Friday Finds.

Happy Friday!

"All my bags are packed I'm ready to go"

...song reference?

As of about 11:00pm today, I'm I-40 East bound! I have a job interview for a summer position at a daycare in Wilmington!

Here are some urgent, important, worshipful articles I discovered this week...

(confession: or last week)

...check them out!

1)  This is awkward, but...how's your present?

Ben Reed, small groups pastor at Grace Community Church

"Talking about your present struggles is like swallowing a spoonful of medicine.  You know it's going to help, but it tastes rancid going down."

2)  Otherness

Jen Wilkin, mother, writer and member of The Village Church

"This world is not our home.  We are sojourners, travelers on our way to the only true comfort the human heart can know.  I will not help you populate your life with things that lessen your grip on this reality...because I love your Heavenly Father above all else.  And I will give an account to Him for whether I have raised citizens of Earth or citizens of Heaven."

3)    Should Christians Boycott Starbucks?

Dr. Russell Moore, Dean of the School of Theology and Senior Vice-President for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

"The argument behind a boycott assumes that the "rightness" of a marriage definition is constituted by a majority with power.  Isn't that precisely what we're arguing against?"

4)  When Prayer is a Struggle

Tresta Payne, mother.

"But this is a Friday with new mercies and why not pancakes?  They come out of their rooms confused, but thankful.  
That must be the joy -- thankful confusion."

5)  When Foot Washing Is Not About the Feet

Elyse Fitzpatrick, biblical counselor

"We need to wash one another, to carefully probe, cleanse, disinfect, and heal each other, and this isn't something we can see clearly enough to do on our own.  We need the eyes and hands of others."

What are some great articles you've read recently?

Thankful Thursday.

I am prideful.  And because I struggle with pride, I am highly susceptible to self-pity.  Class work, readings, projects, emails, leadership positions, babysitting, struggling to be an attentive and emotionally engaged daughter, sister, friend, small group leader, and girlfriend...

Momentarily, I think my life is hard. Certainly I never verbalize it nor does the explicit thought run through my mind, but my heart is satiated with self-pity.

So focusing on some of the bajillion ways God loves me is a discipline in which I need to invest.  

Things I am thankful for this week:

1.  Farm time last Friday.

2.  I realized am verbalizing the fact that I want to control not only my life, but other people's lives.  AKA I distrust God and want to sit on the throne.  So incredibly dangerous.

3.  Beautiful NC weather!

4.  Worshipful, sanctifying lunch dates with some of my favorite girls :)

5.  Starbucks date with Laura & Morgan on Sunday afternoon.

6.  Powerful runs this week--such a release.

7.  Late night texts from Daddy :)

8.  Small group on Tuesday night since we all went home Wednesday!  We met at Royal Bean Coffee instead of my dorm room for a change of pace :)

9.  Dwelling on God's glory / Being sobered every time I read the Word.

10.  Trey & Ashley (my younger siblings) are on their spring break this week--which means hanging out with them during the day, not just when they get home from school/practice.  Words cannot express how happy I am about this and how God has already used this extra time just by being at home less than a day.