This week we got to hear from our very own Chad Hampsch. Chad absolutely has the spiritual gift of teaching & it has been incredible learning about the book of Romans from him, but before I get… More
Beautiful Jesus
If you had told me a year ago that I would be able to give an overview of the entire Bible in 30 minutes I would have started laughing. Yet, on this beautiful, chilly fall morning, I did it.
I did it.
I had done it several times leading up to today, but actually presenting it felt different. When I finished presenting, I walked out of the room, overcome by an overwhelming sense of awe for my Savior. I started crying. Literal tears streaming down my face. I realized in that moment that it wasn’t about giving a flawless presentation.
It’s about telling the story of redemption through Jesus Christ.
WOW! My body was (& still is) consumed with emotion- everything from complete awe of Jesus to being so proud of myself for being able to do what I just did.
Obviously I can’t share my entire 30 minute overview with you on here, but if there are a few things I would say it would be these:
- God is faithful. He is faithful even when we remain faithless
- God meets us right where we’re at in the midst of our shame and guilt
- God fights the battle for us, all we have to do is be obedient
- If you walk with God, He will fight for you
- The Lord redeems us
The Bible is the greatest book in the world because it is God’s love letter to mankind, in which He reveals Himself, the way of salvation, & the future.
I’ve had the song “Beautiful Jesus” by Jonathan David & Melissa Helser on repeat for the past couple days. It is the perfect culmination for what I’ve learned through doing my Biblical Overview.
“Beautiful Jesus, my glorious friend
The One who never grows weary & stays till the end
Oh, how I love You, I cannot begin to say
All of the reasons that I love to sing Your name
Oh, how I love You
Oh, how I love You
Oh, how I love You
Jesus
Oh, how I love You
Oh, how I love You
Oh, how I love You
Jesus
I love You, no one’s like You
Keeper of my heart
Beautiful Jesus”
If you want to hear my Biblical Overview, I’d love to do it for you. I hope this blog post gives you just a glimpse into how much this “assignment” has changed my life forever. Thank you, God, for sending Your only begotten son, Jesus, down to earth to die on a cross for my sins.
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22:12-13
Loyally,
Lindsey
He Remains Faithful, Even When I am Faithless
This week we had the privilege of hearing James Skinner talk about the Kingdom Era, which covers 1 Samuel through 2 Chronicles. A little background information on the kings – Saul had no heart for God, David had a whole heart for God, & Solomon had a half heart for God. Now with that being said, I don’t want to share with y’all every single detail I learned about this era. Instead, I want to talk about some practical applications that I took away from this week.
I’ve been learning a lot lately about the character of God. I’m just continually in awe of the One who saves. Here’s the thing, though. Sometimes I feel unfaithful to the Lord. I wonder if I’m the one exception to His grace. I feel unworthy.
Inadequate.
Overwhelmed.
There are a million more words I could use to describe how I’ve felt recently. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about the character of God, it’s this: He will always remain faithful, even when I am faithless. Satan is a taker, but God is a giver. All is good in God’s time. I don’t know about you, but knowing that God is fighting for me makes me feel overwhelmingly thankful. I know that the power of God is in the Word. I know that He rescued me. I know that I am His child.
That isn’t always easy, though. When you stand up for God, you will be attacked. When you follow God, your motives & abilities will be questioned. Even though it can be the most challenging thing to do, your courage should be based on who God says you are. Love your enemies & pray for those who persecute you. Here’s the good news:
When you know who you are in Christ, it will set you free!
God is always more concerned about the heart. He shaped David’s heart & character. David was faithful in little & faithful in much. We should be too. You can’t lead if you can’t serve. Leaders lead & shepherd your flock – Christ is the Chief Shepherd. Be faithful in the little things, just like David was.
Now I want you to think about something for a minute. I’m going to list three questions. I want you to first rank them according to how they currently fall. Then, I want you to rank them according to how they should be:
How I see myself?
How others see me?
How God sees me?
