Life to the full

The night before classes started Brittney, Ryan and I went for a stroll. From the sidewalk, we discovered the climbing tree of all climbing trees. It was beautiful--never had my eyes set sight on such a perfect tree for scaling. So naturally, we ran toward it like giddy children and started our way up the tree.
A few days ago Ryan informed me, that he had since returned to said tree and carved something into one of the branches. I went back and found it. Engraved in the old weathered bark where Ryan had been perched was this, "John 10:10".
This verse reads, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
Here is my question to you tonight; do you believe that? Are you living your life to the full?

I had a conversation with Mr. Fitzgerald about truly living on Tuesday. He listed all the things that he regretted. The amazing thing was that he didn't regret what he did, he regretted what he didn't do. "Karen," he said, "Don't play it safe like I did".

Mr. Fitzgerald got me thinking about how, like him, often times I hold back because certain pursuits are challenging. Mostly, I've been thinking about how pursuing God is hard. He doesn't reveal himself to you right away. He wants to know that you are truly all in--that you are seeking him with all of your heart. ("If you seek me you will find me if you seek me with all of your heart" Jeremiah 29:13) The problem is that continually pouring everything you have into someone is exhausting. Which is my best explanation for why we settle. We give him a part of our heart and then leave the rest to wander.
When really, if we were just madly in love with him it wouldn't be exhausting--we would be longing more than anything to be alone with Him--to spend time reading his love letters to us. Over and over again because we can't help but smile and imagine his voice wooing us, telling us of how intense his love is for us, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." Jeremiah 31:3
If we fell in love with Him again, maybe we would actually start experiencing life to the full. He would take us to new heights. I mean, is there anything that makes you feel more on top of the world than when you are in love?
He came for two reasons (possibly among others): to restore this love relationship and to give us life to the full. Is it possible that the former accomplishes the latter?

So my final question to you is this; do you feel like you are missing something?
Stop settling. There IS more. Pursue Him with all that you are and you will find what you've been missing.
Don't sit back and watch television in an attempt to numb your desire for more. Don't spend your time trying to get through life and pass time. If you do, you'll end up like Mr. Fitzgerald and regret all the things you didn't do--the love you didn't pursue.

Start truly living.

"Yet I hold this against you; You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen. Repent and do the things you did at first." Revelation 2:4

Fall in love with him again; or perhaps for the first time. =)

Undignified

Matt Redman - Undignified

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaHufPkCU5g

I just put this song on repeat and danced in the kitchen while making hard boiled eggs. Luckily, I'm house sitting and there was no one to see the uncontrolled dance moves that resulted from this song. (Except Duke the Dog...he looked concerned. Believe me, he was shaking his head and telling me with his eyes never to do those moves in public because they were that ridiculous.)

I'll become even more undignified than this.

This song makes me smile because earlier today I was reading 2 Samuel 6 where it says that David danced before the Lord in his undies "with all his might"! Understandably so, his wife was embarrassed because the whole town saw. She addressed her feelings about the incident to him and David said, that for the Lord he would "become even more undignified". (Verse 22)

My point is not to go around streaking, but why don't we have that same enthusiasm and reckless abandonment about worshiping God and delighting in Him for the ways that he has blessed us and the fact that He loved us so much that he died for us. I mean it feels so good to be loved by anyone but to be loved that much, for exactly who you are, by the God of the universe is just flat out incredible! =)

