Saturday, April 30, 2011

Total Loyalty- Total Commitment

Exposing the source of your faith-wow its kind of scary. Do I place faith in myself, in the world, in faith itself, or is my faith truly in God? It is scary to know that with faith does come pressure but I can take encouragement in the fact that God supplies everything I need- so that I can give it right back to Him. Sometimes it is scary to persevere- it is so much easier to give up, to back down, to ignore the issue at hand. But God wants everything, and He deserves everything. God: help me to remember daily that what is seen is temporary- that what matters is faith in you and in your will. There are times when I want to say, okay right now I am going to get all my stuff done but once thats over, or when the week is over, or when I get a break, or when it's summer, I can really dedicated myself to whats important- I can really give myself fully then. But no! I am supposed to give myself fully now, at all times, in all occasions. Its so difficult God, it can be so overwhelming, so thank you for being there, patiently helping me to come to my senses. This week has been such a lightbulb week- and these devotions certainly helped. BTW- amazing imagery that will always stick with me: "His cross beckons us at our core to shatter all trust in what is seen and to confess, 'to live is Christ and to die is gain'"

What could possibly come out of a life of busy-ness

I have definitely thought to myself, "I really don't know if I can get all this done." Especially now with finals approaching, essays to be done, and other commitments to work and the church, its really overwhelming. The commitment to carry through with the task is no small feat, but really can't be done solely alone. Thats what drives people to becoming crazy. Last summer, as a barney i learned exactly when you hit that point of, "I'm done, this day just needs to be over, I'm tired." The willingness and commitment to finishing the day is possible through two methods: God works on you to help you get through the rest in an enjoyable manner, which is always in a way of how best to show Christ to them, and also He works on you in that moment. In my opinion, the experience has to be different from person to person which is why it can't really be described, but laughter and tears says enough to someone else who has been through a similar ordeal. God expects this commitment of us because He has been committed to us.

Full Tilt Commitment

Studying commitment and loyalty this week I was especially struck by a verse I read on Friday, "[He] who keeps his oath even when it hurts...he who does these things will never be shaken" - Psalm 15:4-5 To me it was a cool reminder that all out commitment to Christ will at some point mean that keeping that promise we've made to Him will hurt, and like Wednesday's devo said, the pressure will be great. God's call reacquires us to be put in situations beyond our control, where we are way over our heads, and that far exceed our ability so that the only possible security and reliance we have is Him. The only explanation for victory is Him.

Everyday we've been praying, "I pray that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened so that I may know what is the hope of your calling, what are the riches of the glory of your inheritance and what is the surpassing greatness of your power towards us who believe" I believe that the eyes of our hearts are open to know and understand these things when we have been led into battle, when we have had to cling to the cross, allow those nails, those real and tangible nails, to be driven into us spiritually, emotionally, and physically, and most often when we have upheld our commitment to the Lord when it hurts most. I believe we see and understand these things when we have had to fight for His hope, His glory, His inheritance, and His power, when we have been forced to hope in nothing else than Him. His call is so radical, so all or nothing, that when we decide to jump in, pour ourselves out, give everything, we get more than everything. Our God is a powerful, mighty, awe inspiring, dangerous, risky, adventurous God, as such He will never call us to a meek, mild, safe, boring, contentment of a life, that is not His call, that is not His character. His call is powerful, mighty, awe inspiring, dangerous, risky, and adventurous and requires every piece of our being.

Full tilt commitment is not a decision to fully commit to God as each pivotal situation arises, its purposing in my heart to commit fully to God before the actual action has to take place, so when the situation arises I will already be in that posture, I will already be committed. So that the actions Christ requires, the decisions He asks us to make, will merely be the natural following of my heart which is already so safely sealed in Him, so hidden in His love. A natural response to His complete commitment to me.

If we purpose in our hearts to fully commit to Christ then when a camper asks to talk to us, we are already listening, when a fellow staff is discouraged, we are already encouraging, when a kid who is in need of love steps onto the boat, we are already loving. We are not surprised by the extremes to which Christ calls us to or how far He asks us to go, because our hearts are already there.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Stop running! COMMIT!

"But [my] heart must be fully committed to the Lord [my] God." 1 Kings 8:61

I often struggle with commitment. When things get tough, I am quick to want to run away.

It is easy to say I want to fully commit my heart daily to Christ. But in times when the committment becomes real, when that commitment is physically, emotionally, and spirtually crucifying myself with Christ, I struggle. The immense pressure of the discomfort, pain, sacrifice, and responsibility to committing and the racing thoughts of this is tough...this is exceedingly difficult...this is impossible - leaves me feeling like I just want to run away!

But if I am running away from the cross , then what am I running to? If I am running away from fully committing my heart to Christ, then what am I committing my heart to?
Lies! Unfullfillment! Self-destruction! The need to control my own life! Trust in myself! A false sense of comfort!

I know fully committing my heart to Him is the only way of live - that by fully committing I can experience a lifestyle of eternal rest. Yet fully committing my heart to Him daily is often a constant battle. But it is Him and through Him that I can commit.

Father, You want my heart. You want all of me. You want everything. Though growth requires immense pressure, keep me from wanting to run away when it feels too difficult. Help me remember that by fully committing everything, You bring more than everything. Daily, help me to physically, emotionally, and spiritually die with You on the cross. Help me yield my heart to You, to always be fully committed.



A simple prayer

I remember last year when I was at the Barney retreat, Reid prayed this simple prayer that I have been praying ever since:
"God, glorify Your name."
It's so simple, but it covers so much ground.
I ran into it again in Thursday's devo, in John 12:28, and I can't stop thinking about it.

"God,..."
The very first word immediately brings our focus to where it always needs to be.

"...glorify..."
I like this definition of "glorify"- "to make clearer the glory of someone or something, usually God, through one's actions." Worship and praise isn't about music. It's about actions that glorify God's name. And as people called to live lifestyles of worship, we are called to glorify God with every one of our actions.

"...Your..."
We are brought back to where we need to focus. I know, not two words ago we were brought to focus, but there's a running theme in the Old Testament of the Israelites forgetting who their God is and what their God has done for them. One example of this is the reminder that Joshua had to give in the passage we read on Tuesday, and even in our very first devo a few weeks ago. Don't forget who God is and what He has done.
This word also helps us remember it is NOT our name that is glorified, but God's and God's alone.

