Last Night was our final night for Vacation Bible School. Angela, our song leader for opening, led us all in a game of toss the ball, where when you caught the ball you had to use the next letter in the alphabet to describe God. We learned a lot about who He is to each of us, including "Dan" for the letter D - given by Pastor Jay before coming up with a much more inspiring "Deliverer".
Given the opportunity, here is what I come up with:
God is:
Awesome
Big
Creator
Deliverer
Eternal
Faithful
Good
Healer
Intelligent
Joyful
Kind
Love
Majestic
Neat
Omnipotent
Powerful
Quiet
Righteous
Spirit
Truth
Umbrella
Victorious
Wonderful
[has] X-Ray vision
Yearning
Zealous
How would you describe God using all the letters of the alphabet? How often do we stop and consider who He is to us?
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Bring on the Shoes
I had my first 12 hour shift yesterday as Key-holder. I was so thankful for the flow of traffic that made everything flow so much smoother, but it was also a day filled with several returns...that kinda bummed me out. In the end, however, we still came up 25% higher than the planned sales amount as a store! Today I work till 2:00, BRING ON THE SHOES!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
The Weekend
Just a quick five minute blog this morning to cover why it has been a few days since my last blog post. I like to take the weekends off from blogging so that my thoughts don't just end up being mundane and off track. Sometimes we need that break; it's why God took the seventh day off after creating all of this awesomeness around is and suggested we do the same. But beyond that, this weekend held something else for me - MY 26th BIRTHDAY!
I have to say it was truly a blessing. I really do love presents - even though I guess I am no longer a kid - but I will always be a kid at heart! Even though I didn't receive any physical gifts, the few cards I got were filled with great reminders of how I am not alone and how much I am loved. My sister and her husband and girls got me a gift card to my favorite restaurant, Red Lobster!, and my parents helped pay off the rest of my previous college debt! My pastor took me out to eat at Joe's Crab Shack on Sunday where I was treated to Lobster and Queen Crab, and another family in the church gave me a card with cash. One of the biggest surprises of my birthday was how many people responded with happy birthday blessings yesterday, over 200 of you wished me another great year! I am so thankful for everyone's support and excited about some sweet surprises in this new year!
I have to say it was truly a blessing. I really do love presents - even though I guess I am no longer a kid - but I will always be a kid at heart! Even though I didn't receive any physical gifts, the few cards I got were filled with great reminders of how I am not alone and how much I am loved. My sister and her husband and girls got me a gift card to my favorite restaurant, Red Lobster!, and my parents helped pay off the rest of my previous college debt! My pastor took me out to eat at Joe's Crab Shack on Sunday where I was treated to Lobster and Queen Crab, and another family in the church gave me a card with cash. One of the biggest surprises of my birthday was how many people responded with happy birthday blessings yesterday, over 200 of you wished me another great year! I am so thankful for everyone's support and excited about some sweet surprises in this new year!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Karen the Bus Monitor
There is a ten minute video floating around of a bus monitor being bullied by these ruthless grade school kids. She's literally being called fat, a troll, almost every explicative word you can think of, and they even go as far as asking for her address so they can egg and pee on her house. When I first heard about this being a bullying case and hadn't seen how intense the taunting was, I really thought it was a little much for it to be called a "harassment" case. After watching the video, I am amazed at how Karen, the victim, maintained her composure while being trapped in a bus seat while one kid was video tapping this whole scene while several of his friends joined in tearing this lady emotionally apart. Not once in this whole ordeal did the actual bus driver make any motions to stop what was happening.
A fund has started to raise money for her to take a vacation. The initial hope was to raise a small amount, and at this point the total has passed $410,000.
There's the scoop. Here's my beef; the question the media is pushing is wether it is right or wrong for Karen to get this fund thats been raised for her. On a radio program this morning, one of the listeners called in and said they felt it was wrong and that it shows how greedy America has become. While I agree America is not a humble nation, I have to ask where the selfishness is. If I see a need and want to reach out to help, at what point do I stop people from giving and say, "whoa, that's too much compassion!"?
If anything, I find hope in all of this! The fact that a few Americans can start out with the intention of raising a few dollars to help someone take a peaceful vacation and it turn into thousands shows we really don't have to be caught in a recession and nation-wide debt if we pull our resources together. It amazes me that in a time when no one apparently has any money, and jobs are at an all time low, a few thousand people can put $500k in an envelope and give it away to one person as a gift in the hopes that they'll feel like maybe life isn't so bad.
Hope from this story also comes from the simple fact that people still come together to respond to a neighbor in need. In a world that claims it's a vicious war of every man for himself, a web of support for one another can still be found. This gift of compassion was pulled together in less than a day, and it's still a growing fund! Imagine the encouragement we would have for each other and value we would see in ourselves if we learned from the love Karen is being shown through those who want her to know she didn't deserve the torture she went through. What can we learn from Karen's ability to stay strong and hold back her anger through more than ten minutes of seclusion and harassment, then afterward standing up and saying she doesn't want to press charges and still loves the kids that showed her so much hatred? Instead of doing everything we can to find the wrong, how could we build the bridges that would connect all of our islands of pride together to become a united nation again? There is hope, but hope doesn't do the work for us. It is not something we obtain by waiting for it to cone to us; we must run to it.
A fund has started to raise money for her to take a vacation. The initial hope was to raise a small amount, and at this point the total has passed $410,000.
There's the scoop. Here's my beef; the question the media is pushing is wether it is right or wrong for Karen to get this fund thats been raised for her. On a radio program this morning, one of the listeners called in and said they felt it was wrong and that it shows how greedy America has become. While I agree America is not a humble nation, I have to ask where the selfishness is. If I see a need and want to reach out to help, at what point do I stop people from giving and say, "whoa, that's too much compassion!"?
If anything, I find hope in all of this! The fact that a few Americans can start out with the intention of raising a few dollars to help someone take a peaceful vacation and it turn into thousands shows we really don't have to be caught in a recession and nation-wide debt if we pull our resources together. It amazes me that in a time when no one apparently has any money, and jobs are at an all time low, a few thousand people can put $500k in an envelope and give it away to one person as a gift in the hopes that they'll feel like maybe life isn't so bad.
