Praise

Heart bowed low, hands lifted up,
I'm blown away that You drank my cup,
I cannot understand why You would take my pain,
The only explanation is that You had something to gain...
And so I was left wracking my brain,
What in the world would lead a Man to do what others considered insane?
Then I read the Word and recognized you were protecting Your Name.
A most glorious thing,
God enfleshed Himself, Savior, coming to claim,
But many didn't see that You came,
Ignorance led the masses to demonstrate the profane,
But You controlled the dice, and so it worked to reestablish Your reign,
O You're so holy that You took our blame,
You are perfectly merciful and just, Jesus, to You be all fame.

Maranatha

I have joy deep within, embedded in my skin,
My mind won't and can't stop from praising Him.
There is nothing else to satisfy this hunger we have,
Except Jesus Christ, God Himself, Who suffered His own wrath,
In order to save us, His creation, from our dessert,
And in alignment with His justice He took the punishment deserved by His handiwork.
Mercy to the utmost, never to be equaled,
Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, we await Your sequel.

A new feel

Yo, you can bite my lyrics if you want to,
they weren’t even mine in the first place to run through,
and we can’t undo, what’s been done, Jesus Christ is the One Who,
lived the perfect life, trusting the Father Whom our praise is unto,

He demands a pure fellowship, full of godly children,
why are we walking in the dark, teaching them to get ill then?
Hit the brakes and quit sacrificing Jesus to pay the bill then,
Or you’ll get crushed by the Rock that built the building. H
aven’t you yet been filled in?
Jesus Christ took your sins, and the Father’s wrath killed Him,
but death couldn’t still Him,
He rose and those people for whom he died, He healed them.

Most of all, He glorified His Father with every step that he took,
though you wouldn’t be able to fit all that He did in a world full of books,
but we have a compilation, originally starting with the chosen nation,
highlighted to demonstrate how God acts on behalf of His people and saves them,
all creatures praise Him,
fill your glasses full of wine and raise them,
Remember the broken body and the blood that He shed to graze them,
set them in His pasture and taught them to obey Him….

18 page done
6 page done


over break I will try to complete the 8 and 10 page papers; outline most if not all of the books I haven't finished in the OT; and get some good research done on the other 15-20 page paper


also, some new raps/poems should emerge soon

memory work

I'm still working on 1 John...3 chapters complete

I'm also started through Isaiah today...I've decided to look a bit into the use of trees in the book, specifically oak trees. Chapter 1 vs 58 and 61

Midterm tomorrow
Papers due before end of semester
2 x 15-20 pages
1 x 10
1 x 8
1 x 5
Old Testament outlines - 50-75 pages

Then finals



Suffocating the way the time keeps fading,
Debating, on what to spend my time,
Focused for a minute but my concentration keeps breaking,
And now my spirit's aching,
Pressed by all the work because I spent it elsewhere waiting (on),
Listening too, loving others because that's what I was made to do.

Why Lincoln Laughed By Russell Herman Conwell

Why Lincoln Laughed By Russell Herman Conwell: ""

Hot off the press, imprinted with inkjets,
Welcoming all encouragement, disdaining all threats,
Be sure to place your bets, cause we're playing our best,
You might think it's in jest, but I'm not issuing test,
I wouldn't leave you to guess, So I'm gonna put it to rest,
This is what is going down to my closest estimate,
I'll give you half, refrain, and then give you the rest of it,
I could be wrong, so judge wisely before you stand next to it,
Though if you're wise, you'll mark down an x for it,
Be careful lest you become an introverted invertebrate,
A combination with no action, no life,
A selfish satisfaction which makes the lost man his own guide,
A driver-less ride, a lion of one pride,
A man with no heirs at his death bed's side,
Still holding his head high, but he doesn't know why,
What in the world could make it so he didn't have to die?
Another meeting? More money, who could he bribe?
But the fear began to subside and he starts to cry,
There's nothing that can save him, nothing in sight.
Depression's onset, it's not the worse it'll get,
Give him a little longer after his face is wet,
Let the pain sink until God's grace is met.
Then in the throes of death,
Maybe God will give him breath,
Maybe God will lead the man to repent,
Spent his years on straw and dirt, not on the gems,
After all this time wasted, God's looking back at him,
Unless he repents how could God not choose to condemn,
For the man has rejected him, neglected Him,
Pushed away the greatest God, served others, and settled for them,
And in the end, settled for sin, even though God took the win.


Oh man caught up in yourself,
Let go of your pride,
and make God your help,
Or you'll end up just living to die
Give up your evil ways, and your violence
Read the Word of God and make covenant with each one of your eyelids,
Job would say, "That's what I did."
Don't look at me, I didn't write it, but I'll delight in abiding in it.
Minding it, binding it around my heart, my soul,
I won't live the lull, I demand His control,
I plan my life to be set apart, to diamond from coal,
Answering roll, falling into line, His glory my goal.
So Holy Spirit cajole me,
Convict me, push me and pull me along,
Put in my heart and mouth a brand new song,
Answer the cravings for which my heart won't cease to long
This isn't a lease we're on, this is my whole life that's gone,
Either I'm right or wrong,
So I'm biting down upon this bullet or bomb,
Theological truth or con,
Jesus or the uberman

Every minute that passes, passes away,
Every day we live is one less day,
Every semester is just one fewer we stay,
Every life that dies, is soon replaced
Every decision is one less option on the plate
But what if choice was of the the utmost state,
And what if with that once choice we made a mistake,
That would couldn't change, ever


So I'm coming as quick as can be,
To help you understand the truth that He planted in me,
I don't want to confuse, and so I'm speaking candidly,
Yeah, red-handed, me, caught in the act of preaching the Good News,
To those who reject, they lose,
Line up in twos, one left one right, those are the rules,
Those Who say God doesn't exist are fools,
I care that you disagree, because it affects you, but it also affects me,
Because I desire for God to receive due glory,
And when you repent of your sins,
God proves you're a precious gem from his treasure quarry,
O the story, Heaven's angels tell,
About God becoming man to save your soul from Hell,
To bring honor to the name of the Father well.

that's the first 3-4 minutues of the next song

Shining like the Sun, the Son blazes through the night,
The fire pillar keeping me safe and hemmed in tight.
You could erase the day but He'd still be burning bright.

Praise the Lord. Scream your lungs out about how great He is. How can you still breath so slowly and speak so softly when God is still so glorious? Waste all of your health, your wealth, your style, your time, everything. Spend it all upon Jesus and His Gospel. O How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!

Wake us up O LORD GOD! Show us the reality of our citizenship. Show us whose we are. Blessed be Your name forever. Amen!

Ruth

Yo, let me tell you a story, maybe you've heard it before, maybe not. It's a story of love, and of Greater love. It's story of hidden struggle, of redemption. It's the story of life, and how God is it's source.

Listen

Girl on the move, bright-eyed and married anew,
It was a tragedy, yo who would a knew,
That the young man was old in his timeline, his lifeline
Had run out, single widow, no family, no hideout,
The day seemed dimming, God did someone turn the lights out?
Mother in law, fading in doubt, sister in law, looking for a way out,
From deep in her heart, she may have wanted to shout to God to take her side,
Would emptiness fill the divide, miles wide? Two ladies, young and old, no place to hide.
No face can lie, that their tears couldn't have dried,
But when you, in the shadow of the Most High's wings, abide, it's impossible not to survive.(:54)

O the holy mystery,
That God can bring Light from Dark history,
That God brings together pieces that don't fit for me,
And so as with her God lifted me.
His Son the atoning sacrificial gift for me,
Who gave His life and Spirit to set men free.
A sacrifice enduring hell to let men see.
Jesus Christ is He (1:16)

There had been some struggles for sure,
They had to endure, without bread, men dead
Awaiting the Lord's cure,
Better than seven sons, Ruth had been for her,
So she told Ruth to exercise allure,
When she saw Boaz as Naomi had said before,
She did as was told and the plan proved sure,
Because the man was pure, upright before God,
From the beginning had inquired of the woman who trod,
In his fields to glean, though she was not
A daughter of Israel, or so the town folk thought,
But he knew better, for he knew grace,
He saw God's work when he saw Ruth's face,
And he waited until the law was perfectly obeyed.
And so he stayed, until the land's redemption was completely paid,
And the Lord's image of the price He gave,
Was recognized by the people who saw Ruth's line saved.

O the holy mystery,
That God can bring Light from Dark history,
That God brings together pieces that don't fit for me,
And so as with her God lifted me.
His Son the atoning sacrificial gift for me,
Who gave His life and Spirit to set men free.
A sacrifice enduring hell to let men see.
Jesus Christ is He

They found themselves in the midst of strange circumstance,
Happen, I think not, wasn't a matter of chance,
It was reason to dance, God's dynastic plans, involved
Bringing them up out of a foreign land,
Orchestrated at the work of God's own hands.
A man, seasoned in years from their own family,
Nearly brought to tears with emotion, waiting to see,
If the other with the first chance would take her as bride-to-be,
A ceremony of exchange, a change, to joy from pain,
Restored from lame, given a brand new name,
Honor from shame, bitter to the sweet from which it came,
No one's life ever to be the same,
Because the Almighty God had stamped His claim
And with this great hope, I refrain,
That the Lord Jesus Christ is Salvation's name

Silence

been a couple weeks

Black belt testing is over :)
3 Midterms down, 1 to go
3 Papers down
Lots of other reading finished



Battle ready, battle attire, hands steady,
Primed for the passion when the fighting is heavy,
Unaffraid of the enemy who's been growing too heady,
The Lord is our trust, his deliverance must come.
We will not be defeated by one who is undone.

