Identity Theft 1

"But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

2 Corinthians 3:16-18

Last night was the beginning of our new series, "Identity Theft". Normally this post would be an easy one for me because I get to just repeat all the good stuff my husband said from the night before. This week was a little different. As you may see I haven't posted anything on here since last Wednesday night because I've been hunkered down preparing for this week's message...that's right, I had "got" to speak last night! If you know anything about me, you'll know that speaking just isn't my thing. I'd rather write than speak any day but I knew that God had placed in me things that people really needed to hear concerning their Identity in Christ and the insecurities that they face daily. So, if you missed last night, here are some things I tried to hammer home and hopefully they'll stick :)

We showed this video that has gone viral and came to the conclusion that the way we see ourselves is not they way that God sees us!

And just for fun, check out the guy versions on YouTube, they're pretty histarical!

• When we look at ourselves, often times, we see a mistake while God sees a masterpiece.
• A lot of our insecurities stem from the fact that so many of us are focused on the way that others approve or disprove of us.
• We all have veils of insecurity that we walk around with that cloud our vision of God and who He says that we are.
• It scares me that Christians are some of the most insecure people. God doesn't see us as insecure or inadequate.
• We tend to stare in the mirror long enough to start hating what we see.
• We need to lay down our worldly self-image and replace it with God's view of us.
• God's truth about you is way more powerful than other's opinions about you! 
• God will take the pain of your insecurities and use that to accomplish His purpose for your life.
• We can't find freedom from our insecurities in our culture but in the only unchanging factor of our lives, Christ.
• We are co-heirs with Christ. Just as we have inherited very specific traits from our parents, we have inherited very specific traits from our heavenly Father. When we criticize ourselves and wish that God had made us differently, we are insulting His work. 
• God has given you everything you need in order to fulfill His purpose for which He created you for.
• We need to focus less on ME ME ME and more on HE!
• We will continue to struggle with insecurities until we become more inwardly focused on Christ and less outwardly focused on ourselves.
• God will often times take our insecurities and write a story that portrays His glory. His power is made perfect in our weaknesses!
• God died for your insecurities, we continue to carry them, and He's asking for them back! Let Him carry them and use them.
• Guys, I beg of you to be careful how you talk to and about girls. Your words carry a powerful weight on the way that a girl looks and thinks about herself. Talk to them how you would want your sister or your future daughter to be talked to. After all, she is the daughter of your King.
• Girls, we all want to be told we're beautiful and treated as though we're the only person on this earth. But if a guy never tells you those things you want to here, we have to be okay with that! Guys don't want nor do they need the pressure of keeping you propped up all the time. We have to look to Christ for affirmations about ourselves and let the words that people say about us not make or break our day.
• God doesn't make mistakes, He doesn't make junk, and He didn't screw up when He created you.
• You are not who others say you are, you are who the King says you are!

'Til next time,

Walking Dead 3

"All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 

2 Timothy 3:16-17

We wrapped up the third and final week of Walking Dead last night! If you missed out, here's what you missed!

• We treat our bibles the way we treat our trophies-they sit and collect dust! Bibles aren't used for decoration but for transformation!
• A dusty bible=a dirty life!
• Just like medicine, the bible only works when we take it & it cures every sin!
• If we don't want to walk dead, we must be spiritually fed!
• We always want a word from God but we never want to read the word of God!
• The bible's useful! It's our instruction manual!
• We rely on 1 or 2 spiritual meals, being Wednesdays & Sundays, to get us through the week! If we went with only 1-2 meals a week, we'd be cranky & weak! 
• We get knocked down because we leave the house being unequipped!
• We combat the enemies lies with God's truths.
• Some of us go into battle with a dull sword!
• If we aren't in the word, we can't overcome the world! 

'Til next time,

Warm Weather Essentials

Normally, I would start a post like this by saying something like, "As we welcome in the warm weather...", but if you know anything about living in the south (the Carolina's especially) you'll know weather here can never make up it's mind. So, as the last few chilly days are hopefully leaving town, I'll say "as the warm weather approaches us again...hopefully...soon..." I'm going to tell you my must-have products for the warmer days! Most can be found a drugstore unless stated otherwise :)

1. Clean & Clear Deep Action Exfoliating Scrub

I really can't go without this! Not only because it works but because of how it feels! I like using this after going to the gym because it gets the grime off, or if I have to get up super early (which let's be honest, is once in a blue moon) because it tingles and wakes you up! 

