Wow, it has been a busy week and it's not getting any less busy! There are lots of awesome things going on...just all at the same time this week..or so it seems.
Despite a busy week and amidst the craziness, God taught me a neat lesson on Monday night. While Jonathan was at a men's event at Parkway I spent the evening at Starbucks.
Side note: while I was at Starbucks, I finally bought the drink that earned me a GOLD CARD!! I'm just a little bit excited about that :)
So back to what I was saying... During my little evening retreat spent in the Word at Starbucks I learned a cool lesson from scripture. Currently in my Bible reading I'm going through the book of Matthew. Monday I was in Matthew 2 where it talks about the wise men going to see Jesus after he was born. When the wise men see Jesus in Matthew 2:11 they do three things:
1- They bow down
2- They worship Him
3- They present Him with their gifts
This is when I briefly thought to myself, aww cool, it's nice to read the Christmas story in June haha... but THEN the real revelation happened, and I mean literally Revelation! My mind immediately went to the scenes I've imagined in Revelation when Christ is being worshipped as the Lamb who was slain and rose again, the one who defeated sin and death once and for all, and the one who the angels can't stop calling Holy.
When Christ is worshipped in Heaven it doesn't sound like a funeral, it's not boring, and the people aren't thinking about what their next meal is...you know what they do? The elders in Revelation 4:10 fall down before him, worship Him, and then they lay their crowns before Him. Sound familiar?
What do we do when we encounter Christ? Do we humble ourselves by bowing down and submitting to his authority? Do we worship Him? Do we present our gifts to Him? This is what wise people do.
These are convicting thoughts. I know it's been rocking my world this week. I hope it will encourage you as well!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Song of the Week Saturday
I love God glorifying hip hop... a lot! So much of it is deeply rich in theology. This is probably one of my favorite songs of all time. I really think I could listen to it everyday.
"Bear with You" by Trip Lee featuring Tedashii
(the video has the lyrics)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6aJzbAWNlA
"Bear with You" by Trip Lee featuring Tedashii
(the video has the lyrics)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6aJzbAWNlA
Friday, June 7, 2013
Foodelicious Friday
Alrighty for this weeks foodie Friday we're talkin' dessert. The kind with two "s's" because you want more :) This week's recipe once again has to do with my awesome Husband's taste for food.
I'd say that Jonathan's favorite food in the whole wide world is brownies. He's crazy about them. His favorite brand of brownies are "Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate" brownies. They are SO good. As the Chumleys in Tennessee would say, they'll "make ya slap ya Mama".
Well one day when we were feeling creative, we decided to try and take this brownie mix and use it to make cookies! So we did. Thank you Pinterest (so addicted).
Here's the awesome recipe we found, you can also find it here (http://voices.yahoo.com/ghirardelli-brownie-cookies-6976848.html?cat=22 )
I'd say that Jonathan's favorite food in the whole wide world is brownies. He's crazy about them. His favorite brand of brownies are "Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate" brownies. They are SO good. As the Chumleys in Tennessee would say, they'll "make ya slap ya Mama".
Well one day when we were feeling creative, we decided to try and take this brownie mix and use it to make cookies! So we did. Thank you Pinterest (so addicted).
Here's the awesome recipe we found, you can also find it here (http://voices.yahoo.com/ghirardelli-brownie-cookies-6976848.html?cat=22 )
Ghirardelli Brownie Cookies
1 Ghirardelli brownie mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
3 tablespoons flour (1/3 cup for high altitude)
1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or nuts to mixed-in (optional)
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
3 tablespoons flour (1/3 cup for high altitude)
1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or nuts to mixed-in (optional)
Mix flour into brownie mix. Lightly beat eggs with oil and mix in. The dough should be stiff like cookie dough. One recipe will make 24-30 cookies, depending on the size.
Bake at 350° for 10-11 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies, less if the cookies are 2" or smaller. Let cookies rest on pan for 2 minutes.
Promises
Considering that today is Friday and I'm just now writing for this week's "Theology Thursday" I'd say I'm a little late. I've had a few ideas on what to write about today but wasn't really settled on anything... until in my own lateness, the idea occurred to me!!
