2015 - All Things New

The last few years have each held a theme for me, something that I've tried to focus on during the year, a specific area where I need to grow and allow the Lord to work in me.  You can check out the last few here.

This year is going to be quite the year in my life.  It's going to be a year full of beginnings and adventures and a lot of firsts.  And those are things I know are coming down the pipeline.  Who can guess what else the Lord has in store that I don't know about yet!  In light of all the beginnings on the horizon, this year is new.

2015 - All Things New

There are lots of very tangible new things happening in my life this year.  Probably the biggest and most significant is that I'm getting married in nine weeks.  This is the biggest new adventure I've ever undertaken, and I can't wait to take it on with my fiancé!  It still seems a bit surreal a lot of the time, but I am blown away by the Lord's blessings on our lives and the gift he has given to each of us in each other.  We're very excited about our new life together, but we're certain it won't come without challenges.  New things present new hardships that we don't always get to see coming.  I've never been a wife before, so I'll have to navigate lots of new waters over the coming months and years.

Along with the new adventure of marriage, a lot of other changes will follow suit.  I'll be moving to a new place to live.  I've been at ChezMK for over six and a half years now - longer than I've ever lived anywhere before, so going somewhere else is going to be a big change!  We're still picking out a place to live, so it's fun to dream about what the new place will be like.  I'll get to rearrange furniture! (One of my favorite things to do!)  I'll get to have a dining room table!  Lots of little newnesses will come along with having a new home.

Along with a new home will come a new roommate (my soon-to-be husband, of course). But I've shared my home with my current wonderful roommate for so long!  Miranda has been a huge blessing to me and one of the biggest reasons I've enjoyed my post-college years so much.  Her friendship has been (and surely will continue to be) invaluable, but there will be a new chapter of our post-roommate relationship beginning in a few weeks.  We won't get to have the same lazy Saturday mornings where I roll out of bed and put baked oatmeal in the oven for our breakfast or make sweet tea runs to Chickfila together (as often).  We won't share a Christmas tree or host MND together.  But we'll still get to join each other for morning runs and have lunch dates and throw themed parties together! Our friendship will take on a new pace and feel, and hopefully it will be no less of a source of sweetness in our lives.

These are just a couple specific news that are happening in my life this year.  There will certainly be others, but the idea is the same.  Lots of changes are coming down the pipeline.  I love variety and change and new adventures, but they can be a bit scary and overwhelming at times, too.  These are the words of scripture I have been playing over and over in my mind as I've thought about All Things New and the changes coming in my life this year.  

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 

The new beginnings of this year remind me of the newness we have in Christ.  When he draws us to himself, he gives new life.  He has wonderful plans for us.  We get to leave the past behind and run forward into the fullness of life the Lord desires for us.  This requires us to embrace forgiveness and trust the Lord's best for us.  I sometimes struggle with forgiving myself, so I tend to hold on to guilt and shame which keeps me from the best of the new, full life the Lord offers.  So sometimes really living in the newness of Christ is hard for me.  I want to get better at that.

This year, as I face so many new beginnings, I also want to fully embrace the new life Christ offers, trusting him at his word that he forgives and forgets has an abundance of joy to offer me!

Will 2015 be a year of new for you, too?

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One Year

I recently came across this on Pinterest.

Could this be any more true in my life?

A year ago today, a chapter ended that I didn't want to end.  I didn't see how there was going to be a happy ending if that chapter was over.  I knew it could happen, but I just didn't see how just yet.

I am so thankful for time.  For perspective.  For healing. 

Fast forward from that day one year ago to today.  I am immeasurably thankful that chapter is over.  Because I didn't know it then, but there was a much more amazing story to be written in my life, and last year's chapter had to end so this one could begin.  

Days like today are such a good reminder to me that the Lord is ultimately in control and truly does have a bigger and better plan than we can see.  Even now I'm sure I don't know what seeds are being planted today in order that they might blossom beautifully in the days to come.  Either way, I can trust the heartbreaks, joys, disappointments, and celebrations in life to the God of both individual moments and the whole picture.  He has a plan for the highest highs and the lowest lows and is weaving them together in our lives for his glory.  How I respond to them is the only part I can control, and how I choose to face each day can bring even more glory to him.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 (ESV) says this:

 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

What a great reminder that the Lord is always at work, fulfilling his plan for me that he will be glorified!

So how was this time last year different for you?  Can you see how the Lord was writing a beautiful story in your life? Are you choosing to glorify the Lord in the midst of whatever it is you're facing today, looking forward to being able to see the bigger picture as time goes on and perspective changes?

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Keep Walking

I have a wonderful friend who I meet every week to talk together, encourage each other, and challenge each other.  We usually try to add a little structure to our weekly meetings by reading through a book together.  We've gone through all kinds of reads together, and right now we're tackling Believing God by Beth Moore.  One of the chapters I read for our meeting today really resonated with me, so I thought I'd share a little about it here.  Maybe it will have an impact on you, too.

