Come up, come up, ‘tis an open door
I’ll do what He says, I shall not implore
For once I take His offered hand
Enter, I shall, to a foreign land
To see before me men clad in white
On their heads crowns quite a sight
But then a marvelous thing did occur
They threw down their crowns at the feet of Abir (a name of God meaning the Mighty One)
I saw them humbly knelt
Their faces to the floor
I knew not with which they felt
That they need nothing more
Another sight I beheld
Four creatures before Him
Forever in the meld
One was like the ox of the field
The angels’ sword they did not wield
Another like the majestic bird
They did not speak but a word
The third was like a human being
They had eyes all around, gleaming
The fourth was like the lion great
These amazing things God did create
Sunday, January 29, 2012
What is LOVE?
If LOVE is the most important thing
then why do we treat it as if it were something trivial?
If LOVE is the most valued thing
then why do we throw it away as if it were not meaningful?
LOVE is Patient and LOVE is Kind
but why do turn away from others and act as though blind?
LOVE is not Jealous and LOVE does not Boast
but we covet each other's beauty and think that we're better than most.
LOVE is not Proud and LOVE does not Dishonor others
but we take offense easily and slander our brothers.
LOVE is not Selfish and LOVE is not quick to get upset
but we think of "number one" and over small things we fret.
LOVE does not count up wrongs that have been done
even the prostitutes and tax collectors communed with the Son
LOVE takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in truth
so let's LOVE with a passion that we learn in our youth
LOVE patiently accepts all things
so let's take our inheritance and live like real Queens and Kings
and not forget this wisdom that makes us what we are
LOVE always trusts, always hopes, and always endures
so I won't forget that You are mine and I am Your's
and no matter what nothing can pull me back to the start
LOVE never ends
so let's make this where the LOVE revolution begins...
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Serenity
Open for Interpretation, meant to inspire. :)
There she was; standing, feeling, tasting. Her eyes were shut; she could feel the wind reaching out with deft fingers, playing with her ebony hair, tugging on her garments. She could hear the grass as it swayed in that wind, dancing to the symphony those fingers conducted. The blades were just as moved by it as she. She was standing in this field, atop a rolling hill, listening, touching, communing. Her eyes were shut because, she found, if you eliminate that sense, everything becomes much more alive and, well, real. With arms spread wide, she began to picture the sounds in her mind. It was surreally beautiful, elegant, inspiring. The colors flew in synchronization with the music, blue, yellow, green, purple, red, orange. The grass was still the natural light brown hue, but it has a phosphorescent glow that made it almost seem heavenly. The sky was also glowing, but it was deep azure. The serenity of the moment was perfection. The peace that flowed in and out of her very being made her want to never leave, she wanted to stay, and never be in strife again.
A Letter to Maman-Nainaine
If you have read the short story "Ripe Figs" by Kate Chopin, you may enjoy this creative writing piece that I had to do for my AP Language an Composition course! I had to pretend that Babette was writing to Maman-Nainaine while she was staying at her cousins house. If you have not read "Ripe Figs" copy and paste this link (http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/kchopin/bl-kchop-ripefigs.htm) and then read this...
My Dear Maman-Nainaine,
Since my departure to Bayou-Lafourche to stay with my dear cousins, I have missed you terribly. Though, during my stay here, so far, it has been a wonderful experience, as it always is with my cousins and Tante Frosine. I am well, and I cannot wait to hear how you are faring, as I am always inquiring about your well-fare to whoever may know. These summer days have been filled with adventure and intrigue. Last week, the dog, Garcon, caught a bird and it was quite a fiasco trying to calm the younger ones, for they could not stop speaking of the incident or the dog and bird of which the incident included. Many interesting happenings like this one have occurred, and I anticipate many more. Nothing is ever dull in Bayou-Lafourche and I enjoy the excitement.
I must let you know that your lesson about the figs ripening has been on my mind incessantly. My sweet Maman-Nainaine, your wisdom goes beyond my miniscule understanding, but this last morsel of wisdom you have bestowed upon me has made a lasting impression. I am more often than not noticing my impatient nature, and I desire to be more like you. I see your patience, your stateliness, your generosity, and your understanding and I have decided that I will aspire to be like you and to have your characteristics all of my days, for I believe that because of these attributes, your very countenance is calming and inviting. I fear my impatience, my indignity, my greed, and my impudence have made me most unlike you, but these are characteristics that can be and will be changed. I will endeavor to change these things, as they are unladylike and inhospitable. You are my model, Maman-Nainaine, and I hope you know how much I try and hope to be like you.
