Mel's Journey

I recently read the book Living Among Lions: How to Thrive Like Daniel in Today’s Babylon. If you are not familiar with the Benham brothers they became famous when their HGTV show was canceled after the first season was filmed (and not yet aired) because they spoke out and proclaimed that Homosexuality is a sin and contrary to God’s desire for all people. Their first book, Whatever the Cost, is a summary of that situation ( I have not read that one). This book continues on with their journey and primarily focuses in on the book of Daniel. They reveal the various lessons that they have learned from Daniel and the other Jewish captives that stood firm in their faith while living among the Babylonians during Judah’s period of captivity.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It definitely drove me to go back and read the book of Daniel and pulled out some things that I had never paid attention to during my previous readings. They also include snippets of their lives that God has used to reveal many of the truths that the book of Daniel demonstrates to radically change their lives.

The Benham brothers proclaim a message of hope. They declare that through God’s strength we can stand firm on God’s truths and live out Christian lives without compromise in the midst of the culture that we live in. That we must lean on the Gospel message that the Bible proclaims and not be willing to give in when those around us are living lives that are in opposition to God. Our goal must always be to please God.

If you need a reminder of how to stand strong in your faith (and who doesn’t?) in the midst of a culture that is directly opposed to the things of God then I really recommend this book as well as spending some time reading in the book of Daniel.

I was reading in 2 Timothy tonight and while my mind doesn’t usually go to fictional stories while reading the Word, tonight it did.

The first thought was in relation to this:

“And if a man also strive for masteries, yet he is not crowned, except he strive lawfully” ~1 Timothy 2:5

My thought upon reading this was ‘sorry Robin Hood’. This verse basically says if you do something and the outcome is good but you got there by disobeying the law then the good outcome is worthless. Robin Hood gives to the poor, which is a good and right thing to do. But in order to do so He steals from the rich and redistributes the wealth. It’s funny when you look back at the stories you absorbed in childhood and the worldview they present that you never considered (I realize there was a whole lot more going on in most versions of Robin Hood beginning with those things having been stolen from those people to begin with).

The other was this:

“If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful; He cannot deny himself” ~2 Timothy 2:13

I have to first say that I realize the profound and amazing truth of this verse. But my first thought tonight was God is not Tinkerbell or Santa Claus. They both (in some movies) cease to exist if people stop believing in them. Their power is derived directly from the number of people who believe in them. That is not the case with God. Even if not a single person on earth believed in Him, His truth would remain the same. He is the focus and source of the truth and not us.

How awe inspiring is it to consider that God exists apart from all of us. He is eternal, without beginning and end, and is beyond our full understanding. I’m grateful that God can use all kinds of things, including childhood stories, to help us better grasp His truth.

If you read my post on Tuesday: Walking for Life and Standing Boldly then you know I mentioned a review regarding Love Thy Body by Nancy Pearcey would be forthcoming. Here it is:

This book was amazing. I first heard about it on a podcast that I listen to each week, Sheologians. If you are interested in hearing about a Christian perspective on things happening in our culture from the perspective of Christian woman than you should definitely check them out.

Nancy Pearcey begins her book by laying out our culture’s stance on the body, which is basically that our bodies are meaningless and don’t add any value or worth in our life. What we think and feel is the most important thing. But, as Christians we do not feel that way. God says that we are made in His image and that He knew us when we were in our mother’s womb (have to stop for a second and say how amazing is that!).

Pearcey goes through all the various “big ticket” agendas in our world that involve the body and this ranges from abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, and even eugenics. She focuses upon a concept that is being used by our culture called “person-hood theory” which basically says that a human is only a person when they have value in this world; ie “it” only becomes a person when it can think and be independent. That’s a pretty scary thought when you follow it all the way to it’s logical conclusions beyond the realm of abortion.

If you want to learn more, I really suggest that you pick up Pearcey’s book. It demonstrates a very direct look at our current culture and things that we as Christian’s must oppose to live out God’s commands for His church.

