List This

Posted on December 4, 2015 by lainamunoz

Things I’ve discovered while doing a 100-day creative challenge:

1. I love waking up and asking G-d if I can create with Him

He is a forever and eternally THE CREATIVE G-d and this challenge to create something or play every day has opened my eyes to all the opportunities that we have to learn from the Author and Creator Himself and co-write with Him along this journey.

2. I am creative

I’ve noticed that it isn’t a matter of, “oh I need to do something creative today for the 100-day challenge” but more “Oh my goodness, I read today, wrote, went diving with sharks, colored a page in, packed a suitcase that shouldn’t have been able to hold all that it did”.

WE ARE CREATIVE BEINGS and it’s awesome. I’ve realized that by spending copious amounts of time with G-d that He has granted my request to be more like Him and less like me. Life is full of beautiful things and we do beautiful things all the time, sometimes it’s just a matter of slowing down enough to realize you’re actually close to who you want to be.

3. People are inspiring

Lets get some facts straight: I spend a lot more time on Instagram now BUT it’s typically to scroll through the #100daycreativechallenge tag and see all the wonderful things that people are up to. Some of my friends have some insanely creative minds and what they are producing sparks my imagination to make even more unique things. I’m (clearly) a firm believer in producing your work and sharing and inspiring others so this whole challenge has me frothing*.

Things I’ve discovered while being at Hillsong College:

A. Relationships Matter

I knew it would take a miracle for me to love and get along with 7 other women in one house. I prayed that we would all get along and G-d gave me even more than I prayed for. I have lived in a house full of challenging, encouraging women who have shaped me this last year. My friends at school and in my tutorial have been a vital part of me trusting, giving and breathing through tests and assessments and full on pout fests. They are all wonderful.

B. Miracles Happen

My house. Provision. Healing. G-d reminding me in the DAILY that He is real. Relationships restored. Salvation. Blessing on blessing. I’ve seen so much this year. I began writing in my planner the miracles I saw on the daily near the beginning of the year because I just wanted to remember. I wasn’t awesome at keeping up with it but as I look back on the year I can tell you countless things that I have seen and life-changing experiences I’ve been through that have absolutely changed the way I see prayer.

C. You Can’t Explain All You Go Through

I wish I could… I so wish I could. The best way I can explain life here is with the metaphor of a garden.We as students literally plant ourself inside of this fertile soil here all the while trusting that G-d the father is at work. And OH He is. He seems to take no time to root out any weeds in our lives and continuously water us and give us sunshine to grow. As quickly as a flower in our garden begins to brown, there is Jesus with some sharp garden tools to make sure that we take no extra time to produce a flower even more beautiful than before. Our rocks are removed so that we have nothing to hide in and nothing to stunt our growth.

But also. It’s so much fun.

Things I’m excited to eat in America:

. Chili’s

If you didn’t see that coming, I DON’T KNOW YOU.

.. Taco Bueno

Very few things divide the innocence of Owasso, OK like the Bueno vs. Bell debate.

… Anything that resembles holiday food

Cream Corn, Apple Pie, Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce, Soup, Holiday Little Debbie Snack Cakes… guys I’ll take anything.

What a weird season to have walked through, what a weird season to leave.

I can’t wait to get back.

*Frothing – if you’re frothing over something you’re really excited.

I’m Halfway Listening To What She Thinks She Knows

Posted on October 9, 2015 by lainamunoz

Hippie music to enjoy whilst reading my blog

– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5ASEfYFADs
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMd35tfCiXQ

I enjoy being someone who is readable (no pun intended). I have a lot of people who know me and know me very well. Of these people some of them still enjoy my company and having a laugh or two with me (and at me). The most confusing thing about me is when I’m speaking and don’t even know what I’m talking about, or the fact that I change my mind a lot. But I have decided something – people are allowed to change their minds. I’m a planner. I like my weekends filled with sunshine and my work-weeks packed to full. I like my work schedules a month in advance and my new posts to come out on Fridays. Because of this I often have a difficult time letting myself change things up. Once I have black ink to a calendar I rarely give myself the opportunity to cross it off and reschedule.

Something I’ve learned in the last 2-6 years is the fact that things change. Always.

