Got Talent?

I love it when people surprise me. Which is why one of my many hobbies is watching auditions on youtube. American Idol, X-Factor, So You Think You Can Dance, Britain's Got Talent, America's Got Talent... the list goes on. Although the shows are good, the best part is auditions because you see the raw talent. Once they get on the show, they have training, costumes, makeup, lights to add to their performance. But with auditions, it is just the person and whatever skill they have that made them risk looking ridiculous in front of millions of people for a chance at fame.

One thing I've learned from watching these shows is that a lot of parents missed out on a key lesson of parenthood: the don't-tell-your-kid-they're-good-at-something-when-they-aren't lesson. Let's just say a great many kids walk onto the stage disillusioned. Also, we all know that there are just some people who look like stars and some that don't.

If you have ever watched these auditions, you know what I mean about surprises. When someone walks out on stage, and the instant you see them you get that oh-no feeling. Oh no, Simon is about to rip them to shreds. I easily get embarrassed for people, especially when they seem to have no capability to be embarrassed for themselves. I still can't understand how someone can think they are good at something when they are so terrible (their parents should have spoken up). Especially with singing and dancing, it is pretty obvious. Anyway, in these moments, you know something either incredible or really horrible is about to happen.

It is in these moments, though, that I find myself rooting for these people. I so badly want them to succeed. I don't know them, but I connect with them like I'm cheering on my best friend. And it is because we are all created for victory. We love it when people just like us overcome impossible odds and come out on top. We love the classic underdog stories. We love it when a normal person gets the chance to be a part of something so much bigger than normal. So, we link arms with these people because they give us hope. Hope that we can all be victorious. 

God loves these stories too. Moses the stutterer led millions of people to freedom. David the boy-shepherd slayed the giant. Fearful Gideon defeated an army of thousands with 300 men. And most of all, we know God loves these stories because He chooses us. Our own great adventures lie before us with the promise of victory. We don't have to audition and be good enough. We just have to be available. Conquer fear, walk onto the stage, and say "here I am."  But just like the people on these auditions, when we know that we're chosen, our lives are no longer normal. In fact, our lives will never be the same again. 

Check out some of my faves:

Feasting

I'll be honest, one of my favorite things about going to grocery stores is getting the samples. People making food and then giving it to me for free? I'll jump on that train. Especially when it's sushi. Yum. But when you're really hungry, those samples are just never enough to fill you. I was talking to Jesus the other night about what it means to love him. And here is what he said to me, "Many people long to love me well but they cannot love me unless they first know my love. Few have truly tasted of my love. Many have sampled, few have feasted."

Many have sampled, few have feasted. Now imagine this. You go into the grocery store for your normal everyday shopping, and instead of just getting a sample like you always do, the cook invites you to come and sit down at the table. And they place before you this extravagant meal for you to feast on, all for free. That is the love of Jesus. The problem is that many people think that the only thing available to them is just a sample. Or maybe they know there is a feast, but they don't feel good enough to come to the table. They may not be hungry. Or maybe they are not willing to take time out of their daily lives to sit down and experience the depths of his love.

"We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19). If that is true, then we can only love him as much as we have experienced his love for us. If we do not receive the love of Jesus, we have absolutely no capacity to love God or love others. Feasting on the love of Jesus is the key to all doors in life. I am convinced that everything flows from his love. And it is only when you feast on his love for you that you can love him the way he longs to be loved, the way he deserves to be loved. 

Here is the good news: "He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love [for love waved as a protecting and comforting banner over my head when I was near him]" (Song of Solomon 2:4). You are invited to the banqueting table; he longs to take you there! You can come as you are. So let go of all other things that you think can satisfy you and "eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food" (Isaiah 55:2).

So here is something to feast on...

I can't believe I bought this: true life of a SkyMall shopper

I flew to Kansas City last night, and I couldn't decide what to do on the flight. I didn't want to read or sleep and I couldn't turn on my iPod yet. So naturally, I decided to peruse SkyMall. If you're ever bored on a plane, just let me suggest SkyMall for entertainment. Not only can you get a huge kick out of it, but you can also play the price is right if your neighbor will cooperate (my dad wasn't feeling it).

