faith – simplemamame

Building a Bible Resource Library

A Bible resource library? What’s that and why would anyone need that if they’re not teaching God’s Word or a pastor? Whether you’ve been reading the Bible your whole life or you’re just starting, having a resource to turn to when you have questions is incredibly helpful. You don’t need to have to spend hundreds of dollars or have an entire bookshelf filled with commentaries and dictionaries. In today’s post, I’ll be sharing two of my stand-by resources plus a few Study Bible options to help you on your journey to a deeper understanding of God’s Word.

In 2010 I started attending a formal Bible Study (BSF). I realized, a few years into this study, I wanted to know more about the passages we were reading each week. I found myself wondering about historical/cultural context and how that fit with the lessons I was learning. When I started teaching, I realized any kind of additional information helped clarify the main teaching and provided ideas for application into life today.

One book I found myself turning to time and time again (pictured above) has been the New Bible Dictionary. Its sides are worn and taped together, but it has been one of the best resources. It has historical background on people and places in Scripture. It also has timelines and detailed genealogies to help give perspective to the over 4,000 years of events that take place within the Bible’s 66 books.

This is the newest addition to my collection. It happens to be the companion book to the New Bible Dictionary. The New Bible Commentary is a solid choice if you’re looking for background information for each book of the Bible. I already have tabs for each book we’re covering this year in BSF (15 books!).

If you are looking for a place to start, these two are great. There are options to buy them used on Amazon making them affordable for anyone.

Study Bibles: Unfortunately, I don’t have any advice on how to pick a Study Bible that works best for everyone. However, I do recommend finding a version of the Bible that you enjoy best and looking for a Study Bible in that version. The New International Version (NIV) is the most widely read and understood (also known for its accuracy in translation), most churches will have this version available during their services. The NKJV or KJV (New King James Version or King James Version, both are known for their accuracy in translation) are more formal, the King James English might be harder to understand for anyone who is not a native english speaker. The ESV (English Standard Version) is also easy to understand and widely used. If you like journaling/writing notes in your Bible, this ESV is a great option. The Message version is also fairly common, although it’s more a paraphrase, so it’s recommended to have an NIV/KJV/NKJV along side while reading that one.

For 20 years I had a slim-line NIV and a NKJV MacArthur Study Bible. I realized this year I needed an updated NIV to teach from and the Life Application Study Bible has already proved a great addition to my resource library. It has a lot of the same informative tools as my New Bible Dictionary and Commentary, plus examples for applying lessons one could learn while studying Scripture.

Studying God’s Word is an amazing process and prioritizing understanding what He says will help you discern any teachings that twist, add to or detract from what’s in the Bible. Studying God’s Word will cultivate change within you and as you draw closer to God, He will draw closer to you. I hope you found this post helpful!

Blessings,
Lauren

Study

Bible Study Method

A simple method anyone can use to study their Bible at home.

Do you want to study the Bible, but wonder where to start? Does the thought of studying the Bible, leave you feeling intimidated? Do the questions “What if I get it wrong?” or “What if I don’t understand the text?” keep you from digging deeper into scripture (I’ll give you my favorite go-to commentaries with links in a future post)?

In this post I will give you a super simple Bible studying method that will help you grow in your relationship with the Lord as well as your understanding of Scripture.

For this method, all you need are your Bible (it doesn’t matter which version you use, I prefer NIV, but you can use what you prefer), a notebook and a writing utensil. If you like to mark-up your Bible with highlighters and pens, those are great additions too!

Whenever I start studying my Bible for the day, I like to pray first. It helps me calm my mind and focus. Next, I read the passage I have selected. For beginners, I recommend starting in Genesis. Go a chapter or two at a time. The Bible has six types of literature within its 66 books. The first is the Law, the second is history, then poetry, prophecy, genealogy, and narrative. If you’re a fan of history and you’ve studied the Bible before, I recommend starting in Joshua or 1 Samuel. If you love narrative, go with the book of John.

After reading your selected passage (sometimes it helps to read it a couple times) you’ll want to ask yourself three questions and write your answers in your notebook:

What is happening in this passage?
What am I learning from this passage?
How does what I’ve learned apply to my life today?

