The Straight Path

    One time I was at camp and my siblings, and I were walking back from a campfire in the woods. We could have kept going on the path or we could have cut across the ballfield which was a shorter distance between where we were and our dorm. 

   We chose to walk across the ballfield. As we were walking across the ballfield I said, "the straightest distance between two points is a straight line." My siblings and I began to laugh when we realized what I said. What I meant to say was "the shortest distance between two points is a straight line."

   While that fact is true, sometimes we are not asked to walk the shortest route in our lives. Sometimes God leads us down paths that seem difficult or curvy in our lives. During those times we need to remember that God has a plan for our lives. He knows where we need to grow and loves us enough to walk with us on our paths. 

   Proverbs 3:5-6 says: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Many times, we wonder why God isn't opening the doors we want him to open. God knows what we need. He makes our paths straight even if they don't seem straight. 

   So, are you walking with the Lord today? How can you trust God on this journey of life? 

 

The Journey of a Ring (Purity Series Conclusion)

   She received me as a gift from her parents at the young age of sixteen. This girl had seen a lot of life, but I had not. I was on her left ring finger for many years since then. Through those years I have been through many events with her. I was a visual reminder of a promise made long ago. A reminder to continue to choose God each day. I am her purity ring.

   Now, this girl had lived somewhat of a sheltered life compared to some. She didn’t know swear words and hadn’t been exposed to many of the darkness’s of the world. But, in time, she would be. High school friends from soccer would open her eyes to some things. I got a bit beat up then. In college she learned more about the world’s darkness. She watched some movies that were not glorifying to God and a few more nicks hit me. 

   She began to grow in God more as her college years went by. Eventually, I moved from her left ring finger to her right ring finger as she began to question her worth. She questioned if anyone would ever love her or care. Thankfully, she did not lose herself or me. But there were times of trials when she was weak that she would watch or read something that gave me a bit of a scuff. Yet, on I stayed even with a few marks.

   After college, her kindergarten students would question if she was married. To them, having a ring on means you are married. It was interesting watching my owner try to explain why she wore me to five-year-olds! Years later she coached at a goalkeeper camp. Her middle school girls asked why she wore me. She told them that I was a purity ring. None of the girls knew what I represented. In shock, my owner explained what purity meant. One of the girls said, “I wish my uncle would have one of those.” It hit my owner hard. It made her sad that people are not being taught about purity and the promises of the Lord. 

   A year later she was coaching at a college. One of her goalies needed a break so she went to step in. As she was trying to step in, she was taking me off so her finger would not get jammed with me on. Suddenly, a ball was shot toward her, and I went flying. She was engrossed in the game and did not realize I had fallen on the turf! 

   After practice, she went to put me back on, but I was not in her pocket! She started to look around on the turf. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Finally, she crouched down and saw my gleam in the sunset. She picked me up and one of her players came over. “Did you find it?” She asked. “Yes,” my owner replied. “I am glad you did not lose it. I know it has sentimental value to you,” the player smiled. My owner looked down at me and smiled. I could tell she was happy to have not lost me, the physical reminder of a promise she made long ago.

   Today, as my owner types this, I am still on her finger. You may not be able to read my text that says “true love waits” as much as you could years ago. I may have a few scuffs here and there, both physical and spiritual. Yet, the promise made remains the same. Each day my owner puts me on, she makes a choice. A choice to choose to follow the way of the Lord, not the way of the world. A choice to be pure in body. A choice to do her best to stay pure in mind. Even if she fails at that, she knows that Christ died for her so she can be pure in Him. Purity is a choice. 

https://youtu.be/kkTrf44rzRA

Your Everyday Impact

   One tradition I have at the end of the school year is asking the students who are graduating what song they would like to dance to on their last day. This year many of the songs we danced to at holidays were songs by Christian artists. I didn't expect them to impact the children as much as they did. They were so impacted that many of them said they wanted to dance to Shooting Star by Owl City.

   This made me think about our impact that we have each day. By choosing to find songs by Christian artists, with a good message but not too didactic, I was able to reach those kids. It was something little but it could make a huge impact on their lives.