Today I did something that I’ve never done before. I went to my city’s Walk for Life, which was held by a local pregnancy center (this walk served as a fundraiser for their programs and services). I think this is the first one they have held for a few years but I’m not sure. Praise God, there was a much better turn out than I expected.

I’ve always known that abortion is not in accordance with the Bible, which teaches that all human lives matter even the lives of the pre-born. Despite that, knowledge I have at times struggled with the emotional appeals of others who would say things like “sometimes there’s no other choice”. But, my reaction and response to this issue is something that God has really been convicting me of lately. It’s not enough to just stand on the sidelines of our culture and watch the destruction that is coming and not try to do something to change the path that it is on. It is not enough to stand by and allow the lives of these precious babies to be taken away.

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God, created He him; male and females created He them”~Genesis 1:27

“For Thou has possessed my reins; Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth well”. ~Psalm 139:13-14

The perfect opportunity came when someone I work with emailed me a few weeks ago and said that she was participating with her family and invited me to join them. I have been anxious all week, not necessarily about the walk itself, but about posting about it on my social media. I have several friends who very loudly share their “pro-choice” opinions quite loudly. So throughout the week I’ve spent a lot of time praying that God would grant me courage and boldness to stand firmly for His truth. That I would not be seeking to please my friends because the most important job I have in this life is serving as an ambassador of Christ.

In the midst of those prayers, He reminded me of this verse:

“For our exhortion was not of deceit, not of uncleanness, nor in guile; But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, even as we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts” ~1 Thessalonians 2:3-4

We cannot be afraid to stand up for God and what He has decreed is right. He is the giver and taker of life and when it comes to an innocent life we should never be the one who makes that decision.

By the grace of God I have not found myself in a place where I had to make this type of decision but I know that all my decisions in life must be based upon God’s word: upon the words which He has chosen to reveal to us. He says

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works”. ~2 Timothy 3:16

According to this verse in Timothy we have all that we need to live a life pleasing to God and it’s contained within the scriptures. Therefore, I must follow His commands as they are written and that includes standing up for the children that are being killed each day.

If you are reading this and you have had an abortion please know this: there is forgiveness. There is nothing that Christ’s blood cannot cover and if you repent and turn towards God then He will forgive you.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. ~1 John 1:9

If you find yourself in that position of having had an abortion or are considering one, I strongly encourage you to find a local Christian based pregnancy center. If you live in the Central Virginia Area they are called Thrive Woman’s Healthcare and have offices in Charlottesville, Culpeper, and Orange. They offer counseling services, ultrasounds, STD screenings and lots of other services and all for free. They also counsel woman who have had an abortion and are struggling with the choice they made. If you go there you will find love and support. They go beyond just helping with medical needs and will help you pursue other options besides abortion. If you want to keep your baby and just don’t know how you can possibly do it: they will help. These centers are usually connected to various churches and groups who work together to help provide shelter, clothing, food, diapers and all kinds of things new moms need.

P.S- I’m on the last chapter of an amazing book that deals with our culture’s mindset of the body and how that connects to topics such as abortion, the transgender movement, and even state based education. It’s called “Love thy Body” and it’s been very educational. I highly recommend it and be sure to look for a book review on it in the coming days.

There are parts of the Old Testament I have always found interesting and then there are those parts that I’ve never much enjoyed reading or found super relevant. I know that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction of righteousness: The the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. However, I have always struggled on how to apply those things in some places such as the minor prophets.

However, today I was reading the book of Habakkuk (it’s only 3 chapters) and noticied a few big things.

