Prayer for Casting Crowns

Holly: I'm writing on behalf of Kelly and I, because she is currently waiting out Snowpocalypse 2.0 up in Lexington, and I'm at home for snow day #3.  

My heart is a little bit heavy today.  I read on my Facebook and Twitter feeds this morning that the lead singer of one of our favorite bands, Casting Crowns, has been diagnosed with cancer. You can read the full story on their Facebook page.  

Kelly and I have been fans of their music for a long time.  Even before we rededicated our lives to Christ six years ago, I can still remember listening to them in high school.  When we were in youth group we saw them at ICHTHUS and I just remember feeling God's presence so strongly and thinking how anointed they were! We were also very fortunate to be able to see them in Lexington last February.  I'm pretty astounded that the story didn't end up on here, but again, God's presence was so strong there.  Honestly in my top five concerts I've ever attended!  I was moved to tears by "Who Am I" (Which, trust me, doesn't happen often).  Y'all...their music is something else.  If you have not listened to them, please do yourself a favor, and please join Kelly and I in praying for Mark.  He is able!  

I'll praise You in this storm
I will lift my hands
You are who You are, no matter where I am
Every tear I've cried, You hold in Your hands
You've never left my side, and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I lift my eyes unto the hills, where does my help come from?
My helps comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. 

From last year.  Thrive.

God Moments: Part 1

Kelly: Today, the sermon at church was titled "God Moments" where any who felt led to had the opportunity to share how God had worked in their lives, whether in big or small ways. While driving home from church today, Holly and I thought it would be a good idea to share some of our God moments. These experiences we are sharing are real; to us they can only be explained by God and God alone. This will be a continuing series in our blog, hence why this is only part 1. The stories we are sharing today are one of many; please enjoy and we hope you are inspired and encouraged.

Stop Looking

The past month or so at work has been rather difficult for me. I've hit quite a few bumps, almost to the point of nearly losing my job. All is resolved and things are totally fine now, but there was a point not too long ago in which I thought I was going to be back at square 1. About a week and a half ago, I found myself sitting on my computer looking for other jobs. I looked at UK and the Central Baptist affiliates but didn't find anything I was interested in doing. After 10 minutes or so of searching, I stopped and turned my computer off. The next day, the search again continued, but nothing was clicking. It just didn't feel right to do what I was doing. Later that night, right before I went to bed, I heard something in the back of my head; a gut feeling that said "stop looking. Just stop." The next day I went into work and everything was fine; this was last Saturday. Last Sunday, there were two questions posed at the end of church. Are you doing what God wants you to do, and are you where God wants you to be? I honestly did not feel like I was; I had it in my head that in light of what had happened to me at work recently that maybe I had missed the mark. I had missed all the signals and it was just me wanting to be where I wanted to be instead of where God wanted me to be. So on the drive up, I just prayed. I prayed and prayed and asked God if where I'm working now is really where He wanted me to be. The first half of the shift went like a typical shift, but it was after my dinner break that things started clicking.

When I got back on the unit after my break, one patient came up to me and asked "where were you?!" She seemed very distressed. I told her where I was and asked if she was ok. She said "I'm fine. I just thought you left." I chuckled and told her I wasn't leaving until 11:30 that night. She then asked me if I was going to be there the next day. I said no and that the next day I would be back was Thursday. She looked sad and said she would miss me and really liked it when I was working and she liked talking to me and said I had a good personality. Later that night another patient had a question about her medications, so I took her back to the med room and we talked one on one and I discussed all she was taking, how much and when. Afterwards she thanked me for taking such good care of her. Near the end of shift change, the radio was playing and I was dancing while charting. A patient had a question and caught me dancing. I apologized and he said that he liked it when I danced and that he appreciated my "spunky" personality and that I had a good disposition for being a nurse. I was floored; I literally could not believe it. I disappeared into the med room before I left and just stood in silence. It was then that I realized that the "stop looking. Just stop" I heard was God telling me that I was right where He wanted me to be. I hadn't missed the mark at all. Folks, if you take anything home from this, just remember that God's voice isn't always audible. He speaks in many different voices!

