Target Run and Done.

**I'm currently taking a History of the Christian Movement course that required me to spend some time immersed in my local culture and connect what I observed to how the gospel can best reach the kind of culture I observed.  Naturally, I chose Target.  I thought it would be fun to share what I wrote, since I had fun writing it :) Nothing profound here, just fun!

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As a busy mama, I decided to kill two birds with one stone with this assignment.  I went to Target.  I had to pick up a few things anyways, so I thought it was appropriate I also observed what was around me.  I started with the parking lot, and moved my way through the store slowly, making an effort to look around me at things I normally would not notice if I was only there to shop and if I had my children with me.  Just for reference, this Target is located in the center of my city.  Our demographic in Hampton, VA is mixed, but the majority of the population is African-American. 

Target is a one-stop-shop for everything someone might need.  What I have noticed more recently is the “drive-up” curbside pickup services offered now.  I can order my items on the Target app on my phone, tell the app when I’m on my way, park in a designated parking spot, and someone magically comes out of the store to deliver my goods.  The transition our culture has made in the name of convenience is quite remarkable.  If driving to the store and sitting in your car is not convenient enough, Target will also deliver your groceries right to your door within hours.  How lazy can we be?

Once inside the store, the marketing strategies attract a culture that never pays full price.  Offers for new discounts with their app (again with the app!), dollar bins right at the entrance, and a plethora of BOGO signs around the store suggest America is always looking for a deal.  From my perspective as a mother, this store offers convenience with their shopping carts designed for toddlers, Starbucks, and wide-open clean aisles to maneuver through.  They have everything I need, from eggs to printer paper to a new sweater (yes, I bought them all on this particular trip).  Our culture as reflected Target is that we like convenience, we like cheap goods, and we like our shopping experiences to be just that: an experience.  The employees were even wearing shirts asking if I’d like a “more rewarding Target run?”  The millennial culture especially values experiences over goods, so it is important for stores to appeal to this generation.  Personally, I visit Target to get out of the house.  But it means I can get a coffee, grab a $1 bag of popcorn to satisfy my children, and probably find everything I need all at once. 

The gospel can speak to this kind of culture by being quick and accessible.  This culture needs an easy-to-understand message that serves them first.  This is how they will be hooked.  Do not ask for money for the church (they’ll ask if they can get 5% back on their tithe).  Do not ask them to compromise their “truth” (for the record, Target also endorses gender-neutral restrooms in some states).  Just lure them in with a message that they are loved, and do not owe you anything.  The gospel will be attractive to this kind of culture when it is presented as an experience, but only one they can journal about in their cute new notebook from aisle 16. 

Leeland: land; open pasture; field; promise fulfilled.

Several years ago, I wrote a couple blog posts about a story in the Bible about the prophet Jeremiah buying a field.  You can find those posts here and here  God spoke to me in that season about a promise He was going to fulfill in our lives, but I wasn’t going to fully understand or see the fulfillment of that promise without first offering a sacrifice.

Long story short, this promise was about our future as a family.  At the time, we were trying to get pregnant with our first child (we had actually miscarried our first pregnancy and were trying for a second pregnancy).  When we finally did become pregnant, we were asked by some friends what our baby names were.  Natalie if the baby was a girl, and Leeland if a boy.  We already knew Natalie means “born on Christmas day” and were shocked to discover Leeland means “land; open pasture; field.” 

Well, when we had Natalie, we were sure we’d have at least one more baby… our Leeland. 

When we became pregnant a second time, we decided not to find out the gender, to the chagrin of many friends and family!

Out came… Eloise.

I’ll be honest… two babies two and under threw me for a loop, and I wasn’t sure for a long time whether or not I wanted to try for a third.

I’ll be even more honest here… my main concern was whether or not we could fit three children in our vehicle.  What a silly reason!  Jordan eased that fear right away by telling me we could just spend a couple hundred dollars on the right car seats that would fit, rather than buy a whole new vehicle!  Brilliant!  And certainly not a reason to stand in the way of God’s promises!

