Month: November 2015

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Safety vs. Risk

The key word in terrorism is terror and the purpose of terror is to put fear in our hearts. 
The debate over the Syrian refugees really has me thinking….

Maybe all the articles and videos about ISIS turning us against the refugees isn’t that far off. 

Let’s look at the facts:

  1. Most of the terrorists were European nationals
  2. ISIS magazines and videos state that they want the Muslim world to hate the West
  3. The other outbreaks of ISIS related activity following the Paris attacks should not to be surprised since the point is evoking terror (and it worked so well the first time)
  4. Most of Europe–and now America–is not helping the refugees. 

With these facts in mind, is terrorism winning?

Our culture continues to respond exactly the way the enemy wants. 

Instead of talking out solutions, governors are making rash statements that lack  empathy and reek of platform building stances.  

These actions remind me of our nation’s–and the world’s history. 

Hasty judgment is prevailing. 

Ignoring the suffering refugees will not make this problem disappear. I recognize the concerns about safety. I want to be safe too. 

I’m torn, though, because helping the refugees means there’s a risk involved….

But isn’t there always a risk involved?

I don’t claim to have all the answers. The reason I’m writing this out is to think this issue through. 

I’m just wondering if our concerns and fears about safety are allowing the tenets of terrorism to prevail. 

What are your thoughts on this topic?

 

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The Ultimate Authority

Yesterday I told you we’d talk about the right way to view the Bible.

It’s not a trump card to be used as an “In your face!” insult.

The Bible is the Word of God, the way in which God chose to communicate with man. His directives, the history of who He is, the redemption story, how to live a godly life, how the world will end (and begin anew) can be found in the progressive revelation of the narrative.

The Bible is the ultimate authority and the final say.

Whenever I talk with friends and family about my beliefs on a topic, I have to take them to the Bible. There’s nowhere else for me to go.

And, no, I’m not contradicting myself. My use of the Bible to define my beliefs using scriptures is not the same as using a trump card.

My use of the Bible as my guide makes me a Christian.  

I find it so funny that people are offended by this notion.

Yes, Christians make all decisions based on the beliefs found in ancient writings, yet here’s the crazy thing: So does everyone else.

Why, then, is it only “weird” when a Christian says, “Sorry, I don’t believe that because it goes against the Bible”?

I am aware of the rampant biblical illiteracy and the number of Christians who, in the name of culture, twist and bend scripture.

Besides the obvious, logical conclusion that Christians aren’t the only group with nominal followers in it’s camp, let’s put these things aside for a minute, okay?

I think the crux of the problem stems from what Christians profess:

Jesus is the only way, only truth, the only life.

This bothers people.

How can that be?

Isn’t that judgmental?

Isn’t that rather exclusive?

The beliefs about Jesus–who He is, what He came to do–are very clear in the Bible. If you don’t believe the truth about Him, you can’t be a Christian and you don’t believe in the totality of scripture.

So, when I say that this way of viewing the Bible is the best, I don’t say it lightly.

My commitment to the Bible as the ultimate authority means that everything (and I mean everything) is filtered through this singular lens. 

 

 

 

 

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No trump card needed

There are two  ways to look at the Bible. 

The first way is when your knowledge of scripture is used as a trump card.

 In this context, the Bible changes from the ultimate source of transformative power–salvation, repentance, and grace–to a weapon used to win a game, i.e. a trump card. 

Certainly the Word of God is a weapon, but the weapon described in the scriptures is always to be used for edification, as a catalyst for change. 

Trust me. The piercing effects of scripture will tear down all strongholds and sin and any barriers that hold you back from the full freedom of a grace-filled life. 

Games of manipulation and great shows of your general awesomeness are not needed. 

Too many times, Christians get into sword fights with each other. Healthy debate is okay, discipleship is okay.  

But all out war to show off your spiritual prowess?

This needs to end. There is one body of Christ.

 It’s time to walk towards that reality instead of using the Bible as a weapon against each other. 

Quit using the Bible as a trump card. 

