Why I Haven't Given Up Church

I started following Jesus when I was 18 years old so I'm going on 13 years of being involved with the local church and about 10 years of that has been in leadership. The church gets a lot of flack these days (really it always has) and I can tell you I have personally experienced the ugliest of the uglies within the church. I've been abused, accused, beaten down, called names, ignored, and taken advantage of by "God's People". It's a disheartening feeling when people you hold in such high regard do things like that to you and people around you. Even if you've never been a part of a church you have probably seen news stories about corrupt finances, pastors caught with prostitutes, and of course people holding those lovely protest signs that seem to state that God hates.... well pretty much everybody. I've had people ask me what I think of those things and how I can associate with such people. It's true I don't like being lumped in with televangelists and people who picket funerals and the truth is I'm not really like those people at all. I just love Jesus and I want to go whichever way he's going, but you tell someone you're a christian and immediately they get some image in their head and for some folks it's a really bad image.

So wouldn't it be easier if I just loved Jesus and slept in on Sundays so I could avoid all those messy people? So I could not get my feelings hurt? I can be "saved" without being part of a church, right?

Well, really I have three reasons why I haven't given up on the Church:

1. People everywhere are abused, accused, beaten down, called names, ignored, and taken advantage of. Turn on E! News, watch survivor, listen to other mom's as you pick your kids up from school. This happens where ever people exist together; work, government, playgroups, etc.  We are all hurting people and because of that we hurt other people. It's a mistake we all make at times. We gossip, we judge, we treat people badly. The difference, for me however, is grace. The church is full of flawed people but it's also full of grace. I can't say that for the rest of world.

2. I have abused, accused, beaten down, called names, ignored, and taken advantage of people myself. It's hard to admit but I have. Sometimes knowingly and sometimes not. I am a flawed, broken person and sometimes my messiness gets on the people around me. I can't really judge people for not being perfect examples of Jesus 100% of the time when I'm not even close to that place myself.

3. It's what God desires of me. "²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24 & 25.  God doesn't want us to give up on each other because he designed us to be in community. We need other people to encourage us and challenge us in our walks. "No man is an island", right? Yet sometimes we let our hurt make us think that if we operate as silos we are better off. God knows that's not true.

God has never been under the illusion that His Church would be full of perfect people that sing kumbaya all the time and never have problems or arguments. All throughout the Bible you see messy, messy people and as evolved as we like to believe we are these days we aren't any different. We struggle and God knows it and he loves us anyway. All he asks is that we love people the same way he loves us. 

I think the problem is that we hold people in church to a higher standard. I cannot tell you how many times I've heard people say things like "And that person calls himself a christian?", "The church is full of hypocrites", etc. As if being a pastor or even a church member somehow makes you less human. I'd argue that it makes you more human and more vulnerable and all of that gets laid out for the world to see. In a perfect world we all treat each other with the greatest care and really, I think most churches try but no matter how hard we try we are never perfect. Sometimes people poke their fingers right in to our weak spots and other times we do it to them- it's human nature. 

The good news is that God's grace is greater than our human nature. The more we receive this grace, and the more we extend that grace to others, the more we become closer to being the person God designed us to be.

God loves His Church and if we are truly following God, we must love it too even when it hurts us. It's the same way God loves us even when we hurt him. This is not easy but it does get easier. The more we learn to forgive each other, the more we are able to set aside our hurts, pride, and self-centerness, the more free we become. We all have a unique purpose and function in the body of Christ and if we allow ourselves to be separated from the larger body we rob ourselves. 

So, the next time someone at church or some outspoken christian on TV offends something in you or hurts you just remember that they are just people. People are imperfect. God loves imperfect people. Choose to forgive, love, and be an example of God's grace. 


"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:2

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30 days of (mostly) clean eating- Week 2

This has been a slow week of learning. We did pretty good with staying on track. I pretty much kept to the same foods as last week but this week I discovered hummus. Never in my life did I imagine I'd eat hummus but I did! I even made my own pita bread to dip in it! Sorry I don't have much more to report but hopefully next week I'll have more time to try some more different stuff!

