Friday, May 11, 2012
Go On and Scream it from the Mountains
Sometimes, I have no idea what I want to write about. This is one of those days. I cannot tell you guys what I want to write about, but I really feel like expressing myself...so...here we go:
Things have been tough lately. I've been challenged to trust God. It amazes me how many times we say, "Just trust God, and everything will be ok." That is TOUGH. That means letting go of everything, absolutely EVERYTHING, and trusting it will be ok. That can mean leaving a lot behind. It could mean leaving behind very secure situations, great place, and even people you love.
However, there is something that I've really seen and learned in all of this. God does want the best for us. God is a just God. But he is a loving God. He knows what we need.
But, how would God know what we need? How come we don't know what we need and just go after that? Cause, quite frankly, we don't know. How are we to know? There is so many things that I don't know. There are more things that I don't know than there are grains of sand in the ocean. However, it has been my experience that whenever I do let go, things seem a lot better.
There is a story in the Bible, in Mark 4, about Jesus and his disciples being stuck on the sea when a huge storm comes up. These guys were shaken and scared, so they go talk to Jesus (who was sleeping) and say "Teacher, do you not care that we are drowning?" Now the scriptures paint this as a pretty picture. But quite frankly, I picture these disciples, wet, tired, exhausted, and fear in their eyes, SCREAMING, yelling at Jesus, asking "DO YOU NOT CARE THAT WE ARE DROWNING?!?!?!" with the most desperation in their voices than there has even been in their entire lives. These guys thought they were going to die.
That is how it feels sometimes. It feels like we are going to die. Maybe we know we won't literally die, but it feels like everything we have known will disappear. We fight, we try to survive, we try to put the boat under control. Than we come to Jesus, exhausted and desperate, and ask, "WHY DON'T YOU CARE?!"
In the Bible story, Jesus goes to the deck of the ship, and tells the storm to be quiet. And the storm does. I can only imagine this scene. (I feel like when we read the Bible, we sometimes make it more tame than it actually was). Usually, when one talks about the story, that is where they stop. However, I feel like the power in this story is in the next line. Jesus turns to the disciples and says:
"Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
Boom.
Those two sentences carry so much power, and so much weight. Ya see, when we go through these storms in our lives, we try to fix it on our own, and we try to get our own way. When it doesn't work out for us, we cry out to God, asking "DO YOU NOT CARE?" But guess what, of course he cares. He's always cared. He's always been there. Why are we so afraid? Do we still have no faith that God will carry us out of it?
We must trust him during the storm. It says in Psalms 34 that God is closest to the brokenhearted. He promises us that. He never promises us that those storms will be easy, or that trusting Him will be easy, he just asks us to do it, and return he will be there for us.
So, I challenge you (and myself) today to let go. To trust that God can calm the storm in your life. It might not be the way you want it to be, nor may it be in the time you want it to be. We are all poor and powerless, but with God, we can make it through, because surely, he is God. Go on, scream it from the mountains.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Why I LOVE religion and Jesus (a response to a video)
So I guarantee many of you have seen it. It is all over facebook. I have seen my friends from all different walks of life and proclaim that this video speaks to the heart and that it is a wonderful piece of work. I will not deny that it brings up some interesting points, but I think there is more going on here than what is on the surface. If you have not seen it, here is your chance. Go ahead and click on it:
So, what did ya think?
It is a great message. Jesus did come to save the world. He did come to bring salvation to a broken people. If you watch this video you would come to a conclusion that religion is bad, and needs to go away.
Wait....what?
There seems to be a disconnect here. Did Jesus really come to abloish religion? What is religion?
Well, like any good young adult, I googled the definition of religion. This is what came up.
So from this, to summarize, it is a belief, a worship, a discussion, and a system of faith. Did Jesus really come to abolish that?
