Gaining What You Cannot Lose

I'm writing this post in part to encourage myself, and hopefully you will be encouraged as well.

     Okay who has plans. Probably everyone. But lets be honest, who sticks to them? Not I. Either by fault of laziness or they just don't work! Let me tell you where I am at with this. I am restless... It is like I have ants in my pants. (And it really is because my legs are pealing/itchy thanks to tanning so fast over spring break...)
     I am also bored with routine. This boredom leads me to invest in facets of my life otherwise untouched. Wanting things such as: a plan. a new atmosphere. new friends (even though I absolutely adore my current friends!). new place to live. A life-partner (husband). A talent, for praise of people and in part to praise my God. ADVENTURE.

     I worry about making the 10% of students who get accepted to grad school for physical therapy. Are you kidding me? It will have to be VERY divinely inspired for my acceptance because on average my grades are B's and C's. Not the 3.8ish requirement for gpa. again... I have no idea how this will be accomplished. Hard work and dedication sure... but seriously. Crap. But I guess if that girl from Legally Blonde can get into Harvard... It is possible for me to get into Georgia State.

     Also from about thirteen till nineteen I saw myself on the mission field. I'm not as passionate about that at all, at least in going to other countries. I don't know what to tell people anymore. I don't know what to tell myself anymore about what my future is/could/should be.

     It is the strangest feeling to have no direction, or very little.

     What is the coolest thing ever though is that Jesus does not require anything else but that I just love Him. Everything I have strived to accomplish is in vain if i have not loved Him with a devoted love.

     All this to say it doesn't matter what I do with my career, what I do to earn money. Not really. All that matters.. all that matters.. is that I focus on christ and do all I do as if unto Him: that all I do be done as an offering of PRAISE. Not grudgingly working through school, restaurant biz, dating, whatever. It must all be done in praise to mean anything to Jesus. That is hard. Do you know how selfish and grumpy I can be? I can give you a few numbers to call if you want proof.

Also, this invokes a scary as hell prayer onto my heart. "Jesus, do with my life as You please. Let it be glorifying to You, and only You. Also have my heart. Also have my income. Also have my romances. Also have my friends and family. Also kill the 'me' I have created, so the 'me' you have created will exist in harmony with You." Scary but good. So good. The goodness of good.

Do you realize that Jesus doesn't call us to OUR full potential? Do you realize that Jesus allows things to happen that take away arms, legs, friends, family, loves, sight, hearing, any happiness aside from Him? Do you realize that we control no  thing.

"He is no fool who gives what He cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."


Here's to giving God what we cannot keep.

-Casey

Nurtured Faithfulness

"Her trust in God was real and warm and alive, because it had been nurtured through those early years of hardship."

     This quote from Catherine Marshal's book, A Man Called Peter, is one of my favorites. Do you know the moments in which you are so desiring any assurance of the Creators faithfulness? goodness? I've often wondered about how God's hand works in this world, when He is all around us, within us, and up in Heaven, wherever that may be. This book has stilled my heart many times; just reading its pages about this one man whom God "tapped on his shoulder", as he liked to put it, and his wife.
     This quote in particular is about a character who is only mentioned in the beginning chapters of the book, Peter's mother. Peter had the greatest affections for her. She wore a rested heart, and comforted Peter gracefully as they faced hardship together. As a young girl she experienced "dire economic necessity"in which she had developed a strong, willing, and "handspun" faith. She wove fabric, and mended things beautifully and skillfully with her hands that Peter so admired. Some of her fingertips were worn with age and household work, but most of all, because of her love and servanthood.
     I am so impressed with this woman who is hardly mentioned at all in this book, as I am often drawn to the characters whom I know so little of. In the Bible I am drawn to Ruth, the story of her redemption is laid out bare but what of her heart? What of her trials? Her sins? What of her joys? I can imagine that Ruth and Peters Mother were quite similar for they both survived the death of their husbands, were poor, and yet gave everything they had to serving whom they loved. Faithfully feeding, cleaning, nurturing those in the household regardless of their own preferences.
     These women have carried their cross, cast their own lives into the fire for the joy and comfort of another. As a comparing woman myself, how I desire, oh how I desire, am jealous for a faithfulness such as theirs. A faithfulness to my God, my husband, my call of duty... however that continues to unfold. I want to bring a vibrancy of life to my family and friends, those I meet at the grocery and in my classes.
     If you have ever experienced such a person that you feel drawn to be in their presence, not that you have known them for any amount of time, but just their joy, their life is so captivating to you; their beauty wells up and is so much more than beauty, it is a feeling that I imagine being with Christ would thousand fold.
     I guess what I really want to get out to yall is that hardship is key to faithfulness. I've never been inspired or encouraged by a story which had the pleasure of forgoing trials and pain. Though in my own life I try so hard to stay above the waters. It will take more than wonderful lazy afternoons, such as the one I am having this moment, to bring about the faithfulness that I hope to bestow and bring to others. If you have read this, be quick to pray for steadfastness for yourself and for me. (Be on the lookout for an upcoming post on the power of prayer.) I love and accept any offer of focused prayer for myself because countless times I have seen it work, and I so love to see fruit in my own life. As my readers, know I will also pray for you. If you have any comments/questions please share with me!

