Modern Reject - Page 47 of 48 - Nicole Cottrell: Writer, Speaker, Button-pusher

Women in Minstry, Part 1 of 3

The role of women in ministry within the church can be a touchy subject. People start asking questions like, “Can women teach men?” or “Can women be head pastors?” To be honest , I never spent too much time thinking abut it. I knew what I felt about the subject, but had never gone beyond that. I hadn’t examined the scriptures, for example, or prayed to see where perhaps God was leading me on the subject. Until recently…

I am currently enrolled in a Women in Leadership Development course (that’s right, it’s W.I.L.D.). It is 2 year program designed to encourage, train, and raise up female Christian leaders. A few weeks ago we heard a lecture on “women in ministry”. I realized then, how much of a divisive issue this truly is. Today’s post is part one of a three part series, discussing women and their role in ministry. Since today is Wednesday–and that means it is He Said/She Said day, where I write about all things related to men, women, or both–I thought I’d talk about this somewhat controversial issue… cause that’s how I roll… Continue reading Women in Minstry, Part 1 of 3

101 Random Facts About Nicole, The Modern Reject

In an attempt for you all to get to know me better, I compiled this list of 101 random facts about me, filled with trivial and tantalizing tidbits. I hope you enjoy and Happy Friday!

1. When I was younger I wanted to be a fashion designer or a magazine editor

2. I love, love roller coasters, but hate rides that drop you straight down.

3. I’m an only child.

4. Maybe as a result of being an only child, I had dozens of imaginary friends while growing up.

5. I majored in political science in college and received a B.S., which comes in really handy (sarcasm). Continue reading 101 Random Facts About Nicole, The Modern Reject

How to Be a Dream-Executor

What things have you always wanted to do, but felt were just out of reach? A dream, a plan, a business? What trip have you wanted to take? Where would you go if you could go anywhere?

Dreaming is good. I believe God made us to dream, to weave ideas in and out, and to imagine the endless possibilities. I am good at dreaming. Dare I even say, I am great at dreaming.

It is the execution, however, where I tend to be a bit of a nadda. Sure, I’ve got the ideas, plans, hopes, and wishes, but when it comes time to actually do something about them, well, that is a whole ‘nother story. Realizing my dreams is where I fall flat… on my face.

I am married, though, to a big-time dreamer who is also a masterful dream-executor. He gets the dreams done. I have watched him in disbelief, fear, and wonder, as he plows forward towards what seems to be often unachievable goals. He then not only gets close, but he actually achieves his desired goal.

Since marrying Jonathan, I have become better and better at not just dreaming the dream, but doing the dream, so to speak. God has led me along and been pressing upon me the need to not only have my head in the clouds, but to also place my nose to the grindstone (sorry for two sorta cheesy phrases in one sentence).

So, how do dreams move from one’s mind to become a reality? How do you become a dream-executor? Continue reading How to Be a Dream-Executor

Favorite (Blog) Things

Do you remember when you first heard the word “blog’? I can vaguely remember. Someone was discussing politics (one of my favorite pastimes) and I kept hearing them refer to a particular blog. I didn’t want to ask. I had heard the word before but I wasn’t sure what a “blog” actually was. Weeks later, I started hearing words like “blogosphere”. It was all very confusing.

Here I am, years later, with a blog of my own. I started Modern Reject reluctantly, but now I am fully invested. I love writing here every day and having conversations with all of you.

For those of you who might be new around here, every Friday I share my Favorite Things, which can really be anything that floats my boat. Since Modern Reject just launched with its sleek and pretty new design just last week, I thought, in honor of my new blog design, I would share my Favorite (Blog) Things. This list includes blogs I love to read, blogs I admire, blogging inspiration, and more. I hope you enjoy and, if you aren’t already blogging, maybe after reading this you will change your mind… Continue reading Favorite (Blog) Things

The Easy Way or the Hard Way?

Discussed: Is the Christian life easier or more difficult?

How did you become a Christian? I always wonder about people’s testimonies. How did God find you, rescue you, redeem you? I was one month shy of my 17th birthday when I first met Jesus. Since that time nothing has been the same…

No, things have not been easier. Many things have been harder. No one painted an idyllic picture for me of the Christian life. I didn’t know exactly what I was doing on that July evening when I said “Yes” to Christ. I just knew, in my innermost parts, that I needed to say, “Yes.”

