Costco sized bag of spinach

Along with the two bags of frozen spinach I bought at WinCo (which have since been turned into purée), I bought a Costco sized bag of spinach with my roommate.  Needless to say, I have been eating a lot of spinach lately.  I have spinach salads, spinach sandwiches, spinach soup, sautéed spinach, spinach sloppy joes, and even made brownies (two batches) out of my puréed spinach.  If I can find a way to put spinach in it, I will. 

It began as an effort to be healthier, turned into a need to use up my surplus of spinach before it goes bad, and has ended in an actual desire to have spinach in nearly all my foods. 

Like my recent affinity for spinach, which began as a chore, turned into a necessity, and resulted in a genuine “passion” (as much as you can have “passion” for spinach), my faith gone through a similar cycle. 

I remember accepting Christ into my heart out of a desire to be “healthier.”  I wanted to be saved from my sins and God was the answer.  As I grew in my walk with Christ, I began to recognize the need I had for genuine and true faith.  Like I put spinach in everything, Christ suddenly became the necessary ingredient to everything in my life.  As time passed and this became a habit, I noticed a sincere desire to have Christ as the driving force of my life.  I recognized the true goodness it brought.

I like spinach.  I like the way it tastes, I like knowing it provides me with good nutrition, I like that it can easily be added to most meals. 

I’m in love with my Savior.  I find comfort in knowing the salvation He provides is certain and unwavering.  I rejoice in knowing that He has created me with careful thought.  I find peace in knowing that He wills good for my life and watches over me at all times. 

Eventually, I will come to the end of my mammoth sized bag of spinach.  The nutrient-rich, leafy goodness will disappear (and I will probably buy another bag).  But my faith will never run out.  In fact, it has the reverse effect: the more I use and lean upon my faith, the greater it grows. 

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6-7).

As I had my hand submerged in the toilet...

Since moving into my house, I have done some things I don’t generally do.  Or at least things I don’t generally do successfully.  Some of these activities include:

Hooking up my television to the cable.  When my efforts on this endeavor proved to be successful, I could barely believe it.  How in the world did I manage to make this work?!  These are the things I usually have Dad or some other more “technologically equipped” person do.  Last time I tried to do something like this (which was hooking my computer up to my printer), it took about 4 months to get the thing working… and I didn’t even do it, I ended up having a friend fix what I had done.

Fixing the toilet when it broke.  Yes, I have been here for just over three days, and the toilet is already acting up.  These are the things I generally have the big sis or the invincible Mom do.  First of all, it’s gross.  Secondly, if you read the previous paragraph, you know there’s a good chance I’ll mess up something like this more than it already is.  BUT, I pulled off the lid to the top compartment, saw the chain being all unattached, and knew I had to take matters into my own hands.  I reached into the not-quite-clean-looking water, and successfully fixed the toilet, which is now flushing again.

Being especially homemaker-ish.  In these past three days, I have cooked and baked copious amounts of food, because of said cooking- have done lots of dishes, done the laundry, sanitized the kitchen, moved in my stuff and organized it all. These are the things I do on occasion, but not on the high frequency schedule like the past few days. 

As I had my hand submerged in the toilet tonight, I realized that God has equipped me with the skills and “courage” (hey, for me, sticking my hand in the toilet requires courage) I need to be living on my own.  I love how God provides even the smallest needs.

And then I was reminded of this past summer.  I was invited to co-lead a mission trip to Costa Rica.  Now if you know me, you know this is outside of my comfort zone.  I had only been camping once before (and not all that successfully), I had never been on a mission trip longer than about a week, and I tend to be a “homebody.”   But I said “yes” and had the most amazing summer of my life.   And God was faithful to equip me this summer. 

I could not imagine spending my summer any other way than in Costa Rica.  I learned so much about myself, about my God, and about life in general.  “Comfort” to me before this trip was having 13 kinds of yogurt to choose from in the fridge, a bathroom all to myself with 6 different kinds of perfume, a car at my fingertips at all times, and a comfy mattress with University of Washington sheets.  There were times during this summer that I missed these items, but I was never in need.  I had plenty of food, bathrooms that served the needs I had, shoes to walk in or buses to ride, and a cot and sleeping bag to rest in. 

