Bible Study in a Furniture Store... Yep, It Happened!

For about a month now, I have been meeting with some college gals on Saturdays to talk about life and Jesus over coffee. It has been such a blessing to journey together and thank God for all of the blessings He gives us.

We normally meet at our favorite local coffee shop, but a few weeks ago, we had to change our plans. We arrived at the coffee shop to find that there was no where for our large group to gather. I had actually woken up in the night wondering if this may happen. In the midst of that sleepy moment, I prayed and asked God to take care of it. In the midst of my praying, I thought about the furniture store across the street from the coffee shop. Hmmmm... what a funny idea. That's about all I thought before I quickly slipped back into dreamland. 

The next morning when we arrived at the coffee shop and found ourselves seat-less, I decided to go out on a limb and call the furniture store. I had been into the store before, as my parents perused the couch section, and I thought I remembered that they played Christian music in the showroom. I figured that just maybe they would allow us to come and hang out in their store.

I dialed the number on my phone and a friendly voice answered with a warm hello.

"Hi... uh... my name is Carly and I have a really weird request." 

((Way to go, Carly... what a great way to start the conversation...))

"Okay... Hi... what is it?"

"Well, I lead a Bible Study for a group of girls from the college... and we are across the street at the coffee shop and there is no where for our group to sit. It is so crowded in here."

Awkward silence ((Carly, keep talking... come on, spit it out...))

"So, I am wondering if we could come study in your store this morning?"

"Well, sure, come on over!"

"Would you mind if we bring over our coffee? We will totally clean up if we spill."

((I totes have a Tide To Go stick in my purse...))

"Oh sure. That's fine. We will see you in a minute."

Sigh of relief.

I gathered the girls and we marched like little ants, across the street to the furniture store. I went to the counter and was greeted by a nice woman with kind eyes. I thanked her for allowing us to come to the store and I mentioned that I had noticed that they played Christian music. She smiled and told me that they were Christians and that they were thrilled we were there that morning. She set us up in the showroom and as we got settled in to study, we all had huge smiles on our faces.

Who would have ever thought we'd be having Bible Study in a furniture store?! We were so tickled as we looked around and took in our study atmosphere. What an unexpected blessing. What a fun surprise.

God is so good to bring us what we need. He is a God full of fun surprises and blessings. It is exciting to journey with such a creative God. He loves to give good gifts and He fills us with joy as we go through our daily lives with Him. 

The Saturday that we had Bible Study in the furniture store will stick out in my mind for quite some time. God broke us out of our routine, showed us He will provide for us, and that He loves to surprise His kids with unexpected blessings. 

Are you ready to receive the unexpected from God today? 

I can't wait to see what God has in store! 

(Ha! That is an intentional pun... but I am totally leaving it now... get it: in store...Okay, I am done.)

- Carly

Pray With Expectation

Kids ask the best questions. Do you remember the show, "Kids Say the Darndest Things"? Well, I submit that "Kids Ask the Darndest Questions." They ask why the sky is blue, why they have to eat their dinner, and why Jonah was able to live in the belly of a whale. They are inquisitive; no question is off limits. Kids ask questions without hindrance or fear. They ask whatever comes to mind, and they expect a response.

I love this about kids. I love that they aren't ashamed or worried about what people may think. They just ask the question that pops into their head and they wait for the answer.

Our church has been going through a series on being "Changed By Prayer." As we have journeyed together through what it looks like to live a life of prayer, I have thought, 

"Why am I afraid to pray and ask God tough questions? Why am I afraid to ask God for big things?"

I do not think that I am alone in this. I think many of us have been followers of Jesus, but yet we are afraid to truly take Him at His word. Personally, I have lost my some of my child-like innocence and faith. I have become worried that I will not get a response (or the response I desire), so I just don't ask. I have believed the lie that I am safer that way. 

Yet, as I have been processing what it looks like to pray, I have realized that prayer must be coupled with faith. Prayer must be coupled with belief. Prayer must be coupled with expectation.

I have heard these verses since I was a child, but it wasn't until lately that I really grasped the promises in Jesus' words:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will opened." (Matt 7:7-8)

Asking puts us in a position to receive. In our human relationships, we do not ask a question thinking that we will be left with no response. We ask a question, expecting a response. If we expect that people here on earth will respond to our inquiries, we can expect that our Heavenly Father will respond. Why should we expect anything less? 

Asking questions and waiting for a response puts us in a vulnerable position. We no longer have control of our "what ifs." Instead, we have put the ball in God's court and we wait on Him for an answer. Yet, the great thing is, when we trust in God, He promises to never leave us or forsake us (Joshua 1:5). 

