My Case for Youth Ministry

It was a whirlwind month of May, and I left so inspired. And I just had to get around to telling you all about it...

First, I hit the East Coast of Canada to represent Compassion at the first-ever One Conference—a gathering of ~2000 youth and youth leaders from across denominations, coming together to learn, worship, and have a ton of fun.

Then, I made my way to the prairies along with my brother to represent Compassion Canada at YC Alberta—a gathering of ~5500 youth and youth leaders, again, from across denominations, coming together to learn, worship and have a lot of fun (and, as it turns out, to sponsor 157 Compassion kids! WHAT!).

photo credits

Finally, I came home and made my way north to the Muskokas to gather with my own youth group... ~500 of us gathering for a weekend at camp to build our relationships with each other and with Jesus.

Then, on top of all that, I got to finally come home and in the first week of June watch 10 people from my youth group get baptized, 2 of which were girls in my Jr. High group that I got to help baptize. It was an absolute joy.

video credits to my super talented brother!

There's several things I'm convinced of at the end of this mini-youth ministry marathon, but here's my biggest one. If you are not involved with a youth ministry at the moment, I highly recommend it.

Seriously. There's just something that's good for your soul when you stand with dozens, hundreds or thousands of teenagers and declare the name of Jesus in song, word and community.

It's a balm to cynicism. It's a reason to hope. 

When teenagers have the courage to say yes to Jesus, I am confident that we are going to be okay. 

When teenagers decide to sponsor dozens and dozens of children through Compassion, I see a generation that sees the messy brokenness of the world and is relentless in its pursuit of shalom anyways.

When teenagers lift their hands and declare the reckless love of God, the powerful name of Jesus, I know that the Spirit is going to move in mighty ways through them.

I've had the privilege of going nearly coast to coast this spring, hanging out with teenagers. And I just want you to know that it's not bad news. It's not the desolate landscape of hopelessness that we sometimes think it is. 

It's a movement of kind, relentless, passionate, tenacious, bright young people who love Jesus and are committed to His peace, His shalom, His Kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.

It's pretty cool, friends, and it is a joy to be a part of it.

On Charlottesville...

I'm trying to put into words right now the range of emotions I've felt this weekend as I watched Charlottesville unfold.

And the only words that surface are: Lord Jesus, come.

It's all I can think to say. Well, okay, I can think to say a lot, and yes, I did and probably will continue to keep letting words flow, but I keep coming back to these three words. Come, Lord Jesus. Come.

And somehow, it doesn't feel like a small and helpless cry, but as if there is power in that name. Because there is.

And this is what I come to, after an exhausting and horrifying weekend: Christ-followers, we need to be declaring the name of Jesus right now. We need to be establishing His Kingdom with our words and our actions because if not, the anti-Christ of white supremacy, or Nazism, or violence, or racism, or war, or whatever evil might be coming next weekend will take root in far too many hearts, and honestly? I am sick of losing souls. Aren't we all?



So look--Church, at this moment in history, we can't just be about justice. Or peace. Or love, in general.

There will be a lot of voices that call for justice, peace, and love.

No, right now and always, we need to be about Jesus. 

Because being about Jesus means being about justice. Being about Jesus means being about peace. And you better believe that being about Jesus means being about love.

But if we believe that His Kingdom is where all things are made new, then we cannot just declare our own kingdoms of justice or peace or love. Because declaring their own kingdoms is exactly what those people in Charlottesville are doing and oh, did we see what a dangerous road that is to walk.

No, we need to establish, with our lives, the Kingdom of Jesus.

This weekend--in the between refreshing Twitter a million times, hoping to get just one more image of Charlottesville that might finally tell me that it wasn't real--our church family was working tirelessly to prepare for the arrival of the second Syrian refugee family that we are sponsoring to come to Canada.

There have been so many miracles in this process thus far, such as mid-month occupancy at an apartment in a crazy housing market, but the miracle I'm personally holding in my heart is the way that the Lord simply knew that I would need those preparations this weekend.

If white supremacy was going to rear its ugly head this weekend, then God gave me the gift of being able to counter it with preparations to welcome this family to Canada. To respond to the shouts of "You will not replace us," with an emphatic, Jesus-centred, community effort to declare, "We welcome refugees."

Friends--now isn't the time to just be peaceful, or just be anti-Nazism, or just be for defending marginalized communities.

Now is the time for intentionally establishing the Kingdom--on earth as it is in heaven. All those other things--good and vitally important things--are all by-products of Christ's Kingdom. So let's be, live, declare, establish it.

