Woody and Buzz: To Infinity and Beyond

These days there are a lot of sayings about good friends.

Some sweet sayings: Friends know the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you forget the words.

Some funny sayings: A friend will come and bail you out of jail, but a best friend will be there sitting next to you saying, "Wow! That was fun!"

And some true sayings: A best friend is like a four-leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to have.

Normally, good friends share a common bond.  It may be a common interest, political or religious view, opinion, love or hatred.  Inevitably, there is something that continues to pull the two together, even when things may get a little ugly.  Best friends see you for what you could be, love you for who you are and understand where you're coming from.  Rarely, does a friend like this appear overnight; a deep bond such as this takes time and effort.  They learn about you--what you love and hate, your pet peeves, your dreams, your nightmares, your family and friends and weird cousin Ed.

One of the reasons why I love Morgan is that she can
make me laugh til my sides hurt!

When all hope seems lost, they encourage you on.  And for me, most importantly, a best friend points you back to the One person you seem to avoid the most.  She reminds you He is true to His word and He is a best friend too.

This is one of my best friends, Morgan.  We've worked through thick and thin situations in the past year and a half.  She's one of my encouragers, she reminds me that life's not close to being over and that I need to live each day looking for what new thing God wants to show me (in fact, that's what she's doing in this picture.  The face she's making is from the movie Run Away Bride--Julia and her best friend make this face when the other is sad to cheer her up).  As much as I love her and as much as she knows about me, there's no way she could ever know it all.  Only One person can.

Why do I doubt He has no idea where I'm coming from?  What makes me think there's no way He could ever understand what this feels like?  After all, He did create where I'm coming from and He made the feelings that I'm feeling right now (hang on, sorry, I'm recovering from a mind-blowing realization just made there...)

Maybe that realization hits me like a ton of bricks this time of year because it's what the season is all about.  My Father came and put flesh on, spent time here on Earth, suffered and died so that I would have no argument as I sit here and write this thousands of years later.  He came so that He can truly comfort me because not only does He know my every thought, but He also knows what it's like to live here.  He knows exactly what needs to be done to heal my heart and restore my trust in Him, and yet, part of me is still not ready to ask Him what that is.

Best friends are patient.  Best friends understand where you are, but remain hopeful that life will not always be as it is now.  Best friends pray on your behalf and love you in spite of all things.

That's my Father; those statements are my Father.  Yet my heart implores, "Why don't you trust Him then?" Relationships take effort.  Ask any married couple, let alone pair of friends and they'll tell you the same thing.  They take work from both sides and my side has been lacking.  But He remains hopeful that our relationship will not always be as it is now; He prays on my behalf and loves me in spite of all things.  Most of all, He wants to hang out with me forever; He even sent His one son to make sure it would happen.  If that's not a best friend, then I don't know what is...

Father, help my soul to magnify you and your great name.  Thank you for all the great things you have done for me.  Teach me to trust again.  Revive in me a pure and faithful heart.  Thank you for your promise that you will stick closer than a brother and for loving me throughout the thin times.  Thanks for skin and your humble willingness to clothe yourself in it so many years ago.  Thank you for Morgan and how you have used her in my life.  Please continue to use her in my life and help me to be able to reciprocate all that she has done for me.  Thank you for the example that you set for us.  Thanks for expelling all arguments that you can't relate with some rugged wood and iron nails.  Let your love wash over me and make me new.  How I love you.

Elle the Elephant: One Step at a Time

Getting back to work after the holiday was no small task.  It was all I could do to wind my brain back up and muster up the little motivation I have left to finish the semester strong.  While encouraging a friend, I remembered a very wise saying, "There's only one way to eat an elephant.  One bite at a time."

I meant what I said and I said
what I meant, an elephant's faithful
one hundred percent--Dr. Suess

Instead, we want to swallow the whole thing in one gulp.  We want events to hurry up and happen so we can start living life.  We plead for our bumps, bruises and achy-breaky hearts to be miraculously mended overnight.  But things take time.

Unlike the magic concoction that Lucy has in Narnia, things take more time to recover.  I can only trust and believe that God designed it that way for a reason.  Where's the need for a doctor if everyone heals on their own in an instant?  Our Healer wants us to look to Him to heal us of the hurts that we face.  All through the Gospels, the writers talk about how Jesus healed people almost everywhere He went.  He healed all sorts of diseases--lameness, blindness, mute, deaf, leprosy, many other illnesses and even death.  Matthew 15:29-31 describes a large crowd that brought their sick to Jesus for Him to heal; take a look:

"Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down.  A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel."

Doubting you can be healed; beginning to believe that if you were ever going to be well again it would've happened already?  Remember, that He's the one that stitched you together in the first place, so He's the perfect one to pull apart the pieces, remove the shrapnel, and mend it once more.

Reminded by a worship leader, God spoke through him and said, "You may not experience heart surgery today, walking out of here with a brand new heart, but don't doubt that I am healing you.  Healing takes time."

So, take it slow.  Breathe in and out again.  Place your napkin in your lap, take your fork and knife in hand and continue on, one bite at a time.

