Job and His Storms

Elizabeth--

Oh Job! What to say about Job?! Well first off, this is one of my newly found favorite books of the Bible! I really enjoyed reading Job…I know that’s strange, but I just felt like Job made sense to me. I could understand the suffering. I mean I didn’t walk in his shoes, but I know what it feels like to feel like you have had the ground pulled out from beneath you. I can relate to Job’s sufferings when all he knew was suddenly removed from him. It’s hard to trust in a God who is supposed to be your friend and is supposed to love and care for you and all you feel is hurt and abandonment. If God is supposed to be all those things, you would think He would feel close to you in those times, yet I have felt the distance He seems from me when I’m hurt and unsure of what to do. I really liked that Job cried out to God. It makes me feel like it’s normal to cry to God when I do not understand what is going on. It’s okay for me to feel anger and frustrations and confusion. In the times that Job felt most abandoned, God was likely the closest to him. God continually heard his cries and responded to his thoughts. God didn’t leave him. Seeing this conversation go on between Job and God allows me to see how God may work in my life when I deal with hard times. I may not always get the answer I’m looking for, but God hasn’t stopped listening. Instead God continually reminds me of all He has done for me. He reminds me of all the care He has for his creation. Why then would He have reason to leave me?

The other day, I was driving home from work when I noticed the brightness and beauty of the moon. I shared the vision I was seeing with Allison on the phone. Now, I saw this moon in Lewisville, Texas and she is in Seguin and she says “Wow! That is a beautiful moon!” and for a moment I was completely confused. How was it possible for her to see the same moon I saw?! Then it clicked for me that, I’m dumb because all people on this planet see the same moon I do, just at different angles and at different times in the day. It was a reminder to me of how small my world is. The community and environment around me that I engage in is so small in comparison to all of God’s creation. God’s creation is so vast and beautiful and He cares oh so much for each created being. So, from reading Job and relating to his feelings in times of suffering, and recognizing the vastness of creation as I noticed the moon, I’m really feeling how incredible God really is. God loves me so much that He created me to be the person I am in the midst of His larger creations, so with that love He won’t leave my side, just like He didn’t leave Job.

Remember that God loves you dearly and He will always be with you wherever you go. 

Allison--

So Elizabeth is a fan of Job. Me? Not so much.  I mean, I really love aspects of Job—the honesty with God, the discussion between the friends, the reminder of humility.  I guess it’s just too lengthy for me, too wordy.  I like things to be to the point or going somewhere, but I feel like Job and his friends talk in circles a lot.  They make the same point each time they open their mouths.  “You must have sinned Job, so that’s why this has happened.”  Or, “I have done nothing wrong.  Why is this happening to me?”  And maybe there’s something to be said there about over-discussing something.  God does have a good point when God speaks at the end (granted, since God is God, God often makes excellent points).  The verse that sticks out to me is “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (Job 38:4).

Sometimes we get so caught up in why something is happening to us.  And to a point that’s healthy.  To vent, to wonder, to question, to grow in community as you talk over the things happening in your life.

But you can get to a point where the “why” overshadows the “what’s next”.  Part of me thinks God comes down and sets them straight so Job can move on.  How often have you seen someone wallowing, or perhaps you yourself have wallowed in your sorrow?  It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut and forget to look up and see what God is trying to lead you towards. 

I have a friend who once said "God does not fill your life with storm clouds, but God does paint a silver lining around them."  And I think we sometimes get so caught up in the puddles and the mud around us that we forget to see the silver lining.  But I truly believe God takes the troubles, the sorrows, the trials we go through and makes beautiful things out of them.  And we have to be open to that, to be open to trying something new or uncomfortable.  This year I’ve been challenged and pushed by God to go outside of my comfort zone in meeting new people and reaching out.  And some really awesome things have come out of that.  It took me hitting bottom to realize that God was still with me, but God wasn’t going to let me stay there.  And I am so glad that I looked up and saw the silver lining.

And Job did too.  When he finally looked up from his sorrow, God carried him through it.  And by the end of the book, we still don’t necessarily understand why it all happened, but we understand God was there.  And that’s really the point of it all.

Consider these ideas this week:

Trials   Grace   Moving Forward

Sisters in Christ,

Allison & Elizabeth

The Long Awaited and Greatly Anticipated Return...featuring Esther!

Allison---

Esther 4:13-16

I love the book of Esther.  I find it to be one of the most empowering and challenging books in the bible.  And of course my favorite moment is when Mordecai is speaking to Esther about the command against the Jewish people, and that perhaps she was made queen “for such a time as this”, to save the Jewish race.

