There’s Still Hope For 2020

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“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor…Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:9-10, 21

The year 2020 will long be known as the year that literally nobody wants to ever experience again. A pandemic, a society that’s more polarized than ever, a culture filled with fear, and an intense political climate that only causes more divisiveness are just a few things that have shown up to upend people’s livelihoods. And our culture definitely has the memes to prove it!

In spite of these things, I want to adjust the the way I’ve thought and acted about this year. Let me show you what I mean (warning: this is a bit of a long read, but I think it’s worth it).

A Busy Weekend

I’ve been to two weddings in the past couple months. I love going to weddings and watching as a man and a woman commit themselves to each other as life partners in a covenant relationship before God. There’s something so deep and powerful about watching a couple unite through the oldest sacrament.

The most recent wedding I went to was at Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, just this past weekend. The weather was perfect, and even though it was a September wedding, it still felt like summer was having its final word. As the couple vowed their commitment and love to one another before God, and as the reception carried on into the evening, the sun gently slid down into the horizon, providing a fantastic sunset of pink and red and orange that reflected across the rippling waves of the lake.

But that’s not how the weekend started for me. It started with a torrential downpour on Friday. Not only did the rain come down in sheets, but I also got a flat tire in the midst of it that evening and had to change that tire in the rain on the side of the road.

I remember that as I stopped the car to check on the flat, I stood there and realized I had two options. I could choose to be frustrated and angry that I had to change a tire in the middle of the pouring rain and probably miss out on the dinner plans I was on my way to. Or, I could get to work to fix the problem and trust in the Lord to intervene in the situation in whatever way He saw fit. I chose the latter, said a quick prayer, and got to work.

I was soaked within a few minutes, and it took me forever to find all the right tools because I’m inexperienced at changing car tires. And yet, I felt a sense of peace, because I knew how to fix the problem, and I knew that God was going to take care of me.

He did take care of me, in the form of the Chief of the Lynchburg Police Department, a man willing to stop by in the middle of the pouring rain to help a hapless 26-year-old with car trouble. A simple act of selflessness and kindness, one person to another, something that too often goes overlooked.

I got my car to a shop before dark, and then I found a ride to the next day’s wedding. Saturday started as a gloomy day, overcast and grey. But just as we arrived at Smith Mountain Lake, the sky began to clear up, and we had the perfect summer evening for a beautiful wedding. I could feel the joy of the Lord among the people present.

This may sound like just a pretty story, but there’s more to it behind the scenes.

My Experience With 2020

I struggle with anxiety and some depression, and 2020 has been one long year of change and transformation for me. I started working from home due to the pandemic, and I moved into a new home in late spring. For a time, I didn’t see many of my closest friends except for over video chats. I worked through personal and family issues that I never expected to have to face, and I began to see a counselor to help me get through them. I began to consider how else my skills could be used to benefit the Kingdom of God, and where I might begin to be more vocal, take a stand for my faith, and make more of a difference. Additionally, several people I’m close to have also struggled with personal issues, and I’ve walked alongside them in the midst of it. And I’ve mourned as I scroll through social media (probably more often than I should), watching as one side blasts the other for ignorance, hatred, bigotry, and moral bankruptcy while all sides practice all those things against each other. I’ve realized that I need to be spending a lot more time in prayer than I currently do.

But then weekends like this happen in which I have a rare moment of clarity, and I’m given a chance to remember the goodness of God.

Hope, beauty, and answered prayer still exist in the world. They often go overlooked because, like the Holy Spirit, these moments have still, small voices that we have to be paying attention to in order to hear.  They don’t ask for attention. Then, once they’ve occurred, we have to commit to remembering them, because we’re likely to forget the good in favor of bemoaning the bad.

2020 Is Not Lost

Now, I will say that I don’t believe the year 2020 ending in a few months will solve our problems. The calendar switching from December 31, 2020, to January 1, 2021, won’t fix anything.

I think what we’re experiencing is just the beginning of many new problems—which also means this is a prime time for the Church to experience world-changing revival if we will get onto our knees in repentance and start being more obedient to the Lord and more compassionate to our neighbors.

I won’t deny that the negative feelings I’ve witnessed and experienced are justified. But I for one don’t want to just sit around and think like that all the time. It’s a miserable way to live, and I’ve been guilty in the recent past of living that way. No more.

(Read Philippians 4:8-9 for a reminder of how Christ-followers are instructed to think)

I want to choose hope and encouragement more often and let my words and conversations be filled with laughter, thankfulness, and rejoicing. As Ephesians 4:29-32 says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Sounds awesome, doesn’t it? But far too few Christ-followers actually live out this instruction, and I count myself as one who often doesn’t, especially where the thoughts of my heart are concerned.

2020 can be redeemed, and choosing joy and kindness is the best way I know of right now to combat the world’s growing darkness (along with a heaping cup of prayer, of course). Acknowledge the hurt and pain, process it rather than numbing it, then choose to rejoice in the Lord and encourage one another rather than giving in to misery, fear, and hatred. I’m also keeping in mind that this will only happen if I choose to fill my mind with Scripture and the presence of the Holy Spirit, because I’m powerless to make that change on my own.

The year 2020 is not lost, and we can’t give up on it. We can still do good and trust in the faithfulness of God, even in the midst of the chaos. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll add some light into a world that’s increasingly full of darkness.

Three Years of Change

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It’s funny how one day can mean so much. It can mean great sorrow or great joy. One day can be a turning point in life. One of the biggest turning points in my life occurred on this day, July 26, three years ago, when my mom, Vivian, died at the age of 61 from an aggressive liver cancer. She was a wonderful, strong woman of God who passed on to me her love of words, Jesus, and other people.

Three years ago. How strange that sounds! So much has changed in my life, both good and bad.

I started a new career in writing that my Mom would’ve been ecstatic about.

Two of my grandparents and one close family friend also died (within a matter of a few months), leaving even more gaps in my heart.

I moved into a new apartment, fully independent on my own for the first time.

I’ve been learning more about Jesus and the changes He can make in my heart to help me recover from traumatic experiences and the bondage of hurts, hangups, and habits (as we call them at my local Celebrate Recovery ministry).

As I write this, many other thoughts weigh on my mind: the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing division in the country I call home, anxiety about the future and the calling of the Lord on my heart. I fear losing more precious relationships and finding myself alone, so I reactively cling tighter to what I still have (sometimes too tightly).

But a piece of the Serenity Prayer has also been coming to mind a lot recently, and I think it applies well to many things that I’ve experienced the past three years: “Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will…”

This prayer has been the cry of my heart recently. I want to remember the faithfulness of the Lord and allow it to change me. I want to allow myself to feel rather than just ignore uncomfortable things in my life. I pray that venturing through life a day at a time will teach me endurance and to continue seeking after the only One who can fulfill me. And I try to keep my hope in the Lord, not in this fragmented, broken world.

I always want to sound hopeful, especially when I’m writing something I know others will read. Clinging to the hope of Jesus is often the only thing that keeps me going. It changes my perspective on life, helps me acknowledge the things that I can’t control, and reminds me that God is always in control, will never abandon me, and will strengthen me in my weakness. Unfortunately, I often don’t feel hope myself. My mind and spirit are often at war, fear and faith fighting with fisticuffs.

But if the past three years have taught me just one thing, it’s that God is still good, all the time. He provides for me without fail. He forgives me of my mistakes and sets me back on the right path when I mess up. His Word is a balm to my wounds. He gives unlimited grace, a huge and tiny word for “unmerited favor” that boggles my mind. And He gives hope.

Three years ago today, my life changed. And God is in the midst of that change, healing me and giving me strength every day.

Running With God

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I have recently become something of a runner. Earlier this year, I began and completed an eight-week workout plan. I’d never really worked out before, but committing to the plan, seeing it through, and making good progress really helped motivate me to keep going with fitness.

The cardio part of my workout usually involves running or biking. One day toward the end of the eight-week period as I was running up a steep hill, determined to conquer it, a thought that I believe came directly from the Holy Spirit popped into my head: “This is pleasing to God.”

It startled me. Usually when I think of something being pleasing to God, I think of studying the Bible, discussing topics of faith, and spending time in prayer or at a church service. Not running up a hill covered in sweat as my body complains and Skillet blasts in my ears. But it’s true.

When I discussed this with a close friend later on, my friend reminded me that hard work as a whole is pleasing to God.

Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

That got me thinking about what motivates me. When I do hard work like running, why am I doing it?

When I started working out, my goal was to get stronger, increase my endurance, and hopefully build some muscle. I was willing to push through the pain and strain in order to accomplish something that’s good for my health. (And yes, there may have been an element of wanting to show off or look good.)

These were and are great goals, don’t get me wrong (well, maybe not the last one). But what I didn’t think about was that I’d be honoring my Heavenly Father. I’ve heard many stories about people dedicating their hard work to the Lord, but I don’t think they really sank in until I came to this realization personally during that run.

I am a human being, and therefore I was created to worship. If I don’t worship the God who created me, I’ll worship something or someone else. Most likely myself.

But I find that when I dedicate my hard work to the Lord, my motivations become more purified, because in that moment, I am doing what I was made to do: worship the Lord.

So instead of “walking with God”, as people in the Old Testament did or were instructed to do (Deuteronomy 5:33, Genesis 17:1), it’s my goal to run with God.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…” Hebrews 12:1-2a

A Trip To “Gilligan’s Ireland”

Getting outdoors on a warm, sunny day in the springtime is incredible. It’s beautiful to feel the heat of that big ball of light in the sky on my skin and watch as it makes everything that has previously felt dull come into sharp, vibrant focus.

That’s why I was so excited to find out that Percival’s Island Trail in Lynchburg, VA, had reopened. Months ago, I walked this trail every afternoon after getting off work and before going home.

My papa also loved this trail. In his humorous way, he liked to make up unconventional names and phrases to describe things. So Percival’s Island became “Gilligan’s Island”—and then, when he decided that was still too “conventional”, it became “Gilligan’s Ireland”.

Papa died in November of 2019, just a month or two after the trail was closed so that the bridge could be repaired. So when I heard that it had reopened on Saturday, April 4, I decided to be the first of the Scoles family to check it out post-construction. The wood-plank walkway/bikeway was redone. The wooden planks looked unweathered, unstained, refreshingly new and whole. The sun beaming down on them brought out the brightness of their light tan color.

After I looked around on the bridge for a short time, watching the river, taking in the newness of the bridge, and watching as other people walked up and down it, I “christened” the bridge and trail with a run. Saturday marked the end of the seventh week of a fitness training regimen I’ve been working through, and I ran about 3.3 miles in 30 minutes (which is so far my personal best time, though in fairness, the trail is pretty flat).

The other thing that truly made this run special was that Papa’s voice echoed in my head as I ran, reminding me to acknowledge or wave at the other trail users. He always liked doing that on his walks, because he wanted to make a connection with people he didn’t know, even if only a brief nod or quick hello.

I had headphones in and music jamming to help me stay focused, but I tried to live out this mindset by waving or nodding at people I passed.

In a way, all of these things made this experience feel so new and different, even though I’ve been to this trail many times before. Life goes on and things change, but to me, there’s a certain beauty to that change—whether that change means grieving the loss of loved ones, seeing something be rebuilt, or reaching a fitness goal I only ever dreamed about. On this day, memories mixed with new adventures to create an experience that just made me feel…alive.

A New Story

 

This blog has changed a lot over the years. Sometimes I’ve posted often, and sometimes I’ve neglected it for months. I’ve experimented with different topics and have been both successful and unsuccessful. I’ve made mistakes and learned from them.

A Personal Goal

One of my goals this year has been to get back to writing regularly and consistently, especially through the medium of this blog. But I knew going into this decision that if I was going to start this blog again, I would need a new direction. I would need a new purpose for it, because I never really had a specified purpose for it besides “I’m a writer, and this is an outlet for my craft.”

So I got to thinking about who I am and what I want to communicate. The past several years have been a major time of learning and growing for me. Several of my close relatives have died. I’ve started a new job and gotten involved in new church ministries which have challenged and shaped my character. I’ve made new friends and drawn closer to others. I’ve experienced life in its highest and lowest and witnessed the same in other peoples’ lives.

