So I might have had a little too much going on lately to keep up with my reverb 10 prompts... I have lots of friends in town for New Years and Passion and people are slowly beginning to arrive by the masses. I was honestly going to quit blogging but I had a friend read me today's prompt in the car at 1:30 last night (or this morning, depending on how you spin it) and I decided that today was absolutely too good to miss.
the question: What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world?
my answer:
This is the question that sums it all up and pulls it all together. Some might call is a testimony... if you work for CentriKid you might call it a journey, but regardless here it is. Here is just a small piece of the most important story that makes me who I am at my core:
I grew up in the church. A lot of people do. But going to church makes me no more a Christian than spending time in my garage makes me a car. I began to piece together the beauty of what the Lord has done for us at a young age and would often think about the fact that each of us are born into sin (Romans 3:23-- for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.) and that because of that sin, each of us were going to die and spend eternity separated from God (Romans 6:23-- For the wages of sin is death...). And that, friends, is a scary place to live. It's frightening to me to think that I lived for a while grasping that half of the truth before moving onto the beauty of what comes next in the story. A lot of us live here, knowing that we are insufficient in every way, never good enough to get to the Lord or even to get to Heaven. None of us, not one. This thought scared me as a child, but I've come to realize that the gospel of Christ isn't about scaring people by telling them they're going to go to hell. It is a story of redemption and ultimately of love and should be treated as such.
When I was in the eighth grade, I can remember the specific weekend and location that the Lord flipped the lightbulb in my brain and I began to fully comprehend the other half of that same verse. Romans 6:23 doesn't stop there. It goes on to tell us "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." How cool is that? And Romans 5:8 tells us that "God demonstrates his own love fur us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." I love the verse at the beginning of Romans 5 that talks about how that happened at "Just the right time" (5:6). Because, see, people used to make these sacrifices of their most precious animals so that the blood could cleanse their sins and the Lord would forgive them. But then God sent His actual son to be that sacrifice, to die on a cross, and to shed enough blood for the rest of us for all time. Why on earth would he willingly go through that?
Because He loves us, oh how He loves us. But the story doesn't stop there. Because hey, anybody could die... in fact, lots of people died on crosses throughout history. What makes the death of this Jesus so special? The thing that sets this apart is that for three days He was dead and then rose again to ascend to Heaven. He conquered death, conquered the grave, so that we too might be able to do that same thing. That still blows my mind daily... And Romans 10:9 goes on to tell us that if we simply "confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in you heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
So that might be the quick version of my core story, but it's the quick version of your core story too, whether or not you are aware of it. Because here's the thing, Christ didn't endure all that suffering simply so that Laura could spend not just eternity in Heaven but also life on earth with Christ, He did it for every single one of us. Every single one. Whether or not we choose to accept that and latch onto it is up to us. He is patiently waiting for each of us to realize His glory and enter into a life with Him. But in the word's of Reading Rainbow, don't take my word for it.... Ephesians 2 puts it this way:
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
So that is my story. That is what boils down at the core that makes me who I am, and more importantly who I strive to be. Seeing as this is the last day of my reverb 10 challenge, I'm leaving each of you with a challenge. Think as we enter into the new year about what it is that makes you who you are? Are you living up to that? How does the story of Christ apply to your life? Do you choose to let it in daily?
Just a thought, friends. It's been an adventure. I wish you all the best as you head into 2011! Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
continuation
Hello blogging world, I have not forgotten about you. I know you're all heart broken that I've been MIA the past two days... not. But I'm writing in just to let you know that I have yet to give up on reverb 10! Yesterday I was just plain lazy but tonight the first of my new year's company arrived in town and it has already been wonderful having Daniel in town and hanging out with our dearest friend KatiePH. I'm forgoing answering tonight's prompt though (despite it being 2 am) to make my priorities straight. I'm exhausted and if it comes down to writing a lengthy blog or spending a lengthy amount of time with the Lord, I would hope to always pick the latter. Tonight's prompt was about picking a defining moment from the year and if I hope to be defined by anything, it's the moments like this one where the Lord speaks to me in my weaknesses and exhaustions, comforts my soul, and reveals to me another slice of His beautiful character. I'm putting blogging behind me tonight to opt for my journal and my bible-- trust me, it's way more rewarding.
That being said, I am so beyond excited for CK1 to get here for New Years and Passion! Going to try and keep on blogging through the end of the year but I make no promises...
