This last week, I had the awesome opportunity to go to Hunters, Washington, to participate in a VBS at Cedonia Community Church (check 'em out here: http://cedoniachurch.blogspot.com/) as a crew leader. Now, I have to be honest: that position was not my first choice. See, as a junior high leader, Pre-K/K team member, and the various other areas of small group leadership I've had, I had "crew leader" down. I felt the need to grow elsewhere. But, I was placed as a crew leader. I was actually rather upset with that fact, but, because I knew that the devil would use it against me, I decided that I would go wherever I was needed with a servant mentality, since the trip was never about me anyway.
The very first night, we did foot washing at evening devos. The leaders went around the circle, washing the volunteers feet and praying over them. After I was prayed over, I hurried to the basement. It was quiet, and no one could hear me, so I walked around, talking to God, explaining to Him how I felt (even though I'm sure He already knew) while crying. I told Him I wasn't sure what He was doing, but I knew He had a plan. I know He still does, as I still have that longing to be beyond where I was - having a desire to grow in more areas.
But have you ever felt that way? Like you're supposed to be put somewhere and when you're not, you're kind of bitter and angry about it? It's almost like you feel God's telling you "this is where I want you" but when it doesn't happen, you get kind of frustrated and confused? That's where I was. I thought, "God, you said these were your plans for me, but I'm still at this spot. What are you doing? I thought you said this was how it was supposed to be."
It wasn't until A) I talked to someone about it and B) until I could overcome my bitterness that I really saw what God was doing. I had the mentality that THIS is where I would be at THIS time. But that wasn't God's timing. I still believe He has that plan for me. And now I know to WAIT patiently. Yet, how many times do we try to hurry up God's plans for us? We just disappoint ourselves and go through more hurt than we really need to go through. We have to learn to wait on God, and He will bring about His plans at the right time - the point where it will bring Him the most glory.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
Happy Father's Day?
*Disclaimer: The decision to post this was a difficult one, and in openness, I've decided to share it with you. It's a bit of a heavier post and topic, but the end is where we should focus, and you can always feel free to skip to the end. I hope you enjoy this post. You should tell me your story...*
June 17th, 2012, is yet another "Hallmark Holiday." The second most important people in our lives are to be celebrated and cherished. It's a day where we focus all our attention on the person who taught us how to ride a bike, hit a baseball, and change a tire. Fathers. They're one of the most important people to look at when we search for our identity and determine who we are and who we're going to be. They're the ones who are supposed to walk us down the aisle and hold their newborn grandchildren at the hospital wearing the "Proud Grandfather" shirt and smile
Fathers are the people who can quite literally make or break the rest of our lives. If you've been lucky enough to have a great dad, I truly am jealous of you. But if you, like me, have a not-so-great dad, father's day might be tough for you. Fathers are supposed to be there from the moment we are born. They're there for our first breath, first steps, first loves, first house... Well, most of them, anyway.
But in complete vulnerability, I've decided to share an excerpt of my story. Something I share with few people, now to be shared with all of you. (Since, after all, my blog does say "tell me your story, show me your wounds...")
When I was 8, my parents got a divorce. I very much knew what was going on. As time passed, I grew to be more independent. My mom and dad pinned me and my siblings up against the other parent. We were being pulled in every different direction. Things looked okay from the outside, but inside, there were hurtful words. Words that should never be said to any child. EVER. My dad denied it. Even when he was told about it and saw the hurt we had experienced, there was no remorse, no guilt, no shame, no empathy. There was nothing. No one would ever see the scars, because the beatings we had experienced were not physical. The control and bounds we had been held captive to were invisible. Who would ever believe a child?
My self-reliance had grown exponentially. My mom had gone back to school and was working, so my siblings and I were home alone often. Being a middle child, I was strong-willed. I knew what I wanted and was determined to work to get it. I recognized the verbal and emotional abuse and didn't need to deal with it anymore. By 13 years old, I had had enough. After getting sick at summer camp, I wanted to stay at my house and rest. My dad wanted me to go with him. I refused. I laid on the couch, crying out of fear. He left. I was terrified that he would try to come take me. The first day of 8th grade came and went. As soon as I hopped off the bus and saw him walking toward me, I ran. I ran to the front office to call my mom. Because my parents had gone to court that summer, since I had refused to go with my dad, they ruled that I could return to visitations or I could go to counseling with him. I chose counseling. That's a story for another time.
After I was forced to resume visitation with him December of my 8th grade year, things didn't get any better. Counseling hadn't helped. My dad had shown no response to the fact that he had hurt me. By February, he had had enough of me. He dropped me off with my mom, not giving a reason why, and told my mom I couldn't go with him until "the air was cleared." Whatever that meant, the air has still never been cleared.
Don't get me wrong. I love my dad. Despite what he's done. I don't love him because he's my dad. I love him because, as a Christian, it's what I'm called to do. But it's not an obligation - it's a genuine love for him.
I've been lucky enough to have men at my church who I can look up to as a father figure, who have "taken me into" their families as "one of their own." I've had father figures leave me, too, but I know that there's one Daddy who won't leave me. My earthly dad might suck, but my true Daddy is eternal, and despite ME leaving Him, I know He'll always love me. I plan on thanking some of my friend's dad's on father's day, for showing me what a father is supposed to look like and how to show love to his children and wife, so one day I can find a guy like that.
The purpose of this post is not to show you how lame my dad is, but to show you that, no matter your relationship with your dad, you can still find hope on Father's Day.
1 John 3:1 - "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him."
How great the love our our Abba Daddy... Those of us who feel like we might not belong in our own families, we know that we belong in God's family. How great is that? We belong in a loving family, with a loving Daddy, despite how broken our families on earth may be. We can celebrate our Abba Daddy because of His love for us, His kids, and the things He's done for us. Maybe he never played basketball with you or let you beat him in a game of chess, but He's let us win over something so much bigger than that - sin, because with Him, we are more than conquerors.
So, my challenge to you is, no matter how great or how dumb your father is, take comfort in the fact that you can still celebrate a Daddy who loves you forever and ever.
June 17th, 2012, is yet another "Hallmark Holiday." The second most important people in our lives are to be celebrated and cherished. It's a day where we focus all our attention on the person who taught us how to ride a bike, hit a baseball, and change a tire. Fathers. They're one of the most important people to look at when we search for our identity and determine who we are and who we're going to be. They're the ones who are supposed to walk us down the aisle and hold their newborn grandchildren at the hospital wearing the "Proud Grandfather" shirt and smile
Fathers are the people who can quite literally make or break the rest of our lives. If you've been lucky enough to have a great dad, I truly am jealous of you. But if you, like me, have a not-so-great dad, father's day might be tough for you. Fathers are supposed to be there from the moment we are born. They're there for our first breath, first steps, first loves, first house... Well, most of them, anyway.
But in complete vulnerability, I've decided to share an excerpt of my story. Something I share with few people, now to be shared with all of you. (Since, after all, my blog does say "tell me your story, show me your wounds...")
When I was 8, my parents got a divorce. I very much knew what was going on. As time passed, I grew to be more independent. My mom and dad pinned me and my siblings up against the other parent. We were being pulled in every different direction. Things looked okay from the outside, but inside, there were hurtful words. Words that should never be said to any child. EVER. My dad denied it. Even when he was told about it and saw the hurt we had experienced, there was no remorse, no guilt, no shame, no empathy. There was nothing. No one would ever see the scars, because the beatings we had experienced were not physical. The control and bounds we had been held captive to were invisible. Who would ever believe a child?
