It really makes me sad that people can walk outside and see creation and not believe in the Creator. It makes me sad that people sit in science and anatomy classes and put their faith in that, but not in the Creator. It makes me sad that people who read the Bible cannot believe in it.
But it also makes me sad that there are people out there who do believe in the Creator, and they are the reason that people turn away from the faith. They judge, they say horrible things, they are hypocrites. Where is the love? We preach on showing love to others all the time, but we never show it. We live a double standard for ourselves. If someone looks at the church body and is turned away because of the hate and the criticism and judgement, then we need to reevaluate the way we live. We think that seeing someone in sin makes them less than us, but we were redeemed from that very sin by someone who gave his life for us, yet we are better than them? 1 John 4:7-8 says, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." This doesn't mean to just love the believers, or love the people who are similar to us. This means love the people who don't believe, the people who are very different from us, the sinners. We have been saved by GRACE and not by our own doing, so we should rejoice in this and be unashamed to tell others. To tell unbelievers. And really, how different are they? They need Jesus too, just like you and I do.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Monday, April 23, 2012
Art
So someone once told me that in order to fully understand art, you need a PhD.
Excuse me, but no you don't.
You need to have an open mind and a willingness to understand the insane and the beautiful.
Because that's all that art is. Insane people creating beautiful things from that which they have studied.
Edgar Degas, for example, would be hard to understand if you didn't understand his purpose behind his art. He paints, very simply, naked women. Lots of them. Some people would just look at his paintings and think he was a distgusting pervert. But instead, I look at his art and see beauty and the intelligence that can only be found in someone a little crazy, but only a little. Degas studied women. And you may be thinking, "Well of course he would 'study' the female body. He's a man."
Sure. Think that now. But stick with me here.
The human body was created by God to be a beautiful thing, made to be enjoyed and for us to take pleasure in. The Rennaissance was all about the study of the human body. Like Michaelangelo's statue of David. No one seems to think he's a pervert. But he's doing the same thing as anyone else painting/sculpting a naked person. They are studying, and discovering how to master the beauty that is the human body. People see the art of the Rennaissance, when the focus of art was the naked human body, and they can't stop talking about it's beauty. Then you get into modern art like Degas, and it's ugly, it's distgusting. . . but only to the unlearned eye. Because Degas study of prostitues and women around the house wasn't him finding an excuse to sketch naked women. He was studying her body. He was learning the different ways and positions (bending over, standing, sitting/lying down) that could be drawn. This is why he loved drawing the dancers. Dancer can do amazing things with their bodies. He loved to capture them as they put on their dancing slippers, as they danced, as they stretched. . . to Degas it was an opportunity.
That's how I see things. As opportunities. And I look at art like that of Degas (who is one of my favorite artists, by the way) and I learn from what he learned. I learn from the sketches, the way he used pencil, charcol, and pastels to make his dancers come alive.
So no, you don't need a PhD to understand art. You just need to be willing to learn about something beautiful and intelligent.
Excuse me, but no you don't.
You need to have an open mind and a willingness to understand the insane and the beautiful.
Because that's all that art is. Insane people creating beautiful things from that which they have studied.
Edgar Degas, for example, would be hard to understand if you didn't understand his purpose behind his art. He paints, very simply, naked women. Lots of them. Some people would just look at his paintings and think he was a distgusting pervert. But instead, I look at his art and see beauty and the intelligence that can only be found in someone a little crazy, but only a little. Degas studied women. And you may be thinking, "Well of course he would 'study' the female body. He's a man."
Sure. Think that now. But stick with me here.
The human body was created by God to be a beautiful thing, made to be enjoyed and for us to take pleasure in. The Rennaissance was all about the study of the human body. Like Michaelangelo's statue of David. No one seems to think he's a pervert. But he's doing the same thing as anyone else painting/sculpting a naked person. They are studying, and discovering how to master the beauty that is the human body. People see the art of the Rennaissance, when the focus of art was the naked human body, and they can't stop talking about it's beauty. Then you get into modern art like Degas, and it's ugly, it's distgusting. . . but only to the unlearned eye. Because Degas study of prostitues and women around the house wasn't him finding an excuse to sketch naked women. He was studying her body. He was learning the different ways and positions (bending over, standing, sitting/lying down) that could be drawn. This is why he loved drawing the dancers. Dancer can do amazing things with their bodies. He loved to capture them as they put on their dancing slippers, as they danced, as they stretched. . . to Degas it was an opportunity.
That's how I see things. As opportunities. And I look at art like that of Degas (who is one of my favorite artists, by the way) and I learn from what he learned. I learn from the sketches, the way he used pencil, charcol, and pastels to make his dancers come alive.
