Growing up, my sisters and I watched a series called The Super Kids. Think 80's/90's cheap special effects, with the lead roll being the daughter of charismatic, name-it-claim-it pastor, Kenneth Copeland. Watching them as an adult? They're a little much. But as a kid, those movies were the bomb dot com. I actually remember when the last one came out('99 to clarify, there was a new one put out in 2013, and this one I have not seen)
The last (of the original) movies was when the leader of the group of kids, Commander Kellie was put on trial for being a Christian. As a little kid, I didn't get a lot of the lessons in the movie. Right over my head.
But the other day in church, (confession time) I zoned out. The pastor had just made a comment about how God punishes sins. That was all it took. One little phrase popped into my head.
I plead the Blood.
The thought took me right back to 2000 on the living room floor, watching as the bald, sleazy judge asks Commander Kellie if she pleads guilty or innocent, and after standing silent for a time, she says "I plead the Blood."
Once the thought was settled into my mind, I considered what it actually meant.
I plead the Blood.
What an enormous thing to be able to say.
you.
stand.
guilty.
You're guilty.
But JESUS came in, and took that punishment that you rightly deserved. You're still not innocent, but you no longer stand in your shame and sin, your life has been paid for, and you stand coated in the Blood of the most innocent Man to ever walk the earth. The only Man that has ever been both fully man, and fully God.
You are no longer charged as guilty. You have pled the Blood, and you walk a free man. Free only because of Christ, free only IN Christ!
What a massive thing to be thankful for, as we move into a season of thanksgiving. Be so beyond words thankful friends, that we live in the time in history, when we can plead the Blood.
Showing posts with label a heart for this nation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label a heart for this nation. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Why Every Life Matters
How dare we.
How dare we get into little wars of who matters more.
How dare we say "my skin color means my life, and the lives of those like me, matters (exclusively)"
Obviously, that's not what people are explicitly saying, now is it? But it is by every means what they are implying, even when they do not intend to.
Isn't that just how things go? We cause the biggest offenses when we do not intend to.
How dare we.
How dare we say we are superior to one another on the basis of our skin or the uniform we wear or the people that we know or the job that we have.
How dare we decide to implement a system of status and importance on a person's life, and display it like brats in front of the eyes of children who are watching people say "I am better than you"
How dare we.
How dare we think one life is more precious than another, all lives are precious.
Every person, who has ever existed, in the history of the world, bears the Image of a perfect God. And if that person never saw outside the womb or if that person has seen the whole world, it does not matter because every single person is an Image bearer.
Every person was made, in the Image of God.
Every life matters, every single one, because the Father so lovingly planned out the days for each and every life. Not even the hairs on your head are miscounted by Him.
Brothers, sisters, fellow human- our sole purpose in life is to bring God glory. That sounds churchy, and impossible and impractical, and a whole gamit of other things. But its what our lives are built for. See the thing is, we can chose to give Him the glory, in all things, but if you give it or not, He's going to get it.
Let me be clear, GOD. GETS. THE GLORY. But we don't give it to Him when we decide that one of us is better than another. We don't give it to Him when we decide that because I am ________, I matter more.
We matter because we are apart of His plan for His glory and we have to stop because this isn't about us!
When "us" is the focus, the focus is wrong!
The sinner and the saint, Christ has died for both. There was no requirement we had to meet for Him to die for us. I am not better than you, because Christ suffered for us both. I am not better than you, because especially in the matter of eternity, I stand in the same, desperate, helpless place as you do. I am not better than you because like you there is nothing I can do to change that.
Our lives only matter because Christ has given us value. Our lives only matter, because He is worth living for. Our lives only matter because He is worth all the glory. Forever and ever.
How dare we get into little wars of who matters more.
How dare we say "my skin color means my life, and the lives of those like me, matters (exclusively)"
Obviously, that's not what people are explicitly saying, now is it? But it is by every means what they are implying, even when they do not intend to.
Isn't that just how things go? We cause the biggest offenses when we do not intend to.
How dare we.
How dare we say we are superior to one another on the basis of our skin or the uniform we wear or the people that we know or the job that we have.
How dare we decide to implement a system of status and importance on a person's life, and display it like brats in front of the eyes of children who are watching people say "I am better than you"
How dare we.
How dare we think one life is more precious than another, all lives are precious.
Every person, who has ever existed, in the history of the world, bears the Image of a perfect God. And if that person never saw outside the womb or if that person has seen the whole world, it does not matter because every single person is an Image bearer.
Every person was made, in the Image of God.
Every life matters, every single one, because the Father so lovingly planned out the days for each and every life. Not even the hairs on your head are miscounted by Him.
Brothers, sisters, fellow human- our sole purpose in life is to bring God glory. That sounds churchy, and impossible and impractical, and a whole gamit of other things. But its what our lives are built for. See the thing is, we can chose to give Him the glory, in all things, but if you give it or not, He's going to get it.
Let me be clear, GOD. GETS. THE GLORY. But we don't give it to Him when we decide that one of us is better than another. We don't give it to Him when we decide that because I am ________, I matter more.
We matter because we are apart of His plan for His glory and we have to stop because this isn't about us!
When "us" is the focus, the focus is wrong!
The sinner and the saint, Christ has died for both. There was no requirement we had to meet for Him to die for us. I am not better than you, because Christ suffered for us both. I am not better than you, because especially in the matter of eternity, I stand in the same, desperate, helpless place as you do. I am not better than you because like you there is nothing I can do to change that.
Our lives only matter because Christ has given us value. Our lives only matter, because He is worth living for. Our lives only matter because He is worth all the glory. Forever and ever.
Friday, December 18, 2015
Wanting more than just stuff
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want."
I shall not want.
I shall not want, but I do want. I want things fiercely sometimes. I don't always want bad things, in fact quite the opposite. Except for wanting Netflix to not fall under laziness, but....
Shocker alert blogging world, I want to get married! There, the 21 year old freak has written it out in plain, bold letters! (Quite a feat too, since I'm writing in bed from my iPad.) I want to marry a Godly, strong, man. I want to learn the ins and outs, the sacrifices and the blessings of love. To experience love past roses and sweet nothings. To get into the messy part of loving someone when the job doesn't work out, or the apartment is too small or its banana sandwiches for the third night that week. I want to walk through life with that one man that I pray the Lord is preparing me for.
I want to get married and I want to have babies. (My word the freak is bold today!) Lots and lots of babies. Babies I carry in my womb and babies I carry in my heart until I can hold them in my arms. I believe strongly in marriage, procreation, and adoption. Can you tell? I want to raise those babies to love the Lord and to love people. I want to teach them everything they need to know. But I want to learn everything I need to know to teach them...and that scares me. I want to be prepared for them, so don't let them down. I want to be a good mommy to them.
I want to get married, have babies, and I want to be involved in ministry. This is a long standing dream. It's changed in the specifics over the years but the underlying goal has always been the same: to love on people that may be called "the least of these". The poor, the illiterate, the prostitutes, the homeless, the orphans, the alien, and the widow. I want to show them love and do life with people who have been stripped of liveliness. I want to serve people who have been slaves to the world and the minority in the system of culture.
I don't want bad things. I do want selfish things. I want to be prettier, skinnier, healthier, funnier, to have a more contagious personality. And none of these things are bad.
But these things, the selfish and the holy, are what I want.
Me.
Flawed. Sinner. Wretched me. And I shall not want. The "want" I understand the Psalmist to be talking about, is exactly all the want I've described.
But here's the thing, more than the way I want my life to go though, I want to be lovely. To be lovely in the way my Saviour is lovely. To be beautiful in the way my Creator is beautiful. To be caring in the way my Rescuer is caring. To be gentle in the way my Shepherd is gentle. And to lead as graciously as my Lord leads. I want to want the things of the Lord more than I want the dream I have built. I want to be desperate for His Word. I want to long for it with every fiber of my being and with every breath that fills my lungs.
