I know. It's a weird title. However, it is the scent that makes me the happiest right now. I debated for weeks whether or not to get a tree and finally decided that I really wanted one, even if I could only have it for 2 weeks. I'm one of those people who recognizes things by smells. My grandma's house. The rain. The mall. Any place I go has a certain smell to it and it brings back memories. Sometimes I'll be walking along and I'll smell something and it's so familiar, but I can't place it. Whether it is something good or bad I'm reminded of, I remember by smell. What's the purpose of such a weird blog? Well, every day when I get home and every night before I go to sleep I sniff my tree and it makes me smile. It does more than make me smile though. It reminds me of what Christmas is about.
CHRISTmas is more than presents and running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. CHRISTmas is more than decorating your house and trying to make it look better than the neighbors'. CHRISTmas is more than the good food and eating until you can't breathe. CHRISTmas is about Christ, Jesus, God come to earth. The Bible tells us that "[T]here has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11). That is what this season is about every year. Celebrating the birth of a Savior, Messiah, and Lord.
The most detailed account of the virgin birth of Jesus is found in the Gospel of Luke. On the surface this doesn't seem like a significant piece of data. But we need to delve a little further. What is the importance of Luke having the most detailed account of the virgin birth? Luke was a doctor (Colossians 4:14). Everything he knew and had been taught went against the possibility of a virgin birth. I'm sure there were many textbook defying things he encountered in his life, but the most mind boggling would be the virgin birth of a Savior. What's more is that Luke didn't just accept what he had heard from others. He was just like the rest of us and he researched and questioned until he found the answers he was looking for. In the Luke 1:1-4 it says, "So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the wonderful harvest of Scripture and history that took place among us, using reports handed down by the original eyewitnesses who served this Word with their very lives. Since I have investigated all the reports in close detail, starting from the story's beginning, I have decided to write it all out for you, most honorable Theophilus, so that you may know beyond the shadow of a doubt the reliability of what you were taught." Luke searched for the answers and tested the things he had heard concerning Christ. But Luke went beyond the research and did what any disciple of Jesus would do. Once he found out that all he had heard was true, he wrote it all out so that others (Theophilus was his main audience) would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that everything they had heard was true. He wanted others to know the same truth he had discovered.
How true this needs to be of us during this season. A lot of us have heard the story of Jesus' birth over and over again. It's time now to discover for ourselves what the Word of God says about the birth of Christ. We can listen and listen to the story of Christ's birth again and again, but until we read it for ourselves and really dissect what it means then it will just remain a story. Jesus' birth was not an accident. It was planned by God before the foundation of the earth was laid. From the beginning of time men were prophesying about the coming Messiah. And today, more than 2,000 years after the birth and death of Christ, we are still marvelling at the wonder of it. How could a God so big, become so small to save every human on earth? It is more than our minds can comprehend, but as long as we walk by faith and seek God and the truth for ourselves we can know the love of Christ. As we learn about the love of God and what He has done for us, and as we follow in His footsteps, then we too can carry the smell of Christmas (Ephesians 5:2; 2 Corinthians 2:14).
