Reflections

Thank you so much for keeping up with my blogs. I really enjoy sharing with you the things I have learned, life at Nyack, and everything else in between.

Reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan has been a great book and I got so many applications from it as well. I hope that through some of my blog entries you got something from it as well. The growth with Christ is a process and I know I will slip up and make mistakes, but I am grateful to have a wonderful Father that loves me no matter what. God has truly taught me a lot through just the first semester of college and I look forward to things to come. I want to share God's love not just through my words, but my actions as well. Walking in Love!

I had a wonderful winter break and spent a lot of time with my family and friends. It was great to not have to worry about getting up early or studying but just relaxing. On top of that I had soo much of wonderful home-cooked meals!! I can now say that I am ready to head back to Nyack and begin my spring semester. I am so excited to begin my classes, challenge my mind, continue my growth in Christ, play in the snow, and create more memories.

Please continue to keep me in your prayers. Pray that my spring semester will go smoothly, that I will continue be challenged by Christ, and that I will be able to use my talents for Him. I pray that you may be encouraged and continue to be faithful to God with your life. I leave with these words, "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8)."

Crazy Love Chapter 10: The Crux Of The Matter

In other words...what shall we do? A quote by Annie Dillard says, "How we live our day is...how we live our lives." We each need to discover for ourselves how to live this day in faithful surrender to God as we "continue to work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). Live each day as though each person you come into contact with is Christ. In Chapter 9, Francis Chan shared stories about people who lived their lives faithfully to Christ and we need to be reminded that "God works in a vast number of ways, that He has more in store for you than you can really imagine right now.

A quote from Oswald Chambers says, "Never make a principle out of your experience; let God be as original with other people as He is with you." Francis Chan goes further and says, "Be careful not to turn others' lies into the mold for your own. Allow God to be as creative with you as He is with each of us." Do you really believe that God created you for a specific purpose? Or do you look at your life and try to compare it with the lives of others? God is a Creator not a duplicator, so let that encourage you to know that you were made in a unique way. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 says, "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."

"We try to set our lives up so everything will be fine even if God doesn't come through. But true faith means holding nothing back. It means putting every hope in God's fidelity to His promises." A great analogy that Francis Chan uses is the idea of manure. If you "spread them out then they help everything grow better, but if you keep it one big pile and they stink horribly." So in turn are you "the kind that reeks, around which people walk a wide swath? Or the kind that trusts God enough to let Him spread you out-whether that means going outside your normal group of Christian friends, increasing your material giving, or using your time to serve others?"

Going back to the quote by Annie Dillard in which she said, "how we live our day is...how we live our lives." That is very similar with the body of Christ: "how we believers live out our lives is a microcosm of the life of the church." Our responsibility as apart of the body of Christ "is to help set the pace for the church by listening and obeying and living Christ." We don't necessarily have to preach to our church or congregation, but live out our daily lives through the love and obedience that God has asked of us.

"What will people say about your life in heaven? Will people speak of God's work and glory through you? And even more important, how will you answer the King when He says, 'What did you do with what I gave you?'" Daniel Webster once said, "The greatest thought that has ever entered my mind is that one day I will have to stand before a holy God and give an account of my life." That is so true. Go to Christ and pray these things and then go live the life with your friends, family, parents, neighbors, etc. and empowered you through the Hold Spirit to live.

May we be able to say at the end of our lives, along with Paul,

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on the Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing."

-2 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV

Crazy Love Chapter 9: Who Really Lives That Way?

Sorry for the lack of postings on my blog in awhile. I finished Crazy Love at the end of the fall semester, but didn't get a chance to respond. Now I want to finish my response to the last two chapters of this book.

The title of Chapter 9 is "Who Really Lives That Way?" When you read this, what comes to your mind? Throughout the entire chapter, Francis Chan shared stories of different people that lived a radical life for Christ, fully surrendering everything to Him. Each story was unique in a certain way, but "each bears the mark of a person distinctly transformed by the beauty and reality of God's love and the guidance of the Holy Spirit." I want to share two stories that spoke to me.

The first story is about Simpson Rebbavarapu.

"Simpson was given his English name when he arrived at a missionary-run orphanage around the age of four. His parents had not yet named him, which happens often among the younger children of poverty-stricken, lower-caste families in India. Simpson's mother was married as a child bride around the age of thirteen, a practice still common in Indian villages. Simpson was her sixth child, and the women in the village gave her herbs to end her pregnancy so that she wouldn't have to stop working and have another mouth to feed. But the herbs didn't work. Other villages suggested that she try the 'English medicine.' But when she went to the doctor to have him abort her baby, he did not come to work that day. So Simpson was born, and eventually his parents took him to the orphanage because they knew he would have a better life there, including an opportunity to be educated. Simpson believes that God has always had His hand on his life, because if it had been up to his mother, he would never have been born. Currently, Simpson splits his time between an orphanage that he started an an evangelism ministry that brings God's Word to illiterate villagers through audio Bibles. When asked how he lives and where he gets a salary, he answered in the most simple and humble manner, 'I live by faith...I don't have a family or a wife, so what do I need a salary for?' He would rather have that money go to supporting another program to help people or to expose more people to the Word of God. Simpson says that by living this way, he has to trust that God has His hand on his life and will keep taking care of him. He also says his dependence keeps him in prayer and close to God."

After reading the story of Simpson, I was amazed how God was working in his life even before he was born. The work Simpson is doing now and the lifestyle he lives makes me look at my life and the simplicity my life should be. I want to have the attitude of Simpson where he says he lives my faith and is fully dependent on God. I strive to live that way each day, and for me this story is a good reminder of how my life needs to be fully dependent on God and simple.

The second story is about The Robynson Family.

"This family of five, with three kids under the age of ten, chooses to celebrate the birth of Christ in a unique way. On Christmas mornings, instead of focusing on the presents under the tree, they make pancakes, brew an urn of coffee, and head downtown. Once there, they load the coffee and food into the back of a red wagon. Then, with the eager help of their three-year-old, they pull the wagon around the mostly empty streets in search of homeless folks to offer a warm and filling breakfast on Christmas morning. All three of the Robynson kids look forward to this time of giving a little bit of tangible love to people who otherwise would have been cold and probably without breakfast. Can you think of a better way to start the holiday that celebrates the God who is Love?

Since I have been involved with Hands of Compassion at Nyack, my eyes and heart have been opened to the homeless. This story of the Robynson family is just another example of being called to look after the orphans, the widows and the homeless. I love how the three children who are all under the age of ten are excited to give to others on their Christmas day, instead of staying home and enjoying their presents. They are truly walking in love. With this story in mind, I want to continue showing the love of Christ to all the homeless people I meet as well.

I hope these two stories will give a glimpse of how people put their love of Christ into action. They are truly faithful in all they do. I pray that in your own lives, you be reminded that the Kings of Kings and the Lords of Lords is in control of your life. My small group leader gave us a phrase to remember and I want to share it with you. The phrase is Semper Fidelis which means Always Faithful. Let us all strive to be Semper Fidelis to Jesus Christ.