Amanda Jenkins's Blog, page 2

Camera Lies

Here's a great breakdown of the befores and afters in a typical Vogue spread. The article is worth your time if, like me, you're working to retrain your lyin' eyes.

http://jezebel.com/here-are-the-unretouched-images-from-lena-dunhams-vogu-1503336657

Defying Tyranny

If you haven’t seen Braveheart, here’s the skinny: Scotland was invaded and conquered in 1296 by King Edward I of England. And consequently, Scots suffered abuse at the hands of English soldiers who raped and pillaged under the protection of English law. William Wallace (i.e. Mel Gibson) led the resistance against the English, inspiring thousands to fight in the name of freedom. 

And the analogy is that apart from Christ, I too am subject to tyranny. Only instead of being ruled by a cruel king, I'm often ruled by sin that seeks both my allegiance and my demise. Sin masquerades as all things lovely and freedom giving, but ultimately plunders, leaving my heart and life in ruins. Like an occupying nation, sin settles in, allowing me to think I've got everything under control. But eventually it emerges and wields its power, and when it does, its unyielding and unforgiving. 
Of course, according to scripture the alternative to being ruled by sin is to be free in Jesus.
So how is that done? How do we practically live free in Jesus? 
In athletics, the best defense is a good offense, which is also true in life. I find that when I let my spiritual guard down, the enemy seizes the opportunity. So the key to victory and freedom is simple: be ready.

(Ephesians 6:11-18)

1. Put on the belt of truth. I need to know and believe what the Bible says about sin. I need to get real with myself and with others in regard to the hold sin has on my life. I need to be accountable. I need to confess when I fail. I need to remember what Christ has done to defeat sin, and I need to know and believe what the Bible says about grace. I need to bask in the knowledge that I’m forgiven and made new in Jesus. I need to understand that I’m a sinner, in desperate need of a Savior, and through my Savior’s sacrifice, I’m an heir in the Kingdom of God.

2. Put on the body armor of God’s righteousness. I need to follow in the footsteps of my Savior, believing His way is best. I need to remember that I have no righteousness apart from Christ, and that the good in me—my ability to choose well ever—is because of the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through me. I need to love the things God loves and pursue the things God pursues. I need to embrace the light of God’s Word in my life, no matter what it exposes or how humbling it may be. I should desire holiness and the methods God employs to bring me closer to it. I should desire that God be glorified in my life and choices.

3. Put on the shoes of peace. I need to remember that no matter what I’ve done (or may do), Christ’s death on the cross bridges the gap between me and God—I’m forgiven. I need to believe that God is the Good Shepherd who takes care of me, a sheep He loves and knows by name. I need to remember that God has overcome the world and all its yuckiness, and therefore fear has no place in my life. And I need to be an ambassador of the peace I have in Jesus—to proclaim what I know and what I’ve found to people in desperate need of hearing it. After all, these boots, I mean shoes, were made for walkin’.

4. Hold up the shield of faith. I need to hope in things I don’t see yet, like answers to unanswered prayer and heaven. I need to remind myself of what I know and have experienced of God—that He’s good, loving, and faithful. I need to learn a lesson from the Battle of Stirling Bridge, portrayed in Braveheart. When the English army charges the battlefield, swords drawn, horses running at full speed toward the much smaller Scottish resistance, the freedom fighters stand their ground, swords at their sides, while Wallace yells, “Hold! . . . Hold!. . . Hold!” At the last moment, and when it is too late for the English to stop, the Scots pick up their spears, anchor them, and take out the entire opposing front line—and I, too, need to hold the line. To believe in the face of adversity that God knows what He’s doing. To trust that His plan for my life is right. To resist the doubt that rears its head when things get tough and the enemy is bearing down.

5. Put on the helmet of salvation. I need to guard my mind with Christ—to filter all things incoming with truth. I once heard a pastor say that whether we’re insecure or prideful, we’re guilty of not defining ourselves by the gospel. In other words, I’m a sinner saved by grace, so pride has no place in my life. I’m also an heir in the Kingdom of God, an adopted child loved beyond what I can comprehend, so insecurity has no place in my life. My identity is supposed to be in Jesus, and everything I do, desire, and believe should be rooted in Him. I must take captive the thoughts that are not in step with the gospel.
6. Take the sword of the Spirit—God’s Word. I need to read the Bible and live my life according to what it says. I need to make time for God every day, knowing it’s easy to forget the truth of Scripture and go my own way. I need to be bold in the face of culture, refusing to conform to its values. I must allow God’s Word to cut through the lies I’m tempted to believe. I must cling to the truth and proclaim it so others might also hear and believe.

Its been said that William Wallace lived and died by this creed:

This is the truth I tell you:
Of all things, freedom's most fine.
Never submit to live again,
In the bonds of slavery entwined.

