What is Slowing You Down?

Looking at my life, specific conversation pop out in my mind as having great significance and shaping the course of my decisions. Usually these conversations happen with one of my greatest friends, and I am blessed to be surrounded by great thinkers in every social circle.  One of my greatest friends from High Point University, had a conversation with me in passing one afternoon that blew my mind.

We were walking down the promenade in opposite directions, and ran into one another while I was heading to my residence hall. She was rocking heels, a skirt, sweater, and an awesome Anthropologie necklace. I began to ask her where she purchased all of her adorable clothes, and inherited her fantastic style. While discussing the heels, she told me, "Alexa, guess what I just learned?" I began to get very excited, as we shared similar passions and knew that this recent revelation would be interesting to me as well. She continued, "in my women and gender studies class, we learned that heels (which were originally designed by men), were crafted with the primary intent of slowing women down." When women wore heels, they could no longer walk with ease or rapidity, and trailed behind men everywhere they went. I was shocked. We continued to discuss how we always found heels as a powerful accessory. We could elevate our height, and the sound of a stiletto heel repetitively hitting the floor was slightly intimidating.

But this conversation continued to ring in my ears. Lindsey Queener is a thinker, so I knew that these words were not spoken on a whim.  And, I reminisced on this conversation two weeks ago, as I attended National Speakers' Association conference. I wore heels the first day, and suddenly realized that I was getting less done. I was moving slower, my feet were in pain, and my productivity was pathetic.

Do we ever allow ourselves to "put on" a hindrance? Often we purposely put on, or take on, something that leads to a hindrance in sharing the gospel. For example, I know that if it wasn't a direct hindrance for me, I would walk everywhere with headphones in my ears, listening to music. Yet, I also realize that I would miss precious conversation with many that I pass, and ignore the noises of the "daily grind" of my peers. When we sit back and think about all the choices we make to take short cuts and create a better experience on the human level, let us also realize how much we miss out on in the spiritual realm. By making aspects of our life comfortable, stylish, simple, or popular, we miss out on the opportunity to sacrificially live.


Hebrews 13:15-16 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-- the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

The Bible commands us to make sacrifice a way of life. It must be a continual shedding of the "self" for a pursuance of the Spirit. Last night I heard a phenomenal message in which it was stressed that we must overcome small temptations regularly in our lives to practice facing the deep-rooted sin, and enormous temptation that we inevitably will be forced accept, or reject. Psychologists have stated that it takes twenty days to overcome a habit and change your behavioral response to daily life tendencies. On the human level we will have to begin practicing sacrificing the self in the small things. When we sacrifice daily human "comforts", we train ourselves on how to overcome our greatest temptations, and inevitably clear hindrances from our lives. We can then begin practicing Christ-like living.

1 John 4:9-11 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

I began this blog by discussing the slowing of high heels. Now, with the word picture aside, what really  slows you down?  What keeps us worldly?  By calling ourselves Christians, we don't just declare that we are of the Church, or that we love to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and help guide the lost. We identify ourselves with Jesus- with His death and His word. We identify with Him, meaning we cannot possibly identify with the world. Are we allowing the world to enable us? Do we allow the world to make our lives easier? If we succumb to the world, we strip away our identification of "Jesus" on our lives.

Finally in the message last night, my eyes were opened to a screaming truth. We as Christians cannot give so little to the One that gave so much. We cannot give half of our hearts to the One who wholeheartedly gave Himself up for us.

Let us analyze our daily lives, for they make up our total lives. If we identify with Jesus, we must aim to be fully Jesus. We cannot please our culture, allow ourselves to be slowed down, yet still identify with the Messiah. We must a conscious, continual effort to live sacrificially.

It may not be the heels that are slowing you down (sometimes I would argue the opposite!). But, we all have something in our lives that slows our pace for Jesus and creates a distraction. Sacrificial living of the flesh, inevitably results in living for the Spirit. We only have two options, and I pray we continually and consistently choose the eternal.

Stand up to the Spirit

I sat in church one evening for a "Vision Gathering", at a church in High Point, North Carolina. We had all just finished eating dinner with one another and engaging in true, pure fellowship with one another. The "vision casting" began, and our pastor presente the church's fiscal plans for the near future. We were in the process of purchasing chairs. We desired that every member that attended church would have a seat to listen to the Word and the Good News. 

