"All for you and for YOUR Glory"

As I sit and write this update, I am in the heart of Music City: downtown Nashville, Tennessee. I am right next door to the Country Music hall of fame museum and just a block or so down from the Ryman. It has been such a blessing to be able to come to Nashville for the National Youth Workers Convention. I am so grateful that Highlands believes in training and equipping their staff and I have loved hearing from many seasoned ministry leaders. 

Even though this is a Youth Ministry convention and I do Chilren's Ministry, I have been able to take away a lot of ideas on leadership that I can apply to myself and my ministry context working with Children. I have been attending the more generic leadership seminars this week. I went to one the other day entitled: 'Being a Leader Worth Following' with Greg Stier. Greg works with the organization Dare 2 Share….equipping young people to share their faith with their friends and family. I had never heard Greg speak before but I was soon captivated by his ability to tell a story, command the attention of the room and speak so much truth in such simple phrases. 

"It isn't about what you do for Jesus, it's about what Jesus can do through you." 

Greg said the above statement and suddenly I was transfixed on this comment. "It isn't about what you do for Jesus…" So often I have found myself saying that I want to do this or that for Jesus. I have been taught this principle by many people, with good intentions, but with such an essential element lacking. If we look at everything this way, suddenly it isn't about Jesus at all. It is about how I can do this, or how I can plan this event, or how I can bring this many people to Jesus. When, reality is, Jesus doesn't need me to do a thing. Yes, we need to steward ourselves well, but really, Jesus will be working in people's lives wether or not I am here to influence them and tell them about Jesus. I am not the super star individual, HE is and I should be getting out of His way and directing people to Him working through me, not simply what I can do by myself.

Then looking at the next part of the phrase, "It's about what Jesus can do through you." THIS is where we must keep our focus. God has given me the gifts, the talents and the personality I have for a reason and HE will move through me if I am willing to surrender everything and allow Him to work. When we look at everything in this perspective, the focus is taken off of us, and onto Jesus, saying, "Jesus do with me what you please…I will go where you direct…" When we are willing to surrender our desires, passions, future and 'our plans' Jesus is willing and READY to do amazing things with our faith. 

A picture from the Big Room with all of us worshiping
together. Such an awesome experience! 

Another neat thing about this convention is that there have been some awesome worship. We heard from Audrey Assad, Rend Collective Experiment and Shane and Shane to name a few. I do not remember which artist sang this particular song but this has been my prayer all week….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h64opCwLZCw

Glory to God Forever 

My favorite part of the song is this: 

Take my life and let it be 

All for You and for Your glory 

Take my life and let it be Yours

May this be the prayer of your heart as well as many of you serve in different capacities at various Churches. May we allow Jesus to use us for all His glory, not simply to add another thing to our 'I did this for Jesus' list. 

Jesus is MORE than Enough

As the calendar changes into November I find myself sitting and watching the now bare trees sway in the late fall windstorms. This week we had a power outage, some rain and a few days of beautiful fall weather. As I see fall flying by I look ahead to what are my favorite 2 months of the year. The middle of November into early January are my favorites. Yes, I like Spring because of the beautiful flowers and anticipation of summer. Summer is good because it is restful and full of many outdoor adventures and now a new favorite: summer camps! Fall is great because of football and a new year beginning. But, for me...this season...now until January is my absolute favorite. 

My girls. I just love them all! <3

These last few weeks have flown by with a vacation to Portland to visit my Vancouver kids and see my school friends again. I LOVED being able to surprise my girls. It was a sweet reunion with hugs, laughter and a few tears (for me!) :) I came back rejuvenated and full of love from people that know me so well and again, praising the Lord for how He provides.       

         

After a few quick days in the office we were headed to Seabrook for a Children's and Student Ministries Staff retreat. It was so refreshing to get away for a few days at the beach to rest, play, spend lots of time with Jesus and be away from the crazy life of ministry. I have been craving time with the team for months now and it was so good to be able to really build relationships with the men and women I am so blessed to serve Jesus with. I am still unpacking all that God was wanting to teach me this week but I think I have a bit of an idea so I thought I would share. 

Nothing beats a walk on the beach. Even in the windy
cold of November!

During our time away, we were working through a study by James Macdonald looking at The Promises of God. We walked through five different promises and unpacked each of those. Each of these promises spoke so clearly to me but the underlying theme that I found myself going back to: Is Jesus Enough? As I have stepped into this ministry I have found myself believing lies, doubting God is going to use ME to do His work, comparing myself to those who have been in ministry a long time...failing to remember that they once were new to ministry...just like me. Our last morning on retreat it felt as if I was hit in the face with a softball going a million miles an hour. This whole time, I have compared myself, doubted and believed lies of inadequacy without even really realizing. I have been suffering through all of these with the most harmful one: doubting Jesus is Enough for me. I realize now that all the needs of my ministry and all the needs I have in my personal life can all be answered in Jesus and Him alone. It is by His grace we live each day. Psalms 23:1 says, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." I realize now that I have failed to allow the Lord to be ALL I need. I hate my sin and I hate the fact that I do not realize all that the Lord has given me by simply giving me Himself. 

I have discovered this week that, for me, Jesus is Enough. And, not only that, He is MORE than enough for me. Will you allow Him to be More than Enough for YOU?