I've grown up in the church my entire life, so maybe I'm a little biased. I've been a part of a lot of different things that one could call "church." I've been apart of this religion known as Christianity for a long time. I was taught how to love God and others. In partaking in this "religion" I've broken down when facing life decisions or pains. I've had to comfort my brothers and sisters who are going through the same thing. I've sang songs with some wonderful people, and I've been up late at night discussing deep theological issues of the world.
But apparently, Jesus came to abolish it?
This is not a new thing. For years I've heard this claim of "It's about a relationship, not religion." May I propose a different outlook?
Both are needed. A relationship with Jesus is a very vertical connection. Jesus guides us on a path. We need that relationship. We need to walk with Jesus on this road, no matter what path he needs us to go on. We need to grow and experience Christ in a relational level.
That's not all though. I've seen so many people come to Christ and believe and call him Savior, but that is it. This world is a TOUGH place. Sometimes we need other people to be on this journey with us. We waver in our faith. How do we strength it? We get challenged from other people. We get accountability from others. We discuss our faith with others. We worship God together. You see, religion is a horizontal connection. It is the people of Earth reaching up to God and bring heaven down to Earth. It is feeding the hungry as a worship to God. It is supporting each other. We need to share that faith connection with people around us. Man cannot live a lone. We are made to be with others.
Now, I am FULLY aware that this religion has done some not so great things. I cannot ignore the oppression and hatred that has been done in the name of Christianity. But here is the thing, to those of you saying that you want to leave the church because of the oppression and hatred made by Christians...STOP! TURN AROUND! WE NEED YOU!
We are not a perfect people. No one is. The fact that there are a vast majority of you that believe religion needs to be dismissed because of the hurt it causes means that we need those same people to come help us change it. Perfection is a journey. We don't get it right. We need your passion and your fire for Jesus Christ so we can do His work here on Earth, to bring the Kingdom of God to Earth. I am begging, yes BEGGING, you to stay. I will not pretend that I have it all right. I will not pretend that religion has it all right. We are a messy messy people. But together, we can go on this journey. Jesus commissioned Peter to start a church, a community of believers, a religion. My life has been changed and shaped by religion. I believe that Jesus came, not to abolish religion, but to fulfill the law and the Prophets. Let's break bread together and celebrate this gift and this miracle and this love. That is what religion is about. We need to walk with Jesus and go in his ways and trust him. That is what being in a relationship with Jesus is about. We need both. We need both belief, and practice. Another beautiful collision.
If ya want a cool video to go along with it, check this one out:
A really good article on this subject can also be found here (warning:it is a VERY long read)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-morrell/jesus-and-religions-relationship-status_b_1213243.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008
So, what did ya think?
It is a great message. Jesus did come to save the world. He did come to bring salvation to a broken people. If you watch this video you would come to a conclusion that religion is bad, and needs to go away.
Wait....what?
There seems to be a disconnect here. Did Jesus really come to abloish religion? What is religion?
Well, like any good young adult, I googled the definition of religion. This is what came up.
So from this, to summarize, it is a belief, a worship, a discussion, and a system of faith. Did Jesus really come to abolish that?
I've grown up in the church my entire life, so maybe I'm a little biased. I've been a part of a lot of different things that one could call "church." I've been apart of this religion known as Christianity for a long time. I was taught how to love God and others. In partaking in this "religion" I've broken down when facing life decisions or pains. I've had to comfort my brothers and sisters who are going through the same thing. I've sang songs with some wonderful people, and I've been up late at night discussing deep theological issues of the world.
But apparently, Jesus came to abolish it?
This is not a new thing. For years I've heard this claim of "It's about a relationship, not religion." May I propose a different outlook?
Both are needed. A relationship with Jesus is a very vertical connection. Jesus guides us on a path. We need that relationship. We need to walk with Jesus on this road, no matter what path he needs us to go on. We need to grow and experience Christ in a relational level.