See the virgin is delivered
In a cold and crowded stall
Mirror of the Father's glory
Lies beside her in the straw
He is mercy's incarnation
Marvel at this miracle
For the virgin gently holds
The Glorious Impossible
Love has come to walk on water
Turn the water into wine
Touch the leper, bless the children
Love both human and divine
Praise the wisdom of the Father
Who has spoken through His Son
Speaking still, He calls us to
The Glorious Impossible
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Glorious Impossible
He was bruised for our transgressions
And He bears eternal scars
He was raised for our salvation
And His righteousness is ours
Praise, oh, praise Him, praise the glory
Of this lavish grace so full
Lift your souls now and receive
The Glorious Impossible
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Glorious Impossible
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Glorious Impossible, Glorious Impossible
Praise, oh, praise Him, praise the glory
Of this lavish grace so full
Lift your souls now and receive
The Glorious Impossible
~Glorious Impossible by Carl Cartee~
Monday, December 20, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
To Whom Much is Given, Much is Required
...[F]rom everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
~Luke 12:48 (NASB)~
We see this in everyday life. Rich people pay more taxes. Adults do more work than children. The list could go on and on. But never has this saying meant more to me than right now. As I write this, I am also preparing my first lesson for a discipleship group God has seen fit to let me lead. I do not know if it is going to be one lady or ten. I do not know if they are going to be my age or older. All I know is that I have been taught and it is now my turn to teach. After all, that is the core of discipleship. You learn to follow Jesus to turn around and teach others the same. This is the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). This is every Christians' purpose in life. This is what God intended Jesus' disciples to do. This is my biggest, most important responsibility. It is scary and exciting all at once. Most of all though, it is amazing to see God's hand at work in my life. It is cool to see how He has sent people to teach me and now asks me to do the same. God's given me so much and now it is my turn to give to others and give back to Him.
Empty hands held high
Such small sacrifice
If not joined with my life
I sing in vain tonight
May the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
I want to sign Your name
At the end of the day
Knowing that my heart was true
Let my lifesong sing to You
Lord, I give my life
A living sacrifice
To reach a world in need
To be Your hands and feet
So may the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
I want to sign Your name
At the end of this day
Knowing that my heart was true
Let my lifesong sing to You
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Let my lifesong sing to You
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Let my lifesing sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
I want to sign Your name
At the end of this day
Knowing that my heart was true
Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
I want to sign Your name
At the end of this day
Knowing that my heart was true
Let my lifesong sing to You
~Lifesong by Casting Crowns~
~Luke 12:48 (NASB)~
We see this in everyday life. Rich people pay more taxes. Adults do more work than children. The list could go on and on. But never has this saying meant more to me than right now. As I write this, I am also preparing my first lesson for a discipleship group God has seen fit to let me lead. I do not know if it is going to be one lady or ten. I do not know if they are going to be my age or older. All I know is that I have been taught and it is now my turn to teach. After all, that is the core of discipleship. You learn to follow Jesus to turn around and teach others the same. This is the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). This is every Christians' purpose in life. This is what God intended Jesus' disciples to do. This is my biggest, most important responsibility. It is scary and exciting all at once. Most of all though, it is amazing to see God's hand at work in my life. It is cool to see how He has sent people to teach me and now asks me to do the same. God's given me so much and now it is my turn to give to others and give back to Him.
Empty hands held high
Such small sacrifice
If not joined with my life
I sing in vain tonight
May the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
I want to sign Your name
At the end of the day
Knowing that my heart was true
Let my lifesong sing to You
Lord, I give my life
A living sacrifice
To reach a world in need
To be Your hands and feet
So may the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
I want to sign Your name
At the end of this day
Knowing that my heart was true
Let my lifesong sing to You
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Let my lifesong sing to You
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Let my lifesing sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
I want to sign Your name
At the end of this day
Knowing that my heart was true
Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
I want to sign Your name
At the end of this day
Knowing that my heart was true
Let my lifesong sing to You
~Lifesong by Casting Crowns~
Monday, May 24, 2010
Wasted, By Who's Standards?
A lot has happened since my last post. I didn't get into the school I wanted (crying was involved). I registered for the school I didn't want to go to (it'll be a great education anyway). I still have no idea what's happening with my life (God does!!!!). All these things are happening for a reason. I may not know what they are, but they have a purpose (Ecclesiastes 3:1-14). With that said, I want to write about being wasted.
