Serving Christ Together: 2010

Monday, December 13, 2010

October-November Updates

The past few months got super busy and I totally forgot about blogging. During the week I have teaching, Jacob has seminary classes, Wednesdays are devoted to Wed. Night Youth Group and then the weekends come and we are busy, busy with youth activities or family stuff.

The past couple months have been filled with youth game nights, our church's Hallelujah Party for Halloween, we took the kids camping, we had two Thanksgivings with Jacob's family and mine, we had a couple different service projects to help women in our church or raise money for Christmas presents to give to those less fortunate, we ran our first half marathon "together" (Jacob was well over an hour ahead of me) and now we're getting ready for all the Christmas parties. Here are a few pictures capturing the past 2 months in no particular order:

Race Day! My training partner and sweet sister & Daniella

Thanksgiving @ the Holmes/Holt's

Goofy Jacob, Kayleigh and me

Shanelle and me @ Game night

Playing Limbo with the kids :)

Justin (Abigails current bf) and Jacob

Sweet Bithie and me after she won the game

All the boys making fun of the girls on the Camping Trip

All the Girls :)

The whole Group

Jacob showing off his Mr. Incredible muscles

Jackie and me

Mr. Incredible AKA "Dork"

He was also a Magician and did magic tricks for the kids

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Ruin My Life

So life has been insane lately and I can't ever find time to catch up. There have been so many ups and downs. Even as I'm typing this I cannot begin to wrap my mind around all that's been going on. Sometimes I just want to say, "Come on God! Give us a freaking break." I could go into detail about the financial difficulties or the physical problems or my emotional instability, but it really all comes down to the spiritual battles and lessons that God is teaching us through it all. He has been so faithful to hold our hand through this time and guide us in His truth. I have been holding so tightly to the promises in His word and have complete faith that His ways are higher than our ways...and His plans have a purpose.

Isaiah 41:13 "For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

"Ruin My Life" is one of my favorite worship songs, but lately I have found it more than just a worship song but rather the cry of my heart.

Woe to me I am unclean
A sinner found in Your presence
I see You seated on Your throne
Exalted, Your glory surrounds You

Now the plans that I have made
Fail to compare, when I see Your glory

Ruin my life the plans that I've made
Ruin desires for my own selfish gain
Destroy the idols that have taken Your place
'Til it's You alone I live for, You alone I live for

I sing worship songs on a daily basis with our youth kids, with the church body on Sunday morning, with my kindergartners as we sing simple church songs, by myself as I jam out in the car, or with my husband, his guitar, and the keyboard at the end of a long day. Worship songs are a daily part of my life, but God has been showing me through these latest trials that worship is more than the words I sing. It's my life. It's those words being lived out through my actions. It's bringing glory and honor to God regardless the circumstance. It's sacrifice. It's praise. It's adoration. It's commitment. It's revering a Holy God. It's standing in awe of our Creator, not just in "worshipful" moments, but all day, everyday.

I've been really thinking about it...when I sing those words, do I mean it? Would I really live out the radical things I sing about? Do I truly believe the biblical truths coming out of my mouth or are they just regurgitated day after day with no meaning? When I sing "ruin my life the plans that I've made" do I really want God to follow through with that prayer? Do I really want all my idols and comforts destroyed?

Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -this is your spiritual act of worship."

Worship isn't about us, the music, the emotions it stirs up. To truly worship, we must die to ourselves, but what a bold move to make. Am I willing to die to myself to worship the One, True God? At this very moment I say, "Of course! He's more than worthy of my praise!" but my life does not always reflect that worship and adoration and that is where "Ruin My Life" has become the cry of my heart....

I am so undeserving of God's mercy; at my finest moment, my worship is still but "filthy rags"

I am a sinner, saved by the grace of her Father, that has the privilege to be called His child

The glimpse of what I have seen and tasted of the Lord here on earth is incomparable to the majesty and glory I will one day see with my eyes when I walk beside Him

The "important" plans I've made for my life while on earth are nothing compared to the glory of our Savior and the plans He has for all mankind

So I pray that He would ruin my life that I would reflect Him more clearly

That He would rid me of all my selfish ways and greedy ambitions

That He would change my desires and plans for my life to be in line with His will

That He would strip me of all things that cloud my view of Him and destroy anything in my life I have made a god besides Him

So that I live for Him alone!

