0 Dear God

Dear God,

Thank you for loving me and for forgiving me of my sins. This weekend was great. Thank you for keeping Ashley and I safe as we traveled to Memphis to see Beth Moore. You have blessed me with her friendship and I am forever grateful to have had a companion like her over all these years.

Jesus, I want to apologize for not fully focusing on you Friday night. Forgive me for paying more attention to Beth than you. I was awestruck and excited beyond myself and I am sincerely sorry that I had a false idolatry when YOU alone are the one that I should be awestruck by. Thank you for giving us women a mentor and teacher like Beth Moore. She is not putting on a show...she is the real deal...the living proof.

Thank you for your love. By your love, grace and mercy I know that you are my Savior. I can't live my life without you. Thank you for your encouragement and for taking all of my fears. Thank you for wrapping your loving arms around me on day 2. I was fully into you on Saturday and my life has been enriched from that message.

Lord, take me as you find me. I can't live my life without you. I love you and I desperately need you.

In Jesus name,

Amen




Till next time, let your light shine

blessings, christen

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1 Magnificent

Today I come to you with tired eyes and a slightly scratchy throat, but the experience that gave me these things was exceptional. As I mentioned last week, Raleigh and I bought tickets to attend the U2 concert in Atlanta. Yesterday we drove to the big city and had an awesome time letting loose to our favorite U2 songs. Sometimes it is nice to have a break from the usual routine. I put on a fun dress and my heels and shook my groove thing on a Tuesday night! I encourage everyone to take time out of their usual schedules and do something a little different this week.

We had seats in the nose bleed section but it didn't matter. The tour is named 360 because they built this amazing set to become more intimate with the audience. You can see in the picture below, but they nicknamed their set the "spaceship." Basically, there are these huge spider-looking legs coming from the four corners and where they connect is this big 360 degree screen that hangs above the band. So, even if you are sitting in the cheapest seats in the house (like us) you still have an up-close and personal view of the band. It was really a cool experience.


One thing that I love most about U2 is that they are a band that sings with a purpose. All of their songs have such profound meanings. Last night, they played one of my all-time favorites, "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and as I was throwing my fist into the air I really took time to soak up the words. Another song that they sang was "Magnificent." Take a look at some of the lyrics to this song:

I was born, I was born to sing for you
I didn't have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice from the womb
My first cry, it was a joyful noise, oh, oh

As Bono sang these words, I was struck by the truth in them. This guy, this band, they are living out their purpose in life. God gave them the gift of music and they are using it to touch millions every single day.

I often struggle with the word purpose. To me, that word defines all that I am and all that God intended for me to become. I, like most of you, have read The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren and I know that my purpose in life is to glorify the Lord and to live my life according to Him. But, how exactly?

Romans 12:8 tells us, "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."

The word gifts comes from the Greek word charismata, referring to special gifts of grace - freely given by God to his people to meet the needs of the body. I think, if we take some time for intense self-observation, it is easy to recognize the gifts that God has given us. But, I think the part that makes it tricky is figuring out how to use these gifts to 'meet the needs of the body.' Going through our days, we have to remember to show our gifts of encouragement or service to others but we also should be making a conscious effort to plug ourselves into our gifts 100%. For adults, I believe that we should pick our jobs by using our gifts, not just working for the paycheck every month.

For some of us, is that easier said than done? How many people do we know that are unhappy with their current jobs? Or, they have been doing the same thing for so many years they don't even remember why they decided to do it in the first place? I know people in every stage of life from college to the age of 50 that wake up every day asking themselves, "Is this really what I am supposed to be doing with my life?" I think that some of us know what we want to do from an early age but many of us just end up in an unhappy place because we never really figured out what we are supposed to be doing. I know that sounds a little harsh, but I think it is a common struggle for many people. Or, I think some of us have dreams and we are too scared to drop everything and chase after that dream.

Friends, I want to give you this encouragement today. Do what you were born to do. We might not have all been born to be rock stars, but we were all born with gifts that are intended to be used. "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." - Romans 9:17.

