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Saturday, September 15, 2012
Sunday, September 9, 2012
claimed
It's a beautiful afternoon in Nashville and I am so excited just for the chance to sit down and write. So far it's been an incredible day of sweet worship and community-- two things I've been extremely blessed to find so quickly in my life in a new city. There's just something about the change of seasons that constantly reminds me just how sweet the Lord is.
A few days ago, I received a link to this video and the Lord sent me on an incredible journey after watching it. Take a look, it's totally worth your five minutes:
Are you amazed? I was. I mean, where has this truth been my whole life? What an incredible, beautiful picture of Christ's tangible love for the church.
And so, with this in mind, I felt the Lord calling me in my time with Him to read over that story again. It was so evident, in fact, that it just so happened I'd stuck my pen randomly in my Bible the day before right at Mark 14, the story of the Last Supper... and I knew I was out to hear something sweet from Him.
I chased the story of the Last Supper around from quite a few angles that afternoon but felt the Lord was constantly calling me back to something deeper. In verse 15 two of the disciples are called to go ahead and prepare the room for the supper. This notion of preparing can be unpacked a ton... but I really landed on this question:
What does it really look like for me to prepare myself to receive the covenant with Christ? What does it look like for me to prepare myself to accept His great proposal?
If you are a Christ follower, you've already surpassed that point of preparation to receive the covenant (or essentially the proposal)-- you've already accepted it. I love the notion, however, that the two disciples were called to prepare the dinner for many. I know that there are people in my life who helped prepare the way for me to meet with Christ and I see now that it is my responsibility to help prepare the way for others to meet Him as well. But, for those of us who are in Christ, the question now has really shifted from that initial call to preparation to-
How do I prepare as I wait, after accepting the offer of Christ's covenant?
We see from the video and know from Scripture that after accepting the marriage proposal, the man and woman each went back to their perspective towns to prepare-- Him to build a home for her and her to wait until he returned at an unexpected time. Now, I've never been in her shoes, but I have to imagine that if my groom were coming for me at an unexpected time, I'd be working to be ready without ever being caught off guard. That's what our lives are to look like also-- that's what the disciples do after this point. The Lord has been showing me a ton of this through the early chapters of Acts.
But back up just a little-- the bride doesn't just return home to her usual day to day life. One of my favorite lines in the video was the mention that she went home and was no longer called by name, but rather called "one who has been bought with a price". Her whole identity changed. People knew that she had accepted the marriage offer based on the tradition of giving her a new title in the town.
Traditions are never really too far gone, and we can see that today people know that a girl has accepted a marriage proposal through the symbol of her wearing a ring. A girl wearing a ring says yes, I'm claimed- I'm taken. It's a symbol given that comes with both a promise and (let's be real-) a sacrifice on the man's part. Now, maybe I don't stand in the boat with the majority of the girls in the world, but to me it reflects far more on the giver than the receiver. It's not about something shiny, but rather it says look what he loved me enough to sacrifice for...
It doesn't say oh, she's engaged, but rather oh, look who she's been promised to.
It doesn't say look at me, but rather look who I belong to.
A ring is a symbol of that commitment and the acceptance of that offer. People see it, and they know.
So what is the symbol Christ gives us when we accept His offer to become His bride? What will people see and know that we have said yes?
It's far more valuable and far more of a sacrifice than any earthly symbol.
It's life.
Let that soak in. Look what He loved me enough to sacrifice. He has given up everything that we might walk around proudly wearing the life He has given us.
And in the same way, it shouldn't say look at me, but rather look who I belong to.
I don't know about you, but I was brought to humble tears at that realization. If we have accepted His covenant, His offer to allow us to be His bride even in the midst of our countless imperfections, we should wear proudly that new life He has given us. He has changed our identity. It should now be evident that we are to be referred to as one who was bought with a price. Because we were. Goodness, we were...
Let that soak in on this beautiful Sunday afternoon in the midst of whatever you may be doing. Does your life proclaim that you belong to Him?
A few days ago, I received a link to this video and the Lord sent me on an incredible journey after watching it. Take a look, it's totally worth your five minutes:
Are you amazed? I was. I mean, where has this truth been my whole life? What an incredible, beautiful picture of Christ's tangible love for the church.
And so, with this in mind, I felt the Lord calling me in my time with Him to read over that story again. It was so evident, in fact, that it just so happened I'd stuck my pen randomly in my Bible the day before right at Mark 14, the story of the Last Supper... and I knew I was out to hear something sweet from Him.
I chased the story of the Last Supper around from quite a few angles that afternoon but felt the Lord was constantly calling me back to something deeper. In verse 15 two of the disciples are called to go ahead and prepare the room for the supper. This notion of preparing can be unpacked a ton... but I really landed on this question:
What does it really look like for me to prepare myself to receive the covenant with Christ? What does it look like for me to prepare myself to accept His great proposal?
If you are a Christ follower, you've already surpassed that point of preparation to receive the covenant (or essentially the proposal)-- you've already accepted it. I love the notion, however, that the two disciples were called to prepare the dinner for many. I know that there are people in my life who helped prepare the way for me to meet with Christ and I see now that it is my responsibility to help prepare the way for others to meet Him as well. But, for those of us who are in Christ, the question now has really shifted from that initial call to preparation to-
How do I prepare as I wait, after accepting the offer of Christ's covenant?
We see from the video and know from Scripture that after accepting the marriage proposal, the man and woman each went back to their perspective towns to prepare-- Him to build a home for her and her to wait until he returned at an unexpected time. Now, I've never been in her shoes, but I have to imagine that if my groom were coming for me at an unexpected time, I'd be working to be ready without ever being caught off guard. That's what our lives are to look like also-- that's what the disciples do after this point. The Lord has been showing me a ton of this through the early chapters of Acts.
But back up just a little-- the bride doesn't just return home to her usual day to day life. One of my favorite lines in the video was the mention that she went home and was no longer called by name, but rather called "one who has been bought with a price". Her whole identity changed. People knew that she had accepted the marriage offer based on the tradition of giving her a new title in the town.
Traditions are never really too far gone, and we can see that today people know that a girl has accepted a marriage proposal through the symbol of her wearing a ring. A girl wearing a ring says yes, I'm claimed- I'm taken. It's a symbol given that comes with both a promise and (let's be real-) a sacrifice on the man's part. Now, maybe I don't stand in the boat with the majority of the girls in the world, but to me it reflects far more on the giver than the receiver. It's not about something shiny, but rather it says look what he loved me enough to sacrifice for...
It doesn't say oh, she's engaged, but rather oh, look who she's been promised to.
It doesn't say look at me, but rather look who I belong to.
A ring is a symbol of that commitment and the acceptance of that offer. People see it, and they know.
So what is the symbol Christ gives us when we accept His offer to become His bride? What will people see and know that we have said yes?
It's far more valuable and far more of a sacrifice than any earthly symbol.
It's life.
Let that soak in. Look what He loved me enough to sacrifice. He has given up everything that we might walk around proudly wearing the life He has given us.
And in the same way, it shouldn't say look at me, but rather look who I belong to.
I don't know about you, but I was brought to humble tears at that realization. If we have accepted His covenant, His offer to allow us to be His bride even in the midst of our countless imperfections, we should wear proudly that new life He has given us. He has changed our identity. It should now be evident that we are to be referred to as one who was bought with a price. Because we were. Goodness, we were...
Let that soak in on this beautiful Sunday afternoon in the midst of whatever you may be doing. Does your life proclaim that you belong to Him?
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
spoken redemption
Blogging... I'd like to start doing that again.
I've been itching for days to write this post, but I also started a new job this week. A girl can only do so much, right? So between doing manual labor to finish up camp inventory for nine hours a day, adjusting to life in a new city, and trying to begin a plan to prep for an upcoming 5k, I've maybe let a few things slip through my fingers. Oops? I'm sure the blogging world will forgive me in time...
The week before moving to Nashville, I was blessed to spend a few short days in Mississippi with Daniel. We were both reminded one afternoon of just how sweet the Lord is and how powerfully He calls us not to forget that we all belong to Him. (Have I mentioned I'm blessed to have conversations like that be a normal part of my dating life?) That reminder was powerful for me as I come off of a full summer of ministry. I've soaking in the opportunities lately to sit at a coffee shop or in my bedroom and just dive into His word. I'm thirsty for it, and yet still I wonder if He will ever be able to stop reminding me that I cannot make it on my own...
I sat at the Panera by my new apartment earlier this week (a place you can be sure I will frequent-- it may be a little too close for my own good...) and spent a little time enjoying the Lord's presence and a strawberry smoothie. I've recently begun a study of Acts and I was blown away that day as began to dive into chapter two. I'll hopefully share later about the beauty of the first two verses, but for today I'm caught up on what we see happen in verse four...
"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."
To catch up a little, Jesus has just left the Earth with the promise that He would send someone in His place. His disciples are all together when He fulfills this promise and sends His Holy Spirit-- something I've been studying for ages and could go off on a million tangents about. I'll just say this, and then get back on track: Wow-- what a crazy thing that God Himself would send His Spirit rushing in to dwell inside of us... more on that later. Back to my point--
I began to think through this moment when the Spirit enables the twelve to speak in different languages. Why? What's the point? It seems obvious... now they can go out and share Christ's story with people all across the world. But there's more to it than just that.
The story comes to mind of the other time in Scripture that we see God change the languages of a group of people. In Genesis 11, God scatters the languages of the people at the tower of Babel as a result of them worshipping false idols. They were displeasing God, so he blocked their form of communication.The point of the change of languages in this story is disunity-- separation due to sins.
But the point of the change of languages in Acts is the exact opposite. Here, God has enabled a group of people to go out and communicate with others for the sake of sharing the Gospel.
Do you see it? Acts is the coming together of what was broken apart in Genesis.
The people can again communicate with one another. Redemption steps in.
The Spirit comes and reconnection happens. The Spirit comes and communication is reopened.
