Last night at HUB we talked about the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15. I think this parable demonstrates the radical love and pursuit of God after our hearts. Jesus tells the parable in light of a situation at hand. The Pharisees are judging Jesus for hanging out with "tax collectors and notorious sinners." They are appalled that he associates with them and even eats meals with them. He then tells them a story of a shepherd who leaves his flock of 99 to look for 1 sheep who has wondered off. When the shepherd finds the sheep, he throws him over his shoulders and carries him back to the flock - rejoicing that his lost sheep is found. Isn't it the same with us and God? When we wonder off, he goes searching for us. Notice: it isn't the sheep who turns around. This means it doesn't have to take until we come to our senses, start getting it right, and turn back to God. God comes searching for us. So no matter how far your feel from God, know that He is searching for you at this very moment. Jesus ends the parable expressing that more joy is felt over one repentant sinner than over 99 "righteous" men who do not repent at all. I love that oxymoron. You see "no one is righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10).
We then watched a video that has had over 16 million hits on YouTube. Watch it - I promise you'll enjoy it and it will make you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY
Monday, January 23, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Book Review
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Glory to God
"This happened so that the power of God could be seen in him."
This Sunday at HUB we talked again about radical living. I shared two stories about two individuals who have endured very, very hard things in their lives. We all know such stories. The first I shared was about a women who went against doctors' recommendations that she abort her baby, the second about a young person having a parent die. Why did this happen? I know both of these individuals have asked God this question. Why did this awful thing happen? We ask our own questions...why did something happen in my life, or my friends life? Or why am I certain way or why am I not a certain way? Why are my parents divorced? Why aren't I taller/shorter, skinnier/stronger? Why don't I fit in with a certain crowd?
We read about a man who was blind from birth in John 9. The disciples wanted to know...was he blind because he was being punished for his own sins? Was he blind because his parents sinned and this was the consequence? The Message translation has Jesus saying back "You're asking the wrong question. You're looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do." Or as the NIV translation said about the man's blindness - "This has happened so that the power of God could be seen in him."
Why do bad things happen to good people? It's a question asked so often. But look what Jesus says - "there is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do." God is bigger than the tragedy. God is good. God is at work. Jesus gave sight to this blind man. What about the other two people? Well my friend who lost a parent - she talks about that being the very event which led her to having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. She said if God could take something as awful as losing a parent and bring her to Himself through it - then that is a beautiful thing. She decided to "look instead for what God can do" through her loss - "the power of God can be seen in her."
And what about the woman who was told to abort her baby? You see she was a missionary and through contaminated food or water she contracted amoebic dysentery - meaning she had a parasite in her intenstines. She went into a coma and only through very strong antibiotics did she heal. But before she contracted the disease, she had become pregnant. Only they didn't find out until afterward. After the amoebic dysentery, after the coma, after the strong antibiotic. The doctors told her the baby was a hazard to her own health. The doctors told her the strong medicines had done irreversible damage to her baby. IF (and that was a big if) the baby survived, it would be severely disabled. She said she was going to keep the baby. She cited her Christian faith as her reason. During her pregnancy she almost lost the baby four times. But, on August 14, 1987 Pam Tebow gave birth to Tim Tebow. She decided to "look instead for what God can do" through her struggle - "the power of God can be seen in her."
To God be the glory forever and ever.
This Sunday at HUB we talked again about radical living. I shared two stories about two individuals who have endured very, very hard things in their lives. We all know such stories. The first I shared was about a women who went against doctors' recommendations that she abort her baby, the second about a young person having a parent die. Why did this happen? I know both of these individuals have asked God this question. Why did this awful thing happen? We ask our own questions...why did something happen in my life, or my friends life? Or why am I certain way or why am I not a certain way? Why are my parents divorced? Why aren't I taller/shorter, skinnier/stronger? Why don't I fit in with a certain crowd?
We read about a man who was blind from birth in John 9. The disciples wanted to know...was he blind because he was being punished for his own sins? Was he blind because his parents sinned and this was the consequence? The Message translation has Jesus saying back "You're asking the wrong question. You're looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do." Or as the NIV translation said about the man's blindness - "This has happened so that the power of God could be seen in him."
Why do bad things happen to good people? It's a question asked so often. But look what Jesus says - "there is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do." God is bigger than the tragedy. God is good. God is at work. Jesus gave sight to this blind man. What about the other two people? Well my friend who lost a parent - she talks about that being the very event which led her to having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. She said if God could take something as awful as losing a parent and bring her to Himself through it - then that is a beautiful thing. She decided to "look instead for what God can do" through her loss - "the power of God can be seen in her."
