The Next It Girl | Part 2 of 3

Previously in “The Next It Girl”, we chatted about how our name and reputation reflect our walk with God.  Being God’s It Girl isn’t about what you wear, who you know, where you’ve been and what you are doing. It starts with your name.

Your name is your reputation and your resume. Your name will be how others remember you and the God they come to know through relationship with you. Your name will be remembered long after you are gone and so will all that is associated with your name.  Your name has the power and influence to be a blessing, change someone’s life and effect change within your sphere of influence.

Part two of “The Next It Girl” is about how to have swag from the inside out.  Sounds strange, I know!  Usually, swag is seen on the outside: what you wear, how you walk, the way you talk and how you carry yourself, which is preciously why your swag starts from the inside out.  Let’s take a look at our culture for a moment.

The “next it girl” according to the standards of this world, possess some of the following: looks, demeanor and influence.  Take for example, movie and sports stars.  Those that are epitomized by media and idealized by humanity, tend to act and dress a certain way.  Additionally, they are able to influence others to a certain degree.  Their image is everything.  Teeth, legs, arms, smiles, hands, fingers and so forth are getting insured for millions; their money maker is at stake and God forbid that something should happen to them, they are covered. 

Media does a great job at using and abusing people for profit. Once one “it girl” fades into yesterdays, the “next it girl” is the wing waiting to take her place. Compliments of her team, the “next it girl” has an element of swag that others want to emulate: trendy, seen at the hot spots, showcases the finest accessories and rollin up in the most luxurious ride.  Don’t get me wrong, rocking your swag that is unique to you is awesome! Do it, own it, rock it, live it, and whatever you do, do it from the inside out and not the outside in. 

When you are looking for the “A Team” to help you with your swag, you are in great hands. First, this team will not use and abuse you, guaranteed. Second, this team will not let you down, abandon you or mislead you. Most importantly, this team has nothing but your best interest in mind; they know the plan, stick to the plan and are patient in the midst of the plan coming together.  Your “A Team” is none other than the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. If you don’t believe me, then walk with me for a moment.

Throughout the Old Testament, we are told about the perfect and unconditional love of God for his people; that God knew us before we were a twinkle in the eyes of our parents, our steps are ordered, the hairs on our head are numbered and our paths are in his full view.  Ephesians explains the blessings of being a Christian and Paul helps us understand exactly what love truly is.

John tells us that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, the Word is in fact God. Then that same Word became flesh and dwelt among us, Jesus Christ.  Taking our shame and sin upon himself, he endured the cross and conquered death.  Leaving to prepare a place for us, we are given the Holy Spirit to be with us in every facet of our life as our teacher, helper, counselor, protector, comforter and so forth.

If you are looking for swag, God has it in spades.  He knows the times and the seasons, the creator of color and is the standard.  He knows how all things work together, the beginning from the end. God knows what’s in the heart of man, his needs before he speaks them and sees when we sit, stand, come and go. God’s wisdom confounds the wise, he gives beauty for ashes and joy for mourning. When trials and situations come, he is there every step. He leads us to green pastures, quiet waters, through the valley of the shadow of death, valleys of weeping and to doors of hope.

God knows the philosophies of this world are based on human traditions and principles of man. He is right when he speaks and just when he judges.  In wisdom and understanding, God created heaven and earth.  When you are looking for power and influence, look to the one who commands the stars, by his very words, rains fall and flowers bloom; nothing moves until he speaks.

What does swag look like? It’s peace in the midst of the storm, it’s perseverance, it’s boldness and courage to stand up for what is right, it’s giving water and food to your enemy, caring for the poor and loving your neighbor as yourself. It’s showing grace, extending mercy, finding a need and filling it.

Paul tells us that our body is temporary, that it’s wasting away daily. Matthew pens the words of Jesus that we should not worry about what we will eat, drink and wear.  Whatever hope and faith we put into something other than God, we will be let down. 

Swag naturally flows out of your relationship with God; the deeper your relationship, the greater your swag. It’s in your relationship with God that you know who you are in Christ, your unique skills and abilities as well as your purpose. When your relationship with God is deep and abiding, it’s not teetering on the trends of this world.

You may be thinking, I’ve made too many wrong choices and am too far gone for God’s love to be for me too.  That is 100% a lie to keep you from receiving all that God has for you. There are lies you’ve believed that have become so much a part of your name and nature that you don’t even realize they are a lie. 

