Saturday, May 26, 2007
Big Stuf Countdown
Only 28 more days until we leave for Big Stuf 07! I hope all of you who are signed up are getting excited.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Intervene
can't stop thinkin' about my dreams;
i'm living in a fantasy.
but i think i've messed up the theme,
'cause my whole world revolves 'round me.
instead of singing some harmony,
i'm bellowing out the melody,
stealing the light that ought to be
reflecting off the KING OF GLORY.
i'm told that i should taste and see
the goodness of our LORD, and HE
sits upon that heavenly seat,
inviting me to rest beside HIS feet.
but struck by HIS majesty,
i can't help but fall to my knees.
for HIS forgiveness i beg and plead,
asking HIM to intervene.
remove me from the glamorous scene,
break me away from my routine,
cause my selfish desires to cease
so YOU no longer have to bleed.
uproot the superficial weeds,
cure me of my foul disease,
immerse me in humility's stream
to wash away this loveless reek.
may i notice others' needs
and strive to serve them without critique.
a lifestyle of sensitivity
is what i hope to constantly seek.
i'll stop acting like i'm the queen,
and choose to crown YOU SOVEREIGN KING.
from my pride please set me free,
so i can finally sing on key.
i'm living in a fantasy.
but i think i've messed up the theme,
'cause my whole world revolves 'round me.
instead of singing some harmony,
i'm bellowing out the melody,
stealing the light that ought to be
reflecting off the KING OF GLORY.
i'm told that i should taste and see
the goodness of our LORD, and HE
sits upon that heavenly seat,
inviting me to rest beside HIS feet.
but struck by HIS majesty,
i can't help but fall to my knees.
for HIS forgiveness i beg and plead,
asking HIM to intervene.
remove me from the glamorous scene,
break me away from my routine,
cause my selfish desires to cease
so YOU no longer have to bleed.
uproot the superficial weeds,
cure me of my foul disease,
immerse me in humility's stream
to wash away this loveless reek.
may i notice others' needs
and strive to serve them without critique.
a lifestyle of sensitivity
is what i hope to constantly seek.
i'll stop acting like i'm the queen,
and choose to crown YOU SOVEREIGN KING.
from my pride please set me free,
so i can finally sing on key.
We have Switched over!
Hey! This year has been amazing and I am so excited about the summer and what God has in store for you. I just wanted to let you know that we have officially switched over into our summer calendar for Student Ministries at WCC. We will not be having One every week. Here are a few things that we do have going on this summer.
June 8th - ONE @ The Main Campus from 7:00 - 8:30 pm
June 23rd through 29th - Big Stuf in Panama City Beach, Florida
July 8th - One @ the Main Campus from 7:00 - 8:30 pm
July 22nd through 27th - Camp With An Impact @ Camp Adventure in North Webster, IN
August 12th - One @ The Main Campus from 7:00 - 8:30 pm
There is more stuff to come so make sure you are checking your email or this blog for updates on a regular basis. If you have any questions or need help with anything please let me know. Hang tough through these last few weeks of school. It is almost over! - Evo
June 8th - ONE @ The Main Campus from 7:00 - 8:30 pm
June 23rd through 29th - Big Stuf in Panama City Beach, Florida
July 8th - One @ the Main Campus from 7:00 - 8:30 pm
July 22nd through 27th - Camp With An Impact @ Camp Adventure in North Webster, IN
August 12th - One @ The Main Campus from 7:00 - 8:30 pm
There is more stuff to come so make sure you are checking your email or this blog for updates on a regular basis. If you have any questions or need help with anything please let me know. Hang tough through these last few weeks of school. It is almost over! - Evo
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Others First
"I don't just do what I like or what is best for me, but what is best for them..." (1 Corinthians 10.33)
To me, this perfectly illustrates one of the many ways to put others first. Many of us recoil at the thought of sacrificing our own needs and desires in order to benefit someone else. But Paul adopts this attitude of service and respect for the people that he meets.
It isn't any harder for us than it was for him. Paul interacted with people who complained, grumbled, gossiped, lied, stole, and treated him like dirt. And yet he still writes, "I do what is best for them."
I'll be honest... There are times when all I want to do is hide away in my room with a good book and read until my eyes close in sleep. But when the kids are screaming and my mom needs a hand to settle them down, I have to force myself to put my book down and go help her.
There are times when I'm in the car, riding with a friend or family member around town or on a trip to Fort Wayne. We don't listen to my radio station; we listen to theirs. It might all be "Christian" but they just struggle to understand how Hard Rock or even Pop Rock can glorify God. So we listen to Southern Gospel.
To me, this perfectly illustrates one of the many ways to put others first. Many of us recoil at the thought of sacrificing our own needs and desires in order to benefit someone else. But Paul adopts this attitude of service and respect for the people that he meets.
