Listen.

            Listening to people’s stories is so important. It has been one of our themes at the Baptist Student Ministry this year, and it’s also been a theme of my life. Some wonder how on earth we can connect with those who are radically different from us, and the answer is to simply listen. No one will ever object to someone who is genuinely interested in his or her life experiences, no matter how different that listener may be.

There is abundant joy in connecting with those who are different from us. A lot of us miss personal growth and adventure in our lives because we are too afraid to talk with someone who is from another country, or who is too rich, too poor, of a different faith, or of a different color. This is why I love hanging out with international students so much. I learn so much from them – about their culture, about myself, and about life. But one people group I have struggled with is the one that walks the streets each day, the one without homes. Yesterday there was a block party held for street youth outside the Co-op, and I was almost too afraid to go. I have been praying for the poor in west campus for a while. It pains me to walk past them and go about my own business while they are overlooked…I know just doling out money isn’t the answer, and yet I haven’t known how else to proceed. I always feel guilty around them because I have so much and they seem to have so little (and I don’t mean only possessions). I knew this block party, though, was a way God would grow me and a way he would answer my prayers.

Now, here’s the thing. I love going to Church Under the Bridge and hanging out with the homeless and working poor there. But when I’m walking by on the drag, they treat me differently, calling out for money and sometimes hurling insults when I don’t respond. I think they assume that I would never actually love them because they’ve been conditioned to believe they are unwanted by mostly everyone, often even their own families. I try not to be annoyed because I know any anger just comes from an unfulfilled need for love. And these may be some of the same people who will have deep conversations about life experiences and spirituality with me at Church Under the Bridge. What’s the difference? At Church Under the Bridge, they know I desire a connection with them, because otherwise I wouldn’t be there. In addition, we are caring for their physical needs by providing food and hygiene kits, so they find it easier to believe we are interested in their emotional and spiritual needs. But on the drag, I could be just another selfish college student walking by, concerned only with my dreams and getting what I “deserve” out of life.

However, when I am in a situation that allows me to bridge that barrier and show the love of Christ, or when I take action to create that kind of situation, I love talking with the homeless and poor. They are often incredibly interesting because they have the most extravagant, wonderful dreams. And there is such strength that comes from being homeless. As my new friend Shorty told me, “If I know I can make it when I have no job, when I have nothing, then I know I’ll be able to make it when I do have a job.” He was laid off from the military after participating in Operation Desert Storm and going to Afghanistan. Since then, he hasn’t been able to find work, but he maintains the joy that comes from living in Christ and helping others. That’s another amazing thing. Many of these homeless and working poor volunteer to help each other out. They volunteer with many of the ministries that have helped them out continually in the past, and they desire to help their fellow street-dwellers once they have the means to do so.

Samantha ran away from home and was taken in with love by a couple of churches here in Austin. She has befriended some UT students who give her rides where she needs to go, especially when the buses stop running. She been working to get back on her feet, and her dream is to be a veterinary technician and help animals on the streets. My other new friend Samantha has lived in San Antonio and San Marcos, has attended trade school, but couldn’t find a job after she left on medical leave and has therefore been on the streets for two months. However, God provides for us in our times of need, and he has blessed her with a fiancé who graduated from that same trade school. Together they are trying to get back on their feet. Samantha dreams of one day operating a taxi business that gives the homeless free rides when the buses stop running.

Rahn volunteers a lot with Church Under the Bridge, which I’ve already attended a few times, and he brews something called Rahn’s Health TreaT that he believes has cured many people of “incurable” diseases. When I mentioned that I’ve recently started drinking kombucha, he said his drink is like kombucha (fermented tea and fruit) taken to the next level. Soon, he says, his drink will be featured on The Ellen Show and Oprah. He has used his creativity and inventiveness to start his own business and to help others. One thing that really stuck out to me was that even when he had just barely gotten enough money to get his own home, he began inviting his homeless and poor friends in to share meals with him.

Then there is Susan, who has a pet rat named Pie. Pie is white and likes to fall asleep on my arm when I hold her. You can often see Susan walking around west campus with Pie on her shoulder. She has published a book about her past and hopes to earn a living from that enterprise.

