Bible Pride

Now this is a well used Bible! Even has mine beat! ;-)
Photo courtesy of Google Images. 

My favorite Bible I've had to date was a Christmas present from my dad back in 2001 or something like that. I had to have been in about 6th or 7th grade. The tiny KJV came with an adorable green Bible cover that I overstuffed with church bulletins, random notes, and tracks. As I got older I would eventually decide to ditch the cover, but the Bible I kept close. I used that Bible all the way up to my freshman year of college. At least 312 Sundays that Bible was used, and though my devotional times were not always consistent, I still used it frequently throughout the week too. Needless to say, the Bible became old and quite worn. The silver that lined each of the pages had long ago faded, and the binding threatened to fall apart at any moment. But it wasn't until I was presented with a new Bible that I reluctantly began to let it go.

I wish I could say that the primary reason I was reluctant to change Bibles was because part of Genesis was falling out or because I was ready to change to a study Bible or something. Nope. I wanted to keep this Bible because it was so used, and you could tell it.

Now this might sound absolutely ridiculous, but think about it. Have you ever looked at someone's Bible before and thought, "Wow, do they ever even use or open that?" or "Wow they must be really close to/spend alot of time with the Lord, look how used that Bible is!" Come on, I know I'm not the only one who's had that thought, even in passing, before.

I first realized that I had this mentality when I traveled to South Africa last summer. I mentioned before that I stopped using my little KJV freshman year of college. That's because one of the Christian groups on campus gave me one of those paperback NIVs, and because I had never read the Bible in that version before, I was eagerly eating up the Word, understanding stories and lessons in new and clearer ways. The old and worn KJV has been shelved ever since.

As far as the new NIV was concerned, that became my only go-to Bible. In spite of its larger size and the fact that it was paperback instead of leather, I still used it, and used it well, might I add. So many verses underlined, so many notes in the margins, so many things highlighted. And as I became more and more involved with Impact, I got deeper and deeper into studying God's Word, and my Bible showed the effects.

So let's fast forward to the whole South Africa thing. The Favorite decided that it was as good a time as any to invest in a new Bible. (And yeah, he was right! In hindsight, haha) Well I definitely did not want a new one. What was wrong with my two and a half year old obivously well used Bible? Either way, he got me a knew one that I had picked out, and I immediately began going through and underlining my favorite verses. It had to look like I at least read something outta there! You know what was going through my mind? "Here I am about to go on a missions trip to South Africa with a bunch of other students who have awesome testimonies and walks with the Lord and as soon as they see my Bible they're gonna think that I don't spend any time with the Lord at all!"

Reading it, it sounds pretty ridiculous, I know. But that's how it was! And it was at that point that I had those thoughts that the Lord really convicted me of one thing: PRIDE. Did I really believe that the way someone's (including my own) Bible looks was a direct reflection of their personal walk with Him? Crazy.

Now don't get me wrong; I love old Bibles, and I love holding on to copies of the living Word of God that I've had for years. It's nice to be able to hold on to the same Bible; often there are memories and lessons scribbled on the margins of pages, reminders from the Lord written on the extra pages in the back. It's when pride begins to subtly creep in and distort our reasons for holding on to the same when the issue arises.

That new Bible I took to South Africa has gotten it's share of use, but to be honest I have no idea where it is right now. (I moved, and it somehow got misplaced.) So went back to using that paperback NIV, then still ended up switching to a little leather Bible I borrowed from the Favorite. And you know what? Who cares! Either way I am reading God's words to me. He knows where I am in terms of my alone time with Him, and that is enough for me.

A Fish Named Grace

I mentioned briefly in my last post that a couple of my siblings and friends and I went to a conference in Atlanta, Georgia from December 27st to the 31st. It was truly amazing! I first went to one of Impact's National conferences by myself in 2008, and it was INCREDIBLE. To be able to share it with friends and family this time was truly awesome.

Believers worshiping the Lord at the Impact 2010 conference.
Photo courtesy of the Impact Movement.

The mission of the Impact Movement is to reach the college campus, community, and world by producing leaders of African descent who are spiritually focused, financially responsible, and morally fit. At first, I struggled with being part of a group whose focus was on one main ethnic group, so I really sought the Lord regarding my involvement. As I saw the moral devastation of the black community, the doctrinal errancies being perpetuated in many of our churches, as well as the desperate need for leaders in my age range who are bold about our Lord, there was no way I could pass up the opportunity to get plugged into this group! This is the same group I went to South Africa with in 2010, by the way. I have grown leaps and bounds in my walk with the Lord since I first became involved with Impact my freshman year of college in 2007, and I am still involved with Impact on my campus now, even though I haven't been in school!