The figs continue to grow and they constantly remind me of you and your care of me. They came early and still thrive, which quite impresses me! I would think that because of their early arrival, their departure would also be premature, but alas, they continue to flourish! Their persistence and determination are quite familiar as they bring to remembrance a sweet old lady that is dear to me. I must say, your decision to make me wait to come to Bayou-Lafourche until the figs were ripe was very wise, indeed, as the weather here is now nearly perfect, when before it was not as pleasant and would have been quite boring, in my opinion. Next year, I shall try to be more patient than last for the figs to ripen, for I see the reward now before my eyes. Though, I am extremely thankful that the figs ripened when they did, for I fear my patience would not have lasted much longer. It must have been the grace of our dear Lord that made them ripen at that exact moment in time.
Oh, Maman-Nainaine, I do miss you so. I cannot wait to hear from you! I’m sure you have much to say about the happenings at home. I hope the weather has been kind to you and your health. I want to see your new trays and furnishings that I am sure you have bought by now, as it is near the time that your yearly shopping takes place. Do tell me about your new pretty things! I hope you are not too lonely in that grand house of yours. You must get a dog or a cat or some kind of animal as a companion for when I am not there. I can’t imagine you being alone in that dark place. As lovely as it is, it must feel very empty without my constant conversation and your attentive listening. I’m sure you have found ways to occupy yourself. Tell me how your knitting and quilts are coming along. Any news from town, recently? I wonder, are the figs still growing near you, as they are here?
As to my lovely cousins, they are all fine and keep themselves busy with many adventures and get themselves in trouble constantly with Tante Frosine. Do not worry, Maman-Nainaine, I take no part in their mischievousness, at least, not all the time. I often help Tante Frosine, who has taken ill recently and has a hard time with the children. The responsibility has fallen on me a bit, but I actually take pleasure in it. It gives me something to do, and it is very entertaining. It is not very hard work, at all. Well, I must close now, as dinner is fast approaching and I must help Tante Frosine prepare it. I await your reply!
Your dearest goddaughter,
Babette
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Contemplation and Revelation
Today at the International House of Prayer East Bay, we were doing a set (2 hour worship time with a specific prayer focus), praying for the Church of the Region from 12-2pm. We prayed for a lot of things involving the the Bride of Christ in California in specific areas of life. One of the specific things we were praying for was for God's bride would take her place before God in her gifts. I was sitting up there singing, and I really was feeling God touching my heart on this subject. I felt like He was saying that His bride doesn't know how to be confident in her giftings. I feel like we, as Christians, get SO caught up in being afraid (there's that stinking fear problem again) of sounding too arrogant or snub-nosed, but here's the thing, guys: we belong to a powerful God that wants to do powerful things through us, but we have to let Him. We have to call out the giftings that God has given us and others. God has called some of us to be prophets, to be worshipers, to be intercessors, to be missionaries, to be teachers, to be comforters, to be mothers, to be fathers; I don't think that saying your any of these things is wrong. At all. I think saying that you're one of these things is better than saying that you're none of these things. We are so afraid to take our place as His strong, confident bride. We are not strong and confident on our own, but in Him. Why should we not boast in that? We can boast in the Lord because He is the one who is worthy of it. Of course, if we are going to declare that we are one or more of these things in front of people, it must be out of a place of humility and reverence to Jesus, but in your heart saying that you are one of those things, and being confident and strong in your place before God, knowing what your place in the body of Christ is not wrong, arrogant, or snub-nosed; it's right. God wants us to be confident in who we are in Him. So let's not be afraid to say who we are in Him because out of the heart the mouth speaks. If we believe who we are, others will believe who we are and therefore believe in who God is, because we are who we are because of Him. We are not meant to keep our gifts that God has given us as a secret, but to share them and use them for His glory. We are all vital parts of the Body, no matter how insignificant we may feel, Jesus makes this very clear. God is not one who is prone to hiddeness, and neither should we be...
