Word Keeper

I walked into the lady’s restroom at school today and something on the floor caught my eye. What looked like a large piece of lint, turned out to be a ladybug. I watched this little insect scurry across the tile floor and smiled. The tiles on the floor are about twelve inches across and twelve inches high and it took the ladybug a minute to walk across one. Seeing this ladybug trek across the tile floor made me think of our Christian walk. I can walk across the restroom floor in about twenty paces, but it may very well take the ladybug an hour to cross it. The same can be said for our Christian walk, we all learn, grow, and live at different paces. My friend might be three steps ahead of me and another friend might be five steps behind me, but we are all on the same path with the same goal, Heaven. We all want the same thing, Salvation. A lesson that I am learning now, you might have learned years ago, but it is still a lesson, that God’s love is everlasting. We all fall down during our walk, but it does not matter that we fall, it just matters that we get back up. We meet all kinds of people during our walk, some we make our friends, some we do not, as some people are walking the opposite direction we are. A lot of things try to stop our journey and turn us around, namely the enemy. The hardest part of the walk may be going against the grain. But knowing what is waiting on the other side, knowing who is waiting to bring me home, knowing that there will be no more sorrow, I can’t help but do what I do. So even if I’m just like a tiny ladybug on a floor which seems to go on for endless miles, I’m gonna keep on crawling.

avril chickidee Avril's Devotionals, religion

The other day, my friend sang at a small café. She invited me to attend, and I jumped at the opportunity to take a break and watch her sing. The café was a cozy little place, very welcoming. My friend and I went up stairs while the equipment was set up. We saw two chess boards and she asked me if I wanted to play. I told her I was not very good, and we decided to play checkers instead. Yesterday, while I was driving, I was thinking about chess. I enjoy the game but I have a hard time with anticipating my opponent’s next move, and I have a hard time building a strategy as I go. Then I thought to myself with a giggle, God must be a really good chess player. He can anticipate everything we do because His relationship with us is so profound; He knows what we are going to do before we do it. To some people that may sound crazy, but it’s true. God knows every detail of every day of our lives. He is our Father. He created us in His image. He knows everything about us. He knows when we hurt and when we are happy. He knows when we need help and when we succeed. He is there for us to lean on. No one knows you better than the Lord, and I take great comfort in knowing that God knows where I’m going even if I don’t always. He has a plan for every one of us. We just have to yield to His will. That may not be an easy task, but it is diffidently one of the things I want to accomplish in life. Brandon Heath has a wonderful song called “Wait and See”. It talks about how God has a plan for all of us. So as we move across this chess board that is life, remember the pawns are critical, move one to the other side of the board and the pawn is now a queen.

avril chickidee Avril's Devotionals, religion, Uncategorized

I was talking to one of the ladies at work the other day. She was so excited about something; she was practically bursting. She told me a story about her daughter who is in the first grade. For thanksgiving, the class made a giant turkey and each child got to make a feather for it that said what they were thankful for. My co-worker was so excited because her daughter wrote that she was thankful for God. My co-worker was so happy she had her daughter tell her the story again. Then she proceeded to tell me how even if teachers cannot talk about God in school, they can’t stop her little girl from expressing herself. Hearing this story made my day better. It really picked me up.

I know a lot of people believe in God and they are thankful for the blessings He gives us. But when I think about it, I don’t think as many people thank God for being God. Not long ago my history teacher was discussing how the founding fathers were deists. They believed that there was a creator god who came, made the earth, and then walked away. I know God is with me everyday and I am thankful that He is the loving, caring, true, and just God that He is. God gave his only Son to die for us. He has created us in His image. He blesses us when we deserve it and sometimes when we think we don’t. He will test us when He needs us to find strength not only in His power but also in ourselves. He will push us in ways that show us how much we can handle. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us how our God is a loving God who will not put more on us than we can handle. God has a reason for every little thing that happens. We may not understand hardly any of them but we know He has a purpose. Hundreds of more examples exist that show how truly awesome God is.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. Before I went to bed, I prayed to God. I thanked Him for all the blessings in my life, for my family and friends, for His Son Jesus who gave his life for me, for the Holy Spirit that empowers me, and I thanked Him for not walking away, for staying true to us, for the love, understanding, teachings, and everything else that He gives to us that we seem to take for granted. I think if I made a turkey feather, I would put on it that I was thankful for God just like my co-workers daughter did.

avril chickidee Avril's Devotionals, religion

OK, I am currently about six weeks behind on the Sunday Sermon notes. … I will be caught up before January 14. … I am extremely sorry for how I have managed my time and priorities during my first semester in college, and I will do everything within my power, and will be praying, to make sure this does not happen again.

Also, other members of the WK staff have been extremely busy as well. We are all young and still learning how to manage time effectively. Please do not give up on us because we will not give up on you or on WK for God’s glory.

On a positive note, WK has gained a staff member. It is my pleasure to announce that avril chickidee, a personal friend of mine, has agreed to post some of the devotionals that she writes onto the WK blog. She has already posted three of them.

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Thank you for your patience as we learn how to deal with the world after high school,

Jason.

avril chickidee News

Yesterday, while I was at work, I glanced through the window as the sun was setting. This time of year it is very common to see trees losing their leaves. However, I noticed one tree that had only one leaf left on its branches. The last few days had been very windy and yet that one leaf had managed to hang on. It made me think of how we as Christians have to hold on tight, and sometimes for dear life.

