the Word became flesh

in the midst of the Christmas season i find myself nostalgic.

i grew up in a baptist church in West Virginia that's known for it's great Christmas productions and Christmas Eve candlelight service. My brother played Jesus was he was a baby, and I've been a part of it many times.
a few years ago, i had gotten really involved in my campus ministry, and had really grown my relationship with God throughout the year. i remember that Christmas, one of our pastors, Jim McGehee, reading the Christmas story as part of the play (which is the same EVERY year..i've heard it in the same way 22 times). As he read that ever so familiar passage in John, "the Word became flesh and dwelled among us," I finally really heard it. After years and years of hearing it from a million people a million different ways, I sat in my seat that night and finally understood the miracle of Christmas:

The Word became flesh.

I watched the child playing Jesus and became overwhelmed.

The Word became flesh.

that was a moment i had with God that i can't really put into words. it's a moment i'll have forever and i'll never forget.

So while you're enjoying your egg-nog, Christmas story marathons on TBS, and memories with family and loved ones, I pray that God shows you Christmas in a new light.


"The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved in among us.
We saw the glory with our own eyes
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son.
Generous inside and out,
true from beginning to end."

John 1:14 The Message

apple crosses.

 i feel like i have a million profound things to say...

   but i really have nothing. 

   sometimes i have moments where i have to take a step back and remind myself that this is my life now. sometimes i get in this pathetic mindset where i'm thinking of all that i've given up. 

  today i had a moment..

  i stepped back and had that "this is my life" thought. 

  but today it was different. 

  today it was fun. 

  for the first time i wasn't apathetic. 

  i realized i haven't given up anything, 

  but rather God has given me the opportunity to do so much more. 

  wow... He loves us. oh, how He loves us. 

  

this is my life. 

     i have a smile on my face, 

      the peace of God in my heart, 

       and more excitement than ever in my life. 

this is God. 

 

  i am changing, 

  less and less asleep.

   made of different stuff than when i began

swallow your pride.

don't let your lip react. you don't wanna see my hand where my hip be at. 

wild, wild west...

will smith?

anyone? ok...anyway...

can i be real with you?

ok, good.

   today anna, ashley, caed, and i went to the campus of elon here in burlington to hand out cards and spread the word about trailhead church. 

   you can imagine how intimidating it is as a 22 year old to walk around a college campus trying to tell students my age about Jesus. 

   that's terrible. i realize that. 

   i glued myself to ashley's side and walked around with cards in my back pocket as she smiled and handed them out. things were going great! ashley was getting all good reactions, and it didn't really even occur to me that i wasn't doing anything at all. i would occasionally smile awkwardly to an oncoming student that i could've easily handed a card. i remember ashley looking at me at one point and mentioning that all her pride was gone. it didn't phase me at all. 

   after about an hour, we had to drive to a nearby gas station for a potty break and i thought we were off the hook. an hour was productive...let's go home, right? wrong. we headed back to campus and i found myself back in the plaza with ash. this time she was on the phone...and i could no longer glue myself to her side. i mean i guess i could've, but i would have looked ridiculous. well, more ridiculous than i already did. 

   my first reaction was anger. why was she on the phone anyway? this was way more important. (what crazy stupid thoughts we have when we let pride step in)  i childishly stomped away and down the sidewalk and walked past at least 10 students before i realized what on earth i was doing... 

   i stopped, took a deep breath... and thanked God for salvation and the opportunity to share it with others. 

   why am i telling you this? i have no idea...because it's embarrassing. it's so easy to let pride get in without even knowing it's there. how ridiculous that i would be ashamed of the One who gave me life. 

   Jesus is my heartbeat. 

   He is everything and so much more. 

   oh how i take it for granted everyday. 

   

cliche'? yeah.

so today when i made this blog i thought "i really need a sweet headline."

   i hastily came up with 'this is His song,' in a slight panic that i would be late for work on my first real day. i decided i could always change it later. 

   i thought about it all day long:

                 this is His song. 

   i kept thinking about what it means to sing His song.

   i'm singing God's song. 

   i've completely surrendered my song to Him. 

   it's His. 

   He doesn't just complete me, 

   He is me. 

   i realize that sounds creepy.  

   i used to think it was creepy, too. 

   i am so full of Him that i am no longer myself. i am so full of Him that when i think about Him, sometimes i get short of breath. 

   completely overwhelmed. 

   being overwhelmed by God is my favorite feeling in the world.

   so overwhelmed you want nothing more than to feel His embrace. 

   so overwhelmed that you can't think straight. 

   so overwhelmed that you can't breathe. 

   so overwhelmed that you want to quit your job and praise Him all day long.  

   so overwhelmed you don't know what else to do...

 but sing His song. 

  

finally crossed over!

   I finally decided to cross the bridge from myspace blogs and facebook notes to a real blog i guess. i'll be honest, i'm not that great of a blogger...although i highly recommend Adam Davis's

   But here we are and i'm excited to share my thoughts and experiences with those of you that are bored or weird enough to inquire!