It's been real..

So there is now a new blog with a new look...go check it out.

www.laurarmullen.wordpress.com

No more blog posts here...it's been real...

The season of choosing honor

Okay, so I have had a lot to process recently...from Thr3e, to Mother's Day and Holly "freakin" Furtick and her challenge-your-face-off message to just life in general and what Jesus is teaching me...it's been a big few weeks. So let me dive in (this may have to come in multiple parts)

I had an amazing experience at Thr3e. It was unbelievable. But there was a lesson for me that day I was totally not expecting...and it was one I'd heard before.

Honor

Seriously, as much as we focus on this as a church and particularly as volunteers and staff, you would think that I would have this down by now. And I do...

at church

But at work I realized that I totally suck at honoring those that I either disagree with or have been hurt by. The concept is simple enough, but I just have not put it into practice, at work specifically.

Honor is NOT about what someone else does....it IS about what I do and what God does in me.

This totally rocked me to the core. I spent a week just marinating in the truth that came from this first session of Thr3e. It was like the light was turned on in this dark corner of my heart.

Honor and Respect are NOT the same thing.

Someone can lose my respect over a situation or circumstance and how they respond or don't. But Honor...Honor is a choice I make about what I am going to do and how I respond. Particularly how I allow Jesus to mold these actions and reactions to be more like His.

I am choosing differently these days. To the best of my ability I am choosing to honor...regardless of other factors. I am learning to separate what I think someone should have done or should not have done and how I respond. They may be dead wrong...but I will choose to Honor.

This is harder than it sounds and I'm getting more opportunities than I would care to have to exercise this choice...but here's to the new season in my life...

the season of choosing Honor

Here's to the uncomfortable

So, I've been learning something the hard way this year....

It is exponentially more uncomfortable to address an issue when it happens.

However, it becomes exponentially more damaging the longer you take to deal with your stuff.

I have two prime example of this in my life right now. I have spent months pulling my head out of the sand and dealing with something that has been going on for years.

Seriously...it's messy and complicated now and, although we seem to be through the worst and in a place where we can move on, it seriously has taken months to get here.

In stark contrast, last Thursday someone said something that really offended me. I took a couple of days, prayed (for my heart first, then the other person, then the situation) and yesterday we had a talk.

It was a talk I started over email. A very carefully crafted email letting her know how what she said made me feel. Not accusatory, humble and factual, telling her that I cared about her and our friendship...

She called me the moment she read the email. We talked for about 20 minutes. It was very uncomfortable to write the email and pick up the phone when she called, but WOW...so totally worth it. I actually got some background on her side...I apologized, so did she...and we are fine.

I found her after work and gave her a big hug. I'm working really hard to handle situations more like this across the board in my life. It's totally worth the short moments of being super uncomfortable to have a conversation and be able to move on rather than spending literally years unsure of where I stand and how to relate to someone.

So, here's to the uncomfortable...may I continue to embrace it in Christ-like humility.

I don't love it because...

With all the stuff flying around about the Ted Haggard interview, I'd just like to say.

I'm a proud participant of Elevation church. I'm a volunteer leader, I volunteer at everything and I love it. I don't love it because it's hip or cool. I don't love it because we're the 2nd fastest growing church in America. I don't love it because my Pastor is Pastor Steven "freakin" Furtick. I don't love it because people from other churches are here ever weekend to "see how we do it." I don't love it because we have the most amazing staff on the planet.

I don't love it for any other reason than that our church IS the church EVERY DAY. I love it that we strive to be like Jesus so much that it's all people can talk about...even if they think they are reprimanding us for bringing in a human, fallen leader to tell his story. I love that because Jesus was always at the center of controversy. Not for the sake of controversy, but because the message of His kind of grace turns the world on it's ear. I love that about Him. I love that about my church. And I'm proud to stand as an "Elevator." I know what I stand for, what we stand for, and most importantly what my Savior stands for...so I don't just fall for anything.

so that people far from God will be filled with life in Christ....EVERY WEEK

to the One who IS

So, I know that everyone has talked about how amazing this Easter weekend was and how God moved in ways we could not have imagined...but I just have to say

wow

The awe-inspiring, intense, rock-your-socks-off kind of wow. I am constantly amazed and what God chooses to do. He is pouring out His amazing blessings here in Charlotte and I am humbled to be a part of that every week.

But this blew me away.

