Super Vision

You know what this world needs? Jesus.

You know what this world doesn't need? Me.

This world does not need me. They don't need me to tell them that they need Jesus. They get enough of that every day. What they really need is to see Jesus. They need for me to stop talking, and start showing the love that knows no ends.

Only God can save the world, so why should my mouth get in the way? Instead, why don't I just show Jesus in whatever way I can?  I am determined to stop talking about  a savior who is merciful and just, and instead start showing Him in my every day life.

This means praying for loved ones, as well as for enemies.
This means reading my bible and searching for truth.
This means declaring the truth I find.
This means not judging others, for it is not my place to judge.
This means loving people who are unloveable.
This means reaching out to those who are in need.
This means praising God for the good AND the bad, for it is all according to His plan.
This means letting God do work in my life so that others can see Him shining through me.
This means recognizing when God is working in my life, and praising Him for it.

No this does not mean that I will stop talking. But it does mean I will strive to speak truth. When I tell the world that they are sinners and Jesus died for them, I can almost hear the world reply "Tell me something I don't know." Instead, why don't I embrace the love that God has for us, share that love, and tell the world that Jesus lives!? Isn't that a cool story?

People say "I gotta see it to believe it." So from now on, I'm going to strive to let people see Jesus in me, so that they can believe and be saved.

And so it goes..

Super Strength from a Super God

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength"- Philippians 4:13


I sometimes think that verse should be rearranged to say "All things I can only do through Christ who gives me strength." To me, helps show the strength and power of our God, and gives credit to the one who is all powerful. In case you are not playing at home, the verse mentions two people "I", and "Christ". I am not powerful, especially ALL Powerful, so that leaves Christ for that calling. And so rightly He is. God has Super Strength.

I can only do the things THROUGH Christ, who strengthens me. All the things. That doesn't mean that  without Christ, I can do some of the things, but Christ adds on the rest that I lack. No. Everything that I have the ability to do is because of the Super Strength Christ gives me to do it. He is the one with all the power, and He is the one who deserves the Glory.

One of the most reassuring facts, at least to me, is that Jesus Christ doesn't need me. Christ is all powerful, wich means He has the strength and power to melt hearts of stone. He has the strength and power to reach out to the sinner. He can do it all on His own! He doesn't need me to reach out to the sinner. He doesn't need me to love the unloved. He doesn't need me to spread the Good News. He can do it all on His own. He doesn't need me- never has needed me, never will need me.  And I love it! Why, you ask? BECAUSE GOD WANTS ME!!!

"I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you." Isaiah 41:9

I have been chosen by God to help further His kingdom. I have been Called by Christ to love the unloved. I have been selected by a Savior to reach out to the Sinner. Wow! How amazing!  And the cooler thing is, even when I am being the Hands and Feet of God, it's still not my doing! Why? Because  "All things I can only do through Christ who gives me Strength." God is giving me the strength to move. So in the end it's all God. I am a vessel for the Savior of the world! Praise be to God!

My God is a super hero.

And so it goes...

REAL love

Songs always seem to speak to me. Ya know, the whole face plant thing? Well.. It's because song's always seem to speak to me.. and whaddaya know? It happened again.

The song "Forever Reign"- by Hillsong has a chorus (as most pop songs do) and the lyrics go like this:

Oh!
I'm running to Your arms
I'm running to Your arms
The riches of Your love Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world Forever Reign

Yeah... that song has become my favorite as of right now. Which is saying something, because I generally can't pick a favorite song. But it is, because that line I have highlighted in red has been the biggest lesson of my summer.

This summer I had the opportunity to move up from a counselor at Camp  to the role of Assistant Director for two of the weeks. It was an exciting transition, but let me tell ya, it was the scariest transition of my life. Suddenly having to be in charge of decisions made at camp? Suddenly having to give a talk in front of 30+ 2nd-5th graders (depending on the week)? Woah buddy. Scary stuff.

But God doesn't give me more than I can handle, and He always stretches me to become something better through Him.

Being a director gave me the ability to really watch other counselors and see how they interacted with the kids. It was amazing to see counselors play crazy games during free time, step up and lead during group time, and even go out of their comfort zone in many situations. The love that was poured out into these kids was astounding and abundant- and it brought me a lot of joy.

However, there were times when I struggled a lot determining whether the counselors loved the kids as much as I wanted them to. Why did the counselors group together and not spread themselves out amongst the kids at times? Why did the counselors sometimes tell a kid no when all the kid wanted to do was play an easy, sit-down game? It didn't make sense to me, and at times I thought that the counselors were there for the wrong reason, and none of them were meeting the "ideal counselor" image I had in my mind.

