One of my mentors challenged her youth to read through the book of Luke during September. I thought, I would too. I even challenged one of my kids (a 12 year old girl that comes to the center) to do the same. September ended and had I finished Luke? No, of course not. However, I did receive a phone call from my kid telling me she had read it and wanted me to know what she had learned. She learned a great deal about relationships and how to treat people. I was so proud of her.
I picked up where I had left off, Luke 5. (don't judge me) As I was reading, I prayed God would show me what He wanted me to see or to learn. As I read through the chapter, the responses of those Jesus spoke to stood out to me. Each time Jesus spoke, there was movement.
Jesus called His first disciples. He told them to go fish. Now, they had just come back and had caught nothing. They were probably tired and told Jesus about it. But, they went as Jesus asked. They moved. And of course they caught tons of fish. Then Jesus told 3 of them to com follow Him. They did. They moved.
Jesus healed 2 men from life-long illnesses. First, they moved toward Him with the hopes Jesus could heal them, and He did. They are once went and shared with others. They moved.
Jesus called Levi as a disciple. He immediately moved.
Movement signifies a change, specifically a change in direction. These men took a command from Jesus and changed direction. They did it willingly, probably timidly in some cases, but willingly. It got me thinking about my life and how when Jesus speaks, do I move? Do I change direction? Direction, I think for us, can mean physically, mentally or emotionally. We may need to physically move and do something for God. We may need to change the direction of our thinking that will honor God. We may even need to change the way we feel in order to reach someone for God. Make sense? It's kind of a stretch, but it spoke to me and thought maybe it will speak to someone else too.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Sunday, September 9, 2012
The Yellow Shirt
I will admit, yellow is not my color, however, there is a yellow shirt I proudly wear. People everywhere recognize it and see it as a sign of hope. I serve with the North American Mission Board and under the umbrella of this organization is a ministry called Disaster Relief. It is what it is - a ministry helping people find relief amongst disaster.
We have been able to take supplies to those affected by Hurricane Isaac. We have taken things like hygiene kits (soap, shampoo, razors, etc.), bug spray for those living in their homes despite the hazards caused by flood water. For one single dad, we took backpacks filled with school supplies since his kids will return to school despite having lost everything. His daughter received a purple back pack, she said it was her favorite color. Her brother wouldn't take his bag off. It met a small need. The yellow shirts bring hope - faces almost immediately turn from despair and exhaustion to hope filled because there is help.
One guy, Joshua, saw a group of yellow shirts headed right for him and at first he said he was a little scared then he says, " y'all are welcome any time. You bring smiles, which is something we don't see very much anymore." The yellow shirts bring more than stuff....the people who wear them bring a smile and a sense of hope in an overwhelmingly desperate situation.
One guy pulled up blocking our van from leaving a site, he said "help them, they need it." Still another guy stopped us at a gas station, he said, " I work with insurances and many do not have flood insurance. Where can I send them to get help from you?" You see, the yellow shirts bring not just ready hands and feet to work but also open arms and hearts so God can work.
The yellow shirts are recognized as bringing relief and help; hopefully Jesus is seen through the person wearing it.
We have been able to take supplies to those affected by Hurricane Isaac. We have taken things like hygiene kits (soap, shampoo, razors, etc.), bug spray for those living in their homes despite the hazards caused by flood water. For one single dad, we took backpacks filled with school supplies since his kids will return to school despite having lost everything. His daughter received a purple back pack, she said it was her favorite color. Her brother wouldn't take his bag off. It met a small need. The yellow shirts bring hope - faces almost immediately turn from despair and exhaustion to hope filled because there is help.
One guy, Joshua, saw a group of yellow shirts headed right for him and at first he said he was a little scared then he says, " y'all are welcome any time. You bring smiles, which is something we don't see very much anymore." The yellow shirts bring more than stuff....the people who wear them bring a smile and a sense of hope in an overwhelmingly desperate situation.
