Collective Culture

The other day, I sat with my sister-in-law in her living room as we worked on my logo for Love Remedy 

(which is finished by the way!!!) 

As I sat there working with her I started to laugh in my head. 

She has a beautiful spanish accent, because she is originally from Spain. As I was working with her I became more acquainted with her little traits that I assume she has picked up from her culture back home. Things she would say and do when she became more concentrated on the project. My brother was in the room with us and I said to Jordan, "Doesn't Lucia remind you of Grandpa when she *does these little things she was doing*" 

He laughed and agreed that Grandpa says and does similar things, we concluded that it must be a European thing, because both Lucia and our grandpa are from European countries. 

I sat there silently laughing in my head and started thinking about how cool it is that God gave me a sister-in-law all the way from Spain and a grandfather all the way from Ireland (Gallic accent, Irish features, ability to dance little jigs all included haha) 

(My beautiful sister-in-law and yes she painted that picture!)

Grandpa with my two brothers terrorizing poor baby Brady.

I hope I can go to Ireland with my grandfather one day! 

I feel fortunate that growing up my parents encouraged a "cultured" lifestyle. We visited many art and world history museums together and I loved learning about all the different places all over this earth. My favorite part about our Florida vacations growing up was always our trip to Epcot where I could walk from country to country exploring each culture, trying new foods and I loved how every part was so uniquely different. 

In high school I studied abroad a summer in Germany and also had a foreign exchange student from Germany. This country will always have a piece of my heart and the language will always be dear to me even if I don't have many opportunities to use it. 

(Anja muller,  foreign exchange 2009)

Not so long from this same time God blessed my cousin, Emily and her husband John, with their son Jaun Paublo all the way from Guatemala. He has made such a sweet edition to our immediate family and oh how I love how uniquely he comes with his very own culture!!

In 2012 God blessed me with an opportunity to visit Guatemala, days before a team was leaving and days before returning home from Africa last minute a spot opened up and a ticket completely paid for! Only I was crazy enough to go on such short notice, but hey, this is what God has created me for! 

And my sweet Africa… 

Even my time spent in California was such a meshing pot of wonderful cultures! I lived in a house full of girls from all over the united states ( and one from South Africa!) and believe me each state has its own culture which came out in each of them so beautifully. 

The church is one nation not just in (your culture) but in ALL cultures.

"Our father has a heart for all ethnicities. He desires a multi- ethnic family. The Gospel has the power to not only save people but also break down barriers that divided people for generations." -Matt Moore

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Touch The Sky

I wanted to share another guest post from a friend of mine.

Her words are beautiful.

I hope that it would be an encouragement to anyone grieving a loss in their life.

Blessed Be the Name of the Lord

No 23 and 24-year-old should have to bury their father. No 57-year-old should have to bury her brother. No 93-year-old should have to bury her son. No 63-year-old should be taken from this world. It just doesn’t seem fair. He was gone too soon.


Just over a week ago, I was sitting at a fast food restaurant with a close friend of mine who used to be a housemate. By the end of this week, what was once a house of nine girls will be a house of three. Over the past eight months, one by one, my friends have been moving out of the house I currently call home. Each time one leaves, it’s the same sadness over and over again. And as I lamented these loses, as well as the upcoming ones, I asked my friend, “Why does God keep taking everything from me?” But she reminded me, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21). I had no idea that these words would become all too real just eight days later.


Last night I lost my uncle to cancer. He fought long, hard, and strong, and I honestly believed that God would heal him. When I was home for Christmas, he was looking so well. But then his last round of chemo led to an infection that destroyed his lungs. He was only 63-years-old. He was gone too soon.


