King of kings

"Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?"

"...Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King."

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world."

"Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied."

"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God."

"God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords."

"Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages"

"They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings--and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."


My favorite name for Jesus is King. King of kings. King of the world. My King. I think it's a term of praise that envelopes so much of His being and His purpose and His position. In Philippians 2 it says that God gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. His name is grander than every other because His person is grander than any other. And to address Him as King is a gorgeous representation of our place. To call him King requires humility on our part, submission to the King.

The ironic part is that what makes Him King, what makes Him greater than all is His submission and humility. Everything that He did and everything that He was came from God first (John 5:19, John 8) and it required complete obediance on Jesus' part. If He hadn't have submitted to God's plan for him, he wouldn't be our Savior. He wouldn't have lived the ministry he did and it wouldn't have led him to his death. He wouldn't have died or been raised or shown His love for us.

The really awesome part is that out of our obediance and humility and submission to God as well, we become co-heirs with Christ in his position. We enjoy the full benefits of being children of the King! (Romans 8:17, Ephesians 3:6)

Jesus is our ultimate example. The one who has paved the path for us to follow Him to glory. Our King. My King.

Favorite food

For several months now I have had an internal debate going pretty much incessantly within my mind. Is my favorite food pizza or sandwiches? Would I rather eat at this moment a large hot cheesy pizza with warm crust with some green chile or a thick turkey sandwich on warm bread with mayonnaise and pickles and all the good stuff all meshed together into something fresh and tasty (no Subway reference intended)? I've gone back and forth, back and forth. I had never fully made a committment one way or the other. I simply haven't been able to choose. Unless you count warm bread. The common denominator of the two. Bread is amazing, I'll admit. I could eat a whole loaf of it or a whole pack of tortillas in one sitting. I think, however, that it's the special stuff you add to it that makes or breaks the favorite food.

The importance of choosing ones favorite food is of course something critical. I understand the benefit of being open minded, trying new things, experiencing the full width of what there is in the wonderful world of food. I, like many, love food. I'll try new things (except a wide variety of seafood and things like bugs that aren't supposed to be eaten), but the comfort of knowing what it is that you would choose over all of that is something like being able to say where home is.

I think what has finally enabled me to choose a favorite has been my recent but anticipated shove into the world called No Food Whatsoever. I'm a week post-op and I've lost ten pounds while on an all liquid diet. I can only eat what I can suck through the gaps in my teeth. My orthodontist is quite good, so the gaps are few and small. It's from within my heart-breaking misery, my constantly grumbling stomach, and the incessant food commercials on TV that have solidified my decision. It took being deprived, being able to stand back from the situation long enough to miss food, and when it comes to missing food, Pizza wins. It's Pizza. Pizza is my favorite food. Doesn't matter what's on it, doesn't matter where it's made. I see a commercial for that new Domino's pizza with the garlicky cheese stuff in the crust, that bright red of the sauce oozing over the top and I want to stick something sharp in my eye because I can't have it. I can't have it for 5 more weeks. Pizza. Oh beautiful pizza. Hot. Melting cheese. Ooooooh. It's like home.

Valentine Joy

Here's the tale of my first Valentine's day in forever that I didn't feel that miserable, desperate, frustrated with the world for allowing a holiday that excludes such a significant portion of society just because they aren't married or dating someone. Here's how it went.

I woke up to inches of snow settled on the ground after snowing all night. It was a dry, fluffy snow that feels like little pieces of cold paper. I had to get up early to make it to a fun appointment! It took a little while to unbury my car from the paper pieces, so I was late to the Flower Company to do Valentine's deliveries! So much fun! Taking bouquets of gorgeous flowers to women all over. Ladies in pajamas at home who were so overjoyed at getting roses! Women at work who got to have a huge vase sit on their desk all day to the envy of coworkers. All the way to women who seemed not at all surprised and took the beautiful roses out of obligation or tradition. The deliveries were easy. Everyone was home, no road issues. I got home on time to watch Studio 60 that I taped from Monday night and eat a little lunch before going in to work. At work, first thing was a meeting during which I got a big pat on the back for making a good discovery the night before. Yay me! Then I got all full of this goofy joy inside. I don't know how else to describe it...goofy joy. I ran in to a couple of guys in the hallway and offered huge smiles and "Have a great day!"s and one of them said, "Wow, you're real smiley today" to which the other one responded, "All I can suggest is...random drug testing...". As if the only reason someone would be super cheerful and smiley is if they are high. So I giggled about that, out loud, as I walked down the hall. Then I got to have a fun little conversation with someone else about the joys of Valentine's day and marriage and how it's not always like the movies where everything is great all the time, and about how romance isn't just about candlelight and roses. Romance is about seeing the beauty in the things, appreciating the little things in life. My goofy joy multiplied as I thanked God for giving me a joyful heart and for allowing me to see the beauty in nearly everything and to appreciate the small things in life that turn out to be the best things. Like the crisp, fresh smell of a newly opened rose bud, and a pat on the back by the boss, and realizing that even though everyone in the world doesn't get to experience Valentine's Day for what it was intended to be, I still get goofy with joy thinking about those little cold pieces of paper and smiling for no good reason at people who don't understand why.

