Hey all, here's an intersting story I had to read for my Men With a Mission class. Enjoy!
Hailing The Chief
He sat at his desk in the Oval Office, waiting. He waited, even thought there was a stack of letters to sign, a cable to read, a press conference to prepare for, a briefing with the cabinet to attend, a tea for an ambassador in the Rose Garden . . .. Looking up from his schedule, he smiled. Yes, there was a lot to do. But first some people were coming - some very important people. At least he thought they were very important. That was why he kept inviting them to come to the Oval Office and talk with him. He longed to hear what was in their hearts and minds, to talk about how they felt, what they needed, how they could help him accomplish his goals . . .
"Mr. President," Said a voice on the intercom. "They're here, sir" "Ah," he said. "Send the first one in, please." He leaned forward on the edge of his chair, waiting. The door opened, and a housewife ushered herself into the room. Without acknowledging the President's smile or outstretched hand, she plopped down in a chair. "Thank you fo rhte world so sweet, thankyou for the food we eat, thank you for the birds that sing, thank you, sir, for everything. Goodbye." Before the President could say a word in response, the woman opened her eyes, got up, and walked out the door. He sighed. Why did it always seem to go like this? He pushed the intercom button. "Next please," he said. The door opened, and in came a stout man who wore a tuxedo. Again the President's hand was ignored. "O thou chief executive who art in the White House," said the man, clasping his hands and looking at the ceiling. "O thou in whom so much doth constitutionally dwell, upon whose desk hath placed a most effective blotter; incline thine ear toward thy most humble citizen, and grant that thy many entities may be manifoldly endowed upon the fruitful plain . . ." Wincing the President closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "And may thy thou dost harkeneth whatly didst shalt evermore in twain asunder," the man concluded in a loud monotone. "Excuse me," said the President, "but what . . . ?" "Goodbye," Said the man, seeming not to hear, and walked out. The President sighed again. "Next, please," he spoke into the intercom. This time when the door opened, there seemed to be no one there. Then the President looked down and saw a man crawling through the doorway on his hands and knees. "Oh, Mr. g-great and awful P-president," blubbered the man, not looking up from the carpet. "I am but a digusting piece of filth in your presence. No, I am less than that. How dare I enter here? How dare I think that you would do anything but grind me into the floor?"
"Please, get up," said the President, offering his hand. "You don't have to do that. I want to talk with you." But the man went right on groveling. "I deserve only to be squashed under the weight of your mighty desk," he whined. "I could never have gotten an ivitation to talk with you. It must have been a mistake. How can you ever forgive me for breaking in like this? Oh, I'm so sorry, so sorry, so sorry . . .." Still on his hands and knees, he crawled out. The man's groaning faded down the hall. The President shook his head, then slowly pushed the intercom button. "Next," he said, sounding tired. In moments a young man entered. He was wearing headphones and bobbing up and down to the music of his pocket stereo. "Hey Prez," the young man said, ignoring the offered hand. "What's happening?" He looked out the window. "Nice place you've got here. I'm, like, so glad we could have this little chat, you know? You're not bad for an old dude, I guess. You don't botherme, I won't bother you, okay? Well, I've gotta go. Hang in there." He walked out. The President drummed his fingers on his desk. "Next, please," he said wearily.
An a elderly man marched in, staring at a piece of paper in his hand. He, too, ignored the President's greeting. "Mr. President," he declared, keeping his eyes on his list. "I want there to be a parking space waiting for me when I go downtown this afternoon. Not a parallel parking space, either - one that I can drive right into. Not one with a parking meter. You can see to it that none ofthose meter maids gives me a ticket. Now this is important!" The President cleared his throat politely. "Speaking of important," he ventured, "how do you feel about my program to feed the hungery? Would you like to have a part in . . .." "And another thing" the man continued. "I lost my best golf club. A putter. Can't remember where I put it. Now, you find it for me, will you? Got to have that club before Saturday. I know you can do it. Goodbye." With that the old man got up and shuffled out the door. The President slumped in his chair. "Next," he said. There was a pause. At last a young woman entered slowly. Whe looked like a sleepwalker - eyes nearly shut, jaw slack, her feet dragging. She yawned and slid into a chair. Dear . . . Mr . . . President . . . "she said, her head drooping. "I know I should talk to you when I'm more . . . awake . . . but I've got so many things to do . . . so sleepy . . .. There was something I was goign to say . . . what is it . . .? I was going to say . . . uh . . .." She started to snore. ThePresident buzzed his secretary, who stepped in. "Could you help this young lady out?" he asked, sighing again.
"Certainly, Mr. President," said the secretary as she helped the dozing girl to her feet. The President gazed sadly out the window. "How many do we have left?" he asked. I'm sorry, sir," the secretary said. "But as usual, most of the people you sent invitations to said they were too busy to talk. They had to watch TV, wax the car, do the dishes . . . ." "Oh," said the President, dejected. "Isn't there anyone out there?" "There is one, sir," she said. "But you wouldn't want to talk to him." "Why not?" "Because he's just a child, Mr. President." The chief executive shrugged. "May as well show him in," he said. Moments later a little boy entered shyly. He looked around the room, his eyes wide. "Are . . . are you really the President?" he asked. The President smiled. "I really am," he answered, offering his hand. The little boy reached up and shook it. Then he sat down, folded his hands in his lap, and waited. The President watched amazed, as the boy sat politely for nearly a minute. "Isn't there . . . something you want to tell me?" the boy sat politely for nearly a minute. "Something you have to recite, to ask for, or say?" The little boy looked down for a moment, thinking. Then he looked up. "Yes," he said. "I guess ther is." "Well, what is it?" the President asked. "Thank you for inviting me," the boy said. "That's all." When the President heard that, he couldn't seem to say anything for a while. All he could do was smile. But then they talked and talked and talked for the longest, most wonderful time.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
Worship Seven
This was my Worship class from last Sunday. I found it really interesting. Really what it was was a big discussion. We discussed these six questions. I am going to post them real quick here and I want to hear your answers to them. I will put my notes at the end.
1. Is it right to worship God for your own personal pleasure?
2. Are we to worship God out of duty -- because He said so?
3. Should we ever pursue pleasure of any sort? Why or why not?
4. Should we enjoy His presence, but not be motivated by our pleasure?
5. Did God create you for His glory or for your joy? Please explain.
6. Does God want you to be happy?
The third question is the one that really got to me. I'll talk about that one here but I want to hear your imput on everything else. So here is mine.