Hope from this story also comes from the simple fact that people still come together to respond to a neighbor in need. In a world that claims it's a vicious war of every man for himself, a web of support for one another can still be found. This gift of compassion was pulled together in less than a day, and it's still a growing fund! Imagine the encouragement we would have for each other and value we would see in ourselves if we learned from the love Karen is being shown through those who want her to know she didn't deserve the torture she went through. What can we learn from Karen's ability to stay strong and hold back her anger through more than ten minutes of seclusion and harassment, then afterward standing up and saying she doesn't want to press charges and still loves the kids that showed her so much hatred? Instead of doing everything we can to find the wrong, how could we build the bridges that would connect all of our islands of pride together to become a united nation again? There is hope, but hope doesn't do the work for us. It is not something we obtain by waiting for it to cone to us; we must run to it.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Let Loose.
I hung out with a couple new friends today; one is a girl I will be attending Greenville College with starting in the Fall. We ended up hanging out at a lake and they buried me in the sand, forming the shape of a mermaid. Yep, I was a mermaid today. Anyway, it really helped loosen me up. I discovered I may be a random thinker, but for the most part I am pretty laid back and easy going. When it comes to letting loose - speaking in unrecognizable, made up, foreign languages, planking, on boats at a marina, randomly being turned into a sand mermaid - it takes me a while. I don't know why that is, but it felt really good to be able to do that today.
It was a reminder not to take life as only serious. It's ok to let loose once in a while.
It was a reminder not to take life as only serious. It's ok to let loose once in a while.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Speeches
I have never been into reading or writing. Through school they were some of my easiest subjects, but I just never really picked it up for fun. Then God brought me into youth ministry and music; there's nothing like feeling the freedom of being open and honest to the world without fearing the criticism of others or how your words effect those who receive them.
It was fearful at the beginning of starting this blog, because, let's face it, we all feel like we have to impress people with our stories when we first start speaking out. At the same time, we are so caught up in making sure our words are not offensive. Sometimes the truth hurts and we are afraid of saying it for fear of being criticized or rejected, no matter how desperately the truth needs to be heard.
I am still being shaped and moulded by God, my Creator, Savior, and King. Because of His Spirit thriving in me, and giving myself over to Him, it is His words that flow out of my mouth. The tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body, so I would much rather God be in control of it and shape my thoughts than for me to be behind the controls.
It is still a challenge for me to write this blog; I've taken it as something positive for my life in Christ. If I start writing and find that I choose to hide some truths, I stop and pray about why I am letting them come before God. Being an open book, never knowing who in the world will read it, helps me to stay in a close relationship with Christ. When I know I have nothing to hide, I know I won't be leading anyone on the wrong path that follows me - especially since my hands and feet are to lead others to Christ.
It was fearful at the beginning of starting this blog, because, let's face it, we all feel like we have to impress people with our stories when we first start speaking out. At the same time, we are so caught up in making sure our words are not offensive. Sometimes the truth hurts and we are afraid of saying it for fear of being criticized or rejected, no matter how desperately the truth needs to be heard.
I am still being shaped and moulded by God, my Creator, Savior, and King. Because of His Spirit thriving in me, and giving myself over to Him, it is His words that flow out of my mouth. The tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body, so I would much rather God be in control of it and shape my thoughts than for me to be behind the controls.
It is still a challenge for me to write this blog; I've taken it as something positive for my life in Christ. If I start writing and find that I choose to hide some truths, I stop and pray about why I am letting them come before God. Being an open book, never knowing who in the world will read it, helps me to stay in a close relationship with Christ. When I know I have nothing to hide, I know I won't be leading anyone on the wrong path that follows me - especially since my hands and feet are to lead others to Christ.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Fun Day for a Monday
You're right! I didn't post a blog yesterday...I was having loads of fun hanging out with my family at the zoo and Chuck E Cheese's! 
Friday, June 15, 2012
Quick Recap of My Day
Simply put, today was my first day opening the store of Journeys for Kidz! Last night, I was handed an official key and finished my training! I must say everything went very smoothly. Before opening the gate for operations, I prated over the store and asked God's blessings upon it. My first sale of the day included two shoes, a pair of socks, and a Dora backpack; a "perfect" sale!
The day was kind of slow beyond that sale, but I managed to meet my store-set sales goal and filled in all the morning paperwork correctly! This is all praise and thanks to God for blessing me with this job! I worked from 9am-5pm today; my longest shift so far, but next week will have some great opportunities to spread those shifts like that throughout the week! Thankful that my hours are finally starting to pick up!
The day was kind of slow beyond that sale, but I managed to meet my store-set sales goal and filled in all the morning paperwork correctly! This is all praise and thanks to God for blessing me with this job! I worked from 9am-5pm today; my longest shift so far, but next week will have some great opportunities to spread those shifts like that throughout the week! Thankful that my hours are finally starting to pick up!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Taking the Streets
Last night one of my teens asked me if I wanted to go with him and sing on the street in Belleville. I have always thought singing on the street would be fun, but have never really had the courage to do it. When a teen asks you to hang out with them, it will usually end up being an encouraging opportunity and even a humbling experience. You can learn a lot from teenagers! I spared no time agreeing to go, and I am SO glad I did not back down!
Go brought so many people into our lives today, and we got to praise and worship Him with every single one of them! One guy told us it would be cool for us to join him and his friend down at a hot dog joint to play the blues for a free dog; he gave us a little treat by playing his harmonica! Another lady joined us with her two kids and thanked us for making her smile! One mom and her daughter talked to us about our church and the daughter played a little on my Cajon. She apparently plays the sticks and loves music! Haha, we told them both we need more people like them in our church!
After playing the circle in downtown belleville, we got thirsty and headed to Jimmy Johns. One of the employees talked to us about guitars and drums, and after I asked if it was alright for us to play in front of their store he said for sure! The rest of the afternoon, we were stopped by another guy that was Catholic in background an we talked about the Body of Christ not favoring specific denominations; that as Christians we all form The Church! Then a group of high schoolers asked if they could join us for a worship song after hearing me play my new cover of "Pay Phone" buy Maroon 5! (yes, I threw that one in the mix even though it's not a worship song) It is such a blast when people are excited to join in praising God, rather than it just being a source of entertainment!
I learned so much about freely enjoying the gifts and talents God has given us. Each of us have something to offer - maybe your gift only works if it is shared or given to others - but it will never be able to be used to glorify God if we choose to keep it to ourselves.
Matthew 25:14-30
Go brought so many people into our lives today, and we got to praise and worship Him with every single one of them! One guy told us it would be cool for us to join him and his friend down at a hot dog joint to play the blues for a free dog; he gave us a little treat by playing his harmonica! Another lady joined us with her two kids and thanked us for making her smile! One mom and her daughter talked to us about our church and the daughter played a little on my Cajon. She apparently plays the sticks and loves music! Haha, we told them both we need more people like them in our church!