There is power in the name of Jesus. If you happen to believe that, then more than anything else you could do, the world needs you to declare that power right now.

The world needs you to establish a space and live a life where Jesus is King.

Because in that Kingdom, the King Himself suffered under all the evil humanity had to offer and declared it is finished.

In Christ's Kingdom, it is finished. White supremacy. Racism. Nazism. All evil--all of it--is finished. 

All that's left is for us to deny the kingdoms of this world--deny ourselves, our own kingdoms, and the evil that often lurks even in our own hearts--and instead declare the Kingdom of heaven.

And the Good News of this all is that the Kingdom of heaven is near--and not in the way the obnoxious street preachers mean it. No, the Kingdom of heaven, the one where all evil is finished, is so near that we could maybe even see it here--if only we choose to stop chasing our own kingdoms and seek out Christ's Kingdom.

If only we choose to declare that Jesus is Lord.

A related MUST READ (Please. Sit and listen to this!): After Charlottesville, the Question We Absolutely Have to Answer: Who Is Willing to Pick Up their Cross? by Lisa Sharon Harper

There Is No Neutral

I don't know about you, but I am starting this week feeling incredibly heavy. burdened. weary.

The weekend started with the Muslim ban. People were detained in airports because of the passport they carry. Families who had been going through a gruelling application and vetting process had their hopes of starting fresh in the safety of a new home totally crushed. Some had been in the pipeline for 3 years and had just a few months or weeks left before boarding the plane. Instead, they were told they had to stay where they were--in their imploding cities or nearby camps, living in extreme poverty.

And still, so many people carried on cheering for this policy.

By the time Sunday night came around and news came through of a mass shooting at a Quebec mosque, I just wanted to shut it all out. As if that would make it stop.

photo source

There is no neutral anymore. This is the time for the Church to be the Church.

We're no longer allowed to say, "I don't do politics." Because this isn't about politics. This is about humanity. This is about the Kingdom. This is about Jesus.

Church, this is not the time to disengage. This is not the time to preach recycled sermons and have quiet small groups and be apathetic and have shallow fun at youth group and spend another night at family midweek getting spiritually fat.

This is the time to engage like never before. To not only engage but shape, inform, and cultivate culture and society like the Church has been known for throughout history. To passionately preach subversive peace and radical love. To roll up our sleeves and get to work welcoming strangers and feeding the hungry and clothing the naked and visiting the sick and imprisoned.

#1000gifts ~ We visited this sweet little one and her family tonight... she proudly showed me this picture of ME that she drew! Isn't she adorable and the drawing the absolute cutest?!? :: "For such a time as now..." #WeWelcomeRefugees!!! :: I am saddened by the fact that America is about to close its doors shut to refugees. My hope is that Canada will continue to keep our doors wide open! :: Tonight, just quietly reading this: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/what-bible-says-about-how-treat-refugees

A photo posted by Aimee Esparaz (@mama2greatkids) on Jan 25, 2017 at 5:02pm PST

Church, if we hadn't yet, we have officially lost the ability to be neutral. Either we stand up for the marginalized, or we oppress them ourselves. Either we pick up our cross, or we are the Romans cracking the whip and driving the nails.

There is no other way around this. This goes beyond borders. This goes beyond politics.

This is what the Church is on this earth for. When governments won't protect the marginalized, when nobody else will... the Church will. That is who we are. That is who our Saviour is: One who was so often moved with compassion. One who was a refugee. One who protects the vulnerable.

Perhaps, this is the very moment for which we were created. And no, we can't afford to sleep through this moment. We just can't.

Pray like you have never prayed before. Be the Body of Christ in real, tangible ways. Contact your elected officials. Welcome a refugee. Raise awareness. Learn. Donate to people spreading Christ's hope on the ground.

And love. Love like you never have before.

Because Love conquers all.

Jesus conquers all.

Come, Lord Jesus. Come.

Build Your Kingdom here.

Welcome Home

When the day was over, all I could think about was what a shame it is that anyone could ever say no to this... and miss out on all this beauty.

Because all of this - yes, it's about this beautiful family being welcomed home. It's about their tears and relief and safety and joy. It's about giving them the opportunity to safely and freely grow and learn and laugh and love. It's about exemplifying a radical Love to them until all the hate they've ever known melts away.

But at the end of what was quite possibly one of my favourite days ever, I realized that this might be more about us, than them.

Because you know what? Without us, this family would've still been welcomed to Canada. The Canadian government would've still accepted their application. Another sponsoring group would've been in our place. This family would've still had loving sponsors who would've been committed to moving them into an apartment, helping them register for school and ESL, sourcing furniture and household items and raising funds to support them for a year... all of it.

