it's a wonderful life.

things i am enjoying in my life right now:

snow
my husband
servant's to asia's urban poor
instrumental/folk christmas music
opinion articles
it's a wonderful life
scott bessenecker
Jesus

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i'm reading the gospels again. and as i read i am amazed at God's glory and the way it is revealed through Christ. luke and i are taking the perspectives on world missions course at our church and the first part (well, really the whole thing) is about God's glory. and i am reminded again how Jesus was fully God and fully man in order to fully bring God's glory to man, to reveal God's whole being of grace and mercy to His rebellious people.

i read luke 8:40-56 last week and i decided it might be one of the best passages written about Jesus. Jesus and His disciples are all hanging out and a ruler of the synagogue comes to them and tells Jesus his daughter is sick, so Jesus goes to heal her. on His way it says that the crowd is so thick that the crowd almost crushed them. and in the midst of that crowd a woman who has been bleeding for 12 years reaches out to just touch Jesus' garment, knowing she will be healed. and after she does Jesus stops in the middle of the ridiculous crowd and says "who touched me?". and get this...everyone denied it. until peter is like "uh, Jesus, everyone is touching you..." but Jesus just stands there (and i'm sure Jarius (the guy who's daughter was dying) was like "Jesus, dude, my daughter is almost dead and you're standing here waiting for some person who may or may not have meant to touch you come forward?") until the woman finally comes forward and says "it was me" and Jesus is like "awesome, you're faith has healed you." while this is all going on, Jarius' servants push through the crowd and tell Jarius' his daughter died. and Jesus is like "no worries, just believe". when He gets to the house everyone is crying and Jesus is like "she's not dead, she's asleep". and the people laugh at Him. now these stories appear in matthew, mark and luke and the consistencies of this part include the following:

1. the daughter is dead.
2. the people laugh at Jesus when he says she is just asleep.
3. Jesus heals the daughter.

but then He goes in and heals the girl. as luke would say "BOOYAH!".

i can't really wrap my mind around why i love this story. but it shows a compassionate Christ, who is deeply concerned about all healing--spiritual and physical. i think that's awesome.

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i turned 24 this week. i was talking to a man at work who is in his late 50s, early 60s and he wished me a happy birthday. he sighed and said "oh, to be young again..." i decided then that when i'm in my late 50s or early 60s and i ask someone how old they are and they turn 24 i want to smile and say "that was a good year, but i'm happy to be 59 now..."