So many busy days in a row...
Yesterday was the last day of school. Then, a goodbye barbecue for staff who are retiring or transferring to the elementary school. THEN, our youth team sponsored a giant end-of-school party for all of the junior high and high school students at the Waterfront Park.
Hundreds of kids showed up for free food, basketball tournament, video game tournament, dance-offs, and 4 different bands. I was SO worried that someone would die, but God was so very present at the waterfront. Many of my junior high students came to the park and we're surprised to "find a church there already". They told me stories about their lives, about their summer plans, about their friends and families. At the end of the night, one of our pastors shared a message about Jesus and one of my classroom students decided to follow Jesus for the first time. Talk about rejoicing!!! The party in Heaven is SO much bigger than our party at the waterfront last night!
And then, today, was like someone hit the pause button. Restful, relaxing. Less of an agenda.
Coffee dates. Time with my lovely Mom. Running with my friend Shannon. A barbecue. A long phone call with Amanda. Mmmmmmmm. I like summer!
Today has the feel of Sabbath.
But tomorrow, I'm picking up friends from the church at 4:30 am to drive the first wave of our Mazatlan mission team to the airport. My part of the team leaves Saturday at 1:30 am to join them. Please pray for our journey.
Pray that God's Spirit goes before us, works through us, and transforms lives of the people of Mazatlan. Please pray, too, for peace to descend on the city. There was a riot at the city prison earlier in the week which killed 29 people. Pray for God's peace to change lives. Pray for the rescue of those trapped in the drug trade and in extreme poverty. My team will be working with a church called Amor y Libertad. Please pray for the brothers & sisters of the church, that we would all use our short time together for the best to spread Christ's love throughout the city.
Prayer updates during the trip will be posted on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=129409370412730 .
Excited to put my summer on the mission for Jesus. Who knows? Maybe there will be more opportunities to press the pause button along the way. :)
"Be still and know that I am God." -Psalm 46:10
"For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." -Romans 8:6
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
finishing
It's finally the last week of school.
Tomorrow is the last full day of classes. The last opportunity to share life with some of these 9th graders, before they continue on their journeys to high school.
I'm calling it "Last Chance Monday." For some, it's the last chance to turn in missing assignments. For others, the last chance to make up tests or quizzes. For the over-achievers, it's the last chance to turn in extra credit, bumping A-'s to A's.
For me, it's the last chance to show Jesus to my students. To help them make choices that bring life. It's the last chance to look at each full class and pray over the students and their families.
Praying for a beautiful, last chance of a day.
Turning the pages of my journal tonight during church, I found a short poem I wrote last month. (At the height of uncertainty about my job). It ends like this:
"And each step of adventure
Is a new chance to trust
That Your plan of salvation
Means You love us this much."
Trusting that God has beautiful adventure in store for my students. His love is big enough to capture each of their hurting stories and transform it into beautiful adventure. So sweet to walk with Him! Tomorrow could be my last chance to talk with these students, but praise God that He works on His own timeline. He loves these students more than I ever could!
"And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." -Matthew 28:20b
Tomorrow is the last full day of classes. The last opportunity to share life with some of these 9th graders, before they continue on their journeys to high school.
I'm calling it "Last Chance Monday." For some, it's the last chance to turn in missing assignments. For others, the last chance to make up tests or quizzes. For the over-achievers, it's the last chance to turn in extra credit, bumping A-'s to A's.
For me, it's the last chance to show Jesus to my students. To help them make choices that bring life. It's the last chance to look at each full class and pray over the students and their families.
Praying for a beautiful, last chance of a day.
Turning the pages of my journal tonight during church, I found a short poem I wrote last month. (At the height of uncertainty about my job). It ends like this:
"And each step of adventure
Is a new chance to trust
That Your plan of salvation
Means You love us this much."
Trusting that God has beautiful adventure in store for my students. His love is big enough to capture each of their hurting stories and transform it into beautiful adventure. So sweet to walk with Him! Tomorrow could be my last chance to talk with these students, but praise God that He works on His own timeline. He loves these students more than I ever could!
"And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." -Matthew 28:20b
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
faithfulness
Praise God who gave me back my job.
And not just any job. But the exact job my heart was prepared to leave. Same school. Same staff. Same classroom, even.
Praise God for His provision and His faithfulness.
Can't wait to see what great things are in store!
Thanks to anyone who prayed or offered job leads. Also, Megan found an internship with Children of the Nations in Silverdale. World, prepare to be changed!
And not just any job. But the exact job my heart was prepared to leave. Same school. Same staff. Same classroom, even.
Praise God for His provision and His faithfulness.
Can't wait to see what great things are in store!
Thanks to anyone who prayed or offered job leads. Also, Megan found an internship with Children of the Nations in Silverdale. World, prepare to be changed!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
glory
Yesterday, I had "send-off coffee" with a good friend. She is moving to Island Park, Idaho to strengthen a relationship with her grandparents. She desires their lives to be transformed by Jesus. She has a giant heart for the Mission and an ever-growing understanding of the "bigness" of God's love. Hanging out with Erin brought hope and peace into my busy, stressed-out, end-of-school attitude. Praying blessing over her trip to Idaho tonight!
Another reason that Erin is super cool is that she transferred a bunch of music to my laptop:) Right now I'm listening to an album by Kim Walker. There's this lyric: "We are longing for the Glory of the Lord, cause we know there's so much more."
Today is the first morning in a long time where I can sit at the dining room table, enjoying breakfast. English muffin toast, yogurt, and French Press coffee--nothing too fancy. Listening to music that praises God, looking out at His beautiful creation, resting in His peace: these are glimpses of His glory.
One of my dear student-friends from our youth small group pulled me aside Wednesday night. She told me, "I really think you should read Psalm 63 every day this week." And she was right. Beautiful glory poetry:
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You.
So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches
For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.
But those who seek my life to destroy it, Will gointo the depths of the earth.
They will be delivered over to the power of the sword; They will be a prey for foxes.
But the king will rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him will glory, For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.
But the depth of God's glory, all of it at once, would be terrifying. The other day, I was reading this passage:
"Thus Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the doorway of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation." -Numbers 16:15 NAS When you read the whole story about Korah and Aaron and the Israelites, you realize that it's a big deal for the glory of the LORD to appear to all the congregation.
When I'm honest, I think I just want to see God's glory in the beautiful things. Rugged, sparkling mountains. Joyful weddings. Infants beginning life. Families restored. Communities transformed.
Those things are all good, but the LORD shows His glory other ways, too. Like the way He opens the ground and swallows up the false priests later in the Numbers 16 story. Do I really want to see God's glory consume someone like that? This could be one of those things that I never really understand. (There are a lot of them, turns out!)
God, come in glory--whether or not we're ready. It's all about You.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Ephesians 5
Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting – all of which are out of character – but rather thanksgiving. For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth – and find out what pleases the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. But all things being exposed by the light are made evident. For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says:
“Awake, O sleeper!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you!”
Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is. And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church – he himself being the savior of the body. But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, so that he may present the church to himself as glorious – not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great – but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.