Happy Birthday Mom!

So today's my mom's birthday so I thought I'd tell you about her. 

Aside from the grace to know salvation, one of the biggest blessings I've ever experienced is the presence of my mother in this life. There are so many different things to consider when I begin to think about the ways my mom has made a difference in my life. Here are a few things off the top of my head:

• She decided that she would not abort me. So many people take this for granted. I am so thankful she valued my life even though she could have written me off as simply 'a fetus' or whatever term people like to use today to rationalize their irresponsible decisions, but she didn't and for that I am very grateful.
• She took her pregnancy seriously and did her best to manage her body and her diet responsibly in order to give me the best conditions for being a healthy baby.
• She took care of me and made sure all of my needs were met as a helpless baby. She endured sleepless nights and dealt with all my crap (literally... haha!)
• She kept her cool with me as an annoying little toddler. I can only imagine how much I drove her cray at grocery stores and the like. I would definitely be 'that kid'. You know the one I'm talking about... the one everybody in the store hates. "Where's his mother?" they all wonder.  My mom was always right there much to everyone's delight.
• She taught me how to get along with others. She taught me manners and how to interact with others socially.  This is kind of a necessity, considering how there are other people in the world than myself...
• She taught me to care for others. She would teach me about this with words from time to time, but I think I learned this more from observing the way she loved people and served them.
• She put up with me through all of the times I decided I break her rules and when I smarted off to her. This is huge. When I think back on my old self, I recall how stubborn and sarcastic. In a lot of ways, I am still like that but I don't think I am to the extent I used to be. I don't know how she dealt with me. I would've beat me with a stick and locked me away from society. Such patience and grace.
• She cooked for me...and still does! She is an INCREDIBLE cook! I absolutely love her food. She can make some of the best (insert food here) that you've ever had. She always gets mad when I can't decide on what I want her to cook when I come home from school. It's never because I'm indifferent, it's because I can't decide because it's all good. I know that my children one day are going to know her as 'the grandma who can cook'.
• Did I mention she cooks for me?
• She washed / washes my clothes. I hate doing this. If you know me, you know that I absolutely hate doing this. Don't really know why...I just do. Therefore, I appreciate this very much.
• She has always encouraged me to do whatever I want to do. If I wanted to play baseball, I could play baseball. If I wanted to do art, I could do art. If I wanted to take guitar lessons, I could take guitar lessons. A lot of parents try to mold their kids into who they want them to be, but my mom always let me be myself.
• She has always supported me in whatever I have done.  She loves me no matter what I do. If I succeed she congratulates me and tells me she is proud. If I fail, she comforts me and encourages me. I never have to worry about taking on a challenge without support.
• She believes in me. One of the reasons I have healthy self-confidence is because I know she believes in me. I appreciate that she really believes I can change the world if I want to.
• She loves my dad. In today's society that is a feat. She is committed to him and she actively shows her love for him through affection and service. I pray that my wife will be like her in this. My dad's very blessed to have her.
• Above all else, she loves Jesus. She has always exemplified this. She raised me in church. She always talked about how much Jesus loved me. She showed me His love by serving me and loving me unconditionally. If you think about it, pretty much everything I've listed up to this point testifies to this last and most important point. I am so thankful that she was there when I accepted Christ as my Savior. Long story short, late one night the Spirit moved in me and I went and talked stuff out with Mom and Dad. That night I was born again. Mom's been with me for both of my births. So thankful for that.

All that to say I have the best mother ever. I am truly blessed. I love her with all my heart and I pray that I may one day resemble a son almost worthy of her excellence.

Proverbs 31:10-31

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. 12She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. 13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. 14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. 15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. 16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. 17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. 18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. 19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. 20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. 24She maketh fine linen, and selleth it ; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. 25Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. 26She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. 27She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. 28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also , and he praiseth her. 29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. 30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Thought For The Day

Here's a good word of encouragement from Francis to live uncomfortably for the glory of God. Check it out.

