Christian Living

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The order of things

It’s disturbing to me the hills people are willing to die on.

A few weeks a go a lion was killed and everyone was outraged.

Killing an innocent lion? How cruel!

Around the same time, Planned Parenthood was exposed for chopping up fetuses and selling them to the highest bidder.

Crickets. It wasn’t even a trending topic on social media…

Our ideas about what’s right and what’s wrong are so convoluted. Endangered species are protected; people get so excited when their young are born. The definition of when a baby becomes a person, however, is always up for debate.

How long does it take for a person to become so calloused toward human life that they forget we all start out as babies?

We pass countless laws to protect animals, but the laws that protect unborn children are vague.

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not an animal person. Some would say that makes me biased.

This discussion, though, has nothing to do with my like or dislike of animals.

We shouldn’t mistreat animals, killing them at will, and stop caring about the ecosystem.

But I’m a little tired of the animal shelter commercials that say, “They have no voice. They don’t understand. They are hurting. Please consider adoption.”

And yet we hear about children who are abused and neglected and think, “I don’t have the resources to adopt or help children, but I have ten dogs.”

The lives of babies, of children, are much more important.

I’ve heard many stories about parents who will give up all parental rights during a divorce if they can keep the pets.

I can’t even imagine how those children felt. My parents left me for selfish reasons, yes, but to know they chose Fido over you?

Wow.

We need to get our priorities straight as a nation. Animals are never more important than people.

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An incomprehensible love

I read an article once that said many Christians feel uncomfortable when questionable people attend church. You’ve probably read or heard something similar before too.

Homeless people, prostitutes, druggies, murderers, pedophiles….

Even reading that list probably made some of you cringe just a little.

But Jesus died for us all. He didn’t say, “Unless your past was questionable. That’s where I draw the line.”

If a questionable past can keep you out of Heaven, I’m already disqualified.

All of us deserve hell. We just can’t measure up to God’s righteousness by ourselves.

And that’s why God–from the foundations of the earth–had the plan of salvation ready to go.

God, creator of the world, knew BEFORE IT HAPPENED that man–his most special creation–would screw up.

Then he created us anyway.

Why?

Because He is a God of love and wanted a people to lavish that love upon.

This fact still blows me away!

God has ALWAYS loved you. He loved you BEFORE you were ever loveable. He loved you even when He KNEW mankind was going to say, “Buzz off! I’ve got this under control.”  

It’s a love that’s beyond comprehension.

Why is the church not sharing this wonderful news?

God's loveBecause we can’t run around telling people Jesus loves them just as they are. There are conditions you know!

So the church continues to avoid homeless people, prostitutes, druggies, murderers, pedophiles….

And don’t even pull the “So your saying that we should all just do whatever we want? That’s greasy grace” card.

It’s a tired argument that needs to die.

I’m simply stating the fact that a behavior modification program, which has never worked (just ask the children of Israel) is not the same as the transforming power of grace.

The “bad” people we try desperately to avoid need Jesus.

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Comedians are in the funny business

I have always wanted to be a comedian.

A comedian’s job is to look around, make observations, and then report them back in a funny way. Their brains are wired to see things from multiple perspectives.

And their family knows this all too well. If I was a comedian’s kid, I would sell the copyrights to the funny moments of my life to my comedian parent and ask for the royalties as my allowance.

Because every aspect of life has a good, bad, ugly, and funny side. Then you branch off into finding the good, bad, ugly, and funny side of each side I mentioned previously.

(This is the part where I throw in the total number of combinations. But I’m not that great at statistical probability.)

My only problem with comedy today is the overwhelming use of sexual innuendos and expletives.

The good use of a cuss word is a lot like drinking Coke. You can drink one every once in a while, but you know a) it’s not good for you and b) it can’t be rationalized to your water loving, health nut friends.

Which leads me to my next point: Why are most “clean” comedians so boring?

Most of their sketches are very cliché, which is why humor enthusiasts normally do not like them. (Notice I said “most” because there are some clean, funny comedians out there.)

And I think this is why most humor enthusiasts, especially Christians, struggle to find the proverbial balance.

Yeah, this guy is really funny, but cusses like a sailor. This gal is a Christian comedian, but she hasn’t updated her jokes since the ’80s.

