Now for Sami’s Ramblings about Jesus:
I spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at Camp Loucon in Leitchfield, KY spending time alone with the Lord. It was one of those times that was so blessed, but at the same time very eye-opening. This scripture kept coming to mind as I read, meditated and prayed:
“Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14
It is so easy to walk down a road that destroys us. It is like each little decision we make is one small step in a certain direction. And it is only after we have traveled a fair amount of distance that we realize the cumulative effect of those decisions, that we see the direction our lives are taking. When we make decisions and choices that are life-giving, the result is that our lives are replenished and produce good things. When we make decisions and choices that are life-destroying (no matter how small they seem at the time), the result is that we wake up one day and realize there isn’t a lot of Life left in our lives.
Now there are several directions I can go with this, particularly in speaking to college students who are surrounded by so many temptations. But I want to be completely honest and say that this is something that I struggle with daily. Because anything that takes us away from God’s will for our lives is a destructive choice; anything can rob us of the Abundant Life Jesus wants to give us if it comes before His will for us. And anytime we choose something over God, it is sin. Yes, I am guilty of letting things get in the way of what He wants for me and from me. This weekend was a real wake-up call for me, and it caused me to think long and hard about the choices I am making. I am having to think clearly about what I am saying “yes” to and what I am saying “no” to, and why. And I am having to acknowledge the sin in my life of making decisions that are in direct conflict with God’s will for me because I made them wanting to please someone else or because I wanted to prove my worth.
I want to invite you to take this moment to think clearly about your life: Is it filled with Life? Or is it filled with a kind of claustrophobic weariness, emptiness, and dread? Do you feel you have the Abundant Life Jesus died to give you? If not, why not? What choices have you been making lately and why? Could it be that like me you thought you were making choices to please God when in fact you were making them for other reasons?
So here is the good news. At any moment we can begin to make God choices for ourselves that will put us back on God’s road for our lives. We can have Abundant Life. And Jesus Himself will be there to help us find it. As we DAILY seek His face, we begin to understand what those Life-Giving choices look like. Without this daily time with Him, it is IMPOSSIBLE, no matter our intentions, to figure out which decisions are on His path and which are not. But He is oh so patient with us. He loves us so much. He wants us to have everything He died to give us: peace, joy, abundant life free from guilt and bondage and the power of sin. And it doesn’t matter how many times we fail: Every day He his mercy is new. Everyday He is ready to pick us back up and put us on the right road with Him, helping us to make wise choices to keep us there.
So how are we supposed to know which choices are good and which are bad? Well, if we were all really honest, we could pretty well say what is the truth of our choices. We know what is right and what is wrong. For those of us who have asked Jesus into our lives to be our Lord and Savior, He has given us His Holy Spirit, and the Spirit will prick our consciences with specific direction. It will sound off internal alarms when we make bad choices, and It will give us peace about the good choices. If we are stubborn and keep making bad choices, the Holy Spirit becomes like a sharp rock that hangs out in our tennis shoes; we will not be able to ignore the Spirit’s leading in our minds. And the moment we give in to the Holy Spirit we will have a sense of release and well-being.
There is so much love in Jesus’ heart for you. He loves you so much, and it hurts Him to see you hurting. It breaks His heart when you are suffering and when you feel like you are dying inside, and He wants to help. My prayer for you and for me is that we will have the courage to let Him help us. That we will have the courage to follow His direction. That we will have the strength to say “no” to everything else so that we can say “yes” to the Abundant Life He died to give us.
You are so precious. Thanks for sharing this journey with me.
Jesus loves you and so do I,
Sami
Monday, March 28, 2005
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Now for Sami’s Ramblings about Jesus:
Over the weekend several Wesley Foundation students and I participated in a DiscipleNow weekend in Elkton, KY. This incredible event was hosted for the youth of Elkton by Petrie Memorial United Methodist Church. My good friend Kris Weathers is the youth pastor there. She, along with some very loving and dedicated folks, put together an amazing time for youth to come to a deeper understanding of what it means to belong to Jesus Christ. I literally saw lives transformed before my eyes. It was such a beautiful testimony and witness to the power of God set free in a community, a church, and especially young lives. Before the weekend was over 7 youth had come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior for the first time. Nineteen other had publicly rededicated their lives. I have to say, as I stood in the middle of Petrie’s sanctuary Saturday night for the commitment service, I stood amazed as I saw the Holy Spirit move like I had never seen. So many people flooded the altar that there wasn’t enough room. We finally began praying with people in the pews. All I can say is “God is so amazing!”
All of this is to say—if you have just about given up on God, hang in there. He is so present, so loving, so crazy about you. I went to this weekend to serve, and God even sent someone to minister specifically to me. God never leaves us. We may feel so all alone, we may feel like our prayers never make it to where God is, but somewhere, right now, God is working through someone to bring about an amazing thing in your life. I know how easily it can be to give up. Especially when the things you have prayed for, hoped for, longed for seem so long in coming. Just know, you are so IN God’s heart. God has a special place in His heart that remembers your name each and every moment. Just because His time frame is so different from ours does not mean He has given up on you. He hasn’t given up on You; don’t give up on Him. And if you need a message of hope tonight, come and join us for our program this evening at the Wesley Foundation at 6:30pm. God gave me a “fly-by” just for you. (You know, one of those thoughts that you have that you are certain didn’t originate with you.) You are so precious to Him. If you forget easily, print off this e-mail and read it often.
Hey! You’re special!