So no, you don't need a PhD to understand art. You just need to be willing to learn about something beautiful and intelligent.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Well, Here it Goes
So on Friday practices, our coach has one of us share our testimony. One of my teammates said that we shouldn't be ashamed of what God has done in our life, and that we don't have to share the details right now. No one has ever heard all the details of my testimony, so I think I'll post it here. Enjoy :)
I grew up in a Christian home and going to church. I would be the definition of a church kid. When I was about 6 or 7, my older sister asked me if I had asked Jesus into my heart...to which I responded that I hadn't. She urged me to do it, and said the prayer with me. If my older sister said to do it, then it must be cool, right? But nothing really changed after that. I kept living my little life. But when I was 13 or 14 I started going to youth group, and that's where things really changed for me. My faith became my own, it wasn't something I believed because my parents did. I started reading my Bible and having quiet times with God everyday, and it became a big deal.
But, I have always struggled with being a lukewarm Christian. So around my sophomore year of high school, I stopped reading my Bible. I told myself, "I'll get to it later," and then never would. And then I developed a really bad respect issue. I disrespected my parents, I disrespected my teachers, it was really bad. So bad, that my parents told me that if I didn't straighten up, I wouldn't be playing basketball. I shrugged it off, telling myself I would take care of it. But, I also told myself that I didn't need God to take care of it. I could handle it on my own, I had control of my life. Things only got worse. After a few months, I was sitting in bed and I had a heavy weight on my heart telling me to pick up my Bible for the first time in months and read it. I prayed to God, disrepectfully, and said, "Ok, then. If you want me to read it so badly, then let me open it up to something you want me to read." And well, he did. I opened my Bible to Job 38 and I started reading. And it was a jaw-dropping, hit with a ton of bricks moment for me. I only read the first seven verses before putting my Bible down and getting on my knees and begging for forgiveness. This is what I read: Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?
God had reminded me with that verse that I wasn't the one that was in control of my life. He was. After that, I got back in the word, and the disrespect slowly went away. My independent and stubborn personality was still there, but I had changed.
Around the beginning of junior year after visiting Uganda, I felt like I finally had my life on track. I was doing good with my walk with the Lord, and it became a pride issue. I started thinking really highly of myself because I thought that I couldn't get much better in my relationship with the Lord than I was now. But the Lord is faithful to prove you wrong, because shortly after, he took Virginia home. I felt like God had slapped me in the face and said, "Take that." I remember being so angry and frustrated because I didn't know what to do with the pain I was experiencing. But a week after the anger and shock of the accident set in, I started doing the exact opposite of what I would have done a year before. I ran to God. I prayed, I read my Bible constantly, and slowly, month after month, I began to feel the pain numb. I began to see the Lord's faithfulness and strength. I began to feel joy again. And I knew that because of my relationship with the Lord, that I would be ok. My pride that I had felt before Virginia died was gone, and it was replaced with a strength to get up and get moving again. I felt a peace come over me, and I started sleeping again. I kept reminding myself that life goes on, and that I would see her again.
My mom, she works two jobs. But in September, she lost her second job, the job that provided us with the income to pay for our school tuition. She got another job doing the same thing for someone else, but it was only getting her $30 a week. Our family income decreased, and the burden of having no money is like a cancer to our family. There was constant stress. My parents struggled to think of ways to pay the bills, pay for tuition, and pay to put gas in the four cars that are driven to town everyday. At Christmas, the school was selling Christmas trees for $40, and my mom came home crying everyday telling us she was sorry that we couldn't afford one. I had never thought about my family being poor before, and I didn't really know what to do about it. But God was faithful, and we got the news that someone bought us a Christmas tree. My parents, despite me telling them that I didn't need to go, were determined to send me to Europe on the senior trip, but they had no idea how they were going to pay for it if they didn't even know where school tuition money was going to come from. My parents prayed all day, everyday, knowing that the Lord would provide us with our needs. They trusted that everything would be ok. A week ago, the school board had a meeting, and afterwards they called my parents. They told us that someone had paid our school tuition for March, April, and May. My family got together, and we cried. That takes the burden off of our shoulders for 3 months. That strengthens our faith in God. That reminds us that he is faithful. And it taught me to put my trust in the Lord. It reminded me to pray, because he will be faithful to provide. Everytime I think about what he has done for my family and me, it brings me to tears because we have done nothing to deserve it.
That's my testimony. It's very updated on what God is doing, it pretty much goes all the way up to today. I'm sure that there is a lot more to come!!
