It all seems so simple.
Sign up, make sure everything is in order, and poof! your job is done.
Why is it then, that so many of us cower in our recliners, watching the news at Eleven o'clock every night wondering why on Earth such terrible things happen.
I wonder what great things would happen if one person from every household got up off their duff and decided to actually do something about the frightening things that go on in the world rather than just chat.
We open our mouths in opposition to the President, chide the woman in front of us in the grocery store who is moving much too slow, and glare at kids walking down the street who are dressed like they belong in a jail cell.
And yet we refuse to give those people any benefit of the doubt. We are such a negative society.
If for once in our lives we stopped thinking about ourselves and began helping someone else, the world could run how it's supposed to: Lovingly, like siblings lifting up the younger brother who has fallen and cut up his knee.
We are all of Abraham's seed.
So why do we kick our brother when he's down?
April 16, 2011
How to Become a Humanitarian Aid Worker
Serving as a humanitarian aid worker can be a rewarding experience. Humanitarian aid workers serve in some of the most disadvantaged locations in the world, performing tasks that improve the way of life for impoverished people. Volunteers are always needed around the world, but getting a humanitarian aid position might not be as easy as just signing up. Job-seeking in the humanitarian aid sector requires many of the same techniques used to seek other jobs.
- Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
things you'll need:
- Time to volunteer and network
-
- 1 Find the humanitarian aid program that performs the type of work you are interested in. Not all humanitarian aid programs perform the same work. For example, although Peace Corps volunteers perform many tasks, there is an emphasis on agriculture and education. Many countries also have their own programs for humanitarian aid workers that are for legal citizens only. Attend information sessions offered by humanitarian aid organizations and ask questions.
- 2 Volunteer locally. Until you are hired by an international humanitarian aid organization, volunteering close to home can help you acquire desirable skills and showcase your commitment to service. It also looks great on your application.
- 3 Market your talents and expertise. Be vocal about your abilities. Join organizations that showcase your skills. Write articles that demonstrate your expertise and try to get them published, or publish them on your website. If the article could benefit the organization for which you would like to volunteer, send the organization a copy.
- 4 Apply only for the positions that have duties that you have the skills and qualifications to perform. Some people will try to get into an organization through whatever job is available. The people doing the hiring are trained to screen candidates, so don't expect to get a job that you aren't really qualified to do. Focus on the jobs that you could do well.
- 5 Get your passport. You'll need it to travel out of the country. Don't wait until you have been hired to take care of the necessary paperwork. There is a waiting period to get a passport, so if you don't already have one, start the process. After you get a passport, keep it up-to-date.
- 1
Tips & Warnings
- While organizations such as the Peace Corps accept applications from all qualified candidates, getting a job in the humanitarian sector often depends on networking. You'll have to get medical clearance and any shots that are necessary for traveling to your assigned country before going abroad.
- Before signing up to volunteer abroad, make sure you are prepared. You will be away from home for an extended period of time, often under an unusual amount of stress. It's not a job for the timid. Humanitarian aid work has never been more dangerous. Aid workers are placed in areas of extreme upheaval and violence. If this is not a situation you think you can handle, you may want to volunteer closer to home.
Resources
March 26, 2011
You Saved Me
From Justin Kintzel
Liberty University
"You saved me, and from the start, you overwhelmed my heart."
What a blessing to have godly Christian musicians!
So often we are bombarded on every side by secular music that has the common theme of hooking up and getting wasted, but it is so beautiful to be able to tune out the worlds of the world and hone in on God's eternal love and awesome work that He is doing in our lives.
I love Liberty.
Operation Cupcake.
My friend and I decided it was time to celebrate life in general.
It was convenient timing, as it just so happened to be the birthday of a friend of ours, so we got barefoot and in the kitchen and whipped up a nice little batch of sweetness that would have made Martha proud.
I found a delightful recipe of rich chocolate cupcakes and thought sharing it with you would be kind.
Here it is:
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- Chocolate Curls, for decorating (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each.
- Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-
quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers. - To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting. Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature and garnish with chocolate curls just before serving.
The result is delightful. Although you may not want to use as much butter as the recipe calls for, or so I've heard.
Happy (maybe not your) Birthday!
March 25, 2011
When I'm down and low.
So today, I'm feeling not too happy with myself.
I am being an immature little girl, and since I can recognize it, I'm getting even more annoyed.
Being annoyed at myself is quite disconcerting. Makes me feel rather... schizophrenic?
