Well, life has been pretty interesting lately. I guess that's the word to use for it anyhow! After a busy summer full of the craziness of Puerto Rico, chaperoning a trip to Centrifuge, and the many adventures of job hunting and interviewing, I am now ready to settle down and get to work... and maybe some more blogging. (Yes, I said the word WORK! Keep reading to find out the latest!)
Eager to get my dream job as a 3rd or 4th grade teacher in Wake County, I began checking their job postings in late February this year, depsite the fact that they were on a job freeze. Nothing... nothing... nothing... nothing... then May came. Jobs were being posted faster than I could read them, and I think I sent a resume out to just about every one with the exception of any openings for Kindergarten positions. During High School, I used to say that I really wanted to teach in the lower grades, K or 1. As I got a little older, I decided Id rather aim for 1 or 2. At the beginning of college I decided that 2 would be my top choice, but 3 would be okay if I had to. Then, I subbed and subbed and went through the AMAZING College of Ed at ASU and decided that 3 or 4 were my ultimate top choices. Not only that, but I began to formulate this priority list in my head: 4, 3, 2, 5, 1, K. In fact, I believe Ive said the following words at least once a month for the past 4 or so years: I will NEVER teach Kindergarten.
So I sent out resumes... and waited... and waited... and waited... and waited. NOTHING. I didnt even get email responses back. Principals were always in meetings no matter how many times I called and what times of the day of I called. Now Im no genius, but Im sure smart enough to know that NO ONE is in a meeting 24/7.
Finally, when I got back from Puerto Rico, I discovered that there were 3 new job openings at Deep River Elementary in Sanford... closer to my house than the school I did my student teaching at in Raleigh. AND one of my best college friends got a job there in January and LOVED it! (We had every class together since Junior year, and we both did our student teaching in 2nd grade at Fox Road in Raleigh.) So, I pursued the openings... this time in person rather than email. Ms. Lundy, the principal immediately invited me back for an interview a few days later.
To make a long story short, the interview went okay I thought. But it was extremely short, and that really scared me. However, I was encouraged by the fact that she asked me for a lot paperwork which she wouldnt have needed if she wasnt interested. Hmmmm... could it be?
God is a pretty cool cat, just in case ya didnt know. The next week I went to Centrifuge with the ARBC students, and planned on making a short return trip home for another interview in the middle of the week. Well, about 15 minutes before I got to the other school, Ms. Lundy called and wanted to know if I could return for a second interview with the 4th grade team first thing the next morning. So... my return trip lasted a bit longer than expected... but that was okay with me! Interview? AWESOME!
Then a few days later, a bomb fell out of the sky. First, Ms. Lundy called to ask if I would possibly consider another grade level due to some switching around she was having to do within the building. Sure! After all, flexibility is key right?
THEN, I got a call from the Lee Co Board of Education, "Miss Jarrell, the position available at Deep River will be a Kindergarten position. Are you still interested should we offer you the position?" Me: "Could I think about it? When do you need to know by?" Lee Co: "How about tomorrow by lunch?"
TOMORROW BY LUNCH?!?!?!? Is this woman crazy? Does she not know that I have vowed for years now that I WILL NEVER TEACH KINDERGARTEN and now I am being forced to make a quick decision between turning down a school and principal I love because of the grade level, or realizing that a good school and principal could potentially be worth more than having my preferred grade level and trying it out to get my foot in the door.
So I frantically began calling every teacher I knew for some good advice, as well as asking a few that taught Kindergarten if I could come and visit. Although it was good to talk to several different people, the most valuable conversation I had was with my adopted sister, Ashley Reffit. She was extremely helpful and helped me to think through some things no one else had brought up for me to consider. She's a pretty awesome gal! The next morning I made an emergency visit to a K class at my mom's school, and sat there the entire time with my mind racing about how a half day in a K class could possibly be part of my basis for such a huge decision.
Then noon came. I accepted the job. Yes, I am teaching Kindergarten this year.
The moral of the story: Never say never.
As I told my best friend Lyndsey, when these words leave our mouths, we just give God more content to work with when planning His next comedy act. God enjoys a good a laugh every now and then. So do all of us. And I am glad that I could be the one to provide it. :)
So, if youre ever feeling a little blue around 830 in the morning, just think of me enthusiastically singing crazy songs while surrounded by young children. That should fix you right up. And dont forget...
NEVER say NEVER!
04 August 2010
23 April 2010
The Least of These...
So, Im pretty sure we all know this familiar verse from the Bible...
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" ~~Matthew 25:40
The question is, though, who exactly ARE 'the least of these'?
There is one obvious answer to this, but a recent devotion we had really changed the way I think of this verse and the way I see others. I feel compelled to share because I believe it has the potential to do the same for you if youve never heard it the way Im about to explain it...
The obvious answer:
My entire life I have been taught that the least of these includes the lost, the poor, the fatherless, the widow, the orphan, the lonely, etc, etc, etc. I think that is what we have all been taught... and that is absolutely correct. After all the Bible does tell us in James 1.27: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. And there are countless other verses that speak on this issue.
The potentially not-so-obvious answer:
However, there is a greater overall theme in this passage. There is one thing that these people groups we generally consider to be part of "the least of these" all have in common...
THEY DONT HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER.
In our humanness, we like to pretend we always have it all together. We put on a facade. A mask. But who does have it all together? I know I dont, and to be willing to acknolwedge this is something that many of us FLI'ers have been learning in a huge way this semester. None of us 'have it all together'. We all have our own issues and things to deal with and work through. In reality, there is only one person in all of history who has had it all together. His name is Jesus Christ and He desperately wants us to realize it is OKAY for us to not have it all together... thats why He came to this earth, died, was buried, and resurrected on the third day. Thats why He tells us in Matthew 11.28: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. I certainly am tired of trying to have it all together all the time, and I am so glad I can rest in the arms of my Savior, Jesus Christ.
So, I guess we are all in this together... none of us have it together. I am one of 'the least of these'... and so are you. Every person I pass each day is one of the least of these, and they deserve the same care and compassion from me that I give (hopefully) to the people groups that this "label" is traditionally reserved for in our churches. Let's change that. Ultimately, this issue comes down to one of "loving your neighbor as yourself", and remembering who our NEIGHBOR is (I talked about this in my March 10 post!).
My neighbor is one of the least of these. You are one of the least of these. I am one of the least of these. I truly believe that this is how Christ has called us to live, and if we all begin to live in this frame of mind, we could start a revolution in this world. What are we waiting for? Let's do it.
Crazy side notes:
- It snowed today. Wow.
- My camera offically died a few days ago. I have a new one, but I'm still trying to figure out how to use it.
- Here are a few pictures I stole from friends on Facebook to hold you over until I learn!
Me and my good friend, Caitlin VanWagoner
Clogging it up at the FLI Follies!
The crazy hiking group on Red Mountain at sunrise
Caitlin Hetzel and I... huffing and puffing up the Incline
See everyone back in NC next week...
Grace and Peace!
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" ~~Matthew 25:40
The question is, though, who exactly ARE 'the least of these'?
There is one obvious answer to this, but a recent devotion we had really changed the way I think of this verse and the way I see others. I feel compelled to share because I believe it has the potential to do the same for you if youve never heard it the way Im about to explain it...
The obvious answer:
My entire life I have been taught that the least of these includes the lost, the poor, the fatherless, the widow, the orphan, the lonely, etc, etc, etc. I think that is what we have all been taught... and that is absolutely correct. After all the Bible does tell us in James 1.27: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. And there are countless other verses that speak on this issue.
The potentially not-so-obvious answer:
However, there is a greater overall theme in this passage. There is one thing that these people groups we generally consider to be part of "the least of these" all have in common...
THEY DONT HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER.
In our humanness, we like to pretend we always have it all together. We put on a facade. A mask. But who does have it all together? I know I dont, and to be willing to acknolwedge this is something that many of us FLI'ers have been learning in a huge way this semester. None of us 'have it all together'. We all have our own issues and things to deal with and work through. In reality, there is only one person in all of history who has had it all together. His name is Jesus Christ and He desperately wants us to realize it is OKAY for us to not have it all together... thats why He came to this earth, died, was buried, and resurrected on the third day. Thats why He tells us in Matthew 11.28: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. I certainly am tired of trying to have it all together all the time, and I am so glad I can rest in the arms of my Savior, Jesus Christ.
So, I guess we are all in this together... none of us have it together. I am one of 'the least of these'... and so are you. Every person I pass each day is one of the least of these, and they deserve the same care and compassion from me that I give (hopefully) to the people groups that this "label" is traditionally reserved for in our churches. Let's change that. Ultimately, this issue comes down to one of "loving your neighbor as yourself", and remembering who our NEIGHBOR is (I talked about this in my March 10 post!).
My neighbor is one of the least of these. You are one of the least of these. I am one of the least of these. I truly believe that this is how Christ has called us to live, and if we all begin to live in this frame of mind, we could start a revolution in this world. What are we waiting for? Let's do it.
Crazy side notes:
- It snowed today. Wow.
- My camera offically died a few days ago. I have a new one, but I'm still trying to figure out how to use it.
- Here are a few pictures I stole from friends on Facebook to hold you over until I learn!
Me and my good friend, Caitlin VanWagoner
Clogging it up at the FLI Follies!
The crazy hiking group on Red Mountain at sunrise
Caitlin Hetzel and I... huffing and puffing up the Incline
See everyone back in NC next week...
Grace and Peace!
20 April 2010
Go Make A Mess!
