There are usually a quite a few more people that go to church on Christmas and Easter. I respect these people because I am the exact opposite; I do not like going to church on Easter and Christmas. There's tons of traffic and if you know me, you'll know I really don't like driving so driving when there are thousands of people going to the same place is not for me. The people that choose to go to church on the busiest days of the year, my hat's off to you.
It's not that I don't like the service, in fact, I love to hear about these two days very much. It's the beginning and the (not really but some people thought so) ending to the greatest love story ever told and if you know me, you'll know I really don't like driving and that I'm sucker for love stories.
I joined my brother and sister-in-law for Easter this year, and the pastor said something that hit me.
"As Christians, we like to say it was my sin that sent Jesus to the cross and He had to die for me. We like to steal the spot light from God and put our own name as the headline. Jesus died on the cross because God loves us, that's the headline."
He probably said it a lot more poetic and epic than I just did but the heart of his message is the same, I think.
I do say that. I do say because of MY sin, Jesus had to die for ME. I enter a religious mindset about what Jesus did without even realizing it. I think there are rules, I think that I tried really heard to be "good" enough, but I'm a sinner and my sin sent Jesus to the cross. God isn't about religion, He's about relationship. God's unending love and desire to be in a relationship with Him is what sent Jesus to the cross, not us.
In high school, my parents set curfews and wanted me to spend time with them, and I thought it was annoying, but I tried pleasing them for a while. Up until my junior year of high school, I was doing pretty good but I soon became exhausted from always feeling like I wasn't good enough no matter how hard I tried to obey them. I rebelled and things got crazy for a bit. I went to college and the rules and curfews were uplifted and I was free! I started finding myself not wanting to stay out late every night and would come home at a reasonable hour. I started spending more time with my family and not because I really wanted to but because I knew they wanted to. When it was about rules, I failed my parents. When it was about relationship, I pleased them.
I like to make my life about me.
I wanted to please my parents according to my standards. When I didn't reach them, I gave up. I didn't want to be controlled so I broke curfew.
I felt.
I want.
I say.
I do.
I never once thought it was because my parents wanted to spend time with me, to have a relationship. I never once thought they wanted the best for me.
I never once thought that they provided for me, and I had the most outrageous childhood because my dad wanted to give us everything we wanted.
In the same way, I made what Jesus did for me about me. I thought I was being about God by admitting my sin and saying Jesus died for me. Like a modern day Pharisee, standing on street corners preaching the word of God so people can think I'm holy. The intentions of the Pharisee were probably good, but soon enough they made it about them and not about God. They were about religion, not about relationship.
God's love for us sent Jesus to the cross, not my sin. He wanted to be in a relationship with us so bad, He sent His son to die for us. I've been reading John 17 a lot lately. John 17 is Jesus praying right before He was betrayed and sent to the cross. In the face of the most excruciating death, this is some of what He prayed:
"Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. "
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."
God wants to know you. God loves you. Jesus wasn't sent because of my sin but because God wants to be with us, to know us.
in His grip,
Josh
Monday, April 6, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
March Madness
It's one of my favorite times of the year.
NCAA March Madness.
Ever since I was a little kid, my family has eagerly awaited the tip-off of 3 weeks of almost 24/7 college basketball. There's something about the "one and done" atmosphere, the Cinderella stories, the inspiration, the extreme athleticism, the "One Shining Moment" video when the championship is all over. I am basically guaranteed to cry at least once and to yell at the TV screen a lot more times than that throughout the tournament.
I don't know if you follow basketball like I do, but one of the coolest moments from the tournament so far (in my opinion) has been Georgia State's upset of Baylor in the first round. As sad as I was that the Bears lost (Abby's alma mater), Georgia State has a really cool coach, and, come on, who doesn't love the underdog to some extent?
Ron Hunter, the coach, actually tore his Achilles' Tendon celebrating the week before in his team's conference championship...which they won. His son R.J. is one of Georgia State's best players and made the shot that propelled the Panthers to upset Baylor. Coach a.k.a. Dad fell off his stool when the shot went in! This is not a coach lacking in enthusiasm. I've been reading Emerson lately (#thingsEnglishgradstudentssay), and I love this quote from "Circles": "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. The way of life is wonderful; it is by abandonment."
It was awesome to watch this coach in victory, but I think he really stands out in the way he treats his team, himself, and the entire March Madness experience in defeat. Georgia State lost their second round game to Xavier, but check out this little bit from his post-game interview: "I told them not to be sad, what a great week, what an unbelievable week, there's nothing to be sad about...As a coach, best time of my life, and as a father...I love this kid, man."
Whoa.
I played basketball in high school. I definitely never felt this way after losing, especially immediately after a season-ending loss. But Coach Hunter made me consider something that extends far beyond a basketball court: how do I act in defeat?