Father, thank you for your promise to take care of me.  Forgive me for when I go against you and end up making a huge mess of things.  Thank you for taking the time to mend me and make me new; thank you for how you soothe my heart and whisper words of hope to it.  Thank you for reminders and how they come at just the right moment.  Please help me to be patient and to wait on you and what you have for me.  I will praise you for your love for me is pure and holy.  How I love you.

Please know that I don't encourage eating elephants.  I think they are wonderful and majestic creatures; the discussion of eating them was merely an analogy.

Nutcracker or Prince of Peace

It seems to get harder and harder each year to wait to watch Christmas movies and listen to Christmas music.  Not because I'm just dying to and I've decided to wait, but because all the stations start pulling out the Christmas stuff before Halloween is even over.  So, I maneuver ever so carefully through the movies and the music until I see Santa come through at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

But as I sit here and watch my mom move around the house setting up Christmas decorations, I'm reminded that there's more to this than lights, greenery, music and movies about hearts growing three sizes bigger.  As the music and lyrics swirl around me while I sit on the couch, I find that my lips easily begin to sing along, but that my heart has a problem singing along too.

I know that He came to save me from Satan's power when I'd gone astray. I know that Jesus made that decision long, long before I was ever here.  I know that He loves me so much that He gave up all His glory to arrive in a stinky stable.  I know that He is worthy of my praise and that I should give Him all that I have to give, even though it will never come close to what He truly deserves.

But the problem comes when I realize that my head knows these things, just as it knows the lyrics to all the Christmas songs, but that my heart is struggling to agree.  I feel like my God, my loving Prince of Peace is a nutcracker standing on the shelf of my life, still, lifeless and motionless.  I battle believing that He's better left alone standing there as decoration, instead of alive and active.

My outside is decorated with a smile, joyful attitude and helpful actions, but my heart sits frozen, locked away behind many closed doors and I quietly hope that it will finally be safe from harm there.  And the one person I need to let in the most, is the one that I want to keep away the most.  I feel like He hurt me, but He's the only one that can heal my lackluster way of thinking.  He came so that I may have hope and live life to the fullest, so why have I let myself see Him as a steadfast nutcracker?

Father, Abba Father, heal my heart to the fullest this season.  Help me to remember that you think I'm worth it.  Show me that you are more than a nutcracker; sweep my heart out of the dark closet and into Your light of truth.  Teach my heart to again sing along with my lips.  Thank you for how you love me. Forgive me for pushing you to the side and thinking that you were unable to calm my fears.  Thank you for how this season sings of your glorious wonder.  May I ever be in awe of you.  Thank you for not giving up on me and continuing to chase after me so ardently.  Thank you for the tree.  Thank you for how the music speaks quietly and ever so sweetly into my dark places and how it reminds me that you are making me new.  Thank you for compassionate family and friends who show me that you are who you say you are.  Guide me to your perfect light, sweet Jesus.

The Classifieds: Head Wanted

I wonder what kind of responses I would get if I posted a wanted ad in the newspaper that read something like: Headless Horse Woman in Need of a Good Head.  Must have eyes focused upward, mind set on things above and able to fit on straight.

Some would probably see it and chuckle, thinking it was a Halloween prank that ran a week late, others would wonder who hacked into the newspaper, but most would probably just brush it off and continue onto the crossword puzzle.

I highly doubt that most long for a good head, or if they do they don't acknowledge it as such.  But I really do want a good head. Not the kind sitting on my shoulders--I'd like a godly man and leader of our family.  Look at Ephesians 5:23--"For a husband in the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church.  He is the Savior of his body, the church."

I know that many women fought years ago for equal rights between women and men.  God created us equal, but different.  I'm not saying that I'm not thankful for how women stood up for our rights, but God created man to be the head, or leader, of the family.  Man.  Not me.  And as much as I love my right to vote and freely express my thoughts, I want to be lead by a godly man in the way that pleases the Lord.

Until God provides someone to answer my Wanted Ad, I have to remember that He is supposed to be my head.  He is the one that is supposed to lead and guide me.  He is the one that has authority over me, loves me in the way that I long for, sacrificed himself for me, and understands all that I'm going through.  God won't lead me astray, He is with me til the end, and divorce isn't in His vocabulary.

So I will ask Him to provide me with a head like His, when the time is right.  In the meantime, I will learn to love His guidance and be patient while I wait.  I will continue to hope and trust that He will fulfill His promise to provide me with all that I need.

But....if on the odd chance that you run across a stray head rolling across the road, feel free to give me a call.

Father, thank you for being my leader.  Help me to focus my thoughts and eyes on you, let me be patient and trust you with all that I am.  Thank you for your love, sacrifice and understanding.  How I love you.

Ticket to Ride

It's so loud I can hardly hear myself think.  "Has everyone in the world decided to cram in here," I think to myself.  As I follow my dad down the grimy steps of the Tube station, I try to keep up with him as he walks quickly through the swarm of people.  Pink tickets from the day before litter the marble floor that may have been white once upon a time.  Bumping like a pinball through people, I smell the long work day on the man's coat next to me.  Coffee wafts through the station from the Starbucks in the far corner, and there's no time to stop and look at the gorgeous and vibrant flowers in the flower shop.  The huge clock dictates the movement of the swarm that scatters all over the station, and with a quick glance Dad hurries us on towards the turnstiles.  As we near the gates and I begin to feel more and more like herded cattle, the one thing that should be on my mind is furthest from it.

