Women Speaking in the Church

College is a time where you are surrounded by various strong opinions, and because I am such an un-opinionated person (and when I do have opinions, I don't have much grounds as to why I have them), I've been forced to confront some issues and learn how to defend the things I believe.

The most recent issue has been women's rights in the church. I never thought much on women speaking in the church. I knew I wasn't very comfortable with the idea of a female pastor, or even sometimes a female worship leader. Maybe it was the way I was raised, or the church environment I grew up in, but something in me feels more led, protected and comforted when a man has those positions. But for women to not be allowed to teach in a college ministry -- that is something I have begun to challenge.

Having a Jesus-loving feminist for a roommate -- who also loves the occasional rant about this very topic from time to time -- has made me think more about why women should or should not speak in the church.

"When I came to college, I started getting involved in ministries where I realized it wasn't assumed that women could and would speak and teach," said my roommate Rachel Hemperly, a junior at CSU. "I grew up with a very strong mother who isn't necessarily gifted in speaking and teaching; but my parents always told me that God can use me, and if there's something I can do through Him, I should do it. So it made me sad when I realized not everyone thought the same thing."

Before we go any further, I want to look at the specific passages in Scripture that are controversial to this topic:

"A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve."

(1 Timothy 2:11-13)

"As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church."

(1 Corinthians 14:33b-35)

These verses used to always throw me off when it came to this issue; some people would say that women should indeed be able to speak in church, but I didn't understand how if these verses were in the Bible. Some would simply say those verses are outdated and don't apply to our modern society; but then, couldn't you say that about any verse in the Bible you didn't want to abide by?

I visited Intervarsity, another campus Christian ministry, about a month ago because my friend, Taylor Webster, a senior at CSU, was playing the banjo in worship (so awesome) and speaking that night. It was so refreshing to hear a woman teach, because you never hear a woman teach both genders in the college ministry I'm involved in -- unless she is accompanied by her husband.

But Taylor spoke with diligence, she was funny, she was relatable and relevant, and she spoke with the Holy Spirit. Both men and women enjoyed her speaking that night, and both men and women learned from her.

Afterward, as they were cleaning up, one of my friends I went with asked Julie Butler, one of the Intervarsity staff, what the biblical basis was for women speaking/teaching. Her response was the most sensible and grounded explanation I've heard on this topic.

Julie referred to one of the previously quoted Scripture, 1 Timothy 2:11-13. This verse is often taken out of context, she said. If we look back to what Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:3-7, we see that he urges Timothy to "command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies... They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm" (vs. 3b-4, 7).

Julie went on to explain that Paul is reprimanding everyone who tries to teach the law but doesn't speak truth because they haven't studied the Word diligently. As James 3:1 says, those who teach will be judged more strictly, their words tested against the Bible.

"As a woman who has had the privilege of preaching to my entire campus ministry, I can say that it is no easier for a woman to speak than it is for a man," Taylor said. "Preaching requires careful study, diligent preparation, and a constant listening ear to the heart of God for his people. Teachers are held to a higher standard, and the responsibility of teaching should not be accepted lightly."

Therefore, Paul is referring to both men and women in 1 Timothy 1:3-7. Because if we think about the culture of that time, women did not have access to the Scriptures. As Taylor said, "They were illiterate, uneducated and incapable of studying and teaching."

So in 1 Timothy 2:11-13 when Paul says that he forbids women from teaching or having authority over men, Julie said he is referring to the women of that time who would stand up in church and talk back to the men in authority, using unfounded arguments that didn't hold truth because, the fact of the matter was, they didn't know truth -- they couldn't unless the men taught them.

Makes sense to me. To conclude, I can't put it any better than Taylor did when I asked her about this topic. I know the proper thing to do is shorter her quote to a couple sentences, but everything she said has such value that I can't bear to leave so much of it out! Please read, and spend some time doing your own research so you can have a better-rounded opinion on this issue:

"The principle that closes our hearts to woman ministers is the same logic that closes our ears to ministers of different races, denominations, cultural and economic backgrounds, ages, and political affiliations. We fear that because the other is not exactly like us, we will not connect with their message. Their message may challenge our assumptions, make us uncomfortable, give voice to a population we have marginalized or ignored, or speak a truth we have not yet accepted into our own paradigm. 

"And to those fears, I say yes, encounters with those who are different are scary and difficult. But isn’t that exactly what our relationship with God is? An encounter with a being who is so different from ourselves that we have to intentionally seek his voice in order to understand Him? So, shouldn’t we be seeking to hear His voice, the messages and blessings he has given us through His people, from as many different and diverse sources as possible? 

"For God does not only speak through man. He does not only speak through clean-cut white American men. He speaks through all of His children. And all of His children are called to listen. Who are we to say that the revelations He has given are not worth hearing? What we must remember is that preaching is not about hearing the voice of man or woman, black or white or Latino, poor or rich, obscure or famous. It is about hearing the voice of God for his people... It takes both [men and women] to give a complete picture of God’s kingdom."

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We Are The Clay, You Are The Potter

"Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. 

We are the clay, you are the potter, 

we are all the work of your hand."

(Isaiah 64:8)

This concept of the potter and the clay being a picture of our relationship to God has been on my mind the past couple weeks. I grew up knowing this illustration -- singing about it in church, learning about it in Sunday School, and seeing stacks of artwork of it. Honestly, I heard about it so much that I grew annoyed with it. I always heard it in relation to the main message of Psalm 139, about being beautifully and wonderfully made in God's image. But I'm starting to see that being the clay in the potter's hand is not all about beauty being formed -- it's pain, too.

I've been doing a Bible study with a group of girls this semester called "Identity: Becoming Who God Says I Am." Yes, it has a cliche title. Yes, it has extremely cheesy pictures inside that make me feel like a high schooler again. But there is depth in this study where you want it to be, and it gives you elbow room to meet God where you need to meet Him at the time. 

Chapter one focused on God's essence and what's good about Him. Chapter two focused on what's positive about us. Amidst the lists of what's wrong about us -- our weaknesses, insecurities, struggles -- and what's good about us -- our strengths, abilities, roles -- we explored what it means to be defined by God and nothing else, what it means to be on the potter's wheel in the hands of our Maker.


It's Pain

My dear friend, Hannah Meier, a sophomore at CSU, took a pottery class once. With that experience, she described the relationship of the potter and the clay in this way:

"You have to stick your thumb down in the middle of the clay to make a hole, but the clay doesn't know that -- it just knows that it's wet, and it hurts. But the hole becomes the essence... a pot without a hole is just a lump of clay."

