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Today We Sang…

Posted on April 22, 2012 by auburnchick

I absolutely love the music program at my church.  The contemporary band plays music that touches my soul.

This morning, we sang the song I’ve embedded below.  When my children were babies, I rocked them to sleep while I sang Amazing Grace (Chris Tomlin hadn’t come out with this version at that time).  Chicky got to where she could sing every verse, word-for-word with me.

Thus, I feel extra special when the song is cued up at church.  It’s as if God is reaching down saying, “Hello, Nathalie, I see you there.  Here’s your favorite song…just to let you know I’m keeping watch through every triumph and struggle.”

Enjoy!

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

It’s Not an Illusion

Posted on April 8, 2012 by auburnchick

Today I finished reading Illusion by one of my favorite authors, Frank Peretti…

I had taken the book to church with me.

Crazy, I know, but I played bells during the early service at one of my church’s campuses and then drove to another campus to attend another service with my family.

I knew I’d have time to kill…

Hence, the book.

I put it away when the service began.

Boy, did I sit up straight when my pastor got to the part of his message in which he said the word “illusion” several times.

Hello?

Yes, Lord, I’m seeing a connection here.

It was only after returning home after church and spending the better part of the afternoon that I finished reading the book, along with the author’s notes at the end.

The book is about a husband and wife who spend the forty years they are married performing as magicians.  Then, the wife, Mandy, gets killed in a car accident.  Shortly afterward, Mandy finds herself back in her 19-year old body in the town she grew up in, but she thinks it’s 1970, but the only memories she retains are the ones up to that day she’s thrown back to.  She and Dane, her “husband,” reconnect through a series of events, but there’s mystery involving their meeting and whatnot.  The rest of the book entails their efforts to understand why they are connected to each other and how to solve the issue.

It was a wonderful book, full of twists and turns.

I’m still processing the many different underlying themes of the book.

Hence my pastor’s sermon and his use of the word “illusion.”

Gosh…there’s just so much in my head and heart…so many things that my pastor didn’t say…stuff that he did say.

I was very moved and connected with his words as he shared his grief over the sudden loss of his father four years ago.

I lost my dad eleven years ago this month.

Tom, my pastor, spoke about how, after his father died, he developed a fear of dying and leaving his family.

I can relate.

I think that many people are confounded by the mystery involving death and what’s left afterward.  Not that my pastor is, mind you, but still, there are questions that even the most learned theologian must grapple with.

I think about people I’ve come into contact with in the past…people I worked with last year…the students I taught…the people I encounter every day who don’t know or choose purposely not to believe in Christ’s resurrection and how that relates to our own deaths.

Just as Mandy, in Peretti’s book, cheated death despite the chains that placed her in bondage during her magic tricks, Jesus Christ fought and WON the battle against eternal death, throwing off the shackles, emerging as the risen Savior.

Jesus’s death and resurrection, however, was no illusion.

It was the real stuff…not a trick that some other person could or will ever repeat again.

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

Lip Service Love

Posted on March 12, 2012 by auburnchick

Did you go to church yesterday?

I did, and the sermon I heard was so very convicting and powerful that I wanted to give you the gist of it.

Tom, one of my church’s pastors, preached from John 14:15-26…

John 14:15-26

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Tom spoke about how, after he became a Christian, he discovered that a few of his closest friends were Christians already.  This surprised him for a couple of reasons.  First, they had never told him anything about Jesus.  Being a new Christian, Tom couldn’t wait to tell people about God’s redeeming love.  Another reason why he was surprised was that his friends’ lives were not reflecting the fact that they were Christians.  They were doing things that were not exactly Christ-like.

Thus, even though Tom was new in his faith, he felt a pull, confused with what he felt was true with what he was seeing acted out.

As he spoke, I thought about how many people I see, on a daily basis, who are Christians (or claim to be) yet live in ways that go contrary to the Lord’s teachings.

Then, I thought about myself.  What are the things that I do that confuse people.  Yes, I am a Christian, but what about the times when I get angry and yell?  What about the times I allow crass or profane language to exit my mouth (rare, but it does occasionally happen when I speak with close friends and am frustrated about something).

The question begs to be asked:  What evidence of Christ is there in a Christian’s life?

In the above verses, Jesus connects love with persistent obedience to his commands.  A lack of obedience indicates a lack of love.

Tough, eh?

Here’s the thing.  When you encounter Christ, you don’t get to walk away and live life as before.

