Blogging Prompts: Day 1

I recently found some blogging prompts on another blog I was perusing, and thought it would be fun to try my hand at some of them. Who knows! Maybe I'll blog a bit more frequently. 

So as I sit here in the campus coffee shop, sipping on a very diluted (yuck!) vanilla latte, I bring you prompt 1: "Do you believe the saying that with great risks come great rewards?"

Yes, I do believe this saying. Obviously every great risk doesn't lead to a great reward. Hello?! Think of all those people who make bad investments and lose the entirety of their fortunes. But on the other hand, think of all those people who make investments into those little unknown companies that eventually skyrocket. They've ended up taking a big risk with their money, and it's paid off. 

I think that more often than we realize the decisions we make are risky...even if the decision is basically a non-decision. What if I decide that to take a risk would end up hurting me in the long-run...but what if I also see later that someone else has taken that same risk and it has majorly paid off. I'll always wonder "what if?" it's almost as if there's an invisible risk. 

This fear of the "will the obvious risk pay off? Will my non-decision be a risk?" reminds me of a line from an article my mom sent me recently. The journalist shares how whenever she was  scared to do something--for fear of other's judgments, fear of mistake, etc--the tiny voice of her mother would pop into her head saying "Fear means go!"

So rather than the fear of taking a "visible" risk (or possibly even the "invisible" risk), maybe that fear means "GO!" And who knows...the payoff could be huge.

A little fashion...

I must say, I think that Michelle Dockery is probably one of the most naturally beautiful, graceful women. She's a fantastic actress, and she has the absolute best fashion sense...or at least she has an awesome team of stylists dressing her. I love everything about her Oscars look from this week. 

This dress...perfection. Maybe I'm biased, maybe I love it just because Michelle is wearing it, but nevertheless, I do love it. It is unique and stood out from all of the other gowns. It was traditional, modern, and so sophisticated all in one. 

Also, her hair and makeup were perfection. Just love this whole look!

A good friend of mine shared this post that she read earlier today, stating that it's one of the best posts she's seen since the shootings on Friday. I would have to agree. Take the time to read...

"In this life, in the muck and mire, in the sweat and tears, we too don’t always know who is winning. It seems very likely that the Evil One prevailed on Friday. If the grief and pain in our hearts is to be believed, he certainly did. But he did not. 

Instead the grief and pain must remind us that we grieve precisely because things are not as they should be; and the fact that things are not as they should be promises that one day they will be. The fact that the Evil One acts in such deranged, malicious ways proves that he is helpless; his very struggles testify to a prevailing and conquering God. Because in battle,only the winning side has the capacity to be generous, to spare the lives of its enemies; the losing side cannot risk it."

Lament

As Christians, i think we often forget that we're allowed to lament. We think somehow that by crying out to God in the midst of our great sorrow and pain, we are questioning his power,  might, or goodness, but lament is not blame. Numerous godly men and women lamented in the Bible. It's okay! God hears our cries. These cries draw us deeper into His grace, and love, and comfort. We can lament in times of tragedy.

This morning, as I was thinking about lament, I remembered this song by Jars of Clay. I always took this to be the singers' cries of grief, but I read something earlier in which somebody stated that they always believed this was supposed to be "God's lament" in a way. Either way, it's a powerful song. (Below are the lyrics)

"Oh My God"

Oh my God, look around this place
Your fingers reach around the bone
You set the break and set the tone
Flights of grace, and future falls
In present pain
All fools say, "Oh my God"

Oh my God, Why are we so afraid?
We make it worse when we don't bleed
There is no cure for our disease
Turn a phrase, and rise again
Or fake your death and only tell your closest friend
Oh my God.

