Soon

Yesterday morning marked another Celebration Sunday for my church, where we gather as a body for a time of testimonies, baptisms and worship. Now even though I love every Sunday at my church, I really love Celebration Sundays. There is just something so special about hearing how the Gospel is transforming the hearts of people and listening, firsthand, as people share how God rescued them from their unfulfilling, sinful lives. I imagine Heaven is like one big Celebration Sunday, where God's children freely rejoice in the glory and love of the Father that saw past our inequities and made us heirs to His throne. I can't even wrap my mind around it, all I know is that today I'm grateful, humbled and I'm celebrating life in Him. Continuing in that spirit of thankfulness, I wanted to share one of the songs we sang yesterday, it's called Soon by Hillsong United:

Soon and very soon
My King is coming
Robed in righteousness
And crowned with love
When I see Him, I shall be made like Him
Soon and very soon

Soon and very soon
I'll be going to the place He has prepared for me
Then my sin erased, my shame forgotten
Soon and very soon

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I'll see Him
There my soul with be satisfied
Soon and very soon

Soon and very soon
See the procession
The angels and the elders round the throne
At His feet I'll lay
My crowns, my worship
Soon and very soon

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I'll see Him
There my soul with be satisfied
Soon and very soon

Though I have not seen Him
My heart knows Him well
Jesus Christ the Lamb, the Lord of heaven

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I'll see Him
There my soul with be satisfied
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon

Friday Facts

10. Food always tastes better when it's free. Especially when it's free Chick-fil-A for breakfast. YUM.

9. Cooking a big meal can be therapeutic. It can also be nostalgic... hence the copious amounts of taco soup in my fridge/freezer right now.

8. I woke up this morning craving Garth Brooks like pregnant women crave pickles.

7. Cold weather is proving to be an inhibitor for all things school related. Let me explain, cold weather = warm blankets = zero productivity.

6. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

5. I'm super excited about seeing the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows! But what I'm even more excited about is catching up with one of my favorite people in the world. I can't wait, Danica!

4. I've been camped out in Romans 8 the past few days and it has been SO good. "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." Romans 8:29-10

3. I am beyond excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas break. It's time for some much needed quality time with my favorite people. And sweet potato casserole. But mostly the quality time.

2. The other day I bought a shirt that reminds me of Christmas. Every time I look at it I get warm-fuzzies. Also, I started listening to Christmas music last week. This is getting out of hand...

1. This is definitely worth a listen... but you have to listen to the whole thing to see why. Enjoy!

This Just In...

This afternoon, I officially got accepted into the Gary Cook School of Leadership at DBU! Can I get an AMEN?! This winter I'll start integrating grad courses with my remaining undergrad until I graduate with both degrees (Lord willin') in August of 2012. When I graduate I'll have an BA in Christian Studies with a minor in Sociology and a MA in Global Leadership*. Oh, and for the record, I am so excited to be starting this new chapter in my life (side note: I feel like everything is moving so fast that this might as well be a subheading. Or maybe a paragraph in my "college chapter". You know, something short and sweet).





* Yes, I realize that sounds made up. I promise it's a real degree. It focuses on equipping ministers to reach (and minister to) people on a global scale, beyond cultural/religious/racial barriers, etc.

The Gospel and Discipline

This week in KV we talked about the promise that God will discipline His children. Originally, I thought this would be a pretty straight forward lesson... right? Wrong. I didn't realize just how difficult it would be for the girls to grasp the concept of loving discipline. But as I asked them about the discipline they received from their earthly fathers it became clear why their vision was so skewed. So many of the girls that I teach are just flat out not disciplined. In fact, when I asked what they thought discipline means, I (literally) got the response "my Daddy never disciplines me because I'm his little princess!". Straight up. An 11 year old girl. She even did a little head-cocked-smile. Of course she's going to have a difficult time understanding why God's promise to discipline His children is a good thing! But Hebrews 12:7-11 says...

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Though it's hard to communicate this to kids that have grown up in a world where their parents made excuses and looked the other way, it is so important for them to understand this because (once again) it points to the beauty of the Gospel! The reason we receive discipline and not wrath is because Christ absorbed that wrath on the Cross. The reason we can be counted as sons and daughters of the King is because He grants us grace to believe through the blood of His Son. And even in His discipline He is gracious, omniscient and holy.

This week, my prayer for my girls is that as they grow in their understanding of the Lord and His promises, they will know more fully the beauty of grace and the gift of discipline. I pray that they would see discipline as a necessary step in God's promise to make us look more like Jesus. And most importantly, I pray that their hearts would understand the beauty and the magnitude of the Gospel.

Chicken Soup for the Blogging Soul

Hey there, blog friends! I realize I've really been slacking on the whole posting-anything-besides-another-boring-update-or-video thing, but this semester has been kind of, shall we say, JAM PACKED. But in a good, totally bringing it upon myself type of way ;)

Oh, and fyi, this post will have absolutely nothing to do with Chicken Soup... or my blogging soul.

