Phil. 2:4

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but look out for the interests of others, too!

Having been in a triathlon club, our team would swim, bike, and run with each other to prep for big races. Although we trained as a team, there was an obvious sense of competitiveness among the group. Everyone wanted to have the fastest swim, the fastest transition, the fastest 5k split, the fastest overall time. Although we all wore the same blue and yellow jersey with the Strive triathlon logo on the front, we’d secretly hope to place higher than the others. When I saw a blue and yellow jersey on the triathlon course, I made it a point to catch and pass them, muttering a pathetic “nice job” as I inched ahead.

Although competitiveness can be somewhat accepted in athletics, there’s no need for it within the church family. We’re called to think of others more highly than ourselves, and holding the mindset the world revolves around us does nothing but hurt our brothers and sisters.

To be completely honest, I had a bad attitude coming into this program. Many of the girls at Pepperdine held a “ring by Spring” mentality, wanting to get married right out of college, and I’ll shamefully admit I was one of them. I came into this program with the mindset I’d get it over with as fast as possible in order to start my “real life” once I got home. I had one foot here in Guatemala and another back home in the States. When Pastor Mike was here, he pulled me aside out of the blue, telling me he needed to talk to me. I had barely talked to him prior to this meeting, but he spoke as if he knew my deepest secrets. “You have the rest of your life to be married and have kids... make sure you get everything out of this program you can and focus on being here.” I was stunned, and immediately laid my life plans at the foot of Jesus’s throne. He saw I wasn’t focusing on my relationships here, I was instead too busy worrying about my future life as a wife and mother.

There’s no I in Ignite. Well, actually there is... but Ignite is not a one-man show. We’re a team of 18 strong individuals with one single focus: growing closer to Jesus of Nazareth. We all left homes, family, friends, jobs, and opportunities behind to dedicate a year to the Lord and receive accelerated spiritual growth. Yes, we all have interests at home, but God called us here for a reason, and growing together as a family is essential.

Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2014

Phil. 2:5&6

You must have the same attitude Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.

Jesus was with God at the creation of the world, meaning He could have came down to Earth at any point in history. Should I go down to lead Your people out of Egypt? No, son, just wait. Should I go down to build an arc to repopulate the world? No, son, be patient. Should I go down to build Your mighty temple? Son, trust my timing.

God is never early and never late, and He decided where, when, and how His beloved Heavenly son would be born in the world to save the people. God chose the exact mother, exact town, and exact culture Jesus would grow up in. God also chose the exact death He’d have His son endure. He knew the Romans were particularly proud of their horrific crucifixions, and God knew a naked, gruesome death on a wooden, rugged cross would get His point across: He loved His people so much He’d allow His very own son to suffer tremendously in order to spark our interest in Him.

Jesus came down knowing His purpose, keeping a humble mindset from the very  start. He knew He’d resurrect just three short says later. He knew He would reign forever and ever at the right hand of God. He knew He’d be coming through the clouds in all His glory to judge everyone on the Earth. Yet, He shrugged off His impressive future and focused on serving the undeserving people He was placed with.

Jesus could have easily come down to Earth as a mighty ruler, taking over every kingdom, smuggling away diamonds and jewels, and assembling an army of millions, yet He decided to do the unexpected. He assembled an army of only twelve, equipping them not with swords and horses but with knowledge and encouragement.

Only the true God of the universe would allow His closest companions to die painful deaths of beheading, hanging, and crucifixion. He knew what their eternal future held: a gorgeous room in His Heavenly kingdom far surpassing anything this world has to offer. Jesus isn’t impressed by this world, He knows how fleeting life is and how hollow fame and power are. He knows what’s awaiting His followers in Heaven, advising them not to cling to the meaningless things of this world. If Jesus thought there was any worth in Earthly glory, He would’ve given His disciples all the riches and joy this world could offer. But He knew Earth doesn’t do Heaven justice; Heaven lasts forever, it’s the dwelling place of God, and that is where our reward is held. Would you rather have four dollars right now or four hundred dollars in a month? Trust in God’s sovoreignty and grace because He is and we are not.

He has the entire world in His hands, yet He told His followers to take the lowest seat at weddings. 

