I am so excited to go home for Thanksgiving in a a few days! I am beyond ready to see family and friends and the metro Detroit area. It's really funny, because every time I drive home I am reminded how much of a Michigander I truly am. When I cross the border into Michigan, never mind that I still have about 2.5-3 hours left to drive, I become giddy with excitement because of that welcome to Michigan sign. It's wonderful. Not that Indiana isn't nice, but there's just something about Michigan. Probably because most of my family is there, but whatever the reason, I love it!
Anyways, let's jump back into Ephesians. I am so excited for this time with you. I have been fighting exhaustion for the past couple of days and this time of diving into the Word with you refreshes me so much. So, here we go!
Ephesians 2:12
"In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope."
This verse seems to paint a pretty bleak picture doesn't it? But here's the good news: this was before we met Christ. This was our previous state. We were living without Christ and because of that we were living without hope in a world that so desperately needs hope to survive. We didn't know the first thing about the promises of God and what they meant to us. We didn't have a relationship with God. We had no hope.
I think that's the part of this verse that keeps hitting me over the head right now. We had no hope. We were living without God, going our own way, and because of that, we had no hope. We were hopeless, until we met Jesus. When we encountered Jesus and entered into a relationship with him, our whole lives were changed. We had hope. Suddenly, the world wasn't pushing us down and crushing the life out of us. There was a ray of light, a life line, a hope and his name was Jesus. I love that this verse directly relates us being without hope to us being without God. Because Jesus didn't just bring hope, he IS hope. He is our hope for the future and for now. What a beautiful promise!
But do we live like Jesus is our hope? Do our lives reflect that truth? Can a person who doesn't know me see that I live a hopeful life, a life that radiates Jesus? I think it is so easy for us to become hopeless and to not look any different than the world around us. If you just watch the news for a few minutes, it's easy to become discouraged. But that's where our hope in Jesus comes in. Jesus didn't promise to make everything better here on earth, right here and now, but we do have his promise that there is hope for the future. One day everything will be perfect again. One day our hope will be realized and seen. But for now, it takes faith in that hope. It takes faith in Jesus. That he will do what he has said he will do.
Let's keep our eyes focused on our hope this week.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
The Road Through Ephesus...Affected Hearts Ephesians 2:11
I'm back. FYI it's really hard to get back into the habit of writing and I really need to because it relieves so much stress to just sit and write about what God is teaching me. So I'll try to do better, and if I don't you all can yell at me on here so I'll come back and write.
So, I'm really glad that you have stuck with me even through this time. Let's jump back in together.
Ephesians 2:11
"Don't forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called 'uncircumcised heathens' by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it only affected their bodies and not their hearts."
I don't know if you all have ever been outsiders before, but it's not a lot of fun. Which is why I am so thankful that God's gift of salvation is for everyone now. And while we're never to forget that we were outsiders once, I think that we can all learn something from the Jews. They were so proud to be part of God's chosen people, yet that knowledge didn't affect their hearts. It didn't affect the way they lived their lives.
As Christians, how often does the knowledge of what God has done for us make us proud of the fact we're Christians, but we don't allow anything about it to shape our lives? Our lives should be affected by the work God is doing in our lives. Knowledge isn't enough. Too often just knowledge can lead to major problems. If you don't act on that knowledge, you are worse off than someone who doesn't have that same knowledge.
I haven't told a lot of people this, but my best friend and I are memorizing the book of James together. I'm finished with chapter one, but can I tell you the biggest fear I had going into this? Simply that I would memorize all these words, but that's as far as they would go. I was afraid that I would not allow them to change my life and the way I acted. It's still a big fear. How is my life going to change because of what I memorize? How will I let it affect my life? Just knowing what God says is not enough, you have to do it You have to obey. I have to obey. Seriously, go read James 1:22-25 (Yes, I'm giving you homework :-)
This week, this month, for the rest of our lives, let's let our knowledge of God, his commandments, and his words change the way we live. Let's let it affect our hearts. Let's be different than the Jews. It's time to let go of the pride and allow God's life changing words to truly do that, to truly change our lives.
So, I'm really glad that you have stuck with me even through this time. Let's jump back in together.
