Thought I'd forgotten my book study? Just temporarily sidetracked by life. Chapter 7, "Your best life...later", reminded me a lot of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. In this chapter of Crazy Love, Chan reminds us to not be owned by fear, but to pursue God with abandon.
He makes the challenge to take scripture literally about caring for the poor and needy. Who do you know that takes Luke 12:33 literally? "Sell your possessions and give to the poor." Instead we continually seek more stuff. Including me. As far as Americans go, I am not such a stuff chaser. But when you compare me on a global scale, I am pretty sure that someday when I stand before Christ, He will have some suggestions about how I could have better used my material resources for kingdom purposes. Honestly, I rarely consider other options for how to use my resources. I just try to stay ahead of the bills.
Chan made an interesting point on p.120. What if that fateful day when Jesus sent the disciples hunting food for the crowd they had kept the loaves and fish for themselves. You probably could have fed 12 guys with that food. They could have split the loaves up and each had a few bites of fish. They would have been decently satisfied till they got home. But they never would have seen God's famous miracle and fed thousands of people. What if that is me? What if I perceive my resources as just enough for me and my family, but God wants to use them to do some pretty amazing stuff?
Scripture talks a lot about caring for the needy....am I so cynical that I have stopped trying? How can I be more obedient with my stuff?
Just some thoughts that I'm chasing around in my head.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
The Twilight Saga
For many months I've heard the women in my life raving about the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. They are facebooking about them, discussing them in the hall at school, and counting down the days until the movie was released. I have largely ignored all of this because I have learned the hard way that where women are concerned, I share very little movie and book interests with most of them. Any time romance is involved.
Not that I'm a romance grinch. You see, I have the privilege to be blessed with better than happily ever after. In all the romance novels and movies the heroine rides off into the sunset and lives happily ever after. It has not been easy, but Shawn and I have reached a very deep level of love and commitment that I have yet to see reflected by any romance novel or movie. Therefore, instead of being awed by the romance genre, I laugh hysterically at the lameness of it all.
Sorry, I got sidetracked. Shawn was desperate for something to read while deer hunting last week and picked up Twilight. He said it was pretty good, if you could get past the romance stuff. So over Thanksgiving while I was exiled from my internet connection I read Twilight. And New Moon. And started Eclipse. And saw the movie. So here are my thoughts.
I truly enjoyed the books. I was intrigued by the vampire/werewolf/human interactions. I thought Meyers did a good job developing her plot and her characters. She was engaging and I had a hard time putting the books down. In fact, I didn't put down New Moon at all, but read it from start to finish in one sitting. I enjoyed reading about the struggles of Bella, the heroine, in discovering herself and balancing her love for her parents against her desire to be with her vampire boyfriend. I thought the meadow scene in Twilight was one of the sexiest romance scenes I've ever read. Meyer did a really great job capturing the heat of the "first touch". That moment when someone that you're attracted to touches you in a romantic way.
Now for the critique. A couple of times in the books, I did laugh hysterically at the romance stuff. (other than that, I thought they were excellent)
1. Edward and Bella cannot have sex...it's complicated....he's a vampire and is afraid that he will lose control in the heat of passion and accidentally eat her for a snack....so instead he sneaks in her window at night and simply holds her in his arms while she's sleeping. They also have lots of long talks in the evenings as he explores her mind and gets to know her. He wants to know every single detail there is to know about her. Here's my problem.....What 17 year old male (or any breathing male who's straight) do you know that could lay down beside his smokin' hot girlfriend in her bed every night and only want to kiss a bit --- and talk? About her --- always? Seriously? In fact....I think I would go totally insane from the never ending foreplay. I laughed till I cried when he probed her with insignificant questions for 3 days. Men don't even know themselves that well, much less want to know their girlfriends that well.
2. Edward is very protective. There are good reasons for this, but to me Bella seems a bit owned. I don't like relationships where the woman is owned. It is hard for me to believe that the dude could be an ass, and she still just adores him with absolute love and sincerity and forgiveness. They can't even make up properly!
