I married a boxer...

Yup I married a boxer. No not the dog, it's not some strange pet name I have for my husband. I actually married a guy that used to box.

Now I love sports but there are a lot of sports I'd rather actually DO than watch. Boxing would be one of them. I think it'd be awesome to get into a ring and go a few rounds. But actually watch two guys pummel each other to a bloody mess, doesn't really do it for me.

But I do love hearing Jeremy tell me stories of his boxing days.

One thing he told me that really stuck in my mind was that at the beginning his trainer used to make him stand in the ring with his hands behind his back while his trainer would punch him over and over again. He wasn't allowed to fight back or react.

Now I'm sure your first reaction is a lot like mine was...."ummm I don't even think so!No thank you!"

And then Jeremy, the logical person that he is, explained to me why his trainer would do this.

Jeremy used to get really angry when someone would punch him in the ring (as would anyone right?) but apparently that isn't good in boxing. Or any sport really. It distracts you. He would lose his head and react off of emotion instead of keeping his focus and acting off what he knew. His trainer was preparing him both physically and emotionally to be able to take a hit when they came in his matches. He was teaching him how to fight with purpose.

That's so like life isn't it? How often do we feel like we're in the middle of a boxing match? Some of us daily, right? We keep taking hit after hit from what often feels like every angle. And all you're trying to do is have the strength to get your hands up to protect and defend yourself, hoping desperately that the bell would ring and end the round.

How often we feel like the world has us backed into a corner. Whether it's sickness, finances, bills piling up, a person attacking our character, people around us hurting, things falling apart left and right...the enemy knows our weak spots. I face a fight every day with the pain and my health. It's never ending and the enemy knows that. He knows what to aim for to try and bring us down. His goal is to hit us where it hurts.Make us feel like we are defeated.

That sure does make life exhausting at times doesn't it? We wear ourselves out when trials hit because we often just start swinging punches out of emotion. How often have you felt like your strength feels like it's one right hook away from being knocked out completely? That your one jab away from losing hope? And then sometimes just when we feel like we've got our feet back under us, like our strength is building and we're gaining momentum again, BAM another hit causes us to stumble.

You see the enemy is really good at trash talk in our most challenging moments. He'll try and make you believe there is no hope, that you're losing the fight and that you should just give up.

It's so easy to feel alone in those moments isn't it? But the truth is we never are. It is when we're struggling that God is closest. That's when it's hardest to feel him, hard to hear him. But it's because we're so distracted by the trial and the fight we forget our trainer is behind us. You have the king of kings in your corner. The man who conquered death itself! The enemy is no match for you. That trial is no competition for the God of the universe!

So why wait for the round to be over? You may be bent over in pain, but you're not broken...You may have some cuts and bruises but you're far from beaten!  

Stay focused on the purpose. And there's always purpose for the pain, always a plan in the struggle. Every hit you take is making you more prepared to face the next one. Every time you stand back up after a punch you're giving God glory. You're strengthening your character, your faith is growing because you're saying "I don't Give up. By the Grace of God, I'm still here."

And God's grace doesn't run out, even when our energy does. He is still there, still stronger and Bigger than anything we face.

So it's time for us to put our fists up and land some punches of our own. It's time to get out of the corner.

In the ring of life, moments will come when you fall flat on your face, where it seems like the enemy has gotten the best of you. You can hear some cheering because they want to see you fail, while others are booing because they're fighting the enemy with you, and it is then that you have a choice to make...

You can throw in the towel and quit, or you can get back up, get your fists up and get in the fight! It doesn't matter how many times you fall. Just do not stay on the ground!


 “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” Proverbs 24:16

“Defeat is temporary; quitting makes it final.” Never quit or give up. Jesus Christ is your trainer, and the Holy Ghost is your sponsor.

God is for you, and if He be for you what can ever stand against you? Romans 8:31 

The enemy has already been defeated! So Hold on, get those fists up and keep fighting. You are more than a conqueror!  And at the end, your hand will be raised as your King crowns you Champion!

Stop living defeated, don't you see the victory is already yours and no person or trial can ever take that from you!