Holly: I'd like to call this short narrative "The Friday before graduation."

I remember the date exactly: May 4, 2012.  Two days before I was expected to graduate from Berea College.  Finally, four years of hard work, tears, stress, prayers, etc, was coming to its long and arduous end; I was so close to the finish line I could literally taste it.  This day was also the day that temporary senior grades were due.  Naturally, I was a little bit anxious; all of my other classes I knew I was going to be ok, but there was one that was weighing heavily on my mind, one that I had struggled all semester with: Genetics.  To add insult to injury, this was a core class for the biology major.  In other news, I NEEDED this class to graduate.  NEEDED.  Period.  Moreover, this class was only offered in the spring, so that was it.  One shot.  I had finished my finals and everything else, so I logged onto the online portal to check my grades.  Intro to New Testament: B+.  Archery and Square Dancing: A-.  Herpetology: B.  Evolution: B.  BME: A.  I got all the way to Genetics and was horrified to see a D+.  My heart plummeted into my stomach.  That was it.  I remember, blatantly, the course catalog for the biology major: all courses a C or better to pass.  I did the only thing I could think of doing...

Later that day I went to go see my adviser and he asked me how my grades were.  I said something to the degree of "Dr Rowley, I have a D+ in Genetics, I don't know what I'm going to do."  He asked what I meant.  I said that the course catalog said you needed a C or better.  By this point I could feel myself getting upset, but I did my best not to show it.  Then, with everything I could muster, I managed "Am I going to graduate on Sunday?"  Probably one of the scariest moments of my college career.  Without hesitating, he said "Let me check."  So while he was busy on the computer, I was panicking.  My mind was racing; I was going to have to stay two extra semesters just for one class!  All I kept saying, thinking, praying, was "I don't know what I'm going to do."  Not even a few minutes later I heard, "Holly, stop."

My adviser looked me square in the eye and said, "You're going to be fine.  You're going to graduate."

Apparently, I don't know what course catalog I had read, but it was wrong.  There wasn't ANYTHING about needing a C or better.  Nothing.  Yeah, I was definitely crying by that point, but in the best possible way.  Two days later I walked across the Seabury stage and got my Bachelor's degree.  Afterwards, I hugged my adviser and told him "Thank you.  For everything."

God won't bring you so far into something only to have you fall flat on your face.  He puts people in your path for a reason.  He gives you strength for a reason.  So hold on, to your strength and to those who want what's best for you.

Who's kidding who?

Kelly: Hey look, here's a random funny, especially if you're a fan of The Hobbit and The Office (the British one...)

The Office: An Unexpected Journey

Now that we've gotten out of the way, we're going to delve into the purpose of this post. There are many that I know that carry the name Christian, myself included. However, there are those that I know that carry that name and the way they act/speak do not reflect that. Having said that, I'm going to share a story. I was on my way home with my clinical group and two of my classmates were in the front seat. For about 10 minutes they were talking about another classmate and her current relationship. What they were saying...were some of the most judgmental remarks I had ever heard. I had my headphones in and was listening to my iPod, but finally I had to put an end to it; it was getting ridiculous. I took my headphones out and said "could you please just stop?" And that was that. I didn't say a word the rest of the ride home.

It makes me wonder; do we ever think about what we say or do or do we just do/say it and forget who hears or sees? I catch myself thinking about that a lot. And it has made me think if I am guilty of the same thing. Are my actions building people up or tearing them down? Are the words I'm saying about others, whether or not they even know it, those of love instead of hate or judgment? So as a result, I'm trying to be more consciously aware of what I say/do around others. I want my words and my actions to resemble that of love and kindness instead of the opposite. It's our Christian duty to build people up with what we say AND do. So if I have ever said or done anything that has not been reflective of that, please tell me. IF I say or do something that is not reflective of that, call me out on it. I don't want to just throw words out there; I want to BE better. I think we should all try to be better. Having been a victim of bullying, words...really do hurt.

