I'ma tree.

I was made to be shattered, and shattered to be made concrete

Firmly made anew to grow, and grown to eagerly branch out

Meekly branching out to expose my leaves to the Sun

And fasten my limbs tightly to my fellow trees around

Together we stand in the course of sunny days and angry gales,

Freely giving of our fruit to the hungry who come along

They take refuge at our roots, in our cooling shade

Seizing the humble serenity and marveling at the Sun

We whisper tales of our beginning, travels, and anticipation

Until the axe says, "I'm sorry, but I'm the true shining light."

I cry, “No, axe, it’s not you, it’s not me. I’ll boast only in the Sun.

I will not bow down to any other; you’ll just have to cut me down.”

James 1:27

Two Sundays ago, I visited the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama. I was completely in awe at their family of faith's steadfast endeavor to please our living God. In the past two weeks my mind has been consumed with a three minute side note, David Platt, the pastor, mentioned. “Our families have signed up for foster care classes, and when we’re through, there will be no more orphans in Birmingham.” This concept isn’t abnormal to them, they acknowledged the command of God to take care of widows and orphans in their affliction, and they did something about it. WHY IS THIS NOT HAPPENING EVERYWHERE? We’re all in our own homes taking care of ourselves and our loved ones and merely “praying” for those in need. NOTHING is being done, and that shatters, disturbs, and severs me inside and out. But praise God for what this church has done. I can assertively say that God is pleased with them, and He will forever be glorified in their sacrifice.
Following Jesus Christ is to the extreme, black and white, all or nothing. Therefore I’m not going to let the Enemy distract me from another God-given task that has been given unto me. My mom has been a social worker for over 25 years, and she also teaches foster/adopt classes for Spalding County and five surrounding counties. In the past she’s been to churches in the area pleading for them to give her families to teach so the children would have a home, but no church body has ever taken the plunge. Fostering a child is not financially demanding; the government reimburses you for the children’s needs. All these kids need is time and love in their time of affliction. Time and love, two things Christians are supposed to have to give. My mom told me that a good number of her foster parents are unbelievers. forrealwhyarethelostdoingourjob??? When I told her what has been on my mind lately, she was overwhelmed with joy. I’ve met with various people, thinking they would throw reality at me and keep me from doing my part, but gratefully, God has prevented any discouragement. I’m meeting with Fred Thompson, the pastor of Mt. Gilead Church tomorrow with the intent of taking this to the Church. It has to be done. I don’t exactly understand what God’s getting me into, but it just makes sense. Let it burden your heart, it should.

"...they walk in all humility and kindness, and falsehood is not found among them, and they love one another: and from the widows they do not turn away their countenance: and they rescue the orphan from him who does him violence: and he who has gives to him who has not, without grudging; and when they see the stranger they bring him to their dwellings, and rejoice over him as over a true brother; for they do not call brothers those who are after the flesh, but those who are in the spirit and in God: but when one of their poor passes away from the world, and any of them sees him, then he provides for his burial according to his ability; and if they hear that any of their number is imprisoned or oppressed for the name of their Messiah, all of them provide for his needs, and if it is possible that he may be delivered, they deliver him. And if there is among them a man that is poor or needy, and they have not an abundance of necessaries, they fast two or three days that they may supply the needy with their necessary food."
-Aristides 125 A.D.

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

Errr.

I told you so, Court. You've got to learn from all of these mistakes. Perhaps, maybe...mayhaps someday soon you will know. As for now, be a servant, don't tolerate sin, and daily surrender. Happiness is fleeting, joy in Christ is everlasting.

6,784,126,075

Do you realize how many people there are on this earth? More than I could ever truly ever wrap my mind around. My parents, my brother & his wife, my co-workers, Courtney Moore in my biology class, and my biology professor, and the guy with the Passion key chain that sits in front of me everyday in Western Civ., but I still have no idea what his name is, Luke Robinson, who knows the same guy from his soccer class, Maggie McCloud, Ryan (from the Office), Ryan Tipton, Ryan Palmer, Ryan my half-brother, Ryan from Gordon, Mansel David in London, my old pen pal, Heidi, and her brother Randall, Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner, Danny, Alex, and Corina in Romania, Jeoff (from Ace of Cakes), Jenny Carden, Jared Jones, who makes me think of Sufjan Stevens, the old man who orders a #1 everyday, Michael Scott..err..Steve Carell, Averil from the camp in Savannah, Rocky from Snowbird. So. Many. People. 6,784,123,995 to be somewhat exact. Actually, not at all exact. About 10 minutes later, I press the refresh button to see that the world population has increased to 6,784,126,075. And not one will escape His love and judgment. Not even 1. We are all His.

As for the people who believe this, including myself, let's get rid and get out of our little worlds, our little comfort zones...and find these people. They won't be hard to find. They're right in front of our eyes. The people we see everyday and don't even know their names.

"I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me." John 17:23.

More Than Just Your Cash & Coin.

al•tru•ism:
1 : unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others
2 : behavior by an animal that is not beneficial to or may be harmful to itself but that benefits
others of its species

per•spi•ca•city:
1: having or showing incisive mental discernment; clear-sighted.


Lately, I’ve had unexplained feelings of aimlessness. These absurd feelings have mercifully vanished through recent events and revelations. Aside from my purpose in and through Christ, I desire to reach an altruistic and perspicacious standard of living. (Altruism in detail is somewhat controversial, but I’m only using the word and its strict definition to further describe selflessness and humility.)

