Light

Two things before this blog actually begins:
1.  It almost didn't happen.
                   I started to do my Chemistry homework and it turns out I've already completed it.  I don't remember what it covered, but it's done, so I have the time to blog.
2.  Parts of this blog were written last year for a writing assignment that I was given.

At my old elementary school, in fourth grade, you have a homeroom teacher and a reading teacher.  Because of this, for about thirty minutes or an hour each day each student leaves their homeroom teacher's classroom and goes to their reading class. My reading teacher was a fantastic teacher.  She kept us busy reading to us, having us read, assigning interesting projects, and performing skits and plays for the school.  She taught in such a way that you almost didn't realize that you were learning.

Not only was she a great reading teacher because we were always doing and learning something in her reading class, but she also taught my class at "Crusaders Club."  Crusaders Club is a program that happens every Thursday night at the Baptist church in my hometown.  My teacher would patiently teach the small class Bible stories and how to memorize verses.  She would also share stories about missionaries who lived all the way around the world.  To be able to see how my reading teacher acted outside of school and how my Crusaders Club teacher acted in school was a great privilege for me.

She knew how to lead students through their coursework so that they would be motivated.  What she taught me in Crusaders Club through her words has been useful in my life.  What she taught me at school, through her actions, has been invaluable in my life.  At Crusaders, she taught me the facts of the Bible and told me stories of great Christina people.  But in school, while she was teaching me new words and themes in books, I got to watch a great Christian woman live her life as a woman of great faith, great compassion, and great love.  I got to learn how a great Christian woman lights up the world around her with the love of Jesus.

Throughout my life, I've been exposed to some pretty amazing teachers.  They have taught me much more than how to read and how to add numbers.  They have lived out their faith in the classroom.  They didn't preach about it or talk about it in the schoolroom, but I could tell.  They lived their lives in a way that was different then the rest of the world.  They lived their lives to show the love of Jesus.  (Thanks to all my amazing teachers!!)

Now as I look back on those years I have to wonder, "How much I of what I learned am I applying to my life?  Can others see that there is something different about me?  Am I truly living my life as a light, pointed towards Christ?

You are the light of the world.  A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:4-16

Week Eight

I am now in week eight of my college career.  It does not feel like I have been in college for two months, but I have.  It doesn't feel like am halfway through my first semester, but I am.  It does not feel like I should have a routine, but I do.

There are times in life when things do not feel real, but they are.  About a month ago was the yearlong anniversary of the death of Danny Zaragoza, a little boy who lived in Mexico.  A year ago he went to be with Jesus in heaven.  It does not feel like a year has passed since I heard about his death on a Sunday morning.  It still does not feel like I have grieved properly for him.  How do you grieve for a child's death?  How do you adjust to not having him around when he already wasn't nearby?  I feel that the first time I visit his family, I will still expect to see him.  Instead, I will see a family, scarred from the hurt of losing a brother and a son, but healing with the Lord's help.

Truthfully, that is what I need to depend on in my extended grieving for Danny.  The Lord.  The Lord can heal my heart.  The Lord can help me grow to be where I need to be as a pseudo-adult a quarter of the way through her freshman year of college.  The Lord can help me form my routine so that I have time to give to him and time to give to my studies.  The Lord will be with me. :)

If you would like to read Danny's mom's blog about what his family did to celebrate the one year anniversary of Danny moving in with Jesus, click here. 

But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.  I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain.  I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.  I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.

Psalms 3:3-6

Pancakes at 2am

First and foremost: An apology.  I'm sorry that I did not blog last week.  Quite simply, I had homework and needed a break.  The blog hit the back burner.

This weekend I got 18 hours of sleep.  It was glorious.  However, it is not this weekend, but the weekend before that that I would like to blog about.  I have gotten involved with a ministry here that does various things on campus.  On homecoming weekend, they decided to serve free pancakes.  Apparently, most people on college campuses are not morning people.  (I knew that beforehand, it's just a bit more exaggerated than I had anticipated).  Because most people are up late at night, the most logical time to serve pancakes is not on a Saturday morning.  Basically, they decided to serve pancakes from 10:00pm on Friday until 2:00am on Saturday.  I decided to help out with this, even though I'm typically not a late night person.  I wake up before around 6:15-6:30 most days of the week.

I really enjoyed being able to help out with this unique ministry.  My group started by walking around campus handing out flyers to let people know about the free pancakes.  After that, around midnight, we went back to the house where we ate some pancakes and socialized with the people that had come to get pancakes.  We let them know who was behind the pancakes and informed them about other events that the ministry has.  We did this for about an hour and then went into the building where we prayed for the event for the last hour.  I had anticipated feeling completely exhausted by that time, but I didn't.

To be honest, this was an event that wasn't something I would normally do.  It's not that I don't like pancakes.  It's more that I am one of the few college students who actually wakes up on Saturday morning most of the time.  In reality though, doing it when it was most logical and convenient for me would not have been nearly as effective.  They give out the pancakes late at night because they know that that is when they will be in demand.  Because they match the demand, they can have a much greater impact.

What I'm really trying to say is, you don't want to be of the world, because then you make no impact.  However you do want to be in the world, because that is when the real impact can be made.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 Living in Reckless Abandonment for Jesucristo, Jo

Learning New Things

I'm going to be quite brief for this blog.  I'm tired.  Also, I have an exam approaching.