Oh my God, can I complain?
You take away my firm belief and graft my soul upon your grief
Weddings, boats and alibis
All drift away, and a mother cries

Liars and fools; sons and failures
Thieves will always say
Lost and found; ailing wanderers
Healers always say
Whores and angels; men with problems
Leavers always say
Broken hearted; separated
Orphans always say
War creators; racial haters
Preachers always say
Distant fathers; fallen warriors
Givers always say
Pilgrim saints; lonely widows
Users always say
Fearful mothers; watchful doubters
Saviors always say

Sometimes I cannot forgive
And these days, mercy cuts so deep
If the world was how it should be, maybe I could get some sleep
While I lay, I dream we're better,
Scales were gone and faces light
When we wake, we hate our brother
We still move to hurt each other
Sometimes I can close my eyes,
And all the fear that keeps me silent falls below my heavy breathing,
What makes me so badly bent?
We all have a chance to murder
We all feel the need for wonder
We still want to be reminded that the pain is worth the thunder

Sometimes when I lose my grip, I wonder what to make of heaven
All the times I thought to reach up
All the times I had to give
Babies underneath their beds
Hospitals that cannot treat all the wounds that money causes,
All the comforts of cathedrals
All the cries of thirsty children - this is our inheritance
All the rage of watching mothers - this is our greatest offense

Oh my God
Oh my God
Oh my God

Praying

Today is one of those tragic days. (And a day that reminds--at least reminds me--that every day around the world some people go through tragedies like this, while others of us are just going about our normal days)*. Today is one of those days that reminds me that this world is so, so fallen and that it needs Jesus. It needs a Redeemer and a Restorer.

Only Jesus can bring peace and lavish grace. And I pray for the family and friends that have lost children, siblings, aunts, uncles, mothers, fathers, friends today in the Connecticut school shooting. I pray that God will rain down his overwhelming grace and peace on these people. I pray that somehow, some way, God will shine down his glory during this terrible time. Because in times like this, it seems like the world's about to fall to bits. It seems like there is nothing good any longer. And in times like this, I know that the only way that people can get through a is by the grace and peace of God. 

*This is in no way to take away from what has happened, but it does remind me that stuff that is shocking like this happens all over the world, every day, and we don't ever hear about it. And it should make us just as terrified and sad.

Bucket List #1

Sometimes I can't decide what to blog about. And sometimes I get so bogged down with school, work, and social life that I don't have time to blog. So I've decided that one thing that will almost always give me a topic to blog on--whether a short or long post--is my bucket list. It's not something that I will have to spend gobs of time deciding on, coming up with, and articulating (hopefully!). So here goes...this is my first bucket list item. (A lot of my list items will probably be music related and about seeing someone in concert, but I will try to be more specific than just 'go see a concert,' also, these will be in no particular order.)

Number 1:

I want to see ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) in concert--preferably in London. It's a little unclear to me whether or not they're still performing together, especially since one of their founding members died in a freak accident a few years ago. 

I love SO many of their songs, but specifically I would love to hear them perform "Evil Woman" and sing along with thousands of other fans. How amazing would that be?! And yes, as I'm typing this up, I'm listening to "Evil Woman." This is definitely a jam-out in the car song. 

For anybody that doesn't know, a "light orchestra" was popular in England during the 60s. It wasn't a full orchestra, but did include a few cellists and violinists. ELO is popular for Mr. Blue Sky, Don't Bring Me Down, Strange Magic, and so much more!

Evil Woman-ELO

Psalm 103

103 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!
² Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits,
³ who forgives all your iniquity,
    who heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit,
    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
⁵ who satisfies you with good
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

⁶ The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all who are oppressed.He made known his ways to Moses,
    his acts to the people of Israel.
⁸ The Lord is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹ He will not always chide,
    nor will he keep his anger forever.
¹⁰ He does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
¹³ As a father shows compassion to his children,
    so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
¹⁴ For he knows our frame;^[a]
    he remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass;
    he flourishes like a flower of the field;
¹⁶ for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
    and its place knows it no more.
¹⁷ But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
    and his righteousness to children's children,
¹⁸ to those who keep his covenant
    and remember to do his commandments.
¹⁹ The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
    and his kingdom rules over all.

²⁰ Bless the Lord, O you his 

angels,
  you mighty ones who do his word,
   obeying the voice of his word!
  
 
²¹ Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
    his ministers, who do his will!
²² Bless the Lord, all his works,
    in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!

(Matt Redman 10,000 Reasons)