I want to be like a tortoise. Mayan the Red-footed Colombian Tortoise to be more specific. Those of you in Mrs. Lund's biology class would know him (those in bio last year would know HER as Maya, but yes, Lund has discovered that her beloved wanderer is actually a boy!) and you probably remember his silly wandering and attempts to destroy his cage. Well anyways, Mayan is such a thoughtful tortoise. Funny that an animal should be considered thoughtful, but that's how I see it. I was watching him today during study hall, and every move his makes is careful and deliberate. Each step and turn of his head, he seems to be considering before acting. I think that's something we could all learn from. Weighing our options, praying, asking for guidance- those are the kinds of things we should be doing ALL THE TIME. Our actions have a BIG impact on the future, so much more than little Mayan's. If he can take the time to decide which direction he's gonna walk inside a classroom, I think we can take the time to decide how we'll react when someone insults us or how far we'll go to help someone. Be like Mayan, don't rush through life. Consider the possibilities!
Though thoughtful, Mayan is not always reasonable. However, he is always persistent in his quest, no matter how impossible. Mayan will try absolutely anything. For example, during study hall he attempted to fit through a 3-inch across opening in a box. Now, Mayan is no small tortoise, his shell is at least 8 inches in diameter. He wanted to get through that opening though, and he tried and tried until I finally moved the box so he wouldn't hurt himself. Earlier, he tried eating my finger. He didn't make much progress, because my finger was on the other side of the glass of his cage, but that didn't stop him from opening his mouth as wide as it would open and bonking it into the glass repeatedly (it was quite hilarious, Mayan makes me smile :D). All I could think of was "What amazing determination!" What if everybody had the determination of that little tortoise? I wish I did. I wish had the strength to continue, unfazed, even after my head kept hitting the glass or my shell kept getting stuck in an opening. To press on even when the world seems it was built to trap me in, because maybe one more time is all it takes. Maybe we're 2 feet away from the finish line of a 40 mile sprint (inside joke) when we decide to give up. So I hope next time you're discouraged, you'll think of Mayan giving his all to break through barriers, and you'll do the same.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Unashamed Love
Hola everybody!
I hope everyone had a good day today. I just got an idea for a post as I was singing at Whiteout (my youth band) rehearsal, and I wanted to get it out before I forgot about it! I'm going to attach a video to this post that I'd really like you to watch before reading, although you don't have to, it's a great video. (shown to me by James, by the way. I thought he should get credit for the revealing of this wonderful little bit)
Does everyone know the song Undignified? "I will dance, I will sing, to be mad for my King. Nothing Lord is hindering this passion in my soul! And I'll become even more undignified than this!" Or how about the song Unashamed Love? "You are worthy- of a childlike faith and of my honest praise and of my unashamed love." And then there's the song Sing Sing Sing. "We will sing, sing, sing, grateful that you hear us when we SHOUT YOUR PRAISE, life high the name of Jesus!"
See any connection here? A pattern maybe? Dancing, singing, passionate, unashamed, shouting! Is this the kind of behavior we expect from Christians? Especially Christians OUTSIDE of church and church events? What would you do if you saw someone walking down the street, singing and dancing and praising God? Would YOU ever be seen praising God in public- among unbelievers?
I loved learning about the Second Great Awakening in US History this year, especially the revival meetings. How cool would it be to have lived in the 19th Century and gone to one of those? To see people shouting and feeling the Holy Spirit move them, then leaving the meetings and being so full of joy and hope that you just had to go out and tell others about it! Of course, my public school curriculum kind of portrayed revival meetings as places where evangelists took advantage of people's emotions and status, but I'm hoping there was more to it than that. I know God can fill people's lives in a very dramatic, visible way.
The other side of this point that I feel I should quickly explain, is that we're not supposed to act like a Christian just so other people will see how "good" we are or how strong our faith is. Personally I would consider that statement to apply mostly in a church setting, where everyone shares your beliefs and would compare themselves to you. In a public setting, like downtown or at school, I would focus more on not being ashamed than on not being show-offy (basically, NEVER be show-offy!)
So hey, let's stop oppressing ourselves, shall we? Let's stop hindering the advancement of the Kingdom due to our own fear of rejection. John 15:18 says "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." We have to be consistent, not hypocrites and NOT ASHAMED! It's hard, I know. At first maybe get together with some friends and plan to pass out little notecards with bible verses on them or something. Or during the summer, play Christian music in your car with the windows down! Give the world a glimpse of your heart. Allow God to shine through you, not only in a subtle, "morally christian" way, but in a big, "I'M SO FULL OF JOY I CAN'T STOP PRAISING MY GOD!" kind of way.
Here's the video:
O Praise Him
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEezCFSPuH0
I hope everyone had a good day today. I just got an idea for a post as I was singing at Whiteout (my youth band) rehearsal, and I wanted to get it out before I forgot about it! I'm going to attach a video to this post that I'd really like you to watch before reading, although you don't have to, it's a great video. (shown to me by James, by the way. I thought he should get credit for the revealing of this wonderful little bit)
Does everyone know the song Undignified? "I will dance, I will sing, to be mad for my King. Nothing Lord is hindering this passion in my soul! And I'll become even more undignified than this!" Or how about the song Unashamed Love? "You are worthy- of a childlike faith and of my honest praise and of my unashamed love." And then there's the song Sing Sing Sing. "We will sing, sing, sing, grateful that you hear us when we SHOUT YOUR PRAISE, life high the name of Jesus!"
See any connection here? A pattern maybe? Dancing, singing, passionate, unashamed, shouting! Is this the kind of behavior we expect from Christians? Especially Christians OUTSIDE of church and church events? What would you do if you saw someone walking down the street, singing and dancing and praising God? Would YOU ever be seen praising God in public- among unbelievers?
I loved learning about the Second Great Awakening in US History this year, especially the revival meetings. How cool would it be to have lived in the 19th Century and gone to one of those? To see people shouting and feeling the Holy Spirit move them, then leaving the meetings and being so full of joy and hope that you just had to go out and tell others about it! Of course, my public school curriculum kind of portrayed revival meetings as places where evangelists took advantage of people's emotions and status, but I'm hoping there was more to it than that. I know God can fill people's lives in a very dramatic, visible way.
The other side of this point that I feel I should quickly explain, is that we're not supposed to act like a Christian just so other people will see how "good" we are or how strong our faith is. Personally I would consider that statement to apply mostly in a church setting, where everyone shares your beliefs and would compare themselves to you. In a public setting, like downtown or at school, I would focus more on not being ashamed than on not being show-offy (basically, NEVER be show-offy!)
So hey, let's stop oppressing ourselves, shall we? Let's stop hindering the advancement of the Kingdom due to our own fear of rejection. John 15:18 says "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." We have to be consistent, not hypocrites and NOT ASHAMED! It's hard, I know. At first maybe get together with some friends and plan to pass out little notecards with bible verses on them or something. Or during the summer, play Christian music in your car with the windows down! Give the world a glimpse of your heart. Allow God to shine through you, not only in a subtle, "morally christian" way, but in a big, "I'M SO FULL OF JOY I CAN'T STOP PRAISING MY GOD!" kind of way.
Here's the video:
O Praise Him
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEezCFSPuH0
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Giving Good Gifts & I Himmelen
Okay, so to start this post off I'm going to post the words of a song that I'm currently memorizing for Bella Voce. It's in Swedish, and it's up to you to find out what it means in English (I know, but I don't want to take the time to type the English as well as Swedish)
Oh, and the spelling is often going to be how it's pronounced rather than how it's actually spelled so... good luck translating it if you were actually planning on doing that. :)
I Himmelen, I Himmelen dar heren Gud sjelv bor. Hur har-lig bliver sell he-e-ten hur oo- ut sag likt stor. Der an sikte mot an sikte. Jag e vigt e vigt Gud far se. Se heren seba ot.
I Himmelen, I Himmelen vad klar het hog o-ren. Ej shelva soo len lik na-ar den, ut i-sitt mid dags shen. Den sool som aldrig ne der goor. O ej vigt o fer mer kad stor, ar heren seba ot.
I himmelen, I himmelen vad sella ut-tan tal. Av anglar na o hel goo-o nen, vad glansi aransal. Min shell skall bliva des salik, av e vig he tens ska terrik. Hos heren seba ot.
There! Thanks for stumbling through that with me. I have 3 and a half more hours to have it completely done. Anyways, we're well into the Christmas season now (at least according to Disney, they had Christmas trees up before thanksgiving!) so I decided to write a little bit about giving. The fact that I'm thinking about wish lists and shopping contributed to this, as well as a book I just finished- God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew, AND the fact that I was just reading through Proverbs and I noticed a lot of verses dealing with wealth and riches. So here goes.
In regards to giving, the bible talks mostly about giving necessities- food to the hungry, help to the helpless, that kind of thing. James 1:27a says "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress[.]" We are called to take care of the less fortunate. Proverbs 22:16 says "He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich- both come to poverty." I was a bit shocked when I read this verse. "We're not supposed to give gifts to the rich?" I thought to myself. Honestly, I'm not gonna say much about that verse cuz I'm still pondering it myself. I just invite you to meditate on that for a moment.
Now I want to talk about giving to the poor. Charity is an honorable thing in our society today. Almost everyone sees it as a good thing to give your spare money or old clothes to those who need them. Proverbs 22:9 says "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." So, we're supposed to share with those who are poor, who have less than we do. In return for blessing others, God promises to bless US. It's a win-win situation, if you trust God to keep his promise. In God's Smuggler, Andrew was talking about how he never asked for money from churches where he spoke or in articles he wrote. He just trusted that God would provide everything necessary for his work, and God did. I encourage you to read the book yourself, because it's not too long or difficult to read. In it are countless instances where Andrew and his fellow missionaries chose to give their money to the needy rather than use it for something they wanted- even something as important as school tuition or toothpaste, and God ended up providing for their needs and even some of their wants. The funny thing is, God really demanded their trust. Often the money for a payment or the plans for a mission didn't come until the very last minute, requiring total submission to God from his followers. The way I see it, fear holds a lot of people back from giving. They forget God's promises and fear poverty. The bible assures us that we have nothing to fear- God will take care of the caretakers.
Mother Teresa once said "Love until it hurts, and until you've given a piece of yourself away." Wow! What would the world look like if everyone gave beyond what was convenient and sacrificed some of their lifestyle to help others, keeping in mind that God says he will bless the generous. We'd all be blessing each other with gifts and being blessed by God and by others and life would be pretty great. The first step? Start the trend. Give up something you don't need and give the money you save to someone who needs it. OR if you are pretty short on luxuries already, remember to trust God, and don't shy away from giving what you do have to those who ask for it. Remember, Jesus said that if a man asks you to walk a mile with him, you should accompany him for 2 miles, and if you have 2 cloaks and someone asks you for one of them, you should give it to him. Give what you have, not only what you were just going to throw away otherwise. In Matthew 15, a boy willingly gave all he had to eat, which was a small amount, but Jesus blessed it and used the boy's offering to bless both the boy and over 5,000 others with a full stomach plus leftovers. Think about if the boy had kept his meal to himself, fearful that if he gave it to God he would go hungry. The meal might not have even satisfied him if he hadn't trusted God with his wellbeing. Be like that boy. Give all you have and then watch and see as God multiplies your offering until you get back more than you gave in the first place.
Okay so I feel like I've rambled on a lot, and it's taken me an insanely long time to write all this cuz I'm so distracted, so I'm just gonna finish up with a bunch of verses that I found.
Regarding material possessions and true value- Proverbs 16:16 "How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!" (Another verse supporting the name of this blog, mas que la plata- more than silver)
Proverbs 11:24-25 "One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty."
Proverbs 11:28 "Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf."
Proverbs 13:7 (this one took a little more time for me to understand- it's saying to not live extravagantly, but humbly- which means giving away your abundance!) "One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth."
Proverbs 28:20 "A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished."
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Sing to the Lord
You're in a dimly lit room, surrounded by hundreds of people standing or jumping or yelling. In front of all of you is a stage. Music is exploding from that stage, so loud that you can't think about anything except right here, right now. It doesn't even matter what the lyrics are.
The music takes away all the problems. It simplifies life, it never fails to be there for you, thanks to ipods, concerts, television, and computers. It's always there, offering an escape, a temporary peace, a new start. With a guitar in your hands and a paper in front of you, you can make life anything you want. You can portray yourself as rich, handsome, sweet, sexy, accepting, happy, dying, hopeless, hopeful, invincible, unstoppable, the best. You can determine the meaning of life. You can rant about a bad day or about an ex or anything else, and the music will take it. When your friends ditch you or your parents divorce or your sister commits suicide, you turn up the music. You'll work out your problems tomorrow, when the concert is over or when you're done jamming out.