"How am I going to get through the gate?" I should be wondering.  I should be screaming on the inside, "Wait! Where's my ticket?"

But I'm not.  I know exactly where it is.  My dad has it.  It's right in his jacket pocket where it can't get lost, forgotten, or damaged.  He always seems to give it to me right as I need it.  If he'd given it to me back at the coffee shop, I may have been too absorbed in the yummy smells to notice the importance.  The man buying a large bouquet, with the assortment of the perfect flowers, for his sweetheart would have distracted me from the crucial pink ticket that I needed to accept.

Instead, when I'm standing in front of the turnstile, focused on the gate ahead of me, I'm presented with my ticket at just the right moment.  Too soon, I would have lost it; too late and I wouldn't make it through the gate.

I was reminded of this point from a dear friend of mine last night.  In discussing the topic of worry, he told me a story he heard about Corrie ten Boom from the weekend.  Having been to her house and crawled into the hiding place that several of her friends hid in for many days, this story immediately resonated within me; not to mention, I've had several of the same experiences from living in London.  My friend told me of how her dad reminded her of how he always provided her with the ticket at just the right moment and she never worried where it was.  So it should be with our heavenly Father.

God himself speaks several times in His Word about perfect timing.  Ecclesiastes chapter three is titled as "A Time for Everything," Jesus mentions in John 7 that it was not the right time for him to go, and Paul says several times in the books he wrote that God revealed Himself to us at just the right time.  The two that seem to speak straight to the heart of the matter are Romans 5:6, "When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners" and 1 Peter 5:6, "So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor."

I'm standing at the coffee shop, screaming at the top of my lungs, "God! Where is my ticket?! Where is the man who will love me for the rest of my life?" I'm not at the turnstiles, I'm at the coffee shop.  He hurries on ahead, silently urging me to follow him and follow closely or else get lost in the swarm of people.  Stay close or you'll get lost in the crowd or distracted by the sights along the way.  I've called you to greater things and I'll show them to you at the perfect moment, just stick close, my beloved.

So stick close and trust that He has your ticket, just as He does mine.

Father, thank you for such a dear friend to remind me that you have my ticket safe in your pocket.  Help me to remember that you'll present it to me not too early or too late.  Thank you for wanting me to stick close to you, follow hard after you; please help me not to get distracted or discouraged along the way.  Forgive me for screaming and worrying about when the time is right.  I will praise you for keeping me safe, watching out for me, and providing me with more than I could ever hope for.  How I love you.

Avalanches in Mississippi

Some lessons are easy to learn.  Other lessons are so hard it feels like someone's ripping out your toe nails.  And some lessons are learned with little realization until it hits you like an avalanche.

My avalanche came today.

Montgomery was just the start of "We Believe 8-0"
that was all over campus.

Last Thursday as I was heading to my 8 a.m. class, I saw a sign hanging outside a building on campus that made me smile and fill with love and pride for my school.  The sign simply said, "We Believe 8-0."  This is the first time in a long time that Mississippi State University has gone undefeated so far into the season, but we knew to keep that record we'd have to fight and fight hard.  Our opponent to make the record 8-0 was none other than the Crimson Tide.  For those of you who aren't SEC people, they've pretty much been the number one college football team in the nation for the past couple of years.  Not to mention the head coach, Nick Saban, is up there next to God and the Virgin Mary for some people.

We were facing giants.  Honestly, we shouldn't have had hope.  We shouldn't have had signs at all and our "We Believe" phrase shouldn't have spread across the globe.  But that's the amazing thing about hope, even against the greatest odds, it still endures.

Even walking into Bryant Denny stadium, a large part of me thought, "We could walk away with a win here.  It won't be easy by any means, but we could do it." I had hope for my team, for my school, but I had no hope for me and no hope in my God.

I've faced the facts.  I'll graduate single with no one standing in line waiting for me.  I'll get a job, move and start life on my own.  I'll learn my way around my new city, find a church and make friends.  While my house may be quiet when I get home, I'll get to pick the TV channel and what show I watch.  I'll go it alone, learn to be ok with that and continue to go through life with no expectations.

Standing in the stands, experiencing culture shock, I was screaming for my team.  I got some really weird looks by cheering for the other team and by the end of the first quarter I'd quieted down, mainly because we weren't doing so hot.  How could I stand there, screaming for my Dawgs to keep pushing down the field with the hope that we would turn the Tide, and have no hope when it comes to me and what God could do in my life?

Little did I know, my favorite part of the weekend would be going to church with my friends.  The pastor spoke on just what I needed to hear; the Holy Spirit spoke straight into my heart that morning.  The church is walking through a series was entitled "Legacy" that focuses on steps to take in order to leave a legacy.  Sunday's sermon was called "Greater Things" and was all about stirring hope once again.  We often lose hope, which can hinder our legacy, because of a wrong view of self (1 Peter 2:9), wrong view of people (Matthew 9:36) or a wrong view of God (Jeremiah 32:17).

