the O.G. Viral

50 Shades of… Black and White

Jennifer — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 16:58:00 +0000

Have you ever said… “Well, I know what the scripture says in the Bible, BUT…I just don’t agree with it”? If you’ve said the above, believe me, you’re not alone. I’m sure there are plenty of scriptures that rub us the wrong way for our myriad of pet reasons. It’s okay to struggle to understand, or even to ‘like,’ a scriptural truth, but unfortunately, there is a sobering reality we need to recognize when deciding how to respond. You see, if the response that comes out is to bow up and say “I don’t agree”, then as harsh as it sounds, that response is not only sin; it’s deadly. It was this same mentality that said—I know what God saaaaid about that tree in the middle of the garden, buuut… He must be lying about the benefits of its fruit. Any mentality that exalts itself above God’s word, spoken or written, is trouble. The mentality that says, God might’ve said (fill in the blank), but I don’t agree with it and so I will not follow it—is straight from hell and means we are coming into agreement with Satan’s lies.

Proverbs 14:12-16 KJV There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Even in laughter, the heart is sorrowful; And the end of that mirth is heaviness. The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: And a good man shall be satisfied from himself.

This verse highlights something we all know deep down in our hearts, there is no genuine happiness in turning to our own ways. Sin may seem pleasant for a season, but it never lasts. Eventually, the reality of where we are before God sets in and our hearts betray us. You see, a defiant and self-directed path is identified in scripture as backsliding. Proverbs is a warning to good people that this mentality comes from our attempt to take satisfaction from, and be filled by self, instead of God. Some of us are probably thinking “oh good, this doesn’t apply” to me, others are thinking “oh man, I really don’t want to face this”. I get it, but if we want to seek the truth, we need to do so honestly. So let’s take a deep breath, and jump in to explore this with some practical examples:

I know what God said about forgiveness in the Bible, but you don’t understand what this person did to me. This one is all too common. We all struggle with it at some point. If we try to justify it though, instead of repent of it, that’s when we find ourselves in trouble. You see, according to Matthew 6:14-15, a person who doesn’t forgive others will not be forgiven by God. Yikes, I need forgiveness from God, don’t you?

I know what the Bible says about tithing, but I believe churches shouldn’t be run like businesses because humanity is wicked. We ignore the fact that in Malachi 3:10 it says that tithing is the one time in scripture God encourages us to test Him through our obedience.

I know what God said about divorce, but no one has tried living with my spouse. We ignore the word when it tells us that marriage is an important relationship God uses to sanctify His bride (that’s us) Matthew 19:8-9.

I know what God said about adultery, but I think this other person is my soulmate and the spark isn’t there anymore with my spouse. We come up with every reason to excuse so many verses, including Exodus 20:14. “You shall not commit adultery.”

I know what God said about sex before marriage and remaining pure, but people probably wrote that based on the times back then. Why should three hundred-year-old dead guys from a different culture dictate how I live my life now? We conveniently forget that the men who wrote the Bible simply transcribed the inspired word of God, as it says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. The word of a God that is the same, yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Before I tackle this next part, please note: Nothing that I will write here negates our duty to love people regardless of their sin. “I know what the Bible saysabout homosexuality, but love is just love, right? If two people love each other, God is the author of love, end of story.” In our ‘tolerance’ we conveniently gloss over 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. It says, “do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders ¹⁰nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” The approach that fails to warn, is not love, no matter how hard we try to convince ourselves that it is.

I know what God says in the Bible about God creating Male and Female, buuut, today there are: women, men, non-binary, transgender and let’s not forget: agender, cisgender, gender fluid, gender queer, intersex, and nonconforming. I mean, we can’t leave out this entire group of people that have never felt right in their body, can we? Perhaps God made a mistake? Or maybe it’s just fine with God for people to express themselves how they feel. Culture has changed. We insist, as we desperately distance ourselves from the call, to not conform to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

I know what God said about fear, anxiety, worry, gossip, stealing, obeying my parents, loving my neighbor as myself, lying, drugs, idolatry, and not accepting His forgiveness, healing, grace, and direction (and on) BUT…

I could write the longest blog post ever seen (and possibly get run out of town for everyone I’ve offended) if I tried to cover all the areas where our sinful heart tries to dilute the word of God. Is it any wonder that in Matthew 7:13-14 it says: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Only a few find it!! Read that again. Next time you go to church, look around. Only a few find it!! Think about all the people you know in the world—only a few find it!! Which gate do you intend to enter?

If you’ve been reading along, lips pursed in grim distaste, just waiting for that moment when I hit your pet, I know what God said BUT… so that you can shut me down. Perhaps you’re thinking that maybe I had too much caffeine today because clearly I’m wound up and spicy. Let me share with you why this is important, as though that last scripture that says broad is the gate to destruction and only a few find the road that leads to life isn’t terrifying enough.