Music gives you strength. You live and breathe music, it makes you feel like you're worth something. Without music, you'd have no reason to live. You wouldn't give up music for anything in the world. You can't imagine life without it, it's your identity.
Who needs God?
You've got music.
Maybe now you can see why I think music is one of the biggest idols in America. Even if you haven't gone as far as to say "Who needs God?", your actions may have suggested as much. I know mine have, from time to time. Musicians are held on a pedestal. Nobody stops to think, "What's the point of this concert?" or "Who benefits from this music in the long run?" Certain music has the power to keep people locked up in a depression or fill them with anger, regret, and guilt.
Not to say music is evil, cuz it definitely isn't. The bible says to make a joyful noise to the Lord! Music can be used to praise God or cry out to him. It can sometimes reach people with the love and hope of Jesus in a way mere words cannot. All I'm saying is, let's not forget where our focus should be. Music is not the center. Don't make it your identity or source of meaning. Music should not be your counselor, a comforter, or a healer. Our help comes from the Lord. God desires our whole heart. Could you sacrifice everything for him? Could you give up music, or your hearing or voice, if he asked it of you? If music is building a wall between you and God, distance yourself from it. Why love the creation when the creator himself is offering his unconditional love to you?
Music is such a huge influence in our culture. Advertising jingles get stuck in our heads. There are countless songs about standards for the appearance of young women, or how we should think or feel or live. Be careful, don't let the devil have a doorway into your heart because of music. Satan hides himself in things as beautiful and powerful as music in order to deceive us. Guess what? If need be, you CAN live without music, just don't die without a Savior.
Judges 5:3
“Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I, even I, will sing to the Lord; I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song."
Exodus 20:3
"You shall have no other gods before me."
Exodus 34:14
"Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God."
The music takes away all the problems. It simplifies life, it never fails to be there for you, thanks to ipods, concerts, television, and computers. It's always there, offering an escape, a temporary peace, a new start. With a guitar in your hands and a paper in front of you, you can make life anything you want. You can portray yourself as rich, handsome, sweet, sexy, accepting, happy, dying, hopeless, hopeful, invincible, unstoppable, the best. You can determine the meaning of life. You can rant about a bad day or about an ex or anything else, and the music will take it. When your friends ditch you or your parents divorce or your sister commits suicide, you turn up the music. You'll work out your problems tomorrow, when the concert is over or when you're done jamming out.
Music gives you strength. You live and breathe music, it makes you feel like you're worth something. Without music, you'd have no reason to live. You wouldn't give up music for anything in the world. You can't imagine life without it, it's your identity.
Who needs God?
You've got music.
Maybe now you can see why I think music is one of the biggest idols in America. Even if you haven't gone as far as to say "Who needs God?", your actions may have suggested as much. I know mine have, from time to time. Musicians are held on a pedestal. Nobody stops to think, "What's the point of this concert?" or "Who benefits from this music in the long run?" Certain music has the power to keep people locked up in a depression or fill them with anger, regret, and guilt.
Not to say music is evil, cuz it definitely isn't. The bible says to make a joyful noise to the Lord! Music can be used to praise God or cry out to him. It can sometimes reach people with the love and hope of Jesus in a way mere words cannot. All I'm saying is, let's not forget where our focus should be. Music is not the center. Don't make it your identity or source of meaning. Music should not be your counselor, a comforter, or a healer. Our help comes from the Lord. God desires our whole heart. Could you sacrifice everything for him? Could you give up music, or your hearing or voice, if he asked it of you? If music is building a wall between you and God, distance yourself from it. Why love the creation when the creator himself is offering his unconditional love to you?
Music is such a huge influence in our culture. Advertising jingles get stuck in our heads. There are countless songs about standards for the appearance of young women, or how we should think or feel or live. Be careful, don't let the devil have a doorway into your heart because of music. Satan hides himself in things as beautiful and powerful as music in order to deceive us. Guess what? If need be, you CAN live without music, just don't die without a Savior.
Judges 5:3
“Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I, even I, will sing to the Lord; I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song."
Exodus 20:3
"You shall have no other gods before me."
Exodus 34:14
"Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God."
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
This Fortissimo
In every person there is a heart.
In every heart there is a prayer.
In every prayer there is a song.
This song is unique, like a special language just between you and God.
This song is a cry, a praise, and a request all at once.
This song is perfect, the core of God's beautiful creation.
This song is God's breath, which has been passed down from Adam, from the moment when the Artist of the Galaxies uttered a word of life into human lungs.
This song is heard by its Composer.
This Composer has imagined and arranged every one of these songs, to the shortest and softest.
This Composer is daily serenaded by a symphony of different melodies, each one distinct and familiar to Him.
This Composer is delighted by the sounds of his pride and glory, the echoes of his agape love which he has bestowed upon every soul.
This Composer is glad to hear the majestic swell in the music of souls as more and more songs are added to the sonata, the concerto, the chorus- blending and clashing and forming the absolute wonder that is creation.
This Composer is sad when a decrescendo appears in his score, as songs are stifled and forgotten.
This Composer longs to listen to a building dynamic; he is not satisfied with forte when his orchestra has the potential for fortissimo.
This Fortissimo that the Composer is longing for is peace.
This Fortissimo is peace among nations, a world united under its true King.
This Fortissimo is strength and confidence in grace, in salvation, in life.
This Fortissimo is a million songs that stir a million more.
This Fortissimo is generations of children more in love with the Composer, the Creator, the Savior, than anything else.
This Fortissimo is the Kingdom of the Almighty.
This Fortissimo is us.
Monday, September 20, 2010
A Matter of the Heart
Dear Father, free me from all arrogance or pride in what I'm about to address. Let your love shine through, that this not be a message of condemnation and despair, but of hope and grace.
The church is sick. I am not immune to this disease, nor is anyone else, and claiming to be apart from it is just another symptom.
Now- I could go on to talk about the disease of sugar-coated Christianity, of dismissing the sin of homosexuality, of de-emphasizing the truth of the holy, pure Word of God. I could outline the evils of abortion and how terrible it is that we label murder as women's rights, of placing too much importance on tradition, or of hypocrisy in church leadership, or religious complacency. I could rant on and on about those things, but what I want to write tonight isn't about church politics or denominational differences. It's about the hearts of Christians.
I want you to paint a picture in your minds right now of a church sanctuary. You are in front of the church and a little off to the side, singing on the worship team. There are 200 church members standing in front of you, looking up at a large projector screen, moving their mouths.
Here's what is going through your head:
"I was flat on that last note. I have to support my singing more. Oh, I wonder if anyone noticed that I started singing the wrong verse just there. Oh, focus- God, you truly are enough for me... That woman in the back row looks really spaced out. I bet she doesn't even realize she's supposed to be singing. Why are some people not even moving their mouths? We've done this song a thousand times..... Oh yeah, the words- God will provide for us. You're enough for me, God... That song went pretty good overall I think."
Is this how God intended worship to be? Standing together in a room, singing songs about God's love but not really hearing the words. Thanking Jesus for what he's done without actually feeling any gratitude. Is this all that is required of us? Half-heartedly going through the motions and at the same time thinking that we're good people for at least going to a church regularly? It's... well honestly, there's not a word to describe how disgusted I am by this. Even more so because this disease of the self has progressed so far in my own life.
This verse is absolutely what I'm talking about here. Take a minute to reflect on what it's saying. Isaiah 29:13 "The Lord says, (think about that, GOD is speaking here. When God speaks, things happen. The ruler of the universe had this recorded so that everyone in the world could hear it.) 'These people come near me with their mouths and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.'"
Rules taught by men. For example, rules like- worship is sincere when you let go of all your worries and lift your hands to God- that's how everyone will know you're being sincere. Or a rule that says- you can worship on your own in your house, but you have to also come together with other believers to worship in a church. Or- you have to sing the words of a song to worship. Or... you have to resolve the problems in your heart and in your life before you can truly worship God.
I'm not saying those rules can't apply to someone's worship, but really, THEY DON'T MATTER. Worship can be happy or solemn. Worship can cause you to dance in celebration, or it can bring you to your knees. While you worship you might cry tears of joy, or tears of conviction and brokenness. You can't put worship in a box any more than you can fit the wonderful works of God on a single sheet of paper.
How then, are we to worship together at all? What is the role of worship leaders?
I can't answer those questions. Maybe no one can, but if you feel you have an answer, please share. Because to my understanding, there is NOTHING we can do to help someone worship. I could jump around for days with my hands in the air, pouring my heart out to God, and have no effect whatsoever on a group of teens watching me. I could fall to the ground in reverence of the Lord and be reduced to tears as I sing of my Savior's love, all the while a girl in the second row of church feels convicted for a moment, but by the time she joins in the praises, her mind has wandered to all the times she's messed up in front of friends. And even if a group of people were to succeed in being reflective and contemplative about their lives, thinking about their sins and how God has saved them, it's another step entirely for them to be talking to God, connected to Him and thanking him for this mercy.
Another aspect of this is the fact that good intentions can sometimes lead to huge failures. We're learning about the puritans in school, and though our teachers talk a lot about what was wrong with the Puritan Separatist society, I often find myself understanding their point of view. The Puritans wanted to get to the heart of worship, to take away all the extra traditions and distractions in the church, and just FOCUS ON GOD. They wanted to create a world of Christians who were grounded and motivated to share the gospel with everyone. But they failed, because they forgot about forgiveness, they put too much pressure on each other to be good people, and they took all the joy out of church. It's not a very good witness to nonchristians to be serious ALL the time. On the other hand, it's not an effective witness to be happy all the time and never reflect on our shortcomings (and God's provision through them).
I'm coming back to the heart of worship, and it's all about you. It's all about you, Jesus.
Are we supposed to smile when we worship God? What even is worship? Some would say worship is praise. It is telling God how amazing and wonderful he is. Others would say it's just talking to God through an action- singing, dancing, playing a sport for the glory of God- saying, "This is for you, Father." Maybe you think worship is just basking in the presence of God. On bible gateway, there are 250 passage results in the NIV bible for the keyword, "worship."
Psalm 100:2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are recieving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."
We are told so many things to feel when we worship. Feel reverent, feel awestruck, feel joyful, feel free, feel thankful. I'm not entirely sure, but I think that if I felt all those things at one time, I'd literally just break down and cease to feel any of those, instead feeling very confused and inadequate.
What is worship? How do we "worship God acceptably?"
It's not a matter of appearance, whether reserved or totally undignified. It's solely a matter of the heart.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Break My Heart
"Break my heart for what breaks yours, everything I am for your kingdom's cause..."
"Start breaking my heart for what breaks yours, give me open hands and open doors"
Matthew 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."
These and other songs, prayers, and bible verses have been popping up in my life for a couple weeks now. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. God is obviously trying to tell me something. I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to do, but I'm sure I'll come to that realization in time, and for now I'm thinking about what I know about broken hearts.
1. God does not despise a broken heart. In today's culture, I think that most people would agree with me in saying we all have an aversion to brokenness. It's pretty obvious, no one likes to feel incomplete and inferior. But the bible tells us that a broken heart is actually a sacrifice. Interesting thought, isn't it? By giving up or losing something that we care about deeply, we're giving a sacrifice to God. We should actually be willing to have broken hearts then.
2. Sometimes the best way for God to get into your heart is through its brokenness. When are hearts are broken, we become more vulnerable, as well as more receptive to help from our Savior. If you and I never reach that point of hopelessness, of despair and utter lonliness, how are we to know that Jesus is truly, without a doubt, all that we need? That he is our best friend, our eternal hope. My personal experience has been that I push God away when things are going great. "What do I need to pray continually for, I have everything I need!" Of course, I would never actually say that, but it's a pretty close description of my actions. But when I'm sad or lonely, I draw near to God and learn to draw my joy from him. And his joy is better than anything the world has to offer. :)
3. Everything is never okay. It's true, this world is always going to be desperate for a gracious, loving God who will rescue it. Basically, this means that if you feel like your life is going fantastically, look at the world around you. People are dying. Children are being killed before they're even born, young people are being sold into slavery and pulled from the life of relative luxury that you and I enjoy. Your friends, neighbors, and coworkers may be struggling with uncertainty, or feeling overwhelmed with guilt but ignorant of God's saving grace. Allow your heart to break for these awful things- these things that God's heart breaks for. Then, understand that the sorrow you're feeling is a divine call to action. Get out, and be a source of help and hope and truth for the millions of hurting people that you're sharing this planet with!
So, right now I'm being led to break my heart. That doesn't mean I will go around moping and crying (because the joy of the Lord cannot be taken from me! but that's for another blog post) , but it does mean I will be empathetic, sympathetic, and drawn to the people who need my help the most. I will stop thinking about my own needs and desires. I will not try to repair my heart with the things of this world. Those things have no place in my heart anyway, the spaces there can only be filled by the love of my Jesus. I hope you too will listen to the universal cry for help and allow your hearts to break so that God's work can be done in your life.
