Fun and Faithful Tales

FOTS: Love

2012-01-30T21:45:00.004-05:00

I've been reading the book Spirit-Controlled Temperament by Tim LaHaye over the past week. I'm fascinated by the concept of "the four temperaments" and how my temperament(s) affects the way I live, the person I am now, and the person I will one day become as I learn to allow the Spirit to control my temperament(s).

Lately, I've been struggling with myself ... just not liking myself, to be honest. Ultimately, I'm focusing too much on my temperament's weaknesses ... but sadly, the Sanguine (that's me!) has a lot of weaknesses that must be overcome. Thank God He is strong even in our weaknesses, but He still wants us to overcome them. He wants us to be controlled by His Spirit so that we can honor Him with our whole lives.

When the Spirit controls my temperament, I produce the fruit of the Spirit.
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
and Self-control

Ideally, I should be producing ALL of these qualities EVERYDAY. But if you've read my most recent posts about depravity, you can understand that, sadly, this is NOT going to happen. BUT! I CAN take ONE quality each day and really try to put it into practice. And that's exactly what I'm gonna try to do. As I continue to read this book (and hopefully beyond that), I'm gonna try to focus on living out at least one of these fruit of the Spirit everyday.

The first one is L O V E :)
A dictionary definition ... "a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person."
God's Word ...
Love is patient.
Love is kind.
Love is not jealous.
Love does not brag.
Love is not arrogant.
Love does not act like a jerk!
Love is not selfish.
Love doesn't get bent out of shape!
Love forgives immediately.
Love hates sin.
Love adores the Truth.
Love bears all things.
Love believes the best in/of people.
Love is always hopeful.
Love endures.
Love never fails.
(From 1 Corinthians 13 ... with a little paraphrasing ;))

Heck, I could take just one line from 1 Corinthians to work on each day. "Love doesn't act like a jerk!" That one by itself is HUGE! ... But anyway ... I wanna try to live out these qualities. I want to honor God! So here begins a new set of posts ... "FOTS" (Fruit of the Spirit) posts. :)

Depravity (Part 4): "Therefore, I will boast in my weaknesses!"

2012-01-15T23:31:00.003-05:00

Why stop, when the brain juices are still a flowin'? :)

I've been reading through the book, So Long, Insecurity, by Beth Moore and working through a Bible study booklet that accompanies it. And a few weeks back, I was able to connect chapter 4 of Radical with So Long, Insecurity's Bible study questions. The Bible study had me read 2 Corinthians 12:6-10 and had me answer the questions, "What does it mean to boast about our weaknesses?" and "In what way are we strong when we are weak?" I think wrestling with this passage of Scripture and answering these questions is a great last step to wrapping up my thoughts on depravity because it sends us off with an application. How can we apply this Truth about depravity to our everyday lives?

"And [Jesus] has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me" (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Because our depravity (weaknesses) brings glory to God, by requiring the power of His grace at work in our lives, we are able to boast about our weaknesses. For me, I think boasting about my weaknesses means not beating myself up for my sin, but instead, striving to comprehend that God is so big, so powerful, and so perfect, that even when I sin, He STILL gets the glory. How does He do it? He gets the glory no matter what. That's how awesome and holy our God is. ...Furthermore, I should strive not to sin so that my faithfulness brings Him even more glory than my sin. And so that glory, resulting from my weakness, makes me strong because it is the power of Christ living and working in me.

To God be the glory!

Depravity (Part 3): God's Glory, that's the point!

2012-01-15T22:46:00.005-05:00

A couple of months ago, I wrote two posts about human depravity, specifically, my own depravity. In the first post, I asked the question "Why did God create us if He knew we were going to screw up all the time?" This question brought Galatians 5:16-26 and Romans 6 to mind. So I read and thought through these passages and came away closer to the answer to my question but not quite there. In my second post, I attempted to flesh out my thoughts about Galatians 5:16-26 and Romans 6 in reference to my question. I concluded that getting rid of my sin, or even striving to get rid of my sin, brings glory to God. And although I think this idea is mostly true, it doesn't quite answer the question I started with. It simply made me feel better, knowing I was a step closer to the answer I sought.

I received a super encouraging message yesterday from a friend I haven't talked to in several months. In the message, he mentioned that my depravity posts had got him thinking on his own sinfulness. And so I immediately went back to my posts and read them over again. And I (re-)realized that the ideas needed to be hashed out further. ... I've read a bit of the book, Radical, since I wrote those depravity posts a couple months ago, and part of chapter 4 really hits my question of "What's the point of my sin?" right on the head. So here I am again ... trying to figure out this complex, yet simple, reality of human depravity.

The simplicity of depravity comes from David Platt's (the author of Radical) popular phrase from chapter 4, "Enjoy His grace; extend His glory" (64). By enjoying and accepting God's grace, we bring Him glory. ... Cool, huh? The complexity of depravity is that God's grace is not about us; it's about Him. Really, that's not complex when you think about it 'cause "it's all about Him." Everything in this existence, this universe, is about Jesus. But in our finite minds, at least in mine, we have a hard time wrapping our mind around grace being about someone other than ourselves. ... When we think about grace being about Jesus instead of about us, we can start to glimpse the glory in it. I love what Platt says about God's grace ... "God blessed the human race, not because of any merit or inherent worth in us, but simply out of pure, unadulterated grace" (65). God didn't create us or enter into a relationship with us because we deserved it or earned it but because that "pure, unadulterated grace" brought glory to Himself. And because "God is at the center of His universe, everything He does ultimately revolves around Him" (Platt 71). So you see ... our depravity makes us entirely dependent on the grace of God, and the grace of God brings glory to God. And so, ultimately, our depravity brings glory to God. Therefore, the answer to my question is that God created us, depraved human beings, so that He could lavish His Self-glorifying grace upon our lives. His glory is the point. It's all about Him. The point of everything in our lives, on this planet, in this universe, in all that God created - ever - is HIS GLORY.

Which leads me into more thoughts ... haha! Part 4 to follow :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 30

2012-01-12T23:17:00.003-05:00

Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

Without a doubt, this post belongs to Shelley Chambers!!!
Wow, I miss her! It was hard when she and Pastor Mike and the kids moved to Poplar Bluff, Missouri ... 6 hours away ... but now that they live 27 hours away in Prescott, Arizona??? Oh my goodness. Someday, I WILL get out there to see them! But until then, I'll just have to cry when I hear her voice on the phone (ahem ... just yesterday). Haha!

It's amazing how close you can get to your youth pastors. Wow. For me, it's a bond I have a hard time describing. When people love you, really love you, and pour into your life ... invest their time, energy, advice, love, encouragement, hope (and more importantly, God's hope) into you ... it really sticks with you. Maybe that's why I'm still in youth ministry? :) I think so. I want to invest in young people the same way Pastor Mike and Shelley invested in me. It is a very rare gift. Sure, there are youth pastors out there ... some good ones! ... but I had the best! :)

Shelley listened to me; she laughed with me (and at me :)); she sacrificed lots of time and energy to love and spend time with me; she was a source of strength and encouragement and support. And what's so great is that she STILL is!!! :) Years after I've graduated, 27 hours away ...

*Big sigh* ... And so yes, I really miss her. Love you, Shelley!

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 29

2012-01-12T23:08:00.004-05:00

Day 29 - A picture that always makes you smile :)

Haha! I am smiling just thinking about looking at this picture. Such good memories come from this picture. It's of me and a very dear friend of mine, Jon Adamson. Haha! This guy is such a nut. We are a great pair of friends! This picture was taken at CIY (a youth conference), the summer after I graduated from high school. What a couple of dorks. I love this picture! This picture always makes me smile when I see it 'cause that week at CIY was tons of fun ... but also because Jon means a lot to me. We've been friends since I was in the 8th grade ... that's a long time. Hmmm ... about 10 years. Crazy. We've had lots of fun together over the years - playing basketball, singing on the worship team, singing specials with Uncle Mike, recording tracks in Uncle Mike's studio (lots of singin' huh? Great fun!), being in youth group together, going for coffee, sitting in the car listening to Southern Gospel music (and even, dare I say? Weird Al - ha!), hangin' out with his family and the Cooks ... tons of great times. He never ceases to make me smile or laugh. Just a very dear friend. So I can't help but smile when I see this seriously goofy picture of us. Too funny!

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 28

2012-01-12T23:02:00.003-05:00

Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of

Whew! This is not a fun one to write about. :(
For as long as I can remember, I've been absolutely devastated when friendships, relationships of any kind, go awry. If I offend someone or someone dislikes me or I've hurt someone in some way or I've acted like a fool or someone is disappointed in me for some reason or a say something nasty or thoughtless or ... need I say more? If someone I know has been hurt by me in anyway, I just die inside. I have to reconcile as soon as possible. And if something can't be reconciled? Oh, my. Jesus, help me. And so, yes. Needless to say, my greatest fear is broken relationships.

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 27

2012-01-12T22:42:00.003-05:00

Day 27 - A picture of you and a family member

My Aunt Peggy is so awesome! I don't get to see her very often. Like nearly all of my other family members, I only see Aunt Peggy once or twice a year ... usually at Thanksgiving and sometimes at one other family get-together throughout the year. And when I see her, I don't usually get to talk with her too much. But every time I see her, she is always a great encouragement to me. I think one reason she's so encouraging is because she smiles all the time. :) She's always so positive when I see her. And she believes in the Lord and what He's doing. All good reasons to think her encouraging, right? And, I think, without fail, Aunt Peggy always tells me how beautiful I am. Points for her! ;) Haha! But seriously, isn't that always one of the best compliments, best words of encouragement, you can get? Someone telling you you're beautiful? Oh, it always lifts my day! She always tells me that I'm beautiful and that she's proud of me. And ya know ... that may seem small, but wow, it is big! Don't you agree? And it doesn't matter that I don't see Aunt Peggy often or that we don't get to talk much. I know that she loves me. And that's what matters the most. So Aunt Peggy, if you're reading this ... Thank you so much for always encouraging me. It does so much more than you know! Love you! :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 26

2012-01-12T22:19:00.004-05:00

Day 26 - A picture of someone who means a lot to you

I am incredibly blessed to have so many dear friends in my life. Sooo blessed! But I have to pick Uncle Mikey for this post. Uncle Mike and I go way back. One of my favorite things about our friendship is just that ... we've been friends for going on 19 years, since I was 6 years old. :) I'll never forget the Masterson-Cook get-togethers every week after church. Yeah, there were other families who joined us ... but the Mastersons and the Cooks were the two core families of these get-togethers. And so I've been so blessed to be apart of their family in a lot of ways and for them to be apart of mine. Uncle Mike and Jen and Adam are definitely like a second family to me. Uncle Mike and I have done lots together over the years - in addition to the Masterson-Cook family get-togethers every week ... I've spent tons of time over at Uncle Mike and Jen's house watching movies, eating yummy food, playing the wii, hanging out with the guys (Adam, Jon, Jason, Jarrod) and their honeys (Kristina, Melissa, and Susan), singing and making tracks in Uncle Mike's studio, swimming in their pool, drinking hot chocolate and eating popcorn, watching Chuck, having late-night conversations (usually after Chuck) about fun, serious, and silly things ... and I'm sure I could think of more if I thought long and hard enough about it. We've had many heart-to-heart conversations, and he's told me so many priceless Uncle Mike jokes (if you know him, you know the kind I'm talking about). :) He's taken me out for dinner. We've gone to Southern Gospel concerts before. So many wonderful memories with this dear friend. :)

Uncle Mike is my Chuck buddy, my singin' buddy, someone who never fails to make me laugh and make my day better, and we share a bond that is incredibly special to me. He really is my UNCLE Mikey. And I am so grateful to know him. :)

SoZo: Psalm 124 :)

2012-01-12T18:15:00.006-05:00

Hey, SoZo!

Since we don't have Bible study tonight ... lousy weather ... I thought I'd share a "lesson" with you here on my blog. That way, we can still "meet together" this week.
So ... go grab your Bible real fast ... and I'll wait here. :)

Okay, you're back ... here we go.
We've been talking about relationships in SoZo lately. Last Sunday, we talked about confronting others when they need it and being confronted when we need it for ourselves. Tonight, I want us to think about how we should respond when people "rise up against us," like it says in the Scripture passage we're gonna look at.

Open your Bible and read Psalm 124 - yep, the whole chapter. It's pretty short. You can also read it below, if you so desire ...

Psalm 124
"If the Lord had not been on our side - let Israel now say - if the Lord had not been on our side when people rose up against us, they would have swallowed us alive because of their burning anger against us. The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us. Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives. Blessed be the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart! We escaped like a bird from a hunter's trap. the trap is broken, and we are free! Our help is from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth."

Take a second to think about how people "rise up against us" sometimes. Write down some of your answers somewhere if you like. But think about it ...
~ What does it mean for someone to "rise up against us?"
~ How do people rise up against us?
Maybe by gossiping about us ... by calling us names or tearing us down ... by not believing in us? What about someone dissing our family or the way we sing or the way we play soccer ... or maybe someone making fun of us or being hateful to us because we stand up for Jesus? Have any of these things ever happened to you? Think of some of your own scenarios ... when have people risen up against you? What was it that they said or did?

Now ...
How did that person or situation make you feel?
Probably pretty crumby. It is never fun to be persecuted, looked down upon, disliked, or slandered.

Psalm 124 (and our own life experiences) tells us that these situations might "swallow us up" and "overwhelm us." Basically, when mean or evil things happen to us, it can really start to bring us down ... we may even become super distracted or even consumed by our discouragement. BUT!!! What I want y'all to think about tonight is the HOPE Psalm 124 gives us. ... Look at verse 1 again ...

"If the Lord had not been on our side ..."

That means that God IS on our side! And that means God is going to help us through those times when people rise up against us. It is inevitable that people and situations are going to discourage us, tear us down, humiliate us, harm us, make us feel horrible ... BUT GOD will sustain us. He will be our HELP! ... Look at verse 8 again ...

"Our help is from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth."

Yep ... the same God who made everything we see on this planet loves us, EACH of us, enough to be our Helper ... to stand by us and build us up ... in the most difficult of times. So take courage in that, my SoZo-ers! If you are discouraged or feel beaten down today because someone is hatin' on you, take heart! Cry out to God for help. He is ready to comfort you and give you strength.

Take a couple of minutes to seek God for His help and strength. Meet with God ... He is ready to fill you up! :) I love you guys! See y'all Sunday morning. And don't forget about lunch at my house from 12:30 to 2:30pm this Sunday afternoon. Hope you can make it! :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 25

2012-01-07T21:09:00.003-05:00

Day 25 - A picture of your favorite season

Without a doubt, my favorite season is fall!!!!
It's gorgeous ... not too hot and not too cold ... great weather for walks in the park, playing sports, puttin' on jackets and sweatshirts ... and toward the end of the season, hats, scarfs, and gloves ... the leaves change colors; the leaves "crumple" beneath your feet ... you can see your breath in the air ... 50-degree weather and 60-degree weather (my all-time favorite weather!) ... some rain, which I also like ... fall is just the perfect season! Love it! :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 24

2012-01-06T20:38:00.002-05:00

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change

Reading.
I wish I could like reading.
Although I am trying to change this ... I think it's gonna be a process. I have to really like a book to read it for more than a few minutes at a time, day after day. Occasionally, I find one. I'm reading A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. It's about a 500-page book. I think I started it the day after Christmas, and I'm on page 361. That's pretty awesome for me. So I'm working on changing the fact that I don't like to read. But it's still pretty hard to pick up a book a lot of the time.

30-day Jesus Day 7: Reaping the Harvest

2012-01-05T22:07:00.002-05:00

Ever been in a season of life when you can't believe how much God is at work??? I sure hope so 'cause it's incredible! Most of 2011 was a spiritual drought for me, but over the past few months (and what I know will be for ALL of 2012 and beyond), I've been reaping a harvest of lessons and Holy Spirit stirrings and peace and guidance that felt so distant and non-existent last year. It's great! It's more than great - it's absolutely cool, yo!

The only downside I can see in this kind of season is that because God is so at work, it's hard to keep up! I mean, it's like lesson after lesson keeps coming my way ... I've barely begun to grasp, let alone learn and DO, one lesson, and God starts workin' on me in some other area. Take the revelation "believe without seeing" for example. Man ... I'm not even close to putting that to TOTAL work in my life, and yet God is already (and has been for a while) convicting me about my attitude (more so in general than about my current life circumstances) ... and I'm only beginning to change my attitude in small ways day after day (I've still got soooo far to go) ... and He's moving on to "Do everything without arguing and complaining" (Philippians 2:4). ... Wow! Will it ever end???!!! Hahaha!

