Alone

Have you ever had days or weeks that can even stretch into longer periods of time when you've just felt alone?  Flat out lonely.  And not the kind of alone that creeps in out of boredom.  Or that kind of lonely that happens on a long weekend without social interaction. 

I'm talking about really feeling alone.  Isolated.  Forgotten.  Not knowing your role or how you fit in.  Rejected.  Cut off.  Abandoned.  Disconnected.  Something is missing. 

There's a void that we try to fill with things and activities.  Maybe if I throw myself into work.  Maybe if I jump into another relationship just to be with someone or to have something to do.  Maybe if I get involved and volunteer for every single thing that comes my way.  Maybe if I get that newer and bigger toy.  Maybe if I surround myself with people and become the life of the party.  Maybe just maybe that will drown out the ache?  Maybe it will fill that lonely and disconnected place?

The problem is that it never does.  You can be in a room full of people and still feel alone.  You can be surrounded by your children who are all clamoring for your attention and still feel isolated.  You can be in charge of a meeting with all your co-workers and still wonder if you fit in.  You can have thousands of "friends" on facebook and still feel forgotten.

I'm so thankful when I have days like this that I have a loving Father to run to, and I can know without a doubt that I am NEVER alone.  It's certainly not easy to remember sometimes.  Life can be so loud that I can't hear Him, and all this earthly "stuff" can block my view of Him.  But that doesn't mean He's not there. 

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

Get alone with Him.  Spend time with Him.  He longs to be with you.  Talk with Him.  Get to know Him.  Pour out your heart to Him.  Quiet the noise of your life and just sit and soak in His word.  Let His love flood your heart.  Find your fulfillment in Him. 

He is the only One who can satisfy.  He's the only One who will never abandon you.  He will never leave you.  You will never be alone.

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

My Life

For your amusement and entertainment...the first 10 years of my life in birthdays:

Age: -2 days
(giddy up, cowboy brother, I'm almost here!)

Age: 2 days
(wild hair already)

Age: 1
(the origin of my sweet tooth)

Age: 2
(clown candles and picnics)

Age: 3
(year of the cat?!)

Age: 4
(my first official PAR-TAY!)

Age: 5
(mom wanted me to be a gamer)

Age: 6
(new little brother creepin')

Age: 7
(stockpile of homemade cabbage patch doll clothes)

Age: 8
(year of the dog...upgrade from "year of the cat")

Age: 9
(year of the rocking horse...and I actually asked for that tractor!)

Age: 10
(puffalump...the stuffed animal, not me)

Birthdays

Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.

It never fails.  Every year the anniversary of my birth comes and goes.  My age flips forward another number.  I'm another year older.  That's life.

Some years I look forward to it.  Others I dread.

I remember dreading "30" for the entire year leading up to it.  29 had been dubbed by a few of my friends as "The Year to Live it Up", because, as we all know, life just ends once you hit the next decade.  Ha!  Funny thing is that "30" probably ended up being just about the BEST birthday I've EVER had...hands down.  Granted, it was probably mostly due to life circumstances at the time, but still. 

Now I'm a few years beyond that. 

You know, I'm coming to realize that all those cliche sayings have some truth to them.  Age really is relative, and you really are only as old as you feel.  And it probably shows my age merely by the fact that I've begun to realize this.  :-) 

I'm also coming to realize how quickly life is flying by and how much I really want to make sure I'm making the most of the time God has blessed me with here on earth.  This life is temporary, but God has me here for a reason, and it's not just to take up space.  I want to make this life count.  I want to have an impact.  I want to be used.

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."  ~Abraham Lincoln

Life is too short to waste.  So I'm not focusing on the "number" this year.  I'm focusing on making each day count and making the most of each opportunity God brings across my path.  I'm working on letting go of the past.  Forgiving and forgetting and not being held back by failures and hurts.  Breaking free.  Moving forward.  Helping others and being a source of encouragement.  Seeking God and following His lead.  Diving in, embracing life, and thoroughly enjoying every moment. 

Happy Birthday to me!!  :-)

Stretched

One of my main prayers especially over the last two years has been asking God to use me. I had come to a point in life a while back where I was tired of fighting.  Tired of hurting.  Tired of trying to be in control.  I genuinely just wanted to surrender everything to Him to do whatever He wanted with my life...even if it scared the crap out of me or even if I didn't feel like I had the ability to do it.

