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in which i use my words [because i don't know how not to.]

December 30, 2012 in jesus, lessons learned, stories with 0 Comments

for whatever reason, WordPress has closed all the comments on my blog and I am too stoopid to figure out how to fix it. I always welcome your comments, and I hope to get this problem solved soon. if you’d like to discuss anything, you can email me as always: rachelchristinelincoln[at]gmail[dot]com. please also email me if you know how to fix this problem. :)

xxo

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I don’t comment very often on matters of a political nature; I am self-aware enough to know I’m not smart enough to talk about all that. I’ve grown a lot. I’ve learned the difference between believing something because it is truly what I believe, or believing in something because someone else said it and it sounded cool. I’m still coming to grips with a lot of issues, and I’d be naïve to think that some of those ideas won’t change in my lifetime.

Every once in awhile, however, something pops up onto a TV screen or a social media page, and I cringe. And I usually take time to explore that cringe, because I do think that our instincts should be explored. And when someone in high power, who holds high influence, says something that makes a mockery of what I believe in with every ounce of my being, I have to explore it. I just can’t keep silent about something like that.

We can all agree that the tragedy at Sandy Hook left unspeakable volumes of grief and shock. (And before you get too mad at me, please know that this isn’t an argument about gun control; I don’t own one, I’ll never live in a home that does, and that’s that.) It was a tragedy unlike one I’ve yet to experience in my short 25 years, and like the rest of America I felt it was as close to home as anything else. There’s something about killing children that just, well….there aren’t words.

So many people immediately tried to politicize the event, which is pretty par for the course these days. But Mike Huckabee, a well-known politician made a statement regarding the shooting that made me cringe. He said America has spent years – decades, even – taking God out of our schools. So, consequentially, how can Americans expect God’s protection when we have so consistently asked him to stay away? In other words, shootings such as this one are a direct result of our dishonoring of God. In other words, had we kept prayer in our schools, the shooting wouldn’t have happened. In other words, God allowed the shooting because we asked Him to stay away.

Holy shit. I just can’t keep silent about something like that.

I clearly don’t know Mike Huckabee, and I would never be so bold as to comment on his personal life, his own morals, or any other issue he may stand for. But what he said made its rounds on the internet, and I’ve seen several people repost his words in triumphant agreement. A lot of people were deeply concerned by his comment, so of course he released a response – that’s what good politicians do. But his theology didn’t change; he still believes we have escorted God out of our lives, and that’s why evil exists.

And I just can’t keep silent about something like that.

If I read the same Bible, if I pray to the same God, if I know the same Jesus, then why does a statement like Huckabee’s make me cringe?

Because when King David gave into the temptation of his flesh, and slept with a woman who was not his wife, God still called him a man after His own heart.

Because when Saul beat and killed Jews, God changed his name, changed his story, and made him an Apostle.

Because I know a woman who used to sell her body for money, and now works to free hundreds of girls from the sex industry on a daily basis.

Because I know a man who was once a slave to alcohol and believed it to be better than anything God had to offer, who now cannot sleep without feeding the hungry people in his city.

Because I used to believe God was withholding His best from me, and I resented Him for it.

Because we all were found. In some type of rebellion, in some type of moment where we distanced ourselves from what was good, where we walked in disobedience because we wanted to live the life we had imagined, nothing else.

Because if you really believe in the God of the Bible, then you believe He sent Jesus to pay it all, which literally means all. That lamb was slain so that no other sacrifice ever needs to be made, so that no one ever has to suffer under wrath again.

Jesus had no stones to throw. That was all done with, now that He was there. No more chains, no more punishment.

Because that’s what freedom means. It means free.

Jesus paid it all. You either believe it or you don’t. But God doesn’t just walk out a door when someone asks Him too and then shrug His shoulders when we need Him. And I do not serve a God who smites His followers for their disobedience. I do not serve a God who only protects when He feels like it, or when He’s having a good day. Evil exists because it does – it isn’t supposed to make sense. It’s the most grappling concept in the world, and you can’t live long enough to figure it out.

How can you repost Huckabee’s words? Has God ever allowed someone to shoot you because you didn’t start your day with prayer?

None of us are righteous. And through Jesus, we are. It’s the most beautiful paradox you’ll ever know.

That’s the point of the gospel.

And I just can’t stay silent about something like that.

