Encouragement at Panera

Every Monday night I meet with two high school girls, Charissa and Narissa. We have been meeting since last Fall and our Bible study is focused around Francis Chan and David Platt's book titled Multiply. Learning how being a disciple of God means we are to make disciples.

When we were first getting ready to meet I wasn't sure where I wanted to get together with the girls. I had never held a Bible study in a public setting before. Even in college we tended to have a room to meet in or even went to someone's apartment. But I talked with the girls and we decided to meet at Panera Bread. It was a courageous step for all of us, taken in faith, to show those around us that we are not ashamed to proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior in public.

Each time we meet, I open our study in prayer asking God to bless our time together. I know that our bowed heads, closed eyes and me praying out loud may draw attention, but I continued to ask God to use our Bible studies at Panera as a witness to those around us.

A few months ago, a group of women was sitting next to us. After one of the girls closed our study in prayer, one of the women turned to us and asked what we were studying. I excitedly shared Multiply and the Bible. They attended another church nearby. We chatted for a bit before they left. It was great encouragement to meet others interested in learning more about Jesus Christ!

But where God is building His people up, the Devil is ready to strike. Not shortly after that night of encouragement did we have a night of discouragement. A neighboring table over heard our talk of Jesus and began to say some mocking words. I instantly heard them though the girls didn't notice until after a few minutes. I smiled at the girls and we continued on with the Holy Spirit guiding us through Scripture. It was hard for me to refocus because I felt discouraged. I was being tempted to doubt my Bible study in a public setting.

What should I do in a situation like this? Pray! God reminded me that we WILL be persecuted for following Him but we will also have eternity in Heaven with Him! We continued to have our Bible studies at Panera.

Tonight we were discussing how we can trust that God is always working in our lives. We trust in Him with our faith. When we come to Him in prayer, He always answers, though we may not always see His answer right away. I remembered that I must surrender my live to Christ, asking for His will to be done, not mine (Mark 14:36). I have been praying that God would continue to use our Bible study to encourage those around us.

Tonight God boldly answered my prayers! Not once, but TWICE, two women stopped by our table to say we were such an encouragement. Each woman had a huge smile on their face. We exchanged a few words before they moved on. God worked through those two women to show me that yes, He is listening to prayers and He getting the glory!

We are called to live in Community

I have come to realize over the past few months that God can use every situation to bring Him glory. I knew that but God has a way of reminding you when you need Him most. When my best friend, housemate and sister in Christ, Maggie was moving away for six months for work, I was excited and happy for her, but I was sad too. I had just gotten comfortable in our routine of always seeing each other, hanging out together with our friends, cooking together, going to church together. So I looked at the six months that lay ahead as a road of loneliness. I had fought with loneliness before I met Jesus, so I knew that road. I didn't want to take it.

But as January rolled around that's what I did. I ended up traveling so much for work in February and March that I rarely was in town to attend church and fellowship with my Millcreek Community Church (MCC) family. But I was definitely enjoying myself on my work adventures! I went to Chicago, New York, Georgia and Ohio. It was a blast traveling with co-workers, expanding my business acumen in training events, and meeting new people in the company. Though in March I began to feel a bit drained. I realized I had my priorities in the wrong order. I was putting my career in front of God. No wonder I felt so lonely amongst a group of people!  I was filing the emptiness of missing Maggie with the busyness of life.

God used and is using my time apart from Maggie to teach me to find my security and significance in Him. I can enjoy the quiet times in my apartment and listen to Him but that I also have a lovely family at MCC through which God is constantly working. A fellowship of believers that is there to support, encourage, and challenge me.

At MCC's Young Adult ministry in April Pastor Todd Cyphers spoke about the necessity of community with a group of believers. In John 3:12-15 (written below) Jesus gave us the perfect example of what it means to live in community. We are called to server our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, as Jesus shows in the example of washing the feet of His disciples. This also means that we are to accept when our brothers and sisters serve us. For me that meant, it was okay to reach out to my sisters and ask to spend an afternoon together. We are to live life together, the good times and the bad. As I mentioned in my previous post, prayer is a powerful tool and combine that with community and wow. It is a wonderful experience to ask a fellow believer to pray for you - and see the fruit of God.

John 3:12-15 (HCSB)

12 When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His robe, He reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord. This is well said, for I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for you. 16 “I assure you: A slave is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

A dismal situation turns Glorious!

This afternoon I found myself being pulled downward. I was a bit stressed throughout the day and hit lots of traffic while driving across town causing me to miss my dentist appointment. Usually something like this would not bother me but all of a sudden I felt overcome with frustration. I had left work to try and make this appointment and now I would have to miss work again to make the rescheduled appointment. I had a pile of work to do when I got home along with assigned homework for the course I am taking. My mind started going in every direction and before I knew it I was crying. I had to pull over. 

But here is where the story turns Glorious. 

God has taught me to turn to Him in times of frustration and grief. As I sat in a store parking lot on 38th Street I began to pray. Psalm 4 came to mind. As I prayed to God I asked him to "give me relief from my distress". From His Word, I knew He was listening to my prayer. I sat in my car and was silent listening to the Lord. And all the glory to Him, my anxiety subsided. Peace came over me. 

I am always amazed at how the Lord can utilize a seemingly dismal situation to bring glory to Him. God reminded me that He should be the focus of my life, not the things of this world. I live for Christ and Christ alone. He is the Prince of Peace, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, the Almighty God! Amen!

Psalm 4 

1 Answer me when I call to you,
my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

2 How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods

3 Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.

4 Tremble and do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.

5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
and trust in the Lord.

6 Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
Let the light of your face shine on us.

7 Fill my heart with joy
when their grain and new wine abound.

8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.

Cooking adventures: Homemade sauce and Pizza!

I love to cook. If you a close friend of mine you sure know that by now. I try to feed everyone. It's how I show I care for you. One of my most recent adventures has been making homemade marinara sauce! 

I will never go back to jarred pasta sauce again!

Making the sauce was relatively easy. I have done it twice so far. The first time the sauce came out great, though it had a kick to it - it was high in acidity. For the second go around I added a few chopped carrots to the sauce and voilà, the high acidity was nixed!

Cilantro, Red onion, garlic, tomatoes

I will forever have homemade sauce stocked in my fridge and freezer. It came in handy this weekend when my friends and I decided to make pizza! We used some premade crusts as we were short on time (that will have to be another cooking adventure soon though!). Smoothed on some sauce - though not too much cause then the pizza would get soggy. I would say it was less than a 1/4 cup of sauce. Then the cheese of course, about 1 cup. For toppings we had two pizzas. One had red onions, cilantro, garlic and tomatoes. The second had roasted red and green bell peppers and garlic. Both were fantastic but the pepper pizza was out of this world! I think it was the fact the peppers were roasted the day prior and sat in the fridge to develop more flavor.

Cooking is always an adventure! To my friends, you are always welcome in my kitchen. Let's cook a meal together!