**Be More Than Ordinary**

I heard a quote on the television yesterday. A girl said, "Can I get this so I can express my individuality? Everyone’s doing it."

…wow.

Unfortunately that’s a common way of thinking. We all like to be different in the same way. In my opinion that defeats the purpose. If we’re honest with ourselves, even the people who say they’re different have their own stereotype, their own clothing line, and their own slang. And if they don’t abide by the normal laws of difference-ness, they are called "posers", "lunatics", and "fake".

Now, as Christians, God’s called us to be more than ordinary. We’re suppose to be in the world, not of the world.

But we’re not. Think about it. We have fallen into a habit of acting just as ordinary as everyone else.

See, ordinary Christians go to church.

Ordinary Christians get mad at other drivers on the highway.

Ordinary Christians talk bad about the boss they don’t like.

Ordinary Christians laugh at obscene jokes.

Ordinary Christians don’t get offended when someone uses God’s Name as a curse word. 

Ordinary Christians use God’s Name as a curse word.

Ordinary Christians don’t share their faith by their words.

Ordinary Christians rarely share their faith by their actions.

Ordinary Christians hate Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus.

I believe God is calling out Christians. It’s time to be unordinary. It’s time to remember that God does not just show up when it’s convenient for us. HE’S GOD. We have deluded that in our lives. God is God, He is AWESOME, in the real sense of the word. Awesome, terrible, powerful, mighty, magnificent, and fearsome. Our God is a consuming fire! And for some reason, He loves us more than anything we could ever imagine. A love that is worth our lives.   

It’s time to stop being afraid you’ll be laughed at or shut down or excluded. You WILL be laughed at, shut down, and excluded. May I be blunt? Get over it. What matters more? - Other’s eternal salvation, or your temporary comfort? Jesus did not go through a torturous death on the cross just so you could get a free ticket out of hell. He’s called us to a higher standard of living, a life of purpose and miracles, a love that is intense and intimate, a grace that can cover over a multitude of sins, and an eternity where there will be no more crying, no more pain, no more hurt, and He will make all things new!

You’d think that with something as wonderful as this, people would want to do something about it! …oh wait, they did.

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They became "fans" of God on facebook.

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And it’s not that being a "fan" of God is a bad thing, but if you’re only a "fan" and never a "follower," you miss out. Don’t you want something more?

¹⁷So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Eph. 4:17-24 (italics added)

Last night in youth group, we talked about James 3 – Taming the Tongue. My youth pastor said something that really stuck with me.

    "You can start a war with one word."

It’s so true. I can remember things that have been said to me from when I was really little that stuck with me all through my life. There have been stories of people who were verbally abused so much they killed themselves! And even the ones who are the leaders, the ones who are suppose to protect people, say things that can scar their reputation forever.

    It’s crazy how powerful we don’t realize we are.

When I was in 5th grade, my lovely cousin decided to inform me that I was a dork. Wasn’t that sweet of her? Now I’ll admit that as far as stereotypes go, I kinda was a dork. But that’s not the point. I went through a few years of my life thinking that I actually was a dork, and no one really wanted to be my friend. Whenever that word was aimed at me, even if it was just in a joke, I would feel myself heat up all over again! Thankfully, I had a loving family that encouraged me and a loving God who brought me through that phase of my life. Now I’ll willingly admit to being a dork…that is, a Daughter Of the Risen King.  Isn’t it amazing how God can take something that is meant to hurt you and turn it into something wonderful?

    There’s another interesting thing about our words. We can stop wars with them, too. When we tell someone they look nice, or that we enjoy being around them, or even just saying hello and asking how someone’s day was can make a bigger difference than we realize! Encouraging people, making the conversation about them instead of about us, and pushing people towards their dreams are ways that we love others as we love ourselves.

    I’ve been thinking a lot about what I believe in. See, people say they believe in things all the time that they don’t show that they believe in. For instance, if someone believes lying is wrong but lies continually, then they must not believe too strongly that it’s wrong. If I believe that my words have power, I’m going to be very careful about what I say. If I don’t want to cuss, I’m not going to watch movies or listen to music that have cussing in them. If I don’t want to speak negatively about someone, I’m not even going to think about them negatively, for out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. If I can surrender my thoughts and words to Jesus, then I can do anything. James says that if a man can tame his tongue, he can keep his whole body in check! In other words…it’s hard! But if we can surrender it, we’ll be amazed at what God can do in our lives.

