freedom!

This was initially meant to be a totally heartfelt and semi-serious story. [ It's a great one about my recently-celebrated birthday. ] But as I was driving to work this morning thinking about this blog and freedom, I couldn't help but think of this clip. It makes me laugh every time. Fun confession - whenever talking about freedom I usually put my arms up and move my hands just like Scarlett Johansson does. AND she totally reminds me of me in the car when she leans over with a little "tude" and continues to sing "Freedom" to her friend driving. That would be the sass, spunk, and life coming out of me. So anyway, go ahead and play the clip again and smile as you picture me as Scarlett. Fun, I know.

Okay so here is how the blog was originally going to begin...

Freedom. I love the freedom found in Christ and the many ways it manifests itself. Friday I hooked my ipod up to the speakers at work and listened to Klaus for hours. I found myself overwhelmed with joy and the beauty found in freedom. I couldn't help but throw my arms in the air while I danced and jumped around the room. Some people look down on some music (in the context of worship) and say that some teams/bands just appeal to people's emotional sides, or that some are just moved by their emotions and it's not so much about worshipping. Is our God not a God of emotions? I'm not saying we are to be led by our emotions, but I do believe our God is an emotional being who has created us in His image. When pride is laid down and we allow ourselves to fully embrace being in the presence of our loving, gracious, awesome, and majestic God and the freedom found there, many different emotions could be present.

I got to celebrate my birthday in some pretty incredible ways a few weeks ago. You can read about it here. What I purposefully left out of that blog was what took place between the party blowers & balloons and our fun pancake breakfast. I wanted it to have a blog of it's own... because it's that special.

My birthday run. I'm not a big fan of running unless its trail running (on dirt) in the hills or mountains somewhere. There was a year where I went out to Whiskeytown Lake in Northern California and ran on the trails there almost every day whether it was rainy and cold or it was 110 degrees out. That's a whole other story. One of my favorite times to run is when it's a bit chilly outside and perhaps a bit drizzly. The morning of my birthday it was both. Grandma and I had gone on a walk to a park a few days prior - a good place to go for a run. The wind was barely blowing, the water droplets were coming down, and there was worship music playing. So invigorating. So energizing. So great.

Within the park there's an outdoor amphitheater which stands between the bottom of a gradual hill and the river behind it. It too was calling my name. I ran down the open hill, while admiring the beautiful majestic trees, and up the steps of the amphitheater. I was a bit self-conscious at first but within just a matter of seconds I allowed myself to be scooped up in the wonder and joy and freedom of the morning and the beauty around me. I stood on that stage, arms outstretched, and with my smiling face turned to the rain-dropping sky, I sang out worshipping the Lord. It was so freeing. As the rain fell harder, I sang louder.

I walked to the edge of the stage after a few songs when the rain began to let up a bit and there below me was resting a pile of leaves. At that time a huge gust of wind came, picked up a section of the leaves, and, like a gentle tornado, circled the leaves around and around me up on the stage. Only a creative and amazing God could orchestrate the wind to scoop up those leaves and tell them to twirl around me like that. It's almost as if He were watching me, smiling, and saying, "Look at her delighting in Me. And oh how I delight in her delighting in Me. Wind, go. Pick up some of that pile of leaves and twirl around her ever so gently; I'm going to reveal more of Myself to her and start her special day in a special way with Me."

Shortly thereafter I walked down off the stage and laid in my very first pile of leaves! Yes, it's true - I've never been in a pile of leaves before! At first I knelt down to see just how much rain had collected in that pile of leaves, but then I came to my senses, threw caution to the wind, and let myself fall backwards into that precious pile of birthday leaves. [ Do you like how everything that day has a new name: birthday leaves, birthday run, birthday tree :) ] From the first second I ran up onto that stage until I was about half way back to the house on my run I was giggling so loud on the inside that the whole town could have heard me.

"He has taken me to the banquet hall, and His banner over me is love," Song of Solomon 2:4.

"Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow," Jeremiah 31:13

"Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation. My whole being will exclaim, 'Who is like you, O LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them,' " Psalm 35:9-10

"Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God," Psalm 43:3-4

"Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation," Psalm 149:2-4

"Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals," Psalm 150:3-5