What’s there to say. How am I to react,

When a friend, so called friend stabs you right in the back,

Not looking for trouble, not a hypochondriac,

But now I’m kinda jaded, wondering if they deserve any slack,

And of course they don’t, but inside my heart’s choked,

Trying to swallow my pain, acting like I’m able to cope,

But to be honest, I feel like I haven’t got any hope,

Like my enemy and best friend ran away and eloped.

Sick inside my soul, I’m losing control

On the world that I’m tugging, I’m losing my hold,

Deep inside my being, yeah, I know there’s a hole,

And I just want to feel complete, I want to be full

Ask my why I turned, I would tell you “twas God”

If you asked why I’m special, I’d probably say that I’m not,

You made me think you agreed when you gave me the nod,

But now I know you’re a phony, from the ground that you trod.

I feel in my heart where you left your footprints in the sod,

Wore my love for awhile, my blood red ephod,

Until you decided it would be a prisoner’s garb you would shod.

My heart that you would rob, my flesh that you would flog,

But now I’m kinda jaded, surrounded by fog

My spirit’s weak, and my will is coughing,

Luckily I’m still alive and I’m not in a coffin,

Every day I survive, it’s another day that I’m robbing,

Every day I survive, it’s another day sobbing.

Bless the Lord O my soul, is such a difficult command,

How can I give from my spirit, when I have trouble giving by hand?

How can I give when all I got is a sham,

From my spirit you pour forth love, but my heart is its dam

The E-mail

Hey guys,

The following is a summary of what took place this past Thursday (Nov. 8) at noon in the chapel outside of Saga...

At 12:05p.m. a few moments were taken to meditate on the gravity of what we were doing, or supposed to be doing...praying. Is prayer powerful? If so, are we, in any way limiting its power...His power to work through it. Are we limiting the relationship we have with God by not engaging in prayer in the MOST profitable way for our spirits? Are we praying in a way that pleases God? After engaging these questions in silence, the proposition was made to do the following:

1) Take a period of time to pray individually, asking God "What do You desire for us to pray for, to ask for, Lord?"

2) Write down all that you believe the Spirit is prompting (let no hesitancy keep you from writing everything...don't worry about "it might just be my own thoughts..."

3) We regrouped after the period of listening to God's answer (understanding that we prayed ahead of time regarding that our intention was not to place God in a timeframe within which He had to answer).

4) All the individual prayer-covered sheets of paper were collected.

5) Paul Mueller and I (David Stehlik) went through the sheets, isolating all of the prayers which were unified throughout the group; that is, we looked for prayers that were similar and began recording them and expanding upon them as different sheets added specific related requests.

6) We were challenged to spend time actually praying these prayers inside and outside of noon-day prayer...

Following is the list of prayers.

Remember, the purpose of this prayer list is that we would be stronger in prayer...that we could hear more clearly...being more in tune with the Spirit, and therefore more exhibitive of Christ and His victory...the challenge is not to pray everything you can for as long as you can...it's about having hearts of intercessors...being people who actually care, and therefore, being people engaged in prayer

Try to select one or two of these and pray in unison throughout this week...also, ask God to increase the clarity of the prayer He desires us to pray...WRITE IT DOWN and bring it to noon-day prayer on Thursday as we can praise God for His faithfulness.

That there would be an intense unity of ALL believers on campus...not just "HCF" Christians...that He would move us to encourage by the Spirit rather than by our minds (not what we think, but what He knows)...that our perspective would be a Kingdom perspective (often we can become focused on our ministries and not God's ministry, losing sight of those to whom we are privileged to minister - which includes other ministers)...that our families would be unified in Christ

That we would make ourselves humble...that we would act with authentic selflessness (not hypocrites speaking God from our lips but far from Him with our hearts...being willing to submit to Him (not begrudgingly but desirously)...that we would be deliver ourselves up to be broken (REBUKE US!), that we might be rebuilt....story of rebuilding Jerusalem...

That we would seek direction with greater vigor...that we would care where we are and where we're supposed to be headed (Discovering God's will for us as individuals is what we often prayer, but we also desire to know where we are to head as His body)

That we would persevere in the faith and not lose heart or become hardened and cynical, that we would not "cling to worthless idols and forfeit the grace that could be ours"--->getting serious about our faith, and His faith in us--->being disciplined (spiritual disciplines not to become more holy but to maintain the holiness He's imparted to us)---->that we would take a break to reflect and meditate on God....Pause

That God would develop in us an incredible fear for Him and deliver unto us great understanding to handle all situations in a manner worthy of one who bears His name...that we might develop Wisdom by His Spirit providing for us in this manner

Leaders...that we first recognize that God is the Leader...and all His followers are servants...and that we pray for those servants--à who can only be effective if empowered by the Spirit.

Note: What preceded was by no means suggesting that petition is the only way can and ought to engage in prayer (see Phil. 4), but it was emphasized because the purpose of this "exercise" was and is to recognize that our knowledge is severely limited, and He has the answers, desiring for us to be in harmony with His will.

Faithful

He said we're heirs to royalty,
Now, we're royally clothed in His loyalty.

new links

I added some links to blogs that you might like to check out

Memory

I'm memorizing Psalm 103 right now...feel free to join me.

How did God decide to create the memory? If the world wasn't fallen, would our memories be perfect? Are some people better images of God because they can remember more and remember more clearly? Are photographic memories what we're all supposed to have?

What made God so solidly connect smell to memory? What hidden mystery is there here?

The idea of our prayers and offerings and lives in general being pleasing aroma's to the Lord...does this have any significance here?

Poison

I get apathetic, living like I'm an atheist,
Why don't I care about what's in store, instead living like a whore.
Why do I adulterize my life, against my God I sin, in spite
Of what I know is true, that actions paid, mean consequences due

Now, I can only trust in Him, to deliver me from Himself...
It's hard to imagine a God who loves, a God I call my Help.
He's given blood and spirit to ensure that I will live,
He's taken my adulteries upon His unblemished Head.

Please tell me about creation.
How'd you manifest contemplation?
What's the essence of elation?
How'd you texturize sensation?
How'd you choose on copulation?
Why'd you allow in frustration?
All from one source, with zero distillation.

Please tell me about Yourself so that I can know me too,
If I'm just the image, then an imagined sense won't do.
I need the facts ineffable, I need the tried and true,
I need to feed this hunger for reality, that's You.

You speak me into existence and sustain me by Your Word,
If ever Your name doesn't leave my lips, that's my last breath you heard.



Glory is substance, that residue of God,
He leaves when we're following, to know where He has trod.

D-Troit

I went on a short outreach "missions-trip" to East Detroit this past Friday and Saturday. We held an over-nighter at Charity Lutheran Church for some local youth. We played games, ate lots of food, had a time of worship, shared the Gospel through a bit of my testimony, watched movies, and took time just to talk. It was awesome. In the process my good friend's car was stolen out of the church's parking lot. If you would pray for him, that would be awesome. He's had the most incredibly edifying attitude through the whole ordeal. He doesn't even let the incident phase him. He told me, "it's just a thing." May God abundantly bless his spirit.

In the midst of this cloud surrounding,
There's so much of God's love around me.
His people are like love bombs exploding, Loudly