The List: Loud Singer

September 23, 2011 //

I don’t think you’ll be a quiet guy. I really don’t. I think you’ll dance, scream, laugh, sing, clap and praise in a way that reflects the joy in your life. You’ll pretty much be a disco ball of worship.

You will radiate passion for Him. You will not be a weak-hearted, lame-assed small talk kind of guy. You will understand the value of your words and actions, and you will make each ounce count. Your heart will sing no other name.

You will be known for bold moves. Not just in your walk with Christ, but with others. You will be intentionally intentional.

Buddy Jesus, you are not. A church camp counselor-esque, over the top, used car salesman, you’re not. You are vocally passionate and sincere.

Psalm 138:1 “I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; before the ‘gods’ I will sing your praise.”

Plus, you better sing because I’ve got to have someone to harmonize with. For.ev.er.

Tags bold, buddy jesus, christ, clap, dance, disco ball, forever, harmonize, intentional, laugh, passionate, passoin, praise, quiet guy, scream, sincere, sing, used car salesman, weak-hearted, worship

Categories dating, the list, values

The List: Marathoner

September 7, 2011 //

I am glad this post is about delayed gratification because it’s taken me a month to actually start and finish it. Boatloads has happened this month future husband. I have a greater understanding of who you are after struggling with pastoral advice, debating aggression with my community group and ultimately deciding my fifteen year old sister knows much more about Christian dating then eHarmony.

Actual conclusion after sisterly discussion… I have been dating giraffes. Giraffes are ungodly men. I know the cutest giraffes. I can approach giraffes. I understand how giraffes are wired. I can seduce a giraffe. I’ve aced the giraffe test. Bunnies are godly men. I began this journey (writing The List) knowing that I wanted to marry a Christian, but with little clue on how to attract a bunny. Bunnies are an enigma. I don’t know what they look like or what they like to do. I don’t know where to find them. I don’t know how to act or flirt. I don’t even know how to let them open the door without having a self-reliance meltdown.

But much has been revealed to me wise grasshopper blog reader. So expect a boatload of additions to The List in the near future. Thanks to my church home, I’ve found a boatload of badass Christian men.

You have to be a marathoner. Literally would be awesome, but spiritually and mentally are required. You will train for marriage like training for a… well, a marriage. A lasting, healthy, ripple causing, ground shaking marriage between two equals pursuing Christ together. You will model endurance, faith and stamina. You will know the finish line is worth the effort.

I will wait for you. See both here and here for my favorite reminders. And in the meantime, I’ll attempt to walk the talk. I will train for marriage and parenthood. (That’s right, readers… parenthood. Fostering and adoption have been placed on my heart.) I will invest in myself and others.

Before we go on our first date, I will:
a// dive into prison ministry and take steps towards sharing with those that need a reminder of God’s grace
b// lose twenty pounds and run a half marathon to remind myself I am strong in other ways
c// quit drinking for one month and in doing so, destroy an idol and become more Christ-like
d// continue ministering to and supporting my parents while learning from them

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”

Oh, and…
e// write a complete list of detailed must-haves for my future husband

Tags adoption, boatloads, bunny, christian dating, christian men, delayed gratification, drinking, eharmony, endurance, faith, fifteen, finish line, fostering, future husband, giraffe, godly men, grace, half marathon, idol, marathon, marathoner, marriage, meltdown, parenthood, parents, prison ministry, self-reliance, shane & shane, sister, spiritually, stamina, the list, wait for you

Categories dating, life, running, the list, values

Boy Meets Girl: Copywriting Lackey

August 9, 2011 //

After re-listening to last week’s message, I’ve decided I quite possibly, may have overreacted in my determination of JP’s saying: dress attractively, not to attract.

Two verses which calm my outrage yet pique my interest.

1 Peter 3:3-4 “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

I’m all about a verse that places inner beauty as paramount, especially when I decide to skip the last minute on the bike at 24 Hour Fitness. However. I AM NOT OF QUIET SPIRIT. I understand that women’s role in society has drastically altered over the centuries of social evolution. But with today’s expectations of American women, this point is huge. “Unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.” Do I possess or reflect neverending grace? And if I don’t, is it because I believe my circle of influencers expect me to be steadfast, capable, opinionated and autonomous? Or because those characteristics are coping mechanisms left over from an abusive relationship?

