Encourage One Another

On Wednesday, my roommate and I combined our small groups to talk about encouragement.  We looked at several Bible verses about the topic, then took some time to make cards (our girls like to be creative!) and write encouraging notes to friends, family members, and/or people in the community.  With colored paper, fancy scissors, and recycled magazines strewn over the floor, we put into practice what we had just read that God commands us to do.

I was also able to share these verses and thoughts with the elementary teaching staff and 4th grade students.  What a good lesson to teach over and over again to remind me of the importance of encouragement!

There have been many people in my life who have encouraged me -- to achieve, to dream, to love, to live for Christ.  I pray that you can identify many people who have made a difference in your own life at pivotal points, too.  But, who is our greatest encourager?  The Lord!  "You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them, and You listen to their cry" (Psalm 10:17).

In addition to using the words of others, God can encourage me through the truth of His Word, the promise of salvation, and the hope of His return (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18).

God calls us to be encouragers, too, even when it isn't easy:  "Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice!  Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace.  And the God of love and peace will be with you" (2 Corinthians 13:11).  In the midst of conflict with friends, frustration in the classroom, or disagreements with others, I am called to seek unity and peace... and to encourage.

If I want to encourage someone with whom I've had conflict in the past, I can't just try really hard to say something nice.  My own effort to encourage will not succeed with God's love transforming my life.  To encourage someone means deliberately changing not only the words I say, but also the attitude of my heart.  God, transform my heart so that I can sincerely encourage others with Your truth.

I pray that you are encouraged by all that God is doing in and through you... and that you can encourage others with your words, actions, and attitudes in this day.  Thank you for being a huge encouragement in my life!

"Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Thoughts from "Forgotten God"

While reading over the chapter of Forgotten God that I'll be studying with my small group tonight, several passages really spoke to me.  This is my heart in serving here at Black Forest Academy -- because I believe that God has called me here to be taken out of my comfort zone, to take risks for Him, to impact lives, to love unconditionally.  I pray that these words are a challenge to you, too:

"It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are.  But it's absolutely vital to grasp that He didn't call you there so you could settle in and live out your life in comfort and superficial peace.  His purposes are not random or arbitrary.  If you are still alive on this planet, it's because He has something for you to do."

"The Spirit is meant to lead us toward holiness.  The Spirit is here with us to accomplish God's purposes, not ours.  When you decide to put to death -- to crucify -- your flesh, you are by default choosing the way of the Spirit."

"Like our Savior, who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurts.  We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things.  It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and acts in and through us in ways that on our own we are not capable of.  This is our purpose for living.  This is our hope. 'And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us' (Romans 5:5)."

Like I said, good stuff.

New Beginnings

The first week of the second semester of my second year at BFA is complete!  This week has been a week of relearning routines and settling back into "normal"... but it has also been one of new beginnings.

Here are some new additions to our classroom...

"Miss Brown's Fridge" is where I am going to hang excellent work, along with a picture of the featured student.  (Some parents hang good work on their refrigerators... my parents always hung it on the pantry door, but I'm guessing that "Miss Brown's Pantry" would make even less sense!  Haha!)

This is the new bulletin board in our classroom for our science unit on layers of the earth, earthquakes, and volcanoes.  The students will "travel" to the center of the earth as we study different topics in this 3-week science unit.

We also set goals for the coming year.  I encouraged the students to think about how they could accomplish these goals, so that they would be achievable, meaningful resolutions.  Here are some that they came up with:

-- I would like to call my grandma more.
-- I want to love my brother.
-- I would like to read my Bible more.  I will put my Bible by my bed to remind me.
-- I want to have at least a B in each subject.
-- I will wake up earlier so I can talk to God more.
-- I want to help others more.  I will look for people who need my help.
-- I want to study for tests.  I will show my mom the study guide and study with my family.
-- I would like to know more about God.
-- I want to get better at spelling and math.
-- I would like to read my Bible 20 minutes every day for the rest of my life.
-- I want to invite friends to my house and share the Gospel with them.
-- I want to use better punctuation.
-- I would like to get better at soccer and keep in better contact with my friends.