After Ellie turned 1, we knew it was time to try for a third, in God’s perfect timing.

On October 13^th, 2018, I went to church with a broken heart.  I had gotten my cycle and was so disappointed we weren’t pregnant yet.  God really ministered to my heart that night.  He has perfect timing… He sees me.  He has a promise to fulfill.

Exactly one month later, on November 13^th, I found out I was pregnant! I love how God uses numbers in my life.  It’s like it’s His way of saying, “there are no coincidences… I have control of every detail. Wink wink.”

A couple weeks before our ultrasound to find out the baby’s gender, we were singing worship in church, and I noticed the projection screen.  The images were all of aerial shots of FIELDS!  And we were singing a song that’s been recorded by the Christian band… you guessed it… LEELAND.  I leaned over to my friend next to me who knows our story well, and she immediately knew what I was thinking.  This new baby inside of me was our boy… our Leeland.

On July 22^nd, 2019, our beautiful son Leeland Chase was born.  Our promise fulfilled.

But there’s more to this story!

Since about January of this year, Jordan and I decided to pursue finding an investment rental property in Alaska.  Jordan took on most of the work, as I supported him and helped make decisions when he needed my input. 

When June came around and he still hadn’t found a property, he began to feel a bit discouraged.  On our way to a church leader’s meeting, he expressed his doubts and felt maybe God’s timing was further out than what we thought for this property.  Little did we know, our meeting that night was going to give us the opportunity to sit with close friends and share our hearts about this topic and pray for each other. 

That week, Jordan and our realtor found a property he was ready to pursue!  We did look quite a bit into it, and even put in an offer, but ultimately, backed out of that particular property for several reasons.  However, just about a day or two later, Jordan found a duplex hidden away in a town outside of Anchorage where our close friends and property managers live.  And here we are now, new owners of this duplex in Wasilla, AK.  We officially closed on the property in mid-August.

Now, remember what I told you about Leeland’s name meaning “field,” and the prophecy the Lord gave us about “buying a field”? 

The week we closed on the property, our friend texted us this message:

“Hello friends J So I’ve been thinking about something and wanted to share a thought with you that’s kind of been marinating in my heart as I pray for you guys.  So I’m remembering the word that the Lord gave Amy for Leeland so many years ago ;) Part of the promise was found in scripture and the Lord’s encouragement to Jeremiah to go and buy a field.  So as I’ve been praying for you and the property you just purchased, I could not help but connect the fact that Leeland is now here in your arms and you have purchased a field.  Well, maybe not a field but do you see what I’m saying?!?  Do you see how God is leading your hearts?! God is so good and He is so faithful!  And I love watching you two do life!”

HOW had we not put this together ourselves?!  Maybe because we did just have a baby and have been in a bit of a fog…

But her message gave us CHILLS. 

Our Leeland’s arrival at the same time we purchase a property in Alaska…

God told Jeremiah to buy a field in the land He was about to exile the Israelites from, as a sign of His promise that He would one day bring them back to that land.

And maybe this is a stretch (please sense my humor), I have always felt a little “exiled” from Alaska when the Air Force moved us away.  But now we have purchased our “field” as a sign of God’s promise and the dreams in our hearts to one day return to the “promised land” of our dreams! 

It’s been hard for me to get this story put into words… and because of that, I’ve hesitated to share it at all.  I get that this all may seem way out in left field (whoops! No pun intended J), and it may seem like I’m really reaching for something here, but I can’t deny the goodness and the glory of the Lord God. 

And you certainly can’t deny my son who is snuggled in his swing snoozing away, or the keys in our hands for this new property.

“I would have lost heart had I not believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” –Psalm 27:13

Amen!

Our new rental property in Wasilla, AK!

Four baptisms in one summer...

Did you know the Bible talks about four different baptisms?  Most likely, if you’ve been breathing on this earth for any amount of time, you’ve heard of a baptism.  And most likely, the only kind of baptism that you’re thinking of involves someone being immersed in water.  Or, if you’re from a Catholic background, perhaps you’re thinking of infant baptism where water is sprinkled on the baby’s head by a priest.

