He Had Spirit, How 'Bout You?!

Hey there!

Yes girls, I have not blogged in awhile. And no, I did not fall off the face of the earth! I have had some medical testing and extra responsibilities and events added to my already full schedule I try to juggle and, well, I dropped the blogging ball! Sorry about that!

But don't think for a minute that you girls haven't been on my mind.

So many times over the past few weeks I have had things I wanted to share with you! We have some major catching up to do. But as I have lots of studying to do tonight for an upcoming conference I am speaking at, I thought I'd share one thing with you that has been on my mind since the message at our church the Sunday before last.

We've been studying the book of Daniel. And let me tell you, we have been learning so much from Daniel that makes me think of you!! Daniel wasn't afraid to stand up for what was right when he was young. And he lived a consistently obedient life for God from the time he was young until his old age. But one little phrase in one verse that my dad (who is also my pastor) pointed out that particular Sunday has been on my mind.

So here it is. Daniel 6:3 says of Daniel stood out among the other rulers because "an excellent spirit was in him." Another version reads "he possessed an extraordinary spirit."

What does that mean?

Daniel had a good ATTITUDE. And it was his good attitude that set him apart, and eventually brought him to great power and success.

Chapter 6 of Daniel shows that even though Daniel possessed this great attitude and was faithful, obedient, and consistent, he still had trouble. Some people plotted against him to have him thrown into a lion's den for praying! Seriously, that's ridiculous. Obviously, there was some jealousy and other issues going on there (and that's a whole other conversation) but they succeeded and he was thrown into a den of hungry lions - but God came through and delivered him! An angel shut the lion's mouth and Daniel survived. In the end, the very king whose decree forced Daniel in the lion's den ended up acknowledging that the God Daniel served was the living God, and Daniel got even further promotions in the kingdom.

So the haters' plan backfired after all, how about that!

But here's the deal...Daniel made good choices, and did so with an excellent attitude. He faced hard times, but saw God's deliverance and blessings. Life was not always easy for him, but his attitude was where it needed to be and he excelled.

Hearing this amazing (and true) story, and paying attention to that one little phrase about his "excellent spirit" motivated me to do a little attitude check, and makes me hope you will do the same.

After all, you are only going to get out of your school years, or youth group, or soccer or cheerleading team, or church, or job, or anything what you put into it. And you are going to stand out in those arenas based on your attitude. Attitude shines a lot brighter than aptitude many times.

In my high school days, I remember cheering at games doing the chant, "We got spirit, yes we do, we got spirit, how 'bout you?" It would go back and forth, back and forth, getting louder as we went, proving that we indeed were the ones with spirit!

Daniel, who stood firmly for God as a teenager and succeeded greatly in life, was recorded to have had spirit.

How 'bout you?

I Want To Be An Onion

Confession...I am a salsa fanatic. I can practically drink the stuff. Seriously, there are times when I've had my fill of chips that I'll take a spoon and enjoy a few more tastes of salsa by itself! I guess it's a borderline addiction...just the thought of it makes me want to run to Chili's, Abuelo's, On the Border, or even to my own kitchen to whip some up!

I was making some homemade salsa the other day, and as I put the onion in the food processor, I remembered a message my husband gave at youth group a few weeks ago. He sliced up an entire onion in the teen building while he was speaking (you can imagine how that smelled - and he didn't even cry!), revealing that an onion looks virtually the same all the way through. As you slice it or peel back layer after layer, each layer is practically identical to the one before it. He then went on to talk about how we, as Christians, should strive to be like an onion (without the odor!) - consistent layer by layer - not having a surface layer completely different from our heart.

I want to be an onion. I don't want there to be a "church Jen" and a "home Jen" and an "out with friends Jen" etc... but rather, I want the layers of my life to consistently reveal a girl who loves Jesus and loves people and tries to serve God and encourage others the best I can wherever I am, and whatever I am doing. A life that, even when I blow it and mess up, reveals a sincere heart's desire to do what's right.

I want to be consistent. Not perfect, because no one is or can be. But real. Authentic.

