Author Archives: kyla.m.avery

Burning the Ditches

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It is officially spring! The snowbanks are nearly gone, birds are chirping and the sun is back to shining brightly. And with the budding of a new season comes this little mystery( to me): guys on the side of the country roads burning ditches.

I’ve seen this multiple times as I’m driving to and from town. So, I finally decided to look up why they are burning the ditches.

So it is a common practice for farmers to burn the ditches in preparation for future crops. They use the ditches to channel the water into their irrigation systems. The less debris and plant life built up in the ditch, the more freely the water flows. So they burn the dead plants, leaves etc in the spring to clear the way for a new season. Simple but brilliant.

This got me thinking about what “debris” there may be built up in my life that are obstructing the flow of God’s sweet, life-giving waters in and through me. What dead things are just crowding my heart and mind unnecessarily?

So I’ve decided to make that my prayer this week. I think the farmers have it right and we could all use a little “burning the ditches” in our lives.

 

 

Rub-a-dub-dub

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Welcome to week one of the Throwbacks Series! I have tons of handwritten journal entries from years past that I’d love to share with you.

 

April 4, 2012

Oxygenation

Think about a bath tub full of water with some bubble bath poured into it. The aroma, appearance, relaxation and essentially the purpose and benefits of having the bubble bath in the water are triggered by movement. For example, the addition of new water to the tub stirs the water. Or turning on jets creates a consistent addition of air, which creates a bubble empire that only multiplies with the addition of more air.

Now think about this in relation to the breath of God in your life. It is possible to sit still, stagnant and still possess the goodness of God. But the moment you allow some variety of INPUT into your being, that life that comes from God’s Spirit within you becomes activated. You can survive without it or thrive with it.

Which are you choosing?

 

Married, Moved and a Mother: Back from the (cyber) dead

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Hello long lost following friends! Remember me?!

No, I did not fall off the face of the Earth.

Yes, my world has changed since our last encounter.

But alas, the time has come to bust out the proverbial AED, slap those pads on and shock this heart back into rhythm. Maybe you can relate.

I heard an artist on the radio today talking about the lyrics of his song. He explained that it is based on a story he heard from a pastor who had an expert heart surgeon in his church. After a lot of begging, the heart surgeon allowed the pastor to come observe an open heart surgery.

The pastor watched the surgeon use calculated, precise incisions and sutures. He tried various procedures on the patient , but appeared to be unsuccessful, as the patient’s heart had stopped beating.

The pastor watched as the heart surgeon leaned down and said, “Ma’am, you are going to have to tell your heart to start beating again.”

And it did.

And so, here I sit telling myself, “It’s time to tell your heart to beat again.”

Thump, thump…thump, thump…thump, thump….

Freeze Frame!

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I would like to take a moment to interrupt our current segment, “And That’s Why America is Fat” to make this special announcement:

I am getting MARRIED!!!!!

For just over six months I have been dating the most fabulous Lenny Avery.

To celebrate 6 months together he not only surprised me with a lovely dinner at The Melting Pot in Atlanta, but also proposed!

I am so blessed and excited about God’s faithfulness in giving me an incredible man of God to do life with. Thank you Lord!!!!!

And That’s Why America’s Fat: Food That’s Fast

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Food – we eat it, we love it, we need it. For many of us Americans, food is a luxury that we approach with wide eyes and big appetites, while many other cultures look through the lens of survival. Now, this is not an attempt to make you feel guilty or to put the small voice in your head at meal time saying, “There are starving children in Africa, so you better appreciate what you have and clear your plate.” There are starving children in Africa, but I in no way promote over eating out of guilt or  attempting to satisfy the pull inside of you compelling you to do something about it by eating your way back to complacency. I am fairly certain that you clearing your plate (or telling your children to) is not going to affect those African children AT ALL.

Anyway, I’ve got a lot to point out about American eating habits vs. those from around the globe. Today I would like to highlight fast food.

We LOVE convenience. I’ll admit, it is luxurious to not have to plan and prepare EVERY meal, but convenience certainly comes with a cost. Now, this fact is cross-cultural. People around the globe appreciate convenience, however it looks dramatically different.

For example, in the US our normal fast food approach is to drive thru the establishment of our choice usually to pick up a high calorie, usually nutritionally devoid sandwich and some sort of side item soaked in grease. On the other hand we have  an example of China’s version fast food which is some sort of handmade steamed dumpling served with fresh meats and vegetables inside. Both are made to order and ready in minutes, however in a foot race to a heart attack I am certain the US version of fast food would win.

In our attempts to satiate our appetites for convenience we fail to note the cost we really are paying, both physically and financially, which leads me to my next blog……”And That’s Why America’s Fat: Twice the Price”. Stay tuned!

Intro: “And That’s Why America is Fat”

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I am not a dietitian. I do not have a medical degree. I am severely lacking qualifications to validate this title. I do however have experience living in cultures all over the world, which has given me a plethora of knowledge through observation.