That’s it! The most simple way to study the Bible on your own. I prefer using this method in the summer months when I’m not heavily involved with Bible Study Fellowship. This method might be something you’ve seen before, I’m not reinventing the wheel. There are several pastors/churches who recommend this method because of its simplicity and because it helps get passage from the head, to the heart, and then into action in daily life.

The Bible’s teachings stand the test of time. What was true for the original audience, stands true today. The important part is to understand how we live in light of what Scripture teaches, across time.

I hope you found this method helpful! Leave a comment below if you gave it a try! I’d love to hear from you.

Blessings,

Lauren

Little Bear

It’s been a while since I last posted. I thought I’d share our (now 4 year old) Bear’s birth story. Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday he came earth-side, other days it feels like a lifetime ago. I’ll never forget the day he made me a mommy.

I woke up two days before my Due Date, feeling like I could finally breathe. Hug Nugget (that was what we called him) had been up in my lungs for the better part of two trimesters, kicking the air right out of me. That night I’d slept 16 hours, the longest stretch of sleep, without waking up, in quite some time. I wondered, like I did every morning at that point, would today be the day? I cleaned up around the house, readied my birth center bag one more time, prepped a meal for the freezer and laid down on the sofa to rest. I fell asleep (when you’re pregnant, any amount of sleep is amazing) my body was definitely gearing up for something. John came home from work to me asleep on the sofa. We had dinner and watched the news. At around 7pm I started feeling light contractions. We timed them, they were every two to four minutes. We called the midwife and let her know I was possibly in early labor.

We continued to time the contractions, which felt like nothing more than my belly getting firm every few minutes, until about 8pm when we decided to go to bed. I figured, they’d wake me up once they were strong enough. It had started snowing right around the time we went to bed. We joked that our boy picked a great night to be ready. We put our bags right by the door for easy access if we needed to leave quickly and went to bed.

Sometime between midnight and 1am my contractions picked up. They woke me from a dead sleep. Not painful, but they felt like they were coming on every minute. We timed them and of course it was every one to two minutes. We called the midwife again and she suggested waiting a little longer, I was still not in any pain, so I decided to make the bed, vacuum one more time, do some dishes and bounce on my exercise ball. After an hour we called again, contractions were slightly stronger and still every one to two minutes. She suggested we come to the birth center, so that’s just what we did.

We drove through nearly blinding snow for what seemed like forever. The normal 20 minute drive took us almost an hour. We were so relieved to be at the birth center! I had nightmares about delivering the baby in the car while trying to get there. Thankfully, that nightmare was never a reality. We warmed ourselves up in the cozy birth suite and since I was only between 5 and 6cm, my midwife encouraged me to get more rest, “Things will be rocking and rolling when you wake up in the morning.”

I laid down on the soft bed and closed my eyes. Then it hit, the pressure of a hard contraction. I was completely caught off guard. Around 4am, I asked to get in the birthing tub. The water felt amazing, the pressure was cut in half. John sat on the ledge of the tub behind me and rubbed my neck and shoulders. I ate some food and drank coconut water. It was refreshing. Not long after I got in the tub, I felt the need to push. The midwife checked me again, and I was only at an 8. We waited, my midwife and the birth assistant continued to encourage me. They spoke softly and kindly. They helped me get to positions to ease the pressure and John would rub my lower back to ease discomfort.

I prayed. I prayed for strength through each contraction. I prayed for wisdom to know when the right time to push would happen. I prayed for my midwife. God answered my prayers. He reminded me, this life about to be born was in His hands. Billions of women had given birth since the dawn of time. Then my midwife whispered, “Let the wave fall over you, don’t fight the contraction, let it wash over you and relax every muscle in your body after it peeks.” That was honestly the best advice anyone could give a laboring woman. Within moments transition hit and I was ready to push. There was no control. I just had to push. The pain melted away with each push, and I was getting closer and closer to seeing our little Hug Nugget earth-side.

We hopped out of the birthing tub so I could plant my feet on the ground. It was a little after 7am. Light was coming in the windows from outside. The snow was coming to an end. At 7:48am on November 19th, 2014 (the day before his due date) our little Hug Nugget came into the world. He cried, John cried, “You’re here!” I exclaimed as I looked into his big brown eyes. I held our baby and kissed his pouty lips. We got off the floor and onto the big bed for snuggles and recovery. A few hours later, we were home in our own bed, snuggling the day away.

