Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I was reading up a bit on St. Patrick- who is he? what did he do? Since yesterday was St. Patricks Day I was a bit curious. I didn't do a ton of research, basically I just looked it up on Wikipedia- which I do have to say, the article was well cited by a vast number of sources so it is probably fairly accurate. Anyway, this is a small portion from it that tells just the basics of who Patrick was and what he did.


"Patrick was born in Roman[ruled]Britain ... When he was about sixteen, he was captured and carried off as a slave to Ireland. Patrick worked as a herdsman, remaining a captive for six years. He writes that his faith grew in captivity, and that he prayed daily. After six years he heard a voice telling him that he would soon go home, and then that his ship was ready. Fleeing his master, he travelled to a port, two hundred miles away he says, where he found a ship and, after various adventures, returned home to his family, now in his early twenties.

Patrick recounts that he had a vision a few years after returning home:

I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland. His name was Victoricus, and he carried many letters, and he gave me one of them. I read the heading: "The Voice of the Irish". As I began the letter, I imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people who were near the wood of Foclut, which is beside the western sea—and they cried out, as with one voice: "We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us. . .

. . .something can be seen of Patrick's mission. He writes that he "baptised thousands of people". He ordained priests to lead the new Christian communities. He converted wealthy women, some of whom became nuns in the face of family opposition. He also dealt with the sons of kings, converting them too."

Patrick brought the gospel to the Irish people- he was basically a missionary. I think that it is pretty cool that he is still honored today. We celebrate St. Patrick's day on March 17, the anniversary of his death which is believed to be March 17, 460 or 490 -ish AD. This man is revered in Ireland as a foreigner who came to "walk among" the Irish people and he talked to them about Jesus. He himself was a Catholic and so that was what he taught them and you can see the lasting impression he made as Irish and Catholic are often words that go together. Sometimes I think we push and try to hard to talk to people about God instead of being open to God working. Hey I am not saying that we shouldn't talk to others about God but maybe we need to change our viewpoint. I really like how St. Patrick said he walked among them, not that he converted them. It is not our job to convert people, everyone must make their own decision about God and His Son. I guess I want to ask what kind of impact are you having on those you are walking among? Do people see God in you? When you feel that small voice inside pushing you to bring up Jesus or to tell someone you are praying for them, to be kind to your enemies, to not gossip or retaliate when someone hurts you- do you listen? Walk with God and walk with people.

Anyway- I hope you had a great St. Patty's Day.

What do you do when people are hurting?

Yesterday we talked about a subject at TNL that allowed a lot of people to share some ways that they are hurting. I feel a couple of things about this. I am so sad that such young people have such hardship in their lives, really heavy burdens that too often they seem to be shouldering alone. Second is amazement of the resiliency of junior highers to continue on in spite of a really tough reality and hope that they will rise above their current situation- and I know that they can. In the midst of experiencing anothers heartache, I often feel at a loss for words, for how to comfort without seeming cliche. I find the answer in Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." Sometimes all you can do is cry with someone, the only comfort you can offer is "I am here." While this seems like you are doing nothing the truth is you have validated their pain, confirmed for them that they are not crazy or wrong to feel the way they do. Empty condolences offer no real help and while just sharing in their hurt doesn't help in the standard definition of the word would lead you to believe, I think it can help just knowing that you aren't alone. My heart is heavy for these people I talked with yesterday and for those I know have such brokenness but I didn't talk to. I look at the sea of faces and I see so much in them, so much potential, so much joy, so much innocence, and so much pain. I wish I could make it better for them but I know I can't. I know the only one who can help is God, He can work in a heart and a life that may not get better in this lifetime but He promises to make a new life for those who follow Him. He is the only one who can keep you from ever being alone. He is the ultimate Counselor, the Prince of Peace. He is faithful, even when we are not. Those who follow are pulled into His promise, adopted into His family, and has a place in eternity with Him. I have no other comfort then that, knowing this life is not the end but the beginning to our lives with Him for those who know Him. Oh how I wish they all would know Him! I know He wishes that too.

Introspective

Looking back over my last few blogs I have noticed they are about things to think about. I guess I have been doing a lot of thinking lately, just reflecting on things in my life. I am still processing and don't really have much to share except that which I have been and am about to post on here. Because of my introspective state I gues you could say I am hearing things a little differently, external things are impacting me internally. So I got hit by something today that I wanted to share with you.

