28 September 2011

Your Love is a Song by Switchfoot

Yeah

I hear you breathing in
Another day begins
The stars are falling out
My dreams are fading now, fading out

I've been keeping my eyes wide open
I've been keeping my eyes wide open

Your love is a symphony
All around me
Running through me
Your love is a melody
Underneath me
Running to me

Oh, your love is a song

The dawn is fire bright
Against the city lights
The clouds are glowing now
The moon is blacking out, is blacking out

So I've been keeping my mind wide open
I've been keeping my mind wide open, yeah

Your love is a symphony
All around me
Running through me
Your love is a melody
Underneath me
Running to me

Oh, your love is a song
Your love is a song
Oh, your love is a song
Your love is strong

With my eyes wide open
I've got my eyes wide open
I've been keeping my hopes unbroken, yeah

Your love is a symphony
All around me
Running through me
Your love is a melody
Underneath me
Running to me

Your love is a song
Yeah, yeah
Your love is my remedy
Oh your love is a song





Your love is the most beautiful song I've ever heard, O Lord.

Love:)
R

26 September 2011

You

Hey, Friend. I know you're hurting......please, how can I help you?  I care about you. It isn't your burden, my dear. We've talked about this. Back then....in those dreary gray days, when we didn't know how it all was going to turn out.  Give it to Him. Please, don't go at this alone. You are precious and honored by your Abba God. You are so good at putting up walls...and I fear I am not good enough at breaking them down. What can I do for you?  I'm more than willing. Even if you just need to talk. Are you willing to trust me?  I'm praying for clarity, and peace for the both of us. Peace for you, and that you would know how loved you are. What else can I ask our great and mighty God to do for you?

Much Love:)
R

25 September 2011

This is Church



Church was today. My church doesn't have a building. We meet in a building downtown, and in an elementary school lunchroom just down the road from my house.  Today, though, we met at the high school auditorium (the only auditorium in town) in one service. There were probably around three to four hundred people there. I don't know. I'm not a very good judge of amounts of people. What I do know, however, is that we met together as a body of believers to worship Christ.
  My friends, church is not where you meet. Church isn't about dressing up. Church is not simply going somewhere, listing to some music and the man up front, seeing your friends, and then going home. That isn't church. That is an empty, meaningless ritual. That is a reason people leave. It's boring. It's hollow. But it is not church, friend.
  Church is the fellowship of meeting together with others to worship. It is a sense of community as you come before God. It is the breaking of bread and the pouring of wine as you share communion.  "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.......This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." (from Luke 22)
 It is eucharisto- the act of giving thanks. It is giving thanks as one body, one fellowship, even as we walk this shadowy road. Even when our world threatens to fall.
 It is the people of the body of Christ meeting together to hear God. To be encouraged. To be challenged in their walk. To learn together.
 This is church.
  Is that how you treat it?
 Especially as a younger person, sometimes it seems that church is boring. That it isn't,almost, worth it. I think this is a trap we fall into,sometimes. Of believing that it has become too old-fashioned, too high-powered, too whatever. What do you think it is? I personally shy away from mega church type things. How can they love God? They're just trying to get rich. It's too impersonal. Maybe. Maybe not.But it's not mine to judge. I hate it when people are judgemental. But here I am, doing it.  We forget, often, that its still okay, even if it's not something we often do. Gd never said you can't have a drummer, or you have to have a liturgy. He did say "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." (Matthew 18:20) 
 It's about an honest gathering of people to seek the face and will of God together. If that's what it is, than it is good.
 I want to challenge you today. For the next few months, as you go to church, don't say "Darn, it's time for church. I wish I didn't have to go."
  Go to meet God. Go to worship together. Go to learn, to listen. To apply. Don't let what is said be of no consequence. Don't go, listen, and leave. Don't spend the rest of you're week like nothing ever happened. Go from that place a different person. Let the love of your Savior show in your daily life through the week. You are being watched. People want to know if there's something different about you. Let there be.  Go to work, to school, and remember that communion with God, and with others. Show it. Let there be something different. Let that be God.

That, my friends, is Church. See if you can treat it like that.

