He clings to what he knows...

"In the darkness, Jesus doesn't analyze what he doesn't know. He clings to what he knows." 

- Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life.

Wow, that sentence hit home and made me think...he doesn't analyze what he doesn't know, but he clings to what he knows. What would that look like in my life? I think about things A) way too often, B) a lot, and C) very slowly. I overthink, I under think, I analyze, I question, I process, I think and think and think until I have thought myself around in circles and then some... While I think processing is good and healthy and a life without thinking wouldn't get you very far either, I long to be able to say, I don't worry about what I don't know, but cling to what I do know.

On the cross, when Jesus was being crucified, he began to quote Psalm 22, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He meditates on this and maybe set out to say the entire Psalm... To know the Scripture so well, that when the darkest moment in his life came, he held tightly to what he knew, to what he knew gave him life and brought him light, and in the darkness, he didn't question, he didn't analyze, but he placed confident hope in his Father.

I long for my life and for those darkest moments to look like that. I don't analyze what I don't know, but I cling to what I do. "Both the child and the cynic walk through the valley of the shadow of death. The cynic focuses on the darkness; the child focuses on the Shepherd." - Paul E. Miller

If you take the Good Shepherd out of Psalm 23, you are left alone in a world of evil. Miller states, "We are left obsessing over our wants in the valley of the shadow of death, paralyzed by fear in the presence of our enemies." But with the Good Shepherd, we are no longer sheep without a shepherd, we are sheep being led by THE Shepherd. And that alone is enough to cling to... To stop analyzing, and to start abiding...that's my for prayer today.

Patience While You Drive

Patience while you drive...

I started thinking about this the other day while I was driving with my little sister. We were just "do-daddlin" (a phrase I coined for just running errands or just bebopping around town) and I caught myself more than once comment on/about another person's driving. Either they didn't turn fast enough, or forgot to turn on their blinker, or were driving too slow in front of me, or too fast behind me...the list goes on...but as I was driving with my little sister in the seat next to me, I realized how much my speech definitely didn't match how I normally talk to my friends and family. 

Not that I was saying anything crazy, but just little comments started getting to me...little signs of frustration that I was showing to someone I didn't even know. Little things I said that if they heard me say they would not see Christ in my actions or my words. As my faith deepens and my actions and words take on more weight (as they should as a Christian) I started thinking how this would look different than the world we live in. In Hebrews 10, it talks about that we have been set apart as holy and in 1 Timothy 4, it says, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." Set an example in speech....

In James 3:9-12, it gives warning on this exact thing... "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water." This hits home on so many levels, but one in particular, when we were in Israel, we learned a ton about springs...how they symbolize Living Water, how they provide life, and refresh and nourish...and when I landed on my identity statement as a "refreshing spring of truth..." I realized that the Lord has called me to be that not just when I'm "doing ministry" but also, when I'm in the car with my little sister driving to Kroger.

As I think back to all the times that my same tongue praised Jesus in the morning, then expressed so much frustration toward a person I didn't know...man, it's convicting to me. I don't know if it would hit home for you, but this has been on my heart the past few weeks, and I couldn't help but share. I am so much more aware now of how I respond in my car and on the road. Not that I'm in recovery as road-range addict, far from it, but I am learning and the Lord is teaching me how our little actions matter too. And our speech should always be pleasing and edifying because we were given a responsibility and a calling as people set apart. In 1 Peter 2:9, it states, "But you are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." Yes. May I declare those praises at every moment, and may I live my life as people belonging to God. 

So here's to praying instead of letting my frustration get the best of me...it's just another picture how I am being refined and molded and I thought I'd share this morning. Hope this encourages you and the Lord uses it how He will in your life, and I'm thankful for the little lessons in life where I get to refocus my heart and thoughts and especially my words...

The End of a Wonderful Journey...

Well…the end of the Forge. What a journey it has been. Honestly, I can’t believe it’s already the end of eight months. The Lord has used these eight months in my life to teach me, challenge me, show me, sanctify me, and has never failed to show up in ways I never expected.

I learned the incredible blessing of provision. Seeing and experiencing his hand in providing in such a real and tangible way. $12,000. Sometimes I still can’t even believe it when I think about it, but what a neat way of being able to bless God, and see his hand once more in me being here this year.

