Out of the Box Kinna Guy

Exactly two Weeks from today I'll set off on one of the most amazing adventures/trips/experiences in my life.

Mardi Gras 2008.

Before you go all judgmental old school on me...just give it a chance.

Central Bible College, my school, is taking a team of 30some students to do outreach ministry at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. We are working with Evangelist Wayne Northrup, and the organization Answering the Cries Outreach. We are aware that this is something that many of us have never experienced, but yet are thrilled at the tremendous challenge set before us.

These people are our own age...college students just like us. Yet they'll be drinking and participating in sexual activities almost 24/7. We however are going to simply be their friends. Talk with them. Let them know we care about their lives.

I have faced immense opposition about this trip from family, friends, even others here at CBC... but no matter what, SOMEONE HAS TO GO. These people need God to intervene in their lives just as bad as the little african babies in orphanages in Africa.

We send missionaries out around the world to "reach the lost". We ordain and license pastors to pastor great churches in America to reach the lost. But when someone thinks outside the box of Traditional Ministry, many christians flip. Mardi Gras participants deserve to have someone sent to them too. It might as well be me. I'm nothing more than those missionaries sent to Africa, Asia, England, Brazil, Honduras, or Sri Lanka...and they are nothing more than me. We are all sinners who were once caught up in the world. We were deep in sin too... but God sent someone to us in the midst of our sin.

God is sending a group of people to these sinners who are deep in sin. There's a correlation there...but many christians fail to see it that way. It's out of their box, out of their comfort zone, and not according to tradition.

"God is an out of the box kinna guy". That's my new saying. He has to be out of the box in order to have the ability to have such vast relationships with such a vast array of people (i.e. every person on the face of the earth). His method of ministry was out of the box. We went to the sinners...where they were at. He meant them right where they were, no matter what.

So here's to a great week at Mardi Gras... being "christ-like" or "like-Christ"... out of the box.
He's out of the box...to be like him... we are out of the box.

Next Time = zero.

It's got to be up in the thousands by now...
the number of times this has happened.

I've become a better person because of it, and I've learned a lot about people...especially those living in bitterness and anger. I've learned that they are miserable and their desire is for everyone else to live at the same level. The things they accuse others of are perhaps the very same things that can be spoken about their own lifestyle.

I won't let this happen to me next time, oh wait I forgot...there won't be a next time. I'm done. For real this time. I will move on.

Moving on with life, with friends, with the man of my dreams, with school, and with being me...Tiffany Hope.

Yes there's hope...more than just my middle name. But it's all found in God and the Holy Spirit.

I've tried, I've begged, I've talked, and I've pleaded... but it hasn't changed. It just gotten worse. I take myself out and away from it...her.

It's up to God and her now... she'll have to answer for it someday.

Until then... I'm not letting her get in my way.

Rotten Fruit

Bitter, Angry, Jealous, Unforgiving, Manipulative, Controlling, Naggy, and Negative.

If the above are the primary fruits one produces, what can be said about their relationships with others? What does it say about their relationship with Christ? It is Rotten, or it is rotting.

I don't ever want to have people to have to sit and "rack their brains" in order to find one fruit of the spirit that they see I possess and show on a regular basis. I never want to get to the point that some people do.

I don't want to become a hypocrite that is fake and inconsistent. I don't want to be one person at church or in public, and then a totally different person in the home or with my husband and children.
I want to be authentic, real, and the same person all the time...no matter who I am around. I want to have character and good integrity... do the right things when no one else is watching me or around. I don't want to produce rotten fruit and allow it to affect my character as a woman of God and minister/minister's wife. (future)

I see now why some things have happened. Then, I thought they were ridiculous, absurd, and even a little unfair. Now I see, they are only consequences some people have to experience for allowing rotten fruit to grow in their lives. Now that I see... I have to say that I understand now. Although, it affected more than themselves... it was the best option and choice.

Thank you Jesus for pulling me out of the situation and for fulfilling your promise you spoke to me in the midst of that trouble. Thank you for a new heart. Thank you for a new mind. Thank you for new emotions. Thank you for a new life.

Someday...after Everyday

Someday the sad feeling in my heart that follows every goodbye and goodnight won't be so sad.
Someday the loneliness of long boring days won't be so boring and lonely.
Someday the I love you's won't have to be said 700 miles away.
Someday the longing to be together won't nag at my heart and hurt so much.
Someday the tears won't be in my eye every time he tells me goodnight and goodbye.
Someday we'll be in love and be together forever.
Someday.