I want to want, only for the Heart of the Most High. And I'm not there yet.
But this thing, I believe, is a good thing to want!
Friday, April 17, 2015
An Open Letter to the Church
Dear Church,
First and foremost, when I write the Church, I am essentially writing myself as well. So anything I say can and should apply to me as well.
This said, let me be as honest and transparent as I can be.
My heart aches at the state in which we currently find ourselves. This is a general assessment, because in the last two years, the Lord has led me through a number of different churches. A Baptist church, a Spanish church(also Baptist), a community church, a Calvary chapel, a traditional Baptist church, and most recently a nondenominational congregation.
Although some of these were one week visits, I still see it; in some more than others. But I see it nonetheless.
For some context, let me share where I'm coming from by way of a few verses:
"...let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24&25)
"So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." (Acts 2:21&22)
Do you see it?
Fellowship. Encouragement. Sharing meals(breaking of bread). Meeting together.
Oh church, where is this?
Where is the deep connection to one another in Christ? And why has it been passed up for a quick "I'll pray for you" and busy schedule. What on earth are we doing that is so much more important?
We allow things we say are "necessary" to rule our lives, and then we want to jump into some kind of neighborhood ministry with practical strangers.
How can you expect to minister to nonbelievers with people you don't know? I find this illogical. We're abandoning Christian fellowship for empty relationships in the name of "ministering to them". If we are ministering alone, we already aren't following a Biblical model, nor are we following the example set by Christ himself.
Why have we stopped ministering to each other? Think about this with me, as a Christian, individuals need to know that the community of believers is still around them.
This has not been the case for me in recent years.
I'm not saying that I've been abandoned by the church, as some feel they have been, but I am saying, I see no evident community.
No investment in one another. No joy in doing life together. No real relationship.
Church, why is this the case? Why are we no longer being the network of believers designed by Christ? Why is our answer to "how are you?" always "I'm good!" And why, when someone does decide to be honest, and share "I'm struggling" are we so irritated? Because we're so busy we don't want to deal with someone else's problems.
Church! This isn't Biblical! We're called to listen and minister when someone is struggling! That's what it means to "bear one another's burdens" (and so fulfill the law of Christ Galatians 6:2). But we've built up such a shell of busy, busy, busy, that we are scared to share. We overthink, "what will people think if I was really honest?" This ought not be. But it is. Why? Why have we let ourselves come to this place?
Church, if we are not encouraging one another, building one another up, teaching and training one another, I dare say even admonishing one another, how do we think we can be Christ to others unless we are Christ to each other? This is the family. If it's not right in here, it can't be right out there.
Church, seek the Lord in all we do- and we will be doing His will. And when we do His will- we bring glory to His name.
Signed,
A member of the Church
First and foremost, when I write the Church, I am essentially writing myself as well. So anything I say can and should apply to me as well.
This said, let me be as honest and transparent as I can be.
My heart aches at the state in which we currently find ourselves. This is a general assessment, because in the last two years, the Lord has led me through a number of different churches. A Baptist church, a Spanish church(also Baptist), a community church, a Calvary chapel, a traditional Baptist church, and most recently a nondenominational congregation.
Although some of these were one week visits, I still see it; in some more than others. But I see it nonetheless.
For some context, let me share where I'm coming from by way of a few verses:
"...let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24&25)
"So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." (Acts 2:21&22)
Do you see it?
Fellowship. Encouragement. Sharing meals(breaking of bread). Meeting together.
 |
| (source) |
Where is the deep connection to one another in Christ? And why has it been passed up for a quick "I'll pray for you" and busy schedule. What on earth are we doing that is so much more important?
We allow things we say are "necessary" to rule our lives, and then we want to jump into some kind of neighborhood ministry with practical strangers.
How can you expect to minister to nonbelievers with people you don't know? I find this illogical. We're abandoning Christian fellowship for empty relationships in the name of "ministering to them". If we are ministering alone, we already aren't following a Biblical model, nor are we following the example set by Christ himself.
Why have we stopped ministering to each other? Think about this with me, as a Christian, individuals need to know that the community of believers is still around them.
This has not been the case for me in recent years.
I'm not saying that I've been abandoned by the church, as some feel they have been, but I am saying, I see no evident community.
No investment in one another. No joy in doing life together. No real relationship.
Church, why is this the case? Why are we no longer being the network of believers designed by Christ? Why is our answer to "how are you?" always "I'm good!" And why, when someone does decide to be honest, and share "I'm struggling" are we so irritated? Because we're so busy we don't want to deal with someone else's problems.
Church! This isn't Biblical! We're called to listen and minister when someone is struggling! That's what it means to "bear one another's burdens" (and so fulfill the law of Christ Galatians 6:2). But we've built up such a shell of busy, busy, busy, that we are scared to share. We overthink, "what will people think if I was really honest?" This ought not be. But it is. Why? Why have we let ourselves come to this place?
Church, if we are not encouraging one another, building one another up, teaching and training one another, I dare say even admonishing one another, how do we think we can be Christ to others unless we are Christ to each other? This is the family. If it's not right in here, it can't be right out there.
Church, seek the Lord in all we do- and we will be doing His will. And when we do His will- we bring glory to His name.
Signed,
A member of the Church
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Please, Mr. President
Dear Mr. President,
You're a pretty busy man. And this I understand. But see, I've written you before and well, that was a while ago, and it just doesn't seem like much has changed since then.
Sir, picture this with me: think of your wife and two girls, and you in prison in another country. How would your kids feel if they had to go on living their lives if you were unavoidably detained elsewhere? Think of how your wife would feel, having to basically raise them by herself. Don't think of the torture you may have sustained, the malnourishment, the total cut off from communication to your family, the fact that you can't even pick up the phone to hear your wife's voice, or watch a cute video on your phone of your daughter's birthday party. Don't think about the fact that maybe all the people in your prison pick out you to hate. Don't imagine the insanity you would begin to feel in the dark solitude. Don't think of the months and months that have stretched into years that have driven a gap between you and your loved ones. Don't think of abyss that you face every time your conscious. Just think of your wife, and your babies, without you.
Mr. President, doesn't that break your heart? Doesn't it devastate you to imagine your little girls celebrating another year of their life...without you? Or to picture your wife celebrating your wedding anniversary across the table from an empty chair?
Now Mr. President, think of your country. If your country had any power at all, to bring you back to the arms of your family, wouldn't you hope, and pray, and maybe expect that to be happening? Now imagine that your country could do something, and didn't.
Mr. President! Search your heart! Doesn't this disturb your soul?
I ask for one last thing. Think of the man sitting in a prison on the other side of the world. The man who has suffered all this and more. Think of your fellow man, another human being, loved by God, suffering unthinkable things, and do for him what you would want him to do for you. Do everything in your power to bring this American citizen home to his family. And until that time comes, what are you doing for his young bride who is living the life of a widow, leader her family by herself? I beg of you, what would you want done? Are you doing it?
Mr. President, its time to bring Saeed home.
Signed,
An American citizen
You're a pretty busy man. And this I understand. But see, I've written you before and well, that was a while ago, and it just doesn't seem like much has changed since then.
Sir, picture this with me: think of your wife and two girls, and you in prison in another country. How would your kids feel if they had to go on living their lives if you were unavoidably detained elsewhere? Think of how your wife would feel, having to basically raise them by herself. Don't think of the torture you may have sustained, the malnourishment, the total cut off from communication to your family, the fact that you can't even pick up the phone to hear your wife's voice, or watch a cute video on your phone of your daughter's birthday party. Don't think about the fact that maybe all the people in your prison pick out you to hate. Don't imagine the insanity you would begin to feel in the dark solitude. Don't think of the months and months that have stretched into years that have driven a gap between you and your loved ones. Don't think of abyss that you face every time your conscious. Just think of your wife, and your babies, without you.