It then becomes our opportunity to learn how to respond to such things happening because they WILL in fact happen. It used to cause me legitimate anxiety that found it’s home in my stomach when things didn’t go according to a neat schedule and while I still believe it is important to be timely, I have found the freedom of occasionally rescheduling a thing or two. Obviously commitments that are pressing aren’t things to be thrown onto a different date… but you get what I’m saying.

(Please get what I’m saying)

Sometimes, I really like to rant. I get super passionate about a lot of thoughts and things and sometimes I just need to say a lot of words around that subject. I love when I find people who will just smile at me and let me talk. I love when people get me.

Sometimes, I think I’m super sneaky or really good at hiding feelings. Guys and lady-faces, I SUCK at this. I’m a freaking open book and often people can guess what I’m going to say word for word based on the ridiculous smile that I have on my face. I’m not fooling anyone. Except myself. I trick myself into thinking that I’m fooling other people. But I’m not.

Sometimes, I really enjoy people I can just BE with. I love the ones who can be sitting across the room not having a consistent conversation flowing and still just being pleased that they are there. I enjoy company more than conversation and tend to feel like I know you a little better when you spend time with me. It’s like a collaborative investment and I think it’s beautiful.

Sometimes, I don’t have anything to say to G-d. My quiet times can be ironically quiet. I’m not entirely sure if I don’t try hard enough in these times and can occasionally feel guilty when I miss a day journaling. Then I realize: G-d gets me. He knows me WELL and I feel like occasionally laughs at me. He lets me change my mind and doesn’t hold it against me. He keeps my weekends full of sunshine (unless it rains) and reminds me to leave space on my calendar for dates with Him, even if all we are doing is sitting on opposite sides of the room and mutually investing time there.

He lets me rant.

When I think I have something to say He allows me to splurb and blab on and on until I’ve exhausted my passion and thought process to finally come to a conclusion. That I will likely second guess. And change.

He gets what I’m really saying when I actually talk to Him, and He isn’t ever fooled by my replies assuring Him that, “I’m fine”. I don’t think I truly realize how important His character is to me or how much I appreciate who He really is. Sometimes I let weeks go by and feel like I’ve learned nothing about Him and that I’ve gotten no better in my attempts to be a super person (whatever that means).

But as I allow life to change around me and take the turns that it will, I find that He allows ME to change. I love realizing just how much has changed and how much has healed.

I love that He gives me time, investment, love… and that HE GETS ME.

My One Word Blog

Posted on September 4, 2015 by lainamunoz

If you were only allowed to give the world one more thing what would you have to offer?

Today’s challenge is to come up with something that you can leave because you can’t take any of it with you.

I’ve rambled on several other times about the importance of words and what power they hold so I will keep this short – if you can humor me and just think for a minute of what you feel is the best thing you can leave then I’d love to hear about it. I had previously thought of leaving you (those who read this) with the challenge to write a paragraph blog on what you’ve learned this week and if you feel like you want to do that as well you are more than welcomed to. This though is your one word. What is most important to you that you couldn’t keep just for yourself?

My One Word Blog:

Leave a comment on Facebook or here on WordPress with your one word to leave the world.

What’s It To You?

Posted on August 28, 2015 by lainamunoz

Lately in college life and in my own thinky-thoughts we’ve gathered around the ‘D’ word;

The Topic of Discipline.

In class with Aran Puddle this last week we broke into the importance of keeping an organized and ordered life (and not using the ‘creative excuse’ of being built a certain way and unable to participate in such nonsense). The uncomfortable facts of growing up and doing ministry is that a portion of those you study ministry with will have nothing to do with Jesus by the time you’re finished learning about Him. At first this was a massive concern for me because I the only thing I could reckon was that this was a random school yard pick of who would make it and who would decide they can and will do whatever comes there way. Then the longer I’m in and around this I’m finding it’s absolutely the opposite; it isn’t a school yard pick of who will stay but rather a choice of nothing but the individual deciding to pick the path that will keep them.

This comes from the discipline of reading the Word.

There is no magic pill. It is waking up and spending time with G-d, being in His word, and asking the Spirit to reveal what it means to you. I wonder sometimes if we treat our time reading as an afterthought instead of a need. I know for myself, sometimes I wake up and have little desire to get myself quiet and focused but then I realize that in daily time and the little progressions and the getting into the Word even when it may feel like I am learning little to nothing is what is going to ultimately change and keep me. No time with G-d returns void and for that I’m so thankful. I don’t have to work up my emotions or overthink in my Jesus time, I can simply be hanging out with Him and listening or just enjoying the fact that He is there.

