Yesterday in Sunday School, I had the task of teaching a group of 4th and 5th grade boys the story of Zacchaeus the tax collector and his interactions with Jesus from Luke 19.  For those of you not familiar with the story, here is a brief rundown:

1. There was a man named Zacchaeus, who was a rich tax collector.  Tax collectors = despised amongst Jews; Viewed as dishonest and greedy; “sinners.”
2. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but he was really short, and there was a crowd. (I feel your pain Zach) So…
3. He climbs up into a sycamore-fig tree. In case you don’t know what in the world that is: 
4. Jesus looks at him and says, “Get down, I’m coming to your house.” (paraphrase)
5. Zacchaeus obliges.
6. People talk bad about Jesus because He was hanging out with a “sinner.”
7. Zacchaeus comes around, claims that he will give away half of his stuff, and pay back anyone he has cheated financially 10x more that he cheated them out of.
8. Jesus says that “salvation” has come to the house, and that He has come “to seek and save the lost.”

After finishing the story, in one of my most fantastic teacher moments, I followed the lesson plans given to me by our children’s minister.

I asked the question, “Have you ever been lost? How did it make you feel?”

The responses were actually really good.  I got the typical responses. i.e. “I got lost, and I was scared.”  That was good.  That was what I expected, but then a couple of answers caught me off guard, and I am so glad they did.

One of the guys told the story of how he was lost one time.  He said it was fun at first, until he realized he was in trouble.  What he said rang ever true in my ears.  Isn’t that what I experience so often?  Something seems like such a good idea.  Something harmless.  Something fun.  Something that surely won’t get me into any trouble or a predicament.  There are so many lies that Satan is constantly whispering in my ear.  These lies show their true colors down the road, even if at first it seems like fun, or it seems like it won’t come back to bite you.  

Another one of the guys told the story of getting lost in the library.  He and his sister had walked a little ways from their mom and sat down on a couch in one of the reading areas.  He said that he and his sister didn’t even know they were lost until their mom, who had been frantically searching for them, found them.  This was also deeply stirring for me to hear when thinking metaphorically.  It made me wonder about a lot of things.  

• How many people walk through life thinking that they are doing great when, in reality, they are so far off from where they need to be?  
• Am I walking through life unaware of how lost I actually am?
• How do we avoid becoming numb to God’s calling in our lives?

I think that this tends to be incredibly common in our churches.  Here in the “Bible Belt” of the U.S. it is really easy to get comfortable in our faith.  I see so much comfort that sometimes the church looks a lot more like an inexpensive country club than the living breathing bride of Christ.  I think contentedness can be a huge enemy of the mission of the Kingdom.  When we become ok with the things of this world, and content with how far we have come, we become lost.  God is calling us to be people who have a mission and a direction here on earth, but when we become lost in this world, we are not living to the calling that God has for us in our lives.  

lost: adj. Unaware of one’s whereabouts.

I pray that we will be constantly aware of the situations that we find ourselves in.  I pray that when we find ourselves to be lost, that we will be found.  I pray that we realize we are lost, and that we need to be found.  Jesus came to seek and save us from the things of this world.  Let us not go on being unaware of our state, but let us be found in the great salvation afforded us through Christ.

“Today, salvation has come to this house.” 

Recently, I have been sick of what I find myself doing. 

For the past couple of weeks, I have been pondering an escape strategy from the life that I have been living.  School, money (or lack thereof), my relationships, and everything else had me in a funk.  I have been wishing my life away.  Wishing for a simpler, more fulfilling life.  One where I live a life of intentionality and purposefulness.  I kept wondering what major life changes could make that happen.  Where I could go, what I could do, and how I could do it.  This dissatisfaction I have been experiencing came from a lot of different areas.  One especially has been this weather.  It has been so cold here in Nashville this winter, and to make matters worse, we have had no snow.  If its going to be cold, it should at least snow, right?

Today, something great happened.  Today, the sun came out.

Things were just better today.  People were outside, willingly outside.  In related news, I wore my chacos for the first time in 2014, and for whatever reason, life just seems better when my toes are out there in the open for all to see (maybe not everyone appreciates my toes, but I like it, so they can deal with it).  

Today, I spent intentional time with God admiring His creation.  Having withdrawn from all of the people, work, and stress, I was able to really reflect on a lot of things.  In my reflection, I was able to realize how blessed that I am. I have been given opportunities that not many people get.  God has blessed me so richly, and so often I don’t even care or realize it.  Through my interactions with some people today, I realized how great my community really is.  I have some of THE most awesome friends.  The constant encouragement that I receive from my friends blows me away.  How great it is to live in community with people who are actively serving God by living out His Kingdom in their daily lives.  Knowing that I have people that are there for me in any situation is incredibly comforting.  

Today was an attitude changing day.  For a while now, I have been looking for the quickest, easiest escape plan from this chapter of my life, and after today, I wouldn’t mind sticking around here for a while.  

