This is just a check in for those that really don’t want a daily dose of Jessica’s spiritual ramblings but just want to keep up on us. We are currently in the West Virginia district and will be leaving here for the good old Buckeye State. The sad thing is that we may not be back in Ohio and this area for a significant amount of time once we are done with our deputation travels here. Gentry is clapping his hands, saying Dada 5 million times a day, blowing raspberries, and just generally being all around adorable. Reese is, as always, rambunctious and intelligent. He keeps us all in line and entertains Gentry. I will hopefully be posting more pictures of our family and our travels at our website sometime in the near future. I’ve got lots of them but it takes forever to upload them if I don’t have them put on a disk. We will do that soon, hopefully.

We finally have this trucking thing down and we have learned to live with all of our new found friends, the RV insects. Although we have sprayed continuously for ants and other various bugs, it is apparent that since we are basically living in a box, we are a haven and easy port for Gods most glorious of creatures =) I woke up with a kiss the other day and it wasn’t my husband. It was my new man, the lightening bug. Of course all of our misadventures will probably not be over until we finally sell the 5th wheel and get a normal house. Until then, I’ll enjoy the laughs as they come and not worry about things out of my control.

After a conversation with somebody today that professes to be a Christian about politics, I couldn’t get the thought out of my head that we rely on God too much. We are always taught to bring every little thing to God, his eye is on the sparrow and we know that he watches us, and that he knows every need before we ask. While not disputing these Biblical truths, I do have to make the statement that religion can be a crutch to many people. A crutch is simply a device used to uplift people in times of brokenness and weakness. If you sprain your ankle and it is weak, you turn to a crutch to aid you in your mobility. Oftentimes though, you can get used to walking on this crutch and you no longer desire to walk on your own.
God gave everyone of us gifts to use in his kingdom and a mind to use in our own everyday choices and decisions. This person I was talking to about politics stated that she isn’t going to vote but she is really praying for the hand of God in the election. Is it fair to rely on God to pick the right president when we aren’t even willing to put legs to our prayer and do our part to vote? Is it fair to blame God when we pray about things and then do nothing to help bring our prayers into fruition? For example, can we complain to God about our financial situation if we aren’t willing to get a job, transfer jobs, or budget?

The book of Philippians talks about being anxious for nothing but to let our requests be made known unto God with prayer and supplication. Just a little bit down in the same chapter it talks about being content in whatsoever state that we are in. Whether we want or are full, we are to be content. With this thought in mind, is it fair for me to use the church and the mysterious “will of God” as an excuse to not succeed? Could I just be saying that something is or isn’t the will of God to fit into my own personal paradigm? Is this just an excuse for me to have to do nothing to help myself? I can pray every day to lose weight and then consume 2 gallons of ice cream on top of my prayer. I can pray for health and well being and then refuse to receive preventative care at the Doctor and follow basic medical laws.

The goodness and mercy of God is not an excuse or a crutch for Christians. If anything, it should be the reason that we desire to better ourselves. We should desire education, greatness, and success. This all brings glory to God. God doesn’t desire for his people to walk with a spiritual limp and a God crutch under their arm. God also wants his people to rely on him, call on him, and seek him for things that require a God intervention. If God has already given you the tools to accomplish a task, do it and do it well. Don’t wait for God to provide the miraculous for a situation that you can do on your own.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might”

Find something to do with your life. Do seek God in decisions, but search for things on your own. This passage of scripture speaks of hard work and diligence. Of course earthly pursuits are secondary to the work of God and will of God, but they are still something that are required to survive in the 21st century. Ruth chapter 2 talks about God rewarding your work and making your wages full. God will help those that help themselves.

