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INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN OF THE BIBLE |
I'm not a vegetarian, but this is a yummy way to have a burger if you are vegan/vegetarian or you just need less red meat. It's the absolute best plant-based burger out there! | Daiya is a great soy-free choice for plant-based cheese. So good on on burgers and in a grilled cheese. | This is amazing dip! I love to use it on warm, fresh gluten free macaroni or shells and mix it up for a gf, vegan macaroni and cheese. Delish. |
Another really great dip! This is great with potato chips, tortilla chips, served as a sauce on pasta, in a quesadilla, or on a burger. This is a fave-fave. | Amy's makes a lot of really tasty microwave meals, and this is at the top of the list. It's gf and vegan. You would honestly not even know it's plant-based or gluten free. Great for a quick dinner, when you're on the run, or a work lunch. | I'm not a fan of rice milk or almond milk, but oat milk is really where it's at for dairy free milk. It's a little bit thicker than rice or almond milk, more eco-friendly, and naturally sweeter. Another great non-dairy milk is cashew if you're looking to mix it up! |
It's March 2020 and the world in on lockdown for COVID-19.
Please pray for those infected with the coronavirus, for their families, for those who have lost loved ones, for the medical staff working to save their lives, for those who cannot pay rent, for those without food, pray for those who have lost their jobs, for the world leaders and leaders of our nation that God gives them wisdom, for the children who don't have lunch because they aren't at school, for the elderly, for those stuck in a home with an abusive parent, family member, spouse, or partner, and pray for those without access to medical care. Please keep everyone safe by staying home and respecting the quarantine guidelines from the CDC, your state, and the government. Remember to check in on your elderly neighbors, friends with anxiety, friends with financial struggles, and if you can, donate funds to a local food bank. If you have extra supplies like toilet paper, canned goods, paper towels, disinfectant supplies, etc. please share them with those around you in need.
Please pray for those infected with the coronavirus, for their families, for those who have lost loved ones, for the medical staff working to save their lives, for those who cannot pay rent, for those without food, pray for those who have lost their jobs, for the world leaders and leaders of our nation that God gives them wisdom, for the children who don't have lunch because they aren't at school, for the elderly, for those stuck in a home with an abusive parent, family member, spouse, or partner, and pray for those without access to medical care. Please keep everyone safe by staying home and respecting the quarantine guidelines from the CDC, your state, and the government. Remember to check in on your elderly neighbors, friends with anxiety, friends with financial struggles, and if you can, donate funds to a local food bank. If you have extra supplies like toilet paper, canned goods, paper towels, disinfectant supplies, etc. please share them with those around you in need.
COVID-19: GOD'S CALLING IN QUARANTINE PART 3
IN PART three OF THIS THREE PART DEVOTIONAL SERIES, WE will identify practical steps, to take every day, to help us abide with God, prepare to do God's work, and align with God's calling for our lives. this time in quarantine can be spent with God and used for seeking his direction.
What exactly is God calling you to? What's His direction for your life? What is God's will for you? What exactly is He using this to prepare you for? What is He doing in you and going to use you for?
I wish we could all get bullet pointed outlines with footnotes from God on this topic, but I cannot tell you one point on the outline of your life of what He's going to do. God has all the plans, specifics, and details laid out for your life, and He has since the beginning of time.
I do know that there is a spiritual battle being waged and Satan is always working against God's people doing God's will and sharing the gospel. I know that Satan would love to paralyze us in our fear and lead us to believe that there's no use trying right now, our plans are cancelled, our ministry is over, and all we can do is wait, watch, and worry. I know that Satan wants us to believe there's no hope. I know Satan would love for us to waste this precious time where we can have time alone with God, doing what He wants us to do, seeking His direction. And while I can't tell you what all God's exact plans are for you, God's word gives us direction and instruction, and through those things we can find wisdom and hear from God about His perfect will for our lives. The world is on lockdown, so for now, holding ministry events, showing up at Church, going to Bible study, having ministry training, leading children's church: it's all on hold. While you can't do those things today, you're time is not in vain. Here's what I can tell you to do right now with absolute certainty, because of God's clear instructions:
I wish we could all get bullet pointed outlines with footnotes from God on this topic, but I cannot tell you one point on the outline of your life of what He's going to do. God has all the plans, specifics, and details laid out for your life, and He has since the beginning of time.
I do know that there is a spiritual battle being waged and Satan is always working against God's people doing God's will and sharing the gospel. I know that Satan would love to paralyze us in our fear and lead us to believe that there's no use trying right now, our plans are cancelled, our ministry is over, and all we can do is wait, watch, and worry. I know that Satan wants us to believe there's no hope. I know Satan would love for us to waste this precious time where we can have time alone with God, doing what He wants us to do, seeking His direction. And while I can't tell you what all God's exact plans are for you, God's word gives us direction and instruction, and through those things we can find wisdom and hear from God about His perfect will for our lives. The world is on lockdown, so for now, holding ministry events, showing up at Church, going to Bible study, having ministry training, leading children's church: it's all on hold. While you can't do those things today, you're time is not in vain. Here's what I can tell you to do right now with absolute certainty, because of God's clear instructions:
Pray:
- Pray that you will not be lead away from God or dismayed, but that your eyes will be fixed on Jesus. Pray that you will not be led into temptation. Pray against the spiritual war waging around you.
- Matthew 26:41 "Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
- Colossians 4:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."
- Luke 11:2-4 "He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”
- 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 " For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. "
- Pray for God's will to be done throughout His Church.
- Matthew 9:38 "So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
- Ephesians 6:18 "Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."
- 2 Thessalonians 3:1 "As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you."
- Pray that God's will be done through your life and ministry. Pray for God to lead you in the right directions.
- Ephesians 1:18-23 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way."
- 2 Thessalonians 1:11 "With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith."
- Keep praying, always
- Romans 12:12 "Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying."
- Philippians 4:6 "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."
- James 5:13 "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise."
ask God for wisdom
- Seek God's wisdom. Ask God for wisdom. Ask God to help you see through His eyes.
- Proverbs 3:7 "Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil."
- James 1:5 "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking."
- Proverbs 4:7 "Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment."
- Focus on God's wisdom and His wise words and meditate on them.
- Proverbs 2:2 "Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding."
- Proverbs 4:5 "Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them."
Study the Bible
God's Word is living, active, and powerful. [In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God and says that the sword is God's Word] The Bible has the power to change hearts and give us godly wisdom and direction.
- Spend time studying God's Word. Dig deep into God's holy scriptures and pray for God to reveal new things to you through His words.
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
- Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
- Pray for God to guide you as you read His Word
- Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."
- Don't just read and look, do what God's Word says
- James 1:22-25 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do."
- Psalm 119:11-12 "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees.
- Pray for discernment
- Philippians 1:9-11 "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."
Produce good fruit
In John 15, Jesus uses the analogy that He is the Vine, God is the Vine-dresser/Gardener, and we, the Body of Christ, are the branches. He uses this analogy to explain that unless we are abiding in Jesus and doing work for Him and through Him, we can't do His work. Abide means "accept or act in accordance with".
- Abide with Jesus and His Word to produce good fruit in your life right now. Align your heart with God's
- John 15:1-12 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."
- Matthew 12:3-35 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him."
- James 3:13-18 "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness."
- Live by God's Holy Spirit and submit to Him
- Galatians 5:13-26 "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself. ”If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 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. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."
- Galatians 5:13-26 "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself. ”If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 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. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."
The world right now is very scary, uncertain, and overwhelming. While the enemy may lead you to believe that there is no hope or may try to leave you paralyzed in fear, hold tight to God's promises and rest knowing our God does not call us to live in fear but instead He gives us power and freedom through His Son Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:7 "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."
Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
Be encouraged by the hope we have secured in Jesus. Don't waste any time; not in quarantine, not amidst COVID-19, not when your calling seems over, because it's not. Pray, read your Bible, spend time with God, seek His direction for your life, abide with Him, use this time to produce good fruit.
Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
2 Timothy 1:7 "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."
Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
Be encouraged by the hope we have secured in Jesus. Don't waste any time; not in quarantine, not amidst COVID-19, not when your calling seems over, because it's not. Pray, read your Bible, spend time with God, seek His direction for your life, abide with Him, use this time to produce good fruit.
Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
day three reflections
In this short series we have briefly covered a lot of area: "we asked why do bad things happen to us?" and "How does God use our pain?" We looked at how we can use our time, in whatever circumstance, to be fruitful and seek God's will.
I encourage you to spend more time on your own, studying the Bible, looking deeper into these topics. I encourage you not to give up. Keep working hard, don't waste the precious time you have, and do God's work. use this time to write the book, start the Bible study, call your unsaved friends and share the gospel, encourage your neighbors, work on the bible study, work on your sermon, seek God's direction, and spend time with jesus.
It's March 2020 and the world in on lockdown for COVID-19.
Please pray for those infected with the coronavirus, for their families, for those who have lost loved ones, for the medical staff working to save their lives, for those who cannot pay rent, for those without food, pray for those who have lost their jobs, for the world leaders and leaders of our nation that God gives them wisdom, for the children who don't have lunch because they aren't at school, for the elderly, for those stuck in a home with an abusive parent, family member, spouse, or partner, and pray for those without access to medical care. Please keep everyone safe by staying home and respecting the quarantine guidelines from the CDC, your state, and the government. Remember to check in on your elderly neighbors, friends with anxiety, friends with financial struggles, and if you can, donate funds to a local food bank. If you have extra supplies like toilet paper, canned goods, paper towels, disinfectant supplies, etc. please share them with those around you in need.
Please pray for those infected with the coronavirus, for their families, for those who have lost loved ones, for the medical staff working to save their lives, for those who cannot pay rent, for those without food, pray for those who have lost their jobs, for the world leaders and leaders of our nation that God gives them wisdom, for the children who don't have lunch because they aren't at school, for the elderly, for those stuck in a home with an abusive parent, family member, spouse, or partner, and pray for those without access to medical care. Please keep everyone safe by staying home and respecting the quarantine guidelines from the CDC, your state, and the government. Remember to check in on your elderly neighbors, friends with anxiety, friends with financial struggles, and if you can, donate funds to a local food bank. If you have extra supplies like toilet paper, canned goods, paper towels, disinfectant supplies, etc. please share them with those around you in need.
COVID-19: GOD'S CALLING IN QUARANTINE PART 2
In part two of this three part devotional series, we will be looking at truths about God. We will also take a look at how God uses everything. While God is good and doesn't Himself inflict pain and hurt, He uses the pain we experience as a result of a sinful and fallen world to grow us and our faith. We will see that God doesn't waste a drop of our pain, and he will not waste covid-2019
Hurts, pains, and burdens
It's very easy to see right now, amidst COVID-19, that the world is scary and painful. There are a lot of things in life that hurt, damage, cause deep pain, and honestly may really mess you up. It's silly to say, "everything happens for a reason" or "God makes everything worth it". Those aren't Biblical things you'll find in scripture, they're just cute, meaningless phrases you'll probably find on a 40% off, rustic farmhouse sign at Hobby Lobby.
God never tells us "everything happens for a reason", but here's what He does tell us:
God never tells us "everything happens for a reason", but here's what He does tell us:
- God tells us we live in a fallen world:
- Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned"
- Jesus died to save our fallen world
- Romans 5:15 "But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!"
- Romans 5: 20-21 " The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
- We will face trouble in this world, but has overcome it
- John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
- Our battle is not just physical, we are fighting a spiritual battle everyday
- Ephesians 6:10-11 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
- God gives us the tools to fight the spiritual battles and wars waging against us
- Ephesians 6:13-18 "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."
- Our present struggles are nothing compared to what's coming in heaven
- Romans 8:18 "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."
- The Holy Spirit Helps us in our weakness
- Romans 8:26 "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans."
- We will NEVER be separated from God's love
- Romans 8:35-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” [Psalm 44:22] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
- God uses everything in our lives for good
- Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
How can He use it?
Let's talk about that last verse, Romans 8:28 first. This verse, and entire chapter, is not stating that "everything happens for a reason" and "it all happens how it's supposed to". We live in a world where we are granted free will by God and life goes down sometimes. God is inherently good [Deuteronomy 32:4; Job 34:12] and does no wrong. God is not willing people to be hurt, murdered, or brutalized or to experience loss and deep pain. Those things are consequences of a fallen, broken world where sinful people make sinful decisions. Doing God's will is an option and not everyone chooses to do it [John 7:17; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Romans 12:2; Mark 3:35; 1 Peter 2:15; Psalm 143:10]. As a result, sin happens and it hurts people. Does that mean that God is evil or distant or doesn't care or is making bad things happen to you? Absolutely not; it means that God isn't a puppet master, forcing people to adhere to His will. So, what is Romans 8:28 telling us? It's saying that God is so good, He is so powerful, He is so loving, and He is so kind to us that He will use the horrible, hard, gut-wrenchingly painful things in our lives and work them out for good.
There are probably a lot of things in your life you will look back on and you will not say "that was worth it" or "I would go through it again". I would never, ever say going through cancer with a loved one, or abuse, or losing people I loved dearly was "worth it". It wasn't worth it, it didn't happen "how it was supposed to", and I would absolutely never do them again, but yet still God has used those horrible, awful, horrendous things and worked them out for good, for learning, for growing, for the testing of my faith, for His glory.
Not only does God use our hurt to grow and test our faith, He uses the painful experiences we've had to prepare us even more for our callings. You may be currently experiencing a lot of deep pain, hurt, and concern because of the trials that are coming with COVID-19. Maybe you aren't very affected by COVID-19 and are not experiencing financial, emotional, or physical pain because of it, but you have recently been through some real deal stuff in your life that has hurt you deeply. Current or not, know the pains I'm talking about: the cry so hard your stomach hurts, feeling like you're drowning, thinking there's no hope, suffocating pain. Maybe you made it through, even if only hanging by a thread. Maybe that's where you're at today. Like we reflected on in part one, no one knows why these terrible, horrendous things happen, but we do know that God always, always, always uses them and will never, ever, ever waste a drop of your tears. God is always good [Psalm 100:5], He is always faithful [1 Corinthians 1:9], He is kind [Isaiah 63:7], He is in control [Psalm 115:3], and He will never leave you [Isaiah 41:10].
There is rarely a charity, a non-profit organization, a ministry, or empathy for another person that comes about solely from feelings of happiness, delight, serendipity, sprinkled with cupcakes, glitter and rose petals. Think about it for a moment: God usually uses the depths of people's hurts and worst experiences and repurposes it as passion and empathy to help others for His glory. God uses the mother who lost her son to a disease to start a charity to raise money for other people with that disease. God uses the woman who was abandoned to have great empathy for orphans and work to help them find families. God uses the trafficking victim to work for an organization that rescues women from traffickers.
God. Uses. Everything.
Whether your pain and struggles are today or an experience you're reflecting on from the past, surrender it to God in prayer. Give Him your worst hurts and all of your burdens.
Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
1 Peter 5:6-7 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."
Let Him use the awful things you've been through. Give them over to God to let His glorious work begin.Take today to ask God: "What are you repurposed my pain for?" or "What are you going to repurpose this pain for?" Take time today to thank God that He is near to us in trouble, that He died to save our broken world, and that He doesn't waste a drop of our hurts. Ask Him, "What is my calling? What do you want me to do to serve you with my life?"
Do not let Satan take your thoughts about these things captive. Don't allow the enemy to put a filter of deceit on your eyes to see your pain for something that it's not. Give your thoughts to God and let God take them captive. Ask God "What do you want me to do, in this time, right now?"
1 Peter 5:8-11 "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen."
2 Corinthians 10:5 "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."
There are probably a lot of things in your life you will look back on and you will not say "that was worth it" or "I would go through it again". I would never, ever say going through cancer with a loved one, or abuse, or losing people I loved dearly was "worth it". It wasn't worth it, it didn't happen "how it was supposed to", and I would absolutely never do them again, but yet still God has used those horrible, awful, horrendous things and worked them out for good, for learning, for growing, for the testing of my faith, for His glory.
