Be still and know...

Hundreds of words are swirling in my head, and I know that I will be unable to capture even a fraction of them here with any sort of clarity.

I could write about the millions of hurting children in the world. I could write about three that I know and love particularly. I could write about the intricate ways that God orchestrates the details of our lives so that we have ample opportunity to get out of our own ways and into his. I could write about a recent resurgence of feelings of inadequacy that all but cripple my ability to work or be the type of friend I am called to be. I could write a book of apologies for my failures to love my friends and family the way that Christ loves me. I could write of my greatest hopes and my greatest fears (the greatest fear being - of course - the inability to attain my greatest hope).

But instead, I will write this: God is incomprehensibly in control of his creation. When all the words, stress, thoughts, fears, and failures threaten to consume your mind, know that you can rest in the mighty arms of the one who made you, the one who knows you, the one who loves you beyond any sort of measure, and simply be there, at peace, resting in his ability to cover any inadequacy, any mistake. Know that in him, there is peace, love, joy, and comfort when all the swirling makes no sense.

"Be still, and know that I am God." ~ Psalm 46:10

Response to a Friend.

I wrote the following note as a response to a friend asking for some advice about a relationship that she is considering. As I read back over it, it served as a tremendous reminder to me. I thought I would include it (without her personal details, of course) in case any of you might be interested in reading a bit of my take on this kind of stuff. You’re probably not interested, but those are the kind of self involved, grandios notions that blogging encourages, right? So, here goes.

"...As far as [this guy] goes, I would be really careful. It is so easy to fall in love with potential and then end up being hurt by reality when someone chooses not to reach their potential. Believe me. I have been through this time and time again. If you have questions about [his] spiritual strength, I would take that VERY seriously. That is the cornerstone of a relationship (I know you know that), and if he cannot be a spiritual leader and encourager in your life, you will be fighting a very steep battle in order to try and grow spiritually yourself.

He does not necessarily have to be able to pick you up when you fall. But he needs to be strong enough to point you to the only One who really can pick you up! If he tries to help you on his own, without pointing you to the never-ending, compassionate strength of our Heavenly Father, you will both fail.

Anyway, you know my take on this kind of stuff. This is always my question - Do you glorify God more together than you do apart? Do you have a closer relationship with Christ because he is constantly challenging you to grow spiritually? If not, I have to ask if this is truly the guy for you.

Now, that doesn’t mean that I always do the right thing, even when I know what I should do. Enter every relationship I’ve ever had. But that is the standard. Not holding myself to the standard that we have been given as Christian women is the reason that I have been heartbroken time and time again. And if a guy ever meets that standard, I will know that the relationship has God’s blessing - that he has designed us to be together.

Anyway, that’s all just a bit of rambling from my opinionated little brain. Hopefully it’s not too off the wall for you. I’d love to talk more about this with you, though. I know sometimes it can help just to talk things through."

I know that it is so hard to be lonely. It’s so easy to long for someone with whom to share your life, to talk to about your day, to wipe away your tears. Disney taught us to look for Prince Charming in order to live happily ever after. And it can be devastating when he doesn’t show or doesn’t turn out to be so charming. But know that our Heavenly Father has a plan for our lives, whether or not that involves a guy. In his plan, we find value, fulfillment, and purpose for our lives. With those things, you don’t miss having a hand to hold quite so much. And if you are following the path that God has laid out for you, that is the only place where you will meet the person that he intends to be a part of your path. Follow Christ, and everything else will fall into its perfect place and time.

A Real Life Hero.

I just listened to a story on NPR’s Storycorps (a very cool segment) that I thought I would share. Talk about going the extra mile! This story inspired me and reminded me of the kind of person that I hope to be. This man’s simple actions in the midst of his daily life have probably transformed a life forever. Changing a life - that can not be overstated. It is why we’re here on this globe. Some may not believe in greater purpose. But stories like this inspire me to keep striving to be more like Christ, to be less consumed by my own life, and to be aware of each and every tiny moment with the power to change the course of history.

