Don't Even Hesitate!

I can't say I've experienced too many concerts in my lifetime--I could probably count how many I've been to on one hand (sad, I know)--but I've heard some horror stories of people getting seriously injured from the perilous combination of hardcore moshing and crazy fans. Others have had their eardrums burst and/or have lost their voice for days. Insanity! Right?

Fortunately, I woke up on Friday morning after Winter Jam with only two sore arm muscles. No fights. I promise. It was a Christian concert; The Christian Concert: 10 bands for only $10. With music from Sanctus Real and Skillet, Building 429 and Kari Jobe, which were my favorite, I had the time of my life. By the end of the night, my camera informed me that I had exhausted its battery. Rumor has it that's because I spent the majority of the concert holding my camera up to see above the crowd trying to capture the best shot I possibly could of the rockin' stage. Usually I don't trust rumors, but 'tis true. And the winner, stealing the title of Week 4 Photo, is....

52 Week Project 2012 ~ 4/52

There is just something about capturing the splendor of a night like that. I don't think I ever fully could perform such a miracle, but try to imagine for yourselves: the entire Sovereign Center in Reading, PA completely filled, a roaring sea of people, hands outstretched and voices raised, praising the Lord our God, sold out for the King of kings, rejoicing over the Maker of Heaven and Earth. It gives me the slightest taste of the Heaven for which I crave, something like what John described in Revelation 7:9: "...I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands" (ESV). Minus the robes and the palm branches, and replace the throne with a ginormous stage and flashy spot lights...well, you see the picture. 

I love the diversity of the body of Christ and the diversity of worship that emerges as a result. Traditional hymns, contemporary songs, raps, spoken word, etc. In the end, it all goes to the same place. I can't imagine why it wouldn't please God to hear the sound of his children using the gifts and talents they've been given in a creative way to usher glory to his name. After all He created us in his image--imago dei--we serve, worship, and adore a creative God. Amen? 

So the next time you feel like jamming to a new song, dancing for the Lord, or raising your hands in Sunday morning service, don't even hesitate! Maybe if we all stopped denying those "unconventional?" urges and just followed the leading of the Holy Spirit, we'd taste even more of Heaven's sweet delight. 

yummm...

That's a huge part of what the 2nd annual Imago Dei, the benefit concert on March 24th at Calvary Fellowship Church, is all about. To learn more click on the imago dei link above or take a peek at the statement I wrote up for last year's benefit. This year's proceeds will go to homeless organizations in Chester County. If you're around, come come come!! Don't Even Hesitate! I guarantee you will not regret it. 

The Challenge & The Blessing

52 Week Project 2012 ~ 3/52

A theme of contentment--giving thanks in all circumstances--has woven its way through the third week of my 52 Week Project, and waking up to the freshly laid blanket of snow outside, I'd say, wrapped it up quite nicely. 

This family of trees has gathered in our front yard since before we built our house here over 11 years ago. I can remember passing countless Spring afternoons rocking away on the hammock under the shade-casting branches of these trusty trees; summer memories of sword fighting with their fallen branches and then playing fetch with our dog Trudy who'd always interrupt the game; fall days filled with the fierce competition for first place in the classic Edelman family game of Catch the Leaves; snowy days like today that make me slow down from the hustle and bustle of life and pause....

Closing my eyes I breathe in the crisp scent of winter bliss and let out a deep sigh of contentment as the gentlest of smiles glides across my sleepy-eyed face; thus, concluding my much needed moment of escape.

I've been challenged this week to transform those brief moments of escape, of silent bliss, of peaceful contentment, to reflect my everyday-state-of-mind. The challenge initially came to me while sitting in a wooden pew of a church out in Reading. Pat and I wanted to check out this church because he was interviewing for their worship leader position later in the week. Visiting the church was slightly a spur of the moment decision, but I thank God for bringing us there that morning. I went in thinking I wouldn't enjoy a traditional church service, let alone a sermon on finances. Thankfully, though, God knows I enjoy a challenge; hence, my strong conviction by this verse the Pastor mentioned. Hebrews 13:5 states, "...be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you' (Deut. 31:6)" (NIV).

I went through the rest of my day pretty much headache free, thanking the Lord for that blessing along with the blessing of participating in the Body of Christ, fellowship, and prayer; music, food, and friends; life, love, and happiness. Everything! In addition to the challenge of contentment God presented me with that morning, He also gave me a renewed perspective. From there, He encouraged me that living with a heart of thanksgiving will provide the joy and hope necessary to sustain me through whatever trials may come.

And surely, the trials came. Before gaining victory in this challenge, God decided to test me--starting first thing Monday morning--when I woke up with a really sore throat. (Because I have Lyme disease, my white blood cell count is extremely low, which makes it hard for my body to fight off other viruses and bacteria. It's always bad. That's why I hate getting sick on top of everything else. So, being sick and content is very challenging for me.) In order to confirm that I grasped the concepts of this lesson of contentment, I spent the entire week in bed sick as a dog with really bad headaches again. At least that was my reasoning as I lied awake in bed. It's easy to give thanks when the days seem good; however, when the days are bad, long, or painful, maintaining an attitude of thankfulness grows much more difficult. I convinced myself that this sickness was all part of the challenge, though, and I became determined to finish well.