If the rankings do not line up, then something needs to change. We have nothing to offer, but God has offered us grace:
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:4-8
When we accept His free gift of grace, we are a part of His family forever:
“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8:15-16
If you have been feeling doubtful lately, I hope this encourages you in some way. I pray that every person who reads this will feel loved by the One who loves perfectly.
Loyally,
Lindsey
What We Can Learn from the Old Testament Prophets
Let’s be honest. You’re probably thinking: “Why is Lindsey writing about Old Testament Prophets?? I don’t care anything about that!” Well, I’m here to change your perspective.
This week at the Kanakuk Institute, we got to hear from Blake Holmes, who is the Equipping Director at Watermark Community Church in Dallas, TX.
In the past, I’ve 100% been more prone to open up my Bible to Proverbs or Matthew. I mean, who opens up their Bible to Habakkuk or Lamentations? Even though I haven’t, I am definitely going to now. I have come to fall in love with the OT prophets!
At first thought, I concluded that the OT prophets were all about gloom & doom. Instead, the message of the prophets is repentance & compassion. There are 17 prophetical books: 5 major prophets & 12 minor prophets. The difference between major & minor prophets is not significance, but rather length of book. Now don’t worry – I’m not going to go into detail about all 17 books. So keep hearing me out!
There are 7 principles to keep in mind when interpreting the prophets:
- Context: historical context is key!
- Roles: the prophets served 2 roles – to forth tell the truth of God’s Word & to foretell what is to come.
- Covenants: read the prophets against the backdrop of the OT covenants (Israel’s commitment to follow the Abrahamic Covenant, the Mosaic Covenant, & the Davidic Covenant).
- Theme: the theme of the prophets is one of repentance over idolatry, social injustice & religious ritualism, & restoration (a future hope through the coming Messiah).
- Double-Fulfillment: prophecies often have a double-fulfillment, an immediate, & a remote perspective; they emphasized 4 chronological periods – their own day, the captivity & return, the first coming of Christ, & the millennial reign.
- Oracles: the longer prophetical books are collections of spoken oracles, which are not always presented in their original chronological order.
- Literal fulfillment: although the prophets often speak in figurative terms, there is no need to spiritualize their meaning; thus, we can anticipate a literal fulfillment.
Today, lots of people turn to fortunetellers & so forth, but the Bible has people who can really predict the future because God helped them. They were called the OT prophets. Everybody can go to fortunetellers, but only God can predict the future.
If you want to know what I’ve learned about each prophet, please get in contact with me. I would LOVE to share my notes with you! But for now, here are some questions for you to wrestle with:
- What do you trust in for security?
- Do you ever feel like you’re the exception to God’s grace? Why? How can you change that view?
- How can you find comfort in the sovereignty of God?
- When have you questioned the Lord’s goodness & sovereignty over evil?
- What is the Lord calling you to reprioritize? In what ways are you prioritizing your comfort over the Lord’s call in your life?
- When are you most tempted to rely on your own strength rather than the Lord’s? What are you currently relying on the Lord to accomplish?
These are all questions that I’m working through right now because of what I’ve learned about the OT prophets. It’s so cool to know that the Old Testament does apply to our lives today. It’s not just for people who lived 2000 years ago. God is faithful. He is faithful even when we remain faithless.
I hope this got your heart stirring!
Loyally,
Lindsey
Bible School is Lit
Friends,
This year we get the opportunity to share a lot of blog reflections about what we are learning at the Kanakuk Institute. If you haven’t already seen, go check out my two previous blog posts about “Life on the Island” & “Character & Accountability” that talk about what I’ve been up to/learning at KI so far. This post is on what I’ve learned about & the importance of inductive Bible study. I hope you find this useful to you personally so that you, too, can learn God’s Word in a new way.
The inductive Bible study method is an investigative approach to reading your Bible by using three basic components: observation, interpretation, & application. You can check out this website for much more detail on inductive Bible study/precepts. I don’t wanna get into too much detail on here, but would 100% recommend you research this method more! It will truly change the way you study your Bible, which will ultimately change your life!
