is a quote by Tolstoy, quoted in Foster's "Celebration of discipline" with additional comments by Krystin.

"Our world is hungry for genuinely changed people. Leo Tolstoy observes, 'Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself.' Let us be among those who believe that the inner transformation of our lives is a goal worthy of our best efforts."

I've returned to "Celebration of discipline" for a third time. My inner dialogue continues to repeat "back to the basics" whenever I contemplate my spiritual state. When I consider acts of love, respect, obedience, my inner voice continues to chant "BASICS".



The basics for me.... must fall into the foundations of truth that I adhere to. Basics are principles I know are true. I believe that if I don't truly wrestle with the "basics" of God, life and me, in the end I will miss every and any opportunity for depth and honesty in this life. Here are some of the basics as Krystin, that I am continuing to be called back to:

• I am full of brokeness or as a good friend of mine says "I'm a hot mess."
• God is good. This statement in itself causes more hope and frustration in my life then you could possibly imagine.
  
• I am in desperate need of relationship. First with God, then with people. I tend to forget this. I tend to withdraw; spiritually and emotionally. I label this action as independence but it's probably more pride and stupidity.

These are a few of the basics for me. There are some more and some can get theological and others a bit raw but in the end they all kind of fall back into one of these three categories.

So instead of attempting to change the world, revive a nation, reform a healthcare system, or even perhaps be known as the "worlds best mom," as my mug says, there are some basics I need to resonate and wrestle with, not that I will not attempt any of the others.

It's this foundation that calls me to meditate, to seek, to listen, and most of all it's these truths that remind me that I'm on a journey. A journey that should repeatedly bring glory to God, change in myself, and overflow with acts of love towards others.

There you have it. A glimpse into my mind and a nice clear view of my dirty laundry.