After a Time of Absence...

I know that it has been a long time since I have written a blog post...there's good reason! This past summer our family was blessed with a new home. It is a gorgeous old home from 1901, which I love! It has come, however, with the additional package of needing lots of TLC! So, between moving a family with young children, trying to maintain a "semi-normal" lifestyle of work and play, and starting another school year (in a new place!), and being married to the youth pastor (speaks for itself, right?), I haven't had much time for the extras. Along the way, however, I have learned many heart lessons, overcome many frustrations, gotten in too deep into projects and have come out with lots that I would love to share with you. So I decided to pick up my technological pen and paper and begin to write once again...

 



a time to tear down and a time to build...(Ecclesiastes 3:3)

 

 

This old barn is on the property where we have moved. As cool as it is, it is completely unstable and the insurance companies have all but demanded that it come down.  So today we decided to begin the painstaking process of tearing it apart (saving wood and lumber for this and that). Included in this process however, was the task of building a temporary shelter for our sheep, who are due to lamb next week! Using the materials we were tearing off of the old barn, we were at the same time using them to build, and setting aside other pieces to build in the future!

As I began thinking about this process, I realized that this is exactly what God does with our lives. It certainly sums up what He has done with my life this past 6 months! We often come to a point in our lives when we know it is time to tear down. There are things that just gotta go. I find it difficult when I am at this point to determine which things need to be "torn down." It is a task of prioritizing and can also be painful when you finally figure out which things need to go.

Once we have made it through this time of tearing down, God then begins to use those pieces of our broken lives to build again. Whether it is leaving a home to start anew in another home, getting a new job, terminating unhealthy relationships and building new ones, tearing down walls and buildings to make new, sturdier ones, (the list goes on and on and on!)...we then begin to build again.

So what I have learned that I would like to pass on to you today is this, do not be afraid to "tear down" because it is only then that you can build again. And our God is notorious for rebuilding things much better than they were before!

 

 

 



Tough Questions

You've heard them, the "tough" questions in the Christian's life. Why do bad things happen to good people? If God is there, why is he allowing this to happen? Why would He let innocents suffer? Why do the "sinful" people have more, do more, seem happier? Why did he let this person die? In the past couple of days, those around me have suffered two deaths and I have had some of my teens asking the tough questions.

As I read my reading for today (Job 19-21), I realized that the tough questions in life have plagued humanity since the fall of man. "Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?" (21:7) "Yet they say to God, 'Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways.Who is the Almighty that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?'" (21:14-15)

We have no idea, just faith. I consider those the "faith" questions. It is in those moments that we have to have the faith that God is in control and knows what He is doing. We have very limited knowledge, no foresight, no understanding, but God does. He knows all. I know that feels like a weak answer to give someone, but it shouldn't. That is the truth.

Mankind is not wise. God, in his love, has given every human free will. He does this so that we can choose to serve him, choose to love him, not be little robots on the earth. He wanted companionship, not toys. Therefore, we must endure the consequence of each and every individual's choices. Each choice affects not only the person, but the people around that person, sometimes causing pain and suffering. That person, as a result of their suffering, must make more choices, affecting more people. Imagine how that has taken course over thousands of years! Our world is now so full of consequences of actions from years and years of poor choices, that sometimes the things that happen don't even make sense. You can't "trace the source." But you do have to understand that God is allowing the earth to turn, the world to live out life without his micromanaging. He has given His Spirit to prompt and guide, but ultimately, it is up to us. And we don't make the greatest choices.

Don't try to make up a reason. When we are faced with the tough questions, we want to "defend God" and give a good justified reason. Don't. The truth is that we don't fully understand, so admit that! Job said to his friends, "So how can you console me with your nonsense? Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!" (21:34) Don't give the seeker and sufferers more reason to turn away from God. Give them reminders of God's love, comfort, and strength. Admit you don't know the answers or you will just push them away.

Are you going through a hard time and asking some tough questions? God loves you. He loves you SO much. Lean into his arms today.

Give A Little, Get A Lot

It feels like forever since I have been on here with you! I am not tech-savvy enough to be able to post while on my adventures, so here is a nice sum up of it all!

This past week we spent on the Crow Creek Sioux Reservation with Diamond Willow Ministries. In an extreme nutshell, we spent the week loving on children. Diamond Willow is an organization that provides a positive place for the kids to be.  It is a big playroom that contains ping-pong tables, fus-ball, carpet ball, a tv center, and a kitchen.  The kids in the area come from difficult life situations.  They are able to come to Diamond Willow and get away, get support, and just get some real Christ-centered love. Besides just a great organization, Diamond Willow is nearly the only Christian presence on a reservation of approximately 6,000 people. When groups like ours come in, they are able to multiply the number of kids they can have out and influence.