Should we ever pursue pleasure of any sort? Why or why not?
Some verses I found are:
Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling or ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."
I don't see that this is limited to church. This is fellowship with Christians. This could include Singles groups, Movie nights (w/ Christians), etc.
I Timothy 5:6 "But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth."
Obviously we are not to live for pleasure there is more to it than that.
Ephesians 5:10 "Proving what is acceptable"
We are supposed to prove what is acceptable but that really leaves a lot to be said.
Ephesians 5:29 "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:"
Obviously God does not expect us to forsake 'fleshly' pleasures.
Duet 28:47 "Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee . . . Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;"
1. Is it right to worship God for your own personal pleasure?
2. Are we to worship God out of duty -- because He said so?
3. Should we ever pursue pleasure of any sort? Why or why not?
4. Should we enjoy His presence, but not be motivated by our pleasure?
5. Did God create you for His glory or for your joy? Please explain.
6. Does God want you to be happy?
The third question is the one that really got to me. I'll talk about that one here but I want to hear your imput on everything else. So here is mine.
Should we ever pursue pleasure of any sort? Why or why not?
Some verses I found are:
Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling or ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."
I don't see that this is limited to church. This is fellowship with Christians. This could include Singles groups, Movie nights (w/ Christians), etc.
I Timothy 5:6 "But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth."
Obviously we are not to live for pleasure there is more to it than that.
Ephesians 5:10 "Proving what is acceptable"
We are supposed to prove what is acceptable but that really leaves a lot to be said.
Ephesians 5:29 "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:"
Obviously God does not expect us to forsake 'fleshly' pleasures.
Duet 28:47 "Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee . . . Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;"
I just found these to be interesting. What do you think??
Thursday, October 19, 2006
"I am a Christian"
Hey all,
I didn't write this. I found it on my friend Nancy's facebook page. I thought it was really really cool. So I thought I would share it with you all (whoever you may be)!
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not shouting, "I've been saved!"
I'm whispering, "I get lost! That's why I chose this way"
When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't speak with human pride
I'm confessing that I stumble-needing God to be my guide
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not trying to be strong
I'm professing that I'm weak and pray for strength to carry on
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not bragging of success
I'm admitting that I've failed and cannot ever pay the debt
When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't think I know it all
I submit to my confusion asking humbly to be taught
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible but God believes I'm worth it
When I say, "I am a Christian," I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache which is why I seek His name
When I say, "I am a Christian," I do not wish to judge
I have no authority--I only know I'm loved.
I read this and thought "yeah, that sums up a Christain pretty well." But then I thought "It should sum me up better than it does." That is not always my attitude. So . . . another thing for me to work on!! YAY :)
I didn't write this. I found it on my friend Nancy's facebook page. I thought it was really really cool. So I thought I would share it with you all (whoever you may be)!
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not shouting, "I've been saved!"
I'm whispering, "I get lost! That's why I chose this way"
When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't speak with human pride
I'm confessing that I stumble-needing God to be my guide
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not trying to be strong
I'm professing that I'm weak and pray for strength to carry on
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not bragging of success
I'm admitting that I've failed and cannot ever pay the debt
When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't think I know it all
I submit to my confusion asking humbly to be taught
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible but God believes I'm worth it
When I say, "I am a Christian," I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache which is why I seek His name
When I say, "I am a Christian," I do not wish to judge
I have no authority--I only know I'm loved.
I read this and thought "yeah, that sums up a Christain pretty well." But then I thought "It should sum me up better than it does." That is not always my attitude. So . . . another thing for me to work on!! YAY :)
Monday, October 02, 2006
School Shootings -- Lancaster
Wow it's been a while since I've posted. But anyway. I don't know how many people have heard yet but today there was another brutal school shooting in Lancaster. Three plus people have been killed plus the gunman. This was especially brutal not only because it was done "execution style" with the girls lined up against the wall with their feet tied together, but because it was deliberatly done to an Amish school. The Amish don't have phones -- they couldn't call the police. The Amish don't live in large communities -- they are loners. The Amish don't have cars -- they can't even drive somewhere to get help. In addition to that it was young girls that were targeted!! WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?! WHY ARE YOUNG INNOCENT YOUNG GIRLS SHOT THROUGHT THE HEAD?! WHY CAN'T THIS BE STOPPED?!
No, I don't have the answer. I can't give you a definite answer to why some of my dads friends had their daughters killed. All I can do is to play my part in this gigantic, mixed up, and perverted world. But what is my part? Should I go up to Lancaster Co. and try to comfort these people? It's not that far of a drive. Should I write a letter? That would be easy enough. Or should I send money for the victims families? I could certainly give some money. While these are certainly possibilities, they seem to be more geared for people who are a little closer to these families. My dad knows some of the parents but I don't.
But why should I limit myself to these Amish people? They may be the only people directly affected. But I would like to show you a few things that I found online today. They came from MSNBC. If you want to read the whole article here is the link http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15109669/ it is an interesting article but I will just give you a few lines:
"This is really sick and it has to be stopped. We as parents send our kids to school every day thinking they are going to be safe and that they are going to learn and instead they are being tortured and killed. This totally breaks my heart, I have two small children, and it scares me to death to put them on the bus in the mornings and send them off to school. I don't feel safe at all!"
"We are ready to move back to Europe! After living in Germany for four years, my kids were terrified to return to school in the states because of all the school shootings and sniper rampages we read about in the international news."
"The thing that worries me the most is that no matter how much security or how little security there is at a school it still can happen anywhere."
"What worries me the most is that absolutely nothing can be done to stop this sort of event. If there had been a guard at the school he/she would have been shot first. If there were a gate it would have been broken down."
"No, I certainly don't feel safe at school. I'm a teacher, and it is becoming increasingly more difficult to walk into the classroom and function in a normal manner. Teachers fear reprimanding their students — wondering if this one might come back with a gun because we told him to sit down and be quiet, or to stop yelling in the halls!"
"I am a parent of three children and it scares me to death! I drop them off everyday like normal, just as the parents of the children that are now dead or injured did. None of us are immune to these types of tragedies, it can happen at a restaurant, a ball game, anywhere."
And please read this next one . . .
