It's a Wednesday afternoon
And I'm sitting in this church in my black dress
Wondering why I'm here for you
Cause you were gone and it all happened out of the blue
Heaven opened up and the angels sang
And you had that huge smile on your face
All your pains and all your tears
Were washed away
When the angels sang
Down here you left a hole in our hearts
And the burden of having to live with our grief
But through our pain we see hope
Because we know that soon we'll be home
Heaven opened up and the angels sang
And you had that huge smile on your face
All your pains and all your tears
Were washed away
When the angels sang
And we are still here waiting for the day
When we can join you in paradise
Standing side by side to worship our King
As the angels sing
Heaven opened up and the angels sang
And you had that huge smile on your face
All your pains and all your tears
Were washed away
When the angels sang
You had that huge smile on your face
When the angels sang
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
School, Heaven, and General Senior Things
So it's been over a year since Virginia died and I find myself healing. There are still those days that hurt, there are those days when the grief is overwhelming, but then there are those days when I'm sitting doing homework and the only thing that comes to mind is, "I'm so jealous that Virginia doesn't have to study this right now!!"
I guess that's just one more thing that's going to be awesome about heaven. We won't have to study anatomy or calculus.
That must be the most awesome thing ever.
Ok, well. On to something else...
A few days ago, we had our senior pictures (I know, its completely weird) and I couldn't help but think about how we were short one senior. My mind wandered to Virginia and how one of the first things that I thought of last year when she died was, "But she was supposed to graduate with us and go to college." It's funny how God had his own plan for her. While we are down here, suffering through school and senior thesis and anatomy, she is up there having the biggest, rockinest, neverending party.
I can't wait til we get to "party on the rooftop on top of the world" (weird how that kinda fits) with her!!
I guess that's just one more thing that's going to be awesome about heaven. We won't have to study anatomy or calculus.
That must be the most awesome thing ever.
Ok, well. On to something else...
A few days ago, we had our senior pictures (I know, its completely weird) and I couldn't help but think about how we were short one senior. My mind wandered to Virginia and how one of the first things that I thought of last year when she died was, "But she was supposed to graduate with us and go to college." It's funny how God had his own plan for her. While we are down here, suffering through school and senior thesis and anatomy, she is up there having the biggest, rockinest, neverending party.
I can't wait til we get to "party on the rooftop on top of the world" (weird how that kinda fits) with her!!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Kurt Cooper Part 2/3
How can I enjoy Media as a Christian? was the title of his elective.
Media gives us images of things we've never experienced.
What are we letting in without a filter and discernment?
-Romans 12:2
We treat movies, music, and books passively -- it's affecting us whether we know it or not. We should actively filter media through the Bible.
Creation (Gen. 1:31) - Fall (Gen. 3:7) - Redemption (Gen. 3:15)
We were made to hear this story and celebrate it. God has given us a couple of things to guide us.
-Ex. 20:12 - parents
-Rom. 13 - government
-Rom. 14 - discernment
We are to be looking for these things in everything.
If you like something that you can't tell your parents, you probably like it for the wrong reasons.
Media gives us images of things we've never experienced.
What are we letting in without a filter and discernment?
-Romans 12:2
We treat movies, music, and books passively -- it's affecting us whether we know it or not. We should actively filter media through the Bible.
Creation (Gen. 1:31) - Fall (Gen. 3:7) - Redemption (Gen. 3:15)
We were made to hear this story and celebrate it. God has given us a couple of things to guide us.
-Ex. 20:12 - parents
-Rom. 13 - government
-Rom. 14 - discernment
We are to be looking for these things in everything.
If you like something that you can't tell your parents, you probably like it for the wrong reasons.
Kurt Cooper Part 1
Moses:
-Born under persecution-babies being killed
-Raised by Pharaoh's daughter
-Led Israelites out of slavery
-Led them to the promised land
-Parted the Red Sea
-Hit rock=water
-God gave him unusual command over nature
-10 commandments-gave God's law to the people
-burning bush
Jesus:
-unusual command over nature
-parted the Red Sea
-Herod was killing babies
-led his people out of their slavery to sin and to heaven
We need someone like Moses but BETTER. Jesus Christ is the answer to our question. We were made to find Jesus everywhere.
Philippians 4:9
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, thing about these things.
You don't have to feel guilty for liking excellent things because excellent things point to Christ.
-Born under persecution-babies being killed
-Raised by Pharaoh's daughter
-Led Israelites out of slavery
-Led them to the promised land
-Parted the Red Sea
-Hit rock=water
-God gave him unusual command over nature
-10 commandments-gave God's law to the people
-burning bush
Jesus:
-unusual command over nature
-parted the Red Sea
-Herod was killing babies
-led his people out of their slavery to sin and to heaven
We need someone like Moses but BETTER. Jesus Christ is the answer to our question. We were made to find Jesus everywhere.
Philippians 4:9
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, thing about these things.
You don't have to feel guilty for liking excellent things because excellent things point to Christ.
Blake Smith Part 3
We will see God as he is in the new heaven and new earth.