Priscilla Shirer
Photo courtesy of the Impact Movement

So yeah, there's my short little blurb about Impact, and they have conferences every other year (except this time they're having one at the end of the year, woohoo!). At this particular conference, a woman (no, she's not a pastor or anything like that, f.y.i. lol) named Priscilla Shirer spoke about the story of Jonah. Often when we think of the big fish that ate..er, swallowed? Jonah, we think of it as a punishment. However, as Priscilla explained, this fish was actually evidence of God's grace toward him! Here's the background: You've got this guy Jonah, who is commanded by God to go to Ninevah. The guy balks, and begins to high tail it to the furthest island known to man at the time. While on the boat, God sends this crazy big storm, and Jonah agrees to have the crew throw him overboard. Now this could easily be where Jonah's story ends. He wouldn't be playing man overboard if he had simply obeyed God, right? Seems like death by drowning would have been the natural consequence.

But then this fish come around and swallows Jonah whole. GULP, just like that. (At least I'm assuming, cuz I'm assuming if chomping were involved, Jonah would've been pretty injured!) And after a good little bit in the fish's belly, Jonah was coughed up/vomited/deposited (take your pick!) on dry land. Now this is amazing to me, just how God can show His grace in any NUMBER of ways, including a FISH! But to be honest, I haven't yet even told you the part that really gets me about this story! So let's rewind just a little to the beginning of the story...

**insert VCR rewinding noise here**

God gave Jonah orders, right? He commanded Jonah to go to Ninevah, and Jonah disobeyed. Let's fast-forward again... After the fish deposited Jonah on dry land, God's word, His command had not changed. He still wanted Jonah to go to Ninevah!

Photo courtesy of Google images

Now at this point, you either get where I'm going, or you're scratching your head and really want me to get to the point. But hang with me guys! So many times in our lives, especially around this time with it being the beginning of a new year and all, we set so many goals. We want to change this about our lives, lose weight, read our Bible more, pray more, evangelize more, figure out what God's will is for us. That's not necessarily bad, but what many (including myself, until recently) of us don't realize, is that we can be so busy trying to figure out our future and determine what new thing God wants to do in our lives when we never really allowed Him to accomplish the work in us that He was trying to do last year! Like Jonah, we run away, experience grace, but are still faced with the choice to obey the exact same command God gave us before we ran away.

So here's the ultimate question, guys. What's your year going to look like? Here's what mine is going to be like, starting from this point forward. I am fully engaging in each season of life, not rushing into the next. I am going to walk with the Lord daily, concerning myself with obeying the Spirit moment by moment. I'm going to obey the things the Lord told me to do last year that I simply refrained from doing out of fear or uncertainty or some other un-legitimate reason to disobey.

I've gotta tell you guys, I definitely have a fire right now, a huge passion to be used by the Lord in a greater capacity than ever before. Even today some situations have risen that I know God has a hand in! Remember Vibia Perpetua in my very first post? Well I definitely believe living life in this way is honoring to the Lord and is a life perpetua: abiding, lasting, and fulfilling!  I will definitely keep you posted on all that transpires throughout this time!

Are there any things in your life that God, through His Word and/or Holy Spirit has prompted you to do that you put off or ran away from completely? If so, what are those things and are you seeking to change that in 2011?

Looking forward to hearing from you guys!

Food, Food, Glorious Food!!!

Food to Eat
So during the month of December 2009, I was on a fast. From food. And not just any food...fastfood. Nearly every place that had a drive through was out for the entire month. Now some of you are probably like, 'Oh, no big deal.' Noooo, let me explain. I eat (well, ate) fast food all the time. May not be able to tell it from looking at me, but I am an addict to all things junky, fatty, and cheap!!! (Sad, I know.) Among those places that were hard to give up: Taco Bell, McDonalds, and Checkers. But alas, I got pretty convicted about the type of food that I put in my body (no, I don't think eating fast food is sinful! hehe. I just had no sense of moderation.)

Think about the Scripture in 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17:  "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."  An analogy I heard went something like this:  If you have a really nice luxury car that you spent a ton of money on, one with a state of the art engine and functions, would you put cheap gas in it? No, because that could lead to your car's engine dying out on you faster. So why put junk food into our bodies? So...does eating junk food all the time mean that I'll die sooner...uhh...maybe...lol.  (okay, -muffles laugh- not funny). Actually, it is funny, at least I know where I'm going when I die (if you don't, ask me how I know!)!! But how horrible would it be for me to die at the tender age of 20 due to my heart/arteries giving out on me because of my, at best, unhealthy eating habits? Not so pleasant, huh? Okay, done rambling. Changing what I eat opened up opportunities to cook more, and also to discover new and exciting recipes made totally from scratch! Yum!