Wasted - done to no avail; useless; to consume, spend, or employ uselessly
I was listening to the radio one day while on a transport for work. It was on some rap station (not at all my kind of music). Anyway, a commercial came on about a local club. They were advertising their weekend deals and specials. The part that caught my attention was their "wasted" Fridays. They were talking about $5 shots and coming out on Friday and getting crunk (crazy drunk). This was the what they spent their allotted 1 minute 30 seconds repeating (if you don't know anything about repetition, it's the quickest and easiest way to learn and memorize something, for it to sink into your mind permanently). It got me thinking about how sad that is, if the highlight of a person's week is to go out and drink until you can't think straight. What kind of life is that? What's the purpose?
Yet, there are so many other ways in which we waste our lives. It doesn't have to involve alcohol or drugs, finding a high to get you away from the world. There are so many things to get addicted to that uselessly consume our time. Television, music, make believe, dreams, focusing on negativity, focusing on the fact that there seems to be no purpose or direction, thinking that what you're doing now isn't accomplishing anything (my biggest problem now). As a Christian, it could be not doing all God has asked (guilty as charged). We are His workmanship created to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). If we are too busy focusing on the stuff, on what we are or aren't doing, what we should be doing; we're not looking at God, we are wasting our lives.
There is nothing at all wrong with asking God what His purpose for your life is. There is nothing wrong with pursuing that purpose. BUT it has to be accomplished in HIS time, NOT ours. I get disappointed by the fact that I don't know where He wants me to be in life, what my career is going to be, what He wants me to do now, what He wants me to do later. I get so wrapped up in it that I waste my time. He has me exactly where He wants me to be, doing exactly what He wants me to be doing. When it's time for me to move on to something else He is more than capable of moving me there. I don't have to be worried about. I don't have to obsess. I don't have constantly bug Him about it. He knows what He's doing with my life and how He's going to get me there (Jeremiah 29:11). My only job is to focus on Him and work where He has me now, doing what I'm doing (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Romans 12:1-2). Anything else is wasting the time He's given.
Standing at the back door
She tried to make it fast
One tear hit the hardwood
It fell like broken glass
She said sometimes love slips away
And you just can't get it back
Let's face it
For one split second
She almost turned around
But that would be like pouring raindrops
Back into a cloud
So she took another step and said
I see the way out and I'm gonna take it
I don't wanna spend my life jaded
Waiting to wake up one day and find
That I let all these years go by
Wasted
Another glass of whiskey
But it still don't kill the pain
So he stumbles to the sink
And pours it down the drain
He said it's time to be a man
And stop living for yesterday
Gotta face it
'Cause I don't want to spend my life jaded
Waiting to wake up one day and find
That I let all these years go by
Wasted
Oh, I don't want to keep on wishing
Missing the still of the morning
The color of the night
I ain't spending no more time
Wasted
She kept driving along
'Til the moon and the sun
Were floatin' side by side
He looked in the mirror
And his eyes were clear
For the first time in while, yeah
Oh, I don't want to spend my life jaded
Waiting to wake up one day and find
That I let all these years go by
Wasted
Oh, I don't want to keep on wishing
Missing the still of the morning
The color of the night
I ain't spending no more time
Wasted
Oh, I don't want to spend my life jaded
Waiting to wake up one day and find
That I let all these years go by
Wasted, yeah, yeah
Oh, I don't want to keep on wishing
Missing the still of the morning
The color of the night
I ain't spending no more time
Wasted
~Wasted by Carrie Underwood~
Wasted - done to no avail; useless; to consume, spend, or employ uselessly
I was listening to the radio one day while on a transport for work. It was on some rap station (not at all my kind of music). Anyway, a commercial came on about a local club. They were advertising their weekend deals and specials. The part that caught my attention was their "wasted" Fridays. They were talking about $5 shots and coming out on Friday and getting crunk (crazy drunk). This was the what they spent their allotted 1 minute 30 seconds repeating (if you don't know anything about repetition, it's the quickest and easiest way to learn and memorize something, for it to sink into your mind permanently). It got me thinking about how sad that is, if the highlight of a person's week is to go out and drink until you can't think straight. What kind of life is that? What's the purpose?