Not only does God use our hurt to grow and test our faith, He uses the painful experiences we've had to prepare us even more for our callings. You may be currently experiencing a lot of deep pain, hurt, and concern because of the trials that are coming with COVID-19. Maybe you aren't very affected by COVID-19 and are not experiencing financial, emotional, or physical pain because of it, but you have recently been through some real deal stuff in your life that has hurt you deeply. Current or not, know the pains I'm talking about: the cry so hard your stomach hurts, feeling like you're drowning, thinking there's no hope, suffocating pain. Maybe you made it through, even if only hanging by a thread. Maybe that's where you're at today. Like we reflected on in part one, no one knows why these terrible, horrendous things happen, but we do know that God always, always, always uses them and will never, ever, ever waste a drop of your tears. God is always good [Psalm 100:5], He is always faithful [1 Corinthians 1:9], He is kind [Isaiah 63:7], He is in control [Psalm 115:3], and He will never leave you [Isaiah 41:10].
There is rarely a charity, a non-profit organization, a ministry, or empathy for another person that comes about solely from feelings of happiness, delight, serendipity, sprinkled with cupcakes, glitter and rose petals. Think about it for a moment: God usually uses the depths of people's hurts and worst experiences and repurposes it as passion and empathy to help others for His glory. God uses the mother who lost her son to a disease to start a charity to raise money for other people with that disease. God uses the woman who was abandoned to have great empathy for orphans and work to help them find families. God uses the trafficking victim to work for an organization that rescues women from traffickers.
God. Uses. Everything.
Whether your pain and struggles are today or an experience you're reflecting on from the past, surrender it to God in prayer. Give Him your worst hurts and all of your burdens.
Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
1 Peter 5:6-7 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."
Let Him use the awful things you've been through. Give them over to God to let His glorious work begin.Take today to ask God: "What are you repurposed my pain for?" or "What are you going to repurpose this pain for?" Take time today to thank God that He is near to us in trouble, that He died to save our broken world, and that He doesn't waste a drop of our hurts. Ask Him, "What is my calling? What do you want me to do to serve you with my life?"
Do not let Satan take your thoughts about these things captive. Don't allow the enemy to put a filter of deceit on your eyes to see your pain for something that it's not. Give your thoughts to God and let God take them captive. Ask God "What do you want me to do, in this time, right now?"
1 Peter 5:8-11 "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen."
2 Corinthians 10:5 "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."
God won't waste Covid-19
God doesn't waste hurts, God doesn't waste time, and He won't waste COVID-19. God is not going to let His will for your life waste away during this quarantine, even though it may seem like it because your ministry events are cancelled and your opportunities to physically get out and do work for God are non-existent right now [stay home people]. God isn't derailing His calling on your life. Your ministry, whatever it may be, may change, it may need to move in a new direction, it may look different from now on, or it may be time for you to change and move your whole plan, but that's not a surprise to God or a wrench in His plan.
God doesn't want you to waste your time during this quarantine either. God doesn't want you to lose yourself to panic and fear and waste a valuable 14 days - who knows when. There are so many uncertainties and "I don't know"s, but I know that if God has given you solitude or hours on end or a lack of work because of a global pandemic, or maybe all three, He wants you to use those things / times wisely. Even if you can't be physically active, be active spiritually. Even if you cannot physically go to work, work for God from home. Your time is so valuable, don't let it go to waste.
God doesn't want you to waste your time during this quarantine either. God doesn't want you to lose yourself to panic and fear and waste a valuable 14 days - who knows when. There are so many uncertainties and "I don't know"s, but I know that if God has given you solitude or hours on end or a lack of work because of a global pandemic, or maybe all three, He wants you to use those things / times wisely. Even if you can't be physically active, be active spiritually. Even if you cannot physically go to work, work for God from home. Your time is so valuable, don't let it go to waste.
Part 2 Reflections
In part two of this series, we took a look at how God uses our struggles and trials and repurposes them for His calling for our lives. spend time with God in His Word and in prayer, asking for direction for your life. Ask God: "What's your calling for my life?" and "What are you calling me to do today, during covid-19, in my present circumstances?" Spend your time wisely. Thank God for all He is providing for you and pray for the hurting world around you.
It's March 2020 and the world in on lockdown for COVID-19.
Please pray for those infected with the coronavirus, for their families, for those who have lost loved ones, for the medical staff working to save their lives, for those who cannot pay rent, for those without food, pray for those who have lost their jobs, for the world leaders and leaders of our nation that God gives them wisdom, for the children who don't have lunch because they aren't at school, for the elderly, for those stuck in a home with an abusive parent, family member, spouse, or partner, and pray for those without access to medical care. Please keep everyone safe by staying home and respecting the quarantine guidelines from the CDC, your state, and the government. Remember to check in on your elderly neighbors, friends with anxiety, friends with financial struggles, and if you can, donate funds to a local food bank. If you have extra supplies like toilet paper, canned goods, paper towels, disinfectant supplies, etc. please share them with those around you in need.
Please pray for those infected with the coronavirus, for their families, for those who have lost loved ones, for the medical staff working to save their lives, for those who cannot pay rent, for those without food, pray for those who have lost their jobs, for the world leaders and leaders of our nation that God gives them wisdom, for the children who don't have lunch because they aren't at school, for the elderly, for those stuck in a home with an abusive parent, family member, spouse, or partner, and pray for those without access to medical care. Please keep everyone safe by staying home and respecting the quarantine guidelines from the CDC, your state, and the government. Remember to check in on your elderly neighbors, friends with anxiety, friends with financial struggles, and if you can, donate funds to a local food bank. If you have extra supplies like toilet paper, canned goods, paper towels, disinfectant supplies, etc. please share them with those around you in need.
COVID-19: GOD'S CALLING IN QUARANTINE PART 1
In part one of this three part devotional series, we will be identifying a few of the problems we are facing amid covid 19 as people who serve God. we will ask the obvious questions: "what is God doing?", "why?", and "how can I do God's calling for my life if i'm quarantined in my house?"
What is He doing up there?
Well, I think we can all agree this is a wild time to be alive.
It feels like a weird, bad, b rated, really scary movie and it won't end.
So, especially if you're reading this, you obviously have a lot of time on your hands. If you love Jesus and are trying, in any capacity, to serve Him with your life, you're probably wondering:
It feels like a weird, bad, b rated, really scary movie and it won't end.
So, especially if you're reading this, you obviously have a lot of time on your hands. If you love Jesus and are trying, in any capacity, to serve Him with your life, you're probably wondering:
a. what the he*k is going on
b. what is God doing
c. how in the world does God expect me to fulfill His calling for my life when I'm out of toilet paper and locked in my house
b. what is God doing
c. how in the world does God expect me to fulfill His calling for my life when I'm out of toilet paper and locked in my house
It's obvious to see that a lot of churches have had amazing opportunity to reach out to a broader audience than their congregation. Online services, online prayer groups, online life groups, online children's ministries, online Bible conferences, you name it, they've got it. I was watching a Bible conference the other evening and the speaker was at an event space that normally would seat around 1-2 thousand people and she was able to reach five point five thousand people because her event was held online for free.
God is absolutely working through the Church, and the Church is stepping up. It's amazing and beautiful to see the Bride of Christ do what God calls us to do for the Jesus followers in the Body of Christ and the hurting world around us.
But, maybe you're wondering, and girl I was with you there too, "God, how am I supposed to do my ministry, reach out to the hurting world, step into my calling, etc. if I'm stuck inside for two weeks?" If you're like me, maybe your ministry event was cancelled because of COVID-19. Maybe it was a children's ministry event, ministry training, baptism, worship service, outreach event, or amazing, incredible service project and it was cancelled and you're asking God why He had you work so hard at your ministry, event, or project, fueled you with passion, gave you the resources, for it all to be washed away.
Maybe it wasn't a vocational ministry event, but you aren't able to go to work and provide for your family or your breakout chance to do what you love has been cancelled. You were doing good, great, wonderful, amazing things, on your way to the top, praising the Lord all the while and working for Him, and it's no longer an option. How can you host a missions conference or lead children's ministry or recieve your on the job ministry training or do host your ministry's outreach event if you're stuck inside your house for two weeks? Let's just ask the question we are all wondering:
Why is this happening?
It's obvious to see that a lot of churches have had amazing opportunity to reach out to a broader audience than their congregation. Online services, online prayer groups, online life groups, online children's ministries, online Bible conferences, you name it, they've got it. I was watching a Bible conference the other evening and the speaker was at an event space that normally would seat around 1-2 thousand people and she was able to reach five point five thousand people because her event was held online for free.
God is absolutely working through the Church, and the Church is stepping up. It's amazing and beautiful to see the Bride of Christ do what God calls us to do for the Jesus followers in the Body of Christ and the hurting world around us.
But, maybe you're wondering, and girl I was with you there too, "God, how am I supposed to do my ministry, reach out to the hurting world, step into my calling, etc. if I'm stuck inside for two weeks?" If you're like me, maybe your ministry event was cancelled because of COVID-19. Maybe it was a children's ministry event, ministry training, baptism, worship service, outreach event, or amazing, incredible service project and it was cancelled and you're asking God why He had you work so hard at your ministry, event, or project, fueled you with passion, gave you the resources, for it all to be washed away.
Maybe it wasn't a vocational ministry event, but you aren't able to go to work and provide for your family or your breakout chance to do what you love has been cancelled. You were doing good, great, wonderful, amazing things, on your way to the top, praising the Lord all the while and working for Him, and it's no longer an option. How can you host a missions conference or lead children's ministry or recieve your on the job ministry training or do host your ministry's outreach event if you're stuck inside your house for two weeks? Let's just ask the question we are all wondering:
Why is this happening?
why is this happening?
Answer: I'm sure you'll be surprised to know that girl I have no idea.
I wish I could give you any reason why, but I don't know and no one else does either. I do know to the depths of my soul and marrow of my bones this: God is always good [Psalm 100:5], He is always faithful [1 Corinthians 1:9], He is kind [Isaiah 63:7], He is in control [Psalm 115:3], and He will never leave you [Isaiah 41:10]. Stay with me here, I know that can be irritating to hear when it seems like the world is literally ending, because it just sounds like empty, meaningless words with no solution to the problems that seem like they're drowning you. It's not just a cute thing to say or a fun phrase to embroider on a pillow, it's absolute truth from the Creator of the universe. God is in control of the universe. We cannot always change what is happening around us. It's so frustrating sometimes to not understand. The God who spoke the world into existence and who holds the universe in His hands operates on a litttllle bit of a different level than we do, and He gives us the assurance that we can trust Him.
Isaiah 55:8-9"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Proverbs 21:30 "No human wisdom or understanding or plan
can stand against the Lord."
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."
Our God, in His loving kindness, gives us peace and comfort. He assures us that we don't need to fear, and commands us not to.
2 Corinthians 1:4 "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."
2 Corinthians 1:7 "We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us."
Phillipians 4:7 "Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
Many things in our lives are out of our control, however, we have those promises and hopes to comfort our souls and an all-loving, all-merciful God who will care for us, always. Even if there was nothing else, we always have the hope of eternal life, after this shadow of a life on earth, through Jesus's death and resurrection for our sins.
2 Thessalonians 2:16 "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope,"
Colossians 2:17 "These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ."
And, God gives us instructions on how to live and be, even when we can't change the world falling apart around us.
Here is what else I can tell you without a sliver of doubt in my body:
God isn't done with you. Your calling isn't finished. Your job isn't done. Your ministry to the Lord isn't ruined. It may now be different, changed, or God may move you in a new direction, but it's not over.
Romans 8:31 "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Also, God doesn't want you to waste any time. Like it or not, we all have a lot more time on our hands right now, and God does not want you to waste it, but use it to study His Word, worship Him, Pray, and work on what He is calling you to, right now.
I wish I could give you any reason why, but I don't know and no one else does either. I do know to the depths of my soul and marrow of my bones this: God is always good [Psalm 100:5], He is always faithful [1 Corinthians 1:9], He is kind [Isaiah 63:7], He is in control [Psalm 115:3], and He will never leave you [Isaiah 41:10]. Stay with me here, I know that can be irritating to hear when it seems like the world is literally ending, because it just sounds like empty, meaningless words with no solution to the problems that seem like they're drowning you. It's not just a cute thing to say or a fun phrase to embroider on a pillow, it's absolute truth from the Creator of the universe. God is in control of the universe. We cannot always change what is happening around us. It's so frustrating sometimes to not understand. The God who spoke the world into existence and who holds the universe in His hands operates on a litttllle bit of a different level than we do, and He gives us the assurance that we can trust Him.
Isaiah 55:8-9"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Proverbs 21:30 "No human wisdom or understanding or plan
can stand against the Lord."
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."
Our God, in His loving kindness, gives us peace and comfort. He assures us that we don't need to fear, and commands us not to.
2 Corinthians 1:4 "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."
2 Corinthians 1:7 "We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us."
Phillipians 4:7 "Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
Many things in our lives are out of our control, however, we have those promises and hopes to comfort our souls and an all-loving, all-merciful God who will care for us, always. Even if there was nothing else, we always have the hope of eternal life, after this shadow of a life on earth, through Jesus's death and resurrection for our sins.
2 Thessalonians 2:16 "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope,"
Colossians 2:17 "These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ."
And, God gives us instructions on how to live and be, even when we can't change the world falling apart around us.
Here is what else I can tell you without a sliver of doubt in my body:
God isn't done with you. Your calling isn't finished. Your job isn't done. Your ministry to the Lord isn't ruined. It may now be different, changed, or God may move you in a new direction, but it's not over.
Romans 8:31 "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Also, God doesn't want you to waste any time. Like it or not, we all have a lot more time on our hands right now, and God does not want you to waste it, but use it to study His Word, worship Him, Pray, and work on what He is calling you to, right now.
part one reflections:
In part one of this series, we identified some very real and scary issues regarding covid-19. We also identified that God is good, faithful, trustworthy, in control, loving, and that he will never leave us. Also, your ministry to god isn't over and God isn't done with you. This might be a frightening, stressful, difficult time for you, and it's absolutely not ideal, but our god comforts us and gives us peace beyond understanding.
we can use this time to spend time with god and seek his will for our lives. Don't waste this present time, as messy and hard as it may be. Thank God today for all He has blessed you with, pray for the hurting around you, and ask God for his miraculous comfort and peace. Don't give up, but be encouraged in the glorious hope from Jesus Christ and get busy for Him, whatever your circumstance today.
This is a quick and simple healthy meal that is a great weeknight dinner and makes great leftovers. If you're plant-based, this is a perfect recipe for you, and if you like some meat in your meals, this pairs wonderfully with shredded chicken or pulled pork.
Sriracha BBQ Veggies & Coconut Rice
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Chopped Red, Yellow, and Orange Sweet Peppers
- 3 Cups Sliced White Mushrooms
- 12 oz Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 14 oz Can Organic Coconut Milk
- 1/4 Cup Water
- 1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
- 2 Cups Rice, Rinsed and Strained
- 1 Jar Trader Joe's Organic Sriracha & Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce
- Salt and Pepper to Season
DiRECTIOns
Coconut Rice:
In a rice maker, add one 14 oz can of coconut milk, 2 cups of white rice and one 1/4 cup of water. Mix and turn to cook [alternatively, you can use this recipe for stovetop rice]. For extra protein and texture, you can add in 1/4 cup of shredded, unsweetened coconut.
Sriracha BBQ Veggie:
Thickly slice the sweet red, yellow, and orange peppers and mushrooms [You can also cook your mushrooms whole]. Half the cherry tomatoes and add the veggie mixture into your air fryer. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the veggies in the air fryer tray, evenly sprinkle with salt and pepper, and air fry for 12 minutes on 375℉. If you're using an oven, preheat it to 350℉. Cover the bottom of a deep baking pan with parchment paper or tin foil and grease generously with olive oil. Toss the veggies lightly in the greased pan to coat them with oil and sprinkle them evenly with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables for 15-18 minutes.
When your veggie mix is cooked, toss it in 1/8 cup of Trader Joe's Organic Sriracha & Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce. Serve over the coconut rice.
When your veggie mix is cooked, toss it in 1/8 cup of Trader Joe's Organic Sriracha & Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce. Serve over the coconut rice.
This is a light, airy, and delicious chocolate coconut tart with a gluten free almond crust. It's a perfect, quick and easy spring dessert! If you're plant-based, this recipe is super simple to tweak into a plant-based recipe. The best part about this fun treat is that it's healthy! I envision this as a fun eat for a tea party, bridal shower, or brunch.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
GF Chocolate Coconut Tarts
Recipe makes about two tarts.
Prior to starting your tarts, refrigerate the canned coconut milk overnight.