We started out in Ephesians 4:1 which says, "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."  The pastor then asked, "Why does Paul urge us to live a life like this?  To answer this question, we need to back it up a bit."  So we did and we read Ephesians 3:20-21, the two verses previous.  Here's why Paul urges us, "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

I had lost hope in my Father.  Even though I've been reminded of what His Word says, I still struggle with having hope in Him.  I know that He is able to do more than I can ask or imagine, I trusted Him with my hopes and dreams and I just feel like I've been burned.  But maybe the reason I feel burned is because I was convinced that my dreams were the best, but God has something even better.  Regardless, it hurts because of the loss that I've suffered in the process.

But we didn't stop there.  Then we moved to 2 Kings 3:9-18; definitely go and read it for yourself, but to sum up the story three kings banded together to take over the Moab nation (where Ruth was from), but they left God out of it.  They remembered that Joshua had marched around a city seven times and it fell, so these guys did the same thing thinking it would work again.  No such luck.  They were running out of water and really confused and started saying, "Why would God bring us together and not give us this nation?"  So they called for a prophet and Elisha came and after he agreed to help them he called for a harpist.  He needed a little mood music.  As a music lover, it seems appropriate.  I often feel God's presence so much more in a song or through music.  The point was, "Faith is birthed in God's presence."  Then Elisha tells the kings to have the men dig ditches in the valley, the focus being, "Faith goes beyond inspiration to participation."  God promised He would fill the ditches with water, but not through rain clouds or from wind, and this shows that "Faith continues regardless of what is seen."

While I may be tired of digging ditches, tired of waiting for the water to fill the ditches, it's no excuse to lose hope.  He may not fill my ditches through big black rain clouds, ominous and obvious, but I have to remember that it's easy to have faith when you can see it coming.  The beauty comes in how He choses to fill it and how it tells of His glory.

"Failure isn't accomplishing a goal, failure is not having a goal at all."  I'd set myself up for failure.  I'd faced the facts and was content to go through life with no expectations, remember?  I didn't have hope, let alone a goal.  He wants me to dream and dream so big that it's a goal only He can accomplish.

"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.  He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12"

He wants greater things for me.  He wants me to hope for a win against the best team in the nation, He wants me to believe that He will come through for me, He wants me to dream of a life only He can fulfill.  He wants me to hope for greater things.

Are you beginning to feel the weight of my avalanche too?

Father, thank you for reminding me that my hope needs to be in you.  Help me to trust you when you say that you are able to accomplish immeasurably more than I can ask or imagine.  Please give me strength to continue to dig and the patience to wait for you to fill those ditches.  Remind me that nothing is too hard for you.  Thank you for stirring my heart, bringing me a newfound hope and with it a new song.  Thank you for how your lessons draw me close to you.  Whisper your love and truth into my ears today and help me to hold tightly to your words.  How I love you.

Watch, listen or download the full notes for the sermon here.

Struttin' like the Beatles

As a walker on campus, I feel like the streets belong to me.  I step off the curb and strut across the street like I'm a model in Paris, stopping traffic with the flick of the wrist.  Mom would be ashamed of how rarely I stop, both ways and then look both ways again before I cross the street.

I strut my stuff like these boys
as I sing, "Here comes the sun...doo doo do doo"

Pedestrians ALWAYS have the right of way around campus, even though it's strongly encouraged that we use the crosswalks.  Today, walking down the middle of the crosswalk I had a new thought.

Crosswalks are like the center of God's will.

Now before you go calling 1-800-LOONY, hang with me for a second.  In the crosswalk, you are protected, the law is on your side.  That doesn't mean that you can't or won't get hit by a car, tractor, or moped, but it means that if that happens you have the benefit of the doubt.

Crossing the street without being in the crosswalk can also be done, but if you are hit by the freak three-wheeled car, then you aren't inside the law.  In fact, you were breaking the law by "jaywalking," or failing to cross the street in a crosswalk.  Very little can be done to help you legally if you are hit when not in a crosswalk.

Just like crossing the street, in our Christian walk we aren't promised that we won't encounter problems.  But, when that car does hit us when we are in the center of the cross walk--when troubles do arise when we are in God's will for us, we are promised help along the way.  We are ensured help from the ultimate Guardian; the Crossing Guard of the Universe.

If you find yourself "jaywalking" across the Universe, I'd strongly urge you to talk with your Crossing Guard and ask Him to show you how to get back to the crosswalk.  As Mom always said, "Better safe than sorry."  He loves you and wants you to be protected, headed in the right direction, and guided along the way.

So next time you go for a strut, ponder this thought and thank your Guardian for His simple, but sweet reminders.  Also, go walking down the middle of those white lines because studies show that three out of five pedestrian deaths occur outside of the crosswalk.

Who's the Planner?

Thank goodness for calendars.  I'm probably even more grateful for calendars that are small enough for me to carry with me.

As a planner, I can't help but love my calendar.  It helps me keep track of what's coming, which in turn means that I help make sure I'm rarely caught off guard.  But more and more I'm finding that the things I want to be on my calendar aren't even penciled in.  Things like the day I find out a man likes me, the day he asks me on a date, the day of our first date, the day of our umteenth date, the day he asks my dad for permission to marry me, the day he buys the ring, the day he asks me to honor God with him for the rest of our lives, the day my best friend and I figure out wedding details, the day my mom has tears in her eyes because we find the perfect dress, the day I say "I do," get cake smashed in my face and dance with my dad, the day we start our lives together.