 

Good Friday? What's so good about it?

What was the first thought on your mind when you woke up friday morning?
Do you remember?

I have to pee, I want a donut, I need a coffee IV, I love my kids but wish they had a mute button sometimes.

What if you woke up that morning knowing that you were going to die that day? Not just die but that you were going to be betrayed by a close friend, beaten, spit on, all while being made fun of, right before you faced an excruciating death. A death you didn't deserve. A death you were dying for someone else. Someone you had never met.

Now what if you had the power to prevent all that from happening to you, would you do it? If we're being honest we wouldn't hesitate in saying "YES!!!"

Let's face it we are not so good with suffering are we? In fact we usually do everything in our power to avoid it or escape it as quick as possible when it hits.

Suffering....We don't understand it and we don't want it!

But there has been one perfect, innocent man that chose it

Jesus chose to suffer and he did it for you and me.

He woke up that day knowing one of his closest friend Betrayed him for money, knowing he would be unjustly arrested, brutally beaten, wrongly accused, relentlessly mocked, and savagely hung on a wooden cross to die.

Why would anyone do that?

LOVE. True, selfless, unconditional love... for us. ALL of us. Every single person. No matter their race, background, religion, sexual preference, social standing, or choices in life, He did it for everyone.

He hung there, blood dropping from every inch of his body, barely hanging on only by rusty nails pierced through his hands and feet. A piercing crown of thorns digging into his skull.

With all the power to get down, to make it stop, to end the suffering... the King of Kings and son of the most High God chose to suffer through. He was thinking of us. He knew He had to be the sacrifice that we could never be. The flawless bridge That would connect us to God almighty.

Jesus knew you then. Crazy to think about right? He knew every sin, mistake, failure, choice, you would ever make and that is why he chose not to end the torchure. He knew the suffering was temporary and victory was coming!

He fought through the excruciating pain to save us from our sins. To be the free gift that would give us a way to heaven, that would give us freedom.

I can't imagine the pain and heartache of those who loved him watching him die on that cross but it was a crucial part of God's plan of saving grace. A love so strong he sacrificed his only son. And It was not a somber day.....it was a day of victory.

JESUS the savior of the world. He's more than just a religion, than a story in history.On the 3rd day after he sacrificed his life He rose from the dead!HE IS ALIVE!

And lives in the heart of those that choose him.

All we have to do is believe, to ask for forgiveness for our sins and heaven is ours. But it's not just our eternity that's secured it's our past that is wiped clean and our present that is safe in his hands. He's a friend. Our connection to our creator. He gives strength when Your weak, joy in the pain, hope in the despair,Peace in the chaos, and no matter what we do or don't do in this life, he loves us the same.

I will never fully grasp that kind of love, that kind of undeserved grace.He took the punishment for us. We will face troubles in this world but he's already overcome them all. So why are you living in defeat when you already have victory in Christ? 

He took the guilt for everything so we could have the grace forever.

To him, you were worth it. He doesn't want anything from you....

All he wants is YOU. Just as we are. He is perfect so we don't have to be, he measures up so we don't need to. His love is unending, without limitations or restrictions. He wants to give you freedom for life and eternity in heaven with him. 

That makes it so much more than just a 'good' Friday!

Pick up the rock!

" I can't..." 

Two simple words but words that can keep us from a lot in our lives cant they?

Last night I got a crazy idea (which happens quite often with me) I thought, "I should go running."

Now I realize that word running evokes different reactions. Some of you got tired or almost threw up just thinking about it, some of you your heart started racing and you thought let's do this! Mine has changed over the years.

I used to LOVE running. I've never been one for treadmills,where's the fun of running in place? But put me outside and it was run forest run for me. My feet would hit the old country road pavement at my parents house growing up and I'd run and run until I couldn't take it anymore or it got dark. (country roads with no lights and the chance of getting run over by a lifted truck or a cow are not the way I wanted to go out)

But sadly my love for running has changed since I got sick several years ago. As an athlete all my life it's been one of the things that I've struggled with the most that's changed.

