You could be the voice someone needs to hear.

If you know Jesus then you know the "bread of life" John 6:35

If you know Jesus then you know the God who is "love" 1 John 4:8

If you know Jesus then you know the source of "all good gifts" James 1:17

If you know Jesus then you know the "word of God" John 1:1-14

I'm reminded of the time Jesus feed the 5,000. The disciples came to him and said "send the people away so they can go by them selves something to eat." I think that is how we look at the world around us sometimes. We see all kinds of needs around us every day. We see hurt, we see pain, we see loneliness around us and we turn to Jesus and ask him to fix it but that is when Jesus does something crazy he says “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”  Jesus took what they had in their hands, a few loaves of bread, and some fish and multiplied it. Jesus took what they could do "pass out some fish and Bread" and used them to bless a pretty large group of people. I want to encourage you to go out and take what you have. Maybe you don't know a ton about the bible, maybe you don't know all the answers to why God allows bad things to happen (it's ok the disciples didn't) , just take what you have and trust Jesus with it. Then go share what you do have. You could be the person who gives someone enough hope to make it one more day. You could be the person who leads your friends to Christ. You could be there person who gives hope to the hopeless. You could be holding the encouraging words, the hug, the hope that will change someones life.

Worn?

So I realize I haven't written or a blog for while now. I've started a few, saved them as drafts and never went back because I couldn't find the words or in some cases the courage to say what was on my mind. But this song "worn" by Tenth Avenue North kinda describes how I've been the last few months.

One of the Books I've read recently for my CML classes suggest that the role of pastoral leaders in this generation is to be "articulators of inner events" So let me articulate some events for y'all.

the last few months has just been tiring and draining. Even taking a week of vacation which was awesome and fun and even kind of relaxing was still draining.


Some things that have helped and I hope will help you if your feeling tired, worn, or drained.

1. Asking for / Letting others  Help: Its ok, to ask for help. Sometimes I think God allows me to run out of energy trying to things by myself so that I will sit down, or fall flat of my face, in exhaustion and actually listen to him whisper "Will you let me help you know?"

• Ask God
• God Is the best Help you can ever find.
• So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" - Hebrews 13:6
• "Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me; LORD, be my help." - Psalm 30:10 
•  "Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me" - Psalm 54:4
• Ask Others
• Remember that song Lean on me? It has a really obvious statement that I think people often ignore... I know I do sometimes. "no one can fill those of your needs, that you won't let show"
• Galatians 6:2 Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ

2. Rest: Take a break. Take some time to breathe. Sit and enjoy the stars or stop and smell the roses if you like roses. Remember God invited the day off, and even though he never needs rest he still took a day off because its a good idea. I'd write some more useful things about rest but I'm still trying to figure out how to do this better however I'll list some verses that have helped me rest as I reflect on what they mean for me.

• Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus promises rest to all who come to him
• John 15:1-8 Jesus produces fruit in our lives as we abide or remain in him like a branch on a vine. last I check branches don't do a whole lot of work, but they do produce fruit.

3. Remembering who you are: Sometimes in the middle of trying to do everything I get stuck doing so many things that I forget I am a "human-being" not a "human-doing" You are not just what you do or what you have done. I know I never really forget these things but sometimes I act like I do. Sometimes I need to stop and actively remember who I am. (Just like Simba)

• God made you new. If you are in Christ, then New! you are no longer bound to your past 
• 2 Corinthians 5:17
• The fact that I am no long bound to my past self is freeing, and it helps me let go of the burdens of the past I carry.
• God loves you, You are loved!!!
• God loved you and me enough to die for your sins while you and I were still sinners, Thats love! 
• 1 John 4:9-12 
• John 3:16
• Romans 5:8
• God forgave your sin's , You are forgiven, maybe its time you let them go and move on too. You are Forgiven.