My Favorite Fairy Tale

Verse:  For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know
in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. - 1 Corinthians 13:12

Topic: What happens after this life?

Personal Piece: All my life I've had a particular interest in stories that are "out of this world". Whether it be fantasy or science-fiction, superheroes or futuristic dystopian societies; I have always loved stories that took everything I knew about the world and threw it out the window.  The stranger the world the more it attracts me.  But by far my favorite worlds to escape to are those in fantasy settings.  Even though science-fiction can get far wilder there is something magical (pun intended) about a good fantasy.  I love dragons, the renaissance feel of a good sword fight, the witty dialogue, the adventure.  As I launch the process of my 2nd novel I have recently been asking myself a lot about what makes a good story.  What is it that keeps me reading a story or watching episode after episode?  What changed that made me lose interest?  Along with those question has come another question far more profound...but I'm getting ahead of myself

Thought of the Week:  Let's be honest we all long for it: a world that is black-and-white.  To be able to look at someone and be able to instantly categorize them as good or evil.  If you were a kid prior to the 21st century then you probably grew up with stories that were filled with black-and-white. Growing up in the 90's my siblings and I, always knew who the villains were, we never had to worry about our favorite characters betraying us and the villains were never redeemed.  Villains were villains and always would be and our heroes never wavered to do the right thing.  That's what we long for isn't it?  To be justified in our anger towards villains, to know without doubt that the people we look up to will never fail us?

Then in the early 2000's someone did something that had not really been done before.  They wrote a story from the villains perspective and everything about storytelling changed.  Fourteen years later stories have become filled with grey and black-and-white has gone by the wayside.  Now don't get me wrong I love seeing villains redeemed.  I love seeing how they were hurt too and just made the wrong choices.  I love seeing my heroes struggle in the same ways I struggle.  That's what makes me connect to them.  I think it's normal for us as humans to long for something more.  We connect with fantasy because we want to believe that there is something beyond this mundane life we are living.

Even if that other world is full of evil it's gotta be more exciting then eating, sleeping and going to work everyday.  We want to find a secret world in our wardrobes, find an old hermit who tells us we were born to be a Jedi, get our Hogwarts letter in the mail or become the unexpected voice of a rebellion.  Now I want to tell you the story of my all-time favorite "Out of This World" story are you ready?  Once upon a time there was a prince and a princess who lived a in a perfect and beautiful kingdom.  They had everything their heart desired.  One day the princess was tending the orchard in the garden when a stranger showed up and placed both her and the prince under a horrible spell.

The spell caused them to forget who they were and corrupted their sight.  No longer could they see the beautiful world that they had grown up in, the trees of the garden were replaced by horrid buildings, the sun stopped shining as much as it used to and they no longer recognized their father.  The spell effected their hearing as well so they could no longer hear the truth when others tried to remind them that they were royalty.  The prince got a job in the inn and the princess found that her body was something that others were willing to buy.  They lived in poverty and in constant fear that what little they had would be taken away.

Now here's why this story is my all-time favorite:  It is 100% true.  You are that prince or princess. Your sight and hearing have been corrupted by the spell of sin.  We all love stories of good vs. evil - well you're living one right now.  There is a secret world hiding in your prayer closet, you were born to be a spiritual warrior, you can pick up your letter from any book store, and you are the voice of the rebellion.  You just have to open your eyes to see beyond the layers of this world.  You have to allow your heart to be awakened to the truth of who you are.  You are a prince, a princess, a son, a daughter of the King of Kings.  You are in a gray world that crashes every day with the world of black-and-white.

There is such a thing as pure evil and pure good but we are creatures of gray that are caught in the middle.  What we tend to forget though is that it is ultimately our choice which side we join.  Yahweh did not create us to be mere pawns that just float wherever the battle drags us.  We weren't meant to ride the tsunami to whichever shore it happens to take us.  We were created to choose a side and fight for that side.  Unfortunately, to choose not to fight is to choose the side of evil.  We are all predisposed in our blindness to live in darkness.  It is far harder to live in the light than it is to live in the darkness.

