Today I saw some baby leaves on a tree for the first time. This tree was in the beginning stages of its buds taking on the new life that spring brings. It always seems to me like a miracle when the bareness of winter is interrupted by the first signs of green. Even on a day that still feels cold, it reminds me of God’s persistence in doing a new thing.
Isn’t life just like that? Sometimes in the midst of the yuckiest, most uncomfortable stuff God is doing a new thing in us that we aren’t even aware of yet. Sometimes, God even requires that yucky, uncomfortable stuff as the raw materials for making the new thing. Kind of like trees. Just when we think they are dead, the palest green snippets of vegetation appear. We even have to rub our eyes to make sure we are seeing correctly. The good news is that winter never lasts forever. This is the good news of Jesus Christ. Those times in our lives that are difficult, distressful, arduous, confusing, defeating, discouraging DO NOT have the last word. Hope always perseveres in revealing itself in our concrete circumstances, even when things seem darkest. We may have given up. . . . on life, on ourselves, on our circumstances, on our hopes, on our dreams, on our future, resigning ourselves to just get used to business as usual. But God never gives up on being God. And when we least expect it, Jesus brings new life to the most desolate places.
So cheer up. You and I have a Savior that goes with us into every moment. In fact, He is already waiting for you in your tomorrows, just as much as He faithfully walks with you today. Oh, you are so precious to Him. So get out your magnifying glasses and look for the little green stubs of new life growing up around you and within you. The redemption of Easter’s promise is drawing near.
Blessings,
Sami
Thursday, April 01, 2004
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Loved and Prayed For
In light of the stress of this week, and the ending of the semester, I wanted to send some prayers your way so that you may be encouraged this week. Here’ goes:
Dear God,
You are so sweet, and so good. I come before You in the name of Jesus. I lift up to you each and every student who needs some extra help this week. Lord, You know intimately the stress each one is facing. You know how difficult it can be to juggle all of the class-work, the jobs, the relationships, and everything else that piles up. Lord, in the midst of the pressure, I pray that each person who reads this will experience Your grace and power revealed in his or her situation in a special way. I pray that You will grant added strength, wisdom, motivation, and help where it is most needed and least expected. I pray that somehow each one will experience Your special touch that lets them know You are with them, helping them to face whatever comes their way.
Lord, where the exhaustion seems to overwhelm, I pray that You would provide rest. I pray that You would calm nerves and give a correct perspective when worries threaten to rob them of peace. I pray that You would give them a sense of joy that pervades every aspect of their lives, not just this week, but everyday of their college experience, so that this special time in their lives will bless them, so that they won’t miss the blessing it holds. I pray that You will wrap each one in Your love, that Your Divine arms will carry them when they are too tired to walk. Keep them healthy, keep them safe, watch over them in every way.
And for all of the travel next week, I pray that this Spring Break will be everything they need it to be. Refresh their minds, hearts, bodies, and spirits. Help each one to rest. Fill each day with special joy and new discovery. And in the midst of it all, reveal Yourself to them in a way that draws them closer to Your heart. Help them to understand more clearly Who You are. Be with us each mile that we travel. Send Your Holy Spirit ahead to prepare the way. Keep everyone safe and protected under Your wings. It is in the sweet and precious name of Jesus that I pray. Amen.
So y’all take it easy, and know that you are loved and prayed for. I want to hear all about your wonderful Spring Break adventures. Let Jesus go with you wherever you spend your break.
Blessings,
Sami
Thursday, March 04, 2004
Being Rest-Full
So, have you rested lately? I’m talking about more than zoning out in front of the TV or Video Games. Have you really rested?
Today I spent quiet time with the Lord, something I’ve neglected lately. Seems there was always something else that pushed God’s time out. It was just so good to be quiet, to open up a Psalm (notice I said “a” Psalm), and ponder what it means for God to be described the way David describes Him. Afterwards, I just sat in my (now peaceful because I rearranged it) office. I just was. I probably even fell asleep for a little while. I just rested.
Why is it that we think to be close to God we have to do a bunch of stuff? Like read a whole book of the Bible. Recite long prayers. Journal for pages on end. Today I didn’t do much except be quiet, and I feel closer to God’s presence than I have in a while. And very refreshed too.
