A Cellist in the Tuba Section

When I was in high school, I saw one couple that, whether or not the intentions included "missionary dating", the consequences certainly showed me one reason why evangedating is not the right idea. Lisa* and Peter* (names have been changed) met somewhere, school or a club or something, and started dating. Peter, who was very involved in his church, began to bring Lisa to services with him, and I often saw them in service together with the rest of Peter's family. Lisa started getting really involved, coming to more and more events with Peter, until she wasn't anymore. I found out that Peter had broken things off, telling her that he had started noticing other girls, and he thought it would be best if they took a break. He hadn't cheated on her, and from hearing the story second-hand, I was impressed with his honesty and figured she'd respect such a thing, and they could still be friends.However, that's not how Lisa saw things. She stopped coming to church...

1 Corinthians 7:17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.  (ESV). If you read the blog post  Moving into Ministry , you'll know that each of us has been given different spiritual gifts by God. One of the most difficult things to overcome when it comes to spiritual gifts, and life in general really, is the comparison game. So often we feel like we need to compare ourselves to others. We think things like: He's more spiritual than I am because he can speak in tongues. She's prettier than me because she's got a thigh gap. I'm so much better than her because I don't drink. And on and on and on... Comparison is a trap because it takes our focus off of the unique plan that God created for our lives. That causes several problems: we fail to accomplish things that God wants us to do which makes us feel distant from God. In addition, losing our focus causes us ...

The internet has a lot of options for finding sermons or Bible-based resources. However, some sources are more helpful than others. Below, I have compiled a list of some resources that I have found helpful (I'm not getting any money off promoting these sources, I just genuinely want to share them with y'all). They deal with loneliness, relationships (platonic and romantic), and other problems teen girls are facing. I hope you enjoy this list, and feel free to suggest other resources in the comments, or directly to me by filling out the contact form on the right. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7h5BHax06c  This sermon talks about relationships, and is the first part of a series on relationships. It's very helpful, humorous, and sparked ideas for my post "God's Desire for Community". The second sermon in the series, found on YouTube as well, brings up the idea of dating yourself, which has totally changed my perspective on singleness and really helped me...

Masks You probably think of Halloween. I think of church because all too often, we don't come as we are. We cover ourselves and pretend our lives are perfect when we know they're not. We get so afraid of what others will think sometimes we forget that Sunday is meant for worshipping God, not worrying if anyone will see through your disguise. We hide because we don't want anyone to see our shame but by protecting ourselves we push others away. Others who don't know Jesus. Others who don't know where to turn. Others who are just as broken as we are. I understand: as Christians, we must try hard not to sin but when we do, we must repent and move forward because hiding it is killing us and others. We can't be afraid of "dirty words" like: depression, abortion, homosexuality, attempted suicide, masturbation, abuse, heroine, alcoholic. We all make mistakes. Sometimes we cave into the flesh, but hope is...

Psalm 77 is a perfect example of how we should react to doubts about God's love, faithfulness, mercy, and all other aspects of God. Asaph is the writer of this psalm and he begins by discussing how he cries out to God and believes that God will hear him. He talks about how often he cries out to God; all day and all night he pleads before God. In verses 7-9 Asaph brings his doubts directly to God. He doesn't beat around the bush. He asks the questions that are weighing him down. And then for the rest of the psalm he sets the perfect example for us. Starting in verse 10 he immediately recounts several of the wonders that God has performed in his life, and several of the ways God has proved himself. He ends the psalm with confidence in God's love and faithfulness. So, the lesson here is that when you have doubts, the most important thing to do is lay them down at the throne of God and leave them there.  Instead of picking them back up, rejoice in God's past mercy and l...

Genesis 6:6 And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart . (ESV) (I know that that does not sound like an optimistic way to start a devotional, but bear with me for just a moment.) The thing that sticks out to me from this verse is the word "regret". I think so often in our culture, we feel that regrets mean we've done something wrong. But it doesn't. God is perfect, so He never messed up, and yet He is capable of feeling regret. So, regret is not a sin indicator. I think that often the devil uses regret to try to make us turn around, even if we're headed on the right path. For example, let's say you knew that your friends were cheating on a test, so you told the teacher. If they made fun of you or got mad at you later, you might regret your decision to tell the teacher what was going on. That doesn't mean you did the wrong thing--you very much did the right thing by telling your teacher what happened and try...

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...

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...

Have you ever been sitting with a group of people and felt like your friends don't know the real you? Sometimes it can be really hard to show people the most authentic version of yourself, and sometimes Satan uses this to gain a foothold in our heads. He whispers, "No one knows the real you. If they knew what you've done, they wouldn't like you." In those moments, it will be very difficult to feel valuable and loved. However, Satan whispers lies. Jesus loves you, and there is no one who can ever know you as deeply as Jesus does. He sees all you've ever done, all you'll ever do, and knowing all there is to know about you, He chose to die for you so that you will have hope for eternity. So do not believe the lie that you have to hide behind a mask. There is someone who sees past all your masks and loves you more deeply and fully than you could ever fathom. Romans 5:6-8  For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one ...

It may happen to you once a week, once a day, or even once every hour. You look at someone else, and you think about your flaws in comparison to their "perfection". You wish that your stomach was flatter. your thighs were thinner, or your double chin didn't exist. For young women, the comparison trap is so easy to fall into, especially when it comes to weight and body image. However, you don't have to fall into it. There's a way out. Read Psalm 139. The entire psalm describes how well God knows you, but verses 13-16 talk specifically about the care God took in creating your body. Your body was knitted together by God. Knitting projects are painstaking projects that take a long time. You don't knit something for someone if they aren't worth your time. Appreciate the amount of effort God put into forming each detail of your body. He made you just the way you are for a reason, and He loves the way He made you. You are already perfect; you don't have to...

Genesis 2:18 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." (ESV) Luke 10:1  After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go."  (ESV) Acts 4:32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common." (ESV) What do all these verses from throughout the Bible all have in common? They all deal with community. In the beginning, God saw that Adam being alone was not good. So, He provided Eve. When Jesus sent his disciples out to minister to nearby communities, He sent them out with a partner. Finally, we have the example of the early church. They stuck together and provided for each others' needs. So this week, no matter how outcast-ed and lonely you may feel, know that that f...

My sophomore year I joined the school band as an upright bass player. My first instrument, and the one I have most mastered, is the cello. I had been playing bass for just two months when I started in my school band. Many other band members had been playing their respective instruments since 3rd or 4th grade. I was the newbie and the only classical string player (although there was an electric bass player whose presence I am still grateful for). Being new and strange led me to feel like the other band members didn't like that I had joined the band. This caused me to play very, very quietly. I was terrified of what the other kids would think of my playing. I was particularly worried about upsetting a senior who played tuba, which is the section I was seated in. I felt that she was irritated by my mere presence when in reality she was just very shy which is why she didn't say anything to me. One of my first lessons with the band director, he told me, "You can either have a ...