Bouncing Off The Walls

Have you ever done something really silly? For example, have you ever had a panic attack about where your sunglasses were when the whole time they were perched stylishly atop your head? I have. A particularly embarrassing one has to do with a very tired Devon panicking about losing her phone. My dear boyfriend had to gently remind me that I was, indeed, talking to him. On the phone. Sadly, yes. Humans can be silly. We have two types of attention (according to my new psychology professor): "selective" and "automatic". Automatic refers to things that take little to no attention, such as riding a bike or speaking your native language. You don't really have to think too terribly hard or pay special attention to these things. Selective attention refers to things that require our purposeful, watchful attention. Sometimes, I think I spend the majority of my life in a state of automatic. I'm not really paying all that much attention to the things around me. I just run around like a chicken with my head cut off, bouncing off of walls that others can clearly see and I cannot. I'm just not paying attention. It's so much easier to just let myself move through life mindlessly! Well, that's gotta change. And God, knowing me and being Himself, decided to alter my view in a rather touching and comical way.

The past few months (well, the past year, really) I've been praying for a best friend. More than a best friend, really...an accountability partner. A life partner! Someone to do life with who can be a supporter, a friend, and a sister. Someone who will share my beliefs and push me forward in my faith. I have experienced that kind of friendship before and it is such a blessing. As I'm transitioning into my new life here at college, I've been praying that God will bring a new friend/mentor/ into my life. Here's where the lack of attention comes in. I already have one. Do you ever get the sense that while you were praying for something or about something, God was jumping up and down in front of you, waving the answer in your face? Well, in my case, God was wildly gesticulating at my mom. My mother is an amazing woman. Over the past 18 years of my life, she has been my food supply, my bed tuck-er in-er, my discipline, my comfort, my mentor, my friend. She has watched me grow, and honestly, grown along with me. She knows me better than anyone in the world and she understands me, too (which, I must say, is a feat). She loves me unconditionally, regardless of how many hissy fits I throw and how tempted she is to just smack me (or how many times she actually does smack me). She is the best example of a best friend I could possibly offer f you. So why on earth was I praying for something I ALREADY HAVE? Because I'm a silly human who too often finds herself running on automatic and forgets to pay attention.

I think God likes to teach. He's a teacher. Heck, he's THE Teacher. Tonight, he taught me two things: one, that I need to pick up my head and pay attention to the world around me a little more often, and two, that I am incredibly and wonderfully blessed.

P.S., new favorite song. "The Center" by Matthew West. Go check it.

The Journey vs. The Quest: Worlds Collide

What is a journey? What is a quest? Is there a difference between the two? These are questions that many do not pause to ponder, but that can significantly alter the feel and meaning of a story. In my opinion, there is a huge difference between the two, and it is one that should be recognized, particularly because of its relativity to modern life. I would say that a “quest” is a mission: one sets out with a specific purpose. A quest is a time of hardship and challenge that is taken on with a particular end goal in mind. Epic heroes are often portrayed as taking quests: Frodo’s quest to destroy the Ring of Power, Harry’s quest to overcome Lord Voldemort, Jack Sparrow’s quest for immortality, etc. Journeys, however, are longer lasting periods of movement. I would say that often, journeys are filled with quests. We set out on a path (a journey) often not really even knowing exactly where we’ll end up, and are molded, changed, and grown by the hardships and challenges (quests) that we encounter. Essentially, life often becomes a journey full of quests. Without those quests, life can become nothing more than a meaningless trip through time.

This is an interesting concept, especially to those of us who call ourselves Christians. In our fast-paced, modernized society, we often tend to see life as a series of quests, rather than as a journey. We lose sight of the big picture and focus primarily on our goals. Set a goal, achieve it, set a new one. We are so very success oriented that we forget to surrender control to our Heavenly Father. In this sense, we must be careful that we do not become too wrapped up in our worldly quests for good grades, a steady job, and the “ideal mate”. Rather than realizing that our lives are essentially given to us through the grace of our Father and allowing Him to guide us and shape us through the journey He has planned for us (“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord,”) we focus on ourselves and our “life plans”. We, as Christians, must remember that our own human, worldly goals are not the “big picture”. Why, though? What is wrong with having goals and focusing on them? Nothing, of course. But the problem is this: we have been given a greater goal, a higher calling, a more important quest. Matthew 28:19-20 is one of the most commonly quoted and memorized verses of the Bible, near and dear to all who call themselves followers of Christ. It says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^a]">[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” This verse is often referred to as “the great commission”. This passage gives purpose to Christians. It gives us a task, a quest, which we are to take up while journeying through life. This passage gives us a way to live life aside from the modern process of repetitive, mechanical goal-conquering. Though we will have human, worldly goals to achieve and quests to undertake, this passage gives us an eternal quest, one that should become our primary focus. In this sense, it almost seems that the two worlds of a Christian collide: our eternal, spiritual quest often battles with our physical, human quests for the place of importance in our lives. As Christians, though, we are called to find the balance and to focus on the task set before us by our Father. A good summary of this view is given in the benediction my pastor offers every Sunday, “Consider your very lives worth nothing if only you may finish the race and complete the task the Lord has given to you: the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”

One example of a man in literature who seemed to have mastered this art of focusing on his eternal quest rather than his worldly ones is the Paul of the New Testament. In fact, the part of scripture that my pastor’s benediction is taken from is a letter from Paul to a church he had previously witnessed to. Paul, a man who was once a persecutor of Christians, had his life radically changed by God and began a new quest - the quest that was later given to all Christians in the book of Matthew – sharing the gospel with the nations of the world. Paul’s journey through life was a difficult one; he was faced with hardship after hardship, quest after quest. He was cast out from numerous cities, put in jail, and stoned almost to death. Regardless, Paul kept his focus on his eternal goal of sharing the gospel. He allowed God to take him through worldly hardships and “quests”, and many times even thanked God for the hardships he encountered on his journey, saying that they furthered him in his eternal goal. Paul was able to journey through life while keeping his eternal goal or quest in mind.

So how do we balance this concept of journey versus quest? We realize that there is a difference between the world that we live in and the world that we are of. Our journey is of this world; like Paul, we move through human lives and experience human hardships and successes that change and mold and teach us. Our quest, however, is of a more eternal type. We are given the task of witnessing to the everlasting truth that has been revealed to us and of keeping our focus on the world we were made for, rather than the world we were made in.

Humility

Humility is an interesting thing, isn't it? According to the ever-useful www.dictionary.com, the synonyms for "humility" are "lowliness, meekness, submissiveness", and the one listed antonym is...you guessed it, "pride". Humility - the act of being humble. Realizing our own lowliness, being submissive to others, remembering that the universe does not revolve around whether or not we get our way. My BU1000 group discussed the topic of humility this week and I had a thought that I, of course, being the thinker, found interesting. Get this. God gave us the challenge to humble ourselves countless times throughout the Bible. One of my favorite verses, in fact, is 1 Peter 5:6-7, "Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." Now, God knows everything, right? And God knows that we are not perfect. He made us as imperfect people! So he knows we're going to fail at being perfectly humble. In my opinion, aside from that one exceptional man who lived 2000 years ago, perfect humility is impossible; even in thinking you've finally got it, you've messed it up. So why would God assign us this impossible task? Well, I don't know. To bring glory to himself and his perfection? Probably. But here's what's cool. God didn't just hand us this massive task and say, "Here, now, get to it. As far as you know, no one's mastered it over the past 2000 years so you might want to get crackalackin.'' No! God gave us help! And you know what the help was? The command. He gave us the command to be humble, knowing all along that we would fail. In failing, however, and realizing we've got to ask forgiveness and start over, we come at least a little closer to perfect humility. Will anyone ever get it? No. But we at least become closer to the people God wants us to be and even develop an appreciation for the perfection of Jesus! Isn't that crazy?! God worked it all out for us. Just because He's God and that's what He does, he gave us a huge task, watched our jaws drop and faces pale, and then winked and threw us the floaty-rafty-thing you use to save drowning people.

You know, I think that can really be applied to anything. Any situation, any problem, any command. God never gives us something we can't handle, and he never gives us something to handle that has no purpose. College, stress, emotional upheaval--these things all have purpose and also help available.

Good news, man. Good news.

Making a Difference

Do you know how big the world is? It's huge. I wanted to post some big, impressive number to show the world population, but given its probably changed about 1700 times since I started typing, I can't. There are so many people, so many cultures, so many lives that need Jesus. How is a 17 year old girl from Texas supposed to make any sort of impact in a world that big? It worries me. Ever since I was six years old, I've known that Jesus was my Savior. I've been taught the stories, examined the theoology, studied the issues and learned to express and argue my beliefs. But what do you do when you meet someone who asks if "Jesus comes down and talks" during church? The idea of overcoming all of the misconceptions of just that one person (an American teenager, raised by a man who grew up Methodist) is baffling enough. What about the rest of the world who hasn't ever heard the message of the Gospels? It's an overwhelming thought. Maybe, like me, you've wondered how on earth little old you is supposed to save all those people. Well, here's my two cents.