Until then...
Everyday I must have patience.
Everyday I must put all my trust in God.
Everyday I must respect and love my love.
Everyday I must let God write my own love story.
Everyday I must strive to become a better woman of God.
Everyday.

Judge a tree by it's fruit...

Lately my mind has been stuck on two things... heroes and the fruits of the spirit. Heroes, I'll get into that at a later time. For now, here goes the fruit.

Apple, Orange, Bananas, Pineapple, Watermelon, Grapes, Kiwi, Strawberry, Mango, Coconut, Cantleope... I don't really like any of those. Occasionaly some watermelon or pineapple...but the others are pretty much a no-go ALL the time.

It's true I don't have much fruit in my diet.

It's true that I DO have fruit in my life though.

But it's okay...the fruit above is not what really matters.
(in a way it does if I don't want to become a 400 lb beast someday)

The fruits of the spirit...they matter.

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

My life bears fruit, everyone's life bears fruit. But what kind does it bear. Does it bear those things listed in Galatians 5:19-21 ( sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties)? At times all of us make mistakes and show evidence of the things listed before this sentence.

But they shouldn't be what defines us and our lives on a daily basis. It should never become the norm.

Our life should consist primarily of the things listed in Galatians 5:22-23...the fruits of the spirit. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control... because they matter.

For a true christian these things should be evident in their life. Not 24/7/365 and all at the same time because we aren't perfect. We are also human and make mistakes. I said PRIMARILY make up what our life should consist of.

When one doesn't show evidence of the fruit of the spirit in their life as a norm, then I have a hard time believing that they have a true authentic relationship with Christ.

I want it to be evident to others that my life bears fruit...the fruit of the spirit. I want to live my life in a way where people don't have to think and rack their brains about my life bearing that fruit of the spirit. I want it to be obvious.

I want the fruit of my life and the fruit of my relationship with Christ to be that of the spirit.

Good Example or Bad Example... their choice

We are all human. Children are human, and their parents are human.

However, the biggest impact of a child's life is the way the life of their mother and father are lived.

When the child catches the parents making not such a "good choice" and calls them out on it, I wonder what goes through the parent's mind?

Especially when the parent realizes the child is right.

Sunshine and Water

Thank you God for the sunshine and for the water. It's beautiful.

I recently told someone that I thought God made 3/4 of the earth water because He knew that was the best thing He has ever created on eart. It's so great, he wanted to give us a TON of it. and I LOVE IT.

As we speak I'm laying by the pool at my house...basking in the sun. (praise baby Jesus for wireless inernet and laptops)

attempting a sun tan...maybe even a burn if I'm lucky.

(no worries my sun burns always go away in a matter of hours and turn brown).

I love being outside.

Exspecially when there is a pool or large body of water around me (a lake or ocean).

It's exhilirating...
intoxicating...
mindboggling...
refreshing...
peaceful...
tranquil...
and even straight up fun.

There's something about being in the sun and by a pool that almost makes me fall in love with Jesus even more.

Maybe I'm weird, but it draws me closer to Him.

It's inspires me. Makes me want to be a better person.

It brings joy to me... it makes me happy. And it makes me what to make other happy too. Makes me smile...and laugh...and just reminds me how great life truly is.

It's the times when it's quiet and you can hear the quiet sound of the water just splishing together or moving around that makes me reflect on my life. I'm so blessed and privelege.

I have parents who would give me anything under their abilities to make me happy. Who love me no matter what...

I have an incredible boyfriend who adores me and cherishes me...who loves me inside and out...who would die for me...who will protect me no matter the cost.

I have beautiful friends who bring joy to my life...who make me smile...make me laugh...and even make me cry all at the same time. They're precious to me...

I have the privelege to coach wonderful children on my swim team. They look up to me...mimick my every move. It's the privelege my own self to not only coach and teach them about swimming... but to make an impact on their lives as "a person" not just a swimmer.

I get to mentor and pour into the lives of amazing teenage girls who will someday change this world and help turn it around. I'm so lucky to put part of myself into them...

I love water...and the sun.

Helps me remember how lucky I really am.

Thank you Jesus for your gift of sun and water, I love you.