Also, if you want to think a little bit more about what it means to have a broken heart, look it up. -> http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/broken
Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
"Start breaking my heart for what breaks yours, give me open hands and open doors"
Matthew 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."
These and other songs, prayers, and bible verses have been popping up in my life for a couple weeks now. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. God is obviously trying to tell me something. I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to do, but I'm sure I'll come to that realization in time, and for now I'm thinking about what I know about broken hearts.
1. God does not despise a broken heart. In today's culture, I think that most people would agree with me in saying we all have an aversion to brokenness. It's pretty obvious, no one likes to feel incomplete and inferior. But the bible tells us that a broken heart is actually a sacrifice. Interesting thought, isn't it? By giving up or losing something that we care about deeply, we're giving a sacrifice to God. We should actually be willing to have broken hearts then.
2. Sometimes the best way for God to get into your heart is through its brokenness. When are hearts are broken, we become more vulnerable, as well as more receptive to help from our Savior. If you and I never reach that point of hopelessness, of despair and utter lonliness, how are we to know that Jesus is truly, without a doubt, all that we need? That he is our best friend, our eternal hope. My personal experience has been that I push God away when things are going great. "What do I need to pray continually for, I have everything I need!" Of course, I would never actually say that, but it's a pretty close description of my actions. But when I'm sad or lonely, I draw near to God and learn to draw my joy from him. And his joy is better than anything the world has to offer. :)
3. Everything is never okay. It's true, this world is always going to be desperate for a gracious, loving God who will rescue it. Basically, this means that if you feel like your life is going fantastically, look at the world around you. People are dying. Children are being killed before they're even born, young people are being sold into slavery and pulled from the life of relative luxury that you and I enjoy. Your friends, neighbors, and coworkers may be struggling with uncertainty, or feeling overwhelmed with guilt but ignorant of God's saving grace. Allow your heart to break for these awful things- these things that God's heart breaks for. Then, understand that the sorrow you're feeling is a divine call to action. Get out, and be a source of help and hope and truth for the millions of hurting people that you're sharing this planet with!
So, right now I'm being led to break my heart. That doesn't mean I will go around moping and crying (because the joy of the Lord cannot be taken from me! but that's for another blog post) , but it does mean I will be empathetic, sympathetic, and drawn to the people who need my help the most. I will stop thinking about my own needs and desires. I will not try to repair my heart with the things of this world. Those things have no place in my heart anyway, the spaces there can only be filled by the love of my Jesus. I hope you too will listen to the universal cry for help and allow your hearts to break so that God's work can be done in your life.
Also, if you want to think a little bit more about what it means to have a broken heart, look it up. -> http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/broken
Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
Friday, August 20, 2010
Orange Pickup Trucks
Hey everybody :)
I was thinking and praying and reading my bible a lot yesterday. It was a good time. But I found myself asking God why life was so confusing, and why it's so hard to figure out where I'm suppose to go and what I'm supposed to do. WELL, I thought back to a blog post my brother wrote (http://theroc1217.blogspot.com/2010/07/why-we-hurt.html) and how he basically said that God gives us options in life. He GIVES them to us. We're free to make whichever decision we want, because both can be used to honor God. This obviously isn't always the case. Sometimes one choice is truly the right choice and the other is wrong. But I think a lot of the seemingly tough decisions are when you have two great options before you, and you can't pick just one. So basically what I learned is that God will give you peace no matter which choice you make, as long as you're seeking to honor him through it. Pretty awesome :)
Okay so here's a funny story. I was walking to the Hy-Vee gas station to visit the volleyball carwash (I'm not in volleyball but I pretended to be and it was very fun :P) and I was talking to God. I don't really know why, but He brought to my attention that He holds all the power in the entire universe. So how did he do this you might be asking? I saw an orange pickup truck drive by. That probably seems totally irrelevant to you now, but basically, I really really love the color orange, and I love pickup trucks. Seeing it drive by made me smile, and I was like, "You know what God? That's exactly what I needed. Thanks for blessing me with a reason to smile." I thought about this for a few more minutes as I was walking. Does God really have the power to do ANYTHING? Like, does he actually have such an elaborate plan that he led a random orange pickup truck owner's friend to live in the northwest part of town, and then call the owner to go visit that friend at noon yesterday, and then bring to my attention the opportunity to walk and talk with God at the same time, on that particular road, just so that I could see that orange pickup truck and smile? About the time I was thinking about and questioning this, guess what? The orange pickup truck drives by me again. I laughed out loud. God's plan is more complex than we can comprehend. He doesn't control us, but he does know our hearts, and like I said, he holds all power in the universe.
One more thing. Two blocks or so after the orange pickup truck incident, I was pondering the life of Paul the apostle, and how he went into dangerous situations and survived unharmed. I asked myself, or I guess I was kind of asking God this too... anyways, I asked if God still does that today. It seems like we hear so many more stories about attacks on Christians than about the deliverance of Christians. Well, I have a desire to reach people everywhere with the gospel message, and I don't plan on backing down from my convictions just for the purpose of safety, so I prayed that God would always keep me safe so that I can be effective in spreading the Good News of Christ. As I was praying for safety, a man rode up behind me on his bike. When he passed me he said hello cheerfully, and I responded, but a little less enthusiastically. The only thing running through my head was stories of a couple guys on bikes who have been trying to sexually assault young women on the bike paths around my house in the past 4 months or so. I honestly don't think it was that serious, but bad enough that I'm not allowed to be on the bike paths that aren't along streets anymore. So yeah, that was running through my head and I was sorta mentally freaking out as this man GETS OFF HIS BIKE right in front of me! And he stops and waits for me to catch up and starts talking really randomly. "I'm just out here biking... yep. I just got some blood drawn so I'm feeling pretty energized..." I sorta laughed and nodded, still freaking out in my mind. Thankfully, just then we reached the corner where I was supposed to turn, and so I did and I started walking away quickly, praying that this guy wouldn't follow me. He didn't, he just got right back on his bike and continued going straight. God delivered me! At least in my mind he did. That could've been really dangerous, but nothing happened. Praise God! Now, I feel kinda bad for describing this guy in such a negative light, in case he really was just a nice, sociable guy out for a bike ride. That's probably the case, but it was scary for me nevertheless, and God took the opportunity to let me know that I have nothing to fear.
Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
Isaiah 51:12-14
I, even I, am he who comforts you.
Who are you that you fear mortal men,
the sons of men, who are but grass.
That you forget the Lord your Maker,
Who stretched out the heavens
and laid the foundations of the earth,
That you live in constant terror every day
because of the wrath of the oppressor
who is bent on destruction?
For where is the wrath of the oppressor?
The cowering prisoners will soon be set free.
They will not die in their dungeon,
nor will they lack bread.
For I am the Lord your God,
who churns up the sea so that its waves roar-
The Lord Almighty is his name.
I was thinking and praying and reading my bible a lot yesterday. It was a good time. But I found myself asking God why life was so confusing, and why it's so hard to figure out where I'm suppose to go and what I'm supposed to do. WELL, I thought back to a blog post my brother wrote (http://theroc1217.blogspot.com/2010/07/why-we-hurt.html) and how he basically said that God gives us options in life. He GIVES them to us. We're free to make whichever decision we want, because both can be used to honor God. This obviously isn't always the case. Sometimes one choice is truly the right choice and the other is wrong. But I think a lot of the seemingly tough decisions are when you have two great options before you, and you can't pick just one. So basically what I learned is that God will give you peace no matter which choice you make, as long as you're seeking to honor him through it. Pretty awesome :)
Okay so here's a funny story. I was walking to the Hy-Vee gas station to visit the volleyball carwash (I'm not in volleyball but I pretended to be and it was very fun :P) and I was talking to God. I don't really know why, but He brought to my attention that He holds all the power in the entire universe. So how did he do this you might be asking? I saw an orange pickup truck drive by. That probably seems totally irrelevant to you now, but basically, I really really love the color orange, and I love pickup trucks. Seeing it drive by made me smile, and I was like, "You know what God? That's exactly what I needed. Thanks for blessing me with a reason to smile." I thought about this for a few more minutes as I was walking. Does God really have the power to do ANYTHING? Like, does he actually have such an elaborate plan that he led a random orange pickup truck owner's friend to live in the northwest part of town, and then call the owner to go visit that friend at noon yesterday, and then bring to my attention the opportunity to walk and talk with God at the same time, on that particular road, just so that I could see that orange pickup truck and smile? About the time I was thinking about and questioning this, guess what? The orange pickup truck drives by me again. I laughed out loud. God's plan is more complex than we can comprehend. He doesn't control us, but he does know our hearts, and like I said, he holds all power in the universe.
One more thing. Two blocks or so after the orange pickup truck incident, I was pondering the life of Paul the apostle, and how he went into dangerous situations and survived unharmed. I asked myself, or I guess I was kind of asking God this too... anyways, I asked if God still does that today. It seems like we hear so many more stories about attacks on Christians than about the deliverance of Christians. Well, I have a desire to reach people everywhere with the gospel message, and I don't plan on backing down from my convictions just for the purpose of safety, so I prayed that God would always keep me safe so that I can be effective in spreading the Good News of Christ. As I was praying for safety, a man rode up behind me on his bike. When he passed me he said hello cheerfully, and I responded, but a little less enthusiastically. The only thing running through my head was stories of a couple guys on bikes who have been trying to sexually assault young women on the bike paths around my house in the past 4 months or so. I honestly don't think it was that serious, but bad enough that I'm not allowed to be on the bike paths that aren't along streets anymore. So yeah, that was running through my head and I was sorta mentally freaking out as this man GETS OFF HIS BIKE right in front of me! And he stops and waits for me to catch up and starts talking really randomly. "I'm just out here biking... yep. I just got some blood drawn so I'm feeling pretty energized..." I sorta laughed and nodded, still freaking out in my mind. Thankfully, just then we reached the corner where I was supposed to turn, and so I did and I started walking away quickly, praying that this guy wouldn't follow me. He didn't, he just got right back on his bike and continued going straight. God delivered me! At least in my mind he did. That could've been really dangerous, but nothing happened. Praise God! Now, I feel kinda bad for describing this guy in such a negative light, in case he really was just a nice, sociable guy out for a bike ride. That's probably the case, but it was scary for me nevertheless, and God took the opportunity to let me know that I have nothing to fear.
Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
Isaiah 51:12-14
I, even I, am he who comforts you.
Who are you that you fear mortal men,
the sons of men, who are but grass.
That you forget the Lord your Maker,
Who stretched out the heavens
and laid the foundations of the earth,
That you live in constant terror every day
because of the wrath of the oppressor
who is bent on destruction?
For where is the wrath of the oppressor?
The cowering prisoners will soon be set free.
They will not die in their dungeon,
nor will they lack bread.
For I am the Lord your God,
who churns up the sea so that its waves roar-
The Lord Almighty is his name.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Things You Should Know
I probably shouldn't be writing this right now. I should be reading my bible, cuz I don't think I read my bible at all this week. Well, I did a tiny bit on the way to band camp this morning, but not enough. Which is just bad, bad bad bad. grr. I don't know why I haven't. I think it's probably Satan working on me to try to loosen my grip on my Jesus. Except, he forgot that it's not me who has a hold of Jesus, it's Jesus who will always have a hold on me :) So now I'll probably finish this post and then go read my bible more. Still in the book of Acts. I'm in love with that book. If you haven't read it all- do it!
