Yeah, I Know It's Not Sunday

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;
and the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you
peace.

This was the benediction that the pastor of my church proclaimed at the end of the service on Sunday morning. To me, these are some of the most simple, beautiful, precious words of the entire church service.

I look forward to the benediction every single week - not just because the words are thousands of years old, or because it's a blessing that has been proclaimed over God's people for generations, but because of something small that we are asked to do.

Before he says the benediction, Reverend Habig asks us to look up. He asks us to hold out open hands and receive this blessing.

I love that idea. All it takes for me to receive God's blessing is to look up, and open my hands.

Now I know:
I need to look up and open my hands to receive God's blessing every single day- not just during the benediction.

Up From the Grave He Arose!

He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah, Christ arose!

Now I know:
And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
-Matthew 8:13-

Thin Mint Revelations

I don't know about you, but my very favorite Girl Scout Cookie flavor is Thin Mint.

No...not because they're in a green box. ;) Although that is a nice coincidence considering the title of my blog.

I have always been a fan of that perfectly balanced, crunchy mint-chocolate chip combination. And oh buddy, when you put them in the freezer?! Delectable. They should come with a warning like Lay's potato chips...cause you know you can't eat just one.

Anyway, I've been sitting here looking at my quickly depleting stash of Thin Mints, and it makes me a little sad. No, not because four cookies have 160 calories. (Sorry to whoever didn't want to know that).

No...I'm sad because I know once my boxes run out, that will be it. And I'm wondering: why, oh why aren't Girl Scout cookies available all year? Why do we have to wait a whole year for Thin Mints to come back around?

This may be a little bit heretical, but I'd like to liken this rationing of Thin Mint goodness to the plight of the Israelites wandering through the desert. Humor me and hang with my extended metaphor for a minute...

God gave them manna, and the Israelites could take as much as they needed each day. But do you remember what happened if they tried to stockpile it so they didn't have to gather it each morning? That's right. Maggots.

God wants to give us just enough for each day so that we stay dependent on Him and trust Him to provide for everything we need.

The really striking part of the story, to me, is that in spite of what God had graciously, generously given, the Israelites were always griping and complaining.

They didn't trust Him.

They weren't happy with just enough.

They wanted more than they had received.

They lost faith quite often and sometimes didn't even believe they would ever make it to the Promised Land.

Wow. That sure sounds a lot like me.

Now I know:
If God gave out Girl Scout badges, I'd still be earning my Trust badge. I bet it would have a Thin Mint on it.

Trip to Nowhere

Right now I'm feeling a lot like one of those yellow dish sponges that sits on the side of your kitchen sink.

Exhausted, dirty, kind of rough around the edges - but full, absolutely full of purpose, peace, and perspective. Didn't even mean for that alliteration to happen...but wow, love when it does.

And you know how sponges like that are supposed to be full of germs? Well until I get a shower, I'm gonna say that is relevant to how I feel right now too.

Anyway, this weekend I participated in a LIFE event called the "Trip to Nowhere." The name of our community service project is deceiving, to be sure. Even though we stayed in Greenville, we went lots of places.

So, you're asking, where did our LIFE group go this weekend?

• Surrounded by high vaulted ceilings, perfect acoustics, and dazzling stained glass windows, we worshiped in the Harper Chapel on Friday night. The lyrics of "God of this City," are still ringing through my head: "Greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city!"
• We split up around First Pres and prayed over the City of Greenville, the organizations we were partnering with, and the people we were serving. I could feel the Spirit of God just pumping us full of energy and anticipation.
  
• We spent the night in the Junior High room at the church. You can't do better than a good old-fashioned lock-in. Even though I didn't participate in the 2:00 am game of Sardines, I still loved staying at the church. Took me back to my youth group days!
• We cleaned trucks and shelves, painted poles, and put together snack packs for needy kids at Harvest Hope Food Bank. I was lucky enough to get to put together the snack packs with some of my dearest friends, and I had the idea of writing notes to put in each lunch bag that said YOU ARE LOVED. I am still smiling thinking about the kids getting a handwritten note in their snack pack.
  
