[Book Review] Outlive Your Life

Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado was a book I received from Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze book review program. While I have read many other excellent Max Lucado books in the past (Just like Jesus, Cast of Characters...), this was by far the most challenging for me as a reader to go out and DO--to make the most of my life here in a God-glorifying kind of way.

The challenge to me became this: Will the things I spend the time and energy on during my life live on and continue to make a difference after my life is over?

I really did like this book. After reading a handful of Christian Living books, many of them will start to sound the same and redundant. But this one was different. It was inspiring. It made me want to get up and go.

My church (Beltway Park Baptist Church, Abilene TX, also went through a series based off of this book about the same time I received it from Thomas Nelson to review. Each week the congregation would have the opportunity to participate in a weekly ministry specific to the teachings from the week. It gave the church members an opportunity right in front of them to live out the challenges of the book. It was easy! At the conclusion of the series I especially was challenged to find a ministry to make a higher priority in my life and not just half way serve in the ministry but to do it wholly.

I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for someone to light a fire under you so you will get off your butt and and go do something. I know I need that often, and this is the book that will get you out of your ministry slump. 

Good Morning, Lord 

Sheila Walsh

Being a designer, I admit that I have the tendency to judge a book by its cover and that is why I ordered this book. For a morning devotional, the design is so fresh and welcoming and is a nice start to my day--even as a mid-day devotional. There were a lot of things I really did like about this devotional, although there were a few things I were not too crazy about either. 

What I enjoyed in this devotional: 

-The length of the devotionals were short and sweet (Usually if I allowed myself plenty of time I would read 3-4 devotionals in one sitting)

-The devotionals were informative in some aspect--I always felt like I learned something new when I closed the book

-The daily scripture included in each entry was usually a good verse to focus on throughout the day

-The layout (again, the designer in me is very picky) was attractive and practical

-I was able to relate to just about every entry to some capacity. There were even a few “ah hah!” moments when I knew I was reading exactly what God wanted me to read on that day. 

What I wasn’t too crazy about:

-Who really writes in these devo journals? I don’t... And because I am slightly a perfectionist, I don’t want to write in the book and “mess it up”. My personal preference would be to have the questions listed at the conclusion of the entry and then I would write in my personal journal upon reflecting on the entry. It is thoughtful of her to include the lines, but my personal feelings are that it is just wasting paper because I am under the impression that the majority of those who buy this book are not going to write in it either. 

That’s about it. I would recommend it--especially to those who have a hard time finding time to read or spend in company with God. The length of these devos are ideal for busy women. I will probably pass this on to someone who I think might actually write in it.

Book Review: A Girl's Guide To Life

A Girl's Guide To Life 

Katie Meier

Thomas Nelson Publishers

First of all, let me mention that I am a 20 year old college student with a passion for mentoring the younger generation of female’s--I am not too far ahead of the audience that A Girl’s Guide To Life by Katie Meier was written for. It appears that the target audience this book was written for was the high school girl. However, in my personal opinion this book is written with a voice that is too elementary for this particular audience. 

I read these kinds of books, myself, when I was in high school (self improvement, christian teen advice, spiritual guidance, christian dating...etc.) and I probably would have not read this book as a high school student after reading the preface because it is was just too simple. At that point in my life, I don’t want to be spoken to as if I am hearing about these things for the first time. If I was a 7th grader being introduced to some of this stuff for the first time, this would be a great, simple, easy to read approach to “girl stuff.” In fact, when I was in 7th grade I was actually looking for exactly this kind of book. And for the middle school audience, I would probably rate this book a little higher. 

A Girls Guide To Life offers a thorough look into situations many tween to teenage girls face on a day to day basis. Split into the three parts--mind, body and soul--this book also offers answers many questions about the female body, peer pressure, boys, religion, sex and more. 

I rated this book 3 out of 5 stars primarily because it lacked the maturity for the age it was written more. I will most likely pass this book down to my 12 year old sister who will hopefully use it as a go-to-guide for answers to questions she doesn’t want to ask. It will  surely serve as a great resource for this important time in her life.