I subscribe to a daily email article from this guy named John Fischer, it is called "The Fischtank." Anyway, his article today really made me think, in fact I am still thinking about it. Let me let you read it first then I will tell you some thoughts.

Character development
by John Fischer

I know I've used this before but I can't help it. Never have I witnessed a part, a character or a situation as a dramatic production that is closer to my deep-seated fears and misassumptions than what I find in the character played by Peter Facinelli in the movie The Big Kahuna starring Kevin Spacey and Danny DeVito.

I keep coming back to it because I have quotes from it in my speaking notes and when I go on the road and prepare for a new talk I run across them again and sometimes I find something new that didn't hit me as strongly as it did before. Probably because I wasn't ready for it. Truth is always like that.

Peter Facinelli, who plays Bob in this movie, is a perfect example of a kid who grew up Christian, went to a Christian college, took on all the trappings of what a Christian is supposed to be and do, and truly means it, but when thrust into the real world with two seeking individuals who to him would simply be non-Christians, the holes in his character, the missing links of humanity, the inability to connect with what should be naturally human become glaringly obvious. So much so that towards the end of the movie, Phil (the Danny DeVito character) makes an observation, "Your problem, Bob, is that you haven't lived long enough to regret anything."

To which Bob replies, "You're saying I have to go out and do something bad so I'll have something to regret?" (Exactly what I would have said, by the way.)

Phil: "I'm saying you've already done plenty of things to regret you just don't know what they are."

Ouch! That's the part that always nails me. But then he goes on to say: "It's when you discover them (the things you regret), when you see the folly in something you've done, and you wish that you had it to do over, but you know you can't, because it's too late. So you pick that thing up, and carry it with you to remind you that life goes on, the world will spin without you... Then you will gain character, because honesty will reach out from inside and tattoo itself across your face."

This adds new meaning to "pick up your cross and follow me…" Instead of dragging around some imaginary bloody beam of wood, what if Jesus meant for us to face into the failures, disappointments and mistakes of our lives and own them instead of excusing them or skating over them, and let them become a part of who we are and are becoming? Pick them up and carry them around as reminders of why there had to be a cross in the first place. So many Christians are like Bob: they're trying so hard to be good Christians that they wouldn't recognize their own cross if they tripped over it. Their cross is all the things they should be regretting but don't know anything about. Believe me, I can speak with certainty about this because I'm an expert at it.

Picking up your cross then would mean moving on in spite of your mistakes, failures and regrets. It would mean growing through regret and forgiveness, and finding hope on the other side of the cross.


I guess it has just got me thinking. There are plenty of things I regret in life however none of them are recent. And I don't believe we are to carry all our mistakes around with us all the time- Jesus paid for those mistakes, His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I am no longer chained to those sins, I am set free. But maybe that is what Jesus means by "pick up your cross and follow me." Too often I am overly impressed with myself- I need to rememebr why there had to be a cross- me, my mistakes and imperfections are enough to keep me away from the ultimate lover of my soul, so to make me perfect God sent His son to the cross. That's all I can articulate just now- still processing through the rest.

Let me know your thoughts

Friends

Transparent relationships are so important. We need to have another person in our lives that knows us, the real us, someone we can depend on and who depends on us. We need real friends- the kind that encourages us when we are down, stands up for us when we are in trouble, and helps us when we are in need.

Eccesiastes 4:9-12 says this: Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

We need to have people like this in our lives. Here is a cool story about friendship:

Friends forever.....The orangutan was in a rescue and not doing well. This old hound wandered in absolutely emaciated and the orangutan snapped to like his buddy had arrived. He stayed with the hound night and day until he was well and in the whole scenario, found a reason to live. They are now inseparable. Isnt that sweet?

God is Cool

God created everything. He thought of all the cool stuff in this world and just made it be. Of course it is beautiful, and at times awe-inspiring, but what always gets me is the variety. God made trees- but htere are so many different kinds, animals and all the crazy varieties, butterflies- you would think one or 2 kinds would be enough but there are so many. Even people- yes everyone is unique but I just mean the variety in groups of people even. Take this flower for example. There are so many cool flowers- just more evidence of God' masterful creation, but again I am awed by the variety- the sheer number of kinds of flowers. Why did He do all this? I think He did 1.) because He can and 2.) for us. To show us His awesomeness, His tender and gentle heart, and that He cares about us- even the little things that we can enjoy about this world, He made it for us to enjoy. So now we get this coolness, the parrot flower. Enjoy.

