2011 Best Of - Top 20 (part 3)

Continued from yesterday...

Here they are. The top 6 posts!

And I'm just a little concerned by how popular buffalo are among people who've stopped by my blog. ;-)

#6 - Transparency  ...loving the sweet freedom I've found in being open and real!

#5 - Breaking Free  ...recognizing the things that hold us back from really meeting with God.

#4 - Guy On A Buffalo  ...still singing his song and finding it hilarious! :-)

#3 - Standards  ...remaining steadfast and determined to never compromise, walking in obedience, and trusting that God's plans and timing are always best!!

#2 - Church vs. Culture  ...relating to the world we live in while retaining God's standards.

#1 - Sunday's Excitement  ...doing something more than just taking up space, serving, and letting God use you...it's EXCITING!!

2011 Best Of - Top 20 (part 2)

Continued from yesterday...

#13 - Kissing Stones  ...stop making excuses and start trusting our faithful Father.

#12 - Valuable  ...the one thing I wish I could communicate to women of all ages.

#11 - Worth It  ...never, ever settle for anything less than God's best.

#10 - I Love This Church  ...God deserves our excitement and our celebration!

#9 - Change  ...resting in God's peace no matter what He might ask me to change.

#8 - Goodbyes  ...saying goodbye to people you love and respect is never easy.

#7 - A Sure Bet  ...another 6 months, and I'm still in the clear! ;-)


(#6 - #1 tomorrow...)

2011 Best Of - Top 20 (part 1)

It's that time again...
The end of another year is fast approaching.
It's time to reflect.
Time to take inventory.
Time to see where we've been; how far we've come; where we'd like to be.

They say hindsight is 20/20, so I thought I'd take a look back on some of my posts that got the most traffic throughout the year.

It's interesting to see how all along I've actually been tracking where I've been; how far I've come; and where I'd like to be. I've loved watching the progression throughout the year. And I most especially love how vigilance and awareness of this progression have actually brought me so much closer to "where I'd like to be" in the process.

God is so good!  :)

#20 - Fear Not  ...resting in the peace of God's promises and trusting He's got it all under control.

#19 - Training  ...running the race that God's set before me and learning to run it well!

#18 - Noodling  ...a challenge and empty threats :)

#17 - Game of Life  ...how are you going to play?

#16 - Fleece  ...asking God to prove Himself and being ready to respond.

#15 - Being Present  ...where you are right now is God's place for you.

#14 - Flat Tires  ...so thankful for God's grace and salvation!!


(#13 - #7 tomorrow...)

2011 Best Of - Waiting

It seems like a long time since I compiled my thoughts on what I've been learning through the process of waiting.  I think it's one of the major themes of this last year.

Waiting...

I'm still waiting...

I'll probably always be waiting for something...

So I went back and read over my thoughts from earlier this year.
It's good to review.
And as I read, I'm seeing that they still hold fast and true.

It's something that will consistently continue to be ingrained in my heart. Something that I'm so thankful to still be learning and growing in as time flips forward into the new year.

Waiting...

Waiting...in Contentment

Waiting...with Expectation

Waiting...in Worship

Waiting...in the Interim

Waiting...with Shattered Dreams

2011 Best Of - Music

Music runs through my blood.
Sometimes raging.
Sometimes whispering.
But always circulating.

Notes.

Rhythms.

Songs.

Lyrics.

It's in my head all the time.
It flows through my heart all the time.
It comes out of my mouth all the time.

This past year produced some great new albums from some of my all time favorite artists and bands. I also made a few artist discoveries...some of whom have been around for a while, but I was sadly in the dark. There is always way too much music floating out there for me to pick an all time favorite, but here are a few of my favorite albums that came out this year.

2011 Year in Review -Best of: Music addition... 

Gungor - Ghost Upon The Earth

Matt Redman - 10,000 Reasons

Sleeping At Last - Yearbook Collection

Mat Kearney - Young Love

Hillsong - God Is Able

Eddie Kirkland - Here & Now EP

Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

  

Bethel Live - Be Lifted High

Seryn - This Is Where We Are

 NeedtoBreathe - The Reckoning

You Are The Reason

The stars hang in the sky

The newborn's first cry

The world turns a new day

The rain waters this clay

My life has meaning

My selfishness fading

My heart softens

My sin's forgotten

Jesus You are

You are the reason

The waves break on the shore

The birds high above soar

The rest found in the night

The sun giving us sight

My past is no more

My future's open door

My hope renewed

My purpose restored

Jesus You are

You are the reason

You're the reason I live

The reason I breathe

The reason I sing in the darkness

You're the reason I praise

The reason I dance

The reason I find joy in sadness

Time Off

I think it's time for a little break.

Inspiration is fleeting at times, and right now it's on the lam.

