I wen't on a missions trip last week- God met me, finished stretching me, and showed me his love :)
Here's a worship song that i just loved:
Peace be with You.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
A Poor Replica
So when i created this blog earlier on this year i was in a pouring season of my life. However right now God has been filling me up; teaching me, stretching me, testing me, helping me grow. Because of that i haven't had much to say really- there has not been anything on my heart really to share. God has even silenced my teaching spirit for a while to allow me to listen to him better. I can understand that, so I am continuing to seek him while he humbles me.
However there is one thing that has been on my mind as of late- not really inspired by anything i read in scripture during my devotions but on my plane ride over to Hawaii last week.
As we began our first of many flights over to Maui, our pilot shared a very interesting- and eye opening- piece of knowledge with us: The airplane we were flying in took 3 miles a gallon. Of course, as an environmental policy specialization (my major is International Relations) I almost had a heart attack- i had read somewhere about the importance of only taking vacations accessible by car, but i didn't realize the amount of gas wasted with just ONE plane ride!!! (though this is an entirely different topic...). After i recovered somewhat from that first shock (and after vowing to never ride an airplane again if i could) I started thinking about what God meant when he said we were creating in his own image.
I know as Christians we tend to emphasize how much we do not matter compared to God and how insignificant we are when compared to time, but I think we sometimes need to realize that we are God's greatest works! Though we were created lower than the angels, we were made in the image of God. Think about all the achievements man has made- we can advance in technology, we can create, we can build upon our knowledge, we can love and hate, we are capable of compassion in one instance and malice in another, we can choose to be or do or say or not choose at all. We imitate the characteristics that God has but yet, we don't imitate him well.
Take this plane for example- It resembles and was inspired by the bird of the air. Man said 'I want to fly' and found a way to. However can the airplane fly like the bird? No it does a terrible job imitating the bird God had created- It's clunky and big, it's heavy, it uses/wastes TONS of resources just to get it off the ground, it's loud, it's expensive, and takes a lot of maintenance.
It's like we're poorly made replicas of God. If your a little kid like i still am, you may remember that classic spongebob episode where spongebob and Patrick stumble upon the magic pencil and decide to make a poorly drawn doodle of spongebob. The doodle made a poorly drawn pineapple house along with poorly drown furniture, yard, everything. At the end of the episode the doodle says 'no. Me spongebob, you doodle.' In short the created wanted to replace the creator. (I can't believe i just tied in spongebob to God...wow...)
It is in this praise in humanity- the complexity of man- that fools us into believing that we can control the things that we cannot. I think we, as humans, suffer from a big fish in small pond complex. Compared to all the things in this world, we are the most advance, promising, and intellectually sound. There is nothing that lives and grows on this earth that even comes close to meeting our potential. However, if you put that big fish in the ocean- it soon finds out that compared to the real players out there- it's not that great, it's not that advance or all knowing. When we encounter the holiness and sheer power of God himself, we realize how insignificant and how flawed we are. We understand our place and realize how much of a poor doodle we are compared to the creator himself. That is why one says Nothing Can Compare to Our God!
All that we are, that this world universally deems as good, is a direct reflection of God. our love for each other reflects how God IS love- he makes up all the forms of love we see on this earth. Creativity and creation reflects God's ability to create (the earth, the stars, the Galaxy, heaven, the angels, ourselves, etc.). Our advancement in knowledge and understanding is a reflection of God's knowledge of everything and anything! In fact all knowledge comes from God. The emotions that we feel all come from God- Joy, Peace, pleasure, satisfaction, even hurt, pain, anger, heartbroken-ness. It is not that God is made in the image of us, but-again- we are made in the image of God.
Then why then, one might ask, is there hate, prejudice, guilt, and yes pain, hurt, heartbroken-ness- all thing you wouldn't expect God to be. Why is it that the good in us coexists with the bad? That is simply because of the sin in us. God did not create us with the bad, but we introduced it in our lives- it's a perversion of our spirit- i heard it explained not too long ago as a 'spiritual illness.' All men have the capability and will to do good because of the Godly reflection we have within us, however we all have a tendency to do evil because of the disease we have inherited from our ancestors before us.
