7.30.2009

Are There Projects in Heaven?

Those of you who follow me on Twitter (ahhhhh Twitter . . . ) know that Wednesdays are by far my favorite night of the week. This is when the girls come over to my house for Bible Study. The sweetest times we have with the girls are during these nights. I love love love it because it is without excuse the time when we present them with truth - pure truth. We hand out Bibles, open them up and read. Its glorious.

What do we talk about? Well . . . the girls decided that. One of the last nights in the kitchen (where we met the girls during the school year) we had the girls ask any questions they had about God. They asked some SERIOUSLY GOOD QUESTIONS! So we took the deep-life-long-seeking questions that we couldn't get to in those 45 minutes and spread them across the summer.

So we meet on Wednesday nights and do our best to answer these questions for the girls. Where did everything come from? How do we know God is real? Who is Jesus? and so on . . . .

I love these nights because the girls come, they act goofy, but then when the Bibles open and the questions start flowing. . . its just amazing. They really seem to think and contemplate and get excited to learn. I mean, COME ON, you can't ask for ministry like this. You can't make this stuff up - but God is good like that, and He wants to change lives, so I guess if we are willing to be tools, He'll make it happen.

This ministry has brought me to deep places in myself, learning, streeeeetching, straining, pressing places. . . but when I am sitting with the girls on a Wednesday, and one of them rests their head on my shoulder and asks questions about the God stuff, it is absolutely, completely worth every trial and test I have experienced down here. I mean it is what we were saved for, right? Honoring His name? Glorifying Him in obedience? I love this . . . .

Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.
1 Peter 4:19

So telling these girls about this Creator is doing what is right? I really think it is. And is fighting through the trials worth it? Absolutely.

So . . . on a different note - here are some of quotes from Wednesday night Bible studies . . .

- Are there projects in heaven? In Madea Goes to Jail they told her she was going to have to live in the projects of heaven because she was bad.

- I am a Christian, but I don't act like one. ***WOAH, this was a extremely honest moment that lead to a really good discussion.

- What would the world be like if Jesus were around today? I think people would be really disrespectful to Him, because people be irkin' round here.

- Jesus had to do something bad because why would they kill Him like that?

- . . . not a quote but a VERY AWKWARD video chat with my married male friend where the girls said I could take his wife's place. . . led to a discussion about marriage and commitment.

- Why does God let Christian people do mean things?

- Is it true that the only escape from pain and suffering is death? (this girl was asked if she felt that way, and she said no, someone else had said that to her. . . I was a little scared)

- . . . when asked to write things they knew about Jesus, Myeisha wrote 'Jesus loves Myeisha, Myhonia, Megan, K (this was for Carolyn) and Doreen'- Myeisha is one of the thicker-skinned girls, so this was a sweet look into her soft inside :)

- Jesus is a hero.

7.17.2009

you got so many men in your phone and no boyfriends

i am sitting in my living room, laughing out loud . . . by myself . . . because i am thinking about all that transpired tonight. doreen. . . .my LOVELY doreen and i took two of our girls out to talk.

about s-e-x.

hilarium. if hilarious were to have a noun version, whatever that word would be . . . that's what we had at dinner tonight. hilarium.

its so funny to talk to these girls about this stuff. on the serious side, they know we love them, they know we care. . . they know we are super accessible to them and really really want to see them make smart choices and not be held back by regrets. so this talk was good. it was amazing actually. i feel like doreen did a phenomenal job of making it about communication. the more these things are out in the open, the more its discussed in a safe place, with safe people . . . the less likely it is for those not so smart choices to be made. . . . its just really good.

so yes there was goodness. . . but also the fun site of seeing them squirm. . . i mean SQUA-IRRM!!! physically turning away, trying to join the conversation of other tables! strangers! it was awesome. but it served its purpose. they received it well, and they seemed excited to realize that they had people besides their moms to talk to about this stuff. people that won't make it a past-stuff issue, but rather, a look-at-where-we-are-going-from-here issue.

so of course this leads to discussion of my personal life. my cell phone gets taken and that is where we arrive at our quote, which became the title of this entry. laughing loudly. . . in the middle of red lobster. . . seriously drawing attention from multiple parties around us. once the ice of giggling was broken, we were done for. throw-you-head-back laughter. this is what these girls do to me.

they ask questions like. . . and i always answer with . . .

are you going out with nigel? -yes.
are you going out with trent?- yes.
is miss doreen going out with trent? -yes.
is that boy that came (the boy i never talked to at all, don't know his name) your boyfriend? -yes.
are you going out with vince? -yes
are you still going with nigel? -yes.
do you and miss doreen fight over trent? -yes.
do you have a boyfriend? -yes.


i just answer yes because it ends the discussion. and confuses them. and its funny. i dont know why they take me seriously. two years later - i have dated every male that has ever stepped foot on the mission parking lot and they keep asking. . . but they KNOW its not real, and every time i say yes, they still get confused for a minute and they still ask more questions later. its the funniest thing. . . . i did the same thing with my students at school this past year. . . .

miss flinn do you have a fiance? - yes.
are you married? -yes.
do you want to date the janitor? -yes.
did you wear earrings today to impress the janitor? -yes.
are you wearing dresses now because you gots yourself a man? -yes.
did you have a date last night- there is still some mascara on your eyes? -yes.

its just easier that way. it ends the conversation. and its sooooo funny.

i will blog soon about the bible study we are having this summer. its really good stuff. i am just a little tired and a little too giddy from a night of giggling with the girls and doreen.

great night.

substantial conversation.

substantial laughter.

a substantially good time was had by all.