Yesterday…

Yesterday at C3 was awesome! We’re still in the series: ‘The Sickness Within” and yesterday Pride was discussed. It definitely hit home to me… I just wrote about how at times I feel like I’ve got a handle on all my problems and I don’t want to bother God with it…. Sometimes I have the thinking of: ‘He’s got enough on His plate, I’ll just deal with this myself.’ And that isn’t trusting God fully… I’m so grateful for being a part of a church that is so real and authentic! I’m also so grateful for ALL the amazing people that make this movement happen every week! Seriously… it takes a lot of dedication and people who truly love Jesus and others… It’s humbling to look around at all the people who sacrifice each week to give of themselves and be a part of what God’s doing here. C3 truly is a family and I love all of these wonderful people!

Yesterday C3 also gave away a ton of backpacks full of school supplies to students in need! Amazing… This is truly what church is all about- reaching out and helping the community around you!

I got to meet tons of new students yesterday! I am pumped for our fall schedule of 413 (Our high school student community!) It’s gonna be a blast :) I hope all our students had a great first day back at school… Speaking of this… my sister started middle school today! She went from being in a small private school for all of elementary to a big public middle school… I’m hoping she has a really good day. I don’t think she’s too nervous but I sure am :)

Ok I think that’s all for now… I have like 682 loads of laundry to do that have been piling up… maybe a little bit of an exaggeration but still- it’s a lot :)

He Knows- Revisited

I wrote this post a while ago but came across it today… It reminded me how much I enjoyed this book and I think this one of my favorite parts…

This chapter I read from Sex God was probably one of the best yet. Here is a little bit from it:

His [Jesus] entire life is about the stripping away of power and control. Jesus always chooses the path of love, not power.

Inclusion not exclusion.

Connection and solidarity rather than rank and hierarchy.

Touch rather than distance.

Compassion rather than control.

He comes on a donkey, not a horse.

Weeping and broken, not proud and triumphant.

That was part of Bell’s description of the life Jesus led. So true and so powerful. We know these things, we know Jesus was all about love but for some reason reading these words was so incredible for me.

Bell’s main focus of the chapter was heartache and the pain that comes along with broken relationships. He talks about how when we ask someone to dance, to go on a date, to get coffee… when we invite someone to do anything we give them all the power. The power to say yes, and further the relationship, or the power to say no and possibly hurt us. It can be so painful to hear that “no”…

He reminds us that God feels that pain, too. That the God of the universe, creator of everything…He feels the pain of not being loved. He feels the pain of a broken relationship. So much of the time we shake our fist at God, being angry about a relationship that now ceases to exist…pretending that He doesn’t know how it feels…but He does. He knows exactly…

At the end of the chapter Bell reminds us to not give up on love…any kind. Whether it be friendships, relationships, family…we can’t give up just because we got hurt. He closes the chapter like this:

“In matters of love, it’s as if God has agreed to play by the same rules we do. God can do anything- that’s what makes God, God. But God can’t do everything. God can’t make us love him- that’s our choice.

Love is risky for God, too.”

I’ve been thinking…

I loved yesterday @ C3! We started a new series called : “Tweet this.” I love it already :) God used yesterday to truly speak to me about some things I’ve needed to hear for a while. For that I’m very grateful. I heart C3 :)

I have been thinking for a few days about “Treat others they way you’d want to be treated.” It’s just been in my head… I think since I saw someone treated so poorly at a store (I’ll let the store remain nameless) by a lady who worked at said store. It was definitely uncalled for… It made me think about why we treat people the way we do sometimes. I mean let’s be honest, we’ve all been rude. I’ve definitely done it. I have a tendency to get aggravated quickly with people on the phone.

But I hate it… I hate it when I treat people like that. I hate it when people treat me poorly and I can’t stand watching it happen to other people. I’m just incredibly grateful for a community of faith that reminds me daily to love God and love people. The bible definitely doesn’t say: Love people when they love you. It simply says love people… regardless of whether they love you at all.