I'm talking about defeat in life, when it feels like everything is going wrong, like nothing and no one is on your side. That's tough. And that's real life, it's not a game. Sometimes "winning" might not even be one of the options. How do you act in these situations?
Honesty hour: I've felt pretty defeated this semester. I've felt like I bit off way more than I could chew. I've felt like everything I'm doing is less than my best. I've felt inadequate at school and in ministry. I've felt like a bad teacher, friend, and follower of Jesus. And I've acted like it. My enthusiasm and energy for things I love has plummeted. And I've tried to go it alone. I've tried to figure it out by myself. I haven't always been pleasant to be around - ask my roommates, bless their souls!
Enter Jesus.
Saturday, I read Psalm 63, seemingly on a whim. This is what it says:
Winning, so often, is a team effort. I think I "bench" Jesus an awful lot of the time. And because He's a gentleman, He doesn't check Himself in. But He is always ready, and He's the best player I've got - WAY better than me. He's also a great teammate - you know, the one that sticks by you in defeat and celebrates with you in victory. Because Jesus knows that we feel defeat most poignantly when we're lonely.
Let's look back at Coach Hunter's statement - look how he finishes that comment. He talks about loving his son. March Madness was "unbelievable" for him because he loves his team, and he loves his son. Maybe I can take a lesson from that, too. Even when I'm struggling, I can set love before me. Even when I'm struggling, I can set joy before me.
And as my soul clings to Jesus, I can learn to be gracious, loving, and enthusiastic.
Even in defeat.
Peace and blessings, y'all!
Sarah
NCAA March Madness.
Ever since I was a little kid, my family has eagerly awaited the tip-off of 3 weeks of almost 24/7 college basketball. There's something about the "one and done" atmosphere, the Cinderella stories, the inspiration, the extreme athleticism, the "One Shining Moment" video when the championship is all over. I am basically guaranteed to cry at least once and to yell at the TV screen a lot more times than that throughout the tournament.
I don't know if you follow basketball like I do, but one of the coolest moments from the tournament so far (in my opinion) has been Georgia State's upset of Baylor in the first round. As sad as I was that the Bears lost (Abby's alma mater), Georgia State has a really cool coach, and, come on, who doesn't love the underdog to some extent?
Ron Hunter, the coach, actually tore his Achilles' Tendon celebrating the week before in his team's conference championship...which they won. His son R.J. is one of Georgia State's best players and made the shot that propelled the Panthers to upset Baylor. Coach a.k.a. Dad fell off his stool when the shot went in! This is not a coach lacking in enthusiasm. I've been reading Emerson lately (#thingsEnglishgradstudentssay), and I love this quote from "Circles": "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. The way of life is wonderful; it is by abandonment."
It was awesome to watch this coach in victory, but I think he really stands out in the way he treats his team, himself, and the entire March Madness experience in defeat. Georgia State lost their second round game to Xavier, but check out this little bit from his post-game interview: "I told them not to be sad, what a great week, what an unbelievable week, there's nothing to be sad about...As a coach, best time of my life, and as a father...I love this kid, man."
Whoa.
I played basketball in high school. I definitely never felt this way after losing, especially immediately after a season-ending loss. But Coach Hunter made me consider something that extends far beyond a basketball court: how do I act in defeat?
I'm talking about defeat in life, when it feels like everything is going wrong, like nothing and no one is on your side. That's tough. And that's real life, it's not a game. Sometimes "winning" might not even be one of the options. How do you act in these situations?
Honesty hour: I've felt pretty defeated this semester. I've felt like I bit off way more than I could chew. I've felt like everything I'm doing is less than my best. I've felt inadequate at school and in ministry. I've felt like a bad teacher, friend, and follower of Jesus. And I've acted like it. My enthusiasm and energy for things I love has plummeted. And I've tried to go it alone. I've tried to figure it out by myself. I haven't always been pleasant to be around - ask my roommates, bless their souls!
Enter Jesus.
Saturday, I read Psalm 63, seemingly on a whim. This is what it says:
"O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you...My soul clings to you..."David, in this Psalm, is the picture of the way I want to be in defeat. I want to seek God, I want to thirst for His Spirit, I want to look up and praise Him in the desert land instead of moping around like Eeyore or snapping like Oscar the Grouch. In the midst of defeat, I want to be learning and growing and moving forward. I don't want to be a sore loser.
Winning, so often, is a team effort. I think I "bench" Jesus an awful lot of the time. And because He's a gentleman, He doesn't check Himself in. But He is always ready, and He's the best player I've got - WAY better than me. He's also a great teammate - you know, the one that sticks by you in defeat and celebrates with you in victory. Because Jesus knows that we feel defeat most poignantly when we're lonely.
Let's look back at Coach Hunter's statement - look how he finishes that comment. He talks about loving his son. March Madness was "unbelievable" for him because he loves his team, and he loves his son. Maybe I can take a lesson from that, too. Even when I'm struggling, I can set love before me. Even when I'm struggling, I can set joy before me.
