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

Three P's: New Year's

   Each year I choose a spiritual resolution. This year I prayed about it and God led me to I choose patience. That was tested through work, relationships, soccer, and life in general. I would take a step back each time I felt impatience coming on and talk with God.

   As the year went on, I felt something I hadn't felt before. I felt God tugging on me to add another resolution. This one was also a difficult one for me: prayer. When you think about it, patience and prayer go hand in hand. But I had been holding off on those resolutions because I knew they would be hard for me. Yet, through God, I have been able to work on both of them. 

   When trying times would come up, not only would I pause, but I would pray. I would spend time each day with God in prayer. Then, midway through the year, something happened.

   I was tested. I was myself. I was honest. And it came back to bite me. I didn't understand. Why would God allow this to happen if I'm following him? 

   The final "p" I was asked to do this year was some pruning. I had been holding on tightly to my reputation. I prided myself on what others thought about me. I wanted others to praise me. It took that testing and reflection for me to realize what I needed to let go of.

   Now, I'm not going to lie, the pruning hurt. But, in the end, it was a good hurt because I grew in God through it. It also reminded me that I am continually growing in God; and he is going to grow me as I keep my eyes fixed on him.

   So, what is God asking you to grow in? How can you keep your eyes fixed on him? What might God be asking you to prune, or get rid of, today?

https://youtu.be/W6kv1OfUKMo?si=tItY3kvOE6f2-CaN

Confidence 2022 into 2023

   Some of you know each year I challenge myself to focus on one area of my spiritual walk. This past year I picked an area that had me nervous to choose: confidence. 
   There's a reason why I was nervous to choose confidence. As a goalkeeper I was taught to have confidence in goal. If I panicked, everyone on the field would too. My coach used to tell me "fake it till you make it." But that's the opposite of what I was taught. I was taught to be authentic with others. This was a conundrum for me. But, over time, I realized something.
   I should not be confident in myself. I should be confident in God and who he made me to be. This sounds easy enough but it is hard because it means giving up control. It means not being insecure, anxious, and untrusting of God. Having God confidence encompasses many things. 
   I was also nervous because usually when I pick my spiritual challenge God delivers. What I mean by that is God helps me work on that area. This past year I got COVID, went to the ER, had a medical journey, had 3 family members have health problems and go to the ER, had many changes at work, and had anxiety because of a lot of this. I had to learn not to lean on myself. I had to learn to step up when God asks me to. I had to do uncomfortable things for me because I was being confident in God.
   It was quite a journey. I learned to listen to verses like Proverbs 14:26 "In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge." I had to take refuge in God during trials, hurts, sleepless nights, etc. Yes, I talked with others about those problems which helped. But the thing I learned the most is God can use you when you trust in him and have God confidence.
   So do you have confidence in God? What do you feel you need to improve in in your spiritual walk? 
   Lyric video: Confidence by Sanctus Real

Righteous: New Years

   Each year I give myself a new spiritual focus. Of course I work on everything but I have found that having one specific focus helps me improve in character areas I need to work on. This year I was trying to focus on righteousness.
  Now, you may be thinking "righteousness is not an easy thing to improve in." You are correct. But I was following many different verses. 
Matthew 5:6 says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." I don't know about you but when I am hangry it is scary. I just need something to eat or I feel like the Hulk. If I was that hungry for righteousness what would my life loom like?
   Answering that question was far from easy. I knew it was impossible to be righteous without Jesus. I mean, he is the only one who can make us pure of heart. But that does not mean we are not to try to follow him still. Following him is not easy many times.
   Throughout this year I had many challenges with this challenge. There were times where I wanted to watch something that I know God would not have approved of. There were times I made a mistake and had to fess up to it. Choosing right was not easy but it was worth it. I learned much about myself and the Lord this year.
   So, I encourage you to hunger and thirst for righteousness as well. And maybe you could also come up with a spiritual resolution for this year as well.

The Power of Perspective: Happy New Year!

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

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

   Image from here. 

Abiding with God: New Year's Blog

   As some of you know, each year I try to challenge myself with a spiritual resolution. This year I chose to challenge myself to spend more time with God. Many times we feel we are too busy. I know this year I was very busy with many different things. I could’ve used excuses and said “I’m too busy to spend time in the word.” But, each day I spent time with God. You could also say I was abiding with God each day. Abide isn’t a word that we tend to use much nowadays. The only time I have really heard the word abide used much is when someone says, “I cannot abide with that.” According to dictionary.com abide means: “to remain, continue, or stay.” I was remaining and staying with God all year.

   I chose this challenge because at the beginning of the year I read the verse John 15:4. The verse says: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” This verse is basically saying that we are like a branch. God is the vine. Without an attachment to the vine, the branch would not survive. The branch would not produce fruit. As Christians, we are called to produce fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). If we abide with God, then we will produce his fruit. We will grow in him and get to know him more.