We started with communion. Live over the internet, in a "I never thought of doing it this way" format. At noon hundreds of people who either are on staff, volunteer or knew someone who is/does paused to remember the sacrifice of our Savior...it was incredible.

Then our small groups were encouraged to gather and watch the Passion...which we did. Such a poignant reminder. Lots of tears over His self-less sacrifice for my broke down incredibly selfish-ness.

Saturday we went full throttle setting up for what would be a remarkable weekend. We got everything done...tried to prepare for the unexpected as best we could and held on for the ride. It began with an amazing call to worship...Elevation style with Jesse Fisher. Pastor Steven totally brought the word of the Lord and it rang true in the heart of the hearer.

wow...

People not only came (over 7800 actually), but made decisions (over 700) that will change the trajectory of their entire life. I'm not sure what else there is to be said except for

wow...and

Thank you...

to the One who was, who IS and is to come.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Okay, so for those who don't know...I teach little kids art. I know...super fun...

But today they had Easter programs as we celebrate the miracle of Christ's ultimate sacrifice this weekend and His unspeakable love for us. It's always adorable and sweet to hear children (especially ones you know and love) sing and speak praise to our Savior.

This morning totally blew me away.

Prior to one of our programs a 2nd grade girl was asked to pray. She's an amazing "prayer" as my kids say, so I was not surprised that she was asked to open the program.

And then she said something so profound...

"God, I hope YOU have a wonderful day!" and then proceeded to pray for the program and the audience and all the other "things" that would go in an opening prayer...

I didn't really catch the rest of it because it struck me...I never even think to talk to my Abba Father that way.

So today I will...

"Daddy...I hope you have a wonderful day!"

You're better than that

I was reminded of this thought this morning (as I was whining about not wanting to get out of bed). You see I have this roommate...she is amazing and I really am blessed to share a home with her.

However (comma)

She has this uncanny ability to hear (IN HER SLEEP) #1. my alarm and #2. the shower. You see, she has this internal clock that tells her "Laura's alarm has gone off and enough time has passed that she should be in the shower...AND SHE IS NOT."

This kills me.

Because she then gets up out of bed and comes and does whatever she deems necessary to get me out of bed...including, but not limited to waking the dog and singing at the top of her lungs.

But today was different (while she did wake the dog and sing...) she simply said to me...

You're better than that.

Which is something Pastor Steven said during the series The Essential James. And this morning it woke me up like a screaming siren...I do not apply this concept to my life in the morning.

I love the snooze button.

I'm serious...I mean I LOVE the snooze button. I love it so much I'll use it several times in the morning. Sometimes I use it so much that I'm late to wherever I need to be...work, early morning volunteering, meeting a friend for breakfast or morning coffee...

Until my roommate moved in.

This a godly woman...but the gloves come off when it comes to being late. And I am learning this good practice from her (sometimes against my will...) :)

So today's comment hit me between the eyes..."You're better than that." You're better than dragging yourself out of bed at the last minute, to rush through getting ready, to rush through time with Jesus, to rush through breakfast and barely make it to work on time. It's not enough to just not be late because that doesn't prepare you to be your best at work all day. That doesn't display the excellence that we are called to bring to everything we do...because it's all for the Lord anyway.

Just a little Pastor Steven revisited...in a very practical way in my life.

I'm better than that...and so are you.

Begging for more

So, I've been learning a lot recently...here's a run down:

God is always working ahead of me.
Just when I think I know people or a situation...I should be careful, because I don't.
What I don't know doesn't interfere with my walk as much as what I do know and don't do.
Living my life with Christlike excellence will bring attention, it's not guaranteed to be positive attention...just attention.
As long as I continue to humble myself before my Savior He will take it all and make it work.
My mouth is a powerful weapon and I can use it to destroy my allies or I can use it to defeat the powers of hell.

Which brings me to my next point...my Pastor is incredible. He's not perfect...he's human, but each of these lessons is something that I have either learned or had taught to me in a new way under his leadership.

It's been a while since I have talked about our current series at Elevation and part of that is because I've been trying to process all I've been learning.

In case you haven't noticed...it's a lot.

And I love that.

I love that Pastor Steven cares enough about the people that hear him speak to tell the truth. And to do so with the bold confidence that his calling requires. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for him sometimes to say what God lays on his heart. But I am always so thankful that he does. I have grown more in my walk in the last two years than I have in a very long time. It seems before I can get one new concept down there is another one...in a great way.