Thankfully, no, it won't.
God is too faithful to leave me the way I am. And boy, am I thankful for that!!! I want to be more like Jesus, people! Don't you?
It's amazing how God works when we let Him.
Be sensitive to the Spirit, my friends ... He's got so much to teach you! :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 23

2012-01-05T21:42:00.003-05:00

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book

Ah ha! I was able to get two in one picture!
Books are hard for me ... hard to narrow down, believe it or not, since I don't like to read ... but they are also hard because I don't comprehend or retain very well. So ... when I tell you that these two are my favorite books it's hard to tell you why. And of course you want to know WHY. ;) The titles of these books say a lot ... "Calm My Anxious Heart" and "Having a Mary Spirit." And like all good titles, they sum up what each book is about. But, to be truthful, I don't remember any specifics about these books ... I only remember that, in the season of life in which I read them, they changed my perspective. And believe me, if you don't know it already, texts that change your perspective on life, God, trials, anything really, are invaluable! :) And that's what I remember from these books ... that they taught me some great lessons when I read them ... ha! Too bad I can't remember those lessons. Too ridiculous, huh? But again, they were invaluable THEN. And so they are my favorite books for the time being ... until some other books come along and teach me some more perspective-changing lessons, I guess. :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 22

2012-01-04T21:51:00.002-05:00

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were (naturally) better at

Singing.
I can do a little more than carry a tune in a bucket ... but I'm a pretty average singer all in all. Which is great. I'm thankful I can sing. I got to be in Warrior Choir and Encore and Music Shoppe while I was in high school and Delegation in middle school. And those were some of the best experiences of my life - especially Encore - Danville's show choir. Wow, that was a blast!
I've done some singing throughout my life ... but I've always struggled. I love harmony - I'd prefer to sing it over the melody just about any day ... but wow, is it tough! I can hear some harmonies on my own but not many. And man, it takes me such a long time to learn harmonies I don't naturally hear. I would love to sing trios and quartets with Uncle Mike and the guys at church more often (all the time, really!) ... but it takes me so long to learn parts ... I don't like to bother them with my "slowness."
I love Southern Gospel music. I love trying to hear the different parts and sing with the singers. And I'd love to sing more Southern Gospel with the guys ... oh, to be a better singer!
But again ... I need to be thankful. But the challenge did ask for a picture of something I wished I were better at ... and singing is what I pick. Just being honest. :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 21

2012-01-03T23:03:00.002-05:00

Day 21 - A picture of your favorite late-night snack

You may find yourself craving some yumminess from time to time, but you scour your fridge and pantry and cubbards and find no ice cream or oreos or pie or donuts ... or anything with the tons of carbs and sugar that you so desperately crave. So what do you do? Well, let me tell you. You take graham crackers ... left over from your last bonfire. You take some chocolate chips (only semi-sweet chips for me!) for your next cookie baking day. And you take some peanut butter (preferably crunchy, if you're like me). And put 'em altogether; nuke 'em in the microwave; and you have a delightfully delicious treat that has all the carbs and the sugar and the yumminess factor that you so desire. Yep, chocolate peanut butter graham crackers are a yummy late-night treat for me ... and for you - try 'em! :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 20

2012-01-01T22:43:00.000-05:00

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you wanna travel

NEW ZEALAND!!!!
Oh, yeah! Ever since I first saw the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I've wanted to see New Zealand. Man, it looks incredible! I'd love to go hiking through the sites ... maybe hot air ballooning. But just bask in God's beauty for a few days. I know it would be entirely incredible - maybe even life-changing.
Yep, if I could go anywhere ... New Zealand would be the place - fo sho!!! :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 19

2011-12-31T21:08:00.003-05:00

Day 19 - A picture of your favorite dessert

Porch blueberry pie is definitely the winner! Mmm ... scrumptious! If for no other reason, you must stop by for lunch at The Porch sometime to try my mom's crust. Oh my goodness, it is delicious! She uses the same crust for her blueberry pie, strawberry rhubarb pie, and chicken pot pie. You will not taste better crust. And you probably won't taste better food than what we serve at The Porch!

The Porch
Open Tuesday-Saturday 11am to 2pm.
2411 E. Main St. Danville, IN 46122 (across from Beasley's Orchard)
Come try us out for lunch sometime!!! :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 18

2011-12-28T15:43:00.003-05:00

Day 18 - A picture of something you think everyone should try

CHOCOLATE CHEWY OATMEAL COOKIES!!!!!!
Oh my goodness, these are good!!! Probably the best cookie I've ever eaten and one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth! They are so stinkin' good!!!
Heather brought them to youth group one night a couple months ago, and I took one bite and instantly became Bob (ya know ... "What about Bob?" at the dinner table?)!

1 package of fudge brownie mix
1 cup of quick oats
1/2 cup of veggie oil
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of water
1 cup of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine brownie mix, oats, oil, eggs, and water - stir with a fork until combined. Dough will be stiff. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookies sheets.
Bake 12 minutes or until just barely set in the center.
Let cool, and DEVOUR JOYFULLY!!! :D

Woot, woot! Just in case you want to try 'em. I'm off to my kitchen to make some now!!!! Yummy!!! :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 17

2011-12-27T22:35:00.003-05:00

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

My "This Season" blog post/facebook note that I put up recently kind of gives a vague back story of what this John 20:29 picture is really all about. The short story is that the past year of my life has been the most challenging year ever - spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Between some crazy life lessons, depression, whacked out emotions, and physical ailments, my life was a mess in 2011. Starting a few months back ... I think it was sometime in early October ... God really started teaching me some things. The young women's Bible study that we did at my church over the book, Lies Women Believe, was a huge factor in helping me learn a very important lesson that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I've blogged about it before, but the recap is that during 2011, the trials I faced threw me into a crisis of faith. I really struggled to believe that God is good. I played the pain card ... just like so many people do. My faith was rocky. I would ask the question, "How could a good God allow this junk into my life?" I struggled with my faith, my calling, my position in life, my thoughts, my attitude, my life ... for months. And Lies Women Believe ... the very first lie of the book addressed my question - "Is God really good?" The lie is that He is NOT good. But the simple and undying Truth is that He IS good. And as I wrestled with this TRUTH, for weeks upon weeks, I finally came to re-realize and re-accept that GOD IS GOOD. And I learned, through all of my wrestling and seeking God, that God is good (and faithful) ... and His Goodness and Faithfulness is totally unrelated to me ... and unrelated to how much I need Him to be Good and Faithful. He is Good, and He is Faithful not because I need Him to be to survive this existence but because HE IS. All by Himself. All for His own glory. And as I rolled this Truth over in my mind, I continued to see how mighty our God really is. He is Good, and He is Faithful because that's who He is ... and it's all for His glory ... and yet, He shares His Goodness and Faithfulness with me every single day ... by giving me my every breath, by providing me with food and shelter and clothes to wear ... by giving me incredible parents ... by teaching me more about life and purpose and Himself ... and the list goes on. A God that big and great doesn't need me. He doesn't need to give me even just glimpses of His Goodness and Faithfulness ... but He does. *Big Sigh* Wow! ... Get excited about this people!!! This is incredible stuff!!!! And all because we serve an incredibly perfect and gracious and giving God! :D

But I still haven't told you about this picture. I took this picture at the Calvary Ladies' Retreat this past October. It's an awesome picture for a few reasons. First of all, God had spoken this verse into my heart and mind a few weeks earlier, giving me a HUGE revelation about my current circumstances and about His will for my life. Incredible, right? It's also an awesome picture because I was using this verse as one of my key talking points in my talk at the ladies' retreat (the theme being based on the book Lies Women Believe - still cool, I know!). But I like this picture the most because I found it hanging above a door on a cabin at the camp. When I first arrived at camp, I couldn't remember which path to take to get to the lodge - I took the wrong path. But on this path was a row of cabins, each with a verse hanging above the door. And whatta ya know ... my verse! The verse God had been pressing upon my heart for weeks, teaching me so much! ... I remember sitting in the car for a second, tears coming to my eyes (no, I didn't cry ... but it crossed my mind), and laughing to myself. I wouldn't have found that verse on that cabin if I had taken the right path to the lodge. Wow. ... And so this picture is very important to me. A huge gift from God, really. It is a constant reminder to me that I must BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING. I must BELIEVE that God is Good, that God is who He says He is, that God is Faithful, that God is working at all times and in all seasons of my life ... even when I can't SEE what He's up to. I don't wanna be like Doubting Thomas who had to SEE Jesus' nail-pierced hands and side before he could believe Jesus had risen from the dead. I want to be Mical Masterson, the woman who believed in her Savior with her whole heart, never wavering, always believing without seeing. Oh, Lord ... that's what I want. Please help me become that woman of faith.

And that's why this picture has made such a huge impact on my life recently. A long-winded post, but wasn't it worth it?

Lord God, keep growing me into the woman you've created me to be. Pick me up when I fall. Help me keep running the race, even in blind moments ... help me believe in you! Thank you, Jesus, for your call. Thank you choosing me and teaching me and loving me. You are Faithful, and you are Good. Be glorified in me today and always. I love you, Lord.

Tim Tebow, Faith, and an Offering to God

2011-12-22T01:18:00.004-05:00

I've been reading Tim Tebow's book, Through My Eyes, for most of the evening ... really good so far ... I just finished chapter 8, and Tim brings up some really interesting thoughts about God's will and God's work in our lives that I'd like to hash out here a bit.

In this particular chapter, Tim is telling us, his readers, about his recruiting process. Dozens of colleges tried to recruit him during his senior year of high school, and once he finally narrowed it down to two schools, he had a really tough time deciding which school to go to - Alabama or Florida. He really liked both schools and their football programs ... but he also really liked both of their coaches. In the book, he describes his inner turmoil over the decision. Weeks before he was supposed to announce his decision, he didn't know which school he would pick. Days before, he still didn't know. Hours before he got up on the podium to announce his decision, he still didn't know. Walking up to the podium, he STILL didn't know! Ahh!

But in this chapter, Tim talks about how he sought God through this decision. This is what he said ...
"I had been praying about it regularly, and my family was praying as well. I had no doubt that the Lord was leading throughout this whole process, but what was unclear was determining where He was leading. ... People often seem to think that when you're following the Lord and trying to do His will, your path will always be clear, the decisions smooth and easy, and life will be lived happily ever after and all that. Sometimes that may be true, but I've found that more often, it's not. The muddled decisions still seem muddled, bad things still happen to believers, and great things can happen to nonbelievers. When it comes to making our decisions, the key that God is concerned with is that we are trusting and seeking Him. God's desire is for us to align our lives with His Word and His will. ... But that's part of faith, what the writer of the book of Hebrews describes as a belief in things that we cannot see" (Tebow, 85-6).

I love this because I totally agree. God promises to never leave us or forsake us ... He's always with us, no matter what. But He never said that He'd give us all the answers when we need 'em. Sure, He gives us answers when we need 'em sometimes ... He shows us many things, teaches us many lessons, guides and directs us through various circumstances in our lives ... but is He ALWAYS clear? I don't know about you, but I'm with Tim ... God is not always clear. It would be great if God spoke audibly, or like Tim goes on to say in this chapter, it would be nice if God would write messages for us in the clouds. But for reasons only God knows, He doesn't work that way. And it's probably because of that little "f" word - FAITH. God wants us to exercise our faith so that we will grow in Him, and ultimately, become more like Jesus. Cool, huh? :)

I want to share one more cool thought with you ... the thought behind this post.
After I got done reading chapter 8 in Tim's book, I started journaling a prayer to God, talking to Him about this specific part of Tim's book. I immediately thought, "Read your next chapter in Psalms." (I've been reading through the Psalms for quite some time). "It doesn't matter what the next Psalm is, just read it." That's what came to my mind as I asked God some questions in my journal. So I picked up my Bible and turned to Psalm 96.
Verse 8 says ...
"Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts!"
That word "offering" is key here, I think. Just like faith is believing in something we cannot see ... an offering is putting our trust in something we cannot see. ... Think about it. Have you ever given an "offering" at church? A tithe is setting aside a certain amount of money each month for God's purposes - usually giving money to your church. And an offering is giving more than your tithe. I like to think of an offering as giving God more than you think you have to give. Maybe some months, you're really tight on money, but you decide to give God your tithe money and then some ... trusting that He will bless it, bless you, multiply it, use it for great things, maybe even reward you for your faith. When we give God an offering, we are giving Him our trust, no matter what the situation and whether or not we know what the outcome is.

I hope I'm not taking this verse out of context or making something up that doesn't align with God's Word. But for me ... I asked God how we can know His will when He doesn't give us His guidance ... or doesn't give it clearly ... and then I went to His Word to find the answer ... and this is what I found - "Mical, no matter what your situation, give Me all the glory; seek My face; and give Me your offering - your worship, a sacrifice - believe without seeing. That's all you really need to know and do."

So no. God doesn't speak audibly. No, He doesn't always give clear direction. He wants to teach us to believe without seeing. He wants us to give Him a sacrifice of praise, an offering of trust ... no matter what happens.

And that's that. My ponderings for the evening. :)

This Season

2011-12-20T16:28:00.003-05:00

The seasons of life are pretty crazy, don't ya think? So many come and go in our lifetime. Long seasons. Short seasons. Seasons that are incredible and others that aren't so much. Seasons that are really awesome but really difficult. Seasons that are really awful and really difficult. All kinds of seasons. ... About the only thing I can consistently see in every single season of life is an opportunity for growth. Growth as a person, sure ... but even more importantly, growth as a follower of Jesus. ... Oh, yeah! :D

I don't know about you, but wow ... I wanna be more like Jesus than like myself. God has been teaching me so much in this season of my life. So much about Himself, about myself, about people in general. ... About my attitude, about my faith in Him, about my insecurities, about the way I handle situations that arise - both big and small, about not getting what I want or what I planned, about my calling ... and I'm sure I could keep going with this list of lessons. It's crazy. Crazy to think about all that can happen in your life in just one season.

The past year of my life has been the strangest, most difficult, and most incredible season of my life in my 24 years on this planet. Relationships not working out in the past was hard. Not passing the Praxis was hard. Graduating with a degree I may never "officially" use was hard. But in the past year, I have fought the deepest insecurities, and perhaps, secret sins, of my life. My overactive thyroid sure didn't help, but I don't think it was the entire cause of the battle I faced over this past year. And I thank God for seasons. That season has pretty much passed. And now, I am in a season of REAPING! Oh, to reap. God is so faithful ... even when I'm not. In just the past four months, God has pulled me out of a pit ... a very deep pit that was burying me alive. And in pulling me out, He has taught me so many lessons ... He is STILL teaching me many of them. I still have a long way to go with all of 'em, but wow ... to reap what I have sown, to reap what God has been sowing in me, to learn and to grow and to feel alive again! It had been a lot of months of drought and despair and inner turmoil. And I am finally free! Still growing and working through lessons that are a process to learn ... but FREE. Free to live a passionate, fulfilling, intentional calling. I have purpose. I have life. Because I have JESUS!

I am so thankful for the mighty lessons God teaches me all the time, everyday. The God of the universe loves me personally, intimately, and entirely ... enough to reach into my life and teach me and grow me up in Him and fulfill me. I am so thankful for Jesus and His shed blood. No matter how often I mess up, no matter how often God has to repeat His lessons, no matter what ... Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross is more than sufficient to make up the difference. And for that, I can only keep trying to stay on the straight and narrow path, keep trying to not make excuses for my sin but to make the right choices when I'm convicted and honor Jesus with my whole life. And I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit ... the part of God who lives in me, convicting me, encouraging me, enabling me not only to comprehend but to live out the lessons God teaches me. The Holy Spirit, the empowering part of God who enables me to worship God with my life song.

This season. Oh, this season. A time of growth and redemption and sanctification and joy. Whatever season of life you're in, take the opportunity to GROW. Don't miss this season. Grow. Live. Breathe it all in. God is at work. And He. Is. FAITHFUL. :)

Ephesians 2:10
We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 16

2011-12-20T16:15:00.003-05:00

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you

Yep, you can't be surprised. ;) ... I recently posted about my heroes - my family - so I thought I'd write about someone new for this one. And yep, Tim Tebow is the one. Someone who inspires me. :)
I've been getting some flak for being such a big fan of Tim, but the way I see it ... who better to root for than someone who loves and promotes Jesus??? And he does! :)

I am so incredibly excited to watch Tim's life. He genuinely loves Jesus and wholeheartedly lives his life for Jesus. And not only that, but he's so constant, unwavering, and humble! He doesn't get worked up about all the negative, and even down-right mean, responses he gets. It all rolls right off his back. He just loves Jesus. The end. And he doesn't care who knows it. In fact, he wants people to know it! His passion, humility, kindness, and genuine love for Jesus are incredibly inspiring and just a flat out gift from God.

Go, Tebow, go!!! :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 15

2011-12-20T16:10:00.002-05:00

Day 15 - A picture of something you wanna do before you die

I wanna run a mini marathon!!!
I probably should get crackin' on this and stop making excuses. But alas, I still haven't started training one of these crazy things! Over the past several years, I've wanted to be a runner. But wow, is it hard! Dancing is quite a bit more fun and not quite as bad on my already "old lady" knees. Although, after doing Zumba over the past few weeks, my knees would beg to differ.
But yes ... I hope one day to get myself to start running again ... and to run 13.1 miles all at once! :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 14

2011-12-15T23:15:00.003-05:00

Day 14: A picture of someone you can't imagine your life without

Yeah. This picture sure does make me smile. Hannah and I had a great day the day this picture was taken ... a great week ... a great car ride. We went to Mackinac Island for a few days - such good times! But even more importantly, I smile at this picture because it is of me and one of my most cherished, dear, true friends - ever! Hannah Joy Baker. Yep. I definitely can't imagine my life without her. She and I are what we like to call one another, Cookie Cutter Friends ... CCFs for short. :) A CCF is very special ... someone God cut out of the friendship cloth at the beginning of time just for YOU. Or in this case ... ME. :) God knew I needed Hannah. And God knew Hannah needed me. It's kinda cool how that works, huh? CCFs are those friends who know you the best, stick with you the longest, love you the deepest, and share with you the most. They are incredibly God-shaped and God-given friendships that, once started, can't be lived without. Another special part of my friendship with Hannah is that we are in a similar season of life ... and we have been for awhile --- Single. Bucket List-ers. Exploring our independence. Strong. Beautiful. Care-free. FREE. Open-minded. Open-hearted. God-seekers, God-followers, God-lovers. Growing and being challenged in our faith. And I'm sure I could keep going. And because of all these things, we can share so much together - and we do. :)

Hannah is an incredible friend - beautiful, kind, a prayer warrior, a good listener, supportive, enthusiastic, and just plain runnin' the same race I am. I am so incredibly, entirely, and completely thankful for that woman! Love you, Hannah! :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 13

2011-12-14T17:03:00.002-05:00

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band/artist

Oh, yeah! He's beltin' it! hahaha! My favorite singer of all time is David Phelps!!!! Wow, he's amazing! Incredible vocalist! Whoa! I remember the first time I heard David Phelps sing, and from that point on, I was hooked - fo sho!

