Category: Inspiration

Self Image

Courtney2 Comments

“You are the only you God made… God made you and broke the mold.”
― Max Lucado, Cure for the Common Life: Living in Your Sweet Spot

Is this the right answer? I don’t want to sound stupid…

How will people perceive me based on my clothes, weight, height, hair color, etc. etc. etc. 

Does this tweet make me sound too quirky/serious/nerdy/ditzy? 

Oh great! I missed that shot! Now I look horribly un-athletic/un-cordinated!

At some point, all of us have dealt with these attacks. Attacks on our self image, and how we perceive ourselves. It can come in the a variety of forms, as shown above, ranging from appearance, to academics, to athletics.

Personally, I’ve always struggled with the tendency to define myself by my academic ability and competency. As a child, I literally used to feel a sense of defeat over B’s on tests, because in my mind, it should have been an A. And, If I don’t know how do something, I often get discouraged and refuse to ask for help. One of my most frequent phrases during my childhood years was “I’ll do it myself.”

I’ve improved in these areas, but at times, I still find myself reverting back to these patterns of thinking. Maybe you have a different aspect of self image that you struggle with. Perhaps yours is with the mirror, a hobby, or how others perceive you. It’s different for everyone, but it all has the same root.

Every time we see ourselves as less than God’s wonderful creation and child, we’ve believed a lie. Psalm 139:14 says “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well”. Emily from fearfullywonderfullyme.com once said in her post The Most Beautiful Girl, that if we don’t love ourselves, we cannot love God or others to our fullest potential. We are made in God’s image and we are His masterpiece. Matthew 22:39 even says that we are called to “love our neighbor as ourselves.”

To paraphrase Pastor Dave from God’s Not Dead, if God is incapable of making mistakes, than can each one of us be a mistake? Of course not! We are all here for a purpose and when God made us, He broke the mold! As hard as it can be when society tells us that we’re supposed to live up to a certain standard, we need to remember we were never meant to be like everyone else. We were meant to be us. 

All of our quirks and appearance “flaws” are part of the the beauty of God’s creation. Just as a flower glorifies God by being a flower, and not a tree, we glorify God by being ourselves, and not someone else. Imagine how boring it would be if everyone looked the same and had the same talents. We were made to be different. God gives us different gifts so that we can glorify God through our own unique talents.

Next time you feel discouraged or struggle with self image, remember this.

Different is beautiful. 

And, in the words of Jonny Diaz, there could never be a more beautiful you. 🙂

 

A Letter To My Freshman Self

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Dear Freshman Courtney,

First of all, congratulations on making it this far! You’ve survived Jr. High! Now…on to high school! You’re going to face some of your greatest and worst moments during this period of your life, so strap your seatbelt and prepare for the ride!

I know how alone you’re going to feel in that art class, but hang in there! You’ll make it through! It can hard to feel that you’re on the outside of things, but it will be that very feeling that will help mold you into the strong, confident person that you’re going to become! It will also help you gain greater compassion for others who have been there.

I also know that you’re struggling in your faith right now. You’re getting older and beginning to wonder how it fits in your current stage of life (Believe me, it does!). You have a lot of questions and are going to spend a great trying to figure out answers to every ideological/political/religious issue under the sun (Because that’s just how your brain works). You’ll find answers to some of those questions. Others, you’re still trying to figure out.

That’s OK! You don’t have to have every single thing figured out about the world around you. But, don’t be afraid to ask questions! That’s how you grow! God can handle the questions; He’s a big God.

And that “grand moment” that you’re longing for will happen, but somewhere along the way you’ll come to find that each and every day you have the opportunity to make a difference. You don’t just have the opportunity to let your light shine and make a difference on stage or speaking in front of a crowd; you have that opportunity each and every day just by living your life. You’ll eventually start your own blog and twitter account, which will give you the opportunity to share you’re thoughts and opinions with the world. Believe me, you’ll get a kick out of that.

I should probably also warn you that the time between Freshman and Junior year is going to spin a little bit out of control. You’ll lose friends, deal with various situations, and struggle to stay strong. But don’t worry! There’s a light at the end of the tunnel (I was there, so you can trust me)! You’ll meet a really nice girl during the summer between 9th and 10th grade. You’ll become good friends and grow closer to some of your current friends. You’ll also become friends with a girl from Texas and communicate via video chat. The age of the technology…

It will take time, but you’ll finally move on from all of the stress that hit you in the face during that time period. You’ll begin taking a theater class, which will quickly become your favorite class. You’ll love the craziness and camaraderie, and become good friends with your classmates. You’ll perform plays, act out skits, and laugh a whole lot!

You’ll also start going to a new church and feel very at home there. It will start out meeting in a movie theater and they’ll play really cool Christian electro-music. You’ll walk in and it will feel unlike any church you’ve ever been to. You’ll learn a lot from your new church, Christian blogs, and a really cool online Christian magazine called RELEVANT.