Jesus loves you and so do I,
Sami
Over the weekend several Wesley Foundation students and I participated in a DiscipleNow weekend in Elkton, KY. This incredible event was hosted for the youth of Elkton by Petrie Memorial United Methodist Church. My good friend Kris Weathers is the youth pastor there. She, along with some very loving and dedicated folks, put together an amazing time for youth to come to a deeper understanding of what it means to belong to Jesus Christ. I literally saw lives transformed before my eyes. It was such a beautiful testimony and witness to the power of God set free in a community, a church, and especially young lives. Before the weekend was over 7 youth had come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior for the first time. Nineteen other had publicly rededicated their lives. I have to say, as I stood in the middle of Petrie’s sanctuary Saturday night for the commitment service, I stood amazed as I saw the Holy Spirit move like I had never seen. So many people flooded the altar that there wasn’t enough room. We finally began praying with people in the pews. All I can say is “God is so amazing!”
All of this is to say—if you have just about given up on God, hang in there. He is so present, so loving, so crazy about you. I went to this weekend to serve, and God even sent someone to minister specifically to me. God never leaves us. We may feel so all alone, we may feel like our prayers never make it to where God is, but somewhere, right now, God is working through someone to bring about an amazing thing in your life. I know how easily it can be to give up. Especially when the things you have prayed for, hoped for, longed for seem so long in coming. Just know, you are so IN God’s heart. God has a special place in His heart that remembers your name each and every moment. Just because His time frame is so different from ours does not mean He has given up on you. He hasn’t given up on You; don’t give up on Him. And if you need a message of hope tonight, come and join us for our program this evening at the Wesley Foundation at 6:30pm. God gave me a “fly-by” just for you. (You know, one of those thoughts that you have that you are certain didn’t originate with you.) You are so precious to Him. If you forget easily, print off this e-mail and read it often.
Hey! You’re special!
Jesus loves you and so do I,
Sami
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Now for Sami’s Ramblings about Jesus:
A few weeks ago I sent out an e-letter that focused on the Joy of the Lord being our strength. I shared about how Becky and Kelly fixed one of Noah’s burp rags into a swami hat and placed it on his head. We just laughed and laughed. Well the film is finally developed, and you no longer have to wonder what was so funny. This is one of those magic moments where faith becomes sight:
You know, faith becomes sight all the time, it’s just that most of us don’t have the patience to wait for it to be revealed in our lives. We give up on God before God has time to perfect His plans for us. “So why does it take so long?” you might ask. It’s like this: imagine you have been invited to dinner at a place known for its steak dinners. This place has a reputation for succulent, tasty, perfectly grilled steaks. It only serves them just right. The same is true for the baked potato and salad that come with it. They too are worth writing home about. But one day someone comes to eat there and within five minutes of ordering demands that the food be brought out. The server pleads with the patron saying, “It just isn’t ready; we need more time.” But the patron is so impatient to eat that the demands become more escalated. Reluctantly the server agrees to bring the dinner out. Of course what does the patron find? The steak is raw, the potato is hard, and the lettuce hasn’t even been washed. In disgust the patron exclaims that it is the worst meal ever served on the face of the earth and stomps out of the restaurant. In reality, it is the very best meal that could ever be offered, it was just tasted way before its time.
This is how we are with God so often. We give Him our lives and then thirty minutes later (in spiritual time) we demand that He give the results back to us. And then we leave disillusioned and disgusted because God didn’t live up to our expectations. The sad thing is that if we could just hang in there, and wait patiently upon God (in God’s time), God would EXCEED our expectations. Too often we never give God the time or room to work.
So where are you at right now? Waiting for Noah’s picture to be developed was so worth it. I’m so glad that I didn’t interrupt the process out of impatience, because this precious image would have been lost. God is developing some really great pictures in your life even now as I write. All you have to do is hang tough, trusting that God’s end result is so worth the wait. You will be so blessed when you finally see what God has been up to. There is no telling how many lives God is having to impact, how many situations God is having to influence, how many minds God is patiently trying to change to bring about His perfect best for your life. All I can say is, whatever it is you are waiting on God for, it is sooooooooooooooooooooo worth the wait.
God loves you and so do I,
Sami
A few weeks ago I sent out an e-letter that focused on the Joy of the Lord being our strength. I shared about how Becky and Kelly fixed one of Noah’s burp rags into a swami hat and placed it on his head. We just laughed and laughed. Well the film is finally developed, and you no longer have to wonder what was so funny. This is one of those magic moments where faith becomes sight:
You know, faith becomes sight all the time, it’s just that most of us don’t have the patience to wait for it to be revealed in our lives. We give up on God before God has time to perfect His plans for us. “So why does it take so long?” you might ask. It’s like this: imagine you have been invited to dinner at a place known for its steak dinners. This place has a reputation for succulent, tasty, perfectly grilled steaks. It only serves them just right. The same is true for the baked potato and salad that come with it. They too are worth writing home about. But one day someone comes to eat there and within five minutes of ordering demands that the food be brought out. The server pleads with the patron saying, “It just isn’t ready; we need more time.” But the patron is so impatient to eat that the demands become more escalated. Reluctantly the server agrees to bring the dinner out. Of course what does the patron find? The steak is raw, the potato is hard, and the lettuce hasn’t even been washed. In disgust the patron exclaims that it is the worst meal ever served on the face of the earth and stomps out of the restaurant. In reality, it is the very best meal that could ever be offered, it was just tasted way before its time.