I get really frustrated when I spend a few days in the same area of my Bible and realize I’m not catching anything that it’s putting down and then I remember a few things:

1) What I’m doing now is setting me up for the future I want of being an old 75 year old grandma who the entire family knows that I know the Lord.

2) “I can plod. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. To this I owe everything.” – William Carey, I can continue. I can do the little by little so I really need to stop beating myself up for the days I don’t get it. I know that the next day I’ll be there again ready to try.

((I’m not ever trying to be better than you, I’m trying to be better than the day before.))

But, this all makes me wonder, how do I really treat the Word of G-d? Is it negotiable in my life or is it the very lifeblood I’m leaning on to make it through the day? Do I hide it in my heart and meditate on it? Or do I let it sit on the side of the road getting destroyed in the storm?

While walking to the gym the other day I saw just that, a children’s bible, page by colorful page every few yards on the ground as I went along the road. I have a bit of an imaginative brain so I naturally write stories in my head of things and people that I see so I couldn’t help but wonder if the child ever had a chance to read their bible before they misplaced it. I wonder if it was left outside on purpose or if the parent tried to get rid of it? I wonder if it was a gift for someone hoping it would bring them a little closer to the savior. My brain always reels but the simple fact is that the bible I saw despite how it got there was simply not cared for. We see that as Christians and think, ‘huh that’s a shame’ but are we any better with our bibles sitting on the coffee table collecting dust? I don’t want to leave this. I don’t want to be one of the students who graduate and forget all they know about the body of Christ. I want to be solidly following and anchored into this spot. I was reading about anchors in preparation for this, I was reminded of our over quoted verse in Hebrews about hope being the anchor for the soul, but I’m not sure if I understand the context of that scripture and if it even really relates to Bible reading… So I’ll leave that verse there and instead tell you what I learned about anchors.

Anchors are the connections that boats or watercraft rely on so that they can stay in one spot through wind, current, or storm. Anchors can be temporary or permanent. (oh – that’s awful)

While I’m not sure if that verse is relevant to this I do still agree that our relationship with G-d is absolutely our anchor in the storms of life. The terrifying part, back to the people you know now who love G-d who will slowly lose interest is that there ARE temporary and permanent anchors… Yeah, they might be solid now but they are using the correct anchor. Using Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday chapel as the anchor will only last the week; it’s temporary. Using Sunday services and mid-week services as an anchor will only last temporarily. It won’t hold. Of permanent anchors Wikipedia says – “These are used where the vessel is permanently or semi-permanently sited, for example in the case of light vessels or channel marker buoys. The anchor needs to hold the vessel in all weathers, including the most severe storm, but needs to be lifted only occasionally, at most – for example, only if the vessel is to be towed into port for maintenance. An alternative to using an anchor under these circumstances, especially if the anchor need never be lifted at all, may be to use a pile driver into the seabed.”

What anchor are you chucking out right now? Are you in this for the long haul only to be lifted for repair? And when you do need repair are you letting Jesus handle it? Dig deeper in your relationship with the Father and make yourself immovable you have things to learn and a position you need to stand it.

So what’s the Bible to you?

Super reliable scholarly articles with information that I used:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchor

The Bible

There Was an Old Guy Painting in the Park

Posted on August 7, 2015 by lainamunoz

I always intend to not write these on Fridays, I have a new goal to post them by noon on Fridays (which clearly didn’t happen today, at least not for Australia) because I want to get out of the habit of writing anything on Friday and just editing the final things. In all honesty I have two other posts that I wanted to do today and HAVE been working on those this last week. The thoughts are very near and dear to my heart and very much what I’m learning this week. But then Jesus always throws me something that I can’t shake on a Thursday or Friday.

((maybe I’ll get better at this soon))

Today, it was an old man painting in the park.