Fast forward six months, and I felt as though I was continually sitting on busses. Missions are often a mix of "hurry up and wait". Much of our time is spent resting to recover for the following days. 

The following week, I saw an article stating that "standing desks" were the new trend. In order to beter aid a pastor's help, many pastors were beginning to stand to write sermons, answer emails, and read scripture. 

This morning, I watched an infomercial stating QUITE the claim. If we only allow ourselves to sit for one hour a day, we will drastically affect the amount of fat our bodies absorb on a daily basis. 

Currently,  I am sitting in a coffee shop. And, I am writing a blog about not sitting.  As Christians, it is imperative we become renewed through rest. Jesus rested.  But, we were never called to be sedentary Christians. 

Let us look at a great example of movement in the Bible. Actually let us look at the center of the Bible-it's origination. We will look at the Spirit of God. The Hebrew word for Spirit is "ruach". The minimal vocabulary of the Hebrew language results in many words having double, triple or quadruple meanings. The word "ruach" signifies the Spirit of God, wind, or breath. When we say that the Bible is God-breathed, we are literally stating that the Bible if of the Spirit. That the words were brought to the minds of the prophets through the movement of the spirit. We are not speaking of a stagnant spirit that remains in one place. The Holy Spirit is active, moving, and fills the hearts and minds of His people. 

So, if the Spirit moves within us and with each other during fellowship, we surely cannot be homebodies, lazy, sedentary, or still. As humans, we must rest. But as God's people, we must actively serve. 

We are dead until we breathe in the Holy Spirit of life. And just as we cannot grab wind, we cannot grab the Holy Spirit. But, we can feel the effects of the Holy Spirit on our lives. Never have I felt the Holy Spirit say, "wait, Alexa, let us stay in and watch the TV. Your tasks can wait another day." I believe the Holy Spirit touches your life in a similar manner to mine. It is a jolt-a violent push in some instances to move. To get up, stop sitting, and actually do something that benefits the Kingdom. Maybe it is a nudge, maybe it is a voice. I do not know how the Holy Spirit has entered into your life. But, I strongly believe that the Spirit is not telling you to "chill". The Spirit will push you, as a gust of wind, to stand, to move, to give, to serve.   Our spiritual gifts will never be exerted until we move when the spirit prompts us. I have never heard of a "giften thinker". I have heard of a gifted theologian, pastor, healer or leader. Movements of the Holy Spirit require action, and requires church benefit and blessing. 

Let us be moved, let us stand. Let us rest when it is appropriate to rest. But let us allow the Spirit to consume us in such a radical way, that we MUST move to obey its' commands. 

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”- John 3:8 

Forgive and Live

I spent the last week with speakers. Not just people who speak...we can all do that...but individuals who make a living out of empowering, motivating, advising, encouraging, and guiding. They do all of this through their words. 
I have grown up surrounded by this industry and have always been fascinated by people who have mastered the art of communication. These men and women understand that words can take people from where they currently are, and motivate them to reach goals, dreams, and highlights of their lives. My father is a motivational speaker and author. I grew up listening to his "motivational minute" each morning during breakfast, or watch him run into the kitchen for his "prep" workout, before actually heading to the gym. He had and has energy. His desire is to motivate people to action through a process of pursuing a life where "handicaps" in our lives (mental, emotional, or physical) limit our potential and inhibit our strength.

In one aspect of his keynote he touches on a wonderful memory while traveling from the United States to Canada. The National Guard of Canada asked him three specific questions:

Where do you come from?
How long have you been there?
Where are you going?

My dad reveals the truth behind these three questions. They sum up our life journey when we reflect where we have been and which dreams we are pursuing.

This morning, my mom drove me to a coffee shop and reminded me of something so important. She said, "Alexa, remember every single day holds importance for your entire life. But with that, never let yourself forget the special moments of every single day."

I don't know about you, but I allow myself to become discouraged with two types of obstacles. There are the moments I can never forget and consistently cause me to grieve, and the moments in my life that have not yet occurred, but I remain anxious. As my mom reminded me, each day is significant. Each day holds promises and hopes. For many, each new day though is simply a reflection of the past-never being able to overcome those thoughts.