   Matthew 28:19-20 says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." In using songs by Christian artists I was reaching students. They were learning good morals and having fun while they were doing it.

   Have you ever thought about this in your daily life? Is there any way you could do or change something little in your life to make an impact for the kingdom?

https://youtu.be/jjJeAh7sCuk?si=ww-ILgtiZHxpFo8V

Mountains of Bloomsburg Part 3: On the Fence

   You continue walking through the forest. As you walk, you have a tight grip on your sword. You have no idea what you may meet in this place.
   You come to a clearing and you see a tree. You put your sword away and walk over to the tree. Then you remember how Ahda said that "things that seem normal in the mountains probably are not normal, or safe." You do not want to risk getting hurt by going into the clearing. You see a stick that must have fallen from the tree, pick it up, and run back to Kaine.
   Ahda breathe a sigh of relief as he sees you come back. He asks you, "do you have the stick needed to heal Kaine?" You hold up the stick. Ahda looks at it and frowns, "you must get a branch that was just pulled off the tree. This one doesn't have sap. Please go back to where you found this and ask the tree for a small stick. Kaine is getting worse."
   You quickly run off but your thoughts go back to your conversation with Ahda. He said to ask the tree for a stick... why would you need to ask the tree? You try not to think about it.
   Finally you make it back to the clearing. You draw your sword and slowly walk up to the tree. "Excuse me," you say in a soft voice, "are you home?" No one answers and you breathe a sigh of relief. 
   Suddenly, a face appears near the trunk of the tree, "who disturbs my slumber?" You try to back up quickly but a branch lashes out and grabs you. The tree picks you up and looks at you, "I have not seen something like you in a long time. What is your name?" You whisper your name to the tree. The tree nods, "and whose side are you on?"
   Now you are confused, whose side are you on? What does that mean? The tree is still staring at you so you figure you should answer. "What do you mean, whose side am I on?" The tree just stares at your for a little, "I mean that everyone has a choice. You are either on Ubel's side or on Gottes' side." 
   Realization comes to your face. Ahda mentioned these two people before and said that in the mountains the danger of the war from both of these sides is real. You realize that if you answer this question wrong you could die. "I am on no one's side." The tree shook his head, which was actually like shaking his whole body. "If you are not on a side you are on Ubel's side." You shake your head, "I am not a part of this war. I just want to save my friend. Please help me save him." 
   The tree sighs, "I can tell that there is no trying to reason with you. I encourage you to ask more questions of your friends who are here. You must learn more about this if you are to survive the mountain. For your friend, you may take one of my branches." 
   The tree sets you down and reaches a branch out. You break off a branch and the tree squeezes his eyes in pain. "Thank you," you say. "Don't thank me, thank Gottes who provies." You nod and run back toward Ahda and Kaine. You just may have to ask more about this war...
   If the tree asked you "whose side are you on," what would your answer have been? If you don't know whose side you are on will you ask more questions to figure out whose side you want to be on?

   Revelation 3:15-16, Matthew 12:30, Matthew 5:13

We are the Champions

   "We are the champions, my friends, And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end, We are the champions, We are the champions, No time for losers, 'Cause we are the champions of the world" (Queen). If you don't know that is the song called "We Are The Champions" by Queen. It is a typical song sung by teams when they win a tournament. I always wanted to sing that song after winning a championship, but I never got to.
   Now, before you go thinking this is going to be a depressing blog I have sung that song in another competition. In this competition I didn't have to do anything to win. Someone won for me. In Him I am more than a champion. In Him I am more than a conqueror. Jesus has already won. People may think that he is in a constant battle with the Devil but they are wrong. There wasn't even a contest really. The devil is like an ant. Jesus is so big and powerful that all he had to do was step on him.
   Because we have this knowledge, when we feel down we must remember that the battle we are fighting is already won. In fact, the war has already been won. We cannot lose because Jesus is on our side. He defeated Satan because he loves us. Isn't that great to think about? Whatever you are going through I encourage you to remember that you have already won. Satan cannot bring you down. Even if you fail, even if you fall into temptation, Jesus is still on your side. All you have to do is ask Jesus to forgive you and he will. Now, that doesn't mean that we should continue to sin if we know Jesus will forgive us. We are to be more like him each day as we grow in him.
   So, how does it feel to know that you are more than a champion/conqueror? Will you continue to try to be like Jesus? How can you grow in Him today?

