Death Is Dead

This is a broken world.
I am broken. You are broken.
But Jesus stepped into our broken mess.
He carried our pain.
He experienced our injustice.
He was crushed by our sinful ways.
Beaten. Bloody.
All the things wrong with us tore Him apart.
He was broken for this broken world... broken for us.

And because of His sacrifice, we have been healed and completely saved.

I love how the song below tells the story of how death met its death.

No American January

I never knew January 2011 in America. But that's okay... because... I was on the other side of the world!! A year ago I boarded a plane and headed to South Korea.

I was part of a team of Portlanders, a Californian, an East Coaster and a Illinoisan and we were commissioned to teach English to elementary and middle school students during winter English camps. It was a time of stretching and growth. Of breaking and bonding. And it was a fitting way to start this year of thoughtful transience.

We had a number of duties during our time abroad, including...



Yes, this happened and it was a pleasant surprise to be on a team that was capable of such a harmonious blend. What are the chances?

During my time in So Ko... I experienced a reunion (with a family who hosted me in 2007 in a town a few hours from where I was this time), sickness (for a few weeks... of all sorts... and I'll leave it at that! It was gross), encouragement, opportunities & obstacles. It was such a beautiful thing and I am forever grateful for the chance to have done this with such a great group of people.

One of the highlights was learning from the people on my team. Each person brought  a necessary element to our purpose. The group couldn't have been better.  I came home challenged and inspired.

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary

During this time of year I can't help but think about Mary... you know, Mary the mother of Jesus! I know every parent thinks their child is perfect... but to be the mother of the Son of God?! I wonder what it must have felt like.

Of course pregnancy is not something I am familiar with, but neither was Mary before that angel of the Lord shared some special news with her. It's funny, 'cause it's usually the other way around. The mother is typically the one that makes that announcement. But hey, there's nothing traditional of how this all went down!

I'm sure she felt opposing emotions. She might have had a mix of being excited/scared/proud/doubtful/ready to party/worried and every other emotion in between.

I was talking to one of my sisters about this yesterday. If that same thing happened in our time, I don't think I'd believe Mary when she told me she was pregnant without... you know. I just wouldn't believe her! I'd be like "Mmm hmmm... sure. God made you pregnant. 'Cause He does that all the time right Mary girl?? It's okay. God will forgive you and make this situation work out for His plan." My pride and my holier-than-thou mentality would be in full force. When all the while it's His plan from the start!! Well, shame on me! How dare I think I know better than God's way!?

But thank the Lord for grace. His grace and mercy can be seen all throughout this story. And it's beautiful. Still I can't help but place myself in Mary's thought life. She was carrying more than just her baby... she was carrying the baby. The One that the world had been waiting for. The One that would change the entire world and bring redemption. Perhaps she was thinking...

Why am I so afraid? How can I doubt the Name?
I feel You in me, though with my eyes I can't see...

The promise through the years, grace and mercy now are here

This love is growing more. Each day I trust You, my Lord.
You're the King of the world... the Rock of ages.
You're the One, the Messiah, Savior of all.
Love come down as a babe, born blameless and perfect
Forever remain my glorious God most high!

The doubt, fear, excitement and joy that Mary felt... I believe we may feel to a degree. Each day we must trust that what we go through is for a greater purpose. And while we have moments of worry, we know that love has come and because of it... we are saved! Though Jesus came down to earth as a babe, He has been and always will be our God most high. Let's celebrate love come down!

In the Beginning...

I've never had an easy time deciding on one thing for my life. It's taken a while for me to figure it out, but I'm learning to try my best to use what I have. Otherwise I'll end up in the detrimental state of paralysis by analysis or in another cliche that translates to a standstill. So I do a little this, I do a little that. I sprinkle some of this and scrape off some of that. (you probably should read those last to sentences with a little bounce) And as time progresses, I see and experience the good that comes from moving forward. If things don't work out, at least I am using what I have.

In the latter part of elementary school, I was a part of a cute team that traveled around the state and competed against other teams in tournaments. What kind of tournaments? Bible quiz tournaments. And it was a big deal. We had team shirts, a study manual, and buzzers! That's right! When you knew the right answer, you buzzed in! It was legit. As a team, we'd hop into the travel vans and drive for hours to our destinations on any given Saturday. It was during this time that my introvertedness was shelved and I began to share myself in the best manner I knew possible. Stories!

At the end of the season we had a team party where we were given awards by our adult leaders. People got super fun awards, I'm sure. But the only one I remember (other than mine) was the ring a girl got, signifying the boyfriends she accumulated over the season. I wanted to be that girl. Instead, I was given a Winnie the Pooh book. But this memento went beyond providing entertainment to a girl who had "clearly" outgrown Tigger & Piglet (for the record, I still love me some Pooh). Instead this book came with a clear explanation of my award. Though I no longer have the book, the title of the award has stuck with me, haunted me, and become the very thing I have learned to embrace. The storyteller award.

Yes. I was, and always will be, a storyteller.

So as a preventative measure to talking a person's face off, I've started this bloggeroo. I learn through stories. All stories... my stories... your stories... food stories... song stories... I love stories! (I also love ellipses and I'm trying to cut back. Consider this fair warning) I sing, I cook, I communitize... which will make itself quite clear in the postings & stories to come. If I write a recipe, chances are you'll see a story behind it. If I sing a song, therein lies a story. How many times can I say "story" in this paragraph?  Whether it's a story of how a bowl of soup can make day or how the ugly can turn us into lovely... you'll find this place littered with stories. Sweet stories that I learn from daily.

So I will not hide it under a bushel. I will run with this story telling and translate it into a blog.

The end.

...or no, it's just the beginning!