Recycling 101

♪You redeem and You transform, You renew, You restore. You make all things new!...You turn winter into spring, You take every living thing and You breathe Your breath of life into it over and over again!...Now and forever You are making all things new!♫ -Steven Curtis Chapman "All Things New"

You know what sucks?...Not being good enough. Thinking that we are not good enough and never will be gets to even the best of us. No matter how good we are, there is always some one who is better and is ready and willing to prove it. Those times when you think you are never good enough, always affirm that and remind yourself that you aren't...that's right, you are not good enough. None of us are, and yes, it sucks. But you know what's amazing? Even though we are not good enough, we can become good enough. No, not by doing all the right and good things, Titus 3:5 says, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us." We can become good enough when we are covered by the blood of Jesus. 

Above is a song that I have known and loved for years, and I really thought that it, and the message it conveys, deserved a blog. So what does all of this have to do with the song above? One of the images in this video says that God is the Ultimate Recycler; I like that, so let's start from there. God takes us as trash and instead of giving up on us and throwing us away as if we were useless junk, He recycles us. He is continually reshaping us into a new mold of the person He wants us to be. He not only recycles us, but, like the song says, He redeems, transforms, renews, and restores. The main verse that this song comes from is 2 Corinthians 5:17 which reads, "Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come!" If you have ever read the Bible to any extent you may notice something strange about this verse. Also, you may have never noticed it...there are very few verses in the Bible that have an exclamation point at the end of them. I believe this small punctuation mark at the end, makes this verse so much more powerful than if it were not there. Paul is exclaiming the joy that can be found in becoming a new creation in Christ. Having all of the old things taken away from you and given a new take on life is the ultimate reward for making a life-changing decision!

Now what if you think you're really not good enough to be recycled, not worth anything, and not even God can save you? We have all done those things that we would never want anyone else to find out about, but these is always hope. Like the song says, God is in control of the seasons, He gives us life, He allows the sun to rise every morning...so why wouldn't the creator and controller of the universe be able to handle our problems and forgive us. Nothing and no one is beyond forgiveness. He tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that His grace is enough for us. 

I challenge you to beg God to recycle you like Asaph (Samuel's nephew who wrote a handful of psalms) did in Psalm 80:3. He says, "Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved." The first time around for recycling within Christ is accepting Him and allowing Him to do such a thing in your life (Romans 10:9). He has made everything beautiful in its time (Eccl 3:11), and the time to start recycling is now.

Peter and Aladdin

"Do not be fooled by its commonplace appearance. Like so many things, it is not what outside, but what is inside that counts." -Aladdin

Oh Disney...how you manage to give us the advice and words of wisdom that others just couldn't have come up with. This quote from Aladdin is possibly the best words of wisdom that Disney could ever give young children. Materialistic things, worldly pleasures, and good looks can only get you so far in life before you are at a dead end and the things that really matter start to show. These things being love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control, faithfulness, gentleness...if you think I made up all of those qualities off the top of my head, think again. It is not our outer appearance that matters, but rather the fruits that we possess and bear for the glory of our king and for the enjoyment of our lives. 1 Peter 3:3-4 says, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment...Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

Just like Aladdin and Peter both said, it is not on the outside that truly matters, it is the inside. The "unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit." So does this mean that we should dress homely and not try to be attractive? ...the Bible says little, if anything, about this, but I believe that the answer is no. I believe that God wants us to be attractive but to work with the natural beauty He has given us and to be satisfied with what we have. If we give off the beauty of a gentle spirit combined with the natural outer beauty that God has blessed us with, I believe that people will be naturally drawn to us.

Now even though that combination sounds rather simple, it sadly is not. In our society, materialism is king and looks are everything. So what will it take to get where God wants us to be? It will take some humility, a bit of time to recenter our focus, and a bit of apathy when dwelling in the things of the world. I challenge you to do just that.