And as my soul clings to Jesus, I can learn to be gracious, loving, and enthusiastic.
Even in defeat.
Peace and blessings, y'all!
Sarah
Monday, March 16, 2015
wash away the mud
Recently, my sister-in-law recommended I read a book by Erwin Raphael McManus called The Artisan Soul. She said in this book, Erwin argues that everyone is created to create and thought I would really enjoy it since I believe the same thing. I haven't read it yet, but I watched two sermons by Erwin and they gave me a lot to think about. This will be my attempt to share my thoughts on what Erwin talked about.
I've been spending a lot of time reading the gospel of John, trying to learn more about the character of Jesus. I try to always be reading a gospel alongside another book in the Bible at all times. If I want to know more about Jesus and be like Jesus, I should always be studying His life always. In the two sermons I watched, Erwin used John chapter 9 in what he had to say about what it means to be created in the image of a creator.
First, this chapter is close to my heart. It's a story about healing, giving a blind man his sight back and for a while I was blind and desperately needed Jesus to help me see again. When I was 15 years old, I started developing back pain which soon became chronic body pain, over the years growing worse. When I was 20 years old, a close friend of mine called me and told me he was frustrated for me. That he couldn't understand why this was happening to me. But then he read John chapter 9:
Now, I wasn't born with this pain, and no one really knows why the pain occurs. My close friend said he believes that this has happened to me so that the works of God may (if I respond, if I'm obedient) be displayed in me.
Erwin broke down this passage from another perspective and I loved it. The way Jesus heals shows His creativity. Jesus, being God and God being a creator, must be a creative person. The way Jesus healed this man was interesting because, since I believe Jesus is God, he could have just healed Him by thought or saying so. He did this sometimes for other people but not for this man. Instead, Jesus spit in the dirt to make mud. He rubbed the mud into the blind man's eyes and instructed him to walk over to the Pool of Siloam and wash himself.
Here is Jesus, who can choose how to heal a man any way He wants, and He chooses spit and dirt. Erwin suggested the man standing there blind, listening to Jesus spit over and over into the dirt to make mud to smear into his eyes, may have felt embarrassed. He may have even felt humiliated. Jesus put mud on his eyes and instructed him to wash himself. If someone put mud in my eyes now, it would be nice for that person to help me out by walking me over to water at least. But Jesus said Go. Wash yourself. He took something that may be thought as ugly, like mud, and did something beautiful with it. He created sight from something that obstructs, something you can't see through. I can't help but wonder why He didn't just give the man his sight back with a simple thought. And I can't help but agree with Erwin that Jesus chose this because creativity is in the essence of who Jesus is.
I remember going to Jesus for healing with my pain and nothing happened. I was frustrated for years wondering why Jesus would heal so many people but not me. Why not me? I was losing hope in getting better, I was losing hope in Jesus. I was so angry with Him. Later on I thought, maybe Jesus put mud on my eyes when I came to Him for healing. Maybe I became blind to how He was going to heal me because when He said go, I felt humiliated by Jesus. Maybe Jesus put mud on my eyes and told me to go wash myself because He wanted me to respond to Him, to be obedient.
Some people came to Jesus and were healed instantly. This blind man had to walk over to the pool and wash himself to be healed. Some may be like Paul, and cry out three times to only get the response "My grace is sufficient for you." Paul wasn't physically healed but God gave him the strength to endure his sufferings - for when I am weak, He is strong. Maybe we receive all three and it's just we don't recognize how He's healed us because we're walking around with mud on our eyes because we aren't listening to Him when He says to wash. Jesus has restored my hope in Him. He corrected how I saw my pain - I realized I am not my ailment.
My obedience to Jesus will lead to healing, just like the blind man in John chapter 9. I believe your obedience can lead to healing as well. Whether it's physically healing, giving you sight where you are blind, or the realization that His grace is sufficient.
in His grip,
Josh.
I've been spending a lot of time reading the gospel of John, trying to learn more about the character of Jesus. I try to always be reading a gospel alongside another book in the Bible at all times. If I want to know more about Jesus and be like Jesus, I should always be studying His life always. In the two sermons I watched, Erwin used John chapter 9 in what he had to say about what it means to be created in the image of a creator.
First, this chapter is close to my heart. It's a story about healing, giving a blind man his sight back and for a while I was blind and desperately needed Jesus to help me see again. When I was 15 years old, I started developing back pain which soon became chronic body pain, over the years growing worse. When I was 20 years old, a close friend of mine called me and told me he was frustrated for me. That he couldn't understand why this was happening to me. But then he read John chapter 9:
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.Now, I wasn't born with this pain, and no one really knows why the pain occurs. My close friend said he believes that this has happened to me so that the works of God may (if I respond, if I'm obedient) be displayed in me.
