Sunday, December 21, 2014
A Christmas Ornament
It's hard to believe today was my last time working in Discovery Land.
Almost thirteen years spent learning, teaching, and growing all coming to an end.
I never told the class I teach I was leaving, which made it all the more hard to tell them I wasn't coming back.
With Christmas just four days away, this Sunday was spent celebrating the birth of our Savior. We traveled to three different stations each focusing on the true meaning of Christmas.
One of the stations was to make a wordless book ornament. Pipe cleaners, pony beads and a tag with the references which correlate to the meaning of the wordless book.
Once back in the classroom, we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and enjoy birthday cake. While the kids ate their cake we talked through each of the stations we had visited today. While talking about the wordless book, I had each of the kids close their eyes and think of someone they know who doesn't know Jesus. The person at school? Family member? Basketball team mate? Dance friend? Cashier at a store? I challenged each of them to share their ornament with the person who came to their mind and share the wordless book with them.
Right before the parents came, I announced today was my last class teaching them. The "What?!" "Are you serious?" "Noooooooo" all began as expected. But rest assured they told me that I can still tell people about Jesus while I'm at school.
At the end of class I meet the parents and make sure their child gets connected with their parent. While one kid was leaving, he handed me his ornament and said, "The people at your school need Jesus."
Talk about a way to be sent off for the next semester.
So although I don't know the last time I will see my students again, I can rest in the fact they've entrusted me to tell people about Jesus.
And I accept the challenge.
Merry Christmas,
Carrie
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Thoughts on thoughts
I can remember for the longest time thinking that as long as I did good, that I didn't sin. I remember one night lying in bed telling God that I had not sinned that day because I did good and I didn't say anything that was bad or mean to anyone that day.
I can't even begin to tell you how long I believed that as long as I didn't say or do anything "bad," God and I were on good terms. And I bet you can imagine the surprise when I found out that God knows our thoughts and that our thoughts can cause sin in our lives.
A few years back I began running and through the running program we have at our church (Run For God). One of the biggest things the leader of the group, Aimee, challenged us to do was to memorize scripture.
I don't know about you but that is one of the hardest things for me to do. I was always the last kid in Awana to finish her book and would struggle to memorize my verses each week. So, to say the least, it was a challenge I didn't think I would be up for, and of course, God had other plans.
I'll never forget one of the verses we memorized that season, Philippians 4:8, which brought me full circle with understanding that my thoughts are susceptible to sin as my actions were.
"Whatever is true, whatever is right, whatever is nobel, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things."
It's the verse I constantly have to meditate on.
Are my thoughts true?
Are they right?
Are they nobel?
Are they pure?
Are they lovely?
Are they admirable?
Are they excellent or praiseworthy?
If my thoughts are not in line with what the scripture says, I pray this verse over and over and over again.
Our thoughts have the ability to cause us to sin, but are we going to allow the enemy to destroy us with our thoughts or allow the Almighty God to help us.
I can't even begin to tell you how long I believed that as long as I didn't say or do anything "bad," God and I were on good terms. And I bet you can imagine the surprise when I found out that God knows our thoughts and that our thoughts can cause sin in our lives.
A few years back I began running and through the running program we have at our church (Run For God). One of the biggest things the leader of the group, Aimee, challenged us to do was to memorize scripture.
I don't know about you but that is one of the hardest things for me to do. I was always the last kid in Awana to finish her book and would struggle to memorize my verses each week. So, to say the least, it was a challenge I didn't think I would be up for, and of course, God had other plans.
I'll never forget one of the verses we memorized that season, Philippians 4:8, which brought me full circle with understanding that my thoughts are susceptible to sin as my actions were.
"Whatever is true, whatever is right, whatever is nobel, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things."
It's the verse I constantly have to meditate on.
Are my thoughts true?
Are they right?
Are they nobel?
Are they pure?
Are they lovely?
Are they admirable?
Are they excellent or praiseworthy?
If my thoughts are not in line with what the scripture says, I pray this verse over and over and over again.
Our thoughts have the ability to cause us to sin, but are we going to allow the enemy to destroy us with our thoughts or allow the Almighty God to help us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)