Hear. Believe. Yes. Do.

For those of you who do not know, I am a youth leader, and have been the past 8 years. We are in a new season, and we have switched the time we are now meeting. Our first service was last night, and I say it was a huge success! We had an awesome turn out of kids and leaders; there was high energy, excitement, and good teaching. One other thing we added was small groups. We will have the service time then the last 40 minutes of the night will be designated to small group time.

With this change, came a change for me as well. I have stepped out of the leading students’ role and into helping lead the women leaders’ role. With this season of life my husband and I are in; we have small children, so the time it takes outside of a Sunday to invest in a teen, (which involves going to pick up, take out, and take home), I just don’t have that kind of freedom with my schedule right now. Won’t always be that way, but for now it is. So it was said to be more efficient for me to help lead the leaders. This, in just a practical sense, is easier for me right now because they can drive and come to me during the kids nap time! So….all that to say we are in a new season in youth ministry; one I am very excited about.

God also has been taking me personally through a season of some tough stuff. Looking back there are some things that have really stood out to me. These four things are the things I want to take to my leaders and pray it filters down to the students. 

This new season we are in, is a time to dig in deep, to press in to what God has for us personally and as a ministry. The things he has taught me are to what I believe should be the paradigm in which we are to lead.

I want us to be leaders that: 

1.       HEAR what God says

2.       BELIEVE what God says

3.       Says YES to what God says

4.       DO what God says

With this, I have learned that when we hear from God, we are to actually believe what he says. Go figure. J He is trustworthy and smart and knows a whole lot more than we do…..we believe what he says. Then that believe needs to turn into a Yes. “Ok Lord—sounds totally crazy, but I trust you and will do/go/surrender.” Then the last part I didn’t really understand until this past season…..saying yes is one part, but actually DOING it is another. You have to do what he is asking. It’s a part of this and a significant step in the process—DO what He says.

In Hebrews 11 we read what is called the “faith chapter.” It is examples of people who have gone before us and were the ultimate example of how to have faith. One thing that quickly stood out to me is that all of these people have the same thing in common…..They Heard. They believed. They said yes. And they DID what God asked of them.

BUT the other side of this is, as Hebrews 11: 13-16says: “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.” 

If you go on to read down to verse 16, it says that “they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one….”

I think as girls/wives/leaders we can get so wrapped up in the “to do” we stop longing for a better country. Our eyes get so fixed on the things we have to do. Whatever your “to do” is…. whether it be for you working out, eating right, the spouse, the kids, the chores around the house; whatever it is for you, we lose sight of the fact that we should be LONGING for a better country. Longing is an intense word. It is defined as a yearning desire, and yearning is a feeling of intense longing for something. Did you catch that? It’s an INTENSE longing for. What if as women we actually did live this way: Hear, Believe, Said Yes, and do what God says? What if we took our eyes off us and what we had to do, and started longing again for a better country?

Wouldn’t we love differently? Wouldn’t we lead differently?  Wouldn’t we pass on something to younger generations just like Hebrews 11 passed on to us?

That is my heart and goal for us as women leaders. I want our gaze and our focus to be longing –desperate—earnestly seeking Jesus, to have every motivation, and action be because we are longing for a better country. To realize this is not our home, and that we are here on mission. We are not here to be “good people,” we have a responsibility to lead people to the feet of Jesus. We are in a short season here in life. We don’t have time to be longing for anything other than our home.

Lets become followers that hear, believe, say yes, and do. 

xo

Heart of a Leader

It's been a long two months in my world. A lot has happened. The two little kids we were hosting were taken back to their family. I was not expecting that type of grief I would face because of that. My family has been going through some medical issues and we have taken a trip back home to see family for the holidays. The high school Sunday morning services ended and we are preparing for them to resume on Sunday nights starting in January--to which I am very excited about. In preparation for that I was asked to talk about the heart of the leader at a leader training coming up. In the midst of my madness I feel the most inadequate to talk about this topic, especially in this particular season I am in. Isn't that kind of how it goes though? So we need His strength the most. As I have been preparing, some things have stuck out to me that I feel worth sharing. 

There is weight and responsiblity of being a leader of youth that I carry, and a lot that I've learned. Some of those things are:

*As a leader, I have learned, I have a  responsibility to show students what a true, living, breathing, dependent relationship with Jesus looks like. I am to demonstrate this by digging in deep with these students--showing them, modeling--LIVING a life in full submission to God. 

(Unfortunately my "full submission" living has only been 1/2 or 3 quarters submitted living recently. 😕 life gets crazy; I get that. We just need to stand back up, dust our knees off and try again. To which I will.) 