I am Yours, God.  Use me in whatever way You want.  Have Your way, God.  Let Your will be done in my life. 

It's kind of funny. When you start praying those kinds of prayers and really mean them, God has a way of swooping in, taking you out of the kiddie pool, and throwing you into the deep end...in a good way.  He started plopping opportunities into my lap right and left.  Things that I think might have been open to me all along, but I was too scared, too insecure, or probably a lot of times...just too flat out self-absorbed.  But once I actually started being open to at least trying, making myself available, stepping out in faith, and really trusting God with every detail, He has answered those prayers in ways I never imagined.  And believe me, it's been all God!  He has stretched me and grown me in ways I never thought possible, and I've found incredible LIFE and JOY as I've walked closer with Him and really sought His leading.

At the same time, we all know how our relationship with God tends to ebb and flow.  I can tell you that while I've experienced some intensely deep and intimate times with God these last couple of years, I've also gone through those desert places.  The passion starts to fade.  Routine takes over.  You just start going through the motions.  Your faith becomes stagnant.  Apathetic.  You stop growing.  You're just treading water and not really going anywhere.

More than anything, I still want God to just flat out use me.  It's my prayer that I recognize those times when I'm drifting, and I subsequently renew my desire to be stretched by God and run hard after Him. 

I just finished reading Craig Groeschel's book: It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It.  While it's bent toward church leadership, there's tons of take-aways for our everyday Christian walk...no matter what role we may serve within the church body.  Craig closes out the book with some thoughts that really hit home with me: 

Do you have it?  Be honest.  Do you have that something special that is from God and for God?  Do you think more about pleasing Him than strategizing how to grow your church?  Do you desire His pleasure more than the applause of men?  Are you more concerned with His opinion of you than with the opinions of people?

When you become comfortable in your relationship with God, you'll lose it.  (By comfortable, I mean complacent, lazy, and distracted.)  In many ways, comfort is an enemy of faith.  Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God."  Jesus pleaded with His followers, knowing the time was short, reminding them always to "be on guard!  Be alert!" (Mark 13:33).  That's why we'll constantly want to ask God to stretch us.

You have more in you than you realize.  God has put more in you than anyone knows.  Ask Him to stretch you.  Then let Him.

God wants to stretch you.  He wants you to live by faith, to believe Him.  It will mean putting yourself in new environments.  Experiencing something new.  Something different.

Ask God to stretch you.  Then follow His direction.  He might direct you to change your leadership style or the way you preach.  He might challenge you to go to a third-world country and leave behind part of your heart.  He might ask you to give like you've never given before.  He might lead you to do something your closest friends believe is foolish and impossible.  He might introduce you to a new church leader who will rock your comfortable world.  Or maybe to a lost person who is far from God.

Let Him stretch you.  Attempt what others say can't be done. You have more in you than you realize.  God has put more in you than anyone else sees.  Ask God to stretch you.  As He does, you might start to find it again.

Character

I've been watching Andy Stanley's recent sermon series at North Point Community Church called "The New Rules for Love, Sex, & Dating".  Obviously it's geared toward people who aren't married, but it's actually really applicable across the board.  Good stuff.  REALLY good stuff.

He poses an incredibly thought provoking question.  I think if we're really honest about answering it, we just might find that we will need to do a little work personally.

"Are you who the person you are looking for is looking for?"

Read it again...
"Are YOU who the person you are looking for is looking for?"

We tend to have a list of qualities that we're looking for.  We have a picture of what we'd like in a significant other.  But the question is, are you being intentional about becoming the type of person that possesses those similar qualities?  Are you becoming the type of person that is attractive to the type of person you are looking for?  Determine the story you want to tell and work on making it true NOW.

I personally want to be a Proverbs 31 kind of wife someday.  Actually, marriage or not, I flat out want to be this kind of woman, and I want my life to make God happy.  The point is that either way, it all starts with laying a foundation of honorable character in the here and now...