What a picture of the Gospel we can see through these two stories. Originally, all people spoke one language, just as originally we all walked as one with God. But sin happened, so God caused a separation and blocked communication-- be it between people in Babylonia, or between us and God Himself. So many years later, after the life and death of Jesus, God reopens the door for communication-- yes, between people of the world, but much more importantly between us and God.
Christ is our intercessor, the door between our sinful selves and the holy perfection of God. We see in Romans that the Spirit intercedes for us-- our salvation in Christ gives us the opportunity to again connect directly with the Father. He gives us the right to stand wholly redeemed in His blood. Accounts all throughout Scripture point to this beautiful truth and I'm fascinated by how God makes His message clear through the smallest things, even something like language. His tiny details go to show just how big our God is. I don't know about you, but I love that humbling reminder.
We've been given the opportunity to directly connect with the God who breathed the world into existence via His very Spirit abiding inside of us. Are you making the most of that gift today? I know I should fall flat on my face at that realization much more often than I do.
Something to think about... Don't let that redemption go uncherished.
I've been itching for days to write this post, but I also started a new job this week. A girl can only do so much, right? So between doing manual labor to finish up camp inventory for nine hours a day, adjusting to life in a new city, and trying to begin a plan to prep for an upcoming 5k, I've maybe let a few things slip through my fingers. Oops? I'm sure the blogging world will forgive me in time...
The week before moving to Nashville, I was blessed to spend a few short days in Mississippi with Daniel. We were both reminded one afternoon of just how sweet the Lord is and how powerfully He calls us not to forget that we all belong to Him. (Have I mentioned I'm blessed to have conversations like that be a normal part of my dating life?) That reminder was powerful for me as I come off of a full summer of ministry. I've soaking in the opportunities lately to sit at a coffee shop or in my bedroom and just dive into His word. I'm thirsty for it, and yet still I wonder if He will ever be able to stop reminding me that I cannot make it on my own...
I sat at the Panera by my new apartment earlier this week (a place you can be sure I will frequent-- it may be a little too close for my own good...) and spent a little time enjoying the Lord's presence and a strawberry smoothie. I've recently begun a study of Acts and I was blown away that day as began to dive into chapter two. I'll hopefully share later about the beauty of the first two verses, but for today I'm caught up on what we see happen in verse four...
"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."
To catch up a little, Jesus has just left the Earth with the promise that He would send someone in His place. His disciples are all together when He fulfills this promise and sends His Holy Spirit-- something I've been studying for ages and could go off on a million tangents about. I'll just say this, and then get back on track: Wow-- what a crazy thing that God Himself would send His Spirit rushing in to dwell inside of us... more on that later. Back to my point--
I began to think through this moment when the Spirit enables the twelve to speak in different languages. Why? What's the point? It seems obvious... now they can go out and share Christ's story with people all across the world. But there's more to it than just that.
The story comes to mind of the other time in Scripture that we see God change the languages of a group of people. In Genesis 11, God scatters the languages of the people at the tower of Babel as a result of them worshipping false idols. They were displeasing God, so he blocked their form of communication.The point of the change of languages in this story is disunity-- separation due to sins.
But the point of the change of languages in Acts is the exact opposite. Here, God has enabled a group of people to go out and communicate with others for the sake of sharing the Gospel.
Do you see it? Acts is the coming together of what was broken apart in Genesis.
The people can again communicate with one another. Redemption steps in.
The Spirit comes and reconnection happens. The Spirit comes and communication is reopened.
What a picture of the Gospel we can see through these two stories. Originally, all people spoke one language, just as originally we all walked as one with God. But sin happened, so God caused a separation and blocked communication-- be it between people in Babylonia, or between us and God Himself. So many years later, after the life and death of Jesus, God reopens the door for communication-- yes, between people of the world, but much more importantly between us and God.
Christ is our intercessor, the door between our sinful selves and the holy perfection of God. We see in Romans that the Spirit intercedes for us-- our salvation in Christ gives us the opportunity to again connect directly with the Father. He gives us the right to stand wholly redeemed in His blood. Accounts all throughout Scripture point to this beautiful truth and I'm fascinated by how God makes His message clear through the smallest things, even something like language. His tiny details go to show just how big our God is. I don't know about you, but I love that humbling reminder.
We've been given the opportunity to directly connect with the God who breathed the world into existence via His very Spirit abiding inside of us. Are you making the most of that gift today? I know I should fall flat on my face at that realization much more often than I do.
Something to think about... Don't let that redemption go uncherished.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
omc christmas
Every Thursday at camp, we play a little game called OMC.
It's kind of a big deal.
Here are a few favorite shots from our second-to-last week of omc. I'll give credit for the photos to sweet Emma, but if they don't look great, it's because I edited them myself. ;)
I have more to share, but blogspot is telling me I've hit my quota on space for uploading photos... enjoy these while I work on that little problem.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Marching
Writing...
It's literally been so long since I last wrote that I had to figure out how to make a new post.
And I miss that. Camp is certainly not the place for excessive free time, but I'm enjoying this little break on a lazy weekend. We are headed out to go hiking soon, and I can't lie-- I'm excited to spend a little time just loving on this staff more. Last night I was asked what my favorite part of this past week at camp was. After thinking through it, I know this much to be truth: I have loved watching my team step into their roles, own what they are doing, and be transformed by the Lord. God has spoken to my heart this past week about what a blessing it is just to walk alongside and disciple these leaders. It's a mighty calling, and I'm falling more in love with it day by day. And that transformation that is happening in the lives of my staffers is directly correlating to the transformation happening week by week in the lives of children and adults.
God has been transforming me as well. (It's no coincidence that this year's theme is Romans 12:1-2; living a transformed life.) I have learned day by day a ton about my faith, about myself, and about what leadership really looks like. I've had a major perspective shift during this game and come into realizing that my job is not simply to lead, but to coach. I cannot expect my staff to do their jobs perfectly from the get go, but rather my job is to walk alongside them-- coaching, supporting, and teaching, both in the realm of camp logistics and in the spiritual nature.
I've been walking through the story of a great leader in scripture-- Joshua, the man who was chosen by God to follow into Moses's footsteps and lead the people of Israel through a long and challenging battle. I've seen the parallels constantly and God has been speaking to me a ton on how this Scripture applies to my own heart and story. I hope to post more from this story as the summer continues and I have a million pieces my heart is brimming to share but for the sake of time, I will start with this one:
My heart was convicted one night as we sat in the auditorium preparing for kids to come in for a time of worship. Joshua chapter six describes the Fall of Jericho and how Joshua lead the Israelites in marching around the walls of the city until they fell. I began to think through why the Israelites marched around the wall (other than, of course, because the Lord instructed them to do so), and this is what I came up with:
They marched to declare the Lord's victory.
They marched to declare that the city belonged to God.
They marched to prepare the way for the arc of the covenant-- to pave a path for the very presence of God.
They marched to collapse walls.
I am fully willing to bet that the Israelites felt really silly marching around the walls of Jericho. I'm also pretty positive that my staff felt a little silly when I made them march around the auditorium. But they are troopers and we figured we would give it a shot. We walked for a while around the auditorium praying for the same-- that God would have the victory, that all we were doing belonged to Him, that the presence of God would be welcomed in that place, and that walls would begin to collapse in the lives of kids, adults, and staff.
I'd like to tell you that the Lord blessed that night of worship in a mighty way and every kid at camp came down the aisle to receive Christ, but the reality of this situation is this: Not a single kid came forward that night.
And yet-- the more I began to pray and see with God's eyes, the more I realized that He did break down walls after all, even if not in the way I expected. That night when I threw out to the staff the usual question of "Tell me something awesome the Lord did today...", they were fighting one another to tell stories. Just to name a few- we had third graders going deeper in the concept of discipleship, and we had a pair of brothers who were extremely resistant to the Gospel begin to put together the pieces... individually. Those boys then were sat together to begin talking about what God was doing in their lives and how they could hold one another accountable as they returned to their hard family situation. Big things happened in the lives of staff as well. Over and over again, the Lord has allowed me to be present when He reveals pieces of their past that they have suppressed. He is using the hard parts of their individual stories to relate directly to the hard stories these kids walk through day by day. So even though no one came forward that night, the Lord moved in a mighty way. He is continuing to do so.
Joshua three says this: "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." That word consecrate is the same word used when God rests on the seventh day and sets the day apart as being dedicated to Himself. Set it apart, make it holy, give it to God. That's my heart beat for us each day-- continue to prepare the path for the Lord to move by dedicating fully to Him.
I'm blessed to be here this summer. This team is phenomenal, and I'm overwhelmed by how deeply I love them each, through laughs and through tough times. I cannot wait to see what the Lord continues to do this summer. Be praying for our staff and our kids-- we have three weeks to go and I'm sure not ready to see it end.
It's literally been so long since I last wrote that I had to figure out how to make a new post.
And I miss that. Camp is certainly not the place for excessive free time, but I'm enjoying this little break on a lazy weekend. We are headed out to go hiking soon, and I can't lie-- I'm excited to spend a little time just loving on this staff more. Last night I was asked what my favorite part of this past week at camp was. After thinking through it, I know this much to be truth: I have loved watching my team step into their roles, own what they are doing, and be transformed by the Lord. God has spoken to my heart this past week about what a blessing it is just to walk alongside and disciple these leaders. It's a mighty calling, and I'm falling more in love with it day by day. And that transformation that is happening in the lives of my staffers is directly correlating to the transformation happening week by week in the lives of children and adults.
God has been transforming me as well. (It's no coincidence that this year's theme is Romans 12:1-2; living a transformed life.) I have learned day by day a ton about my faith, about myself, and about what leadership really looks like. I've had a major perspective shift during this game and come into realizing that my job is not simply to lead, but to coach. I cannot expect my staff to do their jobs perfectly from the get go, but rather my job is to walk alongside them-- coaching, supporting, and teaching, both in the realm of camp logistics and in the spiritual nature.
