Shakespeare, Valentines, and Small Group

It's been forever since I've posted a blog, but with such good reason!  I am taking a pretty hefty load this semester and I think my writing brain gets bogged down with all of my Shakespeare essays.  Actually, though, I do enjoy reading Willy a lot more than I thought I would.  I'm such a nerd - but so thankful to have this chance to learn.

Speaking of learning, I have really been doing a lot of it.  And yes, I mean scholastically.  I love my major and I feel like a sponge.  In fact, I have been working on writing some articles for a teen girls magazine.  I'm pretty nervous about it and have been seeking God about what I should write on, but really, I'm more excited and motivated than anything.

In the same vein, I've been learning a lot about God.  I have been humbled by my small group this semester - all of the girls are awesome and we've really been challenging each other.  Also, doing this adopt-a-block stuff is really teaching Billy and me what kind of things we want to do.  It is amazing to know that you are where God wants you and the peace you get when you are doing what he's placed on your heart.  For us, it's outreach, and the ministry we've been allowed a small part in is humbling us and teaching us so much.

Speaking of Billy, I am learning SO much about being a wife.  Sometimes it's not easy, but it is so worth it.  He brings out the best in me and he challenges me in so many ways.  And tonight, he told me our valentines day plans - I'm super excited!  He's romantic and I love him and I love being married to a total sap :) It's what I've always dreamed of.

Ok, so I will be trying to blog more often - but if you have any comments, especially ideas for a teen girl's magazine article, please leave them!

Gravity

I'm not writing about John Mayer; just a disclaimer.

I'm writing about prayer.  Lately, I have had some pretty big things on my heart and my mind and spirit.  And when I say big, I don't mean in an exciting way.  Lately, I have been driven to my knees as a result of the new reality I have become aware of.  In this new reality, there are problems that are so much bigger than me and I have no control or say over them, and I'm really bad at dealing with being out of control.  Because of this, I have been seeking God more than ever before.  I have been addicted to the Word because it is actually equipping my Spirit and I have been addicted to prayer because I have nowhere else to go, and I have been going to God because I could see how clearly he was needed in this.  And you know what I found?  Nope, there was no assurance that this problem would just go away.  In fact, I felt the 'gravity' of this situation, and of so many other situations that I had ignored so easily before.  I feel like my eyes have been open to the smallest glimpse of how God sees these things.  So many things that I just pass by are so much bigger to God.  He cares about each person and each sin, and his heart breaks over every single thing that separates him from the ones he loves.  And even more, he wants us to care too.  He desires to open our eyes and communicate with us as we seek him.  This overwhelmed me and sometimes I felt myself just wanting to cry.  The most amazing thing about this realization, though, is that it came with peace as I continued to pray (and I mean pray and pray and pray - I was really overwhelmed).  The peace overcame me because as I saw how big things were to God, I say how much he wanted to equip us to be his hands or his feet or his voice.  And even though it should make me nervous, it doesn't, because I know he really wants healing and truth for his own and I know he wants to use those who are willing.  And, of course, this drives me to more prayer because I want to know what exactly he wants to me do.... It's a vicious cycle - a wonderful, happy, redeeming cycle.

Too Simple?

Alright, so I'm going to get a little deep here, and it might be long.  But, it's something I've been thinking about for a long time, years, even, and I've faced it often in the past few months.

In John 18:35, Pilate asks Jesus "What is truth?"  The word used for truth is Aletheia in Greek.  Literally this means: objectively, obviously, of a certain and real truth, unconcealedness of things, the state of being evident.  Pilate's question is relevant today.  So many people, especially in my generation, wonder what is true.  In fact, there are so many choices out there that some choose to believe that nothing is true because they can't find anything to be evident or up-front.  Honestly, with all of the options and arguments available, I think we can argue ourselves to a certain death.

I sometimes get flustered when people ask me what I believe to be true in those "controversial" areas.  There are the big ones: abortion, homosexuality, even sex outside-of-marriage.  There are small ones, too: dinosaurs, creation/evolution, etc.  It's not that I don't think that these are valid; in fact, I think God welcomes our questions.  I think that it's not the asking that confuses me - it's the magnitude that's placed on the answers.  Paul says not to get caught up in arguments because they make people fight, and that's not what Jesus wants for us (2 Timothy 2:23).  I feel like this should be enough, but I know that for some, it's not, or they feel like their argument is valid.  However, there is one thing that I do feel IS valid, and CAN help us in these times.  Personally, these questions have not ever rocked my faith.  Sure, they're interesting, some of them truly confusing, yet they don't seem to touch my relationship with God.  It was always hard for me to explain this until I remembered a verse that I think I memorized in middle school.  In 1 Corinthians 2:2, Paul says,

"I decided to concentrate only on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross."