My self-reliance had grown exponentially. My mom had gone back to school and was working, so my siblings and I were home alone often. Being a middle child, I was strong-willed. I knew what I wanted and was determined to work to get it. I recognized the verbal and emotional abuse and didn't need to deal with it anymore. By 13 years old, I had had enough. After getting sick at summer camp, I wanted to stay at my house and rest. My dad wanted me to go with him. I refused. I laid on the couch, crying out of fear. He left. I was terrified that he would try to come take me. The first day of 8th grade came and went. As soon as I hopped off the bus and saw him walking toward me, I ran. I ran to the front office to call my mom. Because my parents had gone to court that summer, since I had refused to go with my dad, they ruled that I could return to visitations or I could go to counseling with him. I chose counseling. That's a story for another time.
After I was forced to resume visitation with him December of my 8th grade year, things didn't get any better. Counseling hadn't helped. My dad had shown no response to the fact that he had hurt me. By February, he had had enough of me. He dropped me off with my mom, not giving a reason why, and told my mom I couldn't go with him until "the air was cleared." Whatever that meant, the air has still never been cleared.
Don't get me wrong. I love my dad. Despite what he's done. I don't love him because he's my dad. I love him because, as a Christian, it's what I'm called to do. But it's not an obligation - it's a genuine love for him.
I've been lucky enough to have men at my church who I can look up to as a father figure, who have "taken me into" their families as "one of their own." I've had father figures leave me, too, but I know that there's one Daddy who won't leave me. My earthly dad might suck, but my true Daddy is eternal, and despite ME leaving Him, I know He'll always love me. I plan on thanking some of my friend's dad's on father's day, for showing me what a father is supposed to look like and how to show love to his children and wife, so one day I can find a guy like that.
The purpose of this post is not to show you how lame my dad is, but to show you that, no matter your relationship with your dad, you can still find hope on Father's Day.
1 John 3:1 - "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him."
How great the love our our Abba Daddy... Those of us who feel like we might not belong in our own families, we know that we belong in God's family. How great is that? We belong in a loving family, with a loving Daddy, despite how broken our families on earth may be. We can celebrate our Abba Daddy because of His love for us, His kids, and the things He's done for us. Maybe he never played basketball with you or let you beat him in a game of chess, but He's let us win over something so much bigger than that - sin, because with Him, we are more than conquerors.
So, my challenge to you is, no matter how great or how dumb your father is, take comfort in the fact that you can still celebrate a Daddy who loves you forever and ever.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Being the Salt of the World to Add Flavor to My Life
Between going to a Christian school and growing up in church, there was one thing I was taught that I always had a hard time with. It has nothing to do with the belief system. In fact, it's quite the opposite - MY belief system. I cannot count how many times I've been told to "practice sharing my testimony, so when the day comes, I'd be ready." My problem with this? I didn't have an interesting testimony. My testimony, I thought, was bland. In fact, I can write it in two sentences. I grew up in the church and went to a Christian school. When I was in first grade, I accepted Christ. The end. Thrilling, right? As I got older, those two sentences expanded to "where I was, when I chose, who Christ is to me now." I was able to tack on the fact that I grew up, and God became my Father, my Guidance, my Friend, and my solid rock when I was on shaky ground. I would hear other people's stories and think about how lame mine sounded. Kids my age turning their lives around made my life feel dull.
The older I got, the less inspiring I found my story. Up until recently, I never realized just how inspiration my story really was. I didn't tell it to anyone, and no one who knows me told me just how impacted they felt. It was just one of those things where I realized, no one's testimony is greater than another person's. In fact, they're all the same story:
"I was broken and enslaved to sin. God's grace gave me salvation and made me whole. I was lost, but now I am found. I was a child of the world, but now I am a child of the King."
If you ask me, that's some powerful stuff right there. That's my testimony. Sure, I was 6, my life had only begun. The worst thing I had done was lie to my parents or take my sister's toy away from her. Interesting? Maybe not. Powerful? Always. How great is it that we get to become God's kids?! People say "it doesn't matter how old I've gotten - I will always need my mother/father." That's how it is with God. We will always need Him. It doesn't matter how far away from Him we've gone, the things we've done, or how independent we THINK we are - He'll always be waiting there for you to call on Him, because He knows you'll need His help. Whether you're sick, hurting, just want to tell Him "thanks," He waits patiently for us to call on Him. Just like our parents.
1 John 3:1-2 - "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."
If you read the rest of that chapter, it delves into the salvation Jesus provides for us. It's our testimony! Take a look for yourself: (vs. 3-10)
"All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister."
We sin. God saved us. We are free from the bondage of sin.
THAT is my testimony.
The older I got, the less inspiring I found my story. Up until recently, I never realized just how inspiration my story really was. I didn't tell it to anyone, and no one who knows me told me just how impacted they felt. It was just one of those things where I realized, no one's testimony is greater than another person's. In fact, they're all the same story:
"I was broken and enslaved to sin. God's grace gave me salvation and made me whole. I was lost, but now I am found. I was a child of the world, but now I am a child of the King."
If you ask me, that's some powerful stuff right there. That's my testimony. Sure, I was 6, my life had only begun. The worst thing I had done was lie to my parents or take my sister's toy away from her. Interesting? Maybe not. Powerful? Always. How great is it that we get to become God's kids?! People say "it doesn't matter how old I've gotten - I will always need my mother/father." That's how it is with God. We will always need Him. It doesn't matter how far away from Him we've gone, the things we've done, or how independent we THINK we are - He'll always be waiting there for you to call on Him, because He knows you'll need His help. Whether you're sick, hurting, just want to tell Him "thanks," He waits patiently for us to call on Him. Just like our parents.
1 John 3:1-2 - "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."
If you read the rest of that chapter, it delves into the salvation Jesus provides for us. It's our testimony! Take a look for yourself: (vs. 3-10)
"All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister."
We sin. God saved us. We are free from the bondage of sin.
THAT is my testimony.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
"I might go to college, but I don't learn much."
Things I learned in my first year of community college:
#1. You'll want to have a pocket dictionary handy at all times. Not because people have extensive vocabularies. In fact, it's quite the opposite. And then they'll tell you you're wrong. (Note to self: "Provocative: tending or serving to provoke; inciting, stimulating, irritating, or vexing.")
#2. You could wear pajamas to school and still be better dressed than some people.
#3. The only thing you learn when doing group projects is why, and how much, you hate them.
#4. Go to ratemyprofessor.com before signing up for classes. Not all teachers are competent.
#5. Simply put, people are dumb. No, really. You might think you know some dumb people, but just you wait.
#6. Always go for the research paper.
#7. Frisbee. It can get a little crazy. Don't get in our way.
#8. If you're asked to compete in a knowledge bowl - DO IT! Usually it involves Disney or other pop culture questions, and when all else fails, their general knowledge questions tend to be rather easy, too. Remember, this is community college.
#9. It doesn't matter if they have an editor and people who want to write for a living - don't read the school newspaper if you care about spelling, grammar, and your sanity.
#10. When the teacher says "class discussion," some people hear "I am the only person that can comment and ask questions. Let's take up the whole class time telling my life story."
#11. You will encounter that unfortunate moment where the one person you'd rather not be paired with is your partner. For the whole quarter.
#12. It doesn't matter how cool you think you are. PULL UP YOUR PANTS!!!
#13. I might be a little biased, but the music building has some pretty talented people in it.
#14. There's great people watching opportunities in the SUB. Just watch out for the Sasquatch dressed as a baby, the Easter Bunny, the kangaroo, and the man wearing the horse head.
#15. You'd better pay for that F@*?&#g spoon!
#16. When a teacher calls speeches "fun," just keep in mind that "fun" is a relative term. The teachers aren't the ones having to give them, so of course they think it's fun...
#17. "How many Sopranos does it take to inconvenience a person? None. Because an Alto will be there to tell off anyone who happens to be inconvenienced!"