That being said, I am so beyond excited for CK1 to get here for New Years and Passion! Going to try and keep on blogging through the end of the year but I make no promises...
Monday, December 27, 2010
ordinary joy
okay, okay... blogging keeps getting put on the back burner for me tonight. Before I head into tonight's reverb 10 challenge (this one is more of a challenge for me than a prompt) I felt it was worth mentioning that thanks to all of you, I have finally reached over 1,000 page views! I'm well aware that a lot of people get a thousand views per post but for me this is quite the accomplishment, so thanks for helping me get there!
the question: Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year?
my answer:
I have sat here in front of this blog post for quite some time now and have decided this: I can't answer this post. In fact, I just told my roommate, Season, about how I simply cannot answer this. She's got me probing my mind right now and per usual, I think I'll share with you a couple of the candidates for the win:
eating sandwiches by a waterfall, conquering omc with less than 20 kids, greeting a friend I'd been missing, roller skating in the living room, mattress surfing down the stairs, laughing until I can't breathe (a frequent occurrence), building forts in the living room, making cupcakes, playing with my brother, taking a great picture, hearing good news, sitting by a fire with a friend, sitting on the curb eating ice cream and watching the cars go by, walking through a pretty downtown, snowball fights at a gas station, fingerpainting a sheet, seeing children come to know the Lord, photoshoots with the roommates, looking through magazines, browsing the bookstore or pulling off a great event... none of these could be fails because each of them are special memories from this year, shared with incredible people that I love. But I think I've picked one to write about specifically. It's one of my favorite ordinary moments that I will cherish forever. Confession: it's actually from the end of last year but hey, who's counting anyway?
I have a giant world map hanging over my bed in my apartment. Late one cold afternoon, my neighbor Meghan came over to chat with me and take a break from packing up her room. She was graduating, moving out, and getting married. Meghan has meant the world to me for a long time-- she's got a couple years on me and took me in when I was just a freshman. Living next door to her was always a blessing. Mamma Meghan would make us breakfast, watch Lifetime movies with us, laugh about our love lives, and do just about anything we all wanted. Meghan has the sweetest heart of a servant and I loved those last few weeks of her being in Athens and still cherish her occasional visits. On this December afternoon, Meg and I found ourselves laying on my bed staring up at that map and dreaming of all the places we would love to visit. We found countries we never knew existed, picked places to live in our dream lives, and laid there in silence just soaking in the moment. I don't know why this moment stands out to me as being so precious and beautiful, but I cherish the memory of that hour very deeply. Joy really can be found in the most ordinary of moments... often times it isn't about what we're doing so much as it's about who we're with. I love this story because it's a fleeting moment in time spent with a precious friend that exudes such joy-- not loud and excited joy but peaceful, simplistic joy that holds so much beauty. I could've picked something crazier, I could've picked something more spiritual, I could've picked something more prominent and life changing... but I love how this moment speaks to the ordinary days with people you love. Mmm.
I leave you tonight with these totally unrelated photos and this question: What does it say about me that my best subjects the past few weeks have only been dogs? I'm so ready for people to start showing up here for New Years. Two more days...
the question: Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year?
my answer:
I have sat here in front of this blog post for quite some time now and have decided this: I can't answer this post. In fact, I just told my roommate, Season, about how I simply cannot answer this. She's got me probing my mind right now and per usual, I think I'll share with you a couple of the candidates for the win:
eating sandwiches by a waterfall, conquering omc with less than 20 kids, greeting a friend I'd been missing, roller skating in the living room, mattress surfing down the stairs, laughing until I can't breathe (a frequent occurrence), building forts in the living room, making cupcakes, playing with my brother, taking a great picture, hearing good news, sitting by a fire with a friend, sitting on the curb eating ice cream and watching the cars go by, walking through a pretty downtown, snowball fights at a gas station, fingerpainting a sheet, seeing children come to know the Lord, photoshoots with the roommates, looking through magazines, browsing the bookstore or pulling off a great event... none of these could be fails because each of them are special memories from this year, shared with incredible people that I love. But I think I've picked one to write about specifically. It's one of my favorite ordinary moments that I will cherish forever. Confession: it's actually from the end of last year but hey, who's counting anyway?