1 Corinthians 12
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but they are all from the same Spirit.5 There are different ways to serve but the same Lord to serve.6 And there are different ways that God works through people but the same God. God works in all of us in everything we do.7 Something from the Spirit can be seen in each person, for the common good.8 The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak with wisdom, and the same Spirit gives another the ability to speak with knowledge.9 The same Spirit gives faith to one person. And, to another, that one Spirit gives gifts of healing.10 The Spirit gives to another person the power to do miracles, to another the ability to prophesy. And he gives to another the ability to know the difference between good and evil spirits. The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak in different kinds of languages[a] and to another the ability to interpret those languages.11 One Spirit, the same Spirit, does all these things, and the Spirit decides what to give each person.12 A person's body is one thing, but it has many parts. Though there are many parts to a body, all those parts make only one body. Christ is like that also. 13 Some of us are Jews, and some are Greeks. Some of us are slaves, and some are free. But we were all baptized into one body through one Spirit. And we were all made to share in the one Spirit. 27 Together you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of that body.28 In the church God has given a place first to apostles, second to prophets, and third to teachers. Then God has given a place to those who do miracles, those who have gifts of healing, those who can help others, those who are able to govern, and those who can speak in different languages.[b]29 Not all are apostles. Not all are prophets. Not all are teachers. Not all do miracles.30 Not all have gifts of healing. Not all speak in different languages. Not all interpret those languages.31 But you should truly want to have the greater gifts.
1 Corinthians 12
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but they are all from the same Spirit.5 There are different ways to serve but the same Lord to serve.6 And there are different ways that God works through people but the same God. God works in all of us in everything we do.7 Something from the Spirit can be seen in each person, for the common good.8 The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak with wisdom, and the same Spirit gives another the ability to speak with knowledge.9 The same Spirit gives faith to one person. And, to another, that one Spirit gives gifts of healing.10 The Spirit gives to another person the power to do miracles, to another the ability to prophesy. And he gives to another the ability to know the difference between good and evil spirits. The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak in different kinds of languages[a] and to another the ability to interpret those languages.11 One Spirit, the same Spirit, does all these things, and the Spirit decides what to give each person.12 A person's body is one thing, but it has many parts. Though there are many parts to a body, all those parts make only one body. Christ is like that also. 13 Some of us are Jews, and some are Greeks. Some of us are slaves, and some are free. But we were all baptized into one body through one Spirit. And we were all made to share in the one Spirit. 27 Together you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of that body.28 In the church God has given a place first to apostles, second to prophets, and third to teachers. Then God has given a place to those who do miracles, those who have gifts of healing, those who can help others, those who are able to govern, and those who can speak in different languages.[b]29 Not all are apostles. Not all are prophets. Not all are teachers. Not all do miracles.30 Not all have gifts of healing. Not all speak in different languages. Not all interpret those languages.31 But you should truly want to have the greater gifts.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Matthew 5:3-10
Sermon on the Mount is a very, VERY common passage, but God has really shown me an interesting way to look at it, and I'd like to share it with you guys! :)
Matthew 5:3-10
"3They are blessed who realize their
spiritual poverty,
for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to
them.
4They are blessed who grieve,
for God will comfort them.
5They are blessed who are humble,
for the whole earth will be theirs.
6They are blessed who hunger and thirst
after justice,
for they will be satisfied.
7They are blessed who show mercy to
others.
for God will show mercy to them
8They are blessed whose thoughts are pure,
for they will see God
9They are blessed who work for peace
for they will be called God's children
10They are blessed who are persecuted for
doing good.
for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to
them."
Alrighty so... This is very, very interesting. Okay, get ready. :P I know that when people see this passage they may think, "Oh my goodness, that is WAY too hard!! How can He expect that of us???" I know that I have thought that. OR you may think, "Oh my gosh.... I had to write that in school when I got in trouble. I don't even want to LOOK at that verse." But listen... this is a step-by-step thing. God does not ask you to learn all of these things at once, and each one is a consequence of the one before it. It's like He is literally giving us instructions. Here is how God broke it down for me...
If you realize your spiritual poverty (realizing that your spirit is empty and unfulfilled without God)
it will cause you to grieve (for God).
If you realize your spiritual poverty and grieve
it will cause you to be humble.
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, and be humble
it will cause you to hunger and thirst after justice.
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, be humble, and hunger and thirst after justice
it will cause you to show mercy (because you know the justice of God and not of man, so you show mercy as justice, as well).
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, be humble, hunger and thirst after justice, and show mercy
it will cause your thoughts to be pure.
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, be humble, hunger and thirst after justice, show mercy, and have pure thoughts
it will cause you to work for peace.
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, be humble, hunger and thirst after justice, show mercy, have pure thoughts, and work for peace
it will cause you to be persecuted for doing good.
And although that may sound like a downer, here are the step by step rewards....
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, be humble, hunger and thirst after justice, show mercy, have pure thoughts, work for peace, and be persecuted for doing good....
The Kingdom of Heaven WILL belong to you
God WILL comfort you
The WHOLE EARTH WILL be yours
You WILL be satisfied
God WILL show mercy to you
You WILL see God
You WILL be called God's child
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN WILL BELONG TO YOU!!!! :D That's AWESOME!!!