I've been walking through the story of a great leader in scripture-- Joshua, the man who was chosen by God to follow into Moses's footsteps and lead the people of Israel through a long and challenging battle. I've seen the parallels constantly and God has been speaking to me a ton on how this Scripture applies to my own heart and story. I hope to post more from this story as the summer continues and I have a million pieces my heart is brimming to share but for the sake of time, I will start with this one:
My heart was convicted one night as we sat in the auditorium preparing for kids to come in for a time of worship. Joshua chapter six describes the Fall of Jericho and how Joshua lead the Israelites in marching around the walls of the city until they fell. I began to think through why the Israelites marched around the wall (other than, of course, because the Lord instructed them to do so), and this is what I came up with:
They marched to declare the Lord's victory.
They marched to declare that the city belonged to God.
They marched to prepare the way for the arc of the covenant-- to pave a path for the very presence of God.
They marched to collapse walls.
I am fully willing to bet that the Israelites felt really silly marching around the walls of Jericho. I'm also pretty positive that my staff felt a little silly when I made them march around the auditorium. But they are troopers and we figured we would give it a shot. We walked for a while around the auditorium praying for the same-- that God would have the victory, that all we were doing belonged to Him, that the presence of God would be welcomed in that place, and that walls would begin to collapse in the lives of kids, adults, and staff.
I'd like to tell you that the Lord blessed that night of worship in a mighty way and every kid at camp came down the aisle to receive Christ, but the reality of this situation is this: Not a single kid came forward that night.
And yet-- the more I began to pray and see with God's eyes, the more I realized that He did break down walls after all, even if not in the way I expected. That night when I threw out to the staff the usual question of "Tell me something awesome the Lord did today...", they were fighting one another to tell stories. Just to name a few- we had third graders going deeper in the concept of discipleship, and we had a pair of brothers who were extremely resistant to the Gospel begin to put together the pieces... individually. Those boys then were sat together to begin talking about what God was doing in their lives and how they could hold one another accountable as they returned to their hard family situation. Big things happened in the lives of staff as well. Over and over again, the Lord has allowed me to be present when He reveals pieces of their past that they have suppressed. He is using the hard parts of their individual stories to relate directly to the hard stories these kids walk through day by day. So even though no one came forward that night, the Lord moved in a mighty way. He is continuing to do so.
Joshua three says this: "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." That word consecrate is the same word used when God rests on the seventh day and sets the day apart as being dedicated to Himself. Set it apart, make it holy, give it to God. That's my heart beat for us each day-- continue to prepare the path for the Lord to move by dedicating fully to Him.
I'm blessed to be here this summer. This team is phenomenal, and I'm overwhelmed by how deeply I love them each, through laughs and through tough times. I cannot wait to see what the Lord continues to do this summer. Be praying for our staff and our kids-- we have three weeks to go and I'm sure not ready to see it end.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
chapters
It's weekends like this one that I'm reminded how incredibly beautiful my life here in Mississippi is. The best word I can describe for these days is idyllic. I sit at the end of them and wonder how I ever got to be so blessed.
I love everything about life here.
I love the sunshine and afternoons by the lake. I love that I have the sweetest church family I could ever have dreamed of-- one that makes me laugh constantly, pushes me to grow, and cries sweet tears as I cry them too. I love lazy afternoons with the boy who melts my heart far more than is safe to say. I love every minute of just living life together-- reading books, sitting by the pool, playing tennis, and laughing til we both can't breathe. I am blessed beyond all measure every single day.
The Lord answered my cries for friendship as I moved here in such a mighty way. This place is home. These people are family. I'm so blessed by this time and so grateful for this chapter of my life. I'm holding tight to every single second of it.
Because that's just what it is... a beautiful chapter. One far greater than I could have written myself.
But chapters come to an end and pages get turned. I admit that I can't understand why this one has to close. I admit that I'm not ready for it. Not in the least. The heavy realization of it brings hot tears to my eyes this afternoon...
I've accepted my dream job, working at the LifeWay office in Nashville next year. I get to live the dream of so many CK staffers-- working on camp all year round. I've secretly dreamed of this for years and I'm so flattered to have been offered the position. I'm brimming with excitement, yes, but right now I just need someone to push me off the edge and into the water. I know I'm going to love it when I get there. Leaving here may be hands down the hardest thing I've ever been called to do, but I know with full assurance that if I'm going to be faithful to the promise I made the Lord a long time ago, that is was Him that I would follow first and foremost, no matter the cost, then I have to go.
I have to go.
Because the Lord's plans are better than mine, even if I can't see it today. I believe that to be true, one hundred percent.
But today all I wish for more hours in the sunshine, more evenings listening to sweet friends play music, more time just living life together... more girls nights, more Sunday School, and more of the family that I know loves me so much here. More of home. Today I'm realizing that I'll miss Sunday lunches and time laughing with kids and all the things I love every day about being here. I'll miss the accountability I've built, though I know I'll take those relationships with me in the days to come. I cried uncontrollably at the realization today that I'll miss another soccer season. I'll miss being twenty minutes away from Daniel and getting to laugh together almost every single day. I'll miss this idyllic life the Lord has gifted me with during this time. I love it.
And so I'm scared, yes. But don't hear me say that I'm not excited. If there's one thing I know to be true, it's that in the morning when I wake up, the Lord will still be good. Every single day. I've seen His goodness and I know His provision. I know He has a mighty purpose for me in this next chapter and with that in mind, I'm excited to allow Him to turn the page. I'm grasping on to all that today holds and I ask that you join me as I pray for trusting Him with tomorrow. The days aren't mine to hold anyway. He is good. He is in control.
Praise God for who He is. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He did all He did simply to redeem us, that we might be able to walk in His presence once more. And walk I will. Humbly, boldly, not knowing where the path may lead, but trusting as I take my next step. Psalm 37:23, right? It's my constant prayer for my life.
Where You go, I'll go. Where You stay, I'll stay. When You move, I'll move. I will follow You.
I love everything about life here.
I love the sunshine and afternoons by the lake. I love that I have the sweetest church family I could ever have dreamed of-- one that makes me laugh constantly, pushes me to grow, and cries sweet tears as I cry them too. I love lazy afternoons with the boy who melts my heart far more than is safe to say. I love every minute of just living life together-- reading books, sitting by the pool, playing tennis, and laughing til we both can't breathe. I am blessed beyond all measure every single day.
The Lord answered my cries for friendship as I moved here in such a mighty way. This place is home. These people are family. I'm so blessed by this time and so grateful for this chapter of my life. I'm holding tight to every single second of it.
Because that's just what it is... a beautiful chapter. One far greater than I could have written myself.
But chapters come to an end and pages get turned. I admit that I can't understand why this one has to close. I admit that I'm not ready for it. Not in the least. The heavy realization of it brings hot tears to my eyes this afternoon...
I've accepted my dream job, working at the LifeWay office in Nashville next year. I get to live the dream of so many CK staffers-- working on camp all year round. I've secretly dreamed of this for years and I'm so flattered to have been offered the position. I'm brimming with excitement, yes, but right now I just need someone to push me off the edge and into the water. I know I'm going to love it when I get there. Leaving here may be hands down the hardest thing I've ever been called to do, but I know with full assurance that if I'm going to be faithful to the promise I made the Lord a long time ago, that is was Him that I would follow first and foremost, no matter the cost, then I have to go.
I have to go.
Because the Lord's plans are better than mine, even if I can't see it today. I believe that to be true, one hundred percent.
But today all I wish for more hours in the sunshine, more evenings listening to sweet friends play music, more time just living life together... more girls nights, more Sunday School, and more of the family that I know loves me so much here. More of home. Today I'm realizing that I'll miss Sunday lunches and time laughing with kids and all the things I love every day about being here. I'll miss the accountability I've built, though I know I'll take those relationships with me in the days to come. I cried uncontrollably at the realization today that I'll miss another soccer season. I'll miss being twenty minutes away from Daniel and getting to laugh together almost every single day. I'll miss this idyllic life the Lord has gifted me with during this time. I love it.
Praise God for who He is. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He did all He did simply to redeem us, that we might be able to walk in His presence once more. And walk I will. Humbly, boldly, not knowing where the path may lead, but trusting as I take my next step. Psalm 37:23, right? It's my constant prayer for my life.
Where You go, I'll go. Where You stay, I'll stay. When You move, I'll move. I will follow You.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
dancing
One of my favorite pictures from my childhood is of me and my dad early in the morning, sitting and having breakfast in tiny plastic chairs in my little plastic kitchen: him in a suit and me in a nightgown, little curls bouncing all over the place.
I love it for a lot of reasons, but primarily because it speaks to the love of a daddy, so willing to put aside his schedule and drink fake tea before work in the morning, and the innocence of a little girl, wanting only to spend a few minutes with her favorite man in the whole world.
I began to think on that photo tonight during worship. And on how our Heavenly Father loves us like that... but on even an entirely greater level.
A few weeks ago at Disciple Now at my church here in Mississippi, the speaker shared a story about his wife. He began to describe with such visible passion about how he cherished his bride and wanted to daily put her safe on a pedestal and let nothing harm her. The passion on his face as he told this story said that he meant it-- that he loved and cherished her so deeply that he wanted nothing to come close to wounding her-- physically, emotionally, spiritually. Whatever it takes, at any cost, to know that she is valuable and precious to him.
And as beautiful as that is to see in an earthly relationship, my heart is shaken at how much more so Jesus loves us like that. So deeply that He is willing to let nothing come between our love (Rom 8:38). So deeply that He was willing to humble himself to death on a cross (Phil. 2:8). So deeply that He calls us as church the bride of Christ and promises only to give us good. We do nothing to earn it, nothing to deserve it, He just loves us. Cherishes. So tightly that He never lets us go.
Last week I bought a dress.
It's a beautiful white, lace dress that caught my eye one afternoon in a store and was too idyllic for me to pass up. I'm planning on wearing it to my graduation, and until then it was intended to safely hang in the back of my closet and wait. But tonight as I cried out to the Lord in worship, I kept being reminded of that dress. I put the thought aside a few times and then with all confusion asked "Lord, why?"
