In love with a Stripper!

Sound absurd?

I'm thinking about a different type of stripper. When you think about a paint stripper, its job is to penetrate the paint film, causing it to swell; this volume increase causes internal strains, which, together with the weakening of the layer's adhesion to the underlying surface, leads to sepearation of the layer of the paint from the substrate.

In lamens terms, when you need to seperate the paint from the object which its been applied, the stripper goes inside the film of the paint, causing it strain and creating a swelling effect. This tension weakens the  adhesive power of the paint to the object and leads to a seperation between the two.

In our lives, due to our void that needs to be filled, we seek for temporary things that cause momentary satisfaction and pleasure. Watching, participating, listening, hanging around, inhaling and spending time with these things cause an adhesion of sorts between us and the substance or person that we get addicted to.

Jesus Christ is the great STRIPPER! No, not the kind you find on a pole, but the One who goes inside the believer, through the power in the Word of God and the conviction of the Holy Spirit and He causes strain. He creates a dissatisfaction with that very thing which seems to bring pleasure to us. As we are led to spend more time with Him, or hear (through song) His words of encouragment; or speak to people who share their testimonies with us, our desire for that temporary pleasure begins to weaken. Over time through prayer (whether that of our own, or that of others), seperation occurs and we find ourselves able to say "no" and resist the urges of our flesh.

Yes, Jesus is the one we should be in love with. Why? Because He loves us so much that he desires and has the power to seperate us from the things (and people) we foolishly adhere ourselves to!

#WhoIsTheMole?

If you're like me...you have become attached to the Scandal sitcom and its racey plot. Or maybe the characters and their twisted personalities yet smooth speech and suave outfits catch your eye. For whatever reason, Scandal has been the hot topic of Thursday nights. I'm sure most of you "Gladiators", like myself, want to go looking for Shonda Rimes when you hear that we have to wait another 3 weeks before another new episode rears its head! Like ugh!!! We LIVE for Thursday evenings and I even forfeit my early bedtime of 9pm to hold my eyelids open just 1 more hour...but its worth every 60 of those minutes!

Getting on Twitter (@Lady_JAG) and tweeting with my other fellow gladiators makes it all the more exciting! There is one thing that disturbs me though...seeing other believers take the plot and meaning behind the series, a little too close to heart. Often times, it is dangerously unwise to take issues and quotes from a secular sitcom and apply them to life. As true as things may seem and as good at it may feel to us, as believers we MUST seperate sitcom from reality. (sidebar: There are times we must even seperate Reality TV from reality)

Simply because our world is an organized system that has composed views, thoughts and values that oppose our Savior's, its all the more imperative that we adopt the mind and heart of God so that when we DO watch these "juicy" evening soap operas, we can still view them from a godly worldview.

Last night's episode was great...heart racing & I'm curious like all you gladiators-- Who IS the mole? But in that, watching the President (Fitz) choose his mistress over his wife and running the country-- well simply put-- wrong is wrong. WE are the mole if WE are guilty of treachery enough to deny the righteousness Jesus died for us to obtain and instead choose the desires/lusts that still dwell within our flesh. Many Christians desire the affair between Olivia and Fitz to "work". But in real life, if YOU were Mellie and made a commitment to YOUR husband (relationship gone sour or not)...would YOU want the mistress to "win"? Of course not...no woman I know would!

Anyways that's my soap box. God's word is still truth and although we have the freedom to watch what pleases us, its pertinent that we use our freedom wisely. Christians in particular need to watch from a different viewpoint and remember not to connect our personal lives nor live by what we see. Though I was disgusted at the Presidents' behavior, I am still very much in tuned to what might happen in the final episodes! See the difference? Enjoy the Finale!!

Goodie Two Shoes

The persecution of Christians dates back to the time of Jesus but its not uncommon to see just as much persecution of Christians today! In other cultures, Christianity is the "underdog" of religions, if there were such a thing. Think about it, no one wants to believe, let alone claim, that Jesus is THE ONLY way to (a relationship with) God. But that's only one of many truths people are afraid, or too prideful in their thinking to believe/admit.

Persecution, however, doesn't only emanate from unbelievers! Shocking? Well, understand that when Jesus guaranteed that believers WILL face persecution, he didn't exactly specify where it would come from. I find it ironic that even believers who have boundaries and standards get persecuted by other believers who choose to live life THEIR way.

Talking to some fellow believers about a job that was offered me some months after graduating from college, I relayed that the company offered me the position as long as I was willing to lie on the results that I would report. I declined the job based on integrity and you would be amazed how many people respond opposed to that decision with comments such as "girl, if the pay was good I'd lie my tail off!" Though I understand the sentiment and would so desire the same, my desire to please Christ would compel me otherwise.

As a believer, (one who grows in their love and respect for their Lord, understanding who He is and what He desires of them and trusting in that)... should your morals reflect the truths in scripture, you can expect that even your fellow brothers and sisters in the faith might throw persecution your way. You might be looked at as "goodie two shoes" or "holier than thou" rather than just a believer who loves the Lord. Sure execution or imprisonment might not be the result, but expect to be shunned, talked about, and find yourself with fewer and fewer associates/friends. Its' a hard reality to face, but it comes with the territory!

Fat meat greasy

One of my co-workers used to say to our students, "they gone learn, fat meat greasy!". For the longest I just laughed because it sounded funny, but I had no clue what he was talking about. Finally, he broke it down for me. It's an urban slang meaning people will find out the hard way that something is true or going to occur. I'd like to think if Jesus was a bit urban He might have said it when warning people that their selfish ways are going to get them no where!

