Tonight I finished reading Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. It was a challenging and convicting read. Piper really encouraged me to pursue a life that goes beyond the comforts of a normal, typical, Western, Christian life. I plan to write a review of the book once I work through some of what I read and I am better equipped to formulate my own thoughts.
But as I read his closing two chapters tonight, my mind drifted to my friend Krishana Kraft who definitely isn't wasting her life. I first met Krishana several years ago when she was on staff at BRIO magazine. She went to Peru on the same trip Michael and I did in 2006, but she and I had corresponded via email before then. When we were in Peru, Krishana was in the process of leaving BRIO and spending five months serving God by working with YWAM in Austria. While there, Krishana heard the call to return to Austria full time to minister to the 300,000+ unreached youth there.
Currently she is raising support through Greater Europe Mission, so she can return to Austria and answer what she believes to be God's call on her life. Right now Krishana has a unique fundraising opportunity. She has partnered with 963 Coffee (A specialty Arabic coffee that is organic and fair wage). For every bag of coffee purchased through this link, 40% of the proceeds will go to Krishana's account at Greater Europe Mission. So if you like coffee, and you have ten bucks to spare, you can help Krishana answer God's call to take the gospel to every tongue, tribe and nation.
Be sure to check out her blog to learn more about her story, and again you can help her out by buying coffee here.
What a great weekend! I'm absolutely exhausted, but I am also extremely grateful for all God did in the lives of these girls this weekend. On the left you can see a photo of two of my Christian Writers' Guild students, Sarah and Hannah, and me. Notice the rhino behind us? I told you this place looked like the Rain Forest Cafe. I really enjoyed my two hours with Sarah and Hannah. Both of them are excellent writers bubbling with potential and I can't wait to see how they continue to develop in the craft and use writing for God's glory. I wish I could have had more time with them.
Saturday night, my throat problem (which turned out to be a severe allergy to something in the Ohio air) grew worse and worse as I was preparing to give my final message of the weekend. Oddly enough, the message was on pressing on and enduring which was exactly what I had to do in order to even get the words out of my mouth. But I knew people were praying for me, and that God was with me, and He worked in those girls' hearts in a powerful way. As I taught I saw many of them furiously taking notes. One girl, with a high ponytail that flopped around furiously, nodded vigorously at almost everything I said. It was evident that some girls were hungry for the Word of God, and I hope my time with them served to whet their appetites for more of His Word.
After I closed on Saturday night, I received an overwhelmingly positive response from the girls. Because of their busy schedule, and the way meals were structured, I didn't have much contact with them outside of the teaching time during the weekend. But on Saturday night many of them lined up to talk to me and quickly tell me what the weekend meant to them. I loved that when they shared what God had spoken to them through the weekend they shared the Scripture references that specifically spoke to them. The Word of God is living and powerful, and I'm so glad they heard from Him this weekend. Both leaders and girls alike were quick to tell me that they appreciated "they way [I] arrange all of my points around Scripture" (also known as expository teaching). It was really encouraging to see so many of them embrace the teaching in such a positive way because I brought a somewhat tough and unpopular message this weekend.
Everyone from Woodside Bible Church was very kind and nice to work with. I enjoyed several late night chat sessions with some of the youth pastors and their wives and the other leaders. The resort grounds were absolutely amazing. There was an indoor water park, an indoor mini golf course, a large arcade, a paint your own pottery studio, several shops, a candy shop to die for, a day spa and all kinds of other fun things. I didn't have much time to explore, but during the moments that I did I found myself thinking that this would be a great place for a family vacation in the future. Michael and I would definitely consider going back someday. We skipped the water park this time, but I think we'd definitely give it a try if we came for vacation and not work.
One of the funniest parts of the entire weekend was that there was a girl at the event whose name is Shannon Kubiak (which also happens to be my maiden name). I was so excited to meet another Shannon Kubiak that I had to have my picture taken with her. You can see it here on the right. She was a very sweet girl, and she happened to buy a copy of my book God Called a Girl which is the only title I have with just my maiden name on the cover. So, she can now pretend like she wrote the book!
Doing two events back to back has been exhausting. I usually like to leave at least one weekend in between to give me time to breathe. But this month things didn't work out that way. But God was faithful to supply me with strength. Although I didn't feel good physically for most of the weekend, it was still great to watch God at work in and through me. Prior to the close of the event on Saturday night, I spent some time wondering why exactly God had brought me to Sandusky, OH this weekend. Later that evening as girls came up to me and looked me in the eye and explained how they were learning to forgive, learning what it really means to be a Christian, and that they were going to go home and make significant changes in their lives, I knew why. In that moment I was reminded that although a life of traveling and speaking isn't always easy, and it can often times be tiring, it is also very, very worth it. Honestly, there is nowhere else I would have rather been this weekend than in Sandusky, OH with these girls and our incredible God. Thank you for your prayers.
