Gentle and Quiet

Hey Surfers! This week I have the joy of bringing you another guest post, written by my friend Kaylen Richardson! She is crazy-nice and a great Spiritual leader. I hope you enjoy her wisdom, as you read this post on "gentleness." 

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.” 1 Peter 3:3-4

This summer I did a fairly intense study on 1 Peter. Of all the things I learned, this verse hit me pretty hard. I have heard this verse a million and one times, but I can honestly say I have never been known to be the quiet type. So this summer, when I heard this verse again, I really had to ask myself: "do I have a gentle and quiet spirit?" WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN? Then I realized that God isn’t telling us that if we are not the quiet type that we are not worth anything. But he is asking us to be more like him.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” Galatians 5:22-23.

When you decide to live out a spirit-filled life, you will become gentle and quiet. You have to start letting the Lord rule over everything you do. I pray that I am living a spirit-led life every day, and I can tell that there is a difference. When I am ruling over my own life I become very self centered, I get stressed really easily, and I become someone that not many people want to be around. Nothing about that is gentle or quiet. Nothing about that is Jesus. We are told to be gentle, because Jesus is gentle. People are turned away by harshness.

If we are living out our purpose in life as being God’s hands and feet and bringing more people to him, then we have to start striving to look more and more like him. This is just one way we can do that. It’s very clear by the last part of that verse that God finds joy in seeing us look and act like Him. I want to please the Lord; I want Him to find favor in me.

So I pray that you find encouragement in this. I hope you can look at this verse as a goal to be working on your inside spirit more than your outside looks. David prays a prayer in Psalm 18:35 that I really love: “You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.”

Let’s make it our goal to be GREAT.

-Kaylen

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WHIP IT!

Hi everyone! Today I have two fun treats. They are belong in two very different categories - one is a kitchen treat, and one is for bath time - but they are both decadent, delicious, and whipped to perfection!

Let's get started:

The first recipe I have to share with you is a delicious treat, perfect for when you are craving something sweet. If you haven't been enlightened on the perfection that is the "Forgotten Cookie," today will be a game-changer. Forgotten cookies are light and airy meringue cookies. They are lower in fat and calories, making them a perfect candidate to sneak into the "health and wellness" section of my blog. ;) They are a great alternative to a regular, heftier cookie, and (BONUS!) they're sooo so easy to make! 

I remember my mom (Becky homecky, as we call her) making these when I was a little girl; they have always been a favorite of mine. They are the perfect thing to make for a party or shower, and they are always a hit! 

Now, for the recipe!

Forgotten Cookies

2 egg whites 
1/8 t. cream of tartar
1/8 t. salt
2/3 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like the minis)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper OR lightly grease.

Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a small bowl until soft peaks form. (for new bakers: aka- when you pull the whisk out, the peaks fall.) Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form (when the peaks hold their own shape and do not fall.) Gently fold in the vanilla and the chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoons on cookie sheet. 

Place cookie sheet in preheated oven; immediately turn off oven, and allow the cookies to remain in oven at least 6 hours, or overnight, without opening the oven door. After at least 6 hours, remove cookies and VOILA!

I told you….SO EASY! And SO delicious!
This recipe yields about 30 cookies. 
Store in an airtight container.
Another bonus: they are also gluten-free!
…and perfect.
I feel like I've already mentioned that. ^

ENJOY! Let me know what you think of them after you make them!
Bonus points to anyone who pipes them into cool shapes and sends a pic. 
I'm thinking of doing my next batch as ghosts.
:)

Ask Becca!

Got questions? Need advice? Just wanna chat?

I am adding a new feature - the "Ask Becca" feature! Leave a comment, or personally email me at annarebecca.johnson@gmail.com, and I will try to get back to you ASAP.

Thanks for your support!

-BeccaJ

Elisabeth's Fruit Smoothie

My sister concocted a fabulous fruit smoothie, which she is currently raving about. It is perfect when you are craving something sweet, but is still very healthy. You can alter the proportions to your liking, for example, you may want to add a little extra juice to make it less thick. It is very tasty and a great recovery drink after a workout…or even a great breakfast drink! Hope you enjoy!


Elisabeth's Fruit Smoothie

1/2 c. berries (frozen)
1/2 banana (frozen)
1 T. agave nectar or organic honey
4 T.  chopped dates (I use pre-packaged.)
1 T. flax seeds
1 T. vanilla
2 T. unsweetened organic coconut flakes
1/2 c. fresh juice (of your choosing.)

A Brief Thought on Patience...

Hey Soul Surfers,


Today we are going to have a brief post from my sister, Elisabeth. It's short and sweet, but still totally relevant. :)

Hi! It's Elisabeth again---this time with a very short post. I was studying some scriptures and came across this verse:

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. -Ephesians 4:2

It really stood out to me because in general, I am not known as the most patient person. While I accept that I struggle with patience more than most people, I feel like everyone struggles with this to some degree…which is where this scripture comes into play. When we are patient with each other, we love each other, but we also display gentleness and self-control. It often takes a considerable amount of time and energy to be patient with each other, but when we are patient we are giving each other a great gift out of love. 

This scripture had a lasting impression on me and I wanted to share it with you guys in hopes that it would be just as inspirational for you. Sometimes I need to be reminded not to stress, but to bring it back to the important things in life---and relationships with others are one of the most meaningful aspects of life.

This thought is simple, but relevant regardless of our differences. 

