Losing Your Appetite

A lot of our media intake probably affects us spiritually like filling up on junk food affects us physically...like eating and eating and eating chocolate covered Hostess donuts or those cheap, off-brand Oreos to the point that you turn down the “Death by Chocolate” dessert or a Lindor truffle....like eating so many Cheetos that you can only moan and shake your head when your parents say, "Let's go to Olive Garden!" What you filled up on wasn’t nearly as good or rich or tantalizing-to-your-tastebuds as what you missed out on.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

“Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.” Psalm 119:37

Other music/books/movies have a more toxic effect on you spiritually, like downing a glass of rotten egg-nog would have on you physically. You get food poisoning, and find yourself gagging into the toilet or spending the night at the E.R. Sometimes the effect of a movie or book are immediately obvious like that. Other times, the affects are slow and subtle… like a life-time of ingesting cancer-causing substances in your food. It seems harmless for years, until the fatal consequences become obvious too late.

“...in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” 2 Tim. 25-26

Are you losing your appetite for the only One who can satisfy and overwhelm and amaze you, by filling up over and over again on other things? Whether or not you realize it, by doing this you are missing out….big time. You were made to be fascinated by and obsessed with and passionate about Jesus. Skip the junk that makes you lose your appetite for Him.

“...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…” Hebrews 12:1-2

Don't Settle for Shallow

Hey, girls-that-I-love!

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It REALLY annoys me when girls are sent the message that they're supposed to be shallow. You've probably noticed the expectation underlying all of teenage-girl-dom: "Just be cute and have fun!"

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There's nothing wrong with being cute or with having fun, but you were made for so much MORE than this, girls. I want more than this for you and, more importantly, your Maker designed you for more than this. You were made for the depths! You were made to be fascinated by greatness and glory and beauty and brilliance beyond your greatest imagination, and then to be transformed to reflect it. You were made, girls, to be amazed. You were made for God!! The fact that glitz and glamor attract us, the truth that sunsets take our breath away, the reality that we long for romance, all point to something very important about why you were created. You were made, as the psalmist expresses in Psalm 27 :4, to "gaze upon the beauty of the Lord all the days of your life."

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Sound boring? :) Then you haven't glimpsed Him yet. You haven't had your heart melted by His majesty yet. You haven't fallen head-over-heels in love with Him yet. There are greater depths for you to explore and enjoy in God than you have ever guessed. And girls.....NOW is the time to be fascinated by Him. Now is the time to chase after your Maker. Now is the time to fall deeply, passionately in love with your Savior. DON'T - PLEASE don't - waste your teenage years on other things. Yes, guys are cute. Yes, facebook quizzes are addicting. Yes, novels can keep you up all night. Yes, movies are entertaining. Yes, keeping the trendiest clothes in your closet can be a full-time hobby. Yes, sports and extra-curriculars can keep you crazy-busy. But don't settle for a life of ONLY, or even MOSTLY these things. The stereotype is that you will be shallow; that your thoughts and goals will be wrapped around being cute (and "cute" is an impossibly difficult standard to attain) and having fun (ooooh, we entertain ourselves so much...but is that what we were MADE for???). Reject the stereotype!! You were made for more than this. You were made to be amazed by God, and to be so in love with and fascinated by Him that it spills over in crazy, not-at-all-shallow ways in your life.

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Ok, so here's the assignment. In light of what I posted above, and in light of the cool quotes and verses below, tell me what you're thinking. In what ways, specifically, is it REALLY tempting to be shallow? What are the biggest life-wasters that teenage girls struggle with? What can be the most distracting for Christian girls? Why is it, do you think, that so few teenage girls recognize that only God can satisfy their hearts? And what will YOU do to begin chasing after this fascinating Maker/Savior/Warrior God that you were MADE to be amazed by? (Hint...start reading His Word and asking Him to amaze you. He will.) Email me at ashley.wollam@babfc.org with your 200-300 word response, and I'm going to schplice it all together and post your heartbeats. Y'all are awesome. :) Don't miss life.

