Category Archives: Body Of Christ

by

Wild and Crazy!

image

“Are you Mrs. Woody?”

I turned to look at the person who asked that question of me Friday and found myself looking in a face that was familiar ….  yet when and why?

“I’m Preston Springer”

Ah, yes! Fifteen years ago – “Copenhagen Boys” –  wild and crazy skits that made us laugh so hard we almost…..

You get the idea. There are certain people who have so much personality that they only need one name to identify them. They are funny even when they aren’t trying to be. They just are.

Preston

Preston was an art major in college, and as seems to go with that choice of major, he was wild and crazy.

He was wild and crazy about Jesus. You couldn’t be with Preston very long before you knew he loved Jesus and wanted you to know that being a Christian was a blast – in the best sense of the word.

Preston was also real – what you saw was what you got. He was enthusiastic about his art, his girlfriend Deede, and sharing his faith with high school kids. He led Bible studies that had everyone laughing one minute, and reading the Bible the next to see if it really said that. Some kids came because they were never sure what would happen next. That was fine, because it always came back to Jesus and following Him.

Preston volunteered with Young Life while he was a college student and our daughters were in high school at that time. He led a Bible study that met at our home.

God used Preston in the right place at the right time in the lives of our daughters.

This is how:

  • he was real, and really committed to following Jesus
  • he was funny, but not by putting down others – usually at his own expense
  • he encouraged teens to read the Bible
  • he and his friends did skits that most who saw them feel will never be surpassed
  • he had FUN

High schools years are often difficult for young people who want to follow Jesus.

The pressures from our culture that say being a Christian is boring, backward, a crutch, or even anti-intellectual are intense. Finding those who will spend time, be positive role models, and have fun together with our adolescent children is a blessing that Christian parents pray for.

Romans 12 :1-2

12 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Preston and Deede were here to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary. They have 3 beautiful children and both are artists. Preston teaches high school art and Deede is a floral designer and photographer with her own business. Check it out at – Springvine Designs on Facebook and prestonspringer.com.

As Christian parents and grandparents, we should pray that God brings those special people in our children’s lives that will help them to grow in their love and knowledge of Jesus. Preston and Deede where those kind of people for our children. They showed by their lives that following Jesus was not only the best, but could be fun as well.

All those who teach Sunday School, lead youth groups, and love children are being used by God in such special ways.

We have many in Jackson County that are fulfilling that role for our teenagers, Keith and Hope West, Jason and Casey Melvin, and Samantha Blanton to name just a few.

Pray for these folks and encourage them who are fulfilling this ministry in the lives of our children.

May God Bless all those who bless our children!

 

by

Gathering Together

image

“Make sure you invite Mrs. Woody, too.”

My friend Alice Marie called me to tell me about a gathering of woman which was going to take place the next evening. Her granddaughter, Lauren, had invited her and Lauren asked that she extend the invitation to me.

Well, when a former student made the effort to invite her old, retired teacher to something, I certainly wanted to go. Alice Marie and I made plans to meet and attend together.

What a blessing!

In a coffee shop next to the campus of Western Carolina University, close to 100 women of various ages gathered to fellowship, worship, hear testimonies, and just enjoy being together. There was nice food as well.

Several things blessed me about this gathering.

  • the variety of the ages of the women who came – too often we are segregated by age, which for certain activities is great. Yet, it was so refreshing to see women of various ages coming together to just enjoy each other AND the Lord’s presence.
  • the variety of the groups represented – there were many different campus groups, fellowships, churches, Bible studies, etc. represented. All came together to share the love of Jesus – something all have in common.
  • the atmosphere of love and grace present – there was no “hidden agenda”. There was no charge, no recruitment for membership, no pressure. The time of worship and sharing were just that – worship and sharing.
  • gifts were freely given – most everyone enjoys a present and the door prizes were lovely paintings reflecting the theme of the event – Jesus’ love.

I felt an overwhelming sense of love that evening. It was such a blessing seeing high school students who had invited their mothers and GRANDMOTHERS to share in this time together. College students invited their friends and neighbors and various community groups such as CrossFit invited ladies as well.

It was truly a gathering.

In John chapter 17 Jesus prays for us, His followers, all those who will ever believe in Jesus.

20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

The world around us is going to believe that Jesus is God’s son, sent to redeem the world WHEN WE, HIS CHILDREN BECOME ONE –  UNIFIED IN HIS LOVE.

This gathering of women was a beautiful expression of the unity we share as God’s children. I pray that we all have opportunities to gather together and celebrate God’s love while at the same time sharing it with others.

Jesus prayed that we would be one as He and the Father are one. That should be our prayer as well.

If you live near enough, please come join the Gathering tonight, Monday, November 16th 7:00 pm at the Point Coffee Shop in Cullowhee. Prepare to be blessed!

by

Balance

Phil and Gayle

As an artist, I use the principles of design as tools to create my art work. My students would often ask me “what makes something art?”

Great question. This question would usually come up after seeing work by an artist like Jackson Pollock who threw paint at his canvases. Barnett Newman would paint a red line down a large canvas. “I could do that”, my students would say. Yes, they could. But, their name was not Pollock of Newman.

Students never asked me “Why is that considered art?” after seeing images of Michelangelo’s or Leonardo Vinci’s art work. These artists are without question masters because something in their work is timeless and connects with people across various cultures and backgrounds.

Great art has balance.

Balance in art occurs when the parts of the artwork are arranged to create the impression of equality in importance. For instance, the background does not appear more important than the focal point – or main object. Our eyes sense when things are in balance – it is pleasing to look at.

We also sense when things are out of balance. Something just doesn’t look “right”, even if we can’t pinpoint it.

I belive this is an important issue in human relationships as well. There must be balance in the relationship for it to be meaningful and “right”.

Notice that the definition of balance in art uses the word “equality”. For a relationship to be balanced there has to equality of value – each person in the relationship must have equal value.

This does not mean the people in the relationship have the same roles, talents, abilities, or responsibilities. Yet they have the same worth.

Galatians 3:27-29 (NLT)

27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

See the balance Paul describes? He also tells the Roman Christians that they need to have balance in their view of themselves. Romans 12:3-5 NLT

3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

Paul warned us about thinking “you are better than you really are”. He KNEW we have a problem with that!

The solution is recognizing that our value is based on the fact that we are children of God, our heavenly father. When we see ourselves, and others, as His children, we all have equal value – we all “belong to each other!”

This truth will create balance in all our relationships if we truly believe it and live it.

Let’s pray for balance in all our relationships.

Next week we will look at harmony, another element of design.