.new year & new adventures.

As I turn another year older, I am reminded of how God has been so faithful to me. He has loved me unconditionally. He has been far more gracious to me than I will ever deserve. And He has constantly guided me in a plan that He is revealing to me slowly but surely.

A plan that is completely for His glory and my good.

Ten years ago this past summer, God allowed me the opportunity to travel to Senegal. Sixteen-years-old and ready to take on the world, God used that trip to change my outlook on life and see that it truly is worth it to give everything over to Him. It was during this trip that God began to show me pieces of the plan He had laid out for my life and the calling He was placing in my heart.

He has called me to give my life to Him. To fully surrender every area of my life to Him in order to bring Him glory and to use my skills and efforts to see the nations come to call Him Lord. What a humbling thing to be invited to partner with God in such a way!

Fast forward to this past summer and I am just a few days from jumping on a plane and heading to Ethiopia to serve with a wonderful ministry called Sports Friends. Before we leave, my friend tells me that they have an opening in their Finance Manager role. And I simply hear God tell my heart, “It’s time.”

For all this time I have not wavered in the calling that I knew God had placed on my life. And so many times I had tried to make it happen on my own. I knew that God had given me this calling, so why couldn’t I start using my skills right out of college? Why weren’t any of the avenues I was taking to try to get to this position working out before? For ten years I had wrestled with this understanding of what God had called me to do with my life and my unwillingness to fully surrender.

In my mind, I would be able to graduate college, apply to any missions agency I wanted, and be accepted right away. God had given me glimpses of how He wanted to use my life, so I deemed it necessary for me to just kind of help the process come along. I could make this all happen in my life, on my timetable, and in my own way.

Do you hear my selfish heart in all of that? I sure do, and it makes me so disgusted with myself! Praise God that He knew better than I did how I was not ready (and my heart was unwilling) to fully serve Him.

So after I was able to see Sports Friends in action and fell in love with the ministry, I began the application process. Sports Friends is a ministry of SIM. Their mission is to equip churches in Africa, Asia, and South America to make disciples of youth, their families, and communities through strategic sports ministry. You can find out more here.

I am beyond excited to announce that I will be filling the role of Finance Manager with Sports Friends! In God’s amazing timing, He has opened this door and I know that the journey has just begun. I cannot wait to see how God continues to move through this ministry and uses us to bring the Gospel to the nations.

So how can you be involved?

First and foremost, I would be honored to have you support me through prayer. Pray that God will raise up a wonderful and committed support team. Pray that God will move mightily through the ministry of Sports Friends. Pray that He will use you as well to bring His Gospel to the nations–however that may look and at whatever cost.

Secondly, stepping into this position means that I now have the unique opportunity to partner with the Lord in building up a financial support team. Would you consider becoming a dedicated part of my team as we partner together to reach the nations for Christ? You can give a recurring monthly amount or contribute to the launching fund here. If you are interested in sending checks, you can contact me and I will be happy to provide the information directly to you.

Third, I would love for you to join my mailing list for my update prayer and support letters. If you would like to join my communications list, you can contact me at Courtney.Mayes@sim.org.

I pray that God will remind you this week of His continual love for you. I pray that He will guide you through a tough decision or a tough season, never once letting go of you. I pray that you will be encouraged to know that He is inviting us in to partner with Him to spread His love to others and to tell them of the saving power of Jesus.

May we allow our roots to grow deeper in Him this week. May we allow our hearts to stand in awe of His majesty. And may we remember that He will never leave or forsake us. To Him be the glory forever and ever.

 

 

.chacos, chaos, & change.

Today marks the final full day at Camp Carmel. The days have been jam packed with all kinds of activities and fun! But we have also taken our time to rest in the presence of God. 

Presence just happens to be the theme for this week and it is so evident that the Lord’s presence is here with us at camp. It’s also evident that Satan is not happy with the life changes happening this week.

I have encountered students who are dealing with some heavy stuff. Students who are wrestling with thoughts of insecurity and doubt about their significance in this world. Students who are carrying some powerful pain. Students who have gone through a lot more life than I have so far. 

But God made his presence known last night.