I grew up in a Christian home and going to church. I would be the definition of a church kid. When I was about 6 or 7, my older sister asked me if I had asked Jesus into my heart...to which I responded that I hadn't. She urged me to do it, and said the prayer with me. If my older sister said to do it, then it must be cool, right? But nothing really changed after that. I kept living my little life. But when I was 13 or 14 I started going to youth group, and that's where things really changed for me. My faith became my own, it wasn't something I believed because my parents did. I started reading my Bible and having quiet times with God everyday, and it became a big deal.
But, I have always struggled with being a lukewarm Christian. So around my sophomore year of high school, I stopped reading my Bible. I told myself, "I'll get to it later," and then never would. And then I developed a really bad respect issue. I disrespected my parents, I disrespected my teachers, it was really bad. So bad, that my parents told me that if I didn't straighten up, I wouldn't be playing basketball. I shrugged it off, telling myself I would take care of it. But, I also told myself that I didn't need God to take care of it. I could handle it on my own, I had control of my life. Things only got worse. After a few months, I was sitting in bed and I had a heavy weight on my heart telling me to pick up my Bible for the first time in months and read it. I prayed to God, disrepectfully, and said, "Ok, then. If you want me to read it so badly, then let me open it up to something you want me to read." And well, he did. I opened my Bible to Job 38 and I started reading. And it was a jaw-dropping, hit with a ton of bricks moment for me. I only read the first seven verses before putting my Bible down and getting on my knees and begging for forgiveness. This is what I read: Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?
God had reminded me with that verse that I wasn't the one that was in control of my life. He was. After that, I got back in the word, and the disrespect slowly went away. My independent and stubborn personality was still there, but I had changed.
Around the beginning of junior year after visiting Uganda, I felt like I finally had my life on track. I was doing good with my walk with the Lord, and it became a pride issue. I started thinking really highly of myself because I thought that I couldn't get much better in my relationship with the Lord than I was now. But the Lord is faithful to prove you wrong, because shortly after, he took Virginia home. I felt like God had slapped me in the face and said, "Take that." I remember being so angry and frustrated because I didn't know what to do with the pain I was experiencing. But a week after the anger and shock of the accident set in, I started doing the exact opposite of what I would have done a year before. I ran to God. I prayed, I read my Bible constantly, and slowly, month after month, I began to feel the pain numb. I began to see the Lord's faithfulness and strength. I began to feel joy again. And I knew that because of my relationship with the Lord, that I would be ok. My pride that I had felt before Virginia died was gone, and it was replaced with a strength to get up and get moving again. I felt a peace come over me, and I started sleeping again. I kept reminding myself that life goes on, and that I would see her again.
My mom, she works two jobs. But in September, she lost her second job, the job that provided us with the income to pay for our school tuition. She got another job doing the same thing for someone else, but it was only getting her $30 a week. Our family income decreased, and the burden of having no money is like a cancer to our family. There was constant stress. My parents struggled to think of ways to pay the bills, pay for tuition, and pay to put gas in the four cars that are driven to town everyday. At Christmas, the school was selling Christmas trees for $40, and my mom came home crying everyday telling us she was sorry that we couldn't afford one. I had never thought about my family being poor before, and I didn't really know what to do about it. But God was faithful, and we got the news that someone bought us a Christmas tree. My parents, despite me telling them that I didn't need to go, were determined to send me to Europe on the senior trip, but they had no idea how they were going to pay for it if they didn't even know where school tuition money was going to come from. My parents prayed all day, everyday, knowing that the Lord would provide us with our needs. They trusted that everything would be ok. A week ago, the school board had a meeting, and afterwards they called my parents. They told us that someone had paid our school tuition for March, April, and May. My family got together, and we cried. That takes the burden off of our shoulders for 3 months. That strengthens our faith in God. That reminds us that he is faithful. And it taught me to put my trust in the Lord. It reminded me to pray, because he will be faithful to provide. Everytime I think about what he has done for my family and me, it brings me to tears because we have done nothing to deserve it.
That's my testimony. It's very updated on what God is doing, it pretty much goes all the way up to today. I'm sure that there is a lot more to come!!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Hunger Games Quotes :)
So I have finished the Hunger Games trilogy. And so here are some of my favorite quotes!!
Effie: “Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!”
Caesar: “Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what’s her name?”
Peeta: “Well, there is this one girl. I’ve had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I’m pretty sure she didn’t know I was alive until the reaping.”
Caesar: “She have another fellow?”
Peeta: “I don’t know, but a lot of boys like her.”
Caesar: “So, here’s what you do. You win, you go home. She can’t turn you down then, eh?”
