take the way we’ve been over the years. Our schedules are consuming us and I really hope something changes when we get a house” (to say the least, being in quarantine has allowed Lenny and I to get some wonderful quality time together!).

January 26th: “Don’t have a short memory when it comes to what God has done” (inspired by a sermon preached by Pastor Ed at LFCC).

January 27th: “Holy humans are set apart by God for His special use. While He owns everything, some people and places He reserves in a special way” (inspired by notes from the Zondervan NIV Study Bible).

January 28th: “I’m trusting God to heal and restore me. Whatever that looks like” (I started 2020 with some health challenges. Thank God that He got all of them out of the way before New York became a hot spot for COVID or else I wouldn’t have been able to go to the doctor as often as I did).

January 30th: “We need the support of others to wake us up.”

January 31st: “God is telling me to be still and focus on the present. To be thankful for what I have now. At one point, I considered the things that annoy me now as blessings from God, and I prayed for them.”

On that note, I encourage you to be thankful even for this season. It’s hard, but it will bring you closer to God. If you need help, please reach out. I may not have all the answers, but I know what it’s like to handle scary situations alone. Let me tell you, it’s much better with help!

God bless!

Your turn:

What has God taught YOU during this season? (Comment below!)

Categories
anxiety

5 Tips for Surviving a Dystopia

During this time in quarantine, some of you may feel like we’re living in the end times. Whether or not I believe the end is near is for another post, but those of us who are speculative fiction/dystopian/post-apocalyptic readers are well prepared for this kind of thing.

If you’re scared, don’t worry. George Orwell, Suzanne Collins, and even Disney have taught us plenty about how to survive a dystopia. While some of this post is meant to be funny, I hope you can find some nuggets to chew on and get through this difficult time.

1. Get a Pet

Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games) has a cat, and she survives all three Hunger Games. Wall-E has a cockroach, and he’s successful in saving EVE and bringing the humans back to Earth. Winston Smith (1984) doesn’t have a pet, and he succumbs to the psychological trickery of Big Brother. So, to stay sane, you obviously need a pet.

You need an animal that’s totally oblivious to the craziness so you can remember that there’s life outside of a virus, a totalitarian government, or world war. Even when the world is falling apart, all Fido seems to care about is chasing that squirrel up a tree. Despite the inconsistent weather outside, the birds are chirping as if it’s a beautiful, sunny day. Sometimes, we need a reminder of the simple things we take for granted.

2. Do Not Believe Everything You See and Hear in the News

In 1984, the main character, Winston Smith, works for the records department of the Ministry of Truth, and his job is to literally rewrite history and the media to make Big Brother seem like the all-knowing, all-powerful figurehead that has led the country in conquering other nations. As a writer in today’s day and age, it saddens me that there are many “Winstons” in our current media. Not all journalists and reporters are bad, but please be aware that “fake news” is out there. With the right editing tools, anyone can make anything look real.

My journalism teacher in high school told me to “beware the one-sourced story.” If you see a meme or a headline, even if it seems like it’s true to you because it caters to your opinions and desires, fact check it like crazy. Google “Did that really happen?” or “Did he really say that?” Look up the original video, article, transcript, photo, etc and analyze it. Use your senses to detect the body language, tone of voice, and details “between the lines.”

To find out if a source is telling the truth, consider their motivation for writing. We’re in an election year in the United States. Now is the perfect time for political campaigns to use what’s going on to talk about how well (or how not-so-well) the government is handling the virus.

Look at the funding behind the organization that put out this article, or what the company sells. If you happen to find a source that purely speaks the truth without any bias or agenda, share it with others. Don’t believe everything you hear, read, or watch on the Internet.

3. Stay Connected to Your Family

Early dystopian novels feature societies where families are separated. In fact, it was one of the main themes of Brave New World. These stories will mention parents and children because you can’t avoid the fact that you came from a human or that a human came out of you (except in Brave New World, where babies are created in factories).

