My Passion: Good News Club

Several years ago I felt that God was calling me to surrender to full-time service...but I don't really know what He has planned for me yet. I'm trying to rest in the fact that surrender is my part and He will lead me every step of the way. It's hard waiting though...being Ready for Anything is difficult. The journeys He takes us on are sometimes dangerous and exciting, but they are always fulfilling.

I've been working with other staff at a Good News Club for nearly two years now. If a kid is in a title one school it generally means that their family is very poor. Many of them come from broken homes or they live with only one of their parents. I've heard a lot of really sad stories in my time there. The kids are very needy of someone steady, constant to love them as they are in their lives.

We go in every-other Friday afternoon for three hours and teach Bible stories, take prayer requests, sing songs, eat snacks, play games, learn memory verses, hear missions stories, and give a full blown invitation every time--all right in the public school building. It's an amazing outreach that I'm so blessed to be involved! Good News Club is a ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship. God has saved around 50 kids there in the last year and a half. :) It is amazing to see the work God is doing in this school. It's the most exciting thing I've ever done! Talking to kids about God and telling them about His amazing love for them and seeing them grasp the weight of their sin and His suffering for them is the greatest blessing in the world. God has given me the opportunity to counsel several children throughout this year leading seven or eight to Him and answering questions about baptism and name calling too.

The kids come consistantly and participate heartily showing that they enjoy Club. They don't come just for the little debbie cake, juice box, and game...they come because they want to know Christ. These children are thirsty for the Word of God. Please join me in prayer for them!

I love working with kids, and I think God wants me to become a teacher in a title one school! Through Good News Club I have realized that Public Schooling will always be around (unless we re-write the U.S. Constitution) and Christians might as well make it the best place possible for those dear children and their parents. I'm thinking after I graduate next year I'll start at a college close by to earn a teaching degree! I'm really excited! Even though talking about God in the class-room is illegal loving children and being a constant figure in their lives is not. I would encourage you to find out if there is a Good News Club you can become involved in, in your community. Check out CEF's website (www.cefonline.com) to find a Club near you. God is at work through this ministry. Leading kids to Christ is the most exciting and fulfilling thing I've ever done. I can't wait to see what all God does in hearts and lives in the school system.

To Whom Should We Be True?

Happiness, sadness, anger, fear, love . . . . these are feelings that all humans experience at some point in their lives. Emotions can be depended on too much or too little. We also need to rely on instincts. Beyond that we must remember that instincts and emotions are unreliable and we should rely on God for guidance as well. In his statement, "Above all else, to thine own self be true," William Shakespeare hints at an important balance that must be made in life: using God-given instincts and emotions as well as relying on God for guidance.

It is true that our culture emphasizes feelings, only, for the basis of making decisions. This fact makes balance difficult to reach. Also, ambitions and interests are formed from strong emotions. It is clear that emotions, and instincts, are important, but by themselves, both can be unreliable.

Instincts are important for avoiding danger. If children had no instincts, there would be no end to burnt fingers. Instead, after the first encounters, little voices inside advise against touching the stove again. We call these instincts. They make people recoil in fear at the sight of a snake or bear, or avoid running out in front of cars. They fuel our desire for love and comfort. Instincts are an underestimated and crucial part of life. They are not to be ignored but also not to be placed in importance above all else.

Emotions can help us connect with life. Interests and emotions fuel desires to spend time or money on a project. Although emotions are critical to understanding our interests they are also unstable. Yet, as humans, we use our emotions as a basis for life decisions: what car to buy, what school to attend, who to go out with, and more. We decide almost everything by how it makes us feel, happy or sad. We forget that life is not all about being happy. It is about serving and growing closer to God. It requires storms, sad times, and unpleasant circumstances to live life and also get to the indescribably joyous ending at His side. Emotions should not run our lives, but they should not be absent either.

Christians have a third and perfect source of guidance: the Holy Spirit. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, He gave every Christian a special gift of a perfect Friend, Guide, and Helper. In John 14:26 Jesus told his disciples: "...the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." This third Person of the Trinity indwells Christians and turns weakness into perfection. Christians should make communication with Him key in their decision-making process.

When William Shakespeare said: "Above all else, to thine own self be true," he hinted at an important issue. Although emotions and instincts can be given too high of an importance in our lives, they are important to help us connect to life and avoid danger. In addition, Christians are subject to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When we allow God to rule and reign, the perfect balance between the three will be reached.

Quotes =)

I love basically any kind of quote. :) They inspire me, teach me, stick with me, and make me laugh. :) Here are some of my current favorites.

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell." ~ C.S. Lewis

"There is no end to the things you can accomplish if you don't care who gets the credit." ~ Author Unknown

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” ~ Dr. Seuss

"Live every day as if it's your last, because one day you'll be right."

"Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there."

"The important thing is this:  To be able at any moment to sacrifice that which we are for what we could become." ~Charles DuBois

"Giving up doesn't always mean you are weak.  Sometimes it means that you are strong enough to let go." ~Author Unknown

"The future lies before you, like paths of pure white snow.  Be careful how you tread it, for every step will show." ~Author Unknown

"The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you are afraid to do."  ~Author Unknown

"It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not."  ~Author Unknown

"If my life is once surrendered, all is well. Let me not grab it back, as though it were in peril in His hand but would be safe in mine! Today is mine. Tomorrow is none of my business. If I peer anxiously into the fog of the future, I will strain my spiritual eyes so that I will not see clearly what is required of me now." ~Elisabeth Elliot

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.” ~ Dr. Seuss

I hope you liked at least one of these, if you didn't, please don't hate me for this post. ;)

Time...

Does what we do with our time really matter? Are adults serious when they reflect on the time gone by and urge us to not waste our youth? How much does time really matter? Time is a gift from God that we should use responsibly: serving, leading, making an impact, and getting to know our Creator.

The world will try to tell us that what we do doesn't really matter that much. They say we have our whole life before us and we should just be happy, and have fun. They also tell us that since we are young we should wait to have an impact on society. Young people get stuck in a man-made time called "teenage-years" where there are little or no expectations of them. Although, we do have all the days God gives us before us, if we flitter the days away doing nothing of real value we are not being good stewards of God's blessings.

Life is for service. Service to our parents, siblings, friends, peers, authorities, and most importantly God. Exalting others, putting yourself lower than them and acting as their slave is one way to serve. We should choose to become less so they can be more. Honor, respect, initiative, and servant-hood could be synonymous to service. The Bible says that those who serve will be exalted in Heaven: "But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first." Matthew 19:30

My Mom has always told me and my siblings from the time we were very young that if she couldn't trust us with the small things, she couldn't trust us with the bigger things. This is true of service and leadership. If I can't be content with helping by taking out the trash, then I will never be truly content with leading or being in charge of big jobs. Seeing ourselves as key parts of a bigger plan and learning to do without the spotlight are huge lessons on the path of learning to lead.

God wants to spend time with us. We can learn so much by praying to our Heavenly Father. He wants us to cry out to Him in our distress, call to Him for wisdom, lean on Him when we need a friend, let Him lead us, read His Word, and seek to know Him with our whole hearts. "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13 Knowing God is like any other relationship. It requires communication, trust, and love. James 4:8 says: "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." We have a promise that God is willing and waiting for us to know Him, but we must seek Him out.

These are just a few ways we can use our time responsibly. Learning to serve, lead, make an impact, and know God are all my goals. May I challenge you to make them yours?