I have the wonderful privilege of leading a group of seventh grade girls. Up to this point we had been dealing with distractions and just surface level conversation. Last night we were able to get a bit away from the distractions and just cry before the Lord. I sat down and shut up and let the girls lead the group. They poured their hearts out before one another. They encouraged one another. They prayed for each other. They showed me what it means to be a united family in Christ, carrying one another’s burdens as their own.

When I was in 7th grade, I was way too concerned with what others thought of me. I was way too focused on my friends. These girls are reminding me every moment that our identity is found in Christ alone and that’s enough.

What a great week at camp so far! Our God is good and he is doing great things with the next generation. We need to step up and continue to pour into them. We need to show them that Jesus is good and he can be trusted to walk with us through this journey of life. But we also need them to remind us how to have a child like faith and be present in the moment.

Pray for the rest of this time at camp. Pray that God will continue to move. Pray that the students will be renewed and strengthened in their faith. 

.Christmas.

Last night I was running around trying to get some things done around my apartment and happened to have the Charlie Brown Christmas special on. I’m sure I’ve seen this show many times during my life, but I don’t think I have ever truly listened to the words of the movie or understood the plot. I took a brief moment to stop cleaning and working and just listened. Charlie Brown was asking everyone what his problem was since he wasn’t in the “Christmas” spirit.

His questions hit home with me.

This month I have been going nonstop. Christmas parties every weekend, hanging out with family and friends, working, and simply living life. Yet, I once again allowed myself to come upon Christmas without taking the time to remember why we celebrate in the first place.

Just like Charlie Brown, I feel like I have been wandering around without a true sense of the season.

Do we truly take the time that Jesus deserves to reflect on His gift to us during this season? Do we allow Him to make Himself known to us in a fresh way that draws us closer to Him? Do we seek Him in the quiet moments of the season or continually fill those moments with our other Christmas activities?

Please do not get me wrong here; I adore the Christmas parties, movies, cookie decorating, and traditions. However, I have allowed those things to take precedence over the reason for the season and I approach Christmas like a worn out marathon runner.

He came to give us life and life to the full. He came to conquer death once and for all. He came to rescue our lives from the imprisonment of sin. He came to display His passionate love for mankind.

Christmas is a wonderful time of year and it’s magic is simply beautiful. But may we not forget the One who came for us and remember to bring Him the praise that He deserves.

Merry Christmas!

 

.look among the nations.

Back in December, I picked up the monthly newsletter at church and saw a note in there about a team headed to Guyana in the summer. To be honest, I had never heard of Guyana before and just thought it was somewhere in Africa (my geography skills are not exactly the greatest). But I had been praying that God would make the upcoming year a banner year in my life, that He would use me in a way to bring all the glory to Him, and that the impact would be life changing. When we pray bold prayers to a limitless God, we better be willing to accept His answer. So after months of praying and not being able to get Guyana off my mind, I took the plunge and signed up to head off for two weeks to a country I never would have dreamed of going to, but God knew all along that this was His plan for me.

My life verse is Habakkuk 1:5, which says, “Look at the nations and be amazed. Watch and be astounded. For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you.” (NLT) I love this verse for multiple reasons. God wants us to look out beyond what we see around us. And when I think about how much of the world there is left to reach, I begin to wonder how God is going to work. But He reminds us that it is Him that is going to do the work. We are invited in to partner with Him and see His renown fill the earth. And trust me, if someone would have told me a year ago that I would be spending two weeks in South America, I would have told them they were crazy. But God knows the plans for our lives, and it is simply amazing.

So please forgive me in advance for the length of this post and I will try to summarize the best I can all that God did during the two weeks our team was in the wonderful country of Guyana. And I pray that at the end of this post, for those sweet souls who journey with me through this post, that you will be encouraged by what God is doing among the nations and that you will feel a sense of urgency for the Gospel. May you be willing to ask God to show you where He is calling you to proclaim your faith–whether that is around the world or to your next door neighbor. May we be quick to obey His calling, no matter how scared we may be. May we no longer be Christians in name only, but may we be propelled forward by the saving power of salvation every day of our lives.

