By some miracle, I’ve managed to blog every single day for two weeks, which not only means that we are now well past the halfway point of Blogmas, but also that I beat last year’s Blogmas streak of thirteen days. To wrap up another week, here is another How Wow Pow Chow.

How has God been working in your life this week?

I’m the type of person who desperately seeks the affection and approval of others. It’s never in my identity to do wrong by anyone, nor is it in my nature to go out of my way to be petty and vindictive. As much as I try to lean away from these qualities, I began to realize this week that when I’m not given the attention I want or feel like I deserve, I lash out and shut down the qualities of the natures I’ve adopted. This week, God has been reinforcing the idea of forgiveness and humility within me. While it is important to remember that all of your actions and words to people must be done in love, God continues to convict me with the reminder that my relationships with the people in my life pale in comparison with my relationship to Him. It is not my job to lean into my worldly desires – things like craving attention and affection from others – but rather to be the light that people may need in their own lives. Being self-absorbed, vindictive, and self-serving are not and should not be in my nature because God did not call me to be any of those things. He calls us to be loving, understanding, and tolerant. Through the storms that I’ve experienced this week, God has provided me the peace and comfort that I needed.

What is something good that happened this week?

Last Friday, I got the chance to go see John Mulaney, one of my favorite comedians, live at the Orpheum Theatre in LA with some friends. It was an amazing night filled with laughter, food, and fellowship with the people I was with. Our division Christmas party also happened this past week, where I got the chance to interact with coworkers, both old and new. It’s always so refreshing to be able to interact with colleagues outside of the work place, and getting to leave the pressures of the job behind.

What is something that happened this week that wasn’t so great?

Since October, I’ve been trying to make it a point to go to the gym as many times as I can during the week. When I’m physically active, the reprieve I feel not only comes from the rush of endorphins from working out, but also from knowing that I’m taking care of the body that God has given me. I haven’t been able to work out as much as I wanted to since things kept getting in the way, and that may have been a factor in me not feeling like myself lately. Next week, I’ll definitely go back to my usual workout schedule to get my blood pumping and endorphins running once again.

Any notable foods you ate this week?

Other than the food that was catered at our staff Christmas party a few days ago, I want to highlight a trip to a cafe I took this past week. I’ve been to this spot many times before, and have never had anything less than a positive experience. This past week, a friend from church invited me to hang out there. The space lends itself to be a comfortable spot to have casual conversation with a group of people. We’ve only known each other for as long as I’ve been attending that church (which has been a little over two months now), but we’ve never interacted outside of church or our Bible studies. It’s always refreshing to get to sit down and have real conversations with new people that come into your life, especially as an adult. It’s a rare thing that I’m able to vibe well with new people and get to have a relaxed conversation without having to dance around small talk. Being that our friendship is founded in the Lord, along with the fact that conversation was so easy, I am incredibly optimistic about our friendship and fellowship moving forward.