Well, I'm back, with more recaps and a few stories.
Our anniversary went well, but with unexpected surprises. It started with cinnamon rolls, how sweet (yes, pun intended). Caleb had to work so I figured I'd do something special for dinner... I splurged and bought some NY Strip steak! Well, when Caleb got home I already had the potatoes started, and had a mini panic attack when the grill wouldn't start for the steaks :( so they went on the stove. I was already bummed about the steak, so when the milk jug tipped too far and much more milk than needed was added to the mashed potatoes I had to take a deep breath. I know it wasn't a huge deal, but I really wanted to make dinner special. Luckily, they were still good... just a bit creamy.. haha.
Anyway, what I found most amusing about the day was what happened when we went out after dinner. We decided to walk the breakwall to the lighthouse. As we were just getting to where the sand and water met a couple was trying to take their own picture. You know, the "I'll hold it out in front of me and hopefully it'll turn out" way. So I offered to take it for them. Caleb asked where they were from and we started back on our way as we talked. Peter and Dolores are from a college town downstate, right next to another college town. They were on vacation here until they headed further upstate later this week for the other half of their vacation. I guess they have friends who know the area, so they decided to check out town. They kept commenting on how beautiful it is here, and how its so laid back and a friendly community. I'm originally from the same side of the state as Dolores is, so we were talking about that a little bit. It turns out, her mom works in my hometown. Small town USA? Yes. I keep running into more and more people around here who are either from my hometown, have been there, or know of it. It's neat to make those connections. So, we walked to the lighthouse and back with them, and parted ways.
Our conversation with Dolores and Peter made me rethink my view of tourists. Yes, it seems that many of them leave a large amount of their common sense at home, but, they're here for the same reason I am: because their is a larger picture for their life, that being here is obviously part of. And it's always so nice to talk to them. I love hearing where they're from, what they think of this town, and just them in general. More and more I find myself having a genuine love for these people - and the people of this town - regardless if I know them. The only explanation is that its a Jesus love :) I keep trying to remind myself that when someone walks out into the middle of the street in front of me, or opens their car door when I'm driving by just two feet away. Some things just really drive me nuts from time to time, but I can't shake the love for them, nor do I want to. And, to be honest, I wouldn't want to not have tourists here.
My next story is from today. So you'll understand what I'm about to write, here's a little background: we got married young, bought a house, fixed it up, and are now enjoying the wonderful neighborhood that its in. My father-in-law helps with many of the projects at our house, and is currently building our retaining wall. So, as I was walking our dog today, one of the neighbors came out of his garage and started walking towards me. He asked what kind of dog Honey is, and then if I lived in the neighborhood. Here's how the rest of the conversation went:
Me: "Yes, we live in the big red house before the curve."
Him: "Oh, ok, I think I talked to your dad earlier today."
Me: "Oh, you must mean my father-in-law."
Him: "*pauses, gets funny expression* Father-in-law?! I thought you were in high school!"
Me: "*laughs* No, I'm not"
Him: "Oh, well just say thank you then, because you look young."
Me: "Well thank you. You probably see my husband driving through here quite a bit; he's the truck with the trailer."
Him: "Ok, so you live with his parents?"
Me: "No... that's our house"
Him: "What?! You mean to tell me that you two young people OWN that great big house?!"
Me: "Yes, we do. It was in pretty bad shape, so we got a really good deal on it."
Him: "Wow, thats great. That's like this house right back here...."
And on the conversation went. I had to laugh though; first he thought I was in high school, then he didn't even consider that the house was ours. It makes me feel even more fortunate to have been able to buy a house and fix it up only months after being married. God has been so good to us!
