Pedal to the Metal (medal? hah, almost wrote that)

I haven't slept much. I mean...the Chacos I wore to the shower that I took before I went to bed last night were still wet when I got up (later) this morning...Why am I so excited for the day? Why am I so pumped for the week slash excited to get on with the day?? (well, maybe cause I don't have any more tests) I dunno, because this is the day the LORD has made so I will rejoice and be glad in it. If anyone thinks that I don't mean that or am hyped up on caffeine, you're wrong and you would know it if you saw me right now. (If you're not a morning person you would probably take my life). God made coffee tho, and for some people it helps them better do His work, but at this stage in my life, I do not plan on ever needing the artificial energy boost/joy supplement but will gladly accept it if the occasion arises.


Anyway, off of this little sleep it has blown my mind how uniquely awe-some each day is. Well, for starters lets get you caught up w/ the week:

-I did well on my Tai Chi midterm yesterday=I don't have to go to that class the rest of the week
- Yesterday was spent in constant motion, but it worked out so that I was always on time to things until finally at the end when I showed up 6mins late to staff meeting (suck)
- I had a BLAST celebrating Abby's birthday last night and watching my Vikings finally strut their stuff on offense AND defense (The Pack did show up to play tho Abby)
- I ate way too much homemade ice cream, and cake balls while enjoying afore mentioned football game (and am repenting for that. Too much=ok: way too much= not what God designed ice cream for)
- I stayed up late doing rounds with Coach, and started a lab write up that I'll have done by 5:3p today.

Ok, so pretty great week so far wouldn't you agree? Good, well as I said, yesterday bled into today, but even tho it took a good ten mins to feel alive this morning I have just been under a barrage of realizations about my life, and life in general. (mmm Life- I want a bowl right now...no, actually I'm still full from all that ice cream, maybe an apple...)

This morning has been significant and different than most recent mornings 1) because it started a little earlier and 2) because God has just been at work in my life in a huge way already and that is scary mostly because it just seems too early for so many huge things to be dumped on someone at once. Here's what I'm going through:

I prayed last night that God would get me up on His time, that it be his will that I pursue in the morning, and that, that will would include going to Cassie's 6:15a cycle (spinning) class (so I could work off that ice cream). I knew it was gonna be an early morning though. This resulted in me waking up at 4:45a (perfect amount of time to study before (finally) getting a solid workout in that would hopefully magically turn me into Robert Griffin (w/good ACLs) for flag football intramurals that start Wed. BUTT before I could get to that workout(Robbie G -- you'll have to wait) God surprised me again by picking me up twirling me like a Globetrotter's basketball, and slam dunking me into the Truth like fried okra into gravy at Bush's on half priced Sundays (too much simile?? OK, I'll tone it down) and you outside of waco probably don't get that anyway...sorry. ANyway, At least since school started I've been wanting to get into Isaiah (which means YAHWEH is salvation...pretty cool name)

Today was my third day dealing w/ this and I think it will play a small part in determining my week/life in general. I would suggest this book to you, but only if you desire to be kicked in the face with some hard to grapple with truths (which I will pray you do desire and enJOY receiving). So today I was following up yesterday's amazing face stomping with the end of ch. 1 (I couldn't take it ok??) So bear w/ me I'll give you the high points.

In verse 21 it says, "How the faithful city has become a whore, she who was full of justice." Ouch...WTH!? How is this possible?? Are you shocked with me? Like, this wasn't the "at risk city" this wasn't the city that came from a struggling home, or was genetically predisposed, this was the faithful city that was the whore. Crazy...this got my attention right away I guess, because if anything I usually would think of myself as the faithful city...not today.