I have a giant world map hanging over my bed in my apartment. Late one cold afternoon, my neighbor Meghan came over to chat with me and take a break from packing up her room. She was graduating, moving out, and getting married. Meghan has meant the world to me for a long time-- she's got a couple years on me and took me in when I was just a freshman. Living next door to her was always a blessing. Mamma Meghan would make us breakfast, watch Lifetime movies with us, laugh about our love lives, and do just about anything we all wanted. Meghan has the sweetest heart of a servant and I loved those last few weeks of her being in Athens and still cherish her occasional visits. On this December afternoon, Meg and I found ourselves laying on my bed staring up at that map and dreaming of all the places we would love to visit. We found countries we never knew existed, picked places to live in our dream lives, and laid there in silence just soaking in the moment. I don't know why this moment stands out to me as being so precious and beautiful, but I cherish the memory of that hour very deeply. Joy really can be found in the most ordinary of moments... often times it isn't about what we're doing so much as it's about who we're with. I love this story because it's a fleeting moment in time spent with a precious friend that exudes such joy-- not loud and excited joy but peaceful, simplistic joy that holds so much beauty. I could've picked something crazier, I could've picked something more spiritual, I could've picked something more prominent and life changing... but I love how this moment speaks to the ordinary days with people you love. Mmm.
I leave you tonight with these totally unrelated photos and this question: What does it say about me that my best subjects the past few weeks have only been dogs? I'm so ready for people to start showing up here for New Years. Two more days...
AJ... I love that old gray chin.
Claire in her natural habitat-- a blanket.
Lilly... Okay, she's not my dog but I miss her already. I love her Christmas bow in the snow.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
soul food
Today's reverb 10 prompt made me laugh a little bit as I tried to paddle back through the ocean of various meals I've eaten over the course of an entire year. I admit that when I read the title my first thought was ...Peaches? Who would have ever imagined they had a website?
the question: What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul?
my answer:
I admit that I love to eat (sometimes a little too much...) but as I thought back over the last year I couldn't pick any one food that melted my mouth enough to write home about. My mom made baked ziti tonight, does that count? It's one of the only foods that seems to excite all the family members these days... I'm also convinced that hot, slightly gooey Trader Joe's banana bread is Heaven in a pan. But seriously, I thought back through different places I've been, restaurants I've eaten at, etc. and came to realize this: most of the time eating really isn't about the food. In the long run, it isn't usually what we ordered off the menu that we remember. It's the experience, the people we ate it with, and the smiles that were brought by meeting together over a good meal. As a true Southern Baptist, I can attest to the wonders of how good food is a key ingredient in fellowship. I like to cook and I like to eat, but I'm no Paula Deen, y'all...
The meals I cherished most this past semester came from a weekly event we lovingly referred to as Dinner Club. Almost every Wednesday night (and sometimes on other sporadic nights of the week) my roommates, my neighbors, and my friend across the street would get together and swap off who cooked so that we could all eat dinner together. In college, this is truly a rare treat. It's nice to come home and have dinner ready for you, it's nice to serve someone else by showing off your culinary skills, and it's nice to have something that feels an awful lot like a family. Growing up, my family at dinner together at the kitchen table every night. It's a part of my life that I cherish and it's something that I fully intend on my family doing one day. There's something that just isn't the same about popping some food in the microwave or having a sandwich by yourself after a long day of classes. I love the chance to sit, put the world aside for an hour, and laugh together while catching up on life.
I think I have two favorite Dinner Club moments from the year, the first one being the night my mom came to town and we talked her into joining us. The two of us cooked sweet and spicy chicken, one of my favorites, in my tiny apartment kitchen together and she joined my friends and I for a family dinner that night. It was such a blessing to have her there. Have I mentioned how incredible my mom is?
The other favorite night would have to land on the time Will and I made spaghetti while my neighbor Jackie worked her Southern Living charm on my back porch. The whole gang sat outside in the warm air with the candles lit in the beauty of our near-ghetto apartment complex. It was beautiful and I loved it. It doesn't take a lot to make me smile and anything that feels like family, good food, and togetherness will surely do the trick.
We need each other in life. I think that's why it's such a blessing to me to just chill out, slow down, and grab a meal together. At the end of the year, I don't remember the delicious things I ate (maybe I'll remember that next time I'm tempted to eat another cupcake...) but I sure do remember the way the Lord uses time spent with other people in my life. That's what touched my soul this year-- the warmth and the love that came with the spaghetti, although I have to admit, we Dinner Clubbers are pretty mean cooks indeed.
