How Should We Respond?

33 people killed. What really makes me chew on what happened at V.T. is that I wouldn't be surprised if I know a half-dozen people who are two steps away from doing the same thing... and the only thing that stands between them and another tragedy is a false hope that they'll get better.

Why is that a false hope? Because we don't get better. Jesus doesn't make us better. If that seems confusing, then let me clarify something:

Jesus did not come to make bad people good or good people better. Jesus came and died to make dead people alive (see Ephesians 2). And He rose again to live through us. We don't get better... we just learn how to better let Jesus live through us, because our self -- our flesh -- is hopeless (see all of Galatians, Ephesians, and Colossians)

What does this mean, then, for us? How should what happened in Blacksburg yesterday effect us?

I suggest two things:

1 - Let us recognize that we live in a reality where everything we do has an impact on eternity. C.S. Lewis said it very well:
"...remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day
be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be tempted to worship, or else a
horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare."
The guy who bags your groceries at Food Lion tonight might be one step away from giving up on himself and everyone else... or one step away from going down a path that will impact the world for the glory and fame of Jesus. Treat him like you believe that.

2 - Let us encourage one another - particularly brothers and sisters in Christ - correctly... and effectively.
It's a subtle difference, but think about how our country -- and the Church -- would be different if, instead of encouraging each other with a focus on living a holy life and managing our sin (which only leads to hiding our sin)... imagine what it would be like if we put all our energy and passion into encouraging each other to simply focus on God's greatness, and passionately seek to let Him live through us. Not hide our issues, but expose them and let them be an evidence of how God can use such foulness...
My friend Shannon has some good words about this over in his neck of the blog woods
I guess what I'm saying is that sometimes the most loving thing we could probably do for a brother is to humbly choose not to hide or disguise our shortcomings, but wear it openly as an evidence of how much junk God is transforming for His glory. Then, when we have all that extra energy that we didn't waste trying to save a sinking ship of our flesh, we can use it to do what Jesus really called us to. As Tim Hughes puts it in his song 'God of Justice',

We must go
Live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward
Keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go...


Any thoughts?


PS - After thinking this over for a few minutes, I think there is a third reaction that this should stir up. It should stir our hearts to cry, "Come soon Jesus!".

Come quickly, Lord Jesus! And while You tarry, keep us free from the sin of this world. Oh, make our little lives count for the glory of Your name and for the fame of Your Father. Rivet our attention on Your cross, and fuse our affections to Yourself. Waken our compassion for all who suffer, especially those who are rushing toward everlasting misery because of unbelief. So open our mouths and open our hands and open our wallets while we have breath, and make us the most radically loving people on earth, for the joy of all peoples and the renown of Your name, Amen. -Stolen from John Piper's "Life as a Vapor"

Working on graphics

So, I spent several hours (split up over several days while watching movies and such) working on a banner for this here bloggy do-dad... I triple-checked the size of the image that I need before I went to work, but somehow, it's still way too big, which is way our faces are cut off...

I also need to figure out a way to change the color of the title...

Does anybody know where we can find some fun custom templates for Blogger?

Meet Cuddles

This is our friend, 'Cuddles'


Cuddles is our special buddy. He guards our place while we're gone, and he has this incredible ability to stay in the EXACT same position for really long periods of time. Every once in a while he complains and we'll give him a little backrub or something.

He also has a bit of a potty mouth. Sometimes we have to set him straight. When we first brought him into the house, he was particularly bad about saying inappropriate things to Stephanie. I introduced him to the Elbow of Justice and after a good long talk, we set things straight and now we're good friends.
He keeps Steph company for me when I get up early in the morning.

In this particular picture, he's guarding our living room sheet-tent :0)

Officially 2 months!

Today, two months ago I married Zachary Benjamin Riesland (the man I am so in love with). This time 2 months ago I was getting my make-up done hoping that Zack would bring the engagement photo of us to the reception site. I must admit that day I was excited, but for some reason I thought I don't want to talk with him until I see him.

I'm so thankful and blessed beyond measure. We had Ephesians 3:14-21 engraved on our wedding bands, which is so true in our lives. The part I love best is that he has done immeasurably more than we could ever think to ask. When Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus, he is in prison..but his letter is so encouraging. He sets his heart and mind on the things that Christ has done. It's true may Christ dwell in our hearts and let us be rooted and grounded in His love. The longer I'm married to Zack, I truly see Christ so much in Him and I realize..can I be married to him? He has blessed me with someone who seeks after the Lord and loves Him with all of his heart.

I love you sweetheart!

Looking at Houses

Alright, my husband gave me a funny story yesterday. So, naturally I have to share what he did last night while waiting for the realtor to come. I was going to show Zack something in the backyard when he said I really have to go to the bathroom. I thought he was kidding, but then he said "will you keep watch until the realtor comes?". I laughed and said are you serious? So, he proceeds to go to the bathroom under the deck. He makes me giggle and I love him so much.

Actual Conversation

*Disclaimer: This is real. This conversation actually took place. If your eyes suddenly go crossed from reading this post, or, heaven-forbid, something worse happens, we are not responsible... but it would be really, really funny

Steph and I were driving to work this morning and we passed a not-so-nice car with really nice rims and tires. Steph mentioned how she doesn't understand why people do that.
I said something along the lines of, "Yeah, in California, it's even crazier... people will take these cheap Ford Escorts and drop them so that they're like 2 inches off the ground and spend twice as much as the car cost."
To which she responded (and I kid you not), "Wow! Don't they worry about what would happen in a flood?"