Spiritual GPS

This is my 3rd attempt at writing a blog entry this week, hopefully it will be complete, unlike the other 2 that are waiting for my return!
So we are studying the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving in History and I have been doing a lot of thinking about what it took to get the Pilgrims to leave everything behind and set out for a new world.  I can't imagine walking away from everything I know to go on a trip that would land me in the unknown.  When the Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower in 1620, they had very little information about what they were going to find when they arrived in their new land.  They also had very little space on the small ship so they had to be selective in what they brought with them.  They knew they were going to be on rough waters, they were told about dangerous pirates, they anticipated sickness and disease and yet there were 102 of them who decided to risk it all, for what?  For worship!  They were not allowed to worship the way they wanted in England so they left behind everything they had known and cared about to go to a place where they could worship God freely! 
During November there are lots of posts on Facebook about what people are thankful for.  Friends, family, a warm house...all viable candidates, but has anyone ever posted how thankful they were for the Pilgrims?  Many days we get depressed by the ongoings of our country and it's lack of Christianity, but could it be worse?  If it weren't for these "religious renegades"  what would religion in America look like?  Would we have the freedoms that we have when it comes to worship?  I think we owe a great amount of gratitude to the Pilgrims for being brave enough to set out on a new venture in the name of the Lord and their desire to serve Him.
But I also want you to think about who got you where you are in your spiritual journey.  Yes the Pilgrims paved the way, but there are others who directly influenced you in your spiritual walk.  I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been born into a family that has always put God first.  I have parents, grandparents, and had great-grandparents who put God first in our family, always.  We have years of experience in our family of Deacons, Training Union teachers, Choir members, baby rockers, Christmas Cantata performers, greeters, and most have been involved in starting churches from the ground up.  I am so thankful for the examples they set being faithful tithers, witnesses, and leaders within their church bodies.  I know that it is through their model and expectations, that I am where I am today in my walk with Christ.  And if there is anything to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, it has to be for these people, my family, who raised me to love Jesus, to share His love with others, and to love His people just as He does. 
So, as you consider your daily blessings this November, remember the Pilgrims and the sacrifices they made for all of us to have the freedoms we have when it comes to worship.  In addition, reflect on who your "Spiritual GPS" is...who put you on the right road and set those examples for you?  Who made sure you knew everything you needed to know about your Creator?  Who has, or is, praying for your spiritual growth continually?  Acknowledge those people, tell them thank you, because you have a lot to be thankful for!

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Elephants and Donkeys

So tomorrow is the big day...Election day!  If you are anything like me I'm so glad it is here, but will celebrate more when it is gone!  Don't get me wrong, I have loved every minute of teaching my 2nd grade history classes about voting and the election process and I fully believe that our new Hershey President in the AM class and Skittles President in the PM class will be great leaders!  Ha...if only we were choosing our favorite candy!
Watch the video below and see if you can relate to this 4 year old child...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjrthOPLAKM
I think many of us have almost been brought to tears having to listen to debates, jaded media opinions, and seeing red and blue electoral college maps in our sleep!  And I know that all of this has created much tension.  I hear someone on a daily basis say how worried they are about the outcome of the election.  But there is a saying that worrying is like a rocking chair, it keeps you busy but gets you nowhere!  GET OUT OF THE ROCKING CHAIR!  It is doing you no good to worry about this!  Is it going to be disheartening if my chosen candidate isn't elected? Yes. However, I know that there is a greater power than me who already has this all worked out!  That greater power, God, will raise up the leader He has planned for this country right now.  We may not understand or agree, but
we have to trust and believe in whatever plan He gives us.  Proverbs 3:5 says, "Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence"...in other words, let God handle it, He knows better than any of us!
As for the red and the blue...the elephants and the donkeys...Romney and Obama...be reassured with this,  "Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, Christ (Matthew 23:10)".  Child of God, you know who your Creator is and you know who is in control.  No earthly leader will ever be your master, for you only have one.. and no one can over throw Him or defeat Him. 
Maybe you have already voted or maybe you will be standing alongside me in an atrocious line tomorrow, whatever the case may be, if you vote then you have done your part.  As for who will be in control...we already know the answer to that! 