Now, 4 years later, he’s still a snuggle bug. He’s kind and loving. He loves cooking, baking and cleaning. He reads and enjoys all kinds of games. He loves animals and obstacle courses. He’s our Bear and he’s so, so loved. Thank you for making me a mommy 4 years ago buddy.

Photo credits: Megan

God’s Work

I’ve heard it said, “Your story is your story and the best way to glorify God is to share how He’s worked in your life.” There were times in my life when I was very clearly less than faithful, but God was always there. Even as a small child, whether I fully grasped the concept of faith or not, He was working in my life. I used to say, if asked, that the turning point in my life was when I started studying God’s word formally with Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), that’s when God called me to believe. I’m not sure that’s the case anymore.

I was around 18 months of age when I had a seizure that sent me to the hospital. My earliest memory is of the ambulance ride there. I remember how frightened my mother looked and how I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. I remember the electrodes stuck to my scalp for the EEG. I remember wanting to just go home and not understanding why I couldn’t go home. God was there that day, He started my memories here. Despite the chaos that was going on around me that day, I can still see His hand guiding the doctors and nurses who cared for me. The blessing, after everything that happened, was that I was going to be just fine. I’ve had no other seizure since.

I remember crawling into my sister’s crib once or twice before age 3 when she was crying during a storm and sleeping next to her so she wouldn’t be afraid.

We lost the first house I remember to bankruptcy, but God provided a new house in another part of town so that we wouldn’t be homeless. It was smaller, quite a bit smaller, two bedrooms and one bathroom vs 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a huge playroom for all the toys. It had everything we needed, no excess. We lived there for about 8 years. I think it was while we lived in that house, I started to realize God was more than someone I said my prayers to every night.

I went to a private Christian school from preschool to 8th grade. I was in first grade when I realized my sin grieves God. My first experience with this was during Lent, leading up to Easter. I remember asking my teacher why I felt so sad about sin, “I feel like I’m hurting Jesus when I do something naughty.” I think that would have been a great time for her to share the Gospel with me, but I also think this profound statement from a 6 year old caught her completely off guard. While I don’t remember her response, I’m pretty sure she gave my parents a phone call that evening. That’s right around the same time the “Holy Fear” set in; “Holy Fear” of God’s judgement and hell. While this was my first real experience with faith and God, I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know He was there. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t believe in God.

Around this time I started praying at night that God would give me wisdom like Solomon (it does say in the Bible that no one before or since has had the supernatural wisdom God gave Solomon, I was 6, I hadn’t gotten that far reading the Bible yet) because I wanted to be like the smart kids in class. I also started praying that God would miraculously make me an adult because I just didn’t like being a kid. Was I foolish to make these requests? Possibly, yes. Did I believe God could make me wise and instantaneously an adult? Definitely. I’m thankful He didn’t miraculously turn me into an adult at age 6, I’ve had a lifetime of learning that has given me the wisdom I kept praying for as a child. So, in the long-run, yes He did answer my prayers. In His time.

Fast forward to 8th grade confirmation class. I knew God was real, I had a firm grasp of theology, a firm grasp of faith, I believed and had faith that Jesus died for me and forgave me and that God’s grace was abundant. I understood communion and I understood that God had a plan for my life, as He does for everyone, but I had no idea what that plan was, when it would happen or if it was already in progress. I knew there was absolutely nothing I could do to get to heaven. God did all the work. God calls His people into a relationship with Himself. God provides salvation through Christ Jesus. God forgives my sin because of Christ. If you’d asked me then if I was a Christian, I’d say yes without a doubt.

High school and college were all about trying to fit in. I can honestly say the back-sliding probably began sophomore year of high school and lasted until I started studying the Bible through BSF in 2010. You could have asked me if I was a Christian at any point those years and I might have said sure or I think so, but I was absolutely not living a Christian life. Perhaps individuals looking at my life from the outside, would see that I was an avid volunteer in church youth programs, a member of the church choir, a regular church attendee, and a Bible camp employee. Impressive, right? The truth was, I was only doing so to keep up appearances. My heart was never in it. I look back on those years and I thank God for His forgiveness and His abundant grace, because I was so far from where I am now. I can honestly say, those were years of rebellion. God was still there though, protecting me from harm that could have come my way. I lived in a seedy apartment in my early adult years (it’s gotten much nicer since I lived there), robberies, shootings, rodents and drug deals were common. Much of what went on in or around the building never affected me directly.

