Serving Like Christ: A New Year's Blog

    Some of you may know that each year I have a spiritual focus that I try to concentrate on. Usually, I pick something that is an area I feel I need to work on. This year was the first year I focused on something that I consider to be more of a strength of mine. I chose servanthood.

   I’m not at all trying to toot my own horn here. That’s never my intention when it comes to my spiritual resolution. I just know I’ve been told by others that I have a servant’s heart. And I went through what I usually go through at the end of the year. In the last days of 2023, I prayed and asked God to give me a focus for the new year. I was surprised when I felt led to servanthood. 

   Then I sat and thought about it. I knew that in 2024 changes would be happening. I was hoping to get engaged and married. I was continuing to work in my new job of being the lead preschool teacher. And I was planning on getting more involved at church. Having the spiritual resolution of servanthood made sense. I just didn’t realize at the time how important it would become.

   At the beginning of 2024, I felt God calling me to leave my job that I had worked at for at least five years. I had just been promoted to lead teacher, so it didn’t really make sense logically to leave. But, through stirring and circumstances, I knew it was time. I began to look for other jobs, but it isn’t easy to find teaching jobs in February. I looked for those jobs, but I kept feeling like I should change careers. I investigated being a Behavioral Health Technician. A BHT is someone who works one on one with a student who has special needs. 

   Now, some of you may recall that in 2023 I focused on patience and prayer. I never in a million years thought I would be contemplating becoming a BHT. I just didn’t have the patience for it, or so I thought. But then I kept hearing God say, “make a difference to the one.” I had been a teacher for years and touched so many lives, but I felt God calling me to impact just one kid. That was strange to me, but I followed his lead. I became a BHT. Let me tell you, being a BHT is not easy, but it is rewarding. And you need a lot of patience and servanthood to do it. 

   I also ended up getting married this year. People said that the first year of marriage is hard. That it is hard to live with someone who may not have the same habits as you. It is not easy at times, but, because I had servanthood as my focus for the year, whenever I began to feel annoyed by little things I remembered to humble myself. I remembered to stop and speak in kindness. I didn’t bury things down, but I did choose to either handle the problem myself or communicate how I felt. That may not have happened if I hadn’t remembered to be a servant. 

   While being a servant isn’t easy all the time, it is so important. Even Jesus humbled himself and became a servant. That’s pretty much what his whole life on earth was. He was a servant. Whether he was healing, listening, teaching, or showing love in action he served. That’s what we are called to do as well. 

   So, have you been a servant this year? What is God calling you to focus on spiritually now?

https://youtu.be/IbcpuoJFRkw

Gram Gram

    Pain, sorrow, anger, numbness, hurt; those are just some of the emotions I'm feeling right now. I recently wrote about how grief is a gift. Well, sometimes it can feel like a burden, especially when it is fresh. Right now, it's fresh. At 3 am on December 27th, 2024, my grandmother passed away. So, right now, I'm feeling these things.

   When someone you care about passes, it's hard not to think about memories, who the person was, what they meant to you, and things they did with you. Before Gram Gram even passed, I thought about the memories I had with her. Many of them were from when I was younger. Grandma was our primary babysitter for years. She took care of us while mom and dad were working. I remember mostly little things. Things like how I would ask her to tickle me, her homemade pot pie, how she enjoyed coloring, how she patiently answered all my questions, that she would watch whatever we were watching without complaint (even if it was Lion King for the hundredth time), how she came to events to support us, just to name a few. 

  But as I looked back, I realized something: I was lucky. While I didn't have many specific memories that stood out, I did have little memories. And those little memories spoke to my grandma's character more than anything. For at least nine years of my life, grandma was consistently there to watch me. She showed me how to love. She showed me patience and compassion when me and my siblings were going crazy. She showed how to support and encourage when she came to our school or sport events. She even showed me how to do things that I wasn't that good at, like gardening, I did not inherit the green thumb. 

   Love, joy, thankfulness, peace; those are more emotions I'm feeling right now. Odd to feel when someone close to you has died. But I feel love because of who grandma was. She loved others. She loved her family. She taught her family how to love. I'm feeling joy because I know where grandma is. I know she's feeling joy and pain free because she's with her heavenly father. I'm feeling thankful because I got to have a grandma for as long as I did. I'm thankful I got to say goodbye to her. I'm thankful because of what she taught her family. She taught them how to love, compassion, how to encourage, and about Jesus. I'm feeling peace because I know her story isn't over and one day I will see her again.

   Grief is still a gift. It is painful and can be a burden, but grief reminds us of what we have. It reminds us to be thankful for the time we do have and to make the most of it. This Holiday season has included more grief than I can ever remember having in my life. But it has also had some of the most loving and cherished times I can remember. Perhaps that's because this season has taught me to look at each moment as a gift. That may not have happened without the gift of grief.