Love:)
R

24 September 2011

A prayer

Eternal Father of my soul,
let my first thought today be of You,
let my first impulse be to worship You,
let my first speech be Your name,
let my first action be to kneel before You in prayer….


Yet let me not, when this morning prayer is said,

think my worship ended

                  and spend the day in forgetfulness of You.


-John Ballie in A Diary of Private Prayer

22 September 2011

Psalm 27

Light, space, zest— that's God!
   So, with him on my side I'm fearless,
      afraid of no one and nothing.

When vandal hordes ride down
      ready to eat me alive,
   Those bullies and toughs
      fall flat on their faces.

When besieged,
      I'm calm as a baby.
   When all hell breaks loose,
      I'm collected and cool.

  I'm asking God for one thing,
      only one thing:
   To live with him in his house
      my whole life long.
   I'll contemplate his beauty;
      I'll study at his feet.

  That's the only quiet, secure place
      in a noisy world,
   The perfect getaway,
      far from the buzz of traffic.

God holds me head and shoulders
      above all who try to pull me down.
   I'm headed for his place to offer anthems
      that will raise the roof!
   Already I'm singing God-songs;
      I'm making music to God.

Listen, God, I'm calling at the top of my lungs:
      "Be good to me! Answer me!"
   When my heart whispered, "Seek God,"
      my whole being replied,
   "I'm seeking him!"
      Don't hide from me now!

You've always been right there for me;
      don't turn your back on me now.
   Don't throw me out, don't abandon me;
      you've always kept the door open.
   My father and mother walked out and left me,
      but God took me in.

  Point me down your highway, God;
      direct me along a well-lighted street;
      show my enemies whose side you're on.
   Don't throw me to the dogs,
      those liars who are out to get me,
      filling the air with their threats.

I'm sure now I'll see God's goodness
      in the exuberant earth.
   Stay with God!
      Take heart. Don't quit.
   I'll say it again:
      Stay with God.

20 September 2011

Your hands really are holding me

I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn't there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That You would take my pain away
That You would take my pain away

I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crookedly lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands

When You walked upon the Earth
You healed the broken, lost, and hurt
I know You hate to see me cry
One day You will set all things right
Yea, one day You will set all things right

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands

Your hands
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave You when...

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave...
I never leave Your hands
-Your Hands, J.J. Heller

This last weekend I spent with my church small group going all over my island and doing all sorts of crazy fun things. I came into it kind of nervous because I didn't know anyone really in my group, but it was beyond amazing. I had way lots of fun, and all the girls are really great and super nice. So it was great!
 My hope for my post on Friday was to encourage others, and just to share the things God had given me. But over the course of the weekend, I began to see that almost as much as I had written thinking it was for others, it really was also something for me. I've been struggling with the loneliness of being one of the only girls I know and am constantly in contact with who is a Christian. And over the weekend as I spent time with the amazing adults who have chosen to give so much for us, and the other Christian kids, I began to realize the truth of what I had written. Mind you, I said I have never regretted this path I have chosen, and that it was the best thing I have ever done. Those things were, are, and always will be extremely true. But I was weary, if you will, of often not having someone to turn to who shared my worldview and love of God. I was kind of lonely.
 And then I was praying Saturday night as I sat looking out over a lake we were at, and I began to listen. And into that silence, God spoke about how much He loved me, and how He was consistent even when my friends weren't. That when my world was shaking, He stood. I was in His hands. I wrote about how when your burden was to heavy, He would take it, right? But that burden I had stubbornly kept, and foolishly clung too. And there He was, offering to take it. And He did. He really does, and I'm not just saying that. I still worry. It's not instantaneous. But he reminds me that the burden is His when I try to take it back.
  God has a sense of humor. I think He has to laugh, sometimes, as we stubbornly cling to our independence, not realizing or not caring that He's standing right there, and far more able to take care of our problem. I mean, we're acting like toddlers. Rather funny.
  It hasn't suddenly been perfect. But I think I'm starting to see some light at the end of this tunnel. And I'm starting to see the purpose of this time. And when I'm tempted to worry, I can remind myself that it is not mine to worry about. It belongs to my King, as do I. I am His and He is mine. And that is a beautiful promise.

