This Place is Painted Red

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

-2 Timothy 4:5

From Father Jack's homily:

Ministry is not about you.

Ministry is when you set a table for God and someone else to come together at.

When God wants to, He can use a hand anywhere.

There is so much truth in the above illustration. Anything and everything that God leads one to do is an act to get someone to join together with Christ in fellowship. How simple, how beautiful.

You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure.

-1 Thessalonians 2:1

My Righteous Deeds

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

-1 John 1:7

We do not have what it takes without our brothers and sisters; without Christ, Who dwells in each and every one of us.

But he who hates his brother is in darkness,

and walks in darkness,

and does not know where he is going,

because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

-1 John 2:11

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.

John 15:15

A Breath or Two

Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God how to love each other.

-1 Thessalonians 4:9

Another monthly update!

I don't know about other colleges, but after Thanksgiving break Siena is drained.

Despite that, Siena College kids have a ton of Good stuff going on!

We recently partook in Campus Sustainability Day, a student-run event where environmental government branches and eco-friendly companies came to preach the idea of being sustainable! It was a huge hit. TOMS shoes set up a booth, and we had a good amount of kids (including those from Real Life Fellowship--thanks guys!) come to visit. Getting the word out there about TOMS, and about being ethical in general, was incredible.

We also recently indulged and went out to Buca di Beppos along with RPI students from Real Life Fellowship (Campus Crusade Bible studies).

Most importantly, Christ has been affecting our hearts. Through engaging in media and mediums such as "when God writes your love story," "Irresistible Revolution," "The Shack," as well as other Christian literature; through listening to Christian bands such as Switchfoot, Deas Vail, Relient K, Future of Forestry, and Jason Waller (if you couldn't tell from the titles of the blogs!); as well as studying the ethics of secular TV shows such as "glee;" Siena Christians have been changed. Christ recently has put it on our hearts to start to change our lives completely. We now ask ourselves the reason for us being at school. Some of us have found that maybe Christ does not want us here, but elsewhere in the world, making a difference in some other way. We have also taken the time to start evaluating our Bible study. More to come of that later....

What we took part in over Thanksgiving break!

-Prepared lunches at the Capital City Rescue Mission

-Gathered for fellowship around the capital district

-Regrouping in the Word

-Equinox Trips

-Feeding the hungry in Massachusetts

-Spending time with family (blood related, or Blood related)

-And of course...keeping one another in prayer!

Unto the upright, there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

-Psalm 112:4

Puzzles and Pieces

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us is very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

-2 Peter 1:3-8

Greetings and God Bless,

I was talking with a friend over lunch today. The "cup" image was brought up today, and I find it to be an extremely good method for how to think about our spiritual lives. 

The "cup" image explained:

Look at yourselves as a goblet or cup. Christ will pour His Love into you

(through His word, His works, His people), 

and your cup will get to the point where it overflows.

 This overflow will flow into other people's cup, 

thus other people see, hear, and feel God's love in their lives, 

through said vessel for Christ. 

One aspect of the cup model that got brought up, that I usually don't think about while discussing the cup model, is the point of salvation--being born again. At the point where "Christ clicks" is the first time when your cup overflows. You have every desire to go directly to Christ, and to His believers to talk about Him! 

If you are believer, talking to a nonbeliever about Christ, remember that the nonbeliever's cup does not have plastic wrap over the top of it. Christ's love will not hit said plastic and spill to the floor. The cup will slowly start to be filled, until salvation--when the cup will overflow for its very first time. Just remember, that Christ's love will never stop flowing. 

Also, without fellowship we find our cups to be on empty, which effects all other parts of our life: the physical, emotional, mental. Our spiritual lives encompass, and therefore effects, all other parts of our lives. We just have to continually love Him through everything that we do. So that we might be quenched! We are the Body of Christ! Christ created a body of believers for a reason. Every part is important, and every part must be functioning. 

Be devoted to one another 

in brotherly love.

Honor one another above yourselves.

Romans 12:10

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

-1 Corinthians 10:16

For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.

-1 Corinthians 12:12