It isn't any harder for us than it was for him. Paul interacted with people who complained, grumbled, gossiped, lied, stole, and treated him like dirt. And yet he still writes, "I do what is best for them."
I'll be honest... There are times when all I want to do is hide away in my room with a good book and read until my eyes close in sleep. But when the kids are screaming and my mom needs a hand to settle them down, I have to force myself to put my book down and go help her.
There are times when I'm in the car, riding with a friend or family member around town or on a trip to Fort Wayne. We don't listen to my radio station; we listen to theirs. It might all be "Christian" but they just struggle to understand how Hard Rock or even Pop Rock can glorify God. So we listen to Southern Gospel.
I have family members who struggle with high cholesterol and diabetes. So at family gatherings, I (sometimes) try to support them and not induldge myself in all the desserts and treats. It's only for one day, right?
What about you? Where are some areas in your life that you can set your own wants aside in order to serve and respect others?
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
A Modern Parable
It is Friday night. Cheers still echoed in his head from the end-of-the-season football game that his team had just won. An undefeated season was just the thing to boost this quarter-back’s ego. He struts down the street toward his house, as if nothing could bring him down now.
As he turned the corner at Main and Fifth Street a gang surrounded him. They harassed him. He was slammed into the brick wall, smacked in the face until blood splattered from his nose, and beaten until all consciousness was lost. Two of the gang members searched through his pockets and proceeded to steal the credit cards and crisp bills that had been placed neatly in his wallet that afternoon. At the sound of sirens, everyone in the group ran away, but not before a bullet had lodged itself in the football player’s shoulder.
The night passed slowly. Still the quarter-back did not awaken. The pavement beneath him was now soaked and permanently colored by his blood. Black and blue patches formed on his chilled and clammy skin. Seizures violently shook his body due to the loss of blood. Shadows left him in the dark, unseen by the few that passed in the early morning hours.
Eventually the sun lit what was once hidden and unknown. On his way to work, an officer of the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes passed by the alley where the quarter-back lay. As his eyes fell upon the strange form, he turned away, disgusted by what he saw. His quickened footsteps echoed throughout the streets.
A few hours passed. It was now the noon hour, and the cars in traffic were rushing everywhere in an attempt to get to lunch. The quarter-back had come to for a bit, but was overwhelmed by the pain so much that it seemed best to remain still.
It was at this time that the student body president walked along the back roads as a shortcut to get to his favorite restaurant. He couldn’t wait to get that juicy double-burger and fresh French fries in his mouth. In fact, his mouth was already watering at the thought.
Concerned by the figure of the quarter-back, he stopped to see what had happened. His eyes met those of the athlete. Pain and desperateness radiated from the eyes of the fallen man. Noticing that the quarter-back's wallet was missing and that it was a frequent area of gangs, he bounced up and ran away, afraid to be the next victim.
The sun continued on its path and it soon grew dark. Sounds of the night life filled the air; jazz music flowed from the dance club a few blocks down, the horns loudly beeped as individuals raced on a two-lane street. The neon lights began to cast their colors on whatever fell within their reach.
By this time the quarter-back had vomited several times. His labored breathing provoked sharp pains in his chest. His hand grasped his shoulder in an effort to ease the tension of the wound.
A young man with thick glasses walked down the sidewalk this night. Normally his nasal voice and large vocabulary caused those who tried to befriend him to turn away. Dressed in jeans a bit too short and a large shirt that had holes along the seams, he, too, passed along the alley where the quarter-back lay. As he began to comprehend what he saw before him, he flung his thick books about calculus and astronomy aside and knelt beside the football player. Gently he turned the jock over and examined his wounds.
He proceeded to take off his shirt and wrap it around a deep cut in the quarter-back’s arm. Sprinting out to the busy street just a few feet away, he hailed a cab. With some help from the driver, he loaded the player in the car and took him to the emergency room, where he turned the patient’s care over to the professionals.
When he left the hospital to return to his own home, the young man made certain that the doctors would take care of the injured player. He dug a credit card out of his worn, brown wallet and placed it on the counter. “Don’t worry about the cost,” he said. “If his care takes more than that, just let me know, and I’ll come back and pay it.”
(This modern parable was based on the story of the Good Samaritan, which you can read in Luke 10:30-37. May it remind us to put others first...)
As he turned the corner at Main and Fifth Street a gang surrounded him. They harassed him. He was slammed into the brick wall, smacked in the face until blood splattered from his nose, and beaten until all consciousness was lost. Two of the gang members searched through his pockets and proceeded to steal the credit cards and crisp bills that had been placed neatly in his wallet that afternoon. At the sound of sirens, everyone in the group ran away, but not before a bullet had lodged itself in the football player’s shoulder.
