Yea for Friends

Well, I am at my friend Meghan Rosenquist's house with Janci, Meghan and Meghan's husband, Shawn. I just have to say that I am very blessed to have such amazing friends that love the Lord. We had fun last night just talking and laughing. Meghan is in med school and Shawn is getting his Ph.D. in soil and water engineering (I'm hoping the intelligence is absorbed via osmosis - they're kids are gonna be einsteins). Meghan got her doctor toys (tools) recently (complete with the knee reflex thingy) and has been trying them out on us. With contacts, I currently have 20/20 vision! but without contacts, I'm basically blind. My blood pressure is good and I have great reflexes! She was always our "mother" in college and is, without a doubt, going to be an amazing doctor. Janci is having some sinus headache/scratchy throat problems and Meghan has done some type of thing to drain her sinuses. Pretty cool to watch and I'll have to get her to teach me.

I love watching Meghan and Shawn. They remind me of my sister and her husband and Rhett and Shannon at church and it's so obvious that God is a part of their lives and marriage. It reminds me that, if I'm going to get married, God has someone out there perfect for me. The man will compliment my personality and I will compliment his; we will glorify God with our relationship. I just have to be patient and wait... in the meantime, I can strive to be the Proverbs 31 woman:

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.
She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."
~Proverbs 31:10-31

Presently, and Perfunctorily, a Procrastinator

Fyi, 'perfunctorily' doesn't fit in the above post heading - I really just wanted a fun, smart-sounding word that would accommodate my already alliterative heading...(I'm not really sure if alliterative is really a word - pretty much, take all of my words with a grain of salt :).

I can't write much because I'm procrastinating already.  I have a paper/final due tomorrow night at 11:00 p.m. and I haven't started it.  I'm writing in the hopes that I will convince myself to stop procrastinating (ironic, isn't it?).  Since my past record proves that I have no clout on this subject, I'm providing some quotes on the subjects of procrastination and time:

"Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried."

~Unknown

"Procrastination is, hands down, our favorite form of self-sabotage."

~Alyce P. Cornyn-Selby

"Procrastination usually results in sorrowful regret.  Today's duties put off until tomorrow give us a double burden to bear; the best way is to do them in their proper time."

~Ida Scott Taylor

and my favorite:

"Don't count every hour in the day, make every hour in the day count."

Will I ever learn?  

Ecclesiastes 3

Flying Lessons

So, I've been wanting to tell about my new-found fascination with birds.  When I began working where I work now, I started seeing birds everywhere.  I'm blessed to have an office on the second floor with nice big windows, so I get to see birds flying and sitting in trees quite a bit.  I even saw this cool owl one day (some choose to not believe me :)  I've seen some big honkin birds and, until recently asking a friend who works at the zoo, I thought that the zoo feeds the birds and lets them roam free.  The reason I thought this was because one day I was eating in the park (the zoo is in this park) near this overhang.  I was sitting in my car when this humongous bird flew down and landed on the overhang.  I've never seen such a cool-looking animal.  I can't describe it well but it was shaped like a flamingo with tall, skinny legs and fluffy white feathers.  If it weren't for someone else moving their car closer to the bird to get a picture, I later would have doubted what I saw.  The bird stood there for a minute or so and then decided to fly off.  I didn't want it to leave but I got to see it in action again.  It's wingspan was ginormous and watching it kinda reminds me of a bird that you might see in a sci-fi movie. It really was indescribable and totally a God-moment.

Ever since then I've taken more interest in birds.  I remember my great aunt and uncle loving to watch them outside their back window and I even remember, when I was young, hearing the sound that a robin made (to this day, that's still my favorite bird 'tweet').  Have you ever looked up to the sky and seen a large bird's wingspan?  Can you imagine being able to fly?  I watch them and just wonder what it must be like.  

