Lifexchange, connecting lives, all around the world.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Connect 4
Take a young lady from Ireland, a young lady from the US, and two young guys from Ocean View and what do you get? Connect 4. Sometimes fun and games is more than just fun games. 
Monday, March 5, 2012
who do you think is more thankful?
(Just a disclaimer, we dont know if the woman caught in adultery and the woman that washed the feet of Jesus with her tears are the same woman, but I think she could be. There are some that say she is and some say she is not. In this blog I have them as the same woman. If they are not the same woman it does not change Jesus heart toward the sinner. He still saved, He still loved and He still forgives!)
I just want to put out an encouraging word for sinners saved! We know we sin, we know we have all fallen short, we all know our hearts, our struggles and that we mess up daily. We also know that Jesus died for us and we are striving toward living better for Jesus. We dont want to mess up, we want to be right with Him. This is an age old struggle, look at Paul in Romans 7:15 "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." How many times have we done something and even while doing the thing we are like "Man, what is wrong with me? I hate that I am acting like this!" I have been there!
Anyways, this led me to think about the woman that washed Jesus feet with the expensive oil and her tears. The beginning of her story is this, here is a woman that lived a really sinful life. She was put down by the religious society in her days, even caught in the act of sin and brought before Jesus by these religious men. They really weren't as interested in her sin, as in making Jesus do something that would put Him in a bad light with the synagogue. She was humiliated, brought in front of everyone for her sexual sin, how embarrassed do you think she was. Sitting there in the dirt, hardly clothed in front of a group of angry men, who were hoping to stone her. I bet she thought that this was her last day, I bet she was terrified and not having any hope of ever being pardoned. BUT, JESUS! He steps in and saves her and then in love encourages her to go and sin no more
My heart does somersaults!!! How awesome, He reached down, saw her sin completely, saw the ugly truth, saw her nakedness, then He took her hand forgave her and gave her hope that she could go on and sin no more. THIS IS WHAT WE, AS THE CHURCH, NEED TO LOOK LIKE!
The church doesn't always behave the way it is supposed to, it is something we as a church need to work at! There will be people that are proud of their Godly living and will flaunt it, not to encourage but because they are proud of what they have accomplished. It damages others who are struggling with sin or have in the past. I love to see someone who in a humble heart can say, by the grace of God I have been able to live rightly! It is not my strength and I have to pray daily that the Lord keeps me!
So lets go back to the lady that Jesus rescued. Later Jesus is attending dinner at a Pharisees house, he is sitting at the table and this woman rocks up and just starts weeping, she then washes his feet with her tears and dries them with her hair and then breaks open this alabaster flask filled with expensive ointment and pours it all over Jesus feet. Now, the religious dude was all appalled and like, He should know she is a sinner and that she shouldn't touch him and then his own disciple was like, we could have sold that ointment and given it to the poor. This is the part that is the most beautiful! I LOVE this part! It shows the heart of the Lord so perfectly!
Luke 7: 40-50 40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
I just want to put out an encouraging word for sinners saved! We know we sin, we know we have all fallen short, we all know our hearts, our struggles and that we mess up daily. We also know that Jesus died for us and we are striving toward living better for Jesus. We dont want to mess up, we want to be right with Him. This is an age old struggle, look at Paul in Romans 7:15 "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." How many times have we done something and even while doing the thing we are like "Man, what is wrong with me? I hate that I am acting like this!" I have been there!
Anyways, this led me to think about the woman that washed Jesus feet with the expensive oil and her tears. The beginning of her story is this, here is a woman that lived a really sinful life. She was put down by the religious society in her days, even caught in the act of sin and brought before Jesus by these religious men. They really weren't as interested in her sin, as in making Jesus do something that would put Him in a bad light with the synagogue. She was humiliated, brought in front of everyone for her sexual sin, how embarrassed do you think she was. Sitting there in the dirt, hardly clothed in front of a group of angry men, who were hoping to stone her. I bet she thought that this was her last day, I bet she was terrified and not having any hope of ever being pardoned. BUT, JESUS! He steps in and saves her and then in love encourages her to go and sin no more
My heart does somersaults!!! How awesome, He reached down, saw her sin completely, saw the ugly truth, saw her nakedness, then He took her hand forgave her and gave her hope that she could go on and sin no more. THIS IS WHAT WE, AS THE CHURCH, NEED TO LOOK LIKE!