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4

Identifying with Myrtle the Turtle

I've been thinking a lot lately about God's goodness. Trying to understand why God allows certain things to happen when it seems (at the time) that no good could possibly come of it. But then I had a realization. What if our definition of goodness is just twisted? What if goodness is not necessarily what is "safe" but instead anything that brings us closer to God?
I heard this story from Dangerous Wonders by Michael Yaconelli that made me see God's goodness with a different perspective and I want you to hear it.
It goes like this:
"Several years ago a woman was spending her holidays on one of the barrier islands in South Carolina. It happened to be the time of year when the loggerhead turtles (huge, three-hundred-pound sea turtles) were laying their eggs. One night a very large female dragged herself onto the beach and laid her eggs. The woman did not want to disturb the turtle, so she left and came back the next morning, anxious to find where the turtle had laid her eggs. Alarmingly, what she found were some tracks heading the wrong direction. The turtle apparently lost her bearings and wandered into the hot sand dunes where death was certain. The woman followed the tracks and soon found the turtle covered with hot dry sand. Thinking quickly, she covered the turtle with seaweed, poured cool seawater over her, and ran to notify a park ranger. He arrived in a few minutes in a jeep. The ranger flipped the turtle over, wrapped tire chains around her front legs, and hooked the chains to the trailer hitch on the jeep. Then he drove off, dragging her through the sand so fast her mouth filled with sand and her head bent back as if it would break. At the edge of the ocean, he unhooked her and flipped her right side up. She didn't move. The water began to lap against her body, cleaning off the dry sand. When the waves were much larger, suddenly she began to move, slowly at first, and then when the water was deep enough, she pushed off into the water and disappeared.
The woman makes this observation:
Watching her swim slowly away and remembering her nightmare ride through the dunes, I noticed that sometimes it is hard to tell whether you are being killed or being saved by the hands that turn your life upside down."

Sometimes it feels like life is falling apart but every affliction you have is not pointless--it's not over looked. He has everything under control and everything worked out for your good. You may feel at the end of your rope but maybe just maybe he's just waiting for you to ask him to step in and save you. Getting you out of that sandy pit may be momentarily painful but just remember that he's taking you to the metaphorical ocean.
Romans 8:28
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Song: Your love never fails-Chris Quilala

Friendship

My favorite thing about little kids (other than their wild imaginations) is that all you have to do is pretend you are a monster and chase them around in order to be instant friends. =)
Why isn't it that simple to form adult friendships?

We could have a lot of fun, you and me. Just sayin'. =P

$2.50

Yesterday, Jenny and I browsed around in vintage and art shops downtown. I bought these fantastic peacock-feather earrings that look like they should only be worn with a flapper dress (believe me, if I could find one, I would wear them together). Long after we left the store where I had purchased the item, I realized that the woman who had sold them to me had accidentally overcharged me by two dollars. "Oh well, it's only two bucks" I thought. Then my stomach dropped. I remembered that almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day.

Why was I willing to throw away an entire person's wage for the day?
Why do I buy things that I don't even need when someone in another country is starving?



This passage (Isaiah 58) has been on my mind a lot lately.

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail."

Isaiah 58:6-11

I want this. I want to DO this with my life.
I don't know how yet, but I want to change the way I'm living and make a world of difference for someone somewhere in the world who needs.

Aunt Liz

My little sister went off to the senior prom today. While we were getting her ready it felt like we were playing dress up just like old times. She looked beautiful. Just like the grown up we had always pretended to be. =)

Kids grow up so fast.

Aunt Liz and Uncle Fred came over to take pictures and after Sandra & Zach left, Aunt Liz peppered me with questions as per usual about what was going on in my life and showered me with encouragement about how much of a blessing I am to everyone I meet. Haha, Thanks Aunt Liz. Seriously though, if you are ever doubting how much you are loved just spend five minutes with Aunt Liz and she will set you straight. What an inspiration she is. She is an example of someone who really knows how to love.

I've been thinking a lot the past couple of days about what is truly important in life. It always seems to come back to this, love God and love people.
When asked what the most important command was, Jesus responded, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength'. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'. There is no commandment greater than these."
(Mark 12:30-31)

Show love to someone today. Even if it is just really listening with genuine interest to what they have to say.
This is what life is all about. This, I believe, makes God smile from ear to ear. =)

Twirling

I love this song: Chris Quilala-Dance with me

It helps me picture my life as just one graceful dance with Jesus. =)

I took ballroom dance last semester and it was interesting how after dancing with the same person for awhile it was easier to recognize cues and to follow his lead. I think that's what life with Jesus is like; the more we dance with him the easier it is to recognize his subtle directions.

Sometimes I wish he wouldn't be so subtle in his directing, and just tell me what to do. But I truly believe he is a gentleman & waits for us to be responsive instead of forcing his way.

Isn't it great that God doesn't treat us like puppets? He lets us choose whether to follow!




Just imagine him asking you right now, "May I have this dance?"



"My lover spoke and said to me,
'Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me.'"
Song of Songs 2:10