So in the end i wonder how can we have this attitude? How can proclaim ourselves righteous and Godly if we cannot even fill the shoes of God? It's like a five year old deciding he wants to switch places with his parents. I've met a lot of people who tell me what they believe happen when they die or tell me nothing happens when they die- i cannot help but say, what does it matter what you 'believe' or 'think' may happen when you die? You (which really means we) do not have any control over the afterlife of yourself or others just like you do not have any control over what the weather is tomorrow, whether you may die tomorrow in a freak accident, or whether the world is going to end with a big fire explosion from the core. What is it that makes us think we can decide our life (or lack of life) after death when sometimes we cannot even control what's going to happen to us tomorrow? Someone has to be wrong and I know that it isn't me (i remember going into this subject in a post on Jabberwocky. If you are interested just click on the link- it's not that long ^_^)
I am done- hopefully that made sense (like i said i'm in a period of filling so i don't really trust my writing skills at the moment). I will put up some pictures from the trip next time : )
Peace Be with You
However there is one thing that has been on my mind as of late- not really inspired by anything i read in scripture during my devotions but on my plane ride over to Hawaii last week.
As we began our first of many flights over to Maui, our pilot shared a very interesting- and eye opening- piece of knowledge with us: The airplane we were flying in took 3 miles a gallon. Of course, as an environmental policy specialization (my major is International Relations) I almost had a heart attack- i had read somewhere about the importance of only taking vacations accessible by car, but i didn't realize the amount of gas wasted with just ONE plane ride!!! (though this is an entirely different topic...). After i recovered somewhat from that first shock (and after vowing to never ride an airplane again if i could) I started thinking about what God meant when he said we were creating in his own image.
I know as Christians we tend to emphasize how much we do not matter compared to God and how insignificant we are when compared to time, but I think we sometimes need to realize that we are God's greatest works! Though we were created lower than the angels, we were made in the image of God. Think about all the achievements man has made- we can advance in technology, we can create, we can build upon our knowledge, we can love and hate, we are capable of compassion in one instance and malice in another, we can choose to be or do or say or not choose at all. We imitate the characteristics that God has but yet, we don't imitate him well.
Take this plane for example- It resembles and was inspired by the bird of the air. Man said 'I want to fly' and found a way to. However can the airplane fly like the bird? No it does a terrible job imitating the bird God had created- It's clunky and big, it's heavy, it uses/wastes TONS of resources just to get it off the ground, it's loud, it's expensive, and takes a lot of maintenance.
It's like we're poorly made replicas of God. If your a little kid like i still am, you may remember that classic spongebob episode where spongebob and Patrick stumble upon the magic pencil and decide to make a poorly drawn doodle of spongebob. The doodle made a poorly drawn pineapple house along with poorly drown furniture, yard, everything. At the end of the episode the doodle says 'no. Me spongebob, you doodle.' In short the created wanted to replace the creator. (I can't believe i just tied in spongebob to God...wow...)
It is in this praise in humanity- the complexity of man- that fools us into believing that we can control the things that we cannot. I think we, as humans, suffer from a big fish in small pond complex. Compared to all the things in this world, we are the most advance, promising, and intellectually sound. There is nothing that lives and grows on this earth that even comes close to meeting our potential. However, if you put that big fish in the ocean- it soon finds out that compared to the real players out there- it's not that great, it's not that advance or all knowing. When we encounter the holiness and sheer power of God himself, we realize how insignificant and how flawed we are. We understand our place and realize how much of a poor doodle we are compared to the creator himself. That is why one says Nothing Can Compare to Our God!
All that we are, that this world universally deems as good, is a direct reflection of God. our love for each other reflects how God IS love- he makes up all the forms of love we see on this earth. Creativity and creation reflects God's ability to create (the earth, the stars, the Galaxy, heaven, the angels, ourselves, etc.). Our advancement in knowledge and understanding is a reflection of God's knowledge of everything and anything! In fact all knowledge comes from God. The emotions that we feel all come from God- Joy, Peace, pleasure, satisfaction, even hurt, pain, anger, heartbroken-ness. It is not that God is made in the image of us, but-again- we are made in the image of God.