#18. You might have an issue when you wind up using things you learn outside of school. Maybe that's what's supposed to happen in the long run, but in the short term, it just makes you look like a nerd.
#19. Don't wear a white skirt if you're on your period. Yikes.
#20. "Food left unattended WILL be eaten." -The "Living Room"
#21. Parking. As with the whole of Spokane in general, people don't know how to park... Or drive, really. If you want to make it to your class on time, get to school early so you can actually find a parking spot and walk the few football fields to civilization.
#1. You'll want to have a pocket dictionary handy at all times. Not because people have extensive vocabularies. In fact, it's quite the opposite. And then they'll tell you you're wrong. (Note to self: "Provocative: tending or serving to provoke; inciting, stimulating, irritating, or vexing.")
#2. You could wear pajamas to school and still be better dressed than some people.
#3. The only thing you learn when doing group projects is why, and how much, you hate them.
#4. Go to ratemyprofessor.com before signing up for classes. Not all teachers are competent.
#5. Simply put, people are dumb. No, really. You might think you know some dumb people, but just you wait.
#6. Always go for the research paper.
#7. Frisbee. It can get a little crazy. Don't get in our way.
#8. If you're asked to compete in a knowledge bowl - DO IT! Usually it involves Disney or other pop culture questions, and when all else fails, their general knowledge questions tend to be rather easy, too. Remember, this is community college.
#9. It doesn't matter if they have an editor and people who want to write for a living - don't read the school newspaper if you care about spelling, grammar, and your sanity.
#10. When the teacher says "class discussion," some people hear "I am the only person that can comment and ask questions. Let's take up the whole class time telling my life story."
#11. You will encounter that unfortunate moment where the one person you'd rather not be paired with is your partner. For the whole quarter.
#12. It doesn't matter how cool you think you are. PULL UP YOUR PANTS!!!
#13. I might be a little biased, but the music building has some pretty talented people in it.
#14. There's great people watching opportunities in the SUB. Just watch out for the Sasquatch dressed as a baby, the Easter Bunny, the kangaroo, and the man wearing the horse head.
#15. You'd better pay for that F@*?&#g spoon!
#16. When a teacher calls speeches "fun," just keep in mind that "fun" is a relative term. The teachers aren't the ones having to give them, so of course they think it's fun...
#17. "How many Sopranos does it take to inconvenience a person? None. Because an Alto will be there to tell off anyone who happens to be inconvenienced!"
#18. You might have an issue when you wind up using things you learn outside of school. Maybe that's what's supposed to happen in the long run, but in the short term, it just makes you look like a nerd.
#19. Don't wear a white skirt if you're on your period. Yikes.
#20. "Food left unattended WILL be eaten." -The "Living Room"
#21. Parking. As with the whole of Spokane in general, people don't know how to park... Or drive, really. If you want to make it to your class on time, get to school early so you can actually find a parking spot and walk the few football fields to civilization.
Monday, May 7, 2012
"True Story...."
So, this post, I decided to make a little more fun. I ride the bus here in good old Spokane, and sometimes the people on the bus are very interesting characters. This list is dedicated to them:
#1. Please... PLEASE, for the sake of everyone around you, with rainbows and sprinkles, the number one most important thing to surviving with you on the bus... Shower.
#2. Wear deodorant. For some people, a shower won't cut it. However,
#3. Don't over-do the body spray. Bad idea.
#4. Please wear clothing made for your gender. Guys, do NOT wear girls' blouses that are a size too small - especially when you could make a wig from all that hair on your chest. No one wants to see that.
#5. If no one is sitting next to you, but your stuff is there, please be considerate and move your stuff. There is plenty room on your lap or on the floor. (Exceptions: mothers with small children, strollers, etc., or when riding the 90, 25, or any bus that runs through the West Central (22/23) or Hillyard (27/33) neighborhoods.) If you do happen to have to give up your seat, be sure you carefully visually assess your new "seat buddy."
#6. When getting on a crowded bus, if there are single seats open and available next to strangers, find the least threatening, appears to have showered stranger and ask to sit by them. They'll usually be kind enough to let you, and who knows, you may make a friend in the process.
#7. When it's morning, and you're on a crowded bus, and no one else is talking, please don't be yelling your conversation to the person next to you. I don't care to know how many shots of coffee you had nor am I interested in your love/sex life.
#8. Sometimes, it's okay to shower. I feel the need to repeat this one.
#9. It might be called P.D.A. for a reason, but change the "P" to private. We don't need to watch that.
#10. If someone has their headphones in, whether or not they're listening to music, it means they don't want to talk to you. Don't try.
#11. You might not notice the breeze, but pull up your pants. No one wants to see that either. But, I might just bust into song... "Pants on the ground, pants on the ground. Lookin' like a FOOL wit ya pants on the ground." Don't tempt me.
#12. If you have to have an argument, please, don't have it on the bus. We don't need a fight to break out.
#13. On the bus, there happens to be magicians. They make things disappear with their slight of hand. Make sure you keep your eye on your zipped/buttoned/completely closed bags at all times, or you might become the next "lovely assistant" to their trick.
#14. For those who like to listen to rap/heavy metal rather loudly on the bus: your choice of music is atrocious. Turn it down, or turn it off. Justin Bieber is unacceptable as well.
#15. If you'd prefer not to shower, at least change your clothes daily.
#16. I highly suggest showering. It might seem like common sense, but some people need to be told - for the love of all that is wonderful - shower. They do make hypoallergenic soap, if that's what you're worried about.
#17. This is quite possibly one of the most important pieces of advice for a new bus rider: not all of the drivers like their jobs, nor do they always like people. Try not to kill them, however tempting it may be.
#18. Don't talk to women with mustaches. Seriously. Just don't do it.
#19. With as much as schizophrenics talk, it's probably not wise to talk to them. You never know when they might crack. Or what kind of crack they're doing, for that matter.
#20. There is no such thing as a normal bus ride. Something weird will ALWAYS happen, even if this is the same bus you've been taking for a while, at the same time, with the same people. Be prepared for anything both imaginable and, scarily, unimaginable.
#21. Some of the bus drivers are worse drivers than a 16 year old girl who is talking on her phone while she has 3 friends in the car. Sit down and hang on. For your life.
#1. Please... PLEASE, for the sake of everyone around you, with rainbows and sprinkles, the number one most important thing to surviving with you on the bus... Shower.
#2. Wear deodorant. For some people, a shower won't cut it. However,
#3. Don't over-do the body spray. Bad idea.
#4. Please wear clothing made for your gender. Guys, do NOT wear girls' blouses that are a size too small - especially when you could make a wig from all that hair on your chest. No one wants to see that.
#5. If no one is sitting next to you, but your stuff is there, please be considerate and move your stuff. There is plenty room on your lap or on the floor. (Exceptions: mothers with small children, strollers, etc., or when riding the 90, 25, or any bus that runs through the West Central (22/23) or Hillyard (27/33) neighborhoods.) If you do happen to have to give up your seat, be sure you carefully visually assess your new "seat buddy."
#6. When getting on a crowded bus, if there are single seats open and available next to strangers, find the least threatening, appears to have showered stranger and ask to sit by them. They'll usually be kind enough to let you, and who knows, you may make a friend in the process.
#7. When it's morning, and you're on a crowded bus, and no one else is talking, please don't be yelling your conversation to the person next to you. I don't care to know how many shots of coffee you had nor am I interested in your love/sex life.
#8. Sometimes, it's okay to shower. I feel the need to repeat this one.
#9. It might be called P.D.A. for a reason, but change the "P" to private. We don't need to watch that.
#10. If someone has their headphones in, whether or not they're listening to music, it means they don't want to talk to you. Don't try.
