Introduction to Things Above

Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.
Colossians 3:2

I’ve been thinking about this verse and really dwelling on it lately …. Firstly, ‘cause God’s been layin’ it on my heart … but secondly, because so many things in my life are changing. And change is rough. Change is inevitable. And change is, like I already said, difficult. I have close friends who are getting married, moving away, taking on new ventures in their lives …. and then there’s me! I’m graduating from college in 5 months … I’m taking a dreaded test that will determine whether or not I get to live out my heart’s greatest desire a few weeks after I graduate …. I’ve recently been asked to take over my youth group, but I’m wondering if that’s really where God wants me. So many doubts have been flooding my spirit. And with all the change … and hurts over the past couple of years, I’m just worn out. God is faithful, so I’m overcoming … but it’s been a rough ride.

Alright, so there’s the back story. Back to my initial thought. I’ve been dwelling on Colossians 3:2 in the midst of all this change. And it really helps put my focus in the right place. When we set our minds on things above, that means we are dwelling on Jesus and the things He cares about. In thinking about these things (the things God cares about), I’ve come to a conclusion. Sure, there are several conclusions we can draw from this idea of setting our minds on things above …. But this is what I’ve got.

In setting our minds on things above, we are focusing on God, yes … but also His standards for our lives. When we decide to pay close attention to His commands and desires for our lives, we begin to see things from His perspective … and begin to really and truly set our minds on things above.

So … in the next couple of posts, I’d like to share with you some standards that God has set before us. After pondering Colossians 3:2 for some time, I decided to re-read 1 and 2 Corinthians and pick it apart … find all those standards God’s got in store for us. I finished reading and, in some ways, dissecting these two books 3 or 4 months ago now … but God is still pressing them upon my heart. My youth group and I are also going through these books chapter by chapter every week as well. So check these out with me, will you? Stay tuned for a look into God’s word!

This is Mical at Heart :)

Ha Ha! I have another youtube clip for you.
I was watching Monster House last night as I was going to sleep, and the opening scene reminded me of how much I like the first 10 or so minutes of this movie. If you've ever seen Monster House, you know it's kind of weird ... and not too impressive. But I bought this movie several months ago because the first several minutes of the movie are hilarious! But anyway!

The very first scene is of a little girl on a tricycle. Go to this website (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG-shXRUXXI) or go to youtube and type in "Monster House Girl on Tricycle" to see this clip.

I love this clip so much because this little girl is ..... ME! The first time I watched this movie, my mom was in the room .... and as soon as the little girl started singing "la la la la la la!" I started laughing pretty hard .... my mom just looked at me and asked, "Are you laughing because this little girl is YOU?" And I laughed all the harder. 'Cause I didn't just think so .... my mom thought this little girl was me! Ha ha!

Once you watch the clip, maybe you'll see a little Mical Masterson is this fun little girl. :) If not ... well, this post was a waste of time. But I think it is GREAT! .... And at the end of the clip you'll hear some girls in the background laughing ... someone else thought this clip was great and recorded! Amazin'! :D .... Enjoy! It's a fun little clip. :)

'Cause I'm just that S & C :D

So ... I've mentioned before that I'm fairly sappy ... and ya'll know that I'm cheesy. :) So you should watch this clip.
The movie, Enchanted, is one of my new favorites.
Besides the main character singing and dancing through half the movie, she's also a ridiculous romantic. ... I think I would describe myself as that to some degree too. ;) ... So ya'll should check out this clip to see what I'm talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB_Qh5TBGoc

If that doesn't work, go to youtube, and type in "Enchanted Dance Scene."
Good stuff .... if you're sappy and cheesy like me. :)

Colossians 3:2 Prayer

Overcoming .................

by the strength and grace of my Lord, Jesus Christ.

Gotta keep settin' my eyes on things above.

Things above.

THINGS ABOVE.

Lord Jesus, help me.

Help me overcome.

Help me keep my eyes and mind and heart and life focused ONLY on YOU.

"This may seem juevenile, but ....."

