Sometimes He Calms the Storm

All who sail the sea of faith 

Find out before too long 

How quickly blue skies can grow dark 

And gentle winds grow strong 

Suddenly fear is like white water 

Pounding on the soul 

Still we sail on knowing 

That our Lord is in control 

Sometimes He calms the storm 

With a whispered peace be still 

He can settle any sea 

But it doesn't mean He will 

Sometimes He holds us close 

And lets the wind and waves go wild 

Sometimes He calms the storm 

And other times He calms His child 

He has a reason for each trial 

That we pass through in life 

And though we're shaken 

We cannot be pulled apart from Christ 

No matter how the driving rain beats down 

On those who hold to faith 

A heart of trust will always 

Be a quiet peaceful place

~ Scott Krippayne

The Epitome of Unselfishness

It's easy to say, "I love God."

Many of us have grown up knowing that we should love God with all our heart,
with all our mind,
with all our strength,
and with all our soul.
We know that we should love God above anything or anyone else.

I know it too. But one can know and yet...

not know.


A few days ago I was looking at some notes I've taken on my iPod these past couple of years. I had already read quite a few old notes, and all of them brought back unique memories or things I learned which I had jotted down.

This one, however, caught my attention.

The date: April 9, 2011.
The title: Sabbath Solo Time.
The place: Hawaii.

As I shook the dust off and peered at this picture from memory's closet, I remembered sitting in the shade of some sparse trees, on the opposite side of a beautiful bay on the island of Kauai.

Up in the hills, I couldn't see the ocean, just the woods around me.

It was quiet.

I was alone.

I could speak out loud to God without anyone hearing.

But I found that I didn't do much talking. I found myself listening as I talked.

And then I wrote...

I want God to be my first love, my highest passion. I was telling Him this, but as I was I realized that He wasn't. He showed me that most often, I love myself more than God. Yes, we're supposed to love God above anyone else, but I had never really concretely thought about loving Him more than myself. It's so obvious, yet I've never seen it like that before. If we loved God more than ourselves, we would have reached the epitome of unselfishness.

After I read this and saw the picture clearly in my mind, I had to stop and read the last phrase again. My lack of proper grammar in this quick note didn't help my comprehension, so I edited it:

"If we love God more than ourselves, we have reached the epitome of unselfishness." 


I can say I love God. That's easy.

However, if I only do what I want to do and serve my own desires,
and I don't listen to what God tells me to do and follow His will,
then I speak a lie.

My whole life is a lie.

Naturally, I am bent on following my own will,
and then I am so inherently selfish that
I blind myself to the fact that I have put myself before God.

I cannot see that my actions say, "I love myself more than God."


Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments."

This does not only apply to His law in His word.
This applies in everyday life, whenever you hear that still, small voice calling you.

Will you follow Me regardless of your earthly desires? 

Will you drop everything, 
even as your hands grasp the nets, 
and allow Me to make you a fisher of men, and not 
a pleaser of men? 

A conqueror of self, and not 
a slave of self? 

Will you allow Me to come in and take full control 
of your senses, 
your thoughts, 
your desires 
and actions?

Do you really love Me? 

Follow Me. 


I have heard this voice before...

And sometimes, it almost seems like too much.

I find myself thinking, "You're asking a lot. It's just too hard. Why must it be so hard?"

I struggle because I know what He asks is right, even if I can't see the end result.
I know it's the only way.

But my desires conflict. And sadly, more often than not
I confirm the lie of my life
by handing the reins to my own desires.


When asked what true unselfishness is, we point to the cross.
Jesus came down and gave His life
for you
and for me.
He would have rather died than be in heaven without us.

In the garden He struggled with inhuman agony when duty to His Father's will
was contrary to desire.

But unparalleled Love that we will never comprehend instantly made the decision.

He counted the cost and drank the cup, even when all was so dark
and He couldn't see the end result.
He loved us more than Himself.


This is the epitome of unselfishness.


So what does it have to do with us?

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV).  

The epitome of unselfishness—loving God more than ourselves—is something we cannot reach on our own.

We need Jesus' mind.

