Changes

So as many of you might see when you first click on my blog, that a couple of things have changed. I've been thinking about this for a while, and I want to change the idea behind my blog. When I started this back in tenth grade, I made it a place where I talked about God and tried to teach something about Christianity. However, that became hard to keep up, and it is why there has been a scarce number of posts for a while. Now I am hoping to open it up to talk about my story and events that have happened to me and show how God is working in my life. It is kind of going to be like an online diary. I am also going to make it a goal to post more pictures and videos.

This past week I was at my family reunion. One thing that I learned is that you don’t need a unique family history to make you unique. A lot of the people I go to college with have had their family move to America in the past two or three generations. My most recent family members are from Kansas, so it is not as exciting story to tell as those who have grandparents who can tell stories about moving to America. The thing is hanging with my family and listening to their stories, they are just as exciting but in their own way. There are stories of my dad living in tents growing up, to my parents working on the bridge over the summer, to trips I told to see my grandparents when I was young. And it is in those stories that I come from and that is what makes me unique. So my family history doesn’t have to be like someone else, because God made this unique family history just for me. And he did for all of us. 

So take time to sit down and listen to your family stories and see just what kind of family you come from.  

Biblical Experiences

Starting at the beginning of the month I decided that I was going to read through the Bible over the course of the year. In just the first couple of the days I could draw connections from what I was reading in the Bible to my personal life. In Genesis 22 is the story of Abraham being tested. A recap of the story is God asked Abraham to go to the mountain to sacrifice his son. His son was Isaac, Abraham’s only son and he was to be the one that would be the decedents of Abraham for all the nations. Abraham did as he was told and went to sacrifice his son, for he trusted that God had something in mind. Then at the last moment God provided Abraham with a ram to sacrifice in place of his son. Abraham’s trust paid off and God provided for him.

Now this is a story that happened a long time ago, and it may seem like it has no application on our lives. The thing is we all have things that we love and cherish. That could be a material object, or money, or anything that we place high value in. The thing is that object is not ours but it is God’s and he is just letting us borrow it. When it comes time, we must be able to trust God in what he has given us and when he asks us to give it up.

Now not many of us are going to be asked to sacrifice our sons, but there are ways every day that we have to trust God. For example, I am working hard this summer to earn money for college. I must be thoughtful of how I spend my money. So, the other day an employee asked if he could borrow some money for food. I said sure but as I walked away I thought about the money that I would give to him to eat, because food where I work is not cheap. But I went through with my plan to be able to pay for his dinner. When it was his break I gave him the tips I made thus far which would cover a meal. But then the surprising thing was is that his brother ended up having food for him so he didn’t need my money. Afterwards I went back to work and I made the most tips that I have made this summer. I thought back to this story and how when God calls us to give, whether that be a small amount of money or a son, we should trust him because he can do more with what we have then we can think of.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the material items that you have given me and I place them in your care because I know your will is better than mine. I trust you when you call me to give up something of mine because I know you have something greater in mind. Amen. 

Loving Others

So while my grandparents were here in town we took them out to lunch. My grandmother had this great idea that she would go up and talk to people that she didn't know in the restaurant to try and get to know them. My parents brother and I thought that that was a bad idea for her to do. But she did it any way and she got a hug from the waitress and got to know a few people. Then last night at Bible study, one of the people there suggested that we can love our neighbor by going up to a stranger and hugging them. That idea was immediately though as being a bad idea for you don't just go up to people and talk to them or hug them.

But that got me thinking. No where in the Bible does it say that we can't go up and talk to a stranger or go up and hug them. Actually the Bible encourages it. We are believe the lie that we have to act a certain way in society and not break the mold that was built. God wants us to step out and talk with people we don't know so we can share his love with them. That does mean getting uncomfortable and talking with people, but it is not impossible and God has called us to be uncomfortable to reach the people who we see everyday with his love.

So I want you to think about who it is in your life that you can go a start a conversation with. It could be a complete stranger or it could be someone you see everyday that you just need to open up and talk to.  But lets step out of our comfort zones and reach people that God has placed in our lives.

Dear Heavenly Father.
Thank you for your love, and I pray that I can share that with everyone that I meet. Help me step out of my comfort zone to talk to people who I wouldn't normally talk to. Amen.