This morning's session on John 13 and Luke 8 seemed to be really well received by the girls. The girls have been so busy that I've only gotten a chance to speak one on one with a smal handful of them. One of the youth pastors' wives, Lauren, shared her testimony just before I got up to teach and she brought up the concept (in Luke 7) of forgiving much because we've been forgiven much ourselves. It was a perfect set up for the morning. I later drove home this point by explaining that Jesus' words on the cross (Matt. 27) prove He died as the enemy of God so none of us would have to. Since that is the case, none of us have room to hold unforgiveness toward someone else in our hearts.
I also taught on the woman in Luke 8. Jesus didn't by pass anyone. Although he was on His way somewhere important with someone important, He took the time to stop and commend the woman with the issue of blood for her faith. During this time I expressed the importance of imitating Jesus' attitude toward those whom we would otherwise tend to just blow right by.
A few hours later a teenage girl came to me and confessed she was an alcoholic and is currently in rehab. She came this weekend with much fear and apprehension and wasn't sure how welcoming other girls would be to her. After I taught this morning, she was placed in a small group with many of these girls she was worried about.
"They told me they didn't want to judge me anymore," she said. "And they've invited me to join the rest of the senior girls for a slumber party in one room [there are multiple hotel rooms full of girls here] tonight!"
Her joy was evident. The Body of Christ was welcoming her in, and giving her a safe place to work toward conquering the sin in her life without fear of judgement for being open about what her specific sin issue was. It was really encouraging to talk with her. She is so young to be fighting such an addiction. Please pray for her.
This afternoon I also got to meet two of the girls I mentor with the Christian Writers' Guild. Hannah and Sarah live here in Ohio and drove up to the resort with their moms to visit me during my free time this afternoon. It was great to chat with them about their future writing aspirations and to get to know them. Since the CWG program is all email based I haven't met any of my students in person during the 2+ years I've been doing it until today.
All day I have been having serious throat issues. I can't stop coughing, my throat feels like it's closing in and my voice is very strained. I will be teaching one last time tonight on overcoming a sinful past (Acts 9) and how to press on and forget what is behind us (Philippians 3). Please pray I am able to teach without losing my voice, and that the girls' hearts are soft and receptive to what God would have to speak to them.
I wish I could post pictures from here--this place is amazing. I'll make sure I post some when I get home. Having Michael here with me has been wonderful as he is always a big help and encouragement to me at events like this.
Thank you for your prayers. They have been felt, and God is at work here. Even if I can't clearly see how.
The strangest thing happened to me yesterday. I boarded a plane to Detroit, and somehow landed in Africa. Not really, but the girls' event I am speaking at is being hosted at the world's largest indoor water park and it has a distinct African theme. Picture the Rain Forest Cafe times 25 and you have a small picture of where I'm at. Michael is hoping to try out the surf simulator and I hope to get in a round of mini-golf during free time later today.
I didn't get to blog yesterday because travel to the resort took longer than expected, and I didn't even climb on the stage to teach until 10:30 last night. The girls seemed tired, so I cut the message a little shorter than I normally would have. But I gave the gospel message using the illustration of the four soils from Matthew 13 like I did in previous posts.
There wasn't much time to connect personally with the girls, so I'm not sure how they really responded to the message. I did get to enjoy some midnight pizza with Michael and the leaders who planned this event. It was nice to chat with them and get to know them a bit.
I'm heading downstairs to speak on the topics of forgiveness (John 13) and reaching out to others (Luke 8) this morning. Then I have some free time before this evening's session. Hopefully I can blog more then. Thanks for your prayers--I need them! I'm really tired.
This morning I unpacked the remainder of evidence that I had been in Illinois last weekend from my suitcase. Don't panic--I didn't leave dirty laundry sitting in my suitcase for an entire week. Most of what I unpacked was the promotional material I use to decorate my book table. After I finished unpacking, I began immediately repacking for my trip to Sandusky, OH this weekend. I laid out all of my outfits, I replenished my supply of promotional materials, and I made Michael a list of the quantities of each book that I wanted take with us to sell.
As I packed, I had music playing softly in the background. The significance of what I am going to do this weekend isn't lost on me. I know that I am walking straight into a battle for the souls of teenage girls. On Friday night I will be preaching the gospel to these girls, and for the rest of time they will be held accountable to what they hear whether they choose to receive it or not.
This morning, as I packed, I was filled with gratitude--so much gratitude that it poured out from me in the form of tears. I was grateful for the opportunity to go into the battle, but even more than that I was thankful for the people God has given me to support me in the task. For the first time ever, I don't feel alone in what I get to do.
Last weekend, when I was in Illinois, I received constant text messages, emails (that I read when I got home since I couldn't check email) and blog comments from my friends at Compass Bible Church telling me they were praying for me. When I got home in the early hours of Sunday morning, I slept for only a few hours before rising and heading out to church where I was met with the smiling faces of so many friends who wanted to know all about what God did in Illinois. And then I sat under the preaching of a pastor who both challenges and convicts me on such a deep level that it usually takes me weeks just to unwrap my mind from one sermon. I was recharged to go out and teach again this weekend.