"...name."
The name holds identity. It might not be like this today, but in the Bible a person's name said a lot about who that person was. What does God's name mean to you? Who is God? God for me is good- there is not the remotest trace of evil about Him. He is great- there is nothing more powerful than Him, nothing that can overcome Him or anyone who loves Him. He is more loving than I can even imagine... who has He shown you to be in your life?

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Eternal Loyalty/Commitment

I went home for Eater this last weekend, and got to go back to my home church to celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ. Needless to say, my church is huge. If you've never heard of Bayside...well, let me just say that we rented out Arco Arena (where the Sacramento Kings play basketball...or played) for our Easter service. And it was packed to the rafters!

Our service this year was a bit different than it has been in the past (despite it being one big service with 15,000 people). We heard the message of Easter, but on top of that we had a guest come and share with us. His name is Louis Zamperini. Here's a little bit about him: he was an olympic runner in the 1936 games in Nazi Germany (set the world record for fastest last lap in the 5000m race...also stole a Nazi flag to bring home as a souvenir =] ), and veteran from the US Air Force. He served in WWII where his plane was shot down in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, was stranded at sea for over 40 days, dropped to weighing 80 pounds, was "rescued" by the Japanese and thrown into one of the most horrific prisoner of war camps for two years before returning to the States. The war haunted him still when he was home, he turned to drinking as a coping mechanism, and told us a story about having a nightmare and waking up with his hands around his wife's neck. He found Christ at a Billy Graham crusade, and since the moment he accepted Christ as his Savior he has not had another nightmare, he was instantly released of alcoholism, and INSTANTLY forgave his torturers in Japan. He has since gone back to Japan and actually talked to some of the guards from the POW camp and forgiven them in person as well. What a testament of God's power to transform and how His love can overcome anything!!

As I was going through this weeks devos, I kept thinking back to Louis' story. First remembering his loyalty and commitment to our country. To serve and suffer for us. Anyone in the military, in the past, present and future, shows one of the greatest acts of loyalty to our country by simply being in the military. Not only did I keep going back to the tie to the military, but I kept thinking of God's loyalty in his story. Even though Louis did not know Christ while he was a POW, God was committed to him. God had a plan, a plan to keep him safe, a plan to bring him home, and a plan to rescue him (both physically and spiritually). And the Lord was loyal to see that plan out. And He's been loyal ever since. So, has Louis. He's currently 94, and has been an inspirational speaker for years. He's devoted his life to the gospel and continues to tell his story to many.

God is loyal, the most loyal of all. His word is filled with promises that he has made to us. He is loyal to keep them all. He is committed to us, committed to grow us, committed to help us overcome evil, committed to show us light in the darkness, committed to loving us no matter what, and committed to bringing us home to Himself. But, this commitment and loyalty will only become reality if we are committed back. He will grow us, pull us out of darkness, show us love, etc, only if we stay with him. When we are loyal to him, his cause and his purpose for our life, we will know his commitment as well.

His loyalty and commitment to us is eternal. How would our lives be different if our loyalty and commitment to him was eternal too?

All out Committed.......

If you don't know me ask anyone who does, I tend to be an overcommitter. I desire to be committed to all things that I do and fully committed at that. The joy I find when to let go and throw myself into to jobs, people, decisions the more freedom I feel in that commitment and how much more in my commitment to Christ is that true. When you can let go and fully give all you have to Christ imagine where you can go and what Christ may call you to do. How scary and awesome at the same time! How frustrating and useless and uncommitted people, you cannot count on them or expect anything because there is no guarantee but with Christ we have guarantee and full commitment from him and in return can fully commit TO him. Commitment seems to a word thrown around but when you look at what a commitment to Christ really means, it really means life.

I hope in my over committing I fault most in that I am OVER committed to Christ.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Joyful Tears

Last week one of my friends told me something I found interesting. He told me about the Puritans used to pray a prayer that God would give them tears. They would pray for God to give them tears over their own brokenness and the brokenness of others. They did not count tears as a bad thing, as a show of weakness or frailty. They saw beauty in tears and how they brought a vulnerability that drew them closer to God and drew them closer to other people as well.

I thought again of tears when reading today's devotional. "To grow faith requires immense pressure". For me, the times when I've noticed the most growth in my self have been the times full of tears and laughter. Growth is most certainly painful. Usually during the process I feel more like I am failing than growing that I am stuck in a perpetual realm of hurt and tears. But God is so present during those times, so intimately close. Joyful laughter flows just as frequently as the tears as God reminds us that growth is for our best and that He is always looking after us.

There is something intoxicating about the pain of growth, something that brings us back to places like Sonshine, something that brings us back to the places that stretch and challenge us to grow and not be satisfied with a stagnant relationship with our Father. So now I am praying for tears, that God would grow me. I hope that I will live a life not of comfort but of commitment to a God that lovingly grows us with tears and laughter.
I know we are supposed to be on loyalty/commitment, but I am in love with the sacrifice section. Our journey for the summer is about sacrificing and giving everything up to the Lord. And not only do we sacrifice for the Lord during the summer but we are to sacrifice daily. As stated in 2 corinthians 4:16 "though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." In order to sacrifice, we must die and let the Lord take over so we can do what He has called us to do. To serve is to die and in order to serve others we cannot live about those we serve. So we must sacrifice ourselves in order to serve those around us.

Jesus sacrificed himself for all of us so that we may be saved and follow Him, He stooped lower to sacrifice for others...the question is are you willing to stoop as low as Him?


Loyalty/Commitment & The RJW

Drivers and Trainees!  Faith + Pressure + RJW = Kids coming to Christ! Just a friendly reminder that we all agreed when we signed our volunteer agreements to commit to raising a minimum of $500.00.  This money has already gone directly out to churches so that youth pastors can with confidence invite kids to houseboats and carry the burden of expense for them.  I remind you that an experience like this would normally cost you anywhere between $3000-6000 dollars to do a mission trip for 4-10 weeks.  I recently talked to a past staff person who is going over seas for a 10 day mission trip.  He had to raise $1400.00 if he wanted to go.  He felt the Lord calling him to go and took seriously asking people to join him financially.  In 2 days he had raised over $1400.00.  God is FAITHFUL, LOYAL, & COMMITTED!  All we need to do is ask!  Below is the most current list of RJW totals to date.  IF YOU ARE STILL AT $0 in the next week or so be expecting a phone call from Andy or myself.  The only explanation is your are not talking to people about what you are doing this summer and that is not the kind of staff Churches deserve.  Please take serious the call Jesus has for you this summer and the partnership with Sonshine. 