Our days went sort of like this: We would wake up in the morning and make breakfast.  We would then spend the morning hours doing chores around the site.  About 11:00 they would drive to pick up the kids and spend the whole afternoon with them, including making them lunch.  About 4:30 the kids would be taken home and we would get about an hour before teens would filter in and we would feed them dinner and spend the evening with them.  Sounds easy, but we were all worn out to the max from carrying kids, running around, swimming, pushing swings, and on and on!  It was wonderful exhaustion!

We encountered several "hiccups" along the way.  The biggest for me (besides being away from my babies) was that I got a skin infection from poison ivy on my face and had to go to the hospital.  Yeah, ick!  I got the treatment I needed and it got rapidly better.  I don't believe one can ever go on a trip like this and not encounter something.  Satan doesn't just hand over his ground without a fight.

There are many, many things that I learned on the trip, but one in particular that I would like to share with you today.  Whether on the mission trip or just in your normal life, we tend to say that you get out of it what you put in.  However, when you are working in God's Will, you get out a lot more than you put in.  All it takes is for you to give a little to get a lot.  I was so proud of our team.  They gave a lot.  I know that they walked away with a lot more, though.  They already want to go back.  They formed relationships and bonds that will impact them forever!  But just think if we lived our everyday lives like this.  If we gave every ounce of ourselves for others.  If we unhesitatingly shared God's Word every opportunity that presented itself.  If we purposely made life changing relationships.  If we gave just a little.  Here is what the Bible says would happen:

"Truly I tell you," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life." --Luke 18:29-30

Basically, if we give a little, we will get a lot.  In what way can you give more today? Is there an area in your life that you can do more, share more, or love more? If there is...just do it!

To see more of our pictures from this trip, visit our youth group facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/First-Christian-Church-of-Richland-YOUTH/321279294150

30 Teens, 30 Hours w/ No Food, One Amazing Weekend

This past weekend our youth group participated in their 3rd 30 Hour Famine through World Vision.  This time we had 30 teens go for 30 hours without eating.  The weekend was more amazing than I ever expected. 
To be honest, as the teens started to arrive, I was nervous.  Last year's famine, we only had 15 teens.  We were doubling this year.  Not 15 minutes into arrival time, we had confiscated items.  There were already teen girls that were running through the halls giggling.  I had received a phone call earlier that my all-night female chaperon was sick. Thank the Lord, my spiritual gift is faith. So, I took a moment to recognize that God was in charge of who attended this weekend, not me.  I took a deep breath, put on my best smile, took a sip of my Pomegranate-grape juice, and got to work!
The famine went off without a hitch.  The teens were in high spirits the entire weekend.  They worked hard, played hard, and slept hard (no, really, they slept at a lock-in!).  We played the TRIBE games, which, to the credit of World Vision, are incredible learning tools for these kids.  Each year we have prayer stations throughout the weekend and time to speak to the "Fam Cam" about their experiences.  I could definitely see a change in them throughout the weekend.  We watched educational videos and had worship.  Saturday afternoon we spent in community service.  We were able to split into 3 teams this year and managed to clean out our church's bus garage, pick up our sponsored portion of the highway, and go door to door through the neighborhood collecting food for the hungry in our own community. They also raised a total of $600 for World Vision.
As we closed the 30 Hours, we had the teens do the "meal ticket" activity, during which they were to write down 2-3 things that they learned or that impacted them over the weekend and submit that to us as their ticket to eat.  I wanted to post some of their experiences here:

I know this is my 3rd Famine, but it never fails to amaze me just how much I take for granted.  I realize just how much God really has given me and the responsibility I have to bless others and serve them and lay down my selfish desires.  I realize just how trivial a lot of the things we do, or talk about, or fight over, really are... (16 year old participant who celebrated her birthday during the famine!)

Even though I am sick after not eating for 30 Hours, I know that at six o'clock I'll get to eat as much as I want.  A lot of people aren't this lucky and have to go days without food and even then only get a little bit to eat before they have to go days without eating again.  I've learned that hunger is everywhere and if I want to help and make a difference, I need to start in my own community first. (16 year old)

This is my second year doing this 30 Hour Famine.  I thought it would be easier, but for whatever reason, it was harder.  I got really weak after 12 noon on Saturday. It made me realize how they must feel - constantly - and yet I know when my suffering will end. (13 year old)

I learned that there are so many opportunities we can take to help people that we don't, and that we need to look at the world in a more selfless way, so we can see the problems. (14 year old)

One of my thoughts that I had is that most of the people in the United States don't realize what's going on in the other countries, and we don't know everything they go through. (14 year old)

I learned that everything isn't about me, it's about putting others first along with following Christ.  And that I need to change my old ways of life. (13 year old)

I have been doing the famine since I was 16 years old and I still love to do it.  I love to see the change come over the teens as they get a glimpse of a bigger world.  I love to empower them with the sense that they can do something about it.  I wanted to share this experience with you, my reader, because I am so incredibly proud of my youth!