Permission Slip Series

   Last weekend at our church, Elevation in Charlotte, NC; our pastor began a series titled "This is your Permission Slip."  Pastor Steven is breaking down the reality that many people look at Christianity as a program with restrictions and regulations.  Fortunately, that is not the heart of Jesus.  He came to earth to liberate and rescue.  This morning, Pastor Steven dove further into scripture, pulling from the Ten Commandments(Exodus 20).  Pastor Steven used parenting to describe how sometimes we say no when we should say yes, simply because it is more convenient; following with the reality that God is never a convenience God.  

    In order for us to properly live in Christ and share the Gospel with others, we need a new understanding of the Word.  "It must be horrible to be as good as God is and be twisted to look so bad through humanity."  I loved this quote by Pastor Steven, "If Christianity is boring to you, you're not doing it right.  If your burden is breaking your back, you're not carrying it right."(Pastor Steven Furtick)  God gives us the Ten Commandments and many other laws throughout the Bible; some that expired many years ago and some that last for eternity but He never intended for these laws that were created to liberate us and empower us through a walk with Him to be twisted and turned to portray a Christian life of misery and limitation.  Pastor Steven explained how when Moses was given the Ten Commandments, God wanted to speak with His people and began with "come to me", not "thou shalt not."  God is the God of yes.  

    As Pastor Steven was wrapping up his sermon today, he spoke about chains and how through life events or even prior experiences in the church; people can become enslaved and misunderstand God's Word completely.  "When you've been in chains long enough, you don't know what freedom feels like.  People are enslaved in their minds.  We wear out under heavy loads that God didn't want us to carry."(Pastor Steven Furtick)  

    As Pastor Steven was speaking today, my heart was burdened and my mind taken back to a day not so long ago that I was reminded of God's true love.  A cool, autumn evening drive back to my college campus, as I listened to music on the radio while my mind pondered immediate actions that would need to take place in the coming days.  I found myself a college freshman, with too much on my plate that I hadn't planned for.  Bad decisions had gotten me into bad situations and now I was without hope, that is without Jesus.  I had grown up in church but as schedules became hectic, slowly I faded away through high school.  I knew who Jesus was but frankly, didn't want anything to do with Him.  Christianity and religion was full of do's and dont's or so I thought.  I figured after I was done living it up in high school and college, I would return to church once I had gotten my life back together.  Thankfully, that night was when I became a "saved" Christian.  I knew I couldn't fix my problems and as I drove down the road, tears began streaming down my face and my heart broke into pieces.  The music played and a warmth came over my body.  I literally, felt God there with me, holding my brokenness, telling me that with Him, I could find happiness again and genuine hope for a better tomorrow.  Can I tell you that I was a different person when I exited that car compared to when I entered it?  Not everyone is "broken" when they turn to Christ but everyone has a story.  I knew right then and there that I had met my God and that He was going to walk beside me from that day forward.  

    It wasn't long after that night that I meet my husband and together we built a relationship, attending church and seeking counsel in small group settings.  My life didn't suddenly become perfect and my worries flee, but day by day as I put God first and tried to walk a bit closer to Him; my life did change and morph along with my desires.  I am very thankful for my brokenness on that night and that God visited with me.  The list of rules that had kept me from Christ all along were now, leading me into a path of greater happiness and strength than I had ever known.  

   I pray that people out there with questions and concerns about Christianity or a relationship with Christ would seek honest, genuine counsel from bible based churches.  There are so many resources now for new believers but it takes stepping out and speaking up to change your path.  God is a yes God and He wants to give you all that He has in store.  

www.elevationchurch.org

www.elevationnetwork.com

www.youversion.com

God's Creation

    There were many moments in Barbados that reminded Casey and I of how blessed we are.  We were constantly shown the beauty of Christ through creation.  The Friday before we returned home, our family took us on a tour of the island.  One of our stops was at a historic lighthouse that is now boarded up and quickly aging as the salty air erodes its exterior.  As we climbed out of the cars, Casey and I walked down a slight hill in front of the lighthouse.  We knew we were on the water but we had no idea what waited at the bottom of that hill.  As we approached the edge of a cliff, we were overwhelmed with the sight that laid before us.

   Standing on top of the cliffs, looking down and out across the water left us without words.  I literally had my breath taken from me and could only stand with tears filling my eyes, thinking just how powerful and mighty our God is.  I was thankful for the opportunity to get to view such a sight.  It was one of those moments when your faith can be reaffirmed because standing, looking at God's masterpiece, we knew that science's explanation for how our world became what it is, was not through a large explosion or process of evolution.  To be in the Presence of God and to feel Him there with us as we stood in awe; we could have stayed there all day just trying to soak in every minute.  Casey and I both took some time to talk to God and thank Him for bringing us to this place.

   Weeks later, we are reminded of our experience that day.  Unfortunately, our pictures do not begin to do this sight justice but we can look back and remember the moment when our eyes were opened and hearts poured out to God.  It's when you find yourself in a situation that could swallow you that you are reminded of how small we are and how big He is.  Suddenly, your stresses and worries become small with you and your faith in Him becomes larger than ever.  As we lean on Him, He will show us true peace and comfort.