Prior to starting your tarts, refrigerate the canned coconut milk overnight.
Ingredients
- 1 14oz Can Organic Coconut Milk
- 1 Cup Semi Sweet or Dark Chocolate Chips
- 1 Tablespoon Powdered Sugar
- 2 1/4 Cups Almond Flour
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 Cup Agave Syrup
- Raspberries, Sea Salt, or other Preferred Fruit Toppings
Instructions
Crust
Refrigerate the canned coconut milk overnight to create a coconut cream for the tart filling. When the coconut milk has set and you're ready to begin the tarts, preheat your oven to 350℉. First, in a small mixing bowl, mix the almond flour, egg, agave, and salt thoroughly to create a dough. Add the almond flour into the mixture 1/4 cup at a time. Almond flour absorbs moisture quickly, so the dough should be dry to prevent a soggy crust. Press the dough into two tart dishes. If you don't have small baking dishes or tart dishes, you can press the dough into a greased cupcake pan, filling each cup about 1/4-1/2 of the way full of dough. If you want to make this recipe plant-based friendly, mix the almond flour with pure 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons water. Adjust the amount of flour as necessary. Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let the crust thoroughly cool before filling with the chocolate coconut filling.
Filling
First, melt the chocolate in the microwave for about 1 minute, or until smooth. Next, drain any leftover coconut milk from the can, and fold the melted chocolate into the coconut cream using a small spatula [I use any extra coconut milk for my coconut rice recipe]. Add the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. If you prefer a richer, dark chocolate taste, you can leave the sugar out. Cover the chocolate coconut filling and refrigerate for 2 hours.
After the filling has set, use a spoon to evenly fill the tart crusts. Alternatively, you could use a pastry bag and pipe the filling into the crusts. Top the tarts with flaky sea salt, pink Himalayan salt, raspberries, strawberries, or the fruit of your choice.
Eat and enjoy!
After the filling has set, use a spoon to evenly fill the tart crusts. Alternatively, you could use a pastry bag and pipe the filling into the crusts. Top the tarts with flaky sea salt, pink Himalayan salt, raspberries, strawberries, or the fruit of your choice.
Eat and enjoy!
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!
True feminism was created by strong women who sought to create equal opportunities and a better future for women in a world where they were treated as less than because of their gender, treated as property, not given the basic rights of a citizen, unable to vote, unable to practice law, unable to own property, unable to keep their own wages. Women’s voices were unheard and silenced.
Strong feminists like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Alice Paul, along with thousands of others, devoted their lives to giving us the reality we live in now. They saw inequality, spoke up, and stopped at nothing to be heard and create change and equality. Feminism at its core and truest self is not about putting others down to make yourself seem superior; the early American movements of feminism were built on creating equality and eliminating systems and laws that strived on false superiority. True feminism doesn’t look at others and say I’m better or you’re worse because of your gender or mine, it fights for the equal rights and equal opportunities for everyone. True feminism seeks the marginalized and overlooked and becomes the voice for those who don’t have one.
Suffragists fought hard and stopped at nothing. By the year 1900, all states had passed legislation that allowed women to keep their own wages and own property. In 1920, the 19th amendment was ratified and women could vote. In 1923, the first version of an equal rights amendment was introduced. In 1963 the equal pay act was passed by Congress. In 1964 the civil rights act passed, in 1972 Title IX prohibited sexual discrimination, in 1975 women were no longer allowed to be excluded from juries, and in 1994 The Violence Against Women Act started helping fund services for survivors of sexual and domestic violence.
This is only a small list of the women who changed history and the things they accomplished. While they paved the way for a brighter, better future for American women, there is still work to be done. There are still voices unheard, still those who are marginalized and mistreated, and those who are denied opportunities for reasons beyond their control. There are still women in our world who have no rights and no voice.
In some Christian circles, feminism is the other “F word”; ‘ Many Christians openly rebuke feminism or avoid acknowledging it at all costs. In their defense, the world has taken feminism and contorted it, as the world apart from God usually does. It’s hard to even know what feminism means to someone when they’re talking about it or what values they hold when they identify as feminist. And truly, there is no way to put all people in a box or define who they are because of one affiliation. However, the contorted version of feminism says women are superior, all men are sexist, all men objectify women, all men are idiots, and women can do everything better. Obviously that kind of contorted feminism is incorrect and almost the complete opposite of the values feminism was created on. Those kinds of contorted values and ideas are built on hurt, brokenness, and fear.
Many people find it easy to look at people with contorted feminism and blame them, ridicule them, and attempt to bully them back. But, as believers, we are called to the actual exact opposite. We are called to have empathy, compassion, love, kindness, and gentleness.
We are called to identify the truth of God and speak it in love.
"Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church." Ephesians 4:15
We are called to see broken and hurting people and love them. Always. Regardless.
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[q] and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends,[s] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:43-48
We are called to act in obedience to the Holy Spirit of God that lives inside of us and the understand that the people who haven’t accepted salvation, and don’t have the Spirit of God living in them, will not make the same choices or have the same views that we do because of that. "Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit." Romans 8:5
We are called to love them anyways and share the saving power of Christ's sacrifice with them. "And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone." Mark 16:15
As a woman who is devoted to God, I don’t see any world where I can be the person God calls me to be, and live the life He calls believers to live, without being a feminist who practices true feminism. I don’t see how I can be a woman of God who sits by and watches injustice silently and looks over the abused, marginalized, and broken. I also don’t see a way to combat the world’s messed up, broken, distorted, contorted version of feminism without God and the Truth.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a complimentarian, an egalitarian, a feminist or not; as believers in Christ, we have the only real solution to the world’s problems: we have salvation and the eternal promise of eternal life through Jesus’s sacrifice and resurrection. We have the peace of God that passes all understanding and the compassion of Christ. We have the ability to produce the fruit of the Spirit and the ability to face tomorrow because Jesus lives.
"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness," Galatians 5:22
"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say." 2 Thessalonians 2:13
We can dismiss lies and say cute things and embroider nice words on pillows and buy typography signs from Hobby Lobby with Bible verses and nice little quotes, but if we are not sharing the savings knowledge of salvation with those around us and sharing the love of God with the broken, it’s meaningless and we’re not sharing the true solution to the problems of our broken, hurting, messed up, sinful, world.
We follow a God who created human life in His image and gives every person value.
"So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27
We follow a God who says every person is equal and no gender, ethnicity, race, level of intelligence, ability, culture, or background makes a person superior over another in Christ. "There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28
"Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." Matthew 23:8-12
We follow a God who sent his Son to walk with the broken, eat with sinners, heal the sick and forgotten, and die for the sins of the world. When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Mark 2:17
His example is the one we are called to follow.
We can fight neither the sins of inequality nor the lies of injustice without the Truth of God and His power working in and through us.
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians 3:16-21 NLT
True feminism was created by strong women who sought to create equal opportunities and a better future for women in a world where they were treated as less than because of their gender, treated as property, not given the basic rights of a citizen, unable to vote, unable to practice law, unable to own property, unable to keep their own wages. Women’s voices were unheard and silenced.
Strong feminists like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Alice Paul, along with thousands of others, devoted their lives to giving us the reality we live in now. They saw inequality, spoke up, and stopped at nothing to be heard and create change and equality. Feminism at its core and truest self is not about putting others down to make yourself seem superior; the early American movements of feminism were built on creating equality and eliminating systems and laws that strived on false superiority. True feminism doesn’t look at others and say I’m better or you’re worse because of your gender or mine, it fights for the equal rights and equal opportunities for everyone. True feminism seeks the marginalized and overlooked and becomes the voice for those who don’t have one.
Suffragists fought hard and stopped at nothing. By the year 1900, all states had passed legislation that allowed women to keep their own wages and own property. In 1920, the 19th amendment was ratified and women could vote. In 1923, the first version of an equal rights amendment was introduced. In 1963 the equal pay act was passed by Congress. In 1964 the civil rights act passed, in 1972 Title IX prohibited sexual discrimination, in 1975 women were no longer allowed to be excluded from juries, and in 1994 The Violence Against Women Act started helping fund services for survivors of sexual and domestic violence.
