Zebra Question

March: 
Be Involved- "In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around.  The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body..." Verses 4&5

Step One: Need Other People 
Step Two: Get To Know New People 

Step Three: Know Yourself

   Zebra Question

I asked a zebra,

Are you black with white stripes?

Or white with black stripes?

And the zebra asked me, 

Are you good with bad habits? 

Or are you bad with good habits? 

Are you noisy with quiet times?

Or are you quiet with noisy times? 

Are you happy with some sad days?

Or are you sad with some happy days? 

Are you neat with some sloppy ways?

Or are you sloppy with some neat ways?

And on and on and on and on 

And on and on he went. 

I'll never ask a zebra

About stripes

Again. 

- Shell Silverstein, A Light in the Attic 

If you can't tell, third graders are learning a few things about poetry right now. I read this particular poem in class today, and I want to know, are we Christ with some worldly ways? Or are we worldly with some Christ ways? Do we get our meaning from the body of Christ, or does the body of Christ get it's meaning from us?

This month's goal is to be involved, and as the verse says, "Each of us finds our meaning and function as part of His body."  I think that in order to really do this, we need to give ourselves a little evaluation: a zebra question.  

The Sunburn Sneak Attack

March: 
Be Involved- "In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around.  The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body..." Verses 4&5

Step One: Need Other People 
Step Two: Get To Know New People 


March is my favorite for many reasons. A few of those include: Houston rodeo, St. Patty's Day, March Madness, Spring Break, Spring, Jeep Weather... etc.  March is awesome.  But, one thing that I can always count on from March is the sneaky sunburn.  You know what I'm talking about, the accidental-just-talking-outside-in-the-pretty-weather-sunburn.  

While I gladly welcomed a little sun to my Irish/German paleness, I in no way expected to swelter hours later in stinging remembrance of the sun.  As I sit here, I can feel the heat radiating from my legs, through my jeans, and onto my arms.  March's sunburn sneak attack.  It gets me every year.

It's funny to me how sneaky a sunburn in March can be.  I guess it's because we've been cooped up all winter, and are just now baring our skin, but you would think a clear sunny day would give it away.  I mean, come on, it's not rocket science. Or maybe it is, something about rockets and the sun seem to go together. 

Here's how it happened for me today.  I went for a run, and if I'm honest, it was the longest I've ran. Ever.  Okay, it was 5 miles, but let's face it, that's a lot! (All of your marathon runners can keep the comments to yourself.)  I am training for a 10k with my friend Nicole, and today, I felt great.  Afterward, as I refueled, I sat by the pool and talked to my aunt Lisa.  It was a gorgeous day, and I basked in the sun, enjoying it's warmth.  It was perfect weather, and I never felt hot-- until now.  That sun crept up on me, and tricked me into believing it was as good as it felt.

I think pride is the same way.  In the beginning, feeling good about yourself feels great, like fresh Spring sun.  But, after a while, pride stings with regret. 

March's goal is to be involved.  My first step is to need others, but my second step is to get to know new people.  I recently attended a wedding with my friend Jill. She was gushing over the people she had just met stating, "I've met so many cool people here! Like people I would call to hang out with! I love meeting new people."  My response? Yeah, that's not my thing.  If I'm honest, I don't really enjoy meeting new people. It's kind of awkward, a little uncomfortable, and really, will you ever see them again? 

But, if I truly am trying to accomplish March's goal and verse, I need to meet new people. I need to remember that I am a part of a body-- Christ's body.  It's not just me and my awesomeness... or lack thereof.  

Chopped Off

March: 
Be Involved- "In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around.  The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body..." Verses 4&5

Step One: Need Other People 

A bowl of half eaten popcorn sat on the coffee table amongst remotes and lemonade cups.  Tinker Bell credits stood frozen, hidden on the powerless TV.  In the darkness, a small hand touched me on my arm, and then it happened again.  It didn't seem intentional, as it played with my elbow, and then my wrist.

