So lately I have heard this statement more so than usual, because for some odd reason if a girl can keep up in a sport that is considered predominately a male sport then she is "pretty good for a girl". People we live in the 21st century and I think that some woman have proved themselves to sincerely pown the opposite sex in sports in every arena. I hear these statements anytime that I go skating, snowboarding or play football- you know what? I like these sports and yes I know that guys are just trying to be complimentary when saying they recognize that talent, but maybe we could word it a bit differently. How about "wow, you are really good at that. I wish I was as cool as you or as talented as you." lol Guys step aside because there are some girls stepping up in the sports arena and quite frankly some of them are going to leave you in the dust with their skills. So show some respect, honor them for their talent not their gender. Don't try to belittle their talents by saying they are only as good as their ge
nder allows them to be. Now here's a chic who dominates!!
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So the past few months has been an exquiste testimony of the greatness and perfection of God's timing! It has been quite a display that putting it into words is nearly impossible, but yet it is a testimony that is worthy of sharing. Timing and patience has always been a struggle which I could probably vouch for most of us in this area, especially in such a culture that begs for the here and now! Gimme gimme!! I certainly fall into this unfortunate group many times, I like to consider myself zealous but really, I am an idiot LOL. Despite trying to rush the process of God in my life, He still has such an unique way of slowing down my mind and zeal, whether it be through people in my life who balance me out, or His voice just ushering me to keep still and wait. Ugh wait!! LOL For instance, my first year interns, I wanted to skip my second year and start a fresh at BSU. I wanted to move into the dorms, start some stellar small groups, get involved on campus and basically turn the place over to Jesus. All of these seem like noble deeds, I mean my intentions were in the right place but God had different plans in mind. That year, I went to Generation Conference in Seattle and heard a powerful message from Bishop T.D. Jakes. He spoke of David and how the prophet Samuel told David that he was to become King, yet David went back to being a shepard that day. In fact, it took David quite some time before he ever took hold of his inheritance. He was chased for years by the current King due to King Saul's jealousy and David's best friend was even killed. Eventually, David found himself, in the right time, on the throne. The Bishop also went on to talk about arrows- how they have a time where they are in reserve in the pack, not really going anywhere, then they pulled out of reserve only to be pulled back by the bow. This is the stage where most of us have a hard time, instead of moving forward and pursuing our destiny it seems as God has taken us back. This is where you must be careful, because if you only allow yourself to be pulled back a little bit, the arrow will not go very far but through perseverance and testing, the farther you get pulled back, they farther you will soar!!! That was the Word that convinced me of doing another year of interns, which looking back now, I can not imagine not having that extra year of delving into God's Word.
In that second year, I found my fit in ministry and life, I met people who profoundly shaped my life and vice versa and I was equipped in ways that I can not even explain. Let me share of few testimonies of God's favor when you just step out in faith, no matter how dismal the outcome may appear. My first year interns, God spoke to me about starting a snowboard ministry- it combined the very things I was most passionate about: Christ, people and snowboarding! So I did, only one person was a faithful helper and establisher with it, a certain Dan Dunson (thx brother). And let me tell you, at that time, he was last person who I thought would fulfill such a role, but the Lord told me him specifically and despite my qualms, I listened and it paid off! By the way, it has been amazing seeing Dan grow into such a radical man of God. Now we are in the 3rd year of the ministry and God has been hooking us up in such a BIG way and a lot sooner than I anticipated. We have more people who are all passionate men and women of God who share the vision and passion. We have some amazing contacts with pro companies and riders, plus we just got local sponsorship to give free product to kids. Oh and get this, during our second year of the ministry I needed to talk with one of the PR administrators at Bogus, so I asked my supervisor who I would need to contact. He told me that I needed to talk to Jennifer Johnson and gave me her number. Well I get off work and hitch hike down the hill- a lady picks me up and we get to chatting. She told me how she never gets to come up to the mountain to ski because she works in the valley so much. It turned out that she worked for Bogus in the corporate office and told me her name is Jennifer. Yup, you guessed it! It was the very Jennifer I had just talked to my supervisor about and needed to talk to, so I got to spend the entire car ride with her asking her all the things I needed to know! Coincidence? More like divine...that sort of stuff just does not happen all too often.