We so rarely think of our daily decisions as impacting anything substantial. But when you turn around one day and ask how you got here, how you ended up at this point in your life, I believe you are forced to look back and see the impact that each tiny decision had in bringing you to your current state. Writing a letter to a stranger can lead you to your best friend. Turning left instead of right can save your life. Going to one meeting can introduce you to your future boss and put in place a path for the rest of your life. Live each moment as if it matters. Because, believe me, it does.

God, in his sovereignty, has orchestrated our lives into a complex puzzle of choices and "coincidences" that we cannot understand because we cannot see the complete picture. So it is up to us to simply be faithful and carefully consider each step along the way. We often will not understand. But I am grateful for a God that is so high above me that I cannot fathom his ways. If I, in my limited mental capacity, could figure him out... well, he would not be God.

Anyway, I didn’t mean to ramble so much. Listen to the story here.

Update on Kenya.

This blog is a follow up to my earlier blog, "In Common Bond United." If you didn't read that one, I basically gave a very brief overview of the situation in Kenya and posted a couple of relevant articles. For those of you who have been faithfully praying for our brothers and sisters there, I wanted to provide an update. The government and opposition leaders have signed a power sharing agreement brokered by Kofi Annan. This is wonderful news, and will hopefully allow the country to put the violence of the past two months behind them. But there has been so much damage done. Last I heard, over 1,000 people had been killed and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Please continue to pray for this beautiful country, that they will reconcile and come together as a nation and see each other as people made in the image of God. We thank God for this victory, and pray that it is the first of many to come. Below is a link to the NY Times article on the peace agreement.

Kenya Rivals Reach Peace Agreement

The Story of Stuff.

I thought this was an interesting video that others might like to see. It's about 20 minutes long, and it deals with issues that we should all care about as consumers, and most importantly, as stewards of this earth. Make sure you click on the resources link after you watch the video to find out what we can do about issues like these. Let me know what you think!

The Story of Stuff

Lincoln article and quiet time input.

Going through my seemingly infinite amount of daily e-mail subscriptions, I came across a good article written by John Piper yesterday in honor of Abraham Lincoln's birthday. My favorite part of the article is actually a quote he includes by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, a man who was imprisoned in Joseph Stalin's "corrective labor camps." It's a great article, so check it out here: Abraham Lincoln's Path.

Not only did I want to share that, but I wanted to ask all of you a question. I am nearing completion on a three year long study reading through the whole Bible in my quiet time, and I'm trying to decide what to study next. Unfortunately, the plan was only for one year, but I'm a horribly sinful person who often prioritizes things like the snooze button over my quiet time. Plus, I tend to want to read one verse over and over and think a lot about that instead of reading chapters at a time like they suggest. Anyway, I wanted some help from you guys as I decide what to do next. So here are my questions.

Do you have a regular quiet time?
Is there a basic outline for what you do?
How do you pick what you read in your quiet time? Do you go book by book, topic by topic, verse by verse?
Do you use external materials in your quiet time?
How the heck do you get out of bed in the morning?

I really do want you guys to answer. You can send me a message if you don't want to leave a comment. Happy commenting!

In common bond united...

For those who may not be aware of the horror that is sweeping the nation of Kenya right now, I wanted to post a couple of the more recent articles I've found.

Right after a botched election almost a month ago, hundreds of people were killed as anger and political unrest divided the country along tribal lines. The violence in Kenya is continuing, and appears to be increasing after a few weeks of smaller scale protests and attempts at peaceful demonstrations. The elected government and the opposition, who claim to have won the election, still refuse to work together to put this behind them and move forward.

Please continue to pray for Kenya. The first article paints a picture without much hope, but read on to the last sentence. There is always hope to be found. We just have to remember where to look for it. The second article provides an even more up to date look at what the violence is doing to this beautiful nation.

Ethnic Violence in Rift Valley is Tearing Kenya Apart

19 Burned to Death in Violence in Kenya

These are some of the lyrics to the Kenyan national anthem, and a fitting prayer in this time of struggle.

Oh God of all creation
Bless this our land and nation
Justice be our shield and defender
May we dwell in unity
Peace and liberty
Plenty be found within our borders
...Let all with one accord
In common bond united
Build this our nation together