Being a good person

Have you ever heard someone say that they aren't exactly sure about heaven or how it works, but they think that maybe if they are a good person and live a good life, they'll get there? Or maybe you've said it.

There are a lot of things that we can't know about the future and the Lord yet, but this is not one of them.

God's word is very clear.

If you've never looked into this, I suggest you open a bible and take a look.

Acts 16:31 says "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." That's pretty straightforward. Believe and you will be saved. No where does it say be happy or successful or friendly. Just believe.

Through believing and putting our faith in Christ, He changes us. He takes our sinful brokenness and makes us new. This transformation may be mistaken as "being a good person"

but Romans 3:22 says "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." Righteousness comes from God. Not from ourselves. He makes us beautiful when we are broken sinners.

Ephesians 2:8 says "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. It is not from yourself or anything you've done, but the gift of God." We need to lay down our pride, recognize that we can do nothing, and accept the gift of God. The gift that we cannot earn by good deeds or good intentions. It only becomes ours through faith.

We cannot earn our way to heaven.

We can believe and rest in the freedom of Jesus Christ.

New every morning

Why do we worry about things? Why do we worry about the future?

Here is what the Lord tells us about that.

Matthew 6:34 says, "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

In God's love and provision for his people, the amount of trouble that is planned for you each day is in perfect correspondence to the mercies that will keep you from those troubles. It is perfectly planned.

Therefore, don't carry over into any day troubles that don't belong there.

There will be trouble today. But the Lord's mercies which were new this morning are enough to cover your troubles.

His mercies are new every morning! They are new! They are not for yesterday and not for tomorrow. Trust that those mercies will be there tomorrow when you get there. Trust that promise.

And so on and so on. Day by day.

His power

You know those days where you weed-eat from 8-5?

No? Just me?

Well after two full days of weed-eating I found myself venting (dramatically I do admit) to my coworker Ben about how stinkin' tired my arms were. They were all shaky and weird... pretty much good for nothing. Then came the typical soreness. A couple days after that, as I went about my daily business, I felt a wee bit stronger! Could it be true? That bowling ball didn't seem so heavy... that chair wasn't so hard to lift... those pushups weren't so bad (ok just kidding). Well then I got to thinking...

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." 

Our God is not ashamed of our weaknesses, He knows we are weak. He knows we need His power... and boy does he provide it. I diverge from the weed-eating example (that only really gets us so far hah). The more we rely on Him, the more we can be used, the more we grow, the more we bare fruit, and the more we trust God.

Have you ever felt like you were failing? completely useless and weak? Yet something beautiful came out of it? THAT is God. Our weakness for His glory.
I am so thankful for those times.
Our brokenness reminds us how much we need God, which is the bigger truth behind our weakness. They allow Him to shine light through us, so that we can not boast in anything but the power of Christ our Lord. So that we grow closer to understanding Him. Galatians 6:14 says, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."

He truly makes beauty out of our brokenness.
The Lord Jesus is the only thing worth boasting in.

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

For freedom

Galatians 5:1 says, "For freedom Christ has set us free."

Does that make sense to you? For me it made too much sense. Obvious. Until I really began to sit with it for a while. Why is it so repetitive? Why does the Lord need to tell us that freedom was the reason we were set free... like we would forget? But we do forget.

I think it is easier to forget that we are free when we forget what we were freed from.Romans 8:2 says, "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." Through Christ, we are brought out of sin and death. How beautiful.
Yet how do we live in this freedom? How should we live in this freedom? Galatians 5:13 says "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."
This freedom isn't something that we experience just once... as we live in freedom, we are to love freely and serve freely. unhindered by sin and death. We are able to live and love freely because (2 Corinthians 3:17 says), "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

And the Spirit lives in us. So not only do we live in freedom, but freedom lives in us. Wrap your mind around that if you can. Freedom resides in us because the Holy Spirit resides in us. That is powerful. But still we forget.At least I do... I forget the reason that Christ set us free.

The rest of Galatians 5:1 says, "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." It was for freedom. He didn't set us free so that we could worry, so that we could hold back our joy and beauty, so that we could harbor anger or bitterness or doubt, so that we could fear. it was for freedom he set us free. So that we would be FREE.

