[8:41am]

It is currently raining (which never happens here), and I feel so happy! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the rain, and I’ve been missing it so much. I like rain with all the trimmings, the thunder and the lightning. I love the smell, the cozy atmosphere, and the food you eat that goes along with it. When I was young, it used to rain and thunder a lot in the summer, and sometimes the power would go out, then my family and I would sit around in the living room and tell stories/joke around the entire night. This one specific night sticks out in my mind for some reason: my aunts and uncles were there, and even though they were chatting (or gossiping?) about things I didn’t understand, I just felt so happy being in their company.

[1:27pm]

Okay, here’s the thing. I love rainy weather, but not when I have work to do. I have literally been fumbling around for almost half the day, and all my energy is going towards not falling asleep. It doesn’t help that all my classes are remote today.

[6:23pm]

You know when you get the urge to just do all the tiny little things you’ve been avoiding? This was me today. I washed all the pillow cases (including those for the couch throw pillows) and the dining table cloth. Then I vacuumed, wiped down my bookshelf and soaked my whites in oxi-clean. My other plan, before all this, was to take a quick nap. Welp.

Anyway, while I was doing all this, I was listening to a podcast (The Leader’s Cut by Preston Morrison), and he was talking about what our main mandate should be as Christians, which is to imitate Christ. Initially, I didn’t want to listen to it. Sometimes I will avoid listening to a podcast/sermon because I don’t want to be convicted, I don’t want to think too much, I just want to chill. (I know, I know). Anyway, he said something I’m constantly thinking about. This main mandate is HARD. As a Christian, the closer you get to God, and the more intentional you are about following Him, the more you realize how sinful you are, and how much you fall short. Most of the time, this drives me into a seemingly bottomless pit of shame and regret, like I’m constantly disappointing God. Preston talked about how yes, God does want us to be more like Him, but not by our own strength (it’s IMPOSSIBLE!). He wants us to draw nearer to Him, which will definitely illuminate a lot of things about ourselves that are not holy (in contrast to His perfect holiness), but the idea is that He is the one that helps us with that stuff. This requires surrender though, and to be completely honest, I don’t know how to do that. I don’t know what it looks like. I’m aware that I have control issues at times, but I don’t know how to not be that way, y’know? I’m honestly praying for God to reveal more to me and help me understand because a lot of the time I can hear what’s being said (or what the Bible says), and not really understand what that looks like practically. Phew, what a mouthful, sorry!

Stay blessed guys!

-Moonie x.

Photo Context: Somewhere in Chi-town 🙂 I lived so close to this city for 4 years and I never came close to experiencing even half of it.