Do the letters SATC mean anything to you?

I know what you're thinking.  Why does she have a picture of Sex and the City on a blog that's all about living a sold-out life for Christ? 

Don't worry, I haven't "rebelled" or anything like that.  I have been thinking though (and yes, we all know that's dangerous in and of itself!)  I've been thinking about my wild days and how one of my absolute most favorite things to do was watch SATC.  At one point the opening song was my ringtone.  I guess you could say I was somewhat obsessed.  In fact, it wasn't enough for me to watch it, I wanted to go out and LIVE it.  And I don't just mean the s-e-x part.  I'm talking about the fashion, the parties, the trips...did I mention the fashion?!!!  I hate admitting this now, but the truth is I wanted to BE Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte.  Their lives were so glamorous and so much more exciting than my own. 

But here's the rub (as you knew there would be).  I was patterning my life after fictional characters that at the end of the day were lost, alone, hurt and confused.  Like those characters, I was distracted by all the "shiny" things this world has to offer.  Also like those characters, my purpose in life was extremely selfish.  What could I get for me?  How could I bring myself pleasure?  Looking back, I'm ashamed that I allowed something like a TV show to have such a huge impact on my life.  I know I'm not the only one who has ever done that, but I can't help but feel like I should've known better.  I'm smarter than that, right? 

I also can't help but wish there were some Christian alternative.  I know it's silly to even pose the question, but why can't someone air a show about four Christian women who, instead of hitting up the bars every night, spend their time furthering God's Kingdom?  Who, instead of pouring another martini when life gets rough, open up their Bible or hit their knees?  Instead of pursuing the latest tall, dark and handsome man to cross their path, why can't they pursue the lost and lonely and tell them about a Savior who died in their place?  Then I realize how stupid all this sounds.  Of course no one is going to air a show like that.  This is the WORLD we're talking about.  John 15:19 says, "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." 

The world hates me - or at least it should.  And most producers would definitely hate my idea about a Christian version of SATC. (Not to mention "Wait Until Marriage and the City" just doesn't roll off the tongue as easily.)  So where does that leave me?  Well for once in my life, I know the answer to that question.  It leaves me to lead the way.  It may not be a hit on HBO, but why can't my life be a role model for other young women?  Why can't I show this new generation (with worldly examples like Jersey Shore and Gossip Girl) what life is really all about and how to know true love and fulfillment?  Sure, it's a tall order, but God's grace is sufficient for me and it is in my weakness that His power is made perfect.  So even if it ends up being a cast of one, I vow to live in such a way that others will recognize and say, "She's different."  Maybe they'll laugh, maybe they'll pass on by and not give it another thought, but maybe - just maybe - they'll see in me something better to pattern their lives after.  Maybe they'll see Christ.

 

Running, Writing and Life

Remember those posters that used to be really popular? "Everything I Need To Know, I Learned in Kindergarten." I also saw one that said, "Everything I Need To Know, I Learned From Drinking Coffee". That one seems right up my alley:
    

We all have to do the daily grind.

Espresso yourself.

Stand your grounds.

As silly as that might seem, I've long believed that even the most mundane or routine aspects of life can house profound truths if you just have the right perspective.  Clearly, I am not the only one who has ever felt this way.  Paul makes quite a few comparisons in the New Testament to life being like a race and we are the runners.  This is an analogy that I am coming to understand much better since I've started running.  I understand what it means to keep your eyes on the prize and to run in such a way as to win the race.  I also have a very deep understanding of fatigue and needing a second wind.

Life lessons can also be found in the task of writing.  Since I've started this blog, I've run the gammut of emotions from uber motivated and words flowing faster than I can type, to staring at a blank blog and typing, erasing, typing, erasing, typing, erasing...only to end up with the same blank screen I started with.  In fact, I'm sure it has a different name, but writers often need a second wind to overcome writer's block.  (As a side note, I have two unfinished drafts sitting on my blogger's dashboard waiting for that second wind!)

But running and writing fatigue is nothing compared to the fatigue we sometimes feel as Christians.  In my experience, spiritual fatigue can be very dangerous and yet, it is often necessary.  It's danger lies in the fact that when fatigue sets in, we are tempted to throw in the towel.  Sometimes that "second wind" doesn't come as quickly as we want it to and our perseverance and stamina begins to wane.  However, spiritual fatigue is necessary in the sense that it is used to build those exact qualities - perseverance and stamina.  As I'm sure you know, life is not a sprint, it's a marathon, and we are called to go the distance.  James 1:2-4 says, "² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

My prayer is that I will continue to build endurance in all aspects of my life, but especially as far as my faith is concerned and when I see a brother or sister in need of a second wind, I will be there to encourage them to finish strong.  Together, we can do it!

