Paul, Opportunities and Tommy Boy?

Tommy: Where are we gonna take the deer?

Richard: I dunno, the vet?

Tommy: You take dead animals to the vet?

Richard: Why not? I'd take you to the vet.

Tommy: Yeah I'll take you to the... Um...

Richard: Got that?

Tommy: Shut up.

"Making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:16

How do these all line up together? I know that's what you're thinking but I can reassure you that I have not yet lost the plot. When I was reading this verse tonight Tommy Boy kept replaying in my head. Tommy Boy is my favorite movie hands down. I know it by heart and I haven't seen it in almost two years. Anyways it aligns with this verse in the sense of making the most of opportunity. If you have not seen the movie then DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER AND GO WATCH IT! Tommy looses his dad and needs to step up to save the company from going bankrupt. So he volunteers but since he knows nothing about brake pads he volunteers Richard as well. The quote above is from the scene after they hit the deer. In the same sense we are called to "The family business" which is saving people. Being imitators of God as dearly loved children. Paul talks about how to do so in loving one another and being childlike. I don't know about you but my opinion is that Tommy Boy is pretty childlike (in the movie).
Sometimes life can get in the way and make things so difficult. When you signed on with the Lord you signed on to the family business of loving people and living a godly lifestyle. Paul lays it out for us in these verses in Ephesians of what we are to do and not to do. We learn from our mistakes and experiences that make us better human beings. We gain knowledge and wisdom daily through asking the Lord for revelation in these areas. Tommy also learned from his mistakes of what to say and what not to say. The moment he was real and himself with a customer was the moment it clicked and he couldn't stop selling them!
There comes a point in all our lives of when it just clicks! I love that feeling of when it all makes sense and for me it's all so simple. Just love.....  I know that Tommy Boy is not a perfect picture of Jesus and the church but it begins to paint a picture for us in understanding what our role in the kingdom is. That is to carry out the first two commandments.
So seize every opportunity and just trust that God is working in all our lives all around the globe. We all have issues and things going on that only we know about. Make the most of everyday!

One last quote to tide you over (one of my favs!):

Richard - Look Mommy, the Rhino's getting too close to the car.
Tommy - Him too afraid to get out, him just a little guy.
Richard - All right, that's it, fat boy, I'm gonna wail on you.
Tommy - Hey, boys and girls, it's Papa Smurf!
Richard - You don't want none of me; think it through.
Tommy - Just gimme your best shot.
(Richard punches him)
Tommy - That was it? Come on you can do better than that, can't you Captain Limp Wrist? Try again!
(Richard punches him again)
Tommy - Hey everybody, is there a window open; I feel a draft!
(Richard punches him twice)
Tommy - If I wanted a kiss, I'd call your mother! 
(Richard hits him over the face with a 2x4)
Tommy - That was a good one.
Richard - Hey, Prehistoric Forest. 

I have another website that I'm updating more daily... If you wanna look:

http://courtneyrtodd.tumblr.com/

Musos & Metros

You know those things that get your heart burning! We all have different things that are burning on our heart and things that make us burn brighter and hotter. (There is a difference, be careful to note that!) One of the many big things that makes my heart burn with deep passion is WORSHIP. The church I've been attending here in Tauranga has been such a unique one. They are so on fire with their worship and that leads into everything else! Right now the pastor is doing a teaching for the next 3 weeks on worship. I feel blessed because I only have 3 more weeks at this church before I return home for a bit. Anyways I thought I would share with you what knowledge I have been imparted with. It's sooo good! Alright here goes:

• Worship is an expression of passion!
• Worship is for EVERYONE!
• Most of our ideas and opinions about worship are based on experience not on scripture! 
• The CORE idea of worship is to give worth to something!
• It is deeper then what you sing to, it's what you give worth to your whole life. How you attribute the best of your time and treasures is where your heart is and that is what you're worshiping. 
• His presence comes and INVADES in worship.

Right so these are just some of the many thoughts and things I wrote down. I feel like this speaks for the thing that I've been trying to put words to for the past year! Worship makes me feel so alive because I'm doing it for the one true living God! 

"It's the praising life that honors me as soon as you set your foot on the path I'll show you my salvation!"

This quote sums it all up in my opinion. Because Gratitude unexpressed is just a kind thought. We express ourselves in worship, we cry out, we pour out our hearts, we have a conversation with the Lord. We thank him for the things he does in our lives! That is Gratitude to him! That is showing our praise and honoring him for who he is! Worship is whatever you do Colossians 3:23 says "Whatever you do, do for the Lord and not mankind." WHATEVER YOU DO, do it unto the Lord. That means when you wash the dishes, take the kids to school, cook dinner, or even in church on a Sunday morning. Praise him for he is good! Honor his name, worship the living God because he is WORTHy! He is worth it everyday!

I have a testimony about this that I will share:
Last Saturday night we as an internship were required to help out with Emerge. I was super tired and I didn't want to go for two reasons: one, I was feeling sick (cold symptoms) and two, the rugby was on! I pulled up to the church at five to seven. I sat in my car debating with the Lord. In my own words "If I just leave right now, no one would know if I'm there or not!" then the Lord spoke: "IF YOU GO I WILL BLESS YOU" after another few minutes of debating I finally went in the church and had an awesome night! I know that people would have noticed me not being there because I'm not the quietest person on the internship so my plan was ruined from the beginning. Anyways my night was awesome, even though I didn't want to be there God saw my heart and changed my heart. He showed me that being there was worth it simply because he is worth it!

