What's Going On Inside

   One day I was in my car headed home from college. I was driving along and everything was going great. Then, all of the sudden, my car started beeping. After the shock passed, I asked my car "why weren't you beeping before?"
   My car has a sensor in the passenger seat. If something over 20 pounds is put in the seat, and is not buckled up, my car beeps. I was still driving and I was trying to pull my bag out of the seat, but as you can imagine 20 pounds is hard to move using one hand. Finally, I was able to get the bag out of the seat and on the floor of my car. 
More than likely the people who may have seen me driving thought I was crazy. The point is they didn't know what was going on inside my car. They only saw what was going on outside of my car. 
   This is just like in reality. None of us have x-ray vision where we can see if someone has physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional problems. We only see the outside. I've talked about how I don't like masks. I understand sometimes we need to put them on at work, but that means we only see people's masks. We don't see how people are really doing.
   You may look at someone who is being really mean to someone else than think "what is wrong with that person?" But, you don't know what is going on inside that person. They could have turmoil going on inside them and you just don't realize it. How would it make you feel if someone judged you when you were already feeling down?
   We cannot judge others by only looking at the outside. We need to ask people "How are you doing today?" And, when we ask that we actually need to care about what the person says. People can smell insincerity a mile away. If we are sincere, people are more likely to open up to us. Then we can make an impact on them for the Lord, which is what we are called to do.
   So, will you stop just judging people by looking at their outward appearance? Will you chose to ask others how they are doing and actually care about the answer? Will you share the gospel with others as we are called to do?

   Philippians 2:4, John 13:34, Matthew 7:1-5

Love the Simple Things: Christmas

   The other day I was sitting at home alone. I had just finished up working on a PowerPoint for my K5 class and was sitting on the couch sipping coffee and watching a Christmas movie.
   At first I was just sipping it slowly and then I thought about all of the other things I had to get done that day. I began to drink my coffee faster. Then a thought occurred to me: why was I drinking my coffee so fast all of the sudden?
   I have been watching Christmas movies where people either don't care enough about family and the simple pleasures in life, or where people care too much about those things. And, I have also been reading books about slowing down and enjoying the simple things; because if we don't enjoy the simple things how can we truly enjoy the major things?
   During Christmas time we have a tendency to rush, rush, rush. We need to get the presents. We need to decorate our house. We need to get things done for our job. We need to cook the meal for family. We begin to feel overwhelmed and forget that Christmas is also a time to slow down and think.
   Way back when the first Christmas came to pass Joseph and Mary needed to get to Bethlehem. There was no room at the Inn so they had to stay in a simple stable. Then when Jesus was born he was laid in a simple manger. These were not extravagant things, but they became important items in Jesus' life. 

   Next, it wasn't anyone super important who came to see our Savior first. It was the people who were considered the lowest of the low, shepherds. They were told by the angels to go see the baby, Jesus. The shepherds could've said "we will go as soon as we get this done." Or, "we don't have time to go see a baby because we have to watch our sheep." They didn't do that though. They got up and went to see the baby. 
   They realized something we don't nowadays. That the simple pleasures bring major joy. They went to see a baby that wasn't extraordinary on the outside, but was extraordinary on the inside. They went to a simple stable and saw a baby laying in a manger. An odd way for a baby to come into the world, yes; but, nothing was really extraordinary about any of the simple items or people in this story. However, now those people and items are so special and remind us about how Jesus came to the world as one of us. His story wouldn't be complete without these things and people.
   This Christmas I encourage you to slow down and enjoy the simple things that happen this season. We have a tendency to look forward to the major events but not the little events that led up to those events. Yet, if you ask people what are their fondest memories they tend to say little events. Take a lesson from the shepherds and choose to push work off to the side for a little so you can enjoy big events with your family. 
   So, will you choose to slow down and enjoy the simple things? Will you reflect on how simple events/things can become extraordinary?

   Romans 8:25, Philippians 4:6, Luke 2

Do you see God?

   Imagine you are at your job, or at school. You suddenly feel really thirsty but you don't have a water bottle, a cup, or time to go get some water. You ask God to give you some water. It seems like an odd thing to do because God probably won't give you the water. You continue working when a co-worker comes up. She says: "I was out to lunch and needed a water. The store was having a buy one get one free sale. I don't need the other water, would you like it?" You nod your head and thank her. It was a good thing she came along because God sure wasn't doing anything to help you.
   Your work day is over and you decide to go shopping. While you are at the store a woman walks by and her wristlet falls out of her purse. She does not notice. You walk over and pick the wristlet up. Then you go to the woman and give it back to her. She says "thank you so much! I didn't realize that I dropped it." She takes out a twenty dollar bill and hands it to you, "thank you for giving me that back. Here is something for you." You take the twenty and you are amazed. You think that was a great coincidence.
   These are situations that you may not face every day but you may face these situations at some point. You may have a need and suddenly the need is filled. You may not be asking for anything yet something is given to you. You may think that those things are coincidences but they are not.
   I have said before that God works through coincidences. Thus, there is no such thing as coincidence. God is at work in everything and everyone. If we have a need he may fill it in an unexpected way. But when our need is filled who do we thank? Do we thank whoever may have filled the need on earth? We should thank God when our needs are filled, no matter how they are filled. God is at work in the little things. If we cannot see him in the little things how will we see him in the big things?
   Check out this YouTube clip that goes through the situations I just described: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJUKMK25kj0
   Think about whether or not you believe God is at work in your life. Does God work in the little things to supply your needs? Do you show enough gratitude?
   Romans 8:28, Job 42:2, Proverbs 19:21

Names of Christians

   Christians are given many different names nowadays. We are called many things by the world and most of those things are not good.

   We may not get called this by non-Christians but they definitely see our devotion to what we believe. Sometimes Christians are lukewarm. We say we believe in God, but we only show it on Sundays. Sunday we go to church and may listen to the message and sing the songs but after that we do not show we are Christian. Sure we may talk the talk but we don't walk the walk.

   Another big name Christians have nowadays is Hypocrite. It somewhat goes along with us being lukewarm. We praise Jesus with our mouths on Sunday and then use the same mouth to scream at our fellow man Monday. We may say "you shouldn't lie, cheat, or steal." But then we do the exact same thing we tell others not to do! We don't take the log out of our eye before taking the splinter out of someone else's.

   The third name we get called is holier than thou. We think we are the best of the best and no one can be greater. We may even think that we do not sin. Some of us don't go quite that far. But we may still have pride, which is just as bad. We may have these ideas that we don't need to ask certain people for forgiveness because we are better than they are in some way.

