Learning to Love

Lately, God's been challenging me to love. Not love like my love for Chad, but my love for people. My compassion. My "walking in their shoes" mentality.

If I'm being completely honest, I'm not very good at seeing things from the other side. I know what annoys me and I get annoyed. My husband is the exact opposite. He constantly sees the best in people and wants to help everyone be the best that they can be. It's inspiring, really, and it comes from his wonderful father. He's a business consultant who is one of the wisest people I've ever known. I go to him for advice often, especially when dealing with people. His first question is always "how can you respond out of love?" This is what God has been challenging me with. I've been praying about being more compassionate, patient, and steady. As an extrovert, I often process out loud and say things without really thinking about damage I could be doing. It takes a lot of intentionality on my part to think before speaking. Lately, though, that question has been surfacing often. Right when I'm about to respond to something or make a comment about something, I'll think "am I doing this out of love?" Many times, I'll choose to keep my mouth shut. I've noticed it so much recently. I'm so thankful that God is exposing all of this in me and keeping my heart intentional about truly responding in love.

I was recently looking back in a journal of mine from when Chad and I started seriously dating and were learning how to love each other. I had written that I was going to use 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 as my instruction on how to love him the right way. You all know this passage, as it's one of the most commonly used in weddings. :)

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

I have chosen to love Chad by being patient, kind, not envying, not boasting, not being proud, not being rude, not seeking things for myself...you get the point. As I read this journal entry, I began to wonder why I couldn't apply this to loving people everywhere in my life. My friends, my family, my students, my colleagues- I am choosing to be patient, kind, etc. with everyone in my life. After all, He commands that we love one another. His word says "everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another." That's my prayer. That people would see me differently and see His light shining through me. It's done through loving all people, and I'm learning how to do it. It takes time, but I think it's worth it. 

xoxo,
Angie

Absence

My sweet husband has been in Nashville this past week, leading a group of 20ish teenagers on a mission trip. I miss him so much. It's so weird how, after just 10 months of marriage, I feel so lost without him around. To make matters even more crazy, he'll be leaving again just 2 weeks from now to attend summer camp with a bunch of junior high kids students ("kids" is a no-no when referring to youth...news to me!). I keep jokingly complaining about being a "single wife" while he's gone. I do miss him so much though! I've been keeping myself busy by setting up coffee dates with friends, hanging out with my nieces, having beach days, and enjoying ice cream & a movie in the park...so clearly, I'll make it through.

While Chad's been gone, I can't help but think about my friends whose husbands are in the military. I know couples who have been separated for a year at a time. My good friend from high school just wrote on her blog all about having a Skyped Father's Day with her husband & their girls because he's in the Army and away for five months at training. Five months, and I'm complaining about seven days. Hello, perspective! Furthermore, husbands who are in active duty most times don't even have regular contact with their wives and children. I can't even imagine. I've been talking to Chad multiple times a day and hearing stories about the students serving elderly people at nursing homes and orphaned children at schools. My husband is out loving people and being a light in this world. My friends' husbands are protecting our country and are witnessing horrific displays of violence in incredibly unsafe areas. I'm so thankful for the men and women who risk their lives every single day to protect us.

Today I'm reminded to pray for our military servicemen and women and their spouses, their kids, their marriages. I'm so grateful that I have a husband whose job allows him to be home with me more often than not. Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder, and has made me so much more grateful for the life Chad and I have together.

xo,
Angie

Tuesday Tip #2

I'm officially done with school for the summer! Thank the Lord! You really reach a point when you wonder if you'll make it through. Somehow, some way, I always make it to summer. Whew.

I have so many things that I'm so excited to share this summer. God has been working something crazy in me and I can't wait to see where He leads me. Stay tuned!

Before I jump in to this Tuesday Tip, I want you to know that my sweet husband spoke this weekend at church & gave a killer message about being faithful in the little things. I might be a little biased, but I think he knocked it out of the park. If you have a few minutes, check it out here.

Here we go!

A tip that Chad and I were given right after we got engaged was to make a rule not to talk about church. Obviously there's a time and place to talk about what's going on with our ministries and at our church, but this can consume all of your conversation! Because he's on staff and I'm highly involved at our church and simply because we're both so passionate about our ministries, we find ourselves talking about it often. All the time, even. This might not seem like that big of a deal at first, but it's all too easy to fall into a routine of this. Eventually, you'll wake up 10 years later next to someone you don't even know. Okay, maybe it's not that dramatic. But, create boundaries regarding "business" talk. This might mean kid talk, work talk, finance talk- make sure you set aside time for dream talk, vision talk, interest talk...keep getting to know each other. Keep learning about each other. Be intentional about your date night conversation. It keeps things spicy. :) Try it!

xo,
Angie

Beauty in its Time

June is the month where good things happen for teachers. Some might say these are the best things. Well, one thing, actually. June is the month when summer begins. Sweet, sweet summer and all its gloriousness. Sleeping in late, going to the beach, no papers to grade, no kids to manage- a time to truly rest and get refreshed for the year to come.