My mom bought Mark Lowry on Broadway ... a VHS ... probably from a Goodwill. At the time, I hadn't really heard much about Mark Lowry, Bill Gaither, or the Gaither Vocal Band. So I watched the video, and David Phelps and the Gaither Vocal Band sang a couple of songs. First, I heard David sing "A Whole New World" with Sandi Patti. Oh my gosh! Then, he sang with the GVB, and if the deal wasn't already sealed - it was by then! Wow! He is the greatest singer ever!!! And he loves Jesus, even better.

If you don't know who I'm talking about, go to youtube (right now!), and find some of his music - as a solo artist, with GVB, even find the Whole New World song! He's really good, to say the least. :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 12

2011-12-13T23:22:00.003-05:00

Day 12 - A picture of something you love

Yep, you can't be surprised. If you know me at all, you know I love sweet tea! ... I had to find a picture that said "sweet" tea because it has to be sweet. I won't drink tea if it's not sweet. Mmm, it's so good! And The Porch makes the best tea around - and it so many yummy flavors! Good stuff, indeed.

Sweet tea ... a comfort drink, an addiction, and oh, so yummy! :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 11

2011-12-05T23:01:00.003-05:00

Day 11 - A picture of your favorite movie

Mmm ... oh, yeah! I think I've finally narrowed my favorite movie down to one - Sense and Sensibility. Yeah! Gosh, I love this movie. A lot of heartbreak, a lot of love, a great story line, and the wonderful Colonel Brandon. Need I say more? :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 10

2011-11-29T21:42:00.002-05:00

Day 10: A picture of the person you do the most fun things with

This one is definitely Emily MacDonald!!! :)
When the two of us get together, we have to silliest conversations and do the funniest things together. Mostly, they are funny because we are way too easily amused. She and I laugh up a storm almost every time we see each other. Last Saturday night, she was in town for Thanksgiving, and we had a ball! It was one of the funnest times we've had in a while, actually. :) So much fun! We walked around a few stores, went to see a movie, went to dinner, and then I took her home. Doesn't sound too crazy, right? Well, we know how to spice things up ... and just by being together. :) We went to see Breaking Dawn and giggled our way through the cheesy parts (which is most of the movie). And then we laughed about our crush on Jacob all the way to the restaurant. Once at Red Robin, we talked about our struggles and joys, and laughed about all kinds of stuff. On the way home, we stopped at Maggie and Jared's to put a funny message on their door with post-it notes, seeing as they were out of town. And on the way home, we laughed so hard our stomachs AND our heads hurt ... funny stories, bosom buddy bonding time ... it was so great!
Somehow, no matter what I'm doing with Emily, it's fun. We could simply sit on her couch and watch a movie, and we'd find a way to make it fun ... more than usual. Like when we watched Jane Eyre for the first time - it's not a funny show ... but boy, we made it funny! Or looking through Pinterest or You're Not a Photographer.com ... hilarious times! Or when we go out for our picture days - we always do really stupid stuff and take pictures of it! You can find all kinds of pictures of us being dorks on Facebook. Such good times with that girl. ... So yeah, she definitely wins out with this one ... I do the most fun things with Emily!!! :D

30-Day Jesus Day 6: Believing Without Seeing

2011-11-08T23:11:00.003-05:00

Haha! A long while back, I started a blog project called 30-Day Jesus. It was supposed to be 30 straight days of posting about Jesus and what He was doing in my life each day ... to help me be more consistent in my prayer and devotions. Ha! Well, it looks like I only made it to day 5 and gave up. What a dork. ... I guess I'll have to call it "30-Day Jesus" because it's 30 days of Jesus posts ... not in a row ... but just Jesus and what He's doing in my life. ... Every time I post one of my 30-Day Photo Challenge pictures, I think of these 30-Day Jesus posts. It might be good to finish this blog project, so here I go - day 6 is today. :)

I've been thinking a lot about the goodness of God over the past several months. To be honest, I've struggled a lot with believing that God WASN'T good. Eek! Don't tell anybody I said that. A youth pastor who doesn't believe God is good? Umm ... no. "Ban her from the church!" "Get her away from those teenagers!" "Kick her out of the Christian community altogether!" ... Haha! Okay, so I'm taking that a bit far. ... But that's how I've felt! "Oh my gosh. I'm a leader in my church ... I'm teaching the teenagers about Jesus ... people think I've got it together ... and I don't believe God is good???" Ahhh!!!! Yeah, it was quite the struggle for a lot of months.

Thankfully, recently, God's been really at work in my life. He always is ... but recently, it's been extra amazing! :) The Holy Spirit brought a phrase to mind several weeks back that has changed my perspective entirely. I was on my way to my Thursday morning Bible study, when the Holy Spirit whispered to my spirit, "Believe without seeing." Although I couldn't think of the Scripture passage He was pulling this from, I immediately knew He was speaking directly to me and that finding the context of this phrase would be huge. I burst into tears as I thought more about what this phrase really entailed ... and what it meant for my current circumstances.

For so many months, I had been focused on everything but Jesus. I had been wallowing in past hurts, suffocating in dreams that had still not been met, and feeling quite depressed and defeated. ... On Thursday mornings, we had be reading and discussing the book, "Lies Women Believe" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Wow, that's a great book! And the very first lie was "God is not really good." At the time, I had no idea that I was believing THIS SPECIFIC lie. But as we kept studying the book and things began to sink in, wow! Putting my finger on the lie really started changing my perspective. God was at work! He was telling me that I should no longer be depressed and defeated, that I was to BELIEVE in HIM no matter what my circumstances ... even though I couldn't SEE what He was doing and what He was gonna do.

And since that morning, I've been a new woman! I still have a long way to go in so many areas ... but God is really working in me about my circumstances. Believe without seeing. That phrase has really changed my life. ... Oh, and by the way, that phrase comes from Thomas' story after Jesus' death and resurrection - go read about it in John 20:24-29. Wow, it's good stuff! ... No matter what you're facing today, know that Jesus is at work in your life. Even if you can't SEE the work, BELIEVE. BELIEVE! If we believe without seeing, our faith will grow like crazy! Because that's what faith is - BELIEVING WITHOUT SEEING. :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 9

2011-11-08T22:54:00.003-05:00

Day 9: A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

This guy is probably the most incredible person you'll ever meet. Ben Nilsen is nonpareil. Haha! Didn't know I had such cool words up my sleeve, huh? ... Actually, I'm stealing it from a really great lady from church, Ronda Coon. :) ... Nonpareil means "a person or thing having no equal." That's quite a word, eh? Well, I think it's the perfect word to describe Ben. If you knew Ben, you'd agree. :) But anyways ... Ben is a great friend of mine. We've kind of lost touch over the past year ... and I still need to call him up for a friend date - told him I would do that weeks ago! Man. But I called him a few weeks back, and even though we hadn't spoken in months, we were able to chat like old times. I'm so thankful for that.

Ben has probably been my greatest encourager ... especially, a couple years back when I was going through a really rough time. I'd had a falling out with a friend, and I was totally heartbroken over it. It caused me a lot of pain. And Ben was my greatest supporter, listener, encourager, and prayer warrior friend during that year of my life. He's the kind of friend you know is praying when you ask (and even when you don't) ... you know is caring even when you haven't spoken in a while ... you know will drop everything and come to your "aide" if you need it. ... We may not be as close or stay in touch as often as we used to - seasons come and go - but Ben will forever have a special place in my heart for all the support he gave me during the roughest season of my life (so far, anyway). I really love and appreciate that guy! He is an incredible brother in Christ! :)

Depravity (Part 2): What is the Point?

2011-11-05T00:07:00.003-04:00

So what is the point? I bet you're wondering if I had a big epiphany while I was gone. Haha! And well, I think it's coming - slowly but surely. ... but I do have to say that I still don't know why God created us when He knew we were gonna be a bunch of sin bags. He knows His purposes. Obviously, there is more glory to come out of our lives than we will ever know - thank GOD for that!

But ... there is a big ... HUGE ... really IMPORTANT point to be taken away from these ramblings (and from Galatians 6:16-26 and Romans 6 - go read these passages if you haven't already). The answer is found all over these two passages, but I think it is best summed up in two little verses ...

Romans 6:1-2
"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?"

The point is really as simple as that ... in a phrase you might hear my dad use, "Knock it off, ya bozos!" Hahaha! ... That's right - STOP SINNING, YOU DEPRAVED PEOPLE!!!!

I know what you're thinking ... well, at least, I'M thinking it ... "That's NOT simple!!!" I just told you in the last post that I fall into so many sinful attitudes so easily - pride, ungratefulness, impatience, down-right meanness, and the list goes on - and all in 5 minutes too! ... But seriously ... why would Paul (or whoever the heck wrote this book) - who got it from God in the first place - give us this sixth chapter of Romans if he didn't intend for us to LIVE it??? God expects us to read this passage and then DO it!!! Man, that's a heavy order, huh? But it's turning my cringing and my cowering into thoughtfulness, which makes me fix my eyes on Jesus for direction and clarity, which will eventually help me LIVE out this passage - or at least attempt to - a little at a time, day by day. And that brings glory to God! Ha! And there we have it ... the point is bringing glory to God

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." Galatians 6:16

... THAT is the point, my dear friends - to turn away from our sin, to stop it in its tracks, and not just walk, but run, after Jesus, which will, in turn, bring glory to God.

Depravity (Part 1)

2011-11-04T23:14:00.004-04:00

I've been thinking about my own depravity lately. Ugh. It makes me cringe. Literally. I am scrunching up my face and my body is cowering a little bit even now as I'm typing. And I want you to think about depravity too. If you can't think about your own 'cause, like me, it makes you sick, then just think about mine. Yes, think about Mical Masterson's depravity.

Have you read the definition of depravity lately? Yuck. I just did, and it makes me cower even more.

Depravity: "corrupt, wicked, or perverted."

*Big sigh and a sad face*

Man. This makes me really upset ... heartbroken, even. Heartbroken because my depravity ... my corrupt, wicked, and perverted nature hurts my Savior, my God, my Spirit - yes, the Three in One.

I don't know how you feel about this issue of TOTAL depravity or if you even have the slightest clue what I'm talking about. Some people do ... most people don't. It's worth looking into if you haven't. It can lead into crazy controversies involving the names John Calvin and John Wesley and all that they believed about God and His relationship with/to us. I'm not gonna get into all of that ... although, I am fascinated by these ideas. I'm not gonna go labeling myself a Calvinist or an Arminianist ... I don't much care about names. But! One thing I will not budge on is this idea of total depravity. Total depravity is this ... that we are totally and completely sinful (remember those ugly words from before? - corrupt, wicked, perverted? Yep, we're ALL of those), that we can do NOTHING good in our own strength - ONLY through God's working in our lives can we do, say, or think anything good at all (also known as giving us His GRACE - what we DON'T deserve).

And THAT is what I've been thinking about lately. People may argue this point, but for me, it's as easy as looking at my OWN life. Every SINGLE day ... and usually, several times a day ... I fall into sin after sin. A LOT of things qualify as sin. Sin, in itself, is "missing the mark." The "mark" is perfection (also known, and only known, as JESUS) ... and so if our hearts and minds are exuding anything but perfection, we are sinning. Whoa! Now, there's another blog post. Whew! Thank you, Jesus, for your grace! So when I think about sin that way, I KNOW I'm totally depraved! Man, oh man.

... Okay. Back to the point. Today, I was in a funk about something meaningless ... I was claiming my "rights" about something - ha, like I have any of those. And it made feel frustrated and irritable. It made me prideful and ungrateful and just mean in my heart. Otherwise known as ... I was wallowing in sin. And I got to thinking, and I voiced this to my mom ... I screw up all the time. I am totally corrupt and wicked and perverted, and I'm always going to be. Sure, God enables me to be pure and sanctified and holy, but in my depravity, 9 times out of 10, I chose to walk in the flesh instead of in the Spirit. I asked my mom, "So if God made us for His glory, and we screw up all the time, what's the point?" This question came from conviction. I was convicted because I was not only making excuses about my rights, being prideful, and ungrateful ... I was also being impatient and unkind about some demanding customers. And God was convicting me about all of these MANY sinful attitudes. So I was discouraged with myself. I told mom, "I'm so glad God is gracious 'cause if I were God, I woulda zapped all of us by at least the 3rd time ... heck, I wouldn't have created us at all!"
And when you think about this ... when you think about my question to my mom "If God made us for His GLORY, and we constantly SIN, then what's the point?", we get into some pretty convicting stuff.

So what is the point?
Galatians 5:16-26 and Romans 6 come to mind. Hold on. I'll be back in a bit. I need to go read these again ... hey, why don't you join me, and we'll meet back here for some more deep thoughts in, let's say, a half an hour? Just let me know if you need more time. ;)

BRB ...

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 8

2011-11-04T00:02:00.002-04:00

Day 8 - A picture that makes you laugh

This picture is my profile picture - I know, I know. But I can't help but laugh hysterically every time I see it. That's WHY it's my profile picture! :D ... You had to be there when this picture was taken ... or rather, you had to be there when Emily and I were looking through our pictures of the day we had just spent together. We had gone to Gabby's (a yummy burger place) for lunch (where this picture was taken), walked at the park, done a little shopping ... fun day. And we finished our day with one of the weirdest movies ever, Jane Eyre. It really is an odd and almost creepy movie. (I was a bit weirded out then, but now, I love it!) We were so confused for most of it, making fun of it, and having a great time cracking each other up. And then we started looking at these pictures, once the movie was over. ... So we're already beyond gitty, and I see this picture of myself. And I just lose it, which makes Emily lose it. So now, I probably laugh more at that moment (ha! Try 10 minutes!) of my gitty laughter than the picture itself. But anyways ... long story short - you had to be there. But it's a funny picture either way. :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 7

2011-11-03T23:36:00.003-04:00

Day 7: A picture of your most cherished item

Yep. It's definitely my blanket. You may not be able to see this blanket well in the picture, but my closest friends can attest to the fact that this blanket is the most pathetic looking blanket ... maybe ever. I still remember taking this blanket to our Bogalusa mission trip 2 summers ago, and Pastor Mike asked me ... "So you're still carryin' around that blanket, huh?" Hahahaha! Hilarious! It's true. I can't go on any trip, sleep in any hotel, sleep AT ALL without this raddy old thing. It may be old and ugly to anyone else, but to me, it's my security blanket - I will never throw it away. It is most assuredly my most treasured material possession. :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 6

2011-10-31T20:01:00.002-04:00

Day 6: A picture of a person you'd like to trade places with for a day

My brother is one of the most inspiring people I know and one of my heroes. Wes is one of "those" people. Ya know who I'm talkin' about? The kind of person you wanna be like 'cause he's so positive and upbeat and outgoing. I would love to trade places with him for a day just to see what it's like to be THAT optimistic. I think I'm a pretty optimistic person a lot of the time, but over the past few years, I haven't been able to STAY an optimist because I don't know how to keep an eternal perspective. But Wes knows how. He's so good at seeing the big picture - even when he's going through a rough time. It takes a lot for him to get down. He's just good at staying determined to win ... to live his life to the fullest ... to get what he wants. And he's so outgoing. He's worked hard to get where he is, but he's always been a social guy, never really worrying about what other people think. How does he do that? Gosh. I want all of these qualities! Man, do I? So if I could trade places with anyone in the world, it'd be Wes. If I could walk around this planet for just 5 minutes with Wes' outlook, I know I would be a changed woman. Needless to say, I think a lot of my little brother ... he inspires me.

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 5

2011-10-31T00:01:00.004-04:00

Wow. I am really bad at blogging consistently. Oh, well. Here I go again ... continuing the 30-day photo challenge.

Day 5: A picture of your favorite memory

I love this one! It's making me smile. I don't know if I can really narrow my thoughts down to just one favorite memory ... gosh, that's tough. But I'm not surprised that the only memories that come to mind for "favorite" memories involve Adam Cook. *Big grin* I love that guy! Adam and Uncle Mike and Jen were a huge part of my childhood. If we weren't at their house every Sunday and Wednesday night after church, then they were at our house ... along with a bunch of other families from church. Man, those were the days ... lots of fellowship, lots of laughter, lots of frozen pizza and movies and me and Adam and Wes playing video games in Adam's room. Adam has always been one of my favorite guys ... we grew up together, hung out a lot, and well, he just kind of became my big brother.