learning to be warm and alive and real,
Casey

Are you Compassion-ate?

    



     There are children waiting for you to love them. Waiting for Jesus' love to be made known to them. Sometimes, you will be called to adopt. Which is definitely awesome and for those of you who can afford and support it, ask yourself if God might be calling you to invite children into your home. There is another option though too, for those of us who cannot afford a kid... or who don't want one... but understand the world doesn't revolve around them.

     Did you know that you can actually sponsor a child without having to brush their teeth, wipe their tushies, blow their noses or clean their messes? You would not be obliged to wake them up in the morning, find sitters (if you have dates and such), or spank them when they are sassafrassy.

     Your sponsoring, however, WOULD feed the child, clothe them, provide education, school supplies and medical care. But wait.. there's more! Your money also provides their parents training and education so they can get better job opportunities if they aren't stably employed. And thats not all! The child's community also receives aid! (Aid varies depending on resources the country is able to offer.) All of this for ONLY 38$ a month!

     Now I know what you're thinking... Casey, how can this be true? Well, sir or madame, I don't think you were born yesterday. Im not pulling your leg. You can literally provide for a child, their parents, and their community for almost a dollar a day.


First, let me tell you why this is better than one time donations:

1.  You get to know the child you sponsor. They write letters and color pictures, and if this doesn't sound magical to you, it isn't. Its better than magic, it is sooo lovable. Bless 'your' child by caring for them.

2. You get to stop being selfish. This doesn't sound like fun because it isn't. But if you follow Jesus and have "my money"in your reasoning, you have a bad habit. Nothing is yours, everything that has been given to you is to be used for Jesus' glory! If you're not a christian, first I would stop reading this, look into who Jesus is and what He is about (which you can do in my blog if you so desire). That is most important.

3. Financial efficiency is important. While saving is good, you might die tomorrow and your money would not benefit you. Use the money you've been given to bless others today. (And get on that will!)

4. You start planning for someone else's well-being who will never benefit you. --A side-note to the 'be selfless' reason that deserved its own number.

5. You don't have to be in this alone. You can have your youth group, close friends, family, entire church, club, college ministry, or what-have-you all pitch in for the cause. If you have ten people willing to pitch in 3 dollars a month, one child and their community can benefit. And with more numbers comes more money so I would then encourage you to sponsor more than one child!

6. You will get to watch your child grow up. The time frame for sponsorship is from 4 to 22 years old. You will get to impart your hard earned wisdom on these unsuspecting children. (Who wants wisdom at 6, 8, 10 years old.. candy candy candy) And they will love listening to you because your'e not their parents. Some things don't change in foreign countries. Also your money provides volunteers opportunities to love on these children to, so they will get all the love money can buy.

7. Your investments in their life is a personal 'show and tell' that someone they have never-ever met is willing to provide for them, learn about them, love them, and pray for them. They know they are not able to give you anything! This is a representation of the Gospel, people!

8. 'Your' child will get to learn from you, consider you an important person in their life, and love you. For those of you who are hard to love, these children won't have to try. Your words of encouragement, support, prayers offered up and gifts are enough to tug at their heart strings. Bless someone by allowing them to care for you.


     If any of these reasons made you think twice about sponsoring a child, please don't ignore them. They aren't putting on sad faces, begging for your attention. They will never know you exist unless you reach down and show them. (You reach down because kids are short.)

Here is the website that has every ounce of information you could need, and better put than what I had to say. --> www.compassion.com

And if you are thinking about adoption because maybe you actually snotty noses and cleaning booboo's, (I do!) Then consider buying/loving a kid thats already been made before/while/after you make your own. Making your own is good, too.