Ask yourself: why do the heroes in dystopian stories fight back once they find out that the people are under some kind of mind control.  Their friends and family are happy but they are not free.  In the same way those who live for themselves are living under the illusion that they are free but that is only because they have believed a lie, been born into a brainwashed world.  If you have accepted Christ then you are awake to the truth.  You have stopped taking your daily injection of lies and are seeing the world as it is.  If you are still resisting Jesus then you not seeing.  You might be with the majority but that is only because the enemy is keeping you on his drugs of pleasure.  He's keeping his eyes on yourself so that you will not see that there is something beyond your seeing.  Open your eyes.  It is time to awaken to the truth.  To know who you are and see!

Digging Deeper: For more on awaking to who you truly are check out Ted Dekker's Forgotten Way study found here.  If you would rather read the Forgotten Way in fiction form you can check out a number of his novels.  Including AD 30 and AD 33 which are historical fiction taking place during the time of Jesus.  The Books of Mortals Trilogy about a young man in a future dystopian time who finds a vial of blood that awakens him to the truth of the world he lives in.  The Circle Series about a man who finds he is connected to another world through his dreams.  The Seer Series by his daughter Rachelle Dekker also deals with this theme of hidden identity.  It is about a woman who grew up in a society that told her she was worthless until she meets a man who wakens her to the truth of who she is.

The apostle Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2:11 that we are aliens and strangers in this world and Jesus tells us in John 17:16 that we are in the world but not of it.  This is not our home and these are not our true bodies.  Our true bodies do not decay or feel pain.  We are only borrowing the things of this world until we are allowed to return home.

Challenge:  I really challenge you to take Ted Dekker's Forgotten Way course.  I am halfway through it and it is truly eye-opening and life changing.

The Father's Heart

Verse:  Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out "Abba, Father."  So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. - Galatians 4:6-7

Topic: Who does God say I am?

Personal Piece:  Today is Father's Day so I want to take a minute to spotlight the man who has had the role of my father in this life.  He has taught me many things throughout my 24 years of life but my favorite thing about him has always been how involved he has been in my life.  Whether it be family vacations, nightly dinners, weekly movie nights, playing board games or surprise breakfast dates he always found ways to show each of his children that he loved being our dad.  Now that we're all adults he stays involved in our lives through social media and phone calls and gives us advice when we need it.  And even though all four of us have separate lives now, we all manage to find a way to come home for the holidays because he instilled within us the importance of being together.

Thought of the Week:  My favorite thing about my dad is also my favorite thing about my Abba God.  Just as my father has always been heavily involved in my life, God has been a major part of my life.  He's always there to spend time with me and give me guidance when I need it.  But things haven't always gone well in either of those relationships for me.  We always have points in our lives when we struggle with our relationships with our parents.  We don't understand why they give us certain instructions.  We demand to know why they judge us, why they don't love us?  We're too blinded by our own pride to see that discipline leads to strength.

When I was in college I came across the idea of "God-figures" the people in our lives who shape our idea of who God is.  These "God-figures" are often authority figures such as parents, teachers or pastors but can sometimes take the forms of siblings or friends.  Unfortunately these figures are not always good representations.  As finite humans we all make mistakes but sometimes we tend to put certain Christian authorities on pedestals.  My father is a pastor.  All my life I've seen well-meaning people look to him as some kind of representative of Jesus, expecting more from him than he could give and becoming offended when he couldn't.  I heard the high praise they gave him while seeing his fleshly struggles behind the scenes.

Our parents are the number one "God-figures" in our lives and especially our father's but unfortunately in the 21st century that image has become more and more tainted.  Often we don't even realize that we are projecting the image of our earthly fathers onto God.  If your father is emotionally unavailable you might see God as distant or uncaring of what happens in you.  If your parents divorced in your early years, you may see God as unpredictable, who might leave at a moments notice.  If your father is angry, you might see God as someone whose love you have to earn and all the bad things in life as his punishments.  If you never knew your father, you might see God as someone whose opinion doesn't matter.  If your father was lenient, you might see God as a grandfather in the sky who grants your wishes if you have good karma.

