Carried Along

A blog about real life through the lens of Christ

recent posts

  • Why #MercyMe is the Most Influential Band in My Life

    It’s funny how our senses imprint memories subconsciously.  A certain sound, smell, or feeling can come flooding back without our knowledge.  Deja Vous?  Maybe, but for me, my MercyMe journey started in 1999.  I was a first year English teacher at Greenville High School in Greenville, TX.  I did have family close, but I was living completely on my own for the first time, navigating a new job, a new town, a new church, and new independence (coupled with some loneliness and bouts of depression).  I had never heard the name Bart Millard before, but it wasn’t long before I was being given MercyMe CDs.  These were independently produced albums given to me by Bart’s former English teacher.  He was Greenville High School’s “success story”, and they promoted him wherever they could.  The band’s first professionally produced album wasn’t out yet, and amidst their tireless efforts to establish themselves, MercyMe committed to putting on a free concert once a month in Bart’s hometown. We were told this was their “tithe” of sorts during this time.

    I will never forget hearing “I Can Only Imagine” for the first time on the football field at Greenville High School.  The lights, the energy of the crowd, and the revolutionary lyrics were something to behold.  It’s funny.  These concerts weren’t really for me, per say. They were directed at the youth of Bart’s hometown, but somehow, I never forgot the encouragement these nights gave me, personally.   

    I only lived in Greenville for two years.  After buying at least one more independent MercyMe CD, I moved on with my life in another state.  When I moved back to my home state of Montana, K-Love was not local yet-or at least I didn’t know it if it was.  For the next few years, I essentially forgot about MercyMe with one exception: I did include the last “hidden” track of the album Undone in the worship I led at a treatment center I was working at.  This song, “Keep Singing”, perfectly showcased the difficult emotions the kids I worked with felt on a regular basis.  

    Ten years later, I remember listening to K-Love in my car with my young sons when this voice came on the radio.  It was “Then Christ Came”, a brand new song from an (unknown) artist. It  had an immediate effect on my entire being.  I couldn’t pinpoint this feeling that voice sparked until the song ended with an announcement of MercyMe as the singer.  All of a sudden, I knew why that voice affected me so. Not only did the lyrics speak to me personally about Christ’s light coming into my darkness or despair, but I felt I knew the person singing it.  I didn’t know Bart Millard at all, but his part in such an important time in my life made his voice important in ways I couldn’t understand.  Soon after, the movie came out, and I finally understood the teachers’ connection to this beloved student.  They had watched God take him from such a rough homelife to a place of influence using his amazing talent. He was truly their hometown son.  And oddly enough, my short tenure in Greenville during the band’s developmental years left me with an unexplainable connection to that voice, the voice who’s lyrics always explained the complex emotions in the deepest parts of my soul.

    Last year I was interviewed by the student council at my school.  They were featuring one teacher per week, asking for information such as my favorite book, movie, and recording artist.  I immediately answered MercyMe.  I honestly have no idea how many people who saw the post about me knew who MercyMe was, but I know, and of all the voices on K-Love, that voice will always help me find Christ’s hope in a unique way, a connection I will always have with no other artist.

  • The Cure for “Facebook Envy”: Be Thankful

    I do it all the time.  I am simply perusing Facebook to “kill time”, and soon I’m coveting someone else’s family, vacation, job, place of residence, cabin.  Whether it’s an idyllic beach vacation or a creative activity with their kids, their online lives seem so much better than mine- less stressful, more fun, more ideal.  If I admit it, I’ve always been this way-the coveting type.  I envy others’ sense of style, popularity, fun personality, job, or life in general.  You’d think I’d have outgrown this ridiculous habit.  It’s not like I don’t know that there isn’t a single person who hasn’t been touched by this fallen world.  Time and time again, I have idolized a person’s life just to learn of a heart break they’ve endured, usually something much more tragic than I’ve never even come close to experiencing.  Broken relationships, wayward children, contentious relationships, debt, discontentment-dysfunction is rampant, even in the lives of those who have the most convincing Facebook photos. Sure, I stop and give thanks when I’m made aware of these realities, but it never takes long for my contentment issues to sneak back in, convincing me that other’s lives are still somehow better, more fulfilling than mine. 