The only ones who would've missed out is us. 

We would've missed this beauty. We would've missed this joy. We would've missed the opportunity to get to know the Jesus we follow in one of the most real ways there is, because when we welcome the stranger, we welcome Him.

We would've missed out on experiencing the Body of Christ come together in one of the most beautiful ways I have ever witnessed, to declare with our lives that Love is greater than fear, apathy, intolerance or hate.

Because yesterday, I saw 35+ people - and not to mention the hundreds more that have generously given money, time, donations, prayers and love to get us to yesterday's move-day - come together as the Body of Christ to move a formerly displaced Syrian family into their new home, filling it with furniture, household items, laughter, life, and love.

From empty apartment...

...to warm, home sweet home. 

And this family... they've been through far too much brokenness and pain. The displaced, broken parts of every human heart - those parts that choose fear and violence and apathy and hate because our human hearts war and rage against Love Himself until we displace ourselves from the Love that created us - that brokenness left this family without a home or a safe place to grow, live, and love. 

In fact, those displaced, broken parts of our hearts have left millions without a safe place to call home. 

My mama read it to us just today, on the way home from visiting our family... "There are 60 million displaced persons in the world," she reads, "12 million in Syria alone."

There are 60million displaced persons in the world. 12million in Syria alone. This must break the heart of heaven - Bill Hybels @willowcreekcc #wewelcomerefugees

A photo posted by We Welcome Refugees (@wewelcomerefugees) on Jan 10, 2016 at 1:24pm PST

It's a staggering, overwhelming number... One that grows each day as war continues unfazed.

"But you know what?" I responded to my mama's stat, "Four of those 60 million people aren't displaced anymore."

No, they certainly are not. They are laying their heads down tonight in their very own home - safe, warm, together.

And as I quietly smiled at that fact, I thought -

Perhaps those displaced, broken parts of our own hearts might just have a chance as well.




Definitely one of my favourite days ever. It's hard to express the fullness that we all felt at the end of the day. Please continue keeping this family in your prayers as the settle in - that in the midst of what is surely going to be a tough next few months that they might find peace and hope in the Love we will try our hardest to continuously share with them. 

Dear Sweet Little Girl*,

This all started with a little boy just a little younger than you and your brother.

This entire day, it happened because of Aylan's tiny, lifeless body washed up on the shore of the Mediterranean.

And quite honestly, sweet girl? I was discouraged for once. This optimist wasn't so hopeful this time around. I didn't let my heart hope for even a second... I thought I knew that Aylan's photo would cause a lot of retweets but not a lot of actual action.

I had accepted that all that would come across the air to Canada from Syria would be more stories of despair.

Yet here you are.

I suppose I forgot that there are good people in the world. I forgot that there are many, many people just waiting for an opportunity to birth Love into this world.

Because yesterday, sweet girl, I saw Love birthed into the world like I've never seen before. I saw the Body of Christ come together and come alive and bear His image to you and your family in one of the most beautiful ways I have ever seen. 

I can only imagine how confused you must feel right now... They told you that you were coming to Canada, and then you got on a plane, travelled 16+ hours and were put up in a strange hotel in a strange city for the night. Then in the morning, you were shuffled out of that room and told to wait in the lobby.

Your poor parents were told nothing of a sponsoring group... Nothing of the God-sent apartment that had been rented for you or the sweet family with beds made in their spare room just waiting to host you for the week while the aforementioned apartment's paperwork goes through. Nothing of the team of people who have sourced furniture and found Arabic-speaking doctors and researched schools... none of it.

I can just imagine how disorienting this must feel. Like maybe this was all a bad idea after all.

And when I saw the tears and relief in your parents' kind, weary, and courageous eyes as our translator told them that we had been preparing to welcome them for months, my heart could've just about burst.

When the whole lot of us huddled into that conference room of that hotel - the whole mismatched group of us, beautifully brought together because of a desire to welcome you - and your papa said that thing about feeling like we are your new Canadian family? Oh, little girl, I think even the toughest of us were tearing up.

Because this is it! This is the Love we get to share in the midst of a broken world. And how could we ever say no to this? How could we dare to miss this?

And then we went to that restaurant serving up meals from your homeland and okay, the whole party of us? We were hard to miss.

So a regular at that restaurant leans to the waitress and asks What on earth is going on over there? and the waitress tells her the bits of our story that she's gathered in all of five minutes of us being there and soon after that regular customer leaves, that waitress is over at our table letting us know that our entire tab had been picked up by that stranger.

