Prodigal

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate... My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours." Luke 15: 20-24, 31


This story is used pretty often in churches, enough so that up until recently, whenever a speaker or pastor would introduce it as the source of their message, I shrugged it off as "old news" and said "I get it, God takes us back even though we're sinners." However, the last 3 times that I've heard it have struck much deeper chords in me, tuning me into how wholistically it explains the human condition and the incredible character of God.

The word prodigal means "to lavish, to yield abundantly, luxuriant." For me, it has been difficult to believe that about God and His character. Until recently, I maintained a core belief about God that discipline and punishment are one in the same, and not listening or following God's rules will lead to punishment and wrath.

I am now learning that God doesn't operate this way and never has. God's wrath is not focused on the mistakes made by those who seek Him, although we make mistakes ALL the time. God is always present, guiding us from the sidelines as we make our own decisions. That's what His "rules and regulations" really are - guidelines and boundaries mapped out by God because He knows the realities of His creation and of the broken world, just like our parents set up rules knowing what is healthy and what will be detrimental to our growth.

I suffer the consequences for decisions made that are not in line with His best for me. But in my failures, God isn't inflicting the suffering and consequences. God is in the discipline, or the guidance and correction, that takes place as we're getting up and moving forward. Our heavenly Father isn't waiting for us to fail so he can inflict punishment, He is waiting for us to realize our brokennes and come back home to Him.

This image is so perfect and beautiful, but I still reject it everyday. I have been ashamed of my mistakes and haven't believed that I'm worthy of forgiveness. I haven't believed that God is trustworthy because I have come to expect disappointment, pain, abandonment, rejection, and punishment.

Someone, like myself, who assumed these things about God's character and was gravely mistaken: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF3FX43F-7Y&feature=related 

The incredible truths that I'm understanding more every day:
God is not ashamed of us. (Hebrews 2:11, 11:16)
God replaces our shame and disgrace with a doubled inheritance. (Isaiah 61:7)
We have always been His. (Luke 15:31)

God isn't waiting for us to grovel at His feet so He can inflict punishment and disappointment. He is waiting for us to return home and understand that we have always belonged to Him. He is longing to show us what we were created to be - His children living in and from a place of unconditional love, perfect trust, and abundant inheritance.

Committment

As many of you have probably heard, Charles Patrick Coggins proposed to me over Easter Weekend and we're getting married at the end of June 2013! The huge outpouring of love and support has been tremendous and I'm thankful for everyone in our lives! I'm in the process of asking my Bridesmaids, so stay tuned for that information and plenty of silly pictures.

Some text reactions to the gorgeous ring that Patrick gave to me, made at Geraci Jewelers:

""HOLY SHIT THAT'S HUGE!!!! :D"

"WOW! Congrats!"

"She will need a shoulder harness to position her hand. Mazel Tov!"

"Holy shit woman!!! :)"

"I just yelled HOLY CRAP!! Haha wow it is beautiful"
"Holy beautiful! Can you still lift your hand?!"

I know, it's ridiculous. I'm honored to wear it for the rest of my life!

At this point, we plan to get married on June 29th 2013 at Church of the Saviour United Methodist in Montgomery and will have our reception at the Bell Event Centre where Patrick proposed!

We plan to have an Open House Engagement Party on Saturday June 23rd 2012 in the evening on UC's campus so we can celebrate with more of our friends, since the wedding will consist of family and close friends. Save the Date and stay tuned for more details!

In the past two weeks, I have learned how important it is to have your significant other as a dedicated teammate, committed to supporting you unconditionally - before engagement, during engagement, and certainly during a marriage. In the plethora of wonderful excitement and questions from loved ones, ALWAYS being on the same page with your fiance(e) is a key to success and navigating through the details and responsibilities that come with a wedding and a marriage.

I'll keep posting updates as we figure them out, and what we discover during our time as an engaged couple! Thanks again for the love and support!

Luke 17:1-3

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. So watch yourselves!

There is value in disregarding others' opinions of your actions and to let those opinions determine your identity and life decisions. However, if you claim to be a Christian and your actions contradict the identity of Christ that you claim to represent, the perceptions of others are a high priority.

We are being watched, by people who believe what we do and by people who don't. To both groups, a contradiction in our proclaimed identity and actual actions/beliefs causes issues.

