Always Be Han

A message to my white friends: Conviction weighs heavy on my heart once again. I should have said something sooner, but I am not supposed to stay silent. I don't know if I've found the right words, but these thoughts are authentic and these intentions are pure. I encourage you to keep reading and, as you do, I hope you will do your best to empathize with me. Maybe you're tired of seeing these posts. Let me remind you that this is much bigger than politics -- because before we label ourselves Republican or Democrat, black or white, we are first and foremost human. From the very beginning of humanity, we were made to live in unity with one another. Our differences were meant to be celebrated, but instead they've divided us. I want to make it very clear that I have nothing but respect for (most of) the men and women who wear blue in our country. But, what happened on Monday should not have happened. And if we do not voice our frustrations, it will continue to happe...

"Build a longer table, not a higher fence." - Manda Carpenter I came across this quote while casually scrolling through Instagram one day and conviction hit me hard. Instantly, I felt guilty because (if I'm being honest) there's a fence around my heart that's been built 100 feet high. In a world where it's become the norm to put up walls for our own protection and comfort, it's still so important to love everyone. To make room at our table for everyone. Yes, you read that right. I said everyone . That means loving those we disagree with, those who are different than us, and even those who have hurt us. (Note that our call to love them doesn't mean we give them a free pass to keep hurting us. I really hope you realize the difference.) If you choose to keep reading, I encourage you to be honest with yourself because honesty is the first step to tearing down our fences. Let me tell you what I mean. Criticism, conflict, prejudice, p...

I spent the first 18 years of my life going to church, but I never truly believed in the God they preached about. I tried to, but I wasn't always convinced that He was as great as they said He was. I would pray and see no evidence of God's goodness. What I did see what hardship and suffering and oppression. I developed a lackluster faith, which was only there to make me look good. This made it impossible for me to go all-in with God. I refused to put my trust in something I couldn't see, so for 18 years I tried to live life my way. ( Tried is the key word here. It didn't really go as planned, but we're getting to that.) We live in a world where we are taught to put ourselves first (and don't get me wrong, there are a lot of great things about you and me), but in my own experience, my self-seeking life left me feeling like there's got to be something more. I tried everything to find contentment, but still felt I was missing something. Eventually, I fou...