Ready, Set, Wait!

As I was heading into my last week of CentriKid ever, it hit me that I would be graduating in December and that I need to figure out what's going to happen next. Remember the scene in Home Alone when Macauley Culkin puts the aftershave on his face, puts both of his hands on his cheeks, and screams? That's about how I was feeling...

Redirected.

I have options, but this past week, I got redirected from one of them in a BIG way. It was more than a shut door. It was slammed in my face. Painful! But one thing I am thankful for is that God has a purpose for everything, although it frustrates me that I don't always get to know what that purpose is.

So I'm waiting. Again.

I'm waiting to know what's next. Who knows where I'll be living and what I'll be doing post-graduation, but December 7 (yes, I graduate on the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor) is quickly approaching.

I'm waiting for Mr. Right. And who knows how long I'll be waiting on this one or even if there is someone whom God has for me.

During our last staff worship at camp, I shared with our team from Deuteronomy 8, and in it, God tells His people to remember how He has led them, to remember how He has provided for them, to remember to give Him the praise that He is due, and to beware of disobedience. As He reminds them of the manna in the wilderness, He tells them that He fed them with manna in order to humble them, to see what was in their hearts, to determine whether or not they would obey Him. They wanted the food of Egypt, but instead, they got heavenly bread, which wasn't what they wanted. But God was doing 2 things: (1) He was giving them what they needed. (2) He was using this to refine them. Wilderness moments - and I'm equating waiting with the wilderness, especially since Israel was sent to the wilderness for 40 years of waiting/wandering - are seasons when God shows us the content of our hearts. The wilderness is an opportunity to grow in intimacy with the Lord. The wilderness is a place where you see that your greatest need is for God, and although you may not get what you want, He does provide what you need.

And He is enough.

That's what I keep having to remind myself right now. He is enough at all times, even in the wilderness and even in my waiting.

He IS enough.

Carrying the Team on Our Back

Greetings from Camp!

It's been a month since I left for camp, and it's been a doozy! We had 12 straight days of camp in which we had three cycles of kids then packed up and moved 16 hours from Campbellsville, KY, to St. Petersburg, FL, and next Friday, we pack up our 2 Ryder trucks and 2 vans and head to Ridgecrest, NC.

Notable Moments
Having an awesome God-talk this week with a precious 3rd grader named Malleri
Having 2 different kids throw up on me yesterday
Driving the production Ryder truck, which we nicknamed Big Gulp
Getting to love on our staff
Getting to pray with a precious group leader this week named Mrs. Suzanne and to later find out that her father-in-law woke up from a coma at the same time that we were praying together
Seeing our staff have intentional conversations with kids and truly showing the love of Christ
Being able to share the gospel with multiple kids at meal times
Watching Blackboot, the Missions Mountie, and the Treasurehood Videos
Hearing Daniel's French fry story
Playing my 70th OMC this summer



This is our Orange Team's post-OMC picture.

Backwards and Forwards

This semester has been a blur, but there are so many reasons to celebrate and to praise God for what He has done. Here's a quick look back as well as a snapshot of what's to come in the next couple of months.

BACKWARDS

Small Group



Our small group has been such a huge blessing in my life! God has taught me so much about discipleship through these girls, and I don't think any of us are the same as who we were at the beginning of the semester. God used the book of James to utterly disrupt our lives in a good way. I am so thankful for our "not so small group"!

I got a job - a real job!

Back in March, I was hired as the College Ministry Assistant at The Church at Brook Hills. For those of you in the camp world, I basically do the work of an AD (except I get more sleep than I do at camp). I manage our college ministry website and blog, handle communication for the college ministry, oversee our college ministry budget, and just finished a beast of a project writing our new college small group training curriculum. I love our church and am thankful for all that God is teaching me while He's got me here.

You and Your Girl

Last year, I started leading breakout sessions for the 3/4 graders with LifeWay's You and Your Girl conferences. This a conference for moms and daughters in which girls learn more about God, who He has created them to be, and how knowing Him affects their relationships with others. This past year, God gave me the opportunity to write the breakout curriculum for 3/4 grade girls, and back in April, we had our first simulcast event, which went well. Looking forward to the next YYG conference in Plano, Texas, in October!

