The McCulloughs Take NYC! ...Part 2

So, where was I? Oh yeah...

New York City is about 6 hours from Buffalo.  It was a pretty smooth and scenic drive for the most part...except for one slight issue.  Mayhem almost got the best of us when, mysterioulsy, our GPS got switched to shortest distance instead of shortest time.  And, unfortunately, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line... even if that line is straight up and over a mountain range.  Long story short, we found ourselves on some one-lane dirt/mud/ice roads somewhere in the wilderness of backwoods Pennsylvania.  The only sign of life we saw the entire time that we were on that road was a guy (just one) on a tractor.  I think we were both at least a little at ease when we finally came to a stop sign where our little road intersected with an actual road, like one with lanes and lines down the middle and everything.  But, the GPS said to stay straight and we obeyed.  

I usually do appreciate when the GPS takes us on ridiculous routes like these, it's almost like it knows our sense of adventure.  And, it's not like we are strangers to country roads by any means.  Heck, I prefer them most of the time. It's just not what you expect on your way to New York City.  

Eventually, those random roads did get us to the city.  We pulled in to the hotel, which was in Queens, around 8:30pm.  Can I just add here that I was really impressed with my husband's city driving, we only got honked at once!  Since it was my first time in New York, the awesome Marriott people gave us a top floor room with a view of the Manhattan skyline, which was so pretty to see every morning and night.  The hotel also offered a free shuttle to the nearest subway station.  The shuttle ran pretty late so we had plenty of time to see some of the city that night.  My first subway ride was not really what I expected it be, which is a good thing.  For some reason I was expecting it to be like something straight from a horror movie.  You know, cold and dark, scary and rat-infested.  2 out of 4 is not bad, I guess! We did see only one freakishly huge (Splinter-sized) rat and it was awfully cold, but that wasn't the subway's fault.  We never felt scared or in danger at all.  The cars were more like oversized elevators, nobody made eye contact and everyone sat in silence for the most part.  

Anyway, the first place we went was, of course, Times Square.  We walked up from the subway and experienced immediate visual overload.  There is so much to look at and so much to do.  There is always something going on there, it seemed.  We knew we had a busy few days in store, so we soaked it all in for a good little while but then headed back to Queens for some rest.  We knew we would have to catch a cab back because we were too late for the shuttle to come get us.  I was pretty excited for my first taxi ride too.  Of course, my eyes were peeled for Ben Bailey in the cash cab, but that didn't work out for us.  Our driver was so nice, though.  He gave us some good tips on where to go and what to see, and he wouldn't even accept full payment from us.  So, we finally made it back and tried to get a little bit of rest to fuel up for our week-long exploration.  

The next morning, our first full day, we had to be in downtown Manhattan bright and early for a walking tour that Daniel had signed us up for.  The guide walked us around and told us (in her harsh Jersey accent) about all of the different architecture and a lot about the city's history.  We saw the building where George Washington was inaugurated, Trinity Church, Wall Street, Battery Park and the new World Trade Center to name a few places.  Our tour ended at the 9/11 memorial which we got to walk around and check out.  We headed towards the Brooklyn Bridge after that for some local pizza.  Daniel had heard of this place called Grimaldi's that was supposed to be really good... and it was! We ate almost an entire pizza on our own.  Not only did Grimaldi's offer a delicious meal, but also (and maybe even more important at the time) a warm place to sit.  After walking around (even for only half a day so far) on nothing but concrete in my cutest pair of boots, I was already starting to be in pretty bad shape.  My feet, legs and my right hip (I'm not sure what that was about?) were all harmoniously screaming for help.  But, we were in the city that never sleeps, so we had to press on.  I tried to talk my way out of the next activity due to my condition at the time, but Daniel tricked me because he knew I didn't know where I was going anyway.  Before I knew it, I was at the cusp of the Brooklyn Bridge and it's a long way to the other side.  

