As you may know, it's been about seven years since I started blogging. My blog (oh so creatively titled) began as nothing more than an outlet to express myself and keep up my writing skills after getting a journalism degree in college but choosing to pursue another field. Although my earliest entries tended to cover more random topics - such as annoying summer tourists in D.C. and my favorite food flavors, it quickly became clear that my desire was to blog about my ongoing journey as a follower of Christ and encourage other believers - especially those around my age and younger - in their walks with Jesus. I can't believe it's been several years!
Recently, I've really been getting direction from God that He wants me to do more with my writing. I'm not sure yet exactly what form He wants my "next steps" to take, but I'm starting by compiling some of the material that I've amassed on this blog.
That's where I need your help - you, the reader! As I'm pursuing potential projects, I want to get a better sense of who (if anyone, lol) periodically reads my blog, and what you have to say about it. Some of you have given me comments over the years (which I very much appreciate), but I'd also like responses to a quick survey that I've created (so far, everyone has completed it in under 5 minutes!), which you can access here. It asks for some demographics and thoughts about the blog. I know my girls will come through on it (and, just to be clear, I very much need you to!), but I'd also like to hear from any males who are reading (or have read), just so that I can get some sense of whether my blog appeals to you too.
In short, please take my survey - and thanks in advance!!
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Saturday, February 16, 2013
The New Rules of Resolution
There's a sermon series I just finished
listening to from Steven Furtick, Pastor of Elevation Church, that I absolutely had to
pass on. I only have a few moments, but I wanted to do so before I forget
because it's just sooo good. It's called "The New Rules of Resolution:
Five Facts that Change the Way We Change." If I can summarize it in the
minute that I have, it's about how to live the Christian life successfully. The answer in a nutshell, which relates to one of my recent entries, is in "embracing the now" that God has placed you in (like, right now, lol). The theme passage of the series is Colossians 2: 6-7:
6 So then, just as you received
Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and
built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and
overflowing with thankfulness.
The five facts from the series
(also preached in five weeks), involved what I thought were profound statements
about maximizing the Christian life:
Fact 1: It’s not a project, it’s
a process.
Fact 2: It’s not achieving, it’s
receiving.
Fact 3: It’s not trying, it’s
training.
Fact 4: It’s not a competition,
it’s a calling.
Fact 5: It’s not what you
would [do], it’s what you can [do].
If you are feeling at all down
about some aspect of walking with Jesus, may not be now but want to have another
weapon in your arsenal for when you are, or just want another way to meditate
on the things of God (I hope at least one of those categories includes you!), check out these messages!
You can either click here, or download them on iTunes: Elevation Church,
Charlotte, NC>The New Rules of Resolution (Jan. 5, 2013 – Feb. 2, 2013).
Happy Listening!
Monday, February 11, 2013
Valentine's Day Sweets
Valentine’s Day is, of course, on Thursday. Naturally, it’s come up a lot in conversation recently, in my case especially in brainstorming with women small group leaders at my church about how to address it in women’s groups, where there are a significant number of single women. Often I use reoccurring themes in my life as muses for blog entries, but I will confess that, although I thought the conversations a good opportunity to blog about Valentine’s Day, I was not inspired by them.
I did, however, gain inspiration for this entry by listening to podcasts on the Web site of one of my favorite authors writing about love and purity, Leslie Ludy (I will note that on limited occasions I have seen her write a culturally myopic comment or two, but only minimally, and she is very genuine and exudes a passion for seeing all her readers and listeners approach purity and relationships God’s way, regardless of their backgrounds).
