Colossians 1:9-14
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
I hope that my prayers for the people in my life would reflect more of the things that this passage does. That prayers like this would be more constant- Paul says they never stopped praying these things for these people, how powerful is that?!
Pray that:
- God would fill them with the knowledge of God's will
- They would live a life worthy and pleasing to the Lord
- They would bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of Him
- Each of them would be strengthened with God's power and have endurance and patience
- They would joyfully give thanks to God in all circumstances
- Each of them would know that they have been qualified, through Christ, to share in the inheritance of the Kingdom
Also...
This week it really hit me (it's something that I've always known and believed but never really let sink in) that Jesus is alive. I know what you're thinking, "yes, well every christian knows that," but think about it, He died and was raised to life... then never died again- that means that He is just as alive today as He was the day that He was raised, as the day when Thomas put his hand in Jesus's scars. He is fully and completely alive!
"...Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." Romans 8:34
How amazing is that!
March 25, 2011
March 21, 2011
Frozen in Time
Lately I've been stuck in this weird season where I feel frozen in time.
Last week there was an incredibly beautiful warm day and my roommates and I went for a long walk before dinner. It was beautiful and strange at the same time. We haven't done anything like that in a long time.
The three of us met first semester our freshman year and have been nearly inseparable at school ever since. Much has changed in our friendships over the past few years, but we've always had each other. We went from being homesick freshman looking for a way to feel 'settled' at school to roommates all living together looking forward to the next phase in our lives. We've seen each other at our weakest moments and struggled through difficult things and happy things together.
In less than two months I'll watch them walk across the stage to receive their diplomas and officially move into 'adulthood' while I watch from the sidelines. As we walked last week, we reflected on the past four years, talked about internships, wedding plans, and our dreams of life beyond college. I feel like I'm stuck in place, my friends who I started this journey with are moving onto their next journey while I'm still on this one. My friends who got engaged in the past few months will get married this summer and I'll still be planning. My sister and I had always talked about how we would be graduating the same spring and could plan a combined graduation party but that won't happen. She'll be starting college in the fall as I finish out my last semester. My best friend is graduating and making the decision of where to live next year and what to do next. Ethan is working in a real 'grown-up' job, and looking to move out. And I'll still be here. I know with all my heart that this is where God has placed me and that His sovereign hand is at work, but this week, in this instant I'm hoping for something beyond college life, to be preparing to find a real job, a place to live in another town, to get married, and be an adult, but for now this is where God has me. I'm excited to see what He is going to do in my friend's lives and in my own in the next year- so much will change and I know that. For once I'm looking forward to change, I'm ready for it (and if you know me you know typically I strongly dislike change), but that's not where God has me right now and I need to rejoice in the place He has me.
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
In a few weeks when I watch my friends walk across the platform and into the next phase of their lives it will be bittersweet. We'll need to say goodbye for now and step into the unknown of what exactly will be next for them. I'll miss them next year, but I know that God is at work in their lives as well, in their own journeys and we'll see each other again.
It's time to reflect on the past, rejoice in today, and move on into tomorrow.
Even though it feels as if my 'life is on hold for the moment, it's still moving and changing each day. Every moment is different than the millions before it and each of those moments is an opportunity to bring glory to God.
"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." Ecclesiastes 3:11
Last week there was an incredibly beautiful warm day and my roommates and I went for a long walk before dinner. It was beautiful and strange at the same time. We haven't done anything like that in a long time.
The three of us met first semester our freshman year and have been nearly inseparable at school ever since. Much has changed in our friendships over the past few years, but we've always had each other. We went from being homesick freshman looking for a way to feel 'settled' at school to roommates all living together looking forward to the next phase in our lives. We've seen each other at our weakest moments and struggled through difficult things and happy things together.