James 1:14-15 says: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then, when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. When we see the word lust, we think only in terms of sexual, but it really just means desire. In fact, other translations say, “we are drawn away by the desires within our heart.”

What happens next? When we are tempted with the desires that exist within our heart, (Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?), and we mix our agreement with that temptation, it results in sin. See sin is a lot like the conception of a baby. You need the sperm (the idea or desire) and the egg (our agreement with that idea). That’s why temptation alone isn’t sin. It’s when we get into agreement with the idea/desire that it becomes our little sin baby. And when sin is finished, it brings forth death.

Suddenly, we see the problem we face. Either we believe God loves us and His word for us is good, or we don’t, but the truth we find in the gospel isn’t a fence we can straddle. The death spoken of here might not be physical, but even more grievous, is when that death is spiritual. For those of us who want to quote John 10:28, which says that God gives us eternal life and no one can pluck them out of my hand—I have this news for you: It never said you couldn’t walk away, so why chance it? In Revelations, there is a warning to a church it calls lukewarm. In that warning, God says he will spit them out of His mouth.

I’m going to leave you with these last two things:

Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’…

Who does it say enters the kingdom of heaven, BUT… (notice that God also has a BUT), only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. If you are hearing the word of God today—do not harden your heart like they did in the rebellion (Hebrews 3:7-8). Repent. Repent of deciding that you know better and allow God’s word to be the plumb line for your life. The thing you measure yourself against. Not just the things that feel good or the things that you agree with, but Proverbs 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil.

I once heard a powerful sermon given by a baptist preacher who said: “Some of you have designed your view of God around your worldview. And then you cry and complain that God never answers your prayers and it’s almost as if He doesn’t exist. News flash: That god doesn’t exist. You made him up! Any God that is defined by your worldview isn’t God. God is in the business of defining your worldview—not the other way around.”

The good news is that God warns you of these things not because there is no hope, but because there is! We have the opportunity to repent, turn from our sin, and God will not only forgive us and heal us, he will welcome us with open arms and transform us by the renewing of our minds. We serve a loving God and because He loves us; He directs and corrects us. All scripture is profitable… we have to choose if we want to profit from it spiritually. It’s worth it!

Christmas Chaos

Jennifer — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 00:43:02 +0000

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is kept on You, because he trusts in You.

Do you feel like you’re swimming in a holiday ocean of overwhelm without a life vest? Everything from navigating tricky familial relationships and perhaps juggling those triggering feelings of loss or seasonal sadness? Maybe sprinkle in the financial worries doing a merry dance in your head, and the marathon of food prep that could make Gordon Ramsay sweat. Oh, and let’s not forget the extra work hours to afford all those gifts that keep the family smiling.

Welcome to the end-of-year chaos! It’s the season of juggling a gazillion things while trying to remember to keep yourself focused on the reason for the season. I mean, who thought November and December could turn into a real-life action movie where you’re the lead character just trying to survive the holiday hustle?

So, where do you even start when it comes to finding and resting in God’s peace in the midst of the overwhelm of real life? Sometimes peace feels elusive, like trying to figure out which strand of Christmas lights is causing the whole string to go wonky. The three words I’m about to mention might initially sound like a hard pass. They tend to raise eyebrows and go against our natural instincts. But, surprise, they’re actually the secret code to discovering peace. You might want to brace yourself: Surrender, perspective, and trust.

Hang in here with me. Take a deep breath and remember what is says in Romans 8:31 if God is before us who or what can be against us? The initial baby step in surrender involves releasing our death grip on control. Proverbs 16:3-4 reminds us, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The Lord works out everything to its proper end.”

Surrender can often feel daunting and challenging. How do we release our grasp on the illusion of control? It’s primarily a mental shift. The simple truth is, we aren’t in control, though we may believe we are. Moreover, we have a powerful enemy who is influencing us with false ideologies, compelling us to shoulder it alone. Yet by embracing a renewed perspective, (be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind), we can welcome God’s plans, trusting they’ll always surpass our own.
An executive friend of mine once shared an inspiring holiday testimony. Faced with an overwhelming to-do list—over six hours of work, household chores, meal preparation for her family and expected guests, gift wrapping, and an upcoming church prayer session—she felt the pressure mounting. Anticipating a late-night work session and possibly missing her prayer time, she paused in the overwhelm to pray herself. In an instant, a plan unfolded in her mind, gifted by the Holy Spirit. She swiftly attended to household tasks, fed her family, and headed for prayer. Returning home, she began her work, bracing herself for a long night. To her shock and immense relief, what would have usually consumed six hours barely took forty-five minutes. It was nothing short of a miracle—a testament to God’s grace, not just His unmerited favor, but His enabling power allowing her to achieve what He called her to.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30).

