My cup runneth over... snow cones.

So today was a pretty good day... 

I got to work with one of my friends on the team today which makes work go by better and faster.  Also we had team time today and we went out to the neighboring town called Van and got snow cones.  They must have had like a hundred flavors at least; cherry, cream soda, sour kinds, Lightning, pickle, etc.  Yeah, a pickle snow cone.  I got cream soda. 
My supervisor paid for a couple of ours including mine and that like broke my heart because he barely has any money.  I didn't want to let him pay for it because of that, but I knew that I needed to because I could tell he really wanted to be able to give to us in a practical way.  It was like a $1.50.  That could be laundry money...yeah.  I'm trying to learn to let people serve me and learn to better serve others, like in an every day type of way and not just as a general way.   
      
     We had our thing called 'core' last night which is with a small group of same-gender and we live in the same room or next to it and we do things together sometimes.  What was last night is kind of like a class but it's really a lot more like lessons because it's more hands-on.  Our core advisor Sarah spoke on that verse in Luke (9:23-25) 
^"Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.  What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very soul?" 
         Our core class thing was convicting because I haven't been doing that as a daily thing.  I'm here serving yeah, but I haven't been looking for ways to serve others in a real person to person sort of way.  I also haven't been thinking of others first.  Like if I'm having a bad day I'll just want my roommate to reach out to me and ask me how I am but I haven't even been concerned if whether they are okay or not because I've been too busy thinking about my own problems.  Sorry Karina.  I've also realized that when I do do this, like think of them and ask them how they are, it helps me to get in more of a perspective and get over myself.
                
         I have to learn to make myself slow down sometimes...

Today after work and dinner I laid out on the grass, looked at the clouds and  listened to the song "Tears of the Saints" by Leeland.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJjg1Joag_0 .  I so often think that like me getting all my stuff done is so important, which it is important for what it's worth.  But really what is important and what we're doing this all for is to serve God and people.  So I need to remember that I can't be putting getting things done, having my own problems and being busy in front of like asking someone how their day is going. 

             Also at the snow cone place there were little kids running around there and playing a little bit.  It was just so sweet to see and it just affected me but I didn't really know what it was.  I saw them just running around with such untainted joy that children have and I had realized that those very kids are going to grow up and go through trials, hard times, heartache and everything that we do.  It just made me so sad that such a sweet innocent thing would someday come to really understand some things in this world are so horrible and how some things in the world make life so hard sometimes.  For a while I was a little like, "God, how can you let this happen?  How can you turn their safe little world into the real world and make them have to learn to live in a sometimes very hard and horrible place?" and for a little while I was a little bit confused over this and I was just crying for them in like identifying with them in their pain (which wasn't even upon them yet). 
          I realized that why God would let this happen is like why I think any parent could bear to have kids in the light of this fact.  It's because He would be there for them when they needed Him and would always be teaching them and showing them love so that it would never be too much to bear and it would be good and also filled with great joy and worth it all in the end.  He would hold them when they are crying their eyes out in the bathroom and they don't want anyone to know because they are too ashamed, and He takes them away to a quiet place, under a beautiful blue sky to find peace and rest for their body and soul, He provides in their times of needs and with God, He literally is always there and is waiting for you to come back, because He loves you.  Which is what that song is kind of about (Tears of the Saints). 

Tears of the Saints (Leeland)

There are many prodigal sons
On our city streets they run
Searching for shelter
There are homes broken down
People's hopes have fallen to the ground
From failures

This is an emergency!

There are tears from the saints
For the lost and unsaved
We're crying for them come back home
We're crying for them come back home
And all your children will stretch out their hands
And pick up the crippled man
Father, we will lead them home
Father, we will lead them home

There are schools full of hatred
Even churches have forsaken
Love and mercy
May we see this generation
In it's state of desperation
For Your glory

This is an emergency!

Sinner, reach out your hands!
Children in Christ you stand!
Sinner, reach out your hands!
Children in Christ you stand!

And all Your children will stretch out their hands
And pick up the crippled man
Father, we will lead them home
Father, we will lead them home

 
Have a beautiful day! 
 Praise God my job is just to be a servant whereever I am, and that I am a dearly loved, blessed child of God!