Look to the Guiding Light

   So I’m going to tell you a mini story I’m sure most of you can relate to. A few months ago I was headed home from Jimmy Johns, where I was employed, around 10:30 PM. I was thinking about all the stuff I needed to do in the days to come. I started making a mini list in my head; and tried not to stress about all the things I needed to do.

   Then an amazing thing happened. I looked at the sky. It was a crystal clear night. I could see so many stars. But the best part was the moon. It was not a full moon but it still looked beautiful. I began thinking about how amazing it is to think about how God created everything in the universe. He has the power to create so many beautiful things. So then I thought about if God cares about His creation so much that means He also cares for me just as much as creation.

   The whole experience reminded me that I am not alone when I am trying to get things done. God is with me no matter what I am doing or what I am going through. This is difficult to remember when I feel so alone. I mean ever since I’ve seen A Cinderella Story I have totally related to Austin’s quote: “I can be surrounded by a sea of people and still feel all alone.”

   It’s in those times where I am super lonely that I need to remember that God is with me every step of the way. He’s as reliable as the sun coming up. True, we may not see the sun through the clouds but we can still see the light the sun gives off no matter how many clouds there are. That’s how God is. We can have so many problems that it seems like we are in darkness and God isn’t there. But, he is there through all the problems. You just need to look for His guiding light.
Psalms 119:105

Funny Story Time! Misunderstandings

   So, if you are like me you’ve all had that week where nothing seems to go right. During those weeks I know that I just need to laugh. Normally, funny events or stories cheer me up, which leads me to this week’s post. I’m going to tell you a funny story.

   First I need to tell you a little bit of background. Last semester I had two night classes. One class had five students and the professor in it. I go straight from soccer to class. Being a goalie, I tend to get a little dirty because I dive so much. I also have knee issues so the trainer told me to ice my knees. My awesome friend agreed at the beginning of the semester to make me Ramen before class, if I give it to her, so I can eat that for dinner. Finally, that night in class we were evaluating curriculum books for science.

   Before class I had a little bit of time so I dropped my stuff off in the room; and then I went to the bathroom to clean the dirt off my arms. Then I went back to the room and started to eat my yummy blueberry muffin that another awesome professor gave me. My friend came in and gave me my Ramen noodles, but I totally forgot that I needed to grab a paper towel so that the heat would stay in the bowl. So, I made my trek back to the bathroom to grab a paper towel.

   When I got back to the room I put the paper towel on and continued to eat my muffin. Our professor came in and described our assignment with the curriculum books. Meanwhile I put the ice on my knee. As we were doing the assignment I went to switch the ice bag to my other knee; but I realized that the ice back was leaking and my jeans were all wet. So I got up quick and went to the bathroom to dispose of the ice. As I was leaving, my professor said “did you have an accident.” I said “no, the ice bag broke.” Which, she knew what happened but she still gave me a hard time in a joking way.

   I came back and continued to do the assignment. My professor said that she needed to go to the bathroom to clean something off her hands. She said that anyone else who needed to go could as well, in other words we were taking a break. I said, “I don’t want to go there again I’ve been there three times tonight.” My professor proceeded to say “it seems like Kaitlyn has had too much to drink.” I was like “no, it’s not that.” My professor said “oh, so it’s the other way.” Everyone cracked up laughing as I said “no.” Then I explained why I was to the bathroom three times already after practice. So, now we have an inside joke going that they will not let me forget about.

   Why am I telling you all this? Because, like most stories, there is a lesson in them. The main lesson in this is that we need to be careful what we say. As Christians, people are always watching us to see what we are saying and how we are acting. We cannot lead anyone astray by what we say and do. Whether we like it or not we live in a fish bowl. We are all leaders and role models.

   In this story I did not lead anyone astray by what I said; but people did misunderstand me. Misunderstandings are going to happen in life, but we need to make sure that we communicate with others; and admit it if we mess up. We also need to be understanding when misunderstandings occur. I mean, we are all human. We all make mistakes. Isn't it time we cut each other some slack?

   So the next time you are talking to someone make sure you mean what you actually say; and that you are communicating well with them. You also need to make sure that you are speaking what God would want you to say. Otherwise you just may end up having people think that you have bathroom issues ;)
   Matthew 5:33-37

A Story about Stones, Walls, and Bridges

   Imagine you are going about your business one day. You are walking down a street. Suddenly a stone is thrown at you. You look over at the person who threw it at you but they just continue walking. There is absolutely no guilt on their face. Another stone is thrown at you. You see a person laughing as they walk away. You think to yourself that you need to run away from these people; but suddenly the ground cracks and you only have a four foot square left to stand on. Then you look around and see that everyone else has a four foot square and some rocks with them. People continue throwing stones at one another. You start to wonder why people would throw stones at you when, all of the sudden, another stone is thrown at you, and another, and another.  Your face is bleeding, you have huge bruises on your body, and your body crumbles into a ball as you fall to the ground. You begin to think what you did wrong to make people throw stones at you. Your body is hurting so bad and the stones continue to come.