That's not all though. I've seen so many people come to Christ and believe and call him Savior, but that is it. This world is a TOUGH place. Sometimes we need other people to be on this journey with us. We waver in our faith. How do we strength it? We get challenged from other people. We get accountability from others. We discuss our faith with others. We worship God together. You see, religion is a horizontal connection. It is the people of Earth reaching up to God and bring heaven down to Earth. It is feeding the hungry as a worship to God. It is supporting each other. We need to share that faith connection with people around us. Man cannot live a lone. We are made to be with others.
Now, I am FULLY aware that this religion has done some not so great things. I cannot ignore the oppression and hatred that has been done in the name of Christianity. But here is the thing, to those of you saying that you want to leave the church because of the oppression and hatred made by Christians...STOP! TURN AROUND! WE NEED YOU!
We are not a perfect people. No one is. The fact that there are a vast majority of you that believe religion needs to be dismissed because of the hurt it causes means that we need those same people to come help us change it. Perfection is a journey. We don't get it right. We need your passion and your fire for Jesus Christ so we can do His work here on Earth, to bring the Kingdom of God to Earth. I am begging, yes BEGGING, you to stay. I will not pretend that I have it all right. I will not pretend that religion has it all right. We are a messy messy people. But together, we can go on this journey. Jesus commissioned Peter to start a church, a community of believers, a religion. My life has been changed and shaped by religion. I believe that Jesus came, not to abolish religion, but to fulfill the law and the Prophets. Let's break bread together and celebrate this gift and this miracle and this love. That is what religion is about. We need to walk with Jesus and go in his ways and trust him. That is what being in a relationship with Jesus is about. We need both. We need both belief, and practice. Another beautiful collision.
If ya want a cool video to go along with it, check this one out:
A really good article on this subject can also be found here (warning:it is a VERY long read)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-morrell/jesus-and-religions-relationship-status_b_1213243.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
(Hopeful) Happy New Years!
So, if you have read my blog for a while (whenever I post something) you know the last two years I have posted a Christmas post. I love Christmas, and I was going to do it again this year, but I had no computer to write a blog post on. Now, I do, and have decided to reflect on something else;
New Years
My second favorite time of the year. The turning of the calendar is something that I always love. I've always said that I want to go to those big New Year's parties with the balloon drop, and champagne, and the works. So far in this life, I have not gotten that chance, nor do I have any plans (yet) for this year.
However, those celebrations encompass something more; hope.
The turning of the calendar is not merely a technically thing. For many people it is a new start. It is a fresh year. It marks the start of something new. Granted, from December 31st, to January 1st, not much will have changed. I'll still be working at the same job, live in the same town, go to the same school, even be the same weight. But, it'll be 2012, the start of a new year, with new possibilities.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVED 2011. It was a GREAT year. However, 2012 has so many great things in store. Some people even think it is the year of the world's demise! Regardless, it is the time for hope. It is a time for hoping for a new start, a new beginning, and new challenges. Therefore, I leave you with these two things;
1. Make a New Year's Resolution
2. Set Goals
What better time to start something like a resolution or a goal than now? Teresa and I have already made the resolution that we will work out at the gym (or run) three times a week, and cut down on going out to eat in order to work on a healthier lifestyle. As for a goal, I currently have a 3.6 GPA at Baker. This calendar year marks my last year at Baker. My goal is to finish with at LEAST a 3.67.
Again, I encourage you, even if its small, set something to push yourself to bettering yourself in the new year. Here is to a Happy (and hopeful) New Year!
New Years
My second favorite time of the year. The turning of the calendar is something that I always love. I've always said that I want to go to those big New Year's parties with the balloon drop, and champagne, and the works. So far in this life, I have not gotten that chance, nor do I have any plans (yet) for this year.
However, those celebrations encompass something more; hope.
