Waiting On a Miracle: Encanto Series

    One member of the family Madrigal, other than the grandma, does not have a gift. Her name is Mirabel. She feels left out and forgotten. Thus, why she sings "Waiting on a Miracle." She wants a gift. She wants a chance to show others what she can do. Mirabel so wants to help her family and others just so she feels included, like a member of the family. But she feels like it is too late for a miracle. 

   What about you? In the last blog, we talked about how we all have gifts given to us by God. You have a gift, so what am I talking about here? Well, sometimes I feel like we are always looking forward to something that we forget to enjoy each moment. Each day is a gift. Each day is special. Each day we have a choice to use our time for us or for God. 

   Ephesians 5:16 talks about this when it says: "Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." The days are evil, what does that mean? It means that time on earth is short. Things on earth will pass away. Only what we do for eternity will matter in the long run. 

   That means many of the things we think of as problems do not really matter. Does this mean God doesn't care about your problems? No, but it means sometimes we focus on the wrong things. 

   Sometimes we pray for a miracle when there is one right in front of us. Sometimes we miss what God is doing because we want things done our way. We want a quick fix. But God does things in his own time. He does everything for a reason. So maybe rather focusing on the fix we want, we should focus on eternal things. We should focus on God and what he is doing through situations and people.

   Are you focused on your wishes or God's plan? What miracles do you see God doing in your life right now?

 

Using Your Gifts: Encanto Series

    The opening of the movie Encanto is a song called "The Family Madrigal." In the song, Mirabel tells village children about her family. See the Madrigal family is special because most of them have a special power. 

   These powers include healing, strength, the ability to talk to animals, control of the weather, and more. Each member of the family with powers has a job that helps the village thrive. And the village people are grateful for what this family does for them. 

   You may not have a special power like this family, but you do have a gift. Romans 12:6 talks about how we have spiritual gifts. It says: "We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith." God created us all unique and gave us each a different mission field. He gives us gifts to use for that mission and to reflect his glory. 

   Think about it: you are so special to God that he gave you the opportunity to be a part of His story. He gave you unique gifts and a unique mission. Without you, someone may not be blessed. That's not to say that God will not bless that person if you choose not to use your gifts. But it is to say you have been given the opportunity. You are an important part of the body of Christ. You are unique. You are loved. It is amazing to think about.

   So, what are your gifts? Are you using them to reflect God's glory?

 

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

Visual Examples of Purity

   I am a preschool teacher in a public childcare center. Thus, I do not do much preaching/evangelizing with my actual words there. However, I have also been involved in my church’s Sunday school programs, Vacation Bible Schools, and church camp ministries. Because of this, I learned how to teach younger children the truth about God. One experiment that really helped open the eyes of the kids I was working with was an experiment using bleach.

   I remember talking with the kids about how we are born into the world with a sin nature. We are unclean like this jar. The jar had the word sin on it with water and food coloring (or iodine) in it. Then, when we sin, we become unclean as well. I poured some of the sin container into a different jar labeled “you.” This made the jar labeled “you” to become red. No matter what I do, I cannot get the red to separate from the clear water that was in it before. 

   Then I took at jar with bleach in it labeled “Jesus” and poured some of it into the “you” jar. When you accept Christ as your savior, he comes into your life and cleanses you. I explained this to the kids and asked if anyone wanted to do that. Many of the children did so. I prayed and as I was praying, the jar labeled “you” became clear. When I said, “amen.” The kids’ eyes lit up when they saw that the water was clean again. It was an amazing example of God’s work. 

   The last thing I did was reminded the kids that Jesus was tempted to sin just like we are each day. I poured the rest of the jar labeled “sin” with the food coloring in it into the “Jesus” jar with the bleach in it. But Jesus did not sin. So, the jar labeled “Jesus” stayed clear!

   Jesus can make you pure again no matter what you have done. He is your advocate, brother, and friend. He loves you just as you are, warts and all. Because of that love, he died for you so you could be with him in heaven.

   So, what does this experiment mean to you? How can you practice purity each day? Watch the Eustace clip below and think about how it relates to purity. How does the clip relate to you?

