My Vulnerable God

That just sounds like such an oxymoron. God...vulnerable? No way, right? He's all-powerful, all-knowing, all-everything, how could He possibly be vulnerable? And yet, I am coming to realize, He is.

I was reading Jeremiah 3 (and 4...and 5) this morning, and I was struck by the plaintive tone. The Lord is grieving over His wandering, rebellious people, calling them back to Himself. "Return to Me!" He cries out over and over. It is the heart of a vulnerable God breaking for His people. He is not vulnerable by default, as we are, He is vulnerable by choice. He has chosen to love us so much we can hurt Him. He has chosen to keep His arms held out, open wide to welcome us home. Think about it; that is a vulnerable, defenseless position.

God is not remotely frail; He is, indeed, incredibly strong. He is not helpless; He is the one who holds the world in His hands. He does not need us; He is the only truly self-sufficient one. Yet He is vulnerable--to us. For us. It's a lot to think about...

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Sex & "the good Christian single"

Yep. Buckle up, we're going there. This post might get a little uncomfortable, but it's a topic that can't exactly be ignored! And, as I said at the beginning of this little "series" earlier this year, "my goal is to be uncomfortably honest, vulnerable, real, raw." Besides, the world is talking about sex all the time , and if we as Jesus-followers don't talk about it from a Jesus-perspective, the world is going to shape the views and opinions of sex for an entire generation. Or two. Or more. Let's start with some basic statements just for the sake of clarity: 1. Sex is God's idea, and it is good. All through the Bible, from Adam & Eve being "naked & unashamed" in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2), to the graphic love poetry of Song of Solomon, to Paul exhorting husbands and wives to freely share their bodies with one another in 1 Corinthians 7, the Bible paints a picture of sex within marriage being good, beautiful, encourag...

Six Flags!

Some would no doubt consider it a strange "Sabbath kick-off", but for me a trip to Six Flags Over Texas (in Arlington) was just the ticket! Between my love of roller coasters, the nostalgia this place holds, and the healthy benefits of fresh air and sunshine, it was fantastic. Oh, and the company was pretty great, too. The only thing that could have made it better would have been to have my "OG Six Flags fam" along--aka, my family and the Vests, of course! Six Flags has always been about facing and overcoming fear for me. I was a very fearful/timid child, and as an adult looking back I think one of the best things my parents did for my little anxious self was take me to ride roller coasters!! (I would insert the "tears of joy" emoji here if I could!) I was coaxed and cajoled on to rides I was hesitant about, but never forced to ride anything--though I waited in every line with them and I was not allowed to complain. Every year, there were rides where ...

Hey, it's tomorrow!

OK, so I said that a post was coming tomorrow. Hey, it's "tomorrow"! So what that it's now tomorrow's tomorrow...and perhaps now I have you sufficiently confused that you won't care that I'm a day off when I said I was going to post. *vbg* So, let's see...longer and newsier. Well, longer won't be difficult; I think this post is already longer than Tuesday's. Newsier, on the other hand...when nothing much is going on, that one can be hard to accomplish! So if the events of my life start to sound boring or mundane, just remember this: it's a lot more fun to live it than to talk about it! I've almost got all my Christmas shopping done; now it's just a matter of finishing the making/putting together somehow of various and sundry items. Once I have a present for everyone in my immediate family actually in my possession, I'll wrap them and put them under the tree. I like being the first one to put gifts under the tree; but I like to...

Dancing in the Rain

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