There are many things in life I wish I could freeze-frame: hearing my 5-year-old boy say I'm the best mom in the world while he buries his head in my shoulder; listening to the untainted voice of my daughter praying at night; gazing at the hopeful look in my husband's eye as he tucks me into bed Christmas Eve; praying on our knees for strength and courage with our high school girls group. These things, oh, how I wish I could freeze-frame!
While there are some things we don't really want to see change, I, for one, don't want to stop time when it comes to my spiritual life. I want to grow. This year, I want my roots to grow deeper and my trunk, stronger (yes, I'm doing a lot of core exercises these days but I'm not talking about that! :) What I'm saying is this: in my walk with God, I don't want to freeze-frame. I want to move forward; I want to grow.
Growth, like surrender, faith, and perseverence, is a choice. It is a choice to get up early and look into the Word; to get up from our desk chairs and get on our knees; to willingly cooperate with the transformative process God desires to do in each one of us. It's a choice not to turn to alcohol, men, the mirror or money to somehow validate us and make us feel better about ourselves.
Choosing to grow means obedience to His call on our lives, surrender to His direction, even when it's uncomfortable; and finally, it means being willing to do the work. Our pastor said something so funny the other day: he said it drives him nuts when people say they left a church because "they weren't being fed there." "Get up out of your spiritual highchair and feed yourself!" He scoffed. I love real talk in church! It's true.
The most powerful way we can grow is through our personal study of the Word. It is the single most essential tool in our growth. It is the Living Water that nourishes our roots. But it doesn't infiltrate the brain while you watch TV or play on Facebook! It takes a choice ... to pick up that Bible, open it, and see all that you could be if you were rooted and established in His love above all else. My prediction: you could be better, stronger and bear the fruit you so desire -- peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control .... oh, I'll let you look it up! (Ps 1:1-3 ... Eph 3:17 ... Gal 5:22)
This year, I hope alongside me, you'll make the choice to grow. Next year at this time, my hope is that we will all be stronger, wiser, and more deeply rooted in the love God has for us. For His love is the essense of our power, the source of our courage, and the fullness of our beauty.
In devotion to you,
Jen
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Perfect Gift
If you are anything like me, you are now searching for the perfect gift for everyone on your list. So I'm making this short and sweet today.
As I "grow up" a little, I notice something more and more: people take God for granted. Lots of kids growing up in Christian schools don't appreciate the Cross at all. People don't read their Bibles, even though it's the one love letter we have from God.
Sometimes I fall into that category of not appreciating. But lately -- as I search for the perfect gift for the people I love -- I feel like I have already received all that I need. Through His sacrifice, we have all been given "the perfect gift." It is perfect love, perfect freedom and perfect forgiveness all wrapped in one.
Today, I am thankful for the Cross. I am thankful that it gives me a new day. I am grateful that through faith in Him, I am given a clean slate on earth and an eternity of Perfect in heaven.
As you celebrate the birth of our Savior, please remember, the perfect gift is not under the tree. It is in your heart. It is the beauty of knowing mercy and extending it to those around us. It is the beauty of a new day.
May your Christmas be full of joy.
Your friend,
Jen
As I "grow up" a little, I notice something more and more: people take God for granted. Lots of kids growing up in Christian schools don't appreciate the Cross at all. People don't read their Bibles, even though it's the one love letter we have from God.
Sometimes I fall into that category of not appreciating. But lately -- as I search for the perfect gift for the people I love -- I feel like I have already received all that I need. Through His sacrifice, we have all been given "the perfect gift." It is perfect love, perfect freedom and perfect forgiveness all wrapped in one.
Today, I am thankful for the Cross. I am thankful that it gives me a new day. I am grateful that through faith in Him, I am given a clean slate on earth and an eternity of Perfect in heaven.
As you celebrate the birth of our Savior, please remember, the perfect gift is not under the tree. It is in your heart. It is the beauty of knowing mercy and extending it to those around us. It is the beauty of a new day.
May your Christmas be full of joy.
Your friend,
Jen
Choose Redemption
"My heart was breaking for you and for all that your parents must feel reading this . . . ." I have been hearing, especially from women my mother's age. They can not help but read my recently released book through a mother's eyes.
