City Life Starter

Background: We are going through a series on the values of our church. In order to help us think about these values, our City Life Houston Starter Team will answer questions related to each specific value. Let’s see how they do!

Authenticity

Tell us something that you are working through in your faith right now?

The biggest thing that comes to mind regarding what I’m working through in my faith, if I’m being completely authentic here, is continuing to trust God through disappointment.

When things don’t go according to plan, when someone lets me down, and/or when I miss the mark, those are the times my faith seems frail, and I lose confidence or start second guessing every move I make.

However, I can definitively say beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Lord has shown up for me in every single moment of difficulty as I turned to Him for help. It’s in those times I realize that success is not merely based on my circumstances, but on how I respond in the midst of those circumstances. If I can learn to trust God and learn to reel in my reaction to the situation, particularly in moments of disappointment, that’s a win, regardless of what does or does not happen in my life.

Also, while we’re on the topic of authenticity, I think it’s tremendously important to process the pain of our situation in ways that are conducive (rather than contradictory) to our faith in Christ. I personally work through difficult/dry seasons through the following:

Prayer
I practice prayer through waiting on God, seeking God’s presence, listening for His voice and direction, and praying out how I feel with complete authenticity (not stuffing how I feel–I used to do this, and it would often lead to burnout, feelings of resentment, and come out in unhealthy ways).
Therapy
Therapy is something I never knew I needed until I went through a very heartbreaking situation in which I just needed to sit in front of a trained professional and cry/bleed out all of the painful feelings surrounding everything that happened. Therapy has helped me learn to attune to what’s going on in my mind and body and makes me aware of the story I’m telling myself. I feel very fortunate to have found a Christian therapist whose job it is to listen to me and be present with my pain.
Journaling
Journaling has been invaluable to my prayer life and mental health. One practice I recommend to anyone struggling in their faith is to simply write down a few things you’re grateful for, a few wins from the previous day, a few self-care goals for the day, and an affirmation or confession of faith based on what the Word of God says. You’ll be surprised at what a huge difference this makes in your outlook for the day. Actively practicing hope and gratitude are beautiful ways to shield your mind from the enemy’s lies.
Community
Community can be hard when you’re going through a struggle. It’s a very humbling and sacred process to open up about tender topics and allow another soul to bear witness to your pain, and I would not bare my soul to just anyone–even at church. Finding a safe, inner circle of trusted, mature friends in whose presence I can be authentic has made the stinky situations in my life a lot more aromatic.

“Oil and perfume make the heart glad, And a person’s advice is sweet to his friend.” –Proverbs 27:9 NASB
Physical fitness/exercise
Joining a community gym (the Y) and doing personal training have been instrumental for me to prioritize my health and tune into what my body needs.
Art
Those who know me best know I love to draw and express myself with color. It’s a great way for me to be calm, re-center, and practice creativity. Here’s an example of my artwork and it includes a practical encouragement when practicing authenticity–slowing down always helps.

Developing practices to support my emotional, mental, and physical health has truly helped me have a more robust faith in Christ that I can lean into through destabilizing storms and times of uncertainty and helps to solidify my confidence in Christ. Faith is not about ignoring reality. Quite the opposite, my faith in Christ helps me rest in reality.

Generosity

When has someone’s generosity toward you or how you have been generous towards another changed how you see God?

The primary way generosity has helped me see God’s character is whenever I’m dealing with an offense. Whether I’m the offender or offended, when someone chooses not to hold something against me and/or when I decide to deal graciously with someone who has offended me, I’ve never felt closer to God in those moments. Being gracious and kind and not holding onto an offense is a beautiful picture of the Gospel and how God lovingly absorbs our “sin debt.”

Also, on a more tangible level, when I receive an unexpected gift that fits me perfectly, I feel so deeply blessed by God and seen by the giver.

Conversely, when God puts it on my heart to give of my resources to bless others, I feel honored to be His partner in fulfilling His purposes. It also helps me recognize God – who is limitless – as my source rather than my own limited resources.

Excellence

(2 parts) What is one verse that has inspired your walk with God this year? Now, write the shortest reflection and application you can possibly do with the verse stated above.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” —Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This verse just puts everything in perspective, especially if you are dealing with a stressful situation. Putting God first causes everything else to fall into place in ways you couldn’t have dreamed up.