Wise Friendships

So, last weekend we had the opportunity to get out of the city and find some peace and quiet.  We went to some cabins in Oklahoma with our best friends, Wendy and Stacy.  I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful our weekend was!  There were so many things that I tossed around when thinking of writing this post.  When you are surrounded by nature it is easy to come up with topics! Wendy and I even talked through some possible posts, but none of them felt perfect.  When I thought about the best parts of our weekend one of the things that stood out was Wendy and Stacy. We have been close friends with them for a long time and for a while spent every Saturday night together.  These days, our kids activities seems to keep us from doing that as much.  My mom even asked a few weeks ago if we had seen the Bryant's lately and I told her no, but as sad as it made me, it was okay.  And it is, because we are the kind of friends that it doesn't matter how long we are apart, we pick up right where we left off.  This weekend we talked about our kids, watched movies, played Joker by the fire, roasted marshmallows, went hiking, cooked dinners together, cleaned the kitchen together, played washers, even watched TV church on Sunday morning... the things that all good friends do right?!.  Corey and I treasure Wendy and Stacy more than words can express!  They can complete our sentences, and often know what we are thinking without us saying anything.  (Corey and Stacy swear that is how they beat us at Joker so often! well, that and their rally hats) They are spiritually grounded and put God first in their family, just as we do.  Many nights are spent discussing life, the Bible, our spiritual journeys, our kid's spirituality. What better friends could you ask for? 
The fact is God wants us to surround ourselves with friends like these.  He wants us to spend time with people who are a positive influence and can hold us accountable.  In Proverbs it says, "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety" and then later it says, "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another".  Jesus had friends like this too.  He spent lots of time with his disciples, but it seems like he was super close with James, John, and Peter.  They all spent time together fishing, talking, traveling, praying, and sharing the gospel.  I like to imagine Jesus having happy times with his friends, just like we do...just relaxing and hanging out.  Talking about important things, and not so important things. 
The fact is relationships with others is what makes life fun isn' it?  Who do you go to when you are stressed?  Who do you call to go have coffee after a long day?  Who do you call to tell the funny thing that happened to you today?  It's your friends!  Fortunately for Corey and I, our best friends are married to each other, so we have sort of a circle of friends.  There is a quote by CS Lewis that says, "The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are".  I think that based on the verses about friendship in the Bible, Jesus would agree with Mr. Lewis on this one.  There is a big emphasis in the Bible about being wise and how it is related to the friends that we have.  Now, obviously you have to have relationships with people who have little to no spiritual foundation because you have been called to witness. And while that is true, you need to make sure that you are surrounding yourself with friends who do have a solid foundation in order to continue to be wise.  Based on what was shared at the desserts meeting last week, I would say that our class has the "circle" that is referenced in Lewis' quote.  We all spend a lot of time together, our kids spend a lot of time together, and we all have contact throughout the week with each other.  It felt so amazing to sit in that meeting and listen to everyone share their feelings about our class, new and old members.  repeatedly, the idea of us all being a family, willing to do anything for each other was expressed.  Those kinds of friendships are what we all need. It's Biblical!  So, we are going in the right direction, but this week think about who your go-to friends are.  Are they the ones that will make you wise?  Are they the ones God would choose for you?   
Thank you Lord for all of our Christian friends that help us to be wise.  Thank you for a circle of friends called Journey, who are known by so many to love, support and encourage each other in any given circumstance.  Thank you for Wendy and Stacy and for what they mean to us.  I give you praise for being able to perfectly match us with such loving, wonderful friends, who know you and put you first in their lives.  Thank you for allowing us to spend time together and for the memories we make with each other.  May we always be able to support each other and be encouragers to each other and those around us. Amen.

IS this the stuff?

