The Way In Which You Should Go

It's been awhile ... ok, it's been months. Lots has happened.

 

The details don't really matter but God has really been pressing me to write a blog post about something. So, here we go.

 

Right next to my work you have to pick one of two turn lanes to turn into my work at a stop light. A few weeks ago, I came into one of those turn lanes, all the while recognizing a car accident that had taken place across the street. Only to realize as I pulled to the head of the turn lane that the accident was in fact in part of my lane and I would be unable to turn in that lane. The light changes and I sit there waiting for the lane next to me to clear out to be able to change lanes and turn.

 

The car behind me kept honking their horn, making rude hand motions, and even sticking their head out their window and yelling at me to move. Problem is, they couldn't see what I could see. They didn't realize that if I moved, I would go a few feet but would either end up in the accident or create a situationin which I could move no further. So there I sat being honked at, yelled at, and gestured at.

 

Sometimes I think God must feel that way. He can see the whole picture. He is at the front of the intersection. And there we sit honking our horn, yelling, and trying as hard as we can to make God move. Thing is, even though we know where we want to go, God is guiding the way in which we should go.

 

Psalm 32:8-10 says,

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him."

 

God is not out to get us. He is not a God who enjoys seeing us miserable. He doesn't play with our emotions in a cruel way. That would stand to reason that if we can't move in a place where moving seems practical, then maybe we are right where God wants us. Maybe it's that we are ready for a place but it is not ready for us. Maybe the timing is wrong and moving forward would be dangerous or even hazardous. Maybe God still has things to teach us just where we are. Maybe it is none of those things.

 

Regardless, God is God and we are not. Will we choose to let God be God? Or will we be a stubborn mules. God wants us to take delight in Him (Psalm 37:4). He wants us to know we are precious and loved (Isaiah 43:4). He wants us to know that we can rest in Him (Matthew 11:28). He wants us to know that He has a plan and a great future for us (Jeremiah 29:11).

 

God's got this; He's got us.

 

 

Bought at a Price

As someone who grew up in a home hearing about Easter and John 3:16, I often wonder if I have become numb to the significance of what happened on the cross.

 

Not only did my Savior die, but He was mocked and spit on. He was beaten. His clothes were divided up by casting lots.

 

Why? For me. For my sin and shame.

 

In our world, sin is a very lightly taken issue. We don't want to offend anyone, after all. Anything goes and not a week goes by that I am not amazed of how numb people are to right and wrong. Wrong is twisted to seem right and right, well, that is a subjective matter.

 

Our sin is a big issue, ya'll! It separates us from God. We literally cannot get to Him on our own. Our sin is just too dark and deep. But God....

 

On that Friday, He hung on a cross and bridged that gap between us and God. He held the weight of all human sin, past, present, and future.

 

Think on that for a moment. EVERY sin you ever committed, he took on. Now multiply that times a kazillion and you have everyone.

 

That is not a small price. Our sin is heavy and expensive. Jesus had to literally die for it. And not just a normal death. He had to hang on a cross and bear the agony and horror of it for us.

 

Understand this, beloved, you were bought at a price.

 

Do we live that way? Do we love others, believers and non-believers alike, with the understanding that they too were bought at a price? Does our sin bring us sorrow? Does the sin of the world pain us? Do we live in this world, but are not of it?

 

We should.

 

The problem is that I don't think we do.

 

I think we sometimes get this attitude like our sin is not as bad as someone else's. I think we make light of evil and darkness in this world because we don't have time or it isn't our problem. I think we make excuses for our own sin to dampen the effects. I think we love the convenient and the lovable, but the broken and "sinful" are not our concern. 

 

We are created to live free and loved. We are also created to love others that way ... as free and loved.

 

I want to see people the way Jesus did when He hung on that cross. As people in need of a Savior. I want to love someone enough to be willing to die. Not just physically, but to my desires and will. I want to carry the weight of being bought at a price so that I am not tempted to boast in anything or anyone but Christ.

 

He paid it all and now, all to Him I owe. I was bought at a price.

Rise Up Church. Rise Up Christian.

I was talking to someone yesterday about the condition of the church as a whole in our world today. The conversation centered mainly on how the church, as a whole, has lost its focus. I fear that we, as Christians, have become what Revelation 3:16 would call "lukewarm" Christians.