Here's the highlight reel:

1. I joined a multi-generational homegroup!
The group meets on Wednesday nights and consists of married and single people between the ages of 1.5 and 60! We've got a great mix of people at all different stages of life. Surprisingly enough, I'm the youngest one there (excluding the chil'ren and babies), and my roommate and I are the only traditional age college students. It has been an added bonus to meet and talk with people that aren't in college any more. Much needed. Much appreciated.

I can't say enough how much of a blessing it has been to get to interact with and be poured into by people that are serious about pursuing the Lord and honoring Him with their lives. I can't wait to dive in deeper and experience real community with these people, and get to know them on a more personal level. Oh, and if I don't say it enough, I love my church and am so blessed that I get to be a part of worship, fellowship and service with these people.

2. I got my first flat tire...
While I realize this may not count as breaking news, it was still a first for me, and what's a highlight reel without some bloopers?! The summed up version of this story involves me breaking down, in the GHETTO, in the dark of night, with a full bladder, and sending my rescuers on a wild goose chase all across Dallas because I am terrible at giving directions. It's funny in retrospect... ya know, kinda.

3. I'm on an intramural softball team.
I almost forgot how much I enjoy playing team sports! I don't know many people on my team (let's be real, I only know ONE person on my team), but it's been pretty fun so far. If nothing else, it gives me an excuse to get out and be active and meet some new people. So far this season I've realized a few things about my softball strategy 1) I always swing at the first pitch 2) I usually connect with the ball if I swing and 3) I have an uncanny ability to get hit in the shin with baseball bats.

4. I've attended/hosted 1 Gazillion Bridal Showers.
And yes, that's an exact number. This coming weekend (October 2nd) is the wedding of one of my former roommates and sweetest friends, Kayla Dare! I am so excited for her and Steven, and considering how long the engagement was, I know I'm not the only one excited that the wedding day is inching closer! So far this process has consisted of: eating sweets, doing as I'm told, listening to unnecessary drama (because girls will be girls), lots and lots of shopping, being crafty, doing as I'm told, planning, clearing my schedule, dancing and doing as I'm told. It's been quite a ride.

5. I am loving my current living arrangement!
I cannot say enough how grateful I am that the Lord has given me such awesome roommates this year. After my living situation last year, this year has been so good and so needed. Sometimes I feel like it's too good to be true... then I hear my roommate snoring and I remember to keep things in perspective ;) It has been such a blessing to live with other girls that love the Lord and are completely hilarious! Having people to relax and laugh with is a pretty big deal to me, so these girls have been just what the doctor ordered. I love coming home to them :)


Well I think that about wraps it up! Stay tuned, I may (or may not, let's be honest) post in the coming days/weeks!

Favorite. Family. Ever.

Hallelujah all I have is Christ, Hallelujah, Jesus is my life

((I cannot get over these lyrics.))

I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way.
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave.
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will.
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still.

But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross.
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace.

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me.
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose.
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You.

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI), by Jordan Kauflin

All I Have Is Christ from Sovereign Grace Ministries on Vimeo.

[H/T Justin Taylor]

Friday Favorites

10. Dark chocolate brownies with peanut butter chips. (Thanks for the tip/ingredients, Marie! They were a hit!)

9. The fact that the weather has been significantly cooler here the past few days. The other morning it was 75 degrees outside! IN AUGUST!!!

8. Headstand contests with my roommates. As of right now, I'm the reigning champ. Please, no autographs...

7. My girls in Kids' Village. I'm so grateful I've been able to be a small part of what's happening in KV. I could write blog post after blog post about how wonderful it has been to teach those girls while serving alongside some of the most humble, Gospel-fixated people I've ever met.

6. Getting to go to GroupConnect in a few weeks so I can join a multi-gen homegroup! I've already started praying for discernment and decisiveness... So. Many. Options. So. Little. Time.

5. Pregnant women. They're everywhere, and I like it.

4. Finding that perfect backpack that had alluded me for so long.

3. Getting to spend some sweet time with a freshman girl here on campus. I loved getting to hear her heart for Christ and His Bride.

2. Impromptu story time with my roommates. We've had some *ahem* interesting stories thus far.

1. A Mighty Fortress- Christy Nockels

Fall 2010: Let's Do This

I realize everyone probably quit caring about my classes a few semesters ago, but to be honest, your lack of caring hasn't phased me :) so I'm gonna post them anyway! You know, cause I'm all about pleasing people.

Fall 2010

• Practicum in Personal Evangelism
• Christianity in the Pluralistic World
• Research Methods
• Elementary Spanish
• Marriage and Family
  

I'm pretty excited about Christianity in the Pluralistic World, Practicum in Personal Evangelism and Marriage and Family. But since we're being honest, I think any religion class would have been a welcomed change after the train wreck that was my spring schedule (let's just say there was weeping and gnashing of teeth).

P.S. Not gonna lie, the best part of this schedule is that I don't have class on Monday or Friday :) If only I didn't have to work! Don't worry though, I'm determined to squeeze some 4-day weekends out of this deal.