Eustace changed https://youtu.be/InAukk4DuRw 

Sin experiment https://youtu.be/wRefcuICmuM 

https://youtu.be/8z1I7YQwaI8

What If You Are Not Pure Anymore?

   Some of you may be wondering, “is it too late for me? Am I too far gone that I could ever be washed clean, be made pure?” Some of you may have made the choice to sin when you didn’t even know what you were doing was wrong, or a sin. Others of you may have made a conscientious choice. You knew what you were doing was wrong but you chose to gratify your carnal desires for a temporary high. Is it too late for you?

   Here’s the thing. Sin is like a cage, or a jail cell. You are inside it thinking that you are on top of the world but it is a temporary fix. It’s like putting a band aid on a cut then cutting it open again yourself. You are trapped but it doesn’t seem like you are because it’s your choice to keep sinning. Now, you may be saying, “if this is something I can choose to escape then why am I in the cage or jail that is locked?” The door isn’t locked. The door is wide open. You just have to choose to take one step, then another, and another until you are out and free.

   Who opened the door you may be asking? Jesus did. He died to take on the blackness of your sin. If you accept him as your savior and cleanse yourself in his blood then you are free. The chains, the cell, the bondage of sin holds you no more. It cannot be that easy, can it? 1 John 1:9 says: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” He forgives our sins and cleanses us from ALL unrighteousness. That time you lied about where you were going. The time you stole candy from the store. When you bought that dope to get high. When you were in your room alone looking at porn. The time you lost your patience and yelled at your family in anger. ALL OF IT IS WASHED AWAY!

   But it is your choice. You can choose to stay in the jail with the door open. Or you can choose God. You can choose purity.

   So, what is your choice? If you have already chosen purity, how can your continue to grow in God and stay pure?

https://youtu.be/3DivZbSv4JI

Why Stay Pure?

   Okay, stay with me on this one. Obviously, there is the simple answer of “God tells us to remain pure.” That is true and a good enough reason why we should stay pure. But that reason hasn’t seemed to convince everyone in the world as many have chosen the path of sin rather than purity. 

   The thing is many of us have fallen so far away from the Lord that we think that this life is all we have. If this life is all we have then should we not carpi diem? Or live life to the fullest? Should we eat, drink and be merry? If this is all we have and all we believe in, then that makes sense.

   But God’s word tells us that death is not the end. In God’s great grace, he sent his son to be a perfect sacrifice for all of our sins. He did this so we could spend eternal life with him, so long as we accept Christ as our savior, believe in him, and confess that we are sinners. John 3:36 tells us “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” God is a God of love. He loves us all. He wants us to all be with him in eternity. Yet, he cannot be with anything unholy. If we are not washed clean by Jesus’ blood, then we will face God’s wrath.

   Some people believe lies. Lies like: “this life is all there is.” “God could never forgive all I have done.” “No one could ever love me because I am unworthy.” “Hell is where all my friends are going, and it will be a party. I don’t want to leave my friends.” They make jokes. They feel depressed. They feel alone. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Even if you take away the argument for God telling us to stay pure, you cannot take away the argument that if there is life after death, and if God tells us there is only one way to gain that life, you must make that choice to follow him or be doomed.

   We must follow the words of Psalm 119:37: “turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.” The things and pleasures of this world are temporary. Even if you are the richest man in the world, even if you have sports cars, a mansion, gold, jewels, the latest technology, and more but you don’t have God you have nothing. You cannot take anything you have on this earth with you into eternity. Money, drugs, alcohol, and other things that bring you temporary pleasure are destroying you. You are losing yourself to a world that lies; you are losing yourself to worthless things. But that’s your choice. You can choose the temporary pleasures of this world, or the pleasures of eternity for all time.

   So, are you staying pure? Have you made the choice to follow Christ or yourself? How can you turn your eyes from worthless things today?

https://youtu.be/6WPRac8xeBU

Purity in Couple Relationships

   Now we are finally to the part where we talk about the purity that most people think of when they hear that word: purity in couple relationships. When you finally meet someone, you feel you can spend the rest of your life with, it will feel right. God created humans with two genders: male and female. He created their parts to fit together. He created sex.

