Love in LoCo

Tomorrow morning I leave for my first FCA camp of the summer, Virginia Leadership Camp.   My role at this camp and our upcoming multi-sport camp at the University of Richmond is Huddle Leader Coordinator.   I love this role because it means I get to the camp early and train and equip the college athletes who will then lead the middle and high school students attending the camp.   If I’m honest, over the past couple of weeks, I’ve spent more mental energy stressing about filling these Huddle Leader roles than I have spent praying about it, forgetting that the battle is not mine, but God's (2 chronicles  20:12 ). What if, every time I start to feel my anxiety elevate, I pause and praise God in the midst of the battle? What kind of great blessing would I see then, both for our camp in and in my own life?   I believe the enemy knows that students’ and coaches’ lives are changed at camp and he will do whatever he can to discourage us before we even get there.   I need to remind myself

Several weeks ago, I mentioned that my new small group is going through Annie F. Downs’ Bible study, Looking for Lovely .   The focus of the study is perseverance and it centers around Romans 5:3 – 5, “ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope.   And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”   In this Bible study and her book by the same title, Annie talks about how hope is not a fruit of the spirit.   We don’t get it automatically when we decide to follow Jesus.   We have to work for it.               So how do we persevere through hard or even just ordinary seasons?   According to Annie, we look for lovely.   We look for the places where God is showing up in big ways and in little details.   Here are some of the places that I am finding the lovely in my life right now:      

Dear Loudoun Students, You’re almost there.   Just a few weeks left.   How are you feeling?   Tired, I bet.   As a former teacher I can assure you that your teachers are tired too.   (But no, you can’t just “do nothing” for the rest of the year.   Believe, me, that would be torture for everyone and would get old super fast!)   Some of you are approaching the end of your AP testing schedule, completely exhausted and overwhelmed.   Others of you may not have had any AP tests this time around but you’re about to be hit with VA SOL tests next week or so.   Plus, SAT test dates abound each weekend.   I’m sure you are so ready to be finished, especially those of you who are seniors and have known where you are going to college next year since February.   But can I offer you just a small bit of advice? Finish well. God has given you a brain and, like the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14 – 30, He has entrusted you to use it well.   Keep working hard.   Rely on the Lord for

You know how making the choice to go to the gym or order a salad instead of pizza is hard, but you try to do it anyway because you know it will be better for you in the long run?  That’s kind of how I feel about inviting people into the hard places in my life or entering into those places with other people.  Over the past few years, miscarriages, infertility, cancer, and suicide have marked people I love.  Throw in the normal, everyday tests of sickness, finances, and job stress, and it’s enough to make me want to curl up into the fetal position and vow to never leave my house again!  Since I’m an introvert by nature, when I’m going through a trial in my life, my natural tendency is to shut down.  Reaching out in a time like this feels counterintuitive. It seems easier to not let people in.  Easier, perhaps, but lonely. We’re not meant to trudge through this life on our own.  Our triune God is relational in His very nature.  Three in One.  And He has created us to need relationshi

Since the beginning of time, God has called His people to live in a way that is set apart from the rest of the world.  In the Old Testament, this included things like not eating certain foods and following specific instructions to prepare sacrifices.  Throughout the Bible, God set standards for His people regarding how they should worship Him.  Many of these rules served to distinguish them from the rest of the surrounding nations and pagan practices of the time.  While we do not need to worry about sprinkling the blood of our burnt offerings on our ear lobes or big toes (see Leviticus 14:28), God’s people are still called to live set apart in today’s culture.  For a student who is seeking to follow Jesus, this might mean not listening to certain types of music if the lyrics aren’t honoring to the Lord.  For adults, especially in the culture here in Northern Virginia, we can choose to live set apart in truly setting aside time each week for Sabbath to recognize our own limitations a