So my only complaints about the book are about the romance stuff...so not bad. Now for the movie. I thought it was completely lame. I don't do chick flicks....because I tend to think Hollywood's portrayal of romance is shallow. So you can take this critique with a grain of salt. If you love chick flicks, you would probably love this movie. But here's my critique of the movie:
1. Insignificant details were changed for no apparent reason....kitchen cabinets should have been yellow not blue. Bella needed to wear a sleeveless white eyelet shirt in the first scene. The vampire's house is large and white, not modern and brown. She wore a high-heel shoe to the prom. She was bitten on the hand, not the wrist. I am annoyed when screen writers change details from the book that are not important to moving the story along. I understand the need to alter some events so that the story can take place in a shorter time frame, but to be untrue to the book when you could have been true is just irritating to me.
2. I didn't buy the relationship. There wasn't enough development about how Bella and Edward moved from hatred, to friendship, to love. I know some of it was time constraints, but I just wasn't sold on it. I didn't feel the heat between the two of them.
3. I thought the vampires were portrayed as preps instead of dangerous, beautiful people. It seemed to me like maybe we were trying to recreate High School Musical with vampires.
4. The meadow scene was a disaster. Definitely not one of the top sexiest scenes ever in a movie. In fact, not even very memorable. (And I was really looking forward to it.)
Now to be fair....I am rarely pleased with movies if I've read the book first. There are honestly only two exceptions....Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Noting Twilight's success in the theaters, it seems obvious that most people don't agree with me at all. Which leads me to the last part of my blog.
The audience for these books and the movie really intrigued me.
1. Teenage girls and young single women. This is pretty obvious. Intriguing romance.....danger.....being loved by a god-like male who thinks you are fabulous when you are really ordinary......and they are truly very well-written books. Definitely understand this audience. As a younger woman, I probably would have bought the movie and watched it repeatedly with my girlfriends while we oohed and aahed. So this audience is totally cool with me.
2. Middle-aged women. This audience really confuses me. Why are they so ga-ga over a teenage romance? The discussions I'm hearing are not following the plot line and the vampire saga, but the romance. I'm pretty much coming up empty on this one. Is it that these women feel insecure and like the idea of a male who would pursue them passionately for all of eternity? Or do they like the idea of immortality? Or do they like that there is no sex, just romance? I don't know. Yet again, I am demonstrating my lack of ability to fully understand the female mind. Somewhere I missed out on some female genes, I guess.
So that's my opinion. Take it for what it's worth. Enjoy the books....wait and rent the movie.
Not that I'm a romance grinch. You see, I have the privilege to be blessed with better than happily ever after. In all the romance novels and movies the heroine rides off into the sunset and lives happily ever after. It has not been easy, but Shawn and I have reached a very deep level of love and commitment that I have yet to see reflected by any romance novel or movie. Therefore, instead of being awed by the romance genre, I laugh hysterically at the lameness of it all.
Sorry, I got sidetracked. Shawn was desperate for something to read while deer hunting last week and picked up Twilight. He said it was pretty good, if you could get past the romance stuff. So over Thanksgiving while I was exiled from my internet connection I read Twilight. And New Moon. And started Eclipse. And saw the movie. So here are my thoughts.
I truly enjoyed the books. I was intrigued by the vampire/werewolf/human interactions. I thought Meyers did a good job developing her plot and her characters. She was engaging and I had a hard time putting the books down. In fact, I didn't put down New Moon at all, but read it from start to finish in one sitting. I enjoyed reading about the struggles of Bella, the heroine, in discovering herself and balancing her love for her parents against her desire to be with her vampire boyfriend. I thought the meadow scene in Twilight was one of the sexiest romance scenes I've ever read. Meyer did a really great job capturing the heat of the "first touch". That moment when someone that you're attracted to touches you in a romantic way.
