What’s love got to do with it?

This past weekend the nation celebrated Valentines Day. I must admit this is not a holiday that I acknowledge let alone celebrate. To me it is a meaningless day that has become very commercialized. Why should there be just one day to acknowledge that you love someone and after what I have gone through this past year love is nothing more than a four-letter word.

That was my feeling going into Sunday. My youth group had sponsored a dance the night before (like we always do) and there was an incident that I had to  deal with. I was so angry at the situation as it shouldn’t have even happened that Sunday at youth group I was prepared to yell and lecture over how they should have acted. God had a different plan.

That morning I got into a fight with my ex and it just took a bad day and made it even worse. I was so hurt and disappointed that I actually threw my phone five times, and to those who know me y’all know that my phone is my lifeline. I was driving and I’m sure that my passengers were a little nervous being in the car with me while I was in that volatile mood. As I was driving and talking to my friend that was with me God really dealt with me and my sorry stinky attitude. I got to the church in a very different mood.

I stood in front of my youth group and I allowed God to flow and to move. My entire lesson changed in an instant. I began to talk about love and what love really meant. So many times love is not understood in today’s society. We have turned love into a fleeting mess and not anything that lasts.

So what is love? Websters dictionary says love is a powerful emotion felt for another person manifesting itself in deep affection, devotion or sexual desire. So what are the powerful emotions? To me when I love someone, that person is capable of affecting my deepest and strongest emotions. Nobody can make me angrier or make me happier. Ironically when I am mad at that person he is the only one that can cheer me up.  But really what is love?

Do we just say the words or do we back it up with actions? It isn’t enough for us to just say that we love someone we actually have to show it. Love in and of itself requires action. Actions that prove what our words are saying. As Christians we should be the ones showing the most love. Like I told my teenagers just because you love someone doesn’t mean that you have to like them. There are quite a few people who I really can’t stand and don’t even want to be around but I do love them. There are times that I don’t like my children very much but I always love them. I’m sure there are times when people don’t like me very much.

As I talked on Sunday one of the young men in attendance made a statement that summed up everything that I was trying to say. He said that love is nothing but a four-letter word that is meaningless unless you show it. Then he stated that true love was Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and since he loved us enough to die for us then how can we do anything less than live for him.

Normally this statement wouldn’t have been a big deal except for the fact that the young man who said this is not a believer. He has been coming to youth group but has made no secret of the fact that he does not believe in Jesus Christ. When I heard him say I was struck speechless. (which is very hard to do. In fact this young man is probably the only person that can.) God had taken my inadequate words and used them through this man.

But what he said was true. Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. As I struggled through Valentines day I remembered that Jesus gave me the greatest Valentine ever. John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son. That whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” God love ME so much that he sent Jesus Christ to die for my sins so that I may live forever with him.

If that isn’t love people then I am clueless as to what is.

My Prayer

When 2009 ended I was probably at my lowest point. I had survived the end of my marriage, watched a relationship that I truly wanted crash and burn, and had just had life changing surgery. I honestly did not know how my life could get any worse.

Back in August I had listened to a song called “City on Our Knees” by TobyMac. Such a simple yet one of the most powerful songs that I have heard in years.  As 2009 drew to a close I again listened to the words and I decided that this song would be my theme song this year. I talked with my youth group and we agreed that we as a group would live by this song this year also.

What struck me the most about this song was the first line. ‘If you gotta start somewhere why not here”. I have wanted God to move and bless his ministry that he has allowed me to lead. The thing is though if I want God to move I have to be willing to let him. I have to be willing to cross that line and step out of my comfort zone.

I can’t witness if I refuse to open my mouth. I can’t tell others what God has done for me if I am unwilling to claim his mercy. I can’t reach out to those that need him if I have already written them off. Just the other day God impressed upon me that I have no say in who is beyond God’s reach. I can’t say that it’s useless to pray for someone when only God can decide when someone is to far gone. If God puts someone in my life to witness to and to pray for them who am I to toss that person back?

What gives me or any other christian the right to decide who can come to Christ? Why do we feel that we can choose who needs his mercy? Why have we as Christians forgotten that only by the grace of God we are no longer just as damned? No matter what someone else has done everyone is just is guilty. Sin is sin no matter if we actually do it or not. God is so absolute that the THOUGHTS are just as bad as the actions.

I can’t decide who is a bigger sinner. That isn’t what we as Christians are here for. The only thing that makes me any different then the unsaved is the fact that I have accepted the free gift of salvation. I have been forgiven. If God is so merciful that he can save me then isn’t the least I can do to tell others about him?

My prayer for 2010 is not just for The R.O.C.K. youth group or Connection Ministries but of anyone that believes in the Lord. Be willing to step across that line . Be willing to let God place you where he wants you to. Be willing to allow God to lead your life. If you gotta start somewhere why not here? Make the change in 2010 that God demands of us to make. Let God truly be the author of your life. Be bold, be strong and watch God move in ways that you can never imagine.

As bad as 2009 was for me I know that 2010 will be all that much better. This year is GOD’S time and my life is his to do what he will. When God gave us the gift of salvation and eternal life letting him have our small earthly life is the only option.

When Gods people come together amazing things happen. I am willing to let it start with me, will you?

Understanding and Compassion: Where did they go?

Yesterday was an awesome day at my church. We are a small church in the Midwest that like many small rural churches seemed destined to die just a few short years ago. God has been faithful and blessed us and yesterday we saw so many in attendance that we ran out of seats. While this was amazing something happened yesterday that rocked me to my very core.