XOXO,

Elisabeth

More to the Story

Raise your hand if you have ever felt like you are undeserving of God's love.

Don't feel alone; I am sure all of us have felt this at some point in our lives. That's normal.

The problem occurs when we dwell on that feeling. All too often, we focus on the negative - the "we are not worthy." We place the emphasis on the wrong syllable. The fact is, we aren't worthy. We are all sinners, BUT God has chosen to love us. He has chosen to love us with a love so big, we can't fully comprehend it. He has chosen to love each of us with a personalized, eternal love - a love big enough that He gave up His son for us. HE has chosen. 

I find myself, all the time, thinking about all of the wrongs I've done, instead of thinking about what He has done right. He gave the ultimate sacrifice, and when He did that, the story continued. 

The greatest story of all is still being written. It did not stop with a broken, sinful people. It did not even stop with the crucifixion of Jesus. No, the story is eternal. So instead of focusing on the sadness of our sins - next time we feel unworthy - let us remember to rejoice. Because there is happiness--- there is more to the story. 



Since this is a short thought, I decided to include a link to a great podcast I watched the other day! My best friend goes to a church in Dallas, and she sent me this link to a lesson she heard last week. It's a great one, and I love how it's tied into pop culture. That's my jam. Hope you enjoy! :) 

http://www.watermark.org/media/series/365/

Losing the Weight (of the World)

I have been dealing lately with the issue of feeling very "weighed down" by the world. I hate growing up for many reasons, but most recently, because it means no more naivety. Suddenly, I have the responsibility of knowing exactly what's going on around me - good and bad. I am naturally an empathetic person - not sympathetic, empathetic. I take people's emotions on as my own. I feel what they feel. So naturally, I have felt overwhelmed by just….life. I see a broken world, and it has been very hard, recently, to deal with the sadness I have felt because of that. 

As Christians, I think we all deal with that empathy to some extent. It's hard to live in a world that is not our own. So, how do we deal with sin? I am not talking about temptation, but about the sin that has infiltrated our worlds…that we have to see…that we have to live with. 

*Let me just pause for a moment and say that, in no way, do I want to make myself seem sinless or better than anyone else. We all deal with sin, and I am not really talking about individual sin anyway, as much as I am about how to deal with living in a broken and sad world. *

I have been dealing with this issue for some time, and have only recently realized that it really has to do with spiritual perseverance. Galatians 6:9 says: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." I have been praying and praying, stewing on this subject, and I "happened" upon that verse. I have been missing the big picture! (That happens more than I would like to admit, by the way.) The point is, we cannot let the weight of this world discourage us. We have to persevere and keep doing the work of the Lord, regardless. It is hard. We knew it was going to be hard when we chose to follow the Lord. My problem was: I didn't know all of the different types of "hard." Temptation is just one of the types. 

You see, Satan is smart. He is smart enough to know our weaknesses. Temptation of sin is one way, but living in a world ladened with sin and sadness and anything, really, that doesn't glorify God is another. He, knowing we have a heart for God's will, can take us down by merely showing us a broken world. He knows that will dishearten us. 


This is where our trust in God becomes real. Proverbs 3: 5-6 says this: "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track." I like this version, because it say "don't try to figure everything out on your own." (I think that translation was created just for me!) We don't have to know the answer to every question, we just have to trust God. We have to trust fully in His plan, and trust fully that everything will work out, according to His plan. That is what we are called to do. 

In order to fight this discouragement, we must be able to trust God, and we must also be able to see the good He is doing. We have to be able to see past this life and trust in God, knowing that this world is not our own. That is how we persevere. We know that this world is temporary - not useless, but temporary. Our eternity comes after this. Similarly, we have to actively see His good works, thanking Him constantly, because in every situation (good or bad,) He can be seen. Even in the hardest of situations, He reveals Himself to us; there is always something to be thankful for.

Obviously, this is an issue I am still working through. It is hard, because I am such a sensitive person…but is necessary to mature, spiritually. These are just the thoughts I have come up with that have helped me, so far. I hope if any of you are in a similar place, that these thoughts will help you stay positive and persevere, too. 

be happy, 

becca 

How Not to Pray

Friends!

I feel like it's been such a long time since I've written (probably because it has been such a long time since I've written,) but I am back! If you follow me, you know that I have been lucky enough to be at my cabin in New Mexico. It is my favorite place. I love it. Even more than Disneyland. Even more that Disneyworld! I know, guys. That's a lot of love. 

Anyway, it is very close to the church camp I went to- oh- all of my youth, and I get to go to so many camp events. The other day, I was at a campfire, and - oh, man - it was just the most beautiful night for a campfire. It had rained earlier that day, so everything smelled fresh, and it was cool. The fire was crackling. Everything was perfectly still. The only imperfection were the bats… I can't. I…I just can't. So anyway, I'm sitting out at this campfire with my sister and one of the best guys I know, and I look up at the sky. The stars appear so low, I'm almost convinced I could reach out and scoop up a handful. <--- I didn't mean for that to come out as oddly poetic as it did, but really, they were almost tangible. SO PRETTY. I thought to myself: "I'm so lucky." That's the thing, though. I'm not lucky at all. I'm blessed. I know that word is overused, but there isn't another word that satisfies. I am blessed by a perfect and HUGE God. 

So I began thinking… 

(by the way, this just shows how distracted I become with my own thoughts; I hardly heard a word the speaker said….I shouldn't brag about that, should I?)

