From your Valentine...

Every February, during the days leading up to the 14th of the month, you can walk into almost any store and find an abundance chocolate hearts wrapped in foil, stuffed teddy bears in a wide variety of colors, cards that send out affectionate messages, and pink- and red-colored everything else.

In the United States, Valentine’s Day is the holiday when both lovers and friends express their feelings for others through romantic exchanges of cards, candy, presents, flowers, and other gifts. For some, it is a favorite holiday. And for others, it is dreaded and despised. Nonetheless, people spend pocketfulls of money each year at this time to show just how much they love those special someones in their lives.

So where did this holiday originate? Who first started the concept of setting aside one particular day out of the year to show those special people how you really feel?

History says that Valentine’s Day is possibly named after one of three early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine who were killed in ancient Rome.

One legend says that Valentine was a priest during the third century. During that time, Roman Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young soldiers—claiming single men made better warriors. Valentine defied the injustice Claudius imposed by performing marriages for young lovers in secret. When he was found out, he was put to death.

Other theories say that Valentine was put to death for helping Christian escape harsh Roman prisons where they were beaten and tortured.

And yet another legend says that, while in prison, Saint Valentine fell in love with a young girl who visited him often. Before his death, rumor has it that he sent the first “valentine” in the form of a letter to her signed “From your Valentine.”

The truth behind these stories still remains a mystery today. But the message of sacrificial, undying love clearly continues to live on and even began before time. I don’t even know how many times the Bible mentions love—but I do know that it’s at the very core of who God is. This holiday should be a large reminder of what the Bible says about love:

• Proverbs 10:12—Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all offenses.
• John 15:13—No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.
• John 3:16—For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
• 1 John 3:16—This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers.
• And the infamous passage from 1 Corinthians 13 (1-7, 13): "If I speak the languages of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so that I can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind. Love does not envy; is not boastful; is not conceited; does not act improperly; is not selfish; is not provoked; does not keep a record of wrongs; finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. … Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
  

In a society that is becoming increasingly selfish and less about loving others, we should be the first to practice daily before others the true, sacrificial, biblical love of Jesus. Make a new commitment. Start fresh today.

Also posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/from-your-valentine

Conversations with God

My prayer life took a dramatic turn a few years ago. I was thriving in my freelance writing jobs. But after a year of commitment to their projects and when I least expected it, my most solid client dropped me like a bad habit.

They said, “It’s not you, it’s us.”

Classic breakup line, right? I felt so rejected and almost a little betrayed. My mom and dad couldn’t provide the answers as to why this had happened. My friends didn’t know what to say. I felt like no one even really cared about the situation. But it was a really big deal to me.

So I got in my car, drove aimlessly around Dallas, Texas, and eventually started venting to God about my crisis. It felt weird at first—honestly spilling my guts and using a tone that I thought may be somewhat irreverent in his presence.

But then I realized something. That’s the way he wants me to come to him—he wants to talk with the real me. He sees all of my junk, my thoughts, and my actions every day anyway. Why not talk openly with him about it? Why not share my deepest emotions and feelings with the one who created me?

I don’t make it a habit of being mad at God or taking weekly road trips in order to talk to Him about my misfortunes or headaches. But I have learned to have real, candid conversations with him about my hurt, my joy, my day at work, my friends, my desires, my job—things like that.

Since I made this discovery, my prayer life has become more alive than ever before. I don’t feel like I’m praying to the ceiling any longer. I feel connected to the Father in a way that is even harder for me to explain. I never fully understood it when people would talk about Jesus as if he were their best friend. But now I do.

When I am feeling lonely, I talk to him. When something great has happened in my life, I thank him profusely for his blessings and tell him how sovereign I truly believe he is. When someone or some situation has tripped me up, I ask him questions and wait for his answers.

No longer are my prayers ritualistically rigid. They have morphed into beautiful conversations with the one I adore, the lover of my soul, and my very best friend—Jesus.

Also posted on here on JosiahRoad.com.

Ask and You'll Receive. Just like that?

Like most young people, I struggle to stay afloat financially; I miss my family, who live far away, so bad that I constantly hound them about moving my way; and I wonder when, or if, I’ll ever find that “someone” and get married.

This short list is just a fraction of a more extensive inventory of things that cause me to worry, keep me up at night, and stay unchecked on my never-ending “To Do” list.

