Working in retail is no fun during Christmas. Long lines, angry customers, long hours, and black friday are just some of the stresses about working in retail during this time of the year. Ever Christmas season I work it breaks me little. It takes the Christmas spirit out of me, but what is the Christmas spirit? Is it putting up christmas lights and making snowman? Is it wearing tacky sweaters and drinking eggnog? No the Christmas spirit for me is the renewing reminder of my savior Jesus Christ. For the past four years I have wished Christmas bye so that things in the retail world could get back to normal.
It wasn’t till last week when God quickly took the focus off of me. I was working register and every time I finish ringing someone up, I wish them a Merry Christmas. I refuse to say Happy Holidays. Its just something I will not give up. Most just reply you too but one lady didn’t. She paused for a second and said ” I am so glad you are saying Merry Christmas!” she explained, “No one says that anymore.” She grabbed her bags and left. She blessed my soul more than she knew. It was a quick reminder to me that I needed to prepare my heart for Christmas. The would today trys to take Christ out of Christmas, but how would you have Christmas without him. Society today is so rapped up in gift giving and being in the holiday spirit but, the real holiday spirit is Christ. A child born in a manger to one day grow up to redeem the world of their sin. Without this great gift there would be no Christmas. I pray this season the world is reminded of the true Christmas story not the one played on the ABC Family all day Christmas Eve but the one of our Savior Christ.
I end this wishing you a Merry Christmas and a renewed spirit for the Lord!
God has constantly been reminding me to be a faithful servant the past couple of months even when the task seems small in my eyes. At times I want a huge assignment from God. I want to know the big picture. It’s kind of self-centered, I know right, but we must remember that God gives us small tasks to build our character. It’s almost like training. When God speaks to people in the Bible he usually speaks to them on his time and he prepares them for what he has planned. He builds their character to complete certain task. God prepares us for stuff he has planned. We sometimes judge his assignments as small and meaningless, but God has a greater plan. We must be obedient and follow. This has been becoming more clearer in my own life as I study about God’s will. God is preparing me for something; I don’t know what it is but I know he has a plan and I trust in him. I pray that I won’t be so self-centered that I miss out on the things God wants me to do. Sometimes when God calls me to do things I put it off so it fits in my schedules. God wants a quick response and immediate adjustments in our life to carry out his will. We have to be careful that it is truly something that God is calling us to do and not to cloud it with our own preconceived notions. I pray that I will not miss out on what God by being self-centered. God’s plans are important even when the tasks seem small. God has a plan. He is faithful.
“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” Matthew 25:21
This past year has really been an awesome journey. Looking back at everything that has happened this year makes me feel so blessed. A great friend (Cynitha Mathis) once quoted a Miley Cyrus song and told me it’s all about “The Climb.” At first I couldn’t take her seriously because she was comparing life to a Miley Cyrus song, but the more I thought about it the more it made sense. Life is a journey and this year has truly been one. I have been blessed with so many opportunities this past year.
God has taught me so much this year and my relationship with Christ grew so much this year. The more I learn about Christ the more questions I have. Often times we think the more we learn the more answers we have, but its not true about our faith. I have been challenged in so many ways. My prayer for this whole year is that God would reveal his plan for “my” life. Little did I know I was asking it wrong. What I should have been asking is God what is “your” plan and how can I help you do “your” plan. Five years ago I never would have thought this is where I would be in life. I am so happy for what God has planned in the years to come.
From laughter shared with friends to random road trips, this year has truly been an adventure. I have meet some great people this year that have evolved in to friendships that will last forever. I have been blessed with the people God has placed in my life.
This wasn’t an easy year either. Probably one of the hardest years of my life but the most rewarding. God has showed me so much this year and his plan. I began this year thinking I was going to study to be a teacher and ending this year doing something totally different. I am so excited where God has lead me. I felt a call to full time ministry my junior year of high school but never really knew what area of ministry. These past few months God has really been working at my heart. I feel God leading me to missionary work and I am taking the spring semester of 2011 off to go on a semester long mission trip.
I cannot wait to see what 2010 holds. I am not ready to go back to school but excited to get it over with. I already have a lot planned for 2010, the Passion 2010 conference in January, working at the Crossings this summer, and much more, but most importantly I am looking forward to growing closer to Christ. I pray this year that I will step boldly out in faith and share the love that Jesus Christ has shown me. I pray that God will use his people to do amazing things for the kingdom of God. Remember it’s all about the climb, the journey and the road we take to get there. As long as we live Christ centered lives we will get there and his plans are better than anything we can imagine.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If man remans in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NIV
For the next there months I will be doing a Bible study with Ron Wahl. The bible study is titled, “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God,” byHenry & Richard Blackaby and Claude King, it focuses on God’s Will. We have finished week one and I have experienced God revealing a lot things to me.
