Senior Sunday

Senior Sunday is probably one of my favorite days of the year. It's bittersweet, as I always completely lose it in tears while celebrating my seniors. For this group, I've been with them for 7 years. The first time I met many of these students they were 6th graders. For some of them I've known them for less time, but it doesn't change the relationship that I've built with them. It's bittersweet because I am so excited about who they have become and what God is going to do in the next chapter of their story. But, I am sad to watch them move on. I will miss our small group and the great discussions we have that challenge me as much as I think I'm challenging them. I will miss seeing them on Sunday morning with sleepy eyes, but a willingness to engage in whatever we are doing. I will miss the mission trips, ski trips, and Reds games. But more than all of that, I will miss their smiles, their never-say-die attitudes, and their love. They have loved God well, and loved each other even better. I know that He has huge plans for each member of this class. I'm excited to see how that all plays out as they head to colleges like Ohio State, Lee University, Alabama, Notre Dame, Tulane, the Naval Academy, Indiana, Ohio University, and Boston University. (I know, I have a smart bunch, don't I?)
Please join with me in praying for this group of students as they attempt to take their faith out into the world!!

What a Great Season!

I have the privilege of coaching soccer at a local high school. I say privilege because it has been one of the highlights of my 6 1/2 years in Cincinnati. Of course, there are days when it can be a burden, but those days are far outweighed by the pure blessing that these girls have been to me. I am the head coach of the junior varsity team and one of the assistant coaches of the varsity team. I love coaching jv for one simple reason. I get the freshman! I think going from 8th to 9th grade is one of the hardest transitions for a student and I love that I get to spend time with this group of excited, fearful, nervous, passionate kids. It is fun for me to be able to establish a trusting relationship straight away so that they have a solid support system as they navigate the halls of the high school for the first time.

Of course my competitive side sometimes struggles with coaching jv, but I am learning (ever so slowly) that winning isn't everything and that the big win is their development...both as a soccer player and as a young woman. :)

But what is even more fun for me is to see how those relationships play out over the years. This has been evident in some of the conversations I've had lately with players I coached 5-6 years ago. And what is even cooler is how those relationships have fostered some amazing conversations about faith. I am amazed at how many times players have come to me and wanted to talk about their faith journeys. I have to be careful because of the laws that separate church and state, but I was so excited last year when a group of our players (jv and varsity) wanted me to start a Bible study with our team. Of course, not everyone attends this study, but it is still going strong over a year later. And as I think on the college students I still keep in touch with who have gone through our program I marvel at how God works to build His kingdom.

I guess I'm just super encouraged as I think about how God uses us to accomplish His purposes. Obviously God's purpose is for us to know Him and make Him known. But within that purpose He uses all kinds of crazy, messed up, people (like me...and you) to carry His story to those who need to hear it. And He uses the silliest avenues (like the game of soccer) to do it. What a privilege to be a part of His story, and to have some fun while making an impact on this world.

So my encouragement is this...just do it. A silly slogan from Nike, but truth when it comes to using the talents God has given you for His kingdom. You will be amazed at what God does with the little we bring Him. And you will never regret putting your talents and gifts on the line for God. It is well worth the sacrifice when you see lives changing and relationships building.