Another thing I've been thinking about lately is forgiveness. It can be really tough to forgive someone when they hurt you. But really,what good is holding a grudge? It won't change the past at all, it won't fix a relationship, it won't make you feel any better. The same goes for forgiving yourself. It's kinda like pulling out a sliver. It hurts like crap and it definitely seems like you should just be able to leave it in there. Ignore it- it'll only bother you if you push on it. Still, you pull it out because you KNOW that it will get infected, that it's better to go through a the pain now because it will allow your skin to heal. The longer you put it off, the deeper it gets until you really don't know how you're ever going to rid yourself of it. Fortunately, Jesus is our healer. He pretty much just zaps all of our sliver-grudge-thingys away. Well, technically, he already did. Oh, and if you're wondering how exactly to pull out the sliver, here: When you're holding a grudge against a neighbor, you NEED to tell them about it. Get it out in the open. Then, you have to do something a little twisted- ask THEM to forgive YOU. Holding a grudge is a sin too, no matter what was done against you first. Then you let both sins go. Remember their sin no more, like Jesus does for us. There are three verses in the bible that talk about Jesus remembering our sins no more- Jeremiah 31:34, Hebrews 8:12, and Hebrews 10:17. 3 times, must be important! Which brings me to my point about holding grudges on yourself. Forgiveness is what sets us apart from other major religions. Forgiveness is a beautiful free gift. Sometimes we take it for granted, and other times we deprive ourselves of forgiveness because we think we should. We think that in order for Jesus to do this amazing thing for us, we have to at least beat ourselves up inside, because then God will see that we're truly sorry and he'll be pleased... or something. NO! Guess what? There's nothing you have to do to recieve divine forgiveness. Jesus died even for those people who will never turn to Him, who will never acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord, who will never be repentant. So, regardless of who you are, the condition of your heart, your motives, WHATEVER- you're forgiven! Jesus doesn't remember your sins, so why do you hang onto them? Forget the guilt, the pain, the sin itself. You're allowed to do that, it's okay. The only thing to make sure of is that you know not to do it again. Don't forget in the sense that you'll forget the consequences and fall into the same sin again. But if you forgive yourself and do your best to follow Jesus' example, you should be good :)
ANOTHER thing I've been thinking about is how people change. Not like, "Oh you've changed over the summer" but the kind of change that takes effort and planning and time. When I was reading that book "Do Hard Things," I remember something they said about change. It was a little like this: If you want to change something on the inside, you've got to make a change on the outside. Like if you wish you had more time to read your bible and pray (tehe um... :p), then take facebook off your phone, get up earlier, and keep your Bible in a place where you'll see it! There. By making three physical changes, you've taken away a lot of temptation and replaced it with options to live out the change. (lol, I'm gonna do that now by the way!) Something else that applies to this topic is a bit of godly wisdom that I acquired recently, I think it was from a tweet containing a C.S. Lewis quote. Basically, it was saying that God is our strength. And God can do anything, he's perfect, and he wants to help us. So he can and will give us the opportunity and strength to be better people, or more brave, or whatever we need to be that brings us closer to where he is. Trust that God will change you for the better if you ask. We are like clay in the potter's hands. Offer yourself to be molded and changed, and then let God do a work in you.
Isaiah 64:8 "Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; We are all the work of your hand."
So there's my random thoughts of today. Pray that God puts more blog ideas in my head so that I can keep blogging unrandomly. Oh, one more thought. We are in this world, not of it. We were not made to compromise, to forget who our Father is and make this earth our home. We were created to be different. Do not be afraid of judgement from others who don't understand. Make your faith obvious, show everyone the hope that you have in Jesus!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Gospel Mirror/Candles Grown Dim
Dear Father, none of us is perfect, and I ask you to give us repentant hearts, that we may always recognize our desperate need for a Savior. Keep us humble that we may be servants and helpers without judging. Amen.
I recall memorizing the middle verse in this passage, Romans 3:23, in middle school. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Verse 23 is the eye opening message here. Upon reading this, every prideful or judgemental person should be knocked off their high horse to fall at the feet of Jesus. Every strong man or beautiful woman who thinks they are doing just fine on their own should beg for God's mercy and help. I'm not saying that I don't fit any of those personalities, beacause I certainly do. I tend to fall into a cycle of pride > helplessness > surrender > healing.
For now I'll focus on the "pride > helplessness" part. Really, we have nothing to be proud of. For every single personal achievement that you mention, there's dozens of shortcomings that you probably have tucked away in your memory, dying to be forgotten. The Bible says that even thinking hurtful or lustful thoughts about someone is sinning against them. Just because you do more good things than most people around you doesn't mean you're a decent person. You don't come close to being worthy of Jesus' attention, much less acceptance into his perfect home, heaven. Even more, you can't do a single thing about it. You might have finally held up a mirror to your life and realized that you need to change, but you can't do it. It's a life or death situation- be perfect or perish eternally- and there's no possible way you can rewrite your past mistakes and prevent any future ones. On your own, the situation is hopeless, but hold on, think about the second part of my cycle.
"Surrender > healing." Surrender? Surrender to whom? To sin and death? No actually, there is one more option to consider, and it's the option of rescue. That's right, there's someone out there who can pull you out of a hopeless, pointless life and give you hope and purpose. His name is Jesus. Jesus the Christ actually, "Christ" meaning "Messiah," an expected deliverer or leader of a cause. Well, we are the cause and he's here to lead us. In the first two stages of the cycle, we admitted our need for a leader, so surrender to Jesus and let him lead you! Jesus IS God, and he beat death, offering us a path to life. He erased our sins, took them upon himself, paid the price with a horrifying death, then rose again! By his wounds we are healed. Jesus came to heal and save us. All we have to do is trust that what Jesus did is real, say we're sorry and open our hearts to recieve forgiveness from God.
So, the truly amazing part of Romans 3:22-24 is not the middle, but the beginning and end. We are a fallen people, but we can have the righteousness of God. God loves the sinners so much that he sent Jesus to die. Think about that before you judge someone. God loves that child of his. Everybody's got certain sins that they have trouble dealing with, you and I are no exception. All we can do is pray that God puts a mirror in front of that person so he/she sees his/her sin and develops a desire to change, then allows the Holy Spirit to work in his/her heart. Our goodness is not our salvation, but rather a testimony to the world about how God has changed our lives. Be a light to the world, and pray for those lights that have grown dim, so that may set the whole world on fire for Jesus.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
YOU are loved.
God loves you.
You've probably heard that at least a hundred times in your life, if not more. It's not too crazy to hear that, and you might not have any trouble believing it. I can say I love all the orphans in Africa, and as true as it might be, I don't even know every orphan in Africa. It doesn't mean I think that any given orphan is special or unique in my mind. It doesn't mean I think about each individual orphan. It means I feel love for the collective orphans- the group. Today I want to tell you that God's love isn't like that.
God's love doesn't rain down on the masses. John 3:16 says "For God so loved THE WORLD." That doesn't mean His love is a general thing, that He doesn't really desire to love YOU. He individually packages up His blessings and love and continuously sends it to each and every person on Earth. God CREATED you! He didn't just sorta throw together a generic baby and then forget about you. He designed you- sketched your fingerprints and painted the unique color of your eyes. You are absolutely beautiful to Him. He knows your little quirks and talents, because He gave them to you! Never, ever feel like "God loves everyone" means that you blend in with the crowd. It's easy to fall under the impression that if you ran into God in the street he'd say, "Oh, I remember you. You're the one who was born on such and such a date and prayed to me every day. Thanks!" In my mind anyways, it'll be a little more like this, "(Insert name here)! I've been waiting for you! I was thinking you might need a hug. I saw someone laugh at you earlier, and I know exactly how you feel. Just to let you know, I made your hair the very same color as the Apostle Paul's was, because I knew you would think He was a cool guy. And my inspiration for your eyes came from this little place in France that I made where you can see the dark green trees at the base of the Alps with a glorious sunset in the background. That's what I wanted people to think of when they see your eyes. You're beautiful."
Not that I want this to be focused on just physical beauty, because God knows your inner self better than you do. He knit you together in your mother's womb. The one and only Almighty Artist designed your heart and mind. When you were concieved, God didn't release you into the world with a promise to see ya later. He proudly looked on as you took your first steps, clapped after you sang your first song, and cheers every time you smile at the gorgeous nature that He made for you. God not only loves you dearly, because He is your Father and the reason your heart beats, but He THINKS about you! As you're reading this, I pray and believe He's nodding and saying, "You'll never understand how much YOU (you as an individual) mean to me." This is God we're talking about. He is limitless. He can think about every single person specifically at once, and have a million things to say about every one of us in that moment. If He wants to (and I don't think He'd have to do this because He could just think about more than 1 thing at once) He can pause time and think about you for a little bit longer than there's time for. Some people have said to me, "I feel guilty for praying about such silly things because God has so many important things to be thinking about and working on." Don't feel bad for talking to God about little things! For goodness sakes, He's already thinking about you!! Might as well talk to Him, so He doesn't have to just sit there and listen to your thoughts like He's got a hidden microphone on you or something. Just because He's thinking about you and helping you pass a science quiz doesn't mean He's not at the exact same moment protecting a group of missionaries as they smuggle bibles into China, helping a Preacher say the right thing to touch his congregation of 5,000 hurting people, and freeing children from the human trafficking system in the United States.
True, God loves everyone, but that doesn't mean that His love isn't worth something. He doesn't HAVE to love everybody, He does though, because He created you perfectly. He created every person perfectly. Also, He doesn't love everyone in the same way. We are all his beloved children, and He will take care of us, but with one person He might say, "I love you so I'm going to bless you with a success in that business you're opening," and to another, "I love you so I'm going to make your business fail, because then you can start a daycare center and realize your amazing compassion for children." He knows you better than you know yourself. How has God loved you lately?
Galatians 4: 8-10 "In the past you did not know God. You were slaves to gods that were not real. But now you know the true God. Really, it is God who knows you. So why do you turn back to those weak and useless rules you followed before? Do you want to be slaves to those things again?"
You've probably heard that at least a hundred times in your life, if not more. It's not too crazy to hear that, and you might not have any trouble believing it. I can say I love all the orphans in Africa, and as true as it might be, I don't even know every orphan in Africa. It doesn't mean I think that any given orphan is special or unique in my mind. It doesn't mean I think about each individual orphan. It means I feel love for the collective orphans- the group. Today I want to tell you that God's love isn't like that.
God's love doesn't rain down on the masses. John 3:16 says "For God so loved THE WORLD." That doesn't mean His love is a general thing, that He doesn't really desire to love YOU. He individually packages up His blessings and love and continuously sends it to each and every person on Earth. God CREATED you! He didn't just sorta throw together a generic baby and then forget about you. He designed you- sketched your fingerprints and painted the unique color of your eyes. You are absolutely beautiful to Him. He knows your little quirks and talents, because He gave them to you! Never, ever feel like "God loves everyone" means that you blend in with the crowd. It's easy to fall under the impression that if you ran into God in the street he'd say, "Oh, I remember you. You're the one who was born on such and such a date and prayed to me every day. Thanks!" In my mind anyways, it'll be a little more like this, "(Insert name here)! I've been waiting for you! I was thinking you might need a hug. I saw someone laugh at you earlier, and I know exactly how you feel. Just to let you know, I made your hair the very same color as the Apostle Paul's was, because I knew you would think He was a cool guy. And my inspiration for your eyes came from this little place in France that I made where you can see the dark green trees at the base of the Alps with a glorious sunset in the background. That's what I wanted people to think of when they see your eyes. You're beautiful."
Not that I want this to be focused on just physical beauty, because God knows your inner self better than you do. He knit you together in your mother's womb. The one and only Almighty Artist designed your heart and mind. When you were concieved, God didn't release you into the world with a promise to see ya later. He proudly looked on as you took your first steps, clapped after you sang your first song, and cheers every time you smile at the gorgeous nature that He made for you. God not only loves you dearly, because He is your Father and the reason your heart beats, but He THINKS about you! As you're reading this, I pray and believe He's nodding and saying, "You'll never understand how much YOU (you as an individual) mean to me." This is God we're talking about. He is limitless. He can think about every single person specifically at once, and have a million things to say about every one of us in that moment. If He wants to (and I don't think He'd have to do this because He could just think about more than 1 thing at once) He can pause time and think about you for a little bit longer than there's time for. Some people have said to me, "I feel guilty for praying about such silly things because God has so many important things to be thinking about and working on." Don't feel bad for talking to God about little things! For goodness sakes, He's already thinking about you!! Might as well talk to Him, so He doesn't have to just sit there and listen to your thoughts like He's got a hidden microphone on you or something. Just because He's thinking about you and helping you pass a science quiz doesn't mean He's not at the exact same moment protecting a group of missionaries as they smuggle bibles into China, helping a Preacher say the right thing to touch his congregation of 5,000 hurting people, and freeing children from the human trafficking system in the United States.
True, God loves everyone, but that doesn't mean that His love isn't worth something. He doesn't HAVE to love everybody, He does though, because He created you perfectly. He created every person perfectly. Also, He doesn't love everyone in the same way. We are all his beloved children, and He will take care of us, but with one person He might say, "I love you so I'm going to bless you with a success in that business you're opening," and to another, "I love you so I'm going to make your business fail, because then you can start a daycare center and realize your amazing compassion for children." He knows you better than you know yourself. How has God loved you lately?
Galatians 4: 8-10 "In the past you did not know God. You were slaves to gods that were not real. But now you know the true God. Really, it is God who knows you. So why do you turn back to those weak and useless rules you followed before? Do you want to be slaves to those things again?"
Saturday, July 31, 2010
The Apostles
Philippians 1: 3-8 "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right nor me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus."
How many friends do you have who are Christians?
How many friends do you have who are Christians and actually talk with you about faith, encourage you, go with you on missions and pray with you?
The book of Acts (The Acts of the Apostles) is a record of some of the most successful Gospel outreach in history. If you are wanting to go into ministry, or be able to share the Truth of Jesus with the people around you, I would highly recommend reading it through beginning to end. Even if you DON'T want to do either of those things, keep reading, maybe you'll be inspired.