Random Thoughts

• Been a while since I've blogged. It always annoys me when I think about how long it's been since I've blogged.
• I'm going to Chicago for The Gospel Coalition Conference in roughly 2 weeks. I absolutely cannot wait. It's going to be amazing. How could it not be? Some of the featured speakers are John Piper, D.A. Carson, Tim Keller, and Mark Driscoll... I know. Amazing. I can already imagine the feeling of inadequacy that I will feel being in the same room with those guys. Trey and I are pumped. I'm really glad Trey is going with me. It'll be good to spend some time with him. I always appreciate talking about spiritual things with him. He's very wise and I just generally enjoy hanging out with him.
• Also, I'm very excited to get to spend some time with Johnny Grimes (Lead Pastor of Branch Life Church in Birmingham) at the conference. We're on the same flight and I think we may be staying in the same hotel. I anticipate some great conversations...
• The youth group at Journey has really gotten a hold of my heart. I see so much potential in these kids. They have such a drive to grow in their relationships with the Lord and I see a genuine hunger for the Lord. I pray that I can continue to be a part of their lives. It is such a blessing to my life.
• I just finished Mark Driscoll's Death By Love. It was a fine book. It really helped you see the application of Jesus' death on the cross in real-life situations. I definitely recommend it. I'm so glad I read it before Easter. It is no doubt shaping the way I think about the death of Jesus.
• Good Friday is this Friday. I am greatly looking forward to spending it at my home church with my family. I am spending a significant time this week focusing on the depth of my sin and the punishment that I deserve for it. Friday will be a day of indescribable gratitude and deep appreciation for God sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, to take on the sin and shame of all believers to reconcile them to Himself. I pray this Good Friday will be a milestone in my life. I want to truly grasp Jesus' death and all that it accomplished more than I ever have.
• Sunday is Easter. Much like Good Friday, I am praying that Sunday will be a day of celebration. I hope I will grasp all that is Easter on a deeper level than I ever have. I cannot wait to celebrate the death of death. I cannot wait to lead the Believers at Journey Church in Auburn as we proclaim Jesus' victory over sin and shame. It's going to be amazing.
• I have been spending a lot of time studying John 1 over the past week or so and it has been INCREDIBLE! I have never 'gotten' it like I have been over the past week. It's a very beautiful and poetic passage. You should definitely check it out.
• I will try to blog as often as I can over the next week or so. Keep checking in. Sorry I've been so inconsistent lately. I'm trying to get back into a routine.

Grace and peace to my brothers and sisters!

What Is Love?

In case you didn't see it last night on 'The Bachelor', Jason was convinced that he had found the love of his life and he proposed to her. Later, on the 'After The Final Rose Ceremony', Jason dumped his fiance' in front of millions of people on live television and then proceeded to run back to the runner-up in the competition in a successful attempt for her to take him back. Needless to say, it was some classy television.

On a serious note, it got me thinking about love. Not puppy love or 'I think I've been in love before' love, but actual true love. What is true love? How do you get it? How do you sustain it? etc.

Most people would say that being in love is a feeling. I have a really hard time buying into this because feelings come and go. There is no stability in feelings. Emotions change with circumstances. I think most everyone would agree that true love is unconditional and it seems like there are too many conditions for love to be an emotion.

The only conclusion I can come to is that love is a commitment. A commitment is stable. This commitment can be accompanied by romantic feelings and passion, but the commitment is not dependent on them. Commitments don't change with circumstances. It seems love has to be a commitment. 

How do you define love? What is love? What is love not?