The chapter is called "Believing God When Routine Follows Revelation."  Sometimes we have big moments with God.  But usually we don't.  Most of our lives are made up with the "normal" times in between the A HA! moments.  Most of the time we just have to keep going with what we know we should do without any major indicators we're on the right track, just trusting that we are being faithful and that it will ultimately be rewarded.  While talking about Joshua leading God's people in their fight against Jericho by walking (seemingly for no reason) over and over around the city walls, Beth says:

Sometimes God requires us to follow a fair amount of repetition for a considerable amount of time until He deems a season complete.  Then all of the sudden He seems to do something profound or miraculous, and we can't figure out what changed.

We may not see any value in the repetitive walking around the wall, but there is value in it because God told them to do it.  The great thing about this specific example from Joshua is that God told the Israelites the outcome.  He gave them a seven-day plan to follow with the guarantee that if they followed the plan, they would win the battle and overtake the city.  Unfortunately, however, we don't usually get such a prescriptive outline from the Lord about the battles we face.  We don't get the timeline for when we'll have this need met or that longing fulfilled.  We just have to trust that we need to do what the Lord has called us to do right here, right now, and he will take care of knocking down the wall that is in the way.  To this Beth says:

God often directs us to keep walking around that Jericho day after day, repeating the same fundamental steps while nothing seems to happen.  Oh, it will.  We must never stop believing it will.  But in the meantime, we've got to keep walking and keep circling no matter how many times we've done it before and no matter how many times we're yet to do it.

She goes on to discuss that regularity and repetition are not bad things but are important fundamentals of our faith.  Nor do they require that creativity and passion are set aside.  She explains:

God likes order.  He likes repetition.  A God of fundamentals, He brings up the sun every morning and the moon every evening, but His creativity within that order is gorgeously displayed in the changing sunsets and sunrises surrounding them.  The same is true for us.  Faithfulness in our Christian walk requires order, some black-and-white fundamentals, but within that order is glorious room for color and creativity.

Being faithful can seem mundane or tiresome at times, but it is always worth it.  The reward may be just around the next corner or may not be revealed on this side of eternity, but it will be rewarded.  Remember these words from Galatians 6:9 (ESV)

Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

I needed this truth today.

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April Showers

Happy April!

I don't do April Fool's Day, so sorry to disappoint.  Nothing funny or clever here this morning!

It's hard to believe 2014 is already a quarter over, but I am looking forward to this month for several reasons including but not limited to:

• It's my birthday month.
• I'm going to become a legit aunt this month.
• It's getting warm and that means spring.
• April showers bring May flowers.
• I like flowers.
• I've decided to read the whole New Testament this month.

I realize it's not such a huge feat, but I'm really looking forward to it.  My Bible reading has been lacking focus for the past couple months, so I decided to do something to kick start me into a better routine.  

There are 260 chapters in the New Testament, so I'm reading 9 chapters each day except Sundays when I'll read 7.  That will leave me with only 7 chapters on the last day of April, too.  

Today's chapters (Matthew 1-9) were full of rich teaching (This section includes the sermon on the mount), and this was one of the verses that stood out most to me.

I'd love to hear about how you like to read the Bible and if you have some kind of plan that you use.  Would you share your ideas with me?  I have a kind of short attention span; I like to try different things, so I'd love your suggestions!

Bring on the April showers in anticipation of May's flowers!

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2014 - Immanuel, God with Us

This past Christmas was an interesting one for several reasons.  Certainly, it was a joyous time of celebrations with family and friends.  Yet at times, in the midst of these celebrations, I felt a tinge of loneliness.  While praying through this loneliness during a season that's supposed to be all smiles and warm, fuzzy happiness, God whispered in my ear, "I came."  I came for you.  I came for you when you felt alone.  

In the midst of the loneliness of the world in sin and in need of a Savior, God showed up in person.  He came to fill the longing in our hearts and the sadness in our souls.  He is the ultimate cure for the loneliness of mankind.  He continues to be with us day in and day out along the journey of life.  This year, I want to live in light of his presence.  Immanuel, God with us.  He came.  When we needed him most, he stepped in.

I think the implications of this truth on my life are many, but I want to focus on a couple specifically this year.  The first implication of God's omnipresence on which I want to set my heart is his constant companionship.   

Throughout the Bible, there are many times when God promises to be there for us and not to leave us on our own:

It is the Lord who goes before you.  He will be with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20

No matter what I may face, I will never have to face it alone.  Sometimes I may feel alone, but God's word says otherwise:  I am never alone.  As I walk through days that might seem filled with loneliness or filled with community, I can always have confidence in the Lord's presence.  

