Luch With Christ

My phone alarm rang: luch with Christ.

Yeah, that was really supposed to read "Lunch with Christa." Someone must have been in a hurry.

Yet that someone can't help but laugh at the irony. "Luchar" is a Spanish verb which means "to fight." While "Luch" isn't actually a word, it's similar enough.

Fight with Christ: 12:10.

As much as I hate to admit it, I fight with Christ.  And it's more than just at 12:10.

<>< Katie
In other news, Happy Reformation Day!

And Happy Deep-Breath Day... NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow and I'm participating for the first time. The idea is that you write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. So, I apologize if I'm more sparse on your dashboard, but "every word on your blog is one less word in your novel" (I forget who said that, but it wasn't me).

Also, I'm thinking about making some changes on my blog in the future, and I would love to hear your feedback.  What do you want to see more of?  Less of?  What haven't I done that you'd like to see?  What do you never want to see again?  You can post your feedback in the comments or email me at KatieAxelson[at]gmail[dot]com.  I promise, I won't hate you for being honest (at least not forever).

Tear down the walls. Let everything fall

I don't like alarm clocks.  I still remember flying out of my skin the first night I shared a room with Amber when her alarm clock when off in the morning.  It seemed to take me forever to calm down and realize it was NOT the fire alarm.  Over the year it got better, but every morning she got up first, I got an unwelcome jolt.

My own alarm clock is music.  I plug my iPod in, put it on shuffle, and wait to see what God sends me in the morning when the alarm goes off.  Today the first song I heard was "Break Through" by Peder Eide.  As I was in bed trying to convince myself to pull my lazy head off of the pillow and sit up, the lyrics that I've heard a million times hit me in a new way.  I decided to make this my prayer for today.  Feel free to do the same.

"Break Through"
By Peder Eide

Sing all the songs
and read all about You.
I know right from wrong.
What does it amount to
if my life doesn't show
how much I love You?

I need You to break through.
Tear down the walls;
let everything fall.
'Cause I want to praise You.
Nothing between You and me.
I need you to break through.

I know there is more
I've yet to discover.
So many things
You want to uncover.
I've been scratching the surface;
I want to go deeper.

I need you to break through.
Tear down the walls;
let everything fall
'Cause I wanna praise You.
Nothing between You and me.
I need You to break through.

Break through the pride.
Break through the shame.
I've had enough of staying the same.
Break through the fear.
Open the gates,
I'm getting tired of playing it safe.

I need You to break through.
Tear down the walls;
let everything fall.
'Cause I wanna praise You.
Nothing between You and me.

I need you to break through.
Tear down the walls;
let everything fall.
'Cause I wanna praise You
Nothing between You and me.
I need You to break through.
Need You to break through.
Break through!

TOR-NAY-DOE

At 5:05am on 09-09-09, I awoke suddenly to a very strange, very loud sound. Eventually I recognized the sound to the tornado siren. It's different than the noise I've always associated with tornadoes (the one that beeps TOR-NAY-DOE TOR-NAY-DOE). A million things ran through my mind: are we really in a tornado warning? What's protocol for tornado warnings? This building doesn't really have a first floor (much less basement). What do I have to do now? I don't hear a stampede of people or emergency instructions from the alarm (apparently we like talking alarms around here... ask me about our fire alarm sometime). My morning alarm is going off in two hours. How about I just duck and cover right here in my bed? If someone comes pounding on my door or for some reason I have to move, I will, but until then, I'm staying here. I reach over my head, slam the window shut (it was raining, too), say a little prayer asking for my safety and the safety of campus, roll over, and go back to sleep.

In the morning I mentioned the rude awakening and most people never heard it. Perhaps the fact that my open window was within arm's length of my head had something to do with it or perhaps not. Even people who insist they were up at 5am did not hear it. Of everyone I've mentioned it to today, no one heard it but some heard about it. (Apparently, it wasn't campus' siren but rather the town's siren, hence was there was no talking).

Am I crazy? Did I dream it? (I did record it in my dream journal this morning before talking to anyone). I'm pretty sure I heard it. That window didn't close itself. I just don't know exactly what happened at 5:05am on 09-09-09, but I do know that for some reason, I needed to pray for my safety and the safety of my campus. Why God chose 5:05am I may never know. Why He chose the tornado siren, I will also probably never know. Yet it happened. I know it happened. As annoyed as I was this morning, I realize I wasn't disturbed for no reason. There was a point and purpose (no, not a porpoise), but I will never know it.

Let God use you for some unknown point and purpose today. It doesn't have to be anything big. Maybe a simple prayer because of a tornado siren in the middle of the night or a smile to a stranger.

Also, don't be so caught up in your own world that it takes a tornado siren for God to get your attention. Yesterday I wrote about always being able to hear Him as clearly as a cicada... well, this morning I heard Him just as clearly. Although, I think the cicadas are a more peaceful sound.

In Christ,
<>< Katie

PS. Does this make any sense?

Angels

Yesterday morning my alarm went off just as a new song started on the radio. I heard the initial chords and got really excited thinking it was "Angels" by Amy Grant. I quickly then remembered that this radio station doesn't play any songs that weren't recorded in 2008. There's so much good music that has been lost by their exclusivity (ok, yes, that really is a word. I had to go check), but that's a whole different story.

Last night, I was listening to my iTunes on Party Shuffle, not really paying any attention. I usually play my iPod because the internet makes noises (the virtual door slam was just a few seconds too early there, oops.) and it drives me nuts. For some reason, this perticular day I had iTunes on instead, but I didn't think much of it until I went to shut down my computer.

Then I heard it. Again. The opening chords to "Angels" by Amy Grant. This time it really was "Angels" by Amy Grant!

So I woke up yesterday morning hoping "Angels" by Amy Grant would be the first song I heard in the morning. Instead, it was the last song I heard at night. Ironic? I think not.

<>< Katie