But you know what I've learned about the two words, I can't, is that more often than not we actually can, just not in the same way we may hope or like to.

It's something I've learned with my health. Something, honestly I've had a hard time coming to grips and admitting. I can't do things the way I used to.

I guess that's what chronic muscle pain and chronic fatigue do to a body. My immune system is so weak it makes Napoleon Dynamite look buff.. I never wanted to look at that as an excuse but I had to face that's just the reality of my circumstances at this season in my life. Just imagine trying to go running while your muscles are in a constant spasm and you have the flu.Yup, that's pretty much what it feels like.

Does that mean I should let that keep me from doing things because they aren't as easy or I can't do them the way I may want? No I don't think so.That's what I'm learning at least.To accept what is but not what can't be. I am so grateful for my life, because I always say "It could be worse." That's not a pity thing, it's a gratitude thing. At least I'm alive, at least I can walk, see, hear, taste....Things I took for granted before. My pain may keep me from a lot of things but it won't keep me from being grateful for the life I'm blessed with.

So knowing it might feel like getting hit repeatedly by a truck and I'd pay for it today, I went for a run last night. I knew it'd be challenging but I did what I could, as far as I could. And although it wasn't as much as I'd have liked and it was crazy painful and I felt like I was going to meet Jesus when I got back, I'm glad I did it.

I just wonder how often we miss out on experiencing the fullness of God because we look at what we think we can't do instead of what HE can do.

It's often easy to have faith and to be fearless when things seem to be going the way we want isn't it? To take chances, to be brave. But when something changes in our life, our circumstances are altered, we begin to lose hope, we start to feel limited. We began to lose ourselves and everything God can do through us in the process because our focus has changed from "I can do all things through Christ" to "I can do some things, maybe a few things." We start to believe the lies of the enemy and before we know it two words become our whole outlook "I can't."

I know things may not be going the way you would like in a certain area of your life, maybe it's finances you feel holding you back, maybe it's other people around you that are making you feel like you're not enough, maybe your own limitations are holding you down, maybe you feel your talent isn't being used the way it could be, maybe circumstances feel out of your control, maybe you feel like your too old or too young or not smart enough or pretty enough or educated enough.

But can I tell you something? The way we see ourselves and our situation is not how God sees it. His word says his thoughts and ways are higher than ours. Meaning He sees the Bigger picture, where we see limitations he sees opportunity for His power to be shown. In our weakness, He is strong. He knows where you're at, he put you there. He knows what He's doing. What you're going through will only hold you back as much as you let it.

So start today and do what you can with what you have and trust God for the more.

Look at David and Goliath. David was the smallest, the "wimpiest", the lowest in his family, he didn't have everything he may have wanted, in fact he had very little to offer but what he did have was the only thing he really needed...faith in a BIG God.

And he defeated a crazy giant that a whole army of strong, 'capable' soldiers were afraid to even face. They laughed at him but that didn't stop him. With a simple sling shot and a rock he faced the impossible and won. I love that story. It reminds me that it's not what we have but who is on our side that makes us mighty, makes us victorious.

God says when you're faithful with a little he'll trust you with a lot. Look at Noah, all he started with was a dream and a piece of wood and he built a giant ark that changed history. One day at a time...

The more you focus on your circumstances the bigger they become and the smaller you make God and our God is anything but small. He is bigger than any and every thing you are facing or feel limited by. The things you see as challenges he sees as opportunities to make you stronger,

You see, God will always make a way where there seems to be no way. To us it looks impossible but to him all things are possible. We just have to be willing to surrender to him."God is able to do far more than we could ever ask for or imagine. He does everything by his power that is working in us."Ephesians 3:20

So you might not be able to do things the way you want (right now) but you can still do SOMEthing, right?And when you start to do SOMEthing is when God can do EVERYthing.So do it, even if it's hard, even if no one notices or appreciates it, even if it seems like it's not making a difference, IT IS.

You can defeat your giant, if you choose to pick up the rock.

The Bigger the Storm...

Storms...

