From Stone to Flesh

Hello again! I'll skip right past the part where I've been away from here for months and go straight into today's story. Get excited because it's a story of zombies...and the Gospel. Hold up, you say. What could zombies possibly have to do with the Gospel? I'm coming to that, but first some background.

A few months ago, I checked out Warm Bodies from the library. Warm Bodies is pretty much Romeo and Juliet with zombies. Before I continue, check out the trailer if you haven't seen the movie:

Here we meet R, who has sadly succumbed to an un-deadly zombie virus and now enjoys eating brains. R spends his days shuffling around aimlessly yet wondering if there's more to un-life until one fateful day he meets Julie, our girl-next-door zombie slayer. While you'd expect R to immediately bash Julie's pretty little head in and get to snacking, seeing the life, light, and beauty radiating from her sparks something deep inside him. He's not even alive, but he's falling in love, and that begins a transformation in his heart that makes him more and more human and may even change his entire world (I won't give away the ending because you should watch it!).

So here I am watching this movie, minding my own business, when I am blindsided by the biblical truth in this concept. I'm watching R's transformation from un-death to life, and this verse from Ezekiel pops into my head:

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put in you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. -Ezekiel 36:26

I'm completely oversimplifying this, but it's love that causes R's dead heart to begin beating again, and it's the love of Christ that brought me from death to new life. The more R learns to love, the more alive he becomes just as the more I allow Jesus to transform my heart to be more like His, the more my heart looks like His. And just as R's transformation starts an epidemic zombie love fest, so the transformation Jesus has had in my life should be evident and should make others want to give Him their hearts too.

The real conviction I got from this movie was that while I gave my heart to Christ long ago, there are days when I feel like I slip back into zombie mode and forget that spreading His love is my purpose. How cool is it that this reminder came from a zombie romance movie?! But that's my God. He knows how to get through to this little nerd girl. Oh, Lord, continue to daily take my heart of stone and make it a heart of flesh that I might show the world Your love. You must become greater, Jesus, and I must become less (John 3:30).

The Affective Love of God

It's been crazy long since I've posted here since I've been so busy blogging book reviews over at aguyagirlandateenbookblog.com, but I read this passage in Brennan Manning's The Furious Longing of God this morning and had to share:

"The wild, unrestricted love of God is not simply an inspiring idea. When it imposes itself on mind and heart with the stark reality of ontological truth, it determines why and at what time you get up in the morning, how you pass your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, and who you hang out with; it affects what breaks your heart, what amazes you, and what makes your heart happy."

Am I letting the unfailing love of God affect my every moment? Lord, let your love seep into my every moment.

My Thankful Thirty

Once again it's been a while since I've updated here. I've been busy blogging book reviews over at http://aguyagirlandateenbookblog.blogspot.com, and it's going really well, but I wanted to take a moment to blog about some Thanksgiving goodness. I missed the boat on the one-thing-you're-thankful-for-each-day Facebook meme, so today I'm playing catch up. Thirty days hath November, so here are my thankful thirty...in no particular order. :)

1. My Savior.

2. My family.

3. My friends, who now span all across this country and even across oceans!

4. my college education and all the experiences it brought me in the classroom and especially out! (We sure did some random and AWESOME things!)

5. LSU sports...and all the near heart attacks and sheer glee they have caused me. Geaux Tigers

6. all the places I've been lucky enough to travel to and all the things I've learned along the way

7. coffee...particularly java chip fraps and Cafe Verona blend

8. my dog

9. the good ol' U.S. of A. and the freedoms we enjoy, especially free speech, freedom of religion, and the right to vote

10. my job and the confidence that I am doing exactly what I was born to do and loving every second of it

11. books!

