Melody She Wrote

Christians have this thing about early morning quiet time. Not a bad thing, just a thing. I'm not really a fan. But I try, because I acknowledge that there's something special about starting out the day hanging out with Jesus. But mornings are hard. I started this semester with really great intentions. However, even with getting seven hours of sleep a night, I'm still hitting snooze all the way through the hour that I said I would worship. I recently heard the following  verse from Psalm 9 quoted from the Passion translation: "When God shows up, I worship. And as I worship, the enemies flee." I'm a worship leader. I've been taught this concept time and time again. I believe this concept. It's not new . But today, I heard that verse, and God asked me the following question: "When will you do battle?" And I was reminded of all the battles I fought last week, battles I fought throughout the day and into the evenings. It was a...

I had the random realization today that I've never run a marathon. This is not a particularly odd fact. Many people--most people, probably--have not run a marathon. But I was writing an email and watched myself type the following: "I can't even dream of running a marathon." Which is of course very bad vocabulary to use when you are me. Because there is this part of me that pounces on statements like that. It is one thing for me not to want to do something. That's fair. I don't have to do everything in this life. {Besides, I can't.} But it is another thing for me to look at a thing and realize, "It isn't that I don't want to accomplish this thing, it's that it seems so impossible that my subconscious has refused to dream about it." I try to keep those things to a minimum, but today I found one I hadn't realized existed: "I can't even dream of running a marathon." When writing this email, I went on to say...

Well, I'm back. Back in the States. Facebook has exploded with congratulatory posts affirming me in my summer and return, commenting on how great of an opportunity I had, and generally remarking that it was the "time of my life." I only get one? That was my first thought upon seeing such a statement. What a glorious opportunity for you! Glad you enjoyed it--now it's time to settle down and reach for that mediocrity and normalcy we all long for. I'm sure that wasn't what my friends meant. They meant to be encouraging. They meant to be supportive. And I'm glad they said it, because it got me thinking and putting into words what I've always known to be true about myself: I intend to have the time of my life all the time. Having a great time--enjoying everything life has to offer--has nothing to do with where I am, what I do, who I know, or how I got there. My enjoyment and appreciation of my life is controlled by one thing: me. If I wake up, ...