This is only a small list of the women who changed history and the things they accomplished. While they paved the way for a brighter, better future for American women, there is still work to be done. There are still voices unheard, still those who are marginalized and mistreated, and those who are denied opportunities for reasons beyond their control. There are still women in our world who have no rights and no voice.
In some Christian circles, feminism is the other “F word”; ‘ Many Christians openly rebuke feminism or avoid acknowledging it at all costs. In their defense, the world has taken feminism and contorted it, as the world apart from God usually does. It’s hard to even know what feminism means to someone when they’re talking about it or what values they hold when they identify as feminist. And truly, there is no way to put all people in a box or define who they are because of one affiliation. However, the contorted version of feminism says women are superior, all men are sexist, all men objectify women, all men are idiots, and women can do everything better. Obviously that kind of contorted feminism is incorrect and almost the complete opposite of the values feminism was created on. Those kinds of contorted values and ideas are built on hurt, brokenness, and fear.
Many people find it easy to look at people with contorted feminism and blame them, ridicule them, and attempt to bully them back. But, as believers, we are called to the actual exact opposite. We are called to have empathy, compassion, love, kindness, and gentleness.
We are called to identify the truth of God and speak it in love.
"Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church." Ephesians 4:15
We are called to see broken and hurting people and love them. Always. Regardless.
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[q] and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends,[s] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:43-48
We are called to act in obedience to the Holy Spirit of God that lives inside of us and the understand that the people who haven’t accepted salvation, and don’t have the Spirit of God living in them, will not make the same choices or have the same views that we do because of that. "Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit." Romans 8:5
We are called to love them anyways and share the saving power of Christ's sacrifice with them. "And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone." Mark 16:15
As a woman who is devoted to God, I don’t see any world where I can be the person God calls me to be, and live the life He calls believers to live, without being a feminist who practices true feminism. I don’t see how I can be a woman of God who sits by and watches injustice silently and looks over the abused, marginalized, and broken. I also don’t see a way to combat the world’s messed up, broken, distorted, contorted version of feminism without God and the Truth.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a complimentarian, an egalitarian, a feminist or not; as believers in Christ, we have the only real solution to the world’s problems: we have salvation and the eternal promise of eternal life through Jesus’s sacrifice and resurrection. We have the peace of God that passes all understanding and the compassion of Christ. We have the ability to produce the fruit of the Spirit and the ability to face tomorrow because Jesus lives.
"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness," Galatians 5:22
"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say." 2 Thessalonians 2:13
We can dismiss lies and say cute things and embroider nice words on pillows and buy typography signs from Hobby Lobby with Bible verses and nice little quotes, but if we are not sharing the savings knowledge of salvation with those around us and sharing the love of God with the broken, it’s meaningless and we’re not sharing the true solution to the problems of our broken, hurting, messed up, sinful, world.
We follow a God who created human life in His image and gives every person value.
"So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27
We follow a God who says every person is equal and no gender, ethnicity, race, level of intelligence, ability, culture, or background makes a person superior over another in Christ. "There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28
"Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." Matthew 23:8-12
We follow a God who sent his Son to walk with the broken, eat with sinners, heal the sick and forgotten, and die for the sins of the world. When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Mark 2:17
His example is the one we are called to follow.
We can fight neither the sins of inequality nor the lies of injustice without the Truth of God and His power working in and through us.
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians 3:16-21 NLT
June tenth of two thousand and nineteen I got a text that changed my whole life forever.
"I got the results back."
I slumped down against the wall to the floor of the Orangetheory bathroom and closed my eyes for a few seconds before I asked what the results were. My heart was racing and I held my breath. I prayed and pressed send and kept repeating in my head. "God is still good no matter what. God is still good no matter what. God is still good no matter what."
But please God. Please let the results be negative. Please let this be strep throat or tonsillitis or some big massive fluke. Please let this be a crazy story we tell everyone about on our summer break. Let it be the crazy story where the doctors thought Mason maybe could have had cancer but they were totally wrong and he was okay and summer went on to be fun and perfect and our biggest problem was fitting all of our suitcases in the car on the way to the family vacation.
But then I got the answer. The results came back positive for cancer.
Mason had cancer.
Mason, my handsome boyfriend of almost five years, the love of my life, my whole everything, had cancer.
I had to keep saying it to myself to understand it was real. He has cancer. This is real life. Mason has cancer.
I paced around the bathroom trying to walk through the next steps in my head and map it all out:
People with cancer get chemo so he'll probably go in every few weeks and get some chemo and maybe radiation. Maybe he will have to go to one of those cancer clinics. Maybe he'll lose his hair. Maybe, maybe, maybe.
Little did any of us know, within the next 14 hours Mason would be rushed to the ER, life-lighted to a hospital 4 hours away, and would start chemo that night. Mase had stage four sparatic Burkitt Lymphoma. We wouldn't find out until weeks later from his oncologist that Mason had only hours to live unless he was treated with chemo as soon as possible.
I drove up to the hospital he was life-flighted to, with my mom, and I started into survival mode. There was no room to feel or think or eat. Just stay alive and get to Mason.
I realized there was literally nothing I could possibly do in the entire universe but pray.
I listened to "What a Friend we have in Jesus" by Aretha Franklin, the gospel song "You" by Snoop Dog, "Not Today Satan" by KB, and "Because He Lives" by Rev. Cleophus Robinson over and over and over and over until we got there. Just survive.
When I got to the hospital and finally got to Mason, he was just about ready to start chemo and he was literally barely hanging on to life.
I sat in a chair across from his bed and tried to say something remotely encouraging.
"Good job babe, you can do it."
"You're doing awesome Mase."
"You did great babe, I'm so proud of you"
What do you even say to someone getting chemo? I definitely didn't know, and still don't know that there's anything anyone could possibly say. But, I promised myself right there that no matter what, that I was there for his first chemo treatment and I would absolutely be there with him when he got his last.
If you've ever had someone you love go through cancer, serious illness, disease, or pain, you know the feelings and thoughts I'm about to describe.
You start pleading with God, "Please just let it be me. Let me switch places with him and let me do this instead. I will do anything in the world if you let it be me instead of him."
And, "Please God, let this be a mistake. Let them walk in and say that it was all a misunderstanding and let us walk out and hold hands and drive away to never come back here."
And, "God I just pray for one more second. I pray for one more second with him, one more moment with him, one more of his laughs, one more of his dad jokes, one more hug, one more drive, one more 'I love you', one more God.
Please, God. Please."
And if you're familiar with these prayers and pleads you are also familiar with the gut wrenching feelings that follow. Your heart breaks over and over and over, every time you see their pain. Your body physically hurts because the person you love more than anything in the world is sick and there isn't one thing you can do for them.
You leave to cry in the hospital bathroom 10 times a day and feel anxiety creep over you and sit on your chest like a bag of bricks.
The night before Mason was diagnosed, I prayed, and prayed, and prayed. I listened to gospel music, I read every verse I could think of that had to do with faith, and I texted everyone I knew to pray for Mason's diagnosis. I kept reading Matthew 17:20, "He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here' to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
I told God, "I have faith that tomorrow the results will be negative. I promise I have faith. Help me have faith."
I had no idea what would happen or the long summer that was ahead of Mase, but I absolutely, without a single doubt knew God was telling me, "Keep having faith. Mason will be healed. Have faith in my promises. Have faith in Me."
I took that as a Mason will get a negative test result and his tonsillitis will go away, not a Mason has cancer but have faith that I will heal him. As you can imagine, that was not the answer I wanted or expected. But, I remembered the last time I had walked through a devastating life event and chose not to trust God and how lonely, destructive, and painful it was, so I decided my odds were better if I decided to stick with the God of the universe this time.
This sounds like a simple, cute, easy thing you can just say and do but I promise you, and as I'm sure you are well aware, this is one of the most difficult decisions you can choose to make.
I had a promise from God that He would heal Mason, and not everyone gets that.
Not everyone gets a promise of healing, not everyone that has faith is healed. Not everyone that trusts God is healed of cancer. Not everyone that says "God I'll do it your way" will get to walk out of a hospital room with the person they love. And truly I don't know why. No one does.
And I don't know why God said yes to my prayers. I don't know why He blessed us with the gift of healing Mason. I don't why Mason got a highly treatable cancer.
And honestly, I don't know the heart-wrenching and devastating feelings of pain and confusion people feel when they choose to say "Yes God I trust you still. You still are good" when God says no. All I can speak from is what God said to me.