Mr. President, doesn't that break your heart? Doesn't it devastate you to imagine your little girls celebrating another year of their life...without you? Or to picture your wife celebrating your wedding anniversary across the table from an empty chair?
Now Mr. President, think of your country. If your country had any power at all, to bring you back to the arms of your family, wouldn't you hope, and pray, and maybe expect that to be happening? Now imagine that your country could do something, and didn't.
Mr. President! Search your heart! Doesn't this disturb your soul?
I ask for one last thing. Think of the man sitting in a prison on the other side of the world. The man who has suffered all this and more. Think of your fellow man, another human being, loved by God, suffering unthinkable things, and do for him what you would want him to do for you. Do everything in your power to bring this American citizen home to his family. And until that time comes, what are you doing for his young bride who is living the life of a widow, leader her family by herself? I beg of you, what would you want done? Are you doing it?
Mr. President, its time to bring Saeed home.
Signed,
An American citizen
Monday, September 29, 2014
Ginger goes again
Remember Ginger?
Well. She's going again.
Its times like these I imagine I resemble a lot of "Peter Pan" or "Anne Shirley" tendencies: a yearning desire for absolutely nothing to change.
But the harsh, cold, true reality is that you can't hold back time. You can't wish it to stop, or to rewind. Time presses on with more endurance than anything else I know or know of. Time changes things we wish to stay the same. Time presses forward, and the more we wish it to hold on, we miss where time has brought us at that moment.
But the thing more consistent than even time itself is God. ("Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8) And that consistent God is ever faithful, not just to me, but to Ginger as well.
Ginger, as you go, remember that the loving and faithful hand of the Father is on you and all your ways. Know that though time and distance are between us for this season, you are always dear to my heart, and never far from my thoughts.
Allow the Son to be the light by which you shine. You are so endearing, and lovely, dear Ginger. Let the Father use that! I get overwhelmed thinking of the ways He could. ("For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:5&6; "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:5
I don't know how life will look for you in the coming months; and I dare say neither do you. I know you pray. I love to hear you pray. But sometimes, the words just don't come for any of us. When those times come, take comfort. Your shouts of joy or your wails of grief or your moans of confusion or your silence of thankfulness are each heard, and understood. The Father knows. He kind of thought of everything :). ("...the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Romans 8:26)
That passage is pretty cool. It goes on to say, that "he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." (Through vs. 30)
Ginger I don't know what being adults is going to look like for either of us. Where that will take us, and who it will shape us into. But please know that I am praying for you, wherever you go, will love you however He creates you to be, and will visit you, no matter where He calls you to live!
Well. She's going again.
Its times like these I imagine I resemble a lot of "Peter Pan" or "Anne Shirley" tendencies: a yearning desire for absolutely nothing to change.
But the harsh, cold, true reality is that you can't hold back time. You can't wish it to stop, or to rewind. Time presses on with more endurance than anything else I know or know of. Time changes things we wish to stay the same. Time presses forward, and the more we wish it to hold on, we miss where time has brought us at that moment.
But the thing more consistent than even time itself is God. ("Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8) And that consistent God is ever faithful, not just to me, but to Ginger as well.
Ginger, as you go, remember that the loving and faithful hand of the Father is on you and all your ways. Know that though time and distance are between us for this season, you are always dear to my heart, and never far from my thoughts.
Allow the Son to be the light by which you shine. You are so endearing, and lovely, dear Ginger. Let the Father use that! I get overwhelmed thinking of the ways He could. ("For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:5&6; "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:5
I don't know how life will look for you in the coming months; and I dare say neither do you. I know you pray. I love to hear you pray. But sometimes, the words just don't come for any of us. When those times come, take comfort. Your shouts of joy or your wails of grief or your moans of confusion or your silence of thankfulness are each heard, and understood. The Father knows. He kind of thought of everything :). ("...the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Romans 8:26)
That passage is pretty cool. It goes on to say, that "he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." (Through vs. 30)
Ginger I don't know what being adults is going to look like for either of us. Where that will take us, and who it will shape us into. But please know that I am praying for you, wherever you go, will love you however He creates you to be, and will visit you, no matter where He calls you to live!
 | |||
| (Ginger and I spent a lot of time together this summer, but this is the only picture we got. Two of our dearest friends between us!) |
Sunday, September 21, 2014
transparency on singleness
I don't always feel transparent, or like I can just talk about how I feel or the thoughts I have running around in my mind, but today, I do. I feel terribly transparent.
At this moment I'm thinking the idea of using a laptop is far more romantic than actually using one. You know, the cute picture of the beautiful gal with her messy do and sweat pants lounging on a couch with her husband sitting by her feet, reading a book. She's got the lap top on her knees and she's probably writing something far more profound on her blog than I am on mine. But here I am. Sitting upright on my bed, typing. Because laying down hurts my neck after a while, and for those of us who wear glasses, having the lap top on your belly or knees while you lounge, is no option. There is no husband reading his novel aloud to me, just the leftover noise from the TV down the hall wafting towards my room, and the sound of my nails on the keyboard.
I'm also thinking how creepy it is that Netflix learns allll about you.
I have been trying to write about Halloween, but I'm not thinking about Halloween. My thoughts are somewhere else all together.
While wading through my thoughts, I kept coming upon one in particular. Not quite the monster in the closet, but by far not the most pleasant thing to deal with. And the truth is, I come in contact with this almost daily, though some days it looks different than others. Its sort of a "thing" that some people just carry around. Bloggers from every walk of life have written about it. And now it's my turn. Read if you want to. Or don't. Share if you agree. Leave a comment with your feedback. I don't really care.
I'm going to write about it, because all though my identity is in Christ, there are things that are stuck on us. And this is one of those labels that I have had stuck on me, and it haunts. Not just me, but most people with it.
I'm talking about singleness.
Now, at 20 this really isn't something that should bother me a whole lot but it does. So I'm writing about it.
Don't tell me it's a gift, cos its not. Don't tell me to love it, cos I don't. Don't tell me its what God intended, cos it isn't. Don't tell me that I'm "free to do my thing right now" cos that's not what it's about.
I've read and heard of article after article telling me to "embrace it!" to "love it" and to "enjoy it" and yet nowhere in scripture do I see that. Paul talks fairly openly about his views on marriage (1 Corinthians 7 tends to be the "passage to support singleness") But if you note (at lease I find this true in the ESV) he says "the Lord, not I says..." when he is giving commands on marriage. Its obvious that his desire for singleness is not a God-given command. And there are men I know, serving in parts of this world, and able to dedicate their lives to their work, because they do not have the obligation of being a husband too. So I understand completely why this God-inspired passage is a passage in our Bibles, but I do think that the Christian community has abused it to fit the agenda of singleness.
This is my honest attempt to debunk some of the lies of singleness that we have created and believed. We have become calloused to somethings, and its high time for a call back to God's purpose for His people. In an attempt to be sensitive to single people, we have created a safety zone that has become a banner of singleness for Christians. If you want to hear my thoughts, read on! :)
1) Singleness is a plague to some, and a gift to others:
I see how people can kind of fall to either side of this. For some, their life's work does not permit marriage as an option. God has blessed them with the gift of singleness, to serve Himself in a way they can best do single. But to others, it is a thing we so long and desire, and yet do not want to come off as needy, pushy, or even sin in our desire for it.
2) The church as helped singles "cope" with being single by making the single life the superior lifestyle: As aforementioned, singleness has been quite the hot topic of blogs, books and conferences recently. In an effort to comfort those hurting over being single, the whole idea of single-hood has lost its comfort aspect, and become a glorified thing. Its gone so far to that extreme, that now we have people intentionally waiting a long time to get serious in a relationship; Christian men and women waiting for marriage to pursue careers and other interests long before thinking about marriage.