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

¹⁰ A wife of noble character who can find?
   She is worth far more than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
   and lacks nothing of value.
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
   all the days of her life.
¹³ She selects wool and flax
   and works with eager hands.
¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
   bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up while it is still dark;
   she provides food for her family
   and portions for her servant girls.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
   out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
   her arms are strong for her tasks.
¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
   and her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
   and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
   and extends her hands to the needy.
²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
   for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes coverings for her bed;
   she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
   where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
   and supplies the merchants with sashes.
²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
   she can laugh at the days to come.
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
   and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
   and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
   her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
   but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
   but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
³¹ Give her the reward she has earned,
   and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

A Sure Bet

This one is for all of you who took bets on how long it would take me to get a speeding ticket when I first got my red rocket on wheels last year.  I am happy to report that a whole year has officially passed, and...
I haven't seen flashing lights in my rearview mirror. 
I haven't been pulled over. 
I haven't been issued any tickets with my name on them.
Yes.  That's right.  NO TICKETS!!

Thank you.  Thank you VERY much!

It's a bit surprising, I know.  It certainly seemed like it was a sure bet.  Perhaps after I post this, a new betting pool should start up.  You know...because I'm obviously setting myself up by being so arrogant and waving my success in your faces.  Pride goeth before a fall, right?  :-)

Aware

I want to live live with my eyes wide open and be aware.  Aware of God's hand.  Aware of His movement.  Aware of His leading.  Aware of His presence.  So why do I tend to forget Him when I'm going about my daily routine of life?  Craig Groeschel touches on this in his book, Weird:

It's all too normal to separate spiritual life from regular life.  In reality, there is no distinction.  Everything we do is spiritual.  While normal people separate life into compartments (school, home, sports, work, friends - and oh yeah, church and the spiritual stuff), weird people know that everything is spiritual.  We don't remember God in prayer at the end of the day.  We live aware of God moment by moment.  He is not a part of our lives; God is our life.

Life is worship.  God created us for this very purpose...to worship Him in everything that we do.  God doesn't want us to just acknowledge Him once a day and then put Him back on a shelf only to pick Him up again when it's convenient for our schedules.  He wants to walk with us every step of every day.  He wants us to be in constant communication with Him.  He wants to have a real relationship with us.  And we can't establish a real relationship with Him merely by walking into church, saying a few prayers, having an "experience", and then forgetting about Him in our every day life.

God, may I always look for You.  May I always actively seek You.  May I always live my life in constant awareness of You.

Free Will?

I saw The Adjustment Bureau in the theater a while back.  It wasn't what I was expecting.  Honestly, I don't know that I knew what it was about beforehand.  I knew Matt Damon was in it, and I'm entertained by just about anything.
Cased closed.  :-)

I'm pretty sure its intent was to raise questions.  The biggest of which centered around Fate vs. Free Will.  The movie's website states:  Your life is made up of defining moments - random encounters, split-second decisions and unique connections that have led you to where you are today.  And it questions:  Are these events in your life predetermined by fate, or are they the result of your own free will?

There's one main scene where David Norris (Matt Damon's character) unknowingly discovers the behind the scenes workings of "the Adjustment Bureau", and Thompson (a head "angel" of sorts) has to step in and offer an explanation for what they're doing, which completely frustrates Norris, and results in the following conversation...

David Norris: Whatever happened to free will?
Thompson: We actually tried free will before. After taking you from hunting and gathering to the height of the Roman empire, we stepped back to see how you'd do on your own. You gave us the dark ages for five centuries until finally we decided we should come back in. The Chairman {aka God} thought that maybe we just needed to do a better job with teaching you how to ride a bike before taking the training wheels off again. So we gave you raised hopes, enlightenment, scientific revolution. For six hundred years we taught you to control your impulses with reason. Then in nineteen ten, we stepped back. Within fifty years you'd brought us world war one, the depression, fascism, the holocaust and capped it off by bringing the entire planet to the brink of destruction in the Cuba missile crisis. At that point the decision was taken to step back in again before you did something that even we couldn't fix. 

Yep.  I know this is Hollywood's take on it, but it really comes back to that age old question.  In Christian circles, it's the debate of predestination vs. free will.

Thompson: You don't have free will, David. You have the appearance of free will.
David Norris: You expect me to believe that? I make decisions everyday.
Thompson: You have free will over which toothpaste you use, or which beverage to order at lunch. But humanity just isn't mature enough to control the important things.
David Norris: So you handle the important things? Well, the last time I checked the world's a pretty screwed up place.
Thompson: It's still here. If we'd left things in your hands it wouldn't be.

