Confessions of a Gotcha Dayer...

So this past Sunday I found myself in a Canadian church. Towards the end of the sermon, the speaker began to discuss his daughter's "Gotcha Day." As I was sitting there in puzzlement, he explained that his blonde haired, blue eyed daughter Rachel was adopted. Freaky, I know. After all, I'm adopted too! Anyway, "Gotcha Day" is the day they celebrate that Rachel became a part of their family. It's entirely separated from her birthday. Another day to eat cake? These people are geniuses!

Well, I became somewhat saddened. I mean, I'm adopted, but its been since birth. I don't have a "Gotcha Day." I just get cake one day a year like everybody else. But then I realized something. I do!

You see fellow christian, we all have gotcha days when we become a part of the family of Christ. And this is an extremely amazing thing! I know to an extent, how my life would have turned out had my birth mother decided to raise me. And I can almost one hundred percent guarantee, I'm way better off. Who knows where I would have been spiritually! But I was adopted, and it changed my identity forever. I became a Goering.

I know without a doubt how much my parents love me and wanted me. I mean there were absolutely no questions. But I once had a boy ask me what it felt like to be adopted. I said, "Well, it feels pretty good," not knowing how else to respond. He questioned, "It feels good to know you were a mistake and nobody wanted you so they gave you up?" Well golly gee, way to boost my self-esteem you punky little third grader! But then I realized, I felt sorry for this kid. Because this is a false view of adoption. In reality, its a great thing! I know my birth mother gave me up out of love. It was probably one of the hardest things she's done. But she wanted me to have a father figure. She wanted me to grow up in a home where I could be provided for. So how does it feel? I've never felt more loved, or more grateful.

Sometimes, we as Christians have a little puny third grader. His name is Satan. He fills our heads with lies. But if we realize our identity is in Christ, nothing he says can phase us.

And you know, our adoption into the family of God is a pretty special thing. Because it is the upmost demonstration of unconditional love, and who God is. He chose us. He wanted us. Sin and all. We are His, designed in intelligence and created with a purpose. See, there's nothing in us that warrants being adopted into God's family. We're all here because of His amazing grace. When the Father chose a people for Himself, when He decided to adopt them as His own children, He was motivated by love, and not by any means what we had done.. And our only response to this is the upmost devotion and gratefulness. Ephesians 6: 3-6, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will."

So, my fellow adoptees, you are pretty special. God chose you before the foundation of the world. And when you gave your heart to Him you became a part of His family and what a special family it is. He gotcha! You're His. So break out the cake! Isaiah 43:1 "But now, this is what the LORD says--he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."

Confessions of a Lazy Lint Licker...

I love the orbits commercial where the women are arguing and one of them goes, "Who are you calling a cootie queen you lint licker?" This my friends is what we call a euphemism. It's a nice way of saying a not so nice thing. Well folks, spiritually, we are lint lickers. Translation? We need to get off our butts and do something! In Jesus' ministry here, do you think he was lazy? Um, no. He understood the work that was given Him. He was a servant at the very core (Mark 10:45)

Jesus didn't wait until He felt like working. If He had, we'd all be doomed because I'm sure He would never have "felt like" going to the cross. He didn't wait until everything was "just right." He's not Goldilocks, He's Jesus! These excuse breed complacency, procrastination, and laziness.

As a college student, I know first hand just how far procrastination can go. When your fifteen page paper is due tomorrow and it's nine o'clock at night and you are just starting, you are in serious trouble my friends. The old slogan of work first, play later gets thrown out the window. But we get this way in our spiritual lives as well. We say, Oh, I'll do my quiet time later. Oh, I'll talk to that person later. Oh, I'll go to church next week. So why do we get this way?

I think sometimes, it's because our labors on this earth are in vain. Why does everyone hate group projects so much? Because there is always one person who never pulls their weight but gets full credit anyway. It seems like you did all that extra work, but you don't get anything for it. But God doesn't work like this. 1 Corinthians 15:58 tells us that our labor in the Lord is never in vain. It may require a lot of patience, but it will pay off. God has meaningful work to be done.

Another reason we get lazy is because our hearts aren't in it. To this God says "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." (Colossians 3:23) I'm got going to lie, this verse convicts like no other. God is Everything to us. And He deserves our everything. One hundred percent. Nothing less. Because He gave His all, so it only seems right that He commands us to give our all. Well, now I feel bad for being a sour batch of grapes.

