Resource Friday: LikeHoneyBlog (July 28, 2017)

What is resource Friday?

Every Friday I feature a musician, poet, author, entrepreneur or speaker who has incredible material. I believe that as Christians we can help one another grow by providing each other with Biblically sound resources. Every resource I suggest is of someone who's work I truly believe in and/or use myself.

This week’s resource: Like Honey Blog

Mariah and I connected online when I was searching for Christian bloggers to promote my e-course. Scrolling through her insta-feed and her blog, I immediately knew she had an awesome blog that I wanted to share. On LikeHoneyBlog, Mariah discusses everything from her adorable family, to her killer fashion sense, to her love for Jesus. Check out LikeHoneyBlog if you want to read the blog of a stylish, Jesus loving momma!
XOXO,
Myah  

A Letter to My New Christian Self (July 25, 2017)

April 10th, 2017 was my super-sweet 16th birthday into the body of Christ! So here is a letter to my new Christian self.

Dear Myah at 10,  

One of the things you’re going to learn about God over the years, is that he has a sense of humor. And he’s creative. Like you. In fact that’s one of the things the two of you have in common. Creativity is one of the ways you will relate to him. He’s also persistent; and as you will find as you get older, that’s a trait that he passed on to his baby girl (you). Right now, you’re in elementary school and you have just accepted Jesus into your heart. You know he is real and you have determined within yourself to follow him. And sweet girl, as I write this letter to you from a woman’s perspective, I am so proud that you have and you did.

One thing you don’t know is inside of you, is an ability to stand alone in the face of adversity. You, little warrior, are strong. You are relentless.  And even though you sometimes feel insecure, and small and not good enough, you are so extraordinary. The next decade and a half of your life are going to be joyous, adventurous, painful and unexpected. Those dreams you have of going to Julliard or Columbia, as it turns out, are not a part of God’s plan for your life. That little town that you so desperately want to get away from (yes, even at ten years old) you will still live in at 26. Those friendships you think are forever, well sweet girl cherish them. As you grow older, very few of the kids you grew up with will remain Christian. The decision you make to stick with Christ will cost you many friends. It will even cost you your best friend.

You’ll still be singing. Though that music degree you thought you would get will never come to pass.  And at first you won’t be okay with. Okay, for many years you won’t be okay with it and you will find yourself in a perpetual state of asking God “what are you doing.” Even now, 16 years later, you don’t completely know what he is doing, but if you have learned anything about God, you have learned that he is always up to something and that he loves to catch you by surprise.

In the next decade and a half there are going to be many people who will betray you. There are going to be people who are going to make you question your worth. There’s going to be that guy who makes you wonder if he was in fact the one who got away. Your dreams are going to take much longer than you expected and sometimes that’s going to make you wonder if you are forgotten or if God really loves you. You’re not, and he does. Little warrior you are going to make your grown up self so proud. You are going to overcome an addiction to pornography. You are going to become healed from the pain of rejection and molestation. You are going to stay a virgin though middle school… high school… undergraduate… and a master’s degree. You are going to learn to submit to the leading and guiding of your earthly authorities and you are going to learn how to allow the Holy Spirit to change your compass over… and over… and over.. . and over again.

But the thing that is going to amaze you about God is how much he knows you. He knows you so much better than you ever knew yourself. And every single time you thought he was denying you of something, you’re going to find that he was shifting you and shaping you into who you really are. As I write this to you, sixteen years after you accepted Christ, I want you to know you don’t have it all together. You haven’t lost the weight; in fact you’ve gained more weight than your grown up self would like to admit. But let me remind you that you are persistent my dear and every time you fall down in your weight struggle you get back up. Every time. And one day, you won’t fall. You’ll get up and you’ll stay up and the weight loss, like every other struggle in your life will be a testament to God’s unfailing love and his infinite glory.

