Tea on a Snowy Day

There's just something soothing about watching snow fall. I'm sitting on our window seat with a cup of chai tea in my hand, and life just seems... right. All of my questions and doubts have disappeared along with the few remaining tips of grass. The silence is peaceful. It almost feels as if God has hit the pause button on life and time is at a stand-still (although I can see the second hand ticking away, so I know it's not). 

I'm almost done with my reverie (I have school work waiting), but if I can just offer a thought. It's so easy to get caught up in things that aren't even that important. People argue their sides, offend their friends, and become so invested emotionally in the things that are temporary.

About a week ago, Pastor Soto said, "When your eyes are locked on Jesus, you can't fail. It's when you turn your eyes on self that sin happens." I think having these quiet times helps us to refocus. Everybody should drink some tea on a snowy day......or you can have coffee, whatever floats your boat.

Back to Square One

"This is the challenge I’m taking upon myself: Will my life be a meaningless vapor, filled with these and thats, or can I rise to the call God has placed on my life, no matter what it may be, and make a lasting impact on my culture for Him?"

That is an excerpt from my first blog post back in May. When I read it, I feel like smiling at the naive little girl who wrote this (albeit, this was only 7 or 8 months ago). If I knew what was coming, could I have written it?

You see, God has been dealing with me. In the middle of a sermon about something completely unrelated, I felt something strongly impressed into my heart.

Graphics, give up graphics.

My response? I can tell you, I didn't fall on my knees and and say "Yes, Lord, Your will be done!" No. My response was, "Um, God, in case you haven't noticed, I'm actually getting paid jobs now, from people outside my own church!"

Give up graphics.

"Lord, if you didn't know, this is what I'm going to go to college for in the fall!" 

Give up graphics.

"No, you don't understand! I'm a graphic designer. This is my career your talking about here!"

Give up graphics.

"But, God! Graphics is who I am! Graphics is what I'm good at!"

I won't tell you the rest of the lengthy, rather one-sided conversation, but I was really tempted to pretend I didn't hear what God was saying and simply continue doing what I was doing. But I knew that in the end, I didn't want to do something that God wouldn't bless. 

So? I've laid it down. It was a decision I made that night at the altar, but it's also a decision I have to make every day.

I don't really know what God's purpose is, or what the outcome will be. Maybe this is simply a test to see if I'll trust Him. It could be that there are things in me that He needs to deal with. Or, God might not intend me to be a graphic designer. 

Only God knows. His will, not mine, be done.

Where Does Your Strength Lie?

"So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies" –Judges 16:6

Several years ago, in Adventure Sunday, the teachers used kids from the audience to act out the story of Samson. The main character was played by this short, skinny little kid. We all thought it was hilarious, I mean he was the exact opposite of what Samson would have looked like! I called the poor kid Samson for years after that (drove him crazy!).


Today, I was randomly thinking about Samson (I'm kinda weird like that), and It dawned on me that maybe our Adventure Sunday leaders weren't too far from the truth. If Samson looked like the Incredible Hulk (but without green skin) why would Delilah need to ask him where his strength lie? I mean, come on, if the guy had muscles bulging out of places where most people don't even have places, why would you even assume there was any secret to his strength?! 


I think I'm beginning to understand that God doesn't use us because of our strengths; He uses us in-spite of them. Paul was a highly educated Pharisee–he was the perfect choice to preach to the jews–yet, God sent him to the gentiles. Peter was just an ignorant fisherman from Galilee–impulsive and unrefined–but, he was sent to the Jews.


2 Corinthians 12:9 tells us, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”


Maybe we just need to get out of the way and let God do His thing... He is God after all.

The Unanswered Question

   Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

                                                         -Exodus 33:13

I'm a Bible Quizzer, most of you already know that in quizzing there are a ton of different kinds of questions: quotations, cross-refrences, direct, parts etc… No matter what kind it is, however, there are only four ways to respond to a question. Your response tells the team you are competing against, and everybody watching, a lot about yourself.

Response #1 - Interrupt. That shows you have confidence, that you are prepared and have studied. You know the risks but have decided to take them anyway. Whether you get it right or wrong, you still have gained the respect of the other quizzers because you tried. If you keep doing this, eventually, you'll win.

Response #2 - Wait until the end. One way to answer a question is to wait until right after the quizmaster gets done reading, then buzz in. People do this because they aren't as prepared, and hence not willing to take the risk. 

Response #3 - Get the reread. The other team interrupted, got it wrong, then the question is read just to your team. This one is a no-brainer! You had the opportunity to answer twice, so you will (probably) get it right.

