Give me Jesus

I have been a little more than obsessed with researching other religions. 
It is so fascinating to me to hear what other people believe to be true.
I try to put myself in their shoes & wonder if I was raised in a different religion would I just accept it to be true because that is what my family and friends believe and have taught me?  would I explore the world and seek out my own beliefs?
I hope so.  I mean, I guess that is what I have done myself. 
I was raised Christian, a Nazarene to be exact, but I have studied other religions or the lack there of and have come to my own conclusions about it all.

and you know what the answer is?
Jesus.

the Sunday School answer. Jesus.
Jesus is the only way.
I'm still not sure exactly what I believe about a lot of things... but those are things that don't matter in the overall scheme of my salvation..
I don't have all the answers. 

I do know that Jesus came to this crazy world to teach by example, to live a perfect life, and to die a horrible death on the cross, and his blood was the atonement for my sins.
and he did it out of love.

we get so hung up on things that don't matter.  rules that set us up for failure, rather than foster a relationship with God.  issues that cause fights amongst ourselves, rather than reach the unsaved.  churches that cost millions of dollars, rather than feeding the hungry.

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

pa rum pum pum pum

Sunday morning we sang The Little Drummer Boy in church, which was a little weird b/c I don't think I had ever sang it in church before, but isn't it kind of an odd song in general ?
playing a drum for a baby?  when you think about it isn't that the most awful idea ever?
I have a hard time believing Mary nodded in approval... she was a pretty easy going teenage girl though huh?? 
But while we were singing it it hit me that as long as you're truly offering your best to the Lord it pleases him.  So if you're poor, can't sing, are shy, not so smart.... whatever, it doesn't matter. Don't ever feel as though you don't have a gift to bring, you can use whatever you are good at, even if that means playing a drum for a baby.

Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum 
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum 
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum 
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum, 
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, 

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum, 
On my drum? 

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum 
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum 
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum 
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum, 
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, 

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum 
Me and my drum.

Why we were made

This morning in church we talked about why we were made.  Why does God even need or want people??

Jimmy made some really good points about how a lot of people say we were made to worship... which is true, but God isn't so narcissistic that, that is the reason for which we were created.  We show God that we love him by worshiping him.

He compared God creating us to humans having children.  You have children because you want something to love, you want to pass on your knowledge and heritage... not because we need to populate the earth anymore, that's already been accomplished.
We are God's children.

and he talked about what you were made to do.  He said he believes God's plan is for him to be a doctor... so when he came to Grenada he was just focusing on studying and becoming a doctor and all the good he would do once he was a doctor... but that's about 10 years of your life, so while you're focusing on the 'someday' a lot could be happening right now.  You can serve God anywhere you are in life, whether you're a doctor or an unemployed housewife...  :)

That's really what I needed to hear... I've been 'searching' a lot lately about what I'm supposed to be doing... and I'm kinda the opposite.  I'm happy with where I am now, but I'm already thinking about next year and the years that Lee is in clinicals and residency when I NEED a job in order for us to survive...
how do I make a living out of loving Jesus and helping people?  I didn't go to school for ministry or missions... but that's ok. 

There was a girl who came to speak to our class in college who worked at Abercrombie and Fitch's main office.  a very liberal, somewhat risque (ads) clothing company... she was a designer for them.  and people asked her all the time how she could work for such a place and with those type of people and she said that she felt that Abercrombie was her mission field.   Jesus said to go unto all people and be a light in the world.... so why not be a light in the fashion world? Some one has to do it.

Easter in Grenada

Easter morning we went to a sunrise service at the point on campus.  It was my first sunrise service... I think. probably because my family had 5 kids & we would have never made it on time & once I was older.... yea right....... so. here we are in Grenada & I asked Lee if he would get up and watch the sunrise with me & then he was called and asked to play the guitar and sing for a service.
It was beautiful and peaceful and it made me appreciate the beauty around me that I take for granted.  What an amazing way to start your day, especially Easter.  The way the sun was coming through the clouds looked as if Jesus was just gonna walk out and join us..... and I think he did. Where 2 or more are gathered right.

Afterward we came home and went back to sleep... it was only 6:45!  and church isn't until 11.  I slept until 10 and Lee made us iced coffee  and it was delicious!
After church we had a baptismal service at the black sand beach and an international potluck lunch!  I missed the end of church because I was helping with food for the potluck.... all the people getting baptized spoke and I wish I had been there to hear them!  2 of Lee's friends got baptized!  and there was a girl who converted from Islam and a guy from Buddhism! amazing.... I love living amongst such a diverse group of people, our church is especially diverse.

The black sand beach is soooo cool!
Unfortunately it is closed most of the time because of a strong undertow
It was cool to walk on though... it's HOT. and you sink in it.

It was a good day :)

We also colored Easter eggs with the kids at Limes this week.... it was so fun. they are so cute!  

church

I'm really happy with the church Lee and I are going to here.  It's on campus & is a non-denominational church for students and faculty.  It's actually more of a club I suppose CSA -Christian Student Association.  It only lasts about an hour and 15 minutes so students can get back to studying... compared to some of the local churches that go on for hours.
Lee is going to be singing and playing guitar and drums on the praise team!  He's so happy... he got to bring the church's guitar home with him for the next 2 weeks!  next Sunday he'll be playing the guitar and in 2 weeks he'll be leading the singing and playing, and then another week he'll be playing drums. 

I'm pretty excited... I prefer for him to be singing in church, I'm biased. and I'm happy he'll be playing and singing more around the apartment the next couple weeks :)

I recently realized this is the first time in my life that I haven't gone to a Nazarene church consistently.
I was raised in the Nazarene church since birth and even attended a Nazarene University, where I met Lee, the grandson of a Nazarene preacher, and after we were married we attended a Nazarene church in West Virginia for a few months before coming here... 

There is a Nazarene Church in Grenada.  It's on the other side of St. George's... sometime before we leave here I want to go to it.

But I'm really happy with the non-denominational thing for now.  It's not like a non-denominational church at home, which really is it's own denomination in it's self.  The people are always changing and there are lots of different speakers so we hear a lot of different points of view.

Last week they said "We're in church in Grenada, the praise team is from Africa, the speaker is from Venezuela, and the congregation is from all corners of the world"
cool, huh?

I am so thankful for a nice, contemporary church that is a two minute walk from our apartment.... and serves cookies and juice after service! 

Today the speaker talked about giving and made some really good points.  She said you can't be a future giver - thinking that you'll give money later on once you're a doctor or you'll give more of your time after school.... who you are right now is who you are.  If you can't take an hour to visit with the orphans or to go to church then you aren't going to make that kind of time 10 years down the road. 
It's tough to be a med student (or their wife) and think about giving..... it's not like any of the money we have is actually our money. we're all living on loans.
they should do a class about stewardship dealing with loans....I think some people forget that they actually do have to pay that back someday..... lol

I am so happy that right now I have the wealth of time... 

I have time to be the best wife I can be 

In Deuteronomy 24:5 it says
"If a man has recently married he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him.  For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married."

A year! Isn't that incredible... can you imagine if every newly married couple got a year to just spend with each other and nurture their marriage?  I wonder how that'd affect the divorce rate...
I feel very fortunate to have this time to spend with Lee helping him through medical school, because it's tough. and the first 4 months of our marriage Lee was able to stay home while I worked.  We haven't yet had to deal with both of us working at the same time.......... who will wash the dishes then?

and I have time to spend my time playing with kids.
I love the kids here so much... I'm so thankful to have the time to play! :)