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Yummy Yummy White Chocolate Granola Bars!

I love love LOVE granola bars! So, it was only natural that this was the first thing I attempted to make for our 30 days of clean eating. These are great to have around for a sweet treat :)

What you'll need:

1/3 cup honey

2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar 

1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup of organic crispy rice

1 cup organic pastry flour

1/2 cup white chocolate chips melted for drizzling (ghiradelli is the best brand I've found so far)

Step 1

Melt the butter and then pour it into a mixing bowl and mix in the honey and vanilla

Step 2

Add in your brown sugar, turbinado, and salt. Mix it well.

Step 3

Add in the flour then the oats and crispy rice and mix it well. this is the point when it starts to look like granola.

Step 4

Pour the mixture into a 9x12 baking pan- make sure you line it with parchment paper! and pop it in the oven at 350 for about 40 minutes. You can cook it a little less for a chewier bar or a little more if you want it dark and crunchy. This might take some experimentation on your part.

Step 5

Take your bars out and let them cool for 10-15 minutes. They will still seem super soft but don't worry they will set later. 

Step 6

Cut your bars in the pan. YOU MUST cut them before they set all the way!

Step 7

Melt your white chocolate and drizzle away :)

Step 8

Leave your bars to set. You can set them at room temp for 3-4 hours or you can pop them in the fridge for an hour. Then take them out and separate them. I lifted the entire piece of parchment out and set them on my cutting board and they broke apart pretty easily that way.

ENJOY!

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When Facebook Lies to You......

There are so many differing views on social media these days. Some people think it's great and some people think it's detrimental to society. I've always been on the side of those who think it's great- the more, the better. Now I'm not so sure. This week I was having a conversation with my 8 and 6 year old daughters and they were sharing with me how they no longer enjoy spending as much time with a person who they used to love being around. I asked them why and their response surprised me. they said" [this person] doesn't play with us. [this person] only cares about [this person's] phone and facebook." One of the beautiful things about children is their ability to call it like it is. Kids don't make excuses for people's behavior or ignore it the way adults have adapted to do. This really made me look at how I use social media and how I might be hurting my kids and relationships without realizing it.

The biggest danger of social media like facebook is that it gives you a false sense of meaning, purpose, and popularity. These are all things we crave as human beings. We want to belong. We want to be accepted and liked. Facebook is the worst at feeding that to the point where it becomes a compulsion. We get a mini high off every "like". We get and a feeling of acceptance when we make a new "friend". What we don't realize is that sometimes we give ourselves away to that and it becomes an addiction. It becomes a god in our life. We can't go 10 minutes without reading our wall because we have gotten this false sense that what it on there is so important. I even know people that claim it's okay to be addicted and compulsive with it because they use it for prayer and the Bible but really it's all just feeding that human compulsion to be important and belong. It's like a drug and it can lead us to sin in many ways.

I know someone (a few people actually) that have this image they portray online. All the statuses talk about how they are joyful, redeemed, hopeful, and full of God's life and yet when you meet these people in real life they are miserable, empty, and negative. You see it all the time in other ways. Someone posts pictures that make them look beautiful and perfect and we never see what they really look like. The Internet not only deceives us but allows us ways to deceive ourselves. It allows us to portray what we want to be and soon we believe we are those people even though it's all a facade.

As people we are programmed by nature to take the easy way. That's why we have fast food, drive thrus, and conveniences the way we do. Facebook has become a way for us to take the easy way when it comes to socialization, community, and even discipleship but it's all a lie really. Yes, you can have all three of those online but if it's only happening for you online then you are deceived. If you cannot go for an entire week without checking facebook then you are deceived. If you need to log on to feel accepted, encouraged, or joyful then you are deceived.