"Let this mind be in you..."

We need only to ask, and He will begin
to transform,
renew,
and empower our minds and hearts
to be His.

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26 NKJV).

Then we will humble ourselves, 

and become obedient to the point of death. 

Even the death of ourself.

This is the epitome of unselfishness.

Word of the Day

reminiscent
adjective

Definition:
1. having qualities or characteristics that remind us of something or someone, especially from the past;
2. suggesting memories of the past;
3. bringing something to mind

Synonyms: evocative, suggestive, similar, implicative, nostalgic, recollective, redolent

http://vocabulary-vocabulary.com/dictionary/reminiscent.php

Birthday Cake

Here are some pictures of my birthday cake. Thank you to the one who made it! :) I'm not a photographer nor do I claim to be able to edit pictures...I was just playing around. They were taken with a Sony SLT, an iPod, and a Canon Powershot. Click on the pictures for a larger view, and see what you think!

Oh, and everything was edible except the strings...but we didn't eat the fingerboard, pegs, scroll, chin rest, or bridge :)

Edited on Pixlr.com (and Lightroom 4). The rest are edited on Lightroom 4.

I didn't take this iPod picture...I hadn't arrived yet to the surprise party (post about that coming soon).

Word of...Yesterday's Moment

dis·cov·er
verb (used with object)

1. to see, get knowledge of, learn of, find, or find out; gainsight or knowledge of (something previously unseen or unknown): to discover America; to discover electricity.

2. to notice or realize: I discovered I didn't have my credit card with me when I went to pay my bill.

3. Archaic . to make known; reveal; disclose.

Letter No. 2

Dear Fountainview Class of 2012,

Wow! Can you believe that there are 91 days till grad? That's 13 weeks, or about 3 months.

Before you read any further, I want you to temporarily forget that I'm an assistant dean—and still keep in mind that I have been with you all for the past 7 months of your senior year. Can we work with that? Yea? I'm an alumnus, a graduate of the class of 2011. I've been to school with y'all, laughed with y'all, played music with y'all, and picked up y'all's different ways of saying things. I've worked with most, prayed with some, cried with a few, and had meaningful conversations with many.

So then, let's get to the meaningful stuff.



The children of Israel were travelling in the Wilderness, on their journey to the Promised Land. A great pillar of cloud guided them by day, and a pillar of fire gave them light and protection by night. They could trust the pillar, because they knew the presence of God was in it. Wherever the pillar guided them, they went. Whenever it remained at camp, they stayed. And sometimes, the staying was more like waiting.

You and I are on a journey. God leads us like the pillar of cloud led the Israelites, through gorges and over rocky mountain passes, in deserts and by sweet waters. In any and every trial, God has provided for us, and brought us safely through. He has directed our paths where we should go, when we should go. I know each of you can look back and see how this is true in your own life. Too often we forget.

You know, I find this interesting: many times it is easy to follow God where He leads, but sometimes much harder to wait for Him to lead. I'm sure the Israelites wondered how much longer they had to stay at Mount Sinai after they had waited for almost a year. They wanted to get on to the Promised Land. But even after that necessary time of preparation and learning, when push came to shove, they weren't ready. Oh, how God longed to bring them speedily into the Promised Land! After waiting for so long at Sinai, however, they still complained about the difficulty of the way. Their perpetual stubbornness and distrust of God delayed them even longer, and at the end of 40 more years, they still did not trust God fully.



It is God's will for you to be here at Fountainview. If you don't believe this, then you better pack your bags and leave. God's cloud for you is resting here; this is where He has led you. I know, because I've experienced this myself, that if you look back at what He has done in your life since coming here, you will see threads woven into the tapestry of your life, and glimpses of a beautiful picture. You will see that even the dark threads have their part. You will also see that the picture is far from complete. He has taught you much; He is still teaching you. You have had many trials; I guarantee you there will be more. Last but not least, the many joyful experiences of the past 1, 2, 3, or 4 years are not over yet, either.

And so I appeal to you: Remember where you are.

Remember whose you are.

