Vespers Sharing                                                                                                 10-26-08

When deciding what to share on tonight, I read over the various lectionary scriptures for this week.  I wanted to find a passage that I could relate to through my own life experiences. The passage that is most pertinent to me is from Matthew 22.  In this passage the Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus with tricky questions.

Matthew 22: 36-40 says:

          “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?  Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Let me re-read verse 39 because this is the part that I want to focus on tonight.

          “A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.”

I’ve always valued this command and tried to keep “loving others” at the forefront of my mind and daily actions. Yet, I’ve recently come to a realization: I never placed emphasis on last bit of the command. “Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF.”  It seems that Jesus is saying that we are to love others the way we love ourselves.

When I talk about ‘loving ourselves’ I am not talking about a conceited, selfish, self-centered love; one where we arrogantly “toot our own horn” or place ourselves on a pedestal.  I am referring to a balanced love where we value ourselves and affirm ourselves as God’s worthy and beautiful creations.  A love where we nourish ourselves—physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, and accept the things about ourselves that we cannot change.

After spending some time in deep thought and prayer, it begins to make sense to me. How can we genuinely love others if we don’t respect and love ourselves? How can we give love away if we don’t have any inside of us to begin with? If we don’t value ourselves how can we fully and healthily value and love those around us? 

Speaking from my own experiences and beliefs, (and I’m sure many of you can relate) I find it difficult to fully accept and love myself in this world we all live in.  A culture where the standard of female beauty is the photo-shopped image of a flawless woman on the cover of Vogue magazine, and the male ideal is the ruggedly handsome guy with the washboard abs on Men’s Health or the savvy, polished man posing for GQ. A culture where beauty is virtually unattainable, rich is never rich enough, thin is never thin enough, and none of us “real” humans feel we can measure up.

The culture we live in values achievement over integrity, performance over principle, power over sincerity, and materialism over relationships. No wonder it seems impossible to measure up and feel satisfied with ourselves in this type of environment?  

But, this illusive idea is not of God.  It is Satan’s crafty tactic to keep us stuck in self-criticism, jealousy, and fear. When we can see beyond the media’s lies and embrace the fact that we are worthy human beings because of God’s perfect love, we can begin the journey of self-love and acceptance.  And this journey, which leads towards personal fulfillment, opens the door to truly and wholly loving others. Loving others AS OURSELVES.

And how do we learn to love ourselves?  It can be a difficult undertaking, a slow process, a journey we actively choose to take. To love ourselves means to accept ourselves as we are; to embrace the things about ourselves that we cannot change—the size of our nose, the length of our legs, the color of our skin; To cultivate our strengths and work to improve our weaknesses.  Loving ourselves involves self-respect and a positive self-image.

Personally, a huge barrier to self-love was lifted when I delved into scripture and started viewing myself from God’s perspective.  Really reinforcing that I am a hand-crafted creation of the Creator of the universe. 

One of my favorite verses to pray is Psalm 139: 14

“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it.”  

When we love ourselves, we invest in our own personal growth and development.  We strive to be the best that we can be, to reach our potential, and to fulfill the purpose God has planned for us.  And in doing so, our love will overflow to those around us.  We will be able to truly “love our neighbors as ourselves.”  

I want to close tonight with two readings. The first being a familiar passage on love and the other a written prayer from the 12-Step Prayer Book:

I Corinthians 13: 4-7

          “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

My Worth

I pray to remember that my worth is not determined by the show of outward strength, or the volume of my voice, or the thunder of my accomplishments. It is to be seen, rather, in terms of the nature and depth of my commitments, the genuineness of my friendships, the sincerity of my purpose, and the quiet courage of my convictions. This I pray.

Changing gears, Saturday night Craig and I hosted a party to celebrate me turning 24. It was a themed “S” party where people are to dress up in costumes starting with the letter S.  We had a great turn out of friends and family, some of which went all out with their attire. 

