Christmas: the procrastinators Olympics

When I was in school I waited until the last minute to do everything. School was easy for me so in order to make it more challenging, and thereby more fun, I procrastinated until the night before or sometimes moments before class. I took great joy when a teacher would praise my projects and tell my fellow students that this was an example of work that took time, and was not thought of last minute.

Arrogant I know. I never rubbed it in others faces. No one knew but me... and my family at dinner time.

I've come to realize, as I wrap presents using spare fabric that I found in my room Christmas morning,  that my procrastination through life has paid off greatly. It has made me resourceful, among other things. I call it my MacGyver power.

My dad worked for the Boy Scouts so the phrase "Always Be Prepared" was always present. I think my MacGyver power takes it one step further. I'm "Always Prepared," not because I always have the necessary resources, but because I know how to use what I have, to get the job done, and the creativity, to make it amazing.

So parents, encourage procrastination. See what happens. 

How Big?

My God, the God I believe in, the one that sent His son to die on a cross, and save me from an eternity apart from Him in Hell, He's BIG. He loves me. He wants the very best for me. Jeremiah 29:11 says he has plans to prosper me and give me a future. Jesus spends years healing people. He heals blind people, people who can't walk, He raises people from the dead! He tells us that with the faith of a mustard seed we can move mountains (matthew 17:20). In Mark that if I pray and believe in my heart that God will make it happen then it will happen.

It sounds like God wants to give me the best. He wants me to do well. He wants to give me my hearts desire if I only delight in Him (psalm 37:4). In Matthew 6 Jesus tells us not to worry because even the birds of the air are fed even though they don't reap or sow. So of course He will take care of us too.

Why then would we not take BIG leaps of faith? If our God is so big that he promises to always to take care of us. If we truly believe what the Bible says is true and He is more than capable of healing the sick, of raising the dead. If we believe that He really does want to give us the desires of our hearts. Why wouldn't we delight in Him. Why not take the BIG risks?

My dad is sick. I truly believe that God can heal him. That tonight my dad could just be 100% healed because the LORD healed him. God is THAT big. I believe God is even bigger than that. I believe that if God wants my parents to be in another city where they can get better healthcare, because for whatever reason God is choosing to heal my dad through other means. Then God can provide the money it takes, God can provide the means for them to move.

Yes, I want my parents here, but I also just know that this is where they are supposed to be right now. Don't ask me why. I have moved my entire life, and as an adult I have made decisions to move on my own in a matter of days. I once made the decision to move in a weekend. I just knew I needed to quit school and move. In no way is it logical, but I knew it was what I needed to do. In the end it led me to  experiencing the one most horrific, and life changing things I will ever experience. That experience has prepared me for countless other situations in my life. I actually find myself grateful that I could experience such a thing because it means that I have seen first hand the amazing things God can do despite the evil in the world.

Even if my dad dies I know it is the right decision for him to be here. I don't know why. I just do, and it is killing me that he is saying no. That my parents are saying no we can't because of jobs, housing, money. I feel like they are Peter only they won't even get out of the boat.

God doesn't want my dad to die at 57. God heals people. It is not in His will for them to die of a stupid disease. Sin lives in this world so bad things happen, but they aren't God's will. Death is a side effect of sin, conquer sin, you conquer death. I don't just mean in the I will live forever in heaven because I believe Jesus Christ in my Lord and savior, conquer death. I mean that if you say "no satan, I'm not going to let this get the best of me. This stupid disease that is eating away at me, and the stupid treatment that is just as bad." If you stand up and say "my God is BIGGER than you," and believe it in your heart; you can literally conquer death.

There is a man named Dave Roever. He has this amazing analogy. Basically, he says sometimes satan beats us with a stick. Dave was burned really, really badly while he was a soldier in Vietnam. So for him the grenade that caused the burns, the difficult recovery process, the burns themselves, they were all just satan standing over him beating him with a stick. Dave took that stick and started walking with it. He clung to God to help him through the attack, the recovery, the "what do I do now that kids scream when they see me." He went to God and stayed close instead of turning from God yelling "what have you done to me!" Dave understands that wasn't God's will that made that happen.

