How Old Are You?

   I like to play video games. Now, I'm not talking about those violent video games. I'm talking about fun ones like Mario, Lego, and Wii sports.
   A while back we got the Wii Fit game. In that game you could weigh yourself every day, figure out your balance, and improve your health by exercising. When you weighed yourself you could go through some exercises to figure out how good your balance was. Then the Wii Fit Board calculated what your age was based off of your ability in those games. 
   If your age was younger than your actual age, or close to your actual age, you would be good. However, most of the time, your Wii Fit age was much older than your actual age. That is because you were still getting used to exercising and keeping your balance. 
   This is a lot like your spiritual age vs your physical age. Some of us have been going to church and learning about God for our whole lives. That means our spiritual age may be older than our physical age. Others of us have just learned the good news so, even though we are older, we have a young spiritual age. 
   Here's the great thing about spiritual age: it can grow a whole lot faster than your physical age. You may be asking how that can happen. Well, it is a matter of how childlike you are. I'm not saying how immature you are, I'm saying how curious you are and how much faith you have. New Christians tend to have a fire and curiosity to learn about God. But as we grow in God, we start to think we know it all and forget that we have to keep growing. 
   How can we keep growing? You can read the Bible, study the Bible and other Christian books, pray, or go to church. Any time that you are trying to gain information about God you are growing in knowledge of God. Every time I read the Bible I gain new insight and understanding. Shouldn't that be our goal? We should want to grow in God.
   Finally, for those of us who have an older spiritual age, we have a responsibility. We need to help those who have a younger spiritual age grow. That may mean being open to having conversations with those people. It may mean praying for them. Or, it could mean writing a note of encouragement. The bottom line is we are in fellowship and community for a reason: to help one another grow and keep each other accountable.
   So, what is your spiritual age? Are you trying to grow in God no matter what your spiritual age is? Are you helping those with a younger spiritual age than you grow in God?

   Colossians 1:9-10, 2 Peter 3:18, Matthew 18:3

What's The Point?

   "I like that you have a reason for everything you do" (a friend). I've had friends come and go in my life. Do I miss some of the friends I am no longer close with? Yes, but I believe that every friendship I have had taught me something and happened for a reason.
   Some of my friends know me as the Question Queen. I love to ask random questions. Some of the questions I ask are really deep, while others are just simple ones. Every question that I ask I ask for a reason. Sometimes my friends can figure that reason out right away, while other times it takes them a while. When it takes them a while it makes me laugh because I know what is going on but they don't.
   It's kind of the same way with God. God has this amazing plan for everyone. He knows what each person is capable of and wants to help us grow. During the times when we wonder, "why is this happening?" God is looking down and saying, "just wait until you see what I have in store for you." He has a reason for everything he does.
   Why do you do the things you do? Do you do it for your own selfish gain? Do you do it to look good in front of others? Christians have an even greater responsibility on earth. We are called to love others, care for the earth, spread the gospel and so much more. Other people are to look at us and see the light of Jesus in us.
   We need to think about why we do what we do. If each day we wake up and think only of ourselves then we can't call ourselves Christian. If we wake up each day and think, "I want to do what I can to spread the love of Jesus and reflect God's glory." Then we are on the right track. We need to start to use our brains and think about the reason for why we do things. Only then will we truly be following in Jesus' footsteps.
   So, do you know the reason for why you do things? Do you understand that the point of our lives is to reflect God's glory? Will you choose to be a light for Jesus?
   Ecclesiastes 3, Matthew 5:16, 1 Corinthians 10:31

Temporary Fills

   What if you got everything you ever wanted in the whole world? I'm talking about material things here, not people. It's kind of like when Genie comes out of the lamp in Aladdin and says he will grant Aladdin 3 wishes. However, there are some rules. 1. He cannot kill anyone. 2. He can't make anybody fall in love. 3. He can't bring people back from the dead. And 4. You can't wish for more wishes.
   Now obviously this is a little different because you get as many material things as you want. Wouldn't it be great to get that flat screen TV that you've been saving for? Or, get that house you've dreamed of. How about the pet, designer clothes, car, etc? I bet you would be so happy.
   Actually, I don't think you would be happy. See we all have a problem with wanting to fill our lives with temporary fills. We save up for expensive things like cars, homes, clothes, etc. But, in the end, those things fade. 
   Now imagine you had everything you ever wanted but you did not have anyone to share those things with. You would be all alone with all of your things and have no companionship. Even my Kindergartners know that in order to survive living things need companionship. 
   Let me ask you this: why do you work so hard every day? I'm sure you said something along the lines of: providing for your family. Well, especially in America, we have this problem where we get so focused on providing and making money that we forget to take time out with our family and friends. It makes a lot of sense right? We work hard to provide for our family but we don't give them the gift of our presence. 
   Speaking of giving in the book The Broken Way Ann Voskamp says: "If your living isn't about giving, then you're already dying. You've got to use the life you've been given to give to others." Not only are we called to give to our families but to others as well. Think about the people out there who never give and die alone. They are truly dying because they are not doing what we are called to do. We need to use this life we've been given to reflect God's glory. 
   What can we do to combat our inner thoughts about our desires? We can pray to God to ask him to help us to not be tempted by our desires. Am I saying going out to get a car for your family is wrong, no. But getting things you don't need that will keep you from helping others, and your time with God, is wrong. We can focus on reflecting God's glory. If we ask ourselves what would God want us to do? We will get our answer.
   So, will you be a giver rather than a getter? Will you reflect God's glory through your actions? Will you give the gift of yourself to others?
   2 Corinthians 4:18, 1 John 3:17, Philippians 2:4

