A letter for my new niece :)

January 24, 2008

Dear Katelyn,

Well, you’re finally here. Happy birthday! I would love to tell you that I am more excited about you being here than anyone else, but I think your parents may have me beat…by just a little bit! I was with them just moments after they first found out about you. The three of us just cried and hugged, dreaming of when this day would come…and now, the waiting is over! It’s a great story, but I should let your parents tell you. I’m not going to steal their thunder this early on in the game.
As you get older and start asking to see your baby pictures, you won’t see any of your Aunt Michelle. The problem is…I am in graduate school in Texas, which is about 16 hours away from where you are. (That is about how long it would take if you watched your favorite movie ten times in a row.) So even though you won’t see my face, hopefully, this letter will show you that my heart was in Knoxville on your first official birthday.
I’m not gonna lie to you, Lil Kate. I was pretty disappointed when you didn’t show up three days ago. I really wanted us to be birthday twins. Your Uncle James, on the other hand, wishes you would have held off a few days since his birthday is January 28. We are getting married in 120 days, so apparently, God is even using your birth to try and teach us compromise. (You’ll meet God soon, and you will love Him, I promise. Your parents will introduce you as soon as they can.)
Speaking of your parents – wow, you have one amazing mom. I should know. She had great practice being a mom on me, her little sister. She was always holding my hand when I crossed the street, even though Gigi already had me on one side. She was the one who gave me advice the first time I liked a boy. (Don’t say gross – it will happen to you one day too!) And she was also the one who consoled me when I found out he liked someone else. I was like her dolls, except I was better, of course. Oh, and in case she tries to blame the fact that she can’t french braid on me…I can’t help it. Your mom has gotten much more gentle in her hair styling since she first learned how to French braid.
She was more than my second “mom” though. Your mom is also my best friend. As soon as you learn to talk, you need to start bugging your parents to have another baby. If you take after your mom in personality as much as you look like her, you are going to be one amazing big sister, Katelyn. My next niece/nephew is one lucky kid.
Oh, and while I’m thinking about it. There will probably come a time when your mom gets on your nerves. You’ll think that she doesn’t know anything and that she can’t do anything right. But just remember that you heard it here first. Your mom loves you more than anyone else on this earth, and she wants what is best for you. Even if you don’t understand her, trust her. No matter how hard that is. About the time you are ready to finish high school, something inside of you will just click, and you will know that she was on your team the whole time, and you will be a better woman…because of her. Your Gigi did this for your mom and me, and your mom will do the same for you. You’ll find that as you get even older, you will hear her advice echo in your mind each time you are faced with a decision.
And let me just tell you one of the best things about being a girl – DADDY! Hands down. Your G-Daddy is one of God’s greatest gifts in my life. To this day, I still think he is the best, strongest man in the world (equal to your Uncle James, of course.) He’ll be the one who shows you why following God is the smartest decision you can ever make. You see, God is your Heavenly Father, which means, he’s just like your daddy…except better. I know that’s hard to imagine, but it’s true. Some little girls don’t have good examples of what a Heavenly Father would be like, but that’s not the case for you. He will shower you with unconditional love, spoil you as much as he can, (Try not to abuse that), and he will set the standard for the man you will marry someday. That guy has big shoes to fill, but we are already praying that God will shape him to be the spiritual leader that you need.
I know I’ve talked a lot about God, and you probably don’t even remember Him right now. It’s okay. It’s been a big day, coming out of your mom’s womb and everything. You’ve been preoccupied with other things. But God was the man who created you. He formed you in His image, and you are fearfully and wonderfully made. As he molded your shape and taught you how to smile, He developed a plan for your life. You have a bright and beautiful future ahead of you, sweet Katelyn. You simply have to trust Him with all of your heart and not rely on your own strength. Then, He will direct your paths and work for your good, since you are called for His purpose.
He’s put some of His best in your path. Your mom has an incredible servant’s heart (that she learned from Gigi), and your dad works harder than anyone I know, and he will provide you with everything you will ever need. Your G-Daddy is the closest living, breathing example of Christ that you will ever encounter. I pray daily that by the time you are old enough to read this letter that your Aunt Michelle and Uncle James will be closer to you in distance…but I promise that you are in my thoughts and prayers everyday.
I haven’t actually laid eyes on you yet. I haven’t held you in my arms. But I can already tell you that I love you more than I ever thought possible. I promise that no matter how far away I live, if you need me, I’ll be there as soon as I can get to you. Since I can’t be there physically to change your diapers or tickle your little toes, I’m going to do the next best thing. I’m going to pray for you.
Sweet Heavenly Father, I submit the life of my precious Katelyn to you. God, I pray that you would give her everything her heart desires. Use her to change the world for you. Send your angels to gather around her and protect her. Make her heart yearn to learn Your Word, and help her to be able to recite your teaching to resist the devil’s temptations. Use the sun’s warmth to remind her family’s love. Every time she sees a sunset or a mountain range, have her reflect on Your power. Don’t let anything stand in the way between her relationship with You. Amen.
We’ll get to have fun soon, I promise. So you just grow up sweet and strong, and know that your Aunt Michelle loves you. And bout that birthday twin thing, three days is close enough to still be twins, don’t you think? ☺

