Book Review of "ALTARED: The true story of a SHE, a HE, and how they both got too worked up on about the WE"

"ALTARED: The true story of a SHE, a HE, and how they both got too worked up on about the WE" is non-traditional look at marriage in the Christian culture. The authors, Claire and Eli, willingly admit to their audience that this book is "raw" and based heavily on their own personal experiences. It is their look into the Christian view of marriage from their own personal perspectives.

If you were expecting this to be anything like a traditional Christian book on dating and marriage then I encourage you to never EVER read this book because it is in NO WAY a traditional view on marriage! In some ways the authors seem to look down upon and belittle the traditional standards of Christian dating and marriage. As you may have guessed from the title one of their major issues with the traditional viewpoint is the amount of emphasis that is placed on dating and marriage in the church. It goes to the point that it is almost past observation and into the realm of being blatantly offensive.

This book does challenge you to look at things in a way most Christians aren't normally challenged to but I would never recommend this book to someone who already struggles with the ideas of dating and marriage. Make no mistake that I agree that too much emphasis is placed on the fact that many Christians and churches seem to believe that all Christians have to get married, but that doesn't belittle the importance of marriage. There are times that I felt it was marriage--rather than the over focusing on marriage--that was questioned, but that's just my opinion.

However, Altared is a good reminder to churches and church staffs that you don't have to be married to be an effective Christian or an effective minister. I believe that was part of the original intent of this book and for that I applaud them. I simply ask that they present their case in a way that I feel more of an equal and less talked down to.

You can try Altared for yourself by reading Chapter One. This book was provided to me free of cost for review purposes by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing.

Watch Your Mouth

I don't know who made up the little saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." I know that I have heard that a million times and I probably even chanted it on the playground as a child. Let me tell you--as if you didn't know--it's a LIE!

It drives me crazy how "innocently" people will say things but their words strike you to the very core. I had this experience a couple of weeks ago, and it was over something totally trivial. I missed church one Sunday because I had been cleaning our apartment and preparing our things to be moved out in a few weeks. There was a ton of dust and my allergies kicked into high gear making me very sick. The next time that I returned to church I was asked where I was last week and why I had missed church. I told the gentleman my story and he preceded to tell me that if I took the time to clean my house every week then I wouldn't have that problem. Ouch!

Words cut like nothing else. Chew on this... James 3:5 says, "Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark." Here James is comparing the power of the tongue to a spark that starts a raging forest fire. James draws several other comparisons that all lead us to the same conclusion--the tongue is a small but powerful weapon. It can be used for either good or ill (James 3:9-12).

Although I know that this older gentleman probably didn't mean any real harm, I wish that he would have chosen his words with a little more care. They weren't funny and they didn't do anything but cause hurt and make me feel like an inadequate wife/woman. I hope that the next time I start to say something careless I will pause for a minute and remember how I felt in this moment before I just blurt something out with considering the cost.

Other Resources:
"Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death is one who deceives their neighbor and says, 'I was only joking!'" Proverbs 26:18-20

"LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor,and casts no slur on others;" Psalm 15:1-3

Blessings by Laura Story

I don't know if you have a Christian radio station near you, but we do. We have a great Christian station called JOY FM. The last couple of weeks JOY FM has been playing this song called "Blessings" by Laura Story. I enjoyed it and it touched my heart when I heard it on the radio, and then a friend from work mentioned it to me the other day and since then I keep having part of the chorus replaying over and over in my head. So today I am posting two videos for your enjoyment. The first is a behind the music clip from the artist that talks about how and why she wrote this song and the second is the actual song "Blessings". I hope you enjoy and I hope they speak to you as much as they did to me.





Learn more about Laura Story on her website or purchase her music:

He Will Direct Your Path

"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act." Psalm 37:5 ESV

I read this verse in my quiet time this morning. It was such a blessing and reassurance that God is working and directing the way that I should go. The thing that I so often forget is that in order for God to act or for God to direct my path I have to do two things. #1 Trust in Him and #2 Commit to let Him be in control.

When I do those two things then God will act. If I don't trust in Him and let Him take control then He isn't going to act. God allowed us freewill which means that He allows us to get in the way. So He chooses not to move until we freely choose to get out of the way. God will cause things and send promptings in our lives to wake us up and encourage us to move, but He doesn't force it. However, there are times when we suffer the consequences for our choice of not moving.

