How are you MARKED

So, you are probably shocked to find a second post in one day after a week of silence.  I hope that you are sitting down.  This summer has been filled and looking at the calendar, the fall is not slowly down either.

We are on team 6 out of 7 for the summer.  As the team is out on a Medical Clinic along the coast (can you say H.O.T.!!!!), I find myself at the base while my nurse of a wife is in her element.  I enjoy these times as it allows me to try to catch up with the administration work, hang with the kids, swing down to the orphanage, chat with the guards and learn more Spanish.

But what was laid on my heart today, was something that I felt compelled to share with you.  Markings.

As I look at my legs and see bug bites galore, I am reminded that we can get marked in our lives.  Bites, scars, dents, bruises, etc.  Some are short term and some are life long.  Each one tells a story.  Good, bad, and even ugly...they make us who we are today.

Last year when I was in grad school, I was in a group required to write a student leadership curriculum.   We started with a concept from a professor and one of his books.  We simply feel in love with the truth that he offered and we ran with it.

What are the markings of a Christ follower?  How can those markings tell a story of who you are and who Christ is?  How can you allow those markings to be long lasting?

Here is our suggestion:  A Christian is truly MARKED, when they embrace four characteristics into their entire life.
LOVE.
GOODNESS.
FREEDOM.
WIDSOM.

Do you have these battle scars in your life?  Would you say you are marked with these?  How can we allow Christ to brand our hearts, minds, and souls so that these four traits marinate the fiber of our speech, actions, thoughts, and way of life?

So as you prepare for a new day tomorrow, may you be marked by Christ.....not just for a moment, but for a lifetime!

This summer in Guatemala, we are seeing people EMBRACING these markings!!!!  Are you?

~Dios Te Bendiga
~Justin


https://sites.google.com/site/markedstudentleadership/home

Justin's chair of choice just before lunch....this time a team member joins in the fun as well!

So what do you do all day?

Caleb on a building day

WORSHIP!!!!

As a youth pastor, I would hear these words often.  Now that the family is in Guatemala and we are still doing youth ministry, AND missions.....we.....still hear these words.

a team member praying for the family...

Dan and Vicki at a medical clini

How do I answer this?  Hmmm....well we have our tentative schedule for the day and even for the week.  We picked up team six for the summer from the airport.  They will be going on two medical clinics the next two days and then on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will be building five houses and dedicating them to the families.  That is the plan, but we know that our days do not always go according to plan.  Today as we waited for the team to arrive, two of our vans were parked on a road waiting for them to arrive and the parking police sneaked up behind and placed a boot on the back van. Normally that means going to court before a judge to pay the fine and becomes a two to three hours process.  These cops said that the fee could be paid on the spot.  Not according to our plan, as it delayed us, but we were able to pick up the team "on time".

    So what do I do.  I do whatever needs to be done.  I drive vans, help build houses, take notes of what needs to be done and then e-mail the people in the states to see that things get done, I dream, I plan, I fix, I parent, I lead the teams, I do devotions, lead the staff, and whatever else needs to be done.

As a family we try to pitch in with what needs to be done.  Doing this in a 3rd world country has its ups and downs.  There are times where tears are shed, in the work, the hard work produces much sweat, and even sometimes we see blood.  This means for us to pick up this, we need to let go of something.

In Matthew 8 Jesus is once again teaching and he instructs his disciples to sail across the lake.  Before they take off, a teacher of the law comes to him and says that he would follow Jesus anywhere.  Jesus replied " foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head".  I used think that that was an odd response, but let us ponder that.

Do you have a favorite chair in your living room?  How about your bed, do you miss it when you travel?  Ever heard of the phrase "home sweet home" or "there is no place like home"?  What are holes for foxes and nests for birds????  home.  There is something comfortable about home.  If we follow Jesus, we need to offer up our comfort to Him.

Yet another teacher said to him, "first let me go and bury my father and then I will follow you".  Jesus said "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead".  Harsh Jesus......harsh....or is it?  Did you pick up on the two key words from the teacher of the law?  First and then.  What are our datebooks, calendars, iphones, and tasks?  How would you feel if I took your calendar and took over your schedule?  Feel out of...control?  Why does the first have to be there?  We need to give our comfort AND control over to Jesus and then we can do what he says......"follow me"....a path and a person.  What more do we need.  What more do we need to do?  Follow Jesus and your day will be fine and filled with wonders, even if those wonders were not on your calendar originally.

what path is God taking you on today?

~Justin