"In" with God, Masks and Me

I was reading the other day and saw these verses that I wanted to share. They probably stood out to me because they talk about masks and I've been helping with a masquerade coming up. :)

But I also liked this passage because it's a call to committed, real Christianity. Not fake or twisted to conveniently fit our own whims--but genuine and honest. I think that's the kind of faith our generation is hungry for:

"Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing,

we're not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job

just because we run into occasional hard times.

We refuse to wear masks and play games.

We don't maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes.

And we don't twist God's Word to suit ourselves.

Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open,

the whole truth on display,

so that those who want to

can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God."

2 Corinthians 4:1-2 - The Message

It's an honor to serve God--to be "in" on what's He's doing. Nothing I could ever give Him could repay what He's given me. But one thing I've learned is that best gift I can give to God is me--my whole life--staying committed "no matter what" to living a real life of faith and love that draws others to Him.

No masks. No manipulation. No maneuvering.

Just me.

In some ways, that seems kind of scary--it's vulnerable. But when I live that way, when I serve that way, it's actually the most beautiful and pure kind of love I have to offer. And yeah, that may sound cheesy--but it's just me. :)

Crazy in Hope

Beyonce may be crazy in love, but I have come to the realization that I am crazy in hope. And maybe you should be, too.

I like the phrase "crazy in hope" because I think a large portion of society thinks all of us hopeful optimistic people are...well...a little bit crazy, naive or unrealistic.

But what's worse? To be "crazy in hope" or "grounded in pessimism"? (Give me crazy any day!)

To be truly hopeful, you have to move beyond being crazy--to being courageous. It takes courage to hope because there is always some risk that you will be hurt, disappointed or heartbroken if what you're hoping for doesn't actually happen. The courage comes when, despite that hurt, disappointment or heartbreak, you make the choice to hope continually.

So, despite obstacles, I will try to be continually hopeful. I will hope for silly little things like a good parking spot at the movies or sunshine in Seattle (yes, it does happen in October!). And I will hope for the big things--for the friend who has lost her sense of purpose (at the moment anyway), the seriously ill person in need of a miracle, the right guy. And it may be irrational or against the odds--but you can call me crazy if you want to.

It's Time for a Heart Check-up...

"Can I interview you?"

Usually, I am the one asking this question. But yesterday, it was my turn to be interviewed--by my best friend (who is in seminary). The topic? Volunteering.

Here are a few of the sample questions (how I remember them anyway):

1. What kind of volunteer work do you participate in?
   
2. Do you think it's more important to volunteer at church or in the community? Why or why not?
   
3. How did you start volunteering?
   
4. What motivates you to volunteer?
   
5. What level of time commitment is required as part of your volunteer work?
   
6. If you could change anything at organization you volunteer with, what would it be?
   
7. What do you think makes your role as a volunteer different from a full-time staff member?

Just to name a few. :) It was an interesting conversation--for my future pastor friend to think about what volunteers go through (though as a PK and long-time volunteer herself, she has a pretty good idea!). But is was also good for me to think once again about why I do what I do.

After we talked about time commitment, my friend replied, "Whoa! Seriously, sometime you should log the hours for a month--it would just be interesting to know."

I am far from perfect. But if I could change anything at church or in community organizations it would be this--I wish more people realized how fun and rewarding it can be to volunteer--because ultimately, you have the ability to make a positive impact on someone else's life.

I know that might sound corny or cliche. But as I was being inteviewed, I was thinking of stories...of faces...people whose lives have changed for the better since I first met them.

I will never take the credit for the girl who once had low self-esteem, but is now dreaming of going to college. I'm not the reason why a young couple has a renewed passion for reaching out to friends who don't know God. I am not completely responsible for the shy guy who now has a group of friends he can count on or for the old man at the altar with tears streaming down his wrinkled cheeks.

But through volunteering, I played a part in their transformations. And there's something really cool about that.