Sometimes it’s hard to get quiet because we lack a good environment. Rearranging my office, creating more open space, and cleaning it up really helped it become a place where my spirit could rest. I realize dorm rooms and small apartment are not always the most conducive places to be quiet with the Lord. Now that the weather is nice, how about a refreshing walk outside? Sitting under a favorite tree? Relaxing on a quaint bench in a public park? Finding a favorite chair in the Library?
I know, sometimes finding a quiet, peaceful place takes a LOT of creativity! Have you ever considered coming and sitting in the Wesley Foundation chapel?
I want to challenge you to rest in the Lord, to simply be quiet in God’s presence, to not focus on what you want to say, but to allow God room to say something to you. And God may not even speak. God may just say, “Take a nap.”
Isaiah 30:15 says this:
For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and in trust shall be your strength.
Isaiah wasn’t kidding, and neither was the Holy One of Israel. If you want to kick your life into super-gear, try resting in the Lord. Allow God to be God of the universe for awhile. Take a few moments off from being in control.
After my time of silence with the Lord, this is what I learned: The silence restores my trust in the Lord; it puts my worries to rest.
Hoping you have a rest-full afternoon.
Blessings,
Sami
Today I spent quiet time with the Lord, something I’ve neglected lately. Seems there was always something else that pushed God’s time out. It was just so good to be quiet, to open up a Psalm (notice I said “a” Psalm), and ponder what it means for God to be described the way David describes Him. Afterwards, I just sat in my (now peaceful because I rearranged it) office. I just was. I probably even fell asleep for a little while. I just rested.
Why is it that we think to be close to God we have to do a bunch of stuff? Like read a whole book of the Bible. Recite long prayers. Journal for pages on end. Today I didn’t do much except be quiet, and I feel closer to God’s presence than I have in a while. And very refreshed too.
Sometimes it’s hard to get quiet because we lack a good environment. Rearranging my office, creating more open space, and cleaning it up really helped it become a place where my spirit could rest. I realize dorm rooms and small apartment are not always the most conducive places to be quiet with the Lord. Now that the weather is nice, how about a refreshing walk outside? Sitting under a favorite tree? Relaxing on a quaint bench in a public park? Finding a favorite chair in the Library?
I know, sometimes finding a quiet, peaceful place takes a LOT of creativity! Have you ever considered coming and sitting in the Wesley Foundation chapel?
I want to challenge you to rest in the Lord, to simply be quiet in God’s presence, to not focus on what you want to say, but to allow God room to say something to you. And God may not even speak. God may just say, “Take a nap.”
Isaiah 30:15 says this:
For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and in trust shall be your strength.
Isaiah wasn’t kidding, and neither was the Holy One of Israel. If you want to kick your life into super-gear, try resting in the Lord. Allow God to be God of the universe for awhile. Take a few moments off from being in control.
After my time of silence with the Lord, this is what I learned: The silence restores my trust in the Lord; it puts my worries to rest.
Hoping you have a rest-full afternoon.
Blessings,
Sami
Friday, February 20, 2004
It Really Works!
I hope your semester is going well. May seems to be approaching sooner and sooner. While that fact can cause a lot of stress, as people of faith we have a unique stress-buster that literally works miracles. I know that as Mid-Terms and Finals loom closer, many of you use access this de-stressor quite a bit. What am I talking about? Prayer, of course.
Early this afternoon I received a phone call from my Mom sharing about how God miraculously answered prayers for one of our family members. This is a situation that seemed hopeless, that has lasted for over a year, and that we have been praying about ceaselessly as a family for a long time. Just when things seemed most impossible, God came through. And in an instant, a terrible trial was over. Praise the Lord! This is something ONLY God could have done.
Just this morning I felt led to e-mail a prayer to this family that is so close to my heart, encouraging them to TRUST in the Lord, to TRUST that He has heard ALL of our prayers, and that in His mercy, no matter the outcome, He has answered in love. And then two hours later I get a phone call from my Mom confirming that God had moved in a mighty way.
Today, I want to encourage you to take inventory of your prayer life over the last few months. What have you been praying for regularly? Where has your heart been moved the most? Where is your spirit most involved and most actively petitioning God’s help? When days, months, and even years pass without seeing any “visible” answers to our prayers, it is easy to give up. But be encouraged. The One we are praying to stands alone. No one else is as loving, merciful, or WISE. Things that we may not understand He has a perfect grasp of. And He is working in ways that we cannot see. Know that every prayer you have prayed is a precious treasure in His sight. He honors and values each one, because God LOVES to hear from you. He may redirect it; He may postpone fulfilling it; He may even seem to reject the outcome you are laboring for. Yet in every case God is giving you His best. He is giving you His heart, His presence, His peace, if you let Him. Know that YOU are precious in His sight, and He hears and answers EVERY prayer you send up.
