A Shepherd and a King

For the past couple of years, Kristi and I have read the birth account of Christ together in honor of Christmas (found in the first two chapters of Matthew & Luke). Sometimes we also read some of the Old Testament prophecies that point to His coming. This year we read Isaiah 9 and Ezekiel 34. Isaiah 9 speaks of a King whom God promises to send to rule His people and Ezekiel 34 speaks of a Shepherd whom God promises to feed His people. I was struck during our reading that both kings and shepherds came to see Jesus after He was born.

Shepherds came to visit the Great Shepherd (John 10:11; Hebrews 13:20) and kings journeyed from afar to worship the King of Kings (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16).

When the kings/wisemen from the East came to Jerusalem seeking to find the promised King, King Herod was alarmed and gathered Jewish scholars together to determine where this King was to be born:

They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”(Matthew 2:5-6)

Jesus Christ is this promised King. As King, He rules His people with perfect justice, wisdom, righteousness and peace. He is a mighty warrior who victoriously leads into battle. He fearlessly conquers all His enemies. "And of His kingdom there will be no end" (Luke 1:33).

Jesus Christ is this promised Shepherd. As our Shepherd, He guides His people into all truth. He cares for, tends and protects His flock. If any of His sheep stray, He will go after them and bring them back. He gives them rest in a good and safe pasture. "And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God” (Ezekiel 34:31).

Merry Christmas!!!

The Weather Outside is Frightful...

but I am as snug as a bug in a rug in my Southern hoodie and fleece NASCAR blanket! The temperature is a little over 20 degrees outside and it has been snowing off and on all day long. 

On Friday, I graduated with my Masters of Divinity of degree. The ceremony was joyful and Christ-exulting. I couldn't help reflecting on all the hard work that I had put into this degree and all that the Lord has taught me during my three and a half years here, which made the event all the more precious. Jesus sustained me and guided me in so many ways and I know that I am a different (and hopefully better) person than when I first came to Louisville. The finality of it all it finally starting to sink it and I am excited to enter the new, school-free phase of my life. :)

With all the assigned reading out of the way, I can now read at my leisure. I just finished the first book on my reading list: 24 Hours that Changed the World by Adam Hamilton. It was a rather disappointing book as it promised more than it delivered. I thought it was going to serve as a  type of devotional book by taking an intense look into the last 24 hours of Jesus' life. The back cover claimed to offer a theological and historical analysis along with "spiritual insight." Instead the book contained more of the author's speculations and opinions more than anything. He had some theological points that I found rather alarming as well. The book, however, wasn't a total loss. Hamilton did bring out some Old Testament parallels with the death and resurrection of Christ that I had never thought about before and made me consider the ways I am like the frightful disciples, betraying Judas and crowd-pleasing Pilate. Overall, I give the book 2 out of 5 stars; although, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.  I am now reading a much better book about prayer, which is proving to be both convicting and encouraging at the same time.

This week will be my first official week of working full-time at Papers Unique. I am really exciting about some of the things we are doing there. We just recently formed a partnership with the local Christian radio station, 93.9 WAY-FM. They just started playing our ad this past week. Also, this week I am going on another radio station to talk about our store and about stationery etiquette as well as to record a 30-second air spot. I am not really excited to be the one doing this but I am excited for the exposure the store will get.

The Lord has been teaching me this semester how limited I am - especially when it comes to wisdom. He has reminded me over and over again that I do not have what it takes to make right decisions and sound judgments BUT He does and He invites me to trust Him. He has been teaching me how to trust Him in deeper ways and how to glean His Word for guidance. There have been several situations that have developed that has caused me realize my short-comings and turn to Christ for guidance, wisdom and discernment. I have no doubt that He will continue to lead and guide me to do His will. Pray that I will not trust in myself but that I will trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones. Proverbs 3:5-8

An Ethical Dilemma

I have known about and have been anticipating the infamous final for my Christian Ethics class since I registered for the course. My professor posted it on his blog last Friday and it is a doozy. We are allowed to use any resource that we would normally have access to in real-life ministry with one exception: we cannot talk to the people in our class. So, I have started doing some research, thinking through God's Kingdom purposes for each situation and plan on calling a few people for some insight...but I am interested to know what YOU think. Click here to read the lengthy ethical scenario.
Comments are more than welcomed (unless, of course, you are in my class!). :)

No More Classes, No More Books...

Today was my last day of classes. Only 2 finals separate me from graduation. I am so excited to be free from having to worry about homework!

One of the classes I took this semester was called Community Development and Disaster Relief. In it, all my experience and coursework in business management, human services and international miss. seemed to converge, which made it a fitting end to my educational career. Yesterday, I completed a community development strategy paper that built upon the work I did earlier this year in a South Asian center for slum girls. It was probably one of the most rewarding (and fun) papers I have ever written. It had little to do with research and much to do with dreaming. :) It was supposed to be a minimum of ten pages...I wound up writing 18 (!). I am usually a person of few/concise words who has trouble meeting the minimum page requirement, so this way-over-the-minimum paper was the first for me. The Lord has been gradually showing me the specifics of His call to serve Him overseas and I believe community development will play a big part of it. I am so excited to see what He has in store! Please pray for me as I go through this time of transition.