The second implication of Immanuel on which I want to focus this year is the accountability of the Lord's presence.  Having a consistent awareness to God's presence in my life should hold me to a higher standard of conduct and a greater desire for personal holiness.  Would I make the same choices if I was keenly aware of Christ's presence in the room?  Would I do what I do if Jesus was watching?  Well, he is watching, and I need to live in light of this presence.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Psalm 139:2-3

Nothing escapes the Lord's awareness and his knowledge.  He knows the choices I make; he is there watching me make them.  This makes me desire to live in a way that will honor his presence in my life.

So, this year, I want to find comfort and conviction in his presence because he came.

Immanuel, God with us.  God with me.

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Wait on the Lord

Hard things happen, things we don't always understand or can't control.  These words from Psalm 37 have been a special blessing to me over the last few weeks as I have faced some hard things.  

This is a beautiful reminder to stay committed to the Lord, trusting him that his purposes are being fulfilled despite my limited understanding.  I love the promise of the Lord's steadfast love in the midst of challenges; I never have to face anything on my own!

It's also a good reminder not to try to manipulate a situation to turn out the way you want it, but instead to trust the Lord and let him work it out.  The temptation is to be impatient, to get angry, to worry.  But we are called to trust, delight, commit, be still, wait patiently, fret not, refrain from anger.  And wait on the Lord.  

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Lesson Learned....or Being Learned

So, I have less than a week to get a July post on the books, so here goes!

This summer has been one of lots of learning for me, so it's good for me to sit down for a few minutes and process what I'm learning and how I can apply what I'm learning beyond "huh - that's cool" to "wow - that was really a turning point."  Here's a less-than-all-inclusive list of the life lessons in my primer these days.

I'm bad at my job.  I suppose this is a bit subjective, and the ultimate determination of it might be my boss's call more than mine.  But here's the skinny:  I know I could be a lot better at my job.  I could invest my time, energy, and skills more effectively to promote and further the ministry for which I work.  I think maybe that's my issue...I see it like a job, like something to check off my list, instead of a calling to serve the Lord with the best of me.  So I'm learning to give of myself more than is required to check a task off my list and really invest with my heart into a cause that matters.

I don't like going to the gym.  But I'm going anyway.  I have never been one for much physical exertion, and if I'm going to exert myself physically, I want it to be doing something fun like catching waves at the beach or playing tennis not something mundane like running on a treadmill or lifting.  Blech.  But it's good for me.  It's good for me to do something I'm not particularly fond of, and it's good for me to start healthy habits now that will hopefully allow me to enjoy a long, healthy life.  So I'm learning to do things that are not fun in the present that will bring about a worthwhile gain in the future.

I don't know how to be a good girlfriend.  Let's be honest.  It's been a while since I was in a legit relationship with a guy.  Now I'm blessed with a wonderful man who I get to call my own, but I have to learn how to do this right.  It takes more than staring at his ridiculously handsome face across a dinner table or holding his hand as we walk around an amusement park.  It takes intentionality to build a relationship worth having.  It takes me getting out of my I've-been-single-and-on-my-own-for-a-long-time mindset and learning how to have a now-I-get-to-have-someone-else-to-consider thought process.  And he's more than worth it.  So I'm learning to let go of parts of my selfish independence for the sake of investing in another person who matters.

What lessons has this summer thrown your way?  Have you stopped to think about how you're applying them?

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You've Got a Friend in Me

I shared lunch with a great friends this week (as I do most weeks).  It made me thankful for the friendships I enjoy.  

I am blessed with an amazing group of people with whom I get to do life.  When I stop and think about it, I am spoiled to have so many friends who I would consider close, with whom I am confortable to share my life whether they are living in my house with me (shout out to my wonderful roommate!), down the road, in a different state, or a different time zone.

I find myself appreciating the relationships around me most when I approach them with intentionality. If I plan to have lunch with a friend and make sure that we don't just shoot the breeze and talk about the weather but really talk about what is going on in our lives and how we're struggling or what successes we've enjoyed, it makes our time together seem so much sweeter.  I feel like I have invested in our relationship instead of just having someone come over to eat.  I could have people who are just "lunch buddies" all day long.  But when I care enough to share my heart or ask them about theirs, real relationship happens.  And that's what it's all about. 

I'm a big proponent of discipleship.  And I think that largely means intentional relationship.  I have a friend who is older than me and further along in life than me with whom I meet every week (with few exceptions, we've been doing this for six years and some change).  We usually drink coffee and sit in her living room (or on her porch now that the weather's nice!) and share about our lives.  We often do a Bible study together or go through a book together, but mostly we just talk.  We talk about what challenges we're facing or what wins we've experienced.  I've learned from her as she's married and a mom and in a different stage of life than me.  We take time out of our lives to meet every week. To be intentional.  And it's worth it.  

