Watching the closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games, realizing the month is over, I have to remember how fleeting time really is.
Then, just as I try to make life deep and serious... William Shatner gives a monologue about Canada. And manages to mispronounce "Juan de Fuca."
Seriously, though, how did the Olympics finish so quickly? How is it that February is over? My iGoogle homepage has a countdown for the days left to love students: only 15 more weeks. How is it going so quickly?!
Part of me doesn't want to fall asleep tonight. I almost believe that when I wake up it will be June.
"You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath"--Psalm 39:5
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Wisdom from the Spirit
"We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God has destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:
'No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived what God has prepared
for those who love Him'--
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not recieved the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught us by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:
'For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?'
But we have the mind of Christ."
1 Cor 2:6-16 NIV
Powerful stuff.
Conversations with two friends have been changing the way I think about spiritual discernment. This life is SO MUCH BIGGER than the "right now" and "this instant". So much bigger than tomorrow, than the weekend, than the year, than the rest of my life. Eternity is what matters.
"But we have the mind of Christ."
I don't have a clue what that means. What an adventure to figure it out. God isn't trying to hide Himself from us. So much life to embrace!
'No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived what God has prepared
for those who love Him'--
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not recieved the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught us by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:
'For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?'
But we have the mind of Christ."
1 Cor 2:6-16 NIV
Powerful stuff.
Conversations with two friends have been changing the way I think about spiritual discernment. This life is SO MUCH BIGGER than the "right now" and "this instant". So much bigger than tomorrow, than the weekend, than the year, than the rest of my life. Eternity is what matters.
"But we have the mind of Christ."
I don't have a clue what that means. What an adventure to figure it out. God isn't trying to hide Himself from us. So much life to embrace!
heart vomit
Way too late to be awake on a school night...
God, You care about every detail of life in Kitsap county. In our world, even. Help me trust You, patiently. You hold the entire world in Your hands. There's no reason for me to worry or be anxious.
Come, Father, and reveal Your Glory. Show us Your love. Your paradox of justice and grace. Your deep forgiveness. Your mercy that rescues us. You are our hope.
Father, You asked me to come to Kitsap. When my heart was broken, You carried me home to experience healing, family, community. You grew my heart. You painted Your mission across the mountains, in sunrises and sunsets. You reveal Your face in every student, every teacher, every stranger at the grocery store. These are Your people.
This is not my home. Not just the condo in Bremerton. Thinking bigger, EARTH is not my home. I was made to worship God, to bring Him glory and enjoy Him FOREVER. Days like today help me appreciate the hope of eternity forever with Jesus.
It's the beauty of the book of Revelation! We know the endgame. Worshiping God IN HIS PRESENCE. And it's also the beauty of now. Worshiping God in FAITH. I don't know that we ever get to understand this in these bodies (1 Cor 13) but how exciting to worship forever! And forever is now!!!
So caught up in the energy of worship, I struggle to apply passion. How do you passionately wait for God? How do you obediently follow? What if I'm already here?
Forever.
God, I'm here to trust You. Forever. I'm here. Send me.
But what if You want to send me HERE? What if You want me in Kitsap?
The other night, driving home from a youth meeting, I realized some of the limits of my faith. Our youth ministry is launching two new campuses this summer. Making room in groups, in gatherings, to invite more students into relationship with Jesus. But, do I have the faith to trust God for another year of living in Kitsap, sharing life with students? What if God asks me to stay INDEFINITELY? What if God asks me to move to Gorst? Or to Belfair? Or to Tacoma? My faith isn't that big yet.
God, grow my heart.
Remove these limits to my faith. Give me the strength to trust You. Really trust You.
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power" 1 Cor 4:20 NIV
Father, use me to bring Your kingdom to earth. Even Kitsap county. Break my heart. Shatter my plans. Here is my life, as an offering for You.
All in.
In Jesus' name, Amen
God, You care about every detail of life in Kitsap county. In our world, even. Help me trust You, patiently. You hold the entire world in Your hands. There's no reason for me to worry or be anxious.
Come, Father, and reveal Your Glory. Show us Your love. Your paradox of justice and grace. Your deep forgiveness. Your mercy that rescues us. You are our hope.
Father, You asked me to come to Kitsap. When my heart was broken, You carried me home to experience healing, family, community. You grew my heart. You painted Your mission across the mountains, in sunrises and sunsets. You reveal Your face in every student, every teacher, every stranger at the grocery store. These are Your people.
