Giddyness

God is love. Right? But so often I picture him as a stern-faced savior taking the punishment of all man-kind and not being happy about it. But that is simply a lie, and too often we believe it.

Jesus, the Groom
The story since the dawn of creation is about a loving God pursuing an unworthy bride. One of the greatest examples of love is romantic love. I am talking about the all-or-nothing, do what it takes, whimsical, day dreamy, giddy kind of love. The kind of love that emanates from a groom as he watches his bride waltz down the aisle. The kind of love that does ridiculous things to show affection without any care in the world as to what anybody thinks about it. The kind of love that makes you float, spin, twirl, and dance. It's no wonder that one of the greatest metaphors for our relationship with God is a wedding. We are His bride to be. Jesus has proposed to us and we're engaged! As an engaged man, let me tell you how wonderful that is! My feet still haven't hit the ground. Just think about the whimsy and giddyness involved in my life right now. Now transfer that to a God who is LOVE. You can't even fathom how giddy Jesus is with love for you. There is no condemnation in His eyes, only grace. There is no disappointment in His heart, for love covers a multitude of sins. When you accept God's proposal to get married, He overwhelms your life with love. The problem is, we hardly choose to accept it. We walk around in guilt and shame and condemnation as the enemy convinces us that we are not worthy. Yet, Jesus, in His unfathomable, unconditional love, stands there beckoning us to be His love. They say we only accept the love we think we deserve. Jesus paid the price so that we can accept all of it. At the end of this world, there will be a wedding and all are invited (even though not all accept the invitation). No more suffering; no more pain; no more selfish pride; just a big ol’ party in celebration of the union between bride and groom. The question is: why do we fail to see God’s love for us as a hold-nothing-back type of romantic love? I can go on and on about this idea. Read more about my proposal and His proposal here.

God, The Father
God is our daddy. He is the Parent our parents never were or could be. Not only does God love as a fiance, but he loves us like a child.  How great is the love the Father has lavished upon us that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are! Think about just how much the Father loves His child. When the child messes up, the Father has nothing but grace and patience. God, the Father, doesn't need anything from us. He has nothing to gain from us. He just wants to spend time with us! He just wants to see us grow. He wants the best for us, even if we don't understand what He's doing. Yes, God is the Father of all things good. God loved us so much that He gave His Son to adopt us. We were chosen. He wanted us. Whereas some children are unwanted, unplanned, or unloved, God chose us because not only does He love us, be He likes us! Let the love of the Father comfort you today. He doesn't care that you aren't good enough. He doesn't care that you aren't the most successful, beautiful, helpful, or whatever. You are His beloved child and He is your Beloved Father.

Holy Spirit, the Counselor
Not only does God love you like a bride, not only does God love you like a Father, but He loves you like a friend. God sent His Spirit--His Presence-- to be a part of life with you. He want's to spend each moment with you. He wants to grow with you and teach you, as any good friend would. He wants to be your good counsel, someone to talk with when times are tough. He wants to rejoice with you in joy, someone to dance with you in praise. He wants to comfort you in times of mourning, someone to speak comfort and peace into your life. God loves you, He wants you, and He likes you. He wants to walk through this life as your true love, your strong father, AND your best friend. No matter how cheesy the childhood songs get, you really do have a friend in God.

God is Giddy

Think about it like this: you have the Holy Spirit inside you, Jesus walking beside you, and the Father watching above you. God's love is multidemensional. It surrounds us on all sides. It holds the best qualities of every type of relationship. Isn't that amazing!? God truly is every type of love we know. HE IS LOVE. Imagine God creating the world. Imagine Him forming the mountains and painting the northern lights and designing every type of animal and plant all in an attempt to woo us. See Him craft a waterfall and exclaim “I bet my bride will love this. I can’t wait to show them. I can’t wait for my people to taste the sweetness of a grape. I can’t wait for my love to feel the cool breeze. I just can’t wait! I’ll do whatever it takes. I want to give them the world!” God has come to woo. He came to show us Himself; He is love. But in the midst of our self-conceit and misery, we think our greatest love to be a stiff-necked teacher with a divine yard stick of punishment. God is giddy for us! Have you ever been giddy? That is who He is! He delights in His people like a husband delights in his bride, like a father delights in his child, like a friend delights in his BFF.

