Give us a Sign!

When Jesus was on earth, the religious leaders asked Him for a sign to prove His identity and show He was really from God. And where he refused, it seems the Christian church has obliged... But I don't think it's what either of them were looking for.

How often do you look at marquees? I mean really look at them. Read what is says, think about it, reflect even further upon it, and have it actually affect your life. Whether this sign is for a business, a movie, or a church, do you ever care?

Someone I admire greatly, a local pastor here named John Lynch, has a pet peeve that I'm starting to relate to. His classic story is of when he was driving past a church in the middle of another smoldering Phoenix summer, and their marquee out front said: "Think this is hot? Imagine what hell is like!" I hear about that and I just picture this clergyman in his church, sitting, pining over what to put up outside that will really grab people and draw them to his church... And that's what he comes up with.

But it's not just negative messages that undoubtedly come across the wrong way! There are churches preaching a positive message through their marquees that I just can't help but think aren't received as they intended. One church I drive past every day on my way to work has had a couple messages emblazoned in bold letters: "Depressed? Jesus can help." They've had other variations, but all point back to Jesus as being able to help.

What does that mean? Put yourself in the car seat of that passerby that reads that sign... You are depressed, you do need help... But what's Jesus gonna do for you? The general consensus of much of the non-believing world is that Jesus is just some religious zealot that died 2000 years ago. So how in the world is some dead guy going to help them with their depression and their very-much-alive problems?

That is the question I think this sign raises, and I imagine it all too often goes unanswered. Yet the answer is so simple! It's so elementary that it seems too obvious. The answer is this: CHRISTIANS!

After raising from the dead and spending some time with His disciples, one of the last things Jesus said to them before leaving this world is what we now call the Great Commission. It was His pep talk, His marching orders, and His final directive: "Go and make disciples of all nations!" Put simply: "Go tell people about my love!"

The beauty of this and the greatness of the mission God has for this world is that He INTENDS FOR US TO DO THE WORK. Otherwise, why would Jesus ever have left? Don't get me wrong, anything we do, we do by the grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit... He gets all the credit, but we get to take part in His plan. The word "apostle" comes from the Greek word "apostolos," which means MESSENGER. Christ provides us with hope through the grace He offers on the cross, but we are the ones that spread that hope...

Which brings me back to the guy on the freeway reading that sign. While Jesus can most definitely help him, the vehicle through which he can receive that help is none other than Joe Christian. To this guy, "Depressed? Jesus can help" may mean nothing. But how much more may his life be touched, and how willing would he be to stop at that church if it read:

"Depressed? WE would love to help."

I think Christians need to show the world that we care. We know that this world is fallen and that something, many somethings, have gone terribly wrong. And life hurts, and it is not fair, and sometimes it makes us mad... but the very reason Jesus can help is because this is not the way He intended it to be. So He figured out a way to make it right. And rather than attempt to appeal to some self-righteous religious piety and hide our own pain behind Christian jargon, we need people to know that we hurt too. So many people feel they cannot approach Christians and be "real" with them because they always act like they have it all together. I'd like to speak on behalf of all Christians who are willing to be honest when I say that I don't have all the answers, I get scared, I get mad, sometimes I feel lost, sometimes I lose hope... But by the grace of Christ alone, I come back.

Because of that grace, Christians have something very real and very practical to offer those that need help. Sure, Jesus can most definitely help that guy in his car...we just need to show him how.

Contemplative

Haven't written in a few weeks so I thought it was time for an update! Since I haven't written in awhile, you'll have to excuse me if everything is a bit jumbled and I bounce around to a lot of different topics. My mind is very full tonight!


Everything has been pretty smooth sailing recently. It's been 10 months since we were married, 11 months since graduation, 6 months since we bought our house, 2 months since we bought the Sonata, 1.5 months since the backyard grass grew in all the way, 5 weeks since we got Sadie, 3 weeks since the downstairs bathroom was painted, 2 weeks since we got a new coffee table, and this past weekend was spent in Flagstaff at Scott's Aunt and Uncle's cabin with my Van Sande clan brother and sisters. Whew! Life is still fun and eventful, yet I am also sensing a peace about things as we are now comfortable at our "grown up" jobs, all moved into the house, and just sitting back and enjoying life one day at a time. 


This past weekend in Flagstaff was a blast! It was so great to feel cold again, put on a sweatshirt, feel the need to wear socks, and drink apple cider. I love the outdoors and love being in the forest so very much! If it weren't for all my wonderful family members here whom I love and adore so much, I would be packing my bags and moving as fast as possible!! 


