Category: September 2011 (Authenticity)

Just a Walk

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by JMathis, September 2011 (Authenticity)2 Comments

By JMathis

Enoch lived in a fallen world, too.

In fact, his world was so corrupt that God was hell-bent on destroying it. Genesis 6:7

It wasn’t an iPhone® culture like ours, but it had all of the same lewdness, deceitfulness and greed that plagues our world even until today.

He lived in pretty dark times, and yet, Enoch managed to walk with God.

Everyday. Even while being a dad. Genesis 5:22

Maybe the pressures of that world were too great. Maybe being a parent wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. Or, maybe Enoch just always knew he was in need of a Savior.

Whatever it was, he made it a point to know God intimately. Especially in a time when people could care less about God and what He thought.

That’s what makes Enoch the real deal. A true authentic.

He walked so closely with God that he marched directly into heaven. Didn’t even pass ‘GO’…just walked right on through to the other side. Genesis 5:24

I wish I were the real deal. A true authentic.

For the most part, though, I’m just a Sunday morning Christian who can’t really imagine being that close with God and knowing Him in that way.

Life just seems too fast-paced. I can barely keep up with my thoughts. It’s a miracle that I can even keep myself together.

That’s what it’s like in our God-less culture.

It’s about scraping through the day-to-day and barely keeping it together. Everyday seeming more dissatisfying than the last.

Who has time for God? Who has time nowadays to be the real deal? A true authentic?

With such little time that we devote daily to our Creator, are we all just paying lip service to the fact that we’re Christians?

Is God just our get-out-of-jail card? Our just-in-case for the after-life? Our meal ticket out of here?

What a charade. What games we play with God.

Maybe we all missed the boat on this one. Maybe we all got it backwards.

Maybe life is more than just scraping through the day-to-day and barely keeping it together.

Maybe it’s about being the real deal. A true authentic. In a time and age that doesn’t value those qualities in you.

It’s overwhelming. I know. But maybe it’s about starting with baby-steps.

God doesn’t need us to be marathon runners on Day 1. He doesn’t need us to win the Olympic gold in sprinting by Day 2. He doesn’t need us to be an Abraham or a Paul by Day 3.

He just wants us to walk with Him. Everyday. Little by little. Baby-step by baby-step.

No pressure. No strings attached. Just a walk.

Aren’t you ready to be the real deal? To be a true authentic?

Aren’t you sick of the tugging, the pulling, the pushing and the shoving of this world?

I know I am.

So, let’s do this. Together. No over-thinking it. No over-spiritualizing it. No announcing it on Facebook.

Just a walk.

Everyday.

Little by little.

Baby-step by baby-step.

He just wants us to walk with Him.

Finding Your Voice

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Bindu Adai-Mathew, September 2011 (Authenticity)Leave a comment

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

I once had a friend who was afraid to pray in front of people. She didn’t feel like she sounded “spiritual” enough. “I can’t pray like people in church,” she complained. Finally one day to help build her confidence, I convinced her that she should give it a try and pray at least in front of me. She finally agreed, held her palms together dramatically and began, “Oh, Lord Our Most Holy Exalted Father…” She threw in a couple of “thee’s” and “thou’s” as well as some additional grandiose words that I didn’t even know the meaning of. After she was done, she looked at me, grimaced, and said, “I told you so…”

I laughed, reminding her that few people today could pray in King James English as well as she did, and that God, not surprising, could understand our everyday English. I reassured her by telling her that if you can talk and hold a conversation with someone, then you already know how to pray. It’s not a good sign, I reminded her, if you’re more preoccupied with how you sound than what you’re actually saying to God.

Spiritual authenticity is about finding your voice. Speaking from your heart. Because that’s the only one that matters to God.  And frankly, that’s what He finds beautiful.

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. Matthew 6:5

Beautiful

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Sasha Katz, September 2011 (Authenticity)Leave a comment

By AbbyA

I want to tell you something about beautiful.  In the same way that first is last or obedience is freedom.  Beauty in God’s eye is not as we see it.  I am not talking about six packs or hair down your back.  I am not that shallow.  I am not talking about sunsets and mountain tops.  We know this beauty is His creation.  I am talking about the kind of beauty that radiates from an authentic, pure connection to the Holy Spirit.  It is one thing to radiate because you have been granted a fair lot in life.  It is quite another to radiate such pure authenticity in the face of less. And to the natural eye, less is not very beautiful.  But to the spiritual eye of the heart, it is the meaning of life.

