Ignoring the Problem

   Once I walked up to my room and I saw something very scary. It was tiny, black, and buzzing right toward me. I ducked then proceeded to calmly scream. After that I ran out of the room forgetting why I even went in there in the first place.

   I figured that the wasp had gotten through a hole where my air conditioner was in my window. That's why I thought that the wasp would just leave when it realized there wasn't any food in my room.

   I went upstairs that night to go to bed. That's when I saw it: a small wasp nest was up in the corner of my room. I peered in the tiny hole and I didn't see anything. I figured that the wasp built the nest and just left. I didn't want to touch it in case there was a wasp in there that I didn't see; so I left it there.

   The next day I went to go in my room again, and again I saw the wasp and the wasp nest. The only difference is the nest was bigger. That's when I realized my mistake. Because I ignored the nest, it got bigger. Long story short: one day I went upstairs with a fly swatter, found the wasp, killed it, and got rid of the nest.

   This experience taught me a lesson: if you ignore the problem many times it doesn't go away, it just gets worse. If I would have continued to ignore the nest, it would have gotten bigger and more wasps would have joined the nest. It is the same way with other problems and sin. If we ignore the sin in our lives it will just get bigger and worse. If we ignore a problem it will get bigger and worse.

   Ephesians 4:22 says: "So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to - the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires." We are to try not to sin when we become Christians. Will we still sin? Yes, we are not perfect and God knows this. That's why he sent Jesus to be a sacrifice for us. Yet, we are to try to follow Jesus. That means we are to do the right thing because we know what the right thing is.

   Along those lines, if we know the right thing and we keep sinning then we are just letting the wasp nest grow bigger. Hebrews 10:26-27 says "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries." We know what is right. Because we know what is right, we are required to do our best to do what is right. We cannot keep going back to our sin, or ignore certain parts of our lives where we know we are sinning.

   Which leads me to my final point: if we know someone is sinning and we don't keep them accountable that's a problem too. Galatians 6:1-2 says "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." We have a responsibility to keep each other accountable. Now that doesn't mean if someone is sinning we go to them and scream at them. We can go to them in love. We need to think about what we are going to say; and show we are saying this because we care about them.

   So, do you have a wasp's nest you are ignoring in your life? What can you do to get rid of that problem today? Do you know someone who has a problem that you can help with? What can you do to help someone today?
   Image from here.

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up

   Some of you may know that I was a soccer goalie. Throughout my goalie career I received many injuries, as I'm sure you can imagine. I have had minor injuries, like brush burns. And, I've had major injuries, like black eyes and boarder line concussions. No matter what injury I received they all had one thing in common: after each injury I received, I got up. As a goalie, it is vital that I got up after each play. If I did not get up then my teammates may have thought I had given up, I would not have made the second save if I needed to, and my team may have thought I was hurt.

   One time when I was playing an indoor game I went out to make a standard breakaway save. I got the ball and then I went to get up quickly like normal, but I couldn't. I started to panic. My body felt fine except for a few brush burns. Then I realized someone or something was touching my head. Turns out my friend, who played defense, was running back and was afraid she was going to kick my head. Instead of kicking my head she used her hand to hold my head down. I don't know how she got her hand down mid sprint but she did, and I've never been more freaked out in my whole goalkeeper career. You have to understand that when I want to get up I get up. I'm not used to something or someone holding me down.

   Maybe you have felt this way about a different situation. You may have been going through a tough time and you just felt like you couldn't get up out of the situation. You may have even felt like the devil was the one holding you down. It reminds me of the commercial where the older person has fallen and she can't get up. Like I'm talking this situation is so bad that it feels like it is the devil pushing you down and you cannot get up. Believe me I have been in that situation as well and it is 10 times worse than just your head being held down. I am talking major panic attacks, worrisome thoughts, and it seems like there is no hope.

   What can you do when it feels like you've fallen and you can't get up because the devil has pushed you down? Let's take a look at the ultimate example again. Jesus was pushed around by the devil. He was out in the wilderness, fasting for 40 days. Could you imagine not eating for 40 days? Let alone, being alone for 40 days? Satan knew this would be the time that Jesus was the weakest. He went to Jesus and tempted Jesus 3 times. He, in essence, tried to hold Jesus down 3 times. Each time Jesus  rebuked the devil. Jesus knew that Satan was wrong because Jesus knew scripture. Jesus kept his eyes fixed on God. In the end Jesus said to Satan: “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve’” (Mat.4.10). Jesus used the ultimate take down: he used scripture. He flipped the script on the devil. He flipped the devil over and K.Oed him.

