Happiness is Expensive?

As Jeremy and I were on our way to Chuy's on Westheimer, we passed this vignette announcing the  subliminal message this store tries to promote: Happiness is Expensive.
I've been praying for our country a lot recently on my own and with groups of people here at the BSM. One girl I talked to mentioned that on a trip to Uganda she saw a woman who could not afford to buy food or clothing enjoying listening to a new MP3 player as she walked down the road. This student had an insightful comment about the fact that Western culture is influencing people to buy things that they can not afford because everyone else has one. Though there are other sides to this issue, like I could say that being able to listen to music is more valuable emotionally to her than the ability to have new clothing, it was still pointing to a problem that we have here in America. This sign "Happiness is Expensive" could be the slogan for that damaging concept. It is indicative of our culture influencing the world - and that not always being beneficial to those countries.
As I take a step back and consider how am I contributing to this unfortunate dilemma, it is somewhat overwhelming. I know I fall into the same temptation as the woman walking down the dirt path as I desire things that I can not afford because my friends have those things. I know there is freedom in simplicity and living by faith - watching my Father provide really good gifts and being grateful for them.
Happiness is expensive. Freedom is lacking restraint. These are lies that do not fit with the Kingdom that Jesus spoke about. Happiness is contentment due to knowing God is a good Father who satisfies His children. And Freedom comes through knowing Jesus and obeying His commands, and knowing there is grace to cover our mistakes and lack of faithfulness.

Go Coogs! Go Jesus!

Our director, BJ, and Kendra (a campus missionary specifically working to be a liaison between Generation One and the BSM) spent all semester promoting Cougars Care on campus. Our goal was to bring together the University of Houston campus for the sole purpose of "caring for our neighbors" in the Third Ward.
The University of Houston has recently deemed itself "Houston's University," and we desired to give the student body, organizations, and administrators the opportunity to put their hands to work and in alignment with what they were professing. 150+ students and campus ministers answered the call to better the Third Ward.
Generation One and Agape Development Ministries joined forces to provide us with practical was to get our hands dirty. They were clear that they stood united to restore the Third Ward and heal people of poverty, disease, and depression.
I personally spent the day painting a little shotgun house blue with a team of about 10 people. We scraped the old paint off and put on two fresh coats. The children from the family of 5 that occupied the house joined right in to paint their home. They wanted to hold the paintbrushes and rollers and asked their friends from the neighborhood to come help.

Generation One is a trans-denominational ministry located in the Third Ward of Houston, Texas and is committed to the spiritual growth and physical rebuilding of the impoverished areas of the Third Ward. Generation One offices locally in order to better understand the needs of the community and organize the response of those who have a heart to serve and volunteer their prayers, talents, resources, and sweat to improving the quality of life in this historical part of Houston.

A micro objective of our ministry is the Next Generation! We will focus a great deal of time, love, and education on the youth population. Generation One is committed to making sure that the next generation "Knows What Their Potential Is and Believes That They Can Achieve It!" To ensure this becomes a reality, we have set up an after school tutoring program as well as a mentoring program. We also use sports teams, counseling, professional tutoring, Bible studies, life skills classes and more to reach the next Generation.

Agape's Mission is bringing hope and transformation to Houston’s Third Ward,through economic, emotional, and spiritual empowerment. We derive power and direction from the redemptive life and message of Jesus Christ. We listen to the community first as primary stakeholders of their own restoration. We create opportunity for individuals regardless of circumstances. We empower the community for sustainability rather than dependency.

Phi Mu Field Day

Our coach, Hayley (in pink), helped the ladies gear up for the Phi Mu Field Day held to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network. Kim, Dylan, Rosie, Erica, Brigitte, and Rachel took it to the next level by staying up all hours of the night making a stellar banner, tshirts, spirit bandanas and posters to be ready for the challenges: tug of war, eating contest, water balloon toss, and three-legged relay. During the long hours of the night, they welcomed Hayley in as part of the family. She told them that all of the fraternities had wanted her to be their coach and that no one was expecting very much from the BSM in ways of spirit. They spent those hours talking about life and Hayley asked if they could pray for her about a test she had coming up. They even coordinated a spirit dance that they all learned to show the other teams they needed to "Get On My Level" for the Field Day. :)

At the end of the night, Hayley congratulated us on our hard work and remarked, "I am so proud of you guys! I walked in this house not knowing what to expect, and I've found true friends." The whole-heartedness of this statement proved true as weeks later Hayley hung out several times with Erica, Rosie, and Rachel individually and they had deep conversations about her family, past relationships, and her faith. Hayley's mom thought she was going to "corrupt those sweet Christian girls," but instead she found true friends that were not that much different from her and loved her like Jesus. 

