Unmoving

You know, this week it hit me again. Hit me hard. So hard that I was ashamed, ashamed to have needed to be reminded.

Reminded of the cross... and what exactly Christ's blood bought. I sometimes think, "Sure, we're saved." "Yeah, God has given us grace." "Of course it's great that we don't have to pay the price for our sin." WHAT! What am I thinking?!? How cheaply do I view the agony and blood of Jesus Christ?

"We are not servants to the penalty for our sin, but that guilt and penalty have been removed at the cross." When I truly think about it, I deserve to suffer. I deserve to feel terrible for the countless times I sin. But I don't have to, because Christ did all that suffering for me. Why? Why, would He do that?

Because... I am so depraved that there is no way, ever, that I could make up for my sins. No matter what rituals I complete, what sacrifices I make, or what merit making things I attempt I can never succeed. God knew that so HE sent righteousness to me to meet this need. Righteousness in the form of His son.

"The Spirit of God and the absence of an attitude of defeat go hand in hand." Am I sinful? Yes. Do I sometimes live in the flesh? Yes. On the cross, did Jesus condemn sin in the flesh? Yes. Does that mean that I am not bound to my flesh and the defeat it brings? Yes.

"We do not fulfill the law by walking in the Spirit instead of the flesh, but God fulfills the law in us when we walk after the Spirit of God." I was amazed yet again, by the craziness of this. I can't save myself...I don't even have to try. When we believe in Christ and the work He did on the cross we receive righteousness and a new life. We don't have to walk a life of flesh, we are not bound to it. The way that we do live, in view of the truth, shows others the Spirit of God.

You know, all this amazes me. That God would do this for sinful people... Why would He care to send us righteousness? Why does He want to redeem us? What are His motives?

I can only think of one...

Love.

One of my favorites songs has the words: "When did love become unmoving? When did love become unconsuming?" (You Can Have Me by Sidewalk Prophets)

When did it?

This week I had to think about that...love of this magnitude...why I am unmoved? Do I really think that God desires to save me because of all I would do for Him? Or because I would understand the depth of His love and respond appropriately? No. He knew I wouldn't understand, He knew I would never do amazing things for Him, He knew I would never love Him as He deserved. It didn't matter though, because He loved me that much. He loves you that much too. Do you believe that? Are you moved? Are you consumed?

* Quotes from King James Version Bible Commentary on Romans 8

Days of Our Lives

It's been awhile since I've posted anything, I've been working on a few posts that just are not ready for public consumption yet. In the meantime, I thought I'd show you some pictures of what my students have been up to recently and share a couple stories about what has been going on in our 1st Grade Classroom.

Science...an excuse to play in mud...right? Well, we were learning but there was a little bit of playing involved. What's it worth being a kid if you can't get a little messy?

Story of the Day: Every morning when we troop in from assembly where my sweet students sing the national anthem extremely loudly and often off key we start the day with milk box in hand. We always pray the same little prayer and the students pray it with me. Today as we finished with, "...And thank you for each other." My little boy looks at me and says, while doing the motions, "head and shoulders?" As if asking if that is what we were saying. Oddly enough it did kinda sound the same as "each other."While I think it is a wonderful thing to thank God for our heads and shoulders I explained to the class that we were saying thank you for everyone in our room. I proceeded to say "Thank you God for _______" inserting every one's names. After I had finished one of my little girls blurted out, "Thank you God, Miss Emily!" It made my heart smile.

Today I had my "counselling" class, a required Thai government class which I teach more like Sunday School. We talked about how God loves us when we are good or bad, a point which was a little bit hard to get across. Today in a mix of English and Thai with some help from my class we got the point across that God loves us very much no matter what we do. The one who actually most clearly understood and said correctly in Thai was one of my little girls who comes from a Buddhist background. I never cease to be amazed with how God works.

I wanted to share this picture of my class taken just after we made our beautiful "God Loves Me!" necklaces. The looks on their faces in this picture are good snapshots of their personalities. I'd like to say that my sole male student is doing our Bible verse hand motion for Jesus Christ but I'm pretty sure he's just karate chopping something. I wouldn't have it any other way. Please continue to pray for understanding for the kids as we are really trying to intentionally and clearly share the Gospel with them.

So, as the middle of the term draws near, the numbers of mosquitoes increase, and the heat actually subsides a bit we keep on keeping on. I continue learning how to love others, teach my students, and seek after God each day.

Pressing On

I learned something about life from one of my little girls this week. It happened like this...
This student can do and will do her work, but it just takes her a little bit longer than the rest of her classmates. During this particular math class when the students were working on independent worksheets she would continually read me the problem in English in hopes that I would help her figure out the answer. Now she is perfectly capable of doing the work on her own, it is just easier and faster (she thinks) if she asks me. So, several times I responded to her by telling her in English and in Thai to think carefully and do the work herself. On maybe the sixth occasion of me saying that I was finishing up with another student and was just about to go over to see what progress she was making. As I went over, her head was down, and I could see that she was crying. My heart went out to her remembering times when I felt similarly frustrated. I sat down with her, rubbed her back, and told her she could do it (in Thai). I let her sit for just a minute or so and then said, "Are you ready?"(in English) to which she responded emphatically, "Yes!"(in English) She then proceeded to work with more focus and energy than she had all day. She finished her work in record time. I was just so surprised by her response. I don't know what I expected, maybe moping, maybe more tears, maybe a struggle. But she just overcame her emotions and frustrations and carried on in a joyful and determined manner. I think I need to be a bit more like that. "...I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14

Thank You!

Thank you all for your prayers, love, and support. You are a part of bringing the hope of Jesus to these precious children! We would not be where we are without all of you. Please take one minute to watch this video...to see these beautiful children... and to pray for their futures.

(Click on the button on the far right with two arrows to see video in full screen.)

Refuge

It began with a typical rainy season thunder storm which deceives by starting slowly but then suddenly pouring water from the heavens. After running outside to rescue shoes from drowning, I stood on our porch as the water cascaded down so close yet not touching me. And in that moment I thought, "This is it...this is what it feels like to be secure, perfectly content, and peaceful in the shelter of His wings." Gazing out into the storm that embodied both danger and life realizing that life's storms are quite similar. In life sometimes, I feel very much caught in a raging storm out from under the safety of my porch. All the while not realizing that I have the choice to step from the deluge into the refuge of the Lord. Sometimes, I focus on the wind whipping the trees to and fro and don't notice the light blue in the distance promising sunshine once again. Actual rain brings life to thirsty creatures, growth to miles of rice fields, and for a little while relief from the heat. Spiritual rainstorms also bring life to thirsty souls and grow faith and trust in the Lord.

~Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by. ~ Psalm 57:1