It's easy to say the words, but it's hard to follow through when you're scared. It's hard to trust God when the love of your life is coughing up blood and can't lift his head or hold your hand. It's hard to trust when your heart hurts so much you don't want to get out of bed. But trusting God is the only thing you can do.
You can take it all on yourself, you can play the fears over and over in your head, you can try to think up impossible solutions that don't exist, and you can hold it all in and bottle it up inside. That's a very real option, but the truth is it's counterfeit. You can trick yourself into believing you're in control and take in on by yourself, you can worry until you throw up, but whether or not you admit it to yourself, God is in control. God is in control regardless of what you choose to believe or not believe. This is His world. He is God. He is calling the shots. You can try to stop a car by being a backseat driver, you can stand in front of it and try to push it back, you can point where you want it to go, but unless you're driving, you have no control of the car. God was the driver and I could put myself through the unnecessary pain of trying to push a car around, or I could just get in the passenger seat. Trust me when I say I learned that from experience.
So I got in.
For me, once I realized that, everything changed.
I realized I could let the fears control my every move, I could believe the lies Satan was trying to sell me, and "carry the burden myself" but all that was was nonsense that I was lying to myself about because I wanted to feel like I was the one pulling the strings. But no matter how hard I tried or how much I lied to myself, God was in control and lying about my control and making myself feel more authoritative on the situation was not helpful, not practical, and was definitely not trusting God. If I had to coerce my subconscious into believing something false to give my trust to God, I wasn't really trusting God. And, it helped me get a grip on faith. Let me tell you, I had all kinds of misunderstandings and messed up ideas about faith. But, I started grasping that faith isn't expecting nothing from God, saying I trusted Him, and then being surprised if He answered my prayer. Faith is saying I trust you completely and my confidence resides in you regardless of any other person or circumstance. I realized that faith isn't realistic because God isn't realistic. God holds reality in His hands, and if He says yes, literally no one can say no.
Faith wasn't believing that God would take Mason's cancer away just because I believed He would; Faith was recognizing the circumstances, understanding Mason had cancer, and saying, "God I believe you can and will heal Mason from cancer and I will trust you through the process."
I could choose to pray, I could choose to give the God of the universe all of my cares and burdens, I could choose to cast allllll of my cares on Him, or I could literally forfeit my peace and needlessly carry it around.
When I say I prayed all day, I prayed alllll day. Especially the first week Mason was getting treated. Somedays all I could do to get through the day was listen to Aretha again singing "What a friend we have in Jesus" on repeat and walk around the hospital in my fuzzy slides for hours praying for Mason, praying for his strength, his healing, his body, his mind, cursing cancer in the name of Jesus, and praying to just make it through the next five minutes. I screenshot-ed verses about trust, worry, healing, faith, love, and would sit and read through them 100 times over. Faith isn't just a one time decision you make and then you're locked in and good to go forever, happily ever after, it's all roses now. Trusting God is a decision you have to make constantly. Sometimes every hour, every second, every breath.
Right away, when the doctors were able to identify that Mason had Burkitt Lymphoma, they gave a report for a very positive outlook. Burkitt Lymphoma has an over 90% cure rate and Mason's doctors were confident from the beginning, but warned about the extremely intense chemotherapy regimen. They planned four cycles of chemotherapy in three months. They explained it as "throwing the everything and the kitchen sink" at it. Mase went on to get multiple chemos everyday for one to two weeks at a time. After each chemo cycle, they let his body build up the minimal amount of blood cells, white blood cells, neutrophils, etc. give him blood products if he didn't have enough, and then hit the cancer again as hard as they could with chemo and the cycle continued. Mason handled every second like an absolute champ. He was brave, he was calm, he was kind and loving even when everyone around him was absolutely losing it. He made his nurses laugh even on his hardest days. He seriously killed it.
On September the thirteenth of two thousand and nineteen, Mason rang the bell in the hospital cancer clinic and walked away after hearing the official confirmation that his cancer was gone and he was in remission.
I know without a doubt that Mason is alive because of God and His love and mercies. I know Mason is here today because of the prayers of his family in Christ from all around the world. I know that the doctors flew him to a hospital four hours away while he was dying, with hours to spare, because God's hand was at work.
I couldn't explain to you how or why, but I know for a fact that God has, is, and will use it for His glory.
When you're so close to losing someone you love, everything changes.
When you turn from your problems being what latte to get during your break at your job where you sell people $300-a-month gym memberships, to praying your loved one survives, your perspective gets a reality check.
Every second becomes a gift. Every laugh they laugh is a "Praise God". Every hug and kiss is the best moment of your life. You thank God for their silly dad jokes and crazy stories and every moment you get. Even when you're frustrated or annoyed, you are thankful that you have them and wake up grateful to God that they're alive.
Problems become nothing because at least you're alive.
Every time someone gets your order wrong or is rude at Target or you feel like complaining about your job you remember that you're alive, you have air in your lungs and a life God has given you and pray for those who are still sitting in the hospital room and cannot leave.
I can't explain why Mase was healed. I can't tell you why he got Burkitt Lymphoma or is where he is today. All I can do is share the story and tell you this:
Trust God.
Thank Him everyday.
Thank Him for every breath and every single thing He has given you.
Turn to Him when your heart is shattered and there is no hope.
Love to the absolute fullest.
Do what you love.
Don't waste your time, it's so brief and short.
Hug your family. Kiss your loved ones. Tell them how much you love them every single day.
Don't let your spilled coffee or late Uber or slow internet waste a moment of your time or energy, but instead thank God you live where you do and have money for Starbucks and that you have 8 minutes to share God's love with a random stranger Uber driver and that you have a phone that gets slow internet.
Live your life to the fullest you can for God and love those around you like He loves you.
"I got the results back."
I slumped down against the wall to the floor of the Orangetheory bathroom and closed my eyes for a few seconds before I asked what the results were. My heart was racing and I held my breath. I prayed and pressed send and kept repeating in my head. "God is still good no matter what. God is still good no matter what. God is still good no matter what."
But please God. Please let the results be negative. Please let this be strep throat or tonsillitis or some big massive fluke. Please let this be a crazy story we tell everyone about on our summer break. Let it be the crazy story where the doctors thought Mason maybe could have had cancer but they were totally wrong and he was okay and summer went on to be fun and perfect and our biggest problem was fitting all of our suitcases in the car on the way to the family vacation.
But then I got the answer. The results came back positive for cancer.
Mason had cancer.
Mason, my handsome boyfriend of almost five years, the love of my life, my whole everything, had cancer.
I had to keep saying it to myself to understand it was real. He has cancer. This is real life. Mason has cancer.
I paced around the bathroom trying to walk through the next steps in my head and map it all out:
People with cancer get chemo so he'll probably go in every few weeks and get some chemo and maybe radiation. Maybe he will have to go to one of those cancer clinics. Maybe he'll lose his hair. Maybe, maybe, maybe.
Little did any of us know, within the next 14 hours Mason would be rushed to the ER, life-lighted to a hospital 4 hours away, and would start chemo that night. Mase had stage four sparatic Burkitt Lymphoma. We wouldn't find out until weeks later from his oncologist that Mason had only hours to live unless he was treated with chemo as soon as possible.
I drove up to the hospital he was life-flighted to, with my mom, and I started into survival mode. There was no room to feel or think or eat. Just stay alive and get to Mason.
I realized there was literally nothing I could possibly do in the entire universe but pray.
I listened to "What a Friend we have in Jesus" by Aretha Franklin, the gospel song "You" by Snoop Dog, "Not Today Satan" by KB, and "Because He Lives" by Rev. Cleophus Robinson over and over and over and over until we got there. Just survive.
When I got to the hospital and finally got to Mason, he was just about ready to start chemo and he was literally barely hanging on to life.
I sat in a chair across from his bed and tried to say something remotely encouraging.
"Good job babe, you can do it."
"You're doing awesome Mase."
"You did great babe, I'm so proud of you"
What do you even say to someone getting chemo? I definitely didn't know, and still don't know that there's anything anyone could possibly say. But, I promised myself right there that no matter what, that I was there for his first chemo treatment and I would absolutely be there with him when he got his last.