Turf Wars

I was raised in the Bible belt culture of the Midwest, so I know what it means to be a good Christian — to say grace before taking a bite, to attend church rain or shine, to not drink or smoke or swear, and to avoid dancing and playing cards. On the other hand, I lived in LA for ten years, where the focus is less on being good and more on being “free in Christ, man,” which for many seemed to mean the freedom to get drunk, have premarital sex, get divorced, skip church, swear like sailors, and criticize the uptight, legalistic Christians who still think those things are wrong.
I don’t think I’m going out on a limb to say that both extremes are missing the point and that freedom is often misunderstood. Before Jesus came, believers were required to follow a bunch of rules in order to be in relationship with God. Post Jesus, we’re not. Yet I remain a perfectionist—a do-gooder—which is rooted in the belief that I must earn my worth, though Scripture teaches the opposite.
A person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. Galatians 2:16
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9
And that’s just scratching the by-grace-we’re-saved surface.
But while it’s true that salvation is by grace alone and that believers have been set free from sin as the result of that grace, we have not been set free. Let me say that again — we aren’t free. When we accept Christ’s gift of salvation, we’re set free from the tyranny of sin and death, but the Bible says we have a new master. 
And our master has rules.
Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! . . . Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.Romans 6:14-18
In Jesus, I’m FREE FROM and FREE TO. Free from sin and death and a culture that enslaves, free from the law that indicts me, and free from having to earn my salvation. I’m also free to love God, to approach Him without fear, to serve wholeheartedly, and to be grown and changed by the Holy Spirit. But I’m not autonomous. I don’t get to be queen for even one day. And the two masters vying for my patronage are sin in all its forms and the God who loves me.
And the God who loves me is the obvious choice. When I see sin for what it is, choosing God and His brand of freedom (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, etc.) is a no-brainer. But since the temptation to sin remains, and I’m weak and easily led astray, I need to channel my inner Mel Gibson.
For more on that (and so you don't think I'm insane), tune in Friday.

Camera Lies

Been a while since I did a Camera Lies post, but this was interesting.

For the record, I think most of these women are beautiful before and after the photoshopping, but it's always healthy to be reminded just how much manipulating goes into what we see, and that even the most beautiful among us are human.


http://yhoo.it/19RfJK0

Sin No More

So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.
1 Peter 4:1-3Hm.In light of how not finished with sin I am, I had to mull these verses. Especially this one: For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.I’d like to be finished with sin. I’d like to stop veering off course. I’d like for my relationship with Jesus to snuff out my relationship with the world completely. I’d like to starve my greed. To turn away from my anger and never indulge my quick trigger. To refuse insecurity a foothold. To never give way to fear. Or pride. Or being judgmental. Or covetous.So what am I missing?The more I mulled, the more I realized Peter wasn’t claiming to be sinless. I mean, my goodness, this was Peter talking—hot tempered, didn’t think before he spoke, denied Jesus three times, legalistic and had to be chewed out for it by Paul—Peter.No, Peter wasn’t literally finished with sin until he woke up in heaven.But he was over it. He was over it. Over chasing empty promises and impotent idols. Over believing that anything or anyone apart from Christ would satisfy. Over trusting his own instincts and relying on his puny supply of goodness and strength. Over being duped by the counterfeit happiness offered by the world. Over his sinful heart that couldn’t please God.Peter wanted the new life, truth, and hope that was his for the taking each day in Christ, and he was all in. He’d seen outside the Matrix and there was no going back. No time to be bound by sinful flesh, only a battle plan for living in the Spirit.The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.                  1 Peter 4:7-11I love when Peter says that loving each other covers a multitude of sin. Because it’s Christ’s love that saves us, redeems us, and continues to redeem us. And it’s our love for one another—via forgiveness, long-suffering, and self-sacrifice—that helps heal the wounds sin leaves behind. It’s love that keeps us motivated, moving forward and maturing in faith.We’re sinners stuck in sinful bodies that desire sin. No way around that. But we’re redeemed souls, no longer bound to obey to the desires of our flesh. No longer slaves to the world we live in, but slaves to God, free to receive and give love in doses we don’t deserve and couldn’t muster on our own.And since we’re participants in Christ’s suffering and defeat of sin, and we know how the story ends, we should be eager to do battle against our sin while we’re still here; willing to suffer as Christ did, knowing it flushes out our sin and makes us more like him.Just like crazy Peter.

The Little Asian in my Corner

I just had this exchange with my six-year old, Max, who was the only only kid left at the dinner table. My oldest son had just finished eating and was trying to convince me to let him purchase, download and play a computer game I hadn't yet researched in the fifteen minutes we had before leaving for youth group. Sam and I went back and forth an exhausting number of times before he surrendered and walked away.

As soon as Sam was out of the room, Max sighed and said: Don't worry Mom. You're a good Mom.

Me: Oh yeah? Why do you say that?

Max: Because you say no to stuff, like you're supposed to. That's what good moms do. They say no to stuff that's wrong. Don't worry.