I have for you two stories of authenticity.  Two men who have been granted less in the world’s eyes.  Pastor Joel was burned all over very much like my Uncle Paul as a toddler.  While speaking to Joel, you might wonder if he ever really saw himself as different at all.  While seeing him, you wonder to yourself how he could have survived such flesh altering burns.  If you met him at church or otherwise, your kids would ask you what happened to him.  And, like me, you would tell your kids that everyone is different, that we are all God’s children and it is the inside that matters to God.  Since he is greeting kids and families anyway, you would probably bring your kids over to say hi so that they can learn to approach rather than look on or stare from a distance.  This time, however, there was a lovely, young woman holding a little squirt in her arms – – right next to Pastor Joel.  Knowing little about his personal life, my own square mind took its time placing the family as belonging to each other.  Joel introduced my Leila to his little round faced baby and his wife.  My mind took a moment to wrap its corners around the face of that little angel.  I walked away with thoughts of authenticity.  I walked away with thoughts of what a joy it must be for Joel to see the likes of his own face.  Without making too many presumptions, it is my thought that Joel is about as authentic as one can be.  If Joel’s not so aesthetically attractive face doesn’t speak beauty to you, then seeing his perfect child is the reminder to us as to what true authenticity is.  Like a perfect child is the way in which God sees Joel.  How do I see him?

You see, gentlemen like Pastor Joel and my Uncle Paul don’t get the pleasure of relying on beauty in the world’s eyes.  Whoever they are, they are.  No mask to paint or inject or lift.  No face to hide behind.

This past Sunday, I began to walk into the sanctuary around the middle of the first song.  I started to walk quite fast – – even though, being alone, in need of just one seat, is rather easy to come by.  The gent in front of me walked a bit slower.  As far as I could tell, he had a disability causing him to walk slightly slower than average.  I decided to walk behind him.  No need to walk so quickly past him.  Without yet the knowledge, we were planned to share a service together.

We worshipped just a seat apart.  We lifted our hands tall with gratefulness for the God we serve.  He caught my right eye a handful of times as he so purely and authentically worshipped the Lord.  We turned to each other and smiled a few times.  It was his smile that tore the veil of my heart.  We both sat there with communion in hand.  His smile was resonating so deeply in me.  My hands holding His body and His blood.  The gentleman’s beauty touched me so profoundly that I paused.  With my communion in hand, I went to the deep place where you know you are so unworthy of His grace, so far from His ways, His economy.  So far from what He considers beautiful.  And my heart just poured out in a desire to see what He sees.  To find beautiful what He finds beautiful.  After communion, I reached over and told him that his smile was beautiful.  He said that he could feel my spirit beside him.  He lifted his hands and said to me that He is beautiful.  Tears kept welling up in my eyes.  He just kept smiling.  It was one church service, in a row together.  But I found an eternal friend.  Two friends, bound to be neighbors in heaven.  In fact, that is what I prayed to God as I left my row to get my kids – Lord, can we be neighbors in heaven?

There are things about the Lord that I love.  First is last.  Obedience is freedom.  Losing your life is saving it.  And, beautiful is a pure, authentic connection to God.  Far be it from me if I ever pretend to know anything about anything.  But I will know for every minute of every day that Pastor Joel and my gentlemen friend are the faces of beautiful.

Being Honest About the Cross

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by JMathis, September 2011 (Authenticity)1 Comment

By JMathis

On Friday night, I went to a concert where I was blown away by the unbelievably talented Michelle Touchstone. Michelle is an artistic genius when it comes to songwriting, and her voice is just brimming with lush beauty, depth and richness. Musically speaking, her songs are complex and nuanced, and she also manages to leave her audience with a message that is soulful, powerful and most of all, authentic.

One of the things she mentioned that stayed with me throughout the weekend, was the difficulty in singing and sharing about The Cross. Many times in modern Christianity, we want to focus on a hip, sanitized, more abstract version of Jesus: His love, His compassion, His ability to transform lives.

While all of this is very, very real when describing Jesus, we tend to gloss over the fact that these attributes of His are only meaningful in light of the ultimate sacrifice He made on The Cross.

On The Cross:

He died an ugly, gruesome, unspeakable death so that you and I could live: live with hope, live in victory, live in peace, live in joy.