I continue to cry out to the Lord to change my heart, my mind, my Spirit, to be more obedient to His will and call on my life. I continue to pray that He would ruin my selfish desires and make me more complete in Him. Regardless how bold it seems or how insane the request may be, I want to be a worshiper of my God that doesn't just sing the songs, but "worships in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24) Jacob and I both know there's a price to pay for a life sold-out to Christ and while it's a daily battle, it's so worth it...He's so worth it!!!

James 1:2-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Hebrews 12:7-10 "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirit and live!...God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness."

"Worship is our response, both personal and corporate, to God for who He is and what He has done, expressed by the things we say and the way we live our lives. Worship is a verb! It's not a passive concept, but rather one we have to chose to involve ourselves in every single moment, of every single day. " -John Piper

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Live Like We're Dying

A few things that happened this week in our lives:

Jacob started his 2nd semester of seminary this week
I went into my 2nd week of teaching which meant I had calmer, less anxious kindergarteners...and parents
We had a nice break from Wednesday night and Sunday night youth activities before they start up full swing next week
We started planning and preparing for our Youth All-Nighter next weekend
We found out we're trying to sell our church building to buy or build a new one...big news!
Jess, Jenn, and I threw Jaime a Bridal shower which was a lot of fun to be with people my own age...that rarely happens
We are getting caught up on finances only to have Jacob's tooth break in half this week...which means we are no longer caught up with our finances

Through the day-to-day of life I sometimes just get caught up going through the motions and not really living with purpose. Today while I was listening to a radio talk show I started thinking about the purpose of this life. They were talking on the show about "purposeful living" and I began to look at my purposes. Ultimately everything I do should come down to Christ. My serving should be to bring Christ glory; teaching and helping grow up the next generation should be to bring Christ glory; all my decisions, thoughts, and words should be to bring Christ glory.

Romans 13:23 says, "...everything that does not come from faith is a sin."

So with that being said, boy am I one big sinner! I act out of faithlessness all the time! My purpose gets skewed so often and I begin to make it all about me. I serve because I want the applause. I teach because I want to be the best teacher for my own gratification. I make decisions based on my desires. The things I think and the words I say are full of selfishness and vanity. And the list could continue forever. What a beautiful reminder that I NEED a Savior! I NEED cleansing! I NEED forgiveness!

Romans 8:18-25 says, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out...For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind...What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!"

I am constantly reminded of my need for my Savior and the purpose of my life. What a beautiful gift the cross is to the world. What a beautiful sacrifice Jesus paid for us, for mere sinners!

Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

He gave up His life so that I may truly live, so today I was reminded (once again) to live like tomorrow was my last. To live with a purpose. To live for eternity. To live for the One who gave up His life so that I may find true life.

Matthew 16:24-26 says, " If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?"

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Overseer of My Soul

Since the last post lots has happened...Jacob and I took a break from life and had a small staycation, we had the junior highers over for our annual Crud War, the highschool kids came over for a Paint War in the woods behind our house, we went on a mini-vacation with my whole family to Sea World, floated the river, and celebrated my mom, aunt, and uncle's bdays, I started school again this week, and my baby sister is leaving for college tomorrow. Life happens so fast! It all comes and goes so quickly. Another summer has passed, I've started on my 3rd year of teaching, one sister has married and moved off, another is moving off to college, summer vacations have come and gone full of memories, but without enough rest, youth activities are changing pace now that school is starting back up, and I find myself wondering where all the time goes. In the midst of all the change I hold tight to my constant...Jesus Christ.

Life will change, people will leave, chapters will close, seasons will come and go, but the beauty of it is that new people will come into our lives, new opportunities will present themselves, new relationships will evolve, new experiences will transform our lives, and new memories will be made. How thankful I am that the Creator of the Universe, the Savior of the world, the King above all kings is my Friend, my Father, my Healer, my Comforter, my Provider, my Teacher, and the Overseer of my very soul...1 Peter 2:24-25 - "He Himself bore [my sin] in His body on the tree, so that [I] may die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds [I] have been healed. For [I was like a] sheep gone astray, but now [I] have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of [my soul]."

I give this next season to Him and thank Him for yet another day to live for Him. What a blessing to live to serve my King!! What a blessing that every season is in the very hands of God and I have no need to fear!! What a blessing that He has gone before me and walks beside me!!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11; 7:14 -"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven...He has mad everything beautiful in its time. When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future."

Sea World