short month

There are 30 minutes left of February. It went by so fast! In 28 days...

• I gave up drinking coffee (and only cheated once)
• God brought high school and junior high students to Himself. At wintercamp, 72 students chose Jesus for the first time. Yesterday, around 15 students were baptized. Welcome to the family.
• Two weekends in hotels. One weekend camping with 250 girls in a community center. One weekend camping in 20 degree weather with a very hot boyfriend, and his rock-climbing-family.

And two weeks of seeing what God has in store for a new relationship:

March is 10% longer than February. Interested to see what happens next.

forced sabbath

Sometimes, God asks you to rest. Sometimes, He asks you nicely. Sometimes, He sends a snowstorm.

"Thus says the LORD:
'Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.'" -Jeremiah 6:16a


Sometimes we listen and rest. Enjoy Him. Bask in His presence. But, most of the time...

"But they said, "We will not walk in it.'" -Jeremiah 6:16b


God, I really don't want ANOTHER snow day tomorrow!!

"I set watchmen over you, saying, 'Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not pay attention.' Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them. Hear, O Earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it." - Jeremiah 6:17-19


Funny how we choose our consequences. When you don't rest, your body gets sick. When you don't take time to invest in relationships, they die. When you fill life with things other than God, He brings the fruit of your devices.

When winter weather forces a sabbath, I choose to worship. I choose to pay attention.

What a winter it's been...

theology

I just submitted an application to spend the next season of life in Burkina Faso.

"Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you. 

But divide your investments among many places, for you do not know what risks might be ahead. 

When clouds are heavy, the rains come down. 

Whether a tree falls north or south, it stays where it falls. 

Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. 

If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. 

Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother's womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.

Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don't know if profit will come from one activity or another--or maybe both."

-Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

Here's a glimpse into some of the deep questions that were part of the application:

Please briefly describe your beliefs concerning the following questions... 1. What do you believe about the inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of the Bible? I do not understand every word of the Bible, but I believe it to be true. A God who is big enough to create the Universe is big enough to protect the authority of His Word. I believe that the entire body of Scripture is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16) and therefore, has authority over my actions and attitudes. 2. What is your concept of God? He is the beginning and the end (Revelation 21:6). He is the creator of the Universe, not the construct of man. He is a just judge and a loving Father. He is fair and gracious. He is omnipresent, but personal. He is omnipotent, but gentle. He is bigger than we will ever understand. And He loves us! While we did not know that we were dead, He rescued us (Ephesians 2:5). God exists eternally as Father, as Holy Spirit, and as God-become-flesh, Jesus Christ. His holy bride is the Church (Ephesians 5& Revelation 19). And He is always faithful. Always. 3. What is the purpose of Christ in relation to mankind? God made man and woman to live in relationship with Himself. But, sin separated man from God. In a plan that brought Himself glory (Romans 8), Jesus Christ came to earth as a sacrifice to redeem the debt that sin had created. Christ was fully man and fully God, and He opened the doors for both Jews and Gentiles to find God's acceptance. He is "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation" (Colossians 1:15) and "the Word became flesh" (John 1:14.) He lived a sinless life, died a sinner's death, and conquered sin and death once and for all at the Resurrection. (1Corinthians 15:3-5). Christ restored the broken relationship between God and man. 4. What are your views concerning the Holy Spirit's person, ministry, and gifts? The Holy Spirit is the Advocate promised by Jesus to His disciples (John 14:16). Romans 8:26 describes the Holy Spirit as a direct communicator from our lives to God. The Holy Spirit continues to reveal the heart of God to those willing to listen. I believe there are still active giftings and anointings of the Holy Spirit. 5. What is the condition of mankind? Sin separates man from God. Therefore, mankind is depraved apart from God. Jeremiah describes the condition of mankind as "deceitful above all things, desperately wicked" (17:9). The only hope of right relationship with God comes through the sacrifice of Jesus. 6. What is the significance of the church? The church is Christ's bride. We are to be His reflection to the world until His second coming. Ephesians 5 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, as it explains marriage as a metaphor for the identity and role of the church. Through history, the church has been comprised of flawed yet redeemed people. The church has made many mistakes, but God's grace is unending. God continues to use the church to heal the world and bring Him glory. 7. What is the Christian's responsibility to individuals and society? Jesus told us to love God and love our neighbors. Therefore, the Christian's responsibility is to love God first. From that overflow, Christians should actively seek to help those in deep need (James 1:27). Followers of Christ have the responsibility to introduce the world to His radical love. 8. Are there other convictions of significance to you? I strongly believe that God makes His will clear to those who choose to trust Him.

1 Cor 16:14

"Let all that you do be done in love." -ESV

what happened?

somehow, 2 weeks disappeared.

the semester ended. winter camp came. life exploded.

Here's a quote our pastor shared the other night at our newly-formed young adult gathering:
"Grace-first mentality allows us to get involved in the messy process of restoration with people in places most Christians usually avoid." -Gabe Lyons, The Next Christians


still sleep-deprived from camp, I'm struggling to apply this grace-first mentality in "real life."

but the messy process of restoration is stalking my life. forget avoiding, this is life. saturday, students that I have prayed for by name chose Jesus for the first time at camp. sunday, one of the same students shared with his group about the way I've been a role-model in his life. This is the beautiful victory, made even more beautiful by the mud we're covered with in the trenches.

today a student confided in me about the voices she hears in her head. they tell her to hurt herself and others. this is messy. this is the place we need restoration.

tonight, a young woman i'm mentoring invited herself over for dinner. ravioli and french fries. and a lot of conversations about life. it's hard to grow up without a dad, and I'm grateful that my story has always included two parents who love me.

praying for more messy restoration. praying for grace to win always. praying to be strong in the stand for truth.

"He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I take refuge." -Psalm 144:2