If you go outside and walk down a busy street and look around you, you will see the faces of many people who do not know Christ.  You probably have gone to your church, to your school, to your home, and prayed fervently for God to start a revival, but for the first time in a long time, your prayers seem unanswered. 

Sure, there are moments when you see a young Christian become fired up for Christ or you are able to witness the conversion of a nonbeliever.  A new member joins your church.  Someone is healed in the Name of the Lord.  All of these are great things that are happening all around you... but where is the revival? 

According to the dictionary, the definition of a revival is: "a restoration to use, acceptance, activity, or vigor after a period of obscurity or quiescence." 

Is that not the truth of what has gone on in the United States- and the globe, for that matter- for past hundred or more years?  Christianity has fallen into a state of obscurity and apathy.  Many- if not most- Christians today are in a state of deep sleep.  We are like the walking dead.  Do you not believe me?  Let me ask you a few questions.

1. When was the last time you openly witnessed to an unbeliever?  How often do you share your faith with the lost?
2. When was the last time you took the Lord's Name in vain?  (for example, saying "Oh my ---.")
3. When was the last time you listened to music or watched a movie or a television program that contained people inappropriately using the Name of the Lord as a cuss word?  
4. When was the last time you spent more than ten minutes in solid prayer?
5. When was the last time you spent more than ten minutes reading the Bible?

As you answered these questions, did your heart sink?  If these questions did not apply to you, then do you realize how many Christians that they do apply to?  I am not going to lie.  I feel like a hypocrite when I read these questions, and I'm the one who wrote them!  I know for a fact that I still have a long ways to go in improving my life for the Lord.   

We are praying for a revival.  We are praying for a restoration of the use, acceptance, activity, and vigor of our faith after this period of obscurity and quiescence.  But at the same time, what are we as Christians doing to start this revival?

Here is a huge issue: when we long for a revival in our nation and around the world, we look at the people around us.  "If we could get Christians to stop being hypocrites and actually follow God... if we can change the reputation that Christians have to unbelievers... if we could get more people to have faith in Christ and less people to doubt... if we could get more people to pray..."  That is not the issue.  Other people are not the issue. 

You are the issue.

Instead of looking for the lack of revival in other Christians, in our nation, and in unbelievers, why don't you look for the cause of this missing revival inside of yourself?  You are the only person that you can change.  Every revival has to start out with a core group, and why can you not be one of these people? 

If you are doing something consistently sinful in your life, be it watching movies that take the Lord's Name in vain, be it listening to sinful music, be it not living out every aspect of your own life to God's glory, then how can you truly look around you and ask, "Why is there no revival?"  What are you doing to start this revival?  You must do more than pray.  You must do more than wish.  You need to make a change in your own life before you can make a change in the lives of anyone else. 

Matthew 17:20 says, "...I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Have you seen any great miracles lately?  Have you seen a true revival in your nation?  No, our world is sliding further and further down into the depths of sin and worldly things.  According to Jesus Christ, the smallest amount of faith should be doing things even greater than moving a mountain.  When have you seen such a thing happening lately?  When have you seen mountains being moved?

When have you seen a true revival occurring all around you?

I believe that we're close.  I believe that starting a revival isn't too far away.  It can happen. 

The next time you close your eyes and pray to God to start a revival in the United States and around the world, I would like you to reword what you have to say.  Instead of saying, "Please, God, start a revival in the world," why don't you pray, "Please, God, start a revival in me?"  If God can start a true revival in your heart- and in mine as well- then our lives will shine through the darkness, and a revival will have begun.  A revival begins with each individual. 

I would like to end this post with a quote from A.W. Tozer that I think is extremely mind-blowing if you stop and think about what he has to say. 

"Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late- and how little revival has resulted?  I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will not work.  To pray for revival while ignoring the plain precept laid down in Scripture is to waste a lot of words and get nothing for our trouble.  Prayer will become effective when we stop using it as a substitute for obedience."

What is the obedience that can begin to start a revival for Christ in our world?  Obedience is obeying the ten commandments, refraining from participation in worldly activities, witnessing (you witnessing) on a frequent basis to unbelievers, and your life becoming transformed to that of Christ Jesus.  That is true obedience.  That is what will begin a true revival that will go beyond moving mountains.

Do you have any comments about this subject?  Feel free to leave your opinion in the comment box below.

Credit to the photos I used in today's post go to here and here.     

What I've done is probably going to cause a lot of controversy amongst my readers.  Some of you guys may be shocked and angered.  You may call me a hypocrite, and you may say that what I've done is sacrilegious and blasphemous.  On the other hand, I think that a lot of you will be positive about what I have done, and you may even want to do this yourself. 

What I've done is cut up a Bible. 

It was an old King James Bible I got when I was about ten years old.  It's been sitting on my shelf for years, gathering dust.  I prefer the New International Version and I have a newer Bible that I read each day instead of my older Bible.

Now before you start to feel indignant, I would like you to stay seated and keep reading what I have to say.  I did not cut up my Bible because I was angry with God or because I disagreed with things that the Bible has to say.  No, the reason I cut up my Bible was to make a point. 