He was marred beyond recognition and beaten to a pulp so that you and I could be free of pain, guilt and anxiety.

He suffered massive internal and external bleeding so that you and I could experience physical and emotional healing from the blood that kept pouring out of His bruised and battered body.

On The Cross, He experienced the kind of unfathomable brutality that is every mother’s worst nightmare for her child.

Yet, He did this for us. For our children. He did this so that you and I would have a future that transcended beyond the ugliness and hatred of this unforgiving, ruthless world.

When was the last time you reflected upon The Cross?

When was the last time you shared with someone about The Cross?

Lest we forget, The Cross is why we follow Him. The Cross is what gives us the power to trade in our sin-soaked past for a life overflowing with love, compassion and transformation.

Being honest with yourself about your past means nailing your shame on The Cross.

Being honest with others about your past means sharing what He did with that shame on The Cross.

True authenticity is about being honest. Honest about The Cross: what it has done for you and where it is taking you.

Wasn’t His death worth the sacrifice?

Isn’t He worth sharing?

Are you willing to be honest about The Cross today?

Pop the Can of Authenticity

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Sasha Katz, September 2011 (Authenticity)1 Comment

By AbbyA

I am thinking about a few women that have blown the top off the can that holds all of the authenticity.  Recently, I saw my friend Jen at the book store with her family.  We left off in June where she was walking the high, narrow trapeze line of learning that she had cancer.  When we left off in June, she was loved on and prayed for by our work-out group.  The in-between was radiation and a long, hot Florida summer.

When I saw Jen in the store, I asked her how she was and how her summer was.  I really didn’t know if she would give me a straight answer.  It was her choice, after all; it isn’t always the right time or the best time to spit it out and lay it down.  She told me briefly about the radiation and then said God is good.  She went on to introduce me to her sweet-faced kids and her husband and then we all headed on our way.  But, mostly I heard her say God is good.

As Bindu and JMathis would say – Really, really?!  Yes, that’s what Jen said: God is good.

Then there is SusieD.  I left off with her in June.  Although the details were not clear to me until mid-summer, she shared in an email there were melanoma cells found in a few places on her body.  She spent the summer under the knife having it all removed and then waiting patiently for open sores to heal up.  I saw SusieD for the first time about a month ago.  She smiled and said that the finding of cancer was perfect timing.  Any later and her story would not have been the same.

As Bindu and JMathis would say – Really, really?!  Yes, that’s what SusieD said, the finding of cancer was perfect timing.

Yes, then there is Millie.  Just a few weeks earlier, she found some lumps and had them removed.  She was later diagnosed with cancer.  Now Millie is well-known to be a spiritual giant – – if there is such a thing.  But, if anything gives you a license to fall apart for a while, I propose that something is cancer.

Let me tell you about how Millie handles cancer.  We all sit on the floor around her as she tells us there has been so much good that has come out of this diagnosis.  She tells us that she is overwhelmed by the outpouring of her friends, her family and her husband.  She tells us that the phone does not stop ringing, the food does not stop coming and her mailbox is full of love letters.  She tells us that she was unexpectedly approved for health insurance and that God planned for that, too.  Really, Millie, really?  She tells us that she is praying for healing but accepts whatever road God has prepared for her.  Really, Millie, really?

Yes, girls, really.  The top of the can that holds authenticity has been blown off by these women.  Let it flow out to touch each one of us.  Let it break the pressure of our own cans.  Let your own authenticity out so that you can walk a genuine journey holding the hand of your God and holding the hand of your friend.

I think about Christ on the cross and how He let it all out in public – blood, sweat, tears and brokenness before His Father and for all of time to see or read about.  I think about His mom watching it all go down.  I think about John and others who were also watching their beloved friend and brother suffer for their freedom.  I think about you and I and our own suffering seasons in our life.  While the pain is often deep, the wounds are, in part, for your brother’s freedom.  But, your brother will never taste freedom unless you let your authenticity flow.  Freely and openly, among friends.  Pop the can – – it won’t be edible if you wait too long to share it.  I love you, Jen and SusieD and Millie.