Now for the critique. A couple of times in the books, I did laugh hysterically at the romance stuff. (other than that, I thought they were excellent)
1. Edward and Bella cannot have sex...it's complicated....he's a vampire and is afraid that he will lose control in the heat of passion and accidentally eat her for a snack....so instead he sneaks in her window at night and simply holds her in his arms while she's sleeping. They also have lots of long talks in the evenings as he explores her mind and gets to know her. He wants to know every single detail there is to know about her. Here's my problem.....What 17 year old male (or any breathing male who's straight) do you know that could lay down beside his smokin' hot girlfriend in her bed every night and only want to kiss a bit --- and talk? About her --- always? Seriously? In fact....I think I would go totally insane from the never ending foreplay. I laughed till I cried when he probed her with insignificant questions for 3 days. Men don't even know themselves that well, much less want to know their girlfriends that well.
2. Edward is very protective. There are good reasons for this, but to me Bella seems a bit owned. I don't like relationships where the woman is owned. It is hard for me to believe that the dude could be an ass, and she still just adores him with absolute love and sincerity and forgiveness. They can't even make up properly!
So my only complaints about the book are about the romance stuff...so not bad. Now for the movie. I thought it was completely lame. I don't do chick flicks....because I tend to think Hollywood's portrayal of romance is shallow. So you can take this critique with a grain of salt. If you love chick flicks, you would probably love this movie. But here's my critique of the movie:
1. Insignificant details were changed for no apparent reason....kitchen cabinets should have been yellow not blue. Bella needed to wear a sleeveless white eyelet shirt in the first scene. The vampire's house is large and white, not modern and brown. She wore a high-heel shoe to the prom. She was bitten on the hand, not the wrist. I am annoyed when screen writers change details from the book that are not important to moving the story along. I understand the need to alter some events so that the story can take place in a shorter time frame, but to be untrue to the book when you could have been true is just irritating to me.
2. I didn't buy the relationship. There wasn't enough development about how Bella and Edward moved from hatred, to friendship, to love. I know some of it was time constraints, but I just wasn't sold on it. I didn't feel the heat between the two of them.
3. I thought the vampires were portrayed as preps instead of dangerous, beautiful people. It seemed to me like maybe we were trying to recreate High School Musical with vampires.
4. The meadow scene was a disaster. Definitely not one of the top sexiest scenes ever in a movie. In fact, not even very memorable. (And I was really looking forward to it.)
Now to be fair....I am rarely pleased with movies if I've read the book first. There are honestly only two exceptions....Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Noting Twilight's success in the theaters, it seems obvious that most people don't agree with me at all. Which leads me to the last part of my blog.
The audience for these books and the movie really intrigued me.
1. Teenage girls and young single women. This is pretty obvious. Intriguing romance.....danger.....being loved by a god-like male who thinks you are fabulous when you are really ordinary......and they are truly very well-written books. Definitely understand this audience. As a younger woman, I probably would have bought the movie and watched it repeatedly with my girlfriends while we oohed and aahed. So this audience is totally cool with me.
2. Middle-aged women. This audience really confuses me. Why are they so ga-ga over a teenage romance? The discussions I'm hearing are not following the plot line and the vampire saga, but the romance. I'm pretty much coming up empty on this one. Is it that these women feel insecure and like the idea of a male who would pursue them passionately for all of eternity? Or do they like the idea of immortality? Or do they like that there is no sex, just romance? I don't know. Yet again, I am demonstrating my lack of ability to fully understand the female mind. Somewhere I missed out on some female genes, I guess.
So that's my opinion. Take it for what it's worth. Enjoy the books....wait and rent the movie.
Monday Morning Update
Excellent services at The Crossroads today. Attendance was lower than last week, in part due to holiday travel. Meeting in a portable location means that church is never dull. Today the wind was really strong, and it would seem that the awnings over the doors are not securely screwed in. Therefore, when the wind blew, it sounded like a helicopter was landing on the roof! Ha!
Shawn preached right through it all, and I don't think anyone really minded the excess noise. He has started a Christmas series that should be interesting. Like it ever isn't! I am so accustomed to excellence from him that I often forget to give him enough positive feedback. So here it is, "You rock babe!" I am awed by his giftedness in speaking God's Word in a way that is understandable and applicable.
