Sometimes we have to make a Trade

Last evening I returned from a trip to Northern Ohio to see our first and only Niece. We love all of our nephew's but when a girl comes along amongst the boys there sure is extra excitement!

Although we drove a total of 16 hours and spent about that in awake hours with them it was worth it to see her so small and "new". I have no idea when the next time will be when I see her or her family again.

Why am I telling you this? Well, I've been thinking... If you haven't read my previous post please take some time to do so. We are starting a discussion on the idea of being a "Trader" In our Sr. High Youth Ministry.

This Sunday we will be looking at "The History of Traders" We are going to talk about Biblical characters and modern day people who have traded something for the cause of Christ.

It gets me thinking what have I traded? First thing that comes to my mind is being close to my family. My husband and I live hundreds of miles from any immediate family. To say our transition to living in SW Virginia was difficult would be putting it lightly.

God sent us to work at Joy Ranch Home for Children. After being there nearly a year I was questioning why God sent us there. We were on duty for 24 hours 4-6 days a week, & we worked every weekend. We had no friends and obviously no family. There was no time to make friends and no way to get involved with the church we attended. We were getting worn out in every way a humanly possible.

To make a long story short we ended up coming on staff at Blue Ridge Fellowship. We had been hurt at our last church in Michigan. I didn't think I would ever want to work at a church again. But when I walked through the doors of Blue Ridge I told myself (and God) this is a place I could see myself at. I didn't pursue it I didn't think they would need us. But God in his perfect timing worked it all out. (thats another story)

I sit here as the Youth Coordinator extremely happy and excited about the future. Things are still not easy. In fact things are rather difficult. I believe Satan is real and is doing all he can to destroy the work of this church and the people doing the work.

Our Sr. High Youth Ministry is going to take a stand. We are going to trade in the things of this world for the things that God has planned for us. I hope you join us!

I miss my family. I miss seeing my nephew's and niece grow up. I miss the youth ministry I was a part of in Lansing, MI ( http://www.myspyn.org ) and all the friends there. But following God's call on my life is SO worth it! Sometimes we have to make a trade. Make sure you are trading up and not down! Choose things that will make an eternal difference!

I love SW Virginia, I love Blue Ridge Fellowship, I love the people in my community, and I love my Jesus who gave up everything for me!

Will you be a Trader?

The Sr. High youth service has been great these last couple of weeks. Students are opening up and sharing honestly from the heart.

Last Sunday we talked about "Idols" in our lives. Things that distract us and come before God. It could be things like sports, friends, money etc.

We talked about how there is a "hurt dealer" Someone who is dealing out hurt to people. The dealer is Satan. That he wants to see us hurt, destroyed and ultimately dead.

Many youth are feeling attacked personally, parents are losing jobs, friends are fighting, relationships are ending, people are sick, things just aren't looking up.

This Sunday we looked up... we saw God loving us through the trials.... we saw that we must be doing something right if Satan is trying so hard to bring us down.

We decided that we will grab on to the hand of Jesus and He will walk us through the storms we are facing.

We are going to trade in the pursuit of "The American Dream" this ME ME ME mentality. To pursue Christ.

A Trader is a new kind of missionary, its not where you live that makes you a missionary its the mission you are on that makes you a missionary.

Being a Trader is a movement that requires us to live out our faith. Not just talk about it. As a trader we must choose daily to sacrifice and be intentional with our time, money and skills.

A Trader must hate injustice and find specific ways to bring the hope found in Jesus to desperate situations.

A Trader see's work and school and everything they do as an act of worship. God is glorified when we use our God given passions and skills with excellence.

A Trader must act swiftly because the time is right now.

Our short time here can have an eternal impact.

Will you be a Trader?

Join us this Sunday at 11:15am to learn more about being a Trader.

Do your kids feel safe at school?

Just yesterday I was sitting in the band room at the Carroll County Intermediate School. (Grades 7-9) I was there sitting with some students listening to the FCA speaker. He was a local pastor giving a message from the book of Nehemiah. He was talking about the walls around Jerusalem being rebuilt. How when the walls were down the people must have felt unprotected and scared.

I sat there looking at students faces.. were they listening? Were they learning about team work? (the purpose of his message was team work, each built their section of the wall to get it done)

Or were the students sitting in that room still half asleep? Were they there for the free doughnuts and orange juice? There for their friends? There to avoid the bullies in the hallway?

The speaker asked the student's if they felt safe in the school. If they felt safe within those walls. I looked to see their reaction. There wasn't much of a reaction. I hoped that they felt safe. But maybe they didn't.

Ask the student's that question this morning and I'm sure there would be a resounding NO we do not feel safe.

