Give Up Your Rock

I’ve been buying into a lie. It’s a lie that tells me that this world is going to shake me sometimes and I need to figure out the best way to combat that. I need to better manage my time. I need to set better goals. I need to make better plans.

Life is full of surprises.

Make lemonade.

Go with it.

Sometimes, I am so caught up in those lies that I become really good at trying to find rest in myself— only I’m woefully wrong. I realized the depth of my error when I tried making my own rock, when I tried making my own place of rest.

You can guess what happened because it’s probably happened to you too.

I forgot that I don’t have to figure out how to nurse my aching soul. I forgot that no measure of work from my hands would ever amount to the refuge of God.

Psalm 62:1-2 tells us: My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Let’s stop believing that it’s OK to be shaken. God didn’t promise an easy life, but he did promise a life led by his will and a life marked by grace. Let’s meet those tough days with a decision to remain faithful to God. He is loving and strong, and our own efforts to save ourselves will fail.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of failing, and I’m tired of not finding rest in me. So here’s how you make a change: Give up your rock.

Whatever it is that you’ve built to make you better prepared for the wolves, for your job, for your marriage, for your life, give it up. Trust God to provide the rest you need with words that stand, that prevail, that save – and most of all, words that don’t lie.


by Amanda Casanova

Requited Love

By Julie Caulder

February is slated as a "month of love," It's a month where couples express their love towards each other while us singles wonder, "Where is our one?" I'm in the middle of navigating through singleness and trying solely to focus on God and lean on Him when I'm lonely. Sometimes it's easy, most of the time it's not. When you've gone through more rejection in your life than you can bear to count and we've uttered "I love you" than you care to remember, singleness is hard. We all want to be loved, treasured, and valued. When someone comes into our life and says those words, a part of us wants to believe it. Until this person is no longer in our life and we wonder if we'll ever experience it again.

Rejection is painful. Unrequited love is devastating.

Many of us walk around in life feeling unloved. We don't hear it enough or experience it enough. And some of us believe the lie we aren't worthy of being loved again after the love we extended wasn't returned. In my own life, I have believed this lie. I believed it to the point where I was willing to do anything to earn someone else's love. I fought and tried effortlessly to keep others in my life who weren't mine to be kept. In the end, I was abandoned and I wanted to give up on love. It were in these moments when God gently nudged my heart and drew me back to Him.

"God will use our rejection to restore our relationship with Him."

Looking back, I see why things happened in my life the way they did. God wanted my attention and He was going to remove everything in my life to gain it back. He wanted me to put Him first. In retrospect, I had abandoned my first love. We all fall into this trap. As women we like attention and the feeling of being needed and wanted by a man, but these men aren't Jesus.

We are flawed and broken. Two halves can't make a whole. We can only be made whole in Christ.

This was challenging for me as I've transitioned through seasons of singleness. Learning to put Him first and pursue and seek Him in everything, is where God has me now. He wants me to pursue Him passionately in everything. The more I seek Him, He reminds me I am not defined by any man or anything from my past. He calls me by name everyday and reminds me He loves me. While this truth hasn't always sustained me through depression and loneliness, it has been a beautiful reminder in my brokenness. Regardless of what others have done to me, He still loves and cares for me.

"God loves us as we are,  His love is requited for eternity."

In Him, we are accepted, needed, and wanted. Open your heart and experience the fullness of Christ's love. 

Scripture for reflection:
Romans 8:38-39

Image via: A Well Traveled Woman

Book Review: Pink Lips & Empty Hearts by Heather Lindsey

By Ashley Flores

"If you don't believe that you are 'good enough', you most likely won't believe that God can really use you. You'll get stuck in this circle of inferiority for the rest of your life and remain insecure."

The rookie publication of Christian pastor Heather Lindsey has answered the call of the Pink Lips & Empty Hearts: Completely Dressed Up & Broken Inside on New Year's Eve 2012 and the response was overwhelming to say the least. Electronic versions of the book were being purchased and downloaded within minutes of the announcement and hundreds of orders for the physical copy came pouring in. thousands of women who follow her ministry through Pinky Promise. In an attempt to help women begin 2013 renewed, refreshed and committed to living a life for Christ, Lindsey released

Eager to see what revelations waited on the crisp pages birthed from her personal victories and failures, I quickly grabbed my own copy.