12. a reliable car

13. the fact that I've never gone hungry (praying for those today who are unsure where their next meal is coming from)

14. my Compassion kiddo in Honduras and the joy her letters bring me

15. my church...oh, how I do love Salem Chapel, Salem Kids, and my Life Group...my heart has found a home

16. art - music, literature, theatre, and dance

17. modern conveniences...I'm a huge history nerd, but I really love running water and the Internet ;)

18. desserts

19. sunsets

20. mountains

21. the Word of God

22. curling up in my warm bed and having a roof over my head

23. worship music

24. sleep

25. Pinterest (shallow, I know, but for real it is so useful!)

26. baseball

27. my hometown

28. my new hometown

29. Jenn Sloane Carter and our incredible friendship

30. Disney World ;)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Top 5 Reasons Rupert Grint Should Be the 12th Doctor

Confession time. For years people have told me that I should watch Doctor Who, and I'm not sure why, but I've never tried it...until a few weeks ago, and let me just tell you, it is my new obsession. I feel like I've lost so much time! Hah! I liked it so much, I restarted my Netflix account to watch them. I'm starting with the new series, but maybe eventually I'll go back and watch the old ones too.

David Tennant is by far my favorite Doctor. Ten is just impossible to top, but I did have a thought today. If you're out there listening, Doctor Who producers, you should hire Rupert Grint as the 12th Doctor when Matt Smith gets ready to give up his fez, bow tie, and sonic screwdriver, and here are 5 reasons why.

5. He knows how to wear a suit and wear it well.

Quite dashing whether it be classic,

(from contactmusic.com)

purple (!), 

(from fanpop.com)

or retro ;)

(from harrypotter.wikia.com)

4. He knows how to accessorize. 

Exhibit A: sexy scarf

(from collider.com)

3. He has connections who could be gold mines as potential companions. There's Emma Watson (the brainy, fashionable companion), Evanna Lynch (the cute, quirky companion), or even Jessie Cave (the pretty, bubbly, and a little bit crazy companion). That would be Hermione, Luna, and Lavender to Harry Potter novices. ;)

2. He's already got a catchphrase! "Bloody hell!"

1. He's rude AND ginger! Finally! The Tenth Doctor would be so excited. 

Tangents Are Fun...Just Not in Math

I know it's been awhile since I've posted, and I promise promise promise to get back to Harry Potter, but I have exciting news to share! (No, I'm not dating anyone. Haha.) My friend Chris Belser and I have started a new teen/tween book review blog called "A Guy, a Girl, and a Teen Book Blog.

Check it out at http://aguyagirlandateenbookblog.blogspot.com/ and stay tuned for more finding God in Harry Potter.

What's in a Name?

So...remember the time I promised to write this whole finding-God-in-Harry-Potter series then completely forgot to actually write it? Well...forgive me, but I am finally getting around to it! I'm now about halfway through John Granger's How Harry Cast His Spell, and I have to say my mind is blown. I'm pretty familiar with Christian imagery and with the Potter series, but gracious, there is a lot even I missed. To be honest, it will take me a long while to share all the nuggets of truth I want to, so be patient with me. Before I delve into the books themselves in a walk-through fashion, let's take a few posts to look at the significance of names in Harry Potter...and who better to start with than the Chosen One himself?

***Aside: Let me start by reiterating that in looking at the Harry Potter series through the lens of Christian imagery, I am in no way saying that it's the only way to interpret the series nor am I attempting to interpret what the incredible Ms. Rowling had in mind for how we are supposed to interpret the stories. This is probably getting a bit too English major-ish, but the best authors are ones whose works simultaneously build up grand plots and themes and weave in many, many layers of symbolism while still leaving room for the reader to find his or her own way through the forest of their own imaginations and reasoning. I think that J.K. Rowling would agree that the last thing she would want is for her readers to want to figure out what she meant when she wrote the Potter novels but rather what the stories mean to us and how they speak to and better us as human beings (and I would argue as Christians). I personally take the stand that any true work of art (be it literature, music, or art in the literal sense) ignites a spark within us that reminds us of how we are created beings (works of art if you will) designed to bring glory to our Creator, and therefore, one can find glimpses of the divine in any true work of art if you look hard enough. I tend to read most novels, watch most movies, and listen to most music with a constant lookout for these pen strokes of the Creator (thus the name of this blog), so of course I read (and re-read) the Potter series through the lens of my relationship with Christ, and I agree with Mr. Granger (no relation to Hermione ;) ) that it's pretty hard to deny the plethora of Christian symbolism in these novels, and while I think it's pretty obvious that J.K. Rowling planned this on purpose, it really holds no meaning whether she intended them to be interpreted as "Christian" or not. Keep all of this in mind when reading any of these posts. But I digress...***