Suddenly, that song came into my life. "The riches of YOUR love will always be enough." It hit me.. it isn't our love that matters for these kids' lives, it's JESUS' love! And His love will ALWAYS be enough- always abundant, always sufficient, always there. And Jesus love pours out amongst our counselors in all ways, all shapes, all sizes. It was after much prayer and thought about this song that I realized it wasn't what us directors had in mind for the "Best counselor", but what Jesus called as the best counselor. God has a purposed for all of the counselors at camp, and it isn't my job to Judge them based on how I would've handled situations. All the kids love the counselors, and ultimately see Jesus in them. Isn't that the goal?

God didn't put together the group of counselors that Brice saw fit as good, but put together a group of counselors that HE saw fit as perfect for what HIS plan was.

And isn't that awesome? God really has taught me a lot this summer, but this lesson has really settled on my heart. REAL love isn't determined by one outlook, but is only seen through the Love of Jesus.  I am so thankful for being moved to a director position this year, and can't wait to see what new lessons God teaches me as I take on this exciting role.

And so it goes...

Jesus is REAL

Morning.

The sun rises, the birds sing

A new beginning, a new day, a new start

Awaken from slumber

Forgiven

Jesus is REAL

Midday.

The weather shifts, the people wander

Animals play, nature blossoms, sun shines

Life continues

Beauty

Jesus is REAL

Evening.

The sun sets, the air cools

A calm assurance, a comfort, a hope for tomorrow

Loved by a Savior

Peaceful

Jesus is REAL

And so it goes..

"I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say 
You’re beautiful"

Let's look at the present.

I sometimes think that we spend too much of our time worrying about the future outcome instead of focusing on the present situation.

I began feeling this way probably around the 7th Grade. This was when I realized that teachers were constantly preparing us for the next grade. In every grade, my teachers would inform us that "when you are in (insert grade above here), you won't be able to (write in print, use cheat sheets, etc.). Therefore, as it is my responsibility as your teacher to prepare you for the next grade, we will as well not  (write in print, use cheat sheets, etc.)" This is all fine and dandy, except for the fact that instead of it being a preparation it actually becomes a set back. Because rather than focusing on whatever needs to be accomplished in that grade, the teachers decide to "prepare" us for things we don't really need to be prepared for. When I get to the third grade, I'm still allowed to write in print. When I get to 8th grade, certain teachers still allowed cheat sheets. I sometimes thought it would be nice to just simply "be" in the grade I was in, rather than acting like the grade above me.

And isn't that the case when we witness to other as well? We can be so impatient at times --always wanting the person to get it now--but really we just have to realize that Gods timing is perfect ( I think I discussed that in another blog) and that it's not our say when people will finally realize.

Real life example: I'm a church camp counselor. I love my job, and wouldn't spend my summers any other way. But I am  really anxious when it comes to witnessing to my campers. During the first day I think "they will understand Jesus' love by the end of the day." Perhaps some do. Others don't. And I want them to understand NOW. Then we have the Salvation Message, and I declare "they will accept Jesus tonight. It will happen" Again- perhaps some do. Others don't. Why won't they get it now!? Aren't we witnessing to them?

The answer of course is yes. But alternatively, we should be look at their present situation and understand that maybe they're currently not ready. We've only planted a seed.  A seed that will continue to grow each day, week, month, year. Who could ask for anything better? Sure they're not "getting it" right away, but they've got it. Deep down. And they will eventually bring it up out of them and shine the light that only one who knows Jesus can.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, the future outcome is VERY important, but it shouldn't be what we dwell on. Especially when witnessing to others. The future is under control if we plant that seed. God knows what he's doing. We can only keep focusing on each present moment that comes our way, and make sure that they are experiencing the REAL love of Jesus Christ at each of those occasions.

And so it goes..

Radical

John 17:3 "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

I strive to live radically for Christ. It is my goal, my life process, my journey. I aim to have eternal life through knowing the one TRUE God. I plan to spread His message to others so that they too can know the AMAZING love that God has to offer them.

And so it goes...

Victory in Jesus

Empty, Wordless
Unhelpful. Hopeless
Disappointing
Grieving
Aimless
Wandering, Hollow
Discouraged
Down

"I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and he word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one." 1 John 2:14

Replenished, Praising
Caring, HopeFUL
Fulfilling
Cherishing
Directed
Wholehearted
Encouraged
Lifted up


And so it goes...