"I'm really scared to go to school now. I feel like any minute I'm going to be shot. I'm a girl so I feel that if I do experience a school shooting I will be one of the top victims. I have trouble sleeping sometimes and get all cold and shaky inside. I told someone but they just said that nothing like that will ever happen in my school. Should I believe them? I'm so scared!"
FEAR. Fear has taken hold over these people. These are just a few of many comments. Who knows how many other people in this country have similar feelings. I'm sure there are quite a few. But a fear of what? A gunman? A lone gunman? No, I think it runs deeper than that. If you go back through the comments it is there, it's just a little deeper than the surface. It's a fear that it could be "me" next. They're afraid it's going to happen to them! They're not mad because someone killed some little girls. They're afraid it could happen to them! Why? Do you have any idea? I do. This world is all there is to most people. I think that this is especially true for Americans. But this life is all the majority of people have. The VAST majority. These people don't have that inner hope that I do as a Christian. I know EXACTLY what is going to happen to me if when I die. I know EXACTLY where I'm going to spend eternity. But so many people don't want to die.
And do they just not want to get out of this gigantic rat-race. I think it goes much deeper than that. These people don't want to meet their Maker. They want to be in control of their lives. They want to be in controls of mad raving gunmen. They want to be in control the guns on the street. They want to be in control of terrorism. They want to be in control of road rage. Control. What an interesting word. Honestly though, who is in control? It's a rather easy question for a Christian. But seriously though God, Jesus Christ - the man who walked this very earth some two thousand years ago, is in control. He is a perfect God and He has promised that if I simply love Him, He will take perfect care of me. Romans 8:28. I am called to a purpose. As this verse say it will work out "for the good." Is my way 'more good' than God's way? Who would actually think that? Well, I certainly do at times. Do you remember how I started this article "WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?! WHY ARE YOUNG INNOCENT YOUNG GIRLS SHOT THROUGHT THE HEAD?! WHY CAN'T THIS BE STOPPED?!" I would have loved to prevent this whole incident. But that is what I wanted. God's will is perfect and so is His plan. Why am I so proud that I think it would have be better if this hadn't happened?
It seems crazy to simply say that 'I know better than God.' But it is completely natural for someone to say "I wish I could have stopped that" or "That shouldn't have happened to innocent little girls." But isn't it the same thing? God knows best. That doesn't mean that if we are put in that kind of a situation that we shouldn't try to stop it. Or that we shouldn't lay our lives down for someone in danger because it "must be God's will." But when something bad happens we need to remember that God has a purpose for it. That purpose will be different for each and every one of us. God may use this to convice a principle somewhere to put a better security system in his school. Or maybe God wanted me to write this little blurb. (okay it is kinda long) But I can't tell you what your part in this giant dance is. That is between you and God. Maybe God wants you to pray for these Amish people. Maybe God wants you to make your school safer. Maybe He wants you to pull you kids out of public school and homeschool them. Maybe He just wants you to pray more for this country. Maybe He just wants you to move closer to Him. Hmm, there's a thought. I'll bet that could apply to pretty much everyone. Is there anybody God wouldn't love to have them move closer to Him? Not likely. I certainly have moved closer to God after hearing about this. I know what is going to happen to me should I ever be placed in a situation like those girls. I will soon be standing in front of my God and my Saviour, not being able to speak and my only thought being Alleluia - Praise God. That thought just makes me glad that I can walk with Him daily and I am so glad that I have that peace in my life!
No, I don't have the answer. I can't give you a definite answer to why some of my dads friends had their daughters killed. All I can do is to play my part in this gigantic, mixed up, and perverted world. But what is my part? Should I go up to Lancaster Co. and try to comfort these people? It's not that far of a drive. Should I write a letter? That would be easy enough. Or should I send money for the victims families? I could certainly give some money. While these are certainly possibilities, they seem to be more geared for people who are a little closer to these families. My dad knows some of the parents but I don't.
But why should I limit myself to these Amish people? They may be the only people directly affected. But I would like to show you a few things that I found online today. They came from MSNBC. If you want to read the whole article here is the link http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15109669/ it is an interesting article but I will just give you a few lines:
"This is really sick and it has to be stopped. We as parents send our kids to school every day thinking they are going to be safe and that they are going to learn and instead they are being tortured and killed. This totally breaks my heart, I have two small children, and it scares me to death to put them on the bus in the mornings and send them off to school. I don't feel safe at all!"
"We are ready to move back to Europe! After living in Germany for four years, my kids were terrified to return to school in the states because of all the school shootings and sniper rampages we read about in the international news."
"The thing that worries me the most is that no matter how much security or how little security there is at a school it still can happen anywhere."
"What worries me the most is that absolutely nothing can be done to stop this sort of event. If there had been a guard at the school he/she would have been shot first. If there were a gate it would have been broken down."
"No, I certainly don't feel safe at school. I'm a teacher, and it is becoming increasingly more difficult to walk into the classroom and function in a normal manner. Teachers fear reprimanding their students — wondering if this one might come back with a gun because we told him to sit down and be quiet, or to stop yelling in the halls!"
"I am a parent of three children and it scares me to death! I drop them off everyday like normal, just as the parents of the children that are now dead or injured did. None of us are immune to these types of tragedies, it can happen at a restaurant, a ball game, anywhere."
And please read this next one . . .
"I'm really scared to go to school now. I feel like any minute I'm going to be shot. I'm a girl so I feel that if I do experience a school shooting I will be one of the top victims. I have trouble sleeping sometimes and get all cold and shaky inside. I told someone but they just said that nothing like that will ever happen in my school. Should I believe them? I'm so scared!"
FEAR. Fear has taken hold over these people. These are just a few of many comments. Who knows how many other people in this country have similar feelings. I'm sure there are quite a few. But a fear of what? A gunman? A lone gunman? No, I think it runs deeper than that. If you go back through the comments it is there, it's just a little deeper than the surface. It's a fear that it could be "me" next. They're afraid it's going to happen to them! They're not mad because someone killed some little girls. They're afraid it could happen to them! Why? Do you have any idea? I do. This world is all there is to most people. I think that this is especially true for Americans. But this life is all the majority of people have. The VAST majority. These people don't have that inner hope that I do as a Christian. I know EXACTLY what is going to happen to me if when I die. I know EXACTLY where I'm going to spend eternity. But so many people don't want to die.