The other night, our pastor preached about baptisms again, but this time, God revealed something about my past that I had never realized before.  One of the things I appreciate about Pastor Fred (www.citylifeva.com) is that several times a year, he will preach about topics he has already addressed.  He always brings fresh wisdom to these sermons, so even if you’ve been around City Life Church for a while, tune in.  There’s usually something new being shared you haven’t heard before.

To listen to his sermon, click here: Holy Spirit Series- Pentecost Part One

I won’t even try to summarize his sermon from that night, but I will offer this image from his slides, and what the Holy Spirit revealed to me as I was sitting in my seat.

The word “baptism” literally means to be “immersed.” 

Baptism in Water: being immersed in water, this baptism is a symbol of sin washing away, coming up made new and making a public declaration of your commitment to the Lord. (P.S. if you’ve ever seen a child choose to be baptized, and share their reasons for it, bring your tissues. There is something so precious about a child who has chosen this huge step of faith!)

Baptism into the Body of Christ: being immersed into a church body is one of the expectations God places on us as Christians.

Baptism of Fire: quite literally, being immersed in a season of suffering.

Baptism with the Holy Spirit: listen to PF’s sermon J ultimately, this baptism means to be immersed in the Holy Spirit, empowered by the Holy Spirit to share the gospel with the world.

I honestly had never heard of the latter three baptisms on that list until coming to City Life Church in 2013.  In a way, I’ve been a little upset about that!  How had I attended churches for almost ten years before really hearing what Scripture has to say about baptism?!

Over the years, I’ve actually written graduate papers about baptism of the Holy Spirit, and been listening to PF’s sermons on baptisms.  So when he started preaching the other night, I settled into my seat, eager to learn something new.

And when this slide came onto the projection screen, I heard (well, felt… I don’t really heard the audible voice of God) the Holy Spirit whisper to me:

You experienced all four of these baptisms within just weeks of each other in the summer of 2014.

And I immediately knew what He was talking about.

In the summer of 2014, we had been attending City Life Church for about 8 months. 

On June 1^st, we were getting ready to head up to our Williamsburg campus (then held at a YMCA) to participate in their water baptism.  Jordan and I had never been baptized as believers.  We both had been baptized as infants in the Catholic Church, and had prayed over the years about whether or not being baptized as adult believers was really “necessary.”  So on this day, we were getting ready to make a very prayerful decision about walking forward in our faith with God surrounded by our new church community.

That Sunday, we also found out we were expecting for the first time.  As many of you know, we had been trying for quite awhile, and had undergone a lot of infertility testing that spring.  To find out we were pregnant on the same day we chose to be baptized was miraculous.

Just a few weeks after our baptism in water, we miscarried that baby.  That season marks one of the most difficult times of suffering in my life.   I was heartbroken, confused, scared, and lost.  I was going through baptism in fire.

That summer, we were on the cusp of choosing to become members of the church and start officially tithing.  Over the 5 years of our marriage, we hadn’t actually ever become members of a church.  We were always moved too quickly by the Air Force to settle in!  In July, we decided to become members of City Life Church and wrote our first tithing check.  We experienced baptism into the body of Christ.  And wow did that feel good.  We were committed to this church and these people.  We were home.

About the third week in July, I traveled to camp in Pennsylvania with our church’s youth group as a volunteer leader.  I was excited to get out of Hampton and be distracted from the pain we had suffered that summer.  I had no idea how God would meet me at camp.  I thought I was there for the kids!  Apparently, God had bigger plans for me.  About the second night of camp, the lead speaker had an altar call for the leaders to come forward and receive prayer.  I resisted at first.  But as soon as I went up there, the pastor came and put his hand over my head and prayed about my life ahead of me being filled with children.  I fell to my knees and wept.  He had no idea who I was or the loss I had just suffered.  I was overcome with the Father’s love for me and received baptism of the Holy Spirit and my spiritual language.

