Lukewarm vs. Obsessed

The book Crazy Love has been out there for about 4 years now.  A New York Times Bestseller, Crazy Love by Francis Chan rocked a lot of Christians out their lukewarm funk, creating passionate believers with a new-found obsession for Jesus.

I was not one of them.

I read the book when it first came out, thought it was great, but it certainly didn't transform my life or create in me desires to change anything about my lifestyle.  I thought I was okay.  Not really lukewarm, but not really obsessed either. 

As God would have it, our class at church is studying this book together.  Aaron and I are teaching the chapter entitled "Obsessed."  Every chapter is convicting, but this one is more like smacking into a wall in the middle of the night.  Here are a few statements from that chapter:

A person who is obsessed with Jesus is more concerned with his or her character than comfort.

A person who is obsessed thinks about Heaven frequently.  These people orient their lives around eternity.

People obsessed with God are known as givers, not takers.  They genuinely think that others matter as much as they do, and are particularly aware of those who are poor around the world.

And then some statements about the lukewarm:

Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church...as long as it doesn't impinge on their standard of living.

Lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act.  They assume such action is for "extreme" Christians, not average ones.  Lukewarm people call "radical" what Jesus expected of all His followers.

Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven.  Daily life is focused on today's to-do list, this week's schedule, and next month's vacation.  Rarely, if ever, do they intently consider the life to come.

I read these statements, and I hear two voices in my head - one spouting "But, but!!" and another whispering, "This is you."  And I know which voice is true.

There is no excuse for not being obsessed with the Savior.  There is no excuse for not giving away what I have in the name of Jesus.  No excuses for seriously loving what He loves (the poor, the fatherless, the widow, the lost) and hating what He hates (sin, hypocrisy, empty religious activity).

Faith without works is dead, dead, dead.  And I'm not saying I know what this looks like.  I can't judge anyone except myself because that's not my job. 

But I am not obsessed.  God help me.

Your turn:  How do you know someone is obsessed with Jesus?  Do you think they're weird?  Or do you admire their passion and pray for a fresh spirit?

Why I Leave a Big Tip

 Last night, we went to a Chinese restaurant for Aaron's birthday.  This was a new experience for my third-born son, Jonny.  He is 6.  He is unpredictable.  

He needs his own sitcom.

He proceeded to loudly comment on everything that was brought to him at this meal.

It started with the glasses of water:

"DOES THIS WATER TASTE CHINESE?!?"

 (I will be writing Jonny's quotes in bold because this is how he speaks on a regular basis.  His autobiography will be entitled, My Life in ALL CAPS BOLD) 

And then the server brought his sweet and sour chicken:

"THIS IS CHICKEN??"

He was very confused.

Finally, a small bowl of ketchup for his french fries:

"IS THIS CHINESE KETCHUP???"

And that, my friends, is why I leave a big tip.

Live For the Long Rope

A Letter to Myself at 16

Oh, just look at you. You're having so much fun right now.   I like the fact that you don't even realize how frizzy your hair is or that you are facing the wrong direction.  It's all good.

There are a few things I want you to remember as you grow up.

 1.  Never apologize for being yourself.  You are enthusiastic, weird, and a little loud.  But you know what?  That's okay.  Be original. 2.  You should never go to Canada.  You always run into bad luck when you visit that country.  Trust me. 3.  Your little brother is actually going to become one of your best friends.  I know, I know, this one is hard to swallow, but in just a few short months, you will go to college and you'll actually miss him.  Would you stop rolling your eyes?  Thank you. 4.  Whitney Houston will drown in a bathtub.  Didn't she almost have it all? 5.  You WILL find true love.  He's very tall and he's very quiet, so you have to pay attention.  He's the best thing that will ever happen to you.   6.  Pay attention to your English teachers.  Just sayin'. 7.  Don't give away your vinyl records just yet - they will be really cool someday.   8.  It might be wise to wait a little bit on that driver's license.  You really don't need it right now.  Maybe you could use a little practice.  Are you even listening anymore? 9.  Sing, sing, and then sing some more. 10.  Tell your parents how much you love them.  Every. Day. 