My friend’s example taught me so much. When she felt overwhelmed, her first step was to shift her focus from the natural to the supernatural by praying. It’s seems easy, but often, getting out of our own head is the hardest thing to do. She didn’t attempt to navigate it alone; instead, surrendering control and seeking God’s guidance, she transformed her perspective. Trusting in Jesus, she relinquished her burdens and found peace and confidence through the Holy Spirit’s guidance on what to accomplish and how to proceed. As she set aside her own efforts and embraced God’s, she experienced His grace—His divine empowerment—in every task.

In Isaiah 26:3, God pledges perfect peace to those who anchor their minds in Him, placing their trust steadfastly. Amidst the holiday bustle, grief and stress, you’re not navigating the chaos alone. The pressures, and apprehensions of this festive whirlwind are things we all face. Yet, amidst it all, here’s the assurance: God’s got this—and God’s got you! The question is – will you let Him?

Remember: Hebrews 4:11 urges us to earnestly seek God’s rest, achieved through surrender, perspective, and trust. Genuine rest emerges when we lay down our burdens and embrace His. Matthew 11:30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” If you’re struggling, start by seeking Him. Take a moment and commit your way to the Lord, so that He can direct your path. We can do all things through His strength – even holiday chaos.

What do you worship?

Jennifer — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 00:28:05 +0000

This people have I formed for myself; they will show forth my praise. Isaiah 43:21.

Therefore, I urge you, brethren, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1.

What do you worship?

As you read, I’d love if you’d ruminate on the question: what do I worship?

Recently, our church has been ministering on the word ‘worship’. What does it mean? How does it apply to our lives?

For so many of us, our understanding of worship begins and ends with lifting praises to God through singing on Sunday morning. Perhaps, while we are singing, if we are feeling extra brave and spiritual that morning, we raise our arms and sway, too.

Mostly, we think of worship as a form of celebrating God with song, prayer, church and reading the Bible. Not bad thoughts.

Our ideas about worship, if a lot of us are honest, have to do with external acts of validating God. While those notions aren’t wrong, I think we miss a bigger picture.

I would like us to consider that worship occurs when turn aside from the ordinary tasks of life to give time, attention and honor to something or someone.

In that light – how many of us worship our smart phones? Get a break in the day and the first thing we pick up and do is check our phones to see who is trying to communicate with us or maybe who has validated our recent post on social media. Or maybe we tell ourselves that we are “researching” this or that.

How many of us pattern our lives by turning aside and giving regular time, attention and honor to: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Netflix, Hulu, gaming apps and consoles, an important relationship, our hobbies, our Spotify list, the latest bestseller. Raising my hand here too! You’re not alone.

We worship a lot of things that aren’t God. So, in that light, let’s consider a few important things about worship as the pattern of our life.

Above, the scripture in Isaiah shows us that God has created us to be His representation of praise. It means that we live our lives in such a way that onlookers will see the goodness of God reflected in the testimony of our lives and that is a praise to Him.

How do we get there? Well, it’s accomplished through what Romans 12:1 says. “Therefore, I urge you, brethren, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.”

What does it mean to present or offer our bodies as a living sacrifice? First, we need to understand why presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice is pivotal.

I think we can all agree, there isn’t much (externally speaking) we have control over in life, right? I mean, not really. That’s why we often say things like, “let go, and let God” as the answer to the fact that our daily lives take shape around us in ways outside of our authority.

There is, however, one thing in this life that in most situations, we have total authority over, and that is ourselves. Think about it. From a young age, we have a lot of autonomy surrounding what we think and do. Even if our physical selves are under the power of another, I can’t think of one real instance, an instance that exists outside of the movies, where our mind is controlled by another without our agreement. As we mature and become adults, we have total autonomy over what we think and what we do.

Consider, we don’t have to watch that movie (we can leave the room or change the channel) or listen to that song or read that book. We can control how long we spend on our various devices (phones, tablets, TVs, computers, gaming systems etc.,). We don’t have to go to the bar even if that cool band you really like is playing there. We don’t have to worship our problems or eagerly wait for the next bit of drama and gossip. We don’t have to be slaves to fear and the pattern of our thoughts don’t need to be anxious especially since the bible says “Be eager for nothing but, with all prayer and supplication, make your requests be made known to God.” We don’t have to worship our medical illnesses or our relationships.

We present ourselves as “living sacrifices” through our choices in what we allow to become important in our lives.

God says that, considering His mercy toward us, it’s reasonable for us to exercise control over the ONE thing we have ABSOLUTE authority over, and that’s how we conduct ourselves. Does it feel good to master our time or our thought life? No. That’s the sacrifice part. We are living sacrifices when we decide to die to our sin nature and live to Christ. That living to Christ part is “true and proper” worship.