As I read through this book, I noted the role God played in this chapter of Esther’s life.  It begins with her being led away from her home, her family and all that is familiar to her.  Whether or not it was an honor to be considered for Xerxes’ queen, it had to be difficult.  But her need for family, for love and for care was met.  How perfect that her cousin Mordecai, who had essentially raised Esther, could daily pass by the harem where Esther was kept and check up on her.  Esther also endured much waiting…and waiting…and more waiting.  Before a woman could even be taken to see the king, she had to go through a year’s worth of beauty treatments—and hey, while that doesn’t sound half bad, that had to be hard to endure, while all the time wondering.  Wondering if the king would pick you, or why you were there, or how you would forever keep your nationality a secret.  But God gave Esther strength and peace in this time.

Of course, like any good book, there’s a twist: after Esther is selected as queen, the king unknowingly sentences his queen and her people to death (you’d think the guy would be a little more specific as to what exactly this decree would entail before he handed over his signet ring).  And in desperation, Mordecai asks Esther to go before the king, risking her life in a number of ways, to plead on behalf of her people.

But what I noticed this time around was that God had been preparing Esther.  He had protected her, nourished her and guided her to the role of queen, and then God presented her with this opportunity to engage in His work.  Notice Mordecai’s words:

“If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die.”

God isn’t counting on Esther in the sense that the fate of the world hinges on her decision.  But Esther has a choice.  She has an opportunity to be a part of the incredible way God is going to save the Jewish people.  She has been guided to this position as queen “for such a time as this”, to take part in this salvation story.

I like to think that’s how God works, that we are given opportunities in our lives to be a part of God’s salvation of mankind.  In one sense, it certainly takes the pressure off—that the fate of someone’s soul is not all-dependent on whether or not I have the courage to share the gospel at some moment.  But even greater, it implies that God desires my participation.  That God is all-powerful and wise, but wants me to be a part of His plans.  It reminds me that engaging my faith is what makes my relationship with God a relationship.  That while it is scary and uncomfortable, I want nothing more than to be a part of what God is planning, because that is what I was created to do—it’s what fulfills me.

I challenge you to take some time this week to think and pray on this.  Where have you been guided?  Where God might present you with an opportunity to take part in his glory?  How might God be challenging you to grow deeper in faith and relationship with Him?

May you know that God desires our participation in the coming of His kingdom.  May you remember that God is always leading us, shaping us and preparing us for the opportunities that lie ahead.  And may you realize that our God of love, compassion and strength has called you into this very place, for such a time as this.

Elizabeth---

The story of Esther is a good one! Allison did a great job of giving a great synopsis of what happened in the story. I find this story just as empowering and challenging. I like that Esther was a woman and was a Jew, but that didn’t stop God from using her to make a difference. Her beauty brought her into higher places with royalty. She didn’t let her royal position get to her head; instead she kept a good head on her shoulder as she held the importance of her family and her culture close to her heart. She kept the concerns of her people at the forefront of her thoughts. She brought petitions to the king according to the needs she saw and knew from her people. She knew that Jews were being harmed and she knew it was wrong. She worked for justice and fairness for these people. She displays commendable leadership skills as she stands up for a persecuted people. She recognizes the needs of those whom she serves.

This story was used in a high school Sunday School class to teach about joy. The direct link to joy was with the celebratory holiday that the Jews create once Haman is killed and not the entire Jewish population. However, in that class it was pointed out that God is not mentioned in the story of Esther, but is very much so a part of it. Joy is like that too! How often do we overlook joy because we didn’t acknowledge it or recognize it?  How often are we on the lookout for joy? Joy sometimes even appears in some of our darker moments and in uncertain times. I liked this story a lot because it was very much so narrative, story-like in nature and God wasn’t a character mentioned, but no doubt He was a part of the action. God works through Esther. He takes an unlikely orphaned Jewish woman to make a leader. Not only does she have a royal title, but she actually exercises wisdom as she makes just decisions to help a persecuted people. God is very much a part of our life story just like He is in Esther’s. So where do you find God in your life? Is He buried in the items on your long To-Do List? Does he ride shotgun on your way to and from work? Does He have a spot next to you as you’re falling asleep at night? Or do you see Him in all that you do? 

I want to challenge you discover where you see God the most. I want you to spot the joys in your life as well, and likely where you find joy, you will also find God. 

Joy  Courage  Opportunity

Sisters in Christ,

~Allison & Elizabeth

Happy Thanksgiving Ya'll!

^Elizabeth:

¹ And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they ^[a]asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had ^[b]given to Israel. ² Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who couldlisten with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. ³ He read from it before the square which was in front of the Water Gate from ^[c]early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law. ⁴ Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam on his left hand. ⁵ Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶ Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. ⁷ Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, explained the law to the people while the peopleremained in their place. ⁸ They read from the book, from the law of God, ^[d]translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.

“This Day Is Holy”

 ⁹ Then Nehemiah, who was the ^[e]governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. ¹⁰ Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” ¹¹ So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” ¹² All the people went away to eat, to drink, to send portions and to ^[f]celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been made known to them.

