And they'll know we are Christians...

"We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord...
and we pray that our unity will one day be restored,
and they'll know we are Christians by our love..."

(Disclaimer: this opening anecdote is going to be extremely vague in order to conceal identities.)

Several weeks ago I was reading a letter written to someone I'm associated with.  Throughout the entirety of this letter, the author berated the recipient for basically being a terrible human being (the author's perception, not mine).  The letter was riddled with vulgarities and insults towards this person, and everyone he/she was associated with.  Prior to this letter, I had to interact with the author a number of times, and each time that person was rude, often insulting, and generally would end up hanging up on me, or dramatically storming away. 

So as I was reading this letter, I was thinking to myself that the author must be a truly miserable person because he/she just seemed to spew venom with every word spoken. And then, after several pages, I got to the end of that letter.  There it was in black and white.  This person started quoting Scripture, and talking about how great it is that God loves us all, and that we need to be saved through Christ Jesus to be with Him in heaven someday. 

I must have reread that last page about 20 times, thinking to myself, what just happened?!? You spent several pages insulting this person, telling him/her how terrible he/she is, and then you have the audacity to reference God's love?!? The author of this letter was truly one of the most unpleasant people I've ever had to interact with, and let me tell you, in the line of work that I'm currently in, I deal with A LOT of unpleasantness. 

After the initial shock of the realization that this person was apparently some form of Christian, I really started to think.  I would never in a million years have thought that this individual knew anything about Jesus, or had ever even cracked open a Bible, let alone been able to quote scripture and give a gospel presentation. 

Which got me thinking about that old spiritual "and they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, and they'll know we are Christians by love." 

How are we living? Are we living a life full of love that has people seeing that we are different?  Or are our friends, relatives and acquaintances shocked when they find out that we are Believers? 

Now, we may not write nasty letters to people, or shout insults or profanities when we don't get our way, but what about all the other ways we aren't evidencing Love (capital intended, as in God is Love) in our lives?  What about all the judgment that we offer to people who are different from us? What about the gossiping, the backbiting, the cliques, the in-fighting that happens even within our own churches? Our own families?

I feel as though I don't need to expound on this much further. We all know the areas in our lives where we are showing anything but Love to those around us. 

Take a good hard look at your life.  Will people know you are a Christian by your love, or will they be shocked to find out you are a follower of Jesus? 

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,

and we pray that our unity will one day be restored,

and they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,

and they'll know we are Christians by our love.

-AA

2015 Reading Challenge!

If you've been reading my blog from the beginning, then you know that I'm the type of person who is reading about 10 different books at a time. Last year I found 14 books on my bookshelves that I had started but never finished. Ridiculous. 

So this year, I found this really great reading challenge on Pinterest.  I think it has about 50 different types of books to read on it, which is totally unrealistic with as busy as my life is...but I figured I'd give it a go and see how far I can get. So far I've crossed off two categories from the list:

*A Trilogy*

For this category I read The Hunger Games. I could seriously not put them down. I was staying up until 3:00 in the morning to read...I finished the trilogy in less than 3 days. So. Good.  I would say I'm a little obsessed with this series. I've the movies a bunch of times, but the book is ALWAYS better than the movie, so now that I'm talking about how much I like this series, I want to read the books again. Yeah. Just slightly obsessed. 

*A Memoir*

My sister had given me a book called Shattered Dreams which is a memoir of a woman who spent a large portion of her life as the wife of a polygamist. Let me tell you, I was so enraptured by her story that this is another book that I just could not put down.  It was so intriguing, so hard to comprehend everything she went through starting at a very young age, so compelling. Spoiler alert: her story has a happy ending!

Stay tuned for more little book review type posts as I continue to cross things off the reading challenge list!

Happy reading,

-AA

Like the Moon Reflects the Sun...

It always amazes me how you can read the same Bible passage a hundred times, but suddenly glean something entirely new from it.  This happened to me a few weeks ago.

I just started an in-depth study of the book of Genesis because I haven't read the entire book of Genesis since my Old Testament classes in college.  And because I embarked on a plan to study each book of the Bible in depth for the next however long it takes me.  And Genesis seemed like the best place to start.  Since it is the beginning after all.