It's an amazing white water rapid of growth
and I'm in the raft...

drenched,

paddle in hand,

begging for more

When the label is wrong

So, take a look at this crayon one of my students found the other day. Look closely...no you are not mistaken. Its a crayon, with the appropriate paper, but...what's that label say again? Right...white, but I'm pretty sure that's a black crayon.

This led to a very interesting conversation with my students...

I asked them what color the crayon was...black.
What does the wrapper tell you about the crayon...that it's black.
Now look at the label...white!

The next part is where it gets interesting. My students instantly want me to draw with the crayon...thinking that it should color white. When I showed them that the crayon marked black they then went on this super creative suggestion spree...

Maybe if you color over something it will be white...
Maybe if you use a different color paper it will be white...
Maybe...Maybe...Maybe....

Even though my students had all the information to know that the crayon was black...the label was that convincing. So much so that they went way outside the box to justify the white label on the black crayon.

Which made me think...

Aren't adults the same way? It is amazing to me what people will believe...especially about another person, based on a label.

And what happens

when the label is wrong...

I'm just a puppy

So, I have this puppy...her name is India and she is the cutest thing ever. But she is still a puppy. This being translated means that I spend a lot of time repeating myself...and I do mean a LOT.

India sit
India off
India down
India no

I'm reading that the more calm/firm/consistent I am with my commands to her the better/sooner she will learn them. We'll see. But I'm doing my best.

So, the other day, I'm having my quiet time and my roommate was painting. India was feeling very left out and wanted to have some attention so she kept trying to get up on me. It went something like this...

India off
India sit
India down
Good girl

She would lay there for a few min. sometimes even playing with a toy for a bit before getting up and doing it all over again. In the beginning it was almost a constant cycle with no stopping.

After a while, my roommate says to me, laughing...I don't know how you're doing that and staying so calm. And almost without thinking I responded...because I know she will get it. She's just a puppy. She wants the attention, but she can't have it right now. Eventually as she grows up she will obey the commands because I am consistent and kind with them now.

Which later made me think...that's exactly what my Savior does. I've been thinking a lot lately about why He would continue to work in me when I seem to do the same things over and over again. Don't get me wrong...I'm more creative than the dog in this...but at the core, I commit the same sort of sins over and over. I've wondered why it is that Jesus seems to continue to cover me with grace and call me to great things when this is the case.

I'm like the dog...

I'm in a puppy phase with Him right now. The idea that He has a call on my life that is bigger than myself is relatively new to me. It has changed my perspective on just about everything...which is good. But it scares the begeezus out of me, and that brings out my "go-to" human nature...which He calmly/firmly/consistently redirects. He seems to think that eventually I will get it. That I will embrace the call and what it means and I will mature in my response to it.

Interesting....

When it comes right down to it...

I'm just a puppy

Dressed for where I'm going

So, It's been a few days and a lot has happened. Mainly, I've been getting my tail kicked by Jesus on a couple of key points of my life.

Number one...(which is the only one I'll cover today) when I stress, about very much of anything, but particularly "big" things my go-to reaction is to allow the addictive part of my personality to take over. It could be anything from food to television to basically anything that will allow me to shelve whatever it is that is causing the stress.

Sometimes it's stress over decisions I've made that weren't the best and sometimes it's over something God is trying to teach me. But either way, I've got to find a way to recognize this early and often and do something different.

I've discovered that when this happens I also shy away from my time with God...it becomes very surface and I pull away. I do this in all my relationships actually. It's like I know that I'm not dealing with something and so the walls go up and I hide behind my fortress to continue to avoid...whatever it is.

Jesus always finds a way to bring me back around...and I love that about Him.

Lately, He's been using my best friend to call me out. She does this a lot. She sees through my fortress and asks the tough questions. She pushes me to pin-point what I'm stress about or running from and reminds me that I can't hide forever. She reminds me that my Savior knows my heart whether I share it with Him or not. That He has a plan and if I didn't get somewhere overnight, I won't fix it in an afternoon.

It's good for me.

And then there is our current series Purple People Leader at Elevation. Pastor Steven has really challenged me through this series. This week we talked about structuring your life around where God is taking you instead of where you are at. This was a clarifying message for me. I feel like that is what I have done the last few years...trying to get by on living where I'm at and then wondering why it was taking God so long to get me where I'm going.

And the short answer is....I wasn't living like I was ready.