Now, I realize that at this point, I may have lost of some of you.  You may question what I’m talking about or maybe I’m “stretching the truth” a little bit.  That’s ok.  I realize this topic is heavy, and may not be received well from someone who hasn’t learned about baptisms in this way.  If that’s the case, I really urge you to listen to the sermon I linked above, and reach out to me with questions. 

Don’t let your confusion and doubt keep you from seeing the miracles of God.

Do some research.  Listen to some podcasts.  Ask some questions.  Have these baptisms been present in your life?

What’s even the significance of me sharing such personal details with you all?   Why does this matter?

Honestly, I’m not sure.  I’m not sure what you’ll get out of it.  Maybe you’ll just be left in awe like I was on Saturday night of the revelation God can drop on you in just a moment in church.  Maybe you’ll reflect on your own life and see if these baptisms have been present.  And if not, how come? 

What I am sure of is this: God loves you.  He loves you so much that he desires a life of baptism for you.  A life of immersion.  Immersion into a faith walk with Him.  Immersion into His church.  Immersion into a life of suffering so He can show you His glory and goodness and care for you in those seasons.  Immersion into empowerment by the Holy Spirit to carry out His ministry so all may know His love.

Don’t miss out on this love.

In light of Valentine’s Day tomorrow, I encourage you to think about writing a love note to God.  Let Him know what you feel about Him and commit to placing Him back on the throne of your heart. 

The summer of 2014 was a very transformative, powerful, life-changing summer for me.  Since then, my eyes have been opened wide to the ways God moves every day.  I pray with a boldness I didn’t have before those baptisms.  I have a faith that is unshakable. 

As we are about to welcome our third baby into this family this coming summer, exactly 5 years later, I am in awe of the truth of the words spoken by that pastor at camp.  God knew what I needed that night to restore my hope. 

I hope this testimony reaches you where you’re at, and you’re heart is open. 

All to God’s glory,

Amy

How fasting lead to seminary...

In January, Jordan and I participated in a 3-week fast with our church.  City Life fasts every January up until our anniversary service at the end of the month, as a way to listen to God, prepare our hearts for the new year, and be present with Him.  In the past, Jordan and I have fasted for part of the three weeks, or only fasted something like coffee as I’ve been nursing or pregnant for most of our time at City Life! Ha!

But this year, even though pregnant, we decided to do a sugar-control fast based off the book The Sugar Control Bible .  This program completely eliminated all forms of sugar: no bread or pasta or really carbs of any kind, and certainly no condiments.  Mostly we ate vegetables, meat, and fruit.  We did find alternatives like Bragg’s Liquid Aminos instead of soy sauce, olive oil and vinegar for dressing, and Ezekiel bread for our grains.   We eliminated all juice, coffee, and desserts. 

Let me tell you, the first week was ROUGH.  Headaches, shakes, and pure exhaustion just wiped me out.  Jordan seemed to be doing better than I was, but overall, we struggled.  By the second week we turned a corner, and by week 3, we felt better than we have in months.  It was worth pushing through.  I also feel like all the fruits and veggies we were eating kept our immune systems strong, as both our girls got sick that month and neither of us caught their illness. 

But aside from the details of the physical fast, this was a spiritual fast.  A time where we cleansed our bodies and our hearts to let God speak and move and answer prayer and just allow ourselves to be with our Creator.  All distractions set aside, Jordan and I began praying about some big decisions in our lives. 

For the past 6 months, I have been pursuing applications to graduate schools to begin my Masters of Divinity.  This degree will allow me to pursue my Ph.D. and ultimately find a job as a professor by the time Jordan retires from the Air Force.  See my post titled "Chadash"to read more about this journey.