We always hear sermons about God’s love for us and how He demonstrates that, but how often do we really hear about the role we should actively take in the relationship?

Staying obedient to God can be tough though…especially given that there’s no physical “presence” to hold us accountable.

It’s like being a parent or some other adult in authority who holds a child accountable.  An adult’s presence is sometimes enough to keep a child’s behavior in check.

However, before Jesus departed the earth, He told his disciples that He would be leaving another, the Holy Spirit, who would be a counselor…someone to walk beside us.

So, in reality, we DO have God with us, watching us, desiring that obedience, and watching closely as our decisions play out.  When you think you’re alone, you’re NOT!

That’s a convicting thought.

When I’m frustrated with my students and raise my voice, the Holy Spirit is there with me.

Sigh.

When I fuss at my own children or get angry with a stupid driver and throw my hands up in frustration, the Holy Spirit is there.

Sigh.

Genuine Christians have the Holy Spirit.  You receive Him as soon as you give your life over to Christ.

Hard but needed truths were spoken today.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to get to heaven one day and be accused of paying lip service to God’s love.

What about you?

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: | Leave a comment »

Branching Out in a New Direction

Posted on March 5, 2012 by auburnchick

Sunday morning was a busy one for me.

First, I headed out early to play handbells during the 8am service.  We played to Old Rugged Cross, one of my favorites.  It was even prettier because we accompanied the guitar playing that our worship leader was doing.  I’ll admit that I sang along with the congregation.  😀

We also played to the song Jesu, Jesu.  I’m posting a YouTube link to the second song.  I’d never heard it before.  It’s quite beautiful and fitting given the season of Lent…

After playing the second song, I headed out.

Why?

Because my church was getting ready to branch out in a new direction.

Several months ago and after much prayer, discussion, and more prayer, my church purchased what had been a local indoor sports complex.  The business had gone belly-up when the economy went south.

Volunteers spent hundreds of hours cleaning up the place, which had been left in disrepair by the former owners.  The skate park was dismantled, and the parts carted off by a local businessman.

The large room that the skate park existed in will be converted to a worship center and business offices.

The facility also has indoor basketball courts, volleyball court, and soccer field.  There’s also a fitness area with machines and free weights!  Gym memberships are already being sold, and yes, we bought one, but I haven’t had time to go yet (look for posts about my sore buns in the future)!

The church’s youth program relocated to this new facility, and attendance at weekly youth functions is climbing.

Sunday marked the first morning that a worship service was held in the former skate park.

I was amazed when I got a first look at it…

That’s with the flash off.  The next picture is with my flash on…

The church wasn’t sure how many people would be attending this inaugural service.

They quickly discovered that more chairs were needed.

As the music started, my heart leaped in my chest.

I love contemporary praise music.

Everything, from the music to the sermon was so Christ-centered.

This facility is located across from a local high school and is easily accessible to many people, so there’s a lot of potential to reach large multitudes of people.

It’s an exciting venture, and one I’m honored to be witnessing.

Please pray for those involved in getting things up and running.  There’s a learning curve…creating an “off-campus” location from the home base, but the church is doing as Christ commanded and going out into the world to meet the needs right where people are at.

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

The Ultimate Gift of Love

Posted on February 14, 2012 by auburnchick

In a world filled with temporal love, let us never forget the One who showed what TRUE love is all about…

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Things to Ponder Going Into 2012

Posted on December 30, 2011 by auburnchick

My weekly issue of People magazine arrived in the mail today, so I, as usual, casually perused it.

Then, when I saw the article, “Remembering Patrick,” I slowed down and read carefully.

I’m a child of the 70’s/80’s, thus it should come as no surprise that Patrick Swayze danced his way into my heart in the movie Dirty Dancing…

What a heartthrob!  His death saddened me…hence my interest in the article.

His wife, Lisa, has written a book about her life with Patrick, and the article contains excerpts from it.

I caught my breath, though, as I read the following…

Patrick rarely talked about his ‘dark thoughts.’ ‘Where am I going to go if and when I die?’  When he said [that] out loud, my heart would jump out to him.  I wanted to comfort him.  ‘You’ll be in heaven.’  I knew what I wanted to believe, but there was no way I could be sure.

I’m not God, so I can’t even begin to know the condition of Patrick’s soul when he departed life.  Did he have a relationship with the Lord?  From the above quote, my guess would be no.  Nor does his wife.