It has been quite some time since I have last blogged, or since we have last blogged actually. Allison and I have been super caught up in the everyday tasks of life that unfortunately we haven’t been as faithful to our reading and blogging as we would like. So, with that said, we are writing about Nehemiah…uhm, yeah, we did skip blogging few books…oops! I can assure you that we did actually read them and we had conversation about them. However, it’s just too much to cover in one blog entry, so we will blog about what we have most recently read and that is Nehemiah.

Nehemiah…hmmm…what to talk about. All I know is that I really like that name! Would be such a cute young boy’s name.

Nehemiah 8:1-12 really stood out to me. In this passage, Ezra who is the priest reads the law to people and then they mourn and then Nehemiah tells them to stop mourning and to go rejoice and celebrate by eating and drinking merrily. Hmmmm…interesting.  In my mind I picture a church service of sorts outside. I see a robed man coming before crowds of people, standing at a podium and reading scripture. I picture the crowds bowing before him and attentively listening, as they listen to the text, they gradually face their heads to the ground (I think the text mentions that their heads are to the ground at some point.) in reverence to the law that is being read to them. Then I see them crying because of what is being read, and as I see them crying, I can’t exactly tell why they’re crying, but they are showing emotion. Then after Ezra leaves the “podium” of where he was standing all of the sudden Nehemiah, the governor, appears and he says “Why are you crying? Stop it! Eat yummy food and drink fine wines and be happy. Celebrate this day, for it is holy to the Lord.”

Now, you probably read it differently than I did, but that’s what I saw happening. I’m at first really confused why the crowds are engaged and reverent to the law that is being read and then they’re all of the sudden crying. Then when Nehemiah pops up, they quickly change emotions and are happy because they were told to be. When I talked to a good friend of mine, he explained to me that the people are crying because they’re hearing all of the laws being read to them and they see that they are failing and they haven’t been keeping the law as they should. Ohhhhhh….now that makes a bit more sense. However, crying over laws that haven’t been kept still seems silly. I understand that these people are realizing that they haven’t been loyal to the law and they feel ashamed, but that means they now have an opportunity to turn it around. Crying about it won’t do any good. But, there’s more to this than just law, clearly there are too many laws and too many demands that are expected of these people and they can’t possibly measure up, but God never disappears. He was present with them when they did mess up and He was present in this setting too, and guess what? He’s going to be present in future mistakes and successes. He will always be there. I really like verse 10 where Nehemiah says “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” It puts everything into perspective, while we may not do what is right all the time, or even be aware of the wrongs we’re doing, God is still there. Ultimately it is the joy He has for us that needs to be our strength. The joy that He has for us that never ends even we mess up, He’s there…and that is truly powerful.

As I envisioned this story earlier, I had the setting outdoors and what I imagine old-time biblical land to look like. I think this passage could easily find itself in church today. First off, how often do we really listen to the readings during church? Secondly, if and when we do, how do we respond to them? Is it with emotion or no emotion? For me, words in scripture haven’t brought tears to my eyes, but I have heard them seriously and powerfully. They have spoken to me, and have stirred up in me a desire to take leaps of faith, to serve my neighbor, to love stronger, and to be a better person. Whether good or bad, unlike the people in the passage from Nehemiah, I don’t feel like less of the person I should be from reading scripture, I hear the law, but realize I know and love a God that is much larger than that. I know a God who will help me through my weaknesses and mistakes. I have a God who is just as present when I mess up as when I succeed. I hope you come to hear the beauty in scripture, and know the love of God as you live your life.  “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength,” this day and always.

Allison:   It’s good to be back :)!  So Nehemiah.  As I read Nehemiah, I noticed the people turning back to God.  Again.  Story of my life.  And honestly, while part of me is so glad the nation of Israel doesn’t leave us with this perfect example of faithfulness (that I know I would never live up to), it is a little tiresome to hear about them turning back to God.  Again. 

But this time I noted the ceremony they follow in Chapter 9.  And this is probably something they’ve done before when they turn back to God as a nation, but it caught my attention.  They reiterate the history of their people, the history that God has been in, around and amidst since the beginning of time.  They begin with the creation story, and then recount how God chose Abram…Abraham, rescued them from Egypt, protected them as a young nation, gave them prophets and kings and showered mercy on them every time they turned back to God.  In this prayer is praise and confession, but also a reminder to themselves of how God has led them.  They speak of the love, mercy and faithfulness of God to their fickle nation, and they vow again, just as their ancestors did, to obey and serve God with every aspect of their lives—because while they know they won’t be perfect, they know life is better when they do.