After playing the circle in downtown belleville, we got thirsty and headed to Jimmy Johns. One of the employees talked to us about guitars and drums, and after I asked if it was alright for us to play in front of their store he said for sure! The rest of the afternoon, we were stopped by another guy that was Catholic in background an we talked about the Body of Christ not favoring specific denominations; that as Christians we all form The Church! Then a group of high schoolers asked if they could join us for a worship song after hearing me play my new cover of "Pay Phone" buy Maroon 5! (yes, I threw that one in the mix even though it's not a worship song) It is such a blast when people are excited to join in praising God, rather than it just being a source of entertainment!
I learned so much about freely enjoying the gifts and talents God has given us. Each of us have something to offer - maybe your gift only works if it is shared or given to others - but it will never be able to be used to glorify God if we choose to keep it to ourselves.
Matthew 25:14-30
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Words with Friends
Eye kud go in two righting two daise blogg with bigo werdz n korek gramer. Were E me sik wit centinse Frag Mints and Punch You Ashuns? Color bleu. But this iz my plais two B me n run with my hed n let it flo no stop in Andy wanet two say that wit ewe two days. Luv ewe alls!
Thank you all for reading my blog! I may not be the most eloquent or have it all together, but I love walking this life with you! Be the difference.
Thank you all for reading my blog! I may not be the most eloquent or have it all together, but I love walking this life with you! Be the difference.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
The Blessing of Slowing Down
Today I just want to take the time to praise God for providing me the opportunity to be promoted to a key holder position with Journeys for Kidz! I have not been a part of their team for very long, but I love the atmosphere of the company, the desire to build relationships with our customers, and the creativity to put them in a style that speaks for their personalities.
After training yesterday, I got to go up to Roxana to meet with the Nazarene church's youth pastor there about how our upcoming 30 Hour Famine will look. This is that time when teens voluntarily give up food for 30 hours of their life to focus on serving others and being compassionate instead; an act of selfless love! I am excited about this year's event and the service projects involved with it, and praying that God's Holy Spirit be the Head of this ministry.
I ended the day by joining my friend, Brian, for some skate time. I had previously bought a pair of inline roller blades and decided to use those. As it turns out, if you don't grease the wheels after purchasing, skating on the floor is a pretty daunting task. I ended up renting a pair of regular skates and had a great time! One of the people that are obviously more talented than I at skating taught me how to "step". I was always taught faster is better, but if you want to learn dance moves with skating, stepping is very important. I learned a lot about slowing down in my own personal life yesterday...in fact, I am pretty sure that the season of growth God has me in now is training how to slow down and focus.
After training yesterday, I got to go up to Roxana to meet with the Nazarene church's youth pastor there about how our upcoming 30 Hour Famine will look. This is that time when teens voluntarily give up food for 30 hours of their life to focus on serving others and being compassionate instead; an act of selfless love! I am excited about this year's event and the service projects involved with it, and praying that God's Holy Spirit be the Head of this ministry.
I ended the day by joining my friend, Brian, for some skate time. I had previously bought a pair of inline roller blades and decided to use those. As it turns out, if you don't grease the wheels after purchasing, skating on the floor is a pretty daunting task. I ended up renting a pair of regular skates and had a great time! One of the people that are obviously more talented than I at skating taught me how to "step". I was always taught faster is better, but if you want to learn dance moves with skating, stepping is very important. I learned a lot about slowing down in my own personal life yesterday...in fact, I am pretty sure that the season of growth God has me in now is training how to slow down and focus.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Letting Loose
I had a busy weekend! Friday night BREAKOUT had an End of School Lock-In, which consisted of a swimming party and cook-out at one of our church family's homes on Scott Airforce Base. We had a blast with 9 of us all together!
When we drove onto the base it was almost 5:00. Our driver pulled up to a stoplight right as music started playing from the base sound system. The light turned green...and we didn't move. I don't know that much about base life, and one of my biggest pet peeves is when drivers stall on a green light, so I tried to help out.
"Hey John, the lights green."
"...John, buddy, the lights green, you can go."
"John! Go man!"
John- "It's the national anthem"
Me- *silenced*
As some of you know, I'm not the biggest national supporter of giving solute to a flag. It's not because I'm against America; I love that God blessed me to be born and raised in this country! I just am a little uncomfortable participating in something Shaderack, Meshack, and Abednego were thrown into a burning furnace for not supporting thousands of years ago. When it's looked down upon for not paying homage to a material possession we've created and give more honor to it than God, I don't view it as sacred.
That being said, I have a deep respect for those that serve to shield us from danger and keep our freedom in tact. On that base, it was hard for me to get over my pet peeve at the stop light, but I understood why they took the time to pause. It was more for the troops in service than it was for the flag itself.
After the swimming and the cook-out, including a short game of Chubby Bunny (John's wife, Sarah, is certified in CPR, no worries) we took a walk down about two miles of the base's walking track. Along the way we randomly planked some street signs and posts, tried out the death crawl like what appears in Facing the Giants, and a couple even gave piggy back rides. The rest of the night, the girls stayed up and watched a movie, while the guys took their party downstairs; we didn't go to sleep till about 4:00 in the AM because of being so trapped up in the most EPIC game of capture the flag, Call of Duty style! I'm not much of a gamer, so my gift to the cause was as a human meat shield. (whatever helps right?)
On Saturday, I got to celebrate the 90th birthday of a man I've had the honor of meeting through our church. Brother Hatter grew up working on a farm, and his cake reflected it; decked out with fields and tractors!
God really spoke through our pastor Sunday morning. His message was on not just giving our lives to Christ, but allowing His Holy Spirit to dwell and move inside of us! Worship was rough, as I was the only one of maybe two that joined in clapping while singing; apparently our congregation doesn't believe in movement being a form of worship, i don't know, but I catch all kinds of looks when I can't help but worship without sitting or standing l. I am thankful for that, because I hope that the excitement God has overflowing from my heart floods into the hearts of others! That is why Pastor Jay's message was so needed yesterday, our church's congregation needs their hearts to soften to allow God's Spirit to not just dwell inside the building, but flow through the veins of its people!