I dreamed a dream

Too often we look at the outside and make judgements on people. There are generalizations that are easily made by the way that we dress, wear our hair, etc, that are ok. Things like, "oh, they are wearing a Steelers jersey, they must be a fan." Or, "they are dressed punk/rock, they must like that kind of music." How we present ourselves definitely matters especially if we want to stand out from the world so our lives beg a question about the God that we follow. Those kind of assumptions are ok- our clothing and appearance choices are statments that we are choosing to make. The kind of judging I am talking about is different. I mean when we look at someone and we use that cursory glance to decide whether or not a person is valuable. That is so not what God says. In 1 Samuel 16:7 it says "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." I wish we as people would be better at looking at the heart. Too often we write someone off as unimportant or insignificant simply based on our outward assesment of them. Or we think overly-highly and idolize someone based on their apperance which leads to aonther kind of problem with worshipping someone other then God. But when God sees people, He sees something valuable, made in His own image. It is an important thing for us to remember. I think this video represents that idea well. I can't embed it so you will have to CLICK HERE to follow the link.

Let me know what you think.

Christmas is Coming

I went to Disneyland yesterday. I love Disneyland- I still feel the magic like I did when I was a kid. Anyway- I love the way they deck it out for the holidays- as if it wasn't magical enough! They also had this cool thing called "Candlelight"- I guess they have been doing it for 50 years but this was the first I had heard of it. There is this super huge choir with an amazing stage and awesome lighting (the picture below only shows one section of the choir- there are 2 more sections! One just like this one and one on risers shaped like a christmas tree). They sing selections from Handel's Messiah- which you may not recognize the name but I know you have heard some of the music, the Hallelujah Chorus is one you probably know. In between the songs a narrator tells the Christmas story. D-land only does this one weekend a year and last weekend happened to be it:) We had a great time! I can't believe Christmas is around the corner!!!

Cool thought of the day

Not mine but a good one for us all to remember. I thought it rather fitting since we are in our Morph series right now. I got this from my friend Beth.

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of — throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.

--CS Lewis

Barlow Girl

Last Thursday, Makenna and her mom took me to Barlow Girl. They were incredible!!! The concert was in Oceanside and there were 2 artists on before them, Brooke Barrett-Smith and Jimmy Needham. I liked them both very much. But Barlow Girl themselves were so incredible, not only are they amazingly talented but they also have an awesome message. They put on a great show- you should all try to see them!!!

Here is a link to their website Barlow Girl

And here is a video of one of their songs from a concert

And another


enjoy and let me know what you think of them!!!

Happy Halloween

I love dressing up for Halloween- it is so fun to get to pretend:) I haven't totally decided what I am going to be tonight- last year we had Tournament Series on Halloween and I dressed up as Belle from Beauty and the beast- that was cool. Right now at work I am dressed up like a Marine, but I might change for tonight- who knows. Well I wanted to leave you with this sweet story- enjoy!

Christians are like Pumpkins

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes youin, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you up, touches youdeep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff-- including the seeds ofdoubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and putsHis light inside you to shine for all the world to see.This was passed on to me from another pumpkin. Now, it is your turn to pass it to a pumpkin. I liked this enough to pass it along to all the pumpkins in my patch.

Sad time (yet rejoice)

Hi all. My Grandma died last weekend. Tomorrow is her funeral. It has been some sad times. My Grandma had a disease that over the last 6 years deteriorated her brain and made her lose control of her body. This picture is from my 21st birthday party- that was when she found out she had the disease. I like this picture because it reminds me of what she used to look like growing up.

She hasn't been able to communicate well in the last years with the last year being no communication at all. When she could still talk she was told that life must just suck (she couldn't eat, go to the bathroom, or really move at all by herself) and she said she still finds joy in life. It was just an amazing testament to her life. She was a steadfast Christian and she had more inner strength then I ever thought growing up. She was always kinda stuck in a Leave it to Beaver type era, wore butterfly clips in her hair, lots of polyester, and put her makeup on every morning and had her hair set. When her husband, my grandpa, died a little over 10 years ago, I thought she would be completely lost without him. But she was very strong and we saw her even more then before. When she came down with this disease, she accepted it very easily- I'm sure she must of struggled as she began to lose control of her body, but she always trusted God. Her life was a great testimony. I went to church the day after she died and this song really made me think of her and how she lived her life. She used to sing in the choir too and had a beautiful voice. It is sad but also a time to rejoice because I know she is happy and her body is healed and new.