While I want to write these things in my planner, and honestly I very well could, that doesn't mean that they will happen when I write them down.  Ultimately, I have to rely on my Planner and trust that His timing is perfect for me.  But I'll be honest, most days, even most moments, I struggle with letting Him hold the pen.

I complain, groan and whine.  I probably sound like a three-year-old after dinner, "But MOM! I ate my broccoli AND my green beans.  I ate all of them! Why can't I have dessert now?"  The problem lies with my motivation.  Did I eat my veggies because of their nutrition and because I knew they would help me grow strong so that I can be ready for what God calls me to do, or did I eat them because I wanted the reward of a yummy dessert afterwards?  Did I wait patiently and surrender plans to Him because I wanted those things on my calendar or because I wanted to honor my Father?

Even if dessert is promised, I hate waiting.  Even after I try my hardest to be patient and wait, I sometimes find myself still waiting.  It's tiresome and often times I feel hopeless after waiting what feels like forever.  And then He brings me a reminder..."Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.  We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  And this hope will not lead to disappointment.  For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." Romans 5:2-5

The portion in verse 2 that says, "brought us into" means that He escorts us into the throne room.  Not only are we no longer walking into rooms alone, and not only is He escorting us, He's escorting us into the throne room--the place where He dwells.  And when we're frustrated because God hasn't penned in events that we think should already be on our calendar, we have to remember that it's a chance to grow in patience.  With that patience comes character, which makes our hope strong.  This next part I love.  "And this hope will not lead to disappointment."  Why?  Because this hope isn't in the events that happen, it's not in the dessert that we receive, this hope doesn't lead to disappointment because we hope in God himself.  We have hope because we remember how much He loves us and that He gave us the Holy Spirit to fill us completely with His love.

So as much as I want Him to put all those things on my calendar, today I'm asking Him to give me a bigger craving for Himself.  I'm asking Him to help me not focus on my calendar, but on Him instead.  I'm so thankful for His gentle, sweet reminder that has brought me a newfound hope and for how He is so patient with me when I keep asking, "Are we there yet?!"

Please, Father, help me to look at the scenery along the way, enjoy the ride and to find my contentment in Your presence.  Forgive me for when I'm not satisfied with You alone.  Show me how only You can complete me and fill my heart until I am without want.  Thank you for Your Holy Spirit and hope that won't lead to disappointment. How I love you, Jesus.

Flashlight in the Dark

I had my first nightmare in a long time a few nights ago.  This time the dream wasn't about a wolf or giant spider, but a true and deep fear of mine--so much so that I truly believe it was Satan tugging on the fear.

Basically my dream was that the guy I like had to choose between me and another girl.  My friends, the other girl, he and I were sitting around in the circle and all my friends were saying who he should pick--all of them agreeing on her over me.  He sat there saying nothing, she sat across the circle from us with a smug smile on her face.  I finally told him just to pick her and I got up to leave with tears streaming down my face.  He sat there and yelled, "NO!" over and over again.

He never came after me, he never even got up from his chair.  He never said to me, "I pick you, I want you--not her!"  He didn't pick me; he didn't pick at all.  This scared me so much I woke up shaking.  Suddenly, I remembered Jesus' promise to me from John 15:16a-- "You didn't choose me. I chose you."

Even if this guy I like never choses me, even if a man never picks me, I will be a bride.  I am a bride--the Bride of Christ!  He didn't sit by speechless, He sent His son to come get me.  And He has done the same for you.  This truth helped to subside my hear and help me fall asleep again.  I'm reminded of Natalie Grant's song Your Great Name (go ahead, listen to it).  One of the lines of the song says, "Every fear has no place at the sound of Your Great Name."  His name is truth and truth banishes all fear.  While I continue to struggle with being afraid I won't be picked, I am asking the Lord to calm, take over and expel the fear.  Until then, I know the ultimate truth--that I have been chosen and I will be forever loved.

What fear do you struggle with?  What does God have to say about your fear?  What's His truth He has given to help conquer your fear?  Take refuge in His truth and ask Him to take over and hold your fears.  It's so much easier to sleep with His truth overcomes our fears and when we give Him our fears to hold.

Spring Alive!

It seems like things have burst green all of a sudden!  Leave campus for a week of spring break, come back and the trees are green, the sun is shining and I'm once again pulling out my shorts.  Crazy how time flies!

I love passing this tree on campus!  Isn't it gorgeous?

While my car may be covered in a layer of "pixie dust" and hay fevers raging, there's something so invigorating about the spring.  Everything feels so alive!  And rightly so--but with life, the parts that are dead are even more noticeable.  Take for instance a tree, we'll say it's a maple so that in the winter the whole tree appears dead, but come spring the little leaves begin to bud--proof that the tree is, in fact, alive.  However, there are always those few scraggly branches that are dead, way up in the top of the tree seemingly impossible to reach.  They look even more awful once everything starts blooming.  The truly dead branches aren't noticeable until they're surrounded by the branches bearing fruit--or leaves.


Ok, Jordan, so what?  Yeah, trees look ugly with the dead branches--what's the point here?  Check out John 15:1-11.