HSBC D'Now 2009: A Call To Grace

This weekend was incredible. It was my home church's DiscipleNow Weekend. I actually had the honor of helping lead worship for roughly 400 students with a good friend of mine, David Devane. We had some great worship experiences throughout the weekend with the youth. David Nasser was the speaker for the weekend and did a phenomenal job. He really challenged everybody to actually live grace out instead of solely experiencing it at this specific event. Lots of memorable moments and lots of lives won for the Kingdom. Glory to God. Also found out that people actually read this blog. Feels good to know I'm not simply typing for myself -- even though I was quite satisfied with it. :-)

Congratulations Elliott and Meredith!

Just wanted to give a shout out to my good friends Elliot Devore and Meredith Collins. They got engaged! Congratulations guys. Can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for you. God bless!

Reflections From 'Crazy Love'

Here are some quotes from the last chapter of Francis Chan's book Crazy Love (which I highly recommend) that have really got me thinking about my life.

• We say things like, " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," and "Trust in the Lord with all your heart." Then we live and plan like we don't believe God even exists. We try to set our lives up so everything will be fine even if God doesn't come through. But true faith means holding nothing back. It means putting every hope in God's fidelity to His promises.
• ...if I stop pursuing Christ, I am letting our relationship deteriorate. We never grow closer to God when we just live life; it takes deliberate pursuit and attentiveness.
• The Holy Spirit is the One who changes the church, but we have to remember that the Holy Spirit lives in us. It is individual people living Spirit-filled lives that will change the church.
• How we believers live out our lives is a microcosm of the life of the church.
• The world needs Christians who don't tolerate the complacency of their own lives.
  

Thought For The Day

" How we live our days...is how we live our lives."

-Annie Dillard

MLK Weekend Photo Recap

These pictures should pretty much sum up how I spent my MLK weekend. It was full of good times with good people. I am so blessed to live the life I do.

Country Music

I'm listening to it for the first time in a good while. I haven't intentionally been avoiding it or anything, but I just haven't listened to it much recently. It's probably been about a year or so since I've listened to it. However, for one reason or another recently I've begun to start listening to it more often. The 'listening hiatus' has been good for me, though. I'm really appreciating it a lot more than I usually do. There's just something so fun and freeing about the country I listen to. It just takes my mind to green pastures and beautiful lakes. Anyway, it's good to be back into it.

History Is Happening

Wow. Regardless of political affiliation, today is a huge day for America. Today will forever be a milestone in the ongoing push for racial equality. No, racism is not over. Yes, we are making progress. Let's take in the moment and celebrate a victory for America, not a political party. Also, let's pray for our president. I hope you take in the inauguration today and realize the gravity of it. 

Also, here is a letter to Mr. Obama that I read earlier today. I thought it was great. Check it out.

Grace and peace.

I Guess It's Time To Do Laundry...

Here's a little glimpse of what I get to look forward to in the next couple of days. The bad news, this is only a little over half of the laundry...

I'm Still Alive

I promise there will be some new stuff here soon. It's just been ridiculously busy over the last few days. I can't wait to have some down time when I can update. As for now, the shadow of an enormous pile of laundry is lurking over me... rough, I know. Anyway, I'm still alive. Look for an update soon.

Grace and peace.

Twenty

So today I turned 20. Me and some buddies went kayaking...10 miles. Needless to say, I am exhausted. My back and arms are killing me, but it sure was a lot more satisfying to do something productive and enjoy the great outdoors than to sit inside and be on my computer all day. Many fun stories (Headliners: Gibby flipped his kayak, Bruise got locked out of his car). 

I'm typing this as I anticipate the arrival of some of my best friends. My family is throwing me a birthday party. I am so blessed to have all of these incredible people in my life. I really love all of them.

Even though twenty isn't really a significant birthday [ie: Driver's Permit (15) and License (16), Purchase Tobacco (19), Purchase Alcohol (21), Rent a Car (25)], it's been one of my favorites. Good times with good people. Life doesn't get much better than this. Grace and Peace. λύτρον

A New Year

Here are some of my goals, wonderings, and predictions for this upcoming year.