Drivers & Trainees
 $     35.00 Aaron Cardinio
 $   250.00 Allie Sherrod
 $         -   Alyssa Barlow
 $         -   Alyssa Holloway
 $   955.00 Amanda Potts
 $   374.00 Andy Clayton
 $     20.00 Anne Towles
 $   150.00 Anneliese Dion-Kindem
 $         -   Cody Schulze
 $ 1,100.00 Connor Drake
 $     90.00 Elizabeth Sherwood
 $   537.00 Emily Ferree
 $   535.00 Emily Williams 
 $     10.00 Eric Wyne
 $         -   Hillary Rush
 $   145.00 James Hansen
 $   220.00 Jamie Sickler
 $   160.00 Jennifer Harnet
 $   125.00 Jordan Costa
 $         -   Joseph Lee
 $   240.00 Josh Vance
 $         -   Josiah Auer
 $         -   Kaitlyn Bonne
 $     60.00 Karly Nelson
 $         -   Kate Stipa
 $     10.00 Katie Jameson
 $     10.00 Katie Lind
 $   450.00 Katy Conlin
 $     10.00 Kayla Neal
 $   535.00 Kelly kurtenbach
 $   185.00 Kevin Ganon
 $   900.00 Kevin Straw
 $     50.00 Kira Thornley
 $     70.00 Kristen Anema
 $         -   Lauren Stack
 $   300.00 Lauren Whitney
 $     40.00 Lexi Prior
 $     10.00 Michael Corsetto
 $   286.00 Michael Obrien
 $     10.00 Molly White
 $   780.00 Pearl Snow
 $ 1,050.00 Reid Delgado
 $   440.00 Sarah Josephson
 $     10.00 Sean Pierce
 $     20.00 Stefanie Woodruff
 $   225.00 Steph Fry
 $   720.00 Steve Mann
 $         -   Tony Dunn
 $         -   Tyler Moore
 $     10.00 Wendy Whitcombe


 - With a ton of pressure.... (Today's devo was on pressure by the way)

Reid

Insight from the Almighty :)

Reading this morning's devotional, I was really reminded that growing our faith DEMANDS immense pressure. In order to grow in our faith, God puts us in trying situations that we may perceive in the moment as requiring more faith than we possess. This
reminded me of a quote that ironically, with some help from the internet, I discovered comes from Bruce Almighty:

"Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous?"

When I pray for God to grow my faith, am I expecting that when the next difficult situation comes along, I will suddenly find the God-granted necessary faith with no problem? Or do I see the difficulty as a God-granted opportunity to step up and grow and strengthen my faith? I know I can easily fall into that second mentality and get frustrated when I find myself doubting or struggling with something I am uncertain about. But that is what faith is! Believing in something without tactile proof! Its not supposed to be easy, its hard and it puts us under pressure! Just like any learned skill, strengthening one's faith takes hard work, perseverance, and pain as we allow our minds, bodies, and spirits to be crucified with Christ.

Barabbas

I've been reflecting on sacrifice as we walked through the study last week. What I wrote is a prayer and reflection from my personal journal.

God I just want to fall deeper and deeper in love with you. I know what that means - SACRIFICE. I have to sacrifice my selfish desire of being in control and having everyone happy with me. I'm sacrificing being comfortable by my standards and by my own doing (which is man-made happiness). That means I long for you to be my comfort and my assurance. Be patient with me as I learn how to make you my everything.

I feel that Barabbas is a significant character in the gospel story... he had a death sentence. Because of his sins he was being crucified, but then all of sudden something changes. Barabbas is set free! Jesus comes along, dies his death for him. And in dying, he forgives Barabbas of all his sins. Jesus, that's what you've done with all of us. You set us free and declare us forgiven. You take the charges against us and rip them up - destroying them as if they never existed. In return, you call us to a lifestyle of sacrifice. You long for us to sacrifice/crucify the self so that you can have our whole heart. May I realize the impact of you breaking the chains off, setting me free, and declaring me holy. May I walk boldly in you and in your truth. May I sacrifice myself for your glory.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Entirely, Fully, Wholly Devoted

The people's response in Joshua 24 reminds me what it means to be committed to God and serving Him. True commitment to God leaves no room for idols. I have to ask myself, what are the idols in my life, because they're getting in the way of my service to God. My heart and mind should be focused on Him and when they're not, it is easy to lose sight of the commitment I have made to God.
I pray that the idols in my life will be eroded away so that only what is of God will remain. Service to God is so important because it matters in His Kingdom. The things that we do here have a purpose. I want God to prune me so that there will be good fruit from the Spirit. Pruning may be painful at times, but it is necessary. I trust that God's plan for my life is good, even in times of pruning.

What Really Matters

Loyalty and commitment are difficult when you can't hear God. Forgive me for the frustration that comes with the rest of this post, I just feel that I would be wasting your time if I lied and said everything was dandy. I would rather sum it up and say that it has been just a really crummy week all around. It was topped off when our elderly neighbor shot himself Sunday after coming home from the hospital. He was a really good friend of my grandfather. That scares me because my grandpa has been dealing with health and depression issues, and he doesn't shy away from the fact that he just wants to be with my grandmother, who passed away a few years ago.

I havent yet, but I am definitely going to call him up and share tuesdays mediation verse from II Corinthians. "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." Trails reveal how strong we are.

This easter weekend I was reminded of what really matters, and I am still blown away that Jesus loves me and loves my grandpa for free. Because we have been the recipients of love, we give it away. And to do that we need to invest our lives in people and really, truly love them. We dont even have to use words.

When making sense doesn't make sense...