Well I just finished up my last final after a very busy week and a half! From Thursday until today we have had 5 different papers due, as well as two finals. Its fun to look back, though, and realize how well prepared I was for that kind of workload. For the past three semesters of my life, I have had class all day, every day AND had two to three assignments due each week. So finally, Im not the one stressing out about a large workload and fussing because "those teachers just don't understand". I suppose youre not really supposed to find joy in others' pain... but I do. Its so exciting, yet so sad all at the same time that everything is drawing to an end. I have made some crazy awesome friends that I am looking forward to keeping in contact with (and, I can visit pretty much any state now and have somewhere free to stay. ha.). However, I am also looking forward to living real life again, because as fun as this has been, I can assure you that it wasn't even close to real life!
I feel like I have learned so much cool stuff and been equipped with so many great leadership tools, but I am ready to share all of that now. I feel prepared and I am eager to pass on what Ive learned to someone else. I guess I feel a little like a bottle of coke right now. I've been shaken to the core this semester and I am just about to the point of erupting like a volcano with all of these tools and things Ive been given. And yes... I will defintely make a mess when I explode (hopefully!). I want to spew out God's love everywhere I go. I want to rock someone's world by permanently impacting the way they relate to God.
I think sometimes we like to try to put God into this nicely wrapped little package and make Him into this God that does things in a nice and neat little manner when He comes into our lives. God can't be contained in a box. In fact, we serve an infinite God who has broken into a finite world! How cool is that?! Furthermore... I hate to break it to ya, but God likes it when we make messes by spewing out His love everywhere we go. He's not like your mom after you spilled a coke all over the brand new carpet. He rejoices in the fact that we are so full of joy that we cant hold it in any longer.
So this isnt what I was going to write about when I started this, but since I have effectively gone off on a crazy tangent, maybe I should stop while Im ahead. Let's be honest, I have no idea if I wrote above even makes sense. But such is life when God gets hold of you, shakes you to the core, and gets you high off of the joy of learning about His nature and His unique design for me and the world I live in.
So dont hold in the love youve been given by God. Go make a mess!
I feel like I have learned so much cool stuff and been equipped with so many great leadership tools, but I am ready to share all of that now. I feel prepared and I am eager to pass on what Ive learned to someone else. I guess I feel a little like a bottle of coke right now. I've been shaken to the core this semester and I am just about to the point of erupting like a volcano with all of these tools and things Ive been given. And yes... I will defintely make a mess when I explode (hopefully!). I want to spew out God's love everywhere I go. I want to rock someone's world by permanently impacting the way they relate to God.
I think sometimes we like to try to put God into this nicely wrapped little package and make Him into this God that does things in a nice and neat little manner when He comes into our lives. God can't be contained in a box. In fact, we serve an infinite God who has broken into a finite world! How cool is that?! Furthermore... I hate to break it to ya, but God likes it when we make messes by spewing out His love everywhere we go. He's not like your mom after you spilled a coke all over the brand new carpet. He rejoices in the fact that we are so full of joy that we cant hold it in any longer.
So this isnt what I was going to write about when I started this, but since I have effectively gone off on a crazy tangent, maybe I should stop while Im ahead. Let's be honest, I have no idea if I wrote above even makes sense. But such is life when God gets hold of you, shakes you to the core, and gets you high off of the joy of learning about His nature and His unique design for me and the world I live in.
So dont hold in the love youve been given by God. Go make a mess!
11 April 2010
God Is In The Room
So, I should be working on my 5 papers that are due this coming week, but instead I am going to tell you about the most amazing day I just had! It all began when I got up at 4:30 am with plans to take a short hike up Red Mountain to see the sunrise. We arrived and began our hike, which was much more strenuous than anticipated. The view was beautiful though! We had a great time up at the top of the trail fellowshipping, reading the Bible, worshipping, and praying together. At some points on the trail, we could see a very famous and EXTREMELY strenuous hike called The Incline. We jokingly said that we should go do it since we were so close and such expert hikers (NOT!). Somewhere along the way, our jokes turned serious, and we decided to go for it.
Now you should know that The Incline is no normal hike, and most sane people who hike it do it while they are fresh... not after theyve already hiked 3 miles. So we grabbed some breakfast in nearby Manitou Springs and headed off. Here are some interesting facts on The Incline:
- It is 1.1 miles long, straight up, with grades anywhere from 40- 68%
- 2000 foot elevation gain from bottom to top, which is more than the Empire State Building
- It's basically like climbing an endless set of stairs (which used to be a tourist railway)
- It is the highest set of stairs in the world
- It is used often for Army and Air Force training exercises
- About 1/8 of the way up we saw a No Trespassing sign and thought, "Hmmmmm..." Well, apparently it is not legal for "law abiding citizens" to climb. So, YES, I just broke the law. I trespassed... along with the hundreds of other people that hike the trail each day. Oops. :)
The Bottom Looking Up... Hello Stairs!!!
The Top Looking Down
So we made it and it was super fun, but not without LOTS of hard work, perserverance, and feeling like I might throw up every 10 minutes. Sweet! After we finally made the 4 mile hike back down, we decided we needed a little rest before we took on our next challenge and headed back home. Fun fun!
Anyways, now for my words of wisdom. I have so many things that I could choose to write about, and it is so hard to choose just one! I suppose that is actually a positive thing though! So last week in our Marriage and Family Studies class we talked about parenting. As someone who isnt even married and doesnt really have any prospects, my first instinct was to just daydream for 3 hours. As we began class though, our matins time really caught my attention. It was about this concept: God is in the room. The devotional can actually be found here if youd like to read it for yourself. In essence, the devo talks about what our homes might begin to look like if we lived by the motto, "God is in the room." How might parents treat their children differently during moments of anger and frustration if they stopped a moment to remind themselves that God really is in the room. He also talks about how we simply pray at mealtimes, say "amen", and then pretend like that magic word is some kind of curtain that we can pull down in front of heaven. Ah hah!!! This doesnt just apply to families though.
Throughout the semester I have had a lot of time to reflect on how I can love my students in a godly manner when there are so many restrictions put on teachers. My first thought has always been that I would do whatever I wanted anyways, and then if I got fired then that would just be how it was. But I have come to realize that there are many other questions that along with that stance... How does my disobedience to authority reflect on the One I am serving? If I were to lose my job for some reason, does that potentially cut me off from ever having an influence in that sphere of society again? Even though this stance may not necessarily be a wrong one, I now am of the opinion that there are better ways to go about making the love of Christ known in public schools in an attractively winsome way.
During this matins time, I felt that God was speaking to me about how to be an attractively winsome teacher and co-worker. First, I must acknowledge that God is in the room- my classroom specifically. If I can brand this thought and image into my mind, how much more patience might I have with that one child who gets on my last nerve? Second, in the time that I have been here, I have made a commitment to myself that I will pray over the seats of my students each morning before school begins. I would encourage other teachers who read this to do the same! What a difference could we make in the life of a child and in schools if we brought them before God each day asking for His direction and guidance with each child who crosses our path? Not only will I pray over the seats of my students each morning, but I will have to make sure that when I say "amen" for the bell rings that I am not pulling that curtain down and shutting God out. You see, we really cant shut God out anyways. He resides in our homes and classrooms. He hates being ignored too, but how many times have we ignored God and pretended as though He wasnt really there with us?
And while we are at it, let's carry this principle over into the Student or Children's Ministry at church? What if part of getting our classroom prepped before the lesson each Sunday or Wednesday was to pray over the chairs in room for the students that will fill them? What in the world might happen in the hearts of our students if we fervently prayed for their hearts and other needs? God has always told us to pray and to seek His face in all that we do. He has always told us to present our requests to Him. He has always told to pray without ceasing? So why dont we take him seriously so many times?
Prayer is a conversation with God. It acknowledges to God that we know that He is in room and that we know He can guide through anything and want to give Him control.
So take a minute to stop, wherever you may be, and acknowledge that GOD IS IN THE ROOM... ( and no... He wont leave the building like Elvis did.) :)
Now you should know that The Incline is no normal hike, and most sane people who hike it do it while they are fresh... not after theyve already hiked 3 miles. So we grabbed some breakfast in nearby Manitou Springs and headed off. Here are some interesting facts on The Incline:
- It is 1.1 miles long, straight up, with grades anywhere from 40- 68%
- 2000 foot elevation gain from bottom to top, which is more than the Empire State Building
- It's basically like climbing an endless set of stairs (which used to be a tourist railway)
- It is the highest set of stairs in the world
- It is used often for Army and Air Force training exercises
- About 1/8 of the way up we saw a No Trespassing sign and thought, "Hmmmmm..." Well, apparently it is not legal for "law abiding citizens" to climb. So, YES, I just broke the law. I trespassed... along with the hundreds of other people that hike the trail each day. Oops. :)
The Bottom Looking Up... Hello Stairs!!!
The Top Looking Down
So we made it and it was super fun, but not without LOTS of hard work, perserverance, and feeling like I might throw up every 10 minutes. Sweet! After we finally made the 4 mile hike back down, we decided we needed a little rest before we took on our next challenge and headed back home. Fun fun!
Anyways, now for my words of wisdom. I have so many things that I could choose to write about, and it is so hard to choose just one! I suppose that is actually a positive thing though! So last week in our Marriage and Family Studies class we talked about parenting. As someone who isnt even married and doesnt really have any prospects, my first instinct was to just daydream for 3 hours. As we began class though, our matins time really caught my attention. It was about this concept: God is in the room. The devotional can actually be found here if youd like to read it for yourself. In essence, the devo talks about what our homes might begin to look like if we lived by the motto, "God is in the room." How might parents treat their children differently during moments of anger and frustration if they stopped a moment to remind themselves that God really is in the room. He also talks about how we simply pray at mealtimes, say "amen", and then pretend like that magic word is some kind of curtain that we can pull down in front of heaven. Ah hah!!! This doesnt just apply to families though.