Girl Perfect is a compilation of many pains, yes, this is true. But it is also a journey of many "freedoms." The pain came from never being able to be that "perfect girl" the world expected of me. And the freedom came from accepting my imperfections by experiencing the vast love that came beaming, then showering, then thundering down on me from the heart of God.
I remind each woman whose heart broke along with mine of the big picture - that my life is unbelievably beautiful and purposeful now and that I have been redeemed. God has used all the broken pieces of my little-girl heart to create a mosaic lantern of light and hope for the next generation of girls in search of perfect.
I get the pain. I do. In the book, I purposefully returned myself to those places of pain to speak understanding into the lives of girls suffering from sexual abuse, eating disorders, the trap of drugs and alcohol, the pain of dreams that seem to have been lost and futures that are bleak compared to the hopeful, sunshine-filled ideals of their youth.
But I went back to those places of hurt - over and over with each round of editing - in order to paint a clear picture of redemption for you, to paint a picture of how far God will go to rescue your daughter, sister, friend, mother, or you, from the darkest of nights, and how lovingly He looks upon us even in our deepest despair. I did it to say to you: I know what it is to feel trapped, violated, starved and alone.
And I know what it is to feel loved, valued, cherished and died for. I know what it is to be healed, made whole, filled and set free.So when I think about my own past, I choose redemption.
What about you? Are you choosing redemption? Are you laying it all at the foot at the cross and saying, I choose forgiveness, I choose freedom, I choose the cleansing blood that makes me white as snow, and I choose new life? Or are you holding onto the stuff that hurts, that makes you angry and bitter? Are you carrying it? Or burying it?
As one who has both "carried" and "buried," I speak from experience: lay it all at His nail-pierced feet and let Him take it for you, and choose redemption.
It will set you free!
Girl Perfect is a compilation of many pains, yes, this is true. But it is also a journey of many "freedoms." The pain came from never being able to be that "perfect girl" the world expected of me. And the freedom came from accepting my imperfections by experiencing the vast love that came beaming, then showering, then thundering down on me from the heart of God.
I remind each woman whose heart broke along with mine of the big picture - that my life is unbelievably beautiful and purposeful now and that I have been redeemed. God has used all the broken pieces of my little-girl heart to create a mosaic lantern of light and hope for the next generation of girls in search of perfect.
I get the pain. I do. In the book, I purposefully returned myself to those places of pain to speak understanding into the lives of girls suffering from sexual abuse, eating disorders, the trap of drugs and alcohol, the pain of dreams that seem to have been lost and futures that are bleak compared to the hopeful, sunshine-filled ideals of their youth.
But I went back to those places of hurt - over and over with each round of editing - in order to paint a clear picture of redemption for you, to paint a picture of how far God will go to rescue your daughter, sister, friend, mother, or you, from the darkest of nights, and how lovingly He looks upon us even in our deepest despair. I did it to say to you: I know what it is to feel trapped, violated, starved and alone.
And I know what it is to feel loved, valued, cherished and died for. I know what it is to be healed, made whole, filled and set free.So when I think about my own past, I choose redemption.
What about you? Are you choosing redemption? Are you laying it all at the foot at the cross and saying, I choose forgiveness, I choose freedom, I choose the cleansing blood that makes me white as snow, and I choose new life? Or are you holding onto the stuff that hurts, that makes you angry and bitter? Are you carrying it? Or burying it?
As one who has both "carried" and "buried," I speak from experience: lay it all at His nail-pierced feet and let Him take it for you, and choose redemption.
It will set you free!
Choose Surrender
I am walking down the aisle in the airport when I get rushed by an overwhelming feeling: the girl in the big black sunglasses carrying the Louis Vuitton bag needs to read Girl Perfect. That woman, barely able to walk upright, balancing her overly large breast implants with high heels and way too much collagen in her lips, needs to read my book. So does that teen girl with pink hair in the corner, looking angry and staring at her laptop, immersed in MySpace while her mother talks nonstop on her cell phone. Now that I think of it, her mom could read it too.
The pink-haired girl reminds me of the line of girls tortured by bulimia and anorexia and sexual abuse that I met at last week's conference. I have this insane urge to run through the airport passing out books and screaming, "There is a better way! There is a better way! Take this! It will bring you hope!"
