november...

There are some dates and times that will always remind me of certain events in my life and cause me to ask, "what if?" I'm not sure there's ever much good in asking the question, but I have become pretty good at it. Whether it's life or death or just a mistake at work or a relationship screw up or friendship downfall... I have a bad habit of replaying it over and over in my head. I'm pretty good at letting go of the things I had no control over. There's no point in wondering why I had to break  my ankle my freshman year of soccer. I had no control over it. I do wonder why I couldn't have been a better friend or a better girlfriend.. but then I remember I really have no control over any of it... because it's all in the past.

November is one of those times... I try to let my faith remind me God has a plan and a purpose for me and I can't screw that up. Here's to a solid November!

priorities...

I think you can tell a lot about a person based on their priorities. How do we prioritize those things important to us? A person's typical list usually goes something like God (depending on belief system), family and friends with career and hobbies falling in behind. That's the safe list to recite without ridicule. Sometimes our actions don't line up with what we're saying. That's not to say our intentions aren't good, but sometimes our own pride or subconscious motives take over and distract us from the original path.

I've been thinking about my own priorities a lot. What is important to me? And if those people/things are really important to me, why am I putting them so low on the totem pole? A guest speaker spoke in church today with an awesome illustration that has switched my whole perspective..

Stuart Hall introduce three plastic bins, the largest labeled "you." Inside of "you" was a smaller box "sin." This is how we are born... we are born bad. We have a selfish, sinful nature. Galatians 5:16 says... "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Awesome... if I live by the Spirit I can avoid this sinful nature. But how do we live by the Spirit? As a Christian, God took the sin out of me and put Christ in. Hall removed the "sin" bin and placed a "Christ" bin inside the "you" bin. In 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 we can see God has reconcile us to himself through Christ. How can we be more like God? With Christ inside of us! Nothing really new right? Ok here comes my aha moment...

Colossians 2:9-10 "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority."

We (or maybe just I) spend so much time asking for more of Christ... We go to church or read the bible or pray asking for more of God to make us better... to make us more like Him. In reality... He is already in us... in full... We just need to remove the crud to let his light shine through us. That silly kid's song hiding the light under the bushel... sometimes our light of Christ is covered by all of the mess, but He didn't go anywhere. We don't need more of Christ... we need less of the junk that is blocking His light in us.

As much as I know faith has never been about good works, I still find some relief in recognizing Christ is in me... in all the fullness. I can't do anything to gain more of Him or to lose Him. Of course that doesn't mean I'm finished. I want you to be able to see Christ in me. Can you see Christ's light in me?

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:13-16

a praying man...

I have a habit of tearing up easily... At our hall of fame dinner people I didn't know were thanking God and their teammates for such prestigious honor and I was struggling to keep it together. There are certain triggers that just bring tears to my eyes. I can count on being moved by someone expressing their feelings of love, appreciation, graciousness for someone else.

This morning we were singing in church and I looked over to see a man wrapping his arm around his wife and two boys to pray. I have no idea what he said and I have no idea what is going on in their lives, but watching a man pull his family into pray reminds me how important prayer is... especially in a family.

I know women are criticized for being too picky or for dreaming of a fairytale prince... but I think it's more about where your expectations are coming from. There are some things I can't budge on... and I don't think it's picky to wait for someone to meet expectations God has set for us. I'm grateful for praying families... and I'll keep praying God will bless me with one someday.

enough...

I was doing so much better blogging this summer... and then reality hit and work took over. I had every intention of finishing the Elijah story a few days after my last blog and we see how well that worked out.

Regardless... here I am with a thought for the day. In 1 Kings 17 Elijah had this awesome experience where he was reminded of how adequate God is. God came through when he felt abandoned and inadequate. Two chapters later, Elijah thinks he has hit his max. Jezebel was ready to kill him when he thought Ahab was going to fix everything. He had been on this huge high and now everything seemed to be falling apart. He ran away, into the wilderness and told God he had enough. "He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. 'I have had enough, LORD' he said. 'Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.' Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep."

I can only imagine how Elijah felt... Scared, burned out, anxious... And yet rather than trusting God to take care of him, he essentially quit. He threw in the towel and went to sleep. God didn't let him off the hook so easily and an angel woke him up and made him eat. God gave him food and rest in preparation for his journey. After 40 days and 40 nights (coincidence? I don't think so) Elijah was sent to Mt. Horeb for a complete transformation. I love 1 Kings 19. God took a man from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs. God wasn't in the fire or the earthquake, but in a small whisper... giving Elijah the peace he needed to continue his journey. You know who else was at the end of the journey... Elisha. Food, sleep and manpower. I love it.

Too simple? Perhaps. But I am strengthened from Elijah's journey. We're not on this journey alone.