Sometimes I let these things get to me. And sometimes I try to remind myself of the bigger picture—that I’ll look back on them 10 years from now with a whole new set of things to deal with and laugh at how petty the old ones were.

I don’t think these states-of-mind are out of the norm for most people. Yes, even those who follow Christ. I just have a problem of trying to deal with everything on my own and I can’t decide which one I want to live in.

“Ask God for what you want and need. Just ask.” This is all I’ve heard lately—from Sunday sermons, to small group Bible study, to my daily e-mail devotional. Perhaps this is the Holy Spirit’s response to this growing issue in my life. Still, the understanding I have about this simple message doesn’t make me want to give my stuff up to Him or ask for His help.

I’ve always had a hard time asking people for things because I don’t want to put anyone out. And I always feel so selfish asking God for anything, so I regularly say, “I know you’re busy and I don’t want to inconvenience you, so I just won’t worry you with my life. I’ll just take these things on.”

But Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14).

And He offers up at least one answer regarding things unanswered, not resolved, or unfinished in our lives in Matthew 6:25-34: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

I haven’t worked all this out in my heart and head yet. And I know what God’s Word says, but I need to implement these truths into my life—and sometimes, for me, it’s a process of figuring out how.

Also posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/ask-and-youll-receivejust-like-that

Training

On the first day of 2008, I joined thousands more Americans by adding “Lose weight/Get fit” to the top of my New Year’s resolution list once again—something I’ve done every year since I graduated high school.

But this year, I have determined to actually accomplish my goals (again, something I say every year). I have, however, done something new this time around that I haven’t added to my workout regimen in the past few years. I got myself a personal trainer.

I’ve never been very athletic, only participating in dance until I went to college. So I figured it would be a good idea to work out WITH someone who knows what they’re doing—someone that would push me and show me how to work the areas I’d like to improve.

But the fact is, I didn’t expect then what I’ve now gotten myself into now. My personal trainer has been kicking my tail. I wake up sore. I go to bed aching all over. I feel like I’m consistently starving myself. And I’ve nearly drowned myself a few times by drinking so much water. But somehow I feel more invigorated and fresh.

In addition to all of this, my trainer recently informed me that I’ll be participating alongside her in the Country Music 1/2 Marathon in Nashville at the end of April. That’s not long for me to go from seasoned couch potato to experienced 13-mile jogger.

As I’ve been going through the day-to-day drill of “training,” I haven’t stopped thinking about Paul’s words written in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (The Message):

You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

It all makes so much more sense now. I love it when God puts me in situations that teach me two lessons in one.

In my physical training, there are days when I feel like I’m going to pass out at any moment. In those moments, there’s nothing more that I’d like to do than fall flat on the ground, press my sweaty face against the cold concrete, and rest for 30 minutes. And then there are days I just want to give up and go back to indulging in my chips and salsa, venti mocha lattes (with whip), and daily, scattered snacks.

But I know that to get to where I want, I have to keep pushing, stay focused, and give the rest of what I can’t handle to Jesus.

The same is true with our spiritual lives. It would be easy to slack off or even give up in the race. It would be easy to participate in what the world is doing—enjoying the material goodies it has to offer—because it feels so much better. Right?

We are called to “stay alert and in top condition.” I don’t think it would be such a bad idea for all of us to add this to our New Year’s resolution lists as well.

Also posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/training

They get it.

Growing up as the kid of a pastor was hard. I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back I see why I walked away from my relationship with God and rebelled during my senior year in high school (and a couple of years beyond).

I lived constantly under the “eagle eye” of a condemning, judgmental church. I grew tired of church member’s criticism and complaints. It seemed I couldn’t do anything right.

But it wasn’t just me they were after. Anyone else who stepped through the church doors that didn’t fit their man-made mold of the perfect Christian wasn’t accepted into the “club.” Only perfect people were allowed.

From that point on, I decided that I didn’t want to be that kind of Christian.

Since those experientially formative years, God has grown me in leaps and bounds. I’ve been as judgmental as they come on occasions, but he’s strategically placed some people in my life that I have been able to learn from —people who get it—along the way that have showed me how to be a genuine Christ-follower.

These are the people who have ushered an unwed, pregnant mother into their churches and walked beside her through the loneliest, scariest nine months of her life.

These are the people who have sought out those who are down-and-out—the homeless, the abused, and the neglected—and offered up their time, counsel, and resources.

These are the people who have welcomed, encouraged, and prayed for a brother or sister struggling with the issue of homosexuality without compromising biblical principles.