All the while sighing and shaking his head like he could feel my exhaustion and was empathizing.

And it made me feel better.

The Knight and the Firefly

I co-wrote a children's book that's being released on February 1st. Woot Woot! You can pre-order on Amazon or Barnes and Noble now for an early bird price (see links below). Super excited about this sweet book series for kiddos, ages 4-8. The Pirate and the Firefly to follow in 2015!

http://bit.ly/1ahvq7A
http://amzn.to/18SxwQ9


Based on Psalm 91:1-2 
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.

Oliver may be a brave knight by day, but he's terrified of the dark by night until a wise, old firefly helps him understand that God's Word is our light.

In this Scripture adventure, kids join Oliver as he hides under an eagle's wings, is hoisted onto the shoulders of a strong angel, tramples poisonous snakes, and even rides the back of a mighty lion. And Psalm 91 comes alive.


Through it all, Sir Oliver learns that God always protects His children and that we're never alone, even when it is dark outside.

In the Meantime, Joy

Just wrote this for a great new(ish) site called Pick Your Portion. Check it out:

http://pickyourportion.com/2013/12/27/in-the-meantime-joy-john-17/

The Elle Train

Since my book came out last May, Elle has been writing/illustrating her own stories. This is the teaser she wrote for her most recent idea:

Kathy is very important to Jesus. Kathy is very autistic. She's very loved. And soon when she finds her dog in the cold, uh-oh—bad news happens. Will the Braaksma family celebrate Christmas without her? Or will they take the funeral and miss Christmas?

Flock Duty

And by "tune in tomorrow," I meant tune in in six weeks.

Mercy.

Here it is...part three from my chapter on parenting and the answer to the question, is God good?
_________________________________________________________________________________

I fancy myself a really good parent—steady, loving, and wise. I give my kids what they need and not what they don’t. And if I’m all that, surely God, the one who made me the way I am—the author of love and grace and generosity and wisdom—surely He’s even more equipped to give my children what they need.

You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. 
Matthew 7:9-11
I love that passage, and I mostly believe it. But when I see tragedy and suffering, especially in regard to children, I get all discombobulated. I'm a why child, only instead of asking why I have to eat my broccoli or why I can’t take a bath with my remote control car, I want to know why God does the things He does. Especially why He allows children to suffer. Unfortunately, God doesn’t usually explain Himself, and I’m left wondering what kind of God He really is.
Stick a pin in that. First, let’s talk Hollywood.
I love the movie The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe—mostly because of Aslan, the mighty lion, who is both guardian and savior of the fantastical land of Narnia. Throughout the film, we see the great lion leading and loving his followers to the point of sacrificing himself to save them. Though, like Jesus, he doesn’t stay dead.

My favorite lines come at the end, when Lucy and her fawn friend, Mr. Tumnus, are watching Aslan leave Narnia. Their conversation goes like this:

Tumnus. Don’t worry. We’ll see him again.

Lucy. When?

Tumnus. In time. One day, he’ll be here, and the next, he won’t. . . . After all, he’s not a tame lion.

Lucy. No, but he is good.

Not tame, but good. Rather counter-intuitive, if you ask me. I usually equate safe and happy with good, and suffering with bad. And while God is often a safe haven from scary things, His plans are unpredictable, often include suffering, and frequently fall outside the comfort zone. And so, in order to trust Him, it’s imperative for me to first believe He’s good, in spite of (and in the midst of) not-so-good circumstances.

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 
John 10:14-15
What greater sign of goodness could I ask for than that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, would sacrifice His life for my children? I sometimes see the Cross in an exclusively corporate sense—Jesus died for all, which is absolutely true. But when I focus only on the “all” part, Christ’s sacrifice becomes less personal. It’s easier for me to trust Him when I remember He died for my children—that He laid down His life for Sam, for Maya, for Elle, and for Max. Nothing else is necessary to believe that He’ll continue to act in their best interest. That He’s good, not tame—as evidenced by the things He allows—but good nonetheless.

So why does the Good Shepherd allow suffering? Since Christ’s death on the cross was to save us from suffering an eternity without Him, He clearly doesn’t want us to suffer. He wants us in heaven with Him, though in the meantime (while we're waiting for eternity to commence), He allows us the freedom to make our own choices. And quite frankly, people make stupid, horrible, selfish choices, and kids are often the victims. While cancer and autism and an infinite number of ailments are not a result of bad choices, they’re allowed by the one who made us, loves us, died for us, and waits patiently for us to accept His gift of life. They’re allowed for reasons we don’t get to know yet, but what we can know is that God’s the good guy, the one who aches for our redemption, and the one who longs for restoration—for us, for our children, and for the world He made. And in His mercy, He brings good out of the mess in ways we could never even imagine.

Oh Lord, help me loosen my grip on my little people who belong to you and your loving plans already.

And help me to breathe.