My last thing for this long post is that I think we've found something else to add to our agenda. On Tuesdays, a young adult group Bible study was started two summers ago. Neither of us were able to go the first summer or even last summer, but we decided to try it out tonight. The group was maybe 15-20 people. It meets at the beach and for the first little while everyone just hangs out; they play volleyball, walk to the water, play football, etc. Then we dig into the Word, and this summer the interim youth pastor is leading it. The focus comes from John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full [abundantly],"and each week the teaching/discussion will be on the fruit of the Spirit (from Galatians 5), and how the thief tries to steal our "fruit."Something else that was also mentioned was how its not referred to as "fruits," but as "fruit." So, it seems that they're one package. What are your thoughts? I know that as Christians, we strive to be more Christ-like and that growth is a process, but I feel like I'm not the same place in each fruit (love, joy, peace, patience,..etc.). Thinking that, it makes me wonder how they can come as "one package" because of where I am, and I've never heard it referred to like that before. Thoughts? Comments? Please share! Anyway, I think we've found something to do on Tuesday nights, and I'm pleased. Its nice to have fellowship with other young people on our time, and not just at church on Sundays. It's just, refreshing, I guess you could say.
Well, I'm off. Have a good night :)
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Friday, November 11, 2011
Awareness
As you may have read, last weekend we took thirteen high school students to a leadership retreat. We knew it would be good, but we had no idea how the weekend would actually go. Going into the weekend, I felt like I knew the girls we were taking, and that we would have a great time, and we did. But, so much happened in that weekend, and this last week, that it's crazy.
Here's a bizarre thing: the van full of high school students was relatively quiet on the way to camp. That is unheard of, and made Caleb and I a bit curious on how the rest of the weekend would go. So, as tradition goes, we blared Jesus Freak (by DC Talk), Relient K, some other bands, and made our way to camp. The retreat kicked off by a chapel session focusing on how to use the Bible for relationship advice, and the traditional root beer floats afterwards. Then we hung out in the game room and eventually made our way to the cabins for the night. That night marked how the rest of the retreat would go for me.
I was almost asleep when I heard someone crying. Thankfully another student knew the student better, because I didn't know what to say. I just sat there and listened and prayed, and wondered like so many other people, how things that shatter and turn our worlds upside down can happen to those who are seemingly the least likely candidates. The next morning after chapel, I got to talk to most of the girls about some things going on in their lives, and spent the afternoon getting to know them better. I've only been out of high school for three years, but I forgot how hard it really can be sometimes. These students are up against so many things of this world, that they struggle just to know wrong from right, let alone live out their faith. And the fact is, that so many of them do! So many times this weekend I was proud of these girls (and boys) as I listened to what was going on in their lives, and the lives of others that effected them, and how they handled situations.
The rest of Saturday was pretty fun. The whole camp played steal the bacon, with real cow parts (i.e. eyeballs, a liver, a heart, and a tongue!) which was disgusting, but they had a blast. For some of them, letting go and actually getting into the game to have fun was a challenge, but they did well. Whether it was just grabbing the innertubes or an actual cow part, all the students who were able to do so participated. After dinner, they played the game of life, which was fun, and altogether new for me. Certain leaders sold houses, others cars, some were bankers, there was a chaplain, a mutual bond seller, etc., and our students had a list of things they had to complete. I think it was a great idea to have them play this game, even if it wasn't for real. If anything, they gained some insight on how life works, and what its like to be an adult.
After chapel that night, I got to have some good conversations with some of the girls again, and they continually opened my eyes. They amaze me, and even in some of the stuff I learned, I hurt for them. The next morning went well with breakfast, chapel, and the ride home. The students we took are amazing young adults, and they had good responses in chapel, small group discussion, and interactions all weekend. What grabbed my attention even after the retreat was the response we had at youth group Sunday night. Family Issues and dysfunctional families were the topics of discussion. So many students came to talk to a leader afterwards. During my time with these students, I gained even more of an insight into some of the lives of our students...