Erwin broke down this passage from another perspective and I loved it. The way Jesus heals shows His creativity. Jesus, being God and God being a creator, must be a creative person. The way Jesus healed this man was interesting because, since I believe Jesus is God, he could have just healed Him by thought or saying so. He did this sometimes for other people but not for this man. Instead, Jesus spit in the dirt to make mud. He rubbed the mud into the blind man's eyes and instructed him to walk over to the Pool of Siloam and wash himself.
Here is Jesus, who can choose how to heal a man any way He wants, and He chooses spit and dirt. Erwin suggested the man standing there blind, listening to Jesus spit over and over into the dirt to make mud to smear into his eyes, may have felt embarrassed. He may have even felt humiliated. Jesus put mud on his eyes and instructed him to wash himself. If someone put mud in my eyes now, it would be nice for that person to help me out by walking me over to water at least. But Jesus said Go. Wash yourself. He took something that may be thought as ugly, like mud, and did something beautiful with it. He created sight from something that obstructs, something you can't see through. I can't help but wonder why He didn't just give the man his sight back with a simple thought. And I can't help but agree with Erwin that Jesus chose this because creativity is in the essence of who Jesus is.
I remember going to Jesus for healing with my pain and nothing happened. I was frustrated for years wondering why Jesus would heal so many people but not me. Why not me? I was losing hope in getting better, I was losing hope in Jesus. I was so angry with Him. Later on I thought, maybe Jesus put mud on my eyes when I came to Him for healing. Maybe I became blind to how He was going to heal me because when He said go, I felt humiliated by Jesus. Maybe Jesus put mud on my eyes and told me to go wash myself because He wanted me to respond to Him, to be obedient.
Some people came to Jesus and were healed instantly. This blind man had to walk over to the pool and wash himself to be healed. Some may be like Paul, and cry out three times to only get the response "My grace is sufficient for you." Paul wasn't physically healed but God gave him the strength to endure his sufferings - for when I am weak, He is strong. Maybe we receive all three and it's just we don't recognize how He's healed us because we're walking around with mud on our eyes because we aren't listening to Him when He says to wash. Jesus has restored my hope in Him. He corrected how I saw my pain - I realized I am not my ailment.
My obedience to Jesus will lead to healing, just like the blind man in John chapter 9. I believe your obedience can lead to healing as well. Whether it's physically healing, giving you sight where you are blind, or the realization that His grace is sufficient.
in His grip,
Josh.
Monday, March 2, 2015
One Piece of Advice
Last weekend, we had a region-wide leader gathering for Young Life here in Albuquerque. Leaders from El Paso, Los Alamos, Las Cruces, Crown Point, Farmington, and Albuquerque came together for a weekend of encouragement, community, and raucous laughter...of course!
We had the incredible opportunity to hear from Bob and Claudia Mitchell during this time. A little background on these two incredible people. Bob is a former president of Young Life and one of the first Young Life kids EVER. As in this dude and his family hosted some of the first Young Life clubs at their house, and his leader was Jim Rayburn, the founder of Young Life. Anyway, enough of the celeb status laundry list. In my mind, this man - "Mitch" as he's known - is a pillar of faith beyond the Young Life community. Last weekend he told us about how he fought from within the mission during the '60s and '70s to make a place for women and African-Americans in leadership. He told us about moments of frustration and triumph as he has walked faithfully with the Lord for close to 80 years.
I was fortunate enough to hear from Bob and Claudia during New Staff Training in Florida, as well. It was equally as cool to be exposed to their experiences there, but it was awesome to actually get to meet them, talk with them, and laugh with them on such a personal level here in Albuquerque.
I'm gonna call this as it is for a minute. I don't know about you, but when I meet "big wigs" as my mom would call them, I am often times disappointed. Usually these people are not as terrific as they're made out to be. Less personable, less eloquent, etc.
Not so with Mitch. Meeting him, shaking his hand, being close to him, I saw such genuine kindness in his face, I heard authentic love in his voice. Like who is this guy?? He rocks. He's hilarious. He loves Claudia in such a precious way.
This personal interaction made me listen in a totally different manner this time around. And this is what I heard and keep hearing a week later.
We had a question and answer time with Bob and Claudia. One of the leaders asked what advice Mitch would give to a Young Life leader now. He sat and thought in his characteristic way for just a moment before continuing with no preface: "Cultivate your own relationship with Christ before anything else. That's the greatest thing you can do."
Wow.
If anyone could give Young Life leading tips, it's Bob Mitchell. But instead of advising us on how to run a good program and get kids to camp or enlightening us on the most effective contact work strategies, Mitch said one thing: Know. Jesus.