The worship set was good. We had some band members out, but I thought things still went well and the congregation seemed moved. Every week I am stunned by the level of excellence from the worship dude and the band. God seems to continually be making quantum leaps with the musicians at The Crossroads. They are improving at incredible speeds. I feel a little left out. I've gained a few new skills, but not at the rate some of the others are experiencing. Don't misread this. This is not jealousy...just awe at what God's doing. I'm okay that God is working slower with me.
I still feel that strong sense of urgency that we are standing on the edge of something really big. I just can't wait to see what God's got in store for The Crossroads. I am excited about who will be involved and where it's all headed!
Shawn preached right through it all, and I don't think anyone really minded the excess noise. He has started a Christmas series that should be interesting. Like it ever isn't! I am so accustomed to excellence from him that I often forget to give him enough positive feedback. So here it is, "You rock babe!" I am awed by his giftedness in speaking God's Word in a way that is understandable and applicable.
The worship set was good. We had some band members out, but I thought things still went well and the congregation seemed moved. Every week I am stunned by the level of excellence from the worship dude and the band. God seems to continually be making quantum leaps with the musicians at The Crossroads. They are improving at incredible speeds. I feel a little left out. I've gained a few new skills, but not at the rate some of the others are experiencing. Don't misread this. This is not jealousy...just awe at what God's doing. I'm okay that God is working slower with me.
I still feel that strong sense of urgency that we are standing on the edge of something really big. I just can't wait to see what God's got in store for The Crossroads. I am excited about who will be involved and where it's all headed!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
All I want for Christmas
Last blog tonight...I promise! I'll save the rest for later. This is a list of the hottest new Christmas gifts as seen in the Sky Mall catalog my brother-in-law brought me from off the plane. Thought it might make good blog material. Seems that he is a faithful reader as well.
My top ten favorites.
1. For the sexy woman in your life (me)
Wonder woman metal wristbands - just like the real ones! 'Cause those are awesome fashion accessories. Comes with invisible jet! (Get it ....the jet's invisible....how would you know if you had one or not)
2. For the red-blooded males in your life (all of them)
Remember the leg lamp on Christmas Story? It would seem that you can now order it in full size. Or just for fun...how about Christmas lights with tiny leg lamps instead of bulbs. Because wives would let their husbands hang those on the tree?
3. For the middle-aged women in your life (moms)
Full sized, life-like head and shoulder sculpture of Elvis that sits on your desktop and sings and moves. The fantasies live on. Creepy. And nobody really cared about how his head moved anyway....
4. For the hunter in your life
Antlers that attach to each side window of the vehicle. Because we are trying to fool the deer into thinking your vehicle is another deer? Or so that you can honestly say, "I brought home a big one"?
5. Also For the hunter in your life
Moving deer trailer hitch cover. It lights up and dances randomly while you are driving in traffic. Really? Can you say REDNECK?
6. For the serious tailgater
double hammock style chairs that attach to your tailgate so that you and a buddy can party in style. My question - do you really want to spend hours attaching these huge incredibly complicated things to your truck when you could throw open your lawn chairs in seconds and be ready to party?
7. For the napper
An adult size blankie. I'm serious. Here's the description. "The moment your skin touches our exclusive Napsoft material, you'll feel your whole body begin to relax. It's the perfect size for napping, snuggling or cuddling." Oh I had a good time making fun of this one. Imagine your napper friend dragging their adult-sized blankie everywhere they go.
8. For the spa goer
3 piece lavender aromatherapy kit. "Get your zen on." What does that even mean? for 100 bucks I could go to a real spa!
9. For the edge piece only brownie eater (my husband)
An m-shaped pan. Now every piece is an edge piece. This one was actually one of those "why didn't I think of that" things.
10. For the gamer
Your own personal "claw" machine. You know the one...You put in a dollar and maneuver the claw over the stuffed animal you want to pick up. But for your own home? Why? Because that's a great place to store all your child's stuffed animals?
I'm only sorry that I can't import pictures. This may have been one of those you had to be there kind of blogs. My brother-in-law and I laughed pretty hard about the cheesy, yet extraordinarily expensive gifts. Hope you do too.
My top ten favorites.
