What's in a Name?

A little over four years ago my wife and I found out we were having a baby girl. Together we decided to name her Rylee Joyce Sigle. We both loved the name Rylee and having two great grandmothers named Joyce sealed the middle name. We decided not to tell anybody until she was born (let me suggest doing this if you enjoy angering close friends and family). The reason for keeping the secret was twofold. For one, we knew some people would not like the name and quite frankly we didn't care. More importantly, we know that whenever you hear a name without meeting the person your mind begins thinking of others you know with the same name. This could be good or bad depending on who you know. We didn't want the name to define our daughter. Rather, we wanted people to meet Rylee, the person, and allow her to define the name Rylee Joyce Sigle.

If you have met my daughter, you know that the name Rylee Joyce Sigle is defined by a sweet little girl who may be a little shy at first but when she warms up is a ball of goofy, imaginative, spunk. She is a kind, sharing, compassionate little girl. We wanted that to define the name Rylee.

As much as I love talking about my sweet little girl, I really want to talk about another name. A name I would venture to say most everyone living in the United States has heard, and probably almost as many as have heard it have conjured up a definition within their minds. What do you think of when you hear the name "Christian"? For some it simply means a follower of Christ. For Christians, the Bible should define the term. You may be thinking of verses that describe the character of a Christian, such as the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) or the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:1-12).

Now, what about non-Christians who do not know what the Bible says a Christian is supposed to be? Where do they draw their definition from? The only connection they may have is you and me! I have heard it said that we may be the only bible some people ever read. Which leads me to ask the question, how am I portraying the name "Christian" in my life? Am I giving the proper definition the Bible gives? Am I Living out the fruits of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?

In documentaries and statistics of what nonbelievers think of Christians, the number one answer is "Hypocrites." As they see Christians, they see people who are not living what they are preaching. We have to ask ourselves what definition of "Christian" we are showing in our lives. Jesus tells us in Matt. 5:16, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." In other words live a life that gives the proper definition of the name "Christian."

Blessings,
Jeremy

"Encourage one another, build up one another."

Victory is Sweet!!!

I am a dare guy. As long as it doesn't violate my moral conscience, I will do pretty much anything someone dares me to (This probably isn't something I should be telling everyone). For the most part this is okay, however, there have been times that have really got me into trouble.

A few years ago my wife and I took a trip to Branson MO. While we were there we decided to take a tour of talking rocks cavern. Just outside the visitor's center they have a huge wooden box with two openings a person can barely fit into. It said it was a speleobox (a box designed to simulate what it is like to crawl through caves.) Inside the box you wind your way through going up down left right and sometimes several directions at once!

On the outside of the box was a sign that reads, "WARNING!" Now to "challenge guys" like myself we do not see the word warning. We see, "I dare you to!" Under the large letters "warning," had a list of two warnings. The first said, "weight limit" (which I exceeded by at least 20 pounds.) I thought to myself, they always make those things a little lighter than they need to just to be safe. I was definitely the largest person that could fit (and that is still questionable) in that thing. The second warning said, "know your physical limitations," which in my mind I have no physical limitations (that is in my mind and not necessarily in my body). So naturally I climbed into the box.

This was one of the most physically challenging things I have ever attempted. Another thing stated on the outside was on average it takes 20 to thirty minutes to complete the maze. I was in the box for an hour and a half! There were times I was flipped upside down with my feet and head on two different levels pointing in the same direction. There were times I thought my life was going to end in that speleobox. My wife and one year old daughter were on the outside trying to encourage me, but we all know those times when you are in a frustrating situation and people try to encourage you. You just want them to be quiet and leave you alone. That is where I was.

I am a challenge guy. It doesn't matter how challenging something is I love to do things people think I shouldn't be able to do. There is no reason I should have ever climbed inside that speleobox, however, there is a reason I am a challenge guy...VICTORY IS SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Christian life is full of challenges. If you thought that being a Christian was going to be a "cake walk," you are probably finding that to be false. When we strive to follow God and to live conformed to the image of His Son, sickness still finds us, death knocks at our family members' door, our children disobey and fall away, people will dislike us because of our beliefs and practices, marriages struggle, people mistreat us, sin continues to find us, Satan attacks, we suffer, we suffer, we suffer! (You are probably thinking: this is supposed to be an encouraging blog? Wait for it...)