Some of my best memories growing up ... and really, in my whole life ... have had him in 'em. This picture was taken at Adam's apartment in Cincinnati. I went with him and his family to help him move to Cincinnati 'cause he was going to radio broadcasting school for a year and a half or so. It was such a great day. I rode between Uncle Mike and Jen in the big, moving truck, and we talked and laughed and probably sang the whole way there. Once we got there, we moved all of Adam's stuff in ... he was so excited. And I remember sitting on Adam's bed bummin' out 'cause he wasn't gonna be around for a long time. When this picture was taken, he had walked into his room to talk to me ... "So whatta ya think, Mike?" ... And I remember I had written him a long, sappy letter telling him how much I was gonna miss him ... and I probably gave him a million Bible verses to read. I was a nut. I tried to slip it under his mouse pad by his computer, so he could find it later and read it once we were gone. But he found it while we were still there, and I was embarrassed. ... After we got him all moved in and helped him set up his place, we all went out to dinner ... at Ponderosa, maybe? Some buffet, I remember. And then Adam headed to his apartment, and we all headed home.

I remember feeling so privileged and special to go with them that day. I simply adored Adam. I still do - can you tell? :) Here I was ... not even apart of his family ... everyone else was ... and I got to go too. And ya know, it's been amazing ever since. I've been close with all those guys - Adam and Jon and Jason and Jarrod, Uncle Mike and Jen ... a lot of their family for a lot of years. I couldn't be more thankful to know the Cooks and the Adamsons. They are such a great family, and I'm, in some ways, apart of their family ... well, at least ... a girl can dream, can't she? :) I love those guys!

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 4

2011-09-23T21:43:00.007-04:00

Well, it's been quite a while since I started my 30-day photo challenge. Got a bit sidetracked - as usual. But here I go again.
So ... I think I'm on day 4 ...

Day 4: A picture of your favorite day

My favorite day is any time I hang out with my teenagers. They are, without a doubt, the joy of my life ... closely followed by dance. But my teens definitely win! :)

In this picture, we had just finished putting on an entire evening of skits, music, and serving spaghetti and salads and garlic bread for our big-time fundraiser. We were headed to Cottage Cove (our summer mission trip in 2010), and this "dinner and a show" fundraiser was one of the most involved SoZo events in years. We practiced and planned for weeks and weeks, and it was a huge success.

It was so amazing spending this kind of time with the teens. I really got to see more into their personalities, saw more of their talents, and just became even more proud than I already was. ... It is such a gift working in youth ministry. I am totally in love with my kids, so my best days are spent loving them and being loved on by them.

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 3

2011-08-02T18:05:00.002-04:00

Day 3: A picture of the cast of your favorite show

Yay Chuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really like the tv show Chuck. The best tv show ever, in my opinion. :) Comedy. Romance. Action. Really cute lead guy. It doesn't get any better. :D

I heart this show :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 2

2011-08-01T18:21:00.004-04:00

Day 2: A picture of the person you've been friends with the longest

Maggie Elizabeth Monahan Wade :)

Yep. Mags has been my best friend since the 1st grade. And I can honestly say that we've been not just friends, but close friends, all of those years. Isn't that awesome?? :) Not many people have close friends for 18+ years. Gosh, I am blessed!

Maggie is simply wonderful. She's kind and tons of fun ... loves watching cheesy love-triangle movies and tv shows (something we've grown to appreciate together too!) ... has a love for ice cream and swimming - we've had lots of good memories with these two treats. And she's been such a great friend to me over the years. I even got to be a bridesmaid in her wedding! But I think my favorite thing about Mags is her quiet and gentle spirit. I've always wanted to be more like her when it comes to being ... well, quiet and gentle. She's so together. She makes good decisions. And all in her "Maggie way": quietly and gently. She doesn't get too bent out of shape about much of anything. She doesn't lash out at people or have many soap boxes. She's pretty laid back and even-keel ... such great qualities ... qualities I've always desired, especially when I see them in her.

Maggie Wade ... my longest, loveliest friend :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 1

2011-07-30T15:46:00.004-04:00

My next blog project is the 30-day photo challenge :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 1: A picture of yourself and 10 facts

#1: I'm one of the biggest goofballs I know
#2: I am the dancin' queen ... especially ballroom - woot, woot! :D
#3: I am a youth pastor, and I LOVE my teenagers!!!
#4: I am addicted to sweet tea :)
#5: Texas Roadhouse is my favorite restaurant ... closely followed by The Porch
#6: I am one of the biggest saps you'll ever meet - a hopeless romantic, indeed.
#7: I love crocs!
#8: I'm a huge Southern Gospel fan ... especially, The Gaither Vocal Band :D
#9: I wear all of my emotions on my sleeve
#10: I really wanna travel to New Zealand someday!

"Kind words; Kind actions"

2011-07-23T22:32:00.004-04:00

1 Peter 3:8-17

Wow. This is some good stuff right here. Go get your Bible, and read this passage.

God's been convicting me lately ... concerning a cheesy, little motto I use in SoZo all the time: "Kind words; Kind actions." Haha! I love this! I don't know what happened that made me think this up ... but I started saying it a couple years back, and it stuck. And I say it to the SoZo-ers all the time when they are being somewhat less than kind. It's a youth group motto of ours. And I've claimed it for myself too - at least in words. I found out recently that I only claimed it in words. ... Did you know that "Kind words; Kind actions" is not only a rule when you're with people, talking with them, interacting with them, and so on, but it's also a rule when you're not with them?

That's what God's been convicting me about. And 1 Peter 3:8-17 is more conviction. I've been struggling at The Porch lately. I've had some pretty demanding customers to wait on in the past few weeks. They cop a "tude" and ask for a million different things - most of them ridiculous. They are impatient and inconsiderate. Man, it's been driving me crazy. And I've been unkind, to say the least. I walk back into the kitchen to give my mom the order, and I'm complaining and saying mean things about them. Unkind. I cop a "tude" about them. Unkind. I talk about their shinanigans to my co-workers, Rene and Saya. Unkind. I've also been unkind in my heart about one of the instructors at Arthur Murray. I don't think he should be instructing ... much less trying to teach me to dance ... because he doesn't have much dance experience, can't keep a beat, and doesn't lead the steps right. So I've complained to my mom and to myself and to God about him many times. I need to be more patient ... more kind to him, even when he's not listening.

I've bought a few "signs" recently - at the Christian bookstore and Hobby Lobby - about kindness. "Kindness Matters" ... "Do the kindest things in the kindest ways" ... etc. And I'm reminded that I haven't been kind. ... It sounds like such a simple thing ... and to many people, maybe it doesn't sound very important, but kindness IS important. SO important. Not only 'cause it helps people like you and gives you a better reputation but because God wants us to be kind. Kindness is a fruit of the spirit. And 1 Peter 3:8-17 talks about it too. Well, it talks about "doing good" ... which means being kind.

"Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it."
1 Peter 3:10-11

And verse 14 is incredible ...
"Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?"

Doesn't that just hit you up side the head??
Mical, if you are passionate about being kind, then how can any one person's antics get to you?

We are called to be kind. Period.
So that's what I'm going to do.

Dear Emily #3

2011-07-18T18:21:00.003-04:00

Dear Emily,

Thanks for your text earlier today! Looovveee those! :D The timing was interesting. I was just pulling into the hospital for the second time. No worries. Nothing too serious. But I haven't told you that I have an enlarged thyroid. Not sure what that means yet, but it's the reason for a lot of junk that's popped up in my life over the past 6-8 months. I just haven't been me. I've been depressed and moody ... grouchy ... negative ... insecure and lonely. So many crazy emotions that I haven't been able to handle. My hormones have been out of whack, and I've just been a big mess. I knew something was wrong because it was so out of character for me ... but I didn't know why or how to look for the reasons why. I went to the doctor for a physical last Monday, and I told him about my symptoms - depression, shaking, stomach aches, headaches, PMS symptoms 24/7, and so on. He told me my thyroid was too big, and so I was in Indy for most of the day today being tested. Haven't found out anything much yet. I'll keep you posted. ... But gosh, I am just so thankful to know that there is a root to my struggles over the past several months. I was about to go insane - really. I just wanna be ME again. Mical Masterson - she's a keeper ... when she's herself. :)

So thank you for your text ... and your prayers today. I'll update you when I have more news.
I miss you.
Love you,
Mical :)

The Carpenter's Gift

2011-07-08T15:11:00.003-04:00

I shared this story with my youth group at Sunday School last Sunday. It went along with the theme of the lesson - "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" - and with our key verse for the day - Romans 8:28 ... "And we know that God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

This story really touches my heart ... I almost cried in front of my kids when I read it to them. Who knows? I might cry by the time I get it all typed out here. :)

The Carpenter's Gift

Grandpa Nybakken loved life, especially, when he could play a trick on somebody. At those time, his large Norwegian frame would shake with laughter while he feigned innocent surprise, exclaiming, "Oh, forevermore!" But on a cold Saturday in downtown Chicago, God played a trick on him.
Grandpa Nybakken worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he volunteered to build some crates to hold the clothes his church was sending to an orphanage in China. When he finished building the crates, he helped pack them full of clothing and load them on the trucks that would take them to the shipping docks. He felt good that he could contribute to the project, even in a small way.
On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses. They were gone. He mentally replayed his earlier actions and realized what had happened. The glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates. His brand new glasses were heading for China!
The old carpenter had very little money, certainly not enough to replace the glasses. He was upset at the thought of having to buy another pair. "It's not fair," he told God as he drove home in frustration. "I've been very faithful in giving of my time to your work, and now this happens."
Several months later, the director of the Chinese orphanage came to speak at the old carpenter's small church. He began by thanking the people for their faithfulness in supporting the orphanage. "But most of all," he said, "I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year. You see, the Communists had just swept through the orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses. I was desperate. Even if I had the money, there was simply no way to replace those glasses. My coworkers and I were much in prayer about the situation. Then your crates arrived. When my staff removed one of the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on top."
The missionary paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then, still gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued, "Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as thought they had been custom-made for me! I want to thank you for your thoughtfulness and generosity."
The congregation listened, pleased about the miraculous glasses. But the missionary surely must have confused their church with another, they thought. There were no eyeglasses on their list of items to be sent overseas.

But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, was an ordinary carpenter who on an ordinary day was used in an extraordinary way by the Master Carpenter Himself.

Oh! Isn't that just amazing!? Wow. I just love this story. It really helps remind me that GOD is at work ALL THE TIME! In those bummer situations ... during all those times that I failed the Praxis, in these 2 years that I've been working with the youth at Calvary and working other jobs here and there, wondering what the heck God is doing ... Wow. This story helps remind me that GOD is working in these situations in my life - I just don't know what He's doing. But I'm holding on to this story and claiming it as a PROMISE in my own life - that GOD is doing something big in the midst of my bummers. And He's doing it in YOUR life too! How incredible. Thank you, Jesus, for the ordinary carpenter's story.

Dear Emily #2

2011-07-04T22:06:00.003-04:00

Dear Emily,
How was your 4th of July? Had a new DTI group come in yesterday, right? How was the first day of work?

I did basically nothing today. It was great. :) I slept in till 10am, talked to my brother for the 20 minutes he was home (he just came in to town to see his girlfriend ... oh, well), headed to Wal-Mart to buy I Am Number Four and Beastly, got a medium Donatos pepperoni pizza and ate all but two pieces in one sitting ... needless to say, I had a bad stomach ache for the rest of the day. ... And then, believe it or not, I started taking everything down off of my walls in my bedroom!!! Ahh! I can't believe I'm doing it ... but I've been thinking lately that the things on my walls (not all of 'em but most) are outdated - God's using new scripture in my life, the majority of the people in the pictures are not my friends/barely my friends anymore, and I just felt like doing something new ... starting over. It's gonna take a while ... but it's a new, little adventure I started today. :) I've got about 3/4 of my pictures still on the walls, but just about everything else has been taken down. I took a break a few hours ago, to cook some soup beans and cornbread for dinner ... and then I watched State Fair, which I've decided is one of my new favorite movies. I just love Pat and Margie's love story - all two weeks of it. Haha! Good day, indeed.

I hope your day was great too! Watching any fireworks? I can see the ones going off at the high school from my bedroom window. Hope it was a great day for ya ... make sure King Barry doesn't kill himself if he's doing huge fireworks again this year. ;) ... Wow, it sounds like a bunch of guns going off outside my window! ... Talk to ya soon.

Love ya,
Mical :)

6 Things

2011-07-03T19:19:00.003-04:00

I'm copying Emily :)

6 Positive Things about My Life ....

#1: I have HOPE and JOY in Jesus!
I am quite the worrier ... quite the spaz ... quite the striver. The tiniest things shake me up and stress me out. And I'm constantly beating myself up, thinking that I have the ability to be perfect. Ha! Riiigghhhht ... Ultimately, it's a trust issue and a negative attitude holding me down. I'm working on it. I really am. But these things are real struggles for me. BUT!!! In the midst of these DAILY trials ... GOD in all of His GRACE, helps me through it. He reminds me of His mighty promises ... things like ... He's gonna finish the good work He started in me. He's gonna work all of my difficult times out for my good and His glory. He's gonna reveal to me the path of life. He's willing me and working in me for His good purpose. And so many others. And that gives me hope. And He places an unbelievable joy in me at times ... unexplainable. When things are going all wrong, I have joy because He is my Savior, and He takes care of me.

#2: I have INCREDIBLE parents and a very INSPIRING brother!
My parents are my rock. They have supported me, stood by me, encouraged me, pointed me to Christ, listened to me ... all of my life. I've been in a season of trials for the past 5 or 6 years, and no matter how much I complain, vent, cry, pour myself out ... they always listen, give godly advice, and love me through it. They are two of the most godly people I know. And their love and support has meant more to me than almost anything in my life. I have the greatest parents in the world.
And Wes ... wow. He amazes me most of the time. Sure, he occasionally steals some of my stuff and takes it to school with him!! But that's okay, I guess. ;) ... He is growing in the Lord so much right now. He is so positive and upbeat and outgoing and determined. His constant energy and dreamer-mentality and positive attitude inspire and convict me more than anything else. I really want to be like Wes when I grow up. Confident. Always smiling. Always positive. Determined to not settle for less than his best. He's just an all-around great guy. And I'm quite proud of him, if you can't tell. ;)

#3: I get to work with and love on TEENAGERS every week!
I may not be a school teacher like I dreamed. But wow! Look at where God has placed me! Look at what He's done through me! I can't think of anything better than working with teenagers. They fill my life with so much joy ... I have a hard time believing that God's grace is that big. :D ... I will say that they make me insane sometimes ... their antics can get old. But God CALLED me to love teenagers! I. Am. Called. And somehow, no matter how nuts they can make me, no matter how hard the task in youth ministry (and there are a lot of 'em!), God gives me the grace and patience and love to NEVER wanna give up, to always love them. And I do. I. Do. Wow. Thank you, Jesus, for calling me to youth ministry!!!

#4: I get to DANCE, and I have an INCREDIBLE dance instructor!
Yep. Who's jealous? Everyone, I know. ;)
I get to take dance lessons 5 days of the week. I'm learning to be graceful and beautiful and confident ... and I'm not too bad of a dancer either. ;) It is a blast!!! But the best part about it is hanging out with my dance instructor, Randy. He is one of the most happy, upbeat, encouraging guys you'll ever meet. And I adore him! He is a ton of fun and has helped me more than he's knows. He is a gift from God, without a doubt.

#5: I have the greatest FRIENDS in the world!
I am incredibly blessed to have lots of friends ... but Emily, Hannah, Mags, and Shelley will probably always be my best friends. Emily is my bosom friend - the closeness of our friendship is not something that comes around in every friendship. We sometimes say that God made one person and split her into two beings - me and Emily. Hannah is my cookie cutter friend. We say that, at the beginning of time, God knew how much we needed each other, so He cut us out of the same cloth and decided that we would be friends one day. (Yes, my friends and I have lots of cheesy analogies). Mags is my LLF - my longest, loveliest friend - she has been my best friend longer than anyone, and the thing I appreciate the most about Maggie is that she is always my friend - always and no matter what. And Shelley is my youth pastor ... or his wife. :) She loves me and holds a special place in my heart ... since the 8th grade. Her influence and love is something I will never forget.

#6: I live in a FREE country!
You may say our country is going down the drain, but we still live in an amazing country. And I'm very thankful to be an American. I get to speak Jesus in my school and at work. I get to go to church every Sunday, and it's not underground. I get paid to tell teenagers about Jesus! In this country, I am FREE to be FREE in Christ. What a gift that is.

Dear Emily #1

2011-07-02T21:31:00.005-04:00

I'm starting yet another series of blog posts ... will they ever end? Haha! They are called "Dear Emily" posts, and they will help me stay connected to my bosom buddy who now lives in Nashville ... 5 long hours away from Indianapolis. Sad day. Err ... but (this is supposed to be a happy idea) it's all good. We are staying close - thank you, Jesus, for facebook and blogs ... and BBFness. So here they begin ...

Dear Emily,
Your blog is amazing! And I'm so impressed with how often you post on it. I go away and don't read it for just a couple of days, and you have 3 or 4 posts up. Amazing! And they are always so fun.

Thank you for telling me ... ha! I mean everyone ... wow, I really do want you all to myself, don't I? Thank you for sharing so much on your blog. It really helps me stay connected with you.

