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Faith Christian School

New Year’s Resolutions

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New Year’s Resolutions

Welcome to 2015! 

How many of you were ready for a new beginning? What resolutions have you made? 

Eat less and work out more?

Spend less and give more?

Spend more time with the Lord and less time on social media?

Spend more quality time with your kids and less time at work?

It isn’t like we really need a new year to make changes, but January 1st seems to be the jumping off point that many of us need to kick start our motivation and send us on our way to following through on those resolutions. A fresh start. A new opportunity to do that thing that you’ve never done before. A chance to put hard things behind you and look ahead to the exciting things God has in store for you. Two verses come to mind when I think of a new year:

1 Corinthians 2:9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—

Lamentations 3:22-24 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” 

Most of us walk into the new year with great expectation—that this year will be better than the last! That our resolutions will somehow make us happier and healthier. We especially like to think this if last year was a difficult one. We look ahead with great hope that physical ailments, financial struggles, death of loved ones, relationship troubles, work disappointments, and other difficult circumstances will leave the year 2015 untouched. And yet, most of us know that 2015 will probably bring troubles and worries along with it’s joys and triumphs. So what resolutions should we make?

Psalm 73:25-26 says, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Is one of your resolutions to truly desire the Lord and to seek Him fully this year? If so, you can anticipate a GREAT year! Not because it will be perfect or because you will be perfect. Not because it will be easy or because we will be spared hard times. We can look forward to 2015 with joy and excitement because God is the strength of our heart and our portion forever—not just this year, but for all of the years to come. 
He will be with us through whatever ups and downs this year will bring. Praise the Lord that He follows through on every one of his promises, even when the “resolve” in our resolutions waiver.   

God’s Provision

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It never ceases to amaze me how God provides in times of greatest need. As I look back on my life, I can clearly see the evidences of God’s hand guiding, directing, and intervening in situations both big and small.  And yet, I admit there are times where I’ve cried out to God knowing that He couldhelp me, but didn’t want to presume that help would be part of His good and perfect will for my life. Maybe you have cried out to God fervently, all the while fearing that your need was too insignificant or your worthiness too non-existent for God to intervene on your behalf. Yet, despite your doubt, how many could speak to the times that his goodness and faithfulness were revealed just the same? How grateful I am that I can see example upon example of this in my life.
I hope we can all recognize these times of provision in our lives. It’s the time when you only had x amount of dollars in your account and somehow it multiplied and stretched way farther than it should have.  It’s the unexpected check that shows up in the mail to cover just the amount you needed for something. It’s a tumor, disease, or condition that was diagnosed one minute and then gone the next. Or maybe it’s that blessing in disguise—a sprained finger that reveals a bigger issue that would have never been discovered otherwise. Do you have stories?
Last year, my husband and I were going through a time that was really financially tight. We didn’t know how we were even going to put gas in the car to get to work. All we could do was pray that God would intervene and that He would be glorified through our circumstances somehow. Then it happened. That Saturday afternoon, I opened the garage when I heard an awful noise—the kind you know can only be BAD. This was not the answer to prayer I was hoping for.  The garage door proceeded to fall off the tracks and wedge itself diagonally into the frame of the garage. It wouldn’t budge. Not only that, but my car was trapped inside. This was a “now what” moment. My instinct was to panic. To throw my hands in the air and say, “I give up.” And yet, God was saying, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” Twenty minutes later, our doorbell rang. It was a garage door repair man! He just happened to be driving by, saw our mangled garage door, and wanted to know if we wanted him to fix it . . . for free. What an amazing example of God’s provision. I have often looked back on that day and smiled. God had it all under control.
In chapel last week, Mr. B. spoke about George Mueller and God’s provision demonstrated time and time again in his orphanages—times when they didn’t know where the next meal would come from or how the next need was going to be met. And yet, they never asked anyone for anything and never wanted for anything. Sometimes His provision is nothing short of miraculous, and sometimes it is the sound of God’s soft voice reminding us, “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”
This is not to say that God’s faithfulness and goodness is diminished in any way when it seems like He has not answered the prayer or fulfilled the need. At a conference I attended not long ago, one of the speakers made the following statement, “Don’t confuse the results of something bad with how good God actually is. His goodness doesn’t change.” Unfortunately, what we want and what we need is not always known to us. Luckily though, God knows because He cares for us. I love the words in these promises from Matthew:
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26)“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29–31).
When I read those verses, I am reminded of one of my favorite childhood hymns (and one that continues to encourage me in times of trial).

His Eye is On the Sparrow

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me
When you think that nothing else could go wrong and then it does, remember in those times that God is right there to prove His faithfulness and maybe to teach you something that you could not have learned any other way.
I pray that someday God allows me to encourage others with my stories of His provision. Do you have stories to share? If you have one, feel free to share it here so we can be reminded that God is at work every day in our lives.

His eye is on the sparrow, so I KNOW he watches me.

A Picture that is Worth a Thousand Words

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Are you a picture person? I most definitely am. If I had all the time in the world and allowed myself to use it on any one thing, I would probably spend it looking through pictures. Not only do I love looking at them, I love creating online picture books, scanning in old pictures, posting pictures to Facebook and tagging people who would get the biggest kick out of them. Especially now that we have digital cameras that allow you to take 47 pictures in a row just to get the perfect shot,  I could spend hours on my computer weeding out the ones with closed eyes and blurry features, while narrowing in on the one with the perfect lighting, smiles, and expressions. 

