At the beginning of the year I started a year-long study called Draw Near: 365 Guides to Greater Intimacy with God. I write a note about my thoughts on each day’s devotion, so I thought I’d just copy that here and share them with you. I’m 25 days in, so I might go back and share past ones; we’ll see how that goes. Meanwhile, here’s today’s, straight from my iPhone with no pretty enhancements. I may add that later. Or not.
James 2:9
We’re in the midst of studying U.S. sites and symbols at school. Yesterday the class learned about Abraham Lincoln. They made a poster with all kinds of different people represented on it. They talked about slavery and emancipation and freedom for all people. It’s what the country was founded upon, yet even today not all people are free. Slavery exists, even in America.
But besides physical slavery, people everywhere are enslaved to sin: addictions hold them captive as firmly as any chains. Do I look down upon them? Do I consider myself better than they? James warns that I’d better not, or I am guilty as they. Don’t turn up my. nose to anyone because but for the grace of God, there could I be.
One of those days
This post failed to upload several days ago, so it’s actually from last week Monday, I believe.
Cough, cough, cough. That’s all Morgan and I have been doing today. She stayed home from school with a fever. I went in to teach my 2nd graders until Grandma had to leave to teach piano lessons.
Since then, we’ve been coughing, coughing, coughing, working on school work, grading papers, coughing, coughing, coughing. Not much fun. Nobody wants to work when they’re not feeling their best. Especially a 9-year-old. And especially not her mother.
Contentment
The scene on our bike commute to Colorado State University
Having just returned from a 10-day trip to Colorado, I feel compelled to remind myself that contentment does not come from my circumstances, which are constantly changing, but from my God, who never does. I’d love to live in Colorado, where the weather is decidedly cooler and the mountains and surrounding valleys are picturesque and peaceful. But God has me in Florida. If I can’t find contentment only in Him and where He has me, then I will not be joyful in any of the tasks He has laid before me. God is in Florida as fully as He is in Colorado. Or California, which is my first choice.
Sunset over the Gulf as seen from Marco Islando, Fla.
And, along with contentment and joy, I want to be happy. I know that God cares more about making us holy than He does about making us happy. I’ve heard those sermons before. But, really, I’d like to find happiness in the life He’s called me to, also. “But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6). “For the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). “To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness” (Ecclesiastes 2:26). Contentment, joy, happiness. I can live with that. Even in Florida.
Change is in the Air
Please watch this YouTube video about the power of words before continuing:
YouTube
I was known as Stephanie Allan for 29 years. There was nothing wrong with that name. It didn’t offend anyone (at least I don’t think it did). It was easy to spell, though oftentimes misspelled. I never had any problems with it. But eventually, a really great guy asked me to be his wife, and at the age of 29.25, I changed my name. It hasn’t made me a different person, except that now I am committed to my husband for the rest of my days (something that’s generally considered to be a good thing).
Because I’m married, people might even assume a level of responsibility and consistency and commitment I didn’t have before. I still have my history, people still recognize me when they see me, I still have the same values I had before I was married, while I was still Stephanie Allan. Only now, I am Stephanie Reeves, with all the rights and privileges bearing that name brings.
After 60 years, Campus Crusade for Christ is changing its name. Beginning in early 2012, we will be known in the United States as “Cru.”
That doesn’t mean anything else about us has changed. We are still passionate about connecting people to Jesus. But we’re so much more than a campus ministry, and have been for many, many years.
You may encounter people who say that we’ve given in to political correctness because we’ve dropped “Christ” from our name. Not so. Here’s a blog post from another staff member who addressed that issue well: Claire’s Ministry
When I dropped “Allan” from my name and became a Reeves, did it mean that I was disowning my family? Did it mean that I no longer wanted to be associated with those people who gave me birth or my siblings with whom I was raised? Generally, people would see those questions as silly. Just as silly is the idea that, because Campus Crusade for Christ is changing to “Cru,” that means that we’re trying to forget everything that has gone on in our history, and that we’ll be watering down the gospel; essentially becoming different people with different values and a different vision. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Please click here to read the press release from our ministry:
CCCI.org-our new name
The director of the JESUS Film Master Studio, Kary, decided to do a word search on Google Translate to see what he could learn about the meaning of the word “Cru.” This is what he said:
Using Google Translate, I checked 63 languages using “cru” as the source and English as the result. Here’s what I found:
In 57 languages it means nothing; however…
Afrikaans: rough
Dutch & Catalan: crude
Portuguese: raw
Latin: cruel
Irish: horseshoe ☺
Today I was informed that in astronomy, CRU was an abbreviation for “crux,” for the Southern Cross. Crux is Latin for “cross.” Then I got to thinking, the root word for “Crusade” is “cross” as cruz is also Spanish for “cross.” The cross was rough, crude, raw and cruel. The cross is part of our new logo. It’s a central part of our identity as a movement. It’s the perfect new name for us.
I’m listing below several links to articles or blogs about our name change. Please take the time to read them. It won’t take long. We’d love to hear from you if you have concerns. Meanwhile, be assured that we still have the same passion for bringing the gospel to all the nations of the earth, and to building up believers in their faith.
Assume the Best
Christianity Today
Huffington Post
Shawn McGrath
Breaking Boards
My family and I participate in Tae Kwon Do together. It started with a friend of my boys encouraging them to come; then David kicked in (pun intended) to have a father-son type thing going. Then Morgan and David’s mom wanted to get involved. I was the last holdout. But I’ve been with them for a year now, through David’s rehab from ACL surgery and Grandma’s deciding it wasn’t something she could whole-heartedly do.
Breaking through a concrete block
A couple of weeks ago, I earned my green belt (that’s four up from white, for the uninitiated–white, yellow, gold, orange, green). The weekend before that, we participated in a board-breaking seminar. Rather, a board- and concrete-breaking seminar. Yes, we broke blocks of concrete with our bare hands. I had the bruise to prove it. It wasn’t easy. It really was mind over matter. If I thought about it too much, no way was I going to be able to do it. I just had to concentrate on technique, and push beyond the block. My target was the floor below. Success felt good.
It’s that way in my spiritual walk. What barriers do I come up against that I think are just too hard to break through?
Complacency? Laziness? Self-doubt? Worthlessness? Comparison? Lack of faith?
The list really could go on. But just as I could focus and break both boards and concrete, I can break these barriers with the help of the Holy Spirit. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
What does that look like on a day-to-day basis? Well, I get out of bed and I DO something. That would break the barrier of laziness. Hiya!
Not letting the standards of the world worm their way into my thinking would help break the barrier of worthlessness. Hiya!
Looking only to Christ as my mirror would help me to break the barrier of comparison. Hiya!
That would be from the concrete
It’s so not easy. Sometimes it leaves bruises. But the satisfaction of success takes away some of the pain (that and a bag of ice held on it). Every time I get out and get on my bike; every time I look in the mirror and see myself the way Christ sees me; every time I look at my family and my career and see all that God has allowed me to accomplish through Him, the barriers splinter like so many boards at a board-breaking seminar.
Don’t mess with me. I’m a green belt. And I’ve got the bruises to prove it.
