John 16:33
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
I love Jesus so much.
Let's set the scene. Jesus is having a last meal with his disciples and taking some time to give them some encouragement and teaching. We should pay attention, because these are Jesus' last words to his disciples before he is crucified, so, obviously, he thought it was important for him to know these things.
He tells his disciples that a time is coming when they will all be scattered when he is taken to be tried. He follows that statement up with the above verse.
The disciples surely did know trouble. John (the beloved) was the only one who didn't face a... well... violent end.
So what does that mean for us? It means that we will have trouble too. We aren't exempt. And Jordan and I are learning this important lesson right now.
Jesus also said in John 10:10 that the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. In other words, Satan hates you and he's going to take whatever joy he can from you. This is especially true if you are exactly where God wants you to be.
Along with a myriad of other situations, Jordan and I have been mourning the loss of a great great man this week, I have gotten a bad cold and lost my voice, I also had a terrible asthma attack, and all while trying to teach these kids about the AWESOME God that we serve. God knows that we can handle it, and by His grace we totally have gotten through it and these kids know about Jesus. So there, Satan.
We are in a war. A major war. But, the good news is: we win. And we can know that we win. Our earthly bodies will pass away, but we get to enjoy heaven eternally worshipping the God that loves us so much that he made a way for us to be joyful in Him through every single affliction!
I sure do love Him.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Oooooo.... Shiny
I thought I had given up blogging forever, but I have just realized that I simply had nothing of worth to talk about! Silly me. Now that I have something to say, I will now say it. And that explains my return to blogging.
Also, I have a shiny new backdrop. Everyone say, "Ooooooooooo!" That's right.
I am married now. I know, crazy! But I'm not going to get into that except to say that the wedding was rocking awesome with praise and worship and a salvation message to boot.
Now, three weeks of theater camp, one week of intense seminary/VBS preparation, one week of VBS and two days of youth camp later, here we are.
We are running crazy, which is awesome. I have a cold, which is not awesome and is actually causing me to lose my voice. I have never lost my voice. Hard to believe, I know, but true nonetheless. Luckily for me, the kids at camp really seem to adore me for some reason, so instead of using my failing voice to their advantage, they get quieter for me! Isn't that amazing?
That brings me to the real point of the blog, which is that God is so much mightier than the box we put Him in. I used to say, "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me," but I didn't really know what it means. I can definitely tell you now. It means that if you say you have no talent for working with children and that children don't like you and you don't like them... God is going to marry you off to a children's minister straight away. And not just an ordinary children's minister. No no no no no. A children's minister who is completely tireless and selfless and really freaking creative with his time. I have been teaching kids grades kindergarten through seniors in high school ever since the return from the honeymoon.
But if you want to know the really interesting part, read this: God has made me good at it. No kidding! I love these kids and... they love me! It's amazing and astounding and I don't deserve it because of my attitude, but God has given me the honor of working through me to see these kids really grasp the Bible. Actually, to be fair, some of them are helping me to grasp the Bible in ways that I had never ever thought of before.
My challenge to you? Don't limit God on what He can do in your life and the lives of others. Allow him to work and he will. Oh, and one more thing. If you get a chance to teach a bunch of little bitties- let them talk to you about the Bible for a while. You might be surprised at what you learn.
Also, I have a shiny new backdrop. Everyone say, "Ooooooooooo!" That's right.
I am married now. I know, crazy! But I'm not going to get into that except to say that the wedding was rocking awesome with praise and worship and a salvation message to boot.
Now, three weeks of theater camp, one week of intense seminary/VBS preparation, one week of VBS and two days of youth camp later, here we are.
We are running crazy, which is awesome. I have a cold, which is not awesome and is actually causing me to lose my voice. I have never lost my voice. Hard to believe, I know, but true nonetheless. Luckily for me, the kids at camp really seem to adore me for some reason, so instead of using my failing voice to their advantage, they get quieter for me! Isn't that amazing?
That brings me to the real point of the blog, which is that God is so much mightier than the box we put Him in. I used to say, "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me," but I didn't really know what it means. I can definitely tell you now. It means that if you say you have no talent for working with children and that children don't like you and you don't like them... God is going to marry you off to a children's minister straight away. And not just an ordinary children's minister. No no no no no. A children's minister who is completely tireless and selfless and really freaking creative with his time. I have been teaching kids grades kindergarten through seniors in high school ever since the return from the honeymoon.
But if you want to know the really interesting part, read this: God has made me good at it. No kidding! I love these kids and... they love me! It's amazing and astounding and I don't deserve it because of my attitude, but God has given me the honor of working through me to see these kids really grasp the Bible. Actually, to be fair, some of them are helping me to grasp the Bible in ways that I had never ever thought of before.
My challenge to you? Don't limit God on what He can do in your life and the lives of others. Allow him to work and he will. Oh, and one more thing. If you get a chance to teach a bunch of little bitties- let them talk to you about the Bible for a while. You might be surprised at what you learn.
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