But I surely couldn't write a blog post about food without giving a proper shoutout to the Cherpumple. Yes, a Cherpumple... what you see here is a spice cake, a vanilla cake, and a yellow cake each with an entire pie baked inside of them (pumpkin, cherry, and apple respectively) all stacked and iced together with creme cheese icing. This thing legitimately weighed at least ten pounds and was still hot inside when we cut it open several hours later. Disgusting? Completely. Epic? Even more so.
the question: What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul?
my answer:
I admit that I love to eat (sometimes a little too much...) but as I thought back over the last year I couldn't pick any one food that melted my mouth enough to write home about. My mom made baked ziti tonight, does that count? It's one of the only foods that seems to excite all the family members these days... I'm also convinced that hot, slightly gooey Trader Joe's banana bread is Heaven in a pan. But seriously, I thought back through different places I've been, restaurants I've eaten at, etc. and came to realize this: most of the time eating really isn't about the food. In the long run, it isn't usually what we ordered off the menu that we remember. It's the experience, the people we ate it with, and the smiles that were brought by meeting together over a good meal. As a true Southern Baptist, I can attest to the wonders of how good food is a key ingredient in fellowship. I like to cook and I like to eat, but I'm no Paula Deen, y'all...
The meals I cherished most this past semester came from a weekly event we lovingly referred to as Dinner Club. Almost every Wednesday night (and sometimes on other sporadic nights of the week) my roommates, my neighbors, and my friend across the street would get together and swap off who cooked so that we could all eat dinner together. In college, this is truly a rare treat. It's nice to come home and have dinner ready for you, it's nice to serve someone else by showing off your culinary skills, and it's nice to have something that feels an awful lot like a family. Growing up, my family at dinner together at the kitchen table every night. It's a part of my life that I cherish and it's something that I fully intend on my family doing one day. There's something that just isn't the same about popping some food in the microwave or having a sandwich by yourself after a long day of classes. I love the chance to sit, put the world aside for an hour, and laugh together while catching up on life.
I think I have two favorite Dinner Club moments from the year, the first one being the night my mom came to town and we talked her into joining us. The two of us cooked sweet and spicy chicken, one of my favorites, in my tiny apartment kitchen together and she joined my friends and I for a family dinner that night. It was such a blessing to have her there. Have I mentioned how incredible my mom is?
The other favorite night would have to land on the time Will and I made spaghetti while my neighbor Jackie worked her Southern Living charm on my back porch. The whole gang sat outside in the warm air with the candles lit in the beauty of our near-ghetto apartment complex. It was beautiful and I loved it. It doesn't take a lot to make me smile and anything that feels like family, good food, and togetherness will surely do the trick.
We need each other in life. I think that's why it's such a blessing to me to just chill out, slow down, and grab a meal together. At the end of the year, I don't remember the delicious things I ate (maybe I'll remember that next time I'm tempted to eat another cupcake...) but I sure do remember the way the Lord uses time spent with other people in my life. That's what touched my soul this year-- the warmth and the love that came with the spaghetti, although I have to admit, we Dinner Clubbers are pretty mean cooks indeed.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
worth a thousand words
I love today's reverb 10 prompt. How ironic it is considering a large part of today has been about taking pictures (what with the Christmas and the several inches of snow!) and what a refresh it was to get so excited about a prompt again. I also love that it just so happens to be written by one of the Shutter Sisters, I blog I often stalk, who also is an author of their new book, Expressive Photography, which I bought myself for Christmas just a few weeks ago.
the question: Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you.
my answer:
I did exactly what the prompt asked for and sifted through every picture I've been tagged in this past year on facebook. (That was the easiest possible way to do it, after all.) I had a great time looking through them and laughing at the memories each picture held. When it came down to it, I struggled for a long time to pick just one... other runners up included me holding both the skillets after winning some OMC one Thursday at camp, a wonderful picture of some of my favorite camp staffers in ponchos and sombreros (me with a fake mustache drawn on), pictures with a colorful bunch of balloons, and me at the North Campus fountain with a precious friend after I did her engagement shoot. However, the winner tonight is a bit out of the ordinary. Drumroll please...