A Storytelling Life

My life has always seemed to revolve around stories of one form or another, beginning from my bookish childhood. One thing that has always been clear to me is that human beings are storytelling creatures–of truth and of fiction. We experience and communicate stories every day. They are in our every word and deed, and they are ingrained in every facet of our world.

I believe that stories remind us of things we’ve forgotten or let slip away, give us strength we didn’t know we had, grant us courage and hope, and help us see the world differently. As Aurora Lane from the 2016 film Passengers says, “I think we tell each other stories to know we’re not alone, to make contact” and “If you live an ordinary life, all you’ll have are ordinary stories. You have to live a life of adventure.”

All good stories have similar building blocks: relatable characters, compelling plotlines, vivid details, conflicts and resolutions, beginnings, middles, and ends. Some stories end negatively, while others end with joy and hope and the heroes emerging victorious. All of those aspects and more are just a reflection of the lives we live every day, of our hopes and dreams. That’s what makes them so immersive, believable, and relatable.

New Purpose

I want to be a storyteller through this blog.

I’m going to tell my personal stories of struggle and victory, hopes, fears, and faith in the hope that my stories can help someone else. I’m going to share my creative projects (stories, poems, etc.). I’m going to geek out about good stories and why and how they’re meaningful to me. And I’m going to tell the greatest story of all: the story of Jesus Christ and His saving grace and redeeming love, available to all.

But equally important, I also want to encourage everyone who reads this blog to tell their own stories, as well, and to be creative.

Why?

Because stories matter, and so do you.

Welcome to A Good Story.

Two Years: In Memoriam of Mom

Mom in one of her favorite places in the world: Colonial Williamsburg

For the past several weeks, I’ve been remembering that today, July 26, marks two years since my mom went to be with the Lord, and the one thing I always think first in response to that realization is “how has it been two years already?”

Yes, it’s been two years since my dear mother, Vivian, died of cancer. Two busy, life-changing years full of growth, joy, sorrow, faith, doubt, and the goodness of God.

When planning this post, I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to say. Maybe just that I miss her a lot. I’ve grown accustomed to not having her around, but I still sometimes notice her absence. It’s a dull needle prick of pain now instead of the whole sharp, gut-dropping knife stab of pain that it once was.

I’m moving on, and wishing sometimes that I wasn’t; it almost feels like it’s been too easy to get past it. The grace and peace of God that has been available to me has been astounding, and I’m grateful for it and those who have supported my family and I in our grief. But I don’t want to forget her, because a lot of her influence made me into who I am today. And in the family photos my brother, sister, dad and I took this past spring, we agreed that it didn’t feel completely right: there was something, someone missing.

But life goes on. Relentlessly, time ticks, and I will find myself turning twenty-five next month, two days after what would’ve been her sixty-fourth birthday.

I want to remember her more. But perhaps I already am. I honor her memory by serving as I do at my church and in my community. I remember what she loved through the jokes I tell, the subjects and ideas I discuss, and the creative activities I pursue. I stay faithful in what was important to her through the priorities I set for self-improvement and serving others and in the relationships I maintain. I seek to love my Heavenly Father as fervently as she did.

And maybe that’s just it. Maybe she was so much like Jesus that, in the end, just worshiping my Creator and Savior is enough to keep her memory fresh. She would like that. It’s who she was.

If I could just make the effort to hug a little tighter, love a little deeper, smile a little wider, be more present and grateful where I am, use my talents more, and serve God and others with the same strength and selflessness she did–in memoriam–it’ll be like she’s been there the whole time. And God will smile and say to me like I know he’s already said to her at His throne, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You are my precious child, whom I love, and in you I am well pleased.”

In Memoriam: Vivian Scoles, August 29, 1955–July 26, 2017.

She fought the good fight, reached the goal, and won the prize that was waiting for her in the arms of her Heavenly Father.

Why the “Never Ending Story” Scene from Stranger Things 3 is Brilliant Storytelling (Spoilers!)

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I finished Stranger Things Season 3 in a matter of a couple days, it was so good. What an amazing continuation to the story of our favorite 80’s kids from Hawkins, Indiana! There were sweet moments, intensely awesome moments (I’m looking at you, El), emotional moments, and laugh-out-loud moments. But I have to say, one of my favorite scenes comes from the final episode of the season. Be warned, here there be spoilers!

 

 

One of my favorite scenes in Season 3 is when Dustin finally gets to reconnect with his camp girlfriend, Suzie (Suzie-poo), and they sing a duet. This is an example of storytelling at its finest, and here’s why:

It represents hope and gives strength in the midst of great fear and desperation.

If you’re still reading this, then you probably remember the scene. Everything is hanging in the balance. Hopper, Joyce, and Murray need the code to the Russian safe, Planck’s constant, and the kids are in Nancy’s family car speeding away from the Mind Flayer monster, which is relentlessly chasing them.

What Dustin has to do to solve the problem is sing a duet with his girlfriend-who-nobody-thought-was-real. For a solid two minutes, the two of them belt out (in harmony, no less!) the theme to The Never Ending Story.

The moment is so absurd and oddly-placed in the story, and that’s why it’s perfect. Everyone in the crew can hear it because of their radio connections, and most of their reaction faces approximate a “what the heck” reaction (except for Joyce, whose reaction you can’t see as she’s facing a wall–though I personally think that that was just Winona Ryder secretly trying to not look like she was laughing).

But even as the song continues, it seems to me that their shocked faces evolve into something different. Something almost like… hope. The song and the purity and innocence that it calls forth hearkens back to a simpler time, the days before any of this ever happened. A time before the gate to the Upside Down was ever opened. A time before life and hormones struck these young people a relentless and inescapable blow.

Something about this song, I personally think, creates an atmosphere of remembrance and nostalgia, a moment to step back from it all. This moment becomes a tiny burst of strength and courage for all of the characters, who are by this point worn out, angry, and suffering. It injects a tiny bit of goodness into such a dark situation, like a slap in the disgusting, gooey face (or lack thereof) of the monster from the Upside Down, along with the evil and death it brought with it.

As a tension-reliever, this moment is perfectly placed, and even the song itself–“A Never Ending Story”–hints at the themes being emphasized throughout the series. Good vs. evil, light vs. darkness. These powerful concepts are always at odds in the world, and it takes coming together and uniting (and dare I say it, singing a hopeful little song?) to find the strength and courage to carry on in the midst of such pain.

On a bit of a side note, it’s also an awesome conclusion to a minor, but important, subplot: the fact that none of Dustin’s friends think his girlfriend actually exists. But guess what, she does! Dustin (along with poor Will) seems to constantly feel like the odd one out, in spite of his character being so awesome and integral to the team. In this moment he proves his honesty and that he can overcome the doubts and skepticism of his friends.

Every good vs. evil story has to have moments like these, moments that remind the characters–and us–of why they fight (sort of like Sam Gamgee’s speeches about great stories in The Two Towers and about the beauty of the Shire in The Return of the King). Remembering why you fight to keep going in such a dark time can often prove to be a catalyst to do even greater things. It can help those involved resist an antagonist even more, to the point of achieving victory in the face of ever-mounting odds.

Say what you will about this headcanon of mine, whether I’m imagining something that’s not there, or what might have been different about the season’s ending if the scene had never existed, but I rather think it adds value to the story. And if you think about it (I can’t stop thinking about it, since that song has been stuck in my head ever since), don’t we need those moments in our lives, too?

 

God Answers Prayer

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God recently answered a three-year-long prayer for me, and in the process of him answering this prayer, he has taught me a lot about prayer and about myself.

I struggle with a lot of doubt and fear (part of which comes from being an overthinker), and God has been trying to get me to surrender all of these things to him. It’s not easy to do. For some reason, I find it so much “easier” to worry myself to death about things I cannot control or don’t know for certain than to give the issue to God, who can control it and who sees all outcomes. I found myself on several occasions feeling odd after giving this particular issue to God, because I actually had moments of peace about it and I wasn’t dwelling or obsessing over it.

God also wanted me to surrender the issue to him completely, so that even if he didn’t answer my prayer in the way that I hoped, I would still believe that prayer works, and that even if I hadn’t received this particular answer, that I would still receive an answer of some sort in the future.

He doesn’t want my love for him to be conditional on him giving me what I want. Instead, he wants it to be dependent on me surrendering all things to his power and control and being satisfied with the answer, since he knows what’s best for me better than I do.

At the same time, he wants me to ask for things in prayer specifically so that when he answers specifically, I’ll know it was him. It’s a two-laned street: asking and surrendering.

God wanted me to trust that his planning and timing are perfect. And believe me, in this situation, they were. I sat down to make a list of all the ways in which God had specifically answered my prayer, and came up with almost ten. Down to the “t”, God fulfilled my prayer.

And yet, I find myself doubting the power of prayer all the time. I say I’ll pray for someone, then I’ll say a quick prayer so I won’t be caught lying, and then I’ll move on. But faith is so often absent from these prayers, and I don’t believe or have the conviction that God will come through. “Oh, you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Jesus says — not unkindly — in my spirit.

Recently, I’ve asked God to teach me how to pray, and he has not disappointed. I am learning to pray simply, honestly, boldly, and continuously, remembering the promises and scriptures of the Lord and all the ways in which he has answered my prayers in the past, and using those experiences and words to fuel my puny faith.

God rewarded my faith in this situation. I’m sure he wants to keep rewarding my faith, but I find that I don’t often give him the benefit of the doubt, so to speak. In other words, I don’t choose faith when doubt is my first reaction. I just let the doubt fill me with despair, and then I miss what God is doing.

But he is a God who answers prayer. Even better, who wants to answer prayer.

Because he is a God who answers prayer, that means that now that one of my biggest prayers of late is answered, I need to pray even more, and grow even further in faith.

This is just the beginning.

I’m excited to see what my Heavenly Father is going to do next!

Perspectives of the Past, Faith for the Future

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Recently, one question has been repeatedly popping into my head: If I had known where I was going to be today seven years ago when I graduated high school, would I have chosen it?

The answer is no.

I remember having a vividly different idea of what the future would hold when I was a student graduating high school. It just goes to show that God often has quite a different plan for our lives than we do.

The next question that usually pops up after that is: do I regret the fact that I am where I am now?

Again, the answer is no.

It’s odd, to think that the answer to both of these questions is no. But that also indicates a change in me, a change that God has gently and gracefully facilitated in my soul. It’s safe to say that I am not the man now that I was seven years ago, or even two or three years ago. A lot has transpired in my life that has changed me as an individual.

Why do I bring this up? Because I am a firm believer that our perspective of the events of our past can deeply influence our future.

We don’t know the future. There’s no way we can, and, honestly, we probably shouldn’t. It would freak us out, and we as humans have so much trouble dealing with our pasts and presents that I don’t think we have any real business knowing for sure what is to come. It would be too big a burden.

I have been praying a lot lately that the Lord would increase my faith. As a desperate father of a sick child cried out to Jesus in Mark 9:24, “I believe! Help my unbelief.”

In my walk with Christ, there is a constant battle between doubt and faith. This is why I have been praying for an increase in faith, especially for the future. I believe that God has been answering it by reminding me where I have already been and of what he has already done.

So much of faith is based on previous knowledge and experience. One of the primary reasons that God established so many feasts, festivals, and special occasions in the Mosaic law after the Israelite exodus from Egypt was so that they would remember what he had done for them and not lose faith in the future when challenges came. They needed to tell their real life story so as to not forget and fall into doubt and fear. But guess what? They forgot anyway, time and again.

We do the same thing. And that’s why God has been whispering one word in my ear for months now: “Remember!”

He wants me to remember all of the blessings he has given me in the past and trust that he is still doing those things. He wants me to be grateful and turn that gratefulness into joy and hope. He wants me to remember all of the times I have walked — or walked with others — through the valley of the shadow of death, and he wants me to remember how he provided for me and brought me through those situations such that I would fear no evil and know that he is with me.