The Fallen Bride

Yet, we are an adulterous and evil bride. We have turned our back on the first one to ever show us love. We have sought the lies of our self-love over the dependence on the one who fulfills us. But even in our foolish ways, God loved us. God loved us while we were still sinners. God gave himself to redeem ourselves to come back to a divine romance. What does that say about love? It holds no record of wrongs! It is unstoppable! It is not self-consumed! Love does not seek to change a person, but instead, loves simply seeks the person.  I used to want to fix people, but now I just want to be with people. God doesn’t seek to fix us because we are broken, he loves us, which then fixes us. Brokenness allows God’s love to break in. It’s those who think they have it all together who cannot feel the radiant passion of God’s love. So in our pursuit of others, let’s seek to love them and be with them, and let God’s love do the fixing.

I had a funny realization: As I pursue Rachel, I delight in her and enjoy her more and more for who she is. I become joyous (on top of the already incredible joy of knowing Jesus), because I get to feel the giddiness God feels for me. Likewise, as I enjoy the comraderie of my best friends and the joy of spending time laughing and crying with them, I feel God's friendship with me. I feel how He is in community with all of His friends. He permeates our friendship. And hopefully one day, I'll get to channel the love of the Father. I get a glimpse of it when I play with the little kids I know, but I cannot wait to feel the full explosion of God's love for His children. And it doesn’t stop there! As I seek to love everyone around me, God pours His unstoppable love through me. He uses me—a broken, prideful, and inconsistent goof—to do incredible things in other’s lives. It’s a gregariously giddy gala of God’s love when we live to love God and love people.

God’s Love, God’s Jealousy

But what about God’s wrath? God tells us just as much about His justice and wrath as He does His love. Where does God’s anger fit in? I feel uncomfortable talking about God's wrath as the next guy. But God is power just as much as He is love. We should be respectful of His power but delighted by His love. For example, Rachel doesn't worry about the fact that I am almost twice her weight and could crush her is if I chose to (Spoiler: I never would). She knows my affection for her and she respects the fact that I'm a tad stronger than her. What's more, God promises us that the beginning of true wisdom is for those who fear Him. Only when you respect Him will you ever learn from Him. As children, we are in awe of Him just as much as we are in love with Him. If you weren't respectful of the fact that your earthly Father could control many aspects of your life--whether you ate or not, whether you are loved or not, whether you are grounded or not--or of the fact that He is wiser and stronger than you, then why would you listen to Him? The same is true here. Our thoughts are not His thoughts. All I know is that He is just in His ways because I, the clay, can't tell Him, the Potter, what to do. He loves me enough not to grant me every stupid request I give. He loves me enough not to let me put Him in a box and try to control Him.

When you love someone, you hold their best interest above your own. Thus, when someone, including the loved one, hurts the loved one, it infuriates you. It brings a righteous anger. You see, the opposite of love is not anger, it is indifference. The greatest form of hate is to be indifferent about someone.  God is jealous for His people. When we run off and get hurt by the things we seek instead of God, it brings righteous anger to His heart. Thus, God is willing to bring whatever is necessary—pain or pleasure—to bring the greatest good to His people. If you deny God enough, He will give you what you want, and what you want will simply lead you to destruction and despair. Jesus says time and time again that only those who obey Him truly love Him. His love is just. His justice is love. Ultimately, He will be glorified and He will not be mocked. God is for you simply because God is for God, the only Being worthy to be given anything but punishment. God’s jealousy burns for you, and if you will not be wooed, you will be given the desires of your heart: destruction.

