We have been reading Blue Like Jazz in our small group lately. This is one of my all time favorite books and I love that every time I read it I’m inspired again in such different ways. Here is an excerpt from this week:

Some people skip through life; some people are dragged through it. I sometimes wonder whether we are moving through time or time is moving through us My brilliant friend Mitch says that light, unlike anything else in the universe, is not affected by time. Light, he says, exists outside of time. He tells me it has something to do with how fast it travels and that it is eternal, but it is still a mystery to physicists. I say this only because time kept traveling through me.

Is time traveling through you? Are you being dragged? If so, what can you do today to change that? I’m answering these questions myself. Some days I feel the pain of being dragged, some days I feel the wind from skipping. I think such is life, the ups and downs and constant reminder that whatever is going on, in the big scheme of things, God is in control.

I wanted to share with you two people who are skipping, despite the circumstances, and are such an inspiration.

Meet Katie: she keeps a blog here (thanks to Sarah for introducing this blog to me!). Check out the August 14th post to give you her background story. What an amazing girl who God is using! Here is an excerpt:

I am 20 years old and have 13 children and 400 more who all depend on me for their care. Who are all learning to love Jesus and be responsible adults and looking up to me. The reality of it all can be a bit overwhelming at times. However, it is always pure joy. There is a common misconception that I am courageous. I will be the first to tell you that this is not actually true. Most of the time, I am not brave. I just believe in a God who will use me even though I am not. Most mornings, before I even get out of bed I am overwhelmed with His goodness, with His plan for my life; I stand in awe of the fact that He could entrust me with so much. Most days, I don’t have much of a plan. I don’t always know where this is going. I can’t see the end of the road, but here is the great part: Courage is not about knowing the path. It is about taking the first step. It is about Peter, getting out of the boat. I do not know my five year plan; even tomorrow will probably not go as I have planned. I am thrilled and I am terrified, in a good way. So some call it courage, some call it foolish, I call it Faith. I choose to get out of the boat. To take the next step. Sometimes I walk straight into His arms. More often, I get scared and look down and stumble. Sometimes I almost completely drown. And through it all, He never lets go of my hand.

Here is a link to her organization if you want to learn more or donate:

Mark Horvath: Formally homeless, lover of twitter, and showing the world a side of homeless that we so need to see.

Here’s an excerpt from his blog:

Why Me

I can’t spell, I hate to write and the only grammar I know
used to bake me cookies.

Why me? I ask myself that all the time. Mostly I wonder why God chooses to use me since knowing myself, I figure I must be His Plan B! Of course, God rarely shares with me His reasoning, but sometimes – maybe even years later – I see how He orchestrated my past for His divine purpose in the present. I constantly stand in awe of what God continues to do in my life and in the lives of my friends. Here’s what I know: if you stay on your knees, love God, love people, and live your life with all the gusto you can muster… then fasten your seat belt – you’re going to have an exciting journey!