Missions Emphasis Month Speech

Today, I gave a speech at my Church (First Baptist, Tulsa) because I was asked to be one of the speakers for October’s mission’s emphasis month. They wanted me tell about my personal testimony as well as my heart for missions. And I now feel that the Lord is leading me to also put my speech in a blog post since I don’t know all the people who read my blog and it could influence somebody.

So dear reader, I hope this speaks to your heart:

Hello church, I know what you may be thinking; this girl is young. Well, I am! I’m Karlie Tipton and I am an 18-year-old missionary.  You may be thinking “hmm, missionary?” I’m a girl who loves Jesus and is willing to share her personal testimony of how powerful He is. And I believe that does make me a missionary.

I accepted Christ in middle school, but it wasn’t till my high school years that I really began to follow God. Something happened in my life that dramatically changed it forever.  During my freshman year, my father passed away unexpectedly. This was a time of grief but also a time of healing. I didn’t begin to see God in the situation until I attended Falls Creek that summer. It was then that I started to realize that God had me on this earth for a reason, and that he had a purpose for me. I rededicated my life to the Lord that summer, and along with the rededication I also received another calling—the Holy Spirit was prompting me to become a missionary.

Since I had this calling to be a missionary, I prayed that the Lord would provide me opportunities in my high school years to advance the gospel. The first big opportunity arose when I went on a spring break trip my junior year to Leon, Mexico. On this trip, I learned to share Jesus’ story as well as my own testimony.  We went from house to house knocking on doors to share, and I experienced life-changing events in front of me. I began to see how the Lord used my words to reach his sons and daughters.

That following summer, I also went on a mission trip to China. Because of the political restrictions there, sharing my testimony was a little more difficult, but that’s where the sharing the gospel in Mexico helped me. This is where I got to really see my personal testimony be used for the Lord. One day when my group was walking up to a Buddhist temple, a Chinese teen was asking me questions about Jesus. I shared with her the crucifixion story along with my personal testimony about my father. I told her that God sent my dad and me a savior so that I may see him again in heaven. She would not stop asking questions and eventually came to the conclusion that she wanted the Lord in her heart. With tears in her eyes she finished the prayer and proclaimed, “I have Jesus!”  At that moment I knew I was following the Lord’s plan for me.

This year I traveled to Guatemala. I was able to share my testimony to many believers and non-believers there and the Lord revealed many things to me through that experience. He showed me that while my circumstances may be different that the Guatemalans, the Mexicans, and the Chinese, we all have one thing in common: we were created in the image of God and made to give him glory.  And regardless of age, race, or gender, we all share the same calling to honor God and to share his story with others.

I tell you all these things to show that every one of you is a missionary for God, no matter who you are or where you are. When we  share our lives with others and show how God’s story changes our story, he will bless that.  It doesn’t matter if I am in Tulsa, in my dorm at OBU, or halfway around the world, he can use my testimony to speak to others.

 Each of you have a personal testimony that the Lord will use if you allow him. And I can speak from experience that God can use our circumstances for his good. While one could look at my family situation and see it as a loss, I can see it as a gain. I have gained a passion for Christ and God also used the circumstance of my father passing away for a Chinese girl halfway across the world to find life.

So now I am preparing for a mission trip to India the summer 2012. I am going to be working with girls rescued from sex trafficking and showing them basic life skills that they never had an opportunity to learn. So while I welcome to your support, most of all I need your prayers. I know with prayer the Lord will do powerful things over there.

            I want to end with a verse that I remember every time I share my testimony:

1 Corinthians 15:55

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

Church our God is alive. Let’s go proclaim it.

Thanks for reading!

Karlie

A Time For Everything

AUTHOR’S NOTE: My great-grandmother passed away earlier this year. This past weekend I traveled to her farm in Fairland, Oklahoma where my family and I sorted some of her belongings. While she lived a long life and is now in heaven, the hard part about this weekend was reminiscing on old stories and recognizing how I have taken them for granted. I have been too busy looking towards everything in the future that I have neglected to appreciate the past and present. It was almost as if God spoke to me and said, “Daughter, I have given you this life for a reason, and by cherishing all the little moments of this life you are also cherishing me.” So that’s what I’m trying to do with this post.