This picture of me is not the best... I don't look good, it isn't professional, it makes me look twelve, and it might not speak to my normal everyday existence but nonetheless I love everything about it. It was taken sitting outside the grass at a Needtobreathe concert earlier this year. I love it because not only am I closely surrounded by four wonderful friends, Katie Price Hill loved me enough to stick her finger up my nose the instant the camera snapped, causing me to move and be the only one in the middle of the picture. It was one in a long series of pictures I took of all of us that night, sitting and laughing outside a concert that none of us should have gotten into. There is nothing as sweet as great music, good friends, and the joy that comes from simply being together. It speaks to my heart because even when I try to be serious, my life is nothing more than hilarious and I am grateful to always have good friends to remind me of that. Life is silly, embarrassment is not worth the time, and I take pride in finding the ability to laugh in most all situations. Good friends are critical and I have the very best ones you could ask for (roommates too.) and I wouldn't give that up for the world. This picture and the story behind it sum up my themes for the year-- love, laughter, and adventure and even though I look ridiculous, I count that as a win.
That is all for now, friends. I hope you had an incredibly Merry Christmas!
the question: Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you.
my answer:
I did exactly what the prompt asked for and sifted through every picture I've been tagged in this past year on facebook. (That was the easiest possible way to do it, after all.) I had a great time looking through them and laughing at the memories each picture held. When it came down to it, I struggled for a long time to pick just one... other runners up included me holding both the skillets after winning some OMC one Thursday at camp, a wonderful picture of some of my favorite camp staffers in ponchos and sombreros (me with a fake mustache drawn on), pictures with a colorful bunch of balloons, and me at the North Campus fountain with a precious friend after I did her engagement shoot. However, the winner tonight is a bit out of the ordinary. Drumroll please...
This picture of me is not the best... I don't look good, it isn't professional, it makes me look twelve, and it might not speak to my normal everyday existence but nonetheless I love everything about it. It was taken sitting outside the grass at a Needtobreathe concert earlier this year. I love it because not only am I closely surrounded by four wonderful friends, Katie Price Hill loved me enough to stick her finger up my nose the instant the camera snapped, causing me to move and be the only one in the middle of the picture. It was one in a long series of pictures I took of all of us that night, sitting and laughing outside a concert that none of us should have gotten into. There is nothing as sweet as great music, good friends, and the joy that comes from simply being together. It speaks to my heart because even when I try to be serious, my life is nothing more than hilarious and I am grateful to always have good friends to remind me of that. Life is silly, embarrassment is not worth the time, and I take pride in finding the ability to laugh in most all situations. Good friends are critical and I have the very best ones you could ask for (roommates too.) and I wouldn't give that up for the world. This picture and the story behind it sum up my themes for the year-- love, laughter, and adventure and even though I look ridiculous, I count that as a win.
That is all for now, friends. I hope you had an incredibly Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 24, 2010
everything's okay
Merry Christmas Eve! Back in our dining hall days, my sweet friend AllieDanae and I used to eat together on Fridays and catchup on one another's lives from the week. We would precede all news and information with the phrase "Confession Friday:" and we still do it from time to time. Since today happens to actually be Friday, I'm going to give you a little Friday confession. Confession Friday: I'm enjoying reverb 10 because it motivates me to write each day, but I'm ready to be back to blogging whenever I want about whatever I want. I'm a blog-stalker at heart and I love to write freely as well as sharing pictures, fun products, and fun websites that I find (such as tinyprints, a precious website my cousin's cute wife sends her Christmas cards from each year! Check that out!) Anywho, on to today's prompt...
the question: What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead?
my answer:
I can think of a few, actually. I'm struggling to pick between the day I knew that camp was, in fact, exactly where I was supposed to be; a day of complete restoration that I have written about already; or a day when I was reminded that the Lord is all sufficient in my life. I think that last one will be the winner today.
There were several moments this past semester where it felt as if the world was just bogging down on me. I think we all have those days. Some days you just feel that you need to get out of town, take a break, and go for a long ride by yourself. One Friday afternoon after a rough week the Lord blessed me with an incredible, unexpected series of events, of which I will give you the short version. I'd been trying and failing to Skype with a friend all week and in the midst of finally getting to talk to him (a blessing in itself), I got an incredible phone call from LifeWay about my summer position at camp. The timing of it was incredible and it was a joyous occasion all around. Minutes afterward, my doorbell rang and it was one of my all-time favorite people, a hilarious boy named Chris, who had come unexpectedly from Valdosta for a surprise weekend. (And what a fun weekend any weekend with Chris is sure to be!) But the real moment of beauty came that night when I was driving up to Toccoa to visit my good friends Jeremy and Jeff Slaughter. My gps took me the back roads (per usual) and I was soaking in the incredible beauty of the landscape, still on a high from the events of the afternoon when the Lord spoke to me. I was thanking him for friends, for beautiful scenery, for unexpected blessings, and for a chance to get alone with Him when He reminded me sweetly that because I seek to be obedient to Him, I truly have everything I need. My life is far from perfect, but it is complete in the Lord. How true... I can think of more things that I would like to have, sure, but sincerely everything I need and way, way more has been provided. And that is the moment that I knew, despite all the mess, that indeed we can "rejoice in the hope of the glory of God". (Romans 5:1) I found a verse just last night in Hebrews six that talks about Christ's hope as "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" and I love that, because I love how I have seen it hold up when it feels like your ship is sinking. My beautiful friend Season just wrote a great post about the beauty of that same hope-- you should check it out sometime.
