just between us...

so, if you're not at newpointe here's an update. two weeks ago we started a series called one month to live that challenges us all to live like we were dying. well, today a pretty cool thing happened...

someone loved me and spoke into my life. they said things that were deep, vulnerable, and open - as if they were dying. the time they carved out for me was a sacrifice. the things they said were encouraging. they told me how they felt about me.

have you ever been loved like that? humbling - to say the least.

yeah, i have a commute now. i moved to phila this weekend, so now i drive 13 minutes to work instead of 45 seconds. honestly, i enjoy the commute. gives me time to think and get my brain wrapped around my day.

my commute thoughts today were about answered prayers. check this out.

1. prayed for traveling opportunities - internship in australia.
2. prayed god would take me to an awesome job - i work at newpointe
3. prayed god would give me good people around me - great friend/mentor, small group guys, older sister
4. prayed for a vehicle (always wanted a wrangler) - god gave me a very cheap, reliable jeep liberty
5. prayed god would give me a space to be hospitable - moved into a huge house this weekend, no rent - just bills to pay! (and to top it off i have cable and wireless...)


so, honestly, my life doesn't look anything like what i envisioned, but it is awesome to see how god provided these things for me over the past year...amazing.

more than you can even ask or imagine...

i read this today...

"i'll never have to forgive anyone more than christ has forgiven me."

wow, that's huge. i mean, when you look at life like this it should push away any piece of bitterness, any hint of "wall building", any hurt feeling.

colossians 3:13 says, "get along with each other, and forgive each other. if someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the lord forgave you."

that's how we should be living...even if we have more than one month to live.

this morning dave d, kevin, and i held our first volunteer training together. it went really well...

the theme for this year is called "start something epic..." we got some handy cinch packs and water bottles, so if you see them around it's student ministy people.

it was really good to get our volunteers together, and since we've had a bunch of new HSM volunteers as of late, it was good to introduce everyone to each other.

dave and kevin knocked it out of the park with their talk on what makes an epic story and how we can coach students to make their stories epic. also, when working with students it's important to make sure there is an epic story going on inside of your heart too. challenging.

i, of course, was the host/game guy - and i had a ton of fun.

we ended the morning with communion as a group. it was just a good time to get together, hang out, talk student ministry, and take in some teaching. good morning.

i'm sitting in a coffee shop this morning.

there is a mentally handicapped man sitting in front of me talking very loudly. at first his loudness took me by surprise, but turned into something beautiful - something i needed to hear. eddie was sitting there alone, then one of his friends walked in and started talking about the sickness he's been dealing with. they chatted - loudly - for a few minutes about how he was feeling and how he's missed going to church. all of the sudden something happened. at the top of their lungs they broke out in song in the middle of the coffee shop. it almost sounded planned.

"leaning...leaning...leaning on the everlasting arms!"

eddie was sitting in his seat waving his cane like a conductor - his friend the orchestra. their music not beautiful to the ears, but most definitely beautiful to the soul.

eddie - whoever you are - thanks for the reminder.

ephesians 5:1-2 (the message)

watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. mostly what god does is love you. keep company with him and learn a life of love. observe how christ loved us. his love was not cautious but extravagant. he didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. love like that!


something i'm learning lately...

our love as humans is cautious. here's what we ( I ) do. we love people cautiously. what does this mean? well, lately this has meant i haven't been giving people closest to me the benefit of the doubt. i haven't been assuming the best of them. i haven't had their best interest in mind. i have been building up walls based on assumptions, not facts. not good.

when you think about what christ did for us - killed his son - that should make you love even more. just like the verse says - watch and learn what God did and do it. if you'll just keep company and spend time with God he'll teach you how to love people around you better. he'll teach you how to love those closest to you with an extravagant love that is untypical. he'll show you how you can love not expecting anything but to give everything of yourself to the ones you love.

that's how we should love.

love without caution.