Living Full

Call it freaky, or strange coincidence but I was reading a book this morning and I ran across another one of Jim Elliot's quotes. (Please, no eye rolling, or moaning sighs. Hear me out.)

He said,

"I seek not a long life but a full one, like Yours, Lord Jesus."

As you may know Jim Elliot died at a very young age, (in his twenties, I believe.) he and his wife were missionaries to the Auca Indians in Ecuador. Though the life of Jim Elliot was short, it was full. His life has been a challenge to many, many, Christians. If you've read or heard anything about Jim Elliot you'll know that he was not a sideline Christian. Even in his high-school years he was incredibly focused on serving God. He didn't want a casual, surface-level relationship with Jesus Christ, he wanted to make Christ the very center of his life. He wanted Jesus Christ to define his life, to define who he was.

Every since I read a biography of Jim Elliot, I've been challenged and intimidated by his dedication to living for God with everything he had. (Yes, being intimidated isn't always a bad thing.) He wanted to live for God 100%. I imagine Jim Elliot was an all in or all out kind of guy.

A lot of Jim Elliot's quotes make you stop and re-evaluate your priorities, and how you live your life. Really, would I have the guts to pick a full life over a long one? If I were to have the focus and dedication of Jim Elliot how different would my life look?

Because seriously, I shouldn't be satisfied with just living a "good" life. Or squeezing by living half-heartedly for God. I shouldn't be satisfied until I'm giving 100% of my energy to living for Him. As you know, that isn't always easy; in fact it's never easy.

Have you ever heard people say, "The more you put into something the more you're going to get out of it."?

(I'm sorry, I know, I've really got to stop it with the cliches.) But it's true. If I'm only living for God with a portion of my life, I' never going to receive His best for me. In order for me to have all He has for me, I have to give Him all I have.
I am not satisfied with a half-full Christian life. And I am not satisfied with Jesus Christ only being a side-note in my life. It's time to jump in with both feet; all or nothing.
I admit I'm no Jim Elliot, but I want to be. That's what we all truly want. Because, really, who wouldn't trade a long life for a full one?

Leia Mais…

Culture's Beauty Bogus

No doubt, our culture has been feeding us lies about the definition of true beauty.
That’s obvious. Sometimes they’re subtle, other times not to subtle. Here’s some of the examples that were used in the book "Wanting to be Her" by Michelle Grahm.







Barbie
Now I don't know how big of a role Barbies played in your childhood. I wasn't the type of girl that went crazy over Barbie movies, backpacks, or clothes or anything like that. (Though I did have a Barbie video game, but that's beside the point.) But I know other girls who were infatuated with Barbie when they were little. And if you happen to be one of those girls who have actually compared your proportions to a Barbie, which be honest every girl has done, whether they were serious or not. Here's why you were a little disappointed. If Barbie was a real person with an average bust size of 36in. In order to have her proportions she would have to be between 6’9’’ and 7’5’’ tall. She would also be missing several major organs, a hormonal cycle and a metabolism. This icon of beauty would actually be a freak.







The Models.
Then of course, there are the modeling companies. Models are pretty, but you have to admit they’re on the extreme side. (I mean, come on, the chicks on America’s Next Top Model, can feel all that fantastic.) The average North American woman is 5’3’’ and weighs 152 lbs. (Now if you’re freaking out, remember this is the national average which means they’re including all ages, body shapes, etc…) The average model is 5’9’’ and weighs only 110 lbs. I did some math and that means that if a woman of average height (5’3’’-5’4’’) wanted to reach the model’s proportions she would have to weigh between 100-102 lbs. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but that doesn’t sound ideal. Also, most Miss America winners have a body mass index that lies within the range of malnutrition. Yeah, that doesn’t sound fun.


Media
And then, of course, there is the mainstream media. It always gets the bad rap, but for good reason. This is a quote from actress Julianne Moore:
“ There is so much illusion in photographs and movies. I know an actress friend who was looking at a photo in a magazine and said, ‘Why don’t I look like that?’- and then she realized it was a picture of herself.”
I was surprised at that, it also talked about how they electronically modify a lot: airbrushing to smooth complexion, even taking “a little off the tummy.”
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis did a photo shoot for More magazine in which she was featured without her hair styled, or makeup, no computer touch ups, or special lighting. And needless to say it took a lot of readers by surprise. This is what she said referring to how she actually looked; “I don’t have great thighs. I have very large breasts, and a soft, fatty little tummy. And I’ve got back fat. People assume that I’m walking around in little spaghetti strap dresses. It’s insidious - Glam Jamie, Perfect Jamie the great figure, blah, blah, blah,… It’s such a fraud, and I’m the one perpetuating it.”
And… a lot of actresses also admit to having had plastic surgery or liposuction.