Great goals, right?  It's really neat to see the spiritual changes in these students, even in the last month!  I posted the goals that the students were willing to share on the bulletin board out in the hallway.  The students' pictures next to their resolutions are adorned with party hats, "2012" glasses, and other decorations!  They get a kick out of these festive photos.

Above these goals, I put the verse 1 Timothy 4:12 to encourage the students that God can use them even when they're young.  While typing up, cutting out, and posting this verse on the wall, I realized its significance to my own life, too.  As a young single woman, inexperienced teacher, and new BFA staff member, I sometimes allow myself to feel intimidated or inferior.  Instead, I am called to "set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity."  This year and every year, I pray that my attitudes and actions will point to Christ.

Here's to the new beginnings of 2012!

Clinging to a New Lesson

Last year around this time, I blogged about my extensive list of New Year's Resolutions for 2011... and how they disappeared with one accidental click of the "delete" button on my ipod!  (Read the post here.)  In just a moment, my "perfectly crafted" goals for the year were gone.  And I realized that the best attitude for the new year was not that of deliberate planning, but rather complete surrender.

I began this year with a stomach bug.  On January 1, I flew to Scotland with my roommate for a week away.  Within hours we were both laying in bed, feeling miserable.  When we weren't feeling better by the next day, we had to rearrange our schedule for the week, figure out what attractions we would skip, and pray for good health for the rest of the trip!

While we were at the hotel recovering, I realized that God was using this miserable experience to give me a  new lesson to cling to this year:  It's important to stop, to rest, to slow down... and to cling to Christ in utter dependence.  My sickness prevented me from doing anything else, but I want to choose to consistently show my commitment to God, regardless of my circumstances.

May we slow down enough this year to hear God's voice, focus our hearts on Him, and rely on His strength with every breath.  Blessings to you in 2012!

Frohe Weihnachten!

Frohe Weihnachten!  Merry Christmas from Germany!  This Christmas season has been very full.  There were a lot of special events toward the end of the semester, and this break has begun with lots of activity.  I am so blessed to be a part of the BFA community and to have many opportunities to invest in others' lives.  Check out these Christmas highlights...

Fellowship time in the classroom with my students and their families after the elementary Christmas concert 

Small group Christmas party (more here!)

Christmas bulletin board -- note the construction paper and cotton ball Santa hats and beards I added to their photos!

Class gift from my students inside this beautiful stocking -- a gift certificate to my favorite restaurant!

Silly photo booth at our class Christmas party!  I love my 4th graders!

My roommates came to help with the photo booth!

Sharing with the Italian youth group about the BFA Mission Trip I'll be taking there in April (more here!)

Me with the Italian youth leaders at their Christmas party

A special visit from my parents and brother -- one of our days was spent in the Swiss Alps

Christmas Eve service at G5, the German church I attend regularly

Christmas Eve in Basel

Getting appetizers ready with my mom and roommate on Christmas day!

Christmas gifts from Dave -- Wheaton swim team t-shirts!

Spending an afternoon reading and relaxing at the Starbucks in Basel... hooray for break!

My prayer this Christmas is that we are all reminded of the greatest gift ever given -- Jesus Christ.  May our focus be on Him and Him alone as we head into a new year, 2012!

Italy-Bound!

Over the past few weeks, I've been gathering information and planning meetings for the mission trip I'll be leading in April!  Although it seems like it's still a ways off, it's important that we begin team building now.  Prayerfully, we will feel unified as a team by the time our flight takes off from the Basel airport in just over three months.