Where I’ve come from, through college, the early death of my mother, my long search for a full-time career, the launch of Celebrate Recovery and various missions opportunities at my church, and much more, is part of my story, which God is writing and continues to write. It’s all I actually know besides my current circumstances. The future is beyond me, but because of what the Lord has already done, I can choose to trust that he holds me — and my future — in the palm of his mighty hand. This is a choice I am trying to make every day.

Because of this choice, I can confidently look forward to a future of incredible possibilities, things I could never imagine. I can choose, by faith, to follow the One Who has always provided, always been with me, and never let me down.

My Help (A Poem)

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When I first sat down to write this blog post a couple days ago, I couldn’t. I completely intended to write something entirely different from this post. I had writer’s block, and it frustrated me. But I decided to press on, since I know that my gifts for words and writing come from the Lord, and if I was to overcome whatever was blocking my word flow, I needed to write what He wanted me to write. Thus began a two-day-long period of prayer and Bible reading as I searched for what I needed to write for this post. Eventually, I came across Psalm 121, and the corresponding song “Shoulders” by contemporary Christian band For King & Country, which is currently one of my favorites to listen to every day. Reflecting on what the Lord has been doing in my life recently, how he’s been stretching, testing, and strengthening my faith, this poem, this attempt at a modern psalm, eventually came forth.

My Help

When the sun seems to wane,
and the moon and stars cease
to light up the night;
when my brain storms and the
surly shadow monsters of my mind
sharpen their swords and claws for the kill,
where does my help come from?

My eyes look to the heavens,
To my Father who makes my soul
his holy temple
decorating it with
stained-glass images,
illuminating memories of light and love,
wit and wisdom writ with gold-wrought words.

He waves his hand, beckons me to come to him.
His shoulders are broad, his arms are strong;
gentle but firm
carpenter hands fit my pieces together.

He hears my wounded keening and
can bear my pilgrim burdens,
lifting them and me onto his back,
like a firefighter rescuing
a scared, trapped, soot-stained child.

My Father in heaven
is my torch in the dark,
the warmth of my skin,
filling my lungs with crisp, fresh air,
giving me strength to run, words to speak.
He alone can command the winds to cease;
He alone can move my soul to peace.

When doubt bursts forth
like a jet of water from a cracked dam,
he mends the hole with a firm seal of faith
to make me whole.

My help comes from the Lord,
Maker of heaven and earth – and me;
casting aside my worry,
he shows me the Way to be free.

 

Here is the song and the beautiful, moving music video that helped inspire this poem.

 

The Power of an Encouraging Word

Credit: Youversion Bible App

As someone for whom words hold great importance, I know the effects that they can have. The right words at the right time or the wrong words at the wrong time can make a drastic difference in someone’s life.

For instance, I know a lot of people (myself included, to a minor extent) whose emotional scars come from words: from not being told they measure up or have what it takes or are worth anything…or being specifically told that they don’t.

Therefore, it is of paramount importance that we make our words encouraging, to build one another up. I’ve experienced this a lot myself recently. Many people I know have come to me regularly in the past year or two to give me encouragement, and they probably don’t know how much I covet and crave their positive words toward me. I don’t mind saying that I have gone through a lot of self-esteem issues over the years. So someone expressing that they believe I have what it takes when the enemy is constantly whispering to me that I don’t is like a bucket of cold, refreshing water to my thirsty soul.

I sometimes don’t think or believe something about myself until someone else tells me they believe it of me. It may sound weird, but it’s the truth; sometimes it takes someone else to show me how God sees me before my own eyes will be opened to that reality. This especially helps when people encourage me to keep going in my leadership and writing skills, two places that I commonly experience a lot of self-doubt.

The Bible has a lot to say about the topic of encouragement. For instance:

“Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” Proverbs 16:24

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” Proverbs 25:11

In this day and age, it is so common for us as humans to forget the power of a kind word. We so often focus on tearing each other down in order to pull ourselves up. But we are called as the Church to rebuke that, to go against the rough grain of the world and be an example of Jesus’ love and light to the world.

The world is full of darkness. As a ministry leader in my church’s chapter of Celebrate Recovery (see my previous blog post, “Three Ways Celebrate Recovery Has Changed My Life”), I have witnessed firsthand the damage that depression, anxiety, anger, addiction, and a multitude of infirmities can do to people, and I have listened to testimonies where people talk about the difficulties of their pasts, which often include the effects of both disparaging and encouraging words.

With this in mind, I think it is even more important to let our words and deeds be soaked in kindness and compassion. If you’ll allow me to geek out for a moment, a quote from Gandalf the Grey in the first Hobbit movie comes to mind:

“Saruman believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I’ve found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk, that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps it’s because I am afraid, and he gives me courage.”

Did you hear it? Simple, everyday deeds of ordinary folk hold great power. Someone else’s character and actions can give us hope and push away fear, oftentimes without that person even knowing the effect they’ve had.

This is one way that God works through us to change the world, and I believe that being an encourager is one way to be a warrior of God. With a simple word, we can change someone’s world. You don’t know what kind of day, week, year, or life someone’s having. You don’t know what they’re struggling with, what they fear or doubt, or what secrets are tearing them up on the inside. And if you do, you have an even bigger opportunity to provide that support, in whatever way God would call you to do so.

I confess, I need to be better at this myself. I’m often so focused on me and my issues, stuck in my own head, that I don’t take the time to intentionally ask someone how they’re doing and speak words of life to them. But many people have done so for me (and for those of you who have — you know who you are — I say thank you from the bottom of my heart), and it has made an incredible difference in my life as I walk the path that the Lord has chosen for me.

So make a difference. Find someone to whom you can give the gift of an encouraging word, and watch it make their day.

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart…” 1 Peter 1:22

Three Ways Celebrate Recovery Has Changed My Life

This past January, I helped my church, Lynchburg First Church of the Nazarene, launch our chapter of Celebrate Recovery, an internationally recognized, Christ-centered recovery program pioneered by Rick Warren and Saddleback Church. I never would have expected that God would lead me to serve others through this ministry, but I can safely say that it is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. It has changed my life in so many ways, but today, I’ll focus on the main three.

1. The Twelve Steps

Celebrate Recovery is a twelve-step program, just like many other well-known recovery programs. If recovery is a journey, the Twelve Steps are the road that takes you through it, from the beginning, admitting that you need help in your life, to the end, passing on what you have learned.

Many people would probably think that the Twelve Steps are just a tool that “those other people” need. But I contend that the Twelve Steps can be useful to anybody, as they are a clear parallel to the Christian pursuit of the holiness of God.

Going through the Twelve Steps myself has changed the way I look at the world and at my own life. So often, we try to walk the rough road of life all by our lonesome, denying that we need anyone or anything else to help us manage our pain.

The Twelve Steps, though, opened my eyes to the way that God wants me to walk with Him, admitting my faults and submitting to Him, seeking help from others, forgiving and asking for forgiveness, and gaining the strength I need every day from the Holy Spirit through the admission that I am weak and cannot go it alone.

2. Seeing Others As God Sees Them

I will freely admit, I can be a judgmental person. I think many people are, even without realizing. We quickly create first impressions of the people we see every day, and it’s extremely hard to get past that.

But in 1 Samuel 16:7, God says, “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

God sees us for who we truly are and who we can be. So often, we humans only ever see the surface level of each other, not bothering to dive deep and risk vulnerability. Celebrate Recovery has changed that for me. Through lesson times, testimony times, and carefully regulated open-share groups in which people gather in a circle to speak out about their pain and how the Lord is working in their lives, the superficial surface is stripped away. Honesty comes forth, solidarity is experienced, respect is paid, and wounds begin to heal.

Celebrate Recovery removes the barrier of fearing the judgment of others, and gives people the opportunity to see each other for who they are as people, not just first impressions, stereotypes, or labels. It has done this for me, and I have learned that I must get past my first impressions of people and see them for who they are: people created in the image of God.

From there, the Lord has given me the opportunity and the ability to show people love in the way it has been shown to me: unconditionally. There’s nothing quite like unconditional love, and when you meet someone who is willing to walk with you through your pain and hurt, no matter what, you know you’ve found true family.

One of the devil’s best tactics against humanity is to convince us we’re alone. Celebrate Recovery breaks that lie and shows us that we are not — we are all in this together, all of us who have been broken and affected by the consequences of sin.

Celebrate Recovery is one of the best examples of how the Church is supposed to function that I have ever seen. Why? Because this is exactly what Jesus did. He met people where they were and gave them grace, and still does so today through the Church.

3. Living Intentionally and On Mission

Looking back at my life up until now, I can see that the Lord has been preparing me to serve people through this ministry for a long time, even though I didn’t realize it until recently. I’ve had my fair share of struggles, though I won’t go into them here. If you want to hear my testimony, all you have to do is ask me.

The most obvious preparatory tool from my recent past occurred in college. I was rather sheltered growing up, and going to college and meeting people with real hurt and pain changed how I viewed the world. The Lord put compassion in my heart — which wasn’t there as much as it should have been — and I started wanting to help people through their pain. I just didn’t know exactly how.

But now I know. Helping lead Celebrate Recovery at my church and sharing my testimony of how God has changed my life is the tool I have been given to help people. I may not always get it right — in fact, I have often gotten it wrong, and I only get it right by the grace of God — but I continue to strive toward that goal every day, with intentionality behind every choice I make, every step I take. The Lord has put me on mission to serve people in this way. I want to look past the surface, to see people’s hearts and love them as my heavenly Father does, not trying to fix them myself, because I cannot, but lifting them up in prayer to the One Who can.

Celebrate Recovery has changed my life. And I can’t wait to see what’s next.

If you want to find out more about Celebrate Recovery or find a group near you, go to http://www.celebraterecovery.com or download the Celebrate Recovery app to your phone.

A Poem for Easter

photo credit: https://www.vox.com/world/2019/4/15/18311852/notre-dame-cathedral-fire-spire-collapse-photos-pictures-paris-france

 

This past week, I was inspired to write a poem based on the combination of the Notre Dame Cathedral fire and Holy Week culminating in Easter/Resurrection Sunday. I’ve had this idea in a notebook — and also in my head — for quite some time, but only now have I figured out how to use it. It’s been a while since I’ve written anything like this or took the time to focus and edit it, but hopefully this is just the first of more to come. Enjoy!

Church On Fire

When flames flicker and smoke surrounds
and the spire is felled by fire

What do we do?

When melting heat tests our mettle
and fiery fangs devour our would

Where do we turn?

When sparks shoot up and blaze burns bright,
and in a flash all turns to ash

Where do we look?
Do we look up?

Beyond the smoke into the sky
to the One Who sits on high,
the One Who owns that sacred Name,
Who anoints His own with tongues of flame,
that burning passion, clean and strong,
which grants us power to carry on.

Arches crumble, steeples fall,
but steadfast stone makes hope stand tall:

Like a phoenix from the ash,
like Son-rise on the third day,
Death and Life will meet and clash;
the Great Author will write a way

If we’ll bow and bend the knee
and give up our meager “me”,

the same fierce flames we saw consume
will be quenched by mourning dew
and things we thought would spell our doom
will in fact forge us anew.

Remembering Mom (August 29, 1955-July 26, 2017)

One year ago today, my mom, Vivian Scoles, died of liver cancer. I remember the day like it was yesterday, from the early morning trip to the ER to the ICU room where she breathed her last later that day.

I miss my mom a lot. The pain of losing her at such a young age has subsided in the past year, but I still occasionally have dreams about her. Sometimes I even have spontaneous recollections that cause me to freeze up like a deer in headlights.

She was a steady foundation, a caring and compassionate spirit who loved the Lord with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength. My grief in missing her, though, is tinged with hope, because I know I will see her again in heaven one day.

To honor her memory, I have come up with five of the biggest things I remember and miss most about her.

Her hugs

My mom was an excellent hugger. She could convey a lot of emotion, love, and support through a tender embrace. I learned to hug from her, and to this day, when someone gives me a really good hug or compliments me on how well I hug, I think of her. She was always grateful that, even when I became a teenager, I would never turn down a hug from her. Her affectionate nature helped to nurture my soul into what it is today.

