THIS WEEK I have alot to talk about. It has been a very exciting week, and I have a relevant story to tell you.
So I was very excited this week because I was getting ready to have my first date ever, and teenage girls are really weird so you know we need some direction on how to handle excitement and such. So what does GOD do about this? He sets it up so that Youth Pastor Ryan had the perfect story to tell about himself and his fiance Shelby during the series "Dating in the Dark." I'm not sure why the series is called that. Anyway, Ryan was speaking about how Jesus is the only path to love, since GOD is love, and He made us so that we seek love. He also told us about the way the world makes substitutes for love and makes us want to seek out what we need everywhere but with GOD, who asks us to pursue holiness. The thing about holiness is that when we are holy, the happiness we have is much fuller than the happiness from any number of the world's idols. Holiness is wholeness, secure peace in GOD and from GOD. He wants us to be holy, as He is holy, so we can be with Him. Then He will bless us and provide the love and comfort we search for, even if not in the time or manner in which we expect. Even before He wants us to be happy, as He does, He wants us to be holy, and to trust Him to know what's best for us each, and to want what's best for us too. Trusting Him, we're not getting in the way and we're leaving our lives up to Him. Loving Him for than anything else, we do well, like in Matthew 22:36-40:
"[36]'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment of all?' [37]Jesus said to [the lawyer], ''You shall love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, with all your soul,and with all your mind.' [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' [40] On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.' "
So here's the story about Ryan and Shelby: Last year they had been engaged for 4 months, and Ryan was feeling out of peace about it. Something was wrong. He felt that GOD was calling him to break it off, so he did. He said it was the most painful thing he ever had to do. He was in bed crying one night, talking to GOD and asking about His plans for his happiness, and when he listened for His reply, the Holy Spirit spoke to him very clearly. He said:
"She is on the throne of your heart."
Ryan realized that he had made Shelby like a god to him, an idol, where only the real GOD belongs on his heart's throne. So in the night he tossed out all his letters and pictures and things from Shelby that made her like an idol, and he gave it all up. He said that his act of relinquishing this element of idolatry was almost a physical motion, but more real because it was spiritual. That's some powerful Spirit working.
So they stayed un-engaged, and Ryan took at trip to Mount Sinai (sp?), where he was praying for GOD's direction on this. That is where GOD told him for sure that Shelby was the one he was supposed to marry. He submitted his will to GOD's and put Him first, and then GOD showed him what he needed.
For me, this story is not about marriage. It is about priorities. As I'm blogging I'm hoping and praying that GOD will show me what my idols are, so I can give them up before they become my obsessions. I needed to hear this story this week because it reminded me that not only does GOD have a perfect plan for me and for everyone, and not only is it beautifully unexpected and dazzlingly well-designed, and not only is it much better than anything I could come up with, but it is HIS. It's all always been about GOD. There is no good reason for a little bitty person in this big grand universe to think he is superlative, nor is there a reason for him to feel aimless. All GOD is asking us to do is trust it all to Him, and put Him first. I needed this because I needed a reality check, and I needed GOD to tell me what to care about. I always need GOD more than anything. Look at this world: what does it need? It needs help, love, hope, healing, purpose and security. It's what we look for, and it's what the world can't seem to find. But we've always needed it, and it's exactly what GOD offers.
Being submitted to His will helps us become holy, and holiness helps us find full happiness.
So I went on my date on Saturday and I had a wonderful time. I'm glad GOD knows how to take care of teenage girls. We're nuts and we really don't know what we're doing. He keeps me in check and helps me figure stuff out.
Another thing happened! From Friday morning, 7:30 A.M., to Saturday afternoon, 1:30 P.M., was the 30-hour famine with my Youth groupies. Oh I love to be with them. We fasted for thirty hours as part of a fundraiser to feed hungry children (thirty dollars pays for them for a month) and at 6:00 in the afternoon we gathered at Southpoint Community Church, and we sang a little, and played some games, and them we bundled up and went outside in the FREEZING cold beautiful night (the sky looked bigger than I've almost ever seen it)and some of us got sprayed with water guns. We had a Nerf war with giant pieces of cardboard and PVC pipes in the church rotunda(my dart got stuck so I was out for most of the game). We kept hydrated with lots of water and Gatorade, and surprisingly few of us were terribly hungry. I had some on-and-off hunger, but most of the time I was just fine. We went to bed late and got up at a little past 8, and we went on a Jericho walk around the pond behind the church.
