Sunday's Message

I really enjoyed the message at church on Sunday. Keith talked about how the message of Christianity is counter-cultural. I know that sounds like an obvious statement, but I'm going to explain with a little more detail.

In America we strive for independence, from financial independence to lifestyle independence. We always feel the need to do it on our own. If we can't make it on our own without leaning on anyone else then we are not successful in America. We want to be able to pull ourselves up by our boot straps. That is an anti-Christian mindset.

Following Jesus is admitting that you can't do it on your own. Following Jesus is realizing that you need help. I think this is where many of us in American Christian culture struggle. I have friends (and I'm not any different) that feel bad when they have to ask for help. I would much rather walk through the valley of the shadow of death with my friend than watch her walk through it on her own. I know that there is no way I prefer walking through a scary time by myself over walking through it with a friend.

The early church did life together. They ate together, shared time together, and took care of each other. When one of them had a need, then the group helped meet that need. Can you imagine if today's church was really like that? What a difference people would see in us if we really cared for each other, and not just for each other but for our neighbors next door and across the street. That statement, "They will know us by our love," is so true. It's based on what John writes in his first letter. If I live a life filled with Christ's love, that changes people and impacts people. Imagine if a whole home team did that, or if a whole church did that. That's where revival begins to happen. And I'm not talking church tent revival. I'm talking about lives in communities being changed, families being healed, needs being met, and hearts being mended. The members of that home team and the members of that church become the face of Jesus. When people start seeing who the real Jesus is, things happen. That's real revival.

I am so glad that this is part of Rockway's philosophy. I am so thankful that we emphasize community. I place a lot of value in authenticity, and I feel like we have that in my home team.

Anyway, I guess that is all. I have a lot to do and not much time to do it all. God is good. Can't wait to see what He has in store for our community.

Kyle

I must be married to the best guy in the world. Who else would take time out of his own day to come see a school program? That says a lot. God sure did pour out the blessings in my life when He put Kyle in it. We have fun. Life is good with him.

Alabama Football

Last night I watched the Alabama-LSU football game with Kyle, Joel, and Angela. It was great to spend time with my friends and family. The sad part was the game. I don't know if I can explain how much I love Alabama football. It is definitely a passion of mine. In fact tonight I pulled up some old Alabama football plays on YouTube. I know some would say that's lame, but that's just what I enjoy. I grew up watching games with my family. Maybe that's why I love the games so much. They mean more than just football. They mean years of hanging out with my dad and my brother and my uncles and cousins. (My mom was there too, but she doesn't get into it the same way.) I even remember the first time I ever prayed for Alabama to win a football game. It was the Arkansas game in 1993. I was at my grandparents' house. They were losing, but they had a chance to win towards the end. I went back to the "yellow room" and prayed the God would help them win. They lost.

I think even then, at the age of 13, I understood that God cared about the small things. Just because prayers aren't answered the way that we want them to be doesn't mean that they're not answered. I love it that I still remember that. God knows my heart. He knows that I loved Alabama football passionately at that age. He knew it was important to me, so it's good that I prayed about it.

God truly cares about me. God truly cares about my heart. God cares about the things that are important to me. It is pretty incredible to think that the God of the universe, the maker of the stars and the galaxies, the creator of all things beautiful, cares about me. I matter to Him.

As I've gotten older I still am very passionate about Alabama football, especially since I live in a different state now. But, I think that as I grow closer to God my heart changes. I still hope Alabama wins every single game. But, my heart is different now. I think about how passionate so many people in that stadium are for Alabama. I think about how everyone outside that stadium knows that there are exciting things going on because of all the screaming and yelling and cheering. Wouldn't it be great if we were that passionate about God? It would be incredible if I was so passionate about God that other people around me noticed. I don't know if my life screams Jesus.

I yell at the players when they don't do what I think they should do. I am so eager to point them in the right direction so they can score or hit the opposing player. In life there are people dying. We go to work and school with dying people. I need to care about their spiritual condition the way that I care about the running back dodging the lineman to run down the field and score.

Okay, so I've been writing this during the Dallas-Philly game, so I don't know if I've even made much sense. But, I did want to journal. God is good. He cares about me. He cares about people. I need to care about people the way that God does. This week I want to see people with God's eyes instead of my own. I want to hear the silent cries. I want to Jesus to be evident in my life.

My Two Cents

This has nothing to do with anything going on in my life. I just feel like ranting a little bit right now. It probably doesn't help that I'm on steroids for my hives, so my emotions are on a roller coaster. It doesn't matter, though. My opinion is not dependent on whether or not I'm happy or sad.

So, the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, Andy Reid, is under a lot of scrutiny right now. Two of his sons have been arrested for drug possession. I don't have all of the details. I just know the surface story. The thing that upsets me is the judge in this case. Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill said this was a "family in crisis." He also said that he didn't know if the boys should return home after their sentence was completed. He said, "There isn't any structure there that this court can depend on." Now, one could see why the judge would say this if the boys were teenagers. The parents were not providing a structured home environment to secure the safety and health of their children. This is not the case, however. These "boys" are 22 and 24 years old. They are adults. The parents at this point are not supposed to provide "structure" at home for their children. These young men are responsible for their own actions and responsible for providing their own structure at home. At this point in the lives of these young men, their parents can no longer be held responsible for the actions of their children.

I just feel like this judge knew that this was going to be a case that the public would be interested in. He knew that he would have the opportunity to be out in front of the nation with his rulings and his opinions. I do not feel like the judge was wise or ethical with his comments. In my opinion he abused his position. It just really burns me up to hear a comment like that.

Okay, there's my vent and my rant. I apologize. It just really made me mad to hear about this. I don't know Andy Reid. I don't even like the Philadelphia Eagles. But situations where people have been treated unfairly or unjustly burn me up.

I apologize if there are details about this case that I am unfamiliar with that would cause me to have a differing opinion. If you know something about it then please enlighten me.