Sunday, July 24, 2011

"Give Me Faith"

This song was performed this past week at camp at the Student Showcase! Its beautiful and expressions brokeness and our need for Him in our weak flesh!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4itaN5MhBF0

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Faith Like a Child...Like a Little Asian Child

I noticed her sweet little Asian face as soon as she walked in. She's down visiting her grandmother for the summer. I immediately said hello and shared a big smile while her.

And if you know me at all...you know I want to adopt a little girl from China so that makes this story so much sweeter.

I spoke with her grandmother for a few minutes and as I assumed she was adopted from China! Her grandmother said she was aware and completely cool with the fact and knowledge she was adopted. After small talk and me getting all excited I excused myself to go sit with little Asia (we'll use that name to guard her real name).

Asia was beautiful. She content working in her language arts workbook as I approached her...which she later told me she hated that book, haha. Within one to two minutes of our conversation her query of who I was and my purpose in chatting was gone. Little Asia became an open book. A little Chatty Cathy of sorts! We talked about school, celebrating the Chinese new year, the wintery weather up north, who we were going to marry (haha, she was a hoot!), her favorite uncle....and so much more. This little girl popped from one page to the next, sharing her story. Before I knew it we were onto pages of hurt, fear, and struggles. She started bringing up dark things she's experienced with her family (all of which I don't feel comfortable sharing so publicly on this blog). She mentioned rough memories on and off that broke my heart. (And when I state her family and memories its all of her American family, she was adopted very, very young). She asked if my parents were divorced and so maturely stated "Yeah, I knew my parents would divorce. I don't know how to tell the future or anything but you know how you just know things?". Did I mention this little girl was only about 10 years old? So, then we were on to making forts with sheets, pillows and kitchen table chairs with grandpa......However, grandpa had died just a over a year ago she blurted out. She turned and looked across the room to where her grandmother was and stated, "Yeah, my grandma still has a hard time with it and I mean I wish he was here too, but he's dead."

I sat in awe of the openness of this little girl's heart and thoughts. She first captured my attention because she was a little adopted asian girl...but then she captured my heart for more reasons and retaught me a lesson I can never get enough of....To have faith like a child.

Just as that little girl so easily, quickly...and most astonding, so unasmadly...expressed the joys and the broken pieces of her precious heart....so Jesus wants us to open up to Him, sharing all our brokeness, laughs, frustrations, desires and more! He already know them, but the beautiful peace and relationship that comes with opening up to Him is beyond words.

Thank you little Asia for your lesson, your reminder to fall to my knees as my Father's little faithful daughter.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Joy! Joy! Joy!

I remember about a year ago after hearing a sermon on joy, my friend and I repeatedly ran about saying "Joy! Joy! Joy!" all week long! It was our attitude to every little bother or hinderance....just smash it down with Joy!

Joy...what is it? I have a friend named Joy who's creative, sweet, seeks Jesus and is beautiful. But what is joy?


I've heard it said before that joy is not mere happiness. Happiness is much simplier than joy. Happines merely comes from a feeling of excitment that is dependant upon positive and ideal circumstances...therefore it can evaporate in just seconds.

Joy can be and is felt, but it is more than a feeling. For feelings come and go just as the wind....changing directions, light, absent, strong, comforting and more. So joy is not a feeling.

Joy is a state of the heart, more specific state of the soul.

Over the past month or so I've found myself mulling over joy in my life...in the midst of pretty much every area of my life...work, singleness, family, struggles, stalled dreams and more. Looking through the eyes of my flesh and its emotions, its easy to miss the joy that exist in it all. I found when you really sit down and make yourself ask "Where is the joy in this situation?" even the tought situations...then you always see it, I mean its not been hiding! It's always there.

Joy can be overlooked, smoothered, and choked out....but it always remains. He always remains. He is the consistent in the inconsistent. He is the strength admist weakness. He is the hope of tomorrow in today. He is the piercing ray in the smog. He is tender in the brutal battle.

Thank you Jesus for giving us continous, unending joy. For being our joy even admist the struggles, dryness, and hardships.