Do not be burdened. Do not forget the freedom that Christ bought with his blood on the cross.You are free. live like it.

For freedom he set us free. And yes I am free indeed!

He rewrote my name, unshackled my shame, opened my eyes to see...

I am free.

They held up his hands

Camp 5

Have you ever looked around and known that the people who surround you are gifts from God?

People who encourage you, who laugh, who serve, who bring joy, who teach, who grow, who pray, who seek the Lord with you?

Those are the kinds of people that fill RVR. What a blessing.

I know that the Lord provides for our every need and that includes friendships, community, and help.

He shows us in Exodus 17:11-12:

"Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun."

See how God uses people? Brings people into our lives to hold us up when we grow weary?I hope you've experienced that provision in your life and I hope that specific people have come to mind.
Perhaps you should tell them what a blessing they are to you.

Philippians 1:3-5 says, "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now..."

Praise God for your partners in the gospel. Your brothers and sisters in Christ. Your family of believers.

God provides and He deserves all the praise and all the glory.

Just a weekend hike.

Life. Breath. Everything.

Camp 4

I was revisiting an idea from a book called 1,000 gifts by Ann Voskamp. It is a great book about being thankful and recognizing blessings from the Lord in all circumstances and situations.

The idea that stuck with me most is "wherever thankfulness is possible, joy is possible."

Because thankfulness is always possible, joy is always possible.

Always! Isn't that good news??

I have found that true thankfulness comes in its greatest form when I am humbled. When I realize and understand how small I am and how little I can do... in such a good way! Because it means that I am understanding how great HE is.

Acts 17:24-25 says, "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man nor is he served by human hands..." That is how big he is. He made everything, he is not confined to our temples, and he does not need us. "...as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything." Did you catch that? The things that God gives us?

Life. Breath. Everything.

And he gives this to all of mankind, even to those who reject his name. But he still gives.

Everything you have. Every time you breathe. Every moment of your life.

HE has given to you. How lucky are we? I can't help but wonder why...

Acts 17:27 "That they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him." He gives so abundantly to us so that we may recognize the blessings and seek their source... Him!

He gives so that we may know him.

That we may know the source of true life, of true love, of true joy.

Oh how beautifully humbling. How thankful. How joyful.

Praise the Lord.

"In his hand is the life of every living thing

and the breath of all mankind."

Job 12:10

Hold Fast

Camp 3
About midway through the summer, I fell into a funk.
It got to the point that I started apologizing to people on behalf of my shortcomings and disappointing attitude. After apologizing to a friend for "making his life harder" he simply stopped me and said, "Who told you that?"
At first it seemed like a ridiculous question... no one told me... no one had to tell me. It was so obvious.
"You're not making my life harder" he said. That helped a little, but not a lot.
As I laid in bed, I just kept hearing "Who told you..." I opened my bible to Genesis 3: the fall of man. After Adam and Eve were deceived by the serpent, they discovered that they were naked and hid from God. Genesis 3:11 says, "And [God] said, 'Who told you that you were naked...?'" They had been deceived. by the devil himself. God didn't tell them they were naked.
After reading this, I got out of bed and started digging into scripture. I had been deceived by the devil too. I had believed lies. lies about myself, my relationships, my work, and even my God.

There is a reason why God tells us to hold fast so many times in the Bible:
Deuteronomy 30:20 ...listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.
Joshua 23:8 ...you are to hold fast to the LORD your God
1 Corinthians 5:2 ...hold fast to the word
Phil 2:16 ...hold fast to the word of life
1 Thessalonians 5:21 ...hold fast to what is good
2 Thessalonians 2:15 ...stand firm and hold fast to the teachings
...and there are many more

Get it??? Hold fast to HIM and His word.
All else will lead you astray and leave you deceived. If the things you believe are not from God, who are they from? Do not hold on to anything other than the truth of God.
In this world where the enemy is real, we can't afford to believe lies.
Hold fast to Him.

Psalm 73

Camp 2
It can be pretty easy to go about our lives and our days without spending time in the presence of the Lord. Even when we live and work in a ministry, read our Bibles, and say our prayers, we can fail to rest in His presence and truth.
Psalm 73 was written from frustration and confusion. The writer was jealous and envious of the wicked because it seemed as though they were prospering. He struggled to understand and struggled to hold fast to God's promises... then he says in verse 16, "But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end." Once the psalmist entered the sanctuary of God, He understood that the wicked will meet their end.