So on those Sunday mornings when I'd rather hit the snooze button, Saturday afternoons when I'd rather hang out with my friends, or Thursday nights when I'd rather watch "The Office" (live!)--I will try to forget my own selfishness and remember--those faces, those people, those lives that are forever changed.

My Mini College Reunion

There are some friends who you can always "pick right up where you left off" with. And even though some of us are married, have kids or may be still single, I love that these are people I can still laugh and celebrate with. 3F Hotties forever!

Why Bold is Hot

So I was chatting with my sister the other day who happened to mention that a disportionately high number of single women volunteered at our church's recent BOLD mens' conference.

As one of those single women, I can honestly write that I wasn't specifically volunteering to meet or spend extra time with Mr. Right (though I'm not going to lie, it would have been nice...). :)

Honestly, I volunteered because:

A) I think it's important to support any guy (old, young, married, single) ... or any person for that matter ... who wants to grow in their faith.

B) I think it's important to "walk the talk" -- if we encourage the guys to volunteer at the womens' conference, us ladies should step up and volunteer for them.

C) I wanted to play Nintendo Wii and get a free henna tattoo. (I'm totally joking here -- but these were some side benefits of volunteering). :)

But back to the whole "Bold is hot" idea...

So why did so many single women sign up to help at the BOLD mens' conference? I think it's because the idea of a bold kind of guy is appealing.

It's true in the secular world, too. Just this past week I saw an article on MSN for guys titled "How to ask a woman out" (and of course I totally read it to see what "the other side" is hearing!). It doesn't talk about spending a fortune on clothes or a fancy car -- the article basically just encourages guys to be confident. And I found myself totally agreeing with a lot of its concepts.

But the idea of boldness is not restricted to guys ... us women should aim to be bold, too.

So what does a bold guy or girl look like?

• Convicted
  (No, this doesn't mean that you have to go to jail to be really bold!) - To me, this kind of bold is someone who has strength of character -- he or she is convicted by the moral standards of the Bible and by a desire to live a life of integrity (being who they say they are). It means choosing to live a life that is restrained by the principles of God's Word -- while knowing that real freedom is only found within that "restraint."
  


• Clear
  You know where bold people stand, what they believe, what they're passionate about. They don't play games or hide behind pretenses. Their intentions are obvious -- they go after what they want in life.
  
  
• Confident
  Bold people walk in strength and security. They're not cocky, but they have this cool kind of vibe -- they're comfortable in their own skin and they make others feel comfortable, too.
  
  
• Committed
  Bold people are committed -- to a cause, a church, their families -- something or someone they're willing to fight for. They don't waffle in the face of adversity or switch an opinion (those that really matter anyway) under pressure. They're decisive because they know what or who they're committed to.

Cool Verse of the Day

"Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly."

1 Corinthians 13:13 (The Message)

Cool Things of the Week: Sept. 29-Oct. 6

• Quote: "Generous people are grateful people." - Keith Craft

• Video game discovery: Nintendo Wii. Okay, so I have a confession--while the guys were in sessions at our church's BOLD mens' conference, us girls were playing with the "guy stuff" in the lobby. Hence, my new henna tattoo and newfound love of Nintendo Wii.

• Night out: Thursday date with the small group girls @ Indochine (Thai food).

• Fashion Find: Cute purple dress from Banana Republic (I will probably update my profile pic to show this one to you). Love the color. Love that I can wear it with jeans, to work, or out on the town.

• Sweet splurge: Mount Rainier Volcano (Baked Alaska) at the Sea Grill for my mom's b-day. A dessert set on fire at your table? What could be cooler?

For my married friends...

Fun Starbucks Coffee Cup Quote of the Day

"The most relevant pieces of advice I received regarding marriage: You can only be as happy as the least happy person in the house, and two bathrooms are mandatory."

- Laura Gremillion, Starbucks customer from Nashville, Tennessee