Throughout the semester I have had a lot of time to reflect on how I can love my students in a godly manner when there are so many restrictions put on teachers. My first thought has always been that I would do whatever I wanted anyways, and then if I got fired then that would just be how it was. But I have come to realize that there are many other questions that along with that stance... How does my disobedience to authority reflect on the One I am serving? If I were to lose my job for some reason, does that potentially cut me off from ever having an influence in that sphere of society again? Even though this stance may not necessarily be a wrong one, I now am of the opinion that there are better ways to go about making the love of Christ known in public schools in an attractively winsome way.
During this matins time, I felt that God was speaking to me about how to be an attractively winsome teacher and co-worker. First, I must acknowledge that God is in the room- my classroom specifically. If I can brand this thought and image into my mind, how much more patience might I have with that one child who gets on my last nerve? Second, in the time that I have been here, I have made a commitment to myself that I will pray over the seats of my students each morning before school begins. I would encourage other teachers who read this to do the same! What a difference could we make in the life of a child and in schools if we brought them before God each day asking for His direction and guidance with each child who crosses our path? Not only will I pray over the seats of my students each morning, but I will have to make sure that when I say "amen" for the bell rings that I am not pulling that curtain down and shutting God out. You see, we really cant shut God out anyways. He resides in our homes and classrooms. He hates being ignored too, but how many times have we ignored God and pretended as though He wasnt really there with us?
And while we are at it, let's carry this principle over into the Student or Children's Ministry at church? What if part of getting our classroom prepped before the lesson each Sunday or Wednesday was to pray over the chairs in room for the students that will fill them? What in the world might happen in the hearts of our students if we fervently prayed for their hearts and other needs? God has always told us to pray and to seek His face in all that we do. He has always told us to present our requests to Him. He has always told to pray without ceasing? So why dont we take him seriously so many times?
Prayer is a conversation with God. It acknowledges to God that we know that He is in room and that we know He can guide through anything and want to give Him control.
So take a minute to stop, wherever you may be, and acknowledge that GOD IS IN THE ROOM... ( and no... He wont leave the building like Elvis did.) :)
31 March 2010
On Top of the World!
Im not sure words can describe the experiences I have been blessed with over the past few weeks. Even if they could, Im sure the available words would be inadequate. So here are some pictures... Take a minute to take in the greatness of our God and His creation:
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Zion National Park, Utah
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night the pour forth knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. -- Psalm 19:1-3
For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. --Psalm 95:3-5
He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it. The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke. By his power he churned up the sea.... By his breath the skies become fair.... And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! How then can we understand the thunder of his power? -- Job 26:7-9, 11-14
Over the past few years, I have been privileged to see many parts of God's creation that most people never get to experience. And it is all extremely beautiful and glorious! However, I dont think I have ever fully understood the power and might of the God we serve like I did when I reached the peak of Angel's Landing in Zion National Park last week with 10 wonderful friends. This is the thought that kept running through my head... "Here we are surrounded by massive rocks, bigger than any Ive ever seen before. Not only are we surrounded by them, we are ON TOP of one of these huge things... 1800 feet from the bottom! These rocks are gigantic! We say that God is our "solid rock", but can we ever really fathom exactly what that means? As unshakeable and unmoveable as these rocks seem, we serve a God who is so much more unshakeable and unmoveable than these rocks will ever be! And when, one day, these rocks may come tumbling down, our God will still remain, and He promises us that He is our solid rock to stand on in the midst of whatever trials or storms may come our way. What an awesome and mighty God we are given the privilege of serving!" Being able to stand on top of that rock and worship and pray with friends was one experience that will not be forgotten.
Now... on to a few rather interesting details of this little trip. (These are the details you dont tell your parents until after its over and you are safe once again!) Our hike up Angel's Landing began as a fun little hike over pretty easy terrain. We stopped about every 2 minutes to take another picture or just to rest and enjoy one another's company. That was the first 2.5 miles. The last half mile to the peak is another story. Let's just say that this hike is called Angel's Landing for a reason. People die on this trail fairly often, the most recent two deaths being in August and November (and no, I didnt know this before I started up it!) There are many caution signs along the path, but Im pretty sure no quantity of caution signs could have prepared for the intensity of the hike I was about to get myself into. The last half mile of this hike consisted of a very steep, and VERY narrow trail. In fact, Im pretty sure this part trail qualified as scrambling and not hiking. Oh yeah... did I mention that the trail was NARROW?!? Most of the way, you had a chain on one side of the path to hold on to in case you started to slip, but in essence you were gonna be dead meat if you took one wrong step. Perhaps this wasnt the smartest thing I have ever done, but I will be the first to tell you that I wouldnt trade my "mountain-top" experience for anything in the world now that I have done it. I will also be the first to tell you that I feel no need to EVER do it again!
One of many caution signs along the path... (If you go to YouTube and search "Angel's Landing" there are tons of videos that take you on a virtual hike to the top with a crazy person who thought it was a good idea to get the scramble to the top on tape!)
Its hard to believe we only have three weeks of class left. I cant wait to see, though, what the next three weeks will bring. More than that, I am excited to see how God is going to use me when I return home. This semester has been an experience like no other! I feel refreshed and re-charged after three extremely intense semesters in education program at ASU and although it wont always be fun, I am excited to return to the front lines of a kingdom-sized battle between the Truth of God and the lies of the world! Exciting stuff!
One last word... if you know any college aged students, they NEED to spend a semester at FLI and Id love to be able to get in touch with them and encourage them to pursue this awesome opportunity.
Here's the painting I have just recently completed... next time I consider writing small words in the background of painting, remind me what a pain it was (click to make it bigger!) :)
Grace and Peace... :)
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Zion National Park, Utah
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night the pour forth knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. -- Psalm 19:1-3
For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. --Psalm 95:3-5
He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it. The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke. By his power he churned up the sea.... By his breath the skies become fair.... And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! How then can we understand the thunder of his power? -- Job 26:7-9, 11-14
Over the past few years, I have been privileged to see many parts of God's creation that most people never get to experience. And it is all extremely beautiful and glorious! However, I dont think I have ever fully understood the power and might of the God we serve like I did when I reached the peak of Angel's Landing in Zion National Park last week with 10 wonderful friends. This is the thought that kept running through my head... "Here we are surrounded by massive rocks, bigger than any Ive ever seen before. Not only are we surrounded by them, we are ON TOP of one of these huge things... 1800 feet from the bottom! These rocks are gigantic! We say that God is our "solid rock", but can we ever really fathom exactly what that means? As unshakeable and unmoveable as these rocks seem, we serve a God who is so much more unshakeable and unmoveable than these rocks will ever be! And when, one day, these rocks may come tumbling down, our God will still remain, and He promises us that He is our solid rock to stand on in the midst of whatever trials or storms may come our way. What an awesome and mighty God we are given the privilege of serving!" Being able to stand on top of that rock and worship and pray with friends was one experience that will not be forgotten.
Now... on to a few rather interesting details of this little trip. (These are the details you dont tell your parents until after its over and you are safe once again!) Our hike up Angel's Landing began as a fun little hike over pretty easy terrain. We stopped about every 2 minutes to take another picture or just to rest and enjoy one another's company. That was the first 2.5 miles. The last half mile to the peak is another story. Let's just say that this hike is called Angel's Landing for a reason. People die on this trail fairly often, the most recent two deaths being in August and November (and no, I didnt know this before I started up it!) There are many caution signs along the path, but Im pretty sure no quantity of caution signs could have prepared for the intensity of the hike I was about to get myself into. The last half mile of this hike consisted of a very steep, and VERY narrow trail. In fact, Im pretty sure this part trail qualified as scrambling and not hiking. Oh yeah... did I mention that the trail was NARROW?!? Most of the way, you had a chain on one side of the path to hold on to in case you started to slip, but in essence you were gonna be dead meat if you took one wrong step. Perhaps this wasnt the smartest thing I have ever done, but I will be the first to tell you that I wouldnt trade my "mountain-top" experience for anything in the world now that I have done it. I will also be the first to tell you that I feel no need to EVER do it again!
One of many caution signs along the path... (If you go to YouTube and search "Angel's Landing" there are tons of videos that take you on a virtual hike to the top with a crazy person who thought it was a good idea to get the scramble to the top on tape!)
Its hard to believe we only have three weeks of class left. I cant wait to see, though, what the next three weeks will bring. More than that, I am excited to see how God is going to use me when I return home. This semester has been an experience like no other! I feel refreshed and re-charged after three extremely intense semesters in education program at ASU and although it wont always be fun, I am excited to return to the front lines of a kingdom-sized battle between the Truth of God and the lies of the world! Exciting stuff!
One last word... if you know any college aged students, they NEED to spend a semester at FLI and Id love to be able to get in touch with them and encourage them to pursue this awesome opportunity.
Here's the painting I have just recently completed... next time I consider writing small words in the background of painting, remind me what a pain it was (click to make it bigger!) :)
Grace and Peace... :)
10 March 2010
Soli Deo Gloria!
As the weeks go by, life just seems to get busier and busier. It is completely unbelievable to think that my time here in Colorado Springs is halfway over. And it is still unbelievable to me that I have been blessed with the opportunity to be able to look out at Pike's Peak every day and to learn from some of the most intelligent and God-centered people I have ever met.
I cant remember if I have talked about this or not, but there is SO much more to the FLI experience than simply going to class each day. The sense of community that we have been able to build here is simply astounding to me. This is not only true among the students here, but the staff, as well. In fact, some of the best times that I have had have been when I have, on a whim, gone over to my professor's homes to have supper, watch movies, or play Settlers of Catan. I cant even begin to explain how refreshing it is to experience this type of community. Although this idea of community should still be active among all Christians, it isn't. How much easier would it be for us to reach out to our lost neigbors with the overwhelming love of Christ if we could first learn to live in community with our fellow Christians?