If you are a frequent of Lindsey's blog, then it pleases me to say Pink Lips lives up to her raw and unedited way of communicating the amount of desire and dedication required to truly be a woman after God's own heart. Lindsey gives her readers an intimate look into her personal journey from a half-hearted Christian, to a "complete wreck" (as she would say), to a woman who is determined to walk in God's purpose for her life. This isn't a book about relationships with men, but something much more important; it's about establishing a true relationship with God. 

She does a wonderful job of discussing personal and relationship issues that are common amongst both single and married women. Chapters such as "The Joys of Marriage" serve as encouragement to single women who are hoping to be married one day, engaged women who might be nervous about what to expect as they enter this next chapter of their lives, and married woman who sometimes find the demands of marriage a bit overwhelming or are somewhat confused as what the role of a wife truly is.

The book also takes some blatant stabs at some of our culture's most popular music artists, genres and television shows as she explores how even self-proclaimed Christians often turn a blind-eye to the undeniable influence these media outlets have on our lives. In that same manner, Lindsey also addresses the importance of surrounding oneself with other like-minded believers to assist we come to understand the beautiful creations we are in Christ.  

Lindsey writes: "If you don't believe that you are 'good enough', you most likely won't believe that God can really use you. You'll get stuck in this circle of inferiority for the rest of your life and remain insecure." The conversational language used in Pink Lips makes Lindsey's message easy to understand, and even easier to share with other women. She allows readers to travel with her as she chronicles her struggle with self-image and self-worth; her uncertainties when choosing a career; her reoccurring habit to find comfort in unhealthy friendships and

intimate relationships; and her ultimate realization that her identity rested fully in the truth of Jesus Christ.

Lindsey's husband manages to sum up their desired response to her debut literary artwork in a prayer he placed in the book's introduction:

"It is my prayer that you find hope and enjoyment in what is pure, holy, purposeful, and true. It is my prayer that you identify yourself with the biblical principles written plainly in the Bible, rather than the qualities you see in the world today. I pray that you understand and begin to see yourself as precious and honorable. You are worth the wait."

Now, is the book perfect? Of course not. I've never read a book that was. But when it comes to content and purpose, I would definitely recommend this book to any woman who wants to grow closer to Christ, any woman who is tired of trying to figure out life on their own, any woman who doesn't want to give yet another part of herself to some random who simply fills lonely voids in her heart, but instead chooses to wait for the man God has chosen to be the priest of her home.

To our sister, Heather Lindsey: Congratulations and thank you for this.

Vegan Super Bowl Recipes

Guest Post by Natalie Borton

Apparently the Super Bowl is on Sunday. I admit, the only reason I know that is because Brian and I were invited to a party to watch the game. While I can't tell you who is playing without checking with Google, I can provide you with several recipes to make this weekend while watching the big game (or the commercials). Happy weekend, friends! Hope you use the game as an opportunity to connect with people in your community, and of course show people how tasty vegan food is :)

Guacamole and Chips // Cupcakes and Cashmere

Asian Corn & Avocado Salsa // Scaling Back

Sweet Potato Vegan Lasagna // Engine 2

Perfect Veggie Burger // Oh She Glows

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potatoes // Real Simple

Walnut Lovers' Chocolate Chip Cookies // Healthy. Happy. Life

Raw Brownies // Scaling Back

Will you watch the Super Bowl, or are you more of a commericals kind of girl like me?

---

This post was also published on Natalie's blog Thoughts By Natalie.

Natalie is a lover of the written word, avocados, beach picnics and champagne. She lives in San Diego with her hilarious and charming husband Brian and scruffy puppy Maggie, and is a Managing Editor for Darling Magazine. In all she does, she strives to inspire and empower women to live healthy, confident lives of true beauty. See more of her work at www.natalielynnborton.com, and find her blogging at www.thoughtsbynatalie.com.

