by Annie Corser | Oct 1, 2014
I was on my Facebook Newsfeed the other day (yes, I spend more time on there than I would like to admit), and I scrolled past a video showcasing a contestant from America’s Got Talent. This contestant (like so many before her) has faced unthinkable trials in her short life. But you know what happened? She got on that stage, faced her fears and was an inspiration to all.
I got to thinking: what do I see people do when they are faced with trials? I came up with four possible options:
- People who turn around. Believe it or not, there is a lie floating among us that if we face a rock, bump or hole in the path we are on, that means we should go another way. These people don’t try to find a way through the bump in front of them, instead they think their circumstances are warning signs, as if success is the only way. While sometimes there are warning signs, more often than not our trials are a way to test and strengthen our endurance, passion and dedication to the goal set before us. (James 1)
- People who shut down. Another lie people buy into is that you can’t get out of the rut you’ve put yourself in. These people have no hope of getting out, so they give up on their dreams and shut down. Although I don’t have statistics, I wonder if this is why some people end up returning to our prison systems. I also wonder the same thing about those who see financial class as a boundary. If you are in a hole, stop looking down or at the walls around you. Look up. (Rom. 8:28)
- People who ignore it. At least for awhile, some people try to ignore the trial that is breathing on their face. They think that by ignoring it, the problem will disappear. This reminds me of a little kid playing hide-and-seek. Just because they close their eyes doesn’t mean they have disappeared. In the same way, we cannot close our eyes and wish our difficulties away. This world is filled with darkness; evil that lurks to trip us up and keep us from moving forward. Instead, we need to be ready to face our trials or else they will be more than we can handle. (Eph. 6:10-18)
- People who look for hope. Some people know there is good in the midst of the storm, and they set out to look for it. There is hope. In this world filled with darkness, there is light. (Matthew 7:7-8)
The audition video, explains that this young lady, Rion, has a physical disability–one she was born with. She is 13 in this audition. How much reason do you think Rion had to grow up depressed because she wasn’t like other girls or be mad at God because He gave her this specific condition?
In our culture, we often think that is how it should go. I see this especially when someone faces a trial that seems to have come from no where. We have a sense of entitlement that we don’t have to work for anything, and if it gets tough then we will go somewhere else.
As a Christian, we should be radiating joy like this young girl. Other people should be able to see that our hope is unwavering. We should not just look for hope but have it.
What would it take for a stranger to know that you have hope? What would you do if they asked you?
Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. 1 Peter 3:15
by Annie Corser | Sep 4, 2014
A response letter to J. Preston Drake’s Forget Religious Tolerance – Embrace Spiritual Empathy. (Drake is an editorial writer for the UCO publication The Vista).
Drake, I want to explain to you a few flaws your argument has to me. As I begin, I understand that you do not know my upbringing or background, and I do not know yours. I am going to use Scripture references to support many of my statements, not because I cannot think for myself, but because I believe in the Word of God. I want to start with five definitions and why they contradict each other (I understand that is what you were going for, but they contradict more than I think you realize).
Empathy and Zeal. Spiritual empathy. This is what you fight for throughout your article. But in order for this to happen, you say that I must lose my zeal. Let me explain why this cannot happen. I do not follow Christ because it is easy, because it’s not. I do not follow Christ for my parents; faith is an individual choice. I do not follow Christ because it is popular; I follow because I believe. If I have true faith in my decision to follow Christ, wouldn’t that mean that I should be passionately pursuing Jesus with all that I am? If I truly believe in Him, then I should have ‘great enthusiasm’ for my faith. I should want to share it, live it, speak it, do it. Anything less than that and I would hardly call myself a true believer.
So what you are asking me to do when you tell me to lay down my zeal is to not believe what I believe in with as much passion and faith as Christ calls me to. If following Christ were easy and everyone were going to Heaven, there would be no purpose for my zeal. But, that is not the case. Because of sin, humanity needs to know about Jesus, and I’m not going to be quiet about that. (Matt. 10:27, Matt. 5:16, Matt. 28:19-20, Rom. 10:14-15).