Straining Toward the Goal

I feel like a reoccurring theme I've seen in my life these past few weeks has been that of "pressing forward". In dry seasons, in joy, in sadness and in providence, the Lord has been continually teaching me the importance of pressing forward, in to Him. In Philippians 3, Paul touches on this topic after talking about the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord:

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
Philippians 3:12-16

I love what Paul says in verse 12, "I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own". So good. I think one of the most important things I'm learning in all of this is that my efforts must be grace-driven, or they're inevitably fruitless. We don't press in to Christ for our own gratification or purposes, but rather, we press in to Him for His glory and purposes (and as a result we are gratified). When we continually press in to Christ for all that He is, as opposed to all that we are/aren't, we find true contentment and joy in Him alone. It takes a certain amount of discipline on our part, but it is only through the grace of God that we are able to know and experience the surpassing worth of Christ.

And finally, I'll leave you with this: Sara Groves has a song called "Painting Pictures of Egypt" that I thought fit pretty perfectly (actually, my friend Maridith was the one that suggested I look up the lyrics when I was talking to her about all this, but whatevs). Groves' lyrics echo Paul's sentiments in verse 13 when he says that he is "forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead".

I’ve been painting pictures of Egypt
Leaving out what it lacked
The future seems so hard
And I want to go back
But the places that used to fit me
Cannot hold the things I've learned
And those roads closed off to me
While my back was turned

The past is so tangible
I know it by heart
Familiar things are never easy to discard
I was dying for some freedom
But now I hesitate to go
Caught between the promise
And the things I know

Oh and P.S. The wedding was great and I have the cutest niece ever...

Love Where You Live

Earlier today I stumbled across this article, which got me thinking about if/why/how I have been loving my city. I'll be honest, when I first moved to Dallas, I hated it... mostly because it wasn't Houston. But now that I'm going on two years in the Big D, I can honestly say I've grown rather fond of it... all the way down to the inconsiderate drivers, ridiculously hard to navigate highways and big hair (and trust me, just cause it ain't the 80s doesn't mean there isn't some big hair here). One of the most important lessons I've learned since being here is to find contentment and joy in all circumstances and seasons of life. Though I still mourn the loss of good Tex-Mex and being in close proximity to family/friends, I have found that the Lord is faithful to provide in all areas (literally and figuratively). I've grown to really appreciate His plans for my life, and I've learned that regardless of where I am, I am called to love my neighbors, my city, my church and my God. After all, Psalm 24:1 says that "the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein"!

So without further ado, here are some of the things I love most about Dallas:

1. My church. I know I probably drone on and on about it a lot, but I really do love my church. I can't wait to join a multi-gen homegroup in the fall so I can plug in with some non-DBU Village goers!

2. Cafe Brazil. My restaurant of choice simply because it's a DFW staple. It's a little trendy/eccentric, but I'm in college... isn't that what it's all about?!

3. The people. I've met some great people since moving here, and I know that if it wasn't for the Big D, our paths might never have crossed.

4. My school/job. Sometimes loving these two has to be a conscious choice, but they have provided me with some great opportunities and I have learned a TON of stuff since being here.

5. More seasons! I know I'm still not fully experiencing all four seasons, but since being in Dallas I've seen acres of red/orange/yellow trees in the fall, my first snow (like legit, "snow up to my knees" snow!) in the winter, tons of blooming flowers and green trees in the springtime (DBU basically puts 85% of our total revenue into our landscaping department), and of course the typical Texas summers...

6. Two words: STATE FAIR. I know gluttony is a sin, but there is something so right about fried PB&J.

7. Location, location, location. It has all the comforts of the big city, suburbs, country and ghetto all within a 30-45 minute drive!


And since seven is the number of completion, I'll leave it at that! At the end of the day, Dallas is a lot easier to love than I originally thought it would be. In fact, I'd completely understand if you wanted to move here after reading my super convincing list ;)

Because You Asked...

A quick list* of some things I would change, given the opportunity :)

1. Everyone would taste and see the beauty of the Gospel. (Psalm 34:8)

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Titus 2:11-14

2. Tex-Mex would be given to all those who are in need**... and lets be honest, who doesn't need Tex-Mex?!

3. The Church would look more like this and less like this.

4. Sunburns wouldn't exist. So far I've made it all summer without one. Plus I've already purchased the SPF 50 for J-High camp... Camp Tejas, I'm ready for you!

5. I would already be home with CYP peeps :)

* I promise I'm going to post a regular blog one day! Keep hope alive.
** Can you tell I haven't been home in a while? Craving Tex-Mex is one of the tell tale signs!

Picky Schmicky

So I've realized that there are a few things that I am, ahem, rather particular about. As a tribute to my middle class snobbery, I decided to compile a list.

1. Ozarka bottled water. Clearly (no pun intended), the best bottled water I've ever tasted. Even if I hate the new "eco-friendly" bottles...
2. The ESV translation. It's not that the other translations aren't great... the ESV just so happens to be my most favoritist. Favoration? Exactly.
3. Houston/San Antonio Tex-Mex. Everything else might as well be Taco Cabana.
4. Hair cuts. Hence my current lack of one.
5. Crest toothpaste. The Manu Ginobili of all toothpastes.
6. The San Antonio Spurs. The only basketball team that could single-handedly bring about world peace and end global warming. Hey, it could happen.
7. A&W rootbeer. My beverage of choice when I decide to splurge.
8. Female recording artists. My itunes library is 98% male.
9. Unsweet Iced Tea. FYI: the best iced tea is usually served with good Tex-Mex (see #3), or by my Mama.
10. Body/Sleep positions. I'm almost always moving around trying to readjust and get more comfortable.

