10.26.09
What’s the point of Church?? (We may be culturally irrelevant I’m afraid)
A sweet and very dear girlfriend of mind penned the following words yesterday. Reading them, I was struck by their transparency and truth. I asked her for permission in publishing them anonymously.
I have a strong impression that many will applaud, some will be baffled, and a few even miffed, but yet I think her message is one the CHURCH as a whole needs to hear. A faith without practicality, attainability, or transparency is good for nothing. The world doesn’t need 3 points and a poem! They want to see the real results of living a life fully surrendered to an available God who actually cares about our everyday circumstances.
Let’s drop the masks people. Drop our preconceived notions of what we think Jesus looks like. Drop our perfect little box we wrap God up in every Sunday and maybe, if He’s lucky, Wednesday too. And let’s get real with ourselves and with each other.
What is church? Christianity? Worship?
Better yet, what should it look like?
Anyone? Anyone?
Today started with a grande white chocolate mocha from the lovely starbucks across the road. It was filled with sugar and caffeine… exactly what I needed to make it through the morning.
Next on the agenda …. church. Oh man. That’s where the voices really go crazy.
I considered not writing about this because well, its controversial. It’ll most likely come across wrong and I’m pretty sure it’ll take me a while to write.
But the ‘voices’ wouldn’t leave me alone and well, writing it out, worked last time. So here we go again…
10.22.09
Big girls wear big girl panties
What is one common thread that ties the heart of every person in every culture in every area on the planet together?
The need to be loved. To be accepted. To feel understood.
There is no greater craving to be satisfied. No higher thrill when attained. And no deeper hurt when lost.
Relationships are never easy if they go beyond the surface level. Is it worth opening yourself up?
Do you dare drop your defense mechanisms and be real with people, knowing there could be rejection, misunderstandings, or downright drama?
“Intimacy” can best be understood as “In-to-me-see.” We all yearn to have others see (& love) us for who we are.
Divorce nearly shattered that area of my emotions beyond repair. A broken heart full of broken dreams that wanted so desperately to mend but was afraid to open up to another man, to another family, and even to my own friends.
09.10.09
The insatiability of hope deferred
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life…sweet to the soul.”
~Proverbs 13:12, 19a
Have you ever gotten tired of waiting for something, something really important to you?
For many women it’s motherhood. Can you relate to the numerous women in the bible who longed for a baby of their own? Women like Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah all craved having children so badly that two out of three were willing to take matters into their own hands in order to have one. Sarah and Rachel soon felt the sting of bitterness and jealousy after they gave their husbands their maidservants as concubines for surrogates instead of continuing to wait on God’s timing. Hannah sought a different path, choosing instead to passionately plead with God day after day, until he answered her prayer. All three women later gave birth to sons from their own wombs, but you can be sure that Sarah and Rachel had complications from their previous haste, long after the deed was done.
09.09.09
The not so bitsy spider
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
~Psalm 40:2 (NLT)
I was greeted by this not so bitsy spider last night as I climbed into my car, heading for class over at UWF. Not overly fond of spiders I shuddered.
After weighing my options, I decided to let him be, figuring he’d blow off in the wind when my car had reached the necessary speed for such a thing.
I underestimated the little bugger (every pun intended). My speedometer rose and so did the wind resistance – 30-40-50 mph, and still he clung.
The wind whipped around him and his legs began to shake. They curled up near his body. But yet he did not fall off!
I was starting to get intrigued by this guy.
Having several errands to run on my way, every time my car would roll to a stop, the spider would slowly unfurl his legs and attempt to walk towards safety. It seemed every time he’d reached the top of my mirror, the light would change and I’d have to accelerate again. Feeling the car roll forward, he’d quickly run back to his original position, just under the lip of the mirror where a good portion of the wind would be blocked. He’d curl half his legs around the top and brace his body against the corner, hanging on for dear life.
I was almost starting to root for this creepy crawly! Almost. (He still gave me the heebie jeebies.)
