Going down memory lane today But before I do, I saw this beautiful photo I made in Italy and it reminded me of the verse in the Bible about wineskins. (YES, peeps, Jesus drank wine! HELLO!). Anyway, I knew the verse was there and I found it. And I researched it and read about wineskins. So interesting! And since I love a glass of wine made even more special those verses. Interesting that I would suddenly recall time with the Youth back when Patrick/Katie were in high school.....
What an incredible Youth we had!!!!!!! One reason was because of our incredible Youth minister. He was amazing with the kids and they loved him. And he loved them. I am so thankful Patrick and Katie were youth when he took over the job of Youth Minister.{ * FYI :Now Steve is a UMC pastor, DR>STEPHEN STRANGE and is pastor of a UMC church. But, we were lucky to have him "before he got famous"} . LOL!
I was lucky to have gone on several Beach trips with the youth and Steve back 12-15 years ago We had a HUGE youth group then. It was amazing times with our youth! He was so great with ALL the kids but he would let them know when he wasn't pleased with them! He would encourage them/fuss at them/laugh with them/play with them/Pray with them and for them.Mostly, he would love them. He LOVED them to Jesus! I fully believe that. And b/c the kids all loved him so much, they wanted to please him. It was a win/win situation. I would get so tickled when Steve would tell the kids on mission trip "Hey, it ain't about you!" , b/c there were many days they would complain, as teens do, about doing certain tasks/Bible Study, etc. and I would hear his booming voice, halfway across the beach , "IT AIN'T ABOUT YOU! GET OVER IT!" He would get so mad b/c the kids would do something great for the cause of Christ and then, just as teens (and adults, too!) they would sometimes drop the ball. Case in point: One summer trip the kids were playing basketball outside our motel. We were in Panama City Beach, Fla. Some other kids came up and wanted to play basketball. Kids a little "different". Our kids blew them off/actually ignored them and unfortunately for OUR kids, Steve witnessed it. OMG, he almost blew a gasket. Immediately Steve screamed for all the youth to "go upstairs!" to our meeting room where we were staying.. He told the kids, "You have been doing so great, but what I witnessed just then, ruined it all. You didn't want those other kids to play. You all sang songs this morning and prayed and yet went outside and you ignored some kids who you could've witnessed to. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING??? YOU MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY!!!!!!" IT AIN'T ABOUT YOU! What are we here for???" Oh he went on and on. They cried and apologized but I can guarantee you one thing---those kids invited everyone without shouting distance to play ball and join them on the beach the rest of the week after that!!!! AND, later on in the week, during one of the big bonfires they used to have on the beach at night, our group of boys and girls sang songs till past midnight each night with so much excitement for Jesus and so many life changing moments happened. Right there on the beach. Each night we would have this huge bonfire and get in a circle and they sing their hearts out/give testimonies and/or pray with and FOR each other. And guess what? Other teens would come. Some would stare. Some would walk off. And some, well, some would slowly come and timidly walk towards the group. . And our kids, well, how proud I was of them? What did they do? They opened their circle. . They accepted those whom at first they didn't want to invite. Our kids got the message. The kids that came out of that youth group, I might add, are some of the most amazing young adults now! Several went into ministry. Almost all that I know of, are active in their own church, wherever they are. I am so proud of them. And proud that Steve kept pushing the kids to do what's right and with prayer and love for all the kids together with the Holy Spirit, those kids are making a difference, TODAY, in the world. I am forever grateful. New wineskins, you might say........
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The verses from Mark about "new wineskins" reminds me that changing our ways of thinking , sometimes to actually hear something different is about opening up our eyes/ears and mostly HEART. The religious leaders in Jesus' time called him a "blasphemer". Back in His day, if you put new wine (which hadn't fermented) , in an old container, it would eventually ferment and break the container it's in. He was trying to illustrate with that story that He was bringing a new way of thinking. They didn't like it. Example: Some of the older folks in congregations don't like "the new way of worship". I' know it's true b/c I've heard it! LOL! Even the church I attend , lots of folks don't like the "new way" even though the church is radically different than most mainline churches. I love history and tradition . I ALSO love new praise and worship songs. Can I do both--love the old way and the new? Of course I can!!! And I try to be open on different ways to worship. And less on pointing fingers. It annoys me to no end folks who love to hit others with Bible verses to make a point on an issue or to make a verse "fit" a situation. While I'm on a roll: "Bible quoters" might annoy m e the most. Not the scripture, the person delivering the scripture! That and putting verses on FaceBook trying to make a point. Pet Peeve? Ya think? LOL... I think some of the old pointing finger folks ,that still love to judge others, need a lesson from YOUNGER kids. Like the teens on our Florida trip. The shed their old wineskins for new. And the new wine poured out.......
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I'm going to end with some words that I had scribbled in the side margin of my Bible that I LOVE: "We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by SHOWING them a LIGHT that is so lovely that they want, with all their hearts, to know the source of it"--Madeleine L'Engle, Walking on Water
NEW WINESKINS NEED NEW WINE!!