   The final name we may get called is lunatic. People think we are crazy because we believe in someone we can't see, who may not exist. Also we do these crazy things like give away money to random strangers. Or we help those who have hurt us. In the eye of many people today that is nuts because they are just looking out for themselves.

   I don't know about you but out of all these names I'd rather be called a lunatic. Actually, I already get called that by my family but that's for different reasons :D Mostly good things I promise.

   Anyhow, around this time of year we talk a lot about belief. However, the secular world talks about believing in Santa Clause. In the movie The Santa Clause an elf has one of the most profound quotes. She says: "seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing." Many people who believe in Santa are called crazy, just like those who believe in Jesus.

   Let me ask you this: which is easier to believe: that God doesn't exist, or that God made everything? I tell you this it takes much more faith to believe in God than it does to believe in anything else.

   Christians need to have crazy love, faith, passion, and so much more. We are held to a higher standard on this earth because of what we know and believe. We are to spread the gospel and show the love of Christ. We all know this is crazy because none of us can ever amount to the love, faith, and passion that Jesus showed. But, that shouldn't stop us from doing what we are called to do.

   So, which of these names do you get called? If you don't like the name you get called what can you do to change it? Will you choose to have crazy faith?

   Revelation 3:16, Matthew 7:5, Matthew 10:22

Do You Want to Be Cinderella?

   If you know me, you know I love Disney. The other day I was watching Disney Channel and The Cheetah Girls came on. One of the songs that played was called Cinderella. Some of the lyrics go like this: "I don't wanna be like Cinderella sittin in a dark cold dusty cellar waiting for somebody to come and set me free."
   A lot of people are trapped and they don't know it. Or, if they do know it, they want to rescue themselves. Another line in the song is "I'd rather rescue myself." We talk about girl power and how girls can do anything. New princess movies have come out where the princess doesn't need a prince to save her. Is this wrong? No, but what about if we connect it to a biblical perspective?
   I don't think I can recall a child who did not want to be a hero or a princess. We all once had vivid imaginations where we pretended to rule over people or save people. But does that happen in real life? We may be bosses of people but do we truly have power over them? Not really, they could leave at any time. We want to be a hero to others but can we actually save them from death? No.
   Jesus is the only one who has the power to rule over others and to save us. We may try to rule over people by manipulating them, gossiping about them, or using our strength against them. But, in the end, we have no real power over people. God is the only one who has power over everything. He can change the meanest person you know into the kindest person. God has the power.
   He has the power to save us from ourselves. We are all sinners. We may try to "rescue" ourselves but we cannot rescue ourselves from death. Each day death creeps closer to us. Some people continue to try to do good deeds, bribe false gods, or just don't believe in the afterlife. That will not save them. 
   The only hero we truly need is all powerful, all knowing, and loves us so much that he would die for us. He is the hero who can rescue us, if we choose to let him.
   So, will you continue to try to rescue yourself if you haven't trusted Jesus yet? Are you willing to step back and let a true hero save the day? Will you trust him to be your personal savior?

   Colossians 1:13, Matthew 28:16-20, John 14:6
   If you have not accepted Christ and want to know how check out this blog.

The Legend of Selfishness

   Years ago I was introduced to a movie called The School of Rock. I became interested in this movie because I wanted to be a teacher. The movie is about a man named Dewey who owes rent to his roommate. His roommate's girlfriend keeps telling his roommate that he needs to tell Dewey to pay rent or kick him out. 

   Dewey is in a band but he gets kicked out. One day the apartment is called by a principal asking for Ned, Dewey's roommate, to come and substitute at their school. Dewey pretends to be Ned. While at the school, Dewey does not teach the students anything. He is actually more excited about the end of the school day than the kids are!

   The next day Dewey hears the students playing instruments in music class. He gets the idea to make the class into a band. Then the students ask Dewey what they are going to sing. Dewey then sings the legend of the rent to the students (link to song here).

   What I find interesting is the whole song is about Dewey's resentment toward just about every one. He is upset at Ned and his girlfriend because they are forcing him to pay rent. He is upset at his band because they kicked him out. Dewey is being very selfish at this point because he is using the kids just to get money and to pursue his dreams. What he does not realize is that he is basically all alone in the world. Selfish people do not have friends because they use their friends.

   Sometimes we have a tendency to think only about what we need and want. We have dreams and we are willing to do anything to reach those dreams. I'm not saying that having dreams is a bad thing. But when we hurt others in order to reach our dreams, when we are selfish, that is when I have a problem with following dreams. 

   As Christians, we are called to love others. That means that we are not selfish. I understand that humans have basic needs like needing food, water, shelter, etc. But, when we plow through other people just to get those things then we are not loving others. 

   Instead, we need to trust in God to provide for our needs. And, we need to trust God with our wants as well. He has a plan for our lives. We just need to trust him.

   In the end Dewey realized that he was wrong to have used the kids. And, he realized that he was being selfish. He decided to let the kids have a say in the band. He let the kids write a song and they went to the battle of the bands. Dewey had friends and became selfless. To find out the end, you will have to check the movie out.

   So, are you being selfish? What can you do to show your love to others?

   Philippians 2:3-4, James 3:14-16, John 13:34

What to do when you are Sukkerpunched

   Do you ever feel like you are being sukkerpunched? I’m not talking little love taps. I am talking about someone or something is punching you as hard as they/it can. It may not be that you are literally being punched but it sure feels like it.

   Maybe someone was unfair to you at work. Your friend had to cancel when you had a meeting together. Your dad needs your help with a project but you have to get things done for work. Your grandma is having health problems. You try to do your best everywhere but you feel like you are failing for one reason or another. That is five punches all at once. And, because you care about all of these things/people, the punches just keep on coming.

   What could be worse than that? I’ll tell you: these punches are not just coming from others but also from yourself. Many times we end up beating ourselves up over everything we do wrong. We are our own worst critic.

   I don’t know about you, but I have had so many times in my life where I have beaten myself up for one reason or another. Most of the time I try to look at the positive side but it is hard to do when you are being punched all around.

What can we do if we are constantly being punched by others and ourselves? There are a few things I have found that help in these times.

   1. Look at the positive: though there be clouds in life you know behind the clouds there is always the sun. You may not be able to see it, but you know it is still there. No matter what situation you are in positive things can come out of it. You may not be able to see the positive at the time; but I’m sure if you look back at some of your hardest times you can see that good things did come out of them.

   2. Realize that when you feel like you are being hit a lot that it is either a test from God or a trial because the Devil doesn’t want you to grow/trust in God: there are times where just one bad thing happens after another. A good friend of mine once said that Satan attacks those who he sees as a threat. The closer we get to God the more we learn about him and want to share with others. Satan doesn’t like that and tries to dissuade us from our mission, but we cannot let him. We must stay positive.