Plus, I'm heading south for a bit.  :)

No worries. I will return...at least that's the current plan.  haha

'Tis the Season!

I can't believe it's already December!

Thanksgiving has come and gone.

It's time to pull out the Christmas decorations.

Cut down the tree.

Hang the stockings.

String up the lights.

It's time to get in the festive, holiday spirit.

Tradition, tradition, tradition.

Cookies become a food group in and of themselves...with hot chocolate, of course.

It's the one time of year that everyone actually wants it to snow...at least on the 25th.

Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman animated classics never get old.

And, of course, it's time to start playing Christmas music 24 hours a day!

So I thought it was the PERFECT time to revisit some awesome Christmas season service openers that North Point Community Church has done.

Last year's iBand!

And in 2009, they collaborated all of their campuses and created a live streaming experience of "The 12 Days of Christmas." North Point Church's East and West Auditoriums, Buckhead Church, and Browns Bridge Church were all singing together and displaying the live streaming video of the other campuses to create a complete song. Notice on the screens the video switches in between campuses. Awesomeness!!  :)

I can't wait to see what they pull off THIS year!

Break My Heart

I've been hesitant to write this.
I feel like I'm exposing a little too much.

Of course, I'm always saying that I'm a big proponent of transparency, so now is not the time to start hiding. Honestly, I think I'm feeling a little hypocritical, because I feel like I've also touted the desire to live out my faith. But right now I'm struggling with that. Actually, I'm not sure what I'm struggling with exactly, but something has definitely been bothering me this week, and it's not the first time it's bothered me.

We watched the film 58: at church on Sunday. It's a global initiative that's seeking to unite Christians to end extreme poverty in our lifetime by living out the call of Isaiah 58 to fast, shout, and give, and then to celebrate what God has done for the poor and in our hearts and lives. The film documented several impoverished people and families and encouraged the church to rise up and act. The cause is an incredible one. It's a godly one. It's ambitious and yet attainable. God calls us to care for the needy. He commands us to take care of the poor.

I'd like to say that I sat there on Sunday watching these stories play out in front of me, and I was moved to tears. That I was stirred to rally for the cause. That I came away fired up and ready to take action to fight poverty alongside this movement.

No. Instead, I sat there and felt nothing. I sat there repeatedly praying in my head, "God, break my heart for what breaks Yours. God, break my heart for what breaks Yours." Nothing stirred. My heart felt nothing. "GOD, BREAK MY HEART FOR WHAT BREAKS YOURS!!" Still...nothing. And then, after it was over, I did nothing.

Then I started reading Mark Batterson's book, Primal, this week, and he ironically spends some time focusing on compassion: things that break Christ's heart and how they should, in turn, break our hearts. He repeats the same words that I was repeating to myself on Sunday.

When you give your heart to Christ, Christ gives His heart to you. That new heart gives you a new appreciation for life. You humbly acknowledge your responsibility to honor Christ. You literally feel different. Why? Because you feel what Christ feels. And chief among those sanctified emotions is compassion. Your heart begins to break for the things that break the heart of God. And that is the heart of what it means to love God with all your heart.

I'm typically a fairly generous person. My heart does, indeed, break over a multitude of things. I've felt led to give to multiple causes, organizations, and people...and I've given. But there have also been times when I've been a part of an event or conference when I've not answered a particular organization's call to take action, and I haven't supported the cause that was being promoted. And I've felt guilty. I felt guilty on Sunday, too. I want my heart to break over the things that break the heart of God, and it bothers me that I haven't been moved to give at times in the past. It bothers me that I wasn't moved this past Sunday.

I realize that we're all wired differently, and God's given us different hearts and passions, and I think that also leads to different COMpassions. But I've struggled to know if that means that we only need to give to causes that we feel compassion toward? Or are we obligated and responsible to always give toward certain things? Am I interchanging compassion vs. God's leading and getting hung up mixing two different issues? I do actually care. I have given and will continue to give to causes and organizations that are, in fact, fighting poverty...not only because I've felt led by God to do so, but also because I believe it's an area that requires obedience whether or not we FEEL like it. But I still struggle when I don't give to everything. I know we can't all support every cause. We can't all do everything, but we all can and should do something. But saying no to some still bothers me. Is it ok to say no sometimes? I'm not sure I know what the answer is...

Do you?

