"Honor Begins at Home"

I don't cry in movies.

This is what I tell myself. And for the most part, it's true. I think I can count on one hand...okay, maybe both hands…the number of movies which have made me cry.

I don't sob in movies.

Ever. I mean, it's a movie - not realistic, right?

Wrong.

"Courageous", which recently came out, and which I saw last weekend, made me bawl.  Right there, in the middle of the theater. I cried for...oh...over an hour during a two hour movie. And I cried again on my way out to the parking lot, just thinking about it.

It's one of the best movies I have ever seen in a long time.

It shares a message that everyone needs to hear - not just Dads,  to which the message of the movie is directed.

You should go see this movie. It's worth the $9. 

Courage. 

Courage is doing what's right even when it's difficult. It means holding on to the truth even when all you can do is ask "why?" and when the only thing you can think is "Make sense of this for me".  It means admitting you're wrong.  It means standing up again after you've fallen down for the tenth time, or the twentieth, or the fiftieth.

"Courageous" (the movie) speaks directly to fathers - it's a plea for them to stand up and be men, to fulfill the role that they were called to.

I know being a father has unique demands, responsibilities and expectations that no other job has. But everyone has a purpose in life.  Everyone has something they were called to: being a daughter, a friend, a sibling, a son, a mother, a husband, a wife, a student, an employee, a boss…

If this is what you have been called to, than the expectation is that you fulfill your calling with excellence.

Are you being a friend to the best of your ability?

Are you serving your family to bring glory to God?

Are you loving your siblings?

Are you being courageous in your specific calling? Are you chasing after righteousness and holiness right where you are? Are you standing for what is right, as it is defined in Scripture? Are you resting in the truth through painful and difficult circumstances?

The by-line of the movie is "Honor begins at home". 

As my parents often told me, "If you can't do it at home, you won't do it anywhere else."

Is your life at home a life of honor?

Check out the song/video Casting Crowns made for the movie:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkM-gDcmJeM

Let's stand up and fight apathy: be courageous.

Let's live lives of honor.

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." [Titus 2:11-14]

All Our "Stuff"

There's always 'stuff' going on.  Always something that goes wrong, or an unexpected delay.  I recently heard this song by Francesca Battistelli called "This is the Stuff".

I think it sums up how I feel at times perfectly. Here's the lyrics:

I lost my keys in the great unknown

And call me please 'Cuz I can't find my phone

This is the stuff that drives me crazy

This is the stuff that's getting to me lately

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing

It might not be what I would choose

But this is the stuff You use

45 in a 35

Sirens and fines while I'm running behind

Whoa

This is the stuff that drives me crazy

This is the stuff that's getting to me lately

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing

It might not be what I would choose

But this is the stuff You use

So break me of impatience

Conquer my frustrations

I've got a new appreciation

It's not the end of the world

Oh Oh Oh

This is the stuff that drives me crazy

This is the stuff

Someone save me

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

And I've gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing

It might not be what I would choose

But this is the stuff You use

Check out the song (here's a link):

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqqdA8LHN7I&ob=av2e

One of the things I really like about this song is this line:

In the middle of my little mess, I forget how big I'm blessed.

Reminds me of 2 Corinthians 4:17-18: "For this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to things seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

These lyrics point me to the Gospel and remind me of how important it is to preach the Gospel to myself.  When I'm bemoaning the little things in life that are driving me crazy, do I recall the Gospel and the goodness of Jesus Christ?  Do I remember that at the end of this life, there is an eternal glory?

The other line I like is this one:

It might not be what I would choose, but this is the stuff you use.

God's using the "stuff" in my life.  He knows what He's doing and He uses each moment of my life to teach and train me. 

So what "stuff" in going on in your life?

How is God using that stuff to mold you and conform you to His image?

Academic Day

I was thinking about the phrase "academic environment" this morning.  Someone was praying and they said something about being thankful for the break from this rigorous academic environment.

And I agree. I'm in an "academic environment". And it is most certainly rigorous.

So I looked up the definition of academic and sure enough, it means:

ac·a·dem·ic

 [ak-uh-dem-ik] 

adjective

1. of or pertaining to a college, academy,  school, or other educational institution, especially one for higher education:academic requirements.
2. learned or scholarly but lacking in worldliness, commonsense, or practicality.

I had always thought that academic simply meant 'learning', as in, I go to school to learn things.

Apparently, that's not quite the definition.

BUT, when my mind goes on a bunny trail...I just follow.

So here was my thought process:

It's desirable to go to school - to be "academic", to learn and study.

But why must we put all "academic" learning in the context of school?

I think sometimes I assume that learning really only occurs in school.

Shouldn't we always be learning? 

And I know, there's a difference between book learning and common sense learn and practical living and spiritual growth. I know that.

But I think sometimes I just assume that outside of school hours (as in, this break that starts tomorrow!!), I can turn my brain off. 

Why the dichotomy?

Learning and growth should be continual. 

What are you learning?

What did you learn today?  Was it simple? Complicated? A "repeat" lesson that you're still working on?

It's Time

You know it's time for Fall Break when…

**90% of your meals begin to consist of cereal because cafeteria food looks worse and worse

**at every meal you eat cereal, you dream of what your mom's home-cooking will taste like

**your schoolwork begins to look less and less important, even though you know it counts for a good portion of your grade

**you begin an hourly countdown until break

**your words of encouragement consist solely of: "Only __ days until break!"

**your first thought in the morning is: "This means one less day until break starts."

**even your professors offer the encouragement: "You only have to make it to next Wednesday!"

**you stop planning for when you'll do homework and start planning for what you'll do over break

I'm sure I've missed some (or many) of the telltale signs that break is approaching. 

It's coming. I'm excited.

1 paper.

7 days.

8 classes

173 hours.

7.5 hours of choir.

22 meals.

Bring it on.

Sometimes, it's just how you feel...

Random October

Here are some random thoughts from today.

[warning: the following will most likely be eclectic, spastic and at times, shallow.]

*It's October. I've been blogging for over a year.

*Kinda crazy how time flies, eh?

*The Steelers were superb yesterday.

*They can't seem to decide whether to be great or terrible this year, however.

*Listening on the radio, while it is it's own unique experience, is not all it's cracked up to be.

*Fall is absolutely gorgeous. I just can't get over it. Every year it comes around, I'm still enthralled by it.

*Route 80 right now...simply stunning.  I'd drive it just to see the leaves, even if I didn't have a destination.

*well...that, and if gas were free…

*Several of my first blog posts were about my hands.  Funny how much has changed since then, and how much hasn't.

*Healing has continued, and while the pain is not gone, it has definitely improved.

*My outlook and attitude have definitely changed.

*Senior Year has been fabulous in so many ways. I can't decide however, whether I want it to hurry up and be over, or slow down and take it's time.

*I'm going for the middle ground and trying to just enjoy as much of it as I can.

*Turns out I like pumpkin pie.

*I know. Go ahead and gasp. 21 years and I had only had pumpkin pie maybe once before in my lifetime.

*But hey. Better late than never.

*Required reading of Jonathan Edwards for my English class? Yes please. 

         *This class just keeps getting better and better.

         *It's lovely to be studying theology in each of my classes.

*You know how sometimes the same idea/thought/lesson will keep coming up again and again and again?

*Yeah. That's happening. And it's revolving around the word faith.

*I'm not entirely sure what I'm learning yet, but I know I am.

*Contentment:

*1. quietly satisfied and happy

*2. satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else

*3. peace of mind; mental and emotional satisfaction

*synonyms: see happy 

                    *This is me.