   3. Going through trials helps us grow. Think about it: anytime you have gone through something bad and come through it did you end up learning more and becoming better? More than likely you answered yes. While we may not like whatever we are going through, we know that it helps us grow and learn.

   4. Know that everything happens for a reason: God does have a plan. We may not know what that reason or plan is but we know he works everything together for good. We just need to trust him.

   So, the next time you feel sukkerpunched what will you do? Will you think positively, realize that Satan doesn’t want you to grow, realize that going through trials helps you grow, and know that everything happens for a reason?

   Proverbs 3:5-6, 1 Peter 5:10, Romans 5:1-5

The Turkey Hand

   This is a story that I hope will encourage you to be thankful for everything you have in your life. I’m not just talking about the good things, but also the bad things.

   Many years back my time at Lancaster Bible College began. I went through a lot of ups and downs my freshman year. I had reached the point where I thought life wasn’t worth living. Then I decided to play soccer. It was there that I met two really good friends. Both of these friends realized that we all needed to improve our self-esteem (God-esteem). We all agreed to write down five things we were thankful for about ourselves.

   I started writing the list but it wasn’t easy. That was how down I was. On Sunday I went to church where I was teaching second grader during Sunday school. One activity we were to do was to draw our hand and make it look like a turkey. Then we had to write five things we were thankful for. I sat there thinking about all the things I was blessed to have, and I wrote down everything that came to mind. By the time I was done my paper was overflowing.

   It took me doing an activity meant for children for me to realize how blessed I was. Sometimes we go through difficult things and times in life. But, no matter the difficulties, God is with us. He give us so many blessings that we may not even know about.

   This Thanksgiving I encourage you to think about everything you are thankful for. Try to not only think about the obvious things like family, friends, home, etc. But, to also think about things you may not normally think about like the trials you went through, the people in your past who helped shape you, and the everyday things we tend to take for granted. And, if you so desire, create a turkey hand to write all the things you are thankful for. I am sure that your list will overflow just like mine did.

   I would like to say how thankful I am for all of you. Thank you for making an impact on me in one way or another. Your name is definitely on my turkey hand this year.

   1 Thessalonians 5:18, Psalm 107:1, Colossians 3:15-17

Conclusion: The Fruit of the Spirit Series

   “Grow deep roots to harvest rich fruit! When your roots run deep, you cannot help but bear the fruit of the Spirit” (Michael Beckwith).

   Thus ends the journey through the fruits of the spirit. Even though my journey of writing about the fruits of the spirit has ended my study and application of them in my life has not. Because, if we as Christians stop learning about and applying the fruits of the spirit then we fail to grow in God.

   Through this journey I learned a few things that I hope you realized as well. First, all of the fruits of the spirit are connected in one way or another. Detaching them was a difficult task as was defining them. For example: if one has a gentle spirit then that person will love others. If that person loves others then the person will show self-control if someone else angers him, and so on.

   Another aspect I hope you have seen is that without God one cannot exhibit all of the fruits of the spirit. This is why one must be in constant communication with God. And, why you must have a relationship with God. God wants us to be his friend, and he wants him to grow in him. Above all else we must remember that when certain things happen in our lives, that we may not like, it is all within God’s plan for us. That is why we must trust him.

   So, are you willing to grow and exhibit the fruits of the spirit? Do you have a relationship with God in order to better exhibit the fruits of the spirit?

   Matthew 7:15-20, John 15:1, Matthew 6:19-21, Galatians 5:22-23

Learn to Love being a Servant: The Fruit of the Spirit Series

   “Every day of our lives…we are given opportunities to show love kindness to those around us” (Thomas S. Monson).
   Love is an interesting word. Many people do not know how to describe it. And yet, we use the word love every day. We say we love food. We love our parents. Love is in the King James Bible 310 times. Love is God.

   Love is also the first fruit of the spirit. We are to have these 9 attributes in order to live a Christian life. But how can we show love to others? Most people may think this is really simple. However, aren’t there some people you just do not like that much? I’m sure you are saying yes. So how can we love these people?

   The answer is to look at Jesus’ life. There were people that he could have hated in his life. He could have hated the Samaritan woman because all Jews hated the Samaritans. He could have hated the Pharisees who planned to kill him. He could have hated the Roman soldiers who nailed him to a cross. And yet, he still died for these people. On top of that he showed love to these people. He was a servant to these people.

   The best way to show love to others, no matter who they are or what they have done to us, is to be a servant to them. I’m not going to lie, it is not easy to be a servant to people who hate you or who are mean to you. But, if Jesus could do it for all those people who hated him I’m sure we could do it for a few people.

   When I say be a servant, what am I talking about? I am talking about being kind and patient toward others. Love encompasses all of the other fruits of the spirit. If we have the other fruits of the spirit then love is sure to follow. We will have joy when we love and help others. We understand that we have peace in God when we trust in his love for us no matter what is happening. We will have patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control when we love others. That’s why I ended with love even though it was at the beginning of Paul’s list.

   So, will you love others even if they hate you or are mean to you? Will you work hard to be a servant and help others? Will you try to embody the fruits of the spirit?

   1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 1 Corinthians 16:14, Galatians 5:13, Galatians 5:22-23

Learning to Control Yourself: The Fruit of the Spirit Series

   “By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character” (Grenville Kleise).

   Imagine you walk into a restaurant. You smell the delicious food such as potatoes, ham loaf, and mac and cheese. You sit down at a table and decide to order the buffet. As you walk up to the buffet line you can already taste the delicious food. Then you eat your first full plate of food. You move on to eating your second plate. Then you look at the deserts. You feel them calling you but you already feel full. Against your better judgement you decide to go up and get a plate of deserts. After you finish your stomach is not happy. You go home and barely make it to your bed before you pass out.

   While you were at the buffet you were not able to “exercise restraint over your own impulses, emotions, or desires” (Merriam-Webster). You did not have self-control. Controlling one’s self can come in many different shapes. You can have control over your emotions and desires but that’s not always easy.

   It is impossible to control you emotions and desires without the help of God. During times that your emotions are taking over pray for patience. Count to ten and realize that the next thing you do may hurt someone you care about or yourself. Ask God to give you peace in order to stay calm.

   So, are you willing to work on controlling yourself? Do you realize that your actions may hurt someone if you do not control yourself? Are you willing to ask God to help you control your emotions and desires?