His response was near audible:
"Put on your white dress and dance with me."
I'm not sure if I began to laugh at that moment or not... laughing, as a natural overflow of my heart. I see what you're saying here, Lord. I'm seeing the imagery and all you're piecing together...
So with only a slight hesitation at feeling silly, I went home, put on my white dress, built a beautiful playlist, and did something I haven't done in a long time. I danced. Around my living room, all by myself, in my prettiest dress. Giving my best to Him, remembering how deeply He cherishes me, and offering up myself as a sacrifice-- all my dreams, all my desires, all my worries. Like a little girl playing dress up; spotless, whole, and loved by her Father. He delights in us, and I laughed as I twirled around my living room, curls bouncing all over the place once again. Did I feel silly? Absolutely. But it was an act of obedience and a beautiful time of worship with my Father.
The funny thing about dancing with someone is that as the girl, you're supposed to let him lead. I confess that I'm not particularly good at this... I've been reminded of such once or twice. But tonight as I danced and laughed and gave it my all, He continually whispered to my heart to remember to let Him lead. And how beautiful it was as I felt Him take over. Me, not dancing to impress my Father but simply letting Him lead as He whispered His love. If He's leading, I can no longer focus on my future, no longer stress about what's to come, no longer ask a million questions until I'm confused and frustrated.
I can only trust and follow.
And so I tell you that story tonight simply to remind you of this:
You are loved and cherished deeply. Your Father protects you daily from harm, wants to lead you, and wants only for you to give Him your all-- your beautiful, broken pieces and your very best acts of worship as an overflow of your love.
What a sweet relationship it is. What a loving Father we have... one who dances each day with His children, deeply and wholly cherished.
Such beauty. Such truth.
I love it for a lot of reasons, but primarily because it speaks to the love of a daddy, so willing to put aside his schedule and drink fake tea before work in the morning, and the innocence of a little girl, wanting only to spend a few minutes with her favorite man in the whole world.
I began to think on that photo tonight during worship. And on how our Heavenly Father loves us like that... but on even an entirely greater level.
A few weeks ago at Disciple Now at my church here in Mississippi, the speaker shared a story about his wife. He began to describe with such visible passion about how he cherished his bride and wanted to daily put her safe on a pedestal and let nothing harm her. The passion on his face as he told this story said that he meant it-- that he loved and cherished her so deeply that he wanted nothing to come close to wounding her-- physically, emotionally, spiritually. Whatever it takes, at any cost, to know that she is valuable and precious to him.
And as beautiful as that is to see in an earthly relationship, my heart is shaken at how much more so Jesus loves us like that. So deeply that He is willing to let nothing come between our love (Rom 8:38). So deeply that He was willing to humble himself to death on a cross (Phil. 2:8). So deeply that He calls us as church the bride of Christ and promises only to give us good. We do nothing to earn it, nothing to deserve it, He just loves us. Cherishes. So tightly that He never lets us go.
Last week I bought a dress.
It's a beautiful white, lace dress that caught my eye one afternoon in a store and was too idyllic for me to pass up. I'm planning on wearing it to my graduation, and until then it was intended to safely hang in the back of my closet and wait. But tonight as I cried out to the Lord in worship, I kept being reminded of that dress. I put the thought aside a few times and then with all confusion asked "Lord, why?"
His response was near audible:
"Put on your white dress and dance with me."
I'm not sure if I began to laugh at that moment or not... laughing, as a natural overflow of my heart. I see what you're saying here, Lord. I'm seeing the imagery and all you're piecing together...
So with only a slight hesitation at feeling silly, I went home, put on my white dress, built a beautiful playlist, and did something I haven't done in a long time. I danced. Around my living room, all by myself, in my prettiest dress. Giving my best to Him, remembering how deeply He cherishes me, and offering up myself as a sacrifice-- all my dreams, all my desires, all my worries. Like a little girl playing dress up; spotless, whole, and loved by her Father. He delights in us, and I laughed as I twirled around my living room, curls bouncing all over the place once again. Did I feel silly? Absolutely. But it was an act of obedience and a beautiful time of worship with my Father.
The funny thing about dancing with someone is that as the girl, you're supposed to let him lead. I confess that I'm not particularly good at this... I've been reminded of such once or twice. But tonight as I danced and laughed and gave it my all, He continually whispered to my heart to remember to let Him lead. And how beautiful it was as I felt Him take over. Me, not dancing to impress my Father but simply letting Him lead as He whispered His love. If He's leading, I can no longer focus on my future, no longer stress about what's to come, no longer ask a million questions until I'm confused and frustrated.
I can only trust and follow.
And so I tell you that story tonight simply to remind you of this:
You are loved and cherished deeply. Your Father protects you daily from harm, wants to lead you, and wants only for you to give Him your all-- your beautiful, broken pieces and your very best acts of worship as an overflow of your love.
What a sweet relationship it is. What a loving Father we have... one who dances each day with His children, deeply and wholly cherished.
Such beauty. Such truth.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
what is good
All through college, I found a lot of wonderful spots to sit and meet with the Lord.
My bedroom, on the floor right beside the closet door.
Our back porch with the Christmas lights turned on.
By the lake down at the intramural fields.
Each of these spots hold significance for me. I can tell you specific things the Lord taught me in each one as I asked some tough questions, prepared for big things, and just met in the quiet. While I love (and miss) each of these places that will always be so precious to my heart, I've found that the Lord speaks to me quite clearly in one more place...
Chickfila.
Praise God for chicken nuggets and sweet tea! But really... I've written many a school paper, many a blog post, and lots of curriculum from the booths of Chickfilas across the southeast. (I pick very selectively which booth I'll take based on the plugs.) In high school I sketched out the cover of our national-award-winning yearbook on a napkin at Chickfila. In college, I won a haiku contest and got a free pair of chacos for my work that happened at... you guessed it, Chickfila. It's a good place. Maybe there's something inspiring about the tea.
So here I am today in the corner booth, happy to be back here and hoping to get some good time in. I went for a good run this afternoon and now I'm here, writing, hoping for a little inspiration. Maybe it's "do something nice for yourself" day. :)
This morning before I headed to work (yes, on a Saturday...) I read these words:
"At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone."
-Titus 3:3-8
It seems to be a theme for me recently-- that we as believers are to be devoted to doing good. And hear me right, we do good not to gain salvation, but as a result of our salvation. No amount of good we could ever do would be enough to earn salvation for us. If you could gain salvation on your own, then it wouldn't be a story of grace. God's gift of union with Him in our lives wouldn't be as sweet if we felt we deserved it. We don't. We never will. But He loves us that much anyway.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." -Ephesians 2:8-9
But if we've received that gift, then we should naturally be spurred on to do "good works" and to live a life that pleases the Lord. Yes, we will continually mess up, and yes, there is grace in that. God knows the motives of our hearts and He knows the difference between us messing up because we are imperfect and us continually choosing to walk in sin.
"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" -Romans 6:1-2
"Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil." -Proverbs 16:6
I've heard it said that if you got hit by a semi truck, everyone would be able to see the effect of that in your life. It should be the same way when we truly encounter the Lord. At this point, we should be living with the goal of constantly doing what is good, not only to please God but also to paint the picture of our life change for others. So the question then becomes... How do I know what is good?
Remember in my last post how I told you I was going to go back to that study of John 16:8? The more I have been seeking and learning about that passage (with the help of a little study time with my mentee!), the more I have come to realize that I wasn't exactly spot on about the last part of that verse. What I had written was still good, but I think it means something more along these lines:
"[When the Spirit comes, He will convict the world] in regard to judgement, because the prince of this world now stands condemned." -John 16:11
If you back up to the beginning of time when Adam and Eve were walking in the perfection that was the Lord's presence in Eden, you may remember that a crafty little serpent tried to tell Eve to eat some fruit. And I'm pretty sure it wasn't because he was concerned about her health... But one of the things he says to her (in Genesis 3:5) is that if she eats, she will be like God and will be able to know what is good and evil. And she fell for it. Awesome. (Although if you think about it, it's the first lie she'd ever heard. What reason did she really have to weight whether or not it was truth? She'd never known that anything could be false...)
And so from that point forward, we have been defining what is good and evil from Satan's standards.
What this verse in John is saying is that when the Spirit comes (for us this means when we enter into a relationship with Christ and His Spirit comes to dwell within us) then we will once again base what is right and wrong off of God's standards, because He has defeated Satan. The prince of this world (Satan) now stands condemned. Jesus put him in his place while He was on the cross, and because of such, we now know what is good and bad based off of the promptings of the Spirit.
That's why those who are in Christ are told that we will be hated by the world (John 15)-- because our standards at their core are entirely different from the world and in light of such, our actions should be wholly different as well. Do good. Hate evil. (Romans 12:9) It's all over scripture.
So I realize this is getting lengthy, but let me ask you-- are you doing what is good? Are you hating, truly hating, what is evil? And are you doing such in such a way that the world around you can notice, not to bring yourself attention and glory, but so that they might see Christ visibly at work in your life?
I'm out of sweet tea and it's beginning to get crowded in here, so I'm off. Think on this for a little while... I know I will continue to.
My bedroom, on the floor right beside the closet door.
Our back porch with the Christmas lights turned on.
By the lake down at the intramural fields.
Each of these spots hold significance for me. I can tell you specific things the Lord taught me in each one as I asked some tough questions, prepared for big things, and just met in the quiet. While I love (and miss) each of these places that will always be so precious to my heart, I've found that the Lord speaks to me quite clearly in one more place...
Chickfila.
Praise God for chicken nuggets and sweet tea! But really... I've written many a school paper, many a blog post, and lots of curriculum from the booths of Chickfilas across the southeast. (I pick very selectively which booth I'll take based on the plugs.) In high school I sketched out the cover of our national-award-winning yearbook on a napkin at Chickfila. In college, I won a haiku contest and got a free pair of chacos for my work that happened at... you guessed it, Chickfila. It's a good place. Maybe there's something inspiring about the tea.
