sooo....i sucked at that whole picture a day thing.

But i'm starting now. SO:

Today i got a code to the church. It's kind of a big deal. 

The fact that it is the highlight of my day is a little sad. Ha.

But that is beside the point. We (we being Michael John, Kelsey, Derek and I) led worship all by ourselves today in big church. Pastor Phil is out of town so Larry (our normal worship leader) preached and we (the two engaged couples) led.

It was pretty sweet.

But while he was preaching, I thought about something. He was talking about being faithful, fruitful, and bold as a church (the body of Christ, not like our church specifically.) Anyways. While he was on "faithful" he said that it was believing in something so strongly and completely that nothing that anyone says will cause you to stray from it.

This was where my thought began.

Because on the one hand we're told to believe like that. That that is the most faithful way to believe. To be completely unceasing in what it is that we have come to know of God for ourselves. But on the other when it comes to a decision that another person "of faith" may not necessarily agree with, we cannot simply rely on our perception of God. That would be silly. We must rely on what it is that everyone else has heard from God in order to truly understand what it is God is saying to us.

That. Is. Stupid.

God is not a respecter of persons. No one person has any more of or any bigger God within them than any other person within whom God dwells. (Getting saved i.e. accepting Christ equals God putting His spirit within you from that point on. We can command miracles and healing because we have the same spirit of God within us that dwells in Jesus and that is everywhere etc, etc.) 

So.

Why is it that i should completely cling to every shred of God of which i have had a revelation in my early days as a Christian, but once i'm an "active Christian"--already saved, active in the church body, etc.--I should start to listen to what everyone else knows about God?

I think that if someone--granted this is based on the assumption that every someone would be a someone of integrity--says the phrase "This is what I feel God calling me to," who has any right to tell them anything otherwise? Why is that not good enough? If anything i think that shows more faith than most people "active" as Christians in America today.

SO.

I guess that's the end of my rant. 

Long story short?

I'm not bitter. I just grow weary of church politics.

Have faith. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.

So I may be unoriginal...but at least I'm doing something.

So my clever young aunt, veronique, did a picture a day blog. It allowed people that can't be a part of her day to day life to take part in it, which is an awesome thing. And, upon stealing my fiancee's computer and noting his blog--and being in blogs by my dear old farger--I'm inspired to start.

So here it goes...Four words:

Pilon. Surprise. Engagement. Party.




Dear Lord.
It was a great gesture, which meant a lot, but it came with the usual awkwardness of any family gathering. People you have to pretend to have prior knowledge of or liking for, small talk, feigned interest in said small talk, awkward silences and confusion to be had by all.



But here's what it brought to my attention:


love is a crazy thing.











i know that love languages are something oft discussed within christian circles especially, but it's always from the perspective of understanding. i express and receive love via x and y, and i understand that person b expresses and recieves via a and b.



BUT. what we never really think about is the reciprocation. it's not about showing love the way someone wishes to recieve it as much as it is about acknowledging the expression on the other person's part, whether that is our love language or not.

that's kinda where we miss the mark.

or at least I and some of the people in my life do in my experience.





so. long story short...love is hard. but it works. long for a first entry, but hey it's something.