Why I'm Voting For Triumph

"Oh my word, I am BEYOND terrified...

Like for real! Just LOOKING at them will give you goosebumps. Neither one of them knows what they're doing, and it's clear that they have absolutely no idea what they're talking about half the time... and I'm supposed to trust one of them to be in charge of the WHOLE ENTIRE NATION?!?!?!?!?!? UGHH, this is NOT the way things were supposed to go! Like seriously, I don't want to sound mean or racist or sexist here (like HIM.) but we need someone to really put this country back together, and it's obvious that neither one of those dummies can do the job."

I don't know about you guys, but these are the kinds of things I've been hearing lately regarding the upcoming election that's taking place Tuesday, November 8th. And TBH, it's getting kinda annoying. Actually no, it's getting really, really annoying. Really really? Really really. 

I bet it's annoying you too. All of the commercials, all of the ads, the debates (between the candidates AND between you and your friends), the protests, the lies, the constant back and forth... etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

Hmmph. Maybe we set our expectations too high. Maybe we thought going into this that we would finally find someone who could pick up the pieces of this broken country and put them all back together. Someone who could defeat ISIS and save the world... once and for all. 

It's obvious to me (and I'm sure it is to you, as well) that neither Trump nor Clinton is capable of doing those things. Or 3rd party candidate Gary Johnson. Or my uncle Gary Johnson. Or me. Or you.

So now what? We're broken people trying to fix a broken world. We're stuck.

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.

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Alright, now I'm going to be honest with y'all. Some of you might get offended. But sharing what I'm about to say is worth losing all my friends.

I couldn't care less who our next president is. 

And it's not because I don't care about our nation or our safety or anything like that... don't get me wrong, I do. And I'm still going to cast a vote and do my duty as an American citizen.

But why would I worry about the next person who's going to "rule" our country when God (and let me remind you who God is... the sovereign ruler of the UNIVERSE) is already sitting on the highest of thrones?

"Kenzie, how on earth can you believe there is a God in control at a time like this?"

That's a good question. This world is freakin' messed up, isn't it? But that's not because of Him... it's because of us. We sinned once, and BOOM... we were all separated from God because of it, and this world became a broken place.

"Kenzie, why would a loving God not want to be with us even when we make mistakes?"

Another good question. It's obviously important to know that God is loving, but it's just as important to know that He is holy and just. Holy, as in, perfect. Just, as in, He's not the mushy-gushy-I'll-accept-anything-you-do-as-long-as-you-do-a-few-good-things-every-once-in-a-while kind of God this world has made Him out to be.

"Kenzie, is there any way I can know God then? I will never be perfect, so..."

YES! And it's because of this: He has already triumphed over the biggest problem this world has ever known - sin. God came down to earth as a human - flesh and bone and pooping on toilets and all that - and lived a perfect life just to die for us and take on the punishment that WE deserve because of our mistakes. How cool is that??

Now, don't be confused. Sin still exists, and it will always exist. God didn't come down to remove sin from the world; rather, He came down to show us that grace is the only thing that can reconcile us to God (bring us back in relationship with Him). It's up to us whether or not we choose to believe in Him and trust in Him with our lives.

I made that decision and my life has NOT been easy by any means. But the fact that I can rest and know that Jesus is the ruler over my life is worth facing all of the trials that I will go through.

So, that's why I'm not worried. He triumphed, and He got my vote. 

Who's got yours?

The "Pumpkin-Flavored EVERYTHING!!!" Season

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted.
A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace."

- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

As the season changes from summer to autumn, I am reminded of how my spiritual season is changing as well. I think one of the reasons God created the earthly seasons is to reflect how important it is to embrace our different spiritual seasons. Like the earth needs spring, summer, fall, and winter, our souls need growth, refinement, change, and rest.

As most of you know, this past summer I had the opportunity to work at Lake Lundgren Bible Camp. I was able to serve in ways I had never served before and I was challenged each and every day. God revealed how important it is for me to rely on Him for my joy and strength in every single situation. In the same way as heat refines, God used this (hot) summer to refine me; He showed me my impurities and the ways in which I wasn't relying on Him for strength. Because I was able to recognize this, I was then able to start running to Him as my wellspring instead of relying on myself or others for fulfillment.

Now, fall is here. Can you believe it?! WOOHOO! Let's celebrate with apple picking, haunted houses, leaf piles, scarves, coffee, squash (butternut is my personal fav), cool breezes, and my favorite...pumpkin-flavored EVERYTHING!!! Okay... back to the more serious note:

I think fall is called "fall" for a reason. Not just because of how the leaves start to change and fall, but also because things in our lives start to change and fall away as well. Whether that be your kids going off to school/college, letting go of a previous job, or even just saying goodbye to an awesome summer...whatever it may be, I think we all can find something that has "fallen away" now that summer is over.

Let me be straight up: I have experienced more "fall" this fall than any other fall before (you're probably thinking to yourself, can you rephrase that Kenzie??). In other words, a lot has changed and I've lost a lot of things within the past month or so. I no longer am a counselor at LLBC, I am no longer a student in high school, my best friends are all away at college, my bank account is no longer as happy as it was before school started, etc...