If you are struggling in prayer over a situation that hasn’t seemed to budge for a long time, know that you are not alone. My heart goes out to you. There are some prayers in my own life that I continue to hope for, even though years have passed since I began praying them. Let us labor together. Let us continue to encourage one another. Let us continue to hope, not so much in the prayers themselves, but in the One that we are praying to. God’s answers may tarry, but in the end there will be no doubt that God hand has been powerfully at work.
In the meantime, I am doing an anticipatory happy dance. God is so good; I’m going to thank Him ahead of time.
Blessings and love,
Sami
Thursday, February 05, 2004
The Gift of Boredom
Dear Friends,
Hope everyone everyone survived last night’s blizzard. I woke up this morning pretty amazed. Isn’t that just like life? In the matter of moments the landscape of our lives can change drastically. If you’re like me though, it’s hard to imagine that kind of upheaval when the monotony of ordinariness keeps repeating itself everyday. Sometimes it’s even easy to get lost in the monotony, to lose one’s bearings, one’s sense of direction, ones’ sense of self, even one’s sense of God’s presence. Jeanie Miley describes this experience in her book Creative Silence:
Where are you, God?—My struggle didn’t end just because I wanted it over with in short order. It seemed to me that God had left me and I could not find Him. As I walked about, carrying on the daily responsibilities, but searching for guidance and battling my self-will run riot, I carried on the inner dialogue with this God who seemed to be hiding.
The questioning for me usually falls along the same lines, and at the core of the question is the issue of whether or not I am going to let God run the world. I question the direction I am to take. I wonder if He is going to take care of things and provide. I wrestle with Him as I work through relationships and conflicts, and yet in the struggle, I find Him and new depths of His love.
Underneath it all, the quiet abiding presence of our Lord is always with us . . . regardless of how we feel. One of the things my father told me as I was trying to figure out my future during college was that, “If we are absolutely committed to seeking God’s will, then God is absolutely committed to revealing it. God may not reveal it ahead of time, but God will always reveal it just in time.” In some ways those endlessly stagnant seasons in our lives are moments of testing and strengthening, when we discover how deep our faith really goes. It is as if our circumstances reveal how willing we really are to follow Christ, not just through the good times, not just through the exciting times, not even just through the difficult times. It leaves us with the question: Do I love Him enough to follow Him, even through the boring times?
As time has passed in my own life, I have learned a vital truth that serves to strengthen my own resolve in dry seasons. It is this: the boring times are really not boring at all. They are seasons of great growth and action, but all of it is unseen to the human eye. From God’s perspective, we are being seeded with the newness of His plans and purposes for us. It is like the trees in winter. The look dead above ground, but below the surface their roots are growing more than at any other time of the year. The same is true for us. In the monotony, in the boredom, in the middle of those days where nothing seems to be happening, we are being transformed in ways we could never imagine. The promises of God are being planted in us, fertilized and nurtured, so that at an appropriate Spring-like day of the soul they will burst forth with reckless and beautiful abandon. But it never happens without the waiting.
Keep the faith. You are all precious. God is doing awesome things in you.
Blessings,
Sami
Hope everyone everyone survived last night’s blizzard. I woke up this morning pretty amazed. Isn’t that just like life? In the matter of moments the landscape of our lives can change drastically. If you’re like me though, it’s hard to imagine that kind of upheaval when the monotony of ordinariness keeps repeating itself everyday. Sometimes it’s even easy to get lost in the monotony, to lose one’s bearings, one’s sense of direction, ones’ sense of self, even one’s sense of God’s presence. Jeanie Miley describes this experience in her book Creative Silence:
Where are you, God?—My struggle didn’t end just because I wanted it over with in short order. It seemed to me that God had left me and I could not find Him. As I walked about, carrying on the daily responsibilities, but searching for guidance and battling my self-will run riot, I carried on the inner dialogue with this God who seemed to be hiding.
The questioning for me usually falls along the same lines, and at the core of the question is the issue of whether or not I am going to let God run the world. I question the direction I am to take. I wonder if He is going to take care of things and provide. I wrestle with Him as I work through relationships and conflicts, and yet in the struggle, I find Him and new depths of His love.