Her cooking

Mom was also an excellent cook. From pies and soups to tacos and pasta, she excelled in the kitchen. I don’t think she ever made a dish I couldn’t enjoy (unless it was a dish with mushrooms or shrimp, which I just plain don’t like). She also made an amazing homemade chex mix, and her affinity for baking and love for chocolate produced some fabulous desserts.

Her wit

I say my mom was witty because it encompasses both her intelligence and her sense of humor. My mom was smart, as well as wise. She also loved a good pun or wordplay, because words were her strong suit (she passed that on to my sister and I). She loved Scrabble, Bananagrams, and crossword puzzles, and she once bought a huge Oxford English dictionary for her home library. In fact, she thought that purchase so significant that she felt it was appropriate to properly introduce us. She took me to the shelf where she had set it and said, “Andy, this is the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. Dictionary, this is Andy.”

Her love for my dad

My mom and dad were solid. More than solid: they were truly one flesh, as Genesis 2:24 puts it. Had they been able to live to a ripe old age together like they wanted to, they could have ended up as one of those couples that got to sixty or seventy years of marriage. They were a match made in heaven–quite literally, because God was always at the center of their relationship. They didn’t raise their voices at each other, they communicated well, and they showed visible affection to one another often. My mom adored my dad. Everything I know about godly love, I learned from them.

Her servant heart

My mom was, as I mentioned before, one of the most caring and compassionate souls you could ever meet, though she would have been the first to admit to her doubts, fears, and selfishness. She lived her faith through giving rides to people, volunteering at church, going to prayer groups, and buying food for the food pantry. She was open, welcoming, and willing to give of herself.

 

My mom was a godly woman, an exemplary role model, and an overall awesome person. I hope to God that I will run this race of life as well as she did.

The Storm

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Storms are kind of a cliché “Christianese” metaphor. People use it to describe rough times in life and bad experiences that they need help going through. With the amount this metaphor is mentioned in Christian circles, it can easily become banal and overused.

But this week I gained a new appreciation for the phrase. The area where I live, Lynchburg, VA, was hit by tornadoes on Sunday, April 15. Thousands were left without power, trees were ripped up and strewn everywhere, and property was damaged or destroyed. For those who don’t know, Lynchburg is definitely not a place where one would expect a tornado. It’s quite out of the ordinary.

I was in a friend’s apartment leading a church life group that evening, and we had just finished the study when we saw the storm hit. We looked out the window and saw rain sheeting down, wind howling and yanking at the trees, and debris flying everywhere. Not an hour later, we discovered that the wind had knocked over trees and power lines in every direction leading out of the apartment complex, leaving my group and I trapped for the night in that apartment while we waited for emergency crews to clean up the mess. We found out during this time that one of the major thoroughfares of Lynchburg had been hit hard by a tornado, causing it to stay closed for almost the entirety of the next day.

I witnessed a storm of the sort I had never seen before. It left me vulnerable and actually kind of scared. I investigated the damage with my friends and found that there was no way to get out without outside help. As we looked around in my car, the tires crunched over dead leaves and branches and wound down the road to avoid fallen trees and power lines. It was a mess.

And I think that’s the main idea behind a storm in life. It’s something that attacks without mercy and leaves you vulnerable and hurt. You witness chaotic and catastrophic events occur around you, and the only thing that you find you can actually do is wait.

I don’t know if you know this, but human beings hate waiting. We’ve got stuff to do.

Deep down, we also hate being challenged, because it makes us uncomfortable, and we are quite often unprepared for it, even though challenges are what help us to grow.

The only thing I could do in this literal storm was wait for help to come. The only thing I can do in a metaphorical or spiritual storm is call out to God and wait for Him to sort out the mess and show me the way through.

God wants us to learn to call out to Him when we are troubled (which is a lot). He also wants us to rejoice that He has everything under control and that He is faithful to provide.

I don’t know about you, but I really needed that reminder this week.

 

(Disclaimer: I don’t think the above tornado picture is actually the one seen in Lynchburg, though I could be wrong)

What’s So Good About Good Friday?

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The name “Good Friday” has always felt a bit ironic to me. Recently, I’ve been making the mistake of calling it “Black Friday”, to the general amusement of any Christian who happens to hear me do it.

But seriously, Good Friday was not a good day. Jesus had spent the previous night, Maundy Thursday, praying, even though His disciples couldn’t keep their eyes open. Then Judas betrayed Him, the disciples deserted Him because they were afraid for their lives, and Peter denied knowing Him three times.

Good Friday came, and Jesus was ushered from court to court, with false accusations thrown at Him left and right because no one besides the vengeful religious leaders could actually find fault in Him. Finally, He was whipped within a millimeter of His life, forced to carry His heavy cross all the way to his execution spot, and then put to death by severe blood loss and asphyxiation.

Like I said, not good.

It took me some time of pondering why Good Friday is called good before I could come to a suitable conclusion, and I even asked some other people what they thought. One person I asked thought that the “good” of Good Friday was the fact that this was Jesus’ good work being seen through to completion, as referenced in Philippians 1:6. Another person considered that the “good” comes from the fact that the act of Jesus dying on the cross created the good things that resulted from His perfect sacrifice: salvation, sanctification, and new life for anyone who accepts them.

This got me thinking even more, and I finally realized something: we call the day “Good Friday” not because it was good for Jesus, but because it was good for us. Jesus died for us so we wouldn’t be bound to our sin, the ultimate example of self-sacrifice (which, surprise, surprise, is what Lent is about), and it was good. Self-sacrifice, as exemplified through Jesus, is something which every Christ-follower is to imitate so that they can follow in Jesus’ footsteps (Luke 9:23). Just as God declared everything He created in Genesis to be good, so too He calls this, the ultimate act of love for others, good.

Jesus knew it was good, too. It didn’t mean He had to like it — the very act of praying in preparation for it was agonizing for Him. But how often do we like doing things that God has declared to be good?

Ultimately, though, He lived out what He had said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

Good Friday is good because of what Jesus did in paying the debt for our sin so that we can live eternally with the Father. It’s good because Sunday is coming, the tomb will be empty, and we can declare victory over sin and death because of His resurrection.

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Lent 2018: The Faith of My Father

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Lent is coming to a close in less than a week. I’ve already talked about what Lent means and what it is to me. To add to what I’ve already said for a moment, something I’ve thought about the past several weeks has been that surrender to the Lord is not without purpose. God wants us to give our “stuff” up to Him so that He can give us something far more valuable: a relationship with Him. He wants us to rely on Him alone, the way we are meant to, and so he requires that we surrender our “stuff”. I have seen this kind of relationship and Lenten living exemplified all my life, in the person of my father.

My dad, Stephen, is one of the most faithful people I know. And I don’t just mean that he stays true to others and doesn’t waver; I also mean that he is full of faith, believing that God is Who He says He is and does what He says He will do. His faith inspires me to the same. He genuinely believes in the love of God, and he expresses it through his lifestyle. I know not one person who would speak ill of his character, a character fine-tuned by years of serving his Father.

Now, my dad is a fairly quiet man, and when he speaks up in a group of people, they listen, because what he has to say is always well thought out and worth paying attention to. His voice, I have found, tends to resemble the still, small voice of God that Scripture tells us to listen for, not forceful, but still powerful, and full of truth and love. He will not speak if others are speaking, and he is patient when waiting to say something.

This said, the other ways in which my dad acts and expresses himself speak much louder than his actual words. He is steadfast in his devotion to his church family and in spending time with God. Many a day have I seen him sitting in his rocking chair at home, studying intently the worn Bible that lies open in his lap, or lifting his hands in praise to God during a church service. He has disciplined himself in many ways to live a life that is worth imitating, because he himself imitates and follows Christ, striving every day to hold nothing back from Him. Additionally, he is humble, and would simply direct any praise given him to God.

This is the lifestyle that many Christians (including myself) could do to imitate. A life of meek surrender, of devotion, of set-apart service to the King of Kings. My dad would be the first to say that he is not perfect, that he has flaws like everyone else, that he is weak and in need of strength. But is not our Heavenly Father’s strength made perfect in our weakness?

 

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Lent 2018: Living Sacrifice

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1)

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The Lord has been teaching me a lot about sacrifice recently. I’ve recently been undergoing a process of reevaluating my priorities, putting down some things that I’ve done for a long time (i.e. playing videogames and watching TV) and picking up things that I haven’t done enough (i.e. writing, reading, praying, and studying my Bible).

Sacrifice isn’t fun. It has been forcing me to rethink how I live my life, what my goals should be, and how I should be seeking and worshiping my Savior. I will admit, I get distracted fairly easily, partly because I have such an active imagination. But the Lord has also been teaching me to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

God wants me, and indeed every Christian, to be a living sacrifice for Him, meaning that while we live in this world, we give up our notions of what we think is right or good or worth doing in order to accept God’s ideas of such things, and then act upon them. I don’t get to decide what is right or just. That’s God’s territory and jurisdiction. I’m glad of that, too.

Worship is so much bigger than many people think. Worship is devoting everything you have, your resources and your time, to pursue one thing or individual. All too often, I find myself worshiping other things besides the God Who created me.

Now, that’s not to say that the things I focus on are bad. God created us to build and create and do and love, but he also created us to do those things in a way that is honoring to Him, which is fitting for us as His image-bearers. This is also worship. We sacrifice ourselves and our desires to God so that He may be glorified.

In my case, I often do things with wrong motives: to be noticed, to be appreciated, to stoke my pride and ego and sense of self-worth. Truly, I should be doing these things to please the Lord and let my personal desires be satisfied by Him alone, in the ways in which only He can.

This is my living sacrifice, and Lent is just practice for living in this way. I give up what I want for what He wants, and in turn, He gives me what I need and blesses me with the deepest desire of my heart: to know Him better and to live for Him with joy, whatever may happen. He will bless me, both materially and spiritually; it’s in His nature to bless His children. But I have to turn those blessings right around and dedicate them to Him so that others may be blessed. This is my living sacrifice. This is my spiritual worship. Praise His Name!

The World Needs More Billy Grahams and Mister Rogerses

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https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Fred_Rogers%2C_late_1960s.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today, the two main articles in the daily newspaper were about Billy Graham and Mister Rogers, the former as a eulogy and the latter as a fiftieth TV anniversary. These articles got me thinking. Billy Graham and Mister Rogers were two people who commanded respect without asking for it or demanding it. Even those who didn’t hold with their ideals and beliefs looked at them with admiration.

Why?

Because they cared. They loved. They sacrificed and gave of themselves so that others would find hope and peace. They exemplified the teachings of the Man they followed, Jesus Christ.

Billy Graham and Mister Rogers’ actions spoke louder than their words. Billy Graham went on crusades all over the world to preach a simple message: “Jesus loves you.” Mister Rogers went on TV to tell children a simple message: “You have worth, and I care about you.”

Both of these messages convey a message of love far beyond the simplistic, touchy-feely, romanticized ideas that immediately come to our minds today whenever we hear that word. They conveyed what Jesus Christ taught was the greatest thing you could do besides loving God: loving your neighbors as you love yourself. Speaking the truth. Giving of yourself so that others could see that truth in action.

Both of these men saturated their audiences with a message of peace. People felt secure around them because they were genuine and real; they didn’t put on masks in order to impress — they impressed by being who they were, real human beings who possessed great wisdom. Both men went beyond being “good people.” They were people of blameless character.

Also, both Billy Graham and Mister Rogers went beyond conveying a sense of peace and security. They challenged those they influenced through lived-out love to go and do likewise. They encouraged people to go and love as they had been loved, to communicate hope and peace as it had been communicated to them.

Both Billy Graham and Mister Rogers possessed humility, honor, genuineness, and self-sacrificing love. I can only hope and pray that one day, I might be like them, as they were like Jesus Christ.

This world doesn’t need more laws, regulations, or empty words; it needs more people like Billy Graham and Mister Rogers.

Lent 2018: Giving Up for God

The Church is now a week into the season of Lent, a period of forty days of fasting leading up to Easter, the day on which we celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead after being crucified to pay for the sins of the world.