   So, grandma, thank you for who you were. Thank you for teaching our family so many good character traits just by being you. A godly, caring mother, grandmother, wife, and friend. We will miss you while we are here, but we'll see you someday.

https://youtu.be/W8bFysfU0ZM

Not Just Any Love Story

   Today is a special day in my life. It’s the one many little girls dream of. I am getting married today. Now, when I was younger, I wasn’t a girl who pictured her perfect wedding. And, even when I got older, I didn’t have a crazy vision in mind. But, as time went on, I began to wonder if I ever would get married. I had never been in a relationship and didn’t have any on the horizon. But I knew that I felt like it would be nice to have someone to share life with. So, I tried online dating.

   I went on a few dates with people but didn’t feel a love kind of connection with them. I knew love could grow but I also knew that I didn’t want to be unequally yoked, whether that be an unbeliever or someone who was on a different Christian path than me. Then I met Nate.

   I will say, it wasn’t love at first sight, and I wasn’t even sure I believed in that. But when I met him at Coffee Co. he had a large beard and I never pictured myself with someone who had a beard. But we talked for three hours about many different things. And not just surface level things but deep things too, which I enjoy discussing. We decided to continue our friendship.

   After about a month of dating, I asked Nate to go for a walk after our respective Easter celebrations with family. He said yes and we discussed what our relationship would look like if we were to have one. After that walk, Nate asked me to be his girlfriend.

   Now, I’m not saying everything was easy in our relationship. But I will say I feel so blessed to have this man in my life. I am so thankful for him. He is caring and has a servant’s heart. He listens and communicates well. And it’s a bonus that he and I have similar interests (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Marvel, Soccer, Writing, etc.).

   But, on this day, I don’t just want to tell you about my man. I also want to remember the promises I am making to him and myself. So, instead of doing a typical blog, this time I just wanted to share a bit of our story and also share my vows, so I have them in writing in multiple places.

   “Though it is hard to wait, I will because patience can make me great. It may be hard to always be kind and serve, but I will do my best even if you get on my last nerve. I may want to brag about my man, but I will try not to be prideful, if I can. To show respect is another thing I vow, because I was raised right, I know how. Another thing I will do is do my best to forgive others and you, because that’s what God has called us to do. Following your lead and helping you grow, that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life, if you didn’t guess that well now you know. I love you and I’m so glad I get to spend the rest of my life with you. Oh, and one last thing I love about you, you are on standby for almost anyone in your life. So now it’s time for you to, ‘standby to get some.’”

   So, how are you showing love to those you love? Have you made any promises that you need to remember to keep?

   1 Corinthians 13:4-6

https://youtu.be/QIuJdWlnV_o

Love is Sacrifice

   Sometimes you are just busy being yourself and being authentic, then something great happens. True, what I am discussing now didn’t necessarily happen by itself, as Nate and I began our relationship on a dating website and chose one another, but the aftermath of this story did. Now, if you are like me, you know that you are not perfect. In fact, there are times when even I would find myself annoying or different. That is why I question how someone would want to be with me with all my downfalls but that’s beside the point.

   Nate and I are both good communicators and good at nonverbal communication as well. One day, we were watching Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and he had gotten sour patch kids to share. I didn’t eat too many of them but as the movie went on there ended up being only one left. In my brain I thought, “it would be nice if he would give me the last one” but I wasn’t expecting it. Then, Nate pointed the bag toward me. I smiled and took the last sour patch kid. This began a tradition of offering the last item to one another.

   Another time we were sitting on the couch talking and Nate began to get hot. He asked if we could turn the fan on. I did, and as time went on, I became cold. Nate seemed comfortable so I cuddled up to him and left the fan on.

   You can see where I am going here. When you love someone, you make sacrifices. Sacrifice means you give up something. You give up time, money, comfort, food, things, etc. so that you can show someone else you care. 

   Hebrews 13:16 reminds us of this when it says, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” We are to do good to others. What does “good” mean? Well, you could think of the golden rule. You know, do unto others as you would want them to do to you. Or, you could just say whatever you would feel most loved in, do that.

   As you can see, sacrifice doesn’t have to be big. Jesus died for us, and we are to follow his example. That may not mean physically dying. It may mean dying to ourselves. To our needs and wants. That’s sacrifice. Sacrifice in the little things daily and you will be following Jesus’ example and command. So, how will you sacrifice today?

https://youtu.be/w2xZXM7kZsI

Nothing Is Beneath You: Soccer Lessons

"Nothing is beneath you."

   When you are a coach of high school players you could have players that have been playing soccer for 12 years or players who haven't played at all. That can happen at any level, but I have found that it is more common in school ball. Because of this, the coach needs to cater to the needs of players with many different skill levels. I tried to do drills that are beneficial to any skill level. However, I have had players who think that certain drills are beneath them.

   These are the players who have been playing a while. They think they are ready for something harder. Most of the time I watch those players do the drill I assigned and I still see that they need to work on it, but they may not see it. Anyhow, to these players I tell them that nothing is beneath them. Professional soccer players still do Brazilians to get better at controlling the ball. They still do simple passing under pressure so they are used to it in games. If you are not willing to do the basics then you will lose your ability to do the basics. If you think you are better than you really are you will end up hurting your ability to play the game well.