Underneath it all, the quiet abiding presence of our Lord is always with us . . . regardless of how we feel. One of the things my father told me as I was trying to figure out my future during college was that, “If we are absolutely committed to seeking God’s will, then God is absolutely committed to revealing it. God may not reveal it ahead of time, but God will always reveal it just in time.” In some ways those endlessly stagnant seasons in our lives are moments of testing and strengthening, when we discover how deep our faith really goes. It is as if our circumstances reveal how willing we really are to follow Christ, not just through the good times, not just through the exciting times, not even just through the difficult times. It leaves us with the question: Do I love Him enough to follow Him, even through the boring times?
As time has passed in my own life, I have learned a vital truth that serves to strengthen my own resolve in dry seasons. It is this: the boring times are really not boring at all. They are seasons of great growth and action, but all of it is unseen to the human eye. From God’s perspective, we are being seeded with the newness of His plans and purposes for us. It is like the trees in winter. The look dead above ground, but below the surface their roots are growing more than at any other time of the year. The same is true for us. In the monotony, in the boredom, in the middle of those days where nothing seems to be happening, we are being transformed in ways we could never imagine. The promises of God are being planted in us, fertilized and nurtured, so that at an appropriate Spring-like day of the soul they will burst forth with reckless and beautiful abandon. But it never happens without the waiting.
Keep the faith. You are all precious. God is doing awesome things in you.
Blessings,
Sami
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Persistence in Prayer
For those of you who haven’t heard the news yet. . . .
Tim and I are having a baby!
This is truly an answered prayer.
So far no morning sickness. I just eat A LOT. And sleep quite a bit too.
Maybe there’s something in your life that you have been praying for for a long time. You might have been praying for weeks, months, or even years. What I have learned most in the past month is how important it is to not give up. God’s timing is perfect. There are so many good things that come from persistence in prayer.
It keeps us in relationship with God. This is the most important thing in our lives. If we are not in relationship with God, nothing else really goes well.
It clarifies our true needs and heartfelt desires. If you can pray just as fervently (or even more fervently) for something after time has passed, then it is a good indication that it comes from your heart. Particularly if you ask the Lord to change your heart if necessary along the way and the request still persists in spite of the transformation God begins in you.
It keeps us humble. Persisting in prayer reminds us that we cannot manipulate our circumstances, life, or even God. It truly helps us to know that it is God from whom all blessings flow.
It strengthens our faith. When we persist in praying, even when it looks like God is not answering, it gives us practice in walking by faith (that God hears, cares and answers no matter how we feel) and not by sight (the tangible results that we can see and feel).
I know the heartache that comes when a situation seems hopeless. Just know that you are not alone. There are other people who share your pain. However, there is also a God that walks beside you and knows your heart better than you do. And in your darkest moments it is God who most understands and is most able to quench the heartache. It is always safe to relinquish your heart to God’s hands.
I am so proud of each of you. Keep on keeping on. I know that you can do all things you need to do and are called to do, as you walk with Jesus.
Blessings,
Sami
Tim and I are having a baby!
This is truly an answered prayer.
So far no morning sickness. I just eat A LOT. And sleep quite a bit too.
Maybe there’s something in your life that you have been praying for for a long time. You might have been praying for weeks, months, or even years. What I have learned most in the past month is how important it is to not give up. God’s timing is perfect. There are so many good things that come from persistence in prayer.
It keeps us in relationship with God. This is the most important thing in our lives. If we are not in relationship with God, nothing else really goes well.
It clarifies our true needs and heartfelt desires. If you can pray just as fervently (or even more fervently) for something after time has passed, then it is a good indication that it comes from your heart. Particularly if you ask the Lord to change your heart if necessary along the way and the request still persists in spite of the transformation God begins in you.
It keeps us humble. Persisting in prayer reminds us that we cannot manipulate our circumstances, life, or even God. It truly helps us to know that it is God from whom all blessings flow.
It strengthens our faith. When we persist in praying, even when it looks like God is not answering, it gives us practice in walking by faith (that God hears, cares and answers no matter how we feel) and not by sight (the tangible results that we can see and feel).
I know the heartache that comes when a situation seems hopeless. Just know that you are not alone. There are other people who share your pain. However, there is also a God that walks beside you and knows your heart better than you do. And in your darkest moments it is God who most understands and is most able to quench the heartache. It is always safe to relinquish your heart to God’s hands.