Kind of makes you think, huh?  I used to be completely sold on one side of this coin, but over the last several years, I wonder if it's completely one way or the other.  Honestly, I think it's that I've come to the point where I don't know if it's worth the argument.  Sure, it's definitely worth thinking through, but I don't know if it's worth division within the church body.  I don't know if it's worth debating details if we're losing focus on the big picture in the process.

The one thing I have total trust in is that God is in complete control of everything that happens in this world and in my life.  Hands down, my God is bigger, stronger, wiser, greater, and more powerful than anything that comes into our lives, and He loves us and works everything for our good...even when we don't understand it. 

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Accountable

Yikes.  Accountability.  That's a scary word.

You want me to actually own up to things that I'm doing?  You want me to answer to someone and be held responsible?  You want me to follow through and do things that are good for me even when they feel like "work"?  You want me to be honest, share those tainted places I tend to keep hidden in my heart, open up, and actually be real?  You want me to be honest about my mistakes and my failures?  Whoa.

Actually, I'm starting to look at it differently.

I've found that the more I've made following Christ a priority in my life, the more I actually WANT someone to speak into my life and hold me accountable.  That's kind of crazy, I know.  But it's so much easier to grow and mature in Him when you have someone to walk with you on your journey. 

Without accountability there is no motivation for change. ~Pastor Curt

I have a couple of people in my life that I totally trust with everything that goes on in my life.  And it's not because they're going to sugar coat their responses and tell me what I want to hear.  It's because they're going to be honest and upfront with me and call me out when I'm off track.  They're not going to let me get away with things that aren't God-honoring.  They're not going to stand by idle and not speak up when they see something in my life that's harmful.  They're not going allow me to become apathetic about my walk with Christ.

I am so thankful to know people that love me THAT much.  Honestly, it's actually pretty liberating.  I know I don't have to do this on my own.  I don't have to hide and deal with trials or carry burdens alone. 

So find someone you trust.  Let them in.  Hold each other accountable.  It's really ultimately for your good, and in the end, you won't regret it.   

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no on to help him up!

Dating Tips

So I'm seriously starting to wonder how many guys these days have been getting dating tips from someone like Ken?
 
Guys, if you're considering using these tactics, please...DON'T!!!
And women, if they do use them...RUN AWAY!!!  :-)

Drifting

We're all caught up in the tides of life, and we constantly need to fight the current that tends to carry us away. Before we know it, we're drifting farther and farther from the heart of God.  Pastor Curt brought it big time on Sunday with an awesome call to take action and do something to combat atrophy within our lives. 

It's amazing how interconnected the health of our spiritual life is to the health of our soul and our physical body.  Accepting Christ's life changing gift is only the beginning.  He renews our spirit and makes us brand new in Him, but there's a constant battle.  A constant struggle.  Our emotions and human desires are at war with the desires of God.  The more we focus on developing and strengthening our walk with Christ, the more it will positively overflow into the rest of our life.  But on the other hand, if we become apathetic about building up our spiritual life, it will undoubtedly negatively affect every other area of our life.

Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.

We all have issues.  We're all messed up.  We all need help.  None of us have it all together.  We try to separate our daily life from our spiritual life.  And yet, we fail to realize that it's that spiritual piece that's the only thing that can create real change...change for our good.  When we allow Christ to speak into our lives and apply His words to our lives, we WILL grow, and He WILL change our lives for the better.  It takes effort to fight against the currents of life.  It takes focused attention to not drift away.  But it's so worth the struggle!

• Make a decision to live and decide to initiate change.  Take that first step toward life and do what you need to be doing one step at a time.  Just do the next right thing and don't worry or try to control the outcome. 
• Renew your vision for life.  It's a process that starts with knowing your goal.  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
• Expose the enemies of life.  Figure out what's in your life that's in your way of reaching your goal.  Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
• Protect life with accountability.  Without accountability there is no motivation for change. 
• Live for God.  If you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Motives

Do I do "good" things just because I want to be rewarded?
Do I act a certain way just because I want to uphold a particular image?
Do I avoid doing "bad" things just because I don't want to get in trouble?
Do I go to church just because it's what all good little Christians are expected to do?
Do I read my Bible and pray just because I'm "supposed to"?
Do I ask for forgiveness when I've messed up just because I feel guilty?
Do I "repent and believe" in God just because I don't want to go to hell?

