She Gets It: Sadie Robertson

What first comes to mind when you see this?

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The emotions associated with Duck Dynasty range from adoration to abhorrence. In our society, you would be hard pressed to find any American without an opinion falling somewhere on that spectrum. Very few people have remained untouched by this show and family, for better or for worse.

In case you aren’t familiar with the Robertson family and the Duck Dynasty franchise, here is a guide to catch you up:

– Duck Dynasty began its first season in March 2012 on A&E; it’s 7th season kicks off tonight.

– The show chronicles the daily lives of the Robertson family from Monroe, Louisiana. They own a family business, Duck Commander, where they create products for duck hunters, namely duck calls.

– The Robertson’s are devoutly and openly Christian and place a high value on family.

– Following is a family tree:

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There has been plenty of controversy raised from the show stemming from the Robertson’s Christian values. The controversy that took the world by storm came last December in 2013. When questioned in an interview with GQ Magazine on his opinion about homosexuality, the patriarch of the family, Phil Robertson, using the Bible, specifically 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, stated the debauchery of homosexuality.

To be honest, I was never a huge fan of the show; I had only seen a handful of episodes, I’m not a country girl, and I’ve never been hunting. However, as a devout Christian myself, I took notice once the comments were released and the backlash began. In an effort to not revive this issue, I’ll just say this: Was he right? Yes. Was he Biblical? Yes. Was he graceful in his answer? Not so much.

However, what I really want to talk about is the granddaughter of Phil Robertson, Sadie Robertson. The dimple faced 17 year-old is on this season of Dancing with the Stars and let me just say, she is killing it. The girl can dance. But what has really grabbed my eye and blown my mind is who she is as a person. She is as sweet and down-to-Earth as they come. She has used her fame as a platform for Jesus. And it’s infectious.

Sadie Robertson

Sadie Robertson

There are plenty of stars that claim, and are, Christians. But there is no one quite like Sadie Robertson. She gives the glory to God in every situation; she stands by her values in her dance moves and costumes choices. Her social media pages show her dressed in modest, but adorable outfits. She shares verses of scripture, prayers, and encouragements with her fans and followers. She recently released a book that has teenaged girls across the U.S. dedicating their lives to a faith and a God so much greater than themselves or any one person, even Sadie Robertson herself. How many people would write a book that brought them zero glory or fame? Not too many is my guess.

On Tuesday, the rising dancer took to her Instagram account, legitsadierob, to share the following thoughts:

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After seeing this, it’s hard to believe she is only 17. If we’re being completely honest, there aren’t too many 17 year olds with this kind of spiritual maturity, I definitely wasn’t one of them. There is something incredible about her hearing the comment, knowing the scripture, and sharing that. She gets it. She really gets it.

And even though I’m just a few years removed from 17 myself, I see in her such greatness and such a potential to change the world just by being who she is. She believes the same things her family does and supports what her grandfather, Phil, said in GQ. What’s different is she does it with a little more grace and finesse and people love that. People love her. And Sadie really loves Jesus. You don’t need me to spell out what that means and neither does she.

She gets it and because of that. the world is getting Jesus. And for that, I am incredibly thankful.

Why I Didn’t Drink on My 21st Birthday

I didn’t drink on my 21st birthday.

I know, I know, the first thing people think of when they hear you’re turning 21 is alcohol. And lots of it. However, I chose not to drink on my 21st birthday. I’ve been met with every type of imaginable reaction to this statement, from “that’s probably smart” to “are you crazy?!” So here to clear the air, I present to you: Why I didn’t drink on my 21st birthday.


I’ve never had anything to drink, not even a sip. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’ve never been offered a drink. I certainly have. And it’s not like I’ve never considered taking someone up on their offer. I certainly have. But God never tempted me beyond what I could bear (1 Corinthians 10:13) and I endured through those moments of temptation with Him.