   Romans 8:35-37 and 1 John 5:4

   Image from here.

Who You Are

   We have all gone through that time of life: middle school-early adult years. That is the time where we search for answers: why are we here? Who are we? Who do we want to be? All of these questions have to do with our identity. I think that's why many movies enjoy focusing on identity a lot; it is something we are all searching for.
   In the movie Moana, a young child named Moana, is chosen by the ocean to restore the heart of an island. Moana goes through many trials until she gets to the point where it is too hard to continue. She begins to wonder why the ocean chose her. She did not feel special at all and wanted to give up. Of course, Moana just needed a reminder of who she was. 
   Moana was called because she stood apart from the rest of her people. She never gave up (until that point). She realized that the call is inside her just like the call is inside us. She realized that her heart was for her people and doing what was best for them even if it was hard. That's why she was chosen. She would not have been able to complete her mission if she did not figure out where her heart was.
   Just like Moana, we are chosen. When we are born God wants us to come to him. He calls us. We all go through different trials in our lives. We have a choice, we can choose to give up and walk away from our destiny. Or, we can be like Moana and never give up even when it's hard. In those times we need to remember we were chosen for a reason. We are children of God. We need to lean on him for strength and do what he calls us to do.
   So, do you believe you are chosen for a reason? Will you choose to never give up on what God calls you to do? What can you do to remember who you are, and why you were called, when trials come?

   John 1:12 and Romans 12:1-21

Be Proactive: Soccer Lessons

"Be proactive not reactive. Anticipate the play."

   Soccer is a game of patterns. If the ball is at a certain point on the field you can usually guess where it will go next. Yes, the ultimate goal is to get the ball towards the opposing team's goal; but, there are many different ways to get it there and events that happen that changes how the ball gets there.

   If you've been playing soccer enough you can usually guess what the player with the ball is going to do next. If you try to stop that player from doing what she wants to do before she does it, that's being proactive. If you let the player pass the ball to another player then try to stop the ball, that's being reactive. Because soccer is a game of patterns, it is possible to anticipate the play. You can move your body to try to stop the play from happening. Or, you can make more work for yourself and wait to try to stop the play until the other team has already completed their plan.

   In life, it is important for us to be proactive and anticipate things as well. When you wake up in the morning you normally know what you are going to do during the day. You have a plan but that plan doesn't always happen. Sometimes unexpected things happen. You could be late to work because of an accident, a family member could get injured, your boss could yell at you, and you get the idea. How can you be proactive and anticipate those things? You can't, but you can be proactive in knowing how you will react to those things.

   2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." God tells us how to deal with certain things in his word. No, it doesn't say "when your boss yells at you, this is how you should react." But, God's word does say to love others. We may be upset at our boss but we shouldn't yell back. We shouldn't be reactive to the situation. We should spend time with God each day. We should be proactive. We should know God's word enough to apply it to our everyday lives.

   So, are you proactive or reactive in your daily life? Do you spend time with God each day so that you can as proactive in your daily life?

   Image from here.

Support Your Team: Soccer Lessons

"Get back to support your teammates."

   As stated before, soccer is a team sport. Even though there are different positions on the field, everyone plays defense and everyone plays offense. If the team doesn't transition between those two positions well then the team will not be successful. I've been a part of many teams. Some were good at getting up the field and back the field others were not.

   Once, I was playing in a championship game. There was less than a minute left in the second overtime. I had the ball and I needed to do a goal kick to send it out. I set the ball up as the clock was ticking down. My team had played 109 minutes of soccer and they were tired. All we had left was less than a minute and we would go to penalty kicks. All my team had to do was push past the pain and play a little bit longer. I kicked the ball out. It went to an area that was in between my teammate and one of the other team's players. My teammate didn't go to the ball. The other team's player did. She took some space, shot; the ball flew up, hit the crossbar, and went in the goal. The game was over. We lost.

