Just do it.

Psalm 118:22-23 The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD'S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

People tell us slow and steady wins the race. Our parents teach us that being popular doesn't really matter, but what it boils down to, we all want to be accepted.

The truth is, God has already accepted us. The world won't be accept us unless we're like them, but that's not who we are at our best.

Jesus, I mean, what was there to like about him? He was homeless, not attractive, probably smelly, big-time rebel. He was born in a barn!!! How many people do you know that were born next to a cow? No revolutionary hippie would could be that awesome unless he was of God, God's son actually. The point is, even when the world rejects YOU, when they see God in you, they'll like it.

Okay, so besides that, and maybe John Wesley's dorky group called "The Holy Club," I can't give an example that you don't already see daily. When you look around you see it everywhere. So don't worry about what others think, just do the right thing.

Thanks, Facebook

"Work; Many people who like Church like this."

Suggestion made by Facebook.
I'm gonna think and let think about this.

No Nonsense

Don't give me idle games,
Don't give me chats filled with nonsense.
They may lift my heart momentarily,
But they can not cure my soul.
Just give me Jesus,
Straight up Jesus.

I'm worn and I'm tired,
This is my refuge.
Fill me back up again.
I don't want food,
I don't want drink.
Just give me Jesus,
Straight up Jesus.

I don't want to talk,
I want to do.
I want to help,
I want to serve.
Just give me Jesus,
Straight up Jesus.

I'm busy,
I have no time.
Fill me right now,
skip all the play.
Just give me Jesus,
Straight up Jesus.


We are young,
But we aren't all new.
You've shown us the Light,
And we love to see it shine.
Don't bring it a shadow,
We want the full effect.
Just give us Jesus.

Pope Man and Pigs

Carly is the girl who likes pigs. This is probably one of the things I'm best known for by Glen Rose High School. I draw them a lot. I talk about them a lot. I carry around toy pigs in my backpack. I make pig faces. Animal Farm is one of my favorite books. Spirit days at school? I've got my pigs. To this high school bubble, I am pig girl.

This whole thing is pretty ridiculous. I traced back the origin of this bacon explosion back to one boy, Trey Sexton, aka the Pope Man. Anybody who knows Trey, knows that he can be a ham. When he first got old enough to come to youth, as is now, was always an entertainer. My group of friends would sit by him during snack supper, because there was no telling what he would do. Our favorite was hid pencil topper pig, that would appear on the table, in drinks, buried in nacho cheese. This was a weekly occurrence. Naturally, when I found toy pigs at World Market, I joined in this great fun. Thus begins this saga of pigs.

That began the sty of pig-related issues I now find myself wallowing in daily. I look back and see that as the main cause. But when I look back further, pigs have always been there. One of my favorite movies was Babe, and Squealer the pig? My favorite Beanie Baby. What kind of animals did I feed on mission trip? Pigs (one we named Gimpy.) And of course, a plate of Bacon was always the thing to eat for breakfast.

The potential for something is always there, but sometimes we need that extra push to get started. Who has pushed you?

Disciple Bible Study Guy

Our youth group has been doing Disciple Bible Study this summer. This study can be pretty intense, and since its our youth doing it, we've got an interesting perspective on a lot of stuff. The guy in the video for example.
I come in late on Wednesday after I get off work. Usually the video clip we watch has already been seen and we're already into a discussion about Saul or Paul or what the color of the flames are in the Methodist cross (it's "PMS red" if you didn't know.) When I got there today I got to experience DBS guy. He looked like he was out of the 90s, had eyes that might scare you, and his torso rarely moved. He spoke as if he was narrating the history channel, and was shot from many awkward camera angles. As I saw this, I couldn't help but laugh. I tried to keep it in, but that didn't work out. The stuff this DBS guy was telling me was legitimate, but it was hard to get past all the weirdness so I could really hear him.

Okay, I'm not that shallow, I exaggerated a bit. But how important is it how Jesus is delivered to us? Certainly it is not the clothing or outward appearance, Jesus wiped down those barriers Himself. But when we don't deliver Jesus to people in a way its relevant to them, they're likely to miss the point. Maybe that's why Jesus came as common folk, so it would be relevant and we could understand Him better.

Task vs. Purpose

This summer on mission trip, the pastor from our host church gave us a little spill over task vs. purpose.
"Your task may be to build a wheelchair ramp, but your purpose is to spread God's love."
This didn't mean a whole lot to me at that moment, but it has stuck in my mind the whole summer.