God has led you here, and you will never, ever find a place like Fountainview again. There may be similarities in other places, but Fountainview is unique.

The experiences you have here you will never have again.
The years you have lived here you will never live again.
(Keep in mind that this is true of any place God leads you.)

God is doing everything He can to make you ready for the next step, and ultimately, ready for the Promised Land. Right now—right here.

Live.
Laugh.
Learn.

Savour it while you can. 

Don't let there be any reason for regret.

And when the cloud finally leads you on, trust God. He may stop at the most inconvenient times, or go through the most uncomfortable places, but you can trust and wait patiently for the God who has led you faithfully in the past, and who will continue to do so in the future.

Because He loves you.

                                                                                                   Sincerely,
                                                                                                                   Val                                                                                  

Another Thought From a Friend to You

Well, dear friends, I meant to share this earlier, but just didn't get around to it. Maybe someone needs to read it more now than then...

Another one of my favourite writers and friends posted this very thought-provoking blog post a couple of weeks ago. I hope it blesses you as it blessed me.

Spreading Sunshine: The Master of the Wind: As we gathered in the inner cabin to begin sundown worship, I scrambled up into the loft, perching myself precariously on the tilted window ...

The Only Thing

"The only thing I'm going to wish my life away for is Heaven."

I was sitting on the bus with my friend Esther, driving back from our Chiliwack concert. Somehow we got started talking about grad, and she asked me all about how it works and what happens with the candle-passing and on and on. I showed her pictures. I told her what transpires. I tried to convey feelings—both of the juniors and the seniors. And inevitably, I ended up telling her one of my favourite stories.

It's the story of a group of teenagers. A bunch of unkind, drama-affected sophomores who were only slightly more mature the next year. A cliquey junior class of non-leaders, from which hardly a positive influence resulted. Until one day. Or many days. In a journey of ups and downs, of resentful feelings and piercing convictions, of broken then mended friendships, of prayer and effort, of awkward meetings then family time, of laughter and tears, of spider webs and charcoal, of gowns and purple, this once dysfunctional and disunited class became a family, close and tried. 

And none of them can take any credit for it whatsoever. It was God working in their individual lives, directing them to make an effort towards a higher standard of friendship, service, unity—of love—that made their class what it was. It was only as God individually refined them in the fire (and trust me, there was fire for each of them), that they drew closer to each other in drawing closer to God. It could only be a miracle. It was only God's grace. God's amazing grace. It's an experience that none of them would trade for anything else.

My friend Esther and I realized all over again the need to savour the time we have where God has placed us. To enjoy our current experience while it still current. Because the phrase, "One day, this too shall pass," unavoidably applies in the good times as well as the hard times. And too often, we don't realize how good the times are until they are past. Thankfully, God taught me this well enough so that I did savour most of my experiences last year. And He is still teaching me to seek and soak up every last drop of joy as it passes by. It's hard when you feel like you're squeezing awful hard, but you'll be glad when you can look back and have no regrets. 

I am not going to wish my life away. The future is inviting and exciting. But it will come when it comes, and when it does, it will only be present for a second, and then it will be past. Just think, the present used to be the future that you once looked forward to. And now, 5 seconds after you read that, it became the past. This is how life rolls, no matter how slow or fast we want it to go. Why wish it away and miss the blessing of today—and the privilege of the moment?

There is one thing, though, that I will wish my life away for. I wish I could skip years of my "joyful" life here on earth if it meant being in Heaven with Jesus sooner. Heaven is the only thing I will wish my life away for—the only thing.

I want to go to Heaven, and pick a never fading flower,

From the mountain overlooking the temple of my God.

I want to go to Heaven, where all is light and glory,

How I long to be with Jesus! How I long to be with God!

Some times I think that I could stay here no longer.

I feel very lonely here, for I have seen a better land!

Oh! That I had wings like a dove,

Then would I fly away, and be at rest.

Paradigm Shift

Original Picture: http://www.tooft.com/34-beautiful-digital-eyes/

An Old Photo

Original Photographer: Ceri Christiansen

A Prayer

Dear Father in Heaven,

Lord, it’s such a beautiful day today. I can really feel spring in the air, and the sun is coming out. Thank you so much for this wonderful place and this wonderful weather.