As much as I love the season of fall, this spiritual season that I'm in currently is very hard to appreciate and be content in. If you know me, you know that I am very structured and that I feel secure when I have a solid plan laid out in front of me. However, this is not the way God works. As my mom always reminds me, He is not a lighthouse lighting up our whole entire journey...rather, He is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105).

Step by step, God will light the way.
Step by step, He will guide you through whatever you face.

Step by step.

Day by day.

TBH, this drives me crazy sometimes. Not knowing what He has called me to do with my life and not knowing what will happen in my future can be unbearable. But I'm beginning to realize that I only feel this way when I think that it's up to me to create my own purpose.

And the beautiful fact of the matter is, it's not.

God has that purpose already picked out for me. In fact, He had it picked out before I was even born. Before He even formed me in my mother's womb, He knew.

Even though I can't see exactly what He's doing with my life or where He wants to take me, I can still put my hope in Him and know that no matter what happens, my life will glorify Him. Whether that be through engineering, music, or bus driving...in His perfect timing, He will reveal it to me. For now, all that I can do is trust in Him and believe, with all my heart and all my soul, that He is sovereign over my life.

Things will happen that I will not be able to understand in the moment and God will call me to do things that I may not want to do. But I'll say it again; during these times, the most important thing that we can do is trust Him.

It is important to embrace every spiritual season that you are in because God will work during those times, undoubtedly. He's at work all the time! And this is what it all comes down to:

We change. Our lives change. Our plans change. Our feelings change.
Our seasons change.
But the Lord, His purpose for us, and His love for us will always remain.

Wisdom, Fear, and the Wise Old Man

Currently, I'm an 18 year old girl. If you know any 18 year old girls, or if you have seen any movies involving 18 year old girls, you know that we tend to love...

- late night outings
- taking risks
- hanging out with boys
- going on adventures
- playing "What are the Odds?"
- putting on make-up, dressing up, and feeling pretty
- eating a whole pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream (in one sitting)
- driving (a little too) fast with the windows rolled down
- the thrill of a storm

What do all of these things have in common? All of these things are typically done fearlessly. To me, fearless means not being afraid of whatever outcome may come because of an action you take. Can fearlessness be good? Yes! I love hanging out with my boys Ben & Jerry while driving in a storm wearing a dress with the windows rolled down at midnight. And there's nothing at all wrong with that in and of itself. But can the outcome of fearlessness be bad? Oh yeah.

If you're a teenager like me, the last word you probably want to hear is "wisdom." When I think of wisdom, I typically think of an old man sitting on his porch and shaking his finger at a bunch of hoodlums skateboarding down the street with no helmets. Now, is this action in and of itself bad? No, not at all! Could the outcome of this action be bad? Yes! And this is why the old man is shaking his finger. He might have been skateboarding in his younger years without a helmet and he may have fallen and broken his leg. He knows the risks that are present, and that's why he doesn't approve of what the young boys are doing.

Lately I've been realizing how important it is to rely on the Lord (The Wise Old Man) for wisdom and guidance instead of pursuing folly. Folly does not only mean "foolishness", but it's also the word for a "costly ornamental building with no practical purpose." Why would someone build an expensive building that serves no purpose? What is the message this person is trying to get across? It could very possibly be that this person built the extravagant building thinking that it could reflect how extravagant he is. This person could be very prideful of himself and his talents. But like the building the prideful man made, the foolishness inside his heart does not allow him to serve a purpose.

Proverbs 1:7-9 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Before we dig into this verse, let's define what it means to fear the Lord. Usually when you're afraid of something, you run away from it. TBH, I'm not going to run towards a hungry roaring lion chasing after me. But the kind of fear we're talking about here is different.

To fear the Lord is not to run and hide from Him, but rather to draw near to Him. 

This is SO important for us as Christians to understand! To fear God is to stand in awe of Him, to revere Him, and to respect Him.The importance of fearing God is emphasized all throughout scripture, especially in the book about wisdom (Proverbs). Hmm... I wonder why that is?! Maybe God is revealing to us that there is a very strong connection between fearing God and being wise...

Proverbs 3:7 says, "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil." But what does fearing God have to do with not considering ourselves wise? Well, when we think that we are wise in our own eyes, we put ourselves in a position of arrogance and pride. This takes away the humility that is present in our hearts when we rightly fear the Lord. Because of this pride, we lose trust in Him and we distance ourselves from Him because we believe that what we know is greater than what He knows.

Now I hope that you are able to see how tragic it is to consider yourself wise without the Lord. Ultimately, this leads to separation from Christ because we begin to put the trust that belongs in God in ourselves. Without Christ, we may look good and feel good, but we serve no real purpose in this world (just like the folly- the extravagant building).

If you're a non-Christian reading this post, you may feel very offended. And that's okay, because the bible isn't all mushy gushy lovey stuff. It's offensive, strong, real, and true. The fact that God had to send his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us, because we were just that sinful, is the most offensive message this world has heard.

But it's the most fearless action ever taken in history.

God knew that most people would reject the gospel and ultimately reject Him. This was the tragedy that was apt to happen, but he took the risk anyway.

And this is the one thing we can boast in. 

We are here because of Christ, we breathe because of Christ, we love because of Christ, and we are saved because of Christ.

And because of all these things, we rejoice in Christ.

"'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that I am the Lord, exercising loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,' says the Lord."

- Jeremiah 9:23-24