The Painter

One of the most iconic parts of Tiger Stadium is the Eye of the Tiger symbol that is painted on the center of the field. It’s a symbol of the blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice that the athletes make for the sake of success. As a Golden Girl at LSU, I danced around the Eye of the Tiger for 3 years! When I started working for LSU Athletics and on into my sideline reporting days, I was still able to view the iconic symbol while standing on the field. I get chills thinking about some of my experiences in Tiger Stadium and how fortunate I have been to have a viewpoint most never get to see.

During a typical game week, the Eye is carefully hand painted a few days before the game. So much work goes into painting that symbol and yet, within minutes of play, it’s trampled on and destroyed. The next week the field crew comes out, fills in the holes, and repaints the Eye. It’s the same process every week. Let’s pretend God oversees the painting of the Eye. He carefully takes the blood of Christ and paints over our imperfections, and within minutes we trample and destroy it with sin. Thank goodness God never runs out of paint. He continues this process over and over again because the blood of Christ is meant to cover the death of sin.

Sometimes It’s hard to comprehend the amount of love God has for us. It’s even harder for us to not get selfish in thinking that the blood of Christ was poured out just for you and I. Yes, even those who have hurt us deeply get God’s greatest gift. Today, we are going to take a look at the Last Supper.

Read Matthew 26:20-31

I am sure you have read this story a few times. The first thing he does is say, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” (Verse 20). Jesus is having his last supper on Earth sitting at the table with the man that betrayed him in exchange for 30 silver coins… the price of a slave. Yet, in verse 27 this is what happens. “Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying “Drink from it, all of you.” Jesus is offering communion with everyone, even Judas. He didn’t say all of you can receive forgiveness except the one who is going to betray me. Jesus had every right to deny Judas that opportunity of communion, yet he offered everyone the blood of the new covenant for the forgiveness of sins. As Christians, once we accept Christ, we are to have a desire to walk in a Christ-like manner. That includes passing the cup around the table so that your enemies can receive forgiveness as well.

Forgiveness is hard. God doesn’t ever expect us to take the burden of forgiving others on our own. Where we struggle to forgive, God has already forgiven through Christ’s sacrifice. You may feel like you have been painting that logo in the center of the field over and over again, yet it continues to get stomped on and destroyed. This is when you allow God to be the painter of the field. Our lives are not our fields to paint. He is the only one that has enough paint to cover their sin. I want you to know that forgiveness doesn’t all depend on you.  Yes, we need to chase after a heart like Christ… that sat at the Last Supper offering a cup to his betrayer. But without Christ, forgiveness would be a foreign concept to us. We must lean on Jesus to help us paint over the areas of hurt and pain.

I want to end with a few questions for you think about.

Do you struggle with forgiveness? Have you been trying to do it by yourself all this time, not depending on Jesus to help you?

If your answer is yes, reach out to me. I have some resources that could help you.

“Our lives are not our fields to paint.”

Why I Sing

I sing because it gives me joy.

I sing because it’s the calm in the storm.

I sing to worship.

I sing because it’s fun.

I only sing for Jesus.

Growing up I was not known as “a singer”. I was a dancer. That’s what I identified with. I sang in choir all throughout middle school and some in high school, but then I quit when all of my friends moved up to advanced choir and I was going to be left behind. You see, there was a big problem with my singing. When I got nervous, the nerves completely overtook my voice. I couldn’t control it. I bombed every audition and every tryout. So, I decided to invest heavily in dance, and it certainly paid off.

Fast forward many years later, I married into a family of music. Not just any family of music… a family with so much talent, it makes you just sit back in awe. My husband has been blessed beyond belief with musical talent. I’m proud he channels it mostly toward worship at our church (country music is a close second). Inevitably, when you live with someone like that, music becomes a part of you too. I started to invest in music again. I began singing with our church choir in 2009 and praise team in 2014. There were growing pains in picking up that rusty voice again…. Oh yea and there was that glaring issue of what the nerves did to my voice. But Brent was patient with me… and so was the church🤣.

Over time I have learned to better control it. Side note: I learned to control nervousness through initiating pain. It sounds crazy, but when I felt the nerves taking over I would grip the mic so hard that my fingernails would press into my skin. Inflicting pain intentionally tricks your mind into focusing on the pain instead of the situation. Look it up! It’s a legit mind trick. You’re welcome!

The next thing I learned to do was let the Holy Spirit take over. That’s when worship reached a whole new level for me. This is why I only sing for Jesus. No other vocal space includes the Holy Spirit like that of the church. Any other place, you have to rely on pure talent. LOL. Do I still get nervous? For sure! But I know Who carries me. I sing for something and someone bigger than myself.

Someone asked me the other day, “Are you a singer?” And I had a hard time answering that question. I wanted to say no, not at all. The good thing about singing with your husband is he knows your flaws and he knows how to cover them! But the question stumped me and I wondered why I struggled to answer it. So I decided to put serious thought into why I sing. Maybe you have struggled to use your voice or anything else for the Kingdom. You can replace the word “sing” with anything you do for God. I am praying these thoughts help you.

I sing because it’s one brave thing I do for God.

Yep, you gotta be brave and vulnerable to sing in front of people. No one is perfect. There will be mistakes. There will be weird notes. There will be missed intros, and 500 people get to be a part of that imperfection. Ugh. I do it so that maybe it encourages others to do one brave thing for God…. One vulnerable thing for Him. You don’t have to be on a stage to be brave. In fact, the most brave things happen in more tender and relational moments. Sometimes asking someone if they go to church is the bravest and boldest of moves. Can you be brave this week for God? What brave thing is He asking you to do? Do it!

I sing as an act of worship with my husband.