What Will You Decide?

Did you know that each of us make about 35,000 choices a day? That’s 12775000 per year. The thought alone overwhelms me; I’ve always been indecisive. Last year especially was a bit difficult for me, with all of the “big” decisions I had to make as a senior—such as which college should I attend… should I even go to college… and if so, what should I study… what do I even want to do for the rest of my life…

There’s a lot of pressure when you know that the course of your future lies on the decisions you make at that age. Especially when you have no idea if you’ll make the right one.  

But why is it that we are always so determined to make the right choice with those kind of decisions, yet often fail to consider the choices in smaller areas of our lives?Sure, big decisions may look as if they affect our future more. However, they may only come about three times per year. So what about those other 12774997 choices?

Obviously as a teenager, there are plenty “big decisions” we have to make about our future.  However, those are not the only ones that will affect our future for the rest of our lives. The “small decisions” that we make every day actually affect us more than we realize—and whether you believe it or not, the person that you are today is based on the decisions that you made yesterday. 

So why do we not give as much attention to those small areas as well? Someone may go back and forth for months about which college to attend, yet may not give even a second thought to the kind of people they’re hanging out with. The “small decisions” we make—such as skipping homework, cheating on a test, or lying to our parents—impact our future just as much as those “big decisions”. 

"Are you making your choices for God, or are you deciding by whatever seems desirable in the moment?"

No, these decisions are not to be viewed as little; they direct the course of our lives. Ask yourself: are you making your choices for God, or are you deciding by whatever seems desirable in the moment? As a Christian, it is important that we keep God first in every area of our lives. And if you ever need help with choosing the right thing, ask God to guide you. If you ask, He will show you which way to go in every big and small decision that you make.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.” ~James 1:5

This year, be aware of all of the little decisions that you may make—they’ll cost you more than you think. Remember that our decisions are not just temporary.

“A wise person will understand what to do, but a foolish person is dishonest. Fools don’t care if they sin, but honest people work at being right.” ~Proverbs 14:8-9

One lie that the enemy loves to feed us is that “just a little” isn’t a big deal. Have you ever been in a situation such as that? Maybe you’re at a party and you think that just a sip of alcohol won’t hurt; going just a little far with your boyfriend is okay; copying your friend’s homework just this one time is no big deal. However, if you think back to the Garden of Eden, this is exactly what Adam and Eve believed as well. Satan deceived Eve into thinking that just one little bite isn’t a big deal. It’s just an apple; surely it can’t be that bad. Think about the regret Eve must have had afterwards! If only she hadn’t allowed Satan to trick her into believing that the one little decision was harmless. 

“There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again—it leads straight to hell. Sure, those people appear to be having a good time, but all that laughter will end in heartbreak.” ~Proverbs 14:12-13

"Be determined to live this year entirely for Him in every area of your life—the “big”, as well as the “small”."

Strive to make better decisions this year. As you can see with the story of Adam and Eve, just one little rash decision can take you off the path that God had you on. Don’t do anything you’d regret and mess up the future God had planned for you, all because you decided to make a selfish decision that was against God’s will. Be determined to live this year entirely for Him in every area of your life—the “big”, as well as the “small”.

 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.”

~Psalm 37:5

However, don’t just be determined not to make wrong decisions; be determined to make good decisions as well. This includes not skipping out on your daily quiet time with God, or deciding to invite your friend to church, or maybe sitting with the loner in the cafeteria rather than your friends. All of your choices have consequences—for every action there will be a reaction. What will the reactions to your choices be? 

“Wise people are careful to stay out of trouble,

but fools are careless and quick to act.”

~Proverbs 14:16

If you have made decisions in the past that you regret, remember that God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23). Let this year be a new start, a clean slate. It’s never too late to turn your life around and start making better choices. You have never gone too far to call on God and ask him to redirect your life so that your decisions are more pleasing to Him. Refuse to allow yesterday’s choices to keep you from experiencing all that God has in store for you today. Be determined to be a new person this year, and allow God to guide every step you may take.