In my late 20s, I developed some health issues. One being sudden on-set, severe vertigo attacks. They came on with no warning. They could last moments or days. They were debilitating. I can remember asking God why me? Then came the pituitary issues. Between the two diagnoses, I was in a funk. I was told having children was not an option because of the risk. I wasn’t sure I wanted to have children if I was going to be stuck having vertigo all the time. Yet God gave me peace beyond all understanding. I accepted that, despite the discomforts of vertigo, I was fine, not in any pain, just dizzy frequently. My life wasn’t threatened. I even had peace that I might never have children myself. I naturally assumed God would bless me in another way. Was I angry at myself? Yes, but that would fade. All this came about the same time I joined BSF. There was a group of women who just prayed over my health regularly. I can’t thank them enough for coming along side me to pray. In time my pituitary situation stabilized and I was given the clear to go ahead and try for children. John and I had already been married several years, and clearly God’s timing was perfect. After our first son was born, I struggled with vertigo a few more times, but quickly realized the problem was mostly gone. I’ve been left hearing loss, permanent tinnitus and pressure in my left ear. I have not had a vertigo attack in 3 years. Praise God!

God is truly so, so good. He gave us two beautiful, healthy boys, two unmedicated, low-risk, out of hospital births, a stable marriage, a lovely church home, and for me, specifically, He has restored my health and renewed my faith. He’s done all the work in me. For that, I owe Him my life and all the praise.

I may not have a dramatic or glamorous story, but it’s the story I’ve been given by God. He created me, gave me the family I have, and as long as there is breath in me, He’s going to have work for me to complete. When I look back, over the 37 years I’ve been given, I can see God guiding me step by step. Even in the years of rebellion, He never left me. I’ve come a long way. No longer full of anger and resentment over my past (that’s the beauty of repentance, it’s healing for the soul). I look toward a future with God and family. I live by faith, through grace, and it’s a gift from God. I am a Christian, a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, and a friend.

10 Year Anniversary Recap

For those of you who follow us regularly, we’ve had an extremely busy last few weeks. So I took some time away from posting to focus on family and every day life around here. Between appointments for the boys, picking up a new evening routine, (we introduced library night and indoor playground night) my 37th birthday and our 10 year anniversary, it’s been really busy around here! Now that I’ve gotten caught up on life and my Bible Study lesson, I feel like I can write about our anniversary.

It’s been 10 years! Holy buckets that few by quickly! In these last ten years, we’ve purchased a home, sold cars, bought a car, changed churches, John graduated from college, we had two children and survived a house fire. One thing that has stayed the same through it all, we’ve kept God first. We both notice when we put ourselves/life/stuff before God things don’t go quite right. If God is first, things may not always go smoothly, but we’re better prepared to handle things when with God as our foundation.

If you were to ask me for marriage advice, I’m not going to tell you anything you haven’t already heard. When you get married, you’re no longer the only one you have to think about. There’s another person whose opinion and feelings you need to consider before making decisions. When you have children there are more feelings and more little people who come before your wants and desires because they have needs too. In short: marriage and family teaches you how to be selfless. Sometimes this part is easier for wives than husbands, but not always. Every couple is different.

So what do you do for a milestone anniversary? An overnight was out of the question as I’m still nursing our 15 month old over night. We opted for a date day. Which honestly was very welcomed because we haven’t been out of the house without kids in a very long time. We did what any normal couple would do without children: ran errands and ate copious am

John and I getting hitched, 10 years ago!

ounts of sushi. There’s something so satisfying about sitting down to a meal and not having to listen to bodily functions and whining about bodily functions at the table, mixed with complaints about having to eat something a 3 year old would prefer not to eat. It was glorious. Many thanks to my sweet friend Megan for watching the boys while we took time to just be us.

Am I looking forward to the next ten years? You bet! I get to do life with John and we get to watch the two boys we brought into this family grow. Here’s to the next 10 years!

A Christian in a Millennial World (Part 3)

Seeking Truth

In a society where everyone is encouraged to seek their own truth, we often lose sight of the definition of truth. Truth: The quality or state of being true, that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality, a fact or belief that is accepted as true. Not to be confused with Absolute Truth: something that is true at all times and in all places. It is something that is always true no matter what the circumstances. It is a fact that cannot be changed.

