the Super Bowl and Other Things that Cause Stress

Last night was Live Out Loud Student Ministries fourth annual Super Bowl Party. Our youth, college students, Jimmy and me, and a few of our adult leaders all gathered at the Nelson's house to watch the big game or play cards or play wii or just have a good time. It is usually one of the most laid back events we have every year. We gather at the church and bus the kids to the house. The kids bring drinks and any special snacks. We provide the  Game, the Wii, and pizza. Simple enough.

On the outside this year seemed just that simple too. Behind the scenes things were quite a different story. Over the past year our group has been going through some difficult struggles and transitions. Attendance has been up and down and tensions have been high. So as we called Little Caesar's Pizza to order 12 larges we prayed that there would be enough people there to eat them. In fact, the stress was so bad that Jimmy couldn't get a good night's sleep the night before.

I tried to tell him that everything would be fine and that kids would show up. Hey! It's the Super Bowl. There's free pizza! And although we do a devotion instead of watching the half-time show, most teens feel this is a non-threatening environment where they are not going to get preached out. So they would come.

But the whole week leading up to the party, we got phone call after phone call after Facebook message after text message of students who weren't coming--even some of our dependable regulars! It was discouraging and added to the already mounting disappointment.

Finally Super Bowl Sunday gets here and the phone calls start again. Only this time they are students who haven't been in months who wanted to let us know they were coming. It was a total 180. In the end, we ate 10 out of 12 pizzas. We had so much fun routing for our teams. We had about 30 or so students and adults, but most importantly God provided! He blew our minds and made us feel foolish for stressing out in the first place instead of trusting that He would take care of it. Even if it was just a Super Bowl Party. There was no need to stress. God is in control and always has been.

"Look at the nations and watch--be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." Habakkuk 1:5

Tangled Web of Emotions

I don't know about you, but for me today was one of those days when my emotions took me on a whirlwind ride. I was happy. I was sad. I cried and cried and cried some more. It started early in the morning and lasted all day. I was an emotional wreck and there seemed nothing that I could do about it.

I wanted to share with you this little clip of Patsy Clairmont. She is one of the funniest Christian speakers I know and I relate to her. She speaks in a way that I can understand and that touches my heart. In this clip she talks a little about emotions. I wanted to find the full clip but wasn't able to, but if you want to hear more you can always check out her book I Second that Emotion.

Anyway, the most important point she makes is that God created us to have all these different emotions and He accepts us no matter our emotional state. God wraps His arms around me on days like today when I can't stop crying because we had another unsuccessful month of trying to get pregnant and all hope seems lost. He rejoices with me when I am over joyed with a great personally victory and He is there with me at every emotional stop in between. Nothing I can do will surprise Him. There is no emotion I can have that His own Son did not experience (although I know Jesus handled all his without sinning!).

Prayer for today:
Thank you, God, for creating me with the full range of emotions. Thank you for being there with me as I go through these emotions. Please help me to share my joys with others and allow others to build me up when my emotions are not so good. Most of all, God, help me to cast all my cares and emotions on You.  Amen.

A Word from "She Seeks"

Today I wanted to share with you an article which really spoke to me. I am a regular reader of the "She Seeks" blog which is a compilation of many different female writers who take turns writing and vlogging (video blogging) about the things God is teaching them in their lives. The article really struck a chord with me today and I would like to share with you what Ali has to say.

Lonely but Not Alone

a real, raw, and honest inspirational entry

I was at Starbucks the other day, minding my own business, when I was suddenly surrounded by what I could only describe as a big flock of lovebirds. In every direction couples were walking hand in hand, strolling the mall, laughing, smooching, and just… being together. I felt like pulling out a giant megaphone, standing on the table and making a special announcement: “ATTENTION ALL LOVERS: please withhold any physical display of affection or else leave the premises. Thank you.”

I pretended to be disgusted, but the feeling registering deep inside was that of loneliness. I wondered if that would ever be me — with someone else. I have been waiting ever so patiently on God’s timing, and most of the time I honestly feel fine. I am enjoying the special blessings that come along with the ‘season of singleness.’ But then there are those moments when it feels like things are moving along at a snail’s pace. You know, those times when you just want to march straight up to heaven and shout at the top of your lungs, “Hurry up already!”

So what are we supposed to do when our desires – and emotions that come with them – bubble up to the surface of our souls like the foam of a root beer float? Pretend like they are not there? Shove them under the rug and ignore them? Put on a smile and feign happiness?

Then as in now, I am reminded of Jesus, and how he dealt with periods of waiting. His journey on earth wasn’t a bed of roses, but of reality – living in a fallen world ridden with pain and darkness. Rather than having an artificial response to these earthly experiences, Jesus was real, raw and utterly honest about the deep well of emotion He felt. He wept. He cried. He expressed anguish and anger.

If Jesus, the Son of God, experienced such valleys of intense emotion while He waited for God’s purposes to unfold in their proper time, how much more us? Through His example, it is clear, not only that we will face moments of “long-suffering,” but also that God does not expect us to suppress our emotions. He wants us to express them-to Him.

I love the words from the Psalmist who wrote, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8). Part of showing our trust in God is pouring out our hearts to Him. This is something very practical we can put into practice each day. All it requires is that we be real with God, approaching Him with a raw honesty like Jesus did. Feeling down in the dumps? Tell Him why. Is your heart troubled? Share it with Him. Tired, weary, lost or alone? Invite Him into those deep crevices of your soul and allow Him be your strength, comforter, healer and friend. He is just waiting to put His arm around us in those tougher moments and say, “My child, I am here with you. It’s going to be alright.” He desires nothing more than to be a part of our world – but it’s up to us to let Him in.

I left Starbucks that day with a feeling other than loneliness in my heart. No matter how low or lonely I felt, I could rest in the fact that I was never truly alone. And dear sister, so can you.


Resources…
The Bible
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” (Hebrews 5:7)

“…but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

“The spiritual life does not remove us from the world but leads us deeper into it.” — Henri J.M Nouwen

In Need of a Faith Booster

It's that time again! Summer has ended. School has started. Flu season is coming soon, and my faith has run dry.

I don't know about you, but things have been though for me lately. Life has run me through the ringer and sadly I have come out worse for the wear. During the summer things seemed to be going so great! We did vacation Bible school at our church and we had a great turnout. We then took our youth on their hardest mission trip yet and I was do proud to see how they served God in the inner city and how they let God speak to them. Then we started getting ready for school and everything went crazy! I hit a spiritual dry patch. Students stopped coming to church. People I thought were my friends turned around and betrayed me. Jimmy and I found out that even after another abnormally long cycle, we were STILL not pregnant! What else could go wrong?!

All this stuff left me more than a little wanting in my walk with God. Then as I was running around doing errands this week, I saw that Walgreens is already advertising their flu shots. It made me stop and think... "Boy, I wish I could just go in and get a spiritual and emotional booster shot!" Why isn't there a quick and easy fix for the way I am feeling?

The honest answer is...THERE IS! The problem is believing that it is the answer.

Rejoicing in the Lord and believing in His plan for my life are just the booster shots I need. However, rejoicing in the Lord when you don't feel like there is anything to rejoice about is a lot easier said than done. Also, it's easier to believe that God doesn't have a plan or doesn't care than to believe that He planned for me to go through these things and feel this way. But He does and He promises that He will work all these things for the good of those who glorify Him.

Well...I haven't been able to truly take these Spiritual and Emotional boosters yet, but I am working on it. I hope this will help you to take heart if you too are feeling more than a little spiritually dry and emotionally drained. There's hope! You're not dead yet!

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4