Resistance

Working in ministry with teenagers for 10 years, I've encountered a lot of resistance to the Gospel. Teenagers are naturally resistant to anything that looks like a boundary. To many of them, Christianity and even Jesus screams boundaries, so they start out pretty resistant to even talking about it. In addition to them having a negative understanding of what faith is all about, they are also a bit fearful of the unknown. They want truth, but they aren't sure what truth really looks like in many cases, and so they are skeptical. I can understand. They are growing up in a world that denies absolute truth. They are growing up in a world that tells them whatever they believe is fine, as long as they are sincere. If someone starts talking about one truth, they get skeptical about it and wonder if they can really trust what you are saying. But, I've found if you approach someone who is resistant with an open, loving heart and are willing to really listen to their point of view and not immediately shoot their ideas down, they are much more willing to have a conversation with you about it.
This was reinforced in my world this morning. I was having coffee with a college student who I coached a few years ago. We have stayed in touch as she has gone off and begun a new chapter in her life. Never very interested in the faith side of the journey, we've always had great conversations about the more practical things of life. I've always encouraged her to seek out truth, but I've never pushed it on her because the Spirit in me just kept telling me she wasn't ready. This morning was different. She had a pretty tough year last year and I could tell she was searching for a grounding point in her life. So I began just asking her questions about her faith journey. Immediately I got resistance. "The Bible is full of crap." "I just can't believe all that stuff." "It was written by a bunch of men and then a bunch of other men decided what went in it and what didn't so they could make the story what they wanted it to be." On and on the discussion went. I just listened and asked questions. I'll spare you all the details but after an hour conversation, her heart had softened to the idea of seeking truth for truth's sake. She had even let me in to hear the most difficult parts of her life and how faith in "a God", as she put it, was something she really might want to pursue...but she assured me it wouldn't be Christianity that she would pursue. In the end, I encouraged her not to toss the Bible out. (She told me she didn't even have one to toss anywhere...ha!) I encouraged her to read it critically and if she couldn't come to terms with the inerrant nature of it right now, that's ok...just read it and ask tons of questions. She walked away this morning with a Bible in her hand and a plan to read a gospel. Wow. Awesome! (and not only that, she confessed to going to the library and checking out Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis)
This interaction has stuck with me all day for two reasons. One is the reality that God continues to pursue us and chase us and want us. I see that in her life right now. God is pursuing her. He's allowing her to go through a bit of a desert time so that she will reach out. I know that if she seeks she will find.
The second is that no interaction is a wasted interaction. We have the opportunity every day to influence people...and we can influence them with the love of God or the love of self...but we will influence. I think about how easy it would have been not to dive into the issues and have a nice, surface level conversation with this friend today. And I'm so glad that the Spirit pointed me below the surface because the conversation blessed me in a way I can't even describe. I firmly believe that when we are willing to be the hands and feet of Christ, we are more blessed than we could ever be anywhere else.
Just something to chew on for a while...

The God who moves, works and heals

2010 has been kind of insane. I know I have not been writing much, but this is primarily because I didn't have much to say...until recently. Now I'm not even sure how to say all that I want to say.
I will start by just saying that this spring was difficult. It was more than difficult. I was feeling what many youth pastors and volunteers who work with high school students feel often, and that is just an overwhelming sense of apathy from students. It's the kind of apathy that makes you want to quit your job and work at Starbucks, because at least people get passionate about their coffee. I have a ton of theories as to why our students can be so apathetic about their faith, but that is not what this post is about.
This post is about when God brings us out of a very dry and miserable desert time into a time where He shows us His goodness and glory in a way that we cannot deny. And maybe what I've learned from what I'm about to share with you is that we have to experience the desert to appreciate the rain. And that God is always faithful, even in the midst of a difficult season.
So here goes. It all started with a conversation. My intern, Zac, and I were just sitting around talking one day...actually, if I'm honest, I was venting. I was just at the point where I was frustrated with the way we do church. I was frustrated that it seemed like our kids were more interested in being entertained than having an experience with God. I was frustrated that I felt like I poured out my heart every week to these students and for the most part it felt like I was trying to convince them to love God. I knew that there was more of me than God in any of that, and it was just time to be different. So we prayed. And then an idea came up. I thought, what if we just didn't set anything up on Sunday? What if we all just sat on the floor and asked some really hard questions about what our students were looking for in church and God? What if we opened the Bible and took a good, hard look at the early church and the way they sought after truth? What if we were honest with them about where we were and where we felt they were with this whole deal?
At first we got really excited about this idea...and then nervous. I mean, what if it doesn't work? What if they tell us they just want to be entertained? What if they really aren't interested in growing and being challenged? What then?
Well, to make a long story short, none of those fears were warranted. What God had been stirring in me He had also been stirring in a group of our students. They were receptive and excited about starting a deeper conversation. In fact, they decided that this was how they wanted to do church for a while...to take away the "show" and just have conversations that matter about truth that has the potential to change their lives.
Fast forward one week and we were off to Mexico with 16 of our students. I never could have prayed for what God did in their hearts during this week of service and fun. Our students took a hard look at what center they had been living their lives out of and decided that it needed to change. They came home fired up about what God is doing in their lives, in the world, and what He wants to do in our church. Since then it has been just an outpouring of God's Spirit on our group. Students are digging in deep to Scripture. They are praying for each other and supporting each other in this quest. They are willing to have conversations that are in no way comfortable, but for sure are life changing. I am watching them lean in to hear from God about direction for their lives. It is an exciting time.
I think back to the middle of the spring...the time when I was thinking about becoming a barista at Starbucks...and I am so thankful for a God who gives us strength even when we are in a desert. And I'm thankful that His grace is sufficient...always. I am excited to be able to share with you how this plays out. I can tell you what I hope and pray for...I hope and pray that our students, surrendered to God, will change the world. I know that is a big thing to pray for...but I am learning that with our God all things ARE possible. So, I will pray bigger prayers, trust more and be willing to be used in whatever capacity God wants to use me in. Because ultimately, He is the one who calls the shots...and it's all in His good timing.