 

*Disclaimer: This is not a post intended to bash the church. There are many Jesus filled churches. There are many Jesus filled people loving the lost and reaching out to the broken. This is not a bitter filled post about how the church is useless. This is a post to call you and I, as part of the church, to a higher standard.*

 

When did Christians decide that if they weren't comfortable, then God's command to "Go and make disciples" and "Love your neighbor as yourself" that it did not apply to them? When did Christians start putting more emphasis on the size of our church building than the size of the mission field we have beyond our church walls? When did Christians decide that what the world thinks of us was more important than what our God thinks of us? When did we stop standing for God's definition of right and just go along with what everyone else says is okay?

 

Yes, I understand that the church is flawed and broken and that we have weak points because we are sinners but it is almost like we have become comfortable with that.

 

We do not strive for a higher standard. Worse yet, when we see others striving for a higher standard, we judge them and often, in my observation, snub them. When we see Christians actively loving as Christ commanded (not suggested), we think they are "holier than thou." When we see Christians actively going not just to other nations but our own communities, we think they are "crazy" and somehow that is good for them, but not our calling as well.

 

Mind you, I am not saying everyone is called to go to a foreign country, but we are called to carry our faith and actively pursue showing Christ beyond our church walls. Crazier yet, what if God does call you to another country or how about this ... what if God calls you to your own neighborhood, school, and work to share the Gospel by the way you love others and live out your faith?

 

I think the biggest thing the church misses in our world today (and just to get really specific, anyone who claims to be a Christian is part of the church because the church is the body of Christ), is the command to go, love, and do. We are not called to be comfortable. We are not called to be like the world. We are not called to settle for what this world sees as good and true.

 

We are called to imitate Christ and reflect His glory. We are called to be audacious and live a life of love. Intentional love. A love that is sincere and hates what is evil but clings to what is good.

 

God's calling for our lives is so much higher than anything we can find in this world. We can't settle for it or just wait for it to happen. We have to be intentional. We, as Christians and a Church, have to be brave enough to get uncomfortable. To love enough to see people even in their raw brokenness. To live our faith in such a way that people can't doubt that God is doing something great in us. Not because of anything we do, but just because of how great God is.

 

God's love is so much vaster and wider than we know because we aren't willing to fully experience it. Church ... Christian, rise up! Dare to seek God and His face. Dare to live like love ... like Jesus within and outside those walls. Dare to give and then give some more. Dare to support other's in ministry as they pursue God's call. Dare to follow God's call for you.

 

Life is not to be taken for granted. Let's get moving. There is so much to be done here. There is no time to waste.

Trust and Obey

If I were to sum up this season of life in three words, it would be: "Trust and Obey."

There is so much wonder and questioning that comes with adulthood, I am finding. God has been showing me so much. He has shown me the wonder of a child. He has shown me what having employers with a strong faith looks like and how it effects my job as a whole. He has shown me His grace in allowing me to succeed despite how inadequate I often am. He has shown me how He loves, provides, and forgives.

Most of all though, He is showing me how I need to trust and obey even when I cannot see His plan.

There is an old hymn called, "Trust and Obey." 

The chorus goes like this: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."

When God calls me to love but it is hard, I need to trust and obey.

When God says, "Not yet." I need to trust and obey.

When God is silent, I need to trust and obey.

When I question my future and worry about tomorrow, I need to trust and obey.

When He calls me to take a step, but I am afraid, I need to trust and obey.

There is truly no greater joy than to find myself and my identity in Jesus. 

In Him, I am confident that His plans are perfect. In Him, I know that I am so loved. In Him, I have a great hope and a future. In Him, I rest and am sustained. In Him, I can trust and obey.

Trust and Obey written by John H. Sammis, 1887

Glorifying God and Seeking His Will

I know that it has been a very long time since I wrote anything. It hasn't been from lack of motivation but a lack of making writing a priority. Life is full of important things and blogging just hasn't been on the top of my list. On this snowy day though, I wanted to write.

Some of you may know that I accepted a job with the YMCA as an assistant preschool teacher back in October. All my life I have loved children. The thought of working with them for the rest of my life fills me with indescribable joy.

Many of you also know that I did a lot of going back and forth on what I wanted to do. That is why I took a gap year off from school to discover what I wanted to do. To put it bluntly: working with children does not pay a lot. In fact, many meaningful and very necessary jobs don't make much. I struggled with that because I want to make a living but I also want to make a difference.