   Before I go any farther discussing sexual purity, I want to put in a PSA here. I went to a public high school then a Christian college. In high school I learned about sex and how it works. When I got to college, some of the girls in my dorm went to Christian schools their whole life. Some of them did not know how sex works. They didn’t even know about their own bodies! When I asked them what they were taught about sex they said, “not much.” Most of them replied with the idea that they were told sex is icky and we shouldn’t talk about it.

   Mouth drop on the floor here. If sex isn’t good, why did God create it to be bonding? Why did he create it and make it feel good to do? Why did he make it as the way to reproduce? Sex is good, in the context of marriage. And yet, churches don’t teach that. Christian schools don’t teach that. Parents don’t teach their children that. In all my years serving as a soccer coach at a Christian college only one player who I have asked what she was taught about sex had a good answer. Her parents taught her that sex is beautiful in the context of marriage. That it should be saved for when a man and a woman love one another and are married. That’s what we should be teaching others. Thus ends my soapbox.

   Relationships nowadays are very different than relationships back in Bible times. In Bible times, there was no dating. Today we have dating, dtr, engagement, then finally marriage. And, there’s no set time as to how long each of those things can take. Thus, why staying pure in relationships can be so hard. You are spending time getting to know someone to see if you want to spend the rest of your life with them. The more time you spend, the closer you get. The closer you get, the CLOSER you want to be (if you catch my drift).

   This is when temptation comes into play. God has made it clear in his word that we are not to be sexually immoral. 1 Corinthians 7:2 says: “But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.” He doesn’t say each man should have a friend with benefits, a concubine, or a prostitute. Each man should have ONE wife. God has also made it clear the dangers of having sex outside of marriage. Each time you have sex with someone, you are bonding with them. You are connected. You are one. All this can be seen in chemical reactions in your brain. There is also the danger of STDs when you sleep with more than one person.

   Knowing all of this, how do we stay pure even when it is hard? Psalm 119:9 holds the answer. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” We have discussed how purity begins in the heart. If you have a heart for God, you will read his word to get to know him.  As you get to know him, you will not only have more of a heart for him, but you will also know his word more. His word can help you guard your heart. You can pray when you feel tempted or weak. I know it sounds like a simple answer, but it doesn’t mean it is easy. God doesn’t always ask us to do what is easy. He asks us to do what is right.

   So, are you pursuing purity in your relationships? How can you grow closer to God?

https://www.healthline.com/health/love-hormone 

https://youtu.be/ueX8bUxIFPQ

Purity in Mind

   Many of you know I enjoy Disney movies. They have catchy songs, and you can pull good messages out of many of them. Yet, I don't agree with the basic doctrine of Disney which is, "follow your heart." Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" We are not to follow our hearts. Yet, when we become Christian and try to follow God, the desires God's heart should begin to become the desires of our hearts. 

   And yet, we are still imperfect. We still sin. Many of our sins come from our mind. We are tempted to, like a dog, go back to our vomit or sin. Many of our sins have to do with our eyes. We see something we want; we think/know we want it, then we face our choice. Will we sin or not? Oh yes, we may go through a struggle in our minds of pros and cons, but we know the truth. We know the answer. We know we should not sin.

   Even more so, we should be growing in God so much that battles in our minds don't go on as long. Why? Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Our thoughts are not to be on the things of this world. Everything here is temporary. The only things that matter in eternity is our soul and the souls of others. Whatever work we do to gain things here isn't worth it. The work we do for the kingdom, that matters.

   That's why our thoughts should be pure. We should be focused on the excellent things of the Lord. We should wake up thinking: "God please help me serve you and your kingdom today." Then, when we face battles of the mind, we can keep our eyes and our thoughts fixed on God. 

   So, are you following Philippians 4:8? When you face temptation and battles in your mind what do you do? How can you keep your eyes and thoughts focused on God?

https://youtu.be/ZzgyoUrjOcg

Purity in Heart

   Purity starts with the heart. There's a reason why when we are asked to pray "the prayer" to accept Christ that we are asked to "ask Christ into our heart." If you have ever heard of the salvation bracelet, you know the first color is black. Black represents our sin. We are all sinners. We all need to be cleansed.