That was my final NEAC soccer game. My teammate thought that she didn't need to get back because there were only a few seconds left. She didn't put a complete effort in; and, because of that, we lost. She chose not to support her team through the whole match.

   In life, we will have hard times. It is difficult to get through those hard times alone. That's why we aren't on earth alone. We are relational beings. It is important to support one another. Galatians 6:2 says: “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." We are to carry other people's burdens. It's hard to carry certain burdens alone. That's why we are called to help. We can pray for that person, spend time with that person, or help in many other ways to help make that burden lighter.

   So, are you trying to carry burdens on your own? What can you do to help someone with his or her burden today?

   Image from here.

Don't Give Up: Soccer Lessons 3

"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up" (Babe Ruth).

   In soccer it is very easy to feel defeated when you lose. As a JV coach it is also very easy to feel defeated in general. Many times I will get players who have never played soccer. Many times I will have less players than the other team so my girls will be more tired. Many times when there is a sliver of hope, because I have had a player improve so much, that player gets moved up to varsity and I have to find a new player for their position. Don't get me wrong, I love being a JV coach because I get to help build my player's foundations in soccer and see them grow. But, it's not easy at times.

   Over the years I looked at my JV team and I had to figure out a way to keep their spirits up. That's when I began using the quote: "It's hard to beat a person who never gives up" (Babe Ruth). Will we lose games? Yes. Will we play bad at times? Yes. But, we are never truly defeated unless we give up. If we give up in a game we are giving up on ourselves. We are giving up on the lessons we learn in that game. We are giving up on improving during that game which can make us better. On top of that, if you give up in a game, you will not have any chance of winning that game.

   In life, it is hard to not feel tempted to give up at times, especially if we get sukkerpunched with a lot of things at once. Maybe you have problems with a co-worker who just won't get off your back, maybe a friend is angry at you, maybe your child isn't doing well at school, maybe your family member is sick, or maybe because of many things you are beginning to lose your faith.

   Once again, you have a choice: you could give up or you could keep going on and keep fighting. It may be easier to give up but will giving up help you grow? Will giving up feel good? Probably not, which is why we have to keep fighting no matter how hard it is. Yes, you can start to feel down. You can vent to people. You can have a good cry. But, don't let any of those things impact you to the point where you feel it's okay to give up. If you choose to give up you are just defeating yourself.

   Galatians 6:9 says: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." If we give up we will not reap the harvest. Your harvest may be different than someone else's on earth. But, true Christians are all working toward the same harvest: heaven. If we give up we are not giving God our best and others may not see Christ in you. That's why we can never give up.

   So, do you tend to give up when things get too hard? What can you do to stop yourself from giving up? How can you lean on God in order to not give up?
   Image from here. 

Would You Trust God?

 "Do you want to trust the Lord?

Would you trust him if he asked you to pick up a sword?"

 

"I would not, could not, trust the Lord 

if he asked me to pick up a sword.

I would not trust him to help me build a boat,

I'm not even sure it would float.

If he took all my possessions away?

There is no way I would trust him and stay.

If I he wanted me to spend time in jail?

I would run away faster than if I saw hail.

Asking me to go to the king to say, 'let my people go?'

I'd definitely have to say no.

Defeating a city by walking around its wall?

Why, there is no way I believe it will fall.

Using a sling to stop a giant?

I'd have to stay defiant.

Going against many prophets of Baal?

I know I would fail.

Going into a fiery furnace?

I'd run out of that place.

Being thrown into a den with lions?

You would find me running away crying...

What's that you say?

What would I do for my faith in God today?

I would go to church and stay in that safe place,

God knows that doing that is my comfortable space.

Why would a loving God ask me to do more?

I'm way better than I was before."

 

Are you spending too much time in your comfort zone when God is asking you to step out of it? How can you grow in God and have more faith in him? 