OR...

Do I do "good" things because I genuinely want to help people?
Do I act a certain way because I want my life to reflect Christ?
Do I avoid doing "bad" things because I love God and don't want to make His heart sad?
Do I go to church because I want to serve and connect with fellow believers?
Do I read my Bible and pray because I want to get to know my Father more intimately?
Do I ask for forgiveness when I've messed up because I'm truly sorry and want to do better?
Do I repent and believe in God out of a true recognition that I'm a lost sinner who needs a Savior and because I want to spend an eternity worshiping and celebrating Him in heaven?

No one has perfect motives all the time...or even most of the time.  I want to be motivated out of my love for Christ, and I want my actions to be an overflow of the love that He's poured out abundantly into my life.  I guess I just want to make sure I stay aware of what's driving my actions. 

People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart. The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices.

You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

Mom

Mothers.  They sure do put up with a lot.  We've caused them a lot of grief and worry and countless sleepless nights.  Hopefully we weren't as annoying as Stewie, but I'm sure there are times when our moms couldn't help but reach the end of their ropes and react a little like Lois.  haha

Where would we be without our mothers?  Sure, there's that timeless joke about how none of us would exist without moms, but all joking aside, I think there's a lot of truth in that. 

My mom:  She loved me before I was born...even before I knew her.  She loves me still...even when I'm not the best at reciprocating.  She taught me valuable life skills...even when I balked at learning them.  She taught me how to cook...even though I only eat sandwiches and cereal now.  She taught me how to clean properly...so now I can invite guests over without too much embarrassment.  She taught me about right attitudes and caring for others...even when I was too shy to talk to people.  She showed me the value of hard work...even when I whined about sweating or getting dirty.  She gave up her "wants" so that all of our needs could be met...even when we didn't appreciate it.  She has listened to my heartache and felt truly hurt along with me...even when she didn't fully understand.  She has been generous and gracious...even when I most certainly do not deserve it.  And most importantly, she taught me about Jesus and how to love Him with all my heart, and she sacrificed a great deal to give us the opportunity to build a solid spiritual foundation through Christian schooling in particular...so now I can make this faith my own and embrace God's truths in every part of my life.  She has cried with me and prayed for me and loved me my entire life.  I am truly thankful!

I'm sure I still cause my mom a lot of grief.  I'm sure I still don't appreciate her like I should.  It's true...we like to pick on her (all in good fun, of course).  I suppose it's like my dad always says...that we pick on each other to show that we love each other.  But I hope that I've given her some joy to counteract the grief.  I want to make sure she knows that she is appreciated.  And I just want to say how much I do love her.  I know I don't say it nearly enough. 

I love you, momma!!

Lifetime Kind of Love

I love seeing marriages flourish.  I love seeing those good ones where you can just tell that there is mutual love and respect.  Sadly, it seems like they are getting harder and harder to find these days, but I know they're still out there.  I've witnessed several of them first hand, and I get so excited when I see how abundantly God has blessed these couples for their love and faithfulness to each other. 

It makes my heart melt to see little old couples who are still in love after decades of being together.  The ones who aren't just "putting up with each other", but the ones who know each other so well and are still celebrating each other...and genuinely actually still LIKE each other.   

I know it's animated, but this scene from "UP" always makes me cry...

Flat Tires

I can't even remember how many sharp objects I've gotten embedded in my car tires in the last few years.  Most of the time, I don't even know it happens until one day I randomly notice that one tire seems to look a little more squishy than the others.  You know...one of those slow leaks.  I tend to milk it a while.  I'll fill it back up with air and drive around for a few more weeks.  The temporary fix seems to solve the immediate issue, but I know I eventually need to take it to the mechanic to get it patched.

This last time was different though.  Everything was fine until I got to work, but then a few hours later I was informed that someone noticed I had a flat.  Seriously?!  Sure enough, after trying to fill it back up, you could actually hear the air hissing back out again.  The culprit?  One LARGE screw.  Nice.  There was no temporary fix for this one.  Thankfully, we have a super nice shop guy who stepped in to save the day and helped me swap it out for my spare.  Wait...what am I saying?  "Helped me"?!  Ha...in actuality, I did nothing but stand there and watch.  :-)  He did all the work. 

