I Will Not Be Silent
I was reading the Bible during lunch in Acts about the Apostles’ ministry after Jesus resurrection. They were persecuted and thrown in jail for performing miracles and preaching the Good News. In Acts 4:20 (Msg) it says, “As for us, there’s no question- we can’t keep quiet about what we’ve seen and heard.” After all they’ve been through this is their response? Would I respond that way if I were in that position? My favorite verse is in Acts 5:41 (NIV). It says, “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” In the verses leading up to this, the apostles had been thrown in jail for preaching. One of the jailers did not want to put the apostles to death saying, “For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men: you will only find yourself fighting against God” Acts 5:38b-39. So they decided to flog them and let them go. And verse 41 is how they responded…they rejoiced because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for Christ. I also thought it was very interesting that one of the jailers said if what the apostles were doing was from God they would not be able to stop them. What an incredible testimony!
God, give me the strength to tell and show others about You regardless of who’s around!
An Amazing Weekend
I have been feeling like I need to get an accountability partner but I’m just not sure how to go about getting one. One of the leaders this weekend brought up having an accountability partner on the last night. She talked about how much it helps to have one. I think that was God’s little nudge…again…to work on getting one. Another thing that struck me this weekend was every time I walked into the area where we hung out and ate, there were always people my age reading the Bible. It was so awesome to see them that passionate! It made me crave being in the Word even more. The biggest thing I got this weekend was I completely let go of my past- in particular, worrying about what other’s would think and letting the devil think he can use that against me. It was the most freeing I have felt in a really long time.
Jacob’s Ladder Micromission
Please pray that the weather cooperates and that we are able to show God’s love through us to the boys out there.
Busy Saturday Ahead!
Nothing like trying to squeeze as much possible into a Saturday as you can, right? Mine is packed full!! Tomorrow my Switch girls are doing a fundraiser for camp. We’re working a snowcone stand in Moore across from Winding Creek Elementary from 10-5. However, I’m picking up my girls and one of them lives in Tuttle. So my day starts at 8:30. There’s a huge baseball tournament this weekend right across the street so hopefully we’ll do good. We’ll be grilling out hotdogs and possibly making cotton candy (my favorite!).
I have a singles cookout with my church from 5:30-8:30 at a park in Bethany. Then a group of us are going back to the new Warren Theater in Moore to watch the new Chronicles of Narnia movie at 9:45. Man! It tires me just thinking about it. Am I getting too old for this?! 🙂 Good thing Sunday is the day of rest!
Hope you have a great weekend!
In the Dip
So I’ve been really thinking about this Spiritual warfare stuff. Craig did a series recently called Habakkuk. It was amazing! And it kinda goes along with this. He talked about what I call a roller coaster ride where one minute things are so good and you and God have this tight relationship. Then you go through a dip where everything seems to be falling apart. One of my favorite verses came to mind. It’s James 1:2-4. There are 2 versions of this verse I like.
The first: “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become matrue and well-developed, not deficient in any way (The Message).”
The second: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perserverance. Perserverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (NIV).”
This has been my prayer- that I can rejoice in Him during trials- that I can trust that He will deliver. My ultimate goal: to praise Him in this storm.
Spiritual Warfare?
So, last Wednesday I was so stinkin’ pumped about Switch. I wasn’t sure why but I was very excited. I thought about it all day, couldn’t wait to get home, I was gonna pick up some girls and take them with me, blah, blah, blah.
Little did I know that it would seem like everything was going to go wrong that possibly could that night. It started when we began to have bad weather and there was a chance of tornados. With that, the two girls I was supposed to pick up could no longer go. In the meantime, 4 other girls had called to see if I could come get them. Of course I could…but I didn’t realize they lived in Tuttle…which took me an hour to pick them up and get to church. Not that I really minded but I was just…ugh. So, shake it off I told myself. I get to church and apparently one of my girls has said something inappropriate to another student’s mother. So, I, being her leader, was asked to talked to her. I sat her down and asked her and her friend that was involved what was going on and pretty much got lied to…FRUSTRATING! After Switch this student’s mother called and griped me out for getting onto her daughter. First off, I did not get onto her daughter…just trying to find out why this student and her friend called the other student’s mom and said the f-word. And, of course, her daughter doesn’t use language like that…not around you, mom. This mother threatened to not bring her daughter back to Switch which broke my heart.
Spiritual warfare going on? It’s amazing how when something good is in the happening the devil can come in and completely destroy it…or at least try.
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