Trust in Him today and Commit to letting Him take Control then God promises that He WILL MOVE!

More Resources
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

"The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand." Psalm 37:23-24 ESV

"I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. Correct me, O LORD, but in justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing." Jeremiah 10:23-24

Refreshing as Springtime

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to live in Germany at the very end of World War I then Springtime of the Spirit (The Great War) is for you! Springtime of the Spirit follows the intertwining stories of Annaliese and Christophe. Annaliese (Anya) is a young woman who has left her wealth and her family far behind and has travelled to Munich to be a part of the political change and revolution going on there now that the war has ended. Christophe is a solider in the German army who is returning to his village after serving in the war for the past four years. He was a childhood friend of Anya and her sister so naturally when Anya goes missing her parents can find no one they trust more than Christophe to find her and bring her home. Christophe sets off after Anya and the true story begins.


Springtime of the Spirit is filled with conflict, suspense, love and hate. Will Anya ever learn the truth about her sister’s death? Will Christophe find Anya and be able to protect her in the midst of the political unrest which is tearing Munich apart? Will Christophe ever be able to forgive himself? It’s all in the journey that is Springtime of the Spirit.

I really enjoyed Springtime of the Spirit. If you love historical fiction and historical romances, then I highly recommend that you read this book. There are so many rich details that bring the story of Christophe and Annaliese to life. You never know exactly what is going to happen next. However, there are a few slow parts in the story that could probably have been cut or condensed, but there is much more that is good about this book than bad. I give Springtime of the Spirit four out of five stars and would gladly and willingly read it again and again!
This book was provided to me at no cost by Tyndale House Publishing for review purposes.

The J.O.Y. of Albert Pujols

J.O.Y. is the principle that you put Jesus first, your others second, and yourself last. This week I read Pujols More than the Game. It is an autobiography about the man, the myth, the legend—Albert Pujols, and his passion to live everyday for Jesus Christ, serves others, and then seeks the good of himself. If you are an avid Cardinals fan like my husband and me or you just admire and respect Albert Pujols, you are going to love this book. The authors, Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth, do an amazing job of mixing real-life baseball stories, stats, and other interesting Pujols facts in a way that is both interesting and informative. I have learned much about how truly amazing Pujols’ career stats truly are without getting bored by all the numbers so I have to say good job and mission accomplished to Lamb and Ellsworth.

I did love reading the heart warming baseball and ministry stories in the book, and I was heartbroken at the harsh reality that Albert and Deidre faced before Pujols started bringing home the big bugs in the majors. However, what I loved most of all is the way that the authors’ writing style and format captured the very talented but also very humble essence of who Albert Pujols is both as a baseball player and a man of faith.

Reading Pujols More than the Game has been an enlightening and encouraging experience for me. I think the authors summarized the book and Albert’s life best in the very first chapter. There they write, “Puhols’ faith is neither a vague spirituality nor an improve-your-morals campaign. Rather, the core of his faith is in Jesus Christ, defined in his foundation’s statement of faith as “God’s only Son, [who] lived a perfect life of obedience to the Father and substituted Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He became our mediator to bridge the gap between mankind and a Holy, Sinless God.”(p 10)

I just have to say again…this book is a great read! It will encourage your heart and help you find some J.O.Y., and if you aren’t a Christian already it will open your eyes to the true Power behind one of the greatest men in history of baseball. If you love baseball, you need to read Pujols More than the Game!

A copy of this book was provided to me for free by Thomas Nelson Publishing for book review purposes.

Girl Talk with God Review

Overview:
Girl Talk with God by Susie Shellenberger is designed to teach teenage girls about having a real, viable prayer life. It teaches that prayer is more than just ritual “it’s actually all about talking to Him and listening to Him talk back.”

My Thoughts:
Girl Talk with God allows you to eaves drop on conversations God is having with His teenage daughters. These conversations cover many relevant topics including: entertainment choices, what it means to be a Christian, the language you use, eating disorders, and cutting. The writing style is almost script like as you read the prayer dialogue between God and the girl He is talking with. It honestly made it a little hard for me to get into as I prefer to read a single narrative or a more continuous writing style. The chapters are short and easy to manage. They are written in a way that is easy to understand and that I think any teenager will get. Some of the chapters are almost too simple or they just seem a little too perfectly packaged because teenagers (and adults alike) just don’t listen that well. I would also have liked to see some more added material in addition to the actual “conversation”.