Write down what you believe about yourself and what people say about you.  Now, find out what the Bible says about you.  If what you believe about yourself and what others have said about you line up with the Word of God, then awesome! If not, then make a choice at that moment to replace the lie with the truth.  God’s love for you does not expire or fade over time.

Heart to Heart:
·         Where is your relationship with Christ at?
·         Are you putting your faith and hope in things more than you are in God?
·         Are you allowing God to change your name and nature or you trying to emulate someone else?
·         How are you developing the unique person that God created you to be?

The Next It Girl | Part 1 of 3

When I meet people, there are a couple of things that I try and find out. First, I love to learn a little bit about them: what they like to do, where they’ve traveled, where they want to travel, what are some of their favorite places.  This helps me to remember them if I haven’t committed their fabulous outfit to memory yet. And yes, I’m that annoying girl who somehow remembers what you wore the first time I met you.  It’s not to say that I’m keeping tabs, but let’s say you stroll up with a bold shoe, a flattering dress, styled your hair or make up just so or perhaps you were rockin’ a piece of jewelry that complimented your outfit. You can bet that I will remember that I met you, what you wore, where we were when we met and something about our conversation.

Second thing I love to get to know about a person is where they are from and how their family is doing.  Your roots are the most important thing in this life: where you’ve come from and where you’ve been. Your family is the biggest influence and support system in your life.  If at any time, I get the privilege of meeting someone, I will be asking about the family. 

Last but not least, I love to learn about your name: what does it mean? Have you ever noticed how influential a person’s name is? For example, I know mother’s to be who will pass up a name that reminded them of “so and so” from way back when.  What about products?  Bad products get bad reputations and good products get great reputations; the name associated with that product speaks to the reputation. How about the people you’ve dated, befriended or perhaps supervisors:  what does their name say about their reputation?

The Bible is the finest example for studying people’s names, their meaning and how their life reflected the meaning of their name.  Going Old Testament for a moment, the name of a person had significant meaning.  You find names chosen from endured trials, answer to prayers, miracles from God, attributes and so forth. For example, Judah, means praise. This is pretty significant for in the Old Testament the first tribe to lead out to battle was Judah.  What about the enemies of Israel? The enemies that Israel faced, the other tribes, had significant meaning behind their name: bitterness, wickedness, fear, hardness, soreness, etc.

The best names in the Bible to study are the names of God. For when you study the names of God, you learn about whom God is, his attributes; how you can rest, rely and trust in the Lord.  If you could simply replace the names of God with a name of a “god” it wouldn’t be the same. You can’t exchange the name of God for a “god” because there is a character and attribute connected with the name of God. Think about it for a moment, how many attributes are associated with the name of God? And with those attributes, how has God shown himself in your life: as a Rescuer, Comforter, Helper, Strong Tower, Righteousness, Father, Friend, Healer, King, Lord, Deliverer, Salvation, Savior, Provider, Protector, Justice, Counsel, Teacher and etc.?

Let’s check out some of the names of God:  

·         Adonai is a combination of “God” and “Lord”, in which we might say, “Lord God”.

·         Yahweh means “to be”.

·         Elohim is used to identify Himself, “reflecting divine majesty and power”.

·         Elyon literally means “supreme God” or “most loved God”.

·         El Shaddai or “God Almighty”

·         Jehovah-Jireh means “the Lord will provide”.

I don’t know about you, but when I study the names of God, talk about who God is, I can’t help but smile and get excited.  Is God like man that he should lie or say one thing and do another?  If we ask God for a loaf of bread, will he give us a scorpion?

Proverbs 22.1 is a verse near and dear to my heart, “a good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” Did you get that; “a good name is more desirable than great riches”!  Think about it for a moment. Read the verse a couple more times if you need to. Okay, now riddle me this: what does your name reflect?

The world in which we live will judge you by what you wear, what you drive, where you live and what you have or don’t have.  It will condemn you for what you believe and black list you for not going along with them.  To be God’s It Girl, has a greater value and is more challenging to maintain. Why? Great question!

Being God’s It Girl doesn’t start with the having the right look or the things.  It’s not about the clothes you wear, what you drive, where you went to school or didn’t, who you’ve dated or haven’t, what you’ve achieved or not.  Being God’s It Girl starts with your name.

Think about it for a second: when God made a covenant with Abram that he would greatly increase his numbers and from that point on, God changed his name from Abram to Abraham. He went from “high father” to “father of great multitude”. Before Jacob wrestled with the Angel, his name meant deceiver. After the wrestling match was over, Jacob was forever changed and so did his name, “who prevails with God”.