Hindu flags representing the number of gods worshipped by the household

A little bit of background on Guyana:

• Guyana was a British colony and they brought people from India over to work as indentured servants/slaves. The individuals of Indian descent became free from the British rule 5o years ago and the country then spiraled into an economic downturn that has not been regained since.
• The Indians that were originally brought to Guyana also brought their native religions of Hinduism and Islam. The Hindu temples and Islamic mosques are very prevalent when touring through Guyana. And it is easy to spot the despair on the faces of those who are enslaved to these false hopes.
• Guyana is considered a nation of the Caribbean and is the only Caribbean nation that is not an island. Haiti is the poorest Caribbean nation, and Guyana is a close second.
• Those not of Indian descent are of African descent. Therefore, a group of Americans walking around in Guyana sticks out for sure!
• Guyana is the only country in South America where English is the native language. This allowed us to be able to communicate with those we came in contact with once you asked them to talk just a bit slower. The rapidity of speech was a bit fast at times when you are used to the slow drawl of the South!

 

Juvenile detention center

We started our time out by going to the juvenile detention center. We drove from the hotel we stayed in down to the docks where our entire team of about 20 people all boarded this very small speedboat and we took off down the river. It was rainy that day and the boat sits so low in the water that you wonder how it doesn’t get flooded with water. As we came upon the detention center, there were multiple boys out in the rain washing off in their underwear. And that was the first instance where I realized how little these people have. Yes, I had noticed before now that I was in a third world country. But this was the first time that I saw the faces up close and personal of those having to live in poverty day in and day out.

The picture above is the big covered area where we held our time of worship and feet washing. The girls had to sit on one side and the boys on the other. We danced, we sang, we laughed, and we gave praise to our God.

I have not experienced praises like this since I was in Senegal about ten years ago and how refreshing it was. The music is contemporary Christian songs set to Caribbean beats. The kids were dancing and clapping with joy so clearly radiating from their smiling faces. And what breaks my heart is knowing that if these kids were to come to some of our churches in America, they would think that God is not a good God worthy of our greatest praise. How ashamed we should be when we are merely spectators of the worship in God’s house and not participating. May God forgive us of the times we have simply gone through the motions of worship and left our hearts outside of the sanctuary.

This was the first day that I had the opportunity to wash feet. I was kind of scared since I had never washed anyone’s feet and this would be the first time having a one-on-one conversation with a Guyanese individual about their faith. Fears were trying to invade my mind and soul, seeking to inform me that I could speak out of turn, God may not really have called me to be here, and who was I to think that I had anything important to share with these kids. But God’s plans prevail over the enemy’s attempts to derail His calling on your life.

As I washed those feet of those precious teenagers, I so desperately wanted to hear their stories, to try to diagnose exactly what happened for them to end up in a place like this. But each time I thought this, God quietly reminded me that the past does not define His people. He whispered in my ear to simply love these kids in this moment and to share the truth of His redeeming work with them. Nothing I say or do can save someone; only the power of Christ can do so. And letting go of the responsibility of trying to save someone through my own strength allowed the fears that were trying to derail me be silenced.

New Amsterdam prison (Photo credit: Kristi Buttles)

The majority of our time was spent in Berbice about three hours out from the capital city, Georgetown. Jai, the missionary in Guyana, took us to his house and we had the unique opportunity to live among the people for our short visit. And the next few days, we traveled to the New Amsterdam prison. We could not take any pictures inside, but the picture above shows a portion of the outside. It is intimidating from the outside and the smells emanating from the stagnant waste water surrounding the structure are overpowering.

We had to wait a while before they would let us come in through the gates and the longer I sat outside the gates, the more my fears began to creep up again. This day we were going to be working with men and I had heard stories from past trips about some of the crimes these men had committed. That big question of “God, are you sure that you called me to be going into this prison? Why would you want to bring me to a place that is so scary?” It’s easy to say we trust in God’s plan until we are faced with being pushed beyond our comfort zones. And God gently holds our hands as He walks every step of the way through the things that He has called us to that seem to frighten us the most.

As we walked through the gates of the prison, I began to feel a sense of hatred. It felt like I had stepped back in time to WWII and was entering an internment camp. The smells of human waste and garbage were pungent. The conditions were bleak. And I was upset that it was 2016 but this place had somehow been trapped in time and individuals were being forced to live here. Open air barracks housed the prisoners who were not shy in throwing out insulting cat calls as the female members of the team passed by. And again, fear began to rear its ugly head in my soul. Was this really what God had called me to do?

