Hey guys!

This week has been a crazy one. The silly stomach flu has been going around my workplace and I thought I was doing pretty good. However… I didn’t get the stomach flu but I did get pesky strep throat! No matter what I do ( or what remedies I try) Its just an environmental hazard of the field of work I’m in :P. Not only do I work with children in my secular job, I work with them on a ministry level as well. ( Double Whammy of the germ bugs!!) However,  I must say its my favorite and most fulfilling part of spiritual journey! I just love the kids! So, as I was racking my brain trying to think of what life lesson/message I wanted to deliver to them yesterday I kept drawing a blank. Mind you, it could be that fact that I was sick, and mean sick to the point where my fever was outrageous, but I was freezing, couldn’t even eat if I tried or get out of bed sick. So after three days of that, I was slowly on the mend, I picked up my devotional, “Women of The Bible” to catch up on my answers and post them to my group ( A group  of my girlfriends and I have book club where we read a book( devotional) simultaneously and discuss over Facebook! We live in 4 different cities ( Ottawa, Scarbourough, Miami and Hamilton so Facebook is just the easiest way to stay connected all at the same time)  So to make sure I stayed on track ( so Rachel wouldn’t kill me) I picked it up. This week we were studying the story of Bathsheba. Now the devotional is broken up day by day, with specific things to draw from. In the Tuesday section, there was a part about ritual bathing. In the story of Bathsheba , we meet her participating in a ritual bath after her time of menstruation was complete. Now the manner in which this ritual was completed wasn’t necessary. She could have simply taken a bath and would have been physically clean. However this ritual was to signify that after days of being impure she was now “clean” again. Looking at Bathsheba ( or any other woman who deals with that pesky time of the month) are you able to tell that they are “unclean”. Honestly, no. In those days you were basically a shut in during those times but in modern times its just another facet of our lives.

So after I finished that portion, I went to sleep and in my sleep I got this word for  the kids: “Does your #Selfie reflect the true you?”

To bring this picture to light, I had a bunch of the kids at service that morning take a selfie with me. I made sure that we were in the worst light possible, my hand was at an awkward angle to ensure the picture was not the greatest.

I then began to show them how the magic of apps like Facetune and Squareready and Instagram can take what seems to be an awful picture and turn it into something magazine worthy.

Through discussion we were able to make a connection with the pictures and our own lives. Sometimes we look the part of a Christian. We post the memes about God and know the word to every worship song…  those can act as filters. But deep down underneath, we know we aren’t praying as we should, we don’t act Christ like at school… those show the true picture of who you are. As we began to close up I reminded them that God is coming for the true picture . No filters attached! We ended in prayer, with this scripture as our encouragement for the week:

Matthew 5: 16 reads: 

¹⁶ Let your light shine in front of men. Then they will see the good things you do and will honor your Father Who is in heaven.

This is a good reminder for us adults as well. Is our light shining beyond the filtered selfies?  “Is our inner man as clean as our outward physical man?

The devotional has a paragraph that is so fitting. Let me share it with you. It reads:

” We live in a culture that glorifies outward cleanliness with our soaps and lotions and toothpastes and disinfectants, our bathing and brushing and washing and wiping. But how concerned are we with inner cleanliness? Do we have clean hands but spirits filthy with hate? Do we have soft, clean shaven legs but hearts hardened to the hurts of others? Do we have clean, blemish-free faces that seldom smile? Outward cleanliness is admirable- but only if inward cleanliness accompanies it.” 

As we cleanse our outer man, lets not forget our inner man.  Once we are squeaky clean from the inside out, it will be so much easier to let our lights shine!

I think its only fitting I leave you today, with a song that soldiered me through my childhood at Hamilton COGOP: This Little Light of Mine 🙂

Lyrics:  ( as we sang it at my church :P) the video lyrics are slightly different.

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,
let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel – NO!
I’m gonna let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel – NO!
I’m gonna let it shine,
Hide it under a bushel – NO!
I’m gonna let it shine, Let it shine,
let it shine, let it shine.
Don’t let Satan blow it!

I’m gonna let it shine.
Don’t let Satan blow it out.
I’m gonna let it shine
Don’t let Satan blow it out.
I’m gonna let it shine,
let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Let it shine til Jesus comes.
I’m gonna let it shine.
Let it shine til Jesus comes.
I’m gonna let it shine,
Let it shine til Jesus comes.
I’m gonna let it shine.
let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,
let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Spangler, Ann, and Jean Syswerda. “Bathsheba.” Women of the Bible: A One-year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture. Grand Rapids, MI: ZondervanPublishingHouse, 1999. N. pag. Print.

Have a blessed Monday!
xoxo