Towards the end of last fall, I had come to a decision about where to attend school.  I eliminated several from my list, and decided on a school that was local, but I could still attend classes online.  It also has a Ph.D program I could roll into after my MDiv.  However, after nearly three months of dead-end phone calls and emails with their admissions and advising offices, I began to feel this wasn’t the school for me.  I should look elsewhere.  So after we returned from Christmas vacation, and upon starting our fast, I got back online and searched for more schools. 

Denver Seminary came up in my search, as well as my alma mater Wayland Baptist University.  A former professor and now friend clued me in that WBU was adding the biblical languages back into their MDiv, and I could pretty much transfer my entire first degree into that program.  Denver Seminary also offered to take a large portion of transfer credits, but they also encouraged me to start classes this spring as they would give me 50% off tuition due to leftover grant money they still had.  The fact that there was even grant money left so close to the semester beginning was a miracle, and definitely caught my attention.

It came down to needing to make a choice within 48 hours, as I either needed to enroll in classes at Denver Seminary, or continue to wait for Wayland to reply back to me.   It was a Wednesday night, and I needed to register by Friday.  Jordan left the house that night for an appointment, so after I got the girls to bed, I just took time in silence and solitude with my Father. 

Lord, please.  I need clear direction.  A yes or a no will do.  Please make it obvious where I should go to school.

God gave me this verse as I had been praying and reading my Bible: “I [You] have been anointed with fresh oil.” (Psalm 92:10)

This word “anointed” comes from the Hebrew word “balal” which means “to fodder to overflow.”  “Fodder” means “food” typically given to cattle, or in others words “to feed.”  “Anointed” is used in many other places in the Bible with the word “mishchah” (to consecrate), but in this case, David chose “balal.” To feed to overflow.

I am anointing your decision to go back to school, Amy.  And not only that, I’m going to provide an overflow of blessing.  Just trust Me.

I felt I had been given the answer I needed.

Just to be sure, I called Wayland back on Thursday to ask about their financial aid for graduate students.  Unfortunately, they only offered unsubsidized loans.  We had already decided I would not go back to school on loans, so this was disappointing news.  And yet, I felt God answering my prayers.  By the time Jordan got home from work on Thursday, I was sure of my decision.  I shared my heart with him, and Jordan felt God had impressed on him the exact same message.

I would pursue my education at Denver Seminary, and begin classes in just four days.

I already had a scheduled phone call that Friday with a girl from admissions that had reached out to me from the beginning.  I told her I was ready to register for classes, so she walked me through the online process.  As we were talking, she interrupted me and said, “Hey, while I’ve been on the phone with you I’ve been in communication with the financial aid office, and we not only want to offer you the 50% off tuition grant money for this semester, we also want to offer you a merit scholarship based on the fact that you want to pursue your Ph.D. after graduating.”

My jaw-dropped.  And I began to tear up as I asked her to repeat herself.

“Yeah, we have a renewable scholarship for you effective immediately.  So you can use some of that to pay for your credits this semester, too.”

Ok guys, this was truly unbelievable.  I had literally been hitting dead-ends for months.  And what seemed like overnight, I was accepted into one of the top three seminaries for online MDiv programs in the country, and offered a ton of financial help to get started.

I will feed you to overflow.

Having to make huge decisions in a limited amount of time is overwhelming.  But knowing I was trusting in God who loves me, guides me, and sees my future was so reassuring and gave me such peace.  I knew without a doubt I was meant to go back to school.  That decision was made last summer.  So deciding to begin classes last minute for spring semester seemed like a rash choice, but really, it wasn’t.  It was time to walk out my faith and TRUST.

And so, friends, here we go! I’m just beginning my third week of classes, and so far, I’m having a great experience.  This school is everything they claim to be, and have impressed me so much with their program, professionalism, and curriculum.  I am so honored to be a student at Denver Seminary, and am more than excited to finally get going!

If God has impressed a dream on your heart, what are you doing about it? Are you praying? Have you fasted? Have you removed all distraction so you can really hear from Him?  I would love more than anything to encourage you to lean into what God is calling you into, and to be here as a sounding board if you need a listening ear!

Here’s to more new beginnings and to living out my dream!