After worship we were all excited to celebrate the marriage of Chris and Tammy! They were two of my teens that decided to tie the knot, of which I could not be more excited for! They saw the importance of making a lifetime commitment to each other, much like the commitment they made to Christ during the year before! The only problem was, when the host proclaimed, "Time to open presents!", it dawned on me that a wedding shower really is a good time to bring a gift. My Sunday afternoon was spent shopping for them.
Last night was great, I joined two of our teens for "Let Loose"; a time when the teens can bring their friends and just let loose in an environment where they can feel unjudged, trusted, clean of negative language, and find freedom from the stresses of a busy life. We ended up playing at a small community playground water park and had to run through through it every time one of us got a question wrong. I started out saying I was going to stay dry, but ended up drenched. It didn't dawn on us that none of us had towels to dry off with till after we were soaked.
It was a weekend full of its ups and downs, but thats what building relationships with God and His Family is full of; a privilege I would never want to loose!
When we drove onto the base it was almost 5:00. Our driver pulled up to a stoplight right as music started playing from the base sound system. The light turned green...and we didn't move. I don't know that much about base life, and one of my biggest pet peeves is when drivers stall on a green light, so I tried to help out.
"Hey John, the lights green."
"...John, buddy, the lights green, you can go."
"John! Go man!"
John- "It's the national anthem"
Me- *silenced*
As some of you know, I'm not the biggest national supporter of giving solute to a flag. It's not because I'm against America; I love that God blessed me to be born and raised in this country! I just am a little uncomfortable participating in something Shaderack, Meshack, and Abednego were thrown into a burning furnace for not supporting thousands of years ago. When it's looked down upon for not paying homage to a material possession we've created and give more honor to it than God, I don't view it as sacred.
That being said, I have a deep respect for those that serve to shield us from danger and keep our freedom in tact. On that base, it was hard for me to get over my pet peeve at the stop light, but I understood why they took the time to pause. It was more for the troops in service than it was for the flag itself.
After the swimming and the cook-out, including a short game of Chubby Bunny (John's wife, Sarah, is certified in CPR, no worries) we took a walk down about two miles of the base's walking track. Along the way we randomly planked some street signs and posts, tried out the death crawl like what appears in Facing the Giants, and a couple even gave piggy back rides. The rest of the night, the girls stayed up and watched a movie, while the guys took their party downstairs; we didn't go to sleep till about 4:00 in the AM because of being so trapped up in the most EPIC game of capture the flag, Call of Duty style! I'm not much of a gamer, so my gift to the cause was as a human meat shield. (whatever helps right?)
On Saturday, I got to celebrate the 90th birthday of a man I've had the honor of meeting through our church. Brother Hatter grew up working on a farm, and his cake reflected it; decked out with fields and tractors!
God really spoke through our pastor Sunday morning. His message was on not just giving our lives to Christ, but allowing His Holy Spirit to dwell and move inside of us! Worship was rough, as I was the only one of maybe two that joined in clapping while singing; apparently our congregation doesn't believe in movement being a form of worship, i don't know, but I catch all kinds of looks when I can't help but worship without sitting or standing l. I am thankful for that, because I hope that the excitement God has overflowing from my heart floods into the hearts of others! That is why Pastor Jay's message was so needed yesterday, our church's congregation needs their hearts to soften to allow God's Spirit to not just dwell inside the building, but flow through the veins of its people!
After worship we were all excited to celebrate the marriage of Chris and Tammy! They were two of my teens that decided to tie the knot, of which I could not be more excited for! They saw the importance of making a lifetime commitment to each other, much like the commitment they made to Christ during the year before! The only problem was, when the host proclaimed, "Time to open presents!", it dawned on me that a wedding shower really is a good time to bring a gift. My Sunday afternoon was spent shopping for them.
Last night was great, I joined two of our teens for "Let Loose"; a time when the teens can bring their friends and just let loose in an environment where they can feel unjudged, trusted, clean of negative language, and find freedom from the stresses of a busy life. We ended up playing at a small community playground water park and had to run through through it every time one of us got a question wrong. I started out saying I was going to stay dry, but ended up drenched. It didn't dawn on us that none of us had towels to dry off with till after we were soaked.
It was a weekend full of its ups and downs, but thats what building relationships with God and His Family is full of; a privilege I would never want to loose!
Friday, June 8, 2012
Selfish Devotion
It's one of those selfish ambitions: to feel like I can get more out of the Word of God by myself rather than sharing a devotional with someone - the risk that they're going to have a different viewpoint than you and lead you to not get what you hope to get out of it, maybe they're not as philosophical as you are, or maybe they wont slow down enough and the fear of missing something sets in.
Yesterday, I went to Mount Vernon to catch lunch with Ryan S. He grew up under my youth ministry at my parents' church and has now finished his first year at Grace College as a French major. Since attending college, he has taken an opportunity to lead in a youth ministry, and I had the privilege of hearing him tell me about a few of the blessings and struggles he had while serving!
What was great about yesterday was when he asked if we were still going to the park after lunch and if we needed our bibles! I was like, YES! LET'S DO THAT! Going into the day we had talked about just hanging out for an hour or two with a completely random, unplanned list of things to do...basically the list was empty. What started out as catching up on old times at the local Mc Donald's and plankin' at the city park for a couple hours ended up being a four hour devotion reading the end of the book of Job!
At first, I must admit, I really wanted to finish Job on my own, because this time through it I have found myself being humbled by the majesty of God and wanted no distractions when I got to the part where God speaks His final words. If I would have done that, I would not have experienced the blessings that were given yesterday. Because of being open to another's viewpoint, God opened my heart to even more of what He was saying through His Word, and we both grew as brothers in Christ!
(If you haven't been following my Twitter life, you missed out on some amazing quotes from Job, his friend Elihu, and finally God's final words that i posted that were a HUGE influence on me. Feel free to follow me at www.twitter.com/muzikmantim! You can also catch my latest tweets on the side of this blog!)
After getting crushed and restored by the words of God, we spent a lot of time in prayer. Prayer is a hard form of worship to grow accustomed to because it does not come naturally for us to communicate to someone we cannot see, touch, hear in the same way as everyone else, taste (ya, that'd be weird, but you get the point), or smell (but I am sure God has an extremely pleasing aroma!). It requires blind faith and trust; two values that are almost lost in todays world. What is such a blessing about having another person to share with, in a personal time with God moment, is that each other's values, characteristics, similarities, and even differences, work together to make faith and trust more understandable.