I cut out every verse in the Bible that has to do with poverty and helping the needy.  The reason why I did this was partially to prove to myself exactly how much importance that God places on serving the less fortunate.  I also did this so that I could have tangible and physical evidence to show people and be able to honestly say, "Look at what our Bible is, at what our faith is, without us serving the poor and the destitute." 

I suspected that there would be many sections chopped out of the Bible after this experiment- big holes eradicated from God'sWord- but I was shocked to discover what was left of my Bible after I had removed the verses about helping the poor and the needy.  My Bible was completely tattered.  There was little left of its pages.  It was unreadable, unusable. 

When Christians do not serve the needy, we are not putting into practice what the Bible so strongly emphasizes that we need to do.  We are ignoring these huge sections of God's Word when we should be obeying them with every fabric of our lives.   

The Christian church today does not put nearly enough emphasis into service .  Don't get me wrong- some churches are focused on helping the needy in their communities and around the world, but most churches are more focused on other things.  These things are also important, but Christians too often overlook the needs of so many people across the globe, and that gives Christ a bad name.  There are people dying of hunger, thirst, lack of medical care, and poor sanitary conditions every single day.  There are so many people who are living without shoes or a home and who are going through life without an education.  This is a huge problem. 

As children of God, we should be following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, the One who said, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me."  (Matthew 25:40, TNIV)  Service was so important to Jesus, and this is reflected throughout the Bible, in the New and Old Testaments. 

What makes me cringe is the fact that there are so many more secular efforts to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless than there are Christian efforts.  Why do the big rock stars who are into drugs and sex and worldly things do more for the poor than we as Christians- who are supposed to do what Jesus did and live how He lived on earth- do for the poor?  This puts Christians in a bad light when people think to themselves, "I'm doing more to help the hungry than the people who love God do.  Why would I want to be like them?"  This needs to change right now.

Over the next several weeks I am going to be expanding on this vitally important issue.  I am going to be talking about the greatest needs of the world today in regards to poverty.  I will also talk about what you can do as a Christian, right now, in your community and around the world.  Don't allow your faith in Jesus to be tattered and torn like my Bible because of the fact that you ignore one of His most important commands: to help those who are in need. 

What do you think about this topic?  Do you believe that the church has been greatly apathetic in regards to helping the poverty-stricken people throughout the world?  What do you think about my physical evidence (the ripped Bible)?  What do you plan to do to serve the needy in your community?
 
 

In hopes of reaching the moon, men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet. -Albert Schweitzer

How true is this?

How often are we so busy with our everyday lives that we cannot simply sit back and see the beauty all around us?  Today's American culture is focused on moving forward.  Our minds are fixated on the thoughts of bigger and better things: CDs to iPods, VHS to DVDs, bikes to cars to airplanes... the more luxuries that our world can create, the further ahead we strive to become. 

Sixty years ago, the thought of reaching the moon seemed like an impossibility.  Now we look past the moon to bigger and better things... we wonder how to explore new planets, new galaxies.

And look at our hectic schedules!  How often do we stop for tea time like some of our ancestors did?  Since when do we actually sit down and enjoy a peaceful sabbath day?  We have to make it to school on time, take the kids to soccer practice and violin lessons, study for the huge exam on Friday, meet a friend for lunch...

A common saying in Kenya is, "Americans have watches, but Africans have time."  I found that this was unsettlingly true.  I arrived in Kenya feeling used to the normalcy of rushing about everywhere I went, but peace and calmness ruled the lives of these Kenyans.  They had tea times every day.  They didn't sit an exact time for the start or end of a meeting.   They stopped to talk to one another, to experience things that I never experienced when I was flying out the door, speeding in my car, arriving at my destination in a stressed frenzy.

I have to admit, I have a busy life.  I'm gone all day, even on days when I don't have school.  I'm constantly driving my car along the busy highway, glancing at my watch to see how late I am this time.  Believe it or not, I don't like to be late.  I never seem to have enough time. 

Have you ever wondered that same thing?  Why don't I ever have enough time?

I strongly believe that this is not what God wants for us.  He set aside a day of rest for a purpose.  I don't think that the "sabbath" was meant for strict rule-following and legalism.  However, I do think that a day of rest was meant for our benefit.  Humans were not created to rush, rush, rush, without ever stopping to take a break.  That is not how our bodies and minds were made to function.

When you hurry through your life, always looking ahead, how much of your time are you spending on things that actually matter?  How often are you able to truly spend time with your loved ones?  Can you actually enjoy your day without feeling constant stress?  Can you look outside and breathe in the scent of the air and admire the trees and the sky and the flowers all around you?  Are you taking the time to read this?  Do you ever stop to enjoy the little things in life?

For Christmas, I bought one of my friends a day-by-day calendar.  Each day features about ten or fifteen things to be happy about.  My friends and I enjoy reading the things on each page.  Some of them are silly, but some you would never think about, like a rare warm day during the winter months or a smile from a neighbor. 

If you want to truly appreciate God's creation, then take a day and spend it outside, simply admiring the earth around you.  For one day out of each week, stop looking forward.  Stop striving to reach the "moon" in your life.  Take some time to relax in prayer and focus on what God wants you to see.  Ask Him to give you peace despite your hectic life.