By Surprise

Okay, so it’s been awhile. I’ve been busy between projects at the Host Committee and trying to enjoy the summertime. But right now I have plenty of time to catch up--I am actually sitting in the lobby of a Holiday Inn Express in Royse City. I’m pretty sure my car died on Interstate 30 leaving Dallas on my way home to Texarkana. Still not sure what is going on with it, so my wonderful father is coming this way to check it out and get me home. 

I am very grateful, however, that my car died here rather than on 35 or 30 in the middle of downtown Dallas where I left from work. Praise the Lord for a great location for a break down :) After all, in this hotel lobby I’ve got Grey’s Anatomy, a couch, WiFi, and complimentary coffee. 

Work at the Host Committee has been great and productive. I completed redesigning the Power Point presentation for the Speaker’s Bureau, I wrote an article for the June edition of the XLV Volunteer Newsletter, attended a few events and meetings, and I contacted a couple hundred volunteers to help them complete their volunteer registration. Currently, I am researching contact information for many different groups for a project I am working on for a volunteer recruitment initiative. 

To learn more about the XLV Volunteer Program, go to www.northtexassuperbowl.com/volunteers. The volunteer services department is something that I have really enjoyed working with. It is a huge initiative that the department is taking on by trying to gather around 10,000 enthusiastic individuals to essentially be the faces of the Host Committee. It is an exciting opportunity for anyone who is able to get involved in January and February of 2011 in North Texas. 

Well I’m going to put this away and read a little bit. I am currently reading a book by Molly Fletcher titled “Your Dream Job Game Plan.” Great book--If your looking for any kind of career advice, this is the book. Once I have finished reading it I plan to write an in-depth review. 

Until next time, I’ll leave you with a quote from a movie I re-watched last night called Dan In Real Life: “Instead of telling our young people to plan ahead, maybe we should tell them to plan to be surprised.”

Mo

Seizing the Spirit of Adventure

I figure I better go ahead and write before I get sucked into all of the craziness of this week. What is this week, you ask? This week is only one of the most important weeks of the summer--NFL Production Week. Now, I can’t tell you exactly what NFL Production Week is, because I missed the most recent staff meeting about it (and because it doesn’t have its own wikipedia page), but I can tell you that a bunch of important NFL folks are in town this week to discuss and finalize a bunch of important plans. Something like that. There will be a lot of meetings involved, people in and out of the office, conference calls, press events, everyone stressing out and running around like chickens with their heads cut off.... I’m sure you get the idea. 

Tomorrow is a big press event going on at the Cotton Bowl, and I am actually not sure if the reason for the event is public knowledge just yet, but just in case it’s not I’m going to wait until my next blog to tell you what I get to do tomorrow. I’m very excited about being a part of this though!

Also as a part of NFL Production Week, I will get to sit in on a meeting Thursday morning. I don’t know much about the meeting, just that it is one of many meetings going on this week, but I am excited that I have the opportunity to tag alongside a couple of staff members and be involved with this part of the event planning process. 

Current projects: 

Today I cleaned up and finished a feature article that I was asked to write for the volunteer newsletter. I will attach a link on here to a digital version of the newsletter once it is put online. 

I have been asked by the Operations Coordinator to revamp the general Host Committee Speaker’s Bureau power point presentation. Apparently the current presentation was put together by an outside designer who put the content on power point slides from PDF format, so the power point is currently unable to be edited. My job is to design a few different power point templates and backgrounds, and eventually create an entire new power point presentation for the committee. It is a pretty tedious project and will take awhile, but this kind of thing is right up my alley so I believe I will thoroughly enjoy working on this.

Social Media: I have not begun working with the Host Committee’s social media involvement just yet, however I have spoken up and let them know that I have some good ideas in regards to getting more involved via social media. Right now, they have accounts on both Facebook and Twitter, but the posts are irregular and not interactive enough, in my opinion. I want to make the social media sites more interactive and a bigger part of the effort to get the region prepared and excited for what is to come. After this crazy week is over with, I will most likely get to hop on that train and get involved with that. 

That should put you up to speed as far as my internship goes. 