The church doesn't always behave the way it is supposed to, it is something we as a church need to work at! There will be people that are proud of their Godly living and will flaunt it, not to encourage but because they are proud of what they have accomplished. It damages others who are struggling with sin or have in the past. I love to see someone who in a humble heart can say, by the grace of God I have been able to live rightly! It is not my strength and I have to pray daily that the Lord keeps me!
So lets go back to the lady that Jesus rescued. Later Jesus is attending dinner at a Pharisees house, he is sitting at the table and this woman rocks up and just starts weeping, she then washes his feet with her tears and dries them with her hair and then breaks open this alabaster flask filled with expensive ointment and pours it all over Jesus feet. Now, the religious dude was all appalled and like, He should know she is a sinner and that she shouldn't touch him and then his own disciple was like, we could have sold that ointment and given it to the poor. This is the part that is the most beautiful! I LOVE this part! It shows the heart of the Lord so perfectly!
Luke 7: 40-50 40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”
And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Yay!!! This is where we jump up and down and hoot with joy! At least I do! This is forgiveness, this is LOVE! This is perfect, sinless Jesus not flaunting His perfection but living in love. He didn't make her feel bad, He didn't remind her of her "many" sins, but praised her for where she was at that moment. He loved her into forgiveness and believed in her and that she would live a different life from then on! Beautiful!
The Pharisee had lived a right life, but had probably done it all of his own accord and was pious and judgmental. He didn't feel like he needed forgiveness, but this woman knew she needed forgiveness, she knew she was only living differently because of Jesus, she knew the power of Christ and could see the changes that she was making because of Him. She knew forgiveness and was so thankful because she had been forgiven much!
We dont have to be perfect and we dont have to compare our walk with others who have walked a less sinful walk. We ALL SIN! Sin is sin we all got it. The encouragement is that if you are forgiven much then you know it and you can be more thankful because you know Jesus saving power. You can see the changes He has made in your heart and in your actions. You can also go out and give that kind of love and forgiveness to others. Let's not judge and look down on others but lets encourage in love and watch as Jesus comes in with hope and salvation. Let's be the church the way we were intended to be!
Blessings friends,
Andrea
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
God is always at work even when we dont know it!
Praise God for He still does miracles and is able to remove great obstacles. Please Lord, increase our faith.
Sometimes it is best for me to not know how difficult something really is until its over. I mean why wouldn't the school let Nelly back in? She is only 8 weeks behind and after all everyone knows if she doesn't finish now, she never will. No big deal that the 10th grade student teacher ratio is 44:1, 38:1, and 34:1. Well evidently in the past, the school has said no to a number of different people on numerous different occasions regarding other students in a similar situation. So the pattern has normally been that they don't have to let you back. This is something I was unaware of until after the fact.
Yesterday I went to a lady, who runs the after school program, that I am a part of on Tuesday. I spoke with her regarding our concerns that Nelly's uniform and school supplies could possibly be taken by the others who live in her apartment. She couldn't believe we got Nelly back in to school. She even asked if I would be on a committee that she chairs that deals with the principal on a regular basis. For some reason I have gained his favor.
Today I took Nelly to see the social worker. Nelly has a open case and they have been to her current home and are not happy with the living arrangement, but have no other options at this time. We said down and she said, "you are wearing a uniform?". "Yes, I went back to school today," said Nelly. She asked how this happend and Nelly just pointed at me. She then told me "well now you have my attention, because I have been trying to get Nelly back into school for some time. The principal told me no, I wrote a letter and he still said no. I wrote to the education department and they told me to write a different letter which I did and he still said no." I offered no explanation other than God and maybe because I am American.
Long term plan that we discussed is to find a foster home for Nelly. Everyone agrees that where she is staying is not a good, long term solution. As far as her clothes and school things goes, I went and spoke with Nelly's best friends mother. She live a good distance away but still in Ocean view, in area known as Beverly Hills. The plan on the table is that Nelly can keep her school belongings and uniforms there at her house and come there in the morning and after school. So for the time being we know the things that we have purchased are safe. Thanks to you generous donations, we will be doing some shopping this weekend now that we know things will be safe. While speaking with the mom, I also put a bug in her ear about fostering. Explaining to her how it works and how at this stage is may be the best option for Nelly. So please pray for her. I don't even know her name, but God does.