 So I began thinking about how truly great our God is, that He could create such a perfect moment, but also how gentle He is and how He truly loves me - how He even knows how many hairs are on my head. He knows more about me than I know about myself! Now…pause to think about what that really means….wow. Wow, is all I can say. 

I began to think about that, which led me to think about the way I pray. (Finally, I'm getting to the heart of this post. Sorry for the rambling that's happening today..?) 

So here's the thing: I am guilty of two major praying crimes. Maybe more, but I'll just say two for today. The first thing that I do wrong when I pray is that - when I'm guilty about something, I often feel ashamed to bring it up in prayer. I know that's ridiculous. You know that's ridiculous, but I still do it. Please, please tell me I'm not the only one. It's coming from a place of reverence. I do not want to disappoint the God that has provided so many blessing for me by telling Him I have failed Him (again.) Right? 

But that's not the way it works. I can't simply - by avoiding bringing it up - hide information from the God that knows me better than I know myself. (Like...no duh, Becca.)  He already knows. He knows me to my very core, and here's the great part: He will still love me. Even though I'm a total bonehead, He will love me. And that's all that matters. 

So even when my little pea brain thinks it's the best idea to try to hide things from Him, because I can't bear to disappoint Him…He probably laughs first, but He always knows my heart and always loves me as His daughter. 

The second major crime I commit - and again, please tell me I'm not the only one who does this - is that I (unconsciously) manipulate prayers to my "benefit." <--- I put that in quotes, because I don't actually know what's best for me; only He can know that. How many times have you prayed for something you really, really wanted and said something like "Lord, I promise I'll (fill in the blank) if you just let me have (fill in the blank)." I know I'll catch myself doing this from time to time. Seriously, sometimes I'm baffled at my immaturity. Prayers are not a sales pitch. God knows the deepest desires of my heart; I do not need to convince Him of reasons why He should give me something. Seriously, I'm embarrassed even admitting this, but I am admitting it, because I have a feeling I may not be the only person who does it. Psalm 37 says "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." We do not need to convince Him of anything; He gives us all that we want and need! He is not our parents, and we are not asking for a later curfew--- He is the God of our hearts! And He has a perfect plan in store for each of us! (Which He planned….all by Himself…He needs no suggestions from me.) 

Ah… how cool is that?! He can take my immature, lame-brain problems and still make something beautiful out of them. I LOVE IT.

So when we pray, let's be full-disclosure, hiding nothing. No matter how embarrassed or guilty we feel. And let's be completely satisfied in God's plan for us, because it really is the perfect plan. Pride is asking God for something I want, instead of embracing God's perfect plan. Remember: God is our chauffeur. We don't need to know where we're going, because we trust that He will get us to where we need to be. 


He loves us. 
All the time.
Really.





-becca

Love Sees the Good

Hi Friends!

Today is a very special day, because the post has a guest writer - my seester! She has a special message she has been thinking upon for a while, and I have to say, it's a pretty refreshing message to hear. I know I have benefitted from hearing it. :)

Without further ado….

Elisabeth Johnson, everybody...

Hey Soul Surfers,

I’m sure we are all familiar with the 1 Corinthians 13 “love passage.” I have read it many times, but I was recently reading this passage in “The Message” and one particular fragment of the passage really caught my attention.

“Love always looks for the best.” 

This is my new favorite sentence. I’ve thought about it every day since I rediscovered it. I’ve tweeted about it (I only tweet my best material…hahaha.) I’ve really made a conscious effort to make a change in my life based on it.

Love looks for the best in situations and in people, but this post will be mostly focused on looking for the best in people. 

Back in the spring, I planned a day full of fun things after I got off work on a Friday. This was a really long day (in retrospect, I probably planned way too much for a single day,) but the largest part of the day was to be spent at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. I had never been before, and I noticed on the website that they were having an exhibit called “Journey of a Dress," which showcased the work of designer Diane von Furstenberg. I knew I was going to love this exhibit, but I didn’t realize how much I would love it until I was right in the center of it.

It’s not a secret that I love clothes, but not just ordinary clothes. I love clothes rich in design...clothes with something special about them...something that sets them apart from the over-manufactured, cheap quality pieces we see all over the world today. I love a nice blazer, the perfect purse, anything chic & black, anything inspired by military, menswear, or equestrian...I even love the perfect Nike running shoe or workout outfit. 

The DVF exhibit was by far the highlight of my day. Inside were many mannequins placed on mirrored platforms all modeling a DVF original dress from past to present. There were probably at least a hundred mannequins modeling dresses of every length, color, and print, but they were all true to the DVF ‘wrap dress’ style. In fact, these dresses are extremely well-known for their iconic style---all with a waistline that is universally flattering. 

As I sat on a bench inside the room where all the dresses were, I was in awe. I was partially this way because as I said, I love clothes. There was something else that was mesmerizing me that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, though. I probably stayed in this one spot for over an hour before I decided that it was time to move on and see some of the other awesome things LACMA had to offer. I looked at European art for a while and then decided to get some coffee. I was midway to the coffee shop when I turned around and went straight for the DVF exhibit again (anything that distracts me from coffee must be pretty powerful, just saying). It was at the other end of the property, but I continued to walk until I got there...my feet were killing me by this point, but I didn’t care! I sat on the bench inside the exhibit again and was still mesmerized. There were a million distractions in the room, but I had tunnel vision for the dresses. I would wear any of these dresses. I didn’t care if it was a funky print, if it was short or long, or even if it was a pantsuit. You are probably wondering why I was so attracted to them. I finally realized that they all had one feature in common...their design. Their design was SO PERFECT that it had mesmerized me. I didn’t care if the dresses were purple leopard print (exaggeration) or some other print that is too funky to ever be considered by me. They each shared ONE FEATURE that was so beautiful.