Regarding fellow believers, the passage in Luke explains that while we are fully aware of our internal thoughts and private actions, people who are observing may not know the whole story and assume the worst. Therefore, we cause them to stumble and doubt the value of following Jesus because His followers are inconsistent.

Regarding non-believers, the difference between endorsement and acceptance is key. Jesus was accepting of everyone and everything, but clearly did not endorse everything. If we decide to endorse questionable behavior or justify our way into decisions that may not be clearly defined, inconsistency happens here as well.

Within any decision, word, interaction, relationship, life stage change, and behavior: Consistent alignment of belief and action is key.

The Great Romancer

Tangible security from relationships and the world are things that most (if not all) women desire. As I thought about that, it came to mind how our heavenly Father has already promised that for me. He is the great romancer who longs to take care of us and love us unconditionally. But we always look to the world for affirmation and fulfillment.

He loves perfectly, justly, extravagantly, adoringly, and selflessly. He died for us, to save us from death and protect from all evil. How romantic is that?

We are the bride of Christ. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25-27). Relationships and marriages aren’t a privilege or an expectation for us. They are a gift that expresses Christ’s heart for us in the tangible world. A Christ-centered relationship should play out that unconditional and extraordinary love.

"I will never leave you or forsake you" (Joshua 1:5). He will ALWAYS take care of us.

"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life." Psalm 23:6

He has Dreams for us: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21.

Consecrate

To be dedicated to a sacred purpose. To make or declare sacred. To set apart. To devote.

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21

Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2.

Dedicate yourself to the calling in your life. We're all good at different things and we're meant to be involved in the places where we feel most natural, because that's where we'll be the most effective. Set yourself apart in those places by following the example of Christ to love unconditionally. We can change the world.

Success

Joshua 1

Those are fittest to rule, who have learned to obey.

Success is to obey and follow our Father because He knows what is best for us. There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer in e

very situation or life decision. But there are obvious paths that are wrong and disobedient. Each of those things lead to destruction. The things that God invites us into are not leading us to death or to worthlessness. There are boundaries, but only for protection. The things of God are leading us to success and prosperity. Prosperity not being monetary, but finding value in our relationships and pursuit

of our friends and family. Relatio

nships and spiritual generations take priority in our lives because it is what God calls us to do.

I feel extremely successful. My job at Fifth Third bank in HR is solid and I love being able to support my recruiters and candidates. I have great relationships with family and friends. I can support myself. I can go out and have

fun most nights of the week.

Moving forward into the real wo

rld and away from college life has come with challenges though. I'm trying to determine how to balance selflessness and humility with being selective in how I spend my time and efforts. I will need to continually examine how to maintain God's definition of success in my life as I chart new territory and create who I am supposed to be as an adult.

Going to Disneyworld and Harry Potter World with the Vatican was an extraordinary experience. We have all changed so much in the last 4 years, but still maintain a steady enthusiasm for life and for loving each other. I loved being able to facilitate such a wonderful adventure and last hoorah for us.

I'm excited for a summer of working at 5/3, volunteering, serving the UC Alumni Young Professionals, watching friends get married, learning how to be a great friend, and being successful in the eyes of God.

Disdain for Hype

Sometimes I wonder if people are annoyed by the event or person themselves or the hype surrounding it. The Royal Wedding, for instance, is really a monumental event. Any royal wedding is a significant occurrence, no matter the country. I personally feel like each wedding is “celebrity” news worth paying attention to rather than being fascinated by the Bachelorette wedding revelries and heartaches. The wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana is a landmark in history and I remember when she passed away. Prince William and his new bride are important symbols of their country, not just a public spectacle. This leads me to view people’s disdain for the Royal Wedding as potentially a disdain for the publicity and overexposure that we have to everything with social media outlets and the internet itself. Example: If the Beatles were around in today’s media backdrop, I wonder if a bigger population would have disdain for them simply because of the hype they generated. Or Elvis, Star Wars, Kurt Cobain, Marilyn Monroe. All great pinnacles of our culture that carry weight, but could easily annoy a large amount of people. I am by no means comparing royalty to our entertainment industry with actual status, but entertainment can be seen as our version of royalty in a lot of ways.

I would challenge you to evaluate yourselves when criticizing an event that’s being hyped. Are you boldly uninterested in the subject matter and honestly don’t see the talent or reason for the attention? Or are you annoyed and turned off by the overexposure to the subject on Facebook and Twitter?