Honest Praise

"Of a childlike faith, and of my honest praise. Of my unashamed love."

 People often question as to why I am so passionate about wanting to become a teacher. There are many reasons, of course, but one of the biggest reasons is because I absolutely love how you can learn so much from a child. The best times for these are when they are just being themselves. It's true. It's honest. It's vulnerable. It's REAL. I love learning, especially from the kids who I teach/will teach someday.

Tonight I had the opportunity to go to Winter Jam 2012, where I enjoyed the music from 10 Christian bands  that were all amazing. It was a great night, in the end. At this place, I found myself absolutely blown away by how much I learned from a little girl sitting next to me. She probably doesn't even know that she taught me a lesson tonight-after all she was simply enjoying herself and being true, honest, vulnerable, and real- but man did she teach me a lesson in worshipping tonight.

See my girlfriend and I arrived at the concert not early enough to get in the front of the line, which consequently caused us to get seats not ideal to our thoughts on the drive over. They weren't bad seats at all (especially compared to the nosebleeds we were in last year) but they were still not our desired seats. I found myself  completely irritated at the beginning of the night. I was trying to get into the music and truly hear God speaking to me, but just couldn't because I was too caught up in where we were sitting. 

I look to my left, and here is this girl that had to be no older than 10 years old just giving everything she can up to the performers, and of course, to God. She was singing along, closing her eyes, raising her hands, and just surrendering her praise to the One who deserves it. She didn't care that she was to the side of the stage and couldn't get the full effect. She was there to have a good time, and a good time she had.

I learned a lot from that. From seeing such a young girl acting more mature than I was at the time, I gave myself a check and realized that it wasn't about seeing the performers- necessarily. I learned from that girl that it was about letting God hear your praise, and it was about nothing else. I could still hear the music, and see pretty much everything that was going on up on stage, so why was I putting up this wall? Sometimes actions speak louder than words, and this little girl's actions spoke chapters to me. 

We have got to fully surrender ourselves to God with our praise. Until we live completely for Him, we're always going to nitpick our circumstances and miss out on the "childlike faith" and "honest praise" of which God completely deserves.

And not to mention- this girl knew EVERY WORD to all of the Skillet songs played tonight. Yeah. I was impressed.

And so it goes...

God's Timing is Perfect

"And even though I'm walking through the valley of the shadows, I will hold tight to the hand of Him whose love will comfort me. And when all hope is gone and I've been wounded in the battle, He is all the strength that I will ever need. He will carry me!"

Those words are pretty powerful right? Well upon re-encountering them the other day, I found myself experiencing one of those face plant moments I always am talking about. See I was driving back to school after a much need chiropractor appointment, and on the radio that song,which by the way is called "He Will Carry Me" by Mark Schultz, started playing. I literally stopped driving for a brief moment, because those words just spoke so many  things to me. (Songs have been doing that a lot lately, and by songs I mean GOD has been doing that a lot lately THROUGH songs..) I instantly felt comforted, because I  was reminded that I am not alone, and that God has all the strength needed to carry me through my storms in life.

But that's only part of what this blog is about. Remember the title? yeah, it says "God's Timing Is Perfect". And yes, Him putting that song into my life that day was perfect timing for me, but it also provided a second perfectly timed moment later on that day. See, for me, I love to listen to songs over and over whenever they have some sort of deeper meaning to them, and this song definitely has a deeper meaning. Therefore, I looked up the song on youtube to listen to and possible discover a music video. I found a collage that someone had made with the song in the background, and was moved by it. After watching it for the second time, I suddenly had this feeling that I needed to post it on my friends wall. I had no idea why, I just felt that it was necessary that I go to her facebook page, copy the URL from youtube onto her wall, and go from there. Little did I know that that song was EXACTLY what she needed. Needless to say, we ended up skyping probably 30 minutes later and she told me about how she was having a horrible day/weekend and that song provided the EXACT comfort she needed. I had no idea she was having a bad day, but God saw her pain. And he chose to use me as a vehicle to contact her and let her know everything was taken care of and in control. How cool is that?

God's timing IS PERFECT!

and so it goes..

Stand firm

Isaiah 7:9 says "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."

Standing firm in your faith is not an easy thing to do. Even with the recognizable definition of faith being "Believing in what you cannot see," going out on that limb with a firmness and comfortability seems almost unattainable. But more and more I'm finding that it is very attainable, because even a little faith can go a LONG way.