Which leads me to...
3) Careers, not marraige have become the object for which to strive: It used to be the men who did the going, and the women who did the staying(work and home). Some people call it "sweet" others call it "ideal" and still others will call it "old-fashioned"(old fashioned is nice compared to some of what I've heard) but the idea of a woman being a homemaker, and the man being the breadwinner is all but forgotten. It doesn't matter who is bringing home the bacon, as long as someone is, everyone is happy. Now, this is not a post to get nitty-gritty on gender roles, and the family. But the cultural shift of gender roles, has especially affected the young people of this generation. Young people are no longer looking for a soul mate to raise a Godly family with, we are instead being enticed by the next rung of the corporate latter, the higher degree, or the next money making opportunity.
4) Singleness has desensitized us to the commands of God by becoming a glorified lifestyle: People are outright choosing not to get married. It bothers me, because it is throwing off the balance of things. Ever since the Garden, God has had a plan, a patter if you will. It started with the first two beings on earth: One man, one woman, and the commands: work the earth, and be fruitful and multiple. That was how God wanted it. Why else would He later give us commands about being faithful to our spouse, and for children to honour parents, unless of course people were spouses and parents themselves. Marriage is a huge part of God's plan for His people, though true, it is not for everyone. (Just wanted to make it clear that I understand that not everyone HAS to get married.)
5) Singleness does not fulfill the God-given roles of men and women: singleness should be the exception, not the rule: (Although this sounds like a repeat of #4, stick with me, it's not :). God is basically awesome. And scientific studies have shown some irrefutable things. Like, my favorite is the study of the male vs. female body design. Now, understand that this is a general study, and not every fact is true of every man or woman. They are generalizations of each gender. The male body is designed for work and hard labor. They have a longer sustainability (meaning they can physically work longer than women.) This is why jobs like construction and brick masonry are primarily jobs of men. They demand of a man, what a man, and not a woman, was built for. Their bodies are built to be faster runners (and before long range guns, this was helpful when hunting!) (also, like I said, these are generalizations. A particular woman, may be able to run faster than a particular man, but as a general rule.) And a woman. Man. Our bodies are just as incredible. Our minds were built for multitasking. We tease men for not being able to, but it's because we have been designed to! We're able to think about dinner, daily tasks, our baby's sleeping and eating schedule and answer the toddler's relentless questions, all within a few moments time. I'm gonna get real here, our hips were designed to bear and birth children. Yes, God even designed our pelvic bones differently so that our bodies were the perfect environment for baby to grow safely, and then for our hips to expand to give growing baby room, and THEN to dislocate temporarily so we can give birth to baby! How absolutely incredible is that?? When we choose to be single, we are choosing to forfeit the roles God has not only created for us, but created us for.
These are just my thoughts. I'm no scholar. Just a single girl, pondering my currently single state. And praying that it isn't God's plan for me to stay single. I do not feel called to a lifestyle that would benefit from being single. I feel called to become a Godly woman, to marry a Godly man, to with him raise Godly children, and to serve Him wherever the Father leads. But I know that He works in a time table so differently than our own. He is not surprised by the interest decline in marriage. None of this has caught Him off guard. He knows full well the ins and outs of the hearts of every man. He is working for the good in the lives of those who love Him! And that, is a promise!
At this moment I'm thinking the idea of using a laptop is far more romantic than actually using one. You know, the cute picture of the beautiful gal with her messy do and sweat pants lounging on a couch with her husband sitting by her feet, reading a book. She's got the lap top on her knees and she's probably writing something far more profound on her blog than I am on mine. But here I am. Sitting upright on my bed, typing. Because laying down hurts my neck after a while, and for those of us who wear glasses, having the lap top on your belly or knees while you lounge, is no option. There is no husband reading his novel aloud to me, just the leftover noise from the TV down the hall wafting towards my room, and the sound of my nails on the keyboard.
I'm also thinking how creepy it is that Netflix learns allll about you.
I have been trying to write about Halloween, but I'm not thinking about Halloween. My thoughts are somewhere else all together.
While wading through my thoughts, I kept coming upon one in particular. Not quite the monster in the closet, but by far not the most pleasant thing to deal with. And the truth is, I come in contact with this almost daily, though some days it looks different than others. Its sort of a "thing" that some people just carry around. Bloggers from every walk of life have written about it. And now it's my turn. Read if you want to. Or don't. Share if you agree. Leave a comment with your feedback. I don't really care.
I'm going to write about it, because all though my identity is in Christ, there are things that are stuck on us. And this is one of those labels that I have had stuck on me, and it haunts. Not just me, but most people with it.
I'm talking about singleness.
Now, at 20 this really isn't something that should bother me a whole lot but it does. So I'm writing about it.
Don't tell me it's a gift, cos its not. Don't tell me to love it, cos I don't. Don't tell me its what God intended, cos it isn't. Don't tell me that I'm "free to do my thing right now" cos that's not what it's about.
I've read and heard of article after article telling me to "embrace it!" to "love it" and to "enjoy it" and yet nowhere in scripture do I see that. Paul talks fairly openly about his views on marriage (1 Corinthians 7 tends to be the "passage to support singleness") But if you note (at lease I find this true in the ESV) he says "the Lord, not I says..." when he is giving commands on marriage. Its obvious that his desire for singleness is not a God-given command. And there are men I know, serving in parts of this world, and able to dedicate their lives to their work, because they do not have the obligation of being a husband too. So I understand completely why this God-inspired passage is a passage in our Bibles, but I do think that the Christian community has abused it to fit the agenda of singleness.
This is my honest attempt to debunk some of the lies of singleness that we have created and believed. We have become calloused to somethings, and its high time for a call back to God's purpose for His people. In an attempt to be sensitive to single people, we have created a safety zone that has become a banner of singleness for Christians. If you want to hear my thoughts, read on! :)
1) Singleness is a plague to some, and a gift to others:
I see how people can kind of fall to either side of this. For some, their life's work does not permit marriage as an option. God has blessed them with the gift of singleness, to serve Himself in a way they can best do single. But to others, it is a thing we so long and desire, and yet do not want to come off as needy, pushy, or even sin in our desire for it.
2) The church as helped singles "cope" with being single by making the single life the superior lifestyle: As aforementioned, singleness has been quite the hot topic of blogs, books and conferences recently. In an effort to comfort those hurting over being single, the whole idea of single-hood has lost its comfort aspect, and become a glorified thing. Its gone so far to that extreme, that now we have people intentionally waiting a long time to get serious in a relationship; Christian men and women waiting for marriage to pursue careers and other interests long before thinking about marriage.
Which leads me to...
3) Careers, not marraige have become the object for which to strive: It used to be the men who did the going, and the women who did the staying(work and home). Some people call it "sweet" others call it "ideal" and still others will call it "old-fashioned"(old fashioned is nice compared to some of what I've heard) but the idea of a woman being a homemaker, and the man being the breadwinner is all but forgotten. It doesn't matter who is bringing home the bacon, as long as someone is, everyone is happy. Now, this is not a post to get nitty-gritty on gender roles, and the family. But the cultural shift of gender roles, has especially affected the young people of this generation. Young people are no longer looking for a soul mate to raise a Godly family with, we are instead being enticed by the next rung of the corporate latter, the higher degree, or the next money making opportunity.
4) Singleness has desensitized us to the commands of God by becoming a glorified lifestyle: People are outright choosing not to get married. It bothers me, because it is throwing off the balance of things. Ever since the Garden, God has had a plan, a patter if you will. It started with the first two beings on earth: One man, one woman, and the commands: work the earth, and be fruitful and multiple. That was how God wanted it. Why else would He later give us commands about being faithful to our spouse, and for children to honour parents, unless of course people were spouses and parents themselves. Marriage is a huge part of God's plan for His people, though true, it is not for everyone. (Just wanted to make it clear that I understand that not everyone HAS to get married.)