Open-minded and Prejudice. As you see, these two are opposites in definition. But let me explain to you why I am not prejudice toward other people/religions. Basing my faith on the Bible, I believe it to be fully True. The Bible clearly states that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and without Him, we cannot get to the Father (John 14:6). It also says that we receive salvation through faith alone, not works (or any other way), but by believing in the power in the name of Jesus. (Eph. 2:8-9, Acts 2:21, Rom. 10:9).
By putting my faith in the Word of God, I am to recognize that there is no other way to Heaven but through Jesus. By having firm faith in what I believe, that does not make me prejudice; that makes me a believer. I do not hate someone because they have a different faith than I do (I mean a true different faith, not affiliation). But I would, however, share the Truth with them, just as I would expect them to do to me if they are a firm believer in their faith.
Tolerant. Here is why I can have religious tolerance: because I do not have to agree with the other religions. I can love the people without loving what they worship. Just like I can love my family even when I don’t always agree with the choices they make.
I have family members who do not follow Christ, but I don’t look down on them because of it. I do, however, maintain my character. I do not want to be a different person around them simply to make them more comfortable. Yes, I am respectful and mindful to not make them uncomfortable, but I am not going to hide my passion for my faith for anyone. Just as I don’t want to be one person at church, one at work, one at school and another in public, I refuse to hide the zeal that I have for my Savior.
Final Thoughts. Throughout your piece you desire for peace more than tolerance. You make the point, “While most religions are now more tolerant, straying from the righteous path can lead to conflict with family, friends and community.” To me, I think you are saying that the righteous path is Christianity. But I want to point out, that there are many who stray to Christianity that cause conflict. Galatians 5 is one of my favorite passages that deals with the division and conflict of the spirit and flesh. “17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.” (Gal. 5:17) While this passage is talking about one person battling the desires between Spirit and flesh, it also shows the bigger picture of humanity fighting between the Spirit and flesh. They are in constant conflict. There will be constant conflict until Jesus’ Second Coming.
To close. In your last paragraph, you state, “But in the absolute worst-case scenario, after such an exchange, humanity would find itself with a comprehensive and wide-reaching mutual understanding.” You are talking about gaining knowledge. Or, maybe you are talking about creating knowledge. Either way, I disagree. That is not the worst thing that can happen to people if they adopt the ideology that “whatever they believe is the right way and whatever you believe is right, too.” Those who reject the Truth in Scripture and reject Jesus will be rejected in Heaven. They will find that their humanity was not about their life on earth, but what they did with Jesus. I don’t want to face The Lord on Judgment Day and realize that someone who I knew will be sealed eternally without God. I will not trade my zeal in for that.
by Annie Corser | Aug 18, 2014
This is the first time in 16 years that I will not have a “first day of school.” It has not really sunk in yet. For the past 16 years, on my first day I would get ready for class, grab my backpack and take a commemorable picture. From Kindergarten through college graduation (Go Pokes!) I have completed the task the last 16 years of education prepared me for — working in the ‘real’ world. More than that, I have experienced many friendships, memories and growth because of these five tips.
1. Get involved. Remember in high school when you were a part of 251 different organizations, sports and groups? One of the worst things college students (especially Freshmen) can do is avoid being involved for fear of being “over” involved. If you have time to sit in your dorm room alone for more than two hours every day (after finishing your homework of course)–that is not healthy! You need to find something to do.
You have passions, pursue those. Join professional organizations. Join clubs. Go Greek. Join gym classes. Do intermurals. Try out for teams or shows. Join a band. Volunteer around the town. Tutor. Get a part-time job.
For Christian students. You need to get involved in Christian organizations. Most campuses allow you to try the BCM, Cru or StuMo. Join a Bible Study. Start a Bible Study. Most churches have college ministries, go to those.
2. Meet people. I would guarantee that for most students who move to a new town for college experience a season (short or long) of loneliness. At big state universities, you are surrounded by so many people who you don’t know as a Freshman, and that can be intimidating and lonely. But the more people you meet and can wave to as you walk to class, the more you will feel involved in the campus community.
There are probably at least 20-30 people (if not 150 people) in your classes. Meet those you sit next to in class and ask to join them after class for things. Go to gym classes and find a workout buddy. Look on social boards for different fliers. Go to popular hangout areas. Typically, upperclassmen are welcoming and know about different groups that are good to be involved in.