Now...back to Mr. Potter. Why is our hero given the name Harry Potter? What meaning can we draw from his name? Before we get to that, we have to zoom out just a little. Mr. Granger takes the stand (and I completely agree) that the character of Harry Potter can be seen as an example of a Christian "Every Man" akin to Christian in John Bunyan's classic Pilgrim's Progress. For those of you who have not had the privilege *cough* kidding *cough* of reading this work, let me fill you in on the concept of the "Every Man." Basically, he's every man. He stands as an archetype of any human being on the road to discovering salvation, redemption, and purpose through their relationship with God. The reader should be able to relate to the character and see himself or herself in the character through the victories, temptations, and the defeats and ultimately through the final victory over evil.

What does this have to do with Harry Potter? you ask. Why do you think millions of people have fallen in love with this series? There are actually many answers to that, but I think the biggest reason is that the characters (Harry in particular) are so relatable. Potter fans around the world are adamant about their favorite characters and can quickly tell you why they love those characters, and usually if they're honest, it's largely to do with how much they see themselves in those characters. It's common knowledge that Hermione is my favorite because she's basically my literary twin with her brainy and bookish ways and aversion to getting in trouble. See what I mean? ;)

But again...back to Harry. Even the staunchest Draco/Slytherin fan will usually admit that there's something about Harry that even they can relate to and respect. Harry is the "Every Man." His journey through the seven-book series is a reflection of every person's journey through life. The choices he makes are similar to choices we all must face. Maybe you've never had to find a way to banish a Boggart, but I guarantee you've had to find a way to face your fears, and maybe you've never had to fight a fire-breathing dragon, but I know you've had to fight temptations that seemed just as deadly. The secular interpretation will tell you that you can see Harry as the "Every Man" who uses good to triumph over evil (which is completely accurate), but after seeing all the layers and layers of Christian symbolism throughout the entire series, I see Harry as the Christian "Every Man," and I think you can see that in his very name. (The following is a summation of what Granger illuminates in Chapter 10 of How Harry Cast His Spell.)

Let's start with the first name. Harry. What meaning can we take from Harry? While Harry does have unruly black hair that he can't seem to tame, there's more meaning there than just "Hair-y" Potter. Granger suggests pronouncing Harry the French way (as Fleur does!) without the "h" sound, so you get "Arry" with a long "a" sound. You could interpret this as "airy," but since our main character is no airhead, I think the better interpretation is "heir-y" as in heir of a kingdom. Now, we're getting somewhere. What is Harry the heir of? There's reason to suspect that he's actually the heir of Gryffindor since he did pull the sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat and because it makes sense for the heir of Gryffindor to ultimately defeat the heir of Slytherin, Lord Voldemort. To truly see what Harry's inheritance is, though, we must move on to his last name.

Potter. At first glance, it's a common last name, which probably had its origin, as many European surnames do, in the occupation of the person bearing the name. However, none of our Potters are actually potters, so there must be something else there. If you look at the imagery of the potter in biblical terms, you see over and over references to God the father as the Potter who shapes us and molds us into shining examples of His love. One of my favorite passages is in 2 Corinthians 4: 7 and refers to us as Christians as "treasures in jars of clay," again signifying God as the Potter. If you take into consideration that the Latin word for "father" is "pater," you get some crazy awesome dual symbolism in Harry's name. Follow me here. Harry Potter = "Heir-y Potter/Pater" = heir/son of the Potter/Father. Am I blowing your mind yet? So now we have Harry as truly the Christian "Every Man" even in name. He's the son of the Potter, the heir of the Father, a treasure in a jar of clay that we are meant to relate to and emulate for his (mostly) consistent choice of doing what is right in the eyes of the Father over what's easy. Our hero has the humblest of beginnings in the cupboard under the stairs yet rises to be the savior of the wizarding world all because at every turn, Harry chooses to give up what's advantageous for him in favor of what's right and good and noble according to the legacy left to him by his father and mother and Dumbledore...even at the cost of his own life (but more on that later...probably much later haha). He truly is the "son of the Father," and his example can lead us to be better sons and daughters of our Father and to truly embrace our inheritance as sons and daughters of the King! (I couldn't resist to add this in here. I found it on somebody's tumblr. Lion King + Harry Potter = awesome:)

Stay tuned for more fun with names of other characters we've grown to love...and hate!

