Saturday, September 1, 2012

Seeing God in the drugs, cuss words, depression, and pains of life.

Some of you might not know, but I just found myself in a position working at a christian therapeutic boarding school for a year.  After working a full week after training I have experienced things here that I have never experienced before and that have caused me a lot of stress, worry, pain, and of course good God moments.  These kids come here from many different backgrounds and different struggles that follow them here.  As they come into this journey of growth they run into a lot of strongholds that are hard to give up for change.  As a staff member I get to interact with these strongholds and pride to hopefully show them that there is something better and safer for them.  As you can guess these strongholds are strong...and they show themselves in anger, cuss words, rebellion, secrecy, and many more strong and hurtful actions.  These interactions with the kids do cause me to get a glimpse of the pain they have inside, and it really does take affect after awhile and messes with my emotions.  It was not till I started to get angry at myself, at the kids, and just at the life the kids faced that I knew I needed God time!

It has been hard to find a good solid moment to spend with God...I mean when I get done with work I just want to sleep and I am rudely awaken by an alarm clock..."Really already 6 am!"  I know these are excuses, but I definitely need as much sleep as I can before I can work again.  I was ready for my day off and I spent so much time with God and the Bible that I ran into a section that I needed so bad and might even be my theme verse for the year.  


Treasure in Fragile Clay Jars

Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way,[a] we never give up. We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.
If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.[b] This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.


This was a big spiritual slap in the face and also a big relief.  I reflected in prayer about the week before reading any passages and verses 8-10 really stuck out to me,"we are pressed on every side by troubles...we are perplexed...we are hunted down...we are knocked down"....I can see that here when working with the struggles of the job.  I experienced all those feelings this past few weeks, but the joy is in the next section, "but we are not crushed...but not driven to despair...but never abandoned by God...but we are not destroyed.  Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies."  WHAT!!!!  That is why I am here...not to be a parent, not to change the kids, but through the suffering I face here Jesus shines through.  

These verses have brought a whole new view and understanding to why and what I am suppose to do here.  I need to rely on God's power because I am just a fragile clay jar and shine Jesus through my sufferings so the Good News can be shone through the kids' blindness!  WOW...what a powerful and awesome call to this kind of ministry!





Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The Terrors of the Fire Swamp

We all know the terrors of the fire swamp - the flame spurt, the lightening sand, and the R.O.U.S.'s, of course. And we all know how to avoid them - there is a popping sound preceding each flame spurt, you can spot the lightening sand if you keep an eye out for it, and you can also keep an eye out for the R.O.U.S.'s, although sometimes they attack you on their own.

Last night I was talking to a friend about temptation. He was saying that he was afraid of falling into the same temptation that had cause some ill feelings in the past, and I told him that temptation was like the fire swamp. He fell into temptation in the past, so now, if he keeps his eyes open, he can avoid falling into the temptation in the future. I feel like this can be a good lesson for anyone. Sometimes it seems like we keep falling into the same temptation over and over again. But if we keep our eyes and ears open, and look out for the warning signs of temptation, we will be more able to avoid falling into sin in the future.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Getting Distracted with Martha!

This is not a post about Martha Stewart, but pretty close!  This was a passage of the Bible I read awhile ago, but it didn't really affect me or make me think till recently.  


Luke 10:38-42 (NRSV)
Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.”  But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” 

First of all, I wonder what Martha Stewart's thoughts would be after reading this passage?  Did she read it as a child and knew that her calling was decorating and cooking for the USA?  On a serious note, this week has been very distracting for me (my car, job searching, packing, physical, car shopping, and just plain life) and I found it really hard to make time for God!  There have been a lot of stuff on Facebook and YouTube (Take a look at this video!...if you want to [warning: might be hard to watch]) this week that really hit it hard for me and made me rethink things that I prioritize.  God is the creator of Time!  We should make time for Him not pencil Him into our schedule or make it a to do list item.  He deserves more from us and really wants to bless and connect with us.  Shoot I want some of that!  That is why I earnestly seek Him and realized that last week and this week I was distracted along with Martha and worried about dumb things!  

This is not me saying that we all should become Hippies get rid of every form of technology and live in a community that does nothing put sits at Jesus' feet...even though that does sound pretty amazing.  Also I am not saying there is a formula to how much time per day we need to spend with God.  For me this verse was more about not worrying about the tasks that we face, but to really trust and listen to God because He knows what is best for us, and will not be taken away from us like some of the things we deal with.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Finding Hope in God!