There are tough situations in our lives where we don't understand what's going on, why God allows us to experience such pain. But those are the times where God is growing us, forming us from this lump of clay into the man or woman He desires us to be.


It's Humility

Acknowledging that we are mere clay in His hands is not just pain; it's also humbling.

“Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, 

to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. 

Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ 

Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?  

Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What have you begotten?’ 

or to his mother, ‘What have you brought to birth?’ 

--Isaiah 45:9-10

"There's definitely a sense of humility knowing that the control is in someone else's hands," said Jenny Jessup, a junior at CSU. "And yet, the control is trustworthy. It's solid. He knows the final product, and it's good. There's humility because you can't control your life that way, you can't control how you look or how you're seen by people. You were made perfect in the way He made you.

"I think that sense of control gives you a sense of peace just knowing that you don't have to be in control of your life and you don't have to fear as well 'cause the potter has everything under control."

It's Beauty

This concept of the potter and the clay was revisited this past week as chapter six talked about our new identity in Christ, who God says we are, and how the different relationships we have with Him define us, such as shepherd and sheep, father and child, potter and clay.

Pots can have a variety of purposes -- they can hold plants, carry water, store things, decorate a house, be put on display, serve as a canvas for further artistic expression... These uses can be summarized into two purposes: use and beauty.

As God forms us into the man or woman He imagined us to be, He gives us purpose -- He makes us useful to Him, and He makes us oh-so-beautiful.


Our Role as the Clay, and the Potter's Sovereignty

A lot of people miss the point of this relationship. As my friend Shannon Ludington, a senior at CSU, said, "It's one of those metaphors where people say, 'Oh, God is molding you, so you don't have to do anything about it; you can just sit there and let God shape you.'"

I agree. It has become an overused metaphor that has seemingly lost its depth and application in our lives. But putting together these aspects of pain, humility and beauty, I'm beginning to see that being the clay in the potter's hands involves a two-way relationship.

"[The potter's] hands have to be firm," Hannah explained during Bible study at the beginning of this semester. "At first [he has] to be kind of violent with the clay, making it do whatever [he wants] it to do. And then, sometimes [he's] more gentle and let[s] the clay come to [his] hands, and [he works] with that."

There's a response involved when we as the clay choose to come to His hands. We are not without choice; we can be stubborn and choose to refuse His artful hands. But as Isaiah 45:9 says, who are we to say to Him he does not know what He is doing?

As the clay in the hands of the Potter, we have the responsibility to move toward His hands, embrace the pain, take on humility, and watch as beauty is formed in us.

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The Reality of Discipleship

Friday was the last Nav Night of the semester, and that means it was also the last Nav Night, period, for some of our graduating class as we celebrated Senior Night. After some worship, Jim Rinella asked the graduating seniors to come down to the front of the room and tell the rest of the students what's next for them. He said this was probably the largest senior class they have had in years as 24 seniors shared their post-graduate plans. Some students had plans set in stone (well, as set in stone as you can make them when God is sovereign over man's plans), and some had several ideas of what they could be doing next, ranging from short-term to long-term, this upcoming summer to a few years down the road.

When the last senior in line shared, the junior class was called down to pray over the seniors and send them off. As one of those seniors this semester, I can tell you it's a clash of emotions -- of deep heartbreak and incredible encouragement all at once -- as you stand embraced by the people you have poured your life into, the people you have walked so closely beside, and developed such strong bonds with.

When I was a freshman, I felt strange, thinking I should feel sad, and trying to force tears in some capacity, but not being able to because I simply had no attachment to these people leaving. As a sophomore, I remember not understanding these bonds but feeling something stir inside me, knowing I would be up there praying over the seniors the following year.

Once you're called down to the front of the room as a junior or senior, you understand. I knew what discipleship was, and I had been both the discipler and disciple over the years, but it wasn't until I prayed over the people who so impacted me and had the people I had impacted pray over me that my heart knew and understood discipleship was real. It wasn't until I was standing at the front, as we were sharing what we thought the future might hold, that I looked into the faces of the people I had invested my life into, who meant so much to me, and whom I knew I had encouraged to some extent that I honestly believed this discipleship thing works. It's real. It's powerful. It's God-honoring. And it is oh-so-fulfilling.

Congrats to all the graduating seniors as you move on to new pastures as the Good Shepherd leads! Here's some good soul food for the road. And to those who have the privilege of remaining in this pasture of college life a little while longer -- chase the opportunities God gives you, embrace the people around you, and abide in His love always.

Photo Courtesy of Jeanne Miller

Lessons on Compliments and Insults

"I don't know how to relate to guys. For some reason, I always tend to insult them."
"But you talked to guys tonight! You can talk to them."
"Didn't you hear everything I said to them tonight? [Example] and [example.] When I talk to boys, I only insult them!"
"Ohh."

That was the beginning of a conversation I had with my roommate Jenny the other night, and while we laughed at first, this has been a topic on my mind for, well, a lot of my life, but it has been on the forefront of my mind most recently this past week. It's difficult for me to talk to guys, so when I do, I tend to joke and insult them. And I probably feel at my lowest afterward when I am by myself, and I realize what a rampant, obnoxious monster my mouth is.

I can't say I know why I do this. I've had a few ideas, such as my lack of common interests with the opposite sex. Like many girls, I've grown up around boys who constantly joke and insult one another, so I figured that was the only way I could carry conversation with them -- if I also joked and insulted them.

Another idea is that they typically laugh when I insult them, and it's one of the few times I feel like I might be a little entertaining, a little funny. So I continue to do it, because I want attention, as much as I hate admitting that.

Now, let's venture to the other side: compliments. If a guy gives me a compliment, I don't trust it. I automatically assume he is forcing himself to give me one, that he doesn't mean it because I don't think I'm good enough to be complimented, or that he is belittling me in some way...

Man musters words/courage/time/whatever to compliment woman; woman questions man; man feels disrespected and unappreciated; woman feels toyed with and insecure; man stops complimenting...

...And we as women ask why men don't compliment us more?

I'm really bad at complimenting people. I feel cheesy when I do it. I feel as if my compliment has no impact on them because it's something they hear all the time. And I don't know what it is, but the biggest thing that keeps me from complimenting people is my fear that if I do, they're going to think, "Who are you to compliment me? Of course I'm good! I'm better than you. Who are you to speak?"

Let's take a moment to process how extremely ridiculous that thinking is.