What's wrong with us?
-Mind: faulty view of who God is, who I am, what the world is.
-Emotions: If I could set the rules, life would be perfect.
-Will
We don't have the capacity in our soul to celebrate life and enjoy God all the time. We get bored having to sit to long and listen about God. You will not long for heaven until we are tired of the turmoil within ourselves. Everything that we have had happen that harms us we have done to someone else -- Jesus will solve that delimma. We need to be stripped of our pride. We need to be freed of all our problems. We need to be made new.
HELL:
Moves in the direction of brokenness, not restoration. It's separation from God. Hell is God finally giving us everything we want...living out from under his sustaining power.
Matthew 8:12-weeping and nashing of teeth
Matthew 18:8-9-far better to enter kingdom of God maimed than into hell whole
We want to live life the way we want but God won't do it.
Fire consumes and destroys -- you are always moving towards frustration.
The good in this world is a little taste of heaven.
The bad is a little taste of hell.
What's wrong with us?
-Mind: faulty view of who God is, who I am, what the world is.
-Emotions: If I could set the rules, life would be perfect.
-Will
We don't have the capacity in our soul to celebrate life and enjoy God all the time. We get bored having to sit to long and listen about God. You will not long for heaven until we are tired of the turmoil within ourselves. Everything that we have had happen that harms us we have done to someone else -- Jesus will solve that delimma. We need to be stripped of our pride. We need to be freed of all our problems. We need to be made new.
HELL:
Moves in the direction of brokenness, not restoration. It's separation from God. Hell is God finally giving us everything we want...living out from under his sustaining power.
Matthew 8:12-weeping and nashing of teeth
Matthew 18:8-9-far better to enter kingdom of God maimed than into hell whole
We want to live life the way we want but God won't do it.
Fire consumes and destroys -- you are always moving towards frustration.
The good in this world is a little taste of heaven.
The bad is a little taste of hell.
Blake Smith Part 2
We should long to be rescued from our present condition. We should long for a day when the world is made right. We are broken people living in a broken world. We will never long for heaven until we realize how broken the world is and how much suffering is in the world. The reality is that this world is not what we think it is when we long for something more.
What is heaven?
Heaven is the restoration of this world. It is both a physical and spiritual restoration. It's evidence that the world is good.
Physical Restoration: Revelation 21:1
Jesus longs to heal us from our sinful disorder, his kiss brings total healing. In Rev. 21:1, heaven is called the New Jerusalem. Jerusalem was a place of worship for God's people. The temple was in Jerusalem with the Ark or the Covenant -- God's presence was there. The new city, God will be with his people. The world that God is talking about is a place where cultures can come together with mutual respect, mutual unity, and mutual worship. When we were kicked out of the garden, we lost the wholeness of God. Heaven will be here, the earth will be renewed.
What is heaven?
Heaven is the restoration of this world. It is both a physical and spiritual restoration. It's evidence that the world is good.
Physical Restoration: Revelation 21:1
Jesus longs to heal us from our sinful disorder, his kiss brings total healing. In Rev. 21:1, heaven is called the New Jerusalem. Jerusalem was a place of worship for God's people. The temple was in Jerusalem with the Ark or the Covenant -- God's presence was there. The new city, God will be with his people. The world that God is talking about is a place where cultures can come together with mutual respect, mutual unity, and mutual worship. When we were kicked out of the garden, we lost the wholeness of God. Heaven will be here, the earth will be renewed.
Blake Smith Part 1
Sorry, there are going to be a lot of RYM notes on here, but I loved it and I want to post!!
What happens when I die?? Heaven and Hell
Satan wants us to live a life of fear, Christ wants to free us from that. Death, sickness, rejection, failures are all a breath away. We have come face to face with a reality where a world is broken. We long for a world that isn't broken.
Our heart responds with the baseballs of this world in 2 ways: 1) rejoice in heaven and anticipate God's return or 2) try to recreate paradise on earth.
We try to create for ourselves a place of protection. the Garden of Eden was perfect but it has been lost.
So what are we looking for? We are looking for the kingdom of heaven restored. That will only happen when Christ returns. The worst thing we have ever done is recreate paradise. We desperately want to be happy now so we try to recreate paradise. We aren't patient enough to wait for heaven. God isn't in the business of providing for us what we think we need to be happy.
GOD HIMSELF CAN PROVIDE CONTENTMENT.
What happens when I die?? Heaven and Hell
Satan wants us to live a life of fear, Christ wants to free us from that. Death, sickness, rejection, failures are all a breath away. We have come face to face with a reality where a world is broken. We long for a world that isn't broken.
Our heart responds with the baseballs of this world in 2 ways: 1) rejoice in heaven and anticipate God's return or 2) try to recreate paradise on earth.
We try to create for ourselves a place of protection. the Garden of Eden was perfect but it has been lost.
So what are we looking for? We are looking for the kingdom of heaven restored. That will only happen when Christ returns. The worst thing we have ever done is recreate paradise. We desperately want to be happy now so we try to recreate paradise. We aren't patient enough to wait for heaven. God isn't in the business of providing for us what we think we need to be happy.
