Jesus latte'

Create in me a clean heart...O Counselor and Friend

2010-03-02T13:43:00.000-08:00

"For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite." Isaiah 57:15 esv

He does not say that He dwells with the religious, noisy gongs; wolves dressed as sheep seeking to add victims to thier numbers to inflate their pride. He does not dwell with the ignorant, bottom-dweller who insists, again, pridefully, that God has no place in Creation, daily life or the Universe at all. He does not dwell with those too rich to lay down their crowns, or those too blind to trust Him. He dwells with the one whose heart is honest. His sacrifice desired is not a spotless lamb, or a purse of coins, or even a sonnet of verses carefully formulated to portray religiosity. Yet, child, find hope! His sacrifice is able to be found, it is easy to reach into the soul and display at the feet of our Precious Father!: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:17 nkjv

He does not despise you when-get this-you are in the position you were born to be in. When a child is born, that child depends on her parents to "train her up in the way she should go." She needs them to be fed, to be clothed, to be safe; emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. When she is in her mothers womb she is curled up in safety, face down, knees in, ready to be loved. This is where our hearts should be when looking to the face of God. I myself am extremely guilty of coming to the Lord with a list of good ideas in my hand, "here, God, I wrote down some thoughts for You to pray about. Get back to me when You decide which of my plans best fits Yours." What??? "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much." Job 38:4 nlt
"When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; indeed, the deep trembled." Psalm 77:16 esv
"Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God." Psalm 90:2 nlt

Let us now pray for food, knowing that when we receive, it has always come from His hand without us even asking (Matt. 6:9-13, Matt. 6:25-34). Knowing all good things, whether 'tis through our lense or His that we see them, come from Him. Wisdom and knowledge are from Him "33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." Rom. 11:33-36 esv and even more; Psalm 147:4-5, Hebrews 4:12-13, Proverbs 15:3, 2 Chronicles 16:9, Psalm 139:1-6 and 12, Isaiah 28:29, Job 9:4, Psalm 104:24, Ephesians 1:11, Romans 11:33!

And it is not by mistake or chance that in his letter to Collosae, Paul prays that the saints there would be "filled with the knowledge of [God's] will, in all spirtual wisdom and understanding...bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (esv, verses 9 & 10ish). And all throughout his letters to the various churches, Paul discredits himself and lifts the readers heart to the Sovereign love and knowledge of God.

The pattern of the lives of those whom we see in the Bible who live in unexplainable passion and unquenchable love for the Lord and His will is exactly that which we should follow. It was the Lord whom the prophet Isaiah trusted in to 'renew his strength' and mount him up 'with wings like eagles' and keep him from growing weary or faint when running and walking in faith for the Lord's will to be done (chapter 40, verse 31). Woven through all of the Psalms is a broken record of David pouring his heart out to God for hope and wisdom, "Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them. 3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever...10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!" (Psalm 111:1-3 & 10 esv). Why would he be seeking the wisdom of a God who has obviously not proved Himself? That's exactly why he calls out to our God, because He simply is a God who is faithful and just, Whose ways have been proven over and over! "This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him." (Psalm 18:30 esv). David didn't understand until he went to the Lord with his trial, "But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end." (Psalm 73:16-17 esv). He keeps the pillars of the earth (Psalm 75:3 esv) and discerns hearts from afar! Psalm 139:2b, and the book of Proverbs is filled with Solomon leaking out the wisdom of God! (Which we see him ask for in 1 Kings chapter 3).

So, let us be humble and contrite before the Lord, bringing a sacrifice of praise to the One who is worthy. Asking Him for His wisdom to guide us, as He promises He will give it to the faithful (James 1:5-8).

"Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?"
declares the LORD. "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." Isaiah 66:2 niv

What Has Gotten Into You?

2010-01-05T20:21:00.000-08:00

What is it that I feel inside of me...? What is it that is moving...aside from my heart beat. Aside from my organs and my veins that run through and pump and vibrate with life and blood...what is this tingle? This sparkle? This trembling I feel?

A spark gets started and then lights me on fire. I speak words I don't plan, I bless even when my heart aches. I love even when I feel broken. I care when I feel stone cold and blind. And then these blessings, these beautiful things that flow from my heart begin to change my hearts composition. The color of my insides change from darkened and grey, dry and decayed, to vibrant and alive! They transform to colors and light and soft plains where love and truth can rest...

It is not me.

I want someone to ask me, "what has gotten into you?" so that I can tell them WHO has gotten into me.

"A helper will come and be with you...as I am with you, this Helper will be inside of you...you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." (The Gospel of John, chapter 14, verses 16, 17 & 20 paraphrased).

A helper has come who is just like Jesus Christ, who knows well all the mysteries and all the knowledge of God the Father...and He is inside of me. He came inside me the day that my eyes were opened to the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ. But I have quenched him. I have toned him down and painted over his powers with the so-called 'goodness' of my faith. The so-called 'virtue' I think I have worked for and carried and put on like a show, selling tickets and receiving profits for the empty words I speak without love, this has done not good for the glory of the Lord, but it has built me up in my pride and been a pedestal for me to stand on and wave to the fans. Now, I will no longer put on a suit of tin foil, but I will place on the armor of God and the Sword of the Spirit will be my tool. I will not filter the voice of God and pick and choose what works for me, I will not exlude what seems 'unrealistic' or 'difficult,' but I will embrace the Spirit that has been caged within my soul by my ignorance. I will open the door of my heart and allow the Spirit of God to work and live and breath. Read this,

"26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:26-28 ESV).

But I will not blaspheme what the Lord says. Check out 1 Corinthians, Paul wrote to them about the Spirit and says this, "4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." (chapter 12, verses 4-7).

Paul goes on to talk about how some are given the gift to utter wisdom, some are given the gift of faith, some are given the gift of healing the sick, some are given the gift of discerning between Sprits and some are given the gift of prophecy, or tongues. Some are given the gift to utter knowledge and some are given the ability to work miracles, BUT "all these are empowered by ONE and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills."

So I now seek to embrace the gift of the Lord according to His will in my life. I seek to invite the uniting of God and myself in my soul, I will receive His invitation to become His daughter! "but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons [and daighters], by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."

I am not perfect. I am far from His standard and have much of this path left to walk, but I now choose to live in the Grace of My Lord Jesus Christ. I choose to be used aside from skill or virtue or goodness that I think I need to be accepted by God and by man, and I seek to love through His goodness in my heart and the overflowing of Christ in my life, "10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness" for HIS glory, and the love of all His children, my brothers and sisters... Sola Ingratia.

All I Need

2009-12-22T18:34:00.000-08:00

Oh, my DEAR Father, You are SO good to me.
You always know what's best, You hold me in Your hands,
protected, for Your glory... and all is good, when it looks
towards You. When my plans look towards Your face
they are full of life,
but when I seek my own good, I walk the way of destruction.
I praise Your perfect wisdom and peace, You are glorious,
too glorious for words!
I am so inadequate when trying to praise You!
Oh, dear Father,
thank You for Your hand appearing in my life,
holding back a cup from pouring,
for when I see Your Hand in my life,
I do not notice the cup You are keeping from being poured,
rather, I notice YOur glorious hand and REJOICE
that I would be so blessed that it would be near me!
Though You are always near, I cherish when my eyes are
open enough to see Your glory in my everyday plans!

Oh, could I be a homeless woman, with nothing more
than the shade of a tree or the cleft of a rock to dwell in
so that my eyes would only be towards You?
Would it be so that I have nothing to beckon my attention
but You?

A portion of Bedouin Song by Bayard Taylor

"My steps are nightly driven,
By the fever in my breast,
To hear from Thy lattice breathed
The word that shall give me rest.
Open the door of my heart,
And open the chamber door
And my kisses shall teach Thy lips
The love that shall fade no more
Till the sun grows cold,
And the stars are old,
And the leaves of the Judgement Book unfold! "

Lord, it is Your kiss of life that teaches me The Love that shall never fade.

Oh, how content would I be if 'soon' was this very minute

2009-12-13T15:06:00.000-08:00

These are the lyrics to Soon by Hillsong United, Brooke Fraser never fails to bring tears to my eyes..

Soon and very soon
My King is coming
Robed in righteousness and crowned with love
When I see Him
I shall be made like Him
Soon and very soon

Soon and very soon
I’ll be going
To the place He has prepared for me
There my sin erased
My shame forgotten
Soon and very soon

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I’ll see Him
There my soul will be satisfied
Soon and very soon

Soon and very soon
See the procession
The angels and the elders 'round the throne
At His feet I’ll lay my crowns My worship
Soon and very soon

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I’ll see Him
There my soul will be satisfied
Soon and very soon

Though I have not seen Him
My heart knows Him well
Jesus Christ the Lamb
The Lord of heaven

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I’ll see Him
There my soul will be satisfied
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon

and even more!

2009-12-12T17:36:00.000-08:00

From John Piper's blog, Desiring God;

A cosmos, one day being rebuked by a pessimist replied, "How can you who revile me consent to speak by my machinery? Permit me to reduce you to nothingness and then we will discuss the matter." Moral. You should not look a gift universe n the mouth.
-G. K. Chesterton (Quoted from Gilbert Keith Chesterton, Volume 1, 71)

Shall we assume to complain to an infinitely powerful and magnificent God?

complaining, a virus

2009-12-12T16:22:00.000-08:00

I stomp my feet because I'm not getting
the exact results
I expected.

I throw up my emotional hands in dismay because
I thought something else
would happen.

I may not literally be doing
these childlike
actions
but my Spirit is imitating
the same behavior that a
3 year old who got told
"no"
would have.

Why would I complain?
How could I protest?
I have SO MUCH!
I have been SO blessed!

Psalm 31:19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of the children of mankind!

and even more, v. 21 Blessed be the Lord,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
22 I had said in my alarm,
“I am cut off from fyour sight.”
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
when I cried to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all you his saints!
The Lord preserves the faithful
but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord!

I want to be one who waits for the Lord. I want to be one who seeks His face rejoicing in the blessings I have been given and patiently anticipating the next blessings He will send my way. Because being blessed, just like being forgiven, is not based on our goodness, but it is based on His perfect love.

In Psalm 51 David asks for forgiveness from the Lord knowing that God's steadfast love is what allows that forgiveness! He doesn't give Him a resume and say, "Well, I did commit adultery, and I did kill someone because of my ignorance... but I've done all these other great things for You, Lord and I've really been a righteous man! So, because I've really tried, will you let me off?" NO! He knows that grace is only given because of how GOOD God is! Not because of any righteousness he could uphold! "Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions."

So, today, kneel before the Father knowing with your full heart that He has blessed you, He has blessed you indeed. Not only because you are alive and have food to eat and a place to sleep and a Bible to read in your own language without fear of imprisonment, not because you have a sweetheart who thinks you're cute or you have a nice body, not because you're healthy... but because the Almighty God is NEAR to you in every season of your behavior, He sees EVERY facet, and He still anticipates you waking up in the morning so He can tell you He loves you.. soo much. Not because He thinks you're great (even though He does) but because He is so great. And not that He thinks you're great because of who you are, but because of who He is! A loving Father who sees all His children as magnificent and beautiful and unique and astonishingly loved by Him, but at the same time, very, very blind to His overwhelming love.

Isn't it crazy that we complain, while God sits on the sidelines patiently gazing at us... waiting for us to turn and see the glorious blessing He is to us?

things to which angels long to look... sorry for the weird text links and stuff, no one reads this anyway so whateva :)

2009-12-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

1 Peter 1: 3-12

Born Again to a Living Hope

3 2 Cor. 1:3; Eph. 1:3

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">gBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Titus 3:5

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">ihe has caused us to be born again to a living hope ch. 3:21; [1 Cor. 15:20]

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">jthrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to Rom. 8:17

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">kan inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and [ch. 5:4]

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">mkept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded Eph. 2:8

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">nthrough faith for a salvation[ch. 5:10; Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17; Heb. 12:11]

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">oready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by James 1:2; [ch. 4:12]

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">qthe tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes Job 23:10; Ps. 66:10; Prov. 17:3; Isa. 48:10

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">sfire—may be found to result in Rom. 2:7, 10; 1 Cor. 4:5; [2 Thess. 1:7–12]

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">tpraise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 [1 John 4:20]

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">uThough you have not seen him, you love him. [Heb. 11:27]; See John 20:29

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">vThough you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining Rom. 6:22

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">wthe outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation, 2 Pet. 1:19; [Dan. 8:15; Matt. 13:17; Luke 10:24]
" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">xthe prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring Dan. 9:24–26
" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">ywhat person or time Rom. 8:9; [2 Pet. 1:21]; See Acts 16:7
" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">zthe Spirit of Christ in them was indicating See Matt. 26:24
" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">awhen he predicted Isa. 52:13–53:12; Luke 24:26; Acts 3:18
" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">bthe sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 Dan. 12:4, 9, 13
" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">cIt was revealed to them that [Matt. 13:17; Heb. 11:39, 40]
" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">dthey were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you Acts 2:2–4
" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">eby the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, [Dan. 8:13; 12:5–7; Eph. 3:10]
" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">fthings into which angels long to look.

How have I obtained such love? How have I been given such hope? Why would the God of heaven look down upon me and desire to rescue me? To reach His hand down to my pit and wipe the mud off my face and delight in me? To wash me clean and forgive me for spitting in His face? To cradle me as I cry and allow my spirit to rest in His, knowing that I'd turn away again? Knowing that I would seek happiness in other things and seek contentment in people in things that are themselves just as broken as I?

He is no more near to His true self than when He is holding a broken child. And He is always holding a broken child. His being, His I AMness requires that He love, at all times, in all things, forever and ever... He would not be if He did not love. It is who He is, what He is is love, love is of Him.

1 John 3:1-3 1 See ch. 4:10; John 3:16

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">ywhat kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called John 1:12

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">zchildren of God; and so we are. The reason why [ch. 4:17]

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">athe world does not know us is that John 16:3; 17:25

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">bit did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are [See ver. 1 above]

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">1 Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18; 4:11; Phil. 3:21; 2 Pet. 1:4

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">fwe shall be like him, because John 17:24; 1 Cor. 13:12; Rev. 22:4

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">gwe shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who Rom. 15:12

I can't believe the love that the Father has lavished upon me. But I will spend the rest of my life trying to make a dent in glorifying His name and reciprocating His love to others. He is good, He alone. I pray our eyes are opened to Him and turned away from the lies...

"And this is the promise that he made to usSome manuscripts you

jon foreman and tears

2009-12-03T11:24:00.001-08:00

Do you ever just feel like crying,

like all of the stuff inside you is anxious and wants to visit

another atmosphere.

No longer your soul and spirit, but your person

and the people around you..

I think we should let it out. Because maybe it won't always

come out in tears.

Maybe it will and

that's okay, that's actually great! We need to cry. I admire

so many people who have the freedom to do it when and where they feel it,

and the ones they love appreciate and support that corner of their soul,

instead of push it down

it can sometimes come

out

in

LOVE.