So ... can you tell that someone is unmotivated and has too much time on her hands? .... 3 posts in one day? After not posting much at all for months?! Wow! .... I'm making up for lost posts, right? ;)

Anyway ...
This'll be short and sweet ...
I was watching a movie today while I was pricing books for my mom ... Return to Me.
Very sappy.
Very girly.
Very sad.
Very happily ever after.
Therefore?
Very Mical.

I never used to be this way ... honest. But the older I get ... yes, I know I'm only 22 ... the more ridiculous I get.
But anyway ....
There was a line in the movie that made the girly .... and untouchy part of me .... come out.

Robert (Bob) and Grace were standing on a balcony, overlooking the lights of the city ... they were silent. Then ... Bob talked about how he and his late wife grew up together, got married young ... and then he said, "This may seem juevenile, but .... can I hold your hand?"

Oh! My heart melted. My butterflies were doing backflips in my stomach. My eyes teared up.
(Yes ... I warned you! I'm getting bad!)
But in all seriousness ... I'm not the most touchy girl around. If I ever find the right guy, I'm gonna have to be eased into the whole touching part of the relationship. I'm just that way. .... So I really appreciated what Bob did in this movie. He simply asked, "can I hold your hand?" ... He didn't put the move on her. He didn't assume. ..... He was just amazing.

Ahh. Yeah. :) .... Welp! That's really it. I'm done.

Except .... if you didn't think Mical Masterson was a total girl .... by now, you have no doubt! What a girly post! Ha ha ha! :D
Have a great weekend, everybody! :)

There's so much more!

Ya know .... when we let go, we can really get a glimpse of God's peace, plan, purpose, and provision for our lives.  (Like my alliteration?) :)

I was listening to a song by Lincoln Brewster yesterday, and it prompted a burst of joy in my heart because I can really sing it now.

I've let go of some things .... after long months of holding on, I finally let go.

And I am filled with all those P's I just mentioned ... all by God's grace. :)

Check out the words to this song: Today is the Day :)

And I hope you can let go of some things you've been holding on to ... and believe that there's so much more.  'Cause all that God has for us IS good!  Keep trusting!!! :D

I'm casting my cares aside

I'm leaving my fears behind

I'm setting my heart and mind on you, Jesus.

I`m reaching my hand to Yours

Believing there`s so much more

Knowing that all You have in store for me is good
Is good

Chorus:
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
And I won`t worry about tomorrow
I`m trusting in what You say
Today is the day
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Today is the day
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh

I putting my fears aside

I`m leaving my doubts behind

I`m giving my hopes and dreams to You
Jesus

I`m reaching my hands to Yours

Believing there`s so much more

Knowing that all You have in store for me is good
Is good

Chorus:
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
And I won`t worry about tomorrow
I`m trusting in what You say

Today is the day
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Today is the day
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh

I will stand upon Your truth.
And all my days I`ll live for You

Chorus:
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
And I won`t worry about tomorrow
I`m giving you my fears and sorrows
Where you lead me I will follow
I'm trusting in what you say

Today is the day
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Today is the day
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh

Being confident of this ... that HE who began a GOOD work in you, will carry it on to COMPLETION until the day of CHRIST JESUS.

Philippians 1:6

This is a MIGHTY promise!  Hold on to it! :D

Names for Guys AND Ladies :)

So I went to visit my bosom buddy at camp yesterday.
She's been working at a diabetes/autism camp for the past 5 weeks (she comes home today!!!!).
And I just wanted to share an amazing little tid bit from the day .....

This may be the best camp ever because I met 2 female counselors who have boy names.
Yes, it was amazing!

I met a girl named Austin.

I met a girl named Logan.


Oh my word ... it was amazing!

I was amazed all day long ... and I still am - obviously. :)
It just made my day.
Austin, Logan, and Mical.
Good names for guys. Amazing names for girls!!!

And that's the end of my story! :D

Bogalusa 2009, yo!

Wahoo!

Time to tell ya'll about my adventures in Bogalusa!

Bogalusa, Louisiana ... ya know the toe of the boot?  Yep, that's where we were!

Last week was my third trip to that tiny, smelly, sweaty, amazing little town. :)  We've been going down to help out with the hurricane relief.  You wouldn't believe the damage that is still left from Hurricane Katrina unless you saw it for yourself.