That's all I could come up with for now. So tell me, what are you "particular" about?

Belated Fathers Day

This made me giggle (with a capital G). Enjoy!

Dad Life from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

Resting in His Promises

This week in KV (Kids Village) we talked about the parable of the lost sheep, which is probably one of my fave parables (side note: I'm not totally sure it's kosher to have a fave parable, but just go with me on this... I'm also not sure it's okay to use "kosher" and "parable" in that context, but whatevs ;)). This past week had such a clear Gospel-tie-in, that my girls finally started to ask some questions with substance. Which, thankfully, gave me even more of an opportunity to talk explicitly about the Gospel with them, and for some of them to start to finally get it... to understand the beauty, the wonder and the mystery of Jesus' death and resurrection.

So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Luke 15: 3-7

We talked about The Good Shepard that goes after each one of us and pursues us relentlessly. How he rejoices over each of us, the one sinner that repents. We talked about man's sinful nature, and God's perfect Son. We discussed God's unfailing love and our rebellious nature. All of it culminating in the beautiful picture of the cross.

I am so grateful for these girls and the opportunity I have to share Truth with them every week. But more than that, I'm thankful for the Gospel. For God coming after me, the sheep that was lost, and leading me to repentance.

How deep the Father's love for us/ How vast beyond all measure/ That He should give His only Son/ To make a wretch His treasure...
How Deep the Father's Love for Us- Stuart Townend

Great is His Faithfulness

Hello, blog-friends! So here's the sitch: I have no excuse for not blogging more consistently. Unfortunately, I have not morphed into a superhero that spends all her free blogging time saving orphans and puppies... I've just been unmotivated. But don't fret, I've returned long enough to tease you with a taste of my superb (or completely mediocre, whatevs) blog skills ;)

So I'm not totally sure when this happened, but lately I have been SUPER-DUPER busy. But besides being busy and unmotivated, I have had some really cool things happening. For instance...

1. I bought a bike. Her name is Bella and she's a red, ladies cruiser. Basically, we're besties. I'd post a picture, but my friend Savannah is babysitting since I haven't quite figured out how to transport Bella to my apartment in my medium-sized car...

2. My World Lit class is off to a rip-roarin start! 5:30-10 PM EVERY SINGLE MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY... after working 8-5:30 during the day. Awesome.

3. I'm pretty sure I'm going to drop my Spanish classes. Taking them online from a community college is apparently a bad idea because 1. I'll be unprepared for the rest of my Spanish classes at DBU (according to my Spanish teacher/buddy here) and 2. they are a lot more complicated than I expected! I mean seriously, what student that has to sign up for an ONLINE, COMMUNITY COLLEGE SPANISH CLASS has time to spend hours a day on the internet? Okay okay, maybe I didn't think that decision all the way through. The only problem is, by dropping these two classes, I'm postponing starting my Master's degree another semester (basically I'll start in January instead of August). But I'm becoming increasingly okay with it. I'm tired of killing myself trying to get ahead... anyone smell that? Oh yeah, that's the unmistakable smell of burning out.

4. On Sunday, I went to Hurricane Harbor (water park in Dallas), and it changed my life. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but it was definitely a ton of fun! And an added bonus was that I didn't even get sunburned!! WOOHOO! While I was there I even did this one thing/ride/contraption where they strap you to a harness, raise you up 10,000 meters above the Earth, then let you plummet to the ground. It. Was. Awesome. I might or might not be a closet adrenaline junky. Just sayin.

5. The Lord has been continually reminding me of His faithfulness. Though I say I know and trust in His character, He never ceases to amaze me with His goodness and grace. Recently, I stepped out in obedience on something (rather begrudgingly I might add), and since then He has been so faithful to provide for me and reveal His grace and mercy to me. Lord, because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you (Psalm 63:3).

6. I'm going to have to take a second and agree whole-heartedly with my bffae on the issue of Fun Pops. Here's the deal, Fun Pops are the epitome of Summer. Also, I want to go on record as saying Fun Pops are always better when eaten with good friends. Can we please, please, please eat some while we watch MIOBI this weekend, Marie?!

7. This Thursday I'm going to get my first taste (literally) of the Melting Pot. I've heard mixed reviews, but I have four words for you... liquid chocolate and cheese. YUM. Of course, the chocolate and cheese aren't actually together in the same pot...I hope.

8. I can't get enough of the Five Solas lately. The more I research and reflect on them, the more I love them. Sola Scriptura. Sola Fide. Sola Gratia. Sola Christo. Sola Deo Gloria. Maybe one day when I become a better blogger I'll do a series on them... but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

9. I finally scheduled my vacay days! I'll be home in the C-Y-P from July 16th-25th :) Actually, I'll probably be at Camp Tejas part of that time, but that's still up in the air right now.