The McCulloughs Take NYC! ...Part 1

This will be the first of a few flashback posts.  I guess the best place to start is by catching up, right? 

About this time last year, as Daniel's spring break approached, a wild-hair sprouted.  We couldn't let that week go by without a road trip.  That's just the kind of people we are.  But where? Our wheels began to turn and our nights were spent googling hotel prices, (free) things to do and the best coffee shops (I have to be prepared wherever I go) in some of the nations biggest, most touristy cities.  After much careful research, we settled on the Windy City.  Before I knew it, Daniel had worked up a full itinerary for a week in Chicago, including a detour to the Mall of America in Minneapolis. Needless to say, we were pumped. I had even made Daniel agree to ride ONE roller coaster with me in the MOA. We booked a hotel in Chicago, and waited.  But, something happened as March 16th drew closer. To this day, I'm still not sure what it was.  Nonetheless, our full itinerary for Chicago suspiciously transformed into a full itinerary for Niagara Falls/New York City.  I had no complaints, I'd never been to either city and wanted to see both.  What's life without a little spontaneity anyway?

Well,  Friday (March 15) finally came around and we were to leave bright and freakin' early the next morning.  When I called Daniel on my way home from work (like I always do) he had a proposition. When I got home around 7pm, we threw some clothes in a suitcase and hit the road (after the inevitable preliminary pit stop at Chick-fil-A).  We checked into our FREE (thank you Marriott rewards!), 4 Star hotel in Louisville, Ky sometime around 2am.  Just seven short hours later, we were back on the road.  We had places to be, and they weren't in Kentucky. We drove through some pretty cool cities like Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Eerie.  But still, we had places to be.  


We finally made it to Buffalo around 7ish pm that night, which left us just enough time check into our somewhat sketchy hotel, grab a delicious slice of local pizza at LaNova's, and try to make it to Niagara Falls before all of the sunlight was gone.  We did not entirely make it.  Unfortunately, by the time we found our way to the Falls, parked and walked up to it, we had just missed the sunset.  Since it was then dark, the temperature was beginning to plummet. Dramatically. The entire river below the Falls was frozen solid, as was the platform and walkways on the lower level.  We stood at the top and looked at as much of it as we could see with the little amount of light that was available.  It was really pretty, even in the dark, but we couldn't stand it very long. Literally. We could not. I don't know if it was actually snowing or if it was the mist from the Falls freezing just before it slapped us in the face, but we were pretty much miserable. From the time we got out of the car in the parking lot to the time we dove back in, our south Alabama bodies could only survive maybe 15 mins, max. I was actually a little bit disappointed when we got back to the car. 
I thought that maybe it was just the fact that my body was physically surrendering to the frigid air, rendering my mind incapable of comprehending the vastness of it all, but it seemed kinda small to me compared to what I had envisioned.  We couldn't leave Buffalo on that note, so we decided to try again in the morning.  And, come to find out, the falls that we had caught a glimpse of the night before were just a snippet of the real thing.  I was not disappointed in it at all in the light of day.  It was absolutely gorgeous. I think both of our hearts swelled with love for God as we just stood there staring.  As big and breath-taking as Niagara Falls is, it's only a tiny picture of how big and powerful our God is.  It was also a reminder that no matter how toasty and fully-functioning my mind is at any given time, it is still finite, and I can only fathom the tiniest taste of the fullness of God.  But the tiniest taste is enough to make me fall completely head-over-heels. And the simple fact that it IS the tiniest of tastes, just completely wrecks me every time.

Fruit

Genesis 22; Matthew 21

Fruit. God desires us to have fruit that is in accordance with the inner salvation we have received from Jesus Christ, His Son. This is fruit that proves our faith in Him. This is fruit that shows the world around us that we are truly believers. This is fruit that allows us to identify true brothers and sisters. This is eternal, non-perishing fruit.