A Jericho walk is where we just go around the course and do not talk to each other, and we pray really hard for fiery boldness to reach the people around us. It was awesome. My mom says fasting makes your mind clearer. I find that this, along with the peacefulness and holiness that had fallen on this group, makes it easier to pray really hard, and to care about what we pray for. No texting, no jabbering, just walking and silent prayer. When we reached the end, we gathered and divided off into small groups and prayed for GOD to work in the lives of the people around us. We prayed hard, and then we got ready to go to our service project downtown, where we picked up trash in blue plastic bags.
I had a poncho made of a blue plastic bag, and I thank GOD that we had gloves, too, because we found some interesting stuff. I won't gross you out, but I'll just say I'm glad I haven't gotten an airborne mildew infection or anything. Still fasting (with very little appetite) we lugged a sofa we found out to the side of the road and went back to Lavilla, the headquarters of our project. From there we went back to the church and waited a little while for 1:30 (then we had an appetite). Before we ate we prayed for the food, and for the earthquake in Chile (we have a friend there too named Sofie) and for the tsunami threat in Hawaii. Then we ATE FOOD, and then we went home feeling a little ill :) .
Thanks to donations from Ellen Schmitt, Will Warden, my mom Tamatha Cain, and my grandma Sally Cain, I personally got to raise $270, enough to feed one child for 9 months. Total, my group got to raise over $2,000 dollars. win.
So thank GOD for that, and pray for Chile, and Haiti, and Hawaii, and the whole world I suppose.
I go into this week praying for fiery boldness again, in me and in all my sisters and brothers all over the world, to pay attention to the "nudging" of the Holy Spirit as He calls us and to have the boldness in the moment when it counts, to tell somebody the reason for the hope and joy we have. The Bible has something like that in it, "always be prepared to give a reason for the hope you have..." I cannot remember where. But it's a good one.
Peace. Amen.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Walls
THIS WEEK I don't have just one thing to talk about, but more of a collage. It's interesting.
I was not happy with myself this week - I didn't feel right. I felt distracted, and like I was letting my thoughts wander much too much from the LORD. My heart desires for Him to be at the center, and it bothers me to become distracted. I know my state of ming must change, but I hope it's in going closer to Jesus.
I think about how I'm walking on water, like Simon, and trying to get to Jesus. This week I feel like a wave just came up and made me lose sight for just a moment, or at least made things a bit misty. But I'm not done. My wonderful friend Jenny White texted me Friday morning, and I read it in the afternoon. She told me that she had been praying for me that morning, and reminded me that GOD desires to have my whole heart submitted to His will, and for me to trust Him fully. I can only explain the fact that she was thinking of me that morning with the reasoning that GOD must have been too. Woah.
So after I read that things lightened up. All life's issues did not evaporate, but I was feeling glad my sister Jenny was caring about me, and I turned some music (from Rina) on from my computer, and rocked out while I worked on this painting, which I'm really excited about. Now I forget quite the chronology around this detail, but at some point I flipped open my copy of the Word and I was in Jeremiah. Huh, Jeremiah, I recognize that one. One of my favorite verses is there, maybe I could find it while I'm here. No, I'm already there!! Jeremiah 29:11.
This is not one I'd ever visited before. It is one I have on my wall, to look at every day. My frame says "All my plans, all my dreams, I lay before the LORD. "For I know the plans I have for you, to give you a future and a hope." THIS is what I needed this week. I was struggling to figure myself out. I was thinking about my future, and whether I was trying too hard to decide it for myself. And here come the LORD telling me that He knows what's going on, and that He's going to work it all out, and He knows I'm probably going to make a mess, and He's going to help me figure this out. I'm not done.