Psalm 9:10 and Joshua 1:9

Courageous Fathers

   Father's day: the day where dad's get mugs that say "# 1 dad," tools, or other gifts that are considered manly. We all have a father. Unfortunately some people don't think of Father's day as a good holiday. Rather, it is a reminder that their father failed. Some children have never met their biological father, never had a father, or their father hurt them in some way.
   It is very difficult for fathers in this world. They are expected to be the head of the house, be a rock to the family, and are to be an example. They have to live up to some pretty high standards considering we all have another father: our Heavenly Father. God is the best father we could ever have. But, it is also important for us to have strong examples of fathers on earth. What can we do when our earthly father is not there for us or not a good example?
   The answer is we cannot do much. It is going to take godly men like Adam Mitchell, a police officer from the movie Courageous, to step up. In the beginning of the movie Adam was not the best example of a godly father. But, as the movie went on, Adam began to change and try to be more like God. He even encouraged others to change their ways and become examples to their children. Adam stepped up and helped a friend's child by spending time with the child because the child's birth father was in jail.
   Fathers need to step up and realize that whatever they do is being watched even if they don't realize it. Fathers must be an example to children even if they don't want to be. If we don't have fathers step up, then our world is in for a rude awakening.
   So, will you choose to be an example to children? Will you step up and help children who may not have godly fathers?

   Romans 12:2, Matthew 5:16, Proverbs 20:7

   Image from here. 

Daily Motivation

    Have you ever needed to do something, but you didn't feel like doing it? Maybe you had a task at work that was unpleasant. Maybe your child or family member was acting up and you didn't want to fight it though you know you should. 

   Motivation is a hard thing. Zig Ziglar, an author and motivational speaker, says: "People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing that's why we recommended daily." Our everyday routines and problems can become mundane and tiring. However, it is important that we find motivation daily. We are not going to be at our best everyday as we are human. But we can do our best each day.

   1 Corinthians 15:58 says "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." Everything we do, we are doing it for God. That is our motivation. That is where we should be getting our motivation. If we don't focus on why we are doing things, then we can lose our motivation. 

   Where are you getting your motivation? How can you focus on your endgame each day?

Facing Failure

   I am a failure. Do not misunderstand that sentence. I am not in a low place right now, but I was. For a long period of time I felt like an idiot, misunderstood, not needed, and just not good enough. Have you ever felt that way?

   The funny thing was, before I failed, things were going fantastic (I love that word; people just don’t use it enough). I had gotten a job that I was a great fit for, I had just had a relaxing summer, and I felt God was with me. Then it all came down in an instant.

   Sometimes when we fail it is of our own doing. Other times we fail and it’s just because of circumstances outside our control. Either way you fail it is not fun (unless you are into feeling like a ton of bricks conked you over the head, but most people aren’t that I know of). Now, if you’ve ever failed and I am sure you have, then you know it’s not easy to get over. It’s especially hard when it’s not your fault or not part of your plan. If this is how you are feeling I have good news, you’re not the only one that this has happened to.

   In Joshua 6 we hear about the story of how Joshua defeated the city of Jericho. They defeated Jericho in a really unconventional way, and it was a great victory. After the battle Joshua and the Israelites were to destroy everything in the city, except for Rahab and her family. That is exactly what the Israelites did, or so they thought.

   Joshua sent men to another city called Ai (Joshua 7). They said to send 3,000 men to defeat the city. Those 3,000 men came back defeated. The Israelites had just defeated this huge city of Jericho and they could not beat this small city? Joshua and the elders were crushed and they cried out to God because their reputation as a nation/army was ruined. God told them the reason they were defeated was because someone took something from Jericho and did not destroy it. Long story short they find out who took all the plunder and kill him. Then God tells Joshua to go to Ai again and they crush Ai.

   Joshua was on top of the world, then brought to the deepest valley, and then brought up the hill again. It wasn’t Joshua’s fault someone disobeyed God, yet he paid the price because he was the leader. He failed, but he did not wallow in grief. Joshua cried out to God, obeyed God’s instruction, and made a huge comeback.