In less than two months I'll watch them walk across the stage to receive their diplomas and officially move into 'adulthood' while I watch from the sidelines. As we walked last week, we reflected on the past four years, talked about internships, wedding plans, and our dreams of life beyond college. I feel like I'm stuck in place, my friends who I started this journey with are moving onto their next journey while I'm still on this one. My friends who got engaged in the past few months will get married this summer and I'll still be planning. My sister and I had always talked about how we would be graduating the same spring and could plan a combined graduation party but that won't happen. She'll be starting college in the fall as I finish out my last semester. My best friend is graduating and making the decision of where to live next year and what to do next. Ethan is working in a real 'grown-up' job, and looking to move out. And I'll still be here. I know with all my heart that this is where God has placed me and that His sovereign hand is at work, but this week, in this instant I'm hoping for something beyond college life, to be preparing to find a real job, a place to live in another town, to get married, and be an adult, but for now this is where God has me. I'm excited to see what He is going to do in my friend's lives and in my own in the next year- so much will change and I know that. For once I'm looking forward to change, I'm ready for it (and if you know me you know typically I strongly dislike change), but that's not where God has me right now and I need to rejoice in the place He has me.
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
In a few weeks when I watch my friends walk across the platform and into the next phase of their lives it will be bittersweet. We'll need to say goodbye for now and step into the unknown of what exactly will be next for them. I'll miss them next year, but I know that God is at work in their lives as well, in their own journeys and we'll see each other again.
It's time to reflect on the past, rejoice in today, and move on into tomorrow.
Even though it feels as if my 'life is on hold for the moment, it's still moving and changing each day. Every moment is different than the millions before it and each of those moments is an opportunity to bring glory to God.
"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." Ecclesiastes 3:11
March 7, 2011
Spring Break and Fathers
It's spring break and I am home for the first time since the middle of January- it's crazy how these stretches seem to get longer and longer as the years go by! I don't have too much going on for this break, I'm the only one of my friends who is home this week, and my siblings are still in school so it's going to be another quiet week- but I'm not complaining!
The past few weeks at my preschool placement have been going well. Each day I am confronted with either a really happy story about a child at the placement, or a really saddening one but on most days a little of both :). The program I am working with is a government run preschool where most of the children come from low-income households. Some of these kids have experienced situations that I personally can not relate to and that make me so very sad. They know more about the evil in the world we live in than I would ever hope for my child, or really any child. At the same time they're still the silly, fun little kids you would expect in a preschool classroom. In the classroom they are free to be the children that they are and explore the world in a safe environment.
Each morning and afternoon that I go I ride the bus to pick each child up from their homes and buckle them into their seats. The bus rides so far has been the biggest learning experience that I have had at this placement. This is where I have the most one-on-one conversation time with the kids and where I have been able to get to know them as individuals, and at the ripe old age of four these little people have quite a few things to share about the world they live in!
Something that has really struck me is the way that these children view males. One day one of the boys father's came in to visit and read with the kids, it was so amazing to see how attentively they sat and listened and to see how much respect they had for anything that he did or said. I have learned that many of them don't have a father at home and so this interaction is really exciting for them. Another afternoon, on the bus run, we were dropping one child off and he saw that his dad was at the stop to pick him up, the bus driver told me to keep an eye on how the child reacted since this was the first time he had seen his father in a long time. The boy unbuckled his seatbelt so fast, ran to the bus doors and started pushing on the doors to run out and hug his dad.
Last weekend I was explaining some of this to a friend and his response was "and how much greater is our Heavenly Father." Such a brief and profound statement. The way that those kids looked up to that dad in the classroom, the excitement for the time they get to spend with their fathers should be similar to the love and excitement we have for the time we get to spend with our Heavenly Father. When I really think about coming home, honestly, the one person that I am usually the most excited to see is my dad. It's not that I'm not excited to see other people or for what ever is planned when I am home or that even that we're incredibly close with my dad in some way, but there's just something unique about my own father that is different than everyone else that my heart gets excited for.
...but back to what I was saying: nothing can compare to our Father in heaven, and so we should desire more than anything to spend as much time with Him every day as we possibly could- right?
"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." Psalm 63:1
"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:25-26
From the time we are born we are sinners, longing for something. As a part of our human nature we try to fill that emptiness with what we can find on this earth, but nothing on this earth can satisfy. All that can satisfy is the sacrificial love of our God. When we recognize that we are sinners and accept His sacrifice as the only atonement for our sins we are given purpose- to devote our lives to being His servant, loving and glorifying Him with each and every step we take. The time we spend with God isn't a sacrifice we make, it's a reward something our hearts should yearn for.
I don't know which, if any, of the kids that I'm working with have been told of the hope in Christ. I also know that as a teacher this is something that I'm going to face each year I have new class of students. For as much as I can teach my students academics, which will help them on this earth, eternally it means nothing. What they need is Christ, what we all need is Christ. As a teacher (or intern right now) what I can say legally is so limited, but there has to be a way.