I don’t mean to make it sound like all these people are perfect; as with all of us, there is some beauty and some ugliness. There is a lot of stealing, and therefore a lot of hurt, within the community itself. Rahn left his jar of health tea unattended for just a minute and looked up just in time to see a girl trying to make off with it. Shorty rides his bicycle a few hours out into the country everyday and camps out there so that no one will be around to steal his things. There’s also, of course, a lot of distrust of those who are wealthier. Even after talking with someone for an hour, it’s still sometimes difficult for me to tell if this person would even really consider me a friend or thinks I am just too different from them. If they see me again walking down the drag, will they just call out for money and forget that we once shared a meal together? But you have to look in the middle of all the brokenness and see the good things. The reason many of these people steal is that they don’t know what it’s like to be a good steward of their possessions and to take pride in the things they own. They have never owned enough to develop that mentality, or they have seen such a negative mentality modeled by their families and have naturally followed them. We have to encourage and love people even in the middle of flaws.

By listening to them, I feel that I can overcome fears and bridge barriers. Something that is encouraging to me, that gives me a small glimpse of heaven, is that these people all have stories of how the church has been for them when no one else was, how vibrant limbs in the living body of Jesus (read: people like us) have picked them up. The church is truly the Church when it gets its feet in the mud and plunges its hands into the dirt just to lift one soul out of it, not caring how dirty its hands get but only that a person is saved. Being in the middle of an American church that’s gotten a bad reputation of being materialistic and simply bolstering the status quo, I have to say that it’s in the small, overlooked communities like the street youth that you will find the Kingdom of God. My friend Shorty looks forward to the new heaven and the new earth, when there will be no more wanting and no more disparity of wealth. One will not starve while another feasts, and no person’s story will be less valuable than another’s.

A Date with Jesus

From Jackie Kendall's Blog/Newsletter (so I did not write this but have definitely had moments like hers of complete revelation and intimacy with Jesus!):

Have you ever been on a date with Jesus? Several years ago, I realized that I had a totally free Friday night (all my family was out of town). I asked myself, "What are you going to do with your free Friday night?" And as soon as I asked myself that question, my heart's reply was, "I can go on a date with Jesus!" So I went to Singer Island and spend the evening sitting on a balcony (8 floors up); waiting for the full moon to rise and enjoying a date with Jesus. 

I brought along my Bible and journal and my prayer roll-a-deck. Just as I began to pray through some of the many prayer requests, I paused to look at the ocean and suddenly I see a RAINBOW. Now a rainbow is not unique when it has rained but it hadn't rained. As I was looking at the Rainbow, I started to cry because I had just begun my date with Jesus and He blessed me with a rainbow before the Full Moon had come up! I started to think about what a rainbow represents and I just cried thinking of the many promises that God has made and KEPT. I decided to look up all the references in the Bible in relation to the rainbow and I discovered three men (Noah, Ezekiel and John) who saw three different rainbows but they were all faced something in common-hard circumstances. 

As I thought about the rainbows that Ezekiel and John saw, I realized that their view was of heavenly status. The rainbow that we can so casually look at is a reflection of a heavenly proto-type not just a scientific wonder! I will never see a rainbow again without considering "heaven's rainbow of glory about the Holy One."  

I began to think about experiencing the beauty of a rainbow without having to go through a storm. Then I realized that we can be rainbows of hope in people's lives even when they aren't facing a storm. Then when their storm arrives; they will start looking for the rainbow of promise for their heart. 

As I raised my hands to just praise the Lord for the rainbow insight, suddenly I spotted the full moon. As I was staring at the full moon, I thought about how far men went to visit the moon and to place an American Flag on it. As I pondered the effort, focus, commitment, passion, finances, and sacrifices to land on the moon, my heart began to grieve that men could pay such a HUGE PRICE TO TOUCH THE MOON but they are rarely willing to expend such passion to touch the Heart of the ONE WHO MADE THE MOON.

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the Moon and the stars which you have set in place, WHAT IS MAN THAT YOU ARE MINDFUL OF HIM" (Ps. 8:3) 

As I drove back home from my date with Jesus, I opened my "full moon" roof (sun roof) and was worshipping full throttle! When I raised my right hand through the roof in praise, I started to grin thinking that at that moment "my raised hand touched the heart of the One Who gave me a rainbow while I was waiting for a full moon."