As the youth leader I have tried to teach the teens that attend the importance of watching our words and how what we say can be a more hurtful weapon then anything. We had a young man in attendance who by his very admission was an atheist. He has come to youth group before but yesterday was the first time he had come to church. He is willing o listen and to give God a chance due to the change he has seen in a young woman that he considers to be his younger sister.

A fellow member of the youth group through a series of text messages attacked this young woman calling her rude and obscene names due to something that he thought he had seen. Instead of confronting her this teenager brought others into the problem and caused great hurt to this young lady.

I went over to talk with her and her friend hoping that I could stem some of the hurt and damage done. I asked the young man who had just started coming if this was going to stop him from coming to church. He looked at me and said that if that other young man had been the only Christian that he had met then yes it would have as his judgemental attitude only reaffirmed what he had always believed Christians to be.

I asked him why he was willing to give us another chance and he said that the change he has seen in his friend and that I cared enough to come out to his house to talk to her really made him think.  I was very humbled by this as all I had done was care.

I realized then that to many times we as Christians have forgotten that it is NOT our place to judge others. God is God for a reason. I am so imperfect myself how can I judge others? How can any of us? Not a one of us are perfect enough to even begin to make judgments and yet we do it all the time.

Jesus commands us to love as He loved and yet if we don’t have compassion the how can we? One thing that was brought up was the fact that we as Christians typecast and judge based on appearances. This young man walked into church with tattoos, pierced ears (not that I have a problem with that all three of my boys have them pierced) and ripped jeans. He looks like a bad guy. Yet as I talked to him and started getting to know him I realized he is a very sweet kid who has a servants heart. If all I had seen was his exterior then I wouldn’t have known that.

If we are going to bring people to the Lord then we MUST have compassion and understanding. We need to get rid of our judgemental attitudes and let God work in others. If we live as Jesus did then we wont have this problem. Jesus didn’t come for the healthy and rightous He came for the sick and unholy.

What I do know is that I am one of those unholy that needs him. If Jesus can love a sinner like me then who am I to choose who He can and cannot love? If I am Christ’s body on earth am I reaching out with His hands to hold or hurt? I tell my teenagers all the time that they may be the only Jesus that someone sees so if that is true and we are then what kind of Jesus are you showing the world?

I want to show the Jesus that I know so if I want others to see His love then I better love. I will strive to show the understanding and compassionate Jesus that I know and love, will you?

The Dance.

Friday night we had our Valentines Day dance which was also a benefit for my sister-in-law who is battling breast cancer. We had 53 in attendence and there were others who had said they would have been there had it not been for the bad weather. I was so proud of the outpouring of love from the teenagers and for the support they showed my sister-in-law. I love being the youth leader for my church and this proves why. Thanks guys, you all rock!

Banding together as a Family

So many timmes I have teenagers come to me and tell me that they feel like no one cares about them and that no one would care if they were gone. I really feel that as parents, leaders, mentors and friends it is our duty and responsiblity as Christians to be there and lift each other up. All to many times I see kids off by them selves while others are making fun. We cannot allow Satan to destroy our youth this way. I know that each and every one of us has struggled with feeling unsure and unappreciated but if we know how it feels why are we not helping those who feel this way? Jesus came to earth to let each and every one of us know that we are special and made in his image. If we are to be his body why aren’t we following his teachings? To many times I hear that “oh I don’t know what to say” or “I don’t know that person well enough” Even if it’s a hi how are you or just sitting with that person letting them know that you are there I feel that we should do everything in our power to make others feel special. As I tell my teenagers “You may be the only Jesus that someone sees.”

Sunday Night 2/8/09

Last night at youth group we did not have an actual lesson. I was not feeling good and the thought of leading a lesson was not on my mind. In fact if they hadn’t used yesterday to throw me a surprise party (thanks) the chances of us even having it were slim. I just wanted to encourage all the teens to continue on the Love Dare and to really work on their relationships with others. Remember that we may be the only Jesus that anyone sees. Sorry its short but more next week. See you all on friday for the dance.

My Birthday wish for myself.

Well another day at work come and gone. We had a resident pass away and as a LPN working in Long Term Care death is a fact of life for me but today really hit home. I was reminded once again how fragile life is and how truly blessed I am to still be alive. My birthday is coming up in two days and this birthday is pretty special since I was never expected to live this long. Not long ago my asthma (i was diagnosed at 12) was so severe that I couldnt even walk through my little house without becoming winded and having to rest. Just a simple trip to the bathroom would take me 5 minutes to get across my little house. I never went anywhere without my inhaler and I truly thought that my precious babies would grow up without a mother. My mom expected to outlive me and that she would have to step in and raise my children after I was gone. About 18 months ago my oldest son asked for prayer for me at a church service because I was in the middle of a severe attack. My airways slowly opened up and over the course of 4 months I noticed an improvement in my breathing. I was soon off all my medications and have been asthma free since that time. As my birthday draws closer I just wanted to take the time to share my testimony and give God all the glory for my life. I am so humbled that He has chosen to allow me to live and that He has placed me in all of your lives. Even though I am loathe to admit how old I will be on Friday I will say that I hope my next 30 years are as blessed as my first 30 have been. You all have been a blessing to me and I thank God every day for allowing me to be apart of your lives.

Welcome!

Well this is my first blog. For only having 4 hours of sleep I don’t think I did to bad. My blogs will fall under three categories, The R.O.C.K which is for the youth group that I lead. It stands for Reaching Others for Christ’s Kingdom. I will try to post a weekly blog about our Sunday meetings and any fun things we do. I will also post blogs under Connect Youth Center which is the youth center in the church that my youth group is in and anything under my family. I don’t have a lot of free time so I won’t be on all the time but I will try. As a single mom and a very busy LPN my free time doesn’t really exsist.