God's creative works are so much grander than ours. Our relationships with each other reflect on how our relationship is with God. If we are selfish with ourselves - only caring about what we want alone - our relationship with God probably consists of a lot of questions as to why we never hear Him, see Him at work in our lives, and feel like He has left us to fend for ourselves. The truth is, that's what we are asking Him to let us do, and in His great Love of not binding us as slaves He allows us that choice of how to live. If we are selfish with our friends - naturally feeling like they should be available when we want them, and unavailable when we don't - our relationship with God may depend on how controlling we can be of Him...which isn't very much. If we are selfish with those we are in a romantic relationship with - keeping them from spending time with their friends and family, not letting them talk to certain people just because we're not very comfortable with them, and wanting them more to ourselves - our relationship with God will consist of us not being willing to share Him with others either. Could you imagine not wanting others to experience the same Love that God has lavished upon you?
It is easier to say than actually doing it though - wanting everyone else to experience that Love and intimacy that you share with God - but when it comes down to the opportunity for someone else to share in that moment, will you be able to open up a spot at your table for God to pour out His blessings? Will you be willing to not be the only one that experiences the warmth of His grace?
Yesterday, I went to Mount Vernon to catch lunch with Ryan S. He grew up under my youth ministry at my parents' church and has now finished his first year at Grace College as a French major. Since attending college, he has taken an opportunity to lead in a youth ministry, and I had the privilege of hearing him tell me about a few of the blessings and struggles he had while serving!
What was great about yesterday was when he asked if we were still going to the park after lunch and if we needed our bibles! I was like, YES! LET'S DO THAT! Going into the day we had talked about just hanging out for an hour or two with a completely random, unplanned list of things to do...basically the list was empty. What started out as catching up on old times at the local Mc Donald's and plankin' at the city park for a couple hours ended up being a four hour devotion reading the end of the book of Job!
At first, I must admit, I really wanted to finish Job on my own, because this time through it I have found myself being humbled by the majesty of God and wanted no distractions when I got to the part where God speaks His final words. If I would have done that, I would not have experienced the blessings that were given yesterday. Because of being open to another's viewpoint, God opened my heart to even more of what He was saying through His Word, and we both grew as brothers in Christ!
(If you haven't been following my Twitter life, you missed out on some amazing quotes from Job, his friend Elihu, and finally God's final words that i posted that were a HUGE influence on me. Feel free to follow me at www.twitter.com/muzikmantim! You can also catch my latest tweets on the side of this blog!)
After getting crushed and restored by the words of God, we spent a lot of time in prayer. Prayer is a hard form of worship to grow accustomed to because it does not come naturally for us to communicate to someone we cannot see, touch, hear in the same way as everyone else, taste (ya, that'd be weird, but you get the point), or smell (but I am sure God has an extremely pleasing aroma!). It requires blind faith and trust; two values that are almost lost in todays world. What is such a blessing about having another person to share with, in a personal time with God moment, is that each other's values, characteristics, similarities, and even differences, work together to make faith and trust more understandable.
God's creative works are so much grander than ours. Our relationships with each other reflect on how our relationship is with God. If we are selfish with ourselves - only caring about what we want alone - our relationship with God probably consists of a lot of questions as to why we never hear Him, see Him at work in our lives, and feel like He has left us to fend for ourselves. The truth is, that's what we are asking Him to let us do, and in His great Love of not binding us as slaves He allows us that choice of how to live. If we are selfish with our friends - naturally feeling like they should be available when we want them, and unavailable when we don't - our relationship with God may depend on how controlling we can be of Him...which isn't very much. If we are selfish with those we are in a romantic relationship with - keeping them from spending time with their friends and family, not letting them talk to certain people just because we're not very comfortable with them, and wanting them more to ourselves - our relationship with God will consist of us not being willing to share Him with others either. Could you imagine not wanting others to experience the same Love that God has lavished upon you?
It is easier to say than actually doing it though - wanting everyone else to experience that Love and intimacy that you share with God - but when it comes down to the opportunity for someone else to share in that moment, will you be able to open up a spot at your table for God to pour out His blessings? Will you be willing to not be the only one that experiences the warmth of His grace?
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Alive or Sleeping
Our church started VBS last Wednesday night. For those of you that have never experienced the awesomeness that is VBS, these letters stand for Vacation Bible School; a time when kids from infancy to usually 6th grade come to learn about Jesus and participate in memorizing bible verses, new songs, make crafts, throw water balloons at each other, and have snacks that match the theme of the program. This year we're using one from Lifeway for a New York theme!
I feel like this year's VBS is being used by God to show our church how deep into sleep it has fallen. Last week, our opening Wednesday night, 13 teens came and helped everywhere they could, and we were glad they did! Four of our adult volunteers were no call no shows, included were the Missions Director and two group leaders. Without those teens, we would have been without any direction for where to involve our kids in the journey of finding out more about God's Love. Yet even the teens came without much understanding of why being volunteers is so important to the lives of kids. Most came either because they had to or because they knew there would be water balloons to throw at each other.
God does not spare words when it comes to a church that has fallen asleep in the service of His Kingdom:
"To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you."
(Revelation 3:1-3 NIV)
The Church of Sardis started out with such an excitement for God, but over time they grew comfortable and their lives looked more the stagnant water. I risk a lot by saying this, but our church has grown much the same way. Those that are few and far between of being willing to hold volunteer positions only hold the place card, others show up a half an hour later than start times with the thought that everyone will wait for them. I remember one Sunday, during worship, our leader told the congregation that since they sang so well on the last song that they could sit down for the rest - I don't know how sitting down during worship can be counted as a privilege - and anytime a church event would be planned, complaints would pour in that we were trying to interfere with busy schedules outside of the church. Parents of most of the teens involved in the youth ministry have taken the view point that we run somewhat of a babysitting service than actually giving our youth something to grow on and be nourished in the Love of God while having opportunities to serve others, and asking for volunteers is looked upon as a way of saying I can't handle keeping the distracting teens out of the adult programming by myself.
Two weeks ago, we had a church cook-out. Games were planned as an adults verses kids and teens fellowship, which typically results in a lot of laughs and lighthearted teasing. Until the last half an hour of the night our cook-out consisted of our pastor, one lady that shares the same vision of staying awake and alive, and me. Then one family joined us outside for the rest of the time. The remaining people held their own "cook-in", taking their food to the fellowship hall tables and talking with each other about the problems of life.
When game time started, it was inly kids and teens that decided to participate in our egg toss, and by the end of our kick ball game only two adults had joined us to play. I guess my question is, what message are we sending to our church of tomorrow as the adults of today? Are we growing a dying breed?