Disappointment

It makes me sad when we don't take relationships as seriously as we ought.

a work in progress

I was, a little puzzled as I left the group,
Out on my own, or inside, I tried to think it through,
Finally, I went, took the next step, walked down the path,
Then it all unfolded, blossomed into a beautiful story.

I was a little lonely, less than holy,
Crucified with conviction
The pressure was on me, to find the right key...
I need Your vision.

Oh I am sad enough to perish

O Body that bleeds

Are we, as a Body of Christ, not yet sick of our overindulgence in ourselves? Are we not yet tired of our gluttonous intake of as many articles of literature as we can possibly get our mouths around regarding marriage. We focus so much on marriage before it happens, and very little after the fact. We are so focused on marriage that we run after it as hard, if not harder and faster, than the pagans do....

Thus, though our Father knows that we need certain things (food, drink, clothes...not marriage...), we continue to run after this first instead of seeking His Kingdom and His Righteousness. All these things, therefore, are not added unto us....and why should they be...we don't deserve anything in the first place.

Let alone Him already having told us what we don't deserve (salvation found in faith through the grace of Jesus Christ manifested through obedience) needing to be our first place focus...and it's not


Pray that we change in response to His great love toward us.

Check this out

Scroll over Numbers 25:1 to read about Phinehas

Scroll over Matthew 5:18 to read Jesus' Sermon on the Mount

Scroll over Jonah 1:9 to read the whole book of Jonah



:)

Wisdom

Stuck in line in my mind checking what's the time,
I want to know the answer that I just can't seem to find.
Wondering is so sublime, but definites are not so kind,
Decision-making often ends in doubts about divine.

Strap an answer to your name, and maybe I'll take it as my own,
Too lazy to seek the truth, so I'll make your efforts home,
Give me your answer smooth, with none of confusion's foam,
Let me say it in a sentence, distilled from ancient tome.

I hate the building blocks of wisdom, there are so many to discern,
Isn't it all about the answers? What's all this I have to learn?
Life would be much better if we were attached to strings, affirmed,
Instead we walk upright, with snapped strings, spurned.

What a foolish boy who seeks not wisdom and hates it's bitter taste,
Though in the end Wisdom says vanity is even wisdom's fate.

Judgment

When the fire flies down, no one will stand firm,
No argument will hold fast when the tongue goes numb,
When all minds go dumb, struck in fear of the trouble come,
When the wrath is poured out over iniquity's great sum.
When the sky lights up, and screams are offered up,
No man will offer up and command to let him up,
Because all will know that justice is satisfied,
When the souls of sinners are sent to hell ratified,
Themselves, knowing they have sinned.
A tearful day indeed when they're banished to that end...

Living to die, dying to self, I try
To give every breath that I breathe, You help
me, sustain a filled life,
Full of the Holy Spirit, Full of what's Right.
Brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers,
Everybody who says they love the Lord, that bothers
to love Him and follow every single command,
Sure, eternal life is not built on the works of man,
But He still demands, that if you love you stand
Still in His will as an obedient fam-ily
I'm just speaking candidly,
Not so often randomly,
Because He's branded me
To love you to death, but I pray and rap for your lives,
Hold the Lord in fear, that He, in His love, provides
Mercy to give you hearts that repent in despair,
Because you sold your soul to the prince of the air,
But his promises aren't there,
They evaporate like warm air,
If you follow his path, you'll end up lunch in his lair,
So make your decision quick,
Drop your nets and run,
To the One and Only Lord, our Father God's Son,
Jesus the Perfect Lamb, the Rose of Sharon,


Lord hear our cry,
Listen to our call,
We're coming to You with nothing but all
That You gave us in the first place,
Laid out in the worst way,
I'm now prostrate on my dirt face,
And you were offered the gall that had the worst taste.

O God, that You would die for us,
That you would even cry for us?
Who are we to think we are more than dust?
When we lie with the phrase "in God we trust."
It's a lie that we perpetuate,
Heading straight for the evildoer's fate.
"Lord, Lord, did we not.." nope you didn't
I never knew you when you were sinnin'.
So why do you keep spinnin'
Telling men they're saved when they do what's forbidden?
I told you this gate and road were hidden,
Life' not promised by a prayer you prayed when livin'.
It's by doing the will of God in Heaven,
Love him fully and edify the brethren.
Preach the Good News may it spread like leaven,
Forgive men when they sin seventy times seven,
Repent because His Kingdom's come,
In a brief moment it will all be done,
So focus on His will for this battle's been won.
Death is over and life has begun.

Hold on a quick minute
as I spit the definitive,
With rhymes unlimited,
audience riveted
I keep it steady then pivot it,
Change my style as I'm hitting it,
Keeping my aim straight,
Telling the world to love when all they know to do hate,
You can't change the fate,
But I'm no fatalist,
I'm telling you quite quaint,
That you just can't label this,

Renew

You draw me close to You, to restore my soul to do
Every piece of work for which you made me to
Bring you glory in this life, I lift up the praise that's due,
And in my darkest moments I trust You to pull me through.
Lift me up from the pit, make my joy renew.
I laud the Living Lamb, the Great I AM.
Holy God of Heaven Who, for us, was damned.
Upon the tree, cursed for my wickedness,
Our iniquity, He fulfill the Law, yo, the Prophets had predicted this,
Our sin, are we not yet so sick of this?
Unwilling to forego the deadly pleasure, addicted to the kiss
Of the apostate man, of the man-made clan,
Of the broken wretched fellowship of evil son Ham,
Forsake the father's blamelessness,
Inducted into the hall of fame of shamlessness,


Let us not hold hands,
Let us break all bonds
With the enemies of God,
To whom evil is fully drawn

Live the narrow walk, too narrow to walk,
Ask the Holy Spirit to keep your feet planted to the chalk,
For you will, One Day, watch your re-play,
See if you walked the line in this life, O pray
That He keeps you strong, in tune with David's song
To guide you in His righteousness before your days are gone.
It moves so fast, that it'll be over soon,
And if you don't pass, you'll pass over to doom,
Over to gloom, suffocate from no room,
Weeping and gnashing, not His glory, consumes
The unrepentant, the wayward man,
Crushed by the Rock which with righteousness slams
Down upon the sinner, rightfully damned.

O men of dust, lift up your cups,
You drink iniquity full, you trust too much
In the strength of man, but he won't in the end save,
You've fallen for the lie, straight into Hell's grave
From the cliff of the broad road, paved
With both good and bad intentions, but intentions only evil men crave.
To find comfort themselves and find security in
Their own constructions, not the One True God of Heaven.
So pour out your pride now, confess your sins, bow,
Before the throne of God acknowledge that you are not,
Deserving of any good, but in His mercy He bought
Your life with His life, with His death He provided light,
Offered you the chance to live for the Lord right.
So quit seeking after the night,
Holding your sins tight,
He will help you break away and step before Him in fright.
Only then might you see that He is merciful though you have lived against Him in spite.

O our Holy King, Redeemer of all things,
Forgiver of our sins which we to you bring,
We're sorry for such hatred,
That we have demonstrated,
Help us to love you fully,
Not continue resmonstrating,
Debating, our righteousness with You,
O God, You're True
And Faithful to limits we can't fathom,
But we live like phantoms,
Forget to pray, misunderstanding Jesus' anthem,
So focused on the world, instead of Him, we hope for mansions,
Though you paid Death's ransom,
We love items, not You, money, neither people too.
My God, Our Deliverer, bring us out from the dark,
Such dissonance is ripping our spirits apart,
Please take your Holy Fire and write your Word on our hearts.

weak, but it has to be done

I want to take a step closer into the camp,
I want to keep moving further to tighten the band,
Please don't remove Your hand,
May You increase our land,
Imprint Your glory on it so that in time it stands.

:/

Interesting article regarding politics and the current market fiasco....

Sacrifice the self

Are you strong in the Lord? Do you not need the fellowship of others? Are you able to live for Christ, alone? If you're so strong, why do you not fellowship with the weak? Do you really believe your strength is your own, for yourself alone? Is not your strength for the Body...so that the Body might be edified by your strength? Did the Lord really give you a gift to squander by yourself on yourself?

Are you weak in the Lord? Do you really think you will grow strong outside of the fellowship of believers? Will not the strong believers care for you and edify you that you might grow strong in the Lord? Are you not part of the Body of our Lord, and doesn't He desire that all of His might grow in His strength? Are you not to be a blessing to your brothers and sisters by learning to walk mightily in Christ?

O strong man! Where is your service? Where is your care? Do not consider yourself so important, for you are not that important! If you really have strong faith, prove it by your works - not of flesh, but of faith. Show me through your love for others and their state that you are strong.

O weakling! Where is your faith? Is not our Lord your strength as well? Do not consider yourself so insignificant. The Body needs you to grow so that the whole Body might be strong. Our Lord calls you to bear fruit...you must not remain a sapling or you will die. Our enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but our Lord came so that you might have life and have it to the full! So drink deeply from His love and feast upon His life, for you shall grow strong in order to honor our King.

YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN. YOU WERE BOUGHT AT A PRICE! QUIT HONORING YOURSELF AND GO TO THE CROSS AND MEET CHRIST THERE...


Philippians 2

1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Read the previous post and then watch some of these

HERE

September 11 (Remember?)

