April 29th 2011 - Royal Wedding

When William & Kate (I refuse to call her Catherine) announced their engagement I stood back with the scoffers and really didn't care about the royal hurrah.

BUT about a month ago that all changed and I was sucked in the royal wedding whirlwind. I have been following blogs, social magazines, newspapers & gossip rags; anything to keep up with the goings on of Prince William and his lucky lady, Kate Middleton.

Yes, many people see it as another over-dramatized soap opera of a couple who they believe won't make it.

As a true believer in fairytales and happily-ever-after, I see otherwise. I want to believe that William and Kate have a chance.

Last night when Kate went to bed, I wonder what went through her thoughts. She, a common born daughter of a pilot and airline stewardess was going to marry into one of the most famous royal families of history. The thoughts & emotions must have been overwhelming.

And then today, she walked into Westminster Abbey as Kate Middleton and emerged Duchess Catherine of Cambridge, wife of Prince William of England.

What an incredible Cinderella tale!

I think in most girls' hearts lies a wish for such a fairytale. Oh, to be noticed in our common state by a handsome prince and swept away into our happily ever after. We want that. And you know what, we will find that. No, our prince may not be heir to a British throne. No, we may not ride away in an Aston Martin. No, we may not get married in Westminster Abbey by the Bishop of London.

But our prince will come and we will see our fairytale. It may not be the Disney fairytales we grew up with but it will be real and true.

Maybe one day we can hear words, much like the ones spoken by the Bishop of London,....

"I pray that all of us present and the many... watching this ceremony and sharing in your joy today, will do everything in our power to support and uphold you in your new life. And I pray that God will bless you in the way of life that you have chosen,..."

  



Good Friday

   Good Friday to all of you,...

I have a confession to make. This is the first Good Friday I have ever "observed." By observed, I mean I have sat down and taken the time to think about what went on the day of the Crucification. I have been thinking about what Jesus must have went through, about what those around Him were thinking, and about how His suffering has affected my life.

As I read over the last few chapters of Luke

 I am amazed at the events that took place in the week of Passover.

AMAZED.

Another thing that just floors me is the words spoken by the crowd in Luke 23.

34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

And they divided His garments and cast lots. 35 And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” 36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.” 38 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ,[j] save Yourself and us.” 40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”

 "Save Yourself."

"Save Yourself."

"Save Yourself and us."

If they only knew,... He could have saved Himself. He didn't have to come down to earth and become human. He didn't have to wade in sin daily. He didn't have to tempted.

He didn't have to go through the pain, shame & betrayal.

But He Did.

For you and for me.

If only the crowds knew when they shouted out, "Save youself!!"

He was dying for them.

If only the Soldiers knew as they jeered & called out for Him to, "Save Yourself and us!!"

that both could not be saved.

But One had to die.

I am grateful, humbled, awed, unworthy of the choice He made that day.

I  did not deserve to be saved.

I didn't deserve the blood that was shed on Calvary.

But for some strange, beyond-human understanding reason,

He saw us as worthy.

The words of Isaac Watts come to mind,...

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down!

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet?

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

What Things?

I'm a huge fan of LCBlogs. The girl is hilarious. Every once so often she will post something that just leaves me sitting there in awe. Wondering "why have I never looked at ____ this way?"
That's was today for me. She posted a fantastic bit about Luke 24:13-19.
I hope you all enjoy!

Spoiler Alert by LCBlogs

Have you heard the good news? I'm a little pre-mature in the telling of this story, but the tomb is empty! He has risen!
This morning, I have been thinking a lot about the Disciples as I do every year at this time. I'll never be able to wrap my mind around all the things they got to see and be a part of and it's likely that I'll never understand why I've been chosen to receive the free gift of salvation.

So, today I'm thinking about what happened after the stone was rolled away. The part of the story where Jesus was taking his stroll along, what I imagine to be a dirt road, actually, a sand road and he was making his presence known.

Luke 24 reads,
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”19 “What things?” he asked.

WHAT THINGS?!

How much do you love that Jesus, in the flesh, strolled up to them and casually asked, "What's the 411, people? What's the word on the street? What's good on TMZ?"

CAN YOU IMAGINE?

What would I have said to Jesus? Would I have known it was him? Would I have assumed Moses was wrong and the prophets were speaking some mumbo-jumbo? Would I have told him the story and been all like, "OMG, DUDE. So, like this guy..." Would I have paused to check a text message?