But it didn't stop there. That waitress herself picked up the tab for our coffee afterwards, and the owner sent you home with a box full of meals on the house for your first week in Canada... A taste of home to help with the homesickness.

And I'm realizing that we live in an ocean of grace. We live in a world where people are ready and waiting to birth Love into this world, and we can believe in the hatred we see on the news, or we can believe in Love. 

Dear sweet little girl, it is just all too fitting that your family is ringing in the new year in a new country with a fresh start lying ahead. Yet I can only imagine how tough this coming year will be for you. It will be a long process of getting accustomed to life here - one that will at times be messy and frustrating, yet also, we hope, fulfilling and incredibly beautiful.

Know that we, your new Canadian family, will be there with you every step of the way.

Because sweet girl - we believe in Love and we pray that you and your beautiful family will come to believe in Love, too.




Yes, the first of two Syrian refugee families that our church family is sponsoring landed in Canada this week! We met them yesterday, New Year's Eve - and how fitting is that?! Your prayers are mightily appreciated as we step into this year-long journey together. #WeWelcomeRefugees


*As of now, our family prefers not to be named publicly on the internet.

Dear Aylan (Part 2) -

You, little angel - I think you changed the world.

The last time I wrote to you we were all still reeling. We were just learning your name and your story and how we could have saved you and we were all shocked numb.

And I told you that all I could pray is that you did not die in vain. "That your death would, if not convict us, then embarrass us to action."

If I'm honest with you, Aylan? I wasn't feeling very hopeful when I signed off on that letter. I was angry. 

I was angry that we would forget you. 

But you know what? We haven't yet. 

There are people all over the world telling the story of your people, hearing the story of your people, and most importantly, welcoming the stories of your people into their own stories by opening their borders, their homes, their lives. 

It became real this week, Aylan. Mennonite Central Committee matched our church family with the first of two refugee families that we will be welcoming into Canada and into our lives in a few short months.

And yeah, we have zero clue what we're doing. 

Because there are fears and doubts and worries and just the straight-up inability to speak Arabic, you know? 

And wow, there's those nasty things people say on the internet about you and your people, little Aylan. How come we blame you for wanting a share of the security, the laughter, and simply the breath in our lungs that we take for granted every single day?

And then there's this huge task ahead of us of finding an apartment and doctors and people to show our new friends how to ride a Canadian bus and shop at a Canadian grocery store. And then there's preparing for the stories and the trauma that this family might carry on their shoulders after their long, long journey out of a war zone and into our lives. 

But here's the best part: we serve a Jesus who has filled our community with hearts to serve and gifts to share - doctors and teachers and expert-apartment hunters and people who know Arabic-speakers. And the most awesome people who are willing to spend their days finding and sorting furniture and household items to fill our families' not-yet-found apartments and others who are willing to clear their garages for a free place to hold it all in the meantime.

This is community. 

This is how we come together as the Body of Christ to respond to the worst refugee crisis since World War II. 

We're smack in the middle of history and when it's all said and done we want to be remembered as the generation who welcomed the strangers as if they were Christ himself, running into Egypt, fleeing Herod's slaughter as a refugee.

I remember reading an article back in Grade 10 while writing a history essay. It told the story of a boat filled to the brim with Jewish refugees and bobbing on the shores of Canada. 

And I remember being so angry, Aylan, because do you know what happened next? We turned them away. We listened to our fear of the other and we told them straight-up to turn around and they sailed straight back to their deaths in those horrific concentration camps. 

I remember thinking it - if I had the chance I would have let them in.

And here's that chance. Our chance to respond with love and open arms, so that a student much like me, writing her own history essay many, many years from now, will be able to say - 

We Welcome Refugees.

I was a stranger and you welcomed Me.

Matthew 25:35

As we prepare to welcome two refugee families, our church community would so deeply value and appreciate first and foremost, your prayers, because yeah, for something like this? You can never have enough prayer. Secondly, we would be so thankful for your financial support and (for those in the Toronto, ON area) your tangible contributions. Learn more at www.tinyurl.com/SyriaResponse. All donations made between now and Thanksgiving Monday will be matched by a generous donor. Thank you. 

Wilmington Again

I owe this blog an update, I know.

This blog and I will have a good, cozy catch up soon, but it's going to have to wait at least a week... because I'm tapping out this quick little note to say...

I'm going back to UrbanPromise Wilmington again on a compassion trip with my youth group... tomorrow. 

Friends, I am beyond excited. Could I just ask you two favours?

Pray for me & the team. Some of my prayer notes from previous trips to Wilmington would still apply... Find those here and here.