At some point in the 1980’s John Mellencamp sang a song entitled “Hurt so good”. I’ve often thought that this is one of those pointless, bizarre songs that echos in our heads because we hear it playing on Muzak and in elevators. Strangely enough, today I was contemplating the spiritual connotations of this song. I have read the lyrics to it and frankly have no idea as to what the song is about. I’m assuming it is about the pangs of sorrow that we have all felt in a love relationship but that love is worth taking the risk,however to the pure all things are pure and maybe it means something entirely different.I began to think about how in our lives we do absolutely everything that we can to avoid pain. There are prevention groups and clubs for every ailment and mental disease. I had a full time job as a “prevention specialist” and many others in the medical and mental health field hold this same title. Are we trying so hard to put ourselves into a bubble that we are missing out on valuable life experiences. Studies are now showing that our excessive use of anti-bacterial hand gel to prevent disease and infection has done nothing but breed strands of super bacterias that we have no anti-biotics to treat.

Eventually we are all faced with situations in life that we would much rather avoid. Jesus Christ prayed for the cup to pass from him as the time was coming for him to die on the cross. However, just a few short scriptures later we find, “And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but He received it not.”— Mark 15:23 Jesus chose to not have anything to block the pain and suffering of the sins of the world that he felt via the nails in his hands in feet. He chose to feel every ounce of the misery and grief from both the physical pain and the emotional/spiritual pain of bearing our burdens.

This train of thought has inspired me to challenge everyone to not live in a bubble. Don’t try to prevent all suffering in your life. Get your hands dirty by helping the hopeless and getting involved in someones life. It is true that the people that disappoint and hurt you the most are the ones that you have poured excessive time into, but you can’t let that stop you from affecting your world. Also, instead of always praying for God to intervene on every situation according to your choosing, learn to truly say from the bottom of your heart and mean it, “Thy will be done Lord”. Jesus put away the thoughts of comfort and thoughts of himself for the will of God to be accomplished. What would happen if we all did the same? Remember, “sometimes love doesn’t feel like it should.”

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about age and how many people like to categorize others according to the age demographic that they are in. Many like to limit what they feel they can do both in the secular and spiritual worlds because of a number. In a youth obsessed culture, John McCain has faced much criticism about running for president in his 70’s. Why is it that in church culture we don’t respect ministers until they reach their mid-fifties and beyond? The church fights enough as it is to stay mainstream and connect to culture yet when we downplay people’s roles and ministries because we don’t feel they are old enough, we are further ostracizing our self from society. Recently, Luke Ravenstahl became the youngest mayor in US history. He is 26 years old and yet he leads, guides, directs, and casts vision for one of the largest cities in North America, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. If this same young man were to try to pastor even some of the smallest of churches we would say that we don’t want a kid in charge. How bizarre is it that we are still holding onto antiquated ideas when even the word of God says not to despise youth and to remember the creator in the days of your youth. There are numerous Biblical examples of men as young as 8 years old fulfilling the calling of God and leading armies to great victories.

This topic has a particular importance for me because my husband and I became pastors at the young age of 21. We are currently missionaries beginning a church plant in Cleveland, Ohio that will have a global impact. God is no respecter of persons. If he has called and commissioned you, you can do it regardless of your age. Age is only an obstacle to those that are disrespectful and unwilling to participate in God’s plan. Many CEO’s, managers, governors, and top ranking officials all fall in the age category of 20’s and 30’s. Why in a world with anti-wrinkle cream, liposuction, and botox is the church still fighting to keep only the oldest members in top ranking positions? This seems out of touch with not only the word of God but with the swing of our culture. Our elders have a lot to provide and give and this is not to be derogatory towards those that are older, however, we must get out of the mindset that you must be a father figure to effectively pastor a church.

I am excited at the trend I see of couples in their 20’s starting churches, pastoring churches, and changing cities for God. Why let the secular world have a one up on us? If a 26 year old can be a mayor to millions of people, why are we worried about a 20 something pastor? Get jealousy and pride out of your heart and be sensitive to what the spirit is saying. Youth are to be the example and the leaders!

1 Tim 4:12-16
12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.KJV