Community of Rescued People

We had a guest pastor give us a message yesterday on community. As I was listening, some of the things he was saying were sinking in. Today, those things have really resonated with me as I have meditated on them. He talked about how we need each other. How, God didn't design for man to be alone, but to be with others. He talked about how we are a community of rescued people...meaning we desperately needed rescuing (from ourselves). He also talked about how messy community can be, or actually, it is. We hurt each other, we let each other down, we betray each other. I have experienced these things on both ends. My natural reaction is to feel very angry with those who have hurt me and to feel shame and guilt for how I have hurt others. Jesus didn't go to the cross with my sin and other's sin so that I may walk around angry at others or ashamed of myself...he went to the cross with our sins so that I may forgive, and feel forgiven.

I am clinging to the words of my friend Jordan's song today...I'm not sure another song moves me to worship like this one does...

Fullness of God

The very image of the invisible God,
you were here before all creation.
By your hands we were made, and we see you today
through the things your hands hold together.

In you all the fullness of God
was pleased to dwell forever.
Through you we are reconciled
by the blood of your cross.

So we sing to the name above all,
the name of Jesus.
The name by which we are saved.
So we sing to the King above all,
King Jesus.
You are worthy of our praise.
And so we sing, to you.

We were once far away
from the reality of grace.
We were sinners estranged from our Father.
But in love you came, to take away our shame.
To present us as clean sons and daughters.

In you all the fullness of God
was pleased to dwell forever.
Through you we are reconciled
by the blood of your cross.

So we sing to the name above all,
the name of Jesus.
The name by which we are saved.
So we sing to the King above all,
King Jesus.
You are worthy of our praise.
And so we sing, to you.

We'll cling to the hope of glory, proclaimed in all the earth.
We'll cling to the hope of glory, proclaimed in all the earth.
We'll cling to the hope of glory, proclaimed in all the earth.

So we sing to the name above all,
the name of Jesus.
The name by which we are saved.
So we sing to the King above all,
King Jesus.
You are worthy of our praise.
You are worthy of our praise.

I might have butchered the words a little or the arrangement but you should go here and listen: www.myspace.com/austincitylifeworship


We might be a messy community but we rely on a perfect God and for that, I'm thankful.

Milestone...out of my first trimester!

I know...I'm a little big for 13 weeks. But...I'm really going to begin exercising this week...swear.

How Sweet the Sound

Austin City Life had their first Baptism this last weekend and it was done in true ACL fashion...at Barton Springs pool. The busiest place in Austin on a hot summer day. This was no private event at a secluded river spot on some one's land. It was in the middle of Barton Springs, where topless hippies and stoned bystanders watched what was going on. I didn't make it down to the water to actually see the baptism's (I was feeling a little sick) but I heard that people standing around were really wondering what was going on and asking questions. How cool is that?

When the group came back up to our picnic spot and got in a circle to bless all the good food, Jonathan said "we're going to sing the first verse of Amazing Grace and then bless the food." I kind of laughed out loud because I truly thought he was joking about the singing part. But...everyone started in singing the first line of Amazing Grace and I soon realized this was no joke. I began to look around at the people in the circle around me and at the people walking by, staring at all of us, wondering why we were singing. All of the sudden, it hit me how extremely cool this was. We are standing in a huge group, singing Amazing Grace, in the middle of Barton Springs, after two people were just publicly baptized, and there was not a sweeter sound to me. I fell in love again with this community and their boldness.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

Now...let's not get all excited. But...

I am a sucker for instant gratification. Is that wrong? I've never been able to figure out why Doctors won't tell you the gender of your baby until you're like 18-20 weeks, when you know that they know at like 12-15. I mean...what evil lies within them that makes them torture us so?

I have been waiting for years for someone to come up with an at-home gender test and low and behold...someone did. Brilliant. NOW...the accuracy rate is only like 92-96% (which seems high but, Nate and I are pretty good with 1% chances, seeing as how Ava was conceived while on birth control) but we thought it'd be fun to kinda know what we're having. THERE'S STILL A CHANCE IT'S WRONG but...



Here is the website for this brilliant invention: www.intelligender.com

I'm not sure if I'd told anyone what the names are for a girl or boy and I know it's pretty soon to already have those set but...again...I'm all over the instant gratification.

Girl- Betsy Grace (obviously after Gran)
Boy- Jones Everett (Granddad's middle name)

So for right now...until the Dr. says he sees a penis or vagina...we've got a little Jones Everett Navarro on our hands!

I'm going to rip off someone else's blog...

I have caught on to some really great blogs and this is absolutely one of my favorites...I believe this girl was meant to be a friend of mine. I just haven't figured out how that's possible with her living in California but I'm pretty positive that somehow, we'll meet some day and be best friends.

She has had some really great posts and I think you'll find them much more interesting than anything I could say today...

www.thehowertons.blogspot.com

Please read the post "Christians Behaving Badly". It's great and leads you to other blogs of really great people living out the meaning of Christ's love.

My Husband's Birthday Today

Today is the day that, 34 years ago, Nate Navarro was born into this world. That might top my list of things I am most thankful for.

Here are 34 things about Nate that make him, well, Nate:

1. He is kind
2. He is humble
3. He loves the Lord
4. He is gentle
5. He is an amazing father
6. He is a great leader, in our family and in our Church
7. He is a natural at drawing people into community
8. He listens to you when you talk to him
9. He has a HUGE heart
10. He loves Texas Football
11. He is sensitive
12. He is a walking example of God's grace, which encourages a lot of people
13. He likes Mexican food
14. He is serious about his job
15. He is good at leading people into worship
16. He writes good sad songs
17. He is a good friend to his friends
18. He is funny when he's not trying to be
19. He's scared of bugs (roaches, to be exact)
20. He likes good wine (well...he likes cheap wine too)
21. He couldn't care less about material things
22. He has a soft touch (this is not sexual...this came from Geoff and Luke when playing the bean bag game)
23. He is great at saying "thank you"
24. He's even better at saying "I'm sorry"
25. He has a great laugh
26. He is a gentle disciplinarian with the girls
27. My parent's think he is the best son-in-law in the world, despite my dad's speech at the wedding
28. He has a gift of being able to relate to people
29. He has a MAJOR sweet tooth (his weakness is chocolate chip cookies)
30. He loves Pete Yorn
31. He is the most unselfish person I've ever met
32. He is addicted to Thunderbird coffee
33. He is just really freakin cool
34. He doesn't realize that he's just really freakin cool

Happy Birthday Nate...I love you!!

Repeat Offender

This Sunday at ACL, we talked about the gospel and justification. It was a powerful message.

We, as Christians, make it so difficult sometimes. We try so hard to get right with God by following rules and being "good". We trust in ourselves to get us there, all the while getting so frustrated with ourselves that while following all of the rules and trying so hard to be good...we're still not good. Here's the catch: we fall in love with Jesus first, we rely on him, we meditate on him...the righteousness follows. We want to be missional. We want to love our neighbors. We want to follow God. We want to look like Jesus. And...we begin to.

Really...it's so simple. Jesus.

Yet...I am a repeat offender in pride, jealousy, gossip, lust, acceptance in what others think of me, etc. The grace in it for me is that I even get the opportunity to change these things in my life. By the grace of God, these traits become less of an issue in my life. They creep up from time to time, but I see much, much less of them. I attribute this to falling in love with Jesus and therefore, seeing him begin to change my heart. I feel myself wanting to do things, not to follow some rule, but because I love Jesus.

I am beginning to find perfect acceptance, love and justification through faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.