How very sad…to live your life without the SURE knowledge of where you’ll wind up after you die.

You want to know the ironic thing?

Patrick knew he’d be somewhere.

Here’s the hard truth, folks.

When we die, we will go either to heaven or to hell.

If you accept that Jesus Christ, the only man who ever walked this earth without committing a sin, died for your sins and was raised after three days, then you WILL spend eternity with the Lord.

The alternative is…well…it’s not good.

As we bid farewell to 2011, we will, undoubtedly give thanks for another year that we either managed or feel blessed to have survived.

But what lies beyond…in 2012?

We’re not guaranteed tomorrow, folks.  There are no do-overs…no Groundhog Days, despite what the movies would like us to imagine.

Salvation is serious business.

It’s the life and death stuff.

After all, when you strip our lives down…take everything away from us…careers, family, friends…all that’s left is our individual selves and our souls.

Tough stuff…not the lightest questions to ponder going into the new year…but important, nonetheless.

Where do you stand?  If a loved one was going to write a book about you after you died, what would that person say?

Would that person be floundering for words, trying to figure out where you “landed” in the afterlife, or would there be a sure knowledge that you were in heaven, praising God with everything you had, anticipating that person’s own arrival one day?

Happy New Year to all of my bloggy friends and those of you who have never commented but either faithfully visit or got lucky enough (*cough, cough*) to land here today.

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , , | 5 Comments »

The Gift

Posted on December 15, 2011 by auburnchick

I’ve officially turned into a sap.

Yesterday morning, during my drive to school, my local radio station played the following song…

I cried as I sat in my parking spot at the school and listened to the end of the song.

The song speaks about how the most important gift you can present to God is the thing that is most precious to you.

Soooo beautiful.

As I listened to the song later in the day, I cried again.  This time, my tears flowed as I heard the part about the bird being let out of the cage and singing the beautiful song inside its heart.

I pictured the students I teach.

They are like the bird in the beginning of the song…wounded.

I have taken them in the palm of my hand…nurturing them…helping them get stronger.

It is my prayer that one day, they will be set free from the ties that hold them down.

I hope that one day, they will sing a song of joy.

May God be glorified when this magical moment happens.

Filed under: Christian, Teaching | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Selling Out

Posted on December 11, 2011 by auburnchick

Something has been bugging me for a while now, and I think it’s time to vent.

No, this has nothing to do with being a vegan.

That was yesterday’s post.

😉

See, I’m starting to wonder what’s in the minds of people who decide to compromise their values by getting involved in things that speak otherwise.

Take, for instance, Brittany Spears.

This girl came from a strong Christian background.  She took pride in her values and bragged about being a virgin.

And then she hit it big.

And she wound up falling from grace.

Jessica Simpson has a similar story, and now she’s expecting a baby with her fiance.

Most recently in the news is Mr. Kim Kardashian, who hails from a close-knit, conservative family in the Midwest.

What a far cry from those strait-laced roots, eh?

I know I’m a bottle blonde now, and thus I get confused easily (like, duh), but I wonder what it is that pushes people to make that final leap from living for God to living for him/herself.

Is it the quest for fame, or is money the driving force?

Oh, before you think that I’m quick to judge, please bear in mind that I know I’m not a whole lot different from those who grace the covers of Entertainment Weekly and People magazines.

Daily, I make choices and sell out to the culture that surrounds me.

Still, though, I have lines I won’t cross, and I’m very careful to make choices that don’t leave people confused.

I’m careful not to post things on Facebook or even on my blog that might leave non-believers scratching their heads about the appropriateness of my behavior.

I try to dress discreetly, and I don’t “like” things on Facebook that involve sexual humor, cursing, or questionable songs or videos.

Not that I’m perfect.  Again, let me say that I am a harsh judge of my own character, and I’m certainly NOT a person that God is going to give a gold star to.

Still, I’ll never be a sellout in my desire to accomplish my dreams.

Will it be worth it in the long run for those who do?

I somehow doubt it…especially given the fact that God will hold us accountable for every word, thought, and deed.

Every single thing we do will be judged.

Not only that, but non-believers are watching us believers.

We say a lot about Christianity and God through our actions…through our choices.

Are you a sellout?

This is a question all of us need to ask ourselves regularly.

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

Unashamed

Posted on November 13, 2011 by auburnchick

I’m going to steal this quote that one of my church’s youth pastors posted on Facebook tonight:

Being ‘unashamed’ about Christ isn’t just a refusal to deny Him.  It’s being brave enough to never be silent about Him.