Last Sunday, I met with most of our team for a team-building meeting over pasta lunch.  We began the meeting doing "Zoom," an activity that helps everyone to consider different perspectives and use good communication.  Afterwards, we talked about why it is important to think about these two things for our trip to Italy.  One student pointed out that we have different perspectives since we come from different cultural backgrounds (Japan, Korea, United States, Canada, Germany, France, Holland, Slovenia...), in addition to interacting with the Italian teenagers who have an even different perspective.  We also prayed that we would communicate well with one another and those we will serve.  

We'll have a lot more pasta in Italy, but we're getting started now!  Each student received a bag of pasta in his or her mailbox, which we cooked together all in one pot to symbolize our unity.  While we ate, we talked about the importance of family and quality time during meals.  The students also told a little bit more about themselves.

You can follow our preparations for this trip here:  http://bfainitaly.blogspot.com.

I would appreciate your prayers as I travel to Italy today (!!) for a few days.  I hope that the meetings with the Italian youth leaders this weekend will be productive and encouraging.  Pray that we would have good communication and come up with ideas about what projects our team can do during spring break.  Most importantly, pray that God would give me wisdom and grace as I interact with the Italians as a representation of BFA, my mission trip team, and even my home church Grace Point.  Grazie!

Rushing Wind

As I sit on the couch in the living room, I hear the wind whipping along the side of the apartment and down the street.  I witness the wind's invisible power in the dancing branches of the evergreens and the sideways raindrops.  Windows rattle.

I am reading Jesus Calling, a devotional by Sarah Young that my mentor gave me as an early Christmas present last week.  Each day of reading this book, I have heard Jesus' voice speaking directly to me through Young's words.

Today, Jesus is saying this to me, to us....

"I am speaking in the depths of your being.  Be still, so that you can hear My voice.  I speak in the language of Love; My words fill you with Life and Peace, Joy and hope.  I desire to talk with all of My children, but many are too busy to listen.  The "work ethic" has them tied up in knots.  They submit wholeheartedly to this taskmaster, wondering why they feel so distant from Me.

Living close to Me requires making Me your First Love - your highest priority.  As you seek My Presence above all else, you experience Peace and Joy in full measure.  I am also blessed when you make Me first in your life.  While you journey through life in My Presence, My Glory brightens the world around you."

I have often heard messages and read verses about being quiet before God and listening to His still, small voice.  In the quiet of this first morning of Christmas break, I wonder to myself how often I actually take the time to be still.  Do I use the excuse of being busy with "good" things?  Can I claim that I'm not very good at just sitting and listening?

The loud cry of today's wind calls out to me again.  When spending time with God is no longer my highest priority, when "work ethic" is my taskmaster, I need to hear the loud voice of a rushing wind to call me back into His presence.

I want to live close to You, Jesus.  May Your glory shine through me as I seek You above all else.

GCC Alum Profile!

Check out my GCC Education Department alumni profile!

http://www2.gcc.edu/dept/educ/ecs/AlumFeature2011_HeatherBrown.asp

Sweets and Sweet Girls!

The last time my small group and I were together was for a few brief moments at the high school Christmas banquet in beautiful dresses and special hairstyles...

Tonight we put on our pajamas to celebrate Christmas in a different way!  My roommate Brittany and I invited our small group girls to come over for pizza dinner, a movie (Elf, of course), and lots of fun.  We just love having these freshmen and sophomores relaxing, chatting, and being silly in our living room!

While watching Elf, the girls could also decorate sugar cookies!  We made icing with powdered sugar, water, and food coloring (so easy!) and set out lots of toppings.

After some time to exchange gifts in our separate groups, we had fun with a photo booth!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

We Give Thanks

Thanksgiving may be "just another day" of teaching here in Germany, but we won't forget to give thanks.

Staff devotions about giving thanks

Thankfulness collages with my small group girls

Thanksgiving at our house - singing worship songs after dinner

Many, many blessings to be thankful for!

"Praise be to You, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.  Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.  Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; You are exalted as head over all.  Wealth and honor come from You; You are the ruler of all things.  In Your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.  Now, our God, we give You thanks, and praise Your glorious name."  1 Chronicles 29:10-13