Something was special about Joseph. His father loved him a little more than he loved his other sons, and he didn't even try to hide it. Did you notice the special gift Jacob gave to his son Joseph?
But something else was special about Joseph: God had his hand on him in a unique way. Joseph's dreams were real. God really did plan to lift Joseph up later in life, and his brothers really would bow down to him. Joseph knew he was special--and he let his brothers know it, too.
You're probably really good at something. You may even be good at lots of things. Do you talk with others about your abilities? Do you let them know how good you are? Or do you discount your own gifts as if they're not that big a deal? God doesn't gift us so we can brag about it, nor does he expect us to downplay the gifts he's given us. Rather, he leads us to give all the glory to him for his gifts.
Do you know what spiritual gifts and natural abilities you have? What are they?
How do you talk about your abilities with others?
Do you acknowledge God as the One who made you special?
Pray that God would help you to give him the glory for the gifts he's given to you.
**
Taken from "Character" by Student Life, copyright 2008 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission
Showing posts with label Give. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Give. Show all posts
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, April 03, 2008
What do you 'run' by? What are you going to do?
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- At 5 a.m. on any given day, Anne Mahlum could be found running the dark streets of Philadelphia -- with homeless men cheering her on as she passed their shelter. But one morning last spring, she stopped in her tracks.
"Why am I running past these guys?" recalls Mahlum, 27. "I'm moving my life forward every day -- and these guys are standing in the same spot."
Instead of continuing to pass them by, the veteran marathoner sprang into action so they could join her.
She contacted the shelter, got donations of running gear, and in July 2007 the "Back On My Feet" running club hit the streets.
The first day, Mahlum led nine shelter residents in a mile-long run. Today, Back on My Feet has teams in three Philadelphia shelters, including 54 homeless members and more than 250 volunteers. The group has logged more than 5,000 miles.
Requirements for shelter residents to join are simple -- they must live in an affiliated facility and be clean and sober for 30 days. Members receive new shoes and running clothes, and teams run together three times a week between 5:30 and 6 a.m.
The runners are diverse -- doctors, janitors, students and shelter residents -- but such distinctions aren't apparent.
"All you can tell is who's the fastest," says Mahlum. "You can't tell who's homeless and who's not."
For Mahlum and others, Back On My Feet is more than a running club.
"We're a community of support, love, respect," she says. Runners greet each other with hugs and words of encouragement. While members say they've lost weight, quit smoking and have more energy, Mahlum believes they're also learning important life skills such as discipline and goal-setting that can help them get on the road to self-sufficiency.
"Running really is a metaphor for life," she says. "There is always another mile. You just have to take it one step at a time."
That's something Mahlum herself has learned over the past 10 years as she's dealt with her father's alcoholism. Running has been her therapy, she says.
"I'm learning more about my life through all of this."Back On My Feet also has a job training program for a partner. Three members are taking classes, learning computer and interview skills, while three others have found jobs.
Mike Solomon, an original member, is one of the group's success stories. A former crack user who spent his youth in and out of trouble on the streets of Wilmington, Delaware, Solomon is employed, in school and training to run a marathon in his hometown. He considers Back on My Feet part of his support group. "Anne is helping people see the hero in themselves," says Solomon. Mahlum aims to have Back On My Feet in 10 local shelters by the end of the year and expand beyond Philadelphia in 2009. She believes her approach could be part of a solution to homelessness. "Do we need homes? Yes. We need jobs? Yes," she says. "But imagine if you didn't have anybody in your life who said, 'I'm really proud of you.' Back On My Feet does just that."
"Why am I running past these guys?" recalls Mahlum, 27. "I'm moving my life forward every day -- and these guys are standing in the same spot."
Instead of continuing to pass them by, the veteran marathoner sprang into action so they could join her.
She contacted the shelter, got donations of running gear, and in July 2007 the "Back On My Feet" running club hit the streets.
The first day, Mahlum led nine shelter residents in a mile-long run. Today, Back on My Feet has teams in three Philadelphia shelters, including 54 homeless members and more than 250 volunteers. The group has logged more than 5,000 miles.
Requirements for shelter residents to join are simple -- they must live in an affiliated facility and be clean and sober for 30 days. Members receive new shoes and running clothes, and teams run together three times a week between 5:30 and 6 a.m.
The runners are diverse -- doctors, janitors, students and shelter residents -- but such distinctions aren't apparent.
"All you can tell is who's the fastest," says Mahlum. "You can't tell who's homeless and who's not."
For Mahlum and others, Back On My Feet is more than a running club.
"We're a community of support, love, respect," she says. Runners greet each other with hugs and words of encouragement. While members say they've lost weight, quit smoking and have more energy, Mahlum believes they're also learning important life skills such as discipline and goal-setting that can help them get on the road to self-sufficiency.
"Running really is a metaphor for life," she says. "There is always another mile. You just have to take it one step at a time."
That's something Mahlum herself has learned over the past 10 years as she's dealt with her father's alcoholism. Running has been her therapy, she says.