 

your worth is greater than what they’re paying you. [twenty truths]

July 25, 2012 in 20-something troubles, jesus, my story with 1 Comment

Twenty-Something Truths For Twenty-Somethings 

truth number [18] today from the blog series hosted by myself and my dear friend Kristin! please join the conversation as we continue to unpack our twenties, and the truths we have found thus far. what have you learned? <3 <3 <3

~~~

Your worth is greater than what they’re paying you

 

 

Sometimes, you get a 6-figure college degree and you end up serving drinks to creepy men for 2 years, living off the generosity of perfect strangers. And sometimes, the only things you can put on your resume are “a disarming smile,” and, “a genuine concern for others.” Your worth is not defined by what your paycheck says, or what kind of clothing you can afford. Your worth = already determined by our loving God who sees you through Jesus’ sacrifice. Your worth = your character, which is built on an identity firmly rooted in the gospel. Your worth = determined by no other person, place, or thing than Jesus Christ. That’s a paycheck I am happy to cash.

12. God’s goodness does not depend on your circumstance. [twenty truths]

July 19, 2012 in 20-something troubles, jesus, lessons learned, stories with 3 Comments

Twenty-Something Truths For Twenty-Somethings 

truth number [12] today from the blog series hosted by myself and my dear friend Kristin! please join the conversation as we continue to unpack our twenties, and the truths we have found thus far. what have you learned? <3 <3 <3

~~~

When things are going well in your life, God is good. And when things aren’t going well in your life, God is still good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I often hear from friends when they are going through a particularly ‘flourishing’ season. you know the kind i’m talking about — when everything is just going awesome in life. i do love those seasons, and i do think they make any type of desert season a little bit more bearable. but the explanation of their particular season or situation is that “God is SO good to me…”

Now, I know the natural human reaction is always going to be to thank God in the good times and feel forsaken by Him in the bad. I’m often tempted to be the same way. But I have been learning something really crucial lately; when my life is going awesome and I am getting the things I’ve been asking for, and I am not struggling with something I used to, and everyone is being really nice to me, God is incredibly good. He is sovereign and all-knowing, He is kind and tender, merciful and gracious.

And when my life feels completely unfounded, and I am not getting the things I’ve asked for, and I have days of repeated letdowns, spilled coffee, and hot tears streaming down my face, God is STILL incredibly good. He is STILL sovereign and all-knowing, He is STILL kind and tender, merciful and gracious.

God’s goodness never depends on your circumstance. He is good; it’s His nature to be.

Take long, slow sips of the life you’ve been given, day by day. Trust that God is blessing you — through deserts and storms, through winds and waves, through rich blessings out of luxurious excess. Nothing else deserves sovereign credit, in good times or bad.

 

using our [words.]

June 16, 2012 in 20-something troubles, bible verses, jesus with 2 Comments

i don’t think we understand the power of our words, and it truly grieves my soul.

[and fear not; the irony of this post is not lost on me.]

i entered the ‘blogosphere’ a couple years ago, and through that i have followed several people with rather large platforms, preaching their message over the mountain and through the woods. and honestly? it’s hard not to get discouraged by some of the things people actually have the guts to say. because i think we have soooo lost the point. i think we spend so much time preaching and arguing, hating and retweeting the hate, that we actually have lost touch with life’s purpose: to love freely and give fully. selflessly.

instead, we have criticism over everything everyone is doing, Christian or otherwise. no one can create anything anymore, because there are 300 people waiting to rejoice in their failures, and waiting to share opinions over how wrong they are. we aren’t sharing in one another’s burdens anymore; we are openly laughing at them.

we have women leaders leveraging their following to bash planned parenthood, an organization devoted to the health and care of women, using lies and manipulation. thousands will lose affordable healthcare — please note i said ‘healthcare’, not ‘abortion’; planned parenthood does more than that — if you continue to fight for their destruction.

we have pastors, publicly calling men and women of the LGBT community ‘less than human’, ‘despicable’, and an ‘abomination.’ until you know first hand what it’s like to feel 100% attracted to the same sex and 100% devoted to Jesus fully, you should probably keep your stones in your pocket.

we have mouthy Christians, expending all their time and energy on proving the ‘rightness’ or ‘wrongness’ of so many different issues i can’t keep them all straight. you are fighting the wrong battle, and trying to take down the wrong kingdom. legalizing or abolishing anything will not change anything.

we have pastors speaking over my life, telling me that the images in my husband’s head will never go away, and that sins of my past will forever be carved in the walls of my heart. how dare you put God in a box like that. last i checked, He makes all things new.

and we have women — countless women — speaking to our girls, telling them that the integrity of their character is measured by the length of their skirts, and to wear anything revealing is to be damning their brothers to sin. how dare you give a young girl the responsibility of anyone else’s sin but her own. and how dare you add to an already very loud world that says she is worth nothing more than what it looks like she is worth. it matters who you are, not who it looks like you are. if i tell someone about Jesus with my cleavage showing, does it still count?

