Working Wish List

My friend Matty has always dreamed of meeting Amy Grant. Well, that wish was recently fulfilled and surpassed. In the span of one week, Matty scored concert tickets, backstage passes, and a brief duet with his hero. In honor of my friend and his elated state, I've compiled my own "wish list" for this life.

1. Write a devotional book (Working Title: Steadfast).
2. Take a trip to the Holy Lands.
3. Attend any number of major sporting events (Wimbledon, The Masters, Stanley Cup Finals).
4. Milk a cow.
5. See a Broadway show.
6. Visit all 50 states.
7. Take an extended vacation to Europe (tour by train...).
8. Concerts: Michael Buble, Paul Potts, Barbra Streisand, Garth Brooks
9. Attend Jimmy Carter's Sunday School Class.
10. Meet Billy Graham.

These are just the ones that come to mind today. The above list is in no particular order and is far from final. I am sure I'll think of others later and add them as I do. Feel free to share some of your own in the comments section!

Quote Stealing...

I stole this quote from a friend. I read it and couldn't get it out of my mind. I am seeking to live this aware of God's grace and sure of my faith. It just resonated with me and I hope it will with you, too.

"What a wonderful thing it is to be sure of one's faith! How wonderful to be a member of the evangelical church, which preaches the free grace of God through Christ as the hope of sinners! If we were to rely on our works--my God, what would become of us?" - George Frederic Handel

Satire and the Sacred...

DISCLAIMER: I am not really a Chuck Norris fan. I never watched Walker, Texas Ranger or anything else starring him. Someone pointed me to this website recently, though, and I thought it was very funny.

For a good laugh, take a look at this satirical website of Chuck Norris "facts." Please note that Chuck Norris had nothing to do with this website. I haven't read them all, but the ones I have read are funny.

In my search for the site, I stumbled across these thoughts from Chuck Norris himself. I thought I'd pass them along to you. I was impressed with his candor...

One of the satirical "facts" made of Norris states that "There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live." Upon hearing this, Chuck replied:

"It's funny. It's cute. But here's what I really think about the theory of evolution: It's not real. It is not the way we got here. In fact, the life you see on this planet is really just a list of creatures God has allowed to live. We are not creations of random chance. We are not accidents. There is a God, a Creator, who made you and me. We were made in His image, which separates us from all other creatures. By the way, without Him, I don't have any power. But with Him, the Bible tells me, I really can do all things—and so can you."

Well said, don't you think?

Things I Love

In no particular order (other than the first two!)...

1. The Trinity.

2. The Communion of Saints.

3. A Good Book. (Like...700 Sundays by Billy Crystal)

4. Dark Chocolate.

5. Cards.

6. Letters.

7. Snickerdoodle Coffee from Common Grounds.

8. A Good Laugh.

9. A Good Cry.

10. Conversations.

11. An Inspiring Quote.

12. The Cone (If you're in it, you know who you are and that this encompasses oh-so-much).

13. My Southern Gentleman of a Boyfriend.

14. My Adorable Nephews.

15. My Unbelievable Family.

16. Quiet Time.

17. A Good Movie.

18. Hiking.

19. John Denver (First on a long list of guilty pleasures in the music department...).

20. Good Lyrics (Welcome to Our World by Chris Rice is an all-time favorite).

21. Writing.

22. Road Trips.

23. Long Walks on the Beach. (especially with # 13...)

24. A Well Placed Comma :).

25. The Smell and Taste of Coconut (Bath & Body Works Exotic Coconut is fantastic).

That's all for now. Your turn now!

Adventures in Missing the Point

Each week I receive student ministry articles via e-mail. There's a section at the bottom called "Stranger Than Fiction" that always interests me. This week's was equally intriguing...and more than a little infuriating.

Stranger than Fiction
Dissin' Jesus at the Emmys - On September 8, Kathy Griffin, a bawdy, foulmouthed comedian, accepted an Emmy Award for her reality show, My Life on the D-List, and in her acceptance speech she explained that while other actors might thank Jesus for such an honor, she wouldn't consider it. "Suck it, Jesus," she exuberantly added, waving her statuette in the air. "This award is my God, now." Outrage from Christian groups followed, and newspapers reported that E! Television would scrub the speech before airing it the following weekend, which triggered an equal and opposite outcry from liberal groups accusing E! of censorship. When the awards show aired the next weekend, edited but not completely airbrushed, a small Christian theater company based in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, took out two full-page ads in USA Today at $90,000 a pop, decrying Griffin's remarks and pleading for a new civility. Griffin, meanwhile, went on Larry King, who played the unedited clip and ignited the entire thing all over again.(Newsweek, October 1)

This made me angry. Not for the reasons you would expect (Unless you're familiar with my post about Imus.). I can't say that I agree with what Griffin said. I believe it was in bad taste and completely unnecessary. On Larry King, she refused to apologize or back down. However, she readily admitted that it was a joke. While it was a deplorable "joke" (if that is what it was), was it any worse than those who do choose to thank Jesus and turn around and deny him by their lifestyle, their career choices, and their actions? That's another blog...