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Quotes to get your mind whirring:
“The preoccupations of seventeen year old girls - their looks, their clothes, their social life - do not change very much from generation to generation. But in every generation there seem to be a few who make other choices. Amy was one of the few.” (Elizabeth Elliot in her book A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael)

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“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea.” C.S. Lewis

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"You have made us for Yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee." Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD)

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"Once we had no delight in God, and Christ was just a vague historical figure. What we enjoyed was food and friendships and productivity and investments and vacations and hobbies and games and reading and shopping and sex and sports and art and TV and travel...but not God. He was an idea - even a good one - and a topic for discussion; but He was not a treasure of delight. Then something miraculous happened. It was like the opening of the eye of the blind during the golden dawn. First the stunned silence before the unspeakable beauty of holiness. Then a shock and terror that we had actually loved the darkness. Then the settling stillness of joy that this is the soul's end (purpose). The quest is over. We would give anything if we might be granted to live in the presence of this glory forever and ever. And then, faith - the confidence that Christ has made a way for me, a sinner, to live in his glorious fellowship forever, the confidence that if I come to God through Christ, he will give me the desire of my heart to share his holiness and behold his glory." John Piper in Desiring God

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Nuggets of Truth:
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One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
Psalm 27:4

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"O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.

Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.

My soul clings to you..."
Psalm 63:1-8

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"You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand."
Psalm 16:11

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"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." John 17:3

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"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3

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These are just a few truths to draw you into the search for the Treasure (Jesus!), a search that will mean the not-shallow life that you were made to live NOW....now, as a teenage girl. Dive in. He will never bore you.

Beautiful pictures!!

Father-Daughter Banquet!!

6th-12th grade girls and their fathers or father-figures are invited to attend this memorable event! Tickets can be purchased Wednesday night in the Student Center (just ask a staff member) or Sunday morning, October 4, between services.

Also, if you or your daughter are planning to attend, submit an early childhood picture of father and daughter together to be part of an "aawww!"-evoking slideshow! Pictures should be sent to ashley.wollam@bafbc.org or delivered to the main office.

Daughter-hood ;)

Oooh, ladies, you should check out this blog a.s.a.p.:

http://joyfullyathome.blogspot.com/.

This is the blog of an amazing 19 year old girl named Jasmine who belongs to Jesus Christ and who is wise beyond her years. Check out her post titled "Family Dynamics and the Adult Daughter." You girls aren't adult daughters, yet, but Jasmine offers some advice that could make your teenage years so much more beautiful and free and smooth. Check out the points she makes about relating to her parents. Gooood stuff.

I love you girls, more than you know. ;)

Let's live to know and love and honor Jesus in everything, including our relationships with our parents. To obey Jesus in this will mean freedom and joy for you. :)

Your big sister,

Ashley

Kari Jobe - I'm Singing

Student-Led Accountability Group

Hey ladies! I'm excited to let you know about a new opportunity to grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ. :) :) :)
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Cyndie Meersman and Ashley Rogers have just started a student-only accountability group which will take place in the Student Center conference room on Sunday evenings from 6:00-7:00pm.
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If you'd like to get together with other students to challenge each other in your daily walk with God, hold each other accountable, and pray together, come check this group out!
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Thanks, Cyndie and Ashley, for letting God use you in this way.
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I love you girls.... a LOT. ;)

Ashley

Doulos Girls Groups. It's time to get serious.

Girls, some of you are ready for this. You know there's more to this "following Jesus" thing than you're living out right now. There is more that He has for us, and also more that He requires of us: more commitment, more obedience, more love.... The summer offers a rare opportunity to put greater time, effort, and discipline into your relationship with Jesus Christ. We want to challenge you to grow with us as we let God transform us into bond-slaves of Jesus Christ.

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Being part of a Doulos group will mean committing to an intense summer of discipleship. Students participating will be expected to spend some very purposeful, guided time alone with God each day of the summer. This will be the true catalyst for change in each of our lives, as we “diligently seek” after God and invite Him to “sanctify us by the truth.” The groups will also examine weekly what Jesus requires of those who follow Him, and challenge each other towards real obedience and growth in those areas. The goal will be transformation into disciples whose lives truly please Jesus Christ. Our prayer is that we, leaders and students alike, will never be the same.

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Are you in??

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“…a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ…” (James 1:1)

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P.S. - Pick up applications in the Student Center. :)

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LOVE Y'ALL!

Ashley

Breathtaking!!

If you're a high school girl, I hope you won't miss out on this two-part weekend! We'll be heading to Lake Livingston on Friday and Saturday for a retreat, and Saturday night there will be a father/daughter banquet at the church. The cost of the retreat is $25, and the cost of the banquet is $8 per person. Email me for more details at ashley.wollam@bafbc.org. =) Love you girls!

Those Itchy Little Tags

Has anyone else learned how important it is to read those itchy little tags inside your clothes before you try to wash them? Mmm-hmmm. New red shirts can turn the rest of your laundry pink. "Dry clean only" dresses can come out looking ridiculous if you wash them with your load of blue jeans. Instructions can be very important.

Who makes the rules on the little tags, I wonder? What a crazy job! I'm sure those individuals have to be experts on the types of fabric that are used to make each article of clothing.

