Who's the Lucky Guy?

If one of us, say Marisa, were to announce that she was getting married, the first questions she would hear is “Who’s the lucky guy?”. Or if she had posted it on facebook people would flock to her page to see who she was engaged to. These questions asked would be not so much about her, but about the person she had decided to commit to.


When someone asks “Who’s the lucky guy/girl?” we respond with details that describe this person, but also about how this person makes us feel and how happy we are now that they are in our lives. Their influence is reflected in our announcement but also in our demeanor.


In our last post we talked about Christ being the Bridegroom and that in the time that He tarries, we are preparing ourselves to meet Him. When we make a commitment to Christ it is reflected in our demeanor. The change in us is an announcement; it is physical proof of our intimate relationship with Christ. And when people ask us about this change and our happiness, we tell them who the lucky guy is, it’s Christ.


He is the significant other that frees us to live. Live a life of abundance. All of life’s worries are no longer a problem because of Him in our lives. Whatever we lack, He provides. Whatever we need, He supplies. Whenever we fall, He picks us up. We are never lonely, He is always there. Whenever we speak, He hears. His unconditional love for us is not a contract, it is a gift. Christ is the ultimate catch. We are the lucky ones.


To being wise,

Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

Why the Virgins?

Why did we choose the story of the virgins and their lamps? We felt a strong connection to the juxtaposition between the foolish virgins and the wise virgins. We feel like the foolish virgins and we are endeavoring to be wise.


In Matthew 25 the story goes that 10 virgins were woken up by a midnight cry and they were to prepare for the Bridegroom’s arrival. They all arose and trimmed their lamps. The five foolish virgins found they were running out of oil, so they asked the wise virgins for more. The wise told them to get their own, because they had enough only for themselves. The wise went to meet the Bridegroom and the foolish went off in search of more oil. When the foolish returned they saw that all had entered the wedding and the door was shut.


When they knocked on the door, the Bridegroom replied that he did not know them.


So we get the metaphor here, we need to be ready for the second coming of Christ. But what is the oil? And why couldn’t the wise virgins help the foolish? We perceive the oil to be our personal relationship with Christ and it is why it can never be given. A personal experience can be shared but not transferred to another.


Three words stood out to us in this story – oil, vessel and lamp. The wise virgins had extra oil in their vessels, the foolish did not have extra. In the Bible the Holy Spirit is likened to the flame of fire or the anointing oil. We are the vessels in which the Holy Spirit is contained. The story is telling us that the wise, through having a relationship with Christ, are filled with the Holy Spirit and the foolish are not. Having a relationship with Christ and allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us gives us full lamps that can be lit.


Why couldn’t the Bridegroom recognize the foolish virgins? What is the significance of having enough oil to light your lamps? And why weren’t they let in?! At the second coming there will be those that Christ knows and those he does not know. Christ will recognize those that reflect His light and are mirrors of Himself. Those with full lamps; those who are prepared.


The whole point is that while He tarries, we must prepare. Now is the time to be filling our lamps, now is the time to have extra oil in our vessels. So when we hear the midnight cry, we can light our lamps and be reflections of Christ. Got oil?



To being wise,


Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa

The First Step

At a Sabbath lunch, three 20 something year old women began to wonder what Ellen (Ellen G. White) would think about the issues young Seventh-day Adventists are facing in their lives today. After a delicious, mostly vegan meal we began to discuss women’s ordination, the Seventh-day Adventist dating scene and the critical time in the SDA church. We began to realize the presence of young people in the church is disappearing. We wondered who was there left to lead? And an even more gripping revelation was that many of our generation are ill equipped to carry the baton.


So begins this journey to learn, share and inspire each other, as well as anyone reading this blog, about gaining a spiritual intimacy with Christ, interpreting the Bible for practical use in our lives today and discovering our place in the church. Through Bible study we will explore an array of topics that are relevant to our generation.


Yes, we are virgins. Proud, embarrassed at times and misunderstood, but that spiritual commitment is not enough. We want to take it further.


To being wise,


Meredith, Jennifer and Marisa