"7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." (1 John, chapter 4 NKJV)...visit the orphan and widow in their oppression..keep oneself unstained from the world...your body is a sanctuary...do you not know that you are His holy temple?...And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability...Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth...Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person...Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving... (Jms 1:27, Rmns 12, 1 Cor 6:19-20, Acts 2:4, Prv 16, Col 4)

These are just a few ways to love people, and there are hundreds more.

So what does letting it out have to do with

loving others

have to do with God being love?

We were made in His image

we were made to reflect His love,

HE is love,

so we reflect

LOve.

What is love? (baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more!!) haha sorry..

Love is putting other first, Philippians 2:7 ays that HE made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant. He is love, we were made in His image, this is what He did, so we do it.

Don't be a people pleaser, "but speaking the truth in love, may [we] grow up into HIM in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Eph. 4: 15).

Pray for others, God is not your personal vending machine! "that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone.." 1 Tim 2:1

Don't put your lamp under a basket...don't hide it under the crown you've made for yourself by what people think of you..Luke 8:16

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." John 1:5, no one can open a box of darkness and let it out...darkness cannot overtake light. Open your closet, the darkness is now changed because of the light. The only way darkness prevails is if the light hides itself, just as "evil can only prevail if good men do nothing." -Edmund Burke.

Let us not be good men who do nothing.

foolish and stupid

2009-11-27T22:33:00.000-08:00

"- We died.
- What was the cause of death?

Not enough of all of this,
of this, of this.

And not enough,
you know? Do you--

Do you remember
the philosopher Epictetus?
You remember what he said?

He said, 'If you want to
improve, be content to be
thought foolish and stupid.'

That's what you've done.

- I work hard at it.
- Now I want to be a jackass."

from Serendipity, between John Cusack and Jeremy Piven...Lord, thank you for showing me that I am foolish and stupid, and for still loving me

K.

summerrrr skin

2009-10-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

Summers gone

Sun don't shine

But I'll keep the sunshine in my heart

Summers gone

California is a memory

I'd rather be in winter time

or anytime with the sunshine in my heart

than in the summertime

with the sunshine breakin beams in me...

Thank you for the summertime

and thank you for the winter time

thank you for the in betweens

because I know that the Son shines

no matter what month it is.

responsible

2009-09-10T15:13:00.000-07:00

I am responsible for me.

I am responsible for my tongue.

Which assigns me to be responsible for my WoRds.

My wOrDS.

Words.

What am I saying?

What is it?

What's being said?

It needs to be said that there is more.

More than money.

More than pearls and powder on my face.

More than the cars we drive.

More than the tears we cry for others to please.

Words don't need to come of anger and selfish deeds.

Words don't need to come of lies and pitfalls.

Words need to come of truth.

Words need to come of selfLessness and comPassion.

Here I am not, here You Are.

I speak words not of saints, not of priests, not of scholars or Presidents or Tzars or Kings, nor do I speak as a Teacher or a Leader, but help me Lord to speak as a widow, a child, a friend, and a sinner. Help me to speak more like a thirsty and poverty stricken man, more like a homeless daughter whose home is washed away by the water that rains from the sky, cardboard and plastic burned in the beauty of earthly treasures... because these things, Oh Lord, are what I am and what I deserve. You alone come and redeem the broken pieces that make up my days. You come and allow this I Am Not to join in the story of I Am. So let me speak as one to whom grace has been given, and live like one who knows what it is to be forgiven.

the identity of Grace

2009-07-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

"I'm just like everyone else
We are all hiding
Acting like I have a wealth
Of knowledge and peace

But all I've ever wanted
And what men have given their lives for
Is a God who understands my weaknesses
A God that I can love

I believe you are good and righteous
You've given me your reckless love
So be near, be near..."

-Bethany Dillon, part of Be Near Me

I have to do something hard. I have to do something I don't want to do.

But it's not as hard as what He had to do.

It's not as hard as what You had to do, Father.

I don't want to do it because... because I'm comfortable.

I feel safe, yet at the same time, very unstable. I know it's time to leave when I'm wondering why I haven't learned anything new... why I haven't hurdled over new struggles.

I know it's time to leave, Father, when I keep thanking You for the same attributes.

I know it's time to leave when I ask for new discoveries within the heart of God, and I'm not seeing them. If I don't see new things, it's because I have wool over my eyes. If I ask God to show me His glory, He IS faithful and just to be glorified.

God, You are not glorified when I do not move forward with the hand You put out to hold mine.

You are glorified when I do things that seem hard, and then thank You for walking with me through the storm. You are glorified when I move forward.

He is glorified when I sing His praise for His sovereignty, His love that is forever steadfast, and His unwavering grace that wipes away every stain on my existence.

You are glorified when all the angels lift up their voices to sing Your name! You are glorified when I join with those angels even when I don't feel like it! And You are glorified when I rest in Your truth.

He gives great peace, children. Do not be deceived by this world. Do not be a pawn of the passions of this day, the glimmer and gold chip off and wear away. But the Lord is illuminated through the burning fire! We are refined through the righteous fire, made stronger in the light of His might; His beauty and glory shine through, they break through the clouds, they break through us and magnify His presence!

The rain clouds are gone, Father! Your light shines! Your gift is lifted up and seen, Your forgiveness and grace is praised! Your holiness is heralded to the heights of heaven and to the depths of the deep, blue sea that You breathed. Your love song rings out through my soul and Your peace rests perfectly upon the mountaintops.

The Son rises and breaks through the dawn, carrying with Him my sin and my sorrow. With Him my heavy load is taken, and through Him my burden is carried away. I fly on wings like eagles and dance on the mountaintops like a deer, carrying with me gentle and good news! Gentle, but earth-shattering news that will provide the earth with a riddle, a story, a hero and a purpose.

Break through my forest of trees, my piles of rubbish that block my view to You. Take away this plantation, this territory of idols that have made their home within me. You alone are King, and You alone are Counselor. You have my hands, I am not in control, You will lead me away from the small provisions and into the abundance of Your presence, Your truth and Your reality.

Take my hand, I said, take my hand and lead me There. He took my hand and led me to the heart, to the identity of Grace.

again...another great article from relevant. Someday I'll actually write something good for you to read

2009-06-13T08:13:00.001-07:00

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/features-reviews/god/1375-rethinking-love

Kate

Relevant Magazinnnne

2009-05-01T23:59:00.000-07:00

I just read this article on relevantmagazine.com in the reject apathy section, here's the link or I've posted it below. I've also highlighted my two favorite parts. By favorite, I mean the things I read over and over again until it made just enough sense to me to capture that sentence, that thought, and maybe try and act it out.

Cambodian Coffee

Chris Foster

So, my wife and I are two weeks into our new life in Cambodia. We’ve joined a strong and growing church and community development organization in New Life Foundation, Phnom Penh, and slowly our long held desires to follow our passions and dreams are taking form. In the midst of all this, we are also learning new things everyday, all the important things–like that you should always give way to the vehicles traveling and swerving in front because you never know where they will go, or what to do when a Cambodian can’t understand what you’re trying to say in their language because your accent is too broad (smile, and try not to look awkward), and most important of all, how to order coffee (which is a long request…. To do a rough literal translation, Cambodian Coffee is called “Fruit of the Coffee water, with the milk of a cow’s breast, and frozen water”).

The way they serve coffee here is cold and black over ice cubes and condensed milk. It is truly the stuff that dreams are made of. You can buy a glass of this ‘fruit of the Coffee Tree (as a local friend calls it)’ at almost any street stall or open street restaurant. Honestly in the heat, there in nothing more refreshing, or odd. You see, my life back in Australia was built upon Café Lattes–strong and lots of it! I’d average maybe four to six cups over a normal shift at my old workplace, the golden arches fast food chain could brew a mean coffee. I almost felt like I hadn’t worked hard unless I was buzzed out and ready for the next cup.

I know that I am not unquie in my coffee cravings. I know that a lot of people would say that they couldn’t live without their morning coffee, or their two to 10 cups a day. I know that we can now get every conceivable type of coffee there is–Irish Cream, Double or Triple shot whatevers, caramel out of our noses and all the rest that follow. But there has to be something liberating about having coffee in styles and manners that are not our own. To enjoy something that is so alien to what we consider normal can help lift the lid on what it means to really step out and begin to see things differently, and possibly even encourage the fleshing out of dreams.

I’m slowly learning to appreciate the differences, to enjoying the sight of crazed moto drivers dodging each other and pot holes on the haphazard Cambodian roads, to the random power blackouts because the systems are overloaded, to the different foods that can include deep fried crickets, all over a refreshing glass of Cambodian Coffee. I think I’m learning what it means to slow down and take it all in, to see that there is more to life than trying to survive in wilderness places on constant caffeine highs.

I would never say that everyone should pack up their lives and move to a developing nation so as to really experience life. I strongly believe that dreams can and should be lived out any and everywhere in every setting and every locale. But I would say that sometimes–perhaps often–it might be healthy to shake our habits or lifestyles up a bit.

It can’t be as easy as having a different type of coffee, although it could be as easy as sitting in a different setting, or stepping out in new directions, or even being honest with those to whom we are closest and really laying down the things that burn on the heart. Being willing to see things differently. In the end the challenges will always be approaching or circling, but seeing and enjoying differences maybe a prerequisite to seeing what dreams may come true.

Thanks, Chris Foster :)

words, thoughts, bubbles

2009-04-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

Faith is a bubble that carries the broken

Thoughts are like bubbles, coming in and out of me in a constant relationship. I hate when I have a good thought and it leaves me, floating away too fast for me to remember it in words. All that's left is the soapy residue, I know it was there, I know it was good and it etified that moment.

More bubbles will come.

What goes in your heart, soul and mind comes out on your face, in your words, in your eyes...and those things will go into someone else's heart, soul and mind

Decide what you're going to let in.

He really does matter more than anything else

He loves more than anyone else

He is more than anyone or anything

He holds on tighter but gives more freedom than anyone or anything else

He is.

And He is mine.

And I am His!

I love that.

I miss out on beautiful things when I focus on myself. Lots of beautiful things and people and sounds and bubbles of thoughts around me are not taken captive in my eyes, heart, soul, mind, ears, skin and tongue when I complain and try with all my might to decide whether or not the glass is half full or half empty. I miss out on the all around me when I look at all that's in me, which isn't much. Mostly sin, and lots of God and His grace. So, I suppose there is a lot in me, but anything worth while in there is really God.

Peace in ones own heart, soul and mind creates peace without.

This computer is dying.

Coffee, or tea?

2009-04-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

I wanna live somewhere cold

somewhere chilly where the air touches my coat

Somewhere the sun shines and makes a surprise

Where a warm day is a special treat, not a dead heat

I wanna live somewhere where the clouds always make shapes

I see ice cream cones and puppy dogs and dragons and umbrellas!

I wanna live somewhere with green grass everywhere

and spring is the only season

some days I make coffee some days I make iced tea

Some days we go outside and fly kites

then some days we stay inside and curl up with a book

Reading to the surround sound of rain drops clicking their heels on my windows

I wanna live somewhere... somewhere with You

Somewhere where the clouds don't harm and dollar signs mean nothing

Where music is almost always playing

and painters only paint beautiful things

where iced cream isn't bad for you and the word 'self-defense' doesn't exist

Because the only thing in this place to defend would be my love for You

and Your love for me, which I would have no trouble knowing in this place

This place would have no doubts, no second thoughts

or lack of trust, no stubborn pride or dangerous lies

No bribes or sneaks or dietribes

This place would hold the weight of joy in it's sky

and no one would ever question 'why?'

Now I realize this seems suspicious

and I wouldn't want a Stepford Life

someday this time will come when Your time is right

I'll live among the angels and always sing Your praise

For now I will appreciate the freedom I have to choose You every morning

and know You every night

Help me love without fear, walk without falling and trust without doubting

But when I fear and doubt and fall, these things I know I'll do

bless me with Your mercy and meet me with Your grace

And I will accept this gift, and regive it to the world

Mexican Train

2009-04-11T19:01:00.000-07:00

I'm playing Mexican Train with some of my family here in Texas. It's quite a variety, there are beautiful things about us being together, and there are...oh, how shall I say this? Horrific things about us all being together.

Aunt Patsy; middle child of 6 kids, my mom was the youngest. Aunt Patsy was a math teacher, and a principle, and drives a hybrid, and loves to be uniquely "democratic" in the midst of all the Texan Bush supporters. Also, I didn't mention a very important part of my Aunt, she never got married or had kids, soooo all of us lovely nieces and nephews get to be loved by her :) and sometimes followed by her thumb, but hey, we all follow something.

Aunt Ginny; at one point in my life, when I was a small, naive child, I told my mom I didn't even think Aunt Ginny was really part of our family. She sure was a sour lady, I thought, and her face looked like she had just eaten sour skittles or a jar of pickles. But things have changed very much, and my Aunt Ginny is the dearest to my heart of all the aunts. She came to the know the Lord in the past few years through some difficult events in her life and I am so excited to party in heaven with her someday! But I don't have to wait, we can party together here for the time being. She is married to the next family member,

Unlce Jim. Uncle Jim is my favorite Uncle (Sorry Donald, Randy and Jack!). He played a major role in the events that shattered he and Aunt Ginny's life, but has always been the kindest man I know. I would say he ties with my dad but my dad's driving habits bump him to second ;). Anyway, he and Ginny both found Jesus on their hard road through the last few years. God has found him and used him so mighily! I'm so happy to know him ;).

Mom; uuuuhh, you all know my mom, right? Big heart, but lots of empty space, too. Lots of love, but lots of pain from her life. So much love and trust in the Lord, but such a huge thirst for control. I love her and she changes my life every day, sometimes for the worse but always for the better. I mean that, even when the things she does effect me in a negative way or produce a bad habit within me, God's glory shines by coming in and changing that in me. He becomes the goodness even in the bad. And I know Him more for it. Anyway, shes the youngest, which is a place in life that we share :) and we have so much fun. Shes one of my best friends, a habitual throat-clearer (that's how I used to find her in the store when I was lost, even now in the other room I can hear her clearing her throat! =O), an amzingly talented and obssessive beader (jewelry), habitual drinker (not alcoholic, she goes through stages of drinking certain things ALL the time, vanilla frappuchinos, dr. pepper, Passion tea, lemon water, iced single vente skinny vanilla latte, coke, iced tea, just to name a few of her stages), and dedicated Bible Study Fellowship attendee and secretary! She also always has to be accomplishing something, always. She prays while she falls asleep so she can even be accomplishing something while shes relaxing.

Dad; oh snap. My dad is awesome. Happiest, most positive guy ever. Financial planner, genuine friend and really good salesman. Haha one thing about my dad that I love is sometimes he'll walk into a room to say hi and say, "Just thought I'd come in and bring my happy gene!" He teaches me what love is every day. He also has some personality traits that are sort of harmful to my heart, and sometimes I don't treat him like I love him because of those things. But I try and turn those personality traits into prayers to God, He takes all my little 'gifts' and shows me how they are perfect in Him, because He is The Perfect Father. But a lot of the time I don't bring it to God and screw it up myself. My daddy knows Jesus and Jesus will mold him when the time is right.