Peeta: “I don’t think it’s going to work out. Winning…won’t help in my case”
Caesar: “Why ever not?”
Peeta: “Because…because…she came here with me.”
Peeta: “Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to…to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their Games”
Peeta: “You love me. Real or not real?"Katniss: "Real.”
"Peeta, how come I never know when you're having a nightmare?”
“I don't know. I don't think I cry out or thrash around or anything. I just come to, paralyzed with terror."
“You should wake me,” I say, thinking about how I can interrupt his sleep two or three times on a bad night. About how long it can take to calm me down.
“It's not necessary. My nightmares are usually about losing you,” he says. “I'm okay once I realize you're here.”
“You've got to go through it to get to the end of it.”
He looks down at his legs as if noticing his outfit for the first time. Then he whips off his hospital gown, leaving him in just his underwear. "Why? Do you find this" - he strikes a ridiculously provocative pose - "distracting?” hahaha, Finnick Odair.
"Your favorite color...it's green?"
"That's right. And yours is orange."
"Orange?"
"Not bright orange. But soft. Like the sunset. At least, that's what you told me once."
"Oh." He closes his eyes briefly, maybe trying to conjure up that sunset, then nods his head. "Thank you."
But more words stumble out. "You're a painter. You're a baker. You like to sleep with the windows open. You never take sugar in your tea. And you always double-knot your shoelaces." Then I dive into my tent before I do something stupid like cry.
He lies down, but just stares at the needle on one of the dials as it twitches from side to side. Slowly, as I would with a wounded animal, my hand stretches out and brushes a wave of hair from his forehead. He freezes at my touch, but doesn't recoil. So I continue to gently sooth back his hair. Its the first time I have voluntarily touched him since the last arena.
"You're still trying to protect me. Real or not real?" he whispers.
"Real," I answer. It seems to require more explination. "Because that's what you and I do. Protect each other."
"That was funny, what Tigris said. About no one knowing what to do with her."
"Well, we never have," Gale laughs. They both laugh. It's so strange to hear them talking like this. Almost like friends. Which they're not. Never have been. Although they're not exactly enemies.
"She loves you, you know," says Peeta. "She as good as told me after they whipped you."
"Don't believe it," Gale answers. "The way she kissed you in the Quarter Quell...well, she never kissed me like that."
"It was part of the show," Peeta tells him, although there's an edge of doubt in his voice.
"No, you won her over. Gave up everything for her. Maybe that's the only way to convince her you love her." There's a long pause. "I should have volunteered to take your place in the first Games. Protected her then."
"You couldn't," says Peeta. "She'd never have forgiven you. You had to take care of her family. They matter more to her than her life."
"Well, it wont be an issue much longer. I think it's unlikely all three of us will be alive at the end of the war. And if we are, then it's Katniss's problem. Who to choose." Gale yawns. "Yeah." I hear Peeta's handcuffs slide down the support as he settles in. "I wonder how she'll make up her mind."
"Oh, that I do know." I can just catch Gale's last words through the layer of fur. "Katniss will pick whoever she thinks she can't survive without."
Effie: “Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!”
Caesar: “Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what’s her name?”
Peeta: “Well, there is this one girl. I’ve had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I’m pretty sure she didn’t know I was alive until the reaping.”
Caesar: “She have another fellow?”
Peeta: “I don’t know, but a lot of boys like her.”
Caesar: “So, here’s what you do. You win, you go home. She can’t turn you down then, eh?”
Peeta: “I don’t think it’s going to work out. Winning…won’t help in my case”
Caesar: “Why ever not?”
Peeta: “Because…because…she came here with me.”
Peeta: “Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to…to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their Games”
Peeta: “You love me. Real or not real?"Katniss: "Real.”
"Peeta, how come I never know when you're having a nightmare?”
“I don't know. I don't think I cry out or thrash around or anything. I just come to, paralyzed with terror."
“You should wake me,” I say, thinking about how I can interrupt his sleep two or three times on a bad night. About how long it can take to calm me down.
“It's not necessary. My nightmares are usually about losing you,” he says. “I'm okay once I realize you're here.”
“You've got to go through it to get to the end of it.”
He looks down at his legs as if noticing his outfit for the first time. Then he whips off his hospital gown, leaving him in just his underwear. "Why? Do you find this" - he strikes a ridiculously provocative pose - "distracting?” hahaha, Finnick Odair.
"Your favorite color...it's green?"
"That's right. And yours is orange."
"Orange?"
"Not bright orange. But soft. Like the sunset. At least, that's what you told me once."
"Oh." He closes his eyes briefly, maybe trying to conjure up that sunset, then nods his head. "Thank you."