And do they just not want to get out of this gigantic rat-race. I think it goes much deeper than that. These people don't want to meet their Maker. They want to be in control of their lives. They want to be in controls of mad raving gunmen. They want to be in control the guns on the street. They want to be in control of terrorism. They want to be in control of road rage. Control. What an interesting word. Honestly though, who is in control? It's a rather easy question for a Christian. But seriously though God, Jesus Christ - the man who walked this very earth some two thousand years ago, is in control. He is a perfect God and He has promised that if I simply love Him, He will take perfect care of me. Romans 8:28. I am called to a purpose. As this verse say it will work out "for the good." Is my way 'more good' than God's way? Who would actually think that? Well, I certainly do at times. Do you remember how I started this article "WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?! WHY ARE YOUNG INNOCENT YOUNG GIRLS SHOT THROUGHT THE HEAD?! WHY CAN'T THIS BE STOPPED?!" I would have loved to prevent this whole incident. But that is what I wanted. God's will is perfect and so is His plan. Why am I so proud that I think it would have be better if this hadn't happened?
It seems crazy to simply say that 'I know better than God.' But it is completely natural for someone to say "I wish I could have stopped that" or "That shouldn't have happened to innocent little girls." But isn't it the same thing? God knows best. That doesn't mean that if we are put in that kind of a situation that we shouldn't try to stop it. Or that we shouldn't lay our lives down for someone in danger because it "must be God's will." But when something bad happens we need to remember that God has a purpose for it. That purpose will be different for each and every one of us. God may use this to convice a principle somewhere to put a better security system in his school. Or maybe God wanted me to write this little blurb. (okay it is kinda long) But I can't tell you what your part in this giant dance is. That is between you and God. Maybe God wants you to pray for these Amish people. Maybe God wants you to make your school safer. Maybe He wants you to pull you kids out of public school and homeschool them. Maybe He just wants you to pray more for this country. Maybe He just wants you to move closer to Him. Hmm, there's a thought. I'll bet that could apply to pretty much everyone. Is there anybody God wouldn't love to have them move closer to Him? Not likely. I certainly have moved closer to God after hearing about this. I know what is going to happen to me should I ever be placed in a situation like those girls. I will soon be standing in front of my God and my Saviour, not being able to speak and my only thought being Alleluia - Praise God. That thought just makes me glad that I can walk with Him daily and I am so glad that I have that peace in my life!
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Worship Part One
Okay, I do recognize the fact that it is still Wensday . . . but since what I am about to say is totally unrelated to pink Sobes . . . I thought I would go ahead and start a new post. So here goes.
This is something that I would like to try and keep up with. What it is, is basically the notes from an ACE (Adult Christian Education) class I am now taking. Anything in orange, is what I have added.
Pastor Marv starts out by giving some definitions of some basic words that we use. He gave these simply so we would all be on the same page when we were defining worship. I have ommited a few of his points just to try and keep it to the point.
Worship -- Part One
Terminology:
A. Praise -- Approbation, Commendation, Esteem Point being, we praise our kids (theoretically -- I don't have any . . . you get the idea) but we don't worship them.
B. Bless -- To speak well of Yes, when God blesses us or we say "God Bless" to someone that is asking God to do you a special favor etc. But we are not able to do that to God. How can we?
C. Fear -- Phobes This is the Greek word. It means more than just respect. It means a literal fear. God is a "fearsome" God.
D. Glory -- Weightiness, Splendor
E. Sacrifice/Offering -- To bring to, or Give
F. Majesty -- Great, Greatness
G. Splendor -- Great lustor, or brightness, briliance, magnificent, etc.
Seeking a Right Definition
A. Record your own definition of worship -- Worship comes from our heart through our mouth/body and up to God. It is an expression of our love for God.
B. The Bible never -- Defines worship it does define faith and many other major words in a Christian's vocabulary but it leaves the definition of worship open.
C. Worship is not
1. Attending a church service -- EVEN FOR A SAVED PERSON -- that is something that I need to remember at times. Just because I am there and I am saved and participating does not mean I am worshiping!
2. An emotion -- don't use an emotion as evidence that you are truly worshiping. It is quite likely that you will get a chill when you are truly worhiping. But some people get chills when they puke so don't hold that one up as a standard.
3. Necessarily about feeling good -- Many times we have to come before Him with a broken heart. When my heart is broken I have a hard time standing up and smiling and singing loudly. But I can still manage to crawl to God and give Him some praise.
D. Psalm 29:1-2 -- "Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness."
The Two Parts of Worship
A. Praise -- Vocally giving Him adoration
B. Life -- Obedience in every part
we are supposed to worship God all of the time. I know I sure can't sing while I'm trying to figure out a problem at work or something. But I can try to solve that problem for God's glory!!
Nailing It All Down
A. Worship is all about -- God
B. Most people worship God for one of two reasons:
1. He told me to -- Duty -- This is right!! God has told us to worship Him. We need to do that even when we don't want to.
2. Because I want to -- Love -- This is what I typically think of as worship. Singing along with Scott Krippayne when the sun is shining and I have the windows rolled down. But God has told us to worship Him on the worst of days.
C. We should be motivated to worship God because of:
1. Who He is.
2. What He's done -- Even if He did nothing we still owe Him praise.
D. Recognizing that God is the initiator, worship is:
1. Relinquishing self to God
2. Responding to God
3. Relating to God
Pretty cool stuff uh? Anyway I will try to remember to post next week's lesson. If I forget one of my readers (God bless all three of them) will have to leave a comment or send me an email or blow my house up or something. (Preferably one of the first two)
This is something that I would like to try and keep up with. What it is, is basically the notes from an ACE (Adult Christian Education) class I am now taking. Anything in orange, is what I have added.
Pastor Marv starts out by giving some definitions of some basic words that we use. He gave these simply so we would all be on the same page when we were defining worship. I have ommited a few of his points just to try and keep it to the point.
Worship -- Part One
Terminology:
A. Praise -- Approbation, Commendation, Esteem Point being, we praise our kids (theoretically -- I don't have any . . . you get the idea) but we don't worship them.
B. Bless -- To speak well of Yes, when God blesses us or we say "God Bless" to someone that is asking God to do you a special favor etc. But we are not able to do that to God. How can we?
C. Fear -- Phobes This is the Greek word. It means more than just respect. It means a literal fear. God is a "fearsome" God.