And that's really what this blog is about, right? I named it "Genuine Girl: An Invitation to Authenticity" because I want you to join me in this quest to be real. I don't want you to fall into the trap of putting on a church girl mask that's replaced with another mask when around your friends at school, another one when you are at parties, another when you are around your parents, and on and on it goes. That kind of life is confusing, frustrating, and in the end, self-defeating.

Authentic living isn't always easy - there are days when we will find ourselves reaching for those masks - and it is definitely something we grow into the closer we walk day to day in a real relationship with Jesus Christ. But I have faith that you can do it; that you can aim to live a consistent life for Christ no matter where your day or your life takes you; that you can get back on track when you start going the wrong way; that you can be an onion.

(But one that smells more like Bath and Body Works of course!)

Questions for Thought: Is my faith in God something real that affects every layer of my life, or just a mask I put on when I go to church or youth group? Are there steps I can take to be more real about my love for Jesus? Are there things I need to change so that my attitudes and actions consistently reveal Christian character whether I am at church, home, school, practice, etc..?

Pearls...

I love pearls.

Like, love love them. I have pearls in all sizes and wear them with almost everything.

I've loved them since I was a little girl. There is just something so feminine and classic about pearls. They are dependably beautiful, never really going in and out of style like many other accessories.

I don't actually have a real set - maybe one day - but have lots of fun, inexpensive versions of this fashion classic. And recently, my mom found a huge (and I mean huge) set for next to nothing at a jewelry show and I am crazy about them!

Even though I'm a bit of an accessory junkie, especially in the pearl department, there is another type of pearls that I love.

Those are pearls of wisdom, which are wise instructions and pieces of advice to help in daily life. And where is the best place to find those?

You guessed it - The Bible!

James 1:5 says "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

For many years since discovering this verse, I have prayed for wisdom and have truly seen God answer this request and help me make wise, thoughtful choices that have definitely impacted the course of my life for the better!

I have also always enjoyed reading the book of Proverbs in the Bible (smack dab in the middle after Psalms) to gain insight and advice that I can use day to day.

Check out a few of these "pearls of wisdom" from Proverbs...

Proverbs 11:1 "The Lord hates cheating, but he delights in honesty." (That should help you on your next math test.)

Proverbs 16:38 "A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends." (That should help you with school drama.)

Proverbs 31:30 "Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last, but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised." (That should help you desire to work on developing your inner beauty, and encourage you when a glance in the mirror makes you want to forget it, crawl back under the covers, and just try again tomorrow. We'll chat more about this one soon...)

You see, the Bible isn't some outdated book that was fine for ancient times but is completely out of touch today. Actually, the Bible is quite the opposite - it is totally relevant and helpful for you girls walking the halls of your school and living your life in 2010!

If you want to be wise and make good choices that will help you live a fantastic life - and I believe that most of you do - then when you put on your pearls in the morning while getting ready, stop and take a moment to check out God's Word to gain wisdom and insight to help you with the day ahead.

And then ask God to help you be a girl whose life is accessorized beautifully with pearls of wisdom, and watch as He abundantly blesses this simple request!

So much love, and happy Proverbs reading!! I can't wait to hear what you discover along the way.

Fresh Play-Doh

As a mom of a 4 year old girl and 3 year old boy, one of the perks of my job is getting to play with Play-Doh! On inside days when the kiddos get bored or cranky, I pull out the big basket where all the brightly colored dough and various cutters and stencils are stored and we have a blast making "cookies" and other various creations!

The thing is, you have to be careful with Play-Doh. Sometimes if we get too busy and forget to put it back in the containers to store it properly, the dough gets hard and crumbly and it's no longer moldable. When it's not moldable, I have to throw it away because it's no longer fun or useful.

As I was throwing out a dried up can of blue the other day, I was struck by the thought that if not we're not careful we can become like crumbly, dried out Play-Doh on our Christian journey. At first we are full of color and possibility...we have soft hearts and are open and willing for God to shape us and mold us into the girl He wants us to be.

But then life gets tough. Friends we love abandon us, people we trust spread lies about us, family members we need aren't there for us. And we let our faith dry out and our hearts grow hard, until we are no longer moldable and useful for God.

