Home Again

I am home again, and in the bustle of everything going on, I have managed to put off blogging for a few days. It remained in the back of my mind, something I wanted to do but was not making time for. I am making time for it now.
Already I feel the weight of "things" settling, and I am reminding myself constantly to shake it off and let "things" rest where they should: on God. I am still processing from Gateway, and I daresay I will be for awhile longer. I have changed, and I long to see the world around me change as well. God really spoke to me during Gateway. It was wonderfully amazing. Now at home, my immediate goal is to maintain lifestyle changes that are much easier to live out when in a household of similarly minded people striving for similar things.
Conversations with people was the first step, and all of the ones I have had so far have been wonderfully encouraging. People are listening and connecting, and I feel that some of my family wants change.
I am really excited to see how I can continue living in a way that brings glory to God. I want to work harder to be responsible about my environmental impact, and I really want to work harder towards all around restoration. One way that God has really blessed me already is through my music. Music is powerful, and I wanted my music to be a tool for change, healing and joy. I feel that God has provided me opportunities to do so that are wonderful. My music will be in a documentary about homelessness, poverty, and an organization, Haley House, that is working towards restoration in these areas here in Boston. It's wonderful to be a part of this. I will also be performing for a Haiti Benefit. What makes me excited about these two opportunities is that they go beyond my campus, and since both will be aired on television and will be recorded, they will be able to be seen years after the first time they were viewed. I used to write as a way to cope with the trials of my life, but now I really see my music as a ministry. People respond to art in a way the they respond to few other things. I want my art to be a part of the greater picture of shalom.
Now that I am exiting Gateway physically, I want to not remove myself mentally and spiritually from that lifestyle. I want to live intentionally no matter where I am, and remain open to God so that I can continue to grow in Him, and be a part of His restoration. I will continue to update on how things are going, since if I'm truly going to live this out, everywhere is my mission field. As I prepare to go to the ends of the earth, if that's where God calls me, I want to remember this end of the earth, and allow God to use me to reach the people He wants to reach through me while I'm here.