   Jesus gives us this power too, but we cannot do it on our own. Many people would like to think they can do it on their own. They think all of the sudden they are going to get hulk powers and rip the devil apart. Is that what Jesus did? Is that what God did? Ha, no the most powerful beings did not just flip the devil over. They could, Jesus could have that day, but instead he was an example for us. He used God's word to prove that we need him. Jesus comes and tag teams with us. We just need to be willing to call on him, tag him, and let him K.O. the devil. With his help, we cannot be held down.

   So, the next time you are held down what will you do? Do you believe that with Jesus' help you cannot be held down? What can you do to make sure that you grow in your walk with your wrestling partner, Jesus?

   Matthew 4:1-25 and Proverbs 24:16

   Image from here.

The Random Compliment a Day Challenge

   Let’s get real about something here: do you ever feel like you are being talked about? My family enjoys saying: “were your ears burning?” That means they were talking about me even though I wasn’t there. Another thing that happens is you are actually in the room with other people and you just get the feeling that people are talking about you.

   It is like this clip from Mulan (Here watch 1:12-1:23). Okay, so maybe it isn’t that obvious but you get my point. We are talked about every day even if we do not realize it. Sometimes people are saying negative things about us, like in this clip (and, yes, I know the clip was a little obvious because Yao was talking about Mulan). But, we should not care about that because it only matters what God thinks about us (Caring and Yet Not Caring).

   However, there is that occasion where people are saying something nice about you. I’ve realized something though. Many times people say nice things behind our backs and we may not know what they actually said.

   For example: one day I was talking with the soccer girls that I coach. One of the other coaches walked by, we will call him Dude. One of the girls said “I love Dude. He makes soccer fun and he is so funny.” I said, “I see how I rate. Now he is your favorite but you also said you like G (another coach).” She said, “well Dude cannot hear me. You are right here.” I looked at her with confusion, “why does that matter?” She chimed back, “I normally only talk about people when they are not around me.” At this point I was so confused I laughed and went over to talk with the other coaches.

   That conversation made me realize that we do not tell others what they think about them nearly enough. Now, I’m not saying that we should go tell people we don’t like them. What I am saying is that we are not really following the Bible and showing love/encouragement to each other when we do that. The Bible tells us that we need to build one another up (1 Thessalonians 5:11). We need to show love to others in the way that best fits them (See Love is Kind of a Funny Word blog)

   I walk though my day doing the best I can to reflect God’s glory. I am working on not caring about what others think about me, but it is still important for us to lift one another up. I’m not just saying we should lift one another up in bad times; we also need to do it in the good times. Admit it: you would love to get a random compliment from someone when you were not expecting it. And you will also have completed a random act of kindness for the day. I know when I get a compliment it pushes me to do even better. It is just something simple we can do to make the world a better place.

   So, will you choose to tell others how you feel about them? Will you give others random compliments? Will you encourage others like we are called to do?

   Hebrews 10:23-25, Proverbs 27:17, Proverbs 12:25

Time Machine

    Way, way back my church used to do Vacation Bible Schools. When we had VBS we would take the children in a "time machine" and go back to Bible times to hear from someone from that time. Doing this got me thinking: "what if we would actually have a time machine? Would any of the people from Bible times want to change something they did? Would we want to change anything we have done?"
   What about you? If you had a time machine and you could go back and change any one moment in your life would you do it? Why would you want to change that event? Do you regret a decision you made? Well, I cannot speak to your answer because I don't know what your answer is; so, I will speak to my answer. I would not go back and change anything in my life.
   Some of you may have a hard time believing my answer. I have made choices in my life that were not the greatest choice. I could have done things differently and gotten a different result. However, if I would have made different choices, I would not be the person I am today. If I would have made different choices I would not be where I am at today. If I would have made different choices, I may not have been able to reach as many people for Christ.
   I am a firm believe that everything happens for a reason. It is difficult to hold onto that at times. However, over and over in the Bible we see God's perfect plan coming about. God also has a plan for our lives as well.
   In Genesis we find the story of Joseph. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, thrown in prison, and forgotten. I'm sure Joseph wondered if there was something he did wrong. He may have wanted a time machine to go back and try to get along with his brothers more. In the end of Joseph's story, he saved not only his family but also all of Egypt and more. In Genesis 50:20 Joseph says to his brothers: "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." Joseph had to go through all of those difficult things as a test to see if he was ready to rule and save so many people.
   If you need more convincing check out Romans 8:28 which says: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." It may be hard to go through difficult times, but they happen for a reason. We just need to trust in God and his perfect plan for our lives.
   So, would you go back and change an event in your life if you could? Why or why not? How can you choose to trust in God's prefect plan each day?
Image from here.

Do You Believe in Miracles?