It's the best. And we're just as excited as the kids are for the break. I love my job (a lot!), but summer is welcomed with open arms around here!

This post is not very ministry or wife related. I've just finally gotten a few minutes to sit down and actually write for a moment amidst the grading of papers and completion of end-of-year tasks. We have just 2.5 days left. I think I can. I think I can.

My eighth graders had their last day yesterday, and our gym teacher read this passage from Ecclesiastes in a goodbye message to them. I found it quite fitting for my life right now:

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. 

A time to be born and a time to die. 

A time to plant and a time to harvest. 

A time to kill and a time to heal.

A time to tear down and a time to build up. 

A time to cry and a time to laugh. 

A time to grieve and a time to dance. 

A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. 

A time to embrace and a time to turn away. 

A time to search and a time to quit searching. 

A time to keep and a time to throw away. 

A time to tear and a time to mend. 

A time to be quiet and a time to speak. 

A time to love and a time to hate. 

A time for war and a time for peace. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NLT

I love the time I'm entering into. A time to rest and a time to renew. A time to rejuvenate and a time to refresh. A time for alliteration (see what I did there?). Its a good season to be entering into, especially after the tough spring I've had. The passage goes on to say that God makes everything beautiful in its time. Seasons come and seasons go, and whether you're in a time of joy (which is obviously beautiful!) or a time of sorrow- He has brought you to it. He'll make it beautiful. Even in the darkest times, beauty is there. His beauty. When I look back at some of the saddest, hardest times in my life, I can see God's beauty all over them. I can see the beauty in the times that I was on my face at 3 in the morning crying out to Him. I can see the beauty in the times when I would rush home just so I could spend time with Him and find my peace for that day...even if it was just for a moment. And you know what? Eventually He brought me through those times. Now, I cherish those moments. I cherish my most broken times, because I know there's beauty in them. Everything is beautiful. Everything. Just look for it.

Summer is beautiful! Now if only we'd get some consistent sun...

xo,
Angie

Oklahoma on My Mind

Summer will come...sometime...I hope. As I write this, it's 46 degrees and raining. I guess that's what you get when you live in Minneapolis. My students are squirrely and we're all ready for a break. Teachers get just as excited about Winter break and the end of the year as the students do. It's a frustrating time, trying to get kids to turn in all their missing work and encouraging them to hold out for a couple more weeks while we still have work to finish. I often fall into feelings of disenchantment at this time of year, wondering if I'm making any difference at all or if I'll ever get through to some of my students. It's so hard to stay positive at the end of the school year! I just want to be excited for summer! And in the midst of the busiest and most exhausting & frustrating time of year for teachers, tragedy has struck in a different part of the country. All of this Oklahoma tornado coverage has really put things into perspective for me.

Sidenote: the first question I had about this tornado situation is "why on Earth don't these people have basements?!" We have a few tornado warnings each summer and practice drills with the kids and whatnot, but (despite my seasoned 29 years of life) I have yet to see one here. And everyone here has basements. So, why not in tornado-prone Oklahoma? I read on a few news sites that the soil there is wetter, so there's lots of water pressure and mold/fungus issues within basements. Hmm. I wish they could figure out a way to fix that.

Anyway, my heart hurts today for the families who've lost everything. I've got absolutely none to complain about after I watch the news footage of the wreckage that's been left behind. Did you see the video of the woman who lost her dog and they find him buried underneath a bunch of stuff right behind her on live television? Oh my word. So many tears. Stories like that just get to me. They couldn't have planned it any better if they'd tried! It was unbelievable. Watch the video if you can!

After tragedies like this, it always amazes me how the American people come together to help one another. In a dark, cold world like we live in, it's so encouraging to see people caring about each other. In the footage of the Boston bombings, you actually see people running toward the explosions to help the injured. That gives me hope. Across America today, people are donating money and collecting items for the people of Moore, Oklahoma. I know that all good is not lost in our country. I know that people, deep inside, are compassionate and caring. I know that good will prevail. I often feel that our future is bleak here in the US, but after situations like this... I feel hopeful.  Romans 12:12 says "rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." So, though I can't do much myself besides donate a few bucks, I can pray for the families and all who are affected by this tragedy. I can hug those close to me a little bit harder and love a little bit stronger. And wait in joyful hope.

xo,
Angie

If you'd like to donate to the victims of the Moore, OK tragedy, please go here.