   In life, if you think you are better than you really are you could lose friends, lose your job, and you are also disobeying God. Mark 9:35 says: "And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” If you think you are the best that means you are prideful. Pride is a sin. Now, I'm not saying you should think you are the scum of the earth. But, there is a balance to this. In Mark, Jesus tells us that we are not to think of ourselves first. We are not to think that we are first and the best. We are to be a servant to others. If anyone on the earth ever had a reason to think he was the best it was Jesus. But, Jesus didn't think that way. He gave up his life, he became a sacrifice, so that we could live. What right do we have to think that anything is beneath us?

   So, do you have a problem with thinking that something is beneath you? Are you willing to serve others like Jesus did? What can you do to serve someone today?

   Image from here.

Respect: Soccer Lessons

"Respect our team, the coaches, the other team, the refs and yourselves."

   Right before every game the coaches and the captains meet with the refs. During that time the refs do a little speech. In that speech the refs say to basically be respectful of the fans, refs, the opposing team, and your team. They need to do that because nowadays people have issues respecting just about anyone, even themselves sometimes.

   Thus why I began to say this quote to my team. Was it hard at times? Yes, especially when the other team is swearing at you, the refs are missing blatant calls, or the fans are heckling you. I remember many times I'd have to calm my team down because they'd want to retaliate. But, what does retaliating actually do? It just makes everyone angrier. Then things get out of control and people get hurt.

   Respect is something that I believe is beginning to be lost nowadays. People don't say sorry, excuse me, please, or thank you. People look out only for themselves. People don't respect their elders, police officers, doctors, teachers, and many more jobs that used to have automatic respect. Yes, I know some people in those professions have messed up but that doesn't mean that all people in those professions are bad.

   Romans 12:10 says: "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." Respect could also be known as love. Before you say or do something put of anger you need to think. Are you going to show love and respect in what you are about to do? It's okay to have emotions but in acting in them will you regret what you did or hurt someone you love? It's not always easy to respect everyone yet that's what we are called to do. That's how people will see we are different.

   So, are you showing respect to others? What can you do to show respect to someone today?
   Image from here.

Shine Like Stars

    If you go outside at night and look in the sky, what will you see? You may see clouds or the moon. But if you live in the country, you could see the stars. Stars have amazed people for years. They are high in the sky, make patterns, are millions of miles away, and still shine bright enough that we can see them here on earth.
   This year, at Camp YoliJwa, the theme is shine like stars. The verse this is taken from is Philippians 2:15 which says: “so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.”
   In one of the classes, we talked about love languages. I have discussed love languages on my blog before, but I did not realize how much the camp verse connects with them. We are to show love to everyone. That is the second greatest commandment that Jesus talked about. Yet, that is not always easy to do.
   We all have different love languages, and some are more comfortable for us than others. Also, we will get along better with some people than others. But God calls us to love everyone. He calls us to shine like stars. How are we to do that when we live in a world filled with darkness and sin? How are we to do that when people are not kind to us?
   We need to bear fruit. We need to grow in God. We need to be more like Jesus in our actions. In the world there is darkness. We can choose to let the darkness overcome us. We can choose to join in the darkness by sinning. Or we can choose to shine with God’s love and reflect his glory.
   What does that look like? It may mean we have to start small. We begin by loving our immediate family. We start by learning about Jesus, so we grow. That helps us know how to love others in certain situations. It may be hard to do, but we need to remember in the world filled with darkness. That means that even if we only give off a little light it will be seen. People will notice and begin to wonder what is different about us. That will lead them to learn more about Jesus and how much he loves them. And isn’t that the whole reason we are here? We are here to shine like stars and reflect the glory of God.
   So, are you shining for God’s glory? If not, what can you do to reflect His glory? How can you show love to someone today? 

The Love Triangle

   Once upon a time there was a young princess. She was told by all those that she knew that she was beautiful and she was loved by all the people in the land. Her father told her “you must remember who you are no matter what happens to you during your life.” For some time the girl did remember who she was but then she began to grow up.

   The girl grew away from her father. She started to dress in unflattering ways like the popular girls in the kingdom. She began to disobey her parents. The princess took her eyes off of her Father.

One night she found herself in an alley. Her dress was tattered, she was sick, and there was no one there to help her. All of her friends had abandoned her. The princess realized that she had forgotten who she was. She ran home. Then she burst into the throne room where her parents waited, sick with worry. The princess hugged her parents and told them she was sorry.

   She began to read her Bible more. The princess had a hunger for learning about her Father like no other in the kingdom. She had put her eyes back on the father. The princess also began to pray that her relationship with her Father would grow. And, that her future prince would keep his eyes on the father.

   In another kingdom there was a prince. He had thrown many parties, invited many women, and had wine there. He was not making good decisions. The prince loved the life of a bachelor. Until, one day, his parents decided to cut him off. For the good of their son and the kingdom they kicked him out of the castle.

   The prince could not understand why his parents would disown him. He asked his friends to help him. But, his friends wanted nothing to do with him. He joined a band of miscreants and began to lie, cheat, and steal. This went on for 2 years until one day he too woke up in an alley all alone. The prince felt a tug on his heart that day. He realized that he had forgotten who he was.