Right now you desperately want your own identity. People associate you with Mike and Mallory. You never feel like you own yourself.  While many of your peers are trying to break away from their families and establish their own identity, you want that too. But there’s this thing inside of you that keeps you close. That thing that’s pulling you close to them, that thing inside of you that you can’t explain, is destiny. The four of you are going to pioneer a ministry called One Vision Outreach Training Center. You’re a vital part of it. And it’s an even bigger part of you.  As you age in Christ you will become increasingly more compassionate, but decreasingly less sensitive (thank God, you cry a lot now, lol.) You will fall in love with worship. Yep, read that twice. You will pursue things you never knew you wanted and one day when they are placed in front of you, you will realized that a whole piece of you has been missing and now it’s finally there. Sixteen years after you become a Christian, you’ll still be radically imperfect but you’ll desperately work towards surrender. And God will feel so close.

Oh, and that play that dad took you to that led to your salvation. That was no accident. When you grow up, you’re going to write a lot of plays. Some of them will even have calls to salvation at the end. I told you God has a sense of humor.

I’m so proud of you,

Myah at 26.

Scripture Memory Techniques 12/12/2016

Scripture memory is a vital part of the transformation process.  We need to memorize scripture to transform our hearts and minds and to make us more like Christ.  Scripture memory, however, is not an easy discipline to get the hang of. Here are a few tips on memorizing scripture. I hope they’re helpful!

1.      Chose a translation that resonates with you. I really enjoy the flow of the NKJV and Amplified Bible’s. I find that I am best able to remember when memorizing in these versions.  I also find that when I use a translation that I am emotionally connected to that it is able to penetrate my spirit more easily.

2.      Don’t scripture hop- I find that working on one scripture until I know it backwards and forwards helps me in the scripture memory process. Sometimes it can be easy to jump around and half-heartedly learn parts of scriptures but in order for the word to be as effective as possible, it is vital that we fully understand and remember each verse we set out to memorize.

3.      Use tools such as index cards, scripture typer apps, etc.  There are a myriad of scripture typer tools  you can download on your computer or smart phone to help you with the memorization process. I highly suggest finding and consistently implementing any tools that help in your scripture memory process.

4.      Be consistent- taking ten or fifteen minutes every day is enough to help you memorize your scriptures effectively. The key is going over them daily or almost daily.

5.      Choose a realistic memorization number. Make sure you are realistic with the amount of scriptures you aim to memorize at a given time. I think 2-4 scriptures per month is an excellent goal, though you can memorize more or less as you feel comfortable. When I first started memorizing scriptures, I was very extreme. I would try to memorize 5 or more scriptures per week. I so desperately wanted God to transform me that I thought in order for that to happen I had to memorize copious amounts of scriptures at a time. What I have found is that God was able to transform me with completely learning one or two scriptures a month than trying to learn 20 scriptures half heartedly.

 

Love and blessings on your scripture memory journey.

XOXO,

Myah Lonye’

Why Church Community Matters 12/5/2016

Have you ever heard the saying “even the Lone Ranger had Tonto?” It’s a proverbial truth that essentially reminds us that nothing we desire to do can be done alone. I am the queen of “do it myself.” But something the Lord has been teaching me in my 20’s is how important it is to have a team and build community. Salvation is a tale of relationship. God never intended for us to do life alone. He wants his children to be in an intimate relationship with him and with each other. Church community is that fellowship together of his children. And it is so, so very important.

I have a younger brother and no one understands our parents like he and I do, because we were raised by them. We are a part of the same family. We share the same bloodline and the same lineage. We hold the same inheritance. We are loved equally, by the same two people on earth. That is a unique experience that only he and I share because we are both children to Michael and Mallory Gary. It’s the same thing when you a child of God. Your brothers and sisters in Christ (or church family) understand God on a level that only his children can. They understand his love, his grace, his favor and even his chastisement in a way that only his children can.

There is a uniqueness in the community that is being a believer. With all that being said, it is so important that we hold on to each other. Not only is it a command found in Hebrews 10:24-25, but it is so necessary to the advancement of our own walks with Christ. I need my brothers and sisters in Christ to help me develop and become more like our father. And since God is their daddy too, they understand him and can help me become more like him than women in the world can.

As the times grow darker, we need people who get us, who can keep us accountable, who can show us love and mercy when we screw it up (and we all will screw it up at some point) and snatch us out of hell if they see us slipping in our walks. We need each other. We are strongest when we are intertwined in this walk of faith together.