I feel incredibly lucky that we get to serve God together in this way. We push each other to be better while growing closer to God. Serving together is not all sunshines and rainbows. Sometimes it is difficult. He is our leader. I serve as a contributing member of the team, not as his wife. It took me a bit to understand that concept, but it’s what makes him good at his job! Serving together is less about us and our emotions and feelings and more about those that we lead.

You don’t have to sing to grow closer together in your faith. How are you and your husband or friends engaging with God together? It can be as simple as praying, going to Sunday school together, going to church together, and reading God’s Word. The important thing is that you both seek God hand in hand. Grow together, not separately.

I sing because I’m prepping for eternity.

There will be a day when I no longer sing on the praise team. We will usher in a new generation of singers and God will use me somewhere else. Will I stop singing? No! I will sing of His love forever. Revelation is a book full of worship and song. We will sing “Hallelujah!” and “Holy Holy Holy” for eternity with Jesus. It’s one of the few things we do on earth and also in Heaven. Woah! God will allow our voices to carry over into heaven to lift Him high. Do you have goosebumps? We are merely practicing for eternity. How can you use your voice on Earth in preparation for Heaven? I do not mourn the day God places me in a new spot to serve Him because our days of singing are never done.

I sing for my children.

Our children have watched us sing together since they were born. They have even listened to it while in the womb! They have seen us serve together all of their lives. They have seen their momma do one brave thing for Jesus. They have seen their dad bring others to their knees for Jesus. They have seen the tears, the imperfect worship, and mistakes as well. I pray it gives them confidence. But what I’m most proud of is that they see all the behind the scenes work too. They arrive with us just about every Sunday (sometimes grumpy… wait…mostly grumpy) before anyone shows up for practice. We’re so thankful for sweet friends and family that show up early with us to help with kids. The kids see Brent plugging in, setting up, checking sound etc. They see more work off-stage than on the stage.

The girls LOVE music and they love Jesus. Perhaps my singing has nothing to do with me and everything to do with them. Perhaps it’s all about them and the ministry impact they will have one day. We should be praying that our children make a greater splash for God than we could ever do as parents. I see it unfolding in the small things. I see Aly bring friends and family members to the altar to pray, because she has seen us do it. I see Sadie sing with all her heart and soul (that girl has passion), because she has seen us do it. I hear Joey start every prayer with, “Thank you dear God,” because he has heard someone in our family do it.

So yea…. I sing for them. 🥹

Pick one thing you can do for your children or anyone that you have influence over. Show them what brave and bold Christianity looks like. Show them what service looks like (especially behind the scenes). Show them what joy and worship looks like in preparation for Heaven. Show them what growing together in faith and in marriage looks like. Please don’t think our family is perfect at this. We are not! Our kids see our mistakes and flaws too… I promise! My middle one is very good at pointing them out!

God gives us a plethora of reasons to sing. Maybe next time someone asks me about singing, I’ll have a better answer. I won’t struggle to respond. This whole blog was written in the context of singing at church, but we all have a voice. We all have a choice to sing His praises or not. We all have the ability to be a voice of hope and light. Can you use your voice to be brave for God? Can you use it in worship together with your spouse or friend? Can you use it to shape the next generation’s ministry impact?  Can you sing with hopeful expectation of what Heaven will be like?

Sing….my friend. Sing loud. God delights in your voice.

“I sing because I’m prepping for eternity”

Hope for the Competitive Spirit

So you’re competitive….. Me too! This photo is a lib competition we had at a work function this week. I was not giving up. I was going to win - even if it caused pain. We had to stand in this position until one person dropped. We were there for over 10 MINUTES! Spoiler alert: I lost and my one calf muscle is SO SORE! My friend Jackie won, and I’m finally at a place where I can accept defeat. :)

I’m not the type that will run over everything and everyone to get what I want. But you put a goal or task in front of me…. I’ll find a way to surpass it. It’s the way God made me. I see the good things that develop from a competitive spirit, but there is a clear line where the competitive spirit can take our eyes off Jesus. That’s what I want to talk about today.

If you were to pick up my phone and go to the notes section, you would find 95 different notes of incomplete blogs and ideas that God gave me (seriously.… it’s really 95). I have had this topic on my heart for a long time, and this morning God lead me straight to the scripture to help me finish it. Open your Bible or go to your Bible app and read with me today. Go to Matthew 18:1-5.

These few verses lead us to an instance where the disciples started arguing over who would be the greatest. The story is super short, but it gives me so much insight on how we Biblically navigate a competitive spirit.

So maybe you are reading and you are wondering if you have a competitive spirit. See if this sounds like you:

You may have a competitive spirit if you take on tasks you truly don’t have time for, but can’t stand the thought of saying no.

You may have a competitive spirit if it gives you joy to crush goals and complete tasks.

You may have a competitive spirit if you hate to lose. It doesn’t matter if you are playing a card game, watching football, or you were passed over on a job or task. Losing and missing out makes your heart sink.

You may have a competitive spirit if you feel the need to speak up and speak out often.

You may have a competitive spirit if you have ever thought, “I can do it better.”

Being competitive is not all bad. We are often the ones that get things done and do it well. But here is the question you need to ask yourself: Does your desire to be the best take your eyes off the best? Being the best is no replacement for worshipping and serving the best. The point at which we have put more trust in ourselves than God is the tipping point and opens the door for sin.

So let’s go back to scripture. Notice that Jesus’ response to their argument was this:

“Truly I tell you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child- this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one child like this in my name welcomes me.” (Matthew 18:3-5)

Ok… first of all, I didn’t realize how important this concept was to Jesus. The words “you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” made me choke on my coffee this morning. I even had a moment of confusion, because I wondered how turning our attention to children was the solution. But stick with me as we unpack some practical ways to reign in our competitive spirit!

