Authenticity Challenge: What Christianity Really Looks Like



I have a current call for at least 12 bloggers who want to join me in an Authenticity Challenge. Only a few have so far accepted my invitation.  These bloggers have committed to posting at least once a day about daily events with an emphasis how his or her Christian faith colored the day’s events.  I don’t want sugar-coated stories, but real introspection exploring how faith plays out in life.  (Read full details here.)

Christianity effects us in small, subtle and often-overlooked ways.  Our God is present with us at every moment and each day we are here, we are purposed by God. What does that look like?

Paula Wiseman joined in and has already begun posting on her blog, Sage Words: Engage, Enlighten and Encourage. In today’s post, “Shameless,”  Paula asks if authentic faith is shameless.  Paula writes:

“Being one of God’s children cannot co-exist with being ashamed. He removed all my shame when the salvation transaction was completed. I’m the only one who can allow the shame back. When Satan delivers it to my doorstep, it may be labelled failure, or regret, or a label I’m not expecting. No matter what, I must not pick up the baggage.”

I encourage you to read Paula’s entire post. You can find it at: http://www.paulawiseman.com/2010/01/shameless/.

I will be following Paula’s posts while I am exploring authenticity in my own Christian life and posting all of the raw details.  Care to join me? I’m still looking for bloggers who aren’t afraid to write about what genuine Christianity really looks like: imperfect people living out a perfecting faith.

If you are interested, comment below with your name and blog address.

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The Authenticity Challenge: Bloggers Getting Real with Daily Christianity



What does it mean to be a Christian?

We all know what it looks like.  Everyday we see televangelists on the air talking about politics, the mission field, crimes and the eternally lost criminals who commit them.

The media, in fact, provides the most prominent representation of Christianity to the general public. But fame and Christianity are uneasy partners and sadly, so many times the power of a public pulpit leads to an untimely fall, one that is captured by cameras and transmitted around the world. The spotlight has cast a sour light on our faith, illuminating a religion that appears self-serving, money-centered and steeped in hypocrisy.

But is this true Christianity?

What does it mean to live a Christian life?  Are Christians perfected, never to sin again?  Are we more concerned with our professional lives–our career track, our personal taxes, our plans for the summer– or are we overflowing with compassion for those who hurt?  Do we live and plan for the future, or do we live on a daily basis, actively searching for what God is doing around us at any given moment, and jumping in to join Him?

What does living a Christian life look like on a daily basis? What does it look like at the supermarket or in our cubicles?  What does it look like when we are worn and tired and cannot pay our monthly bills? When our kids are asking for more than we can give? What does it look like when we have been treated wrongly by those we love? What is Christianity….really?

The Authenticity Challenge: What Living a Christian Life REALLY Looks Like

I am calling for at least 12 bloggers who are willing to take a two week Authenticity Challenge with me.  I am asking for at least 12 bloggers to commit to posting at least once a day about an event that occurred and how your Christian faith helped you deal with the situation.  I am not looking for extraordinary events, although if one should find you, by all means writing about it!  Instead, I want to know how Christianity effects us in small, subtle and often-overlooked ways.  Our God is present with us at every moment and each day we are here, we are purposed by God. What does that look like?

No Sugar-Coated Christianity, Please!

Every day presents challenges. I am asking for authenticity in written posts with the focus being on God at work in and through your day.  Did you seek God in Scripture, or did life get too busy? If you snapped at a cashier, write about it. Why did you do it? Did you feel that gentle tug of the Spirit when you snapped?  What did you learn from the interaction? Did you seek forgiveness?

I am looking for writers to be extraordinarily sensitive to the workings of the Spirit within the ordinary events of the day. I am not looking for sugar-coated Christianity. Let’s get real with our faith and share it! Are you up to it?

What is the Purpose, Anyway?

A good question! This project has come to my heart because I believe the world is desperate to see what real Christianity looks like.  The only true example of Christianity is described in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John by studying the life, actions and experiences of Jesus Himself.  And the rest of us?  We are merely works in progress. However, we do have this:  a tangible relationship with that sole, perfect example of Christianity: Jesus.  This relationship is real and present on a daily basis in the lives of Christians.  This is what I want you to write about! True Christianity is a faith of daily experiences, daily progress, daily introspection and adjustment, and most of all, daily validation that we are, indeed, vastly loved by the Father.