10. And to make it an even ten, here is one of my favorites. Love me some Hank Williams Sr.

Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ

Recently, as in yesterday, I started going through John Piper's Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ (which you can download for free here) and got to an interesting question/prompt:

"What do you love about Jesus Christ? Make a list of attributes or qualities that cause you to treasure Christ. Include biblical stories that display these qualities."

So without further ado, here is what I initially came up with:

• He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. (Hebrews 13:8)


• He is omniscient. (John 16:30)


• He is Peace, Assurance and Hope for all who believe. (1 Peter 1:13)


• He is the purification I so desperately need. (John 3:17, Hebrews 1:3, 1 John 2:2, Isaiah 25:8)
  


• His love is eternal. (Romans 8:38-39, Galatians 2:20)
  


• He is exactly who He says He is. (John 7:28-29, John 8:58, John 10:30, John 12:44-50)
  


• He was obedient, even to death on a cross. (Philippians 2:8)
  


• He was tempted in every way and was still without sin. (Matthew 4:1-11, Hebrews 4:15)
  


• He is a healer. (John 4:43-54, Luke 13:10-17, John 11:1-44)
  


• He is the promise of scripture fulfilled. (Isaiah 9: 6-7, Luke 22:35-38, Isaiah 49:6)
  


• He labored in prayer with the Father. (Matthew 26:36-46)
  

• He upholds everything by the word of His mouth. (Hebrews 1:3, John 1:1-5)
  


• He conquered death. (Matthew 28:1-10, Romans 6:4-11, 1 Timothy 1:8-10)
  

These are the ones that immediately came to mind for me, but what I really want to know is what attributes or qualities make YOU treasure Christ? What stirs your affection for Him?

Encouragement

A few things that have been encouraging me lately...

1. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height or depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

2. Hurricane by Jimmy Needham. I could listen to this song over and over and over again (and have). After probably 50 listens in the past week it still ministers to me.

3. Worshiping, serving and taking communion (weekly) at The Village Church.

4. My 2nd-5th grade girls that I get to serve every Sunday. They are unbelievably precious and smart, and I am constantly encouraged and challenged by them.

5. Covenant friendships.

6. The fact that I get to come home tomorrow.

7. Pen pals.

8. Hymns. Today's favorite = Blessed Assurance.
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

9. Having a boss that takes the time to know, encourage and joke with me.

10. Being given a clear vision of how the Lord "views me" on Sunday. One of the first times I can remember God giving me a very clear image in order to communicate something. So powerful.

Let's talk about Job

Can we just take a second and talk about how awesome Job is? Good.

The other day I was sitting around feeling sorry for myself (let's just say working 40 hours a week all summer while friends and family are hours away hasn't exactly been helping my "outlook")... then I started reading through Job and got to this:

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
Job 1:20-21

Umm whoa. Conviction much? Just in case you didn't get that, Job just had every earthly thing that he cherished taken away (minus his wife... but that's a whole 'notha story ;)) and he responds by saying:

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

I don't know about you, but I know that when I'm made to be uncomfortable, much less when I'm grieved by something, my first response typically isn't worship. Now, it's not that Job wasn't devastated by the loss of his family and estate (heck, in chapter 3 he curses the day he was born!), but his power lies in his faith and in his knowledge of the Truth.

You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit.

Job 10:12

Personally, I know that when I'm feeling sorry for myself or disheartened, it always comes down to a lack of trust. If God is good and does good and wants good, then why be discouraged? It's something I have to constantly remind myself of. I guess that's what I love about Job... he's human but he "gets" it. He worshipped. He didn't accuse or turn away from God, he fell on his knees and worshipped.

Quick Update

1. Breaking Free was AMAZING. I was so blessed to have the girls I had, and I am so grateful for the time I got to spend with each one of them. My favorite part of the whole weekend was definitely the time I got to spend praying over each of them (individually and as a group). I always leave weekends/events like that feeling like I'm the one that has been blessed and ministered to!

2. I'm applying for grad school/the accelerated degree plan soon. It's pretty surreal, so I keep putting it off. Honestly, it all seems kinda odd, cause I've worked so hard to get to where I am (in terms of hours and such), but I'm still totally intimidated by moving on to the next step.

3. This semester has been unbelievably draining and busy. Thankfully, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! Lets just say I'm counting the days until the end of this semester...

4. I spent Saturday night with the one and only LG at UNT :) Sometimes I forget how great it is to spend time catching up with best friends. She is truly wonderful, and it has been amazing to see how the Lord is continuing to transform and mold her into His image.

5. Speaking of best friends, getting to see and spend time with Marie and Molly on my birthday weekend was just icing on the cake. I am so glad I got to see and talk with them some.... the time I get to spend with them is always precious! LOVE you girls! Also, I completely owned at the name-guessing game. Better luck next time, Molly ;)

6. I AM SO READY TO GRADUATE AND JUST DO MINISTRY ALL THE TIME. I get that my classes are "preparing" me and whatnot, but sheesh...I get it already! ha.