No one told me the Christian life was not a cake walk. No one was there to tell me that, while life with Christ is rich, full, and abundant, it can also be ripe with disappointment, grief, and heartache.

The Christian life is not the guarantee of an easy life. Quite the opposite, in fact. Jesus even said so…. Continue reading The Easy Way or the Hard Way?

Is it Okay to Have Rules in Marriage?

Ah, marriage. I love it. I love everything about it. I love the companionship, the company, the camaraderie. I even love the fact that I end up spending so much time with someone, which for an introvert like me can be difficult.

God knew what He was doing when He created marriage. He knew the needs we hold and the desires we keep. He designed men and women to be in partnership.

I realized quickly within marriage, though, that it was necessary to have guidelines and boundaries in place, both for the unspoken and the obvious. Jonathan and I talk often about our expectations for marriage and we check in with one another to see how we are doing as spouses. There are certain things we have agreed upon through our conversations that we will never do nor allow to happen within our marriage. Do you have guidelines like that, whether you are married or not? Things you and your spouse have committed to keeping in or keeping out of your marriage?

Need some inspiration? Well here are some of the things that Jonathan and I have sworn that we will never do or always do within marriage…. Continue reading Is it Okay to Have Rules in Marriage?

Why I Don't Watch Glee

Yesterday, the always funny Jon Acuff of Stuff Christians Like, wrote a post about the two possible responses that Christians might have to Glee. Either we love it or we hate it. There is no middle ground.

I, for one, have never watched Glee, not even a tiny little bit. I am somewhat proud of my lack of exposure to the phenom that is Glee. I have resisted many a trend–Lady Gaga, leggings (including the now infamous jeggings), and babywearing.

Why, you may ask? Well, I pride myself in being a reject. Which is just another way of saying I’m not a follower, at least not by nature. To be clear, I am not a leader by nature either. I’m more of a neither. I live comfortably somewhere in between, as a kind of floater, free-agent, non-committal-type.

Which explains why I have never seen Glee. It’s not that I think it’s bad or lame, I just tend to avoid (be it consciously or not) anything that is hyped up, popular, or mainstream. That is, until I get a taste of something and I realize that I actually like said pop culture trend. Take, for instance, the story of me and a very famous horse… Continue reading Why I Don't Watch Glee

We Are Breaking Up, Tumblr…

For those of you who are new around here, you may not have known that I recently ended a brief but hot affair with Tumblr, choosing instead to spend time with my new love, WordPress.

I will be bringing over my top 10 (or so) favorite posts from my Tumblr account to the new Modern Reject site, here. But if you would like to read more and see more of my archives, feel free to peruse my Tumblr page anytime.

Thanks for stopping by…

xo,
Modern Reject

The World is a Drug

Any good drug worth consuming has side effects. You’ve seen the commercials for a particular pharmaceutical: may cause ulcers, fatigue, dizziness, bleeding gums…

Sounds tempting, eh? Suddenly, to lower your cholesterol, you are potentially adding a bevy of new symptoms to your list. To get rid of one health concern you have to be willing to take on twelve more.

The world is very much the same way. The overwhelming temptations that the world offers us are on par with any drug. You take it down in the hopes of it relieving one symptom–be it loneliness, depression, or inadequacy–only to find that while one may gain temporary relief, you also begin to experience the painful side effects of the world.

The world is a drug, Christ however is the remedy. We can swallow down the world’s drug or choose Christ as our cure. Both, however, carry significant side effects: Continue reading The World is a Drug

Favorite (Catalyst) Things Friday

Over the past three days, I have been in Atlanta surrounded by thousands of other believers experiencing everything from acrobatic stunts, to the filming of a Dorito commercial, to hearing powerhouse speakers, and glorious worship. I have been at the Catalyst Conference. But calling Catalyst a conference is an understatement. According to them:

“Catalyst is way beyond a conference – it’s a powerful convergence of next generation leaders. It’s a fully immersive learning, worship, and creative experience loaded with the high-octane energy of thousands of like-minded leaders gathered together to exert influence in our generation. And once you’ve been exposed, you’ll call it what we call it – pure leadership adrenaline.”

I was immersed alright and had an experience I will never forget. I hope to come back for many years but in the meantime, here are my Favorite (Catalyst) Things: Continue reading Favorite (Catalyst) Things Friday