Jessica, Isis, Amanda, and Noah

Yesterday at work I got to experience one of those really exciting moments in someone elses life. When two lives get to share a moment. It's neat. This girl I work with, Jessica, has only been working here a few months and she's super neat and it's fun talking with her. Yesterday I ran in to her in the hallway and she said "Guess What!!??!!...We just set a date!!" She and her boyfriend have been dating for a couple years and had talked marriage, and they Have a Date!!!! She was so super excited. She said, "You're the first person to know!!!!" I jumped up and down and giggled with her like most girls would. It was fun. It was neat. I enjoyed seeing the sparkle in her eyes when I said "You're getting married!!!!" Fun stuff. This is the same girl who collects dolls. Blythe dolls? She's got a ton, she just bought her first official real make and model. She and her fiance Jess named the doll Isis. Another coworker, Amanda, brought a doll in for Jessica that she had at home and didn't want anymore. A "dead baby" where the flesh is pale and the eyes are white and there's little cuts and bruises on the doll. Freaky looking doll, but a neat addition to a collection, I think. Amanda wanted to get rid of the doll because she just had a little baby, Noah, and didn't want him to find the doll someday and be traumatized.

Ack!

My favorite

I think I love Switchfoot. I think I would marry them if I could. The whole band, the music, whatever. True love. I think it has to do with the fact they are a real rock band. Man, can they rock. Plus their message and the depth of their lyrics make it feel like you're learning something. They make you think. I've seen them in concert twice here in Albuquerque. They are amazing entertainers. I'm a pretty reserved girl, but I can get wild and crazy when Switchfoot is less than twenty feet away bouncing around the stage.

I forgot what my initial purpose was in blogging about Switchfoot...

Oh! I think they inspire my true ambitions in wanting to be a rock star. They make me want to be on stage with them. I actually got the distinct pleasure of playing a real Switchfoot song the other day with the band. I could have done alot better and I wish we could practice it more and do it again, but no such luck. There was something really neat though about being a part of it.

I think the rock star life agrees with me.

There's still no pink hair dye in my future though.

into the wild

Jon Krakauer is the writer of such classic books like Into Thin Air in which he tells of his ascent of Mt. Everest. He also wrote a book Into the Wild about a 24 year old guy who just up and left society. He graduated from college and got rid of all his stuff and just took to the road, hitchhiking, living off the land. He had no home, very few belongings, no schedule. He just went where there was to go and didn't look back. Lots of things are said to explain his longing for freedom. A suffocating father whose expectations weren't welcome to young Chris. A passion to understand and rid the world of her injustices like poverty, hunger. He also had many literary heroes from whom he derived alot of his philosophies on life. Tolstoy, Thoreau, Muir. Chris ended up in Alaska, little prepared to life off the land and spend a few months in the bush. I'm not quite to the end of the book, so I don't know how he dies, but they find his decomposed body. Autopsy says he died of starvation.

His longing for freedom led him away from his family, his friends, society and ultimately led him to death. His young, naivete and hubris took him beyond what was realistic for him. He was an idealist to the max. Idealism that was unrealistic.

I read in this book "but we little know until tried how much of the uncontrollable there is in us" and "he was looking for more adventure and freedom than today's society gives people" and I get a little scared because I know I have alot of those same feelings and dreams inside of me.

I don't want to follow something unrealistic only to meet my end because I was arrogant and naive. I don't want to alienate those around me in the process.

I think there's a huge difference between people like Chris and myself. It's the same difference between those who go insane with their hunger and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. My dreams and ambitions are going to lead me toward something larger than myself. Not something wild and uncontrollable like nature, but something good and purposeful like God Almighty. In my hunger for adventure and to fulfill my lofty dreams, I will be seeking God's will and His provision. I will ultimately be where He wants me. Instead of something selfish and meaningless.

I don't fault Chris for hungering for more. I think everyone has that desire for eternity in their heart. Chris just misinterpreted his hunger and sought after it in the wrong places.