So here I am today in the corner booth, happy to be back here and hoping to get some good time in. I went for a good run this afternoon and now I'm here, writing, hoping for a little inspiration. Maybe it's "do something nice for yourself" day. :)
This morning before I headed to work (yes, on a Saturday...) I read these words:
"At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone."
-Titus 3:3-8
It seems to be a theme for me recently-- that we as believers are to be devoted to doing good. And hear me right, we do good not to gain salvation, but as a result of our salvation. No amount of good we could ever do would be enough to earn salvation for us. If you could gain salvation on your own, then it wouldn't be a story of grace. God's gift of union with Him in our lives wouldn't be as sweet if we felt we deserved it. We don't. We never will. But He loves us that much anyway.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." -Ephesians 2:8-9
But if we've received that gift, then we should naturally be spurred on to do "good works" and to live a life that pleases the Lord. Yes, we will continually mess up, and yes, there is grace in that. God knows the motives of our hearts and He knows the difference between us messing up because we are imperfect and us continually choosing to walk in sin.
"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" -Romans 6:1-2
"Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil." -Proverbs 16:6
I've heard it said that if you got hit by a semi truck, everyone would be able to see the effect of that in your life. It should be the same way when we truly encounter the Lord. At this point, we should be living with the goal of constantly doing what is good, not only to please God but also to paint the picture of our life change for others. So the question then becomes... How do I know what is good?
Remember in my last post how I told you I was going to go back to that study of John 16:8? The more I have been seeking and learning about that passage (with the help of a little study time with my mentee!), the more I have come to realize that I wasn't exactly spot on about the last part of that verse. What I had written was still good, but I think it means something more along these lines:
"[When the Spirit comes, He will convict the world] in regard to judgement, because the prince of this world now stands condemned." -John 16:11
If you back up to the beginning of time when Adam and Eve were walking in the perfection that was the Lord's presence in Eden, you may remember that a crafty little serpent tried to tell Eve to eat some fruit. And I'm pretty sure it wasn't because he was concerned about her health... But one of the things he says to her (in Genesis 3:5) is that if she eats, she will be like God and will be able to know what is good and evil. And she fell for it. Awesome. (Although if you think about it, it's the first lie she'd ever heard. What reason did she really have to weight whether or not it was truth? She'd never known that anything could be false...)
And so from that point forward, we have been defining what is good and evil from Satan's standards.
What this verse in John is saying is that when the Spirit comes (for us this means when we enter into a relationship with Christ and His Spirit comes to dwell within us) then we will once again base what is right and wrong off of God's standards, because He has defeated Satan. The prince of this world (Satan) now stands condemned. Jesus put him in his place while He was on the cross, and because of such, we now know what is good and bad based off of the promptings of the Spirit.
That's why those who are in Christ are told that we will be hated by the world (John 15)-- because our standards at their core are entirely different from the world and in light of such, our actions should be wholly different as well. Do good. Hate evil. (Romans 12:9) It's all over scripture.
So I realize this is getting lengthy, but let me ask you-- are you doing what is good? Are you hating, truly hating, what is evil? And are you doing such in such a way that the world around you can notice, not to bring yourself attention and glory, but so that they might see Christ visibly at work in your life?
I'm out of sweet tea and it's beginning to get crowded in here, so I'm off. Think on this for a little while... I know I will continue to.
Friday, February 24, 2012
noon time
It's not quite noon yet.
It's not quite noon yet, and I've already seen all the latest on Pinterest, already checked Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the Path at least a hundred times. I've already browsed the latest sales at West Elm and World Market, already accomplished everything I needed to at work, and already reorganized my desk. Twice.
It's been a slow morning and to be honest, I'm about to explode to do something creative.
My camera is currently lounging in the top of my closet, I haven't written in weeks, and there are paint swatches taped to the wall in my living room, taunting me gently at the end of the day. I've always been told I'm creative, so I'm beginning to wonder why I'm not putting that creativity to use in any way. I look through magazines when I can, regularly rearrange things in my kitchen, walk through my favorite stores on the weekends, and constantly dream. Dream, dream, dream...
I'm in a funny place right now of trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. We knew this would happen at some point, right? Once I finish up my internship and work camp this summer (wahoo! SO excited for that!) the question then becomes... What now?
I'm browsing my possibilities right now and to be honest, I'm coming up a little short. I've decided I feel called to stay in this area, but I'm not so sure that this life of sitting here and checking emails all day is quite what the Lord has planned for me. Sure, I love the days at work when there are a million things going on; when I get to interact with people and see their events go off perfectly. I enjoy making sure all the candles get lit and all the logistics are in order. But I'm just not sure that this isn't more than just a learning opportunity for me.
So are any of you looking to hire someone with a list of random strenths? Because I'm definitely available.
I'd like a job where I can talk ministry all day, meet regularly with people and invest in their lives, write often, plan events creatively, and be surrounded by a great sense of community. I'm also pretty great at decorating things, theming, and occassionally making cupcakes. I like a good cup of coffee and any place with great atmosphere. I'm easy to get along with. I love leadership. I'm responsible, though not very good at driving golf carts. At times I can be funny, I'm always willing to listen, and it doesn't take a whole lot to make me smile. I love kids. I love teenagers. I love not sitting in an office in the corner of a gym... I love a little energy and a lot of contact with the world.
So if that sounds like any job you can think of... please do let me know. My alternate plan in life is now to just go back to being a kid. I kinda miss the macaroni and cheese.
Until next time, dear friends... that's all. I hope soon to update on the last post I wrote about the Spirit and all I've learned since then. Heads up, some of what I said last time was true, yes, but not exactly what was meant by the verse I wrote about. More to come on that journey soon! And because I never like to post without a photo, here are two from my life this week:
It's not quite noon yet, and I've already seen all the latest on Pinterest, already checked Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the Path at least a hundred times. I've already browsed the latest sales at West Elm and World Market, already accomplished everything I needed to at work, and already reorganized my desk. Twice.
It's been a slow morning and to be honest, I'm about to explode to do something creative.
My camera is currently lounging in the top of my closet, I haven't written in weeks, and there are paint swatches taped to the wall in my living room, taunting me gently at the end of the day. I've always been told I'm creative, so I'm beginning to wonder why I'm not putting that creativity to use in any way. I look through magazines when I can, regularly rearrange things in my kitchen, walk through my favorite stores on the weekends, and constantly dream. Dream, dream, dream...
I'm in a funny place right now of trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. We knew this would happen at some point, right? Once I finish up my internship and work camp this summer (wahoo! SO excited for that!) the question then becomes... What now?
I'm browsing my possibilities right now and to be honest, I'm coming up a little short. I've decided I feel called to stay in this area, but I'm not so sure that this life of sitting here and checking emails all day is quite what the Lord has planned for me. Sure, I love the days at work when there are a million things going on; when I get to interact with people and see their events go off perfectly. I enjoy making sure all the candles get lit and all the logistics are in order. But I'm just not sure that this isn't more than just a learning opportunity for me.
So are any of you looking to hire someone with a list of random strenths? Because I'm definitely available.
I'd like a job where I can talk ministry all day, meet regularly with people and invest in their lives, write often, plan events creatively, and be surrounded by a great sense of community. I'm also pretty great at decorating things, theming, and occassionally making cupcakes. I like a good cup of coffee and any place with great atmosphere. I'm easy to get along with. I love leadership. I'm responsible, though not very good at driving golf carts. At times I can be funny, I'm always willing to listen, and it doesn't take a whole lot to make me smile. I love kids. I love teenagers. I love not sitting in an office in the corner of a gym... I love a little energy and a lot of contact with the world.
So if that sounds like any job you can think of... please do let me know. My alternate plan in life is now to just go back to being a kid. I kinda miss the macaroni and cheese.
Until next time, dear friends... that's all. I hope soon to update on the last post I wrote about the Spirit and all I've learned since then. Heads up, some of what I said last time was true, yes, but not exactly what was meant by the verse I wrote about. More to come on that journey soon! And because I never like to post without a photo, here are two from my life this week:
 |
| Most beautiful road trip, DNow, and family time in a long time. So many blessings. |
 |
| And so grateful for a little time in the sunshine, by the lake, in the Word. So good. |
Sunday, February 12, 2012
a week in view
Life around here has been incredibly busy. Here are a few highlights of the fun moments of my past week via instagram and path photos.
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Locked my keys in my car at work. Don't worry, our campus safety team is on the ball!
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I made a new friend! This is Charlie.. I'm not really a cat fan (at all) but he's pretty cute.
We hosted a National Geographic premier for a documentary featuring one of our professors. You should check it out when it airs on tv!
I've been having some big fun with these two-- we never cease to make each other laugh.
A sweet lunch surprise from a sweet friend! Blessings on a busy week!
Okay, so this isn't from this week... but how fun is this girl? I love her a whole lot.
Went to see The Vow with my girls!! and ran into this thing...
Early Saturday morning breakfast with some friends! I'm so excited for this girl to be working camp this summer!
Daniel and I got Valentine's Day mail from the parents! Have I mentioned I love this holiday? So fun.
Saturday night we built a fort and started reading The Hunger Games. Have I mentioned what a wonderful blessing my boyfriend is?
And this afternoon I made cupcakes in Daniel's kitchen while he did homework. It was a well-planned task to keep me quiet while he worked ;)
And this. This has been the sweetest blessing to me this week, especially in the midst of working extra long hours and being overwhelmingly stressed out. I've been learning a lot lately (as I mentioned in my last post) about what it means to truly be in Christ and to have Christ in us. See, when we enter into the faith and give our lives to Christ, we are promised the Holy Spirit-- the one Jesus refers to as a Counselor, sent to us in His absence. The Lord has been doing a work in my heart about just exactly what we are given in the Holy Spirit and let me tell you, it's so much. But check out, if you will, just this one passage:
"When he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned." --John 16:8-11
Now, you may get something different out of this than I do. I'm always up for learning and I'm sure my understanding here isn't fully complete, but as I began to think through the reasoning that Jesus leaves us the Holy Spirit, this verse left me a lot of insight. It isn't at first what I thought it was... Keep in mind that Jesus is sharing these words as He prepares to die and to leave the disciples here on earth for a time.