As sad as it is, many folks dont even truly know who they go to church with anymore, including myself. Sure, we wave and say hi as we pass in the hallway, but isnt there so much more that? When is the last time that we took time out of our busy schedule to stop and have a real conversation with someone? To see how they were really doing and to ask how we could pray for them? When was the last time that we sat and talked with a friend about how they saw God at work in their life? When is the last time that we invited someone over to our home for a time of fellowship and having a meal or coffee together? Have we forgotten how to be a neighbor to our fellow Christian brothers and sisters? Furthermore, how can we be a neighbor to those who dont know Christ, if we cant even be a neighbor to those with whom we have the common bond of Christ?
Most recently in my Family, Church, and Society class, we have been talking about God's design for the social sphere of COMMUNITY. In this study, we focused specifically on the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10.25-37. Dr Tackett made the suggestion that since the subtitles we see in the Bible are put there by man, that we re-name this parable to be "The Parable of the Neighbor". As we looked at the story, I found how appropriate this title really is, as the verses that precede this parable begin with Jesus commanding us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Then this parable is told in response to the man who tests Jesus asking Him, "And who is my neighbor?" So then, when you examine this story, your two main characters are the needy and the neighbor. From there we were able to really examine God's design for community, and how being a neighbor and living in community with our neighbors really gets at the heart of how God designed this institution to be lived out. Those of you who know me well know how passionate I can be about this topic. There is so much more I could tell you, both from my own prior experiences as well as things we have talked about here, but I'll leave it there for now and give you something to think on. :)
Over the past two weeks, I have gotten the really awesome opportunity of being involved in some tapings of the FOTF daily radio broadcasts with Dr. Juli Slattery and John Fuller. Although I dont know that they will air the part of the show that I actually participated in, I got to be in the studio. So that was a super cool experience! The first show I particpated in was on Eating Disorders. I have not yet been able to find out when it will air. The second show I participated in was on parenting, and featured John Rosemond, who is from NC. That show, which is a 2 part series will air on March 22nd and 23rd.
As I have been sitting here typing this, the thought keeps popping in mind of how grateful I am that God has given me the oppotunity to be here, and also to be able to share with each of you through my blog. I know that some people think that I am here being brain-washed by some extreme right-winged Christian organization. However, just the opposite is true. Rather then being "brain-washed" I feel that, in a way, my brain has been freed. I am learning to think, to use my brain, and to ask questions, instead of just taking anyone at their word! Believe me, I have disagreed with my professor's more than just a time or two in the past 8 weeks. In my time here, I have been challenged more than ever to really examine what I believe and why I believe it. Most importantly, I have been learning to actually use the brain and intellectual abilities God has given me to examine His word, draw near to Him, and then come to my own conclusions about God and how I feel Him calling me to live out my life. I would encourage you to do the same. I have been discovering that living a more Christlike life means learning about the very nature of Christ Himself, and we can look all throughout the scriptures and see God revealing Himself to us through His words and actions. And for that, as we say at FLI, SOLI DEO GLORIA! To God Alone be the Glory!
In closing, I want to leave you with this quote I wrote down during Dr. Tackett's class last week: "We must always go back to the face of God, to His very nature. We must gaze upon His face. ALL truth emanates from Him, our ultimate source of TRUTH."
Til next time... Grace and Peace!
I cant remember if I have talked about this or not, but there is SO much more to the FLI experience than simply going to class each day. The sense of community that we have been able to build here is simply astounding to me. This is not only true among the students here, but the staff, as well. In fact, some of the best times that I have had have been when I have, on a whim, gone over to my professor's homes to have supper, watch movies, or play Settlers of Catan. I cant even begin to explain how refreshing it is to experience this type of community. Although this idea of community should still be active among all Christians, it isn't. How much easier would it be for us to reach out to our lost neigbors with the overwhelming love of Christ if we could first learn to live in community with our fellow Christians?
As sad as it is, many folks dont even truly know who they go to church with anymore, including myself. Sure, we wave and say hi as we pass in the hallway, but isnt there so much more that? When is the last time that we took time out of our busy schedule to stop and have a real conversation with someone? To see how they were really doing and to ask how we could pray for them? When was the last time that we sat and talked with a friend about how they saw God at work in their life? When is the last time that we invited someone over to our home for a time of fellowship and having a meal or coffee together? Have we forgotten how to be a neighbor to our fellow Christian brothers and sisters? Furthermore, how can we be a neighbor to those who dont know Christ, if we cant even be a neighbor to those with whom we have the common bond of Christ?
Most recently in my Family, Church, and Society class, we have been talking about God's design for the social sphere of COMMUNITY. In this study, we focused specifically on the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10.25-37. Dr Tackett made the suggestion that since the subtitles we see in the Bible are put there by man, that we re-name this parable to be "The Parable of the Neighbor". As we looked at the story, I found how appropriate this title really is, as the verses that precede this parable begin with Jesus commanding us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Then this parable is told in response to the man who tests Jesus asking Him, "And who is my neighbor?" So then, when you examine this story, your two main characters are the needy and the neighbor. From there we were able to really examine God's design for community, and how being a neighbor and living in community with our neighbors really gets at the heart of how God designed this institution to be lived out. Those of you who know me well know how passionate I can be about this topic. There is so much more I could tell you, both from my own prior experiences as well as things we have talked about here, but I'll leave it there for now and give you something to think on. :)
Over the past two weeks, I have gotten the really awesome opportunity of being involved in some tapings of the FOTF daily radio broadcasts with Dr. Juli Slattery and John Fuller. Although I dont know that they will air the part of the show that I actually participated in, I got to be in the studio. So that was a super cool experience! The first show I particpated in was on Eating Disorders. I have not yet been able to find out when it will air. The second show I participated in was on parenting, and featured John Rosemond, who is from NC. That show, which is a 2 part series will air on March 22nd and 23rd.
As I have been sitting here typing this, the thought keeps popping in mind of how grateful I am that God has given me the oppotunity to be here, and also to be able to share with each of you through my blog. I know that some people think that I am here being brain-washed by some extreme right-winged Christian organization. However, just the opposite is true. Rather then being "brain-washed" I feel that, in a way, my brain has been freed. I am learning to think, to use my brain, and to ask questions, instead of just taking anyone at their word! Believe me, I have disagreed with my professor's more than just a time or two in the past 8 weeks. In my time here, I have been challenged more than ever to really examine what I believe and why I believe it. Most importantly, I have been learning to actually use the brain and intellectual abilities God has given me to examine His word, draw near to Him, and then come to my own conclusions about God and how I feel Him calling me to live out my life. I would encourage you to do the same. I have been discovering that living a more Christlike life means learning about the very nature of Christ Himself, and we can look all throughout the scriptures and see God revealing Himself to us through His words and actions. And for that, as we say at FLI, SOLI DEO GLORIA! To God Alone be the Glory!
In closing, I want to leave you with this quote I wrote down during Dr. Tackett's class last week: "We must always go back to the face of God, to His very nature. We must gaze upon His face. ALL truth emanates from Him, our ultimate source of TRUTH."
Til next time... Grace and Peace!
28 February 2010
While I'm Waiting...
This week has been an extremely crazy one! We have had some extraordinary guest speakers come in to talk to us throughout the week. Friday was Dr. Dobson's last day at FOTF so all the employees gathered for a special service to honor him. It was unreal to see how many people He has impacted over the past 33 years. At one point, they presented to Him the 30,000+ pieces of mail that have come in over the past month. It was so neat to get to be a part of such a historical time... except it lasted 3 hours.
Dr. Dobson speaking for the last time.
Mrs. Dobson
Then on Saturday, we were part of the live audience for the 2nd annual Focus on Marriage Simulcast. Despite the fact that I am not married, and its not looking like marriage is anywhere in my future for now, it was extremely good. The speakers included Francis Chan, Gary Chapman, and Kirk and Chelsea Cameron, just to name a few. John Waller also led worship. It was a super day... even though we had to be at Focus at 6 am, dressed professionally.
The common theme of the week seems to have been that it is absolutely possible, though not easy by any stretch of the imagination, to live out your faith in or crazy, secular society. Some of you, especially those in the business world may remember a few years ago when the CEO of Tyco International, Dennis Kozlowski, stole hundreds of millions of dollars from the company. Prior to Tuesday, we were all given information about a person who played a role in this case, and were asked to memorize the information and "be" that person. Then, on Tuesday, Eric Pillmore, one of the guys who came in and helped straighten out the mess Kozlowski had made, came in and helped us to reinact the whole case. Afterwards, he talked to us about what it was like for him, as a Christian in a position of power, to be in a place where there was still a lot of scandal and wrongdoing going on. I really enjoyed this experience and feel like I learned so much from Mr. Pillmore about how difficult it really is to be a person of integrity in the midst of so much evil.
On Thursday, we got to hear from and interact with special guest, Tim Goeglein, who served as Special Assistant to President Bush and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison from 2001 t0 2008, when he resigned after getting caught in the act of plagiarism. It was amazing to hear his story of how he got caught up in the ways of the world, later realized how his poor decisions had affected his colleagues and essentially, the whole country, and how he was able to learn from those mistakes, ask for forgiveness, and by the grace of God, start over. He is now the VP of External Affairs for FOTF in Washington DC. I found it scary to hear how easily one can get caught up in such actions that we all know are blatantly wrong. Even scarier is that I know that it could just as easily happen to me as it could to anyone else.