I have learned the blessing of memorizing Scripture. 1st Peter. Five chapters. 105 verses. It seemed like the most daunting task at the beginning of the Forge, but now it seems like my heart didn’t know Scripture without knowing 1st Peter. There have been so many times where I have been able to reference a verse or a chapter, both for circumstances in my own life and to help encourage others. I have loved memorizing the entire book as well, as I have come to love knowing and understanding Scripture in the context as a whole. It has been a challenge, and one I hope to keep up throughout my life.

I have learned the sweetness and blessing of community. Living with 28 people…who would have ever thought. I have loved living through the ups and downs and highs and lows with these people who really have become my brothers and sisters and some of my dearest friends. Common experiences really do bond people, but what bonds people more is the love and shared faith in Jesus and the unity that happens when you submit to living under the Word.

I have learned the blessing of seeing. “What makes one Bible student better than the next?” “What he can see.” Seeing takes place in reading Scripture absolutely, but it also plays a role in every day life. Keeping your eyes open has become a key aspect of my life these eight months, and I think that is has helped me see so many things clearly.

I have learned the blessing of faith and obedience. Walking through Israel was one of the neatest few days, as I saw things and experienced things, but also learned that faith and obedience are really the cornerstones to a life submitted to Christ.

I have learned the blessing and power of prayer. Being on top of Mt. Arbel is something I will never forget. Coming to him as a daughter coming to her father, and simply asking and listening, praising him and blessing him for all of his provision.

I have learned the blessing and sweetness of remembering. I am a huge memory collector, and I love the discipline of being able to look back and not just reminisce on good times, but really remember and remember all that the Lord has taught me and all that he continues to teach. I hope I will remember these eight months in the Forge and never forget what the Lord has done and all that He will continue to do.

I think if I could sum up my journey in the Forge in a picture...I might choose this one... I love the analogy of a window being foggy, covered in ice, or dirty and smudged – you can see out of it, but you can’t see clearly. You can make things out and you are able to see the weather through some points in the glass, but as a whole nothing is very clear or precise. You miss most details and it’s hard to make out what is actually happening or what the weather is really like. Well, I think coming into the Forge, this is what I was looking at. I could see, I had a faith and a foundation, and it was strong enough and clear enough that it got me through several years, but throughout the eight months, the fog has gone away, the ice has melted, and the window cleaner has made it sparkling and clear. I can see and have a foundation that will continue to help me see clearly as I continue throughout the next steps of life. I know that windows can so easily become dirty, fingerprinted, and just fogged due to everyday use and life, however, I think I have tools that can help and that I know how to use to clean those windows and keep up daily maintenance, so that they never become too foggy to see out of. I know there will be times that they might get that way, but instead of panicking or thinking I need to completely replace the windows, I can have confidence in the One who can help me see again. The One who can help the windows become clear, by being in His Word, meditating on his Truth, and walking in faith and obedience. Realizing that it’s not about what I do, but what he does for me. That his grace is greater and more precious than I could ever know, and that he so graciously gives it is the greatest gift I could receive. Seeing clearly is one of the biggest takeaways and as I continue to walk in faith throughout my life, I know I will continue to grow and learn, and I hope that the glass continues to become clearer and clearer and maybe one day, I will realize that what I am looking at is not even through glass, but something open and as clear and as wide as the eye can see. I am thankful for these eight months, but I am even more thankful for the days that are to come and to see how the Lord uses this foundation to continue to teach me and use me for his Kingdom and for his glory.

Sticky Bananas

Sticky bananas....you're just going through your day, grocery shopping and picking up small things you need, and you reach down to put a bunch of bananas in your cart, and it happens...your hand becomes sticky at the first touch of a banana. Your inner self is consoling with a sometimes small but sometimes very large, "Nooooo!" and you feel like the rest of your grocery trip, and day, will just go downhill from there. You can't seem to get the sticky off your hands and it almost feels like it's rubbing off and everything you and your banana touches.

How often do I look at these small incidents as 'day-breakers,' when in all actuality they are not as big as they seem. Things are still ok, you are going to make it, and God is still good. I still have to remind myself daily, that when I touch a sticky banana, or when things don't go as planned, instead of the stickiness rubbing off on all other areas of the day, I have to re-orient myself back to truth, back to Scripture, back to relying on something more than myself and knowing that life is sweeter and too full of blessing to harp on the little 'sticky' happenings. It's a life-lesson I think I will always be learning, but I hope that each time it happens I rely more on Jesus than I did the day before.