One guy pulled up blocking our van from leaving a site, he said "help them, they need it." Still another guy stopped us at a gas station, he said, " I work with insurances and many do not have flood insurance. Where can I send them to get help from you?" You see, the yellow shirts bring not just ready hands and feet to work but also open arms and hearts so God can work.
The yellow shirts are recognized as bringing relief and help; hopefully Jesus is seen through the person wearing it.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Don't Box Me
I have a confession....I LOVE personality tests. I like learning different parts of what makes up me and why I may be prone to certain things. For example, did you know that left handed people think totally different than right handed people? True statement, I'm left handed and cannot type a paper from beginning to end, I usually start either at the end or in the middle somewhere.....it's just how I am wired. I like understanding things about myself so that I can learn how to relate to other people. I like to read personality traits of others so that I can learn how to better interact with them......I am a geek I know. It can sound selfish, but it really is all about learning how to connect to people the way God created me to. Yeah, there are certain things about my personality that I can control but if I don't know that I act that way then how can I "fix" it? Also, again, it is learning to be a part of the ministry God has called me to because He created me the way He did for a reason. I like what Isaiah 43:1 says. God formed us and claims us. He calls us by name. He claims us (yeah, I repeated that one on purpose)
The trap of some personality tests or "assumptions" (like if you're left handed then.....) you may end up in a box. I believe people do not belong in boxes. Much like God does not belong in a box. If He created us in His image then either we both belong in a box or neither of us belong in a box. I think the reminders about not putting limitations on God never gets old because we constantly think God can't handle it or won't handle it. We tend to think "I won't bother Him with stuff" or try to handle things on our own. Truth is (the hard truth) we can do NOTHING without Him....not well anyway or how it was intended to be.
I don't like being placed in a box. I don't like being told that this is what you do and that is it. That means there is no room for growth or change or new experiences or.........you pick. I believe we were meant to grow and to learn and to allow God to stretch us. A box can't allow for any of that. I do believe that we were all called to our individual ministries but that doesn't mean you won't grow, and the ministry won't change. I believe I was called to work with the people of New Orleans. I have noticed growth and change within myself and the ministry God has placed me. The ministry is in no way a neatly packaged box, so why would I want to be in one myself?
The trap of some personality tests or "assumptions" (like if you're left handed then.....) you may end up in a box. I believe people do not belong in boxes. Much like God does not belong in a box. If He created us in His image then either we both belong in a box or neither of us belong in a box. I think the reminders about not putting limitations on God never gets old because we constantly think God can't handle it or won't handle it. We tend to think "I won't bother Him with stuff" or try to handle things on our own. Truth is (the hard truth) we can do NOTHING without Him....not well anyway or how it was intended to be.
I don't like being placed in a box. I don't like being told that this is what you do and that is it. That means there is no room for growth or change or new experiences or.........you pick. I believe we were meant to grow and to learn and to allow God to stretch us. A box can't allow for any of that. I do believe that we were all called to our individual ministries but that doesn't mean you won't grow, and the ministry won't change. I believe I was called to work with the people of New Orleans. I have noticed growth and change within myself and the ministry God has placed me. The ministry is in no way a neatly packaged box, so why would I want to be in one myself?
Thursday, April 19, 2012
System Adjustment
I needed to make a quick copy of something on the copy machine one day last week. As I began to push the necessary buttons to make the copy, the machine flashed a message at me stating, " machine making adjustments." It couldn't copy as it was doing this. My initial thought was of frustration as I only needed one quick copy and now I had to wait till the machine was ready. My second thought was, "hmmm, sometimes I feel that way too. I feel like I need a "system adjustment" as I am running out of steam."
Again, initially I was thinking that in making adjustments, I am at rest. I was thinking I needed a minute to breath and chill. Rest is important in ministry -- in life in general. We need that time to breath and recoup. Here at the center, it has been steadily busy. I often comment to people saying my ADD was satisfied because I didn't spend 5 minutes on the same task. The Bible says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 NIV) Jesus knew that rest was important. God rested after creating the entire universe. We don't need just any rest, but rest that restores us. I will be honest and tell you that I often forget the importance of restoring rest. Sure, I chill most evening with my cat, but I don't take the time to be restored completely. It's like only filling our car up with only half a tank a gas at a time instead of filling it as much as it will hold. If your car is like mine, after I've used half the tank, that other half tends to go much faster. That's how we are. If we don't rest completely, then we suffer the consequences physically, emotionally and even in our relationships with other people.