Just writing out some thoughts...while I was thinking them, sorry it got so long!
Also... I wanted to share this song by Brooke Fraser. It's lyrics go pretty well with what I just shared above too- funny how that happens :)
The past few weeks at my preschool placement have been going well. Each day I am confronted with either a really happy story about a child at the placement, or a really saddening one but on most days a little of both :). The program I am working with is a government run preschool where most of the children come from low-income households. Some of these kids have experienced situations that I personally can not relate to and that make me so very sad. They know more about the evil in the world we live in than I would ever hope for my child, or really any child. At the same time they're still the silly, fun little kids you would expect in a preschool classroom. In the classroom they are free to be the children that they are and explore the world in a safe environment.
Each morning and afternoon that I go I ride the bus to pick each child up from their homes and buckle them into their seats. The bus rides so far has been the biggest learning experience that I have had at this placement. This is where I have the most one-on-one conversation time with the kids and where I have been able to get to know them as individuals, and at the ripe old age of four these little people have quite a few things to share about the world they live in!
Something that has really struck me is the way that these children view males. One day one of the boys father's came in to visit and read with the kids, it was so amazing to see how attentively they sat and listened and to see how much respect they had for anything that he did or said. I have learned that many of them don't have a father at home and so this interaction is really exciting for them. Another afternoon, on the bus run, we were dropping one child off and he saw that his dad was at the stop to pick him up, the bus driver told me to keep an eye on how the child reacted since this was the first time he had seen his father in a long time. The boy unbuckled his seatbelt so fast, ran to the bus doors and started pushing on the doors to run out and hug his dad.
Last weekend I was explaining some of this to a friend and his response was "and how much greater is our Heavenly Father." Such a brief and profound statement. The way that those kids looked up to that dad in the classroom, the excitement for the time they get to spend with their fathers should be similar to the love and excitement we have for the time we get to spend with our Heavenly Father. When I really think about coming home, honestly, the one person that I am usually the most excited to see is my dad. It's not that I'm not excited to see other people or for what ever is planned when I am home or that even that we're incredibly close with my dad in some way, but there's just something unique about my own father that is different than everyone else that my heart gets excited for.
...but back to what I was saying: nothing can compare to our Father in heaven, and so we should desire more than anything to spend as much time with Him every day as we possibly could- right?
"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." Psalm 63:1
"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:25-26
From the time we are born we are sinners, longing for something. As a part of our human nature we try to fill that emptiness with what we can find on this earth, but nothing on this earth can satisfy. All that can satisfy is the sacrificial love of our God. When we recognize that we are sinners and accept His sacrifice as the only atonement for our sins we are given purpose- to devote our lives to being His servant, loving and glorifying Him with each and every step we take. The time we spend with God isn't a sacrifice we make, it's a reward something our hearts should yearn for.
I don't know which, if any, of the kids that I'm working with have been told of the hope in Christ. I also know that as a teacher this is something that I'm going to face each year I have new class of students. For as much as I can teach my students academics, which will help them on this earth, eternally it means nothing. What they need is Christ, what we all need is Christ. As a teacher (or intern right now) what I can say legally is so limited, but there has to be a way.
Just writing out some thoughts...while I was thinking them, sorry it got so long!
Also... I wanted to share this song by Brooke Fraser. It's lyrics go pretty well with what I just shared above too- funny how that happens :)
February 13, 2011
Finding Joy
Hello!
So I feel like not too much has changed since I posted last but I still feel like it's time for an update. A week ago I started interning at my preschool placement. Each time I go, I get up before the sun and head about a half hour away to ride the bus to pick up all of the children to go to school. For my first day I was super excited, not completely because I was finally starting my placement, but more so because I was going to be able to ride the bus on the way to A SCHOOL. I know this sounds completely ridiculous but, being someone who was categorized as a 'walker' from kindergarten up through high school, riding a school bus is still an exciting thing...at 21. My first day went smoothly, I spent most of it playing with the kids and getting a feel for their particular classroom. The assistants in the room had me do a little bit of sweeping and cleaning up around the room, but over all I enjoyed it. On the bus ride home the kids started asking the driver if she could play the radio for them, after a few children asked for the radio so she turned it on- and to my surprise they knew the majority of the words to each of the songs that came on, and undoubtedly at least one child on the bus knew who the singer was and the correct title for the song. This shocked me- something is not right in our world when a child can't tell you all of the letters in their name or read yet, but can sing every word to a Lady Gaga, or Justin Beiber song on the radio. It made me sad to think about how much these children DO know at such a young age, and how much they don't know at the same time.