   When we fail we can choose to wallow in grief because something bad happened to us; or we can get up and trust in God. Joshua chose to seek God for instruction because he knew God would never leave him. God won’t leave you either.

   So, when you fail will you wallow or walk with God? What can you do to further you’re your walk with God so when hard times come you are ready?

   Joshua 6-7, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Philippians 4:4-7

   Image from here.

Expanding Your Horizons

   There are many movies out there that get a bad reputation by Christians. Most of those movies have to deal with sins that we think are too far gone from God. I'm not saying that there aren't some bad movies out there; what I am saying is that we can still look for the good messages in those movies. Last year the movie Dr. Strange came out. While the movie does deal with death, corruption, and magic there are some really profound quotes and messages in the movie.

   1. The Ancient One: [to Dr Strange] "You're a man looking at the world through a keyhole. You've spent your life trying to widen it. Your work saved the lives of thousands. What if I told you that reality is one of many?"
   Sometimes we fall into the trap Strange fell into. He thought he knew everything. He thought he was the best at everything. Yet, he also kept searching for new knowledge. He was hungry for new knowledge and truth. Yet when some knowledge came along that seemed too fantastic, or like a fantasy, he refused to believe it.
   It seems crazy to think that God would care so much for us that he would send his son to become a human and die on the cross. It also seems crazy to think that all we have to do is go to Jesus, believe in him, ask him to take our sins, then we are washed white as snow. But, it is true.
   2. Dr. Stephen Strange: [on magic] "I control it by surrendering control? That doesn't make any sense."
   The Ancient One: "Not everything does. Not everything has to."
   Humans like to be in control. We like to have a plan, security, and know what we are doing. If we want to follow God we must submit to him. That means we must give up control. We must trust in his plan and do what we are called to do. If Strange can learn this lesson then why can't we?
   3. The Ancient One: "We never lose our demons, Mordo. We only learn to live above them."
   Along with control, sometimes we have sins that we hold onto. We think that this sin is not going to control us, or it's not that bad. But, to God, sin is sin. If you continually lie it is the same as if you get drunk every night to God. We must give our sins to God and ask him to help us overcome those sins. Only then will we "live above our demons."
   4. Dr. Stephen Strange: "I'm not ready."
   The Ancient One: "No one ever is. We don't get to choose our time. Death is what gives life meaning. To know your days are numbered. Your time is short. You'd think after all this time, I'd be ready. But look at me. Stretching one moment out into a thousand... just so that I can watch the snow."
   We only have one life to live. God created us for a reason. We all have a call and a job to do while on earth. We must choose if we will follow that call that God has given us or not.
   5. The Ancient One: "Arrogance and fear still keep you from learning the simplest and most significant lesson of all."
   Dr. Stephen Strange: "Which is?"
   The Ancient One: "It's not about you."
   This is probably the most profound quote in the movie. Many people walk through this life filled with pride thinking that they are the greatest and it is all about them. That is until they reach the end of their lives and they are all alone. That's not to say we should care about others just so we aren't alone. We should care about others because that is what we are called to do. God said we should love him, then love others, and finally ourselves. If our priorities are not in that order then we are not following God.
   As you can see, this movie opens up into many spiritual aspects. When the writers wrote the story they probably were not thinking that this could relate to Christianity, but that doesn't change the messages we can get out to others because of this movie.
   So, will you choose to expand your horizon? Will you give control of your life over to God? How will you show you love God and love others today?

   Proverbs 19:21, Jeremiah 29:11, John 13:34

   Image found here. 