This really hit home with me…especially after the morning’s sermon.

My church recently celebrated its 100-year anniversary.  It was a momentous milestone in this day and age.

My church just purchased a venue in which it will be able to serve the community through innovative ways, and so the sermons lately have been about looking forward and just what, exactly, we Christians are called to.

No matter where we go, whether it’s across the world or across town, we are called to spread the love of God and news of His Son’s sacrifice for the lost.

We are called to do so in word and deed.

I am the first to admit that my actions and words do not always reflect my love for the Lord…I am still a sinner, after all, but one saved through grace.  Yet, I do strive to serve God with all of my heart, and I’ve always welcomed and, in fact, embraced the opportunity to tell others about Him.

It’s not because I think it’s my job to “save” the world.

It’s simply because I am so GRATEFUL for what God has done, and my heart hurts for those who can’t see the TRUTH.

As I listened to the morning’s sermon and later read my friend’s words, I was taken back to a time not too long ago when I was told to be silent about Jesus.

The mandate pained me greatly…caused much angst in my soul.

You see, when you love the Lord and seek to serve Him, it goes against your nature NOT to speak up.

It’s like trying to hold back flood waters pushing against man-made barriers…sand bags, if you will.

We take so much for granted in this country.

Most Christians who live in the United States will never know the true meaning of bravely speaking up for Jesus.

At least not in the sense that Christians in other parts of the world do.

Yet, our resolve does get tested in the pressures of everyday life…situations in which we don’t want to appear “different” by going against the grain.

Sometimes, situations preclude us from speaking up…in the name of “political correctness.”

How would you feel, though, if your father publicly denied you…withheld His support and love from you in front of others…and passed by silently as if He never knew you?

It would sadden me, and I think it would cause others to wonder what kind of relationship I really had with my “supposed” father.

I, AuburnChick, am not ashamed, and I will never be silenced.

Does this mean that I will run around trying to convert people?

Nope.

God does that all on His own.

What it does mean is that if someone asks me if I love Jesus, I will proudly answer, “Yes.”

Will you go beyond not denying Him and actually speak up?

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

What Will You Be Running Toward?

Posted on November 6, 2011 by auburnchick

On Saturday, Rooster and I enjoyed several hours of vegging in front of the television. We had several DVR’d shows to watch. We enjoy the same shows, so this can count as “quality time” because of the conversations that are often generated from the shows.

One of the shows we really enjoy is Criminal Minds.

Did any of you watch last week’s episode?

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

It was dark, as most of the episodes are.

Of course, there was killing and profiling and chasing the bad guy.

It was a difficult episode to watch, but then things got interesting.

See, the gist of the plot (sorry if I’m going to ruin this for you) is that the killer is killing people, then resuscitating them to find out what they’ve seen of the afterlife because, in his younger life, the killer had died.  He had, for years, been haunted by the fact that arms were reaching out from behind him, preventing him from going toward the “light.”

Deep stuff.

Rooster and I looked at each other in the realization that this episode was taking a very deep turn.

Two of the main characters expressed that they’d had after-death experiences, but both of them had been different…one of them able to run to the light and the other person had been held back.

Can you say S-C-A-R-Y?

Why, you may ask?

Well, if you’re a Christian, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Each person who doesn’t acknowledge the saving grace of Jesus Christ will not live in the light after he or she passes away.

There will be arms reaching out, preventing the unsaved, from entering heaven.

The Bible states that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in hell.

I wonder if those arms reaching out from the dark represented the things in this life that had held the television show’s characters from accepting Jesus as Savior…false religions, selfish ambitions, belief that people can earn their way to heaven through good deeds.

Folks, there are a lot of misguided people in this world.  There are NOT many paths to heaven.

There is only one…through Jesus Christ.

This is not religious intolerance.

It is, quite simply, TRUTH.

Every time I hear of someone passing away…famous (Andy Rooney) or not…I wonder…

Did that person embrace Jesus as the breath left his or her body, or did the person find him/herself overwhelmed by a darkness that will never, ever go away?

This scares me more than anything in the world.

There are too many kind, “good” people walking around thinking they’ve got things figured out.  What a shame when they find out otherwise.

I hope that the Criminal Minds episode leads people to really consider what lies beyond this temporary, earthly life…what they will be running toward in the end.

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

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