price of life invitational

OSU Price of Life Invitational from InterVarsity-twentyonehundred on Vimeo.

A Little Stress Can Be Good For You

Interesting idea....

“The idea that we could — or should — live without stress is nonsense,” says brain researcher Dr. Robert Sapolsky, the author of Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers.

Stress in brief stretches — excitement, eagerness, and thrill — can make your blood circulate better, improve your memory, heighten your senses, and release mood-enhancing brain chemicals.

Unrelieved, long-lasting stress can compromise the immune system, as well as lead to high blood pressure and heart disease. If you’re always exhausted, overwhelmed, and irritable, there’s probably too much stress in your life. Look at your responsibilities and let go of the things that aren’t necessary or important. Regular exercise, meditation, and adequate sleep also help relieve stress.

Boredom, fatigue, and ongoing unhappiness can be signs of too little stress.

To put the difference between good and bad stress in perspective: a roller coaster ride lasts three minutes, not three days.

Source: The Brain, Vol. 12, No. 12, p. 1, via InterVarsity’s HR department

a new project for us all

"jesus invites all men to devote themselves to the project of getting ride of violence, a project conceived with reference to the true nature of violence, taking into account the illusions it fosters, the methods by which it gains ground...Violence is the enslavement of a pervasive lie; it imposes upon men a falsified vision not only of God but also of everything else." - Rene Girard

how he loves story

try this on for size...

in relation to the trinity:

"I remember that I possess memory and understanding and will; I understand that I understand and will and remember: I will my own willing and remembering and understanding. And I remember at the same time the whole of my memory and understanding and will." - Augustine

the unity of selfhood - three in one-ness

similarly love requires a lover, one who is loved, and the love that unites them, in a kind of three-in-oneness, for in speaking of these three, we are speaking of one thing, love. - Augustine

chew on that for a few centuries

dare devil God

tonight, at orientation for new staff, we talked about taking risks
we heard comical stories about risk from older followers reflecting on major risks they took in the lives.
then we discussed the idea of taking risks for the gospel and the fears the come with that
then we prayed for each other and as we were praying I had this crazy thought - "take risks, because to risk is the character of God."

God risks.
Love risks.
God is love and love risks it all.
If you think about it, creation as a whole testifies to the fact that God takes risks. To whatever extent, creation had a choice to love God or not, humans had a choice to love their creator or not - we chose not to.
the entire bible is the story of God chasing after his creation who did not love him culminating in the ultimate risk, the incarnation.
God taking on flesh and blood.

So when we risk we are in line with the character of God, we are acting like the image we are made in.
risk scares us though - but i think there is something in a risk that makes us feel alive - maybe thats over romantic maybe not
think back to the first time you told a girl (or a guy) you like them, or leaned in for your first kiss, or just the fact that no matter how many relationships fail we continually go back for more. there's the risk we will be rejected in all those situations but somehow there is something in the risk that makes us feel alive - maybe we feel alive because we are closer to the one in whom we have LIFE and breath.

"this could go horribly wrong...but it's worth it, hands down"

so, don't live your life afraid to fall on your face - take risks, because you're made in the image of a dare-devil God

did you know?