Living for Now.

This a journal entry from a moment in my life that I was unsure of what God's plans held and was a little discouraged b/c I was working a job I didn't go to school for. I hope this is an encouragement to anyone in this situation.
"Man this is one of those days. It's Thursday which means yesterday was Wednesday. With two clients and church I didn't get home till 9. I was running late this morning and felt like I could not find anything. (It's so much easier to take ten minutes and lay things out the night before) I am sitting in class and just realized that I am out of progress notes.
Jason asked me on Sunday how I make it through the week. I gave him a nice "churchy" answer b/c I was at church. The truth is days like today I feel like I don't have much purpose, and feel more like Billy Madison than an adult w/ a college education. I don't even feel like reading today.
I was thinking in bed last night about how much history there has been in the universe & how much history is still to take place. I am somewhere in between living in the present. How quickly my time will become a part of history like parachute pants from the 80s and the backstreet boys. (although I heard they are having a comeback) The conclusion I came to thru the narative of scripture is that my life is short but what I do matters, my faith matters, and the only reason any of that matters is b/c to God I matter."

Jesus Story Book Bible

What a great Book! For those of you saying "Why are you recommending a kid's book to me?" It is much more than that. No other book about the Bible captures the story of God pursuing his people to love and rescue them. Get it buy it read it you won't be disappointed.

Everyone Needs a Mentor

Everyone needs a mentor. Whether that is a parent or a godly man or woman to come along side you to shepherd you through life.
Second Kings 24 gives the account of King Joash in Israel. He was appointed by Jehoida who was a priest and a very Godly man. Joash was very young so Jehoida mentored him until he was of age to lead the nation. He makes a covenant with God that they will follow God, so in order to do that he had to purge Israel of all their false God's. The story says that under the direction of Jehoida Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. When I read that I wrote in the margin of my Bible, "I wonder what kind of King he would have been if he would not of had Jehoida in his life?" My question was answered as I read on.

Joash goes on to re-build the temple and does all these great things for God under the direction and care of his mentor. Years later at 130 years old Jehoida dies. He had done so much for the nation and for God that he was buried in the tomb of the kings although he himself was not a king. The very next verse after Joash loses his mentor he begins to worship false God's. God raises up Zechariah (who was the son of Jehoida) to confront Joash for his sins. This makes Joash very upset so he has his mentors son stoned. God sends in Syria to serve justice on Joash they defeat Israel despite having a smaller army & Joash is killed in his bed by his own men. Joash is not honored in his death by being buried in the tomb of the kings like his mentor was.
In this small section there are so many take aways. Having a mentor is very important. We saw from this story alone how drastically Joash's life changed when he no longer had Godly counsil. It is very important in student ministry to have a mentorship program where adults can be pouring salt into the lives of students who are at such a moldable point in their lives. I am thankful for the mentors that I had as a student.
We would be mistaken to think that we only need a mentor in the early stages of our lives. We need a mentor in every stage who is going to be a Jehoida to us. Leaders need accountability, One w/o it is a dangerous thing. Who is the Jehoida in your life? Who are you being a Jehoida to?

Owning up to your Past & changing your Future

In the book of Ezra Chapter 5 the captives from Babylon are transitioning back into life in Judah and a big part of that is rebuilding the temple. Men of Judah were working on the temple when some officials came and asked them why and under who's authority they were rebuilding the temple. They tell them they are building under a decree by the king, but the best part is when they tell the official why they are rebuilding. They said they are servants of God and are rebuilding Solomon's temple. They continued by saying that they were rebuilding b/c their fathers were disobedient and did not follow God, and because of that they were sent into captivity. Reading that I thought that could not have been easy to say that the people of your heritage (yourself included in that) really messed up. They knew where they had been but were not proud of it. They also knew that b/c of their past they had to work hard to get back to where they were supposed to be. They didn't get down on themselves & let their past dictate their future. They were there working hard to now make things right b/c God had given them a second chance.
I believe that it is important to know where we have come from to own up to it not in a prideful way but to be honest with yourself. It is good to remind ourselves that we are not perfect and that God's Grace is huge. It is not good to dwell on the past. It is good to focus on Jesus in the now and in the future.

When all else fails in the Christian life, Just Fake It

I was sitting in band at NE Intermediate school. It was very loud, but they had improved over the last year. There is a certain boy in the band who "plays" the trumpet. He has been in the band all year long and doesn't know how to play a single note or even make noise come out. When it is time to play he acts like he is playing his trumpet behind his music stand puffing his cheeks back and forth while making no sound. Other times he will adjust his spit valve when it is time for his section to play.
He is scared to play b/c he does not know how and it seems too late to tell his teacher he has no idea how to play. It does not help that his band teacher is a jerk and would just get upset with him.
I think that is like the Christian life @ times. We really want to do well but don't always know where to start. We look at life and are afraid to fail. It seems like there are so many rules and regulations that is scares us. We don't want anyone to know that we struggle so we fake it and find ourselves confused and guilty b/c we don't measure up. It seems to late in the game to ask for help. But God isn't that mean band teacher waiting to yell at you, but he sits with you starts simple and helps you thru it. He says "all I want is for you to love me and the other details will come later as you grow in your love for me." He is patient, but you have to commit to the process. Everyone around you is also learning, we can do it together. So pick up that instrument and blow some sweet music to Jesus.

What I am reading

I really enjoy Andy Stanley. I am just starting this one. I have heard this book is one of his classics and a must read for those in church ministry.

Jesus, The Remedy for God's Wrath

I finished 2 Chronicles the other day. It a fascinating book. It is cool to see how all humanity really fits into the story. We mess up and are unfaithful and need a hero to come and save us. A lot of times though we don't see who that hero is, but he still continues to pursue us.
In Chapter 36 Israel not long before was a very prosperous nation under one of their greatest kings Josiah. But they again very quickly became an evil nation who were not the light to the gentiles they were intended to be. The story says they followed all the abominations of the other nations, and polluted the temple. That's not a very good verse describing Israel! But that verse that follows is such a sweet verse about God. It says God came passionately and persistently to them even though they mocked his messengers. God remains faithful when we are faithless. It goes on to say that after God pursued them that "the wrath of God rose against his people until there was No Remedy." God's wrath was so intense that there was nothing they could do about it. To us as readers if we only read that verse and did not see the entire story of the Bible it would seem that all hope is lost for us. The good and joyous news is as we read on further in the story we see that "when fullness of time had come, God sent his son." Jesus Christ came to earth to be the remedy for God's wrath because of our sins. Jesus fixed my relationship with God by totally absorbing God's wrath on the cross like a sponge. Jesus saved me from myself and gives hope for all of humanity that God did not give up on us but sent his son to remedy God's wrath and to pay for our sins. How can you read that and say that God is not good?