God is GOOD, no matter what, and He doesn't ever give us something that we can't handle. :)
Matthew 5:3-10
"3They are blessed who realize their
spiritual poverty,
for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to
them.
4They are blessed who grieve,
for God will comfort them.
5They are blessed who are humble,
for the whole earth will be theirs.
6They are blessed who hunger and thirst
after justice,
for they will be satisfied.
7They are blessed who show mercy to
others.
for God will show mercy to them
8They are blessed whose thoughts are pure,
for they will see God
9They are blessed who work for peace
for they will be called God's children
10They are blessed who are persecuted for
doing good.
for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to
them."
Alrighty so... This is very, very interesting. Okay, get ready. :P I know that when people see this passage they may think, "Oh my goodness, that is WAY too hard!! How can He expect that of us???" I know that I have thought that. OR you may think, "Oh my gosh.... I had to write that in school when I got in trouble. I don't even want to LOOK at that verse." But listen... this is a step-by-step thing. God does not ask you to learn all of these things at once, and each one is a consequence of the one before it. It's like He is literally giving us instructions. Here is how God broke it down for me...
If you realize your spiritual poverty (realizing that your spirit is empty and unfulfilled without God)
it will cause you to grieve (for God).
If you realize your spiritual poverty and grieve
it will cause you to be humble.
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, and be humble
it will cause you to hunger and thirst after justice.
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, be humble, and hunger and thirst after justice
it will cause you to show mercy (because you know the justice of God and not of man, so you show mercy as justice, as well).
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, be humble, hunger and thirst after justice, and show mercy
it will cause your thoughts to be pure.
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, be humble, hunger and thirst after justice, show mercy, and have pure thoughts
it will cause you to work for peace.
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, be humble, hunger and thirst after justice, show mercy, have pure thoughts, and work for peace
it will cause you to be persecuted for doing good.
And although that may sound like a downer, here are the step by step rewards....
If you realize your spiritual poverty, grieve, be humble, hunger and thirst after justice, show mercy, have pure thoughts, work for peace, and be persecuted for doing good....
The Kingdom of Heaven WILL belong to you
God WILL comfort you
The WHOLE EARTH WILL be yours
You WILL be satisfied
God WILL show mercy to you
You WILL see God
You WILL be called God's child
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN WILL BELONG TO YOU!!!! :D That's AWESOME!!!
God is GOOD, no matter what, and He doesn't ever give us something that we can't handle. :)
Psalm 139
Hey, guys! Just wanted to share a couple of my favorite passages from the Bible to you, and tell you what they mean to me. I hope that what I feel like God has spoken to me about these verses will encourage you and strengthen you.
Love,
Seraphina :)
Psalm 139
"1Lord, you have examined me
and know all about me.
2You know when I sit down and when I
get up.
You know my thoughts before I think
them.
3You know where I go and where I lie down.
You know everything I do.
4Lord, even before I say a word,
you already know it.
5You are all around me--in front of me and in
back--
and have put Your hand upon me.
6Your knowledge is amazing to me
it is more than I can understand.
7Where can I go to get away from Your
Spirit?
8I go up to the heavens, You are there.
If I lie down in the grave, You are there.
9If I rise with the sun in the east
and settle in the west beyond the sea
10even there You would guide me.
With Your right hand you would hold me.
11I could say, "The darkness will hide me.
Let the light around me turn into night."
12But even the darkness is not dark to You.
The night is as light as day;
darkness and light are the same to You.
13You made my whole being;
You formed me in my mother's body.
14I praise You because You made me in an
amazing and wonderful way.
What You have done is wonderful.
I know this very well.
15You saw my bones being formed
as I took shape in my mother's body.
When I was put together there,
16You saw my body as it was formed.
All the days planned for me
were written in Your book
before I was one day old.
17God, Your thoughts are precious to me.
They are so many!
18If I could count them,
they would be more than all the grains
of sand.
When I wake up,
I am still with you.
19God, I wish you would kill the wicked!
Get away from me, you murderers!
20They say evil things about You.
Your enemies use Your name
thoughtlessly.
21Lord, I hate those who hate You;
I hate those who rise up against you.
22I feel only hate for them;
they are my enemies.
23God, examine me and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24See if there is any bad thing in me.
Leas me on the road to everlasting life.
I.... LOVE.... this.... chapter. Friends, family, acquaintances. I believe that ANY question you have regarding your walk with God can be answered in this chapter. ANYTHING. I will now begin to explicate this chapter, and tell you what each little part means to me. Enjoy!