If you pay attention, you’ll notice that family relationships aren’t great in these stories. In A Handmaid’s Tale, women give birth, but have to give up their children to their host family. Usually, the main character lives alone, with little mention of his or her family. In YA dystopian fiction, the main character will often have a sibling that encourages them, like Primrose Everdeen in The Hunger Games and Reed Blackwater in the Out of Time series, but they are usually separated for the majority of the book/series.

The lack of family makes the dystopia even worse because the main character gets inside their own head. During the quarantine, unfortunately, we’ve had to separate from our families. For me, this is the part of the whole COVID-19 situation that’s most like a dystopia for me. This virus has created (or heightened) our distrust of our family members. We’ve been stuck inside our own heads, first for the sake of our elders who we may accidentally give the virus, but now out of fear that our loved ones are now “unsafe” to us.

To survive a dystopia, do everything you can to stay connected to your families. Call them every once in while to see how they’re doing. Video chat. Invite them over your house and sit outside or in the driveway. Show them you care. Invest in people who care about you.

4. Remember That You Can Change the Narrative

Dystopian fiction became popular in the 1920s and 1930s because of political unrest and economic turmoil. Despite many of the details in these books becoming true, they were never meant to predict the future. Rather, they were meant to warn their readers of what could happen if we as people don’t take action.

Brave New World and 1984 came challenge totalitarian government that was popular in other nations around the world. The Hunger Games reveals the evils of self-indulgence. Wall-E is a warning to take care of planet Earth, or else we will have to live on a ship, floating through outer space. These stories weren’t saying, “This will be our future”; they were saying, “This can be our future, if we don’t do something.”

Katniss takes action in The Hunger Games by volunteering as tribute and surviving, even when everyone in District 12 starts the book practically writing her funeral. Parvin Blackwater in A Time to Die (disclaimer: I only read the first book so far of this series!) takes action by writing an autobiography that exposes the insanity of banishing people who lost their clocks.

Will we let our circumstances dictate our future, or will we take ownership of our lives? This is our world. How do you want it to look? What does a right world look like? To survive a dystopia, don’t let your negative circumstances define you. Use them to inspire you to take action to make things right.

5. Pray for God to Bring His Utopian Plan to Earth

When we think of the end times, we think of Armageddon. We think of massive viruses wiping out populations and natural disasters killing our crops. But that is not the end of the story.

In the beginning, when God created man and woman, He gave us dominion over the earth. At the end, after the destruction, there is redemption. God creates a new heaven and a new earth. Read Revelation 21 and 22 to see the beauty that awaits us.

It’s not a faraway place that John sees in his vision. What he sees is a prediction of the renewal of where you’re sitting right now. In the end, God will dwell on Earth with us. Heaven and Earth will become one.

If you think about it, the world isn’t getting worse. It’s getting better. And since WE have dominion over the earth, WE have the power to make it a better place. But we need God’s help, His perfect wisdom, to guide us in our rebuilding process, so that we don’t mess it up like we did the first time.

So, to survive a dystopia, pray that God would equip us to make a utopia out of our hopeless situation. Pray that God would take what the enemy meant for evil and use it for our good. Pray that in the midst of a deadly virus, in the midst of a world war, in the midst of a natural disaster, that we can have hope in our inevitable future with God.

Amen.

If you read dystopian fiction, I’m in the pitching process of publishing my debut novel, In Real Life. To receive dystopian short stories and updates about my book, you can subscribe here.

Categories
anxiety

What Time Is It?

The days, weeks, and months seem to blend together these days. We’ve been asking ourselves, “What time is it?” “What day is it?” “How am I feeling in the midst of it?”

In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 King Solomon writes that there is a time for everything. In each and every season of our lives, we have a response. But as a result of reading this passage in Scripture, I have to ask, What season are we in now?