GOD HIMSELF CAN PROVIDE CONTENTMENT.
Richie Sessions Part 3/4
Psalm 1 talks about 2 types of people: 1) living people and 2) dead people.
Living People: living people are like trees planted by streams of water. They grow stronger every day. They are full and have meaning and get nutrients from God's word.
3 ways to get nutrients from the Word:
1) meditate on the Word- to meditate means to MUTTER the words. When you really love something, you memorize it and then talk about/quote it. We should do this with God's word!! To meditate on the Word also means to UNDERSTAND the Word. And finally, to meditate means to ABSORB the Word into your life. the Word only means something when it becomes true in your life and you can apply it.
Revelation 21:4- one day, we won't hurt anymore, we won't cry anymore, we won't have death anymore.
MAKE GOD'S LAW YOUR DELIGHT!!
2) Stand under the Word- the Bible is the adventure story -- it's ALIVE. You have to watch and believe and see the Word.
3) the Word has to wash your feet- Jesus washed the disciples feet in slaves clothing and to see him washing your feet will help you believe in the God of wonders beyond our galaxies. Washing feet was a disgusting and low job for one to do. People walked everywhere so feet got really nasty and Jesus got down and cleaned the dirtiest part of us. Everyone has secrets but Jesus came to wash our dirtiest parts!!
The Bible gives us 3 things: DEPTH (haha, not death), stability, and durability.
We begin to look like Jesus, he was fully human.
We need to be firmly planted by streams of water. To have depth is to look at your life and see what really matters. As you grow to look more like Christ, you begin to laugh at what you WERE.
Fear of Rejection: God will always accept you...ALWAYS -- Psalm 27-- this is our identity.
It the rugged Jesus that carried the cross, was friends with lepers, and LOVES us. It wasn't that delicate Jesus we have pictures of with the beard and the long flowing hair.
We need to be CAPTIVATED by the beauty of Christ!
Christians will face hardship but stability is to be firmly planted in the truth that Jesus is our hero!
WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME??
-The things we are so afraid of are NOTHING compared to Christ. He made the wind and the waves obey him.
-We are going to face storms but Jesus is in our boat.
Verse 3: It's not always going to be in season. When it seems like Jesus isn't working is when our roots go down deeper.
SO WHAT?
-read your bible
-be involved in church and Sunday worship
-realize that God is FOR you, not AGAINST you -- Jesus DELIGHTS in you!!
Living People: living people are like trees planted by streams of water. They grow stronger every day. They are full and have meaning and get nutrients from God's word.
3 ways to get nutrients from the Word:
1) meditate on the Word- to meditate means to MUTTER the words. When you really love something, you memorize it and then talk about/quote it. We should do this with God's word!! To meditate on the Word also means to UNDERSTAND the Word. And finally, to meditate means to ABSORB the Word into your life. the Word only means something when it becomes true in your life and you can apply it.
Revelation 21:4- one day, we won't hurt anymore, we won't cry anymore, we won't have death anymore.
MAKE GOD'S LAW YOUR DELIGHT!!
2) Stand under the Word- the Bible is the adventure story -- it's ALIVE. You have to watch and believe and see the Word.
3) the Word has to wash your feet- Jesus washed the disciples feet in slaves clothing and to see him washing your feet will help you believe in the God of wonders beyond our galaxies. Washing feet was a disgusting and low job for one to do. People walked everywhere so feet got really nasty and Jesus got down and cleaned the dirtiest part of us. Everyone has secrets but Jesus came to wash our dirtiest parts!!
The Bible gives us 3 things: DEPTH (haha, not death), stability, and durability.
We begin to look like Jesus, he was fully human.
We need to be firmly planted by streams of water. To have depth is to look at your life and see what really matters. As you grow to look more like Christ, you begin to laugh at what you WERE.
Fear of Rejection: God will always accept you...ALWAYS -- Psalm 27-- this is our identity.
It the rugged Jesus that carried the cross, was friends with lepers, and LOVES us. It wasn't that delicate Jesus we have pictures of with the beard and the long flowing hair.
We need to be CAPTIVATED by the beauty of Christ!
Christians will face hardship but stability is to be firmly planted in the truth that Jesus is our hero!
WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME??
-The things we are so afraid of are NOTHING compared to Christ. He made the wind and the waves obey him.
-We are going to face storms but Jesus is in our boat.
Verse 3: It's not always going to be in season. When it seems like Jesus isn't working is when our roots go down deeper.
SO WHAT?
-read your bible
-be involved in church and Sunday worship
-realize that God is FOR you, not AGAINST you -- Jesus DELIGHTS in you!!
Richie Sessions Part 2
Psalm 19:7-11
The world is always changing but the Word of God stays the same. God never had a beginning and he created time...everything he says is eternal. Here are 2 things to look at: 1) authority of God's word and 2) Power of God's word.
