AGE TO AGE

Oh, how i have been blessed tremendously by this fifth grader named Tamera Rhode!!! At the Wesley Foundation they have an afterschool program for at risk kids like Tamera. I made a commitment this year to be a mentor for the "Older" Age to Age group (5th-7th grades) on Mondays from 3:30-5:30. Those two hours...they are just WONDERFUL! Here I am thinking that I'm the blessing in the kid's life..but man was i SO wrong. I am the one who is blessed every week!

Tamera is like a roller coaster. You're never sure what you're gonna get. One day she's miss thing with an attitude and the next she's so quiet and chilled. I can see that there are some major walls she has put up. I have zero information about her background and it's going to take lots of patience on my part because I just want to know who she is and where she comes from so I can better understand what her needs are and how to love her.

So I guess, I'm asking that if you have taken the time to read this, that you will pray for me and Tamera. Pray that I will have patience. Pray that Tamera will become more open to talking with me. Pray that I will be able to give her what she needs each week. Pray that walls will be tore down and that Tamera will find rest in coming to Age to Age every Monday.

Age to Age has been the BIGGEST blessing..you should mentor a child..it'll change your life!

TIME

There's something about sharing that is HUGE in my life. There's nothing I love more than to get together with friends that I love and just share about what Jesus is doing in our lives. I find that such a weight is lifted to be able to tell others about what I'm learning/experiencing in my walk and what doors have been open and shut. I'm also SO encouraged hearing about others and how they are falling more in love with Him. I think what God has really stabbed my heart with this week is that I long for that conversation with that friend SO bad, that I miss out on the conversation I should be having with Him. I'm guilty of wanting to talk about Him more than I talk to Him. ...Don't get me wrong..talking about Jesus is GOOD. It is very important to lift up others and be lifted up..but the question asked of me by a passionate Christ follower this week was, "Shouldn't your time spent with God about them be greater than your time spent with them about God?" Think about it.

I want to not be so focused on spending time talking with others about Jesus, that I completely lose sight of the preciousness of spending time with the One who longs to hear from me most.

Sweetly Broken,
Taylor

the Holy Spirit

Lately, I've been learning a lot about the Holy Spirit. I've started reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan (which i think EVERYONE should read btw) and I've began another more in depth personal study of the book of Acts. Although, I think that I'm convicted every day when reading the Word..I have to say that even though I have JUST begun my study that I have been EXTREMELY convicted. I have lived life underestimating the power of the Holy Spirit. I think I have actually not even really realized or come to begin to understand that the Holy Spirit IS GOD. I have the power of THE Holy Spirit living in me!!!! That is CRAZY. Sadly, I can honestly say that I don't live like it. Why do I doubt the power of the Holy Spirit to work in me and through me? or should the real question be...WHY WOULD I EVER DOUBT THE HOLY SPIRIT? It saddens my heart to see that the world has fallen so far from when the Holy Spirit was first poured into the disciples soon after Jesus ascended (Acts 2). They were filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit which enabled them to speak in other tongues so that EVERYONE could listen and COME to know that Jesus IS Lord in their OWN LANGUAGE!!!..this got me thinking..if the Holy Spirit enables the disciples to speak in every tongue to spread His Word..then won't He most definitely give us the EXACT words we need to share the gospel to the people all around us? on our school campuses? work places? Why are we so timid about sharing the most beautiful promise in life? That's our purpose!!! That's MY purpose. That is the only reason I should be living. So I long to start living like it.

standing in awe of Jesus,
Tay