It's Like a Honeymoon but with 60,000 Brand New Love-of-my-Lifes

Love of my Lifes?  Is 'lifes' a word?  Or should it be lives?  That doesn't seem right.  I only have one life, but a whole village of new loves.

Loves of my Life.  That's it.

I have watched a bajillion videos of people in Togo.  Right now I think they are the most beautiful people in the world and I want to know all about them.  What they eat, where they live, what music they like, what makes them laugh, what they call their grandmas.  Everything.  What are they afraid of?  What breaks their hearts?  What are their hopes and dreams?  Yes, I have romanticized this trip a little bit and I am not ashamed.

This is the part where all you seasoned missionary types roll your eyes at me and say, "Awww, that's so cute.  But how will you feel when you find out these 60,000 new loves-of-your-life snore all night and squeeze the toothpaste in the middle?"

Loving people is hard.  I get it.

But I don't care.  Honeymoons are important.  They're where we build bonds and shared memories that see us through ugly arguments about money and in-laws.  While God may love us perfectly despite our wholly unloveable selves, we are not so good at loving each other that way.  Romance is a gift that helps us love each other better.

So I'm going to pray and study and prepare for this trip as best I can, but I'm also going to gaze at your picture and wonder what you're thinking.  I can't wait to come to your wild and beautiful country and meet you.

I hope that my crazy romanticized honeymoon love makes you see yourself the way Christ sees you... as His Bride.

Oh, and just so we're all upfront about everything, I squeeze from the middle.

For as a young man marries a young woman, 

so shall your sons marry you, 

and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, 

so shall your God rejoice over you.  

Isaiah 62:5

If you have stumbled onto my blog and are wondering, "What the heck is this chick talking about?" start here and work your way forward.  There is logic in this madness, I promise.

Power and Love in the Face of Fear

Yesterday was a terrible day.  A man opened fire on an outdoor concert in Las Vegas and killed 58 people.

I've had just those first 5 words on this page since 8 am this morning.  I have so much to say and yet I don't know what to say.  It feels like we said it all the last time.  Because sadly, there was a last time.  And a time before that.  And also before that.

It's so easy to ask, "What is this world coming to?"  Truth is the world is what it has always been.  Very, very broken.

This is what evil does, my friends.  The enemy is for real and he is the prince of this world.  He came to steal, kill and destroy, and he does exactly that every single day.

The urgency and the burden I feel for the Gospel right now is palpable.  People are walking through this broken world with no hope.  What a pity it would be if the people who know that hope are too consumed to share it.

My sister-in-law gave me this cross for my birthday last week.  I was really touched by this gift because no matter what I've said before, I may have a little fear about this upcoming trip.  And she said that's exactly why she picked it.

I've spoken these words many, many times- over other people and over myself.  I always stopped short though.  "The Lord did not give us a spirit of fear," and that's it.  Now I see the really good stuff comes after that.

God has not given us a spirit of fear - no!  He has given us a spirit, His Spirit, of power and love and self control!  Think of yourself walking in this Spirit, powerful and strong, full of holy and righteous love for your neighbor, all filtered though the wisdom and sound judgement of being perfectly aligned with will of your Heavenly Father.

Be discerning.  A spirit of fear is not from God and it's no surprise that fear is the root of much sin: apathy, selfishness, hard-heartedness.  Anger.  Disunity.  Grasping and striving to get what's 'ours'.  Who would desire to sow those seeds in the midst of yesterday's death and chaos?

I wonder....

There is another prince though, a good prince.  The Prince of Peace.  

Jesus.  

And He has already defeated the prince of this world.  Let the whole truth of that sink in.

Now take your Spirit of power and love and go spread hope in the face of fear.

act justly.  love mercy.  walk humbly.