All these images are so damaging, not to God, because God can't be threatened by our fickle imaginations and misconceptions.  But they're damaging to us who believe them.  For many years I saw God's love as something I had to earn, I did everything right, and buried the things that weren't.  I became so proficient at hiding even I didn't know what I looked like under the layers of roles I hid behind.  I thought if I did everything right, God would be proud and he would reward me.  So when bad things came my way, I believed that God was angry at me, I believed he was punishing me for something so I continued to scrape away at my sin, trying to be better and better, looking for a mask that he would be proud of...but all along he just wanted me to take it all off and let it go.

Here's the thing about the way God sees us (a concept I'm still trying to grasp): When God sees you, he doesn't see the person you see when you look in the mirror.  He doesn't even look at all the garbage thoughts and sins in your heart.  He can see it sure, but if you've invited him to be a part of your life then he chooses to block the darkness in you from his view.  Instead when he looks at you, he sees the man or woman he created you to be, he sees the finished product, he sees a child who's still learning to walk and who sometimes falls.  When you fall he doesn't get angry, he smiles because you're still learning and you're trying.  He reaches down and picks you up and wipes away your tears and then places you back on your feet to try again.  You have to stand before you can walk and walk before you can run and run before you can dance and dance before you can fly.

If you were the child of the president of some big business, then you would have the promise of inheriting a portion of that business.  If you were the child of a millionaire than you wouldn't have to worry about money.  If you were the child of a celebrity you would know that just speaking your father's name will get you into important events.  If you were the child of a king you could use daddy's name to get whatever you wanted.  God claims us as his children and as his children the roles and identities this world puts on us melt away.  It doesn't matter who our earthly father is (good or bad), it doesn't matte if we're rich or if we'll get some great inheritance.  This life is just a reflection of our true roles as his children.

We will inherit the earth as God's children.  We don't have to worry because we are God's children.  Speaking our father's name can move mountains.  All we have to do is ask and our father will grant our requests.  He is in possession of everything, he is richer and more powerful than any human who might stand in our way.  When we begin to fully grasp what it means to be his child.  When we fully remove the masks that we put on and look at our true selves then everything changes.  We have to take our eyes off of the darkness that Satan tells us is truth and off of the tainted image we believe is who we are.  Instead we need to point our eyes toward God and his truth.  He says we're already complete, he says we already have our inheritance, he says we need only ask, he says everything in this world is fickle compared to what he has in store, he says not to worry because he's in control.  It's hard to grasp, but I choose to believe it.  I choose to believe that I am complete even when I feel broken.  Will you choose the same?

Digging Deeper:  The last two entries were inspired by Ted Dekker's "The Forgotten Way" Study. To go on the adventure yourself you can check it out here.

For more about "God-figures" check out "God Unwrapped" by Michelle Hollomon

To read what God says about being his children check out Galatians 3:23-4:7 also check out Hebrews Chapter 1 for more about our inheritance in Christ.

Extra Thoughts: 1) Like the father in the Prodigal Son, God gives us our inheritance now (time and talents) and it is our responsibility to determine how we spend it. 2) A popular story dynamic is children being held for ransom because of the importance of their parents.  As God's children we should not see ourselves as the exception.  2nd Timothy 3:12 tells us that there are no exceptions.  If we are God's children we WILL experience persecution.

Challenge:  As you reflect on the father figures in your life this Father's Day take some time to think about your father in heaven.  Take some time to read the passages listed above and reflect on Matthew 23:9 and Luke 14:26.  How do these verses make you feel?  Take some time to write and pray your thoughts as you reflect on God as a father and what that means for you as his child.

Roller Coaster of Life

Verse:  There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love. - 1 John 4:18

Topic: Is God punishing me?