I consider the Christian life to the life of a bird.  This may seem kinda silly, but stick with me here...Could you imagine if birds didn't fly?  What if they just walked around and decided not to use their wings?  If they did that, they wouldn't even be able to get up in the trees and build nests.  They couldn't fly in the 'V' shape or fly south for winter.  Fortunately, for them and us, they do use their wings to fly and they use what God gave them to do what they've got to do.  As Christians, we choose to use or not use what God has given us.  Our 'wings' can include things like the Holy Spirit, that all Christians have, or spiritual gifts that are each different.  

Also, God's Word reminds us that we shouldn't worry about what we will eat, drink or wear:

29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny^[d]? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

We are worth more than sparrows, yet we find it hard to trust that God can take care of us.  Birds fly from place to place not knowing what is in store for them next.  They don't know what's going to happen but they don't stop flying in fear of what is ahead.  In fact, considering my own worries, if I were a bird I would probably still be in the nest fearful of taking that first flight but I've never seen a bird scared of flying.  They seem to completely understand God's purpose for their lives without asking questions...do I?  

In a lot of ways, I am like a bird that has made it to the tree branch but is holding back before taking flight. In doing so, I'm missing out on a lot of things that God has in store for me to do for His kingdom.  Why can't I just trust Him like the birds do?  

      "but those who hope in the LORD 
       will renew their strength. 
       They will soar on wings like eagles; 
       they will run and not grow weary, 
       they will walk and not be faint."

                             Isaiah 40:31

"Suffer the children to come unto Me...."

So, it's late but I'm not tired.  I slept for about 3 hours this afternoon to make up for time lost this weekend.  The D-Now weekend went very well and I was blessed to spend my weekend with 9 beautiful high school girls.  I knew all but two of them before the weekend but I got a chance to really get to know them all and listen to their hearts.  They desire to know God more and let Him use them to influence others.  I'm not that old and high school wasn't that long ago but I am guilty of doing what many adults do and that is underestimate young people.  The girls that I lead for the past two days are amazing and all they need is someone to give them a little nudge of encouragement and direction and they're good to go.  Their enthusiasm is beyond refreshing.  

I don't know a lot of statistics but I'd be willing to bet (not money, maybe just jelly beans :) that the vast majority of dying churches are filled with older generations and few youth.  Most new churches I know of are being attended by young people desiring to be a part of something amazing and untraditional.  I may be out of line, seeing as how I'm only 24, but what does time do to us that keeps us from following our dreams and believing that God can do amazing things?  

I want to stop here and point out that I believe that my church, Mountain Creek Baptist Church, is an exception to this phenomenon.  I've never been surrounded by so many loving, intentional, godly, and encouraging people/families and I thank God for placing me in a church that understands the importance of discipleship and accountability.

That said, I do fear that we don't realize the full potential of young people.  With God on their side, they are just as capable of bringing others to know Him as anyone else.  This weekend just made me really think about that and consider just what God can do through us if we let Him.  I also realized how old I am.  Oddly enough, when I'm hanging out with the youth and college students, I forget that I'm older than them.  They bring out a fun side of me that I don't want to ever loose.  I pray that God will make me a wise and godly woman that seeks to die to self and continually become more like Him.  I want to have faith like a child's.

Quitter doesn't start with F

I'm a quitter.  I must admit it.  I'm quitting the alphabet game.  Props to my sister and others who have prevailed, but it was having the opposite effect that I originally thought.  I thought it would be hard to come up with ideas to write about.  Who knew that my brain would so frequently think, "I should write about that...oh, nope - no word related to that topic starts with an 'F' - why does nothing happen to me that begins with an 'F'?'" Anyhoo, it was fun while it lasted...sort of.