#11. You might not notice the breeze, but pull up your pants. No one wants to see that either. But, I might just bust into song... "Pants on the ground, pants on the ground. Lookin' like a FOOL wit ya pants on the ground." Don't tempt me.
#12. If you have to have an argument, please, don't have it on the bus. We don't need a fight to break out.
#13. On the bus, there happens to be magicians. They make things disappear with their slight of hand. Make sure you keep your eye on your zipped/buttoned/completely closed bags at all times, or you might become the next "lovely assistant" to their trick.
#14. For those who like to listen to rap/heavy metal rather loudly on the bus: your choice of music is atrocious. Turn it down, or turn it off. Justin Bieber is unacceptable as well.
#15. If you'd prefer not to shower, at least change your clothes daily.
#16. I highly suggest showering. It might seem like common sense, but some people need to be told - for the love of all that is wonderful - shower. They do make hypoallergenic soap, if that's what you're worried about.
#17. This is quite possibly one of the most important pieces of advice for a new bus rider: not all of the drivers like their jobs, nor do they always like people. Try not to kill them, however tempting it may be.
#18. Don't talk to women with mustaches. Seriously. Just don't do it.
#19. With as much as schizophrenics talk, it's probably not wise to talk to them. You never know when they might crack. Or what kind of crack they're doing, for that matter.
#20. There is no such thing as a normal bus ride. Something weird will ALWAYS happen, even if this is the same bus you've been taking for a while, at the same time, with the same people. Be prepared for anything both imaginable and, scarily, unimaginable.
#21. Some of the bus drivers are worse drivers than a 16 year old girl who is talking on her phone while she has 3 friends in the car. Sit down and hang on. For your life.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Waiting on the Lord
As I was thinking of a "catchy title" for this blog, thinking what I wanted to write about, a song came to mind. "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord..."
Waiting on the Lord is no easy task. I feel like I've been waiting forever! For the right job. For direction for my future. For the guy God has for me. Waiting for that moment where God hits me where I'm at my breaking point, and I succumb to His mighty love and power. Maybe you're at that place too. A place where you feel numb to what God has for you, because you've been waiting so long, you feel as if it will never happen. But that's the funny thing about God. No matter how soon I hope something will happen; no matter if I give God a "due date;" His timing is always perfect. I mean, really, God CREATED time. He is outside of time and space, so don't you think His timing would be pretty spot on?
I would say I have pretty good timing. I've narrowly avoided getting hit in the face by a flying bag of M&M's (not going to name names, but YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!), caught the bus at just the right time, and even checked my phone just as I was getting a text. Being at the right place at the right time... But, is it really controlled by us? I mean, really? You can choose when you leave, where you go, and approximately when you'll get there. But is there such a thing as "the right place and time?" Well, let's see what we already know:
1) God is outside of time and space. He very well could control when I get somewhere, for that matter, IF I get somewhere. So that means, yes, He has a reason for rush hour...
2) God has a plan for me. God has a plan for YOU! God already knows what sentence I'm going to type next, then erase, then write again, then erase the part that doesn't make sense, then fix it, and finally settle on what it will say. He knows what I'm going to do tomorrow, who I'll talk to, and what I'll eat. If God is a perfect God, and He is, then His plans are perfect. He knows exactly how to implement them and when - whether or not it's on our time.
You see, when we put two and two together, or in this case one and two (please excuse the lame pun, but I felt as if it were necessary in this case), we can see that God has the perfect plan to come into play at the perfect time! Often times, I have a plan for me. Now, if this plan actually played out like I had hoped, it probably wouldn't have worked out, or that "something better" that happened instead would never have happened.
Romans 8:28 - "For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
Knowing that, what can we take away? Well, let's see... God works for our benefit. He's on our side. We "have been called according to His purpose." He has a plan for us.
So, although waiting can be painful, and I mean PAINFUL, like "stepping on a Lego" painful, God DOES have a plan and He DOES know what He's doing. I've heard it this way... Each person has a faith muscle. When we're young, it's relatively strong. As we get older and form opinions, it gets weaker. We have to exercise our faith muscle daily so A) we don't injure it when we do use it, and B) so it can be strong so when it is time to have lots of faith, it seems easy.
How hard is it to have faith? It can be SUPER tough to have faith. Other times, it can be really easy. But no matter the difficulty it takes to trust God and His plan, at least know that it's the BEST plan for you, whether or not it's different than what you pictured.
Waiting on the Lord is no easy task. I feel like I've been waiting forever! For the right job. For direction for my future. For the guy God has for me. Waiting for that moment where God hits me where I'm at my breaking point, and I succumb to His mighty love and power. Maybe you're at that place too. A place where you feel numb to what God has for you, because you've been waiting so long, you feel as if it will never happen. But that's the funny thing about God. No matter how soon I hope something will happen; no matter if I give God a "due date;" His timing is always perfect. I mean, really, God CREATED time. He is outside of time and space, so don't you think His timing would be pretty spot on?
I would say I have pretty good timing. I've narrowly avoided getting hit in the face by a flying bag of M&M's (not going to name names, but YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!), caught the bus at just the right time, and even checked my phone just as I was getting a text. Being at the right place at the right time... But, is it really controlled by us? I mean, really? You can choose when you leave, where you go, and approximately when you'll get there. But is there such a thing as "the right place and time?" Well, let's see what we already know:
1) God is outside of time and space. He very well could control when I get somewhere, for that matter, IF I get somewhere. So that means, yes, He has a reason for rush hour...
2) God has a plan for me. God has a plan for YOU! God already knows what sentence I'm going to type next, then erase, then write again, then erase the part that doesn't make sense, then fix it, and finally settle on what it will say. He knows what I'm going to do tomorrow, who I'll talk to, and what I'll eat. If God is a perfect God, and He is, then His plans are perfect. He knows exactly how to implement them and when - whether or not it's on our time.
You see, when we put two and two together, or in this case one and two (please excuse the lame pun, but I felt as if it were necessary in this case), we can see that God has the perfect plan to come into play at the perfect time! Often times, I have a plan for me. Now, if this plan actually played out like I had hoped, it probably wouldn't have worked out, or that "something better" that happened instead would never have happened.
Romans 8:28 - "For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
Knowing that, what can we take away? Well, let's see... God works for our benefit. He's on our side. We "have been called according to His purpose." He has a plan for us.
So, although waiting can be painful, and I mean PAINFUL, like "stepping on a Lego" painful, God DOES have a plan and He DOES know what He's doing. I've heard it this way... Each person has a faith muscle. When we're young, it's relatively strong. As we get older and form opinions, it gets weaker. We have to exercise our faith muscle daily so A) we don't injure it when we do use it, and B) so it can be strong so when it is time to have lots of faith, it seems easy.
How hard is it to have faith? It can be SUPER tough to have faith. Other times, it can be really easy. But no matter the difficulty it takes to trust God and His plan, at least know that it's the BEST plan for you, whether or not it's different than what you pictured.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Obedience with a Promise
So, I was going to write about the Beatitudes, since we've kind of had a mini-series going, but when I stumbled across this passage, I knew I had to write about it. The passage I'm talking about happens to be in the longest chapter in the bible: Psalm 119. This chapter has over 170 verses, and an incredible amount of blessings, so it's no wonder I would find the blessings of obedience in this chapter. Verses 48-50, specifically, I stumbled across while coloring with the two little boys I watch. I had colored a rainbow and wanted to add a verse to complete the picture. My first thought when I thought of "rainbow" is the promise God had given to Noah after he landed the ark on Mt. Ararat. The rainbow is a symbol of promise, so I decided to hop on blueletterbible.com and keyword "promise." I found numerous verses that contained that word, and a majority were from Psalm 119. But despite the amount of verses I was given, a small group stuck out to me.
