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My good friend Hermeneutics

What if I told you that I wanted to start a Christian nudist colony? What if I told you that I had found a Scripture that said it was okay?

Mark 14:51-52

51 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, 52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

From this Scripture I could defend not only my nudist colony but also streaking as completely biblical.

My prayer is that you are not shouting amen because this whole supposition is insane…..

Yet, this how many of us talk about the Bible. We base the totality of our beliefs on a handful of verses that wouldn’t survive a light spring breeze.

Did you know that’s why Christians are encouraged to go to church? To be an active member of the body of Christ?

Here’s a link to Ephesians 4: 11-16, Hebrews 10:19-25 , and Hebrews 13:7-17.

In these passages, the Apostle Paul talks about spiritual gifts, the body of Christ, the importance of good Bible interpretation, and the role of Christian leaders.

Listen, my dear friends, there are a lot of crazy beliefs in this world. Unfortunately, the Church at large has a lot of crazy beliefs too.

Without good Bible interpretation, how can we effectively communicate the gospel message?

The rate of Biblical illiteracy is absolutely ridiculous, especially in a country where most people own 4-5 Bibles. Find a translation you like and start reading. If you don’t know where to start, I recommend the book of John.

We’re going to talk more about the importance of discipleship and such in the weeks to come.

For now, I want you to think about what you believe.

Are your beliefs truly backed up by the Word of God?

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Crash landing

I just crash landed back into reality. 

The weekend was amazing and there’s much to do now that I’ve scouted the land, so to speak. 

Reality is mean isn’t it?

I barely walked in the door before my mind was filled with the many things that need to happen in the coming week.

This is the trickiest part of any transition. 

There’s so much to do to prepare for what’s ahead and yet you want to and need to finish well where you are. 

The emotions of crash landing hit me hard.  

Excitement and sadness mingle together, along with a dose of calendar reality. 

Life goes on. Time ticks away. And I can’t help but wish everyone and everything would slow down for a minute. 

Honestly, I have a difficult time with the messy middle of transitions. 

God is so faithful, though, to walk along beside me and to encourage me to keep going, to press in. 

Yes, the future is bright. Yes, there’s a lot to do. 

I am choosing, however, to look ahead while soaking in the goodness of my present. 

I am not leaving here in a hurry.

 I will cherish the time and all the reasons I have to be thankful. 

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Faith adventures are the best

Provision follows commitment. 

I am a firm and faithful believer in this truth after this weekend. 

  God has answered my prayers about many of the key aspects of my move to Tulsa in January. 

It’s been so cool to see how His hand and influence has guided me-in many unexpected ways-to the answers I needed. 

There’s so much more that I want to say, but I want to use today’s post as a way of saying thanks to God. 

Living by faith is a great adventure. 

I want to leave you with three recommendations:

  1. Be as specific as you can be in your prayers. 
  2. Ask others to stand in faith–meaning they pray in agreement–with you. 
  3. Don’t be unwilling to share what you’re believing for when it comes up in conversation. Who knows if the person(s) you’re chatting with could be the answer to your prayers?

College Weekend gave me a small taste of what is to come. 

I can’t wait to see how this faith adventure unfolds! 

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Brick Oven Fun

I made pizza in a brick oven!

After the Job And Housing Fair, Dad and I headed over to Karl and Elinnor Tomerins’ house. They are some of my dad and stepmom’s oldest friends from Rhema. 

The fair was great. There is definitely work to be had in Tulsa if you’re not lazy. 

I’ll share more about my next employment endeavor when that time comes. 

Back to the brick oven….

Mr. Karl, Dad, and myself cooked a frozen pizza in the brick oven Mr. Karl built last year. 

We worked on getting the fire to just the right temperature. Dad and I encountered a minor snafu when the stone slab cracked from the heat. 

No worries, though, because we figured it out! 

I’ll end this adventure story by sharing pictures: 

 

Shut the oven door!

 
 

Mr. Karl and Dad


 

Keeping an eye on the pizza

   

The pizza was a little bit darker on the bottom than anticipated, but it was still edible. 

We had a blast making it and I’m glad we had the afternoon to spend with our friends. 

 

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A great start

Day One of College Weekend was a success! 

Dad and I are having a great time plugging into Rhema and making connections for employment and housing. 

We are also visiting old friends of my dad and stepmom. It’s been neat to see and hear of God’s faithfulness in their lives over the last 20 years. 

Tomorrow will be fun because we’re attending the Jobs and Housing Fair. I’ll be networking with men and women from all different banks and businesses. 

And you know how much Dad and I love to network. We’ll be like to kids at an ice cream shop. 

I’ll tell you how it goes in tomorrow’s post. Right now I’m resting up from a long day. 

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Exciting news

So, I guess it’s time to come out in the open with my news….

I own a pet octopus. 

I have an irrational fear of people who don’t eat cheeseburgers. 

Just kidding! 

I’m moving to Oklahoma in January to attend Rhema Bible Training College. 

My dad and I are in Tulsa this weekend to visit the school. 

I haven’t said anything until today because there were several people who needed to find out first. 

The secret’s out, though, so now you and I can talk about this exciting time of transition. 

You guys are moving to Tulsa too because of my daily blogging commitment. 

I’m more than happy to answer any questions you have for me. Shoot me a message via Facebook, email, or the blog’s comments section. 

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A life of action

I was taught from an early age that waiting around for God to do something you can do is wrong. 

God does mighty things on our behalf, but we have a role to play too. 

Praying is great. Faith is great. 

Knowing when to put feet on our prayers and actions behind our faith? 

Even better. 

I have a lot of friends who say God requires them to wait forever. He never seems to show them what to do. 