Then why then, one might ask, is there hate, prejudice, guilt, and yes pain, hurt, heartbroken-ness- all thing you wouldn't expect God to be. Why is it that the good in us coexists with the bad? That is simply because of the sin in us. God did not create us with the bad, but we introduced it in our lives- it's a perversion of our spirit- i heard it explained not too long ago as a 'spiritual illness.' All men have the capability and will to do good because of the Godly reflection we have within us, however we all have a tendency to do evil because of the disease we have inherited from our ancestors before us.
So in the end i wonder how can we have this attitude? How can proclaim ourselves righteous and Godly if we cannot even fill the shoes of God? It's like a five year old deciding he wants to switch places with his parents. I've met a lot of people who tell me what they believe happen when they die or tell me nothing happens when they die- i cannot help but say, what does it matter what you 'believe' or 'think' may happen when you die? You (which really means we) do not have any control over the afterlife of yourself or others just like you do not have any control over what the weather is tomorrow, whether you may die tomorrow in a freak accident, or whether the world is going to end with a big fire explosion from the core. What is it that makes us think we can decide our life (or lack of life) after death when sometimes we cannot even control what's going to happen to us tomorrow? Someone has to be wrong and I know that it isn't me (i remember going into this subject in a post on Jabberwocky. If you are interested just click on the link- it's not that long ^_^)
Peace Be with You
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Finding a security in Christ
Some, God speaks to through visions
Some, God speaks to through emotion
Some, God speaks to through others
Me, God speaks to through his Word.
Some, God speaks to through emotion
Some, God speaks to through others
Me, God speaks to through his Word.
I am going through the book of Ezekiel right now. I don't know a lot about him other than what i've read so far but he was a prophet and God spoke to him in visions. I know i've had a hard time understanding what it means to hear God speak to me, to have a 'conversation' with God. The way people have said it made it sound like they say something and then God answers them in their head- like a quiet voice speaking. That doesn't happen to me so I sometimes say- God, why don't you respond to me? I'm calling and i don't hear you saying anything back.
recently i've realized that the way God communicates to his people vary from person to person. To explain the blurb above- Some people converse with God like Ezekiel did. They pray, God shows them- whether that means an actual vision or hearing God audibly in their head. Some people converse with God through feelings and emotion. Sometimes people get an intense feeling to go a certain direction. Some people converse with God through others. They pray, God answers them through another man's mouth. I'm not sure if this is necessarily exclusive to a certain group of people (actually none of them are exclusive- sometimes God switches it up on you) but i bet there are some people who always seem to find themselves getting unusual answers from people they didn't expect to get answers from.
But Some, like myself, converse with God through scripture. I've realized that God usually, if not always, answers me through his word. I pray, I read scripture, and God answers. It's kind of silly but being in a Pentecostal church and hearing people prophesy and speak in tongues all around you can be disheartening when God has given you a more reserved spirit. But God is helping me come to terms with that- to accept the spiritual gifts he has blessed me with so i may use them to further his Kingdom.
Even though i do not fully understand it yet, i know there is a reason i cannot speak in tongues, why i am not as emotionally 'in-tune' as other people, and why i have no period of darkness in my past- it's preparation.
I am actively waiting and i'm finding peace in that,
May there be peace with you as well.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Welcome Wagon
I am very excited! after months of searching, i have stumbled upon a band that matches up with my taste in music but have lyrics that satisfy me as well.
it's a pastor and wife duet who go by the name Welcome Wagon.
Sold! To the Nice Rich Man (i guess this is what most would call a Praise Song- it gets better as it goes along :P) is good.
And i also enjoy There is a Fountain Filled With Blood
You Made my Day is ok. Though it's like it get's a little to folksy for me then they pull it back right after the 'ew, country' feeling.
Apparently they were produced by Sufjan Stevens (shocker right?). But speaking about SS, he made a song that i found pleasing to the soul.
You are the Blood-
sorry for the unexciting video- there wasn't much i could do.
Both Sufjan and WW's style are acquired tastes i think. I know it took me a while to realize that i did actually like Sufjan Stevens and i know i wouldn't have warmed up to Welcome Wagon as quickly if it wan't for him.