Your name will be your reputation and your resume. Your name will be how others remember you and the God they come to know through relationship with you. Your name will be remembered long after you are gone and so will all that is associated with your name.  Your name has the power and influence to be a blessing, change someone’s life and effect change within your sphere of influence.

Maintaining a name that is more desirable than riches requires discipline.  It requires you to stay in right relationship with God, make good choices, live a pure life and do your best to reflect who God is in your life on an on-going basis.

So how about it, what do you say: are you God’s It Girl?

New Approach: The Uphill Climb

{journey continued from new approach: ugh oh!}

When I was in Germany a couple of years ago, we went on a bike ride.  It started out lovely: a beautiful spring day, some where in the 70's, flowers in bloom and rolling green fields for miles. Our downhill decline became sharper and momentum naturally picked up. Shortly after we set out, my mom flies by yelling out “peddle faster!” Now experience has taught me that any piece of sports equipment that I’m on combined with a downhill incline of any sort, never ends good for me.  Someone inevitably has to clean me up or take me to the hospital.

Armed with experience and the advice of my mom, I picked up the pace with hesitation.  As I veer around the corner, I see my first hill. Now, this may seem odd, but I love a good incline. Why? Because I have yet to get hurt going uphill and two, there is always an end in sight.  Passing my parents, I get to the top of the hill and enjoy the straightaway until I encounter the next hill.

As you know, with every change you make in life, there is the adjustment period which can be likened to that of my bike ride experience.  With every resolution, with every goal, with every plan, you will without a doubt, be met with an uphill climb.  We can’t ignore it, hide from it or find a way around it. It’s there, waiting for us with reason and purpose. Whether you ride it out, get off and push the bike up the hill or stop to take a breath, you will have to get up the hill at some point.

With all the changes I was ready to make, I realized rather quickly that I was going to need help. First things first, I got a counselor.  After a couple months passed, I had adjusted to the routine of consistently meeting, doing the homework and seeing results of my commitment. I was now ready for the next change: my morning routine.

While I love the Lord with my whole heart, my actions were starting to speak louder than my confession. I hadn’t settled on time with prayer, reading and studying the Word.  I had tried at night but kept falling asleep. I tried the afternoon, but kept getting bombarded with requests.  The morning seemed to be the least desirable because, quite honestly, I’m not a morning person. However the morning was the most logical.

Here is what I found that worked for me: I set my alarm for 6:30 am and head out the door by 7:00 am. For the next two miles, the Lord and I meet. Here is how I look at this time and why my perspective changed: it’s my appointment time to meet with the Lord.  Think about it for a moment: how often do we make time with God only to forget about it, arrive late, fall asleep or push it aside for someone else?

Would I make an appointment with you and treat it like a casual get together? Heck no! I love getting together with my girlfriends.  It’s a coveted time for me. So why would I treat my time with the Lord any different.  

IN THE MORNING

While I was walking and talking with the Lord, I made a resolve in my heart to not let my circumstances determine or sway my faith and trust in God. As I head out in the morning, I start off with praise and praying the Word.  It looks something like this:

“Thank you that you alone are God. Thank you that your Word is true, you are right when you speak and just when you judge. Thank you for being my provider and protector. Thank you that I am in full view of you, you examine my paths, order my steps, number the hairs on my head, see when I sit and when I stand, know my thoughts before I speak them and am the apple of your eye. Thank you for truth, wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge and the Word of God. Thank you for your Word that is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 

I believe your word to be truth; sharper than a double edged sword able to cut between the soul and the spirit, the bone and the marrow. I believe you gave me the desires of my heart. I believe you know the plans for me full of prosperity, hope and a future. I believe you are my righteousness, my hope and my help. I believe you are my strength, my shield…”

I ask the Holy Spirit to speak to my heart and share the truth about the each situation in my heart and on my thoughts. I talk about each anxious thought, worry and doubt. I ask the Lord to help me in my unbelief and help me to better understand his Word. I ask also for the help to see the situations and circumstances before me with through the eyes of Lord. 

Something that is super important, next to putting on the armor of God, is asking the Holy Spirit to fill me with the Spirit of truth, wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, fear of God, revelation, insight and interpretation.

Often when we are walking and talking, there will be a scripture that comes to mind. 

IN THE WORD
Here are some scriptures for you to take a look at (bold and italicized for emphasis):

Hebrews 12.1-3, NIV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Proverbs 14.12, NIV
There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.

Phillipians 4:8, NIV
… 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.

2 Timothy 3:5, NIV

…having a form of godliness but denying its power

Psalm 23:1-3, NIV

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.  He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

Ephesians 1:1-11, MSG

How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.  

Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.

It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

The story of this journey, "New Approach: God, Please Make Me Skinny" continues next Friday.

Until then, be blessed. Know that you’re an incredible woman of God. You have so much purpose and significance that can't be measured by the weights and values of this world. What is in you to give is so powerful, life giving and ignites a passion. No one is ever the same after they encounter you because of Jesus in you!

New Approach: Ugh Oh!

Have you ever been doing something, using the same approach and expecting different results? This the definition of insanity seemed to be my station in life.  I was right smack dab in the center of this definition.  Whatever I did, goal I set or direction I tried to pursue, I always seemed to end up with the same results.  And frankly, I was getting fed up.  At the point of being sick and tired of being sick and tired, something had to change.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of my life, the constant pressure to look a certain way, have it together, display my success through various means of pleasures and the latest greatest gadgets, something happened. When all is said in done, I was absolutely positively ready for a new approach. In the moments of honesty, a very real event was taking place. I warn you, it’s not pretty, it’s not glamorous, it’s not something easy.  It’s the process of coming undone.

First, I had to decide, who was in charge of my life: me or other people/things?.  Sounds like an odd place to start, and I totally hear you: “you should be in charge of your life, the captain of your ship, the commander and chief” (fist waving in the air). I was finding that ministry, lists and projects consumed my life, my schedule and swayed my faith and trust in God.

The very foundations of my life—time with God, principles that guided my life and the voice of the Holy Spirit—had taken a back seat to the everyday demands.  I had exchanged the "life abundantly" for it's counterfit. While I didn’t set out to be a captive of someone else’s vision, ministry or projects the reality is I had.  So, I had to ask myself the hard questions:

• Does my life line up with the Word of God or am I living according to the principles found in God’s Word?  

• What are the greatest influences in my life and are they pointing me towards God?
• What are the distractions in my life and how much of my resources are they consuming?
• Am I living the abundant life?
• What am I passionate about?

Unbeknownst to me, when I set out to grow closer to the heart of God and get healthy, I was embarking on a journey of freedom and restoration.   

The story of this journey, "New Approach: The Uphill Climb", begins next Friday  just got posted.

Until then, be blessed. Know that you’re an incredible woman of God. You have so much purpose and significance that can't be measured by the weights and values of this world. What is in you to give is so powerful, life giving and ignites a passion. No one is ever the same after they encounter you because of Jesus in you!

It's About Time

I imagine it’s a beautiful sunny day, where we are sitting outside a cozy café, sipping on a delicious beverage of choice. In hand, a temperate cup of peppermint hot chocolate slightly frothy. Cupping my mug with both hands, cuddled up on a patio chair, we sit down and commence our introductions. Like old friends apprehended by time and distance, we begin the interludes of our recent endeavors with much anticipation.

Born and raised in Southern California, I embarked on my young adult journey at 19 when I packed my ’84 Toyota Corolla and drove to Seattle, Washington.  Shortly after arriving, I started at Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington.  Finished school in 2002 and walked in 2003 with a degree in Biblical Literature; armed with an enormous amount of knowledge, zeal and lack of experience. Truth be told, I wasn’t ready to enter full time ministry: what does full time ministry look like, what does it entail, am I cut out for this and many other thoughts plagued my mind. 

Waiting out the thoughts, I volunteered in all the ministries I was passionate about: prayer, music, children, youth, young adults, senior adults, special people.  Making my way to Phoenix, Arizona, I charted in new waters as I took a job at Phoenix First Assembly.

Starting off as an assistant in the senior adult and special people ministry, recruited to help launch the capital campaign that resulted in a transfer of departments where I quickly became acquainted with HR/Risk Management/Insurance/Business Administration. During my time in this department, I also gained additional knowledge in assisting dual executive staff. Now fast forward to the last three years, I spent my days in the youth and young adult ministry, and my friend, this is where I currently reside.

You ask, “why this blog…why now?” Great question and so glad you asked! If I’ve learned anything these last five years, I’ve learned that it’s never too late to start something you love, to try something new and you only fail when you refuse to try.

There are many things I do well and many things I love to do, hence this blog. I am passionate about helping others grow closer in their walk with God, provide opportunity for self-discovery and to be your biggest cheerleader. 

This blog is uniquely designed to be the intimate conversations you have with your sister, your best friend. My prayer is that you will be encouraged, challenged, edified and find a safe place to learn and grow. So grab your favorite beverage, curl up on your most comfy piece of furniture and enjoy the brief interludes of our day!