Most of the Christians mentioned in Acts are the guys who received the Great Commission directly from Jesus, and boy did they take it to heart. We can learn a lot by looking at how they lived their lives, effectively spread the gospel and led the way for Christianity to become the biggest "religion" in the world.
Right now I want to focus on one aspect of the lives of the apostles, one that is often overlooked:
Community.
Jesus called the 12 disciples to follow him, right? Which they did. For the entirety of Jesus' adult ministry on Earth (3 years I think), they went everywhere together. If you spent just about every minute of every day with 12 other people for THREE YEARS, don't you think you'd get to know them pretty well? Maybe get sorta attached, become friends even? Just a little. So, even after Jesus gave them their mission and went up to heaven, they stuck together. Not always physically, but even before cell phones, email, and facebook, they managed to keep in touch. They prayed for each other, met to worship and teach, and often traveled in pairs. As their community of believers grew, they had people in almost every city whom they could go to for help or rest if they were passing through. They kept each other accountable but still trusted each other. When Saul was converted and began his ministry, he tried to meet with the apostles, but they were afraid of him. Then Barnabas stepped in and basically said "He's for real, God called him." From then on he was accepted and allowed to stay with the other believers.
The first Christians really understood the power of prayer- of asking God to do something that humans never could. A big reason for this may be that they had actually met Jesus and seen Him perform miracles, so to them, praying was just like talking to Jesus, asking Him to do what He does best. Which is what prayer still is today. Anyways, they prayed SO MUCH! And it paid off. After Herod killed James, the brother of John, he captured Peter also because the citizens liked it when he killed Christians. So Peter was thrown in jail before his trial. He had SIXTEEN guards in charge of him, and was literally chained down within his cell. His trial is the next day. That's pretty much the most hopeless situation I can imagine. Still, he had his close friends, and all their close friends, and so on praying for him. Acts 12:5 says, "So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him." Can you guess what happened? While Peter was praying, an angel woke him up, Peters chains fell off, and Peter walked behind the angel right out of the prison, past the guards, and outside the city gate. Peter didn't even know what was happening, he thought he was dreaming! He was freed by the grace of God and through the many prayers that the church said on his behalf.
The first thing Peter did once he was out was go to Mary's house, where there was a prayer session going on. He encouraged them with the story of his rescue, and made sure they would tell "the brothers" about it as well. It was important that the church hear Peter's good news.
Okay, so I don't know how clear those stories were to you in regard to our lives today. What I'm trying to get across here is that it's important to stick together. When the disciples gathered together to preach at Pentecost, THREE THOUSAND people came to faith in Christ. That's amazing. The church made it a priority to meet together and pray for each other. The result was an extremely effective ministry that was the foundation for the Christian church we have today. A lot of people that I talk to who don't have a home church say that they feel they don't need a church. You can still believe in God without going to church, right? That is true, but as the stories in Acts show, the benefits of having a group of believers who will pray for you and help you out far outweigh the sacrifice of having to get up early on Sunday. If you don't connect well with "church people" or have another reason why you can't go to a regular church, please consider finding a TEC (teens encounter Christ, www.southerntec.org) or Young Life (www.younglife.org) near you.
If you already know a good group of Christians- consider yourself very blessed!! I speak from past personal experience that many Christians feel alone, even if they've grown up in the church. Make an effort to connect with those Christians and do something as simple as let them know you'll be praying for them. We are stronger together than alone. Blogging is a good way to share your thoughts with other Christians, teach each other, encourage each other, find out who you can be praying for specifically, and share any prayer requests you might have.
Basically, I can't emphasize enough how amazing it is to have believers who will go through life with you. We are closer than brothers and sisters. God brings people together to work for His good, and it can be stronger than any earthly friendship. The love and fellowship between followers of Christ is absolutely amazing and truly rewarding.
Acts 18:27 "When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed."
Acts 15:32-35 "Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers. After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord."
1 Thessalonians 5:11-15 "Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else."
Philippians 1: 3-8 "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right nor me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus."
It is right nor me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus."
How many friends do you have who are Christians?
How many friends do you have who are Christians and actually talk with you about faith, encourage you, go with you on missions and pray with you?
The book of Acts (The Acts of the Apostles) is a record of some of the most successful Gospel outreach in history. If you are wanting to go into ministry, or be able to share the Truth of Jesus with the people around you, I would highly recommend reading it through beginning to end. Even if you DON'T want to do either of those things, keep reading, maybe you'll be inspired.
Most of the Christians mentioned in Acts are the guys who received the Great Commission directly from Jesus, and boy did they take it to heart. We can learn a lot by looking at how they lived their lives, effectively spread the gospel and led the way for Christianity to become the biggest "religion" in the world.
Right now I want to focus on one aspect of the lives of the apostles, one that is often overlooked:
Community.
Jesus called the 12 disciples to follow him, right? Which they did. For the entirety of Jesus' adult ministry on Earth (3 years I think), they went everywhere together. If you spent just about every minute of every day with 12 other people for THREE YEARS, don't you think you'd get to know them pretty well? Maybe get sorta attached, become friends even? Just a little. So, even after Jesus gave them their mission and went up to heaven, they stuck together. Not always physically, but even before cell phones, email, and facebook, they managed to keep in touch. They prayed for each other, met to worship and teach, and often traveled in pairs. As their community of believers grew, they had people in almost every city whom they could go to for help or rest if they were passing through. They kept each other accountable but still trusted each other. When Saul was converted and began his ministry, he tried to meet with the apostles, but they were afraid of him. Then Barnabas stepped in and basically said "He's for real, God called him." From then on he was accepted and allowed to stay with the other believers.
The first Christians really understood the power of prayer- of asking God to do something that humans never could. A big reason for this may be that they had actually met Jesus and seen Him perform miracles, so to them, praying was just like talking to Jesus, asking Him to do what He does best. Which is what prayer still is today. Anyways, they prayed SO MUCH! And it paid off. After Herod killed James, the brother of John, he captured Peter also because the citizens liked it when he killed Christians. So Peter was thrown in jail before his trial. He had SIXTEEN guards in charge of him, and was literally chained down within his cell. His trial is the next day. That's pretty much the most hopeless situation I can imagine. Still, he had his close friends, and all their close friends, and so on praying for him. Acts 12:5 says, "So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him." Can you guess what happened? While Peter was praying, an angel woke him up, Peters chains fell off, and Peter walked behind the angel right out of the prison, past the guards, and outside the city gate. Peter didn't even know what was happening, he thought he was dreaming! He was freed by the grace of God and through the many prayers that the church said on his behalf.
The first thing Peter did once he was out was go to Mary's house, where there was a prayer session going on. He encouraged them with the story of his rescue, and made sure they would tell "the brothers" about it as well. It was important that the church hear Peter's good news.
Okay, so I don't know how clear those stories were to you in regard to our lives today. What I'm trying to get across here is that it's important to stick together. When the disciples gathered together to preach at Pentecost, THREE THOUSAND people came to faith in Christ. That's amazing. The church made it a priority to meet together and pray for each other. The result was an extremely effective ministry that was the foundation for the Christian church we have today. A lot of people that I talk to who don't have a home church say that they feel they don't need a church. You can still believe in God without going to church, right? That is true, but as the stories in Acts show, the benefits of having a group of believers who will pray for you and help you out far outweigh the sacrifice of having to get up early on Sunday. If you don't connect well with "church people" or have another reason why you can't go to a regular church, please consider finding a TEC (teens encounter Christ, www.southerntec.org) or Young Life (www.younglife.org) near you.
If you already know a good group of Christians- consider yourself very blessed!! I speak from past personal experience that many Christians feel alone, even if they've grown up in the church. Make an effort to connect with those Christians and do something as simple as let them know you'll be praying for them. We are stronger together than alone. Blogging is a good way to share your thoughts with other Christians, teach each other, encourage each other, find out who you can be praying for specifically, and share any prayer requests you might have.
Basically, I can't emphasize enough how amazing it is to have believers who will go through life with you. We are closer than brothers and sisters. God brings people together to work for His good, and it can be stronger than any earthly friendship. The love and fellowship between followers of Christ is absolutely amazing and truly rewarding.
Acts 18:27 "When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed."
Acts 15:32-35 "Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers. After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord."
1 Thessalonians 5:11-15 "Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else."
Philippians 1: 3-8 "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right nor me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus."
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Twenty-first Century Holocaust
Holocaust. [hol-uh-kawst] -noun
1. a great or complete devastation, especially by fire.
2. a sacrifice completely consumed by fire; burnt offering.
3. (usually initial capital letter) the systematic mass slaughter of European Jews in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. (usually preceded by "the")
4. Any mass slaughter or reckless destruction of life.
Some of you might have already guessed this, but yes, I'm referring to the abortion holocaust that goes on today all over the world. And yes, I realize that "holocaust" is a powerful word to describe what many people view as a "medical procedure." Everyone knows what The Holocaust was, we learn about it in school, we read about it and even hear a few first hand accounts of how damaging it was- to families, to its victims, to the entire world. I remember in the middle of my freshman year, we were reading "Night" by Elie Wiesel and for an in-class assignment we had to look at pictures of holocaust victims online. It was horrifying. Similarly, I've looked at photographs of abortion victims on standtrue.com (go there- click "Educate Yourself"- click the "Abortion" link under "The Issues"- scroll down and click "Pictures of Aborted Babies.") and been totally shocked. They're babies. Premature and tiny, but babies nonetheless. Babies that have been pulled from the womb or drowned or chemically murdered.
It seems to me that the biggest debate relating to abortion is the exact moment that human life begins. The most convincing proof that I've seen that supports the idea that life begins at conception is this:
Psalm 51:5 "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me."
This psalmist states that he was conceived in sin. Think about that for a second. Sin. Does sin affect your physical body? No, it hurts your soul. Therefore, since the psalmist, and all of us for that matter, were sinful from the moment of conception, we must have had a soul from the moment of conception. From a biblical standpoint (and in my opinion, that's the truest standpoint there is) abortion is murder. I think everyone will agree that murder is wrong, yes?
Well, it's happening in unfathomable amounts. 4,000 babies a day are aborted. Murdered. 50 MILLION have been killed in the United States since the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973. Can you picture 50 million people? I have trouble imagining any amount above 25 thousand (because that's how many there were in the superdome during the NYG). Anyway, I firmly believe those 50 million aborted human beings are now with Jesus in heaven. Which is certainly a better place to be, but it's devastating to think of the lives they could have led here on Earth, the people they could have touched, and the ideas they could have contributed to society. COULD HAVE, but never will.
Now, you might still disagree with me. If you choose to discredit the bible, which is definitely a popular standpoint, then talk to women who have had abortions. Many women have reported having terrible nightmares about their unborn children crying out to them. The psychological effects are extensive and unsettling. Some polls show that 19% of the women surveyed regretted their decision, other polls came up with results as high as 50% who wish they had chosen to have their baby.
Post-abortion syndrome is an untreatable, often long-term condition that many women suffer from after having an abortion. While they do feel relieved immediately after, feelings of guilt and loneliness often surface on the anniversary of an abortion or during any kind of counseling. There are many symptoms of PAS, including: desire to "replace the baby", eating disorders, shame, substance abuse, bitterness, unexplained depression, removal from anything that would remind the woman of her abortion, broken relationships, nightmares, resentment, and suicide.
Many doctors would tell you that PAS does not exist or is extremely rare, but they usually conduct their studies soon after the abortion takes place, before the negative feelings begin.
Okay. I'm not a doctor, and if you don't believe me, by all means research it yourself. Some sites that have been helpful to me:
About the effects abortion has on women-
http://www.realchoicespcc.org/pastness.html
http://www.abortionfacts.com/reardon/after_effects_of_abortion.asp
Some statistics and information on Pro-life Silent Day of Solidarity-
http://silentday.org/
http://standtrue.com/ ("Educate Yourself" has some very good answers for skeptics and anyone wanting to learn more)
By reading what I've written up until this point, you have a choice: Reconcile this sinful behavior and make excuses, or take a stand for life. There is forgiveness to be found in Jesus, and we should certainly be reaching out to these women who are broken and hurting, but we cannot let this sin continue to plague our nation and our world. You are no longer ignorant, now please don't choose to be apathetic. Write letters to thank politicians who are fighting to stop abortion or write to them sharing your views on why they should start working to end abortion, participate in national events such as Pro-Life day of Silent Solidarity or 40 Days for Life, or simply know what you believe and be willing to speak up and defend the lives of unborn children who can't speak for themselves.
Please know that this post isn't meant to accuse or blame, but to inform and defend. Thank you.
Psalm 22:9-10
Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast. From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God.
Jeremiah 1:4-5
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations"
1. a great or complete devastation, especially by fire.
2. a sacrifice completely consumed by fire; burnt offering.