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If you didn’t already know from my previous posts, I am a devout Christian. Most people who know me assume my opting out of drinking on my 21st is in someway tied to my faith. To a certain extent that is correct, but not for the reason most people would guess. Let’s clear something up now: Nowhere in the Bible does it say that drinking alcohol is a sin. In fact, Jesus enjoyed a drink every now and again. Heck, his first major miracle was turning water into wine to keep a wedding party going (John 2:1-11). To recap: I’m not abstaining from drinking because it’s a sin or the Bible tells me not to.

*An important note, however, the Bible does tell us that drinking in excess and coming to drunkenness is a sin (Ephesians 5:18). *

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The real reason then that I abstained on my 21st birthday is because I didn’t see anything good coming from me drinking. Something I really took to heart my sophomore year of college was this verse: “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial” (1 Corinthians 6:12). Basically this is saying that just because I can do something doesn’t mean that I should do it. In all that I do I must ask myself, it is pure? Is it right? Is it true? Most importantly, will it bring me closer to God? And if I can’t say yes, then I really have to reevaluate what that action would mean for my life.

When I asked myself these questions about drinking, I couldn’t say yes. So I said no; no to alcohol on my 21st birthday. This doesn’t mean I’ll never drink or that I look down on anyone who does drink, it just means that now is the time for me to drink. There is nothing of benefit being added to my life by adding alcohol into the mix of my crazy, busy schedule. Maybe one day, but not today.

And just so you know, I did have an awesome 21st birthday. Completely sober.

The Principle of the Thing


I am biased.

My judgement is clouded.

But let’s be real, whose isn’t?

Everyone has their thing. The thing that affects all other things. Whether we are consciously aware of our “things” guiding factor in our lives and daily choices, it is indisputably present. If you haven’t already, hit the pause button and figure out what your thing is.

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Got it? Good.

Don’t got it? That’s okay, it’s a hard question.

Either way, let’s keep going…

So what’s my thing? (I know you must be on the edge of your seats in anticipation!) My thing is so basic and yet so complex; cliché and yet so individual. My thing is God.  More specifically, my thing is my relationship with the Creator of the Universe. It’s kind of a big deal to know the one entity that causes each individual rain drop to fall and each individual human being to breathe. Simultaneously. Every day. Strike that kind of a big deal, it’s the biggest deal ever.

My day to day life is centered on God. In the mornings I read my Bible and have quiet time with just Him. I pray at every meal, before every test, when I walk between classes, before I go to sleep and whenever I am reminded of someone I love. I observe the Sabbath; every Sunday I go to Church and Sunday School, then I spend the day with family and friends enjoying the rest God has made. (Yes, that means I try my best to do my homework on Friday and Saturday, not Sunday). I am the president at the Baptist Campus Ministries on the University of Louisville’s campus (uoflbcm.org). I spend some portion of every Monday-Friday serving there. When I work out, I listen Christian rap… you can judge me for that. Heck, 90% of my tweets are in someway related to my relationship with God.

Click to hear one of my favorite Christian rap songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aULF0MDHtU

Click to hear one of my favorite Christian rap songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aULF0MDHtU

I don’t say all this to brag, as if I have got it all figured out. I promise that could not be further from the truth. Seriously, I promise. I say all this because it’s my thing. It’s how I live my life. You can never understand how someone’s thing affects their life until you can grasp what their thing truly looks like in practice.

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So when I’m faced with certain things, my bias helps to explain the decision I make. Let’s check out a few:

1.) Marriage: I legitimately don’t understand the point of marriage outside of a Christ centered relationship. Marriage is an illustration of God’s love for the church. It is a holy and sacred vow. (Ephesians 5:21-32)

2.) Problems: If you have a problem with someone, you talk to them about it. If that doesn’t work, ask a trusted third-party for help. Never gossip, that helps no one.  (Matthew 18:15)

3.) Possessions: You can’t take em with you, so don’t worry about it. If you need something and I     have it, I can just about guarantee I will give it to you without provocation. (Luke 3:11)
For me this is all no brainer stuff in my life, but for many others some of these ideas are illogical, silly, or maybe even offensive. But the thing is, that’s okay. Just because it’s my thing, doesn’t mean it has to be yours too.  Read it, love it, hate it, but respect it. And I can promise I’ll do the same for you too.