The next part of the analogy is my favorite. Its the part where Dave takes the stick he was walking with  and beats the devil with it. Dave used his story to help soldiers in Iraq, and Afghanistan find healing in God. He uses his scars to say "Hey I've been there, and I know how to get out. His name is Jesus Christ, and He can heal you..." Dave gives soldiers and congregations hope. He gave me hope.

Romans 5:3-5
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our heats with his love.

Tithe

Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

Isn't it funny how I trust God to take care of me. I know he's got my back and he will provide for me. He's shown me that over and over and over again this past year. Its because of him that I'm not homeless and starving, but instead in a lovely house, in an amazing town surrounded by people who care about me. I cling to the verse in Jerimiah "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future," (29:11). God will always care for me and provide for me, but He wants me to prosper.

There is a parable about a man who gives 3 of his servants each some money. Two of the servants, in essence, invest the money and when their master returns they have doubled the money. The third buried the money and so when his master came back he had exactly the same amount. The third servant is called evil and lazy, because if he would have even simply put it in the bank it would have at least collected interest.

The point of all this is simply that I have been trusting God to provide for me, but like the third servant I too have not done smart things with my money. God has really been laying it on my heart to tithe, but every time that paycheck comes, no matter my intentions, my bills come first, and after that I'm lucky if I have enough gas to get to work and food to eat. Its been like this for awhile and in the past few weeks Albert's words have been repeating in my head. He's right. I'm insane. I've been trying my way over and over and over again and expecting different results. The only thing that has changed is that my situation has gotten worse. So no more. I'm trying out tithing this time. No matter what the nay-sayers tell me. No matter the guilt satan throws at me. God wants me to do this, He will provide for me, and more so I will prosper because of Him.

This is a perfect example of God's unfailing love for us. Even when I don't do what He asks of me He still provides. How much greater His influence on my life is when I offer it to Him. 

my naive thoughts on love

I realized something while watching Love and Other Drugs.  There has been a huge shift in movie 'romance'. Gone are the days of boy meets girl, chases after her, sings a few sappy love songs, falls in love, and gets married. We definitely don't pan to the sky after the kiss any more either... I miss those days... I wasn't alive during those days, but I miss them.

Now it's meaningless sex first, realization of something more, one or the other gets scared, break-up, allusion of commitment, roll credits.  I realize this shift happened a long time ago. I mean Julia Roberts was a prostitute, but at least she and Richard Gere kept their clothes on the majority of the movie.

I can't accept this. This is the message we are putting out as the norm. That this kind of relationship is the best case scenario couples can hope for. Lead with sex, hope for romance.
Talk about a fairy tale.

I know people think I'm naive because I want the guy to climb the tower and save me. I want him to fight for me. I also want him to talk to me and treat me like an equal and listen to what I have to say and fight with me when I'm completely off base and hold me accountable and lead me but have faults of his own, and need me.

I know its asking a lot. but I would rather wait for him than have meaningless sex hoping for romance.

Vurt

A guy wearing a Vurt T-shirt was caught "touching" himself last week at a local Sonic Drive- thru. They have it on tape. The News happened to show this footage tonight, and well he's doing a lot more than "touching" himself.  The reporter made a simple joke about per-'vurts' due to the unfortunate brand of shirt he was wearing. Unfortunate for the brand because Vurt will now forever have that footage attached to its name. They can't control  who buys their clothing or what those people get caught doing... on tape.

The Westboro Baptist Church protests homosexuality at funerals. Military funerals, and more recently the funeral of a 9 year old girl who was killed during a shooting in Arizona. The group said she "was killed for [her] rebellion when God sent the shooter to deal with idolatrous America." Thats right they blamed God. Not only that, they slap God's name all over their protest signs. They say He HATES homosexuals.

At least all Vurt has to deal with is some guy masturbating on camera. God has whole populations wearing His name and speaking on His behalf.

Time to pick up my God T-shirt and wash off all the mud.