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."

Let us pray for them and that God in His great compassion might have mercy on them as He has had on us...and that we would be instruments of witnessing to them the love of Christ through the Gospel...and let us remember that we didn't deserve it either.

We aren't warring against flesh and
blood here...but against the armies of the darkness. Why do we want to destroy a people who are so deceived by false gods that their death entails an eternity of Hell?

We're so quick to call out and defend our anger with the just-war doctrine. Aside from that anger being evil and putting us in the way of judgement, if we really care about just-war doctrine...let's remember why we care about it....because God demands justice, and so we're following that pattern in order to honor Him. In order to honor Him, we must take what He's told us to do to heart and obey.

Hopeful

I will be back...sometime soon

summer at a glance

Chapter Focus Week for HCF leaders, then independent study with Dr. Bauman regarding the topics of war and peace in Christian theology, then came back to Hillsdale for the recital of the little boys that I teach breakdancing to during the school year, then visited the Acton Institute in Grand Rapids for their 4-day University seminar, then finished my independent study, then prepared for IV's School of Leadership Training, that was 4-weeks in the UP, then studied for a week...before Head RAs and Head Greeks had leadership training for a week at the new biostation, then regular RA training, then today (Freshmen had convocation)

Pathways

I consider the broken path, the token path,
Who will save the flock from the Shepherd's wrath?
Immaterial mockers watch and laugh
As leader-less lambs wander into a bloodbath.

If only a bell had been rung,
To turn them aside before they'd begun,
They chose death over life, though the other was won.
Uncommunicated Word left these sheep long done.

Consider yourself which white wool you'll be.
Will you walk through the narrow gate, be grafted to Heaven's tree?
Or will you choose poorly, and eternally echo your hellish scream,
For if you had chosen wisely, your nightmare would instead be a dream.

Only a few ever find the suffering route,
Out of pride, of self, out of doubt...more left without

mmmm

Crushed by the cries which are carried in the wind's whispers,
Lies thrive in men, masking their true fears,
Finding the battle ground, invisible, swinging the sword, though blinded with tears,
Suffer through the sneers and jeers, endure it all the years,
Only when He calls you home to Himself can you relinquish this cross.
Otherwise, out of your love for Him, with which He loved you first, you must love with obedience.

John 15:13-14
13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command.

ick post

Sometimes, I just want to write in order to publish. Like right now. I just have the need to click post. I don't really have something important to say - which is a problem for an eager "publisher." If you want people to grow, don't post junk. Don't "do as I do." If I post junk and you recognize it as such, say something. Comment.

;)

Seeking the great post,
Hoping to write the most
Incredible legible piece,
Bringing my strivings to cease,
But it's all just vanity,
That's making me mad at me,
To glorify myself,
Is the deceiving of the enemy,
It's to enter his service in slavery...

Psalm 4

ME:
Answer me when I call to you,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

LORD
2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame [c] ?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods [d] ?
Selah

good book right now...Leading from the Second Chair (Bonem and Patterson)...I received it last summer but never got around to reading it. It examines the few paradoxes involved in leading from a "second-chair" position (when one is a leader in an organization but not the primary vision caster...and they do not have the final say).

This coming week

COMPLETE READINGS FROM LAST WEEK:
The Living Word of God (Ben Witherington III)
Excellence in Leadership (John White)
Baptism and Fullness (John Stott)
Listened to most of Genesis on CD (The Bible Experience; TNIV)

READINGS TO CONTINUE:
Bible Study Guides on Prayer (Hybels..and others)

PREP FOR THIS WEEK:
Leading from the Second Chair (Bonem & Patterson)
The Effective Executive (Peter Drucker - 2nd time reading)
Other readings for leadership training (Plutarch, Madison, Jefferson, Krannawitter, Newman)
Several OT outlines
Finish Genesis on CD, move on to Exodus

MIGHT GET TO A LITTLE:
Erasmus on Language and Method in Theology (Marjorie O'Rourke Boyle)
The Dust of Death (Oz Guinness)
Andrew Murray on Prayer (Andrew Murray)



Workouts:
Tae Kwon Do - forms practice, kick sets, stretching
Breakdancing - Popping sets for time, gliding work (balance), waves (dexterity)

Spirit-Fruit (with credit to understanding gained from Stott's "Baptism and Fullness")

Love, Joy, and Peace, fruits so sweet to me,
O my God, fill me full, and let these identify this tree.
Plant me firm near Your Spirit's flow,
In soil rich, ensuring this tree will grow.
In order to bear these fruit, Your seeds I sow
Deep in my heart, among my people, that all might know
That You own all of what is seen, unless perverted, the Wicked's scheme.

May I steward shrewdly, the fruit, in time, I bear,
That men may see the light I shine, at which they, puzzled, stare,
That they might praise You for the deeds I do,
That I might, in humility, do this too,

May Your love be in my heart,
May You, to my soul, joy impart,
May Your peace, in my mind, ne'er depart
Thy will be done, as from the start.

Then the next, succulent, O to taste the few,
Patience, Kindness, and Goodness too,
They hurt when grown, during storms no doubt,
To endure others' troubles and love without [reserve]
To not just endure, but ensure no bitterness sprouts [for neither love do you deserve].
Then, to be sure, one must hope to serve,
Not inactively, but to bless with more than words,
A heart disposed to act from what the mind has observed,
Moving kindness to goodness (the work for which your soul was reserved).

Three more, of course, are born in time,
In fact, these three must be for the others' prime,
Gentleness, Faithfulness, and Self-Control,
They come so the other six might hold
And not fall from the tree before ripening to maturity.
They are like the divine boundary,
To keep oneself from floundering,
They protect the godliness of one,
By maintaining until the finish what already begun.
They shield the humble from the rot of pride,
They damper the zealot, and make unjust anger hide,
They demonstrate loyalty and dedicated[ness],
By helping one run the race so the prize will not be missed.
They bridle the tongue, passions, and appetites,
They secure one's future, in the Lord it's bright.
May His face shine on us, and our fruit glean His light.

God bless you in Jesus' name

Be savory, that's the only way you can even make the attempt at saving me.
Hurry up, your lack of activity has already been at work delaying me.
Why arem't you praying for me?

Check out this sweetness

A Hymn to God the Father: John Donne

WILT Thou forgive that sin where I begun,
Which was my sin, though it were done before?
Wilt Thou forgive that sin through which I run,
And do run still, though still I do deplore?
When Thou hast done, Thou hast not done; 5
For I have more.

Wilt Thou forgive that sin which I have won
Others to sin, and made my sins their door?
Wilt Thou forgive that sin which I did shun
A year or two, but wallow'd in a score? 10
When Thou hast done, Thou hast not done;
For I have more.

I have a sin of fear, that when I've spun
My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;
But swear by Thyself that at my death Thy Son 15
Shall shine as He shines now and heretofore:
And having done that, Thou hast done;
I fear no more.

I'm thinking about it, and not quite sure about what I'll decide, but I may be making some long journal-like posts in the near future.

God bless you in Jesus' name

keep the love

If all was perishing and I could save one person,
My wife would win the prize, of this I'm certain,
Scripture tells me she's like the Church for which Christ ripped apart the curtain.

Laid down His life, for His wife, to bring the Father glory,
He's demonstrated all compassion and mercy throughout the created story,

To hold you in his arms, to walk a mile hand enfolded,
Day after day, love receding began to dull it...
Till after too long...death hit their hearts like a bullet.

Back Home Again

Decompressing, like I'm coming up for air,
Underneath the surface, and I'm gasping in prayer,
Seeking Him the Holy, laying my soul bare,
Removing all my rags, leaving myself in His care,
Even with all I gave, there was so much more to share,
Another lesson on which to think, word on which to stare,

Trying to reason through, actions I would undo,
Or logically address, I confess I need a breakthrough,
O my God just to taste You, Drink down the sweetest scarlet brew,
An elixir of life to all who take you,
This life is just the prelude, until He comes again we'll more than make do,
What joys are to come is like the universe beyond my lakeview.

"Just because I don't talk, doesn't mean that I hate you."




I'm back from the Upper Penninsula, and I need some sleep. I went out and bought a new book today. Brother Yun's teachings are out (His biography was amazing, and I'm expecting great things from this book).

Also, while I was away I receieved an incredible number of e-mails and snail-mail. In my snail-mail I found 3 letters from very close friends along with materials from the Acton Institute which I requested while at the Acton University (as a pilot tester of the Stewardship Small Group Program). I've got the second less on stewarding the environment well, and I'm going to order the rest of the series through mail tomorrow.

I finished reading the New Testament out loud today, and so tomorrow I'm going to the local Christian bookstore to purchase an Inductive Study Bible with the Updated NASB translation (with a 25% discount) with which I will begin outlining the Old Testament (OT class in the fall with the same professor I had NT with last Spring).

I'm memorizing Psalms and other passages right now. I might join in with the group memorzing the Sermon on the Mount, I haven't decided as of yet because of my desire to focus my memorzing time elsewhere. We shall soon find out. I'm intending to keep my memorzing in the NIV translation because of the translation's proliferation and somewhat common language.

That's enough post for now.

God bless,

why?

Why do you have to be so loud?

Can't you just hold some of your venom back?

Can't you close your mouth and not brandish your fangs?

Do you have to explode even more?

Do you have to cut into me even more?

I did nothing wrong...and yet why must I suffer the more?