Kari Jobe - "Steady My Heart"

Just watch...and worship. Thank you, Kari, for using the immense talent God gave you to give it back to Him.



Wish it could be easy
Why is life so messy
Why is pain a part of us
There are days I feel like
Nothing ever goes right
Sometimes it just hurts so much

But You're here
You're real
I know I can trust You

Even when it hurts
Even when it's hard
Even when it all just falls apart
I will run to You
Cause I know that You are
Lover of my soul
Healer of my scars
You steady my heart
You steady my heart

I'm not gonna worry
I know that You got me
Right inside the palm of your hand
Each and every moment
What's good and what gets broken
Happens just the way that You plan

And I will run to You
You're my refuge in Your arms
And I will sing to You
Cause of everything You are

You steady my heart
You steady my heart

Renewed Hope for a New Year

It's been a long while since I've updated, but I had a bit of a moment in the car after work today, and I wanted to share.

New Year's is my second favorite holiday - second only to Christmas. There's something magical about going into a new year - fresh starts, clean slates, big dreams, etc. I love the hopeful feeling that comes with knowing you can make of the year whatever you wish.

However, New Year's can also be a time where it's hard to see the hope. It can be a time when you're reminded that another year has passed and you're still waiting. Waiting for pain to go away, waiting for healing to come, waiting for a blessing, waiting for some guidance, or just waiting. This year I myself had one of those times, but today I was reminded in a big way that I have a hope that truly endures no matter what.

Driving home from work today, I heard Natalie Grant's "Our Hope Endures" on the radio, and it completely overwhelmed me. I'm not a crier, and there were tears. I'll let it speak for itself, but remember that you too can have a relationship with the God of the universe, and He will never ever leave you even if you have to wait out the storm. He'll always be there with you, and He has a perfect plan and perfect timing.

"Our Hope Endures"

You would think only so much can go wrong
Calamity only strikes once
And you assume this one has suffered her share
Life will be kinder from here
Oh, but sometimes the sun stays hidden for years
Sometimes the sky rains night after night
When will it clear?

But our Hope endures the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Our Hope is unchanged

How do we comprehend peace within pain?
Or joy at a good man's wake?
Walk a mile with the woman whose body is torn
With illness but she marches on
Oh, 'cause sometimes the sun stays hidden for years
Sometimes the sky rains night after night
When will it clear?

But our Hope endures the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Our Hope is unchanged

Emmanuel, God is with us
El Shaddai, all sufficient
We never walk alone
And this is our hope

But our Hope endures the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Our Hope is unchanged

The Lifter of My Head

"But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head." -Psalm 3:3

We sang a song at Lawndale this morning that reminded me of this verse, and I had forgotten how much I loved it. The image created here speaks to the tenderness of my Savior. Can't you just picture Him? He sees your head hanging low with the pain, heartaches, and weights of this world, tear-stained, puffy-eyed, and defeated, and he gently takes your chin in his hand and tilts it up so that your eyes meet as if to say, "I'm right here. I see your pain, and I can take your burden. There's no pain I can't handle...no pain that catches me off guard. I know your every day before you live it, and you are never, ever alone. I am here. Always."

Let Him be the lifter of your head today.

Ode to Tiger Stadium

Legendary LSU public announcer Dan Borne wrote a poem about the magic and majesty that is Tiger Stadium on a Louisiana Saturday night that LSU is using on a lot of its football promo material this year. It's too amazing not to share, so I thought I'd post it in honor of season kickoff week. This literally gave me chills. I wish I could make a game in Death Valley this year, but I'll see LSU play Ole Miss in O-Town in November! But without further ado, here's the poem...and Geaux Tigers!