The fact is: our students are going through insanely hard issues. If an adult says, 'oh, it's just a phase, you'll grow out of it' do you really think they know what's going on or how to handle it? To the students, it's a way of blowing them off and telling them that the adult doesn't care. That can shatter a student. Remember all the drama you experienced in school? All the mean comments, back-stabbing, and not to mention the family issues of sibling problems, divorce, abuse, neglect, etc. These students need us! I've learned so much in the past week about what is going on in some of the students' lives, and these are only the students in the youth group I help with. Imagine what some of the other students are going through who aren't coming forward and talking. Who knows whats going on. Either way, our students are on their way to adulthood, they're our next generation, and they, like everyone else, have real issues they're going through. We can help, we just need to be aware of their situations. How? Gain their trust, and talk to them. Let them know that they can confide in you, that you absolutely love them and want to help them in any way. You can make a difference in their life.
Here's a bizarre thing: the van full of high school students was relatively quiet on the way to camp. That is unheard of, and made Caleb and I a bit curious on how the rest of the weekend would go. So, as tradition goes, we blared Jesus Freak (by DC Talk), Relient K, some other bands, and made our way to camp. The retreat kicked off by a chapel session focusing on how to use the Bible for relationship advice, and the traditional root beer floats afterwards. Then we hung out in the game room and eventually made our way to the cabins for the night. That night marked how the rest of the retreat would go for me.
I was almost asleep when I heard someone crying. Thankfully another student knew the student better, because I didn't know what to say. I just sat there and listened and prayed, and wondered like so many other people, how things that shatter and turn our worlds upside down can happen to those who are seemingly the least likely candidates. The next morning after chapel, I got to talk to most of the girls about some things going on in their lives, and spent the afternoon getting to know them better. I've only been out of high school for three years, but I forgot how hard it really can be sometimes. These students are up against so many things of this world, that they struggle just to know wrong from right, let alone live out their faith. And the fact is, that so many of them do! So many times this weekend I was proud of these girls (and boys) as I listened to what was going on in their lives, and the lives of others that effected them, and how they handled situations.
The rest of Saturday was pretty fun. The whole camp played steal the bacon, with real cow parts (i.e. eyeballs, a liver, a heart, and a tongue!) which was disgusting, but they had a blast. For some of them, letting go and actually getting into the game to have fun was a challenge, but they did well. Whether it was just grabbing the innertubes or an actual cow part, all the students who were able to do so participated. After dinner, they played the game of life, which was fun, and altogether new for me. Certain leaders sold houses, others cars, some were bankers, there was a chaplain, a mutual bond seller, etc., and our students had a list of things they had to complete. I think it was a great idea to have them play this game, even if it wasn't for real. If anything, they gained some insight on how life works, and what its like to be an adult.
After chapel that night, I got to have some good conversations with some of the girls again, and they continually opened my eyes. They amaze me, and even in some of the stuff I learned, I hurt for them. The next morning went well with breakfast, chapel, and the ride home. The students we took are amazing young adults, and they had good responses in chapel, small group discussion, and interactions all weekend. What grabbed my attention even after the retreat was the response we had at youth group Sunday night. Family Issues and dysfunctional families were the topics of discussion. So many students came to talk to a leader afterwards. During my time with these students, I gained even more of an insight into some of the lives of our students...
The fact is: our students are going through insanely hard issues. If an adult says, 'oh, it's just a phase, you'll grow out of it' do you really think they know what's going on or how to handle it? To the students, it's a way of blowing them off and telling them that the adult doesn't care. That can shatter a student. Remember all the drama you experienced in school? All the mean comments, back-stabbing, and not to mention the family issues of sibling problems, divorce, abuse, neglect, etc. These students need us! I've learned so much in the past week about what is going on in some of the students' lives, and these are only the students in the youth group I help with. Imagine what some of the other students are going through who aren't coming forward and talking. Who knows whats going on. Either way, our students are on their way to adulthood, they're our next generation, and they, like everyone else, have real issues they're going through. We can help, we just need to be aware of their situations. How? Gain their trust, and talk to them. Let them know that they can confide in you, that you absolutely love them and want to help them in any way. You can make a difference in their life.
Monday, October 17, 2011
The Days I Just Can't Win..
It's been an interesting few days. It was a great weekend, youth group went great, I got voted in as an intern at our church, and today was pretty good. However, in the past few days there have been some frustrations that I just haven't been able to shake. They've changed my attitude and mood, and that frustrates me even more. Tonight I found myself scouring the pages of my Bible for anything that hit home. I found quite a bit.
