Reading through Psalms 3* this morning the verse that says that God is the lifter of our head made me think of a song on the read. Whenever I hear Andy Grammer's "Keep you Head Up" song it always helps put a little pep in my step. We all want to live carefree right? It seems that so many things keep us from that. But here's a secret, we can have peace throughout everything we do. It's not just the times when we are fishing, or laying on a beach, or on a run that we can be at peace.
In Isaiah 66:12 the Lord says "peace like a river". How many have you have ever been white water rafting on a river before? I sure have, and it is by no means "peaceful" in my mind! Rapids, huge rocks, raging waters...you get the picture. This is a great way to see how God has peace for you throughout all of life, rough waters included. When Christ is the captain of your life, we can trust him that he will get us through safely. We can be at peace knowing He will never leave us and loves us so much.
Let's change the way we think about peace in our daily lives, it's not only when we step back from everything that we can be at peace [these times are SO necessary though too, don't get me wrong!], but it's throughout every part of our day.
Once we let go of the tight grip we have on our lives and trying to be the own captain of our proverbial raft, it's then that we can open up our arms, throw our head back and let God fill our lives with Him.
God wants us to live in His freedom. In Galatians 5:1 it says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." When we live for Christ instead of living for this world and when we put our hope in Him, there is this unbelievable peace that comes from that. The kind of peace that fills your heart, your mind and spills over into everything you do. It makes me think of the photo at the top of this blogpost... a releasing of all worry, stress, expectations, hurt and fear and just asking to be filled with Christ's love. "God here I am, all I want is you...and all I have is yours". I'm all in.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Callie Goodwin
Listening to: Elevation Worship- www.elevationnetwork.com
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Living our faith? How?
Christian Teens...
Why can we go on mission trips and be pumped about sharing Christ, But are afraid to mention God's name in school?
Why can we love the people in other countries when we can't love the nerdy kids?
Why are we on fire for Christ after a church trip, but fall back into the crowd and the "cool" thing when pressured?
Why do we live 2 lives?
In doing this, we are showing people that it's not that importaint to us to live what we believe ALL the time. and why would we want to show people that? When we conform to the world's ways, we are showing people that Christ must not be our most important priority if we are resorting to the worlds way to become popular. Do we really want all those people to look at us and get the idea that Jesus isn't that important? What if you actions were the reason they decided that Jesus wasn't too important? What if that was their last day on earth? Where would they be? We are suppose to be a unified body, We are all different parts with different purposes. If everyone got serious about living their faith, there would be 100's of us. Think about 100's of us in all the different cliques at school...Think about if each of us was surrounded by at least 5 people that were changed by how we live. that is over 500 people who see Jesus' light.
We need to get serious about our faith. Personally, I can bare to loose another one of my friends and not know if they chose to accept christ as their savior or not. it's something I think about daily, and always wonder if I lived and shared my faith the way i should have, if he saw enough Jesus in me to know that he is the only way.
I never want to experiance it again, and don't want you to ever have to as well.
think about this, and let me know your thoughts.
As Stuart always says.
We have inhearited a mess of this world. We are going to change it into something. The question is what are we going to change it into?
Think about that.
In Christ,
Callie
Listening to: Battle by Chris August
Why can we go on mission trips and be pumped about sharing Christ, But are afraid to mention God's name in school?
Why can we love the people in other countries when we can't love the nerdy kids?
Why are we on fire for Christ after a church trip, but fall back into the crowd and the "cool" thing when pressured?
Why do we live 2 lives?
In doing this, we are showing people that it's not that importaint to us to live what we believe ALL the time. and why would we want to show people that? When we conform to the world's ways, we are showing people that Christ must not be our most important priority if we are resorting to the worlds way to become popular. Do we really want all those people to look at us and get the idea that Jesus isn't that important? What if you actions were the reason they decided that Jesus wasn't too important? What if that was their last day on earth? Where would they be? We are suppose to be a unified body, We are all different parts with different purposes. If everyone got serious about living their faith, there would be 100's of us. Think about 100's of us in all the different cliques at school...Think about if each of us was surrounded by at least 5 people that were changed by how we live. that is over 500 people who see Jesus' light.
We need to get serious about our faith. Personally, I can bare to loose another one of my friends and not know if they chose to accept christ as their savior or not. it's something I think about daily, and always wonder if I lived and shared my faith the way i should have, if he saw enough Jesus in me to know that he is the only way.
I never want to experiance it again, and don't want you to ever have to as well.
think about this, and let me know your thoughts.
As Stuart always says.
We have inhearited a mess of this world. We are going to change it into something. The question is what are we going to change it into?
Think about that.
In Christ,
Callie
Listening to: Battle by Chris August
Monday, July 25, 2011
Brazil 2011
There is no way to convey what was truly done in this city.