God's word is sweeter than honey. Back then, honey was extremely precious, only kings could afford to have it. Verse 7 says his testimony is PURE. God has authority to talk about whatever he wants and in any way he wants. His perspective on anything is a true perspective. God's testimony is eternal and unchangeable. Verse 8 talks about the precepts and commands of God, which says that God can tell you that you're wrong.
Verse 9 talks about REVERENTIAL fear of the Lord. Basically, that means when God speaks, you SHUT UP and you LISTEN. *Job 38* Reverent fear is pure. It's right. It's good. We should want a reverent fear of the Lord.
Verse 7 talks about the Law of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul. Our souls are THIRSTY. Nothing is enough (Law of Diminishing Returns, anyone??) Our souls need to be quenched and the word of the Lord can quench it's thirst.
Listen to the God who NEVER moves, NEVER changes. Bring light to the eyes-- it lets you see who you are. The fear of the Lord is clean and endures forever.
The world is always changing but the Word of God stays the same. God never had a beginning and he created time...everything he says is eternal. Here are 2 things to look at: 1) authority of God's word and 2) Power of God's word.
God's word is sweeter than honey. Back then, honey was extremely precious, only kings could afford to have it. Verse 7 says his testimony is PURE. God has authority to talk about whatever he wants and in any way he wants. His perspective on anything is a true perspective. God's testimony is eternal and unchangeable. Verse 8 talks about the precepts and commands of God, which says that God can tell you that you're wrong.
Verse 9 talks about REVERENTIAL fear of the Lord. Basically, that means when God speaks, you SHUT UP and you LISTEN. *Job 38* Reverent fear is pure. It's right. It's good. We should want a reverent fear of the Lord.
Verse 7 talks about the Law of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul. Our souls are THIRSTY. Nothing is enough (Law of Diminishing Returns, anyone??) Our souls need to be quenched and the word of the Lord can quench it's thirst.
Listen to the God who NEVER moves, NEVER changes. Bring light to the eyes-- it lets you see who you are. The fear of the Lord is clean and endures forever.
Richie Sessions Part 1: JR high RYM
This week at jr high RYM, Richie Sessions led the talks at night. I'm going to blog a few highlights from my notes.
Luke 24:13-32 = the road to Emmaus
"We are around Jesus all the time, he surrounds us...so why is he not AMAZING to us?" -R. Sessions
We are in constant need. We need Jesus to reveal himself to us because he is always walking alongside us. Richie made 2 points: 1) Jesus is the hero of the Bible (vs. 24-25) and 2) Jesus is your friend at the table.
In verses 24-26, Jesus tells them they are foolish to not see the entire Bible is about Christ (start with Genesis 3:15 for example. Also Numbers 21, Deuteronomy, Isaiah 7 & 53). The whole bible itself is about Christ.
When you look at cultures around the world, especially our culture, you will find that everyone loves superheros. Superman, Batman, Iron Man, Spiderman, Green Lantern, Flash Gordon...the list goes on. Have you ever wondered WHY the world loves superhero stories?? It's because we all need a rescuer. Everyone is scared and this world is in dispair. We have sins, failures, fears, insecurities...we need to be rescued from that. The Bible tells the story of the true Hero/Rescuer. Have you ever noticed that every superhero is similar to normal humans? Clark Kent, Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne...they are all somewhat normal. Jesus lived here, died here, rose from the dead here. He became man. The scriptures are Christ revealing himself and they are true because Christ DEFEATED death.
Jesus conquered death. He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven but the place he wants to be is HERE. With us. With filthy, dirty, sinners. No one is more significant that Jesus and he wants to be with us and we can find him when we read the Word of God. The most important thing Jesus did was bring us home; he is a FRIEND to sinners.
Luke 24:13-32 = the road to Emmaus
"We are around Jesus all the time, he surrounds us...so why is he not AMAZING to us?" -R. Sessions
We are in constant need. We need Jesus to reveal himself to us because he is always walking alongside us. Richie made 2 points: 1) Jesus is the hero of the Bible (vs. 24-25) and 2) Jesus is your friend at the table.
In verses 24-26, Jesus tells them they are foolish to not see the entire Bible is about Christ (start with Genesis 3:15 for example. Also Numbers 21, Deuteronomy, Isaiah 7 & 53). The whole bible itself is about Christ.
When you look at cultures around the world, especially our culture, you will find that everyone loves superheros. Superman, Batman, Iron Man, Spiderman, Green Lantern, Flash Gordon...the list goes on. Have you ever wondered WHY the world loves superhero stories?? It's because we all need a rescuer. Everyone is scared and this world is in dispair. We have sins, failures, fears, insecurities...we need to be rescued from that. The Bible tells the story of the true Hero/Rescuer. Have you ever noticed that every superhero is similar to normal humans? Clark Kent, Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne...they are all somewhat normal. Jesus lived here, died here, rose from the dead here. He became man. The scriptures are Christ revealing himself and they are true because Christ DEFEATED death.