I am so proud of each of you. Keep on keeping on. I know that you can do all things you need to do and are called to do, as you walk with Jesus.
Blessings,
Sami
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Let Him Just Look At You
I love this time of year. One of my favorite things to do is to watch the ABC Family channel’s “25 Days of Christmas” holiday shows. I get to see the shows I watched as a child. My favorite ones always make me cry. In a very simple way they weave a personal story around the greatest story ever told. Like the Little Drummer Boy, who played his drum for Jesus. Like Nester, the donkey that carried Mary to Bethlehem. Each reminds me that the coming of the Christ child is always a personal thing. The light of God always shines in the darkness that falls close to home. The peace of God always comforts the hurts that seem too mundane to share. The joy of God always brings happiness that is fashioned perfectly for the one receiving it. As each little cartoon character comes to life within the Christmas story, I realize that my story and your story are part of Christ’s story too. What is stirring in your heart, right now? Can you offer it to Christ? Can you invite His gentle presence into the center of it?
There is something miraculous about such a simple thing as saying, “Here I am, Lord, the good, the bad, and the ugly.” It is as if Jesus enters the rude stable of our hearts to be born once again. As gentle as a baby’s smile, as joyful as lungs filling for the first time, as tender as a mother’s first caress, Jesus comes to us. Something within me leaps and weeps, all at the same time.
Thank you for walking with me this year. It has been such a joy to know each one of you. Jesus loves you so much. He is crazy about you. As you leave this place, traveling home for Christmas, imagine yourself drawing close to the manger and peering in. Allow yourself to be gazed upon by Love. You are so precious in His sight. Let Him just look at you this Christmas.
Y’all are the best.
Blessings,
Sami
There is something miraculous about such a simple thing as saying, “Here I am, Lord, the good, the bad, and the ugly.” It is as if Jesus enters the rude stable of our hearts to be born once again. As gentle as a baby’s smile, as joyful as lungs filling for the first time, as tender as a mother’s first caress, Jesus comes to us. Something within me leaps and weeps, all at the same time.
Thank you for walking with me this year. It has been such a joy to know each one of you. Jesus loves you so much. He is crazy about you. As you leave this place, traveling home for Christmas, imagine yourself drawing close to the manger and peering in. Allow yourself to be gazed upon by Love. You are so precious in His sight. Let Him just look at you this Christmas.
Y’all are the best.
Blessings,
Sami
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
To Know Him
In spending some time in Bible study and worship this morning, my eyes were opened once again to the Majesty and Mercy of our Lord. Consider this reflection upon our God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
You are love, pure, and sweet; its finest expression. Your loving, Lord, Your being, is so precious, a rare and exquisite gift. I think about our attempts to love. We offer our fallible tries to one another and to You. Oh, but You take our offerings and fill them with Your own worth, and they become beautiful. You are so gentle and gracious. It is hard to even put it into words. My heart is so bruised and frightened, skittish. And yet, in all Your mighty power, You find ways to communicate so gently. Who are You, who is like You, so forceful and strong that a human cannot stand in Your presence without being destroyed, and yet so humble and gentle that our hearts naturally turn to You, genuinely seeking Your face? Who are You, who is like You, who created galaxies and still lovingly and delicately knit each one of us together with astonishing detail? Who are You, who is like You, whose passion is stronger than death, yet whose life comes in a new-born baby’s cry? Who are You, who is like You, who tenderly and genly leads our stumbling and fumbling footsteps upon a holy path, and delights in doing so? You alone are worthy of our worship. You alone are powerful enough to evoke our truest fear, and yet humble enough to desire our truest love instead. You are a King of earthly paradox, yet robed in Heavenly perfection. You are holy; You are so holy; You alone are holy. And in bringing us to Yourself, You make us holy too.
When I stop to consider the holiness of God that is married to the humble lovingness of God, I am always drawn to worship. It is so wonderful to me that a God who is incomprehensibly awesome loves us flawed and messy human beings. He knows all my faults and yet isn’t scared away. He knows all my failures and yet sings over me with joy. Say those affirmations for yourself, because they are true for each and every one of us. The only one qualified to point a finger at us never does. Instead He tenderly walks with us, changing us from glory to glory until we reflect Him in the world.
