Have No Fear Little Flock

When I was a little girl I loved being called "little" by my dad. He didn't do it in a condescending way, rather in a way that let me know he would always protect me. "You'll always be my little girl," he'd say. And I felt special and loved and looked after. I am no longer a little girl, but the same need to feel special, loved and looked after remains.

When I was young, I didn't worry or become anxious over whether or not I would have dinner on the table. I wasn't concerned with money or clothes or with much at all - because I knew my parents would take care of it. I had such great assurance of their love, that it wasn't something I had to convince myself of or discipline myself to believe. It was simply true. But I grew up and became so wise. Now I know better than to trust in the love of my Father. I know better than to release control of my finances. I know better...

"And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you." - Luke 12:29-31.

The culture has taught me to worry, to be anxious, about anything and everything. In fact, if I'm not stressed out a great deal of the time, I must be one of those naive people who will eventually fall harder than the rest. But it is impossible to love Jesus and not have the Kingdom on your mind. The question is how much it is on your mind. So many worries and concerns have taken the place of the Kingdom.

"But seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you." To seek the Kingdom is no small thing. It is a giant task - one I often feel ill-equipped to do. But..."Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom." (vs. 32) There it is again - the loving, reassuring voice of God. There is a reason Jesus said "little." It is not to show us that we are small (well maybe), but that He is big. He is more than capable, the keeper of all things, the Perfect Love that casts out fear. And it is His good pleasure to give me the Kingdom. He knows that He is asking me to differentiate myself from the culture, that at times I will be ridiculed for my standards, that there will be moments where all I will have is Him.

But that is all I need. "Have no fear, little flock, have no fear."

Getting serious...

So it's 11:04 on Christmas Eve and I'm still 5 years old inside. I can't go to sleep and I'm wondering what's in my stocking and I just want to lay on the couch and stare at the Christmas tree all night! In fact that is one of my very favorite things to do - just sit and stare at the lights on the tree until my vision goes blurry and I have to blink. I don't know what it is about that darn tree but it captivates me!

I was doing my Bible reading earlier today and I realized - today we read through the crucifixion! Hmm...doesn't sound very Christmas like, I mean what happened to the shepherds and angels and "Glory to God in the Highest!"??? But as I read, the story of Christmas unfolded in a new way to me. Granted, I've always known that it starts with a baby and ends with a resurrection, but reading it on Christmas Eve just seemed fitting.

If there was one word I could choose to describe Christmas it is 'wonder.' What even is that? Well (nerd side approaching) I looked it up and here's what it means: The emotion aroused by something awe-inspiring, astounding or marvelous. Yep, Christmas is chock full of wonder. The fact that my God came as a baby with the purpose of agonizing death to save my wretched soul is beyond my comprehension.

I'd say that's pretty marvelous...

Okay, question time! What's on your mind this Christmas Eve?

He put my stapler in jello!

Enough said...

Bustin' A Move

Of all the exciting, adventurous, rewarding and thrilling things you could do in the city, dancing in public is for sure one of the best! It has a way of taking all that you are - all that is cool and all that is not and blends it together into a crazy rhythmic outburst of flailing arms and fluid footwork. Sadly, the single most important part of the public dance is often overlooked: the facial expression. I find that it's best either to look as crazy as possible or as completely sane as possible. You've either got to look like your body just took over and you're not sure what's going on or you have to look like all your hopes and dreams - your entire purpose in life comes down to this dance! Concentrate, close your eyes and feel the music (even if there isn't any). For in the dance is when life really makes sense.

I recently experienced this in the great city of Portland (see pics below!). The day was full of dancing - dancing with the sax-playing, tap-dancing street performer, dancing with Theo - another street performer outside of the Rose Quarter, dancing all over that town! If you've never tried it, you are truly missing out. So the next time you hear some music and you just gotta dance - let loose! Go crazy! If nothing else, you'll at least give somebody a great story to tell.


Annalisa giving in to the "dragon's breath" dare...


Crazy lady! This muchacha sure had some interesting moves...

I Hate myspace...

I do...I really, really do. And I've been pressured by everyone from 180 kids to college roomates to break down and just get one. People keep telling me it's such a great way to keep in touch with people. But I refuse! I will not be conquered! In saying that, however, I do think that I need a more effective way to keep in touch with people and the blog world has always interested me. It's something I would enjoy doing even if nobody ever reads it. So here it is - I am officially an online girl. Those of you who know me are probably shaking your heads right now thinking, "She'll never post again. This will fail and she will cave to myspace." NEVER! Truth is, I have no idea how often I'll post - this is all really new to me. But I hope to do so often enough to keep those who care in the loop. So old friends, new friends, family and all the rest: enjoy!