The word convict here is the greek word "elegcho", meaning to bring to light. Convict. We look at it as a negative thing sometimes, but try here to look at it as bringing about a realization or an understanding.
...In regard to sin because men do not believe in me:
We needed the Spirit to reveal our sin to us because we did not believe in Christ. This is that initial part of process of belief and redemption. I think about the moments I've been blessed to sit and talk with children about understanding what it means to accept Christ and become a Christian and we always talk first about understanding why we need Christ and recognizing the sinfulness of our lives. Because He has sent the Spirit to us now, we recognize, at His prompting, our sinfulness. It is our sinfulness that brings our need to believe in Jesus. (Actively believe... pisteuo. Believe in such a way that we take action as a result, not just acknowledge it's existence. But that's a post for another day...) We begin the entire process of redemption only because the Spirit convicts us in regard to sin, that we may believe in Christ.
Not only does the Spirit come to convict us at the beginning of our journey, (how many times Scripture says that He chooses us! It's by His prompting, though we of course must make the decision on our own.) but the Spirit also convicts us along the way when we are failing to believe actively as we should day by day in Christ. It's a journey. I need that reminder often. That is how the Spirit convicts us-- reminds us of our sinfulness, our imperfection, our desperate need for Jesus, His grace, and our call to believe with action as a response to that every single day.
...In regard to righteousness because I am going to the Father.
This one might make more sense to you right off the bat. It didn't to me. But as I began to think about it, the Spirit convicts us of righteousness because Jesus is no longer present to do such. It's a simple truth. Jesus has been walking with the disciples and teaching them constantly what was right and wrong-- and it was often so contrary to what the world assumed. In fact, Jesus tells us in John that if we are following Him, the world may hate us. Why? Because His commands aren't instinctual and sometimes they aren't easy. Remembering also that the disciples didn't have a copy of the entire Word in their hands, I feel sure they were getting nervous at this point about how they were supposed to know what on earth to do in Jesus' absence. I'd be worried. How were they do know what's right and wrong? What is righteous? Hence the conviction of the Spirit. He will show show you what's right and wrong by His leading. In Christ, we are given that also.
...In regard to judgement, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
It's interesting to me how at this point, Jesus calls himself a prince. He's been so humble throughout his entire life (look at His birth, for goodness sake) and has now reached a place of making sure the world knows for certain who He is and what we have decided to do to Him, as He prepares to give His life for us. He says that he has been judged-- krino in the Greek. It means summoned to trial. The word for judgement here is krisis, meaning the exact same thing. A sentence of condemnation. So... He sends the Spirit to convict us of judgement and to remind us of the price that He himself has paid? Praise God that we aren't to forget that... and only through the Spirit can we begin to understand the magnitude of that. Wow. Another step in the process towards pisteuo-- believing and acknowledging not just the weight of our sin, but the power of His righteousness, of who He was, and of how He willingly stood condemned for us as a response. It's the next step in the process of understanding salvation. The Spirit has convicted us of our sinfulness and our need for Jesus. Now we come to be convicted of the power and magnitude of what He has done for us. We are able to begin to grasp all of this only through Him interceding and convicting our hearts.
Wow. So the Spirit is given to us to convict our hearts in a lot of ways, ultimately all to push us closer to Christ. It is Him that prompts are hearts and pushes us through that process of coming to initially know Christ. It is Him that lives inside us and leads us though this journey day by day. The beautiful reality of Christianity is that our God is alive-- that He came back from the dead after facing such a brutal death and that He has ascended to Heaven to be with the Father. But He didn't leave us to wander about on our own-- no, instead He sent us what He often calls the Helper to walk alongside of us, inside of us, once we choose to give our entire lives to Him. How beautiful that our God loves us enough to be our guide through this crazy journey.
I don't know about you, but I'm grateful for that today.
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I made a new friend! This is Charlie.. I'm not really a cat fan (at all) but he's pretty cute.
We hosted a National Geographic premier for a documentary featuring one of our professors. You should check it out when it airs on tv!
I've been having some big fun with these two-- we never cease to make each other laugh.
A sweet lunch surprise from a sweet friend! Blessings on a busy week!
Okay, so this isn't from this week... but how fun is this girl? I love her a whole lot.
Went to see The Vow with my girls!! and ran into this thing...
Early Saturday morning breakfast with some friends! I'm so excited for this girl to be working camp this summer!
Daniel and I got Valentine's Day mail from the parents! Have I mentioned I love this holiday? So fun.
Saturday night we built a fort and started reading The Hunger Games. Have I mentioned what a wonderful blessing my boyfriend is?
And this afternoon I made cupcakes in Daniel's kitchen while he did homework. It was a well-planned task to keep me quiet while he worked ;)
And this. This has been the sweetest blessing to me this week, especially in the midst of working extra long hours and being overwhelmingly stressed out. I've been learning a lot lately (as I mentioned in my last post) about what it means to truly be in Christ and to have Christ in us. See, when we enter into the faith and give our lives to Christ, we are promised the Holy Spirit-- the one Jesus refers to as a Counselor, sent to us in His absence. The Lord has been doing a work in my heart about just exactly what we are given in the Holy Spirit and let me tell you, it's so much. But check out, if you will, just this one passage:
"When he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned." --John 16:8-11
Now, you may get something different out of this than I do. I'm always up for learning and I'm sure my understanding here isn't fully complete, but as I began to think through the reasoning that Jesus leaves us the Holy Spirit, this verse left me a lot of insight. It isn't at first what I thought it was... Keep in mind that Jesus is sharing these words as He prepares to die and to leave the disciples here on earth for a time.
The word convict here is the greek word "elegcho", meaning to bring to light. Convict. We look at it as a negative thing sometimes, but try here to look at it as bringing about a realization or an understanding.
...In regard to sin because men do not believe in me:
We needed the Spirit to reveal our sin to us because we did not believe in Christ. This is that initial part of process of belief and redemption. I think about the moments I've been blessed to sit and talk with children about understanding what it means to accept Christ and become a Christian and we always talk first about understanding why we need Christ and recognizing the sinfulness of our lives. Because He has sent the Spirit to us now, we recognize, at His prompting, our sinfulness. It is our sinfulness that brings our need to believe in Jesus. (Actively believe... pisteuo. Believe in such a way that we take action as a result, not just acknowledge it's existence. But that's a post for another day...) We begin the entire process of redemption only because the Spirit convicts us in regard to sin, that we may believe in Christ.
Not only does the Spirit come to convict us at the beginning of our journey, (how many times Scripture says that He chooses us! It's by His prompting, though we of course must make the decision on our own.) but the Spirit also convicts us along the way when we are failing to believe actively as we should day by day in Christ. It's a journey. I need that reminder often. That is how the Spirit convicts us-- reminds us of our sinfulness, our imperfection, our desperate need for Jesus, His grace, and our call to believe with action as a response to that every single day.
...In regard to righteousness because I am going to the Father.
This one might make more sense to you right off the bat. It didn't to me. But as I began to think about it, the Spirit convicts us of righteousness because Jesus is no longer present to do such. It's a simple truth. Jesus has been walking with the disciples and teaching them constantly what was right and wrong-- and it was often so contrary to what the world assumed. In fact, Jesus tells us in John that if we are following Him, the world may hate us. Why? Because His commands aren't instinctual and sometimes they aren't easy. Remembering also that the disciples didn't have a copy of the entire Word in their hands, I feel sure they were getting nervous at this point about how they were supposed to know what on earth to do in Jesus' absence. I'd be worried. How were they do know what's right and wrong? What is righteous? Hence the conviction of the Spirit. He will show show you what's right and wrong by His leading. In Christ, we are given that also.
...In regard to judgement, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
It's interesting to me how at this point, Jesus calls himself a prince. He's been so humble throughout his entire life (look at His birth, for goodness sake) and has now reached a place of making sure the world knows for certain who He is and what we have decided to do to Him, as He prepares to give His life for us. He says that he has been judged-- krino in the Greek. It means summoned to trial. The word for judgement here is krisis, meaning the exact same thing. A sentence of condemnation. So... He sends the Spirit to convict us of judgement and to remind us of the price that He himself has paid? Praise God that we aren't to forget that... and only through the Spirit can we begin to understand the magnitude of that. Wow. Another step in the process towards pisteuo-- believing and acknowledging not just the weight of our sin, but the power of His righteousness, of who He was, and of how He willingly stood condemned for us as a response. It's the next step in the process of understanding salvation. The Spirit has convicted us of our sinfulness and our need for Jesus. Now we come to be convicted of the power and magnitude of what He has done for us. We are able to begin to grasp all of this only through Him interceding and convicting our hearts.
Wow. So the Spirit is given to us to convict our hearts in a lot of ways, ultimately all to push us closer to Christ. It is Him that prompts are hearts and pushes us through that process of coming to initially know Christ. It is Him that lives inside us and leads us though this journey day by day. The beautiful reality of Christianity is that our God is alive-- that He came back from the dead after facing such a brutal death and that He has ascended to Heaven to be with the Father. But He didn't leave us to wander about on our own-- no, instead He sent us what He often calls the Helper to walk alongside of us, inside of us, once we choose to give our entire lives to Him. How beautiful that our God loves us enough to be our guide through this crazy journey.
I don't know about you, but I'm grateful for that today.
Monday, February 6, 2012
quick glimpses
Blog update number two for the day!
Here are a few quick pics from around my apartment.
More to come later! (maybe!)
I'd also like to note that yes, my dad built that massive picture frame holding the map and the beautiful necklace holder. He's just so handy, that one...
Here are a few quick pics from around my apartment.
More to come later! (maybe!)
I'd also like to note that yes, my dad built that massive picture frame holding the map and the beautiful necklace holder. He's just so handy, that one...
it's been too long...