I suddenly understand crazy people with megaphones on the side of the street.
I resist these unrealistic urges but they still linger while I board the plane. The lady sitting next to me in the white Juicy sweatsuit, entranced in the latest Michael Crichton mystery, could probably dig her teeth into my crazy adventures, and maybe that would inspire her towards God. The guy sitting on the other side of me begins talking about his sister who is living with her boyfriend and their baby, struggling to get by. Then during a lull, we both pull out our books, and I read mine, the very first time reading the final copy. Right before we land, he starts telling me how he just met his girlfriend at a local modeling agency and wants to help her to honor God with her life.
Without a word from me, he asks about the book on my lap. "Oh, it's about this girl who had all this pressure to be perfect and it just took her over until finally she found the only Perfect there is."
There are so many things we as people want to control. Personally, I spent an insane amount of time pouring my guts out in this book, with desperation and tears and dreams that it could change someone's life. And now, I want to figure out some brilliant plan to get it in the hands of every person in the airport. But the truth is, that is out of my control.
On the flight home, an old man from Alaska sits next to me. Without me asking, he claims that he has spent his life building some clever contraption that will free our country's dependence on fuel; he is trying with all his might to figure out how to get it in the hands of the people. In a weird way, I understand. We all have our passions. We all have our dreams - those things that we believe will leave the world a better place. All I can say to the old man is give your invention to Palin! And then, trust God with the rest!
"Wasn't this God's book from the very beginning?" a friend asked me a few days ago. "Now give it back to Him."
So I lay it at His feet. It is His gift to me, and I give it back. What happens is beyond my control. God can part the Red Sea for it if He wants, or He can use it touch one girl and that is all. It doesn't matter. What matters is that today, I choose surrender.
There is something in your life that you need to surrender control over. It may be a child, a marriage, a plan, a hope or a dream. It may be an addiction to self, or to drugs or to a guy. It may be that you are suffering in silence over something and have yet to speak of it. It may simply be an acceptance that the future is in His hands and He will do nothing outside of His great love for you. Let's make a choice to surrender - all.
And then, He can surprise us! And we can say, Wow, Lord, I never could have seen that coming!
The pink-haired girl reminds me of the line of girls tortured by bulimia and anorexia and sexual abuse that I met at last week's conference. I have this insane urge to run through the airport passing out books and screaming, "There is a better way! There is a better way! Take this! It will bring you hope!"
I suddenly understand crazy people with megaphones on the side of the street.
I resist these unrealistic urges but they still linger while I board the plane. The lady sitting next to me in the white Juicy sweatsuit, entranced in the latest Michael Crichton mystery, could probably dig her teeth into my crazy adventures, and maybe that would inspire her towards God. The guy sitting on the other side of me begins talking about his sister who is living with her boyfriend and their baby, struggling to get by. Then during a lull, we both pull out our books, and I read mine, the very first time reading the final copy. Right before we land, he starts telling me how he just met his girlfriend at a local modeling agency and wants to help her to honor God with her life.
Without a word from me, he asks about the book on my lap. "Oh, it's about this girl who had all this pressure to be perfect and it just took her over until finally she found the only Perfect there is."
There are so many things we as people want to control. Personally, I spent an insane amount of time pouring my guts out in this book, with desperation and tears and dreams that it could change someone's life. And now, I want to figure out some brilliant plan to get it in the hands of every person in the airport. But the truth is, that is out of my control.
On the flight home, an old man from Alaska sits next to me. Without me asking, he claims that he has spent his life building some clever contraption that will free our country's dependence on fuel; he is trying with all his might to figure out how to get it in the hands of the people. In a weird way, I understand. We all have our passions. We all have our dreams - those things that we believe will leave the world a better place. All I can say to the old man is give your invention to Palin! And then, trust God with the rest!
"Wasn't this God's book from the very beginning?" a friend asked me a few days ago. "Now give it back to Him."
So I lay it at His feet. It is His gift to me, and I give it back. What happens is beyond my control. God can part the Red Sea for it if He wants, or He can use it touch one girl and that is all. It doesn't matter. What matters is that today, I choose surrender.