2. Loreal Magic Beautifier BB Cream

This is my favorite BB Cream because it gives the right amount of coverage without feeling cakey. I like it also for warmer months because it helps mattify my face. I have pretty dry skin until the Summer time when the shine comes out! The only down side to this product is I don't believe it has a built-in sunscreen like most BB creams so you'll have to layer that on underneath :)

3. Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo

This is a cult product for me year round but it's especially nice to have in the Summer. I normally only wash my hair 3 times a week and in the Summer when I sweat more, this helps me not look like a hot mess!

4. Tangle Teezer

This little thing has saved my life arm & hair! When I say I have extremely tangly hair, that's an understatement! My high school gym coach used to be so impressed by my arm muscles, especially when he found out they were just from brushing my hair! It's a feat to brush out my hair but with this silly looking "brush" it's a breeze! I don't know where it has been all my life! (You can get it at Sally Beauty Supply)

5. Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri Wheat Leave-in Conditioner (whew, what a name)

I use this product year round but in the Summer my hair doubles in dryness so I use this everytime I wash my hair right out of the shower. It helps the detangling process, keeps my blonde hair from snapping so much, smoothes, and protects it from the heat! (You can get it at Ulta or TJMaxx on occassion)

6. got2b Beach Trippin' Waving Spray

This product saves me so much time in the Summer. My hair is especially thick, especially frizzy, and especially crazy during the hot months so I pass on the straightener and pick this up after I get out of the shower and it helps keep my mane tamed while letting it do it's natural thing (whatever that is, ha!)

7. Elf Mineral Infused Primer

Now, I don't use this a lot! And you can really use any form of face primer! I actually like just using Monistat Chaffing Relief Powder Gel, also! (don't be grossed out, it serves the purpose!) Like I said, my skin is normally very dry but if I'm going somewhere (an outdoor wedding, etc.) where I need my makeup to not sweat off, I like using a silicone based product to keep it on my face! (You can get this at Target or eyeslipsface.com)

8. CoverGirl Lash Blast Waterproof Mascara

Okay, I really hate waterproof mascara because as long as it takes me to get the tangles out of my hair, it takes twice as long to get this baby off my lashes. However, if I ever go out of the house with no makeup on, 99% of the time I have on mascara so yes, I will wear this to pool parties or the beach...call the cops ;)

9. Maybeline Baby Lips

So "maybe I was born with it baby lips", but no anymore. Just like my skin, my lips are dry if I don't keep something on them! I have to have these in the summer! I use them around the house and at the beach because they keep my lips from peeling off, they have a high SPF in them, and a lot of them add color so why not?

Go get you some and enjoy :)

'Til next time,

Walking Dead 2

"Pray continually." 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Last night we continued on in our Walking Dead Series at Pursuit! It was SO good so if you missed it, I'll help you out and catch you up to what you missed!

• Jesus is dying to talk to you, therefore He took the cross for you. 
• You need God, I need God...we can't do life without constant communication with Him and are spiritually dead without it. Always leave the phone off the hook in your communication with God because He wants to always be talking with you, don't hang up on Him! 
• God gave us scripture as His communication to us but prayer is our way of communicating with him and we treat our prayers with God like Aspirin. We use it as a lifeline when we're in pain, hurting, sick, need to feel better! 
• We pray 10 cent prayers expecting a $1,000,000 answers! We throw up a "God help me ace my test" when we didn't glance at the study guide and while that seems lame, we do it with much more trivial things as well! 
• When we delight ourselves in God, His desires for us become our desires for us.
• When we pray, it helps keep us from sinning but when we sin, it helps to keep us from praying.
• The saddest prayers aren't the prayers that go unanswered but the prayers that go unasked.
• Pray & let God worry :)
• The quickest way to get a room to go silent is to ask someone to pray...(adults, too:))

The challenge was this, set your alarm for a certain time each day to go to a certain place and pray. Give God your struggles, though He already knows them, and keep surrendering to His plan for you! Like I said, God already knows your heart and knows what you're dealing with but He wants you to come to Him and communicate with him. It's hard to have a relationship with someone if you just throw up your hand to them in the hallway or tip your hat to them every once in awhile. Pray, continually.