Love:)

R

16 September 2011

When You Stand Alone

Do you stand alone for something?
Do you know the loneliness of being the only one to go against the crowd?
Do you know what it feels like to be the only one who says, "you know, that isn't okay." ?
Do you know what it is like to feel that no one else is willing to stand with you on something that really matters?
Do you?
You say you're a Christian, but do you know the weight of that statement? Do you know that that statement can have you killed? In some places, it will. When you say that you are a Christian, a Christ-Follower, you state where you stand. But do you? Do you really? When you say you are a Christian are you willing to back that up? When your friends invite you to go see a movie that you know is highly popular and highly immoral, do you tell them that you have a bunch of homework? Or do you tell them seeing that movie goes against God, and against your principles? And that you won't go?
  Because you said you were a Christian, you know.
 When you're at the mall and you see a shirt that you love but that you know is way to see-through and low-cut, do you buy it and decide to wear it with the friends you know will love it, without telling your parents?
 Or do you know that it could cause a guy to stumble, and it will cheapen the way some people view you, and decide to put it back?
   Because you said you were a Christian, you know.
 When you're friends start talking bad about a girl in your class do you chime in,
"Yeah, she's such an idiot. And a klutz! You know the other day when I had to go out for a minute? Well she was right there and...."
 Or do you stick up for her, and walk away when your friends won't stop putting her down?
 Because you said you were a Christian, you know.
 When your co-worker comes up with a plan to save the company some money illegally, do you say something? Or do you let it go, knowing that no one will ever know, and it'll mean a pay raise for you.
  Because you said you were a Christian, you know.
As you may or may not know, it isn't easy to be what seems the only one who has any morals. It certainly isn't going to score you brownie points with some people. Everyone says it's the best way, but is it really worth it? Do you know how hard it is? It is lonely, and painful, and you don't think you will be able to keep standing at times. I speak from experience here. This isn't the path of rainbows, lollipops, unicorns, and magic fairy dust. This is a path of hard choices and being different.  If you want your life to be one big happy party, this isn't where you'll find it.
  But it is the best thing you will ever do. Ever.
 I can honestly say I have never regretted this path. As hard as it can be, it also is wonderful. The farther I walk, the more beautiful it becomes.
 Jesus never promised it would be easy. But he did say
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” ( Matthew 11:28-30)
 When you feel that you cannot walk any farther, and that the storms of life are going to blow you over, He is there. When you don't think you will have the strength of character to say no and go against the crowd yet again, He is there. Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest..... When you are not able to do it on your own, give it to Him.
  "How am I supposed to do this?" you ask. "I'm not a person who likes to be different." "I can't do that, I don't have enough character." "I don't want to risk my popularity." " I don't think I can be different like that, I'm different enough already."
 Paul said, Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)
 Put on the full armor of God! Immerse yourself in Him! Learn about Him, talk to Him! That way, when it is time for you to stand for what you believe in, you will be strong. You will be able to hold your own. And when there is nothing else you can do, you can simply stand. Stand firm and be courageous, for the Lord your God is with you!  He has promised never to leave or forsake you!
 Don't get the wrong idea here, I'm not a person whom this comes super naturally to. I'm certainly not a brave person. I like to be on my own. I don't like help. But I have strong beliefs, and a strong sense of right and wrong, which helps. There definitely are gray areas, though! It isn't all black and white. But I trust that my Savior King will guide me through the storm, and that He will pick me up every time I fall. That is his promise, and I'm holding to it.
  "Why should I do this?" I know you're wondering. It certainly is easier to simply go with the flow. And the Bible isn't always clear. You could take the stance of "Well, the Bible doesn't say anything about it, so I guess it's all right." But that isn't your calling. You, as a Christ-follower are called by these words-
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." (Matthew 5:14-16)
 You are a light in the darkness. You are the hands and feet of God. The world is longing for this. You are an ambassador as though Christ were making his appeal through us.  He is.
 This is where it is all worth it. When they can see your Father in you. It doesn't mean you have to be all prim and proper and never have any fun- not at all! But it does mean you need to act at all times as a Child of the King of Kings.
 In the end, though, this is what it comes down to. Your time here on earth is but a whisper in eternity. It isn't that long. If you follow Christ in all you do, this is a brief interlude before you see your Savior. But if you don't, than this is as close to heaven as you are ever going to get. Do you want that? Do you want that to be true for your friends? This broken, messed up world could be as close to heaven as they'll ever be. Unless you do something about it.
 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
 He loves you. He will always provide a way out of temptation. That is His promise.
He loves you more than you know.
 You are worth dying for.
Love:)
R