I love stories. I enjoy reading them, watching them in videos, and hearing them from people. I don't really know why I enjoy stories so much. Maybe it's because I grew up with people reading them to me. Maybe it's because they take me on new adventures. Or, maybe it is a combination of reasons.
Now that I am a teacher I read many stories to students. The students love hearing the stories. However, I've found that there is one genre of stories that students enjoy hearing a lot: fairy tales. I also like hearing fairy tales. I am talking about the "and they all lived happily ever after" ones not the gross ones. Why is it that we enjoy fairy tales so much?
I think there are a few reasons we enjoy fairy tales. One is the fact that the characters "All live happily ever after." We know that problems happen in the story but we also know it will all turn out alright. Another reason is the stories are not real. We get tired of reality and how nothing seems to go right. The final reason is because there is usually some element of magic in these stories.
Now, again, before you call me a heretic for saying I enjoy these stories because of magic, hear me out. What is the magic in these stories? The magic that happens are things that usually cannot occur in real life. The magic is impossible. We enjoy impossible things. It excites us. It enamors us. It makes us believe that there's something, or someone, more out there.
Well, believe it or not there is magic that occurs in real life. No, we don't have fairies going around granting wishes. What we have is something better: we have God. No, God doesn't work like the magical items or people in fairy tales. Instead, he works things for our good. He does this in everyday things and occurrences. He does this in everyday miracles.
Psalm 77:14 says: "You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples." Think back to Bible times: how many miracles can you point out? There are over 150* miracles just listed in the Bible. Does God still perform miracles today? Maybe not like he did in the bible but he still works miracles. The problem is we tend to not see it. A miracle could be you are really thirsty but you cannot get to a water fountain and you don't have a water bottle. Then someone comes up and gives you a water bottle. That's a miracle! That person had no reason to come up and give you a water bottle and yet, he did!
Now, that's not to say that God doesn't still perform miracles like he did back in Bible times. We hear of amazing stories of people praying for healing for someone and that person is miraculously healed. We hear of stories of many people coming to Christ. That's a miracle! We hear stories of people being saved from very scary situations. Those things that happen are miracles. And, we need to be sure that when these miracles happen, we thank and praise God! He is the one who works things for our good. He is the God of miracles. He's the God of making impossible things possible.
So, do you believe in miracles? Do you praise God when miracles happen? 
* https://www.spiritoflifeag.com/how-many-miracles-are-there-in-the-bible/

Image from here.

The Power of Perspective: Happy New Year!

   Some of you know that each year I give myself a spiritual resolution. I challenge myself to come up with one area in my spiritual walk that I need to grow in. This year I challenged myself to be more thankful. I did this though my prayer time with God. Each time I would pray I would start by praising God. Then I would thank him for five things, people, or events that happened that day or something reminded me of them that day.
   The interesting part of my choice is that I chose it before I even knew COVID existed. The year before this year I realized that even with all the problems that come in my life I have a lot to be thankful for. Many times we forget that simple fact: we have much to be thankful for.
   It isn't always easy to be thankful. This year I got the flu for the first time, got strep throat, was in quarantine for three months, did not get to go on my official vacation, did not get to coach for three teams I usually coach for, had to go through a lot of changes at work, and so on.
   Perhaps you had some of these things happen to you as well. 2020 was not an easy year for many of us. However, this journey of trying to be thankful has taught me that it is all about perspective. Let me show you what I mean: I got the flu this year, which was not fun, but I had a warm place to stay and a family who took care of me. I had strep throat this year, which was not fun, but my sister stayed home with me to take care of me. I was in quarantine for three months, which was not fun, but I got to spend more time with my family. I did not go on my official vacation this year, which was not fun, but it made me more thankful of the time I got to spend at Camp YoliJwa later when I counseled. I did not get to coach three teams I usually coach, which was not fun, but I was thankful for the time I got to spend with the teams I worked with in the fall. I had to go through a lot of changes at work, which was not fun, but it made me realize how lucky and thankful I am for a job.
   Do you see my point? Yes, 2020 has brought a lot of problems. We have a choice when those problems come up: we can focus on the bad things or we can focus on the good things that we have or that come out of those bad things. I am very thankful that God led me to have thankfulness as my spiritual resolution this year. It helped me get through the year, be thankful even when it was hard, and to trust in God through it all.
I hope that as you look back at 2020 you try to see the things, places, people, and events that you have to be thankful for. I pray that as we move into 2021 we all remember that we have much to be thankful for.
   So, are you choosing to try to be thankful in all things? How can you remember to be thankful each day? Will you choose to trust in God and his plan?

   Philippians 4:6-7 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

   Image from here.