So the other night I had my 2 study Bibles, 3 commentaries, my regular every-day Bible to make notes in, and my copy of the Message (good paraphrases can be great for in-depth Bible study to drive home the main points of the passage), my notebook, pens, highlighter and cup of tea, and started into Genesis 1.

Of course before I started reading, I thought to myself how many times I've heard/read/taught this passage and just assumed that it was going to be a drudgery to get through.

But then, as usually happens when you're engaged in in depth Bible study, I came across a thought in one of the commentaries that I have never heard before, in reference to God creating the light.

"The sun is the great centre of light, and the centre of our system.

Round him the lesser orbs revolve. 

From him, too, they derive their light.

Hence he may very legitimately be viewed as an apt symbol of...the Lord.

The moon, being in herself opaque, derives her light from the sun.

She always reflects the sun's light, save when the earth and its influences intervene.

Now, as the sun is a beautiful and an appropriate symbol of Christ, so the moon strikingly reminds us of the Church... 

The world seeth Him not, but she sees Him; and she is responsible to reflect His beams upon a benighted world.

The world has no other way in which to learn anything of Christ but by the Church."

As many times as I've read and heard and taught the creation narrative, I've never once been that profoundly impacted by the relationship between the sun and the moon.  But what really hit me was that last line. The world has no other way in which to learn anything of Christ but by the Church. 

What a humbling and profound thought.  I know that more times than not I fail in my duty to reflect the Son.  At least in a way that it a true reflection of Him.  

What kind of Christ are we reflecting to the world? I think, more times than not, it is not the true Savior.  

"If the Church only walked in the light of Christ, she would assuredly reflect His light;

ad this would ever keep her in proper position. 

The light of the moon is not her own.

So it is with the Church. 

She is not called to set herself before the world."

I think it's time to start learning how to truly reflect the Son. 

-AA

MacKintosh, C. H. "Chapter I." Notes on Gensis. New York: Loizeaux Brothers, 1954. 8-10. Print.

I'm just going to separate myself now.

As I've said many times before, and am sure to say many more times in the future....I just love teaching the 4s and 5s class at church.  That age group is just so much fun. 

Today as we gathered around to begin the lesson on the wise men, two boys in particular were being rather rowdy.  After asking them a few times to settle down without success, I used the tried and true "Excuse me boys. Do I need to separate you two so we can have our lesson?"  And right away, the one little boy picked up his chair and said to me "I think I'm just going to go ahead and separate myself now." And took his chair to the end of the row to move away from the temptation of goofing off with his buddy during our lesson time.

So I told him thank you and what a good idea it was to move if he thought he wouldn't be able to pay attention sitting by his friend. We moved on with the lesson and all was well.

But as I was retelling the story at lunch today, it got me thinking.  This little boy knew there was going to continue to be problems if he stayed where he was.  He knew I would have to keep scolding him and that he wouldn't pay attention or learn from today's lesson.  So instead of sitting there waiting for temptation to come again, he removed himself from the scene and went to some place where he knew he would be able to pay attention and not get into trouble.

Do we do that? How often do we know that we are in a place of temptation, in a place where we know we are going to get ourselves into trouble, yet we remain there and basically set ourselves up for defeat? How often do we stay in relationships that are wrong for us, continue with behaviors that aren't good for us, go places where we shouldn't be, knowing the whole time that it's only going to end badly?

As soon as we know there's a problem, we should "just go ahead and separate ourselves now."  I think we can all learn a lesson from this little guy and his smart move. The next time we are in a situation where we know we are going to fall prey to temptation, we need to just go ahead and separate ourselves, move away, and get to a safer place.

Here's to continuing to learn life lessons from random interactions with children.

-AA

What does a Christian Look Like?

I've been pondering this question for the past couple weeks, after reading an article that one of my Facebook friends posted.  The author starts out by giving a few anecdotes from his life about the various convictions different Christians (and I'm talking about born-again evangelicals here) have. Like when he was in Scotland and both the Pastor and his wife drank alcohol.  Did that make them unsaved? Nope. Was it wrong for them to drink? Not if they were truly not acting against conviction of the Holy Spirit. Cultures vary. Convictions vary. The way God is working in our lives varies.