What is the root of grievances of the past and anxiety of the future? I am beginning to see that it isn't stress, mistakes, negativity, or pessimism. Instead, it is forgiveness, or the lack thereof.

If we do not allow ourselves to forgive one another, or forgive ourselves, we will never be able to form healthy relationships. We have either willingly given an essential piece of our soul to a person, or allowed he or she to steal it from us. Bitterness is not an action-it is the result of apathy. If we become apathetic and do not actively forgive one another and ourselves we will never move on, and we will certainly become bitter.

The moments you can never forget and have stained your memory because of grief, will never leave until you adress the situation and apply forgiveness. And yes, you CAN forgive yourself. You can forgive yourself, because our Lord forgave you.

And, the instances that you stand anxious about, are less about the known and more about the unknown. We must apply grace to our own lives as God so abundantly has poured grace on us. It is something we do not deserve, but desperately need. Let us allow ourselves to be human. We will worry, we will  be anxious. We will have nervous thoughts because we live in an ever changing and mystery filled world. There are no promises on Earth. Our earthly bodies will be filled with fear and doubt. Of course we will...Our earth is even filled with fear and doubt in God! Instead we have one promise we can hold on to, and it is of Heaven. Let us take the model of Heaven's grace on our Earth, and make it personal. We will never encompass perfect, infallible grace as our Father displays. This is because often, the obstacles in our lives are merited...we deserve to grieve them. Our actions may be so far from the will of God, that we must fully grive them, apply forgiveness, and seek His grace to fully stand in the blinding light of our Lord. By seeking His grace, we will encompass the qualities of Grace. Remember, we were made in His image. Grace is a quality only God can perfectly encompass, yet we can allow grace to fill our hearts and flood our being. Then, we can show grace to others, and apply it to the"hangups" in our lives.

Matthew 6:14 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."



So now here is the question: How long have you been there?  How long have we allowed our past to inhibit where we are going? How long have we allowed earthly choices to inhibit God's desire for our lives?  God's will must and will be done regardless of us. But, we will never be fully used by our Heavenly father until we apply his model of grace and forgiveness to our own lives, and move on. Until we move on and start looking up again (instead of in our past or future), we will never see His direction. 
It is less about our circumstances and more about the choice to forgive, the choice to aggressively analyze circumstances in our lives and apply grace.

Thank you Dad, for allowing me to use this metaphor that you eloquently speak of in your presentation. I am thankful for your encounter with this gentleman. It has taught me so much. And thank you mom for your daily advice. 

Finally, "where are you going?" Let us begin to choose forgiveness. Let us choose grace. Let us avoid bitterness. Let us regain the piece of our hearts that we willingly sold to the earth or willingly gave away in the moment. Let us piece together our lives so that we no longer look behind, ahead or down. Instead we can look up, into His glorious face, knowing that He is the giver and perfecter of grace and forgiveness.

Psalm 86:4-5 "Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you."

Defense

Ever since my first psychology class during my sophomore year of High School, I have been fascinated by the word "attractive".  What makes something attractive to a human, and what are the qualifications for making a person attractive?


I even turn this question on the Gospel..what makes the Good News of the Gospel attractive to Christians? And, what makes the Gospel attractive to the non-believer who desires to know more?


Let us look at what Paul wrote to fellow believers, the Phillipians. The title of this section in my Bible is titled, "The Advance of the Gospel", and in other translations "Paul's Chains Advance the Gospel".

¹² Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. ¹³ As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. ¹⁴ And because of my chains,most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.

¹⁵ It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. ¹⁶ The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁷ The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. ¹⁸ But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice."
-Philippians 1:16

Paul understood through the Holy Spirit, that joy in the midst of tribulation was the most effective means of spreading the Gospel. Why? Because it was shocking. If we look at our present culture, the shocking events are the headlines. The events that jolt our hearts to ask, "why?" make the news and become popular. 

We were formed to recognize the shocking. We were formed to recognize the irregular, the odd, and the abnormal. We were formed to recognize the eternal. 