I, out of all people, realize that it is extremely difficult to take time out of a busy schedule to simply relax, but it is what everyone needs.  God meant for us to have rest.  He didn't have to give us a sabbath day, a twenty-four hour period without work.  Rest is a gift from the Lord, something that we should not take for granted.

Have you taken for granted the gift of rest?  Do you fail to see the flowers that bloom at your feet?  Don't spend your life in a pointless rush.  Take the time to view the world around you with Christ's eyes. 

Feel free to comment with your opinion.  Do you have a solution that helps you to keep from taking rest for granted?  Do you have no trouble with this issue at all?  What are some of the little things that you have missed when you've been striving forward too hard?  Do you have any verses that help you when you struggle with being too busy?

If you have any extra questions, comments, or critiques, feel free to send me an email.         

Two of the pictures provided come from here and here.

 

Recently, for those of you who have not noticed, I seem to have come to a dry spell with my writing.  My stories, my songs, and even my blog entries have unfortunately become few and far between.  I've lost my inspiration over the past several weeks.  I need a new muse to reawaken that writer's fire that I'm used to feel burning deep within me.  Despite this frustration, I am confident that I will soon find that part of me that will give me the inspiration to pick up a pencil and write away into the night once again. 

I think that we as Christians sometimes go through these "dry spells" as well in our walks with the Lord.  Sometimes it may seem unusually difficult to force yourself to sit down and open your Bible or pray for more than a few minutes at a.  It can be easy to become so focused on our own busy lives and our own struggles and our own sorrows that we lose focus on our almighty, all-powerful, all-loving God. 

If you are going through a dry spell in your walk with God, I want to encourage you with the verse I have provided below. 

In this passage, King David was feeling lost and alone.  He was searching for God in a place that seemed to be void of strength and hope that comes with the Lord.  And when he was actually in a dry place- hiding in the desert from his enemies- he probably felt spiritually dry at that moment.

The world in which we live is sinful and filled with people who do not understand what we are going through as children of God.  We live in a dry and weary land.  As Christians, it can be incredibly difficult to get through a single day without feeling like our hope is fading away.  We search for God, we long for Him, but the anxiety and pain of the world continues to pull us further and further away from that goal.  And that makes it so much more difficult to stay strong in Him. 

The next three verses in Psalm 63 are impacting and thought-provoking.

I think this is beautiful.  Despite the fact that David was alone in the desert, both spiritually and physically, despite the fact that his enemies surrounded him, and I'm sure that he felt void of hope, he still trusted God.  He was struggling so hard to find the Lord in this difficult, difficult situation.  Despite all of that, he trusted God.  He had seen God's work before, and He knew that God wasn't going to leave him.  David said confidently, "I will praise You as long as I live." 

How amazing.

As Christians, we should strive to be like David.  No matter what trial we are going through in our own lives, let us strive to praise Christ for as long as we live, because truthfully, His love is better than life, and His security will overcome every struggle we have. 

Psalm 63:7 says, "Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings."

Father,

You are an amazing God.  You created me.  I was made in Your image.  The realization that the One who made me is the same God that put each star and each galaxy into its place... the same God that crafted the mountains and valleys... the same God that halted the waters and brought forth the rain... all of this amazes me.  I am in total awe of Your love.  I cannot stand under the power of You.  The slighting trace of You in my life is overwhelming.  You fill me to the brim with Your love, and it's almost too much to bear, Lord.  I am so small.  I am nothing compared to You.  I can only pray that my life will shine for You.

I know that I am not worthy of the love that You give me.  I am filthy.  I am caked with the grime and the muck that my sin has left on my life.  Without Your presence, my heart would be shriveled and smudged, a record of each wrong thing that I have done.  My life has not always been a light for You.  There have been times that the way I acted and the words I have said have been a distraction that may have led others away from You, Lord.  I am so sorry. 

I am the Prodigal Daughter... but each time I turn away from You, You always take me back again and restore me with Your very presence.  You breathe life back into my lungs, and I am able to feel new again, despite everything that I have done.  I cannot believe that You still love me.  Even when I feel worthless, You see my value.  You restore every part of me until I am a small replica of You.

I thank You for giving me life, Lord.  Without You, I am nothing... I would not even exist if You had not spoken me into being.  I am so grateful for the comforts that You have provided for me.  Because of Your mercy and Your grace, I have food to eat each day- enough food that I am full and there is still some left over.  I have a family and friends that love me for who I am.  I can be myself around them, and they will look past my flaws and see the beauty in me.  You have put these people into my life.  You have provided me with shelter, an education, and good health.  You have given me more than I could ever possibly want, but beyond that, You have given me the ability to go to heaven and live with You for eternity.  Thank You, Lord. 

I ask You to fill me with Your Spirit.  Give me the longing to spread Your love with the world, and take away my selfishness.  I have so much, Lord.  Help me to understand that there are people who are in need of my excess... people who need someone like me to help them.  Please give me wisdom in every situation, even in the hard times that are difficult to overcome. 

I believe that You are my Father, and I want to be a reflection of You.  Shine in my life, Lord.

In Your precious Name,

Amen.