Some of the creative outfits were: Stuntman, Seventies Chic, Swat Team Member, Surfers, Southeast Asian, Student, Sportsplayer, Sailor, and Sleepwalkers.

Here are some of the highlights:

Craigs brother-in-law David, sister Selina (in a red wig!), nephew Christian, me, Craig, and housemate Ian

Girlfriends: Jess, Kristen, Ali, Louisa, Brittany, Marissa, and me

My lovely housemate and friend Hayley and I

The delicious heart-shaped, cream and jam filled sponge cake Hayley made for me

Good times all around. Thanks for making my birthday so special, friends!

-Sarah Kate-

It’s day 3 back in Perth.  My holiday in Nashville was a whirlwind of fun and excitement!  I enjoyed introducing Craig to all my friends and family and showing him around my hometown.  Seeing familiar faces was a breath of fresh air.  Oh how I cherish the handful of friendships that pick up right where they left off, no matter how long the time lapse.  Family game nights, dinner with friends, strolling through Hillsboro village, sleeping in my own bed, cheesecake factory…could it have gotten any better?  Craig got to experience many of his firsts while in Nashville. 

His first American football game.  The overwhelming ambiance of Vandy beating Auburn.

Carving his first pumpkin:

Our finished products: his scary face and my spooky ghost:

And having an open house held in his (and my) honor! Thanks to all who came over. It was great fun!

Mom’s big helpers and best friends, Renee and Theresa!

Friends forever: Allie, Me, Julianna, and Jessi

The three weeks we spent in Nashville will forever be a beautiful memory etched in our minds. Thanks to all our friends and family who made the trip home so special for us both.  You welcomed us with open arms and we are eternally grateful!

Below are some of my favorite photos.

I love my brother and sister!

Our dear (married!) friends Andrew and Lindsey!

My momma and me, my sweet pea…

My lovely family overlooking downtown Nashville. We had a wonderful photographer, thanks Ms. Renee!
A girls’ Night out on the town! 
Our last night with dear friends…Kim, Aimee, and Lindsey

Love. Love. LOVE.

Blessings,

Sarah Kate

So, I am packing my bags and coming home in 3 days! Craig and I are beyond giddy…we resemble 6-year-old kids anticipating Santa on Christmas Eve…seriously.

While I am home, I’d enjoy nothing more than seeing YOU and catching up on life’s adventures.  Soooo, mom and I have organized a little “open house” to fulfill my desire!  Read on…

A Down Under Celebration!

Sunday October 5, 2008

2pm-5pm

The Tiner House:

509 Pointer Place

Brentwood, Tennessee 37027

simple directions:

Go south on Granny White Pike

After crossing the Old Hickory Blvd and GWP intersection, turn LEFT at the 3rd traffic light onto McGavok Road (turning into McGavok Farms subdivision)

Go through the stop sign and take your first LEFT onto Pointer Place

My house is the 3rd house on the LEFT. 509.

Come share in the fun! I hope to see you there!

-sarah kate

L-O-V-E

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law…and whatever other commandments there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”    -Romans 13: 8-10

Christ tells us that all the commandments can be summed up into one word: LOVE

-How has Christ shown his love to you in the past? Today?

-In what ways have you displayed love to others this week?

-Are there people you find difficult to love?

-Is it a challenge to truly love yourself?

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”                                                            -I John 3:16, 18

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Live in harmony with one another.”                                                                                                                 -Romans 12:9-10, 16

“As a prisoner of the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”            -Ephesians 4: 1-2

“Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

                                                                                                                            -I Corinthians 13:4-8, 13

In other news: Josh had his 28th birthday party this past weekend. Hayley, his wife, did a great job of organizing a celebratory festivity: Laser Clay Pigeon Shooting. 