One thing that I really, really appreciated is that each conversation with God was packed with scripture. It wasn’t just the references so that you would look it up later. It was the actual written word right there on the page. Which is good because we are often too lazy to look it up later and it’s important that those scriptural truths be read because they directly deal with what the conversation is about. It also makes for an easy way that teen girls can share scriptures with their friends. If they are talking about sex, just turn to the chapter that deals with sex and you have several scriptures ready to go that talk about sexual purity and what God intended sex to be like.

Overall, Girl Talk with God was a quality book and teaches strong lessons that we all should learn. I would read it again and I will probably recommend it to several of the girls in our youth group.


This book was a free copy provided to me by Thomas Nelson Publishing for review purposes.

Better is One Day

In my quiet time this morning, I was reading from Psalms. I love the fact that many of the Psalms and other scripture have been put to music. Even as I was reading the words of Psalm 84, the songs resonated in my heart and my mind. They go with me everywhere because they are a part of me. That scripture (even if I never remember the reference) is a part of me and goes with me. I guess this speaks so deeply to me because of the big role that music has always played in my life. My high school French teacher once made the statement that I would remember anything that was set to music and it's true! To this day, I still remember which French verbs are conjugated with Etre. Think how much greater it is that thanks to so many talented singers and songwriters, I can remember scripture through music.

"Better than One Day" is a song written from portions of Psalm 84, which I read today. Enjoy the link below (a version by one of my favorite bands--Kutless) and maybe the scripture from Psalm 84 will stick with you too.



More Resources:

Psalm 84

 ¹ How lovely is your dwelling place,
   LORD Almighty!
² My soul yearns, even faints,
   for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
   for the living God.
³ Even the sparrow has found a home,
   and the swallow a nest for herself,
   where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
   LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
⁴ Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
   they are ever praising you.^[c]

 ⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
   whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
⁶ As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
   they make it a place of springs;
   the autumn rains also cover it with pools.^[d]
7 They go from strength to strength,
   till each appears before God in Zion.

 ⁸ Hear my prayer, LORD God Almighty;
   listen to me, God of Jacob.
⁹ Look on our shield,^[e] O God;
   look with favor on your anointed one.

 ¹⁰ Better is one day in your courts
   than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
   than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
¹¹ For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
   the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
   from those whose walk is blameless.

 ¹² LORD Almighty,
   blessed is the one who trusts in you.

Idoleyes Book Review

Hello, Everyone! A week ago I told you that I was reading Idoleyes by Mandisa. I also promised that when I was finished I would post a book review, and here it is.

Overview:
Idoleyes is an auto-biography by former American Idol contestant Mandisa. Although the book centers mainly around her experience auditioning for, participating in, and after effects of American Idol, the reader is also given stories from her path and what led her to audition with American Idol. The book is full of highs and lows, personal triumphs and defeats, and most of all Mandisa’s love for Christ and scripture.

My Opinion:
I’m just going to come right out and say it…I loved this book! From the foreword by Beth Moore to the very last page I was hooked. I am a Mandisa fan. I have been since I was first introduced to her on American Idol. So to say I was biased from the start is more than a little pointless. However, I want to make one thing absolutely clear—I didn’t read this book from cover to cover because of American Idol. I was intrigued by Mandisa because of American Idol (side note: my husband and I choose who we think are going to win once they reach the live show—I picked Mandisa), I was drawn in when I saw her sing at a Women of Faith event, but I read the book because of the candid honesty I felt from Mandisa in the very first chapter.

Mandisa is open and honest about the struggles she faced before,

during, and after American Idol and I could relate to that. It was a breath of fresh air to know there is another real person out there. So many times we get wrapped up in hiding our imperfections that we miss the opportunity to share what God has done despite us, but Mandisa does not miss a single opportunity in this book!

I give Idoleyes and highly recommend it to any woman who has ever struggled with food, self-image, or doubt because God doesn’t work in our ways or on our time tables.

I hope you will read it and be encouraged too.