I've gone back a few more times and progressively my time has been spent being asked to do things like clean the toilets, or sterilize the silverware and less and less time actually interacting with children. Another girl from my class and I decided that it was time to talk to our professor about this and see if these types of things are what we're supposed to be doing or not. Our professor is going to have a talk with the director of our school.
This got me thinking though about how I did the things that were asked of me, but my heart was so negative about it. In fact I've noticed how begrudgingly I have completed most everything the past few weeks. Although I enjoy my classes, I feel as if I'm not really getting anything out of them, my roommates aren't around much at all so I spend a lot of time alone, and it's cold out. I've just become quite the complainer. It's time for this to change. I need to start recognizing the blessings and being thankful for what God's doing in my life right now instead of waiting and hoping this will all be over soon. He has a reason for the quiet of my apartment, for the loneliness I feel, for me being in that school, for the classes I'm in and for me graduating a semester late. Although, it may seem easier to just 'do what I have to do' and complain about it- how much better would life be if I just looked at the blessings that God pours on me each day. I may not know why life is like this right now, but He has a purpose for it and instead of moping around and complaining about it- maybe I should take that time to thank Him and seek His purpose in all of it.
His thoughts and plans are bigger than I could imagine, my life does not belong to me- it is hidden in Him. I have nothing to complain about.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9
So with all that being said (sorry for the depressing tone of all of the above :)) I will now make a list of some of the blessings God has given me.
- I am able to go to college, to take classes, and work with children
- I don't have to worry where my next meal is coming from
- My apartment has heat (and we don't have to pay for it)
- I have a family and although sometimes they show it it strange ways, they love me
- Jesus died to save ME, that's the biggest blessing of them all
- The sun is out today, and it's kind of spring-like
- I have some amazing friends, who I know are there for me- even when I can't see them
- I have a wonderful fiance who listens to my complaining and encourages me
- I am able to plan a wedding
- I have my own room and a significant amount of 'free time'
- I made a dessert on Friday afternoon, and it turned out much better than I expected it to
- I have a car, with gas in it
- I was able to go to Africa this summer on a missions trip and was taught so SO much
There are a lot more, I'm sure of it. This week I'm going to take time to note the blessings and not the complaints- after all, what do I really have to complain about anyway???
Have a great week!
"Discontent will destroy your peace, rob you of joy, make you miserable and spoil your witness. We dishonor God if we proclaim a God who satisfies and then go around discontent." J.I. Packer
So I feel like not too much has changed since I posted last but I still feel like it's time for an update. A week ago I started interning at my preschool placement. Each time I go, I get up before the sun and head about a half hour away to ride the bus to pick up all of the children to go to school. For my first day I was super excited, not completely because I was finally starting my placement, but more so because I was going to be able to ride the bus on the way to A SCHOOL. I know this sounds completely ridiculous but, being someone who was categorized as a 'walker' from kindergarten up through high school, riding a school bus is still an exciting thing...at 21. My first day went smoothly, I spent most of it playing with the kids and getting a feel for their particular classroom. The assistants in the room had me do a little bit of sweeping and cleaning up around the room, but over all I enjoyed it. On the bus ride home the kids started asking the driver if she could play the radio for them, after a few children asked for the radio so she turned it on- and to my surprise they knew the majority of the words to each of the songs that came on, and undoubtedly at least one child on the bus knew who the singer was and the correct title for the song. This shocked me- something is not right in our world when a child can't tell you all of the letters in their name or read yet, but can sing every word to a Lady Gaga, or Justin Beiber song on the radio. It made me sad to think about how much these children DO know at such a young age, and how much they don't know at the same time.
I've gone back a few more times and progressively my time has been spent being asked to do things like clean the toilets, or sterilize the silverware and less and less time actually interacting with children. Another girl from my class and I decided that it was time to talk to our professor about this and see if these types of things are what we're supposed to be doing or not. Our professor is going to have a talk with the director of our school.