3. (usually initial capital letter) the systematic mass slaughter of European Jews in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. (usually preceded by "the")
4. Any mass slaughter or reckless destruction of life.
Some of you might have already guessed this, but yes, I'm referring to the abortion holocaust that goes on today all over the world. And yes, I realize that "holocaust" is a powerful word to describe what many people view as a "medical procedure." Everyone knows what The Holocaust was, we learn about it in school, we read about it and even hear a few first hand accounts of how damaging it was- to families, to its victims, to the entire world. I remember in the middle of my freshman year, we were reading "Night" by Elie Wiesel and for an in-class assignment we had to look at pictures of holocaust victims online. It was horrifying. Similarly, I've looked at photographs of abortion victims on standtrue.com (go there- click "Educate Yourself"- click the "Abortion" link under "The Issues"- scroll down and click "Pictures of Aborted Babies.") and been totally shocked. They're babies. Premature and tiny, but babies nonetheless. Babies that have been pulled from the womb or drowned or chemically murdered.
It seems to me that the biggest debate relating to abortion is the exact moment that human life begins. The most convincing proof that I've seen that supports the idea that life begins at conception is this:
Psalm 51:5 "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me."
This psalmist states that he was conceived in sin. Think about that for a second. Sin. Does sin affect your physical body? No, it hurts your soul. Therefore, since the psalmist, and all of us for that matter, were sinful from the moment of conception, we must have had a soul from the moment of conception. From a biblical standpoint (and in my opinion, that's the truest standpoint there is) abortion is murder. I think everyone will agree that murder is wrong, yes?
Well, it's happening in unfathomable amounts. 4,000 babies a day are aborted. Murdered. 50 MILLION have been killed in the United States since the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973. Can you picture 50 million people? I have trouble imagining any amount above 25 thousand (because that's how many there were in the superdome during the NYG). Anyway, I firmly believe those 50 million aborted human beings are now with Jesus in heaven. Which is certainly a better place to be, but it's devastating to think of the lives they could have led here on Earth, the people they could have touched, and the ideas they could have contributed to society. COULD HAVE, but never will.
Now, you might still disagree with me. If you choose to discredit the bible, which is definitely a popular standpoint, then talk to women who have had abortions. Many women have reported having terrible nightmares about their unborn children crying out to them. The psychological effects are extensive and unsettling. Some polls show that 19% of the women surveyed regretted their decision, other polls came up with results as high as 50% who wish they had chosen to have their baby.
Post-abortion syndrome is an untreatable, often long-term condition that many women suffer from after having an abortion. While they do feel relieved immediately after, feelings of guilt and loneliness often surface on the anniversary of an abortion or during any kind of counseling. There are many symptoms of PAS, including: desire to "replace the baby", eating disorders, shame, substance abuse, bitterness, unexplained depression, removal from anything that would remind the woman of her abortion, broken relationships, nightmares, resentment, and suicide.
Many doctors would tell you that PAS does not exist or is extremely rare, but they usually conduct their studies soon after the abortion takes place, before the negative feelings begin.
Okay. I'm not a doctor, and if you don't believe me, by all means research it yourself. Some sites that have been helpful to me:
About the effects abortion has on women-
http://www.realchoicespcc.org/pastness.html
http://www.abortionfacts.com/reardon/after_effects_of_abortion.asp
Some statistics and information on Pro-life Silent Day of Solidarity-
http://silentday.org/
http://standtrue.com/ ("Educate Yourself" has some very good answers for skeptics and anyone wanting to learn more)
By reading what I've written up until this point, you have a choice: Reconcile this sinful behavior and make excuses, or take a stand for life. There is forgiveness to be found in Jesus, and we should certainly be reaching out to these women who are broken and hurting, but we cannot let this sin continue to plague our nation and our world. You are no longer ignorant, now please don't choose to be apathetic. Write letters to thank politicians who are fighting to stop abortion or write to them sharing your views on why they should start working to end abortion, participate in national events such as Pro-Life day of Silent Solidarity or 40 Days for Life, or simply know what you believe and be willing to speak up and defend the lives of unborn children who can't speak for themselves.
Please know that this post isn't meant to accuse or blame, but to inform and defend. Thank you.
Psalm 22:9-10
Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast. From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God.
Jeremiah 1:4-5
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations"
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Conflicting Theories
Hullo.
First off, can I just say what a gorgeous day it is?? Perfect weather- sunny but not too hot, a slight breeze, clear air. I took the boys outside for a picnic lunch :) God is such a fantastic artist. wow.
Now, getting to what I actually want to talk about right now:
When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a singer. Oh, sometimes I had a long list and sometimes it was just two things, but one of them was always "Singer." I have a musical family- my dad is now a saxophone/trumpet teacher and a professional musician, my mom leads worship at my church, my brother is honestly the best nonprofessional drummer I know, my oldest brother is an amazing saxophone player and participates in jazz band at his college, my aunt has sung opera for many years and plays oboe and English horn, and my grandparents were both band directors. I'm not saying that I feel pressured into a musical career, but it runs in the family. I've had a lot of exposure to music and my family has taught me a lot about it. Singing is my passion, I love it. Even better is singing not just to be heard, but to worship. So even after other kids gave up their dreams of being rock stars or movie stars or the president, I held on. I felt like singing was the natural place for me to be.
Over the past months I've been motivated to actually do something about my dreams. I've been writing songs since I was 11 or 12, and I've continued doing that with renewed interest and bigger intentions. I want to use the amazing gifts that God has given me to worship Him and lead many people to worship him as well. That makes sense, doesn't it?
Here's where it gets... problematic.
Problem number one is my pride. I want to be someone that others look up to and admire. I think that if I ever ended up being a well-known Christian musician, I would put too much focus on myself and on my music. I do honestly want to worship and praise God with my music, but I want to do it on a big stage. I just don't know if that's just because I think I could change people's lives (there i go with that "I" again) or because I'm selfish and conceited. I think that I'm a great singer. I think I have what it takes to get a record deal and go on tour and all that. That's where problem number two comes in.
Problem number two= I have what it takes. At least I'm pretty confident that I do. I have talent, no fear of public speaking, and a message (or several messages) that I want the world to hear. However, it's known by many Christians that God uses unlikely people to get his biggest work done. Noah couldn't speak well, Esther was young and had no desire for power, Saul wasn't even a believer until God called him to do big things. God tends to skip over those people who 1. don't have pure motives or 2. are the people everyone would expect to do big things. So, since both of those apply to me, I'm confused. Why would God give me this passion if I wasn't meant to lead thousands of people in worship and to encourage them as well?
So as I've pondered all this today, a few things came to mind.
-Music has always been my identity. Maybe I'm supposed to give it up so I can find my identity in Christ.
-I read a devotion this morning that said "success is never God's plan for us." He wants me to grow in Him and serve Him in every little way possible, and I agree.
-Now I'm trying to humble myself and commit the little, everyday things I do to Him. But even with that, am I being selfish? Do I just want to be faithful and humble so God will put me in a position of great leadership? I don't know.
-If God doesn't choose me to do anything big, He still loves me just as much. He will never love me less because of what I do or don't do with my life. Even if I totally screw it up and end up spending the majority of my life in jail or as a drug addict, His love for me will be stronger than I can imagine.
-It seems like I'm qualified do this job by the world's standards, but if God uses people who are unqualified, then I would literally be unqualified. Or maybe there are no qualifications, because maybe God really does use anyone, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses.
-Maybe all this is just doubt given to me by the devil to discourage me.
-I'm not supposed to know what's going to happen tomorrow. Only God knows, and he will work everything out. Does that mean I shouldn't plan ahead? Should I just sit around waiting for God to smack me in the head with an opportunity? I don't think so. But if I'm SUPPOSED to act now, how do I know that I'm not wasting my time, because God has something different planned for me? (Okay, this last bullet point is probably best answered by my big brother's blog, www.theroc1217.blogspot.com . I just forget things too easily I guess.)
Psalm 100
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.
Also, listen to Forgiven by Sanctus Real.
Verse 2 says:
My mistakes are running through my mind
And I’ll relive my days, in the middle of the night
When I struggle with my pain, wrestle with my pride
Sometimes I feel alone, and I cry
In this life
I know what I’ve been
But here in your arms
I know what I am
I'm forgiven.
That song just kinda spoke to my heart so I thought I'd share it. <3
First off, can I just say what a gorgeous day it is?? Perfect weather- sunny but not too hot, a slight breeze, clear air. I took the boys outside for a picnic lunch :) God is such a fantastic artist. wow.
Now, getting to what I actually want to talk about right now:
When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a singer. Oh, sometimes I had a long list and sometimes it was just two things, but one of them was always "Singer." I have a musical family- my dad is now a saxophone/trumpet teacher and a professional musician, my mom leads worship at my church, my brother is honestly the best nonprofessional drummer I know, my oldest brother is an amazing saxophone player and participates in jazz band at his college, my aunt has sung opera for many years and plays oboe and English horn, and my grandparents were both band directors. I'm not saying that I feel pressured into a musical career, but it runs in the family. I've had a lot of exposure to music and my family has taught me a lot about it. Singing is my passion, I love it. Even better is singing not just to be heard, but to worship. So even after other kids gave up their dreams of being rock stars or movie stars or the president, I held on. I felt like singing was the natural place for me to be.
Over the past months I've been motivated to actually do something about my dreams. I've been writing songs since I was 11 or 12, and I've continued doing that with renewed interest and bigger intentions. I want to use the amazing gifts that God has given me to worship Him and lead many people to worship him as well. That makes sense, doesn't it?
Here's where it gets... problematic.
Problem number one is my pride. I want to be someone that others look up to and admire. I think that if I ever ended up being a well-known Christian musician, I would put too much focus on myself and on my music. I do honestly want to worship and praise God with my music, but I want to do it on a big stage. I just don't know if that's just because I think I could change people's lives (there i go with that "I" again) or because I'm selfish and conceited. I think that I'm a great singer. I think I have what it takes to get a record deal and go on tour and all that. That's where problem number two comes in.
Problem number two= I have what it takes. At least I'm pretty confident that I do. I have talent, no fear of public speaking, and a message (or several messages) that I want the world to hear. However, it's known by many Christians that God uses unlikely people to get his biggest work done. Noah couldn't speak well, Esther was young and had no desire for power, Saul wasn't even a believer until God called him to do big things. God tends to skip over those people who 1. don't have pure motives or 2. are the people everyone would expect to do big things. So, since both of those apply to me, I'm confused. Why would God give me this passion if I wasn't meant to lead thousands of people in worship and to encourage them as well?
So as I've pondered all this today, a few things came to mind.
-Music has always been my identity. Maybe I'm supposed to give it up so I can find my identity in Christ.
-I read a devotion this morning that said "success is never God's plan for us." He wants me to grow in Him and serve Him in every little way possible, and I agree.
-Now I'm trying to humble myself and commit the little, everyday things I do to Him. But even with that, am I being selfish? Do I just want to be faithful and humble so God will put me in a position of great leadership? I don't know.
-If God doesn't choose me to do anything big, He still loves me just as much. He will never love me less because of what I do or don't do with my life. Even if I totally screw it up and end up spending the majority of my life in jail or as a drug addict, His love for me will be stronger than I can imagine.
-It seems like I'm qualified do this job by the world's standards, but if God uses people who are unqualified, then I would literally be unqualified. Or maybe there are no qualifications, because maybe God really does use anyone, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses.
-Maybe all this is just doubt given to me by the devil to discourage me.
-I'm not supposed to know what's going to happen tomorrow. Only God knows, and he will work everything out. Does that mean I shouldn't plan ahead? Should I just sit around waiting for God to smack me in the head with an opportunity? I don't think so. But if I'm SUPPOSED to act now, how do I know that I'm not wasting my time, because God has something different planned for me? (Okay, this last bullet point is probably best answered by my big brother's blog, www.theroc1217.blogspot.com . I just forget things too easily I guess.)
Psalm 100
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.
Also, listen to Forgiven by Sanctus Real.
Verse 2 says:
My mistakes are running through my mind
And I’ll relive my days, in the middle of the night
When I struggle with my pain, wrestle with my pride
Sometimes I feel alone, and I cry
In this life
I know what I’ve been
But here in your arms
I know what I am
I'm forgiven.
That song just kinda spoke to my heart so I thought I'd share it. <3
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Expectations
I'm not expected to keep my room clean.
I'm not expected to dress modestly.
I'm not expected to help out around the house.
I'm not expected to learn during the summer.
Last night I started reading the book "Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris. It was sorta sad actually, because I've been waiting to go buy this book for at least two weeks, and then I went with my mom to get it and she's like "Oh, your brother has this book!" Sooo I went back home, grabbed it from his room, and FINALLY started reading it.
I'm about halfway done, and the thing that hit me the hardest out of all the interesting points I've read, is the idea of low expectations. Have you ever thought about what the world expects of you as a teenager? Your parents might expect more of you than your English teacher, or the other way around. Hopefully you expect something of yourself. I started cleaning my room last night, and while throwing away trash and listening to Anberlin on my iphone, I thought about what people DON'T expect from me. The three statements listed above are just some of the things that no one really expects me to do, but I think they should.