Yeah, so that's awesome.
My family had a party yesterday for my sister's 15th birthday. It's called a "quiencenero" (sp?) which is a girl's Mexican Sweet Fifteen in a sense. Ours was a knockoff because we're not Mexican. I had a very wonderful time with my family, and the babies who like to dance, and my friends from school Sarah, Will, and Debowrah. Yeah, that was alot of fun. My brother is a wonderful DJ.
I wanted to share with you a bit of my Uncle Danny's sermon at Neptune Baptist Church, but I think the part I wrote down might be better saved for another week. Maybe next week. Here it is if you want to listen to it, it's 20 minutes long and worth it.
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fneptunebaptist.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2F2010-02-19T12_50_55-08_00%2520&h=481bde73d3b51456187481198bb8cf69
My friend Sarah showed me a song a while ago which I really like, and which suits me right now. It's by Jimmy Needham. See if you recognize it while I type-sing it: "I need you like a HURRICANE, thunder crashing wind and rain, to TEAR THESE WALLS DOWN, I'm only YOURS now." It applies to me. Before I stop blogging I wanted to tell you something about walls. At Southpoint today Partor Russ was not there, but this really knnowledgable fellow spoke to us after we took the Communion. (Communion is awesome) The sermon today was about Jesus tearing down ethnic walls, gender walls, social walls, to show that GOD loves us. Now that's awesome. Jesus also calls it "great faith" at times when we pass over those walls in faith, especially for another person's sake. I hope I can learn how to do that.
I do not know whether you have heard about Anthony Flew, a famous atheist, but the speaker today told us that he now believes in GOD. That. blew. my. mind. Flew realized that "matter cannot produce intelligence," so there must be intelligence put into DNA and everything. So GOD is everywhere and everything wonderful, and remembering this I feel He is very near.
Back to walls. So I got this image about the world. Each person is trapped in a cube, and because we are bound to sin we do not notice that the box is not the whole world. A cube is made of walls, you see. But because Jesus freed us from our sins, and empowers us with the Spirit, we find that we are suddenly able to put up our foot and kick down some walls. It is not an easy thing to live this way, but it's worth doing. I just mean that we can, and we should, and the world would benefit if we did. Strangers need Jesus as much as we do, and Jesus makes a point of welcoming strangers.
So I pray for all you guys and I hope you'll post some miracles and some thigns you're learning. GOD's really awesome, and He's strong, and He makes us strong enough to face a world like this. Remember how Simon got to walk on the water. That's a special thing to get to do, and we're all doing it. At the end, Jesus is there catching us, and He'll lead us to the safety of the boat.
Amen.
I was not happy with myself this week - I didn't feel right. I felt distracted, and like I was letting my thoughts wander much too much from the LORD. My heart desires for Him to be at the center, and it bothers me to become distracted. I know my state of ming must change, but I hope it's in going closer to Jesus.
I think about how I'm walking on water, like Simon, and trying to get to Jesus. This week I feel like a wave just came up and made me lose sight for just a moment, or at least made things a bit misty. But I'm not done. My wonderful friend Jenny White texted me Friday morning, and I read it in the afternoon. She told me that she had been praying for me that morning, and reminded me that GOD desires to have my whole heart submitted to His will, and for me to trust Him fully. I can only explain the fact that she was thinking of me that morning with the reasoning that GOD must have been too. Woah.
So after I read that things lightened up. All life's issues did not evaporate, but I was feeling glad my sister Jenny was caring about me, and I turned some music (from Rina) on from my computer, and rocked out while I worked on this painting, which I'm really excited about. Now I forget quite the chronology around this detail, but at some point I flipped open my copy of the Word and I was in Jeremiah. Huh, Jeremiah, I recognize that one. One of my favorite verses is there, maybe I could find it while I'm here. No, I'm already there!! Jeremiah 29:11.