This is how we are with God so often. We give Him our lives and then thirty minutes later (in spiritual time) we demand that He give the results back to us. And then we leave disillusioned and disgusted because God didn’t live up to our expectations. The sad thing is that if we could just hang in there, and wait patiently upon God (in God’s time), God would EXCEED our expectations. Too often we never give God the time or room to work.
So where are you at right now? Waiting for Noah’s picture to be developed was so worth it. I’m so glad that I didn’t interrupt the process out of impatience, because this precious image would have been lost. God is developing some really great pictures in your life even now as I write. All you have to do is hang tough, trusting that God’s end result is so worth the wait. You will be so blessed when you finally see what God has been up to. There is no telling how many lives God is having to impact, how many situations God is having to influence, how many minds God is patiently trying to change to bring about His perfect best for your life. All I can say is, whatever it is you are waiting on God for, it is sooooooooooooooooooooo worth the wait.
God loves you and so do I,
Sami
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Now for Sami’s Ramblings about Jesus:
This past weekend several of us went to Fairview United Methodist Church in Maryville, TN to share our Outreach ministry with them. I had the opportunity to speak along with Becky Tenpenny (our campus missionary) to a Sunday School class about our ministry here at Western. One of the things we talked about was how students’ needs have changed over the years. As a college student ten years ago, I remember having so much more free time than many of you have now. Today, so many of you are taking 18-21 hours of classes, have classes that demand much more from students than in when I was a student, have part-time jobs that you work close to 20 hours a week, and have more demands on your time because of other organizations that you need to be in because of your major or career goals. I guess this is preparation for life beyond college where things don’t get easier.
As I pondered these things I felt you needed to hear some good news. Hear these gracious words from scripture:
“Come unto me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” --Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30)
I know many of you are weary. You are so run down that your bodies (though they are young and strong) get so beat up on that they catch the flu and sickness, knocking you off your feet. I look at some of you sometimes, and the weariness is etched in your faces with dark circles cradling your eyes. And I only know the pressures you tell me about. I can’t even account for those other things you struggle with which you don’t mention, things that drain you of whatever classes and work didn’t siphon off. I just want you to know no matter what challenges, or obstacles, or impossible circumstances you are facing, there is good news.
With a simple invitation Jesus can come into the present moment of your life and begin re-engineering it so that you experience all of His promises. When He takes the time to make sure a promise makes it into scripture (especially the red word print!), you can be sure that He will stand by it and help you to stand upon it. Are you tired? Are you weary? Are your books—I mean burdens—too heavy? Jesus is offering you his peace this morning. Just come unto him. Take a moment to seek His face. Take a moment to read His scriptures. Take a moment to be still before Him and let Him speak to your hear. Rest is coming.
Now for the bad news (that’s not really bad news at all, it just asks something of us). We have to come ready to learn. Jesus says, “Learn from me.” If we come to him looking for help, yet with an obstinate attitude that is unwilling to let go of things that are harmful and unwilling to be obedient to the direction (spiritual medicine) he gives, then our coming to Him makes no difference. We leave more frustrated than when we came. It is like going to the doctor who give us a prescription, says “drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest,” and instead of doing any of those things we continue on doing the very things that made us sick in the first place. And because our need for help is so critical, and our refusal to accept help so obstinate, we eventually find ourselves even worse than when we asked for help in the first place. Yeah, I know. Those of you who know me well are thinking, “This girl needs to listen to her own sermons.” Point taken. I spent my day with Jesus yesterday myself.
Anyway, know that you are loved. You are so precious in His sight. He would give his everything for you. In fact He already has, and He always does. Just be still and let Him love on you a little bit (okay, a lot).
You know you are all special to me too.
Blessings,
Sami
This past weekend several of us went to Fairview United Methodist Church in Maryville, TN to share our Outreach ministry with them. I had the opportunity to speak along with Becky Tenpenny (our campus missionary) to a Sunday School class about our ministry here at Western. One of the things we talked about was how students’ needs have changed over the years. As a college student ten years ago, I remember having so much more free time than many of you have now. Today, so many of you are taking 18-21 hours of classes, have classes that demand much more from students than in when I was a student, have part-time jobs that you work close to 20 hours a week, and have more demands on your time because of other organizations that you need to be in because of your major or career goals. I guess this is preparation for life beyond college where things don’t get easier.
As I pondered these things I felt you needed to hear some good news. Hear these gracious words from scripture:
“Come unto me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” --Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30)
I know many of you are weary. You are so run down that your bodies (though they are young and strong) get so beat up on that they catch the flu and sickness, knocking you off your feet. I look at some of you sometimes, and the weariness is etched in your faces with dark circles cradling your eyes. And I only know the pressures you tell me about. I can’t even account for those other things you struggle with which you don’t mention, things that drain you of whatever classes and work didn’t siphon off. I just want you to know no matter what challenges, or obstacles, or impossible circumstances you are facing, there is good news.
With a simple invitation Jesus can come into the present moment of your life and begin re-engineering it so that you experience all of His promises. When He takes the time to make sure a promise makes it into scripture (especially the red word print!), you can be sure that He will stand by it and help you to stand upon it. Are you tired? Are you weary? Are your books—I mean burdens—too heavy? Jesus is offering you his peace this morning. Just come unto him. Take a moment to seek His face. Take a moment to read His scriptures. Take a moment to be still before Him and let Him speak to your hear. Rest is coming.
