egyptian cotton sheets

Sheets are so expensive.  I had to buy some new ones last week, because I moved and had a different bed size.  I went to HomeGoods and bought some discount sheets.  Gray, Egyptian cotton.  Buying sheets is a commitment: you need the right color, the right fit, the right fabric, and for the right price.  We have so many commitments we make in our lives.  What schools to attend, what friends to have, what car to buy, what guy to date and eventually marry.  There's a commitment: marriage.  Marriage is a reflection of Christ's love for the Church.  That's a lot of love for the Church.  Christ gave his life.  GAVE being the key word here.  They say a marriage is a lot of give and take.  But in Christ's marriage, he gave more than anyone could ever take.

But isn't it ironic and heartbreaking how quickly we will take our commitment from one Church to another.  We look more for what we can take from the Church than what we can give to Christ's Bride.  I was listening to a sermon the other day by Perry Noble of NewSpring Church, and he made a statement about how quickly we will sleep with a Church, but not make a commitment. Let that simmer for a while.

summer

I am spending my first summer away from beautiful Suburbia, Hendersonville, Tennessee.  I have never in my entire life spent a summer away from my house on the peninsula on Old Hickory Lake.  I have never spent the summer away from nights at the drive-in, Maggie Moo's porches, laying by the pool eating Taco Bell and listening to 107.5 the River with my sunroof open.  I was home this weekend for my brother's graduation, and I decided I would take my regular morning run around the loop in Ballentrae.  I realized I would even miss my runs...weird.  Running during the summer in Hendersonville CAN be awesome.  There's just something about running in the shade of 100 year old oak trees, but still feeling the sun on your face with the scent of honeysuckle and the sounds of the fourteen year cicadas rooting you on.  Summer has come every year whether I'm ready for it or not.  Summer will come even if I forget about it (I won't ever forget about, but I'm creating an analogy here, people. Stay with me.).  Summer will come even if I don't mention it.

I am fascinated with the story of Esther. What courage.  I can only pray I have the faith to be a woman that puts the Kingdom before my own comfort.  The book of Esther is the only book in the Bible that doesn't ever explicitly mention the name of God. That doesn't mean that you can't see the hand of God working. More like read the hand of God working.  Whether we mention God, are ready for God, forget about God, He's still there.  He's still working, and it's evident in every cicada, every piece of honeysuckle, every oak tree, and every act of faith. 

green light

A few months ago, some friends of mine and I were sitting at Cracker Barrel trying to figure out what we could adventure we could find on a Saturday night.  The result: a music video. It's star is Phil Stone, with a little help from his friends.  This started out as just a funny little video of Phil singing. It developed into a full production with different scenes, outfit changes, laying tracks, and many other ridiculous things that only made the video that much more entertaining to watch and create.  I was running the other day, and I was forced to stop at this cross walk to wait for the white hand to give me the go.  There was a collegiate male standing at the other side of the cross walk, also waiting.  He was trying to run in place, but I couldn't help but notice that he hadn't started running in place until he saw me.  From a far, I probably looked cute. Blonde hair, still tan from spring break, sorority tank top on.  Up close I was a sweaty, hot mess. But he was trying to impress me, and ran in place while looking at me.  I just stood and looked back.  I saw the light for the hand light up, and I began to run back across the street.  He just watched me.  I mean I think I'm a decent looking human being, but he looked awestruck and didn't move.  Just ran in place. I made it to the other side. He gave me a once up and down, I guess decided my sweat was more nasty than glistening, and then realized he had the white hand to cross the street.  I recently felt a call to go on an international mission trip.  I've been suppressing the feeling because I have so many things that I love and have going for me here, that I let them distract me and convince myself that I needed a sign.  I started to think about that boy.  He stood there awestruck at me.  That's the definition of worship.  To stand in amazement and respond.  His response was to run in place. Ignore the sign to go.  If I'm truly worshipping my God, I'll stop "worshipping" my distractions, and allowing me to  ignore God "giving me the green light."  Enjoy the video.  :D