0 Where the streets have no name

It's a beautiful day!
Don't let is slip away....

You've got to get yourself together,
You got stuck in the moment and you can't get out of it...

one love...one life...

If you haven't figured it out by now, all of these songs are by one of our all-time favorite bands....U2!



Next week, Raleigh and I are going to see these crazy lads in Hotlanta. We got to catch their concert once before and it was A-W-E-S-O-M-E (I am totally pulling a cheer right now) AND, to make the week even more special, my peanut pal, Ashley. and I are going to see....(drumroll) Beth Moore on Friday in Memphis! I am sooo excited to see her live! I didn't plan on having such a crazy week but things just fell into place so I am majorly pumped for a change in the ordinary schedule. I will be sure to have post-concert and post-Beth updates after next week!

A couple of months ago, I attended the Leadership Summit simulcast at my church. It was very cool and interesting to hear from so many different leaders in our world and Christian community. Some of my favorite speakers were Jessica Jackley, the co-founder of kiva.org; Dave Gibbons, founder and lead pastor of Newsong Church in Irvine, California; and Andrew Rugasira, founder and CEO of Good African Coffee.

At the summit, we were able to see an interview between Bill Hybels, founder and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church; and Bono, the lead singer of U2. Three years ago, Bono joined the Leadership Summit and basically told church leaders that they/we weren't doing enough to end poverty in this world. The interview that I witnessed was about "The Church...Three Years Later." It was very interesting and encouraging to hear different church leaders state that after they saw the first interview they acted upon Bono's request instead of turning the other cheek.

Bono wants to see an end to global poverty. I have always realized that there was poverty in this world but I have not experienced it first hand. Even so, I should be doing more to stop it. It is hard for me to go without lunch, let alone go without food for days on end. I can only imagine what these children and family go through each and every day.

Below is the song titled, Where The Streets Have No Name. Really take time to absorb the words instead of humming the tune in your head.

I want to run
I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls
That hold me inside
I want to reach out
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name

I want to feel, sunlight on my face
See that dust cloud disappear without a trace
I want to take shelter from the poison rain
Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
Were still building
Then burning down love, burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you...
(its all I can do)

The cities a flood
And our love turns to rust
Were beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled into dust
Ill show you a place
High on ta desert plain
Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
Still building
Then burning down love
Burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you
(its all I can do)

If you want to start making a difference today in ending global poverty, below are some links for you to join. Raleigh and I support Compassion; which is a program where we give to support a child in need. Our child's name is Muremba and she lives in an aids village outside of Kenya, Africa. I'm sure I will do another post about Compassion, but let me just say that it is so easy for me to go without $32 a month so she can have food on her plate.



one.org/us


joinred.com


www.compassion.com

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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1 Never Ever Lose Hope in Others

Hey friends,

I just want to go ahead and prepare you...this is not a light read for a Friday! But, I think it is something that we all have gone through so please take a moment when you have time to digest what I am about to say.

I truly believe that God puts certain people in our lives for specific reasons. I also believe that He puts us in lives of others as an opportunity to share His love. I don't believe in coincidences, I fully believe that God speaks to us through our circumstances. The main message that I am going to be speaking about today is DO NOT LOSE HOPE IN OTHERS.

Let's face it: growing up is hard to do. I know these words sound so cliche but we are constantly dealing with peer pressure and the choice of making either the right or wrong decisions in life. God gave us free will to decide which direction we want to take. He would love with every ounce of His being for all of us to choose Him, but ever since Eve bit that apple we have had a choice of which path we will follow.

Please take a moment to really absorb these next verses from Proverbs 23:17-21, 26.

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path. Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags. My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways.

What path are you following? Where is your life heading? Are you in a place where you just don't want to think about God? You think to yourself, "I'm young, these are supposed to be the crazy years of my life." We have so much going on in life - school, friends, work, family, pressure, stress, anxiety....we need some type of outlet to release all of this pent-up frustration. Some people choose a healthy lifestyle and others choose a self-destructive lifestyle that is one day going to bite them in the butt.

Fellow believers, don't lose hope in a friend that is going down a self-destructive path. God is working in the lives of others even when we don't realize it. He is always there and is always ready to answer the hard questions when we are finally ready to start asking. He never gives up hope in us so we shouldn't lose hope in others. God can bring our friends back to the faith. When our friends are sorting out all the questions and are trying to desperately get their lives right with God; He is ready to surround them with His grace and mercy.