Oh blogging world, how I have missed you!
I'd like to blame my recent blogging absence on a lack of time, but I don't know that that's necessarily the case... Maybe I've hit a writers block. Maybe I'm just bad at managing my time. Afterall, I am writing this on my "lunch break" at my desk as I eat banana pudding, but let's be real... I wasn't doing much before lunch outside of scrolling through blogs and answering the occasional email.
And the problem behind my lack of blogging isn't that the Lord hasn't been teaching me anything that I want to share... No, the problem actually is very much the opposite. Since moving here to Mississippi, (loving it, by the way!) God has set me on a path of learning more than I imagined, just as I expected that He would. In the past few weeks, I've had the incredible opportunity to serve at a few DNow's (and have seen a few sweet girls give their lives over to His kingdom!), have come to be incredibly blessed by a group of solid believer friends, have started "mentoring" a wonderful girl who teaches and challenges me, have seen the power of prayer in a new light, and have become more and more thirsty for His Word. It is so good and so filled with truths that come not just by reading it, but by studying it. That's what I've learned lately.
And through all of that, God has begun to teach me so much about what it means to be in Christ and to have the Spirit in us. John 14:20-- "...I am in my Father and you are in me, and I am in you." I'm so passionately excited about this concept, that I'm refusing to blog about it. Why?
Because I can't fit it in a blog. And because I've long dreamed of writing a book one day. And because if and when I begin said book, this is going to be the topic. For sure. So promise me, dear friends, that one day you'll pick up a copy of that-- if not to learn, then at least to support the wild dreams of a silly little girl. ;)
But, I'm going to try and pick back up with the writing on a more regular basis. For now, I'll leave you with these few random thoughts for the day:
1) I took pictures of my apartment to share with you, but I haven't uploaded them yet... Soon though. It's a fun place, but I'm also itching to do more with it. My sweet friend Lauren just got an internship at Milk and Honey Home and I'm so proud of her! I'm thinking that if she'll come over and if Anthropologie will sponsor me, I'll have a dream home in no time!
2) I've gotten insanely, unreasonably excited about it being almost Valentine's Day. I'm talking like I painted my nails pink, wore a red sweater today, and have been browsing Valentine's things on etsy all morning (told you I'd been productive today...). I know what you're thinking-- of course you're excited, Laura, you've got a wonderful boyfriend... Yes, yes I do. And that day also happens to mark 9 months that that's been the case. Such a huge blessing. But outside of that, it's always been one of my favorite holidays. There's something about it that makes me want to bake cupcakes and find little ways to make people smile all day. Everybody deserves that.
3) I'm officially on staff at a college. Weird. I hold the keys to the city. Or at least the campus... And I'm enjoying it. We're hosting a giant National Geographic Premier this week and have about a million things going on all at once. Today is the calm before the storm for me-- I'll be working all weekend. Merp.
4) I'm loving life in MS. Yes, I miss my roommates like crazy every single day. And yes,sometimes always when I get home I wish someone was there to greet me at the door. But I'm enjoying the huge blessing that is my church family and God has blessed me with an incredible group of friends. We keep up with each other throughout the day (thanks to a new obsession of an iphone app) and I know they're always there for prayer, encouragement, and evenings of eating chocolate chip cookies and watching the Gilmore Girls. I prayed for this for such a long time. God is so faithful to provide. I'm also enjoying the huge blessing of living about seven hours and fourty minutes closer to Daniel than I did for the first eight months of our relationship. But I confess that at the end of the day I miss him just as much when I don't get to see him. I guess it's supposed to work like that though, right?
5) After the craziness of this week ends, I'm looking forward to a road trip with my boy. It's been too long since we've been on one of those. We get to go and serve at the DNow in Brewton next weekend (eeeek!!!!) and then are heading to Birmingham for a few days to see his bro/sister-in-law and go to a little concert... just Ben Rector and NeedToBreathe together. No biggie. (eeeeeek again!!) I'm beyond excited to see the kids in the Brew, watch what the Lord has planned for the weekend, and just spend a little time away with no work and no distractions. Blessings abound.
Man, once I started writing I had a hard time stopping. More to come soon! But for now, I better get back to checking the emails and shivering in my office. I ask you, who sets a thermostat on 40? I have to go do something about this.
Until next time!
I'd like to blame my recent blogging absence on a lack of time, but I don't know that that's necessarily the case... Maybe I've hit a writers block. Maybe I'm just bad at managing my time. Afterall, I am writing this on my "lunch break" at my desk as I eat banana pudding, but let's be real... I wasn't doing much before lunch outside of scrolling through blogs and answering the occasional email.
And the problem behind my lack of blogging isn't that the Lord hasn't been teaching me anything that I want to share... No, the problem actually is very much the opposite. Since moving here to Mississippi, (loving it, by the way!) God has set me on a path of learning more than I imagined, just as I expected that He would. In the past few weeks, I've had the incredible opportunity to serve at a few DNow's (and have seen a few sweet girls give their lives over to His kingdom!), have come to be incredibly blessed by a group of solid believer friends, have started "mentoring" a wonderful girl who teaches and challenges me, have seen the power of prayer in a new light, and have become more and more thirsty for His Word. It is so good and so filled with truths that come not just by reading it, but by studying it. That's what I've learned lately.
And through all of that, God has begun to teach me so much about what it means to be in Christ and to have the Spirit in us. John 14:20-- "...I am in my Father and you are in me, and I am in you." I'm so passionately excited about this concept, that I'm refusing to blog about it. Why?
Because I can't fit it in a blog. And because I've long dreamed of writing a book one day. And because if and when I begin said book, this is going to be the topic. For sure. So promise me, dear friends, that one day you'll pick up a copy of that-- if not to learn, then at least to support the wild dreams of a silly little girl. ;)
But, I'm going to try and pick back up with the writing on a more regular basis. For now, I'll leave you with these few random thoughts for the day:
1) I took pictures of my apartment to share with you, but I haven't uploaded them yet... Soon though. It's a fun place, but I'm also itching to do more with it. My sweet friend Lauren just got an internship at Milk and Honey Home and I'm so proud of her! I'm thinking that if she'll come over and if Anthropologie will sponsor me, I'll have a dream home in no time!
2) I've gotten insanely, unreasonably excited about it being almost Valentine's Day. I'm talking like I painted my nails pink, wore a red sweater today, and have been browsing Valentine's things on etsy all morning (told you I'd been productive today...). I know what you're thinking-- of course you're excited, Laura, you've got a wonderful boyfriend... Yes, yes I do. And that day also happens to mark 9 months that that's been the case. Such a huge blessing. But outside of that, it's always been one of my favorite holidays. There's something about it that makes me want to bake cupcakes and find little ways to make people smile all day. Everybody deserves that.
3) I'm officially on staff at a college. Weird. I hold the keys to the city. Or at least the campus... And I'm enjoying it. We're hosting a giant National Geographic Premier this week and have about a million things going on all at once. Today is the calm before the storm for me-- I'll be working all weekend. Merp.
4) I'm loving life in MS. Yes, I miss my roommates like crazy every single day. And yes,
5) After the craziness of this week ends, I'm looking forward to a road trip with my boy. It's been too long since we've been on one of those. We get to go and serve at the DNow in Brewton next weekend (eeeek!!!!) and then are heading to Birmingham for a few days to see his bro/sister-in-law and go to a little concert... just Ben Rector and NeedToBreathe together. No biggie. (eeeeeek again!!) I'm beyond excited to see the kids in the Brew, watch what the Lord has planned for the weekend, and just spend a little time away with no work and no distractions. Blessings abound.
Man, once I started writing I had a hard time stopping. More to come soon! But for now, I better get back to checking the emails and shivering in my office. I ask you, who sets a thermostat on 40? I have to go do something about this.
Until next time!
Monday, January 9, 2012
effective
I've been thinking about writing this blog post for quite a while now and I caught myself living in it just a little while earlier today. I think it's time to put these thoughts on (...can we really call this paper??) in hopes that it blesses someone else where they are today.
Here is what it takes to be effective in women's ministry:
(or even just to be an effective woman in ministry...)
To be effective in women's ministry there are a lot of critical things that you must know and do. I'll list just a few for you now:
To be effective an effective woman in ministry, it's really important that you be beautiful at all times. You need to have hair that looks like a salon team did it when you first roll out of bed in the morning. Your skin should be clear, your makeup should be perfect yet unnoticeable, and you should always have your toenails painted a season-appropriate color.
You should be up with the times-- maybe wearing a scarf, skinny jeans, a cardigan, and stylish boots. You'll of course look fabulous in them, because you should've run four miles this morning in between having your quiet time and packing your organic lunch for the busy day ahead. Go ahead and make an extra sandwich to share with a friend-- thoughtfulness is key.
But being an effective woman in ministry is about more than just organic sandwiches and the way you look, of course. There are also a few essential things you should have:
You'll need a really cute house. It should be both impeccably clean and decorated well enough to snap a few photos for Pinterest at any given moment (you should also be skilled at photography, just in case). You really should have at least something chalk-board painted and should have an organization system for anything and everything. Your magazines are alphabetized and your cabinets are clutter free. Fresh flowers in a mason jar are a must.
You'll need a really cute husband. He should be spiritually leading your family and the community while working and coaching little league. On Saturdays he should mow the lawn while you get ready to have your book club over for dinner.
In due time you'll also need to have a few perfect children-- probably three. They should be as good looking as you and your husband, top of the class, and never throw a temper tantrum, ever. You'll need a big shelf for their trophies and a big refrigerator in your newly renovated kitchen to hang their multitude of A+ spelling tests on.
You need a dog. One that's fun to play with but doesn't shed and certainly doesn't make a mess in your house.
You need a blog because hey, everyone is online these days. But just any blog won't do-- no, you'll need the blog with the best layout that you created with ease on photoshop after work last week; a place where you can highlight the high quality photos you took on vacation last month, share perfect crock-pot recipes with your followers, and post a link to the website you used to make those one-of-a-kind Christmas cards you sent to all your friends.