We spent the day at the park, “firing” guns, and having a blast. The guns looked and felt authentic. (I could barely hold that sucker up!) Rather than shooting a bullet (which would be illegal in Australia) the guns shot out a little laser beam, which we aimed at the plastic discs being propelled by a nearby machine.  If the disc censored the laser beam, you scored points.  There was even a sound effects machine to simulate the shots and clay breaking.  My team, team 5, came in dead last place. But, Josh was feeling generous and gave the medals to the losing team. Hey, wasn’t it Jesus who said something about “the last shall be first.”? Sounds familiar….

Here are some fun photos of the party:

(You can click on a specific photo to enlarge it)

grace&peace,

sarah kate

The past month or so has been one of much decision making and planning concerning what I’ll do post-September when my one-year commitment with Westchurch is completed. Things are still getting sorted, so I don’t want to go into too much detail quite yet, but I’ll happily say that things are panning out nicely. I have felt God’s guidance and peace through this whole process.

One exciting piece of news is that I am making a visit home very soon. I’ll arrive into Nashville on Saturday, September 27 and stay for about 3 weeks, til October 15^{th. Joining me, will be my lovely Aussie boyfriend, Craig. We booked our tickets about a month ago and are getting more and more excited as we anxiously count down the weeks til our departure. Craig has never been to Nashville, so I am very excited about showing him around my hometown, as well as introducing him to my wonderful friends and family. I’ve (nerdily) already made a list of places for us to go, activities for us to do, and things for us to see.}

Of course, I want to hit up my favorite hot-spots: Maggie Moos, Centennial Park, Hillsboro Village, and Radnor Lake. And I am sure we’ll do the clichÈ downtown , 2nd and Broadway, gander. But, I am most eager about taking him to eat at Outback Steakhouse. Now, Outback is a relatively good eatery, specializing in that notorious bloomin’ onion, but the main reason I want to take him there is for the stereotypical Australian dÈcor and theme. I think he’ll get a kick out of the “blokes” and “shelas” restroom doors, boomerangs, and Aussie-named meals (i.e. Shrimp on the Barbie).

OOhhh, and an added perk of Craig coming will be having a fun travel companion for the looooong 36-hour journey home. It does get lonely making the trek alone. So, now that my visit-home news is out there, mark your calendars and contact me if you want to catch up. It’ll be a whirlwind of a trip, but I have a lot of experience in being a social butterfly. Ha!

So, in closing, I hope you share in my joy that I, along with my special someone, will be stateside exactly one month from today. I know I am giddy about it!

over&out-

sarah kate

Life in the Spirit

 If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace.”          -Romans 8: 6

 After having read the above passage, meditate on the following quote:

“That which defines us controls us”

 If we are defined by things of this world…

-status-money-power-appearance-relationships–career-accomplishments-beauty-others’ opinions-

…then those things can easily start controlling us, leading to a meaningless and empty life, and ultimately death.

 Rejoice! As believers in Christ, we have the privilege and security of being defined by Christ alone. Let’s openly invite the Spirit to control our minds, leading to life and peace.

 “Since you have heard all about him and have learned the truth that is in Jesus, throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life…instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness—righteous, holy, and true.”    -Ephesians 4: 21-24

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

some of my thoughts:

i find that it’s enticing to get caught up in the tangible and instant validation that the world has to offer. it’s frustrating because i know that placing my worth in things of this world is fleeting and leaves me empty and unhappy, yet i still seem to gravitate towards certain earthly confirmations: people’s opinions and approval, appearance, performance, etc.  yet, God’s word clearly states that these things do not provide fulfillment or lasting security. i believe that God created us humans with the innate desire to feel worthy, special, and loved. by creating this need–this void–God designed us so that He is the only one who will fill it. we find our true worth and uniqueness in Him. however, many of us, including myself, spend our lives aimlessly seeking to find validation in all the wrong places. when we place undo importance on status, power, money, our career, beauty, etc., these things can start to control us. we place so much emphasis on “X” that we lose who (and whose) we are. as i continue my journey of discovering my worth in Christ: the gifts He has blessed me with, the path He has prepared for me, and the ways i can impact others through my own life experiences, i encourage you to take a stand against the allurements of this world and claim your true worth in our Lord!