I was struck in today's reading about fixing our eyes on what is unseen. Isn't that what faith is about? I recently finished reading Francis Chan's Crazy Love (a great book by the way). After sharing the story of Noah building the ark, there is a line that says, "Having faith often means doing what others see as crazy. Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers." This has got me thinking... Does my life make sense? Most of the time we would like to think that our lives are clear and we know whats going on... However, making sense doesn't make sense. Making sense is normal. I don't want to be normal. I want to stand out. I want to stand out because of my commitment and loyalty to Christ. But what does this mean? Literal definition of commitment: dedication; a pledge. Loyalty: a strong feeling of support. When thinking about our relationship with Christ -- this makes sense... in a good way. My commitment to Christ means that I have dedicated my life to Him. In Crazy Love there is a chapter about obsession. Chan gives what he calls "Profile of the obsessed." Throughout the chapter, Chan offers tidbits about what it means to be obsessed with Christ.
A person who is obsessed with Jesus will do things that don't always make sense in terms of success or wealth on this earth... People who are obsessed with God have an intimate relationship with Him. They are nourished by God's word throughout the day... A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the best thing he can do is be faithful to his Savior in every aspect of his life...

With that said, are you obsessed? Are you committed and loyal to Christ? Does you life not make sense?! Are you faithful to Christ in every aspect? This is where I think a lot of us get stuck -- I know I do. Part of being completely dedicated to Christ is putting every part of my life towards Him. I can only hope that I am truly obsessed with Christ and that my life doesn't make sense.

week 4: sacrifice

reflecting on last week I can't help but think this is exactly what we were made for. to sacrifice. To live impassioned lives, to have hearts that were made to burn and ache, and desire. We were given such powerful and purpose driven lives, and that purpose is so centered around sacrifice.

Having played soccer all my life I have to admit that my favorite part of the game is the fight. I love the one on one, shoulder to shoulder battle in the final third of the field. At the beginning of each game my dad used to tell me to leave it all on the field. In the quiet right before the whistle blew I could always hear my dad yell, "get hungry em!" every game, without fail. I love that idea of giving all of yourself to something, having worked so hard you left everything you had behind, you didn't hold onto anything, or save any of yourself for yourself, you gave it all. I love the idea of wanting something so bad you hunger for it. By the end of the game, head down, sweating, muscles aching, lungs burning, knowing I laid myself on the line for my team I can't help but think like thats the way we're always supposed to feel.

When I stand before Jesus at the end of this life and He asks me, "did you leave it all on the field?" I want to say Yes. I want to stand there bruised and broken, sweating, muscles aching, lungs burning, heart full, knowing I gave every piece of me.

His Loyalty

I fail at being loyal to God. All of the time. Whether I realize it or not, I am constantly betraying Him, the only one who truly and constantly loves me for me. I put other people and things before Him, I have bad habits, I fall into temptation, I am a sinner. And I know that I am not reminded of this and do not believe it often enough. However, the more apparent inadequacies are made, the more God's loyalty to us is glorified. God's loyalty in Joshua: The Israelites' ancestors worshiped other gods, BUT GOD leads Abraham to Canaan, gives him descendants, and frees the slaves in Egypt. The Egyptians chased after them, but God's miracles saved the slaves. The Amorites fought against the people that God saved, but God gave them victory. Then God made Balaam bless the Israelites instead of curse them. Then the Isrealites crossed the Jordan, and God gave them victory again over the many people who tried to fight them. The Israelites did nothing to deserve or earn God's favor. In fact they worshiped other Gods. It's the same with us. We turn our backs repeatedly on God, but HIS loyalty always remains and sustains. It doesn't make sense. We don't deserve it. But I pray that we can look at God's loyalty to us as a cherished gift, precious and holy in every way, and meant to encourage us to not only stand in awe, but to work in awe as we strive to be more and more like Christ every day.

Blueprintless

What does it mean to be loyal and committed to God? It means to trust Him wholeheartedly. But, do any of us really trust God wholeheartedly?
As I was reading through Mother Teresa's No Greater Love and reflecting on what it means to be loyal, I was struck by this passage: "If you are discouraged, it is a sign of pride because it shows you trust in your own powers." SO TRUE. When I think about the times when I have been discouraged, it always involves me. However, when I have my eyes set on the Lord, when I wake up every morning and see the scars on the palms of my hands, when I pick up my cross and drag it with me to class, I am NEVER discouraged. So, why do I become discouraged, or begin to focus on myself again? Because I lose trust in the Lord, I become disloyal.
To be loyal to God is to pray and to listen. Another quotation by Mother Teresa that reminded me of the importance of prayer stated that "In vocal prayer we speak to God; in mental prayer He speaks to us. It is then that God pours Himself into us." If God is pouring Himself into us through loyalty and obedience, why wouldn't we want to be loyal??? In our emptiness and in our nothingness, that is when God is able to work. In our weakness He is strong. Amanda Pottsy's said this last summer, "If God is strong in our weakness, why would we ever try to be strong?" We have to admit that we are weak and are nothing without God! God gave us everything and everything belongs to God, yet we try to own our 'strength.' However, why not embrace our weakness and let God work through that broken, empty weakness?
When I think about the great Christian models, Jesus, Mother Teresa, C.S. Lewis, etc. I do not notice 'strength', I notice obedience, love, care, adherence, patience, the FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT. But, there is a distinction between weakness and unwillingness. Instead of saying, 'OK, I'm gonna be weak and not do anything, because then God will fill me up.' No, in recognizing our weakness, we continually strive and yearn to be more like Christ. Just because we give up and recognize our weakness does not mean we are already weak. We have to attain this weakness. And when I say weakness, I mean a weakness that steers clear of power, might, or any personal emotion/physical/mental mindset or ability that attempts to say 'I AM IN CONTROL' or 'I AM STRONG.' Rather, in every instance, we need to be saying and thinking, 'GOD IS IN CONTROL, 'GOD IS STRONG.' That is loyalty. Giving the power to God. If we were building a house, but have never used a drill, seen a blueprint, or laid cement, we would not tell the Foreman to step down and allow us to organize the building of the house. NO, because we have NO IDEA how to do it. We don't know what the House is supposed to look like because we cannot read the blueprint. We don't know where to drill the nails because we have never used a drill. And we don't know how to mix the concrete, because we don't know the Ingredients needed to mix it properly. So, we would never tell the Foreman to stop being the Foreman. And even when we think we start to understand the process of building the House, and where to put the nails, and how to lay the cement, then we think we can start doing it on our own. But, we need others to help us. We still need the guidance of the Foreman, because if we are not the Foreman then we don't know what the blueprint looks like and we still don't technically know where the nails, cement, wood, etc. go! We rely on the Foreman and are loyal to Him because He sees the Bigger Picture!