 

people have become so hateful, so publicly hateful. arguments are everywhere, and they are unending. and i am just so sick of it already.

 

“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:22-23

being [engaged].

June 3, 2012 in 20-something troubles, jesus, lessons learned with 3 Comments

in case you haven’t been on twitter, facebook, instagram, or in the same room as me for the last two months…I GOT ENGAGED. i have a super phenomenal hubby-to-be named Jared, a shiny thing on my finger, and dozens of magazine cut-outs and to-do lists sprinkled around my apartment. it’s a ridiculous mess.

and being engaged is all the things they say it will be. but it’s mainly a surreal whirlwind where you make more decisions than you ever have in your life…and that’s saying a lot coming from a type-a control freak like myself. i have chosen flowers and dresses and stationary designs and pictures and suspenders and napkin colors. i have picked buffet tables and open bars (!!) and twinkle lights and yellow shoes and times and dates and flights and hotels and…is anyone else out of breath?

and oh, i know. i’m not the first to ever plan her nuptials. i’m not a pioneer on DIY weddings, and i won’t be the last. i am just one more wanderer on this path they call Marriage, and i am not the only one who has watched the budget rise and the countdown lower. there are enough details to drown in, even though we established early on that we would not get caught up in planning The Day. we picked a few things to hold as important, and decided the rest would just fall into place. and for the most part, that’s happening. thanks to a phenomenal support group of moms, dads, best friends, and random strangers i meet on airplanes who give me earth-shaking marriage advice. (that only happened once. okay twice.)

anytime someone goes through a season of enlightenment, it is tempting to write a self-help post. like “8 things i’ve learned in 8 weeks of being engaged.” and believe me, i started to do just that. but what really matters is that you know the main thing i’ve learned: being engaged has taught me how important it is to be engaged.

i know, i know. but hear me out.

i have gotten caught up in the details. i have cried twice about the cost of our wedding. i have tried, as i often do with everything else, to over-prepare for my marriage. i have spent hours chiseling away at the corners of every piece of this puzzle, just so i can know that i am fully ready for That Day and the Happily Ever After. i have been so overcome with how to fit into the role of Jared’s Wife, that i’ve forgotten that he is choosing to marry Rachel As She Is. and i forgot how important it is to be present.

and it took our pre-marital counselor 5 minutes to diagnose my chronic fear.

and he said, “marriage is the only preparation for marriage.”

and a Yale student died before anyone thought she would — before any of her plans came to fruition.

and a sobering visit with a not-so-sober brother shook my core.

and the woman on the airplane made the most beautiful analogy about being engaged.

and i don’t know which one of these things brought me back from That Day into this very moment, but i put down my Bride To Do List and i’m painting my nails “peach daiquiri” and i’m making a thank you list while listening to Feist because those are things that make me feel alive and present. engaged.

and i don’t want to get wrapped up in the details anymore. and i don’t want to make any more decisions with a furrowed brow. i just wanna be here, today, As Is.

and isn’t that what it’s about, anyways?

me + love.

April 24, 2012 in 20-something troubles, bible verses, jesus, lessons learned with 6 Comments

love is kind of a big deal.

it’s the basis of all we are supposed to know and believe. it’s the lens through which we are to see the world, and it’s the foundational principal we all build our lives on. out of love we are born, and into love we must grow. Jesus was brutally honest about what love is, how to love, and what love looks like.

love is kind of a big deal. and lately i kind of suck at it.

 

i was impatient with someone last night. he asked me a question i thought everyone in the world knew the answer to, and i grew impatient in my response. i was agitated and heated. i was incredibly impatient.

but love is patient.

when i responded to him, i was sarcastic. i am but a small woman, and sometimes all i have are my words — and i can use them well. so i did. i drew my sarcastic fist like a weapon, and i punched straight to the heart. i saw in his eyes that he knew my weapon was meant for harm, not good. it was meant to be mean, not kind.

but love is kind.

i was jealous of someone last week. i was jealous down to my bones that they dare received the recognition i so rightly deserved. i went on to divulge my thoughts about how rightly i deserved that recognition. i described in detail all the ways i deserved it, and then plainly presented all the logical reasons for the misplaced recognition. and i was proud of the explanation i came up with, because even i was convinced that the root of my jealousy was not pride.

but love does not envy, it does not boast, and it is not proud.

