Just a note regarding the last blog... I did something while I was formatting it that made it look a little goofy. I tried to fix it but couldn't quite make it work. I apologize. I Hope it's not too hard to read!

Things that make me go hmmm...

I found myself surfing blogs today, searching for answers. I didn't realize how much I
was searching until I realized I was looking through one particular bloggers archives, wondering, "Did she write anything about..." I did find some very helpful things, but I finally had to sign off. I couldn't find what I was looking for. Next to me sat my Bible. Hmm... I guess I haven't read that yet today. Do you suppose? Maybe the answers are in there. So I started reading.
Verses like 1 Peter 24-25 and Psalm 19:7-8 give me great hope about my
ultimate source for the ultimate answers.

"All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the
field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord
stands
forever."

"The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the
LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD
are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes."

I recognize and appreciate this amazing source of answers, but I have to
say... I still have questions sometimes. I don't think that's always a bad
thing. I think questions make you more aware of what's going on around
you. I think questions keep your eyes open as you search for the
answers. Here's a few that have been bugging me lately, which I don't
have the answers to yet. Credit must go to my good friend Jilian
for the idea of putting questions on my blog. (Because I most definitely
don't have all the answers.) I want to know what you think about some of this stuff. Do you have some clues as to what God has to say about some of it that I might be missing? Just like it's good to have people read things we write to catch typos we miss, I think it's good to have people help clue you in on things you might miss about God's Word. So here goes friends. Here are my questions... I want to know what you think.

1. How do I go about loving the Lord my God with all my heart,
all my soul, and all my mind? (Or is it might?) I know
the churchy answers... what does this look like on a moment by moment
basis? How do I know if I am doing this?

2. How do I become more "real" around people? I steel feel kind
of fake some days. How do I become more authentic, make my
relationship with God more a part of every moment, every day so that
it's just natural?

3. How do I talk to people about what's going on in my life, what's
frustrating, or what's hard without falling into the trap of
complaining?

4. How do I learn to deal and respond to the trials and pressures of
life in a graceful way?

I suppose many of those are similar in nature. Nevertheless, that's what's on my mind. Now it's your turn. What do you think???

Can you Hear Me Now?

"God help me through this day... I need your strength." That's what I prayed yesterday, feeling unprepared, unworthy, and unsure that God should even answer me. Well... I did survive the day. But when I got to the end of it, the thought briefly occurred to me, "God... where were you?" Today as I look back I wonder, "Hmm... how was my reception?" Because God didn't answer in the way I thought He should, does that mean He's not speaking to me? I wonder how many messages get lost in the static. Do you think maybe some of these things could have been a ring from God?

1. On my way into school, I found a penny on the ground. I started to walk over it, but turned around and picked it up instead. I turned it over in my hand and read the words, "In God We Trust." Can you hear me now?

2. I turned on the radio in the morning at two separate times, and both times I heard these words by Casting Crowns, "Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth, would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt? ... "Not because of who I am, but because of what you've done, not because of what I've done, but because of who you are. I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow... still you hear me when I'm calling, you catch me when I'm falling, and You've told me who I am. I am Yours." Can you hear me now?

3. While I was getting ready to head to school and give my speech, I was listening to a different CD. It was storming outside, and I was worrying about my speech, wondering whether our presentation would work on the computer if it was storming. Almost exactly at the moment there was a loud rumble of thunder, I heard these words on the song that just happened :) to be playing,"When the storm of life is raging, and the thunder's all I hear, you speak softly to my soul..." Can you hear me now?

4. I hear another favorite on my way to school, one I almost never hear, and it makes me smile and sing along. Can you hear me now?

5. Someone stops to smile at me and ask me how I am. Can you hear me now?

6. A friend in class tells me it's going to be okay when I feel like a complete failure. Can you hear me now?

7. My mom takes time to stop and bring me hot-chocolate and a warm sweater while I'm helping work a late game at work. Can you hear me now?

8. I wake up this morning watching the gorgeous light dance through the leaves and make designs on my curtains, while worship song plays on my radio, "Early in the morning, I will celebrate the light... and when I stumble in the darkness, I will call your name by night." Can you hear me now?

9. I read a verse and words in a friend's blog that pierce my heart and bring tears to my eyes. Can you hear me now?

But wait, what about those times when there's not a pretty song to go along with things? What about those times when it seems He's not listening? When everything seems to be falling apart and going wrong? I wonder... do you think? Maybe? Could God be trying to speak to us then too? Can you hear me now? I'd like to talk with you.

How's your reception today?

Thank you God for meeting us where we are. Open our ears, and tune out the static so we can hear when You're trying to get our attention. One thing I do know... my reception seems to be the clearest when I'm in Your Word. Help me remember that when I think I don't have time. I need You Lord. Every moment, every day. Thank you for being there. Thanks for the messages You send us every day. Help us not to miss them.

He Knows My Name

Yes you can all groan and roll your eyes. As you can see from the title, I'm going to tell you something you probably already know. But I thought we should celebrate anyway. :) It's worth it. Stay with me here...