Reflection

Yes He has Risen indeed!
It was great to be home this last weekend and spend time with my family some friends from back home. I have been learning and trying and failing at times at being a good brother and son (and uncle :) ). My church back home had this massive egg hunt with like 2000 kids from the community all wanting those pretty eggs with candy inside. They were all lined up around the outside of a field, and then would scramble in to get as many eggs as they could find. Some of the kids were a little too shy to run, so they would walk around where they eggs had already been scooped. Some of those kids would come to the re-stocking area to get a few eggs. The thing that kind of struck me was how much each kid was like their dad (except for the really aggressive dads). The dad would patiently ask if there were any extra, and their kid would hide behind his leg.
I wonder how much I am looking like my Father in heaven. I want to have those same personalities and reactions and demeanor. I know that my Father in heaven is both zealous for the truth and gentle to children. He is the mighty judge and the humble sacrifice. He shakes the mountains with his voice, and he speaks in a whisper.
I want to be like that. I think I try so hard to be one of these, that I end up losing most of the rest. I may not be able to do all these things together, but I want to look like my Father, and I know he wants to gently teach me to ask for that shiny egg.
When the going gets tough, I can hide behind my dad's leg because I know he will keep me safe.

I hope you guys are all enjoying the spring with the clear skies and the flowers all blooming.

God is good.


The countdown begins: 6 weeks till camp!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Loyalty / Commitment

Hey if you get a chance expand this mornings reading with 1kings 8:22-53. Great prayer but also a snap shot of a heart! Enjoy!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Sacrifice or Gain?

I struggled with this week focusing on sacrifice. I kept reading the meditations and feeling the weight and burden of sacrificing for the benefit of leadership. But the way I view sacrifice is different I think, that is why I have been wrestling with the idea of sacrifice so much. "All of this is for your benefit, so that grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God." (2 Cor. 4:15)

Yes, sacrifice is hard. I feel like for the first time in my life I have been experiencing sacrifice in a specific area of my life that needs pruning. Since the last week of camp last summer I feel God has been exposing me to the idea expressed in John 15. I had things in my life that needed pruning and God told me that's what was going to happen, and for the past 8 months I have been learning how to cope and trust and have faith that the pruning, cutting, and shaping that God finds necessary for my life is pointing me in the direction toward God and bring him Glory. I am reminded that "you are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you." (John 15:3) As God continues to prune, I find myself struggling and grasping to achieve silly little things and look to God and say, "yes, that part is bad but look I did this right! Look at this part Dad!" But this verse reminds me that everything is done. I cannot do anything in my whole existence on this earth to make God love me more. I am already made squeaky 'Mr. Clean' clean by Jesus' death on the cross.

And yet I still struggle with this idea that sacrifice is in fact sacrifice. It is good. Soooo soo soo GOOD! We are called to follow Jesus' life and hike up our crosses high on our back and follow him to the cross each day and die...but that is good. "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ..." (Phil. 3:7-8) So yes sacrifice is hard and difficult sometimes. Yes, it feels like a black hole is just sucking you away from what you may know of be comfortable with, but man, oh man, the gain of Christ is so much bigger and better than any little sacrifice I can make here on earth.

His Power Perfected

Ok so I just sat down to write an entirely different post about how Wednesday's reading totally hit home for me (which it did), but as I was typing it out, God revealed this one to me.

I was copying out that middle section about what our lives look like if we live like we've been crucified with Christ, and my eye skipped lines on one little bit of it. Instead of two separate sentences: "You laugh at your mistakes" and "You love your enemies, how goofy is that?" my brain combined them into "You love your mistakes." And that hit me as being so crazy and powerful, that I had to go back and reread a little bit, which caused me to notice my mistake.

BUT it's still true!

It goes against everything in me to delight in my weaknesses, but I am empowered to delight in my failings because HE delights in them.

Therefore I am well-content with my weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with perseuctions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

It Ain't Mine!

LAST WEEK: HUMILITY

Each week so far in the prayer we have prayed, "Father, I thank you for life today..."
I love that this is an obvious recognition that our life is not our own. It does not say, Father I thank you for MY life and MY health and MY, MY, MY... We realize that the things we thought were ours were never our own. The car I drive, the house I get to live in, the hot ski boats or the luxurious houseboats... THEY ARE NOT OURS! Should we be calling them so? I think not. It is with open hands that we are allowed to use these gifts.

"If you are in a position of widespread influence you are called to serve. If you are in a position of little influence or recognition, you are called to serve. The position that you occupy is immaterial. The condition of your heart is essential."
We are called to humbly serve, no matter what. No questions asked, even if it is saying "Sure I'll jump in the water fully clothed for your skit, I'd love to! " You can't go wrong with saying yes to Jesus call on your life! Do I trust that He will guide the steps I take? Do I trust that he will provide? Do I trust HIM?
"Here I am. Send me!" - not here are all the great things I do or all the skills I have or the Abilities I have. All Isaiah says is "Here I am. Send me!"




THIS WEEK: SACRIFICE

Thursday: - "The path of the cross is daily walked with or without Christ. To surrender condemnation, self-hatred and shame to Christ is to drop your nails and let Christ do His work ... and die."
Father, with such conviction you put this on my heart, you have done this for me, how could I deny that. I do each day when I try to think I'm doing it all my own. Father take the nails, you have already paid for my sins. May I die, Lord 'my' life is not my own!

He has risen, Hallelujah! The Kingdom is here! Happy Easter!

Friday, April 22, 2011

It's a GOOD Friday.

Am I prepared to die for Christ today? Do I truly believe that I am justified in him that I might make that sacrifice for the sake of his love?

I beg you Father to help me serve you better, I beg you to fulfill me so that I would not fear death or separation from this world which is filled with pain and suffering. I pray that you make me an arrow, pointing to you, though I know that without Christ's blood I am not clean enough for even that. I pay that my ways would be your ways and that I might be renewed and healed in you everyday. I praise your glory, I fall to my knees with your joy. Father God I love you! Constant teacher and companion. My Redeemer, my love. Your love is so tangible to me.