peace&love-

sk

the exciting part about being in a classroom is the one-on-one time i got to spend with the youth. when i was in the gym, i didn’t get to really connect on a personal level with the boys, but in the classroom i had some really in-depth, meaningful conversations. the two cousins asked me about Jesus and my spiritual beliefs. we had a challenging conversation about sinning and Christ’s forgiveness that stemmed from a question about virginity and sexual abstinence until marriage. one of the harder questions to answer was, “if you know Jesus is going to forgive you, why not just go ahead and sin, knowing that you will be forgiven.” i tried to explain that as a christian, i don’t have the desire to sin because i want to live a full life in Christ, modeling his examples and teachings; and, although i rest assured that i am forgiven, that doesn’t mean i intentionally go about sinning.  it was hard to get my thought across to these two boys who have lived a life of delinquency and rebellion. i could sense that it was difficult for them to fathom an all-forgiving God who loves them unconditionally no matter what wrongs they have committed. it saddened me to see them so wrapped up in their rebellious lifestyle. yet, however hard the conversations were, i was encouraged to give them some glimmer of hope of a life outside of what they’ve ever known.    

after leaving banksia hill around 3 pm, we headed to rangeview remand center, which is a more secure venue for inmates. this is where the young girls are kept, as well. the girls had free time from 3:30-5 pm; so, us five american girls spent time chatting with the girls while the lipscomb boys played footy with the male residents. i took some of the girls down to the basketball court and shot around with them. this activity provided for the opportunity to connect on a deeper level with the girls through conversation and interaction.  i was quite surprised to find out that several of the girls have siblings, cousins, (similar aged) nephews, aunts, or uncles, and other relatives in the prison facilities. it just proves to me that parental and environmental influences play a huge part in a child’s future and the decisions they make.  shockingly, most of the girls said they knew almost all of the other residents in the facility from their neighborhood, school, or community. while i was playing basketball with some of the girls, the other LU ladies had some really heartfelt, emotional conversations with other teenage girls. it was inspiring to see what positive impact we had on the girls in such a short time. 

all in all, the past three weeks visiting the juvenile prisons has been an eye-opening, life altering experience. my stereotypes have been challenged, my comfort zone has been stretched, and my heart has been softened by these underprivileged group of kids. it’s funny how we sometimes seek out “mission” opportunities to help serve and positively influence others, but they end up teaching and impacting us far more than we ever expected or predicted.

in other news, my netball team, the mighty ducks, unfortunately lost our grand final game last night, the final score being 15-19. oh me, did we give it our full-out effort though. it was a toughie without our main goal shooter, but our fill-in friend proved quite talented. ah well, next season starts up next week. no break for us committed athletes. so, bring on another great season!!  

i hope everyone had a marvelously celebratory fourth of july weekend. i sure missed the fireworks, watermelon and humid night air. God bless you all!

-sarah kate

yesterday (tuesday) we went back to banksia hill, the male juvenile prison. our second time around proved much more successful. many of the teens recognized us and were in much better dispositions than our last encounters. by us returning, they could sense that we were committed and passionate about interacting with and caring about them.  i was in the gym again this week, and this time rather than focusing on drama activities, we spent the majority of the time playing dodgeball and team basketball competitions. i found that the boys responded more positively to this type of sporty involvement.  i think i can generalize here and say that most 13-17 year old males are not too keen on making up and acting out drama skits in front of other boys who will mock and make fun of them. i wouldn’t be too keen either…so, sports it was!  however, during the last session of the day, we did do some fun improvisation games that got heaps of laughter and participation. all in all, the day was great fun and quite encouraging. i enjoyed reconnecting with some of the boys i met from last week and we all know that i always enjoy meeting new people!  round 2 = success!!  