Years ago, a train whistle blew from the distance and my father enthusiastically grabbed my hand and told me to follow him to the front yard of my great grandmother’s farm.  He hurriedly sat in the green grass and patted for me to sit next to him. He then pointed to the railroad tracks.  I sat and looked at the gaps between the distant trees toward which he was pointing. I saw that it was the train whose whistle blew.

My dad then told me to count how many freight cars I see behind the locomotive. We both counted and told each other the number of carts we saw. And of course, we laughed because by the end we both had different numbers. My dad then continued to tell me how when he was younger he had a great love for trains. Back then, every time a train whistle would blow, he would either immediately run down to the train tracks or just sit in the front yard to watch. 

This past weekend I was able to entertain old memories of my father, my grandmother, great-grandmother and others. I got the chance to share with other family members about different times when my dad took me to the Fairland farm. I got to discuss how I always loved going because every time I was able to experience something new–different adventures like picking out a fish from the koi pond, or running through the corn crops in the field, or going through all the old antiques stored in the attic. (To a kid that is very exciting stuff! ) So while I was sharing my stories, I found it nice that my family shared theirs about my father and grandmothers.  And subtly as we sorted through the old stuff and memories I found that we were unknowingly creating new ones. During the weekend, I got to make some great apple pie with the old kitchen utensils used by many generations of my family, play the ukulele that my great-grandmother played at many churches, and even see a silent movie at the Coleman Theater with my great aunts. In my eyes, the Fairland farm has always been such a beautiful and adventurous place, but this past weekend it developed an even richer persona.

While driving back to OBU that Sunday night, I was able to think about the remembrances I have had at that darling Fairland farm throughout my life. And the more I thought about the memories created there, the more I realized that it wasn’t that strip of land that developed these good times; it was my family. The people I love most have made that place worthwhile. While my family has lost some individuals that make dwelling on the memories sometimes difficult, I try to focus on the good and be thankful for the privilege of having a family and such memories.

So when I think about it, my great grandma lived in that house for 63 years so there must have been many good and bad seasons there. But in the end regardless of good and bad times, a lot of life was lived on that farm. And I am so thankful for that.

So if you were wondering why I started with the story about the train and my father, it is one my most cherished memories; it included both my favorite person and place. So I am now taking this moment to practice what I preach and appreciate it.

I wanted to end on a passage that I was reminded about this weekend.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot, 
 

a time to kill and a time to heal, 
   

a time to tear down and a time to build, 


a time to weep and a time to laugh, 
  

a time to mourn and a time to dance, 
 

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, 
  

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up, 
 

a time to keep and a time to throw away, 
 

a time to tear and a time to mend, 
  

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate, 
   

a time for war and a time for peace.

There are going to be times for everything. So just as my dad was excited about making sure that every freight cart on that train was counted, we in the same way should be excited about life and making sure each God-given moment is counted.

Thanks for reading!

Karlie

Ring by Spring?

           My heart has been swept away into a single girl epidemic. You want to know what that epidemic is? Having a boyfriend. I have come to realize that this “dilemma” becomes intensified the first day you step onto a college campus. You meet new guys (oddly enough looking for girlfriends) and new girls who have boyfriends or who are desperately looking for one. I know, I know, you probably are already making assumptions about what kind of blog post this is going to be. You may think that I am going to talk about how terrible it is to be single or how I am going to rule dating out completely. Well, I’m sorry to disappoint, but it is going to be neither of those options.

           

           Every girl dreams about being swept off her feet by the perfect boy. And yes, I am guilty of this. And I don’t think it’s necessarily bad to dream about meeting a guy who respects and loves you for you. But I do think it’s bad to idolize the boy or the idea of it.  I bring this up because coming to college I have constantly heard from people, “You could meet your husband in college,”or “Think, you could be married in a couple years,”or the worse "Ring by Spring!" Wow, talk about pressure.  So hearing this more often than usual started to take an effect on me. To be honest, I began thinking about relationships so much I started to forget about the most important one of all. But it wasn’t to long until I was reminded of it.

So, I decided to a quiet time the other day, and before I started I prayed that the Lord would reveal to my heart the right perspective on boyfriends. And so I began to read in Isaiah, and lets just say sometimes I underestimate the Holy Spirit’s willingness to speak. I came across verse 54:5 that read:

For your maker is your husband—

The Lord almighty is his name—

The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer.