Why I Read The Hunger Games

When more than half of my students have read a particular book, I do my best to read it myself so we can have discussions about the characters and themes.  So when I realized how many of them were finishing the trilogy and that the movie came out next month, I decided I should dive in.

The first book, The Hunger Games, is a futuristic tale of survival.  The United States is no more, and among the "Districts," there is the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV with children between the ages of 12-18.  The children's names are put in a lottery each year.  You can get more food for your family, but you risk getting chosen for the Games because your name goes in the pot more than once.  I'm skipping a lot of details, here, but you get the idea.

Katniss, the main character, is a strong, quiet girl with a cynical eye toward the world.  She epitomizes what every teen girl wants to be - strong and brave, but also beautiful and desired.  She volunteers to take her sister's place in the Games, and that is one of the best themes of the novel -- self-sacrifice.

There is somewhat of a romance between Katniss and another boy, but it does not go beyond brief kisses. 

Is it a good book?  I'm not sure how to answer that. It's a better choice than most of the books out there for teenagers.  And that's the thing that makes me sad - the lack of decent books for kids. 

Your turn:  Have you read the book?  What other books would you recommend for a middle school/high school student?

Starting the Year with Praise

This happened back in the first week of January, and I remember thinking how I wanted my year to be like this - purposeful worship, joy-filled praise with no reservation.

I think I've realized, though, that some of the truest, richest praise comes through trial and pain. When I am hurting and look to him, that's when my heart is much more open. Then, when a trial has run its' course, there is joy in the celebration of God's faithfulness!

"you give and take away....blessed be the name of the Lord...."

My Favorite Things - February Edition

Sharpie pens - the kind that click on top so I don't lose the cap

Reader's Digest on my iPad - lots of great videos and extra features

Old 90s songs on the treadmill - "I've Got the Power! It's gettin it's gettin it's gettin kinda hectic.."

Butter Toffee Almonds in the purple bag by Blue Diamond

The transparency of Tina Fey in Bossypants - not the greatest book ever, but funny photos

This website - www.bryanallain.com - he helps my blog brain stay motivated

And this website - www.rabbitroom.com - great music reviews and superb writing about art/faith

Okay, one more website - www.iamsecond.com - testimonies from athletes/actors, inspiring

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter - this stuff is awesome. Try Brown Sugar, honey.

Looking at old scrapbooks and remembering moments you'd forgotten.

Cool moleskine notebooks sold now in Target!  One can never have too many...

Corrie for a New Generation

I can remember being a little girl in church and seeing pictures of this old woman on books and pamphlets.  I didn't know anything about her except that she was from another country and Christians seemed to like her a lot.

Corrie Ten Boom is no longer here -- she's partyin' with Jesus -- but I've still learned so much from her.  The Hiding Place is her story of how her family protected Jews during the resistance in Holland and then how she survived a concentration camp in World War II.  No one else from her family survived, and I believe it was so the story could be told for generations:   that "there is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still."

I have been reading this book with my 9th graders.  A few weeks ago, one of them was about to leave for Haiti on a missions trip and was understandably nervous, apprehensive.  Then, we read this particular section aloud one day,

"There are no ifs in God's world.  And no places that are safer than other places.  The center of His will is our only safety -- Oh Corrie, let us pray that we may always know it!" (p.84)

I looked at this student who would soon be going to a land filled with unknowns and possible dangers and I could barely keep myself from crying. 

All I could say was, "Don't forget that."

 If you've never read the book before, I encourage you to get this version - the 35th anniversary edition.  It has some great photographs and extra features.

 The actual hiding place was built into a nook in Corrie's room, behind a dresser.  One would lift a panel along the bottom, crawl in, and then stand up once inside the small room.

The brick was used so that the Gestapo wouldn't hear anything hollow on the other side.  It was never discovered.

Corrie's life is inspiring because she truly put God's priorities first.  She loved what God loved and hated what God hated.  I can't wait to see her smile in heaven, and her joy from finally being united with her family! 

Click here for great quotes from Corrie Ten Boom

Question:  Who inspires you?

How to Behave at a Superbowl Party

This video comes to you from Tripp and Tyler, the hosts of the Catalyst conference I attended last October. I couldn't help thinking of my Dad during this video. He never had an affinity for Super Bowl Parties and this explains why.