February Xpressway

Last month in Xpressway we talked all about Honor.
"Letting others know you see how valuable they really are".
It was a great month learning all about the life of David...from a shepherd boy to a King.
Romans 12:10 says: "Love each other deeply. Honor others more than yourselves." NIrV

To love each other deeply means putting aside your needs and wants and desires and putting others first! Jesus tells us to honor others MORE than ourselves for a reason....because we, by nature, love ourselves!

WEEK 1: We talked with the kids about how they could first honor people with their words....by saying - "I love you" or "You can go ahead of me in line".

WEEK 2: We talked about honoring our parents....by cleaning our rooms without being told, taking our dishes to the sink, doing our homework before being asked... (you're welcome!)

WEEK 3: We discussed honoring our friends or those around us. This could mean asking the kid who sits alone to join you for lunch...Picking the slow kid for your dodge ball team FIRST, including a girl who is a little strange in your slumber party plans.

WEEK 4: We talked about honoring God. This can be done by reading our Bibles, being faithful to church, singing praises to Him, praying and thanking Him for who He is, and by living out Godly values in our everyday lives!

What a great month! We had so much fun with this theme and virtue! Check out Jon Sawhook (aka: Goliath) and our story teller Derek Smith! :)

The art of losing myself...

Last week I was able to get away from kids ministry for a few minutes and experience some great worship music time with our new Worship Leader, Brian Griggs. He had an awesome set put together - and the last song was "Inside Out" by Hillsongs. For some reason this song hit me harder than it ever has!

One line in particular really hit home. "The art of losing MYSELF, in bringing you praise".
What does that look like exactly?! We, as men and women in this society are led to believe the lie that we are deserving of this or that. Sadly, I fall into this category more often than not! I find myself buying into the lie that tells me that I deserve a break, or this item of clothing, or a night out on the town, or a housekeeper... :) I sometimes feel that I have lost WHO I am! I don't feel like RACHEL anymore...I feel like a mother, a housekeeper, a wife and a children's director. But...where is that girl RACHEL who I used to know so well!?

Jon and I were just talking about this the other night - and I was crying to him telling him that I just needed to feel like myself again....and then this song hit me like a TON of bricks! I am not called to be RACHEL. I am called to be a follower of Christ....I am called to be a mother and a wife...and those things (even though I feel I've lost myself) bring God glory! I am put on this earth for NO other reason than to bring Honor and Praise to my Savior!

Father, I pray that YOU and you alone would consume me from the INSIDE out! Let my life be an example of your grace and mercy. Let others look on me and desire the joy that I carry because I have your holy spirit living and dwelling in me! Help me to put aside my desires to be an individual with selfish ambition and fill them with longings for more of YOU! Continue to teach me and grow me and my faith, in your son's name, Jesus, Amen.

From the Inside Out
A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
My heart and my soul, I give You control
Consume me from the inside out, Lord
Let justice and praise, become my embrace
To love you from the inside out

Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself, in bringing You praise

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
My heart and my soul, I give You control
Consume me from the inside out, Lord
Let justice and praise, become my embrace
To love you from the inside out

Jennifer Aniston?

I've been reading the Bible with the group from Crosspoint Church that is going through it in a year. Man! I am loving it! We are in Matthew right now - and I gotta say - it is making me LOVE JESUS! Reading about Him and His work on earth. The things He dealt with and yet remained sinless. Who can ask for a better role model!? One thing that stands out to me is where He talks about people who are busy doing the work of the Lord; casting out demons, healing the sick...all in Jesus' name. BUT...He says that when it comes down to it - they are not bearing fruit. They claim to know the Lord...and even get wrapped up in His work....yet, Jesus says - "I know them not"".

It's scary to me to think of all the churches in the world who are FULL of people who think they know the Lord. People who just fill the seats once in a while on Sundays - and think that's all its about! There is so much more! It's so easy - yet so complex.

Let's look at it this way: I know ALL about Jennifer Aniston. I know her acting roles, I can name a ton of her movies. I know who she dated and currently dates, I know her and Brad are talking again because he is unhappy with Angelina....I can tell you her hair color and some things about her personality, I know she and Brad struggled with having children. I watch her at LEAST once a week on "Friends" reruns....IF not more. I can even quote for MEMORY some of the lines from her shows! I LOVE Jennifer Aniston! I think she's one of the greatest actresses of all time.

BUT....ask Jennifer Aniston is she knows Rachel Sawhook....and she'd say..."Rachel WHO?".

This may be a silly example - but stay with me for a minute. I know ALL ABOUT Jennifer Aniston - yet I do not KNOW her. Follow me?