But of course being an effective woman in ministry isn't just about having things... it's also largely about doing things.
You should be volunteering weekly in the children's ministry, singing in the choir, chaperoning the youth trips, and baking lasagne for the homeless ministry every Wednesday night. The homemade kind, not the kind in the box, of course. Jesus does deserve our best.
You should meet often to have coffee with your girlfriends and those you don't see you should mail letters to. Never loose contact with anyone, never miss a birthday, and always know every detail of everyone's life.
You should've memorized Proverbs 31. You've got it written on your mirror in your bathroom and you can turn to it in less than 20 seconds. You were, after all, the state Bible-drill champ... and head cheerleader and class president in high school.
You should be a world class crafter and throw the most elaborate three-year-old birthday parties known to man. You can have bonus points if you talk your cute husband into building you a craft room where you can organize your eyelets by size and hang your plethora of wrapping paper to be easily accessible.
You should write a book.You just should.
You should volunteer for everything. Never, ever say no, no matter how much you have going on. After all, exhaustion is a sorry excuse when nobody can get by without your help. Only you could ever solve their problems and do the work you do.
You should always speak gently and never have a bad day. Never cry, ever, and certainly don't let anyone see you angry. Some things just shouldn't be shared with others.
And if you happen to miss any of these things, try not to let anyone notice your mistake and work quickly to fix it. You've got to stay in with the crowd if you're going to be an effective woman in the body of Christ, you know.
In fact, we can really simplify the rules to this: Do good and be cute.
No.
No, it isn't true. The key to being an effective woman in ministry isn't about being cute or doing good. The truth of the matter is that it isn't about you at all. It's about Christ. The most effective form of being we can achieve is to be in His word. The most effective form of doing we can achieve is to do His will.
But it sure feels that way sometimes, doesn't it?
We'd likely never admit it, but we catch ourselves striving to be the woman listed above because each of us feel that we've met her. The result of it is a place of exhaustion from trying to be anything outside of an imperfect daughter of the King. And you know something? I guarantee none of us have really met someone who has it all together.
Because, you see, real life is messy. People get angry, our hair gets frizzy, and our relationships get sticky. A real house gets dirty and a real person takes the occasional blurry picture. Chances are that your home didn't come straight from Pinterest and that you don't have time to accomplish your lengthy to-do list with ease. There are dishes in the sink, there's hair on the bathroom floor, and you won't admit it but you've worn this pair of jeans three times this week. You missed your quiet time and you overslept for work this morning. Praise God for the fact that His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses.
Am I saying, then, that it's a bad thing to have the qualities listed above? Not at all. A large majority of them are qualities that I catch myself constantly trying to achieve. There is certainly nothing wrong with any of them-- I do love to mail letters and decorate my apartment. I do love to write. I do have the world's greatest, cutest boyfriend. I do own a closet full of cardigans, and I am a lover of mason jars. The problem occurs not in these qualities but in the moments when striving for these qualities overtakes your real call to seek first the Kingdom of God.
I've personally never really been one to attempt the make life look like I have it all together but I caught myself struggling in this just today. When we aren't being uniquely who God created and called us to be, we aren't living out our purpose. We begin to live with the hopes of upholding an image so as to not let anyone down. The question then becomes who's approval you are seeking. When you figure that out, you'll see clearly who it is that you are living for.
Effective women's ministry is about seeking first the Lord and who He has created you to be to love on and invest in those around you. Nobody expects perfection of you because there is only one who is perfect. Lucky for us, He made a way so that God Himself no longer expects perfection of us. What a loving Father He is to understand who we are, to catch our tears, and to hear our insufficient prayers. If you're striving to be truly effective as a woman in ministry, minister where and how God has called you to with the best of your abilities. He will take care of the rest.
Doesn't He always?
Here is what it takes to be effective in women's ministry:
(or even just to be an effective woman in ministry...)
To be effective in women's ministry there are a lot of critical things that you must know and do. I'll list just a few for you now:
To be effective an effective woman in ministry, it's really important that you be beautiful at all times. You need to have hair that looks like a salon team did it when you first roll out of bed in the morning. Your skin should be clear, your makeup should be perfect yet unnoticeable, and you should always have your toenails painted a season-appropriate color.
You should be up with the times-- maybe wearing a scarf, skinny jeans, a cardigan, and stylish boots. You'll of course look fabulous in them, because you should've run four miles this morning in between having your quiet time and packing your organic lunch for the busy day ahead. Go ahead and make an extra sandwich to share with a friend-- thoughtfulness is key.
But being an effective woman in ministry is about more than just organic sandwiches and the way you look, of course. There are also a few essential things you should have:
You'll need a really cute house. It should be both impeccably clean and decorated well enough to snap a few photos for Pinterest at any given moment (you should also be skilled at photography, just in case). You really should have at least something chalk-board painted and should have an organization system for anything and everything. Your magazines are alphabetized and your cabinets are clutter free. Fresh flowers in a mason jar are a must.
You'll need a really cute husband. He should be spiritually leading your family and the community while working and coaching little league. On Saturdays he should mow the lawn while you get ready to have your book club over for dinner.
In due time you'll also need to have a few perfect children-- probably three. They should be as good looking as you and your husband, top of the class, and never throw a temper tantrum, ever. You'll need a big shelf for their trophies and a big refrigerator in your newly renovated kitchen to hang their multitude of A+ spelling tests on.
You need a dog. One that's fun to play with but doesn't shed and certainly doesn't make a mess in your house.
You need a blog because hey, everyone is online these days. But just any blog won't do-- no, you'll need the blog with the best layout that you created with ease on photoshop after work last week; a place where you can highlight the high quality photos you took on vacation last month, share perfect crock-pot recipes with your followers, and post a link to the website you used to make those one-of-a-kind Christmas cards you sent to all your friends.
But of course being an effective woman in ministry isn't just about having things... it's also largely about doing things.
You should be volunteering weekly in the children's ministry, singing in the choir, chaperoning the youth trips, and baking lasagne for the homeless ministry every Wednesday night. The homemade kind, not the kind in the box, of course. Jesus does deserve our best.
You should meet often to have coffee with your girlfriends and those you don't see you should mail letters to. Never loose contact with anyone, never miss a birthday, and always know every detail of everyone's life.
You should've memorized Proverbs 31. You've got it written on your mirror in your bathroom and you can turn to it in less than 20 seconds. You were, after all, the state Bible-drill champ... and head cheerleader and class president in high school.
You should be a world class crafter and throw the most elaborate three-year-old birthday parties known to man. You can have bonus points if you talk your cute husband into building you a craft room where you can organize your eyelets by size and hang your plethora of wrapping paper to be easily accessible.
You should write a book.You just should.
You should volunteer for everything. Never, ever say no, no matter how much you have going on. After all, exhaustion is a sorry excuse when nobody can get by without your help. Only you could ever solve their problems and do the work you do.
You should always speak gently and never have a bad day. Never cry, ever, and certainly don't let anyone see you angry. Some things just shouldn't be shared with others.
And if you happen to miss any of these things, try not to let anyone notice your mistake and work quickly to fix it. You've got to stay in with the crowd if you're going to be an effective woman in the body of Christ, you know.
In fact, we can really simplify the rules to this: Do good and be cute.
No.
No, it isn't true. The key to being an effective woman in ministry isn't about being cute or doing good. The truth of the matter is that it isn't about you at all. It's about Christ. The most effective form of being we can achieve is to be in His word. The most effective form of doing we can achieve is to do His will.
But it sure feels that way sometimes, doesn't it?
We'd likely never admit it, but we catch ourselves striving to be the woman listed above because each of us feel that we've met her. The result of it is a place of exhaustion from trying to be anything outside of an imperfect daughter of the King. And you know something? I guarantee none of us have really met someone who has it all together.
Because, you see, real life is messy. People get angry, our hair gets frizzy, and our relationships get sticky. A real house gets dirty and a real person takes the occasional blurry picture. Chances are that your home didn't come straight from Pinterest and that you don't have time to accomplish your lengthy to-do list with ease. There are dishes in the sink, there's hair on the bathroom floor, and you won't admit it but you've worn this pair of jeans three times this week. You missed your quiet time and you overslept for work this morning. Praise God for the fact that His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses.
Am I saying, then, that it's a bad thing to have the qualities listed above? Not at all. A large majority of them are qualities that I catch myself constantly trying to achieve. There is certainly nothing wrong with any of them-- I do love to mail letters and decorate my apartment. I do love to write. I do have the world's greatest, cutest boyfriend. I do own a closet full of cardigans, and I am a lover of mason jars. The problem occurs not in these qualities but in the moments when striving for these qualities overtakes your real call to seek first the Kingdom of God.
I've personally never really been one to attempt the make life look like I have it all together but I caught myself struggling in this just today. When we aren't being uniquely who God created and called us to be, we aren't living out our purpose. We begin to live with the hopes of upholding an image so as to not let anyone down. The question then becomes who's approval you are seeking. When you figure that out, you'll see clearly who it is that you are living for.
Effective women's ministry is about seeking first the Lord and who He has created you to be to love on and invest in those around you. Nobody expects perfection of you because there is only one who is perfect. Lucky for us, He made a way so that God Himself no longer expects perfection of us. What a loving Father He is to understand who we are, to catch our tears, and to hear our insufficient prayers. If you're striving to be truly effective as a woman in ministry, minister where and how God has called you to with the best of your abilities. He will take care of the rest.
Doesn't He always?
Sunday, January 8, 2012
a year in photos
As promised, here is an overview of 2011 in photos. (If you're keeping up, that means that yes, I did find my hard drive! That's a relief!)
I admit I was really bad at taking pictures first semester this year... I'll try and do better now!
I admit I was really bad at taking pictures first semester this year... I'll try and do better now!
That's all for now, friends. Posts to come very soon: one on effective women's ministry and one highlighting some pictures of my new life in MS. Until then!
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