Inductive Bible study is important to me for several reasons:
- I can learn what it has to say firsthand, which helps with understanding context & key ideas that the Bible addresses.
- The Bible is not only for me, but it helps others too by giving me wisdom to encourage my friends when they are going through difficult times.
- Since I love God & desire to follow Him, I want to study the Bible because it is God’s Word to us & I want to know God better.
I can’t wait to keep sharing with y’all everything that I am learning this year! It is so cool to see how the Lord is using different people & topics to influence my life for the better. Praying that this blog blesses you & encourages you in your daily life!
Loyally,
Lindsey
Life on the Island
Hi friends! I cannot even begin to describe how incredible these past two weeks have been! I moved to Branson, MO to attend the Kanakuk Institute over Labor Day weekend. The Institute is located at Kanakuk’s Family Kamp. I got placed with a random roommate & it turns out we could be the same person, as we have so many things in common! I’m excited to see our friendship grow in the months ahead. From the very first night, I have experienced so many fun adventures – everything from sports on the lower fields right on the lake, karaoke nights, scavenger hunts, dance parties, movie nights, hot air balloon festivals, college football watch parties, road trips, hammock hangs, & so much more.
Some of you may be wondering, “What in the world is the Kanakuk Institute??” Well, let me tell ya! KI is an 8-month graduate discipleship program. That just means I am living in a community of about 85 Christians & we are all learning more about the Bible, why we believe what we do, how to defend our faith, & how to win others over for Christ. I know the word “Institute” might throw some of you off – it’s not an institution, with no phones or access to the outside world. I promise 🙂
We are two weeks in, & yes, we’ve had a blast so far, but we’ve also had the most authentic fellowship I’ve ever experienced. We shared everything about ourselves – the good, the bad, & certainly the ugly. It was hard at first to be so open about my life to practically strangers, but I came to realize how freeing it is to share & be transparent. I never thought I would become so close to a group of people so quickly. We can walk with each other, fight for each other, keep each other accountable, & just do life together in such a genuine way.
We have learned about prayer, conflict resolution, & evangelism. We worked through a 12-step recovery process in Christ. We have already heard from some incredible speakers –Keith Chancey, Chad Hampsch, Todd Wagner, & John Elmore, & I can’t even imagine how great the rest of our speakers are going to be throughout the next year. I just wanna share everything I’m learning with everyone! If you are struggling with living in bondage of your sin, & want to find healing & restoration, please reach out to me & I will personally walk through the 12-steps of confession with you.
It has been a crazy busy two weeks & we haven’t even started our internships yet. I will definitely be learning how to manage my time between Institute classes, Nursing classes, dining hall duty, my campus job, & my internship. Nevertheless, stay tuned for weekly updates about what I am learning here at the Institute! Blessings to you all!
Loyally,
Lindsey
Sneaks
Hey guys!
I want to share one of my favorite go-to kicks with y’all. I’ve been getting a lot of compliments on them so I figured why not just make a post about ’em!
I am so glad I bought these Nike sneakers. They are extremely versatile- I wear them with athletic clothes, sundresses, jeans, & so much more. They are the most comfortable pair of shoes I own & I would 100% recommend them to someone who is looking for a cute, easy sneaker to throw on on the go!
They come in about nine different colors so you have your fair share of options. But, do not fear! If you aren’t feeling any of the nine colors, you can design your own.
Anyways, this is just a short & sweet lil advertisement if you’re on the lookout for some new kicks! You can buy these sneakers here: Nike Free RN Flyknit Women’s Running Shoe. I hope you like them just as much as I do!
Loyally,
Lindsey
Homemade Bread
Several years ago my mom found a great homemade bread recipe & it has become a family favorite. All of my friends fall in love with it the second they take a bite, so I thought I would write a blog post about it so you & your family can enjoy it too!