Psalm 42
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When can I go and meet with God?  My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"  These things I remember as I pour out my soul:  how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.  Why, my soul, are you downcast?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.  My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon--from Mount Mizar.  Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.  By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me--a prayer to the God of my life.  I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me?  Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"  My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long "Where is your God?"  Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.


I went on a youth prayer retreat this weekend and really had a blast.  I got to be a counselor to a group of guys that didn't know each other and hear what God was doing through them.  They were amazing, but on top of that and more important I had an amazing time experiencing God's love and hope this weekend.  One night we had prayer stations set up where we could go around and experience God in different ways/pray for different aspects of our lives.  There was this one section called the inner courts, which was cool because it dealt about praying for others (being the church) and also spending time with Jesus!  So I sat down and asked God for a word that He had for me.  The word was "Hope" and then I went and looked up verses that dealt with hope and found one (I have a weird but cool Bible "The Green Bible" so that is why I only found one).  Nevertheless, this verse was what God wanted me to read because it was what I was/am facing right now.  It is cool how God knows what you need and when to give it to you!  Our Heavenly Father is AMAZING!  Just saying...anyways, I have been in this pit of hopelessness and sadness.  Tears have been my food day and night. So I had this verse and was receiving God's Hope and Joy and just looking around and seeing a whole bunch of people calling out to Him...what a cool sight!


Then I went to another station were were had a plate and we were suppose to write what we are part of and what we spent our time doing, then asked God what He wanted on "our plate."  Well since I have no job and have all the free time in the world I didn't spend to much time on this, but instead God asked me "What are you putting Hope in?"  I thought about it and I found myself putting Hope in my resume, experiences, education, friends, family, the church, America, and the world.  I sat there and I really thought hard and the tears started to come.  I definitely was not putting all my Hope in God!  Oh Shoot!  So I took time putting my hope in God, and it wasn't till I went to small group last night that I learned I still had hope to give back to God.  My friends helped me realize that finding a job is not going to fulfill my hope.  I first need to be fully satisfied in God because If I find an amazing job then there will be something else that I look forward to or put my hope in.  Therefore, I want to be fully satisfied in Him and seek what He wants me to do right now and listening to what He wants me to do.  If a job comes up that God gives me then cool because I know it will be what He wants me to do.  I have a long way to go to be fully satisfied in Him and seeking His will for me!  


God Bless You!  Keep on the Sunny Side,


~Nick

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Spring Cleaning with Paul!

The weather has been getting warmer and Spring is coming...March 21st!  Time to get tans for the summer, pack away winter things and bring out the shorts, and spring cleaning!  Oh Shoot, I am not a big fan of cleaning (my roommates/family could tell you that) and it usually takes someone else to tell me it needs to get done or a "routine inspection."  Usually cleaning for me is more like making the mess out of sight.  This includes stuffing it under the bed, in the closet, and putting items in any container that has room!  Then looking in my room you would think it is clean, but in reality the mess is just quickly covered up and just to come out again.  To me that is like how we ask God to forgive us sometimes.  "...Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil..."  So be it!  I am done and forgiven for my sins.  To me this is a quick "lets cover up my messed up sinful heart that seeks sinful desires with a White God's Grace blanket" and look...a brand new white heart; pure and holy!  Then the next week our sinful desires come back out and we fall into our same sins...repeating over and over.  Have we really cleaned up our mess or just hid it and made it look good for our "routine inspection"?  I definitely fall into this sin cycle type of life and I am constantly coming to God in prayer to fix me and make me a creation that lives for Him and not my sinful desires.  Monday morning when I was waking up I felt the urge to read Galatians (The whole book...I know crazy right...).  So I obeyed God and read Galatians and as I did this section really stood out....Galatians 5:16-6:10

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
 1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.


I felt so convicted and knew that I was not living in step of the Spirit, but by my flesh and desires.  So I took sometime to really "spring clean" my heart by getting down to the roots of the sin.  Then took the desires and passions of my heart and gave it up to God or "crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."  Then actually spent time in Prayer and the Word figuring out how to keep in step with the Spirit...isn't it nicer to have a real pure and holy heart instead of masking it?  Have fun with Springtime and all the joys that come with warm weather!!!!   
~Nick~

Friday, March 16, 2012

Volunteer opportunity

Hey, so for all of you small group people, we have a volunteer opportunity coming up that I wanted to see if you all were interested in. Urban Connections needs volunteers for their cleanup day on Saturday March 31 at 9 am. If you all are interested, I think this would be a good thing for as many of us as possible to help with!