7. I'm not a teenager anymore. That's right, I'm a twenty-something (or I guess you could say I'm a twenty-nothing)! All I gotta say is that I am so excited about this season of life and all that the Lord has in store. Jeremiah 29:11 and all that ;)

8. I want to go back to Africa. ASAP. Everytime someone tells me they're going on a mission trip I start daydreaming about the day I get to go back. Hopefully next time I'll get to go for a longer period of time :)

9. My Summer classes are still kinda semi up-in-the-air, but it looks like I'm going to be taking 14 hours. Right now I'm registered for 1st & 2nd Thesselonians, World Literature II, Elementary Spanish I (and lab), and Elementary Spanish II (and lab). Plus I'm working 40 hours a week. Yeah, I know, you're jealous.

10. I started the process to become a small group leader in Kids Village a few weeks ago, and just recently I've started teaching 2nd-5th grade girls! I love it, I love them, and I LOVE serving on a regular basis again. Working with them has been a constant reminder of how much I need to be pleading with the Lord for His intercession and salvation for these kids. Sometimes it breaks my heart to know that they know all the right answers, yet still have hearts that are hard to the Gospel (just like a lot of adults...). But I know we don't sow in vain, so as I pray for God to open their hearts, I'm constantly reminded of His sovereignty and grace. So yeah, it has just been a really sweet time of service for me so far. I definitely don't have any complaints :)

Breaking Free!

Not a lot of time to write, just wanted to say I am so excited about Breaking Free this weekend! I have eleventh grade girls, and I genuinely cannot wait to meet them, get to know them and share the love of the Lord with them!

If you think about it in the next few days, just be praying for my girls and all the other students attending. I'm hoping it's a really sweet time of learning and growth and that God really stirs their hearts!

Your steadfast love. O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life, in your light do we see light.
Psalm 36: 6-9

Church Survey

Originally, I was going to write a post about The Village, what it's like to attend/serve/"do life" there... but then I realized I should probably just hear from you guys first!

I know this survey is definitely not going to be exhaustive, but I'd really like to get some insight on how you guys view church, your church, the Church, and ministry in general. Don't feel obligated to answer all of them, but I'd love to get as much input as possible!


1. What do you think the purpose of the Church is? What about the local church? Are they different? If they are different, how so?

2. What are some of the major problems you see facing the Church today? What problems do you see hitting YOUR church the hardest?

3. According to scripture, how do you think churches should be "layed out"?

4. How do you feel about multi-site churches? Small congregations? Do you have a preference? If so, why?

5. What purpose does technology serve in the church?

6. How do you think a "typical" church today would stack up against the New Testament church?

7. What do you think churches need more/less of?

8. What is it that made you decide to become a member (attendee?) of your church now?

9. In your opinion, what is the main thing that different ministries seem to miss? What are they doing right?

10. Finally, do you have any questions about The Village? I certainly don't have all the answers, but I'd love to find out (seriously, I eat this stuff up). I feel like I'm constantly fielding questions from people when they find out I'm a member there.

Give Me One Pure and Holy Passion

Today marks day 1 of my 4 day fast. If you think about it in the coming days, just keep me in your prayers as I seek the Lord's will and His heart on a few things.

As the title might suggest, One Pure and Holy Passion is kind of my theme song this week (yeah, I have a "fasting theme song", I also have a fasting t-shirt and Psalm 109:24 bookmark... Okay, I lied about the t-shirt. And the bookmark.).

Sadly, since I've been neglecting my blog lately, I've gotten out of blog-shape. Which basically just means I'm going to go take a metaphorical breather (and drink some metaphorical water since Gatorade is on my list of no's this week ;)), and leave you guys with this:

Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me one magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after You

Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me on magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after You

To know and follow hard after you
To grow as your dicsiple in your truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you, my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you
Lead me on and I will run after you

Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me one magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after you
To know and follow hard after you
To grow as your disciple in the truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you

Lord to know and follow hard after you
And to grow as your disciple in your truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you
Lead me on and I will run after you
Lead me on and I will run after you

And this...

¹To you, O LORD, I call;
my rock, be not deaf to me,
lest, if you be silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
² Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,
when I cry to you for help,
when I lift up my hands
toward your most holy sanctuary.
^{Psalm 28: 1-2}


⁸The LORD is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
⁹Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.
Psalm 28: 8-9

Which Leads Me to Believe...

For the past couple of weeks I've been waking up with these mysterious bruises and cuts all over my hands. Since I don't remember anything happening during the day that would cause them, I've come to a few conclusions...

1. I'm probably in a top-secret Fight Club.

2. Since I don't remember anything when I wake up, I'm probably schizophrenic.

3. I must be really good if the only thing getting cuts and bruises are my hands.

Favorite Hymns

10. I Love You, Lord: "I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you. O my soul, rejoice!..."

9. Jesus Paid it All: "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow"

8. Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus: "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."