Sanctified, Justified, Accounted for, send me further into the depths of your love, cover me in you and then send me forth as a sacrifice, strip away all that is me, until only you remain. Allow me to give my meager everything. Destroy me that you might be seen by the eyes of those who have turned from you. Remind me, today and everyday of the power in your name. Give me your joy and peace that I might see only you in the face of suffering. Send me smiling to the alter and hold me there. But Father, never leave me. I have your promise, your word that you will never leave me. So sacrifice me, but hold me. Father I know that you are with me. Save me from myself if only to give my life for you. Find me God, that I might find you.

Who are you that you would turn your face from your Son, as he bore my filth, so that you could look lovingly into my eyes? That this day, and every other day, you patiently wait for me to come to you? That you call out to me constantly? Constantly remind me of your love, constantly affirm your power? Father stip away any pretention that I understand your love for me, and let it simply overwhelm me. Thank you for the nails that I did not feel pierce my hand, the sword that didn't split my side. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for giving everything.

The Greatest Sacrifice in History

Today, the Son of God made the greatest sacrifice in history.
He was betrayed by his friend for money.
He was seized by the 'Law' unlawfully.
He was falsely accused and put on trial.
His friend denied him.
He was spit on, laughed at, and mocked.
He was brutally beaten, worse than any 'criminal' had ever been in the past.
He was forced to carry the weight of the tool used for his execution, on his shoulders.
He was pushed, shoved, kicked, hated, ridiculed.
He was stabbed in both hands and feet.
He bore the derision of others.
He refused to come down from the cross, despite all disdain.
But, in the midst of it all, he forgave his enemies, he saved the criminal being crucified next to him, he made sure James would take care of Mary and vice versa, and he kept his promises.
Although we will have to make sacrifices this summer, no sacrifice will ever be as testing, hard, painful, or worse than the suffering endured by our Lord! As we 'sacrifice' this summer, let us remember the true sacrifice made by our Lord, Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of OUR sins.
We will never have to make a sacrifice as agonizing as this one, but in every 'sacrifice' we make, we remember the greatest sacrifice of all.

Passionate Sacrifice

So, I have been going through this week and reading the devotionals, not really sure of what I wanted to share here. To be honest, it's that busy time of year where everything is due and nothing has been started. As I get overwhelmed with papers and tests that I have had ample time to prepare for, I think of the greater things I have been able to do this semester instead of being so focused on achieving things for myself. If I don't ace everything, what does it matter? As I come to the end of my most difficult semester, all of these trivial things are piling up all at one time around one occasion, Easter. This whole week has felt like a glorious celebration. Passion week has made me truly passionate about Jesus. I was sharing with a friend the other day that Easter is my favorite holiday. Apparently that's not common. But the gifts we get on Christmas and other holidays don't even compare to the gift we have in Christ. Grace is the gift that keeps on giving. Out of grace from God flows love and forgiveness for others. I cannot even begin to imagine what my life would be like if this truth were not at the center, guiding my every move. This is the overflow that we are always talking about, and it all starts with this love for Christ. What a better day that Good Friday to focus on the ultimate vision of sacrifice. Sacrifice promotes healing for someone else. Lord, destroy my selfish mind and allow me to only see people through your eyes. Shatter my perspective and renew my mind. Let my love for You guide my every move, and let all other interactions merely be an outward sign of the grace that You have given.

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live in righteousness. By His wounds YOU HAVE BEEN HEALED! [1Peter2:24]

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Stay Put!

Romans 12:1-2  has come up soo many times since our training weekend, it's kiiiiinda blowing my mind. "Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is you spiritual act of worship. 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 test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Something that SLO Crusade has talked about a few times this year is our tendency when we get on the altar as a "living sacrifice" to crawl off before we actually make the sacrifice. Every morning we get up and say "Lord, this day is yours." Yet, when he asks us to love and serve those around us, to give up our time, money, etc, I think we all have our days when we'd rather crawl off the altar than actually follow through with the sacrifice. We have a choice every day to be a living sacrifice, and generally speaking I like to think I am pretty good at getting on the altar in the morning. But throughout the day, do I stay there? Daily, do I die to the old self so that life is revealed in my body? It needs to be continual submission to the altar, all day, every day. Otherwise, it isn't a sacrifice.

And when we do submit to the altar, it is worship. It is an act of continual worship to our creator to stay on the altar. Yahweh's name is glorified, lifted high and He is shown to the world. We sacrifice ourselves, our lives, our time and our plans for our life because we love Jesus, because we want to worship him through everything we do. And each time we become living sacrifices, we come closer and closer to the character of Jesus. He sacrificed everything for us, we sacrifice everything for his glory, so his message would be seen through us, as his humble servants, at school, at work, on the water, and in this world.

Going back to Romans 12, with this sacrifice comes transformation. When we lay down the things of this world on the altar (with ourselves), we renew our mind with the things above, with the truth of the gospel, with love and we become transformed by the overwhelming greatness and power of our Lord. This takes me back to the devo from "A Sincere Love for People" (Week 2) where it said "The process always begins with intense pain, but ends with joyful transformation." Staying on that altar is, no doubt, going to be painful (I love Eric's imagery a few posts down). It's going to hurt, bad. But I also believe that submitting to the pain and the sacrifice is going to hurt a lot less than trying to resist it. The pain of the sacrifice will ultimately be won over by the joy that is felt when Jesus picks up all the broken, nailed pieces of our lives and puts them back together in a new being.

Yahweh, thank you for your transforming power. Thank you for picking up the pieces of our lives and making us whole again, day after day after day. Every day, may we learn to climb upon the altar you have called us to, and stay there. Submitting to you as a living sacrifice and worshipping you in the process. May the joy of the transformation be on our hearts as we endure the pain of our daily crosses. Lord, help us stay put.