D. Glory -- Weightiness, Splendor
E. Sacrifice/Offering -- To bring to, or Give
F. Majesty -- Great, Greatness
G. Splendor -- Great lustor, or brightness, briliance, magnificent, etc.
Seeking a Right Definition
A. Record your own definition of worship -- Worship comes from our heart through our mouth/body and up to God. It is an expression of our love for God.
B. The Bible never -- Defines worship it does define faith and many other major words in a Christian's vocabulary but it leaves the definition of worship open.
C. Worship is not
1. Attending a church service -- EVEN FOR A SAVED PERSON -- that is something that I need to remember at times. Just because I am there and I am saved and participating does not mean I am worshiping!
2. An emotion -- don't use an emotion as evidence that you are truly worshiping. It is quite likely that you will get a chill when you are truly worhiping. But some people get chills when they puke so don't hold that one up as a standard.
3. Necessarily about feeling good -- Many times we have to come before Him with a broken heart. When my heart is broken I have a hard time standing up and smiling and singing loudly. But I can still manage to crawl to God and give Him some praise.
D. Psalm 29:1-2 -- "Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness."
The Two Parts of Worship
A. Praise -- Vocally giving Him adoration
B. Life -- Obedience in every part
we are supposed to worship God all of the time. I know I sure can't sing while I'm trying to figure out a problem at work or something. But I can try to solve that problem for God's glory!!
Nailing It All Down
A. Worship is all about -- God
B. Most people worship God for one of two reasons:
1. He told me to -- Duty -- This is right!! God has told us to worship Him. We need to do that even when we don't want to.
2. Because I want to -- Love -- This is what I typically think of as worship. Singing along with Scott Krippayne when the sun is shining and I have the windows rolled down. But God has told us to worship Him on the worst of days.
C. We should be motivated to worship God because of:
1. Who He is.
2. What He's done -- Even if He did nothing we still owe Him praise.
D. Recognizing that God is the initiator, worship is:
1. Relinquishing self to God
2. Responding to God
3. Relating to God
Pretty cool stuff uh? Anyway I will try to remember to post next week's lesson. If I forget one of my readers (God bless all three of them) will have to leave a comment or send me an email or blow my house up or something. (Preferably one of the first two)
Wensday
What a day . . . I would like to start this entry with bit of a protest. I just opened a bottle of Sobe (Tsunami in case you were wondering) and I found the following message under the cap.
If you can't read that it say's "I'M WITH YOU GIRL" if someone could explain that to me I would appreciate it. Yeah, well that kinda bothered me. I'm going to have to try and forget about that one.
Anyway tonight was my first night working with AWANA. For those of you who are like me (and have no clue what AWANA is) it is kinda like a co-ed boyscout pack crossed with a vacation Bible school. I am working with the kindergarten age-group. It's pretty cool because there are only seven or eight kids and four leaders in my group. So it works out pretty nice for me. Lot's of one on one time.
If you can't read that it say's "I'M WITH YOU GIRL" if someone could explain that to me I would appreciate it. Yeah, well that kinda bothered me. I'm going to have to try and forget about that one.
Anyway tonight was my first night working with AWANA. For those of you who are like me (and have no clue what AWANA is) it is kinda like a co-ed boyscout pack crossed with a vacation Bible school. I am working with the kindergarten age-group. It's pretty cool because there are only seven or eight kids and four leaders in my group. So it works out pretty nice for me. Lot's of one on one time.
Monday, September 04, 2006
When Ball Becomes Baal
This was in our church bulletin this past Sunday. I thought this guy had a VERY good point. So I thought I would type it up and stick it in here.
When Ball Becomes Baal
By Jim Elliff
It's rare to see kids playing sports in the neighborhood anymore. We're now organized and "professionalized" -- including uniforms, state-of-the-art facilities, endless trips to the field, competitive coaches, equally competitive parents, and the after-season tournaments designed to geve parents "bleacher bottom." In addition, you've got to pay to play -- and when you've paid that much, you'll be sure to play.
It is fun, and it can be instructive. I love to watch my kids play sports. In fact, they need to play -- some. But, it's not so easy as handing over seventy bucks and saying, "Sign up Johnny and Susie this year." Making that decision means that you may be out four to five times each week during the season. Soon sports becomes all about clendarization and control of you life -- especially if you have more that one kid. Perhaps nothing outside of a change in you job has so much potential to turn the family schedule upside down.
"This man understands," you say.
Now comes the part you won't like: "Behold, I say unto you, you have made sports teh household god." Too strong? OK, not all of you. But the deification of sports is happening to many.
How does ball become Baal? Answer: When it controls you, and you give it devoted worship. It is around you got that you order your life -- and you can almost never say "no" to it.
Like "athlete's foot" on the hygienically0-challenged teenager, sports has taken over more and more of the life of believers. Almost overnight we have awakened to the sad fact that, in many communities, sports has even usurped th hours believers meet on the Lord's Day. All too often members are saying to church leaders, "We'll be gone next Sunday because of the soccer tournament." In turn, leaders are supposed to acquiesce humbly. After all, we can't afford to appear "legalistic;" everyone knows that the greatest crime a church can commit is to demand something of someone.
You'll hear, "But the team needs all the players. We can't let the team down." It never occurs to them that the church Body is being deprived of a necessary body part, or that God is marginalized and disobeyed. We are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, states God in Hebrews 10:25.
Devotion is the operative word. When the team says, "We need you," we sacrifice to do it. But when it crossed the time allotted to spiritual edification and worship, the Ruler of the universe is often sent to the bench. In the process, we teach our children that devotion to sports is more important than both devotion to God and loyalty to our spiritual family. Have you considered that you may be teaching your kids to worship sports?
Here are some ways to put sports in the proper place:
First, decide beforehand that there will be no contest between the church's essential activities desgned for you family's spiritual growth and what the team plans for your lives. If you will talk this over ahead of time with your child and then the coach, there will be no confusion. Throught the years I've found that many coaches respect that decision. But, it must be a prior decision, not one made on a case by case basis. When sports conflicts with Sunday worship or youth camp or a special spiritual activity, the decision has already been made.
Secondly, determine that your children cannot play every sport. There is sancity to the home life that must be protected. You need quiet evenings at home. You need meals together. Just let your children know that you are excited about sports, but there are limits. You then determine what those limits are. For us, we attempt to have only one sport per year for each child.