Thursday, Aug 28, 2014

Phil 2:7

Instead, He gave up His divine privileges, He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.

If you could choose one super power, what would it be? The ability to fly like Superman, run like the Incredibles, teleport like Jumper, become invisible like Harry Potter, bake like Maria? What if you could choose your genetic makeup, your parents, your hometown, your occupation, the amount in your wallet, whom you married? Unfortunately, we’re not given the ability to choose an imaginary power, what we look like, or whom we were born to. Although this can be seen as unfair, it makes each of us a unique part of Gods puzzle, each of us a patch on the quilt of Gods adopted children. But what if you could choose? What would you do? Who would you be?

Although we’re all dealt different hands at birth, there’s one who held the special key to choose. He chose every detail, choosing His parents, His friends, His looks, His wealth, His hometown, and even His superpowers. Who is it, you ask? Michael Jordan? Jay Z? Elvis Presley? No, the man able to choose His destiny was none other than Jesus Christ of Nazareth, a humble man born in an animal stable by lowly, young parents in a no-name small town with the job title of a carpenter. His closest friends smelled of fish, His followers came from brothels, and His stages consisted of street corners and dusty mountaintops.

Why did He choose this life? Why did He choose the superpower of healing street folk when He could have chosen elastic arms or laser vision? Why didn’t He hoard wealth, forcing everyone to fulfill His demands? Why didn’t He build the worlds greatest dynasty, creating a worldwide legacy for Himself with monuments, laws, and taxes? Why didn’t He sit on a golden throne, granting His every lust and desire?

The answer is simple: He didn’t come to please Himself. In fact, He didn’t think about Himself once, instead looking outward to the people and upward to His Father in Heaven. He used His years telling relatable parables to tax collectors, hugging street children, and eating dinner with those branded as “sinners.” Instead of teaming up with the city leaders, He put them to shame, shining light on their wicked practices and selfish thoughts. He died at the early age of 33, choosing a lonely, shameful death on a wooden cross in front of the entire capital city.

Had I been given the chance to decide my life, I shamefully would’ve chosen the body of Giselle, had trust find baby parents, attended prep school in Manhattan, had a personal chef and driver, and an invite to every party. Had Jesus chose to live in the twenty-first century, He would’ve been born on the East side of Los Angeles to a low-income single mother attending an overpopulated public school with a job as an electrician. He would’ve chosen a normal upringing with no hidden perks or shortcuts. He wouldn’t have placed Himself at a higher status than any other child, choosing to blend in until His appointed time to evangelize. Jesus puts the word humble to shame, Jesus couldn’t get any higher than being God or any lower than dying as a criminal from His own people.

i thought i gave up so much... did i sit in desert for 40 days and get offered bread and all riches of the world? uhh no

Phil 2:8

He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminals death on the cross.

What’s the most humiliating thing that’s ever happened to you? Did you drop a plate at a packed restaurant? Did you trip and fall in front of your entire math class? Did you ___? Jesus Christ came down from His Heavenly throne to bear the shame of the most embarrassing event one could endure. Did He trip down some stairs? Did He sing off key? Did He pee His pants in third grade? No, the King of all Kings came down to die a naked, lonely, excruciating death on a wooden cross, His hands nailed all the way through, His feet pinned together through the crusty nail, a crown of woven, piercing thorns... Jesus was also forced to carry His own cross all through the city, passing the religious leaders and government officials as they scoffed at Him from their mighty platforms. As Jesus was naked walking bloodied and scarred through the city, the Pharisee’s stood tall with their golden sceptors, purple robes, and jewels necklaces, spitting on Jesus and high-fiving each other for their prominence.

Jesus said nothing, instead choking back His tears, smiling empathetically at the women and children, and continued down the road to His destination of death. What do you think was going through Jesus’s mind? Was He hinking about how much He despised those who condemned Him? Was He depressingly feeling sorry for Himself? Was He curding His father in Heaven? No, Jesus was thinking of you and me. He thought about how 2,000 years from then a girl named Paige would live on the Earth, mess up a million times, and desperately need a savior. He knew I’d be chained down by the evil forces of this world with no way out. He knew my sins would separate me from my creator and need a way to walk in His presece. He knew I needed Him. 

