I have spent the last week on a farm in Costa Rica, and two thoughts came to me when I was feeding the pigs:

1.  The slops we poured into the trough were so disgusting.  Peels, left-overs covered in bugs, and other miscallaneous things humans can’t digest.  The pig LOVED it!  But as I was watching the pig eat, I was reminded of the story of the Prodigal Son, who ended up eating pig food because his decisions had brought him to such a bad place.  Meanwhile his father would have had the best food at a table for him if he only came back.  It made me wonder, in what areas of my life do I eat pig food when God has so much more if I am willing to obey?
2.  The trough itself was nasty.  It reminded me that Jesus, the saviour of the world, was born in a manger-which also was used by animals.  What a humble beginning, and what a way for God to make a point.

Girls, Jesus died for us so that we would not have to eat pig slop.  He died so that we can live triumphantly, freed from the bondage of sin. But Jesus was also born in a manger, reminding us that we must humble ourselves before God and others. Let’s keep this in mind this week!

Michelle

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One thing I hear people say to me sometimes is this: “Michelle, you’re such a good person.”  Have you ever had this experience?  I think the world is sometimes fascinated when someone chooses not to get drunk at parties, attends church regularly, or goes on mission trips to serve the poor.  When people treat others with respect and dignity, go out of their way to do acts of kindness, have integrity in the workplace, or have a positive attitude despite circumstance, they are seen as radical and different from most others.  These are all things I strive for, so it should not be a surprise when others label me as a “good person.”

But to be honest, it makes me sick.

If people see me as a good person but fail to see Jesus, my good acts are leading everyone astray.  If people think that I am who I am and do the things I do out of my own ‘goodness’ and strength, they are led to think that it all comes down to human effort.  Subsequently, there is no need for a saviour. 

For those of you that know me and think I am a good person, here’s what I have to say: It is ALL Jesus.  If you think I love others, it is because Jesus first loved me.  If you think I have integrity, it is because the Holy Spirit convicts me to do what is right. If you think I have wisdom, it is because God gives it to those who ask. If you think I am pure, it is because Jesus died for my sin, cleansed me form all unrighteousness, and allows me to live in victory over impurity.  If you think I am going to heaven, it is not because of my good works but because of the Cross.  That’s it. 

SHAME ON US FOR TAKING THE CREDIT FOR WHAT JESUS HAS DONE IN OUR LIVES.  We must make it clear to the world that He is the reason we are different.  It would be cruel to mislead people by telling them that we are good on our own.  The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  But when we believe that Jesus died for us on the cross and ask Him to be our Lord and Saviour, He begins to mold us and shape us to be better people. 

If you are a Christ-follower and people see you as a good person, make sure you give credit where credit is due.

Michelle

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Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson is my favourite book.  I could only handle one chapter at a time because I would have so much journaling and note-taking to do!  It is about following God’s leading even when it takes us to dangerous places, and introduces ‘cages’ that we must be released from to truly live.

ChaZown by Craig Groeschel was huge for me a few years ago when I was trying to figure out who God made me to be and what my calling is in life.  It is a very easy read and gives lots of opportunities to respond on paper.  If you are at a point in life when you don’t know who you are, what you want, or what God has for you, read this one.  I would recommend reading Wild Goose Chase right after.

A Grace Disguised by Jerry Sittser was the best book I read on grieving after my best friend Katharine died in a car accident.  The author lost his mother, wife, and daughter in one car accident, and the book is his journey through grief and the lessons he has learned. This is a must if you or someone you know is grieving over the loss of a loved one.

The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan is about something we as Christians seem to have forgotten: taking a Sabbath day of rest.  As a result of this book, I began to obey God in this area of my life, and for my last two and a half years at university I blocked off a day that for resting, enjoying life, and spending time with God and people. No homework or obligations allowed!  This book will change your life if you put it into practice. I promise you. Do you feel stressed out, overwhelmed, and way too busy? Go get this book right now!

Captivating by John and Stasi Elderidge is a good read as well.  It is about who God has made us to be as women.  I read it in a time in my life when I was struggling with relationships, beauty, self worth, and who I was in Christ.  God did a healing work in my life through this book.

Left To Tell: I just read this and was floored. Imaculee tells her story of discovering God in the midst of the Rwandan genocide.  It is the best book I have read about Rwanda, and got me to take a good look at how strong my faith really is.

I hope these books are as big of a blessing in your lives as they have been in mine. Happy reading!

Michelle

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I’ve had it on my heart for the last couple days to talk about body image.  It seems that there are three types of girls out there:  those who hate their bodies, those who love their bodies, and those who have a healthy understanding of who God has made them to be.

