Leftovers are the Bestovers

By Haley Waters

John 6:12 "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."

This was right after Jesus had fed the five thousand with five loaves and two fish. The Scriptures say that all the people had enough, and still there was some left. So why did Jesus instruct His disciples to gather it? Why didn't He want any of it to go to waste? Maybe a to-go snack for their next journey? Doggie-bags for everyone who came that day? Why did Jesus save the leftovers?

Because He is awesome. (12 extra baskets full of bread--He knows what's up)

Jesus loves leftovers--just like me!

I don't know if I would call it an obssession, but I do enjoy leftovers. Maybe because growing up, in a small family of four, we had leftovers most nights. Which meant we got to enjoy them the next day: to take to school (I went to a small private school with access to a microwave...score), and often to enjoy the next night for dinner, again.

Now, I look forward to leftovers. Especially if it's something good, like Chinese or Italian. Except pizza--I'd rather eat cold pizza then reheat it. Something about re-warmed pizza just isn't right.

I will even go so far as to save more of my food at a restaurant because I know I am going to take it home and eat it the next day. So maybe I am a little obsessive-compulsive...but I LOVE leftovers!

And I'm glad Jesus does too.

I believe Jesus saved the leftovers that day not because he was going to sell them in the market place as a 'take-home miracle,' or because He really wanted some for lunch the next day, but because

                                        Jesus doesn't let anything go to waste

1 Corinthians 15:58 says, "Therefore my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

Nothing that you do for the Lord is in vain. There are a few specifications that can be made (if you punch someone and say "Lord that was for you!" that one probably doesn't count), but so often we are moved by what we are not, what we don't have, what we can't do...and God says, "I can even use your leftovers! Nothing is wasted!"

Now, just because He'll use our leftovers doesn't mean He deserves them when that's all we have. Those last 5 minutes at the end of the day when you realize you haven't talked to Him at all; those half-hearted prayers you throw up to Him right before a test you haven't studied for or an interview you haven't prepared for; in those times God deserves our best the first time around.

But what I love about God's grace, is that He can use anything. When I feel inadequate, when I feel insecure, when I'm afraid to give God the seemingly insignificant parts of me, He says:

                           "I want that. Gather that, and let nothing be wasted." 

That talent that you hide because you think it isn't good enough, that classmate or coworker that you walk by every day without sharing the love of Christ with because you think they won't listen anyway, the way you walk out the door without telling your parents, siblings, or kids that you love them because you think they should know...those things are not insignificant! What you have inside you because God placed there is NOT insignificant!

I know it's hard (HELLO, I am preaching to the choir...me, I'm the choir), I have been in all of these situations and most of the time it is easier to leave your leftovers in the fridge for a week and then throw them when it is too late and they are expired. But imagine what GOD can do with them if you will only relinquish them into His hands. (Yes, your two day-old lasagna in a stained tupperware container that doesn't look appetizing anymore)

Think about the transformation of Saul into Paul. You know His friends never thought THAT guy would do anything great for God. Yet his is a story of amazing redemption and grace. He had plenty of excuses why God couldn't use Him, or why He shouldn't, but once he surrendered control, he was a force to be reckoned with.

You know why I love leftovers, besides the fact that I get a great meal twice? Because they're fast. It's simple and easy: you put it in the microwave, get it, and go.

The Gospel is simple. Our relationship with Christ is simple.

If we will just share the Good News, tell people what Christ has done for us, spend time with Him, read His Words, talk to Him, praise Him, thank Him...let Him use what we see as "leftovers," our day-to-day lives could be so much more effective, and simple.

Philippians 4:6 "Be anxious for NOTHING, but in everything, through prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

Each of the parts of this verse need the other, it teaches the proper way to communicate with God. Don't worry! About anything! But in everything, by praying and humbly begging, not forgetting to give thanks, ASK God.

Ask Him what parts you're hiding, what areas of your life need to be simplified, what things He wants to use that you've been holding onto to.