When You Came

The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.  ~Matthew 4:16

Light has dawned in the shadow

Life has shattered the dead

Glory has overcome darkness

Sight has revealed what's ahead

Truth unveils the deception

Grace eclipses the shame

Mercy forgives transgression

Found recovers the strayed

You came to bring freedom

You came to bring change

You came to bring light into this darkened world

And nothing remained the same

When You came

You came to bring healing

You came to bring hope

You came to bring life like we've never known before

And everything changed

When You came

Peace has overwhelmed turmoil

Love has drowned out hate

Joy has broken through sorrow

Strength has encouraged the faint

Comfort supplies the needy

Clean washes the stained

Freedom bursts through the chains that have held me

Hope heals all the pain

You came to bring freedom

You came to bring change

You came to bring light into this darkened world

And nothing remained the same

When You came

You came to bring healing

You came to bring hope

You came to bring life like we've never known before

And everything changed

When You came

We were lost

We were broken

We couldn't find You

We were blind

We were wandering

We didn't see You

Until You came

Fleece

Is it ok to question God?
Is it ok to test what you think God's leading you to do?
Is it ok to wonder if you're hearing God correctly?
Is it ok to ask God to prove Himself?

Enter Gideon and his fleece.

In Judges 6, God comes and has a little chat with Gideon saying that He is going to use Gideon to rescue the Israelites from Midian. Gideon flat out sees the LORD face to face, and yet he still questions God and asks Him to prove Himself...and not just once, but twice.

Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised." And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water. 

Then Gideon said to God, “Please don’t be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew." So that night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was dry in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew.

I've come up on two different sides of this coin. On one hand, there have been times when I've thrown caution to the wind, plowed full steam ahead, and run after what I think is best. I think it has to be what God's best is for me, because for all intents and purposes it looks good on the surface. And honestly, there's nothing even wrong with it. It really is good. But I've never stopped to consult with God on the matter. I've never given Him the opportunity to speak into the situation. I've never asked Him if it really is what He's calling me to do. I've never asked Him to prove Himself. And then I've found out that what I thought was His voice, really was just my voice telling me what I wanted to hear.

There have also been times when I've over analyzed. I've asked God to show me what He wants me to do. I've prayed. I've poured over the Scriptures. I've asked for signs. I've questioned if it's God speaking, or if it's just me trying to convince myself. I've mulled it over. Talked to other people. Tested the waters time and time and time again. After all that, I've still felt the same call on my life, but then I didn't do anything. I didn't take any action. I remained in my comfort zone...still waiting for God to prove Himself...when, in reality, He already had. I was just too afraid or just too plain comfortable to follow.

I believe that it's not only wise, but it's also necessary to seek God's direction in our lives. It's foolish to come to rash conclusions without consulting Him first. Decisions should be made with prayerful consideration combined with affirmation from His Word. And setting before Him a "seemingly impossible, only God could do this" fleece of a test can sometimes be the most prudent and godly action we can take. But, in conjunction, I also believe that if you're going to test Him, then you also better be ready to take action and follow Him.

The very next verse that follows Gideon's fleece test reads: Gideon and his army got up early and went. Gideon didn't go and ask other people what they thought. He didn't keep thinking about it. He didn't over analyze.

Gideon asked for a sign.
God answered Gideon.
Gideon went.
End of story.

Actually, that's not the end of the story. It's just the beginning. The rest of Judges 7 tells of how God used Gideon to defeat the Midianites. God worked through Gideon to rescue the Israelites just like He promised He would.

So go ahead. Ask God to prove Himself. Lay out your fleece before Him. But when He speaks, make sure you're ready to respond. He's going to work through you just like He promised He would!

I've seen how God has specifically answered the prayers one of my former pastors more than once as he's placed his fleece before God with an open heart and feet ready for action. (You can read his blog posts here and here.) I just love how God continues to speak to us today and show us His will.

All He Says I Am

There are so many voices out there telling us how we should act...what we should look like...who we should be.
It's so easy to get lost within the lies of those voices.
To never actually hear and know the truth of who we are.
To never hear the only Voice that matters.
To never hear the truth of who we are in Christ.
To never know the love, freedom, and abundant life that's found through knowing Him.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Our identity is in Him and Him alone.
We are His beloved children.
Redeemed. Restored. Whole. ALIVE!!

No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them. 

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.  

I love Cody Carnes' song All He Says I Am that expresses all of this so incredibly well. I could just sit and listen to it over and over and over. In fact, I have...

He whispers in my ear

Tells me that I'm fearless

He shares a melody

Tells me to repeat it

And it makes me whole

It reminds my soul

I am all He says I am

I am all He says I am

I am all He says I am

And He says I am His own

I was blinded by scales upon my eyes

And He came like a light

And burned up all the lies

Oh He set me free

He reminded me

I am all He says I am

I am all He says I am

I am all He says I am

And He says I am His own

Chains are broken, scales are on the floor

Truth is spoken, I'm no orphan anymore

Chains are broken, scales are on the floor

Truth is spoken, I'm no orphan anymore

Chains are broken, scales are on the floor

Truth is spoken, I'm no orphan anymore

I am loved

I am new again

And I am free

I'm no slave to sin

And I'm a saint

I am righteousness

And I'm alive!

