It's about time that I let you all know what's going on in Ocean City...!
I mentioned that Bob Fuhs gave a message on Sunday about movements and how to make an impact. He really encouraged us to be realistic about evangelizing and be true and genuine about investing into others. It really got me excited for this coming year with leading a Bible study. I am so excited to pour into those individuals and really utilize what I've learned here and bring it back to Chico.
"More affective leadership, more individuals reached."
Throughout project we have been going through a devotional called "Thirsty". I had been slacking, so I decided to start studying through it this past week. The theme of one of the devotionals was "Atmosphere" and it talked about being spiritually aware, realizing the Lord is constantly a part of your life. He is not only present during weekly meetings, church, or when you're evangelizing, but he is there while you walk to work, at the beach, even when you're going to the bathroom! That night Bob spoke about Spiritual Senses...it seemed to intertwine perfectly with what I had read in the devotional. Like I've mentioned multiple times, I have been learning so much about the Spirit and the beauty of embracing that, that is what dwells within me. As a believer, we should commit to living according to the Spirit. Bob talked about how God does lead us, BUT he still demands us to make decisions. By using the spiritual senses though, you can get a better idea of what God's will is for your life. Taste (know God is good), smell (pray), touch/feeling (following the straight path he has set for us), hearing (seek wisdom), sight (witnessing God is good), and faith (make decisions by trusting the Lord and seeing the results later) are the spiritual senses. I feel like these "senses" are so practical and can truly be utilized throughout the day.
It's funny, as I'm writing this blog, I'm coming to realize how everything that was brought to my attention this week really seemed to be somehow related to each other so perfectly. The next day I had a date night with Jesus and started reading a book my discipler gave me .called The Pursuit of Holiness. Although we will never be able to obtain true holiness while here on earth, that does not mean that we do not strive to be Christ-like.
"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." Romans 6:14
I feel like with becoming more spiritually aware, embracing those spiritual senses, and really striving to be holy like our Lord are so interconnected. It was really a week of seeing the importance of mirroring who Jesus is. I wrote in my journal:
"To grasp what holiness is, I must be in the Word constantly. In order to be Christ-like, I have to know what Christ was like. The Bible clearly depicts God's character. It is a useful tool in getting to know the Lord better."
Ahh, I feel so encouraged just reading that again.
On Thursday night we had an Agape feast. This was our last night with staff before they took off, so it was such a sweet time to spend together and prepare for what is to come. Once again, Bob did our message and it was so great! It was all about what three "road signs" we should be aware of these remaining four weeks. Number one: NO U-TURN - Bob reminded us not to check out before we've left Ocean City. He told us to keep in mind we are here for another few weeks and we still have so much ahead of us. God called each of us here, this is where he wants us. Number two: CARPOOL LANE - community. Simple as that. Bob encouraged us to continue making new relationships with people. People will continue to help us grow in our relationship with the Lord. There are 100 other people (not including myself) on this project and I have a select few I have truly gotten to know on a deep personal level. My hope is that I will create amazing, long-lasting relationships with so many other people during my time left on project. This community has supported me so much this summer and I would be over-joyed if they continued their support past our time in Ocean City. Number three: GREEN MEANS GO! - Lastly, Bob told us to continue to pursue those who don't know Christ. It is key to allow the Lord to stretch us in this area. It is hard not to get burnt out of evangelizing, but this is what God has willed us to do for a lifetime. The first two "road signs" mainly pertain to project, whereas the last "road sign" pertains to even our life post project.
I definitely have had struggles with the first "road sign". I miss my family, friends, and Chico. I am so excited to go back and share all about project that sometimes I forget that I still have a few more weeks here. I have been very consistent in telling myself that right now I'm in Ocean City, this is where my head and heart should be. Yes, it is okay to miss home, but do not allow that to be my focus. I have a mission here and I still have four more weeks to complete it. I cannot check out early. So with that, please be praying that I pay attention to the "No U-turn road sign" and keep my eyes set on where I'm at. As a conclusion to the Agape feast, one of the staff families was given a surprise from project. During their last week here their car completely died. With them leaving on Friday, they were unsure of how to they were going to get home before going to Colorado for the staff conference. Once all of us from project found out, we were able to put together around $1,800 (plus more from staff) for them to get a rental car. I cannot tell you the number of willing hearts who gave at the snap of a finger. It was such an amazing thing to witness and participate in.