The second purpose: By spending two weeks of intensely focusing on God’s presence in the everyday events around me, I know that I will learn to view life in a different way: God’s way.  The process of seeking God all around me will seep deep into my soul so that it becomes entirely natural way to view the daily events of my life.  In the process I want to allow God to wring out any hypocrisy from my own life so I can live out my faith authentically, just as Jesus did.  I am expecting God to show up and teach each committed blogger some amazing truths about Who He is, Where He is working around us, and How our lives can be fulfilled by living within His purpose.

So do you want to join me?

The challenge begins on Monday, January 25th and ends on Monday, February 8th. Any bloggers who would like to journey with me must be committed to post on a daily basis–either at the end of a particular day or in the morning of the following day– writing about how Christianity played out in your life on that day.

I need at least 12 bloggers to commit, but I will be thrilled if more bloggers join in. We can share our blog addresses in the sidebars.  When it is all over, I’ll ask you to write about how this experience affected each of you.  Please feel free to recruit blogging buddies in this journey by directing them to this post. If you are willing to take a two week journey with me, just comment below with your name and blog address. I will add your blog addresses so we can journey together. Please forward and share!

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If Love is All You Have to Give…



Let me tell you about the biggest lesson I learned in 2009:  I learned that love – and God – are enough to carry us though whatever situation we face. Here is why:

In my book, “Autism’s Hidden Blessings: Discovering God’s Promises for Autistic Children and Their Families,” I wrote that “if all we had to give our son was love, then God would see to it that love was enough.” Let me tell you that I had no idea that God would put those words to the test in 2009!

Here is why: Our family was hit hard by the economic downfall of 2008 and 2009, as so many other families have been.  My husband Matt is a landscape architect.  With very little new development projects, work was scarce.  I watched as my husband returned from work on so many days, his face clouded with the pressures of sustaining not only his business, but our family as well. Matt’s income decreased by about 50% over the past year in order to keep his business doors open, even as other firms were permanently closing their own doors at alarming rates all around us.

On the home front, this meant a drastic reduction of every expense. We cut back in every way possible:  satellite television subscriptions, trips to Target, makeup, dining out, anything that wasn’t necessary was cut.  All of the cutbacks hurt somewhat, but most painful was the fact we could no longer pay for my autistic son’s special medical costs, including Alec’s biomedical and dietary supplements and trips to his autism specialists. Most of these costs are not covered by our insurance.

So, from March until December, Alec did without any of his supplements or medications. I struggled with this concern all year, wondering if Alec’s progress would be lost. I wondered what God could be doing, after Alec had seen such wonderful advances in recent years.  Would it all be lost? Was love really enough?

Day after day stretched on, with no guarantees that we could make it through anything but the day on hand. We didn’t know what the future held. Would be able to stay in our home? What if the car broke down? All we had was the knowledge that God had been faithful to us in the past, that and His promises to take care of our needs.

It is now 2010. We made it though 2009, still standing! Now I can see that God was proving to us that He IS completely faithful to provide for our family, and that includes caring for our autistic son Alec! Yes, it was a terribly difficult year. Yes, we continually felt that we were just one small step away from falling over a financial cliff. But on a daily basis–not weekly or monthly, but DAILY–God provided all that we needed. We are still here, still in our home, still floating, and Alec is doing well despite the months without supplements & biomedical medications.  In fact, he received A’s and B’s on his first third grade report card in his typical third grade classroom. Finally in December we were able to get Alec back onto his supplements.

I am writing to tell you that we are still standing because GOD REALLY is faithful to take care of our families. The journey may seem more than we can bear, but HE IS WITH US.  And so I write these words again, but this time, I write with a proven knowledge that the words are true:

“If love is all we have to give our autistic children, then God WILL see to it that love is enough.”

So keep on loving and trusting God. I promise you, He is faithful to every need!  We will never know the awesome truth of God’s power until we totally let go over every artificial lifeline and throw ourselves backwards completely into His arms, trusting that He will be there to catch us.

I promise you, He will be there to catch you.

Blessings, Kelly

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Thanks to Terry Lowry & The What’s Up Program (KKHT Houston)



Thank you, Terry Lowry, for interviewing me this week on The What’s Up Program which airs on Houston’s KKHT “The Word” Radio.

If you are a listener of the program, welcome!  I would love to hear your comments and stories! Please feel free to share them on this site.

