Advent

 

 

The celebration of Advent is a fairly new thing for me; I have no recollection of hearing about it in the church that I grew up which makes me ever grateful for the church I now attend! The following are things that were discussed today that spoke to me. (Here's a link to my church's website; today's sermon isn't up yet http://www.thewellpa.com/sermons/ )

Advent - a season of longing and expectation. A time to put ourselves in Israel's place, waiting for the coming Messiah to enter into our world. We wait and live in between promise and fulfillment as we now long for the second coming of our Messiah. The themes for the four weeks leading to Christmas are: hope, love, joy, and peace.

This morning was such a beautiful beginning to the season of Advent with the reminder that it's ok to live in the tension between promise and fulfillment. We are heirs of heaven and yet we live on earth, we yearn to be led by the spirit but must daily duel with the desires of the flesh, we are walking paradoxes and yet God's grace is expansive and imputes his righteousness to us.

Advent is here...but Christmas is coming!

"When you is precious to God, you become important to Satan. ... The thief comes in the night." - Denver

It took me about 2 days to read this cover-to-cover; I couldn't put it down. What a moving true story that grabs hold of the reader and forces him or her to evaluate their lives and then challenges them to reach out in love to those who, in their eyes, are different then themselves. God's ways are not our ways nor are his thoughts our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8), and yet he graciously weaves us into his story and allows us to touch others with his love. 

"But I found out everybody's different - the same kind of different as me. We're all just regular folks walkin down the road God done set in front of us." - Denver

Quality Time

I live for quality time. Quality time for me involves a number of things, a few of which include: being sincere, having meaningful conversations, hearty laughter, and contented silences. I didn't realize how true it is that I am refreshed by having quality time with people until a recent conversation I had with someone. I appreciate and need alone/quiet time but I am extremely refreshed by quality time. Whether it's breakfast with someone or taking a walk, when removed from the world of technology and entering into meaningful interaction with another person, it is then that I am rejuvenated.

Last night I was with some people whom I cherish, respect, appreciate, and enjoy and oh how beautiful it was to sit in the corner and watch them all interact, laugh, and just be. I am thankful for the moments of quality time I am blessed with and though some days I wish there was more of it, I will be grateful for the times I have.

"STOP! Just s.t.o.p talking. It'll be better for both of us."

The inner dialogue I have with myself begins in anger and frustraion then slowly ebbs into a plea of defeat.

It's not that I expect everyone to be perfect or excel in this area - all I want is for people to think before they speak and before they make false/rash promises. Maybe they do it because it makes them feel better. Maybe they've been conditioned to respond in certain ways to certain scenarios, like Chandler when he says, "it's been fun, we should do this again sometime", to a date he has absolutely no intention of ever seeing again.

I don't know what the reason is but I ask you to STOP talking and think about the weight of what your words imply. You  may be able to continue doing this with other individuals in your life but it won't hold up well with me.

You see, unfortunaly for you, I am very sensitive and I have this uncanny ability to hope - even when everything seems lost, desparing, pointless, etc. - I still somehow see a glimmer of hope and hold onto it with all that I have. So when you give me a reason to, I will, and it hurts so much when there's no follow-up.

My true hope in this life resides with my savior, Jesus Christ, and yet I live with fellow brothers and sisters who impact my life in innumerable ways.

"Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth." - 1 John 3:18

Scars

I'm simply going to quote from my pastor from this past Sunday. The truths spoken are very pertinent to my life and are things that God has been working in me for awhile. He keeps reminding me that I am his child and that I must find my identity in him.

Here's a link to the sermon if you're interested in listening to the whole thing. Otherwise, here are the things that spoke to me.


"I think there is something amazingly redemptive about seeing people's healed scars."

"I think when we bring our sin, our brokenness, our scars, and the effects of them, to the cross, to Christ, and to community...the healing that is found there can do amazing things."

"I think partially what it means to die with Christ and be raised to new life, is to mean I'm going to let the part of me that is broken, that rules the way that I function: die. I'm going to bury that self; I'm going to bury this self that believes that I am a certain way or a certain person...and I'm going to let that part die. I'm going to find my identity in Christ, the risen Messiah."

