I Can't Do It All

    Sometimes God brings about reminders that I am not a superhero. One time in particular was when one of my co-teachers was out for a week. Because of that, I had to work multiple days in a row from 7-5. Luckily, I talked with her over that next weekend, and she was feeling better. 

   Unluckily my other co-teacher got sick. On top of that another teacher got sick and it was spring break for the college students who usually fill in. And many of them went on vacation somewhere for break. Thus, I went through another three days of working almost every day 7-5. 

   It was that Wednesday that I reached my breaking point. I had worked many hours, interacted with children and others for most of my day when I'm an introvert, had other things to do outside work, and I was burnt out! I looked at my boss that day and I told her so. She understood and did what she could to make the week a bit smoother on me as my co-teacher was not in in the mornings the rest of the week due to her illness.

   Now, that week I had a choice. I could have continued to act like everything was okay. I could have done that and been cranky and emotional the rest of the week. But I didn't do that. I chose to be honest, real, and authentic with others. I chose to say, "God, I need your strength. Please help me shine your light during this week though I am tired." I chose to listen to Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

   God came alongside me, and I finished the week not on my own strength but His. Whatever you are going through, God will be there with you. He will carry you through if you trust in him.

   So, are you relying on God? How can you be authentic with others each day? What can you trust God with more in your life?

 

Thanksgiving Positivity

   Have you ever been in a place where you are surrounded by people who are being negative? I'll tell you what; I have been to many places and met many people who will never be content. These people who just find something to complain about whenever they get the chance. I'll give you some examples: "it is too rainy out to get anything done today." "These customers are so annoying." "I wish I could have gotten the red jacket instead of the blue one." And the list goes on and on.
   When I walk into a room where everyone is complaining I just feel drained. I get sick and tired of people who just say negative things. When I walk into that room and someone is complaining I normally try to put a positive spin on it. For example: if someone says "these customers are so annoying." I say "at least you have a job where you earn money." See, anything negative can be spun in a positive way.
   You may be saying "what if a friend or family member is sick?" I would say "I don't know why that is happening but I do know that God has a plan." It may seem like a cop out but everything does happen for a reason. You never know what might happen because you can't see the future. You staying home because you are sick may have saved you from getting into an accident.
   On Thanksgiving we try to be thankful for all of our blessings. Well, blessings can also come though bad things. We may not think of bad events as blessings but it is true (listen to the song "Blessings" by Laura Story if you don't believe me). 
   We have a choice. We can choose to be negative about everything, or we can choose to be positive no matter what is going on. We can choose our attitude. It may be raining but we can say, "thank you God for keeping the earth green." We may have wanted a different colored jacket but we can say, "thank you God for the jacket that I have to keep me warm." We may be sick but we can choose to say, "thank you God for this time I have with my family and that I am still alive."
   So, will you choose to be negative about everything? Will you be positive even when bad things happen? Will you thank God in all circumstances?

   Philippians 4:11-13, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Ephesians 4:29

Outdo One Another

    In the past, I have talked about how the thief of joy is comparison. That is still true, but did you know there is something we are to outdo one another in?

   Romans 12:9-13 says "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality." 

   Verse 10 says we are to outdo one another in showing honor. We are called to be a light in this dark world. We show love to others each day so they can see Jesus through us. 

   Is this verse saying we are to flaunt when we show love to others? 

   No, it says we are to outdo one another in showing honor. Is it honorable to flaunt our accomplishments? Is it honorable to tell others about all the sacrifices we have made for others? No, it is honorable to do as we are called to do and reflect God's glory.

   What does that look like? We are authentically real with others. We cling to the Lord and listen to the Holy Spirit as he guides us. We remember the hope we have in Christ and spread that hope to others. We wait for the Lord to help us in our trials. We pray consistently. And we use our gifts to reflect God's glory. We give him the honor. That's how we outdo one another in honor, honorably.

   So, are you showing others God's love? How can you outdo others in honor, honorably?

 

The Lost Ring

    I enjoy stories, whether true or fictional. Here is a real story that happened to me: one day I was at soccer coaching. My goalkeeper needed to step out for a minute for a break during a short sided game. I stepped in and tried to take my purity ring off before I got a fat finger from a shot. 

   As I was pulling the ring off, one of the girls took a shot. I dove for it and was pulled into the game. Once my keeper was good to come back in, I stepped out. Then I went to touch my ring finger and realized my ring was not there. One of my players noticed I seemed preoccupied and asked me what was wrong. I told her I lost my ring. She said, "oh no! We will help you look for it." 

   After practice was over, I started looking for the ring. I looked in my bag first, to be sure I did not leave it in there. Then I went to the goal. Looking at the place where I had to dive to make a save, I found the ring! 