If you've ever had someone you love go through cancer, serious illness, disease, or pain, you know the feelings and thoughts I'm about to describe.
You start pleading with God, "Please just let it be me. Let me switch places with him and let me do this instead. I will do anything in the world if you let it be me instead of him."
And, "Please God, let this be a mistake. Let them walk in and say that it was all a misunderstanding and let us walk out and hold hands and drive away to never come back here."
And, "God I just pray for one more second. I pray for one more second with him, one more moment with him, one more of his laughs, one more of his dad jokes, one more hug, one more drive, one more 'I love you', one more God.
Please, God. Please."
And if you're familiar with these prayers and pleads you are also familiar with the gut wrenching feelings that follow. Your heart breaks over and over and over, every time you see their pain. Your body physically hurts because the person you love more than anything in the world is sick and there isn't one thing you can do for them.
You leave to cry in the hospital bathroom 10 times a day and feel anxiety creep over you and sit on your chest like a bag of bricks.
The night before Mason was diagnosed, I prayed, and prayed, and prayed. I listened to gospel music, I read every verse I could think of that had to do with faith, and I texted everyone I knew to pray for Mason's diagnosis. I kept reading Matthew 17:20, "He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here' to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
I told God, "I have faith that tomorrow the results will be negative. I promise I have faith. Help me have faith."
I had no idea what would happen or the long summer that was ahead of Mase, but I absolutely, without a single doubt knew God was telling me, "Keep having faith. Mason will be healed. Have faith in my promises. Have faith in Me."
I took that as a Mason will get a negative test result and his tonsillitis will go away, not a Mason has cancer but have faith that I will heal him. As you can imagine, that was not the answer I wanted or expected. But, I remembered the last time I had walked through a devastating life event and chose not to trust God and how lonely, destructive, and painful it was, so I decided my odds were better if I decided to stick with the God of the universe this time.
This sounds like a simple, cute, easy thing you can just say and do but I promise you, and as I'm sure you are well aware, this is one of the most difficult decisions you can choose to make.
I had a promise from God that He would heal Mason, and not everyone gets that.
Not everyone gets a promise of healing, not everyone that has faith is healed. Not everyone that trusts God is healed of cancer. Not everyone that says "God I'll do it your way" will get to walk out of a hospital room with the person they love. And truly I don't know why. No one does.
And I don't know why God said yes to my prayers. I don't know why He blessed us with the gift of healing Mason. I don't why Mason got a highly treatable cancer.
And honestly, I don't know the heart-wrenching and devastating feelings of pain and confusion people feel when they choose to say "Yes God I trust you still. You still are good" when God says no. All I can speak from is what God said to me.
It's easy to say the words, but it's hard to follow through when you're scared. It's hard to trust God when the love of your life is coughing up blood and can't lift his head or hold your hand. It's hard to trust when your heart hurts so much you don't want to get out of bed. But trusting God is the only thing you can do.
You can take it all on yourself, you can play the fears over and over in your head, you can try to think up impossible solutions that don't exist, and you can hold it all in and bottle it up inside. That's a very real option, but the truth is it's counterfeit. You can trick yourself into believing you're in control and take in on by yourself, you can worry until you throw up, but whether or not you admit it to yourself, God is in control. God is in control regardless of what you choose to believe or not believe. This is His world. He is God. He is calling the shots. You can try to stop a car by being a backseat driver, you can stand in front of it and try to push it back, you can point where you want it to go, but unless you're driving, you have no control of the car. God was the driver and I could put myself through the unnecessary pain of trying to push a car around, or I could just get in the passenger seat. Trust me when I say I learned that from experience.
So I got in.
For me, once I realized that, everything changed.
I realized I could let the fears control my every move, I could believe the lies Satan was trying to sell me, and "carry the burden myself" but all that was was nonsense that I was lying to myself about because I wanted to feel like I was the one pulling the strings. But no matter how hard I tried or how much I lied to myself, God was in control and lying about my control and making myself feel more authoritative on the situation was not helpful, not practical, and was definitely not trusting God. If I had to coerce my subconscious into believing something false to give my trust to God, I wasn't really trusting God. And, it helped me get a grip on faith. Let me tell you, I had all kinds of misunderstandings and messed up ideas about faith. But, I started grasping that faith isn't expecting nothing from God, saying I trusted Him, and then being surprised if He answered my prayer. Faith is saying I trust you completely and my confidence resides in you regardless of any other person or circumstance. I realized that faith isn't realistic because God isn't realistic. God holds reality in His hands, and if He says yes, literally no one can say no.
Faith wasn't believing that God would take Mason's cancer away just because I believed He would; Faith was recognizing the circumstances, understanding Mason had cancer, and saying, "God I believe you can and will heal Mason from cancer and I will trust you through the process."
I could choose to pray, I could choose to give the God of the universe all of my cares and burdens, I could choose to cast allllll of my cares on Him, or I could literally forfeit my peace and needlessly carry it around.
When I say I prayed all day, I prayed alllll day. Especially the first week Mason was getting treated. Somedays all I could do to get through the day was listen to Aretha again singing "What a friend we have in Jesus" on repeat and walk around the hospital in my fuzzy slides for hours praying for Mason, praying for his strength, his healing, his body, his mind, cursing cancer in the name of Jesus, and praying to just make it through the next five minutes. I screenshot-ed verses about trust, worry, healing, faith, love, and would sit and read through them 100 times over. Faith isn't just a one time decision you make and then you're locked in and good to go forever, happily ever after, it's all roses now. Trusting God is a decision you have to make constantly. Sometimes every hour, every second, every breath.
Right away, when the doctors were able to identify that Mason had Burkitt Lymphoma, they gave a report for a very positive outlook. Burkitt Lymphoma has an over 90% cure rate and Mason's doctors were confident from the beginning, but warned about the extremely intense chemotherapy regimen. They planned four cycles of chemotherapy in three months. They explained it as "throwing the everything and the kitchen sink" at it. Mase went on to get multiple chemos everyday for one to two weeks at a time. After each chemo cycle, they let his body build up the minimal amount of blood cells, white blood cells, neutrophils, etc. give him blood products if he didn't have enough, and then hit the cancer again as hard as they could with chemo and the cycle continued. Mason handled every second like an absolute champ. He was brave, he was calm, he was kind and loving even when everyone around him was absolutely losing it. He made his nurses laugh even on his hardest days. He seriously killed it.
On September the thirteenth of two thousand and nineteen, Mason rang the bell in the hospital cancer clinic and walked away after hearing the official confirmation that his cancer was gone and he was in remission.
I know without a doubt that Mason is alive because of God and His love and mercies. I know Mason is here today because of the prayers of his family in Christ from all around the world. I know that the doctors flew him to a hospital four hours away while he was dying, with hours to spare, because God's hand was at work.
I couldn't explain to you how or why, but I know for a fact that God has, is, and will use it for His glory.
When you're so close to losing someone you love, everything changes.
When you turn from your problems being what latte to get during your break at your job where you sell people $300-a-month gym memberships, to praying your loved one survives, your perspective gets a reality check.
Every second becomes a gift. Every laugh they laugh is a "Praise God". Every hug and kiss is the best moment of your life. You thank God for their silly dad jokes and crazy stories and every moment you get. Even when you're frustrated or annoyed, you are thankful that you have them and wake up grateful to God that they're alive.
Problems become nothing because at least you're alive.
Every time someone gets your order wrong or is rude at Target or you feel like complaining about your job you remember that you're alive, you have air in your lungs and a life God has given you and pray for those who are still sitting in the hospital room and cannot leave.
I can't explain why Mase was healed. I can't tell you why he got Burkitt Lymphoma or is where he is today. All I can do is share the story and tell you this:
Trust God.
Thank Him everyday.
Thank Him for every breath and every single thing He has given you.
Turn to Him when your heart is shattered and there is no hope.
Love to the absolute fullest.
Do what you love.
Don't waste your time, it's so brief and short.
Hug your family. Kiss your loved ones. Tell them how much you love them every single day.
Don't let your spilled coffee or late Uber or slow internet waste a moment of your time or energy, but instead thank God you live where you do and have money for Starbucks and that you have 8 minutes to share God's love with a random stranger Uber driver and that you have a phone that gets slow internet.
Live your life to the fullest you can for God and love those around you like He loves you.