Paul knew that joy in times of tribulation brought the Gospel to non-believers and strengthened the spirits of the Philippians. Paul was chosen by God, as a Favored One, to reveal the steadfast and consistent Grace of Jesus. As he states, His mission and calling was to stand in defense of the Gospel. This brings up something very interesting. 

Are we standing in defense of the Gospel? 

de·fense

  [dih-fens or, especially for 7, 9, dee-fens]  noun, verb, de·fensed, de·fens·ing.

noun

1.

resistance against attack; protection: Two more regiments areneeded for the defense of the city.

2.

something that defends, as a fortification, physical ormental quality, or medication: This fort was once the maindefense of the island.

3.

the defending of a cause or the like by speech, argument,etc.: He spoke in defense of the nation's foreign policy.

To defend something, we must position ourselves in locations where we can aid the Gospel in resisting attack. The Gospel doesn't need us. The Gospel is perfect, flawless and can certainly defend itself. Yet, we need the Gospel. We need to defend the Gospel so that the Gospel is proclaimed and uninhibited in our hearts. We defend the Gospel more for ourselves, than for the Gospel itself. 

We were formed to defend the work of God, because we are the work of God. By standing in the light of God while placed in the darkness of earth we become shocking. We defend the account of the Gospel. We are attracted to the shocking because WE are the shocking! We are the differential in a world of stagnancy. The Holy Spirit within us seeks the Book that was formed by the same hands. The Bible. 

We need not defend the Gospel in the same manner that one defends a city. Guns, armor and ammunition wil not protect the Gospel from attack. Instead, proclamation is defense. It took me a long time to understand that when it comes to Jesus, to protect Him, means to make Him known. Once He is revealed, there is no stopping the power of grace. The only thing that harms the Gospel is hiding it. Proclaiming the Gospel is defense. 

"For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified". 1 Corinthians 2:2 

Always be ready to defend...or proclaim..the Gospel. 


And, Always be ready to protect your heart. For, "from it flows the springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23). Our hearts must stay strong during defense, and if when defending the Gospel, your heart begins to feel troubled, let us rest. We cannot go so far to proclaim the Gospel that we forget the roots of salvation, and neglect the consuming power and presence of the Spirit in our lives. 

"… always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you… " 1 Peter 3:15

When proclamation doesn't seem to be defense enough from the world, remember this: we were made to proclaim His great name. His creation, he nature around us, proclaims the Holiness of our God. Let us take their perfect cue. 

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:18-20

Act Before You Think

My heart aches this morning. I have recently learned about the theatre shootings in Aurora, CO. The news is filled with correspondants and interviewees questioning, "what has this world come to?!" 


Now, I ask myself, "What has this world become?" How does creation kill creation? What is the motive? What are we doing incorrectly as humans to bring murder and death into this world?


It has just been revealed that the shooting suspect was a 24 year old neuro-science student from the University of Colorado. He was a near graduate of a prestigious program, and now stands behind bars after the killing of twelve innocent human beings. Once again, "how does the world entertain these horrific events?"


James Holmes is a brilliant man who stepped into great, unimaginable sin. Holmes studied the brain, and its intricate functions. He knew the power of the human mind, and all that it could accomplish. 


When we begin to think of the power we have as human beings, it is frightening. We have the ability to direct our lives through free will, end our own lives, or end the lives of God's creation. The only thing we cannot do, is prompt our own lives. We cannot create life. Our God gave His precious children immense, unfathomable responsibility. God knew that when His children were born into a world where sin was present, we would need direction and security in the promise of Heaven. 


James Holmes, I believe, saw his life as a dead end. He became so entranced in the academics of the human mind, will, and capacity that sin was allowed to creep into his psyche. 



<sup>Romans 12:9-13 


9</sup> Love must be genuine. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in LOVE. Honor one another above yourselves.¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Our Heavenly Father gave us direction in His word so that we may avoid scary thoughts and sinful actions, as well as grieve the repercussions of sin. The above verse from Romans, is an example of His direction. No matter how confused we become or the depth of our depression, we can never forget our sole purpose on this earth. We are to LOVE one another and LOVE our Savior. We are to engage in genuine love that does not have any motive other than to please our father in Heaven. We are called to never be over come by evil, "but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). 