Psalm 139:1-4 is perhaps the main thing that keeps me steady with Jesus with no guilt or shame. These verses mean simply "God knows me". He know the beginning, He knows the present, and most importantly for our little human hearts, He knows the future. He know EVERY thought before I think them, He knows everything I'm going to do before I do it... so here's what that means. GRACE. This is where His wonderful grace comes in. God knows... He KNOWS... so this means, He is NEVER disappointed. We fall down, and He says, "Yep, knew that was going to happen. Just get back up, tell me you're sorry, mean it, and keep going. I'm not disappointed. I don't think you're a failure. I'm not even MAD at you. I just want you to not give up and to keep going. Keep trying your hardest to live a righteous life. I love you." Verses 5-7 are David just saying a response to what I just said. He has us in His hands. He is all around us all the time. No matter what we've done, said, or thought. God's knowledge of what we are going to do before we do it, what we are going to say before we say it, etc. Is AMAZING!! His knowledge is AMAZING. We can't even begin to understand a knowledge like that. What if we knew everything our friend was going to do, say, or think before they did it, said it, or thought it? I can't even imagine what that would be like. We can't get away from His Spirit. He's always around, and always taking care of us, and watching us. Verse 8-12 have got to be my favorite verse of this passage. This is where I am really amazed by God's faithfulness and LOVE. EVEN if I try to go into the darkness, I TRY to be everything I know I shouldn't; He would still be there right beside me. He would still be trying to speak to me, even in my rebellion, even in my sin. I could be at my highest, most successful moment of our lives, or I could be in the lowest, low of my life and He would STILL be there. He would still GUIDE me. There is no where I could go to get away from His love. Absolutely, Nowhere. Because EVERYWHERE is His. EVERYTHING is His. AND EVERYONE is His. So wherever I go, what ever I do, what ever the heck I say, everything is His so He is there. I could even envelope myself in darkness, I could tell the darkness to HIDE ME, but it would do nothing because dark is exactly the same as light to Him. He can see me still, even in my darkness, He says, "Dark, but lovely."
Verses 13-16 are probably the most well known. These verses are a HUGE rebuttle to the pro-choice movement. God SEES. And whether they want to admit it or not, that scares the crap out of them. God knows and He sees that little baby forming inside of it's mother's womb. He sees the bones, He sees the whole transformation from nugget life-form to human. He should be praised because our creation, the way we were created, the way He created for us to be created is WONDERFUL. It's unlike anything else in this world, it is so beautiful, and a life that has been so beautifully created should not be so brutally murdered. Torn limb from limb. Can you imagine.... can you IMAGINE.... how that breaks the Daddy heart of God? I can't. Not at all. He has written all the days of YOUR life... YOU, who once was that baby He saw the bones form in that womb.... ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE in His BOOK. What in the world is His book? He has a BOOK that is FULL of my life. ALREADY. It's full!!! That is so awesome! Verse 16 is my favorite verse and I have it on my wall in my bedroom. It is a constant reminder that GOD KNOWS. He knows everything. Every mistake, every success, every question, every answer, every hard thing, every good thing, every up, and every down. He knows and He is thrilled with you. Verses 17-18 are just words of praise to the incredible God that He is. These two verses constantly remind me to think about God's precious thoughts. The thoughts that He has put in my heart and how they affect me. They inspire me to think about what might be God's precious thoughts, even if they are as many as the grains of sand. David, knew some, at least, and they were precious to him. I want that kind of intimacy. Verses 18-22 is David's very human reaction to those who hate God. I understand where he is coming from because he sees this God who is SO intimate with him. Who LOVES him so much. Who talks to him and teaches him. David is a fiery lover of his God and his anger is righteous. But then in verses 23 and 24, David realizes that he needs to love his enemies regardless. I want to have this kind of heart position towards God, as well. I want to feel things in my heart that I deem to be justifies, and I want to take them to God anyways and just be like, "Look, God. Is this what you want? Examine my heart. Is it evil? Are these things that I think are right, really right? Teach me! Teach me YOUR ways, God, and not mine. Teach me to live righteously in your eyes."
God is the most beautiful thing in... anything. I have never "seen" anything so beautiful. The way that He works in peoples lives, even if it is in a Daddy-disciplinarian way, it is always good. It is never cruel. God does not play games. He loves.
Love,
Seraphina :)
Psalm 139
"1Lord, you have examined me
and know all about me.
2You know when I sit down and when I
get up.
You know my thoughts before I think
them.
3You know where I go and where I lie down.
You know everything I do.
4Lord, even before I say a word,
you already know it.
5You are all around me--in front of me and in
back--
and have put Your hand upon me.
6Your knowledge is amazing to me
it is more than I can understand.