XOXO,

Myah Lonye’

 

Being a Christian in Academia -12/1/2016

Sometimes it still surprises me that I’m in academia. I didn’t think I would ever be here, pursing a doctorate degree. Honestly, until the door opened, it was never something I was interested in doing. I didn’t care about getting an upper level degree. My story (especially post high school until now) is a true testament of the steps of the righteous being ordered. But this isn’t the space for my testimony. Instead, we’re going to fast forward a bit and talk about the things I’ve learned in the process of pursuing my PhD. I began my doctoral studies in the summer of 2014. In fact I graduated with my Master’s on Saturday and I was in my first doctoral class on Monday! In the process of pursuing my PhD here are a few of the things I have learned.

1.      Your degree, even if in a non-Christian field is for the Lord. I always felt called to do some form of ministry so when I found myself pursuing upper level degrees, especially my PhD, I was unsure of how I was going to be able to use that degree to glorify God and how it was going to move me closer to ministry. What I soon learned is that the degree in and of itself was ministry! I quickly learned that this degree is not just so I can be Dr. Myah Gary. This degree is a part of the stepping stone to wherever God is planning to take me in ministry. Thus, I have a responsibility to steward it appropriately.

2.      You’re going to feel like you don’t have enough time. And if you don’t put the Lord first, you won’t. Working on a graduate degree often feels a lot like working on a marathon, while sprinting. You’re going to have class, a full time job or a graduate assistantship, conferences, clubs and meetings. Oh yeah, and there’s this little thing you will have to do called “studying.” You will have many things pulling at your attention, but what I have found is that when I put the Lord before my school work (having my prayer time, being faithful in church, serving in church and taking some type of Sabbath) that God always redeems the time and I always get things done when I need to.

3.      You’re going to have to fight to put God first. And speaking of putting God first, you’re going to have to fight to put him first. The enemy (and people) will try to tell you that your academic journey will be all consuming. Anything that is all consuming outside of God is idolatry. Everything needs a place and God needs to be placed first.

4.      It is an incredible opportunity to be light in a valley of dry bones. Being in a predominately anti-God and anti-religion field, I often found myself in a place where I was the only Christian. My beliefs have been tested on numerous occasions. I’ve had professors and colleagues question my judgment and my radical faith. Being in academia has caused me to put no confidence in the flesh and has completely severed my approval addiction. When I first started grad school, I wanted people to like me so badly I was willing to be silent about my faith all together. Now that I am half-way through my doctorate and I have had many experiences (and tons of practice) taking a stand, I am very comfortable with taking a stand for my faith.  

5.      Pursing a PhD is about collecting resources as much as it is about collecting knowledge. You will not have enough time to disseminate all of the information your teachers will give you. You will have to learn how to skim. You will have to learn how to pick out what the important readings are and store away the rest. The goal of the PhD is that you become an “expert” in one thing (the topic you write your dissertation on) and that you have a wealth of resources on how to obtain other necessary knowledge.

6.      If you struggle with perfectionism, God is going to seriously break that down. I’ve struggled with perfectionism since I was a little girl. I hated the feeling of not being able to do everything perfectly. What God has taught me is that his grace is truly sufficient. I have often found myself in a place where I was unable to study as much as I wanted, or read as much as I needed and God has ALWAYS covered me. I could not rely on my ego and on working hard. Instead I’ve had to learn to rely on his grace covering the parts of my academic journey where I was weak, tired or behind.

This is just a glimpse into my academic journey and what the Lord has taught me in grad school. I hope it blesses you.

XOXO,

Myah Lonye’

 

The Good-Hard Year

Photo Source

This has been a good-hard year.

I never thought I could put together the words "good" and "hard" when thinking about a single season of my life, but as I look over 2015, this has been one of the best, most challenging years I have ever lived through. I've faced a few fears, battled illness, and had to learn how to lean on God when I was experiencing  loss and disappointment. Through a series of events, the end of 2014 and the first quarter of 2015 left me feeling tentative, afraid and timid. But I also felt victorious. During that six month period I jumped a few really tall hurdles. I experienced persecution and un-surety on every side. But, I made it through those situations and even though they left me with a few battle scars I figured the worst of it was over.