Psalm 119:48-50: "I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and meditate on your decrees. Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. My comfort in suffering is this: Your PROMISE preserves my life."
In verse 48, the author praises God and His commands. He "meditates on" the Lord's commands, and he LOVES them. Loving rules, commands, decrees? Being obedient? The author loves being obedient to the commands of God. Wow. I want a faith like that: to be obedient, no matter what God commands, and to not feel like it's an obligation, but a privilege.
Verse 49: "Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope." When I really think about what the author is saying, my first thought is "why is he reminding GOD of what God said? That's silly! God doesn't need reminding!" But then I thought, "what if he's not reminding God, but himself?" He does say that God's word has given him hope. The author must have been going through a pretty rough period of time to need to remind himself of God's promises!
50: "My comfort in suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life." Here we see again, the author must have been going through a bit of a rough patch in his life. Yet, because of his obedience, we see he knows God will be the Faithful Father and keep His promises.
Now, that's just a small portion of Psalm 119. A lot of Psalm 119 deals with obedience to God and the promises that come with obeying. In all, however, I would say that obedience in faith should not be our obligation - it should be our lifestyle.
Psalm 119:48-50: "I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and meditate on your decrees. Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. My comfort in suffering is this: Your PROMISE preserves my life."
In verse 48, the author praises God and His commands. He "meditates on" the Lord's commands, and he LOVES them. Loving rules, commands, decrees? Being obedient? The author loves being obedient to the commands of God. Wow. I want a faith like that: to be obedient, no matter what God commands, and to not feel like it's an obligation, but a privilege.
Verse 49: "Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope." When I really think about what the author is saying, my first thought is "why is he reminding GOD of what God said? That's silly! God doesn't need reminding!" But then I thought, "what if he's not reminding God, but himself?" He does say that God's word has given him hope. The author must have been going through a pretty rough period of time to need to remind himself of God's promises!
50: "My comfort in suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life." Here we see again, the author must have been going through a bit of a rough patch in his life. Yet, because of his obedience, we see he knows God will be the Faithful Father and keep His promises.
Now, that's just a small portion of Psalm 119. A lot of Psalm 119 deals with obedience to God and the promises that come with obeying. In all, however, I would say that obedience in faith should not be our obligation - it should be our lifestyle.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
The BE ATTITUDES (part 3): Meekness is not Weakness
Matthew 5:5
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."
Meek (adj.): Showing patience and humility; quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive
Synonyms: gentle - mild - humble - submissive - tame - soft
When you hear the word "meek," what comes to mind? WHO comes to mind? Someone who might be a little more timid? Someone who isn't quite so strong? Someone who seems like kind of a push-over?
Many times we tend to think that, but they can be the most powerful people if you let them. They tend to see things beyond what everyone else does because they take the time to allow God to speak into them, giving them discernment. They observe and take caution when approaching a difficult situation. They wait for the moment where they can take action. Now, some people might look at a meek person and think they can take advantage of them or walk all over them. The meek person doesn't see it that way. They see it as service to a brother or sister in need. They care more about the needs of others than that of themselves! WHOA! I don't know about you, but I don't know many people willing to give up their selfishness in concern of others!
The question now is, how can WE be meek? It's tough to give up what we want and desire. I know that I have a hard time humbly and gracefully setting aside my desires for that of others. The only way to get better at it is to practice it. And don't hold grudges. Some people can be completely rude about it, but we can't let it get to us. That's not being meek. I don't know how many times in a week I look at someone and think "they're just a jerk, because they will do whatever they want to get what they want." Sound familiar? Does someone like that come to your mind? Pretty quickly, I bet! Why is that? It's because WE don't feel it's fair. But God never promised us fair. God promised us the Beatitudes! All of the qualities of the Beatitudes seem unfair! But with each one, there is a BLESSING! How cool!
So, here's the challenge for you, me.. For us. Have patience and grace when humbly giving up your desires for someone else. It's tough, but I think we'll be amazed at how good we feel and how we're treated after. Let me know how you do! ;)
Until next time...
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."
Meek (adj.): Showing patience and humility; quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive
Synonyms: gentle - mild - humble - submissive - tame - soft
When you hear the word "meek," what comes to mind? WHO comes to mind? Someone who might be a little more timid? Someone who isn't quite so strong? Someone who seems like kind of a push-over?
Many times we tend to think that, but they can be the most powerful people if you let them. They tend to see things beyond what everyone else does because they take the time to allow God to speak into them, giving them discernment. They observe and take caution when approaching a difficult situation. They wait for the moment where they can take action. Now, some people might look at a meek person and think they can take advantage of them or walk all over them. The meek person doesn't see it that way. They see it as service to a brother or sister in need. They care more about the needs of others than that of themselves! WHOA! I don't know about you, but I don't know many people willing to give up their selfishness in concern of others!
The question now is, how can WE be meek? It's tough to give up what we want and desire. I know that I have a hard time humbly and gracefully setting aside my desires for that of others. The only way to get better at it is to practice it. And don't hold grudges. Some people can be completely rude about it, but we can't let it get to us. That's not being meek. I don't know how many times in a week I look at someone and think "they're just a jerk, because they will do whatever they want to get what they want." Sound familiar? Does someone like that come to your mind? Pretty quickly, I bet! Why is that? It's because WE don't feel it's fair. But God never promised us fair. God promised us the Beatitudes! All of the qualities of the Beatitudes seem unfair! But with each one, there is a BLESSING! How cool!
So, here's the challenge for you, me.. For us. Have patience and grace when humbly giving up your desires for someone else. It's tough, but I think we'll be amazed at how good we feel and how we're treated after. Let me know how you do! ;)
Until next time...
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
The BE ATTITUDES (part 2): Waiting through the drought
There's something about not having something you desire that drives people insane. Once you try something that's fulfilling, you want to do or have that same thing over and over and over and... You get the point. We do that whether or not what we long for is beneficial or detrimental to us.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
When I hear that, my initial thought is of someone who lost someone and is in a state of grieving. But what about mourning the loss of other things? When about mourning when we're going through a drought? When we're in a spiritual drought, there's something missing in our lives. Whether it be that we're just being held back by our own sin and selfishness, or we need to take a step further in our faith. Whatever the case may be, we lack something we need. We've lost our fervor.
Are you going through a dry spell right now? Do you feel like no matter how hard you try, you're not growing in your faith? Do you think that things should be starting to go well for you, but instead are only getting worse? When we mourn our losses and lose ourselves, then we can experience the Living Water that satiates our thirst for more.
In our college group, we were discussing this passage and the question came up: Why is it that people choose to stay in the desert rather than wait for the rain?
Is it human nature that we push away our need in that way? I say it's because of the life fact: "You don't know what you have until you no longer have it." If we never experience the rain, then we never have a desire for it. We can't get thirsty if we don't know what thirst is.
Back to mourning. When we die to ourselves, when we humble ourselves, when we allow ourselves to no longer be controlled by the world, we mourn. We give up something we enjoy in order to do what will ultimately make our life better. But it's the uncertainty of what's to come that scares us. It's the thought that if we give up all we have, we will lose everything and not get anything back. But God offers blessings and in an abundance. When we die to ourselves, we not only gain a life worth living, but we gain a life eternal, beyond the physical realm. When we submit to the things of the world that only give us momentary satisfaction, we lose a part of ourselves. We have to give up a part of our identity in Christ in order to be identified with the world. But God wants all of you. He wants your ugly AND your pretty bits. He wants the pieces that are broken, and the pieces left whole. He wants to hold you and keep you safe. But when you give yourself over to the world, He can't keep you safe. He has to sit back and watch His child be put in harm. If you happen to be a parent reading this, I'm sure you'll understand the fear and sadness the God gets when He watches His children be put in a place where He can't protect them, and He knows no good can come of it.