"We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins." - Colossians 1:11-14

Now that will put our sticky bananas into perspective compared to our life of truth and joy, for He has rescued us and forgiven our sins and by His grace, we now live in the light!! What a sweet and gentle reminder in a grocery store full of sticky bananas and a life filled with little 'day-breakers.'

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

A visit to Colorado and the meeting of one of my new biggest role models. Jen has a love and a joy for Jesus that is contagious. She opened up her home and shared her life and family with us for two days, while piling my new cooking life skill inventory with so many amazing recipes.

By far one of my favorites was her Pumpkin Crumb Cake. Waking up in the morning with this amazingly dreamy pumpkin smell coming from the kitchen made me instantly fall in love with this amazing cake. The steps are easy to follow and the first chance I had, I put all my learning to the test and decided to try this recipe. I was extremely surprised and somewhat impressed when I took it out of the oven and it filled the house with that same familiar smell...and even more so when I cut into it and impressed everyone who tried the first bite.

This cooking life skill has nothing on me...Pumpkin Crumb Cake -- check, and forever in my recipe box. :)

This is sweet Jen...she not only has amazing recipes, but a heart for Jesus that inspires and encourages those around her. 

"Jesus gets sweeter the longer you walk with Him." - Jen

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

Cake Batter

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon basking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups sugar 

3 large eggs

1 cup canned pureed pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup milk 

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Topping 

2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons rolled oats 

1/2 cup all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease 9x13 baking pan (or smaller loaf pans for bread)
• To make the topping, combine 2/3 cup oats, flour, sugar, and cinnamon in processor. Add butter and cut in until crumbly. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons oats. Set to one side. 
• Sift the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. 
• In a separate bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat the sugar and 1 egg at a time. 
• Add the pumpkin and vanilla extract to the wet batter mix. 
• Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the batter. Slowly add the milk and stir in the walnuts (optional). Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread with the topping. 
• Bake the loaf cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes (if you can make it that long after you smell the delicious pumpkin aroma).
• Turn the cake out onto a rack and cool completely. (I served it directly in the glass dish, but if you are making smaller loaves or want to serve it sliced or give it as a gift, this would be a great step.)
• ENJOY! :) 

Journaling

I have always loved writing down my thoughts...from documenting family vacations to writing short stories, I have small journals full of everything in-between. However, it wasn't until a small group Christmas party that I really started journaling.

My sweet friend Shelbi, who is one of the most grounded role models I know, gave me the best Christmas gift I could have asked for. She had this journal that I commented on more times than I can count. She took it everywhere with her and I watched the pages fill up throughout the year. I admired from afar, but had never even thought about getting my own. When I unwrapped my secret Santa gift, my heart filled with joy as I saw the familiar green cover under the wrapping.

She had written a genuine and heartfelt note about why she journals and I still go back and read that to this day. She encouraged me to pick up a pen and give my burdens to God, and wow has that drastically changed my life.

"You will be amazed at the blessings that will come out of this small tool."

Seven years later...I have a stack full of journals and pages filled with sweet truth, unashamed tears, countless prayers, heartfelt worries, heavy burdens, monumental milestones, and incredible praises glorifying our ever-sovereign and faithful God. Years of life, dozens of pages, and one God who never ceases to stop listening. Journaling has become one of the sweetest parts of my walk with the Lord and I am forever grateful for the days I can go back and read the journey He has taken me on and continue walking, and writing, page-by-page, my day-to-day struggles, joy-filled moments, and the continued unknowns of this grace-filled life we live.

Every leap of faith has moments of uncertainty...

The beginning of the school year for a teacher...who is not teaching...

This summer and beginning of August has been full of so many emotions as this is the first year that I am certified as a teacher and could be setting up my own classroom and welcoming in little ones. Feelings of making the wrong decision, of feeling behind, of second guessing my path that I am on... However, even though I am not "teaching in a classroom," I know my year will be full of teachable moments, both as the teacher and the student.