But seriously. This clicked in my mind when I was in worship band practice yesterday. I don't know if other vocalists have ever felt this way, but I have an extreme inferiority complex when it comes to singing in bands. I've sung in worship bands since I was 10, but I've never understood music theory, how to set up the equipment, the technical musical lingo, etc. Everyone else uses an instrument, and I just have my voice. I've always felt like I have nothing to contribute, that my input doesn't matter, and that everyone else is basically so much better than I am. Not to mention that I'm normally the only girl on the band, and as you read above, I'm terrible at talking to guys -- so really, you know this is going to be a disaster.

So after a practice or performance, I always debate whether I should compliment the other band members (the guys) or not. Sometimes I do, but I feel awkward doing so. Why? Because I truly believe that when I compliment them, they're thinking, "Duh, I know I'm good. I've been playing this instrument all my life. I could do this in my sleep. This is nothing new to me." And I never think they're thinking this in an egotistical way; I'm just having this whole thought process because I feel inferior. And because I feel inferior and I care too much what people are going to think about me, I hold my tongue and I miss opportunity upon opportunity to encourage someone else.

My own insecurities and low self-esteem are in fact the cause and effect of my own pride and self-centeredness.

I know this post was a bit scattered, but those are personal observations I have made over the past week, and I know (well, I hope) I'm not the only who can see this in her or himself. So, lesson? These are all lies Satan feeds us, to keep us from relating to people, from encouraging each other, from trusting each other. Don't believe a word he says. Instead, if someone insults you, don't respond with an insult. If someone compliments you, believe them and simply say, "Thank you!" When you see someone, note the positive things and compliment them. This is an area in our relationships that a lot of us need to work on!

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What is Beauty?

"Sexuality and spirituality are the bookends of a woman's soul."

Those were the words of Paula Rinehart, author of several books including Sex and the Soul of a Woman, as she spoke at the first-ever Navigators Rocky Mountain Region Women's Conference. So much wisdom was squeezed into this 24-hour retreat, titled "Beauty, the Body, and Belonging to Christ." But the "Beauty" session is what stood out to me the most.

Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. --Psalm 96:6

God is strength, and He is beauty. As mankind was made in His image, He has created two separate sexes -- men to embody His strength, and women to embody His beauty.

But what does the beauty of women look like in tangible terms? Surely it doesn't mean physical beauty alone, because we come in some many different forms and shapes, in the same way men do. What makes women so different, so beautiful?

I don't know the answer to this. But I knew women possessed something special when I heard our voices alone, lifted in praise to God as we worshipped this past weekend -- something about female voices, loud, clear and in harmony. It's not nearly as beautiful as when men sing along.

Maybe he was just doing what is expected of him, but when a man held the door open for me this morning, warm smile in place, he made me feel like I possessed something special. I believe there is something about a woman that causes the average man to wait a few more seconds to hold the door open for her.

As I was biking on campus today, I started on the sidewalk in order to get to the road. A girl was walking the opposite direction, making slight eye contact with me, so timid, faint smile, stepping left and right, trying to figure out which side I was going to take and doing her best to accommodate me. She wasn't too pretty, at least not by "the world's" eyes. But something in my heart stirred toward her, and I knew she too possessed this something special. I knew there was something beautiful about her.

beauty noun -- The quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.

Beauty makes us feel something, stirs our hearts in deeper ways, fills us with longing to somehow connect with this object of beauty.

Our beauty isn't just physical. Our beauty isn't just spiritual. Our beauty is essential -- it is the essence of who we are. We can't explain it, this concept of female beauty, in the same way we can't explain God's beauty. How is God beautiful? I can't describe. But He just is. And somehow, I am learning to see that God has invested a measure of His beauty in women as well.

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Everyone is Not Out to Get You: Victim Mentalities & Pride

As it turns out, not everyone is out to get me! Or you.

I met with a friend at Wild Boar (I go here often) almost two weeks ago, and I admitted something to her that I had never told anyone else, something God had recently brought to my attention. I told her that I try to make myself the victim as soon as any conflict in a friendship arises -- if there's any chance that the person didn't mean to hurt me and I just misinterpreted it, I would rather my hurt feelings be justified than to admit that I might have been wrong. As a result, I call it quits and push the person away. And I have lost a lot of friendships because of this selfishness of mine. Am I the only one this sick and twisted?

She told me she has thought and acted similarily, that I am definitely not the only one. I was relieved. Doesn't make it any less wrong, just easier to swallow.

It's called the "victim mentality," according to this blog on How to Break Out of a Victim Mentality: 7 Powerful Tips. It's something a lot of us do. Maybe not to the extreme that I've taken it, but to some extent we want to be the victim. We want the hurt that we feel to be justified, and we would rather just be hurt than admit we were wrong, than to try to confront the problem. And we love wallowing in our hurt, seeking attention, throwing pity parties, constanty revisting the past and how people have wronged us and made us who we are today... these are all symptoms of a victim mentality.

Read the blog I mentioned, and for more depth, read this article too, called Breaking Free From a Victim Mentality. It's a tough process to break out of (I have only just begun, and I can tell you it's a hard harbit to break), but recognizing it is the first step, and letting go of your pride and humbling yourself before God and before the people involved is the hardest part. Once you can do those two things, you're just training your mind and your heart to think and feel differently -- and it's a good thing we've got a God bigger than our minds and hearts helping us!

[Love] does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes al things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

--1 Corinthians 13:5-7

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Blue Like Jazz and the Christian Genre.

I read Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz a little more than a year ago, and it has been on my list of Top 5 Favorite Books since then (among Phillip Keller's A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 and C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity).

Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
 
Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way. 

More than my questions about the efficacy of social action were my questions about my own motives. Do I want social justice for the oppressed, or do I just want to be known as a socially active person? I spend 95 percent of my time thinking about myself anyway. I don't have to watch the evening news to see that the world is bad, I only have to look at myself.... I was the very problem that I had been protesting. I wanted to make a sign that read "I AM THE PROBLEM!" 

I can no more understand the totality of God than the pancake I made for breakfast understands the complexity of me. 

There is something beautiful about a billion stars held steady by a God who knows what He is doing. (They hang there, the stars, like notes on a page of music, free-form verse, silent mysteries swirling in the blue like jazz.) And as I lay there, it occurred to me that God is up there somewhere. Of course, I had always known He was, but this time I felt it, I realized it, the way a person realizes they are hungry or thirsty. 

After a whirlwind of a process to find financial support, Blue Like Jazz has been adapted to film and will be released in theaters this Friday. I've been following the movie blog off and on, and I look forward to seeing how they adapt the semi-autobiographical book.