Let God use your "leftovers," and nothing will go to waste.

Why I Hate Lunch

By Vanessa Shepherd

Yes hate is a strong word. And yes I know we aren’t supposed to use it. But I like to imagine myself as being a person who talks with intention, on purpose, full of honesty, and saying I hate lunch, well I can assure you that I mean it, every bit of it and in every sense of the word. Because I can. Because lunch isn’t a person, and it doesn’t have feelings- and therefore can’t get them hurt- so I hate it. And have for some time now.

Because in junior high I hated eating lunch.

Lunch meant food and food meant fat. I was so consumed with the idea that if I ate I would magically gain two hundred pounds and if I didn’t I would lose fifty.

So I stopped eating lunch.

I said my farewell with the brown paper bag and told myself I was making a step in the right direction to have a positive body image. I was going to be prettier. I was going to be skinnier. I was going to be happier. It was the easiest goodbye I have ever said and for a while it felt really good.

Until it didn’t.

Until I realized I wasn’t the same person anymore. Because not eating is like not watering a plant (which I am sure might be a touchy subject considering the drought we are in, but it’s true). We think it will make us into something we currently “aren’t” and we are right. It makes us dead. It dries up our roots and slowly over time we wither away, from the inside out. And before we lose any weight we lose our happiness, our peace, our sense of security, our ability to enjoy getting together with people because it always happens. Around. Food.

And you never get pretty enough, skinny enough, or happy enough. It is never… enough.

And as the years passed I began to realize that food was not the problem, and even more importantly, the lack of it wasn’t the solution. And lunch began to be ok again… and then came the end of my sophomore year.

Because in high school I didn’t know where to sit with my lunch.

When you decide to really pursue God, really believe in Him, really follow Him, people aren’t always ready to come with you. As a sophomore I lost the majority of my friends and every time the lunch bell rang, my heart sank. I knew what that bell meant. That bell meant waiting in line for food that I am sure was not that great for me but even more disheartening was the idea that after I had gotten my food I would have to walk to the back of campus to a choir room by myself to eat it.

I lost the table I sat at every day. I lost the idea of “knowing where I fit”. I lost the friends I thought I was SO CLOSE WITH. I lost the feeling of being wanted. I lost.

There were no calls. No catching up after classes. No invitations to special events. It was just the end, and I can tell you this- you know just between us and the world wide web- I wasn’t ready for it to be the end.

So I anxiously waited for graduation, to go out into this big world and have purpose and a “place”. And I discovered something, I hated lunch then too.

Because as an adult I wondered how fast I could eat my lunch.

I mean seriously, you work from 10 to 4 and only get a 15 minute “break”… HELLO… that’s lunch! Shovel it in friend. Because no matter how long you work, if it isn’t 8 hours you ain’t getting any length of time that would allow for actual savoring of said food. So shovel.

Better yet- learn to eat, catch up on facebook, text a few friends, and finish any reading you needed to get done in a 15 minute window. Be busy, keep busy that is the American way. And that multi-tasking skill will come in handy more times than you will know.

Because once you have kids, Oh Lord help us, once you have kids- it changes.

Because as a mom I sometimes can’t remember the last time I had lunch.

There will be days, even weeks that I am so busy that I skip meals all together. And then there are days with nothing on the to do list and these are the days that I remember the biggest reason why I hate lunch.

Because now it is so quiet my thoughts steal my appetite for lunch.

My kids are napping, my to-do list is a to-done list, and all I have left is that weird break that leaves me alone with the thoughts that have seemed to come back for round two.

It is such a strange feeling to be battling these same thoughts… again. To be confused on where I fit in a place I am so sure God led me to. To wonder if I am doing enough when I don’t even know that I have the time to be “doing” anymore.

This season, like my lunch plate, is full and I sometimes find myself just looking forward to it being over.

It is full of questions with little answers and I am reminded of that same girl all those years ago that would count down the minutes to “get through” lunch because when it ended… there was math class… and I knew exactly who I was and what I was supposed to do in math class. There were no feelings of being unwanted or inadequate, because I was built for Math! (Now Science, that is a different subject all together. Literally.)

