Listening

My junior high babies have gotten me so excited to share my faith.

Not just with junior highers...because I work with them. But with people my own age.

You see, it's easy for me to share my faith to twelve and thirteen year olds. I'm cool. I'm 22. They're lame. They're twelve. See my point?

But recently, I've been desiring deep convos with people my age, people fresh out of college, struggling to figure out life and reality and all that goes on with it. People like me. I want to tell them about the love of God, how deep and rich it is. I want to bring others aboard the lifesaving ship of Jesus.

Maybe I got a little bit over excited there and over dramatic, but my point still stands. I want to share Christ with others.

I've been reading this book called Letters from a Skeptic. It's by this guy named Greg Boyd who works at Bethel School of Ministry in Cali. Anyways, he and his dad began this letter correspondence in 1988 with open dialogue about God, Jesus, the bible, and Christians. His dad didn't believe in the whole "faith thing" and Greg was open with wanting to answer his questions.

I've been a growing believer my whole life and I've never seen the love of God presented in such a way. Things I've always just taken to be took on meaning. Things like the fairness of God, or how the bible is the "word of God". I'm all vamped up.

But the most intriguing part of the book was that Greg never preached at his dad. He never went off on a tangent or talked about how ridiculous is was to NOT believe in God. Instead, he listened to the questions of a man confused by the world's view, and answered them according to God's view.

Listening.

I can't do that. I'm too good at talking. I'm too good at defending. I'm too good at making up the next funny joke or clever come-back. Listening?

I'm not going to give away the end of the book...whatever, you won't really read it, but Greg's dad becomes a believer 2 years later. And the letters were published in a book. And skeptics have been coming to know the love of God since then.

Because a son LISTENED to the questions of his dad.

I read another article today, similar to the Letters from a Skeptic. This article was called, "Lessons from Pete" (https://www.cpyu.org/Page.aspx?id=77249).

Pete was this guy that the author sat by on a plane for 2 hours, and for 2 hours, the author just listened to Pete talk about his life and his obstacles to believing in Jesus. By the end of the conversation, Pete said it was the most meaningful conversation he had ever had.

The author quotes this guy named Francis Shaeffer. Shaeffer said that if he was given one hour with a person who he didn't know and who didn't know Christ, he would spend the first 55 minutes concentrating on listening and the last 5 minutes giving the person a biblical truth that somehow applied to what he had heard during the first 55 minutes.

Do I do that? Nope. As previously mentioned, I am the last finisher in the race of listeners. I tune out and peace out mentally.

So that's something for me to work on listening...if I want to share the gospel, maybe it's not about verbally giving. Maybe its about being. Being there to listen. Being there to care. Just being there like Christ was there.

And it's the love of God, the "being there", that draws people into a relationship with the Creator of the Universe.

All that to say, pray for me, that I may have opportunities to listen to a hurting and dying world.

A Revived Passion

I've developed a new passion for researching our culture.

I've normally gotten very involved in the culture and media of the day, but as I've drawn closer to the Lord these past months, I've realized that what I need to do is "research" this culture, and not truly get involved.

I'm trying to teach this to my junior highers. Check out that blog to see more:

http://rootedjuniorhai.blogspot.com

Hume Lake 2009

I did it and i survived. I took 20 junior highers to California for Hume Lake last week.

My rockstar 7th graders using their free time to practice on their guitars.

All my Maui Babies!

It was freezing. Check out Maile's shaka! We so repped maui!

On the way to Paintball!

Noa on the high ropes.

Check out kayla's face. My all time favorite picture. Kayla wanted to kill me for putting her and Noa together for the crab walk.

My boss is the best boss! This is Marla's 13th year at Hume...and her last!

Joshua with Noa and Tristan

My gorgeous girls.

Duh. We had to take a jumping pic.

Vini's first time on the mainland. He loved being a clown.

Oh my gosh i love my boys.

Chandler green as a clown.

Girls in a canoe. Go Maui!

Notes on my Desk from People...