I love rain. I think I always have. I love the sound, the smell, the feel of it hitting my skin. One of my favorite things has always been to run in the rain. Something invigorating and refreshing about it. And let's face it, as hot as it is in Texas we could use all the help we can get with cooling off. Especially for the brave, albeit crazy souls that choose to run outside.

I also love being able to snuggle up inside under a blanket while a storm is raging outside. The rain drops hitting the windows and the thunder roaring. Flashes of lightning illuminating everything around it's fierce beam.  

Something about being safe inside while a storm rages outside brings a warming comfort.

There are things I don't like about storms though. I don't like the way people drive (if you can even call it that) or the mosquitoes that should have been left off the ark, or the mud that our pup Koa loves to dig her claws in and then track all over the house. Ah the smell of wet dog, does something quite pungent to the nose holes doesn't it? (Oh fyi, I don't like the word nostrils) 

But let's face it pleasant and not so pleasant stuff blows in with the storms.

Isn't that the case with everything though? There's the good stuff that's easy to love and there's the bad stuff that never gets any lovin. But what we choose to focus on though is our choice isn't it?

There's one thing we can be certain about storms though, they are TEMPORARY. They may last hours, days, or weeks but eventually the storms will end. The rain will stop, the sun will start shining and the puddles will dry up.

The same goes for the storms of life that we face. And as a Christ follower we will most likey face them a lot. Sometimes we're prepared for them,or as prepared as we can be. We see the dark clouds rolling in, hear the thunder in the distance and we can try to avoid them or at least brace ourselves right? But sometimes the storm hits out of no where.Seems like that's most often the case.Sun shining on our face turns into giant cold rain drops in our eyeballs.

Some storms are stronger than others, some last longer than others. Some feel like they'll never end, you know the ones? They're like that annoying pink energizer bunny, they keep going and going and going. They feel like they turn from a "hey this storm is intense" to a full blown "I'm trying not to drown here monsoon!"

It's frustrating isn't it? Overwhelming even. Every time you try to get your footing it feels like wave after wave keeps knocking you back. You try to wipe your eyes to see clearly but can't, try to fight the wind coming at you but exhaust yourself. You are just trying to make sense of it all. Because at least then we'd feel like it is for a reason.

We often think we have to be out of the storm to make a difference, that once we get past the clouds we can be content. We try to figure out a way to get where we want to be or feel like we should be, a place where we think we can be worthy again. Happy again.

Can I tell you something you may or may not know? You are worthy right where you are. You are making a difference right where you're at. It may not be how you want it to be but maybe the people you are wanting to reach aren't the same people God has in mind for you to right now. Have you ever thought about that? Maybe he has people around you in your storm, people you don't even know are watching. Maybe your mess is a message to them. Maybe they see your strength when you feel nothing but weakness. Maybe they see you fighting through when it makes more sense to give up. Maybe they're watching the process God is taking you through and seeing that there is something bigger inside of you than what you're facing. Something that allows you to smile in spite of the pain, to push forward despite the discouragement. Something that shines through the dark clouds. 

Maybe he wants to help you be content no matter what's raging on around you because He knows true peace and lasting JOY comes from Him alone, the one thing that never changes.

One of my favorite stories in the bible is when Jesus calms the storm when he's on the boat with the disciples. They were floating along fine (as we often feel we are in life) with all the faith and peace in the world until BAM the storm hits. Waves crashing into the boat while experiencing what I'm sure was the conception of the term"wind blown hair." Sea sickness sets in, feelings about what's happening grow stronger. They take their eyes off Jesus, lose sight of their destination and focus on the storm raging around them. It became about their circumstances instead of their savior. Enter fear, enter doubt, bye bye peace hello freak out mode.

Here enters my Jesus, I picture him cool and calm maybe with some bed head hair as they frantically wake him to inform the son of God there is a storm, thinking He had forgotten about them. That he didn't care they were "drowning",  at least is what they thought. (Like we don't do the same right?) 

Jesus sits up and simple says “Quiet! Be still!” And just like that the wind died down and the waters were completely calm. Oh Snap.