Our words carry much weight, sometimes probably more weight than we wish they did! Check out this previous blog post Toothpaste.
There are two verses in particular I'd like to discuss that talk about our words, especially in regards to promises and integrity. These verses convict me a lot of times and I think we can learn a great deal from them.
Matthew 5: 33-37 ( "Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord. But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; or by the earth, because it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. Neither should you swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. But let your word ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.") and James 5:12 ("But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.") both talk about our words.
Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me like Jesus and James are giving us a warning here. Be careful about making promises. This begs our question of, "but what if my promise is a good one like 'God I'll promise I'll read my Bible everyday' or 'Friend, I promise I'll pray for you this week'?"
I'm not sure that the actual words of the promise are what could lead to evil... I just think that we are evil. Humans are fallen creatures and even those saved by grace through faith in Christ still struggle with sin. Promises are good when coming from a perfect God. But, we are not perfect and many times are unable to keep our promises. So it is better to not make extreme promises that way we do not fall under judgement (James 5:12) or become enticed by the evil one (Matthew 5:37).
On the positive, what we can do is let our "yes be yes and our no be no" (Matthew 5:37, James 5:12). When you tell that friend you'll pray for them- do it! When you say you'll meet someone at 5 o'clock- be there! When our yes isn't yes and our no isn't no or our 5 o'clock dinner becomes a 5:15 dinner it leads to distrust and it shows a lack of integrity. Even if our intentions are pure, we are not doing what we said we would do. I'm also not talking about that one time you were late to something. This is more in regards to habitual lateness, for whatever reason, that makes you known as "the late one" to everything. Or in my case, I constantly make promises and proposals I don't keep on this silly blog! Let's do better. All that we do, the thoughts we think, and the words we say are an act of worship...the question is who or what are we worshiping? Let's worship God in how we use our words.
Our words carry much weight, sometimes probably more weight than we wish they did! Check out this previous blog post Toothpaste.
There are two verses in particular I'd like to discuss that talk about our words, especially in regards to promises and integrity. These verses convict me a lot of times and I think we can learn a great deal from them.
Matthew 5: 33-37 ( "Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord. But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; or by the earth, because it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. Neither should you swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. But let your word ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.") and James 5:12 ("But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.") both talk about our words.
Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me like Jesus and James are giving us a warning here. Be careful about making promises. This begs our question of, "but what if my promise is a good one like 'God I'll promise I'll read my Bible everyday' or 'Friend, I promise I'll pray for you this week'?"
I'm not sure that the actual words of the promise are what could lead to evil... I just think that we are evil. Humans are fallen creatures and even those saved by grace through faith in Christ still struggle with sin. Promises are good when coming from a perfect God. But, we are not perfect and many times are unable to keep our promises. So it is better to not make extreme promises that way we do not fall under judgement (James 5:12) or become enticed by the evil one (Matthew 5:37).
On the positive, what we can do is let our "yes be yes and our no be no" (Matthew 5:37, James 5:12). When you tell that friend you'll pray for them- do it! When you say you'll meet someone at 5 o'clock- be there! When our yes isn't yes and our no isn't no or our 5 o'clock dinner becomes a 5:15 dinner it leads to distrust and it shows a lack of integrity. Even if our intentions are pure, we are not doing what we said we would do. I'm also not talking about that one time you were late to something. This is more in regards to habitual lateness, for whatever reason, that makes you known as "the late one" to everything. Or in my case, I constantly make promises and proposals I don't keep on this silly blog! Let's do better. All that we do, the thoughts we think, and the words we say are an act of worship...the question is who or what are we worshiping? Let's worship God in how we use our words.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Song Saturday
Okay this'll be the last alliteration for ya this week! On each Saturday I'll recommend a song...
This song has been rocking my world for a few weeks now. Gorgeous voice, nice showcase of both guitar and piano, lyrics deeply rooted in scripture, and just plain catchy :)
He is All We Need
Highlands Worship
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3nQtaKlIQ0
This song has been rocking my world for a few weeks now. Gorgeous voice, nice showcase of both guitar and piano, lyrics deeply rooted in scripture, and just plain catchy :)
He is All We Need
Highlands Worship
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3nQtaKlIQ0
Friday, May 31, 2013
Foodie Friday
Yep, another alliteration. Foodie Fridays.