These are the people—my friends, mentors, leaders, and confidants—who have been the ones that made me say, “They get it. They actually know, love, and walk with Jesus. They really do understand what grace means.”

They are the ones who live as Jesus did—without condemnation or judgment. They are the ones who take the hands of the unwanted and unloved, and walk with them through the junk.

I want to be like them. I want to seek out and minister to the not-so-perfect people. And when these not-so-perfect people meet me, I want them to say, “She gets it. She really does know and love Jesus. If this is how Jesus is, then I want to know him too.”

Posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/they-get-it

New Commitment

As a single girl, I’ve lived by myself, making my independent way in the world, for the last five years since I graduated from college.

I recently decided I needed to leave my spinster-in-the-making ways behind and start a fresh adventure. So I moved in with two other girls into a comfortable three-bedroom house.

In my excitement, I didn’t realize that this would cause me to do some serious self-evaluation of how I had been living the past few years. My move gave me a whole new understanding of the verse: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

It’s true. I’ve added a brand-new New Year’s resolution to my list. This isn’t something I chose to include; I was forced before I had the option to back out.

I’ve been made to sacrifice my privacy, and share my possessions and my time with my new roommates. I’ve had to be more considerate and mindful of their feelings, time, and stuff. I’ve actually had to stop thinking about myself and put them first.

It’s funny how God puts you in situations where you are made to realize and understand things you never saw before in yourself. All of a sudden I was faced with this new issue I never knew existed before in my life. As a result, I had to deal with it and change my ways.

I’ve made a new commitment to become less self-centered and more God- and people-centered. These moments of self-realization make me wonder what else I’m blinded from understanding about the person I am and/or should be in Christ.

How many times do I miss what God is trying to teach me? How often do I ignore the Holy Spirit because I’m too comfortable? And how much do I put myself before Jesus when I don’t even know it?

I think it’s something we all need to think about as we start a new year.

Posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/new-commitment

Christmas is for Everyone

I pride myself on not associating with anything outdated and cheesy. Instead, I work hard to be a complete knower, faithful follower, and participant in all things cool. (I’m sure I’m way off the mark more than half of the time.)

But when it comes to Christmas, those rules go flying out the window. I love Christmas—the lights, the songs, the holiday parties, spending time with my family—and even the ugly Christmas sweaters.

More than anything, I love celebrating Jesus during this time.

This year, my brother brought his girlfriend along for our trip to Grandma’s house. This generally would have been an exciting introduction into our family. But this girl is Jewish, and doesn’t celebrate Jesus, His birth, or anything pertaining to this holiday.

I’ve been so sheltered and surrounded my entire life by a family—parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc—that completely embrace what this season means and who love Jesus deeply. I forget there are people in America that don’t believe in what this time of the year symbolizes.

I know my brother’s girlfriend heard the plan of salvation more than 15 times through prayers, Bible readings, and casual conversation. Yet she still thinks the whole idea of Jesus is ridiculous.

I think most of get so wrapped up in what Christmas means for us and our families and how Americanized it’s become, we can’t see that it’s the most valuable, opportune time to share Christ’s love with those who don’t know him.

Easter is coming up next. Perfect opportunity, don’t you think?

Posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/christmas-is-for-everyone

FALL IN TENNESSEE

HE ALWAYS DOES THIS...

Yesterday, I was reading through 1 Corinthians and came across this verse (17:7, The Message):

"And don't be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your marital status, defines your life."

Don't you hate it when you're trying to be a good (maybe sometimes a little too mundane and complacent) Christian doing the everyday religious thing and God comes along and pimp slaps you in the face with Truth? It hurts like hell. But afterward, that raw, fresh, burning sensation somehow feels so good.

"THEY TRY TO MAKE ME GO TO REHAB, BUT I SAY, 'NO, NO, NO...'"

Almost as bad as Britney Spear's needs a few people to take away her crack pipe and smack some sense into her, I also need some serious intervention. I thought I had controlled my outrageous obsession last year...keeping it under wraps for most of the season, but it's back in 2007 with a vengeance.

For the past week, my ear buds have been glued to my head at least 9 hours out of each day. What have I been listening to, you ask? Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Doris Day, Mariah Carey...all warming my soul with the sounds of Christmas. And it's only mid-October!