Now for the bad news (that’s not really bad news at all, it just asks something of us). We have to come ready to learn. Jesus says, “Learn from me.” If we come to him looking for help, yet with an obstinate attitude that is unwilling to let go of things that are harmful and unwilling to be obedient to the direction (spiritual medicine) he gives, then our coming to Him makes no difference. We leave more frustrated than when we came. It is like going to the doctor who give us a prescription, says “drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest,” and instead of doing any of those things we continue on doing the very things that made us sick in the first place. And because our need for help is so critical, and our refusal to accept help so obstinate, we eventually find ourselves even worse than when we asked for help in the first place. Yeah, I know. Those of you who know me well are thinking, “This girl needs to listen to her own sermons.” Point taken. I spent my day with Jesus yesterday myself.
Anyway, know that you are loved. You are so precious in His sight. He would give his everything for you. In fact He already has, and He always does. Just be still and let Him love on you a little bit (okay, a lot).
You know you are all special to me too.
Blessings,
Sami
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Now for Sami’s Ramblings about Jesus:
This past weekend several of us went to Fairview United Methodist Church in Maryville, TN to share our Outreach ministry with them. I had the opportunity to speak along with Becky Tenpenny (our campus missionary) to a Sunday School class about our ministry here at Western. One of the things we talked about was how students’ needs have changed over the years. As a college student ten years ago, I remember having so much more free time than many of you have now. Today, so many of you are taking 18-21 hours of classes, have classes that demand much more from students than in when I was a student, have part-time jobs that you work close to 20 hours a week, and have more demands on your time because of other organizations that you need to be in because of your major or career goals. I guess this is preparation for life beyond college where things don’t get easier.
As I pondered these things I felt you needed to hear some good news. Hear these gracious words from scripture:
“Come unto me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” --Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30)
I know many of you are weary. You are so run down that your bodies (though they are young and strong) get so beat up on that they catch the flu and sickness, knocking you off your feet. I look at some of you sometimes, and the weariness is etched in your faces with dark circles cradling your eyes. And I only know the pressures you tell me about. I can’t even account for those other things you struggle with which you don’t mention, things that drain you of whatever classes and work didn’t siphon off. I just want you to know no matter what challenges, or obstacles, or impossible circumstances you are facing, there is good news.
With a simple invitation Jesus can come into the present moment of your life and begin re-engineering it so that you experience all of His promises. When He takes the time to make sure a promise makes it into scripture (especially the red word print!), you can be sure that He will stand by it and help you to stand upon it. Are you tired? Are you weary? Are your books—I mean burdens—too heavy? Jesus is offering you his peace this morning. Just come unto him. Take a moment to seek His face. Take a moment to read His scriptures. Take a moment to be still before Him and let Him speak to your hear. Rest is coming.
Now for the bad news (that’s not really bad news at all, it just asks something of us). We have to come ready to learn. Jesus says, “Learn from me.” If we come to him looking for help, yet with an obstinate attitude that is unwilling to let go of things that are harmful and unwilling to be obedient to the direction (spiritual medicine) he gives, then our coming to Him makes no difference. We leave more frustrated than when we came. It is like going to the doctor who give us a prescription, says “drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest,” and instead of doing any of those things we continue on doing the very things that made us sick in the first place. And because our need for help is so critical, and our refusal to accept help so obstinate, we eventually find ourselves even worse than when we asked for help in the first place. Yeah, I know. Those of you who know me well are thinking, “This girl needs to listen to her own sermons.” Point taken. I spent my day with Jesus yesterday myself.
Anyway, know that you are loved. You are so precious in His sight. He would give his everything for you. In fact He already has, and He always does. Just be still and let Him love on you a little bit (okay, a lot).
You know you are all special to me too.
Blessings,
Sami
This past weekend several of us went to Fairview United Methodist Church in Maryville, TN to share our Outreach ministry with them. I had the opportunity to speak along with Becky Tenpenny (our campus missionary) to a Sunday School class about our ministry here at Western. One of the things we talked about was how students’ needs have changed over the years. As a college student ten years ago, I remember having so much more free time than many of you have now. Today, so many of you are taking 18-21 hours of classes, have classes that demand much more from students than in when I was a student, have part-time jobs that you work close to 20 hours a week, and have more demands on your time because of other organizations that you need to be in because of your major or career goals. I guess this is preparation for life beyond college where things don’t get easier.
As I pondered these things I felt you needed to hear some good news. Hear these gracious words from scripture:
“Come unto me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” --Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30)
I know many of you are weary. You are so run down that your bodies (though they are young and strong) get so beat up on that they catch the flu and sickness, knocking you off your feet. I look at some of you sometimes, and the weariness is etched in your faces with dark circles cradling your eyes. And I only know the pressures you tell me about. I can’t even account for those other things you struggle with which you don’t mention, things that drain you of whatever classes and work didn’t siphon off. I just want you to know no matter what challenges, or obstacles, or impossible circumstances you are facing, there is good news.
With a simple invitation Jesus can come into the present moment of your life and begin re-engineering it so that you experience all of His promises. When He takes the time to make sure a promise makes it into scripture (especially the red word print!), you can be sure that He will stand by it and help you to stand upon it. Are you tired? Are you weary? Are your books—I mean burdens—too heavy? Jesus is offering you his peace this morning. Just come unto him. Take a moment to seek His face. Take a moment to read His scriptures. Take a moment to be still before Him and let Him speak to your hear. Rest is coming.
