Singing in the Car

I pulled up behind a woman on Nicholasville Road the other day and noticed her head bobbing steadily. Then, her shoulders started moving and finally, her hands hit the air. Whatever she had floating on the air waves in her car had really "moved" her! I smiled - big. The first thought through my head was, "You go girl. Get after it! Let your hair down. Sing like nobody's watching..." ok, so maybe I didn't think that long, but I felt all of those things as I watched her... and I smiled. Such a simple thing, but such a sweet moment for me. Her freedom unlocked some joy inside my heart, and I was thankful for her.

Worship is similar. I have found that in leading worship, the more freedom I accept as reality in Christ, the more joy I can help the Spirit unlock in people who are frustrated, disenchanted or downright skeptical about God. Joy is undeniable and cannot be fabricated. Joy is not a smile or a laugh, joy is different. Joy comes from inside - and you just can't force joy to come out of you.

Joy can preach, too. You can have joy even when you're really sad. Joy is not happy. Repeat after me, joy is not happy. Joy is settled, sure, steady, peaceful and strong. Joy is resilient, not fleeting. It's more than a mood, it's a state of being. How else could the Bible say to consider it "pure joy when you face trials of many kinds"? (see James 1:2). James sounds nuts! But, he knows joy is not being thrilled you're facing trial. Joy looks further down the road than the present trial. Joy says, "Somehow, someway, God is going to use this for my good." Joy says, "This is building character into me in a way it could not have been developed otherwise." Joy says, "God's got this and because of that, I'm okay even though I don't feel okay." Joy is awesome, joy is available to you and joy reeks of hope.

The more freedom we experience in Christ, the more joy we have because we stop worrying about the Christians we should be, or shouldn't be and we start simply enjoying God. We start letting the truth about who He is and who He says we are really become the only truth that matters to us. We find that the joy of the Lord really is our strength (see Nehemiah 8:10). Right now, I'm praying that if you feel miserable, you will be reminded of the freedom available to you in Christ. People often think God is a rule maker and the punish-er of rule breakers. What a cheap shot at God to think that! He's a Dad and He's not stupid. He knows we need boundaries and ways to live so that we don't get kicked in the pants by a very real enemy.

Freedom looks WAY different than just doing what you want. Freedom is more like the play place in the center of Fayette mall - gated, padded, and made to be enjoyed. What if that place was full of sharp objects and cut glass? We'd have to restrict our kids way more than by simply putting them within the parameters of that white fencing. We often think the fencing is the trap - that it is what holds us back. Parameters seem like walls in the way of freedom. NOT AT ALL! Parameters give us more freedom than we could imagine and we don't have to worry - we can touch everything without fear of getting hurt. Same thing with God's "rules". Think about premarital sex, for example. If you don't have premarital sex then you don't worry about pregnancy or contracting a disease or making some really hard decisions. People think freedom is doing whatever they want but that kind of freedom leads to the thickest bondage of all - the tangled web of the consequences of sin. We've gotten this backwards for a long time.

So, I've decided to name that woman in front of me singing in her car, Joy, and to name her car "Freedom". I think it suits them both.

Kite Flying

Hello, blogger friends. My name is Amanda Carter. Just thought we ought to reintroduce ourselves. I've been on vacation and school has been out for BOTH of the girls, so time has become a little more scarce while albeit fun these past few weeks.

Ok, I'm done making excuses about why I haven't blogged in so long.

I recently went to the beach. While I could write oodles of blogs about such a wonderful, fun, relaxing, perfect...I digress...place, there was one "moment" on the beach that made a lasting impact on me. I flew a kite. Well, technically my Dad got it in the air, but I held the string for a long time! I think it had been well over 15 years - maybe 20 - since I had flown a kite. Granted, kite flying does not produce thrills of excitement or riveting entertainment, but kites do seem to intrigue people. Every beach walker that passed spent an incredible amount of time looking up at the kite swaying and gently diving in the wind. I stood there thinking, "What's the big deal? Haven't you seen a kite before?" Then I realized, probably, like me, it had been a long time. We're so techy these days and techy living has created a culture of "down lookers". We look down at computer screens and phones and watches and floors (because eye contact is WAY too much interpersonal interaction).

That day on the beach, lots of "down lookers" became "up lookers". Watch out, I just pulled my soap box out! I want to propose that we've lost something - taken steps back as human beings with the invention of techy toys even though we claim these inventions as "progress".