Ingredients:
2 Cups of Warm Water (110-115 degrees; microwave about 1 min 10 sec)
2/3 Cup Honey
1 Tablespoon + 2 Teaspoon + 1/4 Teaspoon Fleischmann’s ActiveDry Yeast
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
6 Cups Bread Flour (Pillsbury Best Enriched)
Directions:
First, whisk together the warm water & honey in a large mixing bowl until honey is dissolved. Add yeast, stir slightly with whisk, & cover with towel for 20 minutes.
Then, mix in your salt & add the bread flour one cup at a time, mixing well after each cup. It is easier to use the whisk for the first 3 cups & then switch to a silicone spatula spoon for the remaining 3 cups. Add a little extra flour to your hands & knead dough for about 5 minutes in the same bowl.
To make the dough rise nicely, turn on the oven to 350 degrees. Once it reaches the correct temperature, turn it off & slightly open up the door. Place the kneaded dough in a different large, greased mixing bowl, cover with towel, & place on top of the stove to rise for an hour with the oven door still open.
Once the hour is up, your dough should have risen quite a bit. Punch the dough down (!!!) & knead again for 2 minutes. Grease two loaf pans (I use two different sizes of loaf pans- a larger one & a little bit smaller one). Divide dough proportionally to the pan sizes & cover once again with a towel. Let rise another 30 minutes.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 325 degrees for 32-34 minutes, until golden brown. Take out of the oven, remove from pans, & spread melted butter over the tops. Cool loaves on racks completely before slicing with an electric knife. I always have to have a piece right out of the oven, though 😉
Store sliced bread in freezer bags. It will last a couple days on the shelf or a couple months in the freezer & is great for toast! Ours only lasts a few days in the freezer because it’s too delicious not to eat!!
Hope you enjoy this homemade bread just as much as our family does!! Stay tuned for more of my favorite family recipes!
Loyally,
Lindsey
First Style Post :: Denim + White
This is my first style post on the blog & I thought summertime was the perfect time to write it! Summer brings about a lot of great things- sunshine, laughter, friendships, freedom. So I thought, “Why not post about one of my favorite summer go-to outfits??” & it just so happens to be denim + white. What a great combo. I mean, you really can’t go wrong with this combination. Plus, the weather has been great lately, shorts & sandals everyday. (Except when I’m working at Kamp because then I wear XL t-shirts & athletic shorts everyday, but that’s beside the point!)
The top is a Michael Kors denim off-the-shoulder top. It is great for lots of different occasions! It is not available on the Michael Kors website anymore, but you can find the shirt at stores such as Dillard’s.
The shorts are Lucky Brand white denim cut offs. You can dress them up or down, & they are super comfortable for denim shorts!
My watch is Skagen. I absolutely love the simplicity of the brown leather & no numbers on the face of the watch. I’ll be honest- this watch is more for style than telling time because who can tell time very well without any lines whatsoever?! 😉 The bracelets are Alex & Ani, which I love. They come in so many different colors & styles, & are great for so many different looks! The necklace is simply a leather band with a pearl. You can find similar necklaces pretty much anywhere, but I especially love where I got mine: Rahab’s Rope, which is a 501(c)(3) that helps fight against human trafficking in India.
Lastly, the sandals. These are some of the best sandals, simply because I got them custom made for my feet while I was studying abroad in Greece. I mean, how cool is that?! You can check out this website to read all about sandal making: Melissinos Art. But really, do it. It’s the coolest thing you’ll ever see!
I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek of what’s in my closet. Fashion has always been a big part of my life. I spent a lot of my time in high school making clothes & competing in national competitions for FCCLA. Inner beauty is the most important, but it’s also fun to get dressed up! Stay tuned for another style post soon 🙂
Loyally,
Lindsey
When Life Gets Tough
Are you struggling through hard times? Do you feel like you’re alone & have no one to turn to? Well be encouraged that you are definitely not alone. God is good. God is sovereign. He will get you through these tough times. But sometimes, that doesn’t seem good enough. In our broken & lost world, it can be easy to give up on God’s unconditional love & focus on all the hurt, pain, & tragedy. Life on this earth is challenging, but Jesus knows every single trouble we face & is with us every step of the way. As a believer in Jesus, I know that I can turn to Him & trust in Him during hard times. God cares for us so much. His Word & His promises are true.