Why not give yourself up to Christ, ALL of you, and mourn for what you no longer have. Mourn for Christ who died for you, his blood shed on the cross... For you can be comforted with the knowledge that he did it for you so you can live life with him. Forever.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
When I hear that, my initial thought is of someone who lost someone and is in a state of grieving. But what about mourning the loss of other things? When about mourning when we're going through a drought? When we're in a spiritual drought, there's something missing in our lives. Whether it be that we're just being held back by our own sin and selfishness, or we need to take a step further in our faith. Whatever the case may be, we lack something we need. We've lost our fervor.
Are you going through a dry spell right now? Do you feel like no matter how hard you try, you're not growing in your faith? Do you think that things should be starting to go well for you, but instead are only getting worse? When we mourn our losses and lose ourselves, then we can experience the Living Water that satiates our thirst for more.
In our college group, we were discussing this passage and the question came up: Why is it that people choose to stay in the desert rather than wait for the rain?
Is it human nature that we push away our need in that way? I say it's because of the life fact: "You don't know what you have until you no longer have it." If we never experience the rain, then we never have a desire for it. We can't get thirsty if we don't know what thirst is.
Back to mourning. When we die to ourselves, when we humble ourselves, when we allow ourselves to no longer be controlled by the world, we mourn. We give up something we enjoy in order to do what will ultimately make our life better. But it's the uncertainty of what's to come that scares us. It's the thought that if we give up all we have, we will lose everything and not get anything back. But God offers blessings and in an abundance. When we die to ourselves, we not only gain a life worth living, but we gain a life eternal, beyond the physical realm. When we submit to the things of the world that only give us momentary satisfaction, we lose a part of ourselves. We have to give up a part of our identity in Christ in order to be identified with the world. But God wants all of you. He wants your ugly AND your pretty bits. He wants the pieces that are broken, and the pieces left whole. He wants to hold you and keep you safe. But when you give yourself over to the world, He can't keep you safe. He has to sit back and watch His child be put in harm. If you happen to be a parent reading this, I'm sure you'll understand the fear and sadness the God gets when He watches His children be put in a place where He can't protect them, and He knows no good can come of it.
Why not give yourself up to Christ, ALL of you, and mourn for what you no longer have. Mourn for Christ who died for you, his blood shed on the cross... For you can be comforted with the knowledge that he did it for you so you can live life with him. Forever.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
In the Eyes of the Beholder (part 2)
Our hardships can be a thing of beauty, but without grace, what are they but struggles? When I hear the word grace, I often picture a ballerina. You know, someone with elegance. Someone who, unlike me, is coordinated; someone who doesn't trip going up stairs or miss their chair when they're sitting down. And those characteristics can certainly be a part of grace. But in order for grace to be a thing of beauty THROUGH us, which we'll cover later, we have to talk about what it looks like IN us.
Grace is a curious thing. The very definition of grace is something very pleasing; "elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action." The definition of grace is getting something you don't deserve (in a good way). The compliment of grace is mercy, not getting something you DO deserve.. Usually a punishment. Now, when I was younger and would get in trouble in the car on the way to or from a location, I remember sitting in the back, feeling so guilty. I knew what was coming. And it wouldn't be good. The only thing I could do was pray and hope that by the time we got home my mom forgot. When we got home and she said nothing about it, I was relieved, but still felt guilty. I was shown mercy.
But what's more is grace is getting something wonderful, despite wrongdoings. God showed Abraham AND Isaac grace when they went to Egypt (at different times, mind you) and lied about their wives. God blessed them, even though they caused trouble. God gives us grace, too. We sin, a lot, because we're human. That little lie you told your parents about who you'll be with and where you're going; that answer you got on a test that you got off your neighbor's paper; that failure to stand up for the kid who was getting bullied... We deserve to be punished. In fact, we deserve to DIE. But by God's grace. By God's favor toward us. He loved us SO much that he gave His ONLY son to die for us.
Now, I hope I haven't lost some of you. Especially you who might be saying "but I already know this story!" Just keep reading, I promise it will tie together in the end.
I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure any parent would refuse to give up their child (even if there is one they say that they wouldn't mind handing over.) ;) But that just goes to show how lucky we are to have a Daddy who loved us so much that He would let His son die so we could live. Now that right there, that's grace. And when we acknowledge this grace, we acknowledge a thing of beauty. You remember how we were talking about a coordinated ballerina? Well, that's how I imagine grace. Even when a ballerina falls, she picks herself up with dignity and carries on. Even when we stumble, even when we sin, we can pick ourselves back up and know that God's given us grace. That it doesn't matter what we do- because we're forgiven.
I know that some of you are thinking, "This doesn't apply to me. I'm already a Christian..." So I ask you this: How many times do you acknowledge your sin? How many times do you acknowledge your salvation? Because I certainly know "Christians" (and sometimes even myself!) who go and do whatever without care. What if we started ACTING like we're saved, rather than just SAYING we're saved?
And what does that look like? Through loving one another (even our enemies and those people who are harder to love than others. And I know you know what I'm talking about; we've all got someone like that.) What about by showing grace and mercy to others? Or even just smiling at that person who might be having a rough day? My challenge for you is to find ways where you're living out your grace, rather than just keeping it for yourself.
Grace is a curious thing. The very definition of grace is something very pleasing; "elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action." The definition of grace is getting something you don't deserve (in a good way). The compliment of grace is mercy, not getting something you DO deserve.. Usually a punishment. Now, when I was younger and would get in trouble in the car on the way to or from a location, I remember sitting in the back, feeling so guilty. I knew what was coming. And it wouldn't be good. The only thing I could do was pray and hope that by the time we got home my mom forgot. When we got home and she said nothing about it, I was relieved, but still felt guilty. I was shown mercy.
But what's more is grace is getting something wonderful, despite wrongdoings. God showed Abraham AND Isaac grace when they went to Egypt (at different times, mind you) and lied about their wives. God blessed them, even though they caused trouble. God gives us grace, too. We sin, a lot, because we're human. That little lie you told your parents about who you'll be with and where you're going; that answer you got on a test that you got off your neighbor's paper; that failure to stand up for the kid who was getting bullied... We deserve to be punished. In fact, we deserve to DIE. But by God's grace. By God's favor toward us. He loved us SO much that he gave His ONLY son to die for us.
Now, I hope I haven't lost some of you. Especially you who might be saying "but I already know this story!" Just keep reading, I promise it will tie together in the end.
I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure any parent would refuse to give up their child (even if there is one they say that they wouldn't mind handing over.) ;) But that just goes to show how lucky we are to have a Daddy who loved us so much that He would let His son die so we could live. Now that right there, that's grace. And when we acknowledge this grace, we acknowledge a thing of beauty. You remember how we were talking about a coordinated ballerina? Well, that's how I imagine grace. Even when a ballerina falls, she picks herself up with dignity and carries on. Even when we stumble, even when we sin, we can pick ourselves back up and know that God's given us grace. That it doesn't matter what we do- because we're forgiven.
I know that some of you are thinking, "This doesn't apply to me. I'm already a Christian..." So I ask you this: How many times do you acknowledge your sin? How many times do you acknowledge your salvation? Because I certainly know "Christians" (and sometimes even myself!) who go and do whatever without care. What if we started ACTING like we're saved, rather than just SAYING we're saved?
And what does that look like? Through loving one another (even our enemies and those people who are harder to love than others. And I know you know what I'm talking about; we've all got someone like that.) What about by showing grace and mercy to others? Or even just smiling at that person who might be having a rough day? My challenge for you is to find ways where you're living out your grace, rather than just keeping it for yourself.