When the youth are asked what we did on mission trip, we'll respond something like "painted a 42-story building." And when people ask how the trip was, the typical answer is "fun! Great!" Uh, those two don't really mix.

The rewards of purpose fills the heart much more than task.

When the purpose is seen the sight of task becomes numb. We complete the task, whatever it may be with purpose, so that it is done with our whole heart, not working of men, but God.

When we strive to be a servant, we are giving all we have, and depending upon the grace of God to get us through. Then we do not worry what we will eat or drink, or wonder where we will find rest, because we see the greater purpose of it all.
When we don't act as a servant, and we lead by our own account, being dependent upon ourselves as we "just get by" with our tasks. If this worked then Christ dies in vain.

Pollutants

I've heard this lesson a million times, you have too. But yet there is something so powerful in the Holy Spirit that it can take something you've heard before and present it to you in new eyes, with new ears, because His truth does not fade away or become complacent. What I heard at reflection tonight were the same stories I've heard all summer, but yet they bring a new meaning each time. With that said, here it goes...

The world isn't cool with what I have. I worry about this too much. The world keeps changing, and I try to change with it. If I can understand it, I can fix it, right? It's a lame excuse, but I use it. I change my appearance to be closer to the world, but that means I've conformed.It is true, in fact, that the world does not, and will not ever love me.

But I am not made of this world... So the yucky stuff, all that garbage, doesn't have to pertain to me. Because God don't make no junk. I am not made from imperfections. I am called to be set apart because I am of God. And God made me without the bad stuff, God made me like Him, He made me "good."

Because I am made of God and not the world, I am called to be different. I am called to be the good that He has made me. Called to be set apart, because I am an alien in a foreign land. I should let God's light shine through me to others so they can see Him too. I should be a lighthouse, just letting His light shine through me, to what should be His world.

I should forget about how the world has shaped me to fit in with them, because its all junk. I need to go back to the core of who I am, the part made out of love, the part that God intended me to be.

Call me weird, its true. The world is not cool with what I have, because it doesn't belong to them. I would, however, be inclined to share....

Why Jesus Didn't Bring a Slingshot

"How would it be different if Jesus had come as a military leader?"

This question was asked during our Disciple Bible Study lesson tonight, and it caused our youth group to get pretty loud. No one was angry or anything, but it was a pretty interesting topic. One youth said that wars would probably have stopped, and the government would get more involved in helping people. That was something I never thought of, and that definitely seems like something Jesus would try to do if He had come as a military leader. However Jesus came as a servant, and when we fit the whole picture together, this piece makes everything a whole lot better.

No one likes a bossy person. We've all been around those people who are in charge and think they know what they're doing, when then really don't. These are the people who no one listens to, and that don't always make the impact they intend to. This is not true leadership.

True leadership is servant hood. Its been said may times before, but it still rings true. Someone I respect a lot is one of my bosses at work, Karen. She has shown me what it means to be a true leader, a servant leader. There is never a time in the kitchen where I see her making idle use of her time. She does not boss others around, but does the dirty work others don't want to do. And when others don't do their job, she does not yell, but shows patience. Her attitude and humbleness are qualities to be admired, and something I can't sum up in this post.

My point is this; people like Karen, and people listen to Karen. They do this not because she is their boss, but because they respect her. They trust her because she has done the same chores that she asks of them, and she knows what it feels like to do them.

If Jesus had come as a military leader, who would listen? We are called to be like Christ, and if we all acted like military leaders the world could not function, it would make no progress. What if we all acted as servants? The reality is we are called to be servants, therefore Christ has set the example so we may be sure of it.

Do I make sense? Or am I drowning in the deep abyss of Blogspot?

A Prayer for Grace

Let the grace of God overcome you,
let it overflow you.
May the actions you make,
the words you say,
the thoughts you have disappear.
Allow the grace of God to be bestowed open you,
and accept it willingly
so that the actions you make,
the words you say,
and the thoughts you have
no longer be your own but Thine.

Allow the grace to flood you,
to sink down, seeping into your very core,
the heart of your person,
and be pumped out and have a new life in you.
A new life that is made perfect from the grace you have opened up to,
and a foundation of perfect love.

Why are we waiting? Lord, prepare us for this gift that we may openly recieve it.
Amen.

A Possible Source for Missiontripitus

"Don't believe in God, put your faith in Him." -Johnny Brower

"Faith without works is dead" -James 2:17

This time a month ago, I had just departed on my favorite week of the year. Most of you know this about me, I suffer from missiontripitus. I just can't get me enough of it. God has shown me only a shallow pool of His grace, love and depth on these mission trips as I continually seek Him and He answers. I doubt and He assures me. I am hungry and He feeds me. I am lacking and His grace overflows my cup. And all the while I am the one that's supposed to be doing the work? I get so pumped up and my life is changed, every year.