   Psalm 51:10 says, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." How do we get this clean heart? Do we try to stop sinning? Well, that's a start. But we cannot cleanse ourselves. It's like when something sticky gets on the floor. We try to clean it with just water and soap, but it doesn't work. Sometimes we need something stronger, like goo be gone to clean it. 

   Jesus' blood is our sin be gone. When we accept him in our heart and ask him to forgive our sins, he does it. We are clean. We are white as snow. We are pure! Does that mean we should keep sinning? No, Romans 6:1-2 says, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" That's where purity in the heart comes in. We are to grow in God. We are to try to follow him. That means we are to try to stop sinning.

   Matthew 5:8 says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." I don't know about you, but I want to see God. I want my heart to be pure. I want my motives and desires to be God's motives and desires. I want his will to be done. We should all, as Christians, be at the point where we want to reflect God's glory so much so that he is seen in us. That when people look at us, they don't see us so much as they see God. Not in an idol like way but like in a, "you needed water, and I gave it to you, but it was God giving it to you through me." We don't deserve the glory. He does.

   So, are you pure in heart? How can you follow God each day? How are you reflecting His glory?

https://youtu.be/x_z2hgTWgxk

Purity is About More Than Sex

   Normally when someone thinks of purity, they automatically think of sexual purity. In other words, not having sex before marriage. But purity is about more than not having sex. 

   The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines pure as "free from dust, dirt, or taint." That doesn't mention sex at all. But it does relate to sex. Yet, to be pure, we need to be righteous. We need to be clean. We are free from dust, dirt, or taint. This means we are free from sin.

   James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." Ooo, a phrase that hits hard for me in this passage is "cleanse your hands." If you have ever worked with kids, you know many of them don't know how to wash their hands. It's nasty. Their hands have dirt, grime, and germs all over them. They need help to clean them.

   We also need help to clean our hands from sin. We try to be righteous and follow God, but we fall short. That's why Jesus died: to cleanse us from our sin. We need to draw near to him. We need to learn about him. We need to try to stop sinning, so our hearts stay clean and pure.

   See, purity applies to all areas of life. Are we pure in our actions, our words, our relationships? In our hearts? Some of us act pure and holier-than-thou in our lives. That's not helping the kingdom. We need to be authentic with others. We cannot continue to praise Jesus on Sunday but go on sinning the rest of the week. The double life isn't helping you. It isn't helping spread the Gospel. It isn't helping anything. Purity happens every day, every minute, every second. Purity is a choice.

   So, are you living a double life? Are you practicing purity? How can you open a conversation on purity today?

https://youtu.be/XjbbLxgLPpE

A Conversation on Purity

   "Our goal is to not kiss until we are engaged." Once I said that to my friends their shocked faces surfaced. They already knew my relationship with Nate was not going to be a typical one, at least in the way the world thinks as typical. We both knew we wanted to stay pure till marriage. In fact, since I was in high school, I have worn a purity ring every day (other than when I played soccer, you do not want to jam your finger with a ring on, trust me).

   Thus, Nate and I made a choice to set our boundary at holding one another close. Why there? Does the Bible say anything against kissing before marriage? No, but neither does it say anything about dating. In Bible times, many marriages were arranged. Some may have married for love but many times the couples wouldn't spend any alone time before the wedding.

   Here is what the Bible says in Hebrews 13:4 "Let the marriage bed be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous." The marriage bed is to be held in honor. What does that mean? That means if you do anything with someone else and you aren't married, you aren't honoring the marriage bed. Each time you have sex with someone not only are you creating an invisible emotional bond with them, but you are also possibly sleeping with someone else's significant other.

   Now you may be asking, what does that have to do with kissing? Well, unless you are like a friend of mine from college who used to think that when her parents kissed it made a baby, not much. But God created us to be relational beings. He created sex as something good, in a marriage between a man and a woman.

