Thirst: What makes you mad?

Family, 

We all thirst for something. Everyone does. We thirst for something to drink, thirst for something more. Relationships: this thirst can cause us problems.

A question was brought up to me in bible class. The question was: what makes you mad? Let me clarify what injustice or fact makes you mad at as Christian? My answer popped into my head silently saying "Thirst." 

Seven or so years ago the water crisis in other part of the world like Africa and Philippines was told to me. A growing thirst that the only quench by unclean water. That gives the people diseases. The only water source  for all the supply for everything. A THIRST for water. 

Four years ago in June will be the anniversary of going to Ukraine. Now a there is a thirst. A thirst for hope, for love, and spiritual growth. 

The first week of my first year there was some baptism.  A thirst to be saved. On both sides a thirst for Relationship with someone. Isaiah 41:17-18, 

"When the poor and needy seek water,

    and there is none,

    and their tongue is parched with thirst,

I the Lord will answer them,

    I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

18 

I will open rivers on the bare heights,

    and fountains in the midst of the valleys;

I will make the wilderness a pool of water,

    and the dry land springs of water."

Verse 17 states the need and in verse 18 God fullfills it.  

We all thirst. I sometimes imagine myself at the well. When Jesus confronted that Samaritan woman. I am the Samaritan woman. Yearning thirst for that living water. Everlasting taste of this water.  Now I can't turn back. I thirst to learn more about people and love people as Jesus loved me. 

For those who thirst anger me the fact there are so many thirsty.  The children thirsty pains me. "27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:27 

One horrible thing that I don't know how to change it.  I leave my heart everywhere. We could have never spoken but I know you  through someone else. This has my heart so it gets crushed so easily. However we are meant to love one another. 

Even Israel were called in Deuteronomy 10:17-18 "17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, 18 who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing." To love the strangers and needy. 

We are supposed to fill a need we see among our brothers and sisters. The world is thirsty may we not invite them to drink.  

Even if we see a need in the world should strive to fill the thirst.  Cause to get you rilled up or mad. I understand your things but John 4. Really calls to my heart. Ever since, Sunday I am finding new verse that confirming a thirst/want. 

Let us thirst together in a family and body. For let us be how Paul said to the Corinthian church, "10 We are fools for the sake of Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed and beaten and homeless, 12 and we grow weary from the work of our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we speak kindly. We have become like the rubbish of the world, the dregs of all things, to this very day." 1 Corinthians 4:10-13 

For we are one body and let our thirst be know and strive for everlasting well JESUS prepared for us. To quench this thirst. 


Love, 
Your sister through Christ, 

Evynn  

Eye to Eye

Wonder what Jesus eyes are

Oh Savior of the world

What color are your eyes 

Are they blue as the seas 

You spoke on

Giving lessons for us 

To lean on

Oh Savior, Son of the Father

Eyes you sees through you

Green as trees 

You spoke about bearing fruit

What color are they?

Oh Savior with children

On your lap

Did your eyes twinkle?

As those precious children

Tell you the stories of their best friends

A spark lighting your eyes

Reaching your smile

Oh Precious Savior

Oh Savior child

Mary's son

Who traveled over the desert

To be born you in the stable

Are your eyes brown

As the sand under your mother's feet

When she walked 

With Her Lord, Your Father

Oh Savior nailed to the cross

With tears in your eyes

Asking for our forgiveness

Did you lose your sparkle?

That decorated your eye

While you gave up your life

What color were your eyes?

Red from tears 

Did your eyes brighten up

Oh Savior ascending in front of eyes

Out of the empty tomb

Jesus, Are your eyes Hazel?

Reflecting ourselves back at us

Sparkles hints

Sea of blue, green as the trees

And brown of sand

Peeking out in the sparkles

As you look upon us

Oh Savior, heart full of love

What color are your eyes?

For it is all about you

Guess we won't know 

The eye color of you, the Savior

Until You invite me

Into the Golden Gates

Seeing you Face to Face

Eye to Eye

Valentine Little Debbie's Cakes

So the year is coming to the end, Christmas has only pasted a few days ago. Guess what...I saw in Walmart today?? I spied little Debbie's "be mine" cakes in their red, pink, and white glory. The Christmas cakes just ran out in clearance section and the Valentine cakes are in their place. Go up a few aisles and half of one side of the candy section, I spied heart covered red, pink, and white candy bags and boxes. Thankfully that is the only places I spotted that in the store.

Everything in the stores and around us is about moving into the future. Think about the future what are you planning for the next day. I have never seen the movie, Click. From what I have gathered from people who have watched it is Adam S.'s character used this magic clicker (he gets somewhere) to fast forward, pause, and slow down parts of his life. He fast forwards to get a promotion after promotion. When the climate hit he realized everything he missed on by fast forwarding with his family.Where he lost all of them. I am not sure how the movie ends but I would not be surprised if he got to rewind his life and change it.  