Visit Mandisa's Official Website        
Read Mandisa's Official Blog

Words Bite

I must confess that lately I have been very weak. I have struggled in my Christian walk and I have struggled in being the Christian woman I desire to be. God used this morning to convict me and remind me of one very important thing…words hurt.

It is sad that so often—like today—we let our tongues get away from us. I don’t know about you but when I get angry I can say the meanest and most hurtful things even if I don’t mean them (which is even worse). It’s no wonder that the Bible speaks so strongly about the evils caused by tongue!

“Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.” James 3:1-9

Unfortunately it is WAY to easy to tear someone apart with the words that come out of our mouths. Word bite! I don’t know who made up the “Sticks and Stones” nursery rhyme, but they must have been out of their minds. Of course words will hurt you! Yes, it may not be a physical pain or hurt but emotional hurts are often more deadly. They lead us to fight back or to take rash actions that we would have never considered otherwise.

I pray that you and I will both learn from my mistakes and take better care to keep a reign on our tongues.


More Resources

“They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows. They shoot from ambush at the innocent; they shoot suddenly, without fear.” Psalm 64:3-4

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21

“Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” Proverbs 21:23

“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.” James 1:26

The Faith of Ronald Reagan Book Review

Overview:
The Faith of Ronald Reagan is designed to be the untold portion of America’s 40th President’s life. While many authors have written about the man and the politics of Ronald Reagan, they have found him hard to understand and the author argues that is because the secular world hasn’t paused to consider how Reagan’s faith factored into his life and his presidency.

Although this book would appear to new, it is really a re-titled and re-published version of the 2004 book entitled Hand of Providence: The Strong and Quiet Faith of Ronald Reagan.

My Opinion:
Ronald Reagan was President when I was born and I have always grown up hearing about all the great things he did when I was only a small child. I knew that Reagan was supposed to have been a Christian but knew little else about him. Therefore, I chose to read The Faith of Ronald Reagan to find out more about the man, the President, and his faith in God. I was not disappointed with all the details and stories told about his life and faith. However, I found the book hard to get through. I don’t know if it was the way the book was organized or the writing style of the author, Mary Beth Brown. I found it informative but I just didn’t find it enjoyable. I am thankful that this book was provided to me by Thomas Nelson publishing so that I could review it because I would not have purchased it on my own. However, others may have no issue with reading the book. It is only my opinion after all.

If you are fascinated by Presidents or Ronald Reagan and have no problem reading autobiographies then you will probably enjoy this book. However, if you only have a minor curiosity and prefer to read mainly non-fiction, I would not recommend this book for you.

This book was a free copy provided to me by Thomas Nelson Publishing for review purposes.

Walking with God

In my quiet time today, I read a fact that intrigued me. The word "walk" appears over 380 times in the Bible ("Voices of the Faithful: Book 2" p 12). In those 380 times that it appears it has many different uses and subsequent meanings. Sometimes, it is the description of physically walking--as in "he was walking in the garden"(Gen. 3:8). Other times it has a much deeper meaning--"Walk in obedience to all that the LORD your God has commanded you"(Deut. 5:33).

I want to focus on the second kind of walk. So many times you hear about people, especially in the USA, who claim to be Christians but you couldn't tell it by their lifestyle. The Bible speaks about these individuals in Titus and 1 John...

"They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good." Titus 1:16


"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:18

Sometimes God calls us to physically walk around and share His word or to do something for Him, but He always calls us to spiritually walk with Him. Are you walking with God today? Are you walking in His word? Are your actions telling people that you love God and that He is the Lord of your life? I pray that each of us will use this year to have a closer walk with the Lord that people may know we are Christians not only by the words that we say but also by the walk we are living.

