Driving up, I had no idea what to expect. I had heard stories and have had similar experiences in Lakeland, but never here. No, this was different. Very different. Our caravan of three vehicles arrived to the welfare motels and within just a few minutes, people were coming to us getting their bag of groceries and a hot meal. These people cannot afford to pay rent, utilities, electric, and buy necessity items each month. They have to choose which one they want each month. Priorities…ones I often don’t even think about. I have three meals a day. I don’t worry about it. I have a job, but I also have a home. I have I have I have. These people do not have…

I was humbled by their lives. Reminded once more of what God has given me. Reminded once more of the opportunity and life of privilege I have. But with that which has been given me, I need to give. God has provided me with so much, and I am a glutton [of whatever] if I am not being a good steward of my time, money, talents, etc. Today was an opportunity to do just that, and I am glad for having done so. I am glad that simply grocery bags, mac & cheese, juice boxes, and cookies were the very things that brought me to my place, reminding me of God’s grace in my life.

If you don’t have things in life that inspire you… you clearly aren’t looking at all…

We should dream.

We should dance.

We should move forward no matter what.

Be you.

Even in the smallest bug or plant, there is life.

Breath.

Nature and this creation.

God.

There are friendships worthy fighting for.

It is worth living.

Embrace every moment.

LIFE SHOULD INSPIRE!

“This is our last song. I thank you guys so much for hanging out with us tonight. We want to tell you that you’re beautiful and that we love you, and that no matter who you are, or what you believe, or what you do, or what you’ve done, that God loves you too.”
[pre-speech before they sang this]

I have been back in New Jersey now for about 5 months now. I have a new job, new church, new friendships, new gym, new car. Everything in my life is new (for the most part). I have to say that life is pretty good right now. It is not my ideal situation nor is it my dream situation. I am still in this time of transition, slowly becoming a completely independent adult, no longer in college, having to deal with the everyday struggles of the real world. Part of that includes putting my dreams and desires on hold. I am not embittered by my life’s situation, but I do recognize that there is much more ahead of me. More hikes, more travels, more adventures, more people to meet, more stories to hear, more of life to experience.

That is my desire. I know that I will get that chance, but I know that right now I am meant- destined- to be here exactly where I am. I am actually becoming content and excited about the here and now of my life. I am so many ideas and visions for what I can be doing to bring tangible influence to this area- to my city and state. To my home, New Jersey. For the longest time I wondered why I’ve struggled with areas of leadership and realized this: I did not have the right people working along side me. Now, as I plan various activities and events, I am not alone. We dream together. We plan together. We push our vision to reality…to possibility, beyond just a thought. It is exciting to know that dreams I have don’t actually have to wait. Some actually can happen now.

I know these are just random thoughts of a young youth pastor, but I enjoy sharing my life with others. Life is never meant to be done alone, without companionship and/or friendship. We cannot even enter this world without the help of others. How dare we think we can daily live without others. So here I am, finally, realizing the potential for right here and now largely because I realized I am surrounded by other passionate, motivated people that will be a catalyst for change and influence. We actually can change the world…

For the past year I have had this crazy desire to want to wear high heels and get pedicures. Now I am not the mostly girly girl, however, I love wearing cute stilettos and high heels. I enjoy getting pedicures, not so much because of the color, but because of how relaxing they are to get.

But for the past year now, I have been unable to enjoy either. A year ago [on March 11th] I injured my right foot and ankle- tearing the ligament that runs from the inside of my foot up my calf. I love running, and I was finally released to start running again. I cannot get pedicures because they would basically be a waste of my money right now- my foot is still swollen and therefore looks stupid. I LOVE wearing high heels, but the pain is mostly unbearable any time I even have attempted at wearing them for an hour. I put myself through the brutal test of wearing heels at my sister’s wedding, but I regretted it the same day. It is not even about wearing high heels. Its about being able to wear any shoes period. For the most part, I have been limited to wearing sneakers and TOMS Shoes.

{Check out toms.com for more info}

My point is that for a year, in retrospect, I have been dealing with a challenge. It only affects me. Not you. However, you face your own challenges. For this past year I have had to make sacrifices, change some areas of my lifestyle, and be diligent with my recovery ( physical therapy and stretching). A year later and I am still dealing with my recovery, but if I had not been diligent with my part of the healing process, working my best in the ways I actually could, my foot would have actually gotten worse and probably needed surgery by now.

As an active individual and an athlete, I cannot ignore this injury nor can I pretend it doesn’t affect the rest of my life, including my faith. This is something I have had to deal with for a year; a circumstance that I have had to be patient with even if I hated it. It is a process and not immediate recovery. Often in our lives we see struggle, pain, frustration, whether physical, spiritual, personal, whatever else…and most times we want immediate results. However, most of the time, that never happens. We have to be patient with our circumstances and work the best of our ability in it. In spite of our situations we face, we must trust God to give us strength to get through it. In spite of our desires that are on hold or have even been taken away, God can and will get us through whatever we face. This injury has taught me so much about reliance on God. It is by his grace and strength that I have been able to deal with a constant pain in my foot. It is by his patience I have been able to deal with swelling in my foot where I have to wear shoes larger than my normal foot size.

It may seem dumb to compare my foot injury to my relationship with God, but it is what makes sense to me. It has been what makes me realize who God has been and will be in my life. Whatever you face, whatever your struggle, big or small, God is with you. For me, I wait patiently for my God relying on his strength and my healing, however slow it might be. But one day, eventually, I will be able to get a pedicure and wear my high heels again.