James reminds Christians in James 1:12 "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." We need to remember the people James were talking to were facing severe persecution. Now, I am not saying what you are facing isn't severe. However, even people who were being killed for their faith were reminded to persevere through the worst. Why? Because we have VICTORY IN JESUS.

Today I want to remind us that if we are Christians we have Victory in the Blood of Jesus. The Christian life is challenging. Continue to have perseverance and to take joy in the trials you are facing because you will have Victory in Jesus, and VICTORY IS SWEET!

If you are not a Christian and you are reading this, God loved you so much that he gave His son to die on the cross so that you too can have victory (John 3:16). Jesus died and rose from the dead so that we too can raise to live eternally with Him. Paul tells us in Romans 6:3-4 when that death and resurrection takes place for us. Talking to Christians reminding them of when they were raised new and living creatures (Christians), Paul says; "Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

My prayer is that all would come to know the love that God has shown for us and the Victory that is offered through the blood of Christ. I hope and pray that all will come to know and believe in the Gospel of Jesus, that he died for our sins and rose from the dead. Through that belief I hope that all will confess Jesus as the Lord of their life and will repent of their sins. Then being baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the holy spirit (Acts 2:38).

Finally, my prayer is for all who are living the righteous life as a new and living Creature, that you will persevere through the challenges in your life knowing that you have Victory in Jesus. VICTORY IS SWEET!!!

Blessings,
Jeremy

"Encourage one another, build up one another"

Finding your way!

My wife and I love hiking and backpacking. There is something about being in God's creation without the distractions of this world. On several occasions (more than I would like to admit) I have found myself in the backcountry, off the intended trail without a sense of the proper direction I should go (aka: LOST). I'd like to share one such experience with you.

A few months ago my wife and I were blessed with the opportunity to spend a couple of nights in the backcountry of the White Mountains Wilderness near Ruidoso New Mexico. It was amazing. We covered 25 miles in three days and didn't see a single person. These kinds of experiences rejuvenate my introverted personality.

The hike was going great, we were covering the amount of miles in the desired time. Then, all of a sudden the trail disappeared beneath our feet. Literally, one second it was there and the next it was gone. Thankfully there were cairns (piles of rocks people erect to help you locate the correct path) guiding the way. We began following these until they too ceased to exist. Despite all I learned in boy scouts and the obviously smart decision to go back to the trail we came in on, I decided to continue aimlessly into the woods.

Being the proud hiker that I am I refused to admit lostness. On a side note: one of the reasons I love being in the wilderness is because there is no one to ask directions, so I never have to humiliate myself (as if having to be evacuated with search and rescue would not be humiliating). By the way, if my mother reads this, we were never in real danger. We were however, in danger of adding many miles to make it back to our vehicle.

After hiking several hundred yards through the forest, we finally found a trail up ahead. We followed it for a ways. Submitting to my fairly keen sense of direction and my compass, I realized we were not going in the direction we ought to be. After turning around and following the trail the other direction we finally found a sign similar to the one above. We had made it to where we wanted to be! What a relief it was to know we were where we were heading.

Part of my problem on this particular trip was that I didn't want to admit I needed help. In fact, I refused to look at the map for a while because I enjoy finding my way on my own. I trust my own instincts and abilities to navigate, which usually do okay. So often this is how I treat my spiritual journey as well. I trust myself first and when I fail, as I usually do, I go to God. We must remember what Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

God has given you the directions in your life. Are you following them or do you continue to lean on your own understanding? When we trust in ourselves, we will fail. When we trust in the Lord with all of our lives he will lead us on the right path. My prayer is that all who read this will always trust in the Lord and not lean on their own understanding.

blessings,
Jeremy

"Encourage one another and build up one another"