Tips for Navigating the Political Season

CourtneyLeave a comment

Ok, I’ll be honest. Politics is typically something that I try to steer clear of on my blog. Nonetheless, with the election being such a huge topic right now and the recent debates, I feel that it is a fitting topic to blog about. Especially considering that some of you reading this may be old enough to vote in the next election.

I’m not going to tell you who to vote for, or take a political “side”. We all have the opportunity to choose our own preferred candidate and vote accordingly, that’s one of the beauties of living in America. This post is going to focus on engaging in this election humbly and looking at it through the eyes of Christ, with both wisdom and grace. Thus, I’ve come up with four tips for navigating the election season.

  1. Respect those with opposing viewpoints-This is really, really, important. Because this is often a significant and deeply personal matter to people, it can sometimes turn into a very heated discussion topic. Nonetheless, people often have good reasons for believing what they do on both sides. I know people who lean more right-wing in good conscience and people who lean more left-wing in good conscience. James 1:19-20 says “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” Rather than being quick to jump in with our own arguments, it would be helpful to try to understand why others believe as they do  and understand the deeper motives behind those beliefs. Even if we still end up disagreeing, we can do so respectfully.
  2. Turn to the Bible for answers-As Christians, we believe that the Bible contains ultimate truth. Thus, whatever stance one party or another takes ought to be looked at in the light of God’s word. Because both parties are products of man, it’s highly probable that there are flaws in both ideologies. Rather than blindly accepting all of the ideologies of one party, I challenge you to look at each issue through the lens of faith.
  3. Remember how these issues affect others-A common theme that I find throughout the Bible is love and compassion. One of the most important things that we can do as Christians is to love others. Mark 12:30-31 says “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”” Thus, we ought to ask ourselves how issues of legislation affect other people, particularly the vulnerable and hurting. The people affected are more than just pawns in power wars, they’re real people just like me and you.
  4. Take the time to research the candidates-Bandwagon mentality can be common during election season. It’s easy to hear tidbits of information about the candidates without knowing their full platform or stance on the issues. Just because someone is affiliated with the political party that lean towards, doesn’t mean that they’ll share your views on everything, or even most things. Take the time to research the candidates you like to make sure that they’re honest, godly, and kind people. Granted, we’re all fallen, but it’s important to vote for the candidate who you feel is the most ethical.

In addition to my tips, I found two articles from RELEVENT magazine that I feel give really great advice. Feel free to check them out!

Whoever you decide to vote for, remember to navigate this year with 1 Peter 2:17 in mind. “Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.“*

*Emperor, the authority of the day, would be the equivalent of the president and those in authority.

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/current/politics/how-would-jesus-vote

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/current/politics/politics-shouldnt-be-us-vs-them

 

 

Paving The Way For Unity

CourtneyLeave a comment

Some great articles about how to lead the way to more unity and acceptance of diversity in 2016

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/church/why-doesnt-church-engage-race-issues

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/reject-apathy/worldview/4-terrible-reasons-not-talk-about-race

We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.-Maya Angelou

#AllCreatedByGod, #EmbraceDifferences

Some Must-See Trailers

CourtneyLeave a comment

Hey fellow bloggers! It is officially 2016, which means tons of new movies for the upcoming year. Thus, I decided to post some of the ones that I’m planning to see this year. 🙂

Vanished. Left Behind: Next Generation.

I’ve literally been waiting for this since middle school! This is loosely based off of The Left Behind Young Trib Force series, which I obsessed over! I got the chills when I first saw this trailer!

God’s Not Dead 2

Yes!!! It’s happening! I loved the first one and now they’re coming out with a sequel! Furthermore, I know both Hayley Orrantia (The Goldbergs) and Melissa Joan Hart from other works, making this even more exciting!

A Fuller House

I know this isn’t a movie, but I loved the original Full House and I cannot wait for the spin off! I felt so nostalgic watching this! The feels!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Need I say more?

Are you planning to see any of these movies? Or, any different ones that I missed? Feel free to comment about your must-see-movies for 2016!

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!

Lessons From Bethlehem (Part Three)

CourtneyLeave a comment

Imagine this scenario: An angel appears to you to tell you that you’re pregnant.

Not only are you pregnant, but your to-be-born child will save the world.

You’d probably be scared. Like, what-the-heck-is-happening-scared.

What complicates this situation even more is that you’re engaged to be married. Somehow, you’re going to have to try to explain all of this to your fiancĂ© and hope he believes you.

If you’re a guy and reading this, imagine that your fiancĂ© is telling you all of this. You may be a little suspicious. You may wonder if she’s completely lost it when she tells you that an angel appeared to her.

This is more than just a crazy what-if scenario, this is what happened to Mary and Joseph in the midst of the very first Christmas 

I don’t know about you, but if I were Mary, I’d be really freaked out. I think we can pretty much bet that she would have been at least a little scared during that event, if not completely terrified. By the Jewish law of the time, Mary could have been stoned to death.(http://www.scripturestudies.com/Vol4/D7/d7_nt.html)

Nonetheless, Mary trusted that God knew what was best. “”I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.” Luke 1:38. Joseph also chose to have faith in God, and faith in his to-be wife after an angel appeared to him and explained that Mary’s child is from the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:24 says “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.”

