09.29.08
the sliming
as promised, here are the pictures of the sliming. :P I’m in the red shirt, blue jeans. Naomi is in the green shirt, red jeans. :)
-
- the sliming
-
- yuck.
-
- ta-da! :)
09.27.08
Its Beautiful
ah! there are so many things I want to write about! I started writing this last night but then my Brio magazine came today and there was this great story in there that I really wanted to talk about. and then I heard this song on the radio that made me laugh but its so true. so now I’m trying to decide which to write about. lol (: I think I’ll just finish what I started last night..
One of my favourite songs is Its Beautiful by Eleventyseven. it should be the song thats playing on my music player. :D I love the words to the song…
“I wish that You would tell me how
You know me well and want to be together
Fallen short and faded out
But You keep making gardens in this desert
Despite the grace that I dismissed
Forgiveness was the catalyst
To penetrate my heart with what is true
It’s beautiful
You can turn mistakes to miracles
The way that You still love me after all
It’s beautiful
Redeem the years I’ve thrown away
I’m ready to make good on what I’ve wasted
I’m asking You to shape my heart
I want to be Your work of art
‘Cause when You change me
You make me more like You
So help me God forbid
I never take for granted
This endless gift You give”
God can turn your mistakes into miracles. He turns the mess that we’ve made of our lives into something beautiful. He “knows [us] well and wants to be together” (: I pray that I never take for granted the free gift of life that He gives but I know that I do. But the amazing thing is even when I do take it for granted He still loves me! He loved me even while I was a sinner, even before I accepted His gift. He loves me when I sin and when I mess up. Its hard for us to comprehend how someone could love us SO much but He does. John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Some more lyrics from Eleventyseven (Galaxies Collide, also a wonderful song. :) )
“My heart is a star for You to ignite
I’m ready to be the one
That burns for You tonight
So bring me to life
Just like the stars that shine
When galaxies collide”
I have a thing for stars. ;) but I love those words! I want my Him to bring me to life, “just like the stars that shine when galaxies collide.” I want to shine.
I didn’t mean for this post to tie in with the last one.. lol but I really do have a thing for stars. ;) shooting stars and regular stars, just the universe in general. Its such an amazingly beautiful and awesome thing to look at. I can’t believe how anyone can look at the universe and the way the planets line up and work out and NOT believe that Someone had to have created it. but I’ll leave that for another post. lol I hope this post made sense, it was kind of just the random thoughts I had while listening to the song that I wanted to share with you all. :D
*edit* wootz! I just figured out how to tie the funny song I heard into this post. :D the song is 10 Good Reasons by Hello Kelly (random name for a band, but ok. lol) and the chorus and bridge go like this..
“10 good reasons why
You still love me every time
10 good reasons
I deserve forgiveness every night
10 good reason why
You still love me when I
I ain’t got no reason why”
“These 10 reasons I can’t give You
Is one more reason that I need You”
I tried to put the song on my player but I couldn’t find it. :( so you can go look it up and listen to the whole thing, its got good lyrics and a great upbeat pop/punk feel. :D but I just loved that chorus. “10 good reasons why, You still love me when I..I ain’t got no reason why.” :lol: funny but so true.
09.24.08
shine like stars
“Think of the most beautiful part of nature you’ve ever seen. Picture a Texas sunset, a grand canyon or an ocean that looks like tin foil. Imagine a rainstorm, a waterfall or the wintry peaks of the Andes. Now listen closely: All of those things reflect His glory, but the most beautiful places in the world aren’t made in His image.
You are.
What you have to offer the world – the way you can engage your culture with the love of Christ – will be more beautiful than a Texas sunset. People may catch a glimpse of His glory when they see the Texas sky, but they learn about His character by watching you and me. That’s an awesome responsibility, an incredible honor and a gentle reminder that He loves us most of all.
When Jesus called you the light of the world, He meant the kind of light that staggers and inspires; the kind of light that shines mercy, compassion and forgiveness into people’s hearts. It’s His love that shines through us. ….
I think it’s great to have a role model, and I have plenty of them. But this year, my only real goal is to reflect Jesus more than I ever have before. ” – Natalie Lloyd, from Brio Magazine
We’re made in God’s image, what an incredible thought! :) out of everything God created, we’re the only things made in His image. I love this verse in Philippians (2:14-15) – “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe…”
… shine like stars in the universe … God calls us to shine. He wants us to reflect His glory. Matthew 5:14-16 says “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” We’re called to let our light shine but so that people may see it and give God the glory. How’s your light?