You won't understand what we experienced unless you were there. But this is an attempt to tell you what God did, and how it impacted my life.
As we drove away from our friends and families on July 14th, many things started changing. Our attitudes were ready to serve, our hearts, Ready to give and love. Our minds, filled with emotions and anticipation fro what God had planned for the next 11 days. but with all that was within us, we were ready to go.
This is a hard blog to write. I have to dig down deep, get past my emotions at the moment of feeling sad and wanting to be back so much. I actually feel homesick. Not from my home in Chapin, SC. but my home in Rio vermalio, Brazil. Its a weird feeling. I met so many people while there. People who would point me straight to God, People who made me test my faith. I was challenged physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Its difficult. I'm not going to lie. But I know God did great things while I was there. He taught me what Divine appointments were. He set up exact appointments. He showed me how he could use my imperfectness in a great and mighty way to further his kingdom. Its amazing! He showed me how even if we are from 2 different tribes and tongues, we can sing the same songs and God knows we are giving all the praise to him. He showed me that simple things such as bubbles made a difference and that it didn't matter whether you spoke English, Spanish, Chinese, Blowing bubbles and painting nails is a universal thing. He showed me that I don't need things like my phone, computer, and iPod. All I need is him and to be completely consumed by him. Let him be the center of my life. If he isn't. My whole world comes crashing down at my feet. He showed me how peaceful it is to not talk and to just listen for an hour. What it’s like to leave everything behind and just hike a mountain with my bible and lay my life before him. He showed me that I could develop a special type of love for someone in a short period of time. He showed me I needed to learn to trust. I needed to be able to trust our translators. I need to trust them with what I was holding back. It’s weird how I have to go to another country to realize all these things.
One thing I did realize while here in the USA, is how much I'm loved. How much everyone cares for me. as we got off the bus, just hearing all the screams, yells, tears of family greeting us, It was like God placing his hand on me saying, why didn't you see this before, why didn't you see that you were loved this much. While in Brazil, He placed his hand on me saying, why don't you trust I have a plan, you don't believe me? My response was yes I do. He said if you do, Lay yourself down, set everything aside and follow after me. Don't look back and see the entire tragic event, see it as I’m calling my kids home. Don't see leaving as a good bye, but as an "I can't wait to see you in heaven!" See your glass as half full, not half empty. I took that advice, and am now looking at things in a new way. I see that God hasn't made the people of Brazil poor, but has just humbled them and made them grateful and caring. One thing I saw in Brazil that was a big difference was that in Brazil, People are relationship and God centered, everything revolves around God and Relationships with other people, their family. As I came back to the US, I could see we are opposite. We are centered around Money, about the economy, about how much stuff costs, and buying. There, if they don't have it, they believe they don't need it. That’s a 180 degree turn from us. It is really humbling to see that.
Now I know you thought you would be hearing stories...I can't share specific stories, without it losing its meaning. As we talked about in Brazil, sometimes, the meaning of what we were saying sometimes got Lost in Translation as our translator translated. It’s the same now. The meaning, the excitement, just isn't the same to someone who didn't live it, and doesn't know what it's like. I can tell yall that we built houses, hung out with kids, did VBS, Door to Door, dressed as clowns, shopped, and made bracelets, but if you didn't experience it yourself, the emotion and its meaning gets lost, and when that happens, it gets really discouraging. Feel free to ask about how stuff went. Like specifics, but when you just ask, so how your trip went, what you did...It just gets so overwhelming.
If you've reached this part, you’re a real trooper through my ramblings. Good for you! Thanks for reading. A couple of ways you could be praying for me now is:
- That I wouldn't forget what the Lord taught me everything he showed me about myself and about my life
- pray for my post-missions-syndrome as I adjust back to normal life even though it feels like it can't happen.
- That the Lord would put His word in my mouth
-that I might be broken for the sake of the Gospel
These lyrics to these 2 songs meant the most to me while in Brazil. Check them out if you want to!
Tempos melhores estāo por vir obras maiorse se farāo neste lugar
(Greater things have yet to come, and Greater things are still to be done in this city)
Where you invest your love, you invest your life.
Thank you for reading. Feel free to leave me a comment, I would love to read them. Also, don't take this in a way that you think I don't want to talk about Brazil. I do. I just am not sure how to convay the emotion of the reality.
Love,
Callie
Listening to: God of the City
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Grace and Orange
Today...
A lot has been on my mind.
I have wondered where I would be if some of life's challenges hadn't been thrown my way. Would I have the same relationship I have with Christ? Would I be here at all? I'll never know, because that is not the way things are. I am saved, by grace. Something that is so hard to grasp. Grace. Do you know what that truly means?
Grace is complete forgiveness that I can't, by any means earn. It's a pure gift from God that we don't deserve and it can't come from any one else.