If this is you, then please log off immediately because there is nothing online that can give you the things that you need. Go outside and meet people. We are designed by God for community. We are designed for human interaction and to take action in our communities. Many of us ignore our closest and most basic mini community which is our families in order to get our social high online. Meanwhile, our children and spouses feel ignored and soon there is discontent and disconnection in our own homes. We need REAL PEOPLE in our lives and we need to invest in the relationships we have with those people. We can't do that glued to Facebook all day.

I love facebook and I do check it on my phone as much as anybody but what I've learned is that there is so much more in life than a pretend life lived online. I don't want my children to remember mommy as the one who doesn't play with them or is always online. I'm sure I could blather on about this forever but in the interest of practicing what I preach; I'm off to play with my kids :)

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30 days of (mostly) clean Eating- week 1

My counter full of groceries from our shopping trip this week

Well this week was a great week of learning for our family. We learned about what real food is and how to make it. The week started with me walking cluelessly around the grocery store trying to find food that I thought my family might actually try. It was mostly a success! We discovered that while actual food is different from the processed, over sugared food we are used to its not so bad.

Here's a few things that we really liked this week:

Homemade granola bars! These became my snacks through the week. They blew store bought granola out of the water and I could control what went into them so it was easy to keep them natural.

Tostadas! Mine came out a bit spicy but with a little recipe tweaking these will become a favorite. It's better than a lot of other Mexican dishes because it wasn't hard to find naturally made corn tostadas in the store. Most other things like tortillas, taco shells, etc had more ingredients in them than I can count on both hands and most I couldn't pronounce!

Eggs w/kale!? This week I discovered that if I chop it up enough, I can put kale or even spinach in just about anything. Since you're supposed to eat at least 5 servings of veggies a day this is a great way to add it in. I simply finely chopped the kale and cooked it right in. I couldn't even taste it. Even my super picky children ate it without a fuss :)

I'll put some recipes up this week. Hopefully this next week will be even better as we find our footing in this new way of eating.

Oh and a BONUS, I lost two lbs this week! I didn't diet at all or even workout more. It's amazing, the pleasant side effects of eating better food, even when you're eating more food than you normally would :)

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My honest feelings about reading the Bible

I have to confess that sometimes the Bible bores me to pieces. I don't even know if I'm allowed to say that. I feel like it's one of those things that as Christians we just aren't allowed to say but in the interest of transparency I'm going to say it anyway. It's not like God isn't already aware of this. I try to read God's word daily but there are just some days when I finish reading and shrug my shoulders because there was nothing that moved me in what I read.

So, why do I do it? Why do I keep reading after that? Well, there are a few answers. The first is obedience. Obedience isn't always the most fun thing but it is essential to living a life that honors God. It's almost a naughty word these days because we are not taught to be obedient. We are taught to be free thinkers and challenge authority which is awesome and good in many ways. However, growing as a disciple of Jesus does require obedience to God. God loves us in obedience and disobedience alike but he desires our obedience because He knows that abiding by His ways will lead us down the most fruitful path in life and He desires that for His children. Kind of the same way us as parents desire that for ours. I love what it says in Isaiah:

"if you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;" Isaiah 1:19

I also keep reading because the things that do penetrate my heart make it all worth it. I don't have these amazing epiphanies through God's word daily usually but now and then something I read hits me like a bolt of lightning in my soul. From that I feel peace and joy that I cannot even begin to describe with my mere mortal words. I'd read the most boring book I could find a million times to discover those moments if I had to. In a way, it's like Gold mining. I read the boring genealogies and back stories to find the treasures. And before my theologian friends get all up in arms; yes, I know those things matter and there are a lot of interesting facts revealed in some of that. But truthfully, on a day-to-day basis, I don't care what Japheth's kids names are. I'm just looking for wisdom from God to get me through my life that day. I'm searching for daily bread. 

Lastly, I read the Bible because it gets better. I've been walking with the Lord for about 12 years now and when I first started I dreaded reading the Bible. I used to just nod along and make like I was totally doing it, but I wasn't. I really only began reading it regularly out of obedience, as a spiritual discipline. What I found is that in time it became less of a chore and more of a desire. Now I want to read it. I'm excited by what I might discover and yeah everyday isn't earth shattering but most days God gives me a truth I can carry. When I miss day I notice. I don't freak out like I'm going to lose my salvation but I do feel farther from God.