And last but not least, God does not view our prayers like this :)

'Til next time,

Parenting from a Non-Parent

Husband and I have often times been slightly ridiculed for giving parenting advice because we aren't parents, and while that is a valid reason to be concerned, we actually are parents...in a sense! Though we have no (biological) kids of our own, we've co-"parented" (to an extent) some great students in the past couple of years! Since we are in student ministry, we are always surrounded with teenagers and their parents! As much as we love raising up students, we also love walking alongside their parents as an advocate for them and as a third party looking in! Parents have the most impact on their students...not us! So, it's important for us to help parents and be their number one cheerleader when it comes to raising their students! Over the past 3 years, we have been to parent seminars, hosted some of our own, read parenting books, studied parenting blogs, and tried to help parents when they've needed us. And now I know that none of that compares to actually raising a child of your own, we love to see different styles of parenting and how that influences the children that they get older.

Last weekend we held a parenting seminar at TC and it's always refreshing to hear parents share in their love and struggles of parenting. In case you weren't there, I want to recap some things that could be helpful for you as you parent, not coming from us, but from Mike Landrum, someone who has helped spiritually mentor us in ministry and life. He teaches at a North Greenville University and has helped us tremendously in making ministerial decisions in the past. So, enjoy a breakdown :)

• Live Jesus to your kids! The older your kids get the more they will realize you succeeded. (They won't think you're right at the age of 13)
• God, family, job! Your kids & spouse need to know that you love Jesus more than you love them and eachother! Your kids can tell if your church attendance is just a way to get noticed, just to get your check and leave, or if it is because you truly have a relationship with God! 
• It doesn't take a lot for someone to be influenced by someone but it does take a lot for someone to be impacted by someone. You can't impact your child from a distance! Be IN their lives! Love them through their bad decisions! 
• There are some hills worth dying over and some that are not!!! Say yes as often as you can (if the requests are valid) so that when you say no...you mean no and they know you mean no!!
• Raising kids is not the job of the church! If your kid makes a bad choice, don't blame it on your pastor or student pastor and if your kid makes a good choice, don't praise your pastor or student pastor! (thank God :))
• Be a parent not a friend! Rules with no relationship breeds rebellion! You do need to earn the respect of your kids or else how do you expect them to come to you with their every need? Like mentioned before, you can't make an impact in your child's life from far away...be involved in their lives! Have a relationship with them that involves rules that they can respect because they love & respect YOU as their parent!
• Sometimes the worst thing we can do is overprotect our kids and shelter them from what's going on in the world! If your child wants to smoke weed badly enough, he/she is going to find weed! If they want to sleep with someone badly enough, they're going to find a way to sleep with someone! We need to teach them why sin is sin and that they shouldn't just not sin because "we said so!" Give them a valid reason for why sin is sin..."because it goes against the character of God." And if you've built that relationship with your kids, they will be more likely to come to you with issues of sin and temptation!
• Help kids own their own faith...not your faith...by answering the "Why's?" We see this a lot in student ministry. Kids go off to college having no clue why they believe what they believe and their answer to "Why do you believe that" is answered with "Because that's what my pastor taught me or that's what my parents said". That can be so dangerous!
• We can't have a "head in the sand" mentality when it comes to our culture! We can't ignore it like it's going to just disappear! Teach them to be in the world but not of the world!
• The most effective weapon against sinful forms of popular culture is a strong, healthy family life integrated into a loving community of faith!
• Pop culture is not evil, but it easily takes on evil forms as it tries to please a fallen world. (E.g. your phone is not evil...but can be used for evil. A computer is not evil...but can be used for evil. Your TV is not evil...but is often used for evil.) Monitor them all :) 