Now before you wonder why in the world I would post this video here, let me explain.
1.)  I like to watch Ted talks when I take breaks from studying.
2.)  Having learned to speak a second language when I was 13, I know how hard it can be.  I also feel like I used some of these methods without knowing it when I was in the process of learning.
3.)  The principles and main ideas in this video apply to much more than learning a language.

The speaker suggests listening to and using the language at every opportunity.  What if we listened to God at every opportunity?

The speaker recommends getting a "language parent."  What would happen if you got yourself a Christian accountability partner or mentor?

I found these parallels interesting, and know there are others, but my Chemistry and Biology books are calling my name, so....what parallels do you see??

Communion

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."   In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Luke 22:19-20

In this passage, Jesus tells his disciples to "Do this in remembrance of me."  I was raised in a home where going to church was expected and I have now begun going to a new church that has communion every Sunday.  I have always really liked the concept of coming together as a family in Christ and remembering the sacrifice He made for us.  It is a somber experience that makes you think about the deeper things in life.  It is a moment to reflect about where you are with God.  It is a moment to take a step back from the world and think about eternity and where you stand in it.  But I would really like to have a deeper definition of communion than that.

Let's define "communion."  Dictionary.com has the following definitions:

noun

1.

(often initial capital letter). Also called Holy Communion.Ecclesiastical.

1. the act of receiving the Eucharistic elements.
2. the elements of the Eucharist.
3. the celebration of the Eucharist.
4. the antiphon sung at a Eucharistic service.

2.

a group of persons having a common religious faith; a religious denomination:

Anglican communion.

3.

association; fellowship.

4.

interchange or sharing of thoughts or emotions; intimate communication:

communion with nature.

5.

the act of sharing, or holding in common; participation.

6.

the state of things so held.

 Number one is obviously describing what we do at church, number two is also describing what we do at church.  But now let's look at definition number three.  An "association" or a "fellowship."  When we take communion, we are coming as close to fellowship with God as we can on Earth.  And number four?  "An interchange or sharing of thoughts or emotions; intimate communication."  When we take communion at church, are we sharing out thoughts and emotions on an intimate level with God?  We should be.

But to continue this thought process, what about when we are not in church?  What about the other 6 days of the week?  Shouldn't we still be in or attempting to be in communion with God?  Since Jesus used bread and wine, which were two common food and drink items in that time period I would like to think that he wasn't asking his disciples to come up with another ritual to do on a regular basis.  I would like to think that Jesus was saying, "Whenever you eat, I want you to remember me."  I'm not just saying that we should ask a prayer of blessing before each meal.  I'm saying that before we eat we should take a step back and really communicate with God.  Really think about where you are with Him.  After all, if He gave his son, can't I give a little bit of time each day?  Shouldn't I want to be in communion with my creator?  

I don't know about you, but this is something that I am most definitely in need of working on.  It is easy to forget.  It is easy to be too hungry, too busy, too social, to forget to spend time in communion with God.

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41

Living in Reckless Abandonment for Jesucristo, 
Jo

FRIENDS

As a new college student, I am making an attempt to make new friends.  Everyone here seems to be very friendly and also wants to make new friends.  Part of this may be that there are more than 6,000 freshman who are also trying to meet new people and make new friendships.  As I attempt to meet new people through various methods, I have to ask myself, "Why?"  Why do I need friends? Why do I crave the contact of other people?  Why can't I just depend on God for fulfillment?  The simple answer to this is God designed humans for human contact.

The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man [Adam] to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him."

Genesis 2:18

God wants us to have friends.  He wants us to have fellowship with other people.  He wants us to support others and to accept support from others.  He wants us to share his Love with others.  

He wants us to depend of him to be fulfilled.  He Loves us so much that his Love is all that we need.  However, He wants us to share his Love with everyone.  He wants us to show the world that He loves everyone.  If we look to human love to be filled up, then we are going to be sadly disappointed.  As hard as we try to fulfill the definition of love given to us in 1 Corinthians 13, we are going to fail.  Therefore, our first step to being fulfilled is looking to  God for love.  Then, as we experience his Love, we can learn to love others the way that we are designed.

So why do I need to make friends?  I need to make friends so that I can love.  I need to make friends so that God can show the world his Love through me.  I can make friends with the motivation being that I need friends to care about me, but that isn't what it should be about.  My goal in making friends should be to show them God's love, so that they can experience his Power, his Glory, his Mercy, and his Grace. 

Love, true, self-sacrificing, unselfish love, is an incredible force.  It's hard.  It is not a weakness.  To love takes strength.  And to find that strength, I will look to God, and his Love will fill me up, pour over the edges, and immerse others in something more powerful then they could even imagine.

Potatoes

Suffering from a lack of inspiration, I asked a friend from high school to give me a random object to blog about.  The word I was given was "potato."  To be completely honest, I have no idea where this blog is going to end up, but at least there will be a blog post.

Potatoes are a very amazing food.  You can boil 'em, mash 'em, or stick 'em in a stew.

However, as it is very clear in this video, that is only one side of the story.  Smeagol does not share the same opinion of potatoes as Sam or myself.  Smeagol might be right about potatoes.  They are relatively starchy compared to a lot of other plants.  Some people might not like the taste of potatoes.  But in the end, it really just depends on the opinion of the person whether or not they like or dislike potatoes.

There is much in this world that is based on opinion.  There are also many facts in this world.  We have to choose which things we are going to believe and where we want our opinions to be.  That reminds me of a Bible verse.

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

Joshua 24:15

Today, I choose to like potatoes and to serve the Lord.