If would like to purchase “Autism’s Hidden Blessings: Discovering God’s Promises for Autistic Children and Their Families,” you can find the book at these online booksellers:

• Christianbook.com Online
• Barnes & Noble Online
• Amazon.com Online
• David C. Cook Online
• or via the publisher directly at Kregel Books

I have an additional website, www.autismshiddenblessings.com,  where you can find information about autism, a listing of autism resources, and even read an excerpt from the book.

In addition, I have set up a Facebook page where you can connect with other parents on the autism journey, share your story or post a question.  There is always activity going on at this location! Click here to connect with the Facebook Group for Autism’s Hidden Blessings.

I would love to hear your stories, questions and comments about the topic.  But the most important thing I want you to know is this:

Your child is greatly loved by God.
Your child is greatly valued by God,
and God has a wonderful purpose for your child’s life,
no less than that of any other child!

Take heart!  God is for you.. and your child, too. You don’t have to walk this journey alone!

Kelly Langston

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The Secret to Staying Strong in Hard Times



I think you know the feeling:

You wake up in the morning as the fragments of  your last dream fades away.  So nice. So warm. So peaceful.  But no sooner than the vision fades that you remember some great stress that awaits your day ahead.  It could be an uncomfortable meeting on your schedule, a responsibility that you are struggling to meet, a sick child, or an family visit with a relative that has been a strain on that very last nerve.

What do you want to do?  Right. Pull the covers high over your head and promise to, as Scarlett said, “Think about this tomorrow.”

I know that feeling.  Just this morning, in fact, I was awakened from a blissful sleep to an avalanche of situations I did not want to face.  Bills waiting to be paid from limited funds.  Travel plans that were unraveling at an alarming pace. Family friction that I so wanted to stay away from, but somehow seemed to be knocking on my door.  Oh, I could go on but you get the picture.

We all have mornings like that, when we just want to stay in bed and hope our problems go away.  Just one more hour, one more day and maybe those little worries will fade like the dream we just had.

So what do we do?  What is the secret to getting out of bed, putting on our best armor and going out to the battles of our day victoriously?

Here is the secret:  Roll right off of your bed and onto your knees. Don’t even let your feet hit the floor!  Admit to God that you need His help to get through the day.

God, I am feeling so overwhelmed, so low this morning.  I need you to pick me up, dust me off, and point me in the directions I need to go. Not only that, but you’ll need to go with me with every step I take.  I need you, God. This battle is Yours.

Right then, you have given your battle – in fact all of the day’s battles – to the Lord.  Right then, you have victory to make it through the day.  It only takes one prayer.

That is the secret to staying strong, even when the day ahead is a monster.  Give it to God.  He will carry you through.  And you can get back to the joy and peace that is yours through Christ.

Don’t take my word for it. Try it out yourself and let me know what happens  in your day!

Blessings!

Kelly

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A Recipe for Aging Well



Today is my brother-in-law’s fortieth birthday.  I was the first in my family of my generation to pass this sometimes terrifying milestone, and now  — with an guilty sense of comfort in knowing I am no longer the only one standing at the top of the hill — I get to cheer on each of my siblings and their spouses as they, too, reach the big 4-0.

So today, I’m thinking about aging and what it means to do it with power, grace and dignity.  At 40, we all need to make sure that every moment of our lives counts for something greater than ourselves. When we do that, we leave our best legacy for our children and loved ones… and in the process learn what it means to truly live! So, Mike, here is my “Recipe for Aging Well,” my birthday gift to you:

1. At least once in your life, stand up tall for something you truly believe in, especially when you know that you will face immense opposition for choosing to stand against popular opinion. Refuse to be silenced by the majority whenever you see an injustice.
2. Realize the power and strength in your own voice by speaking out for someone who can’t do so for himself.
3. Change the world by choosing to love a child. Teach them what it means to be loved… regardless the cost. You will only find the meaning of life when you learn what it means to love sacrificially.
4. Seek the wisdom of the aged, those whom society so often overlooks.  The wisdom they can share can spare you of many wrong choices in life.  Don’t let our culture’s passion for youth deceive you.  Those who have lived many days have so much to give if only you will listen.
5. Slow down!  Life seems to pass by at a quicker pace than when you were younger.  Don’t let anything rob you of the joys of living in the moment.  Every day has a treasure meant to be enjoyed by you. Claim each and every one!
6. Dream a new dream, one bolder and more extravagant than ever before!  God often waits for the years to mature us before He calls us for His most prized tasks.  So often, we fail to realize that the best is yet to come!
7. Step out of the familiar and do something you have never done before.  Adventure awaits all of us.  Dare to take a few risks, trusting God to lead the way.  When we learn to truly trust Him, our lives become extraordinary.
8. Look around and count your blessings. Laugh a little every day.  Yes, you learned to do this as a child, but we forget!  Life gets in the way and then gratitude slips away.  And with it goes our joy. Refuse to let that go!
9. Never miss an opportunity to tell a loved one how much they mean to you, regardless of whether or not they “deserve” to be told.  There is a comfort in knowing that our loved ones know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are loved and valued, and that nothing remains to be said.  You may feel silly and vulnerable in doing so, but do it anyway.  You will never regret doing it, and you’ll sleep well at night.
10. Dare to put your hand in God’s and ask Him to take you anywhere He wants.  There is so much more He wants to show you, but so often we don’t let go of the reins of our lives to become all that He intended us to be.  Don’t miss out on the grand plan that awaits you!