A week in Paradise

Last week Casey and I spent time with family friends in Barbados.  Casey and his sister hadn’t been in over 14 years so it was neat to watch both of them reminisce throughout the week.  Long story short, Casey’s step dad had a foreign exchange student that came to North Carolina and stayed with his family years ago.  Skip and Angela kept in touch over the years so now it’s like having family living in paradise.  I’ve had the honor of meeting and “liming” with several of the “Bajan’s” before now but it was nice to see Barbados up close and get to experience the culture first hand. 

Our week long trip was non-stop and there were many luxuries to our stay since we were close with the “locals!”  We spent an afternoon on a “speed” boat, snorkeling and swimming with sea turtles; we visited a local yacht club and snorkeled around ship wrecks.  Casey and I were able to visit some local bajan eateries with fresh fish and hot bajan pepper sauce.  Our family was able to tour a cave over 160 feet below ground, try out our expertise on paddle boards and even eat dinner fixed from a 5 star chef, Nick King, after a day of touring the island.  Talk about having the royal treatment for a week.  Not only are the beaches some of the most dramatically, gorgeous that we’ve ever seen but the people that we were able to spend our vacation with are true, genuine and loving in every way.  

On top of experiencing a new culture, fantastic food, unforgettable time and memories shared with family and friends, we were able to experience some life altering moments on our trip that I never want to take for granted.  I found myself several times standing or sitting, wanting to soak up every second, wanting to absorb every minuscule detail because I just knew that the beauty that I was experiencing in that moment was a gift from God. 

There were many mornings, I would just sit on a sandy step at the edge of the beach with a bible in one hand and a cup of tea in the other, reading the gospel and feeling the beauty of creation around me.  I’d look down the beach one way and see an older gentleman fishing with a net and was reminded of Peter.  A fisherman by trade but a fisher of men, walking with Jesus.  A few minutes later, I would stare out at the blue water, changing hues and shades every second, glimmering in the sunlight as if it were coated in diamonds.  Down by my right foot, I would see trails left by a sea turtle the night before; as she had moved down the beach looking for a place to lay eggs.   I have always felt a strong connection to Christ when I am surrounded by nature, but this trip was taking that connection to another level. 

It’s when you find yourself watching a sunset over Caribbean water, thinking about a broken world that can portray colors only seen in that moment in the sky; that you are reminded of how close God is.  He is a big God and a powerful God and He can handle everything that we give to Him on our best days and on our worst.  I was reminded of our big God watching the sunsets. 

It’s when you find yourself two feet deep in water, floating across reefs watching tiny fish, thousands of them swimming in and out of rocks.  Fish with stripes and spots, some with bright yellow and some with a deep shade of blue.  It was in those moments, that I was reminded of how much our God cares.  He cares about the little moments, those times when we’re overwhelmed and we can’t feel His presence but He is there, holding our shoulder, grieving with us but encouraging us all the same.  Watching the fish reminded me of just how much our God cares.

Throughout the week our family would watch sea turtles come and go on the beach, looking for places to lay eggs.  They came out of the water like mythical creatures; one minute it’s a simple wave pattern and the next, this creature from under the water, creeps up the beach with a mission.  We’d watch them for hours, move from spot to spot and eventually lay a nest and then with such great detail, cover all the evidence, slowly returning to the water.  One day, we had the opportunity to return new hatchlings to the surf; watching these tiny turtles slowly maneuver over sand and then quickly be washed away was something I thought I would never experience.  During an afternoon swim, a few of us were able to gear up and snorkel with a small group of turtles.  Watching them glide under the water, much more gracefully than they move on land was breath taking.  All I could think during those moments with the sea turtles was “thank you Lord, thank you for this moment, this treasure, and this opportunity to witness your creation.”  To be able to hold a turtle the size of your palm and then touch the shell of another as she swam in open water was a true blessing.  As funny as it may sound to some, those turtles reminded me that even though we may not experience certain things outside of the pages of a book or the images of a photograph; it doesn’t mean that they’re not there.  We trust the articles we read and the images that we see on programs to portray reality of events and we have to trust and believe that it’s the same with scripture.  I won’t ever experience the events that took place thousands of years ago, captured in the Bible but I can trust that they did occur and that just as miracles happened then, He is the same God now as He was then and miracles can happen today.

As you can tell, it was an amazing trip.  Casey and I are so thankful for the moments we shared and the memories we made.  We left content with the agenda we held while we were there but with heavy hearts, leaving behind people that we had grown to love and were accustom to visiting daily.  Simply put, we left a small part of us there in paradise and we cannot wait to return. 

I was able to share some moments with you tonight, without pictures but the highlight of our trip came towards the end of the week and took our breath away completely.  Casey and I found ourselves standing in a spot where I can only imagine God was standing there with us.  I just cannot share that experience with you until I have a picture to share with you also…. So keep checking back.  I hope to sit down tomorrow and write out the words on my heart from that encounter. 

With love and God’s blessings, Good night.