"Everyone loves a bribe" (v. 23). Booya! Now tell me the Bible isn't true! Hah, from the age of zero I have loved a bribe. Ok, so aside from "positive reinforcement" how did this apply to them (Israel) and to me? Well, yesterday I read about how sick God was of the hearts of His people b/c they kept bringing these bloody sacrifices to him thinking that it would "win him over" or make him judge them favorably (probably b/c that was what all their polytheistic friends were doing....) nahhh, whoever is around you doesn't have an impact on who you are- you're your own person! (catch the sarcasm) Anyway, Israel was trying to manipulate God w/ sacrifices... butte thankfully I have never tried to manipulate God.... ...(I was gonna write something else, but I think dots are more appropriate as I am just thinking of all the things I catch myself doing that have motives to "manipulate," if you will,-- God)....

Skipping over some good stuff so you don't quit reading, the real kicker for me this morning was in verse 29, "For you will be ashamed of the oaks that you desired; and you shall blush for the gardens that you have chosen." WHAAT?? Now, in this context, the only thing I could relate to oaks was something I learned in the BIC freshman year about Gilgamesh and some amazing cedar forest they worshipped so I knew that must have been complete garbage if it came from the BIC (haha jk, HOLLA) Either way I was at a loss until I read this in the notes of my sweet ESV study Bible, "the oaks...the gardens [Suggests] pagan, and probably Caananite, rites of worship (57:5, 65:3, 66:17) mixed into the life of God's own people."



Then it made sense. I don't have a problem worshipping trees (although I am more Granola than a lot of people in TX), but I wrote in the journal I keep about my time with God, "+What is mixed into my life? How are these the same?" Mmm good question I think. Then I went on:

"+I will be ashamed of my pursuit for grades/knowledge/even wisdom because they will look pathetic compared to the Lord's.
+ I will be ashamed of all the girls I desired in my past and future because they will look pathetic to the one God has laid out for me (not necessarily Cassie... it's true...) but more so, the "love" I could ever feel to anyone will look utterly pathetic compared to God's love for me specifically and ALL humanity. So if I worship/focus my strength on love alone, I will be embarrassed.
+I will blush for ever wanting to devote time just to make my body look better, 1) when I'm old I will be embarrassed (but I can't wait to get my old man strength) and 2) when I
receive the perfect body that I spend ETERNITY in, I will be embarrassed that I wasted so much time on earth for such a flawed, fleshly body."

Yea, so that was directly out of my journal, there is more on this passage as a whole, especially v. 28 and others, so read it and comment back to me about it and how God used it in your life, that, would be great. Otherwise, these last two questions were written in my journal that apply to more than just me:

+ Are we, as Christians (others, this doesn't apply) going to be ashamed of secular things that have crept into our worship? (I'm not talkin drumsets, think deeper)

"+ I'm thinking: Are we going to be ashamed some day of giving money to things that entertain/ comfort us w/o any thought of what God could do/ would do w/ that money? + Are we going to blush because we dedicated our time to things like football that we can devote a solid two hours to on Mon, Thur, Fri, Sat, and Sun instead of devoting more than two hours a WEEK to the work of God's kingdom? (Oh, I forgot about fantasy teams...that's more time)"

Feelin' where I'm coming from? I mean, you know where I'm coming from. It's the football capital of the World, no one takes football more seriously than Texans (and if you do, shame on you). But, I mean, I mentioned football at the beginning of this post...TWICE... so does that contradict what those questions may have implied to you?? No, because one thing going to football games has taught me is that I should be -not equally- MORE excited about Jesus than I am about football. And I can show that excitement the same way as I do at football games, with cheering, and smiles, and high-fives, and cries of anguish/unbelief at what I'm seeing/hearing, amen?

Mainly what I've learned about football in my life is that I want to live a life SO CONSISTENT that the same excitement and way I live at football games should mimic my life while at church/around church friends and vice versa. (Yes I wear a shirt at church, but if people wanted to stay for a church service, outside, in the pouring rain, I would feel completely comfortable taking my shirt off and praising JESUS with all my heart and not all my clothes.) Amen? Ok, wow, that really took off and went somewhere I was not planning, but I'll proofread it and make sure there is nothing in there I would disagree with, so you can let me know what you think. Wrestle with some things with God this week, maybe ask yourself, "what are you going to be ashamed of?" Change them.