09.21.08
battle cry part 4
We are the 3000. And we stand resolute, crying our message on ears that will not hear. Crying our demand that Christ be allowed in the marketplace of ideas. Crying that the Church has far too long sat idle and refused to fight the fight it has been challenged with. But we will do more than talk, we are fully prepared to back up our cries with action. We will firmly walk the path laid out before us and commit ourselves to action. To live what we believe. To model Christ. We are the 3000. And we have a plan.
First, we alerted the world to our cause. Second, we called out our Christian brethren to stand with us. Third, we explained the significance of our cause and of the problem we face. And we promised a plan.
This is part of that plan. It is more than the battle cry, it is the battle plan. The plan to engage will follow, the plan to solidify is now. Before concentrating on the external, we must concentrate on the internal. We must solidify our forces and and train them, so that even though we are afflicted in every way, we will not be crushed; though we are perplexed, we will not be driven to despair; though we are persecuted, we will remember that we are not forsaken; though we might be struck down, we will not be destroyed; though the world does to us everything that was once done to Christ, we will live so that the life of Christ is seen in us. We are not radical Christianity. We are not extremist Christianity. We are the Church as Christ intended it to be. We must get the message out. We must be heard. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and Light! There is no other name by which man can be saved. It is not enough to cognitively believe in Christ and his claims, we must also volitionally act and make him the center of every decision-making process. Christianity has been distorted. We have put God in our image, in our likeness, and we pick and choose what we would like to believe about Him. Before we take on the world, we must address this issue within our own ranks. We need a true revelation, we must cry out who Christ really is:
*Christ is the God of Redemption who gave his life to save us from being lost forever. The wages of our sin is death. Nothing we can do–no righteous works, no good deeds–can keep us from receiving the death which we have earned. But the God of Heaven, the Judge of all the Earth Himself, gave his only Son to redeem us, to purchase us from the bondages of sin. Only when we understand the heart of the Redeemer who is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to eternal life, and eternal relationship, with Him; are we led into a life of FAITH, whereby we accept God’s gift of salvation; a life of WORSHIP, whereby we live to please God; and a life of PRAYER, whereby we connect with God and make His will ours. Through the God of Redemption, we find ourselves justified–free from the penalty of sin.
*Christ is the God of Relationships who loves us and wants us to know Him so intimately that others see Him in us. He created us to commune with Him. When we walked away, he chased after us. He chooses, He pursues, He rescues, He woos, He protects, He lavishes……us. While we were enemies of God, Christ died for us to bring us into a relationship with him. Only when we come to know the God of Relationships will we be able to fully appreciate the two main ways God remains intimate with us–through His Spirit and His Word. Therefore, we must view His Word as more than a collection of stories, but rather as a way to know God; and his Spirit as more than a good influence, but rather as God filling us and helping us live like Christ. When we have a proper understanding of God’s Word and Spirit, we will be captivated by the longing God has for us and respond by being led into a life of LOVE, whereby we imitate how God loves us; and a life of GODLY CHOICES, whereby we mirror the nature of God to the world. Through the God of Relationships, we find ourselves sanctified–free from the power of sin.
*Christ is the God of Restoration who seeks to restore the heart of man through an intimate relationship with him, by way of Christ’s redemptive sacrifice. He has commissioned us, his church, to be his driving force in spreading His Gospel, spreading the truth of the God of redemption, relationships, and restoration. The restoration of our hearts points toward a future time when God shall make all things new.
For thousands of years, the earth has travailed under a sin-cursed world. Pain and suffering are an inevitable part of life. Disruption. Destruction. Decay. The world is running down. But the God of Restoration will one day reverse all the effects of sin, and God will make His home with us, He will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no grief, crying, or pain. Understanding this, we will be led to a life of SPIRITUAL WARFARE, whereby we battle to reclaim for Christ the hearts and souls of a lost generation; and a life of SPIRITUAL REPRODUCTION, whereby we raise up a generation after us to stand. Through the God of Restoration, we find ourselves glorified–free from the presence of sin.