"Don't dig up in doubt what you planted in faith." -Elisabeth Elliot 

My journey through the Forge isn't the same path that most of my friends/fellow teachers are on, but as one of my mentors and Education professor's said, "Stay focused on your purpose - you KNOW you are walking in His will and being completely obedient. Don't think of it as a delay to teaching - you were called to do this work and you answered in complete faith."

This isn't how I imagined spending my first August out of college, but it is neat to know that this is where I am right now, and I will continue walking in it and trusting that it is where I am supposed to be.

"The fear of making a wrong decision shouldn't strip the faith right out of our faith." 

"As long as you desire to please God with your decisions, no decision you make will be completely awful. Nor will any decision you make be completely awesome. Every decision is a package deal of both. Every thrill has an element of risk. Every leap of faith has moments of uncertainty. And every great success story has elements of failure."

-Lysa TerKeurst, "The Best Yes"

In these moments of uncertainty, I am holding fast to the faith that I have, and trying my best to walk daily in obedience and trust. I am thankful for everyone who is walking alongside of me in this journey. I can't say thank you enough for every prayer, donation, word of encouragement, and support.

With so much love and thankfulness, and a heart learning to trust...

http://www.journeythroughtheforge.blogspot.com/

The Forge

A journey of stepping out in faith and into this crazy program called The Forge...what is it and why am I going? 

As the chapter at Samford closes and all the unknowns of life are still as unknown as they have ever been, I have been praying through one particular opportunity for most of my senior year.  It is an eight-month leadership and discipleship program through the ministry of Pine Cove called The Forge. I have spent the last three summers in Texas working at Pine Cove, serving middle school students in order to spread the Gospel and show His love at such an impressionable time in these students’ lives. I have seen how God uses Pine Cove to truly transform lives for His purposes and His glory. In addition to youth camps and family camps, Pine Cove offers a leadership fellowship and discipleship program called the Forge. I have heard about this program every summer I have been there, but it was not until this past summer that the Lord started putting it on my heart.

The Forge is a program designed to challenge and refine your faith in order to develop character, identity, and discipline consistent with Christian leadership. It is a challenging, but purifying eight months as you spend your time being refined as a follower of Christ and learning more about God’s Word and His design for your life through classes, living among community, and six different trips around the country and world. You are able to put your faith into action as you are given hands-on learning opportunities to apply what you are being immersed in. Pine Cove describes their program in a simple metaphor of a forge being a furnace where metals are heated so they can be shaped according to the blacksmith’s design and desire. In that same way, The Forge program exists to be that same kind of environment for growth and transformation.
         
As I think about my past four years in college, I have put all my passion, effort, and time into becoming a teacher, which is something I value and love. My heart for children and for learning goes beyond what I could have imagined. My degree from Samford will allow me to spend my life teaching and pouring into elementary-aged students. In addition, the Forge will provide the opportunity to challenge and equip me in my Christian walk and provide leadership skills that I can apply to my teaching and any future endeavors. I will be learning how to use my talents, strengths, and leadership skills to best glorify Him through my teaching and ultimately my life.

Through so much prayer, asking for open and closed doors, and seeking wisdom and guidance, I decided to take a leap of faith and apply for this discipleship program. Pine Cove handpicks 28 young men and women for this program, and I am honored to be one of them in The Forge class of 2016! I am open for what the Lord has in store for me throughout this next year and how He will use me as a vessel to share His love around the world.

Thank you for stopping in and sharing this journey with me. I really feel like this is where I am supposed to be right now and am excited to continue to share all that the Lord is teaching me and how He is using me. I appreciate all of your prayers throughout this next year. The support of my family and friends has meant the world throughout the beginning of this journey, and I couldn't do it without the prayers and encouragement from so many. One of the requirements of each student is to help fundraise the operating cost of the program. Honestly, it is a little daunting, but I know the Lord is sovereign and faithful. I have committed to raise my share of $12,000 by March 1st, 2016. I am already committing $1,200 of my own funds towards the cost, but can afford little more. I am praying for some of my family and friends that might be able to help me make up the difference with a tax-deductible gift to the Forge. I’m looking to find a team of 5 people who would support me at $100/month, another 10 people who would support me at $50/month, and 14 people who would support me at $25/month for 8 months. A one-time gift is also an option, which would be a tremendous blessing as I go throughout this program. If you do feel like you could be one of those people, you can donate straight on The Forge's website at http://www.pinecoveforge.com.

