So I was thinking today about my favorite fall memories, and I realized one common factor in each memory: Jumping

The first fall memory I can remember is going to the park and spending the day raking huge piles of leaves to jump into. Our yard wasn’t too big so we generally did our big jumping at the park, where the leaves were practically endless. As a homeschooler, I got to make frequent trips there throughout the week in the middle of the day. it’s okay for you to be jealous. ;P

Another favorite memory of fall was when I was 16. I went with my best friend, Christa, on this fall retreat with her church. The place we went was on this beautiful lake with dirt roads and apple orchards. it was awesome! The very first day there, we spotted this rope swing hanging out over the lake. I mean, we’re talking Swiss Family Robinson style. It was mid october so it was pretty chilly outside but that did not stop me and Christa from going out on that rope. At first we were both a little scared to jump into the water because from what we could tell swinging over it, it was black. we had no clue what was down in the water. for all we knew Nessy’s sister was living in that lake. Needless to say, we did eventually take the leap of faith into the freezing water. The second I let go of the rope I kind of wished I hadn’t but I really had no way of turning back. In the end, it was worth it, and we both ended up doing it like 100 times before we left. Man, just talking about it makes me want to go back…

Now that I am a mature adult (kinda), I am happy to say that I am still making fall jumping memories. This year, I am so excited to jump into anything and everything God has for me here in Xmin. Sad as it is, I don’t think I was really willing to do that as much my first year. It was kind of like my first couple swings on the rope when I didn’t want to let go and get in the water. This year will be different though. I have let go of the rope and I am so excited to hit that water, not matter how cold it is.

I call Michigan home. I never really liked Fall too much in Illinois. It was mostly because it meant Winter was coming. That all changed when I moved here two years ago.

I truly love Fall. Being surrounded by so many changing trees makes me excited for the simple things like tomato soup and grilled cheese. I’ve also come to appreciate Cider Mills and all the joys that come with it-

What I’m really trying to say is that when we’re surrounded by people who are after God, the hunger catches on. You begin to become more like God. You begin to realize that it’s not all about you and see the bigger picture of it all- Others. While God changing us, He changes people through us. It’s beautiful. Everyday I wake up and fall more in love with Him.

It lets me know that we’re never done changing. We’re never done learning and running towards God. And the trees are in a never ending cycle of change.

Fall brings about change. I find beauty everywhere – in a sunset, in the leaves and the trees they escape from, in every child that just completed their first corn maze. Eyes become wider. And with the wind, I believe people begin to breathe deeper. Autumn is a day God sets aside simply to paint and create what our lives look like to Him.

With the season comes many leaves and their changing colors. And as I read about their process, I found that small amounts of orange, yellow, and red have existed in the leaves all along. It’s their green chlorophyll that makes it so hard for us to see these beautiful colors any other time during the year.

God sees this potential for each of our lives, He sees what is beyond the chlorophyll. So fall is not necessary a blank canvas, but a transformative canvas. God knows what colors will make the painting more complete, like He knows what dreams and talents He will use to make our lives into a masterpiece.

Every Autumn, there is calm, peace, joy, laughter, and utter vulnerability. I’ve always described it as the perfect season to be in love. I definitely believe that is true – except I’m no longer talking about love between a man and woman, rather, love between God and me. It’s that heebie-jeebies moment when I fall back in love with my Savior. When I notice Him in the wind, listening to the swishes and curls of His voice; when I can stand silently and steadily, feeling Him move all around me, moving all throughout others.

I am awe in fall. 

What are your favorite fall memories?

For the past 4 years fall has been the same memories.  Waking up before the sun rose, and watching it rise while going to school.  Every morning seeing God’s creation at it’s finest.  The wind were blowing the leaves around, the sun was creeping up in the sky, and all the trees had different colors on them.