We are the 3000. And we realize the task that lies before us is difficult. But through the help of the God of Redemption, Relationships, and Restoration, we shall stand firm, teaching and living out a life of faith, worship, prayer, love, Godly choices, spiritual warfare, and spiritual reproduction. But this is only part of the task, this is only half the journey, this is only half the plan.
We are the 3000! And now is our time to stand!
09.19.08
battle cry part 3
We are the 3000. And we stand resolute. We cry our message, declaring our freedom to worship and evangelize and preach. As we stand, we realize that some might take our plight lightly. After all, this is America! Christians aren’t gunned down, Bibles aren’t confiscated, churches aren’t burnt down…are the 3000 just complainers, whiners, and wimps that want to force their right-winged fanatical fundamentalist beliefs into American society? Or is the persecution we face legitimate?
A great Christian once said that the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church. In the face of brutal physical persecution, the Christian church survived and thrived. Christians were burned at the stake, boiled in vats of oil, thrown to the lions, covered in pitch and burnt as torches, and killed for sport. But the Church emerged greater than ever, and stronger, her faith and hope being tempered by a steel will. In all cases where the Christian church has been physically persecuted, the Church has emerged stronger than ever before.
But the Christian church in America is not being persecuted physically…the persecution we face is more sinister, more psychological, more subliminal, more pervasive, more intimate. For we face not the persecution of the body, but the persecution of the soul. The most persecuted Christians walk the halls of the government schools of America. Under the claim of separation of church and state, the government has inexorably intertwined itself with the religion of secularism and are demanding that the youth of the country follow blindly. No other option is allowed. No cross necklaces, no mention of Christmas, no Bibles, no prayer, and not a word of Christ Jesus. Lenin said “Give me the children for six years and he will be a Bolshevik forever”. Today the government system is staring down Christianity mocking…
What does it matter that you protest? What are your complaints going to do? We have your children. Our schools meet eight hours a day for half a year, what can your religion, meeting an hour a week, do to stop us? You will be gone in a generation. The philosophy of the classroom in one generation is the philosophy of the world in the next. We have already won. Resistance is futile.
And, perhaps, they are right. Perhaps this truly is the last Christian generation. Perhaps the 3000 have come too late to stop the tide of secularism that threatens to overwhelm us. Perhaps within this generation, any declaration of Christ will be called hate speech. Perhaps within this generation, proclaiming the prophet of love will be considered the epitome of hate. Perhaps within this generation, there will only be 3000 willing to stand.
Already, the statistics drive us to our knees and ask us where we were that we missed this. How did we not see the plainly evident? Did we not have eyes to see or ears to hear? Did we lose sight of our first love and embrace the ritual of religion rather than the person of Christ? Have we become lukewarm–professing the name of Jesus, but failing to live as he taught? When did we start “going” to church and stopped “being” the church? Have we stripped the cross of its power and resurrection of its glory by ignoring the great reality of evil?
Here is how it stands today: 63% of youth from Christian homes do not believe Jesus is the Son of God. 58% believe all faiths are valid; 51% don’t believe in the Resurrection; 68% don’t believe in the Holy Spirit; 68% of evangelical protestants believe a “good person” can attain salvation; and most woefully, 98% of professed born-again youth “believe in Christ” but do not reflect the attitudes or actions of Christlikeness.
This persecution of the soul has too long been left unchallenged. We can no longer sit back and watch from the sidelines. We fear that we may have jumped in too late. That our inaction will cause us to fail. That our apathy has led us to ruin. But no longer! Now we stand! We acknowledge our mistakes and are humbled by them, but now we stand unwavering, dedicated to our goal. If Christ be for us, who can be against us? We are the 3000 and we will not deny the Truth. We will not allow this to be the last Christian generation! Though outnumbered and oppressed on every side, we will not be defeated. We are prepared. We stand strong. We have a plan.
09.18.08
battle cry part 2
Belief is Easy…Give Me Convictions…Show Me Your Faith
We are the 3000. And we stand. We are voices in the wilderness calling out to a society that calls itself Christian, perhaps even believes itself to be Christian, but lacks the faith to put their beliefs into action. We reach our hand out to those content in their Christian beliefs and ask them to stand with us in a life of Christian convictions.