I know that it's always the power of the Holy Spirit working through me that does the work, but I also know He enlists His people in the process through prayer. I think of Peter in Acts 12:5. He was in prison, yet constant prayer was being offered up on his behalf by the church. And Peter was freed that very night.
In Exodus 17:11-12 Moses prayed for the people of Israel as they were engaged in battle. As long as his hands were lifted, they were victorious. When Moses grew weary, Aaron and Hur stepped in and held up his hands. The battle was won on the ground below because of the team of people praying on the mountain top.
Tomorrow morning, I will board a plane with just Michael. But I know I also have my church family, and others (like those of you who read this blog), praying for me. And I honestly believe that the real vistory for this coming weekend will be won by the prayers of those who may not travel with me to Sandusky in person, but who will certainly be there with me in prayer.
Thank you for praying. If all goes well, I'll be blogging live from Ohio starting tomorrow.
In the midst of the American Airlines scare last week, I think I forgot to post my weekly "Cooking with..." post. If you're new to this blog, each Wednesday I recommend a new song and a new recipe. Usually the songs I recommend are what I've been listening to as I've stumbled my way around my own kitchen.
I'm feeling a bit of a fiesta vibe this week, so I'm going to recommend these turkey enchiladas. If you are feeling like some comfort food instead check out my last recipe recommendation--I love this meatloaf.
As far as songs go this week, there are many I could recommend but I don't want to run out of things to blog about (as if that could ever happen) so I'm going to recommend a song you can currently download for free, yes that's right FREE, if you click here. It's called "Healing in Your Wings" and it's on the new Sovereign Grace Music album Come Weary Saints. Maybe it's just because I actually feel like a weary saint this week, but the song it pretty good. And since it's free, you should definitely check it out.
Ok, that's enough for now. I'm officially banished from the Internet until I make some good progress on my current book proposal. Enjoy!
Michael and I have been sponsors through Compassion International since December 2006. We sponsor Issouf (pictured) a nine-year-old boy in BurkinaFaso and Robert (whom I'll blog about another time) a student at Kenyatta University in Kenya.
In the short time we've sponsored Issouf we've exchanged close to 20 letters with him and we've received seven photos of him so we can see how he continues to grow and develop. Last Saturday, our most recent letter and photo from Issouf came. I studied the photo you see to your left for a few minutes wondering why he looked so different than he had in his last photo. Was his hair cut shorter in this photo? Had he grown taller? Suddenly it hit me. Issouf looked different in this photo because this is the very first picture we have received of him smiling!
Along with this photo came a thank you note--the clothing Issouf is wearing here is what Compassion purchased for him with the extra money we sent for his birthday. He was so excited about his jeans and t-shirt referring to them as "beautiful." He also thanked us again for the bicycle Compassion purchased for his mother on our behalf so she can now take and sell her baked goods in the market. Michael and I have never sent an astronomical amount of money to Compassion. We simply send in our monthly payments, and several times throughout the year we add in several small checks to celebrate birthdays and holidays. But Compassion is able to evaluate the needs of Issouf's and Robert's families and meet those needs on our behalf.
Over and over again Robert and Issouf write letters thanking us for doing something that seems so small to us, yet is so life changing for them. This morning, as I was doing my Womens' Bible Study Homework for 1 Peter 4:9 I was asked how I could show hospitality to someone outside of my local church body and my mind instantly drifted back to an article I read recently that was written by Wess Stafford, Compassion's president. In it he explained that Compassion's model for child sponsorship comes from two passages in Scripture (Exodus 2 and Luke 10) in which one person who has much sends money, or leaves money, with someone who has little in order to provide for the needs of someone else.
In both the stories of Pharoah's daughter hiring a Hebrew nurse (who also happened to be Moses' biological mother) to care for the new baby she found floating in the Nile, and in the passage about the Samaritian who leaves money behind to provide for the needs of the Jewish man he found beat up by the side of the road, we see that sometimes the greatest way to show hospitality to someone else is to provide for their needs from afar.
I may never make it to Africa to meet Issouf and/or Robert (although I pray I do). But even if I don't, I can still build into their lives by writing them letters filled with Scripture and encouragement. I can pray for them daily. And I can send money to those who are able to meet their physical needs and (here's what really sets Compassion apart from other relief orginazations) preach the gospel to them and make sure they know what it means to become a genuine follower of Jesus Christ.
Issouf lost his father to HIV/AIDS when he was really young. Now, his mother and grandmother take care of both Issouf and his brother, Iolrissa. Through Compassion's partnership with the local church, four people hear the gospel regularly because Michael and I send a mere $32 a month to the other side of the world. That's $32 well spent. I know that.
But when I get a letter in the mail boasting a photo of a smiling boy, and containing a drawing with the words "I LOVE YOU" written in English across the bottom, I know just how well spent that money is. What about you? Do you have $32 to spare each month? Would you be willing to sponsor a child like Issouf today?