it took me four sentences to get angry at her today. i can usually keep it  at bay for longer than that, but today she did not stand a chance. i slipped into the thoughts of all the ways i felt i deserve to be treated by her, and i got even more angry. and as my anger quickened, i remembered every pain she has caused, every fight she has been the center of, and every kind word she has never said to me. i tallied them up in my head and scorned her for each tick mark.

but love does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 

the truth is “blessed are the peacemakers.”
the truth is “turn the other cheek.”
the truth is “forgive as your Father forgave you.”
the truth is “pray for your enemy.”

evil says “karma is a bitch.”

but love does not rejoice in evil; it rejoices with the truth.

lately it has been hard for me to love. it has been a challenge to extend kindness and patience to people who don’t measure up in my book. it has been hard to forgive. it’s been a challenge to choose love.

i have failed at love lately.

 

but love? it never fails. 

first love. [what a girl needs to hear]

April 17, 2012 in dating, jesus, stories with 4 Comments

this is a sweet, sweet post by a lovely girl named Jessica who I had the pleasure of watching grow up. I hardly edited a word, because the innocence and honesty are crucial…and we could all learn from them. <3
[about the author] My name is Jessica. I was born in New Iberia, Louisiana. I have lived in three different states (Louisiana, Colorado, and Florida), each place God has used to mold me. God has been with me through so many things, I do not know who I would be without Him… It’s a life I can’t even picture. I am a senior at Louisiana State University (graduate in December! woot woot!), studying to be an Elementary school teacher. I can’t wait to have my own classroom. I’m not sure where I will teach yet, but can’t wait for whatever adventure God has in store for me.

~~~
I grew up in a church home. I know that’s a line many of us have heard. My story’s most likely the same as many peoples’ in this world. While I am not proud of all the decisions I have made, I know that God allowed me to go through certain things so I could realize Him and His grace more fully now.

I was born in a  little town in Louisiana. When I was seven my family moved to Colorado. All my life I remember my dad telling me that I was a Princess; an heiress to the Kingdom of God. Someone with power only through Christ. My dad was a pastor and never let a day go by where he did not share these things with me. To this day I still wonder how, with this love and the love God showed me through life, I could have made some of the decisions I made. Thankfully God is amazing and I will never understand His love and forgiveness.
My middle school years were a foundation building time. I had an amazing group of girls that God blessed me with. We would pray together, seek God together, go to school and live life together. I was firm in my beliefs, I knew my worth, I was strong… or so I thought. God threw a curve ball, like He often does. I should have been used to moving by now, meeting new people and becoming accustomed to things (by now I had already been to seven different schools) but what came the summer before my ninth grade year I was not entirely prepared for. I was settled in my life, and suddenly coming home to a “For Sale” sign in the yard. This time, we were moving to South Florida. A new state, a new school, and a new journey.
High school years are hard for everyone. I of course experienced a culture shock. This area of the world was much different then the places I had lived. And I’m not just talking about the palm trees. There’s always that awkward first day of school. I was a Freshman, walking in two weeks after school had started. I walked in with jeans, a t-shirt, a backpack and sneakers (apparently this was not a cool way to dress.. first thing to go was the backpack). I began making a few friends, however none were the same as my group back in Colorado. I had grown accustomed to sharing everything about God with my friends back then; however soon found out that not everyone wants to talk about those things. I lost many friends because of my openness. As the years in high school went on I wanted more and more to fit in. I found a group of people that would accept me, the only thing was that they slowly began to make it easier for me to make the wrong decisions.
This was the beginning of a slow drift. While I wasn’t a “party girl”, I often ended up in that atmosphere, pretending to like the things going on around me (and toward the end convincing myself it was all pleasurable). I had my first boyfriend when I was 17, he did not love Jesus. God told me to break up with him, and I did eventually; however that attention seemed so nice at the time that I began turning to other guys for it. I would find myself at a party, with a boy flirting, thinking he doesn’t want anything more, and of course a majority of them did. Time and time again I was left broken, wondering what I was doing wrong, why all of these boys seemed to only want me for certain things, and not realizing God was in the background calling me to turn back to my first love. 
Finally, I could take no more. I had been through the same thing over and over with this life. I would go where my “friends” were. Somehow a guy would start talking to me, soon I would find myself physically involved with him, telling him all the while that I couldn’t actually do anything because I was saving myself for marriage and yet getting as close to anything as I could. He would say “I really respect that” and then try to push my limits. I kept saying they aren’t all like that. But what I had forgotten was the one thing that I needed.