1. Don’t Let it Steal Your Joy

There are times the competitive spirit turns into the stealer of joy. The pressure to perform can cause comparison. Comparison can lead to jealousy. And that is one Satan’s most influential ploys in our life. If he can divide the Christian community through competition and comparison - Oh! What joy that would give him. Don’t let him do it. If you find yourself leaning towards comparison shift your focus to Jesus. It goes like this:

Dear Jesus, You know my heart. You know my desires. Take the temptation to compare away from me. I am trusting that you will find a way to help me experience the joy of using my skills to better your Kingdom. It’s not about me. It’s about you.

I know what you’re thinking… “It ain’t that easy.”

Yes it is. Don’t forget, you are competitive. You have drive. You have focus. I believe God can use your spirit to combat comparison. If anyone can do it, it’s YOU!

2. Don’t let the vision outweigh the present

More than likely you are a dreamer and a visionary. I actually love any opportunity to think about the future and God’s plan for me. But sometimes that competitive spirit causes you to look beyond what God places in clear sight. We can so easily miss the details in front of us.

Jesus did not miss what was right beside him. He literally reached down and picked up a child. Do not miss what God has placed in your path today looking at what you want to do in the future. Read that again. I am so guilty of this. I have to keep this concept top of mind and close to heart. God has appointed you in certain spaces at this very moment. Don’t miss the mission and opportunity right there.

3. What are you pushing to side?

For believers, being ambitious and goal oriented is not wrong. It is a quality that Jesus can use for the Kingdom. But when your drive overtakes your ability to humbly serve, you have gone too far. In this story, Jesus was teaching the disciples to serve and look for the “children” in our lives. Children can be seen as weak, dependent, and with no status. Jesus wants us to serve those type of people. After all, He came to serve not to be served. Don’t just seek out the big, ambitious, and most influential things. Seek the small, the humble, and the meek. Don’t push the small things to the side.

We also have to be careful that ambition doesn’t outweigh obedience. The “get ahead” mentality can be detrimental to God’s command of obedience. You also need to know that God will bless your obedience 100% of the time. Scripture says abundant blessings come to those who are obedient.

I want you to ask yourself, what does your competitive spirit cause you to push to the side?

I feel like I could write a whole devotional series on this whole concept. I’ve actually started it in one of my 95 notes on my phone. Ha! When you feel your competitive spirit overtaking humility, pause and go to this scripture.

“Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child- this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one child like this in my name welcomes me.” (Matthew 18:4-5)

P.S. Is your favorite team winning? The Saints are 2-0. LSU is looking better. My fantasy football team is 2-0. My team WILL beat your team. Ok… I’m sorry. I’ll go back and read my own blog to tone down my competitive spirit. :)

“Does your desire to be the best take your eyes off the best?”

The Transform Portal - By Tabby Truxillo

My 5-year old is in the habit of snatching my phone when I am not looking and playing a baseball game that his cousins downloaded while we are on a family vacation this summer.

One Sunday morning while getting ready for church, he startled me as he said, “Mama, I’m playing for the devil’s team.”

Shocked, I turned from the mirror to see that he had grabbed my phone and was playing the baseball game. I said, “James, we never play for the devil’s team,” to which he replied, “Well, they’re winning.”

It was not necessarily the devil’s team, but a mascot that resembled a devil. Either way, this statement from my son’s mouth hit me hard.

How often do we look at others who are making poor life choices and think they seem to have all the success coming their way? What’s the point in doing things the right way? If you work hard, you should be rewarded – and rewarded quickly.

As the wife of a high school football coach, I see first-hand how much my husband pours himself into his players, how much time he sacrifices away from home and sometimes that doesn’t equal a win on Friday night.

Then, my mind goes to Galatians 6:9 – “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

At the proper time … not your timing, God’s timing because here’s the spoiler alert – God’s team is always the winning team. It’s easy to lose sight of this whenever life’s storms tend to linger longer than we think we can withstand. It can feel like we are on the losing team, and we look for easier ways to fix that.

We see it in college football all the time. A player gets moved down the depth chart, he finds a new team and can play immediately. A player does not get along with a certain coach, he finds a new team.  A player thinks he’s better than the team that originally recruited him, and he enters the transfer portal to find another, more successful team, throwing loyalty out the window in the process.

Here’s the hard truth, though – there are no transfer portals in life.

Yes, you can fool yourself into thinking you are switching to a more ideal situation or the “winning” team by winning at all costs, giving up who we are as a person and who God called us to be.

You didn’t get the promotion at work that you thought you deserved. Instead of working harder, you start backstabbing others to get ahead.

You go through a hard break-up with a mate, or even a friend. The struggle of loneliness leads you to find the company of others that aren’t bringing out the best in you.

You deal with life’s disappointments in general, and instead of clinging to God and His promises, you turn to quicker fixes – alcohol, drugs, gambling – the list goes on and on in the playground of the Devil.

It may seem like it’s working for a while, but sin will always find a way to catch up to you.

There may not be a transfer portal in life, but there is a transform portal if you stay the course.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

When you find yourself going through life’s rocky paths, stay the course. Do not detour and try to transfer yourself into a winning situation. Our circumstances are only temporary.

Instead, continue on the path knowing God is carrying you through the darkness and into the light. If you are unsure what to do, dive into the Word, talk to God, and pray fervently.

He is always you. We may not be able to see what is in front of us, but He can. And if we stay the path, I believe God will use us in an unfathomable way that honors Him.

“Blessed is the one who preservers under trail because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12

The transfer portal is tempting, but through trials, we are transformed into champions.

“We are transformed into champions.”

Get Up! It’s Gamedayyyyyy!