Anyone who has attended Biola University in the last 25 years knows of Dr. Clyde Cook even if they never knew him personally. When I attended Biola, Dr. Cook was still president of the university and he had a very profound impact on me. This morning, I heard that he unexpectedly passed away on Friday night and the tears were instant. Not because I doubt that Dr. Cook is now in glory with God Himself, because I certainly know he is. In fact, my tears weren't even really for Dr. Cook--they were for his wife Anna Belle, whom he absolutely adored, and for their children and grandchildren. Last June, Dr. Cook retired to spend more time with his family. People questioned the timing of his retirement since he was only one year away from leading Biola in celebrating its 100th anniversary. Now, it's apparent that Dr. Cook truly sought God's timing for his retirement more than any of us ever realized.
My personal contact with Dr. Cook was very limited. But he had a profound impact on me during my years at Biola. On the night I moved onto campus as a nervous freshman, Dr. Cook led a communion service for new students and their parents beneath the belltower in the center of campus. What he said that night, in his welcome message, has stuck with me ever since.
"Some people come to a Christian university mistaking it for heaven," he said. "They think that life here, on this campus, is perfect and that the people are perfect. But this isn't heaven. People are still sinners. You are still a sinner. And you will be living in close community with other sinners. The sooner you realize that, the better your experience here will be." His words hit me hard. As a student who had attended public school her entire life, Biola was the equivalent of The Promised Land in my eighteen-year-old mind. In the years following, I returned to Dr. Cook's comments many times.
When my first book, The Divine Dance, was published (while I was still a student) Dr. Cook mentioned me as a Biolan who was making a difference during a chapel service. I remember being shocked and honored that he would mention me. Later, I received a personal card from him congratulating me on my success.
Dr. Cook was the one who spoke at the emergency chapel service on 9/11 and calmed the fears of the entire student body by sharing stories of his own experiences in concentration camps during WWII and by reminding us that God is still sovereign even when evil men seem to prevail. He also spoke at my commencement ceremony in December of 2003, encouraging us to go into all the world and make an impact for the Lord Jesus Christ. I remember the firmness of his handshake when I walked across the stage and officially became a graduate.
And I remember the affection with which he would always speak of his wife, Anna Belle. Wherever Dr. Cook was, Mrs. Cook wasn't far behind. The two of them were inseparable, and very much in love. Their love story began on the Biola campus when they were both students. And their life together took them all over the world as missionaries before bringing them back to Biola to serve Him faithfully there for many years.
Because of their missions background, Dr. and Mrs. Cook really believed in the ministry taking place through the Biola University Student Missionary Union. Any student who was going on a missions trip could write the Cooks a letter and would receive a check from their personal account for something like $25. They supported me and others on my team when we went to NYC to volunteer at Ground Zero in early 2002.
During the years Dr. Cook was president, Biola became firmly established as a leading Christian University. His commitment to doctrine and the inerrancy of the Bible are just two ways in which Dr. Cook was a bold leader in the Christian community. A grandfather figure to so many of us, Dr. Cook will certainly be missed. Please keep his wife, Anna Belle, and their children and grandchildren in your prayers as they grieve.
Well, I'm home from my weekend in Winthrop Harbor, IL. It was a great weekend and several girls (and their mothers) surrendered their lives to the Lord. Although some may have come to the event claiming to be Christians, they realized throughout the course of the weekend that they really had only been calling Jesus "Lord" in name only. Tears stung my eyes as girls and women who really understood the truth of who Jesus is for the first time came to me and shared their stories.
There were also many girls and moms who came to the event who were already living authentic Christian lives. These girls seemed moved by the messages I taught on love and forgiveness (John 13:1-5, 12-17) and real love being humble (Luke 8:41-48). The girls were pretty worn out from a long weekend by the time I taught on running to win (Philippians 3: 12-16) but hopefully the truth of Paul's words wasn't lost on them.
Many teen girls aren't used to the expository style of teaching. I was really amazed at how many parents and youth leaders came up to me and said, "I'm really enjoying the way you use the Bible but you still make the applications so practical. It's good for the girls to see how the Bible speaks to their lives." One mom sent an email to fellow author Heather Paulson, who helped plan the weekend. In the email this mom explained that the passage I taught from on Friday night (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23) had come up several times in recent weeks and that this time God used it to really break her daughter. I love stories like that because they prove that it's the Word of God that changes peoples lives. If I had just decided to stick with a thematic message, peppered with random verses sprinkled here and there, I highly doubt that girl would have been as changed by the message. The Word of God truly is living and powerful--and I love how it changes peoples lives.
