Divided: Is Modern Youth Ministry Multiplying or Dividing the Church?

Counter-Cultural, Controversial, Challenging, Life-Changing

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God Gives the Increase

"So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor." -1 Corinthians 3:7-8

Funny how an ordinary little thing like canning Green Beans spurs me to ponder something deeper and much more significant than the art of canning. I love that the Scriptures are filled with metaphors which compare the simplest of things to the most extraordinary of truths, drawing our attention constantly to the power of the LORD. Yes, we can plant the beans and water the beans, but without God, all of our labor would be for naught because He is the one who provides the growth. Without that growth there would still be only a seed under the soil. Amazingly, we benefit from the reward of fresh, delicious Green Beans though we can take no credit for the harvest.
It is the same way when we share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We may plant the Gospel Seed. We may water the seed. But it is God who gives the increase and grows deep-rooted faith in the "soil" of the heart. It is good to be obedient in the sharing of the Good News, but just as with the green beans, we can take no credit for the growth in a person's life. Still, each one receives an award according to his labor. I cannot fathom, that we, undeserving servants, should receive an award more than what we have already received by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus. How grateful I am to my wonderful Savior for the ordinary and the extraordinary things in life!


Our cans were filled with Green Beans!


We filled the cans with water, leaving 1" of space at the top.


With three quarts of water in the bottom of the canner, we put on the lid and turned the heat to high. When the steam escaped steadily for ten minutes, we put our pressure regulator on top, with ten pounds of pressure for 25 minutes.


When the canner depressurized and cooled on its own, we removed the lid and took out the jars. (I just love the smell that escapes from the canner! The aroma of freshly canned Green Beans is such a summertime smell!)


Our final product!

Oh the Delights of a Family Roadtrip!

Six hours. Six people. One minivan. We are spending the first day of our holiday weekend in this incubator for sanctification. Skies are blue and the sun is illuminating the mountaintop trees as we cross the Tennessee line on our trek to the Smoky Mountains. Soon we will arrive at Smoky Mountain Christian Village, greeted by a woodsy lodge and a sweetly missed sister. Adventure and relaxation await and many memories are ready to be made. Oh the delights of a family Roadtrip!

Kristina and Jessica (from the backseat)

A Simple Sigh

I had just brought a heaping basketful of laundry up to my bedroom to be folded, stacked, and put away. I tipped the basket over, letting the laundry tumble onto my bed, forming the dreaded "Clothes Mountain." I was reminding myself how much I despise doing laundry, or more specifically, putting away laundry. My shoulders were slumped, and I was feeling downright sorry for myself. And then I heard it... All of my sinful thoughts were released in a whispery breath being forced out of my mouth. That quiet sigh might as well have been hooked up to surround sound for the way it echoed in my mind. Isn't it amazing how God uses even a small, seemingly insignificant sound escaping our lips to bring to light the sin in our life? . A simple sigh can uncover a heart of discontentment, anger, bitterness, impatience, pride, disrespect, etc... This sigh exposed an attitude unbecoming of a godly homemaker. When I evaluate my circumstance, I see that I have no reason to allow my heart to fill with these feelings. But I do have every reason to be thankful: I have an abundance of clothing; I have a washer and dryer to assist me in cleaning my clothing, I have a husband who is supportive and encouraging of my role as a homemaker; I am a woman undeserving of God's grace, but am continually showered with it. I pray that God will make each sigh stand out in my mind and use them to remind me of my heart attitude. Although it can be uncomfortable to see my sin exposed, I am thankful that I belong to a God who is sanctifying me day by day.

Jessica

Gardening

Today we gardened. We broke up our fallow ground. How sweet to see God's word being personified in our very lives! What a blessing to work with one's hands, to see the fruit of your labors.
I thought today of the many purposes and uses of a garden. If anger creeps in, tend to the hoeing. For by doing so you are able to work out your frustration while also being productive.
A garden in a beautiful and bountiful blessing indeed! How silly that we should overlook the Lord's provisions and not take advantage of such opportunities.

-Brittney

Becoming Levi's Mom: My Altered Identity

"Forget being called 'Jessica'; From now on you'll just be Levi's Mom."

"When you have a child you lose your identity."

These are comments women have made to me, and sadly, this attitude about children seems to be the popular one. Somewhere along the road of raising children, mothers no longer see them as a gift, a heritage from the Lord. In light of this, let me address the previous comments, respectively.

"Forget being called 'Jessica'; From now on you'll just be Levi's Mom."

Jessica. I like my name, I do. But these seven letters do not define me. They don't reveal anything about my life or my heart or what I love. I don't swell up with pride when someone calls my name. I do, however, remember my heart filling with joy the first time that someone introduced me as "Joey's wife," and I still feel special when I'm referred to in this way. I'm sure I will feel similarly when someone recognizes me as Levi's Mom. Both of these titles define a part of who I am, my life, my heart, and what I love.

Even God is referred to by His attributes: Almighty, Anointed One, Teacher, Comforter, Bridegroom, Lamb of God, Son of God, Son of Man, Emmanuel, Father. These names add to our understanding of Him, they don't take away a part of who He is.

Maybe a better comment to make would be this: "Forget being called 'Jessica'; Now you get to be known as Levi's Mom."

"When you have a child, you lose your identity."

I disagree. First of all, my identity is found in Christ Jesus. He is the One who chiefly defines who I am. Secondly, by having a child I don't lose my identity at all, it just changes. I am going to be defined by something: my job, where I live, places I spend my time, the people with whom I surround myself, what I do, what I don't do, etc... I personally would rather be defined by my calling to be a wife and mother and everything that comes with it. This is the "job" that God has given me to fulfill. Through it the Lord has blessed me with a home, many things to occupy my time and people to spend time with. It affects what I do and what I don't do. This identity is beautiful because it is the one God has given me.

A better comment to make would be this: "When you have a child, God expands your identity."

Mothers, let's enjoy our children and view them as the gift that they truly are!

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward." Psalm 127:3

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