Being Crazy

I love this so much I am just going to quote it for you all. From The Irresistable Revolution by: Shane Claiborne (have you ordered this book yet?... do it).
"If we are crazy, then it is because we refuse to be crazy in the same way that the world has gone crazy. What's crazy is a matter of perspective. After all, what is crazier: one person owning the same amount of money as the combined economies of twenty-three countries, or suggesting that if we shared, there would be enough for everyone? What's crazier: spending billions of dollars on a defense shield, or suggesting that we share our billions of dollars so we don't need a defense shield? What is crazier: maintaining arms contracts with 154 countries while asking the world to disarm its weapons of mass destruction, or suggesting that we lead the world in disarmament by refusing to deal weapons with over half of the world and by emptying the world's largest stockpile here at home? What's crazy is that the US, less than 6 percent of the world's population, consumes nearly half of the world's resources, and that the average American consumes as much as 520 Ethiopians do, while obesity is declared a 'national health crisis.' Someday war and poverty will be crazy, and we will wonder how the world allowed such things to exist. Some of us have just caught a glimpse of the beauty of the promised land, and it is so dazzling that our eyes are forever fixed on it, never to look back at the ways of that old empire again."

Everything in me screams a resounding 'AMEN!' at this. I have been really challenged to actively stand for justice because when I am not doing that I am standing for injustice and promoting the things that Jesus came to destroy. People thought Jesus was pretty crazy too -- maybe it's about time people started questioning our sanity.

Thought for the Day...

Hey guys... lots to say... lots going on... but gotta take it one chunk at a time.

So, in Matthew 5 it talks about "Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom" and then just a few verses latter in Matthew 6 it says "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you."

I'd never made the correlation about the kingdom in these 2 verses until this weekend. The kingdom belongs to the poor and we are commanded to seek the Kingdom of God... where are we guaranteed to find this kingdom? With the poor. Seems pretty clear -- let's be active seekers today and just maybe we might meet Jesus in 'the least of these.'

The Spring Break Post

Well... Spring Break is pretty much officially over since I just spent the last 3 hours at the library. booooo! But it was REALLY fun, it was a great break for me.
Want to process some of the things the Lord has been teaching me, but first I'll give you guys the brief haps of the week.
So, Went to H-town, got to hang out with the married Bertrands, that was fun! Spent some good time with my dad and step mom too. Went to Corpus and got to share at my home church and felt really supported and encouraged by that fellowship. Missy came to Corpus for the first time ever! It was really fun to have her there, we went for a walk along the beach, went to the lake and played on the jet skies, went to my friend Sarah's ranch and hung out, ate some REAL mexican food -- good times with the Jones.
Then, my home church college group was doing beach reach where we go out to the beach and give out water to the crazy, mostly naked people (and the not so naked ones too) and get to share about Jesus. It was REALLY fun! We played volleyball (I have the bruises to prove it) and got to talk to a lot of people and pray with some of them. My friend Tunde who is fron Nigeria but we met in Turkey came to Corpus with his brother to hang out for the day! So, lots of fun and sun -- I might have been at the beach for 6 hours without putting sun screen on. I know! STUPID! So, still recovering from massive sunburn. It was really fun though and met some REALLY cool people who I am so excited to see at FBC Corpus.
In other news, got my ultrasound done and I am happy to report that I have a non-septated uterus, or in otherwords it is normal. (can you say these things via-blog?) well.... just did, so there. They said I had a cyst on my left ovary but its not a big deal.
Well... that was about all the eventfulness I can handle, so onto things being learned:
Been reading this book The Irresistable Revolution by: Shane Claiborne. Can I just tell you that this book is rocking my world like it hasn't been rocked since John Piper my freshman year?! Seriously, read this book. So, there is a lot in here, might have to dedicate a whole post to it. But off the top of my head it has been challenging me to take Jesus more seriously. I guess I thought I knew that already, but reading about someone who took him seriously enough to call up Mother Teresa and ask to work with her and then move to Calcutta for a few months to learn from her about loving the poor. And then this dude went to Iraq right before war was decalared and Baghdad was bombed -- he was there for that just to be a messenger of the Gospel and to speak peace and love in the name of Jesus. These things seem so unreal and radical and yet it is just simple obedience to the commands of Jesus.
What happpened to the Church? When did we quit taking Jesus seriously? What a tragedy to see just a glimpse of what we are missing out on because we don't trust God to provide should we actually step out 'in faith' and be obedient. I mean what would it look like to quit reading lots of books about other people who obedyed and just read the bible and do what it says? This should not be a revolutionary idea.
Also, been thinking a lot about social issues -- this has been an ongoing thing for me to wrestle with and just want to share some quotes with you that MUCH better articulate my thoughts...
"Don't teach me about government and politics, just tell me who to vote for." -Derek Webb, from the song "New Law" also "Don't teach me about moderation or discipline, I prefer a shot of grape juice." Basically, as the Church we should be the first responding to these social issues not necessarily depending on our governement to do so, but seeing as how our government has a lot of control over these things we should be active and knowledgable about what is going on in the world. Anyway, I have a lot of room to grow here and it is good for me to really think about these things instead of relying on 'new laws'.
"May we stand by those who face the impending wrath of the empire and whisper,'God loves you, I love you, and if my country bombs your country, I will be right here with you.' Otherwise, our gospel has little integrity. As one of the saints said, 'If they come for the innocent and do not pass over our bodies, then cursed be our religion.'" -Shane Claiborne
Ahhhh! If we read these things and think that there is a shred of truth in them then doesn't it logically follow that we must live our lives differently? It is funny how 'living differently' progressively means different things for my life.
Well, more to come later -- just want to update you for now.