Now, I don't intend to give the impression that this was a perfect weekend in which I saw hundredfold fruit from the teaching. I didn't. For every girl who came up to me and told me that she finally "got it" there were probably twenty who still don't understand the importance of understanding who Jesus Christ really is and making Him Lord of your life. Some girls openly admitted that they knew they weren't real deal Christians, but they just didn't feel compelled to do anything about it. There were also a few youth leaders there this weekend who seemed uncomfortable with my frankness concerning the gospel. I heard through the grapevine that they were saying things like, "Don't you think she was a bit too firm?" Sadly, if the topic of the weekend would have been sex, I'm sure these same leaders would have appreciated the frankness with which I am able to communicate. One thing I will never understand is the adult who thinks a girl's virginity is more important than her standing before God.
Overall, this was a very rewarding weekend and the people on the Meant for More committee were all so kind and wonderful to work with. It was an honor to serve alongside of them, and I--along with everyone involved--appreciated your prayers. Thank you.
It's been a long and blessed day. As my earlier post stated, Michael and I did make it to Illinois as scheduled for the teen girls' event despite all of the American Airlines craziness. The churches hosting the event have been wonderful to work with, and so organized. Tonight they had to add extra chairs in the main sanctuary before the evening started because more girls showed up than they were expecting.
Tonight I taught a message entitled "How Do I Know If I'm a Christian?" and my main texts were Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 and Matthew 7:15-27. Right before I got up to teach one of the women on the planning committee for the event got up to share her testimony. Without knowing it she used the same passage (Matthew 7:24-27) and used one of the exact same phrases I was planning too: "Jesus Christ doesn't promise to take away your problems here and now. He promises you eternal life." The impact of her testimony preceding me was powerful.
People (moms and teens alike) seemed to be shocked by the statistics and they responded very well to the four types of people who hear the gospel that I described in this post. I understand that some girls didn't receive a word of what was taught. One girl came up to me and said, "You're a really good speaker, but what I really want to talk to you about is your hair. I love your hair." My heart sank.
But one mom came up to me tonight and shared that after I taught, her daughter admitted that she wasn't really a Christian even though she had "prayed the sinner's prayer" and said she wanted to surrender her life to Christ tonight. When I taught I gave the Greek definition for the word Lord (kurios) used in Matthew 7, which means "controller." This girl wanted to make sure that tonight was the night she gave control of her life to Christ. The girl and her mom were both so excited. I was too!
Another mom approached me and told me that she fit into the first category I described. She was an "Actress" when it came to the Christian faith. She had been pretending her way through life professing a faith that didn't really take root in her heart. Tonight, she decided to change all of that. And with tears and repentance she surrendered to Christ too.
When I first began speaking years ago, I used to read an excerpt from one of my books and talk a little bit about certain themes and issues. Since I've switched to an expository style of teaching I've noticed that I'm not always as popular with the girls, but the impact is deeper in those who really come with open hearts. Tonight I didn't have tons of girls flock to my book table, and I know some of them thought I was too serious or too boring.
But I know that tonight was also the spiritual turning point for some of them. This will be the moment they look back on and say, "That's the night I became a Christian." That's a cause I can devote my life to. This isn't about selling books and growing my mailing list. What is happening here this weekend is about changing lives. I am so blessed and honored to be part of it. And I want those of you who are praying to know that you are just as much a part of what is happening here this weekend. Some day, in eternity a reward will be waiting for you because of your role in what's happening here.
I will be teaching two more times tomorrow before catching a plane and heading home. Michael and I are scheduled to arrive back at LAX tomorrow night so we can be at church for our pastor, Mike Fabarez's, next sermon in his How to Get Eternal Life series. I'll try to blog again tomorrow evening from O'Hare airport. In the meantime, thanks for your prayers and please keep praying.
Michael and I are sitting here in LAX, Starbucks in hand, watching the sunrise. Although American Airlines cancelled another 570 flights today, ours wasn't among them. We will make it to Chicago this afternoon and I will be able to share the gospel with 120+ teen girls tonight. To all of you who are praying, thank you. You get to be part of what God is going to do in the lives of these girls this weekend. I will keep you posted on how it goes...
If you read my blog earlier this week you know tomorrow night I'm supposed to be in Illinois speaking at a conference for teen girls. Here's the problem: I'm booked on an American Airlines flight and over the past two days they have cancelled nearly 2,000 flights due to not meeting FAA safety regulations. The particular type of jet that flies from California to Illinois is the jet they're having problems with. There is a chance they are going to cancel my flight and every other American Airlines flight from California to Illinois.
Considering the incredible spiritual importance of the topic I will be speaking on tomorrow night, it's not really a shocker that getting there might be, um, a little problematic. So please pray with me that my flight is not cancelled, and that I'm able to get there on time, and get home on time. I have a quick turnaround as it is between this event and another conference I will be speaking at in Ohio next weekend.
In my five years of speaking I've had some crazy adventures (like the time the airline flew me to the wrong state, flew my luggage to the right state and the church I was speaking at had to send two people driving in opposite directions through the middle of the night to make sure both my bag and I made it to the event on time. I got there, had three hours to sleep and then spoke four times in one day. It was nuts).
