25 September 2007

Best of the Wurst

So for a couple weeks now I've found myself writing stuff in my head...not sure if that's just the way I think or what, but I keep thinking of things to write about and then I never have time to actually write the verbosity down - or type it out for that matter. And so I'm home alone, well just me and the dogs that is, and felt like spitting some of that stuff out and alas, it seems that as time passes all those things that seemed really interesting at the time, really just aren't. But perhaps the randomness will be entertaining.

For instance - last week I learned on NPR about a sausage convention or consortium if you will (and I know you will) they were having somewhere in the midwest around Chicago or something. Okay, so you're thinking who cares? But the funny thing is that the name for it was going to be "The Best of the Wurst." Still, now, a week later, it makes me laugh out loud.

And then there's always the fodder that comes from driving the Katy Freeway everyday to and fro. One afternoon I saw this small white pickup truck with the words "Bert the Bug Guy." And I thought to myself, oh man, hope that guy's already married because I personally don't see that and think, "Gosh, nothing hotter than a bug guy!" I mean, really, not to be picky or anything, but there's nothing about a bug guy that's attractive. And then the really funny part is that I saw the same truck the very next day! How ironic - maybe God's trying to tell me something. No offense Bert, I'm sure you're a great guy, but I hope not.

And also, last week or so while driving on aforementioned Katy Fwy, I saw this man on the side of the feeder road pushing a large trash bin. Not the kind that people put on the curb on trash day, but the kind you see gypsies pushing in other countries. But even stranger was his wife I assume, walking about 20 feet behind him in a full black burka. For a minute I wasn't really sure what country I was in. Nothing funny about that story, just a strange moment for my brain.

Or I could write a page or two about the temper tantrum that I threw with God last Thursday night, but it wasn't really pretty so I'll spare you the details. Basically, I ranted and raved while I felt like God was ignoring me only to find out later in the evening when I was doing my best to avoid Him, that He actually was listening. Not sure why He even does that. Why He even lets me know He sees me and cares about me when I'm being so stiffnecked, but He often does. Sometimes of course, He lets me sweat it for a while as He's silent. That's the part I don't like. But I'm afraid it shows me what I'm really made of inside and how tiny my faith really is when it comes right down to it. I figure I at least have mustard seed-sized faith which is good since God can do something with even that. Why, oh why, do I doubt His goodness toward me? As if He hasn't done enough. Giving me life and all that and grace upon grace. God, help me trust you.

So didn't mean to get all deeply spiritual and melancholy on this post since I'm not feeling melancholy at all. In fact, I'm pretty "stoked" (just wanted to use that word) that I finally won a week in Fantasy Football. Of course, Sweet Pea Domination is still in second to last place, but after I steamroll my measly opponent this week, I'm sure I'll be heading up in the ranks.

Yep, well, I can't find any more yarns of eloquent phrases rolling around in my head so that's it. That's all she wrote. HAHAHAHAHAHA - so dumb, but still makes me laugh.

I have to say a couple years ago I had a good friend of mine telling me that I needed to write. So ever since then, I've tried to do more writing off and on, mostly off. But then sometimes there's this nagging feeling that God wants me to write and so I used to try to contemplate what and how and why I should write and to who and for what purpose. Aren't there enough words in the world as it is? But finally, as in just a couple months ago, it dawned on me. The writing is mostly just for me. Me and God perhaps. Well, not that it's for God, although sometimes it can be, but sometimes it's for me to figure out myself ya know, and what's really in my heart. I guess I used to feel like if I was going to write it needed to be for some great purpose or something, like I needed to change the world through it or maybe even just one person's world. But thankfully I've decided that's not the case. It's just about this life, mine. No, no, I know life's not all about me, but I need this. To write. To process my life. To process at least some of this stuff rumbling around in my head - all those silly and sacred things. I feel like if I don't, I'm going to miss out on life - on the richness and fullness of it. Maybe even miss what God's trying to speak to me in it. And that would be much too great a loss.