Now I am not saying that his struggles are the same as yours or mine... but whatever you're questioning, whatever the struggle is, understanding it is indeed a wearisome task. impossible even. without entering the presence of the Lord.
Spending time in the presence of God (especially when circumstances are confusing or hard to understand) reminds us of His sovereignty.
This does not mean that we will (or are even meant to) understand everything that goes on around us, but when we spend time with the Lord, we understand enough to rest and trust in His power and truth.
The psalm goes on to say: "But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works." It is good to be near God. And when we are near to God, we can live the truth of who He is and what He has done.
Just draw near to Him. Let Him be your refuge.

Sovereignty:

All things are under God's rule and control, and nothing happens without His direction or permission. God works not just some things but all things according to the counsel of His own will... nothing takes Him by surprise.

Love is...

Well summer camp at RVR has come and gone!Whew... what a whirlwind of excitement, energy, the gospel, and growth. Now that this marathon race of adventure is over for the summer, I would love to catch you up on things I have been learning. I have no idea what week any of this took place, but I definitely know that God has been working in my life and in my heart... as always :).

Camp 1...Every day this summer, the six of us program directors got together with our wonderful boss (Dan) and studied the word of God. What a sweet time that half hour was each day... just trying to understand God's love a little bit more.

1 John 3:16 says, "this is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." Love is sacrifice.In this passage where it says ought, it does not mean should. It means to be bound by.
So this sacrificial love we read about is not an option. We are bound by Christ's sacrificial love to lay down our lives for others. Love is sacrifice.

As we have heard so many times, 1 Corinthians 13 says, "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." When all of this is viewed in the light of Christ's sacrifice, we see better what we are called to.
We are called to love truly, deeply, and when it is inconvenient.We are called to sacrifice our rights, our pride, our selfishness for love.
We are called to all of this and more. But how?
1 John 4:7-8 tells us, "let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
There it is. Love comes from God because God is love.
And we can only love through Him with Christ as our example.
Rather we can allow Him to love through us.

Once upon a time, I had the pleasure of being a paintball referee! Neat.

Energizing life

Week 37

This week is one of those weeks where things are happening. Life is happening.
In the book I've been reading, the author talks about destiny. He talks about it in a way the describes our longing and desire to do something.
We long for a better life and a better future.
The author says, "pursuing the future we desire energizes and inspires us."
I think this is true, especially when that life and future is with Jesus. When we actively move toward a life and a future that is grounded in Truth, we are inspired.
I found out this week that I will be staying at the ranch next year!
This is a decision that is energizing to me. This is a place where I am able to learn and seek after a life full of truth. I know that God uses the ranch for His glory and I can't wait to be a part of it for another year. :-)

It's just life.

Endurance

Week 36
Within the past few weeks I have started running.
It's been great. I love being active, I love being outside, I love feeling in shape and healthy.
The only problem is that it is really hilly around here.
And for those of us who are from Illinois (aka the flattest land you will ever see), this poses quite a bit of a challenge.
Now call me wimpy, but running up hill is hard!
Takes a bit of will power and perseverance on my part that I am not used to. While I know my body can do it, I also know it would be easier to walk, or stop, or sit down (haha).
But (hopefully) I keep running. Through the woods or on the trail... and when you run uphill long enough around here, you get to the top of a hill where you can look out over all the farms, the rolling hills, and the valleys.
What a place to stop and catch your breath. That run up the hill was worth the view from the top.
This is so much like our Christian journey. I know you understand what I mean... "let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1).
It is difficult and ongoing, but the beauty is worth it. For sure.

Baptism

Week 35
Almost exactly one year ago (April 30, 2011) I was baptized.
This is easy for me to remember because it is the day after my birthday. I like that these two events are so close together. Each time my birthday rolls around, I am reminded of my baptism which is less commonly celebrated, but probably more important.
At one point in my life, I was unsure why it was necessary to be baptized. My thought was that I already believed and trusted Jesus as my savior, so why get baptized? I did it anyway because I felt it upon my heart to declare my union with Christ in this way.
It is important to realize this is what we are called to do as believers:
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38)."
Even Jesus was baptized.
"And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:16-17).'”
We see Jesus leading by example. Although He does not need to repent and be washed of his sins, He is still baptized. To show faithfulness to God. To show us what to do. And it was pleasing to God.
Reflecting on the past year, I see so much growth in my relationship with Christ. I know that I am being transformed, I know that I have the Holy Spirit, and I know I am growing in faithfulness. And it is pleasing to God.
Bring Him glory through your faithful acts.