Altruism…

“I saaaaiid I wanted errythang on my Big T burger.”
“I’m sorry. What else would you like on it?”
“Kehtchup and muhstard. My kehtchup and muhstard ain’t on my Big T!”

My thoughts on this matter: Really? You want the guys in the back to set aside all they have to do to mess around with your Big T again, just for a little ketchup and mustard? Is it too complicated and demanding to just ask for a pack and put it on yourself? Maybe even go without? I mean, you came through here at least 5-10 minutes ago, which means this ketchup and mustard must be vastly important for you to turn around to come back and grumble. It was incredibly tempting to say something not-so-humble to her.

But I am commanded to:

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:3-8).

“Oh yeah, you know, now that I think about it, the ketchup and mustard isn’t that important.” If only that was her repentant attitude. If only that was my repentant attitude. I can’t expect anyone to live altruistically toward me if I’m not willing to live that way toward others. Even then, I should not anticipate someone to practice selflessness on me. I know that the Scripture from Philippians isn’t directly related to this certain frustration of mine, but how can one read it and not see the triviality of all other things? Love Christ…and everyone else. Do it genuinely and enjoy it.

My usual state of mind: (1) Yeah, I will love you and enjoy loving you because you love, pay attention to, encourage, and serve me. (2) But you, you don’t care for me, you belittle and discourage me. Nevertheless, I love you, but I don’t enjoy it. (3) And you, you are careless and unwilling to learn, unpleasant to be around, and irritating. Those are good enough excuses not to love you, right?

Wrong.

My renewed state of mind: (1) I will no longer “take what I can get” from you. I will unselfishly love and serve you. (2) Although it isn’t easy, I will continue loving you and thoroughly enjoy it. “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). (3) I will [try to] befriend and be kind to you. I don’t know you, so who knows what could be going on in your life right now that you just need someone, just one person out there, to selflessly love you.

“Poverty is so hard to see
When it's only on your tv and twenty miles across town
Where we're all living so good
That we moved out of Jesus' neighborhood
Where he's hungry and not feeling so good
From going through our trash
He says, more than just your cash and coin
I want your time, I want your voice
I want the things you just can't give me

So what must we do
Here in the west we want to follow you
We speak the language and we keep all the rules
Even a few we made up
Come on and follow me
But sell your house, sell your suv
Sell your stocks, sell your security
And give it to the poor
What is this, hey what's the deal
I don't sleep around and I don't steal
I want the things you just can't give me

Because what you do to the least of these
My brother's, you have done it to me
Because I want the things you just can't give me”
-Derek Webb “ Rich Young Ruler”

Just go read Matthew 25:31-46. The Final Judgment.



Perspicacity…

When my great-grandma Lucy died, she left a few things for me. Among those things was Amy Vanderbilt’s Complete Book of Etiquette, written in 1952. It is a 665 paged book that informs you of the customs and rules of socially acceptable behavior. A few days ago I decided to knowingly annoy myself by reading it.

THE FASTIDIOUS AND WELL-MANNERED WOMAN.

“A woman is well-groomed when she looks fresh, neat, clean, and well-pressed. This means a daily, and often twice daily, shower or bath, fresh underwear and stockings daily or twice daily, competent home or professional hairdressing at least once a week, well-manicured hands, no chipped nail polish, runless, wrinkled stockings, and shined shoes at all times, even for housework. Beauty care must be on a regular schedule, not just when social activities are planned…The fastidious woman understands how much the appearance of her hair has to do with that of her whole person.”

My thoughts on this matter: WHAT. First of all, let’s keep in mind what fastidious is: choosy, critical, dainty, demanding, discriminating, finical, fussy, hard to please, particular, picky. What a ridiculous word to portray your socially acceptable woman that you are morphing weak-minded women into. Nonsensical. I am aware of the fact that this was written in a different day and time, nonetheless I was enraged, as foretold.

I decided to modernize this matter. I researched “women” and came across Cosmopolitan Magazine. The magazine is consumed with links to what women these days desire to be familiar with: “Four Signs a Guy is Into You”, “7 Flirty Summer Looks”, “Bikini-Ready Beauty Secrets”, “Sex and Love”, “Celebs and Style”, and even “How to Get Revenge”. Okay, now let’s keep in mind what cosmopolitan is: cultivated, gregarious, planetary, polished, public, smooth, sophisticated, universal, urbane, well-travelled, worldly. Now I will merely copy and paste my opinion from earlier: What a ridiculous word to portray your socially acceptable woman that you are morphing weak-minded women into. Nonsensical.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17

“Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.” -C.S. Lewis

Women, even Christian women who claim to be striving to attain righteousness and fleeing from the world, read Cosmopolitan magazine, when the title itself encourages worldliness. It amazes me how many people carelessly read, watch, and listen to so many things with no guard or discernment.

“We Christians must simplify our lives or lose untold treasures on earth and in eternity. Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life all but impossible. The need for solitude and quietness was never greater than it is today.” –A.W. Tozer

If only they knew that “their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things” (Phil 3:19). We must put to death what is earthly in us and do so by guarding our way according to the Word of God and by possessing strong discernment in all things.

So, yeah. That's all she wrote.