So tonight was my last night of the summer at my second job. I made a new friend there, he was four years old and was one of those children that if you give them the opportunity they will tell you their life story. He told things, repeated those things, and as we made animals out of play-doh an interesting conversation came up.
Boy: Polar bears are dying, so are whales. Do you know what death is?
Me: (completely shocked by this question and wanting to hear this small child's definition) what is it?
Boy: It's when we aren't on earth anymore, we go up to heaven- well, only if we know Jesus. Do you know Jesus?
Me: yes I do!
Boy: So you know that he died so we can go to heaven?
Me: (smiling big) yes I do.
Boy: Good. Do you know that God likes our prayers and listens to them? He knows everything we need. Do you know that?
Me: Yep (nodding and smiling even bigger)
Boy: Good, it's the truth.
Out of the mouths of babes, truth! God is so great! It's amazing what and who He uses to get our attention. God used that adorable little boy to remind me that He is in control and He hears me and knows all that I need. So comforting.
August 17, 2011
August 16, 2011
I want to give You EVERYTHING.
This is my prayer as I think about everything that is going to happen in the next year :)
August 13, 2011
Campfires, Silly Songs, and Jesus
This upcoming week is the last week of camp. I can't believe it's come to an end, Friday it started to hit me that next year I won't be returning and that I have no clue what God has planned for what I will be doing.
The summer after Fourth grade I went to camp for the first time. I was terrified. Months leading up to it I would spend sleepless nights crying about how I afraid to go- and I was only going for one week. One day into camp I was in love, I never wanted to leave. There was (and still is) just something so special about being at camp- the singing, the quiet, the silly, and I absolutely loved how close I felt to God at camp when I was younger. At home, yea I would go to church and sunday school and wednesday night bible club but camp was different.
At camp we would have campfire messages each night, quiet devotions each morning, and time each day with our counselor where they would teach a bible lesson. I think I can honestly say that I was saved in sunday school at a young age but I fell in love with Jesus at camp. Each summer I would go back and fall deeper into relationship with Him and it would continue throughout the year mostly (there is always that mountaintop feeling after camp that I never quite got to stay entirely through the school year). Camp was a place empty of problems and worries and full of Jesus.
Once I hit the end of middle school I joined my original camp's counselor in training program, eventually counseled there and began going to a beach camp with my church youth group (which was special in its own way but loved just as much in my heart).
When I got to college I decided that God called me to stay home in the summers and I began working at a christian day camp near to my home (all the amazing-ness of my first camp minus the sleep-away and campfire fun).
This way may be my last week at camp ever, and it could very well not be- who know's what God has in His blueprint for me, but I know one thing. I have one week left this summer with these kids, one week left to show them Jesus. I pray that this week they would fall in love with Christ and make the decision to become a follower of Him, leaving the worldly way behind. I pray that the kids who only know of Jesus and hear about Him because of camp that they would have a fire in their heart to want to know more, to seek Him even when their families and homes don't. I pray that their eyes would be enlightened and that they would know the HOPE that there is in Christ, that they would yearn to be a part of His kingdom and live as a child of the King.
I don't know what God has planned for me next year, but I do know that this week He has me at camp loving on these kids and being His light. We are all messy, we're all sinners and it's only by His grace that we can have hope and walk in His glorious ways. I will miss this camp next summer more than I can say, but I know that, just as camp was the place where I fell in love with Jesus and my life was changed, kids will be impacted and He will use it to make kingdom decisions and life changes for however long it exists.
The summer after Fourth grade I went to camp for the first time. I was terrified. Months leading up to it I would spend sleepless nights crying about how I afraid to go- and I was only going for one week. One day into camp I was in love, I never wanted to leave. There was (and still is) just something so special about being at camp- the singing, the quiet, the silly, and I absolutely loved how close I felt to God at camp when I was younger. At home, yea I would go to church and sunday school and wednesday night bible club but camp was different.
At camp we would have campfire messages each night, quiet devotions each morning, and time each day with our counselor where they would teach a bible lesson. I think I can honestly say that I was saved in sunday school at a young age but I fell in love with Jesus at camp. Each summer I would go back and fall deeper into relationship with Him and it would continue throughout the year mostly (there is always that mountaintop feeling after camp that I never quite got to stay entirely through the school year). Camp was a place empty of problems and worries and full of Jesus.
Once I hit the end of middle school I joined my original camp's counselor in training program, eventually counseled there and began going to a beach camp with my church youth group (which was special in its own way but loved just as much in my heart).
When I got to college I decided that God called me to stay home in the summers and I began working at a christian day camp near to my home (all the amazing-ness of my first camp minus the sleep-away and campfire fun).
This way may be my last week at camp ever, and it could very well not be- who know's what God has in His blueprint for me, but I know one thing. I have one week left this summer with these kids, one week left to show them Jesus. I pray that this week they would fall in love with Christ and make the decision to become a follower of Him, leaving the worldly way behind. I pray that the kids who only know of Jesus and hear about Him because of camp that they would have a fire in their heart to want to know more, to seek Him even when their families and homes don't. I pray that their eyes would be enlightened and that they would know the HOPE that there is in Christ, that they would yearn to be a part of His kingdom and live as a child of the King.