Monday was one of those days that there isn't time to come up for air!  It started with a meeting before school and ended with another meeting after school.  It is always at those meetings that I feel like I am doing everything wrong!  Not because of any particular thing that is said, but because it is time for me to process what is being said and really think about what I am doing.  As a 1st grade reading teacher, I take my job VERY seriously.  I am a believer that 1st grade can make or break your whole elementary experience so I put a lot of pressure on myself to be the best.  However, as I reflect in those meetings, I start to stress about not taking things deep enough or doing enough.  I start to panic that I am accomplishing a lot of the skills, but can they really apply them?  Are they getting what they need to be successful 2nd graders?  Or is next years teacher going to wonder what I did all year long? It makes me think I am getting bogged down with the "stuff" and not spending enough time going deeper on the things that really matter.
So I wonder if we do the same with our witness?  How much time do we spend doing "stuff" with those who are lost, but not focusing on what really matters, like their eternity???  Don't think I am pointing any fingers...I am talking to myself just as much as anyone!  But let's consider how much time we spend on Facebook, or texting with friends...if you are like me, too much!  Having this digital communication at my finger tips has gotten ridiculous!  I am the first to admit that every free minute I have, I am checking Facebook and my email and texts.  So I am having conversations with lots of people every day, but what is being said in those conversations?  I challenge us all to consider how much time we spend telling others how much they need a Savior?  How much they need to have a personal relationship with Jesus?  How much more they could get out of life if they knew the Heavenly Father?  Hmmmm.
Our church has purchased some property and is in the process of beginning a building campaign.  The drafts of the new building have been published and the plans are amazing!  Sunday we had the chance to go out and participate in a Prayer Walk.  The lines of the building were drawn out and a cross marked where each department of the church would be.  We walked though each area and prayed specifically for those ministries that were represented.  It was very cool, but the last part was the best.  As we got to the place where the alter will be, we all chose a river rock.  We wrote our names on it and then on the back we wrote the initials of people we know who need a relationship with Jesus or need a church home.  This was an opportunity to work on the things that really matter!  However, it was just a start.  As I stood there and prayed for these friends that I know are in need, it made me nervous that I was the one responsible for them!  Just like I am responsible for all of those 1st graders learning to read, I am responsible for making sure I have done all that I can to share the love of Christ with these that are lost.  Do I take that as serious as I do the reading?  If I am honest, probably not.  Maybe it is because it is uncomfortable.  Maybe because it is hard to discern who is ready for the information.  Maybe because no one is here waiting to complain that I am not doing a good enough job.  We all have different reasons for why we don't witness like we should, but if we think it is uncomfortable now, just wait until we are standing before the Lord on judgement day...will He ask us why we didn't do a good enough job?  Why we didn't take things deeper?  Why we spent our time talking about "stuff" instead of focusing on what really mattered?
So, what do we do?  Well, I know what I have to do. Just like I do with my first graders, I have to get to know these people deeply.  I have to build relationships with them so that I know the level they are on spiritually, just like I have to know reading levels of my students.  In addition, I have to make sure I am prepared and I know the material.  I can't walk into a class and teach something I haven't studied...so I have to spend time in God's word making sure I am knowledgeable. Last I have to pray for wisdom, especially on the days that I am running on fumes!  I can't depend on my own knowledge and words, but I need the Holy Spirit to deliver the right words at the right time. 
So as you go through the last half of the week and you have conversations with people, pray for the opportunity to turn "stuff" into something that really matters:)

Who Let the Dogs Out?!

You can thank me later for getting that chorus stuck in your head!
We have two dogs, large 70 pound dogs to be exact.  Even though they are "family" dogs, in reality they are MY dogs.  For the majority of their lives I have been the one who lets them out, feeds them, and puts them to bed.  Because of this fact, I am the one they love the most. While this is a good thing in some instances, like if someone where going to attack me, most of the time it is annoying! Don't get me wrong, I love the dogs...I am the one who rescued them from the street and the pound, but because I am the favorite I have 8 extra feet under mine at ALL times! Wherever I go... to the kitchen, across the room to the couch, to the bathroom...they are always less than a step behind me.  And heaven forbid I turn around to change directions!  It is like a 10 car pile up on a major highway!  There are body parts flying in all directions, the dogs' and mine! 
So the other day I got to thinking, aren't we the same when it comes to God?  If we are being the followers that were created to be, we should!  We should be less than a step behind our Heavenly Father at all times.  Then that made me think how lucky we are that we worship a God who doesn't get annoyed that we are there!  He doesn't have that human gene that we have when we just can't take anymore.  There are lots of days when I have stepped on dog feet one too many times and I am ready to open the gate and let them run, and wouldn't it be easier for God to do the same with us?  We have so many needs and so many complaints and so many screw ups...He should just let us go.  But He doesn't, and He won't.  It is proven to us in Joshua 1:9 when it says, "for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go".  No matter how whiny we are or how bad we sin, He will ALWAYS be with us.  It is restated in Hebrews when it says, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)
There is a flip side to the story though.  If I were to open the gate and let the dogs out, I can assure you they wouldn't leave.  Our dogs have gotten out a few times and only once have they left the front yard(we will save that story for another day!). So how do you relate?  If God turned you out would you run, or would you stay?  My dogs know who feeds them.  They know who provides them with a place to rest.  They know who takes care of their every need so even when given freedom to run, they will always come back inside the gate.  Do you know who does all of those things for you?  Can you humble yourself to say that you NEED God and that you are grateful that He loves you enough that, no matter how annoying you are at His heels, He will NEVER let you go? 
What an awesome God we serve!  A God that never gets tired of turning around and nearly stepping on us, but instead greets us with unwavering love and acceptance!  As you pray today, thank God your Father for loving you in this way. Give Him praise for being the ultimate caretaker with patience that know one can comprehend.  Commit yourself to Him and confirm that you will follow His lead and will never run. 
Now, if you have a dog, go hang out with him/her...hopefully you have more in common than you thought!