The turning of the calendar is not merely a technically thing. For many people it is a new start. It is a fresh year. It marks the start of something new. Granted, from December 31st, to January 1st, not much will have changed. I'll still be working at the same job, live in the same town, go to the same school, even be the same weight. But, it'll be 2012, the start of a new year, with new possibilities.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVED 2011. It was a GREAT year. However, 2012 has so many great things in store. Some people even think it is the year of the world's demise! Regardless, it is the time for hope. It is a time for hoping for a new start, a new beginning, and new challenges. Therefore, I leave you with these two things;
1. Make a New Year's Resolution
2. Set Goals
What better time to start something like a resolution or a goal than now? Teresa and I have already made the resolution that we will work out at the gym (or run) three times a week, and cut down on going out to eat in order to work on a healthier lifestyle. As for a goal, I currently have a 3.6 GPA at Baker. This calendar year marks my last year at Baker. My goal is to finish with at LEAST a 3.67.
Again, I encourage you, even if its small, set something to push yourself to bettering yourself in the new year. Here is to a Happy (and hopeful) New Year!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Positions vs Ideals
So, I got kind of nostalgic today.
I had my last unoffical meeting with the Greek Life Advisor at Baker as IFC President. Don't get me wrong, I've been ready for the responsibility to leave my hands for the last couple of weeks, but seeing it be real is a little weird.
The last year of my life I've kept my cell phone at my side every weekend just in case something in the fraternity world comes up. I've ran meetings with some of the top Greek leaders on Baker's campus. I've talk to potential new members on behalf of the entire Greek communtiy. I've talked to various faculaty and staff on campus about Greek Life. Myself and four other men have stood for Greek Life and the ideals that fraternities exist for.
Now its over...
It's made me realize something very important.
You cna pour your life into a position, a job, a career, or an activity, but it is not that you should be pouring your life into. What you should be pouring your life into is the ideals that you stand for. I loved being IFC President and doing those duties. However, it wasn't ever about being something, it was standing for something. It's standing for the ideal that fraternties are a place where men grow into competent leaders and make the world better. If I'm just pouring my life into being IFC President, and NOT the ideals that I'm trying to uphold, then its pretty pointless.
We should never do something because we want to be something, its because we want to stand for something.
For example, you don't take an accoutning job just to be an accountant. You take it because you want to provide for your family because you believe that is an ideal you believe in. Or you do it because you love the work, and you stand for the ideal that you want ot be happy.
I don't know, I'm still working through this idea, but, stading for something in what you do is much more important than just doing it. A purpose. A reason. Isn't that what we are all searching for?
I had my last unoffical meeting with the Greek Life Advisor at Baker as IFC President. Don't get me wrong, I've been ready for the responsibility to leave my hands for the last couple of weeks, but seeing it be real is a little weird.
The last year of my life I've kept my cell phone at my side every weekend just in case something in the fraternity world comes up. I've ran meetings with some of the top Greek leaders on Baker's campus. I've talk to potential new members on behalf of the entire Greek communtiy. I've talked to various faculaty and staff on campus about Greek Life. Myself and four other men have stood for Greek Life and the ideals that fraternities exist for.
Now its over...
It's made me realize something very important.
You cna pour your life into a position, a job, a career, or an activity, but it is not that you should be pouring your life into. What you should be pouring your life into is the ideals that you stand for. I loved being IFC President and doing those duties. However, it wasn't ever about being something, it was standing for something. It's standing for the ideal that fraternties are a place where men grow into competent leaders and make the world better. If I'm just pouring my life into being IFC President, and NOT the ideals that I'm trying to uphold, then its pretty pointless.
We should never do something because we want to be something, its because we want to stand for something.
For example, you don't take an accoutning job just to be an accountant. You take it because you want to provide for your family because you believe that is an ideal you believe in. Or you do it because you love the work, and you stand for the ideal that you want ot be happy.
I don't know, I'm still working through this idea, but, stading for something in what you do is much more important than just doing it. A purpose. A reason. Isn't that what we are all searching for?
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
RESTART!!!
So, looks like I need to restart my blog, and to do that I need to reset and go to where I am.
I am still at Baker University, and I recently found out that I will be graduating early. Yup, in December of 2012 I'll (hopefully) be walking across the stage with my Bachelors of Science degree in communication. This is all very exciting. I do not know what I am going to do immediately after that.