And what about the woman who was told to abort her baby? You see she was a missionary and through contaminated food or water she contracted amoebic dysentery - meaning she had a parasite in her intenstines. She went into a coma and only through very strong antibiotics did she heal. But before she contracted the disease, she had become pregnant. Only they didn't find out until afterward. After the amoebic dysentery, after the coma, after the strong antibiotic. The doctors told her the baby was a hazard to her own health. The doctors told her the strong medicines had done irreversible damage to her baby. IF (and that was a big if) the baby survived, it would be severely disabled. She said she was going to keep the baby. She cited her Christian faith as her reason. During her pregnancy she almost lost the baby four times. But, on August 14, 1987 Pam Tebow gave birth to Tim Tebow. She decided to "look instead for what God can do" through her struggle - "the power of God can be seen in her."
To God be the glory forever and ever.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Another Book...Another Semester
I have just started reading Radical by David Platt. Two chapters down, several more to go. I'm not necessarily going to talk as much about the book at this point as I am about the idea of the word Radical. I've decided this semester to let the theme word for my talks with high schoolers and middle schoolers be the word Radical. Sometimes my talks are based on a particular book, book in the bible, or theme. For the first time, I'm letting just one word be the thread for my talks. The particular definition I'm using is "very different from the usual or traditional." The point? Jesus lived radically and calls us to live radically different from the world. Last night at HUB we discussed Romans 12:1-2 "And so, dear brothers and sisters,I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Things of focus:
1. God wants us to give our bodies, our lives to him, completely because of all that He has done for us. I shared about how much I HATE wasting time. Literally, hate it. If I feel like I've wasted time or part of my day it just completely puts me in a funk. It's because I'm doing things for me. I'm living life according to me - and not giving my days and time to the Lord.
2. I want to live a life that's extraordinary. I don't want to just have an ordinary life. I don't want it to be predictable. Whether it's ordinary or extraordinary - This doesn't come from the things we do or have. It's not based on how much money we have or don't have, how great of a career we have or don't have, how great or not great our grades are, etc. It comes completely from why we do what we do and who we do it for. If we do things for ourselves, or the approval of others, or for fame/glory...it will all disappoint. If I do them for the Lord, if I am motivated by my relationship with Him, all other things will fall into place. If I start and end my day with my eyes fixed on Jesus...my day goes from ordinary to extraordinary.
3. God wants to transform each one of us into a new person by changing the way you think. He wants to change the focus from ourselves and the world to him. He wants to transform us into who he created us to be. The more we know Him, the more we know our true selves. The more we allow him to transform us, the more our lives move from ordinary to extraordinary.
All of these things are radical: very different from the usual or traditional. The world tells you to live life for yourself. The world tells you to take charge of your own destiny. Deny yourself? Get a bigger picture than yourself? Give your life to Christ? It's radical - it's not what the world tells you will bring you satisfaction. But guess what...the world lies. There is only one truth, one origin for satisfaction, one source for real and life-giving joy - Jesus Christ. It's a New Year - instead of making resolutions to "be better" why not fix our eyes on the one who came to bring us life to the full.
Here's the video I showed last night. It's of Tom Brady - 3 time Super Bowl winner. 2 time MVP of the Super Bowl. He should have it all, right? Then why his question at the end? When the commentator asks him - So what's the answer? - I would refer back to our verse, Romans 12:1-2.
Tom Brady Interview
1. God wants us to give our bodies, our lives to him, completely because of all that He has done for us. I shared about how much I HATE wasting time. Literally, hate it. If I feel like I've wasted time or part of my day it just completely puts me in a funk. It's because I'm doing things for me. I'm living life according to me - and not giving my days and time to the Lord.
2. I want to live a life that's extraordinary. I don't want to just have an ordinary life. I don't want it to be predictable. Whether it's ordinary or extraordinary - This doesn't come from the things we do or have. It's not based on how much money we have or don't have, how great of a career we have or don't have, how great or not great our grades are, etc. It comes completely from why we do what we do and who we do it for. If we do things for ourselves, or the approval of others, or for fame/glory...it will all disappoint. If I do them for the Lord, if I am motivated by my relationship with Him, all other things will fall into place. If I start and end my day with my eyes fixed on Jesus...my day goes from ordinary to extraordinary.