When I think back to the verse in 1 Corinthians 13 that says, “Love always looks for the best.," I am reminded of my experience that day. What if I could look at people the way I looked at those dresses? What if I could find the one most beautiful part about them and focus on it so much that the things that I disliked became irrelevant? 

To me, that is what love is. As Christians, we are called to love each other. God loves us in a way that he “always looks for the best," yet as humans, we might forget to do this and sometimes treat others as if they are unlovable. Matthew 5:43-47 says, “If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.” True love is seeking out the best in a person, not simply loving a person because they are easy to love, because you have something in common with that person, etc. When individuals “look for the best” in others out of love, it is a sign of spiritual maturity. 

I have challenged myself to have “tunnel vision” like I had that day at the LACMA. I want to “look for the best” in others so much so that I focus on it as if there were no other factors to be considered. We know that we are to display brotherly love, but as with my experience with the dresses, we rarely realize the intensity to which we can do this until we are intently focused on “the best." 

This verse has really inspired me lately and I hope that it inspires you! Now cue Bob Marley’s “One Love” in the background...just kidding!

XOXO,

Elisabeth

P.S.-- I’ve attached some photos of the dresses, so you can feel like you were there, too! :)

Where Does my Worth Come From?

Well.... I broke my perfect streak of writing once a week. Boooo. I had friends come visit me, and I got distracted. Hey, at least I'm honest, right?

Within the past week, I've had about 50 half-baked ideas in my head. So many good starts, but hardly any of them fully fleshed out, yet. BUT just before writing this, something came to me:

I have been on social media ENTIRELY too much the past two or three days, and in between my fits of stalking old friends and forgetting to write on people's walls for their birthday, I noticed a pattern. Story after story on my newsfeed involved people screaming out for acceptance, admiration, even love. Many (most, actually) of these instances came from girls, my age, not unlike myself. In fact, I would be straight-up lying if I said I don't periodically circle through this phase of wanting (fill in the blank/ anyone other than God's) acceptance. EVERYONE STRUGGLES WITH THIS. That is just the truth. I'm sorry.

One of the biggest and most frequent lies our society presents to us is that we need to work on ourselves in order to gain the acceptance of each other. Think about this, women: you get up, pick out your best outfit, put on some killer shoes, perfect your cat-eye eyeliner, double up on coats of mascara, and DEFINITELY cover up those nasty blemishes...for who? Not for God! Not even, really, for boys. (Newsflash: red lipstick actually kind of freaks them out, as it's not very natural-looking.) We fix up for each other! We want the acceptance and the positive attention of each other so, so much that we feel we need to be one step ahead of each other at all times. The need to be the best, the prettiest, the most popular, or the smartest stems from us investing our self-esteem in each other.

Which leads me to my next point:
I am...mmmm...just...really tired of hearing people rant on and on about how the beauty industry does nothing but give girls low self-esteem. Like anything else, that can be true to some extent, but PUH-LEASE, let's stop deflecting the heat off of ourselves! As women, we are each other's worst enemies when it comes to low self-esteem. Like men, we are geared toward competition, but unlike them, we don't go for the prize and then stop. Instead, we compete to stay on top, because we feel we need that security of being "the most" to feel worthy. Like I said before, I go through ups and downs - sometimes I can get really catty. When I look back at my worst moments, though, they are always at a time when I had low self-esteem - a time when I forgot where my true worth comes from.

The only One whose acceptance we need is The One, and guess what? We've already gotten it! Holla. He loves us, and I mean REALLY loves us. This is real. Think of all of the things you hold dearest in your life - family, friends, even your husband or future husband - now completely and quickly erase them from your mind for a moment. (Yes, EVEN your husband!) Why? Because even they cannot dictate your sense of self. God is the ONE THING that is eternal. He is the one thing that is purely good. He will not judge you. He will always love you. He created you from His very own image! That should make us immeasurably happy and confident.

Let me make another analogy: I used to (ahem....still do, sometimes...) judge myself very critically on (this is so embarrassing) the fact that I never had a boyfriend. (Wait, it gets even more embarrassing.) Even more so, I always felt I needed the token, most perfect, most popular boyfriend - nice, funny, great Christian, athletic- no pressure, right? In essence, I was finding my self worth in whether "the perfect guy" liked me or not. Now, game-changer: He does. He loves ME. The greatest not just man, but KING chose ME (and YOU) to love. To love completely. And eternally. THAT is where our self-esteem should come from. We no longer have anyone else to blame but ourselves when our self-esteem is low. We have no excuse. The King of Kings loves us, and He will never stop loving us. It doesn't matter if we are Valedictorian or dead last in our class, if we have a million adoring fans or one best friend, He will love us. He will NEVER forsake us.

Isn't that just the best feeling? Doesn't it kind of change everything? We are worthy and beautiful daughters of Him, and that should make us truly and eternally happy. :))



<3 data-blogger-escaped-br=""> becca

The Director

I've had the privilege of being an extra in the television show "Longmire" the past two summers. For those of you that don't know of this show, I highly recommend watching it. It's a modern-day Western/ Crime show, set in Wyoming. It's filmed, however, in New Mexico (which is how I fell into being an extra in the show.) I am a natural-born performer, and have always been interested in all things film and television. I was in theater in high school, minored in filmed studies in college.... I just love it. All of it.