*I have also learned, I have a responsiblity to say yes to God. My yes, or no, affects the ministry he has given me. I am responsible for being faithful with the kids that God has given me to minister to. As we continue to say yes and are faithful to move into the areas God has asked us to, then God is responsible for the results. 

*One of the other main things I have learned is that, as a leader of youth, I have a responsiblity to be a catalyst of change for this generation. I have a unique platform that can (and will) shape the hearts to truly know the creator of the universe. 

There has been more that I've learned, but those are the main areas of truth I've been wrestling with. The come with a weight and a responsiblity that I can't shake.  If you think of it, pray for us, our high school leaders and as we attended a training on Jan. 11th to begin this new season! Excited and totally scared all in one! xo

Overrated

I went out of town this past week to visit family. It was just me that went, and so as you can imagine there was a lot of travel time that was just for....me. No juggling kids, extra baggage, or anything else to be responsible for, outside of me. It was nice. And so...I read a book. An entire book! WOW!

The book I read was "Overrated" by Eugene Cho. I would suggest anyone to read this book, it was fantastic! You can find it here:
http://www.amazon.com/Overrated-More-Changing-World-Actually/dp/0781411122/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414589590&sr=1-1&keywords=overrated+eugene+cho

In the book he asks these questions:

Who am I?

Whom do I serve?
What are my values?
Where am I going?

So in an attempt to digest the book I just read I wanted to slow down and take a minute to answer these questions. As I sat down to think about them, I realized this was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Not sure if it was hard because I really don’t know the answers, or because I’m afraid if I say the answers out loud it will permanently seal it in stone and I don’t want to be "committed" or "labeled" to these things forever? I want the freedom to add or subtract at any time. (Commitment issues much?) Haha I’m sure it’s a little of both.

So with the freedom to be fluid and allow some my answers to change at any point here are my answers for now.

Who am I?

I am called Janna
I am a wife to Jeremy
I am a mom to Ella and Alivia
I am an admin at B& W
I am a youth leader
I am a follower of Christ
I am a daughter to Dan & Joan
I am a sister to Jeremiah
I am a friend to many
I am a cake maker

Whom do I serve?

I serve the local church & God
I serve my husband
I serve my kids
I serve Christy, Debbie, and Joe by caring for Brock
I serve my coworkers

What are my values?
I believe Jesus is the son of God who came to make a way for us to be in communion with God.
I believe we are to love and serve the Lord wholeheartedly while we are here on earth.
I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God - that still speaks to us today.
I value kindness, love, and patience.
I believe we all have a choice - in every decision we make we have the right to choose.
I value life and believe its Gods decision to start or end life.
I believe that while we have the freedom of choice - God's will, will still be done.

Where am I going?

Ultimately wherever God leads me
I am going to move to a new place of leadership within high school ministries
i am going to move to a place of disciple my kids
I am going to a deeper place within scripture
I am going to a deeper place of surrender

 

Choices

In this life, in every action, in every decision, in every response.....we have a choice. 

We have a choice to produce life or death with our thoughts. 

We have a choice to say yes to the things God is asking of us or we can say no.

We have a choice to press in or not to press in when life gets hard.

We have a choice to obey God or not obey God. 

We have a choice to love or not love. 

We have a choice to be disciplined or not be disciplined.

We have a choice to be wise with our money or not be wise and spend haphazardly. 

We have a choice to excersize and take care of our body, or we can choose not to.

We have a choice to have integrity or not have integrity.

We have a choice to tap into and access the power God offers us in His Word, or we can continue living like we are powerless. 

From where I sit I am watching a person say no to all of these things. To make the choices that are leading to death. Let me tell you, it's making quite and impact. 

I always want to be a girl that CHOOSES to say YES to my Lord--whatever He asks. With all of my decisions I want to produce life. How about you? 

The Download

Oh Catalyst. Catalyst. Catalyst. WOW. Just I’m still in wow. I literally felt like every single talk was directly for me…it was like ok here is what you’ve been having issues with, here is how to change it,  and here is where you are to go. 

So in SHORT summary here is my take a ways this year….

Andy's first talk: That was the; who are you & what breaks you heart talk….from that I felt like that was for me in that, everyone is supposed to “change something.” I think for me its time for me to stop living under the EXCUSE that I don’t have “resources” to be affective. Bunch of crap. I do and just because I have small children doesn’t mean I cannot be affective in ministry and I’ve been believing that lie for a year & ½ now and it is ending now. He said if you opt for fear instead of purpose you will regret it many years from now. I have not had the “go ahead” to leave student ministries for whatever reason, and I really believe he gave me a glimpse of that reason. Also he said , you have no idea what hangs in the balance of your decision to embrace the burden God put in your heart. Oh my oh my that fired up me. .Ok Lord…listening.