I don't know what God has planned for me next year, but I do know that this week He has me at camp loving on these kids and being His light. We are all messy, we're all sinners and it's only by His grace that we can have hope and walk in His glorious ways. I will miss this camp next summer more than I can say, but I know that, just as camp was the place where I fell in love with Jesus and my life was changed, kids will be impacted and He will use it to make kingdom decisions and life changes for however long it exists.
August 2, 2011
"Kisses from Katie"
So awhile ago I started following a blog called Kisses from Katie. On the blog, Katie a girl so close in age to me, shares her heart for God and how he is using her in Uganda. Her life is so powerful and encouraging. She is has written a book sharing about what God has been doing in her and through her in Uganda that will release in the fall that I can't wait to read. Today I found a video of her speaking a few years ago about her ministry and thought I would share it!
If only we all would cling to Christ with such reckless abandon, if only we would let go of living for ourselves and live for Him with all that we have- how awesome would it be? How clearly would Christ's light shine through us in this world?! Katie is such a clear picture of what it looks like to put Christ and God's will first in your life, to let go of our own plans and seek Him and His perfect plan.
If only we all would cling to Christ with such reckless abandon, if only we would let go of living for ourselves and live for Him with all that we have- how awesome would it be? How clearly would Christ's light shine through us in this world?! Katie is such a clear picture of what it looks like to put Christ and God's will first in your life, to let go of our own plans and seek Him and His perfect plan.
July 29, 2011
Before the Throne
Week six over: six down, three to go. It's crazy how fast the weeks have gone! This time four weeks from now I'll be gearing up for my first full week of student teaching! So exciting!
I've written before about how much I love worship lyrics, especially hymns and how much can be conveyed through them. I've spent the last few nights listening to worship music, reading and working on some projects for fun- so refreshing! Tonight there are some big storms going through the area and, with the rain beating against my window, I've been listening/singing/playing guitar along with some worship songs and stopped to listen carefully to the words to "Before the Throne", SUCH an encouraging song! Check out these lyrics:
It's so incredibly humbling to remember that Christ died as a sacrifice taking on our full payment for sin, He took our place, and we are completely undeserving. We are loved, we are known, we are redeemed, forever by the unchangeable God.
(p.s. I realize this video is kind of strange to post but I found it and just loved this girl's voice too much to not share it!)
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth." Ephesians 1:7-10
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
I've written before about how much I love worship lyrics, especially hymns and how much can be conveyed through them. I've spent the last few nights listening to worship music, reading and working on some projects for fun- so refreshing! Tonight there are some big storms going through the area and, with the rain beating against my window, I've been listening/singing/playing guitar along with some worship songs and stopped to listen carefully to the words to "Before the Throne", SUCH an encouraging song! Check out these lyrics:
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great high Priest who’s name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart
When Satan tempts me to despair
and tells me of the guilt within
upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin
Because a sinless Savior died
my sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is satisfied
to look on Him and pardon me
to look on Him and pardon me
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Praise the One Risen Son of God.
Behold Him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I AM
The King of Glory and of grace
One in Himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God
With Christ my Savior and my God
It's so incredibly humbling to remember that Christ died as a sacrifice taking on our full payment for sin, He took our place, and we are completely undeserving. We are loved, we are known, we are redeemed, forever by the unchangeable God.
(p.s. I realize this video is kind of strange to post but I found it and just loved this girl's voice too much to not share it!)
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth." Ephesians 1:7-10
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
July 26, 2011
Broken Cisterns
So this summer I've been slowly rereading a book that I was given last summer upon returning home from Togo. This morning I read a portion of the book that really got me thinking. The book is called Unearth and it's by Christy Vidrine and Autumn Rogers, I highly recommend it (especially if you've ever gone over seas or are planning to ever go).
"For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters,and hewed out cisterns for themselves,broken cisterns that can hold no water." Jeremiah 2:13
Cisterns (from what I understand it after looking it up on the completely reliable source google ;)) are kind of like wells, they were used to hold water. Broken cisterns are practically worthless, dirt would enter the water making it pretty much unusable. We build our own cisterns we we try to control things or when we think we can do it all on our own. The cisterns we build are cracked unable to be fully filled or used. I'd imagine that when a cistern was cracked water would also leak out, making it nearly impossible to keep the cistern full. Without Him we can do nothing, without Him we are empty and unsatisfied. We are broken cisterns who need to rely on Him so He can fill in our cracks, make us whole, and use us for what we were intended.
"For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters,and hewed out cisterns for themselves,broken cisterns that can hold no water." Jeremiah 2:13
"We were never made to love within our own power. We are broken cisterns and we spend most of our time and energy trying to keep enough 'water' to sustain ourselves. God knew this and that is why He tells us to stay near the living water. We must be ever renewed by Him if we are going to love others well. If Christ's love is the only thing that can truly sustain and fulfill you, then how can we ever love apart from it. God tells us our broken cisterns can hold no water; we must come to Him to provide."
Cisterns (from what I understand it after looking it up on the completely reliable source google ;)) are kind of like wells, they were used to hold water. Broken cisterns are practically worthless, dirt would enter the water making it pretty much unusable. We build our own cisterns we we try to control things or when we think we can do it all on our own. The cisterns we build are cracked unable to be fully filled or used. I'd imagine that when a cistern was cracked water would also leak out, making it nearly impossible to keep the cistern full. Without Him we can do nothing, without Him we are empty and unsatisfied. We are broken cisterns who need to rely on Him so He can fill in our cracks, make us whole, and use us for what we were intended.
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