Front Porch Girl Talks

     I got to spend Sunday afternoon just sitting and having girl talk with four or five of the girls from the hostel. We talked, did hair, soaked up the sun, and dove deep into some questions and opinions they had about the gospel and what it looks like to live it out. Piper says, "Let Him who gives the strength, get the glory"...I don't know how the conversation started, but I know that Jesus intended on His gospel being boldly proclaimed, may He solely get the glory in that. 


     We talked about God's grace and they asked questions like, "Why do people live with the mindset of, "I can do whatever I want now because I know Christ will always forgive me later"?" They told me that many of their friends say they will believe in Jesus later and have fun now. 


     Sin transcends all cultures, but thank you Jesus, your grace does too! 


     We talked about sin and how the Holy Spirit, if we are saved, is there to convict us of sin and encourage us to do good. We spent a lot of time on the subject of claiming Christ with your mouth and believing Him in your heart. How too often the world around us does the first but never truly experiences the saving grace of the latter. 


     My heart is truly broken over the fact that so many foreign cultures look to American media to find their role models and are so heavily influenced my American culture as a whole. They asked me if all the Christians in America are like the ones on tv, and if they are, they don't look or act different than anyone else. My insides lurked... American media is convincing precious teenage girls around the world that it is okay to indulge in sex, drugs, alcohol, lust, greed, and other selfish desires as long as you stand before a crowd and thank God for the award just given to you. 

     Christ's name is being defamed and I refuse to stand for it. 


     I got the opportunity to explain the difference the Holy Spirit makes in your life and how obedience to God's Word flows from a desire and love in your heart, a desire and love that doesn't just put theologically correct sayings in your mouth but radically transforms your very being. My prayer for these girls is that they seek and find their role model in the person of Christ and not in this or that actress or musician. 


     I look forward to many a Sunday afternoon porch talks with the girls...


     We celebrated Rachael's Sweet Sixteen on Tuesday night and here are a few pictures from our night:

(I promise the cake tasted better than it looked..promise)

(The birthday girl! Rachael couldn't keep her eyes open in a single picture.)

(I joke with the girls because every time a camera comes around they all start posing like models. Cracks me up.)