Don’t be afraid of people.
3. Go to church. You may be able to find friends to go to church with you. For me, I was invited to a church by a sweet upperclassman. (Upperclassmen, you should be talking about your churches and inviting people to join you. Offer to car pool.).
I went several weeks to that church by myself. And that is okay. Why? Because church is about an individual coming to worship their Creator. Find a church that YOU feel comfortable in and where you feel at home. Stretch yourself to try more than one church.
Remember that worship is not the most important part of Sunday morning, you need to find a church home that preaches, teaches and lives by the Word of God and does not add to it or take away from it.
4. Stand firm. You are embarking on a new ground of freedom. You will be asked to go to parties (yes, there will be alcohol involved). You might be asked to go on a date that turns out to be more that you expected.
You need to decide on your personal views of sex, drugs, alcohol and even academic achievements. More than that, you need to stand by your word. People respect people who are true to themselves. Don’t be stupid and try things just to try them. Have a reason behind your stance, or else you will get swept away and lose who you want to be.
5. Study. This might shock some of you, but colleges are institutions for higher education. That means that you are going to school. Some of your classes will be challenging while some will be less than that.
Learn to manage your time and make studying a priority. While it might seem fun to put off your homework, it becomes quite stressful to be a procrastinator when you are tackling a full-time load of classes, and they all have tests within the same two-week period. If you work on projects, studying and homework a little bit every day, you will reduce your stress, get more rest and have more time for fun along the way.
by Annie Corser | Jul 18, 2014
Editors Note: The following blog post contains terminology dealing with articles of clothing of a personal nature.
This is my third post about modesty, check out the first one, Talking Modesty: Who Wears Short Shorts? or the second one, Talking Modesty: Midsummer Mid-drift
I found an image on Twitter this past week. It had two columns. On the left, “Culture says” with an image of an immodestly dressed young lady and the words “These shorts are in! Everybody’s wearing them and there’s nothing wrong with showing a little skin. Besides, it’s hot and I know I’m a Christian.”
On the right, “God says” with an image of a modestly dressed young lady and the words, “You are my masterpiece and I made you for your husband’s eyes only. Your clothes shouldn’t draw attention to you, but your attraction should come from the good you do in My name.”
I thought it had a great message to it. It compares and contrasts how culture influences and persuades people to dress versus how God would prefer His children to dress. You can say that culture doesn’t influence you, but think about why you wear what you do. Did you make it by hand without any influence from anything already made? Probably not. Then it was influenced by something — a trend, a celebrity, the “in” color. Not only that, but you probably like it and wear it because you know that you will be accepted into a certain group of people.
Is anyone else guilty of this besides me?
You may not see any problem with short shorts and mid-drifts, but if you read my last two posts, I would challenge you to think about the motives behind what you wear.
The world portrays modesty in the context of being shy, unconfident and lonely. And if we aren’t sharing the Truth about modesty, that’s the definition that will be taught to the upcoming generation about what to wear.
Had my mom not taken the time to endure our worst shopping trips, my tears and arguments about wanting to wear certain clothing trends, I would not understand the meaning of modesty, either. This series of posts explores fashionable options to modesty. Modesty that encourages women to be confident about who they are without the need to exploit their bodies. Modesty that allows women to show a gentleman her heart and mind before her legs or chest.
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One ‘trend’ that drives me crazy is when ladies wear clothing that exposes their undergarments. Be it panties or bras, they go UNDER your clothes for a reason.
Cute prints can be fun when around your girlfriends, but be mindful of what you’re wearing on top of it. Hot Pink bra straps cannot be hidden under a thin, white top.
Fashion Tip: Even though bold patterns are fun, if you’re wearing thin or loose clothing, be sure you wear skin-colored undergarments. Other great accessories include a slip, a camisole or even a ‘bandeau’ — a shorter version of a cami when length isn’t necessary.
Slips can be hard to find these days, but Dillards has a good selection of half-slips. I prefer those with a cami instead of a full-slip.
One of my favorite boutiques in Edmond is called “Eve’s and LuLu D’s” (P.S. they have EXCELLENT sales!). This picture is from their Facebook page and shows the extent of camis and bandos they offer. Camis can also add a pop of color to your outfit and can help tie in accessories.