Stranger Things Have Happened

So, most of you know that Corey and Makinley bought a truck a few weeks ago.  It is a project truck that they are planning on redoing so that it can one day be Makinley's.  The two of them searched for weeks and weeks to find the perfect truck.  They had so many leads that fell through that I was sure they were going to give up.   However, one night they stumbled upon this Chevy that was listed for WAY less than a running truck should have been.  Of course we were all skeptical at first, but Corey texted back and forth with the owner and determined he was legit.  Turns out the guy was in the middle of a bad break up and was ready to move to the coast to be with family.  He was selling the truck for just enough to get him home.  After a few mishaps, Corey finally met up with the guy to purchase the truck.  Corey told him the plan of fixing up the truck for Makinley and he was very interested, as it had been his plan to fix it up as well.  The next day the seller contacted Corey to tell him he has some other parts he wanted to give him and he wanted to know if Makinley had liked the truck.  Corey emailed him back and gave him Makinley's Everlasting Love Heart website so he could see her and told him about her necklace.  After visiting the website the seller sent another email about how he was in complete awe of Makinley's testimony and her necklace.  He shared a little about how his son went to a local church as a kid and would come home and tell him stories of Jesus.  And that was it...or so we thought.  We had no reason to think we would ever have contact with this man again. However last Friday Corey got another email from him asking about ordering a necklace for his mother.  Here is how it concluded...
I would also like to take a few minutes to thank you. It may not seem like much from your end. After the couple of conversations we've had about life, church, and family. I walked away with a very positive feeling. One that has stayed with me since. I did move to Galveston in hopes of making a positive change for myself and children. I wanted to share with you that I found a job and was hired on the spot the first day I was down there. It's a great job with good pay and all seems the being falling into place in that aspect. So once again thank you for your time and positive attitude given to me. 
Now, this process started out with one goal...to find a truck.  God obviously had bigger plans.  He brought this stranger into Corey and Makinley's lives that needed something other than money.  He needed to be reminded of what his child had tried to teach him so long ago, the love that Jesus has for him.  He calls it a "positive feeling" but I believe 100% that God is working in his life.  He is stirring things and making him think. 
There is no way that Corey could have seen this coming or could have sought it out.  It just happened.  The important thing is how he reacted to this stranger.  He talked to him, was understanding and sympathetic, and then planted a seed by sending him to Makinley's website.  God did the rest, and we just happened to get lucky enough to get a little feedback on how things are developing.  So many times we plant seeds and we don't ever know if they grow.  Regardless, we have to plant them!
So the question this week is, when God sends a stranger to you, how do you react?  Or maybe it's not even a stranger, just a lost friend or family member.  Are you planting those seeds every chance you get?  The Bible tells us he has made us "fishers of men" and look what it says in 1Pet.3:,Be ready always to give an answer to every man.  That includes those you know, and those you don't. 
As you pray this week, ask God to make you aware of those around you who are in need of that seed.  And then prepare yourself for the great things God will do through you!

Are you a threat?