7Where can I go to get away from Your
Spirit?
8I go up to the heavens, You are there.
If I lie down in the grave, You are there.
9If I rise with the sun in the east
and settle in the west beyond the sea
10even there You would guide me.
With Your right hand you would hold me.
11I could say, "The darkness will hide me.
Let the light around me turn into night."
12But even the darkness is not dark to You.
The night is as light as day;
darkness and light are the same to You.
13You made my whole being;
You formed me in my mother's body.
14I praise You because You made me in an
amazing and wonderful way.
What You have done is wonderful.
I know this very well.
15You saw my bones being formed
as I took shape in my mother's body.
When I was put together there,
16You saw my body as it was formed.
All the days planned for me
were written in Your book
before I was one day old.
17God, Your thoughts are precious to me.
They are so many!
18If I could count them,
they would be more than all the grains
of sand.
When I wake up,
I am still with you.
19God, I wish you would kill the wicked!
Get away from me, you murderers!
20They say evil things about You.
Your enemies use Your name
thoughtlessly.
21Lord, I hate those who hate You;
I hate those who rise up against you.
22I feel only hate for them;
they are my enemies.
23God, examine me and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24See if there is any bad thing in me.
Leas me on the road to everlasting life.
I.... LOVE.... this.... chapter. Friends, family, acquaintances. I believe that ANY question you have regarding your walk with God can be answered in this chapter. ANYTHING. I will now begin to explicate this chapter, and tell you what each little part means to me. Enjoy!
Psalm 139:1-4 is perhaps the main thing that keeps me steady with Jesus with no guilt or shame. These verses mean simply "God knows me". He know the beginning, He knows the present, and most importantly for our little human hearts, He knows the future. He know EVERY thought before I think them, He knows everything I'm going to do before I do it... so here's what that means. GRACE. This is where His wonderful grace comes in. God knows... He KNOWS... so this means, He is NEVER disappointed. We fall down, and He says, "Yep, knew that was going to happen. Just get back up, tell me you're sorry, mean it, and keep going. I'm not disappointed. I don't think you're a failure. I'm not even MAD at you. I just want you to not give up and to keep going. Keep trying your hardest to live a righteous life. I love you." Verses 5-7 are David just saying a response to what I just said. He has us in His hands. He is all around us all the time. No matter what we've done, said, or thought. God's knowledge of what we are going to do before we do it, what we are going to say before we say it, etc. Is AMAZING!! His knowledge is AMAZING. We can't even begin to understand a knowledge like that. What if we knew everything our friend was going to do, say, or think before they did it, said it, or thought it? I can't even imagine what that would be like. We can't get away from His Spirit. He's always around, and always taking care of us, and watching us. Verse 8-12 have got to be my favorite verse of this passage. This is where I am really amazed by God's faithfulness and LOVE. EVEN if I try to go into the darkness, I TRY to be everything I know I shouldn't; He would still be there right beside me. He would still be trying to speak to me, even in my rebellion, even in my sin. I could be at my highest, most successful moment of our lives, or I could be in the lowest, low of my life and He would STILL be there. He would still GUIDE me. There is no where I could go to get away from His love. Absolutely, Nowhere. Because EVERYWHERE is His. EVERYTHING is His. AND EVERYONE is His. So wherever I go, what ever I do, what ever the heck I say, everything is His so He is there. I could even envelope myself in darkness, I could tell the darkness to HIDE ME, but it would do nothing because dark is exactly the same as light to Him. He can see me still, even in my darkness, He says, "Dark, but lovely."
Verses 13-16 are probably the most well known. These verses are a HUGE rebuttle to the pro-choice movement. God SEES. And whether they want to admit it or not, that scares the crap out of them. God knows and He sees that little baby forming inside of it's mother's womb. He sees the bones, He sees the whole transformation from nugget life-form to human. He should be praised because our creation, the way we were created, the way He created for us to be created is WONDERFUL. It's unlike anything else in this world, it is so beautiful, and a life that has been so beautifully created should not be so brutally murdered. Torn limb from limb. Can you imagine.... can you IMAGINE.... how that breaks the Daddy heart of God? I can't. Not at all. He has written all the days of YOUR life... YOU, who once was that baby He saw the bones form in that womb.... ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE in His BOOK. What in the world is His book? He has a BOOK that is FULL of my life. ALREADY. It's full!!! That is so awesome! Verse 16 is my favorite verse and I have it on my wall in my bedroom. It is a constant reminder that GOD KNOWS. He knows everything. Every mistake, every success, every question, every answer, every hard thing, every good thing, every up, and every down. He knows and He is thrilled with you. Verses 17-18 are just words of praise to the incredible God that He is. These two verses constantly remind me to think about God's precious thoughts. The thoughts that He has put in my heart and how they affect me. They inspire me to think about what might be God's precious thoughts, even if they are as many as the grains of sand. David, knew some, at least, and they were precious to him. I want that kind of intimacy. Verses 18-22 is David's very human reaction to those who hate God. I understand where he is coming from because he sees this God who is SO intimate with him. Who LOVES him so much. Who talks to him and teaches him. David is a fiery lover of his God and his anger is righteous. But then in verses 23 and 24, David realizes that he needs to love his enemies regardless. I want to have this kind of heart position towards God, as well. I want to feel things in my heart that I deem to be justifies, and I want to take them to God anyways and just be like, "Look, God. Is this what you want? Examine my heart. Is it evil? Are these things that I think are right, really right? Teach me! Teach me YOUR ways, God, and not mine. Teach me to live righteously in your eyes."