Now for the bad news (that’s not really bad news at all, it just asks something of us). We have to come ready to learn. Jesus says, “Learn from me.” If we come to him looking for help, yet with an obstinate attitude that is unwilling to let go of things that are harmful and unwilling to be obedient to the direction (spiritual medicine) he gives, then our coming to Him makes no difference. We leave more frustrated than when we came. It is like going to the doctor who give us a prescription, says “drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest,” and instead of doing any of those things we continue on doing the very things that made us sick in the first place. And because our need for help is so critical, and our refusal to accept help so obstinate, we eventually find ourselves even worse than when we asked for help in the first place. Yeah, I know. Those of you who know me well are thinking, “This girl needs to listen to her own sermons.” Point taken. I spent my day with Jesus yesterday myself.
Anyway, know that you are loved. You are so precious in His sight. He would give his everything for you. In fact He already has, and He always does. Just be still and let Him love on you a little bit (okay, a lot).
You know you are all special to me too.
Blessings,
Sami
Monday, February 21, 2005
Now for Sami’s ramblings about Jesus:
I hope all of you have experienced the blessing and richness of friendship the way God intended it. I have been sitting here thinking of the many ways God has blessed me through friends in the past week. What a beautiful treasure each one of you are! I am truly convinced that those words to the famous Michael W. Smith ballad are as sacred as anything Charles Wesley (John Wesley’s brother) wrote: “Friends are friends forever, if the Lord’s the Lord of them. And a friend will not say never, cause the welcome will not end. Though it’s hard to let you go, in the Father’s hands we know, that a lifetime’s not too long, to live as friends.” In my lifetime I have had plenty of opportunity for friendships to come and go; the ones that stay and that remain life giving are the ones that are infused with the very presence of Christ. You see, my friends are the very presence of Jesus for me. I can get so lost in the scariness of real life sometimes. My fears get the best of me. My faith gets weak. But God always manages to send the sweetest messages through the sweetest messengers: true friends.
They are, as individuals, quite different from each other. Some I have known most of my life (boy, the stories my youth group friend could tell on me!); some I have known less than a year. Some are so very similar to me in so many ways; some are so different in just as many. But each one of them bring a unique perspective of God’s truth and love to my life. Sometimes when I am too weak to find Jesus on my own, they are the ones who each have a corner of the blanket, and they are hauling me to him. Most of them don’t even realize what service they are accomplishing. They just grab a corner and go, because it just seems like the right thing to do.
It can be so easy to get hung up on ministry as being a minister’s thing, something that only paid professionals can really do (and do well). The truth is that ministry happens any moment we allow ourselves to be the empty vessels God can fill up and pour out. Usually it is something as mundane as a telephone call of catching up. Usually the greatest acts of ministry are so insignificant in terms of worldly appraisal that we barely register them on our spiritual radars. That is because great ministry is really great love expressed in simple and everyday ways: listening, supporting, laughing with, crying for, hoping and helping. As one of my dear friends will often say: “The process is love; don’t hinder the process.”
My question to you is this: Who are your true friends? When was the last time you sat down and really understood the depth of riches you have through your friends? Are the people you surround yourself with in life the kind of people who give you a glimpse into the life of Christ? If not, why not? And also, are you allowing God to make you into the kind of friend that Jesus shines through? Friendship, the true, deep, and lasting kind may just be the way that Jesus intends to redeem the world. Friendship may just be the one thing that can persuade the broken-hearted lost sheep to give the Good Shepherd a chance.
I feel so blessed and honored to be one of your spiritual friends, that every week you choose to walk the spiritual path with me. I know you don’t have to read these silly e-mails, but so many of you do. Thank you for allowing me to share my journey with you. I pray that in the mist of the messes (the ones I get myself in) and miracles (the ones God’s grace allows) that God’s love will reach through this information super-highway and warm your heart. You are His precious treasure, His cherished child. Just know that about yourself and see how this perspective changes everything. You are so special.
Blessings,
Sami
I hope all of you have experienced the blessing and richness of friendship the way God intended it. I have been sitting here thinking of the many ways God has blessed me through friends in the past week. What a beautiful treasure each one of you are! I am truly convinced that those words to the famous Michael W. Smith ballad are as sacred as anything Charles Wesley (John Wesley’s brother) wrote: “Friends are friends forever, if the Lord’s the Lord of them. And a friend will not say never, cause the welcome will not end. Though it’s hard to let you go, in the Father’s hands we know, that a lifetime’s not too long, to live as friends.” In my lifetime I have had plenty of opportunity for friendships to come and go; the ones that stay and that remain life giving are the ones that are infused with the very presence of Christ. You see, my friends are the very presence of Jesus for me. I can get so lost in the scariness of real life sometimes. My fears get the best of me. My faith gets weak. But God always manages to send the sweetest messages through the sweetest messengers: true friends.
They are, as individuals, quite different from each other. Some I have known most of my life (boy, the stories my youth group friend could tell on me!); some I have known less than a year. Some are so very similar to me in so many ways; some are so different in just as many. But each one of them bring a unique perspective of God’s truth and love to my life. Sometimes when I am too weak to find Jesus on my own, they are the ones who each have a corner of the blanket, and they are hauling me to him. Most of them don’t even realize what service they are accomplishing. They just grab a corner and go, because it just seems like the right thing to do.
It can be so easy to get hung up on ministry as being a minister’s thing, something that only paid professionals can really do (and do well). The truth is that ministry happens any moment we allow ourselves to be the empty vessels God can fill up and pour out. Usually it is something as mundane as a telephone call of catching up. Usually the greatest acts of ministry are so insignificant in terms of worldly appraisal that we barely register them on our spiritual radars. That is because great ministry is really great love expressed in simple and everyday ways: listening, supporting, laughing with, crying for, hoping and helping. As one of my dear friends will often say: “The process is love; don’t hinder the process.”