I’m grateful to have people in my life that love me, they love me at times when I’m definitely not being loving! My incredible husband loves me when I’m being difficult, grumpy, and through all my “moods” :)

I’ve learned that if we just stop for a second and see people through the eyes of Christ we won’t act like that. Everytime I have the tendency to get aggravated at the grocery store when the person in front of me is taking forever, or the person I’m talking to on the phone is incredibly rude… I want to stop and look at them through His eyes. I’ll be the first one to say I’m definitely not done making the mistake of being rude…I’m sure it’ll happen again but I’m going to strive to actually see people… for who they truly are and not just who they are in that moment in time.

One last thing, I wanted to share THIS blog with everyone. Head over there and read the last couple posts…I’ve been incredibly encouraged by her and her faith in Christ through a very difficult time.

True Love

I know I have posted some of these verses before…but all of this is so powerful to me.  I love the beginning verses because they show how it doesn’t really matter what you have or what you do- if you don’t have love or if you don’t do things in love…you have nothing. I see so many Christians trying to show the world all of their “knowledge” by screaming at people or whatever…it never works. People who don’t know God don’t respond to screaming…they respond to love and truth. It’s amazing to me how people who supposedly love God can be so hateful and waste their time on meaningless things, instead of loving people and spending time trying to reach people far from God.

I’m just thankful for love…and thankful I’m reminded daily that love truly does win. 

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ²If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

 ⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 ⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. ¹²Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

 ¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13

Sunday Recap

We started a new series this week at C3 (and they launched their new website!) – the series is called Mosaic. It was an incredible message! Pastor talked about how so many of us have lots of friends in our lives- but do we have next level influencers? So many of the decisions we make come from the influence around us…I always tell my high school girls this: “Be careful who you let into your very close circle of influence…because who you hang around is who you become.” There have been many times in my life where I’ve forgotten to remind myself of that…and what Pastor spoke about this morning was a great reminder. It was also a great reminder of how grateful I am for the next level influencers Matt and I have in our lives. 

Part of the reason I love being at C3 so much is that it is a place filled with people who are next level influencers. People who won’t judge or bring you down, but are such encouragers! 

I absolutely loved this morning….I have so much more to say but after a busy morning, a fun filled day, and then a 24 filled evening….I’m pooped! :) 

More tomorrow- Until then… I love C3!

Weekend Recap

I decided to take the weekend off from blogging but now I’m back :) I know…It’s still the weekend technically…but oh well! 

It was great to be back at C3 this morning. I missed it last week and love starting my week off like this! It was a great morning and I definitely can’t wait for next week, already.  I love being at C3- worshipping with a group of people who do whatever they can to love God and love others. It’s incredible to be surrounded with people who genuinely care about others and who are so selfless…

I cannot believe this Sunday marked one year in the theaters- it has flown by! I honestly don’t remember what it was like not being in the theaters…It’s such an awesome environment, so non threatening and a place just about everyone knows how to get to! I know it’s a little more work, but I think all of the kids environments are so much more exciting and engaging for the children. All the kids think it’s the coolest thing to go to church at the movies :) I can’t wait to see what God is going to do through C3 this year!

As we started 2009 I couldn’t help but look back at the past year- as I’m sure most do. The past year had its ups and downs and it was an overall great year, but I absolutely can’t wait to see what this new year holds!

Sunday Recap

It was great being back at C3 this Sunday! We missed it last week so this was the first week of Christmas Vacation we heard. I love this series so far…it rings so true in our lives! Christmastime can be a crazy, hectic, and stressful time of year if you let it be. It was great to be reminded of that this morning. So much of the time, things are what we make of them and I know I’m one of those people who makes things way worse than they need to be! I have this tendency to worry about things that haven’t even happened yet… Again, it was great to be reminded this morning that most of the things we worry about are things we create ourselves. 

I love Sundays at C3- they are great and refreshing. It’s great to be with our C3 family and worship in such an authentic environment. I love it and I absolutely can’t wait until next week. I can’t wait to see all the families who come and I can’t wait to hopefully sit with our family who will hopefully come, too! We’ll be seeing them again on Tuesday so I should find out then! 

I know feeding these 100 families is going to make a huge impact in their lives but I honestly think it’s going to make just as big, if not a bigger, impact on the families that get to help. I know for us, its been incredibly eye opening and humbling…Its been amazing to hear the stories from everyone and to see how people have connected with their families. 

I love C3 and I love Feed the families…can’t wait to see what the future holds! 

Love Wins :)