After having such a great week, I knew I was really for an amazing weekend. On Friday, my "siblings" and I got together with our adoptive family and had dinner and roasted smores. It was so lovely spending time with them and getting to know them. Plus, they let us do laundry! Yeah!! On Saturday they are taking us to Philly to show us around and spend the day together...we might even try out some Philly cheese steaks. :)
Sunday was slightly different than it's been in the past because we had new Sunday school teachers! Brandon Brooks and Michelle Steinman are the new directors for the material we will learn during our Sunday school sessions. They talked about different forms of evangelizing, which was so awesome. I discovered that my style is testimonial and interpersonal (that was no surprise to me). I really enjoyed learning about the other styles: direct, intellectual, invitational, and serving. Each are incredibly effective and I really struggled with noticing that. I often compare myself to those who are more direct and fear that because I'm not as bold that I am not doing a good job of sharing the gospel, but that is so incorrect! I think it's great to have different styles, because we can balance each other out when sharing and relate to a larger group of individuals. After church, I had the opportunity to visit my cousin at the Air Force base he is stationed at in New Jersey. It was so fun catching up with him, especially since I haven't seen him since December. My best friend, Katelyn and I took a trip up north and got a tour of McGuire Air Force Base and had a barbecue with my cousin and some of his friends. It was wonderful getting off the island for a day and getting a taste of the real world again. We feel as if we have been in a little Christian bubble for so long that we almost forgot what it's like to not be in that environment all the time. It was a little taste of what to prepare for when we return back home.
Tonight is our first weekly meeting being led by one of our student directors. This week's theme is "Uncontainable". It is going to be similar to our "Killing the Giants" week, but we are really going to focus on our workplace and working towards those spiritual conversations most of us have been avoiding for the last seven weeks! I think I'm beginning to catch the bug that everyone on project seemed to already have, so I'm really hoping I can get rid of it quickly and be energized to take this week on with full force.
Thank you all for being patient with my sporadic blog posting, I can never tell when I'm going to have time to write an update, so thank you for your commitment to reading it anyway. I'm excited to continue sharing this adventure with you all, especially now that it's student led. Please continue to stay tuned...!
I am so proud of him.
I mentioned that Bob Fuhs gave a message on Sunday about movements and how to make an impact. He really encouraged us to be realistic about evangelizing and be true and genuine about investing into others. It really got me excited for this coming year with leading a Bible study. I am so excited to pour into those individuals and really utilize what I've learned here and bring it back to Chico.
"More affective leadership, more individuals reached."
Throughout project we have been going through a devotional called "Thirsty". I had been slacking, so I decided to start studying through it this past week. The theme of one of the devotionals was "Atmosphere" and it talked about being spiritually aware, realizing the Lord is constantly a part of your life. He is not only present during weekly meetings, church, or when you're evangelizing, but he is there while you walk to work, at the beach, even when you're going to the bathroom! That night Bob spoke about Spiritual Senses...it seemed to intertwine perfectly with what I had read in the devotional. Like I've mentioned multiple times, I have been learning so much about the Spirit and the beauty of embracing that, that is what dwells within me. As a believer, we should commit to living according to the Spirit. Bob talked about how God does lead us, BUT he still demands us to make decisions. By using the spiritual senses though, you can get a better idea of what God's will is for your life. Taste (know God is good), smell (pray), touch/feeling (following the straight path he has set for us), hearing (seek wisdom), sight (witnessing God is good), and faith (make decisions by trusting the Lord and seeing the results later) are the spiritual senses. I feel like these "senses" are so practical and can truly be utilized throughout the day.
It's funny, as I'm writing this blog, I'm coming to realize how everything that was brought to my attention this week really seemed to be somehow related to each other so perfectly. The next day I had a date night with Jesus and started reading a book my discipler gave me .called The Pursuit of Holiness. Although we will never be able to obtain true holiness while here on earth, that does not mean that we do not strive to be Christ-like.
"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." Romans 6:14
I feel like with becoming more spiritually aware, embracing those spiritual senses, and really striving to be holy like our Lord are so interconnected. It was really a week of seeing the importance of mirroring who Jesus is. I wrote in my journal:
"To grasp what holiness is, I must be in the Word constantly. In order to be Christ-like, I have to know what Christ was like. The Bible clearly depicts God's character. It is a useful tool in getting to know the Lord better."
Ahh, I feel so encouraged just reading that again.