Jesus. Ah Jesus.He didn't care what the storm looked like, what it felt like because his faith wasn't in his surroundings it was in his God. He knew it wasn't stronger than him. He knew God had a way and no storm in their path could detour God's plan for them. And that same fearless, strong Jesus is standing with you.

Oh beloved, How God wants us to remember that in our storms. He is not thrown off by the trials that hit us, nothing can happen without passing through his hands. It may feel like punishment, it may seem unfair. But there's purpose for the rain, there's a divine plan in the pain. He has a bigger picture in mind, a place he wants to take you. I know at times we just want him to calm the storm but give yourself freedom to rest while riding it out. Don't miss what he is trying to show you through it, a fresh perspective, a new outlook, an unshakable faith and strength can only come from facing the storm.  He knows that. He knows YOU. Better than anyone.

The storm is a blessing in disguise. I promise. Sometimes a crazy good disguise but the storm doesn't mean he's mad at you and that he doesn't love you. In fact,  it means that he loves you so much that he trusts you with more. It means He knows you're strong enough, knows he's able enough.

Only the storms can reveal what you're made of. You may find weaknesses while pushing through and that is ok. Rest in those, be humble in those. Trust he cares enough to show you those so He can help turn them into strengths. They will bring a new appreciation for the strengths you already do have. If you can say nothing else at the end of the day you can say this, "I'm still here. I may be wobbly and weak but I'm still standing.Still pushing through." 

God is holding you up. He's under you, behind you, in front of you. You may not see him, you may not feel him but he promised to NEVER leave you or forsake you.

When you come out of the storm and you WILL come out, you won't be the same person that walked into it and maybe that's what the storm was about. God will calm the storm when the timing is right. But first he'll calm you. He'll teach you and show you things so that when he brings you out of it you'll be stronger than ever.You'll have more faith in his unchanging power and strength. You'll be more capable, more equipped to be everything he knows you can be.

You may not be able to see in front of you, but God can. He knows where he's taking you, he knows how to get you there.And he WILL get you there. It may be rough waters but he's building you up while guiding you through. Let hope be your anchor. Stop being so hard on yourself, rest in knowing God loves you unconditionally. Be still and know that He is God, He is in control and He will bring you through. The Bigger the Storm, the bigger the blessing.

“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.I’ve called your name. You’re mine.When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.When you’re between a rock and a hard place; it won’t be a dead end—Because I am God, your personal God,The Holy of Israel, your Savior.I paid a huge price for you:" Isaiah 42:2-3

Dearly Distracted,

You ever had a thought you wish you didn't? A thought you might not have even spoken out loud but as soon as it went through your head you thought "oh snap, that's not so good.Get out, Get out, Get out!

Say that guy that cut you off in traffic...I'm sure none of us have ever thought "I hope they get pulled over and get a giant ticket they can't afford!" It's not just traffic, a lot of things and people can steal our joy, make us react, or upset us in ways we wish they didn't.

Or maybe it's a negative thought about yourself. A lie you heard or something you "failed" at that made you believe you weren't good enough. And once one negative thought enters it's like a wildfire we can't put out.

Fear, anger, failure, resentment,disappointment, comparison, guilt. We think them daily don't we?

And it seems like the more we try not to think about it, the more we think about it. Right?

We harp on it, it ruins our morning and then our day and if we're not careful the next day and day after that. It gives us a bad attitude. We lose hope. We get overwhelmed and frustrated with anything and everyone.

The point is, things that started off as our human nature reacting with a thought turn into things that get at us. We don't want it to bother us but it does, we don't want it to make us unhappy but it did.Well played, Satan. Well played. You dangled the bait (and we all took it)
 
Can I share a little truth I often forget? Satan will use whatever he can to distract us from the real issue: we are saved by simple faith in Christ, not by what we do or don't do.

The thing about "our works" is they can't ever be perfect. We'll get mad, we'll be hurt, we'll get disappointed, and often time we'll react in a way we wish we didn't. We're human. Human nature is going to want to react. Human nature is going to fail many times at "thinking positively". I think often times we forget that. We beat ourselves up or fear the thoughts we have because we know God knows them and we think we disappoint him by doing so.
  