I was reminded of the time Jesus clarified something to us in Matthew 22:37-40 about the Law and the commandments. He says (without introductory material, either), "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
So here we are - here I am. We get caught up in program, logistics, doing. We forget that Jesus gave us the CliffNotes version of the Old Testament. And I'm not saying don't read the OT - as an English teacher, I will ALWAYS encourage the actual reading of primary material. But here it is, the bare bones of what we as Christians are called to do:
Love God. Be with Him. That's the greatest thing we can do.
Then.
Love people. Be with them.
I think one of the reasons I am so struck by Mitch's advice is because I've heard him tell of the way he lived this out. One story in particular stood out to me. At New Staff Training, Mitch told of his first night in the San Francisco Bay area. He had just moved to this city, no friends, an empty home, a new part of the country. He drove to the top of a hill overlooking the city, the sea of lights stretching out before him and absolutely overwhelming him with where to even begin in reaching out to the kids of San Fran. Mitch teared up as he told us of his cry to God in that moment, the raw "where do I even begin" honesty he poured out on that hill.
What's striking to me about this is that before Mitch settled in, met the neighbors, found a church, went to a school, he first retreated to be with the Lord. To surrender his upcoming months and years in the bay area to the Lord. To love the Lord before he commenced doing. Mitch realized that without Jesus at the center, he would never find his way in that city. Mitch realized that cultivating his relationship with Christ was then and would always be the most effective ministry strategy in Young Life, the church...heck, anywhere. This piece of advice was not just a repetition of a hugely important piece of the Bible. It was a tested and lived out truth of Mitch's life.
And so that's why his words - really Jesus' words - keep ringing in my ears: Love God with all you have. Give Him the first fruits of your life.
This is - and always will be - the great commandment.
Peace and Blessings, y'all!
Sarah
We had the incredible opportunity to hear from Bob and Claudia Mitchell during this time. A little background on these two incredible people. Bob is a former president of Young Life and one of the first Young Life kids EVER. As in this dude and his family hosted some of the first Young Life clubs at their house, and his leader was Jim Rayburn, the founder of Young Life. Anyway, enough of the celeb status laundry list. In my mind, this man - "Mitch" as he's known - is a pillar of faith beyond the Young Life community. Last weekend he told us about how he fought from within the mission during the '60s and '70s to make a place for women and African-Americans in leadership. He told us about moments of frustration and triumph as he has walked faithfully with the Lord for close to 80 years.
I was fortunate enough to hear from Bob and Claudia during New Staff Training in Florida, as well. It was equally as cool to be exposed to their experiences there, but it was awesome to actually get to meet them, talk with them, and laugh with them on such a personal level here in Albuquerque.
I'm gonna call this as it is for a minute. I don't know about you, but when I meet "big wigs" as my mom would call them, I am often times disappointed. Usually these people are not as terrific as they're made out to be. Less personable, less eloquent, etc.
Not so with Mitch. Meeting him, shaking his hand, being close to him, I saw such genuine kindness in his face, I heard authentic love in his voice. Like who is this guy?? He rocks. He's hilarious. He loves Claudia in such a precious way.
This personal interaction made me listen in a totally different manner this time around. And this is what I heard and keep hearing a week later.
We had a question and answer time with Bob and Claudia. One of the leaders asked what advice Mitch would give to a Young Life leader now. He sat and thought in his characteristic way for just a moment before continuing with no preface: "Cultivate your own relationship with Christ before anything else. That's the greatest thing you can do."
Wow.
If anyone could give Young Life leading tips, it's Bob Mitchell. But instead of advising us on how to run a good program and get kids to camp or enlightening us on the most effective contact work strategies, Mitch said one thing: Know. Jesus.
I was reminded of the time Jesus clarified something to us in Matthew 22:37-40 about the Law and the commandments. He says (without introductory material, either), "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
So here we are - here I am. We get caught up in program, logistics, doing. We forget that Jesus gave us the CliffNotes version of the Old Testament. And I'm not saying don't read the OT - as an English teacher, I will ALWAYS encourage the actual reading of primary material. But here it is, the bare bones of what we as Christians are called to do:
Love God. Be with Him. That's the greatest thing we can do.
Then.
Love people. Be with them.
I think one of the reasons I am so struck by Mitch's advice is because I've heard him tell of the way he lived this out. One story in particular stood out to me. At New Staff Training, Mitch told of his first night in the San Francisco Bay area. He had just moved to this city, no friends, an empty home, a new part of the country. He drove to the top of a hill overlooking the city, the sea of lights stretching out before him and absolutely overwhelming him with where to even begin in reaching out to the kids of San Fran. Mitch teared up as he told us of his cry to God in that moment, the raw "where do I even begin" honesty he poured out on that hill.
What's striking to me about this is that before Mitch settled in, met the neighbors, found a church, went to a school, he first retreated to be with the Lord. To surrender his upcoming months and years in the bay area to the Lord. To love the Lord before he commenced doing. Mitch realized that without Jesus at the center, he would never find his way in that city. Mitch realized that cultivating his relationship with Christ was then and would always be the most effective ministry strategy in Young Life, the church...heck, anywhere. This piece of advice was not just a repetition of a hugely important piece of the Bible. It was a tested and lived out truth of Mitch's life.