We are the 3000. And we stand resolute. But we fall to our knees in anguish when we realize that 98% of professed born-again believers do not reflect Christlikeness in their lives. We realize our mistakes of evangelism–of converting, but forgetting to disciple; of teaching the milk of the gospel, but never moving on to the meat; of being content with the quantity of our converts rather than the quality. And so we determine to correct our mistakes, to fix the condition we have created, to proclaim the necessity of life-changing belief IN Christ, rather than the mere intellectual assent of belief THAT–for even the demons believe that Christ is and tremble.
We are the 3000. And we stand resolute praying for American Christianity to move beyond belief to convictions. We stand. And we cry.
WE CRY OUT ASKING…how can Christianity survive when it is not taught? The principles of secularistic pluralism hold sway in the government schools. What can the church, meeting together for 1-3 hours a week do to stem the tide of religious indoctrination Christian students are facing?
WE CRY OUT ASKING…why professed Christians remain willfully ignorant of even the most basic doctrines and principles of the Christian faith and are not prepared to give an answer for the hope that they have.
WE CRY OUT ASKING…why the word Church now means a place to go every Sunday for an hour for fellowship, instead of the vibrant moving powerful body of Christ.
WE CRY OUT DEMANDING…that every person who claims Christ to stand up and possess the attitudes that defined Christ.
WE CRY OUT DEMANDING…that Christians everywhere take hold of their faith and put into action the faith they proclaim with their mouth.
WE CRY OUT DEMANDING…a move from faith to conviction.
We are the 3000. And we stand for a move from the intellectual assent of belief to the practical living-out of convictions. We call for a Christianity not afraid of persecution and willing to stand up for the free expression of beliefs. We are the 3000. And we stand….and cry.
thanks again to Josh for writing this. :D
09.17.08
battle cry part 1
We Are the 3000. And We Stand.
As time grows on, the forces of the 3000 strengthen. By the grace of God, we should most certainly top that number and expand ourselves onward and upward. We know what we stand for: free speech and religious freedom, the ability to preach the name of Christ in the marketplace of ideas.
But, increasingly in America, our right as an American to freedom of religion has been twisted. It has become freedom from religion–especially Christianity. The term “tolerance” is touted, meaning, of course, that all religions or philosophies must be held up as being as valid as one’s own. Of course, the exclusive truth claims of Christ–”I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: none come to the Father but by Me.”–run completely counter to this new definition of “tolerance”. Therefore, Christianity is given the proposition “Assimilate or die.”
But we are the 3000. We stand strong against the tide of secularism and relativism, strongly proclaiming our right to live out our beliefs and preach Christ crucified. Together we stand.
WE STAND FOR…the nine-year-old in Virginia who was told that “pray” was an inappropriate answer to the question “What do you do when you are afraid?”
WE STAND FOR…the FAA employees whose requests to form a prayer group were repeatedly stalled, whereas homosexual activist groups were encouraged.
WE STAND FOR…Virginian ten-year-old Audrey Pearson, who was told not to bring her Bible to school.
WE STAND FOR…the tourists at the US Capitol who were seen praying and informed that that would be considered a “demonstration” punishable by up to $500 in fines and six months in jail.
WE STAND FOR… Romans Chapter Ten Ministries, who’s application for usage of a public building in Babylon, New York, was revoked after one resident called to complain about the “religious” use of public property.
WE STAND AGAINST…Judge Samuel Kent, who ruled that anybody who mentioned the name of Jesus in a graduation prayer would get six months in jail.
WE STAND AGAINST…The National Endowment of the Arts for funding the creation of a photograph of a crucifix in a vat or urine.
WE STAND AGAINST….The Zoning authority of Portland, Oregon, that told Sunnyside Centenary United Methodist Church that due to zoning restrictions, it would have to scale back it’s meal programs for the low-income and homeless and restrict Sunday worship to 70 people.
WE STAND AGAINST…The United States Postal Service of Lenior, North Carolina, who refused to send Scriptures and religious comic books to a member of our Armed Forces stationed in a Muslim country.
WE STAND AGAINST…the ACLU for filing suit against a Covington, Georgia, school district for “advancing religion” by designating December 25 as Christmas on the school calendar.
WE ARE THE 3000. And this is why we stand. We stand realizing that in our persecution we are strengthened. We look at the vibrancy and zealousness of the persecuted churches of China, of India, of Saudi Arabia, and many others, and are encouraged. If the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church, then we will each step forward to be the first to make that sacrifice. We will glory in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us.