Not Mine to Bear

I feel like I'm pretty familiar with guilt and shame, but it isn't mine to bear. To hold on to the shame and regret is ignoring the loving call of Jesus. By holding on to these feelings I ignore and belittle the sacrifice of our savior. This cup has already been taken from me and given to him, but I insist on holding on to it. I no longer have to face the wrath and judgement of the father, because the Son already bore my sins. When I wallow in pity and shame I'm telling God, "No really, I can carry this, I can handle it on my own; I think I'd rather hold onto this sin a bit longer." But He sees that I am moments from being crushed, He tells me this, He calls out to me, and I ignore him. In my life, I've frequently held on to my sins until they crushed me. Then at last I relinquish control and allow God to reconstruct my broken spirit.

I pray that I will give all of my burdens to God, because they aren't mine to hold onto anymore. I pray that he will relieve me, and leave me with a much larger load to bear, the message of his love, which rather than crushing me, fulfills me. To the cross today, I pray that I carry the love of my Father, rather than my hurts and regret. I praise God because he has created me whole and new, without blemish. I pray that when I turn my face from Him that he would call me back, and I would listen.

Learned Love of Sacrifice

It's not easy, but it is simple.

Reading this morning's devotional, this imagery played though my mind.

As we first follow Jesus, eventually he leads us to a place called Golgotha, and be naively skip along side him asking, "where are we going today Jesus, golly I really like hanging out with you." We reach the top of the hill and Jesus helps us lay down on two pieces of wood on the floor; he asks for our hand, we willing oblige. He takes out a hammer and a nail and starts to drive it through our wrist. "OUCH!, Jesus why'd you, OUCH!, What are you, OUCH!"

(Unfortunately, in my head this part of the story sounds like a three year old british boy screaming, "OUCH! Jesus, that really hurt, and it's still hurting!")

The next day, when Jesus leads us to that place again, we retract our hand, saying, "Not again Jesus, I remember how that felt, I don't like following you when it hurts." His response of "unless I do this, you have no part with me" (allusion to John 13:7-10); we begrudgingly submit, but wince as he takes out the hammer and nails.

The fact of the matter is that Christ's actions are pure unadulterated love for us. He loves us so much, he's willing to nail us to a cross so that we can live the way we were intended to. Teach me Jesus, grow in me a love for being a living sacrifice. Remind me daily of why we start each day in this way, and surround me with people who will carry me there when I try to run away. I trust you.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

I loved the affirming grace of todays devotional.
"The part of you that was crucified with Christ has been eternally destroyed. To be eternally destroyed is to never exist. Your death allows for the emphatic declaration- There is no condemnation in Christ."
I've never thought of that verse in that context before, how awesome, to be totally and eternally free of all our sin? There is no need to feel guilt and shame, because God has covered over everything we have ever and will ever do. While this is something i know in my brain, its so good to be continually reminded of it.
Additionally 1 Corinthians 4:19 really stuck out to me, "...and to know that this love that surpasses knowledge..." God's love is so much greater than any knowledge we gain. And, we don't need to understand God's love, because it is so deep and so wide and abundant, we just have to know that his love his great.

He Renews

For the blog on Sincere Love For People, Tuesday's was 2 Corinthians2:4- "For I wrote to you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve to you but to let you know the depth of my love for you." God's love is cut throat, deep stuff man. And that is how life is meant to be lived! The passion that abides in those who live after God's heart, requires a lifestyle yearning for that great passion. I thank God that He created us to be such deep passionate people and with such a great purpose. That is what I meditate on these past couple weeks, and that is what renews me every time I feel down, stressed, or any of those things the devil tries to throw at us. God renews big time! And, in the spirit of Easter, the biggest renewel was on the cross! Praise and thanks be to Jesus who made the biggest renewel!

Messy Sacrifice....are they ever really clean?

Sacrifice by the very nature of the word seems messy but so often I want a clean sacrifice, I want to walk away with minimal damage and pain. As I have been reflecting this week so far on sacrifice I realize that although I understand sacrifice am I really grasping how messy true sacrifice should be. When we follow Christ in sacrifice for people we must remember that people are messy and so is sacrifice. Even though it may be more painful that you could have imagined or harder than you could have even guessed, once we are connected to people we must sacrifice for them. It should be in the very core of who we are and the very nature. It should become a lifestyle. I know all of this is no new idea but what a great and fresh reminder of the daily sacrifice I am called to have, like in Romans 12:1-2, "Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve God's will. His good, pleasing and perfect will." Every day we are called to sacrifice our lives, the world would tell us to look out for number 1 but God breathed word tells us to daily give our lives to Him and sacrifice for His kids and our brothers and sisters.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Adjusting the Focus

Reading today's devotional, I was again reminded of the importance of putting myself aside and diving into others. I have been listening to the song, "Lead me to the Cross" a lot recently. There is a line that says, "rid me of myself, I belong to you." We belong to Christ. We act according to His will. We need to give ourselves up in order to dive into others and serve them as Christ calls us to. If we keep trying to focus on ourselves, we are going to fail as leaders. Sacrifice yourself so that you are able to dive into campers, youth staff and fellow Sonshine staff. As you lead you must connect with the body, mind, and spirit of those you serve. The right to detachment has been denied you. You must stay connected. I am introvert. I tend to be shy and won't necessarily be the one to initiate something. However, I am constantly reminded that in my faith and in my relationship with Christ, I am extrovert. He calls me to serve. He calls me to love. I need to step outside of my comfort zone and answer that call. In Christ I am an extrovert and I love it! I need to jump into campers and those I serve. I need to put all my fears and insecurities aside and fully jump/dive in the service that Christ has called me to. My fears and insecurities are part of what makes me an introvert. But Christ relieves me of my insecurities. In Christ I have no reason to be an introvert. I live for Christ and there is nothing to be scared of.

As we prepare for this summer and life in general, it is my prayer that we can let go of ourselves. Let go of the things holding us back. Let go, put ourselves aside and keep the connections with those we serve.

Israel

One who struggles with God. The name given for literally wrestling with Elohim.
This is the name that the Jewish people claimed for themselves, from Israel himself. They are a people who struggle with God. The have combatted his will, and left him for idols many times throughout their history, but in the end, they were God's chosen people.

This idea has brought me to my knees for the last couple of days. I am Israel. I struggle with God. I struggle with God, I struggle against God. I STRUGGLE. But the father chose me, as his daughter and his prize. So while I struggle, while I live out the story of Israel within my own heart, I remain God's child. I also remain God's living sacrifice, an image of Christ to the world.