1. For the sexy woman in your life (me)
Wonder woman metal wristbands - just like the real ones! 'Cause those are awesome fashion accessories. Comes with invisible jet! (Get it ....the jet's invisible....how would you know if you had one or not)
2. For the red-blooded males in your life (all of them)
Remember the leg lamp on Christmas Story? It would seem that you can now order it in full size. Or just for fun...how about Christmas lights with tiny leg lamps instead of bulbs. Because wives would let their husbands hang those on the tree?
3. For the middle-aged women in your life (moms)
Full sized, life-like head and shoulder sculpture of Elvis that sits on your desktop and sings and moves. The fantasies live on. Creepy. And nobody really cared about how his head moved anyway....
4. For the hunter in your life
Antlers that attach to each side window of the vehicle. Because we are trying to fool the deer into thinking your vehicle is another deer? Or so that you can honestly say, "I brought home a big one"?
5. Also For the hunter in your life
Moving deer trailer hitch cover. It lights up and dances randomly while you are driving in traffic. Really? Can you say REDNECK?
6. For the serious tailgater
double hammock style chairs that attach to your tailgate so that you and a buddy can party in style. My question - do you really want to spend hours attaching these huge incredibly complicated things to your truck when you could throw open your lawn chairs in seconds and be ready to party?
7. For the napper
An adult size blankie. I'm serious. Here's the description. "The moment your skin touches our exclusive Napsoft material, you'll feel your whole body begin to relax. It's the perfect size for napping, snuggling or cuddling." Oh I had a good time making fun of this one. Imagine your napper friend dragging their adult-sized blankie everywhere they go.
8. For the spa goer
3 piece lavender aromatherapy kit. "Get your zen on." What does that even mean? for 100 bucks I could go to a real spa!
9. For the edge piece only brownie eater (my husband)
An m-shaped pan. Now every piece is an edge piece. This one was actually one of those "why didn't I think of that" things.
10. For the gamer
Your own personal "claw" machine. You know the one...You put in a dollar and maneuver the claw over the stuffed animal you want to pick up. But for your own home? Why? Because that's a great place to store all your child's stuffed animals?
I'm only sorry that I can't import pictures. This may have been one of those you had to be there kind of blogs. My brother-in-law and I laughed pretty hard about the cheesy, yet extraordinarily expensive gifts. Hope you do too.
Thanksgiving blurbs
It's been a week since I had internet service and blogged, so did you miss me? That's the burning egocentric question in my head :)
So while I was missing in action here's what happened.
*Monday and Tuesday - Finished up the last couple of days at school. The Thanksgiving program was precious. My kids did an awesome job! I was very proud of them. Just as a side note - I suck as a single parent. I was very stressed and overwhelmed and emotionally unstable as I tried to clean the house to show, pack, and deal with sick kids. We survived, but the kids were really glad to get out of town.
*Wednesday - Picked up my 15 year old nephew in Greenville and delivered him to deer camp in Arkansas. I had such an awesome time traveling with him. It's been many years since I have had the opportunity to spend any time with my nephews and niece. He's one cool kid and I'm proud to be his aunt.
*Wednesday - Deer camp - picked up the mighty hunters - Shawn and James both got deer :) The other guys were not so lucky, but seemed to have survived hanging out with my family in the backwoods of Arkansas. While I was there, I had a few hours to kill so I took Katie and Abby and went walking. We went down to the old pond where I used to help Pops feed the fish. I looked for the old dock a long time. The beach had changed so much and was covered with lots of small trees that did not used to be there. When I finally found it, I saw that the dock had all but fallen into the pond....definitely not safe enough for me to wander out onto it with my babies. We also checked out the old well, the path to the gate, the deer stand I fell out of when I went hunting with Jon when I was about 3, the old outhouse, and the barns. Dad outed me on my favorite childhood song....It was an awesome moment .....One that I am certainly not confessing online!