This is my first year at college, and it has been difficult adjusting to being away from home and having to make my own decisions. How cool is it that I am growing up, right? Well it is also very scary. I've had to really stand up for what I believe in, especially when encountering others who don't share the same beliefs as me. One of the hardest things I have had to do is stand firm in my faith when others are consistently knocking me down. But the cool thing is, I can keep getting back up through the help of my Savior. Sure, Isaiah says that if you do NOT stand firm in your faith, you will NOT stand at all. But that just means that the opposite holds true as well- if you DO  stand firm in your faith, you WILL continue to stand. And even if you fall down, you will be able to get back up because you have that friend to lean upon. Bee-tee-dubs, His name is Jesus.

I am learning this year that standing firm in my faith may seem hard, but once I do it it reaps many benefits. For example, I always feel better knowing that people recognize me as "that Christian kid" rather than any other comparison they might make. Also, I'm finding that all it takes is one person to be brave enough to stand strong in their faith for others to join you. When I came to my school, some people told me that I would have a tough time encountering Jesus because it isn't a private Christian school. However, I am discovering more and more that God can be found at my school just as easily as He could be at a private Christian college. My first few weeks here I felt like I was incredibly alone, but all it took was for me to express my relationship with Christ for others to appear in my life who shared the same beliefs as me. I have found Christ here because I have chosen to find Him here. I am content with my college choice, and am glad I have chosen to stand FIRM in my faith, because I know that God will help me stand.

And so it goes..

"And of a childlike faith, and of my honest praise. Of my unashamed love."

Reflections on 2011

2011 was a year of growth.

Yes, I grew physically. I probably added another inch or so to my height, and that's all fine and dandy. But the real growth I am talking about is Spiritually. God completely blew my mind this year, aaand it all started with a very simple prayer.

It was the first day of Camp season. For those of you who don't know, I am a counselor at an amazing church Camp where I spend most of my summers. I count down the days until camp, because it is just a magnificent place... but anyway that's another story on another blog. This has to do with GROWTH, remember?

Anyway, I was driving to this said camp on the first day of Camp season, and as I was driving I decided to say a quick prayer- specifically about the summer, but the entire year was included. I turned my blaring Signature Sound Quartet music down, rolled up my window, and breathed the simplest prayer I could think of, "God, do something BIG in my life this year." Sounds simple enough, right? Kind of a passive prayer- something you obviously strive for anyway....

This prayer turned out to be a portal into the biggest whirlwind of  a summer/year I've ever had. When I told God to do something BIG, He took it, stretched it out, and in return did something HUGE. He made me learn that, despite what I like others to think, I don't alway have everything it takes to get by in the world- I don't know quite as much as I think I do.

Complacency was the word of choice that God put on my heart. It was as if all summer He was telling me  to not become complacent. To not just skate by because you've been a counselor for so many years and fairly know the way things run. Yeah. I knew how Camp worked. I figured "eh. It's my sixth year out here. There's probably nothing new that could come my way. I know what it takes to be a good counselor , and that's what I plan to be. Bring it on, world."

Then the best week of camp in my entire life happened. It was the worst week I could imagine, but the best in the end. God sent several blessed children from a Community Center that works closely with camp to challenge the faces off of us "complacent" counselors. These kids were the kind that stretched you to your limit so quickly you didn't think you could last 4 minutes let alone 4 days. Yet, we still had to persist because, we possibly were showing them the only love they would get (their home lives aren't the greatest). These kids were nothing like I expected at the beginning of the summer. Here I was, this supposed great counselor who knew all the answers and had all the right things to say, completely knocked on my feet. "Don't become complacent. Stop acting like you know what you're doing." said God.

God revealed his plan for my spiritual growth consistently throughout the year. I went on a Chrysalis walk at the end of the summer, and the entire weekend He kept showing me that it's okay to not know everything and not have the answers. It's okay to seek help, because He who does know wants to have a relationship with me. He wants me to fall into His arms and cry to Him because I want to know HIM more and learn more from HIM. Life is constantly changing, even in the aspects which seem to remain still. I never knew my world could be rocked like it was this year at Camp, but God showed me that It was not in my best interest to think I got it all under control-- because, unfortunately. I don't.

And how fitting that the theme of camp this year was Faith? It was as if all year, God was saying "ye of little faith! Do you not think that when you asked me to do something Big in your life I wouldn't cause you to grow as well?" I learned to step out on my faith with God this year, and act for HIS will even if I don't know what I'm doing. But hey, all I need is the faith of a mustard seed, and I can move the mountains.

And so it goes...

"Savior. He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save. He is mighty to save."