Life is good.  In the hard times, in the bad, each breath is a gift.  And every day has a purpose of its own for us to find…if only we will look for it.

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Radical Living, Radical Trust



I’m ready for a radical kind of life.  But am I really?

The economy has been pressing down on our family for months now, and I feel as if I had been climbing a great mountain on my way to a spectacular view — only to hit an unexpected rockslide.  I cling to the shaky surface of the mountain, intent on reaching the summit as planned, but now I’m forced to dodge a slew of crushing, terrorizing boulders rolling past with an intent on bringing me down with them.  With so much going on around me, I have lost sight of the beautiful summit. Now I am focusing on the dangers of the climb instead of my destination.

I’m wondering… why?  Why have I lost sight of my destination: living a no-holds-barred, adventurous life full of the presence of God and ready to go anywhere He leads?  Why lose that vision for my life? Well, it’s because of fear….and distractions…. and more trouble than I ever expected.

But what if I let go?

What if I choose to let go of the rocks of my life, the supports that have carried me for years? These are the very things that I have been counting on to hold me safely in place for my entire life.  What if I release my hold on them – pushing them away even -  and truly, finally let go? What if I entirely trust in God to bear the weight of my existance, just as a rock climber trusts the ropes that mean life or death during a dangerous adventure?

I’m tired of counting on material things to carry me.  Those things shift and change.  They roll away from my hold like a slipping rock, tumbling to the ground below and far from my reach.  I can’t count on things that shift and move any longer.

But I can count on God. He will never lose His grip on me.  He has prepared the most breathtaking view just ahead, and its beauty is only sweetened in overcoming the obstacles that stand in my way of finding it.  The promised land exists, but the road to it is often long and difficult. How many of us truly get to that promised land?

So the question is: should we settle for a safe walk? If we do, we will not see such an incredible view at the end of our journey, nor catch our breath in wonder and amazement when we have reached the place of promise.  We will never know if the ropes that hold us from above, God’s lifeline, will truly support us… or not.  We will only exist.

But I want more!  I want to trust God with every ounce of my being.  I want to lift my gaze to the summit again, and refuse to give up to a simpler, safe kind of life. I want to see the expansion of creation after I reach the top and to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is very real, and He is holding my lifeline securely forevermore.

Yes, I want this radical kind of living starting today.  You know what?  I’m letting go. Why don’t you, too?

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Adventure awaits you…



Do you know that God is an adventurous God? When we walk with Him – and I mean drawing close to Him each day – He leads us to new paths that are filled with promise, purpose and adventure.

Today, I’m wondering: Where is He leading me today? Will I find myself in waters I have never swum before?  Will He take me to some new height and, like an eagle, nudge me from the nest of my own comfort to soar on warm winds high above the earth?  Will I cross paths with someone who needs a word of encouragement and when I am feeling down, who will He send my way with a word for me?

I am convinced that if we will only allow Him, He will take us on the adventure of our lives! I believe that there is something special for us each and every day we live on this earth, whether we are one day old or 99 years old or more.  Every day we take a breathe of air, there is a purpose for us and there is a plan for us. If we will only let go to those things that weigh us down, we will soar to new places … today.

Yes, adventure awaits!  Are you ready? Let’s go!

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An Inheritance Waiting for YOU



Imagine this scene for a moment, and trust me, it will not be hard:

You are living the American dream, a beautiful family, a four bedroom home, great community, two cars and a recently renovated home.  You have a great circle of friends, and you are plugged into some notable clubs and organizations. Your kids attend great schools, and your closet is far from bare. You cut your hair at the best salons and don’t feel the need to clip coupons.