I have a confession...I am a wanna be chef. I love making (and eating!) food. My husband and I also enjoy pretending like we're "Chopped" judges whenever we go to restaurants. So on Fridays I plan to share something of this sort with you.
My husband, Jonathan, is usually not found in the kitchen. He likes to say that he "mixes" things, but he doesn't "cook" food. Contrary to what he may say, he is actually a great cook and can make a mean Chicken Marsala :) This summer while we have a little more time on our hands, he's expressed an interest in learning to cook more. So one goal we are trying to accomplish this summer is to cook dinner together at least once a week.
One of the things Jonathan makes that could win an award is his Chicken Salad. It's my favorite! So tonight we made a meal that puts a little twist on chicken salad. It's a bit of an adaptation from Rachel Ray's (love her!!) California Chicken Club Wraps. Here's the recipe for our twist which we'll call "California Chicken Club Salad Pitas" or maybe a cooler name is C3SP?
Ingredients:
-Canned Chicken
-Salt & Pepper
-1/2 an Avacado
-1/4 Onion diced
- 1 Celery Stick diced
-1/4 Mango diced
-Juice of 1/2 a Lime
-Bacon chopped like Bacon Bits
-Pita Pockets/Bread
-Lettuce
-Tomato
Instructions:
1- Mix ALL ingredients besides pita, lettuce and tomato.
2- Warm Pitas
3- Slice Pitas in half and stuff with Chicken Mixture, Lettuce and Tomato
4- ENJOY!
*For a healthier option cut out the bacon and use whole wheat pita or lettuce leafs to wrap Chicken Salad instead of Pita.
I have a confession...I am a wanna be chef. I love making (and eating!) food. My husband and I also enjoy pretending like we're "Chopped" judges whenever we go to restaurants. So on Fridays I plan to share something of this sort with you.
My husband, Jonathan, is usually not found in the kitchen. He likes to say that he "mixes" things, but he doesn't "cook" food. Contrary to what he may say, he is actually a great cook and can make a mean Chicken Marsala :) This summer while we have a little more time on our hands, he's expressed an interest in learning to cook more. So one goal we are trying to accomplish this summer is to cook dinner together at least once a week.
One of the things Jonathan makes that could win an award is his Chicken Salad. It's my favorite! So tonight we made a meal that puts a little twist on chicken salad. It's a bit of an adaptation from Rachel Ray's (love her!!) California Chicken Club Wraps. Here's the recipe for our twist which we'll call "California Chicken Club Salad Pitas" or maybe a cooler name is C3SP?
Ingredients:
-Canned Chicken
-Salt & Pepper
-1/2 an Avacado
-1/4 Onion diced
- 1 Celery Stick diced
-1/4 Mango diced
-Juice of 1/2 a Lime
-Bacon chopped like Bacon Bits
-Pita Pockets/Bread
-Lettuce
-Tomato
Instructions:
1- Mix ALL ingredients besides pita, lettuce and tomato.
2- Warm Pitas
3- Slice Pitas in half and stuff with Chicken Mixture, Lettuce and Tomato
4- ENJOY!
*For a healthier option cut out the bacon and use whole wheat pita or lettuce leafs to wrap Chicken Salad instead of Pita.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Awesome, Amazing Alliteration...
I've got a plan. A plan for blogging this summer, that is. I shared in my previous blog post about a goal to blog at least three times a week. So today is (brace yourself for cheese...) "Theology Thursday". More alliteration is coming to a computer screen near you, but I'll leave ya on the edge of your seat for now :)
For my first "Theology Thursday" let's just talk about what theology actually is... I don't know about you but usually things that end in "-ology" either scare me into apathy or put me to sleep. But a few years ago I took my first theology class (shout out to Southeastern) and something happened. My interest was piqued, and a love was cultivated here:
Theology simply means the study ("logy"- from the Greek word logos which means word) of God ("theo"- Theos in Greek is the word for God). There are of course all types of theology. This blog will focus more on what is called "Systematic Theology" which engages theological areas and "systematizes" them into a formula to grapple with contemporary issues. My hope is that each post would also offer "Practical Theology" so that what is learned can be applied to one's Christian walk. The fact of the matter is, God changes people. His word cannot be read without a seed being planted that either stirs an unbeliever's heart or encourages believers to align their lives more with Christ's.