I've also slept in multiple airports due to cancellations for various reasons--including a plane that was punctured by the baggage cart operator. Yes, you read that right. The guy in the fork-lift cart rammed the plane on accident and punctured it. The airline decided to see if they could duct tape the hole, but alas they could not (praise the Lord--who wants to fly on a duct taped plane?!) so I was stuck overnight in a foreign city for the third time in one year.
What my life lacks in glamour it definitely makes up for in adventure. God is always faithful. I trust Him and believe He is sovereign. He will get me to this event. Please pray with me that it's a smooth process. I'll try to blog tomorrow en route and let you know how it's going...
If you read this blog regularly you know that I try to spend a good amount of time at the gym each week in an effort to lose weight, get fit and train for the 5K Michael and I plan to run in August. I can easily measure my progress by standing on a scale or timing a run. I don't blog nearly as frequently about my spiritual goals, and I don't currently have as easy of a way to measure my progress in those areas. But then I read my new friend Christa's blog post. I love her idea of keeping a spiritual growth chart. I'm starting one tonight.
On Sunday night Michael and I had dinner with Christa and her husband Bobby (and their son Tyler who is absolutely darling) and our other new friend Ty (who doesn't have a blog but co-writes fantastic songs with Bobby that you can listen to here). After spending several hours with all of them we left thinking these are people we can really learn a lot from. I like friends like that. Now you can learn from them too by checking out their blogs and the spiritual growth chart they came up with. Quality people. Quality writing.
Get reading! And if you decide to keep a spiritual growth chart too, leave me a note in the comments and let me know. Then we can swap ideas for measurable spiritual goals.
Last week I was on the Barna Research website looking for some recent statistics regarding teenagers and the Church. Here is just a small sample of what I found:
52% of teens who attend Protestant churches believe Jesus Christ sinned while on earth.
40% of teens who claim to have a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" agree with them.
61% of young adults who attended church as a teen become completely spiritually disengaged during their twenties.
Only 20% of young adults who attended church in their teen years remain spiritually active by the age of 29.
Let me deal with the first two statistics for a minute. Since this is a blog post and not a book, I'll stick to using only one Bible verse to debunk that theory. 1 Corinthians 5:21 explicitly says: "God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (emphasis mine).
So, sadly, somewhere between 40-52% of church going teens who think they are going to heaven are actually headed straight for hell. Belief in a sinful Jesus is belief in a Jesus who 1) is not biblical and 2) didn't exist. There just isn't any good news for the people who believe in a Jesus like that.
Now, dealing with the second half of these statistics, let me just say this. I think a big portion of the problem the Church has with retaining young Christians is that these young people weren't really Christians to begin with. In Matthew 13:1-23 Jesus describes four types of people who will hear the Gospel message. Let me put these in teen-girl friendly terms for you. Imagine a typical camp alter call with me. During that time, four types of girls will respond to the Gospel. They are as follows:
(v. 19) The Actress. This is the girl who raises her hand during an alter call because all of her friends are. She isn't really sure what the preacher just said, but it sounds good. So even though she doesn't understand what she's heard, and she's too embarrassed to ask, she raises her hand and claims "salvation" and returns to life as normal. This girl most certainly falls into the 80% who will fall away before the age of 29. She doesn't have to fall very far since she wasn't ever grounded in what she believed in the first place. In fact, she may even be among the 40-52% who believe in a sinful Jesus.
(v. 20-21) The Drama Queen. This girl comes forward during the alter call in tears. She's sobbing so hysterically, that she needs five different friends to usher her up to the stage and hold her up as she cries. Normally, this girl comes from a background of pain and heartache. Maybe her parents are divorced, or she was abused at some point during her life. In the very least, she has probably had her heart broken by a boy who dumped her or a friend who betrayed her. Her response to the Gospel is based on pure emotion. She wants Jesus because He will make all of her hurts go away, and her life will magically become all better. This girl, too, is more than likely to fall into the 80% who will fall away because time will prove that life isn't all chocolate and roses once you know Jesus Christ. Life will still be hard, and this girl will think God isn't who He promised to be so she will set out in search of the next quick fix for her pain.
(v. 22) The Have-it-All-Princess. This girl is easy to spot in any youth group. She has the latest cell phone dangling from her ear, the hottest label on her clothing and she drives a car much nicer than the one driven by the youth pastor. She raises her hand during the alter call because Jesus seems to be the hottest trend of the moment. The preacher's sermon made sense, and she can see a need for Jesus in this moment. But, she too will be among the 80% who will fall away. Inevitably, someone or something that is a lot hotter and more attractive than Jesus will come along and she will hop on that band wagon forgetting all about her moving memories of the summer she spent at camp singing Cum-by-ya in last year's jeans.
(v.23) The Real Deal Christian. This girls is harder to spot because in a group of 100 kids, she's one of only twenty. She listens to the preacher's sermon and her heart burns within her because she understands exactly what he's saying. She recognizes her status as a sinner and feels the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Her belief in Jesus Christ is genuine and she changes her life in response to the Gospel message. She is among the 20% who will still be professing her faith on her 29th birthday, and forever afterward.