Finally, you’ll arrive here, writing this letter to yourself. You’ll make great friends, gain wonderful opportunities, and have some really cool classes. Oh sure, you’ll have your off days. But, you’ll grow to become confident and outgoing, beginning to see life as God’s story. And, if you had never experienced each chapter before this one, you may never have arrived where you are today.

Sincerely,

2016-Courtney

 

Waiting And Trusting

Courtney4 Comments

Hey everyone! I’m back in the blogging world! Sorry for the long hiatus (apparently my last post was twenty-two days ago…eek!). I’ve been keeping busy with school and revising a book that I’m writing (or, should I say re-writing?).

But, I’m back and I finally came up with a topic to write about (YAY!!!). This post is going to be about…wait for it…wait for it…It’s going to be about waiting! Yeah…I tried to throw in a little joke there.

Lately, as I’m getting older and closer to becoming an adult, I’ve been hyper-focused on my dreams and goals. A couple of years ago, things like a future career seemed so far off. Something to worry about in the distant future. But, suddenly, everything feels super close, which raises a million unanswerable questions to surface. Will my writing career sink or swim? And if it does work out, how? Should I make this change or that change to my book? Are my characters distinct enough? Are they relatable?

And then there are the more universal concerns.

In a couple of years I’m going to be living on my own, will I be able to handle it? I still only have my permit and haven’t even been practicing my driving lately. Will I ever get the hang of it? And, what will college be like? Will I be able to handle college math (My worst subject)?

I find myself caught between now and the future, half wishing I could ride in the crazy scientist from Back To The Future‘s time machine and be assured that everything will fall into place. But, I have something better than a time machine: God’s word.

As Christians, we’re not left alone to worry about the future. God speaks about this topic numerous times throughout Scripture.

““Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?” Matthew 6:25-27

““For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”” Jeremiah 29:11

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

God has our whole lives planned out, and His plans for us are beyond our wildest dreams! We may not be able to see the future, but God can. Plus, if we could see into the future, we’d miss all of the surprises that come with living! As scary as it can often be, it’s also exciting to know that God has good things planned for us that we can’t yet fathom. At times, we may wish that everything would just happen right now. But, sometimes He sees things we can’t and has us wait for a reason.

Two years ago, I would have loved to perform a song that I wrote right then and there; but God had me wait until it I got better at singing and composing the instrumental for it. As hard as it was at the time, I’m now thankful that He had me wait. I trust that this is true for all my other goals/dreams/aspirations as well. God may be growing us during times of waiting, and asking us to trust Him with what you can’t see. He may be planning opportunities that can only be found further down the path of life. We don’t always know why God asks us to wait, but we can know this-

We never have to wait alone, because God is always with us, and always has our best interest at heart. ❤️

This song, While I’m Waiting, is from the well-known Christian movie, Fireproof. I think the song fits this topic pretty perfectly. 🙂

The Best Kind of Love

Courtney5 Comments

Valentines day. 

A day when couples celebrate their romance and singles celebrate Netflix.

Or, at least, that’s how it’s how it is often characterized. Admittedly, I’ve been single for my whole life, so I honestly don’t have much helpful advice in regards to relationships, except to follow the Bible, ask for wisdom from wise mentors, never compromise, and pray a lot.

But, I do have a thing or two to say about love. Because regardless of whether or not you’ve ever been in a relationship, if you’re a Christian, you’ve been given the best kind of love. A love that took human form and willingly allowed Himself to be “pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our sins” (Isaiah 53:5).

A Love that left Heaven in all of it’s glory to unite us to Him.

A Love that allowed every person the opportunity to find Him and live in Heaven with Him for all eternity.

A Love that made all who accept it one giant, diverse family.

This love is the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. John 15:13 says “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  This is exactly what God did for us. 

But, the picture gets even more beautiful. Because of this amazing, out-of-this-world love, Christians are given the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of this counter-cultural kind of love. We’re invited into the family of God and called to invite others into this masterpiece. Following God is ultimately a call to love and be loved.

Maybe you’re single this valentines day. Perhaps you’re dealing with a breakup or unrequited feelings. Whatever your relationship status this Valentines Day, I want you to remember that you are loved. God’s love never fails, and I’m willing to bet that you have a handful of other people who care about you too. If you want something to do this Valentines Day, perhaps you could go out with a group of friends and celebrate your friendship. Or, you could spread the love by volunteering at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. There are a lot of ways to celebrate love this Valentines Day.

And, the first place to look is up. ❤️

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:9-11. (NIV)

What Does Jesus Look Like?

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If someone had never opened a Bible, what would they think about Jesus?

Would they see Him as loudmouthed, always spouting off right-and-wrong and shaking His fist at the crowds? Or, would they see Him as loving, deeply interested with who each individual was as a person, and wanting to see them live a beautiful and vibrant life?

Would they see Him as fearful, convinced that if A+B doesn’t happen, the whole world as we know it will come to an end? Or, would they see Him as calm, knowing that whatever happens, God has the ultimate authority?

Would they see Him as exclusive, only welcoming some people? Or, would they see Him as radically inclusive, building the most diverse family ever known to mankind?