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. ³ You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. ⁴ Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. ⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. ⁷ But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! ⁸ When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. ⁹ “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. ¹⁰When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!"

Severed vine=dead branch in the tree.  In order to be fruitful, we have to remain connected to the life source--the tree, or in this case, the Father.  A branch or vine that bears fruit is so much more lovely than dead ones.  Look at verse 8, "When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples.  This brings great glory to my Father."  The key to staying green?  "Remain in my love" and we do this by following His commandments.  In return, not only will we be green, but we'll be filled with joy.  No wonder everything feels so alive and awake in the spring time!

So, is your life a vibrant green or a scraggly brown?  Have you forgotten to "remain" in His love?  I often do.  He promises to remain in us, so even in those days we struggle He's always there.  Why stay brown when we can be alive, green and filled with joy?


By the way, Happy First Day of Spring!

Camping--Woods or Econo Lodge?

I find it so amazing how God uses circumstances that are completely awful to remind us of His love and promises.  In thinking about how He came to live among us, I'm reminded of one of those horrendous times.

My mom always starts the story with, "I should have known something as terribly wrong when the sign on the front desk said, 'No refunds after 30 minutes.'"  My family and I had traveled to visit my nana and stopped to stay the night at an Econo Lodge.  For some reason we pronounced it "Eck-No Lodge," a fact that will later become relevant.  Apparently, Mom had seen pictures of the rooms and such when she booked our room, but by the state of the room I don't even think the pictures were of that hotel--it couldn't have been that nice even brand new!

If you ever come to our house, my mom will encourage you to take your shoes off.  Supposedly, research shows that most of the household dirt comes in on your shoes; needless to say, I know something's wrong when Mom tells me to leave my shoes on when we get to the room.  Dad found that our sink was clogged and set down for someone from the front desk, who later returned with a plunger.

There was a restaurant attached to the lobby and a family was celebrating a high school graduation.  Most of the kids had decided they wanted to go swimming in the pool, so they were wading in the shallow end with all their clothes on.  My sisters and I are part fish, my mom always tells us, so naturally, we wanted to go swimming.  At the deeper end of the pool, all of 5 feet, the light had broken so there was glass on the bottom and the side of the pool.  With all the kids "swimming" in the shallow end, we were stuck to swim in the middle of the pool and we quickly realized that the water was so murky that we could hardly see our hands in front of our faces.  Looking back on it, I'm honestly surprised that I got in the pool with it being that gross.

We didn't swim long, and Mom quickly persuaded us it was time for dinner.  We walked to a nearby restaurant and took our sweet time.  I'm telling you, we took FOREVER at dinner, probably because Mom had no desire to return to the hotel.

I'll spare you the rest of the gruesome details, but from then on, we now refer to Econo Lodge hotels as HECK-NO Lodge (Haha! Ok, so my family is cheesy....but really, it was so easy just to add an "h" to the beginning of our mispronunciation)!

Jesus entered our "Heck-No Lodge."  The water was murky, we'd clogged up the sink, the room was gross, broken glass was everywhere, and even with the "No refunds after 30 minutes" sign He stayed. Why?  Because He loves us and wants to spend forever with us.  He didn't just stay the night after spending most of the it out at a nearby restaurant.  He stayed for 33 years.  Check out was more than nails on a chalk board; it was nails through hands and feet.  Even check out couldn't keep Him away.  Three days later, He's knocking over tombstones and walking down the street with people.

What's your "Heck-No Lodge" situation?  What mess in your life has Jesus entered into?  Have you allowed Him to steam clean the floors, unclog your sink and clean up the shattered glass?  He won't make it look like a new hotel, He'll make it fit for a King--the King of kings.

Barnacles and...Peanut Butter??

In learning more and more about God's character each day, I couldn't help but think of barnacles.  I have absolutely no idea why these minute little creatures came to mind, but God has a reason for everything that He's created--to point to His splendor and glory.  After doing a bit of research, I started to see why these tiny creatures remind me of God's character and what my response to Him should be.  Barnacles are exclusively marine animals that have hard shells; they're actually in the crab and lobster family.  They are also known as "encrusters" because they attach themselves permanently to a hard substrate--unfortunately for some that means their boat instead of the nearby rock.  This natural adhesive that holds them firm is known to be one of the strongest natural adhesives.  The barnacles also have many predators; starting to sound familiar?

Wonder how long these barnacles have been on here...

We are called to be like the barnacles.  Great, you think to yourself, she's telling me that I need to live in a shell attached to a rock in the sea.  No, not exactly.  God is referred to as a rock several times throughout the Bible; take a look:

     Deuteronomy 32:4--He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect.  Everything he does is just and fair.  He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!

     1 Samuel 2:2--No one is holy like the LORD! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

     2 Samuel 22:2-3--[David] sang: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.  He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence."

     Psalm 62:6-7--He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.  My victory and honor come from God alone.  He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.

     Matthew 7:24-25--Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on a solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against the house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock.

Jesus himself even calls us to be like barnacles--don't believe me, read that last passage again.  Why live in the sand, when you can be anchored to an unwavering, unchanging, unshakable Rock?  When the barnacle attaches to the rock, it never leaves.  Everything that it needs to stay alive is available to it from that same place for as long as it lives.  All that we ever need is found in our Rock.