More often than not, we present our bodies as a living sacrifice to ourselves and we leave God the crumbs. As the great and wise (all the snark) Homer Simpson says, “DOH!”.

At the beginning, I asked a simple question: What do you worship? What do you turn aside and give your time, attention, and honor to? Kinda crazy to think that an obsession with our health could be what we worship over God… am I right? I asked you that question because it’s important for us to realize the worship of our lives so that we can exercise authority over our nature and change it.

Let me reassure you, you’re not alone. As even Paul said, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The vast majority of us need work in this area. We need to become true worshipers of God. Our lives need to become that reflection of Christ and God’s goodness through our choices to cast down our idols or the things we worship instead of God.

A peeve of mine is a writing that points out a truth, but then stops short of providing helpful answers. To not be what irritates me, take some of those extra moments today where you might normally turn aside to something else and seek God. Ask Him what you worship and how to take steps (not leaps and bounds) to take authority over that area in your life. Remember that we are constantly being transformed by the renewing of our mind. This implies an ongoing interactive relationship with God. Ask God to help you take those steps in faithfulness as a living sacrifice. Let him show you what to replace certain patterns with (i.e., christian music, books, movies. A different friend group, a prayer meeting or service instead of a concert, mastering your thoughts and changing your focus, spending time with Him, being conscious of His abiding presence wherever you are and listening to the Holy Spirit’s promptings).

Final thoughts: Sometimes simple confessions of truth are powerful in changing an unwilling or unmotivated heart. I have to tell God all the time that I know certain things are right or wrong, but my heart doesn’t match my head knowledge. I have to ask God to help me change my heart because on my own; I don’t want to. I would caution you away from trying to change your behavior solely on your own and would instead encourage you to recognize what you worship and then ask God for His solutions and His help. His ways are higher than our own.

The Journey Home

Jennifer — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 13:53:17 +0000

Hey there! If you’ve checked out some of the articles or encouraging posts on this website or our app, you’ve probably seen the name ‘Jennifer’ pop up. And you might be wondering, ‘Who is Jennifer, and why is she writing about God and life’s challenges?’ Well, I’m Jennifer, but you can call me Jenn. Pleased to e-meet you!

I’m here to share a bit of my journey and hopefully be a help to others navigating their own path to faith through life’s maze of difficulties. You see, my life’s story has been a roller-coaster of ups, downs, twists, and turns. It’s those experiences that motivate me to encourage others. So, let me give you a glimpse into my story and what fuels my desire to be a source of encouragement for anyone who might need it.

In my life, I have not been a stranger to hardships and sadness. My mother died when I was twelve, turning thirteen. After her death, I bounced from dysfunctional home to home until, at the tender age of sixteen, I left the chaos of dysfunctional families and struck out on my own. As an angry young woman bent on being her own boss, I created a lot of my misery. My moral compass, or the rules I lived by, were simply based on whatever felt good and made me feel ‘happy’. I felt I deserved whatever happiness I could carve out for myself—after all, I had been through a lot. If I’m honest though, I don’t think any of the poor choices I made trying to get happiness actually made me feel truly happy. All I found time and time again were temporary satisfactions and fleeting, empty, happy feelings that never were sustainable. Eventually, the bubble always burst.

The trouble was, the things I thought would feel good, (and often they did for a season), ended in a lot of pain and trouble. It would start off happy, and exciting, like a mouse taking its first few nibbles of the tasty bait in a trap. Nothing bad would instantly happen and if it did, it wasn’t a big deal. I could handle it. It would all seem to go my way and so, like the mouse, I’d take bigger bites until—SNAP!

In my life, it seemed I was always getting offered things. The offer of happiness in a new relationship with a hot guy or the promise of being popular with my peers if I measured up to their standard of approval. This standard was almost always some version of what we saw in the media. Then there was the promise of fun and adventure at parties where the cool kids were enjoying sex, drugs and popular music. Flexing my new fit and feeling cute or flexing any other outward possession that might make others jealous and think I’m cool. It didn’t seem like these were harmful things. They were the general behaviors of all my peers. Everyone was doing the same thing and most of those things were rites of passage. “A little rebellion to find one’s self,” even the adults agreed was normal.

The world never lacked temptations. The trouble always came after I allowed the hooks to sink in deep and the things I thought I had wanted led me to really rough roads with a lot of pain and sadness. The more I engaged in trying to find happiness by running from my pain and filling the holes that it left, the emptier I felt—even when it seemed like I got what I wanted. I remember living in an upscale area in New York with my best friend and her mother. We had a beautiful house. The kind that was in a development of nice houses. I wore trending clothing. Our family drove a new vehicle. I worked hard to become ‘popular’ and to ‘fit in’. Despite all the stuff I had going for me, I was still empty and hurting inside. The truth was bad things happened in nice houses. When making the right choices didn’t get me the attention I so desperately needed, I turned to making all the wrong choices until I finally got kicked out. This was a pattern that would happen repeatedly until, at the tender age of 16, I struck out on my own.

