The Past 72 Hours

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." -Walt Disney

Walt Disney, what a cool guy. Disney is someone (and now something) that's changed lives all around us. They've brought joy, laughter, lessons, and just a feeling of togetherness for years. A joke at my work is that Christmas at Disney World has to equal heaven on Earth, because it's such a place of excitement and nothing's better than Christmas! I like his quote because I feel like God tells Himself something along those lines every day.

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." -God

The past 72 hours might just be the most JAM PACKED GOD weekend I've been a witness to in a long time. What's even better is that a simple blog will never do it justice to what's truly gone on, and what's truly been seen. So here's my nutshell version:

First: A beautiful baby girl named Taten Quinn was added to the family Thursday night. SO happy for my cousin, Michael and his wife! The miracle of birth is truly something impossible that God makes possible. How a little tiny one can have the eyes of my cousin, and the nose of her mother. It's only God who could create such a well-thought out, masterpiece. What a beautiful girl she is. With love, comes new life. That's impossibly cool.

Next, one of my close friends got married on Friday! I've been lucky enough to stand on the same team as Austin for almost 10 years now (ew, dang!)  and I'll never forget the first conversation we had about his then-girlfriend Tiffanie. People always say "when you know you know" and boy did he know. What's cool is they each have a life centered around Christ. They were seeking Christ, and that led them to each other. All weddings are beautiful, and theirs was no exception. I've witnessed several friends get married this summer. What a blessing they've each been in my life. I finished that night with dinner with one of my oldest friends. SO fun. With passions, comes new life. That, is impossibly cool.

Saturday I got to experience a reuniting of new friends! There's nothing more refreshing than fellowship with long-distance friends. Maranda and Ashley, I don't even know if you'll read this: But. I'm speechless. You guys light up my soul. I've never felt so loved by people who've SEEN me less than a week's time. God works in mysterious ways, and He wastes nothing. I'm thankful for our relationships and the journey I've been on to come to know the great people of their town. Forever grateful. Out of obedience, comes new life. And that, is impossibly cool.



Brother 1



I ended my week where I'm planted. My church family revives me, and MY family, rejuvenates me. Got my double (triple!) dose of church this weekend, then ended my Sunday with my whole family. That's what I love about Sundays. I love my parents. I love my brothers. I love my family. Out of devotion, comes new life. And that's (you guessed it!) impossibly cool!



Brother 2



Long blog short: God is good. He was busy making plans for this weekend long before I knew Him. And that's what is so impossibly cool. Only God. All for His glory. ALL of this weekend, for Him.

Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

Luke 18:27

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."

Can't help but agree!

Redeemed, JAS. <3 

We are chosen!

 "Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field."

Matthew 9:35-38

Growing up in church, these are pretty common verses. It wasn't until recently that I was re-reading them, and realized something I hadn't seen the first time I'd read them.

Jesus was surrounded by the sick, the poor, and the needy. The first thing He DID was look to the disciples. And He asked them to pray.

I had to stop for a minute and think about how I pray. Are my prayers problem-centered, or promise-centered? Am I selfish in nature, or compassionate for the needs of those around me? How I pray reflects how much I BELIEVE about God. I could do a lot better in this area, and as a nation, I think we all could. I hope you pause to ask yourself the same things I did.

Back to the verses above:

What's even more surprising than Jesus asking the disciples to pray, is what Jesus told them to pray FOR. You'd expect Him to see the multitudes and tell the disciples to pray for them, but instead he told the disciples to pray for more workers, for the church. He didn't say to pray for the lost, but for the church.  It's as if His concern wasn't that the lost wouldn't come to Him, He knew they would. He was concerned that the "workers" (the church) wouldn't go to the lost.  how humbling.

Here's where I stop and ask myself: How well of a "job" are we doing as a church? As a "body" of believers? Most people say the reason they don't believe in God is because of others' behaviors who say they do. What have you done to help out God's "team?" What more could we be doing? I've had a busy summer of doing God's work, and I'm SO glad to be chosen for that. God has blessed me in my obedience, but I continue to see areas I can grow in.

Sometimes I wonder if other professed "believers" ever feel that way. Are they striving to try harder, to live differently, to proclaim boldly, to give generously. If you're claiming to be part of this team, the chosen generation, then BE. Be apart of it. Or don't. There is no in between. Jesus didn't just kind of die for you, so we could just sort of live for Him. He died. He rose. He lives. There is no gray area. Jesus asked the disciples to pray for the church, not those in need. How scary.

"For you are a chosen people.

You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession.

 As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)

We were chosen for this. :D

Redeemed, JAS. <3