Help me father to fulfill your name, let me be your sacrifice. Purify me, and fill my thoughts with you father. Fill me with your peace Jehovah-Shalom. Take away the worry and strife I struggle with. Let me glorify you El Shaddai; you are sufficient for me; I lack nothing.

Palm Sunday Humility

Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey--riding on a donkey's colt. Zechariah 9:9

I am puzzled and inspired by how Jesus ransacks Jerusalem. Instead of mounting His invasion with "shock and awe" and all kinds of military fire power, Jesus, our hero, rides on a donkey's colt.

In most cases, I really have a hard time finding practical application points from Jesus; however, Palm Sunday has been a wonderful practical example on how to establish the victory of God.

I imagine myself going to work, the mall, a bible study, over the levee to greet students and youth leaders as though I was "humble, riding on a donkey -- riding on a donkey's colt."

Monday, April 18, 2011

Rusting

Alright, it's my turn to make a nerdy science relation. We are currently studying electrochemistry in my chemistry class. In a galvanic cell, you have a cathode and an anode (chemical compounds). Together, their charges make up the overall charge of the cell. In some cases, there is such a thing as a sacrificial anode. The anode plays a huge role in the overall reaction. In cases when there is iron in the reaction, the anode (aka the anion) will sacrificially deplete itself in order that the iron won't rust. The anode allows itself to be slaughtered on behalf of the iron. Each of us is an anode. We must deplete ourselves completely so that others may live.

Seems pretty straightforward right? Ha. Not so much. See the thing is, we choose to ignore the "complete" aspect of sacrifice. We think, "Oh, I gave part of myself... last week." What we are missing is the idea that we must deplete ourselves completely. As anodes, we have to make sure that nothing around us will rust. The only way to do this is to be completed slaughtered. Why is this always so hard for us? I think we have trust issues. I think we feel that if we give too much, we won't be able to recover. We fear that if we take that step further, there will be no turning back. We fear that by taking that step, we will regret it. Well, here's the thing. How can you regret something if it draws you closer to your heavenly Father? How can you fear something if it means serving God? Is your fear so great that you forget to trust God? GOD WILL ALWAYS PROVIDE! Sacrifice yourself completely. Deplete yourself completely. Don't let the iron rust!

Do not be afraid to take the step further. If you want to touch the sky, learn to kneel. Learn to kneel and sacrifice yourself so that others may not rust but have life. Sacrifice yourself so that you may lead others to the Father.
Did anyone notice in John 3:2, Nicodemus never asked a question? He only stated a fact that everyone knew. "God was sent to teach, and his miraculous signs were evidence that God was with Him." It baffles me to try to figure out how God knew Nicodemus' thought without ever hearing a verbal question from Nicodemus. But, its God, and I am only human after all. ALSO...God didnt take credit for what He had done previous, rather He jumped right into the hard truth. I think Nicodemus was trying to be nice to Christ in hopes of "getting on Christ's good side" and flatter his way into heaven. BUT... Christ just gives it to him straight, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God." Unless you are saved, heaven is out of reach.

2 copper coins

If we ignore the Christian viewpoint for a moment, I think people see the word 'sacrifice' negatively. They see sacrifice as having to give something up, and thus be without it. The negative consequences are apparent in the situation, but with every 'bad' situation, God can work for the good.
In church yesterday, the pastor posed this problem: "We say that we trust God and put him first in our lives, yet when it comes to money, do we trust him enough to give it all away?" And, it's so true. How often do we look at our wallets and think we cannot manage to muster up that 10% to give to God, because we NEED that money. Just as we need that sleep, the thought of having to wake up at 4AM to move houseboats for the group seems rough. But, we realize that when we give it all to God, He returns our obedience one-hundred fold! So, back to the church story. The offering plates come around and I'm thinking about what the pastor had just said. I know I have more money than I need in my wallet, yet something (maybe something a little Satan-like) is telling me that I should save that money because I NEED it. Well, anyway, I decided to give 'more than I thought I could.' Afterwards, I'm walking out to the car and reach in my pocket for my car key. Low and behold, the exact amount of money I had put into the plate was in my pocket... And to hammer this point in that we can never outgive God, there is no physically feasible way that this amount of money would have been in my pocket.
As I look toward the summer, I think about the sacrifices I will have to make to be out there. Everyone is pushing me to get an internship or a job to pay off the debts/loans. But, God keeps telling me that when I serve Him, He will provide. And He always does.
As I think about the lack of sleep I will get this summer, or the lack of family-time, or friend-time, or whatever it may be, I look at Christ humbled on the cross. He is hanging there, bleeding, suffocating, looking me straight in the eye. He tells me that although there may be pain in the night, the joy comes in the morning! Although he physically suffers now, how great will the joy be when he is resurrected? Christ humbly dies to glorify God, to save humanity, to show love for God and for people. He paid it all. Yet, I sit here and 'worry' that I won't get into the med school I 'NEED' to get into because I chose to serve the Lord, rather than shadow a doctor. Or whatever the 'sacrifice' may be. But! What was the outcome of Christ's sacrifice on the cross? Much greater than anything. When the poor woman gave two copper coins and the rich man gave extravagantly, Jesus said that woman has put in more than the rest. Do we want to be the rich man who gives a lot, but still has more to give? Or, do we want to be the poor woman who gives all she has, so that at the end of the summer we are able to say, 'Yeah, I served my heart out. I gave it all I had. I did this because God first loved me.' My prayer for all of us this week is that we would put in those 2 copper coins, put OUR LIVES into the SERVING PLATE OF LIFE, because Christ gave his life for us.

In Humility I write this today.....

So although we are into a new week I wanted to make sure I blogged my thoughts on last weeks topic of humility which was so refreshing and encouraging to read about, think through and pray on for the summer. The reminder that nothing we do is about us but all about the glory of Christ . I loved on Wednesday where it said, "The position that you occupy is immaterial. The condition of your hear is essential." I think this not only bears in mind that even if you are in a position of high leadership and authority that if your heart is not set on Christ it is useless for you to be there but also if you are in a position as a servant that with your heart set on Christ you can do more than you could have ever imagined. It is not what you do but how you do it. I think this is also coincides with the idea that it is about serving everyone not who is easy or you are more comfortable serving. True humbleness is what I long for........