Summary: Habakkuk was a prophet (and maybe a temple priest) in Judah right before the Babylonian captivity. The first two chapters of the book are a dialogue between Habakkuk and God. He is crying out to God saying that he doesn’t understand why God is allowing all kinds of evil to happen in Judah and to His people and yet He remains silent. He continues on about how the evil and those who follow other gods are prospering. God’s response is to explain that evil is prospering because that is His plan for them at that time. That God is using them to bring about His correction and reproof even if they praise their idols for their wins. Chapter three is also pretty awesome. It is Habakkuk’s response. It is a summation of how believers should respond to God’s plans and justice being poured out even when it seems counter-productive to our minds. Habakkuk starts the chapter with  “I have heard they speech and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy” 3:2 and ends it with “Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places, To the chief singer on my stringed instruments” 3:18-19.

Habakkuk is literally looking at a nation that has turned it’s back on God and it’s laws (sound familiar anyone). They are choosing to do evil and God declares that He is allowing others to defeat them. He is  going to keep silent and allow them to choose to follow their own devices to their own destruction.

Habakkuk teaches how we also should respond when evil seems to be flourishing all around us.  God’s plans will be accomplished no matter what. There are many times where we may look at what is happening and have doubts or fears. But, at the end of it all, we can rest firmly and assuredly on God. He is our salvation and our hope no matter what we face. He is our God and He is in control.

One thing that I have learned (and I mentioned this a little bit in my post Patience is a [much needed] virtue) is that when you start praying for God to reveal areas where you are struggling to be obedient to the Spirit, that He will do so. For me, one of the areas that He has been showing me is a tendency towards bitterness.

Ephesians 4:31 says “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice”.

It’s honestly not something that I ever really thought I struggled with all that much. But God has been revealing to me a few very specific instances that I have been clinging to and allowing to define me, restrict me, and where I have not forgiven the people involved.

I don’t want to give very many specifics because these are real people and this is the internet… but when I was younger I was involved in a group. This group was given the opportunity to compete in something and the leaders of the group decided that it would be better for the group if I did not participate. They didn’t approach me about it directly (I was a young teen) but approached a family member who then was asked to break the news to me.

Honestly, I was upset at the time but truly thought I had gotten over it. But, lately one of the things that God has revealed to me is that some of my stage fright and people pleasing is tied to this situation. This is also not a single and solitary incident but the devil likes to use different things in our life to cause us to see ourselves in a way that is different from how God sees us. He uses this to cause us to not live out our lives in the manner in which God has called us.

I am not saying that they did right or wrong in asking me not to compete because honestly it does not matter. What matters is that I have used that hurt and pain to color or cloud my interactions with others and my involvement or willingness to volunteer for things because of a fear of rejection. In order for me to be able to truly put this in the past I have to do a few things:

1.) First and foremost I have to recognize my wrong-doing and sin in dwelling on and not moving past this situation. 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.

2.) I have to forgive the perceived wrongdoing of those who have hurt me. Regardless of whether the intention was to cause me hurt or not, I have felt sinned against and carried that with me.  God says in Ephesians 4:32 “forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”. God has forgiven me for so much so I owe to all those around me to forgive them as well, even if they never ask for forgiveness or realize that they caused hurt.

3.) When the devil tries to bring the mind the hurt caused or I feel afraid to participate in something because the old fears and memories return I must meditate on God’s truth and have scriptures memorized that remind me that both the initial hurt and my sinful response have been covered in Christ’s blood and I am truly free.

When we pray, God does answer so be sure that you want God to work in your life when you start asking Him to reveal things cause He will. The biggest thing is once God reveals something to us, then what do we do with it. Do we just go about our lives and ignore it or do we turn it back over to God and ask him to help us and give us victory in this area.

Have you ever read a book that as you were reading it, you had a sense of “wow”. That was this book for me. In Captivating John and Stasi Edredge discuss the beauty of true femininity. This book, however, does not focus on necessarily the stereotypical picture that we sometimes hear about in Christianity. Their definition of true feminity is a woman who recognizes that she is beautiful, radiant, and a warrior princess. A woman who is rested and continually walking in the Spirit and leaning on Christ is a woman who will be beautiful both inside and out.