However, I pondered a bit more on the "system adjustment." I finally realized that the machine wasn't just taking a break at an inconvenient time (for me anyway). It wasn't just chillin' until it felt like making the copy; it was working to fix whatever mechanical issue it was having. It wasn't resting at all.....it was working. OK, so you may be thinking that this discounts the above paragraph completely but it doesn't. We have to work at adjusting our systems. We must make a conscious decision to put whatever electronic down, turn the t.v. off, set the phone down, go for a walk, whatever we have to do to really rest. We also have to evaluate what is draining us. Being restored is a process. Yes, we must rest completely but we must also take stock of where we are expending so much energy and is it worth it. Is it where God needs me, it is how God wants me to spend my energy....etc. I have a bad habit of seeking praise of people. I want them to be proud of me. I want to make them proud. I have had to daily remind myself that I am here for God. I can only do the ministry that God calls me to, not what people call me to. I can't base decisions on people (entirely, I believe God gives us great Christian people to help guide us) This can lead to negative perceptions of the truth. I may misinterpret a message. This is how Satan likes to mess with me. I finally have begun to call it was it is-distraction and sin.I needed and adjustment. I needed to remember who created me for His purpose and He is proud of me when I obey Him. The Bible says: "But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine." (Isaiah 43:1 NIV) God knows me by name and calls me His. 'Nough said.
It is important to rest, not just rest but be restored. It is also important to work at being restored through God's Word and evaluating where we are in His plan. Are you in His will or your own? Much energy could be saved if we just ask ourselves, "is this where God wants me?" Making a "system adjustment" can be painful. If we don't, it can be more costly. (both literally and figuratively)
Again, initially I was thinking that in making adjustments, I am at rest. I was thinking I needed a minute to breath and chill. Rest is important in ministry -- in life in general. We need that time to breath and recoup. Here at the center, it has been steadily busy. I often comment to people saying my ADD was satisfied because I didn't spend 5 minutes on the same task. The Bible says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 NIV) Jesus knew that rest was important. God rested after creating the entire universe. We don't need just any rest, but rest that restores us. I will be honest and tell you that I often forget the importance of restoring rest. Sure, I chill most evening with my cat, but I don't take the time to be restored completely. It's like only filling our car up with only half a tank a gas at a time instead of filling it as much as it will hold. If your car is like mine, after I've used half the tank, that other half tends to go much faster. That's how we are. If we don't rest completely, then we suffer the consequences physically, emotionally and even in our relationships with other people.
However, I pondered a bit more on the "system adjustment." I finally realized that the machine wasn't just taking a break at an inconvenient time (for me anyway). It wasn't just chillin' until it felt like making the copy; it was working to fix whatever mechanical issue it was having. It wasn't resting at all.....it was working. OK, so you may be thinking that this discounts the above paragraph completely but it doesn't. We have to work at adjusting our systems. We must make a conscious decision to put whatever electronic down, turn the t.v. off, set the phone down, go for a walk, whatever we have to do to really rest. We also have to evaluate what is draining us. Being restored is a process. Yes, we must rest completely but we must also take stock of where we are expending so much energy and is it worth it. Is it where God needs me, it is how God wants me to spend my energy....etc. I have a bad habit of seeking praise of people. I want them to be proud of me. I want to make them proud. I have had to daily remind myself that I am here for God. I can only do the ministry that God calls me to, not what people call me to. I can't base decisions on people (entirely, I believe God gives us great Christian people to help guide us) This can lead to negative perceptions of the truth. I may misinterpret a message. This is how Satan likes to mess with me. I finally have begun to call it was it is-distraction and sin.I needed and adjustment. I needed to remember who created me for His purpose and He is proud of me when I obey Him. The Bible says: "But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine." (Isaiah 43:1 NIV) God knows me by name and calls me His. 'Nough said.