On a different note I feel the need to mention the best thing that has happened to me since sliced bread: Free refill cups at RaceTrac. Yes, I bought a cup at RaceTrac for $6.99 and for the remainder of the summer I can walk into any RaceTrac and fill up my cup with any fountain or frozen drink and walk out without reaching in my pockets. It’s pretty much the greatest thing ever. I thought 75 cent slurpees at QT was a good deal, but I would spend more than $6.99 on slurpees in a 2-3 week time span. Sad, yet true. I like slurpees a lot, and because I made a very wise investment, I will be getting them free all summer long. I know Dave Ramsey would be proud.

City Love

This whole internship thing has really given me a taste of not only the professional life, but also the big city life. 

The mornings go something like this: 

In order to be at my desk by 8:45 a.m., I usually have to wake up around 5:30 a.m. After the taking the shower, drying the hair, fixing the hair, picking out an outfit and getting dressed, I am usually ready to be out of the door by 7:30 a.m. Morning rush hour is not much fun and challenging because it usually requires a certain level of awareness to safely navigate through 15 mph traffic for 30 miles on the interstate. Sometimes I need the blaring music to keep me awake because the lack of excitement in morning traffic fails to do so. Lately, though, I have utilized a few free audiobook downloads that I have found on www.christianaudio.com and will be listening to a few books during my commutes. Right now I am almost finished listening to World Vision President, Richard Stearns’s, book “The Hole In Our Gospel” and it has been a phenomenal book.

I arrive at work and utilize the cool little Keurig coffee maker in the break room, which I contribute to my growing addiction to coffee. A 5:30 a.m. alarm definitely allows for 2 or 3 or 4 cups of coffee when I get to work. Not that it gives me any sort of energy boost, but I know it has the potential to and I love the taste of the Butter Toffee coffee that we have here. 

One thing I really love about this internship, besides the Butter Toffee coffee, is the genuine interest the staff of the Host Committee has for the interns. We’re not just here to take up some slack and run errands at their every command, we are here to be mentored, to be given opportunities, to learn more about the job and the industry in which we are in pursuit of. It is great that they recognize this and want to do all they can to give us a productive and educational internship experience that is relevant to our career goals. Now that I understand that this internship is not just for me to gain experience, but it is for me to also be mentored by other young professionals, I want to utilize these few short months I have with these people. I want to soak in as much as I can. I want to volunteer for as many assignments and projects as I can. Even the phone calls. 

I happen to run a lot of errands--part of the intern job description I suppose. I have driven all over the metroplex making drop offs and pick ups and purchases. I think the most memorable would be the time that I avoided the toll road. Big mistake on my part. Dumb solution on my GPS’s part. Okay, so it’s my fault that I chose to avoid the toll road, but I didn’t realize then that my detour would put me 40 miles out of the way from the original route. Not only that, but my lovely GPS and its detour dropped me off at the parking lot of Prestonwood Baptist Church, a good 15 minutes away from the place that should have been at the finish line. Oh, and did I mention that this was at 8 in the morning? Back to my lesson learned this week: Never avoid the toll roads. It’s not worth it! Especially if the bill is going to Texarkana--then I’ll never see it anyways. (I love you Daddy!) 

Morgan

Oh, and in explanation of the random book reviews peppered throughout my blog, I am part of a program for Thomas Nelson called BookSneeze (www.booksneeze.com) and it is a blogging for books program. They send me a free book, I read it, and then I blog about it! It’s a wonderful situation, being the book enthusiast that I am. With that sad, expect a few book reviews every now and then!

Inspiration

Classic Wisdom for the Professional Life [Bryan Curtis] 

I read this book for a few different reasons: 

1) I love quotes. Who doesn't like a good collection of great poetic wisdom? 

and 

2) I am a young professional. Well, kind of. Does an unpaid internship count? 