My housemate and I had just worked out at the gym and had our beautiful walk home in front of us; It’s gorgeous here in the Hills today. As we were walking we were recounting all the things that we had the opportunity to hear Erwin McManus speak about last night at Team Night – and we were dreaming about creating. G-d dropped a LOT of things on my heart last night about my ‘art’ and my creativity. Sometimes I have issues with finding exactly what my creativity looks like. I suppose actually, He didn’t drop a lot of things but really just one thing. Words are my art. I feel like He gave me words. I feel like it’s something He’s given me as a gift and whatever capacity I open myself up to be used in – around that area – is what I will get to see happen. I want to song write, and book write, and teach, and speak, and read and learn languages. We have such a limited understanding on how to express what we are really trying to say. So, I guess I want to get good at what seems impossible. I want to be a storyteller and a brilliant communicator because I’ve been healed and feel like I have something beautiful to communicate with the world. Not because I’m good at it per-say but because I’m willing to open my mouth and tell about what G-d has done.

But, I learned something about creating, even the perception of creating can inspire. Even the thought that beauty might be being born somewhere around makes me want to dive deeper into my art. I saw this old man in the park with his easel and paints and wanted to talk to him about his life. I wanted to know what HE found beautiful and how he communicated that to the world. Or, if it was just for himself and maybe a significant someone in his life. Do you realize that even your efforts to better yourself or communicate to the world around you through what you’re good at and enjoy inspire people?

You make me want to write. And learn.

I’m not the best at what I do (yet). But I’m trying. I’m trying to learn that consistency brings quality. Faithfulness is rewarded and even when I feel like I’m not getting better… just my effort is doing something.

Having said all of that the other thing I’ve been thinking about is the above and beyond G-d… How I’ve heard over and over from people about how they thought their life was going one direction and ended up so much more than they could have imagined. I’m not saying I’ve out imagined the creator… its just makes my heart feel so full it could burst to hold onto knowing that as much as I love all of this, it could be bigger. I’m also sort of looking forward to the day I turn 45 and can look back at what I thought was going to happen, and see by then how much MORE He’s done.

What’s that G-d? I can’t even dream up enough of what it means to journey with You? Cool. Bring it on.

Ugh, the more I learn about G-d the more I realize I need Him. This is a pretty cool place to be.

Why I Want To Be A Writer

Posted on July 10, 2015 by lainamunoz

Writing has always been a way of processing for me, I get to think through whats going on with my life and download it honestly to my paper without too much harsh judgement (though I’m a pretty bad critic when I’m reading my own stuff). But there is a huge difference between writing and being a writer.

I’m still learning how to be a writer (and then the adventure is to be a GOOD WRITER) but some of the reasons I’m even trying is that:

1) I’m 24 – which is pretty much the peak of all wisdom and opinions. You have learned a lot by this age and have the boldness to share what you’ve learnt but lack the stupidity of when you were 18 and just didn’t know the appropriate times to share your wealth of wisdom. In reality though, I am probably the most aware of how much I have to wake up and tell G-d that I need Him because I don’t know what I’m doing without him. But I DO think we have pretty good opinions.

2) I’m going to be old some day – I was riding home on the bus from the city and saw this beautiful old woman in a dark blue coat sitting there. She had a bandage on the back of her hand and was carefully putting on her black leather gloves. She didn’t seem like she could be bothered with anything going on or the traffic that we were sitting in and all I could think about is if she was a writer. If she was some classy old woman who had loads of stories that she was just dying to share or if she didn’t think too often about leaving her history with the world that she was closer to leaving than myself. All I know is that I looked at her and saw some classy old lady who I desperately wished was a writer. So, instead I’m going to be a writer. And by the time I’m her age my goal is to write more books than Joyce Meyer 🙂 wishful thinking.

3) I love reading – leaders are readers. I have had many books shape the way I have seen Christianity, Christ, The Bible, Adventure, Love and the Warrior heart within us (see below for a list of books that I think are awesome). These books have molded me into a sharper thinker and a thankful human being. They’ve pushed me to grow and expand my way of thinking and brought me closer to the heartbeat of Jesus. I want to give the same feeling of finishing a book and being called to an adventure so I’m probably going to keep writing and praying that G-d does something with that.

4) It’s what I want to do – it’s pretty simple guys. I’ve wanted to write a book for a while. Gotta start somewhere.

But, I suppose finally it has to do with the fact that it’s who I was created to be. G-d knew from the beginning that I’d love words and books and I think through that He gave me a strong conviction with words. I like to keep silent unless I have something I need to say and I like to think through that something if I think I should really say it. The largest compliment my heart can receive is that I communicate well. And the biggest accomplishment I plan on achieving in the next three years is graduation college and signing my first printed book to give my parents for Christmas.