That is... the beauty and power of movies. In the fictional world there is a chance to go back. For us there is no chance to go back. There is a question that is posed on some of the Asian dramas I watch. "What you would do if you could begin your life again?" Those questions always perplexed me for you can change something about your life now.  

A life cannot begin again with Jesus Christ and you cannot start from the very beginning. There is a warning in Jesus teachings that is not to worry in Matthew 6:34 about not worrying about the future.  Days can be spent thinking about the future wasting the perfectly good day now.

As you start the new year create a goal whether its giving up pop or soda, giving up sweets, or start reading the bible everyday. 

Take it one day at a time. 

Shopping for gifts

Brothers and Sisters,

It has been a while since I posted and I have many things running through my mind. I apologize ahead of time for some scatters. A lot of stuff happening in the world around us in the last few days with Christmas so near and year drawing to a close. 

A Food for thought: "...because the Bible says so and not because we (Christians) or Phil Robertson says so" --Karen Scism

The days till Christmas are 4 or 3 days away. Earlier this Friday evening, I was walking through Madel's looking for ideas for gifts and things were popping out at me.  The 'things' were not gift ideas but things I felt compelled to get and read.
Books like

• Bible in America by :with everything that is going on in this country from the ever-changing Obamacare, the social rampage of Social groups and the entire too silent Christian community 
• 5 Love Languages of Children by Gary:  The desire that fills me everyday to understand the people around me. I want to read all the 5 love languages books but this sparked my interest more than others. The future is unknown but learning these would prepare a heart for others.
• God has a plan for your life: Embracing Change by Freeman-Smith: For the last year or so this has been my theme through out my life and trying to make a sense of the plan from day to day. 
• He Walks Among Us: Encounters with Christ in a Broken World by Richard Stearns:  this book hit closer to home for it is a Photography along with stories a grappling sense. Things like this inspire me. 
• Kissing Kate: A story of rentless love and redemption by Katie Davis: Real life stories inspiring us to move.
• The Lamb's Agenda by Samuel R.:  

These are some of the books that popped out of me for my reading list in the future that will help shape me. 

In Christ's Love, 

Evynn

Brother...? Sister.....?

A dog pile of Christianity brotherly love. 

What happened to calling each other brothers and sisters in Christ! A new way I have been looking at those boys in church and body of Christ, not as prospective date. Some one pointed out to me that I needed to look at them as God's Creatures and Brothers in Christ. For that is what they are. When you start looking at them that way you can start a deeper relationship not only in a worldly way but spiritual one as well. 

A relationship to comfort, support, and hold each other in the walk and body of Christ. 

A giant group hug of my brothers and sisters.
I love these kids.

 I am in a time in my life where I am changing my thinking. The crushes I have liked is not the ones I like now.... Really I am not crushing on anyone. For it is a process into thinking about these boys I see everyday but don't really interact with as brothers. However I have always been friends is family person. If you were my friend then you are like my brother or sister.

Picture taken by Heather Blevins
June 2011

 Isn't this how God wants us to be? Calling each other "Brother Smith" and "Sister Smith." Our older brothers, elders, professors call us younger siblings... brother and sister.  I believe and could bet that God smiles every time these older siblings call us "brother or sister"

My daddy is my brother in Christ and he is already with the Lord asking his questions. When a sibling is struggling we are told/ called to help them, embrace them and to be God's hands and feet to our brothers. Before I was even baptized into the family, brothers and sisters wrote stories about my dad and put together books for my siblings and me.

Sisters then and sisters now through Christ sat with me at my dad's funeral an personal relationship of sisters. I know there is a time when that you ever needed something another has lifted you up.

Why can't we call brother and sister giving us a reminder of our journey does not stop here. Our Journey leads to the gold finish line.

Now, Brothers and Sisters? Are you going to call some one brother in this new blood family through Christ?

Sister Heather surrounded by kids we love.

When to start Christmas???

This is to all your naysayers or Christmas early birds,

I go to college and there have been debates on when Christmas should start before or after Thanksgiving. This is my opinion that I have formed over my three years of college. 

Living at College is a whole another realm that is not the real world.... Christmas is at the end of the month in December giving us a month to focus on wonderful holiday with our loved ones and being thankful. For the College world this has to start in November to get the full effect of the month. 

The first week of November or so the Bridge office at OC puts up their little fake tree. So the students can enjoy it for the month before we break for the winter holiday. At least at my college, Oklahoma Christian when I get back from thanks giving I have less than two weeks till finals.  So the students are finishing projects and studying for finals and have no time to enjoy the wonderful holiday. 

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for what God has given to us and one of those things is Christ who was born and died for our sin. I am not saying forget about this wonderful holiday that starts our sugar coma part of the year. While celebrating it we can hang our lights and sing our carols to celebrate a month of Christmas with our loved ones at college.