Surviving the Tornadoes

On April 27, the day 200+ tornadoes ripped through Alabama, I woke up at 5:30am when trees started falling outside of my window. I had no clue twisters were touching down in Cahaba Heights where I live, but when the storm subsided and I went outside, huge trees and debris had missed my car and house by mere inches.

That night was when the twisters touched down that had devastated Tuscaloosa, and if you haven't been in our neck of the woods since April 27, Tuscaloosa and areas of Birmingham are reminiscent of New Orleans after Katrina. It will take years to recover and for people to rebuild their lives, houses, and businesses. Please pray for the families affected, and if you would like to volunteer, please visit this website.

Attending My Younger Brother's Graduation

I can't believe it. When he was 2, I asked mom if we could send him back, but now, I wouldn't trade him for the world. My brother is one of my favorite people, and I can always count on him to leave me crazy voicemails, to call me when the family goes out to eat at a nice restaurant when I'm not there, and to always make me laugh. I am so proud of him and who he is becoming. Pray for him as he heads out to Kenya on a mission trip this summer.



FORWARDS

Camp

I leave on Wednesday, May 25, for my seventh and last summer working CentriKid. I'm serving as the Assistant Director on CK7 and will be sharing the gospel with kids in Campbellsville, KY, Eckerd, FL, Ridgecrest, NC, and Skycroft in Maryland.

Pray for our team to be intentional in our conversations with kids, to keep our focus on Christ, and to be unified as a team. Pray for God to work in ways that are utterly disproportionate to who we are.

If you want to drop me a line this summer, here's the addresses for all of our camp locations.

One Semester Left of Seminary

I graduate from Beeson in December with a M'Div. Then what? That's a good question. But God knows. He's provided and guided me thus far, and I'm trusting Him to continue to do so.

Jan Term Mission Trip

I felt burdened to take our small group on a mission trip, and it's worked out for us to go in January through our church. We're heading to Asia. Please be praying that God will work out the details and provide the support needed for us all to go. I'm so excited for the opportunity for our small group to serve together in making disciples of all nations.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Blank Check

Have you ever had to write a check when writing the amount made you feel uncomfortable and uneasy because the cost was high?

I'm reminded of the scene in the second Father of the Bride movie where George Banks writes a check for $100,000 to buy back his house after an impulsive decision to sell it. For a man who did not like to spend money, writing and submitting that check was pure agony.

A long time ago, I told God that I was giving him a blank check with my life. It was signed and submitted, made out to Him for Him to do with as He pleased.

I don't regret that decision, but living with it isn't always easy. What God asks of us and what He wants to do with our lives doesn't always align with our plans. It's often uncomfortable and inconvenient, sometimes even painful. It isn't God that's the problem. It's me.

I'm a sinner who struggles with selfishness, materialism, and pride. I don't see the big picture. I don't always understand why or get answers to all of my questions. I just know that I'm called to trust and obey.

God alone knows what to do with this blank check that is my life. If I held on to this check, I'd squander it. I would get to the end of my life and wished I would have lived it differently. I wouldn't be happy. I wouldn't be satisfied. Satisfaction comes from submission to the Father.

In the hymn "O Love That Will Not Let Me Go," George Matheson makes the statement, "I give thee back the life I owe, That in thine ocean depths its flow, May richer, fuller be."

God has the ability to take this blank check, to take my life, and to invest it, making more from it than I ever could on my own. He has the ability to use my life and to do things through me that are utterly disproportionate to who I am.

Not only that, but He is faithful and loving. He can be trusted. He is all-powerful, and He cares for us.

What do you want more than anything else in the world? Do you want God's will at any cost? Are you willing to give Him a blank check with your life?

"If thy dear Home be fuller, Lord,
For that a little emptier
My house on earth, what rich reward
That guerdon were."
-Amy Carmichael, Kohila

Small Groups, Huge Lessons - Part 3

How did Jesus make disciples? Obviously, what He did works because Christianity continues to spread, so doesn’t it make sense that we would follow Jesus’ example in discipling others?

In the last post in this series, we saw that Jesus prayed before selecting whom He would disciple, which is essential, for prayer is one of the main ways that we remain connected to the True Vine (Jn. 15:4-5). Also, look around at the relationships that God has already given to you. Who has God placed in your life whom you can disciple?