What really upset me about this article was the price-tag on the two full-page ads that the Christian group took out in USA Today. $180,000? Come on! Was that good stewardship? Do we honestly think Jesus is applauding these people for "defending" Him? It is hard for me to picture a whole boardroom of people who thought it was a good idea to spend such an exorbitant amount of money on a useless add that few will read and even fewer will respond to positively. It is a poor representation of the Gospel we say we believe.

People are not alarmed when Christians get angry and protest things. This is just an opportunity for a world of lost people to roll their eyes at us again. "Here we go again...another Christian rant. Those people are always mad about something?" Is that how we want to be perceived? More importantly, are we really representing Jesus well when we do things like this?

Jesus doesn't need us to defend him. He calls on us to love him. And he takes it one further and also asks us to love our neighbors while we are at it. Who are those people? The poor. The weak. The girl or boy next door. And even the difficult ones that say things that offend us.

I am not saying Kathy Griffin was right. I've already said that I think what she said was in bad taste. I am not calling on Christians to support what she said or condone it. But no two page spread in a magazine is going to convince her that Jesus loves her and longs for her. I am doubting it will do that for anyone. Perhaps it made them feel better to make a statement against her and plead for "a new civility," but it did little or nothing to advance the Gospel.

How about using that money to feed the hungry in our backyards (and all over the world, for that matter). I don't know much about that area of Tennessee, but I am guessing it is a safe bet that there are people right there in Pigeon Forge who are hungry - physically and spiritually. How about spending that money to reach out to them and say to them with our actions that there's a God who loves them? That is the kind of "response" that causes people to take notice...

I have much more to say about all of this, but I'm more curious as to what your response is to this scenario. Agree? Disagree? I welcome your thoughts on this. I don't have it all figured out myself, I just know that my gut instinct tells me this was poor stewardship on the part of the church and a poor representation of the God we say we love.

A quote I love that I believe speaks to this (especially the last sentence)...

"You know, we say we are followers of Jesus Christ, and yet I fear that we crave a life almost in opposition to the one he lived. We want what's easy; he chose what's hard. We want life for ourselves; he chose to give his life for others. We want approval for our own deeds; he chose to do the deeds of his father in heaven. We seek the condemnation of others who are not life us; he wants to redeem us all." - Stan Gaede

Sneak Preview

I am well aware that I have been a "blogger slacker" lately and I am sorry. I assure you it is not for lack of thinking about it and wanting to write. It is nailing down the time to actually write that is the problem. Things are a little crazy around given that the school year is well underway and I work with college students. I promise to offer you a solid blog this week.

As a "sneak preview," just know that things are going fantastically well in my little world. I love my job, my church, and the people I work with here. It is such a great church with people who are generous with their prayers, encouragement, and support (financial and otherwise). It is also wonderful to be able to take a short trip home for birthdays (my nephews, my mom's) or any other reason. I do miss the boy, though...but things are going remarkably well there, too. He's unbelievably thoughtful and adorably Southern. Treats me like a queen, even from a distance. (That is likely all you'll get from me on this blog about that...!)

More to come soon, I promise!

Movie Release Update

It looks like the release date for August Rush has been moved to November 21st. If you're unfamiliar with this, see my blog from or just go watch the trailer online. It looks like it is going to be one remarkable film!

Serendipity and Saints

ser·en·dip·i·ty (sěr'ən-dĭp'ĭ-tē):
noun
1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.
2. good fortune; luck

Serendipity. Fun word (under-used). Great movie (I [heart] John Cusack. Supposedly fantastic restaurant (in NY).

I'm in a serendipitous season in my life. Those "desirable discoveries" seem to be happening rather frequently lately. Little and big ones. Twice I've found myself walking through the mall (and I hate to shop!) aimlessly, only to run into people I've been trying to connect with for weeks. One of them was just on a 6-hour break from the camp where she was working for the summer. Strange.