When God leads me to any situation, good or bad, He always equips me.  Even when I think there’s no possible way I can get through it, I do.

Wherever it is that you go, God will go with you and provide you with all you need.  “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”  (Deuteronomy 31:6)

So wherever God is calling you or leading, fear not.  He is there with you and will never forsake you, even if you’re fixing a toilet.

Fake fish that are alive

I admit it.  I look at my “stats.”  Blogger keeps track of how many views my page gets, what posts are being read, how people find my page, and where the people who are reading my page are from.  I’ve had 1,662 views, my most viewed post is “I guess I didn’t come off as ‘campy’,” I’ve been referred by 10 different websites, and viewers have come from 10 different countries (including Slovenia, Netherlands, and Malaysia).  But the stat I find most interesting is the keywords people have typed into their browser that have brought them to my page. 

Among these keywords are “grocery store wet racks,” “barren orchids,” and my all time favorite, “fake fish that are alive.” 

Now when I think about the people who have typed in these words, I know they were not intending to get to my page.  We’ve all done this- been searching for something important (like “fake fish that are alive”), we click on what we think will be a helpful page, and it turns out to be some stupid blog or unhelpful site. 

But then I thought, “what if these people did read my blog?”  Maybe, by a google misguide, these people will get a little piece of Biblical truth.  Maybe something I have said will stick with them.  Maybe I can plant a seed. 

In our daily lives, we run across strangers everyday.  We interact with people (sometimes without even knowing it) and we make an impact on their lives.  We are the salt and light of this world. 

“You are the salt of the earth… you are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13, 14).  What we say and do is noticed by others, sometimes by accident (like that poor soul who desperately needed to know about fake fish that are alive who ended up at my blog).  So we must let everything we do be seasoned by our faith.  Always remember that we are Christ’s representatives and something little we do may end up playing a vital role in someone else finding Christ. 

Who knows, maybe in heaven God will have a stat sheet for us to see all the “keywords” that planted seeds in others’ lives: “was patient in the long line,” “offered help to the lady with a flat tire,” “smiled at me everyday,” “always found joy in every situation.”  You never know what little things you do that may have a tremendous impact.  

I think I have ended up where I need to be

Have you ever gotten lost while trying to get somewhere?  Has getting lost ever brought you somewhere even better?  Maybe a hole-in-the-wall bakery, a quaint park, or a road that goes beside a pretty creek.  A lot of the getting lost “experience” depends on attitude.  If you can laugh about it and embrace what you’ve stumbled upon, you just might find something better than where you were headed. 

 

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I need to be.”  (Douglass Adams)

I never intended to go to Corban University.  I had always dreamed of going to the University of Washington.  I remember telling my parents at the age of 13, “If I don’t get into UW, I’m just going to wait and apply again the next year.”  I did apply, I did get in, but I didn’t go.  I did not go where I intended to go, but Corban was exactly where I needed to be.

I never intended to be an RA.  I liked my private, loner life and thought being an RA was far beyond my comfort zone and capabilities.  But somehow in the whorl-wind of spring semester of my sophomore year, I applied and got a spot.  I did not go where I intended to go, but being an RA turned out to be one of the biggest blessings yet. 

I never intended to go on a big, out of the country mission trip.  I love being the “sender,” the one who stays behind and prays for those who go.  But an invitation to help lead a mission trip to Costa Rica landed in my lap and God gave me the courage to say yes.  This unintended destination even surprised my friends and family.  I did not stay like I intended to stay, but going is what I have been called to do. 

Have you ended up somewhere besides where you planned on going?  Are you currently feeling as if you’ve veered from your chosen path and are “lost?”  Just wait; hang on for a little while longer and maybe you’ll find that you too have ended up where you need to be. 