"It is a pantheon of concrete & steel.
It's a city that rises defiantly in the Delta
Alongside the Father of Waters.
It is the humidity of autumn evenings
That drapes stately oaks and broad magnolias.
It is haunted...and it is loud.
It is Halloween night & Cannon blasts.
It is a Louisiana gumbo of humanity
That cheers its Tigers to victory
And destroys the dreams of invading foes.
Chance of rain is...NEVER!
It is the cathedral of college football
And worship happens here.
When the sun finds its home in the western sky,
It is a field of glory for sure...
But much more than that it is a sacred place,
And it is Saturday night in Death Valley!"

-Dan Borne

For the Times when You're Tempted to Whine

My very brief epiphany of the night: there are times when I think to myself that life just isn't fair, and then I remember that the Son of God Almighty being tortured and dying a humiliating death on a tree wasn't exactly fair either. Quite a humbling thought. What we view as temporary unfairness may in actuality be God planning something much bigger, better, and more beautiful in the end. Life may not be fair, but God's plan is always perfect. Lord, please give me the patience to see that. Your ways are truly higher than my ways and Your thoughts higher than my thoughts.

A Lesson in Courage: My Review of The Help

I loved Kathryn Stockett's novel The Help. Loved it. However, I was nervous when I found out they were making it into a movie. Hollywood has this way of screwing things up sometimes especially when it comes to movies set in the Civil Rights era in the South, but when I found out Kathryn Stockett's childhood friend and fellow Mississippi native Tate Taylor was going to be directing it, I eased up slightly. Now that I've seen the movie, I've realized only a Mississippi native could have written that book or directed that movie. See, as someone who was born and raised in Mississippi, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with my home state.

Now, before you go berating me for insulting my birthplace, let me explain. I love Mississippi. I love summer nights and the tune of crickets singing and fried chicken and the electricity of football season in the air and strong but delicate magnolia trees and a million other things about Mississippi, but my home state has a dark history that's no fault of its own. The guilt lies solely with its people and the way in which they've treated each other with injustice and allowed hatred over petty differences to engulf our state's history like a disease. Not that any other place doesn't have just as much guilt, but when I think about the horrors inflicted on African Americans and the hatred and fear felt by both races in my beloved Mississippi over the years, it just makes me sick. And it has always left me asking myself a haunting question. Would I have been brave enough? All through school when learning about the Civil Rights movement or even the Civil War, I always had that question in the back of my mind. Would I have been brave enough to do something about it...to stand up for what is right? I hope that I would have been. I hope that I would have been one of those good people who knew that love and respect are neither black nor white who treated all people equally and spoke up when others didn't. I hope I would. Movies and books like this always find me hoping I'd have been one of those people, and I like to think there were more of those people than history lets on. People who fought in quiet ways that wouldn't get them in the textbooks but changed their world in smaller yet still significant ways.

I see a lot of myself in Skeeter Phelan - curly hair, single, writer, sassy, college-educated, career-minded Mississippi girl - and I hope that I'd have been as brave as she. It's a beautiful and moving book and an equally beautiful and moving movie. Read it. See it. Go out and live it...because injustice didn't end with the Civil Rights Act, and there are new injustices to fight everyday. The Lord has called us to stand up against them and to be set apart. Find your cause and fight for it, and He will be there beside you to give you strength and clear your path.

Laura Story - "Blessings"

We've recently been studying this idea of crying out to God in our Life Journey Group at Lawndale, and I came across this song on the radio today that blessed my heart and pretty much sums up what we've been discussing. I hope it touches you today too. :)

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

It All Ends...or Does It?

I woke up Friday morning with some strange symptoms: blurry, puffy eyes from crying; sleep deprivation; smiling satisfaction; and bittersweet longing. I didn't need a doctor to tell me what was wrong. My diagnosis was a Harry Potter hangover.

Hundreds of thousands of eager fans like me ran to the theaters late Thursday night for the midnight showing of the second part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and I have to say it did not disappoint. It was definitely the most intense Potter movie; my heart started beating like crazy from the beginning all the way to the epilogue. It runs the gamut of human emotion with perfect moments of love, fear, anger, acceptance, comedy, and sacrifice, and in the end (spoiler alert) love wins.