I can suffer bitterness with the best of them

Lead

Stress consumes the seeker,
For to profit he must go beyond his teacher,
Sow the seeds of discernment in order to be wisdom's reaper,
Even then the task is not finished if he longs to be truth's keeper.
On guard against becoming another sleeper,
Those who aren't alert and contain no measurement or meter,
One must be Truth's servant if he ever hopes to be a leader.

Mutually-Assured Destruction

here

death

Two quick steps, shuffle shuffle of the feet,
I must seem a little anxious, well, some say hell, but I've got death to meet.
Either way, I'm not here to stay,
It's about time to pay the price to lay bled-grey,

O if you could see my soul like an x-ray,
If you could examine me the next da---

more to less

this week I might be "over-posting"....it'll depend

I'm going to be away (as I mentioned earlier this summer) for awhile, and so during that time I won't be posting - at least I don't think I will.

Dream-Weaver

I have a dream, a dream so big,
That you could only hold this dream with the faith of a kid,
I have a dream, that is just too much
To bunch into a ball and pack away for a lunch.
I have a dream, that no single man could keep,
A dream that is born of God to wake all men from their sleep.
I have a dream, that I didn't create,
Seared onto my heart, carved as if by a stake.
I have a dream, to be transformed,
That by the Holy Spirit's power I have been reborn.
I had a dream, but now I can see,
That my dream was the cacoon for reality.

Dream Slayer

Pen quill ready with a pot of ink on standby,
Thought I had a good idea but I believe that one just ran by,
Humiliating me, just out of reach, what a grand guy,
Career was on a roll, but it seems it was just a land slide,

If a dream can't be achieved what makes it a dream remain?
Is it not a nightmare against which you struggle in vain?
And even sicker is that kicker that you're the one to blame.
Why don't you quit and relax with a goal that your skills can attain?

Crying for Joy

If I shared my pain with the world, I wouldn't be accused of genocide,
Everyone would die, and so no judge could preside,
Even if I tried, I wouldn't know how to confide,
I wouldn't be stable enough when the two worlds collide,

I express my deepest regret, that no mind could collect,
So I'll humbly exit stage left out of absent respect,
Because this wouldn't happen I cannot bleed your neglect,
Who am I but pity's plank, when your eye holds only a speck.

Poetry's perversity is found in eliciting undeserved sympathy,
I've hijacked this medium myself to steal other's empathy,
It's the curse to blame someone else because I gave up the inheritance meant for me,
But I recognize my hope is not found in your condolences, it's in Jesus' victory.

All the crying has become so sick to me,
If you want to get out of this too, just stick with me,
Through Him the curse is destroyed, He has set men free,
To once again enjoy His Love and Life, partaking of that Wonderful Tree.

NO!

An accidental slip followed by an elbow dip,

Knocked the vase with a movement from a funnybone flip,

Saw eternity compressed down to a thirty-second clip,

A million forgone opportunities missed in a blip,

Like I had tried to drink all of life and only managed a sip,

If rewinding life came as easy as rhymes off my lips,

I think I could come to grips.

Yell

Don't talk...just remain silent.

Lock up the whispers.

Shut down the vocals.

Hide all discussion.

Slip into the cave and take a moment to rest.

Son

Suffered sin's arrowhead of the friend you raised from dead,
Opened Your hands to give Your life, and for the whole world you bled,
Father, forgive them, You said, and gave Yourself, Instead
Of me crushed for my iniquity, to my death You were led.
Rivers, crimson red, on sin and death You tred,
All placed beneath Your feet, as You rose, the Living Bread.
That day, no longer do I dred,
O my Good and Holy God, Jesus, the Church's Head.

*as if the life was sucked out of my marrow*

You'll never be known, so quit trying to show off,
You might be loved well, but that doesn't mean you're not lost,
If you put your faith in men, you'll only confirm you hate the cross,

Your life.....whose the boss?

Seek the Lord your God if you have hope to have your heart hugged,
Seek to love others as he loved you, flee from letting your shoulders shrugg,
Remember to serve is to lead if your following the Lord's tug,

If the love is not flowing, then you need to identify the plug.

There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother could,
Gives more than a mother would, loves more than a lover should,
That is my God Who has done that,
Eternal life for me, He has won that, A story of glory for His father, He has spun that.

Father, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit

anti-christs, they're all around us.

Be on guard, gird yourself in the Truth of God. For it will make your life holy and help you to distinguish between truth and error. Flee from evil. Have no partnership with the darkness.

God bless

:(

Minutes fall like your soul's selling cheap,
Your spirit is losing all credibility,
Integrity is scattered today in this world's sin,
Loving evil with all your heart soul mind and strength again,

When will the cycle end,
I'm trying to save you friend,
It's better to purify your heart
Than to be denied entrance to heaven

G3T excited

Now, this isn't official yet, but the destination for ministry this year might just be 1017 Romans Road. That's not to difficult to figure that out, but it's good to practice cyphering, even in basic forms.

I know, I haven't been posting...I've had to write a ton lately, and I get sick of typing so much....

later

It's been a couple weeks. I apologize. Last weekend, my breakdancing students performed in front of family and friends all that we had been working on during the fall and spring semesters of the 2007-2008 academic year. The boys remembered the routine well, and they were incredibly excited to perform, and interestingly enough, to see me (hahah). I was repeatedly asked to return next year and teach again, and to teach other classes as well. Considering my schedule for next year, I want to be careful not to over-involve myself, that I protect the time I will need and enjoy in fellowship with and disciping men.

This past week (starting Tuesday), I have been in Grand Rapids, MI, at the Acton Institute's "Acton University." The experience was wonderful, and I walk away from it with "joy inexpressible." The joy is from God, and his avenue was the tool of friendship and mentorship. What an exciting time! I will be posting more soon.


Also, check this out. I might decide to go to this in the fall.

HERE

Today

Today my breakers bust their moves in dress rehearsal, and tomorrow they perform in front of friends and family. Please pray for them (safety, courage, good attitudes).


God bless

practice

Tomorrow is the recital for my little breakdancers...Tuesday through Friday is Acton University...





Cross the wrath, turn it all back, forgive the masses, lay it all to the track,
Finished and packaged, ready to run print, but the posse you had didn't catch the hint, though they'd seen more than a glimpse, the God-man they'd receieved, die, this didn't make sense, particularly because the man the people wanted didn't exist, pride consumed their every movement against the call to repent.

Pray for you enemy, bless him, feed him, walk the extra mile with Roman heathen,
do what He did, ask a lot of questions, get them all answered as you seek God's lessons, morning devotional sessions,
meeting God in His Word revealed to us, proving the dollar true, for In God We Trust,
not the power of paper, for our creator, heaven and earth, wind and sea Maker, is not a genie lamp, we don't dictate His labor,
so savor this knowledge, and prove His love true, forgive everyone as the Father forgave you.

Word

As my eyes peruse the shelves for news,
Information delicately cast in jewels,
My mouth waters, hungry for refreshing clues,
To help my soul figure out this puzzle.

Only to be sent again,
To another unsatisfying dead end,
Thus, I give my knees a bend,
And check out what's on the next shelf.

But it too hold no answers,
From book to book my eyes like dancers,
Spear and thrust emptily, discouraging lancers,
And so I leave alone.

Only to recognize when I reach home,
That on my table lay the Golden Tome,
The precious gift right of the Father's throne,
And I open to read - the Spirit-breathed - Holy Bible.

bored

A memory of death

Drifting away, slowly, like a leaf turning circles as the wind blows coldly,
Just another case of a heart gone moldy,
It wouldn't have changed a thing even if the world had told me,
That living is just the path to death,
You can't live forever like you can't hold onto your breath.
To live an extra day would be this dead man's theft.
So I left.

just starting

it's hot...humid, sweat running the course from my hairline down my neck hot...it's sticky hot...icky gross, take another shower hot...turn on all the fans, open the windows, stay up all night thinking and praying, can't get to sleep hot...


reality gets me going, there's no slowing, gun-toting, muzzle-loading
ready to blast off, mind-goading, so stop holding, ministerial molding
any minute, no stopping the inevitable, irrevocable, divine medical,
lysis, you're critical, so start thinking literal, put down the mineral, stand firm against the sinner, all mad and messed up, anger, let up, release your hold, man, be bold, shoulder the cold, don't let your life be sold, to die and fold, flower-wither worth more gold, all for what? to hold your head up high, just to be brought down low, the judgment's blow, decaptitates even the most delusional, fool, just a tool, to be sold to two, never self-owned, self-made is the deceiver's goal, helping gold change to coal...endless punishment, the sinner's toll, tastes horrible, God's wine-pressed wrath in-a-bowl...

lies...sad

Just saw "The Great Debaters"

Seemed like a good movie...but my opinion fell as I discovered the truth - or lack of it - of the movies historicity....

http://www.crosswalk.com/movies/11562122/

Today I begin the Bible again.  As I pray about from where to initiate the journey, might you have some suggestions?  Some information to consider is that this is only the devotional side of my reading of Scripture.  I will also have study reading inside and outside of class study in Scripture as well (1-devotional; 2-out of class study for self; 3-class study), though I do combine these at times when it seems prudent.  I keep this reading fairly linear according to the Protestant canon.  My past year's reading went like this (for area #1):

Genesis-Jeremiah
Matthew-Revelation
Lamentations-Malachi


Submission to God's Word is of prime importance

NOTIC3

When it comes to blogging....lately I've been lacking.  It's not that I don't have a lot to share; rather, I have so much to share because so much has been happening, but this has made me tired.  Thus, I'm often too tired to write it out after I've shared it vocally a few or several times.