Hi! I’m Amanda, and I am obsessed with football season. Whew! Glad I got that out of the way! If you know football, then you know where this blog title came from! I love getting up early on gameday and watching the College Gameday show on ESPN. When I worked for LSU, the show would makes its’ way to our campus just about every year. Praise the Lord the countdown to football is on (finally!!). I am doing all the prep work: studying the teams, watching ESPN on the daily, but mostly, preparing my game day snacks.

When I think about how this whole Play for the King journey started, I am still in awe. God placed this dream on my heart and vision in my mind about 5 years ago. I knew that we could bring people together, unite in His word, and have some gameday fun along the way.

God was working in a special way long ago; however, I didn’t act on it until 2020. I want to tell you about the day God said, “Get up!” We were living in the COVID era and everyone was in lock down mode. I had a 5 year old, 3 year old and 1 year old at the time. In those days, they all took naps AT THE SAME TIME! Man… I really miss that! Now, none of them take a nap. Anyway, that particular day everyone was sleeping and I was so excited about taking a nap myself.

I tossed and turned for about 5 minutes and just felt this overwhelming sense of restlessness. A small voice said, “Get up. I have something to show you.” Well, I didn’t get up at first. I was kinda thinking, “Can you show me later? 🤣🙈”  But the voice got louder, and it was like God was pulling me up and out of the bed by a string attached to my heart. I can’t say I was incredibly excited about forgoing a nap, but I also could not ignore what was happening.

I quietly went to my office and randomly chose a passage of scripture. God lead me to the Tower of Babel found in Genesis. God did show up and teach me something. He gave me so much insight in those few verses. He showed me the defining questions we need to ask ourselves if we are ever worried about pride infiltrating our lives. Just for your knowledge, those questions are: What are you building? And are you building it for the sake of your name or for God’s name? I didn’t know why I needed that lesson, but it’s become the framework in which I operate. We are all building something in our lives, and it’s a good idea to pause and ask those questions. It was in those moments that I learned how to read scripture and pull out practical things we can use every day. I don’t think it mattered what verses I flipped to that day. God’s plan was to reveal Himself to me through His word.

That was just the start. I became excited to read the Bible in a new way. I knew He was helping me gain valuable insight and turning the creative wheels in my mind so that I could help others read with excitement too!

I am so thankful that I listened to the small voice that told me to “Get up!” I also think about what would have happened if I would have continued my nap. Would play for the king exist? Would my words return void? Would I not have the same joy in reading God’s Word? And this is a hard one: Would my Aly be a Christian? I think when kids see parents live out their faith, it accelerates a child’s faith.

“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:14

So here’s what I want you to do: Ask yourself if God has ever told you to “Get up!” Is He pulling you out of bed by the strings in your heart? Are you listening? Don’t let the moment pass you by…. even if you really want a nap! Every day we need to get up in anticipation for gameday. Because y’all… everyday is gameday. Every day you step onto the field of play. You have an opponent and his name is the enemy of our soul. He likes to drag us down to ensure we never reach our full potential as a Christian. But we have certain victory in Jesus. Friends, GET UP and walk in that victory!

By the way… who are you cheering for this week?? I promise I won’t dislike you if you are a Bama fan :)

“Friends, get up and walk in that victory.”

The Miss Louisiana Story

If you don’t know, I was crowned Miss Louisiana 16 years ago (man….was it really that long ago 🙈). I think you can tell it was a LONG time ago by this picture of Brent and I captured right after I won (pictures and hair have come a long way since 2007)! I credit God for pivoting my life the moment the crown was placed on my head. The trajectory of my life was changed for the better in an instant, but it had nothing to do with the actual crown. You see, my life was headed in one direction, and in one giant swoop God orchestrated a way to bring me closer to Him, introduced me to my husband, brought me to Fair Park Baptist Church, and eventually lead me to find ways to serve Him using my Miss Louisiana experience. I could go on and on about what all God has done since Miss Louisiana, but since that moment was sooooo long ago (seriously was it really 16 years ago ughhh… I’m old), I’ll stop here and bring you to the point.

I was able to spend some time with the current Miss Louisiana delegates this week. We did a devotional and got to talk about Jesus together. I had planned for about 30 minutes and 2 hours later we were still praying, crying and talking about Jesus. Most times when I get the privilege of speaking or teaching Gods word, I don’t get to see the impact. I just hope that somewhere along the way God planted a seed in someone’s heart. BUT during my time with this year’s contestants, God allowed me to see the immediate impact in these young ladies. I believe they walked into the devotional with heaviness and pressure and they walked out with the joy of Jesus. If you watch the pageant - I think you will see that.

God is so cool. 👑

I want to share with you the message they were able to hear, because I think it applies to all of us.

Lies and Truth

To be blunt….we have an enemy. And he wants nothing more than to speak lies over our plans, dreams, and life to belittle and stall our Christian walk. This is so that we never fully reach our potential as a Christian. His lies usually start as a whisper, but very quickly become so loud that we want to go in the complete opposite direction God is leading.

During our time together, the contestants identified the lies that the enemy had been telling them. And I want to share them with you because I bet the enemy has whispered the same to you.

“No matter what you do, it’s not good enough.”

“You are not beautiful enough or skinny enough.”

“You will disappoint someone if you make a mistake.”

“You should just quit.”

“You will embarrass yourself.”

Oh man. Has the enemy spoken a version of this to you? Listen up! His lies CAN be dismantled! You do not have to believe this! But the first step is identifying the lie. The enemy wants you to believe this lie because then he can twist and turn it to make you believe a lie about God. Here is how this works:

Lie from the enemy:

“You are not beautiful or skinny enough.”

The enemies goal is to make you believe:

“God must have forgotten about beauty when He made me.”

“God didn’t make me in His perfect image.”

