Josie

I’ve heard and seen good things about Maranatha! All of my uncle and aunt’s children so far have gone there (I think out of the 9 kids, only two are still at home). I drove up there several years ago to attend my cousin’s graduation ceremony and was impressed with their campus and level of dedication to both academics and to the Lord! I also met a gal around here who graduated from Maranatha. I’m glad you had a good experience there! I ended up graduating from Liberty University, through their online program. I loved it! But part of me wishes I had known about a place like Maranatha back when I first went to university! ?

Oh, BrotherTony, you’re bringing up so many memories of my own Bible College days! I couldn’t help that long Old Navy skirts didn’t meet the strict dress code of having slits being no more than an inch *below* the knee. I wish I’d known how to sew back then. I got a lot of demerits for that! You’re blessed that yours were able to be revoked. I would have given anything to work off mine, but our college’s demerits were for life! I even got to the point one semester where I got “campused” for the weekend. That was a special way of saying grounded. I’ll never be able to forget that! ? I probably would have been dismissed from college all together if they’d known about the pair of pants I snuck into the daycare where I worked! (But, really, baby gates and long skirts aren’t awesome together. They reassured guilty-feeling me that the last girl had done it, too. Lol) I know this is off topic, but did you have good memories at Bible College? I did; and I’m still friends with many of my former classmates. I pray your experience wasn’t all bad!

LOL! ? Did the title of the thread change?! While I’m definitely more submissive in personality just in general, I’m also a “sassy sweetheart.” Only legitimate authority, and my future husband someday, do or will hold “great power” over me! ?

Hi, Lance! Thank you for joining just to respond to this thread! What an honor! ? I think the parallel you made between Genesis 1:28 and the American idea of Manifest Destiny is an interesting idea to consider. I have no idea if there is a connection there or not. Perhaps it would take some digging into the dusty journals of our great-great-great-great grandparents to find an answer as to whether that was in the minds of our forefathers. However, perhaps the verse itself is an innate part of either our human experience or our spiritual one. Like, it's built into us somehow. As to your thought on modesty, that is tricky. I've lived in a culture where women dress from head-to-toe in garments that sometimes covered every single inch of them. Some women even wore full mesh veils over that. I jokingly called it the "beekeeper look." I truly don't know how they kept from walking into people or walls! (I have a hard enough time doing that and, while I dress modestly and prefer skirts, dresses, and "split skirts" to pants in public, let's just say I'd probably look and walk around like a blind bat in all that get-up! ?) But the men there wore robes, which are essentially "dresses." I've been in other parts of the world where traditional American ideals of "modesty" didn't even enter into their minds. I'm not exactly sure where the line is drawn. Deuteronomy 22:5 speaks of men and women wearing clothing appropriate to their respective gender. Yet what does that mean? My mother buys pants from the women's section of department stores. In many cultures, men wear robes. 1 Timothy 2:9-10 admonishes women to be modest, not by fixated upon the outward appearance, but through good works. Likewise, 1 Peter 3:2-5 reveals that what is most precious to God in women is a meek and quiet spirit. Proverbs 11:22 states, "As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion." Last, the Proverbs 31 woman is clothed with "strength and dignity." I think it's fair to say that our hearts and our attitudes, both men and women, are far more important to our Heavenly Father than what clothing or adornments we choose to display ourselves in. Yet those same things can, and perhaps ought to be, chosen and worn as a reflection of our love for Him. When He is our first love and the desire of our hearts, our whole lives change. Clothing included. Personal convictions might differ from person to person, and they might even change depending upon the season of our lives. I think it's a beautiful thing to ask, "Does this outfit honor Him? Does it reflect my love for Him?" Please don't be a stranger! Do you have any other thoughts or questions you'd like to ponder about the westernization of modern American Christianity? ~ Josie~

Oh, you speak truth, Joe! lol. I've been to many places around the globe where being "on time" is a nice suggestion or is merely a starting point. That being said, my heart goes out to the people in third world countries who are hungry for the Lord and for His word. I've seen people travel great distances just to come to church or an outreach program. When I lived in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, there were about 20 church services at one church. It was standing room only. All pews were crammed. The spaces along the walls were full. Eventually, they opened up the side doors and sat chairs out for more of the faithful. During the sermon, the pastor spoke from his heart and said that he was so happy to have everyone there. He welcomed everyone to come and to come even if they couldn't add to the offering plates, that the most important thing was that they were there. Apparently, he had become aware that this was a problem for many of the "lower class workers" who took the church supplied busses; that more would have come, but they were ashamed. I loved how he reiterated the most important part of worship: that they simply be there! While the UAE is definitely not a Third World Country-- in many ways, it is more posh than the U.S.-- about 85% of us were expatriates. Workers there came from all over. It was a beautiful melting pot of people. Another experience I had was in during my third mission trip to Mexico. I was one of the group leaders with our teens from church. When we were all gathered at the church for a prayer service in some middle-of-nowhere hut village that I couldn't even find on a map now if I tried, the local people were asking for prayers and telling us the most amazing stories of what God was doing in their lives. Yet they looked at us and said something to the effect of, "This must sound so small to you. After all, you are missionaries." We were truly humbled. I think that, sometimes, we have all become so comfortable with our comfortable lives and American ways of doing things. We go to church, we do what is expected of us, we go through the motions. But where are our hearts? Why do we do what we do? Is there truly a hunger for the things of God? Is He present in our lives? Is our relationship with Him deep, alive, and active? Is he working through us to touch others' lives and hearts for His name's sake? So many people in this world could put us to shame, I think. Some of the poorest countries in this world have the deepest thirst for Him. They have nothing, save for God. So He becomes their everything. And it is truly beautiful to see what God is doing with His people, so on fire for Him.

