Do you think this is true...?

"Ninety percent of who you are is invisible..."

Work In Progress...

I have been thinking a lot lately about the idea of loving people (and ourselves) in the midst of imperfection. I don't think we should be willing to be complacent with our imperfections--though everyone is a "work in progress". But that first word says it all... Work. We are a work in progress but sometimes I think we (rather I) forget it takes work to progress.

It requires courage to take an honest look at oneself and be open and willing to see the good, the bad and all the in between. God sees it all but I think sometimes we like to be selective in the things we choose to see in our life, because let's be honest...to be fully known to yourself or to others can be a very scary thing...

Words That Change Lives...

Think of how drastically life can change (both for the good and bad) when these words are spoken:

"I'm pregnant"

"I have cancer"

"I want a divorce"

"There's been a terrible accident"

"I got a new job"

"Will you marry me?"

Others?

Church and Bar...One in the same?

I've been thinking a lot lately about church and about bars. Now I understand that these two things may sound like polar opposites, and in some ways they are, but I think there are some similarities between them as well.

As I like to say..."Go with me here..."

I often wonder how a non-Christian or someone who is exploring their faith, feels when they walk into a church. Growing up in church my whole life, learning the lingo and the acceptable and unacceptable social norms, I've never been in this position of feeling completely on the outside at church.

Just like the church has it's own language and unspoken ways you are to act, dress and interact with one another, so does a bar. And I can't help to think that someone who doesn't drink or who has never been to a bar, might feel awkward if they went to a bar with some friends...the same way a non-believer might feel going to church...

Just as the church does, a bar also has it's own language. (Is that a shot, shooter, mixed drink, well drink, etc...). And there are unspoken societal norms as to what is acceptable and unacceptable to do and say.

And just as God is at work in the church, He is also at work in bars. My brother (who is a bar tender) tells me stories of people who come in and have hit rock bottom, and have often hit it really hard. Now granted, the bar probably isn't the best place to be when you feel you've hit rock bottom, but yet they are there and they are searching for something to fill the void and heal the pain in their life.

Now am I an advocate for people going to bars every night? No. But come to think of it, I'm not an advocate for people going to church every night either. And do I acknowledge and understand that bars and alcohol can be the source of deep rooted pain in people's lives? Most definitely. I just think there is a lot that can be said about what it means to love people where they're at.

I don't think this means everyone should go to a bar for the sake of "doing ministry" but I do believe that God does miracles everyday. And I've seen first hand how people who are searching for something to fill voids and heal the pain in their life often look to the bottle as their first source. And after they find that the bottle (or fill in the blank) can only satisfy them for so long, they go out searching again...and again...and again...

God is at work and I've been challenged now more then ever to see all of the ways God is working--in both the conventional and unconventional venues.

"Amazing People. Incredible Care"

I've been listening to the radio lately as I unpack and get things situated in my new apartment. One commercial I hear a lot is for Children's Hospital Central California. They have a new slogan out right now and I love it. It encompasses so much in 4 little words...

"Amazing People. Incredible Care."

After watching this commercial it made me feel so thankful that we have a pediatric hospital so close to home. Even though I don't have any children of my own, I have known a number of people who have been treated or had their child treated at this hospital.

And this is their mission: "The mission of Children's Hospital Central California is to provide high quality, comprehensive health care services to children, regardless of their ability to pay."

Regardless of their ability to pay...that's a big thing to say considering they are only one of 10 independently funded children's hosptials.

It's such a valuable resource the Central Valley has and it's so close to home.

Moving Time!

This Thursday and Friday I will be moving to a different apartment (still on campus) but bigger with a nice full kitchen! I'm excited for the change and am looking forward to decorating a new place! I'm not looking forward to hauling all the big stuff over... (beds, couches, bookcases, chairs, table...)

So if you're not busy on Thursday late afternoon/evening or Friday morning/afternoon and have a few hours to spare, I would love the help.

You know what they say...Many hands make the work load light!

17 Kids and Counting...

"Seven daughters and 10 sons just wasn't enough for Arkansas couple Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar. Just in time for Mother's Day, the busy parents announced they're expecting their 18th child. Their oldest, Josh, is 20, and youngest, Jennifer, is 9 months old.

The fast-growing family lives in Tontitown in northwest Arkansas in a massive 7,000-square-foot home. All the children - whose names start with the letter J - are home-schooled.

Pregnancy is nothing new for Michelle Duggar - she's been pregnant for more than 11 years of her life!"

Wow...this family has two complete baseball teams in their house! When all the kids are old enough they could play a game with 9 on 9! I can't even imagine!

Happy Mother's Day...tomorrow!

So True...

"What you do thunders above your head so loudly, I cannot hear the words you speak." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Actions speak so much louder than words...

Let's Be Honest...

It sounds so simple, yet sometimes it can be hard...

Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39

Paradigm Shift...

Today one of my former high school students (who was highly involved in Youth For Christ when I served there) came into my office. She is attending FPU next year, which she is quite excited about as am I! She just got back from spending 10 months in Portugal doing ministry while working with missionaries. We chatted for about 25 minutes and in that time I could tell the things she did and experienced completely changed her worldview and broadened her understanding of herself and others.

As she and I talked, I was reminded of two things:

1. God is at work outside of Fresno, outside of California and outside of the United States. I've learned on a bad day I have the tendency to become so self focused--sometimes missing the point that there is SO much outside of what I know and experience.

2. God is at work in Fresno, in California and within the United States. In the same way I can miss seeing all that God is doing around the world, I can also miss what God is doing in my midst...and in my life...and in my job and ministry...and all around me...

Thank you Katy for helping me remember these things.

Ah...Memories...

I recently bought a new CD that has a bunch of old hymns that have been modernized/contemporized in different ways. I LOVE this CD. It brings back memories from the church I went to growing up.

Although growing up I always thought singing hymns was boring (especially when we sang them so slow!) but there is such deep rooted meaning in the lyrics, that I have now come to see how valuable they really are.

One of my favorite songs on the CD is "Joyful Joyful". Every time I listen to it, I think of my dear friend and mentor, Jamie and I think of a bunch of kids in a large sanctuary singing their hearts out at VBS.

Both such good, good memories.

And I think of Jen and me teaching kindergarten for a class full of 4-5 year olds...

Now that is a really good memory too! I can't help but smile and laugh when I think of that one!

Do You Ever Feel This Way...

I just read this today on Post Secret.

I feel this way right now...and although new things can be scary, they can be incredbily exciting at the same time.

And I have no idea what "new" thing might be coming my way...maybe it's something small...or something big...but I feel that God is calling me to trust Him and Him alone...