Finally think about some creative choices. One of my sons played basketball, but the season was interminably long. I was also traveling. So, I would be gone speaking over the weekend, then, when I was home, I was out tow or more nights sitting on the sidelines watching my son practice. It was not really "time together." This wasn't going to work.
The solution came to me after prayer. I asked him if he would be willing to learn golf in the place of basketball. We could play together, along with his brother, and we could do it whenever we wanted. We could enjoy this for the rest of our lives. I've paid some extra money, but I've bought back some time with my sons and some good exercise for me also. It's a bargain.
God Himself uses sports language in the New Testament. He's not against it, unless it steals the devotion belonging to Him. All other gods have to go!
Copyright 2004 Jim Elliff
Permission granted for not-for-sale reproduction in exact form including copyright. Other uses require written permission. Write for additional materials.
www.BulletinInserts.org
Mr Elliff, I appologize if I made any typo's. But I tried to "reproduce it in exact form." The only thing I would like to add is it isn't always sports that we become overly involved in. I spent the whole month of August teaching Children's Church (during second service) -- then this last Sunday I spent the entire day running sound for sanctuary. Maybe it's possible to worship church and not God?!?! I'm going to have to think about that.
When Ball Becomes Baal
By Jim Elliff
It's rare to see kids playing sports in the neighborhood anymore. We're now organized and "professionalized" -- including uniforms, state-of-the-art facilities, endless trips to the field, competitive coaches, equally competitive parents, and the after-season tournaments designed to geve parents "bleacher bottom." In addition, you've got to pay to play -- and when you've paid that much, you'll be sure to play.
It is fun, and it can be instructive. I love to watch my kids play sports. In fact, they need to play -- some. But, it's not so easy as handing over seventy bucks and saying, "Sign up Johnny and Susie this year." Making that decision means that you may be out four to five times each week during the season. Soon sports becomes all about clendarization and control of you life -- especially if you have more that one kid. Perhaps nothing outside of a change in you job has so much potential to turn the family schedule upside down.
"This man understands," you say.
Now comes the part you won't like: "Behold, I say unto you, you have made sports teh household god." Too strong? OK, not all of you. But the deification of sports is happening to many.
How does ball become Baal? Answer: When it controls you, and you give it devoted worship. It is around you got that you order your life -- and you can almost never say "no" to it.
Like "athlete's foot" on the hygienically0-challenged teenager, sports has taken over more and more of the life of believers. Almost overnight we have awakened to the sad fact that, in many communities, sports has even usurped th hours believers meet on the Lord's Day. All too often members are saying to church leaders, "We'll be gone next Sunday because of the soccer tournament." In turn, leaders are supposed to acquiesce humbly. After all, we can't afford to appear "legalistic;" everyone knows that the greatest crime a church can commit is to demand something of someone.
You'll hear, "But the team needs all the players. We can't let the team down." It never occurs to them that the church Body is being deprived of a necessary body part, or that God is marginalized and disobeyed. We are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, states God in Hebrews 10:25.
Devotion is the operative word. When the team says, "We need you," we sacrifice to do it. But when it crossed the time allotted to spiritual edification and worship, the Ruler of the universe is often sent to the bench. In the process, we teach our children that devotion to sports is more important than both devotion to God and loyalty to our spiritual family. Have you considered that you may be teaching your kids to worship sports?
Here are some ways to put sports in the proper place:
First, decide beforehand that there will be no contest between the church's essential activities desgned for you family's spiritual growth and what the team plans for your lives. If you will talk this over ahead of time with your child and then the coach, there will be no confusion. Throught the years I've found that many coaches respect that decision. But, it must be a prior decision, not one made on a case by case basis. When sports conflicts with Sunday worship or youth camp or a special spiritual activity, the decision has already been made.
Secondly, determine that your children cannot play every sport. There is sancity to the home life that must be protected. You need quiet evenings at home. You need meals together. Just let your children know that you are excited about sports, but there are limits. You then determine what those limits are. For us, we attempt to have only one sport per year for each child.
Finally think about some creative choices. One of my sons played basketball, but the season was interminably long. I was also traveling. So, I would be gone speaking over the weekend, then, when I was home, I was out tow or more nights sitting on the sidelines watching my son practice. It was not really "time together." This wasn't going to work.
The solution came to me after prayer. I asked him if he would be willing to learn golf in the place of basketball. We could play together, along with his brother, and we could do it whenever we wanted. We could enjoy this for the rest of our lives. I've paid some extra money, but I've bought back some time with my sons and some good exercise for me also. It's a bargain.
God Himself uses sports language in the New Testament. He's not against it, unless it steals the devotion belonging to Him. All other gods have to go!
Copyright 2004 Jim Elliff
Permission granted for not-for-sale reproduction in exact form including copyright. Other uses require written permission. Write for additional materials.
www.BulletinInserts.org
Mr Elliff, I appologize if I made any typo's. But I tried to "reproduce it in exact form." The only thing I would like to add is it isn't always sports that we become overly involved in. I spent the whole month of August teaching Children's Church (during second service) -- then this last Sunday I spent the entire day running sound for sanctuary. Maybe it's possible to worship church and not God?!?! I'm going to have to think about that.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Thoughts
I think I mentioned earlier that I just started taking a class in my church called Men With A Mission. Here is something that was in our Orientation handout. It really impressed me.
"I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit's power. The die has been cst. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, smoothe knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean in his presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and I labor with power.
My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions are few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of hte enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of deiocrity.
I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And, when He come for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me . . . my banner will be clear."
This was written by a young pastor before his martyrdom in Zimbabwe for his faith.
I want to have faith like that!
"I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit's power. The die has been cst. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, smoothe knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean in his presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and I labor with power.
My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions are few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of hte enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of deiocrity.
I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And, when He come for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me . . . my banner will be clear."
This was written by a young pastor before his martyrdom in Zimbabwe for his faith.
I want to have faith like that!
Czech pix
Okay I said I would put some more pictures on my blog so here they are.
They are in no particular order. Just ones I happened to like.
Here I am moving sand to fill in the water in the soccer field
Here is Barbora and Iveta
Here we are in a subway station in Austria
This is where we would hang out in-between classes
This is us and some of our students who decided to hang out with us over the weekend. We are on one of the walls of a castle in Brno.