God's Love Removes our Fear of Circumstances

Does it really matter that our circumstances are difficult? Why shouldn’t they be! If we give way to self-pity and indulge in the luxury of misery, we remove God’s riches from our lives and hinder others from entering into His provision. No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity, because it removes God from the throne of our lives, replacing Him with our own self-interests. It causes us to open our mouths only to complain, and we simply become spiritual sponges— always absorbing, never giving, and never being satisfied. And there is nothing lovely or generous about our lives. -Oswald Chambers-

Next time you look at a rainbow or a lightning strike, realize it's to woo and awe us. So let’s love the One who is love. Let’s be giddy in response to God’s giddiness. What kind of bride isn’t giddy when they are about to marry the groom of their dreams? What kind of child isn't giddy when the Father gets home? What kind of friend isn't giddy in laughter with his best friends? God is giddy for us and he is giddy to be with us. Let’s be giddy to love and be with others. The world has enough sober minded, rational people. Let’s unleash a giddy revolution of God’s love. It’s going to look ridiculous; more often than not, love does that. No matter. I can’t wait to taste the wedding cake in heaven.

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Paper Houses

First a status from my news feed:

 “We constantly seem to be searching, looking for something that we never seem to find. The love of Jesus is what we are really looking for, yet somehow, our pride wants to prevent us from really knowing this love up close and personal. We are afraid of what this love of God might cost us if we really yielded to Him. But something truly unexplainable happens as we kneel before Jesus; we are given the gift of His presence. Why put this off any longer, worship at the feet of Jesus...” –Pastor Tim Jones

Paper Houses

We all seem to be living in our self constructed paper houses. We block out the world around us. We feel secure, even though our walls are no shelter. We set ourselves up in false safety. But Jesus is standing on the lawn. He is knocking on our door and calling out our name, but He won’t come in until we let him in. He could come in if he really wanted to. He has scissors in His hands; He could come in wherever and whenever He likes. Yet, He stands outside and knocks. Jesus intends to free us from our self-entrapment. He longs for us to see the beauty of all that He has created, to feel the sun radiating on our skin, and to live life as it was meant to be. But He will invade if we let him into our flimsy little paper house. So the rain comes. It soaks right through our walls. In blows us off our comfortable foundation. Sometimes it takes some storms so soak our white paper walls so we can see the form of Jesus standing outside. Only when the walls crumble can we see the sun shining outside.

Everyone puts their own trust in themselves. Everyone seeks their joy in themselves, thinking if I build this paper house and live of the foundation of myself, I will be content all of my days. But Jesus quietly and patiently beckons us to let Him be our foundation. He will not force His way in. That’s not how He operates. That’s not how love works. The question is: who will abandon their paper house and give their life to live for Jesus and who will stay locked in their own heart only to be destroyed when the earth is refined with fire? We have no safety in our self. We have no safety in our paper houses. Let’s abandon our selfish homes and be free to obey the one true God. Let’s kneel in the soft grass at Jesus’ feet where the love of God beams down on us from above. Let’s worship the only one worth worship. It doesn’t matter whether your paper house is success, your significant other, popularity, money, self-worth, fame, security, or some other false god. All will crumble eventually.

I Like You

In romantic relationships, you often find yourself professing what you adore about each other. I like the way you do this. I like this about you or I like your passion to do this. I like when you do this or I like how you are this way. We all have an inner desire to adore and encourage the ones in which we feel affection towards. It doesn’t matter if they already know that you like their hair or beauty or patience, you feel compelled to tell them and they are delighted to hear. So if God is our greatest love and our strongest relationship, wouldn’t it make sense to tell Him what we like about Him? It seems I don’t do that enough. Here are a few things I like about my greatest love:

-          I like that He loves me for who I am, not how I perform.

-          I like how He never gets tired or weary.

-          I like how He understands the way every process in my body works.

-          I like the way He is patient with my stupidity.

-          I like that He is compassionate for the poor, the sick, the impaired, the least of these.

-          I like that He is such a mystery.

-          I like that the more I get to know Him, the more I want to know Him.

-          I like that though He is the most powerful, He is still humble.

-          I like that He has perfect humor. Sometimes we forget this.