And so that's why his words - really Jesus' words - keep ringing in my ears: Love God with all you have. Give Him the first fruits of your life.
This is - and always will be - the great commandment.
Peace and Blessings, y'all!
Sarah
Monday, February 16, 2015
Timeless People
I want to be somebody.
I want to have purpose.
My mom told me that when I was little I wished my name was Mike Piazza, best known for being the New York Mets catcher. I wanted his name because I thought you had to have a cool name like Mike Piazza in order to become a professional baseball player. Mike Piazza was somebody, he had purpose. He made an impact on the Major League Baseball world; my catcher's mitt has his named imprinted on the palm. I wanted what he had, even his name apparently.
Michael Jackson
Sacagawea
John Lennon
Rosa Parks
Steve Jobs
Amelia Earhart
There's a group of people that seem to live outside of time. This list of people could go on and on and despite their deaths, they seem to still exist. They have made such an impact on this world that what they did has lasted generations and probably will continue to thrive into the future. My kids' kids will probably be wearings Beatles T-shirts listening to their iPod's containing music from Jackson because he is the "King of Pop". Everyone knows their names, they were all somebodies.
Albert Einstein
Leonardo da Vinci
Harriet Tubman
Issac Newton
Whitney Houston
Millions of people file through the Louvre Museum to see a painting claimed to be one of the most famous paintings in the world and the creator has been dead for almost 500 years. The Sistine Chapel draws in a similar crowd and these Renaissance artists have more than just fine arts to carry on their name. Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman decided to create four crime fighting turtles and name them after four 15th and 16th century artists, including da Vinci and Michelangelo. I bet they had no idea they would one day be teen-aged, crime-fighting mutant-ninja turtles. They probably were doing what they loved and never thought half a millennium later, people would know be making films and writing books about them.
From time to time, I wonder what my future holds. If I will ever be someone who is spoken about hundreds of years from now. I want to know if my life will have purpose. I remember my time at UNM and trying to figure out what I want to do with my life, thinking I had to choose "right" when it came to my career. I didn't want to go through life thinking no one would remember me and I would choose the "wrong" career path. And because of my decision, I wouldn't have an impact on this earth.
I tend to stray away, like a lost sheep, from Jesus. I forget about the promises He has made and when He makes promises, He upholds them. I sometimes forget to see myself the way He sees me.
I am gifted.
I am chosen.
I am the salt of the earth.
I forget that I am already somebody, that my life already has purpose. We all are somebody and we all have purpose. I won't go through this life forgotten because He knows me. I don't have to build an empire of music, iPods, or solve some algorithm to be remembered by Him. I am the salt of the earth, like Russ was saying on Tuesday. Salt makes food taste better, with the right amount, and salt preserves. I really enjoyed the story Russ told, the story of the lady giving him salt while running his marathon but he didn't know he was supposed to eat it to stop the cramping. My purpose is to share the salt, to be the salt for others to help the cramping of the world. And what I do on earth, sharing Jesus with others, lasts longer than a life time. If God uses me to impact some one's life and help them know Jesus, it lasts an eternity. Jesus really is a timeless person, and He gives us the opportunity to be timeless too.
in His grip,
Josh
I want to have purpose.
My mom told me that when I was little I wished my name was Mike Piazza, best known for being the New York Mets catcher. I wanted his name because I thought you had to have a cool name like Mike Piazza in order to become a professional baseball player. Mike Piazza was somebody, he had purpose. He made an impact on the Major League Baseball world; my catcher's mitt has his named imprinted on the palm. I wanted what he had, even his name apparently.
Michael Jackson
Sacagawea
John Lennon
Rosa Parks
Steve Jobs
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhar
Amelia Earhar
There's a group of people that seem to live outside of time. This list of people could go on and on and despite their deaths, they seem to still exist. They have made such an impact on this world that what they did has lasted generations and probably will continue to thrive into the future. My kids' kids will probably be wearings Beatles T-shirts listening to their iPod's containing music from Jackson because he is the "King of Pop". Everyone knows their names, they were all somebodies.
Albert Einstein
Leonardo da Vinci
Harriet Tubman
Issac Newton
Whitney Houston
Millions of people file through the Louvre Museum to see a painting claimed to be one of the most famous paintings in the world and the creator has been dead for almost 500 years. The Sistine Chapel draws in a similar crowd and these Renaissance artists have more than just fine arts to carry on their name. Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman decided to create four crime fighting turtles and name them after four 15th and 16th century artists, including da Vinci and Michelangelo. I bet they had no idea they would one day be teen-aged, crime-fighting mutant-ninja turtles. They probably were doing what they loved and never thought half a millennium later, people would know be making films and writing books about them.