I'm alive!

I'm alive!

I'm alive!

I'm alive!

I'm alive!

Oh I'm alive!

I'm alive!

I'm alive!

I am all He says I am

I am all He says I am

I am all He says I am

And He says I am His own

Black Friday

I can't say that I ever remember actually going out and shopping on Black Friday before...well, at least not at some ungodly hour of the morning. I think it takes a special kind of person to actually really enjoy that kind of mayhem. And special, I am not! Well, not that kind of special at least. :o)

So I'm curious...if you are one of the special ones and you actually enjoy the craziness, do you do anything in particular to prepare for your outing? Do you plan exactly where you're going and map out your route? Do you head out in the morning, or do you camp out over night? Have you ever gotten into a fight over the "last one on the shelf"? Do you go by yourself, or is it a group event?

I was thinking that if I ever decide to go out and brave the chaos, I'd need some tips to help me figure out the best course of action. Since we finally have our very own Target that just opened up in town, I found their commercials from last year, and I think I'm all set now. Of course, I can't tell exactly, but I think this lady might be on crack. So now I'm second guessing her suggestions, and I'm not so sure that taking advice from the Crazy Target Lady is really the best idea after all???
But she certainly is special, isn't she?! :o)

Tip #1: Practice Reverse Psychology

Tip #2: Visualize Your Path

Tip #3: Check The Weather

Tip #4: Use A Utility Belt

Tip #5: Draft To The Doorbusters

Tip #6: Make A List & Check It Thrice

Oh my word. Apparently in 2010, they only opened at 4am. But now in 2011, they're opening at 12am!! Absolutely crazy. Hope you're ready!! :o)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful for a ton of things. Obviously, there are those big ticket items like my relationship with God, my family, friends, a good job, my home, etc. where God has poured out abundant blessing upon my life. But there are lots of little things too...most of them might even be considered trivial. But I'm still thankful for them none-the-less.

Coke Zero - zero calories with less "diet taste" than diet.

iPhone - I never have to be disconnected...EVER. I think I'm addicted.

Hillsong/Jesus Culture - putting out some of the best worship music out there (I could list several more, but these probably top my list at this particular moment)

christianbook.com - just a click away from an amazing new book, and it's ALWAYS fun to get packages in the mail...even if you've sent them to yourself.  :-)

Lucky Jeans - simply awesome

Cadbury Mini Eggs - why such an amazing form of chocolate is only available for a couple months out of the year, I'll never understand.

College football - Saturdays in the fall are never boring, and I will forever be a Penn State fan...WE ARE!!

Ann Taylor & Banana - the OUTLETS, not the real stores. My closet thanks you!

Pumpkin Spice Lattes - Starbucks, I am eternally grateful.

The iPod jack in my glovebox - it has forever changed my car music experience.

Brooks sneakers - I love you, and I curse you. You have made me able to run pain free, and now I have no more excuses.

The elliptical in my basement - being able to exercise no matter the weather (also affording me no excuses...shoot)

USATF - now I actually know how far I'm running, AND it's fun to map new routes.

Elf - Christmas (and, honestly, the rest of the year) wouldn't be complete without it!

Great blogs - Perry Noble, Pete Wilson, Rick Glass (when he actually writes...ha), Tripp Crosby, Jon Acuff, Carlos Whittaker, Steven Furtick, Plywood People, Leading and Loving It ...and that's just to name a few.

Heated Leather Seats - there's nothing else that needs to be said.

Special K with Red Berries - my dinner staple 75% of the time.

I could go on and on. It was hard to narrow down my list, but I might be most thankful that my Thanksgiving day will NOT be like this... 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

:)

What trivial things are you thankful for??  :)

God's Presence Matters

I've been thinking about being present and what that means. Really connecting and focusing on people. People matter. Relationships matter.

I've been thinking about what it means to be here now. Letting go of regrets, releasing fears, silencing distractions, being still, really knowing God, and dwelling in Him. Our relationship with God matters. God's presence in our lives matters.

In comparison, does anything else really matter? What matters besides God's presence? Without Him, nothing matters. If we are connected to Him, we can do all things. Without Him, we can do nothing.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

I love how Francis shared it at Catalyst Atlanta this year:

Risk

Just an excerpt from Jon Acuff's Quitter that made me stop and think:

*******************************************************

Apathy is a good friend when opportunity stares you in the face and you're afraid to actually find out what would happen if you tried to follow through with a dream job or a desire. And it's a good friend because something weird happens when we step out for a big adventure. We start to ask ourselves the "what if" questions.
"What if I try and I fail and it turns out I'm not really a writer after all?"
"What if we have kids and I'm a horrible mother?"
"What if I start my own business and it turns out all these years I've been wrong about being a great entrepreneur?"

