Conversation in Jail: Poof and gone...

A while ago I walked into my usual Juvie session and noticed that 2 of my regulars were not there. So I asked where they were, kind of expecting an answer about them being in trouble and not allowed to come.

The answer I got though was different: 'They had their sentencing and have been sent to prison.'

That statement still rocks my world. And don't get me wrong, I am NOT questioning the justice of it all. I can not ever do that, especially since I don't know what these guys have done. The only thing I know is, that they have been bad. Some of them VERY bad.

I just have seen glimpses of awesomeness in these guys. Glimpses of just scared 16 or 17 year old guys. And I know a little bit of what a maximum or medium security prison is all about. And it scares me to know that these 2 guys are now in prison.

There was so much more I could have and should have told them about Jesus. But I didn't get the chance to do that. I didn't even get a chance to say good bye.

It makes me sad, but I know the God I serve: The God who can fix murder! And I can trust that He is still with the guys in prison now.

In John 17:4 Jesus says that 'He completed the work you (God) gave me to do.' It's an extraordinary statement considering that there were still sick people and still many people who hadn't met him. Yet He says that He COMPLETED the work. But it's about the work that God GAVE him.
So my hope is that I have completed the work in 'my' 2 juvies and that God will send someone else to continue the work that has started. He's cool like that!

Another lesson in trusting God. When have you needed to trust God with people you loved?

Journey vs Trip. Some deep and meaningful stuff here!

The other days I heard an interview with a well-known Christian speaker and in the course of about 5 minutes he used the word 'journey' about 6 times. Talk about overusing a word.

And it dawned on me that in this time 'journey is the new 'in' word for Christian leaders. If you listen to a bunch of Christian leaders you will find that they never go on a trip - they start a journey.

Of course I tweeted that, because it was too obvious and too funny not to. But then I thought that maybe, just maybe, these Christian leaders use the word 'journey' for a reason. Because one hopes that leaders are not just following other leaders blindly in saying and doing stuff just because it sounds 'good' or is the 'in' thing to do. One hopes that leaders influence the people and the culture around them, rather than being influenced by the people and the culture themselves.
So I looked up the words 'journey' and 'trip'.

And as it turns out, those Christian leaders are actually on to something: While a trip is mereley going to a place and returning, a journey is an act of traveling from one place to another.

Well, who knew? (A bunch of Christian leaders obviously...) So of course it makes sense that Christian leaders (and the rest of us God fearing folks) are going on journeys. Because who wants to return to where they started?

And it also makes sense that a 'trip' is often used to describe a drug experience, because once you go on a trip, you get back and you're at exactly the same place where you started. Nothing has changed and you will have to go on a 'trip' again to escape your circumstances. A trips is just an escape of circumstances, rather than a real change in life.

A journey on the other hand takes you into a new environment, a new place. And a journey also suggests that you're not going back - you have left for good.
A journey doesn't automatically mean you're going to love every place you go to. Some of those places are going to be hard and you won't like them. But they are necessary stops on the way and soon enough you will be on your way again. You are not stuck.

This is a very interesting concept to me! You go Christian Leaders! Good on ya for understanding the difference between a trip and a journey! Now if we could only work on not making it sound so cheesy..........

Conversation in Jail - Can Jesus fix murder?

I wish you could meet my juvies and see the things I see.

A couple weeks ago this happened:

'Miss, can Jesus fix murder?'

I was blown away by this question because it was so raw and honest. So much depended on the answer. There was so much fear in it. So many 'what if's'. It was one of the best questions I've ever been asked.

I love that I serve a God who said 'YES' to all of our sin.

What happened next was that I explained again what Jesus has done for us and how it is available to us. And then I saw it...

I saw the guy who had asked the question out of the blue quietly close his eyes and murmur a prayer. He accepted Christ that day.

Thank you Lord for saying YES to us.

Write a parable ... I dare you!

I've been reading through Mark 4 lately and have been quite inspired by the different parables Jesus was speaking about. I mean, that guy was good at relating the point he wanted to make to where his audience was at.

So I thought, I should try and rewrite some of these parables to make the same point as Jesus, but to make me understand it better and write as if I am talking to someone right now. Here.

So here you go. This is my updated version of the parable of the sower in Mark 4.

The kingdom of God is like recording a song and putting it on itunes for sale. Many people will look at it and then move right on because they’ve never heard of the artist before.
Then there are those who click on it and listen to the preview of the song. They think it’s ok, but not good enough to spend $1.29 on it.
Then some other people will listen to the song and download it. But then something else catches their attention and the song gets buried on their ipod and is maybe played twice in the year.
Still others buy the song, put it on their ipod and play it repeatedly. They don’t just know the words to that song, but have fallen in love with the artist as well. 

What do you think?

And I would LOVE to read your parables as well! Pick one, write one, send one. (jackiegotmail (at) gmail (dot) com)