I like to pray.

I like to pray for that girl passing me on the street with earbuds shoved in and eyes cast down to the concrete, looking like she's carrying the world on her shoulders.

I like to pray in bars on Sixth Street, not that the people in them will "be safe" or stop drinking, but that they will know the full joy and, well, drunkenness, that comes from living in the Spirit.

I like to touch my computer screen and pray healing over my friends who post about their physical, emotional, and spiritual pain.

I like to pray for my future husband. I don't know if he's even out there, but I still pray blessing and guidance and fulfillment over him, trusting that Jesus will at least grant that to someone.

I like to pray as I kayak on Town Lake, thanking God for afro-ducks and honking geese and overly defensive swans, because they add a lot of joy and humor to my life.

I like to pray as I'm climbing rocks that Father will show me where to put my feet, because after all he knows every little groove in that rock and how it's been worn away by the wind and water (and maybe even by feet like mine).

I like to touch maps and pray for other nations, and for my friends who are in other nations serving "the least of these" and loving their neighbors as themselves. If Jesus told the Good Samaritan story today in response to "Who is my neighbor?", it might involve one of these countries we perceive as "not as important" as America. It's okay that they have to live like that, as long as we don't have to live like that, right?

I like to pray for the people I will meet in East Asia, that even now God will grow love in us for each other and that he will open my eyes to their needs.

I like to pray miraculous healing over people, though this is something I haven't done much yet. But I want to start doing it more because I believe in a God who raises the dead.

I like to throw my head back and laugh and lift my hands and jump around because I can't believe how amazing Jesus is and that I get to call him mine.

I like to meditate on heaven and the little moments of joy here that are only faint glimpses of my forever.

I like to pray for those who feel they can see only darkness in life, or that they are facing some insurmountable obstacle. I pray for the obstacle to be cleared and for the light to shine in the darkness.

I like to pray for the people in my classes who are enslaved to the idols of school and "success," that they will know the freedom of trusting the Father and not worrying about tomorrow.

I like to pray for you.

Electrostacrifice

Proof that I know a bit about science. I originally wrote it for a scholarship, but thought I would share it with you all. It was written in response to Socrates' assertion in the "Apology" that fear of disgrace ought to sustain a man's resolve in the hour of danger.

  

            One day in science class, our subject matter strayed like a rogue electron. Attending a small-town high school afforded many opportunities for free radical conversations since teachers were also our mentors, friends, and supplemental parents. We were discussing a story about an American soldier who flung himself on a grenade in Iraq to save his comrades nearby. One boy raised his hand and asked, “But Mr. Lewis, isn’t it always wrong to commit suicide?” The wise old teacher made no other response than to say, “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Then he went back to the chalkboard.

            I don’t think fear of disgrace is enough to sustain our resolve in the hour of danger, or if it is, then fear has killed our souls long before physical death could even touch us. The true motivation must be love. Not simply attraction, but rather an ionic bond that requires mutual sacrifice. C. S. Lewis wrote, "Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained." It is a sacrificial spirit of humility, not the constant gratification of our desires.

            It is difficult to say what I would die for because I have never been placed in that situation, but I try to value Christ and his priorities above life itself. I hope that, if ever faced with a choice between life and honoring Christ, I would choose to honor him. I don’t say this to sound religious or holy, although I know it probably comes across that way in our culture. I say this because his sacrifice has engendered a sacrificial spirit in me, forming an electrostatic attraction that makes me smitten, enamored, head-over-heels in love with him. I admire him more than anyone else I've ever met or read about, and I'm irresistibly drawn to his love for me.

            I think we must be in love - true love - to deliberately die for something. The soldier who flung himself on the grenade didn’t have time to dismantle it or to think rationally, weighing the pros and cons of sacrificing himself. His decision came from the kind of deep love that doesn’t have to think; without question, his four friends came first. I will grant, however, that the kind of love that agonizes for hours on end about the decision to die for someone is even deeper. When I look at the story of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, how he spent all night in the most intense prayer ever lifted up on earth and still chose the cross, it makes his love even more divine.