   Finally, the stones stop for a little as it gets darker. You look up and see that there are stones all around you. People continue walking by you, a few show concern but they keep walking. Your wounds start to heal a little; and then you see someone walk by with another stone in their hand. You realize that you need to make something so that you will not get hurt again. So, you pick up the stones that were thrown at you and begin to make a wall around you.

   The next day people start throwing stones at you again. But, this time, the stones don’t get through because of the wall. You begin to feel good about yourself because you know you are safe in your wall. You begin to think about the people outside your wall throwing stones at you. You get so angry at the people for throwing stones at you that you start throwing some back. Every time you hit someone you feel a little better; but, at the same time, you realize that you should not be hurting them. And, that you are just giving them ammo to throw back at you. So, you stop throwing stones because it doesn’t make you feel any better.

   After a while you become comfortable in your wall. Every once in a while you hear a stone hit your wall; but it just bounces off so you just sit there. Then you start to get bored in your wall. You realize that people cannot see the real you behind your wall; and you also want to see what is going on outside your wall. So, you take a peek over your wall. You see people throwing stones at one another. There is a crack to your left. You look over and see that someone got hit in the head. She is bleeding badly. Part of you wants to help; but you know if you go outside your wall you could get hit with more stones. The girl gets hit with another stone. You decide that it doesn’t matter what happens to you, you have to help that girl. But, there is no way to get to her.

   Suddenly, you get an idea. You could build a bridge to get to her; but you do not have enough stones. The only way you can build a bridge is if you break your wall. The girl gets hit again. You quickly begin disassembling your wall and start building a bridge over to the girl. When you get to the girl you ask her if she is okay. Then you tear off your sleeve so that you can stop the bleeding. People keep throwing rocks over toward the girl. You know that you may get hurt; but you don’t want the girl to get hurt more. So, you block the stones from hitting her. Eventually the girl’s wounds heal. You are a little cut up from getting hit; but the thankful look you see on the girl’s face makes it all worth it.

   So, why did I tell you all this? It’s because this story is a metaphor. The people represent people in real life. The reason the ground breaks is because we live in a very individualistic society, where it is every man for himself. And the stones represent problems, things said about you, and things done to you. Every day we are hit with stones. It is what we do with those stones that matters.

   Sometimes people get hit with problems and they decide to go further into themselves. They build walls so that people cannot hurt them. This may make them feel a little better because they cannot get hurt anymore; but it is also very lonely when you are surrounded by a wall. That’s why people tend to peek outside of their wall; but still stay in the wall.

   Eventually people can realize that when they live inside a wall it does not help them impact others at all. And, they cannot show love to others like God tells us to do. So, people break down their walls in order to show God’s love to others. When that happens we need to build bridges to others. Those people may have walls of their own. Or, they may not want to admit they need help. That’s why we need to create bridges, or relationships with others. We need to be willing to show our weaknesses so that we connect with people. We also need to realize that sometimes when we build bridges to others we may get hit with stones; and get hurt. That is why we need to lean on God and trust Him. He will never lead us astray; and he will always be with us.

   So, what are you doing with your stones? Are you throwing them back at others just to have them thrown back at you? Are you building a wall so that others cannot hurt you? Are you building a bridge so that you can show God’s love to others? Are you willing to show your weaknesses so that God’s glory can shine through your story?

   John 15:13, Ephesians 4:29, Philippians 2:3

The "Force" Within

   With the new Star Wars out I had to do a post about Star Wars. Ever since I saw the movies, I had always thought about Star Wars and the force. I know that George Lucas says that Star Wars doesn’t have anything religious in it; but, just because he says that doesn’t mean it’s going to stop me from thinking that it does.

   If you don’t know, I’m all about finding the positives in movies; and connecting them to the Bible, God, etc. We may not like some of the things that go on in movies; but if we focus on the positives and the good lessons I think we will be able to connect with others in a more meaningful way.

   Anyhow if you think this post is going to be about the new movie, you’re wrong. This post is about the force. You didn’t think I was going to give you any spoilers from the movie did you? ;)

   Ever since I saw Star Wars I connected the Force to the Holy Spirit. One reason why I did that was because of the quote: “The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.” The Holy Spirit is all around us. It gives Christians their spiritual gifts, guides them, and comforts them in times of need. It is God’s advocate on earth. It is only through the Holy Spirit that we come to God. And, I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful that the Holy Spirit is with me and guides me.