One of the most moving parts of this book for me was the vulnerability that Stasi shows as she shares some very deep painful situations and circumstances from her life and family. She is very open about what God has brought her through and how He has redeemed her life. How He has moved and displayed His goodness to her. She goes through her own challenges with feeling unloved, feeling “not good enough”, and feeling all the lies that the devil tries to convince us that we should feel.

The Edredges focus in on the truth of God and who we are called to be as woman of God. They remind us the many woman who God uses throughout His word and that they are woman who stood for God’s truth no matter what their culture was doing around them. God uses them to encourage men to do what He has called them to do.

There were various places in the book where I got somewhat offended and almost stopped reading. As I did so, I prayed that God would guide me and show me if I was really offended because I thought it was not Biblical or because it was speaking of an intimacy and closeness with God that I struggled to understand…Turns out it was the later. I am that person who always struggles when people pray out loud and start off with “Daddy” or “Papa”. I don’t entirely know the reason but for me, it just comes off as disrespectful or shows a lack of fear of God. And while, I do think that is true for some people, that is not what Stasi and John are getting at during this part of the book.

They are trying to convey that God desires a deep, personal, and intimate relationship with each one of us as daughters of the King. Which I realized as I continued reading and not stopping at the first mention of this section of the book.  We are His children and He wants us to know Him more deeply than we can possibly understand in this life. I pray that God will continue to reveal himself to me and guide me deeper into relationship with Him. I truly want to sit at His feet and lean into Him at all times.

I recommend reading this book if you are a woman or even a man pursuing (or thinking about pursuing) a god-centered romantic relationship (as they all should be for Christians). I have not read it but they have also written a book for men as well Wild at Heart which they reference various times in this book.

I am currently experiencing a chronic lyme flare up. What does that mean? It means that doing the smallest thing exhausts me. It means that my legs ache and hurt and my goal is staying in bed most of the day (which I’m not very good at). It means I need to focus on healing and rest. But most importantly, it means I need to turn to God. He is my strength and it is only in Him that I can find true rest.

When this flare up first began two songs came to mind: Mercy Me “Even If” and Lauren Daigle “Trust in You”. Both of these songs guide us that not only is the Lord our only hope and He has the power to heal and change our circumstances. But, more importantly we are reminded that God is sovereign and He uses all circumstances for his purposes (even the painful and completely miserable ones).

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose”-Romans 8:28

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this that the trying of your faith workth patience”.- James 1:2-3

In the midst of the storm and during our times of trial and tribulation everything can feel dry and it can be hard to feel God’s presence. During the onset of my symptoms initially last year I was in that place. It was so hard to remember that He was in the  midst of my illness with me. We have this tendency to believe that as long as we believe in God, He will give us complete healing (in this life) and that all of our problems will disappear. That is not Biblical. God assures us actually that we will face trials, temptations, persecutions, and pain. The beauty comes in that He is there in the midst of it with us. He is our strength, hope, and comfort. He never leaves us alone.

I am so grateful for the people who God surrounded me with during that time and continues to surround me with now. My co-workers and friends who reached out all the time and asked me about my health, who prayed for and with me, who sent me an encouraging word.

A big thing to keep in mind as we struggle is the recognition that even if our pain and struggles in this world continue, it does not change who God is. If we are not delivered in this  life, we will be in eternity. One of those Bible Stories that all kids who are raised in the church learn came to mind as I reflected on this truth of God. THe story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego  (or for those of you with a heavy foundation of Veggie Tales: Rack, Shack, and Benny) found in Daniel 3.

The story comes during the time of the Babylonian captivity. The king of Babylon has a statue built in his honor and demands that every one bow down to it. The three Hebrew boys refuse because it would be a sin to worship a person. King Nebuchadnezzar is infuriated and threatens that if they do not bow down to his statue that he would throw them into the fiery furnace. Their response is one of great faith:

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King. But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up”. Daniel 3:16-18.