Worshippers

Last week, my lovely husband invited me to come speak to the youth group about worship. They just started a series on spiritual disciplines and decided to ask me to talk about the very thing I'm most passionate about. I spend every day talking in front of teenagers, so that wasn't a big deal to me at all. I was just so excited to talk about worship! Chad told me that a number of the kids who attend the youth group are uncomfortable during the worship time on Wednesday nights. They feel weird raising their hands, closing their eyes, etc. Because of these discomforts, they feel weird about worship (gasp!). I wanted to confront some of those fears and weird feelings and break down worship in a way that they could understand. Since I spoke to them, I've come to the realization that there are many adults who don't understand worship or what it's supposed to look like or what they're supposed to "get" out of it (which, it's actually something that we give, so...). So, these are my thoughts on the whole thing.

I think we are quick to jump to the conclusion that worship is only music. Music is one of the many ways that we worship. It's like the whole "every toad is a frog but not every frog is a toad" (or whatever that saying is) thing. Music speaks to me. Jesus speaks to me through music and through intimate times of worship. I think it's important to worship Him through music, but I think it's equally as important to worship Him with who we are.

My absolute favorite verse in the Bible regarding worship is John 4:24...you know, the one where it talks about worshiping Him in spirit and in truth. I have been on a kick with this verse for the last few months. I think the version of it from The Message is incredibly profound and articulates worship perfectly. It says:

"It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself- spirit. Those who worship Him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration."

John 4:24 MSG

I just love that! "Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth." After all, that's why we worship, right? Because we want to know Him more! We're seeking His truth. That old song that says "the more I seek You, the more I find You" is precisely what worship is all about. While we do get the warm fuzzies and sometimes want to jump around and sometimes can't help but kneel before the Lord during our musical worship times, there are other ways of worshipping that have ignited that fire within us. Some of you aren't there yet. And that's okay. There are ways to pursue God in our daily lives that will revolutionize your musical worship times and the hunger you have to know Him more. Confused? Let's break it down. 

Romans 12:1 says "give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice- the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him."

Give our bodies? Umm...

This means to give your life. Every minute of every day...every thought, every breath, every action- give it to God as an offering. We worship Him by giving ourselves completely to Him. Not just by singing pretty songs on Sunday mornings. 

Demonstrating a life of worship & sacrifice has to be very intentional. Once you take the steps to worship Him in your daily life, the traditional "worship" on Sunday mornings will engage your spirit and will hook you almost immediately. Here's what a "life of worship" looks like:

-Communion. Remember His sacrifice.

-Prayer. Talk to Him! Keep Him at the center of all that you are. 

-Read the Bible. Hear His word. Get to know Him more. 

-Obey Him. Respond to others. Serve others. Serve Him. Love like you've never loved before.

So there you have it. Worship Him in all that you are, and you'll find yourself honestly seeking Him in spirit and in truth. Once you're intentional about this stuff, you'll have completely different feelings and a different fire when you walk through the doors on Sunday mornings and hear that four on the floor. Your heart will be changed, and musical declarations of worship with come from a new place within you. His word says that this is the kind of person He's looking for. And we should all want to be exactly who He's created us to be.

xo,

Angie

Wednesday Worship

As a worship leader, my heart is always hungry for new worship songs. I'm constantly checking out new worship bands and new albums on Spotify. Most of the time, I find songs that are very...please don't be offended...cheesy (I'm not naming names...). I could go on and on about Hillsong and how much I love everything that comes out of that place...I mean, "Oceans" has totally replaced "Hosanna" as my new jam. But- everyone knows Hillsong. In fact, our entire set list last weekend was penned by Joel Houston and his friends. I'm not complaining...they're my favorite! I just always want to find new stuff (see, I used that word a lot in this post for a reason...). Most Wednesdays, I'll offer a little bit of something new in worship that I'm discovering. Whether it be an entire record or just a simple song, I want to share it with you! I hope each one blesses you as much as it has blessed me.

I'm a part of a fantastic community of women who lead worship here in the Twin Cities. We love to share songs with each other and at our last meeting my sweet friend (and old roommate!) Anna shared a song called "He is All We Need" by Highlands Worship. I've pretty much had it on repeat for the last 3 weeks. In fact, the whole record is pretty great...definitely worth it for you to check out! It's on Spotify, so you've got nothing to lose! This entire song is incredible. It's got an empowering, encouraging message that reignites some fire for Jesus deep within you. Super inspirational. My absolute favorite part is the huge bridge. The lyrics are:

Jesus, Savior has come
We believe the savior has come
We know that,
Victory's been won
Because Jesus, the Savior has come

Simple, yet so beautiful. I could just sing it all day long! I've posted the video here so you can check it out if you're inclined. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do! Please check out more of Highlands Worship's stuff here. I can never get enough of anointed worship!

xo,

Angie