Thank you, BrotherTony! I'm originally from the western part of the state, but now I live in the Metro Detroit area. That's really cool you live in Murfeesboro! I went to the BRR years ago, as a teenager, with my grandparent's church. I had no idea until the night before that the camp was in Tennessee! That was the first of my many wild and crazy traveling adventures! It gets really hot down there, though! It's muggy in Michigan, too, but your neck of the woods is pretty close to the humidity level I experienced living in the UAE! ? What brought you and/or your family to the south? Thank you, everyone, for your kind words of welcome! ?

I thought this debate by David Wood and Robert Spencer was interesting! Thought provoking, for sure!

That is a good point. Thank you! While I am fascinated by other traditions and more of the “fringe” groups of American Christianity and could talk, discuss, and debate on them all day long, let’s narrow the parameter to what you suggested. ?

Good morning! Routine service is still currently running at 10-13 weeks while expedited service (if they paid $60 more) is still 7-9 weeks. To answer your other question, it can really just depend. The U.S. Department of State needs to verify all of the documentation and, if anything is unusual or the acceptance agent didn’t properly execute the application, it can take longer. That’s probably not the case at all for your sister or niece. A little while ago, we were seeing passports coming back at a faster rate than stated by the DOS, but it may be that they’re getting swamped again. Has your sister checked on their application status? If they go to the travel dot state dot gov website and put in their respective information, they can see where their applications are at in the process. Also, if any trips are planned and it’s getting close to the travel date, no more than 14 days out, they can contact the DOS through a number listed on their website and can be scheduled for an appointment at their nearest regional passport facility for same or next day passport printing. Sorry, long-winded answer, but I hope this helps! ? ~ Josie ~

Hi, Everyone! This is an interesting topic to me, and one very near and dear to my heart! I’ve lived and have traveled all around the country and the world. Having lived in the Middle East for a few years and spending time at a former family home in Lebanon (okay, so it was super cool to essentially wake up each morning “in the Bible!” ?), and knowing that Christianity began was born in the Middle Eastern culture and tradition, I’m curious to hear your thoughts about how Western Christianity has developed over the millennia and, in particular, the American church experience! Let’s leave this open-ended, because there is so much here to discuss! God bless, Josie

I’m a passport acceptance agent, so please let me know if you have a question about the process of a first time passport or renewing yours! Just thought I’d try to help!

I was so grateful when a supervisor of mine asked for prayer last week. He knows I’m a Christian and we’ve chatted as I’ve worked about faith. Usually, he’s rather outrageous and makes jokes. He has often quipped about me praying for him and we have a good enough relationship where I can joke back in a lighthearted way. But he’s going through a serious life change and actually asked for me to pray about something for him. I assured him I would. What a beautiful, precious thing that was! We’ve touched on faith a few times, but I am really praying for the opportunity in God’s perfect way and timing to witness to him. Anyhow, I praise God for allowing this first step, and I pray for this soul to become a brother in Christ!

Hi Everyone, I’m really happy to have found this site! I’m Josie, 40 years young, and a lot can be read on the “about me” section. But to flesh that out a little more, I was raised in a GARBC Baptist church but felt more connected to my grandparents’ independent Baptist church home. I went on missions trips to Mexico with them and to summer camp at the Bill Rice Ranch one summer. Later, I attended Bible College when it was Heritage Baptist University in a suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. Life has taken an “interesting” series of twists and turns that has led me to living all across the country and overseas in the Middle East. In my quest to make my faith fully my own, I also converted to Roman Catholicism in my young adulthood and later to Eastern Orthodoxy. Seven years ago, I returned to the United States and to Michigan and a year and a half ago, even though I was saved at a young age, finally accepted the full beauty of God’s grace and the simplicity of that expression by returning to my Baptist roots. Nowadays, I spend most of my time as a postal clerk. I work most Sundays, though we are closed to the public, and I am praying for an opportunity to spend more time with my church family, worshipping the Lord together, and to be more involved, especially with ministry. Nevertheless, I am grateful for the everyday moments where I can be a blessing to others, demonstrating God’s grace and love to my coworkers, supervisors, and service to my customers. There are so many opportunities! There are so many hurting hearts. My daily prayer is that God might allow others to see Him through me and that they might come to know Him. God bless you all, Josie