Jonothon; uuuh, too much and not enough to say all at once. He is the brother closest to me in age out of the five of us kids. He just turned 21 and I'm going to be 18 in July. We've always had issues, but have also loved each other more than words could say. I think the enemy wanted to take our relationships with Christ (we were the only two around for a while that knew the Lord) and turn them into harm for Christ's kingdom. The enemy didn't want us doin' any good for the King and His Kingdom so he had us quarrel and disrespect each other and bury pain and bitterness for each other in our hearts...pretty much throughout life. So instead of showing God's love to our family in unity, we fought and bickered (but God is good and turns mourning into dancing and the night into day!) But, he is my brother, not only in blood, but in Christ, and I love him dearly. He is like my dad, joyful, passive, childish and loving...and painful.

Lauren; oh my only sister :). She brings a smile to my face whenever I think of her or say her name. Often times, though, the smile fades quickly after because I desperately want my sister to know my Perfect Father Who loves her so much! And she does not know His beauty and truth right now, but the Lord is good :). Lauren is a hard-working, independent and foxy 24 year old young woman whom I am proud to call my sister. She helps me learn how to stand my ground and not be a people pleaser, to defend myself and speak my voice, she shows me what it means to grow up because none of my other siblings know how to do it. Again, I love her and always enjoy our eye rolls accross the table at family gatherings (that's what the front of her birthday card says this year, shhh, she hasn't read it yet).

Aaaaaand, oh, me :). I am 17, the youngest of 5 kids, my family is originally from Texas even though I do not live there now. I am on vacation there now, though, with my mother, father and brother. Lauren still lives here in Texas and my other two brothers are at 'home' in Arizona. Um, anyway, yes, I am 17, I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with all my heart, soul, and mind and pray every day to live recklessly for Him because I am completely lost without Him. He carries me through fires that would have long ago burned me away if I didn't know Him. I like iced tea, iced cream (blue bell!!), puppies, and reading. And folk music, and all forms of artistic expression. I love my family that the Lord has blessed me with through sisters and brothers from other mothers ;), aka my family in Christ! You know who you are; Kim, Megan, Jason, Amanda, Amanda, Kristina, Christine, Monique, Jill, Brooke, Jane, Jared, Jordan, Jason, Julie, Louise, Brittany, Steve, Dom, Jenny, Jenni, Sarah, Taylor, Jordan, Jay, Mikey, Kiki, Karen, Emily, Kat, Divina, Megan, Simone, Madi, Jordan, Jordan, Emily, Julie, Andrew, Apryl ooooh way too many to think of. Oh, Jason, James, Shannon, Tami, Chelsea, Brianna, Annika, Brianna, Tori, Alyssa, Dan, Katie, Brittany, Creg oooohkay I need to stop I love too many people the internet can't hold all your names.

So, I've been getting to know some other things about myself through playing Mexican Train with my crazy family. I am afraid to become like them. Okay, so these are some things I realized before playing Mexican Train, but whatever. They became even more illuminated and evident under the light of dominoes and barbecue. I am afraid to be rude, judgemental, controlling...disrespectful. I'm afraid to have lazy kids and not raise them right, I'm afraid to displease (okay, so some of these are just things I already suck at), I'm afraid to be angry. I'm afraid of Menopause. I'm afraid of unhappiness and displeasure. I'm afraid of all of these things, but, can I control them? To some extent, yes, but I'm always going to have flaws and be imperfect, (another thing I'm afraid of).

I'm afraid to fail because I am a failure, and I guess I'm afraid of who I am? Maybe, but I think I'm mostly afraid of failing because I'm afraid I won't be forgiven. HA. That's the farthest thing from the truth. That is the most ridiculous thing, I think God may have just laughed. But I think I'm afraid of not being forgiven because of the fleshly responses I am familiar with. I mean that all we know as far as grace goes is either actual responses in our own lives or stories in other peoples lives. So, who in your life loves unconditionally and eternally? Who do you know that would love and forgive you if you murdered their entire family? Who do you know that would kill someone in their family for YOU? And speaking in less extreme terms, who would take a day out of their busy life to hold you when you cry? Who do you know that would not hold a grudge against you for stealin' their significant other? Who do you know that is not jealous of anybody, never speaks negatively of someone, or says anything less than "I love them...so much." of anyone they know? Maybe some people you know are like this, I've known a few, but I can say confidently that I now many more selfish, jealous, and prickly people than I do pure souls. I know one when I look in the mirror. I know those people when I walk into my kitchen, and go to my best friends house, and sit with my small group, and go to the place where I feel the happiest. They are on every corner and in every conversation, even the pure souls have cracks of imperfection in their hearts. We all have caverns, we all have broken cisterns needing to be filled (Jon Foreman song) and we all hurt other people. We all express our wrath in some form or another that harms another person.

But my point is not to prove our broken nature, I'm sure you can all see that. My point is to say that for those of us that make it hard to take Christ's free gift of grace, feel that way because of some experience in our life. Because of every breath we breath and every day we live and every person we encounter, no one is the Lord and none of us can be the Lord for someone else. He alone is good and pure and just and He alone can hold our iniquities and mold them into beauty. We can only know that through the truth of Christ's Word, there alone can we find Christ's truth, we see it in the people that know His truth, but they know it by living in His Word! All truth of grace and mercy comes from that, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). He is truth, He is the Word, the Word is truth.

Let us stand on this and breath it in. He alone is my grace and peace when my family falls. When anger intrudes my brothers heart and hatred responds in the other brother. When ignorance steals my fathers soul, and despair floods my mothers eyes, when emptiness wipes accross my sisters face and pride captures my brothers heart, my Lord, my Perfect Father is my cup. He is my portion when I turn to other lovers and follow the lies, He is my heart when my strength fails, and He is my hand when I reach for the plow. I do not look back, I finish the race, I fight the good fight and I pray in faith knowing He will meet me with grace at my disgrace.

Make me into Yours so I will not be theirs.

Lord, You are good!

2009-03-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

The lyrics from that song I haven't heard in forever come to mind

"You are my hope, Your promise never fails me, And my desire Is to follow You forever"

"Lord, You are good, Lord You are good, Lord You are good to me!"

I love you, You are my hope, Your promise never fails me, and my desire is to follow You forever :)

I Repent in Dust and Ashes

2009-03-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned. And I will sin. And You will be faithful and just to forgive me.

You say to come as I am, to bring my burdens and give You my shame. You ask for the goodness in me to come from the same hands as the bad stuff. You ask me to fall. To neal at Your feet and worship You with an honest heart, of repentance and joy.

So this I will do, repent in dust and ashes and know, without doubting, that You will clean my slate. You will wipe my dirty face. You will vacuum the dark, hidden corners of my soul. And I will meet You at Your grace, as You meet me at my disgrace.

I repent in dust and ashes, in the form that I have come and the form that I will go. Forgive me, Holy, Just and Merciful God, clean me in and out, behind and before, just as You knew my frame before the proof of my creation was known, Lord clean every curve and blemish and corner and surface. I will rejoice in You! Your mercy is like a spring! Your Waters wash over me and lay me in the arms of Your grace. Make me pure, Tohara, Mukdeshet, Mekudeshet, Hekdesh... I will see You, Lord, my heart is pure. Save me once again, I will fall.

Oh How He Loves Us So

2009-03-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

Listen to this :) Kim Walker with Jesus Culture sings of His GREAT LOVE FOR US!!!! OH HOW HE LOVES US!

My heart is hard and I am hurt by many things right now, including myself! And in the midst of that I find that one of the only things than can soften my heart is hearing this young woman scream of HOW MUCH OUR GOD LOVES US!!! She sings it so loud and proud and I know it is true, even in my weakness and bitterness and pride and insecurity and ignorance; He loves me. Yes I should repent, I need to lay down my sin before Him and mourn over it and open my heart up for His grace! The fact that He still loves me in the midst of my sin does not mean I don't need to repent. But even while He hurts that my heart doesn't know how to get past my childish immaturity and ask for forgiveness for my stupidity or even to accept His beautiful grace once I do ask Him to forgive me, even then, my Lord loves me! He watches me return to my vomit like a dog and pursue my sin and feed my selfishness and please the other lovers in my life, and He still loves me. He looks down on this earth, not even that, He watches me and walks beside me and sees the selfish things I do, and He just can't wait until I turn around and fall on my knees saying, "Father, forgive me! I do the things I don't want to do and I don't do the things I want to do! Please forgive me and walk with me!" and He will wrap me in mercy! Like the prodigal Son, I return from spoiling my inheritance and eating with the swine, asking my Father to take me as a servant and forgive me for what I have done but He won't allow me to be a servant, I am His daughter! He won't settle for me cleaning toilets and raking leaves, He wants to prepare a party for me and wrap me in His arms and invite back into His home and His heart and His trust and LOVE ME! How beautiful is that love?

growth makes me smile today :)

2009-03-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

I have a daisy :) want to hear the story?

setting: Tucson, fall 2008. purpose: adventure to find something we didn't even know we needed until we found it!

fellow adventurer: Michelle Condon

The morning started with meteor-sized pancakes; one blueberry and one apple with candied pecans, drinking deep of endless coffee refills and drinking even deeper one of the others soul. Imagine IHOP, but smaller, like the size of a convenience store and worn, wooden tables with picturesque hand-painted walls. After leaving our name with an older, fire-engine red headed woman we see a bulletin board of the local sports achievements, budding gymnasts and smiley cheerleaders of the local high school. It is stuffed with pictures and is ready to entertain our waiting, hungry Sunday morning tummy's. We sat down and un-perched our menus from the little metal frame with jam and sugar packets and soon after the Promised Land might as well have fallen through the ceiling because the man with the coffee mug stopped at our table. Michelle convincingly (although its not hard to do with me) spoke of the huge, hearty pancakes she had delighted herself in on a previous visit to this fantastic, bustling, breakfast heaven, so I ordered them. And boy, were they delightful! Thank you Bobo's for making that happen. Note: if you are planning on visiting this wonderful Bobo's anytime soon and order pancakes, you best get your self the candied pecans (or was it walnuts?) along with whichever flavor you choose. If you do not you will be bitterly tasting your neighbors pancakes with the delicious candied crunchies and glance back at the cook to see if he might telepathically send some your way. Nevertheless, this breakfast was fantastic! Even if I couldn't finish it...

Okay, so the next stop; a bench on University Dr. being encouraged by Michelle's incredible faith in an incredibly stubborn circumstance. Lord, thank you for her joy! The world around her needs a breath of her peace in the midst of stormy waters. Details will stay recorded in time as they happened, unflawed and only in our memories :). Comfy benches and beautiful day though!

So...here we are. Ready for the real treat, the climax, the silver lining on a cloud thats already incredibly bright! Wilco. This store is a more spacial, and possibly more sophisticated version of la Grande Orange; the gift shop section (but who needs sophistication, honestly). If I was a recording artist, oozing with talent, sang my songs, travelled on tours and received oodles of money, I'd by a pair of earrings...or all the jewelry in the case... at this store. Fantastic, gold with jewels, deep, rich and romantic colored jewels, of tasteful size I might add! Very dainty and elegant with a hint of Bohemia. Anywho, thats what I thought I wanted, until I saw the daisy in a box. Michelle eyed the basil in a box and proceeded to imagine cooking uses and a good-smelling house. But I was ecstatic at the sight of having my very own daisy baby's! So I bought them, possibly out of impulse, sure. But That impulse has paid back! I now have a bright, yellow bud! As soon as I arrived home from the drive back from Tucson with my sweet companion Brianna, I jumped on those 'flower in a box' instructions and proceeded to imagine my dainty daisy growing. I cleaned all the seeds, as instructed, and whatta ya know, only one sprout! Well, there were three, but two were too fragile to survive very long. But, I loved my little sprout. I watered it, let the sunrise woo it to youth and eventually maturity. And now what do I see? Yellow! A bud! A yellow daisy will grow! It's not just a weed! Those twelve dollars weren't teasing me! I really see yellow! Yellow has never been such a wonderful color as it was when I stooped to water my suspecting weed and saw a tiny circle of bright, canary life. It is not a weed, weeds are not daisies, and daisies are not weeds. My flower will grow! And whether it lives 8 months or 1 day I will love it and smile about it every time I see it or think about it.

I think Jesus might feel a little bit like I did, nurturing the plant and seeing only pointy, weedy leaves. He loves us without end and waits for us without a second thought. But we provide no bud. No bright spring of life! Not even a tiny circle of golden sun. He waters us with His eternal spring (John 4:14) and shines His unfailing grace and steadfast love (Psalm 103:4 & 8) on our adolescent, immature and growing souls, but do we notice? Do we peak out of our stubborn lives to bask in His mighty, life-giving power?! I don't! I think I can push through myself and grow up all by myself, who needs living streams? Who needs the saving Son? I do. But I still try and live as a putrid weed on my own strength, just to be trampled under-foot and pulled up (Jer. 42:10, Ps. 52:5) from the gardener's hand. So much of the time I am no different than the plants in the other garden, the East field. The field that my Father does not tend. Someone could pass by me and not see the light that I should bring, people pass by and are not changed. They trample underfoot the creation that should tower over them with love; me. A daisy, a weed? A child of God, a servant of the world? Do I speak with love on my lips, or lies on my tongue? Does my heart beat for the poor (Jam. 1:27) or do I seek my own agenda? Do I seek to please my Father in heaven, or the world (Gal. 1:10)? I point no fingers, I walk the way of the wild donkey too often. Lord, walk through me the Opposite Way!

There were other glorifying parts of our day together, but for fear of recreating them for your mind as less captivating than when we experienced them that day, I will not tell them! Just know, it was great. And for all the little daisies in your life, the tiny but meteor sized blessings in your days, be thankful for them. Nurture them and be nurtured by them. And ask yourself, "am I stubborn weed? Or am I a willing, bright, yellow bud that shines?"

Read this!

2009-03-05T19:19:00.000-08:00

Awesome article! Don't stop readin' the Word though. :)

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

2009-02-12T09:07:00.000-08:00

You said something that meant something to me, all because you live in a way that gives me hope.
I told you what you mean to me and how you change my life, you said that you were proud of me and asked if there was light.
[To tell you the truth, it's nothing in me. To tell you the truth, even if there was no light, He'd still be the light inside of me.]
I hope you don't guess or wander in your thoughts, what I could've meant or what the problem is. He's holdin' on to us and I know, I'm a lot more blessed than most.
There is a light, and it's already here. It'll be here when the storm subsides and will stay long after the last drop dries. It was here before the first storm came, when the sky was unaware of rain.
So just to let you know again, you mean so much to me, the way you live your life and love. I hope that you can see, it's done something in me. I see what he can be and I see what God can see, in all the other men who walk and live their lives quite differently.

"...not my will, but Yours be done."

