Used

   Way back there was a movie that came out called Tron. In the movie humans were called "users" and those who were a part of the Tron game were called "programs." Oddly enough I didn't always relate to the users (humans). Many times I felt I related with the programs. The programs did not like users because they felt betrayed by them and they were also kind of brainwashed to not like them.
   I go throughout my day trying to help others as much as I can. Because of that, I feel like I get used a lot. Don't get me wrong, I'm okay with doing all I do for people because I believe God calls me to do it. But, when you go through your day writing lesson plans, making items for your class so your kids can improve, writing unit plans, making gifts, coaching soccer, doing much more, and then repeating that the next day you feel burned out. 
   To make matters worse... typically we don't get thanked for what we do. I'm not saying that we should do the things we do so we get thanked or so we feel better than others. What I'm saying is that it is scientifically proven that if you hear the simple words: "thank you" you are more likely to continue to do what you are doing.
   There are days where I wonder if everything I do is worth it, especially since it all can be overwhelming. Then I think about Jesus. He did many things for others and there were times he never got thanked. He also, kept going even if it may have seemed overwhelming to us. Jesus probably had more right than most to be overwhelmed. He could have given up... but he didn't. He knew that if he did not keep fighting then we would all die. He did everything he did because of his unconditional love for us. 
   So, when you ask yourself "is this all worth it?" Who will you turn to? Will you keep fighting the good fight even when it seems like no one is thankful for what you are doing?

   Romans 5:8, Philippians 2:3-4, John 13:34
   Check out this video to see how saying thank you and focusing on positive things can make you happier https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5lZBjWDR_c 

   Image from here.

Following the Master

   Imagine waking up for the first time. You have just started your life, but you don't know why you are alive. You look around and see you have yellow arms and legs. Then you look next to you and see someone else. That person also has yellow arms and legs.
   You start to speak to the other person but when you speak it is a strange language. Both of you look around and see more and more people like yourselves.
   Then you see a large creature. The creature has large teeth, sharp claws, and hard scales. The creature sees another creature just like it and begins to fight it. The first creature beats the other creature and suddenly you realize what your purpose is: to follow and help the best master. Your first master is this creature.
   Thus, this is your life jumping from one master to another. You keep searching for the best master but you cannot find the perfect boss.
   If you haven't guessed by now this is based on the movie Minions. The Minions keep jumping from master to master because their old master dies, but the Minions only ever have 1 master at a time.
Matthew 6:24 says "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." The Minions got this part right. They knew that they could only serve one master faithfully, even if they did end up hurting their master. Do we have that kind of faith, or do we try to serve more than one master, or idol?
   The part that the Minions got wrong was the masters that they served. They served temporary masters. Am I saying it is wrong for us to obey those in charge of us? No, but the Minions chose who they followed and they followed evil masters.
   We decide who we want to follow. If we don't choose to follow Jesus then we are following the devil. There is no in between master. There is only one master who is perfect, who cares about you, and loves you enough to die for you. That master is Jesus Christ. He is the greatest boss we could ever have, yet he gives us freewill. We can choose to follow him or not.
   So, do you try to serve 2 masters? Are you serving the wrong master? Will you choose to follow Christ even though it may get difficult?

   Roman 10:9, 2 Corinthians 4:5, Matthew 16:24
   Image found here.

From "Lucky" to "Unlucky"

   Pause for a second. Think about the luckiest person in the Bible. Now, think about the unluckiest person in the Bible. You have your answers? I know I do… in fact my answer is the same person: Job.

   Job was probably the richest man on earth during his life. “This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East” (Job.1.1-3). Job thanked God for what he had every day.

   Then, all of the sudden, everything he had was taken away. We are not just talking about his animals. We are not talking about his home. We are talking about his family. In his family only his wife was left. Then, after he refused to curse God, he lost his health. His friends came over to weep with him but later say it is Job’s fault he lost everything (Job.2-5). When Job needs encouragement, and needs someone to just listen to him, his friends blame him.

   Job went from the most blessed man on earth to what seemed to be the most cursed man on earth. His wife even told him to curse God and die (Job.2.9). In all aspects of life it seemed like he had every right to be upset with God, especially since this went on for months. Job did question God but he never cursed Him. He knew that God had a plan and could bring about blessing even though it felt horrible to go through that (Job.1.21).

   Because Job obeyed God, and did not curse Him, God blessed him even more than before. If Job was alive today and received that today his wealth would be around 5 million dollars (Patrick Morley).

   What lessons can we learn from Job?

1.       The Lord giveth and taketh away (Job.1.21). We tell God that he is good. We say we believe he has a plan. But when the going gets tough what do we do? We turn and ask God, “what are you doing?” You ever think that God knows what he’s doing? You should think that because he does. Think about all the people from the Bible. They went through some difficult times but they stuck with God. If they did not, their stories would not be remembered today. We need to remember, like Job, that sometimes God’s blessings come in the storms of life.

