be still.

still. peace. quiet. calm. is it just me or does it sometimes seem like these words are a non-existent thing in life? 

Headlines: Little Boy with Seemingly Nothing

The sun was setting and the men decided  it would be best if they sent the people in to the town to get food for themselves, since there was no food where they were. Then a very wise Man spoke up, "Don't send them away, give them food." They looked at the man as if He were crazy. "Give them food?!?!? Have you forgotten that we are in the middle of nowhere, that we have no food, and that there are over five thousand people here with us?" 

Then a little boy walks up to one of the men and he tries to get his attention. "Excuse me, sir." He says it again and again, but is only ignored, then finally the man he is talking to turns. "Son, can't you see we are trying to solve a serious problem here?!?!" "I'm sorry, but I just wanted to give this," and he hands him his little lunch, "It's just five small loaves of bread and two small fishes that I brought along with me for lunch. It's not much, but it's all I have."  Just to satisfy the young boy he took the lunch. "Sure, this will help. Five loaves and two fishes. I mean we only have a few thousand people to feed." He chuckles under his breath, while mocking the boy. 

The wise Man comes back to see if they have solved the problem yet. "Did you figure out what we're going to do?" He asks. "I'm not sure," they say, "even if we had two-hundred pennyworths, it still wouldn't be enough money for food for all these people. The only thing we have so far is this." he says while gesturing to the lunch. "Some little boy came up to me and gave me his measly little lunch. I know it's ridiculous!" 

The wise Man spoke up again. "Just make the people sit down, I'll take the lunch and handle this." Though puzzled at the crazy way this Man was acting they obeyed Him. Then the wise Man took the bread and He thanked the Father for it. Then He started break it into pieces. He started handing it to the men. The men who had mocked the little boy for bringing such a small lunch to them.  Then the wise Man did the same thing with the fishes. 

Every one there ate. Then the men went around with baskets and gathered up all the leftovers...and wow! There was an abundance of leftovers! Ever since that day this little boy who had seemingly nothing, this wise Man, who seemed crazy; and the men helping, who made fun of this little boys sacrifice have been talked about. It's a story that won't ever be forgotten.

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Two Sundays ago as I sat in church in Texas and listened to the pastor preach, he preached about this story  -the feeding of the five thousand-  you know, the one found throughout the gospels. As he preached my eyes became filled with tears, and while he spoke the warm tears streamed down my face. 

{but why?}

Because of that boy. He was young. He was a nobody. He didn't have much. But what he did have, he gave. So I sat there and I listened and I became overwhelmed. Because...

{I'm a nobody}

{I don't have much} 

{BUT, I can give} 

and just like Jesus did with this boy's offering, He can use me in ways we could have never imagined-- and He wants to. 

There were also some people that came to my mind during that sermon who need to know this story, and know it well. Those people would be "my" kids, the ones I teach and go to church with. They need to know that God can use the young ones, just like themselves. 

Have you heard the headlines? One boy gives seemingly nothing- just five little loaves and two small fishes. They weren't much, but they were all he had, and God uses this boy and his lunch to feed over five thousand people, but more important than that he continues to use this boys story to change the lives of people thousands of years later. 

//a s p i r i n g//

This apron was a gift from grandma to me just a few short months ago. She gave each one of my sisters and I an apron out of her apron “closet”. What a treasure that was for each one of us. 

As you can tell from the looks of this apron it has been well-used. Worn many times to cook up a mess of food and then serve with a heart full of love. 

I've been going through hope chest stuff lately. Seeing what I have. Seeing what I need. And as I look at each item in my hope chest {which is mainly kitchen stuff} I think and I dream.

I aspire to be like my grandma.

Oh sure she's aged now. 

But those worn out {hands}...

They're from cooking meals and serving others. 

That aching {back}...

It's from being bent over working in the garden. From carrying babies. From working hard. 

Those {wrinkles}...

why they're from laughing.

Those worn out {knees}...

that's from spending countless hours kneeling before her Father and bringing each family members name up before Him. 

Those weary {eyes}...

are from staying up caring for people, watching for people, crying for people.

That worn out {body}...

it's from spending her life poured out to make a life for her children. And her grandkids, and great grandkids, and great- great grandkids.

But that {heart}...

oh that heart. I think it's stronger and fuller now than it ever has been. Because her love just keeps on growing. 

You see that is why I aspire to be like her. 

Because what an amazing woman she is. 

{sorry this is a picture of a picture. It's my grandma feeding me and my cousin Jed}

Serving...always serving...

I hope to be the wife she was, the mom she is, the grandma she is...most of all I hope to be 

{the virtuous woman} 

she is.

  

I'm finally posting about the Caldwell's being at our church like I said I would a week ago. 

They did a number of things while they were at our church...preached at our Sportsmans dinner,taught classes,preached,fellowshipped with us,and so on. It was a real blessing have them here and I learned so much from them. 

We had classes with them on Monday and Tuesday night,4 classes in all. There is so much that could be said about these classes,but I'll try to just highlight a few things. 

Class # 1  was about having Visual Passion in Your Children's Ministry.

 This was more aimed towards the teachers heart. Here are some things that really stuck out to me:

 Bro. Caldwell talked about being engaged in what you are passionate about. He later on mentioned that to be fully engaged means that you must be lost in the person of Jesus Christ. 

He also mentioned that ministry without passion is ineffective. 

"A visual passion will infect people. The message you've got is more important than you. Be foolish for Christ!" 

Class #2 was Teaching Children with a Variety of Visuals 

These guys are masters at visuals. I could say a whole lot about this,but I won't.

"To apply truth in a message or lesson,we must do more than say it,we must show it."

Class #3 was Mystery in Your Children's Ministry

I went to this class out in Ohio at the LLC,but it was good to hear it again. 

"Seek life change...if you are changing,your students will be changing...if you are not achieving life change you need to change something in your class or life." 

Everything involved in ministry takes work-but it is really worth it!! 

Class #4 was Getting Started with Puppets

Let me just say...I am not sure how anyone can sit through this whole class and at the end not want to be a puppeteer! There will definitely be puppets next time I teach junior church. I already asked one of the teen boys in our church to do puppets for me and he is already asking me what the lesson is about!! 

These classes were so good and it is so hard to really write about them briefly. I can't wait to hear them again!!