My Memory Verse:
"The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion"
Psalm 116:5

Ironically, this week's devotional had me read Psalm 116, memorize verse 5, and meditate on the following quote by John R. Claypool: "Thankfulness is...a resource rather than a burden which can be used by God to enable us to overcome obstacles rather than to be overcome by them."

Looking back on the week now that most of it is behind me, I curiously wonder if that "challenge" God gave me on Sunday morning was really his way of blessing me with the resource he planned on using to sustain me through this sickness. I think... Yes!

Thankfulness: a blessing in disguise.

Psalm 136:1 says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever."

~If you've read this post, please share something you're thankful for by posting a comment below. Don't be shy!
May thankfulness spill from us.

Living Loved

52 Week Project 2012 ~ 2/52

For my birthday this year, my boyfriend Pat and I celebrated by going to Buca di Peppo for dinner, just the two of us. Before we left, Pat surprised me with this single red rose pictured to the right. Classy, huh? I carried the rose with me into the restaurant, signaling to every turn of the head and every glance of the eye that someone (aka the man next to me who's holding my hand) loved me a lot. After all, everyone knows red roses say, "I love you."

This past week, week 2 of my 52 Week Project, I’ve been thinking a lot about love, but not in the dramatic teenage girl way. Now that I’m 20 years old, I’ve left those childish trains of thought to choo-choo back to where they belong. Wherever that is, I’m not quite sure, but it is certainly not in my head. At least not for now. No, this week I’ve traveled down a curiously winding path of thoughts about what it means to be loved, to feel loved, to live loved.

We all need love; our human souls hunger for it like our stomachs crave food. We want it bad. Many of our decisions even stem from our desire for love. Often times we act one way when we know that someone really loves us, when we feel loved, but other times we act totally different when it feels like no one really cares. Feeling loved, or the lack of love, can significantly affect our mood, self-esteem, eating and sleeping habits; our joy, peace and contentment; our patience, kindness, and generosity. Needless to say, love is important. This we know.

Now, I’m not so sure that love literally makes the world go ‘round, but I do know that Love created this world because the Bible says that God is love. It also directly states, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Surely I’ve read that verse many times, but this week, it has unmistakably colored my vision. In our eyes, roses act as a good signal of love, but as a sign of God’s love, roses don’t nearly suffice, for God’s love infinitely exceeds our own. Jesus, instead, is like God’s rose given to us, something we can hold on to, an indicator of how much we are passionately loved by the Creator of the universe.

If we really are loved by God that much, so much so that he would descend from Heaven, live among us, and die in order that we may have life, than we should act differently, right? We should not be ashamed of God's love but rather should put Jesus on display through the manner in which we live. Every turning head and glancing eye that sees us walking through the restaurant, or wherever we may be, ought to recognize God’s great love radiating from our faces. With Jesus as our red rose, our sign of God’s love to us and to the world, we can all rest assured of one thing:

We can live loved, for that is what we are. Loved. Dearly loved children of God. May we start acting like it.

How Sweet the Sound

(Preface--This year I have chosen to embark on the 52 Week Project in which I will take one meaningful picture each week throughout the year. I have also committed to writing a "short" description of each photo's significance. The following post marks the beginning of my journey.)

52 Week Project 2012 ~ 1/52

A close friend gave this wind chime to my mom for Christmas this year, and it conveniently hangs right below my bedroom window. With each wintery gust, it never fails to send an array of charming notes up my way. Every night this week I've fallen asleep to its distinct tune; upon waking, I hear it as well. Loud and clear. I can't ignore it, escape it, nor deny it. Not that I would want to after that of which it has come to remind me.

What is this sweet sound you may ask? None other but the melodic pitches of English poet and clergyman John Newton's classic hymn Amazing Grace. You know how it goes: "Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me..."

Now, if the wind chime outside my window obnoxiously chimed any old, random tune, I'd probably muster up enough ugliness to chop off its strings, thus muting its noise, and make it look like an accident, a natural disaster of sorts on an exceedingly smaller scale. You see, I'm the kind of girl who values her sleep, makes it a top priority, and becomes surprisingly agitated when someone or something deprives her of, disrupts her from, or infringes upon that precious time of her much needed slumber.

However, these chimes have had quite a different effect on the attitude of my heart. Each time the wind blows through them, it seems to me as if the Holy Spirit is surrounding our house, rushing all around, reminding me that only by God's amazing grace am I alive today, both physically and spiritually speaking. In thinking about the Spirit and wind, I found that throughout the Bible, 111 times in the New Testament in fact, the Greek word "pneuma" or "wind" has symbolized the Holy Spirit's presence. I know he is still very much alive and working in mysterious ways today. Just like the wind, we can't see Him but we can hear Him, feel Him, and see his effects. And for that, I give total praise and thanks to the Lord of lords and King of kings, my Savior, my defender, my everything. Amazed by its sweet sound, God's grace has saved me, and the wind chimes below my window have so beautifully reminded me of that. Just in time for the new year with its new beginnings. Because of God's grace, we can be made new.

May we always stand amazed and never forget Ephesians 2:8-10, which says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."