Take the time to mentor your kids. Don't brush off their questions about the bible or brush under the rug their deep theological questions. Maybe you don't know the answers to their questions...seek someone you trust that does or else they'll find out from someone or somewhere else! Take the time to love them and build that relationship with them! Let them know that you are their biggest advocate in life aside from Christ! And, just to put in a plug, get them plugged in to church! Bring them to Quest, Chase, or Pursuit on Wednesday nights, if their in college we would love their help on Wednesday nights, get them in a Hometeam (they meet on Sundays or throughout the week), get them to Kid's Camp or "Unleash" Summer Camp coming up, bring them with you on Sundays, get them serving somewhere in the church. I'm telling you, those things will make all the difference in the growth of your child...and plus, we just love to see their faces all the time :)

We will have another seminar in the Fall if you missed out on this one...please make plans to attend! They really are SO helpful! Always praying for ya'll!

'Til next time,

Jesus loves Starbucks, too!

I've decided to take the plunge, knowing a lot of people will not agree with me, but this is a blog right? So I guess it's worthy of my opinion! A few weeks ago my entire Facebook was bombarded with article after article and person after person telling the world how they were no longer going to give Starbucks their business (just google "Dump Starbucks if you missed out)! I thought, "this is gonna have to blow my mind in more ways than one for me to stop going to Starbucks!" Well, after reading two or three articles, I'm still giving Starbucks my business! [GASP] I decided not to post my response right away so that I could do some research on my own and hear from my Starbucks manager friend :) Now I know you're probably shocked to hear why I'm not jumping on the "Lets boycott Starbucks" wagon but if you'll let me explain, I may be able to lessen your heart rate right about now ;-) Haha! Oh, and if you're reading this thinking, she's just being rude and sarcastic...I am a little sarcastic by personality but I'm not meaning to be rude! At all! These are just strictly my thoughts and opinions!

So, why am I going to continue giving my business to Starbucks? Because I give my business to Walmart and they sell alcohol (which has caused great damage among some of my friends)! I also pump gas at gas stations that sell lottery tickets which have caused great pain amongst some people! I also buy books at Barnes and Noble where they sell inappropriate novels and magazines that wreck marriages! I've also eaten at restaurants that are owned by homosexuals! And lastly (but certainly not everything), I have bought wine to cook with at Publix!

These days, it is so difficult to be in the world but not of the world...to be transformed and not conformed...and to love those who aren't like us!! Yet we are called to do so by Jesus himself! I just find it a daunting task to never come in contact with those outside our Christian bubbles! What good are we doing in our world if we make a bunker in the ground and live in it never to breathe life into someone or shine a light in the darkness? Isn't that our job? We can't hide from "bad stuff" and we can't pretend sin doesn't exist! The same sin in "those people" is the same sin in us and Jesus died for it ALL! He didn't go to the cross so that some of us could be saved and then hide it from others and keep it to ourselves! May we all remember that Jesus came to save the world, not condemn the world. This may be a stretch but I think Jesus would sit in Starbucks, drink his coffee, and share the love of the Father with them!

Saying that, Starbucks, you will continue to have my business...same morals or not because I'm going to make it my duty to shine a light in your establishment, drink your coffee, and show you that Jesus loves you, too!

Cheers to Caffeine :)

Walking Dead 1

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:14-17

This week we started a new series at Pursuit, "Walking Dead". I'm pretty excited about this series as we dive into how to walk out our faith in a manner that's ALIVE not dead! Our faith and our actions have go side by side in our lives! Christianity doesn't end with saying a prayer...so, then what? Husband taught on the three types of people that we encounter in our faith, those that are alive, those that are artificial, and those that are just dead. <Which one are you?> We were/are all born dead men walking on the way to death row if we don't have Jesus to make us fully alive! Though our salvation doesn't produce immediate perfection, it should produce new direction...and people should be able to see that! We are doing more harm than good to those who see our actions and instead of portraying Jesus we are betraying Jesus. Is the God you believe the God people see? Believing isn't enough. We all sing "I believe I can fly" but do we really believe we can fly? No. Do we really believe in Jesus if our actions say otherwise? The demons believe and shudder. 

So, is the God you believe the God people see?

'Till next time,