And just like Play-Doh, as our hearts grow hard we can literally start to crumble and fall apart. All that's left of us are tiny pieces of what was once a life that could have been shaped into something really special.

I want to be like fresh Play-Doh! I want to keep a soft, tender heart no matter how mean people and life can be. I don't want to let bitterness make me hard and tough, causing me to eventually crumble. I never want to start trusting in myself or think I have it together without God, losing sight of how He could shape me into something beautiful.

And sweet girl, my dream for you is that you too will desire to remain soft-hearted and moldable, trusting that God, who is more creative than we could ever dream, will shape you into something incredible if you carefully store your life in His hands.

P.S. "The amazing thing is that no matter how hard or crumbly we may become, God will never throw us away! He has the amazing ability to restore our life, our malleability, and our color. So, if you have found yourself dried up or rough around the edges, find comfort in the fact that the Greatest Potter of All can and will still use you. If you only let him!" Thank you to my friend Emily for this addendum...beautifully put and so, so true!!!

Reminds me of Isaiah 61:3 where the Bible says God can make beauty from ashes, and gladness from sorrow. Only God can do something so beautiful, if we will just allow Him to.

Love to all!

Kindness...Love in Action

Girls, I have been dying to share something with you that I read in the book The Love Dare. Those of you who have seen the movie "Fireproof" know about this book; for those of you haven't, it's a 40 day challenge for husbands and wives to understand and practice real, unconditional love...but something I read recently made me think of you!!

Okay, the topic for the day was kindness.

The authors defined kindness as "love in action." I love that!

The verse was Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."

And the quote that brought you girls immediately to mind was this - "Love makes you kind. And kindness makes you likeable. When you're kind, people want to be around you. They see you as being good to them and good for them."

Yes!

Every teenager I know has a strong desire to be liked. Every teenager I know desires for people to want to be around them. But oddly enough, some teenagers resort to being unkind to try to accomplish this goal. They think putting others down will somehow elevate their status or make them popular and well-liked.

Newsflash girlfriends...the Bible says the exact opposite, that being kind is what will draw people to you - that loving is actually showing kindness to those around you! If you want to be liked, try being nice - truly, consistently nice to all types of people - and see what happens!

And if you text or facebook "ily" to someone, prove it not with those three little letters, but with actions, specifically those of kindness!

The Love Dare ends each day with a challenge. So this morning I will leave you girls with a challenge - show your love for others today by being kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving, just like Jesus Christ did for you. This, my friends, is love in action!

Have a fabulous day!

Take a Little Time to Worship

Tonight, while off to run a few errands together as a family, we had about an hour in the car together. My kids love praise and worship music, and requested "Oh-oh" which is code for the song "Glorious" on Paul Baloche's new worship cd. As our super-cool gray minivan made its way to Kohls, we sang about God's glory, about his great love, and his sacrifice on the cross for us. And as that same super-cool van made its way back to the house where we make our home, we sang about rejoicing in the day God made and more about how he is glorious.

Here's the thing. I love worshiping God through song - always have, and always will. But on a recent trip to Chicago I heard a message from my husband's old pastor that has had me pondering worship in a different way...he talked about worship as fortification. So yeah, that's a big word, but it simply means walls or forms of defense to strengthen something. The pastor shared a story in the Bible where King Jehoshaphat put singers that were singing songs of worship to God in front of his army going into battle!!! Can you imagine a praise band heading into battle before well-trained soldiers today? And listen to what they sang...2 Chronicles 20:21 "After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: "Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!"

Here's the deal...whether you precious girls realize it or not, you are in a battle. There is battle going on in our culture to make you feel insecure and hopeless, causing you to turn away from God and to things of the world to make you feel happy and confident. There is a battle in our culture to make you think that there is no truth, no right or wrong, and that anything goes...but sadly, most people learn this the hard way after they have experienced sometimes devastating consequences from this type of thinking.

The binge-drinker proving she can "hold her alcohol" dies after she stops breathing and no one around her is sober enough to realize what is going on and get appropriate help. The fast driver showing off for his friends gets in a crash that forever takes away the use of his legs. The anorexic who is constantly striving for control and perfection loses hair and does permanent damage to her organs.