But alas, here I am again finding myself just wanting to “get through” because I know when it ends so will the confusion. I will know who I am and where I fit. Just put your head down, Vanessa, and get through it.

And if we do that, if we close our eyes and ignore what is happening right now in wait for it to be over, we might miss something. Like food. Glorious food. And of course other more important things too like the thousands of special memories yet to be made. And new friendships you never saw coming. And a new purpose you never imagined. And new dreams or ideas that could only be birthed through your pain.

Don’t close your eyes even if they are filling with tears, my friend. There is something you need to see. Because despite the thousand unanswered questions, God still has a plan for you. It may get lonely, it may get confusing, but God is still in control. He hasn’t forgotten about you. He hasn’t given up on you.

Don’t lose heart.

Math class is coming soon, but you’ll need something from this lunch to get you through.

Acts 2:24-28, MSG

“Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed him. But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him. David said it all:

I saw God before me for all time. Nothing can shake me; he’s right by my side. I’m glad from the inside out, ecstatic; I’ve pitched my tent in the land of hope. I know you’ll never dump me in Hades; I’ll never even smell the stench of death. You’ve got my feet on the life-path,

with your face shining sun-joy all around. 

What I Aspired To Most In Life: A Deep Look Inside My Life

By Emily Bansuelo 

When I was in elementary school I aspired to be one thing when I reached the 5th grade… The Bible verse song and motions instructor. 

#LifeGoals 

*deep sigh* It was the most prestigious position everyone looked forward to being. (Ok, maybe not everyone) The verses we memorized were called "Our God From A-Z" and every week we would learn a new letter that coincided with who God is, for example A: God is able. B: God is our burden bearer. C: God is creator and so on. 

I have been encouraging my youth kids to begin memorizing scripture and I immediately was reminded of this series, and I wanted to share it with you all, and to stop the greatest excuse of, 

“Well, I’d like to memorize the Bible or read it more, 

but I just don’t know what to read.” 

The excuses have got to stop here!

Even though, as I grew, I began seeing these songs as silly, I now find the Holy Spirit bringing these scriptures to my mind when I need it most. For example, when it comes to me feeling alone and afraid I know that God is my “Refuge” (Psalm 41:1-2, Daniel 6:26-27). So below I have listed those Bible verses for you. Now I know you may not want to sing or do amazing motions (even though you really will be missing out) I encourage you to use these verses to remind yourself of who God is in your life. 

God is...

Able: Eph. 3:20 

Burden Bearer: Ps. 55:22 & 1 Pet. 5:7

Creator: Jer. 32:17

Deliverer: Ps. 91:14-15

Ever-Present: Is. 41:10

Faithful: 1 Thes. 5:23-24 

Great: Ps. 145:3, 6-9, 13-14 

Holy: Hab. 1:12-13, Ps. 77:13, Rev. 4:8, & Is. 6:3 

Intimate: Ps. 139:1-6 

Judge: Jer. 17:10 

Keeper: Jude 24 

Loving: Ps. 144:2 

Marvelous: Rev. 15:3-4 

Near: Josh. 1:9 

Omniscient: Rom. 11:33-36 

Powerful: Jer. 32:18-19 

Quickener: Is. 57:15 

Refuge: Ps. 41:1-2 & Dan. 6:26-27 

Sovereign: Is. 46:9-10 

Teacher: Ps. 25:8-10 

Understanding: 2 Cor. 1:3-4 

Very Compassionate: Lam. 3:22-23 

Watchful: Prov. 15:3 

eXcellent: Deut. 32:3-4 

Yahweh: Ex. 34:6-7 

Zenith: 1 Chron. 29:11-13 

Memorizing scripture is so important to the growth of our spiritual life. Come on, Jesus even used it to battle temptation in the desert. If Jesus used it in His life, you know we need to be using it in our life. Proverbs 7 in the MSG version says it beautifully, “…treasure my careful instructions… My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it! Write it down on the back of your hands; etch it on the chambers of your heart.” 

