These Things Told for Peace

           

        “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. As we look back on 2012, I think we will find that it was a busy year. I think we can look back and find moments of peace, but also look back and find moments of trouble. I look back over the past month and find moments of trouble, from the deadly shooting in Newtown to the fiscal cliff that seems to be drawing near. But, amidst this trouble there is the peace that is brought as we celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ. We know that we live in this imperfect world. We know that this is a sinful world and there are daily reminders of this. But we can’t settle for this world. We know there is something greater than this world. Even in our greatest joys and moments of peace, it is nothing compared to the ultimate gift that is waiting for us.

            As we look ahead to 2013 there are things that we are looking forward to. There will also be times of trouble in this next year. But, through the peace that only God can provide, we will move through those times of trouble. The picture in this post is probably my favorite picture ever. For one, there is the beautiful sunset over the Blue Ridge Mountains. I like this photo also though because it is a reminder to look ahead. The start of a new year is often a time when we look ahead. We set those New Year’s resolutions and set the goals in which we hope to achieve. Often times those goals and dreams include things that benefit us, things that will have a direct impact on our own life. I think though that as we look ahead, as we look out onto the horizon, that we need to do so without expectations or preconceived notions.

            This picture was taken at a place called Rattlesnake. It is this mountain top, that on a clear day, you can look around in all directions and see nothing but the tall Blue Ridge Mountains for miles and miles. This is a favorite campsite that we go camping at every summer. What if we approach 2013 in the same way that we see the view on top of a mountain? What if when we look at 2013, we see the vast endless possibilities that await us? What if when we look at 2013, we see the beauty of God’s creation? We see his handiwork in the beauty that is. To do this, we must condition our hearts. We must turn our attention and focus to what is important, to what really matters.

            So, as we welcome in the New Year, let us remember to “keep our eyes focused on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Let us look ahead and be ready for what will be and what is to come.

Seeking Jesus... Day 30 Mon. Oct. 1, 2012

    Today marks the final day of my 30 day quest to intentionally seek Jesus daily in my life. I am thankful that I made it 30 days and was able to post every single day. Granted though there were a couple of days where I didn't feel like I had anything to post, I still posted something and reflected upon the seemingly nothingness of the day. I wish I could tell you know I feel a huge difference and feel change in my life but I can't. I wish I could tell you that there have been some major life revelations over the last 30 days, but I can't. What I can say is that the past 30 days have been small daily reminders that Jesus is in my life working, one piece at a time. I guess I have come to that realization that is how Jesus works most of the time in our lives. Often times we expect these big miracles to occur daily in our life. Or maybe we have those mountain top experiences and then when we come down from that mountain, everyday life seems mundane. I would argue though that the small and simple everyday occurrences that Jesus has in our life are just as important if not more important than those mountain top experiences. But, unless we realize the work of Jesus in our life daily, then it will be for nothing.

   I have realized that there is a lot going on in my life lately. Almost too much. Seminary is overwhelming. There is always something to read, the reading assignments never end. Sometimes I can understand what I am reading while other times I struggle to get through the chapter. The soccer problems are never-ending. Once I get through all the email in my inbox or resolve a problem another one appears. There is always work to be done at church, meetings to attend services to plan, events to attend. It's in all this busyness and stress that I must take time to slow down and seek Jesus intentionally.

     One of the many things I miss about camp is the focus that I have while I'm at camp. While I'm at camp, there is only one job that I am focused on. All of my effort and energy is spent into that one job. That is something I love and miss about camp. Speaking of camp, today the applications opened for the 2013 summer. I have submitted application for this coming summer. For the past 4 summers I have served as a counselor. I have loved serving in that position every summer and have never regretted it. This summer though I want to move out of the counselor role and into another area of camp. Camp Ministry is a direction that I see God possibly calling me to full time. If I am to explore that calling more, I need to get experience in camp in areas other than being a counselor. I have submitted my application, now it's a waiting game. It all depends who returns from last summer to fill positions, what positions are open and who all applies for them. I am hopeful and prayerful that there will be a place at camp for me next summer while I am still trying to keep an open mind as to the direction that Jesus would lead me.

   As I close with this final post for this 30 day adventure I would leave with this final thought. "The more we seek Jesus, the more we find him. The more we find Him, the more we love Him." If we seek Jesus with all our heart, he will find us. He will find us in the mundane everyday life. He will find us when we are at the lows in our life and when we are on the mountian top expiriences. He will be with us all the way.

The more I seek you,
the more I find you.

The more I find you,
the more I love you

I wanna sit at your feet
drink from the cup in your hand.
Lay back against you and breath,
hear your heart beat

This love is so deep,
it's more than I can stand.
I melt in your peace, it's overwhelming 

"The More I seek You"-Kari Jobe

Seeking Jesus... Day 29 Sun. Sept. 30, 2012

Only one day left. One more day of reflection for this 30 day challenge. It's hard to believe that it's almost over. There have been nights when I have wanted to skip the blog post, but I posted anyways. There have been a couple of nights when I just haven't really had anything to post. Today has been a very productive and busy day, as most Sunday's are. Tomorrow will be the first day of October. October begins the busyness time of the year. Hopefully, I will find some time within the next month to take a vacation... we'll see... More reflection tomorrow.