Spring at River Valley Ranch!

Good and faithful servant

Week 34
So much talk about the future lately, where am I going to be? What am I going to be doing? And to be honest with you, I really don't know. Yes, I suppose these are important questions that require both thought and action. And I have prayed about this diligently.
But through these prayers over the past few months, I have no specific answer of where, when, or what. But I do have this: "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master'" (Matthew 25:21).
In my struggle to find the bigger picture of my life, the larger vision and ministry, I think about this verse and I realize I'm not there yet. In a good way.
This verse is an encouragement to me to continue growing and being faithful in the little things... then the big things will come. I do not know what it will be. But I know I am being prepared. and my faithfulness to God is the only path that leads me there. So I will continue down the road of ever growing faithfulness. Now where that physically leads me in this season of life? I don't know that it matters... as long as I am growing in faithfulness.
So that is my plan.
To be faithful till the end. In all things big and small.
I long to hear Him say "well done, good and faithful servant."

Beautiful things

Week 33
The interns had the week off for our Spring Break! Wooohoo!
My dear friend Emily and I went on road trip out west. Since our plans changed so many times we sort of threw planning out the window altogether. We both got to visit our colleges, see some familiar places, and familiar faces.
Once we left Missouri, we just drove west.
We saw miles and miles of grasslands with mountains on the horizon. We stopped at many state parks, national parks, and waterfalls camping along the way. It's just good to be outside. As we drove I kept thinking about the song "Beautiful Things" by Gungor. These are the lyrics:
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things out of usYou make me new, You are making me new

There is nothing like being in God's creation and seeing new things to make you realize how beautiful our earth is. He made it beautiful.  He made it out of dust. The same God that made those mountains and made the oceans and the rivers and the animals is the same God who made you and me.

And just as He is able to make beautiful mountains out of dust, He is able to make beautiful things out of us. And he does.

I know it when I look at the people who surround me.

Wyoming landscapes for you to see!

Go and I will teach you

Week 32

Do you ever just feel overwhelmed? I do.Is it worth it? I've been realizing more and more that none of the everyday hassles are worth stressing about. These days the only things that really truly overwhelm me are people. I love people. We are commanded to love people. And when they are not well... physically, emotionally, and especially spiritually, it is a burden on my heart.
Is this okay?
I know that I have been called to care, empathize, and encourage. But to the point that it is heavy on my heart? Actually yes. In Romans, Paul describes this burden of lost souls on his own heart, "I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart." (Romans 9:2). Unceasing anguish.

Nothing in life should cause this much sorrow and anguish but that of a lost soul. The rest of it just isn't worth the energy. I really do believe that. But it seems lately that in addition to this burden, I have let my idea of my own inadequacies paralyze me.That is the part that is not okay.

I've been studying Exodus and was encouraged by a conversation Moses had with God. God tells Moses that He wants him to go set His people free from Egypt. Moses responds, "Oh Lord, I am not eloquent... but I am slow of speech and tongue." (Exodus 4:10) And what does God say? Oh yeah Moses, I forgot how inadequate you are?... nope.
He says, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” Not only does God know our limitations, but He created us just the way we are. And He will teach us just what we need to know if we rely on Him.Although Moses doubts his ability, the Lord guides and teaches him.
This is comforting to me. I know that I do not have the ability to save anyone but there is no reason to doubt myself. Because I also know that God will teach me what I need to know when/where He wants me to serve.
My desire is there and I am willing, Lord.
Take me, use me, and teach me.

Spring break road trip has just begun!

Week 31

Week 31
This week has been a full one!