This is not one I'd ever visited before. It is one I have on my wall, to look at every day. My frame says "All my plans, all my dreams, I lay before the LORD. "For I know the plans I have for you, to give you a future and a hope." THIS is what I needed this week. I was struggling to figure myself out. I was thinking about my future, and whether I was trying too hard to decide it for myself. And here come the LORD telling me that He knows what's going on, and that He's going to work it all out, and He knows I'm probably going to make a mess, and He's going to help me figure this out. I'm not done.
Yeah, so that's awesome.
My family had a party yesterday for my sister's 15th birthday. It's called a "quiencenero" (sp?) which is a girl's Mexican Sweet Fifteen in a sense. Ours was a knockoff because we're not Mexican. I had a very wonderful time with my family, and the babies who like to dance, and my friends from school Sarah, Will, and Debowrah. Yeah, that was alot of fun. My brother is a wonderful DJ.
I wanted to share with you a bit of my Uncle Danny's sermon at Neptune Baptist Church, but I think the part I wrote down might be better saved for another week. Maybe next week. Here it is if you want to listen to it, it's 20 minutes long and worth it.
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fneptunebaptist.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2F2010-02-19T12_50_55-08_00%2520&h=481bde73d3b51456187481198bb8cf69
My friend Sarah showed me a song a while ago which I really like, and which suits me right now. It's by Jimmy Needham. See if you recognize it while I type-sing it: "I need you like a HURRICANE, thunder crashing wind and rain, to TEAR THESE WALLS DOWN, I'm only YOURS now." It applies to me. Before I stop blogging I wanted to tell you something about walls. At Southpoint today Partor Russ was not there, but this really knnowledgable fellow spoke to us after we took the Communion. (Communion is awesome) The sermon today was about Jesus tearing down ethnic walls, gender walls, social walls, to show that GOD loves us. Now that's awesome. Jesus also calls it "great faith" at times when we pass over those walls in faith, especially for another person's sake. I hope I can learn how to do that.
I do not know whether you have heard about Anthony Flew, a famous atheist, but the speaker today told us that he now believes in GOD. That. blew. my. mind. Flew realized that "matter cannot produce intelligence," so there must be intelligence put into DNA and everything. So GOD is everywhere and everything wonderful, and remembering this I feel He is very near.
Back to walls. So I got this image about the world. Each person is trapped in a cube, and because we are bound to sin we do not notice that the box is not the whole world. A cube is made of walls, you see. But because Jesus freed us from our sins, and empowers us with the Spirit, we find that we are suddenly able to put up our foot and kick down some walls. It is not an easy thing to live this way, but it's worth doing. I just mean that we can, and we should, and the world would benefit if we did. Strangers need Jesus as much as we do, and Jesus makes a point of welcoming strangers.
So I pray for all you guys and I hope you'll post some miracles and some thigns you're learning. GOD's really awesome, and He's strong, and He makes us strong enough to face a world like this. Remember how Simon got to walk on the water. That's a special thing to get to do, and we're all doing it. At the end, Jesus is there catching us, and He'll lead us to the safety of the boat.
Amen.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
New Hearts / Showing Love
THIS WEEK was interesting. I had ALOT of work at the beginning part of the week until Wednesday, but I pray periodically through this stuff and it tends to go well. :) I had to miss the Youth Group on Wednesday to finish this Latin assignment, but it's over and now I have the day off on Monday.
On Wednesday I finished the 1-year devotional book I have been going through. I had had the book for a while, probably as a Christmas present, and had not been interested for a long time. But I was blessed in going through the book when I did. It has been a useful tool: on days when I knew there was something I really needed to hear, I prayed Jesus would open my heart to the little message and it would turn out to be exactly what I needed, and I'd write my feelings down in colored pencil at the bottom when I was particularly amazed. The book was actually written for elementary-age girls, but I found it quite applicable to my life, and right on time. I only missed a day once, and I still don't know how that happened. But I did 2 the next night.