Something about our bodies that I feel may apply especially to me is our need for Vitamin D.  One of the main suppliers of Vitamin D is the sun.  God has made us to interact with his creation, and in fact, we could suffer from not doing so.  As much as we need the sun to survive, we have even more need for the SON.  Today, I was able to get a taste of both of those in my life.  Spending time in the presence of Jesus, is something that can be so easily overlooked, but is so necessary for our spiritual health.  Just as Jesus would often withdraw to places of solitude to be with His father, we too need to find times to just be in the presence of the One True God, the Creator, the only one worthy of our praise.

Today I learned that there is an awesome life that God is calling me to live right here, everyday.  God sends people all over the place, and maybe some day in the future, God will send me, but right now, I pray that God will use me as an instrument of His love where I am right now.  I pray that God will open my eyes to the hearts of the people around me, and that God will use me as an incredible encouragement to the people I interact with.

God is Good!

-MC

P.S.:

line that got cut from this post:

“As much as we need Vitamin D, we need Vitamin J (Jesus)” 

Yeah, it got cut for a reason…

Hello dear family, friends, acquaintances, and online blog readers! Been a while since my last post, but I thought I would just let you know that there will likely be a new post soon.  I’m excited.  

ALSO: If you read my blog, YOU ROCK! It is such an encouragement to me that there are ever people that take time out of their day to read about something that I have to say.  

I LOVE YOU ALL. SO MUCH.

Take it easy!

-MC

I struggle to be consistent in my faith.  

I have so much going on, often my relationship with Christ gets put on the back burner.  This is when I think of Martha.

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42

Here we have Martha.  Martha cares deeply and wants to meet every single one of Jesus needs.  She had opened her home to Jesus and was doing her best to make sure Jesus was taken care of.  Martha was doing something that seemed very necessary, something good even.  Martha was doing what I so often catch myself doing.  Martha was distracted with so many good things, that she was not paying attention to the best thing. 

Then, on the other hand, we have Mary.  Mary appears to be shirking away from her duties as co-hostess, but Jesus thinks differently.  Mary has made the decision to spend time at the feet of Jesus, and according to to Him, she has chosen the better thing to do (and, let’s be honest, Jesus is right. He’s always right).  

So, looking into my life, I can see how apparent it is when I am not spending time soaking in the words of Christ.  My relationship with God is affected, my relationship with others is affected, and I even feel differently towards myself.  Spending time at the feet of Jesus is not something that we can function properly without.  We were created to be in relationship with the Creator, whether we have other good things to be doing or not.  There are a lot of good things in this world, but there is one truly great thing, and that is being in relationship with our Maker.  

I have been back living at my house with my family since Thursday.  I got back at about 7 in the evening, sat down on the couch, and watched t.v. with my little brother.  As we sat and had our normal small-talk conversation about fantasy football, I was on the brink of tears.  I was finally home.  Things were finally slowing down.

For the past four months, stressed has been my default setting.  Between classes, work, people, and other various responsibilities, I have had an immense amount of trouble trying to recharge my battery. I have never felt more overwhelmed in my life.  Being around family and old friends has really helped me realize how blessed I am.  Even though family can be the people who wear on us the most, they are also in most cases the people who care the most.  It truly is a great feeling to love people and to be loved by people.  That is the when I feel at home.  

IT IS GOOD TO BE HOME.

Blessings!

MC

Last week was Thanksgiving week.  I know that now 99.9% of our country’s population has moved on from that time of thankfulness and has moved on to the season of capitalistic materialism, but last week I was journaling and jotted down some people that I am thankful for. Here it is:

November 26,

Who I am thankful for and why:

Mom – for being a saint. for coming up with quick-stitch fixes to my problems (sometimes literally). for being an infinite source of wisdom. for not expecting perfection. for listening to me talk for days about nothing important. for putting up with me when I passionately disagree with you. for having my back, and forever being in my corner.

Dad – for being an example. for showing me how to love my future wife and family. for working at Lipscomb (75% discount BABYYYY!!!). for instructing me, not just reprimanding me. for giving me advice, even when I didn’t ask for it. for putting up with me when I vocally disagree with you. for folding your arms and shaking your head when I do something stupid. for showing me how to serve God.

Jonathan – for being my older brother, for setting a good example. for driving me around before I could. for not telling mom & dad. for reassuring me when I’m right. for telling me when I’m wrong. for never killing me or Joel. for including me in front of your friends. for helping me pick on Joel.

Joel – for being my little brother. for putting up with my teasing. for not being help when I broke the fish tank. for not telling mom & dad. for wanting to hang out with me. for showing me how stupid I was when I was your age. for doing math in your head that proves me wrong in public (NOT). for helping me annoy Jonathan.

Mimi & Papa – for raising my dad. for showing me what it looks like to love your spouse for a long time. for liking my mom. for my love of nuts. for Joel’s love of the Astros (that is still awful fun to joke about). for encouraging me to succeed. for wanting to be in my company. for overfeeding me. for loving unconditionally.