Everything Under the Sun

If you ask everyone on this planet how they’re responding to the coronavirus, to being in quarantine, to losing loved ones, to living alone…we’d all have different answers. In the beginning, I struggled with guilt because I was actually enjoying some time off from driving, and embracing this new season of much-needed time with my husband (and myself!). I was actually hopeful that God could use this virus and turn this quarantine into a way to draw us back to Himself.

But this virus has affected all of us differently. Some of us are rejoicing, while some of us are grieving. Some of us live alone, while others wish they did. Some of us are mourning loved ones who have passed, while others are celebrating the births of their babies. Some of us are consumed by work, while others are thankful for time with their families.

While I always have something positive to say, this trial we’re all facing has taught me to be sensitive to the needs of others. There have been days where I’ve struggled to even have a word of encouragement. But in those moments, I’ve also learned to rely on God, because He is the ultimate encourager.

A Time to Mourn AND a Time to Dance

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I closed on our home, after months of waiting for a mortgage application and after years of praying and saving practically every penny we own. We were so excited, we danced and jumped for joy as we moved into this answer to prayer.

When I opened that first box the day before our furniture arrived, I felt a wave of panic and….sadness? How could I be sad when we could finally see the culmination of all our prayers and hard work? This is everything I’ve wanted for the last three years, even before my husband and I were married. Why was I fighting back tears at this new blessing, after years of hopping from apartment to apartment, waiting for a place to call our own?

I didn’t understand how I felt until I saw it through the eyes of a TV character.

On a recent episode of a show we watch, a couple had just bought a home, but one of them had a hard time enjoying it. Their real estate agent and family member encouraged this person to properly say goodbye to his old home.

At first, he thought it was strange, but as he spent time alone “with his old house,” he realized how important it was to relive old memories and appreciate what the house contributed to his life. While it was all meant to be comedic, it spoke volumes to me about this current season of my life.

It’s possible to be happy and sad about my current situation, because I’m both gaining and losing.

We Need to Let Go to Move Forward

Moving is a change. My life has been a constant change. As a world, we are all feeling a change taking place.

Change is good. I need to believe that. We need to believe that.

Before all this happened, I felt discontent and lonely. I was overwhelmed with activities and work and my life was just one big obligation to take care of everyone but myself. Though my schedule was full, I was empty.

I needed change. But when the whole world literally shifted, I wasn’t ready, and I didn’t like it.

When we ask God for change, we come with our expectations. The change I was looking for was more money, more time, or boldness to say no when I needed to take care of myself. I wanted more space to live in, more convenience, more of the good things in my life and less of the bad.

But in asking for all of these things, I never asked for more of God, but that was what He wanted for me. So, His answer to my prayer was much different from what I expected.

To make room for this new blessing, the answer to my prayers, I have to let go of what was lost. In order to embrace the now, I have to lay down the expectations I had and seek the Lord in the midst of my emotions.

Friends, this isn’t a pause; this is life. We are never going “back to normal”; we are embracing a new normal.

As we walk through this difficult time, as crazy as it is, God is faithful and unchanging, yet He is calling us to a new thing. The world is being turned upside down, and we’re seeing a revival. In order to be ready for this new season, no matter how good it is, we have to mourn what we’ve lost.

Today, lay down your expectations for how you wanted 2020 to look, and embrace what God has for you. Take as much time as you need to grieve what you’ve lost: cry, scream, jump up and down, write in your journal. Then turn to God, who truly has a 2020 vision, for instructions on this next chapter of your life.

Categories
Encouragement

5 Habits to Keep After COVID-19

It’s been three weeks of social distancing and self-containment, and truthfully, I’m growing restless. But as I think of the world slowly transitioning back to reality in the coming weeks(or months?), I want to take advantage of the lessons I’ve learned in the midst of COVID-19.

As I’ve been praying about where God is in all of this, I’ve gotten the vision of a seed. Just as a seed is planted in the darkness, hidden yet nourished by the dirt, at the proper time, the seed grows into a strong oak tree that cannot be shaken. Seeds are being planted in this season, and in due time, we will reap a harvest (Galatians 6:9). Here are some seeds I pray will take root in the world, even when life goes “back to normal.”