I promise you this: life is so much better when we are filled with God's love. I'm afraid so many people in our society are searching to find happiness. They search down dark alleyways or through tainted relationships but they just end up finding a dead end. Please, if you or someone you know, is going down this route, start looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. Jesus' love, peace, and kindness will be so bright that you will need sunglasses to shade your eyes from His radiance! It is time for your spirit to be filled so you can start enjoying a healthy lifestyle that is filled with His joy, not the false happiness of this world. He has been waiting for you, 'and your hope will not be cut off.'

Never, ever lose hope in a brother or sister. Keep praying for them to make that decision to get on the right path. I believe that through God, all things are possible :)

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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0 Puppy Love

The other day I realized that two of my family members have yet to be mentioned on this blog....our pups Obi and Lu Lu! I love these two dogs like they are my children. Lu Lu is going to be four (thank goodness she will be out of the teenager age) and Obi will be two this October. For any of you that know me, you know I can't have what everybody else has. That goes for dogs just as much as clothes. Lu Lu is a five pound Schnoodle - a Schnauzer and poodle mix - and Obi is a Vizsla - a German pointer that is a cousin to the Weimaraner.


It has been so much fun having them apart of our family. Dogs, like humans, have personality traits and at times these two are pretty amusing to watch. Lu Lu, bless her soul, is the dominant one in the family. She might be little but as soon as Obi came into our lives he figured out who was boss. I remember the first day we brought him home he started to play with her and she looked at us like, "Who is this and why is he here?" Obi, on the other hand, is just the friendliest dog that I have ever met and all he wants to do is love on his family. Poor thing, he simply doesn't understand his size...he always wants to climb into my lap and he can't comprehend why he doesn't fit up there like Lu Lu!

These two rascals have been the best companions to Raleigh and I. Whenever I get upset, Obi likes to crawl into bed with me and snuggle. Lu Lu will lick away all of my tears and then she will rotate once, twice, three times and find her pocket tucked up under my arms. Obi and Lu Lu both love Raleigh so much. When he walks in the door, Obi's ears perk up and a big smile comes on his face when he see Raleigh. Lu Lu loves to play "tag" with Raleigh...we are both afraid that if Raleigh and I have girls that he is going to spoil them one day.

For those of you that aren't dog or animal lovers you are missing out on one of God's best gifts to us. He has provided us with creatures that will love us no matter what our flaws may be. When I lived in Birmingham by myself for a year, Lu Lu was my comforter and protector. Whenever Raleigh needs a friend, Obi will gladly come a runnin'. I am so thankful to have them in my life.

Thank you friends for letting me share my puppy love!

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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0 Have you ever seen the rain?

I am one of those people that needs to eat and sleep. If I don't, I get very cranky and irritable. It is a horrible trait, yes I know, but it is who I am and those around me have learned to deal with it over the years. A perfect example of my meltdown mode happened this summer when my family went to Disney World. On our last full day before we went home, the Ridley's went to the classic Magic Kingdom. This was mine and Raleigh's first time to go to Disney together so we were excited for the photo opps and to ride Space Mountain together. But, when I woke up that morning, I was cranky. I tried to have a better attitude when I was getting ready because of the great time I knew we would have that day and I didn't want to spoil it. When we finally arrived to Disney, my spirits were momentarily lifted as we walked into this land where dreams really do come true. But, as the camera started flashing in front of Cinderella's palace, I got hot. Miserably hot. And sweaty. I had actually straightened my hair that day (why? I don't know) and it instantly went into a pony tail. While trying to grin and bear the heat I got snappy and was not a fun person to be around. We headed toward Tomorrowland and I cooled off a little because most of the shows were inside. I made it to lunch and got re-rejuvenated with some food. I started smiling and joking around and thought to myself, "This is gonna be a good day."

After lunch, we headed toward the teacups and things started to spin downward from there. I love kids and I can't wait to take my kids to Disney one day, but being around a bunch of screaming kids in a way too crowded space started making me frustrated. We had eight people in our party and finally we got Na Na a wheelchair but it was crazy trying to all stay together!!!! We quickly finished up that part of the kingdom and headed toward the Pioneer Land section because Paw Paw had to see the Hall of Presidents. Well, it was under construction, wouldn't ya know. By that point, I was hot, tired, and hungry again so my meltdown started to happen. Raleigh, bless his soul, firmly told me to sit down and wait for him to get me something to go into my stomach. He came back with a Mickey Mouse bar for us to share but I ended up eating all of it. Oh, it was cold and chocolaty and just delicious in my mouth. Mickey cured my meltdown momentarily.