Do you see how quickly a small whisper from the enemy can turn into a lie we believe about God?! This is where we dismantle him. This is where he loses. Because for every lie he whispers, there is a truth we can replace it with from GODs word. In the example above, here is some truth you can replace it with.

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

One by one each of the contestants destroyed and overcame the lies of the enemy with The Truth. They spoke it over one another. We spoke it in prayer. We wrote it down and they saved it to carry with them through out the week. It was a beautiful scene surrounded by beautiful ladies.

This is a powerful tool and I want you to stop and do this exercise right now. I have no doubt the enemy is trying his best to keep you from reaching your full potential as a Christian through a lie. He is the father of lies after all. What is the lie he is telling you? What is he trying to make you believe about God? Then…. It’s checkmate. You have the truth. Replace it, believe it, speak it and watch him flee.

I believe God is doing something special in the younger generation. I have seen it in them this week. It was such a privilege to spend time with them.

“One by one each of the contestants destroyed and overcame the lies of the enemy with The Truth. ”

The World Needs You

One of the ways God gives me joy is to help others live intentionally. I want people to know that God has a specific purpose for every circumstance and that you are all a huge part of His plan.

This unfortunately wasn’t a lesson I learned in 10 minutes. I was a slow learner. God had to spend a little more time with me here. Actually, it was a year long lesson. With some spurring and encouragement, it won’t be like that for you. I’m not going to lie, it takes a little investment and sometimes a total mind shift. But I can assure you, this way of living is much more fulfilling.

The Lesson

2020 was a year…. Am I Right? Personally, it was a year of searching for me. I was searching for fulfillment in all the wrong places. God made me to be an extremely goal-oriented person with a competitive spirit. Up until 2020, I always had a goal to shoot for, a competition to be won, an event to prepare for, a baby on the way (3 years in a row to be exact) etc. All my life I had been preparing for the next big thing….. and then in 2020 everything came to a halt. All the plans, goals, and vision for the future vanished.

And so the searching began…

I also had this overwhelming sense that God was calling me, but I had no idea what it was. The searching produced a deep sense of restlessness. That’s a tough thing to do with a goal-oriented, competitive spirit. God knew that…..

Have you ever desperately searched for something you can’t find? Maybe you don’t even know you are searching, but just feel an overwhelming sense of discontentment and have nothing to be discontent about.

Here are some questions to ponder as you assess your own search: Have you ever reached a goal and then realized it wasn’t fulfilling? Do you struggle to find contentment where God has placed you? Do you feel a tug that you were meant for more, but don’t know what? Are you busy doing the things you thought would make you happy only to find out, it doesn’t?

I had all of these questions and more. God allowed me to search… and it was all for you. Take it from someone who became an expect searcher 🤣. So here we go…. If you have ever had a twinkling of restlessness in your soul and don’t know what to do with it, I got you! Here are 3 things you must do:

1. Know God.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 NIV

If you are here, odds are you know who God is. But I want you to really know Him. I want you to love His word, meditate on His promises, spend time with Him, and learn about His unfailing love for you. Knowing God is not about knowing facts. It’s about knowing how deep and wide and vast His love is for you. I want to help you do that because others did it for me. What you are searching for cannot be filled with anything worldly. The search would have been long over if that were the case. Knowing God and His love for us fills any void you may have in your heart.

2. Be the Encourager

We live in a world full of hurt and pain. This world needs your testimony to speak life into others. It needs your prayers. It needs your words of encouragement. It needs your light. It needs you to check on a lonely friend. The world needs you. If I were sitting with you right now, I would look at you face to face and say it again.… The world needs you.

If you are the one hurting, I am so sorry. I want to be a source of encouragement for you. When I am down, I try to seek out someone to encourage. It gives me new life 100% of the time. I’ll admit, sometimes I do have a good, ole fashion pity party. But I’ve learned when I lift my gaze off of myself and onto others, I receive the gift of encouragement and fulfillment. Go ahead… try it. It’s good for your soul and the world needs it.

3. Live intentionally

This is the natural progression after the first two points. Being intentional in your faith involves knowing God and encouraging others. Another layer to this is being in tune with the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we easily complicate The Spirit. It’s not complicated. I promise. It’s the pull in your soul to take the high road instead of the road of sin. It’s the name that popped in your head for no apparent reason (you are supposed to reach out). It’s sometimes conviction and the urge to repent. And sometimes it is a clear message that you need to do something that makes no sense (I can’t wait to tell you that story). To live intentionally means to be spirit-filled.

Living intentionally also means that you embrace where God has placed you at this very moment in time. In 2020, I think we were all begging to get out of the circumstances that resulted from COVID. God showed me that we should embrace those times in our life. The very people that are around you are the very people that need you and need the Jesus in you. That doesn’t make life easier, but it does make it more fulfilling. God has a purpose for every season and when you find yourself asking God for a way out, it probably means that you are there for someone not something. We should take every day and the people that surround us as an opportunity to pour God’s love into situations. I believe it’s the everyday intentionality that moves mountains. Living intentional is about the small things. It’s about investing in the seemingly mundane things around us that prove to be the very ways God works through us.

Ok, so I know that I have given you a lot to think on. God has poured in a new and exciting vision for this ministry. I can hardly contain my joy here. The vision involves these 3 things and it involves you. Stay with me over the next few weeks as we seek to live intentional lives together. The world needs you, and I want to help you believe this and live up to your full potential as a Christian.

The World Needs You.

The Display of God’s Glory in the Peaks and Valleys

Retrospect is an incredible gift that God gives us to see His glory displayed throughout our life. But the better gift is faith, knowing that in the moment of our joys and sorrows we have confidence that God is always working for good. God has shown me how to use the peaks in my life to further His Kingdom, and He has also revealed how He elevates my most embarrassing valleys to accomplish His will. In the next few minutes, you will see God’s glory on display through two very different portions of my life. My prayer is that you use it as a faith builder and evidence of His sovereignty over every detail in your life.