This might be a stretch, but isn't that a little bit like life?  Most of the time, we go about our daily routine thinking everything is fine.  But all the while there's that little something that's got you worried or that little irritation that's starting to fester.  You don't even realize it's there.  But then you start noticing you're not feeling as full as you'd like.  Your energy level is depleted.  You're a little less joyful.  You start feeling disconnected.  Sure, you can push it under the rug for a while, and you can go a few more weeks without addressing it.  But really, you know the only sure way of stopping the leak it is to actually deal with it and get it patched.  Eventually, you realize the only real solution is to take it to God to get it fixed.

Then, similar to my most recent flat, there are those times in life when there's no denying there's a major problem.  You're knocked flat on your back, and you're not going anywhere.  One LARGE screwed up mess takes over, and in an instant, your life feels like it's over.  There's no temporary fix.  There's no running away.  There's nothing you can do.  Thankfully, I know I have Jesus to run to.  He steps in to help me and save me.
   
In a way, isn't this, in essence, also a picture the story of salvation?  God has swapped out my old, dead life that's not going anywhere, and He's made me brand new.  I certainly can't do anything to save myself.  His grace does all the work.  He is the only true, permanent solution...the only completely inexhaustible source of life.   

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Answered Prayer

I think we all have some prayers that we've been praying for a VERY. LONG. TIME.  There are those things that you truly believe God has placed in your heart.  You keep trusting that He will indeed answer, but you certainly can't see how He will do it based on your current circumstances.

I've been praying alongside of a friend for literally years now for God to come through on some major life direction and some God given dreams.  I've worked on being a voice of encouragement.  I've tried to instill hope.  I've attempted to be a reality check and constantly be a reminder that "things take time".  Honestly though, there were times when I wasn't sure that I fully believed.  I wasn't sure I totally had hope.  I couldn't see the means to the end either.  It wasn't my personal trial, but I found that I was getting discouraged, too.  But God has a way of stepping in right when we feel like giving up.  I've seen Him move in amazing ways time after time in my friend's life...right when it was most vital.

It's crazy how God works.  Actually, it's downright amazing, overwhelming, and even a little bit surreal.  After years of praying, I've seen the heavens open up over the last couple of weeks and literally rain down blessings on my friend's life.   Let me tell you, when God decides to move, you better be ready to move with Him...and fast.  A series of events have started recently that just keep coming one right after the other...and God's hand has been all over it.  There were things that happened over the last couple of years that didn't make any sense whatsoever in the moment, but looking back...God's genius plan is so evident.  And while there are still some uncertainties that have yet to play out, I am so entirely astounded how God has been orchestrating every single detail this entire time.

It may take a seemingly LONG time, and it might be a crazy journey, but I love when God completely blows you away with answers to prayer!! I am SO flippin' excited to see how He will continue to work.  God is AWESOME; His way is always BEST; and His timing is always PERFECT!!

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Church vs. Culture

It's kind of crazy how much I keep hearing this subject come up these days.  Is there anything that's off limits when we're trying to meet people where they're at and connect with culture in order to ultimately introduce them to Christ?  As long as we aren't sinning in the process, are we free to use whatever means possible to reach people for Jesus?  How do we relate to the world we live in and yet retain the standards that God has called us to live out?  Where is that line?  Are there boundaries that just shouldn't be crossed?  Recently, some notable pastors got together to discuss various issues within the church, and an interesting and thought provoking discussion on this very topic came up (view it here).

Yes, NewSpring Church opened an Easter service with AC/DC's "Highway to Hell", and all of Christendom apparently had a heartattack.  Why?  I'm not saying I agree or disagree...I'm just thinking it through.

Like Perry said in the first clip, if you take the song and have it stand on its own, there potentially could be an issue.  But that's just a starting point.  The rest of the service brings it home...the gospel is preached, and people are lead to Christ.  I love that he's not afraid to tell it like it is and proclaim the truth of Jesus. 

Church vs. Culture.  I don't know where the line is.  But in this instance, I really believe God was honored.  No matter how you slice it, Perry brings a crystal clear presentation of the gospel.  Jesus Christ is the only way to a full and abundant life here on earth, and He is the only way to heaven. 

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."