That said (whew!), one of the reasons that I’ve come to appreciate her so much is that she presents a message of making Jesus the center both in singleness and marriage in a way that many other Christians purportedly providing biblical advice on singleness and relationships don’t seem to convey. When I read or listen to her advice as compared to others, it is always encouraging and a great reminder of what I think we all want our lives in Christ – including our love stories – to look like, but may be afraid to wait on God for. We are often more prone to listen to advice – both Christian and secular – that allows us to take matters more into our own hands when it comes to relationships in particular. But, to borrow from a book Leslie co-wrote with her husband, I believe in God writing love stories, and that, when He does, they are the most beautiful. I also believe that there are a whole lot of people – Christians included, who never experience a God-orchestrated love story because they are not willing to let God do the writing. But if you’re still waiting to be married, you have the amazing opportunity to let Him script the story.
Regardless of whether you’re married or single, male or female, I would encourage you to listen to some great podcasts from Leslie Ludy, provided below. If you’re single, use them to renew your hope in Jesus regardless of how you may feel about this time in your life. If you’re married, consider how they can be applied to your marriage and maybe how you can give godly advice to single people in your lives.
Whatever your relationship status, you can still use Valentine’s Day to celebrate God’s unchanging, alive love, which never fails or gives up on us. Married or single, let’s celebrate the love of The Only One who can meet our heart’s deepest longing, and allow His love to help us show unconditional love to others.
Please take a moment to listen to the podcasts – they are worth it! Click each title to listen.
Podcast: "Krissy’s Story"
“... an inspiring story about my amazing sister-in-law who allowed God to write her love story despite the pressures of the world.”
Podcast: "Something Worth Waiting For"
“... raising our expectations for marriage and understanding that when God writes the story, it only gets better with time.”
Podcast: "The Gospel and Singleness"
“... a Biblical perspective on the sacred season of aloneness, challenging the common mentality that a woman is incomplete until she finds a man.”
Podcast: "Keeping Sex Sacred"
“A brief look at God’s design for sex and what it really means to keep it sacred as He intended.”
I did, however, gain inspiration for this entry by listening to podcasts on the Web site of one of my favorite authors writing about love and purity, Leslie Ludy (I will note that on limited occasions I have seen her write a culturally myopic comment or two, but only minimally, and she is very genuine and exudes a passion for seeing all her readers and listeners approach purity and relationships God’s way, regardless of their backgrounds).
That said (whew!), one of the reasons that I’ve come to appreciate her so much is that she presents a message of making Jesus the center both in singleness and marriage in a way that many other Christians purportedly providing biblical advice on singleness and relationships don’t seem to convey. When I read or listen to her advice as compared to others, it is always encouraging and a great reminder of what I think we all want our lives in Christ – including our love stories – to look like, but may be afraid to wait on God for. We are often more prone to listen to advice – both Christian and secular – that allows us to take matters more into our own hands when it comes to relationships in particular. But, to borrow from a book Leslie co-wrote with her husband, I believe in God writing love stories, and that, when He does, they are the most beautiful. I also believe that there are a whole lot of people – Christians included, who never experience a God-orchestrated love story because they are not willing to let God do the writing. But if you’re still waiting to be married, you have the amazing opportunity to let Him script the story.
Regardless of whether you’re married or single, male or female, I would encourage you to listen to some great podcasts from Leslie Ludy, provided below. If you’re single, use them to renew your hope in Jesus regardless of how you may feel about this time in your life. If you’re married, consider how they can be applied to your marriage and maybe how you can give godly advice to single people in your lives.
Whatever your relationship status, you can still use Valentine’s Day to celebrate God’s unchanging, alive love, which never fails or gives up on us. Married or single, let’s celebrate the love of The Only One who can meet our heart’s deepest longing, and allow His love to help us show unconditional love to others.
Please take a moment to listen to the podcasts – they are worth it! Click each title to listen.
Podcast: "Krissy’s Story"
“... an inspiring story about my amazing sister-in-law who allowed God to write her love story despite the pressures of the world.”
Podcast: "Something Worth Waiting For"
“... raising our expectations for marriage and understanding that when God writes the story, it only gets better with time.”
Podcast: "The Gospel and Singleness"
“... a Biblical perspective on the sacred season of aloneness, challenging the common mentality that a woman is incomplete until she finds a man.”