3. God wants to transform each one of us into a new person by changing the way you think. He wants to change the focus from ourselves and the world to him. He wants to transform us into who he created us to be. The more we know Him, the more we know our true selves. The more we allow him to transform us, the more our lives move from ordinary to extraordinary.
All of these things are radical: very different from the usual or traditional. The world tells you to live life for yourself. The world tells you to take charge of your own destiny. Deny yourself? Get a bigger picture than yourself? Give your life to Christ? It's radical - it's not what the world tells you will bring you satisfaction. But guess what...the world lies. There is only one truth, one origin for satisfaction, one source for real and life-giving joy - Jesus Christ. It's a New Year - instead of making resolutions to "be better" why not fix our eyes on the one who came to bring us life to the full.
Here's the video I showed last night. It's of Tom Brady - 3 time Super Bowl winner. 2 time MVP of the Super Bowl. He should have it all, right? Then why his question at the end? When the commentator asks him - So what's the answer? - I would refer back to our verse, Romans 12:1-2.
Tom Brady Interview
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Surgery 101
About 10-12 years ago a new bone decided to grow on my foot. I have had bunions since late middle school and have had pain from them since high school. Closed toed shoes are a nightmare. Even just ballet flats. Heels - would have shooting pain after about 30 minutes. Forget trying to be on my feet very long - even in comfy tennis shoes it was awful. The worst was winter - I would wake up in the morning - having not had shoes on for hours and the cold would just make them hurt. Well Thursday was the day. Thursday I had surgery to remove my right bunion. Too bad surgery isn't just a walk in the park. It's Sunday afternoon and I've had my foot elevated and iced ever since - I still can't walk. But the fact that this is just a bit of pain now for a lifetime free from bunion pain - it's worth it. In two weeks on Nov. 17th I'll get my left bunion removed. So I'll have to do this weekend all over again. Each foot has to be in a boot for 6 weeks - so 4 weeks with double boot and 8 weeks with boots in all. I say boot - it's more like a super big Teeva. I think all these years of bunions have prevented me from being a runner. So maybe I'll be a runner now. Doubtful. But I do know I can go for walks, play tennis, etc. (things I love) without any more pain! I'll have a scar to show for it. I can keep my heels on a weddings and not have to switch to flats! I'm going to be brand new!!! For now, I'll keep hopping, keep icing, keep resting. But in 8 weeks, watch out, I'm going to be running all over the place!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Lately it's been about JOY and being CONTENT
I realized today that a lot of my life lately has been filled with JOY. I also think the word CONTENT has described things. I feel like I'm in a rhythm and it has me satisfied. Satisfied with my relationship with Jesus - when that's right, it all becomes right. I've taken on more this year and I worried that with more "stuff" would come more stress. But the Lord is faithful and He makes it all work. If he brings me to something and it's what I'm supposed to be doing then it will work out well.
New thing #1: Yoga. Who would have known it? I am not your typical yogi...and maybe since I've only been doing it for a month it's too early to call me a yogi...but I'm really loving it. One of the biggest indicator that I am committed is that I get up twice a week at 6am for 6:30 classes. And for those who know me best...I am not a morning person. I'm the type who would get a 9:30am class in college and be devastated that I would have to wake up so early for class to make it in time. I've also had back problems for more than 10 years which over the past 5 years has become neck and shoulder problems. I think yoga is the first thing to help me - not cure it - but help it.
New thing #2: two new bible studies. One for me - CBS. I meet with about 200 other women in South Tampa every Thursday morning to go through the book of Luke. We're only on week two but I am loving it. There are also a few people my age there which is a bonus! Two for 9th grade girls. I am meeting with some freshman girls Wednesday after school and they are HUNGRY to be filled and satisfied with truth. They just want to grow and know Jesus more and it is such an encouragement.
Continuing thing that is so good #1: My job. I love my job. I get to love on teenagers and tell them about the best life possible: one in relationship with Jesus Christ. I am constantly amazed that I get paid to do what I LOVE and what fulfills me. I've wanted to do this since I was 16 and yes there are hard days when I wonder how I will get through - but Jesus gets me through. I love my teenagers - they are the best. From every hysterical middle school boy to mature and fun high school girl and every teenager in between - Jesus continues to give me a heart for them and bring me new ones.