Anyway, as I was watching the film crew "make magic" the other day, I couldn't help but draw a religious parallel. (I can do a religious reading of just about anything. This is no lie. Just ask my Children's Lit or Film Studies professors.) I guess that's just the way my mind works, but hey, I'm not complaining.

I thought to myself, "If my life is a movie, what role(s) does God play in it?" Here is what I came up with so far:

As far as film production goes, it's a given that God is the director. Just as He is "the author and perfecter of our faith," just as He writes our story, He - in the same manner - directs our movie. The director has the ultimate vision. He has a plan and an exact idea of what He wants, even if no one else is able to see it. Just as the director knows what will look best on screen, the Lord knows what is best for each of us, and plans accordingly. His plans may not be evident to us, but we have faith that He will create a masterpiece, because He has never disappointed us before. As the director, God can guide us and direct us to ensure we give our best performance here on Earth. He even gives us unlimited merciful "takes," when we mess up our lines - aka when we fail Him. He is the overall seer of our lives.

In the actual movie, God would play the leading role. There's a line from a movie I always think of that says something about being "the leading lady in my own life." I love that line, but then I think to myself "Huh uh. In my life, in my movie, I am not the lead." I'm sorry, but I'm not. God is the Lord of my life and only HE is magnificent enough to be the lead in my movie. It's funny, because regarding performing, I love to be the center of attention. I love the feeling of being on stage or being the one making everyone laugh in a group setting. Away from that, though - and especially pertaining to religion - I HATE being in the limelight. I honestly want all attention to be on God. If anyone sees good in me, I want the credit to go to God - the source of all good. "My life" is so much bigger than just the time I have on Earth, and God is and will always, eternally, be the star and the true God of my life - my entire life. What I'm trying to say, I guess, is my life isn't actually my life at all. It belongs to God and will forevermore. He is the true star of my movie; He is the true star of every movie and everything.

And finally, I think it is important to remember that God is also the film critic. I wanted to think of some post-production metaphor and couldn't come up with anything, but I think this works better, anyway. It's so true! God is the judge of our lives, and only Him. He decides if we were good, bad, or ugly. ( <--- data-blogger-escaped--="" data-blogger-escaped-a="" data-blogger-escaped-and="" data-blogger-escaped-be="" data-blogger-escaped-best="" data-blogger-escaped-br="" data-blogger-escaped-christ="" data-blogger-escaped-do="" data-blogger-escaped-done="" data-blogger-escaped-ell="" data-blogger-escaped-every="" data-blogger-escaped-faithful="" data-blogger-escaped-for="" data-blogger-escaped-get="" data-blogger-escaped-god="" data-blogger-escaped-good="" data-blogger-escaped-him.="" data-blogger-escaped-imperative="" data-blogger-escaped-in="" data-blogger-escaped-is="" data-blogger-escaped-it="" data-blogger-escaped-kind="" data-blogger-escaped-life="" data-blogger-escaped-like="" data-blogger-escaped-live="" data-blogger-escaped-loving.="" data-blogger-escaped-must="" data-blogger-escaped-our="" data-blogger-escaped-perform="" data-blogger-escaped-pleasing="" data-blogger-escaped-read:="" data-blogger-escaped-review="" data-blogger-escaped-s="" data-blogger-escaped-servant.="" data-blogger-escaped-so="" data-blogger-escaped-strive="" data-blogger-escaped-that="" data-blogger-escaped-this="" data-blogger-escaped-to="" data-blogger-escaped-unto="" data-blogger-escaped-way.="" data-blogger-escaped-we="" data-blogger-escaped-when="" data-blogger-escaped-why="" data-blogger-escaped-will="">
That's a wrap.

-becca

The Downfall of the Bretheren

First things first, I had the privilege of meeting my mom's old youth minister from when she was in junior high, this weekend. And he is awesome and very, very wise (My mom must have learned a lot from him, because she is also both of those things.), but he kept referring to the Church as "The Bretheren," and it - for whatever reason - stuck with me. It is my new favorite saying. Hence, the title.


On a serious note, I have been dealing with an issue lately that I think would make a great topic for this week. It has been weighing heavily on my mind, and if I'm being completely honest, I feel that it is almost a taboo topic within the church; no one ever talks about it..... that is, conflict within the church itself. 


Sigh....

I am currently in the midst of a feud (?) between two different groups of church members. I put a question mark, because I am not actually sure if feud is the best word to describe this conflict. However, it's the best word I could think of, so.... If you know me at all, you may know that conflict is the bane of my existence. I know you're thinking, "Ummm... who likes conflict?!" And, true. But for me, it is worse than anything. I do not do well with it and honestly, I don't handle it well, either! So, imagine how I feel in this particular instance. Conflict within the CHURCH?? It's giving me major anxiety. 

One would think that church would be the one place where conflict was kept to a minimum, but I have found the case to be quite the contrary. I have seen more conflict in churches than I have almost anywhere else. I believe part of the reason for this is because members of the church have a hard time deciphering if speaking up (communicating their concerns to the other party) would be considered beneficial or "going rogue." Many people do not want to "make waves" ( <---ha....pun...) or be seen as disrespectful. I get that! Still, if no one makes a sound, how will the conflict be solved? I know from personal experience, ignoring a problem will not make it go away. Running from a conflict does not work; that is my first instinct every time I am in a personal conflict and never has it ever worked out for me. *Note to self: quit doing that. 