Pray for my family as I leave them behind on their own compassion mission right here at home... Read about that on my mama's blog here. I look forward to joining back up with this compassion team when I come back home on Saturday.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for prayers. They give strength and breathe life in remarkable, world-shaking, holy ways.



Wilmington 2012:
Shining In A City Called Wilmington
3 More Sleeps
Wilmington

Wilmington 2013:
Wilmington, Take 2
Stories from Wilmington: Comfort & Discomfort
Stories from Wilmington: You Don't Choose Where You Were Born
Stories from Wilmington: Because It's More Than Just A Job

Dear Filipino Church

I'm home. Have been for 2-weeks, actually! And I'll apologize now for the lack of posts from our trip! But I'm here now with this reflection & some photos...


Dear Filipino Church -

With your sweltering hot chapels and their futile electric fans hoping to provide some reprieve, and your benches or floors or plastic chairs jam-packed with vibrant souls.

Worshipping with you was the highlight of my trip. 

Thank you.

You kept thanking us when we visited. For partnering with you through Compassion International to release children in your community from poverty in Jesus' name.

But thank you.

Because it's just grace that God lets us partner in your work of freeing children from poverty.

And truth is, through this partnership - you've helped free us from our own poverty. 

I know it might be hard to understand - this world is just terribly, horribly hard to understand sometimes - but in our First World, we are impoverished in terrible ways.

What makes it worse is that this First World poverty is masked behind "good" things - wealth, comfort, luxury, success.

You see -  that joy, that authenticity, that hope that you worship with is something that is few and far between here in the First World. You sing like you actually mean the words on your lips. 

It's not that we don't. We try. We really do. We earnestly try to seek God and mean what we say and we have our moments but I think it's because we don't really know what it all really means and so the result is a very somber, sad, what-can-God-do-for-me worship. We have a cushy faith; we're comfortably secure in our wealth and blinded by our options and sometimes God is just one of those options. And I'm so guilty of this far too often.

So your radical joy, your earnest authenticity, your absolute, world-shaking hope - that was the most beautiful thing to me.  

In you, I saw an absolute dependency on God and one another as the Body of Christ, a life-giving, what-can-God-do-through-me culture, a joyful, hopeful worship.

Is everything good in your life? Absolutely not. Far, far, far from.

But He is good and that is enough for you.

In the face of heart-breaking brokenness, your answer always and simply is Jesus.

The beauty of that is what I thank you for.

It's saved me from a poverty so deeply rooted in the First World culture, that escape is slim and falling back into it is so. very. terrifyingly. easy.

So dear Filipino Church, you are beautiful.

You were a taste of heaven on earth and my response to all your Thank-Yous is Thank YOU.



And I wish my letter could end there. Yet there's a whole other side to you that I haven't addressed yet, Filipino Church.

Dear Filipino Church -

With your suffocating air conditioners aiming to recreate the Canadian winter and your thousands of cushy seats or pews.

Worshipping with you was one of the hardest things I had to do throughout my 3 weeks in the Philippines.

The last thing I needed after worshipping with your country's poorest churches was to run into you. Yet I'm oddly glad I did.

As heart-wrenching as it was, every girl needs a hard look in the mirror sometimes.

And as I sang with you with tears threatening their way down my cheeks at the injustice of this all, my heart broke for you and it broke for me and it broke for the whole First World Church, and Filipino Church, tell me - why are we so easily satisfied?

Why do you and I settle for flashy lights and checklist faith when joy - heaven on earth - is found just outside our doors amongst the poor?

Tell me why we're ok with this cruise control faith. Tell me why we spend millions of dollars on studies and buildings and excursions and workshops and all of it in attempt to get closer to God when He said it right there in Isaiah 58, to the Israelites -

Yes. You seem eager to find Me but here is where you'll find me: Amongst the hungry. The down-and-out. The poor. The weary.

If you have the choice between glitz and show for God or simply spending yourself on behalf of the hungry - choose the latter. 

And yet I understand, Filipino Church. I do. I get it.

It's easier. Checklist faith is far easier. Sunday service - check. Morning devo - check. Midweek Bible Study - check. Bedtime prayers - check. Tithe - check. Repeat.

When you haven't seen the other side of yourself, Filipino Church, you might be tempted to believe the enemy's lie that this. is. all.

And I'm here to tell you that this is not all. I've been to the other side, and I'm running back to proclaim it -

There's more! There is. I know you can't see it yet but just trust me - no, trust Him when He says that if you just let go of what you're so desperately holding on to from your First World life He will place something even greater in that unclenched, empty hand of yours.