Anyway, although entertaining, I'm convinced that SkyMall is simply a disastrous combo of American materialism and laziness. They either 1) try to sell you completely ridiculous and useless things that people convince themselves they need only after sitting for hours on a plane or 2) sell you things that actually look great at at least double the price. And the stuff never works. If it sounds too good to be true in SkyMall, it is. Although I can't claim to have purchased anything from this classy magazine, I hear that it only ends in disappointment. 

So the combination of boredom and hilarity I experienced while reading inspired me to share. Here is my list of the most outrageous items in SkyMall. If I ever see these things in your house, I don't think I'll be able to stop myself from judging you.

 1. Monogrammed pool float. Yes! Please monogram my plastic float and sell it back to me for $200!

2. Porch potty. If you buy this, you probably shouldn't have a dog. 

3. Koozy Kaddy. The tagline for this is "never bend down for your drink again." Laziness at its finest.

4. Homegrown mushrooms. "I always dreamed of having my very own mushroom-in-a-box kit." Things people never say.

5. The healthiest deep fryer. Sorry, SkyMall, I just don't believe you.

6. Animated shark and raptor hoodies. "Use it to work your way through a crowd"?? No. Please don't ever buy your kids this.

7. Bedbug cocoon. I don't even care if this works, he looks ridiculous.

8. The Slanket. Taking the snuggie to a whole new level with the Siamese blanket, better known as the slanket.

Now, just so you know that I can also be lured into the SkyMall trap, here's one item that I would actually want in a world where people gave me awesome stuff for free...

This beautiful password protected video spy pen. It would be perfect for my double life as a secret agent (feel free to gather the community and purchase this for my next birthday).

Hope you enjoyed. If you didn't, it's okay that we don't have the same sense of humor... we can still be friends.

#bogo4lyfe

 (Everyone hates this picture because it is awkward... but I just like it. Can't help it.)

Three days ago I said goodbye to my home of three years (Waco) and moved back to Baton Rouge. Scary, excited, nervous, sad, happy, adventurous. These are some of the emotions I've felt over the last few days. But all of this has had me reflecting on how thankful I am for my experience in Waco. My life was radically transformed by Jesus, and I came fully alive as I walked in true community for the first time. Which leads me to the point of this blog... the Bogo (i.e. my best friends).

It is actually kind of pointless to be blogging about this because there aren't words to describe how awesome it is to have friends like these girls. But nevertheless, I will try. These women of God have seen every part of me (the good, the bad, and the ugly) and still they love me unconditionally. There is nothing better than being fully known and loved! What a picture of the heart of God. They challenge me to live like Jesus (even more with their lives than with their words). They are transparent and vulnerable before God and others. And the most beautiful thing about them is that they are each absolutely in love with Jesus. Living with them was one of the most fun AND craziest experiences of my life! So I guess I'll let you meet them (even though you probably know them already... 1-because we are famous or 2-because if you know me you probably know my best friends).

Anns, Annsley, Annikins, Anniepants. Many names but one beautiful face. Annie Howard is the most encouraging and nurturing person I know. She is tender, but she has the heart of a lion. She will definitely be a spiritual mother to many. And I can always count on Annie for a great dance party or Jbiebs sesh.

Sarah Neelley. What a gem. She is a loyal and faithful friend. Sarah is one of those people who has built her house on the rock. When the storms of life come, she stands on the goodness of God. Plus, she has a killer smile (that's why she gets two pics).

Stephie is marked by joy. Not only does she have the best laugh, but she can make anyone in the world laugh too. Mostly they'll just laugh at her laughing, but it still counts. She can ALWAYS lift my spirits. She is also an incredible listener and full of wisdom. People are drawn to her and she is friend to all. 