   The prince went home and begged for his parents’ forgiveness. His parents did forgive him. And, the prince began to read his Bible. His relationship with the Father began to grow. His eyes were back on the Father.

   The Father began to move the princess and the prince together. One day, while at a royal ball, the prince and the princess met. Both of them had gone through a lot, and they had been waiting a long time to meet each other. They began courting. And, one day the prince asked the princess to marry him. The princess agreed and they lived happily ever after.

   Obviously, this is a fictitious story. But, the message behind it rings true. In order for a relationship to work it cannot be just a relationship between husband and wife. It must be a love triangle made up of husband, wife, and Jesus.

   In this story the princess and the prince were not anywhere close to meeting one another until they fixed their eyes on the Father. Before, one can meet their significant other he/she must have a relationship with God. Think about it: when you were in middle school or high school what were you like? If you would have met your spouse then, would you have gotten together? More than likely you would not have gotten together because you still needed to grow.

   The point of this story is to say that, if you are still waiting to meet your spouse you need to keep your eyes fixed on God. If you are not growing in him then God will not move you toward your spouse. And, if your spouse’s eyes are not fixed on God then you still will not meet. Thus, you must also pray that your spouse will fix his/her eyes on God.

   If you are married or with someone, you do not get out of this either. You need to continue to grow in God. It is just that now you can grow with each other. You should be holding one another accountable and should still have your love triangle with Jesus.

   So, do you have your eyes fixed on the Father? If you do not, what are you going to do in order to fix your eyes on the Father again?

   Hebrews 12:2, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Colossians 3:14

Love Your Enemies: Jesus Series

   Matthew 5:44 "Love your enemies and pray for this who persecute you."

   This is probably one of the most difficult things for humans to understand that Jesus said. Maybe it's not difficult for us to understand it; it's a bit more difficult for us to follow it. Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with this idea. A most difficult idea indeed.

   People back then had this idea that they were to hate their enemies. It semi made sense because God had the Israelites destroy almost anyone who was in their land so that they would not be tempted to sin. However, the Israelites forgot that God also promised, through Abraham, that God would bless all nations through them (Gen.12.3). The Israelites were God's chosen people but that doesn't mean that God doesn't love everyone else. If Jesus only died for the Jews many of us would end up in Hell.

   No, the Israelites were to show God's love to other nations. But they also showed that it's impossible to follow the law all the time. They needed atonement as well because they sinned.

Now we have Jesus saying we are to love our enemies and pray for them. Jesus loved those who railed against him. He died for Pilate, who sentenced him to death. He died for the Pharisees, who tried to get him in trouble many times. He died for the Roman soldiers, who nailed him to the cross. He died for Peter, Judas, and all the other disciples who betrayed him. He died for Saul, who persecuted his followers. He died for me, for you, and for everyone.

   Jesus so loved the world that he died for us so that we can be with him. We were enemies of Christ because we nailed him to the cross with our sins. Yet, he showed us the greatest love by laying down his life (John.15.13). If Jesus can show that kind of love, why can't we?

   So, do you show love to others? Do you love those who are mean to you? How can you show Christ's love today?

   Image from here.

Quoting Love

   It is finally here. The day that is either relished or reviled: Valentine's Day. If you have a significant other, you may or may not enjoy Valentine's Day. Whether you enjoy Valentine's Day or not it is a good holiday to remind us about something really important to God: love.

   Love is a word that tends to be overused in today's society. Even though it is sometimes overused, or even used incorrectly, sometimes something very profound comes from society using this word. With that in mind, I'd like to go through some quotes about love that remind us of the true meaning of love.

   Piglet: "how do you spell love?" Pooh: "you don't spell it, you feel it." I don't know if you know this but Winnie-the-Pooh is a very profound character. He has some of my most favorite quotes and I'd encourage you to check out some others. Back to my point though: this is one quote that I don't entirely agree with. Many people nowadays think that love is just a feeling. However, in Matthew 22:37-40 says: "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Of course, we are called to love God, but we are also called to love our neighbors. Do you love everyone you come into contact with? Do you feel good, fuzzy, kind feelings about the person wrongs you? No? That's because love isn't a feeling. Love is a verb. Love is showing respect to someone even if it doesn't seem like they deserve it. I mean, just look at what Jesus did on the cross for us while we were sinning against him.

   Dug: "I was hiding under your porch because I love you." In this movie, Up, Carl is an older man who just wants to be alone. Even though he yells at Dug, who is a dog, Dug still stays loyal to Carl. He still loves Carl. Dug is like Jesus. He is always there for us; we just need to choose to let him in. It is just like in Revelation 3:20 "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." Jesus doesn't force himself on us. He gives us free will to choose Him. He loves us enough to wait until we are willing to let His love in.

   Olaf: "Some people are worth melting for." Olaf is a snowman in the movie Frozen. You and I both I know what happens to a snowman when he gets in front of heat: he melts. Olaf chose to care for Anna, who was sick, when he knew he could melt. Olaf is willing to sacrifice himself to care for someone else. Jesus gave an even greater sacrifice than Olaf. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Jesus died to save all of us from our sin. He died because he loves us. He died so he could be with us in heaven. We are called to follow his example, take up our crosses, and die to ourselves each day. We are called to love others as well.