A group from Indiana.

A group from Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

We met at a church in Bogalusa called Westside Emmanuel Baptist Church.

One of the coolest guys in the world - Pastor Marcus Rosa.

I wanted to bottle him up and bring him back to Danville!!!!

Amazing guy!  So full of life and love and Jesus!

I'm excited to spend eternity with that guy!  Yes!!!!

Well, I was put in three different places throughout the week.

Four, if you count Sunday's activities.

Sunday ... we lead worship for Westside.

Sunday night ... we put on skits/puppet shows/the Gospel message ... good times.

Monday ... we started work.

We had groups fixing roofs in the sunny, 105 degree, high humidity weather.

And my group went to Miss Sadie's house ... where we helped her dry wall some holes in her walls and bedroom closet, mud and sand walls, paint her bedroom a nice blue color, help her organize her things, tear off her ceiling and build her a new one, and lay insulation in her attic.

Tuesday ... I helped Shelley cook in the kitchen, and we had a Southern Fish Fry!  Yeah!

Wednesday ... back to work at Miss Sadie's.

Thursday ... a new location.  I went with a group to a run down schoolhouse where we finished sanding walls and coating the walls with primer.

Thursday night ... a block party!  We had balloon animals, food, snow cones (or snowballs, as Pastor Marcus called them!), face painting, carnival games, prize giveaways ... all kinds of great stuff! .... And Dave and I got to share the Gospel message with everyone there!

Friday ... was our fun day.  We went to New Orleans ... or Nawlins.  Or!  As I said one night ... Narlins.  Yeah ... no one let go of that one until I got back to Indiana!

Saturday mornin' ... we left at 5am Louisiana time ... 6am our time ... and didn't get home until 10:30pm.  Long time in the car!

That's the short version of the trip ....

Some other highlights for me were .......

*Devotions .... everyone on the trip picked a verse/passage that God had been using in their life and shared about it.

- Frank Bennett shared about Ephesians 2:1-10 ... talked about how we are God's paintbrushes ... He uses us to do His work ... and it is amazing work!

- Sallie Smith shared about trials and how we need to have God's perspective.  Hebrews 11:10 and 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.  Good stuff!

- I'll share my devo in another post.

- And it was great to hear all the young folks share ... the 7th-12th graders!  Yeah!

*Mr. Barry.

We went to Mr. Barry's "house" late in the week ... where we found no house at all.  He lived on a concrete slab.  He had a chair for sleeping in and a chair for holding his possessions.  He had a collection of Starbucks bottles and a light saber.  He had nothing.  He slept outside in the crazy hot and humid weather.  He had no food.  No shelter.  And he wasn't lucid half the time because, Pastor Marcus told us, his brain had been fried from drugs. ..... God taught me so much about thankfulness after seeing that.

*The guys singing in the shower.

The showers at the church are in a room between the guys' and girls' rooms.  Everyday, the guys sang.  And not just any songs .... hilarious songs like, Play that Funky Music White Boy ... and A Whole New World ... from Aladdin.  It was great!  I woke up from a nap, smiling, 'cause they were singing so loudly!

*Missouri teens.

Pastor Mike and Shelley brought 9 of their youth, and I got to know all of them a lot better.  I'd met them back in April when I went to visit PM and Shelley.  It was great to laugh with them, ride to Nawlins listenin' to Family Force Five, be accepted by their girls, and be black with Tori, Sarah, Rachel, Jennifer, and Sallie. .... Yes.  We were black.  Sarah brought "black woman make-up" with her to Bogalusa, and so we painted our faces black and had a ball!  Lots of strange looks from the rest of the team.  Awesome, yo!

*Seeing Pastor Mike and Shelley.

PM and Shelley brought 9 of their youth from Missouri, and it was amazing to see them!

- Pastor Mike came up to me on taco night and asked, "Do you know how I know Wes isn't here?" .... "'Cause there's still sour cream left."  (My brother loves sour cream ... eats the whole tub by himself. .... Pastor Mike walked away saying ... "Sweet memories."