today (wednesday) was a much needed agenda-free, leisurely day. many of the students are feeling worn out and under the weather so we decided to take it easy today.  it was a sunny, cloud-free day perfect for being outside so we decided to drive out to caversham wildlife park.  it was my first time there, too, so i was uber excited just like the group.  this wildlife park has heaps of kangaroos and koalas to pet, exotic aussie wildlife, and beautiful vegetation.

we spent a good part of the day wandering around the park, taking pictures galore, and imitating the animals noises. the tasmanian devil was a hoot: it continually runs around it’s pin in a figure-8 form at a steady pace for hours at a time. we stood there for a solid 5 minutes and watched this crazy creature in robot form. hilarious. the kangaroo petting area was awesome. there were hundreds of them there, just lying and standing around waiting to be petted. i got a kick out of watching a little joey come out of his momma’s pouch, stretch his legs and pose for a photo op, and crawl back inside. the koalas were quite…boring…these lazy animals sleep for 20 hours out of the day. they only feed off of eucalyptus plants, which are very low in energy, so they have to conserve this essential energy by sleeping. so, in reality, all koalas really do is sleep and eat. life of luxury? or just plain boring? eh, since it’s leaves for food and a tree branch for a bed, i’ll choose the latter.

one of the groups highlights was attending the “farm show” where we learned how to round up the sheep, milk a cow, crack a whip, and sheer a sheep. did you know that sheep are only sheered once a year? and this coat produces about 12 pounds of wool. this much wool can make 3 fine wool mens’ suits for $1500 each, but bought from the farmer, the wool is only worth $40. seem fair?  sheesh, i learned so much information today. glad i can pass it along to this blog community at large. ha!

in other news, i am proud to announce that my netball team won our semi-final champion ship game last night. we played shockingly awful in the first quarter and were down 3-7. the bloke that was guarding me has been my toughest opponent yet. i am used to being guarded by a shorter female, and in this case, my teammates lob the ball to me. i jump up and catch it over my opponent and put it up for a score. however, this guy was a solid 6’3”, 230 pounder with a spikey mohawk, scraggly goatee, eyebrow piercing, arms full of tattoos, and a missing front tooth. can we say…intimidating!!  but, we got to chatting and he was as sweet as can be; he just wouldn’t let me get the ball. argh!  yet, determination kicked in and i realized i was quicker than this dude, so i started running around, cutting to the basket and found ways to outsmart him.  ah-ha: we ended up winning by 1 point! unfortunately our key goal shooter (i.e. best player) won’t be in town next week for the final, so i’ll have to step up my game if we want a chance at winning. keep your fingers crossed!!

alright, i’m off to dinner and bible study. hope you enjoyed the weekly update!

-sk 

Last week a group of Lipscomb University (LU) students arrived to Perth to spend a month engaging in mission work and social activities.  It has been exciting to meet several new faces and hear about life back in Nashville.  Actually, them being here makes me feel closer to home.  There are a total of 10 individuals: 8 students and 2 adult leaders.  Saturday, the day after their arrival, a group of 24 of us, Aussies and Americans alike, went to the Subiaco Oval to watch the West Coast Eagles play (more accurately—>get slaughtered!) in a footy game.  Okay, the Eagles played a team called Geelong, who won the Grand Final (U.S. equivalent = Superbowl) in September, so none of us expected a win, but neither did we expect to get creamed so badly.  The final score was 47 (W.C.) to 176 (Geelong)  Ouch! It was quite unfortunate. But, on the bright side, I enjoyed my first LIVE footy experience.  There is nothing like watching overly-testosteroneous (my own word!) males tackle and collide and drag and push and…any other legal blokey action you can think of.

Sunday after church we took the train down south to Fremantle with the LU team.  Freo, as the Aussies call it, is a vibrant, eclectic city with unique shops, talented artists and designers with local stands, beautiful historical architecture, great food and gorgeous parks. It is one of my favorite cities in the Perth area.  Thankfully, the weather was gorgeously sunny and warm, which is rare during this rainy winter month.  Lunch was at Cicerellos, a quintessential Aussie fish-n-chips joint right in the heart of the Swan River’s fishing boat harbor.  Then, we spent the afternoon lazily strolling the streets of Fremantle, enjoying the fresh fruit markets, live sidewalk entertainment, and yummy gelato. 