5) Singleness does not fulfill the God-given roles of men and women: singleness should be the exception, not the rule: (Although this sounds like a repeat of #4, stick with me, it's not :). God is basically awesome. And scientific studies have shown some irrefutable things. Like, my favorite is the study of the male vs. female body design. Now, understand that this is a general study, and not every fact is true of every man or woman. They are generalizations of each gender. The male body is designed for work and hard labor. They have a longer sustainability (meaning they can physically work longer than women.) This is why jobs like construction and brick masonry are primarily jobs of men. They demand of a man, what a man, and not a woman, was built for. Their bodies are built to be faster runners (and before long range guns, this was helpful when hunting!) (also, like I said, these are generalizations. A particular woman, may be able to run faster than a particular man, but as a general rule.) And a woman. Man. Our bodies are just as incredible. Our minds were built for multitasking. We tease men for not being able to, but it's because we have been designed to! We're able to think about dinner, daily tasks, our baby's sleeping and eating schedule and answer the toddler's relentless questions, all within a few moments time. I'm gonna get real here, our hips were designed to bear and birth children. Yes, God even designed our pelvic bones differently so that our bodies were the perfect environment for baby to grow safely, and then for our hips to expand to give growing baby room, and THEN to dislocate temporarily so we can give birth to baby! How absolutely incredible is that?? When we choose to be single, we are choosing to forfeit the roles God has not only created for us, but created us for.
These are just my thoughts. I'm no scholar. Just a single girl, pondering my currently single state. And praying that it isn't God's plan for me to stay single. I do not feel called to a lifestyle that would benefit from being single. I feel called to become a Godly woman, to marry a Godly man, to with him raise Godly children, and to serve Him wherever the Father leads. But I know that He works in a time table so differently than our own. He is not surprised by the interest decline in marriage. None of this has caught Him off guard. He knows full well the ins and outs of the hearts of every man. He is working for the good in the lives of those who love Him! And that, is a promise!
Friday, June 6, 2014
Have we confused good and evil?
I am apart of a social network for homeschoolers, and I posted this on the forums. I didn't want to write a whole long post on these, but I did want to make a comment and I liked how this turned out so I'm just going to post here what I already wrote.
Our nation is quite obviously in a decline of moral character, no doubt. And in a rebuttal to one of the articles I'm going to talk about, this verse from Isaiah was tacked onto it, and guys, it hit me right between the eyes:
"Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter!"
Isaiah 5:20
The rebuttal was a response to the now viral video of a girl who filmed her face during her abortion and then posted it to the web. She wanted to promote a "positive experience" and give abortion a lighter view. I refused to watch the video, but did see a number of articles come out about it, and it made me sick.
The second was one that surfaced this last week or so, where a six year old came out as transgendered. I'm sorry, transgendered? You're six! Six year old's don't know what they want to play with or eat much less if they are the "wrong" gender! I don't care if they're old souls or mature, they simply cannot "know" this. (And also, God didn't get anyone's gender wrong.) These parents are now being applauded for supporting their child's choice.
I'm just wondering if we have our morals backwards here people. When did these blasphemous things become acceptable? How did the wool get pulled over eyes? What should we as believers be doing to stand up against these times when what is evil is being called good?
Our nation is quite obviously in a decline of moral character, no doubt. And in a rebuttal to one of the articles I'm going to talk about, this verse from Isaiah was tacked onto it, and guys, it hit me right between the eyes:
"Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter!"
Isaiah 5:20
The rebuttal was a response to the now viral video of a girl who filmed her face during her abortion and then posted it to the web. She wanted to promote a "positive experience" and give abortion a lighter view. I refused to watch the video, but did see a number of articles come out about it, and it made me sick.
The second was one that surfaced this last week or so, where a six year old came out as transgendered. I'm sorry, transgendered? You're six! Six year old's don't know what they want to play with or eat much less if they are the "wrong" gender! I don't care if they're old souls or mature, they simply cannot "know" this. (And also, God didn't get anyone's gender wrong.) These parents are now being applauded for supporting their child's choice.
I'm just wondering if we have our morals backwards here people. When did these blasphemous things become acceptable? How did the wool get pulled over eyes? What should we as believers be doing to stand up against these times when what is evil is being called good?
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
The Coca-Cola Controversy
Well I was about 55% American on Sunday night, as I rooted my team along (I was proud they won, too by the way.) and watched as they tore down the field and scored on and on. I laughed, cried and smiled my way through the best commercials of the year. And a few points after the half-time show, I hit the sack. Seems as though the flu was keeping me from the one game I watch a year, and one I was particularly interested in. This is A LOT coming from me, I'm generally anti-sports, but I was absolutely enthralled in this game. But alas, I could no longer stay awake, exciting as it was. However before benadryl and general "I'm sick" sleepiness over took my body, I saw one of the BEST commercials I have ever seen, to date.
This one.
So why am I considering this the best one to date? Because this minute long commercial more accurately portrayed America than any story, description, or detailed 400-page book ever could have. And as an American citizen, I was proud of how well this was done.
I'm choosing to write this, because there was a HUGE controversy that sparked over this 60 second gem. People began trending on twitter #speakAmerican and other more hateful things going from racism, to blaming the commercial as communistic to being as extreme as terrorist. HOW?! I have no logical idea.
America is called the Melting Pot nation. It is a culture made up entirely of other, already existing cultures. I heard someone say once something like "America is a young culture. We are hardly established compared to the world we live in. Most other governments and cultures are far older than ours." Its part of what makes us unique as a culture. We're still figuring things out. We're the "teenagers of the nations," if you will.
If you want to really "speak American" then lets all learn Cherokee or Sioux, because that's American. The English were the invaders. I'm not going to beat a dead horse, or use everyone else's arguments. But I will say, that our forefathers recognized this nation as the nation of open arms, that wants people to come in. Its why France gave us Lady Liberty. We have the "American dream" that people leave their homes for. They don't want to take our jobs, or change our national language, they want to be apart of a nation that is made up of many nations, and continue to make America the beautiful, multicultural nation it is. And that is why, this commercial is so beautiful.
This one.
So why am I considering this the best one to date? Because this minute long commercial more accurately portrayed America than any story, description, or detailed 400-page book ever could have. And as an American citizen, I was proud of how well this was done.
I'm choosing to write this, because there was a HUGE controversy that sparked over this 60 second gem. People began trending on twitter #speakAmerican and other more hateful things going from racism, to blaming the commercial as communistic to being as extreme as terrorist. HOW?! I have no logical idea.
America is called the Melting Pot nation. It is a culture made up entirely of other, already existing cultures. I heard someone say once something like "America is a young culture. We are hardly established compared to the world we live in. Most other governments and cultures are far older than ours." Its part of what makes us unique as a culture. We're still figuring things out. We're the "teenagers of the nations," if you will.
If you want to really "speak American" then lets all learn Cherokee or Sioux, because that's American. The English were the invaders. I'm not going to beat a dead horse, or use everyone else's arguments. But I will say, that our forefathers recognized this nation as the nation of open arms, that wants people to come in. Its why France gave us Lady Liberty. We have the "American dream" that people leave their homes for. They don't want to take our jobs, or change our national language, they want to be apart of a nation that is made up of many nations, and continue to make America the beautiful, multicultural nation it is. And that is why, this commercial is so beautiful.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
The story of a Ginger friend
They went to a horse farm when they were little. And one time, they were pirates: They were very apart of each others' lives. They had a pretty cool childhood together. When they got just a little older, they decided, "hey, we actually like being friends." As if they didn't already do a lot together, they started doing more and more together. They became apart of so much. One thanksgiving, they even spent the night with each other! These girls were inseparable!