I was wrong.

Moving into the summer of this year, my father had a health scare with his heart. Through much prayer and a little medication his heart returned to normal. I too was facing health problems and received some scary news regarding my health. Also, around this time I was in the process of looking for a new job. To know me is to know that I never have a hard time finding jobs. In fact, I'm such a job magnet that I've gotten a couple of jobs without having to apply. I had recently started my business and I knew I wanted to continue working on it, but with the safety net of having stable income on the side. When the summer started I had five jobs that I was up for. They looked promising and I was completely qualified. Slowly, one by one, each one fell through- one even falling through two days before I was to start working. To say the least, I was a disappointed, but I simply thought that God wanted to increase my faith. And of course, I figured the worst of it was over.

I was wrong.

This fall I enrolled in my second year as a doctoral student. Though I've worked hard through all of my degrees I've never had as many sleepless nights, shed as many tears, or felt as much pressure as I've felt this semester. My classes have kicked my butt! There were many days I considered dropping down to part time, but each time I went to do so, I could feel the Holy Spirit telling me to halt. Soon after the semester started, my mother had to have two surgeries, which was a scary time for my family. Recently I received some heartbreaking news regarding my doctoral program. I can't share all of the details now, but let's just say that except for the grace of God, the course of my entire program could change and a big academic goal I've been working toward may not be fulfilled.

My year has been tough, but not bad.

Had all of these things happened to me a year ago, I would have been ready to through in the towel. I would have been angry at God. I would have become bitter. One of the beautiful things that has happened in this good-hard year is that God has taught me how to respond like the new woman I am becoming instead of like the old "Myah." I have found myself worshipping God when I felt afraid, running to Him in prayer when I felt uncertain. Not simply because I wanted answers, but because I needed to be in His presence. What I've found during this good-hard year is that when I am in God's presence I am my strongest. I am my most secure. I am my most fearless. I am my most sure.

At the beginning of the year I asked the Lord for more intimacy with Him. I wanted to know His face, I wanted to learn to trust Him. The funny thing about God is that often when He answers our prayers He answers them via experience. He didn't just give me more of His presence, he allowed me to go through difficult situations that caused me to seek His presence. He hasn't just given me more faith, instead He has allowed me to sit in the middle of chaos and trust that He will come through. And if He doesn't, He's teaching me to trust that:

 He is still good (Dan. 3:17-18).



That is just one of the things that this good-hard year has taught me. I'm learning that even when I am in the center of a battle, even when things don't work out like I plan, even when people hurt me, even when I feel disappointed, His presence is there waiting to be sought and HE. IS. STILL. GOOD. This year what I've learned is sometimes you will find yourself sitting in the middle of a hard battle and you have to choose to fight until the battle is won. Half of the battle that you fight, in the midst of the battle you are fighting, is the belief that you are not fighting alone. That's the beauty of the good-hard years, if you allow them, they will show you that you are never fighting alone.

I know that the coming weeks will be a walk of faith for me. I won't allow myself to look much past that time period, but I know that during the next month I will have to praise, worship, pray, and trust like never before. My hope is that everything works out like I planned, but if not... He is still good. He is always good. May we all learn to relish in the beauty of our good-hard years.

XOXO,
Myah

Welcome!

Hey, I'm Myah!

I'm twenty-five years old and I am radically sold out to Christ. I created this blog because, having been saved for fifteen years I've learned first hand how exciting, lonely, amazing and difficult the Christian walk can be. I also know that living life as a young, evangelical Christian in a post-modernist world can be exceptionally challenging. My goal in creating this blog is to:
 1. Obey Christ (as He has impressed it on my heart to start this blog.)
 2. Give love and encouragement to those young radicals who need it.
 3. Provide many resources that will help you grow in your Christian walk.
I'd love to stay in touch and connect so follow me on instagram or shoot me an email if you have any questions.
XOXO,
Myah