Sometimes, we don’t know why things happen the way they do. Life situations don’t always make sense to us in the here and now, from our perspective. But, God can see the whole picture. It’s kind of like a story. In book POVS, the omniscient narrator can see the entire story. With books written in this point of view, you can see every characters’ thoughts and actions. However, in first person, we can only see life through one character’s perspective. In real life, we can only see a tiny piece of a greater story in our own limited point of view. Nonetheless, God can see the entire storyline. He knows exactly how things will affect not only our own lives but the lives of others.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Even if we don’t understand life’s many unusual circumstances and wrenches in our plans, God does. Romans 8:28 reads “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This doesn’t mean that all things are good, or even make sense to us in the natural realm. But, it does mean that God’s ways are higher than our ways, and He holds the pen to all of our stories.

Sometimes, our job is to put down the pen and let God narrate, trusting that He will turn our lives into a beautiful masterpiece. 🙂

This is the last installment of the Lessons From Bethlehem series. There are many more things that we can learn from the Nativity, as well as many other events from the Bible. I highly encourage you to read the Bible on your own, letting God speak to you in a way that only He can.

I believe this song really captures the emotion that must have taken place on the night before Christmas. It’s also one of my favorite modern Christmas songs.

The Night Before Christmas by Brandon Heath

 

Lessons From Bethlehem (Part Two)

CourtneyLeave a comment

Hey everyone! Sorry it’s been a couple of days since my last post! I’ve been busy wrapping presents, Christmas shopping, and baking cookies. The usual Christmas stuff.

The last post was all about how God can use anyone, no matter how small. This post is all about humility, and how God left all of Heaven for us.

John 15:13 says Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

While this verse is speaking about Jesus’ death on the cross, He laid down His life in multiple ways each and every day just by coming to earth. He left all of Heaven’s glory to come down as a baby, be born in a manger, live his life as a carpenter, preach the good news, and eventually die on the cross for our sins.

Jesus didn’t have to make such a humble entrance. He’s God, so He could have just as easily come as a king, not a baby. Yet, that’s how He chose to enter the world. And, not only did He come as a baby, but he was born in a manger!

Interestingly enough, His entrance into the world is consistent with his preaching later on.

So the last will be first, and the first will be last.-Matthew 20:16

But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.-Luke 14:10

Jesus lived and preached a message of humility. Now, I’d like to clarify that humility does not mean having a poor opinion of yourself. God created us and wants us to have a positive self-confidence. Psalm 139:14 says “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.” 

To be humble simply to be the opposite prideful. It means to put others before yourself. Jesus sacrificed his life for us, and because He did that, we’re called to sacrifice in small ways each day for others.

This could be something as small as letting your friend or sibling have the last cookie or holding the door for an elderly lady. Or, it could be something with a greater cost, such as standing up for someone whom no one else will.

However God may be calling you to sacrifice or give, I challenge you to accept that call. When God is leading us, it may not always be easy, but it will be worth it. The holiday season is always a great time to give back, so I challenge you to think of some way that you can make someone’s Christmas season a little brighter. 🙂

Here are two Christmas songs/music videos that I think apply to this post. I used two because I sort of ended up combining two different post ideas into one.

You’re Here by Francesca Battistelli 

Somebody’s Angel by Mandisa

P.S. I would highly recommend the movie that Mandisa’s song is from, called Christmas Angel. It’s a really sweet Christmas movie 🙂

Lessons From Bethlehem (Part One)

CourtneyLeave a comment

A young peasant girl. 

A carpenter.

A shepard boy.

These are the people that God cast in the grand story of bringing the Savior into the world.

Jesus didn’t come into the world sitting on the throne. He didn’t come with a loud, grand entrance. He came in the form of a baby, whose parents were ordinary people just like you and me.

But, why? Why would God use such ordinary people to raise His son? Why not a king? Why would a Shepard boy be the one to take this family in? Why not at least a real inn and a bed, rather than a dirty old manager?

One reason could be that it had to be this way, in order to fulfill the prophesies, but why would God use his people to prophesize such a grand event this way to begin with? I believe that part of the reason he did this may have been to show us that no matter how ordinary our lives may look to us, God can use them for great things. Everyone’s life has a purpose. I bet the Shepard boy had moments when he saw his life as ordinary, but today, we still talk about him, and he’s known for his generosity in letting a tired Mary and Joseph stay with him.

Never think that your life is insignificant, because God just may use it in big ways that you never could have dreamed of 🙂

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.-Ephesians 3:20-21

A Strange Way To Save The World-Rascal Flatts 

As I was writing this post, I decided to stretch this out into a series, so keep checking back for new posts! I plan to post more on the Nativity in the near future. 🙂