Some of my favorite bandeaus (some times called tube bras) are lacy. This image is from Eve’s, but Target also sells an assortment of bandeaus – colored or lacy.
Heart Check: Often when my Mom would tell me “No,” I wanted to know “Why?” Not because I wanted to question her authority, but because I wanted to understand what she saw that I couldn’t see.
Often times she could tell when a shirt or dress was good in every way except being too see-through. She was gracious to offer an alternative of bandeaus, camis and slips to keep me modest but also allow me to wear trendy outfits.
My husband, Sean, is strongly against any see-through shirt, even with a cami beneath it. This is not because he hates fashion or trends, it is because he understands how clothing on a female can affect the way a male looks at her. In protecting my modesty, I am able to protect my personal integrity, respect and honor.
Many women might read this and think that I am saying ‘don’t dress in xyz so that you don’t make other people stumble,’ and while there could be some truth in that, I want to challenge young ladies to dress modestly for themselves. If you dress to impress other people for attention, that’s a heart problem. If you dress in a way that protects others but harms your own self-respect, that’s a heart problem.
God made you in His image. Be proud of that. Flaunt your heart, not your body.
“Your beauty should not consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes. Instead, it should consist of what is inside the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God’s eyes.” (1 Peter 3:3-4) (HCSB)
by Annie Corser | Jul 16, 2014
This past week I was given the opportunity to visit Houghton, New York to serve at a camp called Super Summer NY (SSNY). God made His presence known to His people during the week. After camp, my husband and I knew we would have to return to Oklahoma. On Friday night as we made our way to a hotel near the airport in Buffalo, I joined a group of SSNY leaders to visit Niagara Falls. Being my first visit to the Falls, I was mesmerized by the amount of water that flows down the falls, the beauty of the falling water, and the thundering sound of the falls.
This week I was reminded of the song “Your Love is Like a Waterfall” by Chris Tomlin. It was a song I had never had much interest in–until now. I had always pictured waterfalls as dainty sources of natural water that gently flowed over a cliff-like edge. However, Niagara is far from dainty. In its magnificence it demands attention, fear and awe. Isn’t that how we should view God’s love for us?
Tomlin sings, “Your love is like a waterfall, waterfall. Running wild and free. You hear my heart when I call, when I call. Deep calls to deep. Your love is like a waterfall, waterfall. Raining down on me…”
God does not just sprinkle His love on us, He immerses us in it.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:16-19, “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
If we pursue God in faith and seek His love, He will give it to us. Not just in little droplets, but in powerful waves. The water at Niagara Falls also erodes minerals and rock, just as God’s love sweeps away our guilt, shame and sin. The Falls also creates towering steam or mist that can be seen from miles away; God’s love should be seen on us in the same way.
The following are a few facts* about Niagara Falls. More than that, I hope it blows you away that God’s love is wider, longer, higher, deeper, faster, stronger, better than the Falls.
- The Niagara River is about 58 kilometres (36 mi.) in length and is the natural outlet from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.
- The elevation between the two lakes is about 99 metres (326 ft.), half occurring at the Falls themselves.
- The deepest section in the Niagara River is just below the Falls. It is so deep it equals the height of the Falls above, 52 metres (170 ft.).
- More than 6 million cubic feet of water go over the crestline of the Falls every minute during peak daytime tourist hours.
- The rapids above the Falls reach a maximum speed of 25 mph, with the fastest speeds occur at the Falls themselves (recorded up to 68 mph.)
- The water through the Whirlpool Rapids below the Falls reaches 30 mph, and at Devil’s Hole Rapids 36km/hr.
- The volume of water in the Great Lakes would cover North America in about 1 metre (3.5 ft.) of water.
- An estimated 60 tons of dissolved minerals are swept over Niagara Falls every minute.
I truly believe that all creation points back to The Creator. My prayer for you, reading this, is that God would reveal His love to you in a new way. That you would not seek His love only when you thirst for it, but that you would be constantly surrounded by it. His love is eternal; God’s love for you will never dry up.
*Facts gathered from Niagara Parks