Losing a loved one is never easy. It is never the “right” time for someone to leave our presence. But looking back at the situation, I can see that God is still good. A week prior to my uncle’s passing, my mom and two older sisters were in Boston with me to watch me run the Boston Marathon. God could have chosen to take my uncle while we were all away. But instead He waited until my mom returned home and gave her the opportunity to spend another week by his hospital bed. My older sister came back to California with me after the marathon to see some much needed sun. God could have chosen to take my uncle after she left, but instead He blessed me with the amazing gift of having my sister at my side when I heard the news of my uncle’s passing. It was so hard not to be with my family at the hospital during this difficult time, but having at least one member of my family with me was a huge blessing. And what a huge blessing to have the comfort and support of the amazing roommates (past and present), friends, and church community God has given me. From the time my uncle was diagnosed, they have all been praying for healing and comfort and have been a huge support for me. One of my roommates was also there with my sister and me when we found out my uncle had taken his last breath and, when I broke down in tears later that night, she was beside me to embrace me with the hug I didn’t realize I needed. As I crawled into bed in tears, another roommate came beside me and prayed. Today, after crying all the way to church, I was greeted with flowers and a card from my pastor’s wife and received condolence after condolence from other church members. What a blessing to have members of the body of Christ come together to support the mourning: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15)


While driving on the freeway the night before my uncle died, my sister was marveling at the mountains surrounding us. “There’s beauty even in the sorrow.” Life is full of sorrow. Sometimes we think we are expected to put on a smile and pretend everything is alright. But why? The shortest verse in the Bible describes Jesus doing what I’ve been doing all weekend. John 11:35 says that Jesus wept when he went to the place Lazarus had died. But why would He weep when He knew that in just a few minutes Lazarus would be raised to life again? Because Jesus knew the sorrow of Lazarus’s friends and family. He knew their pain and sympathized with them. He mourned with them in their mourning. Jesus does not turn a blind eye to our suffering. Praise be to God! He is a God that rejoices with us but also mourns with us, weeps with us, and shares in our sorrows and sufferings. We are not only allowed to feel and express our sorrow, but Jesus was the example for us that it is okay to weep. And when we do weep, Jesus will be right beside us weeping too. Blessed be the name of the Lord who comforts us in our sorrow. Blessed be the name of the Lord because even among the sorrow, there is beauty surrounding us to remind us of His goodness.


In times of trial, it’s easy to ask, “Where was God?” Prayer warriors across the country were lifting up prayers for healing. But God decided the time had come for him to go. Why didn’t He answer these cries from His children? Why was he taken from us so soon? Because the Lord gives and He takes away. But even in the taking away, I must continue to say, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” What the Lord had given me, 27 years of wonderful memories with a loving uncle, He has now taken away. And so now, I must remember that I do not deserve anything I have been given and everything that is given to me will eventually be taken away. We are not promised anything for an eternity here on earth. I must remember to praise and thank Him for what I have while it’s here, all the while continuing to say may God’s name be blessed when it is taken away.


“What treasure waits within Your scars. This gift of freedom gold can't buy. I bought the world and sold my heart. You traded heaven to have me again…I found my life when I laid it down... I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground. Find me here at Your feet again. Everything I am, reaching out, I surrender. Come sweep me up in Your love again.” (Touch the Sky, Hillsong United)


These lyrics have been running through my head nonstop since Friday afternoon. Since purchasing the song, I’ve been playing it on repeat, and I am moved to tears every time I hear it. A life found in Jesus is so backward. We sold our heart to this world, giving into our own desires, so He gave up a perfect place in heaven to come down to save us. God willingly gave up His Son because He couldn’t imagine a life without us. Is there anyone in the world I love enough that I would sacrifice someone I dearly love, my uncle for example, for their sake? I don’t think so. But God felt that way for me. And all He asks of us is this: a life surrendered to Him. We find our life when we lay it down to Him. We touch the sky when our knees hit the ground in surrender to Him. When we fall at Jesus’ feet, He sweeps us up in His love in a tender embrace. When I mourn, He mourns with me and provides comfort from others who mourn with me as well. And when I cry He wipes the tears from my eyes and shows me beauty among the sorrow. He gives and takes away, but blessed be the name of the Lord.

- Shauna Potrawski

Embrace the Good-Bye

As much as I hate it, life is full of good-byes.

One of the hardest part of life is growing close to someone, sharing your laughter and tears, trials and joy and sometimes shame and regret, only to have that person removed from you life.

