by Donya Dunlap | Aug 24, 2015 | How Great is Our God, Random
When I see the moon,
I remember that I am small and God is vast. From ages past, His Word brought forth the unimaginable beauty of the universe, its glories teasing us with sprays of stars and globes of light, breathtaking in the raging fire of one and cold emptiness of the other.
When I see the moon,
playing coyly behind the clouds, shimmering about their edges, I smile as I would at a child peering behind his mothers skirt. Such a simple task, to paint the white with silver strokes. Yet a noble task to break the black with cratered smile and grant the world a bit of hope.
When I see the moon,
and all its faces, I think of how quickly life passes from one star lit scene to the next. Its cycles shift from silent dark to brilliant awe, and everything between, while earth beneath and sky above remain faithful, constant in their mystery.
When I see the moon,
I think of lovers, poets, and kings, all looking heavenward to view the same expanse. United in our differences, we melt into nothingness beneath its glimmering gaze. Oceans blue part lands of green, but people cannot be seen from its rocky ridges floating high.
When I see the moon,
I am reset by the knowledge that its Creator and I have a bond unbroken by tides, and seasons, throughout untold ages yet to come. The night whispers calm my anxious heart. The echoes of light illuminate a longing for a home just beyond my breath…
When I see the moon.
by Donya Dunlap | Aug 18, 2015 | Making a Difference, Modern Day Slavery, Random
Instant oatmeal is a wonder of modern technology. Just add water, microwave, and breakfast is served. I never really considered this breakfast staple in any other fashion until I recently started opting for more whole food options rather than their processed counterparts. Do you know what I learned?
Oatmeal is good.
I mean, really good. It’s good sweet with brown sugar or savory with veggies and spices. Oatmeal in my home is no longer meally and chemically tasting, but hearty and delicious, equally suitable for breakfast and dinner.
It may be a silly example, but in my quest for better health I have seen multiple correlations regarding oatmeal and other good choices in my life.
Good choices are intentional.
“Fast food” is mindless. Just grab and go. Quality food takes time to prepare and enjoy. The same is true in life. When I take time to outline and write by hand, my content is better. It’s more real and honest. It’s cleaner and more on point. When I write on screen, the temptation to publish too quickly takes over. Quality is traded for the instant gratification of feedback.
The same can be seen in art. Designers tell customers they can have something done fast, cheap, or good, but you can only pick two. Writing, design, business, parenting—whatever your focus, remember that the default choices might be easy and convenient, but the best choices are intentional and require time.
Good choices multiply.
In this small change of choosing whole foods, I have also discovered new foods that I enjoy. I’ve tried kale, fresh mango, star fruit, quinoa, goat cheese, and a number of other things. I’ve tried new recipes and new tips for food preparation. I’ve also changed my cleaning supplies to all natural choices, and some beauty products as well.
Why? Because one area of life flows into the next. Everything is connected.
This also applies to bad choices. One Netflix video can easily become five and so on. Making sure that your choices are intentional will plant seeds in many areas in your life for positive change.
Knowledge really is power…for change.
I used to think that organic options and clean living products were gimmicks to try to get people to spend more at the grocery store. But then I started learning what actually happens to our bodies when we put things on our skin and eat without guidelines. The truth propelled me to change.
This echoes my last post about what happened when I learned about sex trafficking and modern day slavery. That knowledge completely shifted my focus and even changed my life direction. I no longer look for the cheapest products at stores because I am informed on how slave labor is used in developing many of those products. Often, saving a few dollars in America costs those overseas their freedom. It’s worth it to me to spend more money on products that are being sourced ethically than to get a good deal. Knowledge fueled that change. The more I learn, the more I allow that knowledge to shape my choices, the better I am as an individual and leader.
Small changes can make a big impact.
Am I 100% consistent in making wise choices? No. Sometimes the instant oatmeal way of life wins. But I am choosing the good over the easy more and more because I want to be a woman of quality, good health, and good conscience.