I'm excited about talking more about theology in the future. Here are two insightful articles about theology and why it matters for the church.
http://betweenthetimes.com/index.php/2013/05/24/teaching-theology-in-the-local-church/
http://thomrainer.com/2013/05/21/7-steps-to-teach-theology-in-the-local-church/
Until next time...
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Twenties
Hey Blogosphere,
Well... I know it's been a while. I've been a little busy finishing school (Hallelujah)! Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way, but...finishing college is weird. There, I said it. Haha. Don't get me wrong, it's exciting. And, I know it's a big accomplishment and all, but it just feels...weird. For many college grads, we've been in school since we were five years old, so there is this big gaping hole that asks, "what now"?
Well I have some ideas, but I won't go into a lengthy, philosophical answer right now. I'm still trying to figure it all out myself. But here is a pretty cool article I stumbled upon on one of my favorite online magazines "Relevant" that discusses "What to Know at 25-ish". Check it out.
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/whole-life/features/25956-11-things-to-know-at-25ish
In addition to listening to the wisdom in scripture, the wise people around me, and some of the wisdom in the above article... I've developed a little (non-exhaustive) post-college bucket list.
-Blog more! I'm shooting for three times a week...
-Read at least 5 books this summer. Right now I'm reading "Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them".
-Enjoy the summer with my Husband! Right now we have blocked off a few days as a "Staycation" to just relax, enjoy spending time with each other, and to celebrate our two year anniversary!!
-Hone in on some homemaking skills...develop some new recipes, have a cleaner apartment, etc.
-Be more people focused... this is a toughy sometimes. I am so quick to be caught up in tasks and to dos. So I'm shooting to put people first more, especially now that papers aren't always reminding me they need to be written :)
Is there anything you wish you would've done in your twenties? Or, that you look forward to pursuing in your twenties?
Well... I know it's been a while. I've been a little busy finishing school (Hallelujah)! Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way, but...finishing college is weird. There, I said it. Haha. Don't get me wrong, it's exciting. And, I know it's a big accomplishment and all, but it just feels...weird. For many college grads, we've been in school since we were five years old, so there is this big gaping hole that asks, "what now"?
Well I have some ideas, but I won't go into a lengthy, philosophical answer right now. I'm still trying to figure it all out myself. But here is a pretty cool article I stumbled upon on one of my favorite online magazines "Relevant" that discusses "What to Know at 25-ish". Check it out.
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/whole-life/features/25956-11-things-to-know-at-25ish
In addition to listening to the wisdom in scripture, the wise people around me, and some of the wisdom in the above article... I've developed a little (non-exhaustive) post-college bucket list.
-Blog more! I'm shooting for three times a week...
-Read at least 5 books this summer. Right now I'm reading "Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them".
-Enjoy the summer with my Husband! Right now we have blocked off a few days as a "Staycation" to just relax, enjoy spending time with each other, and to celebrate our two year anniversary!!
-Hone in on some homemaking skills...develop some new recipes, have a cleaner apartment, etc.
-Be more people focused... this is a toughy sometimes. I am so quick to be caught up in tasks and to dos. So I'm shooting to put people first more, especially now that papers aren't always reminding me they need to be written :)
Is there anything you wish you would've done in your twenties? Or, that you look forward to pursuing in your twenties?
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Toothpaste...
Well, don't get too excited...I still haven't prepared THE blog post all about Bangladesh. It's coming, it's coming... But in the past 72 hours I've been reminded by God and the people around me of a powerful truth. Our words are an overflow from our hearts and minds. Jesus said in Matthew 15:18, "But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them." Our words also carry so much weight. A person's words can either build up or tear down those who hear them. So in a matter of three days I have been reminded three specific times about carefully choosing my words in my marriage, with my peers, and when using popular phrases.