Again, I am so thankful for all of the support and encouragement throughout this process. I appreciate your prayers more than you know, and any financial support will be a wonderful blessing throughout these eight months. If you have any questions or would like to know more, I would love to hear from you. Thanks for sharing this journey with me.

http://www.journeythroughtheforge.blogspot.com/

Siesta Scripture Memory #2

Audrey and I have already found that being a part of the Siesta Scripture Memory Team has been so rewarding... We wrote our first verse on the bathroom mirror and were reminded of God's simple truth every day. Love that we are partnering with women all of the world as a part of this Team.

Our next verse comes from Ephesians and it is one of my favorites. Strength comes from Him and this is such a perfect reminder that His Spirit lives in us and empowers us. Learning how to trust Him more this year and excited to have this reminder from His Word.

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your heart as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong." Ephesians 5:25

2015 Siesta Scripture Memory

Beth Moore cheers on this Siesta Scripture Memory Team every other year and encourages women to memorize 24 verses throughout the year. Every two weeks she posts on her Living Proof Minisitries Blog and shares the verse she is going to memorize. You comment on each of the blog posts throughout the year and post which verse you are memorizing depending on your own needs and challenges at that time. There is a fun celebration at the beginning of the new year for the women that stick it out through thick and thin and memorize 24 verses.

Beth Moore puts it like this... "The Word of God alive, active, and abiding in us which speaks to us, shields us, warns us, strengthens us, sanctifies us, equips us in our callings, and directs us in our decision making. It sharpens our insight and improves our discernment. It makes us wiser and, let’s be bold enough to say, even smarter. Our brains were hardwired to flourish across the board when nourished by the Scriptures. Above all else, Scripture abiding and thriving in us builds up our faith, for “faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) And, Girlfriend, we want to be women of faith. That faith erupts into works that were planned for each of us before the creation of the world. (Ephesians 2:10)"

So this year, my little sister and I are hopping on board. Two verses a month, twenty-four this year, a heart waiting to be filled with the active, alive, and abiding Word of God.

My first verse is Galatians 5:25, "Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives." I love this verse and since I'm graduating this year, I'm trusting that the Spirit will lead and guide me I every aspect of my life.

This is a picture that I took in the Middle East...love the symbolism of the Jesus walking paths similar to this one. Praying for the Spirit to guide me along this path this year.

Baccalaureate

A night to remember.

I was never more surprised than when I was asked to speak at my Baccalaureate. My whole senior year I had heard my dad ask countless times, "Hey Tab, are you going to need to give a speech at graduation?! Because I have mine that I gave. It's timeless and I can get it for you if you need it." I repeatedly said, "Dad, I'm not going to give a speech." Only to hear the next week, "Hey! You sure you won't need that speech?" I had to smile, knowing I would have to call him and finally tell him I would be needing that speech of his.
I was asked to write a 4-5 minute speech that would be a reflection of my years at CAL and a sending off of the class of 2011. My perspective on Christian Academy was a bit different since I started there my sophomore year rather than starting in kindergarten.
That night I started praying, I had no idea what I was going to talk about. For about a whole week, I literally had nothing. I would sit down to write and I had no thoughts or starters, no lines or endings. I was getting a little nervous as I knew Baccalaureate was fast approaching.
The teacher helping me with my speech told me sometimes it helps to have a thread that you can work around - a certain object or idea that's present throughout the speech.
So I started thinking of ideas like crayons or markers, high lighters, construction paper or even colors. I had always liked office supplies. And although the ideas started out as a joke and made everyone laugh, there was a theme and it suddenly dawned on me.
A pencil.
You use a pencil in kindergarten, high school and even college. I had seen a giant pencil in the art room and asked the teacher if I could borrow it. With much help and support from my parents, family and a few teachers, my speech started coming together. Although it wasn't perfect, and I was still making changes an hour before the ceremony, I had gone over it as many times as possible and told myself I was as ready as I'll ever be. (I only wish I had remembered to pick the pencil up the first time I walked to the podium....) I said a prayer before I went up and asked the Lord to calm my nerves and for His light to shine through me as I gave my speech.