But now, this is what the LORD says - he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior...

Do not be afraid, for I am with you...

You are my witnesses, declares the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed - I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses, declares teh LORD, that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he." Isaiah 43:1-3, 5, 10-12

I read this and I feel very insignificant, and yet...chosen. He tells us that he summons us by name and that we are his. And then he tells us what we should be about. We are witnesses to his greatness. We are witnesses to all people about who God is and what he's about. And when I think about what that really means, I feel overwhelmed. Why is this so hard? Why do I get so distracted by this world? Why is it so easy to desire some of those "foreign gods" he talks about?

I don't really have any great answers today. All I have is questions. Because if I'm honest with myself, there is nothing more in this world that I want than to be totally sold out for and immersed in the person of God. But the reality is that life seems to get in the way of that desire. Responsibility seems to get in the way. And of course that life and those responsibilities are defined by the world, so for the most part they are a little bit off base. Maybe a lot off base. And yet, they exist just as God exist. It's a choice every day of who we will serve. And I find myself struggling with the sometimes loneliness of really being set apart. I find myself asking once again for God to show me what He really means by "being in the world and not of it."

But I also feel comforted that He tells us that we are HIS! He will be with us as we wrestle with these and so many other questions and trials. He will be with us as we walk the difficult path of working out our salvation with fear and trembling. He will be with us when it seems like the whole world is against us. Maybe that's all we need. Maybe that's all I need.

