The Incarnation: a few thoughts

Have you every really truly thought about the incarnation: about Jesus, coming to earth for the sole purpose of dying for our dirty, stained, filthy life? In this Christmas season, the incarnation has especially been on my mind. I'm no scholar, I don't even think I could consider myself a theologian, but I love the Lord. So here are just a few of my musings about the Savior that I love coming to earth.

Just over 2000 years ago a baby was born into the earth, that baby was the savior of the world. Now this concept alone is incredible: the humility that it takes for the creator of the earth to come in the form of a baby is incomprehensible. A baby, one of the most helpless creatures on the face of the planet, that is what Jesus first came into. In a book that I have been reading it says this about the incarnation:

"In a mystery that boggles the minds of angels, a mystery we call the incarnation, the creator climbs into the flesh of his creatures and becomes like those who were meant to be like him, those who in their sin have become the exact opposite of him."

Now this adds a whole other perspective on the incarnation; one I have never fully realized: God, in his humility came to earth becoming like us when we were meant to be like him. And to think we know anything of humility!

Jesus didn't stay a baby. He spent his life serving others, performing miracles, and proclaiming  the love of the Father. But it was the humility at the end of his time on earth that is the most striking of all: Jesus' death on the cross. The King of all kings and the Creator of the universe died on a cross so that we can be saved from an eternity of separation from him. This was his ultimate purpose. He was brought into the earth to die. He came to live so that he might die. He died so that we may live. What love,what humility, what a savior!

My Sister

Sisters are a blessing from the Lord. I love my sister so much and I dont know what I would do without her! I know it looks like we are twins, and people have asked us that before, but believe it or not, she is almost four years younger than me. However, at times it feels as if she is the older one; she has wisdom beyond her years. I supposse I am writing this post because I miss her so much, but actually I think its because I admire her so much too and I must share her with the world.

Heather is still in high school yet her heart for the Lord far exceeds her age. She desperately wants to see her friends call upon the name of the Lord and believe me, she is doing everything that she can to accomplish this. She lets the Lord use her in whatever way he see's fit. She willingly surrenders her life to the Lord. To say that I am a proud sister would be an understatement. Heather is a light. She is filled with the joy of the Lord and that joy is contagious to everyone around. I praise the Lord that I have a sister who is not afraid to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ! I cannot wait to be reunited with my sister. I cannot wait till we can "party it up" (as she texted me the other day) when I am home for Christmas. I cannot wait to share the joys of being a wife together. I cannot wait to share the joys of being a mother together. But most of all I cannot wait to share a cup of coffee with her and talk about the Lord and his work in our lives.

So Heather, know that I love you and cannot wait to see you in just a few more days! And whoever else reads this post, thank the Lord today for your siblings. Pray for them and encourage them. God has them in your life for a special purpose, dont forget that today!

Living in the Moment.

This week I am going to take time to live in the moment. This is not something that comes easy to me. I often find myself stuck in the past or looking forward to the future (or sometimes even dreading the future). But oh how much I miss when I forget to look around and enjoy the present. I keep hearing the Lord pulling me back, telling me to slow down and take it all in. Life will never be the same, today is a gift.

They say that once you find the one you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want the rest of your life to start. And maybe even a couple hours ago I would have agreed with this, but the Lord has changed my perspective. My life is now, Ben and I's love story will not start with a ring on my hand or the words "I do." But rather, it started 2000 years ago with my King's death on a cross. It is by his mercy that I can say "I love you" to Ben and he can do the same. Without Christ's love and mercy, our earthy love would not exist. This is why I choose to live in the moment, in the now. God has given us today, today to be in love and today to demonstrate His. Of course I'm excited for the future, and I cant wait to be fully be with the one I love. But, I want to enjoy the process, because after all, it took a process for us to fall in love in the first place. 

Today was a beautiful day: the sun was out, the leaves were falling and I was with the one I love. Today was a day that I lived in the moment. Both Ben and I have been crazy busy with mid-semester exams and papers and as of late; have been spending most of our free time in the library. But we had just about two hours of free time, so what did we do?! We went on a lunch date and ate outside in the lovely fall weather. The food was great but the company was even better. What can I say? I'm in love!

We kinda like each other!

Yummy Mexican food!

Enjoying the beautiful sunny weather!

And froyo, best way to end a date!

Finisher.

physical. emotional. mental. spiritual.

