The First Job

The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind.

We can only do it for moments at first. But from those moments the new sort of life will be spreading at the right part of us. It is the difference between paint, which is merely laid on the surface, and a dye or stain which soaks right through. He never talked vague, idealistic gas, When He said, "Be perfect," He meant it. He meant that we must go in for the full treatment. It is hard; harder- in fact, it is impossible. It may be hard for an egg to turn into a wild bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad....

This is the whole of Christianity. There is nothing else. It is so east to get muddled about that. It is east to think that the Church has a lot of different objects- education,. building, missions, holding services. Just as it is easy to think the State has a lot of different objects- military, political, economic, and what not. But in a way things are much simpler than that. The State exists simply to promote and to protect the ordinary happiness of human beings in this life. A husband and wife chatting over a fire, a couple of friends having a game of darts in a pub, a man reading a book in his own room or digging in his own garden- that is what the State is there for...

In the same way the Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became man for no other purpose. It is even doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was created for any other purpose.

Clive Staples Lewis.

He Holds My Hand

The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.
When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand.

Psalm 37:23-24

Hello Atlanta

Change. It is here. In full force. My sister wrote a blog yesterday and it made me realize I haven't written a blog in a while... and a lot has happened.

I am now a resident of Atlanta! Man that's weird to think about. Moving to Atlanta is something I wanted to do for a while now and finally I am here. I feel the Lord is going to do great things. I can't say that I had absolute clear direction to come here. I prayed, surrendered, and followed a desire. I have no idea what God is going to do. I may have made a huge mistake and end up back in Birmingham before anyone knows I am missing. But I would never know if I didn't try. So here I am! Trying! I am waiting to hear back from a few retail jobs. I am so thankful to have a good group of friends here... I don't do well by myself :) I do miss home. A lot. I miss my family the most. And my friends too of course :) It's a little scary to have the future be uncertain... but, in all reality, even when we think it is certain... it really isn't. For we don't know what tomorrow will bring... even if we think we do.

So yeah thats my big change as of right now. I'll make sure and update as life unfolds here.

Now for a few random thoughts:

Friends Gag Reels are the best. Period.

Chris Tomlin's Christmas Album came out this week. You should buy it.

I am so tired of painting... I've been "painting" my room for 2 weeks nows. I. give. up.

I bought a t.v. I haven't owned a tv in like 5 years.

I think I might starts wearing brown again. Might is the key word here.

I really want a Great Dane. Really bad. It's name would be Jake. Or Oliver.

I really like the name Audrey.

That's all folks.

Mishka

That is the name of the Artist I am currently listening to. His song Above the Bones may be my new favorite.

I just cleaned out my closet. What a great feeling.

I am unfaithful. He is faithful.

My eyes have not seen it all yet.

Passion City Church starts back Sunday. I. Cannot. Wait.

I love Candy Corn.

And Hot Tamales.

It just started pouring rain. I love going to sleep to this sound.

I am a terrible blogger.

We've got to let go

We've got to let go of our impoverished, circumcised, traditionalist, legalistic, human perceptions of God and open ourselves to the God in Jesus Christ. If we will, the promise is that we will be filled up with the fullness of God. That is truly good news!
-Brennan Manning
The Furious Longing of God

An ocean doxology

I'm sitting here. The beach. Nt my favorite place in the world,but still a place that never ceases to leave me in awe if I take the time to stop and let Him speak to me. As I sit here I cansee storm clouds all around, threatening the minute humans that run to and fro along the white sandy carpet. The sun is pearing through a cloud creating a glamorous showcase of silver and yellow light on the ocean top. The constant roar of the ocean drowns out the voices of the people around me. Noisy silence. In the distance a rain wall is dancing across the horizon with a promise to fully invade anything it will come across. A lot like God. I think often that I have no grasp whatsoever of this God that calls the rain down from heaven, and commands the lightning to hit it's mark. Who tells the ocean thats far enough, or the moon to wait until the sun has done it's job. Who with the touch of His finger draws a hurricane into being from the vast calm ocean. Who announces His prescrnce with the voice of thunder and received praise from every living creature.