The motto of every gym in America today: "you only get out of something what you put into it." That holds true for our spiritual lives as well. You only get out of your spiritual life, out of a church, out of a worship service, out of a sermon, even out of your relationship with God, what you put into it.

In fact, doing good works which God prepared for us to do is part of our purpose (Ephesians 2:10) Salvation is a free gift, but if that is all that you get out of Jesus' death and resurrection, then you are short-changing yourself. Jesus died that we might have life and have it to the fullest (John 10:10). He desires us to become sanctified -to become more like Him in our lives every day. To grow in grace.

There are 168 hours in each week. In a given week, we spend about 40 hours working, 56 hours sleeping, 29 hours eating and taking care of ourselves and our families, 41 hours on leisure activities, and only 2 hours on spiritual activities, including church. That just might be the problem. This is not investing in our spiritual lives.

We all need days off. We are not called to be workaholics. That's why God gave us the Sabbath. But we need to stop being on a permanent Sabbath. There is plenty of work to be done. There is a relationship with God to build. There are relationships with others to build. There is a world of unsaved people that need to hear The Truth! And even if you can't physically go on a mission trip or afford to give, you can pray. Is that not why we have mouths, but to praise? Is that not why we have lips, but to speak the truth? Is that not why we have ears, but to listen to the needs of others? Eyes, but to see what God is doing? And hands, but to do?

So, it's time we stop being lazy lint licking losers. Because the one that gave His all, deserves our all. Matthew 9:37 "Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few."

Confessions of a Crest Whitestripper...

Although they are necessary for a brighter smile I severely dislike Crest White Strips. Why? Because first of all they are extremely messy and they leave you feeling all gummy. But most of all it's because you have to leave them on for 30 minutes! That's 30 minutes of not talking! So as I'm sitting here white-stripping my life away I've decided to let my voice be heard another way, via blog.

Despite the nuisance and inconvenience they provide they are necessary. And I think we can learn a very valuable lesson from our dear friends. Sometimes, you just have to be still. We live in such a busy world. And I love to be busy and go on adventures or out with friends. To play in the backyard and just be crazy, but sometimes, we need to just listen. Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

So why are we so incapable of this? Sometimes we fill our lives with too much. Sometimes we worry about the future too much. And yes, sometimes the future is a pretty scary thing, but don't fret. God is already there working in ways that we can't even imagine. Sometimes we forget that we're not on our own. Sometimes we grow impatient. All these circumstances and more demand one response. Just be still.

And it's hard to not talk for 30 minutes. But the concept applies in our prayer lives too. We go to God with all sorts of requests, but sometimes we need to just listen. Just read. Just rest. And He will give you the patience to be still and wait on the Lord.

So, my fellow white strippers, just sit and meditate. Let all the anxiety go. And always remember you are not alone.

Exodus 14:14 "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." I feel more peaceful already :)

Confessions of a Beautiful Disaster...

Yesterday was great day. And the reason I say so is because I spent the entire afternoon resting on my couch and listening to music. Yes, my friends, I was very lazy. And it was wonderful. I must say the "B" section of my itunes playlist is definitely my favorite. Anyway, as I was sitting there staring up at the fan the song "Beautiful Disaster" by Jon McLaughlin came on. I love that song! If you haven't heard it you should listen to it. It'd give you some good insight. And part of the reason I loved it was because it was MY song. As depressing as it is, everything about it was true for me. Some things still are. But it got me thinking, I'm not the same person I was a year ago. This isn't my song anymore.

A great man once said, "There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." I have no idea who said great man was, but I agree. Coming home this summer has opened my eyes to that. Bakersfield is still the same, but I am not. And praise God it is mostly for the better. So it got me thinking, what changed?

A year ago I was content to be a half lit christian. I lacked passion. I lacked an intimate relationship with the one who made me. A year ago I still hated going to my grandparents house. A year ago I was worried all the time about leaving home. A year ago, I was still burdened by my friends burdens because I hadn't given them to God yet. A year ago, I really wasn't surrendered. A year ago I decided I was going away to college to first get a boyfriend and then an education. A year ago I still saw my friends on a regular basis because they were all in Bakersfield. A year ago I didn't look for God working in my life or others lives. Sure I saw life-changing events in the Dominican Republic, but I just stumbled upon them. Even the blind would have seen them. A year ago, I had no quiet time.