All of these were included in completing the Chicago Marathon. Perhaps, besides these four words, another one could be used: FINISHER. I completed the Chicago Marathon and I did it for my lost high school friends. My wonderful YoungLife friends that maybe don't know Jesus but could now have an opportunity to meet Him face to face because they have scholarships to camp. For anyone that supported me, whether through prayer, financially, or even by cheering at the race; thank you from the bottom of my heart. It means the world to me that you believed in me and believed in the cause that I was running for.

I finished the marathon in 4 hours and 47 minutes; a bit slower than I had hoped but it was under 5 hours and I crossed the finish line. So Praise The Lord! The marathon was one of the most draining things that I have ever participated in, but also one of the most rewarding as well. It drained me physically. It drained me emotionally. It drained me mentally. And it drained me spiritually. But the Lord was faithful as always and carried me all the way to the finish line and he did this in the form of my WONDERFUL friend Hannah Shreve. What a blessing from the Lord, she ran just over half of the race with me and pushed me almost all the way to the finish line. My mental strength was fading but she was the one who kept me strong. I will forever be grateful to her for all the help that she gave me.

The night before my race, I had quite the shock. Ben and I were walking into Chipotle so that I could carb load and low and behold my family was sitting directly to my left! I was shocked, my parents were suppossed to still be in Panema and my sister was suppossed to be in Colorado. But with the help of Ben, they pulled off a wonderful surpise and were able to come to Chicago. I was so excited that I started crying and screaming and I think laughing at the same time. I would definitely say that the fact that they were there waiting for me at the finish line helped carry me through to the end. Thanks again Mom, Dad, and Heather for coming out to support me and cheer for me! I love you all so much! What a GLORIOUS surprise.

People keep asking me if I will ever run it again. My answer: I just don't know. I love running and see myself being a runner for the rest of my life but maybe not at this extreme again. Maybe I will try out a half marathon. We will see what the future holds, but for now I will enjoy being a finisher.

Here are some picture highlights from October 7, 2012:

Ben dropping me off at the start line. I was so cold!

Mile 11 with my lovely Hannah.

The best cheering squad in the world!

First hug from my sister.

They gave us these foil wrap things that kept the heat in. It was so nice cause I was so cold.

I finished and I ran the whole race with the Four Square Missions Press gospel bead bracelet.

They surprised me and came out to watch me race! I was shocked.

Boyfriend consoling, he is so good to me.

Thank you again to everyone who supported me. It meant the world. Now its time to check that one off the bucket list! 

It's Hydration Week!

6 days from now, I will be attempting to complete the Chicago marathon! They all say that the hardest part is the training and the dedication to do so, but honestly, I dont know if that is the same for me. I love to run, its the best time for me to think, pray, and reflect. Yes, the long runs have been hard, my body hurt, and there were times when I just wanted to quit, but looking back now, my runs have been such a blessing to me. Some of the most profound things that the Lord has taught me this semster so far have occured during a run. For this, I will forever be grateful for my marathon training, regardless if the race goes well or not.

But not only am I running the marathon to check it off my bucket list, I am running for a cause. I am running to break the chains that the devil has in this city in the lives of high school students. I am running so that high school students get the opportunity to meet their maker and come face to face with Him, the lover of their life. When I feel weak and want to give up, this is what I am going to remember: the faces of my beloved Walter Peyton and Cornerstone high school friends that dont know Jesus. They are going to be what keeps me going.

In this next week, I will be drinking gallons of water, loading on carbs, and going to bed with the sun. Im feeling nervous and when I think about next Sunday at 8 am, my heart starts to race (and Im not even running yet). But I'm trusting in the Lord, I've prepared and have put in the miles, now its time to celebrate the work that I have done. But to be honest, Ill just be happy to finish and check that one off my bucket list!

                                   

So for all my Chicago friends, I hope to see you out there, cheering like crazy, or maybe even running yourselves. If you see any of us wearing these lovely green jersey's make sure to yell extra loud so that I can see you/hear you. Cheers to happy running and loving kids like Jesus would!

Let Hell be Filled with the Teeth of Our Exertions

A dear friend of mine shared this quote with me this past week and I wanted to share it with others; it really captures my current state and view of ministry. This is how I want to view my prayer life. In the end I want to be able to say that I did everything that I could to show, tell and be Christ to others; that I gave my life to serve Him and that no lost person who crossed my path would go unprayed for.

 “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they 

perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay.