So, I try to do the same thing with people who are  younger than me, who are in a different stage of life than me, but in the opposite way.  Maybe they're still in school or living with their parents or brand new to loving Jesus.  Maybe they can learn from me, but I've found that often I'm still the one learning.  

All this to say, I'm learning more and more how life is made so much sweeter when you share it with other people on purpose.  In fact, I'm meeting a new friend for coffee this afternoon.  Then catching up with some old ones later tonight.  I am one friend-blessed girl!

Just a handful of the wonderful people I get to call friends.  Love them.

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Spoiled Rotten

I. love. surprises.

I'm not really sure why, but something about being caught off guard with something that someone has planned for me just warms my heart in a special way.

Lately, I've enjoyed several wonderful surprises.  My heart has been so full.  It was my birthday last weekend, and there were a few planned festivities - a birthday dinner with my friends, a trip to Florida to see my family.  My birthday would not be without celebration!  

But in addition to the celebrations I knew were coming, my week was peppered with wonderful surprises!  The kids at my church sang to me and gave me birthday balloons.  My boss's family surprised me with cupcakes and gifts before I left for Florida.  My boyfriend sent me flowers at my parents' house since he is in Afghanistan and couldn't be there to celebrate with me in person.  My little brother drove down from Orlando to spend the weekend with us.  I got a box of delicious birthday cookies in the mail.  My dad took me on a shopping outing (He said it was to buy my birthday present, but I think it was more just to spend the afternoon with me.).

My not-so-little-anymore brother who for a surprise visit!

Balloons from my dad!

Birthday flowers from my boo!

I felt so spoiled.  There wasn't anything crazy extravagant involved, but I just felt so loved.  The little surprises and ways people made an effort to help me feel special on my birthday and the days surrounding it just blew me out of the water.  Maybe I'm just more nostalgic than usual these days, but I think this will be a birthday week I treasure for years to come.  

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A Passage of Prayer

For the last several weeks, my pastor has been preaching out of Ephesians 3.  Ephesians 3:14-21 is a beautiful passage of exhortation and Paul's prayer for the church at Ephesus.  

This particular set of verses has been standing out to me the past couple weeks, and each time I've read it, I think about it being  great to pray over my family.

Though I don't have a family of my own just yet, I am beginning to pray through these verses over the family I do have, my future family, and even over the people in my life who I love like family.    

Every family has been named from the Father, including my future one.  I pray that we will be strengthened by the power of the Spirit, that we will have Christ in our hearts through faith, that we will be grounded in love.   I pray that we will know the greatness of Christ's love that is beyond our comprehension.  I'm thankful that God has plans for my family beyond all I could ask or imagine.  I pray that my family will glorify the Lord for generations, from now into eternity.

Do you have a specific passage that is special for your family or for you?  Do you have verses you pray for yourself or others?    

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Conference Debrief

The last couple weeks have been a whirlwind at best with two back-to-back weekend conferences in Philadelphia, PA and Austin, TX.

I have mixed emotions about times like these.  I love the adventure of being a jet setter, but I hate the inconsistency of it.  I love the new experiences I get to have, but I hate missing out on my normal, wonderful routine.  I love meeting new people, but I hate not seeing my friends for so long.  You get the picture.

The good news is this:  I had a great time, I got to turn another state green on my travel map, and now I'm back home to catch up on life and try to create a new normal based on all I was exposed to over the last two weekends.

My primary purpose in attending these conferences is to share about the ministry of Living Bread with attendees.  But one of the perks is that I get to sit in on some of the sessions and have my own life challenged, too.  

Conference numero uno was The Justice Conference in Philly.  This conference is all about social justice, and the theme for 2013 (and since it was in Philadelphia) was "Justice and Liberty for All."  This is a very trendy topic in our culture right now, so the conference was attended by lots of people from lots of different backgrounds with lots of different stories but with a common goal - advancing justice around the world.  A couple quotations from Justice Conference founder Ken Wytsma that resonated with me were:

When you learn about justice, you're studying God.  When you're studying God, you learn about justice.

Just because we can't fix the world doesn't mean that we can't change it.

The second conference (the one from which I just returned) was Verge13 in Austin.  This one challenged me a little more than Justice because it focused on something that's a little bit closer to my heart: discipleship.  The theme was disciple making, and each speaker shared about some facet of this key element of Christ-following.  Because that's what Christ-following is: being a disciple of Christ.  