Our worship habits are generally based on how we feel. We need to build in ourselves a discipline of worship. We as humans are the ones that have the problem of changing and circumstances around us changing how we feel. We need to REMEMBER that he does NOT change! We are the ones that change on a sometimes hourly basis. Don't be fake, bring your circumstances in to your worship but give them to the Lord. He is all knowing, all powerful and almighty! He is the one with the power to change our hearts, lives and circumstances! When we are REAL AND RAW he is real and raw right back! Remember he is all knowing so when you have an issue he already knows about it and there is no need to be shameful or feel embarrassed. He wants us to give him everything! To give him the deepest parts of our inner being! He wants to go to the depths of our hearts, the parts that we let no one into. I dare you to let him and then wait to see what happens.....

"Worship - As an expression and extension of your entire life to him!"

Simplicity

It's the little things in life that make us tick right?! I sure believe in that at least! The little things throughout our day that just let us enjoy where we are at. Today we were helping with EMERGE which is like a youth conference held every month for all the youth of the city to come together and worship and pray for the city. So during the workshop I was cooking again. I miss cooking soo much! I didn't realize until there was an opportunity to cook! Anyways, since we've done this before we all knew our jobs and roles. Which made it super simple! During our time there was this little girl that came with her dad. She was just playing in the corner with her toys. I think she's about 5. I started playing with her and chasing and tossing and just all those fun things you do with kids. When we served lunch her and her sister who was about 3 came and sat on my lap to eat their lunch. I was reminded of how simple it is. 

How simple it is to feel God's love and to give that love to others. Because you know as little kids you're focused on one thing at a time! You go from knee to knee, toy to toy and don't think about it. I know that with age comes maturity and wisdom but we can't lose the innocence of a child. Love is simple! I've realized over these few months that I'm a pretty simple person and God's love for me is simple. Not to say that if you're a complex person his love isn't simple because it is! He loves us no matter what! In Song of Solomon is says in 4:9:

"You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace."

With ONE GLANCE. That means when you LOOK AT HIM you have stolen his heart! It's that simple. We need to do NOTHING to earn it, all we need to do is look at him. I have been chewing on this for a few days now, I think my heart has been chewing on it for a few weeks I just neglected it. But think about it! One glance..... I just can't fully get my head around it. We have stolen his heart! I don't know any love story on this earth that when you just GLANCE at a guy or girl you have stolen their heart. It's usually a bit more complicated than that if you know what I mean.... But with God it's just one glance. I just love that! It's so simple to come into his presence, to know who he is in us and through us! We don't need to make it so complex that we don't understand him. Because he has so many mysteries we will never understand the complexity of him. So we might as well bask in the simplicity of his love for us!  

Picture Update...

So a good way to start out my series of updates is by pictures! 

These are from our road trip to the Coromandel a few weeks ago with the whole internship. 

Jess, Chloe and Lisa. Pretty much amazingness all over.

This is the whole group just being themselves. 

In the long car ride (because we got lost). It was an adventure! 

All the girls in a dug out hole! 

The amazing day we were blessed with! 

Cathedral cove. This is where the first scene in the second movie of Chronicles of Narnia is filmed. It's where they come back to Narnia. It's an amazing place! 

Why not hang around when it could potentially break off.... (the yellow sign) 

Just live life on the edge I guess.

And to end the day with the amazing sunset! 

So full of wonder and amazement! 

Confession time....

I have a bit of a confession.... For the past two years I have um.... Hmm.... Well I'll just say it, I have fallen in Love with Rugby! Being a fellow American I to put it plainly despise American football. To be blunt, I think it's the most boring sport and I don't understand it one bit! But since being in New Zealand I understand Rugby. I don't know why Americans don't switch to watching this sport! It is so easy to understand and it doesn't stop and start so much like football. So since it's June the All Blacks have started up again! They won the world cup last year in New Zealand. For such a small country they have produced the best rugby team in the world. So before the All Blacks they have a series called Super Rugby which is New Zealand divided up into regions and each region has a team. They play each other along with other teams from Aussie and South Africa. Then from these teams they pic the All Blacks team. I always thought it was funny that the players go from playing against each other one week to playing with each other the next week. My favorite team is the Crusaders from Canterbury on the south island. 

This is Israel Dagg and Dan Carter. 

This is Guildford...

So these players above go from playing on a team in their region to playing for the All Blacks. These are three of my favorite players. I went to watch the first game of the Super Rugby season which was the Crusaders vs. the Blues. It was an amazing game! Crusaders won of course because the Blues aren't so hot this year. So then we have:

The All Blacks Haka. 

(The Haka: is a traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge form the Maori people of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment.) 

This will describe the Haka a bit better:

So tonight was the first test match of the All Blacks vs. Ireland. The All Blacks crushed them as predicted. It was such a good game. I have never found myself so compelled to sit on the edge of my seat watching a sport. I just love this sport so much. I think I know how some of the men out there feel when their favorite team is playing. 

If you don't know what rugby is then I would hope to inspire you to find out more about it. Because it is AMAZING! 

Anyways on a different note.... All is well in the great country of New Zealand, it is winter so it's getting colder and snowing on the south island. I know it may be hard for some of you to comprehend but it's true. It'll be snowing in July for my birthday! I'm stoked for that....