Spring Cleaning, Holy Spirit Style

Sitting in church this Sunday, the pastor referenced the verse in James that tells us the kind of religion the Father considers pure and faultless.  I quickly turned to the passage which concludes as follows:

 "...to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Thanks to my years in Christian School and Awanas, I actually remembered the first part about orphans and widows but it was that second part that grabbed my attention as I sat in the pew.  As a self-proclaimed rebel, I am here to tell you that I have been all sorts of polluted over the years.  I spent the better part of my twenties rebelling from the ultimate authority, God, and running into the arms of the world instead.  As His Word says, to be friends with the world is to be enemies of God.  Needless to say, I have a LOT of work to do if I plan on exhibiting the type of religion that James talks about in the above passage.

At that very moment I began praying that God would reveal to me the areas of my life in which I need to do a little "spiritual spring cleaning" to rid myself of the world's pollution.  He was quick to reply and I can't say that I was overjoyed at the answer. 

The Holy Spirit was whispering in my ear, "Amy, consider your wardrobe.  Does it proclaim that you follow Christ or the world?"  Even though it's been a while since I was in the bars every night, a few of my "party clothes" have hung around in my closet.  If you're not familiar with "party clothes" I'll give you some examples:

• one-shoulder tops
• halter tops
• low-cut (cleavage-revealing) tops
• short skirts & dresses

If you know me at all, you know my closet is a sacred place in my life.  I love fashion and have spent many a paycheck on jewelry, shoes, purses, and cute outfits to match! (That's right, I match my clothes to my accessories instead of the other way around.  I told you I'm a rebel!)  But the prompting of the Holy Spirit was undeniable.  Some of my fashions were entirely too worldly for a believer.  So, with a tear in my eye, I went home and began the purging process. Don't think for a second it was easy.  I went back and forth with one black top numerous times, taking it out, then hanging it back up, but it finally found a resting spot in the donation pile.  Speaking of which, here's a picture as proof of my purge:

So what's the point of all this?  Seeing as how I'm NOT the Holy Spirit, I'm not here to tell you that you too need to rid your drawers of their scandalous contents.  I am here to tell you that if you're a rebel like me, there are probably some areas in your life that are a little too "world-friendly", so to speak.  Because I sense that I'm not alone in this quest for a pure and faultless religion, I am going to make this blog part of a series called, "Rebelling Against Worldliness."  Together, let's show the world what true Godliness looks like by ridding our lives of the pollution.  Let's do some spring cleaning, Holy Spirit style!

(And for anyone who thinks they might need to start in their closet as well, read the Modesty Heart Check guide found here: http://www.trinitychurchminot.org/blog/modestyheartcheck.pdf )

G.I.N.Y.

I will be mentally unpacking revival teachings for quite some time so this is one of many blogs to come featuring the incredible truths taught during the last week.

     The theme for the last evening of the conference was God's Sustaining Grace.  This is a topic that has long been a favorite of mine. I love that God uses our weaknesses to reveal His power and that He is waiting for us to cry out to Him.  Given the sheer volume of my weaknesses, you can see why I like to dwell on this particular attribute of our Heavenly Father.

     One story the conference pastor told was about GINY.  GINY is not a person but rather an attitude and an acrostic. GINY = God I Need You.  The pastor went on to tell a story of a lady at one of the conferences who returned after this message and gave an account of how she had cried out "GINY!" to God continually that day until finally, much to her surprise, God answered her.  He said, "GINY back at ya!" The pastor gave an inquisitive look to which the lady replied, "He said, 'Grace Is Now Yours.'"

     I love that story and was immediately enthralled with this clever reminder of the kind of believers we are called to be.  After the service, I purchased a red, GINY bracelet to serve as a constant reminder that I need my Savior and when I call on Him, He is faithful to answer.  In fact, I have been doing that very thing ever since that night and much like the lady from the story, I believe God has answered me.  Often in my life I think the Lord talks to me through what others would consider coincidences but as one writer put it, I know them to be GODincidences!  I don't think it's just coincidence that the next morning as I was jogging and crying out to God, "GINY" that I had the best run I've had in a long time.  I also don't believe it was coincidence that as I sat through my weekly teacher devotional, the topic was God's Grace.  In fact, let me close with the devotional piece that our superintendent read that morning and you be the judge.  Read the verse and thought below and then tell me that wasn't God answering me with "Grace Is Now Yours"!

• 2 Corinthians 12:9 - "And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly therefore, I will rather boast about my weakesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me."
• We will never cease to need our Father - His wisdom, direction, help and support. We will never outgrow Him. We will always need His grace. And His grace will never fail. It is not a well that will run dry, but it is an ocean whose depths you can never plumb.

Defying the Laws of Economics

As I was thinking about the conference this morning, I was pondering what it means to be truly thirsty.  I can recall times in my life when I was so parched I thought I would die if I didn't get something to drink.  And then another thought hit me.  God's Word defies the laws of economics!