2009-02-10T21:43:00.000-08:00

My life has changed
more than I thought it could
My life has changed
would I have left if I knew?
If I watched a TV screen
of what it is
would I have known my name?
Would I recognize the pain?
Would I identify the silent rooms
and empty words
and anger beaten, hungry souls?
I would've cried for us
and wished my heart to die for us
I would have reached
my hand up to my mouth
in disbelief that
the love had ceased
I'd try to understand the words
and want to reach my hand
into their world
and fix the broken pieces
lift up the hollow eyes
and hug the empty creases.

"My God, my God
why hast thou forsaken me?"
I cry in the moment of my
all too often weakness.
But in the same breath
of my distress
I know You haven't left.
I know You never leave
Your place, Your home
inside my heart.
I know that You belong inside
and You often clean in me
whats locked up, concealed.
My doubt, my pride
my envy and my tongue.
In my moment of forgotten truth
You come and send a whisper
of Your gift of grace and peace
that I can rest in
and hold with me.
You send a whisper of the faith
that You so freely give to me.
"Ask for wisdom
and you will receive,
just ask without doubting
and in faith you shall see."
So I ask You, Father
who will never leave
or turn a blind eye
to an aching cheek
to give me wisdom
where i am weak
to give me patience
where control I seek.
Lord, give me breath
when my lungs are choked
and give me hope
in the stars You throw.
Please give me strength
for my broken bones
and give me love
like the love You hold.

"...not my will, but Yours be done."

"love never fails you..."

2009-02-09T19:54:00.000-08:00

Love is not proud
Love does not boast
Love after all
Matters the most

Love does not run
Love does not hide
Love does not keep
Locked inside

Love is the river that flows through
Love never fails you

Love will sustain
Love will provide
Love will not cease
At the end of time

Love will protect
Love always hopes
Love still believes
When you don’t

"Love is the arms that are holding you
Love never fails you

When my heart won’t make a sound
When I can’t turn back around
When the sky is falling down
Nothing is greater than this
Greater than this

Love is right here
Love is alive
Love is the way
The truth the life

Love is the river than flows through
Love is the arms that are holding you
Love is the place you will fly to
Love never fails you" *

my heart fails
my eyes fail
my home fails
those near me fail

but You are love
and love never fails

*brandon heath

rainy day

2009-01-22T13:51:00.001-08:00

Checking my mail fifty times on the school computer...pretending to do something and have a reason to be on the computer. But there's no point! Got nothing to do between 10:15 and 3:30!

I'm feeling kind of hurt by something someone told me and then didn't turn out the way she had said...Lord, help me humble myself and remember this is not about me. I am happy for her because this is about her and I love her. Help me to say a prayer for her and her future every time I feel like being offended. I love You, Amen.

I wish I had

2008-12-25T20:28:00.000-08:00

I wish I had hope
I wish I had peace
I wish I had a heart
to carry love to those in need

I wish I was sweeter
more gentle, and kind
but I'll never be
the perfect kind

Cause my hopes not in me
and my hearts not set free
I can't bring peace
when I carry a sword

My world is me
and my eyes are blind
to others who struggle
while I walk right by

I was born with this need
To love and be loved
But no one has filled it
So I lock the doors

I lock the doors
to my white washed tomb
I lock the doors
to this empty room

Pride is blinding
and anger imprisons
I don't know the difference
between rage and me

So I need a light
a star on the rise
A hill filled with stardust
to lift up my brow

One that provides
truth and redemption
and opens the door
to peal back my pride

I need a Shepherd
To lay down my head
and walk me by waters
That quiet my dreams

Cause It's not about a wish
A dream carried by wings
its about a truth
a prayer I can scream
A truth I can speak
to a God who will hear
He's reached down to save me
to carry my cross
That is eternal
That is a hope
A hope to hold onto
and never let go
He is my faith
He is my hope
He is the heart
inside me that grows

He makes me gentle
He makes me kind
He is the hand of help
that holds mine

Follow the light
Breath in the peace
Cause He is a Prince
and a King who won't leave

sun shines brighter

2008-12-04T16:34:00.000-08:00

In the midst of the mundane and in the midst of the turmoil
The sun can always shine in your soul, flowers can blossom in your heart
If things are at peace, and no pain is hitting you, the sun shines then too
Today is a new day, it's a day to live, to make new dreams and provide more kindness
The clouds can't keep the sun away
So don't tell it it can
Take off your sunglasses and smile about today
Smile in the thought that you are alive
This is a gift, not a burden, this thing we've called life, it is a gift
already opened unwrapped and in your lap
Don't leave it outside and forget its presence
Don't hide it in a closet and let the shadows live your life
You are a soul who's all its own, and if we don't know you, there won't be another you to know
You are the first, and you are the last, let us breath in your nature
Let us look in your eyes and hold peace together
Because today is all we have right now
Take off your sunglasses so you can truly see the sun, there is no reason to shade it from your heart

The sun shines brighter when you smile

knowledge and art, science and the heart

2008-12-01T21:29:00.000-08:00

All were made, all were formed
all uniquely, to the core
different gifts in little bags
that came with us
our first day, our first day to breath

I ran and climbed
and colored pictures
he sat and read
and never smiled
she swung and sung
about the autumn
and her eyes sparkled
for her Father
each of us revealing truth
about the God of the universe
none of us
the same are formed
but all of us uniquely born

I only ask one question then
to the God of the ancient sun above
what do you ask, of us
Dear Father
what would you hope we do
with all the gifts you freely gave
and love and grace so true
would you require that I sit
learn from books
and level my life on grades?
or would you say that I must go
to the ends of the earth
to ancient Rome and search
for every wise ones thought
and learn from history?

now would you mind
would you mind at all
if I were to spend my time
feeling the music
of my world
and bask in sunlight
and paint and read
and fill my head
with the heavenlys?
would you mind
would you mind at all
if I only travelled the world
and had no money
but only searched to know the souls
of those who roam
who roam in places I don't yet know?

I don't think You'd mind
You wouldn't mind at all
if I ran around and stood so tall
so tall that I could see
above the clouds and
and the American dream
and looked through all the fog
and found that truth was not in me
but it was found in You
its found in flowers and clouds
and sails, and babies eyes
with which we find sweet innocence
truth is found
in all the tales, the tales we tell our daughters
pirate ships and princess shoes
hold more than just a story
the tales we tell our sons
we've found mean more than
all we thought
its freedom and life
and love and feet
feet that take us anywhere
so Father, I thank You
for giving us our freedom
to live and learn the ways we do
no matter who we answer to
because in the end we'll all be answering to You

In the midst

2008-11-04T19:56:00.001-08:00

Read this, in the midst of it all, I find peace in the truthful words of a humble, Christ following group of people, and in this case, Chad DeMiguel. It's a short blog entry offering wise principles and simple, pure words for our own thoughts and consciousness for this election.

me.

she and me

2008-08-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

She walks in, heaviness meets her. Everyone is there, none of them stare. Some say hi, shoot a smile...but they are quickly back to their lives. Their gold. She is not gold to them.
Walking, empty noise surrounds her. She hears but does not know. She walks but does not go. She speaks but does not weep...the words she'd really like to say. Her weight inside, it's heavy like gold.
Older ones know. They've been there before, or known a flower such as her. It will change someday, she says that's what they'd tell her. She knows they're wise. They hold so much gold inside. But she is not gold, not to them nor to her.

Send me the gold, throw it on me, The weight of all that certainty would lift me up, into the sky, and I would fly away so far, so far that I could see, the ugliness of humanity and what it should have been. I'd fly so hi that I would know, the clouds are better beds for me and mom and dad are fragile too. Brothers and sisters all reading their lines, this is what I want to hear so this is what I'll say. Hearing things from either way will satisfy my cavity and I will sigh in deepest need, but too afraid to ask for ears. To afraid to ask them why all of this falls down on me.

He will come, He'll lift me up, just like He does on every day. Every day that ends with me and starts with my breath being freed. He'll lift me up, into the sky, and I would fly away so close, so close that I could see, the beauty of The Heavenly and how much He truly loves me.

This weightlessness just feels like gold.

the darkest night before morning

2008-07-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

i breath in the chill..
my heart faintly beats.

it is cold and
it is still.
I hear no life,
I feel no warmth.

The only pulse is slow
and without rhythm.

The wind blows past,
as I walk in the night.
The ground is still,
I am all that I hear.

Shades of black
make the squares that I see,
tall and empty houses
on this street.
Dark windows,
no lights to be seen.
No life in my dream,
just the chill...
just me.

I walk, my footsteps repeat.
I walk, I look down at my feet,
I slowly point my eyes towards the sky
and before me, where is He?

I guess I wasn't expecting anybody...
if any presence is with me I know it's not Him.

The water beside me is black,
it barely moves,
it is still.

Am I going somewhere?
I think that I've walked this way before
and it has brought me back again.
It has brought me nowhere.

Maybe this time someOne will come,
maybe He'll change the path for me.

Under the bridge, might be something...
I think I'll go under...
what could he do to me
that He couldn't save me from?
I'll be okay, I'll walk in and
go under that way.

Nothing. I hear nothing and see nothing,
I feel nothing but still,
I think there is something...
God be with me. There is power in Your name.

GOD

2008-07-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

OH MY GOSH, I'm pretty sure I definitely KNOW that I will do missionary work most of my life because being home is so SO stressful. It is so fast-paced and crazy and stressful. If there is one word I don't want to use when describing my life, it is the word stressful or anything like it. Life is not meant to be stressful, fast-paced and so busy that you don't have time to experience God and smell the roses in life. The entire reason we are on this earth in the first place is to enjoy God and KNOW Him. It is so easy for people to make life about them and thinking that their days should consist of ways to make THEMSELVES happy and accomplish their goals. WHHAAAAT? That is so messed up and far away from Gods point of life. Gods point is point A. We have been following point ZZZ by following our own selfish happiness. Honestly, we wouldn't even be alive without Him and we run around life crazy people trying to acquire our own satisfaction and happiness on this earth. ON HIS earth...that we think is ours.

O God, my peaceful, loving Father, please help humanity. Cure us of this disease. We move so fast, God. And for what? We think maybe we know what "it is," this goal we are always after...trying to accomplish...but we don't have a clue! And this whole time we are following after it...we are missing You. We walk right by You in a bumble bee or a rainbow and don't even notice your creation. Yu say hello through an old mans smile and we do not see. You give us a giat hug when the sun is shining and we stand, with our backs to You and our faces trying to embrace the world instead. We do not feel the warmth of Your love through the sunshine, Lord. That is so tragic. Honestly, I'm surprised You haven't destroyed this earth yet.

You have so much patience, Lord. You love us so much that even when we throw dirt in Your face and walk away You say, "I love you." Whether to silently to Yourself or out loud to us, I don't know but Lord, You love us. You truly and fully love us dirty, filthy, hateful sinners. You give us a love that cannot be tarnished by fire or rusted by water. Your love cannot be destroyed or broken or misplaced. God, we can bruise it and scratch it and reject it but You will never stop offering it to us. You heal instantly God. It is like when You were bruised and broken on the cross and still, YOU ROSE AGAIN! That is how Your love is, but it's instant.
God. You amaze me. If that is what You were trying to accomplish, then CHEERS! because You did it. Your love IS extravagant...like that song, Lord. You are so good, Father.

I love You with all my heart, let me not forget Your Godness, Katelyn

i am so bad at blogging :/

2008-07-13T22:17:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, sorry my max amount of blogging was twice in the czech. =0 I was doing a lot and it is hard for me to put into words all that God does. Especially on mission trips. Just know that He did A LOT and there are so many new czechs interested in going to youth group now and God is totally thriving in the cesky tesin area! pray pray pray for the czech republic and the young students who are searching for more than atheism can offer. bless you all, kate

students!!

2008-06-28T13:45:00.001-07:00

hello!! carter and i met our students tonight. we have level two together and we have 4 girls and 3 boys. petra, mirka, luska and another girl who i dont remember =0 our guys are mical (michael), honska and our translator guys name that I dont remember. we all get along really well and had pretty good discussions. they understand quite well for the 'level' the are at. carter totally took it away tonight in discussion groups. i totally clammed up and carter definitely spoke well with the czechs in our class. He spoke just like a normal conversation with friends and made it really easy for the kids to interact. I think I just felt like I had this box I needed to fit into for teaching and speaking with the students and thats totally not how it should be. God has freedom within His plan and I pray that I can grasp that as I teach! I need not have expectations for myself because God is the One at work here, not me :) thank goodness. please pray that I surrender to God i my teaching and let go of the reigns. I consciously desire to give Him control of teaching and leading but for some reason without thought I cannot let go. i just automatically take control. I guess thats human desires for ya, to be in control of things. well, thats my thought today, please pray pray pray!!!!! the other half of our team left for zlin yesterday so pray for them as well!!! oh gosh, I just feel satan all the time so pray constantly that Christ binds Him. This camp is not a playground for the devil. God is strong and He is might and power and He is walking with us and filling us up. anyway, i gotta go :) pray pray pray!!

katka :)

czech words of the day, Děkuji: (day.kwee) thank you

Ahoy!: hello and goodbye. (like aloha) haha!
peace. :)

czech republic!!

2008-06-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

hey everyone! Im here in czech and it is thursday night. we got here late tuesday night (actually 1:30am on wed.) and this is our second day of training and rest. we've still got lots of camp dance practice and camp song practice to do tonight and just learning to lean on each other while satan tries to attack. he wants this camp but he won't have it! camp starts saturday i think, please just pray pray pray! unity, safety (our team has to split up and half of them are leaving tomorrow :( :[ ) strength, renewed spirits and physical energy as well as emotional and mental. pray whatever God places on your heart for this team and our time here. pray pray pray. thats all i can think of to say. I wish you could all see it here. it is lush and green and beautiful, if i have an opportunity ill put a picture up ;) God has already put love in my heart for the czech and i cant wait to see Him work the week of camp. I have already seen Him work through stories and testimonies of czech christians and american interns who are here at cesky tesin. He is wonderful and He is powerful and mighty and great and loving and just and He is conquerer of all things of evil! Love you all,
pray pray pray!

ephesians 6:10-20

katka (my czech name) :)

frosting for your face

2008-06-18T23:23:00.000-07:00

I trip
I fall
on everything i hate

I allow me to be led
into a lie
to make my bed
in sheets of black

rest my head
on a pillow
of glass
but covered with sheets
of frosting for your face

it covers up the lies
makes them look nice
makes you look pretty
and blinds your eyes

why do we lead
and why are we led
into places of darkness
that we know are not true?

we know we'll be swallowed
digested and forgotten
falling ragged and worn
out of the lions mouth

but the frosting looks good
we muffle the cries
of truth inside

redeem this life
fill it once again
please wash me clean
forgive my hate

pull out the root
prune me and
replant a seed of beauty
having nothing to do
with petals and leaves

replant a seed
that is whole inside
and clean
not me.

crying Maker, ignorant people

2008-05-04T23:47:00.000-07:00

Crying Creator
Ignorant Creation

Falling, Tripping
On the words
They have formed as true

Fill the holes
bridge the gaps
Don't leave
without an answer

Why can't you sit on truth
Instead you rest on lies

Free your soul
Hear His voice
He made you as you are
Every stitch and every curve
He made them all His own

Created you
With thoughts
He knit you with a promise
He gave to you
No price required
Of His Lasting love

Established in the heart of He
Whose heart is in the stars
But even more His heart in you
He gave all He required

His thoughts of you
Count more than sand
and tears more than the ocean

Come back to Him
Who makes you new
Calls you back, His child

The thought of someone denying the One who intimately designed and intricately formed them leaves my heart feeling sore. Rejecting your Creator and calling Him a tyrant? How could satan use them so? It makes me ache so bad knowing they do not feel the love and grace that I know every day in every seed of my every sin. Waking up without a purpose... going to sleep the same. Living every day as a particle to float away? As dust to fill the ground and bones to take up room? God be with them and reveal to them, Your everlasting love. You're not a God who screams and throws but a God who loves and holds. Reveal to them, their empty woes and cleanse the falling fools. Love them just as you love me, and cleanse their falling souls.