In those moments, we become obsessed with the fear of finding out what we are not. It reminds me of how Matt Damon's character describes why he is a murderous imposter in the movie The Talented Mr. Ripley. He says, "I always thought it'd be better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody." Apathy is ultimately about being a "fake somebody."

We're afraid of finding out what we're really made of so instead we end up making no decision because neutral is safe. We think that if we don't do anything, we won't make the wrong decision. But not doing anything is its own decision, and the odds of failure are horrible.

Let's pretend that you decide to pursue your dream job with all your heart. Let's say that, like me, you put all the chips in and move your family and change jobs and end relationships and start new ones in a new state. Five years later you look back on the decision and either it worked or it didn't. There will be shades of differentiation in there, but for the most part you'll either have succeeded (you made the right decision) or failed (you mace the wrong decision). So you have roughly 50 percent odds of things working out.

But nobody fears just making the wrong decision. Through the kaleidoscope we fear the worst possible outcome we can imagine - a series of interrelated failures, a spider web of screw-ups that collapses our entire being. When I play that game, I go from "mistake" to "hobo on the streets" in about five minutes. I imagine losing my job in some sort of spectacular way that prevents me from ever finding gainful employment again. I don't just get blacklisted in one industry; I manage to get barred from every industry on the planet. My family would leave me too because I'd be a hobo and they wouldn't want to be part of my new drifter lifestyle. Riding the rails and whatnot. I'd kick around the Pacific Northwest and try to become a glassblower or something, but that wouldn't work either. Ultimately I'd fall apart and people would use me as a cautionary tale of extreme potential gone to extreme waste.

The chances of that happening, of you or me really wasting our lives to that degree, are very, very slim. They're probably 1 percent. Maybe 2 percent if you already know a guy who's into glassblowing and lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Now let's say that your fear of answering "What if?" is massive. You're paralyzed by it and in order to avoid it you don't make any decision about pursing your dream. You now have a 100 percent chance of your dream not coming to fruition. People who do not attempt to recover their dreams fail 100 percent of the time.

So you have a 2 percent chance of horrific failure if you try and a 100 percent chance if you don't. Those are horrible odds, but maybe I over exaggerated and 2 percent is incredibly low. Let's pretend there's a 50 percent chance that your worst failure comes to fruition. Those odds are still better than not trying at all.

You might fail. By recovering your dream and running with it, risk runs with you. You could fall flat on your face. But I'd accept that risk a thousand times before I accepted the guarantee of failure of not trying.

Do the math and don't make the fear of failure an insurmountable obstacle.

Here And Now

We want to be a church where freedom reigns

We want to be a people full of grace

We want to be a shelter where the broken find their place

We want to be a refuge for the weak

We want to be a light for the world to see

We want to be a love that breaks the walls and fills the streets

All are welcome here

As we are

As we are

For our God is near every heart

Let Your mercy rise

Let Your hope resound

Let Your love in our hearts be found

Let Your grace run free

Let Your name bring peace

Heaven come in the here and now

We want to be the door that's open wide

We want to see compassion come to life

We want to carry truth that shines a beacon in the night

We want to see this city filled with hope

We want to bring peace to the troubled soul

We want to tell the story of a God that we can know

All are welcome here

As we are

As we are

for our God is near every heart

Let Your mercy rise

Let Your hope resound

Let Your love in our hearts be found

Let Your grace run free

Let Your name bring peace

Heaven come in the here and now

So let justice roll like a river wild

And let mercy grow like a burning fire

Let it come in the here and now

Your kingdom come til it rules the earth

And Your will be done all around the world

Let it come in the here and now

All are welcome here

All are welcome here

All are welcome here

As we are

As we are

For our God is near every heart

Let Your mercy rise

Let Your hope resound

Let Your love in our hearts be found

Let Your grace run free

Let Your name bring peace

Heaven come in the here and now

So let justice roll like a river wild

And let mercy grow like a burning fire

Let it come in the here and now

Your kingdom come til it rules the earth

And Your will be done all around the world

Let it come in the here and now

I Hate Cats

Ideas are being tossed around with my former college roommate about potentially living together again in the future. Sounds great, right?!

I love my college roommate.
My college roommate loves me (or so I like to think...haha).
So far, so good.

My college roommate loves to cook.
I love to eat.
Brilliant arrangement!

My college roommate loves to shop, watch movies, and be cultured.
I love all of the above as well.
This couldn't be more perfect!!

My college roommate loves her cats.
I HATE CATS!
Shoot.
Dilemma.