How do you do this? Simple. Give God your time and attention. Begin with a simple prayer. Spend time with God in reading His Word. Instead of seeking to meet your needs, seek God and allow Him to take care of your needs.

Creativity

Write a paragraph using the words, City, Life, and Houston, but that makes no mention of the church.

I live life to the fullest in the heart of the city in downtown Houston. 🌇

It is such a blessing to be able to walk to work (taking tunnels when it’s scorching hot or pouring rain) and live in a historical building with so much character and so many interesting characters. 😆

Diversity

(2 part Question) Given that we have a diverse church as well as a diverse writing team, what stands out to you most about being a part of this team? Why should someone read what we write compared to other Christian blogs?

What stands out to me most is how different perspectives on the same scripture can yield a beautiful picture of the truth. We all have blind spots, and we are so much better together.

Sometimes people are afraid of diversity because they don’t want to deal with incompatibility or friction, but that is what makes our team so unique, rare, and precious. If there are differences of opinion, we work through them together.

A commitment to Christ is what makes our writing cohesive and our team collaborative.

I haven’t read very many other Christian blogs, but I can tell you one thing, they probably don’t have as many or as diverse a team of writers as we do.

Boldness

I’m not afraid to answer these 6 questions…

1) What’s something about your faith you used to be embarrassed to admit, but aren’t anymore?

When I was in my 20’s shortly after graduating college, I believed that God could make me a billionaire (which I loved the heart behind my big belief–to be generous, represent God well, and use finances to advance God’s Kingdom).

However, I’ve grown to understand that slow, steady, sustainable growth and trust in God are more important to Him than grand accomplishments.

When I was a lot younger (both in my faith and life in general), my faith in God was largely geared towards believing for Him to help me accomplish my plans. In other words, I put a lot more attention on my doing for God rather than simply being with God.

Now, having experienced many unexpected change of plans that revealed to me many things I didn’t know, I’m a lot more flexible about my plans, and focus my energy on staying committed to God and trusting Him rather than trying to control outcomes. He remains my constant source of love and truth through all of life’s twists and turns.

I’m not a billionaire, but I consider myself very rich with God by my side.

2) The one area of weakness in your writing?

With the exception of this post, I don’t really open up about my personal life (my celebrations, struggles, or personal experiences) in my writing for Starter. However, in responding to some of these questions, I could see how opening up could make our content a lot more relatable and minister encouragement to others who are experiencing similar things.

3) Your favorite pizza topping is…?

This is a hard one to answer for me. My favorite pizza is barbeque chicken pizza, which I love for the combination of flavors: sweet tangy barbeque sauce, zesty onions, and hearty chicken. I also really love spinach and feta thin crust pizza. Again, not for any one particular topping, but the overall enjoyment of the slice!

4) What was the last thing you watched on your TV before answering this question?

9 to 5 featuring the late Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin. Surprise it to say, I was quite entertained and even laughed out loud at some of the scenes while watching at home by myself, which is saying a lot. 😂

5) You write the best when…(place and time?)

My favorite place to write is at The Teahouse with boba tea and popcorn chicken. 🍗🧋

A few locations around town have a huge goldfish tank and it’s fun to glance up from my laptop to watch the goldfish swim and listen to worship music as I write—it helps my mind get calibrated 😌 and I’ve been able to come up with some nifty writing there.

As far as time goes, I’d ideally like to write on Saturdays when I have more time to sit and think, but lately my Saturdays get swallowed up with running errands and catching up on chores, so I usually end up writing at home in my living room couch on weekdays in the evening, after I workout if I’m feeling inspired, or very early morning (between 5-6am) before I start my day when my mind is the clearest.

6) If you had to choose a place to live outside of Houston, where would it be? (Has to be within the U.S.)

Houston is my favorite city, but if I had to live somewhere else within the U.S., I suppose I’d choose New York City because I love that it’s so walkable, has a lot of history, culture and diversity, and is the home of some of my favorite authors and heroes like Tim Keller, Pete Scazzero, and Spiderman. 🏙️