Anyways, once I started reading it didn't take me long to get through all of the quotes from cover to cover. It is a great collection of quotes that will have you turning every page when you first pick it up, however, it will make a great book to keep on your desk at work or your computer desk at home. It is full of practical wisdom for not just professionals, but for anyone who has any capacity of a leadership position. The book is full of inspiration and motivation from seasoned and successful professionals. I highly recommend Classic Wisdom for the Professional Life to any quote lover, leadership figure, college student....anyone, really. It makes for a quick and pleasant read and will remain a great resource for professional inspiration. 

One of my favorite quotes from the first time through the book comes from Conrad Hilton: "Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit."

At The Beginning

Reflecting on week one of my internship with the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee:

“Hello this is Morgan with the North Texas Super Bowl 45 Host Committee...” is how I have answered the telephone for the past week and how I will continue to answer the telephone for the remainder of the summer.

It seems surreal that I have started my journey to being a professional woman. Doing an internship like this one at this age really helps me to put my goals and dreams into perspective. Working in the sports industry, whether it be professional or not, is where I am feeling a pull toward. I could see myself working in community outreach--working with youth and charities on behalf of a sports team. I could also see myself mentoring young people while having a career in some aspect of collegiate athletics. 

It’s no secret that I am a dreamer... I think most people know that about me. I am also ambitious, I am passionate and I am a competitor. The combination of my most dominant qualities make me who I am--they make me a unique woman. The combination of these qualities also have the potential to make me a strong and powerful woman. 

With that said, when I made up my mind that I wanted to pursue a career in the sports industry, I was given the opportunity to apply for an internship for Super Bowl XLV. I remember being offered the internship back in November, but it wasn’t until I was handed my own XLV name badge at the Sting concert that I realized that this opportunity was for real. I hadn’t made it up in my head--I am really working for the Super Bowl, only the largest annual sports event in the United States. 

May 22: My first day on staff was actually not in the Host Committee offices, but at the Winspear Opera House in downtown Dallas at a Sting concert. I walked in, was handed a heavy duty name badge with my name, Morgan Rainer, next to the XLV logo, a walkie talkie and a clipboard with a play by play of the night (including my staff assignment). It was a great night full of fun and music (and standing). Surprisingly, Sting sang a few songs that I new the words to! I was able to meet a few of the staff and interns I would be working with for the summer. Oh, and I was also wearing a pair of brand new Ralph Lauren high heels--I obviously hadn’t anticipated being on my feet for 7 hours that evening. 

Lesson One: Learn to like flats--whether or not they are flattering on my 5 foot tall figure. My new flats are my new best friend.

The following week was one of becoming acquainted with the job: the people, the phones, the protocol, and the FAQs. 6 days in and I think I have picked it up pretty quickly. 

My years of experience answering the phone at the Northridge Tennis Pro Shop has really paid off. I have been answering many phone calls and making even more of them. I have had to call a list of a couple hundred volunteers who have incomplete registrations so after about the 2nd phone call I was beginning to feel like one of those telemarketers. Now let me tell you one thing: I think I am probably the most perky telemarketer sounding phone call maker there is. And to my surprise, I have received many positive responses and have even had a few friendly off-topic conversations with my volunteers on the other line. Really though, making hundreds of phone calls hasn’t been all that bad. I think I am just still giddy about those phone calls being on behalf of the “North Texas Super Bowl 45 Host Committee.” 

Pinch me?

While I have done other intern-y tasks such as sending out e-mails, looking up information to put into a spreadsheet and running errands, phone calls seem to consume the most of my mornings. Definitely the grunt work, but I honestly can’t be happier to be doing the grunt work! I’m loving it! 

Hopefully next week I will be put on some more intense and exciting assignments. Until then, I’m just going to do everything I am asked to do efficiently, accurately and cheerfully. 

Although I can’t wait for what the future holds, for now I’m just going to worry about what God has put right in front of me and give 100% in whatever I am asked to do. 

Stay tuned for more--I'm going to do my best to document my summer on here. :) 

Don't Stop Dancing

Dance.