Still harness His power when you feel like snoozing!

2008-04-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

Hey there... on Sunday Jason talked about how God's power is inside of us and how His authority even, is there. He proposed the story of Lazarus and when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead why He did what He did and waited the exact amount of time He did etc... and Jason said, "How are we gonna use that? How are we going to harness that in our lives cause it's definitely there guys!" He asked us how we handle something like that... I think sometimes we treat it like it's nothing because we reduce it to nothing.

Let me tell you what I mean. There could be two ways of reducing it to nothing here. One, you just think that's a bunch of nonsense and that God doesn't live inside of us and nonetheless allow us to share in His power any more than you think Jimmy Stewart is about to walk in your front door. That is one way of reducing the greatness of God. Another is being afraid of it. Now just slow down, I know some of you are going to bring up the "Fear God" card. Yes, we are supposed to fear Him and be in awe, but not put our tail between our legs and deny His powerful existence out of fear. We are so afraid that God actually might be that great, and we decide it's just too much to handle so we skip that part or try and ignore. Well honey that's like tryin to ignore a cheeseburger sign in chinatown. And there is another small variation of this last one... we want to be used by God and work with Him and be close to Him very much with a genuine heart even. But we laugh at the thought that God, Father, amazing Master, creative Creator, patient Friend, all-knowing, giving, everlasting, loving, forgiving God would allow US to be in His little power play. I shouldn't say little, it's quite big actually. We give a quick, "Yeah right," because we are just too afraid to add the God of heaven to our list of people who have rejected us.

Well let me just tell you honey, God loves you. He doesn't need you in His story to make it come true, but He sure does want you. Because He loves you! You are His precious child! His creation! His pride and joy! What He desires more than anything to pour His love and grace and mercy into!! That is why you're in the story. It has nothing to do with you or what you can or cannot do to get into the kingdom of heaven or in a relationship with God now! So put away the tap shoes and set down your dancin' hat, cause it will not be needed. No shows or entrance fees here. Just your love and your belief. Grace comes tumbling after, whether you like it or not. :)

God bless you all, and those of you who do not believe in Gods power or are trying to ignore it... The Lord is weeping over your souls just as Jesus did over Lazarus when he was dead,

"Jesus wept." (John 11:35).

for some reason

2008-03-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

for some reason
we hang on
for some reason
we still breath

fallen world
broken hearts
rising empires
fractured souls

try and fail
try again
to win the world
you must succeed
be number one
in flawless form
skinny levels
to live up to
though impossible
still fought after

why we live
for all the cries
of empty praise
that only last
till you show your back
to the crowd of dogs
that bark your name

you were the prize
of lust and shame
you were the prize
that fed their shouts
they taste your skin
they grab your heart
and catch your eye
then drag you in

i do not know
but just for one moment
of praise alone
'tis beautiful
to the empty one
why it is
we live for them

darkened Son
excuses for hell
running with guns
screaming in hate
crying with power
bleeding with pride
redemption save
our hollow hearts

redemption save
our weeping eyes

my mother and my brother
are caught up in the lies
my sister and my father
are hearing evil cries
turning just to see
a burning building
once called home
sucked in and spit out
they kneel at their graves
jumping in would steel the pain
giving silence as a gift
bitterly won
but sweet in sound
to them who break

running feet
shaking limbs
tripping on debris
from those I loved
bombs and rocks
enter the sky
like birds who once
filled our skies

who are you now?
where are you now?
what do you do
with pictures in your head
of once loved laughter
smiles and babies
sunshine and kisses
ice cream dishes
sweet and sound
a life i lived
with peace and joy
on wings of my heart

soaked to your scalp
drowning in lies
battled with hate
now sitting in skin
ravaged and worn

piercing is the word
you say
that perfectly describes
the happy world we're livin in
and the emptiness inside

displaced anger
forward blows
swolen lungs
sing the cries
of child and mother
life has just died
why would we kill
a life not yet lived
why would we judge it
unworthy to speak?

that is what we are
what our hearts have settled into
death set to music
of this ending

but I have a secret
a love beyond the sky
life can be lived
in a world
tuned to it's end
tuned to each other
scraping right by
stretching your hand
for one last bite
a small, final drip
water not clear
mud in your eyes
not making you blind
but making you see
what we're framed into now
a life, not quite lived
a world, not quite that strong

listen to me
yes open your ears
there is a life
void of these cries
lived in great peace
for all of our lives
love in the air
you breath in the grace
your heart beats with fire
you've been set on by Life
run with your feet
fields full of green
skies that are bright
beautiful smiles
faces of light
here you will rest
never removed
'cause the bearer of life
holds you real tight
golden gates
unending love
no conditions or fights
competitions or rights
here you were made
now you are held
in arms of forgiveness
eternity speaks
"come back home child
I've loved you forever
and so shall I stay"

staying in love
basking in grace
forever clean
ending the race
aching is gone
replaced with a heart
beating so bright
pure as the snow
bright is this light
flowing with peace
white as His eyes

flying saucers...?

2008-01-14T18:43:00.000-08:00

You must watch this video. It's kinda whimsical and I feel like it should be set in a green meadow rather than the concrete jungle of the city. Anyway, I like it :)

Chanteuse Cibelle has featured Devendra in her new video from her current album “The Shine Of Dried Electric Leaves”. Video directed by Tom Haines. Enjoy.

Type this ^^^ into google and it should come up :) I haven't found it any other way, maybe they'll put it on itunes?

Our God Is a Consuming Fire

2008-01-09T20:29:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 12:1-29
Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith
12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do Not Grow Weary
3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken
18 For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. 20 For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

I encourage you to read each sentence a few times. I understand that unless you like reading and you thirst for more information of the Lord 24/7 that you might not understand this or even choose to read it. It is a lot of words and well-written sentences that happen to be somewhat confusing if you don't read it over again :) Each verse though, touches my heart in a different way. I feel like I'm reading it with an empty heart and each word drops to the floor of my soul with a little *clink* and after reading so many words it fills me up, and keeps filling and keeps filling. Like a cup that overflows. (Psalm 23:5)

The section titled "A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken" reminds me of the almost unreal invincibilty spoken of about Jerusalem in Isaiah 33, specifically verse 20. It is set so high in Gods esteem, I find it captivating the love He holds for it. It reminds me of the truth that He loves us that way too. With that much passion and zeal and perseverance for our souls, like He has for His kingdom. His kingdom is His bride. As are we. Read all of Isaiah 33, it's really beautiful if you unlock the meaning of it all. There are millions of places you could search for God's love for us. Not only in the Bible, just walk outside and take a gander at the sky. Immensely incomprehensible. We can't even understand or imagine the power of His love or His mighty works. John 21:25 states that all of the works of Jesus (God in human form) would not even fit into the world if it were written in books. God is good, and He loves you. He is waiting. He sees your life and all you've been through and will walk through in the future. He sees it all, and He still wants you. More than you want peace in your life, He wants you. More than starving children want food and lost ones want homes. More than a man wants a woman and vise versa. More than any man or any woman or child has ever desired something in all of history or creation, God wants you.

I need to remember these things also. I forget them daily. But God's power is greater than that of him who lies to us and longs to steal our truth from our lives. Ephesians 6:16 (the whole chapter is real good ;]) I pray that your day is blessed :)

Katelyn Marie

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Pulling, Ripping, Tearing...Satan

2007-10-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

So God and I, we had a really good conversation today :) It was about that nail you see pictured. I have a special place I go when I just want to hear the breeze and watch the bunnies and talk to God without interruption. Often times when I go to 'my place', I find a nail of some sort. The first time I saw a long, rusty, brown nail that was a little bent and twirked and kinda fat. That nail reminded me that the nail that went through Christs feet and hands was even bigger and wider and more gruesome to feel than that. Anyway, I've found a few not quite so interesting nails in my place before, but today, God made this twirly black nail ever so interesting.

At first, I looked at the nail and thought of how when it goes into something, the smooth pattern inside goes away and the curves and twists that are on the nail begin to form inside of whatever it's being drilled into. So the inside of it begins to look exactly like the dirty, twisted nail. I thought to myself how Satan is like that...he digs himself inside of us and eventually we begin to look just as terrible and messed up as he is. We have been formed into his likeness. And isn't that exactly the opposite of Whose likeness we'd like to be formed into?

Next, God brought to my thoughts the idea of how it tears and rips as it goes down. The further it goes down, the more it tears and rips. So I imagined this nail going through flesh, twisting and everything, and as it goes down it grabs piece by piece in different places and tears them off and pulls them down as it turns and it rips things from their origin and pushes them further and further under and before you know it, everything inside of where that nail has gone..is not only unrecognizable, but it's torn and scraped and bleeding. It is hurt, it is in so much more damage than before. The place where it now rests is numb. Now unable to feel the difference between pain and pleasure. It is just a painful filler for a hole that should be filled with something else. Imagine this as Satan driving himself through you, through your soul.

And why do we let him in in the first place? Because we have a little scrape at the surface that we want to be healed quickly. Maybe it's because we don't want anybody to see our broken flesh, we don't want anyone to think that we are able to be hurt like that. Maybe it's because we have a guard up and wouldn't want anyone to know we actually can be hurt. Or maybe it's just the simple fact that we were hurt, it doesn't feel good anymore, and we want to be whole again. We want it to feel better and for the pain to diminish. So, Satan comes along and makes a pleasing proposition as something we don't quite see as Satan. We see it as something nice and wonderful to fill our empty space and clean up our little scratch. So it sits on our scratch, we no longer feel the pain when it brushes up against something, because it's being covered. So it feels nice, having that pain disappear, and we look up and see that there's a whole lot more pleasure where that little shield came from. We look up and see the whole nail towering over us, but we see it as happiness and fun and pleasure, we don't see it as a dirty, twisted, black nail. So we ask it to keep comin', to keep fillin'. We figure that if it made that pain go away then why don't we just fill everything up with it and have a little extra! so it drives down and does it's thing, tearing and twisting as it does. Then we pull it out. And when we pull it out, there is a deep, gaping, damaged hole, ravaged by the prints of sin. If we dropped a pin down that whole, it would probably sound like a thousand oceans, crashing up against the rocks all at once.

I asked God to show me how that applied to me, and what I could compare it to for dynamic. And He revealed to me that, the more I try and fill myself with the praises of other people and the empty acceptance of humans, the deeper my hole will get, and the more torn it will become...for when I pull out all those empty praises, my heart will be hollow. I will realize how fleeting it all really was. I will want to fill it with the True Fulfiller and His pure, satisfying, true, everlasting, forever...love. I pray that you recognize your nail today, or take out the one that has already intruded.

Blessings, Katelyn

Ephesians 3:14-21 and 4:1-16

2007-09-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

I would underline and highlight and italicize every word of this just because I love every bit of it so much! It gets me so excited ! But this blog doesn't allow me to color words :/ haha, I hope you enjoy every piece of it as I did. Let me know how I can be praying for you.

Ephesians 3:14-21 and 4:1-16

Prayer for Spiritual Strength
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Unity in the Body of Christ
4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”

9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Katelyn Marie

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil. 4:13

Does This Title Intrigue You?

2007-09-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

Today, I woke up not really knowing how the day would go. Just like every other day, I'd shower, get dressed, do whatever I must to be ready to face the world. But, just as every other day, I didn't exactly KNOW what was gonna happen. If I tried to figure out how my day would go, who I'd meet, where I'd go, what I'd eat...I would probably go nuts. If I tried to plan it, it would turn out completely different than I wanted it to, and not only because I'm just a simple human being and planning my every breath is kinda hard...not just because daily distractions and issues will most likely come in and disturb me in the middle of my plan, but because that's Not MY joB. I am not here to be a fortune teller and direct the traffic of mine and everybody else's lives that contact me and vise versa. I would fall apart just knowing that the pressure of my very own life is in my little hands...and only mine. I know others might think this is crazy. Perhaps they would sarcastically quip at me, "Well WHO exactly do you presume IS to take care of your life, Katelyn? Isn't that why we're here? You can't just have a personal Life Genie to carry in your pocket everywhere." Or they might just humorously tell me my life's going down the drain. But I will not fret. I do not mind that others find it silly that I believe there is Another in charge of my steps and where I take them. If I listen to Him, that is.

I could refuse to listen. I could pridefully put myself on a pedestal and presume I have the answers. I might go on well for a while, even. But eventually I'd realize I'm not my author. I'm not my own main character in life. I'm not even the prop master. I am the mix of two others: a very small, supporting role. And an entertained, terrified, amused, intrigued, worried, involved and cheering audience. Someone else is leading me through the lines. Someone else is guiding me through the complicated steps. Someone else is teaching me how to shine in the show, but only that I can shine for Him. This may sound utterly ridiculous to anyone else, but I find such peace and fulfillment from not living for my own, but living for His own. Because by His stripes I am healed, and by His strength, my weakness is made perfect. So, even though I woke up today not knowing what would happen, I knew WHO would happen. In me, through me, by me, with me.

Prayers, Katelyn

Romans 8:18-30

2007-09-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

Romans 8:18-30

Future Glory

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

I know I keep doing these little verses, but I love em!!

2007-09-11T21:26:00.001-07:00

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Let your faith heal you :)

2007-09-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.

Matthew 9:22

Let your faith heal you,
I'm workin on letting mine
heal me too.

1 John 4:18....enough said

2007-09-10T20:53:00.000-07:00

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:18

At the end of the day...no such thing as everlasting. Or is there?