If you stop and think about it, you know the drill. And you realize that yes, it's not easy being a teenager these days! But sweet girl, don't ever feel helpless in the battle. Not only do you have God's Word (the Bible) for advice as well as people in your life that love you and believe in you, you have a tool for fortification (there's our big word again)as the battle around you rages...worship!

Here's my suggestion to you. Go to itunes or your favorite music site, and download some great worship music onto your phone or ipod. And at some point in the day, whether it be as you are putting on your makeup before school or riding in the car to soccer practice, take a few minutes to worship. You will be amazed how much something as simple as praising God can do to give you strength to stand strong against temptation and stay true to your faith! You will be amazed even at the energy you will feel when you felt like you were completely drained and not able to face another day of school drama, family trouble, peer pressure, etc. after listening to a song like "Today is the Day" or "I'll Stand."

Worship can and will strengthen you in a world that is ready to tear you down. So take a few minutes to add some praise and worship music to your favorite song set and when you pop in your earphones, be ready to be blessed and strengthened in a way you would have never dreamed!

P.S. I will leave you with a few of my favorites in case you are completely unfamiliar with praise and worship music. Brooke Fraser "Hosanna" and "Lead me to the Cross"; Paul Baloche "Glorious" and "How Great is the Love"; Hillsong United "I'll Stand" and "Run"; Lincoln Brewster "Today is the Day" and "Everlasting God."

Happy downloading and worshiping!

You Find Out Who Your Friends Are

Friends. Life wouldn't be nearly as rich or beautiful without them. I have had many friends through the years that have added color and depth to different seasons of my life. I love friends.

But friends can also be frustrating. They can be confusing. Sometimes they can even cause heartbreak.

When I was a student, one of my least favorite things was having to find out who my friends really were. I couldn't stand hanging out with someone all weekend, laughing and having the time of our lives, and then being flat out ignored or treated with cool disdain when I approached them with a hello and a smile at school.

It was like, do you not remember how much fun we just had? Do you not recall how we stayed up all night at that sleepover watching movies, laughing our heads off, and sharing secrets? And now today in the hallowed halls of this institution in front of your other friends, I am suddenly not cool enough for you?

Frustrating. Confusing. Heartbreaking.

Hmm, maybe I should have added annoying to the list...

At any rate, there are times that we think we have found a true friend, only to find out they are not really a true friend, just a mere acquaintance that we will occasionally have fun with when there is no one "better" for them to hang out with. A true reality of life that is a bummer indeed.

Some of you are reading this while thinking um, this just happened to me last week...yesterday....this morning.

For those of you in that scenario I have absolutely fabulous news for you. There is a friend available to you that will be constant, true, loyal, and loving to you on your best and worst days. He doesn't care if your outfit just isn't working, your darling personality seems to have taken a vacation, or for some reason you are just not registering on the cool monitor that you feel daily critiqued by. He loves you for who you are, and for who he wants you to become.

His name is Jesus. And in the Bible , John 15:14-15 to be exact, He says ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.

It has always blown me away that Jesus desires to be my friend. After all, he is God. He could just want me to be his daughter, worshiper, and follower. And while he does want me to be those things, beyond that he desires a friendship with me. And while I've been blessed to have some good friends through the years, there has never been a friend who has stuck by me like Jesus.

One of my favorite hymns says...

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged;

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful

who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness;

take it to the Lord in prayer.

("What a Friend We Have in Jesus" by Joseph Scriven, Charles Converse)

One of my favorites worship songs says...

Is it true that you are thinking of me?

How you love me....It's amazing!

I am a friend of God, I am a friend of God,

I am a friend of God, He calls me friend!

("I Am a Friend of God" by Israel Houghton)

And one of my favorite verses says...

"There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends (John 15:13)." And that's exactly what our God and friend Jesus did for us.

Embrace the friendship Jesus offers today. Honor him and do what he commands. Let him wrap you in his love, consistency, and true concern for your future and well-being.

And go out there and be a true friend to others around you, just like Jesus!