Dance for me.
Like it’s your last chance to dance.
Like tomorrow you could no longer move to the music
Or run around barefooted on the warm grass.
Dance for me.
Even if you have never danced before
You CAN dance now.
Take that  l e a p  of faith.
T.i.p t.o.e across the field of flowers.
Stop and smell one…
…the prettiest one you can find.
You have time.
Don’t rush. . . .be graceful.
Flow like you are a feather dancing in the wind
Glow like you are a star…a shooting star in the heavens.
And know that you are beautiful…
No matter what.
Your dance is beautiful.
As long as you dance.
              
*Original poem written March, 2005

Hello Beautiful.

Beautiful Things Happen When A Woman Trusts God [Sheila Walsh]

This book was absolutely wonderful! I picked up this book not really knowing what it was about, but the title “Beautiful Things Happen When A Woman Trusts God” grabbed my attention. I was surprised I enjoyed this book as much as I did because I was afraid it was just going to be another dry memoir of the many dark times in the authors life. On the contrary, while it was a collection of stories about the authors life, every story seemed to pierce my heart and relate to me in some way (however far the stretch). It was a mixed bag of funny stories, sad stories, and personal trials--but I enjoyed the variety and the many lessons that had me reflecting on how beautiful God is. 

I have always had trust issues and have actually been working to overcome these in a recent Discovery-Training I have been going through. Sheila Walsh pieces together several experiences from her life to paint a beautiful example of what freedom looks like. She went from a patient in a mental health clinic to using her story to inspire other women who are trapped in their own insecurities. While I am young and have not dealt with any “mental illness” and don’t directly relate to a lot of the things she went through, she really hit home with me early on in the book which kept me reading.

I will recommend it with 4/5 stars because it is definitely above average, and definitely worth your time. 

www.booksneeze.com

Can You Feel It?

It's like a narrative, struggling with the reality of God, but then seeing that He's not just an antiquated idea in a book, or a distant guy in the sky, but He is here, right now. The Savior has come, He is here, He is everywhere. I can't wrap my mind around it.


Can you feel it?
Can you feel it?
The love in this place
Can you feel it?
Can you feel it?
Can you feel it?
The grace in this place
Can you feel it?
Yeah

Life makes it so hard sometimes
To know what's real
Life makes it so hard sometimes
To know what's real
Oh, this life makes it so hard sometimes
To know what's real
Oh, this life makes it so hard sometimes

Can you feel it?
Can you feel it?
The love in this place
Can you feel it?
Can you feel it?
Can you feel it?
The grace in this place
Can you feel it?

When I can't feel You there
When I can't see You there
When I can't comprehend that
You are there
You are there
You're everywhere
You are everywhere

Can you feel it?
Can you feel it?
The hope in this place
Can you feel it?
Can you feel it?
Can you feel it?
The peace in this place
Can you feel it?
Yeah

When we can't feel You there
When we can't see You there
When we can't comprehend that
You are there
You are there
You're everywhere
You are everywhere

Our God is here
Our God is here
Our God is here
Our God is here

We believe You're here
We can feel You here
We can see You here
We believe You're here
You are here
You are here
[David Crowder]

After studying in depth for the past few months on the subject of love and God's perfect love and how we are called to love just as God loves....reading these lyrics just fill me with so much joy. I mean, as christians we are called to be like God, to be holy as God is holy, to love as God loves, and to reflect His love in our relationship with others. More than anything I long for the perfect love, and although we are not a "perfect" race, God has called us to strive for that perfection and that's what I long to do. I realize that these lyrics aren't anything more than just a few repeating lines to some of you, but if you can truly grasp the whole concept of God's grace and love then maybe you can appreciate this too. I love Crowder's lyrics. They are amazing. And this song, amazing. God's love, grace, peace...amazing.

It's far too much to fully comprehend. I want to love like this. I want people to wonder how I can love so peacefully and gracefully. I want to be all-understanding and all-loving. I want to love like God loves, just as He has called me to do. Oh, this life makes it so hard sometimes to know what's real. I want to be real, I want the love in my life to be real. You and I, real. [Even when you can't see me, even when you can't feel me..] I know that's hard sometimes to comprehend, but when I say "I love you" it's not just a feeling, it's a consious decision I make every day. God is teaching me everyday how to love you better, God is teaching me how to love you all better.

Can you feel it?