My question to you is this: Who are your true friends? When was the last time you sat down and really understood the depth of riches you have through your friends? Are the people you surround yourself with in life the kind of people who give you a glimpse into the life of Christ? If not, why not? And also, are you allowing God to make you into the kind of friend that Jesus shines through? Friendship, the true, deep, and lasting kind may just be the way that Jesus intends to redeem the world. Friendship may just be the one thing that can persuade the broken-hearted lost sheep to give the Good Shepherd a chance.
I feel so blessed and honored to be one of your spiritual friends, that every week you choose to walk the spiritual path with me. I know you don’t have to read these silly e-mails, but so many of you do. Thank you for allowing me to share my journey with you. I pray that in the mist of the messes (the ones I get myself in) and miracles (the ones God’s grace allows) that God’s love will reach through this information super-highway and warm your heart. You are His precious treasure, His cherished child. Just know that about yourself and see how this perspective changes everything. You are so special.
Blessings,
Sami
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Now for Sami’s ramblings about Jesus:
So we’ve all heard about the power of prayer. But have you had an opportunity to go beyond hearing about it to truly experiencing it? You may say to me, “Sami, I’ve tried the prayer thing. No matter how much I pray, nothing changes.” And I could say to you that even after several years of being a “professional” (this just means that by profession I am a minister) in the prayer arena “I understand.” Why is it that people can spend so much time praying and experience so little change?
Well, here it is. The first part of experiencing the power of prayer in one’s life is to actually pray. How do you know if you have or not? Simple. I remember hearing a friend of mine share about the difficulties his daughter was having. No matter what he and his wife did, this little girl could not stop pulling her hair out. The result was that she had bald patches all over her little head. Finally he was sharing their plight with a lady who was one of the pillars of the church he attended. This woman of faith looked at him squarely and asked, “Have you prayed about it?” He and his wife had done everything but that. Only when they intentionally began praying about the problem did it begin to be resolved. So the answer to knowing whether you have prayed or not is in being able to truthfully answer “yes” to the question “have you prayed.” It is amazing how many times this simple question catches me, the “professional,” off guard. Sometimes even professionals forget to take our needs to the Lord in an intentional way.
Next, the power of prayer lies in people who are praying. Notice I did not say person. When I pray about the stuff in my life, I experience God’s power in a REAL AND NOTICEABLE way when I invite others into the experience. It’s not that prayers from a single person don’t count. It’s that God is into the community thing. After all, God’s very identity is communal: God is a trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). God never intended us to go through life alone. The very fact that God looked at Adam all alone in the garden and said, “it is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18) should dispel any notions of lone ranger faith walks. In fact, it is impossible to have an authentic faith alone, without anyone else. And I find that my most powerful prayers are never for myself, but always for someone else. Doesn’t it stand to reason that the most powerful prayers for me are not prayed by me at all, but by someone else? It means we need each other.
And finally, to say that nothing changes no matter how much one prays is simply not true. The change may just be happening in a way and in a place that is overlooked by the one praying. This is true because any time we make a good faith effort at prayer we are entering into Love, God’s very being. And the being of God is also the power of God. And anytime we get close to God we are changed by that encounter. So maybe it may look like the situation you are praying for is not changing, but I promise you are. God’s Being is released into your being; you are no longer the same. And prayers also invite the Being of God into the circumstance and situation that is being lifted up. It is like infusing a dank and stuffy room with fresh clean air. It creates breathing room. Remember how powerful stirred up air can be (tornados, hurricanes, wind storms). Just ask the people who were present (and praying) in the upper room at Pentecost (Acts 2). That little breeze changed their lives and the world forever.
All this is to say that prayer is indeed powerful. Mainly because it connects us to the most pure Love there is (God, Jesus, Holy Spirit), and such pure, undiluted Love is powerful. I hope that each of you have people who pray for you. If you are in doubt whether you have someone or not, e-mail me. I’ll pray for you. And we even have an e-mail prayer ministry. You may have seen the “Need Prayer?” signs around campus. This little PrayForWKU@hotmail.com is for you too. Let us know how we can lift you up to the Lord.
Anyway, hope you are doing well. I want to send out a big THANK YOU to all those who have prayed for me in all kinds of ways and at all kinds of times. You are all truly my Life Line. You keep me linked to God. Thank you for taking the time to love me so well.
This is Sami sending a prayer of love out to all who read this. May God bless you richly; may you know how precious you are in His sight; may you be filled with God’s peace and joy. Amen.
Blessings,
Sami
So we’ve all heard about the power of prayer. But have you had an opportunity to go beyond hearing about it to truly experiencing it? You may say to me, “Sami, I’ve tried the prayer thing. No matter how much I pray, nothing changes.” And I could say to you that even after several years of being a “professional” (this just means that by profession I am a minister) in the prayer arena “I understand.” Why is it that people can spend so much time praying and experience so little change?
Well, here it is. The first part of experiencing the power of prayer in one’s life is to actually pray. How do you know if you have or not? Simple. I remember hearing a friend of mine share about the difficulties his daughter was having. No matter what he and his wife did, this little girl could not stop pulling her hair out. The result was that she had bald patches all over her little head. Finally he was sharing their plight with a lady who was one of the pillars of the church he attended. This woman of faith looked at him squarely and asked, “Have you prayed about it?” He and his wife had done everything but that. Only when they intentionally began praying about the problem did it begin to be resolved. So the answer to knowing whether you have prayed or not is in being able to truthfully answer “yes” to the question “have you prayed.” It is amazing how many times this simple question catches me, the “professional,” off guard. Sometimes even professionals forget to take our needs to the Lord in an intentional way.