I would try to bury the discomfort of these wounds and move on to finding myself more happiness. Sneaking wine coolers at the pool hall or telling my guardian I was sleeping at a friend’s house so we could go to the dive hotel party where everyone was doing everything and all of it stupid. Sure, it provided my friends and I something to talk and connect around—all the drama and funny stories from the party, (you know, the… “can you believe so and so, he/she was so messed up” or “so-and-so are totally hooking up” etc.,), but that provided no real lasting satisfaction. Then there were the times I got so blitzed I made an enormous fool of myself and could hardly face people the next day. The inward cringe factor kept me up all night because I knew they were talking about me, and rightfully so.

Those choices would nag at me. I knew I was making poor decisions. That I was hurting myself and hurting others, but I would dismiss it and go a little further and a little further until choice by choice I would silence that voice of discomfort and warning until I would forget it was even there in the first place. Like the mouse… nibble by nibble… my confidence in wrongdoing grew until, SNAP! I was suddenly a self-pitying fool caught in the mess of my making. I had all the excuses too and don’t think I didn’t use my really tough life as my biggest ace in the hole as far as a get out of free jail card.

Having been raised a Baptist Christian; I had all but turned from a faith that seemed like a bunch of 300 plus year old dead guys conspiring on how to be a buzz kill for future generations. The list of “thou shalt nots” seemed like a metric ton of rules and expectations no one could live out (at least not in their own strength and power) and the “thou shalts” seemed pretty lame and boring. After all, I rationalized, the religious God I had grown up with didn’t save my mother from dying when I asked, so why should I worry about His lists? I don’t know about you, but for me, I doubted there is any God at all and it felt a lot better to follow popular beliefs that allow you to make anything up that feels good and to explain away any discomfort.

The years rolled on. I lived with an older co-worker while supporting myself in finishing up school. It’s funny how being your own boss with no parents to tell you “no” seemed extremely overrated, empty, and scary. All the lures of the world held great appeal, and I followed each desire until it ensnared me and ultimately turned to misery. There is a Bible verse that comes to mind, “you reap what you sow.” The simple meaning is, if in the natural world you plant potatoes, don’t expect a harvest of carrots or watermelon, right? And in the spiritual world, if you plant poor choices, don’t expect a harvest of success and good things. The thing I had never realized was that gardens never grow over night. You don’t harvest in the same season as you plant. So MANY of the poor choices I had made didn’t instantly catch up with me, but… I would eventually get a harvest, and it often wasn’t one I was too happy with.

Late in my wild teens, I began asking the deeper questions about life. I was angry. Who wouldn’t be? I had suffered a lot of loss and life seemed to hold a bunch of empty promises. I was hungry for something more than what mainstream media and iconic culture was offering. I tried on whacky mystical stuff and researched religions of the world. I went to psychics and read philosophy—there seemed to be some really smart things that different religious figures and leaders had contributed, but after following this way or that for a while, it was empty.

Eventually, maybe in honor of my mother, (a Jew that converted to Christianity), I read the Bible. Surprisingly, it made sense! More sense than even the feel good stuff I had been reading. In fact, I kind of enjoyed that it kicked my butt and revealed my character flaws. It’s not that my heart wasn’t sincere, but I was pretty alone on that adventure. My best friend thought I was crazy and kept challenging everything I said with something that sounded convenient from the Buddhist or New Age intellectual camp. My boyfriend of that time thought I was a buzz kill, especially when I stopped wanting to party. I was pretty much alone.

During my time of searching, I had a vision or an experience that forever changed my outlook. The church world told me that what I had experienced was not real, although they were thankful it brought me “back to the fold.” Ouch, that hurt! I had no idea that not every Christian interpreted the Bible the same way and for a season, that was where I hung it back up. Not because God had put me down, but a bunch of Christians that interpreted the Bible narrowly, didn’t validate me. Over time, God would use that too!

During my first marriage, I drifted from the Church and my beliefs. It wasn’t until just before my second marriage that I found my way back. But after that so-called “fictitious experience” and reconnecting with God, I struggled to live up to the standards of the Bible. I wanted God’s purpose for me, yet I also wanted to enjoy what the world offered. This was compounded by the fact that my experiences with church folks weren’t always positive. Instead of finding support, I encountered backbiting, politics, and conflict.