But you guys knew all this. Or at least expected it, I’m sure. This is only the tip of culture’s beauty lie iceberg. This may be what’s above the surface, but what lurks beneath is far more dangerous. It creeps into girls’ minds everywhere, whether you look like a model or more like ugly Betty. Lets talk about a few of the lies that are below the surface.
I’m sure every one of us, in some form or another have bought into this lie:
“Unless I am physically perfect, (which is usually unrealistic and unattainable anyway) I am some how not as valuable as everybody else.”
There was a study done that showed most women feel depressed after looking at a fashion magazine for just three minutes. That sounds crazy, but I know it’s true because it’s happened to me. Is something wrong with this picture or what?!
We have all fallen into this way of thinking at one time or another. Sometimes it shows itself in different ways; you freak out because you have nothing to wear, or you have a bad hair day, or a break out, and you walk through the rest of your day feeling ugly and inadequate. You may even be surprised that it bothers you that much, but it does. And there’s more danger in buying into this lie than feeling down about yourself. If you view yourself this way it’s only a matter of time before you’ll start to view other people in the same way. That’s something that really bothered me when I read the book. Feeling inadequate is one thing, thinking others are inadequate because of how they look is another. To me that makes it a really big deal to have the right perspective.

Leia Mais…

Allow me to disagree with Plato...

Some of the girls from my youth group and I are starting a body image Bible study. Since this issue had been so prevalent in my youth group I thought I'd share with you some of my thoughts on it. (And don't worry, I will explain how Plato and body image are related.) Now, I'm not for a second claiming I have all the answers or that I don't battle with the issue. But I DO know that among teen girls, the struggles and issues connected with body image are treacherous and complicated, so I'll try and tread softly.
First I want you to think about this quote from Plato:







"The three wishes of
every man:
To be healthy,
To be rich by honest
means,
And to be beautiful."








To start, answer this statement in your mind, is this true of you? (be honest.)
At first glance this philosophy sounds perfectly acceptable doesn't it? In fact, it reminds me of the, "Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness..." clause we love so much.
But when you look closer you'll see that there are some downsides in Plato's statement.
For one, you only have so much control over the first one. For instance, despite all my efforts this year to prepare for vacation, I wound up arriving sleep deprived, ended up sick, and I felt wimpy and weak the entire week. My body just gave out on me. And, of course, there are many other situation in which we have no control or say over how we feel physically. So yeah, go ahead and wish for it, but you may be disappointed.
Wish number two is a bummer too, because you don't get to pick the outcome of that either. When you work hard, you can provide for yourself, but you're never guaranteed to be RICH.
And, of course, wish number three you have the least control of. Yeah, you can loose weight, wear make up, dye your hair, and have surgery, but at the end of the day, you are who you are.
The biggest flaw in this philosophy though, is that each wish revolves solely around self. And sadly, almost every girl gets hung up on Plato's wish number three at one time or another.

What about you? Dare to disagree with Plato?

Leia Mais…

Now I lay me down to sleep. . .

I've been thinking a lot about my prayer life lately. This quote had been on my mind lately.

"The purpose of prayer is to reveal the presence of God equally present all the time in every condition."
~Oswald Chambers

Sometimes, it seems like we look at prayer as a service we do for God. Like those prayers we prayed before bed when we were little, "Now I lay me down to sleep. . ." that we said because we knew praying before bed was what "good people" did. Though most of have advanced beyond prayers that rhyme, it doesn't exempt us from the "Check-off-the-prayer-box" attitude.
I've noticed in my life that I've taken prayer way too lightly. Prayer isn't a service we do for God. Prayer is for US! Prayer is a privilege God had given to us for our benefit. God knows what I'm going to say before I'm going to say it. But the act of me being able to talk to God reassures me that He's alive, involved, and cares about what is going on in my life. When I go to God with all my problems, worries, and insecurities, I'm acknowledging His presence in my life. I'm acknowledging the fact that He is powerful enough to take care of my every need. That's why prayer can bring unshakable peace, and stability that reaches beyond your circumstances.
I've noticed that those, "Now I lay me down to sleep..." prayer are not the kind that bring reassurance, peace, or stability.

