24 Random Acts of Kindness for turning 24!

SO, I have pretty great roommates. Saturday was my 24th birthday and it is one that I will remember for the rest of my life. Rachel and Phoebe planned an entire day of surprises. It started at 9am when I woke up. I came downstairs and found two presents under the christmas tree. The first was a journal, that had a note describing what the surprises were. We would be embarking on a day full of serving, doing 24 RAKS (random acts of kindness). The following pages had ideas that they and other friends had thought of. The next present was a large, heavy bag that had 50 granola bars, 6 boxes of candy canes, 5 cans of food, and two additional surprise appointments.

But before we started our adventures, we, of course, had to host our weekly Saturday Morning Pancakes. We made gingerbread christmas pancakes AND s'more pancakes topped with the most delicious syrup around: Currey Farms Pure Maple Syrup. Our friends were all in on the surprise and helped by writing notes of encouragement and signs that we would use later in the day :) 

Phoebe and Rachel had already made the cookie dough for cookies that we baked and packaged before  the pancaked eaters came. This was SUCH a special day. I couldn't wait to get started! So below you will find our list as well as some pictures, I loved this birthday and these people and this community. From the bigger tasks to the small, this was an amazing opportunity to spend a day with friends, making other people smile and spreading Christmas cheer!! 

#1 We handed out 60 candy canes throughout the day, with a smile and warm Christmas greetings!

#2  Holding the door open for a woman in a wheelchair
#3 Our friends helped us write about 30 notes of encouragement that we left on peoples cars.
#4 We picked up trash downtown and everywhere we went
#5 Bought coffee for the next person who would come in line

#6 Gave away 10 bus passes to patrons as they were getting ready to pay for their fares

#7 We did some caroling in the bus station before we left "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!" 

#8 Delivered flowers to two patients at St. Mary's hospital in the emergency and critical care units

#9 Sticky notes in random places to make people smile

#10 Saw a friend from church and gave her a BIG hug

#11 We handed out about 50 granola bars as we went, mostly to those in line for dinner at Degage Ministries

#12 Made breakfast for our friends

#13 Wrote thank you notes

#14 Delivered anonymous presents to kids

#15 Returned carts in the Duhtler grocery store parking lot

#16 We made and delivered cookies to our neighbors, meeting some that we had never met! 

#17 Donated 5 cans of food 

#18 Since it was raining we bought an umbrella and gave it to someone who was getting soaked! 

#19 Donated a huge box of clothes! 

#20 Took pictures with a man that we met downtown, his name was Shawn

#21 We held big, neon signs that had encouraging notes up for people to see as they were driving 

#22 Having intentional conversations more then just a "Hey, how are you?"

#23 We made cookies with neighborhood kids and then dropped them off to families in their neighborhoods, while caroling of course! 

#24 Gave a frozen turkey dinner to our neighbor!!

This is our new friend Shawn, he told us that the best way to spread Christmas cheer is to read this book. 

Huge THANK YOU to these beautiful women! I am blown away by your ability to love others and especially me. You are selfless and thoughtful and made this a birthday that I will never forget. You not only made my day but a ton of others as well. I am so thankful for you!!!! 

Abandonment Prayer

Father,
I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures.
I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you
with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord,
and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands,
without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for you are my Father.

Charles de Foucald

Redeemed.

9.
Lost.

13.
Pregnant.

14.
Abandoned.

15. 16. 17. 18.
Abused.
Neglected.
Beaten.
Used.
Sold.

19.
Redeemed.

Lord, you work in mysterious ways. Ways that I will never understand. I don't understand how a 13 year old girl can be abused, raped, impregnated, abandoned... left into a vicious cycle of abuse. Not only her. Her baby. The one that would teach her about forgiveness some day. A child with a child, treated in the worst of ways. Stripped of her identity, stripped of freedom. This is not justice. This is not peace. But you work all things together for your good. Redeemed. Lord you redeem. A story that needs to be told. She is not embarrassed. She is not ashamed. You gave her a story, a heart break so that she might bring people to YOU. An opportunity.

