Christmas Break Goal Day 3- Facing the Giants

Today I watched Facing the Giants, and by the end I had joyful tears in my eyes,

I have seen this movie several times, but by allowing myself to really take in what it meant for both Grant, his wife, and the school body that he was a part of come from years of defeat (as a whole as well as personally) to the times of triumph and victory, I was blessed with a visual of God’s faithfulness to His children.

What stuck out to me the most was the scene where a man came to the coach and read Revelation 3:8 to him: “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.” He then proceeded to tell Grant that God would come through for those who prepared for God’s provision. In other words, it is one thing to ask God for the needed finances, food, or any kind of provision, and an altogether another thing to live as if one believes God will come through. To not speak negatively about what we are trusting Him for, to wait with expectation and hope. I can’t tell you how many times God had God has given me Scriptures about hope and waiting on Him with patience. SOmetimes this requires us to be still and know that He is God, faithful and trustworthy. But I am learning that most of the time it means to live this out. It does not always feel good, it may make us look and sound dumb, but from what God’s Word tells us, and from what I am learning, it is well worth the humiliation and heartache to persevere with a joyful, thankful heart.

I have a few Scriptures I would like to share with you, but I do not want to overwhelm you with words that may not mean anything right now. So instead, I will leave you with the some practical advice that the Holy Spirit has been constantly reminding me of lately: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7 :)

He is beyond faithful!

Christmas Break Goal Day 1- Veggietales, The Little House That Stood

This is a Veggietales week; I decided that after a few days of pushing to get everything done early (i.e. three take home exams), and with a few more school-related details to finish up, I needed to start off easy.

This is one of my favorite Veggietales to-date because of the humor and, obviously, the message. The Little House That Stood  has two fairy tale-twists to the parables of the Wise and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24-27) and the Good Samaritan (Matthew 5:25-37). My favorite part is normally the first one, but because I was watching with my brothers (one of which was doing the dishes while the other was on his cellphone… like me) it was hard to pay close attention to what was going on. Surprisingly, what caught my attention this time around was the Humpty-Dumpty’s attitude in “The Good Egg of Gooseville”. He was so determined to fix his cracking shell and go on a vacation that he overlooked the needs of others, even to the extent of pushing away the little bear who wanted to help him help others. Children have such an innocent and simple outlook on life, and I wonder how many times I decide life is too complicated, hard, and rough that I don’t need to do what I know is right, no matter that cost I will pay.

Honestly, I see myself as a very selfless person— just recently I  was telling a friend how I wanted to have someone care for me the way I do for others. I know this is a normal desire, and I do not believe it is sinful. Even so, I am also aware that I will not get very far if I walk around with the mindset of, “Why don’t you serve me for a change!” Would it be nice to have someone plan their time around me, go out fo their way to be there for me when I need them, and take the time to listen to my list of complaints like Humpty did in the fairytale parable? Of course. But is life really about what people can do for me, or even what I can do for them? No. It is about honoring and loving God, others, and ourselves. Quite often this will neither look nor feel the way we want it to, but that’s alright because at the end of the day it is always worth it. I am learning (ever learning) to balance giving my time to others, to God, and to myself. I am not sure I will ever get it fully right while I’m here, but just like Humpty learned the beauty of caring for others and accepting the care of others to be a worthwhile adventure, I’m not doubtful that I will find the same to be true for me. And I hope that you come to find the same to be true for yourself.