We Can't Do It Alone...Part 2! Different Twist time.

So last time, I sat and talked about how we need each other and how we need to be more transparent with one another and quoted the still slightly obsessed song by Casting Crowns... i'm obsessed with it, it's not obsessed with anything. Anyway i'm retarded. ok so, the Lord challenged me on that post in a different way the other day. We can't live the way God has created us to live (seeking after Him with our whole heart) in our own flesh. Sure we can fake it for awhile but we will become completely burned out. There's just no way around it. Only by Christ, for Christ, and through Christ is this life really worth living. Our hearts are dangerous if we are not in complete surrender to Christ. If we are not fulfilled in Christ, we WILL search elsewhere and this should bring us to our knees. Note the use of "should". That leads into fearing the Lord. Do we realize our own depravity and how desperately we are in need of Christ? Or do we hope we can "make it" on our own? If we really feared the Lord, our lives would look so much different. We would stop trying to walk the line and really try and be like Jesus in every way possible, not just in the way that other people will see. This completely is an application to myself as well...i've always got stuff to work on b/c i am far from perfect.
On a lighter note, after HOPE group tonite we played 42 which was so fun! And slight randomness, I have challenged Jessie Harris to shave for a solid month until Thanksgiving and any sign of prickliness means he loses. What that means I haven't decided yet...I'm eating peanut M&Ms to support the Mills since Mikey's dad is a peanut farmer. That's my ploy whenever we go on family roadtrips and I want peanut M&Ms, "Mom we've got to support Mikey!". Oh the simple pleasures in life. They were meant to be enjoyed. Current simple enjoyments i can think of right now: my guitar, peanut m&ms, snickers, my China hat, journaling, class with friends, pictures, pizza, my awesome friends (like really, they win.), my super cool family, analyzing Lord of the Rings (so nerdy i know), canoeing, movie watching, playing sports with friends so they're not super serious, sitting, jamming with my windows rolled down, dressing up crazy, dressing up in general for really nice occasions (none of this inbetween stuff, go hard or go home.), leaving ridiculously long phone messages so by the time i finish i'm almost embarrassed that i left such a long message, chewing orbit while i run. That's all for now but there's more i'm sure. It doesn't take a whole lot to amuse me. Have a fantastic day...i'll post again sometime.

Hmmmmm....we can't do it alone.

Well, there's nothing huge to report here, I just kinda wanted to write. The training for the race on Dec. 11th is going good but I was definitely hurting today...i stretched out to pilates, which was just plain funny for someone as unflexible and clumsy as i am but it was enjoyable. This weekend was my favorite weather of all time, 75 degrees, clear blue sky, slight breeze, wonderful. I had some good quality time just chillin at Research Park with the Laredo (my guitar) for awhile as well as biking around campus with Lindsay Ingels and the two of us interpreting paintings of cattle at the Forsyth Museum in the MSC with Jonny. So entertaining. Keep in mind this is all Saturday, right after our thoroughly amusing experience at Reville Ball. We thought we'd see what it was all about, 3 girls, one guy, high school prom all over again but hilarious. I'm working on that whole dilligence thing with school these days and the Lord is so faithful, providing me with time to do everything He is wanting me to do. The new Casting Crowns CD and I cannot part ways these days...i'm obsessed just slightly. Just a few quick lyrics for you:
"Are we happy plastic people,
under shiny plastic steeples.
With walls around our weaknesses
and smiles to hide our pain.
If the invitation's open
to every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we'll close the curtain
on this stain glass masquerade."
Amazing lyrics...that's all I have to say. We need to pray for transparency guys. The first few lines of that song says "Is there anyone who fails, is there anyone who falls, am I the only one in church today feeling so small..." We act ok at church all the time and sometimes, I don't know about you, I'm just not ok. We are not meant to do this on our own. We need Jesus for our very being and he's enlisted the body of Christ to help us out. We need to pray that Christ would tear down the blocks we put up in our own lives so that HE would be glorified. There is far too much pride in our sanctuaries and not near enough humility. This COMPLETELY includes myself just fyi. I have so much too learn and praise the Lord that He has brought me to where I am. We need to fear the Lord, not men and what they can do to us. They have no power over us if we have surrendered our life to Christ, all the time. Welp, that's about it. Hopefully you will mull over these things as I am in my own life and we can mull together.
On a happy sidenote, I get to wear my big China hat from the Great Wall soon! YES! :)