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Shinning Through Rocks

 

Hello Friends!
I can't believe how fast the time has flown by! It seems like only yesterday I got here to Crystal Peaks and started this amazing journey! Unbelievably I only have two more weeks here at this incredible place. This is definitely bittersweet, I know that the Lord has something awesome in store, but it will be incredibly hard to leave all the sweet people and wonderful friendships that have grown here. Even though I only have a couple weeks left, I am determined to make the most of each day, and stay open to whatever He has to teach me!
This past weekend most of the staff and interns went on a coast trip to spend time together and refresh. While being there we were able to go beach walking, rock hunting, and crabbing in addition to playing games and having wonderful conversations! One of the favorite things to do was to go rock hunting, specifically for Carnelian. Carnelian is a type of Agate that is only found in a couple places worldwide, Oregon being one of the few! The neat thing about Carnelian is that when held to the light, you can see right through it (one of the ways to see if it is the real thing or not). As I was on the beach looking for these incredible stones and finding them, the Lord used them to teach me. (As He so often does if we would listen!) When you are looking for these stones, among the thousands of rocks all around, one way to find them is positioning yourself towards the sun and looking down and out. When you are angled this way you can see the stones because the light will shine through the stone and will shimmer!
Oh how the Lord used this for me! First, as Christians we are supposed to stand out from the crowd. We are the children of the most high, and as such, we are to shine His light in the darkness of the world. Matthew 5:15-16~ Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushes, but on a candlestick, and it gives light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. 
Secondly, that light that we shine... isn't us! We cannot shine, in of ourselves, it is Jesus who shines through us! He is the Light! John 8:12~ When Jesus spoke again to the people He said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." When we try to make ourselves shine, the light gets muddled and murky, but when we step out of the way, surrender to Jesus, and let Him shine through us, His light is bright and clear!
Thirdly, each and every stone is different. Some are clear and some have white strips called ghosts, and each one is specially crafted. Christ has created each and every one us with a special design and a special purpose, not a single one us is a copy of someone else. God doesn't take shortcuts when He's putting us together, He doesn't "copy and paste". He creates us each to shine His lights in our own special way. When we try to copy other people and the way they shine and serve the Lord, it comes out warbled, that't not how we were created! But when we embrace who He has created us to be and how He has created us to serve Him... it is beautiful! Ephesians 2:10~ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
So that's what the Lord taught me through Rocks. He really can use anything in creation to teach us. Are you listening?

Here are a couple pictures of our trip I hope you will enjoy! :)




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