Quit saying, “Boo yah! In your face!” and then walking away. 

It’s not helping anyone. 

I told you there are two ways to view the Bible. Tomorrow we’ll talk about the second way, the best way. 

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Guard your response 

Be careful who you offload on….

Have you ever waited on hold for longer than 30 minutes and no one has a solution to your problem?

Talk about a frustrating situation. 

I’m not proud to say that on many occasions my response was not what it should’ve been. 

Yes, I repented and felt guilty–the whole gamut–but you can’t take back your words.

Let me say that again: You can never take back your words. 

The quicker you learn to surrender your tongue to the authority of the Holy Spirit, the better. 

Getting frustrated at the customer service men and women–most of whom are from India–will not make your problems go away. 

Frustration only begets more frustration. 

I’m not trying to excuse companies with poor customer service or faulty products. 

It’s just that our angry dialogues to customer service representatives aren’t changing anything. 

So why waste your breath?

Why work yourself into a frenzy?

The only person who ends up looking bad and feeling worse is you. 

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Happy Birthday, Nate!

My cousin Nathan is a sweetheart. 

Our family expanded over 10 years ago when my uncle married. Mathew and Nathan came into our lives and I can’t imagine life without them. 

Nathan was 2 and cute as a button. (He prefers to be called handsome now that he’s 15.)

  What I love about Nathan is his kind hearted disposition and his quiet, yet funny personality. 

It’s rare to see Nathan without a smile on his face, which has always challenged me to smile more. 

He’s overcome many challenges through the years and each time he’s been brave, defying all odds. 

Happy Birthday, Nathan!

I’m proud of the man you’re becoming. 

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5 Friday Funnies

I don’t have a lot of words in me today, but I do have several funny pictures.

The primary reason I scroll through social media is to look for funny pictures and jokes. Here are 5 pictures that have found their way into my phone. I have texted them out to friends and shared them online.

These pictures make me smile and I hope they make you smile too!

pumpkin

The joke’s on you!

Figuratively, of course.

Figuratively, of course.

See? Selfies are scientific.

See? Selfies are scientific.

The desert. My favorite place to picture as I sit in traffic.

The desert. My favorite place to picture as I sit in traffic.

Makes finding job candidates a lot easier.

Makes finding job candidates a lot easier.

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Heart language matters

I saw the importance of communication today.

For many years, Mr. and Mrs. Lee have rented a storage unit whenever they move.

Mrs. Lee is deaf.

I remember the first time I met them, which was the first month I started working at Storage Depot (before I started learning sign language). My boss had to write back and forth with Mrs. Lee about pricing and unit sizes.

heart languageFast forward to now, 11 months into my learning sign language. I was able to interpret for Mrs. Lee and she came to life! She talked and talked! It was so cool to see the power of communication in action.

Knowing someone’s heart language is important, especially when you’re on the mission field.

Each of us was born with an innate desire to be known and understood. Language barriers are the biggest deterrents to connection.

I’ve received a TON of help from the deaf community because week after week I show up and try. Even when I completely mess up, my friends kindly and gently encourage me and teach me the right way. Who could guess that my bumbling efforts would be so well received? I certainly didn’t expect it!

For many of my deaf friends, though, their own parents never made an effort to learn sign language. One of my friend’s mom started learning sign once my friend was grown. As my friend shared the story with me, there were tears in her eyes.

“This is what I’ve always wanted.”

Heart language matters. If you want to make an impact learn a culture’s heart language.

And this is true of any culture–not just deaf culture.

So, for all of my friends who feel drawn to a certain country or culture, take this advice from someone who has seen the difference: Language is key.

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The opportunities in your reality

Did you ever watch The Brady Bunch movie?

It was a spoof from the ’90s that was not that great, but made me laugh nonetheless. In it, Mike Brady gave Bobby some great advice:

“Wherever you go, there you are.”

I’ve seen this “advice” plastered all over novelty items. (I also googled the saying and found out it’s the title of a meditation book. Go figure.) What a goofy thing to say, right? We all know that…..or do we?