Someone showed me this story and remarked that there are 20 books of the Bible hidden here. He challenged me to find them. Sure enough, they're all here. Still, this thing's a lulu; kept me looking so hard for the longest time. Some of you will get bogged down with facts, others are hit by them like they were some kind of revelation. You may get in a jam, especially since the names are not capitalized and often leap the spaces between the words. This makes it a real job to find them, but it'll provide a most fascinating few minutes for you. Yes, there are some really easy ones to spot, but don't get a big head, cause truthfully, you'll soon figure that it would take most federal judges and preachers' numbers of hours to find all. I will admit that it usually takes a minister to find one of them and that it is not uncommon for there to be loud lamentations when it is pointed out. One lady says that when she is confronted with puzzles like this, she brews a cup of tea to help her concentrate better, but then, this gal's a real pro! Verbs, nouns, and all that stuff are her thing. See how well you can compete. Relax! There really are twenty names of Bible books in this story. If you fail to find them, there's a penalty. You'll have to fly a kite, sit on a banana, hum the battle hymn of the republic, or hose a dog (a mean one). Get to it!

Today I was home alone.  My family had all gone to run errands in town, and I stayed home to relax.  It was the weekend, after all.  The sun was shining outside.  The air was warm.  The blaring television and blinking computer screen did not satisfy my restlessness.  As I stepped outside and breathed in the crisp winter air, I decided to go on a bike ride.  Only very recently have I learned how to ride a bike, and since then, I've found myself wobbling down the streets of my neighborhood until my legs are too tired to pedal any further. 

In some ways, it is an easy escape from the confinement of my home.  I am free to look around at the rolling countryside and listen to the whispering grass and feel the gentle rays of the sun brush against my arms and face until I feel secure and content. 

Even though I live in a relatively flat city, the small area of my neighborhood is adorned with hills and cliffs and little canyons.  Today, I decided to ride up a particularly steep hill, something exciting to my meager, new-bike-rider skills.  As I tried to force my way up the hill on my little bike, straining against the wind and squinting through the harsh sunlight, I soon wanted to give up and turn back around.  The muscles in my legs were burning and tired, and my breathing felt labored.  I didn't want to struggle.  I wanted to feel relaxed, confident.  I wanted to go back to the smaller hills that I could easily overcome.  I hadn't thought that this would be so hard. 

Sometimes it does seem easier to just give up.  Something hard may be going on in your life, and you just want to say, "Forget it!  It doesn't matter.  I give up."  Even in our faith with the Lord, if something doesn't go our way, it can seem so much easier to just say, "God isn't showing Himself.  He obviously isn't here for me."  But that isn't what God intended for us. 

Imagine if the apostles and the early church decided that Christ wasn't worth it.  What if they chose to give up and stop following Him?  Their lives would have become so much easier.  Their persecutors would have left them alone.  And we would not know the truth about Christ today.  However, they realized that God was worth the struggle.  He was worth the pain and the persecution and the heart break. 

When you are enduring something difficult in your life, do not let yourself give up.  God has a plan for you, and it may take some struggles to get there.  I heard from someone that the depth of your valleys indicate the height of your mountains later on, meaning that the harder times that you face will become greater triumphs in the end.  Do not allow yourself to give up. 

Philippians 3:14 says, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  Press on.  Your goal could be to overcome a battle in your life or to be an example to someone who you know is struggling.  Your goal could be to survive just one more day.  Just know that you can do it.  God will not allow you to handle any more than you can bear.  Keep strong.  You do not have to be overcome. 

When I reached the top of the hill, a slow smile stretched across my face.  I made it.  I tried to do something difficult, I struggled, and I made it.  I made it to the top.

And do you know what?  After the long ride up the hill, it took me mere minutes to come back down.  I glided easily on my bike, feeling completely at ease as the breeze brushed my face, and I was finally able to relax once again.  I felt exhilarated, peaceful.  It was all made worthwhile in the end. 

I'd made it.

(In case you were wondering, the pictures are from the day when I first learned how to ride a bike, and not necessarily the experience that I wrote about in this entry.)
 

Sometimes the Lord presses something into your heart.  He starts gently at first, maybe putting a little thought in your mind that makes you think twice.  If you still do not listen, then He presses a little harder, until you realize that this is something He wants you to do or to understand.

And then, when you have obeyed this calling from God, you feel so free and refreshed.  You feel like a burden has been lifted off of your shoulders.  Something worldly and difficult is now out of your hands and placed into God's.

Isn't it nice to feel brand new again? 

Have you ever been discredited because of your age?  "You're too young."  "Maybe when you're older."  Honestly, every time somebody puts me down because of my age, I want to take my Bible and beat them over the head with it.  ...And then I ponder this thought and realize that it might go against the whole, "I'm mature," idea, and probably against the Christ-follower persona as well.

I like to quote the verse Jeremiah 1:7, where the Lord says, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.'  You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you."

You can be eight years old and have a specific purpose for your life that is meant to happen right now.  Think about children who have made a difference.  Did you know that Mozart was composing music at five years old?  Fifteen year old Tara Lipinksi became the youngest person to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics.  And who could forget Mattie Stepanek who raised awareness for muscular dystrophy and published six books of poetry before his death at age thirteen?  There are so many young people who have made a difference in the world.  You do not have to be thirty, forty, fifty years old to do something worthwhile with your life.  You can start right now, at whatever age you are.