Here's what I think we've lost. When my grandparents got together with other couples they played cards and board games or worked puzzles. Now often when we gather with other couples we play Wii and maybe an occassional board game, but it's often fast paced and full of timers. I'm speaking to myself when I say that we've lost appreciation for slower relationship and entertainment. Families no longer gather around radios to all listen to the same show or talk over a card game. Truthfully, we often end up in separate rooms being individually entertained with TV or texting or video games. Why don't people read aloud to each other anymore? Why do people feel so efficient and yet so stinkin' lonely? I offer that it's because despite the efficiency, they somehow still have no time for real relationship.

I'm not suggesting we all give up technology. I need to confess that I'm getting an iPhone this week for the first time so I may be plunging even deeper into this techy trap! I'm also blogging right now. The reality of blogging is that I am crafting a conversation with you through my keyboard and on my own. What I'm offering is that we remember to do the slower things like read aloud to each other, really talk to each other face to face not just through tweets and status updates. The fact that we call social interaction "tweeting" just sounds ridiculous if you think about it long enough and "status updates" sound like official press releases of our lives. There's a lack of warmth and home and dare I say...genuine relationship.

As I flew that kite I felt so relaxed (the waves crashing beside me helped a good bit!). As I watched other people stop and stare at the kite, I marveled at how such a simple thing could hold the attention of so many for as long as it did. In a world of "down lookers" what if we were like the kite swaying and diving in the wind - the Holy Spirit kind of wind? What if our mere existence made people look up and enjoy and marvel at what God can do with a normal, simple person? Lots of questions today.

What did you expect? I had a LOT of free time to think on the beach...stay tuned.

Every Day Birthday

Today is my birthday. I'm 31. I am no longer 30, I am now IN my thirties. Yes, it's different. Still laughing at me? Well, okay, but I'm just saying - I'm in my thirties. I am now fully separated from my twenties. I've decided that I am not going to hide my age - ever. I always laugh when people who look 45 say they're 29 (psst...nobody believes you anyway - just fess up!). So, you heard it here...I just committed to always saying my age - yikes!
Birthdays are so interesting and everyone celebrates them differently. Some people are HUGE birthday people. These types create birthday weeks, or if permitted, birthday months! They adore the celebration of them - and who could blame them? Since I've been awake today anytime I would think, "I would really like to...", my next thought would be, "Hey! It's my birthday! I might actually get to do what I want today - sweet!" Isn't that funny? Just because I was born on this day, thirty-one years ago (see, I said it again - so far so good), I think maybe I can get my way all day. Hilarious! I have two small children...quit dreamin'!
What if we celebrated each other every day? I mean, truly, I'm glad my friends and family were born every day and not just on their birthdays. What if each day we served each other like many of us get served on our birthday? I bet I'll hear at least a few times today, "It's your birthday, it's up to you." So what if each day I said to Dock, "It's your day" everyday? Think about it. If his attitude was "It's your day" to me and mine "It's your day" to him. Nobody would lose.
I really think this is why Jesus encourages us so often in Scripture to "consider others better than yourself" (Philippians 3). Then, the passage describes Jesus' attitude by saying that even though He was in "very nature" God, He did not "consider equality with God something to be grasped." In a nutshell, Jesus could have pulled a whole bunch more favors and "I'm better than you" cards - and been accurate in doing so, yet, He humbled Himself - "made Himself nothing." This is the attitude of Christ - others before ourselves - others better than ourselves. I think we most often grasp this when we celebrate birthdays. So what if we gave each other an "every day birthday". I'm talking about a "you before me" day - every day. Sounds REALLY hard. It also sounds REALLY Jesus.
I'm going to try to do this today. I'm not guaranteeing I'll do it perfectly, but I'm going to pray that the Spirit will enable me to give others around me an "every day birthday" today. Want to join me? Come on - it's my party, I can ask if I want to!