Personal Piece:  When I was growing up, I hated roller coasters.  I hated the feeling you get in your stomach when the ground drops out from under you and your plummeting at 80 mph toward the ground and even worse the horrible anticipation as you climb slooooowly into the sky knowing when you hit the top you're going to fall.  As I've gotten older, I've developed a love/hate relationship with the contraptions. I still hate the feeling of falling and the climbing has given me minor panic attacks on more than one occasion.  So why do I keep going on them?

Thought of the Week:  Life can be such a roller coaster sometimes.  So many ups and downs and twists and turns that jolt us this way and that.  Sometimes they're bigger than we imagined and keep going long after we thought they'd be done.  Others are short but follow in quick succession of each other.  Sometimes the drops are hardly more than bumps in the road but sometimes they are plummeting ninety degree drops that take your breath away and leave you wondering why you ever thought strapping yourself into that monster.  When we get to the end, heart pumping, gasping for breath...smile on our face(?) we long for the next one.  Why?

I think it has something to do with our inner desire for adventure, the thrill of facing our fears and knowing we're strong enough to beat them.  The sense of accomplishment that comes with tackling a roller coaster that was bigger than the last one.  It's in our nature, it's why we find amusement in a park designed around one of our basest fears (no one likes falling).  It's why we play sports that we know could hurt us physically, it's why we take the first step in relationships that know can hurt us emotionally, it's why we take tests that we know can define our future, and go to interviews for jobs that might fall through.  We take risks and face the fear of rejection in the hopes that what comes after will be worth it.

Of course this doesn't make the "Roller Coasters of Life" any less terrifying.  Sitting across from an interviewer or manager who holds your career in your hands is still daunting.  So are first dates, big games, important tests, and and confronting friends.  We do them because we must and we do them to move forward.  If you're in an amusement park you don't sit on the sidewalk and wait for your friends to return.  You don't stand in the line and then skip to the exit when you get there.  It gets boring if you only ride the Ferris Wheel and Merry-Go-Round.  Circles get old real fast when all your friends are riding coasters.

It's the same with our lives we have to go through some ups-and-downs to really experience what life has to offer.  We have to take risks and just as we trust the metal bars that hold the coaster in the air, we have to trust our all-powerful God to hold us up when we take some leaps.  Thankfully he's much more reliable than some bits of metal.  God didn't design us to ride the Merry-Go-Round all our lives (though he does give us pockets of rest on occasion).  He created us each for a unique adventure design only for us.

All my life I've been taught that God gives each person different experiences.  We shouldn't compare what he's doing in our lives to what he's doing in others.  He knows the best way to each of our hearts and has a unique way of communicating with each of us.  But lately I've learned that he takes it even a step farther.  God doesn't communicate with us the same way that he used to.  What does that mean?  Well, it means that if you've been a Christian for any length of time (20 years in my case) then you're probably not the same person you were when you first gave your life to Jesus.  If you're not the same person then God's not going to communicate with you the same way.

Some people get confused because they know that God is supposed to be the same "yesterday, today and forever" (Heb 13:8).  They wonder why they can't hear God anymore when they're doing the same things they used to do in high school and giving God the same amount of time they gave him last year when all those great things were happening.  At least that's what happened to me.  But then I realized that God isn't the one who's changed.  I am!  I'm not in high school or college anymore, I don't have the same understanding of God.  He hasn't changed but I have gotten to know him better and as I've matured he's revealed more of himself to me and that's changed the dynamics of our relationship in a variety of different ways.

If you can't hear God it doesn't mean that he's punishing you.  Jesus doesn't accuse us, we do a pretty good job of that ourselves (John 5:45).  Jesus doesn't need to punish us, our own sin does a fine job of sentencing us.  He came only to love us and show us a better way.  He came to show us how to walk in this life and he's not disappointed when we stumble.  He's not disappointed when we choose the Merry-Go-Round for the seventeenth time because you're still nervous about trying something bigger.  And he doesn't ask us to go on a roller coaster when we're still to scared to go on the Ferris Wheel.  He takes our hand and says "To take our time".  He doesn't care that he paid $60 dollars to sit on the sidewalk and eat cotton candy.  He just wants to spend time with you.  He chooses to go at our pace, he chooses to meet you where you're at, he chooses to rejoice in our accomplishments even if they seem silly in the long run.  He chooses us and that is the most beautiful and mysterious adventure of all.