As the release date nears, I stumbled upon this article about the movie. "Blue Like Jazz" won't fit into your typical "Christian" movie genre -- and I am glad. Often times I am embarrassed of such movies as "Fireproof" and "Facing Giants." Don't get me wrong; they are alright movies. The message was delivered. Intentions were good. But they were cheesy, and there was no room for subtlety. As the film director, Steve Taylor, said in his blog, "good intentions trump artistry."

This has been the case for a lot of "Christian" art -- music, movies, novels. I will even admit to this in my own songwriting; sometimes it doesn't matter if the music isn't that good, as long as it preaches the Gospel. A lot of us have fallen prey to this thinking, watering down our art and, as a result, losing respect among artists, minimizing our effectiveness among both the believing and non-believing population -- and, I think, causing us to not reach the full potential of the talents God has given us. I believe God is a lover of art. Art that glorifies Him. And this kind of art doesn't have to literally scream His name or clearly lay out the Gospel for it to bring Him honor. God cannot be contained in our conservative, traditional mindsets of what Christianity looks like -- and I don't think art should be either.

As I've read reviews, I've only had a glimpse of how "Blue Like Jazz" will be portrayed as a film, and it appears to be sparking some controversy. I don't have an established opinion yet, but I wanted to bring it to attention so you could form your own (if you desire).

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Lessons from Swing Dancing: Relying on God's Strength

Last week some friends and I went to Sundance Steakhouse and Saloon (we just call it Sundance) to do some country swing and line dancing. It was the first time I had gone since my freshman year. I'm a big fan of the line dancing, but not so much of the swing. Why? Because I stink at it. Why? Well, given that I am not very coordinated to begin with, I also lack the ability to trust the man I'm with. There are two reasons to this, and as I was walking to campus this morning, I connected these two reasons with two difficulties in the Christian life.

Reason #1: His Strength, My Weight

Swing Dancing 
I am insecure about my weight and as a result, I hesitate when a man tries to dip me. He will tell me to trust him, and I always tell him that I do -- I know he is strong enough to hold me, to dip me, and to lift me back up. I am not doubting his strength. I am self-conscious of my weight. Therefore, I am really only doubting his estimation of my weight and his ability to handle it once he realizes how heavy I am to dip... As I say those words, I am dismayed to realize that I, in fact, do not trust him.

The Christian Life
I am plagued by my sin daily and as a result, I have a hard time accepting God's grace. He will tell me to trust Him, and I often tell Him that I do -- I know He is strong enough to hold me, to catch me and to lift me back up. I don't doubt God's strength; I don't doubt the reach of His hand to save me. But I am so very aware of the weight of my sin, the extremity and frequency of it. Therefore, I am really only doubting His estimation of my sin, His ability to see the depth and width of it, and His willingness to extend grace to me when He realizes how much I sin... Can you see how my insecurities and doubts are really my inability to trust God?

Reason #2: Loose Arms, Firm Hands

Swing Dancing
I don't know how to let a man lead me when we are dancing. He will tell me that my arms are too tense -- I need to "loosen up." So I hold out my arms like they are rubber. He does one spin, and my hands slip out of his. He will tell me, "Grasp my hands firmly." So I do. But then my arms become stiff again. "Loosen up!" How does one do both? For some reason, my body can't comprehend loose arms but firm hands.

The Christian Life
I don't know how to let God lead me out of addiction. He will tell me to rely on His strength -- I need to surrender to Him. So I stop trying to figure things out, I stop focusing so hard on not sinning, I stop worrying about it so much, and I start praying more. Temptation rears its ugly head again and again, and I sin over and over again. But it's okay, I reason -- I'm living by His grace and I'm praying. People will tell me, "Well, you can't just do nothing. Take steps to overcome your addiction." So I make plans, I make promises to not sin (which I break), I keep track of the last time I sinned, and I punish myself when I do sin. Temptation shows up again and again, and I sin over and over again. My hands have slipped out of His, and I've lost sight of His grace. How does one surrender to God without doing nothing but wait around for Him to change him or her?

Conclusion

So where's the balance in all of this? What does it look like to rely on God's strength -- to trust in His strength without letting my insecurity get in the way, and to utilize His strength without expecting Him to do everything for me? Edwin Crozier wrote two blogs that, in my opinion, really answer this question. Take the time to read them -- and don't roll your eyes and say that you already do everything he's saying and it isn't working for you. Ask God to open your heart and show you how to rely on His strength, even if it's just one small step you could take right now.

5 Ways to Rely on God's Strength to Beat Your Giants

5 More Ways to Rely on God's Strength to Beat Your Giants

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Yellow Cars and Golden Opportunities.

If you were at Rolland Moore park yesterday, you might have heard several shouts of "Yellow car!" and multiple slaps. That's because my friend Nicole and I spent two and a half hours lying out on the grass, catching up and working on Bible study. We could see the road from where we were lying, so we played the Yellow Car game -- everytime a yellow car passes by, the first person to see it and shout, "Yellow car!" gets to slap the other person.

Now before you tell us how childish this game is, you have to at least try it. You will see how addicting it can be. As a result, while Nicole focused on her Bible study (satisfied with how many times she had slapped me, because she's better than me at this game), I stared at the road for about 20 minutes, ocassionally looking at my Bible study but being way too distracted because I just had to see a yellow car. I even prayed for this yellow car.

After cheating a couple times (slapping Nicole when I saw a yellow bus or a yellow motorcycle), I finally gave up and said aloud, "Fine, God - I give up! I'll focus on Bible study now!" I kid you not, just a second later, as Nicole was laughing at my exclamation, a yellow car pulled around the corner. I quickly yelled, "Yellow car!" and slapped Nicole, causing us both to double over laughing about how God has such a sense of humor. As soon as I had surrendered the game and decided to focus on God, He gave me the yellow car I had been asking for.

Now, I could turn this into a lesson about how God gives us the desires of our hearts if we delight in Him (Psalm 37:4), but using this yellow car game analogy would be a little ridiculous. But one thing I told Nicole after our laughter subsided was this:

I was so intent on seeing a yellow car that I literally stared at the road for 20 minutes, eyes darting back and forth at each passing car, jumping at every hint of yellow I saw. I was so attentive, so determined, and so excited...

If I had half the amount of attention, determination and excitement to see opportunities in my life to serve God, to share Him with others, to love people, how much more effective would I be? How much more effective would we all be?

Here's a good blog on making the most of every opportunity. Looking for these opportunities is something I want to give more attention to, more determination to and more excitement to. And if I happen to see a yellow car on the way, even better!

Photo source.

I Like Someone... Now What Exactly Am I Supposed To Do With My Heart?

"Guard your heart."