As an example, I was encouraged today by a post from Humans of New York. Currently, the photographer behind the internet sensation is in Pakistan recording the lives of the people in that country. He did a series of photos on the fate of the people working in brick kilns against their will. He told his followers about Fatima, a woman fighting against all odds to bring her fellow citizens freedom. In just three days, HONY followers raised nearly $2 million dollars to help Fatima fight bonded labor in her country. One guy with one camera chose to spend one month of his summer in a foreign place. Because of his influence, he has made a huge impact on the future of those trapped in horrific conditions that would otherwise never have a way out. Little things matter.
So tell me, have you had any life impacting realizations over breakfast? If so, I’d love to hear about them in the comments below.
Also, If you are interested in supporting my ministry or taking part in my writing process, please visit my Patreon page to learn more about how you can do so.
Thank you for stopping by today! Your readership and engagement means so much.
by Donya Dunlap | Aug 13, 2015 | Making a Difference, Modern Day Slavery, The Spiritual Life
I have often joked about being incapable of feeling, and I’ve even been called an ice queen on more than one occasion. But the truth is more complicated than that.
The truth is, I am at the opposite side of the emotional spectrum with those who identify as HSP’s (Highly Sensitive Persons) and empaths. Instead of feeling nothing, our default is to feel everything. We have highly tuned nervous systems which makes us very sensitive to sounds, tastes, lights, colors, and other things that seem normal to the rest of the population. Empaths have a heightened sensitivity to others emotions and physical energies. We not only pick up on others emotional levels, but also subconsciously internalize those emotions. This can be incredibly helpful in counseling situations, but it can also be overwhelming and physically draining, even causing physical ailments at times.
As a defense mechanism, HSP’s and empaths learn to put up walls and shut things out. We don’t watch the news. We don’t listen to stories about broken bones and surgeries. We use earbuds in crowded areas to ward off sensory overload. We ignore our imaginations, we shut down our emotions, and sometimes we flat out refuse to care.
- disease
- crime
- genocide
- puppy mills
- food deserts
- ISIS
- human trafficking
- homelessness
- child labor
- contaminated water
- abusive relationships
It’s too much. The hurt is too great, the world is too big, and we often feel that we are too small to stem the tide. What can one person do? And if we care about one thing, we have to care about EVERYTHING, right? So…into the sand we go, head first.
When I first learned about sex trafficking, I was shocked and appalled, which quickly turned into a wildfire of anger. Maybe because I’m a woman, or an aunt, or afraid of rape, or because I’m an empath—it’s difficult to say. But the truth gripped my heart that day and refused to let go.
You can imagine my confusion when I started sharing what I had learned and people didn’t want to know. I heard things like “I just can’t think about that” and “I have too many other things to worry about.” Several people said, “doesn’t that just happen overseas?” as if an act so evil against one human doesn’t impact us all.
I didn’t understand how people could react in these ways until I saw myself in the same light. I too had become deadened to the pain of others in many areas. I’ve chosen, at times, to look away from the hungry man holding the cardboard sign. I’ve clicked away from the photos of innocents being beheaded, and turned off videos discussing embryos being dissected for their organs.
Hiding is easy. Pretending to not see has its benefits.
But what if we did see? What if we did feel?
What if we had a God who was powerful enough to change things?
What would the world look like if we made the decision to feel again? What if we faced the injustices around us and responded with “God can” instead of “I can’t”? What if we looked at the pictures of people trapped in slavery? What if we read the stories about the displaced refugees fleeing ISIS?
What if we fought the ostriches inside of us and took a stand?
There is a war against humanity raging all around us, and Satan is the captain at the helm. We can numb ourselves in our bunkers with our lattes and Gucci bags, or we can strap on our helmets of salvation and our shields of faith and storm the gates of poverty, slavery, disease, and more.
We who are Christians have been given freedom in Christ. It is a precious gift that came at an unimaginable price. To hoard what we have makes me question whether we really received the genuine article or if we just wanted to join Christianity as a social status choice. To truly be carriers of the gospel, we must accept our responsibility to take it to the streets, the homeless shelters, and the refugee camps.
“By this we know love, that He laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” 1 John 3:16
Thank you so much for coming by my blog today and reading these words. It’s an honor I do not take lightly. If you are interested in supporting my ministry or taking part in my writing process, please visit my Patreon page to learn more.