• This afternoon, we split up into groups and did projects at Miracle Hill, United Ministries, Habitat for Humanity, and again, I was lucky enough to help with a field day for Pendleton Place Children's Shelter. I convinced a skeptical 10th grade girl to compete with me in a sack race. I chased a giggling, screaming little blond boy around pretending to be a monster. I sang "Umbrella" to a fifth grader when she showed me her umbrella silly band and she started singing and dancing right along with me. I helped to raise a parachute high in the air for delighted toddlers. I saw the wonder and love and joy of these children despite their most horrifying and unbelievable circumstances. I was in awe of their resilience. I felt the presence of the living God.
• Tonight I sat on couches back at First Pres with my best friends, my Greenville family, and processed through what was a truly amazing weekend of service. One thing I'm sure of is that serving others doesn't change those being served as much as it does the ones who are actually serving.

I am changed because I have learned for the millionth time that this life is truly not about me. It is not about my checklists or my goals or my dreams or my wishes. This life is about being poured out like a drink offering, about laying down your life for your friends, about helping the widows and the orphans. This life is about being the hands and feet of Jesus. I feel so very lucky to have had the chance to relearn that lesson this weekend.

Now I know: With a Jesus who loves me, a roof over my head, food in my belly, clothes bursting out of my closet, a family that loves and encourages and supports me, friends galore, and a job that is a perfect fit - I am blessed beyond what I could ask or imagine.

Tattooing in Green

Last summer I seriously considered getting this verse tattooed on the arch of my right foot.

(Just in case you can't read Hebrew, it says the first half of Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know.")

I am a lot like Rory from the show Gilmore Girls, so of course I made numerous pro/con lists, both on paper and in my head. They pretty much looked like this:

Pros:

• This verse commands me to BE STILL, which some scholars translate as LET GO. What a great permanent reminder!
• By including just the first half of the verse I have the flexibility to BE STILL AND KNOW a whole host of truths. That God is God. That He has a plan for me. That He will give me the desires of my heart if I delight myself in Him. That no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him. See? Flexible!
  
• If it's on my foot it is cool yet discrete! People probably won't even see it for 6 months out of the year!
  
• When they do see it, people will have to ask me what it says and then I can have an awesome segue into talking about spiritual things.

Cons:

• Ow. OW OW OW!
• Getting it on the arch of my foot will hurt a LOT.
• I hate needles.
• Why are you even considering this?
• What if they do one character and I flip out and they have to stop? Then it will look like a birthmark. Or a mistake.
  
• Will parents at school think I'm a hippiefied freak that is no longer a good role model for their children?
• Will I have to move back to Asheville, land of the hippies, just so I can blend in?
• In 15 years I'm gonna be 40. FORTY! Will I want this on my foot when I'm 40?

As you can see, the con side won out. But I still absolutely love this verse, so I decided to figuratively tattoo it on my heart instead.

Well yesterday my LIFE leadership group had the opportunity to work on spiffening up our meeting place, The Block. This space used to be the Center Stage Theater. It is on Academy Street and has tons of potential - it just needs some TLC.

We cleaned out, cleaned up, and painted for hours. We decided to take two blank walls and decorate them with verses that meant something to us. Naturally I quickly decided on "Be Still and Know."

It was awesome for "my tattoo verse" to kind of come full circle. Leaving these words on a surface where they will be seen, where they will inspire and encourage others, was almost as exciting as body art.

And the best part is? No needles required.

Now I know:
Tattoos are temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

A Star is Born

Today I had the sweet privilege of holding a newborn baby girl. It was most definitely the highlight of my week, so I had to share a picture.

While I was holding Stella today, I silently wished babies would never grow up.