   So, on Valentine's Day, I encourage you to think about love today. Are you showing love to others no matter what? Have you let Jesus' love into your heart so you can be with him forever? What can you do to show Jesus' love to others today?

   Image from here.

x

Jesus Loves You No Matter What

   As many of you know, at least those of you who know me or have read my blog, I am a teacher. Currently I am a preschool teacher. At the school I work at we try many different theories of education but one of the main ones is love and logic. In love and logic it talks about having natural consequences for children and adults keeping their cool by having a phrase they answer the children with. Sometimes love and logic works. Other times it does not.

   One time, during nap, I was trying to get a child to sleep. I rubbed his back calmly for about 15 minutes. Then my co-teacher left for her break. This child who I was trying to get to sleep decided he didn't want to sleep. He began trying to get up. Now, during nap, we require students to stay on their beds and stay quiet for the friends who are trying to sleep.

   Long story short, this child decided to cuss at me, kick me, pinch me, hit me, and bite me because he did not want to sleep. He wanted to run around the room and wake up his friends. All the while he was doing these things to me I was trying to follow love and logic. I kept saying "I love you and I know you'll make the right choice." Obviously it was not working. My director finally came in to relieve me after 45 minutes. But, the whole time I was trying to protect this child and the other children I was thinking how crazy I was. What kind of person would tell someone they love them when all that person was doing was hurting them?

   After I got past the trauma of the whole situation I began to think. I wondered if anyone else had ever gone through something like that before. I wondered how someone could keep saying "I love you and I know you'll make the right choice" to someone who kept hurting them. Then I stopped. I realized that I have done what this child did to me to someone else. I had done that to Jesus.

   Every time we sin we are hurting God. He cannot be with sin because he is holy. But, Jesus is a good teacher. God is a good father who cares about us. God sent his son to die for our sins to show his love for us. Now, if we accept Christ, our sins are washed white as snow. When we make the right choice, Jesus says "I love you." When we are faced with temptation Jesus says "I love you and I know you'll make the right choice." And, when we do sin, Jesus says "I still love you, come back to me and I'll wash your sins white as snow."

   Jesus is the ultimate example of love. You may never face the same situation I faced. But, you probably will face a time where it is difficult for you to love someone. We are to be Jesus' example on earth. That means we are to love others even if they hurt us. We are to love others even if they are mean to us. We are to love others even if they never ask for forgiveness or say "sorry." Is it easy? No, is it what we are called to do as Christians? Yes, we are called to love others.

   So, will you love others even when it's hard? Will you ask for forgiveness for your sins when you mess up? What can you do to show someone you love them today?

   1 Corinthians 13:4-8, John 3:16, John 13:34-35

   Image from here.

Where's Your Heart?

   A few years ago I taught a kindergarten class. One of my favorite subjects to teach is Bible. I just love bringing Bible stories to life for kids. Not only that, but helping students apply those stories to their lives is just a joy to me.
   I've taught Bible lessons before I worked at this school. I was a Sunday school teacher, taught Vacation Bible School lessons, and lessons at camp. But, teaching at this school was different. I taught Bible lessons every day at school and went deeper into those stories with the kids. Each story I taught I started to see a common thread: everything comes back to the heart.
   Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Why? They disobeyed because their heart was not for God at that time. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son. Why? He was willing because his heart was for God. Saul killed Christians until he met Jesus on Damascus road. Then he started to preach the Gospel. Why? Saul's heart originally wasn't for God. Then his heart changed, he repented, and he started to preach the Gospel because his heart was for God.
   Each of these stories teach us many lessons but my heart started to change while I was teaching too. I have always tried to do what God calls me to do, even when it's not easy. That year many times when I was teaching Bible I wasn't just talking to my students, I was also talking to myself.
   Have you ever had that feeling when you heart starts beating faster and louder, you keep on talking though you may not know exactly what you are going to say next, and after you say what you said you are thinking "how did I do that? Where did those words come from?" Those words did not come for you, they came from God. And, those words may be talking to you as well.
   The words that come out of your mouth lets people know exactly where your heart is. If you are asked to help volunteer somewhere and you say, "I can't I have to get some things done at home." Then you just sit on the couch all day. Where is your heart? If you are asked to go to a special event at a church, and instead you go out to eat, where is your heart? If you lie, cheat, steal, etc. To gain things for yourself, where is your heart?
   God lets you know exactly where your heart is by testing you. If you feel like you are not having good conversations with God like you used to then your heart probably is not in the right place. What can you do to continue to have your heart in the right place? God tells us in the Bible: read the word, pray to him, and trust in him. That's the way that your heart will be for God. That's how we can be like those in the Hall of Faith. That's how we can reach others for Him.
   So, where is your heart at? Do you have a good relationship with God? What can you do to keep having a heart for God?

   Ezekiel 36:26, Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 6:21

   Image from here. 

Do You Feel Like You Don't Belong?