God has given me a great love for people. Learning people's stories and meeting their needs, even if that just be in prayer, brings me great joy. I truly believe that people were created to love each other and glorify our Creator. That being said, I wanted to pursue God's will in how best to do that.

The older I get, the stronger my desire becomes to be in the will of God. I want to have a family. I want to go through life with a God fearing man. I want to have my own children and model Christ to them. I want to make money. Not because I am greedy but because everything costs money. I want to make a difference. Yes, I want all these things and more but more than anything, I want to be in the will of God.

His will has sent me crazy places in the past. I have spent the two past summers in jobs I was grossly under qualified for. I am currently in a job where I am under qualified and the youngest in my field by many years. Yet that is where God has definitely called me.

This summer I have made the difficult decision to remain home and work a camp job through the YMCA. As much as I love the Y, I still have an adventurous spirit that wants to go all over and see new and exciting things. And yet, I know this is where I need to be. I also know that where God calls us is never dull.

There is a quote by John Piper that says,
"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."

I want my job to glorify God. I want my relationships to glorify God. I want my words and interactions with others to glorify God. I want my hopes and dreams to glorify God. I want everything within me to pursue God's glory being made known.

Why? Because He alone is worthy of all glory.

It is scary. It is exciting. It is hard. It is an adventure.

May I be like a Mary, a David, a Ruth and a Paul.

May I seek the Lord's face and lean on His strength.

May I love as He loved, not to point to me but to glorify the One who made me.

In Whose hands am I safer or more at peace? In Whose hands can I be more satisfied?

 

Blessed Assurance

 Yesterday afternoon an old hymn by Frances J. Cosby called "Blessed Assurance" was running through my head. 

 

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

 

At this time in my life, I am constantly questioning where I belong. A job is harder to find that I ever thought possible. School will soon be upon me but I am not sure of my major. Family matters leave me uncertain of many things. Life is always so full of uncertainties. Oh, what a treasure to bask in the presence of my Savior. It truly is such a comfort and a "foretaste of glory divine"!

 

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels, descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

 

Submission has never been my strong suit. However, as I continue to grow in my faith, I find the Lord's will is where the most peace abides. When I seek out my own way, I only find confusion and more frustrations. Yet when I dwell in the presence of the Lord, the "perfect delight" I find is unmeasurable.

 

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

 

I do a lot of watching and waiting, but when I fix my eyes on the Author and Perfecter of my faith who endured the cross, my trials seem to fade. I wonder if this is what Paul meant in Hebrews 12 when he challenged the church to "run with perseverance and to throw aside anything which may threaten to entangle us." My heart cannot deny the Lord's goodness. When I focus on that fact, I find myself so "lost in His love."

 

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

 

One of my absolute favorite verses in the Bible is Psalm 63:3-4, "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you for as long as I live; in your Name I will lift up my hands." Oh to be able to tell my story and struggles, yet to "praise my Savior all day long." This truly is my story and my song.

 

What a "Blessed Assurance" indeed!

 

 

A Need for Accountability: Stop Making Excuses!

As I am gracelessly slipping into this thing called adulthood, I am beginning to realize a couple of things.

 

One of the things I notice about the culture that I am growing up in is that no one wants to take responsibility.

 

Oh, Hillary lied again.

That's just what politicians do.

 

Ryan Lochte gets drunk and destroys property.

Oh, boys will be boys.

 

Gabby Douglas gets bullied on social media.

She needs to grow a thicker skin or else get off social media.

 

Really?

 

Where is the accountability? Where is the sense of right and wrong?

 

People like to blame others, dodge the truth, and make excuses. In reality though, the people are the culture. It is our fault that these things are becoming acceptable.

 

One of the things I hear a lot in churches is that people like to blame the leaders of the church for not reaching the lost, not standing up for the broken, not doing this, that, and the other. Thing is, the leaders are not the church. The Christians as a whole are the church. Yes, the church leaders need to be wise in their decisions but the people of God definitely can do something.

 

Why are the people not reaching out to the lost? Why are the people standing by the broken? Why are the people making excuses?

 

This is the same in politics and in society as a whole. Yes, good and bad leaders influence the people but the people ultimately make the choice.

 

There is this awesome quote by Edmund Burke that says,

 

"The only thing necessary for evil to win is that good men do nothing."

 

Yes, we could sit here and blame others. We could wallow in our own hurt and pain and what others have done against us. We could say, "Well I am only one voice, so what will it matter?" We could remain silent. It would be easier and less painful. It would be normal.