After I got that sugar high, we had a good afternoon riding Smokey Mountain and some other rides in that area. One of the last rides we rode was Splash Mountain. For anybody that has ridden Splash Mountain, it looks really scary and wet but in actuality most of the time you do end up staying pretty dry and the ride is refreshing because the mist cools you off. I'm not a huge roller coaster fan, but I can handle Splash Mountain so I was looking forward to this ride. As we go through the ride, we are having a good ole time singing "Zippity-do-da" and then we take a small dip around the half-way point. For some reason, our little cart was not on the correct schedule as the attraction, and when we went on the dip, the water that is supposed to shoot over your head ended up shooting straight in our laps! Raleigh, me and my dad got soaked!!! I mean, sopping wet! After the ride was over, it was time for me to go home.

Last night, I had a similar experience at the Auburn game. We played West Virginia and we had a great time during the day tailgating with Raleigh's architecture friends. We knew there was a chance of rain so we came prepared with rain jackets. We got into the stadium an hour before kickoff and as soon as we sat in our seats, the rain started coming. It was a torrential downpour! There was nothing we could do except stay in our seats because the tunnels were jammed with people trying to get back underneath the cover. So, we sat through it. I actually had fun sitting through the rain because the stadium was playing fun songs like "Have you ever seen the rain" and "When the thunder rolls." The student section was slammed in their seats so it was fun watching everyone show their Auburn spirit regardless of the weather. Finally, the rain slowed down and they were able to start the game. By that point, I started to get chilly. I was literally soaked in every place possible and every time I stood up to cheer my dress would get stuck to my legs and when I sat down in my rented plastic seat and everything was just squishy and uncomfortable. My attitude started to change and I was ready to go. I was a terrible sport and made Raleigh leave at half-time. He was not a happy camper and I learned where the expression "Don't get your panties in a wad" came from.

In saying all of this, sometimes experiences that you look forward to just don't turn out to be fun. It is easy to get our panties in a wad and become irritable and cranky. Instead of making lemonade out of lemons, we pour too many lemons and not enough sugar into the drink making it tart and your mouth turning under instead of up. I am a firm believer that your attitude is everything. When I have a bad attitude, I end up having a bad day and make others around me have a bad day too. But, when I continue to have a positive attitude during the storm or desert or any type of experience, I shine with Jesus' love.

Friends, Jesus went through many more storms that we will ever have to go through, and he still remained true to his Father. I challenge each of us to try and have a positive attitude even when we don't feel like it. I mean, to see all of those fans stick out the game in the pouring rain.....that is passion and dedication and love. Let's have that same passion, dedication, and love towards Christ as we live our lives each and every day. So, no matter rain or shine, let's continue to let our light shine!

Till next time, let your light shine!

blessings, christen

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2 Thirteen

Hey friends,

Hope everyone is staying dry on this rainy day! I don't know about you, but I am sure glad today was hump day. Only two more days until the weekend! We are heading back to Auburn this weekend to tailgate with some of Raleigh's architecture friends. They are a fun crowd and we are looking forward to hanging out with everyone in a big group again! Raleigh and I have always been the type of people that have multiple groups of friends. This group is our crazy group. The very first time I hung out with them in college was at their studio party that was 80's prom theme. Everyone was dressed up in neon colors and we were totally throwing a dance party with moves that would make Kevin Bacon proud.

Anyways, on to today's topic. Tonight, I got to meet the girls in the youth small group that I am leading with two of my other friends. They are eighth grade girls and I can't wait to truly get to know them. I got a little taste of their personalities tonight and I think this is going to be a great year. It is so neat to hear them speak so openly about different things going on in their lives. I already know one topic that I can't wait to discuss with them is building up their character. More on that topic but here is my question for you:

Tell me about your eighth grade experience. What do you remember from it? Feel free to share any funny memories or something that you learned when you were 13. I will go ahead and go first so please take some time to comment on this post!

One thing that I remember about the eighth grade is making the Carver Middle School cheerleading squad. Boy, were we somethin' else! My jersey was so big on me I think I can still fit into it today! I can still vividly remember the dance routines to "Space Jam" and "Boom I got your Boyfriend." When I was thirteen, I was still very shy around boys. I had a date to our Christmas Dance and I believe I only danced one slow song with him. Being around boys just scared me.

So, what about you? What do you remember about the 8th grade? Please share, I think this will be really fun!

