A different way of thinking

So a few months ago, I read one of the books that Rachel Joy Scott's parents, Darrell Scott and Beth Nimmo, wrote after her death in the Columbine shootings. The book I read, Rachel's Tears, shared stories from Rachel's parents, as well as some of Rachel's journal entries from various journals and scraps of paper that she had in her room and her backpack. One part of this book really struck me as cool. This is something Rachel and her dad shared frequently apparently.

"One of Rachel’s favorite bible studies that we did together was about the difference between the seed and the sod. I had helped her to understand that we were made from dirt and our bodies will return to dirt. However, that dirt is the planting ground for an eternal seed. Farmers don’t look for clean dirt when they plant seeds. They don’t vacuum all the dirt out of the garden so the seeds won’t get dirty. They need the dirt for the seed to grow. In fact, sometimes the dirt isn’t dirty enough, so they spread cow manure over the dirt to make it dirtier! They call this rich soil.

"When we focus our eyes on “self,” we’re looking at the dirt. When we focus on the seed growing in the dirt, we produce fruit! It is so important to understand that the Christian walk is not me becoming perfect; it’s Christ growing to perfection in me. There are two verses that sound contradictory in the bible, and yet they form a complete truth: “I can of mine own self do nothing,” and “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Rachel knew the difference between the seed and the sod. She knew that once the seed began to grow, people would no longer look at the dirt, but instead focus on the emerging fruit of that seed. She knew she wasn’t perfect. But she realized that god was doing some wonderful things within her."

These are things that I never thought about when I read things like the parable of the sower and the seed. It's a very good example of looking at more than just the surface of the parables and their meanings. I am continually amazed at the depths of God in every way, and how I can always learn things and think about things in a way that I've never thought about before. I love how God gives us all different spiritual insights and ways of thinking so that we can share those with others to help them.

But enough rambling, I just thought others might enjoy that as well. :)

Finally! A New Post!

So it's been a while since I've posted! :) I've been finishing up my junior year of high school, and summer has been a busy one! I just got back from four weeks of our Kansas camps, both staffing and camping. And this coming Monday I will be leaving the country for Colombia on a short term missions trip! Yay! :) After that, we will have our church VBX, and then Fine Arts Nationals in Orlando, Florida. So the posts will probably still be seldom for a couple of weeks, but hopefully they will still be somewhat meaningful. :)

Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 9:10

I absolutely love this verse! God's will for us is active every second of every day. I know from multiple experiences that God's will is always much better than my own, or anyone else's, plan. We might think that our idea of something or plan for something is better than what is happening, but it never is. Never. For some reason, we think that we know everything that there is to know and that we are in control. Well, no matter how hard and continuously we may try, we will not be able to make the right decisions on our own. We can see in our own lives that God does not disappoint us, so why would we go back to thinking our way is better? I'm not really sure.

We need to make our faith in God and His plan for our lives stronger every day. How do we do that? Well, we need to start by following Him in our everyday lives, with the little responsibilities that He gives us. We need to do what He tells us to, even if we think it will be harmful to us. Because God does not harm us. Some of the things we think are harmful really don't hurt us at all. I am not saying that we become impenetrable, but those things are not from God. And when we do get "hurt" doing something that God has asked us to do, we should praise God. Because when we suffer for the name of Christ, that becomes a witness to others about our faith and His truth.

So do not go around thinking that your plan for your life is better than what God has for your life. God will take care of you far better than you can ever imagine. I dare you to give it all up to Him, and see what he will do with your life.

Laminin

Ok so others might not think this is as cool, but I think this is another one of those awesome ways that God shows his control over everything and his power to help us. It's just one of those little reminders that God is always there and that He will always be keeping us from completely falling apart.

It's a little cheesy, but the point comes across quite well. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e4zgJXPpI4

Jealous much?

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. This is what the wicked are like— always carefree, they increase in wealth... When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.

Psalm 73: 2-5, 12, 16-17

Sometimes we, as humans, just get tired of seeing the wicked prosper. It's angering sometimes to see others gain health and money and other things (literally) when they do not deserve any of it and are selfish with what they gain. It's hard to keep from being angry when you are trying to do everything right, and someone else is gaining material posessions or glory, when they are only using what they are getting for themselves. But we must remember that, no matter what we have or don't have in regards to earthly things, we will always have something that the wicked do not have- Jesus Christ and our salvation. That alone should make us realize that we are so much wealthier than any rich person on this earth.

This does not mean, however, that we should brag to others about having something that others cannot have, because they can have it. And we should be overjoyed to share our undeserved gift with others. We should not boast about what God will give us when we get to heaven, or even what He has given us on earth (possessions, talents, etc). We should boast only in and about Jesus Christ and what He has done, is doing, and will do in and for us and others. Knowing that we have this gift of salvation, we should be more compassionate about helping others gain this gift for themselves. We should be more willing to share our testimony with others and help them to receive this gift of eternal life and blessing that God has so graciously given to us.