When It’s Not Just About You…

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Bindu Adai-Mathew, September 2011 (Authenticity)Leave a comment

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

The “Such As”…
In yesterday’s blog, AbbyA described to us those “such as” moments: The very moment you decide to wear the inside on the outside.  Such as, speak a word of encouragement to someone you don’t know that well by using your own embarrassing past to make the point.  Such as, revealing you also sometimes feel isolated, alone and different.  Such as, admitting that you rely more on chocolate than God.  Such as . . .  Think about what you are hiding because it reveals too much about the real you.  That is the such as that I am talking about.

The very moment you open your mouth to share the such as.  At the very moment, you decide to go-out-on-limb, The Map pauses the fire in your gut and flashes for you a nice, clean path from A to Z.  That is, from the school pick up line, directly to your car.  That is, pass her quickly on the way to office kitchen because you are too afraid to mention to her that you too had a recent miscarriage.  That is, run like hell from the chance to wear your heart on your sleeve . . . even if to serve a greater purpose.  –AbbyA

I had a friend a couple of years ago who had a miscarriage. It was in the early stages of her pregnancy, and she had just started showing. She hadn’t told everybody about the pregnancy, but after she lost the baby, she did open up about the miscarriage, her struggles with it, and how she overcame it. Not necessarily to everyone, but to key people whom she felt could be encouraged by her story. When she first told me about it, I listened to her in stunned silence, my heart going out to her, my mouth at a loss of what to say to comfort and encourage her. But as she continued her story from loss into victory, I realized she didn’t need my encouragement, I needed hers.  No, I hadn’t suffered from a miscarriage, but I could learn by her example. I could be strengthened by her faith, by her perseverance to get past her own loss, and her desire to press onto victory and encourage others.  By being honest, by being authentic, she took away the feelings of shame and failure that often accompany miscarriage and was able to help herself as well as others.

Think about your struggles and what you’ve overcome. At the time you’re dealing with it, it may seem that it’s all about you. But when you press onto victory, it’s not about you any more. It’s about God. It’s about giving Him and honor and praise through your personal life and victory. It’s about encouraging someone else who is now struggling like you once were.

Authenticity. In the end, it’s really not just about you.

The Real You

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Sasha Katz, September 2011 (Authenticity)Leave a comment

By AbbyA

Authenticity is all about living in uncertainty.  JMathis  Think about it.  The very moment you decide to wear the inside on the outside.  Such as, speak a word of encouragement to someone you don’t know that well by using your own embarrassing past to make the point.  Such as, revealing you also sometimes feel isolated, alone and different.  Such as, admitting that you rely more on chocolate than God.  Such as . . .  Think about what you are hiding because it reveals too much about the real you.  That is the such as that I am talking about.

The very moment you open your mouth to share the such as.  At the very moment, you decide to go-out-on-limb, The Map pauses the fire in your gut and flashes for you a nice, clean path from A to Z.  That is, from the school pick up line, directly to your car.  That is, pass her quickly on the way to office kitchen because you are too afraid to mention to her that you too had a recent miscarriage.  That is, run like hell from the chance to wear your heart on your sleeve . . . even if to serve a greater purpose.

In the pause between running like hell and being you, The Map gives you mileage comparisons between the go-out-on-limb option and status quo.  You get construction warnings informing you of the upcoming detours if you recalculate off The Map.  You get news of the potential loss of satellite if you tread too far into the unknown.  In the pause, you only have a moment to turn off the GPS and be in the moment.  You only have a moment because once that moment passes, you have lost your ability to be authentic in that place, to that person, to yourself and to God.

JMathis, Bindu and I have seen and touched the face of authentic.  We’ve seen between this trinity of friends that – – all at the same time – – one can be unemployed, job-searching, staying up all night with a sick child, depressed, moving away, triumphant with healing of a marriage, missing her dog, finding a job, finding herself.  All at the same time.  Yes, this is the such as that I am talking about.  Yes, this is the moment I am talking about.  All at the same time.  Three girls seeing that life is made to be authentic whether we embrace living in the moment, or not.

You only have a moment to be authentic before the opportunity passes.  You only have a moment to trash The Map no matter how practical, how appealing, how promising or how smooth the grass feels when you walk the path of The Map.  If you will cross over from time lines to relationships, from handshakes to sharing handkerchiefs and from nicety to authenticity.  Something may happen.  And it looks like the body of Christ.

It looks like revealing just enough of the real you.  So that she can be just enough of the real her.  So that both of you can live out your authenticity in Him.  Nothing could be simpler.  Nothing can be more promising.  Or more uncertain.  Or more powerful.  Than being the real you.