 After competing hard in the Field Day, Hayley and the two other Phi Mu coaches invited the girls to eat dinner at ChickfilA and to go to a TKE fraternity party. As for myself, I had just competed in the eating contest (20 ChickfilA chicken nuggets) so I didn't go, but dinner was on me with coupons for free Combo #1s that I had. Kim and Marissa are enjoying their well deserved meal. Rosie and Rachel dressed up in costumes to go make new friends at the party. They are breaking down walls as they allow Christ to have a place at the party. 

Free Lunch. Free to love!

SouthPoint Fellowship sponsored one our Free Lunches this month.

Keeping with tradition, they brought a half-chocolate-half-vanilla sheet cake with the their church's logo and our logo. Joined by the pastor's two sons, (L-R) Shaq, Angelica, James, Kelsey, Nicole, Laura and I posed for a picture! 
We posted this picture on the BSM's Facebook page before Free Lunch to let everyone know we had cake! 

As I was serving spaghetti and greeting students alongside a youth minister from Garden Oaks Baptist Church (a small church in the Heights Area), we shared a lot about our lives and were able to encourage the students and each other about life callings and wise decisions. She was thrilled to be there especially because God had been teaching her that if we minister to people's physical and emotional needs, that God often opens opportunities for us show them His love and He is able to minister to their hearts. Then, we have the responsibility to articulate His love as best as we can - salvation, transformation, healing, etc. Ministry can sometimes become and performance, and that wears on us because we believe it is all on us to make something to happen in people's lives to lead them to Christ. But instead, God desires us to be focused on how we can serve them, how to meet their needs, and then ask Him to reveal to us how He is already pursuing someone and how we can step in and contribute well to what God is already doing. That is so freeing!!! And fuels my desire to pray.

Around 400 students have been coming through on Tuesdays from 11-2 this semester! That is nearly double what we've seen for many semesters. Please pray for encouraging conversations full of God's love and Truth. 

Please pray for these SouthPoint and Garden Oaks who have blessed the BSM by providing food for our Free Lunches. The minister that I mentioned above is in the process of developing a college ministry with her sister who also serves in the church. Pray that God would bring students so they can enjoy sharing the life of Christ with them. 

The Blessing of Obedience

Before the semester started, God told me to "turn the television off" in the living room at the house and I was all for it. I wasn't sure if I was just trying to push my own agenda because I've always had issues against media and television. God was just highlighting all of the benefits of what shutting the television down would bring.

And as I approached Jeremy with what I thought I was hearing from the Lord, though he had hesitations, he accepted it as something that would benefit the house as a whole. He was just concerned about the students' reactions. So as a unit, we approached our council team of leadership students with the idea and the benefits. Though they had reservations as well, they saw it as a good idea and brought in some counter-ideas like opening up one of the side rooms for television watching on the weekends, and allowing groups to watch films together. One of our council members went one step further and rearranged the furniture in the living room to offset the television, no longer making it the focal point. 

I feel strongly we were breaking a sort of idolatry. As we set up the living room to foster good conversation and community instead of it just being about the screen on the wall, we were taking actions on what we said we valued - TRUE COMMUNITY.

Almost every night so far this semester Jeremy and I have gone to sleep not hearing the television blaring in the living room next to our room, but instead students laughing and having encouraging conversations! It's such a delight!

May we continue to choose the blessing of obedience, rather than the curse in all of our decisions for the house.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 (NLT) "Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before."

The beginning of my last year with BSM

Another year has begun!

Highlights so far:
We have 5 new campus missionaries and each one of them is awesome!!
Keith, Kourtney, Kendra, James, and Laura.
We all spend a week in Glorieta, New Mexico together with other interns from across the state!
The Lord has helped us be open and loving with each other and has provided such unity to our team. It's such a beautiful thing to witness. Returning from last year is our director - BJ, our secretary - Luzette, and Kelsey - who will be serving as our communications specialist. This added position has already made a huge difference in our team being organized. Thank you Kelsey!