In order that I might be pushed out of my own funk, I am going to begin to name the good things I have going on in my life that are wonderful.
1. Today is a day that My Lord has made.
2. I am at a wonderful school that is focused on God and godly principles.
3. I am currently sitting in a fluffy, comfortable chair in a peaceful and relatively quiet place.
4. Tonight I am going to hang out with people that I love and laugh a lot.
5. My mom got very exciting and potentially life-changing news today.
6. I am sitting across from a really cool painting, thinking about what I would do if I had my own paints and canvas with me.
7. I got to drink really good coffee several times today.
8. Spring is on its way here.
9. Tomorrow I get to sleep in, and then laze around with friends while doing homework. And drink coffee.
10. God loves me regardless of how I feel or what is going on in my mind or world. He is worthy!
We live in a world that allows itself to get bogged down and upset with the difficult or upsetting things in life, and don't take time to open our eyes to the bigger picture and see how wonderful our lives really are. What a shame.
So we do not focus on what is seen, but what is unseen; for that which is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
I am being an immature little girl, and since I can recognize it, I'm getting even more annoyed.
Being annoyed at myself is quite disconcerting. Makes me feel rather... schizophrenic?
In order that I might be pushed out of my own funk, I am going to begin to name the good things I have going on in my life that are wonderful.
1. Today is a day that My Lord has made.
2. I am at a wonderful school that is focused on God and godly principles.
3. I am currently sitting in a fluffy, comfortable chair in a peaceful and relatively quiet place.
4. Tonight I am going to hang out with people that I love and laugh a lot.
5. My mom got very exciting and potentially life-changing news today.
6. I am sitting across from a really cool painting, thinking about what I would do if I had my own paints and canvas with me.
7. I got to drink really good coffee several times today.
8. Spring is on its way here.
9. Tomorrow I get to sleep in, and then laze around with friends while doing homework. And drink coffee.
10. God loves me regardless of how I feel or what is going on in my mind or world. He is worthy!
We live in a world that allows itself to get bogged down and upset with the difficult or upsetting things in life, and don't take time to open our eyes to the bigger picture and see how wonderful our lives really are. What a shame.
So we do not focus on what is seen, but what is unseen; for that which is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
March 7, 2011
Beautiful For Me
Nicole Nordeman shares an amazing truth in this song.
It is so wonderful that there are Christian artists who are working to support young kids (and "big" kids) in telling all that YOU are beautiful in God's eyes.
He created you, and made you just the way you are.
I love the line that says, "You should have seen me smile the day that I made you."
We each have our own purpose that He made us for, and when we fulfill that, He is honored and glorified.
The cartoon clips in this video are from Veggie Tale's Sweet pea Beauty, their semi-equivalent to Disney's Snow White, but with a Biblical twist of truth in the underlying plot.
"Has anybody told you, you're beautiful?"
Cinderella
You know those moments when you feel insignificant as a dust speck?
I'm instantly reminded of the Calvin and Hobbes comic by Bill Waterson.
One of my favorite strips is this one:
I'm instantly reminded of the Calvin and Hobbes comic by Bill Waterson.
One of my favorite strips is this one:
Calvin here is portraying his own personal feelings of being unimportant and inconsequential to the universe. His second comment shows how even this young, spunky, trouble-maker of a child is able to see how small he is in comparison to everything else.
We often struggle with these same ideas: believing that we make no difference on our planet, that the world would be the same- better even without our presence.
Though our size in comparison with the world is like an ant to a giant, God says that we matter to Him.
David says in Psalm 139, "It was You who created my inner parts; You knit me together in my mothers womb. I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and that my soul knows right well." God has created us for a purpose, and we are important to Him.
He has taken us, when we were like deaf and dumb sheep, and made us His.
He changed our facade, and has made us Kings and Priests. I am now royalty in His eyes, because He has done a good work in me. He no longer views me as a mindless drone, wandering about the desert, straying farther away from the source of water that I need.
I am a beloved Princess, the apple of His eye.
March 6, 2011
Truth and Beauty
Make-up.
Clothing designs.
Big house.
Shoes.
Sports paraphernalia.
Hair products.
Diets.
Contacts.
Jewelry.
Nice cars.
Thick wallets.
Since when did any of these define a person?
Forget getting to know me, just look at my outside and decide whether or not you find be acceptable.
The words of my mouth don't do the talking any more, watch my feet for the Jimmy Choo's to do the talking and the walking.