1- Tuesday I was at Chick-fil-A in North Carolina getting dinner for Jonathan and I. After a full day of school, that chicken sandwich was DELISH! So I get in line and a nice middle-aged couple ordered in front of me. While the wife went to find a table, the husband and I waited off to the side for our orders. After the husband took one load of food to their table he came back and was waiting for something else (I guess more food?). Then something happened that made me almost lose my appetite. The wife came up to her husband with a disappointed look on her face and they exchanged a few remarks that weren't in ear shot of me. By their body language I could tell that something was wrong. Then the wife says to her husband "Ugh...I thought I trained you better than that!" and stormed back to the table. I could see the hurt on her husband's face...
Okay...deep breath... I WAS SO MAD. Don't get me wrong, I know we all loose it from time to time. Everyone has bad days and says things that they don't mean... but your husband is not a puppy! He doesn't need to be "trained". This experience was a good reminder for me to always be cautious of the things I say. Not only in my marriage with showing respect to my husband, although that is certainly important! But the things I say can even effect those around me in public. Sometimes our words can belittle others... This leads me to my next lesson of the week...
2- Every Thursday I meet with a 5th grader. She calls me a "counselor" but I function more like a mentor, and the school calls me a "lunch buddy" :) I love it. So today we were talking about a lesson that she learned in a friendship group at school about words. She said they did an activity where you squeeze toothpaste out onto a paper plate. The toothpaste represents the words that we say. Then you have to try to put all of the toothpaste back into the tube. If anyone's ever tried this, it's impossible! It just ends up becoming a minty fresh, sticky mess. But when we squeeze our words out, we can never take them back. This was another great reminder of the fact that words can last in a person's mind for years, and even a lifetime. I want to make sure that the words of mine etched in people's memories are ones that build up, not tear down.
3- Just tonight I read an awesome article. Read it here: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/whole-life/13-things-stop-saying-2013 . It's called "13 Things to Stop Saying in 2013". Although it's funny, there's a lot of truth in it. Many times we start employing default words. We don't talk with purpose, but we just use words to fit in. Sometimes, we may not even know what the word(s) mean! So this was yet another convicting reminder about being purposeful about the words we choose and say. They matter!
So... I guess God is trying to teach me something :) But, I thought I would share with you all as well.
Have a great weekend!
p.s. Be checking Twitter for updates on Parkway's Live.Love. event this weekend. #LiveLove2013. It's going to be awesome!
1- Tuesday I was at Chick-fil-A in North Carolina getting dinner for Jonathan and I. After a full day of school, that chicken sandwich was DELISH! So I get in line and a nice middle-aged couple ordered in front of me. While the wife went to find a table, the husband and I waited off to the side for our orders. After the husband took one load of food to their table he came back and was waiting for something else (I guess more food?). Then something happened that made me almost lose my appetite. The wife came up to her husband with a disappointed look on her face and they exchanged a few remarks that weren't in ear shot of me. By their body language I could tell that something was wrong. Then the wife says to her husband "Ugh...I thought I trained you better than that!" and stormed back to the table. I could see the hurt on her husband's face...
Okay...deep breath... I WAS SO MAD. Don't get me wrong, I know we all loose it from time to time. Everyone has bad days and says things that they don't mean... but your husband is not a puppy! He doesn't need to be "trained". This experience was a good reminder for me to always be cautious of the things I say. Not only in my marriage with showing respect to my husband, although that is certainly important! But the things I say can even effect those around me in public. Sometimes our words can belittle others... This leads me to my next lesson of the week...
2- Every Thursday I meet with a 5th grader. She calls me a "counselor" but I function more like a mentor, and the school calls me a "lunch buddy" :) I love it. So today we were talking about a lesson that she learned in a friendship group at school about words. She said they did an activity where you squeeze toothpaste out onto a paper plate. The toothpaste represents the words that we say. Then you have to try to put all of the toothpaste back into the tube. If anyone's ever tried this, it's impossible! It just ends up becoming a minty fresh, sticky mess. But when we squeeze our words out, we can never take them back. This was another great reminder of the fact that words can last in a person's mind for years, and even a lifetime. I want to make sure that the words of mine etched in people's memories are ones that build up, not tear down.