This is not my home. Not just the condo in Bremerton. Thinking bigger, EARTH is not my home. I was made to worship God, to bring Him glory and enjoy Him FOREVER. Days like today help me appreciate the hope of eternity forever with Jesus.
It's the beauty of the book of Revelation! We know the endgame. Worshiping God IN HIS PRESENCE. And it's also the beauty of now. Worshiping God in FAITH. I don't know that we ever get to understand this in these bodies (1 Cor 13) but how exciting to worship forever! And forever is now!!!
So caught up in the energy of worship, I struggle to apply passion. How do you passionately wait for God? How do you obediently follow? What if I'm already here?
Forever.
God, I'm here to trust You. Forever. I'm here. Send me.
But what if You want to send me HERE? What if You want me in Kitsap?
The other night, driving home from a youth meeting, I realized some of the limits of my faith. Our youth ministry is launching two new campuses this summer. Making room in groups, in gatherings, to invite more students into relationship with Jesus. But, do I have the faith to trust God for another year of living in Kitsap, sharing life with students? What if God asks me to stay INDEFINITELY? What if God asks me to move to Gorst? Or to Belfair? Or to Tacoma? My faith isn't that big yet.
God, grow my heart.
Remove these limits to my faith. Give me the strength to trust You. Really trust You.
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power" 1 Cor 4:20 NIV
Father, use me to bring Your kingdom to earth. Even Kitsap county. Break my heart. Shatter my plans. Here is my life, as an offering for You.
All in.
In Jesus' name, Amen
Saturday, February 20, 2010
mountain reminder
Weeks like this are precious. The sun is finally starting to rise just as I leave for work. Each morning I've been greeted by Mt. Rainier and the North Cascades silhouetted against an orange-pink sky. The mountains remind me that God cares about us.
Today, I was taking a break from the other "mountain" in my life (student notebooks and tests that needed to be graded!) At the Silverdale Waterfront Park, my Bible blew open to Psalms...mostly because it's in the middle of the Bible. Fortunately, coincidentally, divinely, whatever. The book of Psalms is full of poems that describe the mountains giving glory to God. Here's a few of my favorites:
"Just as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds and
protects his people, both now and forever." -Ps 125:2
"The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth." -Ps 97:5
"He owns the depths of the earth, and even the mightiest mountains are his." - Ps 65:4
"You are glorious and more majestic than the everlasting mountains." -Ps 76:4
"Before the mountains were created, before you made the earth and the world,
you are God, without beginning or end." - Ps 90:2
"You formed the mountains by your power and armed yourself with mighty strength." -Ps 65:6
Tomorrow I actually get to spend time in the beautiful mountains! So excited to spend some time with our Creator, enjoying Him in His creation.
Today, I was taking a break from the other "mountain" in my life (student notebooks and tests that needed to be graded!) At the Silverdale Waterfront Park, my Bible blew open to Psalms...mostly because it's in the middle of the Bible. Fortunately, coincidentally, divinely, whatever. The book of Psalms is full of poems that describe the mountains giving glory to God. Here's a few of my favorites:
"Just as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds and
protects his people, both now and forever." -Ps 125:2
"The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth." -Ps 97:5
"He owns the depths of the earth, and even the mightiest mountains are his." - Ps 65:4
"You are glorious and more majestic than the everlasting mountains." -Ps 76:4
"Before the mountains were created, before you made the earth and the world,
you are God, without beginning or end." - Ps 90:2
"You formed the mountains by your power and armed yourself with mighty strength." -Ps 65:6
Tomorrow I actually get to spend time in the beautiful mountains! So excited to spend some time with our Creator, enjoying Him in His creation.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
paint dancing, espresso-tasting and the love revolution
Praise God for 4-day weekends! Even when it rains, God brings us joy. Here are some snapshots of joy from this weekend:
Coffee with Mom. One of the best parts of living in Kitsap county is being able to meet Mom in town for coffee dates. Even when we don't end up drinking coffee. Having time to shop for books and birthday gifts with Mom is such a blessing. I am grateful every day for a family who loves Jesus!
Paint-dancing! Last night, I went to visit dear friends in Wallingford. We went paint dancing for the first time. Just like it sounds, you paint and dance at the same time. Check out www.paintdancing.com for more info. We went to the Gasworks Gallery in Seattle, where owner Matt Jones started throwing the original paint-dancing parties.
An artist and hunger-activist, Matt has crazy-contagious enthusiasm about his two passions. His art revolution is inspiring: paint-dancing has spread through the US and is starting to gain momentum in other countries AND is responsible for donating 17 semi-trucks worth of food to Seattle area food banks.
Here are two samples of my "paint-dancing" artwork, doctored up a little and framed for my room.