The point of fasting is to give up something significant in your life in exchange for devoting more time to commune with God, saying in essence, “I want God more than I want this thing.” People often give up meals or certain foods, but fasting is by no means limited to that. It can include giving up hobbies or activities, anything that has the potential to get in the way of the Christian putting God first in his or her life. Because of its symbolism and its ability to provide a new point of view about myself, God, and the world, I greatly appreciate this discipline. And to that end, I am participating in Lent by giving up online shopping.

Now, I am not writing about this for praise or support. In Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus told His disciples to not tell people when they were fasting, because the Pharisees of the time announced their times of fasting in order to show off. That’s not what I’m doing. I am writing about this now so that others may be encouraged, and to keep myself accountable to my decision.

I am giving up online shopping for the next several weeks until Easter because it has a tendency to get in the way of my relationship with Christ. It is a time-sucker, and it can be a form of covetousness. It reveals the side of me that is ungrateful for the blessings my Heavenly Father has already given me.

Beyond that, however, I have discovered upon beginning this fast that this is another place in my life in which I am impatient, have a sense of entitlement, and pursue a desire for instant gratification. Amazon’s free two-day shipping spoils me. I remember as a child occasionally having my parents order something from me online or through a catalog and waiting impatiently for weeks for the item to be delivered. I would then rip open the package (there’s just something exhilarating about opening something new), enjoy the item for an hour or a day, and then go back to life as usual without being thankful for what I had received.

During this time of fasting, I have experienced resistance, with tempting whispers in my head encouraging me to give up on giving up something for God. But I have resisted so far. I have come to understand that most of the things I would be ordering online would arrive then just sit around and not be immediately used (and I wonder why I have so much stuff cluttering up my living space…). In doing this, I am learning to trust in the Lord’s provision and be thankful for the blessed life He has granted me.

Update: Waiting With Purpose

This past week, I wrote about how much I didn’t like waiting for things to happen in my life. It got out into the open some things I didn’t know I felt, but it also opened up the opportunity for me to think more about the purpose behind waiting for life to happen. Once I began thinking more on this, God revealed some things to me (surprise!).

First, I know that God doesn’t do anything, especially having us wait, without reason. There’s always a reason for the things God does, even if oftentimes we don’t or can’t understand the reason. Once I got to thinking about this, I realized just how many opportunities to glorify God He has given me because of where I am.

I work at a Christian bookstore, so I often have the privilege and sometimes daunting responsibility of helping people find solutions to problems in their lives. Also, the relationships I’ve developed with my coworkers at both of my part-time jobs has been well worth the time I’ve spent at those places. I came to realize that God has me where I am because He still wants me there, serving His purposes. I’m also certain that He doesn’t want to give me a new task or job to do until He has fully prepared the way for me to enter in to whichever place He would have me go next. I guess this is what people mean when they say it’s good to “put down roots” or “bloom where you’re planted”.

Work is just one part of the equation, however. Men are often defined (or define themselves) by what kind of work they do, but “where I am” goes far beyond that. I mentioned in the previous post that I want to be married one day; I am mostly content in knowing that this has not happened because, for whatever reason, God has simply not allowed it to come to pass. He will bring about that blessing for me when the time is right. He likely still has things for me to do, learn, and be while I’m single. Also, I have not yet moved out of the house I grew up in (not for lack of trying), but I know that in many ways, I’m still needed in the house.

I may hate waiting for significant events in my future to happen, but I am waiting because there is a purpose behind it all that has not yet been completed, and I rest assured of the fact that as soon as God wants me somewhere, so long as I am listening, willing, and obedient, He will put me there.

Therefore, I will end with a Bible verse that I believe fits for these circumstances, and comforts me a little when it comes to wondering what God’s plans for me are: “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)

I Hate Waiting

I’m going to be straight up and honest here: in spite of all my attempts to be otherwise, I’m not content with my lot in life.

Sure, I’ve accomplished some things in my life. I’ve graduated college. I’ve helped out on church mission trips. I’ve made and sustained some great relationships with people.

But something is missing. I have desires that God has not yet fulfilled in my life. I want a full-time job, not two part-time jobs that don’t pay me enough to move out of the house. I want to be a published author. I want to get married one day.

I know that God is faithful to provide for me. He does so every day in one way or another. He tells me to seek after Him, and He will provide for me and grant me the desires of my heart. But I still don’t know what’s ahead for me. The future is as nebulous as it’s ever been. I think that some things are going to happen, and then they don’t, or the opposite of those things happens.

So I’m still here, waiting and praying.

I hate waiting.

Every day, I ask God, “What’s next? Are you going to answer my prayers today?”

He often does, and I either don’t notice, or I’m so busy focusing on the big stuff that I don’t notice the little stuff. I don’t have the most grateful heart anyway. Another thing to work on.

Psalm 42 spoke to me today. It says in verse 11, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.”

God is my hope, that is certain. Every day, I desire Him more and give Him more of myself. Every day, He gives me a little more knowledge of who He is, and reveals His desires and will for my life. In response, I try to learn to obey. He rearranges my priorities, and I wince as He does it.

Maybe that’s the point. Maybe He isn’t granting me the material things that I truly want because He wants to be the One I truly want. I spend so much time asking things of Him and not enough time just simply being with Him, letting Him be enough for me.

So I turn back to His Word, and it tells me, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14)

It takes courage to wait on the Lord. Strength and courage, two things I definitely need. Maybe He’s giving me what I desire, just not in a way that makes sense to me right now.

I may hate waiting, but I know that it will be worth it one day.

Tuesday, 6:15 AM: I Am Not My Own

This morning, I went to my church’s men’s prayer group at 6:15. On the way, I had the radio on, and the morning show verse of the day was 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, which says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (ESV)

It was intriguing to me that this was the morning radio’s verse of the day, because this Bible verse has been on my mind for quite some time. The context around it relates to sexual immorality, but the passage itself encompasses so much more than that. Frankly, it can apply to anything we do with our bodies, including our everyday actions, work, habits, eating, leisure, and our talents and skills.

What this verse illuminates in my mind is the fact that we should do all of these things for the glory of God, not to elevate ourselves in the eyes of others or even our own minds. Why? Because when we are saved and born again in Christ, God sends the Spirit of God to live in us, just as it used to reside in the temple of Israel, making us little walking and talking temples of the Lord. So if we believe in the Lord and have His Spirit living within us and guiding our ways, we should reflect Him with the things we think, say, and do, right?

Unfortunately, many faith-professing Christians do not do this. And it convicted me this morning, too. So this morning, as I prayed with my fellow men, I felt the Spirit of the Lord asking me if I was willing to surrender all (like the famous hymn) and let Him take control of my life, the path I walk, the choices I make, and the things I do with my body.

It occurred to me then that the fact that God calls our bodies His is quite an audacious claim. After all, one of the biggest issues our culture faces is people not wanting other people to tell them what to do with their bodies, whether that be body art or abortions or anything else. But God commands all believers to give our bodies to Him, as “living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1), and to lovingly help others to do the same. I don’t know about you, but that’s a hard idea for me to digest. Our culture teaches us that our bodies and the things we do with them are our own, that nobody should tell us what to do with them.

So God commanding us to do this, then, is the ultimate form of surrender and submission to our Heavenly Father (“this is your true and proper worship”). The apostle Paul teaches that before salvation, we are slaves to sin, but after salvation, we are slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:15-23). We are slaves to a God who also calls us His children and heirs (what earthly master would ever do that?), who tells us that His burden is, in fact, lighter than the burdens the world puts on us (Matthew 11:28-30).

Such surrender is not easy, especially for me. I am a willful man. I like to do my own thing and go my own way. I tend to ignore the things that God commands me to do in favor of doing things that I want to do, whether that be spending money on something I don’t need or spending tons of time watching YouTube videos or Netflix when I have completely neglected reading the Word of God or reaching out to someone in the name of Jesus so far that day.

But when I truly look at the things I decide to do that are not God’s way, I question what I get out of them. Nothing truly lasting or meaningful, that’s for sure. Often, I feel like I’ve just wasted time that I could have spent doing something useful. But when I do things for God, in His name, being obedient to His teachings and the things He commands me to do, I find more meaning and fulfillment than I ever did anywhere else. All of this is because I am communing with God, in a relationship with my Maker and Master, who knows what’s best for me, as a good father knows what’s best for his child.

Surrendering my body and my will to Him is a daily struggle, but the rewards of obedience to His word are greater than anything this world could ever offer.

So this morning, I said yes to God. I surrendered again, as I must continue to do every day.

In what ways do you struggle with surrendering your body to Christ? What have you done about it, if anything?

Live the light, and may God richly bless you.

Making Space and Time to Listen to God

I’ve struggled my entire life with making time for God. My parents taught me from an early age to pray and read my Bible routinely, and it has stuck with me, but no matter what, through middle and high school and through college, and even now, making time for God is a daily battle. We repeat “pray and read your Bible” at church, but it does us no good if we don’t put it into practice.

I know what happens when I make time for God. The proof of its immeasurable worth is in the results of actually doing it. I’ve experienced brief periods, maybe a month or two at a time, when I specifically and intentionally made time for God. The results were obvious. I felt better, my attitude was more positive, and things in life just fit together. And then, after swearing I would never go back and wondering why I never made time for God like this before, I would falter and my intentional God time would slip away. I got discouraged and went even further down the God-ignoring rabbit hole without even meaning to, which leads to discouragement, worry, fear, etc. Then I do it all again a while later. It’s a vicious cycle.

Do you ever feel the same?

I’ve read about and researched quite a bit on the topic of “quiet time”, the sacred time we set aside for God during our day. Many people prefer to get up early and spend time with God before the day really gets going. This is difficult for me because I’m not a morning person by nature. I like my sleep. So to this day, I’m still trying to figure out the best time and way to have quality time with God.

But God’s working on me, and I continually ask Him to fix this part of my life. It involves the surrendering of time that I claim as my own but actually belongs to Him. Everything is His, and must be surrendered to Him if we’re to live fulfilled lives, the way He desires us to.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” I belong to God, for He gave me new life through salvation and He gave me everything I have. I exist because He planned me before I was born and knit me together in my mother’s womb. I am His child and He is my Father. Additionally, Scripture makes it abundantly clear that He wants to be in relationship with me, as a father to a son. That’s pretty incredible, and it’s an incredible claim to say that the God who created the universe wants to be in a loving relationship with me. I’ve experienced this truth, and I hope you do or will, too.

But I wonder how many of us don’t feel like we hear God communicating with us often. We’re busy people, and life has a tendency to drown out God with noise and distractions. Jobs, family, friends, media, and electronics suck up our time and keep us from hearing Him speak. And God isn’t going to force you to listen to Him. He speaks, but you must decide that you want to hear Him.

Now, not everybody hears or sees the presence of God in the same way. Some people have conversations with Him in their heads (I do that on occasion, though I have to be careful to not mistake my own active imagination for His voice). Some people hear God speak to them through the movement of the world around them, or through signs that they interpret as divine. Some people are practiced enough in interacting with the Bible that they hear the voice of God every time they open one.

In order for our relationships with God to get any further than the Sinner’s Prayer, we have to set aside time and make space in our lives to commune with Him. You may not know how best to do this, which is why it’s best to pray that God will reveal Himself to you in a way that you will understand and be able to do. This is difficult because it’s in our nature to resist God and go our own way. I have often turned to prayer journaling to commune with my Heavenly Father, and I hear the inaudible but unmistakable whisper of God speak to me as I write down my thoughts and prayers on a page. It’s a practice that I highly recommend.

One way or another, we must make time and space for Him. Why? Because He commands us to. Because it is when we do this intentionally that our lives become something bigger and better, become a part of something bigger and better than ourselves. This is when we experience His grace and love. This is how we find purpose and meaning for our lives. And yes, this will most likely sound ridiculous to anyone reading this who does not believe in God. But I can truthfully say that I have found meaning and purpose for my life in the Way of Jesus Christ.

We don’t always succeed in making space and time for God. We’ll slip up and get discouraged. But God loves us too much to let this get in the way of a relationship with Him if that’s what we truly desire.