Every Wednesday morning at 6:15, in horseshoe at John F. Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa,  was truly my favorite fall memory in all honesty.  We had every week some kind of prayer event at my high school.  It was so inspirational.  Seeing the sun set in the sky, the American flag blowing all over, and even the little fountain we had with the beautiful landscape and trees around it would glow.  But the best thing of all, was the high school kids who wanted to make a change in their school… a change for the good.  Every one of their hearts desire was to see others saved & accept Christ as Lord and Savior, every person in that school.  All we did was worship with people singing and one person playing an acoustic guitar, and pray for the Great Change in our school.  And we did this until 730-7:45.

Another highlight about fall was being outside, and enjoying mother nature.  My fall nights mostly consisted of football practice or games.  But it was always a turn around period in any football player’s heart, because instead of those hot grueling practices, we had the beautiful fall set and the wind blowing all around us while we practiced.  Even The Friday Night Lights, all the players, coaches, and refs truly had the best seat in the house to enjoy the beautiful fall set.  But it didn’t matter if you play football or were in the stands cheering for your high school team.  Being in a stadium with friends, family, and even people you grew up with, was everyone’s highlight of the week.

              But their are a few changes in my life now.  The biggest one, is that I am out of high school, and now doing what I love the most.  And that is being a disciple for Jesus Christ.  Everyday I get to focus all my full attention on Jesus who has all authority in heaven and on earth(Matthew 28:18), and I am not distracted anymore with any sports or school events.  But I get to give my heart to Jesus everyday, because he gave his whole heart to us.  I still get to run in the morning, and listen to the wind blow while turning my eyes toward heaven, and giving praise to our Heavenly Father.  But this fall has big changes that I still don’t even know.  But God does, and I put my total trust and faith in him.  Being a Xmin student is truly a privilege, because you get to serve 24/7.

Blessings,

Kelton Sparky

It’s funny how we can be so critical towards people. We watch each other’s lives so intently, waiting for the perfect moment to stick ‘em or throw an “in yo face” kind of move. This can happen too, while we are listening to a sermon/ teaching and the whole time were thinking, “man so and so needs to hear this…I’ll be kind enough to take notes for them”…ick.

In Xmin, I am around the same 14 people every day [totally not saying this as a bad thing, I love them all] and we have the opportunity to see each other during the best, worst, crazy, fun, difficult, confusing, desperate, exciting, passionate times of our lives. I’ll be honest and say that I often will start picking them apart, noticing everything their doing wrong; when I keep forgetting that they see me during the same best, worst, crazy…times (and I am nowhere near a perfect little angel).

It ultimately makes me look silly and stupid…

“And why worry about a speck in your friends eye when you have a plank in your own? How can you think of saying, to your friend ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye; when you can’t see past the plank in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the plank in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friends eye” Matthew 7:3-5

This verse is tough love. Who wants to get rid of the plank that is inside of them? It would involve confession, humility, ownership.

But look if what happens when we do,  ”get rid of the plank in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friends eye” 

When I let God completely break me and let him purify my heart and mind from the sin I am ignoring, soon enough a testimony is going to come from it.

How am I supposed to help someone if I have not let God free me from the same things (because most likely the plank we see in each other is the exact plank in our eye). There is no testimony from ignorance; there isn’t any hope I can offer to a friend because I have not yet believed it in my life. Walking around with my nose up pretending nothing is wrong with me is not letting God use me, it’s only letting Satan abuse me.

Something Pastor Chilly said recently is “When we lose all identity then God can use us” That means getting rid of our [Plank] selfishness, pride, popularity, rights.

There is so much change I want to be involved in and there is so much hope I want to bring to this city, but it is literally impossible to do it with a plank in my own eye. It’s time to let the Holy Spirit bring his Holy conviction into my life.

Hmm.. I have some work to do…I wonder if gouging works or stabbing  my eye will work?

Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. Matthew 7:5

One of the areas in my life where I tend to disregard the log in my own eye is when I am trying to do well, whether it’s in school or completing a specific task, and don’t get the job done at the best of my ability.