 

Thing is, when God called us, He didn't call us to follow the world. He called us to follow Him.

 

James 4:17 says, "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it."

 

In the movie God's Not Dead 2, the main character says when asked why she just won't sign a plea bargain apologizing for her belief in Jesus Christ, "I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world than stand with the world and be judged by God."

 

It's time for the people of God to stop taking sin lightly. It's time for the people of God to come alongside the broken and hurting instead of wallowing and blaming everyone else. It's time for the people of God to stop making excuses.

 

We are called to be a "light in the darkness" and a "city on a hill." What are we waiting for?

Thy Will Be Done

I spent my summer climbing on roofs, ministering to homeowners, making late night McDonalds runs, worshiping my Savior every night, performing crazy skits, and doing meaningful work.

Then I came home. Everyone who has done TEAMeffort before warned me that it would be hard. Little did I know.

At first, it was easy. I am taking a gap year. I applied for a job position at the YMCA that seemed perfect for me. Only problem is, they never called me back.

 

Without a job, I was left doing odd jobs around the house and throwing myself into whatever I could find. After a summer of running around non-stop and doing work that had tangible results, going back to real life struck me as dull and boring.

The theme of the summer was Pray As You Go. Each night, we focused on one of the words and how they related to our lives and circumstances. Every week for eight weeks I heard the same message. Monday night we focused on Pray and the story of Jesus in the Garden prior to His death. Jesus prayed for God's will to be done.

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Luke 22:42

If Jesus, the Son of God, had to pray for God's will to be done, wouldn't it make it all that more important for us, as mere humans, to pray for God's will to be done?

It's a powerful and awesome story and Spencer, one of my team, presented it in such a way where it really came to life. I can't think of anyone who could have done a better job with that particular night.

However, in my own life, saying "Not my will, but God's will be done" is hard! I am a headstrong person. I don't like not knowing what the future holds. I don't like doing mundane tasks when I feel they have little purpose. I like exciting and adventurous.  I like tangible results. I like feeling like a crucial part of a team.

When we say, "Not my will, but God's will be done," we are forced to let go of our ego. We are forced to let go of our plans, our dreams, and anything we feel entitled to. That doesn't mean God won't fulfill our dreams and plans, but it does mean that we put ourselves into God's hands and leave everything there. It isn't comfortable or easy.

Sometimes it means being content with the mundane. Sometimes it means doing a job that is less "perfect" for me and more uncomfortable. Sometimes it means doing your best in this moment and trusting God with every moment from here on out.

I share this because I struggle with this. I love the Lord with everything I am, but I am not a fan of this season. It isn't the first time that I have struggled against the will of God in a certain season. A few times I have even lashed out at God. I have cried, yelled, and finally come to my knees.

I want to follow God, but the uncomfortable is ... well, uncomfortable.

That doesn't make it any less crucial though. True obedience is following Christ wherever He may lead. It is abiding in God's will even when it hurts our pride and may require great sacrifice. It is abiding in God's will in faith and with a sense of contentment.

As Corrie ten Boom said, " the center of God's will is the safest place that we can be."

I have a long way to go before I will truthfully be able to say that I desire God's will and will abide in it no matter where He calls me or what He calls me to. However, in this season, I will fix my eyes on Christ.

May the desire of my heart be like Hebrews 12:1-3, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

And may my prayer look similar to Jonathan Edwards',

"I claim no right to myself – no right to this understanding, this will, these affections that are in me; neither do I have any right to this body or its members – no right to this tongue, to these hands, feet, ears, or eyes. I have given myself clear away and not retained anything of my own.

I have been to God this morning and told Him I have given myself wholly to Him. I have given every power, so that for the future I claim no right to myself in any respect. I have expressly promised Him, for by His grace I will not fail. I take Him as my whole portion and felicity, looking upon nothing else as any part of my happiness.

His law is the constant rule of my obedience. I will fight with all my might against the world, the flesh, and the devil to the end of my life. I will adhere to the faith of the Gospel, however hazardous and difficult the profession and practice of it may be."

 

When I chose to follow Christ, I lost all rights to myself. May His will, not mine, be done.

 

 

Spiritual Warfare: A Very Real Battle

Today I am going to share another camp story. This one is different than the rest in that this was something we dwelt with all summer. For some, it may be a challenging story to read. Please read this post with a sense of seriousness.