In the Gospels, we see that Jesus spent time with His disciples. Throughout the three years of His earthly ministry, the disciples traveled with Jesus hearing Him teach and watching how He interacted with all types of people. They saw Him minister and knew that what He preached was authentic because they saw it lived out in His life.

Mark 3:14 says, “And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him…”

Jesus specifically chose the twelve disciples so that they would be with him. Discipleship cannot happen in just 1-2 hours of small group time each week. It happens as you share life together and as you hang out together, eat meals together, minister together, etc. Something that I learned from a friend is to always take people with you, for how can they learn from your example if they never see your example outside of small group?

Do you have regular one-on-one time with the people in your small group? Do the people in your small group, the people you’re discipling, see how you live? Do they even see you outside of small group time?

Get to know the people in your small group. Be involved in their lives and invite them to be a part of yours. Know what’s going on with them. Be available, be real, and be intentional.

Warning: this is a lot like eating BBQ ribs – it can get a little messy because people’s lives are often messy. Disciple-making is often inconvenient, uncomfortable, and requires you to sacrifice. It’s not always easy because you and those whom you disciple are sinners living in a fallen world. But we are called to make disciples, and God promises to give us the grace needed to be faithful (2 Cor. 9:8).

Do you remember when you were learning to write the alphabet and you had dotted letters to trace? The teacher gave you a pattern to trace and to imitate. Scripture presents us with a pattern to trace for how to make disciples, and as you disciple, those whom you’re leading are watching you. You present a pattern to them, but what kind of example are you setting? Is it one that points people to Christ?

Small Groups, Huge Lessons - Part 2

At the last College Worship Gathering at Brook Hills, I asked the girls in our discussion group if they knew how to make disciples. They looked at me, and the awkward silence lasted until they shook their heads.

These girls want to make disciples. They know Scripture commands us to make disciples (Mt. 28:19). But they did not know what that looks like on a daily basis. This blog series will elaborate on how we as believers, as students, can practically make disciples in our daily lives. Here’s the quick answer:

RELATIONSHIPS.

Who has God already placed in your life that is either not a Christian or is a Christian whom you could disciple? Odds are that there is someone in your family, sorority/fraternity, classes, dorm, group of friends, work, intramural team, etc. who is not a believer or who needs to grow in their relationship with the Lord.

Before Jesus called the Twelve, Luke 6:12 says, “In these days, he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.”

Identify who these people are in your life. Pray and ask God to show you. Don’t just pray once, but be dedicated in prayer. Jesus prayed all night before calling the Twelve.

The relationships you have right now are for a reason. Are you being intentional in showing Christ to the people that God has already placed in your path?

Discipleship happens best in the context of relationships.

The Fleas Come With The Dog

"The fleas come with the dog."

Flannery O'Connor wrote this statement, and while it is true with regard to canines and parasites, it is unfortunately not the case for wisdom and Christians. Wisdom does not come with the Christian. We are capable of obtaining it, but often, we do not choose to engage in such an endeavor. We rely too much on our understanding or the intellect of others.

My most recent blog posts have been about discerning God's will, and over Christmas break as I was studying for a Bible study on the topic, I was guided to Proverbs 2:3-5.

"Yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding."

God promises to give wisdom to those who ask in faith (Jas. 1:5), and over this past year, God has showed me how I desperately need His wisdom to make godly choices, to discern, and to lead others. God doesn't promise that I can always know His will, but He does promise wisdom. However, Proverbs 2 indicates that we don't just ask and receive. Obtaining wisdom involves effort on our part. It involves earnestly and diligently seeking it from God and searching for it in His Word. This became my mission this past month. To search for wisdom in Scripture. For me, the journey involved a study of Proverbs, and as I have read through this book, I have been compiling a list of characteristics or hallmarks of wisdom and asking myself if they describe my life. Reflection is good for the soul, but it often feels like putting antiseptic on a fresh wound because under close inspection we see that we are not as good as we thought we were and are convicted about the sin that infects us. Thankfully, our Savior is also the Great Physician. We simply need to swallow our pride, admit we're sick, and go visit the Good Doctor.