What I'm Thankful For

Thanksgiving...a day to reflect on all the blessings in our lives and focus on what we are thankful for. I find myself thinking back on the past year with a smile on my face. Lots has happened, both good and bad, and yet I have learned how faithful God really is and how exciting it is to be a part of His plan.
It was about this time last year that I was contemplating my future. I remember a conversation I had the first week of December last year with my friend Corrie while I was in Mexico. For the past 8 years or so my heart has grown more and more interested in mission work and what God is doing all over the world. I was really wrestling with the idea that we have so much here and so many people will go to bed hungry. I was wondering why God was breaking my heart for the world. It was a confusing time and I really felt lost. I loved my job working with teenagers. I really did like Cincinnati and I liked my church, although I was wondering if it might be time for me to move toward full time missions.
So Corrie and I really prayed for clarity. I had no idea in that moment where God would take me over the course of a year. In February, Corrie and her husband John moved to Nigeria from Mexico. I prayed about joining them for the summer to "get my feet wet" in more of a full time mission capacity. I applied to be an intern with Back2Back and was accepted. Still, I had no idea where God would take me in this adventure.
In June I took a group of students to Mexico and then in July I turned right around and headed to Africa. It was probably some of the best weeks of my life. I loved the culture, the people, and of course the children we were working with. And over the course of five weeks God showed me a ton...about me, about orphans and about His plan for this world. I was shocked as He not only gave me a heart for the people of Nigeria, but He gave me a deeper hurt for the kids that I work with. He shared truth with me about the lost and that we are all orphans until we come home to the Father. And He gave me vision for student ministry here in Cincinnati.
It was the opposite of what I expected. But it has been a blessing to come home and share that vision with our team and be on the ground floor of something I know God is building here. And in all of this, missions is still very deeply on my heart. Africa is still very deeply on my heart.
My hope is that I can mobilize a generation of students and their parents to care about the world. My prayer is that God will move in them to break their hearts for those who are lost and hurting. This is the hard part...because in our culture, it's so easy to just close our eyes to what is going on even in the middle of our own city. Its easy to sit in our little suburban bubble and not see past our own neighborhood. But this is why I think God brought me back here. To make sure that everyone knows what is possible.
And the opportunities keep coming. I will leave Monday for Monterrey again to build these thoughts into the lives of 25 women. In February I am going to Belize with an amazing group of doctors, nurses and others who are excited about making a difference in the world. And in June I get to take a group of students back to Mexico to impact the lives of some beautiful orphans.
My life is so blessed! So, if you want to know what I'm thankful for...it's that God takes simple lives like mine and allows me to be a part of His bigger story.
I don't know what the future holds. I'm here for now. But I do know the guy who writes the story and I'm totally confident that whatever the next chapter holds, it's going to be awesome!

Being Overwhelmed and resting

I know those two words don't go well together. "Overwhelmed" and "Resting". But I'm coming to realize that life in this world is nothing more than a challenge to balance the two successfully. It's been a super busy season for me over the past two months. There have been times where I have been running around from event to event or meeting to meeting and there is no break. It seems some days like I need more than the 24 hours that God has given us in each day to make sure everything on my list got done. Most of the time, everything does not get done. There have been moments of fear because the last thing I want to do is let anyone or anything slip through the cracks. But in all of it there has also been tremendous joy in the work that God has blessed me with and the people He has surrounded me with.

So the other day I was just thinking...how can we balance the reality of us getting overwhelmed with all that is pulling at us in life with the reality that God gives us rest? I'm not sure there are many quick and easy answers to this question, but here is where God has been leading me with it all. There is a difference between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world. In the kingdom of this world we are pressed on all sides. There is always another task to do, another person to meet with, or another errand to run. This will always be so. The enemy loves to keep us busy...because as long as we are running around like crazy with deadlines and appointments and whatever else, we cannot spend time hearing from and focusing on God. The Kingdom of God has a very different agenda attached to it. In Psalm 46:10 it says, "Be still and know that I am God." Many of us have heard this passage before in reference to taking a bit of a sabbath and resting in the knowledge that God is Lord and has everything in control. We know that God speaks in the silence and quietness of rest. However, the rest of that verse hit me when I read it. It says "I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth." This brings a bit more power to the theme of God being God. And it brings a bit more focus to the purpose of our days. When I think about my day to day, I ask myself the question of how much of it is focused on the main thing? The main thing is that God is exalted and glorified in the earth. What I'm finding is that the days where I am getting overwhelmed are the days when my focus is more on me than on Him. The days when I find rest are the days when my focus is more on Him than on me.
Remember, He WILL be exalted...regardless of what I do. But His invitation for me is to find rest in the simple quietness and stillness of His presence. And then, I have the strength to go out and face the kingdom of this world with a more focused mindset. In that mindset, I'm able to recognize that it's God working and not me...and if I ask Him, He will direct my steps to the tasks that are most necessary for the day...keeping me from getting overwhelmed by the pace of this world.