From time to time, I wonder what my future holds. If I will ever be someone who is spoken about hundreds of years from now. I want to know if my life will have purpose. I remember my time at UNM and trying to figure out what I want to do with my life, thinking I had to choose "right" when it came to my career. I didn't want to go through life thinking no one would remember me and I would choose the "wrong" career path. And because of my decision, I wouldn't have an impact on this earth.
I tend to stray away, like a lost sheep, from Jesus. I forget about the promises He has made and when He makes promises, He upholds them. I sometimes forget to see myself the way He sees me.
I am chosen.
I am the salt of the earth.
I forget that I am already somebody, that my life already has purpose. We all are somebody and we all have purpose. I won't go through this life forgotten because He knows me. I don't have to build an empire of music, iPods, or solve some algorithm to be remembered by Him. I am the salt of the earth, like Russ was saying on Tuesday. Salt makes food taste better, with the right amount, and salt preserves. I really enjoyed the story Russ told, the story of the lady giving him salt while running his marathon but he didn't know he was supposed to eat it to stop the cramping. My purpose is to share the salt, to be the salt for others to help the cramping of the world. And what I do on earth, sharing Jesus with others, lasts longer than a life time. If God uses me to impact some one's life and help them know Jesus, it lasts an eternity. Jesus really is a timeless person, and He gives us the opportunity to be timeless too.
in His grip,
Josh
Monday, February 9, 2015
#waytobe
I love hashtags.
This confession might be career suicide seeing as how I am getting my Masters in English Lit, and I am a writing instructor at UNM. I am supposed to be the slayer of all fragments, the bane of improper capitalization. But I can't help it. I think hashtags are fun, catchy, and a unique form of communication that we have recently embraced.
Also, Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon do a hashtag skit, and it's one of my favorite things ever. Funny how Jimmy seems to be at the root of many of my favorite things...
Anyways, Russ and Jamie share my passion for this mode of communication so for the past two years, we've introduced a new hashtag each semester to our students. We started with #allthingsnew and moved into #identity, #courageous, and now #waytobe, each of them directly correlating to our topic for that particular semester. We ask students to tag Instagrams, Facebook posts, and Tweets with these hashtags so that we can create an online community connection as we pursue the Lord together.
This semester - #waytobe - has me thinking: what is the "way to be"? We've been talking about the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount for the past several Tuesdays. Jamie talked about how when Jesus delivered these words to His followers, He flipped the normal way of being on its head. His message was radical. His message was hard.
Not a whole lot has changed about Jesus' message over the past 2000 or so years. It's still radical. It's still hard. I think about other "way" passages in the Bible, and I'm reminded of Jesus' words in John 14:6..."I am the way, and the truth, and the life." These statements of Jesus are deceptively simple. I find myself so often repeating these words with an attitude of: "Of course, You're the way. Of course, You're the truth. Of course, You're the life." But I rarely stop and actually think about these characteristics of Jesus.
This weekend, I had the awesome opportunity to spend time at Lone Tree Ranch with my friend Morgan. We rappelled, we ate, we watched men in tights and capes ride fixed gear bikes, we napped, we sang, we listened, we learned how many gallons of water are contained in a toilet as we watched it pour onto the floor of our cabin, and we hiked. Eventful to say the least, yet also relaxing and fun.
One of the songs we sang several times at the Ranch is by United Pursuit Band. It's called "Nothing I Hold On To" - you can listen to it here. One of the lines says, "I give it all to you God, trusting that You'll make something beautiful out of me." We sang it over and over. Honestly, I was getting tired of it. Until I realized God was trying to get me to actually listen to what was coming out of my mouth. That in giving all (that means EVERYTHING) to Him and trusting that He's doing something in me, I am confessing that I am not the way, that I am not the truth, and that I am not the life. I have given those things up to Jesus when I gave up all.
But this brings me back to Jesus' radical words. Am I willing to let Jesus turn my life upside down? Am I ready to let my way of being reflect that I have made Jesus the way of my life, that I have made Jesus the truth of my life, that I have made Jesus the life of my life? My answer to these questions currently is "yes, sometimes." This semester, I'm hoping to inch closer and closer to "yes, always."
So what's my #waytobe? My way to be is like Jesus. How do I do that? I don't know exactly, but I think it starts somewhere around "yes, always."
Peace and blessings, y'all!
Sarah
This confession might be career suicide seeing as how I am getting my Masters in English Lit, and I am a writing instructor at UNM. I am supposed to be the slayer of all fragments, the bane of improper capitalization. But I can't help it. I think hashtags are fun, catchy, and a unique form of communication that we have recently embraced.
Also, Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon do a hashtag skit, and it's one of my favorite things ever. Funny how Jimmy seems to be at the root of many of my favorite things...
