by | Faith Lived Out
I was having a heart to heart with a good friend the other day over a fruit cup at Panera. They should add more pineapple chunks to the mix. Anywho, I was speaking some truth to her – some of it hard to swallow.
photo credit: steve snodgrass (creative commons)
In one point of our conversation I told her going through these things sucks. It’s gonna hurt. I couldn’t candy coat it for her. But I made the promise that things are so much better on the other side. I assured her that freedom was waiting for her. Then she asked me this question that’s really had me doing some thinking:
“Has it really been worth it for you on the other side?”
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by | Faith Lived Out, Life Application
A month ago I quit school. Well, I actually quit in my head. I woke up and told myself, There’s no way I can get caught up with this Algebra class. I’m just going to go in and withdrawal and be done with it. The whole hospital thing had done me in. My mind was set. I was done with school.
An hour later I walked out registered for the Fall semester and had 13 days to pass my final Algebra class. There were two tests I had to make up – the last chapter and the final exam. I honestly had no idea how I was going to survive those next two weeks or what I was going to do, but God reminded me he had brought me this far, we weren’t giving up now.
I sought out a tutor. I studied. I fought. I studied. I quit. Then I took the first test.
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by | Faith Lived Out
photo credit: betterworldbooks
Today I’m asking you for a HUGE favor.
I need you to pray for me.
Tomorrow I will take what I pray and hope is my final math test for the rest of my life. This is two years in the making, and well, to be honest, math is NOT by subject. I have struggled and cried through four classes making it to this point.
My 10-day stint in the hospital put me behind so I’ve had to scurry around and try to get prepared for this thing. I’m nervous.
Tomorrow at 9am I take the test.
Will you pray for me?
by | Faith Lived Out
As I write this, I’ve just finished staring at the agenda of a website created by members of a particular Baptist church. Today’s plans are to picket a gay pride parade, followed by plans to surround the funeral of a fallen soldier sharing the “truth” of God’s Word on cardboard signs.
My stomach turns. My heart breaks at the images of little children forced to wear defiling t-shirts and hold signs up screaming hate towards homosexuals. Honestly, I struggle knowing I need to pray for the parents of those innocent kids whom may never understand the true meaning of grace. Give me a minute. If I don’t pray now my heart may harden too much to do so later. Okay, I’m back.
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by | Faith Lived Out
From Sundi Jo: This is a guest post by Jeff Randleman. Jeff if the the youth minister at Brooksville Christian Church, in Brooksville, Florida, husband to Heather, and father to five wonderful kids. You can read his blog at jeffrandleman.com and follow him @randleman on Twitter. Want to submit your guest post? Click here for the details.
We just moved over 1000 miles.
We left southern Missouri and moved to the Gulf Coast of Florida.
We don’t know anyone here. The culture is different from the small-town, mid-western mindset we are used to. In fact, we’ve barely experienced anything about this state at all. My wife and I visited Florida once, over ten years ago, on vacation.
That’s it.
And so, uprooting my family (we have five kids, with another on the way) and moving them halfway across the continent was no little thing. I feel a little of what Abraham must have felt when God called him to leave Ur and go someplace else. At least, in my case, I knew what our destination was.
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by | Faith Lived Out
I don’t get God. I don’t understand despite what I do, how He can give me so much grace and mercy. Yet He does.
photo credit: matthew venn (creative commons)
A few nights ago I had myself a mini meltdown. I was tired. I wasn’t feeling well. I got triggered during a phone conversation and completely lost it after I hung up. I saw a side of me I hadn’t seen in a while. Through the snot bubbles and not so Christian words, I realized I probably looked like a complete moron. Turns out I’ve got some heart issues to work on I didn’t know were still there.
Does that ever happen to you? All of a sudden something creeps up inside of you that has you asking, “Where did that come from?”
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