I have long been a proponent of discipleship - having intentional relationships with someone older (who can disciple you) and someone younger (who you can disciple) - but this weekend challenged my thinking on the topic as a whole and how I live it out day-by-day and week-by-week.  Here are a few quotes that stood out to me this weekend:

The consequences of casual, cultural Christianity are eternally tragic. - David Platt

We are all making disciples.  Are we making disciples of Christ? - Jeff Vanderstelt

The key to the health and sustainability of the church is not more evangelism but discipleship. - Alan Hirsch 

I'm still processing a lot of the information overload I experienced over the last several days, so I'm sure these will be topics of further discussion, but I just wanted to get an initial reaction down in writing.  I'm so thankful to live and work in an environment that is so conducive to being challenged and grown as a result. 

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Living Bread

Check out this video about Living Bread Ministries, the church-planting organization I work with!

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Come on Over!

It's one of my favorite phrases. I like saying it, and I like hearing it.  I love spending time with people I love.  I especially love spending time in their homes or having them spend time in my home.  Someone's home says a lot about them, so sharing these environments help you know people better.  My closest friends are the ones with whom I feel most at home, and I hope they feel at home with me.

I think this has a lot to do with the ministry of hospitality, which I feel like is a topic that I have come across over and over lately.  I've found that when there is a theme that becomes recurring in my life, I need to push pause and pay it some mind.  

I think this recurring concept of hospitality is related to my border-line obsession with the concept of home.  I love home.  I love my home (all of them).  I love visiting other people's homes.  I want a big house someday to make into a home.  

I've lived in a bunch of different places, so all of them have become home to some extent.  Clarion, Pennsylvania was the first place where I got to really settle down long enough to love a place and the people there, so it gets home status.  My parents live in Fort Myers, Florida, and if "Home is where your mom is," then it gets called home.  I have lived in Lynchburg, Virginia since I was a freshman in college (with the exceptions of a few summers), and now I've lived in the same house here for going on five years (shout out to ChezMK!), so this place is home.  Saying "I'm going home" could easily indication me going to any one of these three locations.

ChezMK - Home with my wonderful roommate

I have dreams of a future home.  Something I really, really want is a house.  A big, old farm house that I get to make my own and share with people I love.  And decorate it really cute and comfortable.  With lots of white furniture.  And tons of pictures.  And my little brother's paintings.  And my mom's quilts.  And plenty of purple.  But not too much.  And at least one window seat.  And sunshine in the windows.  With white, flowing curtains.  And a big dining room table.  With lots of chairs.  And a china cabinet full of white dishes that don't match.  And a front porch.  With rocking chairs.  And a porch swing.  I haven't thought about this or anything. 

All that to say, the place you call home matters.  But what you do with it matters more.  Home is an opportunity for ministry, the ministry of hospitality.  When we show hospitality, we have a chance to live the Gospel.  John Piper says:

Our homes need to be open.  Because our hearts are open.  And our hearts are open because God's heart is open to us.

As a lady, I think I have a unique opportunity to show hospitality. At least, I should make it a priority to ensure that my home is a welcoming place for guests.  Not just because I'm a girl but because I love Jesus.  Maybe it's just a little easier because I'm a girl.  In her book on biblical femininity Radical Womanhood, Carolyn McCulley says, as she discusses how our culture debates a woman's role at home:

The point of being a keeper at home is to provide a haven for a godly family to thrive, to offer hospitality to fellow Christians and non-Christians alike, and to provide a place for the church to meet. (p. 104)

She goes on to say:

No one will find fulfillment in the latest applications or gadgets that run a home. Nor will one find lasting fulfillment in attempting to decorate and entertain like the lastest hospitality doyenne.  Material goods and self-glorifying domestic perfection are definitely not the heart of the home.  The heart of the home is found in the relationships nurtured there and the comfort offered to one another--comfort we have first received from God, the Father of compassion, and then share with one another. (p. 115)

Ouch.  I can often get caught up in the desire for domestic perfection that I can forget that what I have in hostessing is an opportunity to love like Jesus loves not show off my latest crock pot recipe or apron-wearing cuteness.  It's less about a perfect-smelling candle or appropriately coordinating serving dishes than it is about sharing the comfort of home with people I love.  

I'm abundantly thankful for the people who continuously open their homes to me and the chances I have to open my home to others.  I desire to be someone who not only welcomes people into her home, but also takes advantage of these times to serve as Gospel-ministry.  

So, come on over! 

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Let's Hear it for the Boy(s)!

Note: I am writing this post while sipping tea from my "I only date superheroes" mug. Just thought that would be good to throw out there.  Now on to the real thing!

The other day I was talking to my mom about a lady she knows who had been married for twenty-something years, had grown children, and whose husband was moving out. Sad. Seriously sad. I don't know this lady, her children, or her husband, but my heart was genuinely sad for her. I simply cannot imagine sharing years and years of my life with someone only to have him give up on us when the children grow up and move away, or when he decides that there may be something better out there, or when fighting for me and for us isn't worth it anymore.

