Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

YET WITHOUT SIN. I really can’t wrap my head around this one. If Jesus is God, then Jesus is also omniscient. Because of this attribute, He would not have to experience all temptations to know what they are or how we’d feel. Being tempted was His perogative. Saving us and loving us was His perogative.

During an online conversation with a friend who wishes to remain anonymous, the following conversation occurred. We had been discussing the great WW2 columnist Ernie Pyle, which led to a discussion about Washington, D.C. (not sure how it got to D.C….) and I commented on how the first time I went there I said I would live and work there someday. My friend said I’d have to be interested in politics. That stinking P word. He made a comment which led me to ask him what he thought a Christian’s role in politics should be.
He wrote the following six statements, and I really appreciate his point of view.

1. The Christian’s primary allegiance is to God, not the state; therefore, the Christian’s primary concern must be God’s kingdom and not man’s
2. Cultural reform will only come through the Gospel, not a Republican
3. The lesser of two evils is illogical in and of itself
4. Principle, not emotional or political attachment, should determine how you vote
5. National holidays, politics and political endorsements have no place in worship services or in the pulpit
6. This country is not a Christian nation, though heavily influenced by Christianity; therefore, to say the U.S. is righteous because it’s a “Christian nation” is bologna

One comment I made to him on #3 and #4 –to me, this is a pessimist v. optimist point of view. To vote by principle would be to support the candidate that best lines up with your political beliefs. So when Repubs voted McCain even though they didn’t like him, they used the excuse of voting for the less of two evils. But McCain, compared to Obama, best lined up with their beliefs. So how can he say that voting for the less of two evils is illogical but then say we should vote by principle. And he said: Third parties. My friend picked a candidate that was neither a Democrat nor a Republican but the one that lined up best with his political beliefs….So consider what the rise of the third party could do to our political playing field….but that is just another conversation to be had. Also another conversation to be had: actually knowing what your political beliefs are. Oh my word. Politics schmolitics.

Lots of people collect lots of different things, but almost everyone has a collection of t-shirts (or tee-shirts) whether they mean to or not. I have a specific drawer for t-shirts. The drawer is never organized but rather one splattered array of colors and memories from how or why I acquired that specific shirt. (Oddly enough, I don’t own any t-shirts from any 5Ks or 10Ks or 934857Ks. Hmmm…I better get on that.) When I need one, I reach in and pull one out. Chances are that for whichever function I’m wearing a t-shirt, color coordination isn’t absolutely necessary.

Buy cool shirts here or better yet, just type t-shirt into Google and see what happens.

If you like to design shirts, check these out: http://www.burakkaynak.com/works/t-shirt-sketchbook/

To quote Captain Jack Sparrow: “I love weddings! Drinks all around!” I love weddings too, but maybe not for the same reasons my dear friend Jack does.

Part 1: I think weddings are pleasurable dichotomies of uniformity and uniqueness; all weddings are inherently the same, and all weddings are inherently different.

I’ve always received a printed invitation on some sort of cardstock, but each invitation carried its own colors and design.
Every bride wore a white dress, but no bride wore the same one.
Every groom wore some semblance of a suit, but not one was the same.
The wedding party wore dresses and suits, but each dress’s and suit’s style and color were different.
Each ceremony included the bride walking down the aisle but always to a different piece of music. Some brides laughed, some cried and some smiled.
The brides and bridesmaids carried flowers, but I’ve never seen the same arrangment twice.
Some ceremonies are long, and some are short; but they all had vows, rings and a kiss (and those were all different too).
And it goes on and on.

Part 2: I love weddings for the same reasons lots of other girls do. A wedding is one extravagant compilation of things girls like (and not in any particular order): jewelry, men, parties, stationery, colors, dresses, shoes, hairdos, makeup, flowers, sentiment, music, dancing, decorations, food, cake, table settings, etc. These are all things we make hobbies out of or enjoy particularly, so OF COURSE a wedding is going to be the big deal it ALWAYS turns out to be.

How I Remember Michael Jackson

1. He performed for the Super Bowl halftime show in 1993. I remember my parents telling us he used to be black, which we kids couldn’t wrap our little brains around. “No way! No way!” The show was cool though.