This got me thinking though about how I did the things that were asked of me, but my heart was so negative about it. In fact I've noticed how begrudgingly I have completed most everything the past few weeks. Although I enjoy my classes, I feel as if I'm not really getting anything out of them, my roommates aren't around much at all so I spend a lot of time alone, and it's cold out. I've just become quite the complainer. It's time for this to change. I need to start recognizing the blessings and being thankful for what God's doing in my life right now instead of waiting and hoping this will all be over soon. He has a reason for the quiet of my apartment, for the loneliness I feel, for me being in that school, for the classes I'm in and for me graduating a semester late. Although, it may seem easier to just 'do what I have to do' and complain about it- how much better would life be if I just looked at the blessings that God pours on me each day. I may not know why life is like this right now, but He has a purpose for it and instead of moping around and complaining about it- maybe I should take that time to thank Him and seek His purpose in all of it.
His thoughts and plans are bigger than I could imagine, my life does not belong to me- it is hidden in Him. I have nothing to complain about.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9
So with all that being said (sorry for the depressing tone of all of the above :)) I will now make a list of some of the blessings God has given me.
- I am able to go to college, to take classes, and work with children
- I don't have to worry where my next meal is coming from
- My apartment has heat (and we don't have to pay for it)
- I have a family and although sometimes they show it it strange ways, they love me
- Jesus died to save ME, that's the biggest blessing of them all
- The sun is out today, and it's kind of spring-like
- I have some amazing friends, who I know are there for me- even when I can't see them
- I have a wonderful fiance who listens to my complaining and encourages me
- I am able to plan a wedding
- I have my own room and a significant amount of 'free time'
- I made a dessert on Friday afternoon, and it turned out much better than I expected it to
- I have a car, with gas in it
- I was able to go to Africa this summer on a missions trip and was taught so SO much
There are a lot more, I'm sure of it. This week I'm going to take time to note the blessings and not the complaints- after all, what do I really have to complain about anyway???
Have a great week!
"Discontent will destroy your peace, rob you of joy, make you miserable and spoil your witness. We dishonor God if we proclaim a God who satisfies and then go around discontent." J.I. Packer
January 25, 2011
Being Transformed and Refined
So here I am, back at school. It's strange coming back to a quiet (for the most part) apartment building after being at home for a month. I really like living at school but to be honest, sometimes I miss the constant noise and the blessing of not having to figure out what I'm doing for dinner :). Break was great, I got to spend a lot of time with my friend Kari who I didn't get to talk to much throughout the fall semester, I got to go on a camping trip with Ethan's family for a few days and got to know them all a little better, did some wedding planning- even got a dress, and of COURSE I got to spent time celebrating Christmas and hanging out with my family.
Classes have started and so far my schedule is extremely free, a HUGE change from last semester and I know that in the future having this much free time will be greatly missed- it's a blessing and I need to be soaking it in while it's here. I've been loving my classes so far- there's just something about my early childhood classes that is so interesting to me, little ones hold such a big place in my heart! Next week I'm hoping to start my Preschool placement. I'm thrilled that I got my first choice in schools and I'm so excited get in there and start working!
Since being back at school I've had a lot of time alone in the quiet,and a significant amount of time to reflect and spend time in the Word. When I'm home on breaks I always tend to struggle in finding distraction-less time (and quiet) to just be in the Word (believe me I *know* the time exists when I'm home I just never seem to use that time wisely) so this week has been so SO wonderful.
Sunday nights I am a part of a small bible study group the group was smaller than usual this week, but I'm so glad I went. Earlier in the week I had begun reflecting on the verse Romans 12:2
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing, and perfect will."
During the week I really spent time thinking about what it means to be transformed and renewed by Christ and how that transformation helps us decipher what God's will is. At bible study, the leader brought up Romans 12:2 in discussion. He talked about how this verse isn't saying that the changes of being different from this world aren't by our own power and conscious effort but stem from seeking God and letting Him consume and transform our lives from the inside out, it's His power at work within us doing the changing. What really stuck out to me was when the leader began to share that the word "approve" in this verse in Greek is actually a metal working term. When I got back I looked it up and found that it means "to test, examine, prove, scrutinize (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals." Isn't that interesting? In 1 Peter it says that the tests and trials that we go through are refining our faith to prove its genuine-ness and this verse is referring to a similar concept. God is renewing, transforming, and refining us into the people He's created us to be in order to glorify Himself.