I've been spinning my wheels on the outside and dying on the inside because I felt like there was something more I just didn't know how to get there. So, this week, I have some goals. Seemingly small, but I can't get this flywheel going all at once. I'll do my best to accomplish each one, realizing that I'm building into my future....which may appear silly on the outside, but that's okay,

because I want to be dressed for where I'm going.

Something only He can do

I find that when I get scared or overwhelmed by the move of God in my life that I tend to try to sabotage something great in my life. The initial solution to this is to allow Jesus to keep the waters of my soul still as My Father moves across the face of the deep.

Sometimes I really suck at this...

And recently, in a quiet way (that few, if any can see)...I have done that. It's not that I necessarily set out to destroy that which has been so graciously entrusted to me. But if I turn my eyes from My Savior for even a moment it happens. My instincts in this negative direction are still much stronger than I would like to admit. I'd like to think that I've grown enough to know better...but that's just it. When this happens, it has little, if anything, to do with my growth or lack thereof.

It has much more to do with my sin nature, my specific wiring and how that plays itself out when I do not trust Jesus with all of my heart.

I've talked before about how hard it is for me to truly trust. And again, I find myself having to intentionally remind myself that I CAN and SHOULD trust My Savior. I wish I could just flip the switch on my trust and then hard wire it to stay that way, but that's the thing about human relationship. Even with Jesus...we, as fallen, broken people are not hardwired to do much of anything except sin.

We have to work hard at our relationship with Christ. And when we don't the sin nature takes over. Don't get me wrong...Christ has already done the work of salvation and forgiveness, but in order to maintain our relationship with Him we have to work to daily turn over...whatever it is and ask Him to take the little we have and do...

something only He can do with it.

The kind you can skip

A lot has happened in the last couple of weeks and I have failed to get any of my thoughts into writing. So, you're gonna want to grab a cup of coffee or something and hang on...I have several things on my mind.

This has been an interesting few weeks for many reasons. God is stretching me in just about every aspect of my life...and it's been quite overwhelming actually. Thus my slacker attitude toward writing about it. I mean who really wants to spill the mess of Jesus rocking your world all over a blog that might be read by tens of people?

However,

it seems to me that this has become part of my process and by neglecting it I'm not fully taking in what it is that He has for me in this chapter of my life. So, put on your rubber gloves...here comes the mess.

First of all, this is a result of my previous post. I've been telling Jesus that I wanted to dive deep. That I wanted to allow Him to use this time where I have basically no attachments to grow and strengthen my relationship with Him. To make the most of these days and create a firm foundation with Him on which to live the life He's called me to lead.

I've decided that this is sort of like praying for patients. The only way to dive deep in the waters of My Savior is to experience pressure from all sides. Pressure that seems unbearable until your body adjusts and your ready to take it even further.

You can not fight this process.

Wow...that's the hard part.

And boy have I experienced the pressure. And my tendency is always to fight. So now that I've sort of settled into this part of the process I'm seeing things with more clarity. I see areas of weakness that I need to humbly carry before Him and trust Him to work in me what I cannot work in myself. I see areas of strength that I have ignored because I've preoccupied myself with things that...at the end of the day...don't matter. I have a very skewed view of myself. It's very hard for me to see myself the way Jesus does. The vessel that He made me with a specific design to do only what He's called me to do and equipped to do it with excellence.

And then there is my Pastor...who every week for the last 2 months seems to have something to say that is just for me. Preaching in my face about things only Jesus can know about. I'm so thankful for him and his unwavering desire to not only hear the heart of our Savior, but to speak His words boldly and with conviction every week. It's exhausting for me and I can't imagine what it like for him to do what he does 4 and 5 times a Sunday. I admire and respect him like no other.

So all this leads me to our current series Purple People Leader. You can see the first week's sermon "You're Not Normal" there...and you should. It rocked me to my core. I have totally spent my whole life just trying to fit in and fly under the radar and I got totally called out for it.

I could go on for days about this sermon that I have listened to multiple times and took pages and pages of notes on. But...three days later...here is what I'm still processing.

My influence is so very much wider than I ever imagined.

I have been uniquely gifted and created to do something for Jesus that only I can do. My power in Christ is found in my uniqueness.

I am a rock...

It's like this...we've all heard of the ripple effect. You drop the rock in the water and the ripples go so much farther out than the size of the rock...blah, blah, blah. So here's what Jesus is trying to do with me...with all of us who call ourselves His people. He doesn't want a "normal" rock...a normal rock can only have a normal impact. You hear about "normal" people all the time who affect their world. With some new scientific breakthrough, helping those around them...maybe even something as far reaching as their country through politics or education or something along those lines. BUT THAT'S NORMAL. Anyone can affect those around them.