It was Dumbledore who said throughout the series that Voldemort would only be defeated by love, and love did defeat him when Harry sacrificially laid down his own life for his friends and the entire wizarding world. Sound familiar? :) Harry comes back to life to finish off Moldy Voldy and rightfully claims the Elder Wand as his own. Then in an effort to prevent anyone from attempting to wield its power for ill gain again, Harry snaps the wand in half and tosses it off the bridge. After his long journey, Harry now knows that selfish ambition and a drive for power only corrupt one into an ugly, barely human creature and that selfless love is where true happiness lies.

I'll go into more detail on the spiritual side of Deathly Hallows when I finally get around to it for the finding God in HP discussion, which at this pace may be 10 years haha. The great and wonderful thing about these books and movies is that there is always more to learn and always more to see. Is this the end? Technically, yes. Realistically? Oh, no. So look for the finding God in Harry Potter discussions to start up again soon(ish) here. I'm planning on re-reading the entire series with notebook in hand to really delve into how God makes Himself known in this series (with or without the author's intent). And I pray that all the millions of people seeing the movie over the next few weeks will open their hearts to this message of sacrificial love and let it point them to our Savior.

Thanks for the thrilling ride, Harry. I just got off the rollercoaster, and I'm already ready for another go. I mean that philosophically of course, but if anyone wants to fly me to Orlando, I'm okay with that too. :)

Love's Like a Hurricane; I Am a Tree

I admit I've been a slacker blogger lately, and I promise I will get back to the finding God in Harry Potter series (eventually), but I'd like to share with you about the incredible meeting God and I had this weekend at the retreat at Caswell Beach.

If I'm perfectly honest with you, God and I have not been on the best of terms lately. It's not like we've been at odds or anything, but for the past few months or so, I've been dragged down by this awful apathy about my walk with Him. I've still been going through the motions, but my passion was zilch. I was stuck in a rut and couldn't get out. I went into this weekend praying basically two things: 1. Lord, please meet me here this weekend so I may refocus and fall in love with You all over again and 2. Lord, please don't let me be distracted by all the cute Christian guys (Did I mention it was a singles' retreat?) (I told you I was being perfectly honest!) ;) Wow, did God ever answer those prayers. I won't go into detail about that second request except to say that He was the focus of my weekend and I met some amazing brothers (and sisters) in Christ this weekend.

As for the first request, God knew this weekend that I needed to get back to the basics of our relationship, and by that I basically mean that He reminded me that The Gospel can pretty much be summed up in one word: love. As in...He loves me. A lot. And He wants me to share that love with as much passion as a parent who can't stop talking about how much they love their kid or a lover who can't stop talking about how much they love their beloved. He is my one true love, and He always will be no matter who else may come along. And He is jealous for me. Wrap your head around that statement from the David Crowder song for a second. The God who created the universe is jealous for your love. He wants you to give Him your whole heart and being. He is jealous when you put anything above Him because He can love you more than anything else could possible dream to.

God really used David Crowder's "How He Loves" while He was working in my heart this weekend. I couldn't get it out of my head all weekend, and I'm a firm believer that He puts particular praise songs in your head like that for a reason. (Random fact: the technical term for this is "earworm." Ew.) I keep singing that song over and over in my mind..."(His) love's like a hurricane...I am a tree bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy." Such powerful words. I've been through a few hurricanes in my time in Louisiana, so images of raging wind that will not cease and forever change the landscape around it come to mind. Then on Sunday, we drove back by some trees I'd seen all weekend, and all of this finally clicked for me (This is not the actual tree...this is one from some random person's Flickr account, but you get the drift)...

These funny-looking trees definitely stand out from the landscape. They don't stand up tall like normal trees because they have been physically altered by their prolonged exposure to high, hurricane-force winds coming in from the ocean. Even when these strong winds are not present, you can still see their permanent effects on the trees. There is clear evidence of change...of something out of the ordinary. Do you see where I'm going with this? The hurricane force of God's love for us is permanently changing when you accept it. It bends you and molds you in ways that make you holy and set apart and make people who look at you say, "There is something different about this person. Something must have made them that way." We are ordinary people who God uses in extraordinary ways for the furthering of His kingdom.