"In the posture that God has sent Christ, scars and all, so he sends us. We have been given new life, we have risen from the dead, and we still bear the scars."

"When you've found healing, don't be afraid to bear your scars. Show them for what they are: evidence of God's grace, evidence of God's healing. It it quite often the thing that we think is most wrong with us, is the thing God uses to transform the world. It's in our weakness, he is strong."

"Because Christ is resurrected our brokenness and our wounds can find healing."

Reminiscing & Looking Ahead

Every once in awhile I find myself homesick for where I grew up which was in good ole Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Where I live currently seems to have an abundance of highways, concrete, and gray. This is not to say there isn't still beauty and nature to be found, it just isn't always as easily recognizable as where I came from.

I yearn for open space; to see farmland, red barns, silos, and cows.

When I go back to visit I don't even mind the smell of manure as it reminds me of home and numerous memories I've created there. It makes me think of dear friends and fun times had together while our dads played softball. It makes me think of driving on back roads with the windows down. It makes me think of mornings getting ready for school.

I treasure my time spent in Lancaster and look forward to looking back on my current location and the memories I've created here as I prepare to move to a different state for the first time in my life!

Simple Observed Beauty

This morning I left early for my trek to work as I planned to stop and get coffee at one of my favorite small town cafes. As I meandered and took in the sights of a newly found "back road" I came upon a school bus and felt a wave of dread wash over me as I realized it had numerous stops to make every several houses along this patch of road. "So much for this route" I thought but then I started watching the massive event of parents sending their kids off to school. The wave of dread turned into a wave of joy as I watched moms and grandmas send their kids off to school. I watched neighbors interacting with one another, hugs and kisses being bestowed, as well as numerous waves and smiles. I noticed a pattern: the adults often waved three times before turning and going back inside. Once to the driver as a silent thanks for transporting their child safely to school. Another to their child as they found their way to their seat. And a final wave as the bus pulled away. What a simple beauty to see parents of all shapes, sizes, and colors loving on their kids!

Foggy

i.e. my thoughts. I have numerous things running through my head that I could write about, but for what purpose? A pact was made with a good friend that we would both start blogs…but what to write about and why? I seem to find myself often swinging on a pendulum, desperately seeking balance. On the one end, who really cares to hear what I have to say and yet on the other, I think everyone has meaningful things to say. I’m always seeking balance but sometimes things need to be on one end of the pendulum or another. All I really want in this life is to make some little footprint, living my life as a child of God who is called, loved, and kept (Jude 1:1), who loves others well, and follows whatever path God carves out for me.

I just finished re-reading To Kill A Mockingbird for the first time since junior high and it was moving. I feel like I can finally engage in meaningful conversation about the content as well as the characters.  I love stories (as I think we all do), and whether it’s through music, movies, theater, or books, I can’t get enough.  I love the wisdom, themes, characters, information, emotion, etc. that is found in them.  On that note…some words of wisdom from Atticus Finch for today.

“They’re certainly entitled to think that, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions,” said Atticus, “but before I can live with other folks, I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscious.” (pg. 139-140)

Shamokin, PA

Small town; coal town. A place where immigrants from Ireland, Germany, and Poland established themselves and where one can find unique dishes such as Pigeons, Soupies, Faggots, and Halushka. A place where breakfast for three costs $8.90 and where one can hear the skinny about what's going on in the town and with its inhabitants. A place full of hardworking, generous folks who love their local sports teams and are deeply involved in the community. A place where my grandparents live.

Trips to Mam and Pap's are characterized by old movies, time spent in the kitchen or the downstairs family room, the mantra "Are ya hungry?", laughter, sarcasm, and relaxation. A nice weekend away chuckling at differences and being grateful for similarities.

As I sat at breakfast this morning there were three generations present - Mam, my mom, and myself. I chuckled at how different we each are and yet marveled at how there is an evident thread of selflessness, sacrifice, and strength that has been passed down. I admire both of these women and enjoy spending time with them; listening to them, laughing with them, and playing Rummikub or Bingo!

***If you're interested in the history of Shamokin... http://www.shamokincity.org/history.htm ...I learned a few things I never knew!