Praying is awesome. Going to church is good, but if you do all is that and don't read the Bible you are cheating yourself. I know it's a really intimidating thing to make reading the Bible part of your routine. We wonder "how much should I read everyday?", "If I miss a day should I catch up", "Where should I start?", "What version should I pick in my Bible app?"

Let me answer two of those questions:

"How much should I read everyday?" - it doesn't matter. There are lots of formulas and devotionals out there you can find but personally I find them overwhelming. Read what you can read. some days maybe you can read a whole book and some days you may only have 5 minutes so pull out your phone and read a verse or two.

"Where should I start?"- Where ever you want! The bible is not a book that needs to read in order cover-to-cover to be understood. Flip through it and find something that catches your attention. The first book I read in the Bible was the book of Psalms. It took forever but it was a great place to start for me because I wasn't raised in church and it required very little theological knowledge. If you don't know where to start it's a great place especially if you don't have tons of time every day. I'm also a big fan of the book of John if you want to start in the New Testament. Of course, those are my opinions, you can start wherever you want to :)

A bonus tip: Use google. Sometimes I know what I need to hear about. Maybe I'm going through something or dealing with a situation. I Will google "bible verses about [insert need here] and bingo I have a place to start that I know will apply to what's happening in my life today.

Bottom line: Reading the Bible is essential and sometimes the Church doesn't stress that enough. We also don't always address that it's not always the most easy and natural thing to integrate into everyday life. If you feel like it's a struggle to read the Bible, don't feel badly. You are not alone. But also, don't give up on it either. Start small and let God grow His word in your heart over time. The pursuit of God is a lifelong pursuit. Today's prayer: "God draw me into your word and grow in me a passion for it. Help me hang in there when I want to give up. When I get distracted redirect me to you. Thank you for giving me your Word and allowing me the grace to grow how I need to. Lead me God. I love you and I want more of you in me. Amen."

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." Isaiah 40:8

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30 days of (mostly) clean eating

all the "junk" in our cabinets

Like most moms I'm always concerned about my family's health. Being that I make most of the meals in our house I feel responsible for what my family eats. Since I had a baby earlier this year my food standards have really become lax. In all the busyness of newborn life I reached for quick, easy meals; mostly prepackaged or microwaveable. Soon I noticed us eating more and feeling worse. It's not like we were eating cookies and ice cream all day but most of our meals had chemicals, preservatives, and artificial add-ons like dyes, sweeteners, etc. One day I decided to look at all the food around our house and I was shocked by how much was chemical ridden and over processed.

So I decided that I'd had enough of eating food-like products and it was time to start eating real food.

So, I took everything out of the cabinets that didn't meet the standards of clean eating. Chris's response to seeing this was "well, what are we supposed to eat?" I think a lot of people would ask that question because our modern eating habits are so far away from the way our bodies have been designed to eat.

God designed our bodies perfectly an he also designed all the food that our bodies need to function and keep it in tip too shape. But recently in our history we began to change the way we make food. We moved in to cities, stopped farming and became crazy busy. So we have become completely dependent on industrialized food products- the quicker the better. The problem is that the food industry doesn't care about feeding people. They don't care about you or your children; they care about making money. Over the years this has led to the low quality, highly addictive food-like products that dominant the grocery aisles.

Over the next 30 days me and my family are attempting to break that cycle and start eating actual food again. We are not a natural foods family. We like very few veggies, we love anything we can microwave, and don't even get me started on how much high fructose corn syrup we've probably consumed. My hubby and I were raised in a generation that loves processed foods. We grew up on soda, microwave dinners- nobody thought about the chemicals and processing in foods when we were kids. So this way of eating will no doubt be challenging but here we go! Check back throughout the next 30 days to hear about how its going, tips for clean eating and recipes.

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