"Mom does God love bad people too?"
"yea honey, God loves everyone!"
"Mom, so does that mean God loves the bad guys we used to live with?"

Forgiveness, forgiveness in the deepest of ways.

19.
A mother. A lover. A Christian.
Redeemed.

Thankfulness!

Today I am thankful.

Our Bible Study reading this week was 2 Samuel 7- God's Promise to David and David's Prayer. Essentially David wants to praise God for all of the things he has done for him in his life and wants to build him a fancy temple. God does not like this idea and makes his point very clear, he has other plans in mind! David then gravels in prayer asking God why is he worthy of God's favor and blessing.

We broke up into smaller groups to talk about things we are thankful for in our own lives. This had the possibility of being fairly surface-y with the "typical Christian answers" I am thankful for all of the blessings in my life job, house, family and/or friends but while we definitely did affirm these things we dove deeper into the root of thankfulness and transforming the culture of our own lives into one of thankfulness. Even in the hardest situations seeing God's grace, love and purpose.

God's purpose was also brought to the table. In my own life, especially in this time, I am thankful that God has revealed himself, and his purpose in my life! PTL! Since I have moved to Grand Rapids I have been searching for a Church, "Church Shopping" if you will. I thought this would be a relatively easy process-- that God would magically plant me in the Church that is right for me. Well 10 churches, 7 months of feeling unsettled later... it happened! Phoebe and I walked through the doors off City Life and have no intention of looking back. The past 5 weeks have been a whirlwind of God revealing his hand in this process. If I had been led to City Life 6 months ago, I don't think I would have been receptive to it. The past season has been one of prayer and discernment. Discerning what I was looking for in a Church, asking God to open my eyes and my heart to his will. Through the process of Church shopping I realized that I was drawn to smaller churches that opened not only their doors but their hearts to the least of the least. I was searching for a Church that would not only challenge me personally, spiritually and emotionally but that could also benefit from my unique spiritual gifts, passions and strengths. A Church that could be my home away from home. A Church that could capture my passion and run with it. And I am very happy to report that through God's faithfulness and unfailing love I HAVE FOUND IT!

You see, I --like David in 2 Samuel 7-- with seemingly pure intentions thought I knew what was best for me. HAH. God snickers. His plan was greater than I could have ever known. He knew that I needed a time of discernment, prayer-- essentially a time of wandering in the desert. This brings me back to thankfulness. I am thankful that God is faithful, even when my bull-headedness gets in the way. I am thankful that God shows up time and time again, you just have to be willing to let him drive, sit back and enjoy the ride. I was forced to put myself in uncomfortable, vulnerable situations and these very situations are what have led me to the position I am in right now. This morning I sat with Pastor Christy at Sanchells Cafe and accepted the postion of interim Team Leader of Kid City at City Life! I am absolutely bubbling with excitement and although I am nervous I can't wait to see what God has in store.

Lastly, while passion filled a very important person in my life called me to say hi, a person whose salvation I pray for on a daily basis. I told him about the exciting news and at the end of the conversation he said to me for the very first time of my life "I will be praying for you" HALLELUJAH PRAISE THE LORD! A step in the VERY right direction.

City Life Dream Statement

• We have a dream for a church of many ethnicities where people worship together, pray together, work together, dream together, and eat together.
• We have a dream that the community surrounding our church feels, smells, and begins to taste life in the Kingdom of God.
• We have a dream of a church leadership team consisting of men and women of both majority and minority cultures.
• We dream of a church where we disciple the poor to share with those who have even less.
• We have a dream where we disciple the middle class to curb consumption and thoughtfully help those in need.
• We have a dream for a church that expresses itself creatively in problem-solving, worship, and community impact.
• We have a dream for a church where the mentally ill find wholeness in community, and where the mentally stable find community with the mentally ill.
• We have a dream for a church that offers hospitality to strangers, immigrants, refugees, and newcomers.
• We have a dream for a church that finds its purpose in the Father, follows the path of the Son, and receives its power from the Holy Spirit.
• We have a dream for a church that values and depends upon community; it is a place where no one stands alone, no one rises to the top alone, and no one falls down alone.
• We have a dream for a church that wrestles with the tension of caring for those both within and outside of the church.
• We have a dream of a church where addicts are set free.
• We have a dream of a church where grief and sadness are absorbed by the care of the community.
• We have a dream of a church where people go to great lengths to find lost people -- learning a new language, going to a foreign neighborhood, and stepping out of comfort zones.
• We have a dream of a church that binds up the brokenhearted, proclaims freedom for captives, releases the prisoners from darkness, comforts the mourning, and bestows on the poor crowns of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and garments of praise instead of spirits of despair (Isaiah 61:1-3).