Just recently, my laptop became so full of pictures, that I had absolutely no memory left! I decided that something needed to be done to move them onto a storage device and protect them from possible corruption. Imagine my surprise when I found that just my 2010 folder was almost 30 GB. No wonder my computer had no memory–MY memories were stealing it all!
What an amazing gift we have been given to be able to capture our moments of greatest joy and keep them forever: pictures of my childhood and school years, of my newborn children and of them growing up, birthday parties and holiday gatherings, wedding pictures and family trips. These pictures can easily bring tears of joy with the flood of memories, and tears of sadness for the loved ones  I can only see in pictures now.
It is perhaps my love for pictures that has profoundly impacted my love for art. A couple of weeks ago, I went to South Carolina on a trip to visit the publishing company that produces much of our elementary program’s curriculum. While I was there, our group was taken to the Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery which contains the 2nd largest collection of religious art in the world (second only to the Vatican)! I have never considered myself an “art buff”, but I found myself shocked by the emotion that each painting stirred in me–particularly the paintings of Jesus with Mary and Jesus at His crucifixion. These artists may not have had digital cameras and photographs for reference, but each had a crystal clear picture in his head about the scene he was depicting.  While we may not know exactly what Jesus looked like, we have artwork such as these that cause us to imagine, reflect on, and remember Christ’s birth, life, and ultimately His sacrifice. These “pictures” were worth way more than a thousand words.
Genesis 1:1 tells us “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” What an amazing picture God had in His head for creation and how grateful I am that we can enjoy his masterpiece. I’m struck that I can find such joy and amazement in something that took 6 days to speak into being, 4 years to create like the Sistine Chapel, 10 minutes to create like my 5 year old’s latest drawing, or .5 seconds to create like my latest snapshot of my baby girl. Ultimately, each is to be enjoyed and treasured for the memories they give us and the praise we can give our God for such a simple blessing.
What a great picture of God’s love for us that He would give us such a powerful gift. That picture is truly worth more than a thousand words of praise!  

Glass half full?

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Are you a pessimist or an optimist? Do you see the glass as half empty or half full?

I feel like more and more often I come across people, often believers, who have an extremely negative outlook on life. The fact is, we live in a fallen world and we live among fallen people. The Bible is clear about the depravity of man. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Titus 1:15-16 says, “to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.” 

So how can we have a positive outlook on life and be optimistic people when the world seems so out of control? Do we need to mistrust people and protect ourselves from hurt and disappointment at all costs? I don’t think we are called to live that way. 

John 16:33 tells us, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 

We as believers have a hope and a future! How much fuller can our glasses be? When we walk around with pessimism on our lips and a defeatist attitude, we forget who is in control! 

Joshua 1:9 – Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Is it time for you to look on the bright side? Is there some lemonade that can be made with the lemons you have been handed?

Romans 8:28 –  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 

Maybe its time to remember what you DO have instead of dwelling on what you DON’T, and recognize how full your glass really is!

Olympic Lessons Learned

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What is it about the Olympics that draws us in and compels us to set our DVRs? Why do we hear the
Olympic theme song and well up with pride for our country and athletes? I don’t think it is the events themselves. In fact, I would venture to guess that most of us have watched little if any ice skating, speed skating, slope style, luge, or curling over the last 2 years. Yet, if you are like our family, the Olympics have become our “go to” show during dinner and in the evenings.

I am struck by the number of life lessons that can be learned in just one evening of Olympic competition. Every evening seems to be filled with stories of sportsmanship, patriotism, teamwork, and discipline.  In a day and age where most of the programs on television are inappropriate for my young children, I love that they can rally behind an event that in my opinion stands for something special. I know that with each Olympics comes some controversy, but there is the opportunity to stand together to cheer on our fellow man. The commercials alone are enough to bring you to tears and well up with pride at the stories of determination and perseverance. 
My girls are getting to see the agony of defeat and the sweet thrill of victory. They are getting to see that sometimes, things aren’t fair. People can work all of their lives chasing a dream that never comes true. They can also spend their lives chasing a dream that is finally realized despite all of the obstacles in their way.  We find ourselves routing for the underdog, crying for the heartbroken, cringing at the crashes, and cheering for the victors. 
And yes, lessons can still be learned from the athletes that don’t display the levels of sportsmanship we would hope to see. 
 
The Blame Gamers – those who try to point the finger and blame the weather, the slope, the other competitors, or anything else they can to help navigate the disappointment. 
The Entitled – those who think they deserve it more than everyone else and aren’t happy with any medal but the gold. 
The Havic Hopefuls – those who secretly (or openly) hope that the other team will fall, get hurt, or make a mistake that will give them the advantage. 
God created each of these athletes with amazing abilities. Whether they are using their gifts for God’s glory or their own, we are reminded that God has called each of us as believers to run the race to receive the prize. 
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
2 Timothy 2:5
Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules.
I know I will never win an Olympic medal, but I am fully confident that my prize will be far greater! I may never stand on the podium in front of millions of people and hear the National Anthem play, but I look forward to that amazing day when I will sing with the angels in the presence of my KING!

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