Extinguished

The event that took place in Newtown, CT last Friday has sparked a number of responses. The media is messy. That fact has caused me to think with integrity about my own response. During our drive home on Saturday I had 12 fresh hours to truly think about my response, trying to decide if this is my place to blog or not. After seeing a couple of things on Facebook, I soon decided that it needed to be.

Like I said, the media has been really messy. A couple of different things being passed around on Facebook need to be extinguished and quickly. On Friday, shortly after the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary, I saw a picture going around on Facebook that concluded that God couldn't be present at Sandy Hook on Friday because we have pushed Him out of our schools. I've seen another political post being passed around with this same message. People of God, this lie must be extinguished. 

To say that God was not present on Friday is to deny God's sovereignty. It's to deny God's kindness. This is not the God I believe we serve. I know that my own heart has been grieved by the events that took place on Friday. If we are image bearers of God himself, can you imagine how much more God must be grieved? A million times over, indeed. Do yourself a favor and don't believe that God wasn't present on Friday. I think he must have been present beyond what we can fathom and imagine. 

As you process through this event yourself I pray that you would do so with integrity. May you believe that God is so kind, grieved by the event that took place on Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary. May you believe in his sovereignty and his ability to make all things good. I only pray that my tiny voice might be heard among louder voices spreading, what I believe to be, falsities about God's character. I hope, at least, this falsity for you might be extinguished. 

Eyes Open

One of the things we practice daily here at Asbury is the Eucharist. A daily Eucharist service takes place every day of the week in Fletcher Chapel. Then, on Wednesdays, the Eucharist takes place during the chapel service. Ever since I was little I can remember being fascinated by the Eucharist. I grew up in the Catholic Church so, in worship jargon, the Eucharist was always the climax of the service. It was so beautiful. I always loved the liturgy and the act of going and being served communion.

Communion is still one of my favorite sacraments today. I especially love communion on Sunday mornings. It's so awesome to think about how many other people in the world are celebrating communion. It's such a representative feast of joy in the church and it really ties the ecumenical church-at-large together in a powerful and spiritual way.

My absolute favorite part of communion, though, is watching others receive it and be blessed. I have never been one to kneel at the altar after communion -- not because I don't want to, and definitely not because I am not thankful. I just can't wait to get back to watch others take communion. It's the embodiment of joy and sacrifice. It often brings me to tears watching others accept the love and grace of Christ. It makes me so  thankful. As each person takes communion I whisper in my mind, "Thank you, Jesus." Accepting communion is such a true form of worship -- I love watching grace unfold in the community's midst. That's why I keep my eyes open.

Life as an INFJ

If you're a Myers-Briggs person, you will understand this post. I won't take this opportunity to explain Myers-Briggs,  I will just tell you that if you haven't taken the MB personality test, you must. It's so accurate that it's scary. Lately, I've been reverting back to my Myers-Briggs in attempt to better understand myself. We often think that we understand how we work, when in fact, we really don't. Moving to a new place, making new friends and building a new life has caused me to really think about the ways that I can best benefit myself and those around me. Here is what I think and understand about being an INFJ and hopefully this will help you understand me, too. It's just fascinating. Maybe in my next post, I will feature Mr. J who is almost the complete opposite of me -- an ESFP.

I - Introverted

• Yes, I'm introverted. I gain my energy back when I am alone, doing my own thing. This, of course, doesn't mean I am anti-social. I actually thrive in certain social situations. 
• The implications for being an introvert are: I am shy when I get in a big group, but I really thrive when I have the opportunity to chat with someone 1-on-1 or if I am in a smaller group (3-4). 
• This pesky "I" is honestly my biggest struggle when I am new places. I'm awkward in some groups. People think I am a mute. I swear, I am not ;). It takes me a while to be un-awkward until I get to know people. 
• I try to not let my "I" define me. But I am committed to watching extroverts be extroverted. Why? It helps me be more extroverted, but it doesn't make me want to be an extrovert. Catch my drift?

N - Intuition

• This is how I gather information. I understand things much better when I can relate it back to something that I already know. 
• The implications for me when it comes to intuition are: I will compare things with things. I compare people with other people. This is sometimes bad and sometimes good. 
• I actually like this about myself. However, it's not always educationally awesome. Some things require a much more concrete grasp and to be honest, I want things to be a bit more abstract. 

F - Feeler

• This is how I gather information. The F is interesting to me because it makes me see that I am not as logical as I think I am. It's really important to me that people don't get hurt. Inwardly, I would rather take the blame for something than see someone else inconvenienced. 
• The implications for being a feeler are: I have great empathy. I am able to relate to others well. The downside is, sometimes I let people take advantage of me. I don't stand up for myself because I don't want people to think less of me. 
• I can't complain too much about being an "F." Honestly, it surprises me more than anything. I often think I am more logical than I really am. 

J - Judger

• This is how I make decisions. This is where Miss Organization arises in me. I would much rather make a to-do list and cross things off of it rather than just doing things on my own time.
• This is good and bad. I've really had to make myself balance this out. I've had to distinguish between work and play and leave room for both in a healthy manner. 
• Perceivers particularly stress me out when it comes to getting things finished. This is where my husband can sometimes drive me crazy.
• I am embarrassed to admit, but I am a very strong J. I am probably the most proud of being a J because I can't stand Ps. I can't imagine NOT being a J. :) 

That's me in a Myers-Briggs nutshell! If you haven't discussed your MB with me yet, please do. It's completely fascinating. I can't wait to feature Mr. J. I have a lot to say about his MB. That's all the personality fun for now.