“Grace is compassion, gratitude, surrender, faith, forgiveness, good manners, reverence, and the list goes on. It’s something money can’t buy and credentials rarely produce. Being the smartest, the prettiest, the most talented, the richest, or even the poorest, can’t help. Being a humble person can and being a helpful person can guide you through your days with grace and gratitude.”

That, ladies and gentlemen, is from a bottle of body wash in my shower. The copywriting lackey who penned this passage obviously understands grace. Now I just need to write a letter to my cool new creative writing idol and request a definition for “gentle and quiet spirit.” I would like to think that they would shoot back with something like this…

Proverbs 31:25 “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

This is my verse girlfriend. Some words I can relate to, strength, dignity and laughter.

Tags 1 peter 3:3-4, american women, autonomous, beauty, boy meets girl, capable, compassion, coping mechanisms, copywriting lackey, dignity, gentle, gratitude, humble, inner beauty, inner self, laugh, laughter, passage, proverbs 31, reverence, social evolution, society, spirit, steadfast, strength, verses

Categories boy meets girl, values

Big Compassion Boat

August 6, 2011 //

“Well, maybe you’ll meet a doctor.”

Because that’s why one would consider a life changing dedication to a cause which affects thousands in dire need, to meet a doctor. Peepaw owes me an apology.

Poopaw? He freaked out in the not good way; the way when you question your parenting toolbox after your daughter confesses she wants to give up a salaried position for “no good reason.”

Here’s a darn good reason.

Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

For those readers that have the same issues with guilt as I do and automatically assumed someone done did me wrong, I’m referring to a different kind of mercy and interpreting the aforementioned verse with this definition of mercy in mind… alleviation of distress; showing great kindness toward the distressed.

A perfectly random and hypothetical example of a merciful act like performing more than 56,000 operations that are free to patients such as cleft lip and palate, cataract removal, straightening of crossed eyes, orthopaedic and facial reconstruction.

Barriers to serving this mission?

1) Convince parents that I am merely God’s temporary wealth manager. It ain’t my money. Plus, I’ve had a history of bad financial decisions. 2) Convince myself that I am one big tool. I am merely God’s skilled tool to service those deserving mercy while floating on one big compassion boat.

Clearly, genius has turned into madness.

Tags apology, big compassion boat, daughter, doctor, genius, god, madness, matthew 5:7, merciful, mercy, mission, money, no good reason, parenting toolbox, parents, peepaw, poopaw, serving, surgery

Categories life, values

Going to Keep Going

August 5, 2011 //

Duane is from Irving. He’s lived in Canada and Oklahoma. He doesn’t have a home now.

Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

I can’t assume Duane hasn’t always run towards Christ. However, I will assume that there have been rare pearls of inspirational moments in Duane’s life.

He doesn’t know it (he can barely remember my name), but Duane inspires me to run.

Running and racing is inherently selfish; perhaps that’s why it was used in this letter to early believers. We are entreated to delegate time, training and effort towards investing in ourselves if we are to efficiently persevere through the race, our run towards Christ. Also known as perfection. No pressure.

I am the last person to preach concerning athletic perseverance. Thirty minutes into Danceaton and I am laughing at my snapping skills, planning my next Pinkberry visit and calculating my haggle for a gently loved Marc Jacobs handbag. These are weak thoughts. Weak, un-athletic physical moments have been accompanied by pathetic, unchallenged inner dialogue over the past two years.

I’ve recruited my cloud of witnesses, those teammates without a home, and I am ready to throw off the feeble attitude that hinders me from running the race marked out for me. Literally and figuratively. Concurrently.

Matthew 5:41 “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.”

Tags athletic, christ, cloud of witnesses, danceaton, duane, feeble, haggle, hebrews, homeless, inner dialogue, inspiration, marc jacobs, mile, perfection, persevere, pinkberry, race, run, running, selfish, sin, teammates

Categories hobbies, running, values

The List: Loud Singer

The List: Marathoner

Boy Meets Girl: Copywriting Lackey

Big Compassion Boat

Going to Keep Going

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