Which brings me to another rant... as I have officially decided that I have the greatest family in the world. First of all, there's my dad, who I definitely could NEVER go a few days without talking to in some form. I look up to him in so many ways, and ultimately respect him for who he is and what he stands for every day. Then, there are my younger siblings, who are all unique, hysterical, and fun to be around. All of our differences amuse me daily, and it's so fun to grow and change with them throughout the years. Next, there's my new family, who already feel like old family. There are the ever loving Van Sande parents who always open up their home and their hearts for their family making sure everyone is taken care of whether it's fixing our sprinklers, feeding us delicious meals, or making sure we have enough painter's tape for our whole house even if we're just painting one small bathroom.;) Then, not only am I lucky enough to be the oldest of 4, I also aquire an older sister (which I always wanted since I was the oldest in my family), and my best friend AS a sister for real. How lucky can I be? The 5 of us (Scott, me, Christie, Mike, and Kelly) had a fabulous weekend up North, and it was so fun to just spend time with them the whole weekend. It's been awhile since I've felt so free to say whatever was on my mind (maybe too much at times ha ha), giggled like a little girl, played games for hours on end, and laughed until my stomach hurt. I feel refreshed and ready for the upcoming week, a weekend well spent. 


In regards to well being, I also feel healthier than I have in a long time, and am enjoying the benefits of exercising on a regular basis and watching what I eat more closely. After a few weekends of feeling sick from eating too much and eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, I decided I should start paying more attention to what I put in my mouth. My love for food is so incredibly great that I often eat more for flavor and for fun than I do because I'm hungry. Thinking this could be a huge problem as I age, I thought that I should probably get a start on learning about moderation! Eating "healthy" used to mean taking the fun out of eating. Now it means feeling more energized, feeling good, and living life to the fullest every day. I'll keep you posted on my new healthy habits as my life begins to change daily for the better. Right now, being healthy for me means exercising 3-4 times a week, eating more fruits and vegetables, and making sure I don't overeat by just eating until I am full and definitely smaller portions! I just discovered that I can eat 1/2 of what I used to and still be full. Hmmmmmm crazy!


Well, I think that's it for now folks. Check back soon to see an updated pic of the cutest ever quickly growing young pup!

Sadie's first vlog...

Getting bigger!

Sadie is getting bigger and bigger every day! We have had her for 2 weeks now and it's crazy how much of a difference we have seen in just 2 weeks! She can now go up and down the stairs by herself, use the doggie door, and do a couple of basic commands like "sit," "stay" and "come!" We are having so much fun with her! Here are a couple of pictures of her at 8 and 9 weeks old.

Getting into trouble:


Waiting for Daddy to throw the ball:

Playing in the yard:

Sleeping under the dishwasher:

Playing in Mommy's plant:

Finding secret hiding places:

Looking super cute as always:

This is her morning face:

We love our Sadie!

How does it make you feel?

Last Sunday, there was a video that was played during worship. Basically, the video made you think about what a huge deal worship music is in church today. People often leave or join churches based on how the worship sounds. When we hear the songs we like in church we say that the "worship was good today" and when it's bad we wonder "what went wrong." We focus a lot on how the worship sounds and how it makes us FEEL. I'm currently reading a book that paralleled with this thought.

"Many of us tend to approach Christian living as a self-improvement program. We may desire spiritual growth, or we may have one or more fairly serious problems from which we desperately want to be delivered. While there is certainly nothing wrong with spiritual growth or desiring to be rid of a besetting problem, what is our motivation in wanting to achieve goals like these."

While we have a "genuine desire to honor the Lord, it's also possible that deep within us is a primary desire to glorify ourselves. When self-improvement, rather than Christ becomes the center of our focus, our focus is displaced. It is important to understand that fruitfulness and growth are the results of focusing on Christ and desiring to honor Him. When growth and change are our primary goals, we tend to be preoccupied with ourselves instead of with Christ: Am I growing? Am I getting any better? Am I more like Christ today? What am I learning?"

"This inordinate preoccupation with self-improvement parallels our culture's self-help and personal-enhancement movement in many ways. Personal development is certainly not wrong, but it is misleading and can be very disappointing if we make it our preeminent goal. If it is our goal at all, it should be secondary. As we grasp the unconditional love, grace, and power of God, then honoring Christ will increasingly be our consuming passion."

We do love worship and the way it makes us feel. We do feel good when we are honoring to God and follow what he asks of us. We do benefit from spiritual growth, self-improvement, and learning from mistakes. These aren't bad things, but we have to make sure our focus and motivation are in the right place. 

While "God wants us to have a healthy self-awareness and to analyze our lives periodically, He does not want us to be preoccupied with ourselves. The only one worthy of our preoccupation is Christ."

We should not be focused on how worshiping God makes us feel or doing all the right "Christian things." While we may benefit, the focus needs to be not on what we get out of it, but on just being passionately and wholly devoted to Him in our hearts, minds, and souls.

-The Search For Significance by Robert S. McGee