2007-09-04T23:34:00.000-07:00

I just saw Nanny Diaries with Scarlett Johansson and Alicia Keyes etc... I don't really have the time or brain capacity to pull off a well written and acceptable enough paragraph containing the contents of this movie, so you'll have to go see it yourself. Unless you don't wanna feel sad for the rich people of upper Manhattan, then it's definately a no for you unsympathetics! But, I can, however, write an idea about the feeling it gave me in my heart. Deep in the pit of my soul...my heart goes out for those of a high, monetary status. And not even just that! But every person who doesn't enjoy the real joys of life. Those of the human race who put their lives into the fleeting, destructable and destructive, 'secretly lonely in their own selfish pursuit of life' stuff. Stuff that could turn into dust with the switch of a scientists button or the snap of a richer mans finger. A more evil scientist and a richer man with more hit men than yourself. More rolex's (or maybe that's out of style...but hey, vintage is in! We shall see...) more ferraris and porsches and diamonds and mistresses than yourself. More bills taking up space in their imported snakeskin wallet. And more emptiness in their souls. A bigger gap to fill. A harder heart to kill. More secret tears to whipe away at night. Or just more expensive pills to ignore those tears. A longer echo goes out through their souls, and it gets bigger every smile they could smile but choose to frown instead. And that will cause them plastic surgery procedures because frowning takes WAY more muscles than smiling and 'of course we wouldn't ever want wrinkles!!' You see what I mean? Every joy they pushed away and farther away from their hearts than I am from home (That'd be heaven.) has brought them to stronger strive to be at the very tip top of every food chain in their very best tip top shape! But those food chains will fall. Those banks will break. Those suits will fade. And the black and white, deeply contrasted lines of deceit will be shown after the fallen, earthly ruins finally reveal that these things won't last. And it's the that you'll wonder why you built your house upon that hill. That you founded your life on sand that could be swept away in the blink of an eye, in the eye of a storm, in the storm of life...in the life that we live. At the end of the day...when you get home and kick off your fancy shoes, sit on your fur couch, click on your expensive plasma screen, drop your leather briefcase, and untie your silk neck tie...you get a phone call. Your dad died...your ex-boyfriend/girlfriend is doing drugs...your sister has been kidnapped...your best friend had a miscarriage...your mom is moving away...your artwork wasn't good enough...you got a D on a paper...whatever makes you sad...it happened. Is your Gucci purse gonna hug you and hold you while you cry? Is your mistress gonna give you a comforting speech? Is your safe full of money gonna bring your dad back? Is your next door neighbor who happens to be a celebrity that you've been name dropping for months..are they gonna sive you a smile that says, "it's okay.." Are your fancy cars and big diamonds or drinking bars and pockets full of drugs going to bring back your sister? Is beating up the kid you have a grudge on gonna get you an A on that paper? No. No. No. No!!! Realizing that life doesn't depend on you and resting in your imperfections and loving to the fullest in case they're gone tomorrow...those things will somehow get you through the day. Finding beauty in pain, a smile in the tears, a hug in the violence, a peace in the fight...simply looking at the glass of life as half full can sometimes be the blanket that keeps you warm. Most of all, remembering that if the world came to an end and you just died...money, drugs, grades, good deeds, sucking up and clothes won't mean a thing. They will die along with you. If it all turned to dust tomorrow...would that still be number one on your list? If you had one last day, would you spend it shopping?

Prayers to you all :)

Nothing

2007-08-29T23:42:00.000-07:00

I am nothing without You.
I hold nothing.
I complete nothing.
I finish nothing.
I hope in nothing.
I love nothing.
I forgive nothing.
I live nothing.
I see nothing.
I taste nothing.
I feel nothing.
I reason nothing.
I hold nothing.
I believe nothing.
I am strong in nothing.
I joyful through nothing.
I am faithful through nothing.
I am nothing
without You.

Be the thread of my existence. Be the glue of my life. Be the unification that replaces my justification. Be my atmosphere. Be everything inside it. Be everything that is greater than all of it will ever be. I love You, I feel You, I believe in You. I trust You.

Happiness is a choice :)

2007-08-24T09:49:00.001-07:00

I just want to encourage you guys today with a little piece of wisdom spoken to me by a sweet starbucks girl who has no idea how much she has touched me. I went in to get my starbucks and she was sweetly talking to the children of the customer in front of me, goofing around with them and stuff. She was talking to them as if she already knew them and they were being very sweet back, but you could tell by the mothers lack of conversation that they really had never met before and the sweet starbucks girl was just an extra social person. :) So it's now my turn, the girl asks me what I want 'n' such and the whole time has a huge smile on her face. You'd think the girl just got proposed to for marriage! She asks me how I'm doing with a bubbly attitude, to be quite honest this wasn't a better day for me. Now, I don't remember why, but I do remember that this girl just totally turned me out from what I was and how I was feeling. Anyway, my sad little self replied, "I'm pretty good, how are you?" And what do you think the happy girl said? Good...of course! She responded as if she was living in a fairy tale. By saying this, I do not mean that she was acting like she was riding a unicorn and singing melodies of Sleeping Beauty. That would be more like an acid trip. No, by saying that I mean that it seemed as if she was living like none of the problems around her could change her attitude or steal her happiness. As the quote below says, that we carry seeds around inside of us, well her seeds were seeds of joy! And no negative circumstance in her life would ever change that! So, when I asked her how she was, she said, "I'm rockin!" I asked the happy girl why she was so happy and she said, "Well, I have no reason not to be! Happiness is a choice, it really is. People think I'm crazy because I'm so happy ALL the time." Anyway, I hope this girl touches your soul the way she has touched mine :)

Martha Washington
The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions, and not on our circumstances. We carry the seeds of the one or the other about with us in our minds wherever we go.

Walking into the Forest...and back out again.

2007-07-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

So, remember that one post about 'him'? Yeah, well I've gone back and forth between caring and not caring so many times. I've flip flopped from black and white to gray and beige and..it's just crazy how easily people can forget how silly things like these don't matter. It makes me crazy how fast I can forget that little moments in our lives that stress us out or even the really huge ones...are NOTHING compared to eternity in peace with Christ. NOTHING! We get to spend forever in peace with no weeping or sadness or anger, (Revelation 21:4 "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”) So, my heart and I have come to the conclusion that these things (for ex: 'him') or just plain stress and worry of the fleeting things of this world, caring what others think etc...don't have ANY business taking up time that I could be using to glorify God! They have No place in my day! And when they creep up on my shoulder and whisper worry in my ear, I will pray out to God proclaiming how awesome and wonderful He is and how weak these little problems are and I will watch out for them whenever they come upon me (1 Peter 5:8-9 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.)

Anyway, just wanted to encourage anyone else who might need a little push such as this, keep me reminded so I keep my faith this way!!

Luke 12

2007-07-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

I love the verses 1-7 and 8-12

Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees
12:1 In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.

Have No Fear
4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. [1] Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? [2] And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Acknowledge Christ Before Men
8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, 9 but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Be Anxious
22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [3] 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, [4] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his [5] kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

You Must Be Ready
35 “Stay dressed for action [6] and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants [7] whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he [8] would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant [9] whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Not Peace, but Division
49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Interpreting the Time
54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

Settle with Your Accuser
57 “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. 59 I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.” [10]

Just a little excerpt from a weekly e-mail I get :)

2007-07-20T01:42:00.001-07:00

True worship should create God-intoxicated people.

Everyone worships. Some people worship money, possessions, popularity, prosperity, or other people. They may not sing worship songs to their bank account, but by the way they live they worship (i.e. give value to) their money.

Worship is not just singing songs in church; worship is a lifestyle that places value on its object. True worship of God means that the one worshiping is placing value on God and putting him at the center of life.

That's what Jesus was getting at when he said, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24)

Notice Jesus didn't say anything about singing "worship songs." To worship in spirit and in truth means that everything in your life is centered around God and guided by him -- that your choices reflect him, that your actions are directed by him, and that you words are filtered through him.

In short, true worship is such that the one worshipping should be so enveloped and surrounded in the presence (the spirit) of God.

I love it!

Katelyn :)

I want more love and power Lord! I want more of YOU in my life!

2007-06-24T00:59:00.000-07:00

Just read or sing this over and over again and feel the depth of His sovereignty and His power and love! It just hit me so hard tonight when I was worshipping with some great people...how badly I want more of Him in my life. Not even like oh, just a little and only sometimes. It's like ALL THE TIME!! I want more of YOU in my life, God but I want more of it 24/7 nonstop-glory-in-my-life!! You are amazing, Lord, thank you for being in my life, you are so powerful!!!

More love, more power
More of You in my life
More love, more power
More of You in my life.

I will worship You with all of my heart
And I will worship You with all of my mind
And I will worship You with all of my strength
For you are my Lord
You are my Lord.

More faith, more passion
More of You in my life
More faith, more passion
More of You in my life

I will worship You with all of my heart
And I will worship You with all of my mind
And I will worship You with all of my strength
For you are my Lord
You are my Lord.

More love, more power
More of You in my life
More love, more power
More of You in my life.

I will worship You with all of my heart
And I will worship You with all of my mind
And I will worship You with all of my strength
For you are my Lord
You are my Lord.

I pray His blessings upon you today :)

I hope this touches you as it has touched me :]

2007-06-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

DEAR GOD:
I want to thank You for what you have already done. I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears ; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed; I am thanking you right now. I am thanking you because I am alive. I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties. I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles.
I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more
and do better.

I'm thanking you because FATHER, YOU haven't given up on me.

I pray God's peace surrounds you today, believe that He loves you no matter what, Katelyn

Philippians 4:13

So Sorry-by Feist

2007-06-12T00:19:00.000-07:00

We don't need to say goodbye
We don't need to fight and cry
Oh we, we could hold each other tight
tonight

These lyrics have been stuck in my head all afternoon, it's really a beautiful song. Relaxing, soothing tune and everything :) Thing is, all I can think about when I listen to it is one guy. I know, I know, don't tell me about it, boys shmoys. It's just kinda lame, and yet mezmerizing, that after all this time, when I think of him, there is still this paralyzed image of him...and I can't be mad at him. I can't think negatively of him. All I think of is the way he used to grab my hand because he loved to hold it, the way he use to kiss my eyes, the little gaze he gave me that says, well, okay it said lots of things lots of different times and it's too much to try and type :) It's just so weird, why does my heart still have this tinge of desire when I think of his face? All I can think of or ever choose to dwell on is the old, amazing 'him' that I once knew. I can only imaginatively 'gaze upon' the good things of 'him'. Considering this as just a good ol' quality that everyone should have; only seeing the good in others, is an incomplete and untrue thought. It would only be labeled as an excuse, and I know if I chose to don it my own, it would only be that. A flittering, decaying, hopeless idea of what really isn't going on. Now, just because I am saying this, acknowledging what I should not do, doesn't mean I do know what to do. But that's the beauty of God being in control :) I don't have a clue, so I let it go. I let it fall through the wind like pollen falling from a flower, gently landing on the soggy, green grass. Until a bird or a little bug comes along and picks it up. Makes sense of the whole thing, defines it. Gives it a purpose, and tells tales of lessons learned from the little dust of pollen. :) God is my little bird, he will make sense of my silly thoughts. He will define my baby heart aches and give them a reason for being. I only call them 'baby' heart aches because...I'm sure a more numerous and brutal pile will accumilate throughout my life. While this one, little pollen baby, somewhat dissapears. And what I will have left of it is the peace of knowing I got through it, I'm alive, and I'm happy. :)

Carry me Jesus
Carry me through
Oh, Jesus, rinse me
Rinse me full through

I don't at all know
I'm questioning what
I do and don't know

Whether or not
You give me a clue
Whether or not
You say that it's true

I'll always love you
I will stay true
I'll always love you
You hold me right through

My issues will fall
they will fall like the dew

Jesus, You love me
I know that You do :]

Pushing away the choking vines †

2007-05-16T23:38:00.000-07:00

Are you having a bad day? Are you feeling pressured to be perfect..do everything right? Feelin' like ya just don't measure up to the expecttations of others? Think that other guys life is a breeze or that other girl has it all together..why don't they like me? Feling like life is unfair...thinkin' if there really was a God He would make life easier, especially for someone TRYING SO HARD TO PLEASE HIM. I'm sure theres a shoe in there that slightly fits..

I capitalized the "trying so hard to please Him" part because...I believe that's one of the biggest burdens in anyones life. It gets even worse for a Christian because we all of the sudden have this CrAzy idea that we can somehow measure up and make Jesus believe we're perfect. Yeah...right. Doesn't happen people. God made us IMperfect so we would need Him. He wants to be wanted. He wants to be sought after and desired as The King of the universe. If we were perfect, life was easy & we were good at everything..who would we think to ourselves.."I really need that guy in my life.." We wouldn't have anybody to rest in. We wouldn't have anyone to say to us "I love you no matter the grade on your math test, my child, now relax in my love." Shoot...I like having the peace of knowing that I know NOTHING. I am a little ant and God is a huge, gorgeous, black F-250 (what do you mean is that my dream car..? Course not..;]) towering over me. HE IS IN CONTROL. I AM NOT. I love it!!!! I don't HAVE to TRY and sustain my life alone and deal with it in spick and span form (I said try because...we could never accomplish it no matter what we tried.) I just want to leave you with this...stop trying to be practically perfect...you'll never get anywhere. God loves you no matter what. He'll be there at the end of the day, in the morning when you wake up, at lunch time while you're eating your P.B.J., when you get home from school and you're tempted by lust or negativity or whatever pushes your temptation buttons..He's THERE. Don't let it freak you out..or maybe it should..maybe it'll convict you! Who knows..either way, one of my insane all time favorite verses says this, "For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10) Serve God with everything in your whole being! PRAISE HIS BEAUTIFUL NAME AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAINS!!! Sing His GlOrY WiTH YoUr EvErY bReAtH! HE IS THE MESSIAH! HE Is Yahweh, He is friend, He is lover, He is protector, He is Father...He is there. You're gonna spend eternity with Him in a perfect heaven...so what about English 101?

Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
Titus 2:14

A Cry for Freedom `/* ~/* *\'~

2007-05-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

The flower is sleeping
With a tinged and sorrowful glow
She wishes for The Sun again

She wishes for The Sun
To shine on her face

She wishes for The Sun
That she may be filled with grace

She wishes for The Sun
So she will wilt no more

She wishes for The Sun
That it may open her petals
Now fallen and weak
From hurts and anguish
She could never extinguish

She feels a glimmer of hope
As The warm Sun begins to rise
But the clouds quickly cover
Her hope for a smile

This facade will continue
Until she realizes...

If only she would ask The Sun
It would shout away the clouds

me:.

"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 1Peter 5:5b

2007-03-25T00:17:00.000-07:00

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to humble yourself to walk with your God. Mic 6.8

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, SHOWING ALL HUMILITY TO ALL MEN. Titus 3.1 3.2

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you. 1Pe 5.6 5.7

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4.10

Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

I must humble myself as the little child who came when Jesus called in order to be great in the Kingdom of Heaven. Mt 18.4

If my people, who are called by my Name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2Chr 7.14

For everyone who exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

We should humble ourselves before God and let Him search our hearts and confess our sins, rather than exalting ourselves in the presence of God. Lk 18.14

When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom. Pr 11.2

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. Pr 16.18 16.19

He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him; he is true, and there is no unrighteousness in him. Jn 7.18

At any kind of social gathering where you are invited take the lowest place. This is one way to humble yourself.

Humility recognises that "I need God".

Recognize when people follow that it is only because they see that God is with me. Keep the attitude, "I need God".