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."
~ 2 Peter 5:6-7

When I pray with this attitude, I'm encouraged, and reassured. When I go to God with a specific issue that's bothering me and say, "God, help me with this, I can't handle it on my own." When I give up control of that situation and surrender it to God for Him to do what He wants with it. Those are the prayer that bring me stability and peace.
Developing a strong prayer life isn't easy, and I'm in no way claiming I've got it down. (As you can see, since this truth is just now dawning on me.) But I'm excited and thankful God is patient enough to continue to teach me these things, so I thought I'd share them.

Leia Mais…

It's Contagious!

Before I tell you about my personal experience let me explain to you a little about what this camp is like. The WILD's opens it's gates to roughly 1,000 teens a week from all across the country. The campers get the opportunity to sit in three sermons/sessions a day. (Believe me it's not boring! Why? Because it's the WILD's.) They also get the chance to talk to not only their counselor, but all the other camp staff, about whatever they may be dealing with, all throughout the week. On top of this you get to meet and connect with countless Christian young people from anywhere in the U.S. Not to mention participate in some insanely awesome games, hikes, and all sorts of other activities, all in the stunning North Carolina mountains. It's definitely not the average summer camp experience. But before I tell you about what I learned at camp this year, let me tell you a little about what I seen. Every person on the camp staff; from the speakers and coordinators, to the counsellors and team leaders, all the way down to the waitresses and lawn guys,they all have a certain vibe. At first it's hard to put your finger on. They all seem, happy. Not all gushy or fake, I mean that underlying happiness that allows them to deal with all the frustrating things they have to put up with, with a good attitude. Their content. It's crazy to see so many people with this attitude all in the same spot serving together. It creates an extremely challenging atmosphere for the campers. Especially this year, I found myself looking at the staff and thinking, "That's where I want to be in a year or so." What's so amazing is that this vibe that the staff has, isn't a big mystery, it something you know you can have too. It comes from being close to God, and completely yielded to Him. It's the evidence of Christ working in their lives. And if you're open enough the spirit of the WILD'S becomes contagious, as you're encouraged to give your Savior everything you have. This place is truly one-of-a-kind.

Leia Mais…

The Little Things

Today I woke up extremely down. I know you're asking how can this have any possible credence? Hang on, it does.
I was feeling inadequate. Very inadequate. I felt like I could never become the Christian God intended me to be because I have too many issues. It seemed to me that I would never have the stability that I see in other Christians. Or the faith and strength. I felt horrible about it. I know God doesn't expect me to be perfect. I know He knows that I am weak. Yet I still felt like a lost cause. A hopeless, helpless, pansy of a Christian.

With these thoughts and feelings filling my thoughts I stopped talking about it. (My mom wanted to know what was wrong and I found it near impossible to explain.) So I went and hopped in the shower. And if you know me, which you don't that's why I'm going to tell you, I sing in the shower. No, seriously, I sing in the shower all the time. I've even gotten in trouble for it a couple times.
So I'm singing, trying to calm my thoughts and all the feelings of hopelessness. After singing for a while Ecclesiastes 9:11 popped into my head. Well, it was kind of Ecc. 9:11, I don't have that verse memorized, so it popped into my head a little butchered. But I started singing it. This is what came out:

The battle is not to the strong,
nor the victory to the brave in heart,
but time and opportunity
comes to the weak and to the poor
and there is hope for me
in the Lord.

Then I looked out my window at the leaves of this tree that's right up against the window. It's been raining for the past few days and all morning it had been dark and stormy. But now the sun was shining and reflecting off each raindrop that had gathered on the leaves of that tree. And it was beautiful. Sometimes God does those little things, and it feels like He did it just for you. Sometimes it's a verse that comes to mind or a song, or the beauty of nature or whatever else it is that calms you. And you know, He did do it, just for you.



"I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all."
Ecclesiastes 9:11

Leia Mais…

Aftermath

So now I'm left with the question, "What now?"

Now that I've learned all these things, what do I do? How do I start living like I've learned them.

You don't want to just come home and slip into your same old routine, because then it feels like you didn't change. A head full of knowledge won't get you anywhere until you apply that knowledge to the way you think and what you do.



Now, I need to CHANGE.



NOW, is when the things I learned about God, need to start comming out in my attitudes and actions.



So, what did I learn?

That's going to take a lot of posts.