For those of you who are interested, below is the list I've compiled from Proverbs. It's divided into categories to help make it easier to read.

Do these characteristics describe you? I suggest reading them carefully, although you might be tempted to skim or to think you already know what's there. You might be surprised.

As a side note, I do want to remind you that none of these things can be avoided or done on our own power. The Holy Spirit works in us to transform us, and we must remain on our knees and close to our Lord in order to be faithful people.

What the Wise Person Avoids
Consenting to sin (1:10)
Withholding good from others (3:27)
Deviousness (3:28-32)
Crooked speech (4:24)
Adultery/Fornication (5:3-12)
Laziness (6:9-11)
Haughtiness (6:16-19)
Lying (6:16-19)
Murder (6:16-19)
Wickedness (6:16-19)
Evil (6:16-19)
Sowing discord (6:16-19)
Rehashing or bring up hurtful things from the past in order to wound others (17:9)
Being a quarrelsome wife (19:3; 21:9; 25:24; 27:15-16)
Being led astray by alcohol/drunkenness (20:1; 23:20-21, 30-35)
Close associations with angry, wrathful people (22:24-25)
Being enslaved/in debt to lenders (22:7, 26-27)
Greediness/covetousness (23:1-5)
Envy (23:17)
Gluttony (23:20-21)
Partiality (24:23; 27:21)
Sarcasm (26:18-19)
Brown-nosing/having a flattering mouth (26:28)
Praising or flattering yourself (27:2)
Forsaking your friends (27:10)

What the Wise Person Does
Listen (1:5)
Heed instruction and teaching (1:8; 19:20)
Turn at reproof (1:23; 15:31; 19:25)
Walk on the good and righteous path (2:20)
Keep the commandments (3:1)
Trust in the Lord instead of in yourself (3:5)
Fear the Lord (3:7)
Honor the Lord with your money (3:9)
Strive for peace (3:17)
Keep your heart with all vigilance (4:23)
Keep your eyes on the path ahead of you (4:25)
Stay faithful to your spouse (5:15-20)
Humble yourself and set things right if you are wrong (6:1-5)
Prepare for the future and be industrious (6:6-8)
Remain Steadfast in righteousness (8:20; 11:19)
Act justly (8:20)
Demonstrate integrity (10:9)
Speak healing words that are righteous (10:11, 31-32; 12:18)
Cover all offenses with love (10:12; 17:9)
Restrain speech - keeps silent instead of babbling (10:19; 13:3; 17:27-28; 21:23)
Demonstrate humility (11:2; 16:18-19; 23:6-7)
Be trustworthy (11:13)
Have an abundance of counselors (11:14; 15:22; 24:6)
Be gracious and kind (11:16-17; 16:24)
Give (11:23-25)
Think just thoughts (12:5)
Treat animals with kindness/is not cruel to them (12:10)
Work and earn a living (12:11)
Listen to counsel (12:15; 13:10; 15:22)
Ignore insults (12:16)
Carefully choose friends (12:26)
Keep company with wise people (13:20)
Discipline your children (13:24; 19:18; 22:6, 15; 23:13-14)
Be cautious (14:16)
Be slow to anger (14:17, 27)
Be generous to the poor (14:21, 31; 19:17; 21:13)
Remain calm and speaks gently and respectfully when situations are tense and people are upset (15:1-4; 17:27-28)
Share acquired wisdom and knowledge with others (15:7)
Seek knowledge (15:14; 18:15; 23:12)
Have a glad, thankful, and cheerful heart (15:13, 15; 17:22; 19:2)
Carefully consider how to answer/respond (15:28; 16:20)
Be a faithful friend who loves at all times (17:17)
Overlooks offenses (19:11)
Love steadfastly (19:22)
Carefully reflect before making promises/vows (20:25)
Diligently plan/work (21:5)
Persevere in adversity (24:10)
Trust the Lord to judge the wicked (24:19-20)
Rebuke the wicked instead of condoning their actions (24:24-25)
Help prevent others from taking the wrong path (24:11)
Be discreet - keep secrets (25:9-10)
Treat your enemy with kindness (25:21)
Practice self-control (25:28)
Stay out of other people's business/disagreements (26:17)
Confess transgressions (28:13)