 If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go

 unwarned and unprayed for.” -Charles Spurgeon

A New Love

Its been quite a while since I have last blogged, life has been CRAZY. Since my last post, I have moved back to Chicago, been reunited with Ben, giggled and screamed as I saw all my wonderful friends again, and started my 2nd semester of my Junior year (how time flies)! These last 3 (almost 4) weeks have been incredible, and as always God is faithful. Being back in Chicago and starting a new semester, God has renewed in me a love for prayer. Somewhere along the way, I lost my love for it and that is tragic. But I am so grateful to my living Lord that He has shown me once again, the power and complete necessity of prayer. How do I expect to see revival in my city, in the ministy the Lord has graciously given to me, and on my campus, if I dont cry out to Him for that revival? Its a simple thing to do, its a converstation, something we do everyday with the people around us, yet we struggle to talk with the one who loves us the most. Its easy for me to talk with people who love me and with people whom I love, yet when it comes to THE lover of my soul there seems to be something that gets in the way. Maybe its my busy schedule, maybe its my sin, but these are no excuse. I MUST pray. If I expect change, I need to pray.

So this is my goal for the rest of the year and the rest of my life: pray to the extent that I want change. In other words "pray without ceasing." Its a mandate from the Bible and something I intend to keep. My professor from my Systematic Theology class told us something about prayer this summer that has stuck in my mind ever since, he said: prayer is the means to an end ordained by God. I want to make sure that I am faithful to fulfill the means to my Lord's glorious end. Im excited to see the change that will happen in my life and in people around me.

On a different note, I want to include some highlights from my time back home in Colorado. It was a wonderful and relaxing time. I am so grateful for my family and the time that I had at home. I cant wait to see them again at Thanksgiving!

#1 Hiking with my family

 #2 Family Time

 #3 Running the Color Run with my amazing sister Heather

 #4 Boating with my family, but more specifically tubing with Heather.

The Little Things

So I am back in the US of A and I am struggling to understand all of the emotions that come with being home. This may sound crazy, since I was only gone for about 10 weeks, but I seem to be experiencing a bit of culture shock coming back home. Is that wierd? Culture shock in my own country?! I don't know if that is possible, but every morning I expect to be in a hostel waking up to the sound of "Titanium" played by Lauren Downey, getting ready for Systematic Theology class, and drinking my cup of milch kaffee. I expect to not understand anything that is being said around me and to use a currency that is foreign to me. I expect to be surrounded by fashionable Germans that are maybe too blunt yet so friendly. Everything in me wants to go back and everything in me wants to stay here. Regardless I am so thrilled to be home and to see all my family and friends. It was a summer for the books and one that I will never forget.

After being home for a week, I have started to notice the little things, things like: my plugs go straight into the wall without a convertor, there is no snoring coming from my bedroom, I can eavesdrop on conversations and understand everything that is being said, or that I can call my love whenever I want. These are some of the little things that even though may seem silly, are what I have noticed since being home. These are some of the things I appreciate.

However, there is something to be said for the ancient beauty that marks every inch of Europe. It's something that America is a stranger to and sometimes has a hard time understanding seeing how our country is just a little baby compared to the antiquity of Europe. I have been forever changed in my perspective of myself and the world and I am so grateful. I thank God for his mercy throughout the ages and his never ending love for his people!

Strangers to Family

62 days ago I stood in the Chicago O'Hare airport surrounded by strangers. Today I stand side by side with brothers and sisters, family. Monday morning we all leave this beautiful land called Europe and head back to our respective homes.

It seems like just yesterday, I was standing in line to check into my flight when a tall, striking, confident, woman, came up to me and said "Hey I'm Hannah, are you going on the Europe trip?" Little did I know that we would become such dear friends.

It seems like just yesterday, I was boarding a flight to Paris, sitting next to a beautiful blonde farm girl from Canada struggling to make small talk. Little did I know that this stranger girl named Ashley would become like a sister to me.

It seems like just yesterday, I was standing in the Houghton elevator, when an bubbly girl asked me if I was going on the Europe trip and how my packing was going. Little did I know that Chesney and I were practically the same person in everyway and would travel to Nice, France together.

It seems like just yesterday, I was moving into an apartment in the city for two weeks and would live with a crazy giggly girl named Jin. Little did I know that we would share so many heart to hearts over the next months.

There are so many more stories and the list goes on and on. I have made countless friends, but not only are they friends, but they are family. We have enjoyed many laughs, cried many tears, struggled through class, dealt with death, and shared some amazing adventures. God has blessed me with so many more brothers and sisters and I am so grateful to know these incredible people. Life will never be like this again, we will go back to school and live in our separate dorms, not seeing each other 24/7. It will be a change, but I know that family always pulls through and we will find a way to share in each other's joys again, whether through facebook, email, twitter, or coffee chats on Saturday mornings, a way will be made. So here's to an amazing summer in Europe and an incredible life ahead. I love you all and am so honored to become a spectator to ya'lls lives! Thanks for a great summer!

