Not My Own

I saw a Mother's Day card at the store with the title, "Born to be a Mother." I didn't read the rest but my thoughts couldn't help but be alarmed. This presumes that some women's entire purpose for existing is to be a mom. I love being a mom, but it is not the core of who I am. It is not the reason I was born. I think way too many mom's put their complete identity in being a mom. It's hard not to when you think of your kid constantly, and the moment you take one minute for yourself your child is reminding you why he is the center of the world. Most woman absolutely love to feel needed and having kids do fulfill this desire. Being a mom makes me feel incredibly important, valued, and loved.  Whenever, I pick my son up from daycare he rushes to greet me which is the biggest high knowing I am one of his favorite people in the world! I absolutely love and cherish the gift of being a mother! However, it is essential for women to understand their worth...

If you have not read the Good Samaritan story you MUST to do so before you continue to read this post... http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2010:25-37&version=NIV I used to read the Good Samaritan and simply thought it was a good story. I didn't think much about applying it to life. However, this past Sunday I watched Christ's word unfold into reality. Now, it's not exactly the same, but it's the closest I have ever encountered. My husband and I were in a bit of a rush to church like normal. I was focused on getting my son to the nursery and slipping in the sanctuary in time for worship. When we got near the church door, Andrew and I noticed a man sitting at the picnic tables with a suitcase and his dog. I was so focused on getting into church my first thought was maybe the boyscouts just got back from a retreat because this guy had a suitcase with him. If I was in downtown Nashville I would have known he was homeless. But this was Nolensville and ...

For years I didn't give anything up for lent because I wasn't familiar with it. I honestly didn't know what the season of Lent was until I was in the cafeteria drink line and a friend of mine asked what I was giving up for Lent. I just stared at her dumbfounded, so then she tried to help me out. "You should give up pop." She told me. "That's what I am doing." "Why? Are you on a diet?" I asked. "No! It's for Lent! Your suppose to give something up." "Sounds like a diet if you ask me." "No!..It's the season of Lent. It's a religious thing to help you grow in your faith by fasting from something for 40 days - you know - like Jesus did." She explained. "I just don't see how giving up pop will help anyone grow closer to Jesus." "Well, it's much harder than you think. It takes serious discipline. You should try it!" "I don't drink pop." "Oh....

Many people during my teenage and young adult years (especially lately) have been asking when I am going to go to seminary to get ordained. For those who have been asking, this conversation with my husband pretty much sums up how I feel... Me: " I don't know what to do because I LOVE preaching - and I know it's a gift - but I don't want to preach every Sunday. Plus, there is no way I ever want to be in charge of a church and deal with all the shenanigans and drama. Not to mention, I am not super jazzed about going back to school. But I love people so much! I love mentoring and listening to stories. I love teaching the Bible in a radical way. I want to inspire passion, vision, and enthusiasm for God! I want to love and help people find God in their daily lives.  I know these are gifts and passions that I can't ignore, but it stresses me out to think about being a lead pastor. Andrew: "I got it! You know what you should do?" Me: "What?!...

"Please shut up! Please shut up!" I thought while holding a squirming screaming child in the middle of Chipotle. I can't believe I thought it was possible to order a burrito while holding onto my 14 month old mess of a child. Don't get me wrong. He is beautiful and precious but I think parents everywhere understand... it was just one of those days. Ordering a burrito was a fail, so I decided to sit down at a table and attempt to get milk out so the kid would pipe down. Desmond smacked the lid off and milk went all over my lap, the table, and gushed on the floor. Trying to hold onto my ridiculously strong son while cleaning up milk was nearly impossible. I looked around contemplating asking someone for help. Yet, my own pride made me think I could it handle it myself. I felt incredibly alone and prayed quietly in my head... God please help me! I just hit that point at the end of the day where I felt like I had nothing left to give. Persevering through the mess, as ...

I love the idea of youth Sundays where the youth get to lead the church worship service. As a youth minister, I like to give students freedom in how they want to run the service. Even then, there still is an understanding of boundaries and a certain standard of worship. What if during youth Sundays we gave them 100% freedom to do what they feel led by the Spirit to do? I think it would be a beautiful transformational mess. I think lives would be changed, minds would be blown, and everyone's picture of church would be totally flipped upside down. I think Jesus would be jumping up and down yelling..."Do something different! Let's get weird! Hallelujah!" I think this way because I have seen God show up tangibly through teenagers at NFUMC. They are so open minded letting the Holy Spirit work in a variety of ways. They are not afraid of what God is going to do when He shows up. They are just waiting, expectantly, for God to show up. They simply ask God to show up and He ...

Today I am wearing that sweatshirt. You know, the snowboarding one you bought me when I was in high school. I remember pulling it off the rack and longing for the image of what the sweatshirt promised, "Authentic Roxy Snowboard Riding". I was super into snowboarding and the image that came along with it. I didn't think I would ever own the shirt, I was just looking and maybe drooling. When you asked me if I wanted it I thought it was so you could take a mental note and get it for me for Christmas. So I told you, "Um yeah that would be awesome." "I'll buy it for you." You said. I tried to tell you that you didn't have to because I knew we were in an overpriced sporting good's store and I could find one much cheaper some place else. But you insisted! So I thanked you and was excited to have it. Whenever I wore that sweat shirt I loved it's warmth and the image that came with it. It told the world I was a snowboarder and that made ...