But Lord, You know what’s really on my heart today. I really miss my class, Lord. I think it’s the changing seasons and the nearness of grad. I can’t really put it into words. I know You know, though. Before You formed me in the womb, You knew me. You know the desires of my heart. And before I call, You will answer.

I have so many memories attached to this time of year. It makes me long for the time when there will be no more separation, no more distance, no more goodbyes. I guess that means that I long for Heaven. Deep in the depths of my soul, Lord, this is what it comes down to. I’m homesick for Heaven. I can’t shake it, nor would I want to. Now that I realize once again the true nature of the longings of my sometimes lonely heart—now that I see that it is Heaven (and ultimately, You) that I miss—it adds warmth and hope to the yearning inside. I pray that you would always remind me of this, and that you would fuel it in the direction of Heaven.

But now I’m reminded of Your promise, that You will not drink of the fruit of the vine until You drink it with us in Heaven. You must long for that day even more than we ever could. I mean, You invested Your eternal life just to gain even the possibility of having that experience with us. If I think of my nostalgic, reminiscent emotions right now, and multiply it by the worth of Your eternal life, I gain just a slight taste of how You feel about us.

I know You look forward to that great day. And I can hardly wait. In the meantime, Lord, thank You for being my Best Friend who will never leave, never change, and never be far away. Help me be so towards You as well.

                                                                     In Jesus’ name,

                                                                                    Amen

Job 23:10-11

“But He knows the way that I take;

When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

My foot has held fast to His steps;

I have kept His way and not turned aside.”

From a Friend to You

I just wanted to share with you all a post written by one of my favourite writers, and one of my dearest friends. It was a big blessing to me, and I pray that it will be to you as well.

Shades of Life: The Struggle

For the Love of Egg Rolls

Imagine standing in line at the cafeteria (at Fountainview). Straining your neck to see what's being served, past the curving line of hungry young people, you see that it's is absolutely the best thing that ever happened. At least, that's what you think at this moment. Egg rolls! Excitement and hunger rumble in your stomach. You are just itching to take the first luscious bite, because you know it will be good. You've tasted it before. But as you keep a sharp lookout on the progress of the line and the diminishing number of egg rolls, your rumbling stomach begins to sink. Anxiously you crowd the person in front of you in a futile effort to make the line go faster. You forget that this won't do you any good; the egg rolls will only disappear sooner. Finally, you make it to the table, only to find that there are no egg rolls left. Turning away in sorrow, you come face to face with a cafeteria worker carrying a deck-pan full of fresh egg rolls, straight out of the oven. They're the best egg rolls you've ever had.

You forgot the most important thing: there will always be enough. The cafeteria is well known for providing an abundance of food. There was nothing to worry about. They had everything under control.

Sometimes I feel like I'm standing in the line of life. I'm waiting, and when I catch glimpses of God's plan for me, my hunger for it grows. The fulfilment of God's plan for me is like an egg roll. I know it's going to be good. I've tasted it before. I can't wait to get my teeth into it and take that luscious bite. So, I try to make the line go faster. I want God to fulfil His plan for me right now, or at least reveal His plan right now. Can't He hand me an egg roll (reveal His plan) and give me concrete evidence that I will get to eat it?

But I don't run the cafeteria. I forget that there will always be enough. No matter how long God takes to fully work out His will in my life, the supply of egg rolls will never fail. God will supply me with everything I need at just the right time; He has everything under control, and I don't have to worry that I won't get any egg rolls. Sometimes, He leaves me waiting at the table, confused by the empty deck-pan, until I come face to face with Him. Then He'll give me the best egg rolls I've ever had.