"I didn't spill it, it's not my responsibility"

Going to the movies used to be a magical event.  The theater was always bustling with "mature" teens I hoped to some day be like, excited kids, adults, awkward couples, and even grandparents.  The screen was bigger than any wall in my house.  And the theater itself was generally located somewhere “exciting” (aka: the mall).  For some reason, the magic seems to have faded.  I went to the theater yesterday and it’s just not how I remembered.  First of all, I did not realize it now costs $10 to see a movie ($13 for 3D).  Secondly, the seating in this particular theater was less roomy than most planes I have been on.  And thirdly, about three rows were graced by the presence of a large soda spill. 

We chose the row with the spill anyway, walked across the sticky floor, and sat in seats that avoided the sugary mess.  We watched as group after group passed up our row because “someone spilled soda!” Everyone saw the problem, everyone saw it as a problem, but no one actually did anything about it.  Movie-goers simply hobbled over the pod of seats adorned with soda or picked a different row altogether. 

I’m guessing the general mindset was “I didn’t spill it, it’s not my responsibility.”  Isn’t that a universal truth?  When we come across any problem that wasn’t directly our fault, we avoid it at all costs.  There are so many problems that surround us: people without food, clothes, and homes.  Families devastated by the loss of a loved one.  Kids without parents.  Entire people groups who don’t know God.  You didn’t create those problems.  But does that mean you’re off the hook?  I think James 2:15-17 begs to differ:

“Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith, by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” 

Taking action means giving effort.  If I cared enough to clean up the soda spill I would’ve had to go find the bathroom, grab some paper towels, and come back to clean it up.  But I was “comfortable” in my seat and didn’t want to stumble through the sticky, less than roomy row to deal with the problem. 

I hate the fact that some kids go to bed hungry every night.  But each night I go to bed a little overfed and less than eager to “solve world hunger.”  The effort it would take to find ways to help those kids seems like too much to add into my schedule of to-dos.

The reasoning here is lousy.  Just like finding a few paper towels (or even just finding a theater worker to clean the mess) would have been a simple task, finding ways to take action for problems like hunger, homelessness, and heartbreak is not really that difficult. 

So let’s stop thinking about the problems we hate to see in the world and start doing something about them. 

Has life got you in a lampshade?

My dog, Zoe, is currently wearing a lampshade on her head.  You know- those plastic cone things dogs have to wear so they can’t lick, bite, scratch, and whatever else. 

Zoe got “fixed” last week.  Unbenounced to her, she was taken to the vet, cut open, “fixed,” sewed up, and sent home not knowing what had just happened.  Within a day or two, one of the stitches came undone, got infected, and Zoe was taken back to the vet.  This time she came back with orders to wear the lampshade.  Throughout this process, Zoe has been forced to sit still (no jumping, running, playing, fetching, etc.), she has been yelled at to stop licking her infected wound, she has had underwear put on her to avoid said licking (which did not go over well), and now the lampshade.

We all joke about how Zoe is probably thinking “What did I do wrong?”  “Why is this happening to me?”  But the truth is, Zoe hasn’t done anything wrong.  As her owners, we were looking out for her own good by getting her “fixed” to prevent future problems.  AKA: we don’t want to have puppies.

Unfortunately, her animal nature took over so she licked, bit, and messed with her stitches… which is what led to the underwear, lampshade, and trip #2 to the vet. 

But Zoe doesn’t understand.  And she probably never will.  The current pain, agitation, and annoyance remains even though this is all for the best. 

Has life got you in a lampshade?  Are you wondering what you did wrong?  Take a step back.  Maybe the current pain, agitation, annoyance, or other problems are the result of God’s greater plan.  In all things, God is working for our good.  Sometimes the road to that better plan is painful, and sometimes we make it more painful by itching, scratching, licking, and biting our way through.  Our own reactions to the things we face in life have a tremendous impact on how we arrive at God’s plans for us. 

So these are my words of advice: stop fighting it.  The more we lick, scratch, and bite, the more likely we are to end up with a lampshade on our heads wondering what happened.  Let God be God and trust in his plans.  

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21).