This is truly how I feel.  I know that there are questions and concerns and controversies.  But I know one thing that is true and I know that I can focus on that to cover all of the other confusions.  Jesus Christ is real, he changes lives, and he died on the cross to give us a relationship with him and freedom from sin.  Now, people will analyze this and question this and probe this idea as well.  However, no scientific answer helps - it takes faith.  Maybe that's why it's the most effective truth.  The love that God has for us can not be figured out.  It just is.  The other things, in the light of his love, fall by the wayside.  Sure, ask questions, but it's easier to trust when you're surrounded by his loving embrace and assurance.  This is simple, but wonderful, and it's the only truth I'm really worried about.

Just a Start

I have married the most perfect man for me.  When I was little all the way up to high school, I had a very specific and crazy dream.  I wanted to help people in a BIG way.  I wanted to change things and I felt (and still feel) a very personal responsibility for people in need.  What an amazing thing it was to find Billy.  He has a heart that is bigger than mine and dreams that encompass the one that I've had all of these years. Of course, I recognize that God has given all of us such different dreams and goals, and I am just so thankful to have found someone who understands mine so well and who feels as much passion as I do for this.

Anyway, I didn't want to write this about me and Billy (I can't help it, I'm in love!).  I was actually reading this awesome book by a guy named Tom Davis, called Fields of the Fatherless, and I was once again reminded of that thing.  You know, the thing that when you read about it or hear about it, your heart starts to beat really fast, and you just know that this is what your heart was supposed to beat hardest for?  This is it for me.  He talks all about injustice in the world and what we, as Christians, are responsible for.  It always takes me back to Isaiah 1 and 58 (I'm not going to quote them here because these verses are definitely somewhere else on this blog, if not a few times).  These chapters talk about what God really asks of us - to seek out the poor, help the orphans and widows, release those in bondage, feed the hungry.  Of course, it makes me want to go live and breathe for this cause, but we don't have the resources to do that right now.  I do, however, have resources that I, and you, can use to help:

• International Justice Mission - ijm.org - This organization is Christian-based, yet it uses legal action to take care of injustices around the world.  You can financially support a specific area that you want to see justice taken in.  It's an awesome opportunity, and it really makes a consistent, real difference in the lives and future generations of people all over.


• North Charleston Dream Center - Adopt-a-Block - We, at Genesis and Northwood Church, have been going to this awesome event for the past 6 months or so, and this month, Genesis is heading up it's own block.  This means that we have our own block of people that we can minister to specifically as we get to know them and their needs personally.  Billy is heading this up, and we are just so excited to see what God will do through our group.  We are hoping that the small spark we have can create a fire as people join us.  If you are going to be in Charleston on the first Saturday of the month, starting in December, email us and we can get you connected.  Here, you can watch a video of what the whole Dream Center is about.  It's awesome, and I'm amazed that we have a chance to be a part of it:  Dream Center Promo Video.

I'm interested to see what kind of things are on your heart.  If you have something specific and a way that others can join you in making a difference, leave a comment.  There's so much out there to be done!  Our God is so big, and it's so amazing to be a part of His body.

Bliss and Busyness

Wow!  It's been a really long time since I've blogged.  However, I have been validly busy!  Since I last updated, I have gotten married (yay!), gone on a honeymoon, and been really busy with school.  I can't believe that over a month has passed, and it's almost Thanksgiving.  I guess I'll just give some updates that I can remember, and after this, start blogging regularly again!

• Being married is wonderful, and I love watching movies and eating dinner and shopping with Billy.  I keep getting asked what the best part about being married is, and I have a hard time putting my finger on anything specific.  I just love that we get to do everything together and just experience life.


• School is crazy and I just cannot wait to have this semester over with.  I have a huge paper to write for my American Writing class, and I am really dreading it, and I like to write.  I just think I've been so busy that I can't wait for a true break.


• Our friends, Paul and Amy, got married 4 weeks after us, and it was such a beautiful wedding.  We are glad to add the last wedding of the year, and I'm so glad that they're married now, too.


• The honeymoon was absolutely amazing.  We went to Riviera Maya, Mexico, and it was gorgeous.  Our resort was wonderful and we had so much fun relaxing.  One of the highlights was this contest that they had one night that was modeled after "American Idol."  It was a singing contest, and Billy entered, and he WON!  He won a bottle of Tequila, which we promptly gave away to one of Billy's newly-made fans (who ended up being a HUGE fan after the gift).


• Living in a small apartment is so fun.  I love being a wife, and I want to just clean all of the time (okay, well, that's dramatic, but still...)!  Really, though, I do love it, and I feel so blessed to be at this point in our lives.


• Couponing has gotten even better since we have been married.  I think I'm the only girl I've met so far who's husband helps her clip coupons!  Seriously, he's so awesome.  We actually go in two lines every Sunday night so that we can get two Mystery Penny items at Publix.  It's so fun!


• I am looking forward to Christmas break so that I can read cheesy Christian romance novels.  I can't wait to stop reading this literary fiction.  It's only qualified as "literary" if it has a bad ending.  I like happy, sloppy, romantic endings.

I think I should end this list, but thanks to anybody who stayed long enough to read this!  I'll update sooner, next time.

Oh, and here's a wedding picture.  I'll put more on later!