I had a beautifully serendipitous moment the other night at my first Disciple Bible Study class. We were making introductions and this 91-year old lady was telling about herself and where she had gone to church in the past. It was the same church my grandmother attended while she was alive, so I asked if she knew her. She did not...but the older man next to me did. Making that connection almost made me cry. It's that "communion of saints" thing...makes you feel like you're not so far removed from the people you've loved and lost. I have a feeling that our little connection will only deepen as we walk through this study together.

I wanted to share that moment because I have long been thinking of writing a blog about my grandma. We were very close. We laughed together, cried together, dreamed together, and just loved each other deeply. She had her struggles, but they only made her into the unbelievable person I grew to love and admire more than I could ever express in words. I tried once...and the results are below in a poem that I wrote for her. Keep in mind that I was 18 years old, so it is raw and unpolished.

Heroes

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes
With masks and capes and many great disguises.
But none so discreet as this one does appear,
And in my heart, this hero’s very dear.

Some say a hero must be strong and bold.
If that’s the case, let the story be told
Of a woman of wisdom, strength, and love,
Who follows the Lord and His plan from above.

She’s quick with a hug or a shoulder when you need one,
And of course a great joke or a laugh for some real fun.
She’s my inspiration, my strength for each day.
In just who she is, she has shown me the Way.

Her cape you won’t see, for she’s not wearing one,
But you can bet on a halo when it’s all said and done.
For she’s the kind of person who loves from within
With no thought of what she may lose or win.

She has blessed me, touched me, and loved me so
In all that she’s done, she’s only helped me grow.
All things considered, she fits right in
As a hero, a legend…my grandma, my friend.

A Journey Without Maps

"Faith is better understood as a verb than as a noun, as a process than as a possession. It is on-again-off-again rather than once-and-for-all. Faith is not being sure where you're going but going anyway. A journey without maps." - Frederick Buechner

Journey. I really love that word. It awakens something in me that I cannot explain. It seems so...infinite and inviting.

Infinite because it seems to capture the endless possibilities and lessons to be learned in this life. Also because as Christians we know that we are not Home yet, but we're ever on our way. Sometimes that way is treacherous. Sometimes it is wondrous. Most of the time it falls somewhere in between.

Inviting because it seems so...communal. The idea of journey seems to imply that there are others on the road with us. Oh sure, sometimes it seems as if we are all alone on our journey. Like we are being asked to walk this endless road by ourselves. We feel lonely, abandoned, and utterly isolated. But it is all an illusion. There is at least that eternal Someone there beside us and often countless others surrounding us seeking to walk the same path. On our best days there's a tangible person or two with whom we can share the ups and downs of the journey who has chosen to take the journey, too.

I am at a point in my journey where I am exhilarated by the idea that it is a journey without maps. If you had asked me a year ago how I felt about it, the answer would have been different. I felt isolated and alone and angry that I didn't have a blueprint for the journey. There's no blueprint or map right now for any part of my life and I'm loving it! I feel excited about what is ahead even though I see it not.

Why the extremes in response to this journey without maps? Well, the easy answer is that I am human. It happens. The better answer is that I find myself trusting God to a greater degree at this point in the journey. My vision is clear and I am able to see how He has guided me through the mountaintops and valleys of my life and that He continues to do so now.

Ask me again in a year and I might have different thoughts (depending on the day). For now, I'm excited about what is around the next corner and cannot wait to see where He is leading me. I also look forward to sharing this journey with the unbelievable people He has placed in my life who can remind me what I've said here today when I find myself in the less-than-enthusiastic camp...

Fear Conquered

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." - 1 John 4:18

These words, while a beautiful thought, have always sort of haunted me. They replay in my mind when I find that I have not quite conquered fear in my life (a daily...or at least weekly occurence!). I have learned to fight through fear and just go for it in most circumstances. And while this can be a good quality, I think it has largely kept me from experiencing what this verse really means.

As is always the case, my devotional brought up the same theme. I have found that when God is trying to teach me something, He exhausts all avenues. The same idea seems to surface everywhere I turn. When I finally sat down to ready my devotional the other day, here is what I found:

"When the story is over, the fear will be conquered; God will have delivered. The troubles will be mastered, and God will have freed the believer. The needs in life will have been met, and God will have provided for every need." - Dennis Kinlaw, This Day with the Master, August 12

I immediately called to mind the verse listed above. "There is no fear in love...perfect love drives out fear" kept replaying in my mind like a broken record. Those words and Kinlaw's words convicted me and caused a longing to awaken in me. The refrain is not unfamiliar to me...