I had been craving some oatmeal raisin cookies since Thanksgiving!! But sadly, they weren't on the menu last year...but last month (yeah I know, it's been a while now), I finally got to make some!! I searched high and low for the perfect recipe (online of course, hehe), and settled on this one by Elise at http://simplyrecipes.com/. VERY VERY good choice!! Not having a mixer made fixing the cookies a little harder to do (it got lost during one of the past 3 moves!). Let's just say, my arm muscles should be pretty strong from mixing that thick dough! One thing I did do in the recipe was soak the raisin in one egg and vanilla extract. The raisins did plump some, but weren't fat like I expected (which is sad, 'cause I love chubby/fat things!). Either way, the cookies were great. Later in the month I made a variation of the cookies (chocolate chips instead of raisins) per my younger sister's request for her birthday (which happened to be on Christmas!). Anyways, I encourage any and everyone who likes oatmeal raisin (or oatmeal chocolate chip) cookies to make them!

I made another type of cookie in..December? I think. Either way, I've used the recipe twice since then because I (and my family) so enjoyed them! They're sugar cookies, and they are yummy delicious and tasty! The recipe is really simple. I tweaked it a bit, and it's still awesome. :)

2 3/4 cups of flour
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, softened
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 egg
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
couple dashes of cinammon (optional)

1)  Preheat oven to 375 F. In a small bowl, stir together the flower, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

2)  In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until it's smooth. And egg and vanilla and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Gradually blend in dry ingredients (but don't overmix!). Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and place in ungreased pan/cookie sheet.

3)  Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand on the cookie sheet 1-2 minutes before removing.

4)  Enjoy! :)

I could really go on about food forever, but I think I'll try to stop soon! (Yeah, not yet, hehe.) A really nifty idea (at least I thought so) if you run out of chips to go with your did (and just so happen to have tortilla shells in your fridge!):  cut the tortilla shells into triangles, and fry lightly. Takes less than three minutes, and they're really tasty! I salted mine, and if you want to do the same, salt them while they're hot!!

Okay, last things (yes, I know, I'm such a fatty!). Something that super excited me was that I learned how to make eggs over hard! I already knew how to make them sunny side up and scrambled, but I hadn't mastered over hard. The trick, for those who'd like to try it, is to pierce the yolk before you flip it over! Ta daaa!! (Actually, you shouldn't have to flip it over, but I'm not on that level yet lol).  And since I'm on this cooking spree, hopefully I'll get to make these yummy looking and sounding lasagna rolls that I found on My Italian Grandmother, and maybe some Orange Oatmeal cookies (I'll keep you posted on that...). Mm-mm-good!

Spiritual Food

Right now I'm reading a book called Our Covenant God by Kay Arthur.(Shout out to the bestest for the recommedation!) Finished the fourth chapter today, and already it's been so great to be reminded of the promises God has made and keeps for His children!! It's a big encouragement to me, especially during this awkward, and sometimes frustrating stage in my life (more on that another time...). Other than than, I've been studying the book of James and the Lord has been teaching me so so much! (More on that later as well, otherwise this post'll continue forever!) Last thing with my "spiritual food." So I'd been looking into summer missions trips through Impact Movement and through Campus Crusade for Christ for a while. One of my goals for 2010 is to go on at least 2 missions trips, and what better time than the summer to go! With God's leading, I was able to narrow it down to my top four choices (Tennessee, South Africa, Mexico, Indiana), and with much prayer, put Cape Town, South Africa as my first choice!! If you look reaaallllyyy closely at the picture, in the bottom left corner, you can see the little dot that's Cape Town. I'm already sooo excited about the summer (and I technically haven't even heard back yet, hehe)! Sometimes I wonder if this is how Jabez felt when God granted his request of enlarging his territory...Nothing like knowing the Creator of the universe wants to use me! (and you!). :)

Computer Food

I'm always on Facebook!! Alas. My freshman year at Howard, I was voted "Facebook Queen" by my floor in my dorm. Is that an award I should be proud of? I'm not quite sure... Anyways, you're probably wanting me to get to the point; what does Facebook have to do with food? Well. I have been playing this highly addictive game called Cafe World. Basically you gain points by "making dishes" and "serving" them to customers. Who knew that such a simplistic game could be so...well, addicting!! So there's my "computer food" for ya :)


Food for Thought

"Christians may not tell lies, but they do sing them." When I first heard someone say this, I had to sit back and think about the statement. I mean, to be honest, Christians do tell lies (though I hope it isn't habitual, and when it does happen that we repent and let our mouths and lives speak truth!). But when I stopped over-analyzing the statement, I was actually quite convicted. I can think of times in church services in times past when I found myself mouthing words instead of singing them aloud because I felt like a hypocrite. "I Surrender All" is an example. I definitely can't be singing that hymn if there are things in my life that I'm not allowing the Lord to completely take over! So yes, that's my food for thought; not only should we think before we speak, we should think before we sing.

And this is me, signing off on food for the day. Hope you were well fed! ;-)