For someone like me who likes logic and likes to wrap my mind around stuff, this is a hard one, but Christ has been working so that I don't have to understand it. We can't fit God into the small window that our mind can comprehend. He is so much bigger!
Another thing i've been thinking about has to do with this really awesome children's ministry conference called Orange! If church and parents come together and collide, the 2 can make a much bigger impact that 2 separate influences. I was invited to attend, but God didn't have that in mind for me this year. I have had the chance to watch some of the worship time and group time online though, and all I can say is WOW! God has been stirring some thoughts around for the past 2 days. I may not be there at the conference, but God is teaching me some awesome stuff! and I'm getting really excited about what God is going to do through me and the other leaders at CBC. Things are getting ready to change at CBC, but instead of looking at it as a loss, I'm choosing to look at it as a new chapter. There has been a few times where I have always wondered what it would be like to be apart of a church such as Elevation or Newspring where they see people getting saved by the 100's and their pastors are well known...I thought, why can't I be apart of one of those church's that are obviously making an impact in 100's of peoples lives...This week, God has opened up a new idea in my head. He asked me, "Why can't CBC be a church like that?" Wow! I haven't even thought of that! I haven't even thought of praying for God to do that in our church.
What if we did start praying that?
What if we gave God the opportunity to expand our ministry?
What if we completely hand our ministry over to God?
I believe the possibilities could be endless!
I admit, I haven't been praying for this ministry the way I should be. I haven't prayed that God will be doing awesome things through us, and that he take full control. Some might say that's because of my age, and it's not. It's because up until now, I had not set any expectations for our ministry.
I believe God is calling me to work with these kids. I believe he moved me from one place to another in order to strategically place me where I would grow the most, but also where he wants me to lead and ultimately bless me and the ministry I work with. Yes, I am a teenager, I'm 17 and proud of it. I seriously dare someone to put limitations on me because of my age. God doesn't put limitations on age. I've seen some 3 and 4 year old's who get the gospel better than some adults.
I am 17, fully devoted, and set on seeking God's will for me and my life.
Lord,
I come before you praying that you will take full control of our ministry. Lord, I believe that you can expand it, bless it and make it fruitful, you can make it into an effective ministry that's sole focus is to help families become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Lord, here I am, arms and heart wide open. Transform my heart into a heart of a servant and leader for you only. You alone are in control.
In Christ,
Callie Goodwin
Monday, April 4, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
40 Days...Who is ready to be changed?!?!
I'm going to try something new to completely revolutionize my life. I'm a little scared, but I know the outcome is going to be beyond amazing. I'm going to take a 40 day challenge! I'm going to try and make my bible as used as my facebook and email is. and not the bible on my phone. I'm talking about my hardcopy bible. My legit bible :).
For every time I check my facebook or email, I am going to spend 2 minutes in my bible reading scripture. and if you know anything about me, I check my facebook ALL THE TIME! It's on my phone as well as my email. I pledge to spend 2 minutes reading the Love Story God wrote to me everytime I check my facebook. My ultamite goal is to spend more time in the bible, and grow to love reading it more than I do now. I admit, I struggle to make time to read it. but it shouldn't be that way, and this is something that is going to make me remember to make that time. I mean...Who doesn't have 2 minutes when I spend way more than that on facebook?!?!
I hope that some of yall will join me and revolutionize you lives. God is going to use that time you spend with him to totally make a difference in your life, and I hear that if you do something everyday for 3 weeks, it becomes a habit...and that's only HALF of the time I challenge you (and me) to do this!
So who is with me?!?!
Let me know by leaving a comment. I plan on trying to update this blog regularly with what i'm reading and what God is teaching me. I would LOVE if some of yall would join me. This is going to make a difference. The question now is who is willing to allow it?
Thanks and I can't wait to see who is going to join me! I start tomorrow!
In Christ,
Callie
Listening to: Give Me Faith by Elevation Worship
For every time I check my facebook or email, I am going to spend 2 minutes in my bible reading scripture. and if you know anything about me, I check my facebook ALL THE TIME! It's on my phone as well as my email. I pledge to spend 2 minutes reading the Love Story God wrote to me everytime I check my facebook. My ultamite goal is to spend more time in the bible, and grow to love reading it more than I do now. I admit, I struggle to make time to read it. but it shouldn't be that way, and this is something that is going to make me remember to make that time. I mean...Who doesn't have 2 minutes when I spend way more than that on facebook?!?!
I hope that some of yall will join me and revolutionize you lives. God is going to use that time you spend with him to totally make a difference in your life, and I hear that if you do something everyday for 3 weeks, it becomes a habit...and that's only HALF of the time I challenge you (and me) to do this!
So who is with me?!?!
Let me know by leaving a comment. I plan on trying to update this blog regularly with what i'm reading and what God is teaching me. I would LOVE if some of yall would join me. This is going to make a difference. The question now is who is willing to allow it?