(back row) George, ???, John, Heather, Mary, ???, Jess, Mike, Willy, Me,
(front row) Ruth, Chris, Kristen, Jen, Stacie, Iveta, Barbora,
They are in no particular order. Just ones I happened to like.
Here I am moving sand to fill in the water in the soccer field
Here is Barbora and Iveta
Here we are in a subway station in Austria
This is where we would hang out in-between classes
This is us and some of our students who decided to hang out with us over the weekend. We are on one of the walls of a castle in Brno.
(back row) George, ???, John, Heather, Mary, ???, Jess, Mike, Willy, Me,
(front row) Ruth, Chris, Kristen, Jen, Stacie, Iveta, Barbora,
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Czech
I know I really only got to Monday on my Czech report but it is hard writing that much stuff and it's just not worth only saying a little. So just email me w/any questions. Okay? Maybe I will write a book or something.
August
People keep asking me what have I been up to lately -- so here is a brief synopsis,
At church I have started Men With A Mission, which is a discipleship program based off of II Timothy 2:2 "And the things that thou hast heard of me among so many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who may be able to teach others also.
Also I joined the AWANA ministry. Don't ask me what AWANA stands for. I don't remember. But I have memorized my verses for Men With A Mission so at least my priorities are straight. But basically AWANA is a vacation bible school that meets on Wensday nights and is structured kinda like the Boy Scouts with the patches and all. I am looking forward to our first night which is September 6.
At church I have started Men With A Mission, which is a discipleship program based off of II Timothy 2:2 "And the things that thou hast heard of me among so many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who may be able to teach others also.
Also I joined the AWANA ministry. Don't ask me what AWANA stands for. I don't remember. But I have memorized my verses for Men With A Mission so at least my priorities are straight. But basically AWANA is a vacation bible school that meets on Wensday nights and is structured kinda like the Boy Scouts with the patches and all. I am looking forward to our first night which is September 6.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Softball
While I'm posting some of the highlights from my year I can't leave out softball season. I played for my church (Mount Airy Bible Church http://www.mabcmd.org) When we played in the Damascus tournament we won first place. Here is us with our trophy!
That's me to the left of the guy (Rob) in the orange shirt.
Here on top we have "Little John" playing third. Below we have our coach/pitcher Dave. Behind him on first is "Mikey". Note the pants that Dave is wearing . . . or did I need to say that? We call them his "Finding Nemo Pants".
Anyway it was a great year. If you were wondering where the 'dh' in my blog address came from it stands for designated hitter. My usual spot. I remember talking about baseball with my dad one time. I suppose I was five or six. But he asked me what was my favorite position. I immediatly responded with "Batter". Dad then explained to me that "really, everyone gets to bat, you have to play in the field too." I said "well maybe when I grow up I will be a good enough batter that they will let me just bat." ; ) Here I am. (Not so much because of my skill with a bat mind you . . . more like my lack of skill with a glove . . . but it's still fun to play)
That's me to the left of the guy (Rob) in the orange shirt.
Here on top we have "Little John" playing third. Below we have our coach/pitcher Dave. Behind him on first is "Mikey". Note the pants that Dave is wearing . . . or did I need to say that? We call them his "Finding Nemo Pants".
Anyway it was a great year. If you were wondering where the 'dh' in my blog address came from it stands for designated hitter. My usual spot. I remember talking about baseball with my dad one time. I suppose I was five or six. But he asked me what was my favorite position. I immediatly responded with "Batter". Dad then explained to me that "really, everyone gets to bat, you have to play in the field too." I said "well maybe when I grow up I will be a good enough batter that they will let me just bat." ; ) Here I am. (Not so much because of my skill with a bat mind you . . . more like my lack of skill with a glove . . . but it's still fun to play)
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Here is a picture from my recent mission trip to the Czech Republic. This is us in the conference room we used as a base while teaching.Before I put in anymore pictures I thought I would give you a brief overview of what I did over there.Our Team:(First row left to right) Heather, Jen, Kristen, Stacie, Jessica, (Back row left to right) Willie, Chris, Me, and Mike, Not pictured are our leaders, Ben, Janice, Jim and Lanette, and their little girl "Baby Ruth" The permanent American missionary we were working with was named Don.
Our Goal: Teach English in public school and show our students the love of Christ. Also to evangelize and work with additional students at a Christian sports center.
What Happened: Our first two days were spent traveling. Basically we left the church on a Friday morning and ended up in our dorm late Saturday night. None of us really had much sleep on the plane so we were all somewhere's between really cranky and really excited by Saturday night. And most of us were switching between the two rather quickly.
But we were all ready to go on Sunday morning. Jim was the guest speaker at the church we went to. He talked about be willing to be God's servant. See First Peter 4:10-11. It was really cool how we were able to see the similarities through our differences. We couldn't understand what they were sharing or what they were praying . . . but we could feel God's presence just as much as we could back at MABC. Seeing other Christians in a completely different country worship in a similar way was a huge impact on all of us. But it would soon be, almost forgotten, as we watched God do veritable miracles in peoples lives.
Monday . . . our first day teaching. None of us knew what to expect. Our plans had been turned inside out so many times most of us had really stopped expecting anything. So we just sat there for a few minutes outside the front door of the school. We watched as the earliest kids walked in for class. Most of the kids said nothing at all to us, they simply stared and whispered. Finally a bearded man, maybe in his mid-fifties wearing a white sports coat, approached us. He said "Hello" and asked us in a thick voice and broken English if we were the American teachers. We all nodded and smiled. Afer explaining that he knew very little English he began talking with Don. While watching the two jabber along with seemingly random syllables for several minutes. Don turned to us and said "he welcomes us to his school and hopes we will enjoy our visit." We then followed him through the front door and up several floors he led us into a room with a large table in the center. This would be our "base" while we were teaching. After showing us the room said something to Don and then left. We all just stood there looking at each other and wondering who this guy was. We knew that he was the director of the school. But aside from that we were left to our imagination. The man had never smiled. He hardly even looked at us. But we were here to do a job.