"So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help." - Isaiah 30:18 NLT

A Future and a Hope

Consider the experience of Moses. - Ministry of Healing, pg.474

I've been reading a lot about Moses lately. God worked miracle after miracle for the Israelites, but shortly after they would forget and murmur (complain) about present difficulties. It was a constant roller-coaster going from, "Praise the Lord, He is so good and has led us thus far," to, "Bitter water!? Come on Moses, did you bring us out here to die of thirst?" What a stupid question! God didn't bring them out to die in the desert. How could they forget all the wonders God worked in Egypt? How could they possibly forget crossing the Red Sea on dry ground? Just think, Moses had to deal with this stubborn bunch of whiners for more than 40 years! And that only because they were a stubborn bunch of whiners!

What prepared him for such a great and difficult work? Well of course, everything about him shouted, "LEADER." He had been trained in the royal schools of the most powerful nation on earth. Everything from diplomacy to strategy to governing was included in his training. All of Egypt, including his royal grandfather, once looked to him as the next Pharaoh. Surely this is what qualified him to lead the multitude of God's people. Right?

Not so.

The education he received in Egypt as the king’s grandson and the prospective heir to the throne was very thorough. Nothing was neglected that was calculated to make him a wise man, as the Egyptians understood wisdom. He received the highest civil and military training. He felt that he was fully prepared for the work of delivering Israel from bondage. But God judged otherwise. His providence appointed Moses forty years of training in the wilderness as a keeper of sheep (MH 474).

What? A shepherd? What happened to the great military leader, the heir to the throne of the most powerful kingdom in Egypt? Wasn't that the kind of training that would prepare Moses to lead his people? Doubtless it aided him greatly when the time came. But God knew that he wasn't ready yet. He had much to unlearn from his life as an honoured grandson of the Pharaoh, surrounded by heathen worship and glorified man-made structures. Here in the majestic mountains of the wilderness God revealed His power and greatness. Moses was alone with God, and he learned lessons of service, humility, tender care, patience, faithfulness, and meekness. He came to know God as a mighty but personal friend.

And then, the call came. Now God knew he was ready. Now, after he had let go of his own self-sufficiency, was he prepared to lead God's people from Egypt. In fact, he had become so humble and distrustful of himself that he shrank from the mission. It seemed impossible to him. God was patient, however, and provided everything he needed. And that encounter at the burning bush would be one of many near face-to-face meetings with God.

So what does this ancient familiar Bible story have to do with us today? Plenty. We are just as stubborn and whiny as those Israelites. We easily forget the ways God has led us in the past, and we complain and murmur about the smallest things.

Sometimes God leads you into the wilderness to teach you valuable lessons. This has to happen before He can really use you for the work He has called you to. You think that you are all prepared to do your lifework, or you think that you need education and power and honour in order to really do a work for God. But this is not reality. It may not make sense to the world, to your friends, to your family, or even to you, but God may place you in the most uncomfortable, uncanny, and unconventional circumstances to work out His greater purpose in your life.

And one day, you'll be ready.

One day, God will say to me, "Now you are ready. Go unto Pharaoh..." Whatever the work will be, I know that God is making me ready. He is using every experience and circumstance. And He is guiding every step. I may not meet a burning bush, or part the waters of a sea, but I KNOW, without a shadow of a doubt, that God has a plan for me.

And He has a plan for you.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV).

Word of the Moment

bit·ter·sweet  [adj. bit-er-sweet, bit-er-sweet; n. bit-er-sweet]
adjective
1.
both bitter and sweet to the taste: bittersweet chocolate.
2.
both pleasant and painful or regretful: a bittersweet memory.

If you want me to explain, just ask.

We'll Walk if We Have To

"Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!"

That all too familiar sound. Again. We were pulling out of Twin Falls this morning, and our bus wouldn't stop beeping. You see, yesterday we were delayed almost 4.5 hours because of a problem with the air compressor on the bus. Praise God, the repair man came from over an hour's drive away, and he was able to fix it quickly. On top of that, he didn't charge us anything! He is a Christian man, and it was a huge blessing because Scott was expecting anywhere from $500-1000. We gave him two DVDs.

It was a pretty uneventful drive for the most of the rest of the day. Walmart stop, Taco Bell pick-up, and then a late drive with a confusing time change that we didn't actually change but the schedule says it changed (the way that I wrote it is about as confusing as it was for us).