*Thursday - Thanksgiving Day - We were at Shawn' s parents. My mother-in-law needed the car moved and suggested that James do it. He's 11. What the heck? So my father-in-law bravely crawled into the passenger seat. James slid the car into gear, slipped his foot off the brake, and crashed into the flowerpot in front of him. He was in drive instead of reverse. He did manage to stop the car before he totally crashed into the house. He backed up, then practiced driving across the yard. My brother-in-law and I sat on the couch laughing at his braking attempts. He would drive. Stop suddenly. Drive. Stop suddenly. Drive. Stop suddenly. Finally he parked and got out. I have officially survived my son's first driving attempt. We had a great time with the extended family. Ate tons of great food. Slept lots. Read "Twilight" and "New Moon". I'll review them in a future blog.
*Friday - Got up at 4 to go to Wal-mart. Desperately wanted the Barbie car on sale. I didn't realize that since Wal-mart was open all night that if I wanted the Barbie car, I needed to be there at three. I was checking out the $2 movies when I felt a shopping cart connect firmly with my butt. I glanced behind me to see what the problem was. A little old lady apparently wanted my spot by the DVDs and was willing to ram me with her cart to get it. As I looked at her, she pulled her cart back, and rammed by butt harder the second time. Really! To buy cheap movies! I moved rather than get into a fight with an old woman.....In case you wondered, I am still sore! I have never had a basket-patterned bruise before. I also went with Shawn to see the movie, "Twilight". I'll review it when I do the books. The date time was nice.
*Saturday - Packed up and headed to Texarkana. Ate lunch with Daddy and Lynelle. Picked up my nephew and returned him to Greenville to meet his dad. Got home. Unpacked. Began reading "Eclipse." Blogging. You are now caught up with my life.
I have tons of new material. I'll try to restrain myself and not do it all at once.
So while I was missing in action here's what happened.
*Monday and Tuesday - Finished up the last couple of days at school. The Thanksgiving program was precious. My kids did an awesome job! I was very proud of them. Just as a side note - I suck as a single parent. I was very stressed and overwhelmed and emotionally unstable as I tried to clean the house to show, pack, and deal with sick kids. We survived, but the kids were really glad to get out of town.
*Wednesday - Picked up my 15 year old nephew in Greenville and delivered him to deer camp in Arkansas. I had such an awesome time traveling with him. It's been many years since I have had the opportunity to spend any time with my nephews and niece. He's one cool kid and I'm proud to be his aunt.
*Wednesday - Deer camp - picked up the mighty hunters - Shawn and James both got deer :) The other guys were not so lucky, but seemed to have survived hanging out with my family in the backwoods of Arkansas. While I was there, I had a few hours to kill so I took Katie and Abby and went walking. We went down to the old pond where I used to help Pops feed the fish. I looked for the old dock a long time. The beach had changed so much and was covered with lots of small trees that did not used to be there. When I finally found it, I saw that the dock had all but fallen into the pond....definitely not safe enough for me to wander out onto it with my babies. We also checked out the old well, the path to the gate, the deer stand I fell out of when I went hunting with Jon when I was about 3, the old outhouse, and the barns. Dad outed me on my favorite childhood song....It was an awesome moment .....One that I am certainly not confessing online!
*Thursday - Thanksgiving Day - We were at Shawn' s parents. My mother-in-law needed the car moved and suggested that James do it. He's 11. What the heck? So my father-in-law bravely crawled into the passenger seat. James slid the car into gear, slipped his foot off the brake, and crashed into the flowerpot in front of him. He was in drive instead of reverse. He did manage to stop the car before he totally crashed into the house. He backed up, then practiced driving across the yard. My brother-in-law and I sat on the couch laughing at his braking attempts. He would drive. Stop suddenly. Drive. Stop suddenly. Drive. Stop suddenly. Finally he parked and got out. I have officially survived my son's first driving attempt. We had a great time with the extended family. Ate tons of great food. Slept lots. Read "Twilight" and "New Moon". I'll review them in a future blog.
*Friday - Got up at 4 to go to Wal-mart. Desperately wanted the Barbie car on sale. I didn't realize that since Wal-mart was open all night that if I wanted the Barbie car, I needed to be there at three. I was checking out the $2 movies when I felt a shopping cart connect firmly with my butt. I glanced behind me to see what the problem was. A little old lady apparently wanted my spot by the DVDs and was willing to ram me with her cart to get it. As I looked at her, she pulled her cart back, and rammed by butt harder the second time. Really! To buy cheap movies! I moved rather than get into a fight with an old woman.....In case you wondered, I am still sore! I have never had a basket-patterned bruise before. I also went with Shawn to see the movie, "Twilight". I'll review it when I do the books. The date time was nice.
