We got a new couch and I am unbelievably excited! It's perfect- it's a neutral color that will match any sort of decor I happen to like on any particular day, it's got a slip cover that is dry clean-able which is perfect for our puppy and any future kids we may have (or any of the youth leaders we may have over, which seems to happen a few times a week). It's big and comfy and just feels more like us, which I love because I want our house to feel like our home (more on that some some other day). And we got it from an amazing (seriously, it was incredible!) deal happening at World Market! But as much as I love our new couch, this post isn't really about that.
This morning at church our pastor spoke on greediness. He pointed out how often we try to distance our selves from this word. No one desires to be described as greedy, but it is revealed in how we manage the resources God has blessed us with.
Now, I would not describe myself as greedy. We open our home to our friends and family and frequently share meals at our table. We don't have a bunch of extra money lying around, but I try to spend it in a way that blesses others. And when I do buy stuff for us, it is usually on sale or a good deal.
BUT (and yes, it's a big but), how much do I focus on having nice things because I want people who come to our home to think it is nice. How much more do I focus on the new things I think we need- a dining room set, new TV stand, new duvet cover, and the list goes on... It is easy for me to think that we need this stuff. It makes us happy and makes our house feel like home.
BUT (and this is the biggest but), IT IS JUST STUFF. And as our pastor pointed out: stuff can be great tools, but they make terrible gods. My focus shouldn't be on the stuff I think we need or what people think about it. And if I am completely honest with myself, I don't think the guys that Josh works with really care about my cute throw pillows (shocking, I know!). My focus should be on the fact that God has blessed us with this stuff to use for His glory and to bless others. The truth is that what we do with our stuff, our time, money, and other resources, ultimately reflect what we value and believe. We studied Luke 12:12-31 and a few verses stood out to me:
"Then he said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.'" (Luke 12:15)
"But seek first his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well." (Luke 12:31)
And my favorite: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Luke 12:34)
Scary isn't it? Where's my treasure? Is it in the stuff I think we need, or that I can justify buying because we may need it at some point or because we will use it for church events? It is easy for me to use that as an excuse for what we buy.
"Oh, well if we had a nicer kitchen table, we could have more friends over!"
or
"If we had a bigger car, we could carry more youth kids on trips!"
Where's my treasure? I really do believe that it is in the relationships we have, the friends and family who frequent our home. But do I need a nicer table/couch/duvet/accessory before I can have them over because I am more worried about how they view our stuff than focused on sharing our time and a good meal? Absolutely not.
So this is what I want to do: focus more on using the resources God has given us as tools to bless others. Realize it is not about how much we have or how nice it is, but it's about the things that are more eternal- relationships and memories.
So I will be praying over our stuff now:
That God would use our table to not only help us fill people's stomachs, but their hearts as well.
That our couch would be a place for our friends to sit and talk about life- the good stuff and the hard stuff, and let's be honest, watch a few good movies or games ;)
And that through it all (the shiny and new stuff and the hand-me-downs) God would be glorified because we chose to share what He blessed us with.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
That wonderful moment when...
I am tired of seeing "That awkward moment when..." posted all over Facebook. I admit that they can be funny to read, and I certainly see the value of documenting and remembering important moments. But awkward ones? I would rather focus on the unexpected, wonderful, sweet and precious moments. Here are some of those moments from the past few weeks...
That wonderful moment when...
An unplanned car ride turns into a great discussion about faith and family and the future with your best friend.
You get to celebrate the engagement of two great friends.
You arrive home to a clean house after a long trip away and finally get to sleep in your own bed.
The evening sky is the perfect blend of blue, purple, pink and gold.
You have the first In-N-Out burger, steak, salad, bowl of macaroni and cheese, etc. after eating foreign food for what seems like forever.
You find out that some other friends are finally moving back to the area. Yay!
You share a meal, laughter, and great conversation with a group of people you are blessed to do life with.
You get to see how much the students you work with have grown and that they really love one another and desire to serve.
You get to sit and share your feelings with someone who really cares and makes you feel heard.
You learn more about who you are through looking at the events and circumstances that have happened in your life.
You realize that the place you resisted and resented for over a year finally has finally started to feel like home.
You realize that God is working in your life, even though you have tried to fight and ignore it. It may be slow and sometimes painful, and happen in ways you didn't expect, but He is there, just like He promised He would be. And He has given you all these wonderful moments as proof that He absolutely adores you.
