Quote from Ignatius of Antioch

Please pray for me, that I may have both spiritual and physical strength to perform my duties; that I may not only speak the truth but become the truth; that I may not only be called a Christian, but also live like a Christian. Yet I do not want people to look to me as an example, for at best I can only be a pale reflection of Christ Jesus; let people look away from the reflection and turn to the reality. Christianity is not a matter of persuading people of particular ideas, but of inviting them to share in the greatness of Christ. So pray that I may never fall into the trap of impressing people with clever speech, but instead I may learn to speak with humility, desiring only to impress people with Christ himself.

The Rooftop 2.0

I thought I’d write a response to my dear Zack Hensley’s recent blog post. Especially since my blog stats shot through the roof yesterday after he posted it, even though I haven’t written anything in a dog’s age. (For those of you who are wondering, we ARE dating, so this is reasonable). Yes, I’m in love with my boyfriend. I posted on how incredible he is pretty recently (it’s entitled “This Man” if you care to look it up), so you might have already guessed that, but it’s out. We’re in love. I am crazy about Zack Hensley.

You may be asking, “Well, when are you getting married?” For all you crazed lunatics out there, NOT TOMORROW! Good night! We’re just in love! What’s the rush? I mean, I love commitment as much as the next girl, but whatever happened to enjoying a normal pace? It’s like there’s some insane unwritten rule that once you say you’re in love the very next breath is to be devoted to discussing the colors and the cake, as if they’re all a part of one giant conversation. Compartmentalize, people, and save yourselves!  [Insert unnecessarily dramatic expression and hand-flailing here for full effect]

One thing at a time. I’m just getting used to the fact that I love him! … Okay, I’m not as angry as I seem, I actually just love to imagine the sound of peoples’ bubbles being snapped as they read this. Anyway, it’s not your business as to where the marriage question is at. We’ll figure it out one day and let you know. You won’t have to ask- like this, it’ll probably wind up on the World Wide Web anyway. Which is my new marketing strategy for my blog- STAY POSTED TO FIND OUT!!! (mwah ha ha ha…)

Recommendation of the Day

If you want a fabulous documentary to watch, check out The Fog of War. It documents former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and 11 of his life lessons. It’s kind of long, but it won an Academy Award.

Never Losing the Wide-Eyed Wonder

Sometimes there are moments as a student of theology where I feel invigorated, angered, thrilled to my finger tips, or defeated in my non-comprehension. Studying God is the most fascinating, exhilerating, maddening, frustrating, beautifying, confusing, and clarifying study of all studies. And if that sentence made you want to punt your computer across the room, then you just got to taste what I feel when I dig into the Scripture to know a Person that I cannot see but who lives all around me, and most unnerving… lives inside of me.

Too much of the time the study of the Person of God is cast to the wayside for those found in the scholarly or wannabe catagory to pick up at their leisure and mash around as if God can be so easily explained, but simultaniously is passed over by the layperson for fear of so much mis-comprehension that it’s intimidating to begin. Christology, eschatology, soteriology, pneumatology, ecclesiology, etc. Where does one start?

I love to talk about the Scriptures and I love to talk about God (which, by the way, in my mind is what should be the primary topic of conversation among godly friends), but one very simple thing I always want to press to bear in mind as I get to know the Lord more and more through His Word and through those around me who love Him…

Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so. 

…And so will I love Him.   

Home for Break

I’m in flipping Minnesota for my fall break from school to do a little support raising, and let me tell you… I forgot what a different world it is up here, 60° weather and all. The leaves are being violently torn off the trees that have hardly even had a chance to change colors yet and then we have the combination thunder storm accompanied by sleet *insert noise indicating confusion here*. For those of you who are completely out of touch with such a form of precipitation, let’s just say it’s not quite snow and it’s not quite rain; it’s not quite heaven and it’s not quite hell- some would call it purgatory.

I’m currently clearing my throat from the mistake of a sandwich I just ate, which evidently consisted of moldy bread. It’s a good thing I’m allergic to mold. Nothing like chapping your sinuses with a bold amount of bacteria you weren’t expecting to ingest.

Anyway, I’m sitting in the quiet of the evening after catching up with some dear friends. Few people on the earth have the amazing friends that I have, and I can hardly believe I get to run with them. You know they’re important people in your life when no amount of time and distance changes your level of closeness. It’s a true gift.

Now if I can just survive the next 6 hours of an allergic attack on my esophagus, I should be home free. 

Happy Fleeping Birthday to Me!

 

I’m 24 as of yesterday! I’m well on my way in the slow death march to 30. Actually, to be perfectly honest, I love the idea of being 30, but that’s probably because I know a lot of really amazing 30 year olds.

No, I don’t actually watch 24. What do I have against the television series? Nothing whatsoever. Then why am I not a fan? Because I’m scared of commitment. Let’s face it, 24 IS a commitment. Or so they say. I mean, the last time I was addicted to a TV show was in the X-Files days, and they ran for almost 10 years before it was ripped out from under me! Yeah, I’m still getting over that break up. It’s too soon, folks. I can’t possibly think about another series relationship yet.