Jesus conquered death. He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven but the place he wants to be is HERE. With us. With filthy, dirty, sinners. No one is more significant that Jesus and he wants to be with us and we can find him when we read the Word of God. The most important thing Jesus did was bring us home; he is a FRIEND to sinners.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Lunar Eclipse
Monday, May 30, 2011
Crazy Love: Obsessed
So I was reading Francis Chan's "Crazy Love" today and I got to the chapter about what it looks like to be obsessed with Christ and a few things jumped out at me.
The first was this quote: "It is just this sort of love that is crazy to the world: true love, a kind found nowhere but through Christ."
And as I read that I realized the depth of that statement. When you read in the Bible, there are countless examples of who God shows this undying, unchangeable, unmeasurable love for us. The first is by sending his Son to die.
This also makes me think of the book Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. If you have not read this book, I am in no way suggesting it. It's rather...well, mature. But it's a fictional retelling of the story of Hosea. And when I read this, not only was I reading about the passion that a man had for his harlot wife, but I was reading about the passion that God had for us. We give our hearts away to the little things of this world, constantly finding pleasure in things that will not ultimately satisfy us. And God never gives up on us, he persues us, loves us. Just like Michael pursued and loved Angel in Redeeming Love. We are, like the book of Hosea shows, harlets. We are filthy, unclean, and we are not whole. Not until we find redemption.
We are so unworthy of the love God gives us. But God takes pleasure in us. In all of us. He loves us through our imperfections and fears, and it is better than any love we could ever possibly imagine. This kind of love looks crazy to the outside world, but to someone who has experienced this love, it is beatiful. It is something to be longed for, yearned for. And to know that God, the Creator of the universe, wants all of us...that is crazy. It's an absolutely crazy love.
The second thing that jumped out at me was this quote: "A person who is obsessed thinks about Heaven frequently. Obsessed people orient their lives around eternity; they are not fixed only on what is here in front of them."
That seemed so beautiful to me. To have the kind of obsession, that kind of crazy love for God so that all you can think about is spending an eternity with him. But it not only means we are focused on our own eternity. At least, that's not the way I see it. To me, that says that we should be so obsessed and head-over-heals for our Savior that we want everyone else to experience this crazy and insane love he has for us. We should be so in love with Christ that we want to share that love with everyone around us.
Think about how beautiful life would be if that's how everyone lived. Sharing the truth about God's relentless and crazy love with everyone around them, everyone obsessing over their Creator, their Father, their Lover.
That's crazy.
The first was this quote: "It is just this sort of love that is crazy to the world: true love, a kind found nowhere but through Christ."
And as I read that I realized the depth of that statement. When you read in the Bible, there are countless examples of who God shows this undying, unchangeable, unmeasurable love for us. The first is by sending his Son to die.
This also makes me think of the book Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. If you have not read this book, I am in no way suggesting it. It's rather...well, mature. But it's a fictional retelling of the story of Hosea. And when I read this, not only was I reading about the passion that a man had for his harlot wife, but I was reading about the passion that God had for us. We give our hearts away to the little things of this world, constantly finding pleasure in things that will not ultimately satisfy us. And God never gives up on us, he persues us, loves us. Just like Michael pursued and loved Angel in Redeeming Love. We are, like the book of Hosea shows, harlets. We are filthy, unclean, and we are not whole. Not until we find redemption.
We are so unworthy of the love God gives us. But God takes pleasure in us. In all of us. He loves us through our imperfections and fears, and it is better than any love we could ever possibly imagine. This kind of love looks crazy to the outside world, but to someone who has experienced this love, it is beatiful. It is something to be longed for, yearned for. And to know that God, the Creator of the universe, wants all of us...that is crazy. It's an absolutely crazy love.
The second thing that jumped out at me was this quote: "A person who is obsessed thinks about Heaven frequently. Obsessed people orient their lives around eternity; they are not fixed only on what is here in front of them."
That seemed so beautiful to me. To have the kind of obsession, that kind of crazy love for God so that all you can think about is spending an eternity with him. But it not only means we are focused on our own eternity. At least, that's not the way I see it. To me, that says that we should be so obsessed and head-over-heals for our Savior that we want everyone else to experience this crazy and insane love he has for us. We should be so in love with Christ that we want to share that love with everyone around us.
Think about how beautiful life would be if that's how everyone lived. Sharing the truth about God's relentless and crazy love with everyone around them, everyone obsessing over their Creator, their Father, their Lover.
That's crazy.
Monday, May 2, 2011
I was flipping through my bible in church Sunday when I came across this verse. Psalm 116:15, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." It was circled in a turqouise pen, which meant one thing: I had found and circled that verse shortly after Virginia died. I was thinking about why I would have circled it when I thought about what a saint was.
.
Dictionary.com defines saint as this:
1. any of certain persons of exceptional holiness of life
OR
2. a person of great holiness, virtue, or benevolence
I remembered that I read this verse and thought of Virginia because she lived a life of great holiness. She lived a life worth copying, and she lived a life glorifying to her Savior. I loved reading this verse and thinking of Virginia as "precious in the sight of the Lord" because it reminded me that even though here we are grieving, God is being glorified and delighted by his creation in the perfected form in which she was meant to be.