But the part that really got me thinking was when the author made this statement:

"It's even worse when Christians expect instant holiness from recent

converts - holiness, that is, in areas where we think we've nailed it."

Just think about that quote for a minute. We expect holiness in others in areas that we think we're pretty solid on. The author used Shia LeBeouf's recent conversion story as an example. I must be really not up on my pop culture tidbits, because I had no idea that this even transpired until I read the article. However, apparently there was a lot of backlash because he used profanities when talking about his conversion. A lot of judgment that his conversion wasn't the real deal. 

Let it be said that neither the author tried, nor am I trying, to make a point of whether or not Mr. LeBeouf is now a saved individual. I hope it is a legit transformation and that he is now figuring out how to start walking this new path. The author brings out the fact that only God knows the heart. We cannot judge whether someone's conversion is legit or not.

The point the author des make is that apparently a lot of people expected Shia to just instantly stop using profanities. Like making a salvation decision suddenly flipped the potty mouth switch to off. It doesn't work like that. And for any of us who have made salvation decisions it didn't work like that. And you know what? Even those of us who have been saved for decades still struggle with various sins.

This brings me back to expecting people to be holy in the ways that we've got it together. Maybe swearing isn't a temptation for you. That's awesome. But you aren't perfect. You have your pitfall areas just like the rest of us. Maybe it's spending too much money. Maybe it's your temper. Maybe it's being an absent parent. Maybe it's whatever. What exactly your sticking point is doesn't matter. What matters is that we are all striving towards holiness, and we all have areas in our lives that we are more prone to sin; areas that seem to constantly trip us up. None of us will achieve true holiness this side of eternity.

So let's stop pointing the finger and judging everyone around us from a seat of personal pride. Let's stop expecting other people to have nailed the same parts of personal holiness that we've worked out over the years.

I don't see Jesus ever doing that in Scripture. And, truly, He would have had a right to. You know, that 100% God, never sinned thing. Now, that doesn't give us an excuse to sin; an excuse to keep up the status quo and to never strive to be a little more holy today then I was yesterday. Again, that concept is nowhere in Scripture. We are to press toward the mark. That means making progress. That means continuing to grow and change in areas where we are convicted. That means maybe coming alongside a struggling Christian and helping them overcome their struggle, not judging them because of it.
It's like we force fellow believers to wear scarlet letters, all the while ignoring that we have one, too.

While I was thinking about all of this on my way home from work the other day, the song "Jesus, Friend of Sinners" by Casting Crowns came on the radio. Some would call it coincidence. I just call it a God-thing. This song just gets me every time I hear it. Give it a listen. While the purpose of this song is to get us to recognize how we are turning people off to Christ by our judgment, the same concepts hold true to fellow believers.


Think about those lyrics for awhile, and pay attention to yourself this week. How many times are you judging fellow believers instead of loving them as siblings in Christ?


"Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers."


-AA



The Problem is the Perpetrator, not the Victim

I came across an opinion article the other day regarding the way women dress and if that effects the possibility of sexual harassment or violence. You can read that article here.


Now, let me start off by saying, I don't agree with every single nuance of what this author wrote.  I think that there is line of appropriateness, and that a certain amount of modesty is necessary. That is not the topic of discussion here.


Let me also add that I believe the school referenced in the article was justified in their actions, to the extent that a dress code was given prior to the dance that all students were aware of. It was a school function, so it stands to reason that school rules are still applicable.  I remember always having a dress code for school dances. It wasn't as strict as the every day dress code, but it was still there. It's just the way life works when you're in school.  Going to that dance was a privilege, not a right. However, whether this school was right or wrong, and the degree of modesty that teens should adhere to is also not the topic of discussion here.


One final disclaimer of sorts: Please understand that I know that not all victims of rape are female.  I'm not trying to make this a gender biased issue. However, statistically speaking 1 out of 6 women are victims of rape, as opposed to 1 out of 33 men.  So, while it is certainly a heinous act for any person to be raped, the perspective of my opinion is from the majority female point of view. However, all of the same ideas present here apply to male victims as well.


What gets me is the level of responsibility placed on us females to not get raped, instead of putting the responsibility on men to not rape.  Why am I told to not wear certain clothes, or not say certain things, or not act certain ways to keep myself from getting raped, instead of telling men that they are responsible for their own actions, regardless of any variables.