Luke 17:7

“Suppose one of you has a servant who has been working in the field, plowing or caring for the sheep. When he comes in from work, what would you say to him? Would you say come in, sit down, and eat?”

When you go to a restaurant, a waiter comes over to ask for your order, bring your food, fill up your water, and clear your table. But what if you went to a restaurant and the roles were reversed? What if the waiter asked YOU to go back to the kitchen and bring him food? You’d leave the restaurant angry and confused. Jesus had the highest position in Heaven, living as the son of the creator of all. He sat on a beautiful jeweled throne with every blessing at His fingertips. If I was sitting in that seat, I’d soak up all the glory I could, asking my servants to style my hair, massage my feet, and prepare delicious plates of chicken tacos and refried beans. Yet, He did the unexpected: He sat up, walked away from His throne, and decided to be born of a humble modest woman and live a quiet life on Earth working as a carpenter. He eventually gathered a group of twelve men, telling them the biggest secret one could ever share. “Guess what, I’m God.” Jesus puts the word servant to shame. He was more than a servant, He was the humblest of the humble, the greatest to the lowest, Olympic gold to last place in little league. Jesus ditched His tremendous glory, His carriages in Heaven over the golden roads and the colors and sounds and lights. I sometimes think I’m great and mighty for telling my parents goodbye for three months, imagine saying goodbye to your father for 33 years! This passage leaves us with our jaws on the ground, our eye brows raised, and our brains in confusion. Yes, the creator of Heaven and Earth and the Sun and Pluto and Jupiter and Venus and Mars came down to Earth to encourage you and me. With that, the only proper response is to lay down our own desires and jump on the bandwagon of Christ. Jesus took off His glorious purple garments, golden chains, and shiny crown in Heaven to die a naked, lonely, painful death on His footstool of Earth. With that, how can we not praise Him!

Luke 17:9

victorious christian living by redpath

im not content with crumbs from gods table, i want the whole cake. i want everything god has to offer. i want to throw myself into him

1. Grace for the Good Girl - Emily Freeman 

2. Little House on the Prairie series - Laura Ingalls Wilder

3. The Left Behind series - Tim LaHay, Jerry Jenkins 

4. Tale of Two Cites - Charles Dickens 

5. Nancy Drew Mystery Series - Carolyn Keene 

6. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - J. R. Tolkien 

7. The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis 

8. Counterfeit Gods - Tim Keller 

9. The Knowledge of the Holy - A.W. Tozer 

1. Emma - Jane Austen
2. A Wrinkle in Time
3. book about kids 12 and under alive and grocery store...

Acts 2:42

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship and to sharing in meals, including the Lords supper and to prayer.

How miserable to live all week long looking forward to one thing: a crazy Friday night at the bars. So many young people in America hold the mindset that partying, drinking, drugs, and hooking up allows for an “ultimate release” from the hard work week. When I lived this lifestyle, I woke up after a night out always feeling the exact same; I was broken, hungover, ashamed, and more insecure than ever. I’d feel miserable and gross, knowing the previous night did the opposite of what I’d intended. I figured drinking and forgetting my actions would help me let go of my struggles, yet it only added to the pile. I lived my weeks with about three hours of joy, due to alcohol, instead of living with joy in every moment. I was a mess of guilt, knowing I was living a destructive life but not knowing any other way existed. I was going along with the college crowd, and I had no concept of what Jesus could do for me because, frankly, I didn’t know a single Christian. I have a heart for people lost in the party scene in America because I once fell victim. I didn’t have a church to help me, I had no youth pastor, I had no Christian friends, and my parents and swim coach didn’t seem to think college partying was abnormal. In fact, the school I went to encouraged partying, and I once saw my Spanish teacher at a party. My school had a shuttle titled the drunk bus, driving freshman from the dorms to frat row from 10 PM to 3 AM every night. My swim coach bragged about his days as a partier, laughing about the latest Jersey Shore episode asking for details on who hooked up with who on weekends. I didn’t even know a relationship with Jesus was possible, especially for someone with my resume. I continued down the lowly path of empty grabs at happiness. I’d kiss another boy, drink another shot, smoke another joint, do another keg-stand, wear a shorter dress, cake on more makeup, pre-grame with a new crowd. I’d pre-game with my friends, laughing and dancing about the “fun night” to come, secretly knowing most parties were busted and most bars led to dangerous fights. Girls spent their nights either dancing (or more) with boys they had just met or gossiping about how low someones skirt was or how trashy someones see-through midrift top was. Sin was rampant, and no good thing came from any drink I ever had, party I’ve been to, or boy I’ve kissed. No night led to peace; either the boy I liked danced with someone else or someone spilled beer on my dress or a friend was caught by the cops peeing outside the party or someone passed out and went to the hospital or the party got busted before I could walk in or I was screamed at for dancing with someones boyfriend or my fake ID was denied and I was stuck alone outside a nightclub. Earlier, I tried writing a list of all the parties I’d been to, and I realized there’s no way I could do it. My life was a tangled mess, just as many of the 3,000 in the crowd probably had a mess for a life. Yet, following their leaders’ teachings and breaking bread with the wise, God was able to pick them up, dust them off, and create a Picasso out of the splattered paint on the canvas of their lives. Praise God.