Digging Deeper: This entry was inspired by Parable of the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15:11-34.  Specifically the part where the Father grants his sons request and gives him his inheritance.  Though the son spoke deeply insulting words to his father, and his father knew he would squander everything, he did not hold it against him in the slightest.  He knew that his son needed to go on this journey and that it would give him a new understanding of his father's love for him.  Thankfully for us, God goes on the journey with us.

Challenge: We all have a lot of ups-and-downs in our lives, sometimes the beauty the beauty of the journey can be paled by the threat of danger surrounding us.  Take some time to appreciate the things in your life that are going great.  If you're in a good place right now embrace and enjoy it because nothing comes to stay.  If you're in a bad place right now thank God for the way he is growing you right now and remember that nothing comes to stay.  Ask what God is teaching you in this time. Whether a "good time" or a "bad time" God is always revealing more of himself to us.  We must only dare to pay attention.

When God Says...

Verse: "But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command." - 1 Samuel 13:14

Topic: How do I know God will keep his promises?

Personal Piece:  This week I'm going to be speaking on something really close to my heart as it is something I literally wrestle with everyday.  I'm sure many people have promises from God that they hold onto.  But when those promises come through dreams it can be easy for faith to waver.  Since I was a little girl God has spoken to me through "dreams and visions of the night.  When deep sleeps falls upon me and I slumber in my bed, he speaks (reveals things) in my ear and terrifies (stops) me with warnings" (Job 33:15-16).  I have seen things come to pass years after I have dreamt of them but that doesn't make the promises I am holding onto today require any less faith.  As his promises get bigger so does the faith required.

Thought of the Week: Over the last month I have been studying and meditating on the early years of David's life.  The events of 1 Samuel often come to my mind when I am beginning to doubt God's promises.  David didn't require anything from people, he didn't ask God to give him anything.  He wanted only to be in Yahweh's presence.  He was a lowly shepherd, a man overlooked by his own father when it came to doing something great.  But unlike his brothers, he didn't strive to make a name for himself.  He was content and fulfilled in his role as a shepherd and used his talent for song to minister to Yahweh himself.  But God had different plans.  When King Saul arrogantly disobeyed him, God turned his back on him and told his prophet that he had picked a new king who had a "heart after his own heart" (1 Sam 13:14).  When Samuel came and anointed David he set him apart as king but it would be many more years before God would fulfill that promise and make him king.

Throughout the Bible we can find literally hundreds of Yahweh's promises, some unfulfilled, some yet to be fulfilled.  But throughout all those promises there is one thing you will never find - a promise that didn't require faith.  God gave us a beautiful image of his promises in Genesis chapter 15.  It's an image that is often overlooked by many Christians because for one it is rather violent but also because we do not fully understand the ancient culture in which this promise was given.  In this moment God signed an unrevokable contract with Abraham.  As with any contract there were requirements of both sides but God put most of the pressure on his own head.  All Abraham had to do was have faith for as long as it was required of him.  That is all any of us are ever asked to do.

What blows me away the most about David before he became king is his attitude.  I don't know about you, but even if it wasn't my life goal to become king, if God told me that he had chosen me to be rich and famous for his glory, it would be really hard for me not to sit down and start making a life plan for how I'm gonna get to that place.  I can think of a couple things in my life that MIGHT get me noticed and make some good money.  David could have easily started planning.  Especially after he killed Goliath, people were flocking to him, ready to follow him anywhere.  When Saul tried to kill him, David could have retaliated.  He could have turned on Saul at any moment and taken the kingdom that God had promised.  It might have worked too, but it would have been without God's blessing.