Personal Goals

• Be immersed in God's Word
• Constantly be in communion with God
• Create intentional relationships
• Use my finances faithfully
• Invest in the local and global church
• Read at least one book per month
• Watch less television
• Exercise consistently

Wonderings

• What's Obama's presidency going to look like? How fast will things change? How radical will the changes be? Will there be near as much change as he promised?

Predictions

• There will be an attempted assassination on President Barak Obama
• The economy will remain crappy for most of 2009
• Healthcare quality is going to decrease drastically
• Homosexual marriage is going to be legalized

Facts

• God is still going to be on His throne

New Year's Prayer

Here's a Puritan prayer that I read on Tim Challies' blog earlier this evening concerning the New Year. It was moving to me. I pray you will benefit from it, as well.

O Love beyond Compare,
Thou art good when thou givest,
when thou takest away,
when the sun shines upon me,
when night gathers over me.
Thou hast loved me before the foundation of the world,
and in love didst redeem my soul;
Thou dost love me still,
in spite of my hard heart, ingratitude, distrust.
Thy goodness has been with me another year,
leading me through a twisting wilderness,
in retreat helping me to advance,
when beaten back making sure headway.
Thy goodness will be with me in the year ahead;
I hoist sail and draw up anchor,
With thee as the blessed pilot of my future as of my past.
I bless thee that thou hast veiled my eyes to the waters ahead.
If thou hast appointed storms of tribulation,
thou wilt be with me in them;
If I have to pass through tempests of persecution and temptation,
I shall not drown;
If I am to die,
I shall see thy face the sooner;
If a painful end is to be my lot,
grant me grace that my faith fail not;
If I am to be cast aside from the service I love,
I can make no stipulation;
Only glorify thyself in me whether in comfort or trial,
as a chosen vessel meet always for thy use.

How Should I Feel About This?

Yesterday me and my dad spent some good ol' father/son time in the local Barnes & Noble. We are both avid readers, so we could probably spend hours upon hours there without getting bored (we actually did end up spending like 3 hours).  We were rummaging through some books in the Christian section and I stumbled upon this one.

I honestly am not sure what emotion this book brings up in me... Part of me wants to laugh at how outlandish and ignorant I consider it to be. Another part of me recognizes that the guy who wrote this probably believes the stuff he wrote is accurate and true and that terrifies me. This guy is not walking alone in his ignorance, but those who buy this book and read it are having their perspectives tainted. In today's society, Christianity is beginning to take on the face of a God who desires nothing but health, wealth, and prosperity for everyone. After having thought all this out, I guess I feel kind of bad for laughing... 

Any thoughts? Feel free to comment.

Grace and Peace. λύτρο

Montgomery Christmas

Just got back from Montgomery. We went down there to eat lunch with my dad's family. I'm glad we got to go. I haven't seen most of them in a long time. I am so blessed to have such a great family. Hope all of you are enjoying your holidays.
Grace and Peace. λύτρον

It's Good To Be Home

Man, I can't tell you how awesome it is to be home. I love getting to be with my girlfriend, friends, and family. They are so amazing and I really miss them when I am in Auburn. I'm so thankful for the next couple of weeks ahead. Yesterday was ridiculously unproductive and I am hoping that today will be a little bit better. More on that later...
Grace and Peace. λύτρον

I'll Be Home For Christmas...Call Me

That's right. Heading home in the morning. Looking forward to a couple of weeks crammed with nothingness. I'm trying to savor every last second of free time because the real world is getting closer with every passing day. Can't wait to be with my beautiful girlfriend, incredible friends, and amazing family. Looking forward to some D'Now band practice with David DeVane and the boys. Looking forward to meeting this Smokey character I keep hearing about. Can't wait to read a ridiculous amount. I haven't done that in forever, it seems. I pray you will enjoy this Christmas season and see past all of the consumerism to the coming of the blessed Savior. All glory to Him.
Grace and Peace. λύτρον