Yet in the midst of this slumber, I could not help but rejoice with where those teens volunteered for the VBS opening last week! Because of the audible cry for help and pleas of desperation, they all began to see where they were needed in the church. Without the guidance of 13 teenagers, and their encouragement to the adult leaders to liven up, the lives of 10 students would have been taught that our purpose for coming to church was to sleep.
Last night was extremely rewarding for God! We had three new children arrive for VBS, and even though we had four less teen volunteers, another one showed up to help, and three new adults came to be excited about teaching our students about loving Jesus, including the Missions Director and the two group leaders!
I started out the night by throwing the teens into a completely improvisational skit to the song "Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath. I took the role of a homeless man walking the streets of New York. One teen portrayed saving me from falling into oncoming traffic, another portrayed giving me bread to eat, a couple of them took on the role of being bullies, and yet another was the man to step in and stop the bullies from attacking me. After all of the commotion, I sat on a park bench collecting money from teens representing people walking the street, then after considering all of those that showed love to me, I proceeded to walk around and give the money back to people as an act of loving sacrifice - just as the woman in Luke did when she walked in and recognized Jesus as a Man that Loved her so much He would take away her sins as His own, and she began to wash His feet with her tears and dry them with her hair. The expensive perfume she use to pour over Jesus' feet after cleansing them would have cost her a year's wages. I have to brag on my teens for being the best skit team I could ever ask for!
Cameras started coming out to capture the highlights of what God was doing in His Church last night, and the kids had a lot of fun! It was great to hear them quoting "We love because He first Loved us." all throughout the evening! The night ended with the adults talking about how to improve and make everything flow even smoother for an even more exciting atmosphere in the coming weeks!
With that being said, the question remains:
As a Church, are we alive or sleeping?
I feel like this year's VBS is being used by God to show our church how deep into sleep it has fallen. Last week, our opening Wednesday night, 13 teens came and helped everywhere they could, and we were glad they did! Four of our adult volunteers were no call no shows, included were the Missions Director and two group leaders. Without those teens, we would have been without any direction for where to involve our kids in the journey of finding out more about God's Love. Yet even the teens came without much understanding of why being volunteers is so important to the lives of kids. Most came either because they had to or because they knew there would be water balloons to throw at each other.
God does not spare words when it comes to a church that has fallen asleep in the service of His Kingdom:
"To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you."
(Revelation 3:1-3 NIV)
The Church of Sardis started out with such an excitement for God, but over time they grew comfortable and their lives looked more the stagnant water. I risk a lot by saying this, but our church has grown much the same way. Those that are few and far between of being willing to hold volunteer positions only hold the place card, others show up a half an hour later than start times with the thought that everyone will wait for them. I remember one Sunday, during worship, our leader told the congregation that since they sang so well on the last song that they could sit down for the rest - I don't know how sitting down during worship can be counted as a privilege - and anytime a church event would be planned, complaints would pour in that we were trying to interfere with busy schedules outside of the church. Parents of most of the teens involved in the youth ministry have taken the view point that we run somewhat of a babysitting service than actually giving our youth something to grow on and be nourished in the Love of God while having opportunities to serve others, and asking for volunteers is looked upon as a way of saying I can't handle keeping the distracting teens out of the adult programming by myself.
Two weeks ago, we had a church cook-out. Games were planned as an adults verses kids and teens fellowship, which typically results in a lot of laughs and lighthearted teasing. Until the last half an hour of the night our cook-out consisted of our pastor, one lady that shares the same vision of staying awake and alive, and me. Then one family joined us outside for the rest of the time. The remaining people held their own "cook-in", taking their food to the fellowship hall tables and talking with each other about the problems of life.
When game time started, it was inly kids and teens that decided to participate in our egg toss, and by the end of our kick ball game only two adults had joined us to play. I guess my question is, what message are we sending to our church of tomorrow as the adults of today? Are we growing a dying breed?
Yet in the midst of this slumber, I could not help but rejoice with where those teens volunteered for the VBS opening last week! Because of the audible cry for help and pleas of desperation, they all began to see where they were needed in the church. Without the guidance of 13 teenagers, and their encouragement to the adult leaders to liven up, the lives of 10 students would have been taught that our purpose for coming to church was to sleep.
Last night was extremely rewarding for God! We had three new children arrive for VBS, and even though we had four less teen volunteers, another one showed up to help, and three new adults came to be excited about teaching our students about loving Jesus, including the Missions Director and the two group leaders!
I started out the night by throwing the teens into a completely improvisational skit to the song "Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath. I took the role of a homeless man walking the streets of New York. One teen portrayed saving me from falling into oncoming traffic, another portrayed giving me bread to eat, a couple of them took on the role of being bullies, and yet another was the man to step in and stop the bullies from attacking me. After all of the commotion, I sat on a park bench collecting money from teens representing people walking the street, then after considering all of those that showed love to me, I proceeded to walk around and give the money back to people as an act of loving sacrifice - just as the woman in Luke did when she walked in and recognized Jesus as a Man that Loved her so much He would take away her sins as His own, and she began to wash His feet with her tears and dry them with her hair. The expensive perfume she use to pour over Jesus' feet after cleansing them would have cost her a year's wages. I have to brag on my teens for being the best skit team I could ever ask for!
Cameras started coming out to capture the highlights of what God was doing in His Church last night, and the kids had a lot of fun! It was great to hear them quoting "We love because He first Loved us." all throughout the evening! The night ended with the adults talking about how to improve and make everything flow even smoother for an even more exciting atmosphere in the coming weeks!
With that being said, the question remains:
As a Church, are we alive or sleeping?
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Sharing
"With your help, and guidance and testing my faith in the Lord, you really have saved my life. Thank you, and I don't think I'll have the opportunity to help you as much as you've helped me, but I hope you know I would if I could."
- Kaitlyn C
Today I am inspired by the fact that we don't always get testimonies like this one that I got today. I use to hope to hear these for my own gratification, and got upset if what I was doing "for God" wasn't generating this kind of response. The simple fact was, it wasn't God I was doing it for, it was for the god of myself.
I am so thankful to be serving the One and Only true God; Alpha and Omega, Beginning and the End! All praise and glory be to His name, and I am blessed and humbled to be a part of this journey, where I am able to be used as the hands, feet, and voice of our Maker! What a privilege it is to be carried and led by Him!
If anyone ever needs to talk, vent, or seek advice, I want to make sure you have every avenue you're looking for. I am all ears. It is always an encouragement to hear from you about where you are in this life, not for my entertainment, but to share with you in this journey we are walking together! Know that you are not alone.