One of the most important things I lose focus about is, it’s God’s Will not God’s Will for my life, which is something I constantly have to remind myself. We must ask what is God’s Will and put the focus on the Lord not ourselves.
“My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too, am working. I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself ; he can do only what he sees his father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.” John 5;17, 19-20
We must be focused on our relationship with God and then open our eyes to what God is doing around us and join him! God is constantly working around us and when he is ready for us to join him he will reveal it to us and where he wants us to join in His Will. Don’t focus on what you can do by yourself to glorify the Lord but, how God can use you to carry our His Will. Just open up your eyes God is working around you and ask him how you can jump in and help.
I have been challenged by this scripture:
“This is the word that came to Jeremiah for the Lord: ‘Go down to the potter’s house, and I will give you my message.’ So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was married in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me; ‘O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?’ declares the Lord. ‘Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.’”
Jeremiah 18:1-6
Basically, we must remain in the Lord’s hand and like clay we must be able to be molded into what God wants to use us for. My challenge for myself is to abide in the Lord and be molded by him to be used in whatever way he wants.
This past weekend I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip with the youth at Ormsby Heights Baptist Church to West Virginia. This was my first trip as a youth worker; I had attended this youth group growing up. I became a youth worker there the beginning of this year and it was my first time being on the other side of the fence. God showed me a lot this weekend.
We traveled to Huntington, West Virginia to help out Mrs. Flowers, a widow, whose house need a lot of repairs due to the lack of upkeep. Before the trip I talked to a friend of mine who is also a youth worker there and we were both excited to see what God had in store of the youth. We arrived on friday and were excited to get to work. When we got to the house I was amazed to see the youth jump right into working on the house. We were all divided into groups and the repair work included: painting the hallway, retiling the kitchen floor, fixing the bathtub, repairing the porch, yard work, and winterizing the windows. No one was really a professional at any of the tasks and it was amazing to see God use us in ways we thought he couldn’t.
The youth worked really hard to complete each task and more. They did community outreach projects which included handing out light bulbs to people who needed them and reminding them that Jesus is the Light of the World. They also cut lawns for people that were unable to for free. One of the youth was sharing a story of how a neighbor thanked them because they had been praying that someone would help out their neighbor and as she finished her prayer she heard the lawn mower start up as they mowed her neighbor’s lawn. The lady rejoiced in an answered prayer.
It was awesome to see the youth serve the Lord and each other. It was such a blessing to be able to go and see God working in their lives. Chris our youth pastor challenged us to think of our reason God had us there. I have been thinking of going away next year to college and I feel that God is showing me that I need to be here at OHBC in Louisville. Some of the college students that went on the trip helped me realize that I need to rethink going away and maybe stay here. Our college group is just starting to grow and I don’t know if I’m ready to leave it. I don’t know what God has in store for me but I feel my calling to stay here and to be involved with the youth at OHBC.
Today durning my two an half hour math class, I couldn’t focus on the lecture. My heart was churning and I felt God speaking into my life. Some of the things on my mind that I can’t put my mind to rest about:
-friendships- I have a lot a “friends” but I still feel lonely and I feel as if some of my friendships are coming to an end and I think it is important that they do. These friends are damaging me and my walk with Christ. I feel I can’t carry that burden on my back anymore. There is a part of me that thinks I can continue these friendship, but at a distance. I am torn and tired of thinking about it.
-my calling- What am I doing with my life? I feel God calling me to something different. Will I step out in faith?
-the lost- As I am sitting in class and looking around, I’m wondering how many people know God. I feel the Lord tugging at my heart to step out and be bold and share the love of God.
-West Virginia Mission Trip- This Friday I’m leaving to go with the youth to Huntington. I am excited for what the Lord has planned and seeing the youth grow as the serve others.
This album is Awesome! DCB’s new Album hit number one on itunes today under christian albums! Check it out this is “Happiness” off their new album Church Music. They are also going on tour check out this link to see tour dates and to buy tickets: http://www.davidcrowderband.com/schedule/
I am a 20 year old college student. I live in Louisville, Ky and attend a community college and plan on transferring to the University of Louisville. I have a personal relationship with my creator and a 1,000 times I've failed but still his love remains.