"Have you noticed that when God speaks, things happen? Check out Genesis... it is the same way with us. When God speaks to us we can't help but be changed." These were words spoken tonight at worship. One month after mission trip, a mission trip that had redefined who I was. Yesterday a friend posted something on Facebook about the scars and cuts from mission trip beginning to finally fade away and how sad it was, as she would miss mission trip. It made me realize I was beginning to miss mission trip too, and today I thought hard about exactly why I was.
Faith without works is dead. I didn't just believe in God during mission trip, I put my faith in Him. I was changed, I was redefined. But faith without works is dead. As I write this I've just stumbled upon a blog that vividly reminded me that there are still people out there hurting. There are still children going hungry. There is still an elderly that is living in horrid conditions because they have no money to fix a broken house. There are still those who live on the streets selling their bodies, those people whose existence thrives only on taking drugs. I feel guilty sitting here typing this while this happens so close to me. Since mission trip what have I done? Was I just fired up for no reason? Because I certainly feel like I have not filled out my call as a Christian to be in mission with these people.

(Good thing there is grace.)

I've shared the word since I've gotten back. I've volunteered with campers, I've written youth lessons, I've tried to do good and it is my prayer that I've maybe even compelled someone else to do good. But I feel I haven't DONE anything risk-taking that put me out of my comfort zone. Merely talking about the poor doesn't help. As my friend Jimbob says something like, "our apathy doesn't help, it gives them no food nor clothing. But our love and actions will." I want to DO something.

I prayed as I left mission trip that the mission would not be ending, but merely a jump start. One month later, I believe I'm getting closer to reaching that. I just hope it doesn't take all year. I feel ashamed by my actions (not really doing anything,) but also at a loss for ideas. What do I do? Where am I supposed to find this place to help that can meet the world's desperate needs with my passion and ability? What is my ability? Does have something to do with my call? Where does all this jumbled mess fit with where I am, what I'm doing, and how? Seriously, help me out here.

Carpet Talk.

So, a year or so ago our church renovated the sanctuary. The old one was about 50 years old and wasn't up-to-date or always functioning properly. The new sanctuary is beautiful, and naturally people want to keep it that way.


I definitely agree with that. As stewards we should take care of what we have. But when that begins to take priority over the true mission of the church, that's a little ridiculous.

When you go to church, there's always that awkward walk from your car to the greeters. You're walking down the sidewalk, staring straight at the ushers and greeters, trying not to trip. You can be an early-talker, and strike up a nice little conversation before you reach the steps, but then you run the risk of running out of things to say, therefore walking up the stairs without anything left to say. You could also be a stairs-talker. That way, you keep a nice conversation going with the ushers until you get all the way into the building. However, while you make that walk up to the side walk you have to pretend to make a conversation with your family, step on pecans, maybe eat a few or you can just walk with your head down like you're on a mission.



This is awkward for me, and I've gone to the same church for all my life! Maybe some people have mastered the walk...but I just go through the side door now.



Now imagine if you had to do this on your first time to a church. Super awkward, right? People come to the church empty and in desperate need of love. They put themselves in a vulnerable position just coming to church. That may sound weird, but it takes a lot of guts to show up at a church by yourself. Now imagine, it being your first time at church, and on your way up the steps you see numerous signs, bluntly stating,

"PLEASE NO FOOD OR DRINK IN THE SANCTUARY, BOTTLED WATER IS OK."

How would that make you feel, the first thing you saw as you came to a church. Not only do you have to deal with your first time going to a church, but now worrying about if if you acceptable to these people! It made me not even want to go to church when I saw these signs? I'm the girl who got a prize if she didn't cry all day in kindergarten, so I'd say I'm pretty sensitive.

When people come to the church, they want to be loved. They do not want to be judged or critiqued. We can all agree on that, but it's hard to put into practice. We get so distracted by other church priorities, such as keeping the carpet clean, making sure everyone had their name tags or memorizing John Wesley quotes that we can forget the core, and what should be our one priority as a church; to love as God loves.

I'm definitely not saying we should let people bring giant tubs of popcorn and let them grind it into our new carpet, just to make that clear. I do say though, that I'd rather have a spilled (pineapple) soda on the carpet if it's gonna mean someone will feel loved enough to come back to our church and grow a relationship with God.

What do ya think?