15 September 2011

an update...

So, just thought I'd mention whats been going on with me really quickly, just so that when I talked about certain things you wouldn't be in the dark.
   Awana started the other night!! Awana is a Bible club that I participate in. The kids are split into different age groups, and by the time you reach my age group it's pretty much a youth group, except for one thing. The main focus of Awana (Approved Workers Are Not Ashamed, from 2 Timothy 2:15, if you were wondering) is scripture memorization. So we play games and sing songs and have a Bible study, but we also memorize lots and lots of verses. It's pretty fantastic! By the end of this year, I will have memorized a cumulative total of well over 450 verses in all my years of doing it.
 Obviously, the fact that you're memorizing so much straight from the Bible is amazing and great, but the benefits of the memorization skills you acquire also serve you well. A college friend of mine is a huge science nut (like me, :), and she told me that she has done way better than most of her classmates in certain classes, because she's able to memorize so much better. She can easily get all the definitions and names and classifications, not only because she's super smart (she is) but because she's had tons of practice.
Anyways, this is my last year participating in Awana, unless I want to continue on my own. The church I do it with only goes to a certain age, but they are more than happy to help you continue on if you want.
 I'm definitely a little sad that it's my last year, but also excited to join the ranks of the helpers.
 The other night was really fun though!! One of you will remember the "pointed" questions *cough cough* (you know who you are). As in "Can you explain the meaning of the word iniquity..________?" Somehow they most all got directed at me...there are bad things about being the oldest. :)
 I don't mind. :)The leaders are all amazing, and my walk with God is definitely stronger because of this amazing program.
  I just wanted to give you that quick update on me. Oh, and I also just started a new small group through my church. My church doesn't do Sunday School for the older kids, so this was my way of getting involved. I'm pretty excited about it. So you may hear about it some, too.

Love :)
R

Ps: Please excuse my grammar (or lack thereof). I don't really have an excuse, except that I don't particularly want to go back and re-phrase a bunch of that. :)

14 September 2011

Not an option

You can't say
"I'm ready to accept Him as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God."
 That's one thing you must not say. A man who was merly a man and said the sort of things Jesus did would not be a great moral teacher. He'd either be a lunatic- on the level with a man who says he's a poached egg- or the Devil from Hell.
 You must make your choice. Either this was and is the Son of God: or else a madman: or something worse.
 You can shut him up for a fool; you can spit on Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God.
 But don't come to Him with all that patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher.  He hasn't left that option open to you. He didn't intend to.


                                                                               -C.S. Lewis,
                                                                                 from Mere Christianity

11 September 2011

9/11/2011

You have our thanks for.....

Your Sacrifice



Your faith


Your courage


Thank you.




God bless America.

 Psalm 91 (MSG)
 You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,
   Say this: "God, you're my refuge.
      I trust in you and I'm safe!"
   That's right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
      shields you from deadly hazards.
   His huge outstretched arms protect you—
      under them you're perfectly safe;
      his arms fend off all harm.
   Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
      not flying arrows in the day,
   Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
      not disaster that erupts at high noon.
   Even though others succumb all around,
      drop like flies right and left,
      no harm will even graze you.
   You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
      watch the wicked turn into corpses.
   Yes, because God's your refuge,
      the High God your very own home,
   Evil can't get close to you,
      harm can't get through the door.
   He ordered his angels
      to guard you wherever you go.
   If you stumble, they'll catch you;
      their job is to keep you from falling.
   You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
      and kick young lions and serpents from the path.