I have lived in a tent on a Haitian beach. I have prepared food over a charcoal stove each day in Uganda. I have walked over a mile each way to catch the bus in Romania. I have scrubbed my clothes by hand in Nicaragua. I have gone to the market each morning to get food for the day in China. Each of these experiences and more, have shaped my perspective on the differences between American culture and those around the world. In the sections to come we will explore the theories I’ve developed about America’s health status as compared to other countries. Choices related to food, exercise, medicine, and lifestyle all contribute to what I consider to be an unfortunate epidemic in our culture: obesity.

As previously mentioned these are theories. Maybe you’ll disagree or even prove me wrong, both of which I welcome. Ultimately I hope this will at the very least provoke a desire to make healthy choices for yourselves. You may be American, but you certainly don’t have to be fat.

Check back soon for further exploration of the fuel to the flame of my new favorite tagline: “And That’s Why America is Fat”.

Thoughts?

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I enjoy writing, however I admittedly struggle with what exactly I should write about. In an effort to get some feedback I’ve provided some titles and or prompts that I have an interest in writing about. Please comment and let me know if any of these are of interest to you!

 

1. “Falling Off the Face of the Earth” – Exploring the “Impossibility” of Being Disconnected in Today’s Social Media Driven Culture

2. “And That’s Why America is Fat” – A World Traveler’s Theories on America’s Obesity Problems

3. “Bathroom Revelations” – Stuff God Told Me in the Secret and Quiet Place of the Lavatory

4. “Learning to Love” – The Power of TRULY Meeting People Exactly Where They Are

 

Those are just a few ideas that come to mind. As I think of more (probably while in the lavatory), I’ll continue to employ the services of your input. Let’s hear those thoughts!

Movement: A New Angle

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Something is wrong. Something is wrong with the current state of the Christian community that I live in. I’m so outraged. I don’t understand why there are single women here and so many men apparently uninterested in pursuing them. Let’s make it more personal….I don’t understand why I am still single. Furthermore I don’t understand why the only men who have taken an interest in me are neither from this community nor Christ lovers as far as I know. What the hell?

Literally, what hell has invaded this community to leave longing hearts in some sort of loneliness purgatory? I refuse to believe that we are supposed to be sitting around waiting to be picked for the proverbial kickball game, hoping that someone will pick us, never sure if we will actually get a chance to participate. That is crap. Now perhaps we will continue with the kickball game idea. It’s certainly not boys against girls. Somewhere along the skewed lines of “how Christian relationships are supposed to work” I feel like there are sides. The frustrated women, apparently waiting for the men to show up and the seemingly equally frustrated men who don’t seem to recognize that they are a part of the solution.

So here we sit on the merry-go-round which at this point is neither merry nor moving, and we are pointing fingers at each other. The women saying “just pick someone” the men saying “just wait for someone to pick you” neither statement which actually addresses the fact that no one is actually moving. Less talk, more rock people.

Women, it’s okay for you to keep moving. Men, the fact that the women are moving shouldn’t paralyze you, but rather should encourage you to move. To move DIFFERENTLY than they are moving. How are you to gain courage when surrounded by courageous women? Move. You can move MORE than the women. You were designed to move ahead of the women. You were created first ON PURPOSE. LET the women encourage you.

And yes, I am specifically talking about dating and relationships and marriage. Am I dating, in a relationship or married? Sure aren’t, hence the blog poking and probing in hopes of hitting a nerve somewhere in my generation.

Personally I think everyone needs to chill out, go on a date, and someday get laid. Here are some ideas I have to potentially make those things a reality in your world:

Men:

1. Ask women out….like on a real date. It is actually okay to go on a date for the sake of going out on a date. It’s not a marriage proposal.

2. Give yourself the freedom to look at your “sisters in Christ” as more than that. Yep, just like any other chick you check out in the grocery store. We are not actually related you know.

3. Take the risk. Yep, you might ask a girl out and it ends up sucking. Maybe even putting you both in a temporarily socially awkward scenario, but what if it goes awesome instead? One way to never find out is to never ask. Don’t let your fear of failure conquer you.

Women:

1. When the aforementioned man asks you on a date, realize that’s all it is: a date, not a marriage proposal.

2. Be present. Don’t skip ahead to the wonderland of fantastical relationships in your head. As much as is womanly possible stick with what is in front of you, one day at a time. If homeslice is interested in date #2 or 3 or 7, he’ll let you know. And if he’s not, he’ll let you know (nudge, nudge, wink, wink men).

3. Let the man be THE MAN. You were designed to encourage a man into his destiny. Let him walk it out and you cheer him on. The more strides he takes, the more you cheer. It’s like clockwork….in a strangely complicated clock…..

Are these “the answers”? Probably not, but they are ideas, and last time I checked it’s usually ideas that instigate change. It is what it is, but I refuse to believe this is how we were designed. Let’s get with the program people.

