Being authentic is much more fun — It’s not your job to keep others happy all the time. Teach them how to be happy if you wish, but don’t run around trying to please them. People-pleasing is inauthentic. Anyone who expects this of you is not worth your time. Sounds harsh I know, but what if these…

Wait, listen, and then obey — One thing I’ve discovered about God is that He pays attention to detail. While we are busy trying to get somewhere fast, God is all about the journey. It reminds me of the story in the Gospel of John where Jesus left Judea to go to Galilee, but on his…

And how it will devastate your life — I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the condition of our hearts. The psalmist, David, was well aware of his need for forgiveness after his fall from grace. David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Then he arranged for her husband Uriah to die in battle so he could take her…

A home for Christian writers — Welcome to New Creation, my first publication on Medium. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” — 2 Corinthians 5:17 I started this publication because I wanted to have a place where I could share my faith and…

To travel is a privilege — I don’t like to forget that — Hi Globetrotters. My name is…Orla. As someone who does not like to be in the spotlight, this is a big step for me. A lot of writers have written an About Me page, but no matter how long I think about it, I don’t know where to start! When I…

Poetry — Sometimes the past visits me I’m not sure why Maybe somewhere in the back of my mind, I am trying to figure out how I did things then I was good at getting things done All, go go go I did well I got ahead I achieved my goals Well — most of the time or so it seemed Other times it went horribly wrong So…

I like seeing new places but what I like more is wondering who it is in me that makes me choose these places and what draws me to one thing and not another — As a traveler, I need to be flexible, tolerant, and patient as I usually don’t know where I will be going next, why, or for how long. It’s unsettling, yet it makes me resilient. I have to make decisions regularly. Sometimes I consult friends, but less now, as they don’t…

Here’s what I did that changed my life — What feeling lets you know when your life is out of balance? For me, it’s irritability. It’s my red light. When I feel irritable it tells me I need to step back and take control of my life. So many people complain about feeling anxious, but don’t know what to…