Love always in Him,
Aunt Michelle

Colossians 3:23

Want to try this.....with a net?

I came across this picture today, and it made me say the words, "NO WAY" out loud. My friend who was nearby, came over to my laptop to see what my overreaction was all about. I said, "You would never EVER get me to do that." She looked at me like I was crazy. "Well, duh," she replied. "Who would expect you to do that?"

Me. Crazy little perfectinist, over-achieving me. That's it. I got to thinking about this picture more and more. Eventually, I wondered if there was a net anywhere beneath the tightrope walker. If there was a net, how would that change my reaction to the picture? Here's where my imagination took me...

Some Random Stranger: Hey, Michelle. Want to get across?
Me: No, thanks. Tempting, but I'd rather not die today. Wedding in a few months...pretty excited about that. You understand, I'm sure.
Stranger: Come on, there's a net. You know you can make it to the other side when there's a net beneath you.
Me: So you just want me to get across...no matter how I get there?
Stranger: Yeah. Whatever it takes to get to the other side.

Boldly, I grabbed the rope with my hands to check the stability. Not exactly ground material, if you know what I'm saying. Making a final decision of faith, I place my other hand on the rope and leap from the building...gripping the rope with both hands. Casually, I allowed myself to drop to the net below. Clinging to the net, I crawled on my hands and knees to get to the other side. Satisfied, I stood up. I made it to the other side...without the stress of trying to balance something I wasn't capable of doing (and without a hair out of place, might I add!)

If you're confused, stay with me for a few more paragraphs and let me explain. Any other Type A Perfectionist/Control Freaks out there? Girl, I'm with you. Been there. Done that. If there's a support group somewhere, I should be president. I really struggle with expecting myself to be perfect...which is something that I know is impossible. As ridiculous as it would sound for me to expect myself to be able to walk a tightrope without training or experience, it is every bit as pointless to expect myself to be perfect.

But here's where this gets good. We have a net. His name is Jesus. He wants you to cling to him, and he will help you get across the obstacles that you face in life. He knows that you don't know how to handle everything that comes your way, but He does. He is aware that you aren't capable in your own strength and knowledge to accomplish what He can, but He wants you use you to bring glory to Him.

So when you come across the next obstacle in your life, don't focus on the impossible task in front of you. Cling to Jesus, and He will guide you through unharmed.

A Degree in Social Progression

Normally, I read Women's Health Magazine from cover to cover. The stories are interesting, the models look like real women, and the information varies from nutrition, exercise, women's medical reports, etc. So my subscription came in the mail, and I started my routine of reading the contents. As I got to the end, I got to the article of a summary of 2007. When I got to the "bottoms" of 2007, or the negative points for women, I saw my school highlighted, as offering a degree in social regression, by offering a degree in homemaking. Pretty upset with the bias of the magazine, I wrote a letter to the editor. So in the likely event that this letter won't make it into the printed magazine, I thought I would take the liberty to post it here.