Heat Wave

Is it me, or is it hot outside? Not that I'm complaining. If it's going to be summer, it might as well be hot, I'm just not used to all this hydrating, slip n' sliding, plant watering, and sweating. I think it's funny how we have to wind down to settle into winter and wind up to get into the swing of summer. Our energy levels seem to follow the changing seasons.
I loved summer as a child. The pool, the popsicles, the family visits - so many things to just ENJOY. This is Avery's first summer home after being an "all day" school girl this past year. We'll see how it's going to go, but I have a feeling that if I get a nickel for every time I hear, "I want somebody to play with", I will be rich by mid-August!
We're moving ahead into the second and last week of the "Boomerang" series at Southland and it's about walking with the wise in order to be wise. Who do you plan to "play with" during your summer down time? How have you chosen to invest in making connections with people who can speak wisdom into your life that you cannot gain on your own? Maybe as things heat up and potentially slow down you could start taking inventory of who is in your life and whether or not you have some wisdom pouring into you from those relationships. I really believe God desires us to have and value wisdom and so if you find you are lacking these relationships, I bet if you ask for one, God will provide it at just the right time.
Sound like an optimist? Well, I am. Glass half full type of gal sitting here. For the life of me, the whole glass half empty thing just makes me not want a drink at all so I go with the half full. God wants what's best for you. So much of His wisdom is available to you ALL the time - The Bible. Maybe your poolside reading could include just reading portions or books of the Old Testament like novels. Trust me, plenty of the books in there read like one.
For many of you, summer looks much the same as the rest of the year. Work in the week, rest (or attempts at rest) on the weekends. No worries. Most of us are there. I hope that as it's lighter later in the day you have more outside time than you ever dreamed and I hope that you find or utilize wise people to walk with you. Happy Summer!

Panting Like a Dog on a Louisiana Sidewalk

I am busy this week. REALLY busy. All the things going on are good and not even particularly stressful things, just a whole heap of things. I feel "winded" internally. Almost like my internal tongue is hanging out and I need a good glass of water and a fan, or like I need somewhere to just sit down, settle down and get up refreshed.

We're headed into a series at Southland called "Boomerang". It's going to be a lot of fun and talk about some practical yet impactful stuff. The first week is about getting refreshed from refreshing others. Isn't God good? He lets us benefit when we benefit others. Doing good feels good. Doing good also helps us get over ourselves and stop thinking about our concerns, our fears, our "stuff" and just do something that matters for someone else.

So while I'm panting like a dog on a Louisiana sidewalk internally this week, I'm thankful. A lot of what's making me "winded" involves doing things for my family (like going on a field trip tomorrow - eek!) and encouraging people. I know two things: I will sleep well this week (because I'll be exhausted), and I will have done some eternally important things - not because I'm so great, but because God gives me the option to do things for Him, to follow Him, obey Him, and in all of it to know Him and His love for me more. Good grief He's a good God!

Who needs a glass of cold water from you this week - or a breath of fresh air given to them by your service or your encouragement? There's probably at least one small thing (and those are usually the biggest things!) you can do for someone else this week.

For those of us who are married, maybe it's doing something for your spouse you used to do when you first dated like flipping up his windshield wipers. Yeah, that's right. Nothing flirts like raised windshield wipers! Some of you know this and you are laughing right now...I hope. Otherwise, the weirdo I am has just been publicly confirmed! In all seriousness, what little thing could you bring back this week from early in your relationship? Or, if you're not up for that, what could you start to pray for your spouse this week?

What if our lives were like lemonade stands giving refreshment on a hot day - except that instead of receiving money for the lemonade, we received refreshment ourselves? Somehow, some way - like someone brings you a blizzard. Yes, I'm talking about blizzards again. (Random info: Dock's birthday is this week so he got the buy one get one free birthday blizzard coupon. All his text said today was, "I got the buy, one get one free blizzard coupon. You in?) Uh, yeah. Butterfinger here I come!

So back to the upcoming series at Southland; it's going to be great. Get a head start and be thinking about what you could do to refresh others even before you hear the sermon...embrace your inner over-achiever and go for it! The revolving door of refreshment is just waiting for you to walk in. Pet the dog on your way out.

Just Between "You" and "Me"

I had a brief experience with Mattie this afternoon that made me think. I have not been feeling myself for the past few weeks. Just not "me" and this annoys me greatly. When I am not "me" I feel like the universe of our home is altered. Dock gets weirded out because I'm quiet (yes, that's more the exception than the rule) and my kids (who don't miss a beat) notice too and somehow react by becoming more clingy. And then it becomes the chicken or the egg debate as to who's fault it is we're all a little off balance!