"Not Cool, Whitney, Not Cool..." on my Miley Cyrus Got Milk poster

"Fact: .0004 percent of jr. high relationships end in marriage"

"Bringing Awkward Back. Jr. High Ministry Smells"

"Whitney, you smell" -Daniel Mauck on my "Whitney, you're a star" poster. "weeeeeeeeeeeeeee" written on an orange sticky note

Dear Pomergrante person: yo thanks a bunches 4 da cutie holder and glasses I heart them! TTYL love you lots like cheeze Kayla


"Whitney...you suck"

You are beautiful just the way you are

Fact: 4:1 is the ratio of cologne squirts to exposed square inch of a junior high kid.

And lastly:

Whitney, you are the most beautiful woman in the world. I love you. Love always, your secret admirer (Puff...shhhhhhh!)

My desk looks like a kindergartener decorated it. But when can i say? I keep EVERYTHING! I'll post more, and maybe even some pics!

When your Ipod battery dies...

Were you ever in a situation where you were by yourself and to make yourself look cool, you'd pretend to be talking on the phone, when really, you were just holding a cell phone to your ear without anyone on the other end?

I did. Multiple times. And sadly, I still do. Only on desperate occasions.

Today, I did it. Except, it was with an ipod.

I was at Starbucks this morning, doing the Christian thing: drinking a coffee and having quiet time. I was listening to some Robbie Seay on my ipod, totally in the groove, when, ALL OF A SUDDEN, the ipod turned off. That can only mean one thing:

I ran out of batteries.

No longer was I cozy and snug in my insulated ipod earbud world. I was suddenly aware of the music, the talking, the beeping of microwaves, the mixing of blenders, and the opening of doors...

But i didn't want to join just yet...

so yes. I sat with the ipod earbuds in my ear for a long time without music.

Just thought I'd share.

John 15- Abide in Me

I have a confession. Scripture is clear that confessing our sins to one another is good. It's what we are supposed to do. So here I go:

I haven't spent time in the Word faithfully this month.

Man, I wish I could have said just today. Or just this week. But it's a month.

Sure, I've had spouts of time with Lord here and there this month. But it's been a crazy month, and I've ignored my heavenly Daddy. I've avoided my Creator. I've skipped out on my Savior. I've completely dismissed my perfect Lover.

The longer I stayed away from really spending time with the Lord in prayer and in fellowship and thru the word, the more I felt like He was going to smite me. You know, that feeling you get when you know you are guilty and I was ready for punishment and wrath. I was waiting for bad news to occur. I was waiting for my personal life to crumble. I was waiting for my ministry to collapse, because I was doing it all on my own strength and not with His.

I'm really humilitated in writing this. I hate saying that I've been doing ministry without the Only True Minister. But God exalts the humble, and brings down the proud. How I cling to that promise.

However, even when I was not being sustained by God, he still sustained me. Do you see the faithfulness? He could have easily stated, "Whitney, you have not looked my way or spent time with me in such a long time. It's time for you to get what you deserve." But he didn't. It's his kindness that leads us to repentance, right? How true it is.

The story is not a sad one. I wanted to confess because I did what I had to do. Have you ever known what to do, and people tell you what to do, but you refuse to do it? And then, when you do it, you kick yourself because you were so RETARDED not to do it in the first place? Sometimes, my internal Whitney is not my favorite person.

I finally sat in the Lord's presence, uninterupted and undistracted, yesterday afternoon. It's like a hot shower after a day spent in the cold. He did not disappoint. He did not hold back. He was relentless in consuming me, as if I had never left His side. What is this love? And why does my flesh flee from this love so often?

The Lord brought me to two passages. One of them was John 15---i am the vine, you are the branches. The part that totally brought me to my knees was "apart from me, you can do nothing." In one moment, one glorious encounter with the Living Word, I broke and recognized that i never want to be apart from that vine. I want to bear so much fruit...fruit that lasts. This is Delaney. I love this baby girl. I don't remember what fruit this is she has, but it's fruit! But to bear fruit, I have to ABIDE.

So I sat and contemplated the word "abide". I didn't have a cool greek dictionary thing or my laptop...or even my mom to talk to about it. I just prayed God would give me a word picture. You know...a picture that describes a word?