3- Just tonight I read an awesome article. Read it here: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/whole-life/13-things-stop-saying-2013 . It's called "13 Things to Stop Saying in 2013". Although it's funny, there's a lot of truth in it. Many times we start employing default words. We don't talk with purpose, but we just use words to fit in. Sometimes, we may not even know what the word(s) mean! So this was yet another convicting reminder about being purposeful about the words we choose and say. They matter!
So... I guess God is trying to teach me something :) But, I thought I would share with you all as well.
Have a great weekend!
p.s. Be checking Twitter for updates on Parkway's Live.Love. event this weekend. #LiveLove2013. It's going to be awesome!
Friday, March 8, 2013
Procrastination and Urbanization
Well... I know, I know... I haven't posted anything about Bangladesh yet. This has been quite a week readjusting back to East Coast time, American food, work (we're not callin' it March Mania for nothing! haha), school work, and the list goes on! So I know that it seems like I have procrastinated blogging about Bangladesh, I haven't just been being lazy! Here is something God has been teaching me this week...
- I've been doing a lot of reviewing and reflecting on one of my Southeastern classes in preparation for a midterm today. God has opened my eyes to His love for the city. In this class called Urban Evangelization we have walked through an overview of scripture taking notes where the city is mentioned. It's everywhere! Historically many Christians have ignored or neglected the city because it is many times seen as a place of sin, violence and corruption. And there are certainly cases where it is! But, God uses cities! There are lots of reasons why it's important to reach the cities for Christ (maybe a future post?). But here are just a few:
1- Cities are where people are! Urban living is becoming the norm, rather than the exception. In 2008 the mark was hit, and fifty percent of the world was living in an urban area, and that was five years ago! Statistics say that by 2015 there will be over 480 cities of one million or more in the world. Tim Keller puts it this way in his book Center Church, "Cities have more of the image of God per square mile than any other place on earth".
2- People go to cities for freedom and see it as a chance to recreate themselves. Although this can many times lead to sin, it can also lead to a person being more open to leave behind traditional views and hear out new ideas like the gospel. The city is also the “engine of culture”. Culture is created and developed in cities. It is where people of influence live. If they can be reached, the world can.
***all information learned from Dr. Chuck Lawless, Tim Keller's book Center Church, and Gary Fujino, Timothy Sisk, and Tereso Casino's book Reaching the City.***
These are just two of the MANY reasons to reach the city for Christ. But it's pretty convincing right? This is one of the reasons why I love Bangladesh. It's busy, it's crazy, but it belongs to God! My responsibility and my response to the greatness of Christ is to point everyone I come in contact with to Christ so that they may one day worship Him for eternity!
- I've been doing a lot of reviewing and reflecting on one of my Southeastern classes in preparation for a midterm today. God has opened my eyes to His love for the city. In this class called Urban Evangelization we have walked through an overview of scripture taking notes where the city is mentioned. It's everywhere! Historically many Christians have ignored or neglected the city because it is many times seen as a place of sin, violence and corruption. And there are certainly cases where it is! But, God uses cities! There are lots of reasons why it's important to reach the cities for Christ (maybe a future post?). But here are just a few:
1- Cities are where people are! Urban living is becoming the norm, rather than the exception. In 2008 the mark was hit, and fifty percent of the world was living in an urban area, and that was five years ago! Statistics say that by 2015 there will be over 480 cities of one million or more in the world. Tim Keller puts it this way in his book Center Church, "Cities have more of the image of God per square mile than any other place on earth".
2- People go to cities for freedom and see it as a chance to recreate themselves. Although this can many times lead to sin, it can also lead to a person being more open to leave behind traditional views and hear out new ideas like the gospel. The city is also the “engine of culture”. Culture is created and developed in cities. It is where people of influence live. If they can be reached, the world can.
***all information learned from Dr. Chuck Lawless, Tim Keller's book Center Church, and Gary Fujino, Timothy Sisk, and Tereso Casino's book Reaching the City.***
These are just two of the MANY reasons to reach the city for Christ. But it's pretty convincing right? This is one of the reasons why I love Bangladesh. It's busy, it's crazy, but it belongs to God! My responsibility and my response to the greatness of Christ is to point everyone I come in contact with to Christ so that they may one day worship Him for eternity!
