Dear Justin Bieber,

First off, welcome to Sydney, Australia! Hope you are enjoying your time here so far and that you've gotten to see some of the great things our city has to offer. If you ever have the chance, head over to Newtown Brewtown, they have some of the best cronuts that you just gotta try. But anyway, obviously it is no secret that you are here for Hillsong's annual conference - it's all over the news and A Current Affair even did a piece on it. While I was at the gym today I was able to get a glimpse of what they were saying - don't even bother with it because it's totally exaggerated. Even if one part of it turns out to be true don't pay attention to any of it. While I have never been famous or in your shoes I encourage you to keep on doing you and block the rest of it out. Not just what A Current Affair had to say but what every other person has to say too. There will always be people who frown upon your actions, doubt your beliefs, or find it hard to trust what you say but that's okay because Jesus knows your heart. He has seen your struggle, your journey and yet He still continues to walk the path with you by choice! Be comforted in that truth. Yes you have had some run-ins with the law, your personal life isn't so personal and everyone knows how many times you've snuck into clubs while still being underage but we all have pasts. I don't say that to make you look worse off but so you can realise, there hasn't been a preacher or a pastor nor a person in the pews that is exempt from sin. We all make mistakes and no matter what, we will probably continue to make them - that's what we get for being human. More importantly, because we are human we also get Christ and because of Him we all get futures worth living  and worth looking forward to regardless of our pasts.

Some may call me naive, ignorant, or blindsighted by your fame for saying this but, "Go you!" E.E. Cummings once said, "It takes great courage to grow up and be who you really are." I believe it takes an even greater amount of courage to do that in the public eye. Everything you do will be scrutinised so don't feel like you need to be anything else but who you want to be and who God is calling you to be. Surround yourself with people and pastors -as you have- who will help support you (Eccl 4:9-12 & 1 Thess 5:11).

Like I said, people will come along and comment and maybe their comments will seem real, don't let it get to you. You've been given the life you have for a reason, enjoy it and go to Him daily to help you walk it - only He knows how to do it right.

Love you brother and always rooting & praying for you, Teni

Sidenote: While this letter is mainly addressed to Justin Beiber, it's also for those who find themselves in similar situations. Just because those around you see you as something different doesn't mean anything. There is grace in Jesus, there is love and forgiveness in Him too. Turning to him (or back to Him after a long period of time away) won't make you look like a fake or fraud in His eyes. It shows that you are a human in need of what only the Heavenly Father can provide (Luke 15:10). So it's with that that I end by saying, let go and let God. :)

Music of the Month: November

1. James Blunt - Bonfire Heart

2. Corinne Bailey Rae -Closer

3. Hillsong - Man of Sorrows

4. Alan Ponwall - Chasing Time

Music of the Month: November

1. James Blunt - Bonfire Heart

2. Corinne Bailey Rae -Closer

3. Hillsong - Man of Sorrows

4. Alan Ponwall - Chasing Time

Music of the Month: November

1. James Blunt - Bonfire Heart

2. Corinne Bailey Rae -Closer

3. Hillsong - Man of Sorrows

4. Alan Ponwall - Chasing Time

Music of the Month: November

1. James Blunt - Bonfire Heart

2. Corinne Bailey Rae -Closer

3. Hillsong - Man of Sorrows

4. Alan Ponwall - Chasing Time

Hip-hip Hooray!

"In the cookie dough of life sisters are the chocolate chips." Today, August 30th, is my sister’s birthday and oh how glad I am that God blessed me with that oh so special chocolate chip to call my own. I can’t begin to even describe how much I love her and how much she means to me. As I sit here at my keyboard and try to conjure up the right words to say all our memories, jokes, her bits of godly advice, and ways she’s shown her love time and time again come to mind. I won’t begin to reminisce over them all -don’t want to bore you all- but sissy you know what moments I mean. Our itchy walks, dear Dora, kissing dating goodbye, shady meadow, nysync dance moves, love comes softly part 10, mt. Olivet, etc, etc.

Cheesy as it sounds, even though it’s your birthday it’s you who has given me the best gift -actually I should say gifts- of all. A best friend, mentor, protector, example-setter, and overall, a sister. Simioskotoskos! As the saying goes, it’s not the years in the life but the life in the years. This may be your last year in the 20s and the last time for a while that we are in the same decade but there is still A LOT more to come.

I’m so blessed by you and your presence in my life. I love you soooo very much.

Happy Birthday.

God is such a groupie (and other things I learned from #HillsongConf 2013)

To say last night was amazing is… well, I don’t know. All I know is that amazing just would not cut it. To better describe the last night of Hillsong's 2013 Conference one would have to use words like inspiring; revelation; mind-opening; surprising; emotional; humorous; love-filled; spirit-filled; infinite; you know, something along those lines.

However, because it is physically impossible for me to rewind time and bring you with me, I suppose I could just give you the key points I received from Pastor Judah Smith's all-those-above-words-and-a-bit-more message.

1. John 3:16 + Romans 5:6-8 are alive and real because God is love. (1 John 4:8). It is literally impossible for Him not to love us and everyone including the bad people because He knows no other way. He is love and He will always be love

2. God is a groupie. For example, look at Justin Beiber and his groupies. A bunch of people willing to do anything to meet, see, and hear Justin Beiber no matter the cost. They follow him to all - if not, most - of his shows; they dream of the day that he will be theirs; and every thing he does they hope it’s for them even though they know that there’s a strong possibility that won’t ever happen. Hence, God is our groupie. He longs to be with us, to hear us, to speak to us, and to see us even though He knows some will reject Him. God longs for our praises and will never stop looking for them.