Just this weekend I got laid off from Micron, which was an answer to prayer! This summer, I was praying about whether or not to leave Micron and work full time with Bogus this winter because I wanted to be more involved with the community and ministry. One day in service, my pastor asks if there was anyone who was facing job decisions and said he wanted to pray for them. Well of course I responded and a week later I am up backpacking and I had a dream that I got laid off at Micron. Which it was strange that I was laid off in my dream because Micron was not even talking about laying anyone off at the time. When I woke up, I asked God if that was a dream from Him or if it was something that my subconscience conjured up. Well here we are a few months down the road and I am laid off from Micron, with a sweet severance package that will sustain me til the coming snow season where I will be working full time. Plus this money enables me to get caught up on bills and even get moved into a sweet new apartment which is giving us a killer discount on our first three months of renting!!! I could continue on and on and share with you about the awesome breakthroughs that I have experienced but this blog would turn into a novel!
All of this has brought me to a point of realization that timing is everything. God is so specific in His timing and if we are not tuned into what that timing is we are going to miss out on so much! I can not imagine the predicament I would of been in if I had quit Micron previously like I wanted to. I can not imagine going to school now without that extra year of interns and I can not imagine what GC Snow would look like if I did not believe in certain people and stayed with it even when things did not happen as fast as I wanted. Gosh, how it is so NOT about me! The choices I make not only effect me, but effect those around me. That's why it is so important to submit ourselves to the timing of God. I keep quoting it but "it's the good things in life that keep us from the best things in life." -P. Mark Francey. If you could get $1,000 today or $1,000,000 at the end of the week, which would you forfeit? Timing, timing, timing...I still screw this concept up, but I am learning and I am tuning myself into the will of the Father as I progress in my faith. So my advice to you is to submit yourself to the One who created you- He is the author and finisher of our faith, so if He writes it then maybe, just maybe there is a plot that is meant to unfold and it is probably in your best interest to discover that plot! Ecclesiastes 3 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=25&chapter=3&version=31
Okay this may step on a few toes although I am not intending it in such a way as to point fingers at any specific person or condemn or even cast a display of self righteousness, yet conveying a message that has literally been burning inside my heart lately. God has certainly been challenging me in this area and neither have I achieved a hundred percent excellence in this area but it is something that I feel needs to be addressed. Call it critical, I hope it is more of an exhortation to all of us who call ourselves Christians. In return to this exhortation I ask for even accountability in this area as well. Okay what is it that has me riled up? Christian cliques, yes I said it...I too have fallen into this category and let me confirm that I am not saying that you should not have a core group of friends that are Christians. I am talking about being selective of who we allow in our daily lives to spend time with and help them grow in the Lord. A lot of the times in the church, we get together and we worship God and then in the time where we should be making connections (and I am not talking just introducing yourself, but making real connections!!!) with people, we spend it with our friends who we see on a day to day basis!
Recently I have made it a goal of mine that when I am at church or a church event/party, etc...that I will not spend my entire time mingling with those who I am close with. One of my best friends at the church is Jennifer Glover, but rarely will you see us sitting by one another in service or clinging to one another. We still hang out most every day together but there is a time for fellowship with the "Barnabas" and the time for connecting with the "Timothy's". I am tired, even in my own life, surface level relationships with new people in the church. You have the introduction and then the occasional hello's and the occasional myspace message or text message. That is not enough! It is in our nature to want to feel accepted and feel like we fit in, it is hard enough going to a new place, being new in your faith and not develop any deep relationships. I know that when I first got saved the people who really poured into me and talked to me and would have me sit next to them was so important to me. I still haven't forgot those people and I know I would not be where I am today if it was not for those people taking the sacrifice out of their daily lives and friendships to love me!! I get a lot of hassle (not really in a bad way) about how I am always putting together stuff and inviting people to do things, HELLO...it's not because I get too bored with my life that I always have to be doing something but I know when I invite someone from the church to do something that is not always about the church it means a lot to them. They become more of a friend than someone who we are trying to occupy a seat at church. And you know what frustrates me sometimes, the people who I have the hardest time getting involved is leaders! Look, I am not trying to shut down the church, because I know how important it is to have church be such a priority in your life. It's where you grow, become equipped, fellowship, have accountability, etc...but I am telling you, if the only relationship you have with people is only inside a church building, and they are new in Lord, they are going to go elsewhere to find relationship.
