Keeping things in perspective...

So...this past week - the weather has been, well, schizophrenic. (Did I spell that right?) Literally, we've hit 60 degrees, then it rains, then snows, then hails, then sleets, then it's sunny, then it hails, then snows, then rains, then sunshine --- all within just a few minutes. I was on the phone with a friend in Atlanta who asked me how the weather was and I gave her the play-by-play as I was driving down the road...she thought I was kidding. Totally serious. Totally bizarre. So, this morning we wake up, and it's snowing (more flurries like), then hails, then snows. And it's cold!! So, off to get Kaylee's heavy coat out of the storage bin (I put all the heavy winter stuff away last weekend) and send her off to school. By this afternoon, beautiful sunshine - still fairly cold - but beautiful! I CAN'T WAIT FOR REAL SPRING & SUMMER!

Now in the scheme of things - is what it's doing in the weather really that important? Oh, don't get me wrong - I'm a grump if it's gray, and I squeal in delight when I see even the smallest glimmer of blue sky through the clouds. But I think sometimes those small glimmers speak more clearly. Let me share a few things that are MUCH more important than...the weather...

New Christians - yep - in the month of March (actually all within a week) eight middle school students accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior! Now that deserves a HUGE party, a giant celebration! Honestly, the night 6 of them accepted Christ I couldn't sleep. I was giddy, literally, excited, thrilled, amazed, humbled...I mean this is the beginning of eternal life unfolding right before our eyes. I'm amazed! Please be praying with me for these 8 students that their faith in Him is so rooted that it will never waiver.

A Day trip to Bridgeport - Sunday was "Reward Day" for 8 girls who took it upon themselves to achieve a HUGE task. Over the last 2 months+ we've been doing a series "What's This?" at The Link, looking at the big picture story of the Bible. We studied the 12 eras of the Bible, had a sign, sound, and sentence for each Era. So...we challenged the students to remember the signs, sounds & sentences for the 12 eras, plus Psalm 119:9-11. When they told one of the leaders all these things, they were in --- for a day away trip. Lunch & Movie. So, yesterday, we were off to Bridgeport for P.F. Changs and to watch Horton Hears a Who (I'll blog on this movie later). P.F. Changs was nothing short of fabulous. The movie - I love it. I saw it twice in one weekend. But better than that were the girls that took on this challenge. They are all fairly different. They have different backgrounds, different things they love and get excited about. But when we sat around the table, or rode in the van, I couldn't help but think how the world will be different because of these 8 girls. How they will be people who change the world. They were not afraid of a BIG challenge. They were excited, not just about the lunch & movie, but about what they were learning. They were spurring each other on about something eternal and life-changing. A love and appreciation and understanding of The Bible, that they can carry with them the rest of their days. A love and commitment to Jesus and becoming more like Him, to become the women of God He designed them to be. They are amazing... Could you do it? Name the 12 eras of the Bible? Tell the story of the Bible in a relatively short time, plus quote memorized Scripture. Even that alone (the memorization thing) is tough. These girls are amazing! I'm so proud of them.

Stories that make you go, I'm such a schmuck - so Josh showed two different videos at The Link this weekend. One of Immaculae (I think that's how you spell it), who translated her survival story from the Rwandan genocides in 1994 (amazing story of survival - 91 days in a tiny bathroom with 6 other women, hiding from murderous enemies who wanted nothing more than to torture and kill them). And how she clung to God's Word and to prayer and to God Himself in a way unlike she had ever experienced before. And how in the midst of utter hell on earth, she was able to have hope, joy, peace, patience, goodness... Then another story of a China missionary who had the privilege of piecing together a Chinese Bible from 6 copies of the Bible, to give to a woman who had boldly and unashamedly announced Jesus as her Lord for her life in front of a court with a huge audience, begging her to deny Him. But she couldn't and wouldn't, and was sentenced to spending her life raking the public sewers. So --- 30+ years later this missionary and she cross paths, and she wants a Bible. He meets up with a pastor and asks for 1. He had 6, but they had been marked by customs that he had to leave the country with 6. So, the missionary and his wife cut out pages from the 6 to make 1 complete copy, and provided this gift for this amazing hero for the sake of Christ. They attempted to give her clothing and money (equal to 4 years of salary for her), but she brushed them aside looking for the Bible. When she got it she clung to it for life. And said these other things are nothing in comparison to this (pointing to the Bible).

I'm a schmuck. I get stuck on the weather, tv shows, the laundry getting knocked over after I fold it. At times I get stoked about the things God is doing, in my life and in the life of others. But I don't live every moment to the fullest for Him. What will it take for that to happen? My prayer is that I can get to the point in my life (I used to say my Christian life, but my life is my Christian life, or should be)...that I get the point in my life that having to work out my faith is so ingrained into who I am, that it's not work anymore. My guess --- I won't have that until the other side of heaven's gates --- but I'm striving for it. I want it. I want Him to be close. To be here. To be real. To be faithful. And He is...