 

The story I am going to tell you revolves around the topic of spiritual warfare.

 

Before I begin, I would like to first define what spiritual warfare is. The short definition is: Spiritual warfare is the very real battle that goes on between good and evil.

 

Ephesians 6:12 says, "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

 

Bluntly put: As long as God exists and Christians actively seek to serve Him, evil will exist. Satan is against anyone who is for God and he will use any means (people, circumstances, our weaknesses, our emotions, etc.) against us to detour us from serving God.

 

The primary purpose of man is to bring glory to God and those who pursue that frustrate the Devil's ploys. Revelation 20 talks about how God will ultimately, at the end of time as we know it, win against the Devil. Good will overcome evil and God gets the last word. However, while we live in a fallen world, where God is not worshiped by all and where Satan has some degree of power, we have to fight against spiritual warfare.

 

I have always had a strong belief that spiritual warfare existed, but never had I seen it as evidently as I did this summer.

 

Prior to campers arriving in Copperhill, we had a set up week. Each day we would work long hours to prepare for campers to arrive the following week. Our camp is one of the largest TEAMeffort camps and hence we had an awesome opportunity to be a light to hundreds of campers and show them Jesus.

 

One night we were up late at the chapel practicing songs and getting the media all set up. It got to be about ten o' clock and some of us decided to wrap it up and call it a night.

 

I volunteered to go to the tool shed that was nearby to put something away. Due to it being dark and I being unfamiliar with the area, I ended up going the wrong way and wandering around a bit before I realized that I had gone the opposite direction of the tool shed. I found the tool shed and put what I needed away and headed back to the chapel.

 

Once back at the chapel, about half of the staff loaded into one of the cars to go back up to the house. The other staff stayed behind to finish wrapping up a few things. I was in the car headed back up to the house.

 

We got only a little ways down the trail when we realized we had forgotten something. The driver went to back the car up and as we were doing so, the entire back half of the car collapsed. It was like the ground had been pulled out from underneath us.

 

When we got out of the car (very carefully) to see what had happened, we saw that the car had fallen into a gigantic sink hole. The back half of the car was completely in the hole and the front end was sticking up on the edge.

 

The entire time, all of us staff were pretty shaken. I was shaken, but it had little to do with having been in the car when we fell into the sink hole. Where we had fallen in was the same ground I had walked on earlier when I got lost. What is more, the minute before we fell in, I had this sense of intense evil around us. That feeling only intensified when I got out of the car.

 

We ended walking back up to the house because there was nothing we could do about the car that night. The entire time, I was shaking. I could feel the presence of evil so vividly that it scared me. I started to pray.

 

James 4:7 says that when we resist the Devil, he will flee. Ephesians 6:13 talks of us putting the armor of God in order to resist the Devil. Luke 10:19 says that God has given us authority over the Devil because of Christ within us. 1 John 5:4 says that our faith has overcome the world (and Satan is a very real part of this world). 1 Timothy 1:18-19 talks of Paul commanding Timothy to "wage the good warfare." Finally 1 Timothy 6:12 commands us to "fight the good fight."

 

I believe that one of the biggest weapons against spiritual warfare that we have is prayer. All night and into the early hours of the morning I prayed. Around four a.m. I finally felt that the battle had been won for the time being and that I could rest. It was then that I slept.

 

That was probably the biggest example of spiritual warfare that I experienced all summer, but it certainly was not the only experience. All summer the Devil tried to frustrate, cause tensions, interrupt, and destroy. Some days it felt like he was winning. Ultimately though, I can look back and see how God ALWAYS had the final word.

 

God had the victory.

 

God showed up and showed off.

 

God was and is always faithful!

The Meditations of my Heart

As I said in my last post, I have learned a lot of things this summer. Today I want to tell you about a boy that we will call Jacob and how his story changed the way I looked at the importance of my thoughts and words.

One week of camp, I had this phenomenal group. They were on the younger side but extremely hard working and more than willing to learn. They came from a poorer community and many of the youth were being fully funded by their church to be in attendance. This really spoke to me and how the body of Christ is called to support each other.

There was one boy in particular that stood out to me in this group. From the minute I met him, I knew something was off. He seemed distant and almost off balance. As the week went on, this pattern continued. I would ask him to go get me a hammer, telling him where it was. He would come back fifteen minutes later empty handed saying that he couldn't find it. I would go looking and the hammer was exactly where I had said it would be. I would give him some nails to hammer in and it would take him at least fifteen minutes to get in just one nail.