Our loving Heavenly Father is beckoning us to come to Him with child-like faith. He is calling us to stand on His promise that if we "knock the door will be opened." God is asking us to approach prayer with expectation and trust that He will respond. 

Will you join me in praying with expectation and a heart ready to receive?

- Carly

The Lord Provideth

I am a fresh college graduate. I am poor. When you are a person in my position, my priorities often become an inconvenience. I am the type of person who would rather spend money on a guitar or a trip to Hawaii to visit an old friend than, say.. eat. This can at times prove difficult. I sometimes decide to myself, "Chris, this month you are not going to spend money on food." As I headed into the month of January, (my birthday month and first official full month as a non-student) I said just this. At first it was easy. I at food I already had in my fridge and cupboard, but soon my storage started to run thin and meals started to consist of cream of wheat, pancakes, and frozen veggies (which I had avoided). Then my loving mother took me shopping  and bought me sandwich foods and fresh veggies (still avoided, but consumed). This was an answer to prayer and a blessing. As the month got to its midsection, my cupboards again began to run bare, but I was committed to finishing out the month.
I also work at a theatre where I eat unlimited popcorn, but a man can only take so much. At the theatre I hold on to unused coupons to bless people with. On January 16th, my birthday, a couple came in and were in a slight argument and about buying popcorn. The husband didn't want to purchase popcorn because it is expensive. The woman's popcorn cravings were not to be denied. Eventually, the husband headed toward the restroom and left his wife to order. I told her, "How 'bout I just give you a free small popcorn and you can brag about it to your husband." She gladly accepted. Her popcorn cravings were not to be denied.
After the movie, the husband came out and politely, but sternly said, "I owe you for the popcorn." I smiled and replied, "Nope, it was a gift." He continued for insist, and we engaged in a humorous back and forth until finally I said, "Listen, today is my birthday, I want you to accept the popcorn as a gift for my birthday." Finally I was able to convince him that he owned nothing. He thanked me and left.
Soon after, while I was dealing with a customer the man came back to the counter and dropped off a paper bag, and said just loud enough for me to hear, "Here's for the birthday boy." I yelled  "Thank you!" after I was able to register what he said, but he was already in the doorway. I looked in the bag and saw three large and beautiful muffins; three large and beautiful breakfasts for the next three days. I was able to bless them, and I was blessed in return. The Lord provideth.

-Chris, To Thrill a Mockingbird

Do You See What I See?

This fall, we had the opportunity to spend three weeks in Europe! We had been saving for this trip for years, and were finally able to fly across the pond for our grand adventure! We spent the first few days in London, and then we spent almost two full weeks in Italy.

My husband, Mike, spent a semester during college, studying art in Florence, Italy. It was such a treat to see where he lived, where he went to school, where he would study, and where he would stop for gelato. (Honestly, I could write an entire blog post on gelato... don't get me started). If you aren't familiar with Florence, it is known as the center for Renaissance Art. It is Michaelangelo's hometown as well... no, not the ninja turtle. I am talking about this artist dude.

Michaelangelo's most famous piece of art is "The David," and it is located in Florence. It is a 14-foot tall statue of the Biblical character, David, getting ready to fight the giant, Goliath. Michaelangelo's piece is considered to be the most flawless sculpture of the human body ever made. When I looked at this sculpture, I was blown away. I can barely draw a stick figure, so I can't imagine how someone could carve such a real looking human out of stone!

While at the museum, we learned something fascinating. Michaelangelo used a piece of marble that had been rejected by other artists. Other sculptors did not believe its shape, size, and density were up to par, so they tossed it aside.... (Well, they probably didn't "toss" it, but you know what I mean). Yet out of this slab of stone that was deemed unworthy by so many, Michaelangelo created one of the most beautiful and renowed sculptures of all time. Michaelangelo saw something in the stone that others could not see. He saw the potential for beauty. He saw the potential for greatness.

Michaelangelo saw potential in the stone that others did not see, just as God saw potential in David that others could not see. David was the youngest of 8 boys in his family. His three older brothers went off to war. One day, he went to take them some food, and he heard about this 10 foot tall giant who had been threatening the army of Israel. Without much hesitation, he decided that he would be the one who would face the giant. After forty days of this taunting, David was the one and only person who had even remotely showed interest in engaging in battle with this guy! However, David's announcement was not received well. His older brothers acted like he was a bother, on-lookers probably laughed at the thought of him facing Goliath, and the King even told told him that he was too young. Yet, David walked forward, in the confidence of the Lord, and faced the giant. The Lord brought victory to David that day, and in turn brought victory for the people of Israel. I think it is pretty safe to say that they threw big party after that! They were able to celebrate because David believed in the promises and victory of our God.