I have always had big hopes and dreams.  Ever since I was a little girl, I've wanted to do things that most people wouldn't even consider.  I have memories of when I was eight or nine years old.  "What do you want to be when you grow up?" a beaming adult would ask me.  I would grin right back at them and reply, "An international journalist."  How's that for a startling answer from an elementary-aged child? 

Could you believe that somebody has said to me before, "I know you want to do all of these things, Emily, but wait until you get a good skill... wait until after you graduate college, and then you can do what God wants you to do."  People have told me that as a seventeen year old girl, my brain hasn't developed enough for me to realize what God's plan is for me.  People have told me that I can't actually know God's purpose for me until I'm out of my twenties.  This is what the enemy is putting into our minds. 

I don't want to be put in a box labeled, "Useless until college graduation."  I want to be considered a child of Christ with a purpose already set in motion for my life, starting now, even if it means for me to do something almost incomprehensible if you aren't looking through God's eyes.

1 Timothy 4:12 says, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity."

Jesus has a plan for me.  I can already taste it.  I can already feel Him touching my heart.  However, I feel hindered by false assumptions.  When people look at me, I fear that all they see is a seventeen year old junior in high school instead of the potential that I have as an instrument of the Lord.  "Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am." (Philippians 4:13, The Message)

I encourage you to erase all judgment from your mind and focus instead on having blind faith.  Nowhere in the Bible does God encourage you to wait until you are "old enough" to change the world.  No, in many instances, He purposely used young people to fulfill His plan, people like Samuel and King David and Esther and Timothy. 

The Lord uses the young to change the hearts of the old.

If you're young and eager like I am, then keep up the good faith.  Let no one's false prejudice keep you from following God's plan.  He does have a purpose for you, and it's never too early to begin fulfilling His call.

Wednesdays are chapel days at my school.  Last Wednesday, my friends and I walked into the auditorium to find the floor littered with newspapers and magazines.  Loud music blared from the speakers as the praise team played hectic guitar and drum solos.  Phones were ringing.  A strobe light flashed by the doorway.  And on top of it all, our Bible teacher was sitting up front and giving the lesson like nothing was wrong. 

You might have been able to predict this already, but the lesson was about how to recognize distractions in your life that can take your focus away from God. 

I think that this is a very important topic to discuss and remember when you are trying to improve your walk with the Lord.  It can be so easy to become distracted while living your life that you don't remember to sit down and worship Him in peace.

We live in a world that is full of distractions: cell phones, movies, Facebook, Twitter, homework, stress, music, friends, heartache... 

How many times have you thought to yourself, "I should pray more often than I do... but I'm just so busy."?  Surely I'm not the only one who has done this.

Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God."  I think He made Himself pretty clear here.

We were not meant to rush, rush, rush through our entire lives without continually stopping to take a break and focus on the Lord.  He is our Creator.  He made us to glorify Him.  In the beginning of time, when the Lord gave us a Sabbath day, His purpose was to give us a day where we could rest and worship Him for more than a few spare minutes before bed.

I heard somewhere that Martin Luther said that he usually prayed for an hour a day, but if he knew ahead of time that he was going to have a busy or stressful day, he started off his morning with three solid hours of prayer.  What an inspiration that is.  I feel proud of myself if I can fit in twenty minutes of solid, uninterrupted prayer in a single day... and you know, I even feel proud if I can squeeze in ten minutes.

When you sit in silence, God reveals so many things to you that you do not hear when your mind is full of worries and stress and chaos.  When you are still, your relationship expands to new heights that you could not comprehend unless you fully experience for it yourself. 

Even when you are rushing around, lost in the craziness of your life, you can be still.  Turn off the radio in your car.  Sit in the silence and listen to God and hear what He has to say.  Let Him speak to your heart, and you speak to Him as well.

I encourage you to set aside some God-time each day.  Make this a time where you turn off your computer, silence your cell phone, and go into a quiet room and shut the door.  Erase every distraction from your life and focus entirely on God.  Praise Him with every stitch of your heart, every ounce of your being.  He is worth every moment of your existence... not a meager few minutes each day.

Zechariah 2:13
"Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling."

Psalm 37:7
"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him."

Exodus 14:14
"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." 
 

To be honest, I'm feeling pretty weary today...  It's the middle of January.  It's cold.  It's windy.  I'm going to school for eight hours at a time, working out at the gym after that, and then filling up the remainder of my day with various activities after that.  I'm tired!  My schedule is packed.  I've had some troubles recently that I didn't expect or want.  At the end of the day, all I want is to lie down and say, "I give up." 

I need to keep telling myself, "That's not His plan." 

Even when I am feeling apathetic and tired and worn out and frustrated, I need to remember that Jesus went through the same thing.  Think about when He was walking the earth, trying to express what He wanted to say to the disciples who never seemed to understand.  Think about when He stepped into the temple, only to find that it had been turned into a business instead of a place of worship.  Think about how weary and frustrated Jesus must have gotten while He lived on the earth. 

You may be feeling the same way that I am feeling today.  You may have something difficult going on in your life right now.  You may just be exhausted from a busy schedule or a stressful week.  Whatever is going on, you may feel like collapsing in a chair and closing your eyes for the next two months.