It is a cliche piece of advice to give when someone has a romantic interest. But what does it mean? This article delves into this concept, and I think it has the very general idea correct -- fully entrust your heart to God and don't try to "guard your heart" by running from relationships. However, I don't agree with the author's interpretation of the phrase or her reference to Mark 12:30-31.

Here's one way to look at the phrase "Guard your heart" (which quotes Proverbs 4:23): It could mean less of keeping your heart closed and not letting anyone in, and more of being mindful of your heart, of its emotions, of its deceptions -- as if it were a prisoner under watch (as the NASB version says, "Watch over your heart with all diligence," diligence having a connotation of a prison guard, according to BlueLetterBible.com.)

But with the following clause that says, "for from it flow the springs of life," the heart seems to be regarded more positively than a deceptive prisoner. With that in mind, it sounds like this verse could be saying that you are to be mindful of your heart and do your best to watch over it, take care of it and keep its "springs of life" from being polluted by the world.

Does that mean we are to guard it on our own by shutting people out? I don't believe so. The best way to keep anything or anyone from being polluted by the world is to keep oneself rooted in the Word, which is basically what the article is saying. So yes, we are to give our hearts fully to God and love Him wholeheartedly -- and allow the love He has for us and the love we develop for Him to influence our love for others.

However, I do think that caution is required. Our hearts are deceitful above all things after all, and we have the tendency to get caught up in emotions, misunderstand physical touch or verbal (or text messaging) communication, and have unhealthy expectations of broken people.

The author uses Jesus' wholehearted and risk-taking love for the Father as an example, but I don't think it's necessarily fitting, because Jesus is perfect, and the Father is perfect. They (God) are love, and real risk wasn't involved in that case. Yes, Jesus felt abandoned by the Father when He hung on the cross dying, and some could say He took a risk in loving and obeying His Father, but because He and the Father are one, I don't think it's the same risk involved as the risk we have the choice to take in human relationships.

God takes a risk everyday in loving us broken people, because we can and we do hurt Him. But He doesn't have the need to guard His heart because He's God, and He's perfect -- and He won't let His emotions "get the better" of Him, He won't make a mistake, He won't have unhealthy expectations of people, etc. But we as humans have this need to guard our hearts, because we can make those mistakes.

That is why I believe the cliche "Guard your heart" has a place in relationship advice -- because it is God's Word and it points back to the God who gives us the diligence to guard our hearts while also guarding it for us, if we let Him.

Photo source.

Freaking Out and Fellowship.

I bought 120 stamps the other day (that's not cheap, folks) to mail out fundraising letters for my summer mission trip to the Philippines. As I was at the cashier's, he asked me, "Are you graduating?" I replied that I was, and he congratulated me. But it wasn't until I had my stamps in hand and was walking out of King Sooper's that I realized why he had mentioned graduation. A college student buying six books of stamps = graduation announcements. Yikes.

That means I'm graduating soon (two months to be exact) and I have yet to think about announcements, regalia, grad parties, and whatever else comes with this momentous occasion. I am now finally beginning to freak out.

People have been asking me left and right how I feel about graduation coming up so soon, and everytime they ask, I respond that I'm doing okay, that I'm excited and it's really not that big of a deal. But now that it's coming up, it's finally beginning to sink in.

My close friends are all juniors and sophomores, so it's easy for me to lose sight of graduation because it's not common conversation. We're not on the same page academically anymore because I'm the only one in my circle of friends wrestling with this thought of moving on. It's easy to feel lost, frustrated and alone when you're not surrounded by people who are going through the same experiences with you, who are there to encourage you and support you, because they themselves need the same encouragement and support.

I've realized the same thing about Christian fellowship. If you don't constantly surround yourself with others who are going through similar experiences with you -- similar hardships, similar doubts, similar struggles -- you're going to get lost. RELEVANT Magazine posted an article that investigates this topic on a deeper level. I recommend checking it out.

Don't let yourself become lost. Find people who are also freaking out about similar things, and then keep each other accountable to trust God with those things.

Nonprofits, Joseph Kony and the Body.

I don't know much, but I have a few things I would like to say.

Invisible Children has received a lot of support, and a lot of criticism. One critique is that they spend more money traveling and creating promotional materials than they do on providing immediate aid to central Africa. With the launch of the Kony 2012 campaign yesterday, critics are arguing that this kind of campaign is not beneficial to the issue at hand, at least not at the stage it is at currently.

I don't know what the best strategy is. I don't think anyone does. But I do believe that God has given us talents for a reason, and He has placed in us certain passions. And with these different gifts and wirings, we can work together to do something noble. As Christians, we are all different parts of one Body. As people, we are all different inhabitants of this world, still working together because we know we were created for something and Someone bigger than us. And we know we were created for good -- and we can't do it alone.

Yesterday I had a short conversation with some of my housemates about TOMS. From what I understood, the critique was that the nonprofit manufactures the shoes in other countries, such as China, when they could be making them in the countries of need, therefore providing jobs and community sustainability. TOMS is simply dropping shoes off and not doing enough to help the community support itself.

That's probably true. But in the same way that we as people are different parts of one Body, of one world, and all contribute differently, can TOMS also be one part of the cause? Some nonprofits are situated within the country of need, and work directly with the community to create sustainability. Can TOMS be the part that provides the aid?

Likewise, can Invisible Children be one part of the cause? Can we decide for ourselves what organizations we want to directly support and get involved with, and spend more time doing so rather than looking for the flaws in other organizations? Can you let Invisible Children use its gifts and passions to engage people and create awareness of the situation, and let other organizations use its gifts and passions to provide direct aid?

Can we let Invisible Children be the mouth of the cause's body and other nonprofits be the hands and feet?

Whether you support Invisible Children or not, you can support the cause and tell people who Joseph Kony is -- and let others decide for themselves how they want to get involved. If you live in Fort Collins, here's one way you can help.

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Flash Mobs and Bad Attitudes

Disclaimer: This is not meant to offend anyone who planned or participated in the "Amazing Grace" flash mob today. I completely respect everyone involved and the hearts and intentions behind the event.

Today I participated in an "Amazing Grace" flash mob on the plaza. The only thing is that it wasn't really a flash mob. By definition (well, at least according to Wikipedia), people in a flash mob are supposed to suddenly appear, perform and then disperse. But this flash mob did just the opposite: a group of people assembled in a circle at the beginning, then kind of dispersed for the performance, and then came back together in a circle.

