Have you ever looked up?

From my title you may be wondering what the heck is this about? It's a simple question, have you ever looked up? the answer is not so simple. Because sure you have looked up plenty of times in life. You hear a plane you look up, playing baseball you look up to catch it, look at the stars or watch a sunset. But what have i mean is have you ever looked up at actually looked, looked at the details of the workmanship of God?

This past weekend us convergers were back in West Virginia closing down Camp Sandy Cove. The last time i was there i enjoyed myself greatly but didn't take the time to take in what was around me. Didn't pause and just look and listen.

When people say, look at creation to see God, and the thought comes to my mind, oh stop being a cliche Christian, sometimes things are cliche for a reason. I was in awe of how beautiful and detailed each and ever cloud and tree was as i just look around and had a moment of worship. I kept praying God reveal yourself. And i found Him in the cool air that cooled as we worked, the trees giving shade in the heat, the clouds passing overhead, the sun staying out keeping the rain away, the soft grass, the flowers, ever little thing made with design. How vast the sky is my mind could not comprehend only the creator could have.

As we drove down the road surrounded by trees i thought how many times in life do we forget to look up? Look up from our daily lives to see what God has done and is doing. We get so distracted that we forget to take time to look. God is always present we just need to stop and look.

How do we feel accepted by God?

Have you ever wondered how you know you're loved by God? Or wondered how he shows it? Wondered what we do to find His love. This is something I am wondering as we read the God cookie tonight and this subject made me stop and think.

A character in the story was motivated by God working in his life, he was motivated by doing, action. Another said the last time she believed in God when her father for no reason said he loved her, she found love in affirmation. This not far from the truth for many Christians in our walk with God, we all find affirmation in different ways. How many of us yearn for someone to notice what we do within the church by its members. But is this a good thing or should we check our motives? Are we to do works so that the Father takes notice, hoping that by praying for someone we are blessed in return. Motives can be a trap that we unknowingly fall to.

I can be caught up in being selfish because of the want of gain or recognition. Christ did not come to serve but to serve. Serving does not ask or entail being told thank you but is understood as a gift. God does not look how to accept but has already done so on the cross. We are loved from the creator from the start no need to find acceptance from someone who accepts us with our sin. So why struggle to find out how we are loved when from the start we already are. Why not try the best we can by living out what we were created for, worship and to try and live out our faith as faithful servants. Not expecting but watching God work.

ABS

After reading through some info on the American Bible Society and seeing some of the presidents thoughts i can see why they have had some victory. When working with people we can tend to forget that those working are people too and need to be invested into as well. He has a organization that won best work place(christian non-profit) in 2011 for his investment in the people. They saw that there needs to be a depth and a life choice, that faith is not just something we hold but something we do and are. And that by serving eachother and being broken to oneanother there is growth. This is something i can keep in mind this year as we keep heading forward to making oursleves more christlike.

Being a Servant

The idea of serving someone else before seeking to fulfill ones owns needs is an odd concept for most of us. The concept of serving is not a practice shown greatly by much of the American society. Many are looking for their own gain and profit. A get rich fast mentality.

But ive been learning the opposite and seeing what service is and how its a choice that can be made into a lifestyle. Christ said that he did not come for the healthy or the rich, but the lowly and the poor. He came to serve not to be served. How often is that my mind set. How often do i think the effect of opening a door for some one, because even the litttlest of things can be consider serving.

For the first time at the beginning of this past summer i asked God to allow me to be a servant instead of serving myself. And God allowed me to experience it this summer, at times i was thinking ok God I think ive served now, but that's the times when it becomes a choice to lay down my wants and needs for another. I am still learning and serving i am trying to make it a lifestyle and a way I interact. By working in the Different departments here at Sandy Cove I am getting many opportunity's. And getting know some of the people here Like Jon and Vonnie Stemen they opened their home to us convergers and served us and are going through a book and teaching us more about servant hood, so it looks like God heard my prayer.

History

There is something about knowing your past that as a society we put weight on. Knowing where you come from to show you who you may be, create a legacy or change one. Knowing your place in some cultures and taking up after the ones before you. History can be so vague and so specific. Webster Dictonary defines history as such: "A systematic, written account of events, particularly of those affecting a nation, institution, science, or art, and usually connected with a philosophical explanation of their causes; a true story, as distinguished from a romance; -- distinguished also from annals, which relate simply the facts and events of each year, in strict chronological order; from biography, which is the record of an individual's life; and from memoir, which is history composed from personal experience, observation, and memory."

When we think of our history is there some philosophical meaning to the things we do, or some great stories. I think as a nation the American population loves its movies and heroes because of the lack depth within our own lives. Most would rather live in a fantasy world then face reality. But this counterproductive, this is life and history doesn't make itself.

History is a line of events the centers on His story meaning Christ. The birth, life, and death of Jesus Christ is the center and focal point of history. The bible gives a great History into faith, and is used as a guide. All this is blabbering, all to say is that history is important, and through it we can see how His- story has affected it and us.

We learned how Christ's effect was felt here by learning the history of Sandy cove today. It was interesting to see how God used and showed favor on Dr. George Palmer. The founding of this ministry is nothing short of a God workmanship. His son sailing along the river sees the land and tells his father and Dr. Palmer seeing Gods direction asks for it and receives. People donated the money to pay for 200 acres of land.

With this he found a place were people can come get away and connect with God and each other through creation, His word, and community. This being the mission of Sandy Cove it was met and has been a place where it happens ever year. God chose Dr. Palmer for a reason and I believe part of it was because he was so willing to serve which is not something done easily. But he did it with a grateful heart and was used by the creator to create a place of respite for the weary, a place of redemption for the broken and opportunity for those wanting to impact for Christ.

I saw this first hand working at Sandy cove this summer working in Crosswalk a program for Jr high and sr high kids. As a mother of a child broke down in tears because her son found rest and said it had been a long time and was blessed. There were countless stories of God working and it had nothing to do with what we did but everything to do with what we did. We said here we are God use us as Dr. Palmer did. He created a History to be followed a way to create an experience for people to find rest. The song he would have played, "Jesus Never Fails," rang true then and still today becasue he was faithful to the task put before him.

Now its our turn as young people of God what story will we, will I leave behind. Converge is a time for me to work out my faith, to grow in my faith. A time for me to continue my story that hopefully reflects Christ. I'm on a different path then I was a few months ago but I'm excited to see how God will use my Story.