Mobile Monks

This past week Justin and I visited a small church plant here in Oklahoma City. The pastor of this church spoke of this concept of "mobile monks" and i thought it was a great description of how we as Christians should be living our lives. Daily spending hours in prayer and study of the scriptures, becoming "mini-theologians" by knowing what we believe, and then using that knowledge and living the biblical message out in our every day lives.

Here is the quote the pastor used to illustrate this concept;

So, bottom line, this is what I want to see out of us over time: Depth with direction. Picture a monk in one those heavy, itchy brown robes...but with the best, lightest New Balance running shoes you can buy...Monks on the move. Deep thinking, deep feeling, deeply CHANGED men ( & women) . But they dont sit in a dark,damp monastery and chant and plant flowers all day. They MOVE OUT every day, all day with courage, character, and compassion into all the places God gives them to move--toward thier wives, thier children, thier co-workers, their neighbors, the least, the lonely, the widows, the orphans, to the ends of the earth...anything less and we will fall short of all that Christ Jesus saved us for and wants us to be.

Sex offender gets 60 days in prison

I heard about this story as I was watching CNN tonight and I was completely appalled. In Vermont a judge handed down a 60 day sentence to an admitted sex offender. The defendant admitted to molesting and sodomizing a young girl for a period of 4 years. What is this judge thinking? I am still in shock that someone who is supposed to impose justice on criminals would make such a horrific decison and stand by it! I am posting the link to this story so that you can read more details, but the maximum penalty this man could have recieved was up to life in prison and yet the judge decided that it would be better for our society to have this man undergo treatment for his sexual perversions and then re-enter our communities!!
This really outrages me because every day i see the effects of sexual abuse on children. It is the single most devastating, traumatizing act that can be committed against a child and it is not punished severely enough in our nation. Im not sure why is it so hard for people to realize that these individuals can never be cured (look at all the statistics, nothing support the assumption that sexual predators are ever "cured" from their tendencies) and are huge risks to our children and families. Another thing to remember is that almost all of them are repeat offenders before they are ever caught. Why are we willing to risk our children's lives to give these people a second chance? They are criminals just like any other rapist or murderer, yet do we see judges saying that it is better for murderers to go through some sort of treatment just to re-enter our society within 60 days? In this case, it seems that the judge feels worse for the child molester than the innocent, helpless, victimized child. Why are we not more outraged about sexual abuse towards children?
http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2006/01/10/ judge_cashman_defends_his_decision_to_impose_60_day_sentence/?page=1

Its so hard to believe that it has already been 4 weeks since I became Mrs. Grace. I thought that it would have sinked in by now, but it just hasnt. I still sign my name Jessica Ballard as much as I try to remember not too. I still forget that every decision I make now effects him as well. I have a hard time saying husband and not fiance...
Its just a weird transistion from being the "single" girl to being a WIFE!
I hope this isnt taken wrong, because i LOVE my husband and I love being married..
I love the fact that when I come home from work at night, Justin is waiting for me with dinner ready. He greets me with a kiss and listens to how my day went. (and let me tell you there have been some rough days the past week) He does so many little things that make me feel so special. From tucking me at night to setting the coffee pot to grind and brew when I get up for work. Maybe Im a simple girl, but these little things make me feel so loved.. Frequently I feel that I get the better end of the deal, but regardless God has definitely blessed me.
And although we are slowly adjusting to each other's quirks and ways of doing things and im sure in years to come these things will drive us both crazy, I still love knowing that I get to spend every day for the rest of my life with him. My best friend :)