A latte with a side of ... Bad Theology

This morning after hitting the gym before work, I drove through Starbucks to pick up a pumpkin spice latte. (So basically, the latte and my workout balanced each other out!) Each Starbucks cup has an author or quote from someone in the media. Here was today's:

The Way I See It #58
I have faith. Faith in our wondrous capacity for hope and good, love and trust, healing and forgiveness. Faith in the blessing of our infinite ability to wonder, question, pray, feel, think and learn. I have faith. Faith in the infinite possibilities of the human spirit.
-James Brown, Emmy-winning sportscaster and co-host of FOX NFL Sunday.

The problem with this statement is that there is no good in us apart from Christ. None! God imparted righteousness to us at the cross when Jesus took our sins as his own. Therefore, our faith should not lie in our capabilities, knowledge or the "human spirit," but the blood that was shed for us and the redemption we receive as a result.

It says in Proverbs "there is a way that seems right to a man but at the end of it is the way of death and destruction." Are we as Christians listening to the world's wisdom or way of thinking instead of relying on scriptures? Wake up each day with His glory and His renown on your mind and lips and you will see more and more of yourself die. And there's so much freedom in dying to self!

"So I say to you, live by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature ... But if you are living by the Spirit, you are no longer under law." Gal 6:16-18

"Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:27

"God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything." 1 John 3:20

A Vagabond Song

When my mom saw the poem I posted last time, she searched around to find this one. My brothers and I memorized it when we were in elementary school ... and I still remember the rhythm in which I recited it... it paints a great picture of Autumn.

'A Vagabond Song' -Bliss Carman
There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood-
Touch of manner, hint of mood;
And my heart is like a rhyme,
With the yellow and the purple and the crimson keeping time.

The scarlet of the maple can shake me like a cry
Of bugles going by.
And my lonely spirit thrills
To see the frosty asters like a smoke upon the hills.

There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir;
We must rise and follow her,
When from every hill of flame
She calls and calls each vagabond by name.

Autumn Fires...

"Autumn Fires" Robert Louis Stevenson
In the other gardens

And all up the vale,

From the autumn bonfires

See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over

And all the summer flowers,

The red fire blazes,

The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!

Something bright in all!

Flowers in the summer,

Fires in the fall!

Overheard at the BGCT...

...

1. "I just got this in my spam folder, 'John Edwards just admits to fathering Clay Aiken's baby!' " Debbie Puett.

2. "Stephanie, I have been trying to find a picture to represent 'True Love Waits' for the Power Point slide, but we can't find any archived. Can I ... ya know ... take a picture of you with your True Love Waits ring. You could be posing, looking at your ring. Maybe I could get a picture of you or Doug signing a comittment card." (Yes, I have one from back in the day. And yes, I'm the office virgin.*) Again, Debbie Puett.

Both were good chuckles.

*And not ashamed to say so!

Put those white pants away - even if they say the rules have changed

...3:08 p.m. Friday before Labor Day...

August has flooooown by. I'll make no mistake about it: it's brought wonderful change!** Now that summer's over, I'm looking forward to Labor Day weekend and the promise of autumn lazily rolling around the corner.

Doug and I are going to Austin for the weekend and staying with Sarah and Lauren (Crim and Itz). He's pumped to show me around his alma mater's hometown, and I'm excited to let him! We're catching college game day (UT and Tech play simultaneously) and running in the Nike Human Race. After that, Ben Harper has a concert in front of the Capitol. Squeezed in between is "taking it easy" and spending time with college friends!

He writes the most entertaining e-mails and this is part of what today's said: They definitely put a smile on my face! It's basically an itinerary of our weekend.

Things that are exciting (get ready, this is a big list):

Our first road trip
Personality tests (my idea - I love these!)
3 hours of my ipod - or yours, maybe, if you're really nice to me ; )
Czech Stop
College football - Hook'em and Guns up (or do I say Wreck'em to make it more parallel to mine?)
10K
South Congress Cafe (You'll understand after this weekend)
A yet to be named indie coffee shop in Austin
We've now been dating for over a month
Ranger game in 1 week

So anyway, that's the scoop on Labor Day. 3:22 p.m. now and still counting the clock...

**Other awesome things:
Stephanie Clark (bffffff) moved back from Phoenix, just down the street from me
Got asked to serve on the Board of Directors for an up-and-coming non-profit, Champions of Hope (more to come on this later.)
Home Groups/Village Activities have started back up again
Graduated from 5Ks to 10Ks - and hopefully still moving up
Been studying the book of Daniel - good stuff.
God is so good. This fact trumps everything else.

Enchantment Under the Sea

Bonus for naming the movie in the title...

Let me paint a picture for you: 1989: a 6-year old red head little girl goes to see the latest Disney movie - The Little Mermaid - and is enchanted. I still remember being in the theater watching it for the first time. It quickly became my favorite movie. So much so that in the pool or in the bathtub (yep -haha!) I would sing the theme song and pretendI was a mermaid.

In first grade, my mom sewed an amazing Halloween costume and I was Ariel, and my brother was Flounder in the costume contest. We won first place.

High school rolls around and mom always has this dream of me working at Disney World for the summer. Basically, so she can come visit/stay with me out in Orlando all summer. Let me tell you: I have been to Disney World LOTS of times in my 24 years. Anyway, I decided she was right, and I wanted to star in a Disney parade or stage show. My dream was to be Ariel in a parade, I mean, how easy is that, she doesn't have legs! Ariel just sits on a clamshell and waves to the kids as she floats by. And if anyone could do it, I could, right?!?! I found out when the auditions were - one weekend at UNT campus - my dream was about to be realized. I would be Ariel! But the story ends tragically - they cancelled the audition and my Disney debut dream was killed.

Anyway, about a week or so ago (this is 24 year old Stephanie talking) I drive home to my apartment and gasp there's a gigantic billboard announcing the release of a new Ariel movie! It's called Ariel's Beginning and let's face it, I was excited.

I mentioned the movie to Doug offhandedly. Lo and behold he bought it for me on it's release day and brought it to me at work! WHAT a sweet boyfriend!!!! I haven't watched it yet, but I can't wait to.

Here's us:

A Matter of Perspective

I love this!! I got it from Cheryl Scrugg's blog ...

So....most of us see wounding as an awful thing. But it does not have to be. Let's look at it from a different perspective. I am reading an interesting book that addresses this topic. It says that "at the time wounding takes place it is very difficult but necessary to look at what happened in new and fresh ways. We must stop repeating to ourselves and others the details of the events or people that caused us the pain. The reason is not to deny the facts but to push ourselves out of the seduction of tunnel vision and into a broader landscape that could reveal to us incredible opportunities for growth. We must ask ourselves hard questions like are we in a cauldron of pain or smack dab in the middle of opportunity? Should I fret and whine or can I see this suffering as God's Hand pulling me into new story".....a new place He wants me to be? Love this quote: "Suffering cracks the boundaries of what we thought we could stand. And yet, through these cracks sprout seeds of healing and transformation."

Praise the Lord for healing and restoration. What a good reminder this morning!