Looking at the tag before you wash a new outfit is kind of like reading the little piece of plastic that sticks out of plants at a garden store. Who knew that some plants need to be in the shade and also require 3.75 drops of water every 4 hours? (Slight exaggeration.) I'm sure many plants have died because girls like me have thought "Ooh! Cute plant!" and didn't read the instructions on the little plastic thing sticking out of the dirt. Even worse, sometimes we just pick the pretty flowers right out of the flowerbed because we want to keep them with us. We want them now. Then, of course, the plant dies.

You know what else that's like? We, you and I, were made a very specific way. In some ways we're very delicate, and our Maker is an expert (of course!) on the way that we must be handled….the way our lives must be lived. If we ignore His instructions (like washing clothes the wrong way, or killing a pour little succulent plant because you forget to water it), only bad things can happen. Life becomes what our Maker never intended it to be. Brokenness and darkness and destruction come.

God (such a trustworthy, good, generous God!) has given instructions for our lives that are there to protect us (like keeping your puppy in a fence, because there's a pit bull next door!) and to show us how to best live….how to beautifully live.

One of the instructions He has provided has to do with our sexuality. He has designed us, and designed our sexuality, to work a very specific way. His very good plan is for sex to take place ONLY between one man and one woman who are committed to each other forever in marriage. Misusing sex (like sex outside of marriage, or homosexuality) is like killing a beautiful plant because you yank it out of the ground instead of leaving it where it was meant to grow and thrive. Misusing sex is like ruining that adorable new dress before you ever get to wear it, because you didn't bother to read that water makes the fabric melt! Yikes! Disobeying God's careful instructions about sex (that it is to be between one man and one woman who have said "yes" to forever!) is like showing up at the beach and drinking glass after glass of salt water. Salt water is great to splash around in, but it's poisonous if you use it the wrong way…..poisonous if you misuse it.

Just a glance at the magazines in the checkout line, or 10 seconds of the evening news, and you realize that many, many people haven't read the instructions that our Maker, the Expert on human beings, has given about the use of our sexuality. Celebrities make it look glamorous to sleep with someone who's never promised them "forever"... who's never promised to love them no matter what...who's never decided, "I value you enough to tell myself 'no'." And even those who say "I do" don't seem to really get it, because it's not long before they give up on "forever." Other beautiful young stars decide to ignore the instructions of our Maker by misusing sex in another way…by choosing homosexuality. Our culture celebrates, and makes a trend out of, cheapening and misusing something that was designed to be beautiful….special….powerful….protected. We are all so broken, we human beings, because we have ignored what our Maker has said. And the sad thing is, many people will never know how amazing sexuality could be, how it was designed to be, because they never bothered to read the instructions.

Magazine covers and movie theatres are filled with people who have chosen to wash their "dry clean only" dress with their dirty socks. They've chosen to pick the flower out of the pot because it looks so pretty, never realizing that it will soon whither and die in their hands. They have decided that the owner who put the fence around them was mean or stupid, and have chosen to dig out from under the fence and scamper towards the pit bull.

So let me challenge you, ladies: follow the instructions of our Maker. Trust that He knows, much better than we do, how we can best live. Believe that this very complex thing called "sexuality" is delicate, and can be ruined if we use it the wrong way. In fact, the misuse of it is poison to us. Choose to show kindness and grace to those who have ignored the instructions. They are not our enemies! Because they have ignored the instructions, they will experience pain and disappointment. Gently encourage them to trust the Maker, and to follow His instructions, too. And PRAY. Sometimes the urge to yank the flower out of the pot is strong! Sometimes we feel impatient, and want to toss our delicate silk dress in the load with our messy paint clothes. Ask our Maker to help you to trust Him, to help you to follow His instructions carefully, to help you to live beautifully.

The One who made you, ladies, is an unbelievably skillful weaver! He has carefully, lovingly designed the intricate details and elaborate stitching of your heart, body, and soul. Show Him love and respect by being careful and gentle with His masterpiece.

His masterpiece is you.

Revolve Tour!

Ladies, I hope you will plan to attend The Revolve Tour: All Access this February! We'll be heading up to the Toyota Center February 13th (Friday, leaving 5pm) and February 14th (Saturday, leaving 8am...Happy Valentine's Day!) for this amazing event.

This year, we're encouraging as many moms to join us as possible! This is the perfect event for you to have some Mother-Daughter bonding time, while also rocking out with your friends to Hawk Nelson, Krystal Meyers, and Natalie Grant. Tickets are $62, and that price includes lunch on Saturday. We have a limited number of seats together, so sign up now!