So how do we deal with conflict between church members?


First of all, we must realize some of the most common catalysts for conflict within the church. Things like:

- Disagreement with leaders of the church/ the way(s) in which they are leading
- An offense that has yet to be forgiven
- Blatant sinning among believers

There are countless reasons why quarrels start, but those are just a few I have seen personally. And although there may be tons of reasons a conflict breaks out, there is just one reason why it perpetuates:

PRIDE.

There is a reason why C.S. Lewis referred to pride as "the great sin." Pride affects everyone; Christians are not exempt. I am not exempt. I will do a whole schpeel on pride sometime; it is totally worth at least a post. I do believe it is the downfall of Christianity, and the reason we often cannot get past an internal conflict. Knowing this, the root of our conflict, can help resolve and maybe even dissolve this problem.

The next thing we need to do in order to alleviate this problem is realize the effects it is having on us. Most times when a conflict arises in the church, it leads to a common result:

GOSSIP.

You cannot have one without the other. It's just like smoke and fire: where there is a conflict, there will be gossip. There will be people talking about it, dwelling on it, feeding off of it. Conflict is not only in itself detrimental to the church, it also causes more sins within the church family - a family (let me just reiterate) thats sole purpose is to love and build each other up in Christ! Yeesh! 

Knowing both the cause and effects of conflict in the church and how realistically terrible of a problem it is to us, let's focus on some steps to take to help resolve this issue.

Like I stated before, I think it is imperative for us Christians to actively seek resolution. This issue will feed off of itself and never resolve if we stand idle. First, I believe that we need to evaluate ourselves, our hearts, and what part we each individually play in the conflict. It goes back to the pride thing. We each need to realize what we are doing wrong, rather than "calling out" the other party for their wrongdoings. I believe that the crucial first step to conflict resolution is to work on ourselves and realize what we can change about ourselves to make this situation better, rather than only realizing what the other party has done to hurt us. In doing so, we can work on developing a Christlike attitude - faithful, forgiving, loving, kind, the list goes on. Not only are we getting back to the real goal of Christians, we also may just become so engulfed in becoming more like Christ that we inadvertently distract ourselves from the (trivial) issue at hand. Ta-da! Everything really does work out when we wholeheartedly seek the Kingdom of God. 

If everyone is seeking to resolve their own faults, the conflict should resolve, but it does take two to tango and two to resolve a conflict. If one party is still noticing the other party's eye plank (so to speak) a little too vividly, the conflict may still linger. While we can't force the other party to obtain the right mindset, if we personally have realized our own faults, tried to be forgiving and kind, and the conflict is still there, it is now time to verbally communicate. I actually hate this, which explains so much about why my conflicts never really resolve... I just run from them....but this really is a mandatory step in a tough conflict. It is best to go to the other party (lovingly, not angrily) and voice your concern, your hurt, and just move past it, already! Plus, the added benefit of communicating with the other party is that the gossip "middle man" is alleviated. By hashing it out with the other party instead of going to friends or anyone else that is not the direct party, people who don't need to know about the quarrel won't, and the gossip fire will die down. Always remember, though, your concerns should be brought of in the same loving manner that Christ represents. Now is no time to be stubborn - no time to "win" the argument. You want to resolve the matter and remind each other that in the end, you are both working toward the same goal. Fighting with your own teammate never helps win the game.

Lastly, always pray. God can help us through any issue. It's no lie that we can go to Him with anything, even things we are ashamed of. I know I do not like to admit to fighting with my own teammates. The truth is, though, it happens. And when it does, God is here to help us through it. He wants the best for us, and He always listens when we call. He is always, always here to help us and to bring us all peace, because He is good!


Conflict within the church is a hard thing to deal with. It feels like an act of betrayal, when you are at odds with a person (or more than one person) in your Christian family. And honestly, it tarnishes the reputation of Christians altogether. It really is a nasty problem. If we humble ourselves, really (and I mean really) focus on love, and remember we are all teammates, we can resolve this issue and move mountains with our joined forces. 


Peace and Blessins,
becca

Making Lemonade

We've all had an experience we seemingly cannot get past. Maybe someone has hurt us so deeply that the pain still stays in our hearts. Maybe a terrible event has left us thinking about nothing else. Maybe, even, a series of disappointments has left us down and out.

Lemons....

These proverbial lemons leave a sour taste in our mouths. It can be hard to move past these kinds of situations. They linger with us like citric acid in our teeth, and eat away at our joyous spirit. There is only one way, I have realized, to deal with lemons...bring it back to God.

I am naturally a very optimistic person, and I can usually find something good in every situation. However, I have been in situations that I have had a hard time moving past. In these situations, after I have tried everything in my power to see good and still failed, I flip the situation upside down and look at it with a fresh perspective. This perspective being: "what can this teach me about God?"

Now, it's easy to be engulfed in a great situation and think "what can this teach me about God?" If it is a great situation, the answer is probably something to the tune of "He's beautiful! He's good! He hears my prayers!" But how can a bad situation teach us about God's personality? How can we praise God even in times like these?

Hypothetically,
What if, say, you applied for a job- a job you had always wanted to do? You were so excited after your interview; you knew you had just nailed it. But then, what if immediately after the (awesome) interview, they called you to tell you that they had given the job to another applicant? Not only that, but you found out later down the road that they had lied to you about the reason why you did not receive the job. And what if, (game-changer) this job was with your church?? Ouch.