Later on, Jesus meets up with all of the Disciples and broke bread with them. It was then that their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. Again. CAN. YOU. IMAGINE?
In my heart, I want to believe I would know it was Him.

Just like today, I want to believe that I'm constantly walking in His will and constantly believing in His promises for me. But, sometimes I'm not. Sometimes, I miss the big picture. Sometimes, I miss Jesus walking next to me on the street and asking, "What things?"

It's my prayer that no misses the big picture. That everyone can see and believe in what Jesus did on the Cross. And that He did it for everyone.

Wow! Great concept. "What things?"
I challenge you. Ask yourself if Jesus walked up to you and asked, "What things?" how would you respond?

More than a Case of Blues,...

I'm doing a series on Depression with my Dad and thought I would share some of my thoughts with all of you. This post will be up on  Intersecting Life in the next few days.
Enjoy!

     Depression, it's a heavy word for a heavy emotion. We have all suffered from depression; whether we care to admit it or not. Don't believe me? According to the NIH (National Institute of Health), depression may be described as "feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps."
However, some of us have experienced a deeper emotion/mood that goes beyond the normal bad day. It's called clinical depression. "Clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended period of time."

    Clinical depression is what stops us from living the joyful, Christ-centered life we were intended to live. It keeps us from being productive at work. This depression kills communication with our family, friends and peers. Sadly, NIMH says 15 million adult Americans suffer from clinical depression each year. That means nearly 8% of American population of age 18 and over, is currently dealing with depression. Specialists predict that by 2020, depression will become the 2nd most common health problem throughout the world.

     The question: with depression on the rise and daily affecting our lives, what can we do as Christians to combat it? I've come up with five things that as Christians will help us fight against depression. I have made sure that each is backed with the Word. Disagree with the point? Take it up with Him.

• Prayer: In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  We need to learn to take anything to God; our burdens, our fears, our anxieties and throw them down at Jesus' feet. His Word promises peace and rest. Read Psalms 51:12. We need to pray for a return of joy and pray for Him to sustain us. 2 Timothy 1:7, Luke 10:19 and Romans 8:37 speak of how we need to learn to control our fears and realize who we are in Christ. Do you have a consistent prayer life? Are you aware of who you are in Jesus Christ?
• Seek Help: You are never too good or too big of a super-star to seek help. Doubt it? Read your Word and study up on Moses. He was a leader to millions, the voice of God, and a bit of a doubter when it came to the promises of God. This man listened to the counsel of his father-in-law and surrounded himself with a group of like-minded leaders to help him. They enabled him to be more effective in the work place and focus on the main thing, God. Are you allowing others to help you?
• Exercise: Our bodies are living, breathing displays of God's creative power. Sadly, many of us distort the original design because we're too lazy to maintain. Check out the Word on that! Proverbs 6:6-11. Are you allowing laziness to create depression? "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20. It's been proven by numerous medical studies that physical exercise can ease the symptoms of depression. The Mayo Clinic has an article on how exercise has proven to reduce and eliminate mood disorders and physical illness. Find time each day to exercise and you will be amazed by the results!
• Community: Who are you surrounding yourself with? Are you surrounded by healthy, uplifting people? Or Debbie-Downers? The attitudes, emotions, and beliefs of those you are around will rub off on you. Read the story of Rehoboam, son of Solomon in 1Kings 12. He could have been a successful ruler but he listened to his unwise peers and ended up losing his kingdom. Are you surrounded by wise, emotionally sound people?
• Serve: Are you selflessly serving others? Key word: selflessly. Servanthood isn't about being seen or praised. This is about you giving someone else a helping hand. It's hard to be worried and anxious about your circumstances when you're serving a homeless family a meal at a soup kitchen. It's hard to be self-centered on your problems when you're providing groceries to a single mother. "I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35 Also, read Luke 6:38.

Take these steps. Apply them to your life and see if depression is still strong in your life.

*Please note that I do not suggest you disregard any of your practicing physican's medical advice.

Sixteen Years

“Everyone has a "best friend" during each stage of life-only a precious few have the same one.”

I'll never forget that fateful day a note slid over to my school desk,

 " Can we use clicky pencils? Yes or No."

That note started what is now an amazing friendship

with my best friend, Jessica M.

We've shared much in these last 16 years

From Nancy Drew mysteries to history books,

 Egyptology, Socialogy, and Psychology (we can analyze your socks off!)

