Who Are You?

Jun 20, 2023

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I love personality tests.

Myers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder, Big Five, DiSC, the St. Catherine of Siena Charism identifier, Colors, the one that rhymes with shmeneagram... I’ve done them all. And I don’t think I’m alone – personality tests are a $2b industry, with an estimated 100 million workers taking some form of personality test each year. I took a class last semester that had us take three major (very $$$) tests in the course of six weeks. So what is the obsession with these tests? I think it’s because, at our heart, we desperately crave certainty. We want to know who we are, that we're normal, that we're understandable. And it's often a lot easier to look outside of ourselves to find the answer than to take the time to look inside.

But in order to understand who I am, there's a much bigger question to answer first: whose am I? To whom do I belong? Because if everything is random, who I am doesn’t really matter – because nothing does. But if I’m able to confidently say that I was spoken into being by the Creator of the universe, the King of Heaven and Earth, Creator of all things, visible and invisible – then my identity becomes very clear. I am a beloved daughter of God, with precious talents and gifts, and a unique call on my life. With a reason that I exist here and now.

These two questions are the two most important questions we can answer in our lives on this earth. Who am I? Whose am I? Another way to phrase it: Who is God, and who am I? The answers to these questions will determine how we live, what we love, what we sacrifice for, who we surround ourselves with, and how we act every day. If you've spent more time taking personality tests than going directly to the Source (I have definitely been guilty of this...) then I encourage you to take time this week to sit before the Lord and ask Him: Who are you, God? And who do You say that I am?

Life is fleeting, and so is external approval. Personality tests come and go. It's only when we anchor ourselves to the truth of what God says about us that we can live truly free, truly open to the will of the One who created us and loves us.

In Christ,

Jane

What we're loving lately:

Podcast Episode 74: Goodbye NYC! A heart-to-heart with Jacelyn Vo

Jacey was one of my very first NYC friends (we actually went to college together!) and we both happen to be moving away from the city around the same time this summer, so we sat down to talk about the highs, the lows, the wild, and the amazing moments we had here. Jace is a fount of wisdom and I'm so blessed by her friendship - and I know you will be blessed by her perspective, courage, openness, and joy as well! Tune in here on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Envy, the Happiness Killer

Another golden piece from Arthur Brooks – I love his perspective on envy, and how it makes everything in our lives much harder than it needs to be!

I listened to this 10 minute podcast six times this week

This podcast episode on the romance of the Sacred Heart of Jesus absolutely slayed me. How easy it is to forget the passion and deep, active love that Jesus has for us and wants for our lives. A favorite line: "We are often disappointed by Jesus because we think far too small." ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

The beauty of simple prayers

I volunteered at faith camp last week, and one of my favorite parts of each day was sneaking out of the kitchen to see the prayers and intentions added to the wall in the gym! They were so sweet, simple, and honest and I think we can all learn a lot from how these kids approach God in prayer. Here's just a small sampling of the hundreds of prayers on the wall:

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Prayer Requests

Prayers for this community!
Prayers for a special intention

If you or a loved one need prayers, just reply to this email or reach out and I'll include them in next week's newsletter!

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Who Are You?

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