When I was in middle school, I loved Greek and Roman Mythology.  The gods and goddesses were like angsty superheroes and their foolishness always gave me a chuckle.  While there were many stories, most of which I can't recall, there was one theme that always stuck out to me - self-fulfilling prophesies.  An example of this is the story of Oedipus who was born a prince.  When it was prophesied that Oedipus would one day kill his father, the king sent him to his death.  But he was found and raised by a commoner.  As a man, the prophecy was once again given to him but believing that it was his adopted father that would die, he left home.  When he later got into a fight with the king he unknowingly fulfilled the prophecy.  In the end the very act of trying to avoid the outcome was exactly what caused the outcome.

Why can't know what might have happened if Saul hadn't gone straight into panic mode.  I don't believe he could have saved his position as king but I do believe that he could have saved his reputation.  Saul was chosen because he was faithful to God, but no one knows King Saul for his faithfulness and devotion, they know him for trying to kill the greatest king of Israel.  His son Jonathon on the other hand had as much to lose if not more than his father.  He was the heir to the throne but he didn't even get the chance to rule because Yahweh replaced him before he even had a chance.  It makes me wonder how those two ever came to be 'friendship goals'.  We don't remember Jonathon as a king because that wasn't in God's plan for him, he died an unfortunately early death but he is always remembered for his bravery and his friendship with the man God had chosen in his place.

Believing in God's promises is never easy.  Our flesh longs for proof and not just one time, but over and over and over again.  In his patience, God will often give us the proof we desire but not always. Sometimes we must rely on nothing more than blind faith.  Others are sure to not understand, they're sure to put doubts in your head so that you wonder if you even heard God in the first place.  All week I have been turning over and over one such promise.  God told me in a dream to return to Chick-fil-A and one year later, I'm still in the same place I was then.  For 7 months I have been wrestling with God about why I am there.  He told me that old dreams would be fulfilled in this job, he assured me he would take care of me and that the things I have longed for I would find there.  But a year later I feel no closer to that goal than I did when we opened last March.  Some days I can see it just beyond my reach and other days, like yesterday, it seems like a pipe dream that I need to let go of.

Thankfully, God doesn't always make us rely on blind faith.  Last night someone I had never before met spoke into my life.  She told me that the promotion I was waiting for was coming, that I only had to keep holding onto it.  Having a stranger confirm what I know God has been telling me is beyond encouraging.  God is always good on his word.  He is love and truth and therefore nothing he says can be anything but.  Sometimes our own minds can get in the way.  We can sometimes put words in God's mouth that he didn't actually say.  Or like the mythological heroes we interpret his promises in our own way and miss his actual intent.  God never intended Christianity to be one-sided.  It has always been about a relationship, a giving and taking on both ends.  It is not completely reliant on our own failed perfection (thank goodness), nor is it reliant entirely on his faithfulness.  We have to have faith.  Whatever promise you are holding don't let go.  And take this last piece of wisdom from the life of young David: Focus on the heart of Yahweh and you will never be disappointed no matter what the outcome.

Digging Deeper:  For more on David's early years, his rivalry with Saul and his friendship with Jonathan check out the book of 1 Samuel, specifically chapters 13-31.

Other stories about long-term promises include: Joseph (One day his brothers would bow before him), Abraham (His ancestors would be as numerous as the stars), David (His kin would always remain on the throne), Isaiah (A savior would one day come from the line of David), Daniel (Kingdoms would rise and fall), Jesus (He will one day return), John (Heaven will one day come to Earth)

For the story of Oedipus click here.

This song (Above) has been playing in my head all week and I thought you might enjoy it.

Challenge:  What promises do you need to be reminded of today?  Bring them to God and renew your covenant with him.  Ask him to build your faith and then focus on his heart and what he wants in the situation.  More than likely your ideas are completely different.  Find scriptures that support what he is saying (that's the best way to separate your voice from his) and circle/underline the words in your bible.  Write them out and put them where you'll see them everyday.  Use his promises as a launching pad into an even deeper relationship with him.