It is important to rest, not just rest but be restored. It is also important to work at being restored through God's Word and evaluating where we are in His plan. Are you in His will or your own? Much energy could be saved if we just ask ourselves, "is this where God wants me?" Making a "system adjustment" can be painful. If we don't, it can be more costly. (both literally and figuratively)
Friday, January 20, 2012
German Chocolate Cake and Tic Tacs
I'm sure you read the title and lots of things go through your mind...like "what the....?" Yeah it's random and no I am not going to give you a "must have" recipe - sorry, Betty Crocker I am not. I want to share what I learned in the last couple of weeks. It all started in the kitchen.....
I watched as my mentor begin the process of baking a German Chocolate Cake. It really is a process. If you follow the directions, make sure you have a handy dish washer (that was my job :) ) You will use a number of dishes and ingredients. As I watched, I realize how much care and patience went in to every detail of the cake. I thought, wow, that is how God is with us.......bear with me. If you rush and just throw everything together for the cake you still get cake but maybe not a really good German Chocolate cake. If you take the time to follow the directions you get 3-4 layers of bliss. Each ingredient had it's place in the recipe...including the time it took to prepare, bake, cool, and icing the cake.
God took his time to organize pieces of our lives...our experiences, our traits, our personalities, our opportunities....all for the unique plan and purpose designed by Him. If we rush things then we get outside of our "recipe" and where God wants us. Follow me?
Now, what did I learn from tic tacs? I sit behind this lady in church. I noticed that this kid would come to her every Sunday. I figured he was a grandson wanting candy. She explained to me that she met him and his family when they first started coming to church. They sat behind her; he would not be still so she handed him a few tic tacs and it started from there. He comes to her, says nothing, she reaches in her purse and pulls out a few tic tacs to give him. She also explained that after that first encounter with him, he made a home-made invitation to a "special friends" day at his school. She went. He was so over joyed, she said that he showed her all around his school and shared a lunch together. She said it all started over tic tacs.
The major theme of this blog is investing. Investing in people.....investing in opportunities even if they seem insignificant. Investing our time in people can make a huge difference in their lives and our lives. I know that I was changed when someone took the time to invest in me. I also was affected when I chose to invest in someone else. It can never not affect you. It is time we look at the big picture through God's eyes.
I watched as my mentor begin the process of baking a German Chocolate Cake. It really is a process. If you follow the directions, make sure you have a handy dish washer (that was my job :) ) You will use a number of dishes and ingredients. As I watched, I realize how much care and patience went in to every detail of the cake. I thought, wow, that is how God is with us.......bear with me. If you rush and just throw everything together for the cake you still get cake but maybe not a really good German Chocolate cake. If you take the time to follow the directions you get 3-4 layers of bliss. Each ingredient had it's place in the recipe...including the time it took to prepare, bake, cool, and icing the cake.
God took his time to organize pieces of our lives...our experiences, our traits, our personalities, our opportunities....all for the unique plan and purpose designed by Him. If we rush things then we get outside of our "recipe" and where God wants us. Follow me?
Now, what did I learn from tic tacs? I sit behind this lady in church. I noticed that this kid would come to her every Sunday. I figured he was a grandson wanting candy. She explained to me that she met him and his family when they first started coming to church. They sat behind her; he would not be still so she handed him a few tic tacs and it started from there. He comes to her, says nothing, she reaches in her purse and pulls out a few tic tacs to give him. She also explained that after that first encounter with him, he made a home-made invitation to a "special friends" day at his school. She went. He was so over joyed, she said that he showed her all around his school and shared a lunch together. She said it all started over tic tacs.
The major theme of this blog is investing. Investing in people.....investing in opportunities even if they seem insignificant. Investing our time in people can make a huge difference in their lives and our lives. I know that I was changed when someone took the time to invest in me. I also was affected when I chose to invest in someone else. It can never not affect you. It is time we look at the big picture through God's eyes.
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