"I have always liked pencils - the smell of a freshly sharpened pencil, buying new pencils, going to Office Depot to look at pencils. But I hate it when you are in the middle of writing a paper or taking a math test, and all of the sudden your pencil just breaks. You look down…asking yourself, “What am I going to do now?” Knowing you can’t go on any further without re-sharpening that pencil.

That is exactly what happened when I walked into another Louisville high school my sophomore year. In my Spirit and heart, something wasn’t right. I told my mom, “I feel like I don’t belong here anymore.” But like that broken pencil, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to do or where I was going to go from there. My mom asked me where I thought I belonged, and in my heart, I felt like the Lord was leading me to CAL. I remember so vividly sitting in Mrs. Rafla’s office three days into sophomore year and her asking me why I wanted to come to CAL. I told her I had thought and prayed about it so much and wasn’t sure whether I should stay where I was and be a light, or come to CAL where I thought the Lord was leading me. She said something that I have never forgotten, she said, “Tabitha, sometimes the Lord puts us in certain situations and places where we are meant to be a light. But sometimes, He knows we need to be poured into and have our faith sharpened so we can be made stronger and be a light when we are called to be.”

That is exactly what CAL has been for me. For 3 years, I’ve been at a place where my faith has been nurtured and allowed to grow. I have kind of a unique perspective on CAL because I have attended a secular school, a parochial school and several small private schools. Coming here I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but I knew that I wanted to be in a place where the emphasis was on faith and prayer as a part of your daily life. My expectations were far exceeded when I saw 400 high school students gathered at 7a.m. on the Great Lawn to pray, when I saw dozens of students running out of the cafeteria to make it to the lunch Bible Study, and when I witnessed my fellow seniors miss 5th period, not for a senior meeting, but to kneel at the foot of the cross in tears. By attending Christian Academy, I have been sharpened not only as a person, but also as a disciple and follower of Christ.

Now back to this pencil. I have always loved pencils….and for that matter, color pencils, post it notes, high lighters, markers, crayons, etc etc etc…. In fact, the joke at my house was always “What should we get Tabitha for her birthday?” “Oh just get her a gift card to Office Depot.” As you might guess or may already know - I want to be a teacher. I used to get so excited at the start of school in the fall, because I would get to go buy new school supplies. In the movie You’ve Got Mail, Meg Ryan said, “Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.”

The funny thing is that we are like pencils in a way. There are many shapes, sizes, styles and colors, but the thing that remains the same about all of them is they all get worn down or even broken after use. So what do you do? They have to be re-sharpened, refilled or bought new. The same holds true for us.

Just like the lead in a pencil gets worn down, our spirit gets worn down from the struggles and trials of daily life. So how do we re-sharpen our spirit? My mom used to tell me how when she was a little girl and her pencil became dull she would take it to her daddy. He would reach in his pocket, take out his pocketknife and carefully re-sharpen her pencil. That is exactly what our Heavenly Father does for us. Sometimes He will personally sharpen and mold us with His hands, and sometimes he puts people in our lives who encourage us and help us grow more than we could imagine. As iron sharpens iron, so do our brothers and sisters in Christ sharpen us in our walk with the Lord.

Also, sometimes with the wear and tear of life, we start to feel empty. Just as our pencils run out of lead and need to be refilled, we too need to be replenished. Simply being in the Word of God and allowing it to draw us closer to Him will give us a deeper walk with the Lord. Romans 12 assures us that our minds will be transformed by this renewing.

Along our journeys, we may also find ourselves in a place where we are completely broken. Stopped in our tracks. Hopeless. But just like a broken pencil was once bought new, the same holds true for us. We were bought with a price far greater than we could ever imagine – Christ’s life, death and sacrifice. He makes us new creations – the old is gone the new has come. So whenever we feel we are broken or too worn out to be completely sharpened, all we need to do is go back to the beginning – back to the cross.

For many of us, Christian Academy has been the place where we have been sharpened, refilled and pointed toward the cross. The challenge now for each of us, as we leave the familiar halls of CAL, will be to find a new place that will not only sharpen our own faith, but allow us the opportunity to sharpen, refill and point others toward the cross.

I like to think of the graduating class of 2011 as a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils. So, no matter what kind of pencil you are, mechanical or wooden, colorful or charcoal, number 1 or number 2, .7 or .5 -- it’s time for us all to go make our mark on the world."