Find what you love to do. These were just my thoughts for the day.

((Laina’s list of awesome books that she thinks is awesome))

Scouting the Divine – Margaret Feinberg

The Barbarian Way; Artisan Soul; Uprising; Soul Cravings – Erwin Raphel McMannus (probably my favourite author)

Closer Still – Scott Evans

Radical – David Platt

The Sacred Romance; Epic – John Eldredge

In a Pit With a Lion On a Snowy Day – Mark Batterson

Outliers: The Story of Success – Malcom Gladwell

((These are just a very few))

Continue On

Posted on June 12, 2015 by lainamunoz

Life update.

I think there are loads of things in my life that I sit back and ask,

“Why am I still doing this?”

Writing is one of those.

Writing is hard.

This is week 16 and more than ever I feel more like spam rather than anything useful for anyone. Then I think to myself, “Well Laina, this isn’t about THEM ((whoever them is)) this is about the fact that you felt really strongly about the calling to be faithful with your writing so that G-d could teach you a few things about yourself (ugh, there G-d goes bringing that into this)”

((Faithfulness is hard))

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

James 1:2-3

“Endure hardship as discipline; G-d is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciple – and everyone undergoes discipline – then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.”

Hebrews 12:7-8

I know this is heavily influenced by the Think Back Thursday but it’s absolutely where I’m at with life right now AND what my week has been focused on

Lets stroll here for a little bit. Consider it JOY when you face trials. I had to ask this question to myself several times recently, “am I viewing trials as an opportunity to grow, am I finding joy knowing that I’m learning perseverance?” At first the answer was a hard “No” followed by “Laina what the heck are you doing with your life?” and then it was a “yeah, sometimes I think I get that” and now it’s a daily battle of having little to no passion behind a lot of the things I feel called to do because it’s just been a long season and its not always easy to hold only what you thought you knew.

What I do know to be true is the active Word of G-d. ‘you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance… and let that finish so that you might be mature and complete, not lacking anything’ G-d I don’t want to lack so help my views change on what I’m walking through. You’re teaching me how to be a child I just need to sit and listen.

Why writing is hard:

It’s time consuming – which isn’t as big of a deal right now because all my assessments are in and competent (humble brag) but it requires focused time and time to process which sometimes I struggle with.

Its personal – sharing is hard. Partly because sometimes I don’t want to admit to myself where I am and the other bit would be because I, as an author, don’t want to bore you with something that isn’t useful. Actually, I’d love to accomplish the opposite. I want people to feel like they can be a little bit more of a person when they read what I write. I want them to fall more in love with Jesus or meet Him for the first time. I want people to laugh when they catch up on my dry humor. And I want to constantly be getting better both at storytelling and writing real gud.

It’s not always read – hmm… which brings me back to faithfulness. I felt like this was something G-d wanted to work on in my life was sticking to commitments if no one reads it or not, now that I think about it that’s pretty funny since I typically write in a journal daily anyway but this is more along the lines of editing and cleaning up the thought process and publishing something I’d be proud of. Come Fridays that doesn’t always happen but I also enjoy looking back and seeing how much I’ve grown so the weak posts are welcome as well. Feeling awkward about my work is alright.

You don’t always have something awesome to say – You have no idea how badly I want to be sharing these ridiculous, life-changing revelations that Christ has shown me throughout the weeks but sometimes I’m too stubborn to sit and listen and I don’t get them. I want to be a good author and I’m still learning what that means. Sometimes, (and PLEASE do correct me if I’m wrong, seriously, I’d love to know if I’m the only one who thinks this way), I think it has more to do with consistency and the subtle changes for the better than always having content that will bring the reader to tears and make them do that next thing that they haven’t been brave enough to do yet. Maybe I’ll get there, but for now I’m learning a lot about sitting, thinking, writing and rewriting.

‘Let perseverance finish its work in you so that you will be complete and mature, not lacking anything.’

I’m clearly not mature yet. But, G-d is good at reminding me of who He IS creating me to be. Faithfulness and Loyalty are some of the most important things in the world to me and in the last two weeks or so G-d has used a few different people to remind me that HE sees me as faithful… I truly believe that’s not just the early mornings with Him but sometimes I like to think it’s the continuing to do the things that I currently don’t find awesome.