There is something in your life that you need to surrender control over. It may be a child, a marriage, a plan, a hope or a dream. It may be an addiction to self, or to drugs or to a guy. It may be that you are suffering in silence over something and have yet to speak of it. It may simply be an acceptance that the future is in His hands and He will do nothing outside of His great love for you. Let's make a choice to surrender - all.
And then, He can surprise us! And we can say, Wow, Lord, I never could have seen that coming!
Choose Gratitude
The first thing that Michael Phelps did when he won his 8th gold medal at the Olympic games was give credit to his teammates. No ones gets to his place in life alone. In contrast, another gold medalist beat his chest boastfully as he trumpeted across the field, showing off his feat.
Personally, I prefer the humble, grateful ones. To me, they are the true champions, because they remind us that being a champion is more about character than ability, more about gratitude than self-absorption - a lesson that I have learned the hard way.
Having just seen my own little dream come true, I really want to give credit to my teammates. It's a strange thing to see the dream of your heart realized. The feeling I got when I first received my recently published book, Girl Perfect, in the mail, was this: Wow, dreams do come true. Wow, God does really hear our prayers, and He really does answer them! I felt like I had living proof of His goodness in my hands.
But I had living proof of even more than that - that we do not achieve our dreams alone, and that amazing things can happen when people band together for one sole purpose - to shine God's light into a dark world.
The name on the book, "Jennifer Strickland," stands for so many more names than most readers will ever know. But I want you to know that it should really say, "Shane, Linda, Larry, Zach and Olivia Strickland, Jan, George and Greg Porter, mentors like Greg Johnson, Steve Arterburn, Jim Burns and Jan Leonard, editors like Debbie Marrie, Deborah Moss and Donna Hilton, and dear friends like Lori Kennedy, Kristen Smith, Caris Leidner, Katie Hickey, Wendy Sylvester and many, many more, who believed in my dream and sacrificed time, energy, prayer, frustration, tears and countless hours of their own lives to help my dream come true.
Today, I choose gratitude for all of you and the many more who supported me during this journey. This was a team effort. Behind each word and each story, there was a dedicated group of women praying as I wrote; behind each difficult moment in which I stumbled and sometimes fell, there was my mother-in-law, Linda, who caught lots of my tears and patiently listened as I wrestled with the truths coming out, and who spent innumerable hours filling our children's love tanks and cooking dinners so I could write; and there was Larry Strickland, my father-in-law, who always brought me coffee, tea or dark chocolate right when I needed it; and there was my husband Shane who with his quiet strength kept me focused on the firm belief that it could be done, and that it should be done - that telling the story of my journey was worth it for the single goal of helping young women.
And of course there was my mother and father who chose to face the painful moments of their daughter's life with grace and courage; and the editors who put up with my "girl perfect" mentality - that the book had to be perfect -- while once again I learned a lesson in the writing and the publishing -- that "perfect" is found only in heaven, and not in books!
So please, if you read Girl Perfect, do not pass by the acknowledgements. They are first because my thanks to all those who supported me comes first.
And maybe like me, you too might need to take a moment to stop and think about those in your life who have helped you get where you are, and let them know how much they mean to you. Those are moments well spent, because as the Olympians have taught us, those are moments that are the mark of true champions.
Personally, I prefer the humble, grateful ones. To me, they are the true champions, because they remind us that being a champion is more about character than ability, more about gratitude than self-absorption - a lesson that I have learned the hard way.
Having just seen my own little dream come true, I really want to give credit to my teammates. It's a strange thing to see the dream of your heart realized. The feeling I got when I first received my recently published book, Girl Perfect, in the mail, was this: Wow, dreams do come true. Wow, God does really hear our prayers, and He really does answer them! I felt like I had living proof of His goodness in my hands.
But I had living proof of even more than that - that we do not achieve our dreams alone, and that amazing things can happen when people band together for one sole purpose - to shine God's light into a dark world.
The name on the book, "Jennifer Strickland," stands for so many more names than most readers will ever know. But I want you to know that it should really say, "Shane, Linda, Larry, Zach and Olivia Strickland, Jan, George and Greg Porter, mentors like Greg Johnson, Steve Arterburn, Jim Burns and Jan Leonard, editors like Debbie Marrie, Deborah Moss and Donna Hilton, and dear friends like Lori Kennedy, Kristen Smith, Caris Leidner, Katie Hickey, Wendy Sylvester and many, many more, who believed in my dream and sacrificed time, energy, prayer, frustration, tears and countless hours of their own lives to help my dream come true.
