Hello my lovelies!
I'll be honest. I have tried to start (or thought about starting) at least four different blog posts. I started writing one for last week and never got to finishing what I'd started. I have been so busy. And the issue is that I have gotten to the point where I'm so busy I don't feel like I'm getting anything done; like I'm being productive. I have letters to write, videos to throw together because I said I'd do them, books to read, items to sew, blog posts to write, shopping to do, work to do, chores around the house...... Do I really need to say more?
When I get to feeling like I have one thing under wraps, four other things pop up, wave their hands and say, "Yoo hoo, you forgot something!" All I want is to live with purpose. So why do I feel like I'm on a treadmill?
Sincerely, this is usually where I'd go into the answer and some uplifting message about "If you fix ____ everything will work out!"but right now, I'm caught up in it. For those of you who've spent a decent amount of time at the beach you probably know the feeling. Getting knocked off your feet by the ocean current is scary. Once in it, there is quite literally nothing you can do but wait the wave out. But in the middle of that moment, your body panics and starts to flail around desperately seeking to save itself and put itself upright. The danger with that is you can lose sight of which way is up and end up drowning.
With everything that I am, I want to keep working. To keep flailing around hoping that I can catch a grip on something to help steady me. But the issue is I'm almost certain I'll catch a grip on the wrong thing. I feel like the "easy" answer is to wait it out, but in practice I don't know that I can afford to just sit and wait. More often than not, nothing ever happens for a passive person; they're too afraid to be bold so they sit and twiddle their thumbs until something happens. I can't live that way. But being proactive has put me in a situation where I feel like I can't manage what's on my plate.
I am in need of guidance and prayer. To whoever is reading my words, I'd be greatly appreciative of advice. I love you sisters, so much more than you know!
God bless,
Kat
“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” C.S. Lewis
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Monday, June 9, 2014
Mission: Possible -Mia
Hi friends!
I hope you’ve been having a great start to the summer! I just- literally a few hours ago- got home from a mission trip to Anguilla (in the British West Indies), and even though I’m exhausted (going through airport security and immigration three times in a day will do that to you), the trip was well worth it. I can’t even tell you how spiritually uplifting it was just for us on the mission team- and we weren’t even the ones being evangelized! If you’ve never been on a mission trip, I definitely recommend it! This trip was honestly one of the best things I have ever done. It’s utterly amazing how many friendly and welcoming people you can meet- especially in the Caribbean. Everyone says hello, even to random foreigners, and everyone is smiling almost all the time. The whole time I was there, I never met a stranger.
And you know what the best part of it was? No one was afraid to talk about the Bible. Even the non-Christians on the island would discuss spiritual matters freely- in fact, they liked it! Of course, they would talk about anything else just as freely, but the Bible was not a topic to be avoided. Sisters, that amazes me. And the fact that it is so amazing strikes me as very sad.
Why aren’t we the same way? I’m this way often too- we want to talk about almost anything but God’s Word. We can discuss TV shows or music or basketball all day long, but we tend to change the subject when someone brings up the Scriptures. Now, I know we can’t talk about the Bible all the time and never speak of anything else, but why do we get so nervous in Biblical discussions?
Oftentimes, it’s not because we’re trying to hide our Christianity. In Matthew 10:32, we are told to proclaim Jesus before men in order for Him to proclaim us before the Father. If someone asked you if you were a Christian, you would most likely confidently respond “yes” right away. We’re all pretty proud of our Christianity, ladies; I don’t think that’s the problem. So what is the problem?
Are we afraid of being rejected by our friends? I’ll be frank here- if they hate the very idea of your being a Christian, then they aren’t worth your friendship. But chances are, even if they aren’t a Christian themselves, they’re probably okay with at least tolerating the fact that you are. And we know that, sisters.
Are we afraid that we don’t know enough to answer any questions our friends might have? We have Google at our fingertips. Even if we don’t know the answer and can’t find someone who does, we can pull out our phone and have the answer within minutes. Again, I don’t believe that’s the issue.
Now, I may be wrong about this, but I think it’s just because we never know how to work the Bible into everyday discussion. The Bible is a serious subject, and most of the time, we don’t have serious conversations with our friends. We have light, funny, casual conversations, and it’s very hard to transfer from silly to sober. That’s a very awkward transition, and maybe sometimes (I’ve been guilty of this myself) we might be worried we will bore our friends. Humor and silliness is entertaining, and sometimes seriousness can definitely take some of the excitement away.
But the Bible is anything but boring, sisters! When you think about it, the Bible has everything a good obsess-worthy book or movie has! You want action? Check out the accounts of Joshua, Samson, or the judge Ehud. King David himself spent a lot of time in battle! You like romance? Ever heard of the story of Ruth? Is drama your style? The story of David and Bathsheba is soap-opera worthy. Do you like the inspirational stories about rising from the bottom to the top? Check out the story of Joseph. There are so many different topics covered, and they most certainly ARE NOT BORING!
