easter

he is risen!!!!!!!

this morning i enjoyed singing about this world changing event in the midst of a couple hundred mongolians who were dancing, waving flags, and showing their joy in ways more obvious than i have seen it expressed in most american easter sunday morning services.  it brought me to tears to think about all the changed lives surrounding me that only a few years ago or even a few months ago had never experienced the joy of knowing that HE IS RISEN!

we boisterously sang songs that proclaimed this most beautiful of all truths.  it was like being at a high school pep rally - in the best way. :)  then the tone changed as one of the college aged guys brought out his violin and played during a song about our "servant king".  (this is an old song written by graham kendrick if you want to find all the lyrics) part of the chorus says: he calls us now to follow Him, to bring our lives as a daily offering of worship to the servant king.

we have sung this song many times on sundays, but today it rang true to me in a new way.  i was teary as i sang it, and looked around to see many of the same people who had just been cheering now crying as well.  i think the reality hit me that it isn't enough to just be joyful because he is risen.  certainly this is a response that pleases the father, but he wants more.  he wants us to follow him every day and give our lives as an offering of worship.  i know that more times than not, i fail in this.  instead of seeking to worship him in all things i find myself focusing on my own wants and needs, hurts and disappointments.  i am neither joyful nor living an offering of worship.  my desire for this year is to put Him ahead of myself and really, truly live as a follower.  i want the fact that he is risen to be the defining mark of my life!

setting goals

lately i've been thinking a lot about setting life goals. some of them are just for the next month, others for the coming year, and of course then still more for the long term. i never imagined that i'd be 28 and still trying to figure out what my future might hold. i took a class in college called "gifts, guidance, and goals." one of the assignments was to write an imaginary time line for my life. according to that time line by this age i should be married, have a kid or two, and be happily settled in some warm, exotic asian country.

hmmm, i can check off only part of one of those dreams. i've got the exotic asian country, but it certainly isn't warm most of the time. hehe and as for being settled here, well, that's something that's surprised me. i'm learning that life really and truly is all about a Person. it isn't about a place, family, friends, language, warm boots, fresh coffee, good books, disappointments, laughter, or feeling so angry i want to scream. it's about how well i know and love the One who created ME and ALL these things i both love and hate about life this side of heaven. i'm coming to grips with the idea that i'll never feel settled here or anywhere on earth because this isn't the place i was created for.

so then how do i set goals when i know that reaching them isn't going to bring the satisfaction that i expect? i guess it has something to do with remembering that changed expectations and goals are the result of our fallenness and the fact that life on earth will never bring me the one thing i really crave.....uninterrupted fellowship with my Creator. i can set goals for my time here as long as i remember that i'll never be truly satisfied until i look into the loving eyes of the One who made me.

it's still winter because.....

yesterday was probably the first day that it "warmed up" to above freezing. i wore my big winter boots to class, because there had still been some ice on the sidewalks the day before, and i didn't want to fall. on the way home from class, i noticed that the ice had almost all disappeared. with much excitement i decided NOT to wear my boots to the event i was going to last night.

my sisters can tell you the rest of the story, and i'm sure most of you can guess. :)

just in case you can't guess, i'll give you a hint. it wasn't above freezing last night and my butt is rather sore this morning. hehe