Ephesians 2:11
"Don't forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called 'uncircumcised heathens' by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it only affected their bodies and not their hearts."
I don't know if you all have ever been outsiders before, but it's not a lot of fun. Which is why I am so thankful that God's gift of salvation is for everyone now. And while we're never to forget that we were outsiders once, I think that we can all learn something from the Jews. They were so proud to be part of God's chosen people, yet that knowledge didn't affect their hearts. It didn't affect the way they lived their lives.
As Christians, how often does the knowledge of what God has done for us make us proud of the fact we're Christians, but we don't allow anything about it to shape our lives? Our lives should be affected by the work God is doing in our lives. Knowledge isn't enough. Too often just knowledge can lead to major problems. If you don't act on that knowledge, you are worse off than someone who doesn't have that same knowledge.
I haven't told a lot of people this, but my best friend and I are memorizing the book of James together. I'm finished with chapter one, but can I tell you the biggest fear I had going into this? Simply that I would memorize all these words, but that's as far as they would go. I was afraid that I would not allow them to change my life and the way I acted. It's still a big fear. How is my life going to change because of what I memorize? How will I let it affect my life? Just knowing what God says is not enough, you have to do it You have to obey. I have to obey. Seriously, go read James 1:22-25 (Yes, I'm giving you homework :-)
This week, this month, for the rest of our lives, let's let our knowledge of God, his commandments, and his words change the way we live. Let's let it affect our hearts. Let's be different than the Jews. It's time to let go of the pride and allow God's life changing words to truly do that, to truly change our lives.
Friday, November 19, 2010
15 years...
15 years ago today was the day my journey with Jesus began. The last 15 years haven't all been the best of me following Jesus. In fact, there were some times when I downright turned away. But through everything, Jesus has been faithful, even when I haven't. Words are not adequate to explain the joy I feel today as I reflect on the last 15 years. I can't believe it's been that long, and yet it seems longer at times.
I would not be the woman I am today without the work Jesus has been doing and is doing in my life.
Thank you Jesus. For saving me, leading me, loving me, molding me, pursuing me, changing me, convicting me, and knowing me. I love you.
I would not be the woman I am today without the work Jesus has been doing and is doing in my life.
Thank you Jesus. For saving me, leading me, loving me, molding me, pursuing me, changing me, convicting me, and knowing me. I love you.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The Road Through Ephesus...Masterpiece with a Purpose Ephesians 2:10
So I am sick once again. Head colds are horrible! But I was so excited when I read the next verse in Ephesians last night that I just had to post anyway. So bear with me if this doesn't make a lot of sense, I am fighting the fog.
Let's just jump right in, my brain isn't understanding "small talk".
Ephesians 2:10
"For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."
Wow. Read that verse and just let it soak into your heart. You are God's masterpiece. I wanted to look up that word to make sure I understood what it meant. Here's the definition I found, "a person's greatest work..." (dictionary.com). You are God's greatest creation. The icing on the cake. The grand finale. The pinnacle. You are a masterpiece. If that doesn't just thrill your heart, I don't know what will. And then look at what follows: the reason we are God's masterpiece. "He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,..." We are no longer disfigured from sin; we are created new. We are now to look like Jesus. When God looks at us he sees Jesus. How amazing is that?
And then the reason we are made new: "so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Wow. He created us with a purpose. He had a plan way before time began that involved you. To me, that literally screams his love for me. The creator of the universe had a plan for me. Not just for the human race but for ME. I'm not a number on a list. I'm not just "that girl with the dark brown hair and eyes". I'm not just one in 6 billion. I was thought of before time began. God put together a plan for me and my life way before I was born. I was created for a purpose: to do the will of the one who created me.
Do I live out this purpose? Do you live out this purpose? Is every day a day that we wake up and say, "What good things do you want me to do today Jesus?" How do you live out your purpose every day? I know that all too often I forget that I have a purpose. Instead, I fret and moan and complain about the situations in my life that I don't understand. When what I should be doing is the good works that God has prepared and planned for me to do. When what I should be doing is encouraging, uplifting, and serving. It means that I have to take my eyes off myself and put them back on my savior. What a challenge for all of us to truly live like this. To live like we have a purpose every moment of every day.
Let's live like we have a purpose.