So when I finished the last story, I asked Jesus, "what now?" because I had been using it so long. Instead, Jesus showed me something amazing. I turned to the publication page and saw many, many names of the writers whose initials appear at the end of the stories. Each one probably had a handful of stories in there. I saw this name I had noticed there before, Carolyn E. Yost. Yost, like the YQL host (with the most). By the way, there's also a Strobel, like "The Case for Christ" Lee Strobel. And I think, what if I flipped through the pages and landed on "CEY" ? Only a few of the 365 stories would have it.
I flipped through from the back like you do with book pages, really fast, and I stopped. I'm looking at 2 stories, right and left. And one of them says "CEY."
The story was about the importance of talking to GOD and how He wants us to spend time with Him. That is the message of the importance of devotionals, or quiet time, however you go about it. Whether you have a book, or a time, or a place, or an activity, it is important. He knows exactly what to say, and He keeps me on track and casts light on what doesn't make sense to me. Just one more way to know He is there - we couldn't figure this stuff out on our own, all these the questions of life and of faith and of good and evil.
I wrote a poem this week about seeing raindrops hanging on trees - they looked like berries made of ice. It was awesome. I like to write poems for Jesus sometimes in my journal.
Today Pastor Russ talked about the importance of having a new heart. In Jesus we are given a new heart, a better, more responsive and loving heart with the capacity for faith (not blind faith, either). We cannot be 'reborn' through putting ourselves among people we agree with, or doing generous things, or finding our 'inner selves.' We only get a new heart when we believe in the gift GOD has given to us as a last chance to come back to Him. We must believe in His Son, who has changed lives and history and the measurement of years (I'll say A.D., whatever they call it), and who takes our sins and bears them for us, and who rose again so that we can live too. Death got schooled. Devil fail, if you know what I mean. We confess our sins to Him, we repent, we reform and make any restitution, and we are forgiven and start an ongoing journey of growth and learning, and it's a blast although it is not always comfortable. It's amazing because it is worthwhile. Once we've been redeemed in this way and begin to live in "newness of life," we can get a new heart. With a new heart, our relationships with other people and with GOD get better and more pleasant, and more worthwhile as well.
There is another thing I wanted to express. I saw on this Christian Facebook page a fellow having a dispute with somebody who was being rather rude about our faith. This guy had pretty much said we chase fairy tales, which we know is not true. Please seriously take a minute before you read on and think about what you might have said to this fellow.
Would you have called him a jerk? Would you have insulted him, and 'told him about himself'? Christians, what are we doing? This Christian responded to the stranger by insulting him and basically proving his point. They were going back and forth rather obnoxiously. I was quite ashamed. It sure will be a miracle (and we've seen, miracles are possible) if that fellow ever meets Jesus now! We've turned him off! For shame! This is why they think we are all bigoted and foolish. This is why the word "Christian" is tied to "intolerance" for many people.
I personally get offended when somebody is being rude about my faith. Jesus is my life and the source of my strength, and I know He is the Truth. I also know that GOD is able to exact revenge, and to change hearts, and that He definitely doesn't need me to defend Him. If I must say something, to straighten out the fellow's ideas about us and our faith in the LORD, I won't prove his point by insulting him, especially a complete stranger. How does that witness? Jesus healed a guy's ear while He was being arrested, and He prayed for His executioners. We don't have to be vengeful and hateful over somebody else's comments and actions, however untrue. We have to show love. Here's a round of verses to illustrate:
Romans 14:10-13, 16 "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee will bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to GOD." So then each of us shall give account of himself to GOD. Therefore let us not judge each other anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumblingblock or a cause to fall in our brother's way." "Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil."
Matthew 5:38-41 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels your to go one mile, go with him two."
Matthew 7:1 "Judge not, that you be not judged."
1 Corinthians 13:5 "[Love] does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil."
So while I do not need to agree with everyone, nor believe that anybody's opinion is equally valid and true, I do not need to attack people for their offences. I have offences, too. The difference is I've found joy in forgiveness, and the way to share that with other people is to behave like Jesus has changed my life, right down to my heart which He has made new.