Sometimes it’s really hard to remember where God has been in my life.  Satan often uses my poor memory to bring me down, to make me feel alone and forgotten.  And even though I know God is active in my life, I’m at my weakest when I just can’t seem to remember how.  But what if I were to be like the Israelites—taking time to think back and remember how God has led me to where I am?  I believe it would empower me.  I believe it would remind me that I’m not where I am by accident, but because that’s exactly where God has led me.  I believe it would challenge me to trust in God again, to take that oh-so-scary step off the edge of what I can “control” and act in faith.  Now I’m probably not going to be able to cover every faith moment in my life every single time.  But I challenge you to join with me in this.  Even if it’s just a short moment to remember how God has been active in your life in the past week.  Even if it’s just a running list of bullet points you add to.  There’s something so powerful about seeing where God has taken you, carried you and filled you; and it just might be the very strength we need to continue on.

Also, completely unintentional but completely awesome—this blog is so Thanksgiving-esque.  Eat yummy food, drink fine wine and be happy…all while remembering the goodness of God :)!

Strength  Remembrance  Thanksgiving

Sisters in Christ,

Allison & Elizabeth

Conquering Chronicles

Allison:  Happiness :)!!  As I sit down to write this (oops, long-overdue) blog, Elizabeth is on campus at TLU!!  Needless to say, I’ve been looking forward to her visit for a while :).  I’m super excited to get to hang out with her, even if it’s only for a short time.  I’ve come to realize just how much I take for granted the friends I can call up and go to dinner with on a whim.  Granted, some of my best friends live in other cities, so I knew exactly how it would be once we were no longer at school together.  But regardless, I love that I get to see her again. 

So onto 2 Chronicles, which we will be finishing up this week.  As I was reading through the book, this verse from chapter 19 caught my eye.

“Always think carefully before pronouncing judgment.  Remember that you do not judge to please people but to please the Lord.  He will be with you when you render the verdict in each case.  Fear the Lord and judge with integrity, for the Lord our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes.”---2 Chronicles 19:6-7

So in these verses, King Jehoshaphat (awesome name!) is appointing judges for Judah.  He is basically creating this structure of authority that all ties back to the high priest.  So he appoints these judges, and they are sent out to keep order in the land.  But I love the instructions he gives to them.  Try this with me: take whatever you are—whether it’s your role in your family, your occupation, a leadership position—and think about what Jehoshaphat would say to you regarding that role.  He lays out four main points for their positions:

--Think carefully before you act

--Remember that you do whatever it is you do for the Lord

--Know that God is with you in every action you take

--Do whatever it is you do with integrity

What wise advice!  Isn’t it amazing that words spoken thousands of years ago can still ring truer than ever today?!  Technology changes, job titles change, but people do not.  And while it may be simple or obvious, I know these are things I often forget.  And how much more focused would our efforts be if we did keep these in mind?  Sure if you’re leading a bible study perhaps it’s pretty easy to see how these guidelines apply.  But what about as a teacher?  A doctor?  A financial analyst?  A friend?  A student?

This week I challenge you to consider how Jehoshaphat’s words of wisdom can ring true in your own life.  And even consider how the words spoken by kings and prophets and martyrs—all inspired by the same God—can drive right at the heart of our own struggles and decisions today.  Crazy cool isn’t it?!  Ya’ll have a great weekend!!

Elizabeth:  “If my people, who are called by name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” ~1 Chronicles 7:14

Ahah! I found some gospel in the Old Testament! Here, God is speaking to Solomon. God says that He is on Solomon’s side, on His people’s side. He says that His people will hear from Him, that he will forgive their sin and will heal their land. That sounds like good news to me! But, also notice that those things are prefaced with “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,” God wants His people, who he has claimed and who have claimed Him, to do some action. He speaks the action words of “pray” and “seek,” and I think that’s important. While God is alive and present in His children’s lives, both then and now, He wants relationship with them. What good does it do to acknowledge God and not grow a relationship with Him?  We can’t fully know Him without spending time in prayer or spending time seeking His ways instead of our own.

            I think the people in Solomon’s time struggled in the same way that the people of today struggle with knowing God’s ways versus knowing one’s own way. It’s really easy for me to decide what I want to do and do it without considering the effects of my decisions and actions. It’s easier for me to go with my plans than it is to take the time to hear out God’s plans. God says he will forgive sin and heal the land of His people, if His people will seek Him. He wants to hear from His children. I’m only going to grow closer to another person if I engage conversation with the person. I can’t expect a relationship to take off out of just seeing someone. The same works for God, while He will always be present in our lives, He desires a relationship with His children. Seeking that relationship and furthering that relationship with Him will look different for each person. I feel like I grow closer to God when I’m engaging in community and serving those around me. When I’m in conversation about my faith with friends, family, co-workers, and mentors. When I spend time in worship. When I have my Bible open and actually reading scripture. When I’m praying alone or in company. There are all sorts of ways that I am able to connect with God, to seek His face. I’m not always the best at doing these things all the time. But, what if I were? What if the world around us was? How would things be different?