Jesus wants to impact the culture, the ideology, this world He created for His glory. Only He can do that...and He chooses to only do that through the uniqueness of His children.

Here's what I mean...I'm a rock, sure, but I'm different. I'm one of those rocks you look for along the side of a river or pond with an unusual shape, a little longer and flatter than most. Because you see...this is the kind of rock that is perfect for skipping. And Jesus wants to send me skipping across the surface of the deep leaving behind me not one set of ripples...but many, each one crashing into the next so much that the whole surface is eventually affected.

Understand that this makes me want to throw up.

But its amazing. To really beginning to understand what He wants to do with me. How He wants to use me. That not only does He not expect me to look like the other rocks...He doesn't WANT me to look like the other rocks. Because if I look like them, I'm only a one-ripple rock...and He wants so much more for me and those He has surrounded me with.

So, there it is...I'm a rock...but not just any rock...

I'm the kind you can skip

Something only He can do

I find that when I get scared or overwhelmed by the move of God in my life that I tend to try to sabotage something great in my life. The initial solution to this is to allow Jesus to keep the waters of my soul still as My Father moves across the face of the deep.

Sometimes I really suck at this...

And recently, in a quiet way (that few, if any can see)...I have done that. It's not that I necessarily set out to destroy that which has been so graciously entrusted to me. But if I turn my eyes from My Savior for even a moment it happens. My instincts in this negative direction are still much stronger than I would like to admit. I'd like to think that I've grown enough to know better...but that's just it. When this happens, it has little, if anything, to do with my growth or lack thereof.

It has much more to do with my sin nature, my specific wiring and how that plays itself out when I do not trust Jesus with all of my heart.

I've talked before about how hard it is for me to truly trust. And again, I find myself having to intentionally remind myself that I CAN and SHOULD trust My Savior. I wish I could just flip the switch on my trust and then hard wire it to stay that way, but that's the thing about human relationship. Even with Jesus...we, as fallen, broken people are not hardwired to do much of anything except sin.

We have to work hard at our relationship with Christ. And when we don't the sin nature takes over. Don't get me wrong...Christ has already done the work of salvation and forgiveness, but in order to maintain our relationship with Him we have to work to daily turn over...whatever it is and ask Him to take the little we have and do...

something only He can do with it.

Dive deep

So, I've been thinking today...a lot. I'm wondering how it is that I get so removed from my Bible. Currently, I'm pretty connected to mine, but I'm noticing a feeling of "wow, I haven't carried my Bible literally everywhere in a while"

Why is that?

I'm not really sure that I have the answer, but tonight - as I sit pondering this thought among others - I am reminded of how alive and active the Word really is.

I've been reading in II Corinthians. I couldn't tell you why other than when I finished the last book I was in I sat reading through descriptions of Paul's letters and really spent some time praying about where I should go next. And II Corinthians stood out to me.

So, away I went and I can't tell you how much over the last few weeks I have felt the words just jump off the page at me...in direct correlation with my life. I shouldn't be surprised...but I totally have been.

And the further I go...the more it happens.

This is an amazing season in my life. I have worked hard to eliminate the distractions. I'm still working, but it's getting there. I have no ties to anything other than Jesus. Yes I have to go to work and do my job, but I am single and own my house and my car and pretty much get to dictate how I spend my time.

And more than ever I want to dive deep.

I'm not content to swim on the surface of my relationship with Christ. I want to suit up in my scuba gear, dive as deep as I possibly can...and just take in the wonder that is My Savior.

So, I'm embracing the season...I'm loving every minute of it. I am falling in love with Jesus all over again. It's amazing. And as I look out over the ocean of His love for me, I continue to prepare for the revelation of my calling. I'm suited up and ready....

to dive deep.

One little thread

I have this scarf...it's amazing. It was a present and I totally love it. It has stripes of color with a light blue pattern woven over, under and between them. Like I said...it's awesome.

I love creating outfits around this scarf...it's my favorite. (yes, I totally become a girl over this thing...it is what it is)

So, I was wearing it at church this weekend (which I have to talk about on a different day, but that was incredible as well) and as I'm talking with friends and volunteers my girlfriend notices that there is a pick in my scarf.

Not good...

After further investigation we discover that it goes all the way across the length of the scarf....beyond frustrating.

