Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
A Step Closer to Gettysburg
* This post is in response to Jeremiah and Cori Herbert (pastors of the intersection church in Gettysburg, PA) sharing of how they personally do evangelism and discipleship. They spoke in my college class called "Developing Outreach and Discipleship". Enjoy! :)
The Holy Spirit is turning the wheels in my heart and mind tonight for outreach and discipleship after conversing with Jeremiah and Cori in class this morning.
I took pages of notes, but with only 250 words I'll have to be pretty picky about what I write. About halfway through class, after our break, Jeremiah and Cori sat down with us at the table and asked about where God is leading each of us in ministry. I shared God's call on my life for counseling and my love of what I'm doing now with bringing students into ministry and starting the active discipleship process with them. I'm not sure where that will all specifically lead... but I know something else for sure. God has made my heart for the town of Gettysburg.
Jeremiah and Cori's heart for loving and giving to Gettysburg inspires me. Beyond that even, it makes my heart come alive. Like the Holy Spirit was reminding me of how exciting ministry gets when I ask God to make me his partner in reaching the people that we (God and me) love with the gifts and passions and beautiful vision that he's given me (and wants to keep growing in me as I use it).
As we left the grocery store tonight, I told Luke a lot about what the Holy Spirit was doing in me during our class today. I told him I've always been a little frustrated and even discouraged about my involvement in evangelism. I have a hard time connecting with the idea of doing my evangelism with door to door methods or other "in and out quick" techniques. I'm very, very open to opportunities to pray over someone I don't know on the street or follow a word God gives me... sometimes for me it's just harder to really apply that to my everyday life. The Herberts are confident that God uses them most effectively through relationships to evangelize the lost. Luke and I believe this is where we're at, too. Our hearts really connect with the lifestyle of building relationships in our community to evangelize... which then turns into discipleship.
I felt so, so hungry during class for God to open the door in my life to relationships with the unsaved in Gettysburg. I spend almost all my time around Christians doing ministry at Freedom Valley. And that's ok. I know I'm in the right place... but I am so excited about some of these wheels God is now turning in my head. Jeremiah said he went through a season of being really frustrated about just being around people who already love Jesus. He saw that when he was willing to go out of his comfort zone and take that step to build relationships, God blessed him, led him to people and people to him.
During class I had a few images and ideas I believe the Holy Spirit was using to speak to me about these areas of my life. Starting tomorrow, Luke and I are going to go to the ragged edge or another down town coffee shop on the morning ( or evening) of our day off and just sit. We'll use it as time to spend together, time to talk, pray, read... time to let God just connect our hearts over and over with the people, culture, and "everything" of Gettysburg. I'm praying that as we consistently go to 1 or 2 places, we make connections. I'm praying that we'll start to talk with employees and have opportunities to just love people and, while God ministers to our hearts, minister to the people of the town we just love so much. We're both seeing God highlight our creative gifts and really believe He'll use that to reach our generation. Coffee shop environments are so great for connecting with creativity... God is up to something very, very good. :)
I think this seemingly simple step is going to open big doors for us. It feels good to follow His leading. So here's to going after God-given dreams and many prayer times and conversation times to come. :) I'm sure I'll have updates soon about how God uses this is Luke and I's lives. Thank you, Lord.
The Holy Spirit is turning the wheels in my heart and mind tonight for outreach and discipleship after conversing with Jeremiah and Cori in class this morning.
I took pages of notes, but with only 250 words I'll have to be pretty picky about what I write. About halfway through class, after our break, Jeremiah and Cori sat down with us at the table and asked about where God is leading each of us in ministry. I shared God's call on my life for counseling and my love of what I'm doing now with bringing students into ministry and starting the active discipleship process with them. I'm not sure where that will all specifically lead... but I know something else for sure. God has made my heart for the town of Gettysburg.
Jeremiah and Cori's heart for loving and giving to Gettysburg inspires me. Beyond that even, it makes my heart come alive. Like the Holy Spirit was reminding me of how exciting ministry gets when I ask God to make me his partner in reaching the people that we (God and me) love with the gifts and passions and beautiful vision that he's given me (and wants to keep growing in me as I use it).
As we left the grocery store tonight, I told Luke a lot about what the Holy Spirit was doing in me during our class today. I told him I've always been a little frustrated and even discouraged about my involvement in evangelism. I have a hard time connecting with the idea of doing my evangelism with door to door methods or other "in and out quick" techniques. I'm very, very open to opportunities to pray over someone I don't know on the street or follow a word God gives me... sometimes for me it's just harder to really apply that to my everyday life. The Herberts are confident that God uses them most effectively through relationships to evangelize the lost. Luke and I believe this is where we're at, too. Our hearts really connect with the lifestyle of building relationships in our community to evangelize... which then turns into discipleship.
I felt so, so hungry during class for God to open the door in my life to relationships with the unsaved in Gettysburg. I spend almost all my time around Christians doing ministry at Freedom Valley. And that's ok. I know I'm in the right place... but I am so excited about some of these wheels God is now turning in my head. Jeremiah said he went through a season of being really frustrated about just being around people who already love Jesus. He saw that when he was willing to go out of his comfort zone and take that step to build relationships, God blessed him, led him to people and people to him.