That attention I was getting was entirely fleeting. God, my first love, my amazing best friend, was constantly putting songs in my head (literally, in the middle of a party I would hear worship songs, like God was calling to me in the midst of it all), trying to make me come back to Him. I had forgotten the words that my dad used to tell me. “You are a Princess, an Heiress to God’s Kingdom, and you deserve a man that will treat you that way”. I had replaced it for a cheaper version of what God wanted for me just to get the attention I craved. I applied to LSU to get away from the atmosphere, I felt God calling me out of it. When I came here God brought me to a group of men and women who fiercely loved the Lord. They accepted me in all my brokenness and reminded me constantly the way men and women were meant to treat each other. The world has a much different way of looking at relationships (friends, between a man and woman, sons and daughters… every relationship). I had been caught up in it, but God was reminding me of the world He had in mind for us.
One of the biggest reminders was because of swing dancing. I know weird right? We would have random nights where all of us would get together and swing dance. It was amazing. None of the guys in that room wanted to do anything but twist me around in circles, and teach me knew dance moves! God reminded me of the purity He had given me (my purity is not my own). He is the one that, even though I’m torn… dirty… broken… wants to twist me around in circles. He wants me to come back into His arms and remember the romance He has with me. There’s a moment, when you have to trust your dance partner. When you trust that if they bring you in for a dip they won’t drop you. God used those moments to remind me that He would not drop me, and if I only trusted Him in this dance, I would have the most amazing time of my life.
For a while it was hard to grasp. Why would God, knowing full well the decisions I had made.. even after I was His child, be calling to me again? How could he forgive me when I had slowly given away things that He asked me to guard (mainly my heart). Why would He want me again? I struggled with forgiving myself, with realizing that I had made mistakes and just moving on. It seemed easier to forgive everyone else, but I was unforgivable. I was told by a friend that I was being prideful. How could I tell God that I was unforgivable. He died on the cross! Who was I to say where His power ended. One thing was certain, He still wanted me, wants me, for some unknown reason. I began praying and am still praying earnestly for focus. Those years I spent trying to fit in cost me years of getting closer to Him. But it’s because of those years I am who I am, and I can write this story right now. God does things for His glory, He raises us up, tells us to leave the burial clothes behind, and gives us new clothes. The only purity I have is His, the only love I have is His, the only joy and all my strength comes from Him. When I live for Him, when I make decisions based on pleasing Him, my life is full. My past does not matter because He says it does not.
I want to encourage anyone who seems stuck in trying to please people. It’s still a struggle for me, just in different ways. God says we are not here to please men, but to please Him. High school can be tough, but stay strong because even if it seems weird to others to be bold for Christ, believe me the alternative is not as pleasing as it sounds. I let the world take away my boldness, and I am still working with God to have that strength again. The fearlessness I had at the beginning of high school to share the Word was gone for a while, and only because God has such an amazing love can I begin to share it again. He wants a full life for all of His children. I now have a boyfriend who respects me. He respects me in every aspect. He loves Jesus and pushes me to search for Him. The relationships I had with guys before can’t even compare to one where God is the centerpiece. Pleasing yourself can leave you empty and alone, but God is here to remind you that He has set you free from pleasing yourself and others. My boyfriend and I are now constantly praying for God’s will in ours and each others lives. It is a blessing to know that there are Godly men out there. Don’t be discouraged, there are so many out there. Don’t settle for something or someone because it’s there and you haven’t experienced it yet. If you ever feel lonely remember that God is your first love and He wants to know you so deeply. If I would have continued to have my focus on Him during those hard times I can only imagine where my life would be right now. I realized after 2 and a half years that I wanted my focus on Him.
Find a group of girls that you can live life with. Don’t let them go, continually pray and seek God with them (or if you’re a guy I would encourage you to find a group of guys). Continually read scripture (not just because you should but because God can say so much through it). Ask for wisdom when sharing your faith with others. Don’t just give it away, ask God to make clear opportunities where He can shine through you. Guard your heart, but don’t be afraid to love. Try to remind yourself the type of attention that is good and what is fleeting. The feeling of a boy telling you you’re pretty only lasts a couple hours, but the feeling of God telling you how much He cares for you and others makes a lasting impression. Don’t be afraid to fail, if you fail don’t be scared to call on God to help you. Don’t beat yourself up for past mistakes. Look at them, pray God gives you the strength to overcome them, forgive yourself, and refocus. It takes time, but it’s worth it. And always remember, there are other people who have most likely been through something close to what you are going through. Remember God gave us our brother’s and sister’s in Christ so that we can not only share the fun things in life, but so that we can help each other out of mud. Don’t try to get over it by yourself, God gave us community for a reason.

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