I have been discerning about it, and I'm leaning towards sticking around the area before heading off to Washington DC in the Fall of 2013 for seminary. Teresa and I are looking to check out Wesley in DC at some point soon, as well as talk with some of my Zeta Chi brothers of taking a road trip to Chicago where I'll check out my 2nd choice (Garrett). Of course I'll also visit St. Paul's (KC) at some point, just to see if it sparks my interest.
I think I've nailed down what direction I want my life to go and where I am being called to. I am very solid in my call to go into ordained ministry, and I want to focus on church revitalization and conflict resolution in churches. I really enjoy both of these topics, and I feel that is where my focus will be.
Speaking of churchy things, I am not a jurisdictional delegate for the Kansas East Conference of the United Methodist Church!!! What does that mean? It means in April, myself and 11 others from the eastern third of Kansas will go to General Conference in Tampa, FL. General Conference is the only body that can officially speak for the UMC. I will be a reserve delegate, at that conference, and a regular delegate for the jurisdictional conference in Oklahoma City in July, where we will elect bishops, among other things. This means I will try and blog about issues coming up at that conference as well.
Other things in my life? I am still with my girlfriend Teresa. We are almost at the year mark, which is REALLY exciting for us. I work at Arrowhead Hardware in Baldwin City, KS as a part-time "do whatever they tell me" guy. I have been president of the Zeta Chi fraternity this past semester and I was just elected to serve another semester in that capacity.
I have also been a leader in a "Freshman Salon Class" this past semester. I will do the same thing this coming semester. The class I will be co-teaching with Baker Campus Minister Ira DeSpain is on "Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White" by Adam Hamilton. I will also try to blog on things I see from that book as well. I will also be taking a class on "Communication in the United Methodist Church" another class I may blog about.
Is that it? Ummmm....I cleaned my room yesterday....it looks nice. I think that is about it. I'm going to blog more often, promise!
I am still at Baker University, and I recently found out that I will be graduating early. Yup, in December of 2012 I'll (hopefully) be walking across the stage with my Bachelors of Science degree in communication. This is all very exciting. I do not know what I am going to do immediately after that.
I have been discerning about it, and I'm leaning towards sticking around the area before heading off to Washington DC in the Fall of 2013 for seminary. Teresa and I are looking to check out Wesley in DC at some point soon, as well as talk with some of my Zeta Chi brothers of taking a road trip to Chicago where I'll check out my 2nd choice (Garrett). Of course I'll also visit St. Paul's (KC) at some point, just to see if it sparks my interest.
I think I've nailed down what direction I want my life to go and where I am being called to. I am very solid in my call to go into ordained ministry, and I want to focus on church revitalization and conflict resolution in churches. I really enjoy both of these topics, and I feel that is where my focus will be.
Speaking of churchy things, I am not a jurisdictional delegate for the Kansas East Conference of the United Methodist Church!!! What does that mean? It means in April, myself and 11 others from the eastern third of Kansas will go to General Conference in Tampa, FL. General Conference is the only body that can officially speak for the UMC. I will be a reserve delegate, at that conference, and a regular delegate for the jurisdictional conference in Oklahoma City in July, where we will elect bishops, among other things. This means I will try and blog about issues coming up at that conference as well.
Other things in my life? I am still with my girlfriend Teresa. We are almost at the year mark, which is REALLY exciting for us. I work at Arrowhead Hardware in Baldwin City, KS as a part-time "do whatever they tell me" guy. I have been president of the Zeta Chi fraternity this past semester and I was just elected to serve another semester in that capacity.
I have also been a leader in a "Freshman Salon Class" this past semester. I will do the same thing this coming semester. The class I will be co-teaching with Baker Campus Minister Ira DeSpain is on "Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White" by Adam Hamilton. I will also try to blog on things I see from that book as well. I will also be taking a class on "Communication in the United Methodist Church" another class I may blog about.