Yes. I said it.
Yes. I mean it.
I am not a fan of cats whatsoever. I think it's mostly the shedding part, to be completely honest. Ugh...I feel like I'm choking on a hairball just thinking about them. Nice mental image, I know. Ohhhh, I can hear it in my head now too. ;-)

In addition to the shedding and their overtly self-absorbed temperamental attitudes, there are multiple other reasons to dislike cats...as demonstrated by the following:

Cats disturb sleep and mangle your face!

Cats destroy furniture and force feed you insects!

Cats interrupt important TV viewing, and I swear they're trying take over the world!

Cats completely obliterate all your hard work! It's a conspiracy!!

Cats even ruin Christmas!!

And that right there is more than reason enough to hate them! :)

And so, now the question remains:
Which has more clout?? My love for my college roommate or my hatred of cats?? 
Hmmmm... I guess time will tell.  :)

Be Here Now

I wrote yesterday about the importance of being present. Connecting. Engaging. Forming genuine relationships. Focusing. Investing in people. Getting involved. Being available.

But before we can do any of that, I think we need to actually find a way to BE STILL.

I think it's getting harder and harder to shut off the noise of the world around us and actually be still. We have so many distractions in life, one of which seems to be the ever increasing monopoly of technology. But it doesn't stop there. It's life in general. It's the "to do list". It's the tasks that we need to complete at work. It's the little children clamoring for our attention. It's the bills that need to be paid. It's the burden of illness; the overwhelming incurable disease. It's the unresolved fight we had that morning with our spouse. It's the voices of poverty. It's the next cause; the next social justice. It's the media hype. It's the celebrity glamour; the next fashion trend. It's the sideways glances of comparison. It's the I need to be better; the I'll never be good enough.

It's the regrets of the past.
It's the anxieties of today.
It's the what ifs of the future.

What would it take for you to let go of your regrets?
To trust that as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

What would it take for you to release your fears?
To fully cast all of your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

What would it take for you to believe that God loves you and will never leave you?
You cannot flee from His presence.

What would it take for you to silence those distractions?
To be still and know that He is God and find peace.

Last year at the Global Leadership Summit, I saw Blaine Hogan perform this amazingly simple skit that so effectively communicates what it means to let go. To surrender. To be still. To Be Here Now. You really have to watch it. It's incredibly powerful...

God is here now.

He has always been here.

He will always be here.

Now it's time for us to be still and finally, truly be nowhere else but here.

Being Present

I've really been feeling convicted recently to put my phone down, put it on silent, and really focus on the people right there in front of me. It chimes with every notification and incoming message. But why do I feel the need to check email/text/facebook/twitter right in the middle of a conversation that I'm having with someone face to face?! What could be that important that I can't put the world on hold and focus on someone in that moment who actually matters?

We're always distracted. The busyness never seems to end. There are always multiple things vying for our attention all at once. We're always connected, and yet how often are we really connecting? We're interacting on so many different levels with tens/hundreds/thousands of people, and yet I question whether or not we are ever fully invested in anyone? When was the last time we truly spent time with people? Even more importantly, when was the last time we really gave GOD our undivided attention? Do we ever just STOP and listen? What does being present even look like?

I've been mulling over the challenge we received at Catalyst Atlanta this year:
Are you willing to be present??

And I really appreciated their examples of what being present really looks like in a practical way:

• Being present means wherever you are, you are all there. It's our responsibility to embrace what God has put squarely in front of us.
• Being present means when talking with someone, you look them in the eyes and listen. Not looking over their shoulder to see whom else is there. Be all there.
• Being present is about focusing on and embracing the NOW. Not just passing through a moment to get to the next thing, but instead focusing on the right now, the present, the Today.
• Being present is about engaging and listening to those right in front of you.
• Being present means you're all in when you're at home. You engage with your spouse and kids.
• Being present means creating margin that allows for interruptions and moment of inconvenience, which can be moments when God does the greatest work through us.
• Being present means consumed by Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Because He is Present.
• Being present means balancing a culture of distraction and consumption with a commitment to solitude and silence.
• Being present is about staying. It's about showing up and never leaving. Having presence in a place, location or context. Being connected to an address, a neighborhood, a city, a zip code.
• Being present means embracing the role that God has given you right now, and bearing fruit in and through your life.
• Being present means being involved in the community you are located in. Existing in community and not always trying to "create" community. Knowing and loving your neighbors.
• Being present means being deeply rooted. Having maturity, and tremendous depth. Not being anxious and overbearing or sporadic.
• Being present means being in relationship. Incarnational ministry. Creating disciples. Presence demands relationship. Being available to those around you, and casting self aside and focusing on the needs of others. Knowing those around you deeply.
• Being present is more than just attending an event. It's more than just showing up. It's being a part of a moment. It's a way of life.