Continuing thing that is so good #2: my number one partner in ministry, Matt. This morning I was like can you believe we get to do this together? This is our life! Last night we ran through the fountains at Curtis Hixon park with about 40 middle schoolers and then did it all over again with about 30 high schoolers. Talk about faces filled with joy. We were like a bunch of 10 year olds. It was so freeing to just run through those fountains. What a picture of the gospel to just run with arms wide open through gushing water - joy. Christ brings joy. Matt gave the chapel talk at St. Mary's today (and although slightly embarrassed when he said it because 300 tiny faces turned and stared at me) he shared that the thing to look for in your spouse is someone who wants to go out into the world and share the gospel (the good news) with you to everyone, everywhere. He's right...that is just the best.
So I am JOYFUL with all that I have and I am CONTENT right where I am because God is good.
New thing #1: Yoga. Who would have known it? I am not your typical yogi...and maybe since I've only been doing it for a month it's too early to call me a yogi...but I'm really loving it. One of the biggest indicator that I am committed is that I get up twice a week at 6am for 6:30 classes. And for those who know me best...I am not a morning person. I'm the type who would get a 9:30am class in college and be devastated that I would have to wake up so early for class to make it in time. I've also had back problems for more than 10 years which over the past 5 years has become neck and shoulder problems. I think yoga is the first thing to help me - not cure it - but help it.
New thing #2: two new bible studies. One for me - CBS. I meet with about 200 other women in South Tampa every Thursday morning to go through the book of Luke. We're only on week two but I am loving it. There are also a few people my age there which is a bonus! Two for 9th grade girls. I am meeting with some freshman girls Wednesday after school and they are HUNGRY to be filled and satisfied with truth. They just want to grow and know Jesus more and it is such an encouragement.
Continuing thing that is so good #1: My job. I love my job. I get to love on teenagers and tell them about the best life possible: one in relationship with Jesus Christ. I am constantly amazed that I get paid to do what I LOVE and what fulfills me. I've wanted to do this since I was 16 and yes there are hard days when I wonder how I will get through - but Jesus gets me through. I love my teenagers - they are the best. From every hysterical middle school boy to mature and fun high school girl and every teenager in between - Jesus continues to give me a heart for them and bring me new ones.
Continuing thing that is so good #2: my number one partner in ministry, Matt. This morning I was like can you believe we get to do this together? This is our life! Last night we ran through the fountains at Curtis Hixon park with about 40 middle schoolers and then did it all over again with about 30 high schoolers. Talk about faces filled with joy. We were like a bunch of 10 year olds. It was so freeing to just run through those fountains. What a picture of the gospel to just run with arms wide open through gushing water - joy. Christ brings joy. Matt gave the chapel talk at St. Mary's today (and although slightly embarrassed when he said it because 300 tiny faces turned and stared at me) he shared that the thing to look for in your spouse is someone who wants to go out into the world and share the gospel (the good news) with you to everyone, everywhere. He's right...that is just the best.
So I am JOYFUL with all that I have and I am CONTENT right where I am because God is good.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
oh dear, I'm afraid it's been a while again
Well with Matt back to the books with grad school, perhaps I will make more time for my blog! It's unlikely that I'll stick with it...but hey! a girl can try. With Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest, I'm afraid the 'ole blog gets tossed to the wind.
This weekend we're heading to Rock the Universe!!!
It's my third time leading this trip.
Year one: Friday night at Rock the Universe at Universal Studios...headed back to Tampa for a lock-in at the HUB. Last all nighter I hope to ever pull. Around 35 total.
Year two: Friday night at Rock the Universe at Universal Studios, spent the night in a Orlando hotel, then Saturday at Islands of Adventure, then back to Tampa that late afternoon. Around 42 total.
Year three: Friday AND Saturday night at Rock the Universe at Universal Studio, two nights in an Orlando hotel, and ALL DAY Saturday at Islands of Adventure. Around 51 total.
Perhaps I'm growing more insane with age? Nahh...I love this weekend! It's such a great way to jump-start the fall!
This weekend we're heading to Rock the Universe!!!
It's my third time leading this trip.
Year one: Friday night at Rock the Universe at Universal Studios...headed back to Tampa for a lock-in at the HUB. Last all nighter I hope to ever pull. Around 35 total.
Year two: Friday night at Rock the Universe at Universal Studios, spent the night in a Orlando hotel, then Saturday at Islands of Adventure, then back to Tampa that late afternoon. Around 42 total.
Year three: Friday AND Saturday night at Rock the Universe at Universal Studio, two nights in an Orlando hotel, and ALL DAY Saturday at Islands of Adventure. Around 51 total.
Perhaps I'm growing more insane with age? Nahh...I love this weekend! It's such a great way to jump-start the fall!
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