......These are just a few quotes and verses I found on humility. I don't know about you, but I know that one thing is for sure, I am NOTHING compared to the Creator of the universe. I feel dissapointed in other people when I see that they are being self-righteous, putting themselves on a pedestal, floating away because their head is so big, however you want to think of it. And here I AM, being the same as all the 'high and mighty', airhead people I criticize. Thinking inside of how great I'm being, what a great person I am, how great my hair looks, seriously, it's absolutely ridiculous. And the worst part of it all: I'm pretty sure it is THE BIGGEST spiritual barrier I have ever felt between my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The very thing that has been at it's very highest point this past month or so, and I put my pride in the middle of it. I put my foggy, gray pride between God and I. The devil knows that it can so easily separate us from God, he knows that he can so easily slip it in our lives when we think we're being the strongest. And there ya go! Before ya know it your spiritual relationship kinda slips a little, and you don't understand this weird feeling in the pit of your stomach..that something is weird, you might even understand exactly what you're doing to yourself, and immaturely, naively find a way to jusify your idiocy, and continue living in it! But you don't understand why your spiritual fervor is not there! And that's sayin a lot cause I can get pretty flippin excited about JESUS!!! Your very spiritual excitement the thing that should define you, your relationship with Christ and your safety in Him, slipping away? UH OH! Might wanna fix that! Anyway, that's my little confession I guess =) God bless ya'll. You're in my prayers as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Phil. 4:13

Enjoyment In the SImple THings Of liFE =D

2007-03-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

So recently Iv'e been experiencing complete joy and contentment through my amazing Jesus. Not just temporary happy moments that numb the pain of everyday life once and a while when you smile and switch back and forth from good days to bad days. TrUe HaPPiNeSs! This happened to me by realizing in my heart, not just understanding in my head, that my worth is in Jesus Christ and I don't need to call to anybody to receive definition through their approval! That God was there when I was born, the first time I skinned my knee, the first time I lost a family member, the first time someone I thought was my friend hurt me, and He will be there for the last time those things happen. He was there ten years ago and He will be there in twenty. He loved me yesterday, He loves me today, and He will love me tomorrow.

Anyway, my point of this really, was to talk about how important it can sometimes be to just find a smile in the small stuff. Like today, I was kinda stressed out, didn't really know why, I was just subconciously letting something get to me I guess, but I rolled down the window in the car, and I stuck my head out and just felt the cool air brush my face. "Thank You, God, for giving me life today. I'm gonna choose to look at this day as a miracle that I'm even alive." That simple moment made the rest of my day just that much easier to handle.

A Prayer To Know The Holy

2007-03-19T17:13:00.000-07:00

Lord, I pray that You would promote your children to seek You with an everfervent, unyielding spirit. I pray that You would allow us to humble ourselves in Your presence God. Knowing that You, the Author of our life, are in control. Lord, I pray that we would hunger and thirst for a better understanding of Your heart. That we would thirst to know You and long to live for You every day, in every way. I pray for the church and for your people Lord, that we would earnestly seek to be close to You and honor You with our lives. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Knowing Intimately The One Whom We Praise

2007-03-19T16:43:00.000-07:00

"The intelect knoweth that it is ignorant of Thee, because it knoweth Thou canst not be known, unless the unknowable could be known, and the invisible beheld, and the inaccessible attained." Nicholas of Cusa said this. If you don't follow his old english wording he's pretty much saying that humanity knows (or should know) that the image and true heart of God our creator, can't really be attained by our finite minds as humans. We can't really understand who God truly is unless the things that are unknowable could be known etc.. one of my favorite pastors, Darryl DelHousaye said last night in a sermon, "I can't trust what I don't know" and "I can't trust whom I don't know." Saying that, we cannot trust and have faith in Christ's commandments and teachings if we do not study them and know them in our hearts, and we cannot trust this God who is spoken of if we do not know Him and seek at least to try and understand Him. Why would we trust someone whom is unknown? Why would we have faith in the teachings of a man named Jesus whom we have not taken the time to grow intimately close with?

Nocholas goes on to say this, "If anyone should set forth any concept by which Thou canst be conceived, I know that that concept is not a concept of Thee, for every concept is ended in the wall of Paradise....So too, if any were to tell of the understanding of Thee, wishing to supply a means whereby Thou mightest be understood, this man is yet far from Thee....forasmuch as Thou art absolute above all the concepts which any man can frame."

Ya might need to read it again, it's all good, so did I. Anyway, this pretty much all saying, in order to trust God and put our lives in His hands and worship Him intimately and live solely and fervently for Him, we must search to know Him as He truly is. We must request of Him to allow us to be brought into the presence of The Holy Spirit and thrive off of that existence and rest in the knowledge of His Spirit. We must know His commands to trust Him, and we must know Him to have faith in Him.

**1 John 1**

1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4We write this to make our[a] joy complete.
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Psalm 34-quickly becoming one of my favorite Psalms

2007-03-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

Psalm 34

Of David.

1 [a] I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3 Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

9 Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.

10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,

13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.

14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;

16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.

18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;

20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.

21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

22 The LORD redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

I just love this verse for so many reasons! The beginning talks about praising the Lord continually with every word that comes out of your mouth all the time!!! I strive to do that, and I love in verse 3 how it says 'let us extol His name together..' I love that it implies brothers and sisters in Christ praising His name together, being unified by praising the God that we share a love for. I love how it continues to repeat throughout the chapter things like in verse 4 (I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.) and things like verses 6 and 7. The Lord delivers us from our fears and our troubles. He doesn't just take them out a little bit at a time and tease us He delivers US from them. His angels protect us against them. I love in verse 8, "taste and see that the Lord is good." I lovE That!! It's like glorifying Gos by using our senses and then praising Him for them and seeing how great He is through them! It continually repeats that the Lord will help the righteous and the hurting ones who cry out to Him, He will comfort them and help them. He will 'keep our bones from being broken' (verse 20). And the ending is just amazing, it's totally the icing on the cake, verse 22 "The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him." His servants....? Yeah, that's us! He will redeem us! We will not be condemned because we take refuge in Him...and that is THE BEST PLACE to take refuge isn't it? Heck yeah it is!!

God bless ya'll.

answer the questions with, "Because I love Him..."

2007-02-28T16:32:00.000-08:00

When people ask you why you still believe in God and follow and love Him when terrible things in life happen..what do you say? When people ask you how you can follow a God who lets people starve and lets people die of cancer and allows children be raped..what do you say? I never knew what to say to these questions...I always figured some Christian answer like, "that's how He gets peoples attention and draws more people to follow Him" would come to me. But nothing that I really believed or felt came to mind when thinking of what to say to these questions asked of me. But today I was thinkin...and I realized..we say we love Christ with all of our hearts right? (hopefully!! ;]) well what do people say love is when talkin about someone in your life when they ask how you know you really 'love' em' and what that means? Most of it is loving someone past their faults, or loving someone no matter what they do to you or anybody else, stickin with them through each and every storm in life, remaining loyal..by their side..no matter what. Somethin like that you would agree right? Well, I think we should have a love for Christ like that when questions are asked of us or even when we ask them to ourselves. "God why did my grandma get cancer? Why would you cause such a godly woman this pain, and the pain to my grandfather having to go through this with her?" You could ask that of yourselves but remember, God has an everlasting love for us...so..we should have such a love for Him. Understand, just like you would if your spouse did something that they KNOW ticks you off..that you love em' anyway! That's exactly what it is...when you wanna say, "Heloootes...why did you do that to me?!? I'm upset now..but because I love and trust you I forgive you." Or "why are we going through a financial struggle right now?" well, it sucks but you stick with your spouse because well, thats love =). So when you ask or are asked why God did something or why He allows this & this & that to happen...say, "Because I love Him...and I TRUST Him." I MADE A CHOICE to love and trust in My God no matter what..and I have a peace in Him. I think that's a good answer. =D

-James 1:12
"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who LOVE Him."

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
"4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps NO RECORD OF WRONGS. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always TRUSTS, always hopes, always PERSEVERES."

Take some time to be quiet today =)

2007-02-28T12:36:00.000-08:00

Go away from all the people around you, don't think about what has to be done or what will happen if you don't do it, don't think about what other people have said to you today to affect your attitude. Don't think about what you're doing tonight or if you have time to do it. Sit somewhere you can be quiet...your backyard, your bedroom, your kitchen floor, your closet heck go to your bathroom and sit in the bathtub if thats where you can be quiet. Sit down. Lay your head back. Get comfy =) and just relax...have YOU time. That doesn't have to be selfish, you just might need some time to stop listening to all the noise and stuff in your life ...and be quiet. It's awesome..do it :D

Be still, and know that I am God. //:Psalm 46:10

Not Myself-John Mayer

2007-02-09T12:32:00.000-08:00

Suppose I said
I am on my best behavior
there are times
I lose my worried mind
Would you want me when I'm not myself?
Wait it out while I am someone else?
Suppose I said
Colors change for no good reason
words will go
From poetry to prose
Would you want me when I'm not myself?
Wait it out while I am someone else?
And I, in time, will come around
I always do for you
Suppose I said
You're my saving grace?
Would you want me when I'm not myself?
Wait it out while I am someone else?
Would you want me when I'm not myself?
Wait it out while I am someone else?

...yep, I want you even when you're not yourself. =)

Psalm 150:6

2007-01-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.
Y Psalm 150:6 Y

okay, I don't care whats going on in your life, you are in the category of "everything that has breath," so suck it up & praise the Lord okay? Haha, I'm kiddin, you might have something going on where you couldn't even imagine praising the Lord. You are so sad and down that you can't think of anything happy. But sometimes if I'm in a 'feeling sorry for myself' mood, I need some sense knocked into me. I need someone to tell me to stop bein sad about life and remember that I have food, clothing, a comfy bed (mines actually kinda hard) and a God who loves me and even though we can't see the good out of the situatin right now, God doesn't do stinky things in our lives just to do stinky things in our lives. See what I mean? God doesn't leave us in that stinky spot if we trust that He has a plan, no matter how hard whatever is going on in our lives is we have to realize, God is doing this so something better can come out in the end. It might take us forever to realize it but, the sooner we sit up & smile and get over whatever our deal is, the sooner we'll see the goodness God has planned & the sooner we will feel better and life will be easier! (PS- when you smile it sends messages to your brain that you are happy, meaning, 'hello! Smile & it will be easier to be happy;]')
And another thing, satan does not attack the ones who just keep giving in and giving in to his attacks half as much as he attacks the ones who keep getting back up again. The ones who stand up, brush themselves off and say, "God loves me, I'm gonna be okay." Satan can't stand it when he can't get us down. He can't stand it that no matter how hard it gets, we don't give in to him and we let go and let God! So I'm just warnin you, it will be hard. But Jesus hung on a splintery cross while he was bleading to death with his hands and feet holding Him to the cross with nails. I'm pretty sure He can help you next time you feel like you can't take anymore ;).

Your Grace is Enough: Chris Tomlin

2007-01-06T22:59:00.000-08:00

I heard this song playing just now & I really just wanted to share it with you, I really wanted you to feel Gods awesome love and power and remember, that His grace is definately enough. We are nothing compared to His wonderful, encompassing glory!

Great is Your faithfulness oh God
You wrestle with the sinner's heart
You lead us by still waters and to mercy
And nothing can keep us apart

So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise Oh God

Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me

Great is Your love and justice God
You use the weak to lead the strong
You lead us in the song of Your salvation
And all Your people sing along

So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise Oh God

Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me (x2)

So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise Oh God

Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me

Your grace is enough
Heaven reaching down to us
Your grace is enough for me
God i see your grace is enough
I'm covered in your love
Your grace is enough for me For me

..a brother among you who needs help?..

2007-01-03T10:01:00.000-08:00

If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. Deuteronomy 15:7-8

Just read it again, think about it. Think about what we, today, as Christians do, and how we react when we see a brother (sister) in need.

Not many of us jump to the chance of helping our Christian siblings do we? Eh, not really. I know I could do it more! Lets look at the words the author uses to describe how we act to a troubled brother; hardhearted and tightfisted. Thats kinna harsh huh? I've heard the word hardheaded used plenty around my family and friends but..heardhearted? We're gonna harden not just our minds but our hearts to someone in need? The definition of hardhearted in the dictionary is just this, "unfeeling; unmerciful; pitiless." I don't think I would want anyone to know me as a person who is "unfeeling; unmerciful; and pitiless" to anyone! No matter who they are! And tightfisted. The other word used in the passage. That makes it sound like you're gonna punch somebody! But lets look at the definition; "parsimonious; stingy; tight." Parsimony is like another word for stingy. So as Christians, we treat our Christian brothers and sisters in need by having an 'unfeeling, unmerciful, pitiless, stingy and tight' attitude toward them. Even if we don't all do that...we should try and make an effort to do just the opposite. So that we don't have that reputation =D Just think about it, every time a brother/sister tells you they need help or somethin in life is going wrong, help em! Jump to the chance! Knowing that you are doing what God wants us all to do, knowing that you will be glorifying God by helping a Christian sibling in need! We are making God smile, our friend smile, and ourselves. (I guarnantee you will be happy after helping someone else ;]) So think about it, pray about it, maybe God is revealing the fact that you need to help someone out =) Toodles!

Katelyn Marie

few more audrey quotes =)

2007-01-01T01:16:00.000-08:00

“Pick the day. Enjoy it - to the hilt. The day as it comes. People as they come... The past, I think, has helped me appreciate the present - and I don't want to spoil any of it by fretting about the future.”

"It's that wonderful old-fashioned idea that others come first and you come second. This was the whole ethic by which I was brought up. Others matter more than you do, so 'don't fuss, dear; get on with it.'”

“I decided, very early on, just to accept life unconditionally; I never expected it to do anything special for me, yet I seemed to accomplish far more than I had ever hoped. Most of the time it just happened to me without my ever seeking it.”

Happy New Years!!!

2006-12-31T22:32:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years!!! It's almost 2007 guys!! Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I hope ya'lls Christmases were great and you remembered Jesus...cause He is more important than presents =D anyway, I hope you all had a blessed year of 2006 and you have an even greater 2007! It's weird to think about the moments we've had in this year..they won't ever be there again. Two seconds ago when I was typing this and then the other two seconds ago when you were reading something i had typed which might..well probably will be already in the next year. Those moments will never come back. The things you've done this year that you might regret but you shouldn't cause if you payed attention you probably learned from them, they're gone. The really awesome things that you laughed about or got really excited about and had fun with your family and friends and presents you opened and birthdays you had or attended, won't come again. But you know what? It's gone, we can have the good memories and think about them and smile about them, we can have the sad memories of deaths or heartaches or people moving or whatever. We can remember them, but don't live on them, don't base what you do on what you've already done. Think about what you want to do and what you strive for in life and go for it. Go for your goals and your dreams, things that make you happy, things to glorify God, things to remember next year as memories that will be better than last years memories! If you have a lot that you want to change in your life, change it! Don't think about how sad or mad you are about what you have done, but make sure you don't do any worse things this next year and have better things to think about and remember =D Focus on others, love your family and friends more, make them know they're important, don't take things personally, look at the good out of EVERY situation, look for the good in Every person, don't be rude just cause you can, refrain from saying that one sarcastic thing that will be funny but, whats it really gonne do? Is it really gonna make life better or would it maybe hurt somebodies feelings? Smile more. Listen to music. Listen to people when they talk to you no matter how boring or insignificant what they're talking about may seem. Admit your faults, realize you're not perfect, and forgive yourself. Forgive others. Put time into making someone else besides yourself happy. Make new friend...or just one in particular. Rejoice in all that you have, even if it's just a nice meal during the day or a bed to sleep in at night. Let people that you care about know that they are important. Hold back the negative words and feelings, save them for screamo yell at the world time by yourself in your room =) Don't care what others think. Something I will leave you with that Audrey Hepburn said is something I love, “For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”

Happy New Year =D

Katelyn Marie

2006-11-14T22:01:00.000-08:00

L. CPL. Luke B. Holler and S. SGT. Jason D. Whitehouse, U.S. Marine Corps

2006-11-14T18:09:00.000-08:00

Lance Cpl. Luke B. Holler, 21, of Bulverde, Texas, died Nov. 2 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, San Antonio, Texas.