3. He’s got a bad case of the so-loves. I mean just look at John 3:16 for example. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him shall not die but have everlasting life.” With that then comes so many other things: 

For God so loves us that…

• He continues to forgive us EVERY time we stuff up (1 John 1:9)
• He helps us find our way when we find ourselves lost. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
• He wants nothing but an awesome life for us. (Jeremiah 29:11)
• makeup, muscles, clothes, and looks don’t matter to Him. (1 Samuel 16:7)
• He will NEVER forget you - even though it feels as though He has. (Isaiah 49: 15-16)
• His loving ways will remain the same forever - (Hebrews 13:8)
  

There are so many other cases where His love is evident. It’s not only the Bible that will show you them, just look back at your life ad see the proof! It’s unbelievable to think such a great being can work on such a microscopic level too.

4. He is the Hosea to our Gomer. If you flip through the book of Hosea, you will find a story of a wealthy and prominent man in society who was told by God to marry a woman of lesser value, a prostitute (Mind you, back then that had got to be one of the most embarrassing and awkward things you could do). So Hosea married her and they were living  a pretty good life with their 3 kids until one day she ran out on him. Hosea looked everywhere for her only to finally find her back in the slums selling herself again. It was after he had seen his own wife in her demoralizing position that God told Hosea, take her back (Hosea 3:1). God wanted Hosea to forgive her and have her come back with him. (Just hold on, it gets crazier). Not only did he have to take her back, he then found out that he had to buy her back - his own wife! Being the man he was, Hosea bought her from another and then proclaimed his love with a new set of vows (Hosea 3:3).

    Imagine that, having to buy something that you didn’t lose, that you cherished, that you loved, something that was already yours. That is what God did with us. We were His until sin took us away. He then had to send His only son to die for us as a wage to get us back. If that is not real love I do not know what is.

The message given by Pastor Judah went a bit deeper than what you just read but the whole point of it still remains. We are loved so much by God that it’s too crazy to wrap our heads or hearts around it. In short, we are loved by God.

I just want to end this post with some of the last words Pastor Judah said:

          This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  - 1 John 4:10-11

Music of the Month

1. Ellie Goulding - Your Song

2. Bridgit Mendler - Ready or Not

3. Hillsong - Stay and Wait

4. Matt Corby - Brother

5. Phil Wickham - Divine Romance

6. Ben Rector - When a Heart Breaks

Music of the Month

1. Ellie Goulding - Your Song

2. Bridgit Mendler - Ready or Not

3. Hillsong - Stay and Wait

4. Matt Corby - Brother

5. Phil Wickham - Divine Romance

6. Ben Rector - When a Heart Breaks

Music of the Month

1. Ellie Goulding - Your Song

2. Bridgit Mendler - Ready or Not

3. Hillsong - Stay and Wait

4. Matt Corby - Brother

5. Phil Wickham - Divine Romance

6. Ben Rector - When a Heart Breaks

Music of the Month

1. Ellie Goulding - Your Song

2. Bridgit Mendler - Ready or Not

3. Hillsong - Stay and Wait

4. Matt Corby - Brother

5. Phil Wickham - Divine Romance

6. Ben Rector - When a Heart Breaks

You are not alone

How many times have you heard someone say, “You are not alone?” Whether it was directed at you or to someone else, it’s probably been quite a few times right? However, no matter how many times you have heard it please don’t ever become desensitized to that truth. Don’t ever forget that it is truth.

Last week I attended a Hillsong album recording with a few friends. Although admission was free it was still sold out. By that I mean that everyone there was sold out for Jesus. It wasn’t about watching a show, showing up to meet friends, or showing off your religiosity. As the pastor said, that night was about “your spirit identifying with its creator”. That’s exactly what happened. I loved being in the midst of so many people who were so on fire for God.

It was such a humbling experience because it reminded me of how far God has brought me. My entire life I have always grown up in or around the church. As I grew older and moved away from home for college my relationship with Christ became stagnant. I allowed the things around to affect me negatively. In my eyes it seemed as though no one else was going through the same things I was. I invited people to youth group but most of the time they were too busy; I stayed in some weekends while others went out because God was calling me to be different; not to mention the ride to church was a lonely one because again, like most times my friends had other plans. After a while I found myself questioning my beliefs and asking if this was really a life worth living. It was a difficult time in my life because this new road God was calling me to walk left me feeling abandoned. Even though I had grown up in the church I seriously considered leaving it for a while (Man, let me just take a moment to say that doubt, lies, and cloudy thoughts will have you feeling every emotion God never desired for your life).

Moving on to my senior year, God brought me the most amazing set of friends. Friends that understood the lifestyle God was calling me to lead, friends that I could pray with, and most of all these same people were asking me to join in on their youth group! I remember one service I found myself crying during the praise and worship. At that moment God reminded me: “This is what you prayed for freshman year. A group of girls - and some guys - that you could grow close to so you would not feel alone as you grew up in me.” Funny how I had forgotten that prayer until then. Looking back though, I’m glad I did because it made me appreciate those God-given friendships all the more.

Long story short, this is why I urge you Christians to remember that you are not alone. The world will have you feel like you’re a crazy Christian; too religious; uncool; and amongst a bevy of other things, unwanted. There are other people out there just like you who want more people like YOU as a friend, just patiently wait on God for them. Although, even when you are waiting you still aren’t alone - you have Jesus.

Lastly, I just want to share this with you:

Romans 5: 3-5 “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”