Someone help. It's gotten so bad that I've thought many times of moving the date on my calendar that I plan to decorate my home for Christmas up to mid-November. Nay, I say....I'm trying to hold out at least until November 30. Friends, keep me in check, please.

HOGWASH

"The 10 Best Things About Being Single"
By Wendy Bolton-Floyd and Judy Bolton

Singles often feel left out in our couple-driven society. Whenever you're tempted to feel down because of your singularity, remember these reasons why flying solo can be the best way to go:

1) You can make last-minute plans with your friends and stay out all night if you want.
2) You can lie on both sides of your bed and have all the covers to yourself.
3) You can flirt with the opposite sex without someone say, "Who are you looking at?"
4) You can make your own decisions.
5) You don't have to remember your significant other's birthday or anniversary.
6) You have no one to clean up after.
7) You can leave the toilet seat permanently up if you're a man, or permanently down if you're a woman.
8) You can make a list of things you always wanted to do...and actually do them.
9) You can listen to your favorite radio station in the car.
10) You can actually hold on to the remote control.

https://dating.personals.yahoo.com | September 19, 2007

So true...

"Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia."
--E.L. Doctorow

Two Sightings in One Day

As Chuck, Whitney, and I headed to get some ice cream tonight, we got to experience another local celebrity sighting (two in one day for me)--the Belmont midget in the flesh (God bless his soul). :)

Celebrity Sighting

So...today I had to go to the Cingular store in Franklin (just 5 minutes from my job) to get my number changed. Apparently, my apartment peeps won't issue me a code to give out to family and friends so they can enter the gated complex without a number that has a 615 area code.

I went over my lunch break, so I was trying to make it quick before a 1:00 PM meeting. I got there around 12:15, and was immediately greeted by a nice young gentleman with an Australian accent at the counter. He pointed me to a representative down the way who quickly started the process to change my number.

During this time, I did happen to notice a guy walk in right behind me and come to rest at the counter just two feet to the left of me. He didn't waste time telling the sales associate that he wanted two iPhones with all the accessories. She quickly rang him up and blurted out a grand total of more than $900. He didn't blink an eye at the heavy price.

Immediately I thought to myself..."This guy must be a rich music producer or something of that nature."

Sure enough, in order to find out his identity, the sales associate said, "May I have your first name?"

The trendy fella with a chic faux-hawk and camo pants said, "Jeremy."

"May I have your last name?" she asked.

Without hesitation, he replied, "Camp."

A lightbulb went off in my head. Jeremy "Stinkin'" Camp? My eyes got as big as silver dollars and the 2-3 sales associates standing behind the counter noticed my reaction. They started snickering. It must've been a little too obvious.

He swiped his card and took off quickly with his purchase. But not before cordially thanking the sales associates and giving me a quick nod and a quiet "hello."

Upon his exit, the girl helping me out behind the counter said, "That's nothing. You just missed Carrie Underwood in here 45 minutes ago."

I love the Nashville area already. I think my shock and awe at wandering celebrities will wane in the near future. Hopefully.

Waiting

My mom sent me this devotional a couple of months ago when I was going through some tough stuff in my job and really looking to move on. I love it. I'm such an impatient person--I always have been--so this is perfect advice for me put to good use on a consistent basis.
———————————————

Waiting is hard for me. I want answers now. Postponements perplex me; deferrals daunt me. I’m baffled by God’s delays, wondering why and when. “How long, O Lord?”

The prophet Habakkuk wanted answers as well, but God chose to take His time. “I will stand my watch . . . to see what [God] will say to me,” Habakkuk wrote (2:1).

“The vision is yet for an appointed time,” God replied. “Wait for it; because it will surely come” (v.3).

Faith never gives up. It knows that despite appearances, all is well. It can wait without signs or significant indications that God is at work, because it is sure of Him. “Each delay is perfectly fine, for we are within the safe hands of God,” said Madame Guyon (1648–1717).

We too must learn to view each delay as if it were “perfectly fine.” Postponements are reasons to pray rather than grow anxious, impatient, and annoyed. They’re opportunities for God to build those imperishable but hard-to-acquire qualities of humility, patience, serenity, and strength.

God never says, “Wait awhile,” unless He is planning to do something in our situation—or in us. He waits to be gracious. So take heart! If God’s answer tarries, “Wait for it; because it will surely come.”

—David H. Roper

Soon shall the morning gild
The dark horizon rim,
Thy heart’s desire shall be fulfilled—
“Wait patiently for Him.”
—Havergal