Eyes Fixed in the Storm

   Have you ever read the Bible and couldn't believe that one of the people would do something so silly or dumb? I think, at times, we are all tempted to do that.
   In Matthew 14:22-33 we read the story about Jesus walking on water. The disciples saw him and thought he was a ghost. When Peter found out it was Jesus, Peter asked Jesus to tell him to come to him. Peter got out of the boat and started walking toward Jesus. Then Peter looked around and saw the storm. When he took his eyes off of Jesus he started to sink. Jesus saved Peter from the storm.  Then they went into the boat and the storm stopped.
   Now, if you were in Peter's position what would you have done? Would you have had the courage to ask Jesus to tell you to come to him? Let's say that you did do that, would you have been able to keep your eyes on Jesus?
   If you are saying yes, I am going to play Devil's advocate here. Have you ever had a time where you felt everything was crashing down in your life and you had no hope? Have you ever had an idol in some way, shape, or form? Have you ever sinned? If you said yes to any of these questions, then you are just like Peter. You may have been able to keep your eyes on Jesus for a little but then some storm came and you took your eyes off of him.
   You may be saying, "how is it possible to keep your eyes on Jesus all the time?" The answer is its not possible; at least, not by our own strength. If you noticed in the story of Peter and Jesus Peter fell into the water but at the same time he did something else. He called out to Jesus to help him. Peter could've kept his mouth closed and tried to stay afloat on his own, but he didn't. He knew he couldn't do it on his own. If he wouldn't have called out for help he may have drowned.
   See, God is a good father. He wants us to learn lessons and grow but he also wants to help us do that. We have freewill. We can choose to ask God for help or we can try to do it on our own. If we do it on our own, we will probably drown in the storms of life. God wants to walk with us and help us but we have to be willing to walk with him.
   So, will you be like Peter and ask for help from God when you need it? Will you choose to walk with God through the storms of life? 

   Image from here. 

How Much Can You Handle?

   In my Kindergarten classroom we are talking about habitats and life cycles. To do that we have gotten an ant habitat so we can observe ant and talk about what they need.
   Through this experience I have learned more about ants. Ants can lift 20 times their own weight. But what would happen if that ant would try to lift something heavier than that? It would get squashed.
   Many times people are like ants. We all live together in the habitat called earth. We all work in different ways but we work for the greater good. And, we get dealt more than we think we can handle. Maybe you messed up at work, a coworker yelled at you, your friend blamed you for something you didn't do, a family member died, and you are having health problems. All of that may be happening at the same time and you begin to crumple under the weight of all of that.
   I've heard many people say "God's will never give you more than you can handle." Well, no disrespect to those people but I disagree with that. I've been through a lot in my life and I've had times where a lot of bad things happen at once. And, in those times, I break down. I feel like I can't go on and I crumble under the weight of all of it, if I try to get through it on my own.
   I want to change this saying. I have started to say that "God will never give you more than you can handle with him." God is always on our side but we need to learn to lean on him. When we start to crumble under the weight of our problems we can either keep trying to handle all of the weight on our own. Or, we can call on God and say "I need you! I cannot do this on my own. Please help me be strong in you."
   I don't know about you but I've already got a pretty bad back. I cannot carry the weight of all of my problems. So I have given all of my problems to God. He comes in, grabs the rock of all of our problems, and takes it off of us. Will all of our problems be fixed the exact way we want them to? No, but God has a perfect plan for our lives. He will be with us every step of the way if we choose to walk with him.
   So, will you continue to try and keep the weight of all of your problems up on your own? Will you choose to lean on God when you are not strong? Will you trust that God has a perfect plan for your life?