    Just like my recent growing screen addiction, I excuse away my glaring jealousy.  I tell myself it’s not too serious and move on. The problem? It is serious, however; grave, in fact.  The green monster directly conflicts with the basic tenets of our faith.  In James’ “Taming the Tongue” chapter, he exposes the gravity of simple envy saying, “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.  This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice” (3:14-15).  Wow!  Despite my efforts to brush it under the rug, this is no light matter.

    It shouldn’t surprise me, really.  The truth is that when I’m coveting the alleged simplicity of my friend’s stay-at-home mom status or idyllic neighborhood, I’m violating Christ’s command to “love my neighbor”.  In 1 Corinthians 13, commonly known as “the love chapter”, Paul describes love.  Here he tells us that “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast . . . “and “ . . . rejoices with the truth” (13:4, 6).  Well, that is convicting.  My small habit of putting others’ lives on a pedestal actually prevents me from loving others as I should.  My failure to see the reality of my friends’ and acquaintances’ hardships is a wall barring me from “’bearing’ one another’s burdens” in order to “fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 5:2).  Much to my chagrin, this small habit can actually render me paralyzed in my faith, blind and disobedient to my loving Father.

    The seriousness of this sin begs the question: If envy is the disease, what is the cure?  The answer is glaringly obvious.  The easiest way to combat envy is to be thankful.  A quick google search tells me that the Bible mentions the word “thanks” 73 times and phrases that mean “give thanks” 114 times. Take for instance 1 Thessalonians which says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you” (5:16-18), “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (1 Corinthians 16:34), or ”Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15).  The list could go on for miles. 

    Yes.  God’s word gives us a steady barrage of reminders to be thankful scripture wide so that we will acknowledge our need for and dependence on Him.  As with any command he gives, whether it addresses gratitude, purity, forgiveness, or numerous other issues, our obedience benefits us infinitely more than we know.  As Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), living our lives in alignment with his tenets frees us to live the “abundant” life he promises.  One essential tenet is to give thanks-not just when we feel like it, but “in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). Imagine the time I could save if I practiced this simple command!

    In a fallen world consumed with the need to have the ideal relationship, kids, house, job, vacation home, you name it, contentment is more difficult than ever- and technology’s unrelenting presence does not help.  Lord, please make my heart newly thankful in this month of Thanksgiving and beyond.  You give so many good gifts.  May I always give thanks realizing that “Your steadfast love is better than life” and is cause enough for my “lips to praise you”(Psalms 63:3).

  • Reflections on an #Unproductive #Garden: Facing #disappointment in our everyday lives

    I love to garden.  I really do.  The idea of spring, the excitement of watching a seed turn into a small green chute, and, of course, using the squash and cucumbers I grew myself get me every time.  Not to mention the fact that my closet domestic gets to come out for a few months before I get ready to go back to school, my true calling.  While the growing season in Montana starts later than some places, even a seed catalog (which I rarely use) quickens my heart.  This year, however, has been a true disappointment so far.  While it often takes my seeds longer than the textbook time period to germinate, I have nothing up except the tomato, pepper, and rhubarb plants I bought.  The culprit?  Probably slugs, but they’ve never stopped me before.  Unfortunately, this year is the worst gardening venture so far.  I am truly disappointed.

    Now, Lord willing, I will have a thriving pumpkin plant soon (they always surprise me), but I hate waiting.  I want immediate satisfaction, no snags (or slugs), immediate success. I don’t know about you, but I feel the same extreme impatience in many areas of my life.  I want immediate results in my relationship with my husband, my prayers for my children, my mentoring relationships, and my educational and professional goals.  I know, I know, we live in a fallen world ruled by God’s purposes, not mine.  But when I pray, I want an answer, when I make an effort in a relationship, I want results, when I make a goal, I want to reach it-no snails, snags or hiccups. Is that really too much to ask?