Till' next time, let your light shine!

blessings, christen

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0 Music Test

You Hold Me Now

http://iLike.com/s/8pmAT

http://www.ilike.com/artist/Hillsong+United/track/You+Hold+Me+Now

Hillsong United-You hold me now

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1 Change of Season

In Alabama, it is hard to truly define seasons changing. I usually get the feeling of a change in season when different activities begin. For this season, football has taken over so I am sure fall will soon follow. This past weekend, we were in attendance to not one but two football games. On Friday night, we went to a local high school football game to watch one of our friends coach his team. I was very surprised that the evening actually felt cool and not humid for a change! It was refreshing to think that soon the leaves will start to change colors and I can wear jeans without sweating during the day :) Auburn football took center stage on Saturday as we drove to the loveliest village on the plains. Something about sitting in a tailgating chair eating tons of food, while watching orange and blue fans walk around just excites me. Every time I step on campus, memories come flooding back to me about my Auburn experience.

However, while these things are the enjoyable parts of a change in season, I also know things are shifting because my schedule changes and I start to get anxious during my day. So, for anybody that has been feeling a little stressed lately, this post is for you!

The verse that I am going to refer to today is in Phillipians, chapter four, verses six and seven. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Often, when I think of the word anxious, other words such as worry and overwhelmed come to my head. Usually, I start to feel this way when I have a lot on my plate and it looks like everything won't get eaten before it goes cold! September has started my new year at work. New goals, new volunteers, and new meetings. With that change, summer is officially over for me and it is time to start checking the to-do's off of my calendar. Even though my events are eight months away, a lot has to be done starting now. When I see the long list on my timelines, a feeling of anxiousness creeps into my stomach and I start to worry.

Now, if I always did what I was supposed to, I would automatically drop down to my knees and give this to God. But, me the the im-perfect person that I am, I hold that feeling all to myself. In this sense of the word, anxious turns into self-centeredness and counterproductive worry. I get myself all worked up for nothing and in return, nothing gets done because I am too worried about it! The word "anything" in this verse is stated as "nothing" in the KJV and this is translated into the word medeis which means "not even one (man, woman, or thing)."

Anxiety and prayer are two great opposing forces in a being a christian. Especially type A christians! Type A's think we can do it on our own. We don't like to give "to-do's" to others out of fear and distrust that they won't be completed correctly. But, not giving our to-do's to God? How crazy are we to think that we can handle our problems better than He can? Instead, we should be thankful that He loves us so much that He wants to handle all of our problems. He doesn't want us to carry the weight of this "man, woman, or thing" on our shoulders. He is strong so we need to let God do the push-ups instead of us.

When we finally decide to let God pump some iron, we should go to him with thankful hearts, i.e. the term "thanksgiving." After I finish my prayers, I always have this feeling of peace wash over me. The notes in my Bible state that the "peace of God" is an inner tranquility based on the peaceful state of those whose sins are forgiven. This is the complete opposite of anxiety!!! It also states that when believers have this peace, they have a sense of a divine favour. This term makes me think of the saying, "If God is on my side, who can be against me?"

The ending of this verse states that this peace will guard our hearts and minds. Think of God as your personal soldier standing guard against all "man, woman, or thing" that can cause you worry. He is a strong soldier that is protective of his child. His goal is to keep you safe and not let the enemy conquer your heart and your mind.

Friends, cast your worries upon God. I know I have stopped trying to fight the fact that He can handle it better than I can. My goal is to attempt to be in constant prayer to God, giving him everything every single minute of every single day. I know that if I ever accomplish this goal, my life will be filled with a constant peace of mind. With this peace of mind comes an even more thankful heart to my strong, mighty Father. Then, I can fully enjoy the changing seasons without being anxious about any "man, woman, or thing."

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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0 While I'm Waiting

Hi friends,

I just had to write a follow-up to the blog I posted on Sunday titled, Anxious Expectation. God has a way of making me practice what I preach. I'm not going to go into details, but please pray for me that I will continue to wait patiently for Him to reveal His promises to me and also for me to wait in wonderful expectation.

Below, are the lyrics and a music video from the movie Fireproof of a song that has been in my head, John Waller's, "While I'm Waiting." It has given me comfort and I hope it gives you some as well!



Lyrics to While I'm Waiting :
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

On a side note, Raleigh took his Goliath test today and felt like he did a good job. We will have to wait and see but thank you for your prayers!

Till next time, let your light shine!

blessings, christen

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