So, I'm going to get you up to date on my life, since I haven't written in awhile:

I got bangs.  I'm regretting it.  They are really thick and were in my face all weekend.  I should have gotten bangs when winter started so that I could wear them straight with the rest of my hair (the few times that I actually straightened my hair) but now it's curly-hair-season and it's gonna look goofy having curly hair and awquard straight bangs.  Fortunately, my hair grows at the same speed weeds grow :)

Went to the Passion Conference this weekend.  AMAZING.  I'm trying to not idolize the speakers and musicians but God really spoke through them and used them to encourage me. The Passion movement is starting a world tour and trying to get the money together to do that. They're going to Hong Kong, Paris and several other places.  I love thinking about how different cultures worship and how Heaven is going to be so, so huge and the music is going to have to be incredible and indescribable because, I hate to tell yah, it's not going to be in English.  

I love my church.  It saddens me to just consider that I may not be able to go there for the rest of my life.  I've never been surrounded by so many encouraging people.  Pastor Shirley preaches the Word and doesn't hold back.  God challenges me through his preaching every week.  I'm leading our high school girl's Disciple Now weekend next weekend and I'm so stoked (not a word I typically use, lol).  I'm excited about getting to know them better and I know that God is going to do amazing things.  Please pray that I don't get in His way and that he gives me the words to use.  Next Saturday our church (including our disciple now students) is going around to the surrounding community and handing out light bulbs to let our community know that we're there and that we desire to be a servant church, full of people who shine His light.  

At church we've been learning about being the Church instead of just doing church and being busy doing things that don't glorify God or His Kingdom.  We've been challenged to get to know our neighbors and to be more intentional in inviting unchurched friends to Kingdom-building events.  Please pray for me.  There are some people at work that I want to invite to a women's banquet.  I believe some of them think they are Christians or just aren't interested in being involved in the typical church that acts more like a country club than a body of intentional Christians willing to sacrifice for their Saviour.  Who can blame them?  Also, I've been convicted that I don't know my new neighbors.  I live in a very friendly neighborhood but I make excuses about not having time (even though I find time to watch American Idol) to reach out to them or get to know any of them.  As a single woman (that 'w' word still doesn't seem fitting for me, somehow) I'm not sure how to go about this.  Please pray that God would give me opportunities and creative ideas about how to be a servant and share Christ's love to them.  

God has been convicting me for awhile about my physical lifestyle.  I've been reminded recently that my body is a temple.  I've heard that all my life and I've always thought of it in a physical sense.  I've never really put much thought into how my body now symbolizes what once was the "Holy of Holies" before Christ's death divided the curtain that separated us from being in God's presence.  At one time only the Priest could enter into the Holy of Holies but because of Jesus' death and his payment for my sins, and because I have put my trust in Jesus, I have been given the miraculous GIFT of the Holy Spirit.  My body is now a temple and the Holy Spirit lives in me.  When I choose to, I can be a vessel that the Holy Spirit can use to further God's kingdom. Again, my body is a temple.  I haven't been taking care of the temple and have been making excuses (I could be a professional excuse-maker, unfortunately) for not having the time to do so.  Thanks to my sister's blog, I have been encouraged to change and use this blog to help me. I'm going to start drinking only water, try harder to eat right, exercise more and not eat after 8:00 p.m.  I hope she doesn't mind that I steal her idea (I know she won't; we talked about doing this awhile back), but I'm going to use the blog to hold myself accountable.  I'll try and give periodic updates with success stories.  We started church softball season last week (we won our first game!) and our next game is tomorrow night.  I'm very out of shape but I love the game!  

Finally (thank you to the faithful readers who have read all of this), I'm hanging in there with school.  School has never been so hard for me and I'm struggling, but I don't plan on giving up. I have no idea what God's plan is and I get impatient so often.  I have one last prayer request: please pray that I would be diligent in doing my readings and writing my papers to the best of my ability.  It's so easy to just do what it expected and not get much out of the assignments.   I truly believe that Christians have the best advantage because we have God on our side.  Our contributions to society (including work, school, child-rearing, creativity, everything!) should be the best that there is and a witness of God's power in us.  God has a purpose for us all, including myself.  For now, my purpose is to serve him through diligent study so that I can be an effective witness of His power.