I had my share of laughs with a couple friends because we felt a little ridiculous as we sang with printed-out lyrics next to the rest of the group. And really, it only felt ridiculous because I came into it with this "flash mob" mentality since that's what it was called on Facebook. I would say the "flash mob" achieved it's purpose -- a group of believers assembled on the plaza and sang "Amazing Grace" for passers-by to hear, it was kind of fun, it led to fellowship with friends afterward, and I'm sure some people who witnessed the "flash mob" discussed it among friends. Let's just not call it a flash mob, because that's not what I think it was.

All that said, I regret this attitude. Because I got so caught up in the "This isn't a flash mob!" mentality and worrying so much that people would think we failed once again at trying to "Christianize" something (that's it's own can of worms) that I sang along with the rest of the crowd and didn't pay attention to a word I said. And as a result, I missed out on the real reason for the "flash mob": showing love for my King.

To end on a positive note, here's an "Amazing Grace" flash mob done at Walmart that I found on YouTube. Very touching.

The Homeless Man in our Hobo Shed.

Yesterday, what my house would jokingly call "the hobo shed" (this old shed attached to our fence next to our garage) became a literal hobo shed.

The night before was very cold and windy, and yesterday wasn't any better. As a result, my housemate Lizzy found a homeless man with his dog hiding out in our shed, trying to keep himself warm. After calling her dad, we listened to his recommendation to ask a guy friend to come over and help us approach the homeless man.

Our friend Corey came over, and he went out to the shed with him. We talked with him for a little while. He said he was just trying to keep warm and would leave by noon; he didn't want the cops called on him. It had been a long winter -- he couldn't find a job, only had $310 left, and it was very cold. He had come from Boulder and needed to rest, was tired of shelters, and he offered us marijuana, saying he just wanted to show us what he was high on.

We asked him to open the door so we could grab something from the shed. As he did, his dog Jewel came out, immediately rubbing up against my legs, trying to keep warm. I kneeled down and embraced the shivering dog as Corey did almost all of the talking. Corey offered to take him out to get Taco Bell or a hot drink at Wild Boar. The man declined, saying he didn't need anything and just wanted to rest, but he eventually accepted Corey's offer to buy the food and bring it back to him. We asked if there was anything else we could do to help him, told him about the Open Door Mission in Fort Collins, and Lizzy ran inside to get a sleeping bag and gave it to him.

This morning, we found a cardboard note on the door handle of the shed:

"Not 6' under, 6" under. Not feet. No coffin, no cover. RIP. 2 possible human, young face, 1 dog maybe more."

A little cryptic, right? Corey and two more guy friends, Nick and Nate, came over to look at the note and join my housemate Genevieve and I in taking a look around the shed and our backyard. They found another note on the fence that basically said the same thing in much fewer words. After digging around the shed for a bit (I was half-amused/half-impressed that the boys were taking the detective stuff seriously, suspecting all kinds of crime scenes) we decided the notes probably weren't a big deal -- my housemates and I probably aren't in any danger, and we hoped the man was safe. Arms around each other, we prayed for God's provision for this man, his safety and the safety of my housemates. 

God used this unusual experience (at least, unusual for me) to show me a few things. One is the importance of homeless shelters, especially shelters like the Union Gospel Mission's Hope Place in Seattle (which I actually had the chance to volunteer with last spring break) that help rehabilitate those who are alcoholics or drug addicts so they can break the cycle of addiction and then break the cycle of homelessness. I have done food and evangelism outreaches to the homeless with a few friends before, and there is a place for that, but I felt so helpless when I could not offer them something substantial, something that will help them long-term. Shelters specialize in that; so if you want to serve the homeless, I recommend doing it through a shelter or organization such as Open Door Mission.

Keep an eye out for the homeless. Be careful for your safety, but also be full of care for them.

Local Easel Brings Fort Collins Art Community Together

Take a walk through Old Town and you will see that local art is the life of Fort Collins, from the colorfully-painted pianos to the new art galleries around town. However, most people today look for information online; and with so many corporate search engines, websites and directories, the local perspective has minimal presence and representation.

“A lot of the sites come from a top-down model,” said Jenni Pedersen, co-founder of Local Easel, a local art search engine. “For example, a corporate website can be stationed in Seattle, and then decide to come into a city, claiming it knows it well just because it can find 50 percent of the city’s information. But you can’t find the holes in the walls, the locals’ perspective, the true valuable content.”

A “Cutting Edge” Solution

Local Easel LLC was created as a response to this problem. A subsidiary of Aspenware Internet Solutions, Inc., Local Easel was founded in November 2011 by Jenni Pedersen and her father Richard Pedersen, who is also the founder of Aspenware.

Jenni Pedersen described Local Easel as “cutting edge” due to its ability to be part of the local community and get the locals’ perspective – information that is compiled into a comprehensive search engine that a global site such as Google, Foursquare or TripAdvisor isn’t able to grasp because they don’t have the focus of one niche, said Pedersen.

Local Easel co-founder Jenni Pedersen shows the search engine site at the company's launch party on Feb. 3. 
Photo by Richard Pedersen.

Using grassroots marketing techniques, Local Easel seeks to achieve 100 percent coverage of local art in Fort Collins. The organic dimension Local Easel has allows it to bridge the gap and unite each artist and art gallery on an equal playing field, giving every artist and gallery the chance to be represented the way they want to be represented, said Pedersen.

Local Easel’s strategy is to go into the community from the ground level – engaging with it, building trust and learning the locals’ perspective from the locals themselves. After gaining an understanding of the art community, Local Easel is then able to accurately represent the local art community, said Pedersen.

“One of the greatest things about Local Easel is through its individual profiles and collections for artists,” said Coleen Cosner, owner of Coco Artist Studio. “It helps to put a name to the face and the art. I feel that so many times conversations play out along the lines of, ‘Oh, I think I know that artist but have never met them. I know the name but not the face. I saw a great piece but not sure who the artist is, etcetera.’”

A Thriving Art Community

While many local artists and art galleries already have web presence, Local Easel’s goal is to become a hub and resource for those websites and the art represented by them. The ultimate vision is to get the local community to artists’ and galleries’ sites, increase search engine results, engage local art patrons and turn Fort Collins into a thriving art community and art destination, said Pedersen.

“[Local Easel’s] direct involvement is wonderful for us,” said Daniel Ibanez, an artist and educator working with Rendition Gallery. “They’re going to kind of plaster their page with information about our artists – some young, some old, some established, some not so established – and ultimately do the work of getting the word out so that the creative curious can be here and know about what’s going on.”

The sign out front Local Easel's launch party on Feb. 3. The launch party was hosted by Opiate Gallery. 
Photo by Jenni Pedersen.