Over the next few years they had some pretty cool adventures:
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| they got cool Indian shirts at a festival |
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| they got to go to the zoo together! |
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| oh and one time, they were ninjas for a while |
 |
| they were free entertainment to their families, because they're just so funny |
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| they made each other laugh, a lot! |
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| they made messes... |
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| ...and new friends |
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| and then, they graduated...TOGETHER! |
To follow this amazing gal's journey across the Nations, visit her blog.
I love you so much girl and I'm praying for you as you GO! :)
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Jesus and Jeans: Behind the name
My mom was asking why I was grouping my "controversial" posts as Jesus&Jeans (all future topical posts of that nature will fall under that name as well.) Since she had questions, I figured perhaps others do as well, and since these recent posts tend to be quite lengthy, I have to work on them for a while before I can post them. I want each of them to be thought out, and written with the accountability of my family, which means they often have to wait until upwards of two people have read them. Although I want to speak truth boldly, I want it also to be Biblically true and I want it to be presented in a way were people don't feel judged by me. All that said, know two things: they aren't shot from the him, carelessly composed rambles about things I know people have issues with, they're thought out, and often even prayed over. The other thing is, all that said, they take quite a while to write up.
SO! Behind the idea of "Jesus and Jeans". This title was borne out of what was going to be my first post, and I ended up writing what I had planned on being my second post, first. Make sense?? I was going to write about the idea of what Christianity and the skirt vs. jeans/pants on women, since we are headed into the season where pants are all the time around us. (For some reason skirts seem more widely accepted when the spring and summer are here.) And since that's what this post will (eventually) encompass, I decided to call it that. But I was getting behind on my writing, and when I sat down to work on it, I found my self looking at the end of October, and I really wanted to put my two cents in on the Halloween articles that had been circulating, so I went ahead with that, but thought "Hey...'Jesus and Jeans' is fairly catchy, and since that in and of its self is a topical idea, I'll just use that as my coverall for all posts of this nature." And that's pretty much how it went down. "Jesus and Jeans" is my unofficial official name for this part of my writing! :)
Up next: Millennials, skepticism, and marriage
SO! Behind the idea of "Jesus and Jeans". This title was borne out of what was going to be my first post, and I ended up writing what I had planned on being my second post, first. Make sense?? I was going to write about the idea of what Christianity and the skirt vs. jeans/pants on women, since we are headed into the season where pants are all the time around us. (For some reason skirts seem more widely accepted when the spring and summer are here.) And since that's what this post will (eventually) encompass, I decided to call it that. But I was getting behind on my writing, and when I sat down to work on it, I found my self looking at the end of October, and I really wanted to put my two cents in on the Halloween articles that had been circulating, so I went ahead with that, but thought "Hey...'Jesus and Jeans' is fairly catchy, and since that in and of its self is a topical idea, I'll just use that as my coverall for all posts of this nature." And that's pretty much how it went down. "Jesus and Jeans" is my unofficial official name for this part of my writing! :)
Up next: Millennials, skepticism, and marriage
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Re: Halloween: Jesus and Jeans Part 1
You won't find me engaging eagerly or quickly on facebook or other social media in debates, but my blog is the place where I share freely and openly about how I feel about (certain) things. Although I don't blog for the purpose of getting a lot of recognition, it is encouraging or cool to me when I do get a lot of traffic or feedback on it, especially since I love writing, it means a lot when I know someone has read what I took the time to write.
On Sunday afternoon, after reading it to both of my parents and getting their feedback, I published what may be my first, very controversial article. (Yes, I said "first" because I hope to write more conversation-starting articles soon.) And can I just say, that this was probably one of the most exciting things I have ever done? I knew that my post might not sit well, but I did know that it was going to get some feedback, and the idea of hearing from people and getting conversation going was part of my goal. I'm not out to change peoples' minds, but I do hope to get people thinking a little, since I notice one of two things happening: people are so locked into what they "believe" that they refuse to listen to what anyone else have to say that may differ even a little. Whatever anyone else says is wrong, and I think we need to listen to each other more. You don't have to agree, but listening is always a good idea. The other reason I want to get people thinking is because I've noticed the church slipping more and more into mediocrity. And with that mediocrity is a resistance to uncomfortable truth (this time it just happens to be the topic of Halloween, but I've seen it slowly creeping in other areas as well.) An uncomfortable guilt seems to come over Christians as they squirm in their seats trying to defend their "traditions". I hear things such as "its just for the fun of the candy" or "but my kids want to dress up" or even "I don't want my kids to miss out" I understand (most of) these things, really I do. But to any parents caught between right/wrong and not wanting your kids to miss out, please know, as an adult who never participated as a child, my life is plenty complete without it, and I never felt like I was missing out as a child. My parents did not scar me. :)
In part of the feedback from my post I was questioned about the "middle ground" I had mentioned and realized, I never did address that directly. After discussing it with my mom and one of my sisters, I decided that this is the best way I know to explain it, but bear with me, it maybe is not my best explanation ever.
Our country is a melting pot. There are so many religions, nationalities, cultures, languages, and worldviews that make up our own culture. This to me is both sad and cool. But the truth of the matter is, we're made up of so many different things go on. One group in our country celebrates Ramadan; another Passover and Hanukkah; still others celebrate things like Kwanzaa or Lent. The cool thing about our culture is not everyone participates in everything. The above listed things are not traditionally celebrated by Christians, and I think that Halloween should be among them. The day exists. It IS a celebrated holiday and I recognize it as such. My family doesn't die on that day. We continue to live. Its a normal day for us. We did watch our first Christmas movie on that night, and set up our thankful craft for the season. But we didn't "hide". Our only living space is on the front of the house, and we went right on living. When we have had kids ring the bell in years past, sometimes we have just answered and said "Sorry, we don't pass out candy" and I guess after 10 years in the same house, kids now just know not to come here because in the past few years we've had little to known show up.
In dialog with someone about the idea of Halloween, and my blogpost, I decided this is the best way I know to sum up my last post: It is my personal conviction that Christians shouldn't observe Halloween. But not all believers are at that place, because its my conviction.
On Sunday afternoon, after reading it to both of my parents and getting their feedback, I published what may be my first, very controversial article. (Yes, I said "first" because I hope to write more conversation-starting articles soon.) And can I just say, that this was probably one of the most exciting things I have ever done? I knew that my post might not sit well, but I did know that it was going to get some feedback, and the idea of hearing from people and getting conversation going was part of my goal. I'm not out to change peoples' minds, but I do hope to get people thinking a little, since I notice one of two things happening: people are so locked into what they "believe" that they refuse to listen to what anyone else have to say that may differ even a little. Whatever anyone else says is wrong, and I think we need to listen to each other more. You don't have to agree, but listening is always a good idea. The other reason I want to get people thinking is because I've noticed the church slipping more and more into mediocrity. And with that mediocrity is a resistance to uncomfortable truth (this time it just happens to be the topic of Halloween, but I've seen it slowly creeping in other areas as well.) An uncomfortable guilt seems to come over Christians as they squirm in their seats trying to defend their "traditions". I hear things such as "its just for the fun of the candy" or "but my kids want to dress up" or even "I don't want my kids to miss out" I understand (most of) these things, really I do. But to any parents caught between right/wrong and not wanting your kids to miss out, please know, as an adult who never participated as a child, my life is plenty complete without it, and I never felt like I was missing out as a child. My parents did not scar me. :)
In part of the feedback from my post I was questioned about the "middle ground" I had mentioned and realized, I never did address that directly. After discussing it with my mom and one of my sisters, I decided that this is the best way I know to explain it, but bear with me, it maybe is not my best explanation ever.