Church on Sunday morning also ran with a similar theme...kind of. The message really wasn't anything that I hadn't heard before but sometimes the truths that we hear often are the ones we *need* to be hearing over and over and over. The pastor spoke about how our relationship with Christ is what our life is an outpouring of. For example, the more we are attempting to being filled with the things of this world, the more we will reflect what we are filling ourselves with. When we are inwardly seeking God, desiring Him and spending time in the Word, He begins to transform us from the inside out. The pastor used the example of a 'cracked pot'. He said that when you put a light under a clay pot it's impossible to see the light beneath it, but when the clay is slowly chipped away the light begins to shine through. The message really made me start to think more deeply about the situations that I let harden my heart and distract me from my relationship with Christ. There are places in my heart where the feelings of being wronged and betrayed have taken deep root and where healing and transforming *needs* to be done. They are obstacles in my path to holiness I'm praying and seeking God for His help in clearing them away.
I'll end with this verse:
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5
Classes have started and so far my schedule is extremely free, a HUGE change from last semester and I know that in the future having this much free time will be greatly missed- it's a blessing and I need to be soaking it in while it's here. I've been loving my classes so far- there's just something about my early childhood classes that is so interesting to me, little ones hold such a big place in my heart! Next week I'm hoping to start my Preschool placement. I'm thrilled that I got my first choice in schools and I'm so excited get in there and start working!
Since being back at school I've had a lot of time alone in the quiet,and a significant amount of time to reflect and spend time in the Word. When I'm home on breaks I always tend to struggle in finding distraction-less time (and quiet) to just be in the Word (believe me I *know* the time exists when I'm home I just never seem to use that time wisely) so this week has been so SO wonderful.
Sunday nights I am a part of a small bible study group the group was smaller than usual this week, but I'm so glad I went. Earlier in the week I had begun reflecting on the verse Romans 12:2
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing, and perfect will."
During the week I really spent time thinking about what it means to be transformed and renewed by Christ and how that transformation helps us decipher what God's will is. At bible study, the leader brought up Romans 12:2 in discussion. He talked about how this verse isn't saying that the changes of being different from this world aren't by our own power and conscious effort but stem from seeking God and letting Him consume and transform our lives from the inside out, it's His power at work within us doing the changing. What really stuck out to me was when the leader began to share that the word "approve" in this verse in Greek is actually a metal working term. When I got back I looked it up and found that it means "to test, examine, prove, scrutinize (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals." Isn't that interesting? In 1 Peter it says that the tests and trials that we go through are refining our faith to prove its genuine-ness and this verse is referring to a similar concept. God is renewing, transforming, and refining us into the people He's created us to be in order to glorify Himself.
Church on Sunday morning also ran with a similar theme...kind of. The message really wasn't anything that I hadn't heard before but sometimes the truths that we hear often are the ones we *need* to be hearing over and over and over. The pastor spoke about how our relationship with Christ is what our life is an outpouring of. For example, the more we are attempting to being filled with the things of this world, the more we will reflect what we are filling ourselves with. When we are inwardly seeking God, desiring Him and spending time in the Word, He begins to transform us from the inside out. The pastor used the example of a 'cracked pot'. He said that when you put a light under a clay pot it's impossible to see the light beneath it, but when the clay is slowly chipped away the light begins to shine through. The message really made me start to think more deeply about the situations that I let harden my heart and distract me from my relationship with Christ. There are places in my heart where the feelings of being wronged and betrayed have taken deep root and where healing and transforming *needs* to be done. They are obstacles in my path to holiness I'm praying and seeking God for His help in clearing them away.
I'll end with this verse:
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5
January 4, 2011
Joy, Togo, and 2011
Last night I couldn't sleep. Have you ever had one of those nights where no matter how hard you try or how tired you are your mind just wants to keep going. Last night every time I closed my eyes my mind would fill with the people of Togo that I met this summer and the various experiences that I had throughout the summer. I realize that I've been suppressing this for some time. At the end of this semester I was asked by someone if I was going on another 'trip' this summer- this made me pretty angry. Last summer wasn't just a 'trip', it wasn't just about me either: God revealed so much to me about Himself and His creation and I was able to meet and see some of the hard injustices of this world yet see how good God is in it all. Last night as my mind was replaying the stories and memories of this summer what struck me was the joy that never seemed to leave the faces of the Togolese believers. No matter the situation I remember them laughing and smiling in their carefree way and I know it was because their assurance was in Christ. No matter how little they had or how hard things were, it really didn't matter because they had Christ and that's the greatest possession anyone could ever have.