7. Take My Life, and Let It Be Consecrated: "Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee; take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love"

6. How Great Thou Art: Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee; how great Thou art, how great Thou art!"

5. Be Thou My Vision: "Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; naught be all else to me, save that thou art"

4. It is Well with My Soul: "When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billlows roll; whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul"

3. There Is Power in the Blood: " There is pow'r, pow'r, wonder working pow'r in the blood of the Lamb; there is pow'r, pow'r, wonder working pow'r in the precious blood of the Lamb"

2. Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy: "I will arise and go to Jesus, He will embrace me in His arms; In the arms of my dear Savior, O there are ten thousand charms"

1. 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus: "'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word; just to rest upon His promise, just to know, 'Thus saith the Lord.'"





So tell me, what are your favorite hymns?

Reviews

I feel like I've seen a lot of new shows/performances/etc. lately, so in honor of that I decided to write a review post.

1. A little while ago I witnessed my first DBU opera (not to be confused with the many UMHB operas I've attended over the years). For the most part, it was exactly what I expected it to be. The one thing that really surprised me was the acoustics...they were HORRIBLE! Most of the time I couldn't even understand what they were saying (and yes, it was in English). I know that's not technically anyone's fault, but it ruined the experience for me. Oh, and it was held in a high school...not our multi-million dollar chapel building that they opened this year. Go figure.

2. One of my least favorite performances I've EVER seen was the musical "Cats". There were so many things wrong with this musical I hardly know where to begin. It was held at a Community College that strongly resembled the school from NBC's Community (this was actually the highlight of the experience) which lent itself to some funny moments. Besides that, the singing and dancing was...in a word...mediocre. I wasn't expecting Broadway caliber or anything, but I was definitely underwhelmed. The funny thing is I would have been completely okay with all of this had it not been for one (very unfortunate and long-lasting) wardrobe malfunction. I gag a little bit when I think about it too hard. Ugh.

3. Tyrone Well's released his new CD "Metal and Wood". I highly recommend it. I love Tyrone's stuff in general, but this CD takes it back to a more acoustic feel. Definitely more my style. Here's one of my faves: Running Around in My Dreams

4. Shane and Shane preformed here last week and it was AWESOME! I love them, and this concert just solidified that. My only complaint actually had nothing to do with them... there was a particular student (cough cough girl three rows in front of me) that kind of got to me. But for the most part it was thoroughly enjoyable. I'm actually kind of partial to guy musicians... girls usually have to be extra special to stand out to me.

5. I got to go see Alice in Wonderland over the weekend. I liked it...I didn't love it, but I liked it. It was pretty weird and kind of trippy, but mostly I just thought it moved too quickly. There were certain scenes I wished they would have went more in-depth with, and others I wished they would have skipped completely. Also, IDK if it's something about magical wonderlands or what, but there seemed to be an extra dose of gingers in this movie (DEFINITELY a plus ;)).

6. Finished the book "Passion and Purity" by Elizabeth Elliot (lent to me by the one and only Molly Roberts). First of all, it isn't nearly as cliche as it sounds. It was actually a really challenging and encouraging story of Elizabeth and Jim's courtship and how they waited on the Lord's timing and will for their lives, and specifically how they pursued God during all of this/what it looks like to submit to the Lord's will, etc. etc. It was definitely a good read. ((Oh, and if you're reading this Molly, I plan on finishing the other book by the end of this week))

Well that pretty much sums it up. I plan on getting back in the swing of things on this blog...we'll see how it goes :)

Ah Schucks

Here's the scoop: I finally broke down and got a twitter.... not that I'd really been fighting it or anything (let's be honest, I already read a bunch of different tweeters (twitterers?)), but last night my FR (aka future roomie) convinced me to take the plunge.

So here are my questions:

1. What is it all about?
2. Is there anything I need to know going in?
3. What's your take on Twitter in general*?

*If you absolutely hate it or think it's narcissistic or whatever feel free to not leave a comment ;)

Now Go Forth and Change the World!

I've been meaning to write on this for a while, but as usual, time has gotten away from me lately...

Anyway, lately I've been noticing a reoccurring theme in chapel (keep in mind I go twice a week, so I've got quite a few under my belt so far this semester ;)). Basically we show up, get 10-15 minutes of emotive worship, then we have 30-40 minutes of high-energy/inspirational speaking, and it always ends with the speaker saying something along the lines of "Now go forth and change the world!".

In theory, I don't have any problems with that phrase, it's just the mindset behind it that gets me. Week after week we hear how we're the generation that's going to make a difference, that everything hinges on what we do from here on out, and how the world is ripe for the taking. While that last part may very well be true, who says it's ours for the taking? My problem with that mindset is that even though the motives may be alright, it still makes much of self instead of much of Him. Who's to say any of us in that room will have a "world changing" impact? I may be wrong, but I can't think of a single scripture that says "you will do great things and change the world!"...it usually looks more like this, "And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 1: 30-21) or "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy" (Titus 3: 4-5). I'm so tired of hearing how much potential I have, or how I can do anything I set my mind to...if we're being honest, I think those are both terrible lies that end up tripping up a lot of Christians. Don't get me wrong, Philippians 4:13 is Truth and it holds a lot of power, but I think so many people interpret it as "I CAN DO ALL THINGS through Christ who gives me strength" instead of "I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST who gives me strength", make sense? I mean, I know it feels good to get your ego stroked occasionally, but if I hear one more person say "the people in this room are going to radically change the world!" I might just drop out of school and live as a hermit the rest of my life (okay okay...slight exaggeration).