Hideous sweaters, ugly glasses and shoes that should have never been designed.

Cute boys(who never gave us a glance) and jerks who stole our hearts,

90's Pop songs and corny movie quotes

One would think in Sixteen Years a lot would change

But it hasn't.

We're still nerds. Still klutzy.

Still hopeless, cynical romantics(Yes we can be both!)

Still fashionably hopeless.

 Still breaking out hideous sweaters.

We still sing 90's Pop with all the soul we can muster.

We still quote the lamest lines known to film.

We're still us. 

Just older.

In Sixteen Years, we've learned a lot.

 We've learned that Truth Guns may possibly

be the best thing ever invented.

We've learned that there's a difference

between Besties and best friends.

We've learned what it means to love

someone with all you have, 

we've learned to forgive that person

when they rip the heart from you.

We've learned to cry, straighten our shoulders and face the world.

We've learned life is tough. Get over it.

We've learned when listen and when to speak.

We've learned we can agree to disagree.

We've learned that our Mum's had reason

to raise us the way they did.

They definitely created two strong, independent women.

   

  

 Bestie, thanks for sixteen years of unselfish, unconditional friendship.

My Thoughts Thursday

It's Thursday, thank goodness! I am so ready to shed this work week and take on a lovely weekend! AR weather is GORGEOUS! It's time to soak up the vitamin D and relax!

Being that it's Thursday(which is of no major significance), I've decided to start having " My Thoughts Thursday."  A posting about my thoughts on a random, mix of topics.

And here we go!
BTW: the order of the list is not by importance.

• Alexander Dumas- The man could write! I try to read  Count of Monte Cristo each year. One of my favorites! I've read the book over three times but I still get lost in its pages. On that note: I think that book is going on my summer book list.

• White Sand Beaches- I miss the ocean. The sounds, the sand, the smell,.... all of it. Cannot wait until May for the annual Girl's trip. This year we revisit the beach. I'm ready! Favorite part of it? Watching the sunrise and the sunset on the ocean. Normally I'm an earlier riser and I will venture out on the beach for some God time. The beach is quiet and deserted. Just me and God,...
• FPB- The First Pentecostals of Benton is booming! God has been doing amazing things here. I'm glad I am apart of one of the friendliest churches in the world! Don't believe me? Come visit, I dare you.  I love how God has been raising up people in the church. Pray Matthew 9:38 and watch what happens!
• Painting- One of my goals this year was to create at least one decent painting.I want to try my hand at some abstract work. Note: I've never painted. Ever.  We'll see what happens. If anything, I'll have fun getting paint all over me.
• AdoptUsKids- I follow AdoptUsKids on Twitter and they wreck my heart with each tweet about a child who needs a home. If I currently could, I would. Someday,... If you are going to adopt, please consider adopting a foster child. Those kids need it!
• Matt Wertz - "I'm waiting, all of my life been waiting, ...Maybe, if I had a Somebody, maybe...Until then I'll be the one pretending I'm perfectly fine with all this living life here on my own." Aptly spoken, Mr. Wertz.
• John 15:1-11 Especially this seventh verse: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will[a] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."  hmm,... check out the verses before #7. Questions raised: Am I abiding in Him? A sign of abiding in Him, is fruit. Is fruit evident in me? And if I'm abiding in Him, am I correctly exercising the authority I have as branch of the Vine?

Thus concludes My Thought Thursday.... I told you it was a insane mix!

Do you matter?

    I am now a huge fan of Scott Ginsberg thank to my friend Nathan Sexton. I have started following @nametagscott and reading http://www.himynameisblog.com/. I dare you to go check the man's words!

His words make me personally challenge myself. Today I was reading one of his enlightening posts and decided to share it with all of you. Hopefully this inspires you as much as it did me! By the way, it's a long post but well worth the time spent reading!

*I have underlined the points that stood out to me.

Enjoy!

