A Cellist in the Tuba Section

Job is usually not a favorite book of the Bible for most people because it contains a lot of suffering and loss. However, when God responds to Job, He expresses how much higher He is than we are, and I love reading of His power. Job 38:22-24 Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? What is the way to the place where the light is distributed, or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?  (ESV) This passage amazes me (and feel free to check out the rest of Job 38 for more imagery about the power of God). God coordinates so much from His throne. He is in control of the snow and hail falling and light breaking forth upon the earth. It's amazing to think of all that God has to do, and yet He is never too busy to listen to us and speak with us through His Word and His people. Rejoice today that God, who controls the whole world, loves you and invites...

Do you often feel unloved? Excluded? Well, I have recently been searching to learn about God's love, and what that looks like. So, below I have compiled some of the verses I've found about how much God loves you, so memorize some for those moments when you feel absolutely alone and unloved. Lamentations 3:22-24 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." (ESV) Psalm 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  (ESV) Psalm 103:11-14 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remem...

Imagine that you hear about a fall dance at school. A friend tells you that everyone will be dressing up for this dance, so you find a really cute cow costume assuming that she meant it was a Halloween dance. You're dressed up in your cow costume and you get out of the car, and...everyone is wearing dresses and suits. This is a formal dance, and you are standing outside in a cow costume. Imagine how out of place you would look and feel in that situation. Maybe you would wait outside for your mom to pick you back up, or you'd walk home, or maybe you would brave it out and pretend that you're a royal cow. Regardless, there would be no way to hide how out of place you are if you go in to that dance. However, as a Christ follower, the difference between our lives and the lives of people who haven't yet begun a relationship with Christ should be that different. It's important to note: I'm not saying that non-Christians have all the fun while Christians are staunc...

Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (ESV) I think so often, we look at this passage and we assume that preaching to all the nations means we need to go to a third-world country somewhere with a rainforest or cannibalistic tribes who need to experience Jesus. However, everyone you interact with needs Jesus, so your mission field right now may be your school, the place where you work, your home, the local library, or even the grocery store. God will open amazing opportunities for you wherever He has placed you in this season. Don't be so caught up with discovering some future mission that you miss the mission He has for you today. And if you don't see results today or next month or in ten years, don't be discouraged. Sometimes we never get to see the fruit...

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV) Deuteronomy 6:5-9 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (ESV) Philippians 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (NLT) When I was growing up, I helped with...

Does it ever feel hard not to worry? Is your mind often filled with concerns about grades, relationships, sports, clubs, or other hardships you may be facing? I often struggled in high school with worry, and there are some days where I still worry a lot. However, I have gathered some verses that have been helpful to me in moments of fear, and I hope they will ease your restless soul too. (All of the following verses are from the ESV). Matthew 6:27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Proverbs 31:25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. Zechariah 9:9-10 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having a salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peac...

Jesus was a plain-looking man. Think about that. Sounds pretty normal at first. However, Jesus literally designed his own face. After all, He is God, so He could have created his human body to meet every male beauty standard there was. He could have chosen to draw people to him because of his appearance, but He didn't. He chose to give himself a plain face. Isaiah 53:2 says For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. (ESV) I believe this holds several important lessons for us today as women who are often held to impossible beauty standards. First, this is a wonderful example of humility. Jesus chose to humble himself and give himself a plain face. Secondly, it is an example for priorities in our lives. Internal perfection is more important than external perfection. Use your internal beauty to draw others to you rather than obsessing about your exte...

It used to rule my life: the desire to be chosen by a guy. To be liked and get flowers and chocolates. To get asked to prom. To feel singled out for affections, chosen in the most glorious way I could imagine. In high school, I would plan outfits to try to catch a guy's attention. I would analyze a guy's actions with my closest friends for days. And it did nothing to fulfill me. It only made me feel like I had wasted a lot of precious time. Looking back, I realize I really did waste a lot of time obsessing over opinions that don't matter. Sometimes it was a teacher who I wanted to impress or someone I wanted to become friends with, but for the most part, it was usually the opinion of a guy I liked that mattered most. The desire to be chosen by a guy doesn't rule my life anymore. There are days when controlling my desire to be chosen is an uphill battle, and days where I lose that uphill battle, but I am no longer consumed every day by the stress of being perfect enoug...

For October and November, every Friday will be Flannel Friday for your soul. Friday devotionals for the next two months are meant to give you the encouragement to keep your fire for Christ burning brightly and warm up the world around you. Like the perfect flannel, these devotionals are meant to keep you warm and be a reassuring presence in a world that's a tad chilly. So, get ready, and share with your friends. You won't want to miss these devotionals. (If you have a suggestion for a Flannel Friday devotional, send it to me on Instagram (@acellistinthetuba) or use the contact form on the right of the blog.)

Change is really, really hard, and unfortunately, inevitable in life. For me, the hardest periods of change have been when I have had to create new relationships. For example, I switched from a private school to a public school at the beginning of 5th grade, and it was hard for me to learn how to make friends and what was and wasn't socially acceptable at public school. For example, at my private school, people kept secrets. At public school, I soon learned, secrets became gossip about two seconds after you told them. Making friends after everyone found out who I was crushing on was a very difficult thing for me to do. Then, there was the transition to junior high, where all my friends were in different classes than me, and new students were transferring in from other local elementary schools. I had to make new friends, which was really hard for my awkward, introverted 7th-grade self. And finally, in high school, drama often lead to some friend break-ups. There were really hard ...