I really wanted to have some kind of flowery post about how to find truth, but the fact of the matter is that there is only Absolute Truth. If I were to give you, the reader, a lovely secular version of what truth is, I’d be denying my faith, denying God, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I’d be a liar. I had to dig deep into God’s word to see what He says about Truth.

The fact is, when truth is personal, what is true for one person may not be true for another. This is where we have issues with “societal truth.” None of it is absolute. It’s all based on feelings. Feelings change from day to day, situation to situation, person to person. Absolute Truth is consistent, it doesn’t change. Societally, we are expected to just accept everyone’s personal truth as Absolute Truth, because we are offending them if we do not. Christians are then accused of being closed minded or bigoted when they don’t adhere to society’s standards. The problem with this is that Christians aren’t supposed to adhere to society’s standards, we’re supposed to adhere to God’s standards. God’s standard outranks societal/cultural standards.

Please don’t confuse that last statement as a way for Christians to hate anyone “living in sin.” The Absolute Truth is, everyone “lives in sin.” Romans 3:10-12, “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless, there is no one who does good, not even one.’” Romans 3:23 states, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” By “all” Paul literally means every single person on earth. It doesn’t matter who you are or what type of sin you committed. All sin is the same in God’s eyes, whether you’ve told a lie, cheated on your taxes, committed sexual sin or committed murder. All sin is the same. Christians are not exempt from these facts. Because we are not exempt, we should have compassion on and pray for those who have not yet accepted Christ as their Savior.

We are called to judge other Christians, who should be adhering to God’s standards, but we are not called to judge unbelievers. However, we are called to bring the Gospel to all people. Matthew 28:18-20, “Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.’” Yep folks, you’re gonna get a Gospel message today.

Absolute Truth: We need a Savior. We all need a Savior. A Savior that has been provided to us by a loving God! John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This verse is the Gospel in a nutshell. When Jesus was on the cross, God unleashed the wrath He had planned for us, onto the person of His Son. Jesus, being both God and man, took that wrath and the sins of each and every single person who existed, exists now, and has yet to be born. Unless we admit we are sinful, we will never appreciate what Christ did for us. Needing a Savior is the great equalizer. Sin doesn’t discriminate and neither does our Savior.

Absolute Truth: God is our Almighty Redeemer. None of us would be here, were it not for Him. The earth and everything in it, would be a void. The Genesis story is well known, amongst believers and non-believers alike. Whether someone is trying to disprove creation to prove evolution or vice versa, most people know of the creation story. However after creation, the fall of man, when sin enters the world, how many people know God had already provided a way to save humanity? How many people know that’s when our relationship with God was ultimately separated until Jesus came? Since sin ultimately separates us from God, He had to provide a way to bring humanity back into a right relationship with Him. He had to redeem humanity. To redeem means to gain or regain possession of something in exchange for payment. It can also mean to compensate for the faults or bad aspects of something.

The Bible defines redemption in 1 Corinthians 6:20 and 7:23 as being bought at a price, “You were bought at a price,” are the exact words. God had to compensate for our faults and buy us back from eternal, spiritual death. God gives redemption in Isaiah 44:21-22, “Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I have made you, you are my servant; O Israel, I will not forget you. I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” and in Luke 1:68, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come and has redeemed His people.”

Redemption comes to us through Christ Jesus, Matthew 20:28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” and Galatians 3:13, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us…” The whole of the Gospels are dedicated to the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.

Yes, this does sound like fire and brimstone, but in today’s society, where everyone is given a trophy for participation, told they are perfect, and elevated to god-like status, we all could use a reality check. We don’t all get to go to heaven, it’s not our participation trophy for being “good.” Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourself, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.” Could you imagine all the bragging that would be going on if getting to heaven was based on all the good we did rather than a Savior?

Now that I’ve thoroughly tortured anyone who is still reading, let’s get to the Good News! I want to repeat John 3:16 again, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” We have a sin problem, and sin doesn’t discriminate, how much better is it that we have a Savior who also does not discriminate. Paul writes in his second letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:8-10), “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me His prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life-not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Jesus Christ before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” It also says in Luke 19:10, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Acts 16:31, “…Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved…” Romans 10:9, “…If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Why am I quoting all these verses? Because I cannot do justice to what God has already provided us in the Bible. God gave us a Savior in the person of Christ Jesus; He also gave us the way to salvation, written for everyone. Jesus makes it possible for us to have a right relationship with God, having that right relationship, brings us to that road with the potholes, the zipper merge, and bumper to bumper traffic, leading to an eternity with God. God saved us, not because He needs us, He saved us because we need Him.