I bring this up because we all need a good dose of humor in our life.

We all want to laugh and comedians make us laugh.

There’s nothing wrong with that either!

Just be careful as you listen.

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Microwaves and lucky numbers

You are more likely to be struck by lightening while being attacked by a shark than winning the lottery.

It’s true.

And yet the number of lottery tickets bought each year is only getting bigger.

Why is that?

Here’s my theory:

Microwaves are the problem.You can now zap fry anything and it’s ruining America.

I can eat a frozen dinner while writing a paper while watching an episode of Seinfeld while buying a pair of shoes while checking my email while scrolling through my newsfeed while paying bills while on eHarmony while buying plane tickets while placing a bet on the next horse race.

And I never have to leave my house or change out of my PJS.

It’s the American dream, right?

Everything I want can be mine….right now!

No need for patience and long term planning. (Only people with flip phones still do that.)

lottoThis is the only reason why people buy lottery tickets: The hope of instantaneously falling into the good life.

Our microwaveable culture is even creeping into churches.

Why bother working and serving in ambiguity when you can take the stage and preach? You have the answers that will solve all the problems in modern Christianity. And you’re only 22!

(Please be sure to donate your brain to science one day, okay? We’d all like to know how you became as wise as Solomon so quickly.)

There’s no such thing as a microwaveable life.

The quicker we abandon this idea, the better.

Now did anyone eat Chinese today? I need the lucky numbers from your fortune cookie.  

I want to buy a lottery ticket before going on my deep sea fishing trip during the thunderstorm.

I’m feeling lucky!

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A hope worth celebrating

It’s been quite the weekend! 

I had the privilege of serving as a counselor at the Greater Birmingham Festival of Hope. 

Franklin Graham shared about the remedy for the pain and emptiness in our lives: accepting the finished work of Jesus Christ. 

Jesus lived and died to fulfill the righteous requirement of the law. Without His sacrifice, His blood, we would have no hope at all. 

Hope is an awesome thing. 

It’s the fuel of our sanctified imaginations. 
It’s the reason we can endure hardships with joy. 

Jesus came to give us hope!

A life without hope is no life at all. 

So, I want to end this wonderful weekend by giving thanks to Jesus Christ. 

He’s the author and finisher of our faith. 

He’s the giver of hope. 

And now hundreds of people have hope for a brighter future. 

All I want to do is celebrate!

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The power of love

As a kid, I had a lot of questions.

Both my mom and my dad abandoned me. My dad left first and my mom followed several years later.

Psalm 139: 14 says, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well.”

I had to memorize this verse for Sunday School.

I won some candy, but the verse never made any sense to me.

I remember praying and asking God, “If I’m so fearfully and wonderfully made, how can you explain why my parents left? Did they not think so?”

Many of us come from a dark past. Things happened that shouldn’t have and people abused our trust.

And we had questions that no one could answer.

Me?

I didn’t trust God for a long time. I thought He was just like everyone else.

Sure, I gave him lip service, but inside I was hurting and angry at Him and everyone else.

The day I surrendered my life to Christ, do you know what He whispered in my ear?

You can trust me. I approve of you, Audra. I always have. All I have for you is love. 

When I opened up my heart to receive Christ’s love, everything changed. He was right. His love and acceptance was all I ever wanted.

And suddenly, verses like Psalm 139: 14 started to make sense.

The pain I experienced happened because of the poor choices of my parents–not because God’s Word and God’s purposes for my life weren’t true.

Don’t let past hurts hold you back from receiving Christ’s love.

No pain is so deep that Christ can’t heal your heart.

Take it from someone who ran away for far too long.

True freedom, true healing can only be found through the grace and love of Jesus Christ.

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How to not read the Bible

I’m not too good at reading through a devotional or even following a Bible reading plan…

My goal for this year is to read the entire New Testament, but I didn’t put any restraints on myself to read the books in a particular order.

I like it much better this way and there’s no guilt over not following a plan.

You shouldn’t feel guilt while reading the Bible. At least, not when it comes to following or not following a plan. 

Yes, read your Bible.

Yes, it’s a good idea to read your Bible every day.