Let's remember today, on Christmas eve, that hope is what this night is really about-- Christ's love and the hope that it gives us in return. Everything is more than okay-- it is beautiful because Christ came that we "may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10) Embrace that tonight and in the morning and take hold of the fact that our lives are capable of being more than okay, they are capable of being abundant.
I'm signing out today with this picture of our Christmas tree. My mom and I decided to branch out (ha, branch... trees...) this year and add a little blue to our all red and gold decor. Confession Friday: I really like it.
the question: What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead?
my answer:
I can think of a few, actually. I'm struggling to pick between the day I knew that camp was, in fact, exactly where I was supposed to be; a day of complete restoration that I have written about already; or a day when I was reminded that the Lord is all sufficient in my life. I think that last one will be the winner today.
There were several moments this past semester where it felt as if the world was just bogging down on me. I think we all have those days. Some days you just feel that you need to get out of town, take a break, and go for a long ride by yourself. One Friday afternoon after a rough week the Lord blessed me with an incredible, unexpected series of events, of which I will give you the short version. I'd been trying and failing to Skype with a friend all week and in the midst of finally getting to talk to him (a blessing in itself), I got an incredible phone call from LifeWay about my summer position at camp. The timing of it was incredible and it was a joyous occasion all around. Minutes afterward, my doorbell rang and it was one of my all-time favorite people, a hilarious boy named Chris, who had come unexpectedly from Valdosta for a surprise weekend. (And what a fun weekend any weekend with Chris is sure to be!) But the real moment of beauty came that night when I was driving up to Toccoa to visit my good friends Jeremy and Jeff Slaughter. My gps took me the back roads (per usual) and I was soaking in the incredible beauty of the landscape, still on a high from the events of the afternoon when the Lord spoke to me. I was thanking him for friends, for beautiful scenery, for unexpected blessings, and for a chance to get alone with Him when He reminded me sweetly that because I seek to be obedient to Him, I truly have everything I need. My life is far from perfect, but it is complete in the Lord. How true... I can think of more things that I would like to have, sure, but sincerely everything I need and way, way more has been provided. And that is the moment that I knew, despite all the mess, that indeed we can "rejoice in the hope of the glory of God". (Romans 5:1) I found a verse just last night in Hebrews six that talks about Christ's hope as "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" and I love that, because I love how I have seen it hold up when it feels like your ship is sinking. My beautiful friend Season just wrote a great post about the beauty of that same hope-- you should check it out sometime.
Let's remember today, on Christmas eve, that hope is what this night is really about-- Christ's love and the hope that it gives us in return. Everything is more than okay-- it is beautiful because Christ came that we "may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10) Embrace that tonight and in the morning and take hold of the fact that our lives are capable of being more than okay, they are capable of being abundant.
I'm signing out today with this picture of our Christmas tree. My mom and I decided to branch out (ha, branch... trees...) this year and add a little blue to our all red and gold decor. Confession Friday: I really like it.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
new name
Today was yet another wonderfully crazy day, this one filled with family Christmas parties. The highlight? The time my cousin squirted bbq sauce all over everyone comes in a close second but I think the real winner is when my grandparents decided to give the grandkids Christmas cash in stacks of one's this year... It made for lots of great jokes and pictures. But all of that is completely irrelevant and unrelated to reverb 10 anyway...
the question: Let’s meet again, for the first time. If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why?
my answer:
What a weird prompt. I'm not entirely sure what this has to do with reflecting on 2010 but I will say this: after all these years of living, I still don't feel like my name really fits me. It's a fine name I suppose but somehow it just feels weird to me. And it's so complicated... How, you ask? It doesn't really bother me too much anymore but as a child it bothered me to no end that everyone says my name wrong. My name is Laura (pronounced like La-ra), not Lora. There isn't an O anywhere in my name. People will argue with me all day that the 'lau' makes the O sound to which my best witty comeback is this: please spell for me the word laundry. Nobody puts an O sound in that word, do they? Argument fail. Okay, I said I was over this but it miiiight still bother me from time to time... I stopped correcting people many years ago but I love meeting other Laura's and asking them which way they spell it. I love the joy shared among my name twins when someone recognizes that yes, there is a difference, and it is nice to have your name said correctly.