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” ~Proverbs 16:9

You don’t just make your decisions—your decisions are making you. So choose wisely. Each year brings a whole new set of 12775000 choices that will determine the rest of your life.

What will you decide?

Tessa Hall is a 19-year-old coffeeholic and author of Purple Moon. She is also the editor over the faith department for Temperance Magazine, as well as a contributing writer for Imagine Mag, More To Be, & Real Teen Faith. She loves acting, music, Starbucks, and her imperial Shih Tzu—who is named Brewer after a character in her book, as well as her love for coffee.

Our Struggle with Sin

"Imagine if you suddenly learned that the people, the places, the moments most important to you were not gone, not dead, but worse, had never been. What kind of hell would that be?"
I watched A Beautiful Mind for the first time this past weekend. The screen went black, the credits rolled, and my jaw stayed dropped to the floor for a solid moment as I absorbed the complexity of the film. Most striking of all, though, was the spiritual metaphor that transpired out of the protagonist's struggle with schizophrenia.

It parallels our struggle with sin.

(Spoiler alert!) The story follows John Nash, an incredible genius of a man who, during grad school, develops severe schizophrenia. We, the viewers, figure this out halfway through the film. And we mourn for John. We mourn for his wife. We mourn for their darling child--as John attempts to battle the mental disease. He spends time in the mental ward getting shock therapy, and he takes medication that saps away his life.

John and his wife eventually rethink the therapy and medication. She encourages him that he must look within the heart – the will – to get past his deep struggle.If he sets his mind – his strongest asset – to realizing who is real and who is imagined, then maybe – just maybe – John can begin living again in reality.

At the end of the film, we see John as a seventy-some year old man, teaching college courses and accepting the Nobel Peace Prize.

We also see his imagined friends lingering ominously in the background. So does he,
even still.

When asked if he continually saw imaginary people, John replies: "I still see things that are not here. I just choose not to acknowledge them. Like a diet of the mind, I just choose not to indulge certain appetites; like my appetite for patterns; perhaps my appetite to imagine and to dream."

Just as John set his mind to ignoring his "friends", so we set our minds against the power of sin over our lives.
"Our sin nature takes a backseat to our new nature in Christ."
Like John, we all struggle with our respective sins--the very habits, thought patterns, and words that we cannot seem to kick to the curb.

So frustrating, isn't it? What is with this ever-present tension? We are a new creation in Christ Jesus, and yet our sins linger and tempt us and threaten us.

The fact of the matter is that our sin is like John's imaginary friends: hanging out, waiting to be acknowledged and acted upon in a moment of weakness. This is the tension: That although we are a new creation, freed from the power of sin, we still live imperfect lives in a fallen world.

Paul writes of this ever-present struggle with our sin nature (Romans 7):

"21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?"
"There is another power within us that is at war with our minds, making us slaves to sin."
This is why such tension exists between what we want to do, and what we know God wants us to do! Our sin lingers on the sidelines, hoping we will grant it attention and give it some semblance of reign in our lives.

If you feel this tension in your day to day, you are not alone!

Even Paul was with you in this battle against the flesh ("What a miserable person I am!"). And every one of your brothers and sisters experiences the battle, too.

Why does this tension exist?

If we are a new creation in Christ Jesus, then why do our sins still creep on us and tempt us to act? Think of our heavenly nature this way: It is now, but not yet. When we accept Jesus as the only One who can reconcile us with God through His selfless death, we are gifted all the joys of heavenly inheritance! But, the fact of the matter is that we still live in a fallen world, with imperfect bodies and minds. Our victory--our true identity--is now, but not yet.

Paul has more to say, however, in answer to his question "Who will free me?"

25 Thank God!

The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin."

In Jesus Christ and His power to overcome death, you have been gifted complete victory over your sin nature!

Although still present in this life, sin is not the end. It holds no triumph over you!

So then, what should we say to our sin, according to the Bible? How do we stand against the threat of sin, looming in the background of our days? Jump on over to The Identity Project to read about what Paul says is the truth about our sin...