.
Dictionary.com defines saint as this:
1. any of certain persons of exceptional holiness of life
OR
2. a person of great holiness, virtue, or benevolence
I remembered that I read this verse and thought of Virginia because she lived a life of great holiness. She lived a life worth copying, and she lived a life glorifying to her Savior. I loved reading this verse and thinking of Virginia as "precious in the sight of the Lord" because it reminded me that even though here we are grieving, God is being glorified and delighted by his creation in the perfected form in which she was meant to be.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Smile Again
I sit here thinking about all the times we had
All our laughter and tears and memories
Now those are all I have
I still see you in the back of my mind
And I still cry for you all the time
~Chorus~
Sometimes it feels like the end of everything
And the weight of the world is crashing down on me
Normal no longer feels as it should be
And I know that where you are, you're smiling
One day I'll see your face again
And I'll be able to smile again
For now I know I have to live with all this pain
And I have to fight against it for so many years
Many sleepless nights of crying my grief away
Why did this have to be you? Why did you have to like this?
~Chorus~
Now we can all stay strong together
Having all these things to remind us of you
It's been all this time and we're still crying
We need to see your smile again
~Chorus~
These memories of you have me smiling againHere's another song for Virginia. Enjoy :)
Monday, April 18, 2011
And Here Comes the 18th
So it's April 18.
Now for some people that may not be a big deal. For some people it may be a birthday or wedding anniversary. What is it for me? Well it tells me that it has been seven months since Virginia died.
Now I know that I'm not the only one who stops and thinks about her more than usual on the 18th of every month. It always seems to be the hardest for me emotionally on the 18th and 19th. One thing I've started doing ever since she died is this: instead of counting the exact number of days and saying, "It's been this many days since I saw her last" I say "I'm one day closer to seeing not only heaven and my Savior, but also Virginia. I'm one day closer." And it may seem strange to you that I do that. But it helps me remember that this isn't the end. Life continues on after death and it's far better than life now. Not only do we get to spend the rest of eternity with our Creator, but our bodies are perfected and there is no more pain, sorrow, and suffering. So yeah, I tell myself I'm a day closer because it brings me joy and hope to know that there is something better waiting for me.
So even though I always get really sad on the 18th, it also reminds me that it can only get better from this point.
Everyday we are one day closer, and for all we know, everyday could be our last day. So let's make it count. Life is a vapor. Don't waste it.
Now for some people that may not be a big deal. For some people it may be a birthday or wedding anniversary. What is it for me? Well it tells me that it has been seven months since Virginia died.
Now I know that I'm not the only one who stops and thinks about her more than usual on the 18th of every month. It always seems to be the hardest for me emotionally on the 18th and 19th. One thing I've started doing ever since she died is this: instead of counting the exact number of days and saying, "It's been this many days since I saw her last" I say "I'm one day closer to seeing not only heaven and my Savior, but also Virginia. I'm one day closer." And it may seem strange to you that I do that. But it helps me remember that this isn't the end. Life continues on after death and it's far better than life now. Not only do we get to spend the rest of eternity with our Creator, but our bodies are perfected and there is no more pain, sorrow, and suffering. So yeah, I tell myself I'm a day closer because it brings me joy and hope to know that there is something better waiting for me.
So even though I always get really sad on the 18th, it also reminds me that it can only get better from this point.
Everyday we are one day closer, and for all we know, everyday could be our last day. So let's make it count. Life is a vapor. Don't waste it.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
"Lead me to the Cross"
So I've seen a lot of death happen within the past year and a half. More than I would have liked too.
Cole Ellis, Hannah Ridling, Virginia Jacks, Mrs. Tricia, and Mr. Hopson.
I personally only knew Virginia and Tricia, but from what I hear, the other three were amazing people. Death has been making me think a lot about how short life can be. It isn't really even our life. We don't know when our last day could be: it could be tomorrow, it could be next year, it could be that we die of old age. None of us really know.
Death also makes me think about what I'm doing with my life. If I'm not garunteed tomorrow, then shouldn't I live today as if it was my last? Yes. But how do I do that?
Well, one way is I can give my life away to others. It's not really mine anyway, not truly. We don't have control over when we come into this world or when we leave it. We should devote ourselves to serving and blessing others (which isn't easy, of course.) This also makes me think about what my mind is set on right now. Is it set on things of the flesh or things of the Spirit? We should hunger for holiness. It must be an active pursuit. 1 Timothy 4:7 says, "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly." We are called by Christ to be godly. There are two definitions of godly. One is this: "conforming to the laws and wishes of God; devout; pious." This is a daily struggle a lot of Christians have. Can people look at our lives and KNOW that there is something different about us? Can they see that we have something they don't have? Are we lifting His name on high or are we dragging it through the mud?
We are called to hate our sin. "We should hate what put our Savior on the cross!" -Adam Coppock. We should remember that every little sin we do, whether it's gossip, slander, lying, stealing, whatever...we should remember that it was THAT sin that sent Christ to the cross to die. How convicting!