That being said, if I could introduce myself by any other name I still have no idea what it would be. I'm open to suggestions if anybody would like to give me one. Maybe Emma? I really do like the name Emma... Sometimes I introduce myself by my twin roommate's name just to further confuse people on how much we supposedly look alike. We've had an awful lot of fun with that in the past...
I'm cutting this blog post short tonight but I'll leave you with this: this whole talk of names reminds me of camp over the summer when we would teach little children the passage of scripture about a guy named Mephiboseth. Every week our kids would rename him to something more easily pronounced ranging from Mebob to Mephy to M&M or even Mishka. What a blessing it was to teach kids about this crippled guy with a crazy name and how he gets adopted by King David and given a new life. I loved tying that directly into the picture of how when we become believers we too are being adopted by God into his family. We'd also study stories like that of Saul who's name literally changed (to Paul) after he encountered the Lord. We would then talk about how encountering God results in life change. It's cool to me that tonight's prompt asks about fully starting over and being someone different for a day and that is exactly the opportunity we are given when we become believers in Christ. He wipes us clean, forgets our old self, and begins to shape us into the people he wants us to be. Second Corinthians 5:17 reminds us that "If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has gone and the new is come." What a blessing that is! Please go check out 2 Samuel 19 to learn more about the incredible and so often overlooked story of good old Mebob and remember the opportunity to be given a new name (and a new life) is available to each and every one of us.
(ten points for debriefing that prompt CentriKid style...)
the question: Let’s meet again, for the first time. If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why?
my answer:
What a weird prompt. I'm not entirely sure what this has to do with reflecting on 2010 but I will say this: after all these years of living, I still don't feel like my name really fits me. It's a fine name I suppose but somehow it just feels weird to me. And it's so complicated... How, you ask? It doesn't really bother me too much anymore but as a child it bothered me to no end that everyone says my name wrong. My name is Laura (pronounced like La-ra), not Lora. There isn't an O anywhere in my name. People will argue with me all day that the 'lau' makes the O sound to which my best witty comeback is this: please spell for me the word laundry. Nobody puts an O sound in that word, do they? Argument fail. Okay, I said I was over this but it miiiight still bother me from time to time... I stopped correcting people many years ago but I love meeting other Laura's and asking them which way they spell it. I love the joy shared among my name twins when someone recognizes that yes, there is a difference, and it is nice to have your name said correctly.
That being said, if I could introduce myself by any other name I still have no idea what it would be. I'm open to suggestions if anybody would like to give me one. Maybe Emma? I really do like the name Emma... Sometimes I introduce myself by my twin roommate's name just to further confuse people on how much we supposedly look alike. We've had an awful lot of fun with that in the past...
I'm cutting this blog post short tonight but I'll leave you with this: this whole talk of names reminds me of camp over the summer when we would teach little children the passage of scripture about a guy named Mephiboseth. Every week our kids would rename him to something more easily pronounced ranging from Mebob to Mephy to M&M or even Mishka. What a blessing it was to teach kids about this crippled guy with a crazy name and how he gets adopted by King David and given a new life. I loved tying that directly into the picture of how when we become believers we too are being adopted by God into his family. We'd also study stories like that of Saul who's name literally changed (to Paul) after he encountered the Lord. We would then talk about how encountering God results in life change. It's cool to me that tonight's prompt asks about fully starting over and being someone different for a day and that is exactly the opportunity we are given when we become believers in Christ. He wipes us clean, forgets our old self, and begins to shape us into the people he wants us to be. Second Corinthians 5:17 reminds us that "If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has gone and the new is come." What a blessing that is! Please go check out 2 Samuel 19 to learn more about the incredible and so often overlooked story of good old Mebob and remember the opportunity to be given a new name (and a new life) is available to each and every one of us.
(ten points for debriefing that prompt CentriKid style...)
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