by Courtney Bullard | May 7, 2014
I remember growing up and continually asking my mom, “When is Kid’s Day?” She would quickly reply, “Honey, every day is kid’s day.” I didn’t quite understand it then, but now that I am a mom I understand.
As a teenage girl, it’s hard to see your mom as a real person who has dreams of her own (outside of your dreams) and has real feelings. The enemy continually tells teenagers that life is all about them, that no one understands them, and that rebellion is the way to stand out. The truth is if we would listen to the correct voice, we would know that life is about others, that we are to be in this world but not of this world and that we are to stand out . . .for Jesus.
I have seen so many mother-daughter relationships that are strained and it saddens me. You see, I now have two daughters and I would truly do anything for them. I love them so much, I put their needs above my own, I want them to thrive, love Jesus, and be extraordinary. Sometimes these dreams for our daughters can be misunderstood and girls can feel not listened to or like they are being “controlled.” Once a teenage girl feels like she is being controlled she will do whatever it takes to be free. Freedom is what our soul longs for and is how we are created in Christ. “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” Gal. 5:1 (ESV).
The problem is, Satan loves to twist things around and send lies our way about how this freedom should look. When mothers want what is best for their daughters, the enemy takes that and begins to manipulate relationships and friendships. My prayer is that this Mother’s Day, relationships will be restored, forgiveness will take place, and doors of communication will open up.
If you are wanting a tool to begin conversation with your mom or daughter, The Same Page book is a great start. Email courtney@idministries.com, mention this blog and receive the book 20% off and free shipping.
Have a wonderful Mother’s Day and enjoy Kid’s Day until then! 😉
by Courtney Bullard | May 2, 2014
When I was in college, a friend of mine worked at a snake shop (those are real things, right?) where he took a group of us to tour the facility (against my will, I might add). When we arrived, I cannot begin to even describe the look of horror on my face or count the many times I got the heebie jeebies.
I walked around and saw hundreds of snakes in their cages. The most disturbing part was in each cage there was a live animal ready to be swallowed whole by its predator. There were mice, albino bunnies, and small chickens. But there was one bunny that stood out.
He was brown with long ears and he looked at me as to say, “You can make this stop!” With that, I insisted that my friend remove that bunny at once. And that is how I acquired my pet bunny, Lucky. He lived in our backyard where he would jump on us like a dog, chase us around, and do tricks for small treats. Lucky would let us hold and pet him as if to say, “Thank you for saving me.” Lucky was indeed very lucky.
One day our neighbor’s dog managed to dig a hole and literally bit Lucky’s rear end off. I had to nurse him back to health which entailed (no pun intended) me putting medicine on his bottom and holding it up to a fan to dry off. One time he decided to relieve himself in the fan, but that is another story.
He quickly was back to normal until one day, I went in the backyard, and he was nowhere to be found. Lucky had escaped. With sadness in my heart, I came to grips that I would never see that rabbit again.
Until about a week later, there was a sign hanging in the nearby grocery store. It read, “Found Rabbit. Call for details.” We immediately called, and sure enough it was Lucky!
He had escaped from our backyard, traveled through our addition, crossed a major intersection and found himself in an apartment of a young man who, wouldn’t you know, had snakes and fed them rabbits. However, he knew that Lucky must be someone’s pet and kept him safe from harm’s way.
Lucky finally passed away, (we think from being fed too many treats) but I think about how very lucky Lucky was and how many times his life was saved.
There are many who believe they have to be continually saved. They have asked Jesus many times to come and live in their heart after they have found themselves trapped, when they have made a poor decision, or have run away and sinned against God.
The good news: Jesus died on the cross once, and His blood covers all of our sins! Praise the Lord! When Jesus becomes Lord of your life and He is the one calling the shots, HE remains and your life is covered by His Blood. Your salvation is not lost. Satan cannot take it away. And good words cannot get you saved. GRACE. Thank you Jesus for the grace and forgiveness you give us. We are SO very LUCKY in what can be an unlucky world.
John 10: 7-28 — “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.”
by Courtney Bullard | Mar 6, 2014
Frozen.
Describes my toes. And my sidewalk. And, it is currently the most popular Disney movie. It just won an Oscar for best song in 2013, and so far in 2014 hasn’t stopped playing in my head.
The story is about the relationship between two sisters, whose relationship has become distant. Elsa, the oldest, has magical powers but she has to learn to control them. She is told that fear will be her enemy. Anna, Elsa’s younger sister, is very desperate to find love. She fears that she will be alone forever and therefore out of fear she begins to make poor choices. Anna is blinded by what the truth actually is and at one point in the movie she introduces herself as, “it’s just me.” What a quick way to dismiss the value one has.