You know, for someone who really hates change this is quite a lot. And there is still A TON more to be done. I still give in to my idols way more than I should. I'm still not as close to the Holy and Living God as I should be. I still get wrapped up on what I want and throw out God's will entirely. I still struggle with being single. I still want a mustang covertible and occasionally vow I will not be happy until I get one. I still have self-image issues. I still have doubts about pretty much everything. I still need to learn that God is more than enough. The list could literally go on for pages.

And believe me friends, the change was not fun sometimes. In fact, there were quite a lot of tears involved. It was hard to loose those I loved. It was hard to face the fact that I could not help my friends sometimes. It is hard to learn that God is more than enough and I just need to trust Him. But praise God that no matter how much we waiver, He never does. Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." He is our rock that never erodes. That solid ground firm through the fiercest drought and storm. Isaiah 26:4 "Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal."

We live in an ever-changing world. I mean, just look at how many different versions of the ipod there have been in the past year. We are ever changing people. And most of the time, we need the change. But what is so miraculous is that God never changes. He will never go back on what He has promised. And you and I both know that God has proven Himself faithful on more than one occasion. The same God that created us, the same God that parted the Red Sea, is the same God that heard the prayers of Hannah. The same God that redeemed David is still the same Living and Active God! Isaiah 40:28 "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom."

And it makes change seem a heck of a lot better when we realize that through every change, God is changing us to be more like Him. "So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord--who is the Spirit--makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image." 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT).

And I have a new song too. "By Your Side" by 10th Avenue North has been my encouragement through thick and thin these past couple of months. And it only seems fitting. Because that's how God works. He takes out all our unholy junky thoughts and desires, and replaces it with Himself.

So, of course, as I conclude this portion of the blog, the song "New Soul" by Yael Naim has started playing. "See I'm a new soul in this very strange world hoping I could learn a bit about what is true and fake. But why all this hate? Try to communicate, finding just that love is not always easy to make. La la la la la la..."

Confessions of a Curly Mustache Casualty...

Let me tell you a story. Ahem *clears throat* Once upon a time there was a young innocent college student who for our story's purposes we shall call Lulu. One day Lulu was sitting on a bench by some red and purple flowers quietly (and innocently) studying for her german quiz and humming to herself. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an evil french gardener with a mustache drove up in a John Deere tractor. Seeing Lulu he noticed her small Sea World keychain. He decided she must be a marine biologist, and as such, decided she was far too dry. So with his short, stubby fingers he curled the ends of his french mustache and headed toward the sprinkler control box with a gleam of pure evilness.

Lulu was taken aback. Surely no one could be that evil, curved mustache or not. She braced for impact knowing she didn't have enough time to run away. The man flipped the switch, turning on the sprinklers and completely soaking poor Lulu and her note cards. He then ran to his tractor and rode off with a malicious smile. Poor sweet innocent Lulu was ruined, as were her note cards she had spent hours on the night before. And then, Sweet, darling, harmless, Lulu did something she had never done before. She silently declared war on the man with the curved mustache and vowed she would not rest until it was shaved. The girl who once loved everyone was now a hardened criminal. And that is the day that Lulu lost her innocence. This means war curly mustache man. This means WAR!

But I... I mean Lulu needs to learn that revenge is not the answer. Revenge is sweet right? Actually no. The world would like you to think that revenge makes you feel better. That making someone hurt as bad as you hurt somehow evens up the score. Revenge is the motivation behind most movie villians. And while it makes for an awesome, action-packed movie, it doesn't work so well in real life. Because the fact of the matter is: Revenge is bitter. Extremely bitter.

By taking revenge into our own hands, it insures that we haven't or won't let go of all the pain and hurt. A grudge destroys you. And often times it turns you into the villian. But instead Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39). The key point is love. Love your enemies as you love yourself. Do not try to overcome evil with evil. Overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). Pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44).

So do these curly mustache gardeners just get let off the hook? No way. They are God's to deal with. And He is Just, so He will deal with them, make no mistake. But He is also compassionate and merciful, so don't get angry if it's in the way you don't expect. The idea is to stop trying to do God's job. He's perfectly capable Himself. He's lived without you for millions of years He doesn't need your input now.