So here's my prayer in light of all that's been stirring in my heart this weekend. Lord, may our lives reflect your amazing love. Let your love be clearly evident in our lives so that others may come to know You through the testimony of our changed lives. You say in your word that people will know we are Yours by our love. Let that love flow freely out of an overflow of our hearts. Let us serve you and love others out of passion not out of duty. I don't want to go through the motions, Lord. I want others to see Your love in me and want it for themselves. Help me not fall victim to apathy again. "Show me how to love like You have loved me" and "break my heart for what breaks yours." Give me compassion with action, and thank you, thank you, thank you for your jealous love for me. Forgive me for the times I give you reasons to be jealous by putting other things before you. Help me live a life on mission wherever I am. I am Yours. Forever. Amen.

An Invitation to Another World

"Yeh don' know what yeh are?....Harry - yer a wizard."
--- Hagrid, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Chapter 4

Harry Potter is the boy who lived, yet he didn't have much of a life sleeping in the cupboard under the stairs in horrid aunt and uncle's home. In fact, Harry's future is pretty hopeless - no chance for love, no chance for adventure, no chance for much of anything. He's practically enslaved and stuck in a mundane, abusive life. Then one day a letter changes his life. One day Harry, who knows no one in the world besides his awful family, receives an invitation to a new life and a new identity. That invitation comes in the form of a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and with the acceptance of that letter, Harry's eyes are opened to a new world beyond his comprehension and a destiny he never could have imagined. Harry is no longer Harry Potter, forgotten and unloved child. He is Harry Potter, a wizard with a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11 reference anyone?). Harry is now a member of a world that is magically set apart. The wizarding world becomes his true home yet he still lives in the Muggle world.

What a telling reminder to us that we are not true citizens of this world. Once we accept Christ, we are called out of our mundane, hopeless lives into a citizenship in Heaven and called with a purpose to fulfill our destinies He has planned for us. God invites us to step out of our cupboards under the stairs and join him in a life more wonderful than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). He'll stop at nothing to find his way into our hearts and show us a glimpse of who we can be in Him...just as no boarded up mail slot prevents those letters from finding Harry. He always knows just where to find us, and He meets us right where we are whether it's in a mundane dead-end existence at 4 Privet Drive or in the middle of a dark storm in a tiny shack by the sea with the waters rising. Still, those letters find Harry, and in the end, all he has to do to begin his new life is accept what Hagrid tells him - that he's a wizard. All we have to do to begin our new lives in Christ is accept that we are His bought at a price and devote ourselves to following Him. That's only the beginning of the journey, as Harry soon discovers too, but it's the first step in the transition from the boy who lived to the boy who really lives.

Pen Strokes in the Wonderful World of Harry Potter

It seems like ages ago that I first picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone mostly to see what all the hype was about. My sister and I were both in high school, and for those of you who knew Staci and me then, I was far more a bookworm than she was (She's warmed up to books since then.), but ironically it was her copy I picked up. A friend of hers had told her it was a great read, and I had heard through the grapevine of the Potter buzz, so after she had finished it (or maybe even before she finished it...I'm fuzzy on the details), I decided to give this Harry Potter character a try even if it was written for "kids" and would surely be below my (what I thought at the time was a beyond-my-years) reading level maturity. At the risk of sounding completely ridiculous and exaggerated, I had no idea this series would literally change my view of literature.

Before you go thinking, "Here's another one of those crazy Harry Potter nuts," let me elaborate. Undoubtedly, I connect with this series on so many levels (It basically took me one book to realize I AM Hermione Granger haha.), but for the purposes of what I'm planning for my blog in the coming months, I'll focus mostly on the redeeming spiritual themes in Harry Potter. Yes, that's right. I said spiritual themes in Harry Potter, and I'll take it a step further and say there are down-right Christian themes in Harry Potter if you open your mind enough to see them. It saddens my heart to see so-called Christians openly bashing the series for its references to witchcraft and evil. Although most of those people have probably never even READ the books (GRRR...don't get me started on this), my focus will not be to fight fire with fire. Instead, I'd like to discuss how you can actually see glimpses of God in this series.