P.S. Have you read Romans 4 lately? Don't you want to have the kind of faith like Abraham did? It's easy to have faith when you see God for who He really is - a God who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. A God who is able to perform that which He promised. I guess that whole speaking things into existence was fresh on my mind anyway because we taught on Genesis 1 this past Sunday. God just speaks things into existence. He just breathes and there is life. Now, that is something for me worth writing about. Gosh, I need this encouragement.

07 September 2007

Gold and silver gifts

Gen. 24:53 "Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother."

Okay, so I was thinking that God has been giving me good gifts lately and was looking up scripture and this is the first one that popped up. Well, since the name fits, I'll use it. The truth is, God has been just so incredibly sweet to me lately and I just wanted to share. Granted, the gifts haven't been gold and silver and articles of clothing, but really I'm not that much of a jewelry person anyway. Here's just a few of the gifts my Dad has been lavishing on me this week. And God, I'm sure my bro and my mom would appreciate some gifts too. :)

1. For some crazy reason God has just been wooing me to Himself and making me hungry for His Word lately. Okay, so maybe it's not a crazy reason, maybe it's that He's trying to transform me or something like that. :) All I know is that when I feel this way, and especially when I actually do something about it, it is ALL HIM. No doubt about it, it's His working in me.

2. I've been having the joy of house and pet sitting for some friends who have a dog, a cat, two turtles, and a fish. (So, I can't quite consider the turtles to be a gift yet, but I'm sure we'll be bonding soon!) Anywho, the best part is having a huge peaceful house all to myself! It is amazing! I went into culture shock the first 24 hours because it was so quiet and I honestly felt a bit lonely without my sister, brother-in-law, nephew and 3 dogs around. But, once I got over that and decided that God and I could have a 12 day retreat just to ourselves, I was pumped. It has been soooooooo good. I decided after the first night that nothing on TV was really that entertaining (although I did enjoy that episode of SurvivorMan and the documentary on the guy that "died" climbing Mt.Everest, but wasn't really dead after all - woops, I digress) so I've just been listening to music, listening to the quiet, reading, journaling, praying, being lazy, you get the idea - it's good stuff. Now, granted, I've busy all day and some evenings to being out and about, but when I'm at the house it's lovely chill time. And you know what I discovered. Now, don't get me wrong, it's really not mindblowing, and probably wouldn't be a Eureka for anyone else, but whatever, here tis. Have you ever noticed that when you actually spend more time in His Word than in other stuff, it starts changing the way you think. It actually DOES build your faith. It actually DOES give you peace. It actually DOES encourage you. It actually DOES make you want more. It's just that God's wisdom is soooooooooo dramatically different from man's wisdom and it takes reading Truth for me to really get it. Not that I've gotten much of it, but some of it is ACTUALLY STARTING TO SEEP IN. Cool stuff. One of the places I've been reading the past couple days is I Corinthians chapters 1 and 2. I'm telling you, it's worth a sit down. It's like it's stuff that I kind of knew in my head, but not really - that God's wisdom is completely contrary to man's. Such good stuff.

3. So I got a little carried away on #2...but also, and I'm sure there's tons more I haven't even realized were cool gifts yet, but here's another one - friends in my life have just been a huge blessing. Guys and girls, married and single, near and far - God has just given me great ones to encourage me, challenge me, love on me, admonish me, build me up, stretch me, make me laugh, make me think, etc. at so many times and in so many ways the past couple weeks. Thanks God for people who love me or at least think I'm cool enough to be friends with!

4. And on that note, earlier today my friend Rindy had a layover in Houston and so we got to hang out for a bit, eat lunch, and just catch up. Just a great perk for my day.

I could go on and on, but that will have to suffice for now..."to the praise of the glory of His grace"

5. This just dawned on me - sometimes I'm a little slow - it occurs to me that maybe the reason I'm receiving all these gifts or perhaps that I'm realizing them as gifts and that just maybe the reason God's been drawing me to Himself could be that PEOPLE JUST MIGHT BE PRAYING FOR ME! How cool is that? So thanks guys - just another reason to be thankful for ya.
Okay, I'll quit - here's a pic of Rindy and I at the airport drop off. Don't miss the lady in the suburban in the background wondering "Who the heck takes a picture in the middle of the departures lane?" Well lady, people like me do - live a little.

I Corinthians 2:9-10 "But just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God."