Not to mention, God promises to stick close to us with a glue that's even stronger than the natural adhesive of the barnacle.  Whenever I remember this verse I think of a song from when I was younger by Steve Green; in listening to the song again, it's a bit cheesier than I remember, but the meaning is still true (not to mention the song will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2iLY_BQ4wg).  The verse is Proverbs 18:24 and it says, "There are 'friends' who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother."  Regardless of where we fail or we come "unglued," God promises to stick closer than a brother.  Forget Gorilla glue, duct tape, or even peanut butter--our God sticks closer than any of that!  Pretty cool, huh?

So those little pesky crustaceans have a purpose after all.  They point us to the mighty power and splendor of the Lord, remind us to set up camp on the Rock and never leave, and show us that our Father sticks closer and more permanent to us than the leading natural or artificial adhesive.  He always did say that no creature was too great or too small.  So, are you on the Rock or the sand?  Is life coming unglued because you're not clinging to the Super glue?  Are you still wandering from place to place looking for all you need instead of staying on the Rock?  Try being a barnacle for a while and let me know how it works out for you.  I'd be willing to bet He won't fail you!

Mr. Miyagi

Joe Paterno's name seems to echo everywhere this week.  Maybe it's because I'm on a college campus in the South where football is a big deal.  Maybe it's because the news likes to bring up old dirt when someone dies.  Regardless, his name seems to be in the air.


For those of you who don't know, Joe Paterno was the former head football coach at Penn State.  This past year, there was question about his character when the "Penn State sex abuse scandal" hit the news.  I will let you read the articles on that and let you make the decision for yourself as to who is to blame.  Dirt aside, one friend described him to me as "someone who took young boys and made them into men--men who are great fathers and husbands in America because of the influence he had on their lives."  Paterno didn't just teach football; he taught the guys valuable life lessons, such as "Do the little things right.  Don't cut corners" (Maisel).  Paterno was a mentor--a life coach--not someone who just coached football.


This story reminded me of one that is closer to me.  A close friend of mine, one who God has drawn very close to my heart, introduced me to his mentor, Andrew, in October.  Immediately, I could see that the Lord had a very strong hold of Andrew.  There was joy, not just happiness, in his life.  There was a sparkle in his eye that wasn't based on the fact that his situation was great.  Even his laugh seemed to point to the fact that he had cast all of his cares upon the Lord and had a peace that passed all understanding.  As the Lord continued to draw my friend closer and closer to my heart, I learned of his friendship with Andrew.  He looks up to Andrew so much; he learned how to love the way God loves us, without biases, through Andrew.  He learned what it means to run the race with perseverance, even if that means that all the people on your hall think you're a "Jesus freak."  He learned what it means to seek the Lord in all that he does through Andrew's mentoring.  Even though I may have only spent half a dozen times with Andrew, I feel that I know him so well in hearing my friend's stories about how Andrew has touched his life.  I will forever be grateful to Andrew for allowing God to use him in my friend's life.  I truly believe that the man who God has drawn close to my heart is who he is today because the Lord used Andrew in his life.


Mentors are very important in life.  Don't believe me?  Take a look.
Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend."
Proverbs 13:20 "Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble."
Proverbs 12:15 "Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others."
Proverbs 11:14 "Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers."
1 Samuel 3--Samuel learns how to have a personal relationship with God because of Eli's instructions.
Still not convinced?  Try this one--Luke 5:1-11.  Jesus calls Simon Peter to be his disciple, a.k.a. Jesus will be his mentor.


Just like my friend's life has been changed and impacted by Andrew, so were the lives of the disciples altered by Jesus's influence in their life.  Who is impacting your life in a positive way?  Who can you go and talk with about things the Lord is doing in your life?  Whose life is the Lord using you in to draw them closer to Himself?  Are you so close to God that people can tell by the sparkle in your eye, the joy in your life and even your laugh?


If you don't have someone, seek them out.  Because who wants to be dull, called a fool, and fail as a nation because there is a lack of leadership?






P.S.  Andrew has recently graduated and leaves soon to go Ecuador for a few months.  He will be teaching English as a second language and looks forward to the opportunity to share the Gospel with the people there.  Will you pray for him with me as he follows the Lord to a foreign country?


Maisel, Ivan.  "Joe Paterno's football family pays tribute" http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/44410/joe-paternos-football-family-pays-tribut

Counselor, Something's Wrong with Me....

In walking back to my apartment from class today, I couldn't help but overhear the conversation between the two girls behind me.  One girl said to the other, "Something's wrong with me, I just really hope that these counseling sessions help."  Her friend responded, "What's wrong, are you sick?"  "No," the girl replied, "Something's just wrong with me and I'm not sure what.  I just don't seem to like myself, ya know?"  Luckily, I was in front of the girls, so they couldn't see me as a grin spread across my face when I thought to myself, "I wonder if she knows the Counselor.  I wonder if the reason that she doesn't seem to be acting like herself and that something seems missing because the biggest thing in her life is missing.  I wonder if she's missing a relationship with her Creator."  Paul writes in Romans, "For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.  So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God" (Romans 5:10-11).  He has made us His friends!  Can you imagine having a friend who knows all the answers?  I know that whenever I have a weather concern, I go to one of my close friends who is a weather man.  I know that he'll be able to read all the charts better than any of my other friends.  Why look to an engineer for weather advice when you've got a friend who is a weather man?  Maybe, just maybe the hole that she's stumbled across in her life is Christ-shaped.  Granted, this is all speculation, but I'm sure you've heard similar conversations.