1. Have you ever heard a girl say “I’m so fat! Look at my thighs/butt/hips/belly/legs etc.?”  I hate my hair, I hate my feet, I hate my teeth, I hate my skin.  Have you ever said something like this?  Sometimes this leads to obsessive exercise, eating habits, or not wanting to leave the house without make-up.  Let me tell you something.  When I started high school, I was pretty content with how I looked. But I had a friend who was constantly complaining about her body.  First I just thought she was crazy and dismissed it. But after a while, I started thinking, “well if she says that’s wrong with her body, she must have not seen mine!  As a result, I started worrying about how I looked, and learned from her how to complain about certain parts of my body.  And she was a Christian! Girls, when you complain about your bodies, you are (1) insulting the God who made you (2) being a stumbling block to other girls who are content with their bodies.  Stop it.  My mother-in-law said something once that has stuck with me ever since: “A lot of girls say they are ‘self-conscious’ about their bodies.  And that’s exactly what they are: conscious of self.”  By complaining about your body, you are being more conscious of yourself than the God who created you.  Self-worship is idolatry. 

2. Now there is the other extreme. The girls who think they’re hot and flaunt it. The ones with their pictures plastered all over facebook. The ones who dress to impress, especially to get the attention of guys.  This may come across as being confident, but really it is just another form of self-worship.  Let me ask you: how much do you spend on your hair a year? What about clothes? Perfume? Make-up?  The Bible says “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  If your money is an indication of where your heart is, who is your God? Your own body?  How hard would it be for you to no to post any pictures on facebook for a year? Or to not buy new clothes for a year?  What if you are in an accident and get your face badly burned?  Where do you get your worth?

3.  The last group of girls is quite rare.  These are girls and women who know who they are in Christ, are content in their own skin and have accepted their imperfections, work hard to maintain a healthy and balanced way of living (exercise, healthy diet, healthy relationships etc), and overall are more concerned with God and how to serve people than themselves.  These are the girls who are truly attractive, both on the inside and the outside.  They can’t help but draw people to them.  Christ shows on their face.  Guys (and their girlfriends!) feel comfortable around them.  It’s not a competition.  This is what we must strive for!

Let’s not forget that God gave us bodies here in earth for a purpose: to serve Him by loving others.  Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.  We should not worship the temple but use it to honour Jesus.

Be honest: which girl are you?

Michelle

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Sometimes I find myself in a conversation with other Christians that is getting dull and meaningless, and I want to bring life to it by talking about what God is doing in our lives. But for some reason, sometimes I hesitate to ask the question: what has God been teaching you lately? What is He doing in your life?

I don’t know why this question is so hard for me to ask sometimes, especially when I know the other person loves Jesus and loves to talk about Him.  So why do I hesitate?  I think the biggest reason is that I do not want to seem like the super religious, holier than thou type of person.  But another fear is probably trying to answer the question myself.  What have I been learning lately?  What has God been doing in my life recently?  I don’t want to ask someone else that question if I am struggling to come up with something myself.

Last week I went out for lunch with a friend, and as we shared about our faith journeys and how God has been at work in our lives, I realized something. Intentional conversation about God reveals what God has been teaching me.  As the conversation builds, something will come out of my mouth that I didn’t even realize was in my heart and head.  It’s as if God had been teaching me something without me even realizing it, and it is brought to light through conversation.  Somehow I am able to put words to something that has been simmering in my soul for a while.  And that is such an exciting moment! 

Are you intentional in your conversations?  I urge you to be.  Not only will it shed light on what God is teaching you, but it will allow you to build deeper, more meaningful relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ.  So go ahead and ask the question: what is God doing in your life?

Have a great week girls!

Michelle

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I’m sure by now many of you have heard about the massive earthquake in Haiti.  Jay and I have been thinking about it non-stop for the past couple days.  The drummer from Jay’s dad’s church lost his mom that day, and thousands (possibly hundreds of thousands) of others have lost their lives.  Many are still buried under the rubble.  My dad was scheduled to go there on a work trip the following day…and I am so grateful he didn’t leave on the weekend like he usually does.  He is safe and sound in Canada, but other families have not been so fortunate.

My friend Karyn was expressing her frustration yesterday at how hard it is to empathize with and remember others around the world that are suffering because we are so removed from it here in our comfort and luxury. It made me remember something I learned a couple years ago:

Christians, who serve a God who they do not physically see, should be experts at standing alongside and remembering people across the world who we ‘do not see.’  We should apply our disciplines from serving an ‘invisible God’ to serving those in need who geography makes ‘invisible’ to us. 

So what does ‘standing alongside the invisible’ look like to you?  Praying more for the families who have lost loved ones in Haiti? Going on a team to help? Donating to organizations that are bringing food and water?

Let’s actively remember the people of Haiti this week as we go about our day in a world of comfort and luxury.

Michelle

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This week I have been convicted of something.  There appears to be a trend in my life that I haven’t been disturbed by before, but now is beginning to bother me:

Spending time with God has become about me, not Him. 

I want peace, so I read God’s word. I want to vent, so I write in my prayer journal. I want to de-stress and gain clarity of mind, so I listen to worship music.

When was the last time I praised God for who He is and didn’t bring up my own agenda?  When was the last time I just sat quietly in His presence, silenced by His holiness and power?  When was the last time I wept at the touch of His mercy?