And hopefully the reasons you thought about seeking revenge were a little more than just getting a little wet. If not, you may have a tendency to be over dramatic. Because pain is very real, and people do seriously hurt you. But no matter whether it be a situation like Lulu's or a scarring nightmare that haunts you forever, God's thoughts on revenge are still the same. Remember Romans 12:19, "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord."

Confessions of a Worry Wort...

We've all had it. That tight feeling in the pit of your stomach. The lack of appetite or the increase there of, the unusual grouchy moods, and the overwhelming disgusting feeling. I think you all know what I'm talking about. And no, it isn't PMS, it's stress! Stress, hmm, just the word makes my skin tingle. But something I realized lately is that the underlying root of stress is worry. And worry is a result of two things. 1) A lack of trust in God and 2) A lack of contentment.

Worry comes in all shapes and forms. Sometimes it's with a job, school, physical health, friends, bad situations, relationships, time management, the future, the past, and the present. All of these ring true for me. And sometimes, it wears you out. Sometimes it's hard to fight your demons. So a song that says, "Don't worry, be happy," may be easy to sing, but not so easy to actually live on a day-to-day basis. Especially if you think you're doing it alone. But the key is to remember that you're not. You've got one heck of a powerful God on your side.

Worry is the opposite of trusting God. But the energy we spend on worrying can be put into much better use-prayer. Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

In fact, Jesus even calls us out on it in Matthew 6:25-34. From this passage we learn that worry is futile. God knows what you need and if He cares for the flowers and the birds, He will surely care of you. Worry is a sign of disbelief. Jesus says the mark of the unbeliever's lifestyle is worry over the necessities of life. Believers know better than to worry about such things.

Because the fact of the matter is when you worry, you don't trust. And any couple will tell you that trust is crucial to a relationship. The same is true for God. When you worry about a situation, you take it out of God's hands and put it in your own again. There's a reason 1 Peter 5:7 exists people! "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."

This principle I learned from the kids in the nursery. The last time I worked one of the little boys came up to me and was borderline tears. He told me his truck was "broked" because the wheel had snapped off. I told him I could fix it if he would let me see it. Now, I don't know if it's because he has four older brothers at home, or if its just his stubborn will, but he would not hand over the truck. I told him I couldn't fix it if he wouldn't give it up. The same is true for us and God. So, why don't we give up our anxieties? Do we really not trust the most powerful, majestic, and awesome God to be able to handle it? How offending! After all, Christ has already carried our burdens. He did so on the cross! Who are we to limit Him?

The second reason we worry is because we really aren't entirely content in Christ as we should be. And it is important to remember that contentment is a learned process. Even Paul notices this. Philippians 4:11, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." It's a work in progress, but you must start. Paul's secret to being content in every circumstance was that he drew his contentment from his relationship with Christ and not his relationship with circumstances. Good thing too, because he certainly faced enough trials with prison, angry mobs, snake bites, etc. That's some serious depression my friends. Things change. Circumstances change. We change. But Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. And He is peace.

But we need to realize that Christ is more than enough. You can survive without nice clothes, cars, food, even friends. But you MUST have Christ. It's like Rick Warren once said, "Life without Christ is a hopeless end. But with Him it is an endless hope!" And here I take a lesson from one of my favorite disney villians Jafar. At one point in the movie (I think it's the second one Return of Jafar) he tells Aladdin, "There are things so much worse than death." And it's true. Hell is worse than death. I would rather die, than be eternally separated from God. Because that is the worst thing that can happen to you. Disease, starvation, dying- those things are only physical. When this world ends, so will they. But God is a spiritual being. He transcends all time, all states. And there is GREAT encouragement in the fact that if He is with you, you can get through anything. "And if our God is for us, than who could ever stop us? And if our God is with us, than what could stand against?"

We don't need to worry about anything because we have it all. God is EVERYTHING to us. And He is the provider. The Bread of Life, The Living Water, the Prince of Peace. Wonderful Counselor. I'm good! And as we begin to understand God and grow in our relationship with Him, we begin to grasp at how Beautiful, and Majestic, and Holy He is. I'm only starting to realize what an AWESOME God we serve. And that fact gives me joy I didn't even imagine was possible!