Getting Dirty on Your Journey

   I've said it many times: throughout our lives we grow. We can grow the right way or the wrong way. But, what makes us grow? We aren't like a plant where we need water, sunlight, and dirt. We need much more in order to grow. We need to be washed clean by Jesus's blood, have the Son's light shine in us, and have dirt in our lives...
   Okay so once again you're probably wondering where I'm going with this but I'm going to say stay with me I always have a point. The first two things we need make sense. We need to accept Christ so we can be washed clean. Then we need to have Jesus' light shine in us so others may see it and be saved. But the last one doesn't make sense: why do we need dirt in our lives? Aren't we supposed to be clean?
   We are to be clean but since there is sin in the world that is hard. We may try not to sin and we may succeed at times. However, others may not know that they should not sin. This creates problems, or dirt, in our lives.
   There's a song in the Disney movie Tarzan called Son of Man. There's one specific line in the song that says: "On this journey that you're making there'll be answers that you seek and it's you who climb the mountain it's you who reach the peak." We are growing. We have many mountains in our lives that seem impossible to climb, but nothing's impossible with God. We see that again and again in the Bible. God climbs our mountains with us. We may have dirt, or problems, thrown at us but those are to give us nutrients.
   If we did not have problems we would not grow. Think about what we pray for: we pray for our problems to be taken away. Sometimes God says yes, sometimes he says no, and sometimes he says just wait a little longer. Then there's always one option that we don't think about: God says "yes I'll take the problem away but not in the way you think." He knows what is best for us. He knows what we need in order to take the next step up that huge mountain. We may not like our problems when we are in the middle of it but we need to rest in the fact that God has a plan. He has a point just like I did in this, even if you didn't understand it at first.
   Just like a plant needs water; sun light; and dirt, we need Jesus' blood; Son light; and dirt. We need dirt problems because they provide us with the nutrients we need to grow. It may be we need more patience, wisdom, kindness, Self-control, or love. We have dirt thrown at us so we can grow in those areas. God is shaping us and helping us grow. Never forget that God is helping you grow in him. He walks with you and you can rest assured that nothing is impossible with him.
   So, when you go through problems, or dirt, in life do you know it is to help you grow? Do you believe that nothing is impossible with God? Will you walk with Him no matter what is thrown at you?

   Colossians 1:9-10, 2 Corinthians 5:9, Philippians 4:6-7

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone: New Years

   Last year I talked about how my goal for the new year was to be positive. The way I did that was by writing down at least one good thing that happened each day, no matter how bad the day was. This year I had a new challenge for myself.
   If you were to just meet me you may think a few things. 1. I am very quiet and calm. 2. I am not very positive because I don't smile much. 3. I don't like to do things that are unfamiliar to me.
   Later on, if you got to know me more, you would realize 1. I can be very loud in the right circumstances and I can be really crazy (soccer, if I'm teaching, if I'm with my family, etc.). 2. I am positive, even though I don't smile much, and I love to encourage others. 3. I don't like to do things that are unfamiliar to me.
   If you are very observant you would have realized that the 3rd thing in each of those lists are the exact same thing. I, like many other people, do not like to get out of my comfort zone. Therefore, my challenge to myself this year was to get out of my comfort zone.
   Last New Years Eve I went to a friend's party. At that party they had dancing. I do not dance in public (unless it is the game Just Dance). I sat at a table looking at the people who were dancing. They seemed to be having fun. But, then my eyes wandered to the children who were dancing  (I'm a teacher, can you blame me)? The children were dancing and having fun. They didn't care who was watching they just wanted to dance and have fun.

   I continued to sit there watching. Then my friend came up and gave me my mentor's child to watch, since she had already tried to get me to dance. This little girl was around 3 years old. She was old enough to dance but she didn't want to because she was shy. I talked with her and then we decided that since we were both a little shy, if we went out to dance together it might be more fun. We went out on the dance floor and I taught her some dance moves. Before I knew it other children came over so I could teach them too. That would never have happened if I didn't get out of my comfort zone.

   Thus why last year became a time of me trying to get out of my comfort zone. Sometimes I didn't have much of a choice when it came to getting out of my comfort zone. This year there was a lot of change in my life. I graduated from college in 2016 and finished student teaching in late February of 2017. After that I had to get out in the work force and be an adult. I became a substitute teacher. That was a major comfort zone breakage: you are in a school you don't know, in a room you don't know, with children you don't know, and there are many more unknowns. On top of that I became a Head JV coach for the first time. That stretched me a lot because at the same time I had my first teaching job in a kindergarten classroom.
   Not only was there change around me this year, but also in me. I am constantly trying to grow and follow my own advice. Any challenge I give to you on my blog I try to follow myself.
   What did I learn in all of this? I learned that when I stepped out of my comfort zone I made a larger impact on others. The impact was different each time but important. If I stayed in my comfort zone in these situations, I would not have been able to encourage others and help them in their journeys.
   I also learned that not only are others impacted when you step outside your comfort zone, but you are as well. I have learned so many new things this year because I chose to step outside my bubble. I have grown so much as well. That is what we are called to do: grow. Grow in intelligence, in our emotions, and in God. That is how we will make an impact on this world.
   So, are you inside your own little bubble of a comfort zone? Have you tried to get out of your Comfort zone to make an impact on others? Will you step out to grow in God?

   Joshua 1:9, Matthew 5:12-13, Matthew 28:16-20