Awakening

I was awakened on November 4th when I not only witnessed, but experienced the powerful documentary by Hillsong, inspiring me to be something bigger than myself, to do something bigger than what I thought I could do. I was inspired and ready to spread the love. I left the theatre speechless, feeling helpless in the giant face of poverty, loneliness and deep need, but at the same time I was so full of hope for what could be. 

I was awakened on January 4th in Atlanta, Georgia when I sat in Phillips Arena at 2p.m listening to Louie Giglio and Marilyn Skinner talk about the children in the Watoto Village in Kampala, Uganda: The orphaned, the rescued child soldiers who no longer had a family because they were forced to murder them. At Watoto they were given a home and a family, they were given food and education, and they were given the love of Christ. Hundreds are being not only rescued, but nourished, because of the Skinner’s faithfulness to their calling. 

I was even more awakened on January 5th when Louie announced that 1.3 million dollars had been raised to overwhelm the goals of 12 organizations that had come with a purpose and a passion to Passion2010, which proved to be contagious to 21,000 college students.

Upon returning to Abilene in preparation for the spring semester I was awakened, broken and inspired: I was newly awakened to different things going on around the world, both inside of my country and outside of my country. I was broken for those who are unfortunate and mistreated, wishing so bad there was something I could do that would make even a dent of difference. But I was inspired to find something I could do to make a difference. 

I was knowledgeable, and no longer naive. Little did I know that being awakened to the great need in the nations would shake me to my core. I am constantly replaying the images I have seen in the videos, photos I have seen on the internet, and stories I have heard through many mediums. I keep researching, googling, trying to figure out something I can do from here in Abilene, or somewhere I could go for a short period of time after this semester ends. 

The earthquake shook Haiti on January 12th, just a few nights after I first read about this orphaned Children’s home called Danita’s Children. It’s been a month. And I have thought about those orphaned Children every day since then. I have visited Danita’s website every day since then. I have printed out a missions application to go to Danita’s children. 

Will I go? I don’t know. I sure hope I can find time this summer to fly down there for a week or two to love on these children. And while I have stirred up this high, this passion for compassion, this passion for the less fortunate and the unreached, I am having a hard time discerning whether or not there is a call. There is so much need, how can I not be called?

There is so much need in Uganda. 

There is so much need in Haiti. 

But what about the need in Abilene? 

I want to do something now. I don’t just want to sit around with a passion to do something, I want to actually do it. 

"Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world." James 1:26-27

Lord, I don’t want to be religious. I want to be a servant. I want to be a disciple. I want to be your hands. 

Use me? 

Follow You

"And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday." Isaiah 58:10

Good song--inspiring! You should take a listen :)

Be Lifted or Hope Rising

Job Chapter 1. It is amazing. Read it. I know, I know you know the story.

Read it again. Go deeper.

It is life changing.

In the first chapter in Job it says: "Now there was a day when the sons of God [angels, perhaps] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, 'From where do you come?' Then Satan answered the Lord and said ' From roaming about on the earth and walking around it.'" (6-7)

First of all, we just read in Job that Satan is roaming around the earth among God's people looking for oppertunities to be a hinderance. (On the same note, 1 Peter 5:8 also says: "Be of sober spirit, be on alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls arund like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.")

Then in verse 8, scripture says: "The Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.'"

I think this is neat, in His own almighty way, that God initiated the testing of Job. It is mind blowing, to me, that such a gracious God would initatie such a thing, but in a way these trials we are put through are a gift, using suffering to purify us and prove us faithful. This ultimately should make our faith stronger so that we may delight in the Lord. It's a hard concept to grasp, but it is so neat.

In verse 11 Satan tells God: "..he will surely curse You to Your face." which is so awesome because Job doesn't. He rejoices in verse 21: "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord"!

The devil, the world, they would LOVE to see us fall. They delight in our struggles. But if we keep faith and use those struggles to ultimately make our faith stronger, they lose...Satan loses.

What is even more mind blowing is that in verse 22 it says that through everything he went through, Job didn't even sin! Can you even imagine?!