2 examples:

1. Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22. God had already counted Abraham’s faith as righteousness earlier in the book of Genesis; however, God wanted to test Abraham to see if he would prove his faith in God. Therefore, God asks him to do what seems insane…sacrifice his only son, which he waited 100 years to get!!! Abraham, without delay, goes and does just that. Of course, the end of the story is that God provides a ram for the sacrifice, but only after Abraham had his son tied up, and had raised the knife to slaughter him. Abraham’s faith was proven to God in this moment, and God ultimately confirms his covenant with Abraham right after. We see Abraham’s fruit confirming his inward faith in God Almighty.
2. In Matthew 21, Jesus is hungry, and sees a fig tree. This fig tree has leaves as if it is in full bloom, but when Jesus gets up to it there is no fruit. He gets upset with the tree, and curses it…the tree withers accordingly. Later in this chapter, the religious leaders of the people of Israel challenge Jesus’ authority. When Jesus challenges them in return, they back down and have no response (Matthew 21:23-27). However, Jesus does not stop there. He proceeds to tell them of two parables. Both of these parables show the hypocrisy of the religious establishment in Israel. They are tripping on the cornerstone, which is Christ, and could not see that what John the Baptist was preaching was from God. They are just like the fig tree from earlier in the passage: outwardly they look like they are in full bloom, but when you get up close, you realize that they do not produce fruit because they have not truly been changed on the inside. They are the opposite of Abraham.

God knows where our hearts stand with Him without seeing our fruit. However, He chooses to test us anyway, to sanctify us and to draw us closer to Him. He weeds out those who are not true and faithful, and draws those in who are. Lord God, I ask that I will be proven faithful when I am tested in this life. Help me to understand that you desire good works and fruit in my life, not for salvation, but for proclamation of your Kingdom and declaration of my faith in and dependence on You. Help me to be like Abraham, and not like the Pharisees. I need you Jesus, and I need guidance from your Spirit. Amen.

The Gospel and our American Culture (Part 1)

   Recently, I was reading in Matthew 19, and the realization occurred to me that these texts are very counter-cultural to what we in America see and practice on a day-to-day basis.  The Gospel is under attack, as it has been ever since Jesus Christ arrived on the earth.  However, I felt as if the Lord really was speaking to me about how Matthew 19 points directly to some very hot topics in our American society specifically, and I felt as if I should share these thoughts with you.

This will be a two-part blog post, as it is a little too long to post as one.

Here are just a few thoughts on what I read:

• The Gospel and Marriage - Jesus states in verses 4-6, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."
• In what ways does this verse challenge the way our culture thinks about marriage?
• Sanctity of Marriage - Marriage is a holy institution, authorized by God Himself in Genesis 2, and further instituted by Jesus here in Matthew 19.
• Not a man-made institution - Humans and the state/government should not be the ultimate regulators of marriage, rather God should be.  God created marriage, and Paul describes in Ephesians 5:31-33 that marriage is actually supposed to be a picture of Christ and the church.
• Homosexuality - Very controversial topic in our American culture today, but one that has a very clear answer in the Bible.  Jesus says that a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife.  Several other places in the Bible corroborate this fact, and places such as Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 6, and Genesis 19 condemn the practice of homosexuality.

• The Gospel and Divorce - Jesus states in verse 9, "Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."
• In what ways does this verse challenge the way our culture thinks about divorce?
• Divorce Rate - The widely accepted statistic among Christians and non-Christians alike is ~50% of marriages in the USA end in a divorce.  The website www.divorcerate.org gives more detailed statistics.  This reality is truly sobering when you consider what Christ says about marriage, the sanctity of it, and what it is supposed to represent.
• Quickie, cheap divorces - American lawyers are making millions of dollars providing, and advertising, for fast, cheap divorces.  When I typed "divorce" into Google's search engine, the third result was "Low cost, fast divorce - $150 to start, 1 day service".  How easy we have made it to divorce in this country is not what God intended for marriages.
• Divorces for practically any reason - To make matters worse, you can get a divorce for basically any reason you want to.  According to a survey by the National Fatherhood Initiative, the 8 most common reasons for divorce include: 
1. Lack of commitment 
2. Too much arguing 
3. Infidelity 
4. Marrying too young  
5. Unrealistic Expectations
6. Lack of Equality
7. Lack of Preparation
8. Abuse