Yet, there are so many other ways in which we waste our lives. It doesn't have to involve alcohol or drugs, finding a high to get you away from the world. There are so many things to get addicted to that uselessly consume our time. Television, music, make believe, dreams, focusing on negativity, focusing on the fact that there seems to be no purpose or direction, thinking that what you're doing now isn't accomplishing anything (my biggest problem now). As a Christian, it could be not doing all God has asked (guilty as charged). We are His workmanship created to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). If we are too busy focusing on the stuff, on what we are or aren't doing, what we should be doing; we're not looking at God, we are wasting our lives.
There is nothing at all wrong with asking God what His purpose for your life is. There is nothing wrong with pursuing that purpose. BUT it has to be accomplished in HIS time, NOT ours. I get disappointed by the fact that I don't know where He wants me to be in life, what my career is going to be, what He wants me to do now, what He wants me to do later. I get so wrapped up in it that I waste my time. He has me exactly where He wants me to be, doing exactly what He wants me to be doing. When it's time for me to move on to something else He is more than capable of moving me there. I don't have to be worried about. I don't have to obsess. I don't have constantly bug Him about it. He knows what He's doing with my life and how He's going to get me there (Jeremiah 29:11). My only job is to focus on Him and work where He has me now, doing what I'm doing (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Romans 12:1-2). Anything else is wasting the time He's given.
Standing at the back door
She tried to make it fast
One tear hit the hardwood
It fell like broken glass
She said sometimes love slips away
And you just can't get it back
Let's face it
For one split second
She almost turned around
But that would be like pouring raindrops
Back into a cloud
So she took another step and said
I see the way out and I'm gonna take it
I don't wanna spend my life jaded
Waiting to wake up one day and find
That I let all these years go by
Wasted
Another glass of whiskey
But it still don't kill the pain
So he stumbles to the sink
And pours it down the drain
He said it's time to be a man
And stop living for yesterday
Gotta face it
'Cause I don't want to spend my life jaded
Waiting to wake up one day and find
That I let all these years go by
Wasted
Oh, I don't want to keep on wishing
Missing the still of the morning
The color of the night
I ain't spending no more time
Wasted
She kept driving along
'Til the moon and the sun
Were floatin' side by side
He looked in the mirror
And his eyes were clear
For the first time in while, yeah
Oh, I don't want to spend my life jaded
Waiting to wake up one day and find
That I let all these years go by
Wasted
Oh, I don't want to keep on wishing
Missing the still of the morning
The color of the night
I ain't spending no more time
Wasted
Oh, I don't want to spend my life jaded
Waiting to wake up one day and find
That I let all these years go by
Wasted, yeah, yeah
Oh, I don't want to keep on wishing
Missing the still of the morning
The color of the night
I ain't spending no more time
Wasted
~Wasted by Carrie Underwood~
Sunday, March 21, 2010
*Be still and know that I am God*
These are the words God gave me when I was worrying about graduate school. A hard lesson to learn, though it is where I am right now. At this point I have applied to two schools, one through the encouragement and insistance of my Sunday school teacher, Melanie, and her daughter. They said, "Life's short. Why not have an adventure?" They teamed up against me and told me that I have taken on too much responsibility for my age and that I need to go have some fun. My argument was that I had already made my decision and I shouldn't change my mind. Plus, what about my family? Those first few days after we talked about my applying for that school I was nervous and unsure, thinking about all the "What ifs?" That was on a Monday. On Wednesday, around 5:55 p.m., I felt this desire to go to church. Normally, I don't go to church on Wednesday nights, and since it starts at 6:00 I didn't think I would go, but that night I felt like I should. So I went and when I arrived, Bro. Danny was starting to preach. He was going through Psalm 46, preaching about peace. The verse that stuck out the most was verse 10, "Cease striving (be still) and know that I am God". Immediately I stopped and knew that God was talking to me and telling me to stop worrying about all the "What ifs?" and to just trust Him. While that is always easier said than done, I have come to cling to that verse everytime I worry about grad school and where I am going. After a few days, I began to become excited about it. I got everything together for my application and got all the godliest women I know to pray with and for me as I pursued this avenue. The day I went to send my application all my fears and doubts came back. I was scared I was making the wrong decision, scared I was going to be rejected, scared of what my family might say. I focused on all my insecurities and when I told Melanie she reminded me to get still before God and listen. I was too nervous, too scared of what He might say. But when I finally did He reminded me of His words, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). Those few little words whispered into the storms of my thoughts brought so much comfort. I'm still nervous, but everytime I begin to worry about the unknown I think of those words and God brings me peace.