The thing is, we keep waiting for the right time to introduce the Bible into the conversation. And usually, the more we wait, the farther away the conversation gets from the Bible. When it comes to the Bible, we should never wait, sisters. With anything Spiritual, the right time is always RIGHT NOW. Whether it’s talking to your friends about the Bible or getting baptized, the longer we wait, the harder it is to do. The “right time” rarely comes on its own.
We don’t know how much time we have left, ladies. If we just keep waiting, we may miss the many opportunities we already have. The Bible is more important than all of the other subjects to talk about out there, and it’s urgent to get the Word out. I know we are often busy and rushing from place to place, and if we do it right, conversations about the Bible are deep and long. But we should always make time for the Bible, sisters.
That’s the thing about the islands. The people there always have time for the Bible, and they understand that the Scriptures are important enough to replace other conversation. We shouldn’t mind to talk about the Bible instead of other things. The conversation may be longer and not as light or casual, but it may be the most important conversation you’ll ever have.
This week, let’s not be afraid to shift the conversation to Christ. You can stop waiting for the right time- it’s here; it’s now!
Just keep calm and jump in!
Mia
Monday, June 2, 2014
Character Sketches with Kat: Philemon and Onesimus
Dearest sisters,
Have you ever wronged someone? I'm not talking a petty wrong-doing either. I'm talking, you did something really awful that hurt someone very much. Maybe you stole something of value, maybe you skipped out on something you were going to be responsible for, maybe you cheated someone out of something. No matter what it was, I'm sure you know the feeling of regret that goes along with it. That feeling you carry, knowing you were in the wrong and you did something you shouldn't have.
I know that when it is myself, I become so ashamed! I will do a lot to avoid having to come out and apologize to the person (which is not at all something I'm advocating..). Sometimes, it seems like it hurts more to bring it up and make things right, than it does to sweep it under the rug and forget about the problem. And if you're anything like me, you know what it's like for someone to step in and help you take responsibility. For me, it's usually one of my parents. They don't hold my hand, but they do a lot to help me take responsibility for my actions. They encourage me to set things straight, and if it's a situation really bad, they will often talk to someone on my behalf and remind that person of how good of a person I really am.
You see, we all make mistakes sometimes. It's a part of growing up. It is impossible to grow up without trying to do things on your own. When you try to do things on your own, you will inevitably have to make a difficult decision and you will (again, inevitably) make the wrong decision at some point or another. And sometimes, we need other people to step in for us to clean up the mess. We don't need to rely on other people, but in some situations we do need help to pick ourselves up and set things straight.
In the book of Philemon Paul is the one "helping a brother out," quite literally. Paul praises Philemon for his "love and faith..toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints," (Philemon 5 NKJV) and personally, I think Paul was trying to remind Philemon who he was as a Christian. Sometimes when we have to make a difficult decision we need a reminder that we are Christians to ensure we will make the best decision for bringing all glory to God.
After Paul butters Philemon up a little bit, he drops the metaphorical bombshell. "I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains.." (Philemon 10 NKJV). Based on the rest of the book of Philemon we know that Onesimus was a slave of Philemon's. Onesimus ran away from Philemon in order to work with Paul. Paul was unaware of that, but once made aware, he wanted to set things straight- he encouraged Onesimus to return to Philemon. At the same time, Paul encouraged Philemon to make the best decision possible. Paul told Philemon that Onesimus had been a strong influence on the church. He pleaded with Philemon to allow Onesimus to continue his work.
Paul doesn't ask for Onesimus to be let off completely debt free if the situation did not call for that. Paul admits to not knowing the full situation, but hear what he has to say to Philemon: "If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account" (v 17-18 NKJV). Paul knew that Onesimus needed to face the consequences for his actions, but at the same time, Paul knew Onesimus' worth and was willing to go out on a limb for his brother. There are so many different things to learn from this story. I will try to keep this brief!
1) We should strive to be like Paul. Paul saw the good in his brother and he also saw the bad. He did not label Onesimus based on the wrong he had done, but he did not simply let it be either. He encouraged Onesimus to set things straight. Paul also recognized his influence on the situation and strived to keep peace. He used the influence he had to help both Onesimus and Philemon.
2) We should strive to be like Onesimus. Like I said, as we all grow up (even if "growing up" takes place well into our 80's..) we will inevitably be faced with difficult decisions and we will not always make the right decision. We are too beautifully flawed to make the right decisions every time. But we should be listening to our elders and we should allow them to talk sense into us from time to time. We need encouragement or guidance to make the right decisions or make the wrong situations right. We can't be indifferent!