    The older I get, the more I realize that my time is not God’s time.  Sure, I SHOULD know this.  The Bible is very clear about the disconnect between our idea of time and God’s. Ecclesiastes  11:3 tells us, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end”, 2 Peter 3:8-9 reminds us,  â€œBut do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance”, and 1 Thessalonians warns us, “Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (5:2). 

    Even after 45 years it’s funny how, knowing these truths, I still feel devastated when I don’t get immediate results.  Just like my heartbreak this morning when I saw that I still have ZERO seeds popping up in my garden, unforeseen complications in my relationships or my angst over my blog seemingly receiving less views than ever, I am definitely the person of “little faith” Jesus talked about on that stormy night at sea.

    Miraculously, when I actually take the time to do it, if I take time to acknowledge the times that God used time differently in my life for his purposes, I am in awe of his providence.  In 1999, my grandmother fell into the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone National Park. She was 74 and newly recovered from heart surgery.  She had a new lease on life.  In an instant, the glue that held our family together was gone. For years, my family struggled with this life-altering loss, questioning why we couldn’t have her just a little longer.  Soon after her death, my grandfather became very ill.  This illness resulted in diabetes and dementia, which became very pronounced in 2008.  A few years after he died in 2010, we realized God’s plan. Despite our ongoing devastation, we realized that had my grandmother lived, she would have had to revisit the painful path of her mother’s battle with dementia.  Despite our protests, God knew she had endured enough wounds from that devastating disease. 

    In the past few years, I had a girl show up one day asking for biblical advice.  As it turned out, she is the step-daughter of a friend I have been praying for since high school.  I cannot express what a blessing this relationship has been to me.  I could never have dreamed of a better way for God to answer my prayers in his time (over 20 years later) and his way.

    And then, of course, there is 2020-year no one could have predicted.  In truth, we are all still somewhat unaware of what the complete shutdown of our daily activities did to us emotionally and spiritually.  Yet, we have to admit, this truly isolating and emotionally crushing year was used by God to work for our good (Romans 8:28).  While we made many mistakes (I know I did), we slowed down, appreciated what was important, and came together in a way we couldn’t have before. 

    Abraham’s wait for a son, Joseph’s sale and imprisonment, Israel’s enslavement(s) and wait for a messiah,  Christ’s wait for his ministry and wrongful execution- many heroes of the faith waited a long time for promises, some that were disappointing, and nothing like what they expected.  Why should my life be any different?  After all, Isaiah tells us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways are my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). 

    The success of my garden this year is shaky at best.  I may have to swallow my pride and buy a few plants in order to get some produce.  In any case, it won’t be as productive as I would like.  But one thing is sure,  I will continue to have experiences that don’t turn out the way I want-disappointments, unexpected complications, maybe even utter failure.  Despite the certain difficulties and suffering of this world, God’s garden is ALWAYS productive, no matter what we see.  Today I am praying I can rest in these words of Christ, “I have said these things so that in me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

  • The Importance of Weeding Our Spiritual Gardens

    I would call myself a closet gardener. Growing up I read all of the Christian romances involving homesteaders.  I love growing and making my own food.  As I teach full time during the school year, however, I don’t always put the time into my garden that I need to.  To add to my responsibilities this year, I chose not to use round up around my garden beds to cut down on the weeds.  Now, while I never used Round Up in the bed itself, keeping the weeds down around the beds was much easier with the popular chemical. I did try a natural concoction for weeds, but its results are few and far between. So, this summer, I find myself weeding one little section at a time, and trying not to be overwhelmed by all of the other little sections I don’t have time or energy to get to. 

    The Christian life is like a garden without Round Up. Sure, it would be nice if we could hose down our lives with a spiritual chemical that kept our keenness to the Spirit’s leading up and our affinity towards sin down, but it doesn’t work that way.  There is a reason the Lord’s Prayer says “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11) and the psalmist speaks of the encountering God each “morning” (Psalm 5:3, 30:9, 59:16, 143:8). We have to seek the Lord and “weed out” sin, doubt, and fear each morning.  There is no other way.