Let's just jump right in, my brain isn't understanding "small talk".
Ephesians 2:10
"For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."
Wow. Read that verse and just let it soak into your heart. You are God's masterpiece. I wanted to look up that word to make sure I understood what it meant. Here's the definition I found, "a person's greatest work..." (dictionary.com). You are God's greatest creation. The icing on the cake. The grand finale. The pinnacle. You are a masterpiece. If that doesn't just thrill your heart, I don't know what will. And then look at what follows: the reason we are God's masterpiece. "He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,..." We are no longer disfigured from sin; we are created new. We are now to look like Jesus. When God looks at us he sees Jesus. How amazing is that?
And then the reason we are made new: "so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Wow. He created us with a purpose. He had a plan way before time began that involved you. To me, that literally screams his love for me. The creator of the universe had a plan for me. Not just for the human race but for ME. I'm not a number on a list. I'm not just "that girl with the dark brown hair and eyes". I'm not just one in 6 billion. I was thought of before time began. God put together a plan for me and my life way before I was born. I was created for a purpose: to do the will of the one who created me.
Do I live out this purpose? Do you live out this purpose? Is every day a day that we wake up and say, "What good things do you want me to do today Jesus?" How do you live out your purpose every day? I know that all too often I forget that I have a purpose. Instead, I fret and moan and complain about the situations in my life that I don't understand. When what I should be doing is the good works that God has prepared and planned for me to do. When what I should be doing is encouraging, uplifting, and serving. It means that I have to take my eyes off myself and put them back on my savior. What a challenge for all of us to truly live like this. To live like we have a purpose every moment of every day.
Let's live like we have a purpose.
Monday, November 1, 2010
The Road Through Ephesus... Salvation Boasting Ephesians 2:9
I have a new computer!! The repairs took so long that they decided to just give me a new one! So hopefully now I'll get back in the habit of writing. I have missed it, contrary to one might think by my lack of posts. But anyways, I'm really excited to jump right back into this with you! You have no idea how much I love diving into Ephesians with you... it is sometimes the best part of my week... I get to spend some time with Jesus and all the lovely people out there who read this (who I don't even know, because apparently my blog is read internationally! Who would of thunk?)
So, Ephesians. Yay! So excited!
Ephesians 2:9
"Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."
I don't know about you, but this verse gives me so much hope. I am so glad that my salvation is not dependent on what I do or don't do. But how often do my actions reflect that truth? Seriously, do I live my life like nothing I do can increase or decrease God's love for me? Or do I still act like I can make God love me more? Which in my head I know is rather ridiculous. I mean, just look at this verse. It lays out exactly what God thinks about that subject, yet, there are times, more often than not, that I do things to try and gain God's favor. But you can't gain something you already have.
Which is why this verse is both life giving and convicting. It's why my heart beats a little faster when I read it. Because it's not that I don't have to do anything to earn salvation, it's that I can't. I can never be good enough, spiritual enough, or righteous enough to earn anything. Look at how Isaiah says it, "...When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags...." (Isaiah 64:6b). My righteous deeds mean nothing. They are still dirty in God's sight. But that's the amazing part. That's why we need a Savior. That's why we need Jesus. Because he makes us righteous and holy.
And we can't boast about it, because we had nothing to do with it. All we can boast about is Jesus, and what Jesus did for us on the cross. Which, if you ask me, is something pretty amazing to be telling people.
1 Corinthians 1:31
"Therefore, as the Scriptures say, "If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord."
So this week, let's boast about Jesus. About his amazing grace. About his extravagant love. About the beauty of his redemption. About the glory of the cross. Jesus is the only one worthy to be boasted about.
So, Ephesians. Yay! So excited!
Ephesians 2:9
"Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."
I don't know about you, but this verse gives me so much hope. I am so glad that my salvation is not dependent on what I do or don't do. But how often do my actions reflect that truth? Seriously, do I live my life like nothing I do can increase or decrease God's love for me? Or do I still act like I can make God love me more? Which in my head I know is rather ridiculous. I mean, just look at this verse. It lays out exactly what God thinks about that subject, yet, there are times, more often than not, that I do things to try and gain God's favor. But you can't gain something you already have.