"If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God,
      "I'll get you out of any trouble.
   I'll give you the best of care
      if you'll only get to know and trust me.
   Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times;
      I'll rescue you, then throw you a party.
   I'll give you a long life,
      give you a long drink of salvation!"


09 September 2011

Woven





Psalm 139:13-14 says
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;
   my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret,
   intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

   The phrase that has been in my mind for a while now is intricately woven. Yes, your body is intricately woven. You are a complex, un-matchable design, that all of science's greatness can only wonder at. I believe that fully. As I mentioned in Who Am I, the astounding design of the human body captivates me to no end. I think it is truly one of the most beautiful things in creation, and I do not say that lightly.
 But lately, another part of intricately woven has  made me think. Not only is your physical body intricately woven, but also your mental. The things that bring you delight, and the things that give you fulfillment. On the flip side, the things that are abhorrent to you, and your deepest fears. Your twisting, turning emotions. Your ability to love God, your ability to love others. The way you process things, the way your amazing mind functions. All of these things, whether they are something you appreciate, or something you don't, are woven into your fundamental being. They are what makes you, you.
  think about it. In the beginning of time, God knew exactly how he was going to do that. Where exactly he would bring different colored threads into your make-up. Look at the picture of the rug up top. See how intricately woven it is? How tiny threads melt away into bigger ones? How if you look at only a small section of it, it doesn't make sense. The pattern is lost. It seems random. But when you look at it as a whole, the incredibly complex pattern shows through. the colours blend and complement each other. It is a thing of beauty.
 that is how you are created. You are intricate, and you are a tribute to the Master Designer.To quote the psalmest, I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;my soul knows it very well.
 Indeed, God. Your works are wonderful!
 do you realize this? You are a wonderful marvelous created work of a Loving God. Next time you are tempted to beat yourself up for something, remember that.
 You were made for a purpose.
 God isn't through with you yet.
 Love:)
R

07 September 2011

Psalm 139

O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
   you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
   and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
   behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
   and lay your hand upon me.
 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
   it is high; I cannot attain it.
  Where shall I go from your Spirit?
   Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
   If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
   and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
   and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,
   and the light about me be night,"
 even the darkness is not dark to you;
   the night is bright as the day,
   for darkness is as light with you.
 For you formed my inward parts;
   you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;
   my soul knows it very well.
 My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret,
   intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;in your book were written, every one of them,
   the days that were formed for me,
   when as yet there was none of them.
 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
   How vast is the sum of them!
 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
   I awake, and I am still with you.
 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
   O men of blood, depart from me!
They speak against you with malicious intent;
   your enemies take your name in vain!
 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?
   And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
I hate them with complete hatred;
   I count them my enemies.
 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
   and lead me in the way everlasting!

05 September 2011

leaves ,my life, and other stuff

Today is Monday, September 5th, 2011. Why did I just tell you that? Because it's September already,everyone!!! SEPTEMBER! Where did that come from? The leaves are changing, and fall is in the air.
 I started school today. Since I'm homeschooled, we just decided to ahead and do it. That way, we don't have to do it on Friday.
  To tell you the truth, I'm really excited. I love school, I really do. I like learning. So it'll be fun. Really crazy, though. Lots of work.
  We just got back from a relaxing couple of days at our family's cabin in the mountains. I love to go up there. It's very rustic, and very peaceful. It is right on a creek, so the last sound before you go to bed, and the first sound when you wake up is the roaring, powerful voice of the water.
  The cabin is surrounded by trees, and the night sky above those towering evergreens is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It's a black velvet background, studded with sparkling diamond-like stars. The moon hangs over the peak of the nearest mountain like a giant pearl, hung from an invisible chain.
  Our cabin is one of my favorite places on earth. 
 
Up a nearby river

                                                    The creek outside the door

See why I love it?
 This was a pretty random post. :-) Just some stuff going on with me. I'm missing you all. Those of you who I know, e-mail me! If I don't know you, leave a comment. I'd love to hear what you think of my writing. (All of you comment, actually, please!)