Truth is, we don't. God knows our human nature is weak. He knows we aren't perfect. It's not that we have the thoughts it's what we do with them. We all wish we could think more positively right? Believing if we could just get rid of any "negative" or "bad" thought that things would be a lot better.

Fearing the thoughts and consequently trying to control them, however, turns something normal into a frustrating experience as we set up a vicious circle that gets worse and worse.

This is no coincidence. It is precisely how the human mind works. It is guaranteed that the harder we try to stop thinking about something, the more we will think it. It is inevitable. The only solution is to not try to stop the thoughts. Don’t bother about them at all. By not trying to stop the thoughts we are displaying faith that it is Christ, not our works – not our efforts to stop thoughts – that saves us.So it is with unwanted thoughts and doubts. You don’t fight thoughts and doubts; you fight anxiety by refusing to give in to the anxiety. Thoughts and doubts are not the problem; one’s excessive fear or guilt because of them is the problem.

Unwanted thoughts are simply a form of temptation, and all Christians are tempted. The temptation, however, is not an attempt to get us to think wrong thoughts. Neither God nor the devil cares about the thoughts he puts in our head. The devil’s goal is to get us to doubt the reality of the forgiveness and divine approval and freedom that we have through Jesus Christ.

Victory is not being free from temptation. It would be defeat if God had to remove all temptation because he concluded you were too weak to overcome it. And since temptation takes the form of thoughts, feelings and doubts, victory does not mean not having ungodly thoughts, feelings and doubts. Victory means clinging in faith to the saving power of Christ, no matter how strong the attacks are. It's trusting HIS power, not our own.

I think too often we put so much pressure on ourselves to "measure up" to standards placed on us by society, religion, or most often ourselves. Like we are expected to "have it all together." Maybe to some people we are but not to God. Having bad thoughts doesn't make you a bad person it makes you human! 

The enemy wants us so focused on trying to fight unwanted thoughts and convincing us that they make us unworthy to God that we misinterpret God's love towards us. 

The devil wants us to push God away through being duped into wrongly supposing that ugly thoughts render us unacceptable to the God who is head over heels in love with us – the God who went to the extreme of the cross to totally forgive everyone whose faith is in him.

We (and I mean ME) need to stop wasting so much energy getting sidetracked into self-examination or fighting thoughts or feelings of guilty. No matter how real and scary they seem, they are just cardboard cut-outs. 


The real issure  is whether you believe that Jesus died for the sins of the world – believing that through Jesus forgiveness is available for every sin that anyone could ever commit, provided one accepts it. 


Instead of getting to know how loving God really is, we ignore him by becoming so obsessed with ourselves and so focused on our thoughts and feelings that we end up breaking God’s heart by refusing to believe the magnitude of his love for us. He doesn't want or expect perfection from you he just wants YOU.Relationship with you, Just as you are. 

We get so distracted by worrying needlessly about insulting God with thoughts we cannot control that we unknowingly fall into the devil’s trap of doing the only thing that truly insults God – not believing in the unlimited power of his love and forgiveness.By seizing your attention, getting you worried about the power of your sin, he has diverted you from the real issue – the one that defeats him every time – the power of your Savior.

The bible says "take every thought captive" meaning God knows those thoughts are going to come!



 Remember, however, that neither feelings nor avoidance of unwanted thoughts is the goal. The goal is faith, and faith alone. This is what glorifies God.

Everything else is but malicious diversions diabolically designed to dupe you into diverting your energy into fighting useless skirmishes, while leaving the real issue – faith in God’s goodness and power to cleanse every sin – undefended.

NOAH the movie...The real question.

Let me start by saying this I am not writing this to sway you in one way or the other about the movie NOAH. If you choose to see it, great. If not, great. The choice is yours.Yes, we have seen it and yes we loved the movie. And I've had a lot of questions about the movie. There is so much controversy surrounding it that I thought I'd give my two cents. I'm not movie critic, philosopher, or bible expert.