-          I like when He comforts me when I feel horrible.

-          I like when he encourages me to be the best I can be.

-          I like that He frustrates the wisdom of the wise and allows the child to understand things so profound.

-          I like that He is just. I can trust that He we always take care of any situation fairly and fully.

-          I like that He is in control. There is no one else I would rather have as King.

-          I like that He takes delight in blessing me. I never deserve it.

-          I like how He is always three steps ahead of me (or more).

-          I like how He gives me what I need, not what I want.

-          I like that He is Holy. He is so worthy that no amount of my praise will do justice.

-          I like that He cares enough about me to discipline me.

-          I like that He actually listens to me, even if I don’t deserve an audience

-          I like that He is faithful. He never breaks His promises.

-          I like His love. The more I love His love, the more I seek His love, thus giving me more of His love. It is a beautiful cycle.

-          I like that He is victorious. He has already won the battle and I get to live in victory because of it.

-          I like that His thoughts, intentions, desires, and plans are always for my good and never for my harm.

-          I like that He is kind, open, approachable, frank, and eager to be my friend.

-          I like that He allows me to love others as well. He isn’t negatively jealous.

-          I like that if I start loving other idols, He brings me back to Himself. He is positively jealous.

-          I like that He is actively and creatively orchestrating people, circumstances, and events to express his affection and correction to provide for my highest good.

-          I like that He is strong in my weakness.

-          I like that He casts my sin as far as the east is from the west, never to return again.

-          I like that He is God and I am not.

-          I like that I can’t understand Him or control Him.

-          I like that He gives me a choice to love Him

-          I like that He gives me an opportunity to serve Him.

-          I like that He allows me in His presence to worship Him.

-          I like that He protects me from evils that I am not even aware of.

-          I like how He speaks to me, kind and gentle. Never loud or boisterous like the enemy.

-          I like how He constantly blows my mind, even when I think I have Him down.

-          I like that He is three personalities in one being. He is constant love and self-giving community.

-          I like that He isn’t even a he, but instead all the best qualities of both genders.

-          I like how He saved us all from ourselves, and created the greatest story ever known.

The list goes on and on.

Let’s tell God what we like about Him. If He is anything my girlfriend Rachel, He will be delighted to hear it, even if He already knows it.

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Jeremy's Junior Year Lessons

Jeremy’s Junior Year Lessons

It’s the end of the school year and it is time to look back on all the fun lessons God has hammered in to my thick headed skull. Yes, it’s the time of year that is painfully nostalgic. Summer is here and you just don’t know what to do with yourself. But before the cavalcade of chlorine, Frisbee, and the ever present sweaty back, it is time to reflect on just a few of the lessons I have learned from my junior year at the University of Kentucky.

Overcoming five minutes of awkwardness is the first stepping stone to eternal friendships. God made this one evident during the free food fair otherwise known as K-Week. It was the time to put on a smile and get talking to everyone around you. Where are you from? What year are you? What’s your major? What dorm are you living in? What is your favorite pokemon? … But it is amazing how far you can advance the kingdom by simply remembering people’s name. I have heard numerous stories of how new people have come around our community and been drawn in by the crazy personalities and goofy smiles. One thing is for sure, no matter who you talk to, people are people and they all respond to love. It is amazing what can happen when you meet someone and get to know them for who they are rather than just walk around content with your little social circle. Normally, I like to sit in my comfortable social bubble and say hi to those who regularly peak my interest. But so many times, God has yanked me out of my clique-y cardboard box and thrown me into a pit of hissing freshman. Looking back on all the new friends I have made this semester, it is incredible how many friendships resulted from allowing my walls of comfort to crumble. It seems when I really love people, they feel loved. It seems when I really listen to people because they are talking and not because they are interesting, they feel appreciated. It seems when I want to know someone for their sake, and not my own, they feel God pulling them into community. Strange isn’t it? What a novel concept.