HOW TO MATTER by Scott Ginsberg

1.  Make soaring unpreventable. The first time I heard Dave Matthews play the song he wrote for his wife called Loving Wings, I was brought to tears. The chorus goes: “I give to you my everything. You’ve given me these loving wings. And angels have all gathered round to hear me sing my love out loud.” That’s your job: With your customers, your employees, your kids, your friends – to help them paint a picture of what they know they can achieve. In short: To give them wings. People don’t need Red Bull – they need you look them in the eye and say, “I believe in you.” How are you empowering people to become the person they were created to be?
2. Be fresh air. Unless you live in Tasmania (which, according to Weather.com, has the cleanest measured air on Earth) most of the oxygen surrounding us is stale, recycled and tastes like the Sunday morning redeye from Vegas. So, just imagine how much of an impact you could have on the environment around you if your ideas, words and actions brought even the slightest amount of freshness.Are you saying the same thing as everyone else? Hope not. Because freshness doesn’t just matter – it makes money. However, as you tip toe along the lunatic fringe, remember what Jim Flowers says, “Carefully and deliberately consider the raves, rants, fashion, science, and art of the avant garde. Explore the world of ‘too much.’ There is a very, very fine line between goofy and prophetic.” Are your ideas stale?
3. Bring solid value. Not just talk. Not just shtick. The word “matter” comes from the Latin materia, which means, “substance.” And you owe it to the world to let it ooze out of you. If you were charged with the crime of adding value, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
4. You must teach. Teachers are heroes. And anyone can be one. The two questions are: What is the teaching you are called to do? And what’s your teaching style? Couple of choices. Through your beliefs would be good. Through your words would be great. Through your actions would be awesome. But through your personal being – now that would be positively devastating.Not to mention remarkable, since 90% of the world teaches through the first three approaches. My best suggestion for doing so is to write, memorialize, revisit and embody the living document known as your Personal Constitution.
5. Pry your life out of the jaws of average. There’s pervasive pressure to embrace mediocrity. For the love of God, don’t give in. Wage a war against boringness. Violently refuse to become a follower of the common ways of the mediocre masses. Instead, joyfully and loudly occupy the margins.As Seth Godin explained in an interview with Selling Power, “Mediocrity is for losers. The big win is when you refuse to settle for average and you say I’m going to give up 90% of the opportunities.” Are you vanilla?
6.  Be a person of consequence. This reminds me of a gorgeous song by Jose Gonzalez called Cycling Trivialities: “Don't know which way to turn, every trifle becoming big concerns. All this time you were chasing dreams, without knowing what you wanted them to mean.” Do you know someone like that? A person with no apparent goals or dreams? I bet you do. And I bet they don’t matter. Ouch. Your challenge is to continually ask yourself this question: Are the ideas, issues and problems I’m dedicating my time to trivialities or substantialities?
7. Be of duty and destiny. You’ve been given a divine assignment. A mandate. A job to do. And your mission is to find the small corner of the universe that is yours to transform – touch it – and then set it free. It’s like Paulo Coelho said in The Alchemist: “Follow your personal legend and the world will conspire to help you attain it.” People who do that matter. Why are you?
8. Be a relevant, noticeable shaper. I recently read a 2006 article from Business 2.0 Magazine called, “50 People That Matter Right Now.” What I find telling, however, isn’t the people on the list – but the people who wrote the list. In a sidebar, the editors reported the following:“The names presented here weren't selected on the basis of fame, net worth, or the accomplishments of yesteryear. Instead, our goal was to identify people whose ideas, products, and business insights are changing the world we live in today. Those who are reshaping our future by inventing important new technologies, exploiting emerging opportunities, or throwing their weight around in ways that are sure to make everyone else take notice. In assembling this list, we emphasized one key question: What have you done for us lately? We also considered its important corollary: What will you do for us tomorrow?” What are you shaping?
9. Success isn’t the end. I learned this lesson from Um Hong-Gil. By the time he was forty, Um was the first South Korean to reach the summit of all fourteen eight thousand meter peaks in the world. In March of 2010, I had the honor of sharing the stage with Um during last week's MDRT Conference in Seoul.“Success isn’t the end,” he said in front of four thousand people. Wow. Coming from a guy who lost dozens of climbing colleagues – not to mention three frostbitten toes – that message certainly struck a nerve. It reminds of what Seth Godin (also) mentioned in the aforementioned interview:“Life is like skiing: The goal is not to get to the bottom of the hill, the goal is to have a lot of great runs before sunset.” When it comes to success, are you a repeat offender?

REMEMBER: Nobody said mattering would be easy. 

That’s probably why not everybody does it. Like Tom Hanks said in A League of Their Own, “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard everybody would do it. It’s the hard that makes it great.” 

LET ME ASK YA THIS… Do you matter?

 Wow. Do I believe I matter?Because when I truly believe I hold significance in the world around me, I will change the world around me.