I think wanting the world to change and wanting people to come to Christ are great things for Christians to desire...but there needs to be a constant sacrifice of self. It's never about me or my impact. It's not about how many people will be affected, or how far my influence will reach, it's just about being faithful to the commands of Scripture and making much of His name.

Altimawesome

For those of you that don't know, I GOT A CAR THIS WEEK!!! It's a 2008 Altima and I LOVE it. After how long I've waited for this I can honestly say it feels just as good as I thought it would! ha.

Anyway, here are some pic's...

Also, feel free to leave name suggestions for it in the comments (and by feel free I mean DO IT). The person who's name suggestion I choose wins a free ride next time I see them!

Suffering Well

I know I say this all the time, but I am really greatful for my church and the staff and pastors that shepard us.

Recently, Eric Gorski (from the Associated Press), did an article on Matt's battle with cancer entitled Suffering Well: Faith Tested by Pastors Cancer. I really encourage you guys to read it because it gives a lot of insight into his struggle... and besides that it's just a really well written piece.

I'm just so proud of Matt, his family and the leadership at the Village for how they've handled this whole situation. I really think they are suffering well for the Gospel, and I pray that God uses this trial to make much of His name. This story has already been picked up by the Washington Post and the NY Times (as well as papers in Finland and Mexico), so clearly his story is reaching a lot more than originally anticipated.

Soli Deo gloria.

Hey Remember...

how Justin Timberlake actually has a good voice?



This is probably my favorite recording of this song...ever. Judge me if you must.

Leadership

This last week I took a mini called Principles of Biblical Leadership. When I signed up for the class I had NO idea what to expect...seriously, there wasn't even a course description online. But it ended up being one of my favorite classes I've taken so far! My professor was this precious 68 year old man who was such a great encourager and just an all around great guy (ex. he brought us breakfast each morning and spent time talking to each of us individually about our lives, spiritual walk, etc). During the class we took quite a few personality profile tests, a spiritual gifts assessment and our conflict style test...

This is what I learned about myself:

• I'm a lion/otter mix...meaning I'm assertive, task-oriented and a people person.
• My spiritual gifts are leadership and pastoring/sheperding...I think the pastoring/sheperding has more to do with the fact that I big into discipleship and I care about people's spiritual health.
• In conflict situations I'm a persuader/collaborater...this one is pretty self-explanatory. Basically, I just want to convince people I'm right and if I can't do that I want for us both to be partially right.

The really strange thing about taking all these profiles/tests was that on every single one of them I ended up having two things tied for first.

This class was by far the smallest I've been in (there were only 9 of us), and I was the only college aged girl...plus we had 4 adult students that were really tight. Since our class was so small (and since our professor was so awesome), the entire week was extremely discussion oriented. We had a really broad range of people and personality types, so it made for some very interesting/enlightening class discussions. Also, one of the older women reminded me of my mom and apparently I reminded her of her oldest daughter, so that was presh.

A couple of times during the week my professor insisted that I set aside a time to meet with him and a few other prof's from the masters program so they can talk with me and brainstorm about my future and just pray with me (gotta love these small Baptist schools). It was really encouraging, and I'm really excited to meet with them and talk about different ministry possibilities.

Anyway, that's been my life these past few days. I'm ready to get back in the routine of the regular semester, but I'm not looking forward to my classes this semester...it'll be my first semester without a religion class. Bleh. Other than that, life is good, sleep is great and God is better. The end.

P.S. For those of you that care, Matt started up The Path series again. It's got to be one of my favorite sermon series of all time, so I highly recommend it.

Social Etiquette

I know that there are times when I can be less than charming in public (shocking, I know), but sometimes people's lack of consideration and etiquette just kills me! I don't know all the ins and outs of social etiquette, but there are a few things I'm pretty passionate about...

1. Men/boys/guys should always hold the door open for girls/women/chicks.

2. When in a public area, try not to talk loudly on your cell phone... ESPECIALLY if you are using profanities.

3. If you must use your cell phone in a crowded place, you should not use a bluetooth headpiece, speaker phone, or that weird walky-talky feature some phones have.

4. Under no circumstances is it EVER okay to use your cell phone in a public restroom.

5. If you're staring at someone, and they catch you staring, the polite thing to do is look away. To keep staring like it's a "staring contest" is just awkward.

6. Boys should never "holler" at girls they don't know. It's gross and uncomfortable.

7. Burping/farting/etc. should be kept to a minimum in public/mixed company*.

8. Always avoid taking the stall/urinal right next to someone if you can help it.

9. Avoid annoying eating and drinking habits (aka slurping, smacking, talking with your mouth full).

10. Always be polite. If you bump into someone, say excuse me. If someone gives you something, say thank you.



* There may or may not be a few instances where I may or may not have burped in public. Try not to hold it against me... I'm a new woman ;)

Thursday

The low temp is 17 and it's supposed to be really windy.

No thanks.