Movement: A Revelation (Part 3)

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My brain works in analogies. The situations I learn the most from are those that draw parallels between what I can see (in front of me or in my mind’s eye) and what I believe. Analogies are a HUGE faith builder for me.

Anyway, recently the Lord has given me a word I think worth sharing, as it definitely pertains to movement. The word: SPREAD OUT. Not only did the Lord give me the word, but he gave me a series of pictures to help me understand what on Earth he meant.

#1 – Fertilizer

Okay, I’ll be honest, I didn’t see a picture of miracle grow……it was a pile of crap…literally. As I thought about why the Lord was showing me that I realized it’s quite genius. You see, a pile of poop is fairly worthless and disgusting as strictly a pile of poop. However, when you SPREAD it OUT over a plot of ground where things have been planted, it encourages and increases the ability for life to grow. Brilliant picture.

#2 – Team Sports

Whether basketball, football, hockey, baseball or volleyball, the concept of SPREADing OUT is extremely necessary to the success of the team. You never see a volleyball team bunch up into one corner as they wait for the other team to serve. And a baseball team certainly does not gather around third base as a pitch is thrown. Clumping the entire team together is possibly the worst defense and offense in the context of most (if not all) team sports. In team sports it is understood that each player has a role to play to contribute to the team. Everyone accepts the job they are assigned, the position they are playing to make the team successful. Everyone cannot be the quarterback. Can you imagine that? Ridiculous.

#3 – Search Party

This one was the most punctuated for me personally. I happen to be fairly well versed in the department of survival skills…like in the wilderness. (I’m serious.) Anyway, standard protocol for what to do in the event of finding yourself lost in the wilderness is the stay put. It takes a lot of willpower to stay in one place, but that is the best way to get found.

The flip side of that is (assuming you were smart enough to tell someone when & where you were going) someone will eventually notice you are missing and will initiate a search party. If you’ve never been a part of a search party, I’ll clue you in on what it looks like. A LOT of people come together. The more people, the more likely you are to find the person quickly. Everyone SPREADs OUT over the designated area, maintaining about a 10-15 ft gap between each other. It is essential that everyone in the search party SPREADs OUT while maintaining sight of both the party members on either side of them. Everyone in the search party then begins to move at the same pace through the area being searched, combing the area with their eyes and ears as they go, the end goal being finding said lost person.

SPREAD OUT.

This is a call to the Christian community.

Is all your time spent solely with other people who believe what you believe? Think like you think?

You have something to offer to the people “out there”. If you choose not to share it…it literally becomes like a pile of crap…doesn’t produce any life.

SPREAD OUT!

Are you riding someone else’s coattails? Chasing someone else’s dream?

Have you considered that maybe you’re not supposed to play the same position as them?

You’re part is just as essential as theirs. They are different on purpose.

You are different ON PURPOSE.

SPREAD OUT!!

Is your heart breaking for “the lost”?

Are you REALLY interested in helping find people in the wilderness and bringing them back into the hope there is in Jesus?

One man walking in the forest looking for another lost man is a recipe for two lost men. You need a team, a community, a people willing to literally walk side by side through the brush until the lost are found.

We need to SPREAD OUT!!!

Movement Part 2: Teamwork

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Looking over the 17 definitions listed for the word movement, I am quite intrigued by the fact that many of them refer to movement as a function or result of something produced by a group or multiple parts.

For example:

– actions or activities, as of a person or a body of persons

– a change of position or location of troops or ships

– the course, tendency, or trend of affairs in a particular field

– a diffusely organized or heterogeneous group of people or organizations tending toward or favoring a generalized common goal

– the working parts or a distinct portion of the working parts of a mechanism, as of a watch

Viewing the concept of movement through the lens of group participation brings our world into a whole new light. You….WE were not designed to tackle everything around us as individuals. Now this is the part where things may begin to sound cliche, but let’s be honest, most cliches have some tinge of truth imbedded in them.

Sure, we each individually are presented with the choice of movement: where to move, when to move, whether or not to move, etc. However the moment we take our eyes off ourselves and consider the impact that our movement can have on others is the moment our movement begins to carry greater weight.

(Insert mental picture here…….some options for you include an avalanche, the Kony 2012 campaign, dominoes, Occupy Wall Street, the movie V for Vendetta…etc)

The power of unified individuals MOVING together has the potential to change, challenge and improve our world.There is in fact strength in numbers.

Now, as a human being meandering around this planet, you are a part of the sum total whether you like it or not. Therefore your choices DO affect the whole once again, whether you acknowledge that or not. We each have the option to MOVE regardless of the circumstances that surround us. We each have the responsibility to make a choice to do it.

Are you choosing movement?

Why? Why not?

Look around, are others moving?

Why? Why not?

Have you allowed your circumstances to decide for you? (TAKE BACK YOUR FREEDOM TO CHOOSE! MOVE!!!)

Stagnancy, lethargy, lack of self-control, laziness, fear…..all enemies of forward motion.

Punch that stuff in the face and get a move on!!!

The first move takes the most energy.