   Proverbs 3:5-6, 1 Corinthians 10:13

Jesus' Bubble

   As a teacher, you would expect that I would get hugs from students; because students are very touchy feely. It's true, I do get hugs from students. However, my love language is not physical touch. In fact, if someone is standing too close to me I feel like I need to move.
   See, I have what I call a large bubble. If someone stands too close in that bubble I get on edge. Some people have small bubbles. They enjoy standing really close to others. They like hugs and handshakes. I don't get it, but if you have a small bubble maybe you do.
   No matter how big or small your bubble is I'm sure there is someone who had a smaller one. Maybe you know him? His name is Jesus. Think about it: how many times was Jesus surrounded by a crowd? How many times did he touch someone to heal them? How many times did random people touch him in order to be healed?
   I remember in college we watched a clip from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. In the clip Jesus is overwhelmed with all the requests of the people. The people surround him and basically Jesus says "it's too much." Does this sound like Jesus to you? Because, it doesn't to me. Jesus can handle all of our needs and prayers. We may not understand that, because of our finite minds, but it's true.
   Now, that doesn't mean that Jesus gives us everything we ask for. He's a good father. If you had children and they asked for candy for supper every night, would you give it to them? No, God knows what we need.
   We can choose to give it all to him. He can handle your problems. We don't  have to carry our burdens. Your chains of burdens can be gone. Jesus is a big boy, with a tiny bubble. He will take your burden so you can be closer to him.
   So, do you believe God will take your burden? Have you chosen to give your burdens to him so you can be closer to him? What can you do to remind someone who is struggling with burdens that they can give it to Jesus today?

   Matthew 11:28-30 and Psalm 55:22

   Image from here. 

The Little Things

   One saying that I have begun to say a lot, in soccer and life, is "do the little things." In soccer, there is a very simple objective: put the ball in the other team's net. However, to actually get the ball in the other team's net you have do many different things well. You must pass, do moves, communicate, switch the field, defend, transition, check in and check out on throw ins, be aggressive, support your teammates, shoot for the corners, etc. If even one of those things isn't done well it is possible that that simple objective of getting the ball in the net will not happen. If a soccer team does the little things well, they can make big things happen like scoring and winning the game.
   In life we also need to do the little things. We need to serve joyfully, do our best each day, love others, trust in God and his plan, be patient, be loyal, have self-control, etc. It may be easy for you to do some of these things. Some of us are good at serving, for others it is a struggle. Some of us are good at trusting in God's plan, others have problems trusting in him. Some of us are good at controlling ourselves, others have issues controlling themselves.
   Doing all of these things is not easy. However, if we do these little things big things will happen. Others will see that your life is different if you do these things. That may lead them to ask you why your life is different. Then you can tell that person about Christ and the person then has the opportunity to accept Christ in his/her heart. That's the biggest thing in the world to happen. If that happens that person is now saved. That person is now our brother or sister in Christ.
   That's why we need to do the little things. We need to do our best to emulate Christ each day. Ephesians 5:1-2 says "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Jesus did the little things. He loved others and followed God. He then did a very big thing: he died on the cross to save us from our sins so we can be with him forever. It's amazing if you think about it. Christ's actions of little things led up to the biggest event in the history of mankind. And he calls us to do little things as well. What big things could we make happen if we would do the little things God calls us to do?
   So, are you doing your best to emulate God each day? Are you doing the little things in order to make big things happen? Image from here.

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.

Are You Actively Involved?

   I've recently been told I am a "sporty girl." I don't entirely agree with that. I enjoy wearing athletic clothing and playing sports. However, I do not enjoy watching sports. Can I watch a game if it is on? Yes, but I'd rather play sports than watch them. And, if I'm being honest, I don't really enjoy working out or running. Do I work out? Yes, but it's a struggle if I'm not playing a game or a sport while working out.
   Now, you may be wondering, again, what this has to do with God or the Christian faith. I'm glad you asked again. Sometimes Christians have a tendency to just watch. They look at the world and see the sin, they see the hurting, they see what other Christians are doing for the kingdom, or they see things they could be doing themselves and they choose not to join in. You may have heard the quote "life's not a spectator sport." Well, the Christian life isn't a spectator life either.
   James 2:14 says: "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?" James is saying that if we have faith we should show it through our actions. He isn't saying that our works get us saved (which is how some interpret this verse). He is saying that if we believe in Christ we will emulate Christ in our everyday lives. When we see someone who is hurting and feel called to help him we will listen to the call. When we feel led to pray for someone we will do it.
   If we don't show our faith in our actions it does us, others, and the kingdom no good. Being Christian should change our thinking. Being Christian should make us want to help a hurting world. Being Christian should make us want to be more like Christ in our actions, words, and thoughts.
   So, are you actively involved in the Christian faith? How are you working each day to show Christ? 

   Image from here.