Jesus Goes To Beaches, Too

Oh what I would do to have the kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant with just a sling and a stone! Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors shaking in their armor, wishing they'd have had the strength to stand.
But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me, reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed. The giant keeps on telling me time and time again, "Boy, you'll never win! You'll never win."
But the voice of truth tells me a different story! The voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!" The voice of truth says "This is for My glory!" Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth!

So says the song by Casting Crowns. And how true it is! (That's probably why it's so comforting.) Yet there is still this constant worry. What if I mess up?

One can get anxious right before a mission trip. My group leaves tomorrow to go beach witnessing, and I'm totally stoked. I've been waiting for this trip since the summer before seventh grade. It's almost like a dream. It's hard to believe we're leaving tomorrow.

But now that it's less than twenty four hours away, there is this feeling of excited nervousness in the pit of my stomach. I probably won't sleep much tonight. Worried? I think so. A little bit. Or maybe a little more than a little bit.

Let's finish the Casting Crowns song now...

But the stone was just the right size to put the giant on the ground. And the waves, they don't seem so high from on top of them looking down. I will soar with the wings of eagles when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus singing over me!
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth!

So the stone that David threw? It was just the right size. The waves? When you see the big picture, they're not as colossal. And who's in control of that? The Creator of the Universe, Heavenly Father, Eternal Friend, Ultimate Carpenter, and the lover of our souls. I think He can handle it.

Last thing...

Matthew 6:34~
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Mark 2:13~
"He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them."
(aka Jesus goes to beaches too.)

KatieQue:)

Counting the Days... Be Thankful

I've been counting down the days til our mission trip, and this is what it looked like this morning. :) so pumped!

It's also a reminder to be thankful. I mean, I couldn't count if I didn't have someone teach me, and I wouldn't have a chance to learn if we didn't have a free country God gave us and soldiers fight for. I wouldn't have a mission trip to count down to if someone hadn't planned it. And while we're talking about counting days, we wouldn't have days to count if God hadn't blessed us with a new morning. And that's just a brief list dealing with this picture. There are quite literally thousands more!

So just a brief reminder... While counting the days, count the blessings as well. :)
KatieQue

Sonburn

sunburn: inflammation of the skin caused by overexposure to the sun


Well, I learned the painful way that sunscreen is extremely handy at the pool. Let's just say that without it comes slightly (or maybe more than slightly) pink skin.


But it did give some inspiration.


My pink shoulders let people know a few things about me even if they've never spoken to me in their life. First off, they know I was not using sunscreen. Second, they can guess I was outside. Third, they deduce that I was outside a little too long without sunscreen. Keep this in mind...


How do you get sunburn? (I get it easily ;) )
When you are exposed to the sun for a long period of time, your skin reddens as a reaction that becomes very painful. In this case, sunscreen is helpful.


Now let's change 'sun' to 'Son' (Jesus Christ) :).


Let's say by reading your Bible and praying, you are exposing yourself to the Son. John 13:35 says, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." So by exposing ourselves to the Son, who is love, we in turn become more loving to those around us. If we are reading God's words to us and responding in prayer, it changes our whole day. And it's very noticeable others. It makes them question what's different about us that lets us live like that. You could say we are 'Sonburned' because the people we interact with everyday can tell that we are Christ-followers.


In this case, 'Sonscreen' could show itself in many forms- temptation. Other ideas or distractions. It could even be thoughts that keep us from focusing while reading or praying. Not exactly the most helpful thing on the planet. These keep us from fully experiencing everything God could have for us to discover, like a phrase in a verse or more time in prayer. They block out certain things and keep us from being as effective in representing Christ to others.


Just a few lyrics from a Newsboys song...


Shine!
Make 'em wonder what you've got!
Make 'em wish that they were not
On the outside looking bored.
Shine!
Let it shine before all men!
Let 'em see good works, and then
Let 'em glorify the Lord!

Exposure to the Son leads to shining for the Son! Just mind the Sonscreen. :)
KatieQue

Life is Good (Eternal Life is Better!)

Quick praise I want to share with you guys!

In February, I turned in a sheet of paper to my youth pastor. This sheet of paper said that I was willing to raise $1,200 and go on a missions trip to San Diego, California. Lasting six days in total, the plan is to attend apologetics and evangelism classes in the morning and go beach witnessing in the afternoon. And once during those six days, each member fasts instead of going to the beach.

A few days ago, God provided the last of the money I needed! I am fully funded! And so so so excited for the trip (which is almost three weeks away now!)!

Surely you've heard the latest catchphrase "YOLO!" (You Only Live Once). To that I say "YODO." (You Only Die Once).

See, we as Christ-followers know where we're going when we die, but there are literally millions of people who don't know our precious Savior. A man was once going around London, England asking people what they thought of Jesus Christ. At one point, when he asked a college-aged man that same question, the man replied that he had never heard that name before in his life.

You may have noticed: summer is here! And life feels so good right now.

That's the thing, though. Life feels good now, but you only live once and you only die once. And life after we die is so much more important. God calls us to share Him with those around us, and you can do that whether or not you are on a missions trip. There are those that have heard and don't care, those that are atheists, and those like that British college man who have never even heard of Jesus. We are called to witness to all of them. (And frankly, when you think about it, it's thrilling!)

Life is good, but eternal life is better!
KatieQue