Thanks and I can't wait to see who is going to join me! I start tomorrow!
In Christ,
Callie
Listening to: Give Me Faith by Elevation Worship
Monday, February 21, 2011
Thinking...
Today, I spent a lot of time thinking...
and when I get really thinking, I end up finding how far I've turned from Christ.
Today has been an emotional day. This weekend was amazing. I got a chance to spend it with both churches...Friday night at chapin baptist at the Some Kind of Zombie Lock-In. The rest of the weekend was full of amazing speaker, worship band, and service projects in a cool event we like to call IMPACT at Gateway. This weekend, Brian spoke on having stuff in our lives that is keeping us from focusing on Christ.
Quote of the Weekend:
Faith is living according to His truth and His truth alone despite circumstances, emotions, or cultural trends.
This weekend I've been struggling. Not just with lack of sleep, but with emotionally. I've been trying to get to a point where I don't miss Michael, Zack and Amara as much, but that point just hasn't come. I'm pretty sure whoever came up with the saying, Time heals, was wrong. Time doesn't heal, Jesus does. I'm praying that my heart will be healed, that I will remember to praise God during this storm. I have a few song lyrics that have been playing in my head this week.
Praise You in this Storm:
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
Who You'd Be Today
Sunny days seem to hurt the most.
I wear the pain like a heavy coat.
I feel you everywhere I go.
I see your smile, I see your face,
I hear you laughin' in the rain.
I still can't believe you're gone.
It ain't fair: you died too young,
Like the story that had just begun,
But death tore the pages all away.
God knows how I miss you,
All the junk that I've been through,
Just knowin' no-one could take your place.
An' sometimes I wonder,
Who'd you be today?
I'm Not Alright
I’m not alright
I’m broken inside, broken inside
And all I go through
It leads me to you, it leads me to you
Burn away the pride
Bring me to my weakness
Until everything I hide behind is gone
And when I’m open wide
With nothing left to cling to
Only you are there to lead me on
Cause honestly, I’m not that strong
I'm praying that God will give me a peace that can only come from him. A peace that will surround me completely and fully. I'm praying that will be able to live according to His truth and His truth alone despite circumstances and emotions.
Thank you Jesus for everything you have done for me. thank you for allowing me to have an amazing group of believers that you use to always lift me up. Thank you for being my constent, and not giving up on me...Ever.
I can only find myself in you.
In your mighty, holy, all powerful name I pray,
Amen.
Thanks for Reading,
Callie
Listening to: Who You'd Be Today.
and when I get really thinking, I end up finding how far I've turned from Christ.
Today has been an emotional day. This weekend was amazing. I got a chance to spend it with both churches...Friday night at chapin baptist at the Some Kind of Zombie Lock-In. The rest of the weekend was full of amazing speaker, worship band, and service projects in a cool event we like to call IMPACT at Gateway. This weekend, Brian spoke on having stuff in our lives that is keeping us from focusing on Christ.
Quote of the Weekend:
Faith is living according to His truth and His truth alone despite circumstances, emotions, or cultural trends.
This weekend I've been struggling. Not just with lack of sleep, but with emotionally. I've been trying to get to a point where I don't miss Michael, Zack and Amara as much, but that point just hasn't come. I'm pretty sure whoever came up with the saying, Time heals, was wrong. Time doesn't heal, Jesus does. I'm praying that my heart will be healed, that I will remember to praise God during this storm. I have a few song lyrics that have been playing in my head this week.
Praise You in this Storm:
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
Who You'd Be Today
Sunny days seem to hurt the most.
I wear the pain like a heavy coat.
I feel you everywhere I go.
I see your smile, I see your face,
I hear you laughin' in the rain.
I still can't believe you're gone.
It ain't fair: you died too young,
Like the story that had just begun,
But death tore the pages all away.
God knows how I miss you,
All the junk that I've been through,
Just knowin' no-one could take your place.
An' sometimes I wonder,
Who'd you be today?
I'm Not Alright
I’m not alright
I’m broken inside, broken inside
And all I go through
It leads me to you, it leads me to you
Burn away the pride
Bring me to my weakness
Until everything I hide behind is gone
And when I’m open wide
With nothing left to cling to
Only you are there to lead me on
Cause honestly, I’m not that strong
I'm praying that God will give me a peace that can only come from him. A peace that will surround me completely and fully. I'm praying that will be able to live according to His truth and His truth alone despite circumstances and emotions.
Thank you Jesus for everything you have done for me. thank you for allowing me to have an amazing group of believers that you use to always lift me up. Thank you for being my constent, and not giving up on me...Ever.
I can only find myself in you.
In your mighty, holy, all powerful name I pray,
Amen.
Thanks for Reading,
Callie
Listening to: Who You'd Be Today.
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