God loves the "Rednecks" too!

My thoughts were very jumbled this week.  

I was planning on writing about something, but then after my church service on Sunday that left me in joyful tears I decided to write about that.  However, I couldn't come up with any adequate words to describe how I was feeling so then I just didn't write at all!  Just today though, as I was sitting in my beloved science class, I received a message from a good friend of mine who went to to Belize with me this summer and is from the good ol' redneck state of Alabama.

Roll tide.

So rather than leaving you confused by my thoughts that will only end up in run on sentences and confusion, I leave you with Part 1 and Part 2 of my friends blog!

God loves the "rednecks" too! Enjoy!!!

A Sign - Part 1
A Sign - Part 2 

-Courage, dear heart. C.S. Lewis

Lexi

Who actually reads the book of Hosea?

I was reading the book of Hosea recently.

I know.  It either sounds completely ridiculous or extremely intellectual because, either I'm completely nuts for reading the Old Testament or maybe I appear thoughtful because who actually reads the Old Testament?

I mean, seriously.  Lets be honest.  I've grown up in a Christian home and have been going to church since I was this wee little kid making Bible stories on flannel boards - does anyone even remember what a flannel board is? - and most sermons revolve around the more "recent" texts of Matthew, Romans, and 1st & 2nd Peter (which by the way are totally great and books of the Bible that should be read as well!).  And, I don't recall ever hearing a sermon on the book of Hosea!

So, who actually reads the book of Hosea?

Well, me.  And hopefully after this, someone will be inspired to read it as well.

The book of Hosea is about this guy, Hosea (I know, original), who is commanded by the Lord to go and marry a prostitute AND HE LISTENS.  If we're being totally real right now, no one in their right mind is going to marry someone they know ahead of time is going to run around on them like that!!!  Hosea has to be shaking his head at that moment! Like, really Lord, I've done all that you've asked and my reward is to marry and live the rest of my life with a girl who doesn't love me back and is going to continuously be unfaithful to me.

But Hosea has so much more faith in God - he marries this girl and continues to show love throughout this marriage to Gomer (his wife) even though she continues to cheat on him and sell herself to other men.  It gets to the point that one day, Hosea has to go to the market place and BUY HIS OWN WIFE BACK FROM OTHER MEN!

I'm, like, appalled at this point of reading this - how could Gomer continue to leave Hosea when all he does is relentlessly showing her kindness and loving her (Hosea 3)?! I'm so angry that Gomer keeps falling back into her sin pattern ... until it hit me that I'm doing the same thing.

No, I'm not selling myself the way that Gomer did but I have my own sin patterns that I fall back in.  So here I am, running around in my small world, making life about me, making the most ridiculous mistakes, not spending time with God, getting angry quickly with my family and friends, not having grace and love toward the jack-wagon that cut me off while driving in downtown Minneapolis yesterday ... and I forget that the God of the Universe relentlessly loves and pursues me every single day.

THAT is the ultimate love story!  That when I fail at giving faith, trust, and love to my relationship with Christ that he will stay faithful, trusting, and loving towards me.  Just as Gomer returned to Hosea, just as the Israelites returned to the Lord, we can return back to the God who created us in His image and loves us ever so dearly.

So who reads the book of Hosea?  Me. And you.  This is our love story because of God.



(Hosea 1 - 3)

-Courage, dear heart. C.S. Lewis

Lexi

Life is like the Big Mouth Vinnie Burger.

Life is like the Big Mouth Vinnie Burger.  Allow me to explain.

There is a bar and grille in my small hometown in Iowa and I can honestly say it's one of my favorite restaurants.  They have this huge burger - two hamburger patties, six onion rings, lettuce, tomatoes, tons of bacon, cheese, and this special sauce that I honestly don't know what's in it but it's so delicious I don't really care.  The point is that it is a huge burger!!!

So I happen to be home this past weekend and I went out to eat with my parents to Teluwut.  Also, something to know about me: I am actually the most indecisive person when it comes to ordering food at restaurants - most things I don't have a problem with being decisive but for some reason, I do with food.  This is how a typical process for me goes:

Waiter: Do you know what you want to order?

Me: Oh crappies, no!

Waiter: Can I start you off with something to drink?

Me: *orders drink depending on what others order*

Waiter: *brings drinks* Do you know what you want to order now?

Me: *scrambling over six different items* I'll order last!

*rest of the group orders, back to me, STILL HAVE NO IDEA!!!*

Me: Uh ... *say whatever first comes to my head*

Okay. You get the idea.  So I'm sitting in the restaurant with my parents, debating between six different items.  I order the Big Mouth Vinnie Burger.  In my defense, I ordered it because I wanted a burger AND onion rings so I figured I just order this burger rather than ordering an appetizer AND a burger. 

The waiter delivers my food.  My dad's jaw drops.  The thing is HUGE!  A knife is the only thing holding this bad boy together. 

There is no way I can eat this whole dang thing.  Except, all I have to do is break it down.  If I take off the six onion rings, I'm are already right on track.  It's only two patties, with the perfect amount of cheese and bacon.  The sauce doesn't over take the burger so the hamburger bun doesn't get soggy.  I eat the tomatoes separate so that takes care of some of the height.  Next thing you know, the whole burger is eaten - all I did was break the burger down.

This analogy can be applied to so many things.  Take for example basketball.  People can spend their whole lives looking through game film, studying all the X's and O's but the game of basketball is actually quite simple.  Get down in a defense stance and get a stop.  Then, the team that scores the most points wins the game so score more points then the other team.  Break it down - just play basketball.

It's also kind of like life.  All you have to do is break it down.



Let's be honest - life is not always easy.  There will be happiness and sorrow.  There will be immense joy and terrible heartache.  But that's life.

It's taken me 20 years but I have finally figured out a saying that I try to take with me and remind myself in all situations:

Love God. Love People. Influence the world. Stop planning and starting becoming; Becoming = Becoming more like Jesus because whatever I do, wherever I go, my story is a part of God's story.

That's not saying I won't always mess up or this saying is a perfect mantra, but when I break down my life like that, it helps to take away so much stress in my life.  While life is complicated, it is also very simple.  When I break it down, I am reminded that I am in fact NOT invincible and CHRIST is the one who is in control.



-Courage, dear hearts. C.S. Lewis.
Lexi