Thanksgiving a Time to Remember

Thanksgiving a Time to Remember

Last Wednesday was a difficult day in the Schubert house.  Kinley was using most of her energy (and she has plenty) exerting her will and testing the boundaries.  Boone, our dog, was spending most of his energy being a puppy - totally unaware of boundaries, personal space, and freshly-mopped floors.  And Stephanie and I were spending most of our collective energy complaining.  Complaining about the tough task of parenting, complaining about the antics of our puppy, complaining about the never-ending projects that need to be done around the house, complaining about things we think we lack, complaining about how all this complaining probably isn’t good for our relationship with one another or our relationship with our Heavenly Father.  You see where this is going.  And then there was a moment when we were able to step back and look at the situation and say, “But isn’t this the accumulation of so many answered prayers?  Isn’t this our dream come true?”   We’re together – something we prayed for and longed for during many months of separation when we were dating and newly married.  We have a beautiful daughter – a child we waited for and prayed diligently for, even before we knew her name.  We have a home that only a couple months ago we were calling “Our Dream House” – just the right number of bedrooms, just the right amount of space, and just the right number of projects – things we could do to make it our own.  We each have our “Dream Jobs.”  I get to spend time with students, sharing my life with them and teaching them about the immense love of God.  Steph stays home with Kinley – something she prayed she’d be able to do from the moment we knew we were expecting.  Our church family is amazing and incredibly supportive.  We live in Wyoming – a state I spent many Chicago seasons missing and longing to return to.  And even the dog – when I think of all the hours we spent researching the breed and finding the right breeder at the right price and all the conversations we had in our one-bedroom-no-pets-allowed apartment about how great it would be to have a dog….

Why is it our tendency to complain?  We have so much more than so many people in the world, and yet our wish-lists seem endless.  What are we supposed to do about our discontentment?  God calls us to live lives characterized by thanksgiving – to be thankful for all things (Eph. 5:20; 1 Thess. 5:16-18), and content in every circumstance (1 Tim. 6:6-8).  One way that we can grow in thankfulness is to remember what God has done for us in the past.  Psalm 106:7 and 13 explains Israel’s mistakes in this area, “Our ancestors in Egypt failed to appreciate your miraculous deeds, they failed to remember your many acts of loyal love, and they rebelled at the sea, by the Red Sea... They quickly forgot what he had done…. (NET Bible).”  Another way we can grow in thankfulness is to remember God’s blessings in the present.  Life, love, hope, salvation - everything is a gift from God that we should not take for granted, “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not (1 Cor. 4:7, NIV)?”    And a third way we can grow in thankfulness and contentment is to remember God’s promises for the future.  We must remember that God has promised His children amazing things for the future - an unimaginable inheritance, an eternity with Him (Rom. 8, Eph. 2:7, Rev. 21-22).

I thank God, in His sovereignty, knew we needed a special day, a special season, to remind us to give thanks.  He knew it wouldn't always come naturally on a day-to-day basis.  He established special ceremonies for the Israelites to remember what He had done for them.  And in a round-about way, I think he covertly helped establish our Thanksgiving holiday, too, (maybe He’d instruct us in a bit less gluttony).  So as we celebrate Thanksgiving, let us not forget what God has done for us, what great things He has given us, and what He has promised us for the future.  I personally need to make this a daily discipline because it seems that I can lose sight of God’s blessings so quickly. 

Thank you, Father, for every good gift!

~Trev 

Are we living as if we were fully awake?

Are we living as if we were fully awake?

I was recently reading a book when I came across a quote from the book of John which really struck me (where Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, Jn. 13:1,3-4,5).  The book was talking about friendship, but what stood out to me about this story was Jesus’ intentionality in His actions.  “Jesus knowing that His hour had come…knowing that the Father had put all things in His hands, [knowing] that He had come forth from God, and [knowing He] was going back to God, rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about… and began to wash the disciples’ feet” (Weber, Locking Arms, 65).  Jesus knew who He was and knew His purpose, so He took action.  Jesus didn’t let the opportunity pass Him by.

SOMETIMES I LIVE LIKE I COULD REALLY
USE A STRONG CUP OF JOE!

Sometimes I feel like I am going through the day half asleep, not fully engaging God’s world for His glory.  Let’s follow Christ’s example and live like we are fully awake.  There is too much need all around us for us to forget who we are, why we are here, and Who we represent.  Can you imagine what it would look like for Christ’s church to be as intentional as Christ himself?  God, please wake us up and give us your eyes!

