Romans 13:9

The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

- Romans 13:9

Last week, I had the wonderful privilege of hearing Shane Claiborne speak. He is the author of Irresistible Revolution and one of the founders of his community The Simple Way. Shane is a radical Christian and totally unashamed of his faith. His words during the short time I got to listen to him completely changed the way I think and inspired me to live out my faith in a more radical way.

One of the verses he quoted was Romans 13:9, "Love your neighbor as yourself". Most of us have heard this verse multiple times during the course of our lives. It is one of the most famous verses in the Bible, and the secular world has even adopted this philosophy with the golden rule, "Do to others as you would want them to do to you". I, like you, had heard this idea a million times before, but it never clicked like it did when Shane spoke of it.

"Love your neighbor as yourself..." This verse isn't just talking about a feeling. It isn't saying to simply be civil towards everyone and to not stay angry for too long. This verse is talking about a genuine concern and passion for others and a lifestyle that demonstrates that concern. How can we love our neighbor as ourselves if we do nothing to show them that love.

God calls us to take care of one another. 1 John 3:17 says, "If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion - how can God's love be in that person?" It's hard for me to fathom the reality of that verse. I have been blessed in so many ways, yet there have been so many times I have not shared those blessings with others. It's overwhelming as I sit here and think of all the times I kept God's love and care to myself, simply because I didn't want to be inconvenienced. The Bible never once says we were chosen as God's children to live an inconvenienced life full of comfort and prosperity.

We have been called to something so much bigger than just enjoying the comforts of this overrated lifestyle we call the American dream. Who am I to judge the situations of others and how they got there? Personally, I have to stop judging and start doing. There are so many individuals in need around me whether they're miles away or halfway across the globe. I have been blessed to be a blessing to others, and that's exactly what I'm going to start doing.

Baseball Hot dogs

I usually hate hot dogs and do everything possible to avoid eating them, but I do make one exception...baseball games! I don't know how much baseball would mean to me without the hot dog. It definitely makes the whole experience way better, and it's exactly what I associate baseball with. For example, as soon as someone says the word "baseball", I think of the words "hot dog". I'm pretty sure my mom has something to do with that. Growing up, every time we'd go to a Rangers game, my mom always talked about her favorite part being all of the food my dad would go get her. So, now my favorite part of any baseball game is the food...I was just trained that way! :)

On Friday night I got to experience this baseball hot dog for the first time all year! All of us went up to Denver to watch the Rockies play. I can't remember who they were playing, and to be honest I don't think I ever knew, but I had such a fun time eating delicious baseball food (and by delicious I mean disgusting food you would never eat in any other situation) and talking to my favorite people!

Sage...one of the coolest girls on the planet!

Some of my favorite people right after the Rockies won!!!