Holly:  When I heard our pastor preaching those words this past Sunday, all I could keep thinking was "Dear God, that used to be me."  The going-through-the-motions, catty, lukewarm, stagnant Christian who only showed up for church on Sunday and youth group on Wednesday.  Other than that, you really couldn't tell much else.  After that Sunday I vowed that I would NEVER go back to that place.  Kelly brought up the fact that by me saying I would never go back, that I was already moving forward.  Also, when I heard our pastor preaching those words this past Sunday, all I could think was "I sincerely pray that I am not like that."

To be completely honest, because I too, sadly, know many Christians who do not act as such, it does not surprise me the number of people, particularly those in my age group, who are either leaving the church or are not interested in it at all.  I can't help but think of (and please pardon my extreme example) Westboro Baptist Church...a CHURCH, no less, who claim to carry God's message but instead are infecting the nation with their blatant and sickening hate and ignorance of those different from themselves. That is NOT the way to go!  Period.  While God is vengeful (I mean, have you read the Old Testament??) and definitely powerful, I am captivated by His neverending love and mercy for all of His people, and ultimately that's what keeps me running to Him again and again.  I too am also trying to BE better.  The next time we see someone slandering, gossiping, or being downright spiteful...what are we going to do about it? Let it slide, or speak up for those who may not have a voice?  I detest spitefulness and meanness...I think there is too much of it and it has to stop.  Words really do hurt people.

Bottom line: I am here to live like Christ.  Please make sure to tell me if I'm not.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters...Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and truth.  ~1 John 3: 16, 18

Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.  Capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it.  ~Albus Dumbledore

Home

Holly: Throughout my life my perceptions of things have changed.  Chalk it up to growing up, I suppose.  One of these things that have changed is my concept of home.  What is "home"?  What does it mean to be "home"?  Is it a place, people, or something even more than that?

As many of you know, Kelly and I moved to Berea in May of this year.  We spent a lot of our time here, college-related time, and we felt like Berea was the place we were supposed to be.  Considering the large amount of our time here Berea felt more like our home than our grassroots of southeastern Ohio.  Now, PLEASE do not misunderstand me.  I love my hometown.  I love that I was able to grow up there, and I love my family and best friend more than anything.  But when I would go home for holidays or breaks or whatnot, things just felt so....foreign.  Different.  I felt out of place, like I had missed so much from Athens and from my folks and best friend.  It just wasn't the same place anymore.  I wasn't the same person.  Because I had grown so used to cozy Berea, my school, and my church, it was strange to be away from that, even though I had spent the first 18 years of my life in this place.  Now, when I say I'm going home, it means I'm going to my 2-bedroom apartment in Berea.

But home for me is a lot more than just a place.  When my parents come to visit, that's home.  When I talk to my best friend on the phone, that's home.  When my cats come downstairs when I come in the door from work, that's home.  Home is watching an episode of Sherlock in the living room with Kelly and exclaiming in excitement how I picked something up that I had never noticed before.  Home is a cup of the flavor of the day at BC&T.  Home is opening your window and sensing that fall "smell" and feeling the breeze blow into your space.  Home is singing as loud as you can to that song on the radio when you're stuck at a red light.  Home is hugging that one friend you haven't seen in ages.

Take time to notice the "home" in your life, whether it's a place or not.

Kelly: On our daily walk tonight, I was talking to Holly that a lot of college students move back to where they came from after they graduate. Our brother did this. I have lots of friends who did this/are doing this. I was talking to Holly that this didn't even cross my mind after I graduated. Then she said to me: "I already moved back home. I moved here." Didn't really think about it that way. I remember being a first year student wondering how I would get used to this place called Berea, Kentucky. Now I can't imagine being apart from it. To be honest though, my perspective on home is a bit different than Holly's. Sometimes I sit and ask God how He picked here for me to be. How did He get me to fall in love with a place like Berea? Then it hit me.