~Trev

The Beauty of Love

The Beauty of Love

Lady and the Tramp, Walt Disney Productions   

This morning as I was eating my bowl of cereal and reading the Bible I came across 1 Corinthians, chapter thirteen.  I have read or heard this passage so many times I think I almost have it memorized.  My grandpa even read it in our wedding.  You may be familiar with it as well.  You might think of it as the chapter of Love.  If you’re still not sure which passage I’m talking about this may refresh your memory,  “Love is patient and kind; love…”.  Sound familiar?  Well anyway, as I began to read, my mind turned on to fast mode and I just read over the passage without even thinking of what the words were saying.  I just read right over it and I was done, without even engaging my mind.  Then I realized that I didn’t even think about what I was reading.  I decided to read the passage again and really think about what I was reading.  As I began to really read the passage I noticed things that I have never really thought about before.  I also realized that there are many areas in my life that are not matching up with what the Bible says love is. 

“Love is patient” Am I patient?  Am I patient with my wife?  Am I patient with my daughter?  Am I patient with my dog (this last one needs a lot of work :) ). 

“[Love] is kind” Am I kind?  Towards the guy that yelled expletives at me the other day as I was driving? 

“[Love] does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.”

“[Love] does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;”

“[Love] does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth”

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

As I read over these different characteristics of biblical love I was confronted with the fact I am often living in opposition to what biblical love is.  What makes this more devastating is that Love is one of the most distinguishing marks of a Christian.  Jesus shows us this when He tells His disciples, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35, ESV; see also Luke 10:27, James 2:8, 1 Jn. 3:23).  Even more, the Apostle John tells us in his first epistle,  “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8, ESV).

This brings us to the question, are we as the church defined by love?  Personally I need to look again at what the Scriptures say love is and match my life to that standard.  How different would our lives look if we lived out biblical love? Let’s strive to imitate Christ and love others!

~Trev

Settling In

Settling in to First Baptist Church and Casper, Wyo” (I’m still learning what it means to settle in)-

Boone our Labradoodle

The month of July has been awesome, but it’s been a bit of a blur.  Stephanie, Kinley and I are feeling at home in our house, our neighborhood, the community of Casper and First Baptist.  Even our new puppy, Boone, is finding his place here (not making as many messes on the floor, learning how to be part of the family, and getting to know the students).  Stephanie and I are continually meeting new people in the community and are constantly drawn to give God thanks for bringing us here. 

~Trev

From the “Windy City” (Chicago) to Casper WYO

Chicago, IL

Moody Bible Institute's Courtyard 

From the “Windy City” (Chicago) to Casper WYO

“Saddle up your horses [or hop on your bicycle] we've got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder of God's amazing grace
Let's follow our leader into the glorious unknown
This is a life like no other - this is The Great Adventure”,  taken from "The Great Adventure"  by Steven Curtis Chapman.

As I think about the journey we're on, it is nothing less than a great adventure!  Only a few months ago our plans were taking us to the east coast, further away from our families and this area which holds such a warm and dear place in our hearts.   To make a long story short, God redirected our plans and brought us here to Casper, a place where it seems that God has been preparing and molding our hearts to love for the last 20 plus years.

Through this process, God has been showing us in amazing ways is His kindness and His concern even for the small things, His care and provision of our needs, and His ability to equip and empower us for His service.

Shotgun blast.  This is typical for signs in Wyoming

FBC Casper's Sanctuary Entrance 

Two months ago, during our first (totally awesome) visit to Casper, there were so many unknowns in our life.  We felt God calling us to the place, to be part of the family at FBC, but we weren't really sure how all the details would work out.  Where would we live?  Where would we get the money to make a cross-country move and "set up house?"  Would we make friends?  How long would it take before this place would feel like "home?" 

God has been so kind and has used many of you to alleviate those concerns and answer our prayers!  You have shown sacrificial love, and many of our needs (and wants) and been satisfied.  Most importantly, we have sensed the Lord's confirmation again and again that this is where we are supposed to be.  We are already feeling connected.  We already feel like this is our home. 

Now we are prayerfully considering how to best “follow our leader” in terms of summer and fall youth ministry plans.  The first action that I have decided to take is to establish a youth ministry prayer base.  The “prayer base” is a group of believers who believe that God has established in them a love for the youth and would like to commit to praying for them on a regular basis.  If you would like to be a part of this ministry, please contact me. 

The second direction that we will be pursuing for the summer is a relational ministry.  We are still in the process of getting to know the youth of First Baptist, so we believe that this summer’s plan should be focused on building a strong relational foundation with the youth and their parents.

Wyoming State Flag

Thanks again for your amazing outpouring of love and support.  Keep us in your prayers as we strive to connect with the students and do life with them in such a way that will encourage all of us to grow in our love for Christ!

~Trev