 Many of the artists in Fort Collins don’t participate in the same social networks, and as a result some artists live next door to each other and aren’t aware of it. There hasn’t been a strong network of local artists, and Local Easel seeks to change that. By creating an easy-to-use platform with a very accessible navigation system, Local Easel facilitates the communication that needs to happen on a daily basis between artists, said Ibanez.

“Local Easel is helping to bring the community of artists together,” Cosner said. “The community seems to be more intimate through this new project.”

In the future, Local Easel hopes to work with local art communities in other cities such as San Francisco, Seattle and Charleston.

Skywriting: His canvas is the sky.

My friend Laura published this simple blog post, Sky Writing, about seven months ago. I interpreted it as God's everyday skywriting, and I remember being fascinated by this concept.

Everyday, God brings out this canvas of sky, and He declares His majesty, drawing clouds, painting the dawn and dusk, each stroke a writing in the sky: "I AM."

I AM God.
I AM your Creator.
I AM your Father.
I AM your Savior.
Know Me.


Without intending to, I've been taking pictures of the sky everyday. I cherish these daily love notes.

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language

where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4

Twentysomethings: On the Move

I will admit this: one of my weaknesses is my inability to commit. To books I'm reading, to new crafts, to songs I'm writing, to conversations, and sometimes to people.

I know I'm not the only one, and that's why I don't normally think it's a big deal. But this could lead to several disasters in the near and far future, for myself and for this generation as a whole.

One such disaster is the inability to live in the present. So focused on the future -- on new adventures, on the next big thing -- this generation of twentysomethings has a hard time committing to the now.

As college students, we get hung up on the fact that we'll only be around four years -- we church-hop the whole way through, we don't engage with the off-campus community, and we jump from relationship to relationship because we're convinced our post-graduation plans will separate us anyway.

As graduates, we settle for a particular job in a particular location, but we don't expect it to last long; we're just killing time until we get the job we really wanted in the first place in the city we've always wanted to live.

RELEVANT Magazine posted a blog about two weeks ago, calling this dilemma The Great Escapism. Read it. I couldn't have said it better myself.

If we are to make the most of each day God has given us, we need to stop focusing so much on dreaming about and making plans for the future and start seeing the opportunities surrounding us now.

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
-- Psalm 118:24

Photo source.

Can Jesus Be Your Valentine?

I stumbled upon the article, "Jesus is Not Your Valentine," from Relevant Magazine yesterday, and in the spirit of Valentine's Day, I was drawn to it.

For the sake of intriguing many Christians (I can't tell you how many friends updated their Facebook status with "Jesus is my valentine!" yesterday) into seeing what it has to say, it's a rather effective title. But I have to argue that there is nothing wrong with saying Jesus is your valentine.

The message of the article is very true: our relationship with Jesus should not be brought down to the level of a "petty high school relationship" based on feelings (heck, any relationship -- it doesn't really matter how old you are these days) because our love for Him should not waiver with our feelings. And His love for us never changes, period.

But who said that valentines are always based on emotions? Who says someone is only your valentine for one day? My parents were each other's "valentines" yesterday, and they've been together 21 years and intend to fulfill their vows to the very end. There's nothing petty about that.

The very definition of "Valentine" is a sweetheart chosen or greeted on this day . That doesn't mean you choose or greet them only on that day.

Jesus is your lover, and if you so choose to use the term "Valentine" on Valentine's Day, then go ahead. Just know your intentions behind it, and know that He's going to keep loving you -- and you ought to do the same -- when the roses have wilted and all the chocolate is gone.

Photo source.

Missing God

I met God at Wild Boar today -- coming in from the soft snow, I found a small table in a corner looking out the window. Normally I like studying to the sound of other chatting college students and chill music playing overhead, but this time I decided to pull out the headphones and plug in some of my favorite worship tunes.

Hot chocolate in hand, I stared out the window, watching the snow fall while listening to "All Creatures of Our God and King" by David Crowder Band, my heart in worshipful prayer. I spent about an hour reading Genesis, praying, and just closing my eyes and letting the words of the music sink in. And somewhere in the midst of listening to "Soon" by Hillsong United, "Beauty" and "Centuries" by Aaron Strumpel (very talented singer-songwriter from Fort Collins), and reading 2 Timothy 2 for my Bible study, I was hit with a pain of longing I don't feel very often.

It was a pain of really missing my Heavenly Father. Which is weird because what I miss of Him -- His visible, physical, tangible presence -- is something I've never had to begin with, so how can I miss it? But I do. It's this innate feeling, something faint, as if I was there in the Garden of Eden when everything fell apart. It's a shared memory of mankind, a longing, a "missing," that runs in our veins, in our very being. And I really miss God, to the point of tears sometimes. And then I know what I long for is nothing this world can give me, nothing man can give me -- I want the Creator, I desire His heart. In the very pit of my stomach, I crave more of Him.

So why is it so hard sometimes for me to spend time with Him? Shouldn't I be clinging to whatever I can have of Him? Taking whatever I can get for now? But then I think about some long-distance relationships/friendships -- sometimes we can miss someone so much, but when they're away, we get distracted by the things we can see, and we begin to pull away from the person we can't see anymore.

I want to miss God more, that I spend more time with Him, content with what He's given me of Him right now, and eagerly looking forward to His returning.

"Though I have not seen Him, my heart knows Him well." --Hillsong United

I recommend reading 2 Corinthians 5:2-3, 6-9.

Kylie Bisutti Quits Victoria's Secret for Christian Convictions

I stumbled across this news article tonight about Kylie Bisutti, a former Victoria's Secret model. It's crazy to think she's about my age, this young woman who has the same faith I have, but who has been living life on a completely different side of the spectrum -- or so many Christians would think.

It reminds me of the whole "I'd rather have a Proverbs 31 woman than a Victoria's Secret model" topic, which I commented on last week. Here is this woman who has faith in Jesus, but was a Victoria's Secret model at the same time. I'm not condoning her initial decision to be a VS model, but that faith was there. Did being a VS model make her a Proverbs 31 woman? No. Does not being a VS model now make her a Proverbs 31 woman? No.

The Proverbs 31 woman is not real. This former Victoria's Secret model is real, and was no less so when she was still a Victoria's Secret model.

[Looking back on my previous post about the whole Proverbs 31 Woman/Victoria's Secret Model topic, I realize that it might come across that I am anti-Live31. I'm not. I just don't like the slogan that accompanies it, the comparison to a VS model. That's mostly what I think is unhealthy; I don't believe it's the best or necessary approach. As far as Live31 goes, I don't have much against it -- as long as we remember not to measure ourselves by the literal Proverbs 31 woman and remember that Christ is the real standard, not this wife of noble character that no one can find (see Proverbs 31:10).)]