That wonderful moment when...
An unplanned car ride turns into a great discussion about faith and family and the future with your best friend.
You get to celebrate the engagement of two great friends.
You arrive home to a clean house after a long trip away and finally get to sleep in your own bed.
The evening sky is the perfect blend of blue, purple, pink and gold.
You have the first In-N-Out burger, steak, salad, bowl of macaroni and cheese, etc. after eating foreign food for what seems like forever.
You find out that some other friends are finally moving back to the area. Yay!
You share a meal, laughter, and great conversation with a group of people you are blessed to do life with.
You get to see how much the students you work with have grown and that they really love one another and desire to serve.
You get to sit and share your feelings with someone who really cares and makes you feel heard.
You learn more about who you are through looking at the events and circumstances that have happened in your life.
You realize that the place you resisted and resented for over a year finally has finally started to feel like home.
You realize that God is working in your life, even though you have tried to fight and ignore it. It may be slow and sometimes painful, and happen in ways you didn't expect, but He is there, just like He promised He would be. And He has given you all these wonderful moments as proof that He absolutely adores you.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Number 8
Yay for checking off one thing from my 25 before 25 list! This falls under number 8- but even though it will have technically been completed, I know I want to experience as many new places as possible, before I turn 25, and anytime I have the chance after that as well. I am currently sitting in my room at a "resort" a little outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand. And all I can think right now is: after this trip, I don't think I will ever have a desire to eat Thai food again. It was ok the first 3-4 meals as we tried new things, but now it all tastes the same. Weird and way too spicy. At least I tried right?! This trip has been eye-opening and exciting in so many ways. It seemed like a dream, that we weren't actually coming here, and I kept thinking that maybe as we got to LAX, or got on the plane to take off, or landed in Seoul, and finally in Chiang Mai, that it would finally sink in and I would realize that it wasn't use a dream. And in some ways it was like that. In the airport in Seoul, there was a moment where I looked at Josh and with a high-pitched squeal exclaimed "We're in a foreign county. We are going to THAILAND!" He just kinda laughed. Now, even though we have only been here for about a week, I feel like I have fallen into a comfortable rhythm and it feels as though we have been here forever.
We awake in the morning before 7:45 and have breakfast, usually toast with jam, cereal and some fruit. Then we take off to whatever is planned for that day- exploring, training, and now taking care of the kids. Then it's time for lunch and an afternoon rest (which has been absolutely wonderful, and certainly needed). We then head back to the afternoon's scheduled events and then have dinner around 6 and the evening off to rest or explore some more. I fall asleep fast, and sleep well and wake before my alarm the next morning to do it all over again.
There have been several other moments of pure excitement and laughing in sheer delight. We got to ride and then feed some elephants on Friday. From the beginning of planning this trip, the prospect of riding elephants was so wonderful to me, even though it's not like I particularly love elephants or anything. But as we followed the little trail on the back of this huge animal, I was just in awe. Of the elephant, the fact the we were here, so far from home, having this wonderful experience and that God had created and orchestrated everything necessary for this moment to happen.
I have been overwhelmed by God on this trip. The first real epiphany (although it sounds simple and a little like, "Duh, He's God…") came as we having our team training. We met 6 other people who come from all over the world and have these amazing and beautiful stories (and accents). As they shared some of their stories and where God had brought them and how they ended up with us at this meeting, I was struck by how amazing it is that I have lived my life in one country, praying and worshipping the same God that these people: Margaret from Scotland to Singapore, Gill from England, Moira from Scotland, Eliza from Korea to America, Josh G. from Zimbabwe to Cambodia to England to Singapore, Brianna from Thailand to Canada and back, and Marissa from Thailand to the Netherlands and back, were worshiping in around the world. That my God is their God, that he is big enough to know and love us all and that he had brought us all together at this precise time. How amazing! We also had the chance to visit a friend of ours who lives in Chiang Mai and works at a cafe that reaches out to students at the university and offers English lessons and tells them about Jesus. This place, WonGen Cafe, feels very much like a college hangout in America. Many students hanging out, eating, and drinking coffee. We visited on a night where they were having an open mic time. It was so cool to see students from the US and Thailand sing together, and to hear some worship, both in English and in Thai. It was the same feeling as when I met our team for the conference: We all serve the same wonderful God!