To me, home in many cases is more the people than a place or a thing. I think people largely make a home a home. And for me, my Berea home and my attraction to it is largely where I go to church every Sunday. I see it as a home despite the division and sometimes negativity that has been seen/heard/read in a survey. Despite the fact that I read a comment that basically said college students can either just deal with the changes or shove off, it's still a home to me. Because in a home, you notice there are flaws, yet you don't define it by the few flaws. Positive memories and faces trump any negative comment in my book. When I think of a home, I think of family. A family. People who love one another, encourage one another, support one another and pray for one another. They don't hold grudges, or judge, belittle, or put down...not that anybody in my immediately family or my close friends do that. But families don't do that, or at least they shouldn't. That's why I love my church; it treats me like a family. Every Sunday (and Tuesday night) I am welcomed with open arms and loved by so many.

I'll close with this: on the way out of church today I got a comment from my pastor today saying how much he appreciated how Holly and I have openly loved his family. I was stricken mute by my overwhelming joy that I totally forgot to say I only give such love because I myself have been given the exact same love by not only his family but so many others at BBC. I am blessed to have that church as my family. And my home.

A Three Dimensional Glimpse of Our Childhood

Holly: Missing the Richmond shuttle was the best thing to have happened to Kelly and I last night. 

My overly gracious and amazingly awesome roommate saved the day by driving us up to the theater to partake in what Kelly and I saw as "reliving our childhood": Yes, folks, we watched The Lion King in 3D!

We aptly called this Friday night adventure "reliving our childhood" because this movie came out originally in 1994...we were FOUR years old!!! Crazy to think back on that! From the first opening sounds of "Circle of Life", I had chills everywhere and, almost instantaneously, I was five years old again.  Watching it again at 21 made it much more surreal; the 3D just completely captured and perfected this Disney classic that I will probably watch again and again, even when I become old and decrepit.  Also interesting and sort of awesome to note: Many of the children that I saw in the theater last night were probably seeing that movie for the very first time! CRAZY!

What really sold me this time was the music!  Never in the umpteen times that I have seen this movie have I ever been so captivated by the music; I was singing along to every song in the theater (nonetheless probably pissing off the people in front of us, but, hey, I paid a small fortune for this ticket and I was going to get my money's worth!).  I was so much so captivated by the music that when I returned home to my shoebox Berea dorm I proceeded to download several Lion King tracks, including a few from the second movie!

Bottom line: If you get the opportunity to see Lion King 3D, SEE IT! Do not miss it!  Period! 

Wait, there's no mountain too great...hear these words and have faith, have faith!

Kelly: (this is straight out of my journal. I wrote this this morning)

He lives in You, He lives in me. He watches over everything we see. Into the water, into the truth, in your reflection, He lives in you. 

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. Galatians 2:20

Growing up, the Lion King saga was by far my favorite Disney movies. I don't know what it was about them but that's just the way it was. I knew all the words to every song and would watch the movies over and over. Rewind to last night; seeing the first one in 3D. It was as if I was watching my childhood all over again right before my eyes. Last night when I was alone in my room listening to music from the movie, I suddenly remembered my favorite song from the second movie, titled He lives in You.

Sure, it makes sense. A young prodigy in the shadows of her king father. Anywhere she looks, her father is inside her. What occurred to me was that, hey...this is what being in a relationship with Christ is like. That's the sheer beauty of it; everywhere I am He is in me. When I look at myself in the mirror every morning, He's also there looking back at me. Maybe there was a reason that as a child I enjoyed that particular song so much. Maybe that was God trying to tell me something. I didn't understand it then, but I do now.

I will cherish last night for the rest of my life; such a captivating experience to relive wonderful happy times of my youth. But let me tell you; the thoughts that I have included in this blog I will cherish as well. I love that God's works and mysteries are in every aspect of my life, including cherished childhood movies.   And now, for your listening pleasure, I have attached our favorite Lion King songs. Enjoy and have a blessed weekend/week to come! :]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjfM6NiMGG4 (He Lives in You, from the second movie!) :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcOJTCSyvx8 (We Are One, from second movie)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOf78z3Hi4U (score from first movie)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5uYB9T_GlY (Our favorite...if you don't get goosebumps at 4 minutes onward then you are crazy!)