Recently, I’ve been making the sacrifice (not really that much of a sacrifice in the grand scheme of things) to get up at 6 AM on Tuesday mornings and drive to church for a men’s prayer meeting held in my pastor’s office. Some of the greatest prayer and quiet time I’ve had in my life has been in that room, and I’ve only been going for a little over a month.

Why is this happening? Because I’m purposefully setting aside time for God to work in my life, to talk to Him and give Him the space and time to respond in the way that He desires to. It’s still a daily fight. Anything worth doing for the Kingdom of God is. But it’s worth it. Oh, it’s worth it.

Have you experienced problems with making time and space for God to move in your life? How have you worked to fix it? How has it changed you?

Live the light, my friends. God bless.

Live the Light

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Many years ago, I heard the TobyMac song “Speak Life” for the first time. I don’t remember where I first heard it, but I do remember that I absolutely loved the song from the first time I heard it. Over the years, I’ve seen it pop up as a hashtag on TobyMac’s Facebook page, whenever he shares an inspirational saying or Bible verse. I began to wish that I had created that phrase. So simple, yet so powerful.

So I went about making one up. “Speak Life” is a saying that encourages us to speak and live out the truth of the Gospel of Jesus in our lives, so I wanted it to be along the same lines. But then I had a thought: sometimes it is not the words we speak, but merely the way we live that stands out to people. It causes them to wonder what it is about us that makes us different and helps us navigate the dark messiness that life can often be.

And then I had it. I’ve always loved metaphors and symbols that express the continuing fight between good and evil in our world, especially that of light versus darkness. So I chose “Live the Light.” Matthew 5:14-16 says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

This has become one of my life verses, because it encompasses our entire duty as Christians, to show the world what God has done for us, to worship Him in such a way as to fulfill our purpose in life and help others find their way to the loving arms of the Lord.

I want to be the kind of man who lives light, who doesn’t cover it up a mask or a shutter, but allows it to do its job, casting aside the darkness that loves to devour our world. I want to be the kind of man who can turn around someone’s bad day with an encouraging word or hug. I want to be a man who lives in obedience to Christ, which is not always (often is not) the easiest thing to do. Why? Because it is the path that leads to fulfilled life in Christ.

That’s why I’m doing this, writing this blog post, even though I haven’t posted in about a year and have only been sporadic in doing so before that. I have a calling: to write things that can change lives, and to trust God to put the words in my head to good use. Hopefully I can finally keep up with this blog, and I pray that it helps people and leads them closer to the Lord.

This is my ministry. This is my light, given to me by my Heavenly Father, which can overcome the darkness. What’s yours?

#LivetheLight

I’m Adulting, and It’s Weird

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I graduated college in May and spent the summer looking for a good job. After lots of confusion in where I thought God wanted me to work, I finally got a job at LifeWay Christian Store–and I love it, which I’m sure plenty of people can’t say about their retail jobs. Soon after, I got another job at a comic book store. Now, I’m focusing on keeping my priorities straight and doing my best to not sleep in really late (I’m a champ at sleeping in).

But recently, I’ve been looking back at the past few months, thinking about how unlike the rest of my life they’ve been. I’ve been in school for seventeen years, and now, lo and behold, I’m not. There was even a point at which I realized that there was this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I was forgetting about something, and that it was, in fact, me noticing the absence of homework in my life. I never thought I’d say this, but for a while, I almost missed it.

I’m working two jobs, getting more active in my church, and attempting to follow God’s plan for my life, but it’s difficult. If anything, life got tougher when I graduated college. You never know how much time there is to waste doing absolutely nothing until you no longer have school to keep you on track. You have to build your own structure without the demands of class and grades helping fill in a lot of that, and then you have to add in the demands of whatever job you have (which, for me, includes fluctuating times of work shifts).

I didn’t know graduating was going to be such a major lifestyle shift. But it has been. I had (and keep having) to re-sort my priorities. Now that I have two jobs, I’ve had to get serious about tracking my spending, too. When that direct deposit gets put in my account, it’s so easy to just go off and spend half (or more) of it without thinking twice.

I say all of this in order to say something else: I may be going through a big transition in my life, but God is still with me every step of the way. He encourages me to keep going when I have my morning devotional time, which I do my best to keep regular. He whispers to me in the middle of the day, reminding me that I am valued and loved, that His plan for me is far bigger than I think, and that I’m just getting started. He tells me as I go to bed that if I am obedient to His word and the things He has called me to do, if I am consistent in prayer and faith-spurred action in my relationship with Him and with everyone around me, that He will bless me. Heck, I’m already so blessed that sometimes all it takes is a reminder of the blessings I have to feel like I’m being rewarded for my effort.

So I encourage you today to remember that no matter what stage of life you’re in, God has your back, now and always. All you have to do is be willing to take His hand.

Why I Love the Olympics

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The Rio 2016 Olympics has ended, and I am sad to see it go. I love seeing the best athletes in the world at the top of their games. I love to see their rejoicing faces when they discover they’ve won a medal. I enjoy watching international competition, even if the winner isn’t always the United States (I mean, come on, we got plenty of medals this go-around). The athletes’ stories, how so many of them have overcome hardship and come out on top, are incredible. I especially love it when those of them who are saved give God the glory.

There’s just something about the Olympics that makes me happy. Maybe it’s the fact that so many nations that ordinarily bicker and argue and point big guns at each other are setting all of that aside for a common goal: competition and nationalism. The U.S., China, and countries from the Middle East can be in the same room without nuking each other with death glares. Maybe it’s the fact that, for the most part, the media isn’t focusing as much on scandal and corruption and the bad stuff of the world while it’s covering the games (like I said, for the most part). Maybe it’s because the Olympics unites the world in a way that so many other things do not. So many different people are able to be in the same place at the same time without hurting each other, and that is no mean feat.

For me, the Olympics represents something that the world has lost: a sense of common ground, of unity independent of the things that divide us. For Christians, unity is supposed to be a major part of our livelihoods and our belief system, even though it often isn’t because we allow ourselves to be led astray by the things of the world and our own sinful natures. We are supposed to help and support one another, to bear each other’s burdens in love.

At the Olympics, you see nation competing against nation in athletic events. Teammates support one another. Sportsmanlike athletes congratulate each other, even if they’re from different countries. For the time being, everyone is either just an athlete trying to be the best athlete possible or a person rooting for said athlete and maybe even wondering what he or she could do to make the world a little bit better. In countries (like the U.S.) where people are divided in so many directions by so many issues, people are able to put politics and strife aside to cheer for the team that their country has chosen to represent them.

Even the sculpted symbol of the Rio Olympics, the rough image of people holding hands that also spells out “Rio” when you look at it right, has helped people get into the spirit of unity. Everyone’s just there to do be the best they can be, cheer on their country’s team, and watch as athletes from rival countries compete and congratulate one another.

Unity. What a novel concept: that in a nation and world so torn by war, hate, and fear, something good and positive can exist that brings everyone together because of common interest or belief, even if only for a few weeks. Even politics can’t fully ruin the Olympics (another thing I’m glad of).

I want to see more of that in the world, more people helping each other and being kind, not fear-mongering or sowing discord for whatever reason. People who genuinely care about each other, enough to celebrate with them in the good times and be willing to lend a helping hand during the bad. People who are selfless and humble and don’t let their egos or mixed up priorities get in the way of serving others. I want to be one of those people.

And that’s what the family of God is supposed to be, isn’t it? People who can set aside their differences and stop talking about each other behind their backs long enough to embrace that which is the same in each of us: salvation through the love of Jesus Christ.

God bless!

The Joy of the Lord

 

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God’s been trying to teach me a lot recently about not letting dark and pessimistic thoughts take up room inside my head. I find it all too easy to focus on the bad of the world instead of the good of God. When I do that, I get snarky and cynical. As a result, I can be unloving and uncompassionate. And I don’t think I’m the only one for whom this is true.

But lately, I’ve been reading a lot of God’s word, especially the Psalms, which is probably my favorite book of the Bible. The Psalmist often begins speaking in a stressed out and discouraged tone, but then recognizes the supremacy, faithfulness, and love of the Lord and chooses to praise Him instead of dwelling on the bad things that are happening all around him. Why don’t we do this more often?

One of Satan’s favorite tactics to keep us from achieving a quality relationship with God is distraction. If he can somehow use the world and our circumstances to make us discouraged, then he has succeeded in keeping our thoughts from focusing on Jesus, whose power, grace, and love are greater than anything.

I often think of the prophet Nehemiah from the Old Testament when I think about this. Nehemiah 8:10 is often cut down to the single phrase “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” You can see this mantra repeated all over the Internet, paired with pictures of people laughing or standing in fields with their arms raised. But like many other Bible verses, this one is taken out of context all the time, and I think it’s misunderstood or sometimes not understood at all.

So here’s the full context. Israel is in exile, having messed up countless times despite God’s warnings and appeals for them to leave their idols and come back to Him. The prophet Nehemiah, who is in the service of the Babylonian king, is inspired by God to ask the king if he will allow the exiled Israelites to return to Israel and rebuild the holy city of Jerusalem. By the grace of God, the king allows it, and the people of Israel return to their land to rebuild the city. When they are finished, they dedicate it to the Lord, and Nehemiah says, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah is not merely using this phrase as it is often used in today’s “Christianese”. He is telling the people to prepare themselves before the Lord as they have not done in years. The Lord has helped them to restore their heritage after years of grief and sadness in exile. They’ve been through a lot of bad things, from being robbed of their place in the world to being assimilated into another culture that does not worship God. Finally, they are about to rededicate themselves and their city to the Lord by reading the book of the Mosaic Law. It’s definitely an emotional day. Some probably think that this happy event may still be taken from them. Others are probably lost and don’t know what’s next for their faith. And in the midst of that, Nehemiah tells them that the joy of the Lord is their strength, and that it’s time to celebrate.

So with this in mind, think about what this means for us today. We’ve all been through rough times. We’ve all doubted whether God is with us, or if He even exists at all. Is He listening to us? Does He hear our prayers? Will He answer them positively?

Remember that all humankind is created by God, in his image, to do great things in his name and live lives abundant and free. He sent His only son to save us from our sins by enduring the worst, most torturous death humanity has ever devised. Then he resurrected, breaking death’s hold on himself and on us. This is where our joy comes from, the knowledge that God loves us and forgives our sins so that we can be close to our powerful Creator and Heavenly Father.

So, what does this mean? Bad things still happen. We still get discouraged and distracted by the catastrophes that our world creates. I’ve known many people who struggle with depression and other mental disorders because of their wrecked pasts and unfortunate experiences. But these people know God, and they are some of the strongest people I’ve ever known. Why? Because knowing and trusting the Lord has kept them afloat when nothing else did. The joy of being forgiven for messing up helps them remember the future that God has planned for them. The joy of being alive, period, motivates them. The joy of knowing that God is always with us, always listening, and suffers with us as we experience heartbreak, loss, and the sorrows of the world helps them along.

THIS is the joy of the Lord, that in spite of all else, God is there. He loves us, takes care of us, and provides for us faithfully, without fail. He is not human that He should make mistakes, but He became human and experienced grief, betrayal, depression, and many other things, and then broke these chains with love so that He can break them for us, too.

This is why I try to focus more on the good of life now, because all good things come in some way from the Lord, the creator and embodiment of Good itself. There is always something to be thankful for. There is always something to praise Him for. And if we can keep this mindset, we will be much better off for it.

This is my prayer: That anyone who reads this will be…

Immeasurably blessed and will praise the Lord because of it.

Encouraged to focus on the good of life instead of letting the bad bring them down.

Inspired to pass on the joy of the Lord to their neighbors, friends, family, and even total strangers.

Willing to ask the Lord into their hearts and lives if they have not done so already.

Enabled to let the joy of the Lord, which surpasses understanding, guide their thoughts and actions each and every day.

God bless and have a great day!