Well, I take that back. No PERSON expects me to do those things, but God does. All of God's commandments and guidelines for living a pure, godly life apply to youth as well. God expects us to obey our parents, listen to our teachers and follow their instructions, grow in our faith and in our earthly knowledge, and treat everyone with love and respect. We are to stay away from things that could harm us, like drinking, drugs, smoking, excess junk food, laziness, selfishness, and sexual immorality. We're supposed to give ten percent of what we get to the church! How many teenagers forget all these things or just blow them off thinking "I'll get around to following God when I'm older?" Here's the thing: If you don't start now, the chances that you'll magically start when you graduate high school or college, or get a job are much lower.
So, if you're on fire for God but don't know how to show people, this is it. Rise above expectations. You will absolutely blow people away. They will be shocked and confused as to why you're trying harder than you have to! And don't just rise above the below-the-floor expectations of our society, because most of us have already done that. Rise above all else to meet God's expectations. You'll never do it, but He still wants you to try. The expectations of the Lord are insanely high for a reason- so we will never stop growing, trusting Him, and learning to be more like Jesus. WWJD? He wouldn't sit around eating chips and watching sitcoms while people are dying outside. He wouldn't wait until the last minute to do in His homework, because He'll probably get a B even with minimum work. My sixth grade English teacher used to say "I run on an M4M system. Maximum effort for maximum results, and minimum effort for minimum results." That's just like life. You can definitely get some results from doing the bare minimum, but most of us have aspirations that are higher than that. Do you want to succeed and grow and make a difference? Then stop sinking to meet the expectations of this world, and start growing to get closer to God's. Every area of your life, no matter how little you care about it, could benefit you if you work hard in it. Don't strive to be the best. Instead, strive to grow- every day, every minute, to grow a little more. You'll meet your goal right away, and yet it's never truly finished. There's always more space to climb when God is the top of the ladder.
2 Timothy 4:12
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity."
2 Timothy 2:22
"Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."
Monday, July 26, 2010
Making Time
Hello Again! It's been too long since I posted on my blog, so here you go :)
I was in New Orleans for the past two weeks which is why I wasn't able to write much. Actually, I believe I wrote a post or two while I was at the hotel, but once the actual National Youth Gathering began, I've busy every second of every day until right about now. So sorry for the break, but it's good to be back!
I haven't thought this post through like I normally do before I begin, so it might be a bit jumbled, but bear with me.
Have you ever made a To-Do list? I make them all the time. Especially when my life gets insane like it has lately. I actually make a To-Do list last night, and here are just a few of the things it included:
- Blog about ____,____, and ____
-Write out piano parts for songs
-CLEAN ROOM!
-Go shopping
-Read "Do Hard Things"
-Give old clothes and stuff away
As I was writing this, I got a little freaked out that I wouldn't be able to do all these things. I have to babysit a lot this week, and I usually don't have much free time while I'm watching the boys (although obviously I have some, because I'm writing this while babysitting. Zeke is to my left reading, and Silas is in front of me using up his videogame time). My life always gets like this and I feel like I'm hanging off a cliff. With each thing I check off my list, I pull myself a little closer to safety. Now I know there's got to be something wrong with being stressed out. Suresh, a missionary from India who visited our church recently, made a comment about how "everyone is in such a big hurry!" and I was basically thinking "well yeah we have tons of stuff to do!" But now that I think about it, doesn't he have lots to do as well? He's a missionary for goodness sakes! Talk about a stressful job- he has to be on the lookout for Hindus who want to kill him, always running from town to town to check up on the Christians there and preach the gospel in places where's it's not always known or accepted. It's a huge task to try to tell an entire country about God, but Suresh is confident that it will be done. Why?
I'm sure it has to do with trusting God, accepting God's peace, and making time for Him even when there's no time to spare. As far as my list goes, if I ask God to help me get everything done, it'll happen. I probably won't turn into a supermultitasker for a day and be able to accomplish everything as fast as my impatient self wants to, but I will get it done someday with God's help. I don't have to rush through life, worried that I won't be able to do all the things I want/need to, and then die. Honestly, some of the things that I stress out about doing aren't even that important. God will lead me through.
And if there's anything I learned this past winter when I had mono, it's the importance of rest. A well rested person can accomplish twice as much as someone who is tired and overworked, plus they will feel better. I haven't been good about this lately, but I'm going to try hard to get a good amount of sleep in the future. Sleep is a time for our body to heal and grow, and our minds to recharge and calm down.
Spiritual rest is just as necessary as physical rest, though sadly it's often looked on as a waste of time or just "something extra" that you can do. That's not true. Reading the bible on your own, doing devotions, and having quiet prayer time are some of the most important things you will ever do in life. We are supposed to remain in God, study the holy scriptures, pray in every circumstance about everything. The bible is the living, active Word of God, and it will help you in an enormous way, no matter how many times you've already read it. It's hard to live like Jesus if you don't know how Jesus lived. Pour your heart out to God, study his Words, and He will give you spiritual growth and healing.
Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yolk on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yolk is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
I was in New Orleans for the past two weeks which is why I wasn't able to write much. Actually, I believe I wrote a post or two while I was at the hotel, but once the actual National Youth Gathering began, I've busy every second of every day until right about now. So sorry for the break, but it's good to be back!
I haven't thought this post through like I normally do before I begin, so it might be a bit jumbled, but bear with me.
Have you ever made a To-Do list? I make them all the time. Especially when my life gets insane like it has lately. I actually make a To-Do list last night, and here are just a few of the things it included:
- Blog about ____,____, and ____
-Write out piano parts for songs
-CLEAN ROOM!
-Go shopping
-Read "Do Hard Things"
-Give old clothes and stuff away
As I was writing this, I got a little freaked out that I wouldn't be able to do all these things. I have to babysit a lot this week, and I usually don't have much free time while I'm watching the boys (although obviously I have some, because I'm writing this while babysitting. Zeke is to my left reading, and Silas is in front of me using up his videogame time). My life always gets like this and I feel like I'm hanging off a cliff. With each thing I check off my list, I pull myself a little closer to safety. Now I know there's got to be something wrong with being stressed out. Suresh, a missionary from India who visited our church recently, made a comment about how "everyone is in such a big hurry!" and I was basically thinking "well yeah we have tons of stuff to do!" But now that I think about it, doesn't he have lots to do as well? He's a missionary for goodness sakes! Talk about a stressful job- he has to be on the lookout for Hindus who want to kill him, always running from town to town to check up on the Christians there and preach the gospel in places where's it's not always known or accepted. It's a huge task to try to tell an entire country about God, but Suresh is confident that it will be done. Why?
I'm sure it has to do with trusting God, accepting God's peace, and making time for Him even when there's no time to spare. As far as my list goes, if I ask God to help me get everything done, it'll happen. I probably won't turn into a supermultitasker for a day and be able to accomplish everything as fast as my impatient self wants to, but I will get it done someday with God's help. I don't have to rush through life, worried that I won't be able to do all the things I want/need to, and then die. Honestly, some of the things that I stress out about doing aren't even that important. God will lead me through.
And if there's anything I learned this past winter when I had mono, it's the importance of rest. A well rested person can accomplish twice as much as someone who is tired and overworked, plus they will feel better. I haven't been good about this lately, but I'm going to try hard to get a good amount of sleep in the future. Sleep is a time for our body to heal and grow, and our minds to recharge and calm down.
Spiritual rest is just as necessary as physical rest, though sadly it's often looked on as a waste of time or just "something extra" that you can do. That's not true. Reading the bible on your own, doing devotions, and having quiet prayer time are some of the most important things you will ever do in life. We are supposed to remain in God, study the holy scriptures, pray in every circumstance about everything. The bible is the living, active Word of God, and it will help you in an enormous way, no matter how many times you've already read it. It's hard to live like Jesus if you don't know how Jesus lived. Pour your heart out to God, study his Words, and He will give you spiritual growth and healing.
Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yolk on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yolk is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Humbled
God has a funny way of humbling us sometimes.
Like when you get all psyched up to lead worship for a couple thousand people, then, as it turns out, you only play for fifteen? It's not the best feeling in the world.
BUT, in the midst of disappointment, we can remember that it makes no difference how many people are worshipping with us, because it's not a show.
God will humble those who exalt themselves, and exalt those who are humbled, in His time. We are all servants of the same Lord, no one person more important than the other. The body of Christ exists when all the parts work together and encourage everyone.
So, when things aren't going my way, it helps me to meditate on the words of the song "Blessed Be Your Name."
You give and take away,
You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say,
Lord, blessed be your name.
No matter what happens to us in life, whether it changes for better or worse, God stays the same. He has always been and will always be a loving, fair but compassionate, glorious Father. I trust that He is not going to desert me today or ever, and He has an ultimate plan of hope for each of His followers.
To keep us from becoming conceited, sometimes we have to be humbled by God. Paul wrote about a "thorn in his flesh" that kept him from boasting. Because honestly, what do we have to boast about? Time and time again we prove that we are nothing without our Savior. Only by his unbelievable grace did Jesus white out our sins so we could have a personal relationship with Him. Then, as that relationship grows, God's plan for our lives is revealed, and we can do great things for the Kingdom. So really, it's got nothing to do with who we are or our successes, and everything to do with who Jesus is and what he's done.
Christianity is the only religion (or one of the only ones) that doesn't focus on good deeds for salvation. Plus, thankfully, it's the truth! We recognize that we do nothing but fail on our own. God never fails, which makes Him just what we need. F.R.O.G. Fully Rely On God, not yourself, and you will receive your reward in Heaven.
Ephesians 2:8-10
"For it by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Like when you get all psyched up to lead worship for a couple thousand people, then, as it turns out, you only play for fifteen? It's not the best feeling in the world.
BUT, in the midst of disappointment, we can remember that it makes no difference how many people are worshipping with us, because it's not a show.
God will humble those who exalt themselves, and exalt those who are humbled, in His time. We are all servants of the same Lord, no one person more important than the other. The body of Christ exists when all the parts work together and encourage everyone.
So, when things aren't going my way, it helps me to meditate on the words of the song "Blessed Be Your Name."
You give and take away,
You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say,
Lord, blessed be your name.
No matter what happens to us in life, whether it changes for better or worse, God stays the same. He has always been and will always be a loving, fair but compassionate, glorious Father. I trust that He is not going to desert me today or ever, and He has an ultimate plan of hope for each of His followers.
To keep us from becoming conceited, sometimes we have to be humbled by God. Paul wrote about a "thorn in his flesh" that kept him from boasting. Because honestly, what do we have to boast about? Time and time again we prove that we are nothing without our Savior. Only by his unbelievable grace did Jesus white out our sins so we could have a personal relationship with Him. Then, as that relationship grows, God's plan for our lives is revealed, and we can do great things for the Kingdom. So really, it's got nothing to do with who we are or our successes, and everything to do with who Jesus is and what he's done.
Christianity is the only religion (or one of the only ones) that doesn't focus on good deeds for salvation. Plus, thankfully, it's the truth! We recognize that we do nothing but fail on our own. God never fails, which makes Him just what we need. F.R.O.G. Fully Rely On God, not yourself, and you will receive your reward in Heaven.
Ephesians 2:8-10
"For it by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Be Quiet.
I am not naturally a quiet person. I love to tell stories, sing alllll the time, and make jokes. I want to be heard. Because of this, I sorta freak out when my voice is drowned out by something louder. Earlier tonight I was sitting in a stadium with 30 thousand teenagers all cheering and screaming. In an effort to not lose my voice, because I have to lead worship every night, I wasn't yelling very loudly. It was extremely difficult to keep my voice under control. I wanted to be the loudest one in there! To make the people around me turn and look, and make sure God can hear me loud and clear.
Thinking about how much I dislike being quiet made me think about how great it is to be silent sometimes. It's when we stop making noise that God will make the biggest impact on us. If we never take a moment to listen to God, He has to yell to get our attention. In other words, something in another area of life will cause you to eventually figure out what God wants you to know. Don't make Him yell. Be still and know that God is your God, the mighty counselor, your Father.
As far as physically being quiet, God still hears us when we have no voice of our own. My HEART cries out to Him, and he will hear that more clearly than any words I say. The Holy Spirit is not far from us. Even when we don't have the strength to cry, He hears us. Every whisper and breath is understood by our Father who loves us. He will never fail to hear us. Pray that the broken and lost people in this world will find peace in the knowledge that God hears them, even if no one else does.
It's okay to be crazy sometimes, but don't be foolish. Speak out and be zealous for the right things. Things that are pleasing to God and point people toward Jesus. Always take time to settle down and just listen. I promise God will reveal himself to you if you ask it of Him.
1 Peter 3:4
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfolding beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."