"Turn over, Mia." I grumbled, sleepily. 
I heard her breathing, she was so close. 
"Hold hands!" She whispered.

I twisted my body through the tangled sheets, and pushed away the toy giraffe that shared the same bed.  Then, I wrapped her small soft hand in mine, and we slept through the night. 

And at that moment, it didn't matter that the popcorn was left out.  It didn't matter that only a few miles away, her baby brother had just been diagnosed with type one diabetes.  It didn't matter that his family wept for his suffering, praying that God take it away.  What mattered was that Mia, snuggled with a beloved giraffe and her Lala, was loved. 

And though I comforted her through a dark night, she comforted me in my fear.  How amazing a relationship with a three year old can be, and how debilitating pride can be. 

I know I'm late this month, and I didn't close out February.  But, I'm ready for March.  The goal this month is to be involved.  It's about unity, being connected instead of isolated.  It's about needing to hold hands with a three year old as much as she needs it. It's about realizing you can't do it on your own.

"But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we?" 

The Time My Pinkie Was Naked

February: 
Give Thanks- "I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him." Verse 3.

Step One: Tell Him Thanks.
Step Two: Thank Others.  
Step Three: Get Over Yourself.  



I knew my friend Ashley wanted a pinkie ring--a pinkie ring with a cross, silver, from James Avery.  When I went to get it for her birthday, I glanced around at all of the jewelry cases, loving the pinkie ring with a cross.  I secretly wanted to keep it for myself, but knew I could never do that.  After receiving the gift, Ashley wore the ring daily, and she knew I coveted it.  So, for Christmas that year, she gave me one just like it.  We were seniors in high school, but our rings were more than just "friendship" rings. By way of a vertical relationship with God, they connected us horizontally on Earth. Later, for graduation that year, we gave our friend Jill her own ring.  

And then there were three.  

All together now, "Awwwww!"

I wore my ring every day, on my left hand. Every day.  And, every time I would glance in it's direction, I was reminded of my dear friendships and how I cherished friends who loved God like I did. 

 My ring lasted all through college: It soaked in sweat, running the 2-mile track around ACU, dried off on countless trips in a topless jeep, acquired grease during midnight runs to Taco Bueno, warmed up holding hands with boys, sparkled during Sing Song moves, traveled the world- to Africa and Italy. My ring went everywhere. 

We drove around Abilene, in the jeep, with these faces.

 It survived my first year of teaching, when I didn't think I would myself.  It came with me to Houston, and experienced youth group trips.  It was at one such youth group trip that it first happened.  I think we were at Harding for Uplift, and if you've ever been to Arkansas, you know how hot and humid it is in the summer.  My fingers would swell, and then go back down inside buildings with air conditioning. Somehow, through all the back and forth with swelling, my ring slipped off my pinkie and rolled down the auditorium filled with hundreds of teenagers. I was devastated.  There was no way to find it, it was gone.  



I mourned the loss of my ring, and though I was sad, I decided I wasn't ready to let go. Upon returning to Houston, I found the nearest James Avery store and purchased the second pinkie ring with a cross.  Soon, it found it's place on my finger, like the other one had. It was shiny, perfectly shaped, and looked different on my hand.  My old ring had scratches, was a little dim (probably from all the sweat and Bueno grease), and shaped to my finger, forming an off centered oval.  It wasn't quite the same, but over the past few years, the new ring has had it's own adventures: soaked with frequent licks from Hurley, jaunting to Ireland, clutching the phone while catching up with friends, lots of baby squeezing.  It continued to hold the same sentiment as the previous ring, while I tried to forget I'd lost the real one.

Because who doesn't like to talk on the phone?