1. We Keep Washing Our Hands

This is an obvious point, but I’m not just talking about physically. This virus has taught us to be more aware of how our actions, attitudes, and illnesses affect those around us. “If one member suffers, we all suffer together” (1 Corinthians 12:26).

As a result of COVID-19, I pray that we remember to practice purity in our words and our actions. That we can remember the power of life and death that rests in the tongue, and that we would choose our words carefully. Though we shouldn’t distance or isolate ourselves, we should be wise in what we share with others.

2. We Stay Home When We’re Sick

During the beginning stages of the quarantine, we received an e-mail from a local business about their protocol to handle the virus, “Employees who don’t feel well will be required to stay home.” My inward response to that was, Shouldn’t that always be the case?

I confess that I’m guilty of going to work even when I struggle to get out of bed. I’m guilty of being scared to call my boss and tell them I’m too sick to come into work. When I do take a day off, I try to justify why it was the right thing to do instead of embracing rest. But this virus has taught me that going to work sick doesn’t help anyone. Especially not me.

As a result of COVID-19, I pray that we would see that our lives are more important than our salaries. That we would have the courage to admit when we genuinely shouldn’t go to work or participate in that event. Though we shouldn’t cheat the system, we should use the PTO time (or even the non-PTO time) given to us by our employers to refresh and restore ourselves, so we can return from our breaks as healthy, hardworking members of the company.

3. We Make Time to Rest and Grieve

During this quarantine, we’ve lost a lot. Seniors in high school and college have missed a chance to participate in graduation activities. Sports events have been cancelled. Some people have important events, like birthdays, weddings, baby and bridal showers, and welcoming new family members into the world.

Loss happens in this world, but when “life goes on,” the pain and grief we feel often gets pushed to the side. We have to put on a happy face and keep going. It doesn’t give glory to God to power through our pain. We need to be authentic.

As a result of COVID-19, I pray that when we’re going through seasons of difficulty in the future, the world would be forgiving and let us reflect on what we’ve lost. But even when it’s not, that we would be bold in our tears and pain, knowing that our Lord holds our tears in a jar and is with us in the pain.

4. We Keep Up the Relationships We’ve Cultivated (Including With Ourselves)

In this season of quarantine, we’re getting the opportunity to see our loved ones up close and personal. I’m personally thankful for the chance to spend more time with my husband, who has been working from home instead of driving an hour each day into work. I’ve genuinely enjoyed the video chats I’ve been a part of and the chance to get to know my friends “face-to-face.” I’ve also found a new love for myself, discovering gifts and passions that had yet to be awakened because of lack of time.

As a result of COVID-19, I pray that we will become so saturated in love for our friends and family that meeting with them would never be a burden. May we be free from obligations and instead invest in where we want to be. Though we should still go to work and participate in the world, we should intentionally carve out time to sit with our friends outside and laugh at the memories created during the quarantine. And that we can recognize that self care is just as important as pouring into the lives of others.

5. We Wait on the Lord

The whole world is in waiting right now, begging for this virus to stop wreaking havoc on our land. While the day we see a break will be glorious, it will not signal the end of all waiting. There will be many seasons where we’ll be crying out to God just as loudly as we all now, our voices straining in desperation to be set free from this wait.

We were in that season of waiting for a house for a long time. After weeks, months, and years of prayers, saving, and sacrifice, we are driving to the bank to close on our first home. As we live in our new house, our new house, we will never forget the prayers we’ve whispered in desperation to God, the promises that He can do the impossible, and the faithfulness that carried us to see the fulfillment of those promises.

The same God who met us in our need is the same God who is with us now. And He’s the same God who will be with us the next time we’re in a season of waiting.