Walking thru the Bible:

Walk Faithfully	Gen. 5:22,24; Gen. 6:9; Gen. 17:1; Gen. 24:20; Gen. 48:15; 1 Kings 2:4; 1 Kings 8:25; 1 Kings 9:4; 2 Kings 20:3
Walk in Obedience	Deut. 5:33; Deut. 8:6; Deut. 11:22; Deut. 19:9; Deut. 26:17; Deut. 28:9; Deut. 30:16; Joshua 22:5; 1 Kings 2:3; 1 Kings 3:14; 1 Kings 8:58; 1 Kings 11:38; 2 Chronicles 6:31; Ps. 128:1
Walk in Godly Instruction	1 Kings 3:3; 1 Kings 3:14; 2 Chronicles 7:17
Walk in Integrity	1 Kings 9:4; Prov. 10:9
Walk in Fear of the Lord	Nehemiah 5:9; Prov. 14:2
Walk in Righteousness	Ps. 1:1; Ps. 15:2; Prov. 8:20; Isa. 33:15
Walk Blamelessly	Ps. 84:11; Ps. 101:6; Prov. 2:7; Prov. 19:1; Prov. 28:6; Prov. 28:18
Walk in the Light	Ps. 89:15; Isa. 2:5
Walk in Wisdom	Prov. 28:26

There are many, many more ways that the word "walk" is used in the Bible. If you have some that speak to you particularly or that you would simply like to share, please tell us about it in the comments section.

May you walk in Grace and Peace today.

Tangled Web of Emotions

I don't know about you, but for me today was one of those days when my emotions took me on a whirlwind ride. I was happy. I was sad. I cried and cried and cried some more. It started early in the morning and lasted all day. I was an emotional wreck and there seemed nothing that I could do about it.

I wanted to share with you this little clip of Patsy Clairmont. She is one of the funniest Christian speakers I know and I relate to her. She speaks in a way that I can understand and that touches my heart. In this clip she talks a little about emotions. I wanted to find the full clip but wasn't able to, but if you want to hear more you can always check out her book I Second that Emotion.

Anyway, the most important point she makes is that God created us to have all these different emotions and He accepts us no matter our emotional state. God wraps His arms around me on days like today when I can't stop crying because we had another unsuccessful month of trying to get pregnant and all hope seems lost. He rejoices with me when I am over joyed with a great personally victory and He is there with me at every emotional stop in between. Nothing I can do will surprise Him. There is no emotion I can have that His own Son did not experience (although I know Jesus handled all his without sinning!).

Prayer for today:
Thank you, God, for creating me with the full range of emotions. Thank you for being there with me as I go through these emotions. Please help me to share my joys with others and allow others to build me up when my emotions are not so good. Most of all, God, help me to cast all my cares and emotions on You.  Amen.

Birthdays

December is a month of birthdays in our circle of friends and acquaintances. My birthday was the 4th, my husband's the 5th, Dustin's the 1st, Rebeccah's the 13th, Shelby's the 19th, and most importantly Jesus' on the 25th! There are five or six others that I don't even have the time to mention, but you get the picture. It seems like everyday we have something or someone new to celebrate. For some of us, like Nicholas and Noriah, we celebrate new milestones as they turn 2. For others like Aunt Steiny we celebrate a full life as she turns 70 on the 29th. I was thinking about this today and one particular verse came to my mind...

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in Him.'" Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV

Especially in December I can find myself getting so caught up in what I am doing, what I want to do, what I still have to do, and the next thing to celebrate that I lose track of the things that really matter. I should be celebrating the Christ of Christmas everyday because His love and His mercies are new EVERY morning. They are perfect and without end. It's no wonder that we are commanded to, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thess. 5:16-18 ESV)

So admist this season of rejoicing and celebrating don't forget to enjoy the gifts of God's unfailing love which is new every morning and to rejoice always for this is the will of God.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

What If Your Best

This morning my husband shared this song with me. It's called "What If Your Best" and it's by a Christian group called FFH. It really spoke to me. I encourage you to watch the video and see what God says to you, and then take the time to read a little about what God said to me.

Chorus:
I want your best but what if your best is brokenness
Would I be broken?
I want your best but what if less than what I ask
And what I'm hoping?
What if your best is here in the waiting, here in the going thru the motions?
I'll still be trusting all I am, and all have, and nothing less to Potter's hands

I honestly can't tell you how many times I have asked these questions lately. It seems like things aren't going my way and maybe God isn't even listening. Who knows? Oh yeah, God does! Sometimes it's all we can do to believe that God is the Master and He doesn't need our help. Thankfully He chooses to use us and He does care about us and does want His best for us. A lot of times it can be confusing and we might find ourselves thinking, "Really, God, this is your best?" We forget that we are living in the midst of the storm. When the storm passes and we can finally see the rainbow maybe then we will have a better point of view.