And when compared to our LORD, every trial, and every worry pales in comparison. It's like one of my favorite songs says, "When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory. And I realize just how beautiful You are, and how great Your affections are for me. Oh, how He loves us oh, oh how He loves us. How He loves us all."

Confessions of a Homeless Homebody...

Thought: There is no place like home. Thought: Home is where the heart is. Fact: This earth is not my home. I'm just passing through. Jesus said "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36) so why do we hold on to things so tightly?

The pursuit of materialism is described in scripture. Isaiah 55:2 says, "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare."

Our world is consumed with the material. Some people even ask to be burried with their possessions. But it's like the old saying, "money can't buy happiness." The most common suicides are those of the wealthy. And sometimes as christians its really easy to get caught up in the material things. I see a blue v8 mustang convertible driving down the road and I instantly become a little envious. That has been my dream car for as long as I can remember. But something that I realized lately is that even if I were to get my car, I would only get to keep it for so long. I would not have that car for forever.

We live in a world that is consumed with consuming. But when you really break it down it's heartbreaking. They are looking to material things to satisfy. They are lost, hopelessly wandering the markets in search of anything that will fill that heart shaped hole. And they're not going to find it in the world. Because this world is only temporary. You can establish yourself here, but you're still not home yet.

It all comes to what you put your value in. If you choose to live as if this world is your home. As if this world is all you're going to get. Well, then what you're going to get is the destruction of this world. But if you remember that all the trials, sin, and wicked things of this world are only temporary, then you will be eagerly looking towards when you get to go home.

Paul realized this. In Philippians 3:7-8 he wrote, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, 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." The call of Christ teaches us that our relation to this world has been built on an illusion. We thought the promises and the substance were real, but they aren't. We thought those material things would satisfy, but they can't. We thought they were treasures, but their "rubbish."

Here's a story I once read. Chris Heurtz is the head of Word Made Flesh Ministries in India and all around Asia. The ministry provides shelters for homeless people with aids or other infected diseases. In Calcutta 70% of the homeless population have tuberculosis. Most just lie on the street coughing up their lungs. Chris' ministry was to find those who had only hours or days to live and invite them in. Chris said, "One thing I begged not to do was taking out the garbage. The stench was almost unbearable. Can you imagine the disease, ragged clothing, and half-eaten food? I begged them not to ask me to do it. It haunted me forever after the first time I took out the garbage. As soon as we walked out the back door toward the dump, children came out of the alleys to get whatever was there. I yelled 'Don't eat this garbage! It's full of disease and death!' But they were so hungry they ate the garbage anyway because that's all they could find."

Disturbing image isn't it? But honestly, how far is the world from this spiritually? Material things are nothing but a dumpster. Yet the world is feasting on them. It's our jobs to show them there is purpose to life outside of success. To show them that only God can satisfy. And to make them realize not to get too caught up in the things of the world, because they are after all, only temporary.

Luke 12:15 "Then he said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.'"

Confessions of an Old People Talker...

So yesterday was a long day. And when I was driving to work at 5:30 in the morning in the mini van (because the car wouldn't start) with coffee in one hand and the other on the steering wheel-mom style- I was thoroughly dreading it. Maybe its the hunger speaking, but if I'm up, the sun should be too.

But anyway, I found that I actually really liked it. Except for my supervisor, the people I worked with were amazingly entertaining. I am once again a fan of old people ha ha. There were two tables. At my table, one of the guys, Dwayne, was a CSULB alumni and George started as a marine biology major at USC. What are the odds? They were both scuba certified, and had some pretty good stories. George loved to travel and had even been to Antartica! Right then I knew we would get along perfectly. Have you ever met anyone who's been to Antartica? It was so cool to talk with them and let them share their stories. And George was hilarious! That man had a witt to him. My supervisor was kind of a hoity toity big shot and while we all got 30 minute lunch breaks, he went home for 3 hours, and had blacked salmon for lunch. And George responds, "Blackened Salmon huh?" *insert supervisors arrogant head nodd* "Well how bout that, blackened salmon. So, she burned it then huh?" He was happily married for 45 years, but you would have never guessed. He looked like the grayed, tough, motorcycle riding, hardened guy. And then he pulled out a bag and started to crochet a pink blanket.