Now, in their case God does save them. They are thrown into the fiery furnace and no part of them burned even though it was hot enough that the men who opened the doors to throw them in died because of the heat.

However, I want to focus on their statement “But if not”. They recognized that God had the power to deliver them out of the kind’s hand and the fiery furnace but that He might not. They were still choosing to be obedient even if it meant death. They knew that God’s purposes and plans would stand and they would be saved whether it meant remaining alive in this life or dying but coming into eternity with God.

For us, what does this mean. This means that we recognize when we go through hard and challenging times that it does not mean God has abandoned us. He has promised us that He will remain with us and given us a comforter in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Even if things don’t go my way…
Even if I don’t get everything I want…
Even if my world crumbles and falls away around me…
Even if my body is in pain and my strength fails…

…I will praise His name. I will declare that the Lord is good. I will declare that He is my King and my God.

I recently read through Radical Womanhood: Feminine Faith in a Feminist World” by Carolyn McCulley. It was an extremely interesting read and particularly so because of McCulley’s previous involvement in the movement.

As a history major I loved that she took her readers through the history of feminism and how our country ended up in its current state. In the preface McCulley states her purpose for writing the book.

“I wrote it for my thirty year old self, the woman who needed to understand why much of what she had been taught in college and read in the media led to a dead-end, and why the Bible inspired joy and peace” (16).

McCulley did a really good job of contrasting the pressures and ideals of this world with a Biblical worldview and how that affects the way in which we view ourselves as woman.

I especially appreciate that she didn’t try to make an appeal that all Christian women need to live identical lives and serve all the same roles. She makes it clear the strength and beauty that comes when we recognize the gift of true femininity.

I encourage Christian women to read this book and explore the various women in the waves of feminism who have led us down the rocky road we are currently walking.

A theme in several podcasts as well as something I’ve noticed in my life is the idea of “keeping the appointment”. We fret if we have to cancel a doctor’s appointment at the last-minute and push all other things around to make it to our hair appointment but often when we make a committment to read or pray at a certain time we easily push it aside and think “I just don’t have time for that today”.

When God began renewing my walk with him earlier this year one of the first things I became convicted of was how skimpy by “times with God” had become. While, I use to really enjoy reading my Bible and spending time praying, I had gotten to a place where I was whispering the same 2 minute prayer every night before going to bed and rarely picking up my Bible.

In response to the conviction around not spending time in His presence I have begun spending extended time in prayer and meditating on a chapter of scripture each morning. Yes, this means getting up earlier but despite losing an hour of sleep, I’ve noticed that I’m more content, happier, and have a much easier time getting through my day.

“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple” Psalm 27:4

In this Psalm,  David proclaims how much he wants and desires to spend time in the presence of God and how he longs to be able to stand in God’s presence. How much of a blessing is it that we are able to just that.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

God is our source of strength, hope, and all things. It’s amazing to recognize how choosing to just wake up and spend time in His presence can change our day. Starting the day in prayer and scripture allows me to go about my day remembering my calling to be a Christ-follower in all things. To remember that I am an ambassador of Christ and that my actions can be a great testimony of who He is or a bad testimony.

The other end of things is that in order to “keep my appointment” I have to prioritize going to bed. If I am going to wake up early to have time to spend in God’s presence I cannot stay up super late. If I do, then I know that I am going to hit snooze when that alarm goes off in the morning. So, I have a bed time (for me it’s between 9 and 10 pm-I know I”m old) in order to be able to wake up and worship God. Even if I don’t make it to bed at that time, I still wake up and spend time in His presence for two reasons. One: spending time in His presence is so much more beneficial than sleep and two: it’s not God’s fault that I stayed up too late (usually watching funny videos on you tube), it’s my own.

I encourage you to set a time to wake up (or designate a specific time during the day if you are not a morning person at all) and spend time in God’s presence, I promise you WILL grow in your relationship with Him.