I kept thinking...I want fear to be conquered in my life now. I want to be freed from worry and fear now. I want my needs to be met now. I just want to live free in the now.

Then it happened. I had what I like to call a "mini-ephiphany." A moment of absolute clarity where it all just comes together for me. I don't imagine it will be earth-shattering for many of you but I thought I'd share it anyway.

As I sat and reflected about that verse and what I had read in my devotional, it all just began to make perfect sense to me. I don't have to conquer fear. I don't have to try and free myself from worry. I don't have to know how everything is going to work and how. It is not up to me to have that perfect love that drives out fear. I just have to cling to the One who does...

It occurs to me that I might be making sense to no one but myself at this point, so let me put it differently. It seems to me that the verse should read (at least in our minds), "There is no fear in love because God is love. God, who is perfect love, drives out our fear. He drives it out because fear has to do with punishment and those of us who love and live in God know that this is not the end of the story. We need not fear because we are covered by the perfect love of God."

I knew it before, but it became clearer to me the other day...it is not up to me. I'll still have fear here and there, but I need not try to conquer it on my own. I'll just allow myself to be embraced by the One who embodies the perfect love and has the power to drive it out.

I'm done fighting through my fears on my own. Where has it gotten me anyway? Maybe it has made me a little "tougher" or (worse) given me some sense of false pride in my ability to overcome. It never lasts...and it shouldn't.

I am determined to live free in this life. I believe I can, not because I have the power to do so, but because I know the One who does. And there is no fear in Him...

Just for Fun

I thought this was hilarious. Check out the Weinermobile Woes.

Movie Preview

My friend Cindy alerted me to this forthcoming movie on her blog a while ago. I just got around to watching the trailer...and I'm hooked. Please take a moment to view the trailer. Then promptly go and mark your calendars for the release date (October 19, 2007). You won't want to miss August Rush. The cast is phenomenal and the concept is original and looks to be deeply moving.

A Glimpse of Jesus

"God is tender and loves us as just as we are, not in spite of our sins and faults, but with them. God does not condone or sanction evil, but he does not withhold his love because there is evil in us. The key to this understanding is the way we feel about ourselves. We cannot stand or accept love from another human being when we do not love ourselves, much less believe or accept that God could possibly love us." -- Brennan Manning, A Glimpse of Jesus

I am currently reading A Glimpse of Jesus by Brennan Manning. I loved Ragamuffin Gospel and every thought I've ever read by this remarkable man. This book is no exception. I read Ragamuffin Gospel relatively quickly because it was so good. While this book is equally as good, I am reading it slowly. In part because I have been a bit busy as-of-late. But mostly because of the subtitle. The whole title reads like this: A Glimpse of Jesus: The Stranger to Self-Hatred.
Wow.

While I don't hate myself, I know it won't surprise my handful of readers to hear me confess that I have difficulty receiving love. From God or anyone, really. I look at others who struggle the same and I cannot understand it. I have no trouble seeing how other people (even ones who frustrate me!) are deserving of love. I just have trouble receiving it myself. And the Lord has (humorously) surrounded me with an unbelievably loving family, loving friends, and companions on this journey. He is desperately trying to show me how he loves me through others. And I know that he does...I just don't know that I know that I know.

I venture to say many of you feel at least partially the same. Or maybe you don't. Either way, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. It is a lingering difficulty in my life. It has been alleviated during brief seasons in my life, but it still seems to loom behind me. I long to be set free of this feeling and I believe that God desires that for me (and you!). But how?

For now, I am learning a lot from this book and what Manning pulls from the Word. I feel layers being lifted and I am loving it, but I have a long way to go!

Random Find of the Day

I have just returned from the local Christian bookstore. I went to browse their Bible study material to see if I could find any possibilities for my college students. While that might not seem all that interesting, it was. It was, at the very least, enlightening...

While there I could not resist the card section. I am sucker for good cards (Though there are very few good ones these days in the Christian book stores...sad, but true.). I noticed something ironic.

There was no section for "love." Interesting. Disturbing. Ironic. Sad.

Isn't that a central principle for us? And shouldn't we be about love...sustaining marriages and relationships and expressing love to each other? As it is, most of the books on relationships in the Christian bookstore I went to (a national chain) assumed not love...but difficulty and problems. The titles were mostly negative. The ones that weren't were more of a "how-to" guide to finding your mate. Those leave a bad taste in my mouth.

So, what does this say about us (Christians, the Church)?

Freedom and Relief

The subtitle on my blog says that it will be about life, faith, and living free. That said, I thought this quote was worth sharing. Enjoy...