Your nest egg is safe within the vaults of Wall Street, and your future looks exceedingly bright.  Sure, you’ve got a few credit accounts that are a bit too high, but who doesn’t these days?  After all, you’ve gotten a heads-up from the boss that you are in line for a future promotion.

Then one night you are sitting with your family and a CNN report mentions something about a government bailout of Fannie Mae.  This shouldn’t affect me, you think. But two months later, you are sitting at your desk when you get the news…you are being laid off due to an economic slump.  Here you are, overqualified for every available job in your field, and in a circumstances spinning out of your control.  How could this happen to you?

Suddenly, your monthly household income is hundreds of dollars short of your monthly obligations. You clip coupons and shop at discount stores and consignment sales. You try to cut back on spending, but your daughter needs braces, you get a speeding ticket, and your insurance rates go up. The bills pile up as your nest egg dwindles away to nothing. Then the calls for payment begin coming in.  Before you know it, you have hit rock bottom.

Imagine, now, that you get a call from an attorney who asks you to come to his office immediately. He won’t say why, but tells you that the meeting is of utmost importance. With great fear, you grab your coat and board the bus and head downtown.

Nervously, you enter the formal, stark law offices and meet the attorney, a stately man who ushers you into a large conference room and bids you to sit down at a long mahogany conference table. Your heart beats as you wonder what bombshell he will drop on your life next. Is a creditor suing you? Inside your head, a finger pushes a button and a nasty string of “what if’s” begins to play.

The attorney sits down adjacent to you and pulls from a slick leather briefcase a strangely thick file. He places the file on the table and opens the manila folder to page one, and looks at you. The blood drains from your face as you wait for his words, fearing a new, unexpected disaster.

The attorney clears his throat, puts on a pair of reading glasses and begins. “It seems my client, a vastly notable gentleman who happens to be a patriarch of yours, has included you in his will.”

“That can’t be!” you exclaim. “I don’t know of any patriarch who would leave me a dime!”

“Oh, yes,” the attorney continues, flipping through the documents in the folder. “I have it all listed here. Many items of incredible value have been given to you.”

“I don’t believe it.” You are skeptical. How can this be?

“Well,” the attorney looks up from the thick folder and adjusts his spectacles, “You can believe it. Everything is signed and verified. It’s all here in writing. I have here a list of hundreds of items for you. All you have to do is accept them.”

You stare at the attorney in disbelief. You are speechless. The attorney pulls out a contract with your name written across the top with the word “BENEFICIARY” beside it.

“This is you, correct?”

“Yes,” you say, staring at your name on the white sheet. “That’s correct. That’s me.”

The attorney begins to read the list. Each gift is priceless. Page by page, gift by gift, he details items of great worth, all bequeathed to you.

Unbelievable. A strange peace falls over you as you realize that your benefactor answered your every need. Nothing is left for you to do but accept the gifts. Accept them and put them to good use.

Does this sound like an implausible story?

You need to know that you do have a benefactor who loves you so much that he has left you a treasure of great worth. That benefactor is God, the great I AM, and those treasures are His promises for His children, written in Scripture and signed by Christ. These promises are included in His sacred Word penned throughout the course of history and divinely inspired by God. For every need you will ever have, God has graciously given a promise.

Here’s something else to know: Jesus guarantees each promise. All we have to do is believe in His authority, accept the promises, and act on them in faith. I am so excited about the incredible power of living within  God’s promises that I wrote Autism’s Hidden Blessings, a book that teaches parents how to apply scriptural promises to autism so that they can soar above it to the place God intends for His children.

As Christians, we have an inheritance that we need to know about and depend on, especially in difficult times such as these.  We do not have to react to the problems in the world around us when there is a better way. God has given us a treasure of hope to help us right now, right where we are, and no matter how desperate our situation.

In the coming weeks I am going to write follow-up posts about specific promises that we, as children of God, can count on and let you know why it is that we can trust the Great Promise Maker.

Portions of this post are taken from Autism’s Hidden Blessings, Discovering God’s Promises for Autistic Children and Their Families (C) 2009 by Kelly Langston.

Published by Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

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An Inheritance That You May Not Know About



Have you ever received an inheritance?  Would you like to?  What if I told you that there is an inheritance at this moment, prepared for all of God’s children?  Would you like to know what it is?

I’m not talking about an inheritance for some distant day. I’m talking about an inheritance that God intends for His children to use right now.

Check back in tomorrow for exciting details that all of God’s children need to know!

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