Rockland Community Church Youth Ministry

Walking into Humanity...

8/3/2010

If you get discouraged in your walk - do not fear. The days you do not feel like you can move your legs - that's okay.

It's human.

But remember that anyone who believes - who truly believes - has a source of strength, hope and power within them that can never be taken away or extinguished, no matter how difficult the day or bleak the outlook.

God doesn't call us to understand every circumstance He gives us. But He asks us to trust in him and walk .

The journey of everlasting life begins with a single step.

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No Other Reason At All...

6/29/2010

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So on my iTunes, I have 1779 songs under the label "Gospel & Religious." For like 3 seconds I decided I wanted to try and figure out how many blog posts I could write if I used the title or one line of a song for each title of a blog. I decided that the number was a massive one, so I wasn't going to try and figure it out.

This has been a crazy month!! From the High School Mission Trip to VBS to the Wedding in Virginia, it has been crazy!!! I have been feeling like I am on the tip of the iceberg of overwhelmed-ness. It reminded me of the time I got really sick and missed a Hebrew class my senior year of college. I remember how ridiculously hard the class was and I distinctly remember the feeling of being hopelessly behind in the class... more hopelessly behind than I was before. We were translating (endlessly, it seemed) sentences for homework and one of them was "They Followed," which I think is one of the most complex and telling sentences in Christendom. Talk about total giving up of ones self and life and everything. When I read that I think of dropping everything in life and living in total and complete submission. I've heard pastors talk about Luke 5:11 and how the disciples didn't just kind of look at each other and say like, "Meh. Ok, let's go for it and follow this guy." No way... they had been following Christ for a long time. They knew this guy. They knew what he said. But when that situation happened, when He came to their turf, and showed them how to do their job, that is when they were affected. That is when the disciples stepped back and did a double take. "Woah. This guy is the Son of God. And He wants us to follow Him? Dang. Let's get on that boat." And get on that boat (no pun intended) they did. They abandoned it all. Everything they had; everything they knew.

Because God cared enough to meet them where they were at.

Thats what I want to do. I want to meet people where they are and show them what God has to offer them.

Ready, Go.

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Are you sitting in the Belly of a world gone mad??

6/16/2010

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I was trying to think of a pun or play on words that I could entitle this, my first post, being on inauguration day, and inaugurating myself into the blog-o-sphere... yet alas, nothing witty or romantic came to mind. So instead you are privy to an awesome old-school FFH song.

Speaking of Jonah, I was thinking about his story as I translated some Hebrew today and as I read it, I was thinking about the story itself. Keep in mind I learned most of what I know about the story from the veggie tales movie - but as I read it I was thinking what a colossal jerk this guy Jonah was. First he ran from God, then he almost killed some guys on a ship, got swallowed by a whale, God saved him, then he got annoyed at God when he didn't condemn an entire city because Jonah felt that he should have.

Seriously!? Who is Jonah? He doesn't listen to God, doesn't follow his directions until he almost gets killed... then has the audacity to get mad when God follows through on a plan?? How important did the prophet think that he was to even suggest that he may have known better for the Ninevites than God did. As I continued fuming about how ridiculous I thought he was, I realized that often I do the same thing.

How many times have I not listened to what God wanted me to hear? How many times have I looked at what God wanted me to do, then turn and run as fast as I can in the opposite direction? Enough times, believe me. Then when I finally pay attention to God and what He is calling me towards, if everything doesn't turn out exactly as I had planned, I tend to get winy, pout and wait for my vindication.

But it doesn't come. And it won't come. Because just like in the Jonah story, God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, but wants them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live (Ezekiel 33:11). Indeed the Jonah story reminds us of God's gracious benevolence, and if He is going to give it to Nineveh, why would he not also lend it to us?

So often I try to use my own idea of God and His attributes to justify and rationalize my deliberate neglect of my Christian duty, like Jonah, and I have learned that I fail and the true sovereignty of God shines through.

Today's prayer: That I would step back and legitimately listen to what God was trying to say. But beyond simply listening, that I would get my act together and DO it. I want my vision of God and His attributes to lead me to a life of honesty and integrity for the sake of honesty and integrity, not for selfish gain.

Ready, Go.

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Walking into Humanity...

No Other Reason At All...

Are you sitting in the Belly of a world gone mad??

Kathryn

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