And then my mom said something for which I am so, so thankful but rarely say out loud: "It just makes me so thankful for Dad and how blessed I am." (I can't remember her exact wording, but this is a pretty accurate paraphrase.) And she's right. Our family has been abundantly blessed by the consistency and leadership my dad has provided for 30+ years. We Finches are not without our quirks, but if nothing else, we can say we have always had a great example of godliness in our home.

This conversation with my mom reminded me of a verse I wrote in my journal a few weeks ago:

Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find? Proverbs 20:6

When I read that, I immediately thought, "Well, I am blessed to know many faithful men!" First there's my dad, and my brother, then the wonderful men my good friends have chosen to marry. There are also my own guy friends, and men from my church. These men are faithful to the Lord, their families (those who have them), their jobs, their friends, and their local church bodies. They are even faithful to me in some ways (if I ever need something that I can't or would rather not take care of as a single lady, I can call one of them to help me out, and they are ready and willing to lend a hand).

I often read about how there is a shortage of good, Christian men in churches and in families and how many men are failing to lead or initiate properly (and I think to some extent, this is true), but reading this verse made me abundantly grateful for the guys I know who don't fall into the traps of passivity or unfaithfulness.

Though I don't yet know who my faithful man will be, I am so, so thankful for the other faithful men in my life. And, for the record, I think they are real-life superheroes. They may not be able to fly or have laser vision, but they play a part in saving the world from impending doom, fighting for what is good and honoring to the Lord despite the world around them tempting them to take the easy way out.

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2013 - More than Enough

In the spirit of new years posts...here's mine.  

I don't like to make resolutions.  I do, however, like the new-start feeling that comes along with starting a new calendar.  Also, I like to have some kind of theme for the year.  Nothing too crazy, but some sort of catch phrase or the like to guide my mindset for the next twelve months.  This was my theme from last year.  Maybe I'll do a reflection post on how that went for me.

Over the past couple weeks, I have been praying about what this year's theme (or whatever you want to call it) would be.  Without the A-HA! moment I was hoping for, I've settled on this:  More than Enough.

The theme is twofold.  

First is the issue of contentment in Christ.  He is more than enough for me.  I think of Chris Tomlin's song "Enough":

All of you is more than enough for all of me, For every thirst and every need. You satisfy me with your love, And all I have in you is more than enough.

Every longing and desire I have should ultimately be met in Christ.  He may use other people or things in the process, but in him I should find my satisfaction and wholeness and completeness and contentment.  I am created to need him to be whole, and he can fill that need in my life.  So this year, in the midst of whatever longings or desires in which I find myself, I need to turn to Christ because he is more than enough to meet my needs.  

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us... Ephesians 3:20

Second is the issue of excess.  I'm not sure why this is so much at the forefront of my mind lately, but it is.  I have more than I need in most areas of my life.  More clothes than I need.  More shoes than I need.  More mugs than I need.  More pillows than I need. More you-name-it than I need.  

I have so much stuff.  I like to call myself a keeper instead of something crazy like a hoarder, but seriously.  So. much. stuff.  The issue is that I become sentimentally attached to things because of the memories attached to them.  For example, I don't want to get rid of that shirt I never wear anymore because so-and-so gave it to me or because I wore it this one time to this one place and if I get rid of it, I'll never remember that thing with the guy at the place (Ocean's Eleven reference, anyone?).  And I need to fight that.  I am not called to cram my house with stuff so that I can remember or feel comfortable or fulfilled or proud.  I am called to generosity and simplicity so that I am not distracted by comfort or convenience or even memories at the expense of my life bringing glory to the Lord.

I've started fighting this fight.  I have gone through my closet, taken pictures of things I want to remember instead of keeping them forever, and become much more acutely aware of my stuff.  But I still have a long way to go, and this year, I want to be consistently reminded of this battle.  Because it's not so much a battle against having too many pairs of shoes as much as it is a battle in my heart not to value things as an idol.  I may want a bigger, beautiful house that can more easily fit all my stuff and has a dining room so I can use placemats, but that is not as important as me trusting the Lord to provide for my needs and seeing my things as tools with which I can bless others.  He has given me more than enough to meet my needs, so I need to turn around and give to others instead of keeping things for myself for whatever silly reason I can think of.

And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.  Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse or barn, and yet God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds! [...] And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.  For all the  nations of the world seek these things, and your Father knows you need them.  Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. [...] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Luke 12: 22-24, 29-31, 34

So there you have it, folks!  2013 - More than Enough

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Resolution Revisited

I will sing of steadfast love and justice;

    to you, O Lord, I will make music.

I will ponder the way that is blameless.

    Oh when will you come to me?

I will walk with integrity of heart

    within my house;

I will not set before my eyes

    anything that is worthless.

I hate the work of those who fall away;

    it shall not cling to me.

A perverse heart shall be far from me;

    I will know nothing of evil.

