Some of my favs.

A friend of mine (Kendra) did a favorites blog a while back, and I thought it was a fun idea and wanted to copy it =)

1. Hanging out in coffee shops

2. Wearing skirts/dresses and rain boots

3. Old Navy PJ pants

4. Sleeping in

5. A good cup of hot tea

6. Long Summer dresses

7. Acoustic music

8. Walking in the rain

Debating.

Should I bite the bullet and be a greeter at church even though I'm not as outgoing as everyone thinks I am?

Should I volunteer to work in the nursery even though I really don't want to?

Would this be considered one of those "fake it 'til you make it" kind of things?

Or would this be considered phariseeish?

Is there a happy medium, or am I allowing the devil to create doubt about this matter?

I don't want to feel like I was guilted into doing either of these and feel resentment.

If I join the greeting team, I would be able to get to know more people's names.

I guess that would be a good thing.

But, again, I don't want to feel like I was pressured into doing it and not liking the people that asked me.

Gah...I don't know. I guess I could try the greeting thing and see what happens.

The same can't really be said about the nursery.

Kids are great and all, but once I get on the rotation, it'll be harder and harder to stop helping out.

I guess I really just need to figure out what my intentions are.

I've been reading a lot lately about being intentional.

One of my new favorite blogs are the ones from Relevant Magazine.

One in particular titled "Being Single with Intentionality".

It's more than just the intentionality of being single, but just the intentionality of, well, being.

Living life to the fullest.

I'm also reading Francis Chan's "Crazy Love" book.

A particular section of on of the chapters really caught may attention:

"You could be the next person in your family to die. I could be the next person at my church to die. We have to realize it. We have to believe it enough that it changes how we live. A friend of mine has a particularly wise perspective on this subject. He was asked if he weren't spending too much of his time serving and giving too much away. His gentle but honest response was, "I wonder if you'll say that after we're dead." Friends, we need to stop living selfish lives, forgetful of our God. Our lives here are short, often unexpectedly so, and we can all stand to be reminded of it from time to time. ... in the movie of life, nothing matters except our King and God. Don't let yourself forget. Soak it in and keep remembering that it is true. He is everything."

At a memorial service for Robbie Martin on Saturday afternoon, I was again reminded of this.

Robbie was an amazing man of God.

I first met Robbie when I was in college at a Thursday Night BCM service.

He loved.

He always asked to pray with and for you.

He wanted everyone to know about the amazing God he served.

He was a very dear person to many people, myself included.

We laughed and cried when we heard all the "Robbie stories".

He lived. Man, did he live.

This reminded of part of a sermon that I heard at least 4 or 5 years ago:

"Live. And Live Well.

BREATHE. Breathe in and Breathe deeply.

Be PRESENT. Do not be past. Do not be future. Be now.

On a crystal clear, breezy 70 degree day, roll down the windows and FEEL the wind against your skin. Feel the warmth of the sun.

If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool Autumn day to FREEZE your lungs and do not just be alarmed, be ALIVE.

Get knee-deep in a novel and LOSE track of time.

If you bike, pedal HARD...and if you crash, then crash well.

Feel the SATISFACTION of a job well done--a paper well-written, a project throughly completed, a play well-performed.

If you must wipe the snot from your 3-year old's nose, don't be disgusted if the Kleenex didn't catch it all...because soon he'll be wiping his own.

If you've recently experienced loss, then GRIEVE. And Grieve well.

At the table with friends and family, LAUGH. If you're eating and laughing at the same time, then might as well laugh until you puke. And if you eat, then SMELL. The aromas are not impediments to your day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the oven.

And TASTE. Taste every ounce of flavor. Taste every ounce of friendship. Taste every ounce of Life.

Because-it-is-most-definitely-a-Gift."

All that to say that I want to start being more intentional.

And living life to the fullest.

And helping out where I can

And always seeing God's love and grace in every situation.

Debate over, decision made.

Dang it, what am I getting myself into.