I was spiritually hungry, unaware of what was missing or how to satisfy that hunger. I had beliefs but lacked a true connection. I knew about God from a book, similar to knowing that fresh food is healthier than fast food but choosing the latter out of habit. I filled my time with friends, TV, work, relationships—everything but building a relationship with God.

The world seems pretty cool and let’s face it, in someway or another we are all drawn to it. I don’t know about you, but sticking out like a sore thumb because you’re “different” and being made fun of by your peers for being a “Christian” felt awful and wasn’t something I wanted to sign up for. So it was easier to tell myself that what I believed was just personal in my heart, while I continued on, not really reflecting it on the outside.

For a while in my life, I knew about Jesus. I knew about the Bible. I had until my mother died, spent much of my childhood in church and in church clubs. I had memorized scripture, attended prayer meetings, and my family had always been there whenever the church doors were opened. I had a good belief system, and I thought, a correct philosophy. None of it had seemed to make any difference in how I ran my life. See, I was STILL spiritually starving, but did not know what was missing or how to get food that filled my soul. I had a belief, but no revelation. If your physical body needs food to grow and be healthy, guess what? Our spiritual body needs the same!

In those days, I wasn’t making time to develop a relationship with God. I believed the right thing, but when I was hungry, I always made the choice that went against my head knowledge because I was comfortable in the patterns. I did what I was used to doing and ate from the world… after all, McDonald’s tastes good … at least, on the way down.

My head knowledge about God was a lot like teaching a kindergartner: 2+2=4 in math. A kindergartner can repeat a math fact, but until they understood what that really meant, it was just an empty accepted fact. Hand a student two lollipops for one hand and two for the other hand and we count how many we have in each hand and then how many we have all together in both—suddenly revelation occurs. There is something behind the concept! We’d rather have four lollipops than two. Empty knowledge is just that—empty. It doesn’t become powerful until we find its meaning. It is true in the natural world and its true in the spirit too. Until the revelation of a concept blooms within our heart and mind, it remains empty, no matter how much we talk or read about it. So how does that happen? How does religion become more than just empty head knowledge? How does it become a relationship?

Figuring out answers to those two questions was where I spent my late twenties and early to mid thirties. I had grown sick of the parties, broken relationships and the deep dissatisfaction I felt with myself and life. I considered myself a “Christian” but I was a lot like the kindergartner without two lollipops for each hand to help me understand. I had very basic understanding of God. It changed for me at around the age 27. I was in my second marriage and sick of a spiritual McDonald’s. I remember vividly walking into a church where I could just feel God’s presence in the room during worship. It’s hard to describe what that feels like, but it was pretty awesome and I hungered for more.

There is a verse in the Bible that talks about the fact that no one can know another person’s thoughts outside of the spirit that is within that person. Meaning, I don’t know what you are thinking and you don’t know what I am thinking, but we each have a spirit inside us that gives us an understanding of our own thoughts. It says that when we accept Jesus as our personal savior, God places within us His Holy Spirit who reveals to us His thoughts (1 Corinthians 2:9-16)! Whoa. Cool! During that time of my life, I finally met God, and what I found was a lot different from practicing rituals, memorizing scripture, and observing an empty religion.

What do I mean when I say I “finally meet God”? I mean, the Creator of this entire universe began showing up and revealing Himself to me. I don’t mean he waltzed in the room in physical form, I mean that suddenly, the things I read in the Bible took on new life and I was asking questions, getting answers deep in my heart, and the relationship that was growing went beyond having a little belief or faith because it became experience and relationship. It transformed me from the inside out.

Mathew 4:4 says, “It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. The word “proceeds” is talking about a continuation. Great news—God hasn’t stopped talking just because the Bible is written! He continues to speak to us through His spirit, which, when we accept His son, Jesus, He places within our heart. That my friend, is a game changer. It is also why my journey home; back to the faith of my mother, prompts me to write to you. There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING, like experiencing God.

Getting to know God is a lot like getting to know anyone else; you have to invest the time. Just because you meet someone once or maybe you read their bio online or follow them on “the gram” doesn’t mean you really know them, even if you get a sense of what they are like from their platform. Likewise, you can’t just read the Bible and know God. You have to interact. Spoiler alert—having faith and relationship with God is something you practice, and it results in a changed life.

Many people have had it far harder than I have, but the hardest thing each of us has faced is just that, the hardest we’ve faced. For me, my journey getting to the place where I truly took the steps to know God felt long and tough and I had little support during some of the most painful and challenging times in my life, so I began looking for ways to lift other people up in whatever they are going through. Encouraging people is something I love because, just a little encouragement can go a long way. If you decide to engage with this page, just know I’m here to encourage you! He changed my life and He can change yours too. Take a chance on getting to know the creator who made you, loves you, died for you, and has purpose far beyond your own imagination. I promise you won’t regret it!