This break, I encourage you to think about what you are most thankful for in your relationship with Jesus. If you don’t have a personal relationship with Him, I encourage you to accept the invitation He is offering you to be His close personal friend. It’s as easy as saying, “Jesus I want to be Your close personal friend, and I want You to be mine. Please come into my heart.” This is His desire for you: To know Him and be known by Him. Spend some time loving on Him this week and letting Him love on you. It will refresh you more than you can even guess.
Know that Jesus loves you and I do too.
Blessings,
Sami
You are love, pure, and sweet; its finest expression. Your loving, Lord, Your being, is so precious, a rare and exquisite gift. I think about our attempts to love. We offer our fallible tries to one another and to You. Oh, but You take our offerings and fill them with Your own worth, and they become beautiful. You are so gentle and gracious. It is hard to even put it into words. My heart is so bruised and frightened, skittish. And yet, in all Your mighty power, You find ways to communicate so gently. Who are You, who is like You, so forceful and strong that a human cannot stand in Your presence without being destroyed, and yet so humble and gentle that our hearts naturally turn to You, genuinely seeking Your face? Who are You, who is like You, who created galaxies and still lovingly and delicately knit each one of us together with astonishing detail? Who are You, who is like You, whose passion is stronger than death, yet whose life comes in a new-born baby’s cry? Who are You, who is like You, who tenderly and genly leads our stumbling and fumbling footsteps upon a holy path, and delights in doing so? You alone are worthy of our worship. You alone are powerful enough to evoke our truest fear, and yet humble enough to desire our truest love instead. You are a King of earthly paradox, yet robed in Heavenly perfection. You are holy; You are so holy; You alone are holy. And in bringing us to Yourself, You make us holy too.
When I stop to consider the holiness of God that is married to the humble lovingness of God, I am always drawn to worship. It is so wonderful to me that a God who is incomprehensibly awesome loves us flawed and messy human beings. He knows all my faults and yet isn’t scared away. He knows all my failures and yet sings over me with joy. Say those affirmations for yourself, because they are true for each and every one of us. The only one qualified to point a finger at us never does. Instead He tenderly walks with us, changing us from glory to glory until we reflect Him in the world.
This break, I encourage you to think about what you are most thankful for in your relationship with Jesus. If you don’t have a personal relationship with Him, I encourage you to accept the invitation He is offering you to be His close personal friend. It’s as easy as saying, “Jesus I want to be Your close personal friend, and I want You to be mine. Please come into my heart.” This is His desire for you: To know Him and be known by Him. Spend some time loving on Him this week and letting Him love on you. It will refresh you more than you can even guess.
Know that Jesus loves you and I do too.
Blessings,
Sami
Friday, November 14, 2003
Prayers As the Semester Ends
Dear Friends,
God is so good! Just sending out this weeks letter with a prayer that you will be enveloped by the goodness of God. Please know how precious you are in His sight. And Jesus has carved out a special place in my heart for you as well. I am often overwhelmed by the love He feels for you. You are special stuff!
I want to offer you a prayer as we go into another busy weekend and as the semester draws to a close.
Dear Father,
I thank You so much for the joy and privilege of serving in such a wonderful place with such wonderful people. You must love me a lot! Thank You, thank You, thank You. I pray right now that you will bless each one, each student who reads this. I pray that as she or he opens this e-mail, You will flood each with a sense of Your presence. Help each one to know without a doubt how precious he or she is in Your sight. Help them all to understand the beauty of the unique creation You made them to be. I pray that for every stress they encounter, You will shower them with Your strength, knowledge, and insight. Help them to persevere in the crunch time of this closing semester. Give them peace about all that has already passed. Help them to understand that You are holding the whole world together by Your grace and love, and that nothing that happens to them is mightier than Your love and Your ability to step in and make things better. Help each one to know Your arms are so safe and trustworthy, and that they can take all of their cares and concerns to You and leave them there. Give them the grace to be able to let go of their worries and anxieties, casting them on You. Grant them the faith they need to move the mountains in their lives by believing You, not just believing in You. Thank You, Lord, for loving each one of these precious young adults more than I do, and for already making provision for their every need.
I love You, Lord. You are so much more than I ever imagined. Thank You for loving us and giving us abundant and eternal life.
Amen.
Friends, I hope you are blessed this week.
Much love,
Sami
God is so good! Just sending out this weeks letter with a prayer that you will be enveloped by the goodness of God. Please know how precious you are in His sight. And Jesus has carved out a special place in my heart for you as well. I am often overwhelmed by the love He feels for you. You are special stuff!