Chang, chang, changggg. Sarah was made to stand on the front lines for the kingdom. She is a go-getter for Jesus. She is a bold and passionate leader and I've learned so much from her! I love when Sarah is feeling extroverted because she is SO FUN. Many random adventures with this one. And she would hands-down always beat me in a dance off.

Linds. THE best friend. Not only is she my best friend, but she is the best friend because she is a great friend to so many. Linds is humble, selfless, and loves to celebrate people. She knows how to get behind people and lift their arms up. She is confident and secure. Overall, Linds is just a treasure. And our fav pastime is watching sad movies and bawling our eyes out (shout out to My Sister's Keeper). 

Ahhh Liz. DRAMA. A word that definitely describes her, and I love it. She was in France changing the world this past year, but she is still forever a member of the Bogo. Liz is a bold evangelist and she has never lost the joy of salvation. As my roomie for two years, you can imagine that we have some crazy memories together. I'm glad we got to be together as we got our lives rocked by Jesus freshman year. 

 They're the best. So most of all, I just wanted to say: I've had the time of my life and I owe it all to you. And...

See you later!

The Kindest

Namaste! I got back from India a little over a week ago, and there are millions of things I could say. I absolutely love India. If you’re ever thinking about going, just go. You won’t regret it! But as I was thinking about my trip and what was most significant, I realized something. I just traveled halfway around the world to be thoroughly convinced of this one thing: Jesus is the kindest person anyone will ever meet. He has the kindest face and the kindest eyes. He speaks the kindest words. These words sum up the revelation I received in India: “His eyes are dripping with love and His words are melting our hearts and His voice is unraveling and penetrating. All of creation just can’t look away” (Beautiful King by Laura Hackett). I am overwhelmed by His kindness. And I also got to watch as those who had never heard of Jesus became overwhelmed with His kindness too.

So, here is a story. One of the first days of the trip, I went out to share with Kate and Brandon. We ended up in this store, called Health and Glow. There were probably ten women working and not many customers, so it was the perfect opportunity to minister to people. We asked if anyone was sick, and two ladies said they were. Kate and I each prayed for one, and they both got healed of all their pain! That opened the door for us to share about Jesus. I was sharing with some other women, but as I joined Kate again, she asked if anyone wanted to see a vision of Jesus. A few of them said yes. We prayed and then asked what they saw. One woman held her hand right up to her nose and said, “He was right here!” Another one said she saw his face. The third woman said she saw angels and then she saw Jesus. She described what his hair looked like and his eyes. Then she said he had something on his head like a rope. She was motioning and struggling to explain it but we realized she was describing the crown of thorns! So we asked if it looked like thorns. She said yes, that was it! We then told her that Jesus wore a crown of thorns when he died. Kate explained that Jesus was showing her how much he loved her and that he died for her. She was definitely excited and overwhelmed. We shared the gospel again and a few of the women really considered saying yes to Jesus and having no other gods, but they weren’t sure yet. We went back the next day and talked with them again. Two of the women gave their lives to Jesus! Someone from our team got to go back again to disciple them, and they will continue to meet with one of our friends that lives there.

As I was watching this miraculous encounter unfold before my eyes, all I could think of was how kind Jesus is. These women had spent their whole lives bowing down before gods and making sacrifices and begging for answered prayers in temples. Yet, they had told us that they felt so far from God. But in the middle of a store, Jesus made himself known to them. They didn’t have to plead or bow down or make an offering, he just met with them. He healed their bodies. They experienced His tangible presence. He showed them His face. And for the first time in their lives, in one moment, God was near. His love awakened their hearts. His kindness won them over. And as I was standing there, He won me too. I fell in love with Him all over again.

There are many more things I could say about India (in fact, I’m sure I’ll blog about it again). But let me leave you with this. There is nothing better than living life from the overflow. As we sit at the feet of Jesus everyday and receive freely from the river of love and kindness pouring from his heart, we will be filled to overflowing. It is only in this place of overflow that we can truly love others as Jesus did.

Also, when you’re in India (or just in an Indian restaurant), eat the naan. It will change your world.