The Body Project with Sydney Maccubbin

Photography by: Katie Sayer — http://ksayerphotos.tumblr.com/

Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different.

One of the songs I have come to love is by Laura Story.  It is called “Blessings.” You can view the video below, but I also love the story behind it (see the second video).

As we finish our second year in Florida, I am amazed when I think that it has only been two years. I look at the amount of change that has happened in our lives, especially in the girls lives, and it seems like we have been here for at least 10 years. Even our youngest, who was extremely upset about leaving Texas (the only home she really knew), now talks about how God brought us to Florida and the work He has done here in her life. I love to see how connected the girls are with their church and friends here in Florida.

More and more I have seen God’s hand in my life as well. It has been exciting to work with the teenagers and young adults at church. God uses their energy and excitement for “all things possible” to remind me that no matter how old I get or what my life experiences have been, God is in control of all things. He has an amazing plan for my life if I will get out of the way and let Him do the work.

One lesson keeps coming back to me over and over again these last few years: The most important intimate relationship I can have in my life must be with God. It is more important than a boyfriend or girlfriend, than a spouse or children or any other friendship. If my intimate relationship with God is right, then it will serve as the solid foundation for every other relationship that I have.

As I watch my girls grow up and as I grow up myself, I am learning the importance of imbedding this principal in our lives early and often. It is not something that society will teach us or often even our churches. We live in a culture where our relationships with others defines our self-image. We spend time and energy seeking the love of others that ultimately will never fulfill us.

I have so enjoyed the notes I have received from my friends over the years that remind me of how God has used me in a particular place and time.  Those experiences come and go as do the people in my life.  I love how He has used both friends and experiences to grow and shape me into the person I am today, but ultimately the only relationship I will have forever is with Him.

The context is Agape Love and 1 Corinthians 13. I’ve heard this scripture read so many times in my life, and it has challenged me in my human relationships (phileos and eros and storge) but it never struck me to read this in the context of Agape Love. Beth challenges us to read it aloud replacing the word “love” with “agape,” and in doing so I was particularly challenged by verse 7.

Agape always protects…always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

The greek word for protects is stego and translated it means: “to cover in silence.”

When it comes to my friendships, I can honestly say that what is shared with me stays with me. I have had friends share the deepest corners of their hearts with me. They have shared their weaknesses and transgressions, and my strongest internal values tell me never to speak of those words that were trusted to me other than in a personal prayer between me and God.

But when it comes to my family, especially my girls, it is way to easy for me share my concerns with others. Maybe it is a frustration with grades or organization issues or just general disagreements. If someone asks, I am way to willing to share my frustrations about our family weaknesses. When it comes to my family, I need to do a lot more “covering in silence.”

We all mess up in life, but one of the most painful experiences in life can be knowing that your weaknesses and transgressions are the subject of the discussion of others.

I also love how this verse ends…Agape always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. Those last three characteristics are so much easier when you know that love is protected. That our deepest secrets, daily struggles and our past transgressions are “covered in silence” by those who care for us most.

And in our band classes about 60-70% of the students were middle school boys.

As the boys entered the band hall they were very excited to be together.  They fist pumped each other, they threw things at one another, they chased each other around the room, often running on top of the chairs in their desire to hit or attack one another.  They were doing exactly what their “boy instincts” told them to do with little to no self-control.  Despite our list of band hall rules and daily reminders about them, the boy’s craziness always reeked havoc on the band hall.  At the end of the day, as they looked back on the aftermath of the chaos, they were always apologetic as they ran off to their next class, and I always spent a good amount of time each day cleaning up after their poor choices.

In reflecting back on my last month of teaching, I saw a lot of myself in those middle school boys.  So much of my day is spent satisfying my instincts and desires over and above the plan God has for my life.  How easy it is to let my “flesh” guide my actions when I need to walk by the spirit (Gal. 5:16-18).  I can only imagine how much time God must spend cleaning up after my life… in my relationships with others and in my desire to do selfish things with the resources He has given me.

I’m excited for the summer! It will be good to be back home with my girls again.

Some quotes and highlights:

Sticky Faith, by Kara Powell, The Fuller Youth Institute

We have a generation that wears their faith like a piece of clothing. When we are with church friends we wear our “Jesus Jacket” and we are with the world it is easily tossed aside. Our faith needs to be more than surface clothing. It needs to go deep into our heart and penetrate our lives otherwise our faith will be easily tossed aside during time of trials or frustration.

The Land In-Between, by Jeff Manion, Ada Bible Church

While God maybe interested in rescuing you in the desert, he may not be interested in rescuing you from the desert.

The land in-between is fertile ground for spiritual transformation but it also the place where faith goes to die.

Jeff talks about the land between Egypt and the Promise Land, the wandering years in the desert. He talked about the Israelites complaining and doubting God’s provision and wondering how (or if) their life would ever be good again.  He compared this to our times of trial and struggles and our lives.  We have a choice, God can use that time to bring us closer to him and deepen our relationship with Him, or if we let our complaints and discouragement overtake us, such an experience cause us to turn away from Him.

How do we instill a faith in our kids (and in ourselves) that doesn’t die in the desert (in times of trials)? How do times of trials become opportunities for spiritual transformation?

Jud Wilhite, Pastor, Central Christian Church, Las Vegas, NV

Ministry is messy because sin is messy. As a church we have to be willing to get messy.

Often as Christians we all have in our minds those that we never believe should never enter the doors of our church, most likely those people are social outcasts – the homeless, those with dirt or disease or some other sin that we have mentally classified as unsafe to be around or to have our children around.  Probably the kind of people who Jesus sought out while He was here on this earth.

There is a richness in our faith that develops when we are willing to get uncomfortable. But as humans we tend to draw toward what makes us comfortable. We don’t want to deal with pain or rejection or people or situations that make us uncomfortable. We are afraid to stretch ourselves, and yet that is often what we have to do in order for spiritual transformation to happen. Faith that is deeper than surface faith, a faith that goes deep into our heart and our lives happens when we live in the land in-between and fight for spiritual transformation rather than allow our faith to die.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the day Jesus lay in the tomb. His followers were in hiding, their faith shaken to the core. His enemies were rejoicing, convinced they had defeated a most troublesome foe. And from God, silence. On one level, we might assume that God was waiting until Sunday to raise Jesus from the dead in order to prove that He really was dead. That extra day solidified the argument. Or, perhaps it was the issue of the calendar. … Read More

via Yesterday Lucas