3) We should be willing to hear people out. I don't know the end of this story with Philemon and Onesimus but I do know that as a Christian, I am always striving to hear people out. Trust me when I say how difficult it is to hear out the girl who blatantly defamed you to her friends. It's difficult to hear out the guy who mistreated you or played you. But isn't that what we're called to do? I can almost guarantee it was hard for Philemon to forgive Onesimus for running away. But I have a feeling that Philemon knew his duty as a Christian would be to give Onesimus the same love and forgiveness that had first been given to himself by Christ Jesus.
Ladies, I have had such a wonderful week and I pray you all have too! Please, as always, feel free to leave a comment for either me (Kat) or Mia!
God bless you all this week!
Kat
"For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you" Philemon 7 ESV.
Have you ever wronged someone? I'm not talking a petty wrong-doing either. I'm talking, you did something really awful that hurt someone very much. Maybe you stole something of value, maybe you skipped out on something you were going to be responsible for, maybe you cheated someone out of something. No matter what it was, I'm sure you know the feeling of regret that goes along with it. That feeling you carry, knowing you were in the wrong and you did something you shouldn't have.
I know that when it is myself, I become so ashamed! I will do a lot to avoid having to come out and apologize to the person (which is not at all something I'm advocating..). Sometimes, it seems like it hurts more to bring it up and make things right, than it does to sweep it under the rug and forget about the problem. And if you're anything like me, you know what it's like for someone to step in and help you take responsibility. For me, it's usually one of my parents. They don't hold my hand, but they do a lot to help me take responsibility for my actions. They encourage me to set things straight, and if it's a situation really bad, they will often talk to someone on my behalf and remind that person of how good of a person I really am.
You see, we all make mistakes sometimes. It's a part of growing up. It is impossible to grow up without trying to do things on your own. When you try to do things on your own, you will inevitably have to make a difficult decision and you will (again, inevitably) make the wrong decision at some point or another. And sometimes, we need other people to step in for us to clean up the mess. We don't need to rely on other people, but in some situations we do need help to pick ourselves up and set things straight.
In the book of Philemon Paul is the one "helping a brother out," quite literally. Paul praises Philemon for his "love and faith..toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints," (Philemon 5 NKJV) and personally, I think Paul was trying to remind Philemon who he was as a Christian. Sometimes when we have to make a difficult decision we need a reminder that we are Christians to ensure we will make the best decision for bringing all glory to God.
After Paul butters Philemon up a little bit, he drops the metaphorical bombshell. "I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains.." (Philemon 10 NKJV). Based on the rest of the book of Philemon we know that Onesimus was a slave of Philemon's. Onesimus ran away from Philemon in order to work with Paul. Paul was unaware of that, but once made aware, he wanted to set things straight- he encouraged Onesimus to return to Philemon. At the same time, Paul encouraged Philemon to make the best decision possible. Paul told Philemon that Onesimus had been a strong influence on the church. He pleaded with Philemon to allow Onesimus to continue his work.
Paul doesn't ask for Onesimus to be let off completely debt free if the situation did not call for that. Paul admits to not knowing the full situation, but hear what he has to say to Philemon: "If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account" (v 17-18 NKJV). Paul knew that Onesimus needed to face the consequences for his actions, but at the same time, Paul knew Onesimus' worth and was willing to go out on a limb for his brother. There are so many different things to learn from this story. I will try to keep this brief!
1) We should strive to be like Paul. Paul saw the good in his brother and he also saw the bad. He did not label Onesimus based on the wrong he had done, but he did not simply let it be either. He encouraged Onesimus to set things straight. Paul also recognized his influence on the situation and strived to keep peace. He used the influence he had to help both Onesimus and Philemon.
2) We should strive to be like Onesimus. Like I said, as we all grow up (even if "growing up" takes place well into our 80's..) we will inevitably be faced with difficult decisions and we will not always make the right decision. We are too beautifully flawed to make the right decisions every time. But we should be listening to our elders and we should allow them to talk sense into us from time to time. We need encouragement or guidance to make the right decisions or make the wrong situations right. We can't be indifferent!
3) We should be willing to hear people out. I don't know the end of this story with Philemon and Onesimus but I do know that as a Christian, I am always striving to hear people out. Trust me when I say how difficult it is to hear out the girl who blatantly defamed you to her friends. It's difficult to hear out the guy who mistreated you or played you. But isn't that what we're called to do? I can almost guarantee it was hard for Philemon to forgive Onesimus for running away. But I have a feeling that Philemon knew his duty as a Christian would be to give Onesimus the same love and forgiveness that had first been given to himself by Christ Jesus.
Ladies, I have had such a wonderful week and I pray you all have too! Please, as always, feel free to leave a comment for either me (Kat) or Mia!
God bless you all this week!
Kat
"For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you" Philemon 7 ESV.
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