God gave us gifts! He gave them to us out of grace and He expects us to use them to live according to His glorious name! Don't be afraid...I know it is so easy to worry about the what ifs of dropping everything. How am I going to pay my bills? Who will give me insurance? What if I fail? Is it too late to start chasing my dreams? Please hold true to this statement: God will provide for us. He provided for Moses and the Israelites when they needed food in the desert and HE WILL PROVIDE FOR YOU. Trust in Him and He will bless you abundantly.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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0 My Gain = His Loss

Isn't our Creator so cool? This whole week, after weeks of yucky rain, He has given us sunshine and fresh air. I am in LOVE with this weather! I heard it was supposed to rain tomorrow but be clear again this weekend. Warrrrrrrrr Eagle, hey!!!

Today has been a good day. I am pooped and my eyes hurt but I have been looking forward to getting this opportunity to sit down and write to you all tonight. This blog has been so good for me. I hope you are enjoying it and I hope it is giving you encouragement throughout your day. We got some motivating news today...Raleigh passed his fourth Architecture Review Exam (ARE)!!!! Please continue to pray that he will stay focused and pass the final three so he can be D-O-N-E. Thank you Lord for that answered prayer! One final thing about this delightful day - today is Obi's second birthday :) That is one lovable pup and he enjoyed getting his belly scratched this morning while we sang "Happy Birthday" to him.

Alrighty, on with the show. Tonight I wanted to share parts of Philippians 3 with y'all. I taught this lesson on Tuesday night in our small group and it is so good I thought it was worth sharing twice. If you have your bibles, open them up and jot down some notes in the margin. I love to go back and see old notes when I am re-reading passages. Just a tip: put the date or who the speaker was next to your notes....I have forgotten to do that before and it can be difficult sometimes to remember why you underlined it in the first place!

I am going to start off with Philippians 3:4-6, "If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless."

These verses can be summarized into three main points:
1. Paul states that he has confidence in the flesh
2. Paul has confidence in his family name
3. Paul has confidence in his own achievements
Before Paul gave his life up for Christ, he walked around thinking he was a too cool for school. I can just hear the song "Bad Boy, Bad Boy, watcha gonna do, watcha gonna do when I come for you" playing in his head when he strutted the streets persecuting Christians. He was Paul, an Israelite by birth, from the tribe on Benjamin for pete's sake! Who was gonna mess with him? He had zeal, self-righteousness and he was disciplined in the law. He was perfect in his own book.

How many of us walk around with our chins held a little too high? Arrogance and over-confidence are two words that I am so ashamed to call myself. But, I know I have felt those things from time to time. I also have a daily struggle with perfection. I try so hard for everything to be "just-so." Ladies, am I speaking to any of you?

What if we turned those three points around? Listen to these points and tell me if these alternatives are a little better:
1. Paul has confidence in the spirit of Christ alone
2. Paul has confidence in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord
3. Paul has confidence in the works of our Lord

Verse seven is one of the most powerful verses ever written:

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted lost for Christ"

He goes on to say,
"I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." - Philippians 3:8-10

Talk about a change of heart. Paul says that all things that were gain to him - his confidence, family name, and achievements - are nothing compared to 'the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ.' Friends, until we can admit that we are nothing without Christ, we are living our lives for ourselves and for this world. We need to start seeking Christ with every ounce of our earthly flesh and stop worrying about our own personal gain. To go even further, Paul loves Jesus so much that he wants to 'share in his suffering.' Are you willing to share the pain of dying on the cross for the sins of all man-kind?

Friends, I'm tired of my life surrounding around me. Instead of living a life trying to achieve perfection, a life of having things "just-so" I need to be "letting it go." All of this is trash compared to living my life for Christ. We need to make a conscious effort to practice humility, love, and grace in our every day lives.

Let's have a relationship with Jesus. A deep, personal, one on one kind of a relationship. He has already jumped in front of the gun and dodged the bullet for us...I think it is about time we do the same for him. I have faith and I believe in his resurrection. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that my life is so much more full with him being the focus instead of me. I will stumble and fall from time to time, but I know my friend Jesus is right there to pick me up so I can continue to follow him down the path he has guided for me.

Till next time, let your light shine!

Blessings, christen

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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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