Running in the rain. This morning, my dear friend Nicole and I tried to go running at Greenlake. But...there happened to be a Valentine's 5k race going on. So, we went to the UW Arboretum instead. We ran in the rain, following trails, roads, and well-manicured footpaths. Then, we created a shortcut by sliding down a steep, grassy, muddy hill. In a small miracle, neither of us ate it in the mud. We skidded to a stop in the parking lot. What a great adventure for such a wonderful weekend.
Espresso-tasting. Kristina Hammer is the best barista known to humankind. That should be enough...
For brunch, Kristina made the most delightful espresso drinks. Deep-tasting, powerful shots of Sumatra coffee. Rich, creamy foam made of half-and-half (I think my cappuccino standards may be ruined forever). Lattes sweetened with carmelized-brown sugar. My mouth is watering as I think about this coffee, even now...The caffeine high finally wore off around 8:30 tonight.
Talking Jesus with students. Best text of my life: "Wanna meet in town somewhere so i can ask you some questions about the bible i was reading today???"After Seattle, I got to hang out with some of the amazing students in our youth ministry. We talked about trusting God, about loving family, about fighting for purity. I love to see their faith expressed in their growing lives! I respect them SOOO much for the choices they are making, some with maturity far beyond their age.
Visiting people at work. At our youth gathering last Wednesday, we decided to have a group event this Saturday to visit one student while she worked at an ice cream shop. I love visiting people at work! Then, we went to the sandwich store next door to visit another friend. Yay for community! (and the accompanying conversations. :)
Winter Olympics. I just like watching people who are so talented at what they do. Thank you Michelle for buying an HD TV!
An evening with Mother Teresa. To finish out the night, I babysat for some friends so they could enjoy Valentine's Day. Their son was already asleep by the time I came over, so I sat by the baby monitor and read a book for the evening. Book shopping yesterday with Mom, I picked up Mother Teresa: Her essential wisdom, ed. Carol Kelly-Gangi. It is changing my perspective on obedience to God's calling. My favorite quote so far:
"One by one, from 1949 on, my former students began to arrive. They wanted to give everything to God, right away. With that joy they put away their colorful saris in order to put on our cotton one. They came because they knew it would be hard. When a young woman of high caste comes and puts herself at the service of the poor, she is the protagonist of a revolution. It is the greatest, the most difficult revolution--the revolution of love." (quoted on p.5, Kelly-Gangi, 2006)
And yet, love is the greatest commandment. (Matt 22:39). It seems the revolution can be won, if only we are willing to begin it!
Coffee with Mom. One of the best parts of living in Kitsap county is being able to meet Mom in town for coffee dates. Even when we don't end up drinking coffee. Having time to shop for books and birthday gifts with Mom is such a blessing. I am grateful every day for a family who loves Jesus!
Paint-dancing! Last night, I went to visit dear friends in Wallingford. We went paint dancing for the first time. Just like it sounds, you paint and dance at the same time. Check out www.paintdancing.com for more info. We went to the Gasworks Gallery in Seattle, where owner Matt Jones started throwing the original paint-dancing parties.
An artist and hunger-activist, Matt has crazy-contagious enthusiasm about his two passions. His art revolution is inspiring: paint-dancing has spread through the US and is starting to gain momentum in other countries AND is responsible for donating 17 semi-trucks worth of food to Seattle area food banks.
Here are two samples of my "paint-dancing" artwork, doctored up a little and framed for my room.
Running in the rain. This morning, my dear friend Nicole and I tried to go running at Greenlake. But...there happened to be a Valentine's 5k race going on. So, we went to the UW Arboretum instead. We ran in the rain, following trails, roads, and well-manicured footpaths. Then, we created a shortcut by sliding down a steep, grassy, muddy hill. In a small miracle, neither of us ate it in the mud. We skidded to a stop in the parking lot. What a great adventure for such a wonderful weekend.
Espresso-tasting. Kristina Hammer is the best barista known to humankind. That should be enough...
For brunch, Kristina made the most delightful espresso drinks. Deep-tasting, powerful shots of Sumatra coffee. Rich, creamy foam made of half-and-half (I think my cappuccino standards may be ruined forever). Lattes sweetened with carmelized-brown sugar. My mouth is watering as I think about this coffee, even now...The caffeine high finally wore off around 8:30 tonight.
Talking Jesus with students. Best text of my life: "Wanna meet in town somewhere so i can ask you some questions about the bible i was reading today???"After Seattle, I got to hang out with some of the amazing students in our youth ministry. We talked about trusting God, about loving family, about fighting for purity. I love to see their faith expressed in their growing lives! I respect them SOOO much for the choices they are making, some with maturity far beyond their age.