The group minues a few, I couldnt find a decent one with all of us in it. Suppose I need to make that happen before we leave officially. 

Home Sweet Home

In just seven short days I will be headed back to the United States and my beautiful home state, COLORADO! After two months of traveling and studying I am quite ready to go home and do absolutely nothing for two weeks before school starts again. What a glorious thing to do absolutely nothing. As I ponder home and everything that will meet me once I get there, I have decided to share a bit about my wonderful family and the ones that I love so very much.

My crazy goofy family this past Christmas: Myself (far left), my mom, my dad, and my sister Heather (far right). I love them so very much and can't wait to delight in them and all their quirks when I am home for a short respite before starting school again.



My sister Heather, Mom, St. Nick, and I in Breckenridge, Colorado at Christmas time. Oh how I love these delightful women and am so blessed to have them in my life.

Daddy

My daddy is an incredible man of God and has been a wonderful father to me in all of my twenty years. He always takes time to listen to me and encourage me. His encouraging texts always bring me to tears. I love being able to call him and tell him about all that I am learning, especially theology. Its so great to be able to discuss my thoughts about God with such an incredible man who loves the Lord with all his heart. He has done such an incredible job with leading our family. I only hope that someday my husband will be as incredible of a husband and father that my daddy has been.

Mom

My mom is wonderful godly woman and loves to serve our family. It is so very clear that she shows her love by serving and providing for my family. I can always count on my mom for good advice and an encouraging conversation. She always looks out for me and makes sure that I am taken care of, even when I am far away at school. She has taught me what it means to be a godly woman, not only through words but through actions as well. I love her with all my heart and can't wait to go home, grab an ice tea, sit in the sun and share all my adventures with her.

Heather

My spunky 16 year old sister is such a joy in my life. I am so happy to have such a fun, outgoing, confident, godly sister in my life. In the past 16 years I have seen her grow into a wonderful woman who loves God and desires to see His name praised throughout the nations. She is an incredible soccer player and lives life to the fullest. Im so excited to take a drive down the street to our favorite frozen yoghurt place (where she now works, woot woot) with the windows rolled down blasting some country music and singing at the top of our lungs.

My ridiculous dog Harley. He is an australian shepard mix and always brings light to my life. He has so much energy and everytime I come home, I swear he is always the most excited to see me.

Delaney, myself, and Shannon. These are my closest friends from high school. We are scattered all across the world this summer, but I always keep them in my thoughts and prayers. They bring great amounts of excitement and love to my life and I cannot wait to be reunited with them so very soon!

Delaney

Delaney is a wonderful writer and a light to my life. A fiery red head, she can always be counted on to bring smiles into my life and deep conversations about our most Holy Lord. She loves horses and rides them with such a free spirit. Delaney is going to do great things for the Lord and I am so excited to be a spectator to her life! 

Shannon

Shannon is one of my dearest friends. As a passionate worshiper, Shannon will encourage me in my walk with the Lord and will always share in my pain and joy with me. I am so excited for her to pursue her dreams of missions work in India and can't wait to see what the Lord does in and through her in the coming years. Much like Delaney, she is going to do great things for the Lord.

This is my boyfriend, best friend, and love of my life Benjamin Michael Klaus.

Ben

Ben is an incredible man, I really can't think of a better word. He makes me laugh and encourages me in so many ways! He loves the Lord with all his heart and is an incredible musician. I love having long talks with him, sitting on the dog beach in Chicago, and just being our goofy selves. I am so grateful to have him in my life and can't wait to be reunited with him so very soon! This summer apart has been a great test for us and I would say that we have succeeded! I love this man and can't wait to spend the rest of my life discovering more of the man that God has made him to be. (Yes, I realize Ben is not from Colorado but home is where the heart is right?)

In Honor of Diversity

This summer I have been given the privelage of traveling Europe. It has always been a dream of mine to see the world and I am slowly checking countries off my list one at a time. As I travel and encounter so many different views and people I am reminded that God is the God of the nations and that He loves all people. He created diversity and I am so ecstatic to be able to witness this diversity. So in honor of diversity, I have decided to share a few pictures of some of my favorite spots in all of the world.

One of my favorite views in all of Europe: Rome, Italy.