I was once a naysayer like some of the debaters, however, I didn't start debates with every person who wants to start early.  It was not until I arrived at OC and encountered the wonderful space of the Bridge office and it's staff. This was my freshman year. I was there when they set up the tree in the first week of November. 

The Bridge office has a tradition this tradition is an ornament exchange for any one who brings one and settle it on the tree. Later, during finals week you can come select another ornament off the tree and take it home. 

Also during the month you can walk into the office and there will be Christmas music playing. One of my favorite mentors counts the days till Christmas starting the day after.  I would walk in my freshman year in October with a countdown till Christmas. I enjoyed this time with the Bridge office celebrating before the month began. 

This does not mean that they forget Thanksgiving it is quite the opposite. Every year on the week of Thanksgiving they hold a lunch for all the professors and mentors that help out with the program, thanking them. 

We are called to give God thanksgiving everyday. Especially on Sunday's when we fellowship in Christ death and Resurrection.  Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:16, "Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?" (NIV).  

American traditions is time for family and friends getting together. The story goes that this comes from the pilgrims and Indians came together to eat in thanksgiving. Ironic, that they eat together before the fighting and killing went on, friends turned enemies.  Thanksgiving is eating turkey, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie (not me but I am special) and this year I am going to Bob Bob's and Grandma's so I am going to watch the football games. 

I know that this is not going to change anybody idea of Christmas or when it should be celebrated. This is an argument for us college kids who want to celebrate with our loved ones on campus before the craziness of finals began. I certainly will not be in the Christmas spirit when finals come around. 

In the college realm:

• YOU college NAYSAYERS: just let the early birds have their fun. The spirit of Christmas should be celebrated early if their time for it. Thanksgiving is not one day of the year but everyday. 

• EARLY BIRDS:  have fun but don't be thankful the things you have. Because it is a Wonderful life!

REAL WORLD: It may be a bit to early start the day before thanksgiving, unless you put just your lights up before it gets cold and the freeze hits. The Rhema Bible church would working on their lights close to fall breaks. 

WMW: Assignment

This was an assignment for my Biblical Misson class and I thought I would post it. There is so more to say about this weekend.

"I cannot choose just one class to talk about my dwelling in the world so my context is Saturday of the World Mission Workshop or mostly God showing me his plan. Background Friday of this story is as people from WMW came through to the caf they would pass by the Wishing Well booth. There was a guy that asked where we drilling, I told him mostly Rwanda. His reply was what about Kenya if he already had a drill as he walked into the caf. Back to Saturday morning, the first class I attended was the Woman in missions. I learned that for a woman most of the mission was to be a sacrifice. The woman said one of my favorite things that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words even with children’. This touched me for I have felt compelled by children that where my mission lies.

After that class I was headed to Spiritual growth in mission however end up in the South African class instead. After I attended that class I went to the Christian Relief Foundation and the guy from Friday, Bobby Moore was sitting at the booth. We got to talking and I heard God giving me a solution to my second journal about Wishing Well. Bobby told that one man had given 100,000 dollars to fund half of twenty Wells and all they had to do was find orginaztions to raise the money. This was the goal that I had been waiting on for Wishing Well. He gave me his card and two information sheet about CRF: one was hope for water and the other was about different mission trips they have planning to go. My mind was racing as I was hearing and seeing the work of God. God is a God of chances, he is an encourage and loves using the shy to work his way up. During the 11 am Keynote I could not sit still my mind was racing. I was spazzing out; surrounding me was my two dear friends, Dottie and Mike, that I made last year at the GME.

I thought of specific ideas to start raising money for the cause that would line up to God plan. As I contuined to think about it I realized what God was mainly saying, the job for me in this plan. He was telling me to step up and become the director of Wishing Well the OC chapter or at least one of them. I hate being in front of people. One friend compared me to Moses which is very true, I don’t like going in front of someone and being in charge.  This became clear to me during the rest of the day. When I went to the last class on dispora and listening to what the students from African countries work and send some of the money back home for their families. I revisited the  CRF booth and talked to him once more and he gave me a city that I could research, that would be our city to make a well and a shirt for free. I had asked him if in the trip to Kenya I would get to see the well being made or done.

My cousin is Ryan Groves the Wishing Well guy. He had told me to meet his friend Phoenix. When I met Phoenix he wanted to hear about me as I walked him to the bus for feed the children. He also invited me to dinner with the Pepperdine crew and the ACU recruiter. Later that night as I was riding in the van on the way to dinner I mentioned how I didn’t want to take over…but I felt like that is what God was telling me to do.  Phoenix said, I should do it because I shouldn’t tell God no. Jessi added in that I might get swallowed by a whale. That made me smile. I guess I have to be like Moses and find my Aaron so I can follow God’s will in this context. Wishing Well has always been tied to my heart since I heard about it and saw the picture of the boy they met. I have to take it one day at a time with God on my side."