Christine: from this talk I got, that people burn out because their spiritual core is not strong. Jesus said we would RUN and NOT grow weary….we would mount up on wings like eagles, we would walk and NOT faint….God doesn’t want visitation rights to your life he wants to MOVE INTO your life—huge! Declaring what he says! Taking a standing KNOWING what he says and speaking it into life and motion was huge for me too. And then lastly I have got to know HOW to wield the sword of God. He has given us this mighty powerful tool in the Bible and if I don’t know how to use it how can I become an affective fighter for him? I can’t. Then we reproduce who we are….I want to reproduce the best of me, then part that loves God to an undeniable extent. Wow….sermon over haha moving on.

Tim Keller: You can’t change something if you don’t know how to change you. Be expectant…great things can and will come if you pray intently and intentionally!

Dr. Leaf: Oh my oh my don’t even get me started on this….mind. Blown! WOW this was AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMAZING!!!!! I have always thought: why can’t science and God coexist? He made EVERYHING and if you think about how intricate our bodes alone are….why wouldn’t’ God be in science??  I have already read her entire book. Haha I am not a reader. I Loved this one. I love factual evidence for things and she was so brilliant and was able to bring it down to my level. I think in the whole of this is that God made a powerful mind that he ALLOWS us to use so we need to start using it for HIS glory. And that mind work is hard work—you have to KEEP fighting the fight! Don’t give up keep going!

Robert Madu: this was major heart check here for me in this talk….he talked about running the race….and just his example of running with your eyes to the side on someone else….what is going to come? A crash! So it just hit home for me when he said “whos race are you running?” And I think ive been so focused on watching others around me race that I’ve not been focusing on MY race. Then enemy’s biggest weapon is comparison ESPECIALLY in girls…and that we have EVERYTHING I need inside  of me to be affective for God. I am to STAY IN MY LANE and stop looking and comparing how others are running their race and RUN MINE! Run on sista, run on!

Matt Chandler: again – smack in the head. Oh I loved this one too. The one thing that stood out was “ the man goes in the ground, and the message goes on, because its HIS STORY NOT MINE!” oh I get so caught up in this, its NOT ABOUT ME> and what I do, or what I don’t do…its about him and my EVERY LIVING BREATH needs to be because of him. Only. Period. Then the fulfill YOUR ministry part…God put YOU where you are for a REASON. You are wired and gifted and he put you where you are for a reason! STOP wanting to be someone else and be you! Seek to learn, grow, but be YOU. I think again I just get in this “oh I can’t be affective for God because I don’t have resources or I don’t have this, or I can’t leave b/c of the kids” blah blah blah blah blah Time to SUCK it up LADY! You could pray!!! Ever think about that?!!? Get on your face, intercede and get the hard brunt work of ministry out there & PRAY! With EXPECTATION! You DO have resources—its ME! Now get your eyes off you and GO! (that was me hearing God yell at me!) haha 

Oh boy—day over….shew. amazing. 

Day Two: 

Craig Groeschel: again—amazing. Just affirming matt chandlers point, God has given me everything I need to reach who you are supposed to. God doesn’t give us all we “think” we need because he wants us to need HIM—duh, right? He was talking about when we don’t have resources it can be a catalytic event for what God really wants. I am to embrace my limitations, thank him for giving me what I need, and limited resources help us think outside of the box.  Then the failure part, how the fear of failure drives us to even try new things….and just how they would not have been successful without the failures….they are necessary! The pathway to yoru greatest potential is straight through your failure! And that failure is and EVENT not a PERSON. Do not internalize lies from the enemy. And then if you have been transformed by the gospel then you have to share it—its in you and it must come out. So so good.

Charles Duhigg: he was a little bit just informational and I wasn’t quite sure how to apply this one to me other than figure out when my brain is turning off and turn it back on. Haha 

Andy’s second talk: what stood out to me here was that church should be the safest place on the planet to talk about anything. That was huge….I mean I know this, but I don’t think we “know” this in the way that its open for kids to know this…make sense? Then Jesus always raised the standard not lowered it, to prove we need a savior! He said what if people said “our community is better because there are Christians here” oh man I want that to be true of me. And then the last thing that was my MAIN take away and what is fueling me today, is that The church must keep and capture the hearts of students! Oh goodness this is what breaks my heart. Culture markets for the young why don’t we? He is right I feel like we push small kid ministry then middle school and high school are just –eh….then why are we so shocked when they fall away at college?? It IS possible to change a generation for the Lord! It IS! And I don’t think we as a student ministry lead like this. I know I HAVEN’T! Partly because I didn’t have the paradigm to lead like this, and didn’t “know this” but now, I know. I want to become leaders that lead EXPECTANT that God is going to change this generation. I think it would totally change how we interacted with students, I think it would change the way we pray for them intercede for them, love them, and LEAD THEM! We have got to become leaders that lead like we are CONFIDENT a generation can and will be changed for Jesus, and get on our faces before him begging him to revolutionize this generation! To start building up kids who are serious about loving him—and that starts with us. 