Getting “fixed” probably wasn’t in Zoe’s plans.  But it was in ours and it prevailed along with a few unforeseen consequences.  What’s in your life that wasn’t in your original plans?  Stop thinking you’ve done something “wrong,” sometimes the path to the place God has for you just has a couple lampshades along the way.

16 clothespins, 1/2 roll of paper towels, and nylon rope

As I prepare for this trip to Costa Rica, I have been given a very specific packing list.  And I mean, specific. 

Some items make me think, why?  1/2 a roll of paper towels- separate into sheets and fit them in Ziploc bags, 16 small clothespins, nylon rope, 20 quart-sized Ziplocs. 

Some items make me think, how?  3 ounces of shampoo (how is that going to last more than 4 days?), 1 roll of toilet paper (I really hope this isn’t expected to last me 7 weeks), all things packed in a cardboard box no bigger than 62 linear inches (is this turning into math class?). 

Maybe it’s just my limited camping skills that make me look at this list and have a slight moment of panic.  Or maybe it’s just my human nature that desires comfort, familiarity, and awareness of what’s coming.  I have plenty of questions.  Questions regarding this packing list.  Questions regarding what this summer is going to look like.  Questions regarding my ability and preparedness. 

But I know this method is tried and true.  This missions agency I am going with knows what they are doing.  People have gone before me.  Things are going to be OK.

I bet Noah had some questions for God.  “Why am I building an ark?  Why are you asking me?  How am I supposed to build this ark?  How am I supposed to round up all these animals?”

I bet Mary had some questions for God.  “Why am I pregnant?!  How is this possible?  How do you expect me to explain this?”

I bet Job had some questions.  “Why are things going so badly?  What did I do wrong?  Are you going to save me from all of this?”

And Paul too.  “Why am I in jail?  How long am I here for?  Why is this my lot in life?”

But God’s methods are tried and true.  Sometimes we face things and wonder “why, God?”  Sometimes God puts seasons in our life that are filled with pain, loss, uncertainties, or other discomforts.  Sometimes we just don’t understand the packing list God gives.  But keep in mind that He knows best, He knows what works, He’s been there before, and He is working for good in our lives. 

So as I go into this trip and as I face things on God’s own packing list for me, I will trust.  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not upon your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).  The bottom line is that my own understanding falls far short.  As much as I’d like to know all the whys? and hows?, maybe it’s not for me to know right now.  

At some point at training camp or in Costa Rica, I bet I’ll have that moment of “Oh! That’s why I needed to bring this!”  The same is true for life- sometime down the road, you might have that moment of “Oh!  That’s what God was doing!”  So have a little trust and pack what God tells you to.  

Reading Colossians drinking a grande nonfat caramel mocha.

I run on treadmills.  They are great for knowing exact distances, pacing, and for the comfort of consistent elements.  I never worry about the weather when I am headed to run a few miles on the treadmill.  I never have to guesstimate mileage.  I simply put on running shoes, walk up to the gym, and run mindlessly for half an hour. 

There is nothing wrong with a treadmill run.  And it’s perfect for those busy days where anything longer than 30 minutes is impossible to fit into the schedule of “to-dos.” 

Recently I have been running outside.  We go to a nearby park with running trails that circle tennis courts, a football field, baseball fields, a playground, and a couple sketchy looking bathrooms.  There are big, beautiful trees, squirrels everywhere, people to watch, and trails that are padded with the most wonderful bark-like material that make my knees smile.  I have never enjoyed running so much. 

Time and miles seem to fly by; I sweat much less than I do while running in the balcony of a too-small, too-hot, sweaty, college gym; I get fresh air; I feel like I actually ran SOMEWHERE; and I get to have uplifting conversations with my good running buddies.  I actually get to put to use all the miles I’ve put in up in that smelly gym with less than pleasant scenery. 

There is a certain “realness” that comes with running outdoors.  There is something about these runs that is on a totally different level than any treadmill run I’ve ever been on. 

I still run on treadmills and they are great for practicing pacing, form, interval, and inclines to a preciseness possibly unattainable while running around a park.  But there is still no comparison to the tree-filled freshness of an outside run.

