Amazing Love
by Charles Wesley, 1708-1788

And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me who caused His pain …
for me who Him to death pursued!
Amazing love! How can it be
that Thou, my God, should die for me?

‘Tis mystery all: the Immortal dies!
Who can explore his strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
to sound the depths of love divine.
‘Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above …
so free, so infinite His grace!
Emptied Himself of all but love,
and bled for Adam’s helpless race.
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free …
for O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
fast bound in sin and nature’s night.
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light!
My chains fell off, my heart was free …
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread.
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine.
Alive in Him, my living Head,
and clothed in righteousness divine.
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
and claim the crown through Christ my own!

I’ve been offered an administrative position at my school, one that would take me out of the classroom and away from technology and place me smack-dab in the middle of student life (student leadership, spiritual life, and day-to-day discipline issues). There was a similar position a few years ago, but it’s mostly a brand new gig … and I’ve chosen to accept it!

It’s actually kinda cool … I wasn’t pursuing or even considering this sort of thing, but the leadership at my school saw where my heart was and matched it up with our school’s needs. And I’ve known for a couple of years that God was preparing me for something like this, something with more leadership and leverage and influence … so it’s really affirming to see it become a reality.

So, starting August first, I’ll be diving in headfirst. It’ll have its uphill battles, that’s for sure … I’m quite young for something like this, I’ll be dealing a lot more with complex family issues, and seriously … I’ll be doling out discipline to 400 middle schoolers? But once the details start to materialize, this job should provide a lot more freedom, quite a few challenges, and the chance to actually focus on what I’m really there for … connecting with and building into young lives.

Bring that!

And that’s sometimes even more harmful than the original offense!

“Trying to understand men gets confusing. Yet, just to put this out there, I once heard in one of my classes that when trying to understand the differences between the thought processes of guys and girls, it’s like waffles and spaghetti. While guys focus on one pocket of information at at time, girls thoughts are interconnected and run together like spaghetti noodles.”

– Kim Miller

When I got to the piano bench, where I had left the phone, I suddenly heard a tremendously loud crash, felt my nose go numb, and looked up to find myself flat on the floor.

Wha?

Turns out that I had gotten up a little too quickly … I had passed out, fallen face-first into the bench, and sent it (and myself) crashing to the floor. And as the numbness started to spread to the rest of my face, I had a valuable epiphany … summer mornings are supposed to be s.l.o.w.

Even so, it’s been pretty easy, over the years, to notice which characteristics attract me and which are uniquely suited to my needs and gifts. And eventually, as I started to realize how screwed up this area of my life was, I began to see how valuable it was to be more aware of where I’d like to head and to be more proactive in how I chose to get there. Making a list was just a logical part of that process … so I did!

And now, for some strange reason, I feel like it’s a good time to give y’all a sneak peek into what makes me tick. So here it is … my list.

===== What I Look For in a Girl =====

THE EMOTIONAL
gentle and compassionate
joyous, loves to laugh with abandon
genuinely longs to be loved
stable and relatively rational
comfortable with risk and sacrifice
vulnerable, feels things deeply

THE PRACTICAL
thrives on adventure and wildness
leaves things (and people) better than she found them
advocates for those without a voice
makes intimacy relevant (brings sexy back)
communicates with kids on their level
truly listens

THE LIFESTYLE
pursues eternity first
practices lordship and fleshes out scripture
lives simply and frugally
would travel or even live abroad
loves her family and wants to raise her own

THE PHYSICAL
sensitive and sensual
deep eyes that connect
cuddle-maniac
moves like an athlete
slender body, elegant back and neck, soft lobes
hands and lips that make me melt
eager to be wild in bed

THE CHEMISTRY
ruthlessly challenges me on my idiocy
helps to stretch and soften my spirit
encourages my hunger for righteousness
makes me want to lead her through the storm
can both keep up with me and slow me down
makes my heart do that thing

Keep in mind that these aren’t “requirements” or “must-haves”, they’re simply characteristics that catch my eye. And this list is organic … as I discover new things about myself, this world, and my God, this list will continue to grow and change.

So what do you think?