In November this year, I went to eat with my family at our favorite sushi restaurant. I reached into my purse to grab my phone, and realized my ring was not there. "Oh no," I thought, "How could this happen again?"  I had half the table on the floor looking, and I lost my appetite for raw fish (if there ever really was one) realizing it was gone.  This time, I didn't rush to the nearest James Avery for a replacement.  I guess in some way I felt that it was time to let go, sad as it made me.  


This weekend, I traveled to Abilene for Sing Song. I love this weekend! It is full of God, Family, Friends, and TACO BUENO (twice)! On the drive, I dug into my purse pocket for a rubber band, when something cold and metal slipped on the tip of my pinkie.  To my immense joy, it was my beloved pinkie ring, the one with a cross.  

For those of you wondering what Sing Song is about, we bawked in harmony.

Words cannot express how warm my heart was to find that ring (but maybe that picture does).   I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. My ring represents friendship, and that's what Sing Song weekend is all about. My heart is overflowing with thankfulness for the friends I have. You are blessings, and I'm glad you're in my life.



My experience with that pinkie ring reminded me of this parable:


"Imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she'll call her friends and neighbors: 'Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!' Count on it—that's the kind of party God's angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God." Luke 15: 8-10


What gets me about this story is the kind of "party" God's angels throw.  How great is our God? 

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see."

A Little Less Talk

February: 
Give Thanks- "I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him." Verse 3.

Step One: Tell Him Thanks.
Step Two: Thank Others. 
Step Three: Get Over Yourself.  

Today, I laughed.   I laughed from the inside, at a joke. The joke was between me and a one year old, but it was funny, and I laughed.  He got it too, and he giggled all over, showing brand new teeth.  No one taught him about humor, he doesn't need anyone to tell him how funny his Lala is (that's me, in case you didn't catch on).  We don't have kids sit around and discuss the whys, hows and whens of laughter. They simply know when to do it, how to do it and why to do it.  They get it.  Stuff's funny.


Why, then, do we sit and discuss Christianity-- the whys, the hows, the whens.... instead of doing it?  Shouldn't it come naturally, from deep within our soul, like a good laugh? 


I read this verse this morning out of Luke 6:9, "But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a dumb carpenter who built a house but skipped the foundation. When the swollen river came crashing in, it collapsed like a house of cards. It was a total loss.”

 The foolish man built his house upon the sand... 

The foolish man built his house upon the sand... 

The foolish man built his house upon the sand... 

And the rains came tumblin down... 

The rains came down... and the floods came up... 

The rains came down and the floods came up... 

The rains came down and the floods came up...

And the foolish man's house went.... SPLAT! 

Did you ever sing that song in Sunday School? The splat part was always my favorite. Talk about giggles from kids. It's about as bad as "... and if the devil doesn't like it he can sit on a tack."  That one was sure to render chaos.

Know what's scary?  "SPLAT!" is about to happen to us. Because the rains will come, there's no doubt about that.  Things happen all the time that rattle your faith, ruffle your feathers, and shake your foundation. 

What is the point of knowing verses and all the right answers, if we aren't going to act? If I can accept that God is the good within me, then at some point I've got to trust Him.  Playing it safe in bible studies isn't what was intended.  If God's goodness is given to me, then it should be natural to use the words of Jesus effortlessly, like laughing with a child. 

The thing is though, it's not.  It's hard.  My Romans 12 Project is about presenting my life as an offering to God. I'd like to add characteristics to my life that unfortunately don't come naturally. I get what Jesus is saying in Luke.  We can't just talk. We've got to walk.  

This Valentine's evening I had the pleasure of laughing with two of my sweet little cousins.  I'm thankful for them-- their preciousness.  They laugh from the inside, the way I want to live my life-- like the wise man... whose house didn't go "SPLAT".  I'd like to be a child of God who walks in the light instead of talking about it in the dark.

The wise man built his house upon the rock... 

The wise man built his house upon the rock... 

The wise man built his house upon the rock... 

And the rains came tumblin down... 

The rains came down, and the floods came up... 

The rains came down, and the floods came up... 