   I had a friend who was a really hard worker. She worked hard to help others. She worked hard to get better in her hobbies. She worked hard to follow her career path. And, she worked hard to show the love of God to others.
   She got a job where she encouraged her co-workers, cared about those she served, and worked hard to improve every day. Now, this friend was fairly quiet and did not speak up much in group settings. Because of this, she was fired.
   I couldn't understand why she was fired but she told me the reason she was fired was because she didn't fit in with the culture of the workplace. Just because she didn't talk much in group settings she was fired! Now, you have to understand this friend worked behind the scenes. She did not flaunt her success, she gave people gifts without telling them it was from her, and did many things to make sure the workplace ran smoothly without telling anyone she did it. That's what I call character! But, because she did that her bosses didn't think she did much to work with her team.
   This reminded me of a story where there were a lot of misfits: The Greatest Showman. In the movie Barnum, the main character, gets an idea to have a show of people who are usually outcasts. He wants to bring them together and show them they belong. It worked, he created the circus. Now, some people still called the circus people names and were mean to them. But, it didn't matter to the circus people because they now had a home. They had confidence in themselves. They had a place they belonged.
   What struck me in the movie is that the circus accepted anyone. They had a tall man, a fat man, dog boy, a small man, a bearded lady, and so much more. It didn't matter what these people looked like, where they came from, or what they did in the past. They were accepted into the family just because they were who they were.
   This is exactly how God's family is. Everyone in their life has felt like they don't belong at some point. Maybe you don't have many friends at school because you choose not to involve yourself in questionable activities. Maybe you don't fit in at work because you refuse to hurt others to get promotions. Maybe you don't belong in your family or your country because you believe in Jesus and they don't.
   We are all hurt by this world. We all feel like we mess up or we are inadequate. But, God loves us no matter what we do, where we come from, what we look like, etc. We belong to him. He created us and loves us. That's what we need to remember when we feel like we don't belong. It's what we need to remember when we work hard and still get fired. It's what we need to remember when we look different from others and are rejected. It's what we need to remember when our faith is tested in the fire.
   So, have you ever felt like you don't belong? What can you hold onto when you feel like you don't belong? How can you help someone realize they belong today (at work, school, or the family of  God)?

   Psalm 100:3, Isaiah 43:1, 1 John 3:1

   Image from here.

The Proof of Love

   It's that time of year again when men are scrambling till the last minute to get gifts for their beloved, women are waiting for their beloved to prove his love (possibly by putting a ring on it), and children are looking forward to the candy shock they'll get from all their Valentine's. Whether you think that this holiday is just for the chocolate, flower, and card companies to earn more money or you actually enjoy the holiday many of us can agree that this holiday is about love. Do we actually know what love is?
   I've said it before and I'll say it again it is hard to define love. We use that word so much for many different things, like fries and our family. And, God tells us to love him and love others. Obviously this kind of love is different from loving fries (btw I recommend fries with a frosty [ice cream], if you try it I'm sure it'll change your world). How can we show love to people who are mean to us, falsely accuse us, steal from us, and sometimes even worse?
   For all practical purposes we cannot show that kind of love until we ask Christ for help and know that love, in this context, means showing respect.
   There's a song by For King and Country called The Proof of Your Love. How do we know that we are showing God's love to others? This song gives us some answers. The song says: "If I sing but don't have love I waste my breath with every song." Now, this is written by a singer. He is singing about God's love. He's seen in the public eye and known as a Christian. If he doesn't show God's love he's called a hypocrite. As Christians we sing about God's love and loving others a lot. Do we actually believe and do what those songs say?
   The chorus of the song says: "So let my life be the proof, the proof of your love let my love look like You and what You're made of how you lived, how you died love is sacrifice." We call ourselves Christians. That means followers of Christ. If we follow Christ that means we are to try to emulate him. That means we are to be the proof of God's love to others. Yet, we have Christians who don't help others, don't give money to the ones who need it most, and who think that they are better than everyone else! If Jesus had that same mentality we would be in big trouble because we'd be dead. Once we die, we'd go to hell.
   But, Jesus knew the true meaning of sacrifice. He gave others his time, he taught others about God's love, and he made the ultimate sacrifice for us. Talk about proving that you love someone. He died to save us, there's no greater love than that.
   It's time that we start showing others God's love. If we don't show God's love to others then what is the point of saying we are Christian? There is no point if we don't love! The reason we are called hypocrites most of the time is because we sin and don't show love. It's time for our lives to prove God's love as we are called to do.
   So, do you know what love means? Are you showing God's love to others by sacrificing of yourself? 

   John 13:34-35, John 15:13, John 3:16

   Lyrics for The Proof of Your Love by For King and Country.

   Image from here.