I read my Bible and find enjoyment, encouragement, and conviction.  I love when God brings me to the passage I needed most on a challenging day.  I love when a pastor gives a message that speaks directly to my heart.  But if I choose to read my Bible in the morning, or listen to a sermon and just store it away in my mental cabinet of “good things to remember,” I never get the “realness” of living the life we are called to as sons and daughters of Christ.

We are called to live lives driven by our faith.  It needs to be a real and constant force that compels our actions, thoughts, and motivations.  In essence, our lives should be like a trail run.  Soak in the goodness of all God has created and put in your life, put into use all that you have learned about God, and be real.  Our Christian walk is supposed to bring us joy (however, we all know we run into times of trial); joy is found in living out the life we are created to live.  Don’t let your walk with Christ be stifled to the 20 minutes it takes you to read through Colossians as you drink your grande nonfat caramel mocha in the morning. 

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Matthew 7:24

Like treadmill running, those times in the Word are great.  They help train us up as Christians in this world, and bring us closer to God.  But now it’s time to take all that training out into the real world.  Live out your faith.  Let Christ be present in your daily living.  There is no way running in the park would’ve been possible (much less enjoyable) for me if I was out of shape; Christian living would not be possible without creating a firm foundation in my relationship with Christ.

Treadmill runs and park runs go hand in hand for me.  One has helped bring me to the point where I can pace myself, run consistent mileage, and be confident that yes-I can run.  The other has helped me find true enjoyment and fulfillment in my training.  Find fulfillment in your faith- live it out. 

The hypocrisy of your car decor

I am not a fan of tailgaters. I’m not talking about the gung-ho football goers who make the parking lot smell of barbecue and fattening goodness, no I like those kind of tailgaters. The kind I am talking about are those people who feel they must drive so close to the back of your car that you spend the rest of the time they are behind you, looking in your rearview mirror. It’s almost like we think watching them in our mirrors will miraculously make them stop following so closely or somehow keep us from being rear-ended.

Unfortunately, I had a tailgater following me as I was making the drive to Salem to move back to school. I was in a particularly peaceful state of mind: listening to newly purchased music from itunes, had the breeze blowing in my hair, and was ecstatic to be headed back down south. However, this peaceful state of mind came to a screeching halt as my attention turned to concern for the rear end of my vehicle which contained my meticulously packed belongings.

This crazy lady followed me all the way to the freeway. Once we were on the freeway, I stayed in the right lane hoping she would zoom by me in the fast lane, relieving me of unneeded anxiety. She did exactly as I thought: cut over into the left lane, sped by me, and then jumped right back in front of me. What I saw on the back of her car made me laugh. She had a bumper sticker that read “WAGE PEACE.” Oh, really?

What good is it if we say things, claim to believe things, or even permanently attach bumper stickers to the backs of our cars if we don’t live them out? It is easy to say words. In fact, we often use too many words and don’t mean what we say.

We accept Christ into our hearts by proclaiming He is Lord, that we are sinners, and that we need His salvation. This is a huge claim we make. We say He is Lord, but do we mean it? Or do we mean it like that lady with the “WAGE PEACE” bumper sticker meant her claim to peace? Do we say one thing and live out another?

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess” (Hebrews 10:23). So what does it mean to “hold unswerving?” I think the answer is found in Luke 14:27, “And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Our claim to know Him as our Savior needs to be a daily choice to carry our cross. It is not a one-time application of a tacky bumper sticker. I’m not saying your can’t proclaim your faith on the rear of your motor vehicle, but I would advise you live out that proclamation or face being laughed at by fellow drivers who see the hypocrisy of your car décor.

But beyond our Christian bumper stickers and various other paraphernalia, we are automatically labeled as “Christian,” “Jesus freak,” “youth-group-groupie,” “Bible girl,” or however else the society around us perceives us. Regardless of their word choice, they are aware of our beliefs and we have the choice of living them out, or letting them be only words. You can’t wage peace by driving like a maniac, and you can’t claim Jesus as Lord by living a life of sin.