Believe it or not, that isn't His plan for us.  Jesus understands that we get tired.  He understands our daily frustrations.  He knows how it feels to live in a world that isn't easy.  He understands.

Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

When you are feeling tired of life, allow Jesus to envelop you into His arms and give you the rest that you need.  He will be our strength if we let Him.  He is our hiding place.  He is our green pastures and still waters, the place where we can flee when we can't go any further.

I don't think we realize this enough, but Jesus is there for us even on the days when we're just feeling apathetic and tired of life.  He wants to help us in everything, and all we have to do is come to Him.  He will give us the rest we need.  He does not fail His children.  

This was the first official week of the new City Church after-school program.  Everything is much more organized and polished, and I am very excited about what God is going to do with this program.  I am going to be teaching the nine and ten year old group of the Green team (aka the cool team).  We start out with a meal and then praise and worship time, and during this part of the evening, the leaders are basically in charge of everybody. 

There was one little girl named "Sarah" who was around four or five years old.  She wore a shirt that hung loosely on her short frame... clothes that were obviously too big for her.  She later told me that they were her sister's.  Her blond hair was tangled and greasy.  Pretty blue eyes shone beneath dirt that caked her rosy cheeks.  Sarah was covered in grime.  I don't even know what else to call it.  Every square inch of visible skin on that little girl's body was brown with grime.  I doubt that she has had a bath since the new year began.  

Sarah was an undeniably beautiful little girl... but she did not look like I did when I was her age.

Time to walk down memory lane.



See that picture?  I think I was around four or five years old there.  I was playing in a laundry basket with my younger sister.  Notice how my clothes fit... how I'm clean... how I'm smiling openly.  These are all ways that I was different from little Sarah.

Sarah used her brown fingers quite often when she ate her dinner, and I watched her with hidden dismay.  This child was so dirty... one of the dirtiest children I've seen in a long time, and so right before she went to the big sanctuary to have worship and orientation, I asked her to come into the bathroom with me.  She watched my every move with big eyes, obviously hesitant about whatever we were going to do.

"I'm a pretty messy eater," I said with a sheepish grin.  "Would you like to help me wash my hands?  We could do it together."

The uncomfortable look faded from Sarah's face and she nodded eagerly, obviously feeling important now that she had been given a mission.  I set the small girl on the bathroom counter so that she could reach the faucet, and then poured the foam soap into her hands.  They were so dirty.  We scrubbed and scrubbed each others' hands until they were both hidden from the soap suds, and then we rinsed them off in the sink until they were clean.  When we were finished, the white porcelain was stained brown.  Brown.  From a little girl's tiny fingers. 

After this, we washed our faces.  Even Sarah's little nose was smudged with the grime.  I wanted to turn away and cry by the time I was finished.  Actually, more than anything in the world, I wanted to give this little girl a bath and wash the rest of her until she was completely clean. 

While we were cleaning up, Sarah began to tell me in her babyish voice about how her sister didn't like her.  "That's crazy," I told her, "because I like you a lot."

"You do?"  She looked astonished.

I let an equally astonished expression spread over my face.  "Why, of course I do!  You're my friend!"

"I'm your friend?"  A small, nervous smile began to twitch at the corners of Sarah's mouth.

I pretended to be shocked.  "Of course you are.  I'm yours, aren't I?" 

"Yes.  You're my friend.  You're my friend," Sarah repeated over and over, as if she couldn't believe the possibility that someone like me would be friends with her. 

"And you're my friend.  You're my beautiful, beautiful friend," I declared.

"Your friend," Sarah whispered.  Awe shone in her blue eyes.  And then, without an ounce of hesitation, she gave me a huge smile and leaped into my arms, wrapping her own skinny arms around my neck and burying her face in my shoulder.  She was dirty, she was small, she didn't smell great, she probably had lice... she had a life harder than I could imagine.  Many people would have seen her walking down the sidewalk and felt repulsed...  They may have crossed to the other side of the street to avoid contact with this filthy little girl.

I could have done the same thing.  But Jesus opened my eyes, and I was able to look past the dirt and the grime and the neglect.  I saw a little girl who was beautiful from the inside-out.  I saw a child that God had made... I saw a child with a special purpose for her life.  I saw a child that Jesus cried over, that He cared about, that He died for...  I saw my friend. 

I knew that Jesus would have cradled this little girl in his lap and whispered words of love into her ear until she couldn't ever stop smiling. 

So I held her.   

I declare my awe for You, Lord. 

You created the mountains, the ocean... You created life itself.

It was You who gave me my passions and my personality. 

Without You, I would not have the quirks and talents that make me, me. 

These are things that You gave me... things that make You love me even more.

You were there when I took my first breath, and You will be there when I take my last breath.

I have messed up so many times in my life. 

I have stumbled, and I have fallen hard... yet You have never left me.

You have always remained by my side, just like You promised.

I am in awe of Your love... there is no other God like You.

I devote my life to You.

I devote my all to You.

Continue to strengthen me as I strive to follow Your plan.

Keep me on Your path.

I am young, and I know I need the wisdom that only You can give me.

Thank You for allowing me to be Your child.

Thank You for saving me, God.