Appreciation Challenge: Thanksgiving

   As you know, I like to challenge myself with something out of my comfort zone; or, something I think is a need in the world from time to time. This past month I challenged myself to show my appreciation to at least 1 person every day. I may have said "I appreciate you" face to face, given someone a gift, or sent a text to someone. A few things happened when I did this.
   1. The person ignored it. Maybe she/he didn't know how to answer. Or, she/he looked at it and moved on with her/his day.
   2. The person said thank you.
   3. The person said thanks and said she/he was thankful for me too. Then we started talking more about how things were going in our lives.
   4. The person said thank you and then asked if I was leaving somewhere or dying.
   I found all of these responses interesting. However, one of the more interesting is that people thought something bad was happening to me. I think that people are not used to getting random notes of appreciation so they assume the worst. What if we made if so that everyone felt appreciated every day? What would the world be like? Now, I'm not saying we should appreciate to the point of people feeling that they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. But, people should feel loved.
   Philippians 2:3-4 says: "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." We are all unique. We have different abilities, interests, and talents that God has given us. What if we focused on appreciating other's abilities, interests, and talents instead of tearing them down? What if we were thankful for those people and things we have in our lives? I encourage you this thanksgiving to show your appreciation, not just for what you have in your life, but also for who is in your life.

   Image from here.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

   I have played on many soccer teams in my lifetime. Some of them I enjoyed more than others but I’m sure you could say that about just about anything in life. However, I will say that there was one team I enjoyed playing on probably the most: Lancaster Bible College Women’s Soccer Team. I learned so many lessons and made so many connections on that team. I miss playing very much.

   This season I had the privilege of getting to assistant coach for the LBC Women’s Soccer Team. Like any season, we’ve had ups and downs. But, there is a reason why I enjoyed playing and now coaching for this team. Other teams talk about teamwork. Teamwork is vital to the game of soccer. If you don’t have a team that works together and supports each other you won’t go very far. The LBC Women’s Soccer team is different in the way that we are on more than one team together and the fact that both of those teams have the same goals.

   You may be thinking: isn’t the goal of soccer to score more than the other team and win? Yes, that’s the basic concept; but this team is about more. This team loves each other. They work hard for the same goal: to reflect God’s glory and love others through soccer. If they win a game the reflect God’s glory by being humble. If they lose a game they reflect God’s glory by congratulating the other team. If they go into a tackle and foul the other player they reflect God’s glory by helping that player up or checking on her. If someone on their team makes a mistake they reflect God’s glory by telling that person, “it’s okay, you’ll do better next time.” If they go into overtime the reflect God’s glory by pushing each other to keep playing hard.

   The love that these girls have for one another is a great example of how we are called to love one another. John 13:34-35 says: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” These girls play their best not just to reflect God’s glory but also out of love for one another. They remember that when they are tired they need to push themselves to keep playing because they love each other.

   Because these ladies worked so hard during the season to love one another and reflect God’s glory in all they did they have made it to playoffs. I’m so proud of these girls for facing adversity and pushing each other to win. Today they play in their first playoff game of the season.

   Good luck ladies! Remember to keep reflecting God’s glory and loving each other. Play for one another today. Play for the audience of One. You've got this! <3
   Image from here.

Special Edition: Bieber Family Benefit

   Sometimes life just gets you down. You may have some hard problems. During those times, it's important to have people come alongside you. Hebrews 10:24-25 says "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
   The Lancaster Bible College Women's Soccer Team has banded together this year to support one of their players in particular: Avery Bieber. Her father, Andy, is in a battle of stage 4 Gliobastoma. He has gone through many treatments to get rid of a brain stem tumor but the tumor has grown suddenly.
   The LBC Women's Soccer Team team is hosting a benefit for the Bieber family Saturday, September 21. There will be T-shirts available for donations toward the family's expenses as well as a bake sale.
   These girls have been so supportive of all of their teammates, not just Avery. This team bands together through good and bad times. They believe in each other, encourage each other, and pray for one another. It is inspiring to see a team that is truly living out the way Christ has called us to live.
   You can find out more about the Bieber family and the benefit here. 

Lost Connection

   It was one of those times where I was in a rush to get somewhere and I was focused on the road I was driving on. That means I was susceptible to being scared because I was so focused. Of course, that meant that my phone thought it was a good idea to prank me. All of the sudden I heard "I'm sorry, I cannot complete that action because your phone doesn't have service." Once I figured out that my phone thought I said "OK Google" to wake it up I was okay and continued my journey.
   After I arrived at my destination I started thinking about how if I actually needed help at that point I would have been in big trouble. Technology has come a long way. We now have watches that can attach to our phones instead of big bulky cell phones people used to keep in their cars. But, as far as technology has come, it is still limited.
   Imagine if God worked the way our cell phones worked. If I would have called on God at that point I wouldn't have been able to reach him. That would've been really scary. Yet, many times we take communication with God for granted. We think "God already knows my thoughts and what I'm going through. I've got this, so I don't think I'll go to God to ask for help." Yes, God is a good father and he wants us to learn how to do things on our own. But, he also wants to walk with us. He is right beside us through everything in life. He wants to have open communication with us.
   That means spending time with him. Just sit still, be, and abide with him. Spend time in his word. Pray to him. Tell him your hopes and dreams. Tell him the good and the bad. Learn more about him because that's how relationships work: you get to know about the other person and he/she gets to know about you.
   So, how is your communication with God? Do you take God for granted at times? How can you improve in your relationship with God?

   John 1:10-13 and John 15:5

   Image from here. 

