good vs. GREAT

I heard these words while listening to a podcast this morning and they stopped me in my tracks…
“There are a lot of good things in life, but only a few great things.” The encouragement in the podcast was to recognize that there are times it is imperative to say no to good things but to recognize the great things in life and pursue them with vigilance.

Instantly, the words quickened my heartbeat. They made me want to stop and evaluate, to account for the great things in my life - to see them clearly and ensure I am making space for them. As I approach 30 I think it’s even more imperative to take stock of the great - I need to remember and be grateful for the tremendous blessings instead of focusing on the perceived holes.

So here we go, there is LOTS of good outside this, but these are things RIGHT THIS MOMENT that I think are GREAT!

1. NIECES / NEPHEWS (the ones that ARE blood and the ones that aren’t too)
You cannot help but smile and laugh at the amazingly hilarious things they say. Their hugs are like medication to the soul. They brighten life and add more joy than comprehensible. They’re literally the best.

2. FRIENDS
I am tremendously blessed with an incredible group of friends that journey through life right by my side - they have cried with me through some seriously horrifying days and laughed me through seasons of great joy and celebration. Friendship is one of the greatest treasures on earth and I am tremendously grateful for the ones I’ve been given to love and walk beside. Perhaps because I don’t have a husband I am even most aware of how cherished my friendships really are. Being present for those I love does require time and heart-investment, but I truly believe they’re my greatest joy and a tremendous fulfillment. They hold lasting value and encourage me to grow and develop. I wouldn’t be nearly the person I am without their wisdom and support. With the heartbeat the Lord has given me, I truly believe friendship will always be a GREAT on my list.

3. MY BIOLA LOVES
I recently started mentoring 3 girls who attend Biola and they have been such a gift to me (and I hope visa versa - they would say yes, but you know they HAVE to say that!). I had no idea how refreshing it would be to see life through their excited eyes - to hope through them - to laugh about ridiculously silly things and stay up way too late painting nails and watching movies like BRING IT ON and Lizzy McGuirre. Their enthusiasm and thirst is infectious and they’re causing me to dig deeper and I am truly the better for it. This week we’re kicking of “thecoffee5” a Sunday morning coffee group where we share our hearts over coffee and discuss a book that encourages us to develop character and seek Christ together. I am so excited. Our first book is Bittersweet - I’m sure you’ll hear more about that.

4. CHOSEN
This fall I was able to launch a club for a group of teens that have been touched by the foster care system and are associated with Ev.Free via TLC (a summer camp we’ve been hosting under TLF for many years). It has been a MAJOR undertaking because I’ve never started a ministry from scratch before, but what a tremendous honor and blessing to hear their laughter and get to see their gorgeous faces on a monthly basis rather than just once a year. These teens are incredible and it is humbling to serve them and such a phenomenal reminder of how richly blessed I have been.

That’s it - 4 - 4 GREAT things.
I can easily list another 10 good things that I’m also thankful for - and maybe I’ll kick off a month of gratitude to count down to age 30 (oh my gosh I turn 30 one month from tomorrow) but for tonight - I leave you to contemplate the GREAT things in your life…I’d love to hear what they are!