As this continued, I became frustrated. I didn't say anything but in my head I wondered what was wrong with this child? Why was he not getting it? I wondered if he was mentally handicapped or perhaps just lazy. My frustrations would occasionally rise near the surface and I would consider saying something, but I never did.

The group completed the week incredibly well, but Jacob still miffed me.

As the group was packing up that Saturday, I had the chance to talk with one of the chaperones as we waited for the youth to bring down their luggage. Somehow we got on the topic of Jacob.

The chaperone revealed to me a story that both stunned and convicted me. 

 

Just over a year earlier, Jacob had seen his father shoot his mother in cold blood. A month later, his brother was killed in a freak accident on a motorcycle. The boy was currently living with his grandparents, but they were not well.

After the group left, I went back to my room and fell to my knees. All week long I had assumed this boy was handicapped or lazy. Some might say I was being too hard on myself; how could I have known Jacob's story?

 

That isn't a valid excuse in my mind though. Every person we meet is fighting some kind of battle or had been through something that changed them. We don't always (usually) know those battles. While I may have never said anything directly unkind to Jacob, my tone was certainly not always patient and my thoughts were certainly not always kind.

 

Psalm 19:14 talks about, "the words of our mouth and the meditations of my heart being pleasing to God."

 

Our thoughts matter, as much, if not more than our words. What is in our head and heart comes out in our actions and words. We don't know the battles people may be fighting. That is why it is so important to be patient and kind. God's command to love is not limited to action, but in word and thought.

 

God used Jacob to convict me of the fact that my thoughts (the meditations of my heart) are important. Even if no one else knows the "meditations of my heart," God does. May my prayer be the same as the Psalmist.

A Life Changing Summer

We all have had experiences that are forever etched in our memory. Experiences that changed us, humbled us, and brought us face to face with our fears. This summer was packed with those kinds of experiences.

 

If you have been following me on social media, you know that I have been working for a Christian mission's camp called TEAMeffort. TEAMeffort works in rural areas with middle school and high school students from church youth groups all across the country to meet physical needs and then meet the spiritual needs of people in overlooked areas within the U.S. (primarily). I was located in Copperhill, Tennessee this summer and had the pleasure of having my own worksite. By the way, did I mention that TEAMeffort is mainly construction based?

 

That's right. The girl who didn't know the difference between a phillips head screwdriver and a flat head screwdriver at the beginning of the summer got to teach kids how to use a saw and put boards together to build a 12x18 shed with a lean-to on the back and also put a roof on a house.

 

What I learned construction wise is really not what changed my life. Over and over and over again, God showed up and showed off. That's what changed my life.

 

TEAMeffort's theme for this summer was "Pray As You Go." Let me tell you something, I prayed a lot this summer. Last summer when I worked at Boy Scout camp, I thought I was as far out of my comfort zone as I could get. This summer proved that theory wrong. 

 

Without God, I would not have made it through this summer.

 

He was my strength when I was so bone tired that I couldn't think straight.

 

He was my encouragement when everything around me went wrong.

 

He was my voice every Wednesday night when I got up on stage and talked about our identity in Christ and how loved we are by God.

 

He was my Creator who showed me the beauty of His creation day in and day out. 

 

He was my King who was worthy of worship every time we sang songs of praise and came together in prayer.

 

He was my Father who protected me countless times.

 

He was my friend who loved me with an everlasting love and held me accountable for my words, thoughts and actions.

 

I could spend a lot of time telling you what I did this summer, but that would be under false pretenses. Truth is, I didn't do this. God did this.

 

In the next few weeks, I hope to share some of what God did this summer and share some of the stories of how God changed me and those around me.

"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God."
Romans 1:20 NLT

A Graduation Post: God Is Faithful

Today, I officially graduate from high school.

 

I feel like I am writing about someone else with that sentence. I am no longer a high school student. I am a high school graduate. Goodness, that is such a loaded title.

 

The big question that every graduate gets asked is: What's next? Truth is, I don't know.

 

In less than two weeks, I start my summer job with TEAMeffort Christian camps, but come mid-August, I will be back to where I am now: Praying and taking each step in faith. My plan is to return from my camp experience and take a gap year from school. During that gap year, I want to get a job and do some job shadowing to get a better idea of what I could spend the rest of my life doing.