*Saturday - Packed up and headed to Texarkana. Ate lunch with Daddy and Lynelle. Picked up my nephew and returned him to Greenville to meet his dad. Got home. Unpacked. Began reading "Eclipse." Blogging. You are now caught up with my life.
I have tons of new material. I'll try to restrain myself and not do it all at once.
Monday Morning Updates - a little late
Last Sunday marked an incredible milestone in the history of The Crossroads Community Church. We baptized our first three people. It was beautiful. In the beginning, when we talked about planting a new church, I tried to imagine the first baptisms and really couldn't picture it very well. After all, how do you baptize anyone in a cheer gym?
But the reality was incredible. We rolled in a portable baptistery (think big bathtub on wheels)... Filled it with water... and baptized three new believers. The emotions that raced through me at that moment defy description. I have at many times along the journey lost my focus of why we are doing what we are doing. I have at many times confused my desires with God's will. I have at many times been more concerned about details and stuff and the show than the purpose and the mission. Wrapping my arms around those dripping women as they came out of the water reminded me of what we are doing and why. We are seeking to reach and then disciple as many people as we possibly can for as long as we have breath in our bodies.
As I reflected on the amazement and the beauty of watching these women make a public commitment to follow Christ, I heard that little voice in my head say, "You ain't seen nothing yet." So I am giving praise for the lives that are already changed, but I am also looking forward to the lives that are going to be changed.
But the reality was incredible. We rolled in a portable baptistery (think big bathtub on wheels)... Filled it with water... and baptized three new believers. The emotions that raced through me at that moment defy description. I have at many times along the journey lost my focus of why we are doing what we are doing. I have at many times confused my desires with God's will. I have at many times been more concerned about details and stuff and the show than the purpose and the mission. Wrapping my arms around those dripping women as they came out of the water reminded me of what we are doing and why. We are seeking to reach and then disciple as many people as we possibly can for as long as we have breath in our bodies.
As I reflected on the amazement and the beauty of watching these women make a public commitment to follow Christ, I heard that little voice in my head say, "You ain't seen nothing yet." So I am giving praise for the lives that are already changed, but I am also looking forward to the lives that are going to be changed.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Deer Fever
The weather is cooling off. Thanksgiving is right around the corner. And deer fever is running rampant at our house. Shawn is gearing up for his yearly trip out to the deer camp in Arkansas. This is a highlight of his year. He gets to hang out with men, spend many hours alone in the woods with God, and totally leave responsibility, worry, and stress behind. And shoot guns. A dream vacation for a male.
I desperately miss him while he is gone. I have been married all of my adult life and am not used to being alone and get really lonely. And...running the household alone is not one of my great gifts. However, I am glad that he is able to recharge and refocus. This year he will be traveling with worship dude and drummer boy and our son to the camp. It is a little weird for me that these guys all go hang out with my extended family while I am still in Texas working.
All this to say.....I will be taking a forced vacation from blogging. Shawn is taking the computer with him and thus my Internet connection will be severed. I will "see" you all again late next week when I hook back up with Shawn in Arkansas for Thanksgiving. I hope you are blessed with plenty of food, friends, and family this Thanksgiving.
Much love,
LaRissa
I desperately miss him while he is gone. I have been married all of my adult life and am not used to being alone and get really lonely. And...running the household alone is not one of my great gifts. However, I am glad that he is able to recharge and refocus. This year he will be traveling with worship dude and drummer boy and our son to the camp. It is a little weird for me that these guys all go hang out with my extended family while I am still in Texas working.
All this to say.....I will be taking a forced vacation from blogging. Shawn is taking the computer with him and thus my Internet connection will be severed. I will "see" you all again late next week when I hook back up with Shawn in Arkansas for Thanksgiving. I hope you are blessed with plenty of food, friends, and family this Thanksgiving.
Much love,
LaRissa
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)