Yesterday I skyped with a sweet friend of mine and old roommate in California.We started talking about change in our lives and in the lives of those close to us. It was nice to be able to share with each other heartache that change can often bring but also the new blessings that so often come with new opportunity. Me and this friend once shared a house together with a few other girls. All of us became wonderful friends and it is a sad feeling knowing that although great memories were made, our lives are all going in so many different directions. I have a few friends getting married this year, some others moving out of state or even out of the country! Changes are hard, but necessary in life.

We both confided in one another how we struggle with trusting God when it comes to these changes and good-byes. It can be a sad and scary feeling walking into the unknown and we are both feeling these effects right now in our lives.

My friend sent me a blog post that she wrote upon moving from Chicago to California for the first time.

" Before moving forty-five minutes west at the age of fourteen, I had to say good-bye to my neighbors, my friends, my home. Nine years later, I had to say many more good-byes. This time it included twenty-seven piano students and their families, twenty-one foster children and their families on my case load, a secure job and many great coworkers, not to mention my own friends and all my family, the city where I had lived for years and knew so well. Essentially my whole support system was left behind me as I made the trip to California. I have made it evident that I do not like change. I do not like leaving my comfort zone. So these many good-byes were very challenging for me. And each time I return home to visit, only to have to say good-bye again a few days or weeks later, it is just as challenging. But one thing I’ve learned since my life-changing move is that sometimes you must embrace the good-byes.

Not too long ago, a close friend of mine gave me some great but extremely challenging advice she herself received from someone close to her: love deeply, hold loosely.

I told her I have the love deeply part down, but the hold loosely part is what challenges me most. As people become close to me, as we invest in each others lives, it becomes easier and easier for me to care about them, to pour into them, to give up a part of myself while loving them deeply. But as this thing called life continues on and takes people down different paths, letting them go is very challenging for me. What if I don’t want to hold them loosely? What if I want to hang on tightly, not willing to see them go, not willing for the relationship to change?

Oh, but what if by holding loosely, surrendering what, after all, is not really even mine to grasp, allows me to gather in my open hands something I could never have imagined? What if Jesus is holding behind His back something far greater, just waiting to give it to me once I hand over what I so desperately cling to?

And so I keep returning to these friend’s words of wisdom when I am reminded that life is but a vapor, things are always changing, and relationships are not exempt from that.

Nobody in a healthy state of mind would willingly choose pain and sorrow on themselves. Not unless they knew something good would become of it. Despite the pain and sadness the good-byes bring, there is a positive in them: new hellos. Because I was willing to hold the relationships in Chicago loosely and surrender the changes to God, since moving to California He has blessed me with so many amazing people I never would have had the chance to meet had I not been willing to say good-bye to the many people in Chicago. Families I have babysat for, people at my church, women at my Bible study, friends at my community group, and roommates in my new home have all made an impact on my new life in California, enriching it, and blessing it.

I have been loved, challenged, and encouraged by the relationships that have been formed in my new dwelling place. And while it doesn’t take away from the relationships I desperately miss back in Chicago, I must remind myself some good-byes are only temporary. Many of the relationships in Chicago will last a lifetime no matter where I am living. And even if the farewells are permanent, I must remember those relationships too had an impact on my life and molded and shaped me into who I am today. And that will never be lost.

So my advice to you: when the time comes, learn to embrace the good-bye, as difficult as it is. Because not only does it bring new hellos you otherwise may never have had, but when the time comes to say hello again to the ones you know and love, it makes the encounter that much greater."

Appropriately when I woke up this morning
I found my devotional entitled
Pain With A Purpose.

Again God was comforting me about the many,
sometimes painful, changes in my life.

The other day I sat on the floor in our basement,
looking through old childhood and family photos.
Of my parents, my brothers, old pets.
And I couldn't help but feel sad.



(Me and my two brothers)

In my devotional a women talked about
the most difficult time in her life being when
her first son was born. It was a long and
painful labor. But looking back she said she
considers it joyful,

"Because the pain had a big purpose."

Change may be hard, sad and painful sometimes.
But it can also have a big purpose.

Here's to brighter days!

- This blog post was co-authored by Shauna Potrawski