Monday, March 5, 2012
In the Eyes of the Beholder (part 1)
I find today's blog entry a little harder to write than most. In fact, I've come up with three of four different introductions, am struggling to find a catchy title, summarizing an eternity of things I could say, and really don't enjoy discussing a topic I struggle with so much. In fact, I'm reading a very convicting book on it right now. It's called "Redefining Beautiful" (by Jenna Lucado Bishop, who is an incredible woman of God, by the way). I bet you can probably guess what's been laid on my heart to talk about... Beauty. It really is a tough subject to address, since when it's addressed in magazines, it just tells you how you have to look. It gives you unrealistic, unattainable attributes to attempt to morph your body into. It tells you that in order to fit in, in order to be defined as beautiful, you have to meet certain standards. You have to dress a certain way, be a certain size, wear your hair a certain way. Honestly, I could go on forever talking on this one subject alone, and one blog post would certainly not be enough to cover this topic (see: part 1). However, I hope to hit a few main points and address things of some importance and maybe hitting home for you. Now, we all know how society defines beautiful. But how should WE define beautiful? How does God define beautiful?
Well, that question is not too terribly difficult to answer. The Bible tells us that God created man in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). God is perfect, right? So, that means He must be beautiful, right? Correct. God made us in His image, so that makes us beautiful, too! "But, we don't all look the same." I know, but God made you YOU. God made each and every person so intricately and unique that there will never be another person EVER who looks just like you, who acts just like you. People often use the phrase "God broke the mold when He made you." Don't take it as the insult it's often used as. It's true. I imagine God, after he creates us, he takes the mold he used, and smashes it, so it can never be used again. Psalm 139:14- "I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful; I know that full well." To me, that verse says, God took the time to piece every last bit of my being together. Who takes the time working on a project they aren't proud of, that they don't want perfection on, that they don't want to look the best it can possibly be?
The Bible even tells us that our BURDENS, yes, our HARDSHIPS, are beautiful! I don't know about you, but when I'm struggling with something, I don't think it's very beautiful. Ecclesiastes 3 has a lot to say about hardships. "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end (vs. 11)." The verse right before that says "I have seen the burden God has laid on men." Our hardships become beautiful. Now, there are quite a few analogies I could use for this one... One being the process of making pure gold. In order to make the purest of pure gold, a refiner takes the pot of gold and sticks it over the fire. When the pot gets hot enough, all the impurities in the gold surface and the refiner scrapes it off. But he's not done. He continues this process until every last impurity is out of the gold. Or how about a diamond? It takes LOTS of heat and TONS of tons of pressure on this cold, black rock used to cook food over a barbeque. But the end result is this incredibly beautiful, one of a kind gem. What about a pearl? A pear starts off as a piece of dirt. It gets swallowed up by an oyster, and the oyster gets irritated by the seemingly insignificant speck. The dirt gets spit on- the mucus of the oyster. But in the end, it becomes this soft, beautiful, rare item that people pay thousands of dollars to get. All those things are things of beauty, of value, of worth. But they didn't start out that way. Our trials are what make us beautiful.
Well, that question is not too terribly difficult to answer. The Bible tells us that God created man in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). God is perfect, right? So, that means He must be beautiful, right? Correct. God made us in His image, so that makes us beautiful, too! "But, we don't all look the same." I know, but God made you YOU. God made each and every person so intricately and unique that there will never be another person EVER who looks just like you, who acts just like you. People often use the phrase "God broke the mold when He made you." Don't take it as the insult it's often used as. It's true. I imagine God, after he creates us, he takes the mold he used, and smashes it, so it can never be used again. Psalm 139:14- "I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful; I know that full well." To me, that verse says, God took the time to piece every last bit of my being together. Who takes the time working on a project they aren't proud of, that they don't want perfection on, that they don't want to look the best it can possibly be?
The Bible even tells us that our BURDENS, yes, our HARDSHIPS, are beautiful! I don't know about you, but when I'm struggling with something, I don't think it's very beautiful. Ecclesiastes 3 has a lot to say about hardships. "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end (vs. 11)." The verse right before that says "I have seen the burden God has laid on men." Our hardships become beautiful. Now, there are quite a few analogies I could use for this one... One being the process of making pure gold. In order to make the purest of pure gold, a refiner takes the pot of gold and sticks it over the fire. When the pot gets hot enough, all the impurities in the gold surface and the refiner scrapes it off. But he's not done. He continues this process until every last impurity is out of the gold. Or how about a diamond? It takes LOTS of heat and TONS of tons of pressure on this cold, black rock used to cook food over a barbeque. But the end result is this incredibly beautiful, one of a kind gem. What about a pearl? A pear starts off as a piece of dirt. It gets swallowed up by an oyster, and the oyster gets irritated by the seemingly insignificant speck. The dirt gets spit on- the mucus of the oyster. But in the end, it becomes this soft, beautiful, rare item that people pay thousands of dollars to get. All those things are things of beauty, of value, of worth. But they didn't start out that way. Our trials are what make us beautiful.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Love
As artists like Haddaway, Jennifer Lopez, Nevershoutnever, and many others would sing, "what is love?" Is it a feeling and emotion? Is it an action? To you, what is love? You see, society tells us all too often that love is physical. That love comes and goes. That love is earned and can be used to manipulate. That love is sleeping with your boyfriend or the longing to buy that cute pair of heels you saw in the window of Macy's. Love comes in many different forms. I could LOVE pizza and tacos, but do I LOVE them the same way I love my family or friends?
Love is such a complex subject. Love is a person. Love is an action. Love is a word- a noun and verb. God is love, and when you have love for something, you are drawn to it. You can show someone love or tell them you love them. What is love? How do we show love?
We find in 1 Corinthians 13 a very detailed list of qualities of love. It is patient, and kind. It doesn't envy or boast. It is not proud, rude, self-seeking or easily angered. It keeps no list of wrongdoings against another person. "Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth." It protects and trusts, hopes and it always perseveres. And love certainly without a doubt will not EVER fail you.
But what does that all mean? Love is humble. Love, even when it is wronged, finds a way to forgive. Love never gives up. Think with me for a moment. What if we took the word "love is" out of all of that, and replaced it with "I am?" What if we took on the characteristics of love? So many times we fail people and people fail us, but it's those that we truly love that we come back to, even when we feel hurt by them. Why is that? Because love perseveres. Love forgives. Love is even-tempered.
Now, someone can say they love you, but what do they mean? If you happen to be a teenage girl reading this right now, when a boy tells you he loves you, if he says "you'll love me to if you (insert action here: change the way you dress, lose weight, have sex with him)" he's lying. Why? Because love is PATIENT. True love waits. Love is not self-seeking. If a guy (or girl) wants YOU to change to make them happy, they're not worth it. Love is accepting and kind. As we found out earlier "I love pizza" does not share the same value as "I love you." In the case with the first example, love is just a word, and society has made it meaningless.
So, how can we avoid telling people we love them without it becoming "just a word?" Simple. Sort of. 1 John 3:18- "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." We SHOW it to them. It is not enough to just say something. That's where the devil likes to come into relationships and dig at your being. Maybe you find it hard to show your love to someone. Been there, done that. People get annoying, or you'd be embarrassed by expressing love. Or your boyfriend says "if you love me then...." That action hardly qualifies as love.
You see, love is such a complicated topic that we can only be sure of one answer to the question "what is love?" God is Love.
Love is such a complex subject. Love is a person. Love is an action. Love is a word- a noun and verb. God is love, and when you have love for something, you are drawn to it. You can show someone love or tell them you love them. What is love? How do we show love?
