Has life ever become so consuming, busy and overwhelming that it seems as if you are barely treading water? My life is crazy right now! Granted I am in college as I have been for the past couple of years, but it seems as if this semester is just so much more consuming than others have been. One week might be great, not to much homework or projects and I have plenty of time to study and get things done and then the next week I have tests in nearly every class, projects due, and papers to write!!! 

If I stop to think about all the things I have to do I am most likely to start freaking out a little inside and start feeling tense in my chest. I honestly begin to feel so overwhelmed and even begin to doubt myself! However, even in the midst of my crazy life it never ceases to amaze me at all the lessons that I learn and that God sends my way about his faithfulness in any and every circumstance. 

I have learned that as overwhelming as life can become and the tasks consuming all I can logically do is take it hour by hour, day by day, task by task, and week by week......taking a fare share of deep calming breaths along the way! While I could easily freeze in fear and stress (and at times might even unconciously respond this way) I know that getting worked up does nothing for me! Taking everything as it comes with faith in my abilities and confidence in God's guidance I know I can overcome any task that looms above me. 

Furthermore, I now what it is to feel like you are drowning in stress, work, tasks, and consuming things of life....barely treading water!!! Most often it seems like I am using all of my strength just to keep my head above the water while I battle the current, but in the midst of weakening strength I look up to see that I am not alone! The only way I manage to keep my head above the water without sinking is because God gives me the strength to keep on......to keep treading the water.......and when all is said and done and life has calmed down the current will subside and I will be able to breath on my own. 

God is continuoulsy working in my life!!! I know that now more than ever!!! Being in college and around people who I know don't always follow God I have realized how important my job is......of standing strong, being bold in my faith, and standing out as a follower of God.....as someone different and weird! Often, I wonder if just living my life in Christ is enough? Does God want me to stop and talk to someone, does he want me to go somewhere, I often have trouble discerning what his plan in this season is for me? Then of course he says "you want me to use you, okay, then I will" and he gives me something hard to do!!! Of course then I start questioning "why" but in the midst of my curiousity and wondering I realize that is the reason for me being in that particular class, the reason for me being given that topic to do a presentation on, the reason for just being here!! 

Take courage in the fact that when the consuming and overwhelming tasks of life loom above, as you barely tread water, that your savior will never abandon you in the midst of it! He will give you the strength to persevere! Take it day by day, moment by moment, and rest in his never ending faithfulness! He has you where you are for a reason, just as I am where I am for a reason (though at times I wonder what that might be). All we need is found in our Heavenly Father....the courage to take on a hard task, the confidence with which to enter a battle, the strength with which to talk to someone, and the faith with which to live for Christ!

-Madison

"WEIRD......Because Normal Isn't Working."

Did you read the title? Well, that about sums up today's post. WHAT? You are WEIRD??? 

Yes I am and proud of it!!

Okay, so maybe you are a little confused by my definition of "Weird" or how I use it in defining and describing me? If that is the case than all I have to say is that if you are reading this post right now you are weird too! Yup, you heard me....YOU ARE WEIRD!!! 

Okay, okay, I get that you might be freaking out right now and creaming: "Noooooooo......I can't be weird I have tried my whole entire life and live each day trying to avoid being just that....weird......weird isn't cool!" What might I have to say to that declaration? You are right, to the world weird isn't cool and each day you try to avoid just that...being weird. However, to God weird is what he is ALL about!!!  

Now are you confused? :) I see how you might be so lets clarify some things. 

1) WEIRD means odd, different, and unusual (does that describe you?).

2) "Do not Conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing, and perfect will." -Romans 12:2

3) Jesus calls us to be "not of this world" which means what it says...do not be like the world = be different, unusual, odd....BE LIKE JESUS!!

4) What Jesus teaches is WEIRD..... he teaches us "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other." - Luke 6:27-29

5) Jesus tells us to take the hard road, the narrow path...."Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - Matthew 7:13-14

6) Jesus call us to "BE ONE OF THE FEW!"

Don't be part of the majority in the crowd that travels the wrong path that leads to destruction even though the gate is wide...but with a dead end. Be "one of the few" who takes the path less traveled, the rocky path which leads to the narrow gate that gives LIFE!!!

So what are you? Are you weird? Maybe you are weird but you hide behind a mask seeking to disguise yourself to fit in and be unnoticed. You probably don't want to be thought of as weird right? You might think:" If they knew I was a Christian they would think I was a 'Jesus Freak'". Am I right? While the weird I am talking about isn't necessarily the "freak" type of weird though it is close to it:) And I know that might sound scary but just think about how Jesus calls us to live? He specifically calls us to be set apart.....he is calling us to be weird, be different, be unusual, and be proud of it. If we lived our lives being weird, the "God kind of weird (p.17)" just think about how much people would notice us. However, if they notice us as weird it is crazy awesome to realize that the weird they are noticing is Jesus living in and through us!!! CRAZY!!!! MIND BLOWN!!!!

In the world of today that constant flow of humans seeks to live a life that is "normal" by their standards and the worlds. However, by trying to live normal we forsake the life that Jesus specifically calls us to live adn through that choice we then run into so many barriars, battles, and heartbreaks in life. 

In his book WEIRD, Craig Groeschel states a profound realization: "What if being the Christian kind of weird did not mean the same thing as the bad-weird, freak-show, annoying, carnival-barking, somewhat uncomfortable, weird-for-no-reason weird? What if the Bible is talking about a different-than-what-everyone-else-does, good type of Jesus weird?(p.17)" 

Just think, maybe there is a completely different world of weird out there? A world a weird that God specifically designed us to embrace as our destiny and confidently live out each day! It all goes back to what STANDOUTgirlTM is all about....Stand Up...Stand Out....Be Different! This is our DESTINY dear sisters!! This is what we were born for! Lets embrace the "God kind of Weird" and go live like Jesus!!

Maybe you know you are weird, you have accepted that fact, maybe you even already embrace your destiny as a "God kind of weird" and live it out each day. Maybe you are one of those girls who tried to be normal for a day but failed? I tried being normal for a day, let just say I gave up and the next day I didn't even try to be normal:) 

Maybe you are a girl who still struggles with the looming fear of being labeled as "weird"? Maybe that scares you so much, or maybe you just don't want to let go of being like everyone else, being accepted, cool, part of the popular crowd? Is this you? Do you worry that people will call you a freak, laugh at you, make fun of you? Let be honest, that might happen, but here is the promise we have, that in whatever situation, in whatever we are going through, no matter what people are saying about us we have God on our side (Romans 8:31). He gives us the strength to conquer all (Philippians 4:13). He doesn't give us more than we can handle (1 Cor. 10:13), so if life get tough just know he has faith in your abilities and will be with you every step of the way (Psalm 46). He is our shield (Psalm 28:7), our Fortress (Psalm 18:2), and "With God ALL things are POSSIBLE (Matthew 19:26)."

Take heart that you are never alone! We are all called by the same God with the same destiny. Let us not go with the flow on the wide path but be "one of the few" on the narrow path which lead to life and not destruction. Lets together embrace who we are called to be and be weird together!

What do you think about "God kind of weird"?

Are you weird or do you hide it?