I want to challenge you to join me in finding ways to engage our relationship and build our relationship with God. I want to spend some intentional time humbling myself and seeking God’s face this week, will you join me?!

Alphabitz for the week:

Engage  Seek  Meditate

Sisters in Christ,

Allison & Elizabeth

From the Mouth of David

Elizabeth:   “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” -1 Chronicles 16:8-11

In this small section of scripture, David takes the time to thank God for all that God is, for all that He has done, and to celebrate what He has in store for His people in the future. David knows the Lord’s goodness, and that comes because he takes the time to seek out God, to listen and hear Him closely. David desired to hear what the Lord really had in store for him and his people. He wanted to do what was right for the Lord and for the people he ruled over.   

David sought guidance and direction from the Lord. He heard His words and trusted in them. Wouldn’t it be great if more people living today were like David? Imagine what the world would look like if we turned to God in times of anxiousness or uncertainty. What would the world look like if leaders heard the words of Lord to help them lead? It would be a different world, that’s for sure!

David didn’t always know what to do, but instead of taking his best stab at it, he turned to God. He listened and then acted upon God’s response. In chapter 16 of 1 Chronicles, David lifts up the Lord and thanks Him for all that He has done. He is very thankful. He’s thankful because God didn’t let him down. God won’t let us down. We have lots to be thankful for. Especially as I write this on such a significant day, as we remember the story of 9/11, I think about how troubled and lost much of our world is. We’re searching for safety and we’re looking for a way that we as human beings can provide that. I’m not sure that we will ever find complete safety in this world; however we can rest assured that God has promised good to us. God has done wonderful acts and we can always look to Him and seek his face. I think even David recognized the world then wasn’t perfect and that it wouldn’t be perfect. He did what he could to lead his people and follow the Lord and that is honorable and to be commended. We too, can live to serve God and others each day. As you go out and serve, remember to thank the one who empowered you to serve, thank the one who daily strengthens you to serve.

Allison:   “O my God, I have been bold enough to pray to you because you have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him—a dynasty of kings! For you are God, O Lord. And you have promised these good things to your servant.  And now, it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant, so that it will continue forever before you. For when you grant a blessing, O Lord, it is an eternal blessing!”--1 Chronicles 17:25-27

So this week has been crazy busy. Actually who am I kidding, the last 5 months of my life have been crazy busy. And on that note, how does that make me any different from the billions of other people in this world with places to go, people to see and things to do? And who’s to say my to-do list is even that important?  When I was reading through the chapter, the thoughts on my mind were how behind I was, how many other things I had to do, how I had to get up early and should have already been asleep.  The LAST thing on my mind was the idea that prayer was a blessed liberty.  If anything, in that moment it was something on my to-do list, a burden even.

Yet the first words out of David’s mouth are “I have been bold enough to pray for you”.  Another translation speaks of David having the “courage” to pray to God.  I definitely re-read that verse a couple of times, and each time was confused as to why David might need boldness to pray to God.  And the words that kept popping into my head were “honor” and “privilege”.  That not just anyone could pray, but those with the strength and at that, those with the authority.  David saw it as a privilege to pray to God.  A valuable liberty.  It wasn’t a right or an entitlement or a requirement of faith, but a privilege that came with having a right relationship with God.  Prayer as a privilege.  The thought had never crossed my mind.  But it made me stop and think.

We can come to God in prayer in any moment, in any state and in an instant be covered in his grace.  We don’t have to worry about having the courage, or the boldness or the guts to pray to God.

Yet David’s humility before God is something to be admired, even imitated.  If I were to think of prayer as a privilege, as an incredible opportunity to have direct communication with my creator, how might that impact on my to-do list?  If I were to begin each moment of prayer by thanking God for the honor of coming before Him, how might that change my perspective?  Time with God was never created to be a burden, but a glorious privilege we have as His children. 

So this week I challenge you to join me in seeing devotional time as a privilege, as an honor.  And see how that changes things.

This week think about this!

Humility  Time  Blessings

Sisters in Christ,

~Allison & Elizabeth

We're All in This Together

Elizabeth:  Since the beginning of high school, I have always taken on some kind of leadership role. I always wanted to help others out and felt that was one way I could do so. However, what appealed to me first about leadership was that I would be the one out in front, the person others noticed first. Leadership in youth group meant that I got to grow close to a group of 5 or 6 other leaders, and we got to decide what the group wanted to do and/or needed to do. In band leadership, I knew I wouldn’t have to warm-up with the rest of the group, because in my role I got to hand out music and make sure everyone had the necessary pieces for rehearsal. As president of TAFE (Texas Association of Future Educators) my junior and senior years of high school, I got to lead meetings, and even lead the leadership meetings. There was responsibility, but at the same time I was the one in charge. As a Peer Mentor in college, I got to be one of the first people to connect with freshman students; I had the answers the new students were looking for. And, the list goes on and on, I have been in many roles. While deep down inside my motives for wanting leadership roles have always been genuine, each leadership role had some glam to it that I felt I needed to have. Perhaps you have had a similar experience.