I'm so thankful that you're doing well - in the midst of crazy emotions - and that King Barry is loving you so completely and taking care of you.

I want to tell you about some new plans of mine. :) I'm taking the Praxis again! Well, the first step is ordering my scores again. The Praxis people have started something new ... something called a composite score. If my math, reading, and writing scores from the Praxis 1 add up to 527, then I PASS!!! Even if my reading score is not up to snuff, the composite score will make up the difference. I ordered my scores yesterday, so I'll find out in a few weeks if I have to take the test again. But my plan is to pass the Praxis and start back to school to finish my teaching degree. I'm gonna work at Calvary with SoZo and go back to school. If things work out, I'll be ready to look for a teaching job for the fall of 2013. ... Whew. There's part of me that can't believe I'm gonna try this again. What the heck? What am I thinking? ... But I'm not at peace. I love my SoZo-ers, and I want my mom's business to succeed ... but I can't do what I'm doing forever. I can't even do it for another few years, really. Whew. I've gotta try again. I'm going to.

What do you think? Do you think I'm doing the right thing? Am I crazy for trying a 10th time!? Wow. God's going to help me. I can't do it without Him. It'll be devastating to fail again. But I've gotta try.

Missing you ... oh, so much.
Love you,
Mical :)

A Prayer for Today ... and Every Day

2011-07-02T21:10:00.003-04:00

Gracious God,
Help me to keep my mind focused on You this day. Help me to understand more about myself today, especially who I am in Your eyes. Lord, calm my fears, relieve my anxieties, and teach me how to rely on You for security and support. Show me the pathways to joy and peace so that I may truly rejoice and sing praises to You. In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.

This prayer touched my heart and brought me one step closer to letting go of my fears and worries ... while I was at a spiritual weekend experience this past May. So powerful ...

God's Grammar Rules: Adjectives

2011-06-24T10:04:00.001-04:00

Ooo! Ooo! I'm so excited! I was just looking through some old posts, and I found God's Grammar Rules! Do you remember those posts? ... Well, it's time for another one. ... I looked up the definition for adjective, and my favorite DEF is "not able to stand alone; dependent." Good, huh?

When you think about adjectives, you can see that definition ... adjectives often describe nouns ... a noun can stand on its own in a sentence (Watch the cat run.), but an adjective can't (Watch spunky run.). It just doesn't work. But put 'em together, and you've got a more descriptive sentence (Watch the spunky cat run.) Ha! What a lame sentence ... but hopefully you see the point.

I like this new grammar rule for three reasons ...

#1: Being reminded that I can't stand alone helps me DEPEND on God. In my everyday life, I need God to survive - He gives me the very air I breath, and He can take it away. In my everyday life, I need God to help me overcome sin and trials, and without Him, I would just be a big tub of hopeless, sin guts. In my everyday life, I would probably sink into the depths of despair without His love and hope. My life is one big adjective. It exists to bring glory to the Noun, God, Himself. Apart from Him, I can do nothing.

#2: Also, in being an adjective, I need other parts of speech to help me be the best adjective I can be - often, those other parts of speech are verbs or other adjectives. ... I'm learning that it's difficult to stand alone. I've been very lonely lately. My friends will always be my friends - thank you, Jesus, for that. But they are still getting married, having kids, moving away. And that changes things for us ... there is no way around it ... change comes to friendships. God works in the midst of that change, but the change is still hard. My fellow verbs and adjectives are still doing their jobs to complete the sentence of their lives ... but they are leaving me to stand alone just the same. But again, I guess that DEPENDENCY on the Noun makes me a stronger adjective ... which will help me articulate more fully the awesomeness of the Noun to those around me.

#3: Lastly, I love being an adjective who describes the Noun because the Noun gives me a job to do - description - otherwise known as - PURPOSE. I have a reason to live and keep pushing forward in this sentence of life: The Noun loves me enough to give me a calling and to write my story everyday. The Noun thinks I'm beautiful. The Noun MAKES me beautiful. I may make the Noun look good by describing Him to a world of incomplete sentences, but He fulfills me and sticks with me so that I never have to truly stand alone.

I'd say being an adjective is okay ... wouldn't you? ;)
While I was going to school at IUPUI, writing papers and tutoring papers, I came across a lot of weak adjectives. The reason? Thinking up effective adjectives is hard work! You have to really think about it. But don't let that get you down. Be the best adjective you can be. Make Jesus look good! :)

The Cute Guy from High School ...

2011-06-23T23:51:00.003-04:00

This is a totally ridiculous post.

I wanna know what's up with guys. How the heck can they have such a hold on a girl? Sheesh. ... I was at one of my SoZo senior's open houses a few weeks back and a guy I went to high school with came through the door. He graduated the year before I did. We were in choir together and some musicals. Wow ... I don't even know him that well, and as soon as I saw him, I got really nervous ... and really excited. Oh my gosh. I'm laughing at myself on the other side of this keyboard. Ha! What is up with that? I barely knew him in high school ... I'd only seen him once since he graduated ... what the heck? ... And what's worse ... he knew exactly who I was, talked to me so casually, and well, we just connected. Too much fun.

And oh, how the female mind works. ... I've been having a hard time not thinking about him since the open house. It is really obnoxious being a girl sometimes. My mind is running way ahead of reality. "Did he think I was cute? Is that why he was so attentive?" "Maybe he really will come to church, like he said." "And we could get to know each other ..." Ha! Need I say more? What a dork. If you're a woman reading this, do you know what I'm talking about? Has a cute guy ever paid attention to you, and you ran away with it? Hahaha! I'm laughing out loud once again. Ridiculous. ... Oh, well ... I'm young. I'm single ... very single. I'm allowed to admire God's good work. ... I'll keep being patient though ... God's got somebody for me ... someday. :)

What a hoot ...

Los Ra :)

2011-06-18T21:59:00.005-04:00

Another favorite sight is mexican restaurants ... 'cause I love mexican food!!! But more specifically, I love Los Rancheros. MMMM, YUMMY! It's got yummy cheese sauce and sweet tea! It's the only mexican place around that has sweet tea ... that alone, makes it mi favorito! :D I also like it 'cause it's my CCF date spot. Hannah Baker and I meet there at least once a month for a chicken burrito with cheese sauce (no red sauce) and refried beans and a Mr. Pibb (for Hannah) and either beef soft tacos and refried beans or a chicken quesadilla (with no onions and green peppers), rice, and beans and a sweet tea (for me). A a small order of queso - of course! :D We've had lots of great conversations - about our bucket lists, about being single, about our hopes and dreams, about our struggles, about our passions, about the Lord ...

... It has definitely become a cherished place in my life :)

Gosh, I love this place!

2011-06-15T16:29:00.003-04:00

Look at that! Isn't that the greatest thing you've ever seen?? :D
Haha! Well, it is to me. Aww, my home. Gosh, I love this place. I am probably the most blessed person on the planet when it comes to my home. Not only is it a great building with a classroom/3-car garage and barn and 2 acres of land ... but it's a place where love and spiritual growth and faithfulness and godliness and encouragement and hope have been given and shown to me for the past 18 years of my life. As part of my home, I have the best parents in the world. They love me unconditionally ... they have helped me grow in my faith probably more than anyone else has - ever ... they are incredible examples of godliness and faithfulness in my life ... and they give me constant encouragement about God's plan for my life and about who I am to them and to Christ. And I have an incredible brother who inspires me probably more than anyone else I know. He is so determined and strong ... he is so disciplined and uplifting ... the positive energy he gives off nearly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is both convicting and encouraging ... and he is really beginning to grasp what's truly important in life - living his life all for Jesus and not for himself. My home has been all of these things with these people. It has been open to strangers and church members and other family members who needed a home for months and even years at a time. It has been a Sunday night/Wednesday night after church hang-out spot for Jack's frozen pizza and lots of laughs around our little kitchen table with the Cooks and the Dailys and the Stroups and others. It has been a place for basketball and go-carts and swimming and jumping on the trampoline and building tree houses with friends. It has been a school for me and my brother. It has been a safe place ... a refuge ... and a very dear place to my heart.

Ha! Sometimes, I just sit in my room and stare at my walls, thinking about how someday, I'm gonna have to leave this place. Someday, I'll have to move out and be an adult - either with a family of my own or a job or an apartment with friends. Someday, my parents will sell this place and move south. Someday, I won't be able to turn off of 36 onto our bumpy, gravel driveway and look up at this place and say, "gosh, I love this place." ... Wow, I am way to nostalgic for my own good, huh? :) I just love my home. What a gift from God.

Probably my favorite sight in the world ... now, do you know why? :D

Dance shoes in the rear view mirror ...

2011-06-13T18:05:00.006-04:00

I've been wanting to start a new blog project for a while. My bosom buddy, Emily, over at "The Thought Spot ..." has been blogging a lot lately, and her posts are always so fun and creative. And I love keeping up with her life in Nashville. So in effort to help her keep up with my life in Indy (because she wants to know about it!), I need to start blogging again. So my new blog project is this ... posts (and pictures) about my favorite sights. Yes, I'm gonna start telling you about and showing you my favorite things to see.

And today's sight is my dance shoes. :)

I took these pictures several weeks back, thinking I would use 'em for this blog project. I had piled 4 or 5 of my kids into my car after a youth event, and they put my dance shoes in the window of my back seat to make more room for them to sit. I saw them in my rear view mirror everyday for a few weeks, and I always smiled when I saw them ... yes, dance really does bring me that much joy. Haha! Dancing has just been so fun and liberating and a self-esteem boost and a huge outlet for me, so just seeing my dance shoes gets me excited! I've told you about my incredible dance instructor, Randy ... and the other instructors are amazing ... and dancing is helping me stay away from loneliness. It's just been awesome. Everyone needs to find a hobby that they can pour themselves into ... 'cause it is so rewarding and really just plain helpful in life. I sure do love to dance!!!!

I love Mondays!

2011-06-13T17:57:00.003-04:00

I love Mondays. I won't say they're my favorite day of the week because Sundays are and always will be - I love going to church! Hanging out with the Body of Christ is my all-time favorite thing to do. But I will say that Mondays are wonderful ... wonderful because they are my Sabbath. If you don't take a day of rest every week, you need to! First of all 'cause God commands it ... but also because it is just plain awesome. I started having a Sabbath every week beginning sometime during my freshman year of college ... and boy, did it start one of the greatest blessings in my life. It was such a huge stress-reliever to consistently take a day of from life every single week. It really helped balance me during my college years - every week, I took one day with NO homework, NO classes, NO work ... and it was amazing! 5 years later, and I'm still taking a day off. I call it my day off from life because I really do absolutely nothing on my Sabbath these days. I lay on the couch watching movies usually ... and I feel like a huge bum by the end of the day ... but wow, is it refreshing!

Today, I slept in until almost 1pm! When I finally got up, I fixed myself some lunch and plopped on the couch for a movie. Fireproof. It was so good - as always. Then I spent the afternoon reading my bosom buddy's blog. I guess I did something productive today ... I cleaned my room - my huge pile of clothes if finally off the floor. And I loaded some pictures onto my computer. And now, I'm blogging!!! And headed to dance later. But ultimately, I've had a lazy day, and it's been great!!!

Mondays are awesome!

30-day Jesus Day 5: The Psalms

2011-05-16T23:11:00.003-04:00

I stared reading Psalms again recently. Saya was talking about heaviness of that book recently ... the ups and downs of the writer ... and I got to thinking about my life. I am up and down ... All. The. Time. Sheesh.

My season of life is so lame sometimes. Sure, I need to be thankful and look at things from God's perspective and be content ... and the list goes on. But I'm not. I'll keep trying ... but I'm not always doing and saying and being the right things. And that's okay. That's what I'm learning ... that it's okay to not have it all together. I've been fooling myself into thinking that I am supposed to have it together ... that I CAN have it together! Ha! Only one person ever had it together ... Jesus. Duh! So, again, I'm learning that I don't have it together (took me a while, huh?), and that's okay.

I've been gathering some encouragement from the Psalms. Here's what I've found so far .....

Psalm 1:3 --- "He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all he does, he prospers."

Psalm 2:11 --- "Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling."

Psalm 3:3 --- "But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and He answered me from His holy hill."

Psalm 4:8 --- "In peace, I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

Psalm 5:11-12 --- "But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may exult in You. For You bless the righteous, O Lord; You cover him with favor as with a shield."

Psalm 6:4 --- "Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of Your steadfast love."

30-day Jesus Day 4: The Funk

2011-03-01T01:24:00.005-05:00

Well, the 30 days of devotions right in a row is out! Sheesh! I have proven that I am the most undisciplined person in the world ... and now, the whole world can see it! Haha! Oh, well. I'll keep bloggin' the 30-day Jesus ... it just, obviously, won't be 30 days straight.

I was talking to my youth group kids, tonight, about ... yep, you guessed it ... my journey concerning an eternal perspective. And sharing it with them made me wanna share it with you.

At the beginning of the year, I posted about my goal to further gain an eternal perspective. And like I told my SoZo-ers, I am amazed at God ... because when we ask Him to teach us things ... HE DOES! Ha! Not very profound, I know. But a really awesome concept when you think about it. ... The GOD of the UNIVERSE cares enough about ME to TEACH me things!!! Wow!!! And ever since I asked Him to teach me more about this thing called an eternal perspective, He has. :) Lately, He's been bringing lessons in the form of The Faith Dare. So I must share again ... from this great book.

The last couple of chapters have talked about "getting out of the funks of life" and "overcoming our circumstances." Good, right?
The first part - The F.U.N.K. - talked about the definition of "funk" and gave an acronym for it. Really good stuff.
Funk - "a cowering fear or a dejected mood." Did you know that is the definition of "funk"? 'Cause I sure didn't.
The second part - the acronym for "funk" - is this ...
F - a problem with our FOCUS; a time when our FEELINGS prevail
U - UNDER the circumstances, UNDER the condition, UNDER the weather
N - NEEDY or NOT thankful
K - KEEPING the fire of the funk burning by tending to it, KEEPING it alive

If you really stop and think about this acronym, you will be amazed at how right it is. Man, the funks of life (our bad moods and even the things we fear) always start with getting our focus off Christ. Hebrews 12:2-3 says, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the Cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him, who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Jesus DESERVES our attention ... our FULL attention. He does not ever want us to take our eyes off of Him. In other words, He always wants us to maintain an eternal perspective. And if we remember what Jesus went through to give us our very lives and the right perspective in the first place, we will have the right focus; we will not be weighed down by our circumstances.
Secondly, when I get stuck under my circumstances, I tend to stay under them. I let myself dwell on the difficult and frustrating times. And usually, these trying times come from an ungrateful heart towards God. ... Bummer.

If we will hang on to the promises of God, though, we will not fall into the funks of life so often. Check these out ...
~ Psalm 142:1-3
"I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out my complaint before Him; before Him, I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint with in me, it is You who know my way."
~ John 16:33
"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."
~ Romans 12:21
"Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good."
~ 1 John 5:4
"For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith."

Wow. What goodness and grace from God.
Oh, to learn this lesson! If we would strive to get out of our funks instead of wallowing in them ... if we would be thankful and not needy ... if we would get out from under our circumstances ... if we would keep our perspective in the right place ... we would so honor God.
Help us, Lord Jesus ... to let go of ourselves and live for You! :)

30-day Jesus Day 3: I am of Great Value to God

2011-02-16T23:01:00.003-05:00

So much for 30 days of devos ... wow. I've missed, what? 3 days? Ha!

Last night was a rough night.
I found out that the payroll company didn't withhold enough taxes last year, so I owe the government $700. Yeah ... lame.
Well, that's a bummer but not the end of the world.
But it still put me in a funk ... a big one.
"Stupid money" turned into "I don't have $700, nor will I have $700 by Tax Day" ... which turned into "I don't make enough money" ... which turned into "Well, if I'd only passed the Praxis, I'd be a teacher, and I'd be making some money, saving it back, and able to pay this stupid $700 without a problem." And then this one took a turn for the really bad. "I failed the Praxis so many times." "I failed." ...... "I'm a failure." "I am a screw up." "I. Am. Worthless."

Yeah. Big one. I told you.
Oh my gosh. I don't know how the mind does this ... takes something so silly waaayyyy too far!
Oh, man. It was awful. I cried for more than an hour, wallowing in my "worthlessness." ... I was feeling it bad. For a while, I really believed that I was worthless. And in feeling worthless, I felt ashamed for feeling worthless, which made me feel even worse.

I kept thinking over and over again ... what is the deal? Why do I feel this way? Man, this is bad. But I discovered something about myself ... something I don't like. The core of any of my "depths of despair" days is believing lies from Satan. I know it is a lie, but far too often, I fall for it. On a fairly regular basis, I believe that I am worthless. I think that is the root of my insecurities ... I believe that I am a screw up, a failure, a worthless person.

Can you believe that? I'm having trouble believing it ... 'cause I'm a child of God. I AM VALUABLE TO HIM!!! And of GREAT value, at that! So how can I believe that I am worthless ... that I'm not enough? .... Somehow, I have based my value on my own performance. And I guess that doesn't seem too far-fetched ... perhaps a lot of people do it ... but me? How could it be me? I'm supposed to have it together? ... Ha! See!!!! Oh my gosh!