Is that it? Ummmm....I cleaned my room yesterday....it looks nice. I think that is about it. I'm going to blog more often, promise!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Search Me
Wow its been a while...
So I just got shot.
No, not physically shot.
A spirtual shot.
A wake-up call if you will.
Latley I have been really struggaling with my call. Going into ministry is the only thing I've seen myself doing. But I have started to get anxious about my future. Is the church really going in the right direction? Will I make enough money to support my family? Am I going ot fit into a ministry setting? If I am a methodist elder, how will moving around effect my (hopefully eventual) family? This had started getting to a point where I decided that I was no longer going to go into ministry. I didn't tell anyone this, but it is what I felt.
However, God started talking.
It started with my girlfriend, who, at times, has a much better perspective on life than I, saying, when I told her that I was thinking this, said, "I don't want you to give up your dreams for material gain." At this point it had gotten so bad that I almost just shook it off. However, deep in my heart, I felt smethign screaming saying "YOU IDIOT!!!! SHE IS RIGHT!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!" That voice was too distant to listen to though.
The next occurance happened when I talked to a VERY wise professor, who happens to have a lot of expereince on this issue, and who also just happened to be my advisor. I told her what I was thinking, and she acted kinda shocked. She walked me through what it would take to get into Human Resources (the new career path I was looking at). She also listened to me talk about my issues with becoming a pastor, and said she saw my opinions and my reasonings on all my points. She told me one thing though that caught my off guard. "Bryce, you shouldn't dismiss the idea of being in ministry, because you have such a heart and personality for it, you could think about ministry in other ways besides being a pastor." That same voice came back, this time saying "Alright, now she's saying it, she validated how you are feeling, but are you really going to give up on this?"
Then, I went into the Career Development Center to talk about how to get a HR internship. The person I was talkin gto had all sorts of contacts and possiblities for me. It was quite amazing to see the possiblities. However, my heart was burning, and all I could think was "this isn't right...this isn't right...this isn't right..." it just did not feel right. The only time it gelt even close to right was when she suggested doing an HR internship in a church. Voice: "Are you ready to accept this yet?"
Finally, just 30 minutes ago, I was sitting at my house in Burlington, and for some reason, a memory, that has seemed to become more and more distant as the days have gone past, I went back to Youthfront. I remembered the worship services, I thought of the people, staff and campers. Then I remembered the connection I had with the Lord. I had to listen to the music again. So I listend to "Search Me" by Mike Crawford and His Secret Siblings.
That is when it happened.
I was shot.
With a shot of realization.
"Search me and know my heart, Oh God, test me and know my anxious thoughts"
Everythign came back. God knows my heart. He knows who I am. And for the majority of my recent life, I have felt called to a mission. That is where my heart is. My heart is to go into ministry. Material gains or not, it is what I am called to do.
What does this mean for me?
Well...I really need to find a summer ministry job. I've applied at one place so far, but I really need to find other possibilties too. I want to learn, I want to be shapened, because ministry is what I want to do. It is the life I am called to. I do not know excatley what kind of ministry that is. It might be pastor, it might be something else, but it is my call, and now I need to start figuring it out.
So I just got shot.
No, not physically shot.
A spirtual shot.
A wake-up call if you will.
Latley I have been really struggaling with my call. Going into ministry is the only thing I've seen myself doing. But I have started to get anxious about my future. Is the church really going in the right direction? Will I make enough money to support my family? Am I going ot fit into a ministry setting? If I am a methodist elder, how will moving around effect my (hopefully eventual) family? This had started getting to a point where I decided that I was no longer going to go into ministry. I didn't tell anyone this, but it is what I felt.
However, God started talking.
It started with my girlfriend, who, at times, has a much better perspective on life than I, saying, when I told her that I was thinking this, said, "I don't want you to give up your dreams for material gain." At this point it had gotten so bad that I almost just shook it off. However, deep in my heart, I felt smethign screaming saying "YOU IDIOT!!!! SHE IS RIGHT!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!" That voice was too distant to listen to though.