News

Jason — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 22:28:40 +0000

With so much going on in the world, how do we discern what the truth is? How should we approach the events all around us in a way that allows us to let go of fear and anxiety. Is there a grander plan at work and what should our response to these things be? This section will begin to explore some of those questions in a way that hopefully challenges and encourages those reading it. Stay tuned!

Videos

Jason — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 22:06:48 +0000

Looking for something worthwhile to watch? I mean, I get it, endless hours of scrolling through social media is fun and all, but does it really make you walk away feeling encouraged, challenged in a positive way, or like you finally understand something that can change your life for the better? Not often right? Here we are hoping to change that. We are working on bringing you reviews, suggestions, and even custom content that will have you walking away feeling energized and excited about life. I get it, it may not be the latest cat slipping off a table, but it might just change your life anyways. Stay tuned, we’re working on it!

Music

Jason — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 21:59:33 +0000

We’re working on this section so there’s nothing here yet. But when this section is done we will be excited to bring you suggestions and reviews of positive, encouraging music that will blow your mind. We’re not talking cheesy lyrics, lame beats, and recycled sounds. We’re talking quality music you’ll want to listen to over and over again. Some of the bands may be familiar, many won’t be but you’ll see everything from pop to rap to metal but with a Christian worldview.

If it Wasn’t for the Pain…

Jennifer — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 21:52:23 +0000

“What do I do with all of my pain? It’s like a bad burrito eating up my insides and making me sick. It’s become the poison I designed for others, but really, it’s only killing me. Sometimes I’m angry for no reason I’m aware of, but I end up taking it out on others whether or not they deserve it. I feel so alone in this.”

Do you ever feel this way? It’s more common than most people realize. Unfortunately, recognizing our issues doesn’t mean we know how to deal with them. So, what do we do when these types of emotions hit us?

This may sound weird, but the first thing we need to do is dig down to the root of the emotion. Take anger, for example. If you stop and trace it to its source, it might surprise you to find that what you’ve labeled ‘mad’ is really sad, hurt, frustrated, scared, and so on. In fact, anger is always a “secondary emotion”; what this means is that every time anger is present, something came before it. Anger is always second in line. Beneath that fiery rage, there is an emotion that kicked the party off. It’s important when we find ourselves mad to figure out where our anger is coming from so that we can deal with it effectively.

Often, the struggle in coping with the bad stuff that’s happened in our lives is the very real fact that those struggles have come through people who’ve been selfish and hurtful. They have made choices we can’t control, and any loss of control can also make us feel upset and angry. It’s that feeling of powerlessness that kicks off a chain reaction of frustration, anger, resentment, and bitterness. And dealing with things beyond our control? Yep, it’s a surefire way to turn us into emotional volcanoes. The simple truth is, we can’t control other people. The only thing we have power over is how to decide to respond to the situations we find ourselves in.

I once watched a fabulous tiktok video of a father showing his teenage boys why reacting to a situation in anger is a terrible idea. He handed a soda bottle to each son and told them to shake it up. After a full 30 seconds of shaking, you could see that they were roiling with explosive tension. He said to the first son, “OK, now imagine that a situation happens, and it shakes you up, just like this soda bottle. Open it.” Of course, the soda went everywhere and made a big mess. “This is what happens when we let anger take control over us. It makes things worse, not better.” Then he said to his second son with the bottle that wasn’t opened, “Son, I want you to wait before opening it.” After waiting a period, when they opened the second bottle, it was no longer explosive. There was no mess to clean up or damage to take care of. Then he handed his son a tube of toothpaste and he said, “I want you to squeeze a bunch out into the sink.” The son obeyed. He said, “When we react in anger and we allow our emotions to run wild, sometimes we say things we can’t ever take back, and that’s like squeezing toothpaste out of the tube. Squeezing toothpaste out of the tube is easy, but once it’s out, it can’t be put back in. So we have to not allow our anger to control us and we have to be careful always in how we use our tongue. Words can be the deadliest of weapons.”

Sometimes, there’s no ‘they’ causing the pain. It’s us, our choices, our limitations, or how we’ve interpreted things. But no matter the source, the pain’s real. And when we can’t process or change it, we often slip into a spiral of emotions.

Different folks handle pain differently. Some vanish. Poof! Others turn into the ultimate risk-takers, almost challenging the world to take them on. Then there are the ones who hide their hurt behind a facade of perfection, slowly dying on the inside. And let’s not forget the firebrand warriors, fueled by bitterness, out to fix the world’s wrongs. Ephesians 4:26 tells us “Don’t sin by letting anger control you, do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” Take control of your anger, dig under it, and figure out how to release it. Okay, that’s great, but how?