As a result of COVID-19, I pray that we never waste the wait. I pray that we lean into God and bring the deepest cries of our hearts to Him. Even though it hurts, I fully believe that God hears our prayers and He draws near to us as we draw near to Him. May we never take His presence for granted, even when we get everything back that we lost in this season of waiting.

Amen.

If you are interested in fiction stories, check out the short story I wrote this week about how I believe God is working during our global quarantine period. You can subscribe to my e-mail list to have an encouraging short story sent to you every Monday morning.

Categories
Encouragement

It’s Time to Rest

I love my job. Working from home, writing thousands of words a day, learning a treasure trove of information, and being part of an uplifting team. At this job, I truly feel like I’m doing what God created me to do for this season. After each shift, I’m so excited and grateful that I have the opportunity to work in my dream career.

Except, why am I so tired?

I Experienced Burnout, Even in My Dream Job

Truthfully, my first month on the job was fun, but it was also information overload. As a result, I was tired. I could even say a felt a low grade of depression. For a couple of weeks I wondered, if this is my dream job and I’m depressed, did I follow the wrong dream?

Over time, I learned that I wasn’t in the wrong career. I was just burned out. Even though my job is exactly what I want to be doing, it was too much. I needed to make time to rest, especially since I hadn’t worked full-time in more than two years before this job.

We all need rest, even from good things. Just ask Elijah.

Elijah Was Burnt Out, Even in His Dream Job

Elijah was a powerhouse prayer warrior prophet for God. Everywhere he went, miracles followed. One of the most prominent miracles of God that he experienced was up against the prophets of Baal, a false god. You can read about it in 1 Kings 18. God shows up in a supernatural way, putting the doubt of all people to death. Oh, and He also brought rain down on the land after a long drought.

But shortly after all these miracles happened, Elijah wished he was dead. Wait, what? No, seriously. In 1 Kings 19:4, Elijah says what we’ve all said at one time or another: “I’ve had enough, Lord.” He asks God to take his life. You could say that it’s the one prayer God didn’t answer, but actually, He does.

Elijah Needed a Nap and a Snack

Right after this declaration, Elijah falls asleep. Sometimes, we just need a nap! But then when his nap is finished, an angel wakes him up and tells him to eat.

A literal angel made Elijah literal food. All of a sudden, there was bread and water in front of him. So, he did the wise thing. He ate. The food so strengthened Elijah that he traveled forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God.

During this dark time, Elijah learned the value of rest. He learned that, even when good things happen, these good things can’t sustain him. He’s human. Like all of us, he needed to rest after the emotional roller coaster he endured, even in the midst of the miracle.

The Importance of the Rest in Our Lives

Rest is so important to God that even He rested on the seventh day. He set an example that we all need to follow. The Sabbath reminds us that we’re human, that we can’t give our 110% all the time. We need to intentionally step back from our ministries, our jobs, our daily lives for just a moment to unwind and reflect.

Oh, and of course, to take a nap!

Most of my close friends know that I can’t stay out past ten o’clock at night. It’s a boundary I’ve set for myself, because I know that I can’t be (ahem) very Christlike past that hour. The truth is, I wake up early in the morning, so I’m tired by the end of the day. I’m human. I’ve recognized the importance of sleep for my sanity.

Key Takeaway

While most of us in the world are in isolation due to a virus that’s still not fully known to us. As a result, we have a ton of time on our hands. Of course, life goes on. We still have to work. But maybe, in our free time, we can make some time for rest.

Even though it seems like nothing is going on (you’re stuck in your house!), you’re going through a lot of mental and emotional stress right now. Recognize your need for rest, and make time to unwind.

This week, I challenge you to literally schedule time to rest. Here are some questions to get you thinking about how to rest properly:

  • What basic necessities (sleep, eating healthy food, working out, spending time with family, etc.) do I need right now? How can I fulfill what I need?
  • Think of your life as an empty cup. What activities and people fill the cup of your life?
  • What would spending a Sabbath with the Lord look like for you? What activities would you give up? What activities would you take part in?