Ya see ... I have tricked myself into thinking that I SHOULD be perfect ... that I CAN be! What??? .... Only Jesus is perfect. So what is my problem? My problem is I'm listening to the Devil's lies ... I'm believing them. I'm believing them. And believing the lies has been holding me in a state of fear. Fear of messing up ... fear of disappointing someone ... fear of not reaching my own standards. It's totally ridiculous.

... So after my crazy pity party, I finally grabbed my devotional book and my Bible. And guess what my next chapter was about? Living in the Miracle of WHO I AM!!!" ... And here is the prayer that came out of it ....

"Lord, here I am wallowing in my despair, feeling more worthless than perhaps I've ever felt ... feeling like a failure ... why me? And you bring this devotion to me. You remind me that you made me on purpose, that you have a plan for me, that you are God. How easily I lose your perspective! Oh, Jesus, I need your help. Please keep me from feeling worthless. Remind me that you CHOSE me, you've CALLED me, and you LOVE me. Please continue showing me what to do. Give me clear direction, and give me a peace that passes all understanding. Keep me, Lord. Sustain me. I need you. And please, God, be glorified in my life."

So it's gonna be a process ... coming out of fear and despair and feelings of failure often take a while. But I'm gonna work at not believing Satan's lies and work at seeing myself the way God sees me. ... Hey, there's that eternal perspective again! Man, it is a difficult thing to learn and around every corner!

I am of great value to God.

30-day Jesus Day 2: Freedom

2011-02-12T23:30:00.004-05:00

Day 2 ... rock it!!! :)

On Monday nights, I hang out with a handful of my teenagers at Senior High Bible Study. I've raved about how great Andy is doing with it before ... and he really is doing an incredible job! This past Monday night, we took a look at Galatians chapter 5 and thought on the concept of "freedom." It was a great discussion, and everyone gleaned some great stuff from the passage.

Tonight, I took a look at this passage again for my devotions. I want to share my thoughts about Galatians 5 with you ...
Andy's question for us: "What does Galatians 5 tell us about freedom, about ourselves, about Christ, and about Christians?"

~ FREEDOM: It's not easy! The only way to truly live in freedom is to submit to God. Only when we give up our own desires, can we really walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-17).
~ OURSELVES (ME): We shouldn't get too caught up in rules; but instead, we should share, live, and be faith to a world that hurts in effort to please God (Galatians 5:6). When we walk in freedom, good things come out of our lives - the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
~ CHRIST: Only He can free us from our sin (Galatians 5:1).
~ CHRISTIANS: We can't think that freedom means we can do anything we want, and so, sin. No! We must use our freedom (otherwise known as our ability to overcome sin) to serve others and honor God in all we do (Galatians 5:13).

Good stuff, isn't it??? I pulled all of these ideas out of our Bible study on Monday. Wow! Thank you, Lord, for our FREEDOM!!!

30-day Jesus Day 1: A New Attitude

2011-02-11T12:17:00.002-05:00

The Faith Dare: Day 16
A New Attitude

I think it was sometime over the summer that I started this book, The Faith Dare. Sheesh. That's ridiculous, isn't it? I'm only have way through the book, and it's stinkin' February!!! Ha! That's so Mical. ... The Faith Dare is a great devotional book that I've worked through from time to time. I'm pretty A.D.D., so I can't stick with one thing for too long. But Day 16 of this book is my Day 1 of my Jesus journey.

A new attitude ... about trials.
Did you know that our trials are yet another area of our lives in which we need to have an eternal perspective? Yes, in our difficult times, we need to see God's bigger picture. He's always at work. Aren't you glad? And there are (at least) three reasons to see trials in light of eternity.

#1 - God preserves and fulfills us through trials.
For proof, check out Psalm 138 and specifically verse 8 ... "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of Your hands."
#2 - God conforms us to His image through trials.
Romans 8:28-29 ... "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers."
#3 - God disciplines us (allows us to go through trials) to make us holy.
Read Hebrews 12:1-11 for this one and specifically verse 10 ... "For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness."

James 1:2-4
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Whenever life is hard, God has a plan. I will look to God and count each circumstance a gift.
- Debbie Alsdorf ... The Faith Dare

30-day Jesus :)

2011-02-10T22:58:00.003-05:00

It seems like everyone and their second cousin is starting a blog project, so why not me?

Tomorrow starts a 30-day journey into getting my relationship with Jesus back!!! I thought I'd blog about it to keep me accountable. :) I need to get back into the habit of spending quality time with Jesus every single day. This is shameful ... but it's been almost a year since I was consistent in my prayer and devotions (everyday consistent, that is). Boo. That is awful. So I'm gonna try to get back to my Jesus times.

It's called "30-day Jesus" ... and it starts tomorrow A.M. :)

Been cooped up in the house for toooo long ....

2011-02-02T19:06:00.002-05:00

So this is the third night that I've been cooped up at home because of the crazy snow. I was gonna brave the weather to go dancin' tonight, but Arthur Murray called, and they closed for the day. Sadness. In my desperation, I thought "hey, why not do one of those long, obnoxious quizzes that no one reads?" So here it is. Hopefully, I'll be able to get out of the house tomorrow so that I won't have to do a second one of these! ;)

“Getting to Know You … Getting to Know all about You”

• What is your name? --- Mical Lynn Masterson
• How old are you? --- 23 … and my birthday is one month and 4 days away!
• When is your birthday? --- March 6, 1987
• Where do you live? --- The best little town in the world!
• Do you have siblings? --- One younger brother, Wes – exactly 2 years younger – we have the same birthday!
• What is your favorite food? --- Potatoes – mashed, fried, baked – yum!
• What is your favorite drink? --- Sweet tea! Nothing else comes close.
• What is your favorite color? --- To be generic – blue. To be really specific – ya know those days when it’s just a little cloudy and the sky is a deep blue? Yes, that color!

• Who is your best friend? --- Well, I have five best friends – Emily, Hannah, Mags, Shelley, and Ben
• What is your favorite book? --- My Bible – I have gleaned and grown and been challenged more from that book than any other in my life! After that? It’s hard to say … I like Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow, Having a Mary Spirit by Joanna Weaver, Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot, really any book by Eric and Leslie Ludy and Joshua Harris, and The Twilight Saga.
• Who is your favorite actor? --- Oooo! Robert Downey Jr. without a doubt! Mmm mmm! God did a good job!!!!!!

• What is the best thing that has ever happened to you? --- Can I name a few? Sheesh, how can I narrow it down to one?? … My salvation and God’s constant work in my life – for sure! … Dancing at Arthur Murray every night of the week! … SoZo youth ministry (both now and when Pastor Mike and Shelley were there) … Working at the IUPUI Writing Center – it definitely played a role in shaping who I am by giving me more confidence and showing me that I CAN teach and help others … Coming home from Taylor after my freshman year of college – I wouldn’t be where I am today if I had stayed there … having incredible friends like Emily, Hannah, Maggie, Shelley, Ben, and so many others.
• What is the most embarrassing moment of your life? --- I’m sure I could think of something better if I thought long and hard, but I’m gonna go with this one – I hate board games. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I never feel as stupid as when I play board games with friends … everyone always knows it’s me when they have to guess who wrote what down; I’m not witty or “quick” … I just feel stupid … and really embarrassed.

• What is your biggest regret in life? --- In 6th grade, I was in Caravan class with Becky Daily on Wednesday nights … and I was a huge brat! I thought she treated us older kids like babies, so I acted like a big jerk every week – crossing my arms and scowling, not listening, letting everyone know that I didn’t want to be there, and I even sat in the Wednesday night service instead of participating with the other kids. It may not sound like that big of a deal … but I will always remember how rude I was, how ungrateful I was, and what a BAD example I was.
• What career do you plan to pursue? --- hahahahahaha! This question is hilarious! Well, I’m pursuing lots of things it feels like. I went to school for teaching, couldn’t pass a test, and graduated with and English degree. Since then, I’ve been working various part-time jobs, trying to figure out what’s next – writing tutor, after school program, youth ministry. If I could BE anything in the world, it would be this (hahaha!): A school teacher, homeschool mom, wife of a youth pastor, dancer, follower of Jesus!

• If you had one word to describe yourself , what would it be? --- STRIVING
• Which is your favorite dessert? --- My mom’s double chocolate chip brownies, my mom’s cheesecake, my mom’s strawberry rhubarb pie, my Aunt Alice’s cheese pie, my Shelley's chocolate caramel cake, and ice cream!
• Which is your dream car? --- Blue Ford Focus – I learned to drive in one, and I absolutely loved it! Although, I am more than content with my Buick Century.
• If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would it be? --- New Zealand – hands down! Ever since I saw Lord of the Rings, I’ve wanted to go hiking through that incredible place!!!
• What is your favorite past time? --- Dancing, fo sho!!!! I am totally in love with ballroom dancing … especially, the Tango and the Waltz!
• What's your favorite midnight snack? --- Honey Nut Cheerios or Lucky Charms, if we ever had ‘em in the house. … But probably chips and cheese or an Asiago cheese bagel with lots of cream cheese!
• What’s your favorite junk food? --- Nacho Cheese Doritos, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream, popcorn, and Oreos!
• What is the one food that you would never give up? --- The one food – potatoes. The one drink – sweet tea!

• What's your favorite movie? --- Again, how can I narrow it down to only one? … Romantic comedies are always my first choice in movies – Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Letters to Juliet, While You Were Sleeping, The Inheritance, When in Rome, etc. But I like all kinds of movies – The Twilight Saga, Mulan, Monsters Inc., The Kid, Iron Man, Anne of Green Gables … I could probably go on forever.
• Do you like to sing in the shower? --- Occasionally, I’ll sing in the shower … but mostly not. I sing a lot in the car though.
• What is your weirdest quirk? --- Although I’ve gotten a lot better, I’m afraid of being touched to some degree.
• Your favorite sundae topping? --- Hot fudge!
• What crazy things do you dream of trying someday? --- Learning to ride a horse, writing a book, homeschooling my kids … 'cause all of those are crazy!
• Do you believe in extraterrestrials and life on other planets? --- Umm, no.

• Where do you see yourself in the next five years? --- Hmm … 5 years from now … I will be almost 29 years old. My dream is to be married, starting a family, working in youth ministry alongside my husband, going out dancing with him every week. But I’ll be a little more realistic … unless God changes a lot of things … I’ll be either working as a youth pastor WITH a theology/Bible degree OR I will be a teacher in a public school, living away from home, dancing every night, and loving life!!!
• What is your goal in life? --- To gain an eternal perspective, to work with teenagers every day of my life, and to dance my heart out!
• What have been the most important decisions in your life? --- Not dating till I’m ready to get married, going away to college, coming home from Taylor to stay at home and go to IUPUI, dating/not dating a few particular guys in my life, becoming a youth pastor at Calvary, giving up on the Praxis (for a time, at least), and a possible decision in the near future – to go for a theology degree or not.
• What experiences have marked you the most? --- Failing the Praxis over and over again, broken relationships with James, working in the IUPUI Writing Center, and working with the youth at Calvary.

• If there is one thing that you could change from the past, what would that be? --- My attitude during my later elementary years … I was just falling back into sin habits from before I got saved – not pretty.
• Are you a night owl or a morning person? --- Whew! I hate getting up early!!! I would sleep in till 11am every morning for the rest of my life, if I could.
• What is the one physical feature that you get complimented on most often? --- My hair
• What are the 5 most important things in your life? --- Jesus, Friends/Family, Church, Teenagers, and Dance ... in that order. :)
• What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you? --- Well, I don’t know if this counts a funny – it wasn’t at the time – but it sure is now! I ran my car into a flooded road, and it drowned.
• What is your one achievement that makes you the most proud? --- I AM A YOUTH PASTOR!!!!! What?? Never thought that could happen to me. Crazy stuff. And also, dance ... I've come very far in a short time, and I'm quite proud of my dedication and progress. :)
• What three things would you take with you to an island? --- My Bible, my favorite blanket, and as much sweet tea as I could carry!!!

I'm Not Enough, yet He Completes Me

2011-02-01T20:30:00.003-05:00

Did you know that when you spend time with the Lord, He speaks to you?
Profound, I know. ;) And it's true. ... Sometimes, I forget that though. I'm trying to get back into a healthy relationship with the Lord ... 'cause our relationship has been pretty distant for the past year - 'cause I haven't been spending much time with Him. ... And furthermore, did you know that if you ask God to reveal Himself to you in new ways (gaining an eternal perspective, for example ;)), He will? ... Yep, both questions sound so simple, but oh, how I forget them - oh, how I forget to ask these questions of myself, how often I make them difficult ideas. Do you?

The past couple of days ... in my devotions ...
I'm not enough.
He completes me.
When we grasp these ideas, we get yet another step closer to gaining an eternal perspective.

I'm not enough ...
If I viewed myself differently, would I live a different kind of life?
~ If I chased away my insecurities instead of dwelling on them ....
~ If I thanked God for my abilities and personality traits and asked Him to grow me in the immature areas of my life ....
~ If I replaced the negative thoughts I have about myself with positive ones ....

.... then I would be a more adventurous, more upbeat, more content person because I would have learned to see these things the way God sees them (EP!) ... Or let's put it in present tense --- If I view myself differently, then I will begin to take risks, always look at the positive things, and never bum out about where I'm at in life. Cool, huh?

He completes me ...
Anything I am is what God made me to be.
Therefore, I shouldn't get caught up in my insecurities because insecurities come from a mind that believes it is something on its own. In reality, God is the only one who makes us something. So if my security is solely based on Christ Jesus and His sacrifice on the Cross, then when my mind is focused on this life-perspective, my insecurities can't bog me down.

God always works in us. Praise be to Him!
Do you have a lesson you want to learn? Do you want to see God in a new way?
Ask Him to teach you ... 'cause He WILL.

Not Shaken ... But Faithful ... And Persistent

2011-01-21T00:01:00.003-05:00

God's been at work in me for some time now. And so faithfully too. I've been really slacking off in my prayer and devotions life. Ugh! I hate spiritual ruts! But God, in all His mighty grace, is still speaking and still working. Thank you, Jesus!

In the reading of the Word that I HAVE been doing, God is pulling a few different verses together - a few different thoughts that can all be pointed back to ... yep, you guessed it ... an ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE. :)

Psalm 16:8 - "I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."

Luke 16:10 - "One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much ..."

The Parable of the Persistent Widow - Luke 18:1-8 ... specifically, verses 7 and 8 - "And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will He delay long over them? I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily ..."

Good stuff, huh? :)
It IS good stuff! And each verse targets a different struggle/situation in my life.
~ For a while now, I've struggled with accepting who I am. I have a hard time focusing on my good qualities most of the time, and it's pretty easy for me to think on my flaws. I'm also a worrier. I struggle to trust God a lot of the time. I worry that I'll make mistakes, not be accepted by others, not live up to my too-high standards. So being reminded that I will not be shaken - I will not fall; I can not be condemned; I am valuable to God - helps me keep my fears and worries and insecurities in the right perspective - the ETERNAL one. :)
~ I've never been a person with lots of self-control. I love to eat - and eat whatever I want ... and drink as much sweet tea as I want. I'm a procrastinator - especially when it comes to school work, preparing lessons/games for my jobs, and getting to my prayer and devotions each day (if I get to them at all, these days ... gosh!). I don't budget my time or my money very well at all. If it were up to me, I'd sleep in till 11am everyday, watch movies for the rest of the day, and spend all my money on going to movies, buying music, eating out .... wow. This is brutal ... getting really honest with myself. Ewww.
So being reminded that I must be faithful in the small things pushes me to remember that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit and therefore, eternal, and I must work to improve the fruit I bear.
~ I've been feeling God move in my heart concerning His calling for me over the past year. The Praxis was a bust ... and although, I'm not giving up forever, I'd like to take a break from even thinking about the silly thing, much less take it again. And in the midst of my break from the Praxis, God's been stirring youth ministry in my heart. I'd like to go back to school for a Bible/theology degree, but so many things go into that ... money (and lots of it!); questions like, "do I REALLY wanna give up on the Praxis right now, or should I try again?"; "what about the fact that I'm ALREADY working in youth ministry?"; "what if I make a mistake - read God's call the wrong way and mess everything up?"; leaving home; SoZo; going back to school - bluck, I don't want to; etc. ... And so, I have been, am, and must continue to seek God through it all.
So the persistent widow reminds me not to give up praying about God's call for my life. Whether I hear the answer I want to hear or the one I don't want to hear ... whether the answer comes clearly or fuzzy ... whether the answer comes soon or I must continue to wait ... I must CONTINUE praying. I must continue seeking God and TRUSTING that HE is sovereign.

Oh, how great it is to hold on to the promises, lessons, and convictions of the Word of God. Lord, don't let me falter in seeking Your face.

My Dance Instructor :)

2011-01-13T23:50:00.003-05:00

God's grace. It's always at work.

I've been struggling with where I'm at in my life these days ... not doing what I thought I'd be doing; my heart's not in SoZo right now; after school's not my favorite place to be ... in short, I've not been keeping an eternal perspective - even though that's the goal. And when our eyes get off Jesus, we tend to be discontent. But I'm also restless. Been feeling God at work in me for quite sometime - He's getting ready to move me ... somewhere, for something big - just trying to pinpoint exactly what it is. So I've been battling some up and down emotions for the past month or so.

I walked in to the dance studio tonight down, but I left more up than I've been in a long time. Randy is my dance instructor, and he is amazing. He really helped me tonight, with so much more than dance. We danced, and we talked about dance, sure ... but oh, the conversation! I think it all started when he asked me about my frustrations with dance, but that turned into my fears about life, which turned into me spilling some struggles I've been trying to deal with for quite some time, which turned into some great advice, which turned into another eternal perspective realization.