Which is why this verse is both life giving and convicting. It's why my heart beats a little faster when I read it. Because it's not that I don't have to do anything to earn salvation, it's that I can't. I can never be good enough, spiritual enough, or righteous enough to earn anything. Look at how Isaiah says it, "...When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags...." (Isaiah 64:6b). My righteous deeds mean nothing. They are still dirty in God's sight. But that's the amazing part. That's why we need a Savior. That's why we need Jesus. Because he makes us righteous and holy.
And we can't boast about it, because we had nothing to do with it. All we can boast about is Jesus, and what Jesus did for us on the cross. Which, if you ask me, is something pretty amazing to be telling people.
1 Corinthians 1:31
"Therefore, as the Scriptures say, "If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord."
So this week, let's boast about Jesus. About his amazing grace. About his extravagant love. About the beauty of his redemption. About the glory of the cross. Jesus is the only one worthy to be boasted about.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Road Through Ephesus... Saving Gift Ephesians 2:8
I love fall. I love the colors, the coolness in the air, and the bonfires. When the weather starts to turn a little cooler and I can wear my jeans and sweatshirts, I fall into an instant good mood. Summer's funa and all, but nothing beats fall. I realize that I haven't posted on the Ephesians portion of this blog for awhile now. I still don't have my laptop back, and it just meant that I had to set up everything again when I finally got a loaner laptop (they had already had my computer for 4 weeks at that point... it'll be 6 this Saturday). But, I am back, for now at least (this loaner seems to be rather tempermental at times).
So without further ado, let's jump back into Ephesisans 2!
Ephesisans 2:8
"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God."
Allow this verse to penetrate the walls of your heart. Let it resonate within you. This is what our realtionship with God really all comes down to. "God saved..." Really you could stop the verse there and be done. It pretty much sums everything up and it's a complete sentence. Because that's really what's important here... "God saved..." I love that this verse starts with what God does. I love that it could technically end there too, but it doesn't. God explains. Because, let's face it, us humans can be down right dense at times. Sometimes it takes reiteration of the point for it to sink in (and even then it can take us awhile to grasp it). And since I love to look at synonoms to further understand, check this out: God rescued, God delivered, God redeemed, God reclaimed, God restored, God bailed out, God liberated, God unshackeled, God salvaged, God saved... Wow. The picture that all those words together paints is breath-taking. Do you see it? Is your heart as enthralled as mine is?
What makes my heart beat even faster is the who he did this for... now add the next word of the verse onto all those synonoms for saved: God resuced YOU, God delivered YOU, God redeemed YOU, God reclaimed YOU, God restored YOU, God bailed out YOU, God liberated YOU, God unshackeled YOU, God salvaged YOU. Doesn't that make your heart beat just a little bit faster with the knowledge of how much God loves you?
The last part of this verse makes me aboslutely giddy: "...it is a gift from God." I don't know about you, but I love gifts. Birthday gifts (which is happening soon), Christmas gifts, gifts for absolutely no particular reason... I love them all. And I don't know about you, but usually I only give gifts to people I really care about. If you're not that important to me, you usually don't get a gift (as always there are exceptions). But think about God's gift in that light. You are important to God, so he gave you this gift of salvation. Wow.
But what are you doing with this gift he's given you? What am I doing with this gift he's given me? Am I living my life as if I have been given a precious and priceless treasure (which I have been)? Or do I treat it like the kid who opens up underwear on Christmas morning? Do we treasure this gift or do we let it sit in the top of our closets for years because we feel we have no use for it?
Sadly, too often, I think that I take this gift for granted. I don't live like the gift I've been given is precious to me. Too often I live my life on my terms without regard to the gift that God has given me.
What about you? How are you living? This week, together, let's live with a constant gratitude for the gift God has given.
So without further ado, let's jump back into Ephesisans 2!
Ephesisans 2:8
"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God."
Allow this verse to penetrate the walls of your heart. Let it resonate within you. This is what our realtionship with God really all comes down to. "God saved..." Really you could stop the verse there and be done. It pretty much sums everything up and it's a complete sentence. Because that's really what's important here... "God saved..." I love that this verse starts with what God does. I love that it could technically end there too, but it doesn't. God explains. Because, let's face it, us humans can be down right dense at times. Sometimes it takes reiteration of the point for it to sink in (and even then it can take us awhile to grasp it). And since I love to look at synonoms to further understand, check this out: God rescued, God delivered, God redeemed, God reclaimed, God restored, God bailed out, God liberated, God unshackeled, God salvaged, God saved... Wow. The picture that all those words together paints is breath-taking. Do you see it? Is your heart as enthralled as mine is?
What makes my heart beat even faster is the who he did this for... now add the next word of the verse onto all those synonoms for saved: God resuced YOU, God delivered YOU, God redeemed YOU, God reclaimed YOU, God restored YOU, God bailed out YOU, God liberated YOU, God unshackeled YOU, God salvaged YOU. Doesn't that make your heart beat just a little bit faster with the knowledge of how much God loves you?
The last part of this verse makes me aboslutely giddy: "...it is a gift from God." I don't know about you, but I love gifts. Birthday gifts (which is happening soon), Christmas gifts, gifts for absolutely no particular reason... I love them all. And I don't know about you, but usually I only give gifts to people I really care about. If you're not that important to me, you usually don't get a gift (as always there are exceptions). But think about God's gift in that light. You are important to God, so he gave you this gift of salvation. Wow.
But what are you doing with this gift he's given you? What am I doing with this gift he's given me? Am I living my life as if I have been given a precious and priceless treasure (which I have been)? Or do I treat it like the kid who opens up underwear on Christmas morning? Do we treasure this gift or do we let it sit in the top of our closets for years because we feel we have no use for it?
Sadly, too often, I think that I take this gift for granted. I don't live like the gift I've been given is precious to me. Too often I live my life on my terms without regard to the gift that God has given me.
What about you? How are you living? This week, together, let's live with a constant gratitude for the gift God has given.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Life...
I haven't had a computer for the past few weeks because it's been in for repairs. It's still in for repairs, but they finally gave me a loaner after my dad called and yelled at them :-) So when I finally get my computer back the repair shop will have had it longer than I did. This is sad. Very sad.
My thoughts have been all jumbled up for the past few weeks. I can't process without writing. And it's way easier to type than to write by hand, though I have resorted to that a few times to keep from screaming. So, now here I am. Hands on the keyboard. Processing emotions. Processing life. Hanging on to my sanity. I have missed this. Tonight I just have the urge to write. I feel like if I don't, I'll explode. And I don't have time to do that since I have to work tomorrow.
Since I haven't had a computer for the last four weeks, this post might be totally and completely random. Deal with it.
I went home this past weekend. It was Heritage's Grand Opening service. And it was amazing. There are seriously no words to describe what God is doing through and in that church. I miss it so much. I think when I came back to Indiana, I left part of my heart in Michigan. I wanted to minister there with everyone else and see what God is doing there. I want to be a part of it in the day to dayness of it all. So coming back to Indiana was hard. But then, on my way home, I saw the coolest thing. And it had God's fingerprints literally all over it. I was driving along and had made it to about the Michigan Indiana border when it started raining a bit. But then, I just glance over to my left and I see a rainbow. I was so excited about that! But as I continued driving the rainbow became stronger and stronger. It was literally the brightest, most vibrant rainbow I have ever seen. And then the second one appeared. Yes, it was a double rainbow! And you could at one point see the whole span of the first rainbow. I have never seen anything like it. It was God telling me that it was okay. He understood where my heart wanted to be, but his promises were still good in Indiana and that's where he has placed me for now. It was awesome.
Then I was about a half hour out from my Indiana home when I got a call from my aunt telling me that her friend's son wanted to know if I wanted to go to a college group with him to meet some people. It would start about the time I would get back. Now normally I would have said no, I needed some time to relax and recoup before work the next day. Instead, before I really had time to process what I was doing, I said yes. I hung up the phone wondering what I had just done. I had gotten up early for church and had been driving for several hours, I really did not think I had the energy to go to this event, but now I was committed. Well, I just have to tell you that I am so glad I did. I met some really cool people who wanted to get to know me. I felt like I fit with this group, like I belonged. I felt like I had come home. It was wonderful. Even if I didn't get home until 11 and I think my hair still might smell like bonfire smoke. It was worth it.