Let's become radical lovers of people! I have had some amazing friendships form because of getting together and involving people in activities. It is good to invite them to church, it is good to invite them to small groups, it is good to invite them to conferences, but do something separate of those things! Be spontaneous! Be creative! Have fun! And one more point to make before I close this (LOL) when someone stops coming to church, keep calling them, continue to make time for them. Fruit comes from persistence, when you don't give up on people. Thank God that He never gave up on me, and He has not given up on those who have left the church or are struggling. So if God does not give up on people, why should I? When you tell people how you miss them and set times to hang out, that does a number on someone's heart! No more of this asking people how so and so is doing, why don't you pick up the phone and ask them yourself? I am challenging myself to refrain from asking that question to people and if you hear me do that, please remind me of this exhortation. Because ten to one, you are going to get much better perspective than a third party response. And when you ask them, pray for them or ask them to meet up.
So I have said a lot...I mean a lot, but like I said I am stirred in this area right now and I know that we all could become better radical lovers (myself most definitely included). We can step out of the comfort of cliques and take the time to love people and loving people takes time and relationships. I mean if Jesus, the God man had to spend as much time with His disciples as He did, don't you think we need to step it up in our own lives a little more? I love you all reading this and I hope this does encourage you as it is a standard that has been encouraging me lately.
So I have been thinking a lot of the subject of peace. Most people would agree that our aim in life is to achieve peace and live in harmony with one another. Not too many people I know love dissension and spite. Without sounding like a "Debbie downer" but peace to me almost seems like this Utopian fantasy that we all dream about but will never achieve. Why can we not achieve peace in our world? Because what is it in each one of our selfish selves causes us to live outside our desires, our needs, wants, etc...? Where does peace even start? Certainly not on a global level, that involves way too many people in one arena and too many people are too selfish to achieve peace on a global level. Next we go to a national level yet the same dilemma presents itself, so let's move on to state wide, city wide, etc... It is funny to me that we want to achieve global peace yet we can not even get along with the people that we love, better yet those whom we mark as our foes.
Look at the divorce rate in America alone, the vows that one makes with one another is soon shattered by lack of selflessness and peace, two people who once loved each other now can not even live under the same roof. (and yes I understand there are many factors that play into a divorce, but you get what I am saying) How backwards is that? Maybe we should start somewhere practical such as the home and work for peace in homes before we try to take the mission overseas. Now let me clarify, I am neither saying that I am or am not in support of this war nor am I claiming that we just give up our strive for peace. Because in striving for peace, our aim and focus shifts from ourselves to others. Let's think practically though, starting by loving our literal neighbors and even our friends and family and then hopefully we can take that to an international level. On another practical level, what is causing you to strive for peace? I think that peace is something we yearn for more when it does not cost anything for us, let me explain. It is easy to love your best friend who is always there for you, but what happens if that person betrays your trust? A price has to be paid with restoring that relationship; that price is allowing that hurt to be healed and forgive them of their trespasses. Not so easy is it? In Luke 6:31-35 it says, "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back..." It is easy to love when a price does not have to be paid, it is easy to love those who love us. The challenge comes when you have to love someone who hates you or has hurt you, all of a sudden those peace signs carry a heavier weight.
The United Peace Coalition is launching a campaign of going to 1,000,000 doors and getting 1,000,000 signatures to bring our troops home from the Middle East. Sounds like a good plan right? (note: I am not stating my position of whether I think or don't think we should bring home our troops, yet making a statement) Well say their plan is a success and the troops are brought home safe and sound, do we honestly think peace is going to start there? Give it time, something else will arise and action will be taken. So my advice to all peace advocates, let's start practically, let's start by getting along with those in our own lives first.
nder allows them to be. Now here's a chic who dominates!! 