Alright, alright enough preaching :) Just wanted to share with you all something God's been teaching me lately. I won't completely leave ya hanging about Bangladesh. I'll end this post with some photos from the retreat we did for the workers there. *All photos taken by the awesome Ben Cornatzer*
This photo is of the retreat center we used. It was a beautiful and relaxing place (minus the mosquitoes :)
Here is a group photo. Not everyone is pictured here because they went home a day earlier. But I love this pic!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Home Sweet Home
We're back! Yesterday we landed in Richmond around 5pm after an amazing trip to Bangladesh. The first 16 hours we were home, the Hubs and I managed to sleep for 12 hours straight (Hallelujah!!!), take two hot showers, and eat Chick-fil-A....twice. Haha. While it was an incredible trip, there is just no place like home. There is something so priceless about hearing the people around you talking in your own language, being hugged by loved ones you haven't seen in a while, and sleeping in your own bed. I'm working on some posts to tell more about the trip, but for now, I'll probably go lay down :)
Here is a team photo- Photo Credit goes to Ben Cornatzer our team photographer :) . We can't thank everyone enough for all of the prayer support! The Lord did some amazing things! But more on that later...
Here is a team photo- Photo Credit goes to Ben Cornatzer our team photographer :) . We can't thank everyone enough for all of the prayer support! The Lord did some amazing things! But more on that later...
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Love from Dubai
Hi All,
On Saturday night I wrote my "last" blog post before I went and came back from Bangladesh. Knowing that I would fly out Sunday evening, I didn't expect to have much internet or downtime. However...God had other plans. Here is the run down of the Bangladesh Team's adventure in the last 30 (?) hours. Although the events below may sound crazy, it was fine! It bonded our team, made us trust the Lord all the more, and will still work out perfectly with our ministry, and even sleep schedules! So once upon a time...
1. We arrived at RIC airport ready to go around 2:30ish PM. Check in went smoothly and we even got an awesome opportunity to talk to the kind lady who checked us and our baggage in. After all of us complimenting her several times she said well..."I look at this job as my ministry". What a cool reminder! So we shared with her what our plans were for the next two weeks and that sweet bond happened that can only happen between children of Christ, even though they are strangers. Then we got the opportunity to pray in a circle, holding hands, in the RIC lobby.
2. We sit down at our gate. The Hubs and I get Caribou Coffee (YUM), and we are all hanging out awaiting our flight. After our flight getting delayed time after time at the gate, and then again while taxing, we finally took off and got about ten minutes down the "road". Then some of us start to notice that we haven't gotten very high in the air yet. Meanwhile, the p.a. system that the flight attendant was using was squeeling the whole time. She did such a great job, bless her heart! She kept a smile the whole time! So then our plane does a swift turn, and we land...back in Richmond...our flights cancelled...ugh. Our smart and able leader, Steve then worked it all out though! Delta put us up at the Double Tree where we ate dinner around 10:30pm, then slept until 3:50am when we had to get up to catch our 6:10 flight. Then, again, the nice woman who checked us into our flight asked "Are you all going on a mission trip?" we said yes, and then she told us about all the places she has had the opportunity to go with her home church!
Here's an update video from right before our flight (hopefully it works, if not go to facebook):
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151513676494532
3. So we made it to New York! Then we made the 13 hour trek of a flight to Dubai and here we are! Here's another video update:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151344391600345&set=vb.540845344&type=2&theater
The team is all doing great. All healthy, all happy, all trusting God's timing, and all praying against the enemy's schemes. We will leave Dubai in about two hours, take a 5 hour flight to Dhaka and arrive there around 8pm. Thank you all for your continued prayer support! We know that with all of these "obstacles" that God must have something awesome in store!
Love and Prayers to you all!