My great great aunt is in the hospital. They've given her less than 24 hours to live at this point. Her blood pressure is so low that they can't even get a reading on it when they tried to take it. She's almost 92 years old and an amazing woman of faith. Part of my heart is just breaking over this news. Another part is happy that she won't be in any more pain, that she'll see her husband again, and that she'll see Jesus face to face. But my heart hurts at the same time for the fact that we won't be seeing her for much longer. I remember cooking with her up at her cottage. I helped her and my great grandma (her sister) make fried chicken... and let me tell you, it was the best chicken I have ever had!
I'm working through emotions and what seems to be coming in the near future. And then I'm working through the daily emotions I have. Working with these high school students on a daily basis makes my heart break and rejoice all at the same time. It breaks for what these kids are going through and that they don't know Jesus. It rejoices over small victories: relationship building with them and good test grades. I never thought I would say this, but I think these students have stolen my heart. And that makes the pain and joy all the greater.
Sadly, I have to sign off for now, because my loaner computer is about to die. But I promise it won't be this long again before I write again.
My thoughts have been all jumbled up for the past few weeks. I can't process without writing. And it's way easier to type than to write by hand, though I have resorted to that a few times to keep from screaming. So, now here I am. Hands on the keyboard. Processing emotions. Processing life. Hanging on to my sanity. I have missed this. Tonight I just have the urge to write. I feel like if I don't, I'll explode. And I don't have time to do that since I have to work tomorrow.
Since I haven't had a computer for the last four weeks, this post might be totally and completely random. Deal with it.
I went home this past weekend. It was Heritage's Grand Opening service. And it was amazing. There are seriously no words to describe what God is doing through and in that church. I miss it so much. I think when I came back to Indiana, I left part of my heart in Michigan. I wanted to minister there with everyone else and see what God is doing there. I want to be a part of it in the day to dayness of it all. So coming back to Indiana was hard. But then, on my way home, I saw the coolest thing. And it had God's fingerprints literally all over it. I was driving along and had made it to about the Michigan Indiana border when it started raining a bit. But then, I just glance over to my left and I see a rainbow. I was so excited about that! But as I continued driving the rainbow became stronger and stronger. It was literally the brightest, most vibrant rainbow I have ever seen. And then the second one appeared. Yes, it was a double rainbow! And you could at one point see the whole span of the first rainbow. I have never seen anything like it. It was God telling me that it was okay. He understood where my heart wanted to be, but his promises were still good in Indiana and that's where he has placed me for now. It was awesome.
Then I was about a half hour out from my Indiana home when I got a call from my aunt telling me that her friend's son wanted to know if I wanted to go to a college group with him to meet some people. It would start about the time I would get back. Now normally I would have said no, I needed some time to relax and recoup before work the next day. Instead, before I really had time to process what I was doing, I said yes. I hung up the phone wondering what I had just done. I had gotten up early for church and had been driving for several hours, I really did not think I had the energy to go to this event, but now I was committed. Well, I just have to tell you that I am so glad I did. I met some really cool people who wanted to get to know me. I felt like I fit with this group, like I belonged. I felt like I had come home. It was wonderful. Even if I didn't get home until 11 and I think my hair still might smell like bonfire smoke. It was worth it.
My great great aunt is in the hospital. They've given her less than 24 hours to live at this point. Her blood pressure is so low that they can't even get a reading on it when they tried to take it. She's almost 92 years old and an amazing woman of faith. Part of my heart is just breaking over this news. Another part is happy that she won't be in any more pain, that she'll see her husband again, and that she'll see Jesus face to face. But my heart hurts at the same time for the fact that we won't be seeing her for much longer. I remember cooking with her up at her cottage. I helped her and my great grandma (her sister) make fried chicken... and let me tell you, it was the best chicken I have ever had!
I'm working through emotions and what seems to be coming in the near future. And then I'm working through the daily emotions I have. Working with these high school students on a daily basis makes my heart break and rejoice all at the same time. It breaks for what these kids are going through and that they don't know Jesus. It rejoices over small victories: relationship building with them and good test grades. I never thought I would say this, but I think these students have stolen my heart. And that makes the pain and joy all the greater.
Sadly, I have to sign off for now, because my loaner computer is about to die. But I promise it won't be this long again before I write again.
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