So how many of you thought it would be a year before I blogged again??? Ha! Well it is a little later than I planned but hey, it's gettin done!
So, do you ever have those times when things just couldn't get any better?  Everyone is happy, healthy, and accounted for...and then it all falls apart!  Or maybe just one thing falls apart, but it's a BIG thing.  I have talked with several people lately about this frustration. Let me be transparent for a minute and give you a clearer picture about what I mean.  A few weekends ago, when Morgan decided to make her public profession of faith, we SHOULD have all been focused on making that day one of our best memories.  Instead, Corey and I somehow ended up at odds.  It was very tense and stressful between the two of us, and the outlook for a memorable day wasn't going the direction it needed to.  It's at these times that we get frustrated and say "Why God? Why is this happening now?".  But is God the one to blame?  What about Satan?  Did you ever think that maybe he is after you?  Maybe what you have going on isn't pleasing to him so he has launched an attack?  Since taking over the Journey class a few years ago, Corey and I have had to brace ourselves for this kind of attack more and more.  Satan doesn't like that we are sharing God's words with all of you each week.  He doesn't like that Corey is a Deacon and that we are as involved as we are at church.  He doesn't like that our children are building spiritual relationships with the Father.  So that Sunday morning that Morgan was to be the focus, he decided to intervene. But he didn't win.  Once Corey and I realized what was happening, we fixed the problem.  As you all become more active in God's word and his work, you may find yourself in this kind of predicament, if you haven't already.  Here are the steps that I have learned over the past year to get me through these situations that may be helpful to you.  1. Call Satan out! Once you realize that he is after you, you can face him.  2. PRAY...pray for God to wrap his arms around you or put up a wall that Satan can't penetrate.  Tell God what is happening and ask him to push Satan away.  In 1 Corinthians 6:17 it says, "But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit". I am all for being one with God when it comes to battling Satan, cause I can't do it alone and win(and I am all about winning!!!).  But I know that "with God all things are possible",  Matthew 19:26.
We talked on Sunday about "the path being wide but the gate being narrow", and the last blog post I wrote talked about how we chose to be on this path.  Again, it's not an easy path, but to quote Bethany Hamilton from Soul Surfer, "I don't need easy, just possible".  If that is all you need, then you have it made!  What a relief that should be!  And we should all consider it a compliment when Satan comes after us, because that means we are a threat to him.  I'm okay with being a threat, are you?!

***On a side note...in the middle of typing these words, my computer battery died and I thought I had lost everything!  Makinley walked in as I said "Satan you stupid fool".  She asked what happened and I told her what I was writing about and how it was happening right now!  However, I rebooted and my words were all right where I left them:) Another win for me and my God!

Inspired

So I was inspired by Keith's testimony today about writing a weekly email to his class and thought I would start.  Can't guarentee a new post each week, even though that would be ideal, but I want to write as much as I can! So here goes...
 This past week a student brought me the BEST note a coach could ever ask for. 

 

I found it very humorous that the cover was so fru-fru and didn't prepare me at all for what was inside.  Anyone who has ever coached before has to agree that this is a HUGE compliment!  Think about it, I am training these 1st through 4th grade girls to run a 5K.  I run them every PE class for at least 15 minutes.  Most of them whine the entire time!  Now before you make judgments, I only have them run 3 minutes at a time and then we walk in between sets.  However, most of the 3 minutes I spend saying, "come on girls" , "you can do it", "think of how much healthier and stronger you are getting" because they act as if I am asking them to run a marathon!  But this girl, Marie, is thankful, and even joyful for what I am putting her through even when she wants to puke!

That got me thinking about our spiritual walk and the trials that are put in our paths.  Can we say we are like Marie in that case?  Are we thankful and joyful even on days that we want to puke, or throw in the towel?  Check out these verses from James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Marie gets that if she works hard, even when she doesn't want to, she will become a better runner.  But do we get that the trials that we go through on a daily basis are maturing us and making us stronger Christians?  It is easy to say that we get it, but do we really?  Do we really trust God's in control and He is putting us through hard times in order to grow us, or do we get frustrated with Him for continuing to work on us?

As for the joyful part, read what 1 Peter 4:12-13 says:

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

Think about how awesome Marie is gonna feel when she goes out and runs a 5K and realizes her hard work and sweat has paid off!  I always tell my girls, "if running was easy, everyone would do it".  I think the same goes for being a Christian.  It's not an easy path.  It's full of challenges...it takes dedication and lots of patience, which our world does not embrace.  However, you my friend have chosen to be part of something BIG! And it should fill your heart with joy to think of what the outcome is going to be!  Hard work?  Sweat? Tears? Trials? Yes! But if it were easy, everyone would do it! 

As you go through your week I hope that you will not only expect the trials that God puts before you, but that you will embrace them.  Be encouraged that God is right by your side and is wanting you to come to Him for guidence, just like a coach would be.  He is the best coach you could ask for, and unlike any other coach you have ever had, he knows ALL of the plays and how to execute them.  Ask Him for direction this week and see if you can love the trials of your Chirstian walk as much as Marie loves PE!