Pageant Weekend

Pageant weekend came and went. Similar to a wedding, you plan and plan and the event flies by in the blink of an eye. The difference is that after a wedding you leave with a new spouse and pageants don't guarantee you come away with anything.

This year's Mrs. Missouri pageant was a fierce competition for sure. The women I competed against were nothing short of amazing. I did not end up winning the title as I had hoped, but did place as 2nd runner up, and I am happy with that! I think it was a blonde's turn to win anyway. Congratulations Melissa Roe, this year's Mrs. Missouri, United States. I am proud of myself and my other competitors for stepping out of our comfort zones and taking on the challenge of competing, especially when part of the competition involves wearing a swim suit on stage after having kids! If only I would have gotten more pictures.



From left to right:
4th runner up- Micki Lynn Fisher, 2nd runner up- Lindsey Batson (me!), 3rd runner up- Shelly Wood.


Mrs. Missouri 2010, Melissa Roe

The Big Picture

I'm enjoying God's reminders that life's not all about me.

Last night I watched “Idol Gives Back”. I listened to the heart breaking stories of individuals all around the world with tears streaming down my face. I guess I have just become more aware of others as I’ve grown older and especially since becoming a mother.

I want to change the world, but I’m just one girl and sometimes I feel like a drip in the ocean. To borrow from Yael Naim “See I’m a young soul in this very strange world.” And what a strange world this is. People are sick and dying of preventable causes in Africa, there are motherless and homeless children all around the world, and even here in our own country there are people starving. Yet at the same time MTV is producing shows like “Teen Cribs” and women all over the United States are tuning out the world’s problems as they tune in to “Desperate Housewives”.

Something is very wrong. I am pointing the finger directly at myself here. The world is sick, and yet even though I know all of these things I somehow find a way to block them out most days. They seem worlds away from me and my immediate concerns of “Brooke won’t stop crying” or “I want a bigger house”. I think at times the problems are too big to face and I just don’t want to face them. They are giants and I am not even David. I’m the pebble that David used in his sling shot. The giant that demands immediate attention is a very dangerous one. It is the giant of a selfish mindset. I have to beat him in order to take on the other giants our world is facing. It is a struggle every day to live outside of myself and look at the big picture of what is going on in this world, but slowly I am attempting to kill the selfish monster that lives inside the chamber walls of my heart. The good news is I do not have to do it on my own. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. (Phil 4:13)

Proof that God Exists

Someone once asked me how I know God exists. I can boldly answer that question.
How do I know God exists? Because I feel him in every fiber of my being. I breathe him in with every breath. My pulse quickens at the mention of His name. He gives joy to my soul and is the very essence of who I am. While I cannot force you to believe, I can tell you I know confidently and without a doubt that He is.

My past only further confirms what my heart tells me. I have lived both with Him and without Him. The difference in the two lifestyles screams that God is real. When I chose to include Him in my journey He lit my path. When I shut Him out the days were dark. I have seen Him do miracles with my own eyes.

Beth Moore says it best...

"In my estimation, atheism demands far more faith than theism, so I have never been significantly tempted to disbelieve in the existence of God. The evidence in His favor is overwhelming. I wouldn't have the energy for the endless rationalizations demanded to explain existence without Him. Genesis 1:1 begins with "in the beginning God created..." Those who believe in a godless universe thus far can't even find a beginning to base their belief system upon. Psalm 14:1 says, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'"

Beth continues on...

"Godless philosophies have not been my temptation. In my life experience the most dangerously influential opinions have been those held by intellectuals and scholars who profess Christianity but deny the veracity and present power of the Bible. To many, the Godhead exist, but they are not exactly who Scripture say they are. Neither do they do what Scripture says they can do. The obvious brilliance of these scholars supported by a convincing list of degrees tempts those who wanted to believe God's Word to feel gullible and ignorant. The unspoken indictment is, "How could you be stupid enough to believe that?" Translation: "Did God really say...?" (Like the serpent in the garden.) Like Eve, we want to feel smart, so we end up making the stupidest decision of our lives. NOTHING is more ignorant than choosing man's intelligence over God's."

Counseling and Religion

The (very liberal) counseling program I am currently in teaches us that if a client asks about our spiritual or religious beliefs we answer them with something like:
"It seems important to you to know what my spiritual life is like. I do not feel comfortabale discussing that within the therapy relationship, but I can assure you my beliefs will not interfere in our sessions and together we can walk the path of self discovery."

That is a great text book response, but there is just one problem; my beliefs will interfere with the counseling process. There is no seperating my beliefs from me and if a client is in the room with me, my beliefs are in the room too. While I would never judge a client with different views, or try to force my values on them, I cannot say I would be a completely blank slate.

I think asking a therapist to be completely blank is unreasonable. I can be nonjudgmental, open minded, and empathic, but I will not give up my faith in the name of "good therapy". Why? Jesus was and is the epitome of "good therapy" and I will always take His route vs. mankind's.