"Fear not, for I am with you, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous hand" -Isaiah 41:10
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" -Hebrews 11:1
"..you will seek Me and you will find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" -Jeremiah 29:13
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1:9
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" -Philippians 4:7
Well, I guess these verses are for the days when it seems that I just can't win, like tonight, and last night. I don't understand whats going on, or why things happen the way the do. I don't know how everything will work for a positive outcome, and I don't always know how to react and sometimes don't react to situations in the way I should. But I believe what these verses say, and thats enough for me. Even when its hard.
"Fear not, for I am with you, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous hand" -Isaiah 41:10
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" -Hebrews 11:1
"..you will seek Me and you will find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" -Jeremiah 29:13
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1:9
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" -Philippians 4:7
Well, I guess these verses are for the days when it seems that I just can't win, like tonight, and last night. I don't understand whats going on, or why things happen the way the do. I don't know how everything will work for a positive outcome, and I don't always know how to react and sometimes don't react to situations in the way I should. But I believe what these verses say, and thats enough for me. Even when its hard.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tough Stuff
This past week has made me completely nuts.
Besides my normal schedule, I had another paper to write, exam to study for, and more homework to do. Caleb's schedule, plus him working at our new house, and not seeing him has took its toll. Also, this week, I'm doing more for work, hurt my knee, and am trying to figure out how to not let the frustrations that got to me last weekend, get to me again. Let me tell you, its quite the project. So, today I got home after my exam (which didn't exactly go as well as I hoped it would..) and was on good 'ol Facebook. A friend of mine just posted about having an off day, and I was quick to respond with some encouragement off the top of my head (and Google, man, I sure love Google!). A few minutes after I posted, I realized those Bible verses applied directly to me too, and my struggles this past (and current) week. Here's what I had written:
2 Corinthians 12:9 - But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness"..
Isaiah 41:10 - "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous hand"
Ephesians 3:20 - "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.."
Bask in who He is.. and may your day get much better!
Bask in who He is.. and may your day get much better!
After I read them over a few more times, I realized that if I had just went to my Jesus last week when I got frustrated, it wouldn't have been as bad as it was. Its crazy how anger and frustration can make a person go nuts. These verses helped think through it now though. The first one is a favorite for me. Its such a sweet reminder that God's grace is truly sufficient for us, because even though we are so very weak, His power is perfect, and we are held in the palm of His powerful, loving hand. The second one is so wonderful to think about; the God of the universe is ours, yes ours!, and He has not only told us that, but also promised to strengthen, help, and uphold us. We can't slip out of His grip.. it just doesn't work that way, He won't let us go. What a promise! The third became a reality to me when my life started started to change drastically, after I had asked God to make me His, fully. He is SO able to do so much more than we can ask or think! He's the God of the universe, how can He not?! In the book of James, we are told to believe it can happen when we ask God to do something. I had asked, and waited, and waited, yet I didn't lose heart. Knowing that God is so amazing, and that He will work all things for the good of those who love Him, I knew that even if He didn't answer directly, I would get an answer that was best for me. And I did. He answered exceedingly abundantly beyond what I asked, and I am so thankful for that. Basking in who He is.. easier said than done, I know. But when we fully focus on God, who He is, what He has done, and what He is doing, it is so much easier to put off the day around us (good or bad!) and truly just live in Him and His wondrous glory.
So, as I face the rest of my week keeping these in mind, we'll see how it goes. I know there will be things people do/say to me that I have no control over, but that's their problem, not mine. As I look ahead to See You At The Pole (tomorrow is National See You At The Pole Day, if you didn't know that. People will probably be meeting at your court house flag pole around 7:30 am if you want to participate in lifting up our nation, and many other things in prayer!), AWANA, class, planning youth activities, and more, I'll have some more comfort.. and truly bask in who my Lord and Savior is.
May you do the same
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