I dare you to do this. It will be bold. It will be scary and terrifying and somedays you won't want this. It will require a lot of faith. But it will be worth it.

Because you know what, Filipino Church North American Church First World Church?

Let's be done with settling for a cruise control faith. Let's be done with being ok with a flashy lights, checklist faith.

And let's take this bold, Isaiah 58 style faith head-on.


Related: 
Dear Fellow First World Christian via A Mom on a Mission [My Mama! :)]
A Letter to the North American Chruch: Because It Is Time via A Holy Experience

Blessed Are The Peacemakers

One random phone call one lunch hour, and boom - I'm told I'm the winner of the YMCA Peace Medallion. 

Me? Just a girl messily trying to live out a Jesus-life, and I get an award for it. 

God's funny like that sometimes. 

Today, in the midst of this award and in the week before Remembrance Day, I'm so stoked to be guest blogging over at my church's Transform blog. Hope you'll join me there today. :)

-

Peace isn’t quiet tranquility. Peace isn’t finally nothing to do or curled up on the couch with hot chocolate and a book all weekend. Nor is peace the period between wars.

Those things aren’t bad – I love a good nap and any time when there’s no war in the world it’s definitely good. The thing is, those things could be peace, but they shouldn’t be.

Because we have to stop settling for calling short balms to the chaos of our lives peace.

Because peace is so much more.

read on...

The Beauty Of Our God

When's the last time you just sat in awe at the beauty of our God?

Do it.

This past weekend I went on a retreat with my youth group, and what I'm taking home isn't the crazy games, hilarity or even the teaching.

What I loved most about the weekend was just being - together, brothers and sisters in Christ, His children, family.

Arms raised or around each other, hearts worshiping our beautiful Saviour and loving each other, souls basking in the presence of our Abba Father.

Ever so often, we all need a little taste of heaven on earth. We all need to be reminded of the beauty of our Lord.

Because we come home and we're tossed right back into the brokenness of our world.

And this world is not our home but we're here to be His image bearers and we're failing because that's what we humans do.

And here's what we can do -

we do our most very best to be the best image bearers possible.

Then we just wait patiently and in eager anticipation for our Lord because really - He knows what He's doing.

And one day we'll get to spend forever basking in the presence of out Abba Father as His children.

How beautiful is that?

For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. Romans 8:19-21

Holy Ground

I think one of the many beautiful things about our God is that He meets us everywhere and anywhere.

He's in our living room during home church and He's in a school gym during youth group.

And He's in the Apple store as two of His people chat and He's right beside me and my whispered prayers.

No need for massive cathedrals and temples, because a year and a half ago, when I sat in a slum and prayed with my brothers and sisters, that was holy ground.

Dead cats and all.

And when my parents wash feet in a church basement, that's holy ground.

And when my youth group gathers in a school to write cards, clean, knit and bake cookies for others, that's holy ground.

photo credit: @thebosscurt

No fanfare and no stained glass windows (although that could be holy ground too), just His people bringing a little bit of heaven to earth.

Wherever we do on earth as it is in heaven, it's holy ground.

So what if, everywhere we went, we made it holy ground?

Couldn't we?

Couldn't we make the very way we walk a meeting with Him? On earth as it is in heaven? And wouldn't that make every ground God's people walk on holy?

Wouldn't that be beautiful? 

And if we walked to the ugliest places... Is it possible meeting Him there could make it holy. perfect. beautiful?

That thundering question of Where is God? 

Is best answered when the people of God offer a hand and whisper: Here I am. 

That thundering question of Where is God? 

Is best answered when the people of God tear everything else away and take the time to show it: Here’s His love for you – beating right here, right here in me, right here for you. 

What else is time for but this? -Ann Voskamp, What Radical Christianity Looks Like Right Where You Are

Yes. What else is time for but to show the world: Here is God.

Here.

Right here,

in me and where I stand -

on holy ground. 

It's On Us, Now

Yes, my word for 2013 is patience.

But that absolutely doesn't mean stop-fighting-for-hope-because-God-will-do-it.

Absolutely not.

Truth is, it's on us right now. God left humans in charge, making us in His image, making us His representatives in the world, and haven't we messed. up.?

This past Sunday, Bruxy, the teaching pastor at our church, delivered probably one of the best sermons I've heard ever. Seriously. Please please please check it out. [Really, I'm serious. Do it.]

In light of the shootings in Newtown, CT, many people are asking the age-old question: Why does God let such bad things happen?

Here's the thing. He left us in charge remember? That's the cold, hard truth, and we really can't blame God anymore.