The Colosseum: Rome, Italy

My emotions when thinking about the colosseum are quite complicated. I loved seeing this amazing feat of architecture and ancient piece of history, yet it was such a somber place to be at because of all the death that took place within it's walls. Regardless, it was an incredible site to behold.

San Clement Basilllica: Rome, Italy.

This is probably number one on my list of favorite places in the entire world. Not only because of the beautiful architecture on the outside and the wonderful courtyard, but also because of what is underneath. Below this incredible basillica is a 3rd century church, but below that is a 1st century house church. The church was most likely used by Clement. It was such an incredible feeling to walk in the same location that first generation Christians walked and worshipped. Praise the Lord for preserving such incredible location! 

Regello in Tuscany, Italy.

Such natural beauty, I could live here and just have picnics with a glass of wine, a good book, and the one I love. This was by far the most relaxing place in all of Italy that I have been. Its a wonderful place to see all the creativity in God's creation: olive trees, poppies, cherry trees, tall grasses, and so much more.  

The Alps: Wilderswil, Switzerland.

Being a Colorado girl, naturally I loved the Swiss Alps. The hiking was incredible and the views from the tops of the peaks where breathtaking. I could sit on the top of this peak for all of eternity, such majesty.

East Side Gallery Berlin Wall: Berlin, Germany.

I loved seeing all the incredible artwork on the wall. Such an incredible juxtapostion of new life, creativity, and freedom versus the old oppression and injustice that the wall used to represent. Featured in this picture is myself on the left and my beautiful friend Lauren Downey on the right.

Lucky Marriage Ring: Nurmberg, Germany.

I love this specific location because of the playfulness and just down right fun that it represents. I didn't have a special affinity for the city of Nurmberg, but I did love this fountain. Essentially what happens is that you spin this ring clockwise, and then you will receive luck in your marriage or marriage to come. It was fun to participate in something that really only the locals knew about.

Nice, France.

The beaches in Nice have made it into my top three beaches of all time. Most of the beaches in Nice are pebbels which provide for a wonderful massage on your feet. The water is incredibly blue and the temperature is just perfect. Nice is one of the best vacation spots I have ever been to.

Saint Honorat Island Monestary: Cannes, France.

This island is my favorite place in the entire world. Saint Honorat Island is just off the coast of Cannes, France in the French Riviera. The island is located right next to another island where boats and huge yachts park in between. It is an incredible view to see all the boats parked there. However, my favorite part was the monestary located on the island. The architecture was so incredible and the garden was so beautiful it took my breathe away. My friend Chesney always tells me about this childrens book called Fredrick the Mouse, where the mouse has moments where he takes in everything around him by focusing on each of the five senses individually. That way he can remember everything about that moment. This was a Fredrick the Mouse moment for me. I will never forget this moment and how I felt here for the rest of my life.

Joy.

Joy. This tiny little word, composed of three little letters has changed my life, so much so that it is permanently inked on my body. But it is more than joy that changed my life. It is the root of my joy and the source of all my joy: my SAVIOR and lover of my life Jesus Christ. My joy comes from the Lord. He promises joy with every morning.
                                        "Weeping may tarry for the night,
                                          but JOY comes with the morning."
                                          Psalm 30:5
This promise from the Lord, found in his word, is one that I hold to everyday, every morning, and every waking moment. Though weeping and sorrow is inevitabe, God still promises joy with every morning. How incredible that I serve a God who loves me enough, that despite my circumstances and present sorrows, still gives me joy in the morning. That is the God that I love and that is the God that I serve.

Trials come that bring weeping and sorrow, no one can avoid it. As a fallen world, we all experience loss and despair, no one is immune. I have had my fair share of loss and weeping but my cross to bear is anxiety. I have always been an anxious person, as I think that most introverts are to some degree. However, my anxiety has always seemed to exceed others, normal people didn't have such bad anxiety that it would paralyze them did they? This paralyzing anxiety all started my first semester of college, most likely coming from my move into Chicago and a new setting. By the time Thanksgiving break rolled around I was so sick of my anxiety that I did the only thing I knew to do: cry out to my Savior. And as promised, he answered my prayers, the prayers of his daughter. He gave me joy. Joy that exceeds any sort of temporary happiness that we might find. My joy is permanent because it rests in my Father, the one who loves me and calls me His. Sure, anxiety is still a battle, but I know that God is faithful and will provide me with joy once again.

This is why I can't be silent, this is why I must blog: because my Living God has given me joy and I can't contain it inside of me. My hope is that as I enter into this new and exciting world of blogs, that I would encourage someone, inspire someone, or who knows, maybe even make someone laugh.