Leia Mais…

Drinking From a Fire Hydrant

One of the first things they told us when we arrived at camp was, "You're going to feel like you are trying to take a drink from a fire hydrant, but that's okay."
Yeah, it's not just okay it's great! But as you can imagine uncomfortable at the same time. So why does it feel this way? We had at least four hours of teaching a day for the first week. (Yeah, it was intense.) But it wasn't just teaching. It was teaching that is constantly prodding you to re-evaluate the way you think. To think about why you do what you do. The result was you learned more about yourself then you thought was possible. No it wasn't warm and fuzzy things either. The speakers that week presented the Bible to us in ways that you'd never thought of before. And a lot of these kids had been in church from birth, yet it felt like most of what you were hearing was entirely new.
To me the entire experience felt beyond my control. To me it felt like this;

I'm out on a surf board quite a ways from shore just laying there enjoying some rays, when I look up and see this GINORMOUS wall of water, a wave unlike I've ever seen. I cling to my board for dear life, but before I can open my mouth to scream the wave has already picked me up and carried me half-way to shore.

I was like God saying, "Brittany, I'm taking you to shore, whether you like it or not."
And it was AWESOME!

Leia Mais…

The Wild's

Sorry, this is going to be a really short post. I've been getting ready for summer camp over the past few days. I'm leaving tomorrow for the WILD's. A Christian camp in North Carolina. I've had the opportunity to go for the past two years and it's been awesome.
This year I have to opportunity to attend a two-week training program designed to help you grow in you faith and leadership skills. I've learned so much already just preparing for the trip, and I'm praying I'll come back stronger in my faith and closer to God. A few weeks ago I asked someone who had done the program before what I should do to prepare. She said, just go with an open heart, and an open mind, and be ready to serve others. And I've been trying to heed to that advice since.
I'll hopefully have videos and pictures to post when I get back. I can't begin to explain the WILD's so I'm hoping I'll be able to show you in two-weeks.

See ya soon.

Leia Mais…

The 8oz. on the Pump

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. . . . For without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must beleive that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
~Hebrews 11:1,6

A few weeks ago, in my youth group, I heard a lesson on surrendering your future to God. (I know, you're rolling your eyes again, saying, I've heard a million sermons on surrender.) Yeah, I was kind of thinking the same thing. But the speaker used an illustration I'd never heard before. It was short and to the point, but it really hit me. It helped me see surrender in a whole different way. It was an awesome story and I have to share it with you. I'm going to recount it in my own words, so bear with me here.

The 8oz. on the Pump

There once was a man who was travelling through the desert. He had long before run out of water and he was absoluetly parched. As he's trudging, weakly, through the sand, he sees a water pump. (You know like the ones you see on all the westerns, and no it wasn't a mirage.) As he walks closer to the well, he sees that there is an 8oz. bottle of water resting on top of the pump. Still sealed and with a note attached. The note said, "The well is in good working order, but you'll need to use this whole bottle of water to prime the pump." The thirsty traveller had a choice to make. He could just drink the bottle of water, and he'd be guaranteed at least 8oz. of water. Which may carry him a little ways. Or he could have faith that the pump did work and pour the 8oz. of clean water down the pump to prime it, in hopes of receiving more than enough water than he would need.

What would you do?

I'm sure you understand the analogy by now, but I'm going to explain it just because. My life is the 8 ounces of water sitting on the well. I could go ahead and try to control my life and live my way, because then I'd be guaranteed that 8 ounces; or I could, by faith, give God that 8 ounces, and receive more water then I would ever need. If I chose to give it to God, that would require me pouring my 8 oz. life down God's water pump, and have faith that the rewards are far greater then anything I could have done with my own life. I understand that, just as if that story was happening to me, it would be really scary to pour that water I so wanted right down the well. It's also scarry giving up control of my short life here on earth and letting God have control. But you know what? I know that the rewards are far greater then the sacrifice. If I choose to let God have total control, giving Him every bit of my life, I will never regret it.

Imagine how you'd feel if you chose to dump the bottle of wate down the well? You watch as the last drop disappears from the bottle. Then you place a sweaty palm on the handle and begin to pump. Can you imagine the shear relief, followed by incredible joy, as the first few drops of water emerge from the mouth of the well. Followed, a few seconds later, by a gushing stream of crystal clear, cool water.

I found this story thought provoking, and very challenging. The decision to give God our future isn't an easy one. It means us, stepping way out of our comfort zone. The question is do we have the faith to act upon what we know? That the rewards are well worth it, and we won't regret it.

The choice is ours, what are we gonna do?