On Saturday night I wrote my "last" blog post before I went and came back from Bangladesh. Knowing that I would fly out Sunday evening, I didn't expect to have much internet or downtime. However...God had other plans. Here is the run down of the Bangladesh Team's adventure in the last 30 (?) hours. Although the events below may sound crazy, it was fine! It bonded our team, made us trust the Lord all the more, and will still work out perfectly with our ministry, and even sleep schedules! So once upon a time...
1. We arrived at RIC airport ready to go around 2:30ish PM. Check in went smoothly and we even got an awesome opportunity to talk to the kind lady who checked us and our baggage in. After all of us complimenting her several times she said well..."I look at this job as my ministry". What a cool reminder! So we shared with her what our plans were for the next two weeks and that sweet bond happened that can only happen between children of Christ, even though they are strangers. Then we got the opportunity to pray in a circle, holding hands, in the RIC lobby.
2. We sit down at our gate. The Hubs and I get Caribou Coffee (YUM), and we are all hanging out awaiting our flight. After our flight getting delayed time after time at the gate, and then again while taxing, we finally took off and got about ten minutes down the "road". Then some of us start to notice that we haven't gotten very high in the air yet. Meanwhile, the p.a. system that the flight attendant was using was squeeling the whole time. She did such a great job, bless her heart! She kept a smile the whole time! So then our plane does a swift turn, and we land...back in Richmond...our flights cancelled...ugh. Our smart and able leader, Steve then worked it all out though! Delta put us up at the Double Tree where we ate dinner around 10:30pm, then slept until 3:50am when we had to get up to catch our 6:10 flight. Then, again, the nice woman who checked us into our flight asked "Are you all going on a mission trip?" we said yes, and then she told us about all the places she has had the opportunity to go with her home church!
Here's an update video from right before our flight (hopefully it works, if not go to facebook):
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151513676494532
3. So we made it to New York! Then we made the 13 hour trek of a flight to Dubai and here we are! Here's another video update:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151344391600345&set=vb.540845344&type=2&theater
The team is all doing great. All healthy, all happy, all trusting God's timing, and all praying against the enemy's schemes. We will leave Dubai in about two hours, take a 5 hour flight to Dhaka and arrive there around 8pm. Thank you all for your continued prayer support! We know that with all of these "obstacles" that God must have something awesome in store!
Love and Prayers to you all!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Catching Up!
It's baaaaaaccckkkk! Oh yes I did just resurrect the blog. Even though the last blog post was February of 2011 (oops), I really have been wanting to get back into it. Life has been a little "cray-cray" as the kids say these days, but this summer I plan to get back into blogging full-swing. Why wait until summer you ask? Well in May there will be this little thing called GRADUATION which will lend me a little more time in life. So here's a quick update of life since February 2011:
1. March 2011- I began working at my home church, Parkway, as a Ministry Assistant. I absolutely love the ministry we get to do, and the office is staff is awesome. Love them.
2. May 2011- Jonathan and I got MARRIED :)
3. December 2011- Jonathan graduated from college! Woo-hoo!!!
4. May 2012- On our One Year wedding anniversary in May we went to Bangladesh on a Mission Project. Even though we've always loved the nations, Bangladesh really gripped our hearts. There are so. many. people. And hardly any of them know about hope in Christ.
So this leads me to one last update... Tomorrow, we're leaving for Bangladesh again!! We'll be gone until March 1. This time we will be leading a retreat for some missionaries there and also working with our national partners in Bangladesh. While we're there, instead of journaling, I plan to be "tweeting" but not exactly on Twitter. Each day as memorable moments come up I plan to jot down a few sentences about them. Then when we come home I'm going to put them all on here so you can get the jist of what we did each day. I hope that you will pray for us as we go on this next adventure and I look forward to telling you all about it when we return!
1. March 2011- I began working at my home church, Parkway, as a Ministry Assistant. I absolutely love the ministry we get to do, and the office is staff is awesome. Love them.
2. May 2011- Jonathan and I got MARRIED :)
3. December 2011- Jonathan graduated from college! Woo-hoo!!!
4. May 2012- On our One Year wedding anniversary in May we went to Bangladesh on a Mission Project. Even though we've always loved the nations, Bangladesh really gripped our hearts. There are so. many. people. And hardly any of them know about hope in Christ.
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