I hope this music has blessed you as much as it has blessed me
Peace be With You.
it's a pastor and wife duet who go by the name Welcome Wagon.
Sold! To the Nice Rich Man (i guess this is what most would call a Praise Song- it gets better as it goes along :P) is good.
And i also enjoy There is a Fountain Filled With Blood
You Made my Day is ok. Though it's like it get's a little to folksy for me then they pull it back right after the 'ew, country' feeling.
Apparently they were produced by Sufjan Stevens (shocker right?). But speaking about SS, he made a song that i found pleasing to the soul.
You are the Blood-
sorry for the unexciting video- there wasn't much i could do.
Both Sufjan and WW's style are acquired tastes i think. I know it took me a while to realize that i did actually like Sufjan Stevens and i know i wouldn't have warmed up to Welcome Wagon as quickly if it wan't for him.
I hope this music has blessed you as much as it has blessed me
Peace be With You.
"When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood."
Ezekiel 3:18
"Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood."Ezekiel 3:20
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Reaching
i took this picture on saturday. I don't know what it is about it, but I just felt like sharing it:
God has been really stretching me and allowing me to grow in so many areas. I've been seeing him answer prayers in others and making me a better servant in him. Today at church my pastor did a message about Lazarus (John 11:1-45) and his death. This scripture spoke to me like it never had before:
"When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in the spirit and troubled." John 11:33
God doesn't enjoy seeing us in our difficult spots. I know there have been nights where i am weeping and crying out to God, "Lord why make me go through this pain! I'm hurting inside, where are you????" But i never saw him as being there and crying too because he sees me, his daughter who has faith in him but doesn't understand why she's going through this pain. I can just hear him saying, 'i know it hurts and i know you don't understand but you have to trust me, you will be better off in the end. It'll be over soon, just keep pushing through this hard time, i'm still here.'
It's like a mother who knows that their infant child is sick and needs surgery in order to get better, but the problem is the child has to be awake for the procedure. I could just imagine seeing a poor innocent child, looking up at me with fear and helplessness crying out because it hurts and they don't understand why I as it's mother, who says i love them, is allowing this pain into their life. I would probably cry with my child. holding their hand and trying to comfort them as they go through the surgery- telling them it will be over soon. Sure i could stop the doctors from doing their job but i know that she would be worse off later- and would probably have to suffer even more- than if we took care of the sickness now.
That realization brought me to tears today. Knowing that God would sit along side me and weep because I, his daughter whom he loves, is weeping too.
Jesus, no matter how much it hurt to see his followers weep the death of their good friend, had to let Lazarus die so that the people there and us today would know that Jesus can conquer even the most impossible of situations; not even death itself can stop our God from working in our lives. the little suffering of the people then was made up with a deepened relationship with Jesus and the miracle of raising a more than dead person lead to more people putting their faith in Christ.
God has been really stretching me and allowing me to grow in so many areas. I've been seeing him answer prayers in others and making me a better servant in him. Today at church my pastor did a message about Lazarus (John 11:1-45) and his death. This scripture spoke to me like it never had before:
"When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in the spirit and troubled." John 11:33
God doesn't enjoy seeing us in our difficult spots. I know there have been nights where i am weeping and crying out to God, "Lord why make me go through this pain! I'm hurting inside, where are you????" But i never saw him as being there and crying too because he sees me, his daughter who has faith in him but doesn't understand why she's going through this pain. I can just hear him saying, 'i know it hurts and i know you don't understand but you have to trust me, you will be better off in the end. It'll be over soon, just keep pushing through this hard time, i'm still here.'
It's like a mother who knows that their infant child is sick and needs surgery in order to get better, but the problem is the child has to be awake for the procedure. I could just imagine seeing a poor innocent child, looking up at me with fear and helplessness crying out because it hurts and they don't understand why I as it's mother, who says i love them, is allowing this pain into their life. I would probably cry with my child. holding their hand and trying to comfort them as they go through the surgery- telling them it will be over soon. Sure i could stop the doctors from doing their job but i know that she would be worse off later- and would probably have to suffer even more- than if we took care of the sickness now.