   2 Peter 1:5-7, 2 Timothy 1:7, Proverbs 16:32, Galatians 5:22-23

The Woman Behind the Mask

   Halloween: a time of costumes, scary decorations, and sugary coated sweets. Why do people like Halloween so much? Children would probably say because of free candy. They may even say because they get to dress up as their favorite character.
   When I was little I liked Halloween because of the candy. But, as I grew up, I still liked the candy 😊. However, it became more about the costume for me. Seems odd that a 5th grader would have liked dressing up but I have a reason.
   Some of you may know that I like acting. I like bringing made up characters to life. I like to make situations and stories real for the audience. I also liked being something/someone that was not me.
   See, we know ourselves better than anyone else in this world. We know our good qualities, talents, and likes; but we also know our bad qualities, problems, and downfalls. I know that I'm not always the most patient person, I could be a little more compassionate at times, and that I don't know everything I want to know (because I'm still growing).
   When I was acting I wasn't myself. Sure my character may have had downfalls, but that wasn't my problem. I just loved the fact that I could be as crazy as I wanted to and it didn't matter because everyone in the audience would know I was acting. Those judgements that people would have casted on that character didn't matter because it wasn't me.
   During Halloween I can pick any character I want to be, act like that character, and not have anyone think I'm nuts. But, when the candy's all gone, the costumes are put away, and the decorations are taken down my mask is taken off as well. When that happened I had a tendency to go back to caring what others thought about me because I was myself.
   As I grew older, I realized that it doesn't matter what others think about me. It just matters what Jesus thinks of me. He is the one who is able to bring me peace. He is the one who loves me already. He loves me no matter what I do or what I say. Does he get upset when I don't follow him? Yes, but he still cares about me and is willing to forgive me when I fail.
   With God, we don't need masks. We don't need to be anyone but ourselves. Isn't that how we should act with others? We should want to be with people who accept us no matter what. We should want to be with people who love and forgive us when we fail.
   I encourage you to take off any masks you may be wearing right now. I know it's fun to pretend to be someone you are not. But, I guarantee you that people respond to those who are real with them more than fake people. Will you get hurt if you take off your mask? Probably, but you know that you have opened yourself up to make an impact on others. That is what we are called to do: spread the gospel and reflect God's glory.

   Romans 12:2, Psalm 139:14-16, Romans 8:35-39

Being Gentle to Others: The Fruit of the Spirit Series

   “Nothing is so strong as gentleness and nothing is gentle as real strength” (Ralph Sockman).

   I have been called many things but gentle is not one of them. I am a goalie. I am supposed to be tough and I do not smile much. Yet, I am a teacher. I am a living contradiction. How can I be gentle? The answer is by taking off my mask and putting myself in someone else’s shoes.

   Some of you know how soccer has changed my life. In my last season at LBC (fall 2016) I chose to be myself with the girls. See, before that I had put up some masks at different times but that year I did not. During the season I was kind, crazy, and sympathetic towards the girls. And, I actually wanted to be there at soccer because the girls liked the real me. But, one event puzzled me that happened during the season. I was called a teddy bear by one of the girls.

   Now, if you know me, you know I’m not a cuddly person. That’s why when she told me this I was confused. But then I realized this girl wasn’t saying I was cuddly. She was saying that I loved the girls and cared for them. I always try to love others and put myself in their shoes. In order to be gentle one must be “free from harshness, sternness, or violence.” In other words, gentleness is showing sensitivity to others no matter the situation.

   It is not always easy to be gentle. Sometimes circumstances lead us to lose control, or to not have patience. But, it is important to be gentle because when one is gentle they are able to reach others more. When we put ourselves in others’ shoes we are better able to show them the love of God. Then we can help encourage them, or even lead them to Christ.

   So, are you willing to take off your mask in order to be gentle to others? Will you put yourself in others’ shoes in order to be sensitive to their needs? Will you try to be gentle toward others?

   Titus 3:2, 1 Peter 3:15, Philippians 4:5, Galatians 5:22-23

Being Faithful to God and Others: The Fruit of the Spirit Series

   “Challenges will come to you but as you trust in God they will strengthen your faith” (Neil A. Andersen).

   If one is faithful it means that he is “steadfast in affection or allegiance” (Merriam-Webster). In other words, that person is loyal. Christians are called to be faithful not only to God but to others as well.

   In order to be faithful to others a person must not betray that person’s trust. However, that is almost impossible not to do because we are human. That is why, along with faithfulness, comes forgiveness. When someone hurts us we must be willing to forgive because we have been forgiven by a faithful God.

   Which, brings me to being faithful to God. In order to be faithful to god not only must someone obey God’s commandments, but the person must also not have any idols. Nowadays idols are not typically statues (at least that Christians worship). Idols are anything that hold a higher place than God does. In other words idols can be television, technology, work, other people, etc. These things are good in moderation but if they take away from your relationship with God there is a problem.

   In order to be truly faithful to God you must have a relationship with him. That means you need to have a friendship with God. To do that you can pray, read your Bible, and follow his commandments. That is the only way to be truly faithful to God. But, since we are sinners, we will fail at being faithful to God. Luckily, God is faithful to us. He forgives us when we are not loyal to him, but we should still work on being faithful to him. We just need to lean on him in order to be loyal.

   So, are you being loyal to your friends and family? Have you been faithful to God? Are you willing to turn back to God if you have been disobeying him, or were not faithful to him?

   1 Samuel 12:24, Ephesians 2:8, Proverbs 28:20, Galatians 5:22-23

The Goodness in Choosing Right: The Fruit of the Spirit Series

   “Goodness is about character, integrity, honest, kindness, generosity, moral, courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people” (Dennis Prager).

   When you hear the word goodness what do you think of? You probably think of people doing nice things for others. It sounds a lot like kindness doesn’t it? Why would Paul put both kindness and goodness in the fruit of the spirit if they are pretty much the same?

   Kindness and goodness are not the same. You can be good by showing kindness. But, goodness is “the deliberate preference of right to wrong, the firm and persistent resistance of all moral evil, and the choosing and following of all moral good” (Easton’s Bible Dictionary). In order to be good one must choose to do right rather than wrong. And, ever since sin entered the world, that isn’t easy.

   The way to learn right from wrong is either by studying or by learning from a teacher. While I was student teaching, in my last semester at Lancaster Bible College, I was having a really difficult time getting the students to learn. I could not understand why the students did not want to learn more about their world, especially when I was doing it in a fun way/trying to cater to their individual interests. On top of that I was getting frustrated because I felt like a failure as a teacher.

   Then I had a conversation with my professor. She told me that I seemed to be getting frustrated because students did not want to learn and they were misbehaving. Then she told me that I have a definite sense of right and wrong. I feel that students are always growing but they can either grow the right way or the wrong way. It became my goal, after that conversation, to plant seeds of learning in students to help them grow the right way.