- Pastor Mike called me "Junior" here and there throughout the week.  That's my nickname that he and Shelley call me .... 'cause, in case you haven't heard the story, we did a service project at the Danville rehab center several years ago, and all the old ladies thought that Pastor Mike and Shelley were my parents.  Too much fun! .... I miss hearing Pastor Mike call me Junior.

- Sunday night of the trip, I balled my eyes out during my devotional ... yes, in front of everyone.  And Shelley and I were already emotional because Pastor Mike and Jeremy were leading worship together just like they used to before PM and Shelley had to move.  So Shelley and I hugged and cried most of the night.  Shelley said, "I'm so proud of you." ... and ... "I missed you." ... in my ear while we were hugging.  Something I'll never forget.

- And Pastor Mike gave me a side hug at 5am as we were leaving and said, "I'm proud of you."

I just really miss those guys!  So it was great to see them for a whole week!

The whole trip was really great!  God was at work!  He taught me about being thankful, being faithful, and seeing things from His perspective ....

Bogalusa ... I miss that place already!!!

Why I Do What I Do ...

Well, yet again ... dear Judy has given me another blog post idea. :) What fun!
Today's post is about blogging ....
Specifically the question ... Why blog?
And more specifically ... Why Mical blogs ... :)

I started this blog back in August ... August 2008.
I think it was the 11th of that month.
A couple of friends had blogs ...
Judy.
Hannah.
......
And I think Hannah said something like ...
"Mical, why don't you have a blog? You like to write. You really should have a blog."
And that was that.
I created a blog within the next week. :)

So why do I do it?
Well, I think I briefly touched on the answer to this question in my very first blog post ... but here we go again. :)

My subtitle for this blog is .... about friends ... about Jesus ... about lessons learned and learning.
Fun and Faithful Tales ... about friends ... about Jesus ... about lessons learned and learning. :)
I started this blog to share fun stories about me and the friends God has placed in my life.
I also started it to share about how amazing Jesus has been and is in my life. :)
And ... as the blog grew ... I noticed that I wrote a lot about lessons God has been teaching me.
I'm learning all of them the hard way ... 'cause I'm so stubborn and fallen.
And that's right ... I'm still learning them.
So ... I added "about lessons learned and learning."

I'm all about encouragement. I love to encourage people ... actually, it's kind of like a hobby for me. :) It's just what I try to do ... everyday.
So I wanted this blog to be a source of encouragement for folks.
I wanted others to read about what I'm learning and hopefully have their spirits lifted because ...
1. They can see how human I am (mistakes, trials, ect.) and hopefully think "hey, I'm not alone."
2. They can read about lessons I'm learning and think, "wow, I went through that just last week ... or just last month ... or just last year." ... or (hopefully!) see how I've messed up, and say, "whoa! I'm not doin' that!!!"
3. They can get to know me better ... see what I get excited about ... see how messed up I really am ... see into my heart a bit. :)

And I like to write.
I'm not good at explaining the kinds of writing I enjoy.
I consider writing to be a hobby of mine, but when I tell people I like to write, they always ask ... "What kind of writing?" .... And I never know what to say.
I like to write letters of encouragement.
I like to journal prayers to the Lord.
I like to blog.
So now, I guess I can tell people. I like to blog.
And tell them what kind of writing I do on my blog. :)

Blogging is a great way to encourage folks, expand your hobbies, get some thoughts out, remember lessons you've learned (or are still learning - in my case), and it's even a way to talk to God and/or other people about some things that are on your heart.
And it's a ton of fun!

And that's why I blog. :)

"You been eatin' yo greens?"

Too much fun!!!
I have a great story to share with ya'll.

I've been hanging out with some of my amazing girls from the Eastside a lot over the past few weeks (they are my girls from the after school program, which I wrote about a few weeks ago and ranted about all this past semester). ... I went to pick up a few of the girls one day last week. And as I was standing outside their house, a guy (yep, he was black ... this tid bit will be good to know later) was walking across the street, and all of a sudden, I heard him say something. I turned around and smiled and said, "I'm sorry. Say that again." And he said, "You been eatin' yo greens?" ... I, being the non-ghetto, white girl that I am had no idea what he was talking about. So I gave him a funny look and kind of smiled. He said (again), "You been eatin' yo greens?" Then, when I still didn't get it, he said, "You don't even know what greens are, do ya?" I sheepishly said back, "Nooo." And he smiled and kept walkin' ... probably thinking "that stupid white girl" ... which made me laugh wondering what he must be thinking.