When I saw the movie Flight, it was tough watching someone as brilliant as Denzel's character struggle through life getting high, drinking everytime he was sad or lonely and all to drain out the real issues he was afraid of dealing with. In the end, it caught up with him and he realized facing his issues truly brought him solace. So why go the long way around?

 

Similar happenings in the new Tyler Perry movie. Chasing after foolish gains (drugs, promiscuity, riches, drunkeness and parties) that you KNOW won't satisfy, yet misled by the promises of what the world has to offer. Only to have the fruits of your labor turn out sour and rotten. Various times in Ecclesiastes, Solomon refers to chasing after such things as meaningless. Then why do we see it as tittalating? Yes, the arousal is enjoyable for the time being...but while the world is captivating our cravings, its also showing us how vile and corrupt it will leave us in the end.

Ponder on all the celebrities who chased money and fortune, yet ended up strung out on drugs, lonely and abused. Let the cry from their tragic stories ring louder than the screams of their fleeting fame! God's way may seem prudish, boring and mundane...but the person who loves you wants life and sincere peace for you. He surely won't force you to take that route, but you better believe fat meat greasy!

Heart Patient

 

Ever had someone just piss you off? Not necessarily because they did anything personally to you, but just because of their mannerisms and how they behave. There was someone I had to be around for a long period of time and the more I was around them, the more I found myself struggling to think straight without being completely disgusted and distracted. Everything they did from how they walked to the way they interacted with others was so putrid to me! I couldn’t stand their laziness, lack of work ethic, inability to be assertive and constant nagging and whining.

At one point, I chalked it up to the fact that I was simply better than they were. After all, my personal ethics were together, I took initiative and kept my mouth shut when things didn’t go my way. It was evident I was the better of us two. Or so I thought. One day it hit me. I was the disgusting one. My true heart was exposed as I looked with disdain upon this person. My heart was filled with hatred so clearly I wasn’t as ‘perfect’ as I thought I was. Before I knew it, conviction set in and I was challenged to talk to God about my own sick condition. Daily, I questioned ‘what was wrong with me’?

 

A few weeks later, I heard about a bible study lesson being taught that seemed to ‘hit home’ in the very area I was struggling with. So compelled, I attended and of course I got slapped up, down, side to side and pretty much every which way with the Word. Convicted, but encouraged. I was challenged to examine my own heart, and address the issue in a godly, practical way. Extend mercy, be kind, treat fairly…all things I certainly did not FEEL like doing.

Less than a week later, I was faced with a chance to be alone with this person. Over a forced conversation, I learned some personal things about them and as I listened, my heart felt deep compassion for them. The emotion was real; I can truly say it was not self-induced. It overwhelmed me and I felt myself enter unfamiliar territory. Somehow, I was obliged to encourage them as well as pray for them.

I’m not sure how a surgeon takes a bad heart and exchanges it for a better one, but I know THE HEART SURGEON can take a wicked, filthy heart and somehow infuse it with His forgiveness and tender compassion, making it brand new and cause it to beat for others. I’ve bee a patient under His scapel…

Nothing more than a mirage

Illusory
such foolery
of me to defraud my faculties
misled by my thirst
what's worse?
you led me to believe I should put you first

deceptive in nature
appealing on paper
verbally able
to temporarily quench my lust
give me just enough
to cause me to put my trust...
...in yo behind

what a farse
a waste
to rape me of my time and
make me doubt my taste
my vision quite blurred
disillusioned i'm sure
you were nothing more than a mirage
a facade
well played game of cards
check mate
spade
dominoe
I should have let you go
like the last possession in UNO
I would've bet on you tho
pulled the lever and let go
gambled with you til I was broke
but your game plan was Casino

You see what you want to see
fantasy becomes reality
when in actuality
the evidence shows no partiality
it IS what it is
and to get a good fill
push thru the hurt to the heal
for there the water's real
distilled
pure
drink

Beauty for Ashes...

I've always heard scriptures about how 'God cares for the orphan and widow'. I never really paid them any attention except for the occasional silent sigh of compassion that would quickly rush over my heart. I figured God is caring and He probably does have deep compassion on that group of people even more than those of us who DO have parents and those who are married.

When my dad passed away in May 2011 it served as a devistating blow to my family because we all knew him to be patiently vocal about his faith, passionate about history and very musically talented. But even moreso to my immediate family for all the obvious reasons of how hands on he was in fathering his children, loving his wife, protecting his daughters and keeping our family a tight unit.

But deeper within a bit of resentment towards God could have been found; how could you remove such a pillar of strength from our family? Someone my mother needed late at night, my brothers needed for an example of manhood, who my nephew and his future grandchildren wanted to build relationships with...and more personally, the one person who knew how to make me feel like his princess? Who was I supposed to go to for my car troubles and who would check out the men I decided to seriously date?

As I spoke more with my mother, I began to worry more: who would help her think through retirement? Who would she grow old with? Who would be her first line of defense with advice seeking? Who would help her with the intricate parts of raising her family and just day to day living?

Well not long afterl he passed, God began to demonstrate through small victories what He is capable of. The provision He is capable of, the healing He can do, the men He'd cause to step in & provide assistance with such minor issues as car trouble, the ministry He would birth through my mother's grief and men my brothers could become! Its' as if He used death to flex His strong arm in a different way.

Its safe to say, now I KNOW God cares for the widow...I'm watching Him do it, daily through my mother's life! Though issues and pain occurs in our lives, don't short change how God can use them to deepen your knowledge of Him & can don't underestimate the wooing factor it can have on a heart.
~Isaiah 61:3; Psalm 146:9