The longest blog yet!

"Do not be afraid or discouraged" "Do not be afraid or terrified"

Do you know how many times this is said in the Bible?! So far, I've found sixteen times and I wasn't even looking hard. :) I think that means there might be a little bit of importance to it. It probably also means that this is something the people in the Bible struggled with. And since not much has changed since then (concerning our emotions and struggles with trusting God at least) this probably means this is something we struggle with now as well. At least I know I do.

In Deuteronomy 1:21, Moses is telling the people about how they lost the promised land. He had said to the people that they should not be afraid to go into the land that God promised them. The people however, don't listen and get scared. So they send in spies to look over the land, which makes them even more afraid. So Moses reminds the people again that they should not be afraid because God promised them the land they were afraid to take. But, once again, the people will not listen. Because they would not trust God, they never got to enter into their promised land.

When Joshua becomes leader of Israel, these words are spoken again, three times. Obviously, the people have learned their lesson from when they did not listen to God's command, and they want those who have a chance to go into the promise land to not make the same mistake.

After Moses dies, these words are repeated to Joshua by God. Right off the bat, he tells Joshua to "be strong and courageous.... be strong and very courageous... be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; Do not be discouraged..." You think God wanted Him to be strong and courageous and unafraid, maybe?

Once again, in Joshua 8, the Lord commands Joshua to go into battle. The first thing He says to Joshua is... I'll give you one guess... "Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged."

I think by this time Joshua understands what the Lord is trying to say to Him because in chapter ten, He tells his people "do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous." He then proceeds to strike and kill five kings and hang them from five trees to show what God will do with their enemies (I know gross!).

This "motto" definitely passes on through the people of Israel. In 1 Chronicles, David tells his son Solomon, whom God has chosen to be the king who begins the building of the temple, to be strong and courageous and not afraid or discouraged. After David has described to Solomon how he is to build the temple, he once again reminds him to "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged." Figure that one out, huh? :)

More time goes by, and now Jehoshaphat is king. Once again, a nation is planning on attacking them (although you'd think they'd get the clue by now that they weren't gonna win) and all the people of Judah prayed to God. What do you think he said? "Do not be afraid or discouraged... Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged." Surprising? I hope not by now.

Once more, the Bible talks about fearlessness with God. When Hezekiah is king, another country comes to invade Jerusalem. What does Hezekiah tell them? "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged..."

Even in the New Testament, people are becoming discouraged and afraid. In Ephesians, Paul tells the Ephesians to not be discouraged because of his sufferings.

Okay, so have you gotten the point yet? :) I'm pretty sure I don't need to sum this up for you, especially since that will probably make you fall asleep if this blog hasn't already. :) But obviously this is important to remember. So.... Oh, you know it already!

Warning: Drama!

Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

2 Timothy 2:23-26

God wants us to stay away from drama. Interesting. :) He says right here in the Bible that He wants us to have nothing to do with arguments, especially when they do not concern us. And drama is everywhere we turn. It is in our schools, our workplaces, even our churches. But God deliberately says to not have anything to do with it. Stay away from it. Avoid it at all cost. Why would He say that?

Drama is vacuum. It creates a barrier between us and God as it sucks the joy out of everyone that is involved in it. When someone's life is constantly filled with drama, they are not usually very joyful. Their life is an emotional roller coaster, which is not what God wants for us (Ecclesiastes 3:12). God wants us to be happy and joyful and grateful for the things He has given us. He wants us to enjoy life and to not give in to the problems that the world face. We know that through God, nothing in this physical world can truly harm us. Though we may have hardships and though we may have to deal with issues that involve other people, we do not have to and definitely should not be involved with petty differences and ridiculous dramatizations. We should stay clear of such things, because it is the will of God. And as at least I have found in my life, the will of God always has the best answers.

Freewill offering

I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good.

Psalm 54:6

How many times do we offer a "freewill offering" to God? Something that we give to Him because we want to, not just because we have to. Do we give ourselves to God because we want Him to mold us into something better for him or because we know that we are "supposed to" and people might think badly of us if we don't? How many times do we give up things that aren't necessarily bad or harmful so that God can do more than he already is in our lives.

When we give everything to God, that means EVERYTHING. It doesn't just mean the bad parts of us. It means the "good" parts too. If we have talents, we should give them to God, so that He can use them for His purpose. That's what ministry is composed of: the talents that God gave us combined with the working of the Spirit in us. If we don't allow the Spirit to work in our ministries, our friendships, our time, and our skills, we can't do what God really intends for us to do. These things might not be ungodly or harmful, but they can always use work and improvement. If we give God only the bad things, He does not have all of us, and He cannot fully work through us. He needs EVERYTHING. He deserves EVERYTHING. So give Him EVERYTHING. And not just because you have to, but because it is a freewill offering to Him because He has done so much for us.