We find in 1 Corinthians 13 a very detailed list of qualities of love. It is patient, and kind. It doesn't envy or boast. It is not proud, rude, self-seeking or easily angered. It keeps no list of wrongdoings against another person. "Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth." It protects and trusts, hopes and it always perseveres. And love certainly without a doubt will not EVER fail you.
But what does that all mean? Love is humble. Love, even when it is wronged, finds a way to forgive. Love never gives up. Think with me for a moment. What if we took the word "love is" out of all of that, and replaced it with "I am?" What if we took on the characteristics of love? So many times we fail people and people fail us, but it's those that we truly love that we come back to, even when we feel hurt by them. Why is that? Because love perseveres. Love forgives. Love is even-tempered.
Now, someone can say they love you, but what do they mean? If you happen to be a teenage girl reading this right now, when a boy tells you he loves you, if he says "you'll love me to if you (insert action here: change the way you dress, lose weight, have sex with him)" he's lying. Why? Because love is PATIENT. True love waits. Love is not self-seeking. If a guy (or girl) wants YOU to change to make them happy, they're not worth it. Love is accepting and kind. As we found out earlier "I love pizza" does not share the same value as "I love you." In the case with the first example, love is just a word, and society has made it meaningless.
So, how can we avoid telling people we love them without it becoming "just a word?" Simple. Sort of. 1 John 3:18- "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." We SHOW it to them. It is not enough to just say something. That's where the devil likes to come into relationships and dig at your being. Maybe you find it hard to show your love to someone. Been there, done that. People get annoying, or you'd be embarrassed by expressing love. Or your boyfriend says "if you love me then...." That action hardly qualifies as love.
You see, love is such a complicated topic that we can only be sure of one answer to the question "what is love?" God is Love.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The BE ATTITUDES (part 1)
My college group at church recently started a study on the Beatitudes from Jesus in Matthew 5. This got me thinking, naturally. When asked to discuss the "poor in spirit" and what it looks like in our every day lives, answers such as "humility" and "being thankful always for everything" were common answers. I don't know about you, but when I think of people who are poor, especially poor in spirit, I think of sad people. I think of hurting people whose lives are far from perfect. Being poor means having nothing, and being poor in spirit means lacking in spirit. People who are broken.
I thought, to be poor in spirit in every day life means to take my brokenness and give it all to God. Not ask Him to help me with the things I can control and to take care of the things I can't, but giving it all to HIM.
You see, we're broken people, and being human, we try to pick up those pieces and put them back together in a sloppy manner, often leaving us incomplete or more broken than we were before. But when we become poor in spirit before Christ, we give him our broken pieces, the pieces we've tried to make whole on our own, and the whole selves He created us as. Surrender your whole life to Christ. The good, the bad, the broken- all those pieces belong to God anyway. He was the artist who created you in the first place.
Now, you cannot tell me you're not broken. Everyone is. Everyone's been hurt. EVERYONE has sinned. We're broken humans, no matter what's happened to you in your past. For those of you who are more than broken, let me tell you something. If you've ever read the Beatitudes, you will know that with every situation, there is a blessing. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." When you give your broken bits to God, He blesses you. Even still, for so many people, it's so tough to admit brokenness. So, I want to try a little activity with you right now. I want you to tell yourself "I am a broken person and I need help."
Did you do it? Well, even if you didn't, know this: Your brokenness is beautiful. God makes beautiful things come from our brokenness. Have you ever seen a piece of mosaic artwork? Truly beautiful creations made of brokenness. What about a rainbow? It comes AFTER the rain. And gold cannot be gold until it's gone through the fire. Multiple times.
Why, you ask, does God let us go through brokenness and hardships? To shape us. To define who we are as Children of God, seeking Him for refuge. To make us more Christlike. Honestly, you don't know what you learn if you don't take the test. In order to become more Christlike, we have to go through these tests of life to teach us what we need to study more, and what strengths we have that we can improve on.
Our brokenness should not be our defining factor. What truly defines us is what we choose to do with our brokenness. Do you stuff it? Try and fix it yourself? Or do you ask for help and give it to God? He'll take your broken bits and make something beautiful if you let him.
I thought, to be poor in spirit in every day life means to take my brokenness and give it all to God. Not ask Him to help me with the things I can control and to take care of the things I can't, but giving it all to HIM.
You see, we're broken people, and being human, we try to pick up those pieces and put them back together in a sloppy manner, often leaving us incomplete or more broken than we were before. But when we become poor in spirit before Christ, we give him our broken pieces, the pieces we've tried to make whole on our own, and the whole selves He created us as. Surrender your whole life to Christ. The good, the bad, the broken- all those pieces belong to God anyway. He was the artist who created you in the first place.
Now, you cannot tell me you're not broken. Everyone is. Everyone's been hurt. EVERYONE has sinned. We're broken humans, no matter what's happened to you in your past. For those of you who are more than broken, let me tell you something. If you've ever read the Beatitudes, you will know that with every situation, there is a blessing. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." When you give your broken bits to God, He blesses you. Even still, for so many people, it's so tough to admit brokenness. So, I want to try a little activity with you right now. I want you to tell yourself "I am a broken person and I need help."
Did you do it? Well, even if you didn't, know this: Your brokenness is beautiful. God makes beautiful things come from our brokenness. Have you ever seen a piece of mosaic artwork? Truly beautiful creations made of brokenness. What about a rainbow? It comes AFTER the rain. And gold cannot be gold until it's gone through the fire. Multiple times.
Why, you ask, does God let us go through brokenness and hardships? To shape us. To define who we are as Children of God, seeking Him for refuge. To make us more Christlike. Honestly, you don't know what you learn if you don't take the test. In order to become more Christlike, we have to go through these tests of life to teach us what we need to study more, and what strengths we have that we can improve on.
Our brokenness should not be our defining factor. What truly defines us is what we choose to do with our brokenness. Do you stuff it? Try and fix it yourself? Or do you ask for help and give it to God? He'll take your broken bits and make something beautiful if you let him.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
SURPRISE!!!
It is my friend Mirranda's 19th birthday today!! Last night, after junior high group, during our post-leader meeting, our friends stealthily snuck in and hid in one of the classrooms. I had taken a pair of scissors from that room earlier, and "had to put them back." Since I was her ride home, she followed me. There was her party! She had no idea that we had been planning this all along! Naomi made THE MOST delicious/addicting cookies EVER. Then we went on a photo scavenger hunt. Many adventures were had, and it was rather funny to watch God provide in ways for this, we never thought He cared about it. Then we all met up at Shari's to compare findings (although that never actually wound up happening). We stayed there from about 1245 until about 230. (That was partly not our fault, seeing as our waitress hardly got to us.) A group of drunks came in, too. That was an interesting experience that I don't think words can describe except hilarious and scary.
Among the list of photo scavenger hunt items were these:
Go coning
Find an awkward planking spot and plank (owling is acceptable if a spot is deemed "unplankable")
Find someone who belongs on peopleofwalmart.com
Dance in the middle of the Davenport Hotel
Buy and play a scratch ticket (additional points given for winning money)
And many more...
Friday, February 17, 2012
Old Blog, New Look
Welcome (back) to my new (but really it's old) blog!! As you can see, this is the only post here. There used to be a lot more. But they're gone. Except for a few favorites. I saved those. As for me, I'm the same old me, just newly grown. Got back from Africa at the end of January. I was there for a week and a half, and, having been home longer than I was there, I already want to go back. I started college at SFCC, and it's been a roller coaster. First quarter, I had a very interesting experience in my English class, Biology was simple, and I made it into chamber choir, which I LOVE. Second quarter is close to ending, but it's been pretty good. I love my communications class, and am breezing through cross-training and economics. So, that's about all for now, I guess. Until next time (which I'll REALLY try to do better on...)
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