   In order to choose right rather than wrong, one must know the word of God. And, like I said the best way to learn right from wrong is to study or be taught. But, there is no way that we can always choose to be good because we are sinful creatures. We need to pray to God to help us choose his path rather than the wrong path. With his help we can choose follow his ways.

   So, have you chosen to follow God? Do you have a teacher in your life to help you learn right from wrong and keep you accountable? Do you believe that it is only through God that you are able to choose right from wrong?

   Psalm 23:6, Romans 12:9, Galatians 6:10, Galatians 5:22-23

Show Kindness Every Day: The Fruit of the Spirit Series

   “A simple act of kindness can make a tremendous impact on a person’s life” (anonymous).

   Picture a college dorm. I’m not talking about a guy’s dorm where there are probably stinky smells and clothes everywhere. I am talking about a girl’s dorm where there are good smelling soaps and organized clothes. That is where this story begins. At Lancaster Bible College each student who stays on campus is required to do dorm duties. When I was there each girl needed to do one job per week. There were jobs like cleaning the toilet, cleaning the shower, vacuuming, taking out the trash, taking out the recycling, cleaning the sinks, etc.

   Most people did not like doing those jobs. But, since we did them once each week, things did not get too messy. There was a point in time where most of the girls were getting stressed. I decided to do all of the dorm duties for the girls, but I did not tell them I did it. All of the girls were so surprised and thankful. Some of them still do not know that I was the one who did that. I did not tell them because I wanted them to thank God for the blessing they received.

   Kindness is “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate” (Oxford dictionary). Seems like a pretty simple and straightforward definition but being kind isn’t always easy. Sometimes there are people who we just do not get along with. And, other times we feel like we just do not have time to be kind.

   Many people think that in order to be kind one must do extravagant things. That simply isn’t the case. I have found that most people feel more blessed by the simple acts. Every day we are given the chance to do a random act of kindness for at least one person. What does kindness look like? It is letting that person go in front of you in line. It is picking up trash on the floor. It is holding the door for someone. Kindness can be shown in the little things we choose to do every day that will bring a smile to someone’s face.

   So, are you willing to go out of your way to show kindness to others? Do you believe that kindness can be shown in the little things you choose to do for others?

   Colossians 3:12, Proverbs 3:3, Luke 6:35, Galatians 5:22-23

Having Patience While Waiting: The Fruit of the Spirit Series

   “Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting” (Joyce Meyer).

   “Are we there yet?” “Is it almost time for dinner?” “When is it time for recess?” “When will Jesus come back?” What do all of these sayings have in common? They all have to do with waiting and patience. And, they all have to do with busyness. In our American culture people really have issues waiting or slowing down. Why is that? It is because we have difficulties being patient.

   To be patient one must “bear pains or trials calmly or without complaint” (Merriam-Webster). You may be saying, after reading that definition, I am pretty patient. I want you to think about the last time you were in a traffic jam. How patient were you then? I’m pretty sure you are saying that you were not that patient. See, patience has a lot to do with time. In our culture being on time is important. We only have so many hours in the day in order to get things done. We don’t want to make others wait.

   All of that can be good because we are respecting others. But, it is also bad at times because we start to get angry when things don’t go the way we planned. In order to have patience we need to lean on God. He has a perfect plan for our lives. There is a reason why you were stuck in that traffic jam. You may never know the reason, but you can rest easy knowing you are within God’s will. That’s why we can have a good attitude whenever something doesn’t go the way we planned. Think about it: will getting angry change the situation? Will getting upset change the situation? No, it probably will not. That is why we must learn to be patient and trust God’s will.

   So, are you going to change you attitude about things you cannot control? Will you trust that you are in God’s will? Will you work to be patient in all situations?

   Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 37:7-9, Galatians 6:9, Galatians 5:22-23

Peace During the Storm: The Fruit of the Spirit Series

   “Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart” (unknown).

   When you think of peace what pictures, things, or people come to mind ? You may think of Martin Luther King Junior, a calm ocean, a peace sign, or many other things. But, is that what peace really is?

   Peace is “a state of tranquility or quiet,” or, “freedom from civil disturbance” (Merriam-Webster). Can we all laugh now?  That seems like it would be a good definition for peace but I disagree.

   There is a story about a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. There were many submissions but the king narrowed them down to two. One picture was of a calm lake. Behind lake were mountains; and the sky was clear. The other picture had rugged and bare mountains. Rain fell from the sky and lightning was crashing. A foaming waterfall was down the side of the mountain. Behind the waterfall there was a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird built her nest and sat there in peace. The king chose the second picture (full story here).

   Peace is not being in “a state of tranquility or quiet.” Peace is to be in the midst of trouble and trials and still know everything will work out. Peace is learning to trust in God and his plan. Think about it. There are very few times in my life where bad things were not happening. When I stressed and worried about those things I was not helping anything; and I was just hurting myself. However, when I trusted God and had peace in my heart I felt a whole lot better. When bad things happen I know that there really is nothing I can do about them. I just need to trust God and follow him. Then I will have true peace.

   So, do you believe that peace is to have no trouble or to be in the midst of trouble and still be calm? Are you worried about everything that is going on in your life? Do you trust that God has a plan for you?

   John 16:33, 1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 4:8, Galatians 5:22-23

Showing Joy Through Trials: The Fruit of the Spirit Series

   “If you can’t find joy in the path you are on and what you are working toward now, how do you expect to find joy once you get there?” (Paulo Coelho).

   I walked into the women’s locker room at Lancaster Bible College and saw the girls getting ready for soccer. I began to get ready as well and then I saw one specific girl and I said “it’s Joy!” See, this girl’s name is Joy. As soon as I said it, it got her to smile. So, we continued to do that throughout the rest of the season. Why did I continue to do that? Well, one reason is because I like to be annoying :D. But, the main reason is because every time I said “it’s Joy,” She smiled and so did I. This little exchange made us both happy.

   But, that happiness was only temporary. We both eventually stopped smiling. Have you ever wondered why Paul says the fruit of the spirit is joy and not happiness? See, happiness is “a state of well-being and contentment” (Merriam-Webster). That means happiness is only temporary. I also believe that happiness is shown more outwardly. I can be smiling but on the inside I may not be happy.

   Now joy, joy is “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires” (Merriam-Webster). You may be saying “wait, what? That sounds a lot like happiness.” And, it does sound a lot like happiness. But, that is because the world uses happiness as a synonym of joy. Joy is different for Christians. Joy is on the inside. Christians can have joy because we have hope. We know that Christ died on the cross for our sins so that we could have eternal life; and that he is coming back. That is why we can have constant joy through the trials of life.

