more (not so) random thoughts

so, this week has been nuts. crazy nuts, even. i've been finishing up projects, preparing and delivering a sermon, making slideshows from YEC pictures, taking exams, being sick, getting well -- but in this midst of it all i see and hear God talking to me. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind/strength." - Matthew 22:37. I preached on this verse sunday night, and again in a class worship service. then one of my adult leaders, kirby, taught it again on wednesday night. FOCUS. i can't help but think that it all comes down to this - FOCUS. Jesus said that the great commandent in jewish law is to love God with all of our being. He said that the second great commandment is to love our neighbors as ourselves. if we focus on God, we take the focus off ourselves and are able to minister to our neighbors. where is your FOCUS?

on a personal note, there's stuff i've been meaning to do. stuff i desperately want to do, but i'm scared. scared of what it might mean. scared of what it might mean if things go well. scared if they go poorly. but this week (today, even), it's like there are people out there i've never met who are encouraging me to get over my fears, and take a leap. in the words of my brother (the wise, soon to be seminary grad and us/c2 missionary), i'm gonna "be vulnerable." ultimately God is in control and it will all work out.

on another personal note (i think this will be my record for longest blog), i recently did one of those "quiz your friends" things, and i may have inadvertantly tripped some of you up. on the question about my current favorite tv show, the correct answer was "heroes" and many of you chose "studio 60." now, i hadn't seen studio 60 in several weeks, after watching this week's episode (after having missed the last episode), i was reminded that indeed, it was probably a tie. BUT. because of how this episode spoke to me, and even gave me some of the stuff i needed to hear (this is the kind of stuff i talked about in the previous paragraph), i think studio 60 would definitely edge out heroes in a runoff. so, congrats to all you who chose studio 60 on my quiz, you all get one more point (this is all very unofficial), but before you get too cocky, the people who chose heroes still get their point too.

oh, and if you haven't watched studio 60. you missed out on a beautiful tribute to New Orleans monday night.

Merry Christmas

RC