AWOL

Hey kiddos...
So, I really am committed to this whole -- let's keep posting so we can stay connected with one another thing, however, about to head to Corpus for the rest of the break (I am in H-town now) and my mom has one of those computers that is bigger than my car and takes 3 days to turn on. (notice the use of hyperbole there) So, won't be able to make my 3 post this week quota or keep you posted on next week. So -- I'll make up for it later... promise. I love you guys and hope you have great spring breaks (those of you who have not yet entered the 'real' world that is) loooooooooove and be praying for me as I speak at FBCCC tomorrow morning and meet with potential supporters, as well as trying to get all my medical stuff taken care of before my insurance runs out.

I just threatened my dad that I was going to put a picture of him on my blog... so now I have to do it because I've been learning about discipline and if you threaten something you have to do it otherwise the discipline doesn't work.... so here is my dad in England right before they knighted him for saving the queen from an unruly mob of ___________ (insert scary thing here) my personal favorite is sceaming, teenage girls. Now he has one of those outfits like that guy on the horse and big golden sceptor. Really... I don't know the story behind this picture, but that would have been cool huh?

from a cubby..

Well -- I am hiding in a cubby right now at the library... you know the ones with the weird wavy glass walls and doors and its like your own little private study (torture) chamber. That's where I am writing from tonight...

You may wonder why I feel the need to hide from the world, and really I guess it's kind of like how Jesus would withdrawal from the crowds except he went to be with God and I am going to be with myself and with my homework. Life has just been REAL crazy lately and as a natural extrovert and learned introvert (got this from Bobby, except he's the opposite) I sometimes have to hide from people or else I won't ever take the time that I know I need for myself. So, that's why I am hiding here -- and because I have 2 tests, a lab report, a methods paper, and a book to read in the next 2 days.

Life has been way too eventful for me lately -- here are the highlights and some of the just lights of the past few days.

So, yesterday realized that I didn't know what I was going to make for HG at about 5:00 so I just started mixing some stuff together in the kitchen and was going to make cookies when I ran out of flour... whoops... so just started adding oats and other absorbant things and turned it into a weird pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal cake -- it looked like... well, I'll refrain from expressions and just let you imagine. It was not the tastiest thing I've ever made -- sorry bout that one HG.
Then coming back from HG my car broke... it would start and everything was fine except it was stuck in park and wouldn't shift -- some air lock shifter blah blahty blah thing. Now, Ol Silver Bullet has been good to me and I plan to sell her this summer, but she has hit the 101,000 mile mark. Anyway called a tow truck waited like 2 hours, it came, they wouldn't tow it because it was already midnight, so made an appt for them to tow it in the morning. Then some guys (Jeff & Micah) decide to go mess with it some more and it magically shifts again and is like nothing ever happened --- cool. So, take it in today just to make sure nothing is terribly wrong and I can drive to H-town thursday. They're like 'we hooked up your car 15 times and there is nothing wrong with it!' And they didn't charge me, which was cool! So, my car got healed! sweet!
Didn't have a car so I ran back from class today, my apt is like a mileish from campus so my roommate dropped me off and I just didn't take anything to class except my ipod and after it was over I just ran on back to the apt. That was kind of funny.
Worked at Carenet today -- it was really hard. In meeting with these girls lately who have had TERRIBLE home lives and experienced so much abuse and violence in their lives I have been able to feel darkness like I haven't in a while. Its like this tangible, heaviness that just makes me shudder and feel real uneasy. It has been really cool though in a few of these situations specifically where I start praying or just telling them things that the Bible says are true and I can feel the power and virtue in the truth. Kind of like when that lady touched Jesus'garment and he knew power went out from Him. Light always wins!
I guess that's about it, oh yeah seriously dating this one guy -- 5 dates in 3 days kind of thing. ya know...
j/k, just trying to top Anna Beth -- she's hard to keep up with. =o) jk

Well -- back to the test review... and for the record -- cubbies are laaaaame.