Let's apply the same logic to another situation in order to see how ridiculous this is: Want to not get hit by a dunk driver?  Don't travel anywhere in a vehicle.  Instead of telling people not to drive under the influence, let's tell everyone to avoid being victims by not driving or riding in cars.


Want to keep your house burglar free?  Make it look really trashy and own nothing of value.  Instead of teaching people no to rob, we should all just take responsibility to make our houses trashy and undesirable.


If in those 2 circumstances we place responsibility on the perpetrator and not the victim, why do we do the opposite with rape?


I liked how the author brought up children and elderly victims to refute this "you brought this on yourself" mentality.  You cannot possibly tell me that a child is sexually assaulted because of his or her own actions.  She also brings up the point that victims of sexual violence are of every age, gender, appearance, race, etc.  No victim is responsible for rape because of what he or she does, says, wears, or looks like.


Now, that doesn't mean that girls have a free pass to act stupidly.  Obviously, we need to use our heads.  Common sense needs to be applied to certain situations.  But rape is never the fault of the victim.


You should read the article, as the author brings up some other good points (again, I don't agree with every single thing she says).  But let me quote her in closing: So enough with questions like "Do you think girls dress in a way that invites trouble?" Such questions only give rapists what they're looking for: an excuse for violence.


Let's put blame where blame is do, instead of shaming the victims of sexual violence.  The problem is the perpetrator, not the victim.


-A.A.

For those going back to school.... (and really everyone else as well)

My nieces both started Kindergarten last week. Which is so hard to believe. These past 5 years have flown by! I remember being at the hospital when they were born and now....


At any rate, there are a few life lessons that I've learned over the years that I hope to teach Vi and Emmers as they start the life of school-aged kiddo. So, without any further introduction or rabbit trail into nostalgia-land, here are my little wisdoms, with the help of some of my closest friends (thanks guys!)  for the girls as they start school (and for anyone in school, or, really, for life in general.)


#1. ALWAYS be kind. To EVERYONE.  You are going to meet so many different people. God made each person unique. Some people might seem weird or strange to you. Be kind to them. Be kind to everyone. Some of your schoolmates will make fun of others. Don't. Don't join in. Be a friend to everyone. Be kind to everyone. Accept everyone.


#2. Be strong.  Don't give in to peer pressure. Don't follow the crowd. Just because everyone else is popping their polo collars doesn't mean you have to. Be strong. Be who you are. Don't pretend to be someone else just to fit in. Don't join in with the crowd that's saying mean things about the new girl. Be strong.


#3. Don't worry about being popular. This kind of goes along with #2. I know it's hard to believe, but being popular really doesn't matter. Find a good group of friends. A group of friends who won't identify you by the label on your clothes, or the money in your parent's bank account, or the words you speak. A group of friends who has a blast together, encourages each other, acts like total dorks together. A group of friends that doesn't even know about the house parties, let alone gets invited to them.
#4. Slow down. Don't rush. Enjoy. This one may be hard for those of you in school, especially Jr. High (I SO don't miss those days) to believe, but life goes by quickly. We spend so much of our lives waiting and hoping and rushing to get the next stage that we forget to enjoy the place we are in.  Don't rush. All too soon it will be over and you will be on to your next adventure.  Get involved in clubs. Go to school dances and sporting events.  Enjoy the experience. You'll never get those opportunities again.
#5. Try new things. Don't let fear keep you from great experience. Again, this kind of goes with #4. Trying new things can be scary. Auditioning for that part in the school play is terrifying. Trying out for that sports team is intimidating. Be bold. Try new things. Don't let fear keep you from having some awesome life experiences. You'll never know what you can do if you don't try.
#6. Always remember that you are AMAZING. You are beautiful and wonderful and amazing. Don't let anyone ever make you feel differently. Sometimes people will be mean. Sometimes you'll get picked on, or bullied, or made fun. And that sucks. People can cruel. But always remember this, even if you don't remember anything else, YOU ARE AMAZING BECAUSE YOU ARE YOU. You aren't who those people say you are. You are fearfully and wonderfully made exactly as God wanted you to be. And that makes you a beautiful, wonderful, amazing masterpiece done by the Master Artist.


-Aunt Licia