But the hatred and fear I had felt earlier all were driven away when the men began to worship God. The same thing that I had seen just the day before at the juvenile center was happening here. The men were dancing, clapping, and singing their hearts out in praise to God. The joy on their faces was so evident and God was there in the midst of the prison walls.

And as I washed feet that day, God solidified in my heart that He had called me to this country at this appointed time to be a witness of His saving grace. I took up that charge and boldly proclaimed the Gospel to every man who sat in front of me and granted me the honor of washing their feet. We saw many men become Christians that day and had about 15 of them get baptized. I have seen many baptisms during my time of being a part of the Church, but these baptisms will always remain in a special place in my heart. A tiny inflatable pool, a bucket used to pour the water over the men’s heads, and the new believer kneeling down in nothing but underwear for wanting to keep the few articles of clothing he owned dry, praising God that they were new creations. In the midst of this prison, there was such a strong sense of freedom.

One man I met was named Porter and he was the only man who sat down and looked me in the eyes to greet me. All the other men before him whose feet I had washed would look down at the ground in shame and seemed unwilling to share much with me (except for one man who was very adamant about making sure he told me he killed a man…that’s another story for another time). But Porter came in with a smile on his face and kept saying how thankful he was that we were there. He told me about how he had a wife and kids, how he was living a normal life and was running a few small businesses. And one day his friend talked him into working as a taxi driver for a bit. The first day he got behind the wheel, an accident occurred that resulted in him hitting and killing two individuals, one of them his aunt. He was immediately thrown in prison and is currently awaiting a trial. In Guyana, if you are a suspect of a crime, you are put in prison with no chance of bail, waiting until the court date is set. Sometimes a prisoner may have to wait a few years before the trial even occurs.

Porter continued to tell me how he was a Christian and now realized that God sent him to prison in order to strengthen his walk with Him again. He kept saying that everything had been taken from him–his family, his dignity, his normal pace of life–but that no matter what happened, they could never take God away from him. The genuine faith shown by this man made me realize just how little faith I have sometimes. I had the wonderful opportunity of praying for him to stay strong in his faith. When we went back the next day, he was sitting on the front row and was smiling so big. This man’s joy in Christ was unwavering. After the service, he came down to say thank you to our team again and then he asked me if he could pray for me. As he prayed for me, I broke down into tears. This man was thanking God for sending our team and asking God to continue to use us to spread the Gospel in Guyana. And I couldn’t help but realize that if I was in his position, I would be surprised if I had even an ounce of faith that he had. What a humbling experience and a wonderful thing to meet a brother in Christ in the midst of such circumstances. May I never forget to have such sincere faith as Porter when I feel that the world is against me.

Community center in Liverpool

The next couple of days we worked with children in the village of Liverpool. During the days we worked with kids, we would sing fun songs, reenact a Bible story, and then present the Gospel. Seeing the smiles of the kids as we danced and sang before the Lord was so sweet. And seeing those tiny hands raised in the air proclaiming their newfound faith in Jesus was even sweeter.

Washing the feet of those sweet children was one of the hardest things I had to do while in Guyana. Every child’s feet were covered in dirt, many had multiple welts and cuts, and some had ringworm. And everything within me wanted to sit there and just cry seeing these situations. But their sweet smiles and willingness to listen to the truth of Jesus kept me going. Each time a child told me they wanted to pray to ask Jesus into their heart, I saw the understanding of what they were doing in their eyes.

Covered in sweat and dirty water, I sat there amazed as God met with those children and called them home to Him. May I never get over the joy there is in seeing someone come to know Jesus as their Savior for the first time. For I know it was nothing that I did, but everything that He did.

Beach close to the border of Suriname

As the first week came to an end, there was a peace in my heart that my time in Guyana wasn’t over yet. We had to send off some precious team members as they headed back to the States and waited for the other team members coming in. That weekend was a wonderful time of rest and team bonding. We got the opportunity to go to the market and walk around the neighborhood. Imagine a crowded building overflowing with people, smells, and butchered fish and livestock. Side note: I would post a picture of the cow and pig heads, but for the sake of the squeamish, I will refrain. We also drove to the border of Guyana and Suriname and I rode in the back of a pickup truck the whole time. Unfortunately I forgot to wear sunscreen and got a pretty bad burn. And when we got out on the sand at the beach to take some pictures, we started getting eaten immediately by sand fleas. But it was a sweet time of recharging and hanging out with the team.

