this week has been a fun busy one and i have lots of thoughts but no time to post... i am just so glad to be His very precious daughter, Holy and beloved because of what He alone has given. All that just to say this weekend can only get better because I am going to AUBURN. so

WAR EAGLE, HEY!!!!!!

I just finished Blue Like Jazz and here are some things that really resonated with me from the chapter on worship- what an incredible book! I tried to hold off b/c everyone was reading it but now i see why: Here's some more Donald Miller for ya:

"I love how the Gospels start, with John the Baptist eating bugs and baptizing people. The religious people started getting baptized because it had become popular, and John yells at them and calls them snakes. He says the water won't do anything for them, it will only get their snakeskins wet. But if they meant it, if they had faith that Jesus was coming and was real, then Jesus would ignite the kingdom life within them. I love that because for so long religion was my false gospel. But there was no magic in it, no wonder, no awe, no kingdom life burning in my chest. And when I get tempted by that same stupid Christian religion, I go back to the beginning of the Gospels and am comforted that there is something more than the emptiness of ritual. God will ignite the kingdom life within me, the Bible says. That's mysticism. It isn't a formula that I am figuring out. It is something God does."

(Yeah, lets forget the routine and ask God what He would have us do! Blind faith! Isn't that what He asks? Not for the cold, comfortable, sure thing)


"...Too much of our time is spent trying to chart God on a grid and too little is spent allowing our hearts to feel awe. By reducing Christian spirituality to formula, we deprive our hearts of wonder."
(How about if we quit trying to figure out what He's doing and just focus on Him and surrender to the beautiful awe of Father!)



"When I think about the complexity of the Trinity the three-in-one God, my mind cannot understand, but my heart feels wonder in abundant satisfaction. It is as though my heart, in the midst of its euphoria is saying to my mind, There are things you cannot understand, and you must learn to live with this. NOt only must you learn to live with this, you must learn to enjoy this."

"At the end of the day, when I am lying in bed and I know the chances of any of our theology being exactly right are a million to one, I need to know that God has things figured out, that if my math is wrong we are still going to be okay. And wonder is that feeling we get when we let go of our silly answers, our mapped out rules that we want God to folllow.
I don't think there is any better worship than wonder."

(I agree with Mister Donald Miller... it would be hard to worship something that we had all figured out ... then it should worship us! Hm. He's trustworthy and greater than we can even begin to imagine.)

thank the Lord for a great game... an awesome last few minutes and friends to scream and celebrate with. how exciting! but there's nothing like being there right in the Middle of a good game! There's nothing like coming back after you've graduated and feeling the A.U. pride well up.

There's nothing like knowing, experiencing, and being right smack dab in the MIDDLE of a movement of people all passionate and in love with the same purpose, united to accomplish one goal. And isn't it funny how are are "working" so hard to achieve results and yet we have no control over what happens. (and no, i'm not really talking about football anymore, but I could be...) We even may make a total fool of ourselves, painting ourselves a color that shows we're for the best team, wearing and saying what we should... and when you win, what abundant joy and fellowship there is...

And when you lose...

If you are an Auburn fan, hopefully this doesn't determine your loyalty. Because Auburn is bigger and better than just football- than the tangible side that the TV flaunts. It's a place, it's a people, it's a spirit. It's a community that has spread worldwide. Nothing is cooler than seeing a shirt in a city far away... I know some have seen one in other countries. It happens and it instantly perks up your spirit and your excitement. Auburn is something special.

Jesus is special-er.

He's special-est.

He's bigger than the church building, than the musicians who represent Him, than the meetings in His name. He is all powerful. He is moving. We can't Him but we see the effects of Him. Jesus in me stirs up the Jesus and you and vice-versa. It's one thing to sit back and watch and celebrate what He's doing but it's another to be right smack dab in the middle.

I wanna be a part! I wanna be connected to the body of believers that shares the same passion that I have and connected to the body that hears his heartbeat and is driven by His Spirit alone. He is something special and unique that evokes irrepressible joy that we can't describe or contain.

May we all get excited about moving with Him as He stirs our hearts to love and live in Him like never before. And may we welcome the flow of His powerful life through us to do it as we die to our own efforts. I want Him to do it. He wins every time.

I think Jesus could quite possibly be a loyal Auburn fan. He's got Spirit. :) I know he'll be hearing lots of prayers from Jordan Hare a week from today! And in His mercy, let it be so...

Gosh, He is so much bigger than a game... just imagine what it would be like for a stadium full to be gathered in His honor ... well someday soon every knee on heaven and earth will bow and I cannot wait to be part of it... something Huge for Someone who deserves our lives.

War Eagle and
Go in Grace!!