Luke B. Holler and Jason D. Whitehouse died on Nov. 2, 2006 defending our country. I honor them with all my heart and all my gratitude goes to them and every other service man of our country for protecting us when they could be back home with their families or doing whatever. Instead of doing that they chose to take years of training, and combat, to protect and serve OUR country. The one we call America, yet we criticize and blame the leaders of it because they haven't been doing it exactly the way we want them to. Just because they didn't have a meeting with us before they made every major decision to ask what we thought about it..we criticize them for our negativity. Well, let me ask you this, if your freedom was taken away and you had to live in poverty in another country with no freedom of religion or speech...wouldn't that America you so often blame for every little thing start to look pretty nice?? Let me just remind you that those soldiers don't run on nothing, they need our support to feel like they're fighting for a reason. Like they're fighting for something. Like they're fighting for America. Keep these soldiers families in your prayers and all the other ones who have passed, and the ones who are still out there, defending our freedom. God bless, Katelyn Marie

2006-11-14T16:15:00.000-08:00

Marine Staff Sergeant Jason Daniel Whitehouse Marine Staff Sergeant Jason Daniel Whitehouse lost his life on a mission in Iraq on November 2, 2006. Jason was born on July 25, 1979 in Houston, Texas. He is survived by his wife Lindsay and their children Aaron and Haylie, seven and four years of age; his mother and step-father Carol Whitehouse Bruno; his father, Richard Roach; his and step-father Carol Whitehouse Bruno and Robert Bruno; his father, Richard Roach; his brother, Joshua Quick and Step-father Daniel Quick; his sister and brother-in-law Rachael and Rob Michael; his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Tina and Ron Anthony, and his step-brothers Ed and Preston Bruno. Jason and Lindsay were married on July 31, 1999. Jason enlisted in the Marine Corps in December of 2000 and reenlisted in 2004. He was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq when he and two other marines were killed on a ground mission in Al Anbar Province near the Syrian border. when he and two other marines were killed on a ground mission in Al Anbar Province near the Syrian border. Jason was a devoted husband and father who was proud to serve his country.

sister moving =(

2006-10-28T22:41:00.000-07:00

my sister is moving back to TEXAS....the plan was to go this afternoon (saturday) but now shes not leaving until about 4 in the morning..anyway....shes leaving. I'm real real sad!! PleAsE BE praying for her and her friend ashley while they drive the trailer for a 16 hour drive!! thank you so much =D

tootles*

dissapointment...appointment?

2006-10-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

"You never know when 'your dissapointment' is 'HIS appointment'"
=D

so im babysitting and this awesome single mom has this written on her mirror!! I REALLY like =]

you could be like, im mad...life is not going my way and i have to do something 'dissapointing' ..but it could be GODS appointment =] think about it...ToOtLeS !!**!!*!

Tiger mommy =] ....with baby pigs?!

2006-10-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

In a zoo in California , a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of
triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the
pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size,
they died shortly after birth.

The mother tiger after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started
to decline in health, although physically she was fine. The
veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to
fall into a
depression. The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate
another mother's cubs, perhaps she would improve.

After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing
news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to
the mourning mother. The veterinarians decided to try something that
had never been tried in a zoo environment. Sometimes a mother of one
species will take on the care of a different species. The only orphans"
that could be found quickly, were a litter of weaner pigs. The zoo
keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the
babies around the mother tiger.

"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way,
you command the attention of the world."

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

2006-10-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

P.S. =]

2006-10-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

P.S. - my brother took that awesome pic in massachusettes after it rained =]

AAAHH. =)

2006-10-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

"For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor? Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid?" Romans 11:34-35

^^^^this reminds me that no matter whats up, we don't know why its happening but God does, and He has a good reason and "he works for the good of those who love Him" (forgot passage!! oopsie) and what are we worth to Him and what can we give Him that is as good as Him dying for us?!?!!? NOTHIN ! thats right nothin =D

i just looked at that verse in my bro's Bible and sent it to a friend and...i thought i might share it =] i LOVED it. what are we to God? us, sinful, jealous, arrogant, malicious, angry, prideful, unthankful human beings!!? take a minute..think...all the things you've done in the past that you don't neccesarily wish you could take back cause you learned from them but..were really stupid. God. doesnt. care. He DOEsNt CaRE!!! HE still LoVeS YOU! WHOA! haha..just got really excited but..think..lol that awesome beautiful powerful loving caring sinless God..cares enough about you to have planned out a life specifically for you, to make you happy in the end if you glorify Him. He knows exactly what youre doing all the time, good or bad. He forgives you when you repent..He opens His encompassing arms for you when you run back to Him after being a total eedioot! you!! just because you said God.....come into my heart......i believe in You. i love You. mmmmmmmmmmmmm..i like it. i love it. i want some more of it! haha that verse wasn't even that awesome but i found so much in it that just splurged out!!!!!!!! God is AwEsOmE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAHH. =)

God bless ya'll

babies =)

2006-09-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

so tonight some friends of the family came over, they have two children, a 2 year old girl and a 4 month old boy. They are both absolutely precious; however, the little boy has absolutely captured me! He was sitting on my couch as my mother and his mother sat and talked and his big sister played with her toys. I sat there letting him grasp my finger tip..looking at his beautiful eyes, they are deep forest green and gorgeous. This baby was just sittin on his blanket tryin to fall asleep next to his mommy comforting him and he has nothing...nothing in the whole world to worry about..the only thing on his mind is what he is doing in that moment, holding on to my finger, touching his mommys hand, hearing her voice speaking softly in his ear..admiring his sister and her little running feet. How awwesoome would that be. To be a baby again, to hold so much happiness wrapped up in your precious little body while having noo idea that so many people love you soo much. As i sat there admiring his deep green eyes that will eventually change color, and his tiny hands with skin like silk, his hair patches tryin to figure out where they want to grow, his precious little nose identical to his mothers, beautiful eyelashes and soft soft skin.. i admired him. I adored him. I wanted to protect him, i wanted to make him happy, i was not going to let anything touch this little boy in any harmful way possible. He was happy, he was content, he was beautiful..he is Gods creation. He is what God made him to be right now before feeling the worlds corruption at his heels. He is what we all strive for, to be care-free and content and happy and loving all wrapped up in the cutest package anyone could ask for! God bless him..=] and God bless you !!

Katelyn Marie

Galations 5:22-23

Small Enough by: Nichole Nordeman

2006-09-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

Oh great God
Be small enough
To hear me now
There were times when I was crying
From the dark of Daniels den
I had asked you once or twice
If you would part the sea again
Tonight I do not need a
Fiery pillar in the sky
Just want to know youre gonna
Hold me if I start to cry

Oh great God
Be small enough to hear me now
Oh great God
Be close enough to feel you now
(Oh great God be close to me)
There have been moments when I could not face
Goliath on my own
And how could I forget we marched
Around our share of Jerichos
But I will not be setting out
A fleece for you tonight
Just wanna know that everything will be alright
Oh great god be close enough to feel me now

All praise and all the honor be
To the god of ancient mysteries
Whose every sign and wonder
Turn the pages of our history
But tonight my heart is heavy
And I cannot keep from whispering this prayer
Are you there?

And I know you could leave writing
On the wall thats just for me
Or send wisdom while Im sleeping
Like in Solomons sweet dreams
But I dont need the strength of Sampson
Or a chariot in the end
Just wanna know that you still know how many
Hairs are on my head
Oh great God (Are you small enough)
Be small enough to hear
Me now

This is such an amazing song, it constantly reminds me of Gods grace, love and power. Have a great day =]

give it to God!! =)

2006-08-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

so recently there have been a lot of things on my mind, stuff i cant figure out, i dont know what to do, how to go about doing it, when to do it, blah blah blah. i always get my self off track thinking i can deal with something by myself, when in reality. i cant do anything near that. im not putting enough trust in God. anytime i have a problem going on in my life i worry or try and figure out why its hapenning when really, i should just be like "alright God, i know your'e doing this for a reason, show me what reason that is and how to deal with it." so i encourage you guys, whatevers going on right now, give it to God. let Him know you know Hes in control of your life, you trust Him completely and you want Him to help you out. He wants to help you out!! He doesnt want your life to suck even though it needs to sometimes so you can learn some things. but He wants your life to be as good as it can be...with Him in it. He wants you to say "God, i need you, life would be so much better if you were all through out it." so today, and every day, talk to God, and ask Him to deal with everything in your life. =) it works, i promise!!

thanking Jesus

2006-08-20T14:45:00.001-07:00

i really wanted to take the time to remind you all to stop, and think about everything God is doing in your life. If He is doing something super fantastic in your life, take the time to thank Him!!!! He loves you so much and He does so much for you so take a minute to thank Him for it =) and if your life may not be so great right now, trust in Him anyway, ask Him to give you patience, and contentment about your circumstances. Praise Him in the storm! (casting crowns baby!!)haha i was just thinking about this because i have so many great friends and without them i would not be so happy, =( and my family is flippin amazing!!!! God has done so much and i hope you all can realize His greatness and amazingness!!

i pray that you all had a great weekend and you have a wonderful school year because we all know that no one has been jumping up and down excited about going to school. so i pray for you all and God Bless!

katelyn marie

thanking Jesus

2006-08-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

to date..or not to date?

2006-07-04T21:24:00.000-07:00

you might think this is quite random for me to be putting up a post with this title after not posting anything since..easter and this is pretty much my first long, actual post. wel, the reason is that recently i have been faced with the question..to date or not to date? now i have grown up in a home where, dating is totally fine..when your'e sixteen. no biggie right? thats like everyones family rule especially homes with girls haha =P well i dont know why i have formed the opinion i have, the view of not to date..ill explain more of my views in a bit. it might be because, after watching 4 other siblings grow up and rush to date like it was the first time they'd seen a candy store in their life as a kid, and seeing the outcome. dissapointment, i mean not like serious heartbreak or anything just..utter dissapointment. i would hear my beautiful sister talk about her ex-boyfriends in high school and hear how dissapointed she was with them and the ways that they were so nice to her and did so many great things and then all the sudden went from night to day and were no longer the prince charmings everyone thought they were. i thought to myself oh that is so sad i hope that never happens poor little me. lol! my brother (robert lol) had a few girlfriends and it just wouldnt last, they always thought they were in love and it would last forever and then..it just fell apart and sometimes your heart would get broken and i saw how he would want another girlfriend to fulfill the last. my very best friend had her heart broken and it took quite sometime after sleepless nights and crying through her sleep to finally realize that only God can fill and overfill by thousands the space a boy once filled. now this is not to say that every high school relationship ends in sadness and anger, many people i know have married their high school sweethearts or just had a mutual decision that they werent meant to date and remained friends. i am not trying to sound like a stereo type or a date-basher. thats great for people who choose to date in high school and it either works out for or it doesnt and they have life lessons from their experiences. thats what God wanted for them. but for some reason God has planted in my heart a passive decision and opinion not to date. i havent had to practice or stick up for my opinion until recently, although i cannot date for another year because of age i have also refused now and in a year and until i am out of high school. i have recently been...shall we say 'lightly pressured' to date. not just by one individual in particular but others around me have asked why not date? its just for fun, youre in high school have some fun with it. thats great for the people who do decide to take that road, thats obviously the opinion that they have decided on and i will not pressure against them to change it. but i believe that God is testing me to see if i will stick to my opinions or if i will easily and quickly be swayed as soon as someone questions my views. i dont think that there is anything wrong with dating whatsoever, but i do believe that it has different outcomes. most high school relationships do not last..honestly and really most of them just dont last and end up being bitter towards the other person or wishing you had never done the things you did. i give props to the people whose high school dating either lasted or the ones who have been able to get past it all and become friends in the end. yay for you!!!! i also think that a lot of dating today is focused on saying 'i have a boyfriend' or 'i have a girlfriend' or 'i kissed him or i kissed her' or 'we hold hands' and things like that, its all about the fun and im all for fun!!!!! its the greatest thing ever!! right? but misproportioned fun in dating just ends up once again, in dissapointment. =( now thats no fun! it seems like some people just feel like they want to be fulfilled, i mean who doesnt? i know i do and you do and everyone does. boys want to know that they are strong and they are fulfilled by a girl friend and girls want to know and feel that they are beautiful, they want to be told that they are pretty and attractive and look to boys for that. im not sayin ive never done this, i have and often find myself thinking that a boy will give me my worth of beauty. but God has shown me that no matter how sweet one is to you, no one...nooo oonnee can completely fill your worth but God. the creator of the universe, the one who made you. He and only He can fill your longing in your heart to be told you are string or you are beautiful. He is in love with you and adores you. if you ask Him He will come to your heart and give you a feeling of worth and importance that you never dreamed of! this man that created the stars and made day and night and water and land and birds and bears and flowers and trees and rain ...wants you to ask Him to fulfill you..He has a place in His heart that only you can fill and you have a place in yours that only He can fill..and let me tell you He wants to fill it!!!!!!!! i have chosen to find contentment in God for my high school years. i will continue to find it in Him when i date later on and when im married and have found the Him He has chosen for me =D because after you become rejected by the opposie sex to completely fill your worth God is always there waiting to make you 100% happy!! now those of you who want to date: im not telling you its wrong this is just my personal and current view =) and i would think it was silly to suddenly change it the first time i got questioned because i believe God wants me to try this and stick with it for now =) so if this was too much for some of you sorry!! and maybe this will be God asking some of you to think about it cause he wants you to take this challenge too!! and no i have not chosen this view after reading 'i kissed dating goodbye' because i have never read that book!! haha so, thanks for takin the time to read and if you have questions please ask me !! i want to hear em and i also want to hear your differing opinions and reasons! so..leave a comment and God Bless!!

i can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13 in case you think you cant do it =D

EASTER =)

2006-04-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!! this is the day Jesus Christ rose from His tomb after dying for our sins..His amazing love&grace continues to amaze me...i hope ya'll have the most amazing easter possible...remember Gods sacrifice of giving His only son so that we could live =) God Bless

jesus latte'

2006-04-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

heelllloooo...i just got this little blogger thingy =)