At approximately 8:45 this morning the administration of Carroll County Intermediate School was informed by a parent that there was a possibility of a weapon being on school property. Carroll County Intermediate School went into lockdown and with the assistance of the Carroll County Sheriff's Department and theHillsville Town Police conducted a search of the building that uncovered two firearms. These firearms were confiscated without incident and two students were taken into custody.

All students were safe in their classrooms as the searches were conducted. The school was returned to normal operation and we plan on continuing with the remainder of the school day.

-Taken from WSLS News 10

Thankfully no one was hurt. I'm not sure of the intent of the students who brought those firearms onto campus. Was it to be cool? Was it to see if they could get away with it? Was it to cause harm? In either circumstance its becoming more and more difficult for students these days.

Carroll County isn't a big inner city where people tend to expect violence and gun trouble. I pray for our student's and their families. I pray that Christians will stand up for what is right and reach out to those in need. That they would be "Jesus with skin on" to those around them. That there wouldn't be students eating alone at lunch. That if someone is being bullied that they would stand up for the victim and they would tell an adult.

I pray that Christian students would unite and pray for their schools. That they would not be ashamed to do the right thing even if it costs them their popularity.

The world/life isn't going to get any easier. If God is for us than who can be against us? He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world. Stand up for what you believe. Be bold! Love God and Love People!

Haiti

This June I am embarking on a mission trip unlike any I've ever been on before. I am leaving yet again the comfort of the United States to go to a culture I've never experienced. I have always had a small tug in my heart for the Haitian people. When the Earthquake struck the tug grew stronger. Yet I never acted on that pull.

I went on my first mission trip when I was 16. I went all by myself not knowing anyone. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I quickly got acquainted with the team I would be with for the next 2 weeks and those weeks in Jamaica sharing the Gospel changed me!

I have since been to Costa Rica, Honduras and several mission trips in the U.S. Each one made a difference in my life and the lives we went to serve. God called me to youth ministry when I was on my first mission trip.

I was planning a trip for my current Student Ministry to go on and I called up Brian Connor for some advice. What the conversation ended with both was of us praying to see if God wanted our Student Ministry to go to Haiti with Brian. Obviously you know the conclusion of our prayers.

I am almost in tears as I write this because of the passion I have to see young people experience what it means to make a global difference in the name of Jesus. Mission trips are often smelly, never comfortable, full of hard work and lovely people. In fact not only will your surroundings smell, you will smell and sweat, and work and love, and smile because you will experience God like you never have before.

I wish every teen could go on a trip like we are about to go on. If only to be thankful for what they have here in the U.S. (but each person will get and give SO much more)

I am so excited to go on this trip because its unlike any I've ever gone on before. It is a PEACE trip.

The PEACE Plan is a mission strategy which uses ordinary people to attack the 5 Global Giants of; Spiritual Emptiness, Corrupt Leadership, Poverty, Sickness and Lack of Education. We teach people how to help themselves and battle these Global giants using simple tools and methods. In short, PEACE is a “hand up” not a “hand out”. We will focus on sustainable development in Haiti. We will help the Haitians in a way which they can continue to help themselves after we return to the U.S.

Here are some of the things we will be teaching the local church ministry teams to do while we are there:

• Basic preventive health and hygiene
• Prevention of Malaria, Parasites, Tuberculosis, Tetanus, Dysentery and Cholera
• Human Nutrition
• High-yield gardening (and cash crops)
• Rain water harvesting
• Youth and Children’s activities
• Prayer and encouragement
• Medical treatment
• Helping to rebuild the church grounds

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

James 1

This is a hard time for my church family. Our pastor is in the hospital in critical condition. Many in our church are fighting illness and financial difficulty. It seems like Satan is attacking from every angle. He's trying to ruin marriages, relationships between children and their parents, and anything that is pleasing to God. It seems he is trying to bring our family down and make us feel hopeless. Its not going to happen.

I pray daily for our pastor and the people of our church. Not only that they will come through this difficult time but that we would all see God through this time. I don't understand why it has to be so hard sometimes, but I do know that trials only refine us.

We could give up and say its not worth the fight this is too hard. We could sit around and be sad about our situations. But we won't. This in fact is a time for us to pull together. To show Satan that we will not give up and we have not forgotten the purposes of our lives and of the church.

I believe Satan spends more time on people and churches that are making a difference for the Kingdom of God. If he didn't feel intimidated/threatened by us he would leave us alone. Our local church has a bright future! I pray that the people of this church will pull together during this time and show our community and the world what it means to be followers of Christ. Show the world what it looks like to live in community with fellow believers, and be the church.