he is risen!

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with him again
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave

obedience first.

Last weekend, as I was listening to Nick preach on the foolishness of the cross vs. the wisdom of the world, I was struck by this thought: before we can see God provide, we need to step off the cliff first.

My very good friends Nick and Heather are moving with their family to Asheville, NC, to be part of a team planting a church there (Mission Asheville). They need to raise their support (and haven't yet), but they've put their house on the market, announced their resignation, and have just found a house to rent. God will meet each of their needs, but they jumped first.

I'm sure many people would say they're crazy, but often, before we can see God do something miraculous, we need to be in a place where we NEED him to do something miraculous. David didn't slay Goliath until he first faced him with only a slingshot. Moses stretched out his hand before the waters of the Red Sea parted. Peter didn't walk on water until he stepped out of the boat.

Besides, your perspective is a bit different when you know there's someone there to catch you.

past the wishing.

You've shown me my man of Macedonia
You're calling me further on
And I'm tired of saying "it's a nice idea
I wish it could be done"

I don't wish that I could go. . . I am going
I don't wish that I could be. . . I am being
I don't wish that I could do it. . . I am doing
By the grace of God I am doing

~ Sara Groves, Past The Wishing

things i love about spring.

Things I love about spring...

• Warmer weather.
• Backyard barbeques - someday I'll have a house with a deck and a grill, and I'll know how to use it, and I'll have people over every weekend.
• My birthday - on Friday the 13th this year!
• Things blooming everywhere.
• Watching Harvey and Dakota enjoy the backyard.
• Smoothies (am I only the person that starts to crave smoothies and ice cream when the weather gets warmer?)

Things I don't love about spring...

• Pollen. But thanks to some heavy-duty doses of Zyrtec, I'm not letting that hold me back from enjoying this season.

What am I missing? What are your favorite things about spring?

when others don't hear the music.

Sometimes, trying to follow Christ makes me feel a little like someone who's listening to their ipod through headphones and dancing along. To everyone else, I might look kind of crazy, but that's just because they can't hear the music.

But I can, and I'm dancing anyway.