And don't even get me started on the ladies at the other table! They were a hoot! Especially Audrey. She would be your old typical Georgian, southern soul food eating, grandma. I literally wanted to adopt her. I had set my purse on the floor next to the chair and she goes "Honey! Put your purse on the chair. Dem Meeses [mice] 'll get in it!" In that perfect accent she had. And then my supervisor said the word 'crap' and she jumped up. "Didn't cho mudder ever wash your mouth out with soap?" She turned to the girl that was only a few years older than me, pulled out a lint roller, and started rolling poor Hannah's clothing, saying, "Child do you know how to do laundry? You have more lint on ya dan a cactus!" And don't even get her started on her dog. She also told us this story how for 35 years she would sent her husband to the store for a gallon on milk every Tuesday and he would come back with half a gallon and a rose, because they were poor they couldn't afford the rose and a whole gallon. And now that he's been deceased for two years she still goes and puts a rose on his grave on the first Tuesday of every month. Ready? Awh!

Anyway, I learned a lot about life, love, and where to hang your hat err... um, your purse. And I realized that I was blessed in an unexpected way. I haven't laughed that hard in quite a while. And I never expected it to be from a group of 55 plus people. I expected to be bored out of my mind, but instead I never found time to read because during the dead periods we would all just talk. The lesson that I learned, don't be a pessimist. You never know what is going to happen. God works in extraordinary ways.

Confessions of a Goose Mobster Victim...

While at the lake today I was mobbed by brutal geese mobsters. You pull out one sandwich and all of a sudden you have forty five geese heading your way. I nearly squared off with the most courageous of the pack. What seemed to be my planned picnic lunch quickly turned in to brutal warfare. I had geese surrounding me everywhere ready to attack. And except for a shoe and my ability to run I was in no condition to fight back.

As christians we face spiritual warfare every day. Yet so many of us are unprepared for it. It should be no secret that we are constantly being attacked. Ephesians 6 is no stranger to most of us. It gives the full armor of God. In it some things are pointed out. In order to stand firm you need truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, Word of God, and prayer. And all of these are extremely powerful weapons.

First is truth. Truth is the light. It shines out the lies. And our job as christians is to distinguish absolute truth. It should be no secret, the world is full of lies. Lies of guilt, lies of justification for the things they do. God is not the author of confusion. His word is truth, in which there are no contradictions. Those who try to twist the scriptures reap their own destruction 2 Peter 3:16. John 14:6 tells us that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Look to Him as your absolute standard. I guarantee if Jesus taught against it, then you shouldn't be doing it. He never sinned. Therefore, he is perfection. The perfect standard for your morals. The perfect example of what is light in such a dark world.

Second is righteousness. In Ephesians it is a breastplate. It protects you and your most vital organs. Proverbs 4:23 warns "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." The best way to guard your life is to have a holy and righteous one. Because every thing you think, say, and do comes from your heart. You can only be a hypocrite for so long. Eventually the truth of who you are and the condition of your heart will come out.

Third is peace. 1 Corinthians 14:33 tells us that God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. He doesn't cause chaos. He solves it. Matthew 5:9 tells us to be peacemakers. Because of our sinful nature, the role of peacemaker is not something that is easy to step into. In order to be a peacemaker, we often will need to make downward steps. By this I mean, we must back off from our own feelings of importance. Christ, the one who brings us peace made downward steps on our behalf. His first step downward was leaving His glory in heaven. Christ was at the right hand of God and He left that position for us. And most importantly He did it joyfully. Being a peacemaker always involves humility.

Fourth is faith. Faith is defined as complete trust or confidence in something or someone. Sometimes it's hard to trust God. It is during those waiting times when our faith can especially waver. And nobody is perfect, but I want Romans 4:20 to be said of me, "Yet he [Abraham] did not waiver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God. " And we know that Abraham wasn't perfect, but that's where God's grace comes in. Because God is faithful. 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." And he keeps His promises too. Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." It's comforting to know that despite how much I waiver at times, God never does. He is unchanging.

Fifth is Salvation. Without which none of this would be possible. Salvation incorporates Grace, Justice, and Mercy. And it is the prime example of unconditional love. It is the helmet that protects that brain. Your body cannot function without your brain. And even with medical technologies we have never been able to develop a brain transplant. Fighting for truth and trying to live a righteous life would have no meaning if Grace were not involved. Galatians 2:21, "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

One of the most powerful tools you have is the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Yeah, I think it speaks for itself. But so many of us have no idea how to use the sword. We don't know our weapon at all!

