Victory

photo credit- ms. pat @usmga

What is victory?

The winning goal, the last jump cleared

the touchdown scored, the audience cheered

the prize is won, the trophy claimed

the crown received, the win attained.

But...

When you return home, after dark, to the light

when you hear the first cry and the baby’s alright

when you make your friend giggle, when your sister’s cheered up

when you make your first project, or cook your first sup.

And...

When Jesus is pleased, when your faith’s growing strong

when God gets the glory, when you know that you’re wrong

when you’ve served the LORD and you’ve seen that it’s fun

when you first hear God say “I am pleased with my son.”

Victory.

Of rejection, dejection, and everything in between

First know, fair readers, that this should have been posted a week and a half ago. But so should a lot of things have been.

On Friday, March 15, I auditioned for Kentucky's Governor's School for the Arts in Music Theatre and Drama.

On Sunday, April 14, I opened my rejection letter from the KYGSA administrators.

Did it sting? Yes.

Did I cry? No.

Did I avoid telling my sisters? Yes.

Did I immediately throw the letter away and then pull it out of the trash ten minutes later? Maybe. :)

Thing is, rejection hurts. It always has, and it always will. It was the first punishment of Adam and Eve- rejection from God's presence and God's garden and God's plan for them.

It was the punishment of the Israelites in the desert- rejection from the Promised Land.

It was Jesus' greatest injury on the cross- rejection by His beloved Father.

It's the reason girls are so worried about their weight, their clothes, their speech, their cover photo, their image. The fear of rejection.

It's the reason guys act so macho until you get to know them. Fear of rejection.

Here's the deal: rejection is actually a big part of most of our lives.

Here's the truth: It doesn't matter one bit!

Leviticus 26:11

I will place My residence among you, and I will not reject you.

Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

God loves us no matter what the world thinks of us. And He does not want us to give up!

So even though I did not get into the program I have dreamed about since seventh grade, I can't give up now. Look at how much I've poured into my acting career. Look at how much God has poured into us. He didn't just forgive us, He adopted us! That's a big deal!

As I was walking out to give the horse hay seconds after reading my rejection letter, I was thinking all sorts of thoughts about how I wasn't good enough for them, and how I must not be as good as I think I am (which really is not saying much; I have been known to be a bit vain in the secret courts of my heart) when all of a sudden a thought popped into my head. I'm not kidding- something completely new,fully formed, and practically spoken to me.

I thought, "I can reject myself and give up, or I can hone my skills and prepare for next year." Because, I thought next, I am my own worst enemy, and I am more critical of myself than I should be.

Please don't take this as vanity that I am such a great actor, or that I have so much self confidence, or even that I always hear when God talks to me, because it isn't that at all. I just wanted to share something that has been on my mind and that I my self really need to remember. In the words of Pastor Greg:

"What society puts out, God puts in. What the world writes off, God picks up."

Blogging through the alphabet- A

Hello friends!

 I have decided to attempt a series, and the one I have chosen is Blogging Through the Alphabet. Ta-daaa!

A is for...

America.

Being American is entirely different from being a citizen of almost any other country for three (main) reasons:

*note- I will take a fairly Republican view in this post for the sake of my Republican friends. you can ask me later if you want.

1. Freedom

This is basically the reason America was established in 1776- freedom, liberty, and justice for all. Today, freedom often means the absence of control- of boundaries- of oppression- of slavery. This sounds all well and good- until the implications sink in. Freedom of this kind carries a huge responsibility...do we all want to be solely responsible for ourselves with no guidance or perimeter whatsoever? No! The problem with the modern interpretation of freedom is that it leaves no room for moral considerations, adopting instead a "I live for myself" attitude which is extremely dangerous to others and to self. This contemporary definition of freedom is very different from the noble ideas which birthed our country. Then, it was freedom from oppression, freedom to rule ourselves, and most importantly, freedom to follow God's laws.

1 Peter 2:16

Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

Galatians 5:13

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

God's law clearly states that man's "freedom" can be perilous, and I believe the founders of our country recognized that fully. Our forefathers made provisions for man's freedom of speech, freedom of living, freedom of most choices, yet left boundaries in place to prevent us harming ourselves or one another. Though prohibiting drugs may seem like a violation of freedom, by God's definition this is freedom: freedom to follow God's laws uninhibitedly. 

However, it makes me very sad to see this freedom encroached on in recent years. Laws which attribute the care of widows and orphans to the State, not the church. Abortion legalized. And we have no say. Regardless of our policy of...

2. Democracy

The ability to rule ourselves. This is what the revolutionaries fought for 200 years ago- to slip from under the thumb of a faraway king and make our own decisions, as a country. This most definitely sets us apart from many other nations around the world, which are ruled, not governed, by dictators and kings. We, however, have the chance to vote and make a difference (*note- problems with the voting system- email)  

3. Founded on Christian principles

This is the biggie. Why is "under God" in our pledge? Why did the original laws of the country mirror the ten commandments? Why is there a prayer at the inauguration? Because America was founded of Christian principles. Why, then, are children compulsorily taught the opposite of God's word in schools? Why are teachers not allowed to pray? Why can home churches be "zoned" away?

Because America has fallen. Hard. Along with the rest of Creation. We need God to come in and rule our people once more. The corruption and hardship will cease when Jesus returns. I fear lately that this is the only hope for our freedom. But I know that God is in the room, and God is in control, and God will bring us home.

This is what it means to be an American.

Jared Anderson – Hear Us From Heaven

Perfect Love casts out fear

Do you know what the opposite of love is?

Hate?
No.

Anger?
No.

Exasperation?
No.

The Bible says the opposite of love is fear.

1 John 4:18:
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 

New Oxford American Dictionary defines fear as:

fear |fi(ə)r|nounan unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat: drivers are threatening to quit their jobs in fear after a cabby's murder | fear of increasing unemployment | he is prey to irrational fears.
If you look at hate, anger, and exasperation, the root of all of them is fear. Fear of rejection,  fear of failure, fear of imperfection, fear of fear.
We've all experienced it. Fear is unpleasant.There is no way you would want fear. Especially when it is keeping you from something as wonderful as perfect love.
But as annoying, paralyzing, and nerve-wracking as fear is, it is not unavoidable. It is not invincible. It is overcomeable.

Isaiah 41:10‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ 

Here's the kicker: if you want to be free of fear and ready for perfect love, you have to trust God.
Let me tell you from experience how hard this is. It is so easy to get sidetracked by the danger,  the worry, the fear.

Matthew 6:34 

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

God needs us to trust Him with our everything.

Psalm 55:22Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

God's perfect love casts out all fear.