weekend stuff

Okay so our Gamecocks couldn't quite pull us through. I told my friend Peanut that the Vandy game would be the test: either we would show up as the team that stomped Georgia and Kentucky, or we would be the team that almost lost to UNC. I think it's pretty clear which one showed up. I think we even saw Spurrier move PASS the visor throwing phase. In the third quarter, that thing was flying left and right. In the fourth, I think he was in such disbelief that all he could do was put his hand on his hips and give it that Spurrier smirk of his (which, by the way, is never a GOOD thing.)

On a brighter note, tailgating was amazing as usual, and today was Free College Lunch at Shandon. And since it was Parent's Weekend, a lot of parents came to bible study and lunch. Steve, the college minister, chose a very interesting topic this morning. He spoke out of Luke 14. The passage that talks about how we as disciples and followers of Christ should hate our fathers and mothers compared to our love for Christ. (Pretty funny choice for Parents Weekend huh?) I thought it was awesome because that is one of those passages that tends to be ignored, or otherwise downplayed by the church a lot of times because of it's harsh truth. We tend to say, "well, that's not exactly what he means for us today. It was more of a metaphor-type thing." Steve decided that not only would he not ignore it, but he would speak on it for PARENT'S WEEKEND! Kudos, Steve.

All in all I realized that I do not love Christ enough. I mean what a tremendous love that must be. I absolutely love my parents and family, even if I don't tell them near enough, but to say that that love looks like hate compared to my love for Christ!? Quite frankly, I'm nowhere close. As I mentioned in an earlier post, our love for Christ is evident much more in the things we do for Him than in how many times we tell him that we love Him, and lately, I feel like I have done little more than tell Him I do. That same passage in Luke talks about hating one's own life and carrying your own cross--suffering and sacrificing to further the kingdom of God. We discussed at our table about how it is easy for us as Americans to say that we WOULD suffer for Christ, simply because we know we will probably never have to. For example, many people would think of tithing as being financial suffering for God, but the cold truth is that backing ourselves into a corner with the way we manage our finances, only then to find it difficult to give back to the Giver, isn't exactly the "suffering" that Jesus spoke of. The other table members and I came up with a general rule of thumb: if you have to say out loud or otherwise convince someone (including yourself) that "it's a sacrifice," chances are it probably isn't.

To summarize: this week I'm gonna start trying to find new ways to pick up my cross, despise my life (comparatively), and follow Him. Amen. Have a safe trip home parents, and remember, we only hate you compared to God. It's not that bad of a deal, really.