So today I woke Mattie up from her nap to go get Avery from school. Mattie was VERY sleepy and as I carried her to the car she wrapped two soft little arms tight around my neck and buried her head into my shoulder. That was the most comforting moment of my day. And, in that moment I felt the most "me" I've felt in a while. I am a mommy. I like who I am as a mommy and it felt good to remember a piece of my normal "me-ness".

By now, you know I love a good application so here goes: Where can you find a piece of "you-ness" today? Maybe this is a season you wish you could bury yourself in a hole and only come out when it's done. Maybe this is an awesome season, but you're busy and all of who you are is tied up in all you do. Maybe you have no idea what I'm saying and that's ok - you probably are not alone.

That moment of feeling like myself reminded me that grieving will pass. One day it will not hurt to remember Lauren like it does now. One day saying her name will not bring tears to my eyes, and the biggest "one day" of them all...One day I'm going to see her again. The truth is, in light of setting my mind on things above (like I've been learning lately - see Col. 3:1-2) I'm really not myself anyway. Scripture says when we see Him [God] we will be like Him for we will see Him as He truly is. None of us in Christ are our true selves yet. That's to come.

If you do not believe in Jesus, trust me, I understand wondering about the reality of heaven and even at times, wondering if the whole story of the cross and the resurrection could really be true. I understand, but boy do I believe. Each time I have asked God to show me that He's real - He has been faithful, and He will be faithful to you in the best way for you, too. If you do not believe in Jesus I want to tell you something that I could not stop saying in the days after Lauren suddenly passed away: "You have to know Jesus. You just have to" - because when life gets really hard and there's stuff that happens you can't explain - all the roads you take to find the "meaning" of it or to find out who you are will just lead to nowhere and nothing. They really will, and I'd stake my life on it.

I hope you find a moment in your day to feel very "you" and that you like who you are - because God loves you for you. He staked His life on it.

Crash Test Dummy

Random question: What would the life of a crash test dummy look like? I mean, would the nobility of keeping mankind safe outweigh the impending doom every time someone straps you into a moving object and directs you towards a brick wall?

Can you imagine what the union would look like for crash test dummies? The contract would negotiate only so many crashes per month, complete rebuilding coverage with low co-pay, and so many days on the warehouse shelf (a.k.a. vacation days).

Yes, I know I already admitted this was random. There is a connection, though.....wait for it, wait for it... OK, here goes. Are we not all a bit like crash test dummies sometimes? Sometimes we keep getting in the same sin pattern that just directs us flying towards a "brick" wall of destruction. And we keep getting in and getting in and crashing and getting in and crashing - you get the picture.

I'm willing to bet that all of us have thought, "I'll never overcome that struggle. I've had it as long as I can remember." That's a lie. The enemy likes it when you think like a crash test dummy and not a real, live child of the Most High God.

So what "sin" vehicle do you keep getting into that always drives you towards impending doom and disappointment and downright frustration with walking with God? And why do you keep getting in when you know what's going to happen?

Well, quite frankly, it seems easier. When sin entered the world, we became crash test dummies in our flesh, so, we often default to thinking like them. We even blame the moving vehicle (the sin) for being too present or we blame the "higher ups" who keep running us into those walls. We forget that in Christ - we are not crash test dummies, we are legitimate beings, living beings not destined for death but for life. We know how to use the brake pedal AND we know how to not get in the moving vehicle in the first place. We really do.

I need this reminder as much as any of us. Sin is not more powerful than us. The more we practice it, the harder it is to overcome, but it is still not more powerful than us. In John 16:33 Jesus says after describing his coming death, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." 1 Corintians 10:13 says, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." You are not tempted beyond what you can bear - any other thought is a lie meant to make you feel as though it's too hard for you.

I had a conversation with a teammate this weekend about that thought. She was talking with someone who mentioned that standing up for God was "hard." She reacted in her spirit with such a sadness and passion and explained later to her family that after Jesus "stood up" on the cross for all of them, it should never be "too hard" to stand up for Him against sin or the patterns of the world. I'd never thought about it like that.

So, fellow dummies (don't be offended, just saying that to make a point!), what are we going to do about this? Let's rally the union and say that we've had enough. We are NOT GETTING BACK IN THAT CAR! No more walls for us. In Christ, there's a better way, a way out and a richer life ahead. Better start polishing our resumes. We're going to need a new line of work.