Dear Editor,

Normally, I am extremely pleased with the contents of Women’s Health. The articles are usually informative and entertaining, as well as unbiased and clearly researched. However, I was highly disappointed in your article displaying the homemaking degree at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary as a degree in social regression. First, your magazine regularly features celebrity moms who are praised for putting their careers on hold to raise their children. How is offering this degree any different? Is it foolish to study law if you aim to be a lawyer? Should you show up to be a doctor without attending medical school? The women who study in this program are seeking to learn ways to bring their children up grounded in biblical truth and maintain a healthy home environment. Obviously, with mothers like Britney Spears, society isn't doing a great job at training moms to run a household. We can't assume that all women have great mothers who teach them these lessons as they are growing up. Also, I attend Southwestern, but I'm not in the homemaking degree program. I am in my second year of the Masters of Divinity program, composed of 102 hours in advanced theological studies, as well as intensive study of Greek and Hebrew. Within the Masters of Divinity, a concentration is offered in Women’s Studies to examine issues like feminist hermeneutics and women in missions. There are seminaries that do not allow women to participate in advanced biblical studies, but Southwestern does. In fact, Dorothy Patterson, wife of Southwestern’s president, has two doctoral degrees in theology. Terri Stovall, the dean of Women’s Programs, has a PhD in education. Laura Zettler, the director of the homemaking program, has her doctorate in human environmental sciences. Southwestern is far from social regression for women. Women have the flexibility to study here, no matter what God’s call is for their life. If that's not progressive, I'm not sure what is.

It's Not About Us

Pause for a moment, and reflect on the Great Commission. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matt 28:19-20). Many could argue from these words of Jesus that telling others about God is a believer’s duty. However, I think believers miss the mindset that Jesus wanted us to have if we simply think of his teachings as rules and regulations on our lives. Learning from Christ’s example, one would have to draw the conclusion that His ultimate goal was to get believers to grasp the concept life is not worth living unless your only purpose is to glorify God with all that you are and all that you do. Jesus didn’t keep numbers of those he baptized or how many followed Him in each city. He concerned Himself with drawing near to His Father and following His will.
Jesus knew that some would harden their hearts and would not repent. He knew that some things he said would be offensive, even to religious leaders. However, He was not concerned with how others perceived Him, because He knew that He was living for a greater purpose. His life and death glorified God, and that was all that mattered.
Given that God longs for all of creation to worship Him, missions exists because there are places where the name of God is not praised. Missions is ultimately not about the lost, but about the One who saves the lost. This concept is not meant to belittle the importance of saving a lost person from sin, but rather, it is to magnify the importance of worshipping God through our existence. The life of Jesus models this concept, as everything He did was not for His own gain, but for His Father’s sake. Jesus gave everything, even His own life, to bring God glory, even though the price was high.
This is a concept that may be difficult for some to accept, especially a new believer. This is why salvation must be followed by the renewing of your mind. Following Christ means adopting a new mindset for life. The apostle Paul wrote, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom 12:1-2). Likewise, Ezekiel 36:26-27 teaches that God will give us a new heart to replace our former ways.
Mankind is born selfish, so everything about living for God goes against our fleshly tendencies. We have nothing to gain from leading others to Christ, as salvation is a free gift from God. God has everything to gain, since there will be more of His creation that will worship Him. That being said, missions cannot stop with simply telling someone about Jesus. Missions must be a continual lifetime process of living your life as worship and helping others to do the same. There are people who sit in church pews all across America who do not glorify God with their lives. If you simply share Christ’s story with someone, but neglect to provide them a way to grow in their relationship with the Lord, they may or may not worship Him.
Believers in Christ must begin to recognize that worship is not a one-time act and missions is not a two-week trip. Worship and missions are both lifestyle and mindset changes that are necessary following salvation. While God changes our heart, the new believer must surrender to Him to develop the mindset of Christ. While Piper coined the phrase that worship is the fuel and goal of missions, the apostle Paul conveyed the same idea when he wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal 2:20).