Although parts of what you've just read were meant in jest, they also represent a really sad reality in the Church today. These facts are weighing heavy on my mind and are burning a hole in my heart because for the next two weekends I will be the main speaker at two retreats for teen girls in various parts of the nation. This coming Friday night I've been asked to specifically preach the Gospel to over 100 girls who either aren't Christians or who are just beginning to understand what it means to be a Christian.
Odds state that in a group that size, only about 20 girls will fall into the category of The Real Deal Christian. I won't be giving a traditional alter call because, as we've just seen, they don't work. But I will be preaching the Gospel to these girls while simultaneously praying that these statistics can end now. Please join me in praying for the girls I will be ministering to this coming weekend. And please pray for me--that I will bring an accurate Gospel to these girls who so desperately need it. I'll try to blog Friday night and let you know how the event is going.
The Mistaken Identities of Laura Van Ryn and Whitney Cerak
About two years ago, there was a terrible accident near Taylor University that took the lives of five students and left one, a young blond woman, in a coma fighting for her life. For five weeks the family of Whitney Cerak thought she was dead. They held a funeral service for her, cleaned out her dorm room and tried desperately to cling to the reminder that Whitney was a believer in Jesus Christ. Laura Van Ryn's family kept a blog of her recovery process, which I read daily at that time. Praising God for the miracle of Laura's lone survival, they too clung to their faith in Jesus Christ. But as the young, blond woman began to emerge from the coma and the swelling in her face went down, something became apparent. The girl in the hospital bed wasn't Laura. She was Whitney.
For nearly two years both families have kept silent as they grappled with this life altering reality. But now they are breaking their silence. Together the parents of Laura Van Ryn and Whitney Cerak partner with Whitney in telling the story that captured America's attention.
You can purchase their new book Mistaken Identityhere.
Or you can watch a portion of their interview with Matt Lauer below. This book is on my must read list for 2008.
I was browsing old files on my computer tonight and happened to come across this picture of the shower favors I made when my sister-in-law had twins almost three years ago. They were really easy to make, and people thought they were professionally done. Since it seems like spring is always a busy time for wedding and baby showers, I figured this might be an idea that could be of use to you if your are planning a shower for a friend or relative anytime soon.
What you need: One plastic barrel of large pretzel sticks (I bought mine at Costco) Wilton's milk chocolate melts (I bought mine at Michael's craft store) Wilton's blue/pink chocolate melts Small cellophane bags Pink/blue ribbon Printer labels Double boiler Wax Paper
Instructions: Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over medium/low heat Dip pretzels one at a time in chocolate until 3/4 of each pretzel is covered Lay on wax paper to harden Melt pink/blue chocolate in double boiler over medium/low heat Take a spoon and drizzle the pink/blue chocolate over hardened milk chocolate Leave on wax paper to harden Type out and print a cute phrase on your labels Place labels on bags Once chocolate is hardened take two pretzels and place them in each cellophane bag Tie with ribbon Display in a basket and use as a centerpiece at shower Give one bag to each guest as she leaves
Enjoy!
Update: You can also buy a bag of Kraft caramels and roll them flat with a rolling pin. Before dipping the pretzels in milk chocolate you can wrap some flattened caramel around the bottom half of each one. Then you will have caramel and chocolate pretzels! Very fancy.
This morning, at promptly 4:58 am, my eyelids flew open and I sat straight up in bed fearing I had slept through my gym date with my friend Erica. Looking at the clock I contentedly closed my eyes for another two minutes until the alarm did, in fact, go off. Michael greeted me with a pleasant groan before peeling his body out from beneath the covers. Opening the window, he realized it was still dark outside so he fumbled around for the light. Like zombies the two of us stumbled around to find our gym clothes and brush our teeth. By 5:30 we were on our way to torture our bodies at the gym. Michael with his usual weights and running regimen, and I was going to inflict upon myself the grueling fate of a one hour spin class.
Around 5:40 am I entered the dungeon, I mean classroom, and noticed far too many other bleary eyed people adjusting the seats and handles on their spin bikes. Erica came in around 5:55 only to discover that the bike I had saved for her (next to mein the back row)was missing a pedal. So, she had to move up to the front row and got settled just as class began. At promptly 6 am I was pedaling faster than I thought possible as "Sweet Home Alabama" blared through the speakers into my precious little ears that are accustomed to still being on a pillow at a time of day I still very much consider to be last night and not this morning. (Morning starts when the sun comes up, right?)
Fifteen minutes in I was feeling good and keeping pace with everyone else. Erica looked back at me and flashed a smile. Another fifteen minutes later I thought I would surely have to sit down instead of being "out of the saddle" so much. However, the searing pain in my calves and thighs eventually subsided as salty sweat dripped off every portion of my body and I kept pressing through. Halfway through the class I had a revelation that made me smile. I'm doing it. The "it" I was referring to wasn't just the spin class.