God is the most beautiful thing in... anything. I have never "seen" anything so beautiful. The way that He works in peoples lives, even if it is in a Daddy-disciplinarian way, it is always good. It is never cruel. God does not play games. He loves.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
It's A New Year!!! :D
First of all, hello, friends!
It's been a couple weeks! :)
Ohhhh man. I don't know about you all, but so far, this year has been so amazing! I know it sounds horrendously cliche, but literally, when I woke up on January 1st I felt totally refreshed and ready for what ever life threw my way. This feeling is still living on in me even now. I am just sooooo amazed at God's faithfulness, and, you know what? I don't give a (PROFANITYYY! lol! just kidding :P) about what anybody says about how bad this year is going to be because I KNOW that this year is going to be full of amazing things. Already, it has been an amazing year; busy, but amazing. I was thinking back on 2011, and I was just blown away at how amazing it was. God did so many cool things for me and the people around me! The first really awesome thing that happened in the year 2011 was that, in April, me, my mom, and 3 other people from the International House of Prayer East Bay got to go to minister to a different Native American reservation... ALL the way in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Who even knows about South Dakota? lol! It was SO amazing! Not only did we go to who-knows-South Dakota, but we DROVE 22 hours to get there each way!! :D We got to partner with an amazing ministry called Native Nations Ablaze. I've never met more awesome people in my life! Then, in June I got to go to Kiev, Ukraine! My second missions trip with YWAM Orlando! God gave me some awesome revelation about what I'm supposed to do with my life, and where I'm headed. I also made some awesome friends! AND THEN, we got to go back to Pine Ridge reservation in October with our WHOLE FAMILY! That was just such a God thing because it was all donations based. We sure as heck did not have enough money to pay for our whole family to fly to Denver and then rent a car and drive the rest of the way, but God provided, because He's awesome like that. AND (EVEN MORE) THEN, at the end of October God totally set up a connection for me in Ireland, which I was SO STOKED about, but didn't know how I was going to get the money, and then God was AMAZING and gave me an opportunity to help a friend of ours in Texas watch her 4 kids while her husband was on a business trip, and make $800 in the process. EXACTLY what I needed for the plane ticket to Ireland. I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E. I was pretty much freaking out when I got that opportunity. Now, I am OFFICIALLY going to Ireland March 28th-April 8th with my fantabulous Grammy, and we are already starting to make plans! I'M SO EXCITED!!! :D On a much smaller scale, but still exciting to me... for Christmas I got something that I have been wanting for a very long time, a Claddagh Ring with my birthstone in it. A Claddagh (Klah-duh) ring is an Irish ring that normally is given as a token of love, but for me, it is my purity ring, my outward expression of my devotion to Jesus. The ring's focal point is a two hands holding a heart with a crown on top. This represents friendship, love, and loyalty. It's beautiful and I love it! Thank you, Mal'aki (my amazing brother)!! :)
I am looking forward to this new year with great expectancy. There are already things planned for this year that I know are going to make it amazing. Like I said, I am FINALLY going to Ireland and NOT on a missions trip (although, I'm obviously not objecting to that), but just to go and get a feel for God's heart there. Then, on Memorial Day Weekend (in May), we are having a BURN (24 hours of non-stop prayer and worship) in Round Valley Native American Reservation which is in Round Valley, CA. This is very dear to my heart because my family has been ministering there for the past 3 years, and God has really been plowing the ground there. We're hoping to see the atmosphere changed and for lives to be saved!! Then in July I'm going to London, England during the 2012 summer Olympics and am going to be there for 4 weeks doing ministry with YWAM Orlando, once again. I hope that many more amazing things will happen this year, as well as a HUGE harvest for Christ, as many well-known Christian prophets have foretold. That would just be AWESOME!! I will be praying for you, my dear friends, that you would have an amazing year, as well. I know that 2011 seemed like a year of trials, as well, even though God did some incredible things. I know it was for me, but I really feel like this year is going to be a year of hope and answered prayers. Take that, and receive it! I love you all! Happy 2012! :D