   But 1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds us of something that has to do with kissing. It says, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." When you are physically attracted, or in love, to someone your bodies will want to do what God created them to do. There's only one boundary between kissing and sex and that further physical touch. To not be tempted, Nate and I decided to put in a barrier, so we don't go further.

   We are sort of doing what Eve did in the garden. She said they could not eat the fruit or touch it or they would due. God never said they couldn't touch the fruit. She put in this barrier so she would not fall into temptation and sin. And you can see how well that worked out. 

   Will some people think we are strange? Yes, but that's no different than how we are viewed other days. We are set apart. We are in the world but not of it. This doesn't make us any better than others. It just means we are trying to live a different life to reflect God's glory.

   So, are you staying pure in your relationship? What temptation do you face? How can you reflect God's glory today?

https://youtu.be/xdI-cIXqkww

Mountains of Bloomsburg Finale: Choices Made

   Ahda and you reach the stone bridge that goes across the lava. You walk across and see Ubel step out. Ubel smiles and looks at Ahda. "Ah, I have waited a long time for you my friend." Then Ubel looks at you, "we had a deal. My servants will help you get home." Little creatures who looked like Ubel came out and led me toward trees on Ubel's side of the lava river. You kept going past trees and suddenly a branch grabs you, then another, and another. You realize you've been tricked. 
   Now you watch helplessly as Ahda is with Ubel. Ahda steps forward, "why did you want me to come here?" "I just wanted to talk with you and see if I could help you out." Ahda raised his eyebrows, "How could you help me? Gottes has given me everything already." "Everything?" Ubel remarked. Ahda sighs, "Well he has not given us your area of the mountain." "That's right, Gottes has given you dominion over all of his creation... except for my area." 
   Ahda glances over at Ubel's area. Right now you see Ubel, his minions, and his dominion for what it really is: a wasteland. You try to scream to Ahda to run but the tree covers your mouth. Ahda looks and sees lush, green trees. He sees golden fruit as well.
   "You do have a very nice area, but Gottes has given us so much." Ubel nods his head,"yes, but he has not given you everything." Ubel pulls a golden fruit out of nowhere and bites into it. Juice dribbles down his mouth and he licks his lips. "Haven't you ever wondered why I am able to do what Gottes can do? Why I am able to grant wishes just like Gottes?" Ahda nods and looks at the fruit in Ubel's hand.
   "I can do that because I have knowledge. Whoever eats fruit from my dominion has knowledge like Gottes. Would you like some fruit?" Ahda grabs the fruit, "Gottes told us not to eat your fruit but it looks good." "Why wouldn't Gottes want you to have what is good? Why wouldn't he want you to have knowledge like him?" Ubel says. 
   You watch in horror as Ahda bites the fruit. The juice dribbles down his face. Suddenly Ubel jumps on Ahda. Ubel's minions race away from you and across the bridge. You realize you've made a horrible mistake. 
   From the sky you see a flash of light then you hear the crack of wood breaking. Jordan, the Engel, has set you free. He takes you to the very top of a mountain. "What has happened?" You ask. Jordan frowns, "Ubel now has dominion over the mountains because Ahda disobeyed Gottes." "What can we do?" Jordan looks down the mountain at the destruction. "We cannot do anything." "Then it is hopeless?" "No, Gottes has a plan" Jordan said has he touches your head.
   Your mind suddenly sees a man who was unlike any other man. This man died to defeat Ubel. You did not understand why another man's death would defeat Ubel but then you see the man raised to life. The man the crushes Ubel. You see many people following this man and being saved from Ubel. You also see Engels and Ubel's minions fighting each other for all eternity. Then Ubel is finally defeated.
   Your mind comes back to Jordan. "What do we do now?" "Choose to follow Gottes and tell others about him." You look down at the village and see a massive dragon like creature destroy the entire village. "Where will we live?" "Wherever Gottes calls you to. He will be with you, if you choose to follow him."
   Would you have chosen to eat the fruit to gain knowledge? Would you have followed God back then though it would be harder now? Will you tell others about what God has done for them?