That realization brought me to tears today. Knowing that God would sit along side me and weep because I, his daughter whom he loves, is weeping too.
Jesus, no matter how much it hurt to see his followers weep the death of their good friend, had to let Lazarus die so that the people there and us today would know that Jesus can conquer even the most impossible of situations; not even death itself can stop our God from working in our lives. the little suffering of the people then was made up with a deepened relationship with Jesus and the miracle of raising a more than dead person lead to more people putting their faith in Christ.
Monday, July 20, 2009
The Next Level
I've been just so busy these past few weeks- i started a new summer class and it literally eats up my life. However- i have still been able to do my devo's pretty frequently without having to blog about it so i'm going to say that i'm making progress^_^
At this rate, i'll be able to just blog about the random things that come in my head without having to leave a long list of verses from backed up days and whatnot's.
Nothing much to say other than i'm a page away from finishing that bible journal and i've already bought a new one that's more than ready to take it's place.
Instead of putting down ALL the verses i have written down so far (cause that's a butt load...) i'll just put up the ones i really REALLY liked.
"Though I an free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible."
1 Corinthians 9:19
~Paul talking about his role as a preacher of the Word
"To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some."
1 Corinthians 9:22
"1For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. 6Now these things occurred as examplesa]">[a] to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did."
1 Corinthians 10:1-6
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
1 Corinthians 10:13
"'Everything is permissible'- but not everything is beneficial. 'Everything is permissible'- but not everything is constructive"
1 Corinthians 11:23
"In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God."
1 Corinth 11:11&12
"therefore my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues."
1 Corinthians 14:39
"we are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us."
2 Corinthians 5: 20a
" 8I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."
2 Corinthians 8:8&9
"For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men."
2 corinthians 8:21
"You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God."
2 Corinthians 9:11
~'us' being Paul and his crew- one of the things Paul did as he visited different churches was fund raise so that he could spread the wealth to the churches that needed it.
Peace be with you.
At this rate, i'll be able to just blog about the random things that come in my head without having to leave a long list of verses from backed up days and whatnot's.
Nothing much to say other than i'm a page away from finishing that bible journal and i've already bought a new one that's more than ready to take it's place.
Instead of putting down ALL the verses i have written down so far (cause that's a butt load...) i'll just put up the ones i really REALLY liked.
"Though I an free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible."
1 Corinthians 9:19
~Paul talking about his role as a preacher of the Word
"To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some."
1 Corinthians 9:22
"1For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. 6Now these things occurred as examplesa]">[a] to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did."
1 Corinthians 10:1-6
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
1 Corinthians 10:13
"'Everything is permissible'- but not everything is beneficial. 'Everything is permissible'- but not everything is constructive"
1 Corinthians 11:23
"In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God."
1 Corinth 11:11&12
"therefore my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues."
1 Corinthians 14:39
"we are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us."
2 Corinthians 5: 20a
" 8I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."
2 Corinthians 8:8&9
"For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men."
2 corinthians 8:21
"You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God."
2 Corinthians 9:11
~'us' being Paul and his crew- one of the things Paul did as he visited different churches was fund raise so that he could spread the wealth to the churches that needed it.
Peace be with you.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Amazing, Because it Is
By the Almost
(it's more like an oldie but a goodie : )...)
Verses for Today:
"The wife's body does not belong to her but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife."
1 Corinthians 7:4
"But if they cannot control themselves [widows], they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion."
1 Corinthians 7:9
~don't worry ladies, if you have the desire to marry, you will find a husband- it's called the gift of singleness for a reason :P
"To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else reconcile to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife."
1 Corinthians 8:12&13
(it's more like an oldie but a goodie : )...)
Verses for Today:
"The wife's body does not belong to her but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife."
1 Corinthians 7:4
"But if they cannot control themselves [widows], they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion."
1 Corinthians 7:9
~don't worry ladies, if you have the desire to marry, you will find a husband- it's called the gift of singleness for a reason :P
"To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else reconcile to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife."
1 Corinthians 8:12&13
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