   But, it is not always easy to seem like we are joyful. How can we be joyful when bad things happen to us? We can be joyful by trusting in God and his plan for us. We know that bad things are going to happen. But, if we walk through life with God and lean on him we can continually be joyful through the trials in life. When we trust God and have joy on the inside we can then show joy and happiness on the outside, without wearing a mask.

   So, are you truly joyful because you have hope in Jesus? Do you trust that God has a plan for your life? Will you show your joy and happiness to others?

   1 Peter 4:13, Psalm 16:11, Isaiah 55:12, Galatians 5:22-23

The Fruit of the Spirit Series

   One subject that has been of interest to me ever since we did a Vacation Bible School on it at my church has been the Fruit of the Spirit. We went over these fruits of the spirit with the kids by talking about people in the Bible who exhibited these characteristics. But, looking back I wonder if I really knew what these characteristics mean. So many times we go through our lives using words that we cannot even define. Therefore, I decided to do a series on The Fruit of the Spirit.

   I will tell you it has definitely been a journey going through the Fruit of the Spirit. I have learned a lot about what I need to do more in my life in order to have these attributes. And, I hope you learn a lot too. Even if you do not learn too much, I hope that seeds are planted so that you would look in your own life and think about what attributes you may need to work on in order to grow in God. Thank you for going on this journey with me and for being a faithful reader of my blog.

   P.S. To get you in the spirit to learn about the fruits of the spirit here is a link to a Youtube video about the fruit of the spirit. I will warn you, it is a song for children. But, I was taught that teachers need to use an attention getter before the lesson begins in order to get students involved in the lesson 😉

   Galatians 5:22-23

Time to Slow Down

   Tick Tock, Tick Tock, Tick Tock. What was your first thought when you read that sentence? It was probably either clock or time. Time: it is a precious thing. Every day we have 24 hours to get things done. Every hour we have 60 minutes to fill with our busy lives. And, every minute we have 60 seconds to do something. But, have you ever stopped to think about how busy your life actually is?

   In America it seems like people are always on the go. We don’t have time to sit and talk. We don’t have time to wait in line. We don’t have patience. I admit that I too struggle with patience. I actually like to be busy and I know other people who like to as well. Why is that? Maybe it is because I want to make every moment count. Maybe it is because I know how little time I will actually spend on earth. Maybe it is because I know I need to provide for myself. Or, maybe it is because I am actually afraid of slowing down.

   I know that there have been times where I have just been sitting around doing nothing. Then I think to myself I could be doing so much right now. That’s when I remember an experiment one of my professors did. He walked in the room and said nothing. We all looked at the time finally and realized that class started five minutes ago. Everyone in the class got quiet. But, the professor still didn’t say anything; he just stood there and smiled. Some people started giggling, others asked what was going on, but I was silent. After ten minutes the professor said that he was quiet for ten minutes and everyone found that silence awkward. He asked us why is it that we found silence awkward? Then he said that it is probably because everything in our lives is so noisy and busy.

   The professor challenged us to go somewhere and just be silent. And, he wanted us to continue to find places where we could be silent and have solitude. It is a little strange at first; but it is in those times, when I slow down and just listen, that I find peace in the chaos. Yeah, my life is still busy but I am not as stressed as I used to be because I spend that extra time with God. It is important to work hard when we do work; but we shouldn’t spend all of our time working and no time with God. After all he is the one who gave everything we have, including our jobs, in the first place.

   So, this Labor Day I challenge you to slow down and spend some silent time with God; and, to think about how you can continue to slow down throughout the year. You just may be less stressed, be happier, and grow more in God.

   Matthew 6:6, Luke 6:12, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Times of Questioning

   The Devil lies. That's what I keep telling myself. I keep on having thoughts go through my head that say: "I'm not doing a good job," "I don't have a purpose for being where I am at in life," "I should give up and go back to the things or places I know."
   It is easy for me to ignore these lies when I am in times, or areas/places, where I am confident. When I was in school I knew my routine. I knew to get up, get ready for school, go to school, go to soccer, do my homework, and go to bed.
   Granted, in that time, unexpected episodes happened. I had friends come up to me to discuss problems, family issues, etc. But, I generally knew what to do in order to succeed in everything still. Therefore, anytime I heard the Devil say something to me that I knew wasn't true, I was able to dismiss it easily.
   Now I am in a time and area where I don't really know what I'm doing. I mean, I was trained for this but every school is different. Every soccer program is different. I'm still trying to find my footing in both of these areas in my life. I'm out of my comfort zone entirely, which is a scary place to be. On top of it is easier to listen to the Devil's lies. I keep hearing: "YOU are not doing a good job," YOU don't have a purpose for being here," YOU should give up."
   Here's the thing: these lies are poison. What happens when you get poisoned? You need someone to take care of the poison. You cannot really take care of yourself. When we are in times of Questioning, or in times of new places, we need a few things in order to succeed and stay sain.
   First you need a group of people to come around you and support you. Those people may be mentors, friends, or prayer warriors. But, if you don't have these people when the crazy kicks in you will have no one to go to when you are at times when you feel you should give up. I have a group of people who I have known for years supporting me, I have a new group of people at school and soccer surrounding me and teaching me, and I have all of these people praying for me. Knowing that these people are with me is helping me to keep moving forward.
   Second in your time of Questioning you need to have people who you can ask your questions to. Without these people you will probably go nuts thinking about all the little details you don't know. You need at least one specific person, in your new area, who you can go to to ask questions or just talk.
   Finally, you need to trust God. When I first got the call about soccer I wanted to do it, but I wasn't sure it was plausible with my career. However, it became clear that I was to take that role on. Then after I took that role I received a part time job teaching job that worked perfectly with my soccer schedule. God knew this would happen and made it clear that this is where I should be in my life.
   Am I scared sometimes? Oh yeah. Do I have mini freak out sessions? Every once in a while. But the most important question I have had to answer through this experience is: is this where God wants me to be? I believe the answer is yes. That is why I'm going to ignore the Devil and his lies. That is why I'm going to keep moving forward. That is why I am going to trust God.
   So, do you have a hard time ignoring the Devil's lies? Do you have a group of people surrounding you to help you in times of Questioning? Do you trust God that he has put you where you are for a purpose? 

   Proverbs 3:5-6, 2 Corinthians 11:3, Galatians 6:2

Mountains of Change

   Eric Matthews: “There’s going to be a lot of changes in your life, Cory. It’s not the changes that matter, it’s how you react to the changes. I mean, that’s what makes you who you are” (Boy Meets World). (Link to Youtube video here check out 14:44-17:22 in the video)

   There is a season of change coming up for many people. School is about to start for kids and for college students, parents have to get used to their children going back to school or leaving for college, and everyone needs to get out of the summer vacation mindset.