The rains came down, and the floods came up... 

And the wise man's house stood firm.

Vicks: 1, Mucus: 0.

February: 
Give Thanks- "I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him." Verse 3.

Step One: Tell Him Thanks.
Step Two: Thank Others. 
Step Three: Get Over Yourself. 


The hacking continues as my body angrily throws a tantrum in response to that ridiculous smoke episode last week.  Between coughs, it seems as though a mouse (we'll call him Mucus) squeaks in my chest.  A week ago, I proudly ran 2.6 miles (I know this via May My Run), and felt beyond fantastic. Endorphins are great when you don't keel over at the end. Tonight, however, I simply walked upstairs and was out of breath (Granted, it could have been from the giant Hershey kiss I smothered with peanut butter and ate, but that's a different story.) 


I find myself amazed at the power of Vicks vapor rub. No, seriously. Either it does it's job well, or I have some sort of addiction.  Those cool vapors saunter up through my nose and kick butt in my chest.  Vicks: 1, Mucus: 0. 


You know, you never really think about how healthy you are until you aren't.  I haven't had a cough in three years, despite it's frequent visits when I was a child who had asthma (and lived in a corn field, but whatever).  Tonight, though, I'm thankful for my health, squeaky cough, or not.  I am very healthy, and even when I'm not at my best, someone invented Vicks vapor rub to come to my rescue.

There are those who do not have health on their side.  In my prayers right now are two:  First, little baby Kynian, born at 24 weeks, just contracted Influenza A.  And second, sweet Laura, battling uterine cancer.  I pray for their healing, strength, and patience as doctors work to help them. 


Our bodies are complex and amazing things, and our God is an awesome God.  He's like Vicks, but for every illness.  Say a prayer tonight for those you know struggling in their health. 

"Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power and love
Our God is an awesome God"

All That And A Bag Of Chips... And Some Dip

February: 
Give Thanks- "I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him." Verse 3.

Step One: Tell Him Thanks.
Step Two: Thank Others. 
Step Three: Get Over Yourself.  


"The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him." 


Mistake #1-  Trying to make a fire last week and breathing in smoke, even though your body said to stop.
Mistake #2- Shopping in Wal-Mart, and deciding not to buy more creamer. 
Mistake #3-  I coughed all night because of the darn smoke, I'll just push snooze twice.
Mistake #4-  Who can drink coffee without creamer? I'll just use a gift card and run through Starbucks. 
Mistake #5- Oops. You have a parent conference this morning. Way to be late. 
Mistake #6- Now your coffee is cold, because you had to make up for lost time talking. 


Somehow, after that, it was a downhill slope full of mistakes.  And when I mess up, I mess up big.  I ended up apologizing ten different times--at least-- and to all different people! Some of them were honest mistakes, and some of them were simply impulsive.  A day later, I reflect on some of those actions and wonder to myself, "What were you thinkin?" 


It's kind of funny how many self-help books there are out there. In fact, there is a whole section in the book store! Why is it so hard for people to know themselves? Why do we need to see therapists and have someone else explain it? It would seem that knowing yourself would be an easy thing, but strangely, we struggle with it.


While I don't pretend to know the answers, I do think about the latter part of this month's verse.  "The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us."  It serves as a reminder to me that a) I am not good, b) God is good, and c) God "does" for me.  The good in me is from Him. 


Mistakes are frustrating.  But, mistakes usually happen when I am trying to control something that I shouldn't.  Mistakes happen when I think I know what I'm talkin about.  Today, I'm thankful for mistakes and their ability to humble me.  Step three for this month's goal: Get over yourself.  A little humbling never hurt anyone, and maybe my mantra for this month should be, "I am not all that and a bag of chips. I am not all that and a bag of chips. I am not all that and a bag of chips."


But know who is?  God. Lyrics to praise with: 

"Blessed be Your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
And blessed be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
And blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name
And blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord blessed be Your name"