On Thursday night we had an Agape feast. This was our last night with staff before they took off, so it was such a sweet time to spend together and prepare for what is to come. Once again, Bob did our message and it was so great! It was all about what three "road signs" we should be aware of these remaining four weeks. Number one: NO U-TURN - Bob reminded us not to check out before we've left Ocean City. He told us to keep in mind we are here for another few weeks and we still have so much ahead of us. God called each of us here, this is where he wants us. Number two: CARPOOL LANE - community. Simple as that. Bob encouraged us to continue making new relationships with people. People will continue to help us grow in our relationship with the Lord. There are 100 other people (not including myself) on this project and I have a select few I have truly gotten to know on a deep personal level. My hope is that I will create amazing, long-lasting relationships with so many other people during my time left on project. This community has supported me so much this summer and I would be over-joyed if they continued their support past our time in Ocean City. Number three: GREEN MEANS GO! - Lastly, Bob told us to continue to pursue those who don't know Christ. It is key to allow the Lord to stretch us in this area. It is hard not to get burnt out of evangelizing, but this is what God has willed us to do for a lifetime. The first two "road signs" mainly pertain to project, whereas the last "road sign" pertains to even our life post project.
I definitely have had struggles with the first "road sign". I miss my family, friends, and Chico. I am so excited to go back and share all about project that sometimes I forget that I still have a few more weeks here. I have been very consistent in telling myself that right now I'm in Ocean City, this is where my head and heart should be. Yes, it is okay to miss home, but do not allow that to be my focus. I have a mission here and I still have four more weeks to complete it. I cannot check out early. So with that, please be praying that I pay attention to the "No U-turn road sign" and keep my eyes set on where I'm at. As a conclusion to the Agape feast, one of the staff families was given a surprise from project. During their last week here their car completely died. With them leaving on Friday, they were unsure of how to they were going to get home before going to Colorado for the staff conference. Once all of us from project found out, we were able to put together around $1,800 (plus more from staff) for them to get a rental car. I cannot tell you the number of willing hearts who gave at the snap of a finger. It was such an amazing thing to witness and participate in.
After having such a great week, I knew I was really for an amazing weekend. On Friday, my "siblings" and I got together with our adoptive family and had dinner and roasted smores. It was so lovely spending time with them and getting to know them. Plus, they let us do laundry! Yeah!! On Saturday they are taking us to Philly to show us around and spend the day together...we might even try out some Philly cheese steaks. :)
Sunday was slightly different than it's been in the past because we had new Sunday school teachers! Brandon Brooks and Michelle Steinman are the new directors for the material we will learn during our Sunday school sessions. They talked about different forms of evangelizing, which was so awesome. I discovered that my style is testimonial and interpersonal (that was no surprise to me). I really enjoyed learning about the other styles: direct, intellectual, invitational, and serving. Each are incredibly effective and I really struggled with noticing that. I often compare myself to those who are more direct and fear that because I'm not as bold that I am not doing a good job of sharing the gospel, but that is so incorrect! I think it's great to have different styles, because we can balance each other out when sharing and relate to a larger group of individuals. After church, I had the opportunity to visit my cousin at the Air Force base he is stationed at in New Jersey. It was so fun catching up with him, especially since I haven't seen him since December. My best friend, Katelyn and I took a trip up north and got a tour of McGuire Air Force Base and had a barbecue with my cousin and some of his friends. It was wonderful getting off the island for a day and getting a taste of the real world again. We feel as if we have been in a little Christian bubble for so long that we almost forgot what it's like to not be in that environment all the time. It was a little taste of what to prepare for when we return back home.
Tonight is our first weekly meeting being led by one of our student directors. This week's theme is "Uncontainable". It is going to be similar to our "Killing the Giants" week, but we are really going to focus on our workplace and working towards those spiritual conversations most of us have been avoiding for the last seven weeks! I think I'm beginning to catch the bug that everyone on project seemed to already have, so I'm really hoping I can get rid of it quickly and be energized to take this week on with full force.
Thank you all for being patient with my sporadic blog posting, I can never tell when I'm going to have time to write an update, so thank you for your commitment to reading it anyway. I'm excited to continue sharing this adventure with you all, especially now that it's student led. Please continue to stay tuned...!
My lovely friend sent me a letter with a verse written on the back of the envelope...apparently a mail carrier agreed with it. So awesome!
Enjoy! :)
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