People saw failure in David.
God saw triumph.
People saw weakness in David.
God saw humility and strength.

Other saw a trashed piece of stone.
Michaelangelo saw beauty and flawlessness.
Other a blank piece of marble.
Michaelangelo saw David.

Just as God's vision for David's life impacted David (and generations to come), God wants His vision for your life to impact you and generations to follow you! When we, as believers, begin to see ourselves as God sees us, we can then see others as more than blank pieces of stone. We can see beauty in others when we see the beauty that God sees in us.

Are you listening to negative voices of those around you? 
Or are you listening to God Almighty as He says, "Do you see what I see?"

 - Carly

What does it mean to "Thrill" a mockingbird?

In the story of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch tells his children that it is wrong to kill a mockingbird. Miss Maudie goes on to further explain that “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Mockingbirds are innocent birds, so it is an literary analogy for killing an innocent man.

The problem with this analogy is that in real life mocking birds are vicious territorial animals that will attack anyone that gets close to them. It is a great book and a beautifully written story. But the basic analogy from which the title is derived is quite flawed.

I propose then, with our new knowledge on mockingbirds that we take the analogy in another direction. Instead of not just killing mockingbird, we should focus on what it looks like to thrill a mockingbird. Mockingbirds may be people or situations in our life that we find difficult to handle. They may be off-putting, insulting, or rude. But we do have what it takes to overcome and to thrill this mockingbird. We have good news, and an inner light that can captivate and tame the wildest birds (follow the analogy.) I have found that the only way to thrill a mockingbird is with the help of Jesus Christ.

-Chris, To Thrill a Mockingbird

10-Minute parking means 10 minutes. Tops.

I messed up today. I hit a car. With my car.

If you are one of the lucky few,  there was some reason you were awake this morning when it as cold as when Luke had to climb inside of a tauntaun to stay alive (Episode V (Star Wars, people… duh)). My roommate and I were headed towards my car to start uncovering it from the layers of permafrost when we saw a classmate was already halfway done getting his car’s interior to an above-freezing temperature. It was an easy decision to mooch off of his cold hard work, so the only option was to pile inside his Freezer Nissan and head to class. Easy enough. But of course, I had to go screw everything up.

Last night I was in a race back to the dorm with my roommates (they didn’t know it was a race, but it was). There were no normal parking spots open except for the “10-Minute” parking and I knew only that spot would win me the race, and I wasn’t going to lose to someone who wasn’t even trying. Once I had pulled in, I decided to bend the rules a bit and leave my car for more then 10 minutes… Leaving it until my 7:45 class wasn’t a big deal – I mean, 10 hours isn’t that much over 10 minutes, it should be no problem! The RD of our dorm is currently on vacation, so to me, that sounds like the ideal time to leave my car where it shouldn’t be parked. No parents, no rules (I know, I know – I’m 20 years old and should act my age). The same logic works for Resident Directors and their residents. Last time, we had a trampoline party!

This morning, as I was preparing my body for Antarctic weather patterns, I noticed someone had left me a message on my hood. Not a typical handwritten note, or even a typed monologue. Instead, someone left their message loud and clear and more creatively than I anticipated – with a large “10″ in fallen leaves. Yep, I know what that means. After years of trying to pick up on subtle clues and hints from my gracious family, I realized that sometimes, you should listen when someone politely suggests something. Even if it’s spelled in leaves.

In this case, listening meant braving the frostbite conditions of my car and moving it as quickly as possible.  The running dialogue in my head was as follows: “No big deal. Even though it is covered in more ice than a 7-11 drink station, I can do this. I’ll keep my door open and make sure I clear the bike rack before turning the wheel, and here we go!” And we went. As soon as I deemed myself safe from ending the life of a few bikes a few years short, I turned my wheel, only to scrape to a stop. “Oh crap”. Never did it cross my mind that another car was (OF COURSE) parked next to me. The result was approximately 18 inches of baby blue paint strategically located on a red Toyota Camry.

I had never touched another car with my car, except for that time it was really dark and I backed into an RV when I was 16. Or that time I backed into a huge rock. Or into a ditch. Again, all 16. Car-on-car contact was a new one for me, and instantly I felt awful. I threw it into drive, pulled forward, then ever-so-cautiously backed out, and parked picture-perfectly into an open spot. Of course, my friends saw the whole thing. Of course, they were as shocked as I was. And of course, they were not very impressed with my backwards driving skills. My weakness had been exposed!

(A note was left on the hood of the car expressing my shortcomings and regrets along with my phone number and a promise to remedy the issue. At 6:10 PM, the car has moved, the note taken, and no contact has been made. Uh oh. I have no idea who drives that car!)

I can probably tell what you’re thinking. “Oh wow, you scraped a car no worse than you could have done with a garden rake. It wasn’t even two feet long. There was no structural damage. It’s no problem.” It is a problem, though. To me, it’s the principle. I had gotten a little too full of myself in multiple sectors of my life and it climaxed in the mutilation of a sweet red paint job. I had assumed the posture of thinking I could get away with anything – I mean, you know who I am, right? That thought alone is enough to make me sick, and if nothing else, take this from this post – I wish to never think like that again, and to all that I hurt by believing that, I am sorry. My pride has never been more apparent than in this moment.

Leadership positions are readily available. Opportunities open up when all doors had been previously locked shut. No is typically not an answer. This does not and should not make me better or more valuable or more crucial than any other human. As Kid President said on his list of “20 Things We Should Say More Often”, and I paraphrase, “I like you as person who is a human being and will treat you like that because if I didn’t it would make everything bad and that’s what lots of people do and that’s lame,” (number four, check it out for yourself here!). Seriously though. Kid President is the man. His reminder was a precursor to what would happen but its simplicity was so beautiful – treat people like they are people or you’re lame. Word.

I am convicted and convinced that I have continually treated people like they are less important than me. In the midst of status-defining elements: titles, friendships, relationships, jobs, responsibilities, etc., humbleness is a necessary virtue. There is no excuse for those who do not maintain that perspective in leadership – because honestly, if I wasn’t the campus ministries coordinator at NNU, someone else would do the job. I am replaceable and titles are temporal; but people and relationships are a few of the most permanent things we will get to experience. Time and time again I have forgotten the meaning of leadership – to help people do better at being them – and have forgotten how to follow. Following a system, such as rules put in place to keep people from parking in the optimum spot for too long, is intended to build character and help society maintain flow. By blatantly ignoring the rules in place (as slight as it may have been), I turned my back on myself. I will not become a better me by placing myself ahead of people.

All this being said, this generalization is no blanket system. This post was never intended to turn you into an automaton who can follow the letter of the law without fail. Instead, this post was to challenge you to look beyond yourself for a second – and realize that you are not the most important part of life. Although you may think I am this awesome gift to everyone around me, the truth is, it doesn’t matter.  At the root of it all, people don’t watch you or care about you nearly as much as you think they do. It’s when we come to this realization that we can fully give of ourselves and all that we are. We can give ourselves up to a greater cause and higher Power that will never fail us or forsake us. Nestled in the middle of the Beatitudes, Jesus declares that those who are blessed are the meek, not the pompous and self-righteous. Those stuck in the mindset of self-over-others are not the benefactors of the inheritance of the earth; that is left for the humble.

A simple swapping of paint is all it takes to snap someone back to reality. A swapping of stories may be what it takes to reconcile a relationship. A swapping of lives is what it takes to live in community. I hope you find freedom in telling your story and remembering that all people have value while you exchange life as if it’s an renewable commodity. When we live to preserve our life, we lose it the fastest. As much as I would like to believe it, I am no more important than the last person I made eye contact with or awkwardly greeted on the sidewalk as I hurried to my next oh-so-important appointment.

The “10″ left on my car was a blessing in disguise. For me to realize this, I had to mess up. I hit a car. With my car.

-Shaun, The Life Authentic

I Wrote a Thank-You Note

As I reflect on my days in college, I often think about my time in a literature class. It was a class I had to take, and the teacher was one that had a reputation for being harsh, as well as a difficult grader. But you know what? I loved the class! It was my second most favorite class (next to Birds of Prey). The professor really invested in me. She listened to me and made me feel important. She graded my papers harshly, but also gave me a lot of positive and constructive feedback. She listened to me and made me feel important. She was a great teacher. So you know what I did? I wrote that professor a thank-you note... two years later. It felt awesome to encourage her and to thank her. I really felt good about it and I wanted her to know how much she impacted me. Yet the most rewarding part of the situation is knowing that this simple note will bring a smile to her face. It also brought a smile to mine.

So, you wanna make your day better AND someone else's day better?
Send 'em a thank-you note. You'll be glad you did.

-Chris