If you know me well enough, you probably know that one of my favorite chapters in scripture is James 1. Verses 2-4, which I'm sure you will hear me refer to a million more times in the years to come, says: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Here we have it--the result of endurance is PERFECTION. And just in case you didn't know, the Greek word translated as perfect in the passage means "mature, developed fully." Which I think is a neat way to think of God's meaning of perfection as "fully developed" and not our own worldly idea of perfect.

Another of my favorite passages is Romans 5:1-5 and it says "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. (and here's my favorite part...!) And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, know that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

I LOVE that. So basically in a nutshell:

Tribulation --> Perseverance --> Character --> HOPE (that does not disappoint!!)

I don't know if it's just me, but I think this verse is so cool. Because GOd assures us that we can have reason to hope.

So I know this was really long, but these passages never get old to me and I always can find encouragement with them, so I thought I'd share the wealth.

Holiday

Christmas Break is already 1 week old, and I have spent 1 week with no To Do List and have survived quite nicely. Shocker? I think so. However, I think I am going to go nuts without some sort of goals for the rest of the break. So rather than a "To Do List," I will make a list of goals:

1. Finish the book I started, "The Hole In Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns.

2. Lose 6 pounds (Is that even possible to do between Thanksgiving and New Years? I guess I'll find out.)

3. Spend some time writing: Send out letters, journal, and perhaps even write a blog or two.

4. Sell something semi-valuable on Ebay. Easy money.

5. Play tennis. "It's too cold" is a really great excuse sometimes, but it shouldn't stop me from playing.

6. Art. I want to make some art to sell at Discovery. Or to give as gifts. I just want to make use of all the useless crap I compulsively buy at Hobby Lobby.

That's a start. And without mentioning my goals for Mario Kart. Oh wait..

Tear Down The Walls

Hillsong United, a group of worship leaders who have led and inspired millions across the globe, got it right tonight: “If what we do inside these 4 walls doesn’t make a difference in the streets we travelled to get here, we’ve missed the point.”

I walked out of the theater almost 3 hours ago and I am still trying to process everything I saw tonight, everything I felt tonight. One thing I do know is that God has broken my heart in all the right places tonight.

One of the things I was awakened to tonight was that Jesus didn't die so we could experience religion, He died so we could experience love:

“I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream!” Amos 5:21-24

“And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” Isaiah 58:10

“What you do unto the least of these you do unto me" Matthew 25:40

"Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world." James 1:26-27

It is so easy to put myself, my self-seeking ambition, above all else in life. So far, my success has been the most important thing in my life 99% of the time. Another truth revealed tonight is this: "The human race is no race at all- its not a competition..."
What would it look like if our eyes were open to the fact that we’re not in a racing to beat the other guy. We are all in this together. Living life and glorifying God is about living in community and in fellowship, about loving and helping out our brother and our neighbor.

One question asked in this film was this: “When you ‘help’ people, do you pull them up from where they are... or do you sit down with them?”

This was convicting. And humbling. Because for the people who are even qualified to answer that question (am I? who have I helped lately?) I imagine a majority could honestly reply with the first answer, myself included. I tend to have a “know all” approach to most things in life, when there is a lot I really don’t know because I have been blinded. It seems that my eyes have been closed to the reality around me. But growing up in church my whole life by no means result in knowing everything. In fact, I have been highly naive to what has been going on in the world. How have I missed this all this time?

“Christians are known for the things we stand against but the things we stand against are so petty compared to everything going on in the world.”

I know that I am suppose to do something amazing with my life, what a life changing film. I am inspired and ready to spread the love. I left speechless, feeling helpless in the giant face of poverty, loneliness and deep need, but at the same time I am so full of hope for what could be.

It is time that I get out of my comfort zone and do what is commanded of me. Nelson Mandela once said that “bravery is not the absence of fear, but the overcoming of it.”

So long status-quo, I think I just let go. You make me want to be brave. (Nichole Nordeman)

Basically...I'm excited, humbled, ready, open, heartbroken and hopeful.