During the simulcast on Saturday while Francis Chan was speaking, I really started thinking about what it looks like for me to be a Christian entering a secular workplace, especially a public school where there seems to be even more restrictions put on sharing your faith than in other parts of the secular workplace. Then I had a revelation. This revelation was something I have thought about before, but quickly dismissed as not that important. Yes, the simulcast was about marriage, but while Chan was speaking, he posed this question: Why do we think we can just study the WORD and not actually put it into action? After that, I dont remember the whole thought process that actually took place, but Chan continued to talk on this subject giving the example of Matthew 28:19-20 when Jesus tells us to go and make disciples. God does not necessarily care whether we have that verse memorized, he would much rather us GO and DO IT! For some reason, so many of us think that having a verse memorized is good enough. Well, it's not! I started thinking: I have always been so excited about being a teacher and being able to educate students and have an impact on their lives. That's great. That's what teachers are supposed to do. But then... here's the revelation: Being called, as a Christian, into the profession of education is about SO MUCH MORE than just the students. Thinking that it is, I feel, may not be allowing God to use me at my full potential where He has placed me. So I posed this question to myself: What if God has placed me (or any other Christian teacher, for that matter) in the school not only for my students, but also to reach out to my colleagues, to bathe them in prayer, and to make disciples of them? I feel that's exactly what He has done. That's a lot to swallow. Now I am trying to figure out exactly what that might look like.
Interesting statistic: Several time this semester, Dr. Leland has shared with us the statistic that the average person will change careers at least 5 times during their life. Not just jobs, but CAREERS. Wow. So maybe I'll be teacher for the next 35 years. Maybe not. Its probably not worth my time to worry about that though. I can't plan what God wants me to do, so... in the words of Dr. Del Tackett... Dont try and dont worry about!
On Saturday John Waller played his now famous song, "While I'm Waiting". It talks about the process of waiting on God as you journey through life and being obedient to his call even in the uncertainties of life. What a beautiful song and a beautiful message for us all to hear as we strive to seek His will in all that we do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb7TSGptd3Y
Before I go (sorry for the super long post!), I just want to share with you all that I absolutely LOVE the church I have found to be a part of while I am here, Calvary Worship Center. The diverse make-up of the population is a huge draw for me, as it is, to me, a perfect picture of what worship in Heaven will be like, worshipping among believers of all ethnicities and races. The pastor is great too! You can go online and listen to some of his sermons at http://www.cwccs.org/ . I especially reccommend the sermon from today, which was about "being about the Father's business", taken from the text in Luke when Jesus is found in the temple among other teachers after getting separated from His parents on their trip to the Passover feast.
And... because I am so ahead on my reading, I have to have something to do while everyone else is doing theirs. Ha. So I have taken up painting. Here's my first one:
So.... there you have it!
Keep praying that I would continue to allow God to :teach me to be bold in my faith, keep my mind open and constantly soaking in all that I am learning, transform me into the woman of God He wants me to be!
Til next time... Grace and Peace!
Dr. Dobson speaking for the last time.
Mrs. Dobson
Then on Saturday, we were part of the live audience for the 2nd annual Focus on Marriage Simulcast. Despite the fact that I am not married, and its not looking like marriage is anywhere in my future for now, it was extremely good. The speakers included Francis Chan, Gary Chapman, and Kirk and Chelsea Cameron, just to name a few. John Waller also led worship. It was a super day... even though we had to be at Focus at 6 am, dressed professionally.
The common theme of the week seems to have been that it is absolutely possible, though not easy by any stretch of the imagination, to live out your faith in or crazy, secular society. Some of you, especially those in the business world may remember a few years ago when the CEO of Tyco International, Dennis Kozlowski, stole hundreds of millions of dollars from the company. Prior to Tuesday, we were all given information about a person who played a role in this case, and were asked to memorize the information and "be" that person. Then, on Tuesday, Eric Pillmore, one of the guys who came in and helped straighten out the mess Kozlowski had made, came in and helped us to reinact the whole case. Afterwards, he talked to us about what it was like for him, as a Christian in a position of power, to be in a place where there was still a lot of scandal and wrongdoing going on. I really enjoyed this experience and feel like I learned so much from Mr. Pillmore about how difficult it really is to be a person of integrity in the midst of so much evil.
On Thursday, we got to hear from and interact with special guest, Tim Goeglein, who served as Special Assistant to President Bush and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison from 2001 t0 2008, when he resigned after getting caught in the act of plagiarism. It was amazing to hear his story of how he got caught up in the ways of the world, later realized how his poor decisions had affected his colleagues and essentially, the whole country, and how he was able to learn from those mistakes, ask for forgiveness, and by the grace of God, start over. He is now the VP of External Affairs for FOTF in Washington DC. I found it scary to hear how easily one can get caught up in such actions that we all know are blatantly wrong. Even scarier is that I know that it could just as easily happen to me as it could to anyone else.
During the simulcast on Saturday while Francis Chan was speaking, I really started thinking about what it looks like for me to be a Christian entering a secular workplace, especially a public school where there seems to be even more restrictions put on sharing your faith than in other parts of the secular workplace. Then I had a revelation. This revelation was something I have thought about before, but quickly dismissed as not that important. Yes, the simulcast was about marriage, but while Chan was speaking, he posed this question: Why do we think we can just study the WORD and not actually put it into action? After that, I dont remember the whole thought process that actually took place, but Chan continued to talk on this subject giving the example of Matthew 28:19-20 when Jesus tells us to go and make disciples. God does not necessarily care whether we have that verse memorized, he would much rather us GO and DO IT! For some reason, so many of us think that having a verse memorized is good enough. Well, it's not! I started thinking: I have always been so excited about being a teacher and being able to educate students and have an impact on their lives. That's great. That's what teachers are supposed to do. But then... here's the revelation: Being called, as a Christian, into the profession of education is about SO MUCH MORE than just the students. Thinking that it is, I feel, may not be allowing God to use me at my full potential where He has placed me. So I posed this question to myself: What if God has placed me (or any other Christian teacher, for that matter) in the school not only for my students, but also to reach out to my colleagues, to bathe them in prayer, and to make disciples of them? I feel that's exactly what He has done. That's a lot to swallow. Now I am trying to figure out exactly what that might look like.
Interesting statistic: Several time this semester, Dr. Leland has shared with us the statistic that the average person will change careers at least 5 times during their life. Not just jobs, but CAREERS. Wow. So maybe I'll be teacher for the next 35 years. Maybe not. Its probably not worth my time to worry about that though. I can't plan what God wants me to do, so... in the words of Dr. Del Tackett... Dont try and dont worry about!
On Saturday John Waller played his now famous song, "While I'm Waiting". It talks about the process of waiting on God as you journey through life and being obedient to his call even in the uncertainties of life. What a beautiful song and a beautiful message for us all to hear as we strive to seek His will in all that we do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb7TSGptd3Y
Before I go (sorry for the super long post!), I just want to share with you all that I absolutely LOVE the church I have found to be a part of while I am here, Calvary Worship Center. The diverse make-up of the population is a huge draw for me, as it is, to me, a perfect picture of what worship in Heaven will be like, worshipping among believers of all ethnicities and races. The pastor is great too! You can go online and listen to some of his sermons at http://www.cwccs.org/ . I especially reccommend the sermon from today, which was about "being about the Father's business", taken from the text in Luke when Jesus is found in the temple among other teachers after getting separated from His parents on their trip to the Passover feast.
And... because I am so ahead on my reading, I have to have something to do while everyone else is doing theirs. Ha. So I have taken up painting. Here's my first one:
So.... there you have it!
Keep praying that I would continue to allow God to :teach me to be bold in my faith, keep my mind open and constantly soaking in all that I am learning, transform me into the woman of God He wants me to be!
Til next time... Grace and Peace!
16 February 2010
Snow Capped Mountains and Other Crazy Antics
Hello friends!
The past couple of weeks have super busy, and super fun... and even though Ive been here for a full month now, I still cant believe that God has given me the opportunity to be in this beautiful place for this short time. It is still nothing short of breathtaking to be able to gaze at snow-capped Pike's Peak every morning as we drive to Focus, or to be able to look up at the stars each night and actually be able to make out Orion in the sky, or to be able to drive 5 minutes and go hiking at the Garden of the Gods. I hope and pray that I dont ever begin to take God's glorious creations for granted during my time here.
I feel like I have learned so much here lately that it is so hard to know what to write about and share with everyone, so here is my best attempt to share what I think are some pretty important and/or interesting thoughts.
Lately, we have been learning about our strengths and how to focus on becoming better at the things we are good at, as well as using our strengths to manage our weaknesses. In my time on the Leadership Team at BCM we spent quite a bit of time on this topic, so it was something I was familiar with. But I also feel like I am at a much better place in my life now to understand exactly how this concept should play out in our lives. Although we are generally taught throughout our lives that we should be focusing our time on getting better at things we arent too good at, is that really a biblical concept? Does God ask us to be well-rounded Christians? No. He calls us to do our part to help make the body of Christ complete by using our spiritual gifts, which I believe to be closely tied to our strengths. Just as God did not give us all the same spiritual gifts, he also did not give us the same strengths. That said, we should all be team players in the Body of Christ. If I am not a people person, being a greeter is probably not a good job for me. But if you am very hospitable and enjoy making people feel welcome, then being a greeter is probably a great place for you to use the strengths God has given you. I fully believe that if every Christian would take the time to truly discover how God has shaped them for ministry with their spiritual gifts, passions, abilities, and strengths, then nothing could ever hold us back from accomplishing some powerful and Kingdom-sized things in our churches, communities, and world. As it stands now though, weve got a small portion of people doing a large percentage of the work. Just imagine how God could use us to bring people towards Him if we all simply knew our place in the Body of Christ and acted on it. Wow! My answers from the Strengths Test were a little different than the past time that I took it, which is normal. Some are the same, and it is likely that the ones that are different are still in my top 10. These are my top 5 strengths: adaptability, belief, connectedness, futuristic, and responsibility. Adaptability is self explanatory. Belief means that I have a core set of values that are the base for everything else I do. Connectedness means that I see the connections between all things and believe that all things happen for a reason. Futuristic means that I have a vision for the future and am able to relate that vision to others. Responsibility refers to loyalty and means that I take psychological ownership of what I say I will do. Although those were my top 5, I adopted a couple of others that I felt fit me to a tee-- achiever (a person who gets stuff done... they are usually the ones who finish the work that other people start) and harmony (someone with harmony likes for everyone to get along... they are a peacemaker). I would encourage you to buy either Living Your Strengths or Strengthsfinder 2.0 and take the Strengthsfinder Test online in order to help you discover even more about how God has shaped you as a person and leader.
