Have We Missed the Point?

At my pastor's urging, I have been going through all of David Platt's "Secret Church" seminars as of late. Wow. If you are reading this, join me. You can find all the materials (study guides included) ABSOLUTELY FREE at http://http://www.disciplemakingintl.org/media/schurch/?cur_tab=series. Seriously, you won't be disappointed.

In the very first session on the Old Testament, David says something that just cuts me to the quick:

"If what is discussed in the next few hours stops in your life, then we have missed the entire point, and we have received and given ourselves over to a self-centered study of his word. This night is aimed at reproducing everything that has been entrusted to us from God's Word and teaching it to others. Then, we will be a part of making disciples of all nations, and it won't just be thinking about the people in Africa, but we will have the opportunity to impact the people of Africa."

How many times have I given myself over to a "self-centered study" of God's Word? Where I focus only on how much knowledge or "spirituality" I can collect. How shameful. How foolish. How wicked.

In my sin, how many souls have I negatively affected? If I had only been more focused on the infiltration of the Word into enemy camps, how many souls would have turned to God? How far-reaching could my influence have been--when one person tells another, and that person continues the trend?

We mourn the loss of aborted children, or become enraged at the sound of heretical teachers, and we should! We should be an advocate for the unborn, and point out liars, but I wonder sometimes if maybe we spend too much time pining away for what is already lost. What if the message of Christ were to permeate our thought life and actions? Maybe we could have ministered to that young girl before she became pregnant. Maybe we could have been more interested in the young man who would one day become a false teacher. Maybe, just maybe, the wickedness we see in the world around us is a direct result of our indifference to the message of Jesus.

Oh, we say we love Christ, but when is the last time we got our hands dirty? When is the last time we mentored a student? When is the last time we did something God-honoring outside of a "mission trip" where we can "give a report in church" (which is often synonymous with "see how spiritual I am!")?

I guess the bottom line is: Do I care enough about the message of Christ? Do I care enough about Africa, or Asia, or South America? Do I truly wish to honor my persecuted brothers and sisters?

It Matters

My family has been through some really difficult stuff in the last year. Two unemployed parents, electricity that doesn't work, mounting medical bills, car problems, scorching heat without AC, cramped quarters, mice, mice, mice--And a spiritual revival like I never thought possible.

Yes, my family is using up the last of their retirement. Yes, I'm currently without a job. Yes, we have to ration water-use. But God is good. He is faithful. He is the Provider, Comforter, Warrior, Friend. He is Almighty--Having all Authority in every realm of creation-both seen and unseen. He is my good Father, my Helper, the Lifter of my Head.

I hear complaints about the manicurist painting the wrong image, about having to wear the same clothes over and over, about having to take kids to different events, about Starbucks giving the wrong order. We get so worked up about things that have no eternal significance.

When we stand before Jesus at the end of time, I just can't imagine telling him I couldn't go to church because of a sorority event, or being unable to teach Vacation Bible School because it was too early in the morning, or not helping with outreach programs because I had to interact with "dirty people." Newsflash: You were made out of dirt.

It matters what we do in this life. It matters that we stay in the Word, that we bind ourselves to Christ, that we realize our weakness in ALL things. It matters that we make disciples--that we disciple new believers, that we take an active role in his kingdom.

It matters how you live in front of your children. They see your confidence in your checkbook or your creativity or your personality. They see your faith in the Georgia Bulldogs, and your hope in a promotion, and your love for belittling others for a laugh. They notice when your make logic-based decisions instead of faith-based decisions. They notice when you don't pray with them or for them or before them.

It matters. It's time to start seeing that every little decision, thought, activity, or moment of peace is a decision to live for Christ. Every car ride, conversation, dinner out, or day at the pool is a time to consider His Will. It matters.

Summer Frustration

I am currently self-employed doing "freelance babysitting" which is a fancy way of saying, "I don't have a real job." I absolutely love kids--I think it's almost a given for women to say they love children (but I digress). I mean why else am I a certified teacher? However, I am a high school teacher--not a preschool/kindergarten/elementary school teacher.

I don't do well with four ADHD/ two EBD kids when there is no structure or spankings. How shall I put it....Hmmm...Week of Hell? Yeah. I think that pretty much sums it up. It's only day two, and I am counting down the days before I can rinse this week out of my hair.

This One's for the Ladies

Do you ever have those moments when you just have to write something down before you burst from all the thoughts swirling around in you head? This is one of those late-night-sappy-quote posts, and just the tip of the iceberg for all I've been thinking about lately. So, as your late night blogger, I'll say, "This one's for the ladies"....