Psalm 101:1-4, ESV

A couple New Years ago, I decided to make these my theme verses for the upcoming year.  I read them again this week and realized they are just as worthy a goal for my life now as they were then.

These words are more challenging than they may seem at first glance.  How many things do I ponder that are "blameless" or what might I spend time thinking about or looking at that is of no eternal value or "worthless?"  Do I really spend time praising the Lord for his steadfast love and his justice?  Do I live every day "with integrity of heart" and flee from a "perverse heart?"  Do I truly "know nothing of evil?"  

All these things are easier said than done, but the benefit of closeness with my Jesus as a result of my personal holiness and purity in my life more than outweighs the challenge.  These are fights well worth fighting because the victories are so worth it.  

New Year's resolution?  Not really.  Daily resolution?  Absolutely.

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Thankful

There's so much for which to say thank you this Thanksgiving season.  There are a few things that I have been appreciating more and more lately.  And by things, mostly I mean people.  I am so blessed with so many people in my life who love and care about me.  Some of them I know a lot; some I know only a little, but all are special to me.  These are some of the people (or rather groups of people) who make me so, so thankful this year.  

(Note:  the list that follows is not an exhaustive list by any stretch of imagination.  There are many more than could be named here!)

My family - this is often the standard answer to the "What are you thankful for?" question, but  they earn the standard response position for a reason.  Though they are miles and miles away (and it's during times like this that I wish Virginia and Florida weren't so far away from each other), my family is pretty much the best ever.  We Finches have some interesting quirks and oddities, but I wouldn't trade our crazy crew for another any day of the week.  Being a Finch is one of the highlights of my life!

My far away friends - in addition to my family being miles and miles away, I have several dear friends who don't live anywhere close to where I live.  They're all over - Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, North Dakota, Utah....you get the picture.  Even though we don't see each other ever day, week, month, or even sometimes year, each of my far away friends holds a special place in my heart.

My up close friends - some days I forget that not everyone is blessed with a group of people with whom to "do life."  One the days that I remember that, I am even more thankful for "The Group," those people who are in my house every week, who invite me to their house every week, who I see on the weekends (when I'm not out of town visiting a far away friend), who will catch a late movie with me, who will help us decorate for Christmas, who will watch football with me, who will make a Starbucks run with me. You know? Just doing life together.  That's what we do, and I dig it.  

My church family - I feel like I have a couple of these since I've moved from place to place and have had the opportunity to get involved in multiple great churches.  Either way, I love the people who worship with me on a weekly basis, and I'm learning to appreciate them more and more. 

So there are a few highlights from my "Thankful For" list.  What tops your list this year?

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Selfish Socks

I haven't posted in a while, but there have been several times when I've thought of something profound and wanted to post but haven't quite gotten around to it.  I think that's one of the symptoms of the ridiculous busyness of my life.  But, that's a whole different story.


The Lord has really been working on my heart and in my life in the past couple months.  I'm not sure where he's leading me, but it is evident that we're headed somewhere.  I'm excited to see where that may be.  


One of the things God has used in my life to challenge me and help me reshape my thinking was my recent trip to Brazil.   This was my second time to travel to Porto Alegre, Brazil with Living Bread Ministries, a ministry working to plant churches in poor communities.   I was challenged in several ways throughout the trip, but the first challenge happened while I was packing.  Though it's a sweltering summer here in Lynchburg, in south Brazil it's the beginning of their winter, so I was trying to pack layers to prepare appropriately for their weather: warmish (upper 60s, maybe low 70s) in the day, cool (50s) in the evenings.  


I decided that flip flops or sandals wouldn't be wise since it would be chilly, and we'd be walking all over dirty streets. Thus my need to pack socks.  So, I stood in my bedroom counting out how many days we'd be traveling pulling that many pairs of socks out of my so-stuffed-I-can't-always-close-it-properly sock drawer.  Then I decided I didn't want to wear certain pairs of socks, so I swapped them for other pairs I like better.  I have so many pairs of socks that I could be choosy about which 12 pairs I packed for the trip.  More. than. 12. pairs. of. socks.  Really?  Who needs that many socks?  I mean, I do laundry often enough that even if I wore a pair of socks every single day (which I don't), I wouldn't need that many.  


I know there is nothing inherently wrong with having a bajillion pairs of socks.  But, I think my ridiculous number of socks is one indicator/symptom of my oh-so-comfy lifestyle of excess, convenience, instant gratification, and self-ward focus.  I don't live so selfishly on purpose, but it happens by default, by lack of intentionality to live selflessly.


So, I realized that I have too many socks.  And too many most other things in my life.  I was packing to go on a missions trip to serve people, many of whom don't have ANY pairs of socks, and I was being picky about which 12 pairs I was packing.  