I'm not sure if you already know this or not, but my blogging might cut out for periods of time this summer as I won't be near computers.

From June 6-13, July 5 - August 2, and August 15-22 I will be away from computers (as of what I know right now).

Keep on following the God through obedience to His Word.

God bless,

Time machine

Another tick clicks off, the needle pokes my eye,
Stabs me to remember that assignments don't die,
Again and again they rise, bribing me to fly,
If only I could beat the whispers heard inside.
I refuse to flee, I won't recede like the tide,
A battle of the will to conquer days gone by.

In progress, that's the anthem I sing,
Coming along quite beautifully,
In progress, procrastinate like a king,
Praying through the process of accomplishing.

owning the syntax

How can you look down upon the masses, for tryin to amass what your culture loves to lavish,
Your method's savage, takes the people's souls and then sufficiently ravages,
O the damages!
Empty comotosed individuals, walking through our villages,
As the epidemic ruthlessly is killing kids,
Gives its word to satisfy but renigs on all its promises,
They walk about bewildered, the whole bunch of novices,
Saving them?  Why are we pointing fingers asking all, "Whose job is this?"

Sola Scriptura --> Authority of Scripture

Don't be deceived.

1 Cor 2:14-16
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.

For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.

2nd Cor. 10:5
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.






Truth is found in....
Experience? Feeling?  Belief?

NO.  It's found in the WORD of God.



If there were to be a survey taken regarding what we placed our faith in, would it be in theological doctrine, sermons, preachers.....or would it be in the Holy Scriptures?

If your pastor lost faith, would you?
If he questioned what your church believes, would you?
Do you already?
Do you believe what your church believes?
Would you side with the church if it started promoting something unBiblical?


Do you side with men over Scripture....or Scripture over man?

Chapter Focus Week is over...

I am super exhausted...

My home-church is moving in the exact same direction...

Awesome...


The Spirit will move as the Spirit wills.  Blessed be the Lord our God.  Amen

Beloved

Stop lusting, start loving, give Him your trust, and obey Him always until you're nothing,
Stop envying, with beedy greedy eyes, that you can be satisfied with gold and silver, children's lies.
Bewildered lives, turn from where youre allegiances lie.
If you're not marked by the Lord, you're in line for the wrath by God's sight.
You're in line for death tonight.
Cry out for redemption if your heart is not right, may the Lord then turn the pen so you'll get marked with light.
The tav upon your forehead, makes what's dead come to life.


Quit walking craving glory, trying to write your own story.  Hoping to be a hero so the world will adore ye...How will you tell Christ, that you had him pay the price, so that you could get some praise for some grace for which you didn't sacrifice....or maybe you did, ceremoniously, sold out your Savior to be nailed to a tree...

Quit crucifying God, as if you are free of your sin, whitewashed tomb!  Look at the sins into which you keep diving in.  Striving in...the world, selling to lovers His pearls...adulerating yourself out to the prince of this world....

Repent, and turn back to the God of Heaven and Earth, Align yourself and pledge to the one True God we may serve.  Confess your wickedness and ask for forgiveness, may your life be changed by the regenerative working by the Holy Spirit.  You may not remain, only to prove that your confession was vain.


Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.   Lord, please bring about a wind of change here.  We ask for a passion for Your glory to drive us.  May the intense calling to holiness fill our hearts and minds.  Drive us with Your rod from all wickedness.  Instill in us a hatred for iniquity and a love for goodness and justice.  Awake us from the spell of comfort and the stupor of idleness.  Turn us from any an all idols.  Raise up a boldness in us to tear down the high places in our hearts and in the world around us.  May all be subjected to the sovereignty of Your Son, our Redeemer, Lord Jesus Christ.  O Papa, cleanse us.  Please purify us from all unrighteousness as we confess our sins before You.  Renew in each of us a steadfast spirit.  Help us break the bondages we've allowed to take hold and entangle us in sin.  May walk humbly in Your sight now and forever more by the power of Your spirit, for our flesh is weak and prone to desire its own glory for which we deserve death.  Blessed be Your name.  Bless the Lord O my soul.

REPENT!!!!!!

LOVE!!!!!!!!!

Finals Week

Today (Thursday) - New Testament, Ethics and Economics

Monday - History of Economic Thought II

Tuesday - Macroeconomics, History of Christian Thought II

Whoa Moment

As I was reading the Word today....I started day dreaming about some poetry I had been writing and its form....then all of a sudden I came to...staring at the page....at the bottom of the page where the commentary and footnotes are......well the note I was staring at mentioned how the author had composed the book I was reading as an acrostic...and the specific verse was a special type (a triple) of acrostic....if you only knew what it said....wow!


Recommendation...read His Word...He will own you

Paul Washer teaches

Psalm 103

REFER HERE

Wisdom redone

Based on this blog entry

Regarding the question, "Would I do this if ____ knew?" That question is double-edged with a vengeance....First, it can reveal that we aren't living up to character standard in the we may want others to think of us (hypocrisy). Second, it can reveal that we care more about what others think of us and our "religiosity" than God.


O how our thinking and living would change if we recognized that Jesus didn't lie in Matthew 28:20.

Might we live with greater boldness and greater fear of God (thus gain wisdom - great recognition of God's promises and His threats)?

Wages of Sin

Too easily I decide to leave You with my eyes,
Heart following the lead accepting sorry bribes,
Even now I try to hide from the guilt that plagues my mind,
Wrath of God filling up a cup to kill this whorish bride.
Appalled that I'm still alive,
Great is my hate toward my slutty pride,
Engaging the world's empty lies,
Sucking down sin, the trade I've plied.
O the despair I bear in stride,
Frustrated for the tears I haven't cried,
Suffering in body, for my spirit is bitter, brittle, dry,
Inclined to question why?
Never had I surmised,
I'd again fall before Your eyes,
Struck down and crushed as Your Spirit's Truth and my wickedness collide.
Destroyed, burnt up by Your righteous sight,
Endlessly weeping and gnashed throughout the night.
Always another death to die,
Truth's judgments are always right.
Hell's gifts are pain and agony, wages for the work of spite.

A second away from death it seems
Dying to the self, only in one's dreams
Under a watchful eye, from which conviction beams
Letting me know that He knows I'm batting for the other team,
Tearing apart our relationship for a little more green,
Even with the knowledge that I'm a pawn in the scheme,
Ripped apart, I lie bleeding, too dead to scream
Yhhhh...

All about me
Die for me again
Underneath the sun, I make Him suffer again for my sin
Little so grim
To shake Heaven
Earning up my wrath for the Day of Condemnation
Repentance beyond my desire
I'm blind for now, but soon my eyes will be opened to the fire.

I will be coming back soon with a lot of new poetry.....hopefully....I have to finish this paper and this other huge assignment first..............

Heated

Too quick to respond, sarcastic man,
Empty out your bullet comments into this victim I am,
Make me your target of rage, the thicket-trapped ram,
Pin me against the altar, pretend I'm your sacrificial lamb
Even now I wonder, I wish I hadn't crossed your land,
Restless is my mind in the moment, but of this grace you'll get a gram.

Antinomianism = "There will be blood"

Be the silly Fellow who won't let them split apart
Announcing that your love will unite them all to Your heart
Never let up your mission to inflame Your spark,
Drive the nails into Your hands to let them know just how far
A God-man will go to ensure that His chosen sheep embark,
Guided by His brilliant life and light through the dark,
Ever ready for His love to forgive the sin they impart.

What's the pattern?

A steady slow thump, ribcage heave,
Subtly kindled pain, rising to the surface,
Heart beating love which my soul needs to breathe,
A shadow of my hurt holding no purpose,
Never again to focus in when out with Him is what I need,
Don the humble gear, walk straight into the furnace,
Sharing hope where life is grim, that for which Christ came to bleed,
Ask not what He will do for you, but how can you be of His service.
Casting cares upon the Comforter, though we sway like the reeds
Knit by torn ligaments given willingly though nervous,
Come take away these broken shards, remove this wicked man's deeds
Love to die daily covered in repentance as His forgiveness cures us.
O Holy God, we're unholy jars filled with greed
The holiest of holy acts, He continues to assure us,
Help us as we humble ourselves, set this dead man free.

Anger, Realization

http://www.boundless.org/2005/answers/a0001725.cfm

I just read "To Tell the Truth" by Candace Watters from Boundless.org After I read the article...these were my immediate reactions:

First Reply
-He is no less of a Christian man if he believes he decides against the marriage...how would it be any better for him to feel guilt-tripped into marriage as a means of pity?

-I suppose the Christian man, in order to be godly, must lock himself into relationships and roll with the punches because if he cuts it off now....well he's no longer a good Christian man....they don't run when trouble comes a-knocking....What?! Are you kidding me? This sounds like a theology that would also say Divorce and Remarriage is okay...but it's a sin...it's not okay. Wondering how I got there? Well, if this man marries this wonderful girl...finds out she's divorced too, then what...stay in the marriage? NO! That's adultery!

Second Reply -->(This one got me a little more)
-The man, once again, in order to be the "right" Christian for marriage - mature might be the right word to infer - won't run from this situation, he'll stick it out. He'll forgive her (?), and he'll be able to look past the sin and live with the consequences.




MY THOUGHTS AFTER REFLECTING A BIT

First and Second Replies Combined

-Focusing on the character and the leadership of Christ Jesus our Lord, and the Husband to the Church....how does Jesus act?