So .... later that night, the girls and I were at the park eating dinner. We got to talking about clothes somehow, and eventually, I mentioned my tough times finding clothes that fit ... I said "because I'm an in-between size," but the girls let me know that it's "because I have big hips." And then they continued to tell me I have a black woman's butt. .... Ha! .... If you haven't noticed, I've been extra blessed in my lower regions. ;) ..... Anyway ... we got to talkin' about the guy who asked me about my "greens" earlier in the night ... and the girls told me that "You been eatin' yo greens?" was this guy telling me that .... well, that I have a big butt. ..... The girls pretty much told me that he was checking me out. .... I asked 'em, "so that's a good thing, right? That's attractive?" And they said, "yeah," and we all laughed pretty hard.

Ha ha! This might've been the best thing that happened to me all week.
This story was just too good! I had to share it! ... And really, I just wanted to have a blog title which says "You been eatin' yo greens?" :D

I guess I need to marry a black guy ... 'cause they appreciate the greens. :D

God Glasses

Wow! .......
So I've been up and down the past few days.
Just been thinkin' about all the change that's happening around me and that's coming into my life.
Friends are getting engaged, getting married, having babies ...
Friends have lots going on in their lives, changes coming for them too ...
I'm graduating in 7 months and don't know what the heck I'm gonna do with my life ...
I've got these crazy desires, cool dreams, deep aches ...
Just a lot going on, ya know?

I've been kind of down about it, which is oober frustrating. (But that frustration is another blog post, perhaps.)
But I was reading my Bible today, grabbed Passion and Purity ... and then looked over at my "future husband journal." Yeah, I don't have a better name for it at the moment.
Sorry for you if you think writing to your future husband is cheesy. I think it's pretty much amazing. :)
I've had this journal since I was 14 years old. Shelley gave it to me and encouraged me to write letters to my future husband before I know who he is. :)
Over the years, I've written some pretty funny stuff. If I really do have a future husband out there somewhere, and if I really give him this journal, he'll get a kick out of me, for sure.
But anyways ... the Tangent Queen hasn't lost her touch! :D
I opened it and read the three most recent letters.
The first two were about some regrets I've had over the past couple of years.
But the last one (the most recent) was full of lessons learned ... and hope.

I was really down earlier today. My heart has been aching for quite some time.
But this letter! This letter that I wrote to my future husband!
It helped me see things through God's eyes again.
(I hate how easily I get my eyes off of Jesus ... and how easily my God glasses get fogged up!)
God's perspective is so much better. :)
And I want to share with you all a "snipet" from this letter ... 'cause it's amazing!
I was so blessed today to be reminded of the amazing lessons God has taught me over the past 6 months.
Why do I forget them so easily, daggonit?

Written on February 19, 2009
Wow! I just finished reading the last two letters to you. And holy cow! I'm really messing things up, huh? Ha ha! ;) I hate that I haven't been more careful with my heart over th past two years, but at the same time, I've learned amazing lessons. All the brokenness, all of the mistakes, all of the failed hopes and dreams have brought me back to contentment in Christ alone. It took me a long time! But God was, and still is, patient and faithful. Amazingly so! :) He stuck by me every moment. He taught me so much about surrender, about being content, about waiting. Surrender - I can never be completely whole or completely satisfied until I let go of my own desires and let God fill me with His, until I grab hold of God's purpose (even if I don't know it completely) and allow Him to conform my desires to His. Contentment - I cannot be completely content in anything or anyone but Christ. He is my life, and if I do not desire Him above all else, nothing will mean anything. True and complete fulfillment can only be found in knowing, loving, serving, and glorifying God, and enjoying Him forever. I've never experienced something more true. Waiting - God doesn't always tell us what's going on from the get-go. In fact, He rarely does. Life wouldn't be life. God doesn't always give us the answers that we want. In fact, He always gives us something way better, whether we know it or not. But in waiting, He expects us to trust Him and love Him and serve Him and seek Him and glorify Him with all that we are. We can't throw our hands up and quit just because things didn't go our way. God's way is amazingly better, and He will reveal it in His time, which is hardly ever our time (for good reasons!). Gotta keep trusting! So ... this letter is a lot better than the last two, huh? :) God never fails to take our sin (our selfishness, our impatience, our failures, ect.) and work it out for our good. Wow! I am so thankful for His grace and faithfulness.