We can't categorize this young woman no more than we can categorize any woman. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, she is a woman living in light of God's grace every day, learning more of His heart and what He desires for her. Additionally, she is a woman who is absolutely beautiful on the outside -- and by the standards of this world -- as well as a woman pursuing God, which makes her beautiful on the inside. So it looks like Kylie fits both "standards" of the Proverbs 31 woman/Victoria's Secret model comparison.

I'm happy for her and the decision she's made -- she's got more conviction than so many of us.

For her interview on Good Morning America, watch here.

Perseverance is Not Independent of Abiding in God

I was looking through my old Facebook notes, and I stumbled upon this one:

I was a relatively wise kid when I wrote this. Or maybe things were just going my way.

It's strange to think of where I am now, a little more than three years later. Lately, I've been tired, and wondering when that day will come when I finally rest in the arms of my Father and hear Him say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." Part of me just wants to give up, to be done. 

So now, am I really living? Or am I just trying to get through?

It's unfortunate that in the midst of all my joy of the present and excitement for the future, that joy and excitement can be overwhelmed by the insecurities of today and the fears of tomorrow.

Three years ago I thought I would know where I'd be headed by now. But I am only more uncertain about the future now that my last graduation is approaching in a little more than three months. And that is okay. It's alright to not know. It's alright to feel weak.

God has given me much peace through this simple verse:

"There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place." (Deuteronomy 1:31)

He is carrying me, and He is carrying you -- the whole way, until we've reached our place of rest.

I found this blog as I sat down to write this, and it also gave me peace in such a simple way. Through everything Tiffany has to say to the college graduate, there is one consistent theme, one thing that remains the same: Abiding in God.

When we are told to persevere, to press on, we aren't told to go it alone. In fact, I think a part of perseverance is forcing ourselves to stay in God's arms, no matter how restless we get. So if you want to know what perseverance looks like:

Let Him carry you.

Another Mistake, Another Opportunity for Growth

I am officially graduating college this semester -- the graduation contract I signed today says so. But along with the formality of acknowledging how many credits you've completed and are in progress of completing sometimes comes the surprise of realizing you're actually three upper division credits short.

This is easy to fix, right? Just choose from the limited amount of classes that somewhat interest me or apply to my major, fit into my class schedule, work schedule, ministry schedule, and tentative internship schedule, get an override, buy another textbook and catch up on two weeks worth of material. I make it sound really bad in my head, but I know it's not a big deal. But I don't like surprises like this, and I am not fond of change.

What frustrated me the most was that this was my mistake -- another misunderstanding on my behalf that would take too long to explain. And this mistake is in addition to another big mistake I made earlier this semester concerning an internship. In addition to another really big mistake I made about my college career that confronted me halfway through last semester and showed me I would be graduating this semester instead of this fall.

Of course, I make many mistakes. But these mistakes stand out to me because they all have to do with my college/future career, and they all involve huge misunderstandings -- all on my part. Sometimes I fear I've lost my mind somewhere between last summer and my senior year.

But my complicated explanation of my experiences lead me to something simple:

Let your mistakes grow you.

Don't let them grow on you that you get so used to making them that you don't bother to correct them anymore. But let them grow you.

And what I mean by that is allowing our mistakes to sink in, consider what we can do to correct them or do better next time, and then do it. When we take responsibility for our mistakes, the growth comes naturally. We need to let go of the notion that we're not going to make mistakes. Philippians 1:6 says that the good work God started in us will be carried on to completion until Christ comes back. So really, if we're not making mistakes, then we're apparently already perfect and we're calling God a liar.

Here are a couple blogs that also have some good things to say on making mistakes.

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/career-money/features/27154-what-to-do-when-you-fail

http://blog.pastors.com/blogs/pcom/how-to-start-over-after-failure/

I especially like what the first one says about how we need to know mistakes in order to know grace. I would also say we need to know mistakes to know growth. Good stuff.

Image by regularjane on DeviantART.

Proverbs 31 Woman vs. Victoria's Secret Model

On November 30, 2011, a Baylor University student updated his Facebook status with, "I'd rather have a Proverbs 31 woman than a Victoria's Secret model." The status went viral on Facebook, and a week later, the same Baylor student and a few of his friends had a YouTube video, website (Live31.org) and even their own apparel. It wasn't until another week later that this new Christian trend reached my side of cyberspace, with a large number of my Christian Facebook friends reposting the status, sharing the video and linking the website. I immediately joined in.

Fast forward to a little more than a month later and this Live31 movement shows up on my Facebook newsfeed once again. But this time, instead of quickly "liking" the post, I decided to see what this movement really was about -- and as it turns out, I didn't like what I saw.

I'm sure the founders of this movement mean well, but I believe it needs to be reevaluated. Looking through the website's FAQ section, this caught my eye:

So if the statement, "I'd rather have a Proverbs 31 woman than a Victoria's Secret model," isn't what you really meant, then why make a whole movement out of it? Because it sounds catchy? That's not good enough.

I don't believe this thinking is healthy. First, the Proverbs 31 woman doesn't exist. None of the women of the Bible measured up to this standard, and especially now as our society and culture are different, I don't think Christian women today should be trying to measure up to her either. Of course, there is a lot to be said in that passage because it is Scripture. But we shouldn't take it out of context, and we shouldn't take it so literally. The Proverbs 31 woman is not the standard. Christ is the standard.

I know most of the people who started this movement knew this, and no one meant to offend anyone or limit women. But I think that saying you prefer a Proverbs 31 woman over a Victoria's Secret model can be just as damaging to a woman's essence. What of the women who were created beautiful by God (all women) and are considered beautiful by the world's standards (only some)? Do they have any less value because they are a godly woman AND happen to look like a VS model? No.

And that's just a little of what I think about it. If you want a better idea of what I'm trying to say, read these blog posts:
On Femininity, Sexism, and Sensuality in the Bible
and
Sparks Fly Up: A Response to "I'd Rather Have A Proverbs 31 Woman Than A Victoria's Secret Model".

I don't agree with everything written in them, but I agree with the general idea.

I'm just saying that we should be careful what we fight for, and what we "like." If you don't really mean that you'd rather have a Proverbs 31 woman than a VS model -- and the weight and meaning behind what you are saying -- then don't say it, just because it sounds catchy, just because everyone else is "liking" it. Don't categorize women into "Proverbs 31" and "VS model." Say that you want a woman who strives to imitate Christ and knows she is beautiful because God created her so. Don't settle for cheap words just because they make a nice slogan.