Chance or not to chance...

School has been back in session for a few weeks now...and as I've said before, things have changed, but you're probably falling into your normal routine by now. You know who you sit by at lunch, who you walk with between classes, etc. etc.

When I stopped in for lunch on Wednesday, I saw something pretty cool. The first thing I saw was one of the SJV kids and when I asked her what she was up to, she said: Oh, we're inviting (insert whatever the name was here) to sit at our table with us.

Now that was cool.

I've been reading a book my Mark Hart called: Blessed Are the Bored In Spirit. Towards the end of the book - he begins to discuss what it takes to live our our Christian faith. He says that we need to have courage to stand up for our faith and to take actions that may make us appear foolish. As I believe I have stated before on this blog - and as Mark says in the book regarding Peter stepping out of the boat and onto water: "Those three steps that Peter took were three more than the rest of the clan."

Sure, Peter may have appeared foolish - especially when everyone there and everyone who has subsequently read the Bible got to hear about how he began to fear and then to sink - but he was the only one to even try. It's easy to judge him and laugh - I could see his buddies after he got back in the boat say: "Ha! How could you lose faith and begin to sink? Jesus was right there - you were fine! Don't you trust him?"

...but did any of them even try to step out of the boat? No.

I love something else that Mark says in the book along with this: "It's easy to cast judgment on priests or politicians or celebrities and dismiss them as sinners or people who don't live up to their calling. Meanwhile we, the unnamed masses, "bravely" hide from the moral dilemmas and truths in our own homes, schools and jobs. When have you been courageous in your faith this year? In what ways have you personally answered the call to act from your heart?"

And it's so true - isn't it? Don't we just hide behind our anonymity? Aren't you kind of 'happy' when you leave town and know that no one will know you - therefore you don't need to worry about if they're judging your actions or words? Why do you think that it's sometimes so easy to live out our faith and profess it while we're on Mission Trips or retreats that are out of town...but then lose our words or convictions once we return home?

It's easy to risk things when we know we will move back into oblivion...it's more difficult to risk things when we know our actions will have a lasting memory in our friends minds and judgments.

So I ask you...what have you done this year that has had you step out onto the water and put all your trust in Jesus? Even if the masses will see your fear mixed with your conviction?

Here is a passage from 2 Timothy 1:8-12 that involves Paul (being a prisoner at the time) being willing to take any pain or suffering from this world since he looks for his deliverance in God. I doubt any of you will go to prison and suffer through a trial for your beliefs...but sometimes going through any "persecution" by your friends can feel like it...:

"So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."

"My Face Hurts"

Hello everyone!

How did the first week of school go? Amazing? Not so amazing? Big changes? Not such big changes?

I'm hoping all of you are getting your school year off to a good start…and if it's not off to a good start…I want to challenge all of you to push yourselves to take some healthy risks to make this school year awesome. Make a new friend that has your same interests…even if they aren't going to help your "popularity" (I can promise you that being popular and unhappy is no way to live…at least be unpopular and happy, ok?)…or join an extracurricular - even if it's one that will surprise everyone!...or come get involved in more stuff at church - I try to make it so that you guys never have a dull moment - you just need to accept my offers!

I ran across a quote today in an old email from one of my friends - she had just taken some new family pictures…and she said: "My face always hurts after taking those type of pictures. Maybe I should practice smiling more."

I'm going to be honest, I broke into laughter after I read what she wrote. Practice smiling more? Who does that? Who consciously even thinks about how much they're smiling? I think we all might be aware when we don't smile…because that first genuine smile after a long time of not smiling is like a breath of fresh air. And I want you ALL to be smiling enough this year so that I don't hear you saying that your face hurts from having to smile…or maybe I should hope that your face DOES hurt from smiling so much because your muscles are just getting used to the constant smiling?

Either way - let's get some strong face smile muscles this year!

Here's a great Bible verse that is on our Fall Fest posters - it's from the book of Ezra (10:4) - "Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it."

Go for it!

As a new school year begins...

As a new school year begins…things will change. We've gone through a "long" three months where personalities have changed, friendships have changed, experiences have changed…things have changed…for some - it's for the better…for others - it's for the worse. The first day jitters will be upon you in 1 week…and you'll reconnect with friends you've missed this summer…and your friendships may start up again like the last 3 months didn't happen…or they might only have that initial "so excited to see you!" and then trail off into being acquaintances…

High school is tough. It's fun, but it's tough…people change a lot in high school…and it's a constant struggle. I know that my "best" friend changed practically every year in high school…and it wasn't due to anything in particular, it just happened. Things changed, we changed, and different people brought out our better qualities rather than each other.

As you go forward into this new school year…don't be frustrated by the changes if they will make you a better person...instead - embrace what will make you into the person you want to be for the better. I've seen too many people fall into traps of things that they think will make them feel better…but then these things only cause their life to spiral around in a circle without any true direction. If your goal of the week is to get to the end of the week and use a substance that will make you forget about your whole week…how is that a life? All you're doing is living to forget…living to "bond" with people who only want to forget about you and forget about what you've both done.

I'm telling you all that there's a better way - and that we have a clear goal and direction as Christians…we're not called to spin in circles or to forget this life…this life is a brief gift with many amazing things to see and do while we are here.

So don't waste your time this year trying to "survive" or to forget about your life…some high school situations will be hard - but I am here for all of you…and I will listen and be your support…and I will have tons of things for you to be involved in that will help you to become the person that you want to be…so if you're spinning in circles - stop! There is a better direction.

I found a quote recently by Albert Schweitzer that states: "The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives." Don't let anything inside of you die - you are meant to LIVE!

1 Corinthians 1:6-10 says:

"You became imitators...of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers...your faith in God has become known everywhere...They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath."