"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." CS Lewis, Mere Christianity
I really like this quote by C.S. Lewis. I think if I had been exposed to this in my youth it may have had a deep impact on the way I viewed Jesus. I didn't become a Christian until college, and prior to that religion just was a non-factor in my life. I do remember this argument of Jesus as a great teacher but not the Son of God being brought up a few times. I think it's something people say when they're just not comfortable believing in Jesus but don't want to fully admit it out loud.
But when you really study the Gospels and all of the things Jesus said-it's just too hard to make that claim and get away with it. Either Jesus was who he said he was, or he was freakin' crazy, or a liar. Jesus drew a line in the sand about who He was, He never left his purpose of being on Earth open to interpretation. EastLake did a talk about this very topic on Easter that was fantastic, non-patronizing, and then went one step further and gave examples of how God's love continues to work in us and heal people today. Listen to it here if you're interested.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Fourth of July weekend recap
There are moments in life that really just take my breath away. This weekend, collectively, was one of them. Nothing huge happened, just lots of little moments of joy and happiness. It was a wonderful sample for me of how amazing it's going to be in Heaven. Wait, what? Let me explain.
Sunday's sermon was about the sacredness of our bodies, but in the middle of that the guest pastor was talking about what it would be like when our bodies are resurrected after Christ comes back. He said it would be like the perfect version of us, before sin entered the world. God originally intended for us to live forever with Him, and not get old and have the illnesses that are a part of the world now. So his idea was that we'd still be us, we'd still be recognizable, just the way God originally intended us to be...a perfect version of ourselves. Hope that means I won't have to wear glasses, haha! But anyway, while talking about this, he held up a sample spoon from Baskin Robbins and asked if we knew what it was. Duh, anyone over the age of 3 knows. The point of the sample spoon is to get a little taste. It's not going to satisfy you, because the idea is that you'll purchase the one that you liked the best. But it's enough for you to know that more is coming. He says everything on Earth that brings us joy, things that are right, when we act and do works on God's behalf...all of those things are just a sample of what God's got in store for us once we're with him forever. It won't be some cute imagery we've all seen on cartoons where we're sitting on clouds all days strumming a harp. With all the beauty that's within nature, and the good that's in people when we're kind and act in love showing us this is just a small taste...man, it's going to be epic.
But anyway, all that is not to say that I'm wishing away my life...far from it. Just that I know as good as life can be, it's not the end. This weekend we got to dogsit Penny's brother, Patrick, and went out to a latin american restaurant with his owners on Friday. They are fun and kind of bohemian and just cool overall. We had a blast watching Penny and Pat run in the backyard and chase each other and play with their stuffed toys. Saturday my beloved mowed the lawn in 90+ heat, bless his heart, and we had a nice, relaxing afternoon that consisted of a nap, freshly squeezed lemonade, video games, and snuggles with the animals. After church on Sunday, Michael indulged my crazy and got me a tumbler from McAlister's, with which I'll be able to snag a sweet tea for 99 cents whenever I bring it in. We made homemade sloppy joes (SO good! Why did it take us so long to do that?! Thanks Tish for the inspiration) and hung out 'til after midnight with a group of people, just talking, laughing, playing with sparklers. Today Michael woke me up with a bluebery muffin and fruit salad in bed, with an iced vanilla coffee to go along with it. I had to work during the day, but he kept me company and we had the Firefly marathon on tv in the background. Tonight some cherished friends came over for a traditional hamburger Fourth of July cook out, and we set off fireworks in the street and hung out on the drive way. The night ended with chocolate cake, never a bad thing. All in all a pretty fantastic weekend, and lots of little glimpses of joy, for which I lift my head and say Thanks to the one that created all of this.