Today I was at work and I got a phone-call. We get a lot of phone-calls at the radio station. (That's because we know everything of course... *cough**cough*) :) Anyway... normally these phone calls start out something like, "Can you tell me?" and from there it gets tricky. They ask things like, "How much rain did we get today? What channel is the football game on? What channel is the Nascar Race on? Where is Joe Bob in the point standings? Is it going to frost tonight? When is it safe to uncover my rose bush? What's the score in the football game? How many yards did that quarterback get?" Sometimes we know the answer... sometimes we don't. Some days I enjoy answering the phone... other days I don't. :) Some days... like game day... I'm just grateful for some human contact.

It was game day today. :)

"Good afternoon KWBE."
There was a brief silence and then the a voice on the other end said, "Hello Kara how are you today?"
"I'm good," I replied without thinking.
"This is..."

The rest of the conversation was about a funeral calender we received over the fax machine. Interrestingly enough, now that I think about it, the conversation was all about the person's name. After I hung up, I tried to figure out why I was feeling like I got a boost after a conversation about a funeral callender. (I always knew I was weird.) But then it finally occurred to me. He knew my name. I don't even know who he is, I don't think I've ever spoken to him before... but he knew my name.

Do you ever feel invisible? Like "that one girl... or that one guy... you know the one that sits in the back? No not that one... the one next to her." Do you ever want to stand on a table and say, "Does anybody see me?" Okay, are you ready? Now comes the exiting part... even if everybody else in the world overlooks you, the answer is still YES!

"But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,"

Isaiah 43:1 "...Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."

John 10:3 "He calls his own sheep by name..."

And the most exciting thing of all... I know that my name is written in the book of life because God has offered me His Son's name, and you can't get a better offer than that! "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

Isn't that exciting! It doesn't get much better than that friends! Feel like celebrating now?

Thank you Lord that You know my name, and you know every detail of my personality, you know every quirk, both fun and annoying... and for some reason You still love me. Thank you that You offered me Your name, so that I could be rescued from my sin and have a relationship with You. Thank you for reminding me Lord. Please keep reminding me. You know my name, and I now bear your name. Wow... what an amazing thought.

The Tunnel Walk

I can feel it in the air, the angle of the sun... and I can hear it in the commercials on the radio. It's football season. I like football season, but not necessarily because I like football. I like that everybody makes room in their schedule to stop and enjoy each others company once a week, or every couple weeks. (Although I suppose this could be interpreted as a sad thing if we can only make room for each other during footbal season.) :) But that's beside the point. I just like the enviornment Game Day creates. Dad sits on the couch and yells, "Go go go!" Sometimes mom makes food, sometimes my brother and sister-in-law come over, and I sit and watch everyone... and eat the food.

My favorite part of Nebraska football... doesn't really have anything to do with football. I absolutely love... "The Tunnel Walk" song. For some reason, it gets me psyched. I've never even been to a Husker game to experience the tunnel walk. But every time I hear it, for some reason, it almost gives me goose bumps. I'm working at the station this first game day, babysitting the board to make sure all the commercials behave like they're supposed to. They were making a big deal of this new tunnel walk thing they've created... how it's been made over so it now includes some statues of previous Nebraska players (I think) and how they now have two soldiers guarding the new gates. As I listened to them get all excited to experience this new tunnel walk for the first game of the season, I was excited too and I wasn't even there. (Now I know some of you are going to laugh at me... but that's okay.) :) This booming voice started talking, and soon I heard the first few strains of that famous song. (If you go to this link, http://www.huskerbay.com/ you can listen to it. Theres a box in the upper right hand corner that says something about Play some background music, and then you can select the Tunnel Walk under that.) Okay now you think I'm really weird... but really you should try it... just for fun. Anyway... when I heard it... I actually got a little misty. Weird... I know. The fans were excited then, but they absolutely exploded when the team came running through the gates and onto the field. "Geez..." I thought, "What are we so excited about? Here I am tearing up.... it's a football game for crying out loud!" But what if...

I wonder if there is a tunnel walk in heaven? The Bible says the angels have a party every time someone takes God up on His offer and begins a relationship with Him through Christ. What will it be like when we make it home? Will they welcome us with a tunnel walk of their own? I wonder if Paul had a song playing in his head when he wrote these words:

"One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

The people breaking through those gates will be a little different than the ones dressed in red we see on game day. It will be people who had nothing going for them... except Jesus. Here's a thought... what will happen to all those awards we received, all the praise we thought was so important, and the things we strain so hard for here? What about my hard work to get those A's... or to receive praise from that person? These verses are a daily wake-up call for me:

The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God's righteousness.

Philippians 3:7-9 The Message

Ouch. What am I working for? Which tunnel walk am I striving for? The one here on earth, or the one in heaven? No matter what I do, I believe that Christ paid my price and because I've trusted in that alone, I'm going to make it to heaven. But will I be dissapointed when I walk through those gates about those times that I chose to go after my interest instead of God's? There won't be any middle ground in heaven. Either what I did is going to last, or it's going to burn. If I did it with the right motives, to honor God, it's going to last. If it was done for a pat on the back... that's all I'm going to get out of it.

So which "tunnel walk" am I going to listen for today? How about this one:

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ," Phil. 3:20.

I don't know about you, but the tunnel walk song represents a whole lot more to me than football now.