Just ditch the guilt because it’s counterproductive. 

Scripture says that the Bible is life and health to those who find it.

There’s nothing healthy about being legalistic toward Bible reading. 

About six months ago, I was praying about this subject and here’s what I heard:

Isn’t the point to spend time with Me?To learn more about following Me? I’m just happy you are reading. 

And that set me free.

It’s my prayer for you to be set free as well.

As Christians, it is important for us to know the Scriptures.

The Bible is God’s will expressed to mankind. 

Keep in mind that legalism and religiosity is not a part of that plan.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. 
Until next time,

Happy reading!

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Must Read: Love, Skip, Jump

I have another book recommendation for you.

If you’ve ever wondered what you can do to help others, then this is the book for you .

Shelene Bryan’s solution is simple.

Skip something.

A coffee.

Lunch.

A movie.

It doesn’t matter how much your skip costs. Any amount can help someone in need.

Love, Skip, Jump explains how and why Shelene Bryan, founder of Skip1.org, started her ministry.

bookThis book is challenging my perspective on how I choose to use my time, money, and resources.

Like I said before, if you’ve ever wanted to help and just don’t see how you can, this book is for you.

Give it a read.

And I promise your perspective will be changed too.

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Transitional daydreams

Ever been so lost in thought that it’s hard to come back to reality?

It’s a lot like daydreaming. You see all of these things happening around you, but it’s more like you’re watching instead of participating.

Maybe you’ve been there or maybe you think I’m a lunatic. (I won’t be offended if you think that.)

Either way, I think we’ve all faced times of transition and decision.

That’s where I am right now.

And, for me, it’s hard to know where to go when everything is colliding, when the past, present, and future are duking it out for time and attention.

How do you stay centered?

I find three things helpful:

1. Journaling

2. Reading

3. Praying

I journal a lot about my thoughts, feelings, etc.

It helps to capture my thoughts so they don’t end up controlling me.

Then I read.

I read my Bible, I read books, I read articles and blogs because that helps me gain perspective and see the bigger picture. Reading shows me that I am not alone in my struggles and that there are answers to my questions.

Lastly, I pray.

I talk to God about what’s happening in my life. A few weeks ago I wrote on the importance of prayer and how God is truly interested in our day-to-day lives. Nothing proves that to me more than in these moments of transition. The coolest part is that I’m not talking up to a ceiling, hoping that God is listening. I am confident that God not only hears me but also talks to me.

Without these three things, I would be one confused girl. That’s the truth.

I encourage you, my friend, to recognize what helps you in moments of transition and decision. Don’t wait until the pressure is on to figure it out either.

If you feel brave, share with me what helps you.

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Rabbit trails about inadequacy

I enjoy walking to the bank. It’s a nice change from sitting  all day.

The bank manager normally mills around and talks to customers. Today was Friday, so he was dressed casually. Monday through Thursday he wears a suit–an ill-fitting suit–and he seems a bit jittery. I got to thinking that maybe he’s uncomfortable because the suit doesn’t fit him.

The sleeves go way over his wrists and his pants are too long….he reminds me of a kid playing dress up. Maybe he feels inadequate and that makes him nervous?

I realize I’m speculating and this guy could be the most confident man in the world.

But my imagined story is not far from a truth many of us face everyday.

Feelings of inadequacy can sneak up on the best of us.

I saw a girl from high school today in a restaurant. She always made me feel small and unimportant. When I saw her, I panicked and found myself looking down, willing her not to notice me.

I thought about her and the branch manager as I walked back to my office.

My rabbit trail of thoughts led me to this conclusion:

We all play dress up at some point. We all experience inadequacy from time to time.

The act of dressing up, though, is actually a great test of our faith.

Sometimes you need to do it scared. Whatever “it” is for you, I can guarantee you that the first few times you step out will require a great deal of faith.

Your clothes will be too big.

And then you grow in confidence until you’re like Arnold Schwarzenegger, biceps ripping out of the sleeves from all the muscle you’ve built up. (Sorry! My imagination just got the best of me again.)

 But growth like that takes time and practice and even a few failed test runs.

Don’t let these things keep you from trying.

Don’t let feelings of inadequacy stop you.