            When I look at the example of the soldier and of Jesus, I see love and not fear of disgrace. Whether I ever have to physically sacrifice my life or not, that is the kind of love I want – an ionic bond that causes me to throw my selfish desires on a grenade each morning so that even while living, I can lay down my life for my friends. 

Dancing in the Storm

I'm always afraid to try out God's power. I've wanted for a while to see God heal someone miraculously through me, and yet I'm terrified to ask friends if they want me to pray healing over them. I usually just take the safer way out: "I'll be praying for that." Let's just say I'm not like Elijah, daring people to call down fire from heaven and see whose God answers.

But lately I've been reading and hearing stories of friends...not friends of friends, or someone who knows someone who knows someone...my friends, who have healed people instantaneously in the name of Jesus, or who have done some other immediate miracle.

I want to see that.

At Rez Week tonight, this huge screen we were using to project worship lyrics kept almost falling over because of the wind. I was right under it. It was really causing a distraction, as people kept looking away from the speaker to see it sway back and forth. People eventually had to take it down during the speaker's talk, and then began setting it back up so we could end in worship (by the way, if any of you ever read this, thank you for your servant hearts).

I asked a sweet girl near me if she would pray with me that the wind would stop, and just that there would be no distractions and we would all have undivided hearts as we worshiped. We prayed together, as I cited to God the time when Jesus calmed the storm for his disciples and asked him to do the same now. The wind stilled for a minute.

But I was so afraid it would start back up again. So worried. And Jesus says not to worry.

Why was I afraid? I was afraid God wouldn't answer. I was afraid it would only stop for a moment and then start up again and I would doubt if God even listened or heard. I kept stressing out in my mind, wondering why I always do this after I pray...I always look desperately to see if God will say yes, if he will pull through.

Then the wind kicked back up (and just to be clear, it never kicked back up to the levels it had been before, and God had already blessed us and answered my prayers by holding back the thunderstorm that was supposed to happen tonight).

But I distinctly heard God saying: What difference does it make if I stop the wind? Will you be disappointed in me if I don't stop the wind? Ashamed? Will you lose faith? Maybe I have a purpose for the wind. Maybe I have a purpose for every inconvenience.

And he also pointed out an area of pride in my heart. Another reason I'm afraid to pray specific things over people to their face is that I'm afraid it won't happen and that they'll think my faith is phony or that I'm crazy. I'm afraid to look stupid in front of them. I was afraid the sweet girl I prayed with would think I'm not truly connected to God or something because my prayer didn't work. That is the wrong motivation. I need to pray over people and their situations because I love them and because I want God's healing and renewal in their lives, not because God needs to pull through so I can look good.

Then the most amazing thing happened as the wind blew. A girl who had been helping to hold the screen steady let go and jumped right in front of the screen as we worshiped.

And she started dancing.

Then another guy behind her began dancing.

Then people began jumping and laughing.

A thought came to my head: "If God chooses not to stop the wind, we will still dance in it."
And God said, "Calming the storms brings me glory, but it brings me even more glory when my followers choose to dance in the middle of the storms."

And I began laughing as I applied this to the rest of my life. To all my unanswered prayers, to all my unrealized longings, to all my heartbreaking moments. I felt Jesus smiling over me as I joined in dancing with so many others, as we ecstatically sang, "Let hope rise, and darkness tremble in Your holy light." And meant it.

We worshiped without distractions and with undivided hearts. The wind didn't completely stop...but there was no way it could keep us from dancing.

Becky's Top 10 Ads of the 45th Superbowl

Another Superbowl has come and gone. Personally, I thought the halftime show was awesome, and if you don't like dancers in glowing suits dancing around with boxes on their heads, we should reconsider our friendship. And anytime Usher comes out and dances, it's a win.
Also, I have to congratulate Green Bay: not only did they win, but they seemed like a really nice bunch of guys *cue sexual harassment scandal that will miraculously emerge tomorrow*. No, but seriously. I'm happy for them.

On with the commercials!

