Singles Conference - Luci gushes about God
So I was not satisfied with having no sngles conference to go to here this fall. A plan was formed and this weekend I hosted 5 single women from all over Europe for a small scale singles conference. The conference normally has 40-60 participants. It was kind of neat hosting something so big (I mean a weekend of spiritual advising is a bit of an undertaking when you feel and know you aren't even close to being worthy to be that one). But the cool part? We had two Navigator leaders to teach us over the weekend from Tennessee. God uses you so strangely. I worked at HP where I constantly set up teleconferences and I saw no reason for it. I had a degree and the best I could do is set up teleconferences. Hmmm...came in pretty handy.
So Friday night started off with everyone but the German born person being late. People got lost and another person took the scenic route back here from the airport against her will. With the delays, the first think I learned was patience and gratefulness. The hospitality thing will be something I learned all weekend. It was good they were late because I was not ready. That is when I learned to ask for help, from the German lady to get ready. I can't believe how much was left to do in food preparation. I manage to burn all the barbecued meat but koshka_the_cat will appreciate knowling the vegetarian baked beans did just splendidly. I also coordinate with the Navigators to start like 2.5 hours past when we were to originally start. Everyone arrived there were hugs and food and then the first lesson of the weekend.
If you have ever heard a Navigator speak, you will know they use this tool called the Hand and Wheel illustration. It is two very simple illustrations that help you get a grasp on things you should be doing as a Christian. The hand illustration is the one closest to my heart because it is the one that is so tangible. Okay, on your hand are five fingers. Each finger represents something you should be doing in God. We will start with the pinky.
Pinky represents hearing God's word.
By hearing God's word we have a better grip on the sword (Bible) in our hand to defend ourselves, but it is not much of a grip.
Ring finger represents reading God's word.
By reading the word, you become better equipped for all kinds of attacks on your spirit.
Middle finger represents memorizing God's word.
I can testify to the saving grace having a memory verse allows. My major issue is anger. No, I don't blow up and attack folks but I take my anger and turn it on myself which winds up expressing itself as depression. I have been very angry for a long time (justified, there is nothing sinful about anger, it is the actions you take that make them sinful). However, it has been hurting me for a very long time. So, slowly but surely, I have tried to deal with things that cause the anger but some can't be dealt with in the meantime, I store two or three verses about anger in my heart. James: everyone should be slow to speak, quick to listen and slow to anger. So it helps me get through anger. Also I have a self esteem verse that i trap in my heart from psalms 'i am fearfully and wonderfully made. These verses help me battle against myself.
The index finger represents studying God's word.
That is a closer look at the bible and what it is saying to me. I am not so good at this but still it needs be said.
The thumb finger represents meditating on God's word.
Now that is nifty because the thumb is the only finger that can touch the other four fingers. So you meditate on God's word when you hear, read, memorize, and study. With this last finger, you have a good grip on God's word. Oh and of course there were tons of bible verses to support this.
So yeah, he went through that demonstration but the discussion that sprung up from the demo is what held my heart. I feel real disconnected spiritually right now and during the discussion...I realized some of the reasons. When he finished up we stayed up until 2 am. For those of you who don't get why this weekend was so special to me, since I left Atlanta, no one drops by my house. In Atlanta, the dorks always dropped in, my family always dropped in, I never felt I had to June Cleaver the house to get guest. Never did. Over here, the people that are close (distance wise) don't drop in. I have one person that lives five minutes away and they have come over twice in the four years they were here. So I kinda assumed something was wrong with the house and me. *shrug* Well, I found out I can host and enjoy and share and be relaxed and welcoming. People can find home at my home.
Then Saturday morning we were all late which caused a bit of an issue that was worked out later this weekend. But we were on time for the missionary that lives in Frauenberg near Baumholder. He was teh awesome. He spent the morning telling...no showing us how sharing our lives looked. He used I Thessolonians letter from Paul to show us the challenges and benefits of sharing uour lives. I didn't realize Paul had only been with the Thessolonians three weeks before he was run off. But by then, he was so involved in their lives and they were involved in his that it just made a lasting impression on him and that church. So yeah, we all had questions that popped up about that and asked them.
Then I showed the ladies Idar Oberstein and stayed there like forever. it was so beautiful that day and some random guy was playing music and when he saw me started playing old American music for the American (Glenn Miller stuff). Which was my favorite music so me and the gals danced around for a bit. It was so wonderful. And the walk up there was just as beautiful.
We had a final lesson that night from the other teacherr at Navigators. The girls loved her: one because she was a girl and two, she was so open and warming. This made me rethinkn my role as a Christian. I don't evangelize or go pamphleting because I just feel or felt...i am not sure...that if people are interested in God, they know where I stand and will ask me. But it is more than pamphleting. She made it clear that inviting people to church doesn't release you from responsibility. If you are lucky this person confesses Christ as their savior, do you just leave it up to the pastor? you did all the hard work getting them there so now you are going to picadilly's (and being the good christian, inviting the new christian to come and eat with you). Or do you check on them, do you share your life with them so that they become like a real brother and sister in your life? Do you give them all of you? My answer? Hell no. I can't be responsible for screwing up that deep or much...and that is what I am wrestling with now.
