My Beloved, 

How are you today?

I am ready to hear from you whenever you want to talk.

I understand that maybe this week has been hard, 

and this upcoming week may be hard, too.

So I have a few things I want to tell you.

I see you. 

I know what makes you happy, what makes you laugh, what makes you anxious, what makes you angry, and what makes you cry - I created each of these things within you.

Not only do I see you... I am active in your life today.

When you see something, anything that makes you smile, remember the one who created that longing inside of you.

When you become anxious because of your circumstances, remember that I am right beside you, ready to pour peace and calmness over you.

I wish that you would not concern yourself with your future... I am taking care of it.

And for now, all I need you to do is listen to me in this moment.

I have incredible things in store for you, but the first thing you must do is step onto my feet and allow me to lead you, one step at a time, into my plan for your life. 

Most importantly, above everything else, please remember that I am your Lover, your Savior, your Healer, your Comforter, and your Friend, and I long for your whole heart. 

Always here.

How did we get here?

Have you ever had one of those moments when you just, for one reason or another,
see everything differently?

For only a moment, it seems like the fog has been lifted from your brain.

And then the fog's back. And you can't even remember what you were thinking about. 

I believe in science, they call this a paradigm shift, or a gestalt switch - when all of a sudden, your perspective changes.

I had one of those on Sunday.

I was sitting in church, and the preacher was talking about some specific and minute matter concerning the "Christian Faith," as some would call it.

I pictured what this church would have looked like if we were the first church.

I imagined us in a tiny shack with a thatched roof, eating a meal together and discussing
"Christianity" in excited voices while passing the bread.

I imagined laughter, community, passion, freedom.

Whoever was preaching/talking was probably speaking words of encouragement, 

or talking about their personal struggles, or telling the rest of us how we could take action to 

further the Kingdom. 

Back to present time: at that moment, sitting in church, I could not comprehend how we got here. 

Church was intended for the crazy, the broken, the needy, the lost, the passionate.

I see far too many in church who are normal.

We are not called to be "normal." We are called to be different.

And I cannot understand why our church today consists of people
who look exactly like every other non-Christian.

Do we, the church, really want to look different than the rest of the world?

Because right now, the only thing setting us apart is some religious jewelry.

I know plenty of good people who aren't Christians. 

I know plenty of great people who aren't Christians.

And I know plenty of Christians who can vomit up verses all day but live complacently.

What, then, is the point of being a Christian, if anyone can be kind, and those of us who are Christians aren't even kind most of the time?

Jesus said that the pathway is narrow and few will find it. 

I believe we've bushwhacked that narrow pathway to allow any sort of behavior.

After all, if you say you love Jesus and you get baptized, you're set for eternity, right?

I think Jesus is calling us to more. 

Chain Reaction.

So.
(I feel like I start a lot of my entries like that. Maybe that's how my brain thinks).
Let's talk about stress, shall we?

Here's how it's affecting me this week/semester:
The muscle in my shoulder is twitching about every two minutes.
My skin is more broken out than any 13 year old I know.
My family just flew in from 12 hours away, and I treated them like they were dirt because I was stressed.
I make rude comments to people I don't know and to my best friends.
EVERYTHING makes me mad.
I cry because I take the wrong interstate exit.
I do not care about anyone else's problems.
I get chest pains.
And how much have I accomplished by stressing out this much, you ask?
Nothing.
If anything, I've worked backwards, because I've been miserable trying to accomplish the things I need to do, when I could have done them with joy.
Seems pointless, doesn't it?

If you were with me right now, you would see and hear me taking a big ole' sigh.
I'm guessing that someone who is reading this is stressed about something - big or small. It doesn't really matter how big the issue is.. stress is the same for everyone and everything.
Just take a minute and take a big ole' sigh. I promise you will feel better.

Our lives do not have to be this miserable.
We do not have to live with 2 cents worth of energy when we have to give $300 worth.
We can live full.

-HallieMarie
(Props to Allison, http://a-borrowedtime.blogspot.com/, for making me realize how stupid I was being).

COBURN, SAY YES!

"If there is no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." - Mother Teresa

Here's the low-down: After impassioned lobbying from tens of thousands of activists, historic legislation aimed at ending Africa’s longest-running war is on the verge of passing the Senate unanimously. In fact, the bill has more bipartisan support in Congress than any bill focused on sub-Saharan Africa in  American history. But Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, nicknamed “Dr. No”, is single-handedly blocking this landmark legislation because the bill authorizes new funds to assist victims of the violence (you can read more about why in the Campaign FAQ).

As Senator Coburn prevents this bill from passing, the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is terrorizing communities across three countries in central Africa. In the past two months alone, Joseph Kony's rebel army has massacred hundreds of people and abducted hundreds more, including children who are forced to become soldiers.

That's why we are holding the Oklahoma Hold Out, and we're not going home until Senator Coburn agrees to a compromise.  The most committed activists - who know that Senator Coburn's obstructionism is preventing the action needed to end this senseless violence - are "holding out" outside Senator Coburn's office in downtown Oklahoma City until the Senator allows the bill to pass. 

People are driving and flying from all corners of the country to join in person. We invite you to join as well, or if you can't join them in person, we need your support from right where you are.

Visit the Oklahoma Hold Out information page if you want to join the effort in person. If you can't make it to Oklahoma, click here to support the effort from wherever you are.

Ok guys!! If you are reading this, www.coburnsayyes.com right now and sign the petition!

Even if you don't live here, you can still make a huge impact! The children of Northern Uganda need your help.