That weekend I also got sick and had to skip out on the ministry at the men’s prison again on Monday. Being sick away from home is never very fun and being sick when you are out of the country is even less fun. Satan began to really cause me to doubt whether or not I was even going to be effective that second week. It is easy to say that when Satan attacks you, just let him know that your God is bigger. It is easy to say that we need to fight the attacks of Satan. It is harder to put it in to practice when you are removed from your comfort zone.

I was allowing Satan to really get me to that point where I was done. I was done with serving. I was done with being around God fearing people for so long. I was done with the heat. I was done with the lack of my own bed, my own apartment, and my own comforts of home. I was done with being sick. I was simply done with being in Guyana.

And as I write these words, I just want to go back and rewind time so badly. I allowed Satan’s ugly lies to infiltrate my mind and my behavior. It took a few days for me to get back in to even wanting to wash feet and share the Gospel. I knew the task that I had signed up for and I no longer wanted any part of it. Isn’t it funny how God will use our unwillingness to remind us of how weak we truly are and how powerful He is?

Banner inside a church

As we came upon the last day of ministry, I was still fighting being sick and not being 100% there. But God strengthened me that day to serve Him. The children at this church were so sweet and eager to hear what God had to tell them that day. I don’t think I had washed that many feet in one day than while we were at that church. And God reminded me again that it is not what I can do, it is not how I feel, it is not anything of me that saves a soul. Only He can be my continual source of strength. Only He can comfort me when I am removed from my definition of normalcy. Only He can move someone from death unto life. Only God.

During our time in Guyana our team washed 1,625 pairs of feet and saw 373 people give their lives to Christ! I smile every time I read that and remember the faces of those that I had the opportunity to wash their feet and pray with them to receive Christ. God is moving in Guyana and there is still more work to be done.

Largest wooden structure in the world in Georgetown, Guyana.

At the end of the two weeks, God solidified some things in my heart. For one, He reminded me that when God calls us to go, we need to respond with immediate obedience. Anything less is disobedience and breaks the heart of God. Second, even when God calls us, He does not guarantee it will be easy. I am weak and the second week I was in Guyana proved that immensely. But He is stronger and gave me the strength I needed to carry on. The comforts I am used to were completely removed and I had to fight off the feelings of overwhelming unfamiliarity. Finally, God reminded me of the urgency of the Gospel and of the calling He has placed on my life.

We live in a world that is void of  hope, plunged in darkness, and enshrouded with broken people. And we have the solution–the sweet and precious love of Jesus. Just as John 3:16 states, God loved us and gave us His son to die for our sins so that we can be reconciled back to Him. Nothing we can do in our own might can restore this relationship. Jesus did it all and all to Him we owe.

When we begin to see the depth of the love of Christ for us, we are propelled forward to tell others about the salvation that He offers. Our time is short and as Christians we have two choices in life: live for ourselves simply surviving or thriving as we live sold out to Christ. God has not given me life to remain selfish and satisfied with what I can accomplish. He has a work to be accomplished throughout the nations, and I am humbled that He calls me to be a part of it.

So what are you going to do? Where is God calling you to serve? Are you going to go or are you going to live in the fear that it might be too hard, it might be unfamiliar, or it might be unsafe?

Trust Him. It truly might be hard. It will be unfamiliar. It might be unsafe. But with God, we have the blessed assurance that He is with us every step of the way, holding us up and cheering us on. And as you allow Him to work in your life, you begin to see that you are apart of a grander plan that was set in motion before the world began. You begin to see glimpses of just how strong God’s love for you is. You begin to realize that we are the solution the world needs. What a powerful charge that we have been given! May we not forsake it for our own selfish desires of comfort and familiarity.

May we press on until every nation proclaims the name of Jesus. May we remember the urgency of the Gospel. May we not shirk in fear when He calls us to go. May we know that His plan for us is better than anything we may dream for ourselves. May we never get over the magnificent gift that we have been given in Christ.

So let us look among the nations and see that God is moving. It’s time for us to rise up and take the Light into the darkness of the world. Whether that is across the street or across the world, God has called us all to go. Are you going to let God’s plan for your life pass you by or are you ready to see Him move? The world is ready and waiting. Let’s move.

