Hi! Sorry I've been silent for so long... I wasn't online much over spring break! I got to help Katie with wedding planning, get my toenails painted teal, watch the Kennedy Cousins show at OYE and repaint my nails "Shae Pink"! It was quite a week!

When I was in high school, my youth minister Marty did a series on Wednesday nights along the lines of Biblical lessons found in country music. While we didn't learn something deeply theological in every song (Honky Tonk Badonkakonk?), it was a really cool series. We dissected the songs pretty much line by line. One song I wish would have been around in 2005(ish) was Need You Now by Lady Antebellum. Now, before we go any further, let me remind you, I love Lady A (and about all country music!). I'm just going to offer my thoughts on the song, so take it as you wish.

We've all had those "crushes" where you just can't get the person out of your mind. Day and night, it seems, you see him everywhere... even if he's not there! (We're gonna say him, since I'm a girl and know how girls think. Guys, your insight is appreciated in comments too!) Let's think about this from a different perspective though. God thinks about you all the time. He made you. He thinks you are the coolest little being on earth. But does he ever cross your mind during the day? Maybe at mealtime, when you're supposed to pray so the devil doesn't poison your food (kidding, kidding). Oh, definitely during your Bible study! No, you're too busy watching the clock and texting? OK, so apparently he is only on your mind at bedtime and in the fifteen minutes you take to read your Bible and say a list prayer. I'm not pointing fingers, because I don't know your life or your relationship with him. But I do know how easy that routine is to fall into, because I've been there. Then suddenly...

BAM!
It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone, and oh yeah, hey God? I need you to do a miracle, pronto, K? 

WRONG. Yes, God is ALWAYS there. Yes, he's better at rescuing than the NYCFD. But he's not 911. Don't look at God as a last resort. He is someone you can't live without. Maybe you think you can live without him right now, but if you want to live forever, you can't do it alone. You need him now. Trust him :)

In the second verse/chorus, I don't have much to offer other than a little advice... Don't call your crush/ex/etc when you're drunk. First, I recommend not getting drunk, I have plenty of fun and have never included alcohol in an adventure. But if you're gonna drink, be smart. Be classy. Remember, what happens after five matters. Your current or future employer could find out about your extracurricular activities and, right or wrong, that might not be how they want their business represented. You'd hate to call Grandma at 1:15 a.m. instead of a guy...talk about  awkward family dinner. Anyway, that's my second verse lesson. 

Next time you're alone and awake in the wee hours of the morning, reach for God instead of the phone. He'll always be there. If you're having trouble deciding where to start, check out the book of Job. Reading about his life will for sure make you think better of your own, because he had a pretty rough time. You'll also see how incredible God is, so stick it out through the end of the book. 

Have a great week, I'm off to listen to some more Lady A!


Check out Need You Now.

I've put off blogging this week because I don't really know what to say. Those of you who know me personally or follow me on Twitter probably know by this time what's been going on. For those of you who do not know/follow me, my cousin's husband passed away this week. Please pray for Christie & her wonderful three year old twins, Avery and Ainslee. Talking with people about our favorite memories with JR got me thinking...

"In the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides the temporary trappings of this world // I want to leave a legacy, how will they remember me? Did I choose to love? Did I point to you enough to make a mark on things? I want to leave an offering, a child of mercy and grace who blessed your name unapologetically, and leave that kind of legacy //...// Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred. I just want to hear instead 'Well done, good and faithful one...'"

Those are lyrics from one of my favorite songs, Legacy, by Nichole Nordeman. My favorite part is the bridge. When I'm gone, I don't want people to remember the worldly things I've done. My car, my house, my GPA, my net worth, my job, my clothes, etc., won't matter at that point. I'm not telling you to sell your car, live in a box, flunk all your classes, quit your job or walk around naked. What I am focused on is priorities. I would much rather people forget all that stuff about me and remember my love for Jesus, my love for people, my passions, my character. If all someone remembers about me is that I drove a black mustang with hot pink seats, they don't actually know me, nor do they remember anything of significance about me. If all someone remembers is my love for Jesus, they know my heart. 

My challenge is to figure out how you want people to remember you. What do you need to do to make sure that is how you are remembered? Are you living as one person around one group of people and another person around another group? Be consistent. Why? So that when people talk about you, they'll all have different memories but they'll remember the same person. JR is remembered as a great daddy, husband, son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend. We will all miss him, but remember him for being a wonderful person.

Other things this week...
Brand Marketing test - ugh. OSU beating Nebraska - awesome. Please, James Anderson, one more year. Happy birthday on Tuesday to my Adopted Hollee! Congrats to all the Kennedy kids for a great job at the Grady County Junior Livestock Show!

Care to share what has God been teaching you lately? Use the comments section, please. Have a great pre-spring break week!
-Shae Suzanne

Music: Video:  Legacy, Nichole Nordeman. Save a Place for Me, Matthew West. iLike: The Altar and the Door, Casting Crowns. It is Well, Kutless.