As you read these, different people may have come to mind, but how about if they saw you? What do your actions communicate about Jesus?

A couple of months ago, Buzzfeed came out with highly controversial video titled “I’m Christian But I’m Not…” While I understand the concerns that many expressed about the video, it serves as a huge wake up call. Rather than having a knee-jerk-reaction, it would be helpful to ask ourselves why so many of them felt a need to clarify their faith. It seems that Christianity currently has such a tarnished reputation that people felt a need to explain themselves.

This shouldn’t be the case. When Jesus was on earth, He was radical. But, not in the way that many today would expect. He was radical in love. He loved the very people that the rest of society shunned. He turned both church tables and people’s perceptions of God upside-down. They expected powerful leader, not a carpenter-preacher. Rather than law, He preached grace. Rather than power, He taught humility.

As Christ’s representatives, we’re called to do the same. We’re called to love the unlovable and forgive the unforgivable. Now, obviously we’re not perfect. If we were, we wouldn’t need Jesus. We’ll never be able to flawlessly immitate Jesus here on earth, but if we show love and grace, we’ve demonstrated the most important attributes of His character. 

The most powerful sermon we’ll ever preach is the one that we live with our lives. Thus, I challenge you to live grace.

To show it to even the most difficult of people.

To love people where they are.

To live in such a way that anyone who saw you would get a window into the amazing love and grace of our Savior. 🙂

Reflections On 2015

Courtney2 Comments

New Years Eve. A time of reflection and introspection of personal growth over the past 365 days. It’s hard to believe that those 365 days have passed us. I know that 2015 has been a pretty eventful year for me, and I’m sure that if you take the time to think about it, you have some pretty cool stories from this past year as well. It’s incredible to think of where I was last January as opposed to where I am now.

I’ve started a blog, sang a song that I wrote in a talent show, acted in two plays (Our Town and It’s a Wonderful Life), written more of what I hope will someday be published novels, made new friends and have grown closer to old ones, attended concerts, and have achieved both personal and spiritual growth.

I’ve started my school year off with a motto of fearlessness and I hope to continue that into 2016.

I’ve found some really awesome role models in public Christian figures, begun attending a new church, read some great books, started speaking out more on important issues, passed my permit test (Finally!), and have started driving a little.

I’ve accomplished goals and believe that the best is yet to come. Some of my new years resolutions include being less stressed, less last-minute, more organized, and more focused on my writing.

How about you? What exciting things have happened to you in 2015? What are some of your New Years Resolutions? Are you planning to watch the ball drop tonight? Tell me all about these things in the comments section!

A Thanksgiving Post

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Hi everyone! Since Thanksgiving is on the horizon, I decided to do a post about some of the things that I’m thankful for.

  1. Grace-Where would any of us be without God’s amazing grace? Because of His death and resurrection, we have the opportunity to be forgiven and spend eternity with Him in a place of everlasting joy and peace. Furthermore, we never have to walk this world alone because God is always with us. Who could ask for more?
  2. Family-Family is an awesome blessing from God. I’m thankful both for my immediate family and my extended family (And, of course, my cat Precious). I’m also thankful that most of my family lives in the state, so I get to them fairly often.
  3. Friends-As always, I’m super thankful for the crazy, quirky, awesome friends that God has brought into my life. Many have become close enough to be like brothers and sisters. I’ve learned so much from the friends that God has blessed me with.
  4. Church-I started attending a new church this year and I really love it there. The messages are great and I’ve grown a lot. In coming months, I’d love to get more involved there.
  5. Classes-Another thing that I’m thankful for the classes that I’m in, where I’ve met a lot of my closest friends. As I’m getting older, I realize how little time that I have left before college. I know that I’m really going to miss all of the crazy, off-topic discussions in english lit and the hilarious moments in theater when I graduate.
  6. Great opportunities-This year, I’ve had a lot of really great opportunities, such as singing a song that I wrote live, acting in Our Town last spring, becoming more vocal about a social issue that I’m passionate about, and starting a blog. I’m very thankful for these things and I’m sure I’ll have more great opportunities in 2016.
  7. Books and written word-I am seriously grateful that we can speak, write, think, and feel. Think about it, without communication, we would all be walking around like a bunch of cavemen/cavewomen. We wouldn’t get to appreciate conversation, stories, or song lyrics. The world would be far different without communication.
  8. Food, water, and shelter-I know, I know, this is one that I think most of us take for granted, but many people around the world go without these basic needs. To simply have food, water, and shelter is a great blessing.
  9. Freedom-I’m thankful to live in a country where I’m free to voice my thoughts, ideas, and opinions. I’m also thankful for the brave soldiers who fight for that freedom that we enjoy.
  10. The small things we take for granted-I know there are a lot more things besides the ones that I listed, such as trees, animals, music, seasons, etc., etc., etc. I’m also thankful for all of these things.

I’m sure that you have some great blessings that you’re thankful for too. Feel free to post them in the comments section, I’d love to see how God is working in your life!