School is lame. Okay, I didn’t just learn this. And it isn’t necessarily true. I am ridiculously blessed to have my biggest worries be about the grade of a paper. God is too patient with me. I am too busy whining about having to learn new things while people are having to learn new things just to survive. Because I am a college student, I am in the top 5% of the world’s wealthiest. Who knew the life of a high roller was eating mac and cheese and cutting coupons? I am too blessed to be stressed. I need an attitude of gratitude. I need to actually work hard at school so I can glorify my God. And for once, I think I actually learned that this year because I put it into practice. But don’t think it means I stepped foot in the library. I will never date Willy T.

Gossip leaves a bad taste in your mouth. For real. Gossip is nasty. God has been teaching me that though gossip and slander is quite tasty when it touches the tongue, it leaves an after taste that just drives me crazy. In what has seemed like the year of new relationships and old pranks, gossip has been the maniacal method to make the social world go round. Having entered into a relationship in a less than conventional way, Rachel and I were on the business end of a gossip train loaded with opinions and questions. It doesn’t feel so great. In fact, it’s hard to savor community when the community is savoring you at your expense. But I digress. God has shown that my gossip prevents Him from showing His love. I had to learn that there is a difference between wanting people’s best interest and trying to force my own interests on them. When am I being considerate? When I am praying for someone. When am I being destructive? When I am talking about someone. Bad taste after bad taste, God has convinced me that I don’t need to talk about people, just pray. If I think they are doing something wrong, I’ll let Him know about it, not my lab partner.

People just want to be accepted. This is an odd one. But this school year has showed me that people just want other people to like them. Everything we do beckons the acceptance of those around us. All year, I have seen girls yearn and flirt and dress so that guys will like them. All year, I have seen guys flex and lift and joke so that girls will like them. Why is it that when another person likes the same person you do, they become your enemy? Why are we so wrapped up in the approval in others? I am no exception. I probably never will be. Fortunately, God has been making me care less and less about the non-existent negative opinion of my peers. God hit me hard with John 5:44 : “How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?” We are all running around trying to get each other to like us when God is patiently asking us to give up our worthless self-conception for something unimaginably glorious. It seems when I submit my life to the One who loves me the most, I am free from public opinion, from looking for love in all the wrong places, from seeking confirmation in the mirror, from measuring success by laughter. Let’s break our mirrors and stop comparing each other so we can look to the Incomparable One.

Impatience isn’t fun. I’ll be honest, God has really grown the fruit of patience in me. What’s so fun about getting angry when things don’t go your way? More often than not, an interruption in my day is just God leading me somewhere rather than an injustice that must be corrected. Who am I to say that any time is mine? It is all given. So why spend it bickering about traffic or people who don’t show up on time? Patience is fun! It allows you to enjoy something in the midst of pain. It gives you sunshine in the midst of rain. It brings along its friends, Joy and Thankfulness. I need to hang out with patience more often.

Celebrating people is the best time ever. Several times over the year, we had party after party for our friends. There is nothing more joyful than forgetting about your own problems and throwing someone a party. I love showing people love by giving them food, friends, and gifts. When you love people, money is never an issue. Time is never an issue. The only thing you need is a date, a location, and some refreshments. Now I get why Jesus told us to invite the least of these to the banquets. It is so much fun! You want to know what heaven is like? Throw a banquet and go all out for those who can’t do it themselves. Jesus always attends the party.

Giving is still more satisfying than taking. Not so much a new lesson, be a reassured one. Joy is found in giving and serving. Point blank. Period.

Praying for people is always worth it. This is a biggie. So many times, God has answered my boldest prayers and shown me things I could never have imagined. My prayers are rarely about myself anymore. I know God will take care of me. Now He is showing me that if I ask, He will take care of others too. Furthermore, God has spoke to me in some crazy ways when I listen. I need to spend more time with Him. I don’t know how He did it, but He got rid of all stuff that was keeping me from hearing him. I guess I was just worrying too loud about myself. I have seen so much power through prayer. God is too good.