I am a sucker for those fat little feet. Those itty bitty fingernails. That death-grip reflex that connects their hand to your finger. I love their fantastic toothless smiles and butter smooth skin.

To me, babies are perfect. They are in a constant state of bliss. Sleeping and dreaming and eating is their world. Their mama is never more than a few steps away, ready to meet their every need with constant loving care. Babies are unblemished, unscathed by the upsetting, hurtful, broken world we live in.

But when I think about how much goodness Stella will add to this world, I know for certain that she has to grow. With her dad's free spirit and her mom's hilarious sense of humor, she will be a light to the world. She will bring joy and fun and caring wherever she goes.

So naturally this made me think about why God wants us to grow. He wants us to use our life experiences to enrich the lives of others around us. He allows us to make mistakes so we can learn from them. He allows us to face hard things so we can learn to trust Him fully. He allows us to be in darkness so we can be lights. And best of all - He is never more than a breath away, ready to meet our every need with constant loving care.



Welcome to the world, Stella Rae! Let that little light shine!!!

Now I know:
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. -Philippians 2:14-15-

Mother Teresa and Brad Womack's Abs

I am a little pencil
in the hand
of a writing God
who is sending
a love letter
to the world.
-Mother Teresa-

At LIFE tonight the theme was about the connection between love and service. (Awesome job on the talk by the way, Jenko!!)

Ironically enough, when I got home I turned on The Bachelor. The contrast was so great that I couldn't not write about it.

Jesus's idea of love is to serve others.

The world's idea of love is to desperately seek someone who can serve you, who can meet your needs, and who ultimately will never let you down. The world's idea of love is spending time in Costa Rica with Brad Womack's amazing abs.

Hate it break it to ya, America, but those abs ain't gonna last forever. (His commitment issues, however, probably will. ZING!)

I feel like I am constantly sucked into the lie that this life is about ME. What I can get. What I look like. Who I will marry. What I can accomplish. What I want to do with my free time. How many things I can check off my to-do list while still getting plenty of sleep.

After LIFE tonight, I am reminded that life, real life - is not about what I can get.

It's about what I can give.

If I write a kind two-word note to one of my students on a post-it, I am showing love.

If I stop to thank the custodian and ask about her day, I am showing love.

If I tie a kindergartener's shoe at breakfast, I am showing love.

If I am vigilant about noticing the needs of others and trying to fill them, I am showing love.

Now I know:
God is writing the story. I am just a little pencil.

Spiritual Candy

Since I was little I’ve had an insatiable sweet tooth. Once I bugged my mom so much about the Halloween candy that she gave up and told me to eat all I wanted. I did. Then I threw up. She thought that would cure me of my candy addiction.

Oh no.

The next day I was back at it, pestering her for some more sweets. Makes me feel like that freaky fat kid that gets sucked up the tube in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I always hated that movie.

Well tonight, I was talking with my dear friend Amanda and asked if she’d ever heard of the devotional book called “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young. “It’s like spiritual candy!” I said. “Its so good! So amazing! Its like one of those ginormous jawbreakers that lasts forever - it never stops being sweet! Or one of those spirally suckers as big as your face!”

Of course she was excited and I promised to give her one of the three extra copies I have on hand at my house.

Today’s sweet words are better for your heart and your teeth than a jumbo bag of Peanut M&Ms- and they give an even better sense of inner satisfaction and comfort.

January 31

I am your Strength and Shield. I plan out each day and have it ready for you, long before you arise from the bed. I also provide the strength you need each step of the way. Instead of assessing your energy level and wondering about what's on the road ahead, concentrate on staying in touch with me. My Power flows freely into you through our open communication. Refuse to waste energy worrying, and you will have strength to spare.

Whenever you start to feel afraid, remember that I am your Shield. But unlike inanimate armor, I am always alert and active. My Presence watches over you continually, protecting you from both known and unknown dangers. Entrust yourself to My watchcare, which is the best security system available. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.

Now I know:

The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. Psalm 19:9-10