I hope and pray for us each to learn to imitate Jesus' character, even when it's risky. Especially when it's risky. GOD does amazing things from the leaps of faith we take, big or small. And hopefully the small ones lead to larger ones.
Thank you for your comments. Feel free to share the miracles and lessons which GOD is showing you this week. I know it's hard to post things sometimes but I think it's possible.
On Wednesday I finished the 1-year devotional book I have been going through. I had had the book for a while, probably as a Christmas present, and had not been interested for a long time. But I was blessed in going through the book when I did. It has been a useful tool: on days when I knew there was something I really needed to hear, I prayed Jesus would open my heart to the little message and it would turn out to be exactly what I needed, and I'd write my feelings down in colored pencil at the bottom when I was particularly amazed. The book was actually written for elementary-age girls, but I found it quite applicable to my life, and right on time. I only missed a day once, and I still don't know how that happened. But I did 2 the next night.
So when I finished the last story, I asked Jesus, "what now?" because I had been using it so long. Instead, Jesus showed me something amazing. I turned to the publication page and saw many, many names of the writers whose initials appear at the end of the stories. Each one probably had a handful of stories in there. I saw this name I had noticed there before, Carolyn E. Yost. Yost, like the YQL host (with the most). By the way, there's also a Strobel, like "The Case for Christ" Lee Strobel. And I think, what if I flipped through the pages and landed on "CEY" ? Only a few of the 365 stories would have it.
I flipped through from the back like you do with book pages, really fast, and I stopped. I'm looking at 2 stories, right and left. And one of them says "CEY."
The story was about the importance of talking to GOD and how He wants us to spend time with Him. That is the message of the importance of devotionals, or quiet time, however you go about it. Whether you have a book, or a time, or a place, or an activity, it is important. He knows exactly what to say, and He keeps me on track and casts light on what doesn't make sense to me. Just one more way to know He is there - we couldn't figure this stuff out on our own, all these the questions of life and of faith and of good and evil.
I wrote a poem this week about seeing raindrops hanging on trees - they looked like berries made of ice. It was awesome. I like to write poems for Jesus sometimes in my journal.
Today Pastor Russ talked about the importance of having a new heart. In Jesus we are given a new heart, a better, more responsive and loving heart with the capacity for faith (not blind faith, either). We cannot be 'reborn' through putting ourselves among people we agree with, or doing generous things, or finding our 'inner selves.' We only get a new heart when we believe in the gift GOD has given to us as a last chance to come back to Him. We must believe in His Son, who has changed lives and history and the measurement of years (I'll say A.D., whatever they call it), and who takes our sins and bears them for us, and who rose again so that we can live too. Death got schooled. Devil fail, if you know what I mean. We confess our sins to Him, we repent, we reform and make any restitution, and we are forgiven and start an ongoing journey of growth and learning, and it's a blast although it is not always comfortable. It's amazing because it is worthwhile. Once we've been redeemed in this way and begin to live in "newness of life," we can get a new heart. With a new heart, our relationships with other people and with GOD get better and more pleasant, and more worthwhile as well.
There is another thing I wanted to express. I saw on this Christian Facebook page a fellow having a dispute with somebody who was being rather rude about our faith. This guy had pretty much said we chase fairy tales, which we know is not true. Please seriously take a minute before you read on and think about what you might have said to this fellow.
Would you have called him a jerk? Would you have insulted him, and 'told him about himself'? Christians, what are we doing? This Christian responded to the stranger by insulting him and basically proving his point. They were going back and forth rather obnoxiously. I was quite ashamed. It sure will be a miracle (and we've seen, miracles are possible) if that fellow ever meets Jesus now! We've turned him off! For shame! This is why they think we are all bigoted and foolish. This is why the word "Christian" is tied to "intolerance" for many people.