We're His representatives, His hands and feet on this earth, and I don't know about you, but I'm gonna vote that we've really screwed up. [Not to be harsh or anything.]

Here's the thing. Hope's not gone. Now is never too late to start doing better. Here's some ideas. Or here. Smile at a stranger. Sponsor a child. Buy a homeless person a coffee. Volunteer. Build a house.

God wants to overcome this world with hope.

We just have to let Him.

But if you are one who lives in the love of God, then know this - you are His hands from heaven. Yes, you. You are the means by which the love of God is scattered all over this world. You are His hands and His feet. -Palmer Chinchen, True Religion

Freedom

The tears almost fell as Dr. D'Souza spoke of the slavery and oppression of the Dalit people in India.

Every time I hear the numbers, it still shocks me. 

27 million slaves. 

13.5 million of them are under the age of 18. 

21.6 million of them are sexually exploited, most of the rest forced into unfair and/or brutal labour. 

27 million hearts, dreams, souls, lives. 

How I take advantage of my freedom. 

How I don't even consider it a gift, but merely an expected right.

But shouldn't it be just an expected right? Shouldn't every human being expect to be free?

As I finished listening to Dr. D'Souza speak about his dream of freedom this morning {Side note: PLEASE take 15 minutes to watch him speak, so inspiring, informative and moving! Watch it here.}, I take a glance at my Twitter timeline. {Yes, we tweet at church. Cuz my church is cool like that.} This is what I found:

Here's what Galatians 5:13 says:

God thing, huh?

It reminds me of one of my favourite quotes, the words of Nelson Mandela:

"To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

It's as if Nelson Mandela was quoting Galatians 5:13 in his own words...!

We are called to freedom. All of us. And we are not free until we respect, enhance, love and serve.

And so then, none of us are free. Because I'm not respecting the freedom of about 40 people. Yes, I have 40 slaves working for me. You probably have a few too, even if you (like I did) don't know. Check this out to find out how many slaves you have working for you. You might be surprised.

For me, my freedom will come when I can go into any store, not just a fair trade store, and buy chocolate, coffee or a t-shirt that was made under fair wages. Freedom will come when I can live freely knowing that no other girl is being chained to prostitution.

Until that happens, I'll strive everyday for freedom. I'll strive everyday to love, serve, respect and enhance.

Because that's my calling.

Me, The Blogger Who Forgot to Blog.

Well, I didn't forget {I really do love you guys}, life just got in the way.
But, I really can't complain about life getting in the way because life has been sweet {not that it's not always sweet.}.

Anyways, I haven't done one of those hodge-podge, random lists in awhile, so here's one, entitled "Things I Meant to Share on My Blog in the Past 11 Days, But Never Got Around To."

1. "Through Jesus, God redefines "glory". Success means to sacrifice. Victory is to die. To shine is to serve. Fame is to quietly, secretly love. "Hot" is to be modest. Exultation comes through humility. Strength is shown through weakness. Glory is often seen best in suffering." -Bruxy Cavey {teaching pastor at my church}, teaching series: Jesus by John

I LOVE that. It's been a great reminder for me this past week. To shine is to serve. Fame is to quietly, secretly love. Strength is shown in weakness. And glory is often seen best in suffering. 

Jesus defies everything the world tells me. And since the world is so. utterly. screwed up. I am SO glad that there is something bigger, better, more wonderful and powerful, more graceful and forgiving to believe in. I'm so thankful that since the world won't take my ashes, Jesus will. I'm ever grateful that even though there's so much suffering in the world, that's where God's glory shines brightest.

2. I've not blogged much about the playoffs, but you could bet money I'm watching them. No offence to the NHL or anything, but I'm finding the NBA way more exciting. I'm calling Kings for the Cup {Why couldn't the Leafs pull one like they did?!} and a Spurs-Celtics NBA final with Spurs taking it home. {I'm so upset that we didn't see Linsanity again this year, and also that the Pacers couldn't get through the Heat, but I'm optimistic for round 3 and 4. :)} 

3. Compassion letter-writing for the win!

How many people/laptops does it take...? ;)

I LOVE this quote from Rochelle, out LDP student: "Morning is a divine gift from God after a night of restful sleep. It's a new chance to do better than before. Inhale God's love today!"