Now before we go, you may still be wondering if I ever received the coveted role of Bible verse motions instructor, I actually did not. *Single tear streaking my face* BUT I did get to change the slides on the overhead projector. #LifeGoals 

High-five to me! 

Romans 15:4

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, 

so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures

and the encouragement they provide we might have hope."

Here I Am to Worship

By Mikayla Moore

About eleven years ago my family and I received the unfortunate news that my grandpa had a stomach anurism and was being put in the hospital so we packed up and made the short trip to go visit him. I was only four at the time and didn't realize the severity of the situation, and I wouldn't until years later. 

All I knew was that my family was hurting. 

I remember watching my parents and other family members cry and cry in the waiting room; I didn't know what else to do but try to make them smile. And if that didn't work, I ended up crying, too. Later we found out that the blood flow to my grandpa's left leg was being clogged. This is when I knew things were getting worse. More tears were flowing, and more prayers were being said. 

My grandpa was left with a choice. He could have his leg amputated and live, or keep his leg and most likely die. There was a weight in his hospital room, and it seemed to follow us everywhere we went. It was very seldom that I remember seeing a smile from any of my family, let alone my grandfather. 

Finally he made a decision, he would have his leg amputated. With his decision, even more tears were shed, and more prayers were said. A few days before the procedure would be done, we were in his hospital room and I stood up. I told my beloved grandpa that I wanted to sing for him. I knew just what I wanted to sing. It was my all time favorite song at the time, I knew every word, and even had hand motions made up. The song was called Here I Am To Worship. I performed it "a cappella" often for special occasions (such as on Easter, or Christmas, or whenever the cameras were rolling). 

With permission, I stood up, and began to perform my well rehearsed song. I watched as a smile seemed to run across each person in the rooms face. At the time I wanted to sing this song to give my grandpa a reason to smile. What I didn't know then was, it did so much more then that. 

My parents were recently talking about that day, and how when I began to worship it was like a weight was lifted off of the place. 

And joy was spread around the room.

Now eleven years have passed and my grandpa had adapted to living with only one leg and was doing well. But lately, within the last few years his health began to decline again. A few weeks ago my mom came home and informed my family and I that because of his declining health, he was being put in a nursing home so he could have professional care until he was strong enough to return home. My mom, my little sister, and I packed up from California, and got on a flight to Indiana as soon as we could to visit him. 

When we walked into his room for the first time I felt a deep sadness come over me. I had pictured the man who, not so long ago rode around the block on his motor scooter while my brother and I rode behind him in our little red wagon, connected to him by a rope. 

But that's not what I saw. 

I saw a man lying in a bed, who couldn't even sit up. There was oxygen connected to him, and intimidating tubes connected to his bed. I greeted him and leaned over his bed in order to give him a hug. 

One thing hadn't changed, the scruff of his beard still tickled my cheek. 

When asked how he was doing, he just said, "I'm doin' ". I figured it had just been a tiring day. But then it seemed to be a pattern, every time someone would call, or come to visit him that's what he would say. And he would only smile on occasion. One night he had a lot of visitors. It seemed the whole family had come up. But they were all out in the lobby and only a few of us were actually in the room with him at the moment. We sat quietly and watched the television as my Grandpa quickly flipped through the channels, it seemed this was his routine. But suddenly he stopped on a channel that was playing an old Gathers concert. Many people would think this is cheesy sounding, old school gospel music. But it's my grandpa's favorite. I watched him as he stared at the TV for a few seconds until his eyes closed and he clutched the remote with his right hand and held it up in the air. Soon I heard him humming very loudly to the song. I think everyone in the room was watching him. I saw a tear glisten at the corner of his eye, and suddenly, I felt my eyes well up with tears. 

The familiar weight in the room was lifted, and the sadness was turned into peace. I began to cry as I listened to my grandpa who I love so much hum along to the songs and worship God in his hospital bed. 

