The beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair

So within the last week I've been able to see Bluetree, Mike Keahbone, Charlie Hall, and Robbie Seay Band.
Seeing all of these fellow seekers brought out alot of great things for me.  I believe though that the coolest of all of these things was what came out of the time of reflection that I had.

This was thinking about the concept of grace.  Grace is something that I really don't know if any human can truly grasp the fullness of grace.  As humans showing grace and mercy isn't something that really seems to come natural to us, we tend to lean more on the showing "discipline."  We would rather people see a consequence for their action than to see mercy and grace overwhelm their transgressions.

This is where the concept of Christ and His love comes in and intercedes.  This is the part that as humans I believe we have a hard time grasping. Mainly this is an issue for us, because we ourselves can't grasp fully forgetting about wrongs a person has caused towards us or someone else, and then actually allowing them a full blown second chance.

All of this is general statements though, I'm sure people out there fully grasp grace, but I for one can't really get it, and the thing is I have been covered with grace just as much as anyone else.  The amount of grace that I have in my life baffles me, and that I suppose is the part that I don't grasp about it, the unconditional grace.  Even though I am a sinner, I am covered by grace, regardless of if it is a sin that happened four years ago, or one that will happen in four months.

I feel like I have rambled this entire time, anyway here is the video for where the title has come from:

Give Until There's Nothing Left

So this past weekend I went to Little Rock to a benefit concert that included the likes of Listener, Deas Vail, and a bunch of other forgettable bands (to note I don't remember them because we left after Deas Vail.  Anyway the concert was to benefit Invisible Children an organization that is helping provide for children in Uganda. Before the concert though they showed one of their documentaries entitled "Go" it followed three American students as they went to Uganda and bonded with three students there.

What impacted me specifically was how a student from Louisville KY connected with one of the guys in Uganda. (I know you can at least see the guy in the promo video below.) Anyway this kid came from an inner city school, that raised enough money to make it in the top group of schools.  The kid who was selected shares his story throughout the film.  He tells of how poor his school district is, and how no one would every expect them to raise the money that they raised.  Once connecting with a Ugandan student, it is revealed that the student from Louisville lost his brother to a senseless shooting before Katrina in New Orleans, and that the student from Uganda watched his sister and father killed before his eyes.

It really affected me, to realize that this student lived below the poverty level here in America and his school was able to impact students in Uganda in a major way.  Why as people who live above the poverty line, are we not willing to "give until there is nothing left" as Relient K says.  Jesus said "even as much as you do to the least of these you have done to me" as well as the verse in James that speaks of how we are supposed to help the "widowed and abandoned."  So why don't we?

Because It's Always Winter, but Never Christmas.....

So this past week has been different for me. I've been in a very reflective mode.  Probably cause I just finished reading the book "Through Painted Deserts" by Don Miller.  It really makes me just want to go and live somewhere different for a while, you know just drop everything and prove to myself that I can live outside of this Bible Belt Bubble, where life is handed to me on a silver platter.  Do we ever think about how good we have it here?  Tonight I bought two girls roses just cause, I can sit here and purchase whatever I want (within limits) and still be able to eat tomorrow (I have a meal plan, cause school is paid for).  I am able to come back to my room, in the sleet and rain and junk, and still be warm.  I don't think that people realize what it's like, what steps we need to take in showing our daily devotion to Christ.  I don't think we realize the implications of what it would mean if we truly took the time to figure out what it meant to be SOLD OUT to Christ.  I know that I really don't know the full effects of that, but I'm trying.  I spend my days walking from one thing to the next, praying, thinking, about what Christ expects of me, and being constantly reminded that I can't meet those expectations on my own, it's only through his help that this happens.  So this is the second time this week I've posted at some crazy hour, so I think I'm going to go to sleep now, cause I need it, and wake up in the morning and finish my homework for the week.  Hoorah for college snow days...which reminds me, I need to work on a bulletin board as well...hoorah for work! Goodnight

I Love You More Than Life

How many people can truly say that they love something more than life? Let alone, our God and Father Jesus! This is something that just hit me at the beginning of the week very strong. I was walking to my car to go to work at 5:30am. It came to me, "To die is gain!" Honestly, not many people want to even consider death. But Paul eagerly sought death. He wanted nothing more than to be with his King and Father in heaven! Are stated here in Philippians:

Philippians 1:20I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!
23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,
26 so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

So why is it that Paul is so excited to get to heaven? What will it take for us as fellow believers to yearn for this same place?

Paul wants to leave to get to heaven. When I think about this I remember Comp II last week, my professor talked about how as people grow older, they are more looking forward to heaven and seeing loved ones than anything else. They are ready for the suffering they've done on this world to be over. (at least I believe it was Mike talking about this).

But isn't there more reasons to get to heaven? I mean we get to see Jesus! We get to praise Him for the rest of our lives.

But maybe this is the same reason we aren't ready to go to heaven, we aren't even prepared. We don't want to fully worship God yet. We would prefer to do what makes us happy. What makes us happy. What is found though, as people grow old, is that this doesn't bring true fulfillment. Only Christ and our faith in Him, brings us true fulfillment. Then we are truly free to live.

I love this though, people spend there whole lives running from the one thing that brings them true happiness. Though I must put a disclaimer, not everyone is running from it, some people are yet to realize that Christ is where they need to be. Why do we run from the rewards and freedom in life that Christ offers? It just baffles me.

Paul realizes that though he is longing for a better place, to see his Redeemer in heaven, that this is not God's plan, Christ is not finished with him yet here on earth. Since this isn't the plan, Paul is able to continue to advance the church and ultimately the Kingdom.

We will not fully realize that we are aliens to this land (Hebrews 11:13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth)
Til we have committed our lives to Jesus. When we are freely living in His will, then we will realize our full potential. Once we have realized our full potential, then and only then will we be able to fully grasp the excitement of going to heaven.


I have to admit I'm not quite there yet, I had the realization that "To Die is Gain" and I still feel that there is work for me to be done here. I feel it will not be until I realize that my work here on earth has been sufficient that I will be able to truly grasp. "To die is gain."


What we find throughout the church, and practically the world, is death is a little talked about subject. What Paul shows us through the Philippians is that we should be excited! If we are truly following and seeking Christ with all that we are, we will be wanting to be in heaven just like Paul was. But until then, we will be just as scared of death as we have always been.




(Title from "More Than Life" by Hillsong United)

* I'm gonna start doing like Alan does, I used to do this in my daily blogs. I started out with More Than Life by Hillsong United, One Way by Hillsong United, Consuming Fire by Hillsong United, Revolution by Jars of Clay, The Battle is Already Won by Keith Green, You Put This Love in My Heart by Keith Green, Tie me Up! Untie me! by mewithoutYou, My Glorious by Pierce, For The Moments I Feel Faint by Relient K.