 

The unknown is never a comfortable thing to walk in and I find that this is no exception. Not knowing what I am going to do is terrifying. I want to make a difference. I want to follow God. I want to love on people. I want to have a family. I want to be a woman of character.

 

I know that God knows those desires and though it is a scary time, this is also an exciting time. The adventures God has in store for me are bound to be full of growing, learning, and proof of God's faithfulness.

 

Speaking of God's faithfulness, I have been thinking a lot lately about how faithful God has been in my life. I have seen and experienced a lot in my eighteen years. Through it all God has been faithful.

 

• In late elementary school and through middle school I struggled with my self worth. I turned to cutting as an escape from reality. God brought people into my life that constantly confirmed my worth and value, not only as a Child of God, but as a person who could and would do great things. 

 

• My Sophomore year of high school, my family went through a dark season. All the things I had ever felt secure in, came into question. My brother battled depression and the road we traveled was full of lots of heartache and tears. God brought people to encourage me and help my family in this season. In everything, God met our needs and my faith became my own. No longer did I just believe in God because it was what seemed to be expected of me. I believed in God because He had become my hope and I had seen His faithfulness.

 

• My Junior year of high school, I struggled to keep up with all my school work. Most of the time, I felt like I was drowning more than swimming. There were a lot of long days and late nights. God constantly gave me perseverance though and rest that I desperately needed. The summer of my Junior year, I had an amazing experience working at a Boy Scout camp. I learned and grew a lot.

 

• This past Senior year, I dated a great guy. Unfortunately, things did not work out, as we disagreed on some important issues. I struggled again with my self worth and I questioned God's plan. In this time, God brought people into my life that overwhelmed me with love. My self confidence really grew and I learned to stop being so hard on myself. In addition, God constantly confirmed my choice to believe in Him and do what I believe is right, even though it is often hard and unpopular.

 

I could keep going with stories of God's faithfulness, but this blog post would go on for awhile. If I could leave you with one thing from this post though it would be that I am proof of God's faithfulness. I have seen His faithfulness in my life. As I continue to walk this journey, there are many unknowns, but this I know: My God WILL be faithful.

 

I will finish this post with a verse that has been a constant in my life for many years and that hangs right by my bedroom door in a frame as a constant reminder of God's faithfulness.

 

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!

Lamentations 3:22-23

 

 

 

Lessons from the Birds

Birds are an object of fascination in my house. We have a series of birdfeeders in our back yard and a big window to watch them from. From chickadees to robins to wrens to cowbirds to blue birds; you name it, we probably have seen them! Each bird is so unique.

 

Matthew 10:29 talks about how God cares for the birds: “What is the price of two sparrows--one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.”

God cares for each bird and I think we can learn from them.

 

Geese: These big birds always stick together. Very rarely do you see a single goose; they’re usually in pairs. They eat together. Nest together. Fly together. Protect each other. They are a family and a team. They have each other’s backs.

 

Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.”

Blue jays and mockingbirds: These birds are feisty! They chase away anything that they think may threaten their territory, even if that thing may be much larger than itself. They are bold and don’t let evil overcome them. By doing this, predators that could do harm tend to flee or just avoid them all together!

 

James 4:7 says, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

 

Cardinals: Even in the winter, these birds stand out. They’re bright red color speaks for them and provides some cheer on bleak or snowy days. They also are very self-sacrificing birds. When they have babies, they pluck each other to provide soft feathers for their nests. They use what they have to provide for their families.

Deuteronomy 16:17 says, “All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the LORD your God.”

Blue birds: These birds are so cheary! Not only are they beautiful, but they have such a pretty chirp. Bluebirds were known for bringing happiness in ancient China because wherever they went, a joyful song followed.

Psalm 100:2 says, “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.”

Robins: These energetic birds are constantly looking for food, usually worms. When it rains, they are the first ones out looking for worms that may have come out of the ground. When they are not looking for food, they are building and adding to their nests with twigs and sticks and anything else they can find. I don’t think I have ever seen a robin just sunning himself; they are always keeping busy with something!

Proverbs 14:23 says, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

All these birds and more can teach us valuable lessons. God cares for each bird and He cares for us too.

Matthew 6:26 says, “Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?”

Birdseed may be for the birds, but Christ came for us and He promises to take care of our every need. In that, we can put our hope.