We carefully begin to pull the scarf out flat returning most of the yarn back to where it belongs. The problem with this, however, is that once the threads have been pulled they don't go exactly back where they go. Something is always a little off.

Which brings me to the message this weekend. We were in Luke 15 talking about the prodigal son. And one of Pastor Steven's many good points was that you don't set out one day to wreck your relationship with God. But slowly, almost without noticing, one small decision can set you off in the wrong direction. And then one day you wake up and realize you are somewhere you never intended to go.

This is like my scarf. I didn't set out to ruin it. But one small pick pulled all the way across the scarf affecting every row. This is a powerful lesson because I'm being taught a lot right now. I'm hearing the sweet voice of my Savior and I want that to continue. I don't want to do anything that will put me on a road that leads me away from him.

So, I re-evaluate my life today and look for anything...even things that seem small that might be separating me from Jesus.

Because it only takes...one little thread

It's all about being healthy...

No super profound thoughts today...just continuing to work at being healthy. Thanks to the "encouragement" of one of the most influential people in my life. In all aspects of my life. I've stepped up my exercise. I'm continuing to make better choices with my eating. I continue to strive for a better work/life balance. I'm getting there, but I still have to work on my perspective and my priorities.

Like I said, nothing profound...just kind of where I'm at.

Got a lot of things to think about in that regard.

It's all about being healthy....

Marked as forgiven

For a long time I've thought through the process of being marked. In high school I felt marked because my dad was a relatively well known local pastor and the Chaplin of our high school basketball team. Meaning everyone in our small town knew him and that I was his daughter. This was not bad...but sometimes I felt, I don't know...marked. Like I was supposed to have it together and be sweet and kind and above anything that even looked like it might be out of line. This probably kept me out of a lot of trouble, but sometimes...I just wanted to blend in.

In college I felt marked as well, but for some different reasons. This feeling has sort of followed me through my life and for the most part it has made me want to hide.

However,

In the last few years, and particularly the last few months, I have begun to see this as something very different. I see my feelings of being marked as not negative, but as set apart.

And I am just that.

I am set apart.

As a child of God, as a teacher at a Christian school, as a volunteer leader at Elevation...in many different ways I see that more and more I am being set apart.

And so, in celebration of that which used to make me want to hide, over the break I was marked...in a very real way.

I put a lot of thought into it. I did a lot of research. And I prayed...and what came to me is that I am forgiven. I have not always wanted to be set apart. I have not always embraced my relationship with Jesus above all else. That has changed...

and I am forgiven.

The Greek word "forgiven" is aphesis (ἄφεσις). It means to release from bondage or imprisonment, to let go of sin as if it had not been committed, remission of the penalty. It's a beautiful word and it sums up my life experience with Christ...in one simple word.

So, I've embraced it...completely, and have had my body...

marked as forgiven

Make the most of it

So...school starts again and suddenly the very structured order of my life has fallen directly back into place. I should probably find some sort of comfort in it, but I don't.

I never have.

Even when I'm ready to see my kids and friends again...I'm just never ready to return to the organized chaos that is my life. And that makes me wonder why.

Work is good for me. It provides the income I need to sustain this life I've been given. It provides relationships in which I get to invest. It provides a purpose for my days...work is good for me, so why is there always a part of me that dreads it's return?

I think it's because I like not knowing what the day may hold.

And while this is fine...even good every once in a while, it's not intentional. I must be intentional. For the most part, I think I am. I am intentional in my conversations, my relationships, and how I spend my time. But by the time we are ready for a break at school...I am ready to let go a bit...okay a lot, and not be intentional about how my day falls together.

Like I said, this is good sometimes, but I can't live my life that way. Too much can escape a day that has not been lived intentionally. And I can't afford to let that happen. My days are too precious. My time too valuable, to simply let it go to waste.

So, as I start this semester, I'm trying to focus on this opportunity to be intentional again...with all aspects of my day. To not let one go to waste.

To come back to reality...and make the most of it.

I have a lot to think about

So, we started a new sermon series today called Come Home. Pastor spent a lot of time casting vision. It's a vision I'm very familiar with, but he totally wrecked me today with his passion and challenge in bringing those we know who have drifted from their relationship with God back to their Savior so He can bring them home.

I have not really been able to process this message today. I'm still working through the notes I took over the two services I attended. There are a lot of pages...a lot of scripture...and a lot of work for me to do.

And as I sit here tonight reflecting on my day...I have a lot to think about.