"But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always." Hosea 12:6


Life becomes simple once we study His word. Our mind will fail us, and our mind will make us confused. Our minds are feeble and failing organs in an aging body. Our souls may only be renewed through pursuance of Truth and of Justice and of Mercy. Our souls will be renewed as we follow Jesus, and never allow our minds to fall to the complicated, confusing, and depressing state of our earth. 


I often allow thoughts, criticism, academic research, and ridicule to get in the way of love, hopes, dreams, and prayers. And, I certainly allow negative emotions to block steadfast truth. Why? We are humans, in bondage to flesh, yet eternally set free by a savior. Our emotions will be strapped to a sinful complex as that is our condition. I stand in awe that we are no longer a part of this earth once our human bodies fall away. 


We are allowed to think, dream and imagine, because God owns the concept of an imagination. He gave them to us so that we may do GOOD. So that we may imagine a world where He is ruler and He is physically present.

 I am beginning to see though, before we think, sometimes we must act. This stands in direct contrast to the world's advise of "thinking before acting". Maybe, we should display love, extend mercy, and seek justice, before we allow our mind to wander. It is then that we will think clearly and think under his commandments. It is what He commanded after all, and He is the Great Authority. 

"If you love me, you will obey what I command."  John 14:15


"Love, it will not betray you betray you, dismay, or enslave you, it will set you free. Be more like the man you were made to be. There is a design, an alignment, a cry of my heart to see, the beauty of love as it was made to be."-  Sigh No More, Mumford and Sons. 

Waste

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

-2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Posting Bible verses as a facebook status, or a tweet brings mixed responses. Some may be offended. Others, may try to make the status "light" and remove any serious-ness of the words. And some, benefit from the encouraging words that are posted. I pray many of you are the latter. 

I posted the above verse as a facebook status, and was awaiting any comments. I received two. One stated, "Alexa! I just read that passage this morning!".  I thought, "awesome...The Lord is building her up through the Gospel."  Then, I saw another comment posted by a family friend. The words said, "Well, I think my outer-self is just fine thank you very much.." The words caught me off-guard, yet I believe this reveals a fascinating component to the human life on earth. 

Paul wrote these inspired words of God while in prison. He also wrote these words as he was aging. His outer self, his physical body, was falling apart. He was slowly dying to the outside world. Yet, He was beginning to truly live in Christ. 

This brings up something mind-blowing. First, the world does not have to inhibit spiritual growth or moral transformation. Temptations will be there, yet growth in Christ can continue with or without the allowance of the world. Second, it is never too late to grow in Christ. We do not know how long we will be on this earth, but God never stops working within us until the day we depart for Heaven. 

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

-Phillipians 1:6

Paul also understood that sometimes it isn't until we realize the calamity and depravity of this earth can we begin to imagine the perfection and glory of heaven. Until we are on our deathbed, or witness a tragedy within our family, we cannot comprehend the complete beauty of Heaven. Maybe this is part of the reason those that are elderly begin to have a sage character, and guide us during our spiritual journey. They have lived enough life to understand that the world cannot fulfill them. 

Paul was undergoing what he considered "light momentary affliction." Wait..what?! Paul was experiencing living hell on Earth. Yet he understood that any corruption and destruction the earth brought him, could not distract him from the end all reality of meeting his savior. 

Our outer self is wasting away every single day. And let us thank God for it.  Physical suffering allows us to be strengthened in the spirit. Suffering does not bring us a benefit, but once it is seen in contrast to the beaming light of God, and Heaven's glorious light, the dark world becomes something we want no part of. 

 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.² Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, ³ because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.⁴ For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

-2 Corinthians 5:1-5

Shade

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Whenever people ask the question, "what would your dream superpower be?", I seem to have a consistent response. I would LOVE to fly. My grandma always used to say that in her past life, she must have been a pilot as she loves it so much. I must have inherited that same passion.


My favorite part about flying is looking at the clouds swiftly moving past the plane.  As you fly over them it is so exciting to catch a glimpse of what heaven must look like. Our creator has perfect handiwork, doesn't He? I noticed something on my recent flight home from Cambodia that I had never before noticed.


