Stepping up on the Soap Box: Some Reflections

If variety is the spice of life, then I have to say that mine has been at least at a jalapeño level the past few years with all the little winding paths God has taken me. The Lopez family sent me an email today, wondering if I was ok and whether or not I had been near the hurricane and letting me know I was still in their thoughts and prayers and that their two children still asked about me. Though I only knew them for two months last summer and a few weeks this summer, they are like my second family. It's amazing how such a bond could be formed that a couple from another culture would still be emailing me over a year later to see if I had fared the bad weather. I think that's one of the things I enjoy most about serving our Lord, the richness of life He has blessed me with. I love the fact that God gives us a Christian family and blesses us with relationships that run just as deep, if not deeper, than our blood roots.
I think often times we forget this and instead identify ourselves by X label on the door of our church. I wish people would just know me by "Christian" instead of "that girl that goes to the church that doesn't have instruments," and I wish others and people at church wouldn't identify the church by such a trivial detail such as a stringed piece of wood or a lack thereof. Instead, I wish people would comment about a church full of believers, worshipping like those in Acts 2, not with some flashy, feel-good services but rather as a family who supports one another, relying solely on God's Word, and where each member uses their God-given talents to the benefit of others. I think sometimes we forget this familial aspect when trying to be a Christian and think that it's just about doing our good deed. Yet, if we don't build relationships while "doing good deeds" and enjoy the blessing that God gives us of these relationships, what are our good deeds except un-paid labor and what puts "spice" in our lives?
Ok...I realize I've just written a sermon so I'll step down from the pulpit now.
I suppose an update needs to be given on the situation this past weekend in Pigeon Forge. Well, I didn't know the girl from Honduras but we did have people in common. About my age, she taught me an important lesson. Before worship began, she asked the preacher to pray for her because she felt badly about some things that had happened the week before, and she didn't want to take the Lord's Supper with that guilt on her shoulders. It made me stop and think about how often I take the Lord's Supper for granted and how much do I seriously examine myself and my thoughts before taking it.
Well, it's sunny outside, class is done for the week (though not my studying), and it's Friday afternoon which means it's time for Ultimate Frisbee. Cheers to all of you who've added "spice" to my life!