Visiting people at work. At our youth gathering last Wednesday, we decided to have a group event this Saturday to visit one student while she worked at an ice cream shop. I love visiting people at work! Then, we went to the sandwich store next door to visit another friend. Yay for community! (and the accompanying conversations. :)
Winter Olympics. I just like watching people who are so talented at what they do. Thank you Michelle for buying an HD TV!
An evening with Mother Teresa. To finish out the night, I babysat for some friends so they could enjoy Valentine's Day. Their son was already asleep by the time I came over, so I sat by the baby monitor and read a book for the evening. Book shopping yesterday with Mom, I picked up Mother Teresa: Her essential wisdom, ed. Carol Kelly-Gangi. It is changing my perspective on obedience to God's calling. My favorite quote so far:
"One by one, from 1949 on, my former students began to arrive. They wanted to give everything to God, right away. With that joy they put away their colorful saris in order to put on our cotton one. They came because they knew it would be hard. When a young woman of high caste comes and puts herself at the service of the poor, she is the protagonist of a revolution. It is the greatest, the most difficult revolution--the revolution of love." (quoted on p.5, Kelly-Gangi, 2006)
And yet, love is the greatest commandment. (Matt 22:39). It seems the revolution can be won, if only we are willing to begin it!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
that just happened...
I need to surrender my addiction to plans.
God's plans are bigger and better than my plans. It's in the Bible, even. (Isaiah 55:8) However, I convince myself that it's worth the effort to stress, to worry, to micromanage ever detail.
Today, I demonstrated the differences between 3 kinds of heat transfer to my 9th grade students. We fried an egg in a frypan (conduction). We boiled an egg in water (convection). And, we microwaved an egg (radiation). When my students found out how frequently I microwave food, they decided it could only be because I can't cook.
"I can just picture Ms. Rarig being on the show The Bachelor and then the guy finds out she
can't cook. Wouldn't that be funny." --3rd period...
Then, after the regular school day, after extra-curricular Conditioning club, after a blow-out of a girls' basketball game, I went to the grocery store to buy stamps. You see, today was election day for our school levy. My absentee ballot had been signed and ready to go for 3 weeks, patiently sitting on the dashboard of the Kia. I kept forgetting to buy stamps.
I ran into a former student at the grocery store. Her mother thought I was pregnant. ~(o0o)~ That's the awkward turtle, in case you've never been properly introduced.
Now, I'm enjoying a dinner cooked for guests who never showed up. AND, it's the 24th birthday for TWO of my best friends. BUT, neither of them lives in my city. I miss them so!
God, what are your plans that are so much bigger than mine?
When do I get to know?
God's plans are bigger and better than my plans. It's in the Bible, even. (Isaiah 55:8) However, I convince myself that it's worth the effort to stress, to worry, to micromanage ever detail.
Today, I demonstrated the differences between 3 kinds of heat transfer to my 9th grade students. We fried an egg in a frypan (conduction). We boiled an egg in water (convection). And, we microwaved an egg (radiation). When my students found out how frequently I microwave food, they decided it could only be because I can't cook.
"I can just picture Ms. Rarig being on the show The Bachelor and then the guy finds out she
can't cook. Wouldn't that be funny." --3rd period...
Then, after the regular school day, after extra-curricular Conditioning club, after a blow-out of a girls' basketball game, I went to the grocery store to buy stamps. You see, today was election day for our school levy. My absentee ballot had been signed and ready to go for 3 weeks, patiently sitting on the dashboard of the Kia. I kept forgetting to buy stamps.
I ran into a former student at the grocery store. Her mother thought I was pregnant. ~(o0o)~ That's the awkward turtle, in case you've never been properly introduced.
Now, I'm enjoying a dinner cooked for guests who never showed up. AND, it's the 24th birthday for TWO of my best friends. BUT, neither of them lives in my city. I miss them so!
God, what are your plans that are so much bigger than mine?
When do I get to know?
Sunday, February 7, 2010
full-hearted
Back from winter camp.
Praise God for students lives changing. For connections with Christ. For days of salvation.
Pray that these encounters with God don't stay trapped in the moments of camp. Pray for real, lasting life transformation in the lives of students (and leaders who were there, too). Pray for life patterns to change.
So tired, even though I was blessed with 6 whole hours of sleep last night. Pray for everyone to be refreshed. To be ready for the week. To live passionately for Christ.
Praise God for the way He loves us. Amazing.
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