As for the house...
Last year, we called an interest meeting for all students interested in taking a leadership role in the house. We call that team "The Council," and every student that came to that meeting we knew the Lord had hand-picked. After a month or so of prayerful consideration, we gave them specific roles within that small team. We desire the roles to be less about the formal authority of being given a title, and more about how we can delegate responsibility, and communicate information.
As this semester has been approaching, we had our first council meeting to develop a vision for the purpose of the council and the purpose of the house. And also to go over a few rules to help us reach those goals.

The weekend before that meeting, we asked all the housemates to join us and the BSM at a retreat in Danbury, TX. There we went through a curriculum called Faithwalking. As a house we will continue to use this material to allow us to have open and real conversations about how God is transforming us.

Our PHOS Orientation was on Monday evening.
Here's the recipe we used Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers. Yum!
Jeremy and I led the meeting and hopefully it will be our last for the year as the council begins to lead out of the bi-monthly meeting we have with them.

OUR VISION

HOPES, GOALS, RULES…

I. Hopes to Experience

• True Community
• Living Missionally to love our neighbors - literal neighbors (Greeks), co-workers and classmates (UofH), and the city of Houston
• Planting Churches

II. Goals to Reach our Hopes

• Encourage our neighbors
• Non-Christians to discover Jesus
• Christians to live in radical obedience
• Model true radical obedience
• We must experience true transformation for ourselves
• Trusted stewards of spirituality
• Teachers, building up new believers, starting new ministries, gaining influence, to be invited into lives
  
• Participate in Faithwalking 201 to bind our lives together
• Share all things
• Putting our resources together
• Share with those in need

III. Rules AKA Helpers, Boundaries, a covering of Authority

My Church Planting Paper

Starting in the fall semester, two friends and I met in the morning on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to pray for our house ministry and the University of Houston campus at large. We would voice whatever God was laying on our hearts; whether it be specific situations, larger issues, or specific Scripture. We would always end the time looking out the window to watch the sun rise over the campus and city of Houston. The perspective from the fourth floor of our house gives us this particular view! It was beautiful watching God respond to those prayers and also the steady refreshment that streamed from those sweet times. Hours would feel like minutes. During one of these, we were crying out deeply for the Muslim student population at UofH. During the week as Missy was in one of her classes at the Music School she met and spoke with a guy sitting next to her who was the VP of the MSA and they became friends. Missy has also brought another friend of hers that happens to be Muslim and they’ve spent time in her room just being friends.

In the spring, we decided to change our prayer time to a time of running in the morning. Though we still talked and no doubt prayed individually as we ran, it was obvious that we were not allowing ourselves to receive from the Lord in the same way or to the same degree. After the second time we ran, we came back and prayed, and though our time was cut short I still vividly remember God giving me a picture vision of Him strengthening his Body as we all became warriors, except that His kind of warrior did not fight with weapons but with deep love.

As the year went on, I desired that all of the students living in the house would be involved in this type of prayer. So I brought it forth as a challenge, and one time a group of us did meet on the fourth floor. It was good, but felt a little uncomfortable because I’m not sure many of them had experienced a style of prayer that lends itself to hours of fellowship. It sort of became a traditional “voice your prayer as we go around in a circle.” Still so good, but I did wondered how to make prayer more enjoyable where students were experiencing the joy of the Lord. It wasn’t going to look the same, I knew, but I couldn’t help but think what would happen if all the students were in a group like this. One success happened on a Thursday night when we had one of our “Family Dinners.” I encouraged us all to pray after the meal as well and also encouraged one of the students to play the guitar. He wasn’t extremely skilled, but it definitely worked and was a sweet time of raw, come as we are, worship. I exited the room to begin clearing the dishes from the meal with a few others and the worship time continued going. This is a cherished memory; the knowledge that the Spirit was moving and these students weren’t just engaging in an activity I had strong-armed them into, but they were truly fellowshipping together, unified in the Spirit.

As we journey on into another year of this house ministry, I am praying for more of these opportunities and hoping that Monday nights, our family nights, begin to unfold as a combination of the two experiences: on one hand, a consistency that allows us to see God responding to what we are voicing like the times we shared early in the morning, and on the other, the involvement of the entire house where there becomes a unity in the Body of Christ that lives in our townhouse. A unity that comes not just from sharing a house and various experiences, but one that comes from interacting with God together and setting our hearts to the same vision we are receiving from Him. I feel that this is the preliminary step to this ministry becoming a true expression of a church and that out of these times of intimacy with God and the Body comes compassion for the people around us, and the desire to take responsibility for our community. To love them, to serve them, and to want them to experience Jesus for themselves.