Anyways, Russ and Jamie share my passion for this mode of communication so for the past two years, we've introduced a new hashtag each semester to our students. We started with #allthingsnew and moved into #identity, #courageous, and now #waytobe, each of them directly correlating to our topic for that particular semester. We ask students to tag Instagrams, Facebook posts, and Tweets with these hashtags so that we can create an online community connection as we pursue the Lord together.
This semester - #waytobe - has me thinking: what is the "way to be"? We've been talking about the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount for the past several Tuesdays. Jamie talked about how when Jesus delivered these words to His followers, He flipped the normal way of being on its head. His message was radical. His message was hard.
Not a whole lot has changed about Jesus' message over the past 2000 or so years. It's still radical. It's still hard. I think about other "way" passages in the Bible, and I'm reminded of Jesus' words in John 14:6..."I am the way, and the truth, and the life." These statements of Jesus are deceptively simple. I find myself so often repeating these words with an attitude of: "Of course, You're the way. Of course, You're the truth. Of course, You're the life." But I rarely stop and actually think about these characteristics of Jesus.
This weekend, I had the awesome opportunity to spend time at Lone Tree Ranch with my friend Morgan. We rappelled, we ate, we watched men in tights and capes ride fixed gear bikes, we napped, we sang, we listened, we learned how many gallons of water are contained in a toilet as we watched it pour onto the floor of our cabin, and we hiked. Eventful to say the least, yet also relaxing and fun.
One of the songs we sang several times at the Ranch is by United Pursuit Band. It's called "Nothing I Hold On To" - you can listen to it here. One of the lines says, "I give it all to you God, trusting that You'll make something beautiful out of me." We sang it over and over. Honestly, I was getting tired of it. Until I realized God was trying to get me to actually listen to what was coming out of my mouth. That in giving all (that means EVERYTHING) to Him and trusting that He's doing something in me, I am confessing that I am not the way, that I am not the truth, and that I am not the life. I have given those things up to Jesus when I gave up all.
But this brings me back to Jesus' radical words. Am I willing to let Jesus turn my life upside down? Am I ready to let my way of being reflect that I have made Jesus the way of my life, that I have made Jesus the truth of my life, that I have made Jesus the life of my life? My answer to these questions currently is "yes, sometimes." This semester, I'm hoping to inch closer and closer to "yes, always."
So what's my #waytobe? My way to be is like Jesus. How do I do that? I don't know exactly, but I think it starts somewhere around "yes, always."
Peace and blessings, y'all!
Sarah
Monday, February 2, 2015
People
I love reading.
Reading is one of my favorite things to do. I love getting
lost in a well-told story, letting my mind make up what the characters look
like and imagining what their lives are like.
A book I recently read that I thoroughly enjoyed was Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen
Chbosky. It’s not your classic mind boggling piece of literature, but the reason
I enjoy this particular book so much is because the characters feel real. It’s
a darker book following the lives of a few high school students in Pittsburgh,
PA and doesn’t necessarily have the happiest of endings. Nonetheless, the
characters are real and their stories are captivating.
I never get tired of captivating stories.
Young Life was where I started my relationship with Jesus
and was the first ministry where I wanted to get involved. I thought Young Life
was the best ministry and I loved hearing the stories of those involved with
Young Life. I started realizing I didn’t
have to go to books to find captivating stories, all I had to do was live life
and meet others. The stories I heard were ones that you couldn’t script and
bind within a cover with some hipster title like “The Silence Between the Rain”
(The title of a story I’m currently writing ha). These stories were real and I loved getting to
hear them.
In 2013, I stepped back from Young Life and I thought the
captivating stories were going to end and that I would have to turn to
fabricated ones in books once again (Don’t get me wrong, I still LOVE a great
book with a great story). You could say that this thinking captivating
stories will end because Young Life was removed from my life was the result of
naiveness or ignorance. I thought no other ministry was as good as Young Life.
A person once told me “Ministry is people”. This was eye
opening. I realized people were everywhere I went, no matter what
organization I was involved in. Young Life was just a tool for me to meet
people with amazing stories. Every one has a story and every one’s story is
captivating because it’s theirs. Your story is one I can’t go to the local
bookstore and read about. I was reminded of the quote “Ministry is people”
because of Young Life College. Young Life College teamed up with the Mission, a
ministry that reaches out to people. Both organizations are involved in Laundry
Love, another ministry that reaches out to people. This past Tuesday Night,
there was an announcement about a ministry called Joni and Friends and yes,
they reach out to people as well. I look at Jesus' life and He reached out to people too. And it wasn't certain people who belonged to certain groups or organizations, but to all people.
Lately I have been reminding myself to focus less on the
name of a ministry and focus more on the name of Him who did ministry best. When
I do this, I truly care about people and not because of the ministry I am a part
of but because of who they are to Him. I want to hear their one of a kind story
and perhaps have the opportunity to share Jesus’ story with them.
In His grip,
Josh
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