Heroes

Today has been a really good day so far... and it's only 4:21 pm. Amazing. Mabel went with me to Highland this morning for the service. It was Missions Emphasis Weekend. I was challenged that I have not gotten enough involved in the mission field here and I need to stop saying I'm going to and just do it. The director of Mission Waco spoke as well as another missionary. I loved what the pastor said about how so many of us have accepted abnormal Christianity as normal for so long that when we hear normal Christians speak about following Christ in the middle of what may seem crazy, we think they are abnormal Christians. No, they are naturally responding to the call that Christ has given us. One of the speakers said that many people say there is a fine line between faith and stupid, and he is sure they've crossed "that line" on more than one occasions. "Compassion is not about feeling sorry for people. It's about getting up out of your place of safety and security and entering into the pain." Do we really allow the compassion of Christ to be extended to our world through us?
Instead of going to the college Sunday school today Mabel and I came back to the room and watched Louie Giglio's preaching from Passion '05. I had been telling her since the beginning of school that I wanted her to watch it... and well, God just kinda brought the idea to my mind during the service this morning. So, yah, that was fun. I was even more encouraged that I don't have to live the Christian life, but Christ can live it through me. "There's only been one person who ever pulled off living the Christian life. And He was so good at it--they named it after Him!" Amen to that. Everyone should listen to that preaching in my opinion, because Christ is so empowering, and Louie does an excellent job of bringing out the truth and refuting the lies that we have allowed the deceiver to make us believe. There is nothing better than Jesus.
This afternoon we went to the Campus Crusade for Christ Women's Tea. It was fun. We played "Speed Friends" (like speed dating, cept it's all girls and we're just friends). In order to get to know people on more than just the superficial level of "where are you from? what's your major" ya da ya da, we talked about who our heroes are. When she told us to talk about who our heroes are the first person that came to my mind was... my Mom.... Mommy, you are my hero. Thank you for showing me what it means to love God and to love people, to give of yourself, to laugh, to cry, to embrace the simple joys that God blesses us with, to grow deeper and stronger, to have faith that is completely merited because we serve an amazing Father who is more powerful than anything we could ever imagine. Mom, Christ's light is amazing in you, and I would never trade you for the world. Thank you for loving me and for being my mommy, for being my best friend. I love you soo much.... I have really missed my mom recently, and it was so awesome to be able to share with others how much she means to me and why she is my hero. It was great to learn about other's heroes too and to get to know more people and just be encouraged through women who love Jesus.
This post is becoming super loooong, and so far it's only been about today! But, no one said you had to read this, so I guess if you have gotten this far you have wanted to read :o) I think I am gonna post a ton of pictures after I write some more... let's see if I can make a record long post.
Oooo, I've been meaning to share this with you all because I think it is more than awesome. I'm reading a book about God's Will by Kyle Lake, the pastor of University Baptist Church that passed away in a tragic accident a few months ago. Well, in it, he talks about how basically all analogies that we try to apply to God fall short, and that's the point! God cannot be defined through something earthly, it just isn't impossible. Yes, He is Father. But He is also Almighty. He is also Holy. He is also Friend. He is also Avenger. He is also Sacrifice. He is soooo much more. God cannot be defined through one analogy because He is more than we can describe. Hopefully I am provoking some sort of thought from you about that, because I think it is incredible. I mean, we say we don't want to put God in a box, but then we try and describe Him in terms that we can comprehend... He's beyond comprehension! But, we get to discover more and more of Him by His grace throughout each journey of our lives. Incredible. That's pretty much all I can say.
Being that this post has turned into a three hour long ordeal and still hasn't been published (I've left it quite a few times and returned to write more), there have been even more awesome things to add to my day. I talked to a good friend from way back when-- Joey :o) That was happy. It was really good to catch up with him a bit. I went to dinner with Alisha and Mabel... and oh my goodness, have I mentioned that the weather was beautiful today? That made me sooo happy, because it has been cold and gray and soggy all week. Today, beautiful blue sky, warmer with a cool breeze.... gorgeous. To top off the amazing weather, as we were leaving for dinner, the sunset sky was brilliant. You can check out the pics. It got better and better. I love the sky because it reminds me that my God is truly a God of wonders.
Then, the sort of spooky moment of the day... over in the restaurant cluster that we went to for dinner, there are birds..... everywhere. Everywhere is an understatement. We're talking trees covered in them, telephone lines teeming with them, they swarm from roof top to roof top, weird. But, I think of how God knows when every sparrow falls... and He knows every detail, every intimate detail that we may not even know about ourselves.... He knows.
So, now to end the day, I have to study Spanish because I have my first test tomorrow... but God has encouraged me so much through today that I'm even a little bit excited about studying Spanish... scary.
Wow, today has been a good day. At the very beginning, meaning midnight, I was missing home but enjoying talking to two of my favorite people--James and Mabel... I have some hilarious stories from that... oh my goodness. Being challenged by the way people allow Christ to live through them is such an amazing thing. Thank you Jesus for showing Your power through those who choose You. Alright, that reminds me of something else I wanted to say to all of you... gracious, I doubt anyone is even still reading this, but oh well, maybe one day you will. I've recently been convicted of how I have allowed Satan to rule my words in a way that burdens people with the mistakes they've made in the past. I've allowed the deceiver to use my words to bring shame to the hearts of many I love, and it breaks my heart that I have been involved in that. You are free from the guilt and the shame of your past. It has been buried with Christ. I'm so sorry if I have ever tried to dig it up and shove it in your face. It breaks my heart that I may have ever hurt you, any of you. I love you and I pray you will see Christ's unfailing forgiveness through me. He is able.
OK, if you aren't screaming at me to shut up by now I'm honored... God is doing a lot in my life, can you tell? Pray for me. I'm praying for you, and if there is anything that I can pray for you about more specifically, please let me know. "God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus" ~Philippians 1:8 I love you.... Enjoy the pictures :o)