My parents came to town during their spring break and then I immediately went down to Lynchburg, VA to recruit staff from Liberty University. It was fun for my parents to get to see what my life has been like the past 7 months or so. And it was fun to meet a bunch of new people at Liberty.
I love traveling, seeing new things, and meeting new people. But it does get tiring.
It is just a reminder to me that after a full week of hanging out, talking, and getting to know people, it is good to be alone with God. Sometimes you just need to get away from it all. It doesn't matter how much of a people person you are.
God's attention is better. More fulfilling.
That's really all I have to say for now.
Until next time.

Sunsets never get old.

Holy Spirit

Week 30

Man it really seems that time is flying here at the Ranch. To me, it usually seems like nothing is changing until I think back 6 months, or a year, or 2 years. And then I see so clearly what has changed... me. Philippians 1:6 says, "and I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." I find hope in that.

You know why?Because it reminds me that the Holy Spirit is real and present in my life. And I know it is the Holy Spirit. Because I know that these changes in my life and in my heart are for the betterment of God's kingdom, not to further my selfish desires. When I get frustrated with myself and struggle to be and act as Christ-like as I desire, I think about the power of the Holy Spirit inside me. Not only is God with me, but by that I know I belong to Christ. And this is where true faith comes in.

Romans 8:9 says:"You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ." If Christ really is in me, the very same spirit that raised Him from the dead gives life to my spirit! I was dead, but now am filled with His Spirit. There is no mistaking it!

And I know I belong to Him.And I know that His Spirit refines me every day.
And I know that I am alive with His power.
And I don't deserve it, but I know it is True.
I hope you do too.

This is what I call puppy fever :)

Know my thoughts

Week 29
My favorite thing about living at the Ranch is living in community.
It is also the most challenging part of living at the Ranch.
Nothing is more beneficial for growing personally and spiritually than being surrounded by Jesus loving individuals who care and love. We all know that growing is hard though. At least the long lasting refining kind of growth that God leads us through.
It is one thing to learn of your own error, or learn of your own sin, but what do we do with that? How do we change?
A sermon that I heard on this really stuck with me. This change starts with your mind. What we think effects how we act. We need to sift through our thoughts and throw away what isn't Truth. God does the changing if we surrender our thoughts and attitudes to him.
Philippians 4:8 says, "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." These are the things we are to focus on. And doesn't it sound appealing?
Why would we ever want to focus on things that aren't true, that aren't pure... when you think about it like that it seems ridiculous to fill our minds with things other than Godly things. But we do. Every day. All the time.
We live in these ruts of doing the same old thing that we have always done. Hanging out with the same people. Watching the same trashy tv shows. As the pastor put it: just like a railroad track, ruts take you to the same place every time. If you change your ruts, you won't go back.
Change it. Input the good stuff. Truth. Scripture.
Meditate on it. Let it rule your mind, heart, and life.
God will use it to refine you.

Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

Psalm 139:23

Christ Centered Relationships

Week 28
It seems that spring has sprung here at the Ranch.
Flowers are everywhere, the sun is shining, and outdoor education groups are back!
I was listening to a Francis Chan sermon about Christ centered relationships. Most of the message was directed towards married couples, but I think that so much of what he said could and should apply in our communities, with our friends, and in our families.
Sometimes when we live closely with people we get hurt, and we hurt each other.
This is going to happen.
But a Christ centered person is not made or broken by their relationships here on earth. We often put too much hope in each other when Christ should be our hope.
Our focus should never be solely on each other.
Our focus should never be on ourselves. "I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord" (1 Corinthians 7:35).
Jesus' love for us is not selfish. He did not focus on what He thought He deserved or what his "rights" were. And because of that, we may know the greatest love of all time.
There is no room for being high maintenance in our relationships.
God gave us friends and relationships to learn, grow, encourage, and share together. To live life and give life. Not to step on each other, demand from each other, and set expectations for each other. We should not be taking life from one another, but instead growing life in these relationships and in turn, giving life and spreading love to others.
Our real mission in this life is to show the love of Christ.
Our relationships can do that beautifully.
If our hearts are centered on Christ above all else.
Above all.