I'm betting you can probably guess where I'm going with this.  I haven't cleaned my sock drawer out yet, but I am actively reevaluating how I am using my resources and what I am doing to be intentionally outward-focused instead of inward-focused.  There are so many people who have various needs in my neighborhood, in my town, in my state, in my country, and around the world.  What am I doing that will have a positive impact on them?  I have been blessed with so much, but I so often just enjoy these blessings myself without sharing them with others.  


So my sock challenge is to use my resources to bless others, to use what I have to the benefit of someone other than myself.  


....and this was before I even set foot on an airplane headed to Brazil.

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Light as a Feather

You know that feeling after you complete a sizable task?  Getting to check something off the ol' to-do list.  A burden lifted.  One less thing to worry about.  That's how I feel after I submit final grades for the course(s) I teach.  Papers have been graded.  Scores have been calculated (not by me, thanks to Grade Center in Blackboard).  Done.  Check. Moving on.


The exciting part is thinking about all the things to which I can look forward now that I don't have (as much) grading to do:


Upcoming trip to California - I haven't really spent time on the west coast, especially not in my adult life so far.  Other than a trip to Oregon as a kid and a few layovers in LA and San Fransisco, I'm a first-timer and very much excited about it!


More time to read - I'm about a million books behind Miranda on our reading list (ok, not a million, 4, I think).  Not that it's a competition, but tracking together helps us both stay on pace to finish the list.  I'm about 170 pages into 1000+ page Gone with the Wind, so I better get moving!


Catching up on life - Am I the only one who feels like I'm always one or two steps behind?  I think it's my chronic problem with over-committing myself to everything and not leaving enough downtime or buffer in my life that is to blame.  Either way, I'm learning to say "no" more (not my strongest suit) and not feel guilty when I have nothing to do.  


I get so caught up in doing things that I often forget about being.  I don't want to have a million things to do and no time to do them.  I would rather have one or two things to do and plenty to time to do them to the best of my ability.  But unfortunately, the list of things to do keeps growing:  organize/print pictures for albums, clean the office, plant flowers out front, sort through closets to weed out things I don't wear, buy luggage, start thinking about packing for upcoming trips, etc., etc.  


As silly as it may sound, I really am looking forward to getting these things done.  It is an opportunity to worship through my activities and my time management. I have largely failed in this area thus far, so I'm praying that I can take steps toward being a good steward of my time.  I want to glorify the Lord in all things including (especially) the way I spend my time.  His desire is for me to be filled, not for me to be burnt out.  Yes, I need to do the things on my list, but I don't need to become overwhelmed and stressed about them.  


This is a constant battle I fight, so reading Oswald Chambers' words a few nights ago really struck a cord with me.  He says this relating to Matthew 6: 25 and 33:

Jesus did not say that the person who takes no thought for anything in his life is blessed— no, that person is a fool. But Jesus did teach that His disciple must make his relationship with God the dominating focus of his life, and to be cautiously carefree about everything else in comparison to that.

I like that.  "Cautiously carefree."  These are words that I would like to be used about me someday.  I want to live with a certain wisdom and caution, but I also want to be able to have a light, carefree air about me.  Do things on a whim knowing that I haven't neglected any of responsibilities.  Prayerfully, that's where I'm headed.


So, here's to being cautiously carefree and light as a feather!

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Certainly Uncertain

There has been a significant amount of uncertainty in the last couple weeks of my life.  I have been faced with a sizable decision and was largely unsure of how to respond or what choice to make.  I enjoy change and surprises, but this one really caught me off guard.  I ended up making the decision (an at-least-for-now decision, anyway) on Friday.  I'm a little apprehensive about it, but I'm glad to have the decision behind me and the living-it-out ahead of me.  


All that to say, I have been a bit (read: really) uncertain about all this.  Did I make the right choice?  Did I wait too long to  make it?  Did I make it selfishly?  Did I weigh all the options appropriately?  


On Friday night, after I'd made my decision, I was reading that day's devotional in Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest as I do every night (ok - almost every night).  I'm pretty sure that entry was strategically placed on April 29 for me to read that night.  Though all of it was spot on with what I needed to hear, here are the portions of it that especially jumped out at me:

Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life - gracious uncertainty is the mark of a spiritual life.  To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring. [...] We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God.  As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and do the task he has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with surprises. [...] We are not uncertain of God, just uncertain of what He is going to do next.  [...] Leave everything to Him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how He will come in - but you can be certain that He will come.  Remain faithful to Him.

I'm so thankful that despite all the uncertainties of life and any of the decisions I could have made, I can always be certain that following the Lord is the way to go.  Period.  No ifs, ands, or buts about it.   I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, but I'm looking forward to the surprises of abandoning my ideas of where I should be for faithfully following.  Though following can be scary (I can't see where I'm going; I just have to trust that He can and does), I know it's the best choice every time.  And I really do like surprises.

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