I am simply a christian girl, who believes in the bible and went to see a movie.Now I'm sharing my thoughts with you. You can agree or disagree.

 The biggest question I hear Christians asking is "Is it accurate to the story in the bible?" A valid question for sure. A question I found myself asking before we went to see it.

But while filing out of the crowded theater the other night I found myself wondering if that was what was really important.

Noah, the film, is definitely inspired by the biblical character and events but it is not a completely accurate, straightforward retelling of that story. The main events from the Noah story are definitely depicted in a powerful way. The actors did an incredible job and the visuals were UHmazing in my opinion.

But here's what I took most from it. A movie about Noah created by a self proclaimed atheist challenged me to decide what I believe. I left there wanting to dive into my bible. Reread the story of Noah and the Ark that I've heard a million times since I was little but never seen the story brought to life in front of me. Does this movie do a good job of accurately portraying the bible to people? I can't answer that. People will take their own interpretation from the movie regardless. Are there fact and fiction dispersed throughout? Yes. Are there strange aspects in the movie that aren't from the bible? Yes, there are. But what are we relying on here with this movie?

In my opinion, I was happy to see the way he talks about the creator and creation. The way he shows mercy and hope in the movie is the main message I took from it.The main message of the bible, I think. Isn't that what we should be concerned about? We should always go back to the bible for the truth and to clarify details anyways shouldn't we?

The amazing thing about us as humans can be both a blessing and a curse at times, but it's that we have free will. God gave that to us. We have the free will to decide what we believe. I believe the bible 100%. That's just me. But is it always easy to believe every aspect of it? Of course not. The bible has some pretty cray cray stuff in it y'all. But the way I see it, if this movie even puts the tiniest thread of curiosity into an unbeliever to want to know more or to challenge them to decide what it is they believe, to me that's not a bad thing. If it sparks conversations about the bible, again... not a bad thing.

Listen, God has been using whatever he wants to speak to people since the beginning of time. That's the amazing thing about Him. He makes things possible through what seems impossible. Who are we to say what and how he uses what he does?

Does Hollywood have a responsibility to portray the bible to people? No. They're not claiming to. That's obvious sometimes isn't it? Did the maker of this movie claim for this movie to be 100% Biblically accurate? No, in fact the self proclaimed atheist who created the movie NOAH said in an interview it would be "the least biblical film ever made" I can understand why Christians may be upset about that. Taking any sort of dramatic license is akin to tampering with the text and especially with the bible that can lead people to the wrong idea of what the bible says.

But in all honestly don't many Christians do the same thing?  To me, which is worse? A man who doesn't believe in God making a movie that adds things to a story from the bible to entertain through a movie or a person who claims to be a Christian and believe in God and stands out on the street holding a sign that says "God hates Gays?" To me, more importantly is for people to know God's love. The truth that he loves ALL people the same and so should we.


So here's the real question I think maybe we should ask ourselves... How well do our own lives depict the gospel rather than how well does Hollywood depict the gospel? I'm speaking to myself here. That hit me like a slap across the face let me tell you. I think sometimes we focus on the wrong things. The details of what's acceptable or not instead of the big picture of what really matters.

You see at the end of the day, if you're a Christian, it's your job to portray to the world who God is. HIS love. Not a movie. People will go in and watch this 139 minute movie once, maybe twice. But they are watching us everyday. Seeing how we live our lives, how we treat other people, how we treat them. Are we showing that while we're not perfect people, we do our best to point to the perfect one who saved us by grace. They may get satisfying entertainment from a movie for a little while but what people are really in search of is lasting satisfaction. They want real love and grace. To be accepted. Are we showing them that they are? Are we portraying the hope and grace of God without limitations? Are we loving without judgement?

I'm glad the movie NOAH will spark some conversations. I'm not going to over-hype the movie's flaws and miss the bigger opportunity neither am I going to rely on it as the most promising method of spreading God's word. I enjoyed the film, I'll probably see it again and then move on from there focusing on how I'm shining God's light through my own life.