Next, the power of prayer lies in people who are praying. Notice I did not say person. When I pray about the stuff in my life, I experience God’s power in a REAL AND NOTICEABLE way when I invite others into the experience. It’s not that prayers from a single person don’t count. It’s that God is into the community thing. After all, God’s very identity is communal: God is a trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). God never intended us to go through life alone. The very fact that God looked at Adam all alone in the garden and said, “it is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18) should dispel any notions of lone ranger faith walks. In fact, it is impossible to have an authentic faith alone, without anyone else. And I find that my most powerful prayers are never for myself, but always for someone else. Doesn’t it stand to reason that the most powerful prayers for me are not prayed by me at all, but by someone else? It means we need each other.
And finally, to say that nothing changes no matter how much one prays is simply not true. The change may just be happening in a way and in a place that is overlooked by the one praying. This is true because any time we make a good faith effort at prayer we are entering into Love, God’s very being. And the being of God is also the power of God. And anytime we get close to God we are changed by that encounter. So maybe it may look like the situation you are praying for is not changing, but I promise you are. God’s Being is released into your being; you are no longer the same. And prayers also invite the Being of God into the circumstance and situation that is being lifted up. It is like infusing a dank and stuffy room with fresh clean air. It creates breathing room. Remember how powerful stirred up air can be (tornados, hurricanes, wind storms). Just ask the people who were present (and praying) in the upper room at Pentecost (Acts 2). That little breeze changed their lives and the world forever.
All this is to say that prayer is indeed powerful. Mainly because it connects us to the most pure Love there is (God, Jesus, Holy Spirit), and such pure, undiluted Love is powerful. I hope that each of you have people who pray for you. If you are in doubt whether you have someone or not, e-mail me. I’ll pray for you. And we even have an e-mail prayer ministry. You may have seen the “Need Prayer?” signs around campus. This little PrayForWKU@hotmail.com is for you too. Let us know how we can lift you up to the Lord.
Anyway, hope you are doing well. I want to send out a big THANK YOU to all those who have prayed for me in all kinds of ways and at all kinds of times. You are all truly my Life Line. You keep me linked to God. Thank you for taking the time to love me so well.
This is Sami sending a prayer of love out to all who read this. May God bless you richly; may you know how precious you are in His sight; may you be filled with God’s peace and joy. Amen.
Blessings,
Sami
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Now for …..Sami’s Ramblings about Jesus:
So, I’m sitting here talking to my good friend Kelly. She and I both agreed that the best wisdom for the week is to make sure you set aside time to laugh. That’s why Becky and Kelly and I turned Noah’s burp rag into a swami hat and took his picture. It made us laugh even if he didn’t. But I have found that if I dance, he gets plenty tickled. For a minute anyway. And only if he isn’t tired, hungry, or wet. Which is to say, there are times in life when you have to attend to the essentials or everything else doesn’t matter. Kind of like when you are on a road trip, in the middle of nowhere, the last rest area or pit stop was 50 miles ago, and you have to pee really bad. At that point it doesn’t even matter how far away the destination is or what adventures you’ll go on when you get there. The only thing that is on your mind is finding some facilities (clean ones hopefully).
But sometimes laughter is as big a need in our lives as facilities are. When was the last time you had a good, deep, long, belly laugh? One of my favorite pictures of Jesus is one where His head is thrown back and He is laughing heartily. I know Jesus has a great sense of humor. He created me after all. Sometimes I think my calling in the body of Christ is to be the funny bone. You know, keep things lively. The Bible even supports the importance of letting your hair down. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Notice that it says nothing about our strength being found in how good we are, how rich we are, how much we pray, how much we memorize scripture, etc. etc. Our strength comes from God’s joy. Oh Yeah!
The good news for us is that God’s joy permeates our lives when we allow God to be our all in all. That means for every person who claims Jesus as Lord of their hearts, He brings His joy with Him as He takes up residence. And this joy can be accessed anytime day or night, regardless of circumstances, unblemished by situations, and untarnished by events. It is free to all who desire it.
I don’t know about you, but in the midst of hard living, sometimes I need a joy break. So come on down and join us tonight. Grab a brush and paint some joy into your life.
Blessings,
Sami
So, I’m sitting here talking to my good friend Kelly. She and I both agreed that the best wisdom for the week is to make sure you set aside time to laugh. That’s why Becky and Kelly and I turned Noah’s burp rag into a swami hat and took his picture. It made us laugh even if he didn’t. But I have found that if I dance, he gets plenty tickled. For a minute anyway. And only if he isn’t tired, hungry, or wet. Which is to say, there are times in life when you have to attend to the essentials or everything else doesn’t matter. Kind of like when you are on a road trip, in the middle of nowhere, the last rest area or pit stop was 50 miles ago, and you have to pee really bad. At that point it doesn’t even matter how far away the destination is or what adventures you’ll go on when you get there. The only thing that is on your mind is finding some facilities (clean ones hopefully).
But sometimes laughter is as big a need in our lives as facilities are. When was the last time you had a good, deep, long, belly laugh? One of my favorite pictures of Jesus is one where His head is thrown back and He is laughing heartily. I know Jesus has a great sense of humor. He created me after all. Sometimes I think my calling in the body of Christ is to be the funny bone. You know, keep things lively. The Bible even supports the importance of letting your hair down. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Notice that it says nothing about our strength being found in how good we are, how rich we are, how much we pray, how much we memorize scripture, etc. etc. Our strength comes from God’s joy. Oh Yeah!