Spoiler alert: The music is incredible and the song “Let it Go” is being sung throughout the country. Some of the lyrics to the song are:
It’s funny how some distance
Makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me
Can’t get to me at all
Fear cripples so many of us. It can be paralyzing. As believers we know the truth that fear does not come from The Lord. The enemy loves to use fear to cause us to make poor decisions and to not trust God. The definition of fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. The definition of trust is firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. Trust also means confidence, belief, faith, certainty, assurance, conviction.
It seems crystal clear when we see the contrast between fear and trust.
So I have to ask, what is holding you back from doing what God has assigned you to do? What are some things or areas in which you need to “let it go” in order to be able to say yes to The Lord? Remember that perfect love casts out all fear. God has already won the battle and that truth allows us to live in freedom. “So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir” Gal. 4:7.
Our responsibility is to walk in the freedom that was purchased for us long ago.
by Courtney Bullard | Feb 19, 2014
The happiest place on earth! Yes, you guessed it, we just returned from a family vacation to Disney World. Even though I am exhausted and my feet will never be the same, it was truly a week with my family that I will always remember!
My 4-year-old daughter dressed up as one of the Disney Princesses and stood in line for hours to meet them personally and obtain autographs from them. If you don’t know this, Disney Princesses are celebrities, especially in the eyes of little girls.
But what was amazing to me is that I saw several teenage girls, with tiaras on, traveling back to when they were little, with dreams and wishes in their hearts. I couldn’t help but wonder how many teenage girls are out there with no dreams or visions in their hearts.
God tells us that without vision the people will perish. As you walk the streets of The Magic Kingdom you continually hear, “when you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are. When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true.” So, I don’t know how exactly theologically accurate this is, but I do know that we all have the privilege and can worship and have a relationship with the King of Kings, the creator of the universe, the all-mighty, all-knowing God. It doesn’t matter who you are because, according to scripture, we are all made in His image and are His children and creation.
If you choose to enter into this “magical relationship” and truly feel like a princess (not just a Disney princess, but a true princess that is known fully by Her creator) then your answer just simply needs to be yes! Now, knowing all this, who needs stars to wish upon?
Heck, we can talk, walk, and have an intimate relationship with the One who holds everything together. And this includes the stars that millions are wishing upon on a daily basis.
by Courtney Bullard | Jan 31, 2014
When you hear this word, one either rolls their eyes, laughs, thinks “it’s been a while since I’ve taken one of those,” or “The last one I took was really great!” The selfie. The phenomenon is overtaking the nation through cell phones. Every time I am around a teenager, especially teenage girls, you can guarantee a selfie is taken. In fact, 35 million selfies are taken every month.
Selfies are the most popular genre of photo. People are taking selfies while driving, during school, on vacation, at home, while they are studying, with family, with friends, at funerals, and the list goes on and on. 25 percent of selfie takers have taken a sexy-selfie, and the girls are more likely to do it with 27 percent having taken one vs 23 percent of men.
So what inspires one to take a selfie? It truly is an interesting thing. Most teenage girls do not like the reflection the mirror shows them on a daily basis, yet they are confident enough to take a selfie and post for all to see.
Wouldn’t this be considered vain? Yet it contradicts what statistics are showing us when it comes to self esteem and teenage girls. Maybe it’s because you can easily edit a selfie or see what the picture will look like before you press the button. Maybe it’s to manage our reputations. I do find it interesting that, if not all, definitely most selfies are with a crazy face or expression. The most common selfie has been with girls LSO, (lips stuck out) but now the new trend in selfies is putting on your “smolder” face. All to say it’s crazy to me that there is a trend when it comes to selfies.
Selfies remind me of family photo Christmas card; the kids are all perfectly put together, dressed to match with their pretty smiling faces on, but in reality we know that there had to be stress, screaming and crying at some point to get the picture perfect photo. A selfie can portray the message and image we want others to see and think about us.
But there is another thought behind the selfie. Could selfies actually help our self image? Could girls begin to like the picture they have taken of themselves with confidence as they send out for their friends and the world to see? (we are talking about modest selfies here)
Whichever side of the coin you are on when it comes to selfies, we all can agree that an image is reflected by these photos of oneself. The question is, who or what is being reflected? As the selfie phenomenon continues, there is a huge opportunity to reflect who Jesus is to us and how we are being His hands and feet. What if we began taking selfies while we are feeding the homeless, helping the outcast, sitting by the girl who is all alone? We wouldn’t take a selflie in a boastful way but take it to encourage and inspire others to live out God’s Word and ultimately to have our lives continuously reflect who Jesus is to us.