Stand, because God Loves YOU

My heart was warmed this week when I saw pictures of the human wall, blocking a protest, created by students at a campus that is not my alma mater, but still a school that I attended and often display their logos on my clothes. 

I looked at the pictures of the snow covered streets that I so often walked in the past 3 to 4 years. On one side, a well known protesting group held signs that said, “God hates fags” another sign suggested that Mizzou is a “fag enabling” place. The other side, the streets were lined with students wearing black and gold shirts that said, “Stand with Sam”

Many people would conclude that with my moderate political views I would have just been in the median of the street not taking sides.  Not true. 

I would have stood with the students who stood with Sam.  Since I was blocking a protest I wouldn’t have had a sign, but if I did have a sign, this is what it would have said.

Just because you say that God hates something doesn’t mean that God actually hates anything.  I don’t think hate is the opposite of love, rather hate is the absence of love.  God even loves people that say God hates this or that.  Just imagine, the possibilities this world would have if everyone knew how much God loves.  And God does love, he loves you and everything you do or don’t do. 

God loves everyone, regardless of the side of the street they were on, and even though I know I would have, and did take sides, I think we would all be a little better off if we all just remembered that God Loves Us All.  

My Olympic Gold

I remember the day I was given my Olympic gold medal.  (Who wouldn’t, right?)  As long as I can remember, I have really loved the Olympic spirit. Something about the competition, and the discipline and diligence to train for an event just makes me stand in awe, not to mention the trials and patients required to win any sport.

Depending on how long you have known me, you might actually think that I have an Olympic medal.  While it is true that I do in fact have a gold medal from a World Series (2002), my Olympic gold medal, which came from saying yes to the biggest challenge of my life, is actually my blueish gray missionary name tag. 

While I hold one of the most sacred positions in the United Methodist Church, this job requires an enormous amount of humility.  My gold medal isn’t for the betterment of my sport, and didn’t come from endless hours of training.  It is not just for people who look and think like me, or have the privilege to practice a sport.  My gold medal shows that I am a servant of the Lord and that I seek to better the world for Christ.  Doing Christ’s work is my goal. 

After a full day of travel, I finally arrived at missionary training, 475 Riverside Drive.  I arrived later than everyone in my class, but when Hannah handed me my Global Ministries name tag, I felt like I had just won an Olympic gold medal.  And as for many first time medalists, this is only the beginning. 

In Celebration of My 7th Anniversary of Brain Surgery

One of my all time favorite songs starts out, “I had a dream I was by the Jordan.”  I recently had my own dream that I was by the Jordan.  Actually, I was by Bunny River, which is an overflow tributary of the water shed of the Salt River.  Named by your truly, Bunny River runs through the land where I grew up. 

In this dream, could remember everything in my life that happened before my brain surgery, but nothing in the 7 years since.  I thought about what I remembered; a time when fastpitch softball was the only thing that mattered, my awe and fascination with the projectors at my high school job at a movie theater, thinking that my 4 older siblings were the coolest and most popular and coolest kids in their grades and wanting to be just like them. 

I was overwhelmed with sadness when I realized that I could not remember the past seven years.  During my lament 2 of my childhood dogs, Gallie and Shiloh, came to comfort me. They each had one shoe from my favorite pair of tennis shoes, which I have worn for the past 3-4 years. 

In those shoes I had walked across a river near New York City, cheered on Sporting Kansas City as they headed to the top of the table, and climbed to a mountain top in California.  The shoes attended classes at the University of Missouri, played for hours with nieces and nephews and even attended the 2013 Missouri Annual Conference. And I could remember those events now. 

I could only remember events that had happened while I owned the shoes, so I had so many questions like how did I get to the University of Missouri, what led me to New York and California, and the Missouri Annual Conference.  Why was I at a soccer game standing next to some girl I didn’t recognize?  (sorry Lindsey, I will never forget you and your awesomeness)

And that is when I woke up [still] bound for the promise land.

This dream made me realize how precious the past 7 years have been.  I have lived my life to the fullest every day, even though it wasn’t always easy.  I realized how precious my college ministry was to me, after all my college ministry and Erin Medin are part of the reason I was at the Missouri Annual Conference.  With Mexico United Methodist Church as part of the reason I was in California and New York.  Truman State University is how I got to the University of Missouri.  And how can I forget Jenny Massa inviting me to the Flame Ministries where I met Lindsey who introduced me to Sporting Kansas City.

When I was 14 years old I decided that I would treat everyone I interacted with like they were the most important person in the world.  That has been a great experience. You never know when you won’t be able to see someone again, so be present, grateful and respectful around everyone you get to interact with.  Also, walk humbly with God.  Walking humbly with God will do wonders for you.   It will.

I know that lots of this post probably only makes since to me.  Something I have always been worried about losing is my memory.  I know that the part of my brain that the tumor is in controls my movements, but stillmy memory is important to me.  Just as my memories are.  It is important to me to understand how that 14 year old girl I was became the awesome person I am today.  Thank you all so much for reading my post and sending me cards and telling me what an inspiration I am, it really is your kindness that propels me.  Thank you.