Who's Our Neighbor? A Modern Day Good Samaritan

   Imagine you are going for a jog one day and you decide to take a new trail. You jog for a little bit then suddenly you trip. You look and see that there’s a rock that you hadn’t seen before turned up because you tripped over it. You try to stand up and realize that your ankle is at a strange angle. You cry out in pain because you cannot stand. Calling out for help will do you no good. You have not seen anyone around for miles.

   You lay there for 2 hours and realize that you are beginning to feel a new pain: the pain of hunger. You hear a noise behind you. A man is walking by. He is wearing a nice suit and carrying a book in his hand. You call out as loudly as you can. The man comes over and you begin to hope that he will help you. The man comes over and he asks what happened. You tell him. He says: “do you know Jesus as your personal savior?” You cannot believe this. You say: “right now my concern is my ankle. Can you help me?” The man nods, “I can help you. Jesus can save you. I will pray for you.” Then the man starts to walk away. Your shock stops you from calling out for a little then you yell at him to help you, but he’s gone.

   A little bit later someone else comes along. She is wearing a Doctor’s coat. You think that she will definitely help you and call for help. She looks over and says, “Hello.” Then she starts to look at your body. You say “can you fix my ankle? You are a doctor, right?” She says, “no, I’m sorry. I am an injury monitor. I only tell people when they are injured…...You are injured. It looks like a broken ankle and some hunger pains. You should get that fixed immediately.” Then she starts to walk away. You call out asking her to at least help you up. Then yell at her to tell someone you are there.

   Some more time passes and you are about to give up hope. A younger person comes along. She is on her phone and wearing some workout clothes. You are not sure if she will help you but you call out anyhow. She comes right over, “are you okay? What happened?” You tell her and she says “well, I don’t know first aid but I can try to help you.” Then she helps you up, lets you lean on her, and she takes you to get help.

   Sometimes we have a busy schedule and we don’t do what God calls us to do. We are to love others. That means helping them when they need it. If a homeless person asks for food and you give that person a Bible do you think they are going to want to read it? Probably not, because all that person can think about is eating food. The person will not be ready to learn until some basic needs are met. And, if you don’t care about those needs why would that person care about what you have to say?

   Other times we help people get saved then we forget about them. It is important that we help young believers grow in Christ. That way they can help others then too. We cannot be like an injury monitor and just tell people they need saved then leave them. That doesn’t exactly help spread the gospel in the right way. We need to make sure those people have someone who can help them grow.

We should be like the last person who came along and helped. She dropped what she was doing. It didn’t matter if she had a meeting or another event to get to. She stopped to help. She was being a good neighbor.

   So, are you evangelizing in the right way? Do you help others when they need it? What can you do to help your neighbors today?

   John 13:34 and Luke 10:25-37

   Image from here.
   This is a snip from a message I preached at Maytown Church of God. Here is the link to the sermon titled Do Something (scroll down the messages to find the title).

Love That Person Unless....

   If you know my  family, you know we have a pretty interesting dynamic. My sister and I, in particular, have a very interesting relationship. She's 8 years younger than me, we share a room, I'm her coach for soccer, and we're so close that we know what the other is thinking most of the time. Like all siblings we have our fights, but we always make up fairly quickly.
   We were not always that close. When she was little she was super annoying but now it's like we are on a team together. In fact, we are on a team together. We are on a soccer team but we are also on Christ's team. We both have the same ideals because we both know Christ as our personal savior. I'm not sure there's someone on earth, other than maybe my mom, who knows me as well as my sister does.
   However, there's someone who knows me better than I know myself. God knows my every thought. He is my friend, father, and savior. He knows my every quirk. He knows everything that may make me annoying to people. He knows every mistake I've made and he still loves me.
Sometimes I think Christians put too much of an emphasis on the judgement of God. We think that we need to "hate the sin and love the sinner," which isn't in the Bible by the way. We think that we need to be in the world but not of it, which is true but we take it too far sometimes.
   The Greatest commandment and the second greatest commandment are basically to love God and love others. It's funny how that commandment doesn't say "Love others unless they are committing adultery." It doesn't say, "Judge others instead of love them." It just says to love them. Yes, there will be people in our lives who we see sinning; and, in love, we will need to go to them to try to keep them accountable. But, that doesn't mean we are to stop loving them if they don't listen.
   Jesus spent his time with sinners and the sick. We are all sinners. We've all been there. Why is it so hard for us to remember it's not our place to judge? It's not our place to go to a sister and say, "Hey, I noticed that you've been gossiping a lot lately." And, if she doesn't change her ways, say to ourselves I'm not going to spend any more time with her. Yes, we need to be careful we don't fall into sin, but God will help us to not fall into temptation if we trust him. Even if we cannot spend time with that person anymore for different reasons we should still pray for her. If she needs help we should still help her. Jesus didn't always save people who believed in him. He saved sinners; he came to save us all. Why can't we show that kind of love to others too?
   So, will you love others like a brother and a sister? Do you show God's love to others? Are you too judgmental at times?

   John 13:34-35, Matthew 22:36-40, Galatians 6:1-2

   Image from here.