The next occurance happened when I talked to a VERY wise professor, who happens to have a lot of expereince on this issue, and who also just happened to be my advisor. I told her what I was thinking, and she acted kinda shocked. She walked me through what it would take to get into Human Resources (the new career path I was looking at). She also listened to me talk about my issues with becoming a pastor, and said she saw my opinions and my reasonings on all my points. She told me one thing though that caught my off guard. "Bryce, you shouldn't dismiss the idea of being in ministry, because you have such a heart and personality for it, you could think about ministry in other ways besides being a pastor." That same voice came back, this time saying "Alright, now she's saying it, she validated how you are feeling, but are you really going to give up on this?"
Then, I went into the Career Development Center to talk about how to get a HR internship. The person I was talkin gto had all sorts of contacts and possiblities for me. It was quite amazing to see the possiblities. However, my heart was burning, and all I could think was "this isn't right...this isn't right...this isn't right..." it just did not feel right. The only time it gelt even close to right was when she suggested doing an HR internship in a church. Voice: "Are you ready to accept this yet?"
Finally, just 30 minutes ago, I was sitting at my house in Burlington, and for some reason, a memory, that has seemed to become more and more distant as the days have gone past, I went back to Youthfront. I remembered the worship services, I thought of the people, staff and campers. Then I remembered the connection I had with the Lord. I had to listen to the music again. So I listend to "Search Me" by Mike Crawford and His Secret Siblings.
That is when it happened.
I was shot.
With a shot of realization.
"Search me and know my heart, Oh God, test me and know my anxious thoughts"
Everythign came back. God knows my heart. He knows who I am. And for the majority of my recent life, I have felt called to a mission. That is where my heart is. My heart is to go into ministry. Material gains or not, it is what I am called to do.
What does this mean for me?
Well...I really need to find a summer ministry job. I've applied at one place so far, but I really need to find other possibilties too. I want to learn, I want to be shapened, because ministry is what I want to do. It is the life I am called to. I do not know excatley what kind of ministry that is. It might be pastor, it might be something else, but it is my call, and now I need to start figuring it out.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Perspectives
You know...there is a lot of pictures that mean a lot to me. However, there is one picture that, every time I look at it, it makes a lump in my throat and my eyes a little misty. The funny thing is, a lot of you may have seen it. Here is the picture:
Story behind this picture: The Youthfront South summer staff were at a Royal's game. The two in the bottom of the picture were getting their picture taken by the girl in front of them. My friend and I decided to be deviants and get in their picture. The two up front were clueless, and we both thought this was a hilarious joke.
Story behind this picture: The Youthfront South summer staff were at a Royal's game. The two in the bottom of the picture were getting their picture taken by the girl in front of them. My friend and I decided to be deviants and get in their picture. The two up front were clueless, and we both thought this was a hilarious joke.
Honestly, thats all the story to it. In fact, it doesn't seem like that picture should have an special significance at all. But the funny thing is, whenever I see this picture, I am reminded of the amazing summer I had. How I made friends and all we wanted to do was serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (and be goofballs along the way). That's why this picture is my profile picture.
I think this a testament to perspectives. How many times have you seen "beauty is in the eye of the beholder?" I'm sure we all have that picture, object, or memory that means the world to us, that honestly doesn't seem that significant to anyone else.
I see a teddy bear, you see a precious gift from your grandmother. They see an old tattered book, you see a family relic. You see a normal picture of a couple of crazy college students, I see a precious memory of the best summer of my life.
I think thats how God sees us. So many people have this concept of how we are just "normal" human beings. thats not the case. Our Lord sees us as his children, as loved creations, as His own. You may see a group of hypocrites, liars, and failures, but Christ sees a loved one, a child, as significant, as wonderful.
I invite you to look at people that way. Don't see people for useless, see them for what they are, a loved child of God, and I invite you to remember, you are the world to God.
Until the Whole World Hears,
Bryce
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