Who is this God?
Who am I?

It never grows old to remember that this God is the God who knows my name. Who decided it was a good thing for me to exist on earth for a breif moment in time. And who made that time right now. This God who knows how many grains of sand there are in the world has eve more thoughts about me. This God has grace that drowns us whether we are aware and receptive or not. We bend beneath the weight of His mercy until we are where we need to be more often, our knees. This is the God who is jealous for me, passionately and deeply in love with me, who has wonderful plans for me. Plans to prosper. Plans to suffer. Plans for me to carry my cross and the gift of bearing the name of my sweet Savior.

This is my God. My best friend. My Keeper, Deliverer, Saving Grace and Solid Rock.

There's something about realizing just how small you are and how big He is. One of the best feelings in the world. That my friends is true satisfaction.

Hello Change

Fall. It is almost here. I can feel it. I know most of you, at least those of you who live in the south, are thinking I've lost it considering today it was about 95 degrees with about equal humidity.

Change. It is one of Fall's most stunning characteristics... at least in my opinion. Leaves. Temperatures. Pastimes. It is all around us. And we are powerless to stop it.

I love change. Maybe that is why I love Fall. The vibrant colors that entertain my senses. The smells of baking spices and mulled cider that do the same. Football. Fellowship. Frolicking. Just a few of my favorite Fall things.

Now we here in the good ole South have about 6 weeks left until we get to embrace those things...well at least most of them. We will sweat our little hearts out at football games for a few weeks before those cool temps roll in.

My life is very full of change right now. With a college degree under my belt the natural question is what next. Most people do something in their field with their new and hard earned degree. Yeah I can't really do much with a bachelors degree in Anthropology and History. Go to grad school you are thinking? Yeah. Right.

So that still leaves me with what to do! By the time Summer is technically over I will have spent time in 8 different countries this year. That is a lot lot lot of traveling. But I loved every minute of it. It shaped so much of me and I can't imagine a better summer. But now real like must begin. And I have gotten the question a lot lately so I thought I would fill everyone in on just where life is going, Lord willing, for me in the very near future.

Atlanta. That will be my new place of residence. Why? Because I have a weird love of traffic. and smog.
Okay for real ... I have been involved with a church plant (Passion City Church)... think Louie Giglio, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Christy Nockels... since they started meeting corporately back in February. We just met once a month for four months and then took the summer off. We start back 4 weeks from tomorrow on Sept. 20th. My heart beats right along with the heart beat of that ministry and that church so I am beyond excited to be a part of what God is doing there. And since that is just a volunteer thing I do... and money is slightly necessary... I will be working some sort of retail job as well once I get to Atlanta to help pay for life. I will move the first weekend of October.

I have lived in Birmingham all of my life so this is a big step, but I am so very ready for change and a fresh start in a new place. God really shapes us when we have nothing and noone to rely on but Him.

So until then I will make a trip up to Boston and Canada to visit my good friend Amanda :) and finish up a few photo jobs I had in the month of August. Go to the beach with my fam and begin to pack. I have actually enjoyed the down time since being back from Europe. I have a feeling the rest of my life is going to happen at a crazy pace so I must savor the down moments when I get a chance.

The Lord has taught me so much about love as well. True love. His love for me. My love for others. I am so very thankful for that. He truly and passionately loves us. He is jealous for us and will chase us down no matter how hard or far we try to run. WHen you take the time to chew on that it changes you from the inside out. For it is His kindness that leads us to repentance. I challenge you to read the book of Hosea and let the words of the Lord teach you a thing or two about His jealous love. It changed my life.

So that is just a brief update on life for me. Expect more blogging when I get to Atlanta... due to more free time.

Oh and incase you didn't know... my new site is up... with a lot of new photos on it. so check it out!

RachelJonesPhotography.com


Hosea 6:3

So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD
His going forth is as certain as the dawn;
And He will come to us like the rain,
Like the spring rain watering the earth.