Togo has a population of 6,752,000 with 56 different people groups. There are 54 languages and only 13 complete bible translations into these languages. Many people groups profess to be Christians but still practice witchcraft and live in daily fear, which means that they must not fully understand the hope in Christ. It struck me last night how much I have been failing at sharing all that I saw and what God is doing in the country of Togo. He is moving. The believers there need prayer, their lives are vastly different from our comfortable cushy lives here in the U.S. but they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. I don't know if I'll ever return to see my friends in Togo and join them again in sharing the gospel of Christ's hope throughout their country, but I still am on a mission with them. I can continue to pray for them, to support and encourage them in their continual battle. My missions trip this summer may have physically ended, but in my heart it will continue throughout the rest of my life. Who knows if God will ever call me to leave the United States again for His mission, but my life will be lived as His mission because my life is not mine to live it's His to use and glorify Himself through.
There is so much hope in the gospel, and so many people in this world who have yet to hear it. Christ is the greatest message we could ever share- so why don't we share it in abundance? I'm completely guilty of doing this, keeping what I believe to myself and rarely talking about the joy only Christ can give outside of my believing friends, but this year I hope to dig deep into God's word and proclaim His glory through all I do and say, not matter who I'm with. Recklessly abandoning my fears, my reputation, and turning away from my selfish heart.
The United States of America has a population of 313,630,000 people. There are 364 people groups and 71 unreached people groups. That hurts my heart so much when I read that, in churches we always talk about international missions, but what are we doing every day, what about the people in our classes and the people we pass everyday? As wonderful as overseas missions is, God is still moving here and we are called to be living for Him and sharing Him where ever we are. Whether He calls us to live in a far away unknown land, or in a development in the suburbs of Philadelphia we are His servants and we are entrusted with the message of His gospel and our mission shouldn't change.
1 Corinthians 4:1-2
"So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful."
Am I proving faithful to the hope I have been entrusted to share? And am I putting aside my earthly desires and selfishness to live for Christ? Am I living recklessly abandoned to God's will? I guess that's my resolution for 2011
Togo has a population of 6,752,000 with 56 different people groups. There are 54 languages and only 13 complete bible translations into these languages. Many people groups profess to be Christians but still practice witchcraft and live in daily fear, which means that they must not fully understand the hope in Christ. It struck me last night how much I have been failing at sharing all that I saw and what God is doing in the country of Togo. He is moving. The believers there need prayer, their lives are vastly different from our comfortable cushy lives here in the U.S. but they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. I don't know if I'll ever return to see my friends in Togo and join them again in sharing the gospel of Christ's hope throughout their country, but I still am on a mission with them. I can continue to pray for them, to support and encourage them in their continual battle. My missions trip this summer may have physically ended, but in my heart it will continue throughout the rest of my life. Who knows if God will ever call me to leave the United States again for His mission, but my life will be lived as His mission because my life is not mine to live it's His to use and glorify Himself through.
There is so much hope in the gospel, and so many people in this world who have yet to hear it. Christ is the greatest message we could ever share- so why don't we share it in abundance? I'm completely guilty of doing this, keeping what I believe to myself and rarely talking about the joy only Christ can give outside of my believing friends, but this year I hope to dig deep into God's word and proclaim His glory through all I do and say, not matter who I'm with. Recklessly abandoning my fears, my reputation, and turning away from my selfish heart.
The United States of America has a population of 313,630,000 people. There are 364 people groups and 71 unreached people groups. That hurts my heart so much when I read that, in churches we always talk about international missions, but what are we doing every day, what about the people in our classes and the people we pass everyday? As wonderful as overseas missions is, God is still moving here and we are called to be living for Him and sharing Him where ever we are. Whether He calls us to live in a far away unknown land, or in a development in the suburbs of Philadelphia we are His servants and we are entrusted with the message of His gospel and our mission shouldn't change.
1 Corinthians 4:1-2
"So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful."
Am I proving faithful to the hope I have been entrusted to share? And am I putting aside my earthly desires and selfishness to live for Christ? Am I living recklessly abandoned to God's will? I guess that's my resolution for 2011
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