Sunday's sermon was about the sacredness of our bodies, but in the middle of that the guest pastor was talking about what it would be like when our bodies are resurrected after Christ comes back. He said it would be like the perfect version of us, before sin entered the world. God originally intended for us to live forever with Him, and not get old and have the illnesses that are a part of the world now. So his idea was that we'd still be us, we'd still be recognizable, just the way God originally intended us to be...a perfect version of ourselves. Hope that means I won't have to wear glasses, haha! But anyway, while talking about this, he held up a sample spoon from Baskin Robbins and asked if we knew what it was. Duh, anyone over the age of 3 knows. The point of the sample spoon is to get a little taste. It's not going to satisfy you, because the idea is that you'll purchase the one that you liked the best. But it's enough for you to know that more is coming. He says everything on Earth that brings us joy, things that are right, when we act and do works on God's behalf...all of those things are just a sample of what God's got in store for us once we're with him forever. It won't be some cute imagery we've all seen on cartoons where we're sitting on clouds all days strumming a harp. With all the beauty that's within nature, and the good that's in people when we're kind and act in love showing us this is just a small taste...man, it's going to be epic.
But anyway, all that is not to say that I'm wishing away my life...far from it. Just that I know as good as life can be, it's not the end. This weekend we got to dogsit Penny's brother, Patrick, and went out to a latin american restaurant with his owners on Friday. They are fun and kind of bohemian and just cool overall. We had a blast watching Penny and Pat run in the backyard and chase each other and play with their stuffed toys. Saturday my beloved mowed the lawn in 90+ heat, bless his heart, and we had a nice, relaxing afternoon that consisted of a nap, freshly squeezed lemonade, video games, and snuggles with the animals. After church on Sunday, Michael indulged my crazy and got me a tumbler from McAlister's, with which I'll be able to snag a sweet tea for 99 cents whenever I bring it in. We made homemade sloppy joes (SO good! Why did it take us so long to do that?! Thanks Tish for the inspiration) and hung out 'til after midnight with a group of people, just talking, laughing, playing with sparklers. Today Michael woke me up with a bluebery muffin and fruit salad in bed, with an iced vanilla coffee to go along with it. I had to work during the day, but he kept me company and we had the Firefly marathon on tv in the background. Tonight some cherished friends came over for a traditional hamburger Fourth of July cook out, and we set off fireworks in the street and hung out on the drive way. The night ended with chocolate cake, never a bad thing. All in all a pretty fantastic weekend, and lots of little glimpses of joy, for which I lift my head and say Thanks to the one that created all of this.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Dear Father
Stop sending me pictures of your feet lounging on a chair, especially when said chair is planted in front of the Caribbean ocean. Dad is on vacation in Jamaica this week and I could not be more jealous. That's one thing that super sucks about living smack in the middle of the country...no easy access to an ocean. When I was a little girl, we went on vacation every single year to Myrtle Beach, SC. My mama adored the beach and raised her girls to feel the same way. All it takes is one whiff of that pungent saltyness in the air and it's like I can feel the stress of the real world melt away. Add the sound of the ocean waves crashing into the sand, the warm grittiness of sand between my toes, and crazy wind blown hair and there's really no where else I'd rather be. Let's just say, when I get to heaven, I hope my room in God's house comes with an ocean view.
See? Just evil. I better be getting a shell necklace or something for putting up with this brand of torture, pops. Just sayin'...
See? Just evil. I better be getting a shell necklace or something for putting up with this brand of torture, pops. Just sayin'...
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Group summer season is here!
Love June...it means a new season of growth groups! This will be my first time leading a study group, and so far so good. We are studying a book called Intimate Issues and we had a great time telling stories on Tuesday about how we met our husbands. The time flew by! My group has 7 ladies besides myself and I am really looking forward to getting to know them all better. Sex is one of those topics that some of us clam up about because we're not "supposed" to talk about it. I love that ECC takes a stance that sex is healthy and enjoyable, and that we can have an open, safe environment to talk about it without losing our sense of humor. I am assigning them homework each week and I really can't wait to hear how their relationships with their husbands change over the next 8 weeks.