For the past 3 years, God has really been growing me and showing me the plans He has for me: I need to make an impact. When I first realized that changing lives and showing people the love of God was my passion, I was completely terrified. How was I supposed to do that? People might reject me, reject my beliefs. Their arguments against the Bible might be stronger than mine for it! Fear took over. But then I remembered that I am not a savior. I'm a farmer. Never in the Bible does it say that Christians are to go out saving people and forgiving their sins. We are told to "go and make disciples", "spread the word" and "teach and instruct". Nothing in there about saving. Sure, in an indirect way, we are. But its more like throwing a drowning man a life-jacket than singlehandedly pulling him out of the water by your own strength. All we're called to do is spread the word, plant the seeds, and let God handle the heart-changing.

Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me one magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life:
To KNOW and FOLLOW HARD after you.

I believe that if every Christian followed the words of the song I just quoted (amazing song, btw, look it up) that the world would be impacted in a huge way. I've heard it said that Christians who are really and fully in love with Jesus can't help but be a witness. The way we act, dress, think, and speak simply becomes our witness. People see our lives and, through that, see the love of Christ. I tend to think that if you really see God doing things in your life, you wouldn't be able to help talking about it. Maybe you're not shouting from the rooftops or blasting through a megaphone, but I know that at least for me, when God does something in my life, I want to tell someone! And BAM! Right there: an opportunity to witness. So you see? We don't have to save. All we have to do is LOVE JESUS and share his love with others. We can let God do the rest. Our mission, or rather, our charge, is not to save people. Its to plant seeds.

Comforting, isn't it? To realize that you're incapable of saving someone. It doesn't seem like realizing your own helplessness would be comforting, but in light of the awesome God we serve, it is. We aren't asked to save people. We aren't even capable of saving people! But God is. So all we really need to do is LOVE GOD. Follow after Him. Learn about Him, follow in His footsteps, and allow His light to shine through our words and, often more importantly, our actions. In that way, we become living witnesses to the love and saving grace of Christ - and that's exactly what we were told to do.

We don't have to be saviors - we just have to be farmers. And I think even I can handle that.

Embracing the Rebelution

Alex and Brett Harris, twin brothers from Oregon, wrote a book - Do Hard Things. This book is all about a new concept that is revelutionizing the way teens think today, a concept that Alex and Brett have aptly dubbed "the Rebelution". This book is all about teenagers rebelling against the low standards that society has set for them. So many people think that adolescence is a time to goof off, to have fun, and to be stupid before "real life" kicks in at age twentysomething. The Rebelution is all about how to change your thinking and embrace the potential that God has for you! Believe it or not, "teenagers" are never mentioned in the Bible. Paul writes that when he was a child, he spoke and thought like a child, and when he was a man, he left behind childhood and was a man. He does NOT say that when he was a child, he spoke and thought like a child, and when he was a teenager he was dumb, then he was a man. The Rebelution is basically about embracing the concept of doing hard things - striving for excellence in a world that expects so little. Realizing that "excellence" is different for different people - being "good enough" just isn't good enough! Alex and Brett have really hit on something I think is important in our society today. Teens have so much potential that just stays untapped because no one expects anything of us! I encourage everyone to go out and buy this book. If you can't, ask me for my copy and you can borrow it. Either way, read it! It's phenomenal and it'll radically change the way you see your teenage years. Wake up! These are precious years full of opportunity and capabilities that you will never have again. Use them!

Do Hard Things - Alex and Brett Harris

Oh. And as motivation to read the book, the foreward is by Chuck Norris. Yes, THE Chuck Norris.

www.therebelution.com

Make some Jesus time!

I'm sick.

