Choose Peace

I get into tizzies a lot. Though the general population may not be aware of it all the time, my brain is a non-stop carousel of ideas/thoughts rising and falling to the rhythm of my life. I hate uncertainty; I love making plans.  I hate not knowing the “right” thing to do; I love having a clear answer to the questions in my life. While some people see transitional phases in their life as exciting and exhilarating, I find myself scrambling to get back into some semblance of a routine before I go crazy.

Matthew 11:28-30

The above passage was our camp theme verse a few years ago when I was camp director with Calvary, and ever since then the Lord has been working on my heart to show me that I do not find my rest in Him. I do not choose to enter into His peace. Especially in the past few weeks, I have really been convicted about resting in the Lord during these periods of uncertainty (that left to their own devices with have me curled up into a ball of anxiety).

There are a lot of moving parts to my life right now, a lot of uncertainty. But I think the Lord has me here on purpose. He wants to CHOOSE to enter into His peace. Not the “peace” that comes from knowing my plans for the future or having clear cut answers, but the peace that I willingly enter into even in the midst of uncertainty. The peace that only the Lord can give, because He is the only thing that is certain. In Him alone I will find lasting rest.

Thank you Lord for the blessing of uncertainty; help it to draw me closer to you. Give me the strength to choose Your peace instead of chasing after temporary things of this world. Remind me that my perspective is limited and yours is infinite. Make my desire be for you first and foremost. With eyes focused on You, even when my world is spinning there is a clear direction for my life. You. I love you, thank you for loving me through my lack of faith. I want to choose to enter into your peace and rest. Amen.

Advent

As I am writing this blog, this is the cup I am drinking out of… this was not an intentional choice. I promise.

Anyways…Church of the Redeemer, where I attend, is doing a blog throughout Advent. I volunteered to write a post for the blog, and then realized I didn't even know what Advent really was. For those of you in the same boat, here is a helpful video that our pastor sent out to us... check it out : )

Church Calendar/Advent video

Even after that (and a quick Wiki search) I am still not an expert on Advent, but based on what I know it is a period of time focused on preparation and waiting. Specifically Advent is anticipating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the birth of hope. Below is the blog post that I wrote for Redeemer, thought y'all might enjoy it as well. 

I think I live my life in a perpetual state of “advent”… preparing and waiting on the birth of my future… I am always looking forward; always anticipating the future and how I hope my life plays out. I love that the church calendar chooses this time of year to fix our eyes and hearts on the coming of Jesus because it is such a counter-cultural mindset to have. I am always striving for MY goals, trying to plan MY future, and attempting to impact the world with MY life.

Looking to Christmas, thinking of what it means to have Christ come down to earth to be with us, should take our eyes off of ourselves. It is not about finding the perfect gifts for our loved ones, receiving everything we put on our wish lists, or being invited to the most parties this holiday season. It is about preparing our hearts to celebrate our Savior taking on flesh for our sake and showing us what it means to live a life in perfect communication with the Lord.

As you finish (or start in my case) your Christmas shopping and decorate your homes, don’t let the spectacle of the season distract from where our eyes and hearts should remain fixed. This Christmas, join me in trying to think less about the stuff YOU have going on, and more about what Jesus did when he entered into the world. It sounds silly and childlike, but truly make this Advent season about celebrating Jesus’s birthday… letting Him know that you love and appreciate Him. Let’s make much of Christ and less of ourselves as we anticipate His birth and look to Him, instead of ourselves, for hope.

thanks for reading, love y'all.

Pay it Forward

One of the coolest things about being in close community with the fellows this year is being given opportunities to share in each others' passions. One huge way that we are doing this is by putting together a massive Thanksgiving dinner for anyone and everyone that wants to be a part of it. This idea was birthed out of a dream that Tripp (the fellows director) has to see the entire city of Greensboro breaking bread together to celebrate Thanksgiving. We are calling it “Pay it Forward” because we are hoping that those who are able will not only buy tickets for themselves, but also for others that cannot afford to pay for a ticket. We want to embody the love of Christ by reaching across cultural and socioeconomic boundaries to fellowship with the people in our community.

We are specifically partnering with:

 New Arrivals Institute, a non-profit that uses education to equip refuges and immigrants get assimilated into the US culture. http://www.newarrivalsinstitute.com/ 

Hope Academy, a school specifically geared to equip at-risk youth in Greensboro to alter the course of their future through education and the love of Christ. http://hopeacademygso.org/

Will you consider joining us in this celebration of thankfulness for all the Lord has blessed us with? 

Whether or not you buy a ticket for yourself to attend the dinner, I would love for you to consider enabling someone else to be a part of this Thanksgiving meal by purchasing a ticket for them!

In summary: 

DATE:  NOVEMBER 23, 2013

TIME:  NOON – 2:00PM

PLACE:  CULTURAL CENTER / PATIO & LAWN

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at:

http://www.greensborofellows.com

(Students can purchase tickets for themselves and their guests for $10.)

(FREE MEALS TO CHILDREN, AGES 5 & UNDER.)

NOTE: Please consider buying two tickets:  one for

yourself and one to PAY IT FORWARD

for someone else.  The Fellows program endorses Hope Academy and New Arrivals and the tickets will be distributed through them.  Or you can buy one for someone you know personally.   

Let me know if you have any questions! And I hope that you will be a part of this day! Love ya'll :)