But more words stumble out. "You're a painter. You're a baker. You like to sleep with the windows open. You never take sugar in your tea. And you always double-knot your shoelaces." Then I dive into my tent before I do something stupid like cry.
He lies down, but just stares at the needle on one of the dials as it twitches from side to side. Slowly, as I would with a wounded animal, my hand stretches out and brushes a wave of hair from his forehead. He freezes at my touch, but doesn't recoil. So I continue to gently sooth back his hair. Its the first time I have voluntarily touched him since the last arena.
"You're still trying to protect me. Real or not real?" he whispers.
"Real," I answer. It seems to require more explination. "Because that's what you and I do. Protect each other."
"That was funny, what Tigris said. About no one knowing what to do with her."
"Well, we never have," Gale laughs. They both laugh. It's so strange to hear them talking like this. Almost like friends. Which they're not. Never have been. Although they're not exactly enemies.
"She loves you, you know," says Peeta. "She as good as told me after they whipped you."
"Don't believe it," Gale answers. "The way she kissed you in the Quarter Quell...well, she never kissed me like that."
"It was part of the show," Peeta tells him, although there's an edge of doubt in his voice.
"No, you won her over. Gave up everything for her. Maybe that's the only way to convince her you love her." There's a long pause. "I should have volunteered to take your place in the first Games. Protected her then."
"You couldn't," says Peeta. "She'd never have forgiven you. You had to take care of her family. They matter more to her than her life."
"Well, it wont be an issue much longer. I think it's unlikely all three of us will be alive at the end of the war. And if we are, then it's Katniss's problem. Who to choose." Gale yawns. "Yeah." I hear Peeta's handcuffs slide down the support as he settles in. "I wonder how she'll make up her mind."
"Oh, that I do know." I can just catch Gale's last words through the layer of fur. "Katniss will pick whoever she thinks she can't survive without."
Saturday, January 7, 2012
I have, very recently, become addicted to Pinterest. For those of you who don't know, Pinterest is online pin boards that you can organize/catagorize and search through pins.
While browsing through some pins, I came across a prayer. It says, "Lord, empty me of me so I can be filled with you. Lord, empty me of the selfishness inside every vain ambition and the poison of my pride and any foolishness my heart holds to. Lord, empty me of ME so I can be filled with YOU."
Short, right? But now you want to be able to say, "I wish I had written that."
This prayer, to me, is the definition of giving yourself up to God. To be able to say, "Lord, rid me of me," and mean it.
While browsing through some pins, I came across a prayer. It says, "Lord, empty me of me so I can be filled with you. Lord, empty me of the selfishness inside every vain ambition and the poison of my pride and any foolishness my heart holds to. Lord, empty me of ME so I can be filled with YOU."
Short, right? But now you want to be able to say, "I wish I had written that."
This prayer, to me, is the definition of giving yourself up to God. To be able to say, "Lord, rid me of me," and mean it.
Pocket full of Tickets
So the other night during our family devotional, our dad asked us what we want to say we accomplished by the time we get to heaven. My sister answered, "I don't want to have wasted any talents."
This question reminded me about a book I read two years ago before I went on a missions trip to Uganda. It's called "One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven" by Mark Cahill. The "One Thing" is evangelism. Mark Cahill talks about how we can't evangelize once we die.
Cahill made an interesting point. He said that evangelism is like God giving us pocketfuls of tickets to Heaven. Our job is to hand them out. Some of the reasons why we are afraid to evangelize is we are to proud, afraid of rejection, or don't know what to say. But we have a pocket, and that pocket is full of tickets to Heaven. We need to remember that just because we hand out the ticket, doesn't mean that it will be used. We should look at every person we encounter as someone to share the gospel with. We should be able to stand before the Lord and say, "I did everything you asked. My pockets are empty. I wasted nothing."
This question reminded me about a book I read two years ago before I went on a missions trip to Uganda. It's called "One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven" by Mark Cahill. The "One Thing" is evangelism. Mark Cahill talks about how we can't evangelize once we die.
Cahill made an interesting point. He said that evangelism is like God giving us pocketfuls of tickets to Heaven. Our job is to hand them out. Some of the reasons why we are afraid to evangelize is we are to proud, afraid of rejection, or don't know what to say. But we have a pocket, and that pocket is full of tickets to Heaven. We need to remember that just because we hand out the ticket, doesn't mean that it will be used. We should look at every person we encounter as someone to share the gospel with. We should be able to stand before the Lord and say, "I did everything you asked. My pockets are empty. I wasted nothing."
Friday, January 6, 2012
Saturday, October 22, 2011
The Angles Sang
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
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
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.
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