.depravity.

This week God has been focusing my heart on the depravity of man. He has been showing me just how easily mankind can fall into the dangerous trap of sin. And when it comes right down to it, He has shown me just how easily I can fall into the complacency of a life that is not fully dependent on Him.

I recently got hooked on the podcast Serial (yes, I know I’m a bit behind the trend here) and even found more podcasts to accompany that podcast. It gripped me immediately because of my inquisitive instincts and my amateur sleuthing skills. As I delved into the details of the case, I began to see just how wretched mankind is. Innocence or not aside of the man currently sitting in prison, the podcasts revealed the brokenness of the lives of all of those intimately involved in the case.

With all the hours I have listened to this case, to me it is still just another story. I understand that the facts are true, but I have never met these people, the timing of the events happened when I was only in grade school, and the location is a city that I have never even visited. At this point I almost view it like a crazy episode of CSI.

But tonight I was shown that the depravity of man is all around us.

As I was driving to a friend’s house for a fun movie night, I stopped at a red light at a busy intersection close to my destination. As I was sitting at the light I noticed some people standing outside of their cars two lanes over. My first instinct was that they were just walking to their destination. Next thing I know, one guy starts punching the other guy. They were throwing fists at each other left and right. One knocked the other one to the ground and they were wrestling in the middle of the road. At one point, they almost hit the car next to me and they almost landed right in front of my car. The light had turned green and I couldn’t drive for fear that I would hit one of them. More people climbed out of one of the cars, and my first thought was to get out of there for fear that one of the individuals could have a gun.

The whole incident shook me up and questions buzzed through my mind. How could an individual’s anger cause one to wrestle another individual in the middle of a busy intersection? Why was my first thought that someone possibly had a gun and was not afraid to use it?

God reminded me that our world is desperately broken and that I am not immune to the depravity.

Without God, fallen mankind is capable of producing immeasurable evil. With God, our brokenness begins to be pieced back together as we see our daily need for a Savior.

Only Jesus can mend the brokenness of the human nature. Only Jesus can save a wretched heart like mine. Only Jesus can take what has fallen and build it back up. Only Jesus.

Life can get us down sometimes and sin can blatantly rear its ugly head. But in those times, may the Lord remind us that He is fighting for us and that this world is not our home. We have this blessed assurance that He is greater, He is stronger, and He is better than anything this world throws at us.

May we begin to realize even more the urgency of the Gospel to a world that is trapped in its broken nature. May the depravity of mankind drive us to a strong dependency on Him. May we daily seek only Jesus.

Jesus, only Jesus.

.christmas gifts.

This weekend I stumbled upon a local Christmas play called “Christmas Belles.” Four sisters living in Fayro, Texas are all working together to bring the church Christmas show together. Big hair, hilarity, and tacky sweaters abounded and made my Southern heart smile. One thing after another continued to go wrong for the sisters and it seemed that the church pageant would be a bust. Throughout the show, one of the wise men kept pulling a little red wagon behind him and collecting little items around the set to place in his wagon. The church showtime finally arrived and with two of the wise men, the camel that was really a polar bear, the angel, and Joseph all down for the count due to food poisoning from the pancake dinner, there was only one person left to recite the Christmas story: the wise man with the little red wagon.

He walked onto the scene pulling his wagon behind him. He walked up to the manger and began taking the items he had been collecting and laid them in the manger with Jesus. Surrounded by a chafing dish full of Frito pie, a children’s story book, a power drill, and a blanket, Jesus had received everything that the wise man had to give. And that’s when God reminded me of a simple truth–what am I giving to God this Christmas?

I doubt many of us put God on our gift list this year. I’ll be the first to admit that I easily allow myself to sometimes get caught up in the commercialism of Christmas. But this year I want it to be different.

God doesn’t demand that I bring him anything. He doesn’t force me to present Him with gifts. He simply wants me to bring what I have to Him.

During this Christmas season, what are you going to bring to Jesus?

.resting in Him.

I am really good at staying busy. I can pack my schedule full of work, activities, commitments, and events that I neglect to find time to rest.

Rest. What does it mean to truly rest?

This morning I woke up two hours before my alarm was scheduled to go off. I have been very low on sleep lately due to the demands on my schedule, so I was really looking forward to getting a full night’s rest. But thank God he had different plans.