"I want someone who will be monogamous and nice to his mother. And I want someone who likes musicals, but knows just to shut his mouth when I'm watching Lost. And I want someone who thinks being really into cars is lame, and strip clubs are gross. I want someone who will actually empty the dishwasher instead of just taking out forks, as needed, like I do. I want someone with clean hands and feet and beefy forearms like a damn Disney prince. And I want him to genuinely like me--even when I'm old. And that's what I want."

--Liz Lemon "30 Rock"

"You know, honestly, by the time you're 34, all the physical requirements just go out the window. You secretly pray he'll be tall than you. Not an 'asshole' would be nice. Just someone who enjoys my company--comes from a good family. You don't think about that when you're younger. Someome who wants kinds, likes kids, wants kids. Healthy enough to play with his kids. Please let him earn more money than I do. You may not understand that now, but believe me, you will someday--otherwise that's a recipe for disaster. And hopefully, some hair on his head. I mean, that's not even a deal breaker these days. A nice smile, yeah, a nice smile just might do it."

--Alex Goran "Up in the Air"

"Jane I want a wife. I want a wife, not a nursemaid to look after me. I want a wife to share my bed every night. All day if we wish. If I can't have that, I'd rather die. We're not the platonic sort, Jane."

--Edward Rochester "Jane Eyre"

"I love that you get cold when its 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle in your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend a day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And its not because, and its not because its New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."

--Harry "When Harry Met Sally"

"Look, I guarantee there'll be tough times. I guarantee that at some point one or both of us is gonna want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. Because I know, in my heart, you're the only one for me."

--Ike/ Maggie "Runaway Bride"

"I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair.
I hate it when you stare.
I hate your big dumb combat boots, and the way you read my mind.
I hate you so much it makes me sick; it makes me rhyme.
I hate it, I hate the way you're always right.
I hate it when you lie. I hate it when you laugh, even worse when you make me cry.
I hate it that you're not around, and the fact that you didn't call.
But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you.
Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all."

--Kat Stratford "Ten Things I Hate About You"

I'm An Auntie!

Woo-hoo! It finally happened! I'm an auntie! My sister had Baby Jude Isaac on March 31, 2011, and my! What a sweet baby he i! I just can't help myself, I want to kiss his little face all the time.

I am definitely NOT in a place in my own life that I want to have kids or even be in a relationship, but by golly, I LOVE being an aunt. (Of course, this has nothing to do with the fact that I can pass a dirty diaper off to his parents.)

I feel so overwhelmed with emotion when I see his little hands and his little feet--feet that have never touched the floor--and I think about all the things God has in store for him. I wonder how many people his hands will comfort and how many places his feet will go in the name of Christ. I am so in awe of how my Father works.

Cardboard Jungle

Yep, it's true. Moving sucks. When I was little, moving was an adventure...Sure, Mom and Dad went nuts trying to get five of us to help pack our stuffed animals and building blocks, but it was still fun. I'm 22 now, and it is officially not fun.

My house has been in complete shambles for the past several weeks. With my bedroom being across the foyer from the backdoor, naturally the get-rid-of pile accumulates outside of my door. I have a little pathway to get outside or to the rest of the house. All I'm saying is that I could have been a gymnist with all the weird contortions my body must undergo just to check the mail! (Better yet, I think I would make a great thief. You know, the ones who have to slide under invisible lasers that will sound the alarm if broken. Yeah...I think that sounds cooler.)

Anyway, with all this packing, I have to go through everything--absolutely everything. High school boxes of memories? Check. Creepy catch-all draw? Yep. Christmas decorations? Mhm. Every childhood toy and article of dress-up clothing? You betcha. What's weird is how much living has happened while I wasn't even aware. I found letters from little campers from my first year at camp, and pictures of "BFF's" who I haven't seen in 5 or 6 years. It's hard to throw things away that think are significant, but I can't hold onto anything in the end. All I can do is appreciate the times I've had and let it go. (Talk about a therapy session!)

So, as I wade through this cardboard jungle of boxes, I'm thankful for all the things that I have, but most of all, for the people I love. That's it for "lessons in spite of packing" for today. I need to grab more packing tape...and motivation! Peace.

Wanted: A Grandfather

I want a grandfather. I always have. I mean who is suppose to say politically incorrect things? Who is suppose to tell me about going "a-courtin'" and point out all the landmarks in town as he tells me about how things "used to be?" Who is suppose to teach me random things like how to whittle, shoot a gun, or spit? Who is suppose to fix things or tell me about how life was before television and computers? Who is suppose to scare me and intrigue me and love me just the same? Seriously...