The good news for us is that God’s joy permeates our lives when we allow God to be our all in all. That means for every person who claims Jesus as Lord of their hearts, He brings His joy with Him as He takes up residence. And this joy can be accessed anytime day or night, regardless of circumstances, unblemished by situations, and untarnished by events. It is free to all who desire it.
I don’t know about you, but in the midst of hard living, sometimes I need a joy break. So come on down and join us tonight. Grab a brush and paint some joy into your life.
Blessings,
Sami
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
One of my spiritual heroes is Henri Nouwen. He was a well-known Catholic Priest who wrote extensively on the Christian life. I guess what I like about him so much is his human-ness. In his writings, he never comes off as someone who knows it all or someone who has special access to God that no one else can attain. Instead, he uses his own real life struggles as the starting point for connecting with God. And he is honest about his vulnerabilities. When I read him, I feel like it is okay to be human, that I am not alone in my own struggles. For instance, in his last book Nouwen says this: “These days I feel strong, alive, and full of energy. Still, I am aware that much of that well-being is the direct result of the loving support of many friends. At the moment I do not experience any anger or hostility directed toward me. I feel in gentle harmony with my family, the people in [my work], and the many friends close by and far away. In situations like this I easily forget how fragile I am inside, and how little is needed to throw me off balance.”
When I read words like that I am thankful for a place like this, the Wesley Foundation. So many people never experience the safety of being loved and accepted for who they are, just the way they are. When I was a student in college attending the Wesley Foundation, this place gave me the courage I needed to begin to discover who I was when I wasn’t desperately trying to please people. And it also gave me the safety I needed to live out of that God-given identity everyday. This is a place of gentle harmony. This is a place of laughter. This is better even than the bar on “Cheers” because you don’t have to be drunk or drinking to experience the joy of being loved and accepted. It is true. “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.” This is what the ministry of the Wesley Foundation is all about: connecting students with real love, the love of Jesus Christ, through the community of Jesus Christ.
So come on down. Come and experience what it means to feel strong, alive, and full of energy. Come know what it is to be fragile and off-balance, but okay, all at the same time.
Blessings,
Sami
When I read words like that I am thankful for a place like this, the Wesley Foundation. So many people never experience the safety of being loved and accepted for who they are, just the way they are. When I was a student in college attending the Wesley Foundation, this place gave me the courage I needed to begin to discover who I was when I wasn’t desperately trying to please people. And it also gave me the safety I needed to live out of that God-given identity everyday. This is a place of gentle harmony. This is a place of laughter. This is better even than the bar on “Cheers” because you don’t have to be drunk or drinking to experience the joy of being loved and accepted. It is true. “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.” This is what the ministry of the Wesley Foundation is all about: connecting students with real love, the love of Jesus Christ, through the community of Jesus Christ.
So come on down. Come and experience what it means to feel strong, alive, and full of energy. Come know what it is to be fragile and off-balance, but okay, all at the same time.
Blessings,
Sami
Friday, January 21, 2005
A Fresh "Faith Lift"
It is amazing what a difference lipstick can make. I know, it sounds odd. But sometimes just making my face look brighter has a way of making my heart feel brighter. Have you ever noticed how the way you dress can affect your mood? I mean, don’t you feel special when you dress up or wear a new or favorite outfit? Sometimes we need to make changes on the outside as a way of jumpstarting changes on the inside. It is kind of like the advice Peter Böhler gave to John Wesley (who was contemplating quiting ministry because he thought he didn’t have faith): “Preach faith till you have it; and then, because you have it, you will preach faith.” By the way, John Wesley is the guy who began the Methodist movement. He is considered our founding father. Even he needed to have a “faith lift” every once in awhile.
Well, God is doing some new things here at the Wesley Foundation. There is a fresh Spirit blowing; and there is an invitation to step out in faith in new ways. It is time that our appearance begin to reflect the new thing God is doing. That’s why we are beginning a new ministry here at the Foundation called “The Solid Rock Café.” It is like our version of TLC’s trading spaces, except we’re not trading spaces with anyone; we are just using paint in some creative new ways. We are updating the look of our downstairs fellowship hall (formerly known as “the basement”) into a coffee house atmosphere. This is one of the ways we are fulfilling our mission to create a safe place for students to meet Jesus. Atmosphere is so important. Stark walls don’t contribute to feelings of warmth and receptiveness. It is one way that we can extend hospitality to students who really don’t get into the church thing, but really do enjoy the coffee thing. Jesus doesn’t care what the walls look like as long as He is welcome there and those who need him most feel welcome too. And while this transformation will be a gradual process (dependent upon our money supply), isn’t that the way Jesus works in our hearts too?
BUT before we begin painting, I want to invite you to share in the new heart and new spirit of our ministry, to make sure that Jesus is all over this place. Before we paint you are invited to write your prayer for this ministry on its walls. You can even choose your favorite verse of scripture that you want to see God fulfill through this ministry. It is a way of preparing the faith of the future by standing on the faith of the present. And just think, even though you may not see the words you write today, for as long as these walls stand you will know they are there. Kind of like the way God is active in our lives: while we can’t physically see Him, His presence is steadfast in our lives. So come and leave your mark, your prayers and hopes for this ministry, on our walls.
Stop by this weekend or early next week. Painting begins soon.
Blessings,
Sami
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