The Father desires for us to have a quiet and gentle spirit. A spirit that seeks and trusts Him. He delights in us when we are silent, when we give Him a chance to speak.
Thinking about how much I dislike being quiet made me think about how great it is to be silent sometimes. It's when we stop making noise that God will make the biggest impact on us. If we never take a moment to listen to God, He has to yell to get our attention. In other words, something in another area of life will cause you to eventually figure out what God wants you to know. Don't make Him yell. Be still and know that God is your God, the mighty counselor, your Father.
As far as physically being quiet, God still hears us when we have no voice of our own. My HEART cries out to Him, and he will hear that more clearly than any words I say. The Holy Spirit is not far from us. Even when we don't have the strength to cry, He hears us. Every whisper and breath is understood by our Father who loves us. He will never fail to hear us. Pray that the broken and lost people in this world will find peace in the knowledge that God hears them, even if no one else does.
It's okay to be crazy sometimes, but don't be foolish. Speak out and be zealous for the right things. Things that are pleasing to God and point people toward Jesus. Always take time to settle down and just listen. I promise God will reveal himself to you if you ask it of Him.
1 Peter 3:4
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfolding beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."
The Father desires for us to have a quiet and gentle spirit. A spirit that seeks and trusts Him. He delights in us when we are silent, when we give Him a chance to speak.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Drama!
This is actually a post that I typed a few weeks ago on my phone, but then I thought it was deleted. I just found it in my list of posts saved as a draft. Praise God for autosave :)
I'm going to talk about drama today. I feel that as a teenage girl, I am fully qualified to discuss this topic. I've had my share of drama, but I'm very happy to say most of it occurred when I was younger, like 10-13 years old. These days I stay out of most drama because I know how pointless it is.
Honestly, drama is just what the word describes- people being dramatic, or in other words- overreacting about something. The bible says we should be slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to anger. "Drama" is what results when we fail to follow any of these. If only we were empathetic and gracious with each other all the time, there would be far fewer broken friendships.
Think about it this way. When someone is rude to you, does that make it fair to be rude back? Of course it does. Seriously, that would be the "just" thing to do. But as Christians, we're supposed to forgive over and over again, no matter what the offense. Grace isn't fair, which is what's so amazing about it. Let's show the world that we are different by rising above the blame game and revenge.
Gossip is one of those things that I would respond to with the verse, "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial." Nothing good can come out of gossip. It might pass some time, but it's certainly not going to strengthen any relationships (even the friends you're gossiping with may not trust you anymore), and you could end up starting fights or nasty rumors. It's also a sin. We're not supposed to slander, which is basically saying bad things about a person. Don't hurt someone's reputation with or without them knowing. It won't make you look any better.
All I'm really trying to say is this. Drama revolves around immaturity and cruelty. It's the easy way out. Don't take that road, please. Do hard things. Stand up for a friend in a way that isn't judgmental, but uses kindness to put a stop to unkindness. Oh, and as you try to resolve conflicts in a mature way, make sure you're actually resolving them and not simply ignoring them. There's a find line between resolving conflict and simply confronting someone and expecting them to change and apologize. Be the change you want to see. Try to influence people with godly actions, and if you must talk with them, show all the low and forgivness of Jesus, because He really does love them.
I'm going to talk about drama today. I feel that as a teenage girl, I am fully qualified to discuss this topic. I've had my share of drama, but I'm very happy to say most of it occurred when I was younger, like 10-13 years old. These days I stay out of most drama because I know how pointless it is.
Honestly, drama is just what the word describes- people being dramatic, or in other words- overreacting about something. The bible says we should be slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to anger. "Drama" is what results when we fail to follow any of these. If only we were empathetic and gracious with each other all the time, there would be far fewer broken friendships.
Think about it this way. When someone is rude to you, does that make it fair to be rude back? Of course it does. Seriously, that would be the "just" thing to do. But as Christians, we're supposed to forgive over and over again, no matter what the offense. Grace isn't fair, which is what's so amazing about it. Let's show the world that we are different by rising above the blame game and revenge.
Gossip is one of those things that I would respond to with the verse, "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial." Nothing good can come out of gossip. It might pass some time, but it's certainly not going to strengthen any relationships (even the friends you're gossiping with may not trust you anymore), and you could end up starting fights or nasty rumors. It's also a sin. We're not supposed to slander, which is basically saying bad things about a person. Don't hurt someone's reputation with or without them knowing. It won't make you look any better.
All I'm really trying to say is this. Drama revolves around immaturity and cruelty. It's the easy way out. Don't take that road, please. Do hard things. Stand up for a friend in a way that isn't judgmental, but uses kindness to put a stop to unkindness. Oh, and as you try to resolve conflicts in a mature way, make sure you're actually resolving them and not simply ignoring them. There's a find line between resolving conflict and simply confronting someone and expecting them to change and apologize. Be the change you want to see. Try to influence people with godly actions, and if you must talk with them, show all the low and forgivness of Jesus, because He really does love them.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Wherever I Fall
I REALLY hate decisions. When deciding what classes to take, what to spend my money on, if I should even spend my money, what sports I should be a part of, if I should even be a part of any sports... yeah. I'm terrible. It tends to take me weeks or even months to make decisions like that, and I change my mind like, a million times every day. Plus, I stress myself out about every little thing like it could change my entire life when really, it's not even a huge deal most of the time.
Well, I had a long and difficult conversation with a few friends last night about decisions that two of us were facing. For me, the specific decision was regarding whether to do TEC (teens encounter Christ, if you don't know what that is already, you should definitely ask me about it sometime) or a powerful women's choir called Bella Voce. My friends really made me think about who I'm doing these things for, where I could make a bigger impact, and which would be more rewarding for me.
I ended the conversation feeling pretty crappy. I didn't know how on earth I was going to choose. Even though technically I'd already chosen the choir, I felt like I would regret not choosing tec... I just felt hopeless and defeated. So, after praying about it, I did what I usually do when I'm feeling upset, sad, happy, stressed, thankful, or whatever- I listened to music.
As I was lying there on my bed, the song "By Your Side" by Tenth Avenue North came on. It begins- "Why are you striving these days?" I heard this and teared up. Why was I striving so much? When had the decision become too much for me to entrust God with? Then I caught the words in the chorus,"I'll be by your side, wherever you fall." At these words I literally gasped out loud and then started sobbing (which is normal for me when I realize something new about God. I gasp every time. weird? I think so.).
Anyways, before, whenever I heard the "wherever you fall" part, I always thought about how God will pick us up at any point in life. Whatever bad situation I've gotten into, he'll pick me up. But, in light of my current circumstances, I took the words to have a different meaning. "Wherever you fall." As in, wherever I end up in this decision. Whatever I choose to plop myself down in, Bella or TEC, God will be with me every step of the way. For some reason, I had been extremely concerned that one option would bring me closer to God, and one would pull me away from Him. I finally realized that all the pressure I had been putting myself was unnecessary, because God isn't going to leave me. I won't be making Him angry if I choose the "wrong" one. There isn't even really a wrong decision in this case, because my ultimate goal is to glorify God, and He knows that.
Another thing about last night- I asked God in my prayer journal, "Why do you keep giving me these tough decisions when you know I hate them so much?" This is similar to the common "Why does God let bad things happen?" question. And I learned the answer. God gave me this decision because He knew that through my struggle, I would grow that much more in my faith. In every hard decision I face, I find myself drawing nearer to God for comfort and guidance. So, basically, He knows what He's doing in my life. He will never let me fall.
Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a HOPE and a future."
Well, I had a long and difficult conversation with a few friends last night about decisions that two of us were facing. For me, the specific decision was regarding whether to do TEC (teens encounter Christ, if you don't know what that is already, you should definitely ask me about it sometime) or a powerful women's choir called Bella Voce. My friends really made me think about who I'm doing these things for, where I could make a bigger impact, and which would be more rewarding for me.
I ended the conversation feeling pretty crappy. I didn't know how on earth I was going to choose. Even though technically I'd already chosen the choir, I felt like I would regret not choosing tec... I just felt hopeless and defeated. So, after praying about it, I did what I usually do when I'm feeling upset, sad, happy, stressed, thankful, or whatever- I listened to music.
As I was lying there on my bed, the song "By Your Side" by Tenth Avenue North came on. It begins- "Why are you striving these days?" I heard this and teared up. Why was I striving so much? When had the decision become too much for me to entrust God with? Then I caught the words in the chorus,"I'll be by your side, wherever you fall." At these words I literally gasped out loud and then started sobbing (which is normal for me when I realize something new about God. I gasp every time. weird? I think so.).
Anyways, before, whenever I heard the "wherever you fall" part, I always thought about how God will pick us up at any point in life. Whatever bad situation I've gotten into, he'll pick me up. But, in light of my current circumstances, I took the words to have a different meaning. "Wherever you fall." As in, wherever I end up in this decision. Whatever I choose to plop myself down in, Bella or TEC, God will be with me every step of the way. For some reason, I had been extremely concerned that one option would bring me closer to God, and one would pull me away from Him. I finally realized that all the pressure I had been putting myself was unnecessary, because God isn't going to leave me. I won't be making Him angry if I choose the "wrong" one. There isn't even really a wrong decision in this case, because my ultimate goal is to glorify God, and He knows that.
Another thing about last night- I asked God in my prayer journal, "Why do you keep giving me these tough decisions when you know I hate them so much?" This is similar to the common "Why does God let bad things happen?" question. And I learned the answer. God gave me this decision because He knew that through my struggle, I would grow that much more in my faith. In every hard decision I face, I find myself drawing nearer to God for comfort and guidance. So, basically, He knows what He's doing in my life. He will never let me fall.
Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a HOPE and a future."
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
All the Time
You know that song that you hear on the radio, or in concert or wherever, and it just gives you goosebumps every time?? Some songs (ahem, basically anything by Casting Crowns) even move me to tears whenever the singing begins, like clockwork. Well, it's definitely my dream to write songs like that. I was looking at my little "lyrics" notebook last night and I read some songs that I'd forgotten about ever having written. I actually got those goosebumps a few times, mostly because I remembered the circumstances that prompted the composing of each song, and some of the aforementioned circumstances were pretty extraordinary :) I would highly recommend keeping a journal, or a lyrics book if you're like me and enjoy poetry. Even a prayer journal is great, because when you write from your heart, someday you can look back and see God's hand in every point of your life. You'll read something that you wrote when you were utterly devastated, and then remember how the Holy Spirit comforted you, or a friend came to your aid as if sent by God. And when you wrote something out of longing, you can see that God gave you what you asked for. Or how he didn't give it to you, but you were blessed with something better instead. God is always in our life, whether we realize it at that moment or not.
There's a song, my favorite song actually, that talks about what I just went over- the whole God always being there thing- AND, coincidentally, it's also one of those amazing songs that always gives me goosebumps (hmm, probably why it's a favorite). I'll post the lyrics here, but I recommend looking up the song on youtube so you can actually hear it, it's more meaningful that way. Times, by Tenth Avenue North
I know I need you.
I need to love you,
I love to see you, it's been so long.
I long to feel you,
I feel this need for you,
I need to hear you, is that so wrong?
Oh, oh (x6ish)
Now you pull me near you.
When we're close I fear you.
Still I'm afraid to tell you all that I've done.
Are you done forgiving?
Or can you look past my pretending?
I'm so tired of defending what I've become.
What have I become?
Oh, oh (x12)
I hear you say:
My love is over,
it's underneath,
it's inside, it's in between.
The times you doubt me, when you can't feel.
The times that you question, "Is this for real?"
The times you've broken, the times that you mend.
The times you hate me and the times that you bend.
Well my love is over,
it's underneath,
it's inside,
it's in between.
These times you're healing,
and when your heart breaks.
The times that you feel like you've fallen from grace.
The times you're hurting,
the times that you heal.
The times you go hungry and are tempted to steal.
The times of confusion, and chaos and pain.
I'm there in your sorrow, under the weight of your shame.
I don't care where you've fallen, or where you've been,
I'll never forsake you, my love never ends.
It never ends.
Mmm, mmm
Oh, oh (x6)
That's a big list- a huge list. Would you be there for someone during the times that they HATED you? How about if the person didn't believe that you loved them at all? I've had people express that I was lying when I said I loved them, and let me tell you I was pretty upset. I've had friends not want anything to do with me, even after I've done nothing but love and help them. My first reaction is always anger. I want to forget about them, refuse to love them like they did to me. Jesus is different. It's impossible to know how He feels when He sees the love of His existence (which is each and every one of us, by the way, even those who aren't Christian) deny, insult, and reject Him a million times a day. Still, when we tell Him of our wrongs, his first reaction isn't anger, it's forgiveness. He tenderly takes us into His arms and whispers, "I love you, you are mine."
John 3:16
"For God SO LOVED the world that He sent his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. "
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