Hi I’m Lauren, I’m an imperfect christian. How can I pray for you?

A Christian in a Millennial World (Part Two)

Modern Spiritualism

*Disclaimer: If you’ve been following me or know me personally, I have not gone off the deep end (stay tuned for Part 3), I’m a Christian (for those who don’t know me), I’m exploring this topic from a secular perspective, working toward objectivity. I have not abandoned my faith, nor am I pointing fingers to shame, I’m just trying to explore a difficult topic.

In order to talk about Modern Spiritualism, let’s first define the word. Spiritualism is the practice of communicating with the dead through the use of a medium or channel. This should not be confused with Spiritism. For the sake of understanding, Spiritism is defined as the study of communication with entities. It was first introduced to the Western World by Allen Kardec in the 1800s. When we think about the term modern we can think of the whole of history; modern being the last 200 years. Modern Spiritualism overlaps the end of the Modern Industrial Movement.

Historically, until the introduction of the Ouija Board (Elijah Bond, July 1 1890), anyone who wanted to communicate with the dead (typically grieving family members) would hire a medium and have a seance with the hope of hearing from their dead loved ones. After the Ouija Board gained popularity, there was a slight decline in the popularity of psychics and mediums, as people could presumably talk to their dead loved ones in the comfort of their own living rooms. There was a span between the 1950s until about the early 1970s that this may have been all but forgotten, except for a few hushed conversations and closed circles. Until The Exorcist hit theaters and a renewed public interest in Ouija Boards and Spiritualism gained momentum again.

With the dawn of the Millennium, and advances in technology, Modern Spiritualism is all over cable television. With over 60 paranormal television shows, I was able to find a list of 10 that happen to be the most popular: Ghost Adventures, Ghost Hunters, The Dead Files, Paranormal Witness, A Haunting, Destination Truth, Paranormal Lockdown, Ghost Hunters International, Paranormal State, and Celebrity Ghost Stories (for the full list of paranormal shows visit www.ranker.com). One commonality between most of these shows is the use of psychic mediums during investigations. Along with the popularity of these shows came new technology for communicating to spirits. Much of this technology had already existed, but has now been altered specifically for ghost/spirit hunting. Some products include; Mel Meters, EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) Recorders, Spirit Boxes and many, many more (www.ghoststop.com). Let’s not forget smart phone apps. In the dawn of the smart phone, we now have the ability to communicate with the dead/spirits in our pockets.

In the last 10 years Spiritualism and the New Age movement have blurred lines and sort of melded together. With more and more people identifying as “Spiritual” rather than ascribing to one faith, they’re seeking their own truth. This also lends itself into the teaching of Theosophy: there is no religion higher than truth. Elements of Yoga, Buddhism, Shintoism, Hinduism, the use of crystals, energy healing, grounding with nature, some would even go as far to say light workers and white (those who only practice for the good of others) witches would fit with the New Age Movement…etc, are blending together as people pick and choose bits and pieces from each study/practice that fit with their truth.

In this quest for one’s own truth, it seems that Millennials are making their mark, changing the way these movements have previously been perceived. The New Age Movement of the 1960s and 70s is gone, it is now mainstream to find statues of Shiva next to Buddha on store shelves, offered as decor for the home. People aren’t necessarily going off to communes to practice “alternative religions.” They can walk down the street, walk into a Core Power Studio to practice Yoga and get a workout at the same time. Western religions are no longer talked about in hushed conversations, those who practice them are no longer “hippies,” but (predominantly) 21-30 year olds, our neighbors, coworkers, friends and family.

The problem with picking and choosing parts of Eastern religious philosophy while blending with bits and pieces of Modern Spiritualism that adhere to one’s own truth, it’s that it’s all self-gratifying. If we look at how Millennials are perceived: selfish, self-absorbed, and attention-seeking, there is no higher power to whom one submits other than themselves. If each individual believes themselves and their own truth as all important, then anything else, any other belief system (religious or secular) becomes an attack on their personal truth and in turn will then be attacked by the individual.

