So yesterday in morning prayer God showed me that sometimes He breaks our bondages and breaks us free, but then we get caught up in stuff again, and we wonder why He didn't really break us free from it, because if He really broke us free we wouldn't get mixed up in it again, right? Well, at least that's how it is sometimes for me. But it's not that He didn't break us free "good enough" or whatever, but if we are going to stay in the environments, mindsets, and situations that helped us stay in bondage before, then God's breaking our chains doesn't matter much. If someone is an alcoholic, and then they go to rehab and get sober for 6 months, and as soon as they get out of rehab they start hanging out at bars all the time again, well, more than likely they will start drinking heavily again. So when God breaks you free from something, you need to evaluate and change some of the things you do, some of the places you go, some of the people you hang around, etc.
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
Chris Tomlin
Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
My chains are gone, I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures
My chains are gone, I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbid to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine
So last night Sonya and I went over to Pastor Dan Mooney's to go swimming. Angie and Zach showed up later, and then a little bit after that Ashley and Jessica got there. It was a lot of fun! We ate salad and watermelon and played water basketball and Sonya tried to teach me how to swim (well, it didn't work very well...) Well, later Julie came out and was showing us some of the stuff she does in water aerobics. That was a lot of fun also, but it is definitely a workout!
After we got back from swimming, a few of us went to see the new Chronicles of Narnia movie. It was great!!!
So, the past 3 or 4 times that I have listened to the Praise and Worship playlist on my Zune on shuffle, the song Better Is One Day comes up pretty quick. I'm pretty sure God wants me to get what this song says, that one day in God's presence is better than a thousand days anywhere else.
How lovely is
Your dwelling place
Oh Lord Almighty,
For my soul longs
And even faints
For You
Oh, here my heart
Is satisfied (is satisfied)
Within Your presence
I sing beneath
The shadow of
Your wings
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
(Than thousands elsewhere)
One thing I ask,
And I would seek,
To see Your beauty
To find You in
The place Your glory dwells
(One thing I ask)
One thing I ask
And I would seek,
To see Your beauty
To find You in
The place Your glory dwells
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
(Better is one day)
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
My heart and flesh cry out
For You, the Living God
Your Spirit's water for my soul
I've tasted, and I've seen
Come once again to me
I will draw near to You
I will draw near to You
To You
Well, we just got done having a class with Lori Plumley about glass blowing and how it is like Christianity. We are continually being remolded, reheated, stretched, and broken. It was a really good class. And then we spent a long time listening to a bunch of crazy stories from Lori and Jeremy about their master's years, and we shared a few stories from this year too. It was pretty awesome. Tomorrow we are working at Church of the Harvest from 8-5 helping them do things like paint the dorms and clean up the dorms to get ready for church camp...I think. Well, whatever we are doing I can't wait!
So I'm reading this book, "Rebecca", that I read my senior year. Pretty much all the books we read my junior and senior years I ended up hating just because of how long we took to read the books and the work the teachers gave with them, and just how we read the books in general. (Mainly listening to them on tape.)
I decided to read it again at my own pace and reading all of it because in school we had skipped some. In the first couple of chapters there is this poem, I don't know if it is talking about God or Rebecca's husband or some other man, but it definitely can be taken as a poem to God, especially because the word him is capitalized. But anyways, here's the poem. I really like it.
I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed slopes I sped
And shot, precipitated
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears,
From those strong feet that followed, followed after.
So pretty much, she's just running from this guy, whether it's God or someone else, running in her mind and physically, running all over the world, running in laughter and tears, in day and night, always running from him, and he's always chasing her. Sounds a bit like people running from God and He refuses to give up, doesn't it?
"If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?"
Esther 4:14
Ok, so, maybe you aren't called to free the Jews and maybe you aren't queen, but I think this verse applies to lots of people besides Esther (who, btw, is my favorite Bible lady.)
What I get from this verse is that there are things that God calls us to do, things that are uniquely designed for us and our gifts and abilities to glorify the kingdom of God. We are put in certain families, certain schools, certain cities, certain social classes, etc. for a reason, to help us in fulfilling our call.
However, like the beginning of the verse says, while God calls us to do things that we alone can do, they really aren't things we alone can do. If we do not accept our responsibilities, God will give someone else the gifts and strengths needed to accomplish His goals, and things will still get done. God will still be glorified, but we will not receive our full reward in Heaven because we did not do what we were supposed to do.
In class today, Pastor Nathan was talking about how it's not just about not doing the bad things, but also doing the things we are supposed to do.
Think about it...
So a couple of years ago at d-camp, I remember one of the nights was about giving everything to God and letting Him give back to us what He chooses. It was a powerful message to me on that night, and for the week I guess, but then I never really thought about it again. Well, last night God gave me some words for someone, that they need to remeasure and make sure that they have given everything over to Him, every part of their life and letting Him choose what He wants to give back to them. But I think this word is for more than just me and that one other person. I don't know if it's for you or not but I definitely think that everyone needs to take a look at if they have laid down their entire life, everything, at the feet of Jesus.
My hands are covered in paint. A pair of jeans that I'd wear for services because they're one of the few nice jeans I have are now covered in paint, probably not to be washed out ever. I am missing like 10 bucks from my checking account and I don't know where it went. I have to pick up my chair to scoot it back because the leg is messed up.
Today just isn't turning out to be a very good day.
But you know...it's alright. Things aren't that bad.
So I'm really excited about this missions track we are doing. After going to Scotland, I feel this call on my life to do something to affect the young generation over there, because they are in a spiritual crisis. There are crazy statistics like the average teen drinking age is 12, and the average age girls start getting pregnant is 9. I don't know if I will get to do the 3 month thing in Scotland, but I really really want to. I know that I'm supposed to go back to Scotland, and probably other countries in Europe, and I know that this would give me great connections and experience for the future.
Indivisible
Pillar
For all the people in the world that don't understand
Exactly what it is we have here in this motherland
See the Father's hand started up a master plan
There's been many through the test of time take a stand
But had they ran who knows where we would be now
I thank God it's something I don't have to think about
Instead my thoughts are on the ones who laid it on the line
KIA gave their lives to let freedom shine
But in the meantime I think of those of your kind
And wonder how it is you get things so messed up inside your mind
Just think a second how long it's been going on before you
They're the one's who even helped you have the right to argue
Stop complaining move along
Open your eyes and see what's going on
We need to get back to the ways of the days of old
One nation under God indivisible
[Chorus]
All the people let me hear you give a holler
In God we trust, In God we trust
We stamp it on our penny, nickel, dime, quarter, dollar
In God we trust, In God we trust
The people of the nation let me hear you give a holler
In God we trust, In God we trust
We stamp it on our penny, nickel, dime, quarter, dollar
In God we trust, In God we trust
The other day I saw the news somebody else complaining
They want the motto taken off of the Benjamin Franklin
They got a problem with my God and that I believe in it
But the don't got a problem with the money when they spend it
They're so offended by 4 words that need no explanation
In GOD we trust the motto of this greatest nation
Not just a motto but something that we truly believe
If you don't like it you can pack a bag and you can leave
One nation under God indivisible
You can't take back that, that was never yours
