Fabulously full weekend:
beautiful wedding
crazy fun dancing until we're sore
two new babies
one infant dedication at church
learning to power saw
making homemade tortillas
eating my favorite enchillada sauce
touring a castle
one family filled birthday party
falling asleep to a movie with friends
sleeping on my very favorite couch
walking my favorite dog
reconnecting with old friends
worshiping together
praying together
playing clue and tag and attack
bedtime stories with Marco the marionette
enjoying my artist friends' new creations
laughing laughing laughing
Monday, May 24, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
on good news
I had a lot of great news day. I even called it "good news Monday" in my facebook status today. And it got me thinking about news: new news, old news, and how we celebrate things.
So what determines if something is really good or great news? How it affects us. Our lives. The lives of our friends and family members and those around us.
The fact that MLK lived and died is old news. And yet we celebrate him every January because his life and work made for a lot of other even newer good news. Blacks were recognized as active contributing citizens in America. The Jim Crow laws were overturned. Our children now study together, blacks & whites, in classrooms across the country. Blacks hold leadership positions in our country that they never could have held before. My dear friends Josh, Kellisia, Ke'Amber, Arby, Patricia, Kevin, and many more have great lives and have opportunities that never would have been open to them before. These are the reasons we celebrate. All these resulting events and accomplishments are great news!
You see, we don't just celebrate because of the content MLK shared, although we love his message. We celebrate the ongoing good news of how lives have been and continue to be transformed!
And it makes me wonder why people celebrate Christ.
I know (not because I've studied cool languages like Ancient Hebrew and Greek, but because I've had some pastors, leaders, and mentors who did) that the word gospel literally means "good news."
There's a lot of talk about the gospel. The "good news." But what is that good news really? Is it simply that Christ died on a cross and that he rose alive three days later? Because that's pretty old news. I mean yeah, that was really cool. But I think that here again it all comes back to life transformation. Our Christ did not just die and raise Himself from the dead to show us a cool trick. Or to ooo and awe us. Or just to make the history books. He was demonstrating something much greater. He was showing that he could and would and did defeat death. And that He can and does and continues to work spiritual death-defying life-transforming miracles in our own lives.
We don't just celebrate because of the stories Jesus told and the wisdom He shared. We don't just celebrate because He died and now He is alive again. That's old news. We continue to celebrate because He's defeated death, He has transformed our lives, and He continues to transform the lives of those around us! Now that's good news!
So what determines if something is really good or great news? How it affects us. Our lives. The lives of our friends and family members and those around us.
The fact that MLK lived and died is old news. And yet we celebrate him every January because his life and work made for a lot of other even newer good news. Blacks were recognized as active contributing citizens in America. The Jim Crow laws were overturned. Our children now study together, blacks & whites, in classrooms across the country. Blacks hold leadership positions in our country that they never could have held before. My dear friends Josh, Kellisia, Ke'Amber, Arby, Patricia, Kevin, and many more have great lives and have opportunities that never would have been open to them before. These are the reasons we celebrate. All these resulting events and accomplishments are great news!
You see, we don't just celebrate because of the content MLK shared, although we love his message. We celebrate the ongoing good news of how lives have been and continue to be transformed!
And it makes me wonder why people celebrate Christ.
I know (not because I've studied cool languages like Ancient Hebrew and Greek, but because I've had some pastors, leaders, and mentors who did) that the word gospel literally means "good news."
There's a lot of talk about the gospel. The "good news." But what is that good news really? Is it simply that Christ died on a cross and that he rose alive three days later? Because that's pretty old news. I mean yeah, that was really cool. But I think that here again it all comes back to life transformation. Our Christ did not just die and raise Himself from the dead to show us a cool trick. Or to ooo and awe us. Or just to make the history books. He was demonstrating something much greater. He was showing that he could and would and did defeat death. And that He can and does and continues to work spiritual death-defying life-transforming miracles in our own lives.
We don't just celebrate because of the stories Jesus told and the wisdom He shared. We don't just celebrate because He died and now He is alive again. That's old news. We continue to celebrate because He's defeated death, He has transformed our lives, and He continues to transform the lives of those around us! Now that's good news!
My (very brave!) friend Sandy
My friend Sandy is very brave. Approached by a local reporter, she was asked why she's chosen to volunteer with CPC. Sandy bravely shared the story of her own abortion as a young woman. Sandy volunteers at our Center, and she helps women go through our Post-Abortion Counseling & Education (PACE) Program. One woman called Sandy in response to the article right away. That woman visited us at the Center today and met with Sandy about our post-abortion program. I love to see how God works through our lives when we choose to share our lives & our healing.
Check out Sandy's story for yourself.
http://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=492994&query=CPC Pregnancy Resources
Check out Sandy's story for yourself.
http://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=492994&query=CPC Pregnancy Resources
Monday, May 3, 2010
on being insanely scared
I was insanely scared tonight. Of playing volleyball. Sounds a little ridiculous, I know. Even now looking back, I can kind of laugh at how sick to my stomach I felt on the drive over to my friend Amanda's place. I was so very nervous. I told my friend I'd play because they needed some more girls for their team, but I'm not that good at volleyball. I didn't want to look like a complete idiot, and I certainly didn't want nightmarish flashbacks of junior high P.E. class.
So when my Dad texted me an hour before volleyball and asked if I wanted to join up with him for dinner, I was really excited. Here was my out. I could just go out to eat with dad, call in my cancel to my friends under the great guise of spending time with Dad. I called Dad and let him in on my nervousness, sharing that I know it's a good thing to challenge yourself sometimes. It would be good for me to go to volleyball. Courage, you know. And as I talked, I convinced myself. I needed to do this, if for no other reason that to prove to myself that I could.
"Really now, Katherine," I said to myself. I work at a ministry where we're always challenging our girls and their families to make really scary decisions. Some of them are insanely scared. And I need to reminded sometimes what that feels like. To feel like you just want to turn back. Unsure of how the other people might react to you. Afraid of being laughed at, embarrassed, or left behind. I think it's really healthy to put ourselves in situations every now and then that challenge us, really challenge us to step out in courage.
And as for the volleyball practice with my friends?
It was a bunch of fun :)
So when my Dad texted me an hour before volleyball and asked if I wanted to join up with him for dinner, I was really excited. Here was my out. I could just go out to eat with dad, call in my cancel to my friends under the great guise of spending time with Dad. I called Dad and let him in on my nervousness, sharing that I know it's a good thing to challenge yourself sometimes. It would be good for me to go to volleyball. Courage, you know. And as I talked, I convinced myself. I needed to do this, if for no other reason that to prove to myself that I could.
"Really now, Katherine," I said to myself. I work at a ministry where we're always challenging our girls and their families to make really scary decisions. Some of them are insanely scared. And I need to reminded sometimes what that feels like. To feel like you just want to turn back. Unsure of how the other people might react to you. Afraid of being laughed at, embarrassed, or left behind. I think it's really healthy to put ourselves in situations every now and then that challenge us, really challenge us to step out in courage.
And as for the volleyball practice with my friends?
It was a bunch of fun :)
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