It seems that temptations come and go on a daily bases. Some stick around for a while and are very difficult to overcome. Others are not as troublesome. The worst ones come when you have fallen and are weak. The enemy knows when you are most vulnerable and that is generally his favorite time to try to drag you down. But we’ve got to be the strong leaf that does not give in no matter how hard the wind blows. There are times when you just want to throw away everything you know about God. You get so down and out that you just want to give up and give in to the enemy.

I have fallen down many times and I am sure that I will continue to. I can’t explain how Jesus does it but he always manages to bring me back when I stray. I guess it’s because he is the Sheppard and he looks after all his sheep and he never hesitates to find those that are lost. The leaves that have been blown off the trees will grow again in the spring. It’s like when we decide to come back to God and his Son after we have strayed. God and Jesus will always take us back no matter who many times we give up on them. They understand and they forgive us.

And after we come back, we get the chance to re-grow, just as the leaves re-grow every year. Hang on for all you are worth, but if you should happen to let go, know that you can always come back to God. God will not give up on you. He will always take you back, no matter how many times you fall from the tree. God is good.

avril chickidee Avril's Devotionals, religion

Tonight, I was sitting on my bed and fingering one of my rings, in an idle manner, as I quite often do. It is just a band of stainless steel, it is quite beat up on the outside from the constant wear and tear of my active hands, though the inside remains unscaved. Inside my ring, the serenity prayer is engraved. As I mindlessly fiddled with my ring it reminded me of someone who believes in God.

As Christians we are an unending band of strength that is stronger than any metal. Our bodies and minds take the abuse from those who do not understand our relationship with our Father. Our faith in the Lord remains intact through thick and thin. We all go through all sorts of trials and tribulations, but God always helps us through, He is always there for us. He gives us the strength to keep moving on. Our bond with Him will never break. Our relationship with our Lord and each other is a never ending band of love and passion. Our faith grows with each passing day and is often renewed. God and our relationship with Him will outlast all other things. To Him, we will be true, then Jesus will return and bring us home, where we will reside and remain an endless band of love and passion.

avril chickidee Avril's Devotionals, religion

It is a tradition at our school that after every play, the actors and actresses receive a rose. I pressed the rose from our first play of the year in a large book of mine. I mentioned that book today in one of my classes and I remembered the rose which got me thinking. It got me thinking about how a Christian is like a rose.

There is almost an infinite range of colors that roses come in. This reminded me of how each Christian is different, we are all unique individuals created in the image of our Father.

Roses are easily distinguished because they all have certain traits in common. They come in different colors but you can still tell that it is a rose. We all think and see in our own ways, but we share common beliefs, we share our goal to get to Heaven, and we share our love for one another, our Father, and His living Son.

A rose also has thorns for protection. You know that a rose has thorns and so you do not grab one by the stem and yank it out of the ground. We as Christians are protected by God, and Jesus walks with us always, to protect us from harm. As a Christian our thorns may also represent how we will defend our faith. We will never let anyone take our God given right to worship, to pray, or to praise.

The rose blossom is known for its many layers of petals. I believe this relates to the many layers of our relationship with God. We all have a complex relationship with God, each relationship is different and is very deep, it has many layers. Everyone can see the petals on the outside of a rose, just as they can see the outside of us. But the inner layers of the roes remain hidden within. There are certain things that are between only ourselves and God, our very most inner self. God has the ability to peel back our outer self and see our inner self, the very soul He created. We are all God’s children; we all share the ancestry of the Garden of Eden. We are all roses in the eyes of God and by any other name we would not smell as sweet.

avril chickidee Avril's Devotionals, religion

Week three of our Get Serious About Following Jesus! series as we continue to look at radical Christianity in everyday life…

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Stand up and Give Him the Praise – I love this song!

There are no Orphans of God! – awesome!!! … and here’s a ballet routine to it.

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Luke 6:27-36

Are we really forbidden to defend oursleves? Should we really give anything to everyone who asks us for someting?

Francis of Assisi and the Mennonites beilieve this passage in a litteral sense. … Meaning we can’t defend ourselves at all and if someone asks to have your kid to keep, you must give the kid to that person.

The Roman Catholic Church only applies it to the clergy

Martin Luther broke it into two sectors.

Schofield Referance Bible says it’s for the future.

Gerhard Kittel claims it to be unatainable.

Wilhelm Hermann believes it’s a matter of the hesrt, an attitude.

The pastor at our church. . . . He believes that yes, it is unatainable. And yes, it is a matter of the heart. But he also believes that this message is meant to mean more (as do I). … Jeus is using shocking language to shock us into radical Christianity!

Jesus is telling us to the opposite of human nature. Human nature is retalliation and vengance. Human nature is sin! … It’s Jesus telling us, in His own radical way, that we must be different from the world.

This does not neccesarily mean that we cannot or should not defend ourselves. There are times when we have to. … Nor does this mean that we should litteraly give whatever anybody asks for to them.

How can you love your enemies in everyday life?

1. Do not retaliate. … Break the cycle of evil! Vengance is in God’s hand and He will pour it out when the time is right.
2. Pray for them. … This might be the biggest thing you can do for your enemy. You might not like the person at all, but you don’t have to like them to love them. Praying for someone, especially an enemy, is a great act of love. Love is not a feeling. “Like” and “hate” are feelings. … Don’t let your feelings dictate your prsayers.
3. Do good to them. … For me this is somewhat difficult to do with a sincere heart, but I’m learning. … Do some sort of tangible action that will show this person how different you really are. … Don’t just do it to tease them, but do it fully and with a sincere heart.

avril chickidee religion, Sunday Sermon