I'm guessing you probably don't see the connection there, so allow me to explain. (You knew I was going to anyway.) I teach high school Economics and there is an economic law called THE LAW OF DIMINISHING MARGINAL UTILITY.  To illustrate this example, I often tell the story of "The Best Orange Soda Ever!"  See, when I was younger, my parents signed me up for tennis lessons at Midland College. Little did they know what a waste of money that was going to be.  Tennis was clearly NOT my forte but that's not the point here. So one particularly hot day after my lesson, I decided to go into the gift shop and buy a drink.  I ordered an orange soda (I was in that "water is so boring" stage of life).  To this day I can remember how absolutely delicious that bubbly, orange drink was and how quickly it went down.  I immediately ordered another and then...you guessed it, another.  Three Sunkists later, my mom was there to pick me up and I was ready to vomit.  What had tasted so good and quenched my thirst in the beginning, was now of little use to me.

That seemingly pointless story actually sums up the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility pretty well.  The law states that as consumers purchase more of an economic product within a given time period, each additional unit becomes less and less useful to them. As I tell my kiddos, that's why no matter how great the sale, consumers will only buy so much of a certain product. 

Now, back to the connection to God's Word.  As I said, I was contemplating the concept of thirsting for God and thinking about how the Bible and time spent with Him can quench that longing. However, unlike orange soda, the usefulness of God's word never diminishes in my life. Amazing! 

Oddly enough, I just happened to be reading from Hebrews 4 this morning and I found a verse that I think explains why this is the case. Unlike material possessions, "...the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart."  Well, given that my ideas and thoughts are numerous and ever-changing, I can see how God's word is constantly useful to me.

I recognize that there will be seasons when I struggle to stay committed to reading my Bible but my prayer for myself and my other rebels is that we will never fail to recognize it's vital importance in our lives and that God will make us continually thirsty for only Him.

Thirsty?

Ladies, I've discovered another item for our spiritual bucket lists. Once in your life you should attend a revival. It doesn't have to include big tents and dinner on the grounds, but seriously, we are having one at our church this week and it is incredible. Life Action is the ministry putting it on and even though we are only 2 sessions in I can tell you God is using them in a mighty way. I just wanted to post this brief blog to let you know that you will definitely be hearing more from me on the Thirst Conference at Kelview. Also, for any Midlanders available, we are meeting Monday through Wednesday at 6:30 and Tuesday lunch from 11:30 to 1. Do yourself a favor and come have your thirst quenched!

A Spiritual Bucket List

Something you should know about me is that I'm a list-maker.  Not only do I make them, I find extreme satisfaction in crossing things off of them. That being said, it should come as no surprise to anyone that I have a bucket list.  It's where my melancholic and sanguine sides meet.  The sanguine in me loves adventure and wants to cram as many into this lifetime as she possibly can.  To date, some of the items I have crossed off my bucket list are as follows:

• I tried surfing once (thankfully, success was not a requirement)
• I auditioned for American Idol, Season 3
• I got a tattoo (or four)
• I saw a Broadway Show...on Broadway (and on someone else's dime, even!)
• I lived in a foreign country for 8 months

Items that I have yet to accomplish include:

• parasailing
• taking part in a flash mob
• visiting Greece, Italy and Ireland

As you can imagine, I'm a big proponent of everyone having a bucket list...and not just having one, but making it a priority to cross items off of it on a regular basis.  I think it's very healthy and I think it goes a long way in staving off regret at the end of one's life.  However, I have recently noticed a problem with my bucket list.  Although I don't think there is anything overtly wrong with its contents, I have noticed that in general my goals, although adventurous, are also very selfish and temporal. 

In light of this discovery (or God-given revelation), I've decided that what I need is a Spiritual Bucket List.  In fact, I think every believer needs one. (You'll notice my sanguine side also likes to have company on life's little journeys.)  I think together we should compile a list of things to do FOR the Kingdom before we get TO the Kingdom.  We can name it, appropriately, our Kingdom List!  Here's what I have so far and I look forward to hearing from my readers in regards to what else we can add.

• Lead someone to the Lord (hopefully you've already done this and then some, but it's definitely a great place to start if you haven't!)
• Disciple someone
• Read the Bible through in one year
• Visit the Holy Land
• Share your testimony to a room full of people (I can cross this one off thanks to Celebrate Recovery!)
• Take an apologetics course (learn how to defend your faith)
• Give a Bible away (or several)
• Take a mission trip...the kind that makes you tired and dirty and opens your eyes to the lost and hurting around our globe
• Give sacrificially...I mean REALLY sacrificially (the scary kind)
• Fast for more than one day

Ladies, let's keep this list going.  Together we can do it!