"The new rules for Sex, Love and Dating"

LOVE these sermons by Pastor Andy Stanley.  Listen to them all!

http://www.northpoint.org/messages/the-new-rules-for-love-sex-and-dating

He addresses single people directly. Primarily because he wants to reach people before they royally screw up their lives through unhealthy relationships. Having been single for the vast, vast majority of my life I am so thankful for a pastor who boldly confronts these hard issues and decides not to tip-toe around them.

The main premise is to not look to relationships/marriage to FIX you or to fill a VOID in your life. Rather, focus on you, who you are, and the beautiful creation God has made you. Become the person that the person you want to date would date. Maybe its not a revolutionary topic but it is a revolutionary way of thinking. Don't just sit around waiting. BECOME. LIVE. SEEK. THRIVE. GROW. Don't wait for God to bring someone into your life to become the person that he has created you to be. Be that person now and through doing that maybe you will find the person that God is working on for you. But maybe not. Seek God first and the rest will fall into place. God has created marriage as the closest, most intimate form of relationship that humans can experience. Marriage is a reflection of the relationship that God strives to have with us, if only we will let him. Relationships can ruin people and the effects of a bad one can send ripples into our future far beyond our comprehension. This is the weight and the seriousness that we need to be aware of. Pastor Andy talks about the preparedness that should come before choosing to enter into a relationship with someone. Its not all rainbows and butterflies, it is hard-work. Work that will only be perfected through practice. Practice being the person you want to be today. Because your present will one day be your past which will show up in your future. The decisions you make today affect the person you are and thus affect the person you will become. Don't wait to become the person you want to be. Practice loving in the friendships/relationships that you have currently... after all you know what they say... "Practice makes perfect!"

"“The reason married people get into so much trouble when they’re married is because they believe in a myth. And the myth that they buy into is called the right person myth – if I marry the right person, everything will be all right. When I meet the right person, everything will be all right.” 

“The correct approach,” he emphasized, “the approach that will serve you so well, is to decide, I’m not just hunting, I’m not just seeking. I am intentionally becoming the person who the person I’m looking for is ultimately looking for.”
Relaying a personal story told to him while preparing for the series, Stanley spoke of a young woman who grew up in a religious home, had a Sunday school background, went to college, graduated and came to Atlanta. 

Putting on the “back burner” her beliefs, she immersed herself in the singles dating culture and was “living the life, having fun.” 

One day at a social gathering, she met who she thought to be “Mr. Right.” After spending a few minutes getting to know him, she saw he was the total package – the looks, the job, and the personality. On talking with him further, it became very apparent that he was a Christian, who was committed to living out his faith in every aspect of his life. 

Going home that night, she told her mother all about “Mr. Right,” gushing over all his qualities. But her mother turned to her after and said, “Sweetheart, the problem is a guy like that is not looking for a girl like you,” to which she literally fell to the floor in a puddle of tears. 

“It was a defining moment for her as a single person. ‘That guy I’m looking for, he’s not looking for someone like me.’ Her priorities changed, her life changed, and she is going in a different direction now.” 

Asking the congregation once again, “Are you who the person you are looking for is looking for,” the megachurch pastor urged singles to stop believing in the fairy tale that somehow when meeting the right person all the other things would fall magically into place.
He encouraged singles to put effort into their relationships, and not just base their relationships on chemistry and passion alone, which took no work and could be felt with thousands of other people at any given time."