   And, speaking of the Holy Spirit guiding, the Force does that too. “A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack” (Yoda). The Force guides beings in the galaxy. And, the Holy Spirit guides Christians. The Holy Spirit gives us knowledge. It helps us see what God would want us to do, which means we do not do anything against God. But, we don’t always follow God and the Holy Spirit, sometimes we sin against God. Luckily, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

   I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like it would just be easier to sin; because it is a lot of work to not sin. This is the view that Darth Maul has: “Obi-Wan: ‘it takes strength to resist the dark side. Only the weak embrace it!’ Darth Maul: ‘it is more powerful than you know.’ Obi-Wan: ‘And those who oppose it are more powerful than you’ll ever be!’” It is very difficult for some beings to keep the dark side of the Force at bay in themselves. But, those who do are much more powerful than those who don’t. It is true that the Sith Lords always seem to have more troops, look cooler, and have better power. But, they are using the wrong kind of power. They are using anger, hate, deception, and greed. And, though they may look cool, do you think that looking cool and having power brings them happiness? No! I mean just look at Vader. That is why the Jedi, that is why Christians choose to follow the light side of the Force. It definitely isn’t easy at times; but we can feel the Holy Spirit with us, guiding us while we are here on earth.

   So, though you may not have the Force, can you feel the Holy Spirit at work in your life? Are you letting the Holy Spirit guide you? Have you ever felt like sinning but didn’t because of the Holy Spirit? Are you remembering to thank God for guiding you, comforting you, and giving you your spiritual gifts?

   1 Corinthians 6:19, John 14:26, Romans 8:26

"With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility"

   For those of you who do not know, I like Marvel movies. I especially like the Avengers. If you know the Avengers, I want you to think about their origin stories.

   Bruce Banner experiments on himself and is injected with too much gamma radiation. He should have died but instead he became the monster, the Hulk. Banner thinks that he doesn’t have control of the beast so he tries to kill himself; but the Hulk spits the bullet back out. Banner did not want these powers but he got them.

   Tony Stark was a playboy billionaire and CEO of Stark Industries. In a million years he probably never thought he would be hit by one of his own weapons and on the verge of dying from the shrapnel headed toward his heart. But, with some help, he is able to keep the shrapnel out with a machine/magnet. Then he creates the Iron Man and he thinks all his problems are solved. But, with his power, he also puts the people that he loves in danger. Tony likes being Iron Man but the risks are high.

   There are many other Avengers (only 3, officially, at the start of the new movie). Some of them are like Tony and Banner. They do not want their powers for various reasons. But, the Avengers still chose the path of a hero. However, I’m pretty sure they wonder sometimes if being a hero is worth the sacrifices they make.

   No matter which side of the spectrum the heroes are on, about how they feel about their powers, some doubts have to come to mind. They may not want this responsibility of saving the world; but they had the responsibility thrust upon them. The heroes may feel like they cannot handle that responsibility.

   We have the same problem. There may be some things that God is calling you to do but you don’t want that responsibility. Well, just like the Avengers, you know that you have a duty to do whatever responsibility is thrust upon you. You may feel like you cannot handle the situation or the pressure but God never gives us more than we can handle. He makes everything happen for a reason. It is important that we trust God in everything. Whether that is Him giving us powers like the Hulk; and then requiring us to save the world. Or, asking us to do something that is outside of our comfort zone (I think that’s a little more likely to happen ;).

   So the next time you have responsibility thrust upon you what will you do?
   Romans 12:6-8

Looking Back at 2015

   It is that time again. The time where we say goodbye to one year and hello to another. But, during that time people tend to think about the year we are saying goodbye to. And, for some people, that can lead to a scary word: regrets.

   People look back at what they did during the year and they may regret what they did or did not do. It may even be just a certain mistake has stuck with them throughout the whole year. But, is thinking about that mistake helping that person or anyone else? No.

   What thinking about that mistake does do is bring you down and stress you out. That’s why you need to give it over to God. No matter how bad the mistake may be he will forgive you for it. He loves you so much that he wants you to be a part of his family. In order to do that he sent his son to die for your sins.

   Some of you may know him already, others may not. See the great thing about God’s family is that it is always growing. And, even though you may not like everyone in your family, God loves everyone because he created everyone and everything. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, where you come from, or what point you are at in your relationship with God. He will forgive you. Now that doesn’t mean you should purposefully sin, but that’s a blog for another time.

   Finally, I want to go back to regrets. It has taken me a few years to realize this; but I now know that everything happens for a reason. I can look back at my life and see the mistakes I have made and see that they have happened for a reason. That’s why whenever someone asks me “what is your biggest regret?” I tell them I don’t really have any regrets. It’s taken me a while to say that; but I realize, in saying that, I am trusting God with my life. And, I like having him in the driver’s seat of my life a whole lot more than I like driving.

   So where are you at in your relationship with God? Do you need to ask him to forgive you for something you did this year? Do you have any regrets in your life? Do you trust God and believe that everything in your life happened for a reason?

   1 John 1:9, Romans 5:8, Proverbs 3:5