    My husband and I often talk about our efforts to remain connected as a couple. He would often joke that he wished he could make a grand effort in our marriage once a month so he could focus on work and other things.  This approach, however, does not work.  Just like in our relationship with God, our relationship with our spouse requires constant attention.  To check out for days, or longer, will result in damage, damage that is sometimes irreparable. We must make an effort to communicate and spend quality time together. Date nights and frequent communication are not easy, especially with busy work schedules and the demands of raising children.

    Just like we can’t compartmentalize our commitment to our marriage, we can’t compartmentalize our relationship with God. Psalm 5 says, “In the morning Lord you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly” (5:3), and Isaiah tells us, “My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you” (26:9).  Clearly, different daily schedules lead to a variety of methods used to connect with God daily. Some may get up at 5 am to have a quiet time while others pray while running or showering. A stay at home parent may use nap time as a time for devotion. Regardless of how and when we do it, connecting with God is a must in order to “take up our cross daily” (Matthew 16:24) and to reduce anxiety in an anxiety-ridden world. (Philippians 4:6-7).

    Holy Spirit, guide me to seek you in the word and prayer daily that I may “live in the spirit” as Galatians 5:16 instructs because “ . . . all who are led by the spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14).

  • Embracing the Summer Storm: A Spiritual Reflection

    As we speak, I am standing at my front door observing a summer storm. The clouds are rolling in, explaining why my back hurt today, the thunder is clapping, and the rain drops are getting bigger, slapping the ground like a toddler’s flat feet. It brings me such peace. Yes, there is the possibility the it could bring hail or contain high winds or a tornado even, but it brings me peace none the same, the feeling that I can do absolutely nothing to change what is about to happen, just take shelter. 

    To me, a storm speaks to the character of God. He calls us and moves as he pleases through this broken and confusing world.  And while Romans 8 assures us that “ . . . all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (8:28), he rarely acts in accordance with our finite expectations. We strive for worldly accolades while he allows us to fail and struggle as he brings us to a place of reliance on him. We scramble to keep our children safe at all costs while he allows them to suffer and grow in their faith (2 Peter 1:5-7). We pray for our friend to come to know Jesus while he calls our enemies. In truth, as we live out our years on this Earth, we learn more and more that what Isaiah writes is true:For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). 

    And why would we want it to be any different? What kind of God would do what we expect when we expect it?  What kind of God would be easy to understand and explain?  Not ours.  Therefore, Paul tells the Romans, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (11:33). Now, don’t get me wrong.  I want a predictable life: a life I can control, full of anything but surprises.  But I don’t want a God like that. I want the God who is assembling “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and people and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9). 

    In a world of uncertainty, it is certainly understandable that many of us want predictability.  And God gives us that.  He is always with us, strengthening us until the day of salvation.  Phenomena like a summer storm, however, remind us that while God is there for us in our weaknesses, he is always doing “more than we could ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20), bringing together a kingdom only he can with a power we cannot contain. 

  • Light in the Darkness

    Light is a funny thing.  The sun comes up every morning, even bringing excessive brightness or heat at certain times of the year. It is a constant until you go without it for a while. Now, I do not live in Alaska, but we do have pretty good winters in Montana, and this year was a doozy. For the majority of February, our temps were below zero every day.  Last week, we had a few days below -20.  With the added darkness of the winters here, the weather was in a word: oppressive. And then just like that, the high was above zero, above 30, and today, above 50.  And everything changed. We could see the days getting longer, and all of a sudden we could appreciate the beauty of the snow on our beautiful “rimrocks”, and light.  What a difference a little bit of light makes. 