Grandma – for raising my mom. for your sayings of practical wisdom. for your patience. for encouraging me. for telling me that I give the best hugs. for giving the best hugs. for playing Rook with us. for liking my dad. for caring so deeply about others. for telling stories. for teaching my mom how to cook.

Friends – for picking me up when I’m down. for motivating me to be better. for keeping me from getting big-headed. for occasionally reading my writing. for putting up with my shenanigans. for involving me in your shenanigans. for still being my friend after I use the word “shenanigan.” for keeping me sane. for the remarks about my hairline. for nostalgia. for memories to feel nostalgic about. for opportunities to make more friends. for dealing with my teasing. for teasing me back. for all of the smack talk. for all of the quotable moments. for moments that will never be quoted. for quality time. for hugs, handshakes, and fist pounds (yes, I still occasionally dish out the knuckle touch). for hanging out with me even after I use the phrase “knuckle touch.” for dreaming with me. for competing with and against me.  for laughing. for seeing how the world is, and working to make it better.

The Church – for faith. for always welcoming me. for giving me opportunities. for constant encouragement. for reaching out. for walking alongside me. for supporting me on all my endeavors. for showing me what community looks like. for investing in me. for serving the Lord, and teaching me to do so.  for supporting the cause of Christ to the ends of the earth.

*some portions have been added later.

Blessings.

MC

Ran into a friend on campus Tuesday who was freaking out about finals.  Talking about all the studying and other things that needed to be done.  So I decided that I would post some tips about how to get through the week without any ulcers or anxiety attacks.

Here are all of my tips on how to survive Finals Week:

1. Don’t Freak Out.  At some point in the next week, every student taking finals will be tempted to punch a wall, intentionally sleep through a final, or kick a cat (not that no one is tempted to do that one already).  None of these things will benefit you in any way.

2. Do Something Fun.  Studying is a drag, and if you spend all of your time studying, finals week will be terrible for you.  Take some time away from your books and hang out with your friends.  After this week you probably won’t see them for a while, so do something fun.

3. Manage Your Time.  Yeah I’m not good at this one.  If you have nothing to do, do something that will help you do better on your finals.  The more you study when there’s nothing to do, the less you have to miss out on in order to to study.

4. Prioritize Your Classes.  You likely do not have the same grade in all of your classes.  Some classes you really need an A in to keep your scholarship, while others you can mess up a little and still get a solid grade.  Figure out which classes need more attention than others, and knock those out of the park.  Don’t sweat the 88% in the class that you have a 95% in.

5. Get Enough Sleep.  Even if you have to stop studying at night to get up the next morning and study before the final, get some sleep before the final.  If you feel yourself dozing off while studying, go to sleep for a bit.  Wake up and finish studying.  You will learn way more while alert than otherwise.

Yes, these are all of my Finals Week tips.  There are only five.  I am not really a wealth of knowledge on the subject, but I can say that when I abide by these, I do better.  It works 60% of the time EVERYTIME.

Good Luck, and Happy Finals Week Everyone!

Take it Easy!

-MC

I got to spend this past weekend at NYWC (National Youth Workers Conference).

IT WAS AWESOME.

Basically it’s a bunch of Youth Workers from all over the country getting together in one place to worship God, encourage each other, and hear some fantastic speakers (Mark Batterson, Rachel Held Evans, Bob Goff, Shane Claiborne, and Pete Wilson all spoke).  It is always great to hear about what God is doing in His church and praying about what He will do.  It was such a blessing to get to worship with people from all over the place who have such a heart for both Christ and teenagers.

Here are some of the quotes from the weekend that I was quick enough to write down:

“We want more revelation, God wants more obedience.” -Mark Batterson

“GET OFF YO’ BUTT! GO CHANGE THE WORLD!!!” -Harvey Carey

“We (Christians) want to be known by what we’re for, not what we’re against.” -Rachel Held Evans

“Want to know your calling? Do less of what you stink at.” -Bob Goff

“Jesus didn’t hold everyone accountable, He held them close.” -Bob Goff

“God doesn’t pass us notes, He passes us people.” -Bob Goff

“If we keep telling people that they’re thirsty when they’re not, they won’t know where to go when they are.” -Bob Goff

As you can probably tell, I really wrote down a lot of what Bob Goff said. #LoveDoes #AMEN

I left the convention center on Sunday feeling renewed and energized in Christ Jesus.  God is so good! And He’s got me.  I pray that I will never lose sight of that fact.  One of the great things about being a follower of Christ is that I get to wake up every morning knowing that what happened yesterday doesn’t matter, that God has got today under control, and that tomorrow can worry about itself.

“WE ARE YOUR CHURCH, WE PRAY REVIVE THIS EARTH!” -Rend Collective Experiment

TAKE IT EASY!

-MC

P.S.: If you want to see some serious white boy dancing, check out the link at the bottom.  This is me prior to the final session on Sunday afternoon.  Video Creds go to  my dude Devin Clark (@DevPClark on that twitter).