There's so much more I could write about right now, but I'll save it for later. Maybe I can write again in the near future since I am currently over a week ahead on my readings... yay! Now for some fun little tidbits...
For Valentines Day, the FLI guys hosted "An Evening of Elegance" for all 40 of us ladies. The 13 of them picked us ap at our apartments and drove us to Focus. They had a special dinner for us which started off with a chocolate fondue bar. Then we had a salad, lasagna/chicken penne pasta, and cheesecake/tiramisu. After our candlelight dinner, they had prepared some special entertainment for us. They spent hours and hours on this and it was probably the funniest thing I have ever seen in my entire life. Therefore, I feel like I should share it with you. I can promise you it is worth the next five minutes of your time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agM-TJVLk-Y :) .
So, if you just watched the video, you are now FULLY aware that FLI is not all about the books. According to the staff, every group that comes through seems have their own personality. I feel quite confident that we have already established ours as the "class full of clowns". :) Last Monday, my birthday, we had secretly planned for it to be Secret Agent Day. Imagine the surprise of Dr. Leland when all 53 of us came into class wearing all black. What a sight! When we went to the cafeteria for lunch, some of the guys decided it would be a good idea to stand along the walls like secret service agents (keep in mind this was the day after FOTF's Super Bowl commercial aired). Some old lady started freaking out and asking what was going on. This past Monday, we dressed in red/white/blue or "Presidential wear" for President's Day. How much fun it has been to surprise Dr. Leland each Monday morning with our crazy antics!
Here are a few things you can be praying for:
- That God will continue to open up my mind and teach me how to think critically about what I believe and why I believe it.
- That I would continue to grow deep friendships here
- That the beauty of God's creation would continue to amaze me and take my breath away every single day
That's all for now. I'll update again soon. In the meantime, here are some pictures:
My roomies and I at the Garden of the Gods
Another super cool view at Garden of the Gods
My friend, Duncan, and I at our Gangsta Gitdown party (another one of our crazy antics) :)
A few of us at our VDay get-together
Secret Agent Day
Grace and Peace.
The past couple of weeks have super busy, and super fun... and even though Ive been here for a full month now, I still cant believe that God has given me the opportunity to be in this beautiful place for this short time. It is still nothing short of breathtaking to be able to gaze at snow-capped Pike's Peak every morning as we drive to Focus, or to be able to look up at the stars each night and actually be able to make out Orion in the sky, or to be able to drive 5 minutes and go hiking at the Garden of the Gods. I hope and pray that I dont ever begin to take God's glorious creations for granted during my time here.
I feel like I have learned so much here lately that it is so hard to know what to write about and share with everyone, so here is my best attempt to share what I think are some pretty important and/or interesting thoughts.
Lately, we have been learning about our strengths and how to focus on becoming better at the things we are good at, as well as using our strengths to manage our weaknesses. In my time on the Leadership Team at BCM we spent quite a bit of time on this topic, so it was something I was familiar with. But I also feel like I am at a much better place in my life now to understand exactly how this concept should play out in our lives. Although we are generally taught throughout our lives that we should be focusing our time on getting better at things we arent too good at, is that really a biblical concept? Does God ask us to be well-rounded Christians? No. He calls us to do our part to help make the body of Christ complete by using our spiritual gifts, which I believe to be closely tied to our strengths. Just as God did not give us all the same spiritual gifts, he also did not give us the same strengths. That said, we should all be team players in the Body of Christ. If I am not a people person, being a greeter is probably not a good job for me. But if you am very hospitable and enjoy making people feel welcome, then being a greeter is probably a great place for you to use the strengths God has given you. I fully believe that if every Christian would take the time to truly discover how God has shaped them for ministry with their spiritual gifts, passions, abilities, and strengths, then nothing could ever hold us back from accomplishing some powerful and Kingdom-sized things in our churches, communities, and world. As it stands now though, weve got a small portion of people doing a large percentage of the work. Just imagine how God could use us to bring people towards Him if we all simply knew our place in the Body of Christ and acted on it. Wow! My answers from the Strengths Test were a little different than the past time that I took it, which is normal. Some are the same, and it is likely that the ones that are different are still in my top 10. These are my top 5 strengths: adaptability, belief, connectedness, futuristic, and responsibility. Adaptability is self explanatory. Belief means that I have a core set of values that are the base for everything else I do. Connectedness means that I see the connections between all things and believe that all things happen for a reason. Futuristic means that I have a vision for the future and am able to relate that vision to others. Responsibility refers to loyalty and means that I take psychological ownership of what I say I will do. Although those were my top 5, I adopted a couple of others that I felt fit me to a tee-- achiever (a person who gets stuff done... they are usually the ones who finish the work that other people start) and harmony (someone with harmony likes for everyone to get along... they are a peacemaker). I would encourage you to buy either Living Your Strengths or Strengthsfinder 2.0 and take the Strengthsfinder Test online in order to help you discover even more about how God has shaped you as a person and leader.
There's so much more I could write about right now, but I'll save it for later. Maybe I can write again in the near future since I am currently over a week ahead on my readings... yay! Now for some fun little tidbits...
For Valentines Day, the FLI guys hosted "An Evening of Elegance" for all 40 of us ladies. The 13 of them picked us ap at our apartments and drove us to Focus. They had a special dinner for us which started off with a chocolate fondue bar. Then we had a salad, lasagna/chicken penne pasta, and cheesecake/tiramisu. After our candlelight dinner, they had prepared some special entertainment for us. They spent hours and hours on this and it was probably the funniest thing I have ever seen in my entire life. Therefore, I feel like I should share it with you. I can promise you it is worth the next five minutes of your time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agM-TJVLk-Y :) .
So, if you just watched the video, you are now FULLY aware that FLI is not all about the books. According to the staff, every group that comes through seems have their own personality. I feel quite confident that we have already established ours as the "class full of clowns". :) Last Monday, my birthday, we had secretly planned for it to be Secret Agent Day. Imagine the surprise of Dr. Leland when all 53 of us came into class wearing all black. What a sight! When we went to the cafeteria for lunch, some of the guys decided it would be a good idea to stand along the walls like secret service agents (keep in mind this was the day after FOTF's Super Bowl commercial aired). Some old lady started freaking out and asking what was going on. This past Monday, we dressed in red/white/blue or "Presidential wear" for President's Day. How much fun it has been to surprise Dr. Leland each Monday morning with our crazy antics!
Here are a few things you can be praying for:
- That God will continue to open up my mind and teach me how to think critically about what I believe and why I believe it.
- That I would continue to grow deep friendships here
- That the beauty of God's creation would continue to amaze me and take my breath away every single day
That's all for now. I'll update again soon. In the meantime, here are some pictures:
My roomies and I at the Garden of the Gods
Another super cool view at Garden of the Gods
My friend, Duncan, and I at our Gangsta Gitdown party (another one of our crazy antics) :)
A few of us at our VDay get-together
Secret Agent Day
Grace and Peace.
03 February 2010
Sh'ma, Yisrae'al!
Hello friends!
So it has occurred to me that I havent really completely explained the classes that Institute students take or any of the stuff we do. So, I thought Id take a quick second to do that, as well as share our reading list with you.
Okay... so each day of the week we have one class from 8:10 - 11:30. We have Christian Worldview Studies; Marriage and Family Studies; Family, Church, and Society; and Gender and Leadership Studies. We are also assigned to a Practicum within the Colorado Springs community and we meet every few weeks for a Practicum Class. Each class starts out with Matins, or devotionals, that tie into the class in some way. In CWS, we discuss what it looks like to have a Christian worldview and how to defend the Christian worldview against other worldviews. In MFS, we discuss what the biblical marriage and family should look like, as well as how to go about building a healthy, functional, and enjoyable marriage and family. FCS is taught by Dr. Del Tackett, the creator of the Truth Project. He is an absolutely remarkable man and his class is, so far, my favorite without a doubt! This class focuses on helping us to understand God's design for social order and the relationships between the social spheres, and essentially helping us to answer the question of "what is truth"? Finally, in GLS, we discuss the issues of gender and leadership and the relation between the two. We will be learning a lot about what God's Word says to us about men and women and their roles in family, church, and society. Sometimes we have open forums with our professors after class where can ask any questions we want for an hour. Thats always fun!
My Practicum is working with an organization called Northern Churches Care. It is an emergency crisis clinic that offers help with food, clothing vouchers, gas vouchers, rent, utility bills, and much more. To be honest, I wasnt thrilled with my placement when I received it and I still am not. I am trying really hard to be positive about it though, and am constantly praying that God would change my heart and use me at NCC despite my selfishness.
Each of the classes have been very interesting so far, and it is always neat to get to class each day and realize how much each previous class ties into the next ones. And I think that's exactly how God intended it!
If you know me well, you know how much I despise writing papers. For that reason, I have really enjoyed these classes, which are primarily based off of the readings we do each night. As I have talked about before, there is soooo much reading to do, and although I dont necessarily agree with everything I have read, it is definitely enjoyable and provides me with plenty of food for thought. That said, I have typed up our reading list for the semester below. It doesnt include the countless articles we have to read or the audio recordings we listen to (Bold=the books we actually had to buy). Here it is... Get ready...
CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW STUDIES
To Everyone An Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview by Beckwith & Moreland
Faith Has Its Reasons: An Integrative Approach to Defending Christianity by Boa
Cross and Crescent: Responding to the Challenge of Islam by Chapman
Faith, Film, and Philosophy: Big Ideas on the Big Screen by Geivett & Speigel
Five Sacred Crossings: A Novel Approach To A Reasonable Faith by Hazen
Handbook of Christian Apologetics by Kreeft & Tacelli
The Abolition of Man by CS Lewis
Mere Christianity by CS Lewis
God Is Back: How The Global Revival of Faith Is Changing the World by Micklethwait & Woolridge
Love Your God With All Your Mind by Moreland
The God Conversation: Using Stories and Illustrations to Explain Your Faith by Moreland
Eyes Wide Open by Romanowski
The Great Evangelical Disaster by Schaeffer
The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog by Sire
Postmodernism 101: A First Course for the Curious Christian by White
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY STUDIES
Revolutionary Parenting by Barna
When I Get Married by Clark
Boundaries by Cloud & Townsend
The New Dare To Discipline by Dobson
The New Hide and Seek by Dobson
The New Love Must be Tough by Dobson
Love and Respect by Eggerichs
Safe Haven by Hart & Morris
Hooked: New Science On How Casual Sex Is Affecting Our Children by McIlhaney & McKissic Bush
Finding the Hero In Your Husband by Slattery
Guilt Free Motherhood by Slattery
Complete Guide to the First Five Years of Marriage by Swihart & Wooten
Sacred Marriage by Thomas
Sacred Parenting by Thomas
The Blessing: Giving the Gift of Unconditional Love and Acceptance by Trent & Smalley
The Case for Marriage by Waite & Gallagher
FAMILY, CHURCH, AND SOCIETY STUDIES
Life Together by Bonhoeffer
Roaring Lambs: A Gentle Plan To Radically Change Your World by Briner
Democracy in America (Vol. 1) by de Tocqueville
Marriage Under Fire by Dobson
Not Yours To Give by Ellis
Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers by Kavanaugh
Abortion: From Debate to Dialogue by Lee
Why You Cant Stay Silent: A Biblical Mandate to Shape Our Culture by Minnery
William Wilberforce: A Man Who Changed His Times by Pollock
Idols for Destruction by Schlossberg
How Christianity Saved the World by Schmidt
The Vision of the Anointed by Sowell
The Fathers Speak—For Life! by St. Benedict Center
Common Ground—Without Compromise: 25 Questions to Create Dialogue on Abortion by Wagner
GENDER AND LEADERSHIP STUDIES
Every Man’s Battle by Arterburn & Stoeker
Desires In Conflict by Dallas
Bringing Up Boys by Dobson
Beyond Appearances by Focus on the Family
The Feminine Mystique by Friedan
101 Frequently Asked Questions About Homosexuality by Haley
Ethics: Approaching Moral Decisions by Holmes
Hope, Help, and Healing for Eating Disorders by Jantz
Leading Change by Kotter
Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge by Kouzes & Posner
The Way of the Shepherd by Leman & Pentak
The Search for Significance by McGee
In The Name of Jesus by Nouwen
Feminism: Mystique or Mistake? by Passno
When Good Men Are Tempted by Perkins
Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by Piper & Grudem
Spiritual Leadership by Sanders
Genesis In Space and Time: The Flow of Biblical History by Schaeffer
Soooo... wow. Thats A LOT of books. I havent read them all yet, and for some of them we only read specific sections. However, if you are interested in one of the topics I have talked about and want me to recommend a book, let me know! :)
Since I have already talked a little about social activities in my previous post, I'll skip that for now...but I do feel it necessary to say that I have found that the whole Institute experience, above all, is about learning what it might look like to truly live out the love of Christ in a way that is relevant to our culture today.
Before I leave ya for tonight, I thought Id share a few other thoughts besides just the logistics of FLI... On the second day of class, our matins time was based on 1 Corinthians 13 and 1 John 4:7. As I sat and thought I just began to write whatever streams of consciousness came to mind about these pretty common verses. I encourage you to read them and really think on them. Here's what I wrote, and thought it was worth sharing, although Im not promising it will make complete sense, as I am copying exactly what i wrote-- how I wrote it:
-God is Love- If God is in us, we should have Love- A choice to make... to keep that Love bottled up OR to let it be poured out into the lives of others...
-To keep that Love bottled up would be SELFISH- Love is not selfish- IS THERE REALLY A CHOICE?
-LOVE = HUMILITY/SELFISHNESS
-Love humbly. Love selflessly. Love joyfully. Love justly. Love relentlessly. Love without boundaries. Love like Christ. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.LOVE.
Last, I have always been told that whatever you take in, is what comes out of you. As I spend my semester I am finding that to be more and more true. One of our practices/traditions here at FLI is to recite the Sh'ma togthether each morning. The Sh'ma is part of the prayers that the Jewish community recites at their morning and evening prayers together. It is astounding, how even just making these words a part of your daily routine can totally change your outlook on how your day is going to go. It is my prayer that each of you would join me in beginning to truly live out the true meaning of the shema in every single moment of every single day. Be a world changer. Here it is below... (Hebrew scholars enjoy!):
So it has occurred to me that I havent really completely explained the classes that Institute students take or any of the stuff we do. So, I thought Id take a quick second to do that, as well as share our reading list with you.
Okay... so each day of the week we have one class from 8:10 - 11:30. We have Christian Worldview Studies; Marriage and Family Studies; Family, Church, and Society; and Gender and Leadership Studies. We are also assigned to a Practicum within the Colorado Springs community and we meet every few weeks for a Practicum Class. Each class starts out with Matins, or devotionals, that tie into the class in some way. In CWS, we discuss what it looks like to have a Christian worldview and how to defend the Christian worldview against other worldviews. In MFS, we discuss what the biblical marriage and family should look like, as well as how to go about building a healthy, functional, and enjoyable marriage and family. FCS is taught by Dr. Del Tackett, the creator of the Truth Project. He is an absolutely remarkable man and his class is, so far, my favorite without a doubt! This class focuses on helping us to understand God's design for social order and the relationships between the social spheres, and essentially helping us to answer the question of "what is truth"? Finally, in GLS, we discuss the issues of gender and leadership and the relation between the two. We will be learning a lot about what God's Word says to us about men and women and their roles in family, church, and society. Sometimes we have open forums with our professors after class where can ask any questions we want for an hour. Thats always fun!
My Practicum is working with an organization called Northern Churches Care. It is an emergency crisis clinic that offers help with food, clothing vouchers, gas vouchers, rent, utility bills, and much more. To be honest, I wasnt thrilled with my placement when I received it and I still am not. I am trying really hard to be positive about it though, and am constantly praying that God would change my heart and use me at NCC despite my selfishness.
Each of the classes have been very interesting so far, and it is always neat to get to class each day and realize how much each previous class ties into the next ones. And I think that's exactly how God intended it!
If you know me well, you know how much I despise writing papers. For that reason, I have really enjoyed these classes, which are primarily based off of the readings we do each night. As I have talked about before, there is soooo much reading to do, and although I dont necessarily agree with everything I have read, it is definitely enjoyable and provides me with plenty of food for thought. That said, I have typed up our reading list for the semester below. It doesnt include the countless articles we have to read or the audio recordings we listen to (Bold=the books we actually had to buy). Here it is... Get ready...
CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW STUDIES
To Everyone An Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview by Beckwith & Moreland
Faith Has Its Reasons: An Integrative Approach to Defending Christianity by Boa
Cross and Crescent: Responding to the Challenge of Islam by Chapman
Faith, Film, and Philosophy: Big Ideas on the Big Screen by Geivett & Speigel
Five Sacred Crossings: A Novel Approach To A Reasonable Faith by Hazen
Handbook of Christian Apologetics by Kreeft & Tacelli
The Abolition of Man by CS Lewis
Mere Christianity by CS Lewis
God Is Back: How The Global Revival of Faith Is Changing the World by Micklethwait & Woolridge
Love Your God With All Your Mind by Moreland
The God Conversation: Using Stories and Illustrations to Explain Your Faith by Moreland
Eyes Wide Open by Romanowski
The Great Evangelical Disaster by Schaeffer
The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog by Sire
Postmodernism 101: A First Course for the Curious Christian by White
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY STUDIES
Revolutionary Parenting by Barna
When I Get Married by Clark
Boundaries by Cloud & Townsend
The New Dare To Discipline by Dobson
The New Hide and Seek by Dobson
The New Love Must be Tough by Dobson
Love and Respect by Eggerichs
Safe Haven by Hart & Morris
Hooked: New Science On How Casual Sex Is Affecting Our Children by McIlhaney & McKissic Bush
Finding the Hero In Your Husband by Slattery
Guilt Free Motherhood by Slattery
Complete Guide to the First Five Years of Marriage by Swihart & Wooten
Sacred Marriage by Thomas
Sacred Parenting by Thomas
The Blessing: Giving the Gift of Unconditional Love and Acceptance by Trent & Smalley
The Case for Marriage by Waite & Gallagher
FAMILY, CHURCH, AND SOCIETY STUDIES
Life Together by Bonhoeffer
Roaring Lambs: A Gentle Plan To Radically Change Your World by Briner
Democracy in America (Vol. 1) by de Tocqueville
Marriage Under Fire by Dobson
Not Yours To Give by Ellis
Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers by Kavanaugh
Abortion: From Debate to Dialogue by Lee
Why You Cant Stay Silent: A Biblical Mandate to Shape Our Culture by Minnery
William Wilberforce: A Man Who Changed His Times by Pollock
Idols for Destruction by Schlossberg
How Christianity Saved the World by Schmidt
The Vision of the Anointed by Sowell
The Fathers Speak—For Life! by St. Benedict Center
Common Ground—Without Compromise: 25 Questions to Create Dialogue on Abortion by Wagner
GENDER AND LEADERSHIP STUDIES
Every Man’s Battle by Arterburn & Stoeker
Desires In Conflict by Dallas
Bringing Up Boys by Dobson
Beyond Appearances by Focus on the Family
The Feminine Mystique by Friedan
101 Frequently Asked Questions About Homosexuality by Haley
Ethics: Approaching Moral Decisions by Holmes
Hope, Help, and Healing for Eating Disorders by Jantz
Leading Change by Kotter
Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge by Kouzes & Posner
The Way of the Shepherd by Leman & Pentak
The Search for Significance by McGee
In The Name of Jesus by Nouwen
Feminism: Mystique or Mistake? by Passno
When Good Men Are Tempted by Perkins
Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by Piper & Grudem
Spiritual Leadership by Sanders
Genesis In Space and Time: The Flow of Biblical History by Schaeffer
Soooo... wow. Thats A LOT of books. I havent read them all yet, and for some of them we only read specific sections. However, if you are interested in one of the topics I have talked about and want me to recommend a book, let me know! :)
Since I have already talked a little about social activities in my previous post, I'll skip that for now...but I do feel it necessary to say that I have found that the whole Institute experience, above all, is about learning what it might look like to truly live out the love of Christ in a way that is relevant to our culture today.