Podcast: "Keeping Sex Sacred"
“A brief look at God’s design for sex and what it really means to keep it sacred as He intended.”
Monday, February 04, 2013
Happy Birthday to Me (Celebrate)!
It’s my birthday. I’m not saying this to garner any more birthday wishes (I’ve already had plenty, and have spent a good chunk of my day responding to them, lol), but to share a biblical perspective on comments about “age” that most of us often hear, especially where there’s birthday buzz.
I turned 31 today. I’ve always loved celebrating my birthday, but sometime around my late 20s I started noticing that people were getting less excited about this inevitable, universal yearly occurrence. I began hearing comments such as “I’m old”, “we’re old,” “I feel old,” “Do you feel old?” and every other manner of description expressing how “old” the person feels.
Turning 30 last year, I gained even greater “access” to a not-so-underground world of people in their third decade who are very disgruntled with their age. There is nary a time when someone in their thirties has a birthday that there are not eye rolls, requests that the age of the “celebrant” not be mentioned, whines or jokes about being over some kind of hill. And all of this comes from Christians and non-Christians alike. This, my fellow followers of Christ, is a problem. But thankfully, it has a solution (which I will need to address in a short period of time, so that I can continue celebrating my 31st).
First of all, I must note that, objectively speaking, the 30s are not old. According to the United States Census Bureau, the average life expectancy is about 78 years; about 76 for men and 81 for women. In your thirties, you may barely reach half of your life expectancy, at most. Also, even if you will die well before that, most of us have no basis for predicting our deaths. In short, the 30s are hardly a time for most us to believe that we will shortly head to the grave; only God knows if that is the case.
But, more importantly, as followers of Christ we should approach each day being thankful for where God has placed us. Scripture clearly supports this. I will state just a few of my favorite verses that get me excited about approaching each day of my life with anticipation: Psalm 139 says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, so much so that God “knit” us together in our mother’s womb. That means He has a purpose for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God’s plans for us are to give us a hope and a future. First Corinthians 2:9 (quoting Isaiah 64:4) says that we cannot even imagine what God has prepared for those who love Him. In John 10:10, Jesus also said that He came for us to have life, and have it more abundantly, or to the full. That means that, in knowing Him, our lives are not supposed to end because we turn a certain age – they are meant to remain rich with pursing Him and seeing His work in each of us, day by day.
It’s this knowledge – and hope – that God has something for me at every moment of my life that staves off the temptation to be down about some aspect of my life that is not just how I want it and instead embrace now. The Apostle Paul was really good at doing this, and encouraging believers to do the same. In Philippians 1: 3-6, he said this to the church in Phillippi (which also has become one of my favorite prayers, particularly for my closest friends and family):
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Verse six is incredible –Paul could be confident that God, who started something amazing in those believers, would be faithful to finish it. When we know Jesus, we ultimately have a home in heaven. Before then, in this life, we have the opportunity to experience the process of being sanctified as we grow in our relationships with God and He transforms us. That means that He is constantly working on me, no matter what my age – I never get too old for Him to do that! And if His plans for me are excellent, the best, no matter how painful life may get, they are glorious, incomparable to anything a life without Him offers. That’s something to celebrate!
Further, in those moments when we are tempted to feel dissatisfied, Paul also reminds us in 1 Timothy 6:6 that godliness with contentment is great gain. In Philippians 4: 12- 13, he adds, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."
The Christian walk is definitely a marathon, requiring endurance. But it’s also an amazing adventure. Whatever your age, thank God for where you are. Brothers and sisters in Christ who are 30-something, those who will one day be 30, or those who have long left the 30s, you are more than the perceived failures that can keep us from embracing even the thought of leaving, or having left, youth: familial status (i.e., lack of being married, lack of children); financial situation; career; education level; the list can expand. At every turn, God has a purpose for your life – He created you and made the universe, and knows just want He’s doing!