My mind needs nothing to fill it, I'll marry rich and won't have to worry about anything else ever again.
No.
Not me.
How did Belle put it... "I want so much more than this provincial life."
My spirit is what will be beautiful. I am defined by "Not the color of my skin, but the strength of my character." Revolutionary inside, changing the whole world, just by changing me. The world cannot be the same, for even when the smallest grain of sand in the Sahara is moved but a milimeter the universe is now different. I will not remain in society's sand box of depression, I am BEAUTIFUL in the eyes of the only one whose opinion matters- the Creator of the universe.
I'm embarking on an unbeaten trail- try to keep up won't you?
Clothing designs.
Big house.
Shoes.
Sports paraphernalia.
Hair products.
Diets.
Contacts.
Jewelry.
Nice cars.
Thick wallets.
Since when did any of these define a person?
Forget getting to know me, just look at my outside and decide whether or not you find be acceptable.
The words of my mouth don't do the talking any more, watch my feet for the Jimmy Choo's to do the talking and the walking.
My mind needs nothing to fill it, I'll marry rich and won't have to worry about anything else ever again.
No.
Not me.
How did Belle put it... "I want so much more than this provincial life."
My spirit is what will be beautiful. I am defined by "Not the color of my skin, but the strength of my character." Revolutionary inside, changing the whole world, just by changing me. The world cannot be the same, for even when the smallest grain of sand in the Sahara is moved but a milimeter the universe is now different. I will not remain in society's sand box of depression, I am BEAUTIFUL in the eyes of the only one whose opinion matters- the Creator of the universe.
I'm embarking on an unbeaten trail- try to keep up won't you?
Forsythia Bushes
Today, as I was walking along the sidewalk, and suddenly I recognized there was more than just me wearing a bright color.
My favorite signs of spring are coming out of hiding.
The first one I saw was actually my favorite- the forsythia bushes are blooming.
For those of you who did not grow up with a mother who loved botany, forsythia bushes are those plants that bloom with tiny yellow flowers all over the entire plant before and after they grow leaves.
They cover our area with their glowing unconventional light, brightening up even the cloudy days.
While on the way to church today, I saw my second favorite sign of spring: lovely daffodils with their green leaves starkly contrasting the dark, damp earth supporting them. When we lived up in the northern parts of the country, the daffodils were always the first things to pop out of the ground, claiming victory over the death of winter.
The symbol of Spring has so many beautiful connotations to its being.
The re-birth of all living creatures shows a beautiful depiction of how man can be regenerated from a old, dead character into a beautiful, fresh and clean soul.
I have been made new, a creation that is a bold statement of who made me and what He can do with just a little bit of dust, a wisp of God's Breath, and His Living Water.
My favorite signs of spring are coming out of hiding.
The first one I saw was actually my favorite- the forsythia bushes are blooming.
For those of you who did not grow up with a mother who loved botany, forsythia bushes are those plants that bloom with tiny yellow flowers all over the entire plant before and after they grow leaves.
They cover our area with their glowing unconventional light, brightening up even the cloudy days.
While on the way to church today, I saw my second favorite sign of spring: lovely daffodils with their green leaves starkly contrasting the dark, damp earth supporting them. When we lived up in the northern parts of the country, the daffodils were always the first things to pop out of the ground, claiming victory over the death of winter.
The symbol of Spring has so many beautiful connotations to its being.
The re-birth of all living creatures shows a beautiful depiction of how man can be regenerated from a old, dead character into a beautiful, fresh and clean soul.
I have been made new, a creation that is a bold statement of who made me and what He can do with just a little bit of dust, a wisp of God's Breath, and His Living Water.
Vivaldi - Spring
I love Vivaldi.
Listen all the way through while looking at God's Creation.
My favorite moment is starting at 9 minutes until the end.
Makes me want to cry and loose bladder control all at the same time.
How awesome is it that even though we can create, "Nothing new under the sun," that there are still sparks of genius with originality and perception. God created us to be like Him: a people who desire to have truth and beauty surrounding our existence.
This is my real Spring theme song.
-Awakened from sleep.
Spring Love
~Sophie Zelmani~
A melancholy song of spring gives a reminder to us all that we have to last through the winter (hard times) in our lives in order to know ourselves better and to discover if our love- whether it be a friendship or a relationship- will last the test of time.
Spring is an awakening of the senses, whereas Winter is the deadening of all.
If you can last through the deaths, you will be able to