If I believed dark, furry creatures swayed the destiny of my luck, you mine as well call the morgue. Two black cats crossed my path today. Luckily though, pun completely intended, I don’t believe in superstition.

The concept of “belief” has lingered with me lately. We throw the word around freely, but its considerations are really quite daunting. If I really believed that path could hurt me, would I take it? Or if I really believed that processing could give me cancer, would I eat it? And I guess most importantly, if I really believed God came, cared, or planned as He says, would I do things differently?

A friend of mine got baptized last week. Not a sprinkle baptism, or one of those tank immersions like they do at my church, but a full-on, “down to the river” baptism. A crew of us gathered at a lake nearby Auburn University to celebrate the occasion. Cold and rainy from a weatherman’s perspective, but undeniably radiant for all in attendance. Just short of overwriting the Gospel of John, Mary Elizabeth’s washing was beautiful.

Her story included a tough upbringing, ranging from addiction, to severe depression and illness. In a Damascus-like sophomore year, however, the Lord intersected her troubled days and has literally transformed her life. Without being too dramatic, but also avoiding too much minimizing, experiencing ME’s baptism was a miracle. As her spiky, short hair collided with the rain-struck water, the calm beams of Jesus couldn’t help but pour down.

Soaking my ride home were reflections on belief. Processing remains immature, so I’ll leave it at this: The ability to believe—anything—is a really, really amazing measure of the will. And to Mary Elizabeth, I’ll leave this: “I’m thanking God for you, a sister loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14).

Have a great weekend. I’m laying low, attempting to avoid all meandering black cats.

Learning a lot about time these days. The time I don’t have, actually.

I don’t have time to go there. I don’t have time to stay here. And if I’m really honest, I don’t have time write this. Newsflash though, neither do you! And neither does he, she, or it. None of us has time. Whether it’s an inebriated palm pilot, overdue reading, or unscheduled meeting you’re already late for, we all struggle for minutes. Deadlines, dinners, dates—not to mention rest—our race with time is a finite capability chasing an infinite capacity.

So here’s my conclusion: time is confusing and a notion we’ll never understand.

But that’s a bad conclusion.

I think the actual conclusion is that “understand” and “accept” are two different things. Like it or not, we’re all gonna die and time determines many directions leading up to that point—meaning, we’re left with about two options: Time can be fought against, so that death becomes the enemy who fights against life, or it can be accepted, so that life becomes the freedom that overcomes death.

Our lives will never get easier and time is never going to be ‘enough.’ Understanding this, our timeless God chose to step out of omniscience into time. Perspectived by eternity, Jesus managed the element with miraculous discipline and fullness. Every planned meeting, meal and divine opportunity found his presence. Scripture never speaks of Jesus being overworked, overtired, or overly ill, so that he had to cancel, or postpone an engagement. He never writes about being stressed out, or overwhelmed by his plans. And though the saving of all humanity rested on his shoulders, not once do we hear him complaining about his “lack of time.” Rather, in a span of just three years, Jesus accomplished exactly what his ‘time’ set out to. No man was overlooked. No regrets were shared. Jesus knew what needed to be done. He knew what was necessary and moved passively active toward this end.

In the same way, we must figure out what needs to be done today. We must allow our timed end to find consistent backdrop against the timeless will of God. And in doing so, allow our finite days to intrude those of the divine.

(or notable quotes/quotable notes/notes that were quoted/quotes/quotes that were noted/notes/good thoughts)

I rarely read bridal magazines, but flipping through one at Publix, this stanza was irresistible:

“I want to hold off on sex for a month before our wedding to the make the night special. My fiancé thinks that’s silly. Anybody else trying this?”
(Modern Bride, dec/jan 2005, “Bride To Bride”)

Finished-up, Hearing God (Dallas Willard), this weekend—insightful and really practical. A must read for anyone interested, or scarred-off by, prayer. Here were a few of my highlights:

>We were important enough for God to give his Son’s life for us and to choose to inhabit us as a living temple. Obviously then we are important enough for him to guide us and speak to us whenever is appropriate (page 38).

>When God speaks to us, it does not prove that we are righteous or even right (page 39).

>Yet we have no indication that even Jesus was constantly awash with revelations as to what he should do (page 57).

>If you believe God has told you to do something, ask Him to confirm it to you three times: through his word, through circumstances, and through other people who may know nothing of the situation—Jean Darnall (page 84-85).

>Mere human thoughts, though effective within their appointed range, are as far below the power of God’s thoughts (and words) as the earth is below the heavens (Is 55:8-9) (page 127).

>Now the disciples obviously had great faith in Jesus (in reference to Matt 8 and Jesus rescuing them from the storm). They called upon him, counting on him to save them. They had great faith in him, but they did not have his great faith in God (page 156).

>Read with a submissive attitude (page 161).

>Stages of praying through the Scriptures: 1) information, 2) longing for it to be so, 3) affirmation that it must be so, 4) invocation to God to make it so, 5) appropriation by God’s grace that it is so (page 164).

>Faith is not opposed to knowledge; it is opposed to sight (page 194).

>Generally, it is much more important to cultivate the quiet, inward space of constant listening than to always be approaching God for specific direction (page 200).

>You can be in his perfect will without being a perfect human being (page 207).

>You are under authority, not in control (can’t find reference, but it stuck with me).

I remember it well—the finish line of my first marathon. Actually though, my remembrance today falls on this side of the red tape.

I went out for an easy, four-mile run yesterday and returned feeling like I’d done forty. How can that happen? How can my body maintain form over twenty-six miles, yet fail me for four?

Here’s the difference: I was prepared to go the distance that marathon morning. And I don’t just mean the physical distance, but I mean the emotional and psychological distances as well. I was focused on the first four miles, but was also focused on the last twenty-two. Nothing but my will was gonna separate me and that red-tape. No injury, person, or flirting incentive.

I knew my goal.
I was clear on my purpose.
And I was confident in my tranining.

With a semester’s red tape in view, this isn’t too different from the daily run of our lives. We’re tired, sick of studying (or saddened that we’ve not started) and just plain ready for summer. But here’s the deal—we’re in a race. Not a sweaty, grueling, competitive one, but a race toward eternity. A race toward the Goal set before us in the person of Jesus Christ. If I actually believed he was waiting at my finish line tonight, let alone the one finishing this moment, my life would look pretty different. My afternoon probably would too.

Like it or not, this world is coming to an end. Grades might be a guideline and graduation might be a goal, but when all’s said and done, my life as I know it isn’t all of life.

My life as a daughter is. A loved, accepted, chosen, forgiven, desired, desirable, beautiful, successful, believed in, cherished, empowered, daughter. Of the King. King Jesus.

I want to finish well in the bounds of this campus, but I want to finish more well in the bounds of my Father.

It’s His race. His timing. And His perpetual finish line. You up for a run?