Since I nanny of Mondays and Thursdays, I am only with the team of Tuesdays and Wednesdays, helping Sean Kotora lead the group’s daily activities.  Both Josh and Taylor are tag-teaming with Sean two days each, as well. Sean is a Lipscomb University senior who has come to Perth for his 3-month summer break, primarily to organize and lead the LU mission trip.  Props to Sean for doing such an awesome job so far! 

Tuesday, our crew traveled south to the juvenile detention center Banksia Hill.  Banksia Hill is an all male detention center, housing about 100 teens between the ages of 10-18.  A standard stay at the center ranges from 2 months to a couple years. We will be spending three consecutive Tuesdays with the youth there.  This week we split into different groups, some people tutoring the teens in Math while others (including myself) played drama and creative games with them in the gym.  Our aim is to encourage the boys to expand their imagination and creativity.  While the group wrapped up the final session singing songs and playing instruments with the boys, I went on an in-depth tour of the facility.  Since I majored in Social Work, I was very curious about the program: case management, counseling, resources, family involvement, etc.  I gained so much knowledge in that one-hour session!

Wednesday, we went to the adult male prison.  Unfortunately the prison had called an emergency staff meeting for the afternoon and all residents were to be locked in their cells for the entire time, so we were only there for the morning. However, upon arrival, we attended a memorial service for a 64-year-old prisoner who had recently passed away unexpectedly.  The staff described him as a helpful, servant-oriented, loving man who was always a pleasure to be around and who would do anything for the other residents or staff members.  Everyone there was overjoyed that we had come that day because the prisoner had no family to attend the service or remember him that day. The chaplain expressed that “it’s like God just sent him a supportive family out of the sky.”  Oh, how God’s timing is impeccable, hey!

On another note, this is my last week in Josh and Hayley’s granny flat. Next Friday, the fourth of July, I move in with my dear friend Marissa, whom I met over Christmas holiday.  Her parents are traveling around Australia for 3 months, so we are jointly  house sitting her place.  I am excited already, yet it will be somewhat sad leaving this cozy place with Josh and Hayley. 

Although I’ll be heaps busier while the LU team is here, I hope to keep you all updated on our weekly endeavors.  Week 1 was a successful and social blast so look for more to come…

-sarahkate

yesterday, josh, my friend janey and i went on an environmentally-friendly adventure!  world environment day was celebrated on june 5 and in honor of it, my friend, hayley’s workplace organized a volunteer experience at king’s park, this gorgeously lush and scenic area of about 1,000 acres in the heart of perth.  (www.bgpa.gov.au) upon arrival, we were taken through an orientation course on how to properly plant a tree using a small hand shovel and..well, our hands. hard core, i know. : ) the shocker came when the park ranger informed us that our tiny group of 6 people would be planting 1,200 trees that afternoon! the park ranger informed us that the park facility is in desperate need of planting volunteers because each winter, they aim to plant roughly 50,000 trees.  this is the time of year when new trees can thrive, amidst the rain and before the summer heat takes over. yesterday afternoon, a couple park rangers carrying trays of plants started walking through the bush-land, dropping the baby pots at various intervals. we then followed along, planting as we made our way across the area. although i came away with a sore back and thighs and grimy fingernails, it felt so great giving back to the community in such a tangible way. we concluded the afternoon like any other aussie gathering, with hot tea and cake (carrot). just this time, it was served off of the ranger’s truck bed. aw, the life… 

in honor of world environment day, i encourage you all to take action and do something to help the environment. whether it be something as simple as recycling your yogurt cups and milk cartons or something more involved such as planting a veggie garden or hang drying your clothes rather than using the dryer, everything is beneficial.  feel free to comment and leave your own ideas or experiences with helping the environment. cheers to all!

-skt