He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me
And oh, how He loves us, oh
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us all
He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me
And oh, how He loves us, oh
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us all
He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves
And we are His portion and He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about, the way
That He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves
Yeah, He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves
Yeah, He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves
~How He Loves by David Crowder Band~
He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me
And oh, how He loves us, oh
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us all
He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me
And oh, how He loves us, oh
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us all
He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves
And we are His portion and He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about, the way
That He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves
Yeah, He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves
Yeah, He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves
~How He Loves by David Crowder Band~
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
First Entry
Hi Everyone,
Welcome to my first blog. I don't know how long it will last or where God will lead me with it. All I want is to be open to where He leads. The "About Me" section says it all about why I have started this blog. Feel free to ask any questions and I will do my best to provide truthful answers. If you are reading this and don't have much, or any knowledge, of the Bible and don't understand what the references mean, I suggest going to http://www.biblegateway.com/ and typing the reference in the quick search. This will display for you the verses I have posted from the Bible. I hope that as I go through this life I can have an impact for God. I want Him to use me for His great purposes (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 12:1-2). Thanks for joining me on this journey.
What will they say when I'm gone
In words that are written in stone
Under my name
What will they claim about me
Oh, I want to leave a legacy to be remembered
More than just a memory that fades away
Because we only, we only get one life
Free me, my hands are tied
I'm so tired of wasting time
These endless inventions
Steal my attention from real life
And when it's done, when it's over
Oh, I want to leave a legacy to be remembered
More than just a memory that fades away
Because we only, we only get one life
And will the world see Christ
When they look at my life
Oh, will the world see
Oh, come on, give me, give me, give me real life
And no more, no more, no more wasting time
Because we only, we only get one life
Oh, I want to leave a legacy to be remembered
More than just a memory that fades away
Because we only, we only
Because we only, we only get one life
~Legacy by Sanctus Real~
Welcome to my first blog. I don't know how long it will last or where God will lead me with it. All I want is to be open to where He leads. The "About Me" section says it all about why I have started this blog. Feel free to ask any questions and I will do my best to provide truthful answers. If you are reading this and don't have much, or any knowledge, of the Bible and don't understand what the references mean, I suggest going to http://www.biblegateway.com/ and typing the reference in the quick search. This will display for you the verses I have posted from the Bible. I hope that as I go through this life I can have an impact for God. I want Him to use me for His great purposes (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 12:1-2). Thanks for joining me on this journey.
What will they say when I'm gone
In words that are written in stone
Under my name
What will they claim about me
Oh, I want to leave a legacy to be remembered
More than just a memory that fades away
Because we only, we only get one life
Free me, my hands are tied
I'm so tired of wasting time
These endless inventions
Steal my attention from real life
And when it's done, when it's over
Oh, I want to leave a legacy to be remembered
More than just a memory that fades away
Because we only, we only get one life
And will the world see Christ
When they look at my life
Oh, will the world see
Oh, come on, give me, give me, give me real life
And no more, no more, no more wasting time
Because we only, we only get one life
Oh, I want to leave a legacy to be remembered
More than just a memory that fades away
Because we only, we only
Because we only, we only get one life
~Legacy by Sanctus Real~
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