Here are some places you can outpour your heart, leave comments about what i post, share your testimonies, even encourage one another, at anytime:
www.timsprinkle.blogspot.com
www.justasprinkle.com
www.facebook.com/timsprinkle
www.twitter.com/muzikmantim
- Kaitlyn C
Today I am inspired by the fact that we don't always get testimonies like this one that I got today. I use to hope to hear these for my own gratification, and got upset if what I was doing "for God" wasn't generating this kind of response. The simple fact was, it wasn't God I was doing it for, it was for the god of myself.
I am so thankful to be serving the One and Only true God; Alpha and Omega, Beginning and the End! All praise and glory be to His name, and I am blessed and humbled to be a part of this journey, where I am able to be used as the hands, feet, and voice of our Maker! What a privilege it is to be carried and led by Him!
If anyone ever needs to talk, vent, or seek advice, I want to make sure you have every avenue you're looking for. I am all ears. It is always an encouragement to hear from you about where you are in this life, not for my entertainment, but to share with you in this journey we are walking together! Know that you are not alone.
Here are some places you can outpour your heart, leave comments about what i post, share your testimonies, even encourage one another, at anytime:
www.timsprinkle.blogspot.com
www.justasprinkle.com
www.facebook.com/timsprinkle
www.twitter.com/muzikmantim
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Uncapping the Bottle
I feel like I have been uninvolved in my own blog way too long, so I might as well start by saying welcome back! If I hope for anyone to follow these random thoughts of mine, I should probably be more sharing of what I do from day to day. So let me begin by summarizing what I have been blessed to go through in the past several week.
I am currently typing this entry using my cell phone. It has become my window to the world, with connecting becoming so much of a common thread through avenues like Twitter, Facebook, SocialCam, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, and it is all available at our fingertips! The problem with that is face to face time building relationships has become an increasingly awkward situation and has begun quietly sliding in this acidic mindset of that kind of relationship only being for couples who are "in love".
As a youth pastor, I cannot count how many times someone has looked at me funny and automatically jumps to questioning when I say things like li care for you", "i support you", "if you ever need me don't hesitate to call", "I love you, man!", and "wanna hang out?"
But thankfully, I have experienced so much of God's never failing Love recently! This month I faced having to find a new place to sleep. The family God worked through to bless me with a bed to sleep in began asking for rent; until recently, the only positions I held was Youth Pastor and Singer/Songwriter- my average income being around $6000 a year. Rent has not even remotely been an option.
This month God blessed me with a new job! I now have the joy of helping kids express themselves in the styles and brands that Journeys for Kidz offers, which is great because I am a Vans, Converse, and Toms kinda guy. Recently, a friend of mine said that as Christians we have to like Toms, because its part of being one! Haha, the truth is, I am constantly drawn in to organizations designed to not just profit themselves, but spread compassion all over the world. Organizations and companies like Toms, Hello Somebody, I Won't Watch, Livestrong, Three Avocados, Chick-Fil-A, World Vision, Goodwill, and Come and Live Records will continue to be supported by me because I get excited about people serving people! I love having the opportunity to be a representative for a company that gives people the means to be supportive too!
The same week I had to move out without a place to sleep, i ran into financial struggle, which started before...because of making so little, I had to use my overdraft card every month for simple things like food and gas...and eventually led to me reaching the maximum amount I could borrow from the card. Now any purchase I would try to make would be denied and I was left with no options; I was beginning to know what it was like to be homeless and hungry.
I don't have a lot of bills - a small loan left over from college a few years ago, a small monthly car payment that most people would consider extremely cheap, insurance to make driving it legal, and this cell phone i use to connect with the world - but on my income it doesnt leave a lot of room for anything else, and I always shop the clearance racks and major markdowns when it comes to what I wear.
Needless to say, I became quiet and secluded from sharing what was really going through my head with anyone except those who God has brought into my life as my closest friends. Without them, I don't think I would be here to share this with you today. God had lived through their hands and feet to begin teaching me about having blind faith in His provision, and they most likely don't know it. So a special thank you goes out to Brian, Dalton, Meghan, Katie, Alyssa, Kevin, Ryan, my sister Heather, Justin, Tim Y, Tim C, Sarah, Kaitlyn, Melanie, Jan, and recently Melissa. There are many others I could continue to thank, but these have really been there for me even though they may not always have understood why I make the decisions that I live for.
I had no other choice but to spend a day in the church just sitting in silence and listening for God. I left without having any absolute answers. Have you ever given all of the time you feel like you have to give and still feel like God's chosen not to talk to you? The only thing I could think of to say before getting up from that place was that In His hands I place my understanding.
The next day at work, my pastor surprised me by bringing me a tiket to join him and his wife at a Cardinals baseball game, then someone from our church came in behind him. They asked if I could speak to them in private, which was at first somewhat uncomfortable. The relationship I've had with her and her husband has been somewhat confusing and misguided recently, which has been kind of a downer for me because I have always wanted to get along with them. I immediately followed her to the entrance of the store, where she handed me cash that I knew was also a sacrifice for her to give and told me she felt like God wanted her to give it to me without questions. I don't believe she knows this, but that gift gave me life.
That night I sent out texts to several people asking for prayer. I needed answers to where I was suppose to sleep at night! God lived through their responses. Again in an act to provide, everyone who I asked for prayer from offered me solutions for places to stay, and now I couldn't feel more humbled! Because of the love God has placed in their hearts, I now stay in the guest room of Tim and Andrea. They have four amazing kids that are extremely kind and full of life! I got to enjoy a meal with them before moving in and they gave me a tour of their garden and beautiful home. The next day I slept on one of my futon cushions that I laid on the floor; a blessing considering I could have ended up on a park bench or in a parking space at the nearest rest stop, but the blessings they outpoured didnt stop! The next day I walk in and they had put a bed together for me to sleep on and told me there was no sense of me sleeping on the floor! Not only that but I was greeted with a drawing of flowers their daughter had made with crayon and placed on the door!
I hope to have every opportunity to return the kindness and generosity.
God continues to provide. One week ago tomorrow my boss pulled me aside and wanted to speak to me. The hours were starting to be very limited and, being the new guy, I feared being let go; an event I wouldn't have been surprised with when I already felt like I was loosing everything else. Instead, she asked me if I would be interested in being trained as a keyholder; someone able to open or close the store, and manage the money flow as well as have more hours! I start training this week!