P.S. If you are reading this and you would like me to send you a support letter for my 2012 missions trip to London, England, please write in the comments, send me an email, or message me on facebook, and let me know! I would love to send a support letter to you! :)
It's been a couple weeks! :)
Ohhhh man. I don't know about you all, but so far, this year has been so amazing! I know it sounds horrendously cliche, but literally, when I woke up on January 1st I felt totally refreshed and ready for what ever life threw my way. This feeling is still living on in me even now. I am just sooooo amazed at God's faithfulness, and, you know what? I don't give a (PROFANITYYY! lol! just kidding :P) about what anybody says about how bad this year is going to be because I KNOW that this year is going to be full of amazing things. Already, it has been an amazing year; busy, but amazing. I was thinking back on 2011, and I was just blown away at how amazing it was. God did so many cool things for me and the people around me! The first really awesome thing that happened in the year 2011 was that, in April, me, my mom, and 3 other people from the International House of Prayer East Bay got to go to minister to a different Native American reservation... ALL the way in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Who even knows about South Dakota? lol! It was SO amazing! Not only did we go to who-knows-South Dakota, but we DROVE 22 hours to get there each way!! :D We got to partner with an amazing ministry called Native Nations Ablaze. I've never met more awesome people in my life! Then, in June I got to go to Kiev, Ukraine! My second missions trip with YWAM Orlando! God gave me some awesome revelation about what I'm supposed to do with my life, and where I'm headed. I also made some awesome friends! AND THEN, we got to go back to Pine Ridge reservation in October with our WHOLE FAMILY! That was just such a God thing because it was all donations based. We sure as heck did not have enough money to pay for our whole family to fly to Denver and then rent a car and drive the rest of the way, but God provided, because He's awesome like that. AND (EVEN MORE) THEN, at the end of October God totally set up a connection for me in Ireland, which I was SO STOKED about, but didn't know how I was going to get the money, and then God was AMAZING and gave me an opportunity to help a friend of ours in Texas watch her 4 kids while her husband was on a business trip, and make $800 in the process. EXACTLY what I needed for the plane ticket to Ireland. I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E. I was pretty much freaking out when I got that opportunity. Now, I am OFFICIALLY going to Ireland March 28th-April 8th with my fantabulous Grammy, and we are already starting to make plans! I'M SO EXCITED!!! :D On a much smaller scale, but still exciting to me... for Christmas I got something that I have been wanting for a very long time, a Claddagh Ring with my birthstone in it. A Claddagh (Klah-duh) ring is an Irish ring that normally is given as a token of love, but for me, it is my purity ring, my outward expression of my devotion to Jesus. The ring's focal point is a two hands holding a heart with a crown on top. This represents friendship, love, and loyalty. It's beautiful and I love it! Thank you, Mal'aki (my amazing brother)!! :)
I am looking forward to this new year with great expectancy. There are already things planned for this year that I know are going to make it amazing. Like I said, I am FINALLY going to Ireland and NOT on a missions trip (although, I'm obviously not objecting to that), but just to go and get a feel for God's heart there. Then, on Memorial Day Weekend (in May), we are having a BURN (24 hours of non-stop prayer and worship) in Round Valley Native American Reservation which is in Round Valley, CA. This is very dear to my heart because my family has been ministering there for the past 3 years, and God has really been plowing the ground there. We're hoping to see the atmosphere changed and for lives to be saved!! Then in July I'm going to London, England during the 2012 summer Olympics and am going to be there for 4 weeks doing ministry with YWAM Orlando, once again. I hope that many more amazing things will happen this year, as well as a HUGE harvest for Christ, as many well-known Christian prophets have foretold. That would just be AWESOME!! I will be praying for you, my dear friends, that you would have an amazing year, as well. I know that 2011 seemed like a year of trials, as well, even though God did some incredible things. I know it was for me, but I really feel like this year is going to be a year of hope and answered prayers. Take that, and receive it! I love you all! Happy 2012! :D
P.S. If you are reading this and you would like me to send you a support letter for my 2012 missions trip to London, England, please write in the comments, send me an email, or message me on facebook, and let me know! I would love to send a support letter to you! :)
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