Recently, I was part of a conversation where a friend said, “Do you know what I could be doing?” and then went on for about 10 minutes about a job he could have.

I told this friend,  “You’re right and I agree. But here you are, so what are you going to do?”

There’s nothing wrong with dreaming or wanting to better yourself. Just remember that improvement starts right where you are. The weaknesses we possess do not magically disappear with a new opportunity.

The more I listened to my friend, the more I understood that the root of the problem was not feeling appreciated. Maybe an elevated position, a better job would do the trick. These people would appreciate me. These people see my true potential.

Once again, there’s truth in these thoughts. There’s nothing wrong with getting praised and honored for good work. Just be careful that praise and accolades aren’t the primary motivators. Applause is momentary–and it’s fickle too.

Motivation really is everything.

What are you looking to gain from an opportunity?

Be honest.

Answering this one question will show you the motivations of your heart.

Like I said earlier, the messy parts of ourselves–the things we want to leave behind–won’t disappear. You can’t just move on and not leave the new address.

Look around. There’s a lot to learn, a lot to do right, where you are now. Don’t be afraid to dream, but don’t ignore the opportunities in your current reality either.

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When comfort doesn’t come

I struggle with being assertive.

Being nice? Having fun? Keeping things light and fluffy?

Welcome to my comfort zone or my discomfort zone, depending on the day.

Lysa TerKeurst says it best:

Having a comfort zone doesn’t mean you’re always comfortable.

I’m being stretched in this area at work. Accountability in the work place, especially for those of us in management positions, means holding meetings to discuss progress.

Guess who’s the bearer of bad news?

Yeah. Fun-loving Audra.

And most of the time it’s not terrible news. Managers are just trained to notice things that are not going well–and then come up with strategies for improvement.

I’ll be really honest with you. I have to pray a lot when receiving instruction and correction. When my thoughts are allowed to go off alone, I take it personally–and even my controlled thoughts find me vulnerable.

Receiving instruction with grace is always a choice I have to make.

This is one struggle that can send my emotions and relationships into a tailspin. One of my goals for next year is to deconstruct this area and come up with a battle plan.

IMG_1566For now, though, I’m sitting in a hard place. Things have gone wrong and all I can do is clean up the mess.

Can I give you some advice?

Don’t ignore warning signs.

Don’t put off conversations.

Pretending everything is okay, will be okay, can be okay is not helping.

Which brings me back to being assertive in the workplace…..

If management teaches you anything it’s how to conquer fear, especially when your fear pops up as a subject in a meeting about your personal performance.

Here’s what I’m learning as I face up to my insecurities about giving/receiving instruction and correction:

Dealing with a problem is always uncomfortable. Stop waiting for comfort to come along. It won’t.

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The Gospel over Lattes

see you latteSelling a $5 latte in a cup that doesn’t  say “Merry Christmas” or “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” is not persecution.

I’m pulling out the Pharisee card on this one, okay?

This situation requires me to challenge the legalism behind the idea that not acknowledging a holiday means the whole world is against you.

Maybe we should ask Christians in the Middle East about persecution–over a nice, steaming latte in a Starbucks red paper cup.

“I mean, persecution is so awful, right?” we sob.

“I don’t know, friend, they’re pretty nice to let us sit in here. I was run out of town for being a Christian.”

What do we want from non-believers?

We freak out about homosexuality and sexual immorality and so many things…..things that unbelievers do not have the conscientious to understand on their own.

But don’t they know what the Bible says about _____________?”

No!

They’re not Christians.

1 Corinthians 1 says,

 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks[b] foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Stop trying to shove your beliefs down people’s throats. You’re not helping anyone.

The gospel changes lives–not a cup!

  1. Share the gospel.
  2. Stop acting like a crazy person (Christianity is already an out there concept. Additional weirdness is not needed).
  3. Repeat.

Who knows?

Maybe it’ll be a conversation at Starbucks–sipping lattes out of red cups–that will be the tipping point in someone’s life.