Though the reality is, leadership is such a valued trait, skill, gift, whatever you may call it, that it needs to be taken seriously. Luckily for me, I never let the glam of leadership consume the way I led. I have always wanted to help another out the way someone once helped me out. For instance, in my leadership role as a representative for my high school church youth group, I really had the desire to be more intentional in the way I connected with my peers and I wanted to use my planning skills for a good purpose—to plan fun and exciting things for the group. I wanted help get the concerns of my grade across so that we could plan events by the needs of the entire group. It was incredible to be able to use my voice to speak for those in the group who may otherwise never been heard. Isn’t that the purpose of real leadership? Hearing and answering the concerns of the whole and not a minor few? If that is really the point of leadership, then that’s where I’ve always wanted to be, in the sticky place where I’m expected to be sensitive to the needs of others and lead in a way that helps everyone. The glam is lost at that point. I no longer care if I get a special t-shirt because I’m a leader, or that I get to do special leadership activities. That will still be fun, but that’s not what it is about. I thank God that He has shown me what it means to be a leader and that He has given me the gifts to lead. He has done so in unique ways. I have led in different capacities. For many years, I was a student leader in various organizations. Today, I’ve entered into a new leadership role where I lead in a congregation setting, where I guide, teach, encourage the faith of children, youth, and families. God has and looks like He will continue to use my gifts in leadership to serve Him and others.

I spent awhile talking about leadership, because that is what I’m continuing to notice as I read through the Old Testament. Some people lead in great ways, ways that glorify God and lift up the people they serve. Other leaders have led in detrimental ways. In ways that went against what the Lord asked and in the process they hurt people. Lately, in the Old Testament…many of the stories in the books of the Kings speak of kings who really didn’t lead in a positive way. In the end of 2 Kings, Josiah is spoken about, and here is a king who served out of love for God and his people. He had a lot of work to do, because those who preceded him weren’t great leaders. He cleaned up a lot of their messes and helped get his people and the temple to where he felt God wanted them to be. He got rid of the things that people were worshipping apart from God. He straightened things up. That sounds simpler than it probably was. Josiah was a king beginning at the age of 8…wow! And he asked the people of the time who were worshipping idols to do away with that. His leadership flipped the lifestyles of the people completely around. I’m sure all of his people weren’t happy with him, but he did what he knew was right in the eyes of the Lord. He didn’t lead for glam; he led with a genuine heart to serve God and others.

If you consider yourself a leader, why is that you lead?

What do you want from the leaders of today? What expectations do you have of them?

Allison:  So in the past two weeks I moved into my dorm at school, had training for a peer mentoring program and had my first week of classes.  It’s been extremely busy! So I’m glad to have a weekend to relax, catch-up, and BLOG—because I’ve definitely missed it.  Coming back to school has been interesting.  Going into my sophomore year, I know more people and have a handle on how this whole college thing works.  It’s crazy to think that at this time last year I was adjusting to a completely new lifestyle and finding new friends—some of whom have become my best friends since that time.  It’s very different though.  Obviously Elizabeth is not here anymore and I’m involved in some new organizations.  I’m working as a peer mentor—I’m paired with a class of 20 freshman students.  We met at orientation and I will go through the semester with them in their FREX course and be a resource to help them adjust and find their way at TLU.  I have a great group of students and I’ve learned so much from this job already!  I’m definitely looking forward to what the rest of the semester will bring.

Despite the fact that I’m back at the same school and living with the same people, things are different this year.  My role as a student and leader is different and the campus is changing and moving forward.  I’ve realized I can’t go through this year doing exactly what I did last year.  I was talking to a friend the other day and explained that I felt like I almost had to rediscover where I fit in—which is definitely not what I was expecting.  It seems silly almost, but it makes sense.  I’ve grown and I’ve changed.  I’m coming into this year with different experiences than I did last year.  And let’s be honest, I don’t want to go through four identical years of college.  I want to learn, I want new experiences!

In thinking about all this I’ve done a lot of looking back at how I’ve come to be the person I am today—August 29, 2011 at Texas Lutheran University.  This week we started moving into 1 Chronicles.  Frankly, I couldn’t wait to move past the endless lists of lineages recorded in the beginning chapters.  But as I finished my reading last night, I thought about why the Israelites thought it so important to record their lineages.  I mean, they put a lot of effort into making sure they recorded who was the son of whom, and from which wife.  For them it was important to know who came before them, how they were connected to each other.  And if I really wanted to I could probably make some interesting family trees from the chapters I’ve read. 