This experience has made me realize the importance of worshiping God although it may seem literally impossible. My grandpa has the exact same view everyday in his hospital bed. The only things that change in his day are the weather he sees outside the window, the TV channels, and the food. I can only imagine how hard it must be for him to wake up every morning and try to see the positive side and worship God. 

Worshiping God isn't just through singing and raising our hands in church. We are supposed to worship Him in all that we do. Even if it seems that everything around us is negative, we are supposed to. Because at least in my own life, I've seen that when I take a minute to step back and worship God, I begin to feel much better about my situation, and about life in general. 

It is through worship that the weight and heaviness of life is lifted. So if life has been weighing you down, confining you to a place of hurt or pain without any change in sight, simply close your eyes and sing a familiar song to God. 

Worship changes everything.

Psalm 95:6

"O come, let us worship and bow down, 

let us kneel before the Lord our Maker 

[in reverent praise and supplication]."

Psalm 96:4

"For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise..."

If you are "in the middle of a storm"
be encouraged by this song...
"Praise You in this Storm" by Casting Crowns

Cover by  Marissa Martinez

The words I would say

By: Alison Vidal

I recently had to go back to my high school and pick up a copy of my diploma for a job, and let me tell you, it was weird. Some people LOVED high school, and that's totally awesome. I was not one of those people, so going back even for a few short minutes made me feel like a 15 year old girl all over again. That feeling brought about a lot of revelation though. I remembered how broken I felt a few years ago, and how I thought that it would never get better. I remembered everything that I was doing and hiding behind to try and feel something, anything other than the pain that I was going through. Going back to my high school and getting a flashback of who I was just a few short years ago reminded me of how much Jesus has worked in my life, and it made me think of a few things that I wish I could go back and tell my 15 year old self. 

I wish that I could look my 15 year old self in the eyes and tell her that she didn't need to look for love or acceptance in other people. If I could, I would tell her that no matter how hard she tried or how much she looked, she would never find a person who could fill the hole in her heart. I would tell her that only Jesus could make her feel whole and feel loved. I would tell her to stop running to boys or "friends" to find her value. 

If I found myself face to face with the younger me, I would tell her that how other people treat her is NOT a reflection of who she is. I would take away her alcohol, take away her self harm, take away all of the addictions that she found herself trapped in because she thought she had to punish herself for who she was. I would tell her that by trying to punish herself she was trying to pay a price that had already been paid for her. I would tell her about Jesus and his love, his grace, I would tell her that HIS wounds had already healed every pain she would ever feel. 

The last thing I would tell myself at age 15 if I had the chance is this: do not be afraid. I would tell the scared little girl hiding inside of herself that she was going to find Jesus, that she would fall in love with Him and never look back. I would tell her that her whole entire life would be changed in ways that she would never even imagine, if only she was brave enough to TRUST. I would show her the life free of addictions, the arms free of cuts, and I would show her the smile on my face. I would show her how much JOY I feel every day, the joy that at 15 years old I never thought I could have. I would look that girl in the eyes and tell her it was time to start relying on the only thing she really could in this world: Jesus. 

Since time machines don't exist and I can't go back 4 years and tell myself all of that, I'll do the one thing I can do. I'll tell you all of the same things. I hope that you can read these words and recognize things that you feel or have felt and that you can find hope for your life. I hope that if you read this and need to hear anything that I needed to hear when I was younger, you'll feel in your heart today that Jesus can turn your world around. I hope that you open the door of you heart and let Him in, because He brings grace. He brings love. He brings peace, and He brings  healing. He brings LIFE back to what once seemed dead and empty. He has the power to give you more than you could ever ask for or imagine girls, and I hope and pray that you will let Him in. 

"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us." Ephesians 3:20 

How Strong Is Too Strong?

By Haley Waters

I don't know about you, but I am a pretty busy gal. At this point, I just keep adding more and more onto my plate, and I'm not even phased by the last-minute, crazed rush of my everyday life anymore. Which I should be, I know and which I am working on so if you're that way too, stop it! It's not good.