Live It Out, Live It Up

♪Don't let your lights go down, don't let your fire burn out. Cause somewhere somebody needs a reason to believe. Why don't you rise up now? Don't be afraid to stand out. That's how the lost get found♫ -Britt Nicole "The Lost Get Found"

If you've ever been to youth camp, a great Christian concert, or a phenomenal revival, you undoubtedly know that mountain-top experience. You know where you have the feeling that you could charge hell with a super soaker, and you're ready to do a little beat-down on the devil himself. This can be the best feeling ever, and you know what is even better than having this feeling? ...maintaining this feeling for more than a week. It is super hard to keep that mountain high and you may have to wait a year or longer for the next camp or revival. 
It is easy to fall back into the routine of every day life and to be complacent with an ordinary life. But this is where you can get in trouble...when you do things routinely, you lose your spark and vivacity in life. You become an ordinary person leading an ordinary life. But here's the problem, God calls us to be extraordinary people and to live extraordinary lives for Him. To the world, we should look like were high on Christ, but all too often we just seem boring and "religious." 
So how do we stand out to the world without shoving God in their faces and down their throats? I think that the answer is simple...live it out and live it up. Jesus himself said in John 10:10 that "I have come so that they might have life, and have it more abundantly." Live a satisfying and happy life in the midst of trouble, worldly problems, and, most importantly, live with Jesus Christ by your side; always being mindful to give Him the glory for anything and everything. Just like the song above says "Don't let your lights go down, don't let your fire burn out...don't be afraid to stand out. That's how the lost get found." You never know who is watching you and how you may be a light to them without even noticing. But if they are noticing you for your living testimony, you must be doing something right.
Challenge: Be a shining light in a dark world, don't be afraid to stand out and stand up for Jesus, and try your hardest to maintain a spiritual high 24/7/365.

King comma Amy

"She asked me how I felt about all three of my roommates getting married soon and me not even being in a relationship. I just said that I couldn't be happier for them. They're engaged, and I'm Amy." -Amy King

So this blog is a little out of the ordinary. This blog is in recognition of one of the most influential peers that I have and one of the most influential things she ever said to me. I have only known this person for a year and a half, but she has made an imprint on my life forever. Amy King is one of the most amazing friends that I could ever ask for, and she is the model of how young Christian women should live their lives.
The above quote from Amy has stuck with me more than anything else that she has ever said and is a perfect glimpse of how Amy is spectacular. She is patient, kind, and selfless. She loves God with everything that she is and has ministered to me in ways that no one else ever has.
The quote above was said when referring to her three roommates (two of which I've met and one of which I'm sure is as wonderful as the other two) who were all engaged or in a serious relationship that was sure to stand the test of time. Apparently someone had asked her how she felt about the situation since all three of them would be graduating soon, getting married and moving on to the next stage of their lives and how Amy planned to cope with the loss of her three of her best friends to marriage and her being left in a different stage of life without a mate yet. Most people would hesitate to answer this question and deep down be jealous of their friends successful relationships, but not Amy. As she told me how she answered the question, I was again amazed at how this great woman of God handles the trials of everyday life. Instead of being jealous or slandering her friends to make herself look better, she simply said that she was happy for them and that "they're engaged and I'm Amy." She didn't define herself by anything other than simply her name and, if you know Amy, you know that this definition is the perfect way to describe her. Amy is just Amy. She has allowed God and Christian friendships and family to shape her into the wonderful person she is today and is not only satisfied, but joyful to be herself! We can all take a little something from this attitude; it is never our situations that define us, it is our attitude and willingness to handle the things and people that God has put in our lives.
Now for a challenge. And for this challenge I tried to put myself in the shoes of Amy King and to come up with a challenge that she might challenge everyone to...this challenge is to exceed all the limits, fears, and worries that life has put in front of you and to live who God has made you to be, settling for anything less is to sacrifice the gift. So here it is, an ode to a King of Christian women (although she would humble herself and refuse to be called such) Love you Amy and you are such a blessing in my life :)

Necessity

♪Without You I fall apart. You're the one that guides my heart. Lord, I need You, oh I need You. Every hour I need You. My one defense, my righteousness, oh God, how I need You♫