    The Bible is full of references to light. The first reference is of course the light in Genesis 1:3, God’s first act of creation.  Without light, the earth would be covered with darkness, making all of the rest of creation null and void.  One of the plagues Moses was ordered to place upon Egypt was darkness. Exodus 10 tells us,   â€œâ€˜Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.’  So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.  They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived” (Exodus 10:21-23, ESV).  Darkness prevents sight. While this gave the Israelites a chance to gain freedom from oppression, spiritual darkness prevents us from seeing God’s truth.  Isaiah 42 tells us, “I am the Lord:  I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people; a light for the nations, to open eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness” (42: 6-7, ESV). Despite our seemingly comfortable lives, we are all vulnerable to darkness without Christ.  We cannot see our own sin or God’s view of the world around us without his spirit. Jesus told the Pharisees, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12, ESV). 

    Not only are we completely reliant on Christ to see clearly, but we are expected to shine his light in this fallen world. Psalm 119 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (119:105). The verses following show the Psalmist’s suffering.  He laments “I am severely afflicted” and “The wicked have laid a snare for me” (119: 107a, 110a, ESV). In both cases, he mentions how God’s word sustains him saying, “give me life, according to your word” (119: 107, ESV). It doesn’t take much to notice that the world we live in is in turmoil.  Whether it be wars among countries, political unrest within our country, general suffering, financial struggles, or mental illness, darkness is all around us. And while we are to cling to the light of God’s word, we are also to display that light to others.  In the sermon on the mount, Christ commands us to be the salt and light of the world. He does not say “Please be the light”, he says “You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden . . . let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good words and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5: 14, 16, ESV). 

    As citizens of a crazy world, there are a myriad of obstacles that prevent us from shining our light. If we are honest, we are afraid.  We are faced with many disconcerting issues.  Whether it is the disintegration of the family and traditional gender roles, the devaluing of human life, or the attack on Judeo-Christian values, we don’t know what to think.  Instead of boldly shining our light, we tend to want to shrink back from this world that seems to delve further and further in darkness.  We create a little circle of like-minded allies, seeking to have as little contact with our neighbors living in darkness. Let’s be honest.  We know that we were commanded to shine our light, but we are tempted to say, “But God, you haven’t seen what is happening!  I think the world is too far gone for you to save anyone”. Prior to his ascension, Jesus tries to explain that he will leave and his disciples will scatter. The disciples could not truly grasp what Jesus was telling them about this drastic change. In their minds, they had no concept of doing this ministry without him.  To comfort them, he said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world, you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the word” (John 16:33, ESV). Not only would they have to go on without his physical presence, but they would be scattered throughout the known world. 

    Like the disciples, we are easily frightened.  While we have the Holy Spirit, something they didn’t yet have, we don’t always know what to do with the people around us who think and live differently than us.  The truth?  The world around us lacks hope. As a public school teacher, I see it every day. They are struggling to find purpose in a world that just “happened” without a creator.  As a result, the only significance they have is what they can accomplish.  No wonder they are so easily swayed by any myriad of identities and ideologies floating around.  The truth? They desperately need a light we often withhold because of our discomfort with their life choices.  
    Jonah was in a similar boat, or a whale, to be exact.  He was told to go to Nineveh and “ . . . call out against it, for their evil has come up before me [God]” ) (Jonah 1:2, ESV).  Instead of obeying God, he fled to Tarshish (Jonah 1:3, ESV).  Now, why Jonah fled is not explicitly stated.  Ligonier Ministries suggests that he abhorred the people there and didn’t want them to repent.  The article “Jonah’s Anger” suggests, “We are too much like Jonah, hoping God will crush our enemies instead of saving them” (Ligonier Ministries, 2013). Miraculously, the extremely corrupt people of Nineveh “believed God” (Nineveh 3:5, ESV). And God intends to save many more people, some we thought would never come to him. Matthew 24 prophesies, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14, ESV). While we as Christians are increasingly uncomfortable with the direction our world (and society) is headed, we are called to shine the light of Christ until he comes. Rather than run from those that we disagree with, may we willingly find ways to sail (or walk) into the places in our community that need his light more than ever. Who knows? God may have a brother or sister waiting there for us.

