Here it goes...

WRITING.

It's a gift, and not one that I have previously claimed to possess.

For the past two years, I've felt the strange sensation to start writing outside of school and my personal journals. But I've resisted--mainly because I could hardly see the impact it could have on people other than myself.

{Fact: I'm a do-er. I'm goal orientated and have somewhat of an A-type personality. If I don't see the goal, end or result I find no purpose in the task and either never finish it or don't start it to begin with.}

Hence, you can see how doing something as superfluous as a blog (my apologies for serious bloggers, I really do highly respect you) was not at all attractive to me.

However, after two years of having the Lord nag me (in the most divine and loving way of course) and having three entirely different people from all different states (WA, CA and VA) speak directly to me saying I need to start utilizing my gift of writing I finally gave. So here it goes...I've started a blog.

You may be curious about the title. 

 

The Christianese phrase "speak life" is used in churches across the globe to talk about speaking God's truths, promises and love into our lives. It's speaking healing (physical, emotional, relational, mental), future promises and our identity in Christ over ourselves and others lives to help "us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful" (Heb. 10:23).

God is faithful in his promises, and although he may not fulfill them in the time frame we hope for (something I'm definitely currently learning), he does always fulfill them.

It's come to my attention lately that I do not speak enough life.

 

In fact, I think it's safe to say that hardly any of us do. How can we? In this fallen world we're surrounded by sickness, disappointments, broken relationships, broken bank accounts, and busy schedules. I bet if you lined up all the pages I have to read for my classes in the next week they'd make it to China and back. Oh, there's also this little thing that exists called death. Can't forget that one.

However, in all this craziness of sin we have a hope...we have Jesus. The One who restores the life we currently possess and gives us eternal life after this one has run its course. Jesus is the Giver of life. GIVER. Meaning life is a gift. It's not a right--it's a privilege. It's an opportunity to glorify God and edify others despite the death that surrounds us.

Because life's a gift, I choose to give life back and to speak it over myself and others.

 

As Christ followers, all of us possess this calling to speak life over ourselves and others. Whether you're an accountant, politician or missionary it's bred into our DNA and identity as sons and daughters of the Living God.

This is a strong revelation the Lord showed me recently as he called me to Speak Life. However, he also said that comes in many forms. One form is this blog, and this blog holds the capacity for me to display how the Lord gives me life through creativity (art and photography), adventures and through others (inspirational profiles). Because Life is so much bigger than myself, I vow to not only talk about my life and my insights on this blog, because let's admit...bloggers can be highly egocentric (another reason I resisted). I am not inspired by myself, I'm inspired by my God and other people. So it is my goal for those two things to be the fundamental ingredients of my blog.

It is not my wish to be like other bloggers, so don't expect anything too ordinary...including timely posts. I'm a full-time college student heavily involved in ministry, but I want to be dedicated to this even though I don't exactly see the end result.

Thanks for stopping by, for reading my long first post, I promise they won't all be this long.

Always remember to listen, and to always speak life :)

"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life." -Jesus (John 6:63)


-Hanna