WE ARE THE 3000. And we stand.
thanks to Josh for writing this. :)
09.15.08
Join the 3000!
Some say roll with the punches. Drift with the tide. Nothing can stop the inevitability of change. Sinner, the new book from author Ted Dekker, tells the story of a free land where people who worship as they please and say what they believe are suddenly silenced in the name of tolerance. Most will roll with the punches. Most will drift with the tide. But not all.
A long time ago 300 Spartans stood in the gap against a massive army and showed the world their courage. Now it’s your turn…
Join thousands of others across our land during the week of September 24th to express your right to FREE SPEECH and RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. Stand in the gap. Wear a bandana of your making around your wrist, on your head, on your ankle, in your pocket, around your neck… Anywhere.
“I’m sure that millions of people of faith are screaming foul at this very moment, arming themselves to the teeth with legal briefs and signatures to force a repeal of the new law. But we will do none of that. We will simply hold up the light for all to see. And they will see it. The whole world will see the light shining out of this one small valley in the Colorado mountains. Paradise will be a beacon of truth, and they will see it above all others because they will see us, living the light. And I will show it to them. We will use the Net and boldly announce our love of Jesus, our only hope. And they will know that Johnny Drake and the people of Paradise will not be muted.” -Johnny Drake from Sinner.
Read more at dontdenythetruth.com
Join the Facebook Group!
Read more about Ted and his books. teddekker.com
09.08.08
a boundless article
I was just rereading this article I had found from the Rebelution website (it links to the article on boundless) and I really really liked it and wanted to share it with you all. :) a quote from the article..
“‘God so used a stick of wood’ can be a banner cry for each of us,” wrote Francis Schaeffer. “Though we are limited in talent, physical energy, and psychological strength, we are not less than a stick of wood. But as the rod of Moses had to become the rod of God, so that which is me must become the me of God. Then I can become useful in God’s hands.”1
I want to be a stick of wood. His stick of wood.
09.04.08
thoughts
I’ve realized from being on this trip that there are different types of outgoing.. lol let me explain. before going to England, I thought of myself as outgoing, not extremely but definitely not an introvert. I love meeting new people and at church and other activities I have no problem going up to the new kid and talking to them. I could talk for ages, and I really have no problem talking to people I’ve only just met. since going to England I’ve realized that its got a lot to do with who I’m with and where I am. I even got this hinted at me when we moved and we’ve been going to a new church. I’ve realized its weird being the “new kid.” but its been fine because I have my family at the church. one or two of my siblings is always with me when I’m there, and I’m not all alone. but in England it was just me. I knew some of the kids, from being there for a week over a year ago, but other then that I was by myself. and it was such an experience! do you know how much you depend on your youth group? I’ve realized I depend on them a lot. :) being at SS and having really just met most of the people in our little group was weird for a bit. first off, I had no idea what to expect for SS, so that was an experience in itself. second, you know those little inside jokes you have with your youth group? well, I would be reminded of something like that and turn to whoever was sitting next to me in the meetings to tell them and then realize that I wasn’t at home. and during worship, I had no idea if they were the kind of people who would jump up and down, or just stand quietly or whatever. but that all changed the night we ran around the tent together. ;) lol after that we went to Late Night Worship, were it really hit me that I was in England by myself, and thats when I realized that even though I was by myself, it didn’t feel like it anymore because I had friends. :D I felt like I was so much a part of their group, it didn’t matter that I had only met them a couple days before at church, didn’t matter that I was from a whole other country, it just didn’t matter. they were like my family. :) I felt like I had been with their group forever, not just a day. they also told me the same thing, and by the end of the trip I didn’t want to leave. (if you’re reading this, I miss you all!!) I realized at the end of the trip that for 2 and a half weeks I had seen them all every.day. (except one Saturday. lol) :D thats crazy. I don’t even see my friends in the States everyday. lol but going back to being outgoing, I’ve gotten better at being more outgoing in new places. hopefully. (: it really seems to depend on the day. lol that day that I learned the cup game, I felt very .. energetic? .. and felt like talking to everybody! :D lol and now I have a couple new friends because of it. even just standing in line for the showers, I started talking to these girls and one of the first things they said was “where are you from? America? your accent is different.” *laughs* that helped a lot in having something to talk about to people there. ;)
*looks back up* wow that got long. :shock: :oops: sorry!