   The girl who was helping me look was so happy we found it, and so was I. This is a very simple event that occurred in my life, but it had a profound connection to the Bible.

   In Luke 15, Jesus tells of three parables. One of the lost sheep, where a shepherd leaves his 99 sheep to find 1 that was lost. The next of a woman who lost 1 of her 10 silver coins. When she finds it, she rejoices. The last about a son who asked for his inheritance early, left home, squandered his inheritance, went back home, and the father accepted him back into his household.

   If I were to ask you what these stories have in common, you would probably be able to guess easily: things that were lost then found. They seem like simple stories but if you have ever lost something you cared for, you know how good it feels to find it. 

   In the same way, God rejoices when one of his children was lost and becomes found. When I lost my ring, the player asked me if I was sentimental. I told her a bit, but the truth was I had that ring since high school (for 10 years). It was not worth much, but it was worth a lot to me. 

   That made me think about God. He is sentimental. He loves all of us and we are worth so much more than a ring. God does not want any of us to perish. He wants to give each of us a chance to join his family. That's how much he loves us. He loves us so much that he sent his son to die for us. It is amazing to think about.

   Think of a time you lost something, then found it. How did you feel? Are you lost right now, and God is calling you to him? If you have been found by God, how can you help those who are lost be found?

 

How You Relax

    One day I was doing a devotional for the LBC Women's Soccer Team about stress. I talked about how we all relax in different ways. Some people read. Others watch TV. While others, who are much more devoted than I, may go for a run. It doesn't matter how you do it, but everyone needs to relax at some point or run the risk of burning out.

   During the devotional I asked the girls how they combat stress, or what they do to relax. There were many of the typical answers then one girl said "Jesus." The coach thought she said "cheese." This misunderstanding made everyone laugh. 

   The truth is that Jesus is a good answer for this question. He even encouraged his followers to relax. Mark 6:31 says: "And he said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.' For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat." Jesus recognized that needed to rest. Yet, if you look at this passage in context, this is where Jesus feeds the 5,000. He wanted to rest but he did not let his wants get in the way of an opportunity the Lord gave him.

   Finding a balance of completing the mission God has given you and resting is vital. There will be times we really want to rest but an opportunity comes up. We must be willing to sacrifice as Jesus did. We also must be smart about resting when we have time.

   So, are you resting when you need to/have time to? Are you looking for opportunities to spread the Good News?

Zombies Among Us

    One time I was on a bus ride with my team, and we were playing a game of would you rather. One question came up about the zombie apocalypse. Now, of course, being Christians, we don't believe in zombies for real. But the girls were trying to decide who they would want to go through the apocalypse with.

   This scenario got me thinking about zombies. Did you know there are zombies among us? Not the gross ones you are thinking of. I'm talking about the fact that according to the Bible we live in a sinful world. We are dead in our sin. Thus, we are the walking dead. Unless that fact changes at some point in our lives, we will die and go to hell.

   But there's good news, we can live again. Romans 6:4 says, "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." If we accept that we are sinners, confess our sins, and believe that Jesus died for them then Jesus is our savior. We are alive in him. No longer the walking dead, but alive! It is amazing to think about.

   So, are you dead or alive? If you are dead, I encourage you to learn how you can truly live in Christ (read the book of Luke). If you are alive in Christ, how are you spreading the gospel so others can live in Christ?

 

Multiplying

    While in school, I did well in most subjects. I enjoyed reading and social studies as I liked stories and learning about other people's lives. My least favorite subject was probably math. I did well enough in it, but I did not enjoy having to learn all the formulas and such. Math is important as God created it and it tells us things about him and the world. But there's one area of math that is very important: multiplying

   Why multiplying? One of the most well-known verses in the Bible is the great commission. It tells us to go into the world and make disciples. We, as Christians, are called to multiply. We are to spread the good news of the gospel to others so the body of Christ can grow. Just think if you spread the news to one person, one becomes two. Then if you both share the good news, two becomes four. Then four becomes eight and so on. That's how the body grows by making disciples.

   But it does not end there. If we don't continue to get into the word and grow in God, then we are in danger of dividing. I've heard and seen many people who leave the church over arguments, offense, or just because they felt like they didn't belong. Would that happen if we were in the word and believed what God said? It may still happen because of the devil, but I think it would be less likely. It is vital that we guard ourselves against division. Yes, we may disagree on certain things. But, as Christians, we can all agree about what Jesus did for us on the cross and that he is Lord and Savior.

   So, are you doing as you are called and trying to multiply God's kingdom? Are you in danger of division at church?