I am Yours completely.

On this particular day, when I was driving to go work out at the gym and feeling a little bummed out about that fact, a terrible cold front was coming in, and the sky was a dark gray.  The wind was blowing like no other, and the temperature dropped fifteen degrees in half an hour.  A dusky fog was beginning to settle, and the entire town seemed restless and anxious as the upcoming arctic blast headed our way. 

At a certain stop sign, I glanced around, still feeling kinda down in the dumps, when I saw an old, rusty sign standing several houses down from where my car was.  I rushed to take a picture before the light turned, and I'm actually surprised my zoom was able to get such a clear image of the sign through the fog and the dust and the long distance, but here is the sign:

I can't believe that I have passed this sign every day on the way back from school, and I have never noticed it before.  I squinted to read the sign, and when I saw what it said, my thoughts just brightened with realization and a sudden hope.  "That's true," I said to myself.  "I did say that today was going to be a good day." 

And I really did.  But as the day went on, I found it easy to forget about some promise I made to myself when I was half asleep, and focused on other things.

Have you ever done this?  You start out the day with bright hopes and a light heart, but then troubles and worries start to arise, and weigh everything down until you completely forget about your former plans to have a good day until you're lying in bed, wondering what on earth happened to make you feel so stressed out and tense. 

There are so many things that can mess up your day: school work, work-work, bad traffic, mean people, a hectic morning, an angry family member, tragedies, frustrations, illnesses... (the list could go on for pages and pages, but I think I'll stop with general topics.)  I want to encourage you to try to remember to stay positive, even when there seems to be no point to positivity. 

This reminds me of something that happened to me yesterday afternoon.  I was eating lunch with a few of my good friends.  I was feeling down in the dumps.  It was the first day of school after Christmas Break.  We already had homework.  I was tired.  Blah, blah, blah...  I was silently thinking of all of this when one of my friends looked around, beamed widely, and said, "This is such a great day!  This is one of my favorite days!"  She then proceeded to list several good things that had happened to us that day, things that I had not credited into my thought process until just then.  She was being optimistic, and her words truly did brighten up the rest of myday.

When you are having a stressful day... when you are feeling tense and frustrated, I encourage you to stop for a moment and list to yourself a few good things that happened throughout the day.  And if you can't think of anything, think about the good things that Jesus has given you in your life in general... and if you still can't think of anything, then you can remember the salvation and the love and the grace that He has given to you!

There are good things in this world.  As Christian examples on a sorrowful earth, we need to shine as optimistic lights for the Lord.  Promise yourself that you're going to have a good day, and make sure that you do, no matter what bumps in the road come your way.

School starts back on Tuesday the fifth after a too-short Christmas break.  I already am dreading the thought of returning to the class room.  Getting up early, studying for tests in every class, stressing out about my future, keeping a tight schedule with no free time... that just isn't my cup of tea, figuratively speaking. 

Guilty for my bitter thoughts, I keep telling myself that there are children all over the world who long to go to school.  And there are children all over the world who get up at three or four in the morning to walk hours in the darkness, through the dangerous streets, to go to a school with no electricity, dirt floors, and a low-standard education.  And yet they are thankful that they have the privilege of going to school. 

When I think of this, I feel guilty that I dislike school.  I try to enjoy it for the sake of the children who don't have the same opportunities that I do.  In a way, I feel like if I make the most of my education, and strive in the best way that I can to make the best of my life, then maybe I can pay it forward and provide a better world for those who never got the same chances as I did.  That's why I started sponsoring a child in Africa with my allowance when I was in my freshman year of high school.  The thought that I could provide another human being, another child, with everything I have that I take for granted (and shouldn't take for granted), was something that I couldn't pass up.  It brought me down to earth just a little bit, and gave me a reality check about how blessed I truly am.  Children are starving to death all over the world, dying of treatable diseases, and not getting even the most meager of educations that could bring them out of their poverty.    

I read somewhere that the United States has the 19th highest literacy rate in the world (which is ridiculous in its own way, because with our resources, we should be at the top of the list) at 99.0 percent, which means that our youth today should not have an issue going to college, furthering our education, and then using our gained skills and knowledge to change our world for the better.  Burkina Faso has a literacy rate of 23.6%.  Mali has a literacy rate of 24.0%.  What are we doing about this?  Obviously, not a whole lot, or this would not be happening by the twenty-first century.

This year, 2010, is a new beginning in many ways.  No matter your age, I challenge you to change the world around you for the better somehow, someway.  Do everything in your available power to make things even remotely better.  Do something that only you could do, or do something that anybody could do, but nobody has ever bothered.  There are so many global issues in the world today, in the United States, in Africa, in Asia, in South America, everywhere.  There is no country on earth without issue.  There are problems.  And yet, wherever you look, in any nation lying under the stars, you will find one common ground.

Apathy. 

As the year of 2010 dawns today on January first, I challenge you to make a difference.  Erase all signs of apathy from your life.  Be that person you thought you could never be. 

In the words of Elvis Presley, "Do something worth remembering."  It sounds so obvious, but how many people have actually done this?

Stand up with me and do your best this year and from now on to make the world a better place.    

I found something today that I'd forgotten about until now, but it amused me enough to put it on here for today's post.