The Peak

I took one last deep breath, closed my eyes, and stepped into the stage lights. I was competing for the chance to become Miss Louisiana and ultimately Miss America. The competition was in its final minutes and my knees started to buckle as the announcer narrowed the field to two remaining contestants. I knew in that moment my life was about to change.

Within sixty seconds, I was standing at the end of a runway with a crown and in complete shock. I had been perfectly poised for the entire competition, but in that moment, I couldn’t even walk straight! Years of work and dedication paid off and God had given me this incredible opportunity to serve the state of Louisiana and compete for Miss America.

That moment when that crown was placed on my head was one of the most pivotal points in my life. You see, my life was headed in one direction and in an instant everything changed. But these changes had nothing to do with the allure of being Miss Louisiana. That crown introduced me to my husband, moved my life to Monroe, brought me to a church home which eventually led to a closer relationship with God and a greater calling in my life. That crown and that moment pivoted my life towards God in a way I never expected. My crowning moment was a huge stepping stone in living out God’s purpose and plan for my life.

We all have crowning moments in our faith. Your crowning moment points you toward the crown of Christ. It is a part of your testimony and the story of how God saved, delivered, rescued, redeemed and pivoted your life towards Him. The crown logo on my website was very intentional. It represents the crowning moments in our life that are pure blessings from God. We should seek to return those blessings as a sacrifice so that He can use it for His purposes.

“They lay their crowns before the throne and say: ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and honor and power.’” (Revelation 4:10b-11 NIV)

This scripture describes one of the more beautiful displays of worship in Revelation. In this scene, the Elders lay their crowns before the throne and worship Jesus. That’s exactly how God wants us to use worldly awards. We are to present our crowns, titles, and blessings bestowed upon us before the throne of God and ask Him to help us use it for His glory. The Lord, in all of His goodness, was using my time as Miss Louisiana to prepare me for ministry work. My year spent as Miss Louisiana taught me how to love and relate to all types of people. It taught me to step into the light in confidence and how to give others joy. God used the secular accolade of Miss Louisiana as a training ground for ministry.

You might be thinking, “This is all great. I can lay my crowns and accolades before the Lord and watch Him work, but what about the devastation and disappointments? That’s hard.”

Ok, I’m with you. It’s easy to point out the ways He can receive glory through worldly awards. But it takes a truly wise person to see how God uses our most embarrassing valleys for the good of His Kingdom. I wish they were all glamorous and full of applause, but sometimes these monumental shifts in life can feel like valleys of disappointment. In fact, some of the most pivotal moments often come in the form of rejection – the opposite of applause.

The Valley

As my year of Miss Louisiana was coming to a close, I was preparing to go back to Louisiana State University and finish out my college degree. I had been a member of the Golden Girl dance team for three years, and it was now time to tryout one last time going into my senior season.  I left that tryout with these words: “You’re not good enough. There’s no spot for you on this team and you are no longer on scholarship.” These words still ring loud and clear in my mind. I had been a part of one of the best collegiate dance teams in the country for three years, and going into my senior year I wasn’t good enough? I have had many other rejections in life, but this one I remember so vividly. It was a turning point. My life was headed in one direction and in that instant, it shifted.

I was confused and defeated. How did I go from one of the best to not enough? It felt like I was losing my friends and my identity. I lost the scholarship that helped pay for college, but mostly I lost my way. I forgot who I was without dance. It was my identity for so long.

I didn’t know it, but God was using this valley as a part of a bigger plan.

If I had been a part of that team again, I wouldn’t have been offered a dream job. In my senior year of college, I was able to work with LSU Sports Information providing video content for their website and hosting a variety of sports shows. I was able to sit down and interview every coach and great player at LSU during that time. My experience in this position propelled my career in the sports industry.

Holy redirections sometimes come in the form of rejection. Jesus knew rejection. He was rejected in His hometown by His very people. This rejection in my life served as a cornerstone for me - a building block through which my faith was increased. It allowed me to immerse myself in the passion and excitement of college athletics. This passion has turned into ministry! Play for the King is an outlet in which I use my passion to bring people to His word. I am in awe of how God used this one rejection to pave the way for passion and ministry.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV)

I know God is faithfully working through all things. I have seen the evidence in both the joys of life and the devastations. God used both of these moments in my history as a training ground for ministry. Miss Louisiana taught me to love and to want to pour into people. It helped prepare me to serve as the Women’s Ministry leader for my local church. And the devastating blow of losing a scholarship in college was a part of a bigger plan that God will use to bring others to Him through a shared interest. God used both of these moments in my history to eventually point people to Him.

God works equally through both the applause and rejections in life. In the peaks, we are to lay our crowns before the throne and allow God to use our abilities for the Kingdom. And if you find yourself in the valley, know that He will elevate those valleys to become the cornerstone through which your faith is strengthened and His plans are made perfect. Through the highs and lows, God is always carefully ordaining our steps. Our job is to rest in His sovereignty and stand confident that God works through every portion of our lives as a display of His glory.

Holy redirections sometimes come in the form of rejection.

Sisterhood Part 2 - While You Wait

Wow! I am in awe of what God has done through this blog over the course of 7 days. I know God is teaching me to rely on Him throughout this entire journey. I have learned that God’s plan is always better, and we are to follow His leading every single time…. Even if He halts "the plans” I have made.

Evidently, our hearts needed the reminder of how we find Godly sisterhood in our lives. So, here I am… following God and you!

I have a love/hate relationship with social media. Sometimes, it makes me so disheartened and sad for what it has become. However, it can also serve as spectacular reminder of God’s complete sovereignty and reign over everything. Last week, God reminded me of the positive impact social media can have.

