be inspired

Check out this clip of Naturally Seven in the Paris metro subway…

Be inspired. 

i HEART amena brown

Stirred

Last night was one of those times when God wakes me, stirs me, rips my heart, pours passion into the furthest corners of my soul, and revives me all over again. In this time of stretching, growth, and grace, I found this on Shane Vander Hart’s blog: John Piper speaking on the prosperity gospel.  

Watch it.  Be inspired.

Beauty of unbelief

Several days ago, I spent the evening getting to know a new friend.  I knew she was brilliant, fun-loving, and witty.  But I didn’t really know who she was.  

As we began to weave down the path of opening up, a beautiful picture began to emerge of her faith.  It wasn’t that she was a strong Christian.  It wasn’t that she believed that God was powerful enough to do anything.  Rather, it was that she wasn’t sure if she even believed.

Feeling ten feet tall

Way up here in the north, in the midst of icy driveways and freezing temperatures, I’m huddled against my fireplace trying to remind myself that Spring is on its way.   Sure, we have a few more months of cold toes, but soon we’ll welcome slush that will quickly give way to green grass and an abundance of strawberries, flowers, blue skies, and of course, tourists and mosquitos.  

Sinking into his purpose

  I am elated to share that The Journey has finally found a permanent home.  In the past few weeks, we settled on a storefront, began cleaning and repairing walls, and then set off on the adventure of turning it into a place that fits who we are. 

From the very beginning

This week, as I traced my way back to the beginning of time, I reread a familiar passage of scripture hoping to dig out the unfamiliar.  It was Genesis 2, a story line common to many.  Adam and God are checking out the new creation; Adam has the ridiculously overwhelming task of naming the critters; Adam gets a bride.

But this time, as I poked my head into the first family’s world, I was delighted many new and revealing elements came alive.  Of all the insights, the one that overcame me was the emphasis that God truly knows us; he knows who we are, where we are, where we’re going, and what we need – long before we know this ourselves.

Scratch ‘n Dent Dreams

Found this on YouTube.  Have to say I loved it.  Poetry Slam.  At its finest.

Nature or God?

Once again I opened MSNBC.com to find stories of natural disasters ripping through the lives of ordinary people. As I read the account of a family who lost their mother, and the followed them through the day, searching for her body and contemplating how to tell her son his mother was gone, I paused when I read of their search for meaning in this horrific moment.

In the article, the woman’s sister begins to grapple with why this happened to her family:

“Standing Wednesday amid the debris field of twisted metal and pink insulation, Carmon Lagunes struggled to grasp why God would take her sister. ‘That’s his wrath,’ she said, looking toward the wreckage. ‘For some reason, he’s not happy right now and this is. … Nobody understands God’s will. I sure as hell don’t understand it.’

Said Anita Goodnight, the sisters’ aunt: ‘God didn’t do it. Satan did.’”

New years resolutions

Ah… the new year. With it comes the call for resolutions. This year, I’ve determined to pursue the following:

1 – Live within my purpose more; primarily by pursuing my love of writing and speaking.

2 – Develop new authentic friendships.

3 – Enjoy the gift of Alaska: hike more mountains, climb a tree, kayak new coves, explore rocky beaches.

4 – Increase my cardio so I can enjoy my upcoming Ethiopia trip. We’re adopting two young Ethiopian siblings this year, and I hope to keep up with them!

5 – Wear more head scarves. I’ve always wanted dreadlocks, but don’t have the guts to grow them. Instead, I’ll embrace my love of woven head scarves.

6 – Truly live each day. No more wasted moments.

What are your resolutions for this new year?