Forgive me, that really is the best hypothetical situation I could come up with. But even so, I'm sure it sparked a memory of a time I'm your life when you have been genuinely hurt or even betrayal- a hurt so deep that it still lingers.

Good. Take that memory, and reframe it in this way: "I am thankful for this situation, because it reminds me of how (fill in the blank) God is. For example, in my hypothetical situation, I would say "I am thankful for this situation, because it reminds me that my God is fair, kind, truthful, and completely pure of heart.

This may be an unusual way of dealing with situations...I don't know. But I do know it has worked for me. It helps me refocus on what I need to focus on, and it helps me get past what I do not. It also gives me a burst of joyous energy. So next time life hands you a Spiritual lemon, flip the situation and look at it in this new, refreshing way. Take those things and make some lemonade! :))


Hang loose dudes,
becca

Using Time Wisely

Wow...boring title. Sorry. I thought this topic would be especially great since... IT'S SUMMA SUMMA TIME, and we will all have a little more free time (hopefully.) I definitely will. Actually, I'm writing this from my cabin in the mountains where we get no internet or phone service, so I'll probably have to post it tomorrow when we go to Santa Fe. (But actually, I love not having any phone or Internet here; it's so much more relaxing. Plus, I can focus on important things with no extra distractions...except Pretty Little Liars.)

I, probably like some of you, am in a transition period - no job, no school, no boyfriends, nothing. (I like how I just made boyfriends plural, but I'm not going to change it. It makes me feel likes playa.) Anyway I have to say, I've actually really been enjoying this time in my life....maybe a little too much, some might argue. I needed it, though. I needed it to rest, work on feeling better physically (that's a story for a whole different post,) and mostly, to refocus on my one most important priority - God.

During this "free" time, I have really been able to think about what I am spending my time on. Do I spend my time pursuing God, or do I spend it on meaningless, perishable things - things of this world. Have you ever found yourself in this position: spending all your energy on things such as your potential career, or maybe pursuing - not even necessarily pursuing, just thinking a little too much about - that guy you think is oh-so-perfect? ( <--- data-blogger-escaped-accuse="" data-blogger-escaped-both="" data-blogger-escaped-br="" data-blogger-escaped-could="" data-blogger-escaped-i="" data-blogger-escaped-like="" data-blogger-escaped-myself="" data-blogger-escaped-of="" data-blogger-escaped-recently...okay="" data-blogger-escaped-recently...very="" data-blogger-escaped-these="" data-blogger-escaped-until="" data-blogger-escaped-up="" data-blogger-escaped-yesterday.="">
After thinking about it, I realized that I don't like that I unintentionally waste my time on things that aren't the everlasting God - the only thing worth pursuing. I feel like I'm not loving my Lord with all of my mind or my strength. So I've been trying to be more diligent about placing God, not only first, but as the ONLY thing in my life, retraining my mind to see that He really is the only, ONLY thing I need to worry and care about.

We all know:

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
- Matthew 6:33

We may even know the old camp song to the same verse....

...but how often do we really live by those words? If we truly seek God, see God and His beauty, and love God in ALL that we do, everything else will "fall into place." It will be given. I am guilty of not realizing this enough. I can get so overwhelmed by the theatrics of day-to-day life, that I forget to separate and prioritize what is eternal from what is not. God is eternal. Everything else is not.

So I've been trying to diligently see God in everything lately. If something or someone's character is especially beautiful, I praise Him. I try to think in every situation "What can this thing/person/situation teach me about my God?" And I've been actively seeking out every opportunity as an opportunity to serve Him. I have to say, it's definitely helping.

I know this is not groundbreaking advice, but it has helped refresh me Spiritually. I feel much better and much more at peace just focusing on the one thing that is true and everlasting, and knowing everything else will come after. I think it is a very strong and admirable quality in women of God to be diligent and focused, and I will definitely keep at it, because I want to be the strongest woman I can be for my King.

Peace and Blessings
-becca

Unfathomable.

Have you ever though about all the different names for God?

Teacher
Father
Bridegroom
Friend
King


Or His characteristics?

Gentle
All-powerful
Loving
Jealous
Patient


Those are very, very few of the words that describe how multi-faceted our God is. He is the very essence of the word "everything" - all that exists. No one word can describe Him. A million words could not describe Him. He...is.

Lately, I've noticed about myself that I can only truly focus on one aspect of God at a time. When I pray, I often catch myself praying to the father figure, or the friend, the bridegroom, etc. I do this because my mind is so small, compared to God, that I simply cannot fathom all that He is.

My Earthly little mind can think in terms of being the bride of Christ: "Okay, I'll think of my relationship with God in terms of a husband/ wife relationship." It can also think in terms of being the daughter: "Even when I stray, my Father welcomes me back with open, loving arms. He is a kind and gentle father." But I cannot fathom those two things at the same time. You see, my mind is small and wired in an Earthly manner. Being someone's daughter AND wife is not a thing that happens here. That would be weird, to say the least!

As much as I try I just cannot fully grasp, at once, all that He is.


And...AHHH! I Just love that.


I love that, because it reminds me how truly small I am and how HUGE He is. The fact that I cannot fully understand Him just makes me realize that He is the God big enough and awesome enough to worship. I would not settle for a God any smaller.