But the point is, the knowledge of who came before them was important.  They were their ancestors, the people who shaped them--whose odd quirks, distinct facial features and stories of faith made the Israelites who they were—both as individuals and as a nation.  This week I’ve been realizing just how interconnected and broad the Chronicles of my own faith are.  For starters, I could easily describe my faith ancestors as being friends and mentors from home as well as those I’ve met in my time at TLU so far.  And beyond that, my chronicle at TLU extends to friends, friends of friends—some whom I’ve only met briefly, professors—those I’ve actually had for a class and those I’ve met through chapel and organizations.  Those people have had an incredible impact on my personal and spiritual growth—they’ve made me who I am today.  And while that list—or web more likely—would probably be of minimal interest to anyone outside it, it’s important to me.  It’s who I am, and it’s a reminder of those who have come before me and who have walked beside me.

So this week I encourage you to think about who would be in your life chronicle.  Realize just how interconnected you are, and likewise how supported you are—even in the midst of change and uncertainty.  Maybe even talk to them about it, thank them for how they’ve been a part of your life.  

And furthermore, whose life chronicle are you in?     

Have a great week everyone! And spend some time thinking about these alphabitz...

Leading  Following  Connecting

Sisters in Christ,

~Allison & Elizabeth

Come on, let’s eat your son today!

**If you can tell us where exactly in the Bible we got our awesome title, you win!**

Elizabeth:  As I read 2 Kings this week I have decided that I may have similarities to Naaman. Now, don't worry, I don't have leprosy...that's not what has kept me from blogging the past couple of weeks. When Naaman found out that he could go and be free of leprosy he did. He trusted that God would take care of him, however he seemed to expect God to be greater than God appeared to him. When Elisha shared with Naaman that the way he would be cleansed of leprosy was to wash himself seven times in the water of the rivers nearby, not the cleanest waters, Naaman wasn't sure if that was for real. If all he had to do was wash in the rivers nearby, why couldn't he do that where he was? Why did he need to travel out to hear God's words through Elisha? I think Naaman wanted God to speak grander words through Elisha. At least He could have provided the purest of pure waters to wash in. Naaman doubted when he heard Elisha's words. Naaman needed to be re-convinced that Elisha was speaking on the Lord's behalf so it would be foolish to not believe what was said.

Let's think about this story for a moment. Do you ever get disappointed or discouraged in what God wants you to do because you don't hear it as something extraordinary? Or maybe that's only me who struggles with that. Like Naaman, I often get excited about God's plans for me, but then when I really get to experience them, they don't seem as grand as I thought they would be.

I grew up with a positive outlook on religion and on my own faith. That deep interest in my faith and my constant desire to learn more about religion, especially my own Lutheran denomination led me into the beginnings of church work. Beginning the summer after my sixth grade year I volunteered my time working with the preschool ministry at my church. The church preschool had a typical Fall-Spring school year, but then had a summer program. Since I wasn’t in school over the summer myself, I would help the teachers in their classrooms. I enjoyed the time with the kids and I enjoyed helping the teachers as they needed help. I continued this volunteerism every summer until the summer of my sophomore year of high school when I was old enough to work and earn a paycheck. I continued the same work, just got paid to do it. As I continued to get older, once I graduated high school, I worked as a teacher myself. I taught a class of mixed ages kindergarten-2^nd grade myself. I really liked the program; I enjoyed the opportunity to teach, and of course liked interacting with the kids. My favorite part of the preschool program was Monday mornings when all of the classes would go down to the sanctuary for Chapel. At Chapel the kids would sing a couple of songs, typically Vacation Bible School songs that they knew, and then would listen to a message given by the pastor. I connected in this time, I could really get into the silly songs about my faith, and then I could hear familiar stories of my faith taught in such a simple way. The simplicity and seriousness of this time always reminded to keep the faith the way a child would. It was really from preschool chapels that made me consider looking into a Lutheran university to attend, where I too, could experience mid-week chapel services. I achieved that by going to TLU. Actually, the chapel at TLU became my favorite place on campus, I rarely missed a chapel service. I share my experiences with “chapel” because that is the place where I feel God’s presence and hear Him speaking to me. It is in the simple worship and simple messages that I hear a calling to use what gifts I have in ministry. I hear God in a simple, yet grand way. I begin to get excited.

My favorite hymn is “Here I Am Lord,” and we sang it a few times in chapel at TLU. It is my favorite because it speaks to me vocationally and lets me know that I can use my energies and passions to serve God. Many hymns or even silly VBS songs speak to me in ways that let me know that I can serve God with the gifts I have been given. I’m empowered to do so. However, when it got time to really apply my gifts and step into ministry the grandness went away. As a preschool teacher and now as a youth director, I have yet to see a child touched by something I have done. I don’t see God vividly as I work day to day as I thought a person in ministry would. The grand excitement in the way I heard/ still hear God does not always carry into the experience. I think I’m like Naaman in that way. I want to do more than just wash 7 times in dirty waters. I want to be great as I serve God. Like Naaman, I need to be reminded that washing in dirty waters may be what God is asking me to do, and if I’m truly serving God then why should I be concerned with the tasks set before me? For me it is helpful to be reminded of the faith like a child that Jesus calls us to hold, if we love Him and remember He loves us, he will take care of us. He will use us as we are to help grow His Kingdom.