 

Here are notes from the third message from Tim Moen from retreat:

• Psalm 1:1-3
• Acts 4:13 …people recognized that Peter and John had been with Jesus- they were emboldened in their faith and their lives were evidence that they truly knew Jesus and lived by his teachings
• The same goes for YOU…it will be obvious if you are spending time with Jesus [i.e. praying and reading your Bible]
• Spend time in the Bible…
  reading your Bible not only helps you learn more about God it continually teaches you
• Spend time in prayer…
  speak to God about your life- HE WANTS TO HEAR YOU!
  be honest and open with him because he already knows everything but wants you to talk to him
  but also listen to him…in silence! [no distractions either!]
  James 1:9
• Spend time in Christian and Godly fellowship…
  be surrounded by those that will influence you to go to God
  “bad company corrupts good character” …be cautious of too much time spent with those that will influence you in the wrong direction –> away from God!
• GOD EXPECTS YOU TO BE FRUITFUL!
• If you don’t have “fruit” in your life …are you really a follower of Christ?
• “Fruit” is evidence in your life that is produced when you have a relationship with God
• Matthew 21:19 …when Jesus saw a fig tree [its purpose to bear fruit] that had no figs it withered
  –>we should never not have fruit in our lives because we should always continually grow in our relationship with God
  Don’t neglect your purpose [to bear fruit…i.e. do what God has called you to do]
• If you’re seeing growth, then keep doing what you’re doing. If not, it may be time to “transplant yourself”…change things in your life that are holding you back from more of God
• Ultimately when we desire to follow God, we need to let his Word, the Bible, be ROOTED deep within our hearts for continual growth

Here are some notes from Tim Moen’s message Saturday night at retreat:

• “walks not with…but delights in the Lord” [Psalm 1]
• Christians are different by definition- we take joy in the things of God and not the world [i.e. drugs, etc.]
• those that are in the Spirit have their minds on God… i.e. God has changed them and they desire to honor God with their lives which brings real life & peace! [referenced Romans 8:5-8]
• 2 Peter 1:3-4 [check it out!]… God has promises for you!
• Romans 8:37 …we are “more than conquerors” because God loves us and is beyond whatever your situation may be
• John 14:15-17 …God promises through Jesus his Holy Spirit to daily walk with us- this is not some ghost story but  a promise that God never leaves us, especially when things get tough!
• John 16:7 …Jesus promised the coming of the Holy Spirit but it could not come in fullness while he lived on earth
• Acts 1:8 …when we let the Holy Spirit work in our lives, we actually receive with it the power of God to move in and through our lives [the disciples did and actually changed the world!]
• Magnifying Glass Illustration:
  In the summer time, boys love to do this. They’d grab a magnifying glass and place it over a stick, then a leaf, then an ant. The heat from the sun was intensified when shown through the lens over the objects. The stick would smoke, the leaf would burn a whole through it, and then ant would get hot and probably move on. The point is that the Holy Spirit is like the magnifying glass. The leaf, stick and ant each existed  on their own but the heat of the sun was intensified with the lens… the power of God is intensified in our lives when we allow for the Spirit to move in us. We actually can become world changers!
• “I want the Holy Spirit to work in me in such a way that I actually can impact the world.”
• Jeremiah 23:28-29 …there is power in God’s word as described as “fire” and “hammer”
  –> in demolition, the same hammer is used in renovation and rebuilding….God’s power is the same
• Matthew 4:4 …we were never intended to be alone- God’s word is with us
• Here are some more great verses:
  Romans 10:17, Hebrews 4:12, John 15:17
• Story of failed potential: Football player Lawrence Philips
• Take away: God has purpose for every person, and everyone has potential for greatness and to be used by God. It is your choice to allow God to work in your life and unleash that potential and the promises that go with it.

Here are some thoughts on Tim Moen’s message Friday night at retreat:

• What are sucker shoots? …a vine or bud left unattended that slowly but surely sucks the life out of the tree
• When a tree has sucker shoots growing on it, it is guaranteed to die
• “How can I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” [Genesis 39:10]
  [read the whole story of Joseph in Genesis 39]
• Joseph chose to remain faithful to God above all else
• we too easily indulge in pleasing ourselves and that is what is hindering the world…Joseph did not indulge in self-pleasure
• What are things in your life that suck the life out of your spirit and spiritual life?
  YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ARE!
• How do we get rid of the sucker shoots in our lives?
• You never try to do this alone… get accountability from someone who can and will continue to help you
• Never neglect time with God- read your Bible and pray!
• Sucker shoots can and will rob Christians of God’s power working in their lives- GET RID OF THEM!
• Here are some verses you can check out:
  Matthew 10:38, 1 Corinthians 1:18, Philippians 3:17-21, Colossians 1:19-20,22
• Daily go to the foot of the cross…that is not literal but figurative of finding yourself in repentance [asking for forgiveness of all wrong-doing] before Jesus Christ
• The cross changes things…means choosing to please Jesus instead of our selves
• Example of someone that dealt with a “sucker shoot” in their life:
  Aaron Ralston was a hiker  that found himself pinned with his arm under a 1000 lb. boulder…after days of slowly dying, he finally made the hard decision to strive to live and do something. He pulled out his little pocket knife and slowly sawed through his arm- through muscles, ligaments, and eventually bone…the worst pain he said he felt was cutting through the nerve. Had he not cut off his arm he literally would have died. He hiked down a little bit and found other climbers that helped him to safety.
• As with Aaron Ralston, where do you find yourself? What are those things in your life that prevent any growth for God? What are those things that keep you pinned down in life rather than living a full life God has for you?
• Go to God and find others to keep you going!