First, the awards for the WORST of the WORST: I'm not sure what's more horrible, GoDaddy with its perennial pathetic attempts at getting anyone to care about its "scandalous" commercials that *gasp* can't be shown on TV, or Groupon with a commercial that could NOT have been in worse taste. I've been a big fan of Groupon, but lately some of their decisions have had me wondering. This, however, will not prevent me from using the two outstanding Groupons I have to Olivia and Zhi Tea. Or from buying more. But I digress.

Now for a couple of Honorable Mentions: Budweiser's "Tiny Dancer" commercial. It was cute, it made me laugh a bit, but it was too predictable to make it into the Top 10. You always have to love the Clydesdales though, and tough cowboys singing badly.

Also, Best Buy: Ozzy and Bieber. If only for the way Ozzy says "What's a Beeba?"

On with the Top 10!

10. Pepsi: Can Thrower

Because the music fits perfectly with the tone, you always have to laugh at a guy having to eat a fruit cup instead of fries, and you always have to laugh at things hitting people and then the throwers having the "walk away" reaction.

9. Coke: Border Crossing

Because of the poofball on the one guy's head. And because Coke must always beat Pepsi. Always.

8. Doritos: Finger Licking

Because of the deafening "ewwww!" squeals when this commercial came on. And because it's a crime not to lick your fingers.

7. Bridgestone: Reply All

When HAVEN'T we all had a moment like this? If only we had Bridgestone...

6. Chevy: Lassie Truck

A reference to Lassie ties in perfectly with Chevy's "Chevy Runs Deep" campaign as it tries to make itself distinctly American and home-y. And they managed to be clever with it, not just syrupy. They even made me say "awww" about a truck. Not sure I've ever expressed that particular sentiment before.

5. Doritos: Pug

Okay, here's where we start getting into all of the animals and kids. Because, if you've taken John Murphy's ADV318J class, you know those always win. (and the Lassie truck was a nice transition). But seriously, it's hilarious how tiny the pug is compared to the door and guy. Take THAT, would-be animal abuser.

4. Bridgestone: Beaver

This beaver was so freakishly adorable. Who wouldn't want a friend like that?

3. Doritos: House Sitting

Well, this is the one non-animal or kid exception to my top 5. And it has a fish and a cute old person, so it kinda counts. Oh the joy of the unexpected.

2. Volkswagen: Black Beetle

Again, love the music. Love the whole concept. And I have a soft spot for the car itself.

1. Volkswagen: Darth Vader Kid

If Darth Vader were in Apples to Apples, he would be my Trump Card. What's that, Helen Keller?

Seriously though, even though I would have immediately bumped any commercial containing Darth Vader to the top, this one truly deserved it. Star Wars, cute kid, loving family...what more could anyone ask for?

So Volkswagen basically wins the day, with Doritos and Bridgestone next in line. And I want a blue Bug named Betty more than ever. No offense to my current Ford Focus, Pedro. He's actually rather beetle-shaped anyway, so he'll do.

Survey of Character Strengths

My roomie is taking a "Positive Psychology" class (awesome new branch, right? I definitely prefer it to the Freudian stuff). Anyway, she showed me this cool test called "Survey of Character Strengths." You should take it! Apparently your Top Five are supposed to be "Signature Strengths" that you should find opportunities to use more often. I pretty much agree with my Top 5, although there are some strengths (like Enthusiasm) that ranked surprisingly low. Maybe I'm good at faking enthusiasm? Haha.

Here's the link to the site: http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/default.aspx

Your Top Strength
Spirituality, sense of purpose, and faith You have strong and coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe. You know where you fit in the larger scheme. Your beliefs shape your actions and are a source of comfort to you.
Your Second Strength
Judgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who you are. You do not jump to conclusions, and you rely only on solid evidence to make your decisions. You are able to change your mind.
Your Third Strength
Perspective (wisdom) Although you may not think of yourself as wise, your friends hold this view of you. They value your perspective on matters and turn to you for advice. You have a way of looking at the world that makes sense to others and to yourself.
Your Fourth Strength
Curiosity and interest in the world You are curious about everything. You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating. You like exploration and discovery.
Your Fifth Strength
Love of learning You love learning new things, whether in a class or on your own. You have always loved school, reading, and museums-anywhere and everywhere there is an opportunity to learn.