A few years back, when I was in the ninth grade, I had to write an opinion article about a controversial issue for my creative writing class. My teacher ended up sending it into the newspaper, and they published it within the next week. Here is the link: the amazingness. And here is a copy of what I wrote:

Letter: Hate not part of God's plan

"God hates faggots."

This slogan has spread through America during the past few years, spoken by people who claim to be Christian, spreading hatred toward homosexuals with Web sites, speeches, banners and that motto.

I am a Christian and I believe homosexuality is wrong, but there is no reason to hate someone simply because of a lifestyle with which you disagree.

God is a God of love and mercy, not hate.

John 3:16 does not say, "For God so loved the world - unless they are gay."

God loves the world, homosexual or not, and he would not want so-called Christians going around spreading hatred in his name.

If we really want to change a lifestyle we disagree with, and teach anyone what being Christian means, we need to express our views through love, or we will convert more people to atheism than Christianity.

Emily Whelchel

Now, my dad is a doctor, and he knows a lot of people, and so all day after this was published, random people kept coming up to him and saying things like, "Your daughter's article in the newspaper was a riot!" Now my dad had no clue I had even written this article, and so when he finally got his hands on a newspaper, upon reading the first sentence, he later told me that he had to set the paper down for a moment because he was so afraid that I had written something terrible about gay people.

I tend to say what I feel about certain issues, and so I'm sure that that was a legitimate fear in the back of my dad's mind. But anyways, when I saw this article for the first time in a couple of years, it brought back some amusing memories, and I hope this made you smile too.

I still agree with myself, by the way.

Today is Christmas Eve, in case you missed the memo. 

My family and I went to the annual candlelight service.  As always, we had worship and a short message, and then our pastor lit the first candle.  He walked to the front row and lit the candle next to him, and then that man lit his wife's candle, and she lit her child's candle, and so on, until our entire church was illuminated by the glow of several hundred flickering lights.

After everyone's candle was lit, we lifted our candles into the air as one until the room was bright with light. 

I'm short and could not lift my camera high enough to give you the full picture, but as I stared around me at the large room, at the shining candles that represented the light of Christ, I could only feel encouragement and joy.  We were one in the Lord.  Together, our church body was celebrating the birth of our Savior, the birth of Jesus.

 

Before we continued with the holiday hustle and bustle, with the crazy chaos of our lives, we were taking a moment to show that we remembered the reason why Christmas even exists.  

I do not know what you are doing this year for Christmas, but whatever craziness is going on in your life this year, be sure to take a moment and remember the Child who started it all.  He is the "reason for the season."  He is Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Luke 2:1-20

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 "Glory to God in the highest,
      and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

 

A couple of nights ago, when I was reading the Bible before bed, I came across a verse in the book of Job that caught my eye. 

Job 14:16, TNIV
Surely then You will count my steps but not keep track of my sin.

In the Message version,
You'll watch over every step I take, but You won't keep track of my missteps. 

I have read Job before, but this verse has never stuck out to me until now.  I think it is a huge example of God's love for us.  He is there with us through every step of our lives, through every decision that we make.  He knows each hair on our heads, and He guides our every step, but He doesn't keep track of each time we stumble, each time we take a misstep. 

Just like everyone, I am a sinful person.  And just like everyone, I have days where I feel completely alone in the world, like nobody could love me for the terrible person that I am.  It is nice to have yet another reassurance from the Lord that when I feel alone, someone is there, and He isn't counting anything against me, no matter how horrible I am inside.  He forgives me each time I mess up. 

I don't know if there are any problems in your life right now.  I don't even know who is reading this.  Whoever you are, and whatever you're going through, I just wanted to remind you that God is still there.  He still cares. 

And as He holds you tonight, He holds nothing against you.

One of the biggest problems for me is sleep.  I have had insomnia since I was eight years old, and when sleep is required in order to function and make good grades at school, it can be especially frustrating to lie awake at night, wishing I could fall asleep. 

Sometimes there is an issue that is bothering me, and that is the real cause I cannot sleep one night.  Maybe I am worried about a test.  Maybe I am concerned for a friend.  Maybe I am simply worrying because I am a worrier, which can be a problem.  Sometimes I can't sleep at night because I'm worrying that I can't sleep. 

I feel almost a sense of despair when I see the gentle iridescence of the sun slowly peeking over the horizon at about six in the morning, and I first begin to realize that I truly have not slept all night.  But if it is a day where I do not have anything going on, and I am free to sleep all day if need be, then the glow of the sunrise can be a comfort.  It causes a sense of peace and serenity to wash over the room, and it can bring warmth to my heart.

I found a verse today that gives me the same sense of tranquility as a gentle sunrise, and I would like to share it with you.  I don't know who is reading this, but maybe you too have a problem with worrying, with sleeping.  If you do, maybe this verse will give you the same level of comfort as it does me. 

Soak in the Lord's presence.  Let Him rain down peace in your life. 

Psalm 4:8
In peace, I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.

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But there is one good thing about the wind.  It stirs up the dust and gives us pretty sunsets each night. 

And just like that, if you trust in God throughout every trial in your life, your hardships will turn into something beautiful in the end, something that glorifies Christ.