Leia Mais…

The Purpose in the Pain

". . . shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips." ~Job 2:10

The story of Job is amazing. Job was godly and righteous, probably more than any of us now, yet he went through more pain and trials then many people ever will.
Why?
Well, God had a plan. God knew what He was doing from the very beginning. God was honoured and glorified through Job's testimony, his faithfulness to God in his trials.
What if Job never would have had to go through what he did?
He probably wouldn't have had a book of the Bible written about him. We'd be missing an extremely helpful example of how to respond to our trials.
The story of Job tells me something. I can always trust God. Regardless of what is happening in my life. If I lost my job, lost family members, faced illness, was attacked by terrorists. ( yeah, that's the best modern-day equivalent I could think of for Chaldeans stealing all your camels. Which happened to Job too.)
In short, just because something is painful doesn't mean that it's not what is best.
In Job 5: 17-18 Job says,
"Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not the chastening of the Almighty: For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole."
I've heard this analogy in the past,
when a bone breaks and then heals, it rarely breaks in the same place again. Because the healing process had made the bone stronger in that spot then it was before.
Do you ever feel like God has dealt you a spiritual exercise? (I know Christian/Athlete analogies aren't usually my favourite, but bear with me.)
For example. I went to a graduation party awhile ago and played volleyball for four hours. No joke. And I'll admit for quite a few days after that I was really sore. But if I would have been on a volleyball team and played everyday, eventually I would have become stronger. And I wouldn't have been that sore. Building muscle requires being sore at some point. No pain no gain, right?
So, do you ever feel like a certain trial you're going through is just that, a workout for your faith? Whether it's a certain insecurity you're struggling with, a difficult family situation, an illness, or maybe an issue you're trying to work through with a friend. Whatever it may be, have you noticed that when you decide to try and look at the bigger picture and say, "Okay God, I trust You, help me learn, strengthen my faith and help me through this." Then you begin to see the trial you're going through in a whole new light. It may still hurt, and it's still going to be hard. But you're no longer without hope trying to deal with it by yourself. You're leaning on God to provide you with the strength you need. And you begin to see the purpose in the pain.
Until I can begin to see the purpose in the pain I won't be able to respond in the right way to unforeseen circumstances and trials in my life.
In the first chapter of Job, after his children have all died, and his wealth destroyed, this is what he says,
". . . the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: blessed be the name of the Lord."

So, what can I learn from Job's life.
Trials I face are not a sign that God has left me, that He's displeased with me, or that He doesn't love me. In fact they're there because He loves me and cares about my future. He loves me so much, He wants to make me stronger. He wants to teach me something. It's not always fun, and it's never easy but I can trust that God has a plan and a purpose for the pain. I may not always choose to see it. I may not always understand it. But God always has a plan. A plan that's in my best interst.
Why? Well, that's just how Jesus is.

Leia Mais…

Quote of the Day

I thought it fitting that I share with you my favorite quote. I know, I know, you're not amused by all the cliches, you've heard one you've heard them all, you say. Well, this quote has stuck in my mind for years, and I thought this one might be worth repeating. Are you ready?



"Wherever you are, be all there, live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God."

~Jim Elliot.



Pretty simple, huh? Yes, it is but for some reason I've kind of latched onto it. It's much easier said then done. It reminds me of the on-going battle I face everyday, that I need to always be aware of. It's hard sometimes to not give up or give in, simply because you're tired. But we must not forget that the rewards are more then worth it.

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So. . . what's the point?

I became interested in the concept of blogging a few months ago, when I ran across an art blog that was doing well. So I thought, "Why not?" I'll try my hand at it.
Well, I kept at it for about a week. Then I hit a wall. The bottom line was, I just could not make myself sit down and write about art everyday. I'd be typing an entry about painting, or whatever, and I'd find myself saying, "But, I don't really care." Painting isn't that important to me. Neither is a cool piece of art. So I began to ask myself, "What do I value, what is important enough to me that I'd want to write about it everyday?" "What expiriences or thoughts do I have that would be a benefit to readers?"
There was only one answere to those questions:

Jesus Christ

Honestly, I have nothing else, of any value to offer readers. I'm not wise beyond my years, not awefully talented, and not a genius in anyway. There is nothing special or unique about my life or expiriences that would be of any interest to a world-wide readership. But the truth is, I have something I know is important. I've been given something that I value so much, that I think it's worth writing about. And it's worth writing about everyday.
A relationship with Jesus Christ had been so vitally important; so radically life-changing, for this young person, that I can't help but want to share it with other young people.
True, honest, Christians don't claim to be perfect. They don't claim to be better than anyone else either. No, but what you will find in the life of a growing Christian is that, the hope they say they have. . . they really have. And the peace they say is theirs. . . is real.
So, if in any way another young person is blessed or encouraged in the faith by me sharing what little I've expirienced, and what I am learning, then I will have accomplished my goal.

So . . . what's my point?

To share with you what I beleive is the greatest journey ever.

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