Response #4 - Do nothing. When you do nothing, this leaves the question unanswered. The quizmaster reads the question, but no one interrupts. Not one person buzzes in after he's done. For five seconds the room is completely silent. Time is called. The question is closed. The quiz moves on. Then the audience starts whispering, "Even I knew the answer to that!" "Why didn't yellow one buzz in?" "That was too easy!" 

Letting a question go by unanswered shows you are not prepared. It shows you do not know the material, that you aren't referenced or charted, and that you don't think the risk is greater then the need.

There are questions that haunt millions of people around the globe. What are they? You hear them every day, "Who am I?" "Why am I here?" "What is my purpose?" 

David is just one of the many people across the globe who have prayed that God would show them His purpose:

 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.

 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. 

                                                -Psalm 25:4-5

God's purpose for us is extremely important. If we don't know it, we have no burden, we can't become the best that we can be, we have no passion, the list can go on and on. 

I'm only 17, but January is running at me full speed, bringing with it adulthood (scary!). Now would be the time to figure out the little things, like my career, where I want to go to college, and what God's plan for me is. 

You see, when I get to heaven, I want to hear God say, "Well done thou good and faithful servant." Not, "Oh Heather… if only you knew what My will was for you... the things you could've been and done.... Oh well, at least you made it, that counts for something!" 

Discovering God's will, and doing it, is the most important thing in my life right now. I want my ministry to have God's blessing and anointing on it. I want everything I do to be for God's glory. When I get to heaven, I want to hear Him say, "Well done."

I can't afford to let these questions go unanswered. 

Green Eggs and Ham

“I could not, would not, on a boat.

I will not, will not, with a goat.

I will not eat them in the rain.

I will not eat them on a train.

Not in the dark! Not in a tree!

Not in a car! You let me be!

I do not like them in a box.

I do not like them with a fox.

I will not eat them in a house.

I do not like them with a mouse.

I do not like them here or there.

I do not like them ANYWHERE!

“I do not like green eggs and ham”

Ah, out of the mouths of babes and sucklings... Ok. So Dr. Suess isn’t exactly a babe or a suckling, but he was writing to them, so that has to count for something.

I was babysitting last night (which would explain the sudden inspiration coming from a Dr. Suess book). As I was reading Green Eggs and Ham in my most animated voice, it suddenly struck me that Theodor Seuss Geisel had an excellent lesson going. 

Sam was trying to tempt a un-named character to try green eggs and ham. Sam, devious through and through, seems absolutely determined to make the poor guy try the dish. 

“Would you, could you, in a box?”

“Would you, could you, with a fox?” 

“Would you, could you, in a car?”

“Would you, could you, in the dark?”

Each and every time the fuzzy, little man replied, “I would not, could not....!”

This is exactly what Christians need to do! I mean, my goodness, it doesn’t matter where you are or who your with, standards are still standards!! Sin is still sin!

So next time Satan whispers in your ear, would you, could you... respond the same way our unnamed, fuzzy little man did, stand up, and shout, “I would not, could not!!!!”

The Wind

Left. Right. Left. Right... I’ve got to keep going!

I glanced up at the trail, squinting in the blinding sunlight. Another blast of wind from the right pushed me into the middle of the road. I wetted my chapped lips and forced myself back to the side. Bracing myself, I turned with the trail and biked directly into the wind. I ducked my head and concentrated on just moving forward. 

Left. Right. Left... 

*****

I’m not being over dramatic. This is the true story of the longest mile-and-a-half of my life! 

I did manage to learn a few lessons during this harrowing experience, for example: when my mom says it’s to windy to bike on the Thrivent Financial trail, I should believe her. Also, when heading west and the sun is setting, I should bring a pair of sunglasses.

All of these are good life lessons. But above all, I have learned to have a healthy respect for the wind. 

Did you know that there are tons of verses in the Bible that talk about the wind? Job has quite a bit to say about it, and so do the psalmists. I only want to talk about one verse though. Ephesians 4:14 says “...sent this way and that, turned about by every wind of teaching...” I have an appreciation for this verse that I didn’t have before. If we don’t have something to hold firmly to–to stand on–every new idea, every persuasive speaker, every friend’s opinion, and every teaching will have us reaching out desperately in a whirlwind of confusion for some truth. 

I can’t imagine living without God’s Word to stand on, can you?

 

Of Life, and of Angry Birds

Yes, I play angry birds. And, I’m even ashamed to admit that just yesterday, I spent nearly two hours hurling the same red, blue, white, black, and yellow birds at the same funny looking green pigs. Talk about wasting time!

But as I sat there on my phone playing this game, a thought came to me. This is what some people do in their lives (I’m no exception). We can spend all of our time and energy hurling everything we’ve got at the same obstacles over and over again. At best, the result is just wasting time, and worst, it can bring lives crashing to the ground.