Feeling our pain is a very important step in healing from it and disabling it. Acknowledging our pain, exploring it, feeling what it brings up for us, and owning it and then re-framing our association with it- is what it takes to heal. Feeling negative emotions and exploring them is something most people struggle with. It’s human nature to move away from things that are difficult or uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, the first step in healing often involves feeling the pain. It’s tough to confront our emotions. Sometimes, we either dive too deep into them or stuff them in a box, hoping they’ll magically disappear. But the truth is, allowing ourselves to feel without letting those feelings dictate our lives is a game-changer. It’s like owning up to a mistake without letting it define us.

Often, digging into our emotions reveals that we’re ill-equipped to deal with the cause of our pain. But guess what? God offers to take our burdens and to trade us beauty for ashes (all the destruction in our lives), joy for mourning, and praise for despair. (Isaiah 61:3). God offers to take our burdens and trade them for joy, beauty, and healing. He’s the ultimate healer, the emotional guru we never knew we needed.

Life hands us pain—it’s part of the package. But what if we surrendered that pain, received healing, and helped others do the same? What if our suffering didn’t have to make us enemies with everyone around us? What if, when things went haywire, we turned to God for strength and guidance?

Psalm 34:17 says, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them.” Why not give your pain, anger, hurt, bitterness… whatever it is that is torturing you on the inside, destroying relationships on the outside, and keeping you from living life to the fullest… over to God and let Him begin the work of healing you and setting you free.

Time for Change

Jennifer — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 16:15:35 +0000

Time for Change

2 Corinthians 5:17 “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

There are moments in all our lives when we realize that how we’ve been living, the way we’ve been reacting, or simply our way of thinking isn’t working anymore. Maybe it is causing too much stress, maybe it is hurting ourselves or others, or maybe it simply isn’t who or how we want to be anymore.

In those moments, we realize that what we need is a change. Easy enough… we just decide, change… and promptly fall back to our old habit minutes later. Let’s be honest, change is never easy.

So how do we start?

Forming a new pattern of behavior or cultivating a new habit is a struggle for most of us. Rarely does change happen overnight. In fact, according to studies, on average, it takes over 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic — 66 days to be exact. Of course, the actual time it takes for a new habit to form can vary widely depending on the behavior, the person, and the circumstances. So if you’re busy beating yourself up because you can’t seem to change something that you want to, then, my friend, you’re in good company. Take a deep breath, relax, you’ve got this.

Here’s how to start change in a way that works:

Become conscious of the thing that needs to change. It doesn’t matter if it’s a complex thing or a simple thing. It could be biting finger nails, lying, complaining, negative thinking, cursing, laziness, who you hang around, how you spend your money and so on… The first step is to, as clearly as you can, articulate to yourself what needs to change. Be honest with yourself, it may sting, but the clearer you are, the easier the next steps are and the greater the feeling of success when you see results.
Strategize your success. Let’s take lying, for example – perhaps you lie to protect yourself and it’s the first thing that slips out because you’re afraid to tell the truth. It’s important to catch yourself in the act. Become mentally aware when you are doing the thing you want to change and then use your strategy to help. For instance – stop yourself in the lie, apologize, and be honest, tell the person you are afraid to get in trouble, hurt them, or whatever is true and then solidify that change in behavior by telling the truth. As you do this, you will not only hold yourself accountable, but you will also develop a new habit. In this case, the habit of honesty.
Develop new coping mechanisms. Whatever your struggle is, part of strategizing your success is identifying your old coping mechanisms and developing new ones. Maybe your struggle is your temper and you cope by lashing out. If you do then no matter how silly it seems, you need to pick a new coping mechanism that is healthy. Don’t slip into another unhealthy coping mechanism. Maybe you need to take a walk and few deep breaths before you deal with whatever has you angry. Maybe you need to sit and read, or pray, or find someone to help keep you accountable. Whatever your coping mechanism is, find a healthy approach. As you do, you may be surprised to find that the struggle itself even fades once you no longer have to fear an unhealthy coping mechanism.
Keep at it. This isn’t rocket science, but it also isn’t easy. Perseverance is key. Don’t stop, don’t give up, and don’t make excuses. When you stumble, get back up, dust yourself off, and keep going. Don’t let that little voice that says “what’s the use… just give up” get in there. Don’t argue it, just ignore it. You’re on your way to change, and the temptation to give up is just that. A temptation. It has no actual power over you. 1 Corinthians 10:13 encourages us in this when it says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may endure it.”

Bring your struggle to God. He already knows about it anyway, and he delights in helping you even when you don’t know what to do. James 1:5 talks about this when it says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Changing behavior is hard work, but it’s worth the result of becoming a better person and treating those around you better. Change is not an overnight thing and none of us can flip a switch on all our flaws, but that doesn’t mean we are off the hook in fixing them, it just means we need to take the right approach.

Take heart!

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”