Our country is a melting pot. There are so many religions, nationalities, cultures, languages, and worldviews that make up our own culture. This to me is both sad and cool. But the truth of the matter is, we're made up of so many different things go on. One group in our country celebrates Ramadan; another Passover and Hanukkah; still others celebrate things like Kwanzaa or Lent. The cool thing about our culture is not everyone participates in everything. The above listed things are not traditionally celebrated by Christians, and I think that Halloween should be among them. The day exists. It IS a celebrated holiday and I recognize it as such. My family doesn't die on that day. We continue to live. Its a normal day for us. We did watch our first Christmas movie on that night, and set up our thankful craft for the season. But we didn't "hide". Our only living space is on the front of the house, and we went right on living. When we have had kids ring the bell in years past, sometimes we have just answered and said "Sorry, we don't pass out candy" and I guess after 10 years in the same house, kids now just know not to come here because in the past few years we've had little to known show up.
In dialog with someone about the idea of Halloween, and my blogpost, I decided this is the best way I know to sum up my last post: It is my personal conviction that Christians shouldn't observe Halloween. But not all believers are at that place, because its my conviction.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Halloween: Jesus and Jeans Part One
(Maybe I'm a liiiiiittle behind on my posts....)
I'm not a confrontational person, but I do have opinions. During this season, I have a few strong ones. (This season being fall.) Why fall? Well, fall for the vastly celebrated: Halloween; and fall for the call for fall fashion.
This post will probably need to be divided, since both may get lengthy on their own; however I shall keep my catchy title for this one. But here goes!
Jesus & Jeans: Part 1
Christians everywhere are gearing up. But there's two different things that we seem to be "gearing up" for. One group is looking forward to, and preparing for Thanksgiving. Phone calls, menu ideas, meals plans, family travel, etc. all seem to be swirling about as the biggest meal of the year is in full swing. I know my family has already begun the exhilarating bustle of preparing for it :) The holiday of gratefulness is one of my favorites (not that I don't try to be grateful year-round, but the season is just one of my favorites, truly.)
There is another thing Christians seem to be getting ready for. My whole life I've been raised to believe not to participate in Halloween, but why? There comes a time, when a person has to decide for themselves what they believe, if they believe what they were raised to, and why they believe what they do. I was blessed with parents who are gave me an incredible foundation. They have raised me to be Bible believing. (And no, I do not question this. I was shown early on how dangerous that can be, and have accepted His infallible Word as, well, infallible.)
As previously stated, I was raised not doing the whole Halloween thing, but as I got older, I noted a number of Christians in my life who did. What does that do to a child? Conflicts them. Not being a thrill seeker of that sort, however, I was content to continue not participating in it. My childhood felt plenty complete without it, and I never felt the need to ask mom and dad if we could "do Halloween". However as I continued to grow, I wanted to know somethings: Why didn't we participate? And why did other Christians think it was ok? Instead of giving you the answers I was given over the years (although all good, and Biblical) instead, I want to share with you some of my personal revelation in the area of Halloween.
Now, please note, I said "personal revelation" on purpose. This is what I feel God has called me to. If you celebrate Halloween, all out costumes, candy, the whole sha-bang, or hide in your basement completely cut off from the world for the night, please don't feel judged. I'm not judging you. This is simply what I believe.
My realization of Halloween, and all it entails actually came on when Halloween was far from my mind. I don't remember the date or the season, but I do know that I was young, and it was not even fall time. I was reading about when Saul called on the medium to wake Samuel. (1 Samuel 28-an interesting read if you want to see a king disobey himself.) Although this sounds weird, don't think I'm into things I shouldn't be, however reading this sparked my interest in the Bible and sorcery. I wanted to know what the Bible said about it, since at even so young I saw it permeating so much of my culture. Movies and books seemed to have and promote wizardry and witches as good things, and after reading this section of God's word, I wanted to know how He felt about it. I haven't done any deep research on it, I don't know the Greek origins of words or terms, and I haven't consulted scholars. But I know how to read the Word at face value, and so I did. Now this was so long ago, (um...yeah..am I allowed to say that at 19?) that I did just a "refresh" on my search, and this is what I found:
"When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God." (all emphasis added above is mine)
These verses are unarguable; God HATES those things. A second warning I found was in verses 19-21 of Galatians 5:
"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." (emphasis mine)
Yet I see people, engaging in activity that not only accepts these things, but glorifies them. Media is a different post all together, but to Halloween specifically I have heard so many viewpoints. Everything from "its an opportunity to show Christ to all the people that come to your door!" to "hide in the basement" type articles. I believe, that to every extreme, there is a middle ground. The problem is, what is that? Because lets face it, Halloween exists, people celebrate it, and it is largely apart of our culture every October. We cannot pretend that something that is apart of our world, isn't apart of our world. That would be foolish. And we are told to be IN the world; and warned not to be OF it. God tells us not to conform to the world (Romans 12:2). Conform means that it looks like something. So if God is so blatant against these things, why are we ok with making an exception for something so evil one day a year? I don't use evil lightly, I really believe that God considers these things evil.
I think it's best to not participate at all. No trick-or-treating, no passing out candy with Gospel tracks that the kids won't read anyways. And certainly no messing in the wickedness that prevails on this night every year. I tend to humanize God, and although I probably shouldn't, I think if He had human emotions, this night is when He gets a knot in his stomach. Secret, evil practices that go on all year are given a place in the public eye. WHY would we be ok with this? There's a lot that goes on in our culture that not everyone participates in. And I think that this should be one that Christians sit out on. Yes, it happens. But we don't participate. "Harvest" festivals where candy is rewarded to children who wear cute ladybug and Superman costumes looks no different that what everyone else is doing. I think
it's time the church revisits Halloween. And decide how we handle it. Because doing it like the world, should not be it.
I'm not a confrontational person, but I do have opinions. During this season, I have a few strong ones. (This season being fall.) Why fall? Well, fall for the vastly celebrated: Halloween; and fall for the call for fall fashion.
This post will probably need to be divided, since both may get lengthy on their own; however I shall keep my catchy title for this one. But here goes!
Jesus & Jeans: Part 1
There is another thing Christians seem to be getting ready for. My whole life I've been raised to believe not to participate in Halloween, but why? There comes a time, when a person has to decide for themselves what they believe, if they believe what they were raised to, and why they believe what they do. I was blessed with parents who are gave me an incredible foundation. They have raised me to be Bible believing. (And no, I do not question this. I was shown early on how dangerous that can be, and have accepted His infallible Word as, well, infallible.)
As previously stated, I was raised not doing the whole Halloween thing, but as I got older, I noted a number of Christians in my life who did. What does that do to a child? Conflicts them. Not being a thrill seeker of that sort, however, I was content to continue not participating in it. My childhood felt plenty complete without it, and I never felt the need to ask mom and dad if we could "do Halloween". However as I continued to grow, I wanted to know somethings: Why didn't we participate? And why did other Christians think it was ok? Instead of giving you the answers I was given over the years (although all good, and Biblical) instead, I want to share with you some of my personal revelation in the area of Halloween.
Now, please note, I said "personal revelation" on purpose. This is what I feel God has called me to. If you celebrate Halloween, all out costumes, candy, the whole sha-bang, or hide in your basement completely cut off from the world for the night, please don't feel judged. I'm not judging you. This is simply what I believe.
