A Cellist in the Tuba Section

When I was in high school, I saw one couple that, whether or not the intentions included "missionary dating", the consequences certainly showed me one reason why evangedating is not the right idea. Lisa* and Peter* (names have been changed) met somewhere, school or a club or something, and started dating. Peter, who was very involved in his church, began to bring Lisa to services with him, and I often saw them in service together with the rest of Peter's family. Lisa started getting really involved, coming to more and more events with Peter, until she wasn't anymore. I found out that Peter had broken things off, telling her that he had started noticing other girls, and he thought it would be best if they took a break. He hadn't cheated on her, and from hearing the story second-hand, I was impressed with his honesty and figured she'd respect such a thing, and they could still be friends.However, that's not how Lisa saw things. She stopped coming to church...

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (ESV). When someone believes in Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives in that person, and gives that person their unique set of spiritual gifts. Each follower of Jesus has different sets of spiritual gifts, even though the same Holy Spirit lives in all followers of Jesus. These gifts are given so that we can each use our spiritual gifts to share the good news of Jesus with the world around us. Some examples of spiritual gifts are: healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, encouragement, teaching, evangelism, and many others. God wants us to use these gifts for His purposes of growing his kingdom, not for our own selfish gain. He also doesn't want us to be jealous for the gifts others have ...

Psalm 147:1-3 Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (ESV) Have you ever had a day where nothing seemed to go your way? You got tons of homework, your friends ignored you, your crush won't talk to you, you got in a fight with your parents, or your car broke down. Maybe all of the above? When you're in the middle of that kind of day it can be really hard to know what to do. When I have an awful day, I find that I fall into the trap of impatience, and start getting mad that I'm still in a season of singleness, even if the cause of my bad day has nothing to do with relationships. The reason I want a boyfriend on those bad days: I want someone to comfort me. What I have to remember in the middle of a bad day is that I already have a comforter. God is able to comfort us at any time an...

It used to rule my life: the desire to be chosen by a guy. To be liked and get flowers and chocolates. To get asked to prom. To feel singled out for affections, chosen in the most glorious way I could imagine. In high school, I would plan outfits to try to catch a guy's attention. I would analyze a guy's actions with my closest friends for days. And it did nothing to fulfill me. It only made me feel like I had wasted a lot of precious time. Looking back, I realize I really did waste a lot of time obsessing over opinions that don't matter. Sometimes it was a teacher who I wanted to impress or someone I wanted to become friends with, but for the most part, it was usually the opinion of a guy I liked that mattered most. The desire to be chosen by a guy doesn't rule my life anymore. There are days when controlling my desire to be chosen is an uphill battle, and days where I lose that uphill battle, but I am no longer consumed every day by the stress of being perfect enoug...

Genesis 2:18 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." (ESV) Luke 10:1  After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go."  (ESV) Acts 4:32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common." (ESV) What do all these verses from throughout the Bible all have in common? They all deal with community. In the beginning, God saw that Adam being alone was not good. So, He provided Eve. When Jesus sent his disciples out to minister to nearby communities, He sent them out with a partner. Finally, we have the example of the early church. They stuck together and provided for each others' needs. So this week, no matter how outcast-ed and lonely you may feel, know that that f...