Well, the permanent English teachers soon came in to escort us to where we were supposed to be teaching. My group (me, Kristen, and Willie) were going to be teaching a group of fourth graders. I had drawn the short straw and I got to lead the class this time. The teacher we were working with, Suska, led us into the classroom and told her students that we were Americans that were going to work with them this hour. Then she left. I very quickly went from unsure of what I was doing to being downright scared. My interpreter just left!! Now what I do? Well, all I could do was to swallow the lump in my throat and introduce myself. I tried to explain some typical American greetings but I was greeted with only blank stares. So I did a quick mental reboot and went on to explaining what a family tree was. They caught on quickly soon they were writing out their own family trees and labeling each person. After forty-five minutes we heard a buzzer go off. We weren't sure what it meant because our students just sat their listening to us. Finally Suska came in and told them all to leave. As they left they were all talking excitedly to each other. As they walked past us, each of them used every form of American goodbye they could think of and got their last minute pictures of us on their camera phones. (Yes, most of the fourth graders had their own camera phones.)
The next two classes did not go well at all for me. Don asked us to try and split up into groups so we could work on a more individual basis. Once again I had to "reboot" and totally rethink how I was going to teach. The next classes were eighth and ninth grade classes. I expected their English to be at least somewhat better than the fourth graders. So I started teaching at a slightly higher level. In just a few minutes I had exhausted all of my family tree supplies. It wasn't that they knew it all -- I was going over their heads and nothing I had planned was working. I looked at my watch (actually it was Ben's watch I had forgotten to pack mine) and realized I had thirty-five minutes left to teach and no material left for today. I choked. Thankfully Don was working in my class room and he came to my table and started talking to my students in Czech. All I could do was sit there and watch them go back and forth. Finally Don stood up walked to the front of the class and again talking in Czech. After he was finished he interpreted for us. He had just asked the students "on a scale of one to ten, how much of our English were they understanding, ten being every word and one being none of it." I looked around the room at all our different groups and watched as most of the students were holding up seven, eight, and nine fingers. I looked back at my table and was horrified to see them holding up three and four fingers.
"What do I do now?" I thought.
I thought for what seemed like hours and finally tried to ask what their fathers did for a living. It took a couple minutes for me to explain myself. But they were soon drawing pictures of Ambulances, forklifts, and guy typing on a computer. Not bad. So then we went on and had them label as many items in their drawings as they could. After doing that for the remaining time, I was extremely relieved to hear that stupid buzzer again. I quickly packed up my supplies, said a quick goodbye and returned to our little conference room.
Then I had to go to the ninth grade class. The ninth grade class was a huge class the three of us had over ten kids each. These knew even less English than my eighth grade class. Not only that it seemed like I had all of the rowdy kids who didn't want to sit still or pay attention. It's one thing dealing with kids who aren't paying attention -- but it's quite another trying to work with them when they don't speak your language.
I was so stressed out by then end of that class that there was no way I could spend that much energy on another class. I felt like I had nothing left to give. As I headed for the door of our conference room as we were headed off to the next class I simply snapped. I couldn't face another group like the last two. I stopped and leaned against the door jam and tried to collect the will-power to keep following our teacher, but I couldn't do it. Mrs. Janice saw that I was having trouble and asked me what was wrong. But there was no way to explain. She simply told me to stay behind and take a break. She then took my supplies said that she would be praying for me and hurried off to class.
That was it. I felt like I failed. I failed my team, my friends, my church that sent me there, failed Don who set this all up, and worst I felt like I failed God. I just couldn't teach these kids anything. Don saw my dilemma and hung behind to try and help. After trying to explain to him what I was feeling, he looked at me and said,
"Jayson, hold on. Let me pray with you."
After praying for God to relieve my stress and to help me to simply love these kids by focusing on God, I realized, I was right, I didn't have anything left to give these kids. I didn't have anything to give them to begin with. All I was was the tool. I didn't have to teach them English and increase their vocabulary at all. All I had to do was go out there and love them like God would if He was in the room. He would take care of the rest.
Don then suggested that I sit in on another person's class just to see what they did and maybe get some fresh ideas. So I joined Heather. Instant Icebreaker we would soon be calling her. She had taught Children's Church back at Mount Airy Bible Church and she was just great with her kids. She just kept them busy. When they were working on something that didn't her leaning over their shoulders she would pull out the next thing and just keep right on going.
With that for a recharge I was ready for our last class of the day. Boy was I right about one thing . . . just leave it in God's hand and He would take care of the rest. And He did! Whenever I had a problem all I had to do was to treat the kids like God would if He was doing the teaching. It didn't matter what I taught. God would keep giving me ideas as I needed them.
That was an incredible experience. My week took on a whole new perspective after Don prayed for me. Thank you Don. But the incredible experiences had still just begun. After that last class we went to eat lunch in the school cafeteria. The food was not bad. It was simple. The students would all wave, smile, and shout hello to us. We felt like we were best friends with all of them. Even the ones who weren’t taking English would wave and try to talk with us. We really caused a ruckus that day. It wasn’t just at lunch either. During the few minutes we would have between classes our students were taking pictures of us on their cell phones. While we were eating though something caught me off guard. It was the director. He had been eating in the teacher’s cafeteria where all the teachers ate. But when he came out he saw us he looked over at our table and saw over a dozen students crowding around us asking how their English was or telling us about their favorite actors, this man had a huge smile on his face. That was when I first felt welcomed to the school. True, he had done his job that morning and ‘welcomed’ us . . . but just then as he walked past I saw that he was truly grateful for what we were doing in his school.
Tuesday, we were all fired up and ready to teach again. Alright hold on. I'm typing enough for a book. Maybe I'll write one. Here's a brief overview:
Tuesday was when we had the gypsy class.
Wensday we had the afternoon off and got some time to tour Brno
Thursday we had just a couple classes and then a talent show.
Friday we played softball w/ our students and then had a party at the Majak.
Saturday we went shopping and our students took us on a tour of their city.
Sunday we went back to Austria and toured a palace and then watched a concert.
Monday we made it to the airport and flew home.
There that didn't take too long did it?
more pix are coming
God bless and check back soon!! Jayson
This would be my blog
Hello Friends,
This is my blog. If you say "please" you may look at it . . . unless I decide you are a mean and nasty person . . . in which case I have programed my blog site to cause a short circuit in your computer and blow up half your block. So . . . don't forget to say please!!!
Jayson
P.S. Feel free to leave a comment . . . unless you just aren't into that kind of thing. In which case I would suggest you send me an email. If you don't have email, you could write me a letter. Unfortunately . . . I don't have a mailbox. So email would be the prefered way:)
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