Hello Familia and Amigos! (thought I'd switch it up this time.)
I hope this blog finds you abounding in joy and love, cause you deserve nothing less. This last week for me has been rather calm compared to the week of VBS craziness. It's kind of awesome to have something to talk about that almost everyone in your group can relate to. To be able to say, "Remember that one time..." and have everyone laugh or squirm depending on the memory. It's events like VBS, camp, and other kinds of service projects that bring a group of kids together and I love it.
So there is this radio station I occasionally listen to out here in the west called Air1. They are kind of all over the US, but I didn't discover them until I got to La Verne...anyway - I was listening to this radio whilst getting ready for the day and this song happened to be playing -
Jason Gray - More Like Falling in Love From the album Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue
Give me rules
I will break them
Give me lines
I will cross them
I need more than a truth to believe
I need a truth that lives, moves, and breathes
To sweep me off my feet
It ought to be
(CHORUS)
More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance
Caught up, called out
Come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling, oh
It's like I'm falling in love
Give me words
I'll misuse them
Obligations
I'll misplace them
'Cause all religion ever made of me Was just a sinner with a stone tied to my feet It never set me free
It's gotta be
More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance
Caught up, called out
Come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling, oh
It's like I'm falling in love
It's like I'm falling in love, love, love
Deeper and deeper
It was love that made Me a believer
In more than a name, a faith, a creed
Falling in love with Jesus brought the change in me
It's gotta be
More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance
Caught up, called out
Come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling, oh
It's like I'm falling in love
It's songs like these that catch the truth in me and make me think a little deeper about how I came to be. I grew up solidly in 'Religion' and discovered early on that people who didn't go to church got turned off by that word: "Religion." It's a word that holds a lot of negativity for a lot of people, it never did for me - but because it has for others I've sought to figure out why. I think that negativity comes from certain experiences people have had in which a church as a whole, or a church member has told them everything that was wrong with them. That they were a bad person, and there was nothing they could do to change it except set up all these rules to keep them from sinning. The New Guy never finds Jesus for all Religion. We get caught up in the rules and routine, sometimes we forget that religion is a relationship. Jesus longs for relationship, not a to-do list of i love yous. Living like Jesus has to be more like falling in love.
I was 15 when I finally figured out that Jesus loved me. I mean I suspected it before, but i finally believed it when I was 15. Thinking back to that year, I was super giddy and lovey - wanted to be friends with everybody and I even wrote God love notes. Yep, I was fallin' in love. As the initial giddy-ness faded, I needed to show God I loved him instead of telling him all the time. Kind of like, after you've been a relationship a while just saying "i love you" doesn't always cut it, the other person wants to know it and sometimes the things you do speaks louder than the things you say. My way became encouraging those around me, and after a while - Jr. High Ministry.
Though i was taught the bible my entire life, was taught religion, and for the most part lived by it - I didn't start living like I was Loved until Jesus and I clicked. Then all the service became meaningful, thought Jr. High ministry is tough sometimes - I want to do it, and being in love with Jesus keeps me wanting to be there for these kids. I guess it's how I say 'I love you.'
One more anecdote before I sign off - we were all the JH pool party last night and I got the opportunity to talk to the Mom hosting us for a while. She is amazing, i have so much respect for Moms who long to teach their kids about Jesus and who are looking for new ways to do so. She says "I love you Jesus" by getting involved in the spiritual lives of her kids. That is a gift her boys won't fully understand until they are "all growed up" but they'll appreciate it forever. She definitely made it into the collage of mothers I look up to. :0)
Well I'm off to another weekend of wonderful awesomeness. Got an email yesterday that told me my wedding dress came in. 0_0 3 months my booty! Ah well... at least that's done and I don't have to worry about it! Bridesmaids dresses are all picked out, just one more lovely girl to get fitted and the order's off. The wedding gets steadily more real every day. GAH.
Have a wonderful weekend and know that I love you,
Jen