"I'm learning more about my life through all of this."Back On My Feet also has a job training program for a partner. Three members are taking classes, learning computer and interview skills, while three others have found jobs.
Mike Solomon, an original member, is one of the group's success stories. A former crack user who spent his youth in and out of trouble on the streets of Wilmington, Delaware, Solomon is employed, in school and training to run a marathon in his hometown. He considers Back on My Feet part of his support group. "Anne is helping people see the hero in themselves," says Solomon. Mahlum aims to have Back On My Feet in 10 local shelters by the end of the year and expand beyond Philadelphia in 2009. She believes her approach could be part of a solution to homelessness. "Do we need homes? Yes. We need jobs? Yes," she says. "But imagine if you didn't have anybody in your life who said, 'I'm really proud of you.' Back On My Feet does just that."
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
"It was a gift"
Last night Jessa and I went downtown. As we were getting out of the car I noticed a homeless man sleeping on a bench near us. My initial reaction was one of slight compassion; I wished out loud that we had a blanket to give him. As we walked away I thought it might be wise to check in the trunk for one. To my surprise there was one there. This is not a story about God miraculously providing a blanket, but rather my excuse for not giving it up. The blanket was one that had been given to me as a Christmas gift a few years ago. So I closed my trunk while saying "it was a gift" and walked again towards our original destination. We got a few steps down the road when I realized what I had just done. I had asked for a blanket, received one (though far in advance of when i expected to need it), and completely failed to recognize that this blanket was a gift to me in a much greater sense. It was an incredibly humbling experience. This whole exchange lasted maybe 5 minutes and even after retrieving the blanket I felt more doubts coming into my mind. I realized he had 2 or 3 blankets with him. And after almost ditching the whole thing and getting on with my night I offered the man the blanket, he took it, and that was it. I praise God for providing that blanket and confess that I failed to live up to my end of the bargain. Sure the man ended up with it, but I fought it like a small child fights for a toy that's not even his.
You'd think that would be enough for one night. However, on the way back to the car another homeless man was picking through the trash. A man* driving by slowed down his car and yelled obscenities at the man, telling him to get out of the trash can and get a job. I was extremely mad at the situation unfolding before me. After yelling at the driver, and hearing a faint hearted "no" come from the man at the trash can in response to being told to leave it by the driver, I wondered what rush a person could get out of yelling at someone picking through trash. Did this driver have a special relationship with that trash can? Was the homeless man guilty of stealing someone's unwanted portion of partially eaten, rotting food?
What I took from this night was that I need to look for answers to prayer, and then be willing to act on them. I also learned that as Christians or role as God's hands and feet goes far beyond cheap words. If we aren't willing to help, are we any better than one driving by and yelling? Where is our compassion as a church?
You'd think that would be enough for one night. However, on the way back to the car another homeless man was picking through the trash. A man* driving by slowed down his car and yelled obscenities at the man, telling him to get out of the trash can and get a job. I was extremely mad at the situation unfolding before me. After yelling at the driver, and hearing a faint hearted "no" come from the man at the trash can in response to being told to leave it by the driver, I wondered what rush a person could get out of yelling at someone picking through trash. Did this driver have a special relationship with that trash can? Was the homeless man guilty of stealing someone's unwanted portion of partially eaten, rotting food?
What I took from this night was that I need to look for answers to prayer, and then be willing to act on them. I also learned that as Christians or role as God's hands and feet goes far beyond cheap words. If we aren't willing to help, are we any better than one driving by and yelling? Where is our compassion as a church?
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
To Give
What does really mean to you that the things you have are not your own, but are God's. Do you really believe that. Often times we look at children when one takes a toy from another and see them yell "that's mine". We may or may not still get in those little arguments over 'stuff" but I think we often do that with God. We feel we have earned our stuff whether it be our time (I've earned a break), our money (I worked hard for this), our things (I really want it, everyone else has one). It's not that all those things are somehow inherently bad, but they can easily distract us from what should be our giving nature. Because I didn't grow up in the church regular giving was never part of what i was taught. I still catch myself feeling a sense of being entitled to things. In reality I wouldn't have those things without having received them. Look at your stuff. Break your stuff (and stuff you want) into categories... needs, desires, luxuries, and treasures. Its ok for things to fit into more than one of those categories. If you establish a pattern of giving now, it will stick with you and become part of your life. Getting rid of excess can be tough at first but incredibly liberating afterwards. Not just because it helps someone else but because it removes something that might be getting in the way. I heard a story last night of a child who gets $2 allowance and gives a quarter of it away. Its really not about the quantity. That's not just some nice saying. That's NOT what matters. What matters is that you recognize the source of your gifts and give thanks by giving back. This applies to all areas of your "stuff". Those of you with income should be giving some away. 10% is what Scripture tells us is the standard, it should really be viewed as the minimum. Additional financial giving should really be coming out of the other 90%. The reason God gave us a percentage instead of a number is that its all-inclusive. What are the treasures, desires and luxuries that can be used to serve others? Giving is one of those areas that makes us uncomfortable because as a society we have made it so individual. As part of the Church we are called to used that which we are blessed with to serve. How are you doing that?
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