There are no levels

Week 27
This week has been a lot of fun.
Boss man was out of town and put the six of us interns in charge of testing the giant swing... without getting hurt of course. It was quite a process but we figured it out. It is great to be outside and working together. Laughter is never short when we are all together. thankful for that.
I just finished reading a book called This Beautiful Mess by Rick McKinley. He says, “I like thinking in terms of levels of achievement because it gives me a sense of power and control." I feel as though I often fall to this thinking. Even if it seems to be striving for something admirable. I find myself striving to get to the next level of life… to be the next level better daughter, friend, Christian, or whatever it is at the time.
McKinley challenges us to let go of that idea and realize that with Jesus in our lives, levels are not needed because “Jesus has rescued us out of the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son. We’ve been taken from one dimension and moved to another. No levels, just transferred by the King.” 
This idea makes sense to me. No levels.
God just wants to be with us.
It is important to be in relationship with God, love, and serve.
This is super relevant for me to remember especially at this stage of life when transitions are often and we are expected to achieve and grow in the world. God calls us to grow in Him.
That is the real achievement of this life.


"Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me" John 15:4

Glad to be outside again.

What are you learning?

Week 26

I like to ask my friends what God is teaching them. 

Not necessarily through a book or in  class, but just in life. What are you learning from the Lord. I am pretty convinced that there is always something. It is worth searching out and it is encouraging to share.

"Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever For great is your steadfast love toward me..." (Psalm 86:11-13).

As for me, I am in this phase of learning that I cannot fix/solve anyones problems. Only Jesus can do that.

This sounds like common sense, but has been beyond hard for me to grasp.

When I have friends in need spiritually, suffering from illness, and dealing with pain, I let the weight of that fall on me. Not only is this not beneficial for me, but it is not living out a complete faith and trust in God. How can I expect to love these people well if I don't encourage trust in the Lord by example? I can't.

I am thankful that I am a work in progress. That God cares and loves and corrects my wrong thinking. He is showing me that I do have a responsibility to compassion, encouragement, and comfort. But my first responsibility is to point to Christ and rely on Him with every aspect of my being. Especially in my attempts to be a helpful friend.

This is one of the ways God is shaping my heart every day.

What are you learning from Him?

Please share with me :-)

Vantage Point

Week 25
Winter Meltdown #6 (the last one) is officially over.
Disappointingly, I got quite sick and spent most of it in bed. I was pretty bummed. I like being out there, meeting people, playing games, and going nuts.
Vantage Point has been the theme of Winter Meltdown. It is all about looking at everything; the world, people, yourself from God's perspective instead of our own limited perspective. You can probably guess that since the beginning of WM this idea of vantage point has been showing up everywhere and  I was quickly reminded again this weekend.
Even though I was bummed to be missing out, I realized that these weekends aren't about me. None of it is. God gets glory whether I'm dancing in the crowd or throwing up at home. From my bed, I could hear the whrr of the zipline, music, and the buzz of excitement. Those same sounds that made me feel like I was missing out are the same sounds that please God. From God's vantage point, those are the sounds of His great plan. He is in control. and He doesn't need me.
That's right I said it. He doesn't need me.
"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,  nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything" (Acts 17:24-26). 
I am the one who needs Him. How easily we forget.

Little bit of winter at RVR

Ephesians 4:29

Week 24

Winter Meltdown 5. Completed!

Oh man is growing hard. Just when you start thinking you're doing it right, you realize you're not. I suppose thats one of the best/worst things about learning. Once you start you can't stop. There is always more progress to make.

This week I was sorely amazed by my own attitude. Not necessarily in action, but behind my words. Out of nowhere I bubbled over with frustration. My words and thoughts all had a bit of sting to them. Not only did this effect my own relationships, but the group dynamic. It is so easy to make excuses and blame other people, but when I stepped away from it all, I saw my own heart in the matter. My own bitterness.

How can I expect to be in/lead true relationships with such a loose tongue. How can I expect to speak truth while spitting sarcasm from the same mouth. I simply can not.

Luckily, I am in a place surrounded by people who love and encourage.

Ephesians 4:29 says, "let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Only as is good for building up. That's it. Thanks for that reminder, Elijah.

This is a real way I can love people better. With my words.

Again, not just when it is easy, but even when my instinct is to snap back, make fun, or prove myself. Living in community is hard. But so worth it.

Thanks for the support and forgiveness, guys.

Colossians 3:15-17 reminds me "...and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

So thankful to have friends like you guys.

Give God His breath back

Week 23
Week #4 of Winter Meltdown was a success! We had some surprise snow (which I did not capture on film) and a power outage but hey... we're making memories! This is a video we watch every weekend during the program. And as staff members, we listen every time. It's that good.