  • My Own Unexpected Journal

    black text on gray background
    Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

    I’m surprised I even recognized the name.  It had been years: more than ten, if my calculations are correct.  Not to mention the number of students I had taught since I had him: hundreds? Nevertheless, I recognized the last name and clicked on it.  Sure enough, this girl had married him, my former student. We weren’t particularly close: I don’t “friend” my former students, and I have zero idea what mutual contacts this girl and I had, but there she was, nonetheless.  One click revealed a breath-taking wedding photograph behind the font reading “Jesus is King”! This detail was particularly important because, while I had a few outspoken Chritian students that year, he was definitely not one of them.  In fact, he openly voiced opposition to Christianity and any activities surrounding it. I know this because one weekend I saw him at an Easter egg hunt put on by a local church.  He was helping, so I sincerely asked him if he attended that church.  His response was a hasty “no” followed by an explanation that he was only there because his uncle convinced him to volunteer for that event. 

    And that was the extent of our interactions, other than that of student and teacher.  Okay, well that was MOST of it.  The years I taught him was what I call my “Praying Period”. A history of depression, the emotional challenges of teaching at-risk teens, getting married, having babies while working full time, and struggling with postpartum depression had laid the groundwork.  My motto was, “If you don’t know what to do, pray”.  And those years had left me with a lot of unanswered questions, so I prayed.  I periodically took my journal to a coffee shop and began with thanksgiving, then family, and of course, my students.  Now, 100 students a year, every year, is too many to pray for, but I remembered something Louie Giglio said to me at a college retreat years ago.  I had asked him how to know who to talk to, pray for, etc . . . He said something like, “Sometimes I don’t engage anyone.  I speak to those I feel God wants me to speak to”. With the busyness of my life, I had to trust that the names of students that came to mind were those I was meant to pray for.  As a result, I always ended with a list of students’ names I felt called to bring before God. I can’t explain why, but this boy’s name was often on the list that year, and off and on for the next few years. 

    Now, prayer is one of those mysteries we can’t fully understand.  We pray with all sorts of motives, some pure and some selfish.  Despite our weaknesses, we are commanded, however, to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). In addition, we are assured that not only is Jesus interceding for us (Hebrews 7:25), but the Holy Spirit as well.  Romans 8 tells us “ . . . the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the spirit himself intercedes with us for groanings too deep for words.  And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the spirit because the spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27). And while I wasn’t praying in order to get lightning bolt answers, there were a few signs that God was hearing my prayers at that time.  I remember I was working closely with our addiction counselor at the time.  We had many students in common and collaborated the best we could.  That particular year, she told me that her mid-year addiction survey showed our school’s reported drug use was down, while both of the other high schools’ reported use was up.  That and all of the strength and answers to prayer with my family at that time let me know that God was listening.  At the same time, I, regrettably, did not expect God to just work in a student’s heart, especially not one who opposed him adamantly. 

    Now, we cannot know God’s will.  As Isaiah 55 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways”. All we can do is act in obedience, trusting that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).  And while I would love to know when and how God will answer my prayers, this recent unexpected find on Facebook has inspired me to pray for all those God brings to mind.  After all, one student’s miraculous conversion is enough to keep me going. 

  • One Voice, One Hope

    www.facebook.com/share/p/hzzT6PJp4Pi1Ye1k/

    My latest post for encourage about unity in the body of Christ

  • A Reminder to “Look up” instead of at the world around us.

    https://www.facebook.com/share/p/UwWsB8B6H6XaECz4/?mibextid=K35XfP

  • My latest post encourage on being available to what God has for us each day

    https://www.facebook.com/share/p/272Gf5aHLkeq7vGY/?mibextid=K35XfP

  • The Quest for Peace

    www.facebook.com/share/p/XzMj927Rv76w5Cj5/

    My latest post for enCourage on peace.

  • For those who struggle with #prayer like I do

    https://www.facebook.com/share/1WPtuM9KvaoYLzBW/?mibextid=K35XfP