I don’t think it can get simpler than that. God is my Husband and I am blessed to be His wife forever. So what more could I want? I mean, what if some boy put together a book full of promises about how much they loved me, wouldn’t that mean something? Well, God has already done that; it’s the Bible! Just reading a chapter about Jesus Christ’s resurrection in Matthew is enough evidence that I’m so intimately and passionately pursued. There is no need for me to worry about if I have or need a boyfriend. All I need is complete faith and satisfaction in the love of my Redeemer.

So let me reintroduce myself. Hello, I’m Karlie Tipton and I am perfectly content in being the bride of Christ. I am not ruling out the boyfriend idea nor am I idolizing it; I am just waiting on God’s timing.

Thanks for reading!

Karlie

Oh, college.

           College.  I have come to learn that one word can mean many different things to people. It could mean music, academics, arts, first loves, crazy parties, goofy mascot costumes, intense competitive sports teams, lifelong friends, etc.  But what does college mean to me? Well I can tell you, that one word has kind of consumed my life lately and given me stress beyond all measure. And at this moment I just woke up from a nap because I studied until 2 A.M. the night before for my New Testament class not because I procrastinated but I just haven’t learned the secret to time management yet. SO what does college mean to me? Well I think anybody can assume I haven’t really reached that conclusion yet but I thought that a good blog post about it might help remind me why I should be here.

            Truth be told, this transition is so difficult. I feel like I am balancing so many different things at once.  I have to think about school, the friends I am making, what activities I am getting involved in, and many other things. But what the hardest part has been is embracing the new and letting go of the familiar.  I am person who likes to have a set structure and going to college has made every aspect of my life different.  The fear of failing in one area has terrified me and my default is to worry excessively. I want to succeed in all I do but sometimes I over analyze the situation to where it makes the experience not enjoyable. All of these things were starting to eat at me. When I first got to college I did not go to God with these constant fears and stresses in my heart, I just took them upon my own soldiers hoping for the best.  But then I started to realize, my worries and stresses are nothing compared to how big God is, plus they are just weighing me down. So why am I trying to put them as idols in my life?

I have been trying to remember lately that God will show me what is the right major, give me the right friends I need, and guide my path to where it’s the most glorifying to him. But I need to remind myself before He can do any of those things there is one thing I need to do; I need to let go.  Have you ever just let everything go before and have complete trust in Him? I have heard that God always seems to find a way to show His sons and daughters that there is freedom in His name once you let go of the strongholds in your life. I am in the process of letting go of worry and stress and it is a scary feeling. But ironically enough I am simultaneously inheriting peace and comfort from God.  It’s starting to become clear that even if I do fail, the Holy Spirit can give me the strength to get back up, become stronger, and keep going.

I know I am here because of God. I know am here to become a better woman of Christ. I know am here to educate myself. I know am here to minister and be ministered too. And I know I am here to grow. (Also have a little fun on the side!) So I need to stop worrying, work hard, and let the Good Sheppard lead me. A week ago if you would have asked me what college meant to me I would have said “stress” but after going to God it seems like so many new doors have been opened to the meaning of college for me. I think letting go will let the adventure of college just happen. And If I simply do this one task I am sure college is going to become a word I think fondly of at the end of the whole experience.

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Phillipians 4:6

Thanks for reading!

Karlie

Who Do I Want To Be?

          Who do I want to be? That is basically what people are wondering when they ask what major I have selected. I’m 18. How am I really supposed to know what career I want to pursue? But in spite of this, in full confidence I selected nursing as my major. I took an interest in nursing ever since my cousin from California told me during my 9^th grade summer that nursing is in high demand and would guarantee me a job. But I am graduated, in fact college is only 4 days away now, and I am starting to question my motive behind choosing nursing as my major. Have I chosen it out of security or out of genuine interest? In a way, I feel like I am experiencing a mid-life crisis except for I haven’t even come close to my mid-life and I have a lot time to change the path I take. So I guess what I am really getting at is, I have been doubting who I am and what I want to do lately. And I am sure that is natural at this time in life, but I still really don’t know if I am putting enough trust in God’s security and plan instead of my own.            