   I learned a lot this year during the challenge. I had a few rough patches this year, and I am sure you did as well. However, this year when I went through these rough patches I knew the word better and I kept saying verses to myself. This helped me to get through tough times. Knowing the word made me feel like God was walking right beside me. I knew he was walking beside me in previous years; but knowing his word and abiding with him helped me feel closer to him.

   I encourage you, as 2019 ends and 2020 is here, to come up with your own spiritual challenge. If you don’t have one, then why not try spending time abiding with God? I promise you, you will learn a lot and you will grow in him.

   Image from here.

The Light in Me: New Years Reflection

   Each year I challenge myself with something I need to work on spiritually. I don't view it as a New Years Resolution because many people don't keep those. I view it as a choice I make to grow in my walk with God. And, I don't just do it for a year I try to keep it up from then on. It's funny though, this year, my challenge changed. I started out trying to be more like a servant. But, then God made it clear that's not what he wanted me to focus on this year. I was trying to be a servant but more and more it became clear that I was to let my light shine for him (God's plan was different than my plan, go figure).
   You may be saying, "isn't that kind of the same thing?" Yes, it is in a way. But, letting your light shine means doing more. It means that when hard times come you praise God. When someone is in need you stop to help and praise God. When life is filled with so much darkness you can't see any light left, you praise God and let your light shine.
   I've been struck by how many songs talk about letting your light shine, even non-Christian songs. They helped me on my journey this year. "Come alive, come alive, Go and ride your light, Let it burn so bright, Reachin' up to the sky" (Come Alive, The Greatest Showman). When we first become Christians we are born again. We "Come Alive" with our new life. We are on fire for God. We want to tell others about him, learn about him, and serve him. Then, as time goes on we start to lose our fire, our light starts to dim, and we begin to go back to our old ways. 

   We forget that our "Lights shine bright everywhere we go" (Lights Shine Bright, TobyMac), even in hard places and times. We need to "Shine, Let it shine before all men, Let 'em see good works and then, Let 'em glorify the Lord" (Shine). The most important thing about letting your light shine is that your light isn't glorifying you. That's what we must remember when we think about putting our light out. It's about glorifying God. We can do this every day. When we go to work and are asked to do a mundane task we can do it to the best of our ability with enthusiasm. That's how people will see we are different. Then we can share our light with them and bring them out of darkness.
   It is not easy to always do this. I had a really hard year this year for different reasons. At times I am sure that my light was not that bright. The devil will try to snuff out our lights in any way he can. He knows what makes us tick. He then uses those things to try to turn us from God. When those times came up in my life I remembered to "Keep fighting the good fight (Never give up, never give up), Keep letting your light shine (Holding it high as long as you live)" (Good Fight, Unspoken). God is walking with me through all of the good and bad things I went through. I know these things happened for a reason. I may not know that reason yet but I am trusting in God.
   The Devil will not shut my light off because light is hope. I have hope in Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He loves me. He gives me a chance to be a part of his story. I'd be crazy not to give others chances to find the light. I can share my light of Jesus with others. That's what I'm going to do. Because God, "let Your(his) love shine down, So that the world could see, You(he) put the light in me" (The Light In Me, Brandon Heath).
   So, have you been letting your light shine? What can you do to let your light shine even more?

   Matthew 5:16, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Revelation 4:11
   How to Let Your Light Shine blog.

A Praise A Day: Looking Back at 2016

   Over the last year so much has happened. I’m sure a lot has happened to you just like a lot has happened to me. This year was a little different for me because I made a choice at the beginning of the year. I made a choice to look for the good in life every day.

   This idea began because of something a friend told me. She would get a sparkling cider bottle, which would be her “giving to God jug.” Any time she had problems that she would constantly worry about she would write it on a piece of paper and put it in the jug. There was no way she could get the paper out. Therefore, there was nothing she needed to worry about. I worry too, but my jug was a little different. Mine was about praises.

   If you do not know me, then you do not know that I am a pessimistic person. At least, I seem like one to a lot of people. In my mind I try to think positive but the negative tends to come out. This last year I decided that every day I would write down at least one praise per day. Some days I had a lot of praises to put in the jug. Other days it was difficult for me to come up with a praise but I still did.

   What I discovered is that I began to have more joy no matter what was happening. I also started to worry less about what would happen to me. I was able to see firsthand all the good things that God put in my life, which made me less worried about all the bad things. It is also fun to look at the jug and see it filled with praises. I also took the papers out of the jug at the end of the year and looked back on all of the praises I had (I chose one that I would be able to get the papers out of). This helped me see how much I have grown and how much I have to be thankful for.

   I’m not saying you need to write down all of the praises you have every day. And, maybe you are an optimistic person and you don’t need to work on finding praises. But, there may be something else you need to work on. I encourage you to choose one character trait you would like to work on this year. Then come up with something you are going to do in order to help you grow in that area of life. I promise you that when you look back at 2017 at the end of next year, if you have kept trying to grow, it will be worth it.

   Colossians 1:9-10, Romans 8:28, Psalm 103:2