I personally get offended when somebody is being rude about my faith. Jesus is my life and the source of my strength, and I know He is the Truth. I also know that GOD is able to exact revenge, and to change hearts, and that He definitely doesn't need me to defend Him. If I must say something, to straighten out the fellow's ideas about us and our faith in the LORD, I won't prove his point by insulting him, especially a complete stranger. How does that witness? Jesus healed a guy's ear while He was being arrested, and He prayed for His executioners. We don't have to be vengeful and hateful over somebody else's comments and actions, however untrue. We have to show love. Here's a round of verses to illustrate:
Romans 14:10-13, 16 "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee will bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to GOD." So then each of us shall give account of himself to GOD. Therefore let us not judge each other anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumblingblock or a cause to fall in our brother's way." "Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil."
Matthew 5:38-41 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels your to go one mile, go with him two."
Matthew 7:1 "Judge not, that you be not judged."
1 Corinthians 13:5 "[Love] does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil."
So while I do not need to agree with everyone, nor believe that anybody's opinion is equally valid and true, I do not need to attack people for their offences. I have offences, too. The difference is I've found joy in forgiveness, and the way to share that with other people is to behave like Jesus has changed my life, right down to my heart which He has made new.
I hope and pray for us each to learn to imitate Jesus' character, even when it's risky. Especially when it's risky. GOD does amazing things from the leaps of faith we take, big or small. And hopefully the small ones lead to larger ones.
Thank you for your comments. Feel free to share the miracles and lessons which GOD is showing you this week. I know it's hard to post things sometimes but I think it's possible.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
An Eventful Week
THIS WEEK was fun for me. I have alot to tell you about. Youthquake Live was on Friday: the theme was "True Love Waits," which they do every Febrary. It was wonderful. A guy proposed to his girlfriend on stage, and there was a number of very funny skits. One used socks to represent purity. You should definitely "keep your socks on," and not trade them or give them away. This will be a recurring joke for me and the rest of the group I went with, as we remind each other to maintain the possession of our socks. I was VERY excited because I had invited my sister's friend Ayan and she came, and liked it! I got to sit next to wonderful Rina (hey girl) and she got to sit next to Kenneth. It was my brother Joey's first YQL ever.
That afternoon my Grandma had come over to my house. She had spent much of the morning worried about Grandpa because he'd gone to the hospital to check something out, and they were waiting for test results. But he's OKAY! So thank the LORD.
When we went back to the car after YQL there was Maya, whom we would be babysitting until Sunday morning. Score! If you haven't met Maya, you need to. She's been learning all these new words, and she can carry a short conversation: "Hey." "Hey." "How are you doing?" "Good." "Visabisvisay." She's a delight. I got to go on a walk with her, Isabelle and Joey the next morning in the perfect blue day. It was very wonderful. I was telling my friend Jenny White about Maya when I met her at the Life Group on Saturday. I was the only one in the first group who showed up to meet her at Five Guys (and only one person showed up for the second group, too) so I had an hour and a half to just talk to Jenny about so many things. Once again, I'm very, very thankful to the LORD that He has given me these new friends who I can learn from and who will pray with me and for me, and whom I pray for. Jenny told me about a walk she was taking that morning with Jesus, and how she told Him she could just do this forver, and He told her "You will." Jesus rules. This made me think, and ask Jesus what He had to say to me. I told Him, I wanted to hear Him speaking to me. That night my devotional was about that very thing, listening for what GOD is saying, where He is calling me and what He wants me to learn. It's pretty awesome.
So guess what happened to me today? It's a little thing, but a curious thing, and a thing in which I think was GOD's Hand. I'm not sure what it means, but it's something for sure.
A few days ago I had this word in my head: "Zondervan." What is Zondervan? I knew I knew that word! I began to think, maybe it's a publishing company. I live in a room with a bunch of books, maybe it's on the spine of one of those. So I looked and I couldn't find "Zondervan." Then I looked at this book I've been reading, "The Case for Christ," and I saw the word "Zondervan" on the front, back and side of it. It IS a publishing company.
Okay neat, I thought. But today I saw "Zondervan" on the front of "The Purple Book!" So I realized, it's not just a publishing company. It's a Christian publishing company. This is interesting to me because I'm writing a Christian fiction book, and I would like to be a writer of such books alongside whatever other career I have. I told Jesus that I was looking into it, as I looked up the website. There are hundreds, probably thousands of Christian authors on their list! I don't know. Maybe this is the company GOD wants me to get published with one day. I'll leave it up to Him because He knows.