Take My Life

Frances Havergal
Take my life and let it be
Consecrated Lord to Thee
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in
ceaseless praise

Take my hands
and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee

Take my voice and let me sing
always only for my King
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from Thee

Take my silver and my gold
not a mite would I withhold
Take my intellect and use
every power as You choose

Here am I
all of me
Take my life
it’s all for Thee

Take my will and make it Thine
it shall be no longer mine
Take my heart it is Thine own
it shall be Thy royal throne

Take my love my Lord I pour
at Your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be
ever only all for Thee

Here am I
all of me
Take my life
it’s all for Thee

Take my will and make it Thine
it shall be no longer mine
Take my heart it is Thine own
it shall be Thy royal throne

Take my love my Lord I pour
at Your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be
ever only all for Thee

The Five Finger Prayer

I got this cool email from a friend. Over the next week you should give this 5 Finger Prayer a try! Who knows, maybe you will develop a great prayer habit:)

The Five Finger Prayer
1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively

God's Love

Hello ever-ree-body! Hope all is well. Things are going good for me. I just want to share this super sweet poem that some of the girl small groups will be going over tomorrow night. Unfortunately I don't know who wrote it, so I can't give props to whomever that may be, but they took ideas from passages of scripture and wrote out a poem as if God had written it to women. I love it! I have totally used it before and will continue to do so because it is so cool. Let me know what you think- what stands out to you, what parts speak to you, whatever- can't wait to hear some responses:)

Here it is:

I Made Her
Because I Love Her
I made her . . . She is different, She is unique, With love I formed her in her mother’s womb. I fashioned her with great joy. I remember, with great pleasure, the day I created her. (Psalm 139:13-16)

I love her smile, I love her ways, I love to hear her laugh, And the silly things she says and does. She brings Me great pleasure. This is how I made her. (Psalm 139:17)

I made her pretty and not beautiful, Because I knew her heart, And knew she would be vain . . . I wanted her to search out her heart, And to learn that it would be Me in her That would make her beautiful . . . And it would be Me in her That would draw friends to her. (1 Peter 3:3-5)

I made her in such a way, That she would need Me. I made her a little more lonesome Than she would like to be . . . Only because I need for her to lean and depend on Me . . . I know her heart, I know if I had not Made her like this, She would go her own chosen way And forget Me . . . her Creator. (Psalm 62:5-8)

I have given her many good and happy things Because I love her. (Psalm 84:11, Romans 8:23)

Because I love her, I have seen her broken heart . . . And the tears she cried alone. I have cried with her, And had a broken heart, too. (Psalm 56:8)

Many times she has stumbled And fallen alone Only because she would not hold My Hand, So many lessons she’s learned The hard way. Because she would not listen To My voice . . . (Isaiah 53:6)

So many times I have sat back And sadly watched her go Her merry way alone. Only to watch her return to My arms, sad and broken. (Isaiah 62:2)

And now she is Mine again . . . I made her, and then I bought her . . . Because I love her. (Romans 5:8)

I have to reshape her and remold her . . . To renew her to what I had planned for her to be. It has not been easy for her, Or for Me. (Jeremiah 29:11)

I want her to be conformed to My image . . . This is the high goal I have set for her, Because I love her. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

Going to the Chapel

This is a pic of me and my fiance Jim. We're getting married this next March. we are both kinda goofy so it is perfect! One thing I want all you young ladies to note: We got engaged in May of 2005 and are getting married in March of 2006. Now how old are you? 12? 13? How old am I? If you read my profile it says 25! I was 24 when I got engaged and 23 when we started dating! So gals- don't get caught up in the love bug. Hey- I'm not knocking it, Jim is one of the biggest blessings I have ever gotten but I just don't want you to let your heart get away from your head. Be young, have fun, drink Pepsi- no, I mean you have time for that stuff later. There is absolutely no need to get in a relationship right now. The right guy will come along eventually, but give it time! Just be friends and learn to love God first!