The night passed slowly. Still the quarter-back did not awaken. The pavement beneath him was now soaked and permanently colored by his blood. Black and blue patches formed on his chilled and clammy skin. Seizures violently shook his body due to the loss of blood. Shadows left him in the dark, unseen by the few that passed in the early morning hours.
Eventually the sun lit what was once hidden and unknown. On his way to work, an officer of the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes passed by the alley where the quarter-back lay. As his eyes fell upon the strange form, he turned away, disgusted by what he saw. His quickened footsteps echoed throughout the streets.
A few hours passed. It was now the noon hour, and the cars in traffic were rushing everywhere in an attempt to get to lunch. The quarter-back had come to for a bit, but was overwhelmed by the pain so much that it seemed best to remain still.
It was at this time that the student body president walked along the back roads as a shortcut to get to his favorite restaurant. He couldn’t wait to get that juicy double-burger and fresh French fries in his mouth. In fact, his mouth was already watering at the thought.
Concerned by the figure of the quarter-back, he stopped to see what had happened. His eyes met those of the athlete. Pain and desperateness radiated from the eyes of the fallen man. Noticing that the quarter-back's wallet was missing and that it was a frequent area of gangs, he bounced up and ran away, afraid to be the next victim.
The sun continued on its path and it soon grew dark. Sounds of the night life filled the air; jazz music flowed from the dance club a few blocks down, the horns loudly beeped as individuals raced on a two-lane street. The neon lights began to cast their colors on whatever fell within their reach.
By this time the quarter-back had vomited several times. His labored breathing provoked sharp pains in his chest. His hand grasped his shoulder in an effort to ease the tension of the wound.
A young man with thick glasses walked down the sidewalk this night. Normally his nasal voice and large vocabulary caused those who tried to befriend him to turn away. Dressed in jeans a bit too short and a large shirt that had holes along the seams, he, too, passed along the alley where the quarter-back lay. As he began to comprehend what he saw before him, he flung his thick books about calculus and astronomy aside and knelt beside the football player. Gently he turned the jock over and examined his wounds.
He proceeded to take off his shirt and wrap it around a deep cut in the quarter-back’s arm. Sprinting out to the busy street just a few feet away, he hailed a cab. With some help from the driver, he loaded the player in the car and took him to the emergency room, where he turned the patient’s care over to the professionals.
When he left the hospital to return to his own home, the young man made certain that the doctors would take care of the injured player. He dug a credit card out of his worn, brown wallet and placed it on the counter. “Don’t worry about the cost,” he said. “If his care takes more than that, just let me know, and I’ll come back and pay it.”
(This modern parable was based on the story of the Good Samaritan, which you can read in Luke 10:30-37. May it remind us to put others first...)
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Broken
As I was sitting in the auditorium Sunday night, listening to Scott share about our brokenness... I realized that far too often, I have to ask God to break me. Because I've become numb to my sin.
There are times when I am reminded of Christ and His sacrifice for us, and I've heard the story so many times that its full impact doesn't register in my mind, in my heart. There are times when we sing about the cross and all I can think about is my schedule for the next day. Somewhere, in the midst of school and work and church and family life, my heart has grown callous to the Person I've said has changed my life.
The worst part is... sometimes I sin without even batting an eye. I hate knowing that I am still so much attached to this human nature of mine. It's at times like this that I just have to lay myself bare before the Savior and ask Him to break me...
There's a song entitled "He's Not on His Knees Yet," by CeCe Winans. The chorus goes like this:
He's not ready
He's not on his knees yet
He's too strong to be weak
Show him mercy
He's not on his knees yet
Let him break, please make him better
Put the pieces back together...
That is the prayer of my heart this week... Father, break me. Bring me to my knees in repentence and humility. Rid me of my pride and my selfishness, my so-called independence, and teach me what it means to follow after You with everything that I have.
There are times when I am reminded of Christ and His sacrifice for us, and I've heard the story so many times that its full impact doesn't register in my mind, in my heart. There are times when we sing about the cross and all I can think about is my schedule for the next day. Somewhere, in the midst of school and work and church and family life, my heart has grown callous to the Person I've said has changed my life.
The worst part is... sometimes I sin without even batting an eye. I hate knowing that I am still so much attached to this human nature of mine. It's at times like this that I just have to lay myself bare before the Savior and ask Him to break me...
There's a song entitled "He's Not on His Knees Yet," by CeCe Winans. The chorus goes like this:
He's not ready
He's not on his knees yet
He's too strong to be weak
Show him mercy
He's not on his knees yet
Let him break, please make him better
Put the pieces back together...
That is the prayer of my heart this week... Father, break me. Bring me to my knees in repentence and humility. Rid me of my pride and my selfishness, my so-called independence, and teach me what it means to follow after You with everything that I have.
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