            When searching for colleges my senior year I looked at schools that had nursing, because I was sure that was what I wanted to do.  I eventually decided on Oklahoma Baptist University, which has a fantastic nursing program and is a great college of liberal arts. I am 100% positive that I have selected the right school, especially since it will encourage me in my walk with God, but I am questioning if I am going to fulfill what I need to be fulfilling there.  So you might ask what sparked this self-doubt? Well it’s kind of ironic; it started from taking up a volunteer position at a local pediatric hospital this summer. When I applied for the job I was expecting to get some on the scene nursing experience but, the volunteer coordinator asked if I would help at the greeting desk instead. I would be making sure that people have visitor’s badges and also checking children in for their appointments. So at first, I wasn’t too thrilled about the idea but I was reminded that any position I take could honor God it just depends on the outlook I have, so I gladly agreed.  The first day of work, I realized that during my shifts I had a lot of free time and that I could do something more productive than staring at a wall. So I took on the challenge of reading as many books as I could before the summer ended and I ended up reading ten books I also decided that the books I would read would be influential Christian books. The list is:

• So Long Insecurity By: Beth Moore
• Heaven Is For Real By: Todd Burpo
• Because He Loves Me By: Elyse Fitzpatrick
• Sacred Marriage By: Gary Thomas
• Radical By: David Platt
• Screw Tape Letters By: C.S. Lewis
• Prodigal God By: Tim Keller
• Million Miles In a Thousand Years By: Donald Miller
• Blue Like Jazz By: Donald Miller
• Father Fiction By: Donald Miller

Within these hundreds of pages I read I began to realize the love for reading and writing that I deeply had.  I also sparked my love for writing this summer since I decided to take advice from a friend to write about my life since it would be encouraging for others to read. I started to write about some influential instances in my life that have molded me to become who I am in Christ and have about 6 different stories I have worked on this summer. It has helped release things I wanted to release and focus on things that I needed to  focus on. I have enjoyed it and it has also been very therapeutic for me. So the reason why I say the situation is ironic is because I went into this volunteer position hoping to find a greater love for nursing but I ended up finding a greater love for literature and writing; something completely opposite. So it made me question what I really wanted to do nursing for. I never was that interested in my biology classes but I always found an interest in reading, writing, and history classes. The reason I mention my interest in history classes is for the reason that history is pretty much a huge story and I love stories. I just get a kick out of listening to elders talk about events in their past.  And not to brag but I think I am pretty good storyteller myself.  So what would make me not want to write?

I mean you go to college to pursue something your interested in not to pursue something that will make you just feel safe. But I haven’t totally written the whole nursing idea off. (Pun intended) Nursing would be a great profession for me since I am planning on getting a minor in missions and doing some long-term over seas work.  I think even in the United States it would be a great career opportunity to minister and help people.  That’s what makes this whole thing conflicting. So I have decided to keep an open mind about the whole ordeal and think about it as an adventure. Also thinking about how I would choose nursing as a career for security has reminded me that I need to trust in God for comfort instead of trying to resort to what the world says will give me comfort. My pastor just spoke about that this past Sunday. He said that we are so quick to settle for the cheap substitute of joy the world offers instead of accepting the free real joy that Christ has to bring.  

So this now leads me to tell you why I am starting this blog. I am writing this blog in efforts to see if writing is something I really enjoy and something I can honor God while doing. I named it “Living in Timely Writing” because I always think of God as my Author (along with Father, Friend, Alpha O Mega) that is writing my story and intricately placing the words in the right places. So I looked up the exact definition of timely on Dictionary.com and it said:

“time·ly/ˈtīmlē/Adjective: Done or occurring at a favorable or useful time”

And I believe that God has me here on this earth on His “favorable or useful ” timing, I just have to trust in Him and be the best I can be. So I am going to step into college willing to accept the whole experience as a journey. I don’t need to have everything planned out. I mean I never really have to have anything in my life planned out; I just need faith.  So in the midst of my sporadic college melt downs, nervousness, and excitement I will trust in God for He is good and I know He will make college a learning experience I will never forget. And as for my major I will just have to see what interests me the most!

Thanks for Reading!

Karlie