2.       Encourage the hurting (Job.2-5). Do not, I repeat, DO NOT be like Job’s friends. If Job’s friends actually knew him they would know that Job did nothing wrong. Most of the time, when someone is truly hurting, he does not need to hear “it must have been something wrong you did.” He does not need to hear “everything happens for a reason.” What he needs to hear is “I am here for you,” “do not give up on yourself,” and most importantly “God is still with you.” Job just needed someone to cry with. He needed someone to listen. We must take a lesson from Job’s friends. If someone is hurting just be with them, pray from them, hug them, and do what you can for them. Never assume you know what that person is going through.

3.       Trust in God (Job.42.1-2). When all else fails, and you cannot go on, lean on God. Remember that God has great plans for you. You just need to be willing to walk through the valleys and climb some big mountains.

   So, will you choose to trust that God knows what he is doing? Will you encourage others during their times of need?

   Image from here.

A Tale of Change: Lessons from Beauty and the Beast

   “One winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away, but she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within” (Beauty and the Beast).

   The opening lines in Beauty and the Beast are probably some of the most powerful lines in the whole movie. It sets up the rest of the movie and reveals what the moral of the story will be. The whole movie is about not judging a book by its cover, and if you know Belle you know she loves books. What a coincidence right?

   Anyhow, there are other lessons we can learn from each of the characters in the movie; but let’s just stick to the main characters, shall we?

   From the very beginning of the movie we find out that Belle is considered odd. People do not like her new ways of reading and thinking. During the rest of the musical Belle learns to stand up for what she believes in. She chooses to be happy for how unique she is. God made us all unique and special. We should be thankful for how we are made and stand up for what we believe in (Psalm 139:14).

   Another lesson we learn from Belle is forgiveness. Imagine being Belle when she offers herself in exchange for her father, talk about self-sacrifice! She could have chosen to hold on to her anger toward the Beast. He took her away from her home and family. Doesn’t she have a right to be angry? Not according to God. He has forgiven us for our sins before we committed them. Thus, why we are called to forgive others (Ephesians 4:32).

   Next we have the Beast. He is a grumpy, selfish, angry man from the beginning of the movie. He is stubborn and set in his ways. If Belle is considered the kind, retriever like, push over then Beast is the opposite of that. You can only guess how the rest of the musical goes, opposites attract ;) Beast did not care for anyone but himself. He threw a pity party every day and refused to let go of his anger. He directed his anger at others but he was truly angry at himself. The lesson here is to let go of the anger we have from the past. It is the only way we can look forward to the future (Philippians 3:13-14).

   Beast did not stay that way. He chose to turn from his old ways of being selfish and angry. Beast in essence repented. He turned away from his old life and found a new life. The only way he did that was by loving others. We can also turn away from the old and show love to others (Acts 3:19).

   Finally, a lesson we can learn from the whole movie is change. Change is not easy. It means we need to let go of what we are used to. That means we need to let go of our old lives, old places, or people. But, without change there can be no growth. God gives us opportunities to change and grow in him, we just have to be willing to change for the better (Philippians 4:6-7).

   So, will you choose to be uniquely you and not care what others think? Will you forgive those who wrong you? Will you turn away from sins? Will you change and grow in God?

   P.S. Donegal High School is putting on the musical Beauty and the Beast this weekend. If you have time, I encourage you to check it out. It is a really amazing show!

Do You Care?

   When I was in my first semester of college I stayed on campus. While there I hung out with new friends, completed school work, and grew in God.
   One day my friends and I were walking up to our dorm. I was talking with them about different things. One of the girls was on the soccer team, and I was not. I mentioned something about playing soccer in high school and the girl said she didn't know I played soccer. I said "I've said I have played soccer before." She said "I don't know your life." This was a common saying of the girls in the dorm because it was in a movie. I finally said to her, "do you care?"
   Many times we walk through life thinking about what we need to do next. We also think about our needs, or the needs of our family members. I'm not saying that's not important, what I am saying is that I feel we have gotten away from what God called us to do.
   Your life is not about you, it is about what God can do through you. The order of precedence in your life should spell JOY: Jesus, Others, and You. Your relationship with God should come first then your relationship with others. It is only through this order in life that we will make an impact on others and reflect God's glory.
   I'm not saying that we need to drop everything and go to another country to help others. You can make choices every day to show others that you care about them. Rather than saying, "I don't know your life." You can take the time to get to know others. You can simply ask someone how her day is going, and actually listen intently to the answer. You could give someone a gift like chocolate or their favorite food. It does not have to be big and extravagant, just do something to make a difference and reflect God's glory. Then others will look at you and see something different. This will make them wonder what is different and you could have a chance to share your faith.
   So, have you been choosing to say: "I don't know your life" instead of getting to know people? Is your list of priorities in the order of JOY? How can you make a difference and reflect God's glory today?

   Philippians 2:4 and Matthew 6:33