My realization of Halloween, and all it entails actually came on when Halloween was far from my mind. I don't remember the date or the season, but I do know that I was young, and it was not even fall time. I was reading about when Saul called on the medium to wake Samuel. (1 Samuel 28-an interesting read if you want to see a king disobey himself.) Although this sounds weird, don't think I'm into things I shouldn't be, however reading this sparked my interest in the Bible and sorcery. I wanted to know what the Bible said about it, since at even so young I saw it permeating so much of my culture. Movies and books seemed to have and promote wizardry and witches as good things, and after reading this section of God's word, I wanted to know how He felt about it. I haven't done any deep research on it, I don't know the Greek origins of words or terms, and I haven't consulted scholars. But I know how to read the Word at face value, and so I did. Now this was so long ago, (um...yeah..am I allowed to say that at 19?) that I did just a "refresh" on my search, and this is what I found:
Deuteronomy 18:9-13:
These verses are unarguable; God HATES those things. A second warning I found was in verses 19-21 of Galatians 5:
"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." (emphasis mine)
Yet I see people, engaging in activity that not only accepts these things, but glorifies them. Media is a different post all together, but to Halloween specifically I have heard so many viewpoints. Everything from "its an opportunity to show Christ to all the people that come to your door!" to "hide in the basement" type articles. I believe, that to every extreme, there is a middle ground. The problem is, what is that? Because lets face it, Halloween exists, people celebrate it, and it is largely apart of our culture every October. We cannot pretend that something that is apart of our world, isn't apart of our world. That would be foolish. And we are told to be IN the world; and warned not to be OF it. God tells us not to conform to the world (Romans 12:2). Conform means that it looks like something. So if God is so blatant against these things, why are we ok with making an exception for something so evil one day a year? I don't use evil lightly, I really believe that God considers these things evil.
I think it's best to not participate at all. No trick-or-treating, no passing out candy with Gospel tracks that the kids won't read anyways. And certainly no messing in the wickedness that prevails on this night every year. I tend to humanize God, and although I probably shouldn't, I think if He had human emotions, this night is when He gets a knot in his stomach. Secret, evil practices that go on all year are given a place in the public eye. WHY would we be ok with this? There's a lot that goes on in our culture that not everyone participates in. And I think that this should be one that Christians sit out on. Yes, it happens. But we don't participate. "Harvest" festivals where candy is rewarded to children who wear cute ladybug and Superman costumes looks no different that what everyone else is doing. I think
it's time the church revisits Halloween. And decide how we handle it. Because doing it like the world, should not be it.
Monday, July 8, 2013
My two cents on the Paula Deen fiasco
OK, so I'm not condoning her word choice; however, Mrs. Deen was raised in the deep south, in a different time, where her language was far different than what culture accepts now. That being said, if it had been "discovered" twenty-five years ago, I'm prone to believe that it wouldn't have been a big deal. In fact..I'm not sure it would have been a deal at all. Language has changed a lot, and continues to do so. Half of our current "curse" words originated from England that were used for everyday things. I'm not trying to get on a soapbox, but I am trying to point out, that things have changed greatly, and I feel like it's been blown far out of proportion.
My second pet peeve with this whole ordeal, is how her supporters are handling it. If people who sell her products like Wal-Mart, or pay her, like Food Net work, are going to quit supporting her for this^, then I'm going to request that Wal-Mart also stop supporting any author, singer, or actor and stop carrying any movie, book, and CD that have ever used offensive language. (Imagine how empty our stores would be if every single producer, of both media and others, were looked into, and then no longer supported.)
Its something to think on at least...
What's your thoughts?
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
A City in my Heart
"If you read the Bible cover-to-cover, you'll read that it all starts in a Garden and ends in a City." -Brother Stan
This past week I got to serve with a church in the middle of urban Philadelphia. (Walking distance from the Art Museum and the famous Rocky statue.) The church we were working with is planted right on what's called the socioeconomic fault line of Philadelphia. This "fault-line" divides two very different classes of people. To the south of the dividing line (which is literally just one road.) is a group of mostly mid-upper class people/higher income, primarily Caucasian, and to the north is low income, lower class, primarily not Caucasian. Our pastor, (Brother Stan) has a heart to create community and UNITY in that location, because his church is located right on the line of division. He had our team split into two groups, and the other group was sent to University City. (An area near downtown Philadelphia that has two major college campuses and a few community colleges.) My group got to spend a lot of time prayer walking, which is something I had never done a whole lot of. We did a lot of walking in both the north and south sides of the line, and walking around in Fairmount Park (one of the largest urban parks; bigger than Central Park in New York). The park is a hotpsot, and where we had a lot of interaction later in the week.
The most incredible moment of the week, was prayer walking. I've never done a whole lot of that, and what it did, was open my eyes to the needs of the community. When we were walking around the south side, my heart was so burdened for the people, because they had so much. Everything had it's place, everything was neat and orderly, and they were far above their northern neighbors, and you could tell they felt that way. There was just this air of superiority. They had so much, why did they need Jesus? And that's how they feel for the most part. As far as they're concerned, life is pretty good.
When we headed north, it was heart breaking. An environment I would expect to see in third-world countries was all around me. Trash, all over the place, and a stench to match it; side walks that were so hazardous and neglected; children playing in the streets with no adult supervision; houses falling apart; steps literally falling off the front of houses with trash crammed down into them; houses that don't meet code, housing more people than they should. It broke my heart to pieces.
I met two men (and based on our limited conversation, I assume they were brothers) who prided themselves on the fact that their street was "safe". Why? Because of was 2*th street, and all the murders happened on 2*th street, two streets over. These poor men were mad, however, that they were so stereotypically thrown into a trouble making category. Based on race alone, they had been "picked up and spent the morning in jail because authorities in the area have tendencies to 'harass'". One of the men shared that a few years back his wife was "murdered in a crossfire." And these people can't afford to live anywhere safer or better.
To make matters worse for this area, a major budget cut was made, that closed two high schools, a middle and an elementary school. And the remaining schools for the area cut anything "extra", keeping only teachers and food servers. Nurses, coaches, counselors, club leaders, teachers' assistance, etc. As if that wasn't bad enough, major amounts of money was granted for new jails in the area. Why would powers in authority would put money towards failure instead of success is beyond me, but that's how the score has been settled.
God is working in the city, and my prayer is that He lets me be apart of it. I truly fell in love with this city, and I hope God directs my path back there soon.
In the mean time, I encourage each of you to pray for your city, and ask God to create in you a heart for where you live.
(Pictures to come! :))
~Mal
 | |
| (A view I've grown to love) |
The most incredible moment of the week, was prayer walking. I've never done a whole lot of that, and what it did, was open my eyes to the needs of the community. When we were walking around the south side, my heart was so burdened for the people, because they had so much. Everything had it's place, everything was neat and orderly, and they were far above their northern neighbors, and you could tell they felt that way. There was just this air of superiority. They had so much, why did they need Jesus? And that's how they feel for the most part. As far as they're concerned, life is pretty good.
When we headed north, it was heart breaking. An environment I would expect to see in third-world countries was all around me. Trash, all over the place, and a stench to match it; side walks that were so hazardous and neglected; children playing in the streets with no adult supervision; houses falling apart; steps literally falling off the front of houses with trash crammed down into them; houses that don't meet code, housing more people than they should. It broke my heart to pieces.
I met two men (and based on our limited conversation, I assume they were brothers) who prided themselves on the fact that their street was "safe". Why? Because of was 2*th street, and all the murders happened on 2*th street, two streets over. These poor men were mad, however, that they were so stereotypically thrown into a trouble making category. Based on race alone, they had been "picked up and spent the morning in jail because authorities in the area have tendencies to 'harass'". One of the men shared that a few years back his wife was "murdered in a crossfire." And these people can't afford to live anywhere safer or better.
To make matters worse for this area, a major budget cut was made, that closed two high schools, a middle and an elementary school. And the remaining schools for the area cut anything "extra", keeping only teachers and food servers. Nurses, coaches, counselors, club leaders, teachers' assistance, etc. As if that wasn't bad enough, major amounts of money was granted for new jails in the area. Why would powers in authority would put money towards failure instead of success is beyond me, but that's how the score has been settled.
God is working in the city, and my prayer is that He lets me be apart of it. I truly fell in love with this city, and I hope God directs my path back there soon.
In the mean time, I encourage each of you to pray for your city, and ask God to create in you a heart for where you live.
(Pictures to come! :))
~Mal
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