Here is what the Lord gave me:

I was sitting at a potter's wheel and I was molding something. I think I was trying to mold a pot, only it looked nothing like a pot. It looked completely indistinguishable and useless. I was getting frustrated. I started to cry. No matter how hard I tried to move my hands to make this pot, I was failing.

Then, I saw and felt these big hands come over mine, and I instantly recognized this hands as my Heavenly Daddy. He at first placed his hands over mine and I instantly surrendered my control over to him. Then, I saw my hands physically melt into his hands. We were one. I was abiding in Him. And it was then I looked at my pot, but I don't remember seeing it. It didn't matter. My hands were in my Daddy's hands, and I was amazed.When Jackie came in February, Shelley and her granddaughter DeLaney came with us hiking at a place called "swinging bridges". It had these swinging bridges that were kind of scary. DeLaney was definitely not so sure of herself going on this bridge, so Shelley grabbed her hands and guided her across.

Abiding. DeLaney was abiding in her Grammy. Their hands became one. Just like me at the potters wheel with my Daddy.

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Keep praying for me that I will abide. The second thing the Lord showed me was that He was my Hiding Place. So rich.

My friend Lori prayed for me for rich times in the Word. It has been rich. I will take it one day at a time, walking with my Daddy. He is so good.

Maui=Love

There really isn't much i really need or want to say today. For the most part, God is teaching me how retarded and ridiculous i am without him. I've been reading through Judges (just finished) and by far, Gideon spoke the most to me. In fact, I just went to Starbucks with this incredible 7th grade girl named Kayla and we both agreed that Gideon was retarded without God working in him (http://rootedjuniorhai.blogspot.com to read about Kayla :)

I've learned a lot about love recently, too. Loving people comes easy to me...when it's easy. You know what I mean? I love to love. I'm really good at loving. But when I don't want to love, I really suck at it. When I don't rely on the Lord to work in me, I can't love. I PHYSICALLY can't love. I just want to sleep...but He calls me to love with HIS love. Not mine. So, again, I'm retarded without Him working in me.

I've been on some wicked cool adventures recently. I rode on a yacht. I saw whales 20 feet away...for forty minutes they played by the yacht. I went on a bike ride to Oprah's house. That was sick. I've been running on the beach at sunset. Each sunset is so different from the last. It's hard to explain it. You'd think you'd be sick of seeing the sunset, but each time i run, I'm in awe of the sky and the Creator of that sky. As my ipod bounces music and my feet slap the sand, I stare in amazement at the dipping sun, and i think to myself, "really, God, as if you didn't blow me away yesterday." It's an incredibly romantic relationship, God and I. I'm physically doing well. I got sick a little bit back, but it was just mucus caught in my chest. You know that phlemmy delicious snort-cough? I had that for about 2 weeks. It was super attractive. I'm back, though, and ready for action. Haven't surfed in a while, but will soon, i feel it. I'm just waiting for wickedly huge waves to rip on...yep, to rip on.

I miss my sisters like woah this month for some reason. I feel like i've just missed out on Michelle and Mandy completely. There are some moments here in Maui when I wish they could be here and share them with me. Like this rainbow I saw upcountry:

You're probably like, "That's not maui." But oh yes, it is. Many sides of maui are never seen. But back to my sisters. Mandy is getting accepted into colleges, buying prom dresses, prepping for graduation celebrations...and Michelle is totally thriving in san antonio with her peeps, trying new things, and getting ready to intern at Sagemont (keep the tradition alive, sister. branscome girls dominate). I'm contemplating coming home for camp this year, seeing as I will be living here in maui for another 2 and a half years. I would love to come to camp, for the sole purpose of seeing my sisters.

One random memory: i love snuggling with my sisters. they always complain about my prickly leg hairs. seriously--it's not my fault my leg hairs are thick and dark. But I miss annoying them with my leg hairs. oh, sisthers.

I'm going to finish this random post with a video of my dear friend Josh cliff jumping at a height greater than 75 feet. John is the one filming. I wasn't there. I preferred to chill on the sea-level beach while they decided to cheat death. I think this video is funny because of how Josh screams....enjoy!