   Proverbs 14:12, Genesis 3, Galatians 2:20

Mountains of Bloomsburg Part 4: Helping Ubel

   Ahda, Kaine, Abek, and you continue walking through the mountains. The terrain has gotten rougher and you are running out of supplies. You begin to wonder if this trip is truly worth it. 
   As you walk you think about the conversation you had with the tree and then with Ahda. He told you that Gottes created everything and provides much for us. But Ubel, who was once an Engel, turned on Gottes. Now Ubel tries to defeat Gottes through the people that Gottes created. That's the reason why no one goes into the mountains, because Ubel's dominion is there.
   Ahda suddenly stops, "we should probably get some rest for the night." You, and the rest of the crew, lay down. You try to sleep but can't. You realize that you can no longer put any of these men in danger, but you must get home. You quietly grab your pack and continue on. 
   You turn a corner after walking a while and see a rushing, river of lava. There is a stone bridge that goes across the lava river. Against your better judgement you walk across the bridge till you reach the other side; but you don't step off the bridge because you see someone move on the other side.
   "Come out!" You yell. A golden creature comes around the mountain. It had the feet of a cow but stood up like a man. Its torso and head looked like a man as well, "hello." The creature said. "Who are you?" "My name is Ubel." Realization comes to your face. This is the creature that turned on Gottes. It is also the creature that could help you get home.
   Ubel smiles, "I am not what you were expecting?" You shake your head. The bull legs are a little odd but he was beautiful. "Why have you come here?" "I need to get home." Ubel nods, "I see, and Gottes did not answer your request." Again you shake your head. "Well I would love to help you. See, I'm not like Gottes who does not answer requests I like to help others."
   Your heart starts pounding. You realize that you could be going home now, but you also have a knot in your stomach. You know something is not right but you want what you want. "Will you send me home now?" "Friend, I would love to do that but I cannot." "Why not?" You say as your hope begins to fade. "My power is very limited here and I do not like to use it if I do not have to. But, if you could do something for me in return then perhaps I could help you." 
   You know that you could turn back now. You could go back to Ahda and then back to the village. But instead you say, "what do you want?" "Bring Ahda to me. I wish to talk with him about how things are going in the village. Perhaps I can help him as well." Now you are confused, "you want me to get Ahda so you can help the village?" "Yes, I want to be able to help Ahda gain understanding. I am contained to this area of the mountains. I have so few people to talk to and help. But if Ahda comes, and sees how helpful I can be, then I may have a friend to talk to and share knowledge with."
   You think about the deal. That's not so bad; Ubel is trying to be helpful. You wonder why people say that Ubel is so bad. He seems to want to give people what they want. Then you remember the tree's words about how Ubel is evil. You look back at Ubel and suddenly see a bull with matted, black hair standing up. His eyes are red and his nostrils are flaring. You rub your eyes and open them again. Ubel had changed back to the gold bull man.
   "You just want to share knowledge with Ahda?" Ubel nods. "Fine, I will bring him to you," you say. Then you turn around and head back to camp. You hope you made the right choice.
   If you could get whatever you desired by helping Ubel would you choose to follow him? Are you ever tricked by something that seems good but is actually bad? How can you remember to follow God no matter what?  