I am also blown away by the people we are serving at this conference. Our team is working specifically with kids, called TCKs or Third Culture Kids. These are kids that have parents from one place, who are serving in another, and the children feel a mix of both their parents home culture and the host culture they are living in now. 4 of our team members are TCKs themselves and their stories are so cool and interesting. These families are certainly unique and I am feeling so blessed to be able to serve them by helping care for their kids. For their safety and security, I can't give the name of the conference, or where they are serving. But that fact alone is crazy to me. We always hear in prayers "God, thank you that we can freely worship and pray to you here (in America)." And I know we have told our students that many people do not have the freedom to worship as openly as we do. But to actually meet people who are serving in the places where they have to be careful not to overuse the words prayer, and God and missionary- it really makes me realize just how incredibly blessed I am.
We have 2.5 more days here at the conference, and then 1.5 days before we leave for home. And even though I am looking forward to the next few days here, I am excited to go home. I miss our puppy, and out bed and the life and friends we have at home. And I miss cheeseburgers, steak, sandwiches, salads, Goldfish, and I could go on and on about the food I miss. Like I said, Thai food will no longer be appealing. But for now, I am so glad and excited to be here, soaking up each wonderful and unique minute.
We awake in the morning before 7:45 and have breakfast, usually toast with jam, cereal and some fruit. Then we take off to whatever is planned for that day- exploring, training, and now taking care of the kids. Then it's time for lunch and an afternoon rest (which has been absolutely wonderful, and certainly needed). We then head back to the afternoon's scheduled events and then have dinner around 6 and the evening off to rest or explore some more. I fall asleep fast, and sleep well and wake before my alarm the next morning to do it all over again.
There have been several other moments of pure excitement and laughing in sheer delight. We got to ride and then feed some elephants on Friday. From the beginning of planning this trip, the prospect of riding elephants was so wonderful to me, even though it's not like I particularly love elephants or anything. But as we followed the little trail on the back of this huge animal, I was just in awe. Of the elephant, the fact the we were here, so far from home, having this wonderful experience and that God had created and orchestrated everything necessary for this moment to happen.
I have been overwhelmed by God on this trip. The first real epiphany (although it sounds simple and a little like, "Duh, He's God…") came as we having our team training. We met 6 other people who come from all over the world and have these amazing and beautiful stories (and accents). As they shared some of their stories and where God had brought them and how they ended up with us at this meeting, I was struck by how amazing it is that I have lived my life in one country, praying and worshipping the same God that these people: Margaret from Scotland to Singapore, Gill from England, Moira from Scotland, Eliza from Korea to America, Josh G. from Zimbabwe to Cambodia to England to Singapore, Brianna from Thailand to Canada and back, and Marissa from Thailand to the Netherlands and back, were worshiping in around the world. That my God is their God, that he is big enough to know and love us all and that he had brought us all together at this precise time. How amazing! We also had the chance to visit a friend of ours who lives in Chiang Mai and works at a cafe that reaches out to students at the university and offers English lessons and tells them about Jesus. This place, WonGen Cafe, feels very much like a college hangout in America. Many students hanging out, eating, and drinking coffee. We visited on a night where they were having an open mic time. It was so cool to see students from the US and Thailand sing together, and to hear some worship, both in English and in Thai. It was the same feeling as when I met our team for the conference: We all serve the same wonderful God!
I am also blown away by the people we are serving at this conference. Our team is working specifically with kids, called TCKs or Third Culture Kids. These are kids that have parents from one place, who are serving in another, and the children feel a mix of both their parents home culture and the host culture they are living in now. 4 of our team members are TCKs themselves and their stories are so cool and interesting. These families are certainly unique and I am feeling so blessed to be able to serve them by helping care for their kids. For their safety and security, I can't give the name of the conference, or where they are serving. But that fact alone is crazy to me. We always hear in prayers "God, thank you that we can freely worship and pray to you here (in America)." And I know we have told our students that many people do not have the freedom to worship as openly as we do. But to actually meet people who are serving in the places where they have to be careful not to overuse the words prayer, and God and missionary- it really makes me realize just how incredibly blessed I am.
We have 2.5 more days here at the conference, and then 1.5 days before we leave for home. And even though I am looking forward to the next few days here, I am excited to go home. I miss our puppy, and out bed and the life and friends we have at home. And I miss cheeseburgers, steak, sandwiches, salads, Goldfish, and I could go on and on about the food I miss. Like I said, Thai food will no longer be appealing. But for now, I am so glad and excited to be here, soaking up each wonderful and unique minute.
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