A friend of mine once said that she didn’t want to believe in God because she merely saw religion as a crutch.  I told her that we need God to be our crutch - we need Him to help us, guide us, give us peace and clarity of mind.  Dependence on God is a beautiful thing.  But let’s be careful that we don’t approach our “quiet times” with God with the sole purpose of having our prayers answered, our minds calmed, and our spirits nourished.  Let’s remember to worship Him for who He is.

Michelle

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Yesterday I met someone and asked them if they were excited about Christmas.  Their reply was this:

“I’ve lived long enough to not be excited about anything anymore.”

This guy is in his forties and openly admits that nothing excites him anymore. Life is boring and dull.  He thinks he has experienced everything there is to experience. 

His comment wouldn’t leave my mind for the rest of the day.  I’m sure as a kid he experienced wonder, anticipation, excitement, and gratitude.  Sadly, life has chipped away at him and he has allowed himself to become hardened. 

But I believe he is merely expressing something that many people feel at Christmas time when they get a little older: things are not exciting anymore.

And maybe that is a good thing. 

Because Christmas is not about stuff.  Maybe this guy has realized that material things do not bring lasting joy and contentment.  No thing can.  Even Christmas decorations, family turkey dinners, and snow falling gently on a perfect winter day eventually lose their wonder.  Why?  Because the peace and fullness everyone craves comes through Christ alone.  Only when we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour can we truly be joy-filled. 

In my experience, when I follow His lead and let Him control it, my joy and excitement overflows.  I see the world through a new lens.  I am excited about snow because my Creator made it.  I am excited about turkey because I see food as a blessing from my God.  I appreciate Christmas decorations because I am grateful for the eyesight I have been blessed with. And I appreciate family because of the spiritual journey they share with me throughout the rest of the year.  The seemingly mundane maintain their wonder.

This man was right.  Life is not exciting.  Everything, from travel to people to presents lose their appeal eventually.  Jesus makes life exciting.  He keeps it exciting.  He allows us to see life through a new lens that never gets old.  Are you experiencing that fullness this Christmas season? 

Michelle

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Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (from Ephesians 6)

When Jay and I were dating, I noticed something in this passage about purity.  I envisioned each part of the armour listed, and stopped for a few minutes to picture the breastplate of righteousness.  A breastplate stops arrows from piercing your heart and killing you on the battlefield.  It’s vital to survival.  At that moment I came to a conclusion:

Making Jay stumble in the area of sexual purity was like sending him onto the battlefield without a breastplate. 

This would include dressing immodestly, allowing ourselves to be alone in tempting situations, or saying something that I knew would send his mind racing.  Righteous living protects us like a breastplate protects a soldier.  Why would I take that from the person I love?

Ladies, if you are dating or engaged to someone, make it your goal to help them put their armour on.  Pursue righteousness and sexual purity in your relationship so that both of you can fight the good fight without succumbing to your injuries.

Michelle

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On Tuesday night my friend Cat and I got to help out at a Christmas PJ party for Hamilton’s prostituted women.  Over 50 women came and we gave them all brand new La Senza pyjamas and slippers, did hand treatments, decorated cookies with them, played a pass the parcel game, and ate way too many snacks!  At the end of the night they each received a gift bag to take home, and filled out a Christmas ‘wish’ to hang on the tree.  They wrote down their wishes knowing that we’d be praying for them afterwards.  I met some incredible girls and women and had an amazing time. Here are some thoughts that went through my head that night:

–This is the only Christmas most of these women will get this year.
–Celebrating Jesus and spending time with family make Christmas my favourite season. These women will  probably be servicing men that night. No wonder they don’t like Christmas.
–There is a disproportionate number of Aboriginal women here.  It’s very clear that Native women and girls are falling through the cracks of society.
–There is nothing more delightful than seeing adults so excited about decorating cookies!
–There is nothing sexy about prostitution.  It is the face of desperation and exploitation.
–If prostitution was legalized, as many academics say it should be, there is no way any of these women would make the ‘cut’ and be hired to legal brothels. They are too beat up, drug addicted, and weathered.  They would not benefits from the supposed “rights” legalization claims to offer.
–It’s weird that these girls are going to work after this party.
–Why has God blessed me?  Why has he spared me and not these girls from such a life?
–How can I love people who have had such different life experiences?
–I am humbled that these girls don’t write me off as a rich white church girl, but are willing to accept my humble and awkward attempts to love them.

More than anything, I was so grateful that these girls had a safe place to spend a couple hours and be showered with unconditional love.  Like a reprieve from the hell that is their life.  Abusive pimps, cold weather, and unrealistic demands.  Drug addictions, fear of hope, and fear of authorities.  Judgment from Christians and non-Christians alike.  Desperation, bitterness, hurt, and resentment.

It sure is a good thing Christmas is about Jesus, the light of the world and the healer of all wounds. Let’s start living like HE is the reason for the season and shed off all the crap that somehow makes Christmas about US. Let’s live out the hope that we have this December…and maybe we’ll get to decorate cookies in the process!

Michelle

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