1)Jesus forgives us by taking our sin upon Himself, suffering for our iniquity, suffering so that we might suffer no more, a Christian man will follow this example to the point at which what he's doing is according to the Lord's calling.

2)Jesus did take our STD in marriage...we committed adultery with the world...contracted the disease of sin from birth even...but He purifies us from all unrighteousness, making us pure and blameless to be presented before the Father.





God's love is radical...it pushes our limits......when we aren't loving as we ought....loving like Jesus is a product of grace and habit. His grace poured out upon us, habitually obeyed.

If you're angry...suck it up and ask God to teach you how to love the unlovable.

Careful

Dazed from the ways the bullets graze the graves,
Grace could only play, so we decided to shave her pay,
But, Oh, please do stay.

Belay.

Gentle breeze that wisps across my face,
Sweet aroma that only angels taste,
But for man God saved his grace,
May your life, His life, not be a waste.


aowiefjapwofijapwoeifjpwaoiefpwoiej
[awioefjpawoiejfpaowiejfpawipowijf0293wi023
mav;lkmsd;ovijapso ifpaoweijapw908339084u
apoivjpaos89u8y3h8328 32jrp2o3j 2ua a-983uy a234
asdifja s98ja9823j4#J$#)87 {)W*YE##%yoij ja;lsk f0u
a;lsjdf *U@# Hohfp[ oihf*Y#H$:n :OIN#WPRO*H F*YE

So so so so very many need the Savior....


God's wrath abides on our fellowmen and women...


But by grace they might be saved if we spread the hope of His Salvation.

The Emergence of Sarcasm in the Church as "authenticity"

There is a lie floating around in the Christian subculture....and it's ironic, because this movement of Christian subculture is actually bashing Christian subculture....go figure...

The movement encapsulates books like Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz. These books are generally marketed to a Christian audience. They generally rag on Christianity as they see it....not necessarily how it really is.


I have my opinions, what are yours?

As Christians, should we criticize each other for not following Jesus radically?

Oh petitioners of our God's throne! Unite and call upon our Lord....our people are under attack. We are falling, and quickly. Ruthlessly attacked form all sides by all forms of evil...pray O people of God!

We need grace, we need discipline, we need to have our eyes opened to the truth. O God.

Blessed be the name of the Lord. Amen.

Blade of love, chop away the wickedness, cut deep to where the seed formed,
Set my heart to reform, to live a life, a second time born

Tested, arrested, my heart's confessed it,
I'm not longer bound to remain infested.
Digested all the junk that had my spirit congested.
Praise be to God, His name is Blessed.

Books in progress outside of class:

Don't Waste Your Life - Bible study book
The Way of the Wild Heart

Groans

Crushed by the sadness from my brothers' sins,
Cracked like an egg, spirit rushing from my opening,
I'm hoping in Christ to send His Spirit flowing in,
It's all I can be assured of that I have life in just knowing Him.
Or that it's He who knows me, and I am saved by His grace and mercy,
Surely, I am not worthy

O man....who are you to not be joyful nor have thanks for that which the Lord God has done?


Since when was your will the standard by which the world ought operate?

If it's not, what right have you to complain in any circumstance?

Give thanks!

I'm about me...but "I want" to be about you....it's not about what I want....Your Word is true.

I know that Your will is at work, all the time, for all time.
And yet my behavior changes, and my attitudes align
To how my mind accepts or rejects Your will divine,
Though I can't thwart Your purposes, I'm still asserting mine,
Help me fight back from this self-decline,
Help me unravel the noose of my selfish twine
That I've wrapped around Your Word, trying to make it my shrine
Where if my imagined world isn't preached, it's gotta be a crime.
Break me free from myself, but to Yourself, I climb
Though, if I had the right motives I'd simply fall in line.

I would say make me Yours, but You already did,
And so I'll pray help me not to fall in foolishness like I'm only a kid.
There's so much greater joy when Your glory stays put,
That's what I want to want, may You be understood.




You give what we want when we least expect,
When we're no longer sure if what we wanted is best,
To that I attest, and to Your feet confess,
Restore me to Yourself, mend this broken dress.
May You increase, and may I be less
Filled with myself, so Your filling is full,
That inside my heart abides the Holy Spirit, now I'm a restored soul.

Final numbers

600 pages read (including 3 books - fully - and 4 books - portion),
3 episodes of "John Adams",
8 movies watched,
85 hours slept (guesstimate),
8 hours of TKD,
4 hours spent 'gamin',
3 hours in mi iglesia,
10-15 hours working on homework
17 meals
4 theological discussions
1 application filled-out
(other statistics from this past week are not yet, nor ever will be, compiled)

Even if he wasn't a Christian...his understanding certainly was for one...hopefully he will participate...regardless...we can see some truth here

The Epitaph of Young Benjamin Franklin

The body of
B. Franklin, Printer
(Like the Cover of an Old Book
Its Contents torn Out
And Stript of its Lettering and Gilding)
Lies Here, Food for Worms.
But the Work shall not be Lost;
For it will (as he Believ'd) Appear once More
In a New and More Elegant Edition
Revised and Corrected
By the Author.

So I'm wondering about what was, or will be, the most depressing day in all of history...would it have been this day we "celebrate" today?... or will it come later...and as a result of that day in the future, tears will need to be wiped away?

sadflh

Edging nearer to the point at which world's collide,
Doing all I can to make this anger hide,
Take it all away, make the anger die.
I just want to live a life characterized by right.
Take away my darkness and replace it with light.
Open my eyes from sleep and wake me to sight.

dealing

Running down the lanes, spitting some sick game,
Ensuring that tomorrow I'm filling the fat veins.
Little incision to pack in the bitter shame.
All that I can muster to screw up His holy name.

Sucking down the drugs to give me a little high,
The passions of my heart giving my stomach butterflies,
Knowing that in the morning, I'm gonna be asking myself why...
Holding, holding, my mind and body won't let go,
All I want to hear...I just want to know.
I quit, I give up, my hands are opened. Go,
Have Your way, May Your say be, so,
That I might die and Your life in me grow.

Melodies of peace, Harmonies of grace,
Overwhelming flood of God's presence blessing us in this place,
Turning from wicked ways,
To the narrow path He's called,
Filling us with His Holy Spirit, enabling us to follow.

May we shout praise to the Lord,
The Lamb Who was slain,
Took upon Himself the sins of all, so that we might praise Him again.
Rejoice now, and forever, as long as You hold His breath,
For He is God eternal, conquerer of death.

He healed the sick, He freed the possessed, elevating the worst to best,
He cleansed the Temple, He struck down the proud, and explained what it meant to rest.
O our King, He is good, and lives on today,
He was first to rise, to the Favored Place, and this is what He had to say...

Take heart, O little fold,
Trust your Shepherd and His Dad,
Right now I'm away, building a home for us, but soon I will be back.
If it was different, you would know,
For in the Truth there is no lie,
Rooms are being added to my Father's house, so you can be in the same place as I.

Sing His praise, you His people, let your whole being proclaim. Shout for joy at God's Son's coming, and take refuge in His name. Jesus, O anointed King, please accept the praise we bring.

Amen

Questionable?

How important is learning? How important is knowledge? Are learning and knowledge intertwined? Can I learn apart from growing in knowledge? Is being educated the same as knowing a lot? Is it equal to being learned? What's the most important type of knowledge? How are learning and education addressing the need for such knowledge?


Mark 12:6
Jesus tells a story, and near the end of the story he speaks from the mind of the owner, saying, "He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.'" Was the owner wrong? The owner obviously didn't have all of the information because they didn't respect his son....they killed him? At some point, yes, every knee will bow, but even in the story that doesn't happen...the evil tenants are slaughtered...and that's it.





Chewing on this in the back of my mind for a while
Mark 10:32
"They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid."

beyond expectations

Drop in the bucket talent, tell me how it is,
Was I not what you ex-pec-ted?
Could I not jump high enough, look the best in a tie,
Did I not meet the requirements of your keen eye?

These are the words of our world, or our world of words,
They float around in our head and they spurn our minds.


We love to judge, but hate to be judged.....because we feel we're right and they're wrong

It begins

From Richard Mitchell,

"...It is childish and idealistic to imagine that we can, especially in this busiest and most technically demanding of worlds, plainly and simply lived as Jesus lived. No, we do not make those reservations, but suppose rather than, in the case of this one life among billions, we can launch ourselves, all at once, and as if by magic, in the the Way in which he walked. And this is because we imagine that the Way of Socrates is barricaded by the wall of an intelligence tests, and the Way of Jesus is not, that the regularly examined life requires a lot of hard mental labor, and that the good life is as natural and automatic as the singing of the birds."



Only one person seems to this that Socrates was not special......................Socrates himself.



But we don't really accept this because he was considered the wisest of men....



"There is a curious contradiction in us when we say that Socrates is an inimitable one in billions because of the power of his mind, and thus deny the power of his mind to judge truly as to whether he was an inimitable one in billions. Our minds, which are not up to the work of imitating him, are nevertheless quiet strong enough to overrule him. Strange."





"The Gift of Fire" - pages 19-20

Spring Break is here.

I plan on reading in the range of 7-10 books (one/day type thing....we'll see how that works...), writing some papers, resting, working out, and eating. :)

Pray for me my brethren. I love you, God bless.