Loss

Loss is a strange thing. Loss changes, depending on what or who you lose.

My chef instructors at school are so amazing. They all gave of themselves so much throughout my time there, and they continue to do so now. Each of them invests in each student, whether they have them in class or not. The head chef was especially special to everyone. He was the type of guy who you immediately felt comfortable around. He had the amazing ability to sense when a teacher was really getting into teaching their class, and coming in at that exact moment, entering the room with a cheerful "Good morning!" and a pun that would completely distract the whole class from what they were learning. He was always around, always moving, always joking, always smiling. I believe that he was a Christian. 

Chef Donald Hauck did so much for the Columbus restaurant industry. He was a mentor to many who are now executive chefs themselves. He has many friends and family who loved him very dearly.

Chef Hauck died on Thursday, March 8th.

At his funeral, his life was celebrated. Many stories were told, stories from kitchens and restaurants; stories of how he proposed to a nun with a "diamond ring" from a gumball machine in front of all the other sisters and her mother; stories of him cooking eggs at the age of five, standing on a chair so he could reach the stove; a story about how he didn't care about school until he was told that if he didn't do well in school, he would never be able to read cook books; and many other stories.

It's funny how loss doesn't sink in at first. If we don't see the person actually dead, we tend to have a trigger in our mind that switches on and tells us that they're not really dead, they're just not around anymore. I suppose that is what funerals are for. Funerals help us grasp loss.


It's funny how even though we know that a person is in Heaven and having a blast, we still grieve some. I suppose that we are more grieving our loss than their passing. It is easier, though, if they are a Christian, because you know that they are not truly gone forever.


So we must go on, we must get back to our daily lives. I know that when I go back to my school for any reason, it will be strange not to see him there. I know that I will be looking around, expecting him to ask how I'm doing, and to tell some joke or another. And he won't be there. But that's a part of life. We love and we lose, and we learn to love those we still have even more. Life is precious.


~ Liz ~

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Job Searching Through Proverbs 16



Proverbs 16: 1-4

 1 To humans belong the plans of the heart,
   but from the LORD comes the proper answer of the tongue.
 2 All a person’s ways seem pure to them,
   but motives are weighed by the LORD.
 3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
   and he will establish your plans.
 4 The LORD works out everything to its proper end—
   even the wicked for a day of disaster.

So I have been job searching for a few months now looking for where God wants me to be.  So my prayers have been where God wants me to be and what He wants me to do.  During one of my times, sitting by Lake Evelyn down in Texas, I was really praying and truly seeking God's advice.  Not one of the "Your will not mine LORD" prayers, but opening up a discussion with God.  I was a little upset at Him for taking me away from my friends from Texas and putting me into the wilderness of job searching.  While sitting down by the lake looking at God's beautiful creation and talking to Him I had the urge to just open my Bible and read.  Now I rarely open my Bible to a random spot looking for a verse that "fits" my situation, but I did not care at that moment.  I opened up to Proverbs 16 and started reading and saw that it was comforting to the situation I was in and what I was really praying for.  

So the plans of my heart was to work with my friends at the camp because I love those guys!  Then what was my motive for working at the camp...not working there for the groups, but working with my friends.  Thinking about it...if my friends were not down in camp anymore would I still want to work there?  Nope.  Not because it was a bad place, but because I was not growing there anymore.  It was "This is going nowhere" and "what can I do to get by" type attitude towards the end of my career there, which when you have that attitude you need to give it up to God and figure out what's next.  Therefore, thinking through this verse was hard on me because my heart and motives are strong and wanted to stay!  But the LORD knows all and has plans for all of us.  That is why I gave this whole situation to God and committed whatever I do to Him.

The last two verses were pleasing to me because I know God is good and has an amazing plan that will fit me and that I will love.  Since committing my plans to God I have been excited every day to see what God has planned for my life.  There is a question I ask myself every morning to help me continue the commitment..."Will you follow God's plan or the plans of your heart?"