God carried the last blog post further than I could have ever imagined. I’m in awe, honestly. The message reached the very people in that iconic photo from the crowning of Miss Texas. It reached the new Miss Texas, Ellie Breaux. I said I wanted to meet her,  and God made it happen in the social media world. It reached the 1st Runner-Up, the one who is “holding up the queen.” I even heard from readers in foreign countries! Crazy! God orchestrated all of that.

Today, I want you to hear from the 1st Runner-Up in that photo. Her name is Madison Matlock. She is the beautiful young lady holding up the queen. I feel like there might be some of you waiting on your turn. You may be praying and asking God for your opportunity but wondering how you wait in humility and hold the people in front of you. How do we do that well and biblically? I believe God wants us to live in blessing while we wait. It’s in the waiting where God does his best work and draws us closer to Him. I know this…. Because I am waiting. And I am confident you are waiting too. Here are a few truths to hold on to while you are waiting for God to move.

I asked Madison a few questions. Enjoy her response below.

What is the best way to be a Godly sister to those who get the very opportunities you are waiting on?

“‘For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

It's hard to watch the people around you get engaged, get their dream job, or even the crown. However, because I know Him and completely trust in His plan for my life, I can rejoice for those people. It might sound cliche to say "everything happens for a reason", but that gives me so much peace. Celebrate your sisters! Uplift them! If you have ever been the queen or a leader, you know how much those uplifting sisters carry you. Someday, your time will come and you will need people to rejoice and stand with you. It will be perfect because it will be a part of HIS plan.

While you wait for the opportunity to compete again, what is the biblical truth you are holding onto?

When I was dedicated to the Lord by my parents, this scripture was read over me.

"A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” John 10:10 (CSB)

This verse has been prayed over me multiple times throughout my life and my family even texts each other at 10:10 AM/PM to tell each other we love each other. It's a thing for us!

I've gone back to this verse for two reasons: 

1. Satan could steal the joy that comes from an opportunity like competing for Miss Texas. It's easy to be jealous or angry. Satan wants nothing more than to divert my attention from how God plans to work through incredible opportunities like this one. Those feelings are not from God. Not today, Satan!

2. He is the Good Shepherd and I just love the imagery in that passage about His love and who He is. He protects, provides, and lays down His life. And He doesn't just give us life, He gives us the most abundant life. He wants us to flourish and revel in His goodness. This verse gives me so much peace in knowing that I can find comfort in Him and the plans He has for my life.

What do you think God is calling you to do through this experience?

God has absolutely called me to save lives and speak his truth through drunk driving prevention (even as the 1st Runner-Up to Miss Texas). I know that for a fact! 

In this time of waiting, I think He's using this experience to call out to me. If I am honest, I haven't been invested in Him enough. Being in a pageant can easily lead you to invest more time in personal preparation (talent, evening gown, interview) than spiritual preparation. During competition week, God brought me to my knees. I literally was like, "Lord, I am on my last legs here!". Y'all, when we say the Lord is our strength, it's true! I was exhausted, but that's because I hadn't been resting in Him and His Word. God uses exhaustion, waiting, and even disappointment to bring us closer to Him.

I felt his presence the entire week of competition and I think he used that experience as a wake-up call. Like… “Hey girl, you're kind of caught up in an earthly crown.” And I'm glad He did, because the crown is Him.

Madison Matlock

Amanda here…. “The crown is Him.” I keep replaying those words in my head. God is the prize. Jesus is the gift. While you wait, don’t let Satan attempt to steal your joy or plant seeds of jealousy. Allow God to do His best work through you in the waiting. And I can’t wait to hear the story you will tell of God’s goodness.

The crown is Him.

Resources to help:

“Find Your People” Jennie Allen

Bible Studies to do with your BFF

Finding Godly Sisterhood

Photo Credit: BluDoor Studios

Have you seen this photo? I mean…. This brings tears to my eyes. I’m not talking about the pageant or the crown. I am talking about the ladies jumping up and down for this young woman. My first reaction: I want to meet her! I want to know who she is and what her story is! What a beautiful display of sisterhood.

Sisterhood has recently been added as one of the 5 points of the Miss America crown. In other words, it’s a pillar to the program and what titleholders should aspire to be through Miss America. I know many people that roll their eyes when you even mention a pageant! But can I tell you that I found some Godly beautiful sisters through Miss America? Yep! It is a sisterhood and THIS photo perfectly displays what so many young ladies get to experience through Miss America. Now….hear me out….this post is not about pageants. This is about Godly sisterhood.

Do you look at this photo and wish you had people like this cheering for you? Have you ever felt like you had no one standing behind you? What does it mean to be a Godly Sister in Christ? When it comes to happiness, I truly believe it’s not about what you do, how much money you make, what church you go to, your social media following etc. Happiness is about who you do life with.  If you don’t feel like you have people behind you, in front of you, beside you and around you, life can feel empty and like a treasure hunt where you actually never find the treasure.

God wants relationship and sisterhood for you. The Bible is full of relational stories. I believe your cheerleaders and sisters are out there and I know God wants you to find them! Here are 3 ways you can foster sisterhood in your current friendships:

1. Kneel.

“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10 (NIV)

The young girl that they are cheering for in this photo is wearing the red dress. She is the winner! Look at her position. She is almost kneeling. The first and most important step in creating sisterhood is humbling yourself before God and your friends. You need to be the most humble person in the room. Take a look at the outgoing queen. She is THE QUEEN, yet her position is lower than all the others. It doesn’t matter if you are the queen, the old queen, or the first runner-up (she lost), but your first step in finding Godly sisterhood is humbling yourself. What does this mean practically? Seek out others to encourage. Let someone know you are praying for them. Be a good listener. Don’t always offer advice. Always make it about someone else.