If you can take it, here's one more amazing thing. This week I heard my friend Sarah describing a miracle to another friend Emily, and I asked her to tell me about it on facebook. So a pastor's daughter who was going astray had stopped talking to her family, and a congregation member suggested the whole congregation pray for her. Apparently they prayed like fire and the pastor went home absolutely sure that the girl would come home in the morning. He told his wife that if there is a GOD, their daughter would be home in the morning. He was that sure. So what happened? Of course, the girl was there in the morning, asking who had been praying for her that night. She had had a dream where she was running for a cliff and GOD caught her right before she was going to fall. She thought He would be angry with her, but He just hugged her and loved her. I replied to the facebook message, "GOD is awesome." It's true. Please leave comments. Let's applaud the LORD.
That afternoon my Grandma had come over to my house. She had spent much of the morning worried about Grandpa because he'd gone to the hospital to check something out, and they were waiting for test results. But he's OKAY! So thank the LORD.
When we went back to the car after YQL there was Maya, whom we would be babysitting until Sunday morning. Score! If you haven't met Maya, you need to. She's been learning all these new words, and she can carry a short conversation: "Hey." "Hey." "How are you doing?" "Good." "Visabisvisay." She's a delight. I got to go on a walk with her, Isabelle and Joey the next morning in the perfect blue day. It was very wonderful. I was telling my friend Jenny White about Maya when I met her at the Life Group on Saturday. I was the only one in the first group who showed up to meet her at Five Guys (and only one person showed up for the second group, too) so I had an hour and a half to just talk to Jenny about so many things. Once again, I'm very, very thankful to the LORD that He has given me these new friends who I can learn from and who will pray with me and for me, and whom I pray for. Jenny told me about a walk she was taking that morning with Jesus, and how she told Him she could just do this forver, and He told her "You will." Jesus rules. This made me think, and ask Jesus what He had to say to me. I told Him, I wanted to hear Him speaking to me. That night my devotional was about that very thing, listening for what GOD is saying, where He is calling me and what He wants me to learn. It's pretty awesome.
So guess what happened to me today? It's a little thing, but a curious thing, and a thing in which I think was GOD's Hand. I'm not sure what it means, but it's something for sure.
A few days ago I had this word in my head: "Zondervan." What is Zondervan? I knew I knew that word! I began to think, maybe it's a publishing company. I live in a room with a bunch of books, maybe it's on the spine of one of those. So I looked and I couldn't find "Zondervan." Then I looked at this book I've been reading, "The Case for Christ," and I saw the word "Zondervan" on the front, back and side of it. It IS a publishing company.
Okay neat, I thought. But today I saw "Zondervan" on the front of "The Purple Book!" So I realized, it's not just a publishing company. It's a Christian publishing company. This is interesting to me because I'm writing a Christian fiction book, and I would like to be a writer of such books alongside whatever other career I have. I told Jesus that I was looking into it, as I looked up the website. There are hundreds, probably thousands of Christian authors on their list! I don't know. Maybe this is the company GOD wants me to get published with one day. I'll leave it up to Him because He knows.
If you can take it, here's one more amazing thing. This week I heard my friend Sarah describing a miracle to another friend Emily, and I asked her to tell me about it on facebook. So a pastor's daughter who was going astray had stopped talking to her family, and a congregation member suggested the whole congregation pray for her. Apparently they prayed like fire and the pastor went home absolutely sure that the girl would come home in the morning. He told his wife that if there is a GOD, their daughter would be home in the morning. He was that sure. So what happened? Of course, the girl was there in the morning, asking who had been praying for her that night. She had had a dream where she was running for a cliff and GOD caught her right before she was going to fall. She thought He would be angry with her, but He just hugged her and loved her. I replied to the facebook message, "GOD is awesome." It's true. Please leave comments. Let's applaud the LORD.
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