Randy helped me realize that an eternal perspective can be used with the snap of the finger ... For example, when I find myself thinking negative thoughts, any thought that is dragging me down and putting me into a funk, I need to change what I'm thinking about. An eternal perspective can be changed in a second if I replace the negative thought with a positive one. "For every negative thought, think of three positive ones," Randy told me. And he's right. He reminded me that I had so much to be thankful for. And with his advice, and his digging around to help me draw out my fears and frustrations, he has helped me think further on this eternal perspective thing. ... And what a blessing the whole conversation was. I came away so encouraged and even more impressed with the person Randy is. He is a gift from God! ... I was telling my mom tonight that dancing is simply a PERK ... that the real privilege of being apart of the dance studio is knowing and talking to and getting hugs and encouragement from Randy every day. Thank you, Lord, for Randy Rud. :)

The Inspirationals :)

2011-01-09T23:51:00.006-05:00

Today on Facebook, I discovered a blank you can fill in that I've never seen before: Who inspires you? I tried to fill it out, but it won't let me publish it. I must have to pick someone lame, like a famous person or something. And I don't want to do that ... 'cause not many, if any, famous people inspire me ... only people I know and love. But yeah ... it wouldn't let me post it, so I'll post it here instead. :)

People who inspire me ...

Ben Nilsen - for his spiritual depth and unfailing devotion to the Lord.

Sara-Ruth Riggs - for her passion for life, people, and Jesus and compassion for the world.

Andy Schnur - for his faithfulness, leadership, friendship, and love for God.

Wes Masterson - for his positive perspective of life and desire to see the world come to know Jesus as Lord.

What a gift from God to have these people in my life!

Glorying in Christ

2011-01-09T23:10:00.004-05:00

Tonight, for SoZo, we looked at Philippians chapter 3.

Philippians 3:3 says, "For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh."

We took a closer look at each part of this verse, and my favorite part is part 3: "glory in Christ Jesus."
What does it mean to "glory in Christ?"

I took a look at a commentary by somebody Ironside ... it was on Pastor's shelf in his office. Why not? :) Glorying in the Lord is boasting in the Lord. Well, what does it mean to "boast in Christ?" So I took a stab at it ... glorying in Jesus is boasting in and about Him ... it's realizing that we are NOTHING without Him and living in light of that understanding - living humble, thankful, and servant-filled lives.
To take this a step further, glorying in God is always striving to keep an ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE. Eternal Perspective - living humbly and in thankfulness, asking how we can honor God in every situation, realizing that nothing on this earth compares to knowing and living for Christ, and living in light of eternity. My SoZo kids are probably nearly insane from all my references to EP during youth group, but maybe that'll make it "set in" in their minds too. ;)

I'm so excited that this eternal perspective is beginning to set in. I can't do much these days without thinking "eternal perspective" ... "okay, I'm upset when I need to have an eternal perspective in this situation" ... "breath. Where's your eternal perspective?" .... Okay, so I don't always think this. But I think it often. So I'm excited about that ... and I'm excited to keep trying - not only in "thinking EP" but putting it into practice - actually HAVING an eternal perspective in those specific instances. It's a process, that's for sure.
Continuing on .... :)

The 2010 Recap

2011-01-01T23:26:00.004-05:00

Alright. Well, I have orders, from my bosom buddy, to get blogging again. So here, I try. :)

Day one of 2011. Isn't it nuts how fast life goes? Older folks always tell me that life gets faster as you get older ... and that blows my mind 'cause my life is already zooming by! ... In effort to not forget this past fast year, Emily, I loved your idea to recap your 2010, so I'm gonna do the same.

In all its hurry, my 2010 is already gone, 'tis true ... but some great stuff came out of it too!

~ At the beginning, I set out on a journey through God's grace. What a journey it was! I was incredibly blessed to really focus on God's grace ... just glimpses of it. I learned that a hug from one of my after school kids and a conversation with one of my SoZo kids and rain and song lyrics and a day spent watching movies on the couch were all glimpses of God's grace at work in my life. How incredible, to know and experience a (THE) God who loves His children so much that He lavishes His grace on them in both big and small ways. I will never forget this year's grace. :)

~ I finished working in the writing center at IUPUI and continued working with the SoZo-ers and started my job at the after school program in Danville .....

*Writing Center - I said goodbye to some really great people and tutors ... and the campus on which I spent 3 1/2 years of my life trudging back and forth to classes, feeling lonely and even, uncomfortable, with all the secular vibes.
*SoZo - I continued to grow in my leadership position ... slowly started overcoming insecurities in youth ministry (although I've still got a long way to go!) ... grew to love the teenagers even more ... and developed a friend in Andy - he's not just one of my kids; he's my friend and a huge encouragement to me.
*After school - whew! That's been a trial! 15-20 crazy 5 and 6 year olds all to myself everyday after school. They are beyond a handful ... and I lose my patience far too often. But I've tried to be consistent in apologizing to the kids, starting over the next day ... and I'm doing something right 'cause I get bombarded with hugs when I walk in everyday. :) And I can find something that I like about each one of my "little crazies," and I've had a few chances to instill godly ideals and even outright talk to them about Jesus ... so God knew what He was doing when He provided this job. It's been pretty crazy there ... but I'm looking forward to trying again this year.

~ I started taking dance lessons!!!! And they have been totally amazing!!! I've been learning so much ... and doing so well. I've found one of the greatest passions of my life in DANCE. I'm good at it! I love it! I'm enjoying it more than anything I've ever done in my whole life! And there's so much more dancing to come! :)

~ And probably the greatest part of 2010 is that I got to see the FAITHFULNESS OF GOD at work in my life. 2010 was the worst year of my spiritual life ... in that ... I struggled to desire God and His Word and prayer more in this past year of my life than in all of my other "following God" years! I strived and strived and strived. And striving may sound good ... but I don't think it was ... or at least I hated it! The definition of striving is "to exert serious effort; to struggle in opposition." And that's what I did almost all year. It was such a struggle ... almost like an invisible wall was standing in opposition against me ... keeping me from WANTING God and His ways. I just got so sick of it all ... not even wanting TO WANT Jesus! Blah. But anyways ... God, in all His mighty grace and faithfulness and love for me, never stopped working. He never stopped tugging at my heart or let me go. He's been stirring hopes and dreams in me, confirming things in me, exciting things in me ... pushing me to dwell on gaining an eternal perspective ... and I've just been so thankful.

So now ... for 2011 and beyond ... I am dedicating my life to working at this thing that I harp on all the time - GAINING AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE. And I bet that part of the eternal perspective has to do with not letting the "hurry" of life be couch time and neglecting my Bible. Ha! Of course it isn't! An eternal perspective can only come from putting more of Jesus into my life ... or rather ... making Jesus my life! And that's what an eternal perspective is all about ... JESUS. Thinking like Him, being like Him, living for Him. So here's to JESUS in 2011. :):):)

The Eternal Perspective Adventure Begins ...

2010-12-06T00:25:00.004-05:00

I've decided to write a book!

This is a fairly abrupt decision, so we'll see if I really follow through with it. But I've put "write a book" on my bucket list. And as I think more and more about this idea of an eternal perspective, not only do I WANT ONE(!!!), but I also want to WRITE about it! I want to keep track of how God is at work in me concerning this HUGE lesson of gaining an eternal perspective.

I spent a day, earlier this year, sitting on the beach of the most southern tip of Lake Michigan, reading my Bible and going through a devotional book, when the book asked me to write a "life statement." As I hashed out several ideas surrounding the scripture "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2)," I decided that my life goal is to one day learn to consistently see the world and everything that goes on in it with God's eyes. A pretty attainable goal, right? I'm not asking for too much, am I? ;) Hahaha! Riiigghhhhtt! ... Haha! But I sure do want to try. I want my entire life to be one big constant lesson - I want my life to be all about Jesus first of all ... but within HIM, I want my whole existence to be about honoring Him with an eternal perspective.

And what an adventure it will be ... especially, when we think about the definition of "adventure." I looked it up, and Webster defines adventure as ... "a bold undertaking, in which hazards are to be encountered and the issue is staked upon unforeseen events; a remarkable occurrence in one's personal history; a stirring experience." ... That's EXACTLY what a thriving relationship with God and His perspective are!!! It is stinkin' DIFFICULT to live for Jesus and to see everything the way He does. We must be willing to deny ourselves and lay down our desires, our needs, and our very LIVES in following hard and daily and completely after Him! Nothing we do can be seen or known ahead of time. We have to step out in faith, with the eyes of Christ, expecting hardships but realizing the joy that comes from them. And finally, we will undergo the most fulfilling experiences of our lives as a result.

So 2011 and beyond ... here I come!
A day by day adventure into the eternal perspective I long for!

EP 2011

2010-12-06T00:00:00.003-05:00

I'm back! And with a new adventure!!!

It sure won't be a blog project for every day of the year ... ha! What a flop that was! At least the "every single day" part. I'm excited to get bloggin' again though! .... I really want to spice up my life somehow ... and specifically, my walk with the Lord. I've been in a real rut for several months. Just living for myself. Not doing anything "too bad" ... but just not reading my Bible, not praying, not doing much with God at all, really. Well, hmm ... I've been a Sunday Christian for a while. Bluck! And it's been awful!!! I've been incredibly impatient with my after school kids, slacking with SoZo preparations, reading my Bible only 2 or 3 times a week, falling into sins that I disgust ... just been out of step for a long time.

AND I'M SICK OF IT!!!!!
So I'm trying again. I'm working to read my Bible and talk with God every single day. That's where it all starts. Once I begin to really nurture my relationship with Jesus, everything else will start to fall into place.
So now ... how do I begin again?
I want an adventure. Something big! I'd love to travel to New Zealand or rent a cabin by one of the Great Lakes or take a cross-country road trip. But the funds are very low ... especially after my dance lessons. So I guess I'll start there. Dancing is really adding some spice to my life! Especially the TANGO, the MAMBO, the RUMBA, and the CHA CHA! :)
Adventure #1 - dance, dance, dance!!!
How do I make the rest of my life an adventure?
After school ... hmm ... I could blog about each of my kids. Pay more attention to what I like about each one of them. Work on being patient with them ... now, that's an adventure!!! ;)
SoZo ... I could work on trusting God with my position in the youth group, at Calvary, in my life!! Accepting and really getting excited about where God has me.
Hey! I have a phrase for these "adventures." ... ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE (EP)!
Ooo, yes!!! My life goal. My journey. My adventure!!! :)
So ... I'm almost a month early, but I want 2011 to be my first year of the ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE ADVENTURE!

The Final GoG ... a couple months early

2010-11-21T16:17:00.003-05:00

Well, I am beyond behind with my GoGs once again. I don't think I kept up with 'em for more than a week straight this year. Sheesh. And although the year isn't over yet, I've decided to end my glimpses of grace project early. So, let me post one last GoG to finish out the year ....

I may not have posted something every single day, but I sure did get a lot out of this project. God's grace is such an amazing thing! So much more awesome than we really understand. Without it, we'd all be destined for HELL. So praise You, Jesus, for Your MIGHTY and AWESOME and NEVER-ENDING GRACE in our lives!!! ... Grace is beyond awesome ... and it was such a joy and a wonder to find glimpses of God's grace in the ordinary things of life ... the simple things. And the project has helped me see life in a whole new way. Just think ... grace starts with God giving us another day ... simply waking up to our alarm clock everyday is GRACE. And each of us can find grace in really everything we do and experience. Let me challenge you, as I will challenge myself, to never let a day go by without finding grace in at least one part of your day ... and then thank God for it. Heck, you could even blog about it!

And let me leave you with an amazing passage all about God's grace - it's probably in my top ten favorite passages in all of scripture. Read it. Dwell on it. Let it change you.

Titus 3:3-8
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His GRACE, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

It'll Be (more than) Alright! (Posted once before, but SO good!)

2010-10-18T01:57:00.001-04:00

Wow. I'm ready to give up.

Have you ever felt that way? Ever felt like life is just too much sometimes? Like you want to pull your hair out and burn all your school books and skip all your classes and ditch all your jobs and forget about all of your commitments and throw a temper tantrum and cry till your heart hurts worse than it already does and laugh at all of your "problems" and "pains" and dig yourself a hole and never come out? Yeah ... me neither. ................ Ha ha ha ha!

Well, my mind feels like ALL of these things at the moment, but my heart is telling me to chill out and rest in God's peace. Ya know, if God wasn't so incredibly and entirely faithful, I WOULD have given up by now! Life is hard sometimes, isn't? Whether you've had all of your heart's deepest longings put on hold (yep, I'm saying put on hold, instead of lost - aren't you proud of me?!) or you have lost a loved one or you're battling depression or you're feeling hopeless or any other countless things that seem to go wrong in this life. There is hope! Hope in God's MIGHTY faithfulness! ... God has been pouring on His faithfulness ... pouring it into my life for so long! And I find myself griping and complaining - like tonight - I got home from a super long day at school and work and just spilled it all out for my mom to hear. I'm sure she was tired of listening long before half way through, but thank God she just listened ... and then said "it'll be alright." .... "It'll be alright." ... Those are such simple words, but don't you want to hear that every now and then? ... I do!

Tonight, I want to shout out a message of God's faithfulness to you AND TO ME! IT'LL BE ALRIGHT! ... Actually, it'll be MORE than alright! God promises that He will take care of us. And His EVERYDAY, NEVER-ENDING faithfulness reveals that He DOES take care of us - each and every day - each and every moment - with each and every breath of our lives. Some verses that God's been using in my life lately to reveal and instill His faithfulness are the following. Read these now. Read these later. Soak 'em up! For they are LIFE to your whole self!!!!

Psalm 73:25-26 --- "Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but GOD is the STRENGTH of my heart and my PORTION FOREVER!"

Psalm 62:7 --- "My salvation and my honor DEPEND on GOD; He is MY MIGHTY ROCK, MY REFUGE!"

Psalm 32:8 & 32:10b --- "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. ... but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him."

Proverbs 19:21 --- "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

Proverbs 3:5-6 --- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Jeremiah 17:7-8 --- "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

Jeremiah 29:11 --- "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 --- "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being RENEWED day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an ETERNAL GLORY that far outweighs them all. So we FIX OUR EYES not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is TEMPORARY, but what is unseen is ETERNAL."

I am writing this MORE as a comfort to myself! But ya'll might need some of this stuff too! :)

Keep trusting Jesus, Mical! Keep seeking Him and loving Him, Mical! Keep your eyes FIXED on Him, Mical! Keep at it, Mical! It'll be (MORE than) alright, Mical!

GoG 286: The Mical Who Thinks She's Funny ...

2010-10-14T23:25:00.004-04:00

Ya know those people who start telling a joke or something they think is funny but start laughing before they finish?

Umm ... yeah. I'm one of 'em.

Tonight, my parents and I were getting some dessert from The Porch ... we were sitting at the table, chatting about my mom's work day and my dad and I's dinner at McAlister's. At one point, I started to say something that I thought was funny. But as soon as the first word came out, I started laughing .... pretty hard. I could barely stop. And of course, my parents started laughing too. Probably thinking "what the heck? You didn't even finish ... you didn't even start, for that matter!" But I just got goin' ... and I had a hard time stopping. Oh, it was so funny.

So the next time a friend of yours (probably me) starts a joke and can't finish because they're laughing too hard .... just laugh right along with 'em. The joke may not be funny by the time they get it out ... but believe me ... y'all will have a good laugh! ;)

GoG 285: The Hope in Rain :)

2010-10-13T20:54:00.002-04:00

Oh, the rain.
The rain was my glimpse of grace for today.
Although it was way too brief, it made me think of HOPE. My hope in Christ. The hope that I have for my future because I belong to God. The hope for cooler weather. The hope for God's grace in my everyday life. :)

Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on us :)

GoG 284: The Sprite

2010-10-12T18:43:00.002-04:00

Today's glimpse of grace ... yes, today! Can you believe it? Not last week ... not two months ago - TODAY. Today's glimpse of grace came in the form of a bottle of Sprite.

Miss Sandi, our awesome leader at after school, stopped by my room and gave me a Sprite. It was a gift ... in the midst of the craziness of the day. And it really meant a lot to me.

Oh, the simple things :)

GoG 283: The Patience Lesson

2010-10-12T13:09:00.004-04:00

On Sunday morning, we talked about the fruit of patience.
Isn't it amazing how easily patience leaves us?
Seriously, on our way to lunch (less than 2 hours after our lesson) I was impatient about traffic. Wow.

Well, yesterday at after school, I was being impatient with my kids. And on the way home, I remembered our lesson. Don'tcha love it when you remember lessons God is teaching you AFTER the fact? Haha! But at least I remembered it. The lesson concerning patience in which we need to see people the way God sees them - that way we can learn to be patient with them. So I am ready to try out my new patience perspective with my after school kidos today!

GoG 282: The Kindness Discussion at SoZo

2010-10-12T13:06:00.004-04:00

Mmm ... our discussion about kindness during SoZo on Sunday night. Man, it was good. We only had 3 youth there (that hasn't happened in probably 2 years or more!), so our discussion was probably even a little better than if everyone had been there. I learned a bit ... that the kindness level of our group isn't very high .... that lots of things go on under the radar that I don't know about .... that I need to be more assertive. It was a great meeting ... very productive, and I think we'll be able to work on the kindness level of our youth group now that we know some of the issues.