Dead asleep, too tired to weep, no meaningful words to speak because talk is cheap,
Continue to walk like sheep, led astray by the ways we keep
Turning from the fold to the earthly gold we reap

At times, it can be easy to rhyme words without ideas attached,
Meaningful discourse is a prime source from where ideas can hatch,
To get where our intentions match, where to the same purpose we latch,
From there dispatch, the love we catch, when God pours out a fresh batch.

Rejected.....in more than one way.....

and yet I feel so very much "inside of" God's grace.

acid rain down my face, blood tear burns, if only for a glimpse of what my soulish heart yearns, weathered lines of stress, desiring to taste the best...time is awaiting the day when we all get rest....good night, God bless

....A surrendered life is an empowered life.....it's a life that EXPECTS the miraculous....
-Terry Bley at CDYC in 2004 (probably from The Barbarian Way)


Miracles shouldn't be taking us, as Christians, by surprise....MIRACLES SHOULDN'T BE TAKING US BY SURPRISE....MIRACLES SHOULDN'T BE TAKING US BY SURPRISE....Why don't WE get this!??!???!

starting something

note to self, destruct yourself,
take some advice and accept some help,
life's not about you, it's about Someone else,
it doesn't always matter when it comes to what you felt,
everyone's gotta live with the hand they're dealt,
and so we need to accept joy from the topmost shelf,
let His agape love cause our hearts to melt.

For there is no greater love than this, that a Man would lay down His life for His friends...

offer up my pulse to a new body's beat,
unify my appearance making sacred and secular meet,

kinda like a tear drop....gently making its way down my cheek...there's a smile on my lips...but not too much...just the grace-knowledge smile...either way, the heart is disappointed.

I could almost cry, inside almost die, frightened by the truth that I was living a lie.
Angry for my delusion, self-concocted conclusion, burn to the ground my hallowed-hollow pride.

Stormy

Anchor, hold me still, as the winds and the waves rage,
Keep me in my place, tied to You, the chain embrace.

"Let the bones you have crushed rejoice."

When I breath out...it's like my insides are dusty and cracking and peeling away...it's like the wind of the breath is ripping me apart from the inside and removing it with the flow of the air...

The once lush inner-being has been found broken-down....the whole lay in ruin....


Despair comes....but hope has dealt his death blow.

Oh God,

Let, Your glory shine, let it fill my mind,
Purify my soul with Your love,
Help, me walk Your path, straighten out my act,
Blessed be my God above.

For too long I've stumbled as though I've been blind.
Your righteousness will take place of mine,
Your holy presence, charged with divine,
I love You God my King.
I love You God my King.

I desire what's Right, and hate what is wrong,
If I have not love, I'm just a clanging gong,
If I have love, my word's a love song,
Hear the cry of my heart O Lord.
Hear the cry of my heart O Lord.

Work among Your people, Take home in our hearts,
Build in us Your steeple, fill our inmost parts,
Make Your love ripple, touch the uttermost unclean,
Bring to Yourself the lost, open eyes to things unseen.

HEAL MY BROTHERS, HEAL MY FRIENDS,
HEAL ALL PEOPLES, O GOD HEAL UNTO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.
We are desperately, in need. We despair when we feel Your not there.
But You are, and we are just blind...blind...blind...deaf, and dumb.....
O God stick out Your thumb, rub my eyes, so I can see, how holy You are.


We just want to love you more and more and more...WE LOVE YOU, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit!

interesting read on alcohol here

I used to have this book


I thought it was good, but someone borrowed it and never returned it...oh well it's pretty cheap and I could always buy another copy. I recommend it. It's a good read.

A look at the miraculous feedings of Jesus

Jew Side - western
5 loaves...12 baskets leftover

5 books of the Torah...12 tribes of Israel

5,000

Gentile Side - eastern
7 loaves...7 baskets leftover (7 = wholeness, completion, perfection, and cycle of Jubilee)

4,000 (4 = north, south, east, and west)

To the four corners of the earth...the Good News is preached.

The Messianic meal has begun

trying to break the habit of not being habitual

Walking the star's path as the crisp air hits,
Meditating in solitude's bath, licking my chapped lips,
Peace surrounds my soul, though there's something about it, it's
Got me thinking about home, family and friendships,
If only I could quench the craving, fill in the deep hole,
Break out of this slumber because dreams are taking their toll.

Winter day breaks, and the sun shines again,
Since the beginning of all creation time has never yet seen it's end,
I could feel the ray's warmth, the pleasure that it sends,
Like a blanket around my shoulders, to my comfort it tends.

between all and nothing.....

Slightly dazed, by the praise of mankind,
Fire-tested gold and silver, but praise will gauge my
Humility in living and leading in my mind,
Striving and seeking applause in which to shine,
Clawing and climbing ladders of faith and law divine,
Dashing reality with interpretive hammers which I was given to bind.
Only had to sign my life away on the bottom line.

update

guys,

I apologize to everyone and to myself for not posting more frequently. I'm having trouble keeping up in my work and getting to bed at decent hours...God bless, stay strong, work hard, and love well.


Amen.

out of place....out of sync

What the title says.

awesome

GO HERE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Close to You

I have this raging fire in my heart,
It necessitates Your presence, the fuel from which it grows,
I have this fire that You impart,
Help me share this divine gift of which so many do not know,


I crave to touch the divine. Let material touch immaterial.
I just want to grab your shoulders...and then fall to the ground.
You are majestic.

Dying....all because of a lack of bread..

And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.

-- Deuteronomy 8: 2-3 (KJV)

Matthew
4:4But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"

Luke
4:4And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.'"

Porcelain

"...But even the hardest hearts break when they're dropped to the floor
Like Porcelain..."


-Tonedeff "Porcelain"

dying...it's like living, but different

night

Energy is on my mind, as slowly I recline,
Trying to separate the business of the day, with the way I now unwind,
Holding fast to past glory,
Reflecting on my story,
The path behind, now before me,
Eternity heading toward me.
If only the hour held more minutes,
If the day's constraints were less definite.
Then the release of tension would be more eminent,
A nap is what's really needed,
Just a little....no, a long nap.

Ready, Go

Slow down the moments,
Churn the impressions they set,
Contemplate your fierce reactions,
Then shrug them off, forget
That they hurt your soul, inflame your passion,
As the time is slowly passing,
And even now you're asking,
"Where has He given purpose?"
For there you find your service.

Emotions facilitate action

If you can keep them under His guidance...then "Flame on!"

12345678wsdfgh

Lord,

You told us, suffer, die, then rise,
That's the equation to life,
Help me to persevere through the storms,
O God help....I'm starting to sink.

The thorns are rising, choking me out,
Life's horizon, only leaving more doubt...
Where's the next step? To where are You sending us?
What have you in store for tomorrow.

Sorrow overwhelms, woes seem unending...
Holiness dries up, the well of life, it's gone.



O Lord, I have nothing left,
My partners die among me,
Where is our Help?
What is this that we must undergo?
Where is the next victory?

Bring Victory soon...else we despair.

Let us not despair. We position ourselves, Lord, immerse us in Yourself, Holy Spirit.

mite

Free bird flying, universe expanse,
Constrained to the airways of atmospheric dance,
Held to my breath, if I leave I'm done,
If I'm done I pass the limits to be with the freedman's son.

Fireballs hurled heavy and quick,
Signals wondering whether the last thrown will stick,
Ashes pile up, men carried as bricks,
Death hustles slowly to snag its pick.


Practicing the art, flowing once I've got the start,
Pulling out my hair, mimicking the tension in my heart,
Tearing my life apart, words cut deep leaving their shards,


Things are changing...He is on the move.

The Sacred Secret

Hiding the sacred seed,
Invisible to the mortal eye,
Desired to be had by all,
Dead then raised to life,
Encapsulated in a body broken,
Nectar of God, flowing from His strife,
In the ground compounded,
Nourished despite it's surroundings,
Health no longer a worry,
Earth and spiritual distinctions no longer blurry,
A view clarified by collision,
Visible, invisible, together, a divine decision,
Enter in the holy place
Not outside, but inside, the holy space,
Sacred creatures, divine containers,
Vocation for all humanity,
Enriched by God's righteous vanity,
Inside Himself, we live, inside ourselves He reigns,
Love, God-man, soon in the garden again.

Admonished

I felt the Spirit leading me....and I put the Spirit on hold for about a minute. When I was available for the Spirit, the Spirit was no longer there in the same presence...I am so ashamed of myself right now. NEVER EVER put the Spirit on hold, you will (and should) kick yourself hard.


Lord, I'm sorry, please forgive me. You give Yourself so generously. I asked and You gave. I was unreceptive. O most great and awesome God, I love you and am despising my behavior. Do not remove Yourself far from me. Stay close Lord. Please stay close.

For a friend

According to Pastor Rick, from Pineridge Bible Church, Kingdom participants (Christians) are to offer their heads, hearts, and hands to The King of glory (Matthew 5:1-2). He noted that you must offer all three of these to the King, for an offer consisting of only part of the whole would not work according to the King's plans.

When he mentioned this I was reminded of Solomon's calls in Proverbs to "GET" knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Knowing that the head could be considered the need for knowledge...that one ought to grow in the truth of what exists, nature, science, law, right and wrong...justice, love, beauty, etc...Knowing, however, is not enough. That knowledge must not lie stagnant in one's head, it must travel to their heart, enabling them to become passionate about serving their King (the more you know about God, the more for which you can Love God...this doesn't mean you love God more, it means that you can love God FOR more). When the knowledge penetrates the heart and leads one to contemplate their own use of knowledge, the grow in understanding...understanding what the purpose of knowledge of is...action. When one grows in understanding it is almost impossible to evade the third and final phase, growing in wisdom. Wisdom is evidenced by experience....not by living itself, but by living rightly. Making the right decisions develops wisdom.