So yah wow….that is my major take away from this year. I loved every single minute of it, I feel like God has birthed a new passion inside of me and I can't wait to watch how he brings it to fruition…however he wants!! 

This song my Matt Redman has been the thing I am singing, praying over and over again “Arms open, wide as the sky, I lift you high, lift you high—let all the other names fade away….let all the other names fade away, until there’s only you!” OH let that be true of me!! 

Preparation

I love my God. Like seriously love Him. I love that he cares enough for me to prepare me for what is to come. He does that a lot for me. I read my post from last Wednesday and had no idea what was to come the very next day. 

I went to a Leadership conference that I have been going to for 10 years now. Each time I go its a time of not only real butt kicking but a time where God has truly spoke things into motion in mine and Jeremy's lives! I have been given a new vision. A burden. A heart that beats fast at the possibilities. You see, I am a youth leader and I think for the past few years I've been leading to be and "adult figure who loves Jesus" to a girl that may need to see that. But I have been given a new vision, where we actually lead because we REALLY BELIEVE we can change a generation for Christ! To really believe there can be a group of kids that rise up and take their place. A generation that does actually passionately live for God! Instead of one that falls away and comes back battered, bruised, and scarred up due to choosing to live life for themselves. It's a new season, one that is going to take determination, sacrifice, and discipline! We are going to have to let all the other names fade away and run OUR race. Not someone else's race but OURS! I'm so excited to see what God is going to do as we bow low before him and lift him high! Hands up, we lift you high Lord! Go and do through us! And we will point it all back to you! Can't wait to brag on you! xoxo

To the ends of the earth...

"For this is what the Lord has commanded us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.' " Acts 13:47

That's the point of all of this, right? To bring salvation to the ends of the earth? Its my point for existence, at least. Its why I do what I do, its why I love like I love, its why I respond the way I respond. Its what motivates me, its what gets me through the tough days.....or does it?

I want those statements to be true, and to a point, I do really believe they are true for me. But sadly I don't wake up everyday thinking about someones salvation. I don't let my motives or my responses be from a place of bringing salvation to someone. I do in the small little corners of my world, but to say it weaves through my whole reason for existence.....I don't breathe, eat, sleep that reality. Its in there, yes, but its not my every motivation.

Death makes you think a lot about things. What you would have done differently, what you didn't do, what you wish you would have done.....There have been a lot of people around me facing death here lately, my Dad included, and its got me thinking, "If that were me, if I were told you have less than a year to live....would I live out Acts 13:47 differently?"
You BET I WOULD!
I have a little life that comes to my house every week, and then goes home to his family, who doesn't know Christ. I have the opportunity to bring salvation...to the ends of the earth....to the ends of my earth. Have I? No. Yes, I've mentioned God and pointed things back to Him, but I've not been on my face before the Lord begging for their salvation. I haven't. I get so caught up in the frustration of the situation and how I think this little boy is not being treated fairly and how I think they are wrong in decisions they are making....and I haven't even stopped to bring salvation to my "ends of the earth."
*Punch in the gut*
If it were me facing death right now, I'd be on my knees before the Lord begging for the people in my life that I know don't know Him. I'd be very intentional about conversations with my high school students. I live life differently.
Death makes you think.

I am a part of a church that supports a group of people, who are raising up kids in the Christian faith, and the goal is for them to go back out and bring salvation to the "ends of the earth" or back to where they came from and spread the gospel. They were in need of a worship center, it would be the first of its kind in the area they are located! The project would take about $20,000 to build and in one weekend we raised $20,026 for this worship center to be built!!! Isn't that amazing!!!

Being a part of "bringing salvation to the ends of the earth" in this way is an incredible feeling! I think though, yes its easy to give money to help build this worship center, but "bringing salvation to the ends of the earth" has a whole new meaning when you are in the muck and the mud of a situation. When your emotions are raw and you feel pain and hurt....to the ends of the earth, looks different. Feels different. Its harder, its messier. Sometimes I just want to check out and say "All done." I don't WANT to bring salvation to the ends of the earth today.
And then I'm thankful for grace. That He doesn't just leave us where we are, that he brings people, and His Word to sustain and encourage us. Bringing us back into focus, to REMEMBER....."this is what the Lord has commanded us......that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth."
And that IS the point.