Community. Communion. Commission.

Alright, so this post isn't exactly about my book. Sorry.
It's about my weekend in Dallas and what the Lord was teaching me. Legit enough for a post [in my opinion].

COMMUNITY:
Historically I've been the girl that loves adventures. Every time my family would move, rather than get upset about leaving, I would pump myself up for a new house, new neighbors, and new adventures. Seeing that my dad was in the Air Force, this happened about 12 times before I got to 5th grade. (By then we had settled in Houston cause my dad got a job with Continental Airlines. yes, I fly for free. Ask me to visit you... and I will.) I guess in the back of my mind I was a little jealous of those kids that had "life friends." These were those groups in highschool that had been a group since kindergarden. I thought it would be fun to be friends with the same people for so long - they would know you inside and out. So while I kind of wanted this, I was perfectly content with "new" things.

This has been true of my life until  I moved to Jackson. Moving to here was the first time that I didn't feel this excitement of something new. I felt uprooted. Just as I had found my niche in Dallas and just as the Lord gifted me with this amazing group of people- here I go again. Moving. I knew it was from the Lord and I knew He was paving my way, I just didn't know why.

I love Dallas. (Dallas = people and church, not [necessarily] the city (though that green building stirs my affections for Jesus every time I see it). I probably talk about it way too much when people ask me where I'm from. A bunch of word vomit "Dallas..... Ghetto.... The Village.... Dallas!!!" usually follows that question. So in the words of Tracy, I repeat to myself, "calm it down. calm it down. calm. it. down." :]

Long introduction - all to say that this weekend the Lord gave me another picture of the Body and how He created it to function. I was sitting on a balcony outside a friends apartment (gorgeous day) and was journaling about my heart. Deep community. Community that does life with one another. Neighbors that love one another and serve one another. Making breakfast and drinking coffee in PJ's (or onesies). Staying up late talking about culture and life and how we incorporate that into our walk with the Lord. These things are beautiful. So... new development in my life (or maybe just a heart desire finally seeing the purpose, clarity, and purity that it was meant to be) I want roots. I'm not talking carrots and beets, I'm talking people.
I want to do life with people for longer than three years. I want what Chandler talks about: Having coffee and talking about life when you're 80 years old, with people you've known for 50-60 of those years, in a little cafe at 5 in the morning. (paraphrased)
This doesn't negate my desire to see the world and travel to foreign countries and have AMAZING adventures telling people about Jesus. It just means that I want a place that I come back to.
I'll pray to this end. You should too.

COMMUNION:
I've taken communion a lot in my life. Sometimes it's a bigger deal in my heart than other times. It's sad, but that's true. This weekend I got a new picture - or new revelation - about communion and what it was designed to be like.


"Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." (John 6:56 ESV)

Connection!!! like a lightbulb. What have I been dwelling on lately? That verse in Jeremiah from a previous post. "Your words were found and I ate them, and they became to me a joy and the delight of my heart for I am called by Your name, O Lord, God of hosts." 15:16

I got to church in time for the worship (ending) of the first service, and then I went to all of the 11:15. I took communion twice. During the second service Brandon Barker was killing it with his message. Some of which goes into my "commission" section below. The Lord was just being really sweet to me and when communion came around I was asking Him for more depth in meaning when I took it. That I would better understand what I was doing and the significance of it.
As I was eating it, it felt like that moment in my car from my last post - declaring to the Lord how He is my pursuit. He is what I chase after. He is what fulfills me and what I want to consume me. He is what I want inside of me - so much so that I would eat His flesh and drink His blood (figuratively - cause that sounds so carnivorous/ cannibalistic). But this is the picture He is painting in John. I wanted the physical representation of the Lord abiding in me just as He declares that I abide in Him.
Tears don't always come when I have sweet moments with the Lord, but a good majority of the time it's true. This was one of those times. Sweet tears of awe and desire.
His body broken for us. 
His blood shed for us. 
The cup of the New Covenant. 
I am the temple of God! The holy of holies  - a place that one person, once a year, could enter and pray they don't get killed from it, because that was the place where the glory of the Lord rested, His presence - is in me. I have direct access to the Lord because of Jesus. WHAT?!!?! Do we even realize this? If we did I think our lives would look a lot different. I pray this is the case in my own life. I want to be changed.

Communion. Pray that the Lord would give you greater appreciation and understanding of what it is and what it means.

COMMISSION:
In light of my "wanting roots/ loving Dallas" conversation  I had with Becky Lawson before church, she proceeded to speak truth into my life. Like she does. She told me that although Jackson [might seem like] a temporary place, ultimately I do not know what God has planned. So I am here until He tells me to leave. That might be when school is up - it might not be. And I should pray that the Lord gives me a heart for where I am. Conviction.
At the end of Barker's sermon, he was talking about how suffering produces transformation and that suffering is essential in the Christian life. From there we are called to proclaim the hope we have in Christ. Some are sent and some are called to stay, but both are from the Lord and are to be taken seriously.
So instead of [mostly] complaining about Jackson, I've decided that I'm going to live like I've been sent. Because I have.
The Lord spoke through Becky and confirmed that through Brandon. The Great Commission. Go. Make disciples. Alright, here I am. Let's do this.

What a fantastic weekend. :]



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Other important things to note from the weekend.
- MUMFORD AND SONS
- I got to see Joshua Sims be the love of Jesus to a homeless man. Greatness.
- MUMFORD AND SONS
- Onesies.
- I watched a football game. (With D, cause she's great.)
- MUMFORD AND SONS
- Breakfast with Alison Luna at OPH - 7am.
- Didn't do hardly any homework.
- I got to sleep with Hoody. :]
- Walks with Paul Golangco make my heart happy.
- MUMFORD AND SONS
- Saw Brian Corrigan with a gun on his back. After he changed out of his onesie that is...
- MUMFORD AND SONS


legit.




-EDIT-
[3 seconds after I publish this I giggle at my "comm" title. I didn't really mean to do that, but it worked out. anyway - take away the "comm's" what is left?
UNITY - unity in the body of christ
UNION - a union with our Father and Savior
MISSION - be on mission.
maybe this is super obvious, but I got excited about it. So I wrote it down. Woot.]
-End of Edit-