Man, oh man. Good stuff! God was really working in my heart when I wrote that! I feel absolutely ridiculous that it's only been 3 months, and I'm already forgetting these lessons in surrender and contentment and waiting. God is so faithful!

And I noticed that I used the word "complete" lots of times throughout this letter. Makes me think of James 1:4 ... "so that you will be mature and COMPLETE, not lacking anything." Yeah! That's what trials ... and the lessons we learn through those trials do for us. They make us complete. God sees it. Why can't I? ...... I think I'll put my God glasses back on now. :)

Lord, make these lessons real to me once again. Help me walk day after day with Your eyes.
Be my all, Lord Jesus.

Favorite Family Ever: Big Brother #2

Hey!!!!!!!!
So it's my friend, Jason's, birthday today ... and he belongs to my "favorite family ever" posts ... so I'm gonna post about him! :D
I posted a long time ago about my big brother, Adam (Jason's cousin), and Jason's fiance, Melissa ... so now, it's Jason's turn. There are still a bunch of people in this family whom I have yet to write about, so stay tuned! I will write about all of them one of these days. :)

Hmm ... where to start with my friend, Jason?
I've known his family since I was a pretty little kid ... but I didn't start to really get to know him until my freshman year of high school. He and Adam were seniors in the youth group and didn't really get involved with youth group until a few months before they graduated. Shortly after Jason graduated from high school, he got involved with YWAM (Youth With A Mission). He went to a country called Azer Byzuan (and yes, wow! I butchered that spelling!). While he was there, I remember I wrote him a letter ... just to encourage him and let him know I was praying for him. He wrote me a couple of e-mails during his trip ... and we started really building a friendship. When he got back, I remember him saying something to the affect of ... "Mical, your letter was really amazing. It was so awesome to get mail I could actually touch and to be reminded that someone was praying for me." His thank you was an incredible gift to me. Since then, Jason and I have become good friends.

There's a running joke that he and the rest of the Cooks/Adamsons gang (my favorite family in the world) are considered the "B" team among my group of friends (Higher Ground folks taking the "A" team spot). In reality (and I think he knows this deep down), they are all the "A" team because they are all amazing friends. He just likes to give me a hard time.
Actually, Jason Michael Adamson giving Mical Lynn Masterson a hard time? That is the foundation of our friendship. And I love it that way. In his own way, it tells me that he cares about me. (Yeah, that's probably backwards ... but not with Jason.) :)

There's another running joke that he's a big jerk. He puts off the jerk vibe as a front sometimes ... but really? He's a genuine, fun-loving, committed, all-around great guy. :)

Actually, Jason is one of my favorite guys ever. :) He's like a second big brother in a lot of ways. He's definitely toward the top of my "godliest guys ever list," and I appreciate him way more than he knows. He's a guy who stands by his convictions and is committed to his walk with the Lord. He's really good at calling people out when they are out of line. And I mean that in a good way. If we're playing football and getting way too competitive (bad attitudes), he's usually the one who brings us back. ... He's part of the problem at times too. (;)) Who isn't? But he's good about calming us down. I remember this one time I got all worked up because Melissa was beating me on every cut (again), and I was getting really frustrated with myself ... letting out some "Mical frustration grunts" and the like .... I was leaned over, and I remember Jason coming over, patting me on the back, grabbing my head and putting his head on mine and saying, "Hey, it's alright. Don't worry about it." ..... It may seem like a small gesture. I'm sure he doesn't remember it a bit. But it was huge to me. I really look up to Jason. I think oober highly of him. And he's like a big brother to me. So for him to remind me to keep my head in that way was huge. Honestly, I don't think I'll ever forget it.

Jason's just a really great guy. I hope he knows how much I love and appreciate him ... on his birthday and everyday. :)