Let's see, what else is new this week... My good buddy Sue picked me up on my lunch break for a quick trek to DeSoto so we could check out Steve's Meat Market, a local butcher shop. I am amazed that a quality shop like this is only 20 min away! We split their June grilling special, and our freezer is absolutely STUFFED with some delicious looking meats! Michael and I figured out that the amount of food should last us until mid-late July if we are cooking 4 nights/week, AND that includes leftovers. Suh-weet. This will definitely be a money saving venture, and to get better quality with local meat, for less $$...can't ask for anything better! We received boneless chicken breasts, tbone steaks, ground chuck, pork chops, italian sausage, brats, chicken leg quarters, and a 5 lb pork roast to make pulled pork. Maybe we'll have to have a grilling party. :)
Michael is out at his second group. He is leading not one, but two groups this time. They are both Dungeons & Dragons groups. How cool is that, D&D church groups? I love it. He is having a ball and meeting lots of awesome new people, can't beat that.
Oh! We did get a new rug today. I'll let Penny show you how much she enjoys it. I don't know what I was thinking, getting a brown rug a couple of years ago when we have white animals, but I hit my limit a few weeks ago with the vacuuming every single day, and I kid you not, less than an hour later it would look like I hadn't. I'll still vacuum regularly, don't get me wrong, but I hope this new rug helps with my ocd-ness when it comes to animal hair in the house. I really try hard for my friends with allergies and for my friends who don't particularly like animals to keep the floors and furniture clean, but it's an hourly chore sometimes. Just know that there's nothing that can save you if you let Penny lay on your lap while wearing black. :-)
Let's see, what else is new this week... My good buddy Sue picked me up on my lunch break for a quick trek to DeSoto so we could check out Steve's Meat Market, a local butcher shop. I am amazed that a quality shop like this is only 20 min away! We split their June grilling special, and our freezer is absolutely STUFFED with some delicious looking meats! Michael and I figured out that the amount of food should last us until mid-late July if we are cooking 4 nights/week, AND that includes leftovers. Suh-weet. This will definitely be a money saving venture, and to get better quality with local meat, for less $$...can't ask for anything better! We received boneless chicken breasts, tbone steaks, ground chuck, pork chops, italian sausage, brats, chicken leg quarters, and a 5 lb pork roast to make pulled pork. Maybe we'll have to have a grilling party. :)
Michael is out at his second group. He is leading not one, but two groups this time. They are both Dungeons & Dragons groups. How cool is that, D&D church groups? I love it. He is having a ball and meeting lots of awesome new people, can't beat that.
Oh! We did get a new rug today. I'll let Penny show you how much she enjoys it. I don't know what I was thinking, getting a brown rug a couple of years ago when we have white animals, but I hit my limit a few weeks ago with the vacuuming every single day, and I kid you not, less than an hour later it would look like I hadn't. I'll still vacuum regularly, don't get me wrong, but I hope this new rug helps with my ocd-ness when it comes to animal hair in the house. I really try hard for my friends with allergies and for my friends who don't particularly like animals to keep the floors and furniture clean, but it's an hourly chore sometimes. Just know that there's nothing that can save you if you let Penny lay on your lap while wearing black. :-)
Monday, June 6, 2011
May has come and gone, and I have not blogged about it. Sorry (dad-who left me a hilarious voice mail a la Lumberg from Office Space. Yeah, I'm gonna need you to go ahead and blog. That would be greeeeeat. Thanks!) about that! Sometimes it's tough to sit down and make the effort, but I promise to try harder. Here's a wrap up of May:
-My sister and brother in law came to visit over Mother's Day weekend. We went shopping on the plaza, had a wonderful steak dinner, they experienced their first EastLake worship night, lots of laughter, wandering around on Mass St, saw Water for Elephants, hung out at the house and visited. It was a really good trip and I hope their take away was that Kansas does not suck and would be a cool place to live. ;)
-Saw Bridesmaids with a fun group of women. Could have done without a couple of scenes but overall I really enjoyed it. Haven't laughed that hard at a movie in a while. Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig, I bow down to them both.
-Went to my first women leader's meeting at EastLake. Got to meet the famous Heather, an original member who picked up her life in Seattle and moved to Kansas to start EastLake. Hard to imagine me doing something like that, but so incredibly grateful that she and the other original members did. Life would be drastically different if ECC were not in Lawrence! The meeting was great, gave me a push to set a boundary that had been nagging me for a while. Big take away is that it is okay to say no to good things so that I can say yes to great things, and not to stretch myself so thin that I can't give quality time to the people I want to.