We can know EVERYTHING there is to know about Christ. His life - His death - His resurrection. We can even QUOTE some of the verses from the book He wrote (inspired). We can talk all day to whomever about Him. We can even TEACH and volunteer in His name. But friend, unless there is FRUIT...unless there is EVIDENCE in your life....unless you have a RELATIONSHIP with Him....the Bible says that He will tell His father in heaven "I knew you not". Jesus also says that "If you deny me to man....I will deny YOU to my father". Are you living for Jesus? Are you telling your friends and neighbors that you are a Christ follower? Or are we simply going through the motions? I'm talking to ALL of us...including myself!

I beg of you - if you are not sure and not in love with Jesus - to ask someone to share more about it! What a WONDERFUL and FREE gift it is to KNOW Jesus and for Him to KNOW YOU!

It's not all about me....

So often we talk about how grateful we are of our volunteers at Crosspoint. We know that without them - the church would not function. It's amazing to me how many different hands are in the mix, all with unique gifts and talents. All with different drives and determinations! I am so thankful and so humbled and honored to be working with such a great group of people.

This entire topic is in the forefront of my mind because I think sometimes people don't realize how much we depend and appreciate each other's gifts and contributions, and realize that without the others on our team we are not all we could be. "Humans tend to focus on one thing as the reason for any success or failure, but that is rarely the case. It takes a combination of events/people to reach any kind of excellence!"

The artistic personality is one that often finds itself feeling empty and alone. I know this because I am the possessor of such a personality. My struggles in my faith do not come from external temptations, but from the inner-workings of my very own brain! Because of this I deal constantly with the need for approval and recognition, the feelings that if I only had this or that skill I would not need to depend on others, a feeling that "nothing is ever good enough" , and an ego that really wants to be in charge. In short, without my faith in God, I would be a slave to my own personality. Are there days when I don't give all of this to God? Yes. Do I really, really, really want to remember to give it to God every morning? Yes.

It's that struggle that brings me to the point of this post: humility.. I've been asking myself in every situation if I am being humble? The answers are not always easy to accept, try it for a while....

I totally swiped this quote - and I hope it will give you a better definition of what I'm talking about...it's from the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Temple. "Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all." That's what I want; freedom from thinking about myself! Wouldn't we all be SO much better off if this were the case?!

James 4 in The Message puts it pretty plainly...

^4-6You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that "he's a fiercely jealous lover." And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you'll find. It's common knowledge that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble."

^7-10So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud "no" to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet.

^11-12Don't bad-mouth each other, friends. It's God's Word, his Message, his Royal Rule, that takes a beating in that kind of talk. You're supposed to be honoring the Message, not writing graffiti all over it. God is in charge of deciding human destiny. Who do you think you are to meddle in the destiny of others

The bottom line in all of this is - we are replaceable! There are SO many people whom God has granted gifts and talents upon - and if we fool ourselves into thinking we're the only ones who are the best person for the job...the joke is only on us!

This new year - I want to fall in love with Jesus - and I mean REALLY fall in love. I want to know Him in an intimate way...love Him like I've never loved anyone before...and trust Him because I know He is the ONLY Way the ONLY Truth and the ONLY Life! Then, and only then - can we see ourselves for who we really are...and come to the realization that "It's not all about me".

Crosspoint Kids Rocked out on Christmas Eve!

ARRRGGGHHH

We have the best volunteers...I'm just sayin'. :)

Every week you're not there - you're missing out! :)

Bite Back

The kids have been learning all about life in Africa and how children there can not go to sleep at night without worrying about being bitten by a mosquito and risking getting Malaria. I had to be very intentional in explaining that US mosquitos are not a risk to your life here in the states. :)

I heard about 50 stories of each child getting eaten by the dreadful bugs! :)

The cool part of this is that we as a class decided to buy some nets for kids in Africa! We told the parents that they weren't allowed to just hand over the money - but that the kids had to earn it! We gave ideas such as raking leaves, helping with dishes, making their beds, having a hot chocolate stand etc.

It was a huge blessing to hear how the kids really got behind this! Each child that brought in money was interviewed in front of the whole class as to how they got their money. Stories of lots and lots of chores, sacrificing birthday and surgery money, baking goods and selling them in their neighborhoods were told. :)

One child in particular, Brianna, graduated out of our class this fall. She heard about what we were doing - and couldn't NOT be involved! So, she worked SO hard doing chores and so forth because she couldn't stand the thought of kids in Africa having this issue! It was so sweet - last Sunday, Brianna brought me a baggie - FULL of money that she herself had raised little by little over the course of the month!

That's what it's about! Church isn't about what YOU can get out of a service or a particular event. It's about how you can GIVE BACK! We are so blessed! You know the coolest part about serving is not the blessing you are to others - but how full your heart is as you leave. Each and every week, I am reminded why I do what I do....my heart gets filled up after every class - after every service - and after every activity or service project! I am HONORED to be serving alongside the best volunteers in Charlotte and I am honored to be serving the BEST group of kids in Charlotte!