"My praying friend, continue to make known your desires to God in all things. It is when we can speak with one another about anything and everything that conversation really affords us freedom and relief. Let Him decide whether you are to receive what you ask for or not." - O. Hallesby

Things that Disturb/Annoy Me...

Walking out of a bathroom with two un-purchased books at a local bookstore…

Non hand-washers…especially at a bookstore or restaurant!

Texting while driving

Strangers who have what my friend Julie calls “verbal diarrhea” all over you…

Changing a baby’s diaper somewhere other than the bathroom…

Public breast-feeding

40+ year-old women wearing halters

Toupees (Especially on married men. I mean, all sense of intimacy would be lost when he took that thing off to go to bed…)

Comb-overs

Hair helmets on older (or younger, for that matter) women

Men who wear eyeliner (except maybe that guy from Green Day...)

Smacking

Those shoes with the wheels on them

Little girls in strapless dresses

Jeans that are entirely too low rise (i.e. – seeing a bare rear end on a man or woman while shopping etc.)

Riding a motorcycle without a helmet

Speedos®

Parents who let their kids run all over the place (especially in restaurants)

Walking into a public place (restaurant, mall, etc.) without shoes

Consider this a work in progress...I am sure I will add to it often! Feel free to add your own!!

Trinitarian Ministry

I am reading a wonderful book by Steve Seamands these days called, "Ministry in the Image of God." One of the great things about this book is that Seamands prolifically quotes others. I am a lover of quotes and the communion of saints...so, I am loving this book! I picked it up in a bookstore in Arkansas off the bargain table for just a few dollars (I still don't understand what it was doing on that table!). It has been well worth it! Below is a quote Seamands included from C.S. Lewis on Trinitarian ministry that I thought you might enjoy.

"The whole dance, or drama, or pattern of this three-Personal life is to be played out in each one of us; or (putting it the other way round) each one of us has got to enter that pattern, take his place in the dance. Good things as well as bad, you know, are caught by a kind of infection. If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire; if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them. If you are close to it, the spray will wet you: if you are not, you will remain dry." - C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Pensiveness...

I am feeling...pensive tonight. Melancholy. I think it is due in part to my lack of social contact with many people today. I ran some errands and mostly sat around the house. This is good for me, as I have been going and going and going for the past few weeks. To the beach. To rural Alabama. To a family reunion. Back to Auburn. Moving to Arkansas. I have been going non-stop these past few weeks. I needed some down time...some alone time to reflect on the whirlwind that is my life.

It might surprise those of you who know me well to find out that I love just being alone. Oh sure...I am a people person. I am deeply invested in my family and friends. It is life-giving for me to see or speak to the people I love most in the world. I am deeply relational. But I desperately need big pockets of time alone to reflect and relax (two things I don't do often enough).

Today was one of those days. It was good and difficult. When I get too much time without contact with others, I think too much and over-analyze the details of my life. I'm not sure if that is a good or bad thing at this point...we'll just have to see.

I talked with a handful of people by phone today that I've been missing for weeks. This was good and bad, too. Made me miss them and wish that there was someway we could create some sort of ideal village where we could all co-exist somehow. I think this way often, as the people I love most in the world are far from me these days...I wonder why God would give us to each other only to separate us like this. Then I remember that we are all where God wants us right now...and I feel a little better. I am still holding out hope for that ideal village...

My thoughts also turn to the positive. I wonder how in the world I arrived right here in just a matter of a few weeks. I am back in Fayetteville, Arkansas at a place I love and job I am sure to love. I am close enough to my family that I could just randomly decide to go home...and that is nice for a change. I think this is the start of a new and beautiful season in my life.

So, this pensive feeling...I'm not sure what to do with it. It is very real, but I'm not sure why I am feeling it so strongly. I guess it is not all bad to feel a bit melancholy and contemplative. Maybe some sleep will shake the sadness...or maybe your prayers?

Thank you...and good night. :)

Divine Resemblance...

"O Lord Jesus Christ, save us from the error of wishing to admire you instead of being willing to follow you and resemble you." - Soren Kierkegaard

[I promise a new post as soon as the boxes are unpacked. For now, enjoy this prayer.]

Dancing...

Just a quote I ran across today that has everything to do with my blog and my understanding of this life of faith...

"You...cling to Jesus! You...give your life to Jesus! It'll be wild. It'll be unpredictable. It'll be dangerous. But, man will you know how to dance!" - Mike Yaconelli (1942-2003)