There have been many times in my life where I have had to sit back, pause, & trust that God has a better plan. But trusting God in those times isn’t always easy. In fact, it can be so hard to trust God because all you want to do is question Him & blame Him. I get that, though, because I’ve been there. During those hard times, it can be nice to take some time to calm your worries by meditating on verses that God lays out for us during troubled times:
Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light & my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?”
Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you & help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge & strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, & the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts & your minds in Christ Jesus.”
John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Psalm 139:7-10 “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”
Matthew 28:20 “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
James 1:2-3 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers & sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
We don’t always understand why things happen. Maybe it’s a school shooting, a miscarriage, a car accident, or a death in the family. No matter what your circumstance is, know that trusting in God is always the best thing to do. It can seem impossible in the moment because you may be full of hatred, guilt, or sadness. But trust me- relying on God, instead of yourself, is the way you will heal. Suffering on this earth started when Adam & Eve sinned, but the Bible tells us that even though our faith will be tested at times, God is with us always & will never give up on us.
Whenever life gets tough, pray. Pray continually. Have a little faith. Or a lot. Cling to Jesus. & study God’s Word. You can get through it. No, you WILL get through it.
Loyally,
Lindsey
Post Grad Life
It’s been four months since I last posted on my blog. The reason being I am now a college graduate! Life has been crazy. Crazy good, but definitely crazy. So here’s a little update on life after college:
College graduation was awesome. It was such a huge accomplishment, especially since I did it in three years. I graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors, made tons of friends throughout my time at Belmont, loved being an active member of Kappa Alpha Theta, & grew more in my walk with Christ. Of course there were many ups & downs in my three years of college, but overall, it was a great time.
After graduation my friend, Kailee, & I took a vacation to Maui, Hawaii. I had never been to Hawaii before, so I was thrilled to be able to take a little break from the real world & just relax for a week. We did so many amazing things- snorkeling, swimming with sea turtles, cliff jumping in the ocean, the road to Hana, drinking out of coconuts, watching the sunrise 10,000 ft above the ground from a crater, a luau, & so many more incredible adventures all around the island.
I got home from Maui right in time for my brother’s graduation from the University of Kansas. It was so much fun to spend a couple days with my family in Lawrence.
Then, I left for Kanakuk. If you know me at all, you know how much I love Kanakuk Kamps. I spent eight summers growing up as a Kamper, & it’s my second summer on Staff. Last summer was so incredible that I just couldn’t wait to be back. I spent two weeks in May at Staff Training, where I made life-long friends, worked to make Kamp beautiful for the kids to come, & dig deeper into the Word. After Staff Training was over, I started KidSitting. I am KidSitting for the same family as last summer. For those who don’t know what a KidSitter is, I am basically a live-in nanny for Kamp kids. I absolutely love it. I’ll be spending the whole month with this family (aka my second family/the best family!). Then, I’ll spend two weeks in the office, & four weeks as a counselor. It’ll be a long summer at Kamp, but a great one! Working at Kanakuk is so rewarding, & really is the best summer job ever!
After Kamp, I’ll be attending the Kanakuk Institute. KI is an eight-month graduate discipleship program, where I will be extensively studying the Bible & learning how to defend my faith. I am confident that this program will help me be a better Nurse, wife, & mom. It will be so amazing to live in a community of Christian fellowship.
Once I graduate from KI, I am planning on doing mission work in Africa for a few months. I am still in the “prayer” phase, where I am praying about which country I want to go to, & which organization I want to work with. I am hoping to work at an orphanage/children’s home/babies home & take care of babies/children every single day I’m there. It will be a life-changing few months before I come back home & go to Nursing School. I can’t wait to become a Nurse, even though I won’t be starting school for another year.
I am so excited about these next few years. I can’t wait to see how God is going to use me to further His kingdom.
Loyally,
Lindsey
loyallylindsey.wordpress.com 