While I grew up on The Chronicles of Narnia (which is also dear to my heart), I knew it was blatantly allegorical, written by a man who is undoubtedly Christian and intended for the series to draw children (and adults) closer to God, but until Harry Potter entered my life, I had never really realized that you can see God in "secular" literature. The more I delved into the series, the more I found snapshots of God's character and references to the Christian walk. I hope to share those with you here in the coming months, and I hope that you too can start to see Him in literature that is not specifically "Christian" and that you may see a new side of the wonderful wizarding world of Harry Potter.

I may go chronologically through the books, skip around, or focus on characters depending on what I feel like sharing at the moment. I'm currently listening through the audiobooks while I run, so I might end up sharing my latest treadmill epiphany at times as well. ;) I've also read (and have on my to-read stack) a few good books on the subject too. Check this out if you want to do some reading on your own:

• Looking for God in Harry Potter by John Granger
• What's a Christian to Do with Harry Potter? by Connie Neal
• God, the Devil, and Harry Potter: A Christian Minister's Defense of the Beloved Novels by John Killinger
  

All Things New

*I dedicate this blog post to Kathryn Taylor, who recently admonished me for being a slacker blogger and thus inspired me to write tonight. Love you, Kat!* ;)

You've probably heard me say this before, but there's something about the changing of the seasons that always refocuses my heart on God...especially the change from winter to spring. It never ceases to amaze me how every year bare, sleeping trees know exactly when to wake up and start growing leaves again. If that's not evidence of a Creator, I don't know what is. Who else could make new life spring from a cold slumber? It's such a refreshing reminder that when we go through those wintry phases of life or that when winter storms blow through our lives, He can always make spring come again...but in His time. I have to remember that without the coldest winter nights, it would be difficult to truly appreciate beautiful, bright spring mornings. I'm so glad that God can use every season of nature and life to teach me more about who He is. When you see the daffodils start to peek out of the ground this spring, take a moment to thank the One who orchestrated them.

"You're Not Alone" by Meredith Andrews

I search for love
When the night came and it closed in
I was alone
but you found me where I was hiding
and now I'll never ever be the same
It was the sweetest voice
that called my name
saying

You're not alone
for I am here
let me wipe away your every fear
My love I've never left your side
I have seen you through the darkest night
and I'm the one who's loved you all your life
All of your life

You cry yourself to sleep
cause the hurt is real
and the pain cuts deep
All hope seems lost
With heartache your closest friend
and everyone else long gone

You've had to face the music on your own
but there is a sweeter song
that calls you home
saying

You're not alone
for I am here
let me wipe away your every tear
My love I've never left your side
I have seen you through the darkest nights
And I'm the one who's loved you all your life
All your life

Faithful and true... Forever
For my love will carry you....

You're not alone
for I... I am here
let me wipe away every fear... Oh yeah
My love I've never left your side
I have seen you through your darkest night
Your darkest night
And I'm the one who's loved you all your life
All of your life

Hope through Faith

Often when I'm tempted to view circumstances in my life as debilitating, unfair, hurtful, or despairing, my heart is quietly reminded of 2 Corinthians 4. This passage just might be one of my favorite sections of God's word because it's just such an eloquent, poetic, and beautiful reminder that no matter how hopeless your situation feels, you have the power of God Almighty living in you. He is in control (as my neighbor across the hall reminded me only yesterday), so we have no reason to worry, pity ourselves, or let life get us down in any way. Hope for tomorrow comes only through the faith we have in Him moment by moment. He's only asking us to hold on tight and let Him lead. The question is are we willing to let Him use our light and momentary sufferings to bring Him glory instead of using them as an excuse for a pity party? I'm not saying we don't have real pains in this life or that there's not a perfectly appropriate place for grief in our lives, but there's danger in dwelling too long on pain. There's no pain He can't use to glorify His name if only we'll let Him. I hope this passage in 2 Corinthians blesses you and comforts you tonight as it has done and continues to do for me. May we strive to shine for Him in all circumstances. May our faith in His complete control give us immovable, unshakable hope. And let us not forget that it is only through His ultimate sacrifice and pain that we have that faith and hope.

2 Corinthians 4:7-10, 16-18:
⁷But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. ⁸We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

¹⁶So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ¹⁸as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.