Pris.
Acts 20:24.
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This past Tuesday was the last time I volunteered with this lady that I met at the beginning of the spring semester. I have really grown...
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Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
Hello May.
Come to think of it, Jesus was a hipster.
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Say what? I don’t say this to mean that Jesus necessarily loved coffee, fixed-gear bicycles, and floral button up shirts (which, if I may add, are three very excellent things). But I mean to highlight the simple fact that Jesus embodied the notion of standing out amidst such a uniform society. He didn’t fit the mold that the world was used to. When people went left, He went right. While the majority was standing on the corner of the streets gaining recognition, Jesus was in the background with a few of His not-so-popular friends – healing the sick, loving the broken, and chasing those who had run away. All the while, Jesus was laughed at and mocked, simply because did not and would not conform.
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Imagine that. What would it look like to be fully set apart from this world today? Society has done such a convincing job at making us stand in our own little corner, only to publically declare how we made the grade, how we got the degree, and anything else that entails our capabilities and our worth. But these things fade. Uniformity starts to get a little boring. Conformity begins to look mundane. And I’m beginning to think that being the anomaly is like becoming more like Jesus.
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Anomaly is defined as, “deviation from the normal or usual order,” and that is just what we are hoping to become. Call us young. Call us crazy. Call us foolish. We agree with all the above. We’re just a bunch of college students who have come to realize that we are made to be set apart and that Jesus is deserving of our entire lives.
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Come to think of it, I’d love to be a hipster.
I can’t watch tv shows or movies anymore.
I know I’ve said that already, but I really can’t.
50. Because we live in Austin, Texas
49. Because the 40 Acres is a beautiful campus
48. Because you can study in this library
47. Because spotting this little fellow before a test is good luck
46. Because Chaps > Overalls
45. Because Hook ‘em!
44. Because we’ve got a presidential library
43. And, we’ve got a Tower!
42. And it lights up on special occasions
41. Because 50 Cent is a fan
40. As is Jennifer Love Hewitt
39. And, Matthew McConaughey goes to almost every game
38. And sometimes Natalie Portman shows up too
37. Presidents love us
36. Especially at their inaugurations
35. Presidents are even there for our National Championships
34. Speaking of National Championships…
33. We’ve won 4 of them in football (1963, 1969, 1970, 2005)
32. 3 in volleyball (1981, 1988, 2012)
31. 6 in baseball (1949, 1950, 1975, 1983, 2002, 2005)
30. And, a ton more. 50 total to be exact.
29. Our athletes go to the Olympics
28. And win!
27. Because that’s what we do. Even in the most crucial moments.
26. So, we sing Texas Fight!
25. For it’s Texas that we love best.
24. And, we give ‘em hell. And, give ‘em hell.
23. Because OU sucks!
22. Just ask Snoop Dogg
21. Or Hank & Bobby
20. Or, Bill Clinton
19. Because Kerbey Queso in the middle of the night is pretty damn amazing…
18. And, so is startin’ off the next morning with some breakfast tacos…
17. And finishing it with a Mexican Martini
16. Because you show people your happy fuuuhhhace
15. Especially that pretty Texas smile
14. Because the only real struggle is tryin’ to figure out which boots to wear on game day
13. So that you can tailgate all day, err day
12. While listenin’ to a lil George Strait (because he bleeds burnt orange, too)
11. Because Bevo could probably kick any other school’s mascot’s ass…
10. And because our cheerleaders are purdy…
9. And OU’s suck
8. And, because bleedin’ burnt orange is something that’s gone on for generations
7. Because if God ain’t a Longhorn, then why are sunsets burnt orange?
6. Because wearin’ white Wranglers on game day is bad ass…
5. Because we’ve got PRIDE!
4. Right, Mack?
3. So, get your Horns up!
2. Go on, GET YOUR HORNS UP!
1. Because WE’RE TEXAS!!!!
#truth
I need more and more and more of You.
I expect more and more and more of You.
We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
If you live inside this massive promise, your life is more solid and stable than Mount Everest.
Nothing can blow you over when you are inside the walls of Romans 8:28. Outside Romans 8:28, all is confusion and anxiety and fear and uncertainty. Outside this promise of God’s all-encompassing future grace, there are straw houses of drugs and pornography and dozens of futile diversions. There are slat walls and tin roofs of fragile investment strategies and fleeting insurance coverage and trivial retirement plans. There are card-board fortifications of deadbolt locks and alarm systems and antiballistic missiles. Outside are a thousand substitutes for Romans 8:28.
Once you walk through the door of love into the massive, unshakable structure of Romans 8:28, everything changes. There come into your life stability and depth and freedom. You simply can’t be blown over anymore. The confidence that a sovereign God governs for your good all the pain and all the pleasure that you will ever experience is an incomparable refuge and security and hope and power in your life.
When God’s people really live by the future grace of Romans 8:28 — from measles to the mortuary — they are the freest and strongest and most generous people in the world.
Their light shines and people give glory to their Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
Sometimes it is just so hard to love.
God, I need you. So desperately.