So you know those body builders that get super-muscular and enter competitions and wear the small clothes? Do you ever think: Wow, when are they going to be done? I imagine it's kind of like an addiction, always reaching for that next goal (whatever it is for a body builder, I wouldn't know). But I wonder if they ever think: Ok, I'm too strong, I should stop.

Well, like the body builder who can't fit through average doorways anymore, I too can get too strong. Except my strength doesn't make my clothes fit awkwardly or cause my biceps to move on their own. My strength is more of a "I am super-busy woman: hear me yawn in exhaustion." But instead of telling myself I'm too strong and that I need to slow down, that I need to organize, God has to tell me. You would think with the the amount of times He has told me by now that I would catch on and figure it out myself. But alas, I have not mastered that yet, therefore my heavenly Father is constantly, gently reminding me: 

"You are too strong." 

Awhile ago I read a Scripture I had read multiple times before but this time it came alive in a different way. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says "My grace is sufficient for you, My strength is made perfect in weakness." And suddenly, it was shown to me that I had to be weak if He was going to be strong. 

When I was "too strong" God wasn't being allowed to be strong in my life. I would tell God, "Ok I am going to run and you catch up!" Because I'm soooooo busy right? God couldn't possibly handle my schedule. What I'm really saying is, "God, I can't handle Your strength." 

If you know me, you know that I pretty much have a perpetual cold; 365 days a year, I have a tissue box in hand and a Rudolph nose. So recently I had a cold; no big deal it happens all the time! Except this one was not going away! Usually I have symptoms for two or three days, then just the sniffles and after a couple weeks, I just wait for the next cold to show up. But during this particular cold, I had horrible symptoms for a week straight! The throat, the ears, the nose--everything! It was miserable. Also at this time, my devotional life was not particularly active (remember I'm suuuuuuper busy). But during this week of sickness I found a free moment and I knew I needed to spend time with God. So I pulled out my Bible and devotionals, and the first thing I read was "Be still." Ouch.

I knew exactly what it meant. I went on to read Zechariah 2:13 "Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling." God was so clearly trying to get my attention, yet even in my sickness, I was trying to be too strong. I had been trying to sprint without His guidance, without taking time to rest or breathe.

Hebrews: 12:1 says "...and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." The race of life is a marathon, not a sprint, and endurance doesn't run out or burn out, it lasts. We were meant to last! But not by our own strength. We actually have to be weak if God is going to be strong in our lives.

Proverbs 24:10 says "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small." I can definitely say that I have "fainted" a few times by relying on my small strength; spiritually, at least, although during that week of sickness I probably could have physically fainted a few times. God's perfect strength allows us to face adversity, and to overcome it. It allows us to run with endurance, it allows us to do so much more than we could with our own measly strength. So then why don't we surrender sooner?

It's funny how we want to be near God so badly, we want Him to answer all of our prayers, we want to hear His voice, yet we are running in a sprint, blindly missing His answers, His voice, and His signs. It's not that God doesn't want to answer my prayers, or even that He hasn't--it's that when I am close to Him, spending time with every day, I hear Him louder, and I hear Him sooner.

I love what Jethro tells Moses, his son-in-law, in Exodus 18 after watching the way he leads the people. "What you are doing is not good (yeah, Jethro, keep it simple and to-the-point)...the work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone."

God tries to tell me this all the time, and thankfully, when I don't listen, His grace steps in and stops me. But I am learning, and I hope you will too...to hear God louder and to hear Him sooner. To accept that we need to be weak, so God can be made strong.

So put away the tiny, awkward clothes, stop sprinting and be still. His strength is so much bigger and better than ours, and to let it activate in our lives, all we have to do is be weak. 

