Influence

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It has been a long while since I have posted anything here. I have been busy completing three years toward my B.A. in English and my senior year is underway. My current class (Creative Writing) has finally given me the space to take off the tight harness of academic writing rules, and it feels SO GOOD!! After reading my first assignment, Mom and Daddy gave it their thumbs up and suggested I make it a blog post, so here it is. It is my story and their story. It's a little longer than my usual posts, but as with everything I have ever posted here, I pray it encourages you to run "up the sunbeam to the sun" (C. S. Lewis). "Follow my example,  as I follow the example of Christ." 1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV I sat above them on the stairs. Looking down through the window-like openings in the partition between the living room and the stairway, I listened to the basketball players, football players, baseball players, wrestlers, track athletes, both the lettermen ...

WWJD?

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WWJD? 

Widely recognized initials symbolizing the question "What would Jesus do?" Many believers wear it on bracelets, carry it on Bible covers, put it on their key chains, anyplace that will frequently remind them to check their actions against what they think Jesus might do. It's a good question to ask ourselves.

Maybe there's another question.  Maybe there's more to it than knowing how Jesus might behave in a given situation.  Maybe that's the end and maybe there's a beginning I need to find first.

Maybe it's less about what Jesus would do and more about who Jesus IS.

Jesus, the great I Am who confined Himself to helpless infant.
Jesus, the King of kings breathing sawdust as a carpenter.
Jesus, the Christ wrapped in the frailty of human flesh.
Jesus, the Creator of all becoming the servant of all.
Jesus, the very Son of God choosing to call Himself the Son of Man.
Jesus, the sinless God-man crushed beneath the weight of all humanity's sin.
Jesus, the Righteous Judge pouring out rivers of mercy.

Humility
Servanthood
Reaching out to people
Sacrifice
Grace
Forgiveness

When He has gone to such lengths to make Himself known to me and to give me a way to understand more of God than I ever could without Him, how could I stop at merely wondering what He would do when there is so much of Him that I can know?

We will only begin know what Jesus would DO when we spend time knowing who He IS! Paul was simply profound when he wrote:

"I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did—Jesus crucified." 1 Corinthians 2:2 MSG

What do you know of Jesus that helps you know what to do?
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Joining Ann Voskamp in counting His graces for her Multitudes on Mondays
I hope you'll join in if you haven't already!
In the counting of the endless gifts I say with C. S. Lewis,
"This also is Thou!"


#701-715
701. Flights that arrive early and curbside hugs hello!
702. Staying up until 3:00 in the morning hearing about Drummer Boy's trip even though we talked every day he was gone
703. Counting down the days 'til it's my turn to go!!
704. The enormously tall sunflowers at the house on the corner where the people always wave!
705. Birds splashing in the bird bath
706. Hero Husband's prayer for me that left me an encouraged and tearful mess--he's amazing!
707. Seeing both Hero Husband and She So Sweet SO excited about their father-daughter trip next week!! Soooo happy for them!
708. Hard work that feels productive
709. Parmesan Baked Tilapia with Honey Lemon Glazed Grilled Pineapple
710. My new keyboard and mouse that feel just perfect!!
711. A clean-swept garage floor
712. Rescuing a baby dinosaur--okay, so it was just a tiny brand new less-than-2-inch-long Western Fence Lizard (or Blue Belly), but I still say he was a baby dinosaur!  Cutest little guy!!!


713. The return of football--always ready for some!!!
714. Crepe myrtle trees in bloom everywhere
715. Receiving the gift of all the highlighted, marked up, note-filled Bibles that saw Franacious (she went home to heaven 03 March 2010) through a whole life of getting to know God--what a treasure.

Joining Michelle DeRusha for:

Joining L.L. Barkat for:
On In Around button

Joining Laura Boggess for:

and joining Jen and her Sisterhood:

A heartfelt thank you to these generous bloggers
who make these communities available!

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