You see, for all of my adolescence I was a fairly gangly child who was skinny but unfit. I was almost always the last in my class to finish running the mile, and I never fared well in athletic competitions. In late high school and early college I began packing on extra weight due to a metabolism that had finally slowed down and caught up with my sedentary lifestyle. Early marriage solidified my place in the "overweight" category. Fearing a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes like my mother, I decided that 2008 was going to be the year that I dropped 30+ pounds and actually got in shape.
Since January I've dropped 12 pounds and one pant size, and I've monitored my calorie intake with the help of My Food Diary. Several times a week I've hit the gym with friends, Michael or on my own for classes (yoga, turbo kickboxing and now spin) or some running and weight training. I'm slowly becoming not only leaner but also stronger, and I plan to run my first 5K by the end of the year.
This morning (or was it still last night?) as I pushed my body to an extreme it would have once refused to go, I found myself grateful. I was thankful that God had made my body into such an incredible machine, and I was also glad He had given me friends and a husband who were willing to push me to limits I never dreamed I could go and subject themselves to the same torture.
For me, a healthy and fit lifestyle is now possible. I'm beginning to realize that all of the years I looked at healthy people and said, "I can't do that" what I really meant was "God can't do that." By insulting the body He gave me, and by putting needless limits on myself (I can't do that!), I missed out on several years of experiencing the miracle of what my body can really do. My years of doing that are over.
This morning, in the very early hours of my day, I realized that is never too late to reverse bad habits and it is always possible to make a change. I'm not sure where you've been saying your own fair share of "I can'ts" that really mean "God can't," but I would encourage you to change your outlook even if that means viewing life from a place you've never been before--like the top of a spin bike at 6 am.
OK, so these are my new favorite addiction. I will now make it a point to always have some in my purse. Now, if only I could stop eating an entire tin in one sitting!
Visit your local Trader Joe's or Target to indulge.
Is it Friday yet? If not, it should be. Or at least it feels that way. I've been staring at a computer screen for so many consecutive hours that the words are literally swimming on the page. Ah, such is life when you "play with words for a living" like Michael says I do. Writing and re-writing is, surprisingly, fun for me. But, after enough hours at the computer you get to a place where you wonder if what you've written makes sense anywhere outside of your own head. Sometimes the answer truly is no.
When I am no longer sure if what I've written makes sense, I get up for a little while and do something else--like make mini meatloaf muffins. These are surprisingly simple and quite tasty. I like them because they are both flavorful and filling while remaining low in calories. Tonight, this is what Michael and I had for dinner. Don't you wish you were at our house?
This week, as I'm savoring my mini-meatloaves, I'm also enjoying songs off the new album from Sarah Groves. My current favorite on the album is her folksy hit "When the Saints." She mentions biblical heroes like Moses, Paul and Silas, missionary martyrs like Jim Elliott and other notable people of faith as she reflects on wanting to be counted in the ranks among them when she gets to heaven. Both the music and lyrics are very powerful.
That's it from my rockin' kitchen for this week. Now it's back to the pages swimming with words...
Back when I was a journalism major at Biola University, one of my professors sought to instill in me the importance of knowing when to write something yourself and when to quote someone who could actually say it better. To that end, instead of attempting to write my own April Fools' satire, I am going to link to the ever insightful Tim Challies and his absolutely hilarious post about what life would be like if evangelical churches (namely Grace Community Church and Bethlehem Baptist Church) operated like Major League Baseball.
If you're not reading Tim regularly, you should be. His blog and the Discerning Reader blog he runs are both good reads, and I just bought his new book which I hope to read and review shortly.
And, just for fun, I'm throwing in this picture (it's about a year old) of my niece Abigail in her "time-out" chair. Apparently, her twin brother Jeffrey wasn't around and she couldn't blame him for whatever she got in trouble for so she had to settle for framing her beloved Cabbage Patch doll. For some reason, this picture makes me laugh every time I see it. Maybe it's just because I know how mischevious she can be :)
Tonight I finished reading Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. It was a challenging and convicting read. Piper really encouraged me to pursue a life that goes beyond the comforts of a normal, typical, Western, Christian life. I plan to write a review of the book once I work through some of what I read and I am better equipped to formulate my own thoughts.
After I closed on Saturday night, I received an overwhelmingly positive response from the girls. Because of their busy schedule, and the way meals were structured, I didn't have much contact with them outside of the teaching time during the weekend. But on Saturday night many of them lined up to talk to me and quickly tell me what the weekend meant to them. I loved that when they shared what God had spoken to them through the weekend they shared the Scripture references that specifically spoke to them. The Word of God is living and powerful, and I'm so glad they heard from Him this weekend. Both leaders and girls alike were quick to tell me that they appreciated "they way [I] arrange all of my points around Scripture" (also known as expository teaching). It was really encouraging to see so many of them embrace the teaching in such a positive way because I brought a somewhat tough and unpopular message this weekend.
Happy April Fools' Day everyone!