2. That year, Free Willy came out in theaters and then on VHS (crazy–I first typed DVD and then was like “Whoa, wait…”). I watched the movie at my grandfather’s house on Christmas Day. There was a big party going on, but I was by myself in the guest room watching the movie (with the occasional break to refill my plate with some of the best chicken wings that I ever recall eating). Of course, the experience of Free Willy wouldn’t be complete without watching the music video at the end of the credits. What an inspiring song–”Will You Be There?”–and video–you can’t get much more thrilling (for a 7-year-old) than Jacko serenading as Willy jumps (and drips water) over Jesse to FREEDOM.

3. In 11th grade, I acquired a concussion while skiing. I wiped out. Big Time. I was taken to the hospital where I had to wait a little while in the emergency room. And who do you think is on TV being interviewed? The King of Pop of course! But I don’t think this particular interview had anything to do with music….I believe some of his alleged child molestation issues were surfacing. I was currently in an unstable mental condition, so watching him and trying to analyze what was being said was nigh impossible. Somewhere in the concussed part of my brain, the image of MJ on the TV screen has been forever implanted.

4. My junior year of college, a nice girl joined my society. She was from CA. And everytime she saw me she’d break out in an interesting rendition of “Billie Jean” for all around us to be privileged to hear. She even included her own little dance to the song. But it didn’t involve the Moonwalk unfortunately.

This post has stewed in my head for about a month and a half now, and I’m ready to give it a go. On April 13 of this year, my grandmother Marie passed away and went to heaven.  I ‘d lost a grandparent when I was five, so these emotions weren’t new, but they were a lot deeper and more compounded as I had 17 more years to spend with my grandma and a greater awareness of what was going on. The events leading up to and following her death are explicit testimonies of a gracious God.

I have to admit I’ve often been skeptical of testimonies that people give in chapel or church when they needed an exact amount of money and lo and behold, they find it in on the sidewalk or something like that. It wasn’t that I doubted these people; I think it was that I lacked the faith to believe in a God who paid close to attention to details (those details being what we do from second to second or minute to minute of each day; life’s “little things”). I know God is more powerful and awesome than I can ever write in a blog, and I know if He wanted to pay attention to details, He could. But I just figured He had more important things to do.

Well, a month and a half ago, I experienced divinely-provided detail after detail. My grandma passed away on a Monday. Her health had been failing that weekend; her death was expected. Periodically throughout the day my mom would call with updates, and I’d go to my car or cower in a corner in the break room and cry. Close to five in the afternoon, my mom called to tell me she had died; I knew what the call was when ”Mom” showed up on my caller ID. Thankfully it was the end of the day, so I quietly left work and drove home.

And here’s where all those little extra things that I doubted could happen happened: This particular Monday was the Monday before AACS, where a billion high schoolers relocate to BJU for the week. My younger brother and sister were among those billion high schoolers. I was probably the only one at school that day who was glad they were all coming. Death exponentially increases the need to be with family. And two of my family members, Natalie and James, were on their way. I feel bad that they had to find out about their grandma while crammed on a van, but they seemed OK when I talked to them. And when they arrived, they immediately made me feel better and very thankful.

We got to hang out together til Thursday when we’d all fly home together, which was another one of those details. I’m not a particularly huge fan of flying, and considering the cirumstances for why I was flying, I would’ve been absolutely miserable. But not with a 17-year-old sister and 15-year-old brother who made it a TON better.

So, we make it home. Things are OK. My older sister had arrived earlier in the week; she and my mom had been cooking and cleaning and going through pictures and making arrangements. My dad is hanging in there. He’s a strong dad, putting his hurt aside to make sure everyone else is OK.

My dad and I went for a drive together. Another detail which I won’t forget. He had just bought a new iPod, and wanted to show it to me. So, it was me and my dad and all his favorite songs growing up.

That night was the viewing. My grandma looked so pretty, and she was wearing the perfect outfit. My brother let me hold onto his arm; there are probably nail marks in it or something. Here is another detail: my grandma hadn’t really left any specific details for what kind of ceremony she wanted, etc. She had kept her membership at a local Catholic church, so my dad arranged for the funeral ceremony to be in the Catholic church, and then for our pastor, who my grandma also knew, to do the graveside service. Well, the priest threw a fit. I could only understand him being upset if he had known my grandma, but he didn’t. So, he said he would have to do both services or he wouldn’t do anything. The coordinator at the Catholic church was able to talk him into just doing the funeral service. But he held a grudge after that. Usually the priest is supposed to go to the viewing and do the Rosary, etc. but he didn’t come. And that was fine with us.