   Proverbs 14:12, Proverbs 16:9, Isaiah 30:21

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

Mountains of Bloomsburg Part 2: Clakes and Fear

   You walk through the village searching for the man you just met. Suddenly you see Ron and you run up to him. Ron smiles at you, "How are you doing today?" You smile back and say, "I'm doing well but I have a problem. Can you help me navigate my way through the dark side of the mountain? I need to get home." Ron's smile turns into a frown, "no one ever goes into that part of the mountains, it is forbidden." 
   A man who was walking by comes over to you, "hello my name is Ahda. I couldn't help but overhear, I have never been in that part of the mountains but I've studied it. I could help you." You agree to have Ahda help you and some other men, Kaine and Abek, agree to come.
   You walk through the mountains. You turn around and take one last look at the village. Suddenly it gets really dark. Ahda turns around, "it normally is dark in this part of the mountains." He hands you a torch. Kaine and Abek take out torches as well. You take the time to light the torches and continue on. You wonder if you will ever reach Ubel's part of the mountain. 
   Ahda stops, "it is night, we should stop to rest." You look at the sky. It looks the same as it did an hour ago, dark. Ahda smiles, "I kept an eye on the few shadows you can see in the mountains. That's how you know what time it is. Kaine will take the first watch. You should get some rest while you can." 
   You lay down and close your eyes. No sooner do you do that than you hear someone scream. You wake up and see Kaine grabbing his leg. Ahda turns to you, "he was bitten by a Clake." "What is a Clake?" You ask. "It is a creature that crawls on its belly, has 2 legs along each of its sides, has leathery wings, and sharp fangs. When it bites you it makes you see your greatest fears. The only cure is sap from one of the trees on this side of the forest." 
   Ahda put some cloth over Kaine's wound. "I need you and Abek to go look for a tree and bring back a stick with sap in it when you find one."
   You and Abek run off. You hope that Kaine will be alright. All you can think about is the fact that if he dies it will be your fault.
   Would you have agreed to go on a hard journey with strangers? Who do you go through the journey of life with? If the Clake bit you, what would you see? How can you stop having that fear?

   Philippians 4:6-7, Psalm 119:105, Isaiah 41:10

Mountains of Bloomsburg Introduction

   Dark. All you see is dark. You open your eyes, now you see fog all around you. You cannot see any other people or any other things. After you stand there for a while you decide to move on because standing there is not doing you any good.
   You keep walking and you see beautiful trees. They are some of the prettiest trees you have ever seen. Next there are creatures you have never seen before. There are lions with the heads of eagles, birds that look like they are on fire, men with goat legs, and so many more creatures. 
   After walking a while you come to a town. There are many children playing, people working, and people worshipping. You walk up to a man and ask, "where am I?" The man replies, "you are in the Mountains of Bloomsburg. I've never seen you here before, what is your name?" You tell the man your name and he shakes his head, "are you new here?" You say, "I've never been here before." Then you tell the man where you are from. The man says, "I've never heard of that place either but you are welcome to stay here. If you have any questions my name is Ron." You nod your thanks and walk on.
   Suddenly you see a lion with the bead of an eagle above you. You cover your head thinking that this is the end. The lion like creature lands and cocks its head at you, "who are you?" Your mouth drops open. This creature can talk! You finally get your voice back and tell the creature your name. "You are not from here are you?" You shake your head no. 
   The creature begins to pace while talking to itself, "very strange, what is he up to?" The creature stops pacing and freezes. You look around wondering if this is normal.
The creature glances at you. "I don't know what Gottes is up to but he says I am to take care of you and answer any of your questions."
   You begin to ask questions of the creature. You find out his name is Jordan. He is called and Engel and he works for Gottes. Gottes created this world. You look around and see a long, dark mountain range. You ask Jordan, "what is that place?" Jordan replies, "that is the part of the mountain that Ubel is contained to. The people of the village have decided to never go there lest they be tempted to betray Gottes." 
   You ponder that for a little then say, "I don't belong here, I'm from somewhere else." Jordan says, "I know you are from somewhere else but you were brought here for a purpose." "What is that purpose?" You ask. "I do not know, I do not try to understand Gottes." Jordan replies. "Would he be able to take me back?" Jordan nods. "Good then I'll ask him to send me back." Jordan smiles, "you can ask but you may not get the answer you want." You sigh, "is there anyone else who could send me back?" Jordan glances at the dark mountain range, "Ubel may be able to but he is crafty. He used to be an Engel but then he betrayed Gottes."
   You think about it then realize that you must get back. A plan begins to form in your head. You are going to go to see Ubel.
   If you actually came to this land would you want to leave? What other questions would you have asked the Engel? Would you trust Ubel? How does this story relate to the Bible?

   Proverbs 3:5-6

Soccer Lessons Conclusion

   This concludes my soccer lessons series. I'm sure that there are many more lessons that I've learned and that I teach; but, one thing is for certain: I'm not done learning or teaching. And, as long as you draw breath, neither are you.