(Written on 11/4)

Falling In Love In A Coffee Shop

As I pour my morning coffee, I close my eyes and breath in the heaping steam that arises from my mug. The smell of hazelnut envelops inside of my nostrils. Delighted, I grip the sides of my cup with my two hands and a rush of warmth is immediately sent throughout my entire body. My coffee, however, is not quite sweet enough to drink just yet. 

Fixing my cup of coffee is always a pleasant way to start out my day. When I pour the International Delight into my cup, I love to watch the fluffy cloud of creamer form in my coffee. When I pour the Splenda into my cup, I love to watch the tiny crystals sparkle at me as they make their way to the bottom. When I stir my coffee, I love to see the different tones of brown marbleize, only to form a solid golden color. My coffee, however, is not quite cool enough to drink just yet. I patiently wait, absorbing every possible part of the coffee experience. 

Ironically, the anticipation I am filled with while my coffee cools off is almost as great as the actual taste of it when it is finally ready to drink. The sweet smell of my coffee is so good, that I am often tempted to drink of it before it is cooled. The few times that I do drink my coffee while it is too hot, the heat will burn my tongue. This impatience ultimately takes away the great pleasures of my coffee experience. Sadly, coffee just doesn’t taste quite as lovely when my taste buds are scorched. For those other times that I am patient enough for my coffee to cool, the satisfying taste in my mouth is so much greater than it was the morning before.

In the simplest way, God has opened my eyes to see the simple beauty in life and also the simple beauty in obedience. Patience is one virtue that is so often ignored, but when it became a living reality in my life, I had an entire new level of understanding of God himself. God, after all, calls us to be patient in love. He has showed me not only how to appreciate this truth, but he has also taught me to embrace sacred waiting. For it is cherishing the waiting season of life that we learned to fully appreciate and take delight in the receiving seasons. In the third chapter of Ecclesiastes I learned that there is a sacred and appointed time for everything in God’s kingdom. It is the time in which everything can be made fully appreciated and fully enjoyed.

This brings me back to my morning coffee. I am so thankful for the anticipation because everything that is appreciated is something that was first anticipated. And trust me when I tell you that my hazelnut coffee is a much anticipated part of my day. Coffee is one of those simple things in life that can turn just another morning into a good morning, or even turn a good morning into a great one. Those simple things in life are not only what I live for, but what I learn from. 

Marvelous Things

I got bored last night and decided to work on a little art project. Since I am getting ready to move into a new apartment in about a month with a FULL KITCHEN, I have been eager to put together a recipe book with my mom this summer.

Here is the front of my homemade recipe book for my new apartment!!

Breakaway

I have decided to welcome self-expression back into my life. I tend to bottle things up inside of me. I suppose I might fall into the obsessive compulsive category--I like to hide my flaws for the fear of me unveiling the multiple imperfections I am defined by.

I used to draw, paint, sketch. I love art, but I used to love it more. It was hard for me in high school to share the same studio as nationally awarded, world class artists and know that I would never be an artist with their skill level. While I love to do art for fun, I am not passionate enough about it to spend all of my time trying to be better. I not only got discouraged, but burnt out. It has been a year now since I have opened a sketchbook. However, I think I want to do art again. I fear that ,instead of calming me like I hope art will do, it will stress me out and I will just quit again.

Art is not the only hobby I have dropped due to the fear of not consistently producing a masterpiece. Writing, something I used to be highly passionate about, has kind of made its way out of my life throughout the years. Writing used to define who I am; I used to be so good at journaling in a way that released my sweet emotions, my sour emotions. I would inspire people with my words. I thrived on that. What happened? I put off my next journal entry until I had the time to sit down and type a flawless piece of literature. Well guess what, I never got the time. Ever. I started many blogs and never finished them. "Why would anybody want to read this?" But it's not about just anybody. It's about me. This is about me.

I am Morgan and this blog is about me. It is an outlet for my love and my hate, my fears and my dreams. This is a place for me to be completely transparent and to spill open just as I am. No edits allowed. This is me. And I hope you appreciate this journey into my messy, thrilling life.

Morgan

p.s. If you're lucky, I may get around to posting some newly created art !