GoG 281: The Day in E-ville with Wes :)

2010-10-12T12:54:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, I drove to the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville to see my brother for the day. He left for college around the 20th of August, and he hadn't been home since. And he's not planning to come home until Thanksgiving break. Blah. I'm excited for him ... enjoying the college life, being popular, living for the Lord, loving life. But I'm sad that he's gotta be 3 hours away to do all of that. So it was really great to see him on Saturday.

He said, more than twice, that he was glad to see him ... that he was glad I was there. And that, of course, made my day. The two of us and his roommate, Luke, went to Red Robin for lunch - I bought Wes his lunch - and then we went to the mall ... where Wes talked to every salesperson in the place. After the mall, we headed back to Wes' apartment, he changed his shirt into the one he just bought, and we headed to campus, where he showed me every building he's ever been in. Haha! He made us some chicken alfredo for dinner ... we took a few pictures ... he gave me a hug, and I head home.
All in all, a very good day with the little brother :)

GoG 280: The Race in the Church Parking Lot

2010-10-12T12:50:00.002-04:00

Last Friday night's taco and movie night was a big success with SoZo. The kids ate ALL of the food I brought and still wanted more. They thought The Sandlot was hilarious. And we all spent a good chunk of time laughing at me for my good mood shinanigans. (When I'm in a good mood, I'm extra bubbly and ditsy and loud and weird.) We had a good time!

And afterwards, when almost everyone had gone home ... Andy, Gabe, Michael, and I were talking in the parking lot. And all of a sudden, Michael asks Andy, "Will you race me?" We were all taken off guard ... so of course, I start laughing. And then Andy and Michael race across the parking lot. Andy won. And then! Gabe wanted to race ME. I was reluctant because I might be the slowest runner on earth. But I finally gave in, and we raced. Of course, Gabe won. He even slowed down for me to give me a chance. It was quite humorous. We all laughed about it afterward.

GoG 279: The Drawing Project at After School

2010-10-12T12:44:00.004-04:00

At after school, I started a project with the kids in my group. Partially, because I need some semi-peace and quiet for a few minutes each day, but mostly, because I want to get their "juices" flowing, and I want to get to know them better. (I also got the idea from the movie Freedom Writers ... no, I'm not this cool all by myself - haha!)

We spent a couple days making books for our project. They decorated construction paper; we hole-punched the pages; and we tied the pages together with string. And everyday, for our craft, I have them write the date down on their papers, and I ask them a question. For example, "What is your favorite season? If you could have any pet in the world, what would it be?" And on and on. And each day, they draw a picture to answer that day's question. And then we take turns coming up to the front of the class and sharing our drawings. It's been quite successful in the midst of them being easily distracted. I'm excited about the project!

And last week, one of the boys - his name is Jaxson - drew something entirely precious to me. The question was "Who is someone you admire the most (look up to, think is really cool, etc. - they're 5 years old)?" And Jaxson picked ME! :) He said that I take care of them. And that's why he picked me for someone he admires. I nearly melted into a puddle. :)

GoG 278: The Dinner and a Movie with Liz and Jess :)

2010-10-12T12:41:00.003-04:00

Last Wednesday, I invited Elizabeth and Jessica over for dinner, and we watched a movie. We had a great time laughing at old stories, poking fun at the movie characters, and they laughed at me getting lost on my way to Jessica's house. It's such a privilege to work in youth ministry ... to hang out with cool teenagers like Liz and Jess. I love these girlies!

GoG 277: The Senior Night: Jon and Levi :)

2010-10-12T12:34:00.006-04:00

Last week, Jon and Levi had their senior night game for soccer. And just like Andy's senior night game, I was so excited to be there. I took pictures (not very good ones ... as you can see), cheered really loud, and was incredibly proud.
These are my guys we're talking about!!!! :)

GoG 276: The Compliment from Andy

2010-10-12T12:31:00.004-04:00

I've told you before that Andy is doing an incredible job with Sr. High Bible Study on Monday nights. And a week ago, we had yet another great night of discussion and getting into the Word.

And I found such grace in a compliment that Andy gave me in the middle of the discussion. I was answering a question that he put out there for us, and he kept probing me to get me to say more. At the end, I gave him a funny look, and he said (to me and the rest of the teens there), "Well, I was gonna see what she was gonna say because Mical usually has something good to say ... and she did."

Andy is in my youth group, but I definitely look up to him. He's one of the coolest, most godly guys ever. So a compliment coming from him is the best!

GoG 275: The Catchphrase Game

2010-10-12T12:24:00.003-04:00

Too much fun!
Thinking about what God is doing in my life each and every day is so much fun!
Thank you, Jesus, for your GRACE!!! :)

A week ago Sunday, we played the game Catchphrase at SoZo. If you don't know what this game is, let me tell you. It's pretty easy and tons of fun. You have a circular device that, when you push the button on it, a word or phrase comes up on its screen. For example, "motor boat" ... "ferris wheel" ... "pet" ... etc. Everyone sits in a circle, and your team sits every other person. We played guys against girls, so we were seated guy girl, guy girl. You push the button, and you have to get your team to guess what word or phrase is on the screen by describing the it without saying it or any part of the word. Once your team has guessed, you pass it to the person next to you (who is on the other team). There is a timer, and when the timer goes off, whoever is holding the device, loses, and the other team gets a point. It's really fun ... a lot easier than it sounds.

And we had a great time with that game. Sadly, the girls lost terribly both games. And the boys were making beeping noises and yelling totally hilarious and bogus guesses to throw the girls off. It was so much fun! And I found such grace in laughing with my kids. :)

GoG 274: The Football Game and GVB Concert :):):)

2010-10-12T12:19:00.002-04:00

On October 2, I played football with Adam and Jason and the gang. I'm probably the worst player out there, but they always ask me to play. I'm an extra body on the field. Well, Andy plays with us too. And he ended up being the quarterback for a while ... and he picked ME to be on his team!!! And he did it just to make my day! And it did!

Later that day, I traveled to Marion, IN, to Indiana Wesleyan, for a Gaither Vocal Band concert. Oh, man, it was good! And once more, I was seating 3 ROWS from the stage! It was so awesome!!!!

GoG 273: The Hi's from My Guys :)

2010-10-12T12:10:00.004-04:00

I went to the Danville Homecoming game for football a couple weeks ago. I think it's the second Danville football game I've been to since I graduated from high school. I had a lot of fun cheering for the team, visiting the alumni tent, running into one of my after school kids and her family. But the best part of the night was getting hi's from Jon and Levi.

I was walking to the alumni tent, after putting my nachos and hot dog down at my seat in the bleachers, when I heard a "hey, Mical!" I looked up, and Levi was standing with a couple of his friends ... one of 'em was on the football team.
Later, I was sitting in the bleachers, watching the game, when Levi and Jonathan walked by. Jon glanced up at the bleachers, and then he took a double take 'cause he saw me. He waved and say "hey."

I was so excited. I really was. It made my night that these guys said hi to me. That means I don't embarrass 'em too badly. That they like me. It was just a simple thing that showed me grace and brought me joy.

GoG 272: The Guy at After School

2010-10-12T00:42:00.003-04:00

Last week at after school, we had a new guy switch with one of our ladies for a few days. And it turned out to be a guy named Michael Smither. I went to high school with Michael. I didn't ever really talk to the guy ... it was in my brother's grade, a friend of my brother's, but not a person I crossed paths with often. But it was great having him at after school.

Later on the first day he was there, he looked at me during movie time and said, "Hey, Mical, I don't know if you remember me but we went to high school together." And that sparked a whole conversation about what we've been doing since high school, our lack of knowing what life is gonna bring, and after school. I found it to be quite a blessing to talk to a nice guy that I know but don't know well. It's just cool to see how God brings paths together.

GoG 271: The Grace in Los Ra :)

2010-10-12T00:40:00.003-04:00

Mmmm .... Los Rancheros is a yummy place. I really like Mexican food!

But Los Rancheros with Hannah Baker? Oh, man! It is super yummy AND super awesome! It is our CCF date place .... and one of my places to eat ever! :)

We have a great chats there ... and share yummy cheese dip ... and always get several refills of sweet tea and Mr. Pibb. Oh, the grace that comes out of Los Ra!!!! :)

GoG 270: The Dance Party!!!

2010-10-12T00:38:00.003-04:00

If you know me well at all, you know I LOVE TO DANCE!!!!!!

A couple weeks ago at after school, we turned up the music in our snack room and had a DANCE PARTY!!!!!!
At first, the kids gave me goofy looks ... but after a while, most of 'em joined in. And we had such a good time!!!!

GoG 269: The Senior Night: Andy :)

2010-10-12T00:32:00.004-04:00

Andy's senior night! Oh, it was great!
I was so proud!!!! It was a bit ridiculous actually. ;) I took several pictures, and I screamed louder than anyone.

I had to embarrass him a bit, right? ... What a good time! :D

GoG 266-268: The Birthday Weekend in Nashville

2010-10-12T00:24:00.003-04:00

The last weekend of September, I headed to Nashville to hang out with my Em for her birthday. Her birthday is on the 26th.

Friday night ...
I got to Emily and Barry's around 10:30 that night. She opened her present; we watched a movie; and then we hit the beds.
Saturday ...
We had a blast on Saturday! Em recently got a new camera - a nice one! So she took pictures of me - I was her first photo shoot. We got some together too. And then we went shopping all night. We both spent too much money and had a great time!
Sunday ...
Sunday morning we went to Jared Snyder's church. And I had a blast there. They are fairly charismatic, open, free worshipers ... and it was fun to see Jared and watch him worship. And then we all went to dinner that night for Emily's birthday. Josh and Kelli came too. Such a fun couple. And Josh is a hoot! He thought I had a funny laugh.
Monday morning ...
I woke up extra early to head home ... to get back in time for after school.

I don't get to see Em very often anymore, so it was great to spend a long weekend with her.

GoG 265: The Sing with UM and Dad

2010-10-12T00:22:00.004-04:00

Thursday nights are worship team practices for the worship leaders. From time to time, I'll drop by to chat with the leaders after practice or sit in the sanctuary and sing with them for a bit.

A few weeks ago, Uncle Mike, my dad, and I stayed after practice to sing for a bit. I love singin' harmonies and worship to the Lord. And it was a sweet time singing and chatting with two of my favorite men in the world.

GoG 264: The Veg Night on the Couch

2010-10-12T00:20:00.002-04:00

Veg nights are so great! They are greatly needed in a busy life such as my own. So grabbin' a pizza, hittin' the redbox, and loungin' in front of the TV with a new chick flick for an evening is a glimpse of grace.

God gives us rest ... mmm, it's good!

GoG 263: The Wonderful WOW Ladies

2010-10-12T00:18:00.002-04:00

My Women of Worth study has been stinkin' amazing! What great ladies to discuss and hang out with! Andrea, Sarah, Katie, Jess, Kristy ... gosh. It's been so good! ... We just started our second study - A Balanced Life. And I'm excited to see what this study brings about in our hearts and lives.

GoG 262: The New Season of CHUCK has Returned!

2010-10-12T00:16:00.004-04:00

Continuing with the GoGs! :)

Chuck.
What a great TV show!
I don't know if finding grace in a TV show counts .... but I really like this TV show. I never used to watch much TV, but when Uncle Mike introduced me to Chuck, I was hooked.
I bet the grace comes more from sharing a "hobby" with Uncle Mike than Chuck.
But either way ... I find grace when I hear that the next season of Chuck is coming out.

The Way God Sees 'Em ....

2010-10-11T18:08:00.003-04:00

"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'"
Matthew 19:14

See them the way God sees them.

These thoughts were going through my head this afternoon.

I've been so impatient with my after school kids lately. It's been so difficult. I love my kids. I really do. I just have a rough time be patient with them. I've got 21 kids in my group. Usually, 16 to 18 of 'em show up at a time, and that's a lot of kids for one person. Whew! And almost all of 'em are crazy! Put 'em all together, and it's utter chaos every Monday through Friday.

This is week #6 for me, and I just can't get the hang of this patience thing with these little people. It makes me really discouraged. Blah! But this afternoon, on my way home from after school, I was thinking about our lesson about patience yesterday during Sunday School. The first step toward developing patience in our lives was "See people the way God sees them." And that thought came to my mind as I was driving home from an afternoon with my little crazies! I need to change the way I look at my kids. Yes, I love them. But no, I'm not being patient with them. I'm not seeing them the way God sees them.

And when I think about me and my after school kids, I think of God and us, His people. Does God get impatient with us when we choose to do the wrong thing over and over again, when we act crazy, when the world these days is utter chaos because it's full of crazy people???? No.

NO.

God is ALWAYS patient with us. Sure, sometimes He gets stern with us 'cause we need that from time to time. But He always stays calm. He always loves us no matter what junk we've gotten ourselves into or how often we disobey Him.

If I could grab hold of that mindset and use it with my after school kids, oh, it would be so much better at after school. I can't hinder my kids anymore with my impatience. I must see them the way God sees them, and I must remember that, if I am patient with them, they might see Jesus in me. And they need to see Jesus, know Him, make Him their Savior, so that they will inherit the kingdom of Heaven someday.

GoG 261: The Many Moms!

2010-10-07T23:08:00.003-04:00

Believe it or not, I have more than one mom.

Haha! Well, obviously, I only have one mom. Yes, and she is the best!!! But I found that over time, I acquire more moms.
~ When I was in high school, Pastor Mike and Shelley took SoZo to the rehab center in town for a fashion show. We put on the fashion show for the residents. Afterwards, we went out into the crowd to talk with the residents. I was talking to a few old ladies, and they asked if Pastor Mike and Shelley were my parents. We all laugh about it to this day because they are not old enough to be my parents. So PM and Shelley call me Junior ... and I call Shelley, Shelley Mom.
~ After becoming friends with Judy Nilsen ... e-mailing, reading each other's blogs, being great friends with Ben and James, walks in the park ... she's told me I'm almost like one of her kids. And I'd definitely put her on my "mom list." :)
~ And a few weeks ago, I discovered that I have yet another mom. An older couple at my church, Richard and Carol Swenke, come up to me every Sunday and give me a hug and tell me how pretty and special I am. One Sunday, Carol's sister was visiting from Florida, and they introduced me to her as "their daughter." Ha! It was incredibly flattering. And it was at that moment, I told my mom that she's sharing me with other moms. :D

GoG 260: The SoZo Canoe Trip

2010-10-07T23:05:00.005-04:00

Youth ministry is great! It's not easy, but boy, is it awesome!!!
I love hanging out with teenagers! It's probably my favorite thing to do!

September 18th was our SoZo canoe trip. We had a great time tipping canoes and racing each other to the finish ... eating oatmeal cream pies and stopping for ice cream on the way home. I just really had a good time with my kids. :)

GoG 259: The Extra Time with the 'Rents :)

2010-10-07T23:03:00.001-04:00

Since most of my friends are getting married, moving away, and having kids, I've been spending a lot of time with my parents lately. It's been a huge blessing ... not only do I have buddies in the midst of my "season," but I've gotten to spend more time with them - going out to eating, watching movies, lots of chats. Chats that we may not have had if my season of life were different. And I've just really appreciated the time.

Now ... where are my friends????
;)

GoG 258: The Bethesda Soccer Game

2010-10-07T23:00:00.004-04:00

I've only been to 2 or 3 of Jon, Levi, and Super Dave's soccer games this season. The first game I went to was the best. I got there right as the game was starting, and I saw Pastor and Mike and Penny Marshall and Marge. I stood behind them for the game, and we all cheered loudly for our guys - they for their sons and me for my SoZo guys - one and the same. Oh, it was great! They were all laughing at how much louder I was cheering than them and WHAT I was cheering. I'm a crazy person when it comes to supporting the people I love! Man, if you only knew the lengths I went for my brother's senior year of high school. ;) Good times!

I just love cheering for my guys!

GoG 257: The Autograph Picture of Zachary Levi!!!

2010-10-07T22:54:00.003-04:00

Hahaha!
So way back in April or May, I wrote a short letter to Zachary Levi ... the star of NBC's CHUCK. Such a great show! Love it!
I felt like such a nerd writing to a celebrity ... but for some reason I felt compelled to ... maybe 'cause I have a tiny crush on the actor. Ha!
I said something to the affect of ...

"I don't know what a guy like you would need, but this verse has helped me through a lot. I hope it encourages you.
Psalm 73:26 - My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Sending up a prayer for you right now.
Mical Masterson"

Too funny!
Well, last month, I received a reply!!!! It was an signed picture of the guy! What!? Are you kidding me!? When I sent my letter, I wondered if it would even reach him at all ... and I get an autograph picture???? Awesome! Needless to say, it made my day; I showed it to Uncle Mike; and it's hanging on my wall in my room. ;)

GoG 256: The Candy Land Games

2010-10-07T22:51:00.002-04:00

Babysitting for Keri is always fun ...
A couple weeks ago, I hung out with Caleb while Keri and the kids were at Bible Study Fellowship. It was fun to hang out with Caleb, watching Prince Caspian, making waffles for lunch, and playing FIVE games of Candy Land, in which he beat me 4 out of 5 times! We had a great time ... he laughed at me for losing to a 6 year old, and I laughed at him for beating me so many times.