All of the words to this can be found here if you care to read them all. I love it.
Here is a large chunk of them for you to read for now:


...But here’s where it gets interesting./ I hope you’re closely listening./ Please don’t get it twisted. It’s what makes our faith unique./ Here’s what God says is Part A of the Gospel:/ You can’t fix yourself. Quit trying. It’s impossible./ Sin brings death./ Give GOD His breath back. You owe Him!/ Eternally separated and the only way to fix it is someone die in your place/ And that someone’s got to be PERFECT or the payment ain’t permanent/ So if and when you find a perfect person, get that person./ To literally trade their perfection for your sin and death in./ Clearly, since the only one who can meet God’s criteria is GOD./ GOD sent Himself as JESUS to pay the cost for us./ His righteousness, His death, functions as…
PAYMENT./ Yes, payment./ Wrote a check with His life./ But at the Resurrection we all cheered, cause that means the CHECK CLEARED!/ Pierced feet, pierced hands, blood-stained Son of Man./ Fullness, forgiveness, free passage into the Promised Land./ That same breath GOD breathed into us GOD gave up to redeem us./ And anyone and everyone, and by everyone I mean…
EVERYONE...

Give God His breath back. You owe him. God created us with this breath. "Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature" (Genesis 2:7).
This is also the breath he traded in that we may have life. Jesus said, “'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!' And having said this he breathed his last" for us (Luke 23:46).
For us.
All of us. Not just our friends or the people we love. Every single person who has ever lived on this planet was created by the breath of God. Think about that.
This is the very breath we speak with and live by. We rarely even think about our own breathing. But we owe it and everything that comes from it to God. Every last breath.
Our lives.

We found some sunshine :)

Meekness please

Week 22
We made it through Winter Meltdown 3!
This week the interns had the opportunity to go to a CCCA conference (Christian Camp and Conference Association). I seriously learned so much. About God, myself, ministry, community... man it was a good week. You can ask me about all of that another time if you want, but there is a little tid bit that has stuck with me.
Ephesians 4.
 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The rest of the passage is really good too, I suggest you look it up.
Walk in a manner worthy of the calling. What is the calling? To live a life glorifying to God, know Him, walk with Him, love Him, praise Him, be as Christ like as possible, spread the gospel, spend eternity with Him. Do we walk in a manner worthy of all that? Do my everyday actions deem me worthy of spending eternity with the creator of life?
Lets work on that.
Humility/lowliness, gentleness/meekness, patience, bearing with one another...
Lets look at the word meek. I have always thought of meekness as a bad thing. As weakness. In fact, the dictionary uses "easily imposed on" as part of the definition.
But in Greek, this word was used to describe a wild animal that was brought under control/discipline of its master. Discipline to bring all of our power and energy under God's dominion. To control our wild tendancies. The speaker described someone holding a cup filled with water. That person gets bumped around in life and water spills out. Now imagine a person holding a cup filled with Jesus. When that person gets pushed around in life, what spills out? Jesus. Discipline our actions and words to show nothing but Jesus. That sort of control takes strength. THAT is meekness.
And that is what I want.

Love God: Love Others

Week 21
This week has been awesome for a number of reasons: I was alive and well to live it! We had a lot of time off, went on a field trip to Baltimore, prepared for Winter Meltdown, and successfully made it through Winter Meltdown #2!
The speaker at Winter Meltdown this week spoke a lot of truth. It is always good to hear the message of the gospel... it never ever gets old. He spoke about how we are to live our lives: loving God and loving others. This is something we have all heard before. Matthew 22:35-39:
...“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Sounds great! But how do we truly love our neighbor? And how do we do that well?
The best way to love someone is to help them love the Lord and know Christ.
Man that made me think.
I foolishly thought that I was good at loving, but is that love bringing God glory?
Is it worth anything if it doesn't point to Christ? No. Not worth anything lasting.
I see that loving one another is not about laughter, kind words, and hugs.
It is about so much more than that.
And it's not always easy.
But it is worth it. That is the type of love that I desire to give and receive because my desire for you and I is to love God more. So let us all learn to truly love our neighbors.

Baltimore Art Museum... which is free!