The next day we went to church at Trinity and I had to say goodbye to everyone. It was such a fun weekend but it ended with questions and things I didn't want to think about but need to. I just was in so much awe the whole weekend. Awe at what I could do, awe at what God could do, and awe at the teaching. It was so honest and worth considering. So, I have procrastinated for a week, it is time to get busy again. There are more updates but I wanted to get this one out.
So Friday night started off with everyone but the German born person being late. People got lost and another person took the scenic route back here from the airport against her will. With the delays, the first think I learned was patience and gratefulness. The hospitality thing will be something I learned all weekend. It was good they were late because I was not ready. That is when I learned to ask for help, from the German lady to get ready. I can't believe how much was left to do in food preparation. I manage to burn all the barbecued meat but koshka_the_cat will appreciate knowling the vegetarian baked beans did just splendidly. I also coordinate with the Navigators to start like 2.5 hours past when we were to originally start. Everyone arrived there were hugs and food and then the first lesson of the weekend.
If you have ever heard a Navigator speak, you will know they use this tool called the Hand and Wheel illustration. It is two very simple illustrations that help you get a grasp on things you should be doing as a Christian. The hand illustration is the one closest to my heart because it is the one that is so tangible. Okay, on your hand are five fingers. Each finger represents something you should be doing in God. We will start with the pinky.
Pinky represents hearing God's word.
By hearing God's word we have a better grip on the sword (Bible) in our hand to defend ourselves, but it is not much of a grip.
Ring finger represents reading God's word.
By reading the word, you become better equipped for all kinds of attacks on your spirit.
Middle finger represents memorizing God's word.
I can testify to the saving grace having a memory verse allows. My major issue is anger. No, I don't blow up and attack folks but I take my anger and turn it on myself which winds up expressing itself as depression. I have been very angry for a long time (justified, there is nothing sinful about anger, it is the actions you take that make them sinful). However, it has been hurting me for a very long time. So, slowly but surely, I have tried to deal with things that cause the anger but some can't be dealt with in the meantime, I store two or three verses about anger in my heart. James: everyone should be slow to speak, quick to listen and slow to anger. So it helps me get through anger. Also I have a self esteem verse that i trap in my heart from psalms 'i am fearfully and wonderfully made. These verses help me battle against myself.
The index finger represents studying God's word.
That is a closer look at the bible and what it is saying to me. I am not so good at this but still it needs be said.
The thumb finger represents meditating on God's word.
Now that is nifty because the thumb is the only finger that can touch the other four fingers. So you meditate on God's word when you hear, read, memorize, and study. With this last finger, you have a good grip on God's word. Oh and of course there were tons of bible verses to support this.
So yeah, he went through that demonstration but the discussion that sprung up from the demo is what held my heart. I feel real disconnected spiritually right now and during the discussion...I realized some of the reasons. When he finished up we stayed up until 2 am. For those of you who don't get why this weekend was so special to me, since I left Atlanta, no one drops by my house. In Atlanta, the dorks always dropped in, my family always dropped in, I never felt I had to June Cleaver the house to get guest. Never did. Over here, the people that are close (distance wise) don't drop in. I have one person that lives five minutes away and they have come over twice in the four years they were here. So I kinda assumed something was wrong with the house and me. *shrug* Well, I found out I can host and enjoy and share and be relaxed and welcoming. People can find home at my home.
Then Saturday morning we were all late which caused a bit of an issue that was worked out later this weekend. But we were on time for the missionary that lives in Frauenberg near Baumholder. He was teh awesome. He spent the morning telling...no showing us how sharing our lives looked. He used I Thessolonians letter from Paul to show us the challenges and benefits of sharing uour lives. I didn't realize Paul had only been with the Thessolonians three weeks before he was run off. But by then, he was so involved in their lives and they were involved in his that it just made a lasting impression on him and that church. So yeah, we all had questions that popped up about that and asked them.
Then I showed the ladies Idar Oberstein and stayed there like forever. it was so beautiful that day and some random guy was playing music and when he saw me started playing old American music for the American (Glenn Miller stuff). Which was my favorite music so me and the gals danced around for a bit. It was so wonderful. And the walk up there was just as beautiful.
We had a final lesson that night from the other teacherr at Navigators. The girls loved her: one because she was a girl and two, she was so open and warming. This made me rethinkn my role as a Christian. I don't evangelize or go pamphleting because I just feel or felt...i am not sure...that if people are interested in God, they know where I stand and will ask me. But it is more than pamphleting. She made it clear that inviting people to church doesn't release you from responsibility. If you are lucky this person confesses Christ as their savior, do you just leave it up to the pastor? you did all the hard work getting them there so now you are going to picadilly's (and being the good christian, inviting the new christian to come and eat with you). Or do you check on them, do you share your life with them so that they become like a real brother and sister in your life? Do you give them all of you? My answer? Hell no. I can't be responsible for screwing up that deep or much...and that is what I am wrestling with now.
The next day we went to church at Trinity and I had to say goodbye to everyone. It was such a fun weekend but it ended with questions and things I didn't want to think about but need to. I just was in so much awe the whole weekend. Awe at what I could do, awe at what God could do, and awe at the teaching. It was so honest and worth considering. So, I have procrastinated for a week, it is time to get busy again. There are more updates but I wanted to get this one out.