Acts 2: 43-44

A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.

I don’t like to share. No so much in regards to clothes or hair products, but my heart. It’s tough living with this many people because I’m under a magnifying glass, and everyone in my Ignite class is fully capable of writing a novel about me. They know my weaknesses, they know my struggles, they know my insecurities. There’s no hiding when you share a room with three other girls and you live with fifty other people all under the same roof and it’s raining half the time so you can’t roam onto the yard. Before this program, I knew I was broken... I knew I had problems... but I never had to deal with them. I instead continued to shove them under the mat because I never let anyone get close enough to me that they’d pick up on some of my deep seeded struggles. I had a private bubble, not allowing anyone, including my own family, too close. I didn’t give God the opportunity to confront me of my sins because I rarely read my Bible and didn’t follow a consistent reading plan and put idols before God. I didn’t want to admit He was right because that meant I was wrong. I often thought God wasn’t as powerful as He claimed to be not because I believed it but because I didn’t want to have to hand over my broken heart because I knew it’d be painful for Him to reassemble. I polished the outside of my vase, leaving all the goop and broken pieces inside without ever giving God the chance to reach in and grab them. I desperately held onto this life and all my secret sins because I was too afraid to walk on the water. I love the Oceans song, claiming “you called me out upon the water...” I thought my calling was completed, I mean, I’d followed Him all the way to Guatemala. But that was only the start. The REAL calling He’s doing in my life is removing my skewed body image, my bitterness toward my dad, my insecurity thinking I’m not worthy of friends and that I’m constantly being judged and evaluated. Posing as a put together woman all through college, I was secretly harboring more insecurity and brokenness than I can begin to describe. I’m seeing just how many old pieces of gum are stuck on my heart. I always idolized getting married but how could I ever even think about getting married when my heart is shattered in a million pieces and is being held together by bandaids. I am nothing and have lived through much darkness and have been taken advantage of and thrown around like a ragdoll and I have never sat down to acknowledge what its done to me. I’m broken and need a mighty God to put me back together. God can create a Picasso out of the splattered paint on the canvas of my life.

They sold property and possessions to anyone who had need.

My family was decently well off growing up. We had a house, cars, clothes, money in the bank... yet we very rarely openly shared our possessions and wealth with those less fortunate. My parents held the mantra that they had worked hard to deserve what they had; they didn’t beleive tithing or giving was necessary. The believed it wasn’t fair to give something they’d aqcuired to someone else. Although they gave generous presents to family members, they rarely gave to others. That is, other than the story of the mini van. My parents had bought a new SUV with plans to get rid of the 6 year old purple mini van they had previously had. They had plans to sell the van, but my dad felt a sudden urge to give the van, free of charge, to a man named Bob whom my family knew. The man had two sons, and they were very poor without a car. My parents drove the van to Bob’s house and offered him the keys, only for Bob to share he hd literally just been on the floor crying to God for a new car. It’s crazy how God can use those whom don’t even openly serve Him to serve his people. Our possessions are not our own, and giving is much better than receiving (Acts 20).