   You may not feel like you are called to teach or coach. That's okay, you don't have to teach or coach in the way I do. However, you are still teaching others in your day to day life. If you are a parent this is what God's word says to you: "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Eph.6.4). You are called to discipline your child. Discipline isn't just "you did something bad, here is your consequence." Discipline should be more like discipleship. It should be "you made this choice. Here is what God says about that choice. I care about you and I want you to grow in God. Because of that, this is what I will do because you need to learn a lesson." That's probably not entirely what you want to say to a child but it should be along the lines of what we are thinking as we disciple children. That's what's going to help them grow in the long run.

   If you don't have children, that doesn't mean you get out of being a teacher. Titus 2:7 says: "Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, (and) dignity." You are a role model. You may be saying that you are not near children at all. That may be true in your job and such. However, when you go for groceries, to go shopping, or out in general do you see others? My guess is yes you do. People are watching how you act. If you are a Christian are you projecting Christ? Are you showing others what Christ looks like? People are watching and you are a role model. I encourage you to think about what you are teaching others with your actions.

   So, back to the soccer series. You may not be a soccer player, athletic, or an athlete. But, I hope through this series that you realize how important sports are. I hope you remember that you are a teacher. I hope you grow in God and teach others about him.

   Image from here.

Winning is Not The Purpose: Soccer Lessons

"Winning is the point but it's not the purpose."

   Why do people play sports? Some people play for fun. Others play because they want to stay in shape. Still, others play because they are competitive. Being competitive isn’t a bad thing. In fact, being competitive helps us survive sometimes (you know, if you are in a jungle or in a classroom filled with preschoolers who just had cupcakes :D There are people out there that take being competitive too far. They believe that winning is everything. That's not a good attitude to have.

   That's why I began saying, "Winning is the point but it's not the purpose." We play sports ultimately to win. That's the point of the game. But, winning isn't the purpose. Sports teach us so much more that help us in life. Pat Summitt put it this way: "Winning is fun... Sure. But winning is not the point. Wanting to win is the point. Not giving up is the point. Never letting up is the point. Never being satisfied with what you've done is the point." Sports help make us better people. They help teach us to never give up. If you lose a game you can choose to wallow in grief or you can choose to get back up and do better the next time. That's why winning isn't the purpose. The purpose of sports is for us to learn lessons that will help us go far in life.

   We may not feel like we are winning in life. But, winning isn’t the purpose of life. Besides, we are not required to win in life. Jesus already won for us. 1 John 5:4-5 says: "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" The point of our lives is to accept Christ as our personal savior. That's why we are here. But, once we do that, we then have a greater purpose. Our purpose in life is to spread the word so that others can be saved and to grow closer to God. We have overcome the world in Christ. We should want to share that with others so they can be winners and saved as well.

   So, do you believe that winning is everything? Do you know what your purpose in life is? Have you accepted Christ as your personal savior?

   Image from here.

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.

If You Are Afraid: Soccer Lessons

"If you're afraid you're more likely to get hurt."

   I once had a player who I coached who was afraid every time she went into a tackle. She didn't want to get hurt. That makes sense since soccer is a tough sport. It is full contact. And, depending on the referees, it could be total contact where you are basically tackling each other. Needless to say the amount of injuries has gone up in the past few years.

   Now, as a coach it is my job to make sure the girls are as prepared as they can be for a game. That lessens the chances of them getting injured. However, some girls still have residual fear. Some of them don't feel prepared enough. Others had a previous injury and are afraid of injuring themselves again. Whatever the reason, I have found that if a player is afraid of getting injured then she is more likely to get injured. If a player doesn't go hard into a tackle but the opposing player does go hard into a tackle then the player who didn't go hard will probably get hurt. That's just how the sport seems to work.

   It is the same way in life. Philippians 4:6-7 says: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." If we are anxious or afraid of life we are expecting to get hurt. That also means we are not trusting God. God doesn't want us to fear. He wants us to have peace. He wants to have a relationship with us that is so good that when we are afraid we go to him. If we go to him, his word says that we will have peace in him.

   So, do you have anxiety problems? What can you do to better trust God today? I challenge you this week that whenever you feel anxious to talk to God and let him give you peace.

   Image from here.