One of my favorite things about kids is their authenticity. When they are scared, they cry and ask to be held. When they are happy, they will giggle and dance. Rarely do they attempt to hide their feelings. This often leads them to say ‘the darndest things’. One such incident happened yesterday when I was cleaning a glass door that leads into a classroom. A little boy watched contemplatively while I sprayed Windex and wiped it down. Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, he blurted out, “Why are you doing that?”

“Because I’m cleaning off the smudges.”

“Why?” (his favorite question)

“Because it’s dirty.”

“For my mommy?”

Now this was cute. All I could respond with was “Um, sure!” But this got me thinking.The only thing the little boy was concerned with was pleasing his parents.

Shouldn’t we be this committed to God? So obsessed with Him that the mundane tasks are for His glory? Do we wash windows in a way that would make Him smile? Is His approval what we crave most?

Maybe this is what Jesus meant when he told the bickering disciples to humble themselves like a child (Matthew 18:4). To perform for an audience of One, knowing that His opinion is all that matters.

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." --Matthew 18:1-4

When life gives you lemons..

Why do bad things happen to good people?—this question had wormed its way into the heart of every man. This subject seems to be especially difficult for Christians, who wonder why a loving God let them suffer this way.

Suffering is everywhere. If its ugly hand isn’t touching our own lives, it is gripping the lives of our friends and family. During times of despair, we often cling to the phrase, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” This never seems to do the trick, however. It leaves us feeling pathetically weak, because deep down we know that we are too feeble for the task at hand. With sinking hearts we resign ourselves to waiting out the storm.

Is there a better way? I submit that there is. We first must establish why suffering happens. As humans, we are utterly sinful and live in a world that makes no attempt to clean up its act. Our suffering either stems directly from us or is indirectly inflicted on us by other people. To put it another way, our suffering does not come from God. This is made clear in James 1:17, which clearly states that, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

But does God let tragedies happen to us? Yes. Will they seem like mountains threatening to crush us? Yes. Will we be able to handle them? No. That’s the beautiful thing about God grace. When suffering happens, we have no other choice than to rely on Him—because He can handle it. He won’t always make the pain go away. The thorn in our flesh may seem like it is going to consume us. Yet it is during this time we learn that God is the ultimate Physician, healing what we thought was beyond recovery.

Pain is no fun, end of story. But when we fall down, we might just realize that we should have been on our knees the whole time.

“Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.”

--Psalm 27:14

Fun saying

When I was at camp last week, they gave us a list of "The Laws of the Public Policy Process." My person favorite was, "The mind can absorb no more than the seat can endure."

ummm...ya

Speakers will often use the term "filler." This word indicates that someone is using a specific word, phrase, or action as a crutch when they feel that they or their information is incompetent. Rather than expanding on the topic at hand, a filler serves only to confuse a matter and disperse good arguments across a speech. It could go something like, "Pink bunnies are....ummm....ya know....really....awesome....ummmm...ya." Fundamentally, these crutches crowd crucial time with information that is non-essential. Pretty much nothingness.

Now, imagine for a moment that our life is a speech. Everyone is given a few minutes, but it is their choice what they say. Recently, I have been challenged on what my speech (or rather, my life) is conveying. Is it attesting to the One of ultimate importance or is it filled with fillers?

"Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity."--1 Timothy 4:12

Tis my two cents for the week. =)

Prayer and Airplanes

I babysit for adorable kids down the street named Zack and Ben. Yesterday, their mom told that that morning, Ben (who is 3) had gotten angry with her for not letting him go on an airplane ride. Ben’s mom had explained to him that you needed money and a ticket but Ben was determined that his mother was just being cruel. He did not know that his mother was keeping him from something that he really wanted only in his best interests.

How many times do I do the same thing? The whispered prayer, “Thy will be done,” is in constant use but rarely meant. Of course I want God’s will done! Arrogantly, I demand that he best thing for me will always be the plan I concoct. God always gives the best, right?! My human mind cannot grasp what God is doing in me and through me in this situation.

Am I just demanding an airplane ride?

9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!~ Matthew 7:11

Easter

The birds sang sweetly, as if they knew some wonderful secret. Mary wished they would be quiet. They were on their way to Jesus’ tomb and they all knew the reason—Mary had to say goodbye. Everyone tried to convince her that Jesus was gone but she couldn’t come to grips with the reality of it. As they trudged along, Mary tried to ponder other things: the weather, what she would do this afternoon, anything. It was useless. The image of Jesus, her beloved Jesus, on the cross was ingrained in her head.

They had walked through the garden and come to the place where He was buried. Startled by the image ahead, she sprinted to the site of the grave. Everything was the same, except for the bolder had been if front. It was rolled aside. Careless of her own well-being, Mary ran to the site. Careful examination of the tomb raised her suspicions. Had someone stolen the body? How could anyone move the behemoth of a stone? Suddenly, without notice, two brilliant figures appeared. As if to answer her thoughts, they proclaimed, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' "

Jesus’ words came back to the woman. Mary’s first thought was that she had to tell the others.




Mary knelt in the garden sobbing. Peter and John had rushed to the ancient graveyard on hearing the news—leaving her in the dust. She had gotten there as soon as they were leaving. Yet she couldn’t draw herself from the tomb to go depart with them.
Deciding she had to leave, Mary bent over to take in one more glance of the site that had caused such confusion. As she did, she saw the two angels. They asked her,

"Woman, why are you crying?"

"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

Jesus said to her, "Mary."

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

NOTE: The bottom conversation between Jesus and Mary is taken straight from John 20:13-16.

The reason why I chose this section of the Bible to write about is because I think that too often, our salvation becomes a monotonous thing. We hear about it so often that we loose our awe of it.

Also, I appreciate Mary Magdalene's complete devotion to Jesus. She so devoted to Jesus that Him saying her name was a completely unique and personal experience.

If you have any feedback, please comment!

The Arrest

Startled from their slumber, the disciples dreamily looked around. Peter say things in pieces. There was Jesus, standing above them with lights coming from behind Him. Peter could just barely make out the figures, spare one. Judas. The former disciple walked up to Jesus and kissed Him, not in respect, but with scorn that emanated from his face. As Judas steeped back, Jesus replied in response to the betrayel, "Friend, what do you want?" A lone soldier voiced, "Jesus of Nazareth." Without repose, the master answered, not with formal garb, simply the truth. He said, "I am he." Trembling as if invisible waves had slammed them to the ground, they made no move. Again, the teacher repeated, "What is it you want?" A singular soldier whispered shakily, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus responded. "I told you I am he..."

Peter heard no more than this. The scene of betrayal and arrest had been unfolding, almost as if in a dream, until he saw the soldiers advancing toward Jesus. Drawing his sword madly, he charged toward the first person he saw. Anger misguided his weapon. His sword swung madly and hit a man's head. Everyone froze. Calmly Jesus walked toward the man and picked up his ear. As if this was normal, he placed it in it's proper place and walked away with his patient in shock. Then the Messiah turned toward Peter. "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"