During class I had a few images and ideas I believe the Holy Spirit was using to speak to me about these areas of my life. Starting tomorrow, Luke and I are going to go to the ragged edge or another down town coffee shop on the morning ( or evening) of our day off and just sit. We'll use it as time to spend together, time to talk, pray, read... time to let God just connect our hearts over and over with the people, culture, and "everything" of Gettysburg. I'm praying that as we consistently go to 1 or 2 places, we make connections. I'm praying that we'll start to talk with employees and have opportunities to just love people and, while God ministers to our hearts, minister to the people of the town we just love so much. We're both seeing God highlight our creative gifts and really believe He'll use that to reach our generation. Coffee shop environments are so great for connecting with creativity... God is up to something very, very good. :)
I think this seemingly simple step is going to open big doors for us. It feels good to follow His leading. So here's to going after God-given dreams and many prayer times and conversation times to come. :) I'm sure I'll have updates soon about how God uses this is Luke and I's lives. Thank you, Lord.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
June.
I made this post (just the title and photo) back in the middle of March when Luke and I still had about two and a half months before we would start dating.
I could barely contain myself with the thought that this boy cared for me and that one day soon, I'd be his girlfriend. I wanted to tell everyone.
I am so glad that June came and so, so glad that every day since then, Luke has been my boyfriend. I grow in excitement about us being "us" more and more each day.
Every day with him is so much sweeter than even I could have dreamed. :)
I love you. And I am so thankful for all the Junes that we have ahead of us, together.
A Morning Run.
Jeff Deitrich of Freedom Valley South Hanover shared an awesome sermon tonight at church.
A quick story he told somewhere in the middle really caught my attention.
A married couple Jeff knows wakes up every morning to run four miles. Well, every morning the wife runs four miles. Some mornings the husband stays behind. The man asked his wife one morning how it was that every single morning she made the choice to get out of bed and begin a four mile run.
Her response was that she doesn't make the choice every morning. She made the choice years ago. Every morning she simply decides not to second guess it.
She understands that the original choice was one that benefits her. She made it with a sound mind and an understanding that the hard work would be worth getting out of bed when she's as comfortable as can be.
This is living by principle rather than living by feeling.
Sometimes my prayer life frustrates me. Well, I guess sometimes I frustrate myself with the choices I make about my prayer life. Often my choice to spend time in prayer versus doing something else just comes down to what I feel like doing more. Just like the wife knew running was good for her, I know I NEED prayer. I know I am desperate for time alone with God and that very often as soon as I begin to pray, I wonder why I was so hesitant to push other things away before and just be with God.
I think this is a good challenge to start making decisions sooner. God is so ready and willing to help us decide how and by what standards we'll live our lives... if we'll just let him. He's a good, loving father who doesn't want us to live frustrated or live thinking we have to be flaky and controlled by feeling all the time.
God, tonight I choose to slow down and let you counsel me about the standards by which I make my decisions. I'm so thankful for your protection and guidance in my life but I know I'll have a lot of tough decisions in the future... and I want to be ready. You are so good to me, God. So patient and so kind to someone who tries to do things herself way too often. Thank you for loving me endlessly and caring so much about me that you want to help me instill these principles in my life now. I want to live my life with you making decisions that I can be proud of and that make even more room for my life to be full of all your goodness.
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7
A quick story he told somewhere in the middle really caught my attention.
A married couple Jeff knows wakes up every morning to run four miles. Well, every morning the wife runs four miles. Some mornings the husband stays behind. The man asked his wife one morning how it was that every single morning she made the choice to get out of bed and begin a four mile run.
Her response was that she doesn't make the choice every morning. She made the choice years ago. Every morning she simply decides not to second guess it.
She understands that the original choice was one that benefits her. She made it with a sound mind and an understanding that the hard work would be worth getting out of bed when she's as comfortable as can be.
This is living by principle rather than living by feeling.
Sometimes my prayer life frustrates me. Well, I guess sometimes I frustrate myself with the choices I make about my prayer life. Often my choice to spend time in prayer versus doing something else just comes down to what I feel like doing more. Just like the wife knew running was good for her, I know I NEED prayer. I know I am desperate for time alone with God and that very often as soon as I begin to pray, I wonder why I was so hesitant to push other things away before and just be with God.
I think this is a good challenge to start making decisions sooner. God is so ready and willing to help us decide how and by what standards we'll live our lives... if we'll just let him. He's a good, loving father who doesn't want us to live frustrated or live thinking we have to be flaky and controlled by feeling all the time.
God, tonight I choose to slow down and let you counsel me about the standards by which I make my decisions. I'm so thankful for your protection and guidance in my life but I know I'll have a lot of tough decisions in the future... and I want to be ready. You are so good to me, God. So patient and so kind to someone who tries to do things herself way too often. Thank you for loving me endlessly and caring so much about me that you want to help me instill these principles in my life now. I want to live my life with you making decisions that I can be proud of and that make even more room for my life to be full of all your goodness.
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7
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