This has not been my experience. 

God has always led me to action. Very few times have I been told to wait. 

I certainly believe that there are times and seasons of waiting, of growth. 

But my problem is not waiting. My problem is hesitation. 

If left to my own devices, I will second guess myself in every decision. I willtake forever to make a choice. 

So, God always charges me with action. 

Audra, do something! Anything!

There’s nothing wrong with waiting on the Lord. Just don’t wait so long you decide to set up camp and are not ready when He calls. 

There’s also nothing wrong with making a decision, especially if you know it lines up with Scripture. The Bible talks about this specifically. 

I want to leave you with a list of practical ways to make decisions. 

  1. Pray. Talk to God and then listen. 
  2. Read your Bible. What passages speak to your situation? Make your decision accordingly. I highly recommend you don’t do something that goes against the Bible. 
  3. Seek wise counsel. You’re not alone. Talk to the wise people God has planted in your life. 

After you do these things, make a decision! Faith without action is dead. 

Learning how to know and follow God’s voice is the most important thing a Christian needs to learn. 

Indecision is not a spiritual gift or a fruit of the Spirit. 

Every hero in the Bible knew how or learned how to make decisions. 

Because of Christ we have nothing to fear and nothing to lose. 

Let’s live out of that confidence instead of quaking in our boots, afraid to move. 

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Perfectionism is a choice

IMG_1566If perfection is unattainable, why do we keep striving for it?

Nothing will ever be perfect. The sooner you and I realize this simple truth, the sooner you and I can enjoy our beautiful, yet messy, lives.

Social media is filled with “inspirational” quotes and pictures about how no one is perfect. Thank you, Captain Obvious, this is not news.

Or is it?

Our obsession with warning others about the trap of perfectionism is an indication that many of our friends and family really believe it’s an obtainable goal.

And this is coming from a girl who knows its a trap and frequently makes the insane choice to walk right in it….

Notice, though, what I said: I know it’s a trap and I choose to step in it.

It’s time to get honest.

We all know that perfection is unobtainable, but continue to chase after it.

Maybe what we need is for our friends and family to say, “Stop it!” instead of hearing another inspirational message about embracing the messiness of life.

So, my sweet friends, I think it’s time for us to make a few changes. In order to do that, though, we’ll need to acknowledge the facts:

  1. You will never be perfect.
  2. Life can be hard and unfair.

Now, let’s look at those facts from the gospel’s perspective:

  1. Perfection was never an option. If we could be perfect, we wouldn’t need a Savior. Jesus lived the perfect life and then gave us all the wonderful benefits that go along with it.
  2. Even though life is not fair, we have God’s promises on our side. Everything–both fair and unfair–must work together for our good. Those are some great odds when faced with a challenge.

If you struggle with perfectionism, know that I understand your struggle because it’s my own.

My only request is that you be proactive in your efforts to avoid the trap. In the end, it’s your responsibility to make the necessary changes.

.

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Wrestling with the Truth

IMG_1694Who doesn’t love stories about go-getters who look adversity in the eyes and say, “I know you don’t believe in me, but I’m going to do it anyway”?

I know that I love to read about the tenacious efforts of other people.

Their lives are filled with adventure and learning. No amount of barriers or persecution will keep them from achieving their goals.

Are you excited yet? Can I get a hip, hip, hooray?

But there’s one person you don’t cheer loud enough for. One person who you think is limited or needs to be limited. One person who must not try unless success is guaranteed.

Yourself. Or, in my case, myself.

I’m not talking about becoming a pompous jerk who is self-absorbed.

I’m not talking about getting angry when others do well.

So what am I talking about then?

  • Allowing yourself to believe that you are talented, equipped, and able to do all the things God puts in your heart to do.
  • Allowing yourself to believe that now is the time to live your life.
  • Allowing yourself to try–even if you fail–and knowing that your efforts are not in vain.

Maybe I should just stick a Dear Audra at the front of this post and call it a day……

I struggle with these truths.

In the face of a great adventure with a greater purpose, I want to throw up. Knowing that all of the risk and work will result in a beautiful story, a God story, doesn’t make it any easier.

Remember what we talked about yesterday?

Following the voice of God does not always leave you comfortable.

But I would rather have holy discomfort than stay in any comfort zone I build for myself.

I want to be tenacious, but I need some help. Help from the Holy Spirit and help from you too.

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The voice that leads you

Praying with strangers can be scary. 

“Lord, are you sure about this?”

The prompting of the Holy Spirit, though, is strong. 

“Okay, here I go…”

At least, that’s how it’s always been with me. And it happened again today. 

I stopped and helped a lady put her car tag on in the Taco Bell parking lot. 

Nothing really special about that deed. It took less than 2 minutes. She was excited because it was a new car. I listened to her tale and met her grandkids. 

Then it happened. 

“Pray with her and bless her new car.” I heard the Holy Spirit loud and clear. 

So I did. 

Velma (the lady) was very thankful for my prayer. I found out she was a pastor who had a lot of car trouble last year. This car was provision from God. 

Wow. God used me to confirm His blessing in her life. 

And all because I was willing to get over my nervousness. 

I think we need to pray more for people when we’re with them. Writing down there requests and praying later is awesome and necessary. 

However, there’s something special that happens when we pray together for that need. 

I know that it’s weird,  especially if they’re strangers.

We have a great helper in the Holy Spirit. He won’t let you down. If he leads you to do something, listen. 

There are many miracles and blessings that are missed when you don’t trust the Holy Spirit’s prompting. 

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to miss an opportunity to serve God and help others see him more clearly. 

Be bold, my friends, in following the Holy Spirit’s prompting and mighty things will happen.