Today, I choose gratitude for all of you and the many more who supported me during this journey. This was a team effort. Behind each word and each story, there was a dedicated group of women praying as I wrote; behind each difficult moment in which I stumbled and sometimes fell, there was my mother-in-law, Linda, who caught lots of my tears and patiently listened as I wrestled with the truths coming out, and who spent innumerable hours filling our children's love tanks and cooking dinners so I could write; and there was Larry Strickland, my father-in-law, who always brought me coffee, tea or dark chocolate right when I needed it; and there was my husband Shane who with his quiet strength kept me focused on the firm belief that it could be done, and that it should be done - that telling the story of my journey was worth it for the single goal of helping young women.
And of course there was my mother and father who chose to face the painful moments of their daughter's life with grace and courage; and the editors who put up with my "girl perfect" mentality - that the book had to be perfect -- while once again I learned a lesson in the writing and the publishing -- that "perfect" is found only in heaven, and not in books!
So please, if you read Girl Perfect, do not pass by the acknowledgements. They are first because my thanks to all those who supported me comes first.
And maybe like me, you too might need to take a moment to stop and think about those in your life who have helped you get where you are, and let them know how much they mean to you. Those are moments well spent, because as the Olympians have taught us, those are moments that are the mark of true champions.
Choose Joy
The people I admire most are those that remain joyful despite the challenging circumstances they may be facing.
As far as I can tell, joy is a choice.
It is a choice to wake up in the morning and count the things we are thankful for before getting out of bed. It is a choice to smile at a stranger, to tickle our kids, to run silly through the house and not worry about the mess. It is a choice to let your face light up when your loved one walks into the room. It is a choice to kiss them goodnight. There is no doubt, joy is a choice.
Since joy has never been my strength as a Christian, I have always prayed for myself, "Let the joy of the Lord be my strength." (Ne 8:10) The cool thing about God is that he can take a weakness and make it a strength, for nothing is impossible with Him.
No matter what you may be facing today, my hope for you (and for me!) is that we will choose joy.
As far as I can tell, joy is a choice.
It is a choice to wake up in the morning and count the things we are thankful for before getting out of bed. It is a choice to smile at a stranger, to tickle our kids, to run silly through the house and not worry about the mess. It is a choice to let your face light up when your loved one walks into the room. It is a choice to kiss them goodnight. There is no doubt, joy is a choice.
Since joy has never been my strength as a Christian, I have always prayed for myself, "Let the joy of the Lord be my strength." (Ne 8:10) The cool thing about God is that he can take a weakness and make it a strength, for nothing is impossible with Him.
No matter what you may be facing today, my hope for you (and for me!) is that we will choose joy.
Choose Love
"Choose love," I could sense God telling me.
"But Lord, I don't feel ...."
"Choose love," He repeated in the quiet of my heart. "If you want to be like me, then choose love."
In the stillness of the early morning, as the sun came streaming through the pines outside my window, this simple exchange changed the direction of my day, my weekend, my week, and perhaps my life.
Love is a choice. It is certainly the choice Christ made every day of His life. He loved even when He was hated. He loved when he was rejected. He loved even when that love wasn't returned. Ultimately, He calls us to do the same.
Here's the great news: when we choose love, joy comes to us in unexpected ways.
My prayer for you is that you may experience that joy today by "choosing love," no matter what the circumstance. Trust me, you will never regret it!
"But Lord, I don't feel ...."
"Choose love," He repeated in the quiet of my heart. "If you want to be like me, then choose love."
In the stillness of the early morning, as the sun came streaming through the pines outside my window, this simple exchange changed the direction of my day, my weekend, my week, and perhaps my life.
Love is a choice. It is certainly the choice Christ made every day of His life. He loved even when He was hated. He loved when he was rejected. He loved even when that love wasn't returned. Ultimately, He calls us to do the same.
Here's the great news: when we choose love, joy comes to us in unexpected ways.
My prayer for you is that you may experience that joy today by "choosing love," no matter what the circumstance. Trust me, you will never regret it!
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