I know it's hard! I'm there right now. There are things in my life that I would really like to see happen. It scares me that some of the things I dream may not be in God's best plan for me. Only time will tell. Until then I need to trust and to follow and to obey because God will give me His best.

He promises us that in Jeremiah 29:11-13, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'"

God wants us to have His best for us for two reasons:
1. When He gives us His best it brings Him glory
2. When He gives us His best it gives us a hope and a future

There are a lot of "what ifs" in life but if we dwell on them we miss the joy of "what is".

Thank God for what He has planned for you--even if you don't know what that is. Know that it IS His best.

Follow Christ

I was thinking about this song this morning. It talks about following Christ no matter what battles you face or where he leads you. Sometimes you don't know where you are going when you are following Christ.

That is the interesting thing about following someone, if you are focused on them then you can't see around them. You only see them in front of you. You are fully depending on them to lead you to the correct destination. That's why it's important that you are following the right person. I had a friend who punctured her car radiator because she was following someone blindly. When they swerved she was too close to swerve herself and drove over a piece of metal that was lying in the road. Thankfully, we never have to worry about Christ leading us into situations where we puncture our spiritual radiators -- that only happens when we leave Christ to follow someone else or we get distracted.

Are you following Christ today? Where is He leading you? Are you being a good follower or are you getting distracted by what's going on around you?

Focus on Christ and follow Him.

Wait for the Lord

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14


Wait. How many millions of times have we heard that?! Life is all about hurrying up and waiting or so it seems. We have to wait until we’re older. Wait until we have a job. Wait until we’re married.

Wait upon the Lord. This simple phrase gave me pause. Do I really wait upon the Lord or do I get impatient and jump in and do my own thing because God isn’t fast enough?

Jimmy likes to use this example when he talks about waiting on the Lord… If Jimmy really, really wanted a brand new flat screen TV and he went out and bargained shopped it (that’s what we do in our house). Then he finds an awesome deal where the TV will only cost $700 instead of $900 so he comes back to talk to me about it. Jimmy asks me if it’s okay to buy this $700 TV. I don’t say anything. Does that mean he has the “OK” to go and buy the TV? No way! Just because I don’t give an immediate answer doesn’t mean that I am giving approval. Jimmy needs to wait.

It’s the same with God. Just because He doesn’t say “Yes” right away or He isn’t granting our requests like an all-powerful genie doesn’t mean that we should take things into our own hands. Neither does it mean that He doesn’t hear us. He simply wants us to wait. In Psalm 27, God says we are to be strong and take heart and wait. Don’t give into the temptation to give up! Be strong! Be patient! God will send you His answer in His time and in His way.

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14

In Need of a Faith Booster

It's that time again! Summer has ended. School has started. Flu season is coming soon, and my faith has run dry.

I don't know about you, but things have been though for me lately. Life has run me through the ringer and sadly I have come out worse for the wear. During the summer things seemed to be going so great! We did vacation Bible school at our church and we had a great turnout. We then took our youth on their hardest mission trip yet and I was do proud to see how they served God in the inner city and how they let God speak to them. Then we started getting ready for school and everything went crazy! I hit a spiritual dry patch. Students stopped coming to church. People I thought were my friends turned around and betrayed me. Jimmy and I found out that even after another abnormally long cycle, we were STILL not pregnant! What else could go wrong?!

All this stuff left me more than a little wanting in my walk with God. Then as I was running around doing errands this week, I saw that Walgreens is already advertising their flu shots. It made me stop and think... "Boy, I wish I could just go in and get a spiritual and emotional booster shot!" Why isn't there a quick and easy fix for the way I am feeling?

The honest answer is...THERE IS! The problem is believing that it is the answer.

Rejoicing in the Lord and believing in His plan for my life are just the booster shots I need. However, rejoicing in the Lord when you don't feel like there is anything to rejoice about is a lot easier said than done. Also, it's easier to believe that God doesn't have a plan or doesn't care than to believe that He planned for me to go through these things and feel this way. But He does and He promises that He will work all these things for the good of those who glorify Him.

Well...I haven't been able to truly take these Spiritual and Emotional boosters yet, but I am working on it. I hope this will help you to take heart if you too are feeling more than a little spiritually dry and emotionally drained. There's hope! You're not dead yet!