I know this is a short post, and it doesn't really have much of a lesson, but I just wanted to share what has been on my mind lately. Every time I realize that I can't fully understand God, I feel thankful for His magnitude. I feel so....happy (for lack of a stronger word) that He reveals Himself to me piece by piece, never fully revealing His entire self. It would be far too much for me to handle, if He did reveal His entire self at once. He's too big. Too great. He just...IS.


The indescribable God that I worship.

Sing and be Happy

Hi Soul Surfers,

I wanted to share a little this week on a topic that has been especially pertinent to me during the last year or so - (re)finding joy.

If you know me at all, you know I am a naturally joyous person. I always have been. I am happy, bubbly, joyful...and it's genuine! I have trouble vocalizing my good traits, but that is one I can admit to with confidence.

During my later years of college, though, I found myself becoming overwhelmed with the stressors of life. My light was flickering, as I started to lose what I consider to be my best trait. I started to lose my sense of self, because if I'm not happy, what am I? Who am I? By the time of my graduation from Pepperdine, I was on reserve battery life, joy-wise. I was jaded and exhausted. (Side-note: If I had gone to school anywhere else, my situation would have been 1,000 times worse. Pepperdine is the most wonderful and uplifting place, and kept me focused on God, even during stressful times. What more could I have asked for? Nothing.)

Upon returning home after college, I began to de-stress a little. I was finally able to see what was going on with me - this loss of joy. I remembered how, from as early as I could remember, I was so happy. I could find beauty and joy in anything and everything. I wanted that back. I wanted to be myself again.

I'm sharing this story, because I know I am not the only one who has felt this way. I also realize how important this quality is to our Spiritual, and even physical, well-being. So, how do we retrieve that joy we each had as a child? How to we "get back to ourselves?" Here are some tips I found helped/are currently helping me:

1. Pray - This is probably a no-brainer. If it is, I'm sorry. But as soon as I realized what was going on with me, I prayed to God about it. At the time, I didn't even really know what I wanted or needed from God...I just began praying. First, I prayed to help me "get back to my old self." Later, it became clearer to me that what was different within me was my lack of joy, so I began to pray to God to restore that joy. Even later, I began to pray to God to reveal ways in which I could restore my joy, which brings me to point 2:

2. Fill time with uplifting things - Part of (actually a lot of) what was bringing me down, I realized, was what I like to call "Earthly burdens." These are things that either cause worry, cause sadness, or are just general Spiritual buzz-kills. Many of these types of things, I realize, cannot be taken away or hidden from. For example, child hunger cannot be ignored; it is a real issue and needs to be addressed, even if it is a sad and terrible thing. However, many Earthly burdens can be managed and replaced with uplifting things. For instance, I noticed media was a source for all kinds of unnecessary stress in my life. Whether it was pressure to be "worldly," rather than "Godly," or maybe even TV shows or movies based on topics unfit for princesses such as ourselves, I found unnecessary burdens everywhere. The good thing? These can be replaced. I began filling my time with purposeful activities like spending time with my family or reading a great Christian book (or starting a blog...what?) Even though I am still a Pretty Little Liars addict, and am a sucker for a good Real Housewives drama-fest (shout-out to muh girl Vicki,) I began to see a dramatic difference in my joy levels. It's amazing how everyday activities we hardly even notice can make such a huge difference on our attitude and well-being.

3. Read the Bible - I will be the first to admit, I am the worst at this. I think it comes from a place of not being able to read two sentences without getting distracted, but whatever. No excuses. This tip helps so much. This probably won't come as a surprise to most of you, but did you know the answer to any question or trouble you are having can be found in this little book?! WHAT. Sometimes it still surprises me, and I don't know why. But I like it. It's a nice surprise. It is no coincidence that reading the Bible is going to make us happier. "Gospel" literally means "good news." Seriously, it's like a Vitamin D pill to the soul.

4. Remember - Look back on things that you did when you were a child, at your happiest. For me, I would sing. ???.....I don't know... I just remember, when I was really happy, I would always catch myself singing, or humming, or whistling a song. Lately, I've been finding myself doing that a lot, and that's how I know I am starting to get back to my happy old self. While you're reflecting, it also helps to store away a few really good memories. You can save these memories for a gloomy day, however, when your brain is in the "good-memory mode," at least for me, it stays that way for a while. It's hard for me to stop thinking about good things that have happened to me (blessings) once I have started. It's all in the way you train your brain.

5. Be nice - Doing little things for people is a great mood-booster. I know nice things shouldn't be done solely to make ourselves feel better, but who am I to argue against the fact that when I commit an act of kindness, I feel happier. If done from a genuine place, little acts of kindness can really help to bump up the joy factor, because you feel better about yourself knowing that you care for other people. It's a fact. Maybe not. I might of made that up. But it's true, isn't it? Have you ever written a heartfelt letter or held the door for an elderly person only to think "ICK. That made me feel terrible. Never doing that again...?"


Joy is not merely a nice accessory. It is a necessity. It give us strength. It is a virtue. It ties us in closer to the One who loves us. The One we strive to be like. Speaking from experience, it is also something to want, for without it we are.............unhappy.


I hope these tips can help you if you have lost some of your spark, or strengthen it if you have not. They have helped me get back to me and I am, once again, JOYFUUUUULLLLLLLL ( <---- data-blogger-escaped-a="" data-blogger-escaped-br="" data-blogger-escaped-imagine="" data-blogger-escaped-in="" data-blogger-escaped-singing="" data-blogger-escaped-that="" data-blogger-escaped-voice.="">

be happy,
becca