New Year’s ReSolutions

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The New Year is quite often a time of making new goals for self-improvement. “New Year, New You,” as the ads say. People suit up to go the gym, drop sweets or coffee, pledge to get up earlier, et cetera. Then two weeks go by, and many of these people have already started failing to achieve the goals they set for themselves. This kind of phenomenon causes many people to become skeptical of New Year’s Resolutions and not participate in the mass surge to have “the best year yet.”

Now, I’m not disparaging those who make New Year’s Resolutions and actually keep them. In fact, I’d like to formally congratulate those people. It’s a tough thing to do, and not many get there. It takes serious commitment to fulfill a New Year’s Resolution, even if the goal is small.

However, many/most people do not fulfill their New Year’s Resolutions. It’s just reality, because reality catches up with us and gets in the way of achieving our goals. But there are ways to make it easier to resolve to do something for an entire year — and beyond.

I have learned that the best and most achievable goals are just that: achievable. Simple. Not overly complicated or difficult. Plus, it’s easier to do things one step at a time or ease into them. Sudden change shocks us and makes us risk losing our focus and determination. It’s also easier to achieve goals when you enjoy them. So do something you will truly like or find the enjoyment in something you would ordinarily dislike. As Mary Poppins said, “A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.” Then find accountability, because it’s also easier to achieve a goal when you tell someone else about it, because then they will be able to support you and check up on you.

If you can’t think of any simple, achievable resolutions, here are a few:

1. Journaling–one of the best ways to track your life and accomplishments, to face and respond to your emotions and innermost thoughts, is to write them down. I don’t mean writing down a full description of your day, I mean writing down your honest thoughts, emotions, and most significant memories. It’s best to do this consistently. Many people do it daily or at the end of a week. There’s one thing we all know more about than anyone (except God): ourselves. So write down yourself. It’ll help you remember things you don’t want to forget, solve problems, and find solutions to issues you didn’t even know you had.
2. Read–and finish–at least one book per month. We all have busy schedules, but as several wise people in my life have said, “We make time for the things that are important to us.” Reading one book a month allows you to get through a chapter or two a day (though if you do it this way, you’ll likely finish many of the books you choose in less than a month). Reading engages your mind like nothing else does, causing you to think critically, work out problems and mysteries, and, in fact, become a smarter and more well-rounded person. There’s a reason why people who read seem to know a lot!
3. Read your Bible. Engage with it. Find out what God has to say to you. The Bible is the living Word of God, sharper than a double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). If you want a better relationship with Christ, the answer is reading your Bible and genuinely listening for God to speak to you. If you are willing to hear and obey, He will speak to you (even if he says something you don’t particularly want to hear). Read daily. You’ll be amazed about the things that start happening in your mind and soul, and even in your everyday life. Even if you’re not a Christian, the Bible is still an excellent book to read.
4. Find three different things every day to be thankful for, and remember them throughout the day. It will change your outlook on the world.
5. Be kind to other people and find ways out of your own way, convenience, or comfort zone to help others.
6. Set a time during the day, even if it’s only fifteen minutes or half an hour, to be quiet and still and to relax yourself. Choose to put aside your daily checklist and just enjoy being alive. I find that it’s easiest to this early in the morning when the world is quieter and I haven’t turned on my computer yet or looked at my phone (no distractions!).

So there you have it! Ways to make and keep achievable goals for the new year, and goals of that sort that are good to make. I’m resolving to do several of these things, and I trust that God will help me achieve them. Happy New Year!

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Make Room for the Manger…and the Cross

Christmas is almost here. Shopping is probably (almost) done, unless you’re a procrastinator like me. The tree is probably up, its pretty little lights flickering and winking out your front window. There may even be some colorfully wrapped gifts under the tree. A manger scene or two probably sit on a nearby shelf. We’re almost ready for Christmas Day.

But are we?

Every year, the same message always floats around: “Remember the real reason for the season, the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!” We think of that scene two thousand years ago, the scene that has been so influenced in our minds by movies and paintings. The one constant thing about all of them is that Jesus is always lying in the manger, a newborn baby, come to save the world from its sin.

Except…we don’t often think about the Christmas season in terms of the Messiah, the all-powerful Son of God for whom nothing is impossible and against whom evil cannot stand. We think about that little baby boy lying in a feeding trough, wrapped in swaddling clothes. We don’t think about the reason he came. The reason for the reason for the season.

Jesus didn’t come to the earth just to lie in a manger. He came to redeem us, to save us from the sin that sentenced us to death and damnation. He came to pay the price. As the song “Mary Did You Know?” (currently one of my favorite Christmas songs) says, “That sleeping child you’re holding is the Great I Am!”

Yes, the Almighty Son of God came as a lowly baby, born to a lowly peasant couple. He came in this way so that it would be clear that he was reaching out to the humble, the poor, the weary, the heavy-laden, and the downtrodden. He wasn’t going to set up an actual throne up in Jerusalem like Herod feared and many of the Jews wanted. But He didn’t come to the earth to lie in a manger, helpless. He came to help the helpless. He became something much more than a baby, which is something that I personally have often forgotten or pushed aside around Christmastime.

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Now, I’m not criticizing our society’s Christmas traditions. What I’m saying that that baby boy in the manger is the same man who healed the lame, the blind, and the deaf. He’s the same man who raised a dead man to life and drove out demons. He’s the same man who was whipped within an inch of his life, then forced to carry a heavy cross and the heavy burden of our sin to Calvary and suffer the most humiliating and excruciating (a word derived from the Latin word for the cross) death that man has ever devised.

Will we remember this when we are making way for the manger in our hearts this Christmas season? Will we remember that this same person left the manger and became the Savior of the world? Will we remember that this is the One who wants a deep and abiding relationship with us, and that it doesn’t matter who we are or what we’ve done, because He is willing to forgive and heal if only we will have faith in Him?

This Christmas, when I give gifts to my family, it won’t just be a tradition based off of the gifts of the Magi to Jesus (which actually happened a couple of years afterward). My gift-giving, sacrificing my hard-earned money for someone else’s good, will be another way for me to remember that Jesus left the manger and, because of His love for us, sacrificed Himself for us. Jesus sacrificed a lot more than money for us, but this tradition will serve as a reminder for me that that baby lying in the manger grew up and became our Savior and Messiah.

Christmas is not just about that baby in the manger. It’s about the fact that that baby would go on to perform miracles, fulfill the law and the prophets, teach us to follow Him, and sacrifice His innocent life so that we could be saved. That’s the reason why He came to earth in the first place. His message was clear. The angels proclaimed His message the night he was born: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

 

My Experience With Distraction

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I have been distracted. So distracted, in fact, that I have been disobedient to the Lord.

I did not start this blog because I wanted to–in fact, I really didn’t want to. It was just another thing to add to my to-do list. I did it because God told me to. I am an as-yet unpublished writer, and awhile ago, God called me to use my writing talents to bless others through the content of this blog. I have been writing about things the Lord has been teaching me and things that have been on my heart. I have been neglectful of this calling for a couple months. Schoolwork keeps me busy, and life in general can be quite distracting. This fact has caused me to be disobedient to the Lord’s calling.

Distraction is not a new thing to me. I’m a procrastinator, unfortunately, so it’s a part of my daily life. But in fact, distraction is a common fault of the human race, one that Christians are called to put aside in favor of living a life focused solely on the deity of Christ, from whom everything good flows. We are sidetracked every day by our phones (I recently got a smartphone, in fact), by the Internet, and by our friends and families and significant others. These things and an infinite number of others distract us daily. I myself find it all too easy to get sidetracked, and it hurts the quality of my walk with God.

C.S. Lewis, who in my mind is one of the most brilliant Christian apologeticists of the past century, wrote a book entitled The Screwtape Letters. In it, he lays out his incredibly detailed and accurate knowlege and understanding of human nature through the character of a demon called Screwtape, who is teaching his protege Wormwood how to tempt people and thus draw them away from God. In this book, he constantly refers to one thing that the Enemy uses to draw us away from God: distractions. Often, Screwtape tells his apprentice to plant or encourage distracting thoughts in his subject’s mind, or to help him think in overly complicated or overly simplistic terms about something. He teaches Wormwood how to inflate the man’s ego, exploit his weaknesses, and muddle his thinking. He uses these distractions as tools to keep the unnamed man away from his potential pursuit of God. Due to all of this meddling, the man is often led astray.

That’s me.

Every day, I wake up and start my daily routine. Unfortunately, though, my routine often doesn’t include much of my relationship with God. This is usually quite by accident, but it’s enough. I have good intentions to follow Christ, but they don’t matter unless I do something about them. Instead, my thoughts get turned aside by the people around me, my to-do list, and procrastination. And then, my relationship with God suffers. “Why does this happen?” I often ask myself. And invariably, the response is, “Because you let it happen.”

I, like the rest of the human race, can be incredibly thick-headed at times. But luckily for me, the great God whom I serve has infinite patience with me, which I’ll be thanking Him eternally for (if you’re ever wondering what to thank God for, thank Him for his patience–He uses a lot of it putting up with us). God has been working on me. Through His limitless grace and abounding love, He has been teaching me how to disregard the distractions of the world or use them in a way that pleases Him (distractions, like anything else, can be turned by the power of God into something great which is dedicated to Him). He is teaching me to focus solely on things that relate to Him, like being a good Christian friend and neighbor to others and being the example of Christ that I’m supposed to be. He has helped me to realize how to truly and effectively pursue a relationship with Him.

Like in any successful relationship, I have to rely on communication. I have to make time for Him. He has given me all the materials I need to do this: the Bible, prayer, and friends to keep me accountable and help me along. I just have to do these things, not by my own strength, but by His, which He gives freely if we will only ask. I find it difficult sometimes to make the conscious decision to spend time with Him. It’s often so difficult to do so, but if I prepare in advance, and purposefully and intentionally surrender my will to His, I find that it becomes a lot easier to obey.

Thus, I am writing this post. It’s an act of obedience, a rebellion against all of the temporal and finite distractions which hinder my ability to get as close to God as I want to be. I hope and pray that I continue to be successful in this endeavor, because God’s command is for me to write in order that others may be blessed by what He is teaching me. I pray that whoever reads this gets something out of it, because I am not doing this for myself. I am doing this for God.

Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Hebrews 12:1-3 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Reflections on Christopher Nolan’s ‘Interstellar’

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Interstellar, Christopher Nolan’s 2014 blockbuster science fiction film, has been lauded as a scientifically-accurate, thought-provoking movie regarding the human condition and the nature of science and the universe. As a Christian, it has also served to remind me of many aspects of my faith, and it has helped me think more on the nature of God, my Father and Creator. So here are five reflections based on my experience with this great movie (which, by the way, you should definitely watch if you have not already). No spoilers, don’t worry.

1. The Universe is Big, And So Is God

I’ve always been amazed at size comparison charts between our planet and other celestial bodies, the size of our universe, and what we’ve been able to discover about it. Interstellar is a movie about exploring the universe in all its enormity, complexity, and beauty, and it does an amazing, realistic-looking job of it.

More amazing, though, is what the magnificence of our universe says about God. God created all of this, our entire galaxy and universe and all of the science and universal laws that we know. That means God is bigger than the universe, and capable of creating anything and solving anything. His power and His very being are greater than the universe. Suddenly, both I and my problems seem so small in comparison.

But the best part is this: despite our tininess, He still cares about us. We are His creation, “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). He “created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). And remembering this fact gives me an indescribable sense of peace and joy in spite of every problem in our world. My God and Heavenly Father, who created and knows every aspect of us, our planet, and solar systems lightyears away, loves me enough to send His only Son to die for me so that I can be in communion with Him for eternity. He is in control. This encourages me, and I hope it encourages you, too.

2. The Magnificence of Earth and Nature

Earth is our home, created and given to us by God, the perfect planet for life in every respect. In the beginning, Adam and Eve were given ownership and dominion over everything the Lord had created, to be caretakers of God’s creation. Now, many will argue that we’ve messed that part up a lot, but that’s not where I’m going with this.

When was the last time you stepped outside, breathed deeply of the oxygen that God gives us in order to live, and just appreciated the nature you have around you? When was the last time you observed the intricate, divine artwork on a leaf, or a tree trunk, or a flower, or a piece of grass? When was the last time you looked at your favorite furry creature as a creation of and blessing from God?