Light of the WORLD

I feel I need to preface this with some of the events from this past week: I have been sharing a room with a 9 yr old boy from AB's school b/c he and his mom are homeless right now and she can't handle him sometimes. I went to a benefit concert for Africa last night and saw 'Invisible Children', I started volunteering at this day care for kids in a very poor neighborhood and got cussed out more than I ever have in my entire life by 5-6 year olds who think those words are normal conversation, I've been listening to J C's songs about Charity means Love all week, I saw a client at the preg center who had been sexually abused by both of her brothers and a sister, and going to a class about AIDS in South Africa .... God has been doing a lot in my heart through all of these things and it kind of just all came out last night in this...

Pain, Injustice, Suffering surrounds
like thick darkness weighing down around,
I am a light, and I WILL shine,
it is the nature of the darkness
to magnify the light to its very source.
So, what's the deal? Why the defeat coming,
creeping ever closer, threatning
to extinguish my flame?
I know it can't be quenched, the Spirit in me,
and yet right now I feel the depths of my soul
resound in an anguished cry for the orphans,
the invisible children, the impoverished, starving,
diseased, not just in the world, or even in my city,
but in my bedroom sleeping right next to me... 9 years old.
God, I see You -- You are not gone.
You are the widow, the abducted child, the weak, the mom
who can't care for her kids ... I see You.
But, what I don't see is the freedom, the hope
the life that You give. Jesus, be not far away
but run to the help of Your love tonight
because I can't rest warm in my bed while You are
on the streets. There's nothing else I can say
tonight Lord but cry to You Jesus... not with
requests even but with my entire soul groaning
before You on behalf of these.
I come into this darkness and beg You to shine.

"But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me." Micah7:7-8

Fun Day!

So ... I had a really fun day yesterday and just wanted to share it with y'all. So, class schmass blah blah it was cold so I skipped my last class and went home -- because I was cold? Yeah, not a good reason but it convinced me at the time. Then, went home and worked on Missy's birthday present. I painted her a picture and I am just counting on her not checking my blog before I go to Austin tonight to celebrate her birthday with her... so don't tell her.(it isn't finished yet -- hence the random white space, but it is almost done -- you can imagine with me.)



And then, I get a call from some friends who are exchange students this semester from Turkey and they told me they had a surprise for me and wanted me to come to the SUB. So, I went to the SUB with some guys that are also friends with these exhchange students and we're walking around looking for them, and when we find them they had set up a table in the sub and were giving away free pudding. They went to Dallas yesterday so that their friend's mom could make this special dessert from Turkey in honor of a holiday that is happening there right now celebrating Noah. So, they made this 'Noah's pudding' and gave it away for free in the SUB to whomever was brave enough to try it! It was SOOOOOOO CUTE! I mean, I was just amazed that they took the initiative to do something like this and share their culture and beliefs with Baylor and it was really cool to sit at the table with them giving this stuff out and talking about Turkey to the students at Baylor. So, the pudding was really good and it was just fun time with them.
So, then I went home and was just hanging out with roommates when these Turkish guys came over to give all of my roomates (all 8 of us) pudding. I noticed they were saving some and not giving it all away but I guessed they were just keeping it for themselves -- it was SO sweet of them.
Then, I went and babysat for Mission Waco. They had this lady named Mary Nelson who is over 80 and has done community organizing and worked towards ending poverty in inner city Chicago for YEARS. So, I got to have dinner with her just by chance because I was seated by her and she is SO amazing, it was really cool to talk with her about ending poverty and ways to make that reality. Then babysat for some GREAT kids, it was really fun.
Then, went bowling with a bunch of my friends and the Turkish guys -- who are AMAZING at bowling by the way -- I was totallly surprised. However... I just want to be prideful for a minute and tell you that I broke 100 TWICE and not only that but I also bowled a TURKEY! That is 3 strikes in a row people! I know... my game was OVER after that but it was SOOOOOOOO fun.

Basically, I just really enjoyed being with my friends yesterday and was so surprised how much I was ministered to and loved through spending time with these people yesterday.