   I do not know what your season of change holds. Maybe you season is not changing as much as some other peoples’. However, at some point in your life things will change. I know for myself, I have a big season of change coming up. I will be teaching, substituting, and coaching this fall. It is a scary/exciting thought. I want to do my best but I am not sure I can handle it. Do you ever feel that way? Do you ever feel like you have a huge mountain in front of you that looks like it is impossible to climb?

   In life we go through a series of mountains and valleys. It feels great when we are going down the mountain and start walking across the valley because we are comfortable. We have been in a specific season for a while and we are used to our schedule. However, then we see the next mountain we need to climb and we get scared. Sometimes, we may even try to go around the mountain. However, if you have ever seen a mountain range, you know that typically mountain ranges are huge. We can try to delay the inevitable but if God is calling us to climb the mountain we will one way or another.

   Change is scary, which is why many people avoid it. However, if we do not change, we do not grow. If we do not change, we are never going to be the best we can be. If we do not change, we are not helping others. If we do not change, we will not learn more about God.

God wants us to be our best. That is why we need to change and grow. We may think the mountain is so high that we will never reach the top. Eric in Boy Meets World makes a great point. He says it is how you react to the changes that make you who you are.

   We can choose to climb the mountain with a negative attitude. We can complain, kick, scream, crawl, etc. As Christians, is that the way we should approach life? Should we kick and scream like a child? No! We should walk with God and trust him. We need to look at the mountain with confidence and say I can do this. I’m not saying that as we are climbing it will be easy. In the hard times, we need to remember that Jesus walks with us. He may have to carry us, or even drag us, sometimes; but, we still need to walk with him and have a good outlook while we are walking. That way other people will look at us and see how different we are. That is how we will spread the Gospel to the lost world.

   So, will you choose to trust God in your season of change? Will you have a good outlook as you are climbing your mountain? Will you walk with Jesus no matter what?

   Joshua 1:9, Proverbs 3:5-6, Philippians 4:6-7, Romans 12:1-2

Pressure All Around

   Imagine you are going throughout your day. Suddenly you see a man. He looks a little shady and you are not sure you should trust him. The man walks up to you and says, "hey, you wanna try this? I'll give you a free sample now." You look down and see a pill in the man's hand. You know taking drugs is wrong so you quickly say "no" and walk away. 
   As you walk away in you mind you suddenly see yourself in battle armor. You are holding a shield and the man hurls a spear at you. Since you are ready for it, you easily block the spear with your shield. 
    You shake your head and the vision disappears. You continue walking down the street and you see a woman. She looks like a business type woman. But, in her eyes you think you see a glint of trickery there. She walks up to you, shows you a magazine, and says, "would you like to buy a magazine? You can take a look to decide which one you like." Just looking at the front page and the title of the magazine you can tell that this is not a Godly magazine. You look at the woman, say "no thank you," and walk away quickly.
   Once again you have a vision. It is relatively the same. You have battle armor on and a shield, the woman throws a spear at you, and you block it. 
   You walk down the street and reach your designated meeting point. Your friend shows up and says, "rather than going for coffee do you want to try out this new place? I hear the food is good, the entertainment is great, and the drinks are to die for." Your friend winks. Since your friend suggested it, you decide that it cannot be that bad of a place. Therefore, you agree.
   This time as you are walking down the street your vision changes. You still have battle armor on and you are still holding a shield. However, this time your shield is down. Your friend has a spear and throws it at you. This time, since your shield is down, you are hit.
   Every day we have choices. We can choose to sin or we can choose to obey God. What we cannot see when we make those choices are the consequences, both physical and spiritual. There are battles going on all around us. 
   We have pressure every day to be like everyone else, choose to do the right thing, excel at our jobs. There is so much pressure. But, even when we have that pressure, we need to stay strong. We need to keep our shield up when we are tempted. Even our friends can tempt us to do the wrong thing and that's when we need to decide that no matter what we are going to obey God. 
   So, have you been tempted at all lately? What did you decide to do? Will you choose to do the right thing even when it's hard and your friends may not be making good choices?  
   Luke 10:27, John 14:15, 2 Corinthians 5:9-10
   This blog is based off of a sermon by my Uncle. Thanks for giving me this idea Uncle R. 

To the New LBC WSO Goalie; and All Other Soccer Players

   Soccer players have a hard life. Whether they are in middle school, high school, college, or even pro they have challenges. Those challenges may be family, friends, life, school, certain aspects of soccer, or something else. However, soccer players need to push past all of those problems and just play the game to the best of their ability. I do not know what is going on in your life right now; therefore, I cannot give you advice about that (unless I already wrote a blog about it). But, I can give you some advice about soccer.

   The first piece of advice is: never assume. Don’t assume you will be starting, don’t assume you know what to do and when to do it, and don’t assume you can’t do it. The biggest part of soccer that many players do not think about is the mental aspect. We come to soccer with all of these problems; and if you do not push past them you will not play your best. You are your own worst enemy. Most players cannot find the happy medium where they know they are good but they do not brag about it. You can NEVER assume you are that good or you are not that good, because as soon as you do another player will come along and beat you.

   The second piece of advice goes along with the first: you need to know that effort always beats skill. There are players out there who have natural abilities for soccer. It is great if you have those abilities. The problem is a lot of players who have those abilities just rely on them. If you are just sitting on the couch thinking that your natural ability will get you that starting position, you are in for a rude awakening. There are players out there, who do not have the natural ability, who are working their butts off in order to be better and to even beat you out for your position. If you want to keep your position you need to work hard too. You need to lead by example. You need to push yourself to be your best.

   The third piece of advice is: learn from your mistakes. I know this better than anyone because I am a goalie. Goalies make the most obvious mistakes on the field because, if they make a mistake, it gets noticed by everyone. I tell my players and keepers that I coach to have a goalie mind. They need to think about their mistakes for 10 seconds during games and practices then let it go. After the game or practice they can go back and think about what they did wrong. However, you cannot just think about what you did wrong. You also need to think about how you can fix it. If you do not reflect on how you can change you will not grow. This is what separates the good players from the great players. Great players don’t dwell on their mistakes. They think about them, figure out what they did wrong, think about how to fix them, and they fix it.

   The final piece of advice is probably the one that hits closest to home for me: never take it for granted. For so many years I have played soccer. I had natural ability but I worked hard to get better. However, I had other circumstances that almost made me decide not to play soccer during college. I can say that I am so thankful that I decided to play. If I did not I would not have met so many amazing people, impacted others whom I did not even know, and I would not have grown as much as I did. However, during my soccer years I think I took that time for granted. Don’t get me wrong playing soccer and having 19 credits was hard, and sometimes I wished my load was a little lighter. But, it was so worth it just to get to have those 4 years on LBC Women’s Soccer Team. Please, if you are playing soccer at this point, remember that it is a gift. Sure, you will have times where you wonder if it is worth it. But, when you look back I know there will be times where you had a great time and you realized you were growing.