A bit on the sleep-deprived-on-the-verge-of-disgruntled side of seeing this good morning wakeup call from the Creator, I turned to Hebrews 3 and began reading about God’s rest. Oh what a beautiful time of reminding my soul that God is the one who supplies us with rest.

When I am striving to find rest, I am still exerting my efforts to bring about rest.

When I rest in God, I am trusting that He has already finished what I could never do and that He is in control of all things.

My God is in control. My God knows that I need rest even before I want to acknowledge it. My God understands that a softened heart is a product of resting in Him. My God desires for me to rest in Him and in Him alone.

Oh what a good God we have!

God formed the world in seven days and rested. If the creator of the universe, who holds all things together, can take one day to rest, who am I to tell God that I can maintain an overwhelmed schedule with no time to come up for air?

On this Sabbath day, how are you going to rest in God?

During this week, how are you going to rest in God?

A soul that rests in God reflects a heart that knows that God is in control.

.more.

Tonight is one of those nights where my soul is restless. Of course it always seems to coincide with the times that I am the most sleep deprived. But what a small sacrifice to pay when God wants to meet with you.

God wants more.

Our campus pastor challenged us with this simple phrase tonight and I can’t seem to stop thinking about it. God wants more of me, of my time, of my life. He knows I’m a mess, and he still wants more. He knows I make mistakes, and he still wants more. He understands my weaknesses, my shortfalls, my deficiencies, and yet he still wants more.

If God wants more, then I have to be willing to give him more.

Time is a precious resource that I am able to quickly waste. And as this idea of God wanting more was unpacked tonight by our campus pastor, I knew that God was asking me for more of my time.

This is something that I have had to be gently reminded of for quite some time. Oh what a patient God we serve!

So how do I give God more of my time? What if I don’t have any more time to give God?

What is causing me to hoard what God has given to me in the first place?

My time is not mine and I don’t want it to be mine. What I spend my time on will mold me. If I work all the time, I will become consumed with work. If I study day and night, I will hopefully become a good student. If I commit my time to God, I will become more like Christ.

This is where I am faced with a decision. This is where I determine if I am willing to give God more.

I want my life to be defined, surrounded, consumed, directed by Jesus. And if this is the desire of my heart, I have to put time in to it.

Any relationship you have in your life was established because you spent time with that person. A relationship with God is no different; it takes time and effort to truly give God more.

When we give God more, he gives us more of himself. We cannot out give God, but it is in the giving of more that he grows us.

What do you need to give God more of in your life?

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20 (emphasis added)

.unwritten details.

I have always been intrigued by the Christmas story. I love to learn the facts surrounding the story and I love to imagine how I would feel if I was in the situation of the key characters. For example, today I learned that the swaddling cloths that Jesus was wrapped in when He was born were a normal part of the packing list for anyone taking a journey. Swaddling cloths were used to wrap the bodies of those who died along the journey and I can only imagine as Mary packed them, she could only think of herself being wrapped in them. She was nine months pregnant and about to embark on a long trip, and on the back of a donkey nonetheless. There was no pristine hospital for her to deliver the baby in and it was pretty common for women to not make it through childbirth. She was preparing to lose her life for the sake of God’s purpose. Yet for some reason I had always assumed that the cloths were already in the manger or the inn keeper supplied them and never realized that Mary and Joseph brought them themselves, ready to face whatever loss was ahead.

Up to this point in my life, the Christmas story has been almost like a fairy tale to me. The plot of the story has always carried simple, positive connotations in my mind. Mary talks to the angel. Mary gets pregnant. Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem. They have to stay in the stable. Jesus is born in the manger. Angels sing the good news. The shepherds come visit Him and the animals all surround the manger on a silent night. End scene.

And while the story is simple, the effects of the story are great. Mary didn’t just talk to an angel; Mary was appointed to carry out one of the greatest plans of God. Mary encountered the Holy Spirit in a way that the majority of mankind will never experience. Mary had to try to explain to her family, friends, and Joseph about her situation. Just imagine that conversation! Mary endured a full pregnancy. She felt the baby kick. She nurtured a special life inside of her. She shared an amazing bond with Jesus. Joseph so strongly stayed by her side even amongst probable public ridicule. Joseph led them to the place where prophecy would be fulfilled. Joseph took care of the extremely pregnant Mary during the entire trip to the birthplace of Christ. And more than likely, Joseph assisted in the delivery of the baby. With no other material but the swaddling cloths, Joseph and Mary wrapped Jesus in what was meant for the end of life, not the beginning.