Nelly enjoyed being back at school and seeing old friends. I asked if she had any trouble with her teachers and she said no. So, for now things are good. We will take her shopping again for a few things, but for the moment she is back in school. By your generosity we are able to pay her past due school fees, current school fees, and put money back for future school fees should she decide to go on and graduate, in addition to school uniforms and all her school supplies. One of our policies at LifeXchange is that there are no free handouts, so in that regard we will sit down and set up an agreement with Nelly in order to qualify for this scholarship.
God has used this as an opportunity for me to meet the principal and to find some favor with him. Hopefully and prayerfully now I can approach him about doing a Youth for Christ club at the school. I have also met and found favor with the social workers that work in Ocean View. I have spoken with all of them regarding our desire to start a place of safety and they are all behind it 100%. Now we are just praying for the right place.
God was busy making rough places smooth and high places low today and I wasn't even aware He was doing it till it was all over! I'm praising Him for all He has done in this girls life and that I have gotten to witness it!
Trusting He will continue to do the same moving forward!
Shelby
Sometimes it is best for me to not know how difficult something really is until its over. I mean why wouldn't the school let Nelly back in? She is only 8 weeks behind and after all everyone knows if she doesn't finish now, she never will. No big deal that the 10th grade student teacher ratio is 44:1, 38:1, and 34:1. Well evidently in the past, the school has said no to a number of different people on numerous different occasions regarding other students in a similar situation. So the pattern has normally been that they don't have to let you back. This is something I was unaware of until after the fact.
Yesterday I went to a lady, who runs the after school program, that I am a part of on Tuesday. I spoke with her regarding our concerns that Nelly's uniform and school supplies could possibly be taken by the others who live in her apartment. She couldn't believe we got Nelly back in to school. She even asked if I would be on a committee that she chairs that deals with the principal on a regular basis. For some reason I have gained his favor.
Today I took Nelly to see the social worker. Nelly has a open case and they have been to her current home and are not happy with the living arrangement, but have no other options at this time. We said down and she said, "you are wearing a uniform?". "Yes, I went back to school today," said Nelly. She asked how this happend and Nelly just pointed at me. She then told me "well now you have my attention, because I have been trying to get Nelly back into school for some time. The principal told me no, I wrote a letter and he still said no. I wrote to the education department and they told me to write a different letter which I did and he still said no." I offered no explanation other than God and maybe because I am American.
Long term plan that we discussed is to find a foster home for Nelly. Everyone agrees that where she is staying is not a good, long term solution. As far as her clothes and school things goes, I went and spoke with Nelly's best friends mother. She live a good distance away but still in Ocean view, in area known as Beverly Hills. The plan on the table is that Nelly can keep her school belongings and uniforms there at her house and come there in the morning and after school. So for the time being we know the things that we have purchased are safe. Thanks to you generous donations, we will be doing some shopping this weekend now that we know things will be safe. While speaking with the mom, I also put a bug in her ear about fostering. Explaining to her how it works and how at this stage is may be the best option for Nelly. So please pray for her. I don't even know her name, but God does.
Nelly enjoyed being back at school and seeing old friends. I asked if she had any trouble with her teachers and she said no. So, for now things are good. We will take her shopping again for a few things, but for the moment she is back in school. By your generosity we are able to pay her past due school fees, current school fees, and put money back for future school fees should she decide to go on and graduate, in addition to school uniforms and all her school supplies. One of our policies at LifeXchange is that there are no free handouts, so in that regard we will sit down and set up an agreement with Nelly in order to qualify for this scholarship.
God has used this as an opportunity for me to meet the principal and to find some favor with him. Hopefully and prayerfully now I can approach him about doing a Youth for Christ club at the school. I have also met and found favor with the social workers that work in Ocean View. I have spoken with all of them regarding our desire to start a place of safety and they are all behind it 100%. Now we are just praying for the right place.
God was busy making rough places smooth and high places low today and I wasn't even aware He was doing it till it was all over! I'm praising Him for all He has done in this girls life and that I have gotten to witness it!
Trusting He will continue to do the same moving forward!
Shelby
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