    Last night, I surrendered a few different words and thoughts to Jesus. I decided not to say some things I wanted to and not to think some things I wanted to. I told Him I’d be okay with whatever happened. And as I was driving home last night…I felt more peaceful and content than I have in a long time.

    "Love the Lord your God with all your heart (feelings), with all your mind (thoughts), and with all your strength (actions)."

- Danya <><

    I miss writing. lol. My best friend Randi sat down and read through every one of these blogs when she first met me. She got to know me very quickly. I guess I just spill out my heart when I write. I like talking, too. But that gets me into trouble a LOT! It’s easier for me to sit down and think out what I want to say and how I want to say it. But don’t think that I’m a quiet person. I’m not. And I’ll admit there are some things I’d rather talk about. I like face to face more than anything! But there’s just something about sitting in a comfy chair with a cup of tea, a laptop, and writing.  

    …there is a random bug stuck between the glass part and the screen part of the window in our kitchen. HOW DO BUGS EVEN GET IN THERE????? …oh wait…there’s a hole. Ok. I feel better about it now.

    So Randi has informed me that I need to write a book.

    I dunno.

    Could be fun, I guess.

    Especially after that whole spill on how I love writing.

    We’ll see.

The Pre-release of my new album "In a Heartbeat" is

 now on ITUNES and AMAZON.COM!

    If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountians, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

    Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

    Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

    And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

- 1 Corinthians 13

…If I could speak every language in the world – not only of there, but even the languages of heaven, the ones the angels speak – but I did not speak in love… a real genuine love for the ones I was speaking to…I would only be making a lot of noise. If I really knew as much as I think I do, and I could understand the mysteries that surround the world, and if I had a faith – that real faith that Jesus said could move mountains – but I don’t act in love or exercise it in how I used that knowledge, I would be no greater than I was before. If I gave away all I have to the poor and saved the starving children in Africa, or if I was martyred for what I believe in, but I didn’t give in love and I didn’t die in love…I would not gain anything. …Love…unconditional, selfless love…love that Jesus pours down upon us and wants to fill us with so we can fill others…that love…

    That love is patient with the most annoying person or in the most difficult situation. That love is kind to the mean girl. That love isn’t jealous when someone else gets the position you wanted, gets to go to the place you didn’t, or gets to spend time with who you wanted to spend time with. That love doesn’t brag when you know you did better than someone else and it doesn’t rationalize away the wrong you did. That love is humble. That love doesn’t backtalk the parents or snap at the little brother or ignore someone trying to talk to you. That love doesn’t always look for how you can come out on top in a situation. That love doesn’t blow up everytime something in your plans get changed or when someone messes up again. And it doesn’t bring up the mess-up over and over again, it forgives. Even when it’s hard. That love doesn’t get happy when that jerk at school gets in big trouble, it prays for him. It doesn’t go behind that person’s back to get what it wants. It doesn’t break the rules to please it’s own desires. That love is so excited when someone else receives a blessing! It feels joy when it hears of someone’s salvation or repentence. It loves hearing other peoples’ stories. That love protects others’ integrity, purity, faith, and innocence. It doesn’t cause any brother to stumble. That loves trusts. That loves hopes for the promised salvation and always looks forward, knowing that even when times get complicated and hard, that there is a better way and a better place. That loves never, ever, ever gives up.

    That love will never stop, or be replaced, or fail. I can talk and preach and teach and learn but eventually everything will pass away to the next discovery, the next scientific breakthrough. We only know a little. But when perfection, completion, comes into the picture, everything we thought we knew before…just kinda fades away. When I was little, I thought pretty simply. I made decisions based on what color the toy was, how high that shelf was, and if that door was unlocked or locked. But when I got older, I made decisions based on bigger variables and I understood more. Now, we’re only kids. We don’t know that the reason the green ball bounces higher than the blue is because the green ball is made of rubber and the blue ball is actually a ball of yarn! We see a reflection in the mirror, but when we get older…when our great God reveals His glory to us…if we are actually able to even try to look at it!…We will see all we need to know face to face. We will understand. We will know to the boundaries of our created capabilities, just like God knows us fully.

    And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Danya <><

start.a.fire.