The Call to Live for God (1 Peter 4)

So Satan really is not happy with me. I have felt it this morning since 6 and he totally just deleted this the first time I wrote it...

Yesterday was an AWESOME day and I don't know how it could have gotten any better. Many of you have heard my life motto (J.O.Y. - in order to have true lasting JOY, you need to put JESUS first, then OTHERS, then YOURSELF). Yesterday was the perfect example of that. I spent some sweet time with Jesus yesterday morning. Took a walk through the park and had coffee together. Really cool (try it sometime - it's worth it!). Then a friend and I were working on a project to serve others yesterday. Then last night, I took time for myself by having a fun night at my apartment (sorry Beth if we were loud...). I went to bed about 2:30 this morning and woke up at 6 feeling this oppression from Satan like none other. He isn't happy when someone is doing the will of God and he will try anything possible to prevent you from doing so. So I started praying... And praying... And I asked someone else to pray for me... Then I opened up His word. I have been doing a leadership study on Peter (through LeaderTreks, great study!). Today was the last day in it, but God knew WHAT I needed, and WHEN I needed it.

Every day you do a different Bible study method - today was paraphrasing. Not my favorite, but that is how God spoke to me this morning... Here's my paraphrase of 1 Peter 4.

Christ suffered, so must we. We shouldn't live this life for ourselves, but for God. You have already been like the world: sexually, drinking, idolatry, among others... The world thinks you are crazy for not doing these things. Remember, God will hold them accountable on judgement day. You will be held accountable too! The gospel is preached to the saved and unsaved so that we all have the same standards.
You don't have much time here on earth! Stay focused and PRAY! Most importantly, love each other! Help each other willingly, don't complain about it. God has given us all unique gifts for the purpose of serving each other. Remember, when you speak, God is speaking through you. God will provide you with the strength that you need while you are serving. This is all so God can be praised and glorified. Glory and power truly belong to HIm forever!
Don't be shocked when you experience hard times. Rejoice in it and be on the lookout for how God will bring glory from it. If you are insulted because you are a Christian, blessed are you because someone can see Christ in you! Suffering for sin is not the same as suffering because you are a Christian. We need to re-evaluate ourselves and make sure we are doing what God wants us to. Can you imagine if we aren't doing what we should be doing?! If the righteous can't live out their faith, why would a sinner want to be saved?
*****If you are suffering because of something you are doing for God, draw near to your Creator and keep going! FINISH STRONG!*****

So often when we start living the way God wants us to live - with a purpose and intentionally. But then when we begin to feel oppressed or experience discouragement, we give up or we become less purposeful or less intentional. Can you imagine what this world would be like if every Christian just lived one day with complete purpose and intentionality?! Holy cow! Keep going! FINISH STRONG! You aren't done with this race until you get to heaven!

Wow... What a summer!

Updates... Wow... What a summer!

Started off with Pawley's Island which was amazing. Then interpreted at a vision camp for a deaf child. Cool new experiences working with deaf and "blind". Then my more permanent summer job "interpreting" for a group of 8 deaf pre-k kids. I learned that is not my cup of tea. I like older elementary (1st grade and up). I am still waiting on my school assignment for next year. Still waiting on my NIC test results. I sent my wonderful 8th grade girls off to high school and have moved back down to a new group of 6th grade girls that I am very excited to get to know and pour into these next 3 years of their lives!

God has been teaching me so much about his love. And being content in Him. And teaching me patience. And learning how to balance serving people and building meaningful relationships with people.

I've just started my 2 weeks of vacation (yay for a vacay!). I want to have fun, but I want to use my time wisely. It will end with middle school camp (whoot!). I have a few service projects for people recently added to my schedule that I am super excited about! But I also want to focus on just loving my God. Spending time with Him.

Pray I keep my priorities straight. Many of you know my motto to have my genuine "joyful" personality: serve and love (J)esus (O)thers (Y)ourself. Sometimes it's so easy to flip Jesus with my others (friends and family) and even myself... So yeah...

Love to all my faithful blog readers and to those of you who might be new to my blog or haven't checked in for awhile. It's all good :)

Would you recognize Jesus if you saw Him walking around today?

Okay - so I have been doing a study on Peter and his leadership experience.

Today I was reading John 21:1-23. It's the passage where Jesus asks Peter if he loves him, three times. But something else stuck out to me. Verse 4 says, "Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus." I started thinking, why didn't they recognize who Jesus was? They spent 3 years together - almost every day, serving together, learning together... So how could you not recognize someone you spent that much of your life (especially so recently) with?

I started thinking... I remember last summer I did an internship with LeaderTreks for 11 weeks. I am very involved with the college ministry and middle school ministry at my church - and I am good with faces (not names so much). Anyways - while I was gone for almost 3 months, I only kept in touch with about 3 people and they were my informants of news and passing messages along for me. I remember coming back, and seeing this guy who seemed like he knew me... After some awkward "OH my goodness! I feel so stupid" thoughts... I realized it was Cory Dunbar - he had chopped his long locks of hair off, but I hadn't kept in touch with him or heard any updates... So I totally didn't recognize him...

Same idea with Jesus - Peter and the other disciples hadn't hung out with Jesus lately... They hadn't kept up with him (we have the blessing of having the Bible now). They didn't recognize him! I'm sure they had the same "OH my goodness! I feel so stupid" thoughts I had... But we don't have fall away so far that we wouldn't recognize Jesus if he walked by today... It's sad, we have so many resources - many of us have several Bibles at home, and yet for some reason we don't use them to get to know our Savior, friend, redeemer, comforter, daddy...

That led me to thinking - have I recognized Jesus lately? Last night, I saw Jesus! I was out getting ready to go to my next interpreting assignment. I had just driven through TONS of rain... But Pinellas county was starting to clean up. I looked back towards Tampa and I saw the most beautiful rainbow! I went inside and when I came back out - there were 2 (a double arc!). It was so beautiful - it felt like God had written me the most beautiful love note! I got a picture on my phone if anyone wants to see it...

Anyways - the only reason I believe I recognized Jesus in that rainbow is the fact that I have been trying to stay connected with Jesus - having daily dates with him. When I am not connected, I miss God's messages to us or the glimpses of Jesus we can see if we are looking!

So - anyways... If Jesus were to walk around here today, would you recognize him? Get to know him on a deeper level - no matter where you are right now, you can always go deeper!

Love and hugs,
Joy