We shouldn't fear death. If we are believers in Christ, then we should know that for us, it can only get BETTER. When we die, we go to heaven and our bodies are perfected. We shouldn't fear death and we should long for heaven. After all, that should be where our treasures are stored up anyway, right?
Heaven=Jesus for an Eternity. Sounds pretty awesome to me!
Cole Ellis, Hannah Ridling, Virginia Jacks, Mrs. Tricia, and Mr. Hopson.
I personally only knew Virginia and Tricia, but from what I hear, the other three were amazing people. Death has been making me think a lot about how short life can be. It isn't really even our life. We don't know when our last day could be: it could be tomorrow, it could be next year, it could be that we die of old age. None of us really know.
Death also makes me think about what I'm doing with my life. If I'm not garunteed tomorrow, then shouldn't I live today as if it was my last? Yes. But how do I do that?
Well, one way is I can give my life away to others. It's not really mine anyway, not truly. We don't have control over when we come into this world or when we leave it. We should devote ourselves to serving and blessing others (which isn't easy, of course.) This also makes me think about what my mind is set on right now. Is it set on things of the flesh or things of the Spirit? We should hunger for holiness. It must be an active pursuit. 1 Timothy 4:7 says, "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly." We are called by Christ to be godly. There are two definitions of godly. One is this: "conforming to the laws and wishes of God; devout; pious." This is a daily struggle a lot of Christians have. Can people look at our lives and KNOW that there is something different about us? Can they see that we have something they don't have? Are we lifting His name on high or are we dragging it through the mud?
We are called to hate our sin. "We should hate what put our Savior on the cross!" -Adam Coppock. We should remember that every little sin we do, whether it's gossip, slander, lying, stealing, whatever...we should remember that it was THAT sin that sent Christ to the cross to die. How convicting!
We shouldn't fear death. If we are believers in Christ, then we should know that for us, it can only get BETTER. When we die, we go to heaven and our bodies are perfected. We shouldn't fear death and we should long for heaven. After all, that should be where our treasures are stored up anyway, right?
Heaven=Jesus for an Eternity. Sounds pretty awesome to me!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
That Dark September Night
Ok, so I wrote this song for Virginia, my friend who died in the car accident in September.
It's not great, so don't expect much. But I wanted to share it with y'all.
That Dark September Night
You were always the one with a smile on your face
You were the one who could brighten up my day
There was something special about you, everyone could see it
But now I'm getting the phonecall telling me it's all over
*Chorus*
Now ever since that dark September night
I've had these scars on my heart
Now that you're gone I don't know what to do
Crying myself to sleep and lying awake all those late nights
Thinking about everything I lost on that dark September night
Walking and waiting for you to come around
Knowing this is really the end of life as I knew it to be
Knowing I'll see you again someday
*Chorus*
Sometimes I still ask myself why
Why me, why you, why did you have to go this way?
So many things left unsaid, so many questions left unanswered
Sometimes I feel as if I'm drowning in my sorrow
Where did this all go wrong?
*Chorus*
I miss you so much, feeling like something's not right
Still screaming out why, missing everything you used to be
And whenever the eighteenth comes around I have to stop and think
About everything the world lost on that dark September night
*Chorus*
You were the perfect example of what a life should look like
You radiated everything that I wished I could be
You shone with the love of Christ all around you
And you're love for others could just brighten a room
*Chorus*
And whenever the eighteenth comes around I have to stop and think
About everything I lost on that dark September night
It's not great, so don't expect much. But I wanted to share it with y'all.
That Dark September Night
You were always the one with a smile on your face
You were the one who could brighten up my day
There was something special about you, everyone could see it
But now I'm getting the phonecall telling me it's all over
*Chorus*
Now ever since that dark September night
I've had these scars on my heart
Now that you're gone I don't know what to do
Crying myself to sleep and lying awake all those late nights
Thinking about everything I lost on that dark September night
Walking and waiting for you to come around
Knowing this is really the end of life as I knew it to be
Knowing I'll see you again someday
*Chorus*
Sometimes I still ask myself why
Why me, why you, why did you have to go this way?
So many things left unsaid, so many questions left unanswered
Sometimes I feel as if I'm drowning in my sorrow
Where did this all go wrong?
*Chorus*
I miss you so much, feeling like something's not right
Still screaming out why, missing everything you used to be
And whenever the eighteenth comes around I have to stop and think
About everything the world lost on that dark September night
*Chorus*
You were the perfect example of what a life should look like
You radiated everything that I wished I could be
You shone with the love of Christ all around you
And you're love for others could just brighten a room
*Chorus*
And whenever the eighteenth comes around I have to stop and think
About everything I lost on that dark September night
And the Bride Wore White
Right now, I am going through a Bible study with some friends. We are going through the book And the Bride Wore White by Dannah Gresh and in this book, it talks about steps to physical and emotional purity. Let me share something I have learned from this book.
First off, when reading this book, Dannah has parts of the books where she has you stop and write prayers to God. I love doing this, which is one reason I love this book. In the first chapter, Dannah says something very interesting. She says, "I think that even Satan, like Adam and Eve, knew nothing of what death meant." I found this statement to be really profound. Let's think about it a second.
Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the garden. Adam and Eve were told by God that they were not to eat from the tree in the center of the garden because they would die. Now, God did not mean immediate death. But he did mean physical death. There would be aging, where before, we were to live eternally in fellowship with the Father. What Adam and Eve failed to realize is that God isn't holding anything great from us! We had everything our hearts could have desired and they threw it down the drain because we became wise in our own eyes. They didn't fully understand the consequences of what their sin would be-- separation from the Father and a life of pain.
And the Bride Wore White is written for girls. The book explains how to pursue purity and why. Christ is pure, Christ is perfect. 1 John 2:6 says, "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." We are called to be like Christ, and therefore should strive to be pure. We must try to walk and live our lives in a way to glorify our Heavenly Father, even if that means losing some friendships. Sometimes doing the right thing requires sacrifice. It's hard to do, but it's so so worth it.
Ok, well that's all I have. I hope you were encouraged by this...and if not, then I hope that maybe you at least enjoyed it.
First off, when reading this book, Dannah has parts of the books where she has you stop and write prayers to God. I love doing this, which is one reason I love this book. In the first chapter, Dannah says something very interesting. She says, "I think that even Satan, like Adam and Eve, knew nothing of what death meant." I found this statement to be really profound. Let's think about it a second.
Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the garden. Adam and Eve were told by God that they were not to eat from the tree in the center of the garden because they would die. Now, God did not mean immediate death. But he did mean physical death. There would be aging, where before, we were to live eternally in fellowship with the Father. What Adam and Eve failed to realize is that God isn't holding anything great from us! We had everything our hearts could have desired and they threw it down the drain because we became wise in our own eyes. They didn't fully understand the consequences of what their sin would be-- separation from the Father and a life of pain.
And the Bride Wore White is written for girls. The book explains how to pursue purity and why. Christ is pure, Christ is perfect. 1 John 2:6 says, "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." We are called to be like Christ, and therefore should strive to be pure. We must try to walk and live our lives in a way to glorify our Heavenly Father, even if that means losing some friendships. Sometimes doing the right thing requires sacrifice. It's hard to do, but it's so so worth it.
Ok, well that's all I have. I hope you were encouraged by this...and if not, then I hope that maybe you at least enjoyed it.
Looking To Heaven
So I'm not sure why I decided to start a blog.
I'm really not.
But while I'm here, I guess I can tell you what's on my mind... Heaven.
I went to a DNow weekend youth conference this past weekend and in one of the talks, our speaker, Scott, was talking about heaven. He was telling us that if we do not think about, long for, or want to have a taste of heaven, then we have stored our treasures in the wrong place. Well, I have been thinking. I DO yearn for heaven. Who wouldn't want to leave this disgusting and spinning mud ball behind and go to spend an eternity in the glory of God, right? Well, then I thought about something else. Back in September, I had a friend die in a car accident. I know that she is in heaven, delighting in her Savior and giving her Savior delight. I know that. So then it made me think. Do I yearn for heaven more now than I did before my friend died because I want to see her?
This is something I had to be in prayer about and I have come to this conclusion: no. I don't long for heaven to see Virginia. I long for heaven because I'm tired of the filth, pain, and suffering of this world. But heaven would allow me to see Virginia once more.
So, heaven. How cool is that? Just think about Heaven for a minute. Revelation 21:4 says, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Now does that sound awesome or what? On earth, we come across a lot of people who are concerned about their appearance. They are concerned that their bodies aren't "perfect" enough. In heaven, we will be perfectly beautiful for an ETERNITY. Perfect as our bodies were created to be. Isn't that something to yearn for? I certainly think so.
I'm really not.
But while I'm here, I guess I can tell you what's on my mind... Heaven.
I went to a DNow weekend youth conference this past weekend and in one of the talks, our speaker, Scott, was talking about heaven. He was telling us that if we do not think about, long for, or want to have a taste of heaven, then we have stored our treasures in the wrong place. Well, I have been thinking. I DO yearn for heaven. Who wouldn't want to leave this disgusting and spinning mud ball behind and go to spend an eternity in the glory of God, right? Well, then I thought about something else. Back in September, I had a friend die in a car accident. I know that she is in heaven, delighting in her Savior and giving her Savior delight. I know that. So then it made me think. Do I yearn for heaven more now than I did before my friend died because I want to see her?
This is something I had to be in prayer about and I have come to this conclusion: no. I don't long for heaven to see Virginia. I long for heaven because I'm tired of the filth, pain, and suffering of this world. But heaven would allow me to see Virginia once more.
So, heaven. How cool is that? Just think about Heaven for a minute. Revelation 21:4 says, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Now does that sound awesome or what? On earth, we come across a lot of people who are concerned about their appearance. They are concerned that their bodies aren't "perfect" enough. In heaven, we will be perfectly beautiful for an ETERNITY. Perfect as our bodies were created to be. Isn't that something to yearn for? I certainly think so.
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