Take hope today because Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit.  He tells his disciples in John 16:7, "But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Advocate won't come.  If I do go away, then I will send him to you."  My Bible has a note next to "Advocate" that says it can be translated to Comforter, Encourager, or, wait for it, Counselor.  What problems do you have today?  What about you feels off?  What gives you concern about the fact that you "don't feel like yourself"?  Bring them to the couch, or better yet, the altar.  Unload them all and when it's time for you to leave the counselor's office and go back to the real world, don't pick them back up on your way out the door.  Jesus promises that His burden is easy and His yoke is light, all we have to do is come to Him and He will give us rest (Matthew 11:28-30).  He's got all the answers to your problems and He promises to be with you every step of the way.  Can you honestly say you know another counselor that is the same way?

All I do is win...

Tonight, MSU played Ole Miss in basketball.  Ole Miss is our rival school, and the fact that I've now said Ole Miss three times now would shock many State fans.  Often times our rival is called TSUN, or the school up north.  As I sat and watched the basketball game on ESPN 3, talked to the players like they could hear me, groaned against the cheering crowd, and whispered hopeful wishes that we would win, the Lord reminded me of something.  He never loses.  Never.  There's never a close game for Him; He doesn't know what it's like to worry, sweat and hold His breath over the fact that we might not win this game.  It's not like He's playing the worst team, either.  Every day the Lord goes to war with the one who stalks his prey like a lion.  The Devil learns his opponents weaknesses and tries to take them out--he seeks to kill and destroy.  But, provided you're on the right team, you're always going to win.  Always.  In Isaiah, the Lord speaks to the people through the prophet Isaiah and says, "I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to me.  The people will declare, 'The Lord is the source of all my righteousness and strength.' And all who were angry with him will come to him and be ashamed" (Isaiah 45:23-24).  Why will He always win?  Because He says so, and He never breaks His promises.  Why will we win?  Because He is the source of our righteousness and strength.  Look somewhere else for that righteousness and strength and you might as well be eating nothing but Sour Patch Kids before a big game--the first three minutes of the game will be great, but you'd be worthless for the rest.  True strength comes from true nourishment.


Our Heavenly Father never complains about having Thursday and Saturday games like Vanderbilt's coach, Kevin Stallings.  He's on the court every single day and He never grows weary.  Again, Isaiah tells the Israelites, "Have you never heard?  Have you never understood?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.  He never grows weak or weary.  No one can measure the depths of his understanding" (Isaiah 40:28).  Sore muscles from a rough game the day before?  No such thing.  Having to buy insane amounts of Gatorade to rehydrate?  Nope.  He is the Living Water.  Cramps in His legs, so coach has to pull Him out of the game?  Nada.


I'm so thankful that the Lord repeats in His letter to us time and time again the power that He will give to us; He always knows that we need to hear things at least a couple of times.  The passage in Isaiah 40 continues and says, "He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.  Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.  But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40: 29-31).  New strength.  We always fight for the new stuff.  Steroids?  Who needs them when you've got new strength?


So, are you still eating Sour Patch Kids and expecting to last the full game, or are you looking to the Bread of Life and Living Water for new strength?  Really, when you look at the comparisons between the two, the biggest question is, what do you have to lose by switching to a new diet?  He never loses and never fails.  Remember?

Kaleidoscope

Ladies, do you ever have those days where you're just in a funk and can't seem to shake it?  Those days where all you want to do is lay on the couch, eat ice cream and watch chick flicks all day long?  I had one of those days yesterday.  After spending about an hour and a half talking with a friend and practically walking all over campus, something hit me.  The reason I was in such a depressed, hopeless mood was because I was viewing things through the world's lenses.  Then, I got to thinking--looking at something through a kaleidoscope can be very pretty and intriguing.  It's fun to twist the kaleidoscope and see all the colors as they whirl around in a circle.  But, look through one for too long and it can quickly become confusing.  I was looking at my situation through a kaleidoscope, wondering why things weren't looking like "they should" instead of viewing them as God does.  The Lord never looks at things, situations, or people through a kaleidoscope.  He sees them clearly as they are, broken, flawed, wandering, confused, and chooses to love them anyway.  He doesn't get sidetracked by all the pretty colors that seem to blend together the longer you look through the magical lens.  He has a plan, one that cannot be confused or blurred.  When our patience is growing thin, when we are tired of waiting on the Lord and His perfect timing and plan, we must remember that we are doing a great work by seeking to please Him in all that we do.  We cannot allow the world to put the kaleidoscope up to our eyes and discourage us from what He has called us to do--to be patient and trust in Him alone.  So, shake off the funk, and ask the Lord to restore His eyes to your life.  Soon, I believe, you'll be back to seeing all the amazing things God has blessed you with, instead of how your life isn't measuring up to the world's standards.