Life is never smooth sailing, especially for the Christian. Recently, I have found this song to be one of my biggest prayers. In all my trials, in all my worry, and in all the uncertainty God reminds me that I need Him. That I need Him in every aspect of my life and that I need to rely on Him in every moment. Psalm 18:2 says "the Lord is my Rock my fortress and my deliverer. My God is my rock in whom I take refuge." God will be our safehouse and protection when we fully rely on Him to control our lives and when we are willing to sacrifice our selfish agendas for the sake of the advancement of His kingdom.  John 15:5 reads, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." Without God we are hopeless but if we realize that we need Him and call out for His help, it is that humbleness that allows us to experience the abundant life that God has planned for us. 
My favorite part of this song is the lyric that reads "every hour I need you." Each day, I realize more and more that I can do nothing without God and that it is by His grace that I am even given another hour to live. So why should this hour not be used for His glory? I often use this song as a prayer to call to God in an attempt to display some sort of humility and to express that I understand that I need Him every day, every hour, every minute, and every second. It is with this same attitude that I thank Him for giving me such a time as this to be living for Him. 
I challenge you to repeatedly tell God that you need Him. Be humble and quiet in the midst of His spirit and give Him the glory for giving you life.

No Vain, All Gain

"He has shown you what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to act justly, to love mercifully, and to walk humbly with your God?" -Micah 6:8

So I have not blogged much recently, and the reason behind this is camp. I have spent the last 12 weeks working at Camp Longridge again. If I had to wrap this summer up in one word, that word would be challenging. There were numerous times this summer where I had to demonstrate patience and respect when I was fed up with a kid or frustrated with another staffer. Turmoil and drama was present within our staff body, and yet we managed to work past our differences and create an atmosphere in which 103 students came to know the Lord. We were able to work together to create a sacred and safe space for children to grow closer to their God. For me, the world, problems, and all conflict fades away when that one child raises their hand signifying that they just said the sinner's prayer. One Bible lesson used the verse in Luke 15:7 that says, "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine who need not repent." This verse is a reminder that we should celebrate every time that a new child of God is born. In fact, yesterday, we also rang the bell at the top of the famous Longridge steps 103 times to represent the souls that were saved over the summer. As each ding happened, I had a mental image of angels celebrating in heaven, and I was consumed with chills because I knew that unseen angels were celebrating right along with us...and to be honest, that's why we do what we do. All the days of raking pinestraw, painting buildings, and cleaning toilets was all to create the sacred space in which a child would meet Jesus one day during the summer. None of the work was in vain and all of it was for the glory of our King.

In addition, I created my own "theme song" and "theme verse" for the summer. My theme song was "Legacy" by Nichole Nordeman, and I listened to it every morning to remind myself that I needed to "point to You enough to make a mark on things, I want[ed] to leave an offering [as] a child of mercy and grace who blessed Your name unapologetically." I wanted to leave a stamp of God on each child that came through the gate and I am honored that God chose me to be the ink that He would do that with. Also, my theme verse is listed above...Micah 6:8. This verse is a guideline of how we should approach every day and how our attitudes should reflect that of our Lord and Savior. We should act in a just and fair manner, never playing favorites or looking down on a child simply because they are young. We should love mercifully by never using authority to spite anyone or by simply getting down on a child's level and spending time talking to them. And lastly, Micah commends us to walk humbly with our God. Humility is a necessity for anyone working at a camp because a servant's heart is the first character trait needed to be a successful counselor. It is not for our glory that we take on such a role, yet it is all  for the glory of our Savior, and it is for that reason that staffers come back from year to year.

I challenge you, whether you are a peer staffer of mine or not to live by Micah 6:8 and to act justly, love mercifully, and to walk humbly with God in everything you do.

Sitting, Waiting, Watching

"But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!" Habakkuk 2:3 


Recently, patience has been on my mind more than almost anything. It is one of the things I struggle with the most and the thing I must work the hardest at to perform. When I was about 11, my mom ordered a magazine subscription for me from Brio Magazine and in each issue there is a poster. One of the posters had the above verse on it, and it has been one of my favorites in all of the Bible ever since. It is a reminder that in every area of life, that God is in control and that we have nothing to worry about because everything  is done on His timeline. I am very much a go-getter and I hate wasting time, so this verse keeps me in check   and reminds me that the things that I think will never come (summer, Graduation, relationships, marriage, kids, death, etc.) will eventually come when God thinks that it is the appropriate time in my life. As much as I hate it, I know that His ways and timelines are higher and better than mine, and I must submit to live a life that I can confidently trust is in the hands of a loving and living God. 


I challenge you to be patient and to always trust that your life will work out when it is in the hands of God.