Before I leave ya for tonight, I thought Id share a few other thoughts besides just the logistics of FLI... On the second day of class, our matins time was based on 1 Corinthians 13 and 1 John 4:7. As I sat and thought I just began to write whatever streams of consciousness came to mind about these pretty common verses. I encourage you to read them and really think on them. Here's what I wrote, and thought it was worth sharing, although Im not promising it will make complete sense, as I am copying exactly what i wrote-- how I wrote it:
-God is Love- If God is in us, we should have Love- A choice to make... to keep that Love bottled up OR to let it be poured out into the lives of others...
-To keep that Love bottled up would be SELFISH- Love is not selfish- IS THERE REALLY A CHOICE?
-LOVE = HUMILITY/SELFISHNESS
-Love humbly. Love selflessly. Love joyfully. Love justly. Love relentlessly. Love without boundaries. Love like Christ. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.LOVE.
Last, I have always been told that whatever you take in, is what comes out of you. As I spend my semester I am finding that to be more and more true. One of our practices/traditions here at FLI is to recite the Sh'ma togthether each morning. The Sh'ma is part of the prayers that the Jewish community recites at their morning and evening prayers together. It is astounding, how even just making these words a part of your daily routine can totally change your outlook on how your day is going to go. It is my prayer that each of you would join me in beginning to truly live out the true meaning of the shema in every single moment of every single day. Be a world changer. Here it is below... (Hebrew scholars enjoy!):
Sh'ma Yisrae'al!
Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad
Ve'ahavta et Adonai Elohecha
Be'chol lava'cha
Uve'chol nafsch'cha
Uve'chol me'odecha
Ve'ahavta rayacha kamocha
Hear O Israel!
The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Love the Lord you God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your strength.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Grace and Peace.
30 January 2010
BIG Questions....
New and super awesome friends! :)
Focus on the Family!
A beautiful mountain view on the way home from our opening retreat.
Hello! Things are still going well here in the Springs and I am loving it here. We are being kept extremely busy both with our academic load as well as our social activities. We have all sorts of family dinners, worship services, small groups, and other spontaneous activities that pop up throughout the week. And if you read my last post, you know that I mentioned having to do a rather intense amount of reading. Here is a picture of the books we had to purchase (this does NOT include audio tapes to be listened to, or the entire library of required reading we have in our apartment):
Sooooo... needless to say, that is quite overwhelming, but many of the readings have been quite interesting and thought-provoking. My apartment mates and I have already been able to enjoy many "reading parties" with one another. We takes turns reading aloud and then discuss what we read to make sure we all understand. This has been especially helpful for books such as "The Abolition of Man" by CS Lewis. Thats a tough read!
Speaking of apartment mates... my roommates are MaryBeth from Illinois, Catherine from Wisconsin, and Karen from Alabama. We are loving one another's company so far and are enjoying getting to know one another. :)
There's not too much to say about class this week. We have mostly just been getting overviews for the rest of the semester. I know that I am going to be challenged in many ways. The primary purpose of each of these classes is to help us to become solid, Christ-following leaders in a society that so desperately needs Christ. As I sat at a dinner one night at our opening retreat and talked with one of our professors, Dr. Chris Leland, and he said something in our conversation that I found to be quite profound about the way that we, as Christians should be trying to influence our world in the public square. His quote: Dont argue biblically. Argue morally (with the Bible being the foundation for your morals). His point was that as soon as people hear us say, "Well the Bible says..." their ears are immediately turned off, and thus, we are never going to get anywhere. There's got to be more. That's not enough... especially when we are dealing with a society in which so few people believe in the authority and absolute truth of the scriptures. It doesn't matter to them what the Bible says if they dont believe in the Bible. In connection with this, one of our readings for this coming week was called "Love Your God with All Your Mind" (dont remember who it was by). The essence of this book was that modern Christianity has taken the power of reason and intellect completely out of its base. In a way, we have entered this era of being "anti-intellectual" and God doesn't want us to be that way. He intended for heart (faith) and head (reason) to go together and not to be completely separate from one another. If He did not want us to be rational and use reason, I dont believe He would have blessed us with the intellectual abilities He has given us. Our God is a rational God and therefore, we should also be rational if we want to be like Him.
Soooo... all that to say that basically our classes are about helping us to learn to answer the big questions of life in a way that get the attention of the secular world and causes them to want to stop and listen. In our Christian Worldview Studies class, the big question of the semester is, Why did you get up this morning? And, for those of you who have heard of the Truth Project by Dr. Del Tackett, our big question of the semester for his class, "Family, Church, and Society", is Do you REALLY believe that what you believe is REALLY REAL?
It is so refreshing to be surrounded by an awesome group of Christian brothers and sisters for just this short time, and I looking forward to being able to share in this community and learn about the very nature of God and how He can use us to impact His world wherever He takes us.
Please pray that:
-I would have a positive attitude about my practicum site and allow God to use me where He has placed me despite my own selfish attitudes.
-I would stay focused on the things that really matter this semester.
-I can keep my priorities straight and know that it IS okay if I dont get all my reading done. (Unlike a standard academic setting, these are the priorities of our community for the semester: 1. personal time with God. 2. community life 3. academics)
Cant wait to write again! Grace and Peace.
20 January 2010
Welcome to Colorado!
Hello! So, for those of you who arent quite sure what I am up to right now... I am currently in Colorado Springs, CO at the Focus Leadership Institute. I am not yet sure what all God has in store for me while I am here, or even why exactly I am here. But I am very excited about this opportunity and how it is going to help me to become a world-changer wherever I find my in the future!
So, heres what you can expect from my blog this semster: Today during orientation, I found out that we are expected to read about 5000 pages over the next 12 weeks. One word: WHOA. So dont expect anything too lengthy, in depth, or anything like that on a regular basis. However, in our first lecture today, I was very challenged by Dr. Tackett and some of the things he said. So, Ive decided this blog would be a great place for me to post things Ive heard/learned/discovered that are worth sharing and remembering...
1. The Ten Commandments
Why did God give us the Ten Commandments to live by? Is it just some set of rules/guidelines that He set before us so that there is some sense of order in the world? Maybe. But more importantly, the Ten Commandments allow us an opportunity to get a glimpse of the very nature of Christ. Therefore, we must conclude that if we are to aim to live Christ-like lives, then following the Ten Commandments is a great start on how to do that.
So, if God wanted to, could He have instead said that lying is right or murder is right? Could he have reversed the Ten Commandments to make these things okay? When I first heard this question, my immediate answer was, "Of course he could have. God can do anything he wants." However, upon further discussion, I realized how wrong I was. The answer is a clear NO. God could not have done that because those things/characteristics are not part of His nature and who He is.
2. What is eternal life?
Yeah, we've all heard about eternal life and talked about it endlessly... but really. What exactly is it? Can we even wrap our heads around it? I dont know... I am still trying to process all of this discussion in my head. Im sure I'll come back to it again later, but this is what Ive got for now. John 17:3-- And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have have sent. -- This word- know- is more than just a casual friend type thing. This "know" is a deeply intimate relationship with... the type of relationship we should always be striving for in our walk with God.
I'll leave that one there for now... What exactly is eternal life?
More to come!
Grace and Peace. :)
So, heres what you can expect from my blog this semster: Today during orientation, I found out that we are expected to read about 5000 pages over the next 12 weeks. One word: WHOA. So dont expect anything too lengthy, in depth, or anything like that on a regular basis. However, in our first lecture today, I was very challenged by Dr. Tackett and some of the things he said. So, Ive decided this blog would be a great place for me to post things Ive heard/learned/discovered that are worth sharing and remembering...
1. The Ten Commandments
Why did God give us the Ten Commandments to live by? Is it just some set of rules/guidelines that He set before us so that there is some sense of order in the world? Maybe. But more importantly, the Ten Commandments allow us an opportunity to get a glimpse of the very nature of Christ. Therefore, we must conclude that if we are to aim to live Christ-like lives, then following the Ten Commandments is a great start on how to do that.
So, if God wanted to, could He have instead said that lying is right or murder is right? Could he have reversed the Ten Commandments to make these things okay? When I first heard this question, my immediate answer was, "Of course he could have. God can do anything he wants." However, upon further discussion, I realized how wrong I was. The answer is a clear NO. God could not have done that because those things/characteristics are not part of His nature and who He is.
2. What is eternal life?
Yeah, we've all heard about eternal life and talked about it endlessly... but really. What exactly is it? Can we even wrap our heads around it? I dont know... I am still trying to process all of this discussion in my head. Im sure I'll come back to it again later, but this is what Ive got for now. John 17:3-- And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have have sent. -- This word- know- is more than just a casual friend type thing. This "know" is a deeply intimate relationship with... the type of relationship we should always be striving for in our walk with God.
I'll leave that one there for now... What exactly is eternal life?
More to come!
Grace and Peace. :)
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