The planet that we live on is amazing and miraculous, pollution and all other issues aside. It is situated at a perfect distance from the sun, with a perfect amount of gravity, with an atmosphere and temperatures conducive to life, with all sorts of life around us, and with the means to nourish us and keep us healthy and alive. The main character of Interstellar is a farmer who knows how the Earth is designed to provide food and sustenance to its inhabitants, and he appreciates it for that, even if in the time setting of this film, such things are failing. This has served as a reminder for me to be thankful for the planet I live on, which was created by God to support our lives and bless our souls with the knowledge of Him and everything He is capable of.

3. The Beauty of Human Interaction

We as humans are by nature social creatures. We grow and thrive when we are in contact with each other. We naturally seek to form relationships with people, because no one wants to be alone. In fact, being alone and isolated for a long period of time can literally drive us insane, because contact with other human beings is a fundamental need.

The characters of Interstellar experience the need for interaction with one another, and this need for human contact actually plays quite a significant role in the storyline and in the ideologies expressed. We were never created to be alone. Eve was created to be a companion for Adam, and vice-versa. Our connections with others, which affect our very souls, are an integral part of our existence. They help us grow, change, and mature, enabling us to improve. This is why the Church was designed to be a fellowship, with God at the head. We need to build each other up as Christ teaches us in the Bible. Our positive interactions with each other in relation to Christ help us to become more like our Savior and Father. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).

Furthermore, our capacity to love one another is described in Interstellar as one of the few elements of our social existence capable of transcending the barriers of space and time. This idea, while being used in the movie to pursue a different meaning, seemed to me like a reminder from God saying, “This is true, because I love you, and my love is all-powerful and all-encompassing.” God’s love is so powerful and unconditional that He was willing to send His Son to Earth to save us from our sin. Our capacity to love one another is derived from God Himself. Therefore, as love is a defining characteristic of God that He gives to us as a blessing, it is indeed capable of so much more than we can possibly imagine or understand, including transcending our known existence. In fact, it does this every time we connect with God and connect with our fellow believers.

4. The Greatness of the Human Mind

Interstellar is a smart movie. It develops intelligent characters who are capable of understanding the way the universe works, and who are capable of using such information to achieve their ends. A particular scientific equation is important to the plot, and some of the characters in the movie who are considered great scientific minds are intelligent enough to figure out how to solve it. There are even suggestions that evolution could enhance the power of the human mind, and of humans themselves.

While I don’t necessarily agree with a lot of the theories present in Interstellar regarding the progression of human evolution, I can appreciate the mind that God gave me. With it, I am able to analyze things, create and figure out ideas, and solve problems. I can only do such things because God created me, and indeed all of us, with miraculous minds capable of doing such things. Our minds are truly wonderful things, and even though we cannot understand everything (which is okay, because some things are God’s alone to understand and control), we can understand enough to make a living for ourselves and choose the path of righteousness that leads to Christ and eternal life.

5. The Transcendence of God Above Our Four Dimensions

There’s a lot of talk in Interstellar about our four dimensions and our understanding of them. Time, the fourth dimension, is particularly focused upon, and frustration is expressed as to the limits of our knowledge and control of it.

But this struggle against time in Interstellar reminds me of one thing: God created our dimensional reality, or at least our conception of it, and yet He is above our four dimensions. He is an extra-dimensional being, not bound by any of the natural phenomena which constrain us. He is ruler of it all, controller of it all. And though we are often limited in our knowledge of our existence in four dimensions, God has a perfect knowledge of it. This gives new meaning to Matthew 19:26, which states, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible,” because literally, God has power and understanding over everything. He created everything. Nothing limits Him.

So the next time you think God can’t do something good and significant in and with your life, remember that God can do anything, because He has unlimited power over everything. He is willing to fix your circumstance or help you along your path, if you will just allow Him to and have faith that He can.

Well, there you have it. Interstellar is definitely thought-provoking, and though it is certainly not a movie meant to point to the greatness of God, God used it anyway to remind me of Himself, His power, His glory, and His amazing love.

(If you liked this post, please comment, share, subscribe, tell your friends, etc. Also, if you have an idea for a topic that you would like me to write about, please comment on that. I’m always looking for new things to write about, and I welcome your suggestions! Thanks for reading!)

The Great Identity Crisis

http://www.constancerhodes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/identity-in-christ.png Intrinsic within us and our society is a deep spiritual desire to find meaning in our lives, to find identity and assertively proclaim, “This is who I am.” We wish to discover ourselves and what we can become. We long to be individuals, to be unique, to be loved, and to be remembered. However, in spite of its many “be true to yourself” messages, all the world really wants from us is that we fit in and don’t defy the norm (which is also constantly changing). These mixed messages saturate our pop culture, social media, and relationships, and conflict with the spiritual need that we have within us to find true meaning for our lives. We feel lost if we don’t choose something to identify as. What we don’t realize is that we are already lost, in need of finding truth with which we can anchor ourselves.

A Lifelong Pursuit

It’s all too easy for our enemy, Satan, to twist this spiritual desire for identity into a lie. Due to his meddling and the darkness within us, we learn to put our faith and hope in things that don’t last and don’t fully satisfy us. We expect them to make us happy. We “find” and “lose” ourselves in work and technology, in relationships and all kinds of sexuality, in possessions and money. We even “find religion” and pursue perfection, or at least a better life, through rules, morality, and legalism. Then we get tired and find some other lifestyle to live. We hop on bandwagons and expect them to take us somewhere amazing. Our search for what will make us happy and give us a defined identity becomes an addiction, and we put on elaborate masks to hide our brokenness from everyone around us, including ourselves. Our self-definitions manifest themselves daily in our choices, thoughts, and actions, even conflicting at times with our true personalities. Identity runs deep within us. It’s an idea that is hard to understand or change, especially when we discover that our self-definition is accepted by those around us. Indeed, no matter what we say or do, we desire acceptance from others. This is something that will never change. We are hardwired to be social. We want to be loved and cared about, and we want to have significance in the eyes of others. “I” is defined by our identities and personalities. It’s an idea of the self which is nigh impossible to get rid of or change. The search for identity, this inescapable, nagging idea, is often a lifelong pursuit. But we were never meant to live like that.

Identity in Christ

Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” What does this mean? Simply put, God created us to be like Him and to be in relationship with Him. He gave us free will so that our decision to love Him would be real. He even sent His Son, Jesus, the perfect example of God’s love, to pay sin’s price of death so we can live eternally with God if we choose to receive His gift of salvation. John 4 tells the well-known story of “The Woman at the Well,” in which Jesus meets a Samaritan woman whose life has been broken by failed relationships and gossip. In verses 13-14, He tells her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” This living water is a divine promise of an intimate, personal, meaningful relationship with God, and it lasts eternally. It is not like anything else in this world, because it is not of this world. Indeed, C.S. Lewis once said, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” Within each of us is a spirit that desires to be in communion with its Creator. But oftentimes, we decide instead to fill the hole in our lives with other things that don’t last. We are afraid or skeptical or distracted, and we turn away from Him and the amazing calling He has for us. We define ourselves by what we know in the world, and ignore the quiet beckoning of our Creator. Our identities become based on dedication to something in the world or to a specific way of life. In other words, we find something to worship, something earthly that we think will make us happy, if only for a while. We give in to our sinful natures and desires and choose not to do things the way we were created to. Instead of finding our identities in God our Creator as we are meant to, we look for our identities in worshiping ourselves. But we don’t have to live that way. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” We can be different, turn away from the evil within us and in the world, and choose the One who is able to show us our true identities and the meaning that our lives hold. We are called to reject what is finite and temporary and embrace the everlasting and fulfilling. God, who will never give up on us or fail us, knows us better than we do ourselves and will meet us where we are. We can find our identities, fulfillment, and life purposes in Him and His promises. It’s as simple as asking and receiving (Matthew 7:7). Our idea of self, which is hard to change, can be changed by God to focus on Him like it is meant to, though it won’t happen overnight. We have been created to be a part of the Kingdom of the Almighty God. We can break the chains of enslavement to the unsatisfactory things of this world that we don’t realize have enslaved us. If we say yes to God, we will belong to Him as His children. Ephesians 2:10 and 19-20, the Bible says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do…Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” Yes, this whole idea sounds weird and counter-cultural. It’s meant to. But honestly, the experience of having a relationship with God is quite simply awesome and liberating. And yes, it’s harder than it sounds. We must choose surrender and submission to the ways of Christ daily. But God’s strength, given to us freely if we just ask for His help, is capable of keeping us on track. We are called to holiness, blamelessness, righteousness, and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is the identity we are meant to choose and become. This identity, and identity in Christ, will give us so much more meaning and joy than anything else ever could. Now, that’s not to say our lives are going to be easy, because spiritual warfare occurs every second. We must prepare and protect ourselves by being in communication with and obedient to God through prayer and the study of His Word. Often, due to how easily we are distracted, the easiest thing in the world to do is not pray or study the Bible. But if we stay focused and maintain an intentional relationship with God, He will make it worth our while. So I encourage you: stop looking for your identity in relationships and material, worldly things. Define yourself by your relationship with God.

Guatemala 2019: Anything Is Possible With God

LFCN Guatemala Team 2019

This past June–about a month ago now–I went on my third mission trip to Guatemala with my church, Lynchburg First Church of the Nazarene. The first evening we spent in Guatemala, I asked the Lord to do something in me. To change me somehow. To show me something new. After all, I’d been on the first two trips and thought I pretty much knew what to expect. So He said to me, “Watch this.”

This year’s trip turned into something simultaneously old and new, and it reminded me of the faithfulness of God.

I’ve been seeking after increased faith for the past several months or so. My life circumstances began to change a lot at the beginning of the year when I was told that the store where I was working was going to close. I had been fully prepared to turn it into a career, if God was willing.

But God had different plans. As it turned out, after months of praying and crying and praying more and crying out to God a lot more, He had a different path lined up for me. I was trusting that He would be faithful to provide for me, and I was trying to seek after His will only. Doing that is actually rather difficult for me. I am a strong-willed person when it comes to doing what I want, and I am a weak-willed person when it comes to doing what God wants.

Yes, he answered my prayers. He provided me with a new job that I love, that I’m good at, that’s giving me opportunities to learn and grow. He’s been challenging me to improve myself, which has been a theme in my life ever since I started being a part of the ministry of Celebrate Recovery. And He has taught me that there can be no effective self-improvement without complete reliance on Him.

So now we come to what happened in Guatemala this past June.

God showed me and reminded me of many things, especially that anything is possible through Him. He reminded me once again of His faithfulness. He showed me how happy the people in my church’s adopted village, Loma del Viento, are with the little they have. He showed me that He is in control of every circumstance if we’re willing to give it to Him.

For example, I bought and brought with me several Spanish Bibles to give away, and I trusted God to provide people to whom I could give them. He did, and He did so through the orchestration of circumstances I couldn’t have imagined.

The first villager I gave a Spanish Bible to. He and his family had apparently been memorizing Scripture even without a Bible to call their own. God only knows what will happen in their family now that they have one!

Also, our team was slated to show the Jesus Film to the villagers, and we weren’t certain if there would be electricity to power the equipment. So we as a team gave the issue to God, and He took care of it, resulting in about 30 people making professions of faith in Jesus.

Beyond that, God worked within the team and created a new family out of the 24 of us. He showed me how He could work through willing-hearted teenagers and adults alike. He showed me how just saying yes to His plan and serving others will bring forth more abundant life and satisfaction than anything material in our lives could ever do. As Romans 12:1-2 states, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

I did see a lot of similar things this trip. But God also reminded me of how far our adopted village has come in the past three years because of the transformation He has done through us and through the continuing discipleship of that community.

I want to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus. I want to be a living sacrifice, and fully satisfied only in Him. I want to be like one of the newly-saved elderly men of the village, who told us, “I don’t have a lot, but God is all I need.” And I pray that God would use the material abundance that I often take for granted and the spiritual gifts granted me by my Heavenly Father to continue to make a difference in the world.