But when I see that someone else isn’t finishing something or taking responsibility in getting a job done well, I assume that they must be doing poorly in every other part of their life. I almost start accusing them, mentally, of lacking in their relationship with God, because it seems to be showing in every area (really one area) of their life.

I relate this to a gated door, or someone behind bars – Like the person who got “caught” messing up is behind this gate, on display for everyone to see their failure. Why am I always looking for the mistake? That person could have an awesome prayer and devotional life, they could be reaching every person at their work for Christ, but then I limit them to what my eyeschoose to see.

And if this spotlight were being pointed on me, if I just looked in on myself from an outer view, I think I would be disappointed in myself. Because it doesn’t always look like I’m giving my all, my 100% to what I am doing or what I am saying. But then I’m on defense, shouting out what Jesus has been teaching me and trying to make that stick in people’s brains, so they can’t remember the hiccup I just made.

My heart needs to be set right so that I have real conviction in my own thoughts and actions. If I am giving my all, that means I am looking for other people’s all. I start to expect it because I believe in them and trust that they are doing the best they can. Then all I can do is encourage them, because I know they’re already doing well, and know they can be better because God has already begun the work in them.

I love God, I love his perspective. He doesn’t just see that one area in our lives, but sees the whole picture. And I believe that if I want to be like Jesus, I definitely have to start looking at the potential in others through some bigger eyes.

This is a picture of me “planking” at Comerica Park. What is planking? Well, Urban Dictionary described planking as: “a great pastime for people who get bored easily and have friends willing to take pictures of them looking ridiculous.” This is pretty accurate, but what the definition fails to mention is that it’s FUN.

The other day, Xmin had a Downtown Detroit Planking Adventure. It was a blast to come up with different funny, creative, adventurous, and/or straight up awesome planks (like mine). I think my planking picture is super awesome, but when it comes right down to it… its just documentation of me looking stupid in a public place.

Look what Jesus has to say about planking… “How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take that speak out of your eye,; when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speak from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:4-5). 

I realize that, like planking, I often call the plank in my eye other things. Sometimes I call it, “no big deal,” “accidental,” “just the way that I am,” ETC. But no matter what I like to call it, it is actually SIN. I’ve been really convicted to call the plank in my eye what it actually is, gossip. Yep, that’s my plank, and it’s a sin. I tend to have no problem noticing it in other people’s lives, but then I justify it’s existence in my life.

Having planks in my eye hurts my vision and can keep me from seeing God’s plans. If I keep walking around with sin in my eyes, I’m gonna get off the path He has placed me on (because I can’t see it). God wants me to call the plank what it really is, repent of it, and let Him fix my vision. No more sugar-coating or justifying.

My name is Mariah Chilton, and gossip is my (current) plank. I’m so sorry if I have done it with you, around you, or (as much as I hate to say it) about you. “This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can’t tame a tongue” (James 3:7-8).  I cannot tame my tongue and get rid of the plank, but Jesus can.

I’m off to let Jesus tame my tongue and fix my vision, but I will leave you with these questions…

Have you been sugar-coating your plank? 

What have you been calling it?

What is it really? 

You don’t have to comment the answers to these questions, but I encourage you to take some time and answer them with Jesus.

So this past summer, I just learned about planking, and coneing. It just blew my mind. WHY in the world would someone want to be laying down on some unusual object or place with their hands by their side. My first thought focused on how being different was…”Mainstream” or cool, like a Hipster or something. It was for people who wanted attention and how weird it was. Because compared to them, I didn’t need to do such ridiculous things.

“Hypocrite! First get rid of the plank in your own eye; Then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friends eye.”

- Matthew 7:5

Yesterday we went out into the city and did this thing called planking. I had never even heard about planking and I had no idea what it was (we must be a little behind in Minnesota). I found out that there have people who have tried to take planking to the next level and some people have died trying to get that insane plank. I’m not sure that I’d want to go out like that but I guess I just don’t understand it like they do.