And don't be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there.

The 21st Century

Yeah, communication and technology have come a LONG way!!

Remember this sound???

What??  You can't even remember the last time you heard that?? Well, up until yesterday, living in the land of dial up, that's the only sound my parents heard when they tried to tap into the world wide web. And here I thought I made some giant technological advance when I upgraded from my old regular cell phone to my smart phone?! Funny thing is that up until yesterday, they wouldn't have been able to even watch that clip because it would have taken too long to load! :)

I'd like to officially welcome my parents to the 21st century. There's a whole new world out there just waiting to be discovered!! I think my dad might be most excited because he can finally watch the Guy On A Buffalo videos whenever he wants now.  haha!

I wonder what's next?? Maybe someday they'll get a webcam. HA!! I can just imagine that it might go a little something like this...

Who knows?! Maybe someday they'll even get cable or satellite tv and actually be able to see more than four channels?!  **gasp** Then again, that's probably pushing it...  :)

Annoyed

I spent the first two days of this week in the Lancaster County court house serving my very first jury duty summons...ever.
Ergo, I spent the first two days of this week being annoyed.
Yes, annoyed.

I was annoyed that I had to get up earlier than normal.
I was annoyed that I had to drive into the city.
I was annoyed that I couldn't wear jeans.
I was annoyed that I wasn't able to get my beginning of the week tasks done at work.
I was annoyed that I couldn't remember if I locked my car in the parking garage.
I was annoyed that I had to take off my watch when the metal detector went off.
I was annoyed that I had to wear a red juror button.
I was annoyed that I was sitting in a room full of people I didn't know.
I was annoyed that the chairs were horribly uncomfortable.
I was annoyed that the loudest typer in the world had to write a novel on his laptop.
I was annoyed that everyone had to ask the bobbin lace making lady what she was making.
I was annoyed that the bobbin lace lady also knew everything about everything and wasn't afraid to voice her opinions about every single detail...loudly.
I was annoyed that the bobbin lace lady touted the superiority of New York drivers in the middle of a PA juror holding room.
I was annoyed that people didn't know how to put their phones on vibrate.
I was annoyed that non-smart phone users were texting without silencing them first. (beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, well...you get the picture...)
I was annoyed that I didn't bring my phone in with me the first morning.
I was annoyed that I didn't consume any coffee.
I was annoyed that my non-caffeinated head bobbed several times throughout the morning.
I was annoyed that I couldn't focus enough to read with all the chatter going on around me.
I was annoyed that the smokers got special privileges to go outside.
I was annoyed that I got my hopes up thinking we might get to leave early.
I was annoyed that they made ten of us squish together and sit in one pew.
I was annoyed that the courtroom smelled of a strange horrible mix of fish and urine.
I was annoyed that the judge had to over-explain every single detail.
I was annoyed that people stood up and gave irrelevant answers to the judge's inquiry.
I was annoyed that the courtroom benches were super hard and made my butt fall asleep.
I was annoyed that the courtroom temperature continued to rise to a boiling point.
I was annoyed that we had to come back a second day.

But mostly...
I was annoyed that I didn't know what to expect.
I was annoyed that, in my opinion, my time was being wasted.
I was annoyed that my normal routine was being interrupted.

Basically, I am a selfish, spoiled little brat.  :-/

Apparently do everything without complaining or arguing totally went out the window this week. Wow. **sigh**

And now I am annoyed that I was annoyed.  :-/

Give And Take

You split the sky with painted light
Rolling timpani shaking
You echo through the darkest night
Bellowing winds swirling

You shake the earth and trees bend low
Bowing down almost breaking
You churn waves and seas below
Crashing in and overtaking

Your majesty on display

Mighty One
Creator God
Your power can turn night to day
You give and take away

You soak completely my resolve
Breaking through and rebuilding
You pour out overwhelming love
Overflowing and healing

You whisper gently to my heart
Loving warmly and embracing
You'll never leave me or depart
Breathing life into dying

Your majesty on display

Mighty One
Creator God
Your power can turn night to day
You give and take away
Yet even in our darkest hour
Comforter
Loving Father
You're our faithful strong tower
You give and take away

Broken restored
Weak given strength
All glory to You
Shattered rebuilt
Torn mended and new
All glory to You, God

Anniversary

Wow. Yesterday I was reminded of an anniversary that I forgot I had. Well, I remembered that the event took place, and it was, indeed, a very special day, but it's not really something I consistently keep in my mind...especially not enough to celebrate its anniversary. The thing is, it's probably one of the things in my life that's actually worth rejoicing over and commemorating.