When clouds move across the sky, the land directly below the cloud becomes conumed by shade. The sun cannot reach the land through the vast cloud hovering overhead. I had never fully realized the concept of shade before. Shade is literally the absence of direct sunlight. The sunlight never left...it just appears to have left you. There is an obstacle between the sun and your existence. 


As we flew over Cambodia, I looked down and saw irregularly-shaped circles blotting the terrain. And they were a deep shade in comparison to the bright, green, sun-filled land immediately next to it. It almost looked like a camouflage pattern-a systematic arrangement of dark, forest green, and light, airy tones. Why the the Lord create clouds? Besides the necessity of rain, wind and air systems, and the meteorological explanations, what was the real intention for clouds? Why did God form clouds the way He did, placed them in our atmosphere, and allowed them to be a central focus in our weather. 


There is a reason "talking about the weather", is a common cliche for awkward or surface level conversation. Why? Because it is simple and it is relatable. Everyone has experiences with weather...rained-out birthday parties, being snowed-in at home, or having hail dent your car. 


I believe the Lord allows for clouds as nature can describe seasons of life even better than words can ever express. Think about it.  Clouds block the sun. Our sun has been proven to bring us Vitamin D, which in turn allows for serotonin levels to rise in our bodies. The sun literally, and figuratively brings us joy. Clouds, and bad weather temporarily block the sun, the source of literal and metaphorical light. He even allows us to see the clouds coming. He lets His children know when hardship (the blocking of the sun) might set in, as hardship in our lives is inevitable. In addition, God allows us to see the "light" even when we are in the midst of darkness. We have the ability to see places far in the horizon where clouds have not yet inhibited. 


Please forgive the elementary and extended word picture. I do believe though, that through His glorious natural creation we can understand a little bit more about His purpose for our lives. God has infinite facets to His being that we will never be able to comprehend, but, we do know that He reveals Himself through His creation. Through nature, and through His children. Why wouldn't the two be linked if they were formed by the same creator? 




Whenever you see a cloud approaching, you can allow yourself to become discouraged. So often we hear, "stay strong during the trials...look to Him!!". Yet, I understand that this advice is near to impossible. Hardships are not difficult because of the lack of trial, necessarily. Often, it is the lack of joy, the lack of warmth, and the "lack of Jesus' presence", that causes depressed emotions. 




Clouds prompt feelings of insecurity and dark thoughts. It is important to understand the ending to this story though. Clouds are ever moving, and ever shifting. Clouds are not permanent. In addition, clouds touch all people. You are not alone. And finally, clouds hanging overhead does not mean that the sun has left you. Instead it means that we as believers are being built on the earth-where shade is inevitable, but the Sun is eternal. 


We live on a place called earth...full with its own temptations, trials and an atmosphere in and of itself. God's creation allows us to understand Him more, and wait patiently for the clouds to pass, and His grace to flood our hearts once more. 

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

-Romans 8:38-39

Watch

Time is a crazy thing. The concept of "time" has often been the source of much of my anxiety and grief. "Will I ever get such and such done?"  "Will I ever find a husband?" "Will I tell everyone I meet about Jesus before I die?"


It is important to remember that with the Lord, He owns time. He created time. He monitors time. He is the keeper of time. We do not have any ability to adjust or control time. He does. And, He does not function under any human concept of time, dates, schedules, or agendas.


"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." 
Ecclesiastes 3:1. 


There is a reason this verse states, "under heaven".  There is an order in Heaven. It is not the Earthly form of order though. All things have their place, and all things have order once ordained by our Father. 


Take Heart! You were not formed by accident, and your timing on this earth is not happenstance. All things ordained by our God have a time, a place, and God has a plan. 


On the recent mission to Cambodia, I began conversing with a 23 year old girl, with the greatest heart. She worked at the church, aiding with cleaning of the linens, and sweeping the grounds. In her "time off" she found herself at college, studying English and Tourism Management.  


After revealing her riveting testimony, my grandma immediately gave her a silver bracelet. My grandma wanted the beautiful woman to remember that we would always be praying for her. I needed to give her something. What is something that I would remember if I gave to her?  What is something that would change my day to day events enough to remember to lift Her up in prayer? 