   So, will you choose to have a proper mental outlook on soccer? Will you work hard to be better and grow? Will you learn from your mistakes and not dwell on them? Will you enjoy your time you have to play soccer?

   Ecclesiastes 7:1-14, Colossians 3:23-24, Proverbs 24:16

Have You Found the Key?

   One day I was out with a friend and her children. We had a good time but it was soon time for her to leave. She gathered up the children and their things. They were about to leave when she realized she lost her keys. She asked me to watch the kids while she searched high and low for the keys.

   I sat with the kids and talked with them. Then I looked around the grass as I was sitting there. I saw a blue thing in the grass but I thought it was just a bottle cap to a drink. I took the girls over to the pavilion because it started to rain. My friend came back to look around the pavilion.

   Finally, it stopped raining. My friend took one of the older children back out to look for the keys again. I decided that I should take the other kids out to look as well. I asked the older child, that was with me, what the keys looked like. She said they were blue on the top and black on the bottom. I walked over to the blue thing I saw earlier. Sure enough it was the keys.I called my friend over and she started praising God because we found the keys.

   You may be wondering why I told you this story, but I always have a point to my stories don’t I? ;) The point is that if we don’t know what we are looking for then we probably won’t find it. People in the world are looking for ways to fill the hole they have in their hearts. They are looking for peace and they cannot find it in anything here on earth.

   Christians know how to fill that hole and they know how to have true peace. We need to spread the Gospel and tell others how to be saved. If we do not, then those people may never know how to be saved. They will be looking for the key that is right in front of them but they cannot find it because they do not know what they are looking for.

   So, are you spreading the Gospel so that others may know how to be saved? Are you looking for a way to fill that hole in your heart? If you are, I urge you to talk with someone about how you can be saved. Or, if you are unsure if you should accept Christ check out this blog. Then, if you feel you need to accept Christ either talk with someone you know is Christian, ask someone at a church, or check out this website.

   John 3:16, John 14:6, Matthew 28:16-20

Are You a Lifeguard or a Pool Monitor?

   Imagine you see a pool where children are splashing, playing, and having fun. You smell sunscreen and chlorine. There is laughter all around. You lie down and just as you begin to relax you hear screams and splashing. You get up quickly and look at the pool. There is a child splashing in the deep end. The child is screaming when it comes up out of the water. And, when the child goes under the water, you see bubbles. You realize the child is drowning.

   Frantically you look around and locate the lifeguard. You run over to the lifeguard and ask the lifeguard why he isn’t helping the child. The lifeguard looks down at you and says “oh, I’m not a lifeguard I am just a pool monitor. I’m supposed to let a person who is drowning know that he or she is drowning.” The lifeguard looks down at the child and says “hey, you are drowning.”

   Your mouth drops and you cannot believe what you are hearing. You grab the life saver from the pool monitor and throw it to the child. You are hoping that she would have the sense to grab it and save her life.This situation is a metaphor. Obviously if you see someone drowning you are going to try and do whatever you can to save that person. But, if you see someone who does not know Christ and is going down the wrong path are you going to be willing to say to them “you are not saved?” That’s all well and good if you are willing to do that but you need to take another step too.

   The pool monitor just sat there and told the girl she was drowning but that was not enough. Christians can walk around looking at the world and say “you are not saved.” But, if we do not tell them how to be saved are we actually saving them? Are we following the great commission?

   In the story you throw the life saver to the child. Thus, you are telling the child how to save herself. At that point you hope that the child will grab onto the only thing that can save her. When witnessing to the lost we can tell them how to save themselves but then we just need to hop that they will choose to accept that salvation. That’s not where our job stops though.

   Let’s say that child decided to grab onto the life saver. Would you just walk away from that child after she grabbed that? No, you would make sure she was okay. You would find her parents and make sure they understood what happened. As Christians, after someone accepts Christ, we need to come alongside that person and help her in her walk with God. This may mean we stay in contact, make sure she is alright, answer questions, and help her find someone who she can trust to help her in her walk with God.

   Our job does not end when that person accepts Christ; in fact that is only the beginning. If we are willing to help that person accept Christ we should be willing to help that person in her walk with Christ too.

   So are you willing to save the lost? After those people accept Christ are you willing to come alongside them and help them in their walk with Christ?

   Romans 10:9, Mark 16:15-16, Hebrews 10:24-25

When Insecurities Come Up...

   I am a person who enjoys joking around and picking on my friends. It is one way that I show my love and show I care about people. I also enjoy picking on my sister’s friends. 
   One day we were at my sister’s soccer game. We were waiting for the game to start. My sister was with her friends and I was with the coaches. I knew that one of my sister’s friends did not like it when I stared at her. I started staring to see how long it would take her to notice that I was staring at her. My sister’s friend finally noticed.
   My sister’s  friend looked at me then looked away. I chuckled and my sister’s friend decided to whisper something to my sister. Now, I know teenage girls because I was one at some point in my life. And I knew this girl didn’t actually say anything to my sister. She was just pretending that she did say something so that I would freak out or stop looking at her.
I looked over at my sister and I said, “she didn’t actually say anything, did she?” My sister laughed and so did her friend. Then my sister confirmed that her friend did not actually say anything. 
   This whole situation got me thinking, “why exactly did my sister’s friend pretend to say something?” She did it because she wanted me to stop looking at her. But, she also did it because she was insecure. She was insecure because I was looking at her and she thought that I was making judgements about her. That’s how girls are. They/We assume that we are not good enough and every one is judging us.
   Then, if we feel insecure, we want to take the insecurity, or attention, off of us. My sister’s  friend did this by pretending to whisper about me. I knew this was all a game because we have played it before. But, there was a time in my life where I would have thought about what my sister’s friend said about me. I would have let that insecurity fester until all I thought about was what my sister’s friend said.
   But, I did not do that because I have changed.  I know that it does not matter what others think about me because I have God with me. All that matters is that I know my identity is in God. If I have peace in him then no matter what people say about me, think about me, or do to me doesn’t matter. I have confidence in myself through God. 
   No matter what age you are you will face people who do not like you, have opinions about you, and will do mean things to you. But, if you have faith and trust in God then it doesn’t matter what they say or do. The things of this world are temporary. We can choose to forgive those who hurt us because we have been forgiven much.
   So, do you care too much about what others think about you? Do you know your identity is in Christ? Will you choose to trust in God and forgive others?
   John 1:12 and 2 Timothy 12:7