2. Become what you desire.

Ok, so what if you made a list of everything you desired in a sister in Christ? Go ahead… Do it! What are some qualities you desire in a friend? This is my list. I want friends who cheer me on in all my wild ideas, speak truth and honesty with grace, stand with me in the hard times, follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting, are fun and spontaneous but also don’t mind doing ABSOLUTELY nothing, aren’t afraid to pray with me and over me, have no jealousy, and know exactly what to say and when to say it. Ok! Did you make your list? Now, here is what you do with that….You become the friend you desire first. You take this list and pray for God to help you become this person. Are there any stomped toes out there? Yea… I’m serious. You must first become the type of sister you desire. Think about it… if you desire all of these qualities in a friend, others do too. We all need friends like this. Let it start with us!

3. Hold the queen up.

“Encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NLT)

I want you to look at the first-runner up in this photo (the blue dress). She has her hands placed underneath the winner. I believe she is the one keeping the winner from falling on her face. As someone who has been in that moment, you need the brace of the first-runner-up to keep you steady. Sisterhood is about holding up whomever is ahead of you. This is hard. Especially when you have dreams that you may have watched others achieve. But remember when I said, “Happiness is about who you do life with”? Accomplishments, awards, crowns… whatever you are chasing…. Is fleeting. None of it lasts. My crown is actually tarnished. But the moments in life when you get to “hold the queen up” will never tarnish. It is actually a blessing. You are a blessing to “the queen” and I believe God will bless you for it.

I know that the American culture coupled with COVID has deteriorated our friendships. Culture says that we don’t need anyone but ourselves. And maybe you have been flat out disappointed too many times by people. Don’t give up on finding the people who will jump up and down for you. Unfortunately, humans will never be perfect, but I believe these 3 things will bring you closer to the Godly sisterhood you desire. Pray for God to help you stay humble, become what you desire, and hold others up.

Sisterhood is about holding up whomever is ahead of you.

Resources to help:

“Find Your People” Jennie Allen

Bible Studies to do with your BFF

Using Our Freedom as a Missionary - A Lesson from Aly

As July 4th approaches, I am thinking about how blessed we are as both Americans and Christians. We truly enjoy so many freedoms that the majority of the world will never experience. I often have this weird thought, “What if I was born in another country?”  But God chose America for me….. and for that I am truly grateful. As Christians we have the ability to worship, to witness, to gather in Jesus’ name, and to pray.  Today, I want to give you some thoughts to hopefully encourage you to be in a place of gratitude.

How can we show gratitude to God for the Christian freedoms we enjoy in America?

If you are scratching your head a bit here, I’m going to help you out. This is a lesson I learned this week from my oldest, Aly. How do we show God appropriate gratitude for the Christian freedoms we have as Americans? The answer is this: You exercise this freedom everyday.

This week we had the privilege to take a beach vacation. It was so needed and so much fun. My Aly has a unique skill that I have become amazed with recently. No matter where she is or what she is doing, she can find a new friend within about 2 minutes. This girl met so many different people at the beach. I asked her how she did it and this is how that conversation went:

Me: “Aly tell me how you met your new friend.”

Aly: “It’s easy momma. I just asked her what her name is. And then I asked her if she knew Jesus.”

After I took my jaw off the floor…..

Me: “Well what did your new friend say?”

Aly: “She knows Jesus momma!!!!!”

Literal joy in her voice when she answered. Meanwhile…I am speechless.

How is she so brave? How does she do it? Who taught her that? I wish I could say it was me, but I’m not that bold. She literally asked 2 questions: What is your name? Do you know Jesus?

This is how you take full advantage of your freedom as a Christian! You ask the simple question: Do you know Jesus? You become a missionary right where God places you. I am dying to go on a mission trip overseas one day, but I’ve decided i need to wait until the kiddos get a little older. Why does it seem more exciting to go across the globe and ask people if they know Jesus, but we  struggle to do it right where God has placed us? Why is it harder to ask our family about their relationship with Christ than a complete stranger? What made Aly so bold and so fearless?

Gosh - I don’t know the answers to all of those questions. But I do know that I can do a better job of exercising the Christian freedom we are so blessed to have in America. I have the freedom to be a missionary in my home, in my work place, at the store, at a football game….and yes….even at the beach. According to The Pledge, we are still one nation under God and we have the freedom and even sometimes the responsibility to ask others if they know Jesus. What does bold Christian freedom look like? It looks like an 8 year old, brunette, sweet-hearted little girl that unapologetically and fearlessly seeks to be sure others know about Jesus. Can we seek to be bold together this week? I’m not saying we need to have awkward conversations 🤣, but I bet there is someone God has placed in your path that needs you and needs Jesus. This is how we show gratitude for the freedom we have as Christians in America.

I am praying for you….

P.S. I wrote this prayer 3 years ago and just kept it hidden in my heart. How cool is it that God had the plan all along for the perfect time to share it (and how fitting it is today).

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the chance to relax with family on this 4th of July week. God, thank you for true freedom You gave us long before 1776. You gave us freedom and redemption from the oppression of sin through Jesus Christ. Thank you Lord for this gift and I pray I never take that freedom for granted. We love You and we praise You. I pray that during this day of remembrance for our country, we are able to reflect in gratitude for the freedom we have to serve and worship You Lord.

I pray for our country. Unfortunately, so many people in our country have confused freedom with lawlessness, division, hatred and untruth. I pray that our leaders will call on you in making decisions and remember that this country was laid on the foundation of unity in the one true living God. I know as Christians, we can’t fix everything. BUT we can continue to expand Your Kingdom and change the hearts of others to follow You. I pray that You use me for that purpose especially. Help us to be fearless and bold missionaries right where you place us.

Amen!