-My dad came to visit over Memorial Day weekend. So great to have him here. We had a backyard bbq, complete with s'mores, took him to a super tasty sushi restaurant, went to see Thor, lots of talking and hanging out. 'twas good. :)
So those are the big things. June looks to be a busy one as well. Tomorrow Michael has his oral qualifying exam, which is the next step on the road to getting his PhD. Good vibes/prayers/karma are all appreciated! He is more than prepared, and I am positive he will do great. :)
-My sister and brother in law came to visit over Mother's Day weekend. We went shopping on the plaza, had a wonderful steak dinner, they experienced their first EastLake worship night, lots of laughter, wandering around on Mass St, saw Water for Elephants, hung out at the house and visited. It was a really good trip and I hope their take away was that Kansas does not suck and would be a cool place to live. ;)
-Saw Bridesmaids with a fun group of women. Could have done without a couple of scenes but overall I really enjoyed it. Haven't laughed that hard at a movie in a while. Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig, I bow down to them both.
-Went to my first women leader's meeting at EastLake. Got to meet the famous Heather, an original member who picked up her life in Seattle and moved to Kansas to start EastLake. Hard to imagine me doing something like that, but so incredibly grateful that she and the other original members did. Life would be drastically different if ECC were not in Lawrence! The meeting was great, gave me a push to set a boundary that had been nagging me for a while. Big take away is that it is okay to say no to good things so that I can say yes to great things, and not to stretch myself so thin that I can't give quality time to the people I want to.
-My dad came to visit over Memorial Day weekend. So great to have him here. We had a backyard bbq, complete with s'mores, took him to a super tasty sushi restaurant, went to see Thor, lots of talking and hanging out. 'twas good. :)
So those are the big things. June looks to be a busy one as well. Tomorrow Michael has his oral qualifying exam, which is the next step on the road to getting his PhD. Good vibes/prayers/karma are all appreciated! He is more than prepared, and I am positive he will do great. :)
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Furniture Rearrangement
My turn to post! This morning I spent some time rearranging the furniture in the masterbed and the mancave!
So I've recently sold my gaming PC and my big glass and metal desk. Left a lot of room. So I moved a couple small bookshelves and the coffee table into the room and got this:
We also rearranged the master bed, with these results:
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Holy cow, Osama Bin Laden dead
Today is May 1st. 8 years ago, President Bush made a "mission accomplished" speech.
Tonight, we heard news that Osama Bin Laden was killed, and we have the dna (and BODY) to prove it's actually him. Holy moly.
Lots of emotions running through me tonight. Feeling a little weird cheering about someone's death, but then I think of all the people who died on 9/11, how Osama claimed he wouldn't quit until we were ALL dead, that they (Al Queda) would keep doing their terrorist attacks...and suddenly I don't feel so bad. I am not the moral police, but I feel very confident that God is just and is judging him accordingly tonight.
I feel very happy for the 9/11 survivors, for those who were left without their loved ones, for those who lost a loved one overseas as they served in our military to keep us safe and defend us. For them, I pray that tonight is a historic moment and a new step in their healing process. God bless our military troops and the joy they must be feeling tonight.
Tonight, we heard news that Osama Bin Laden was killed, and we have the dna (and BODY) to prove it's actually him. Holy moly.
Lots of emotions running through me tonight. Feeling a little weird cheering about someone's death, but then I think of all the people who died on 9/11, how Osama claimed he wouldn't quit until we were ALL dead, that they (Al Queda) would keep doing their terrorist attacks...and suddenly I don't feel so bad. I am not the moral police, but I feel very confident that God is just and is judging him accordingly tonight.
I feel very happy for the 9/11 survivors, for those who were left without their loved ones, for those who lost a loved one overseas as they served in our military to keep us safe and defend us. For them, I pray that tonight is a historic moment and a new step in their healing process. God bless our military troops and the joy they must be feeling tonight.
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