With that, I will continue celebrating. And if you have the urge to whine about your age, please let the truth of God’s Word, speaking to this adventure that is life, encourage you not to (and if you do it around me, I will also rebuke you). And oh yeah, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!
I turned 31 today. I’ve always loved celebrating my birthday, but sometime around my late 20s I started noticing that people were getting less excited about this inevitable, universal yearly occurrence. I began hearing comments such as “I’m old”, “we’re old,” “I feel old,” “Do you feel old?” and every other manner of description expressing how “old” the person feels.
Turning 30 last year, I gained even greater “access” to a not-so-underground world of people in their third decade who are very disgruntled with their age. There is nary a time when someone in their thirties has a birthday that there are not eye rolls, requests that the age of the “celebrant” not be mentioned, whines or jokes about being over some kind of hill. And all of this comes from Christians and non-Christians alike. This, my fellow followers of Christ, is a problem. But thankfully, it has a solution (which I will need to address in a short period of time, so that I can continue celebrating my 31st).
First of all, I must note that, objectively speaking, the 30s are not old. According to the United States Census Bureau, the average life expectancy is about 78 years; about 76 for men and 81 for women. In your thirties, you may barely reach half of your life expectancy, at most. Also, even if you will die well before that, most of us have no basis for predicting our deaths. In short, the 30s are hardly a time for most us to believe that we will shortly head to the grave; only God knows if that is the case.
But, more importantly, as followers of Christ we should approach each day being thankful for where God has placed us. Scripture clearly supports this. I will state just a few of my favorite verses that get me excited about approaching each day of my life with anticipation: Psalm 139 says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, so much so that God “knit” us together in our mother’s womb. That means He has a purpose for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God’s plans for us are to give us a hope and a future. First Corinthians 2:9 (quoting Isaiah 64:4) says that we cannot even imagine what God has prepared for those who love Him. In John 10:10, Jesus also said that He came for us to have life, and have it more abundantly, or to the full. That means that, in knowing Him, our lives are not supposed to end because we turn a certain age – they are meant to remain rich with pursing Him and seeing His work in each of us, day by day.
It’s this knowledge – and hope – that God has something for me at every moment of my life that staves off the temptation to be down about some aspect of my life that is not just how I want it and instead embrace now. The Apostle Paul was really good at doing this, and encouraging believers to do the same. In Philippians 1: 3-6, he said this to the church in Phillippi (which also has become one of my favorite prayers, particularly for my closest friends and family):
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Verse six is incredible –Paul could be confident that God, who started something amazing in those believers, would be faithful to finish it. When we know Jesus, we ultimately have a home in heaven. Before then, in this life, we have the opportunity to experience the process of being sanctified as we grow in our relationships with God and He transforms us. That means that He is constantly working on me, no matter what my age – I never get too old for Him to do that! And if His plans for me are excellent, the best, no matter how painful life may get, they are glorious, incomparable to anything a life without Him offers. That’s something to celebrate!
Further, in those moments when we are tempted to feel dissatisfied, Paul also reminds us in 1 Timothy 6:6 that godliness with contentment is great gain. In Philippians 4: 12- 13, he adds, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."
The Christian walk is definitely a marathon, requiring endurance. But it’s also an amazing adventure. Whatever your age, thank God for where you are. Brothers and sisters in Christ who are 30-something, those who will one day be 30, or those who have long left the 30s, you are more than the perceived failures that can keep us from embracing even the thought of leaving, or having left, youth: familial status (i.e., lack of being married, lack of children); financial situation; career; education level; the list can expand. At every turn, God has a purpose for your life – He created you and made the universe, and knows just want He’s doing!
With that, I will continue celebrating. And if you have the urge to whine about your age, please let the truth of God’s Word, speaking to this adventure that is life, encourage you not to (and if you do it around me, I will also rebuke you). And oh yeah, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!
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