Seeking Jesus... Day 28 Sat. Sept. 29, 2012

Today was a special day in the Streeter family. Today we celebrated my grandfathers 80th birthday at his church. There was  good turnout of family and friends at the party. Above is a picture I took at his church in the sanctuary. The church is a very special place for my grandfather and grandmother and I am glad that he was able to celebrate his birthday there.

I don't have much to reflect on today other than I am well into some heavy reading tonight trying to get it done so I don't have as much to do tomorrow. Sunday's are work day and are busy and non-stop. If I had one thing to reflect on, it would be that picture above. Look the beauty of it, the magnificence of it and the power of the cross. Remember the power of the cross each and every day of your life, for we know not how much longer we have on this earth. We are not guaranteed a tomorrow. We could live to be 80 years old or more or we could live for only a few more hours. We don't know when our time will be, but we do know the power of the cross and the importance of it. Always live for Jesus.

Seeking Jesus... Day 27 Fri. Sept. 28, 2012

      This afternoon I received an unexpected, but welcomed text message. You may recall at the beginning of this summer, during my first session at camp I had a couple of difficult situations to deal with. Today, I received closure and resolution to one of those situations today. A camper let me know today that he had made the tough decision that he was dealing with and that he was doing well. He talked about how God had guided him through this decision and that through God and the help he received at camp, it had been a huge help and he was able to get through the situation.

         I have to remember that a certain level of humility is needed when God reveals these types of things to us. But there is a certain level of pride that I do take from this in knowing that I did make a difference in this kids life. There have been times that God has revealed the results of the work done at camp in my life. Those times are far and few, but when I look back, they have come at the right time. They have come at the time when I need that validation or that boost of support.

     In a couple of days the staff applications for the 2013 summer will be open. The decision to decide to go back or not will be upon me soon. The events of today are validation that there is always work to be done and that God can use those called to camp that summer. Over the next few days I will need to consider, has God called me to summer camping for 2013? I can't go back next summer just because the past summers have been fun, or because I will greatly miss the campers and staff if I don't return. I can only apply for next summer if I feel that that is what God has called me to for that summer. We'll see what happens...

Seeking Jesus... Day 26 Thurs. Sept. 27, 2012

"Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective, a lot of hope is dangerous. A spark is fine, as long as it's contained."

      Today I watched the Hunger Games for the first time. I purchased it on DVD when it came out because it was on sale at Target, but I hadn't gotten around to watching it until today. I like watching movies. I have about 250 movies probably in my collection. And now with Netflix, I am able to watch so many more. I am intrigued by the movies that seem to captivate you and take you to another world that is much different from the one we live in. These are the movies that are typically set in different settings, often the future or some unrealistic setting but sometimes even the past. Movies like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or Avatar that make you wish you could escape to there even if only for a moment. Or movies like True Grit that make you think in the past and wonder what it was like to live back then and if you truly could survive without a cell phone or any electricity. 

   I think I would put the Hunger Games in that category in the sense that the setting was so different and makes you think when you really begin to think about it.  The Hunger Games is a distant futuristic setting. If you've seen the movie and really thought about of the moving pieces then you have probably begin to see the complexity of the movie. It is a movie filled with action, romance, and young people, which teenagers will be attracted to this type of movie. It's also filled with this idea, that when I began to watch the movie, it seemed sick and uncomfortable to me. (I have not read the books nor did I know much about this series before I watched the movie today). The idea that children in a society were being forced to fight to the death every year was unsettling. I was talking to a camp friend about this tonight and the movie and he made a good point. This could be a good idea that society needed to hear in that, sometimes we can go too far in what we are willing to allow or subject ourselves to in an effort to have a good time or please ourselves. 

But, I don't want to focus this post on my personal biases or observations of the movie. Rather more the quote that I posted at the beginning of the blog. It is talking about hope and fear and you may recall it from the movie. It made me think about my own hopes and fears in my life. What do I hope for. What do I fear. There are things that I wish for, that list may be a little bit longer while the things that I truly hope for may be shorter. It also made me think of these personal hopes and fears. Are they driving factors in my life? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? That is something maybe that we all need to consider. Do the fears or hopes in our lives drive and dictate our lives and actions? Is that good or bad? Maybe we need to refocus or even let go...
   

Seeking Jesus... Day 25 Wed. Sept. 26, 2012

What a day of serving Jesus... The morning began at 6am this morning.Our first "See you at the pole event" for First Priority and FCA (a youth led school group) at Discovery Middle school began at 7am. 75 7th and 8th graders gathered for small group time and a time of prayer. It was humbling to see the student leadership lead their fellow peers this morning. After that much of the day was spent working at church, preparing for upcoming services and other events. 