I often struggle with time. Yes, I struggle with the concept of time. Thinking you will "run out" of time is disabling. It impairs your ability to spread the gospel, as we take on time as our responsibility, and do not give it up to Him. It is all in His time anyway, right? 


I immediately knew what to give to her. My watch. The greatest stumbling block in my life would bless her in insurmountable ways. She would be able to schedule out her day, to accomplish so much. She would know when to go to attend church, when to work, and how to organize her schedule so that she can thrive in a structured environment. She would be able to use earthly time as a tool, to accomplish much for the kingdom. 


Amazingly though, I was freed. I was freed from the shackles of time for the remainder of the week in Cambodia. Time keeps us trapt in fear or anxiety until we release our schedules to our Father. The one that created the concept of time would certainly know how to bless us through it. And, if we believe that God creates us for HIs glory, by releasing our distracting agendas to God, we can fill in the appointment time schedules with praise, prayer and worship. I thought I owned the time I was given. Now, I had to release it to the Creator.   


There is a great difference between the "prideful faith" I had, and the childlike faith of this Cambodian woman. I thought I could control time to please God and fulfill my desires on Earth. She understood that by releasing precious moments to God, you allow Him to work in ways that a simple human cannot. And, it allows us as individuals to grow in faith as we realize that we can never accomplish the vast glory of the Kingdom of God in a short 80-or-so years. 


Let us remember that all events are appointed and directed by God. This does not support apathy. We must stay awake and alert for the callings of the Lord. But, time must be used as a tool, and not a possession. Time is given to BY God FOR His glory. Our human responses to "timing" will not change anything, or cause God's will to change. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and not dependent on a human concept of time. 


Under Heaven, all has order and all has direction. Let us fall on our knees under heaven. The Originator of time must be our authority. 

"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 

He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 

Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' 

And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' 

He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 

(Matthew 25:14-30)

#nofilter

Instagram is a tricky thing. The hipster wannabe that I am is in love with the program. Suddenly, I can appear to be a professional photographer, snapping shots of the sunset, or even my meal. All of this off of a simple iPhone camera, and ta-da, there is a fantastic ego-boost awaits. The fact is though, the photo is still an amateur 5 megapixel shot, covered up with filters appearing to be something with depth.

My goodness how I love that word picture in relation to the Christian walk. How easy is it to cover ourselves up with "filters." Are we the hipster Christian, complete with oversized glasses, skinny jeans, and combat boots? I have nothing against this image...frankly, I secretly love it. But a problem arises when we attach ourselves to a trend of the world for any form of security. Do the logos on our shirts allow us to find a "niche"? Does our style place us in a select group of people where we find our identity?

This has been one of the greatest struggles for me attending a university founded under the Christian faith. There is certainly a mission field, yet I am SAFE carrying my bible on campus. I am SAFE attending bible study. I am SAFE putting a bible verse as my status. I feel safe as a Christian. I can place whichever filter on myself and always feel included and secure.

I have been convicted of just how foolish this is. Our savior strongly warns against finding security in this world. John 18:36 states, that Jesus' kingdom is not of this world. If we declare that we believe in the saving power of Jesus, we cannot also live a dual life pleasing to the flesh. You see, two kingdoms cannot reign on earth at once. Jesus' Kingdom is eternal and is pure. The tainted earth cannot exist alongside the purity of our Heavenly Father.

Sometimes, filters do not make anything better, do they? The new trend of hashtagging  "#nofilter" has a sort of cache to it. Now, the original is more beautiful than any manipulation or conforming. Now that is refreshing. We need not gravitate towards a filter of this world. We were made exactly as God designed us, for His purposes, and for His glory.   We cannot place a label on ourselves and manipulate the original for acceptance, security, or popularity.

Why?  First, we were made exactly as we were for a very important reason, exactly as we are. No cosmetic surgery. No fashion sense makes you worthy. And second, gravitating towards the world's filters reveal that we are not happy with God's already perfect plan, or we believe the world has a better design for our lives. And this is where it is scary. The world is steeped in sin and is very ready to place a filter on you. The world does not want an original. The world wants the vulnerable.

We can choose to live imperfectly for a perfect God. Or, we can chose to "appear perfect" for an imperfect world. It is our choice. And, He is the answer.

John 15:19 
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.