By Josh Weidmann on Tuesday, November 21, 2006 4:49 PM

Last week I recieved a wonderful book from a second grade class at Harvest Christian Academy. Each page was a handmade masterpiece that each child had contributed to in order to show his/her appreciation for my speaking at HCA missions week. Their notes were a blessing beyond words. I will make sure to post some of them here soon for you to see. 

In the meantime, I want to share with you an email that thier teacher, Miss Mueller, sent out to tell the story of a reconciled second grader...

Last Friday, one of my students taught me a valuable lesson which I would love to share with you as encouragement and heart reminder.

 After a Minute Math quiz, I saw one of my students finish her problems after I called, “pencils down." My heart broke as I realized this student chose to cheat after once again not completing the quiz in time. As I confronted the student, she began to weep, and the Spirit was saying “there’s a deeper issue.” After having a devotional time about the convictions of the Spirit earlier that morning, I assigned seatwork to my class and talked with this student privately. As I talked with her about why she decided to finish when she knew she was expected to stop, she recognized she had cheated and had sinner against God.

What happened next I can only testify as “divine inspiration” from the Lord. I took the paper which had been cheated upon and asked my student to color it black. Then I talked with my student about cheating and why it is black sin that separates her from a God of Truth. We discussed that God uses sin to open our eyes to our desperate need for Jesus and His gift of grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation on the cross.  My student then said simply, “I need to say I’m sorry to Jesus.”

After praying with my student, I asked her, "Now that you have asked God for forgiveness, He has cleaned your blackened heart of sin into white as snow. So, what should we do with your black quiz you cheated on? Do you want to throw it away like God has and get a new WHITE quiz to practice for your second chance. Or do you want to take your sin home?"

My student threw it away and took a clean white quiz home to practice for a second try the next day.

I don’t know about you, but my student clearly showed me the reason why God has called me here. Not only to enrich the mind, but to cultivate the heart. Math can wait a day, but time with a child’s heart is PRICELESS!

May this encourage your heart like it did mine,

 Miss Leslie Mueller

Harvest Christian Academy, grade 2

By Josh Weidmann on Sunday, November 19, 2006 1:47 AM

Writing is not something that comes naturally to me. In fact, even as I sat down to write this, I stared at the blank page with total fright and discouragement. Words can be magical in the way that they carry a message otherwise locked within a deep part of your heart. But they can also create an insurmountable task as you try to capture them and put them in an orderly and poetic rhythm on a page. The task is daunting but rewarding if the fear of it is overcome.

The reward sought by some is shallow.

There are those that write because it pays the bills.

There are some who write for fame.

Still others write for revenge or relief.

But the true gift writing brings to the writer is the chance to transport thoughts and emotions that are otherwise gray to a black and white world. I have often found if I write out my thoughts and beliefs, they become black and white to me – literally and metaphorically. Not only do I now have a thought captured on a piece of paper, a napkin, a book, or a journal page, but I am able to now read what I once merely thought about.

I also like the person I am on paper a whole lot more than the one that looks back at me in the mirror. I’m more real here. More myself. I like that.

Finally, it is through writing that my soul is stirred to think deeper thoughts. I need writing because writing kneads my soul. There is something about it that kicks up the dust in the unvisited parts of me, or with a sly finger begins to write in that very dust causing me to take action. I love that.

So though this task was daunting even ten minutes ago when I sat to write, I can truly say that I feel better now. I’m reminded that the working out of a cramped muscle goes through the pain of stretching in order that it may heal, and then hurt and be stretched again. In the end, the muscle is always stronger.

 

By Josh Weidmann on Sunday, November 19, 2006 12:39 AM

my dad and me. The good 'ol days.

By Josh Weidmann on Monday, November 13, 2006 3:45 PM

I’m sorry that my blogging has been spars and non-existent in the last few weeks. I wish I could say it was due to a long journey to a far off village to share the gospel or a trip to feed starving kids in Africa. It wasn’t. I was just really busy.

Since my last entry I’ve been to Canada for a little book tour and to Michigan to speak at a “Purity Retreat.” Both of those trips were phenomenal but also very time consuming.

There have been many Blog thoughts I’ve wanted to write to you here, but there has been no time to write them. Don’t worry (I’m sure you weren’t), I did keep a list of things to write and will begin to divulge the meandering of thoughts here very soon.

In the mean time, if you have like 20 extra minutes lying around, feel free to check out the interview I did on 100 Huntley Street in Canada. It was a fun interview and I’ve hear from many people that God used the message in their life. To God be the glory.

Alright, blog you later.

Josh.

By Josh Weidmann on Saturday, November 04, 2006 7:26 AM

The larger they are the harder the fall… and the more people they knock down with them.

It seems that there is not a month that goes by where we don’t hear about someone influential in ministry who failed morally. I’m downright sick of it. I know that we are depraved ministers doing a holy work and that’s like trying to get fire and water to coexist, but still… can we not do everything possible to throw off the sin that so easily entangles?

Jesus said, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.” Are we too deaf to hear the very verses we preach? He said to take drastic measures to avoid sin at all cost. Are we so selfish to think it might hurt and so in turn we risk hurting others?

Why is this so hard for us? For me?

Today as I was downright depleted by the news of Ted Haggard’s accusations, there were two thoughts plaguing my mind:

1. When will our leaders stop falling?
2. If the men I respect can fall like this, how much easier would it be for me to fall?

In the blink of an eye, the drop of a hat, the flip of a page, the click of a mouse… I too could fail morally and cause eternal devastation for many lives around me. When I really start to think about it, the costs seem almost too devastating and the risk too dangerous.

Why would God use faulty humans who are bound to fail?

BECAUSE THANKFULLY HE IS BIGGER THAN OUR MISTAKES.

Why would I dedicate my life to something that I’ll have to answer to God Himself for?

BECAUSE LIVING FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN THIS CALLING WOULD MAKE MY ENTIRE LIFE A MISTAKE ALTOGETHER..

God was not sitting in heaven when the news was released about New Life’s pastor saying, “Oh… man… not another one.” He wasn’t surprised it happened. Perhaps He was only surprised it didn’t happen sooner and more often.

Brothers and sisters, any of us could fall this far. Anyone of us could be tossed by the ebb-n-flow of our flesh. It is only by God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that this kind of moral decay has not eaten away at every godly leader we know.

Pray for Haggard, and pray for those He has knocked down spiritually. Our dependence must be in Christ alone. Look beyond Ted to the cross of Christ. There you will find a Savior who never fails.

And watch yourself, lest you slip while telling others to watch their step.