This evening at church I encountered another humbling opportunity to serve Jesus. I had the opportunity to have a conversation with a youth who was dealing with some issues. At the end of our time together we closed in prayer. It was truly humbling to be able to talk with this student and do my best to offer support and prayer to him.

Humility is a trait that Jesus demonstrated on a daily basis. It is a trait that many of us, including myself, struggle with. We often want recognition for what we have done, our accomplishments and successes. I often struggle with this during the summer at camp. I often want recognition for what I am doing from my peers, how I am impacting others lives. There are so many ways that we impact lives of others while at camp that no one else knows about. But God knows. Just as he knows every sin we commit, he knows our good deeds and where our hearts are in service to Him.

I have used the word humble a few times in this post. I have to remember that on a daily basis as I am given these opportunities to serve Jesus, I must do so with the greatest humility. It is not about my own recognition or fame, but that Jesus is amplified through my actions.

I am thankful today for the opportunities that God has provided for me to serve Him today. I am grateful for the strength that He provided to meet all the challenges of the day and I am thankful for the opportunities that lie ahead. 

Seeking Jesus... Day 24 Tues. Sept. 25, 2012

I am on my last 6 days of this blog post. There have been a couple of days where I have found it difficult to reflect and find God working  in my life. There have been days when it couldn't have been more obvious. Today is Tuesday. Tuesdays are spent at church for a majority of the day. We have a staff meting that begins mid morning and usually runs until early afternoon. By the time we're done with that, we've missed lunch so we usually all head out together and grab a late lunch. After that, it's usually back to work as there are even more items on the to-do list after a staff meeting.

Today I find myself looking at where I've been and where I'm going. Over the past 4 years things have been very consistent. I have spent the summers in North Carolina and then returned and worked at Trinity during the school year as well as attend college. During the year, I have worked different part-time jobs.There have been things that have been comfortable about that. Having that consistency and being able to do stuff that I really enjoy have been a good thing. With this consistency, there has also been inconsistency. All of this stuff that I am doing is part time. I am getting to the point where I'm ready to settle down. While I have a consistent pattern in my life, it doesn't seem like it. It seems like I am constantly looking for conisstency. I'm not sure if that came out the way I meant it to, I think it did...

I want things to settle down. Right now, it doesn't seem that way. If I could pick a job right now and begin work full time, it would be camp ministry, hands down. That is where my passion is. I would be happy in church ministry too, but again, it's finding that job. In looking for a full-time job, it's difficult too. I have 3 years of seminary to go and I know that will take up some time as well. Looking ahead, the next three years seems like the last four, a lot of consistency but also some inconsistency.... We'll see...

Seeking Jesus... Day 23 Mon. Sept. 24, 2012

Today was a difficult day to find God in my life. Nothing seemed to happen today that would point me to what he's doing in my life... Guess I need to sleep on this one too...

Seeking Jesus... Day 22 Sun. Sept. 23, 2012

Today I found myself doing something that I haven't done in a long time. During the sermon this morning in church I found myself opening up my bible and reading the sermon scripture during the sermon. Yes, I know that may sound bad. And I guess it is kinda... I just felt this morning like I needed to have my bible open and following along while the preacher was preaching. I think it was the Holy Spirit moving. I look back and think how many times have I just sat in church and listened. By opening the bible and reading the scripture, I was doing more. I was engaging the message and taking it all in. It's something that I need to do more. It's not enough to come to church on a Sunday and sit and listen. We need to process what we are hearing and apply that to our lives. That also means opening up the bible too on  occasion..

Seeking Jesus... Day 21 Sat. Sept. 22, 2012

Today was a beautiful day for soccer. I got out this afternoon and refereed a soccer game. This has been a passion of mine. A passion of mine that has lasted 10 years. This year I have stepped back from refereeing college games in the fall and High school in the spring. I did this to gain a litter perspective. I want to know if this is still my passion or if it's time to move onto other things. I enjoyed refereeing an AYSO game this afternoon, but I haven't missed being out in the middle of a college match yet. I have enjoyed this extra free time, but it has been filled with other AYSO duties, work and school. We'll see if I've hung up the whistle for good after this next year or if I find myself back out on the pitch again. I've been so thankful over the years that God has blessed me with opportunities to referee and travel. To work those "big" matches and to find passion in something that started out as a way to earn money. We'll see what God has in store.

Seeking Jesus... Day 20 Fri. Sept. 21, 2012

Yesterday I spent some time reading my co-counselors blog that he writes. I read his posts from this past summer at camp. There were some good memories that he reminded me of from this past summer. This evening I watched the end of the summer staff video. Doing this stuff has made me miss camp some but also help me reflect on the past summer. In a couple of weeks the staff applications will open back up.

I have been called each summer and there have been different sacrifices along the way. Will I be called back this summer or will pursuing something else instead of camp, be that sacrifice? What positions other than counselor will be open and will God call me to that position? Am I called to be a counselor again? Lots of questions and answers that will be revealed in time.