Jesus

While I sat at church the night before Christmas and quieted myself to listen to those sitting in wood pews around me, I heard something. Something maybe I might I have heard and let it go from my mind, but instead I got to thinking. They said, " I am not feeling very Christmasy." Now, while the music that was being played wasn't the usual music heard, I was so struck by this woman's comment. I wanted to turn around and say, "Hey, what do you matter anyway, we are celebrating the birth of Jesus..." Then I remembered how I say things like that as well. I am an only child and sometimes I just expect the party to be about me. 

I wish I had this living in love and my relationship with Jesus all together. I wish I knew how to simply love others and to easily forgive, but the news is, I don't and I never will have it all together. I hope I make strides and change my way of thought because Jesus helps me to.  I know that I will always love Jesus. Why? Because He calls me His Beloved, even when I cheat on Him for something or someone way less redeeming, forgiving, and worthless. 

Amen, for His birth, sacrifice, and being the living God.

Good, Good End

Many times I am inspired, touched, and moved by words of lyrics, books, and quotes. Some of my greatest revelations come from the words of others. Here is one quote I find to be deeply true in what I believe, and how I hope I walk out my life.

We are only asked to love, to offer hope to the many hopeless. We don't get to choose all the endings, but we are asked to play the rescuers. We won't solve all mysteries and our hearts will certainly break in such a vulnerable life, but it is the best way. We were made to be lovers bold in broken places, pouring ourselves out again and again until we're called home.
www.twloha.com

There is also a song that has recently made my heart sing. It is so true of how I look at Jesus and my life right now. (by waterdeep)

You can leave right now
You can ring a bell
You can tell ‘em you think I ain’t doin’ too well
But when I stood like you
I eventually fell
So you can leave right now
Go on and ring your bell

I’m amazed by life
And it’s amazed by me
We’re a strange old pair- me and eternity
It don’t make good sense
It ain’t easy to see
But I’m amazed by life
And it’s amazed by me

It’s a long hard road

With a good, good end
And if I keep on walking on past the crooked bend
I will meet my Maker
I will meet my Friend
It’s a long hard road
With a good, good end

to live would be an awfully big adventure...

St. Augustine

“Some people, in order to discover God, read books. But there is a great book: the very appearance of created things. Look above you! Look below you! Read it. God, whom you want to discover, never wrote that book with ink. Instead, He set before your eyes the things that He had made. Can you ask for a louder voice than that?”

Life is crazy, but I'm glad to be living it.

serve God, save the planet

That phrase seems simple enough. "Serve God, Save the Planet." I've been on and off reading this book. Lately, and also while I sit in my bed not able to sleep, I've been thinking, but generally not understanding why people don't choose to conserve energy, recycle plastic and aluminum, make simple changes in life so that 50 years from now our kids don't have to walk down the street of filth. You always hear your grandparents say, "I remember walking to school in 6 feet of snow, no shoes, and up hill both ways." I hope I never have to hear a child complain about not seeing a beautiful sunset because the SMOG was blocking it. Most of the world already can't find clean water, a nice big, green tree to sit under, or good land (because it has eroded from overgrazing). I feel like the earth is flashing a big huge neon sign at humans! Many of the Christians I run into don't even care, yet we sing lovely worship songs which most sing of God's amazing beauty in nature. Man, God IS so beautiful and He has given us an incredible Earth, but in the past 200 years we have butchered it, literally, like we have an endless amount of resources. There is no sustainability in much of what we do in our everyday lives. I want to see Recycling bins on my campus...where are they?



I know I say a lot and most of the time find it hard to be heard, but one day, hopefully not too late, people will see.


Will your discarded TV end up in a ditch in Ghana?



over-grazing


illegal deforestation

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/01/high-tech-trash/carroll-text

Seeing Jack Johnson in concert on Friday marks the beginning of this next year for me. I have no idea what the Lord has in store, but He has already started teaching and showing me things. Others opinions of me don't matter, only His. I struggle with other peoples comments and remarks directed to me when they make me feel like crap, but I am realizing that it's not just me being sensitive, but also putting their words before the Lord's.
By the way, Jack Johnson's concert was a-maz-ing! He was so great!
sidenote: There were so many people smoking around me, that the second hand smoke was the probably the equivalent of me smoking a cigarette myself. Sick.

That's all folks, now for some coffee.

the end of summer

this is my first post! I used to have something like this a few years ago, but anyway, I love the idea of blogs because it atleast gives me chance to sit down and think and express my view of life to others, if they happen to read.

Lately i have thought a lot about my time. what i do with my time, etc. This summer i spent everyday outside seeing, doing, running, playing, growing. It was so wonderful, but i was glad to come home recently and chill for about a week, but this last week has been spent, sadly, in front of the t.v. gosh i hate that. it has been time not well spent, but someone said this idea and since then i have realized it's okay.

it is the simple truth of God's everlasting, never changing, so ginormous love for me. I wish every day i got up and said, "Lord, show me more of your love for me," and every day was this walk in the park, skip alongside the ocean on a beautiful sandy beach day, hand-in-hand with Jesus, but it is not, maybe sometimes it is, but really we just live and love. He shows us His love in the details mostly. Those times where if we aren't paying attention, we just might miss it. Why does He do it that way? I don't know, why does He do many things. All I know, is that when He shows love in small ways my heart is again and again ravished. But man I pray for this next year at school, when I am off my rear here at home, that I would see those tiny moments where He expresses His love and that I would thank Him.

He knows my heart, Praise Him, and my heart longs to be with Him, to spend every second knowing what He did for me and how much He really does know me. Welcome to the adventure. If i already knew all about the Lord and His love, the adventure would be...well, dull.