I want to offer you a prayer as we go into another busy weekend and as the semester draws to a close.
Dear Father,
I thank You so much for the joy and privilege of serving in such a wonderful place with such wonderful people. You must love me a lot! Thank You, thank You, thank You. I pray right now that you will bless each one, each student who reads this. I pray that as she or he opens this e-mail, You will flood each with a sense of Your presence. Help each one to know without a doubt how precious he or she is in Your sight. Help them all to understand the beauty of the unique creation You made them to be. I pray that for every stress they encounter, You will shower them with Your strength, knowledge, and insight. Help them to persevere in the crunch time of this closing semester. Give them peace about all that has already passed. Help them to understand that You are holding the whole world together by Your grace and love, and that nothing that happens to them is mightier than Your love and Your ability to step in and make things better. Help each one to know Your arms are so safe and trustworthy, and that they can take all of their cares and concerns to You and leave them there. Give them the grace to be able to let go of their worries and anxieties, casting them on You. Grant them the faith they need to move the mountains in their lives by believing You, not just believing in You. Thank You, Lord, for loving each one of these precious young adults more than I do, and for already making provision for their every need.
I love You, Lord. You are so much more than I ever imagined. Thank You for loving us and giving us abundant and eternal life.
Amen.
Friends, I hope you are blessed this week.
Much love,
Sami
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
Friends
Today I am thankful for friendship. I see it growing so beautifully at the Foundation. There are new friendships that are forming and old ones that are being deepened. What continues to amaze and bless me is the atmosphere of love, acceptance, and joy that permeates our time together as a campus ministry. It is the same atmosphere that gave me new life as a student 10 years ago. Sometimes on the way home at night I sit and bask in the afterglow of the warm feeling I get from being with all of you.
Before Jesus died He had a heart to heart with His closest friends. He said to them, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). I have often thought that this was a weird message to give to the disciples. I mean, shouldn’t He be saying, “This is how the world will know you are my disciples, by the way you love everyone in the world” ? But then I consider all of the churches that are full of people who hate each other. It doesn’t seem like a welcoming place, even when it takes steps to reach out to those outside its walls.
I guess that is what makes the Wesley Foundation such a special place for me; it is the quality of relationships that are born and sustained through many years, reproducing with every generation of new students. Certainly this takes work. We have to continue to love one another, beyond our flaws and mistakes, always trying to see the imprint of our Savior in each other’s faces.
For those of you who have invested your hearts in this ministry, thank you so much. You have made this place special, a place where the presence of Jesus Christ comes alive through the unique personalities and gifts of students who love the Lord. If you haven’t visited us in a while, stop in sometime and say hi. Like Motel 6, “We’ll leave the light on for you.” And if you have never been to one of our services or group nights before, but always secretly wondered if you would enjoy it, know that you are always welcome here. You have a faith home waiting to take you in.
Just know that each of you are so precious in our Lord’s eyes. Each of you have something special to contribute. Each of you make a difference no one else can make. I know I say it a lot, but I am truly honored to be your campus minister.
Blessings,
Sami
Before Jesus died He had a heart to heart with His closest friends. He said to them, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). I have often thought that this was a weird message to give to the disciples. I mean, shouldn’t He be saying, “This is how the world will know you are my disciples, by the way you love everyone in the world” ? But then I consider all of the churches that are full of people who hate each other. It doesn’t seem like a welcoming place, even when it takes steps to reach out to those outside its walls.
I guess that is what makes the Wesley Foundation such a special place for me; it is the quality of relationships that are born and sustained through many years, reproducing with every generation of new students. Certainly this takes work. We have to continue to love one another, beyond our flaws and mistakes, always trying to see the imprint of our Savior in each other’s faces.
For those of you who have invested your hearts in this ministry, thank you so much. You have made this place special, a place where the presence of Jesus Christ comes alive through the unique personalities and gifts of students who love the Lord. If you haven’t visited us in a while, stop in sometime and say hi. Like Motel 6, “We’ll leave the light on for you.” And if you have never been to one of our services or group nights before, but always secretly wondered if you would enjoy it, know that you are always welcome here. You have a faith home waiting to take you in.
Just know that each of you are so precious in our Lord’s eyes. Each of you have something special to contribute. Each of you make a difference no one else can make. I know I say it a lot, but I am truly honored to be your campus minister.
Blessings,
Sami
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