SOAR

This last weekend I spent Friday starting 6pm until Saturday at 7pm with a group of High School juniors and seniors. Yes a total of 25 hrs straight! It was a student ministries conference It had three different sessions spread out over the tow days, a worship concert, sleepovers at a host home with your group, discussion groups, devotional times, and an Amazing Race literally ALL OVER the Santa Clarita Valley. I loved every minute of it!

I got to get to know some of the girls in my weekly small group better and get to know some other girls in the youth group. I was SO exhausted coming off of these crazy fun jam packed 25 hrs but every single minute was worth it. As I was reflecting back on the weekend I could help but praise God of the love he has given me for students. I desire to see them grow deeper and I desire to see live out their faith. I pray that having a relationship with God and being a Christian isn't something that is normal and common to them, that it is not something that they take advantage of. I pray for thriving and active relationships that are passionate and life changing. As leader for these girls I have responsibility to live out what I am preaching to them because they are looking up to me and I am responsible to set an example to them.

As the girls, myself, and my fabulous friend Jenny who I co-lead with were sitting down to each lunch we started talking about Matthew 28:19-20 " Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This is known as  The Great Commission and our discussion lead into how we can live this commission out right here right now. Just because we aren't over seas and in a different country doesn't mean we can ignore this. We chatted about how our faith can be living and active and how, just like Jesus did, we can walk amongst the "sick".  It got me thinking " How am I living this out right here right now in my waiting period to go Czech?" I was really challenged by this. Just because God has called me to Czech for 3 month doesn't mean that this commission only applies to me when I get there. It applies to me RIGHT NOW! How am I walking amongst the "sick"? Am i turning a blind eye to them and saying " Someone else will take care of it?" or am I walking with them and loving on them and investing in them to share the good news of Christ with them.

So, in this waiting period I pray that I am not letting it be wasted just sitting around doing nothing to help others, invest in others, be Jesus to others. I want my faith to be living and active all the time. I want to walk amongst the sick no matter where I go. I want to live like Jesus lived!


Prayer Request:

1) That I make the most of the time I have while I am still here in America
2) God continues to break me in ways that I need to be a better leader and better example to the students I am leading now and will lead while in Czech


><>
 Jackie



Here is a picture of me, my co-leader, and our girls from this weekend during the Amazing Race. We have 15 different spots to go to and take pictures at. It was all over the Santa Clarita valley. I drove!  We had 3 hrs to finish it. We did it in 2 hrs 45 min... we were the first team back! =)