Allison:  Oh goodness, it’s definitely been a while since we’ve blogged.  That being said, much has happened since then.  While we were away on blog sabbatical, I was very busy with my youth interning job.  We had camp in July, and since our church runs our own summer camp, preparations start in the fall and pick up like crazy come mid-June.  I love camp, I really do, but boy this year was exhausting!  We go to camp up at the H.E.B. Foundations camps and have a Junior High camp, followed by a Senior High camp.  Usually there’s a week of recovery in between those camps, but for some reason this year we were booked in back-to-back weeks—meaning we got home from a 5 day camp Thursday, had camp closing Friday, loading on Saturday, and took off again Sunday for round two.  It was tough, and by the end of the second week I was physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted.  But camp was great!  Here’s what I learned in a nutshell:

At Junior High camp we have high school students who go as counselors—we call them YACs (Young Adult Counselors).  It’s really awesome to watch them step up as leaders and grow spiritually as they build relationships and share their faith with the campers.  And this year I tried to do just that—watch then and encourage them.  While I also hung out with the campers through the week, I tried to let the YACs take the lead.  It wasn’t easy, but by opting to do more behind the scenes work, I gave the high schoolers more opportunities to pour into the campers, especially since they will be the ones who are with these campers through the school year.  And leadership-wise, I’m on my way out.  My goal this summer was to build up leaders before I left, and it was neat to (for once) step back, chill, and watch them work.

At Senior High camp our keynote speaker was Todd Agnew.  Which was so awesome—we don’t normally have speakers that “famous” at camp.  But because of an awesome mutual friend we have with Todd’s wife, we were able to have him hang out with us all week, which was an awesome experience.  Todd was so down-to-earth and so…well, normal.  It never even crossed your mind you were having a conversation with the guy who wrote ‘Grace Like Rain’ and he was SO funny too!  He is such a great speaker—if you ever have a chance to hear him talk, go for it.  But Todd talked about how “who Jesus is defines who we are”.  So if Jesus is the shepherd, we are sheep.  If Jesus is the bread of life, we are hungry.  If Jesus is the resurrection and the life, we are dead.  So chew on that World Wide Web!  My favorite thing he shared though wasn’t even a keynote theme.  He talked about how we are only completely filled by the love of God, by Jesus.  God creates things in this world that make us happy, that give us a taste of what eternal joy in Him is like.  And those things aren’t bad, but we should remember they are just a taste; they are not the end all.  God fills us, and everything else is a bonus on top of that; whipped-cream icing on a really awesome cake, if you will.  A really awesome perspective to keep in mind, I think, when we find ourselves getting caught up in the appetizers of life.

Also since the last blog, I’ve acquired some incredibly awesome green running shoes—a nice little dollop of icing there.

So now that I’ve spent most of the blog talking about what was essentially the month of July for me, Elizabeth and I also got back into our Bible reading :)! So 2 Kings…

2 Kings 2 talks about the relationship between Elisha and Elijah just before Elijah is to be taken up into heaven.  Elisha makes a promise, a covenant with Elijah saying “As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you”.  Elisha vows to follow Elijah, to stay by his side, until he leaves this earth.  Now Elisha knows that Elijah’s time is short, in fact prophets along the way remind Elisha of this on multiple occasions.  It’s as if they’re saying, “Look Elisha, this guy Elijah is going to be gone soon, so this relationship you’re building is kind of pointless.  Why don’t you just go off and do your own ministry?”  But every time that happens, Elisha renews his vow to Elijah, and every time they continue on “together”.   Elisha also asks to be filled with the same spirit that fills Elijah, to be his successor.  Elijah warns him it will be a difficult task, but agrees.

I really like Elisha here because he doesn’t do what is easy.  He could decide not to grow close to Elijah and avoid the feeling of loss when Elijah leaves him, but he chooses to build their relationship instead.  He could choose to just tell the story of his adventures with Elijah to his grandchildren, but instead he asks to fill his shoes, to carry on his task and his burden.  And even when others encourage him to take the easy road, his continually renews his commitment.  This blog is already pretty long, so I’ll wrap this up, but just think about that this week.  What is the easy road, and what is the road worth taking?  Which will you choose?

**Also, take some time to revel in the greatness that is 2 Kings 2:23-25**

 So this week consider these alphabitz

Courage  Weariness  Vocation

Sisters in Christ,

~Allison & Elizabeth