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4

Big Picture People

Have you ever met that one person who cannot see past the next ten minutes of the day? Everything is dramatic and the world is always coming to an end. Oh wait! We all know teenagers! Sadly, many adults live this way too.


As Christians, God calls us to be big picture people. That doesn’t mean that we have everything planned out to the letter for the next twenty years of our lives (read the dangers of this in James 4), but it does mean thinking of more than the moment. I think you could make a valid case that all successful individuals practice big picture perspective.

When people with big picture perspective encounter choices, crisis, opportunities, and struggles they stop for a minute to think. Before making any decisions they think, “What consequences good or bad could come from how I handle this situation?” Teenagers are notorious for rushing headlong into situations without a moments thought.

For example, if Andrew wants to get a tattoo he should stop and ask himself a few questions. Will I still want this tattoo when I 30+? Is my chosen location for the tattoo appropriate for my future career choice? *Side Note: I know some churches and other ministry employers that will not hire if you have a tattoo at all let alone if you have one on your face!* But many people don’t stop to give these questions and others any consideration.

This lack of big picture perspective has corroded so many things in our lives. Our rash decisions from the past are haunting us now. We regret the people we’ve dated, the jobs we’ve taken, or the places we have lived. Yes, God uses these choices to help us to learn and to influence the person we have become, but just think of the pain and regret that could have been avoided with just a little bit of thought!

Take 5 minutes today and think about how the decisions you are making could be affecting your future. You might be surprised at what you discover!

Working with People

The hardest part of life, work, and ministry…hands down…is working with people. People are crabby, impatient, imperfect, cranky, hard to please, demanding, selfish…need I go on? I think you get the picture. Yeah, sometimes people are great. On those days everything is great. The question is,

“How do you work with people when things aren’t great?”

Christiana’s Keys for Working with People
1. Be Patient
2. Show them the Love of God
3. Treat them how you would want to be treated

Be Patient
“A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.” Proverbs 14:29
“A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” Proverbs 19:11

I know, this is easier said than done, but this doesn’t make it any less important. God shows us patience daily, hourly, and sometimes minute by minute. If God wasn’t patient, He would have wiped the earth clean of mankind a long, long time ago. He even thought about it a few times, but in the end He chose to show patience mixed with grace and mercy.

Show Them the Love of God
“You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?” Matthew 5:43-46

A couple of weeks ago, I had a run in with a man on a motorcycle. My husband and I were driving home and were preparing to exit the highway when a guy on a motorcycle must have thought that I cut him off on purpose. Needless to say, he did not re-act very well. He sped up to be equal with Jimmy’s window and began cursing and flipping us the bird. Not satisfied with the reaction he received, he proceeded to pull in front of us and slam on his brakes. This continued for about 5 minutes and I almost rear-ended him several times. All the while he was still cussing up a storm and giving us profane hand signals. Finally, satisfied that he had traumatized us enough he sped off into the distance and we were able to safely exit the highway and proceed home.

I was really shook up by this encounter. I was thankful that God allowed me the presence of mind to keep an even temper and to not give the man’s poor behavior back to him. By the time he left I was really ready to rear end him. If I had done that it wouldn’t have brought any glory to God and could have caused serious injury to the man on the bike as well as Jimmy and I. I did my best to show him the love of God by not getting upset or cursing or flipping him off or hitting him or calling the cops. Hopefully he will someday learn about the love of Christ and will begin showing others the grace of God.

Treat Them How You Want to Be Treated
“The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14

We have all heard the Golden Rule. Did you know that it comes from the Bible? I could go on and on and on about the way that Bible permeates pop culture without people even knowing it, but that’s a tangent and I will save it for another time. Anyway, this is a good rule of thumb on how to deal with other people. Seriously, why would you treat someone else in a way that you yourself would hate?! Yet, we do it ALL the time! I know that I really need to work on this principle. If we treated others with the same kindness, deference, esteem, and respect that we show ourselves then there wouldn’t be any wars or fighting or world hunger or people taking advantages of others. Wouldn’t that be great?

Christiana's Challenge to You
This week let’s start practicing patience, start showing others the love of God, and start treating others how we would want to be treated. It can only make the world better!