Wisdom in the Darkness

Sometimes the Lord brings us into situations that are difficult to discern and that reveal our limited wisdom. Such was the case for me this past week. The Lord is gracious, though, and doesn't leave His children without direction. Even though His Word does not always address our specific situations, He does give us principles and truths from His Word that will help us make the right decision in accordance with His will - one that honors Him and loves others. As I searched through various passages that dealt with wisdom, discernment, pleasing the Lord, trusting the Lord and considering myself rightly (i.e. Psalm 3:5-6; Psalm 25; Romans 12; Phil 4:7-8), the Lord faithfully led me to a decision that I believe is His will. The tricky thing about following the Lord, though, is that I must seek His will continually. He leads His children for a while down on path then when it forks or that work or such finishes, He leads them down a different path. [This is not to say that God is wishy-washy. The Bible is clear that He never changes (Hebrews 13:8). His ways, however, are not ours and what may look like a change of mind to us are really the unveiling of His purposes that are far beyond what we can know or comprehend.] It is at these forks in the road and times of transition that He grows and strengthens our faith in Him. These times are not usually very pleasant, but when you look back on them, you can see the Lord's great wisdom, grace and sovereignty in bringing you through them. There are so many situations and unknowns right now in my life that remind me of my limited wisdom and my need for Christ. He is my Great Shepherd. Where He leads, I want to follow - no matter where that may be and no matter what the cost.

A neat thing that did happen in the midst of all this is how the Lord prepared me and my sister both for circumstances happening in each other's lives before we talked to each other. I sent her a vague prayer request via email and she sensed what it was about (and she was right). She left me a voice mail during our few days of phone tag that told me she wanted to tell me about something that had happened. When I heard this, I had "a feeling" of what she was going to tell me (and I was right). How cool is it that the Lord prepared us both in advance to hear the information we were about to receive from one another?

Switching gears: I am becoming increasing uncomfortable with being out by myself at night. I am not sure if this stems from my time in South Asia or if I am just growing out of my small-town-girl ignorance. Either way, I have become more aware of my surroundings as well as my own vulnerability as a female. The other night I broke my rule of not going to Wal-Mart after dark to pick up something. Now, the Wal-Mart I live by is down-right shady. Men seem to loiter there for no apparent reason. I usually try to avoid eye contact by looking at the ground and walk as quickly as I can to and from my car. The stares I receive there are equivalent to the stare-a-hole through you ones I received in South Asia (extremely creepy and uncomfortable). During this last trip to Wal-Mart (and I do mean last), I barely made it through the entrance when a man thought he'd take the opportunity to hit on me. [Eye roll.] I mean, can't a girl buy toilet paper in peace? [I would like to note that my trip ended on a higher note as I got to converse with the cashier who was from Nepal.]

Today, I got to spend the afternoon doing one of my favorite hobbies - photography. A friend of mine from church asked me to take pictures of her beautiful family to use for her Christmas cards. To top it off, my boss let me use her awesome Nikon D60 (thanks Michele!). These are some of my favorites:



The Question

I graduate from Southern one month from today. It's crazy to think about, but it's true. This fact has prompted the inevitable question, "What are you going to do next?" First, I am going to read at my leisure and for the sheer pleasure of reading in and of itself. Then, maybe I will write all those blog posts I have swimming around in my head...

The real answer to the question is that I simply don't know. The Lord has not been pleased thus far to reveal to me the next step. I know that I ultimately want to serve the Lord overseas among the poor - telling them about the hope that is found solely in Jesus Christ. Before that happens, though, I need to take care of these pesky student loans. Whether that means staying where I am at Papers Unique or taking up a new job somewhere else, I don't know. I have know doubt that the Lord will reveal to me in His perfect timing what's next. I am fairly confident, though, that I am to remain in Louisville and I am for certain I am to minister to people here on behalf of Christ. Now that school is almost out of the way, I can devote more of my time to building relationships and to ministry.

The end of my time at Southern has proven to be bittersweet. I am more than ready to kiss homework goodbye, but I love to learn (especially about Jesus) and I will miss the class lectures and chapel services that God has used so much to shape and grow me. Now, most of you know that pursuing a Master's degree was not my favorite idea. I didn't see my need for theological study...I mean, couldn't I just get my theology from my own personal study of the Bible? Through my time here, however, I have learned how much I needed theological correction and direction. I have learned how to study God's Word and have, in the process, discovered God's grand plan that fills it pages from cover to cover. My time here has been nothing but a blessing and has been filled with numerous lessons from the Lord (both in and out of the classroom). Even though the coursework will soon be finished, I know I won't stop learning. I serve a God whose infinite nature will keep me hungry to know more of Him for the rest of my life.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36)

Across the Midwest

I returned this evening from mine and Katelyn's trek to Oklahoma. We had such a good time and it was a good break away from the routine of every day life. We worshipped the Lord, laughed a lot, teased each other and discussed current events in our lives. The Lord blessed us with beautiful driving weather for which we are very thankful. He also provided (food, coupons, etc) and protected (we were run off the road almost twice by some crazies) in more ways than we probably even realize. We broke up the trip on the way there by stopping by my parents' house for the night but drive the whole way back today. We took a few pit stops along the way to stretch and have a little fun by visiting the Russell Stover Candies store and Cheese Outlet (which provided free samples!) in Lebanon, MO on the way there and stopping by the arch in St. Louis on the way back. It was Katelyn's first time in St. Louis, so I played, as she likes to say, "tour guide Barbie."

The wedding was the most unique and by far the most fun and laid back that I have attended. It was South Asian in fashion but American in ceremony, which means lots of color and lights, saris and pujabis with a thoroughly Christian focus. Katelyn and I were involved behind the scenes in a number of ways...including doing the bride's mehindi (henna). I even made up a song for the bride in Bangla while I was waiting in the reception line. She appreciated it. :)