On November 7, 1993, I was baptized, and there was much to celebrate! There were six of us who stood up that day and wanted to make a public profession of our faith in front of our church family. I can recall wrestling over the decision for a few weeks beforehand. Did I really want to take this stand? What did I really believe? I knew I believed that Jesus died for me, but had I ever stepped up and made that faith my own? I remember crying in my room...sobbing, is more like it. Mostly, I was scared because I also knew it meant standing up and speaking in front of everyone, but I knew I needed to do it...no, I wanted to do it. It was worth facing that fear. I finally realized that I needed to surrender everything and make a declaration that Jesus Christ was my Lord and Savior.

I love how baptism symbolizes what takes place in our hearts at the time of our salvation:

• We've accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
• We've shared in His death and resurrection.
• We've died to our old life (going under the water) and received new life (coming out of the water).
• We were symbolically washed clean and our sins were forgiven by His death on the cross.

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

I recently saw a few baptisms during a sermon I was watching online, and I loved the pastor's wording that he used.  I just think it so beautifully captures the incredible presence of God in our lives as believers:
I baptize you in the name of the Father Who loves you, the Son Who gave His life for you, and the Spirit that lives inside of You.

60

Wow. Today is my momma's birthday, and it's a BIG one. A whole new decade. It's kind of surreal. Seems like only yesterday we were celebrating her 50th. And the other birthdays weren't that long ago either, were they?

She just told me yesterday that Life is GOOD! And I believe it. Life really is good.

I know I pick on her, and we butt heads at times, but our time here together is so fleeting and way too precious to waste. So not only do I want to say "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOMMA!!!", but much more importantly I want to say "I LOVE YOU!!!"  :-)

Breaking Free

Recently it seems like I've been involved in conversations with several different individuals and groups of people that revolve around our response (or lack thereof) during worship...specifically the time we set aside for singing/music within our respective church services. It's something that I've thought about in the past. Something that's bothered me on occasion. Something that I've wondered whether or not I'm actually justified when it frustrates me.

I've seen a change in my own response, and it's interesting to track the progression that's occurred especially over the last few years. When I think of my response today, compared to my past, there's an amazingly stark contrast. I remember when I was first introduced to "praise & worship" music and how awkward it felt when a scattered few started to clap. And that first time I saw someone across the auditorium raise their hand...bizzare. But now I'm the one clapping and raising my hands...and not just turning my palms up in front of me, but both arms are often flung straight up in wild abandon. I've found that when the Holy Spirit's stirring in my heart, I can't help but respond physically. And I especially can't help the joy that flows out of my heart and spreads across my face.

Like I said, I'm actually bothered now when people don't respond. I've experienced some frustration when I've lead worship, looked out into the congregation, and been met with stone cold expressions. It hurts my heart to think that such a large body of believers can gather together with the express purpose to worship our Father corporately, and yet for all intents and purposes appear to not be moved in any way.

But I've been pondering today if I actually have a right to be upset?? I think the crux of it comes down to a question of each person's heart. And the problem is that I have no way to be able to judge what's going on inside of people at any given time. Maybe it comes so easily and so naturally to me because I'm just an emotive person, and that's the way God's designed me to respond. Is one way of worshiping better than another? I don't think so. Maybe some people aren't singing because they need to take the time to actually stop and soak in the words. Maybe other people are actually responding in their own respective ways, but I don't understand it because we're not wired the same way.

With that said, I do think that in some way we all have a genuine struggle to break free from things that hold us back from really meeting with God. I know that I'm constantly battling the noise of life. There are things that pull for my attention and take my focus off of communing with my Father. For others, it might be an inability to break free from tradition or a fear of change. Or maybe we're just worried about what other people might think. We can be overly conscious of everyone around us, and we can't break free from caring about the opinions of others. I really believe that satan loves to keep us in bondage, and he will do anything and everything to keep us from our relationship with Christ.

I was just reading in 2 Samuel this week about David bringing the Ark of the LORD back to Jerusalem. King David was celebrating in the presence of the Lord. He danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. (i.e. he was all but naked) Typically there tend to be certain traditions and rules that govern the way royalty is expected to act. When you're the king, people are definitely going to be watching you. And David's wife, Michal, wasn't too pleased with his display. She came out to meet him in disgust saying, "How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!" But I love David's response. David retorted, “I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the LORD, so I celebrate before the LORD. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!"

Now I'm not suggesting that anyone go and get naked. Please...don't. :) But what I am saying is that putting everything aside, it doesn't matter what people think. It doesn't even matter if we do, in fact, look foolish to people around us. Ultimately the only thing that matters is God's opinion. He is reason enough to put aside our inhibitions. He is the reason we worship. And there is freedom to be found in surrendering everything to Him. It's my prayer that as we continue to grow in our walk with God, that we'll recognize the things that hold us back, be able to break free from them, and genuinely meet with our Father.