Worrying about the future is never worth it. If you’re over-thinking, you’re under-praying. If you’re over planning, you’re under-living. When you are a junior, you are in an awkward limbo of being in the center of your college career and having one foot out the door. So many times this semester, I would try and plan out my life years out in advance when Jesus is snapping his fingers trying to get my attention so I can focus on the task at hand. From vacations to relationships to careers to locations, I was wrapped up in what I wanted my future to look like. Thank God, He has a much better plan than I do. He showed me that planning out my life is an idol. As many times as I learn this, it seems everyday has enough trouble of its own. If I need to plan for something today, then I will. If it can wait, it will wait. My rule now is no thinking about anything that isn’t within a week’s time. Maybe I’ll get good enough to only think about each day. We’ll see. God still has a lot of work to do.

God reveals himself through relationships. In all relationships, God shows who he is. In friendship. In family. In romance. It’s strange; I am not a father, but God has taught me so much about fatherhood. I am not married, but God has taught me so much about marriage. I don’t know how I have friends, but God uses those relationships all the time. It seems God shows Himself through relationship because that is exactly who He is. He is three personalities in one being. God is love. He always has been; He always will be. An obvious way God has taught me more about himself is through my relationship with Rachel. I find joy in encouraging Rachel, yet He finds even more joy in encouraging me. I find joy in serving Rachel, yet He finds even more joy in serving me. Why would an all powerful God who needs no one serve me? Love. I don’t understand it, but I’m thankful. Just as I see past the flaws in Rachel, He sees past the flaws in me. Just as I get to woo Rachel whether she deserves it or not, He gets to woo me whether I deserve it or not. Just as I want Rachel’s best interest, He wants mine ever more. Just as I deny my own desires to fulfill her needs, He denies Himself to fulfill me. God has brought Rachel and me together for His glory. For His glory it shall be.

Here are some other noteworthy lessons:

-Lexington is a special place. I am going to miss it when if I leave for good.

-Southland is a special church. I will always be a part of it in heart.

-CSF is a special community. I will be forever thankful for how God moves there.

-Lexington mist is miserable. I won’t miss that.
-Leading a shift group is a humbling experience.

-Warm winters are actually kind of nice.

-I like Cajun food.

-The superdome is a nice place. I’m glad I got to see UK win a national championship.

-Crawfish is tasty.

-Totting is not as good as leaving baked goods and running.

-Throwing water balloons will always be worth the pain to fill them.

-Having your water shut off sucks.

-The best conversations happen after midnight.

-Stooping is an international sport.

-Applebee’s on Richmond road has terrible service.

-I feel like I am being robbed if I eat somewhere without a coupon.

-In Mississippi, they have to remind you that interstates are one way.

-Giant remote controlled inflatable floating sharks are so cool.

-Terrence Jones likes girls with cookies.
-Jesus proves YOLO wrong.

-Ghetto Hikes is perhaps the greatest twitter account ever.

-Uberfacts is interesting… for about 3 days.

-Chick-fil-a is always good.

-Qdoba is always good.

-The Red River Gorge is as pretty as Miguel’s Pizza is greasy.

-Hipster is now mainstream.

-Nope. Chuck Testa.
-Paula Dean has diabeetus.

-Bob Dole is always an acceptable answer.

-Morgan Freeman still works at the Johnson Center.

-When Reid takes his shirt off, it is the most exhilarating experience ever.

-Don’t pick up a pumpkin after it’s rained.

-Don’t push your friend into a bush.

-“Hey, you want to watch Star Wars” still works as a pick-up line

-Never park your car on State Street during March Madness

-The Wyckoff—Willow battle was the most epic battle of all time.

-Twirling glow sticks can be really mesmerizing.

-Milkshaking is a pandemic.

-Speedy Freezes are popular.

-The girl is older in most of the recent relationships to form #cougazfadayz

-Not working out for a year makes you gain weight.

-Baking makes it hard to lose weight.

-The hospital is one of my favorite date spots.

-The zoo is a wonderful place.

-Picnics are better than most restaurants.

-Blue Man Group is always entertaining.

-Gift cards are fantastic.

-I want a pet squirrel.

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