I dont share this to glorify myself in how I go through pain or suffering, but to give all the praise and worship to God who supplies our every need and never goes by our timing! We are so limited to what we can accomplish on our own, but with God all is possible! He is our Life-Giver, our Supplier, our Shelter, our Bread of Life, our Creator, our King, our Companion, our Mentor and Counselor. God is Love!
Today, I am sitting in McDonalds in Granite City. I enjoyed the most delicious bacon, egg, and cheese bagel and a water, and at 12:15, I am just now getting to the end of this blog entry. I could sing of His Love forever!, but today is too beautiful of a day not to enjoy more of His creation by spending time in Forest Park.
Be kind, have compassion on your brothers and sisters, offer love to your neighbors, friend and enemy alike. Whatever you do for the least, you do for our Father, who's Love is far greater and beyond understanding!
I am currently typing this entry using my cell phone. It has become my window to the world, with connecting becoming so much of a common thread through avenues like Twitter, Facebook, SocialCam, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, and it is all available at our fingertips! The problem with that is face to face time building relationships has become an increasingly awkward situation and has begun quietly sliding in this acidic mindset of that kind of relationship only being for couples who are "in love".
As a youth pastor, I cannot count how many times someone has looked at me funny and automatically jumps to questioning when I say things like li care for you", "i support you", "if you ever need me don't hesitate to call", "I love you, man!", and "wanna hang out?"
But thankfully, I have experienced so much of God's never failing Love recently! This month I faced having to find a new place to sleep. The family God worked through to bless me with a bed to sleep in began asking for rent; until recently, the only positions I held was Youth Pastor and Singer/Songwriter- my average income being around $6000 a year. Rent has not even remotely been an option.
This month God blessed me with a new job! I now have the joy of helping kids express themselves in the styles and brands that Journeys for Kidz offers, which is great because I am a Vans, Converse, and Toms kinda guy. Recently, a friend of mine said that as Christians we have to like Toms, because its part of being one! Haha, the truth is, I am constantly drawn in to organizations designed to not just profit themselves, but spread compassion all over the world. Organizations and companies like Toms, Hello Somebody, I Won't Watch, Livestrong, Three Avocados, Chick-Fil-A, World Vision, Goodwill, and Come and Live Records will continue to be supported by me because I get excited about people serving people! I love having the opportunity to be a representative for a company that gives people the means to be supportive too!
The same week I had to move out without a place to sleep, i ran into financial struggle, which started before...because of making so little, I had to use my overdraft card every month for simple things like food and gas...and eventually led to me reaching the maximum amount I could borrow from the card. Now any purchase I would try to make would be denied and I was left with no options; I was beginning to know what it was like to be homeless and hungry.
I don't have a lot of bills - a small loan left over from college a few years ago, a small monthly car payment that most people would consider extremely cheap, insurance to make driving it legal, and this cell phone i use to connect with the world - but on my income it doesnt leave a lot of room for anything else, and I always shop the clearance racks and major markdowns when it comes to what I wear.
Needless to say, I became quiet and secluded from sharing what was really going through my head with anyone except those who God has brought into my life as my closest friends. Without them, I don't think I would be here to share this with you today. God had lived through their hands and feet to begin teaching me about having blind faith in His provision, and they most likely don't know it. So a special thank you goes out to Brian, Dalton, Meghan, Katie, Alyssa, Kevin, Ryan, my sister Heather, Justin, Tim Y, Tim C, Sarah, Kaitlyn, Melanie, Jan, and recently Melissa. There are many others I could continue to thank, but these have really been there for me even though they may not always have understood why I make the decisions that I live for.
I had no other choice but to spend a day in the church just sitting in silence and listening for God. I left without having any absolute answers. Have you ever given all of the time you feel like you have to give and still feel like God's chosen not to talk to you? The only thing I could think of to say before getting up from that place was that In His hands I place my understanding.
The next day at work, my pastor surprised me by bringing me a tiket to join him and his wife at a Cardinals baseball game, then someone from our church came in behind him. They asked if I could speak to them in private, which was at first somewhat uncomfortable. The relationship I've had with her and her husband has been somewhat confusing and misguided recently, which has been kind of a downer for me because I have always wanted to get along with them. I immediately followed her to the entrance of the store, where she handed me cash that I knew was also a sacrifice for her to give and told me she felt like God wanted her to give it to me without questions. I don't believe she knows this, but that gift gave me life.
That night I sent out texts to several people asking for prayer. I needed answers to where I was suppose to sleep at night! God lived through their responses. Again in an act to provide, everyone who I asked for prayer from offered me solutions for places to stay, and now I couldn't feel more humbled! Because of the love God has placed in their hearts, I now stay in the guest room of Tim and Andrea. They have four amazing kids that are extremely kind and full of life! I got to enjoy a meal with them before moving in and they gave me a tour of their garden and beautiful home. The next day I slept on one of my futon cushions that I laid on the floor; a blessing considering I could have ended up on a park bench or in a parking space at the nearest rest stop, but the blessings they outpoured didnt stop! The next day I walk in and they had put a bed together for me to sleep on and told me there was no sense of me sleeping on the floor! Not only that but I was greeted with a drawing of flowers their daughter had made with crayon and placed on the door!
I hope to have every opportunity to return the kindness and generosity.
God continues to provide. One week ago tomorrow my boss pulled me aside and wanted to speak to me. The hours were starting to be very limited and, being the new guy, I feared being let go; an event I wouldn't have been surprised with when I already felt like I was loosing everything else. Instead, she asked me if I would be interested in being trained as a keyholder; someone able to open or close the store, and manage the money flow as well as have more hours! I start training this week!
I dont share this to glorify myself in how I go through pain or suffering, but to give all the praise and worship to God who supplies our every need and never goes by our timing! We are so limited to what we can accomplish on our own, but with God all is possible! He is our Life-Giver, our Supplier, our Shelter, our Bread of Life, our Creator, our King, our Companion, our Mentor and Counselor. God is Love!
Today, I am sitting in McDonalds in Granite City. I enjoyed the most delicious bacon, egg, and cheese bagel and a water, and at 12:15, I am just now getting to the end of this blog entry. I could sing of His Love forever!, but today is too beautiful of a day not to enjoy more of His creation by spending time in Forest Park.
Be kind, have compassion on your brothers and sisters, offer love to your neighbors, friend and enemy alike. Whatever you do for the least, you do for our Father, who's Love is far greater and beyond understanding!
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