Do I love you because you're beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you?

I'm endeavoring on an adventure called Life Coaching with a friend of mine named Deitra. You can access her charming blog here. It's pretty fun and exciting, I'd say! So far it's been a neat avenue of sort of self-discovery. I believe self discovery is sort of an ear mark of my age. If we don't learn ourselves now, we don't know what to do with the rest of our lives!

There's no pressure.


Anyway, I did this little activity, and I would highly recommend anyone do it! It was about one of the best mood boosters I've ever done. Basically, right down a couple instances where you were like "I was born to do this..." and then right down the little things in life that make you happy. At first I wasn't really sure what to write, but then I was so shocked how many things I thought of! I really had to just cut myself off... I was killing too many trees. But it definitely put a shiny outlook on my day!

Here is my list:

I feel I am doing what I was born to do when I am dancing in front of other people and exploring new countries/cultures.

Being in Hawaii is especially fulfilling. Starting college early was fulfilling. Reading long, older books is fulfilling. I love to read. I sometime think I would read all day if I could. I constantly wish I had more opportunities to dance and learn choreography and perform it. I love to run. I love to run in new places. I love taking walks in beautiful places. I love the ocean. I love the smell of fires. I love the look of snow. I love the onset of new weather/a new season. I love the smell of spring. I love when little kids get sleepy. I like to climb trees. I love flowers. I like sunsets. I love sunrises. I love stars and the moon when it shines really bright. I like seeing best friends for the first time in a while. I like unexpected phone calls just to catch up. I like little babies that smile at strangers (it feels like everything will always be okay). I like knowing I've done a good job. I like hearing voices of people I love first thing in the morning. I love the cool air of a summer morning. I like that I don't like skiing. I like the smell of coffee, any time of day. I love listening to my grandparents tell stories. I like sharing rooms with people. I like it when my kid brother does something he didn't even know was funny. I like peaceful water. I really like birds. I love dogs. I really like Su Dong's new songs (and his old ones). I like when Georgians in Georgia ask me where I'm from, as though I grew up somewhere besides Georgia (it makes me feel mysterious or something). I like playing cards. I like cute smiles. I like hearing a song for the one hundredth time, but it's like the first time. I always like a good summer storm. I like new movies. I like old movies. I love history. I like twinkling lights and tinkling bells. Scarves are always good. A new horizon (literally) excites me. I like cities where I can walk anywhere I need to go. I like old pictures of my favorite people. I like weddings. Rocking chairs are nice. I like praying, especially with other people. I think it's cool that Aaron wore 12 jewels on his clothes, each one representing a tribe of Israel before God. I like the small things. I like the big things. I like the old things and the new things. I like the Lover. I like being His. That's enough for me.

Mahalo

I love the hula. Who doesn't right? I love dancing it, watching it, seeing pictures of it, the clothes, the music, I just love it. The hula, while now primarily a form of entertainment, was at one time a sacred dance to the gods of the islands. However, when the "Christian" colonists came to Hawai'i in the late 1800's, they encouraged the Hawai'ians to cease all ancient worship practices. This really kills me. Why should they cease worship? Should they not redirect their natural way of worship to God? The Hawai'ians are deeply spiritual people. It is embedded in even there language. "Aloha" means "the breath of God be with you!" Why would they be told to stop being this way? UUUUghhhh. I don't understand that. In Luke 19, it's recorded that the Pharisees wanted Jesus to rebuke the people for praising Him. They were saying "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Jesus told the Pharisees, "If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." I look forward to the day that everyone and everything on earth worships God as He created them to: The Hawai'ians like Hawai'ians, the rocks like rocks, Americans like Americans, Chinese like Chinese, Kenyans like Kenyans, etc. Or, for that matter, Americans like Kenyans! Who cares!? Jesus said "Woe to you... you clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside are full of greed and self-indulgence." Don't cleanse the culture of a dance, turn the heart back towards it's Lover, the very One who created the heart and the dance.

Honor Him in all you do. Acknowledge Him in all your ways. Give thanks to the One who is, for He is good, and His love endures forever. His faithfulness lasts through the generations. For He is slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. Who is this, who appears like the dawn, fair as the moon bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession? It is Him! We won't need the sun, and we won't need the moon, all we will need is You! I am my Beloved's, and He is mine. He is beautiful, dazzling, and excellent.

The rocks shall not cry out before me. I will always sing your praise.



Anyway, there is now a movement in Hawai'i, a renaissance if you will, bringing back their ancient culture. Ya wanna know the best part? The hula is now FINALLY being condoned as a form of worship to the true God! Yaaaay!