4. Compassion again! I got to hang-out as a Compassion Advocate at the PlanetShakers concert on Thursday night. Seventeen beautiful kids got sponsored! And get this! We found twins! Both girls' child packs ended up at the concert, and BOTH girls got sponsored by two cousins! How sweet, eh? :)

Me and a fellow advocate with the twins. :)

So anyways, that's pretty much me right now. :)

Thanks for reading and have a great {rest of the} weekend! :)

Daily Bread

The last time I wrote a blog post was 10 whole days ago... I'm so bad. Sorry! :$

Here I was thinking this semester I'd have more time to blog... Seems like as soon as I see blank space in my [imaginary/mental] calendar, I decide to [purposely or accidentally...?] fill it up! :S

Where have I been these past 10 days you ask? Well, there's piano, youth group, band practice, reffing basketball, watching basketball, not to mention school. ;) And, youth retreat, which is always super awesome but ALWAYS gets me ignoring this thing called my blog. ;) I got to play on the band at the retreat, which was so. much. fun! :)

Playing in the band! I'm at the very edge on the left. ;)
Photo Credits: @keithhubley

Anyways, I had a super great reminder on the retreat of my word[s] for 2012.

Shine. Reflect Jesus' light.

In small group, we asked ourselves why it's so hard to shine for Jesus. For me, it's mostly cuz I forget. I get so busy, life gets too fast, I start worrying about anything and everything, and somehow I forget about what's supposedly the most important thing in my life.

And the solution? My second word, Faith. :)

Stop worrying about tomorrow, and that frees up A LOT of brain space for shining.

In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus asks for "daily bread". Just enough, and just for today. Nothing for tomorrow and no extras.

Just enough strength for today, Lord. Just enough patience and just enough energy.

I've been trying this, this week after the retreat, to just pray for enough.

And you know what? It works! When I have faith that I'll have enough for today and tomorrow is it's own problem, I'm SO much better at being a "Child of Light". (Ephesians 5:8-10)

Here's a challenge: Just ask for enough. Don't worry and don't try and live with all the extras. And now that the hard part is over, shine. That part just comes naturally. :)

"Give us today our daily bread."

Forgive Me?

Ohhh Man. I missed my Monday Mania post this week AND hen't blogged at all in... how many days? Sorry guys!

Anyways, I was on a retreat all weekend with my youth group [and it was amazing, by the way. ;)] so I didn't have my usual time to write my post on Saturday and Sunday and in between now and then well, you know how life gets.

The only thing that kept my feet on the ground was pressing "rewind" and "play" button on the things that I learned and reflected on over the weekend...

This generation, MY generation, will change the world. The internet allows us to connect all across the globe, and because we are the first generation that fully knows how to use this resource, we can and will use it to change the world, much like how the printing press was used to change the world 500 years ago.

The question is: Will we listen to God and change the world for HIS glory?

Once in awhile, especially when life gets the craziest, pause, quiet down, forget about your to-do list and just listen. Listen to God, because he is there. Waiting for you to be willing to listen.

Will you follow?

Here I am. Lord, send me! -Isaiah 6:8

Mania

Did everyone enjoy their extra hour over the weekend?! [I didn't. I was having nightmares about the Leafs losing 7-0 to the worst team in the east. -.-]

Anyways! Bright in the mornings now! :D [Maybe I'll ACTUALLY be able to open my eyes at 7AM now. Haha.]

Yesterday, The Meeting House [My church]'s regional sites got to hear Tony Campolo speak [Oakville heard him live last week, we get the podcast this week. :)]. He was wicked awesome. ;) Funny, throught-provoking, challenging... Great stuff! :) I'd encourage you to hear his message here.

Dr. Campolo is speaks for World Vision, and as a church family, we set a goal to sponsor 1000 children from Malawi, all from the same village. Still waiting to hear if that goal was reached. Although our family advocates for Compassion, we decided to help out with the goal and sponsor a boy from Malawi! Meet Moses:

Isn't he sweet? His birthday's in 5 days! :)

Anyways, here's today's song, None but Jesus by Hillsong United. :)



In Tony Campolo's message, he said that fifty 95-year-old people were asked, "If you could do life over again, what would you do differently?" and all the answers were centred around these three things: risk more, reflect more, and do more things that will live on after they are gone.

So this is my question for you today: Are you risking, reflecting and leaving a legacy? When you're 95, will you wish you did those things, or will you say, "I gave it my all."?

More importantly, will you say, "I gave JESUS my all."?

Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one the the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' -Matthew 25:37-40
  
Take a risk, do something that will last after you're gone, sponsor a child!

THIS is church...

My church is kinda really amazingly fun. Check out this vid from our 25th anniversary party. [And by party, we mean PAR-TAAAY!!! ;)]

Isn't that just really legit? Haha.

I ♥ my church. :)

Happy Monday, everyone!