Lastly is prayer. "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express" (Romans 8:26). "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). In a battle, to know the gameplan the soldiers must have constant communication with their higher ups. If not, the enemy could get in. The same works for Christians. We must be in CONSTANT communication. It's the only way the relationship can grow.

And above all my fellow warriors. Whether you be fighting geese or evil, God will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Psalm 44: 6-7, "I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame." And if you read Revelation, you know the end. And in the end, you know that we win. The battle whether past present or future, belongs to the Lord. (1 Samuel 17:47) A very comforting fact.

Confessions of a Bookshelf Crammer...

Moving back home after the school year ended was especially difficult. Because I have so much stuff! You know when you see in movies about the person having to sit on their suitcase to close it. That was me! My poor little car was so packed had someone wanted to go with me they would have had to sit in my refrigerator. But then when I got home came the worse problem. I had to put all that stuff away. Cram it in the bookcase shelves.

Sometimes we cram our lives with too much junk. And more importantly, sometimes we try to put stuff on the same shelf as God. We diminish God when we do this, saying He is no more worthy or our adoration than whatever idol we have. An make no mistake, idolatry isn't just bowing down to another image.

Our idols come in many forms. Mine happen to be my future career, beauty, boys, laziness, finding love, worry about being alone, and even sometimes friends. I get so preoccupied with these things that they tend to be all I think about. Sometimes I diminish it by saying, "Oh I'm just a hopeless romantic." No, I am an idolater. There's no side roads about it. And writing this I began to wonder, how much closer would my relationship with God be if I left Him on His own shelf. High and exalted above the rest.

And what's worse, idols stem from the heart. Ezekiel 14:3 "Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?" It's like when you have a friend. And this friend and you used to be pretty close. But now your friend has other friends and could care less about you. In fact, they always put themselves over you. They often forget you and purposefully leave you out sometimes. If you had a friend like this they wouldn't be your friend for very long. In fact, you'd get to the point where you'd say "Why do you even bother talking to me? I'm not important to you at all!"

Deuteronomy 7:25 tells us that idols are an abomination to God. They are hateful to God. They are vain and foolish. (Psalm 115:4-8). Ouch. I don't know about you, but I don't want to worship anything that is an abomination to a Holy, Perfect, and Living God.

Our idols don't just affect us either. They pollute the name of God for others to see. Ezekiel 20:39, "“As for you, O people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go right ahead and worship your idols, but sooner or later you will obey me and will stop bringing shame on my holy name by worshiping idols." That's one of the harshest things you can be accused of. Bringing shame on a Holy and righteous name? No thank you!

Idolatry is also changing the truth of God into a lie. Romans 1:25 "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen." This one I have a big time issues with. I focus so much on boys (and let's face it, some of them are pretty darn good looking) that I forget the Beautiful God who made them. Isaiah 44:20 "He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself..." Idols are ashes. They are the crap that remains after the fire has gone out. So why are we feeding on them? And how do we get the fire and passion for God back? Well, we cannot save ourselves, meaning we can't do it alone. And thank God we don't have to.

I am constantly reminded of when Peter walked on water. Matthew 14:28-31, "'Lord, if it's you,' Peter replied, 'tell me to come to you on the water.' 'Come,' he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me! Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. 'You of little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?'" Idols are the wind. They take our eyes off of Christ and we sink. Some of us even start to drown. But I love the hope that it gives when it says IMMEDIATELY as soon as Peter cried out, Jesus reached out and caught him. And Peter didn't fight him. Neither should we. Save it for "fighting your demons" as they say. You'll need it. In his book A Call to Die David Nasser writes, "When God shows you that something besides Him is occupying the center of your life, don't expect it to just melt away. It won't. Don't expect it to step down graciously. It won't. Don't expect it to come without a fight. It won't."

Idolatry really is in some ways discontentment. It is greed. You are not satisfied with what you have so you yearn for more. But God is more than enough. He is Everything, so He should be your Everything. And He has promised that He will help you fight your idols. He will change your heart. Ezekiel 36:26, "And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender and responsive heart."

"To live for Christ, I first must die to all the rivals in my life. Only You can satisfy."