SIDE NOTE: I am not saying that our government should restrict divorces in a dictator-type way.  I am simply stating the fact that our American culture is far away from what God intends.  I am very thankful that Christ has not divorced his church, and me for that matter, for my lack of commitment to Him...for my arguing against His ways...for my infidelity towards Him.  Christ is the ultimate husband, and what we as believers should strive for.

• The Gospel and Children - Jesus states in verse 14, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
• In what ways does this verse challenge the way our culture thinks about children and the unborn?
• Abortions - Since the infamous Roe v. Wade decision on January 22, 1973, it is estimated that ~57 million abortions have been performed in the USA.  That's around 3,000 per day, or 1 abortion every 30 seconds.  Check out this sobering website.
• Sure, this verse is not clearly pointing to the issue of abortion, but many verses in the Bible do.  If you are interested in hearing more on what I believe is a very good Bible-based stance on abortion, I encourage you to visit this link, and listen to David Platt's sermon on abortion titled, "Christ and Children in a Culture of Death".  It is not boring, but rather a very poignant, bold message.

COME BACK IN A COUPLE OF DAYS TO SEE PART 2 OF THIS BLOG POST, WHICH WILL DISCUSS ONE MORE WAY THAT THE GOSPEL IS DIFFERENT FROM OUR AMERICAN CULTURE, AND HOW I BELIEVE MATTHEW 19 SAYS WE AS CHRISTIANS ARE TO ACT IN RESPONSE TO THESE ISSUES.

What Birthed the Blog

We like to travel.

We like to just get in the car and drive. Sometimes near. Sometimes far, far away.

We like to cruise, apparently even directly through tropical depressions.

We have recently discovered that we even kinda like to fly.  Especially now that we know not to attempt a two day trip without some good sleeping drugs.

We really like to travel.

We decided when we were engaged that we wanted to travel a lot throughout our marriage.  We have kept pretty true to that, so far.  In just the year and a half that we have been married, we have visited 5 different countries (6 depending on how you feel about Grand Cayman -- I'm just awful at any form of geography).  It seems like, for me at least, the more I travel, the more I want to travel.  Everywhere we go, I see something new and realize that there is so much more that I need to see. It's a vicious cycle really.

But, I think that there is a deeper reason for our love of traveling than just because we like it.  I think that, for us, traveling breeds worship.  And I don't mean playing air guitar and singing at the top of our lungs with Kim Walker or Phil Wickham. Or even "screaming Jesus out the window while we changing lanes" with Lecrae.  Don't get me wrong, we do plenty of both of those.  But I'm talking about the things that you see when you travel that leave an impression on your mind or a picture that you don't/can't forget that reveals something awesome about the character of God.  I mean,  like how it's hard to see something as breathtaking as an explosive sun rise from 40,000ft above the Western coast of Africa and not be overcome with the strength and creativity of God.  And, I dare you to stand at the rim of Niagara Falls and not be humbled by the immensity of His mind and power.  Heck, sometimes my heart flutters up with worship just knowing that Christ pursues, protects and provides for me infinitely more than the man who loves to just be with me in a car for 16 out of 24 hours in a day.  (No offense, babe, you do an awesome job... God's just better!)

I pray that God continues to surprise us and swell our hearts with worship for Himself through the beauty of new places.  But I also pray that he keeps us from going anywhere that He is not sending us.

So, what birthed the blog, you ask? We simply just want to share some of the ways that God reveals Himself with anyone who wants to read.