My head is stuffed up, I can't breathe through my nose, and I'm feeling completely dizzy and a little doped up. But regardless, I'm going to type this because its important. For the past 11 years of my life, I have been a Christian. Jesus has been my support system, my Lord, and my absolute healer. But it really wasn't until the summer after sophomore year that He took complete control of my life. Or, rather, that I LET him take complete control. It took a heartwrenching end to a relationship and a long period of grief and confusion, but I came out so much better for it. Surrendering that relationship to God was the best decision I ever made, and I'm so glad that I did. Now. For a while after that summer, I was totally and completely enveloped in reading my Bible. Over time, however, that discipline (and it really is a discipline) began to slip. I was still active in worship and church, prayer, and Bible study. But actually finding (or really, making) the time to spend time on my own in the Word was difficult. This year, however, I rededicated myself to reading my Bible from cover to cover. Well, I actually started with the New Testament, but still. You get the idea. And I CANNOT tell you what a difference it has made in my life. I started with the Gospels, and had a great time reading through them! Though there are a lot of the same, or similar, parables in each one, the books are each written from a different perspective and the psychologist in me loved picking them apart to see the differences. I've now moved on to Acts and I am falling more and more in love with Paul. On a random side note, you know who else I love? Peter. Peter is such a mess. He is completely in love with Jesus, and yet he always seems to be screwing something up. That's how I feel a lot of the time, and it is so encouraging to see that the Lord still holds Peter as one of his own dear children. I love it! Love it love it love it. Anyway, I just want to encourage you all to really make the time to spend in the Word. Though prayer and group study is a great thing, I promise you that you will become infinitely closer to the Father by spending even a little time reading His Word each day. The Bible really is a letter from our Father to us. I love that by reading it, I get to see and understand more of my Father's heart toward me. The more I read, the more I want to read. To be honest, though, if I take a break or skip a few days, I'll more than likely end up skipping more like a few weeks. It really can be discipline to set aside time. As a senior in like, 6.34 trillion after school activities, I guarantee I understand how busy life can get. But please, please, please! Make some Jesus time. You'll be glad you did.

"My love is not my own. It all belongs to you, and after all you've done the least that I can do is live my life, in every part, only to please my Father's heart." - Rachael Lampa

Temporary Home

Life = drama.

Simply stated, of course. Life has ups and downs and, being a teenage girl, I often feel like its just the end of the world. Its not. It never is. But when that boy doesn't talk to me or when everything seems to be going wrong, I feel like I'm just about to die. Lately, though, God has been putting on my heart just how TEMPORARY my situation here is. Carrie Underwood recently released a song called "Temporary Home" that talks about how this world is just a temporary home, a resting place for us while we wait for Heaven. Victor Irwin, a family friend, is always saying, "Life is a preparation for eternity". I'm going to post that again so the full impact hits you. "Life is a preparation for eternity."How true. One lifetime seems like such a long time to me, and I guess I never realized before that 85 years is nothing compared to eternity. E-ter-ni-ty. Woah. Makes my problems seem pretty small sometimes. Which makes me feel guilty for letting myself sit around and sulk about silly teenage dramas. But it also gives me so much hope! The idea of spending eternity with Christ is so intoxicating to me. I'm so excited. But at the same time, it scares me. And I've come to realize lately, that the fact that I'm scared of death probably means that I'm putting too much stock in this worldly life. THIS place, this home, this life, is not what I'm supposed to be focused on. Jesus has prepared a room for me in my Father's house! And yet I'm more concerned about finding love, purpose, and success here on earth. Those things are important, sure. But they're not why I'm here. I'm here to take advantage of the few precious years I have to spread the word of God and love people like Jesus loves me. I guess its all about the mindset; am I more focused on this life, or on the eternal life that's waiting for me?

As a reference, here's the song I was talking about earlier. It really is wonderful.

Carrie Underwood -- Temporary Home

Little boy, 6 years old
A little too used to bein' alone
Another new mom and dad, another school
Another house that'll never be home
When people ask him how he likes this place
He looks up and says with a smile upon his face
"This is my temporary home
It's not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through
This is just a stop, on the way to where I'm going
I'm not afraid because I know this is my
Temporary Home."
Young mom on her own
She needs a little help got nowhere to go
She's lookin' for a job, lookin' for a way out
Because a half-way house will never be a home
At night she whispers to her baby girl
Someday we'll find a place here in this world
"This is our temporary home
It's not where we belong
Windows and rooms that we're passin' through
This is just a stop, on the way to where we're going
I'm not afraid because
I know this is our Temporary Home."

Old man, hospital bed
The room is filled with people he loves
And he whispers don't cry for me
I'll see you all someday
He looks up and says "I can see God's face."
This is my temporary home,
It's not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through
This was just a stop, on the way
To where I'm going
I'm not afraid because I know this was
My temporary home."

This is our temporary home.