2 Corinthians 12:9

"But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!" AMP

Let the Good Times Scroll

By Vanessa Shepherd

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you found yourself on the top of something extremely tall like a building or mountain, and everything in you wanted to jump off but it felt so real that you were unsure if you should? That moment of “If this is a dream I want to feel the wind under my arms but if this is reality I don’t want to feel the cement under my face?” So uncertain of what is happening you just stand there… like a crazy person of course because whoever just happens to find themselves on top of a giant building?

That struggle is real. (And it also happens to be the only thing that you are certain is real.)

I recently found myself in the same confused state over none other than HGTV. I am a big HGTV fan. Like BIG. I love anything and everything DIY and home-related and not too long ago I found myself in conversation with a friend who let me in on a little “secret”. Those shows are all FAKE. Yes I know that may not be news to you but for the skeptical let me fill you in on the secret too. The couple that are house hunting have in fact already found the house they want and put an offer on it well before they produce the show. The family that gets their house extremely made over is responsible for the upkeep on the majorly renovated house and 99% of the time ends up moving out because they can’t afford to stay there. The “free” gifts given to everyone in the audience have taxes attached to them that have to be paid in order to keep them. Maybe I am missing something but I never saw an episode including any of those things.  Reality TV is far from, well, reality.

If it is anything at all, “reality TV” is a big fat bowl of frozen mayo 

being sold as ice cream and people are eating it up.

If only it stopped there. Unfortunately this merging of the imaginary and reality happens more often than we all care to admit, and us girls are the biggest culprits. Don’t believe me?  Then post the forty pictures you took on your phone before that one golden one came along that was posed just right to hide any pretend bulges, or double chins, or closed eyes, or funny faces. Post the one that is just SO AWKWARD that you would just DIE if everyone saw, because I hate to break it to you but your phone is not a magician. Your face really does look like that sometimes.

Because YOU ARE REAL. Because there are bound to be some days that you don’t look like a Victoria Secret model (even if in fact you are a Victoria Secret model). Because some days you just want to frump around all day with yesterdays makeup and giant sweat pants on, eating nothing but Cheetos and guess what… that girl is beautiful too. And even more than that, she is the most beautiful. Because she is real.

So the next time you scroll through social media posts of amazing people doing amazing things and looking amazing while they do it, stop yourself from thinking that the split second it took to take that picture is their entire life. That could just be the 41^st picture that made the cut.

In this life you will have the good, the bad, and the cracking up because you never imagined it could get that bad-ugly. But it is what it is, because this is true "reality". Not the mess they show you on TV, or even the posts made by the majority of people on social media.

So post something REAL! Post that picture that you never wanted anyone to see because you were afraid of what they would say. And if you can’t then ask yourself- is it because I am insecure, or because I am hiding something? Because both of those are TERRIBLE excuses and are the precise ways that we hinder ourselves from being truly genuine.

If you are insecure, find your self worth in Christ. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. YOU ARE NOT FLAWED. (And if you think I am wrong then just read Song of Solomon 4:7) Real life isn’t always pretty or easy to look at but it is always beautiful.

And if you are hiding something, stop it. God did not send His Son for you to live a double life. Dress at home how you dress at school. Or better yet, come dressed in what you wore Friday night to Sunday morning church. And talk to your pastor how you talk to your best friend. If that makes you uncomfortable then ask yourself why you are living two ways in the first place, you were not created to be two separate people. You were created for more than that. You were created to be one of a kind. You were created to be genuine.

Let’s let the good times scroll, ladies. Let’s applaud the great social lives and perfect skin tones of others, and not think less of ourselves if we have neither of those things. Let’s get happy for others without getting sad for ourselves. Let’s not stop and obsess over every picture posted and every word written as if it were telling the full story.

Because #ThisIsRealLife

But so is this...

[I would like to note that it took two hours of searching through every picture file I had to find these gems. Clearly keeping a terrible picture of myself on my phone or computer is not my top priority because I can assure you I have taken some real award winners.  I will do my best from here on out to keep "the first 40'" and to remind myself while it may not be easy to look at- #ThisIsRealLife- and I love it!]

Matthew 6:2-4

“When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out."