We were almost to the church, and Scott was in the lead. At an intersection (oh, that fateful intersection), Scott and Alistair were discussing over the radios. Their two GPS's hardly ever agree, and we never know which one is right. So we turned left. And Alistair turned right.

He was right.

We soon discovered this fact, so Scott attempted to turn around. Pitch black outside, lonely straight road with dirt and fields on either side, lined by barbed-wire fence on one side and an electric (as someone said) fence on the other. Just when we were perfectly perpendicular to the road, and completely blocking it, a grinding noise brought us to a halt. Back and forth, Scott tried to get us unstuck, but in vain. We went out to investigate. The back wheels on the driver's side were stuck in a foot-deep hole, conveniently just large enough for the wheels. On top of that, we had a flat tire (which is why we couldn't get out of the hole). On top of that, it was freezing cold outside. By the time the other bus picked us up (Alistair backed in), we ended up getting to sleep around 1:00 am (Boise time, 12:00 am BC time...I think).

And so today, we were rolling out and -- "Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!" It just wouldn't quit. A problem with the air again. So now we are back at the school/church where we stayed, having wifi and playing basketball. And praying. Really praying.

It was a real blessing for us to be able to have worship together as a group while we waited for the bus yesterday. In small groups, we discussed the story of the loaves and fishes. It is amazing how much there is in there about buses and Las Vegas Tour! I believe that a major highlight of what we learned (and shared with the whole group together) is that God can do the impossible with little things, and only if we give all to Him.

Pray for us; the devil doesn't like what we're doing, and he's stopping at nothing to stop us. And if he can't stop us, he's going to try to distract us from our purpose on this trip. He will have succeeded in that case. Pray that we will not get distracted or worry about the buses, showers, sleep (or the lack thereof), or making it to concerts on time. Pray that we will trust God completely and not waver in our faith and purpose. There is nothing to fear; nothing to worry about. Except that we forget how God has led us in the past...

"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright." Ps 20:7, 8

If God wants us there, He'll get us there. Nothing can stop us.

We'll walk if we have to.

Headed to Sin City

Ok, so today is the worst time to write a blog post. But it's probably my only chance before we head to Sin City, so I thought I better get one more post in before the mass exodus occurs.

We are taking Fountainview Academy on the road. That is, we're having school on the road. We have been invited by It Is Written to come and play at a huge event they are hosting in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is called "Revelation Today." Almost very morning and evening from Friday, February 3 to Sabbath, February 12, Fountainview will be either playing a few numbers in the meetings, or having a full concert. The meetings will be broadcast around the world. And in the midst of all of this, we are having school. Yup, we're taking most of the teachers, some of their family members, and we are going to have classes in the place where we are staying. Talk about a full schedule!

Well, please pray for us as we embark on so great an adventure. Not so much for us (though we really need it), but more for our influence and part in the meetings. Sin City...you know there's a reason it has that nickname. But God has His people there too. Pray that many people will come to know Him more.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Sorry if this was kind of scatter-brained -- squirrel!

In this is Love

Here is the revelation of the last post's "sneak peek." It is the Vespers talk from last night (January 27, 2012). God taught me so much through this experience, especially in the preparation. He taught me to trust Him for every single word, and to trust Him even when it seemed impossible that I could be ready in time. I pray that it will be a blessing to you. And I can't say enough that all the glory belongs to Jesus.

Sometime I hope to transcribe it into written form. I'll update this post at that time. Feel free to download the file if you wish.

One more thing...there is a part around 10 mins or so where the video on the screen had some difficulty playing right away. Also, you might need to turn the volume up at that point to hear the video.

All the glory belongs to Jesus.
 

Just a sneak peak...

So, I haven't posted in a while, and I'm not really sure what to write. My mind is too full of this Vespers talk I'm working on. God has been leading in amazing ways and revealing fresh understandings of His love. Ahhhh....the complex simplicity of the gospel! Nothing new, just things we hardly ever stop to think about. But when you do stop, when you see...well, I don't want to give it away. Just a sneak peak, I guess ;) I'll post about it after. I'm not sure yet when I will share it. Soon, hopefully, soon...