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The roadmap lines on her aged face were as deeply etched as the convictions in her heart. Her natural beauty long since faded, she nevertheless radiated an inner strenght and beauty that is a rare find indeed. It was an inner fervor born of compassion, and a beauty stemming from the sweetness of a soul touched by the hand of the Savior.

Truely, it was the hand of the Savior who guided her gnarled hands; hands accustomed to toil, squalor, and misery. Yet they were hands of mercy, compassion, hope, and salvation. Mother Teresa: the hand of Jesus extended to the lowest of the low, yet one of the greatest Saints to epitomize His grace, humility, and love.

“Let the poor…eat you up,” she said. May we be consumed with the same compassion-that of our Lord’s heart for the lost and needy in our world.

We all know who Mother Teresa was. We admire her for her selflessness and ardent compassion for the suffering and poverty-stricken of Calcutta; we applaud her courage and convictions. We affirm her place as a heroine among saints, a unique individual with a unique call and even more unique dedication.

But should compassion for the poor (or anyone who suffers for that matter) and a willingness to come to their aid with the love of Jesus be so unique for followers of Christ?

Should compassion for the poor be unique among Christians, or uniquely Christian?

Can I be honest with you? Suffering bugs me. I’m not talking about my own personal suffering (which bugs me alot…if what minor discomforts I experience can actually be called suffering), but it’s the plight of others that really gets to me. Peoples’ suffering really affects me more than just feeling uncomforable or awkward. Many times I feel helpless to help, dumbfounded as what to say, and overcome emotionally by their difficulty. And to be painfully honest, at times I feel put out and worried about how much time compassion is going to cost me.

What is it about me that makes someone else’s suffering about me?

And, am I alone in this?

I can’t begin to imagine what it must be like to suffer as many do, but I do know what it is to be self-centered. And the best wasy to cure being me-focused is to become others-focused…and that happens when first, I become Jesus-focused.

If I’m going to truly follow Jesus, then I’m going to go where He goes, love whom He loves, care for whom He cares, and give of myself just as He did, and still does…through us!

The thing that makes Believers Fellowship Church uniquely Christian is not our religious rhetoric, but our selfless love for others and the willingness to have the poor eat us up, as we humbly and gratefully follow Jesus.

“I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love.”  - Mother Teresa

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What a great night!  On May 19, over 26 dance students, their families, teachers, and those from Believers Fellowship Church joined with us to celebrate what God has done this past year through our Performing Arts Ministry!  Our students have been studying the fruit of the spirit for the past nine months and we are seeing fruit because of it!

Imagine for a moment, nine young girls crowded around Pam as she pulls out her Bible.  Nine hands shoot up as she asks where the Bible talks about the fruit of the spirit.  They all know it… Galatians 5:22!  And then they start naming them off: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. Pam pulls out a mysterious rumpled paper bag and the girls can hardly contain their excitement.  What fruit did she bring this week? !  She pulls it out and… it’s a pomegranate!  The girls all taste the fruit for the first time and listen intently to Pam as she brings God’s Word to life.

Our Performing Arts Ministry is not just about dance classes… it’s about pouring God into these students.  We believe that God has given us opportunities to speak into young lives and while we teach ballet, modern, hip-hop, and break dance, we also point kids to Christ and teach practical life skills that help them succeed in life.

 Thank you, BFC, for your awesome support of this life-changing ministry.  We are building bridges and touching lives, right here in our community.

Kristen Denning, Community Action Director (more…)

Your eye stings from the saltiness; you reflexively wipe the sweat away with the back of your hand, heart pumping, chest heaving and legs aching. You glance around to see that your buddies - barely acquaintances a day earlier - are right there, stride for weary stride with you. Up ahead, the finish line calls like a surreal lover; arms outstretched, beckoning, wooing, and nearly unattainable.

Your subconscious breaks in on your finish line focus; as your sensory perception clears way the fog, you can hear the roar of a rival clan gaining from behind. From some unknown reserve deep within, a communal burst of new energy surges through you and your brothers, and as one you quicken your pace, renew your determination and block out the leaden legs and cramping sides.

With every pounding stride your  resolve stiffens; you will not let yourself, or your comrades down! As one you bellow your clan’s cheer again and again while the remaining yards melt away. Suddenly you’re there, the finish, your clan pours over the line; you did it, you beat the “Iron Man”!

Abruptly, fatigue gives way to pride and a soaring sense of accomplishment for you and your clan. Not only did you survive the “Iron Man”, but you achieved what many are unwilling to attempt; you dared stare into the abyss…you peered honestly into your soul and came away the stronger for it. You pushed past the vulnerability of Exposure; you’ve grown, you’ve conquered, and you had a heck of a lot of fun doing it!

Either that or you spent your weekend on some project or another…because let’s face it…why do Exposure when you can clean the garage? Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that; maybe one day you’ll believe it.

So, blog on and give us your excuse, we’ll let you know if it’s lame or not. Trust us. Exposure, July 25-26, 2008.

Here’s a quick survey to see if you can handle the Exposure Men’s Event or not. Just circle the words that describe you.

Dangerous   harmless   Adventurous   tame   Competitive   passive   Bold   withdrawn   Daring   safe   Earthy   refined   Leader   follower   Courageous   timid   PowerAde   kool-aid   Leather   terry cloth   Character   dishonesty   Doer   whiner   Giver   taker   Team   self   Exposure   lame excuse

Four or more capital letters: You’re an Exposure-man!

Four or more lower case letters: You need Exposure, man!

Log on with your score and let us know what you think about the Exposure idea. Exposure, July 25-26, 2008.