Thus, the full process is as follows:

You learn about something, only to be affected in such a way that your mind engages your heart to become impassioned by that knowledge...that something must be done...and because you have the ability to do something about it, you engage the issue with your hands...you live in accordance to what you know to be right (according to the Word of God and the Spirit of Truth).

This is the pursuit of Wisdom...it's the pursuit of following God in His mission to redeem all things...by getting involved.

America = Judas?

Jesus knew Judas was going to betray Him, and yet he allowed Judas to be a part of the inner-circle. What was Judas's responsibility for the group?


Judas held the moneybag.


America has got the moneybag...are we being faithful? Are we trusted with little (material possessions) so that we can prove our devotion and love for Christ and His people, and then be entrusted with much (spiritual possessions).

Or are we just sell-outs.

I tell you the truth, open your eyes,
On the edge of the horizon the Kingdom will rise,
Life, the blood and guts, rejuvenated alive,
Wholeness achieved from the hole in God's side,
Took out the Holy Spirit, gave freely as a gift,
Mix the nature of all men who accept the time-space shift,
Put men next to the King who once stood on the edge of the pit,
Taking hopeless youths who don't want to do anything but sit
And listen, to the voice of all Stories,
The Author of Life, The King of all Glory.
How in the world could God bore me?
Oh my God I'm sorry,
Master Narrator, Master protagonist, always at the center even if appears You didn't exist.
But You do, when my eyes opened up I couldn't see anything but You.
Life itself became vibrant, I saw true evil as the tyrant,
You are our Savior at home, saving us, a group of migrants.
Love you Lord.
Amen

Murder

You may not know this, but I'm a murderer....straight up cold-blooded killer

Bet you didn't know that one...or expect that to be said, did you?
Yeah, crazy, huh?

I never really told anyone because I didn't know what people would think...well actually I do know what people will think, and that's why I keep it a secret.

You may wonder why I'm telling you now...well I just can't hide the secret anymore....it has been eating at my soul for too long.

I'm sorry that I can't even say I was a good murderer - if there is such a kind of person. I was pretty ruthless...cold hearted...savage. I didn't kill nice and cleanly. I made sure it was bloody. I made sure there was torn flesh. I made sure there was suffering. Lots of it. Over and over and over. And other people were witness to it. There were lots of witnesses.

I don't even care if you hate the fact that I've lied for so long, and you never knew it. Get over it.

The guy I killed (yeah it was a guy) was a good friend of mine, or at least he was at the time. Actually, I should probably say that he was a friend to me, because I didn't really consider him my friend at the time...he was a good guy.


























in fact....he was God.

Thankfully, death didn't stop Him....not only that...but He decided to forgive me and save me from my wickedness. Man what sick and twisted thing I had been. Now to be a new creation, an actual human created in His image...I can only imagine what is to come.

Thank You for Your Son, Jesus, Father. Jesus, thank You for your love and mercy toward me and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, thank You for leading me into all truth.

Bless Your name O Lord God of Heaven. Blessed be Your name.

Amen.

If

Please be in prayer for me this week. I'm very disgusted by the lack of either Christian perspective or care for the Body of Christ by believers on campus. I'm just thinking in the following terms:

First, let's just assume Jesus is right in front of you.
Second, let's assume that you don't know how long you have to live.
Third, let's assume it's important how you live your life, and that honoring God is good.

If you were given the choice of getting together with fellow believers to pray and share about ministry or doing homework, which would you choose? Would you even ask Jesus which option He would choose?

Unless God has vocally spoken to you that you need to work on homework rather than gather with believers....that's messed up

It's sickening. Jesus saw the rich young ruler, the guy had everything going for him, he had money, he followed all the commandments since his youth, JESUS LOVED HIM
and boom, Jesus doesn't pander and say, well, come join me half the time or when you feel like it. Come or don't come.


I'm not saying people can't do things for the glory of God....but that's just it, it has to keep His glory in the forefront, and I'm pretty sure one isn't thinking with His glory in the forefront if they aren't participating in the 2nd greatest commandment...specifically with the brethren.

If you died tomorrow, would your life have been wasted trying to get "somewhere else" rather than purposeful by engaging where you're at?

To be a Christian is to be called to a life cleaved from the kingdom of this world and joined to God's Kingdom. Let's not confuse our sovereigns.

Take a bite of life, has it killed you yet?
Little apple, simple sin, has it billed you yet?
Has it filled you yet?
How much regret have you had to collect,
When life leads from the Christ that you've had to neglect.
I'm speaking out of respect, not for you, but for God-man elect.

What do you think

Before the creation of all things:

1) Was Jesus a man?
2) Did He have holes in His hands?


My thoughts...yes and yes

Why

Why do people often start prayers with,

Lord, I want to pray for...I just want to pray that...I pray....


Does God not know what we're doing? Are we trying to let others know what we're doing, and that it's intentional that we're speaking into the air?


Not a complaint, just a thought


EDIT: Nehemiah says, "I pray...." in Nehemiah 1:5-7

help

I need some prayer...I'm just feeling really angry and ticked off at people...and overwhelmed and tired....ready to kill, to worn out to cry....like I've been thrown into the whirlwind...

I feel extremely fragile, but not, because there's that sense of, just press on, this is how it always is...

Probably a spiritual attack that had some ground because of my anger which has probably been rooted in disappointment with certain Christians, myself included

I'm like the ultimate self-analyst....but it doesn't make me feel better, it just makes me cognizant of the fact that I could prevent a lot of this by being less proud....

Two "shorts"

Eyes perceive depths, like controlled texts,
Allowing me no rest, trying to unmask what I won't let,
Be made known, though I'm grown,
I still hide like Adam's seed in the garden sown.






I sit and watch from sidelines, sidelined, biding my time,
Before letting Your glory shine, I desire Your love as mine,
For, I desire the fire of Your glory to pour forth,
Hands lifted, weight shifting, the burdens of life lifting,
As our hearts, minds, and eyes are lifting to Yours.

BE VIGILANT

Do not be fooled into believing that "sin is not really crouching at your door..."


because it is.

30 silver pieces

I just read an article about how Miss Michigan won Miss America, edging out Miss Indiana. To be honest, as a result of the following response given by Miss Indiana, I'm glad. She doesn't deserve to win with such a ridiculous position on the important role models in the lives of our youth. Here are the article lifts:

"Producers added a twist to the interview portion, as well. They asked people on the street to pose questions, and the results were edgier than usual. Contestents were asked about binge drinking, HIV and Britney Spears' pregnant younger sister, Jamie Lynn."

"No I don't think she should be fired," Miss Indiana Nicole Elizabeth Rash said. "They're still people, they're still human beings. We all deserve second chances."

Since when were role-models given "second-chances" as being role-models without as much as a single rebuke by the public OR PUBLICLY REPENTING OF THEIR SINFUL ACTION? Society has the responsibility to not allow junk like this to get a positive rap. She's sixteen and so no one gets mad, they all try to protect her feelings...what about the 20 million kids around the United States...who is thinking about protecting them from making the same irresponsible, sinful decision? No one. The network should be ashamed of itself. Sixteen year old girl has sex with unmarried adult. Girl gets pregnant. Still not married......yeah Nickelodeon....you have completely compromised your principles...because the girl's show made you good money....that's what we, in the world of reality (where right and wrong exist alongside justice), like to call selling out...

One last question...how much did you get? 10, 15, 30 pieces?

If I could count the stars, learn all Truth from your lips,
If I could just stand behind Your total eclipse.
If I could love my neighbor, as you see him today,
If I could get out of Your way.

Ohh help me, Holy God,
I need instruction, where it is not,
I need a filling inside,
I need a splashing of Your grace,
I need Your presence manifesting, in front of my face.

So often content, with just words from Your book,
But I'm starting to realize, that's not just how it looks,
You bring power, changing time and space,
You bring holiness, to this unholy place.

God, Savior, come meet with us,
You're not some far away being, Your the God-man we can trust.
Break my mindset, tear it apart,
Craft my inspiration, an artful masterpiece of your heart.

Bless the Lord,
Hold on to Him tight,
If I just get a touch of his cloak, I'll be all right.
He'll heal me, the power will flow out,
Leaving, me with no doubt.
That He is God,
That He is King,
That He deserves our everything.
He's above,
All conceptions we hold,
Bring forth Your will, O let it unfold.

Limited Tolerance in an age of diversity speech for Contest

I'm in the semi-final round tomorrow morning. His will be done.

Amen.

tired reading

Read what Obama is spouting out:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/januaryweb-only/104-32.0.html?start=1

"Our goal should be to make abortion less common, that we should be discouraging unwanted pregnancies, that we should encourage adoption wherever possible. There is a range of ways that we can educate our young people about the sacredness of sex and we should not be promoting the sort of casual activities that end up resulting in so many unwanted pregnancies."

Although there are softballs left and right here, I will only attack one. Sacredness of sex?....does he mean marriage? It sounds so close to the right thing, but it's the wrong thing....and with ideas having consequences and all, and bad ideas having bad ones...this can only lead to something like the protection of all forms of sexual immortality from prosecution of any kind....I wonder what happens to rape when "sex is sacred".....