***Later on, I had a chance to talk to my dad in the kitchen. He had told me on Friday that she had gotten saved –three days before she passed away. He was with her in the hospital when she told him that she was afraid to die. He shared the Romans Road with her and the story of the thief on the cross. She said she didn’t deserve to be saved, and he said no one does, but it’s a free gift. So, she looked toward the ceiling and said repeatedly, “Lord, save me.” I was glad to hear this, but I pushed those thoughts aside. I didn’t want to be delusional about her salvation to make her death easier. So, I asked my dad–is it really OK for someone to get saved because they’re afraid to die? And what about all the things she didn’t do her whole life? And now she gets saved right before she dies? And is there some sort of formula of words you’re supposed to pray? He told me to consider the thief on the cross who was saved moments before his death after a life of crime. And then he told me that when she prayed “Lord, save  me” she was the most genuine he’s ever heard her. And this is what he said (I made him repeat so I could write it down verbatim) “Lord, save me-That is an irresistable cry in the ears of a merciful God.”  He told me if she didn’t get saved, then no one could. She asked God to save her. Period. And then he said, “If that isn’t enough, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I was in the hospital at one of the only times she was conscious and that she told me she was afraid to die.” So, needless to say, I was confronted with my doubt but SO THANKFUL to God for saving my grandma.

The next day was hard but still there were more of those details to demonstrate God’s presence. Typically, Catholic churches are on the dimmer side and tend to be kind of depressing. Since her funeral was the week of Easter, the church was bright and decorated with Easter lilies and ribbons to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Those flowers made such a difference. The weather was beautiful; the people were loving and caring. My brother and father were pallbearers, my sister Natalie read a Scripture passage, and my sister Leah read the most beautiful eulogy—Thank you Leah. You were so brave, and everyone needed to hear the beautiful details about  Grandma.

OK, this is the end. I can only give praise to the God Who gave extra peace to us that week, Who snapped me out of my faithless stupor, Who saved my grandma.

The end of Romans 8 (in the English Standard Version of the Holy Word): If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. FOR I AM SURE that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

My misunderstanding, my forgetfulness, my doubt, my abuse and my distractions will not separate me from This Love.

“If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, he would have sent an economist. If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, he would have sent us a comedian or an artist. If God had perceived that our greatest need was political stability, he would have sent us a politician. If he had perceived that our greatest need was health, he would have sent us a doctor. But he perceived that our greatest need involved our sin, our alienation from him, our profound rebellion, our death; and he sent us a Savior.”

- D.A. Carson

Maggie Nelson: [stands] Um, excuse me. I’d like to say something on behalf of George Knox.
Hank Murphy: What’s your name? What’s your business here?
Maggie Nelson: My name is Maggie Nelson. I take care of foster kids. One of these boys is the child who can see angels. He could stand up right now and tell you what’s going on and I’d know you’d just laugh at him. But, when a professional football player drops to one knee to thank God for making a touchdown, nobody laughs at that. Or when a pitcher crosses himself before going to the mound, no one laughs at that either. It’s like your saying it’s okay to believe in God, but it’s not okay to believe in angels. Now, I thought that they were on the same team.
Hank Murphy: Is it your belief, ma’am, that angels play baseball?
Maggie Nelson: Since the all-star break, yes. We all need someone to believe in. Every child I have ever looked after has someone: an angel. You’ve got to have faith. You’ve got to believe. You have to look inside yourself. The footprints of an angel are love, and where there is love, miraculous things can happen. I’ve seen it.
[sits]
Mel Clark: [stands] I’d also like to say something. I don’t know if there are any angels here other than the twenty-five of us in uniform. But I know there is one thing I won’t do: I won’t play for anyone but George Knox. I believe in him.
Triscuitt Messmer: [stands] That goes for me, too.
Rest of Angels baseball team, Roger, & J.P.: [stands and nods in agreement]
George Knox: Thank you. All of you.

~Angels in the Outfield

Tenth Avenue North’s “By Your Side”—I was going to bold my favorite parts, but I quickly realized I’d have to bold the whole song.

Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don’t turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I’m not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run

And I’ll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don’t fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world’s sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life

Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I’ll never let you go