to the 4th graders... but to you too!

There is really nothing more that i would like to encourage you in that the best friend that you have is Jesus. He is always there to listen, someone to cry to and He will never leave you. Sometimes though, we need somebody "with skin on" a person to talk to, to be held by, somebody who comforts. The best place you will find this is with somebody who is a follower of Christ, I have found with my friends, i have the most encouragement, the best comfort and understanding is from those girl friends that are Christians, following God with their full heart... they have been there through the good and the bad... there's no need to hide anything, but to be honest and know that they love and accept me as i am and desire to see me become more like Christ.  I want to leave you encouraging you to not only look for friends like that, but more to BE A FRIEND LIKE THAT.  Jesus commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves, that means you must love others as you want to be loved.  you must listen as you want to be listened to.  hug like you want to be hugged.  and really just put somebody else's desires first.  it is in this you will uncover the most meaningful relationships... i love you girls.

Oh Jonah!

tonight i was humbled by the story of jonah, thinking about him RUNNING the opposite way of God's will, while still acknowledging God... seeing that he knew what to do and found no place for repenance in his heart, 3 days three long days of silence until he finally cried out to God, oh how stubborn!  (how much like me!?)  Jonah then being set free from this captivity by desire stirred... only then to be frustrated when GOD's will occurs and the people are brought to repentance. 
what an amazing story  what an encouragement...

where are the places that i see missing spots missing inklings of grace and the holes for truth... SPEAK THE TRUTH AND LIVE.

-peace.

trust.

what a huge word, as i reflect on what God's been teaching me, and even what i've seen Him doing in my friends lives, TRUST has been such a key word.
It's really all throughout scripture, how many times we're encouraged to simply trust.  the place we find strength (isa30:15) it's a place that's SAFE.  It's truly a joy. 
Trust, what is trust really.  I have a friend that mentioned that he's studying trust in psychology class today, and how he was just captured by the subject, i suppose i never really thought about trust from a "psychological" stand point... it's kinda been building inside of me, i suppose something i think about a bunch is how really do i express things... the depth of them, that sometimes i might not even understand, and cant' form the words... there's such a place, it's a place of glory, it's a place of freedom, it's a place where the truth is held to the highest priority.  I WANT TO LIVE THERE!  Trust, ruthless trust in the Lord with my whole heart, looks beyond circumstances and looks beyond my own heart.
that's all folks.  trust, simple whole hearted trust.
one step at a a time.

Shepard

today, i have spent and continue to spend time reflecting on, Hebrews 13:20-21

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

As i reflect on my life and where i've been for the past several years, i'll quckly acknowledge that i've been looking for a shepherd.  i've mentioned it in several conversations and i've definately lived my life in such a way that shows that to be true... to a degree, it's a place i've tried to have PEOPLE tell me what to do do enter into "safety"... but really thinking about shepards, Jesus Himself proclaimed "I am the Good Shepard." (john 10)

so, this means there's a "bad sheperd", or at the least a not so good shepard... these are the counterfeits.  the ones that either we've allowed to be the shepard in our lives, or the ones that we've listened to and been manipulated into following.  "My sheep know my voice" . . .
i have come that they may have life abundant (10:10)... we had a discussion yesterday while playing 20 questions about "what is alive" someone chimed in anything with a soul, there were some discussion about that and about animals having souls, etc... remembering my science classes, i chimed in what about the you know "5 kingdoms" so i looked up what they are, and stuff, and i also decided to look up the definiation of life,

Life is a characteristic of organisms that exhibit certain biological processes such as chemical reactions or other events that results in a transformation. Living organisms are capable of growth and reproduction, some can communicate and many can adapt to their environment through changes originating internally (from wikipedia)

THAT RESULTS IN A TRANSFORMATION!  He Has come that we might be transformed...and really, noone else can do that.
maybe today i'll find a field of sheep and go hang out... well maybe not, but it wouldn't be the worst idea in the world...

music

tends to say the words i cannot.
Casting Crowns, Somewhere in the Middle.

listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DveYBno-pmQ

or...
read:

Somewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle
Are we caught in the middle

Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves

Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more
Somewhere in the middle You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle

Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle

Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You're by my side
Loving me even on these nights when I'm caught in the middle,
caught in the middle

light a candle.

you know, i was thinking today about priests in the old testament, they came before God shrouded in incense.  a tangible sign of their entering into his presence.  today i decided that i'm gonna start lighting a candle as i come before Him for quiet times.  It's a simple gesture to put myself in a place of realizing I'm on Holy ground, hopefully it will stir a bit of discipline too... day one was pretty encouraging... i really don't want to rely on the "FEELING of accomplishment" that i spent time with God, but really on the contentedness that only He can bring... Ya, i think i might be "gettting it"

The reality

I was listening to a short teaching which reflected on the supremacy of Christ, and how we have no joy outside of what He gives us, and how we do not need anything that does not come from Him... and then i said it out loud...

God, I kinda believe it!

Now, to REALLY believe it...with my life.