Can you imagine it yet? The stable had probably very little airflow and the animals smell very pungent. The labor pains are intense and Joseph has to remain calm for Mary’s sake. There’s very little light and the best comfort Joseph can provide at the moment is a little bit of hay spread out on the dirty earthen floor. Mary is in obvious pain that is becoming more forcible by the moment.

But then Joseph is holding the baby in his arms. Jesus is here and He’s so little, so alert, and seems so helpless. He is perfect–ten toes and ten fingers, big eyes, button nose. So innocent looking. So frail. Joseph begins to visualize how he will watch this baby grow up. He will help him take his first steps. He will rejoice when he says his first words. He will cheer him on when he does good. He will teach him carpentry. He will train him in the ways of God. He will raise this child God has entrusted to Mary and him.

When I begin to imagine the story this way, I begin to remind myself that this is not just another sweet childhood story. This story actually happened and there is real life that was lived that went unrecorded in the few short chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These were ordinary people living out an extraordinary purpose for God being guided by Him day by day.

This Christmas I don’t want to be awed by the sweetness of the story of the birth of Christ. This Christmas I want to see the story in a fresh light. I want to revel in the unwritten details and make this story real to me. I want to dwell on the revelation that God used ordinary people and interrupted ordinary circumstances to bring about extraordinary change in the world. This is our Savior. This is our King. This is Jesus.

May this Christmas be so special for you and may God teach you something new even now about His love for you.

O come all ye faithful
Bow before our Savior.
Come let us adore
The One who came for us.
Glory in the highest!
Praise the name of Jesus!
Our King has come!
{Elevation Worship}

.let’s go to church.

I have always been connected to a church in some way or another. I went to church nine months before I was born. I did every children’s program the church offered. I attended every youth event. I went to a college where we had chapel twice a week for credit. My life has always intersected with church. Growing up it was just what I did. It was my identity and helped me to maintain a “good girl” reputation. But as I become older I begin to see things differently.

For me, church was where I went to hang out with my friends and maintain a social life of which my parents approved. Although I may not always have had the best intentions when I went to church, I thank God for using it to begin to lay a foundation in my life and to protect me. He used that time to instill in me a desire to know more about Him and to know what it means to be committed to the church.

God established the church as a force to be reckoned with, as a platform to change the world for His glory. Are we still maintaining that call that we have been given? That appointment by God to be the refuge the world needs and to not shirk from bringing them to Jesus when they enter our doors? Or are we simply using our churches as places for our “country club” mentalities to relax on a Sunday morning? I have been on both sides of this issue and I regret that I wasted so much time simply going through the motions of church.

I have the privilege of seeing lives changed every week I attend church. I have grown to truly have a passion for the church because I now see it as God’s vehicle for life change and I want to be a part of it. The church is the one establishment on this earth that will continue longer than anything else and praise God that He allows us to be a part of it!

Many have had tough experiences with churches. There’s no perfect church and, this side of eternity, it will always be hard to find a church that is perfect. But I am thankful that God uses our mistakes, our weaknesses, our shortfalls, and our imperfections to build His church.

So why my obsession with church? Because church is where I get to be a part of life change week in and week out. Church is the tangible heartbeat of God’s love for a lost world. It’s not just a building; it’s the people behind the building. And God sent His son to die for the people. I want to be a woman who is defined by the passions of God’s heart. I want to be a woman who is crazy about the local church. I want to be a woman who is known for wanting to see freedom from brokenness brought about in her city. I want to be a woman who loves to tell people about my church.

It’s time to stop dating the church. Get committed to a church. Ask God to lead you to a church where His word is preached and the Gospel is presented. It’s time we renew our love for the church. If God loves the church, then I will love the church. I will serve the church. I will be a part of the church. I will give my time, talent, and treasures to the church. I will believe in the church. I will support the church. I will bring others to the church. I will be the church. I will fight for the church. I will love the church.

So, let’s go to church.