When living a life devoted to one’s personal truth, even acts of kindness become self-centered, seeking to look selfless in the eyes of other people. Volunteering becomes something to brag about rather than something one does without expecting any recognition what-so-ever.

I’m left with more questions than answers after exploring this topic. How do we, as a society, move past self-centeredness? How do people move beyond looking for personal truth to seek Truth? When do people stop fighting each other because their personal truths do not align (how can they, if each individual has their own truth)?

Stay tuned for Part 3, Seeking Truth.

A Christian in a Millennial World (Part One)

Don’t Call me a Millennial

In order to talk about what it’s like being a Christian in a Millennial’s world, we must first define Millennial. According to the Pew Research Center, a Millennial is someone born “between 1981 and 1996 and the first generation to come of age in the new millennium.” However, if one were to ask an “older Millennial” (myself included) if they felt like they were a Millennial, most of them would say no. There are a group of us, born between 1981 and 1985 who just don’t fit in with the Millennial group. We are the last generation of adults who were around before internet and email, before cell phones, before helicopter parenting. A great number of us have parents who are still married to each other. Most of us had required typing class (on a real typewriter) in high school rather than its replacement: computer science class. The last generation to be “free-range.” The last generation of kids who were able to go out and play in the morning, come home for family dinner, leave to play with friends again only to come home for the night when the street lights turned on. No one had a cell phone, we fought our siblings for the cordless phone when we wanted to talk with our friends. Most families did not have a home computer much less internet access. Our report papers were still hand-written, even in high school, unless specifically requested to be “word processed.” We passed notes in class. Teachers confiscated “beepers” or pagers when they were found on students because, “No one should be contacting you while you’re in school. School is where you come to learn, it’s not a social club.”

Then came Columbine and 9/11; nobody felt safe anymore. Shattered the perception that children were generally safe in their neighborhoods. I was a junior in high school when the Columbine Massacre happened. The following year we started lock-down drills for the first time. I was a sophomore in college when the nation was rocked by 9/11. We could see lines of cars waiting to gas up from our dorm room window. We had been living in a time of relative peace, since the Gulf War.

Most Millennials left the Church as they graduated high school and never returned. Citing that organized religion is a thing of the past, closed-minded, even bigoted. Yet there is this group of “older Millennials” who have returned. And still many, who never left.

Younger Millennials, many of whom, graduated college right as the Great Recession took hold of the job market (2008), making it extremely difficult to find a good paying job with benefits that would allow them to pay back all the student loans they took out to pay for the highly expensive college education they were told they needed. Older Millennials, many of them, were able to land jobs after college (2003-2006) before the job market took a nose-dive.

Millennials have shaped the faith-culture we see today. They have resurrected the “Spiritualist” movement (popular between 1840s-1920s), there are more ghost hunting and cryptozoological hunting reality shows on television now than there were less than 20 years ago. More people say they are “spiritual” rather than ascribe to any formal religious beliefs. Most people believe: “all roads lead to heaven” or that if one is “basically a good person they will get to heaven.” The newest theory is that when we die we “reach a higher vibration” if we lived a “good” life, then we get to come back as someone else.

Millennials have also been labeled disrespectful, lazy, know-it-alls, unable to do things for themselves, technology obsessed, entitled, God-less, and self-absorbed. They believe they have to be unique, expressive in some way. If they aren’t doing this, that makes them somehow “less.” Heaven for bid society frown upon them because they take time off to raise a family.

Those of us in our mid to late 30s care less about how many social media followers we have. If we have Facebook, it’s to share photos of our children so that family, who may not get to see them daily, can see what our little ones are doing. We still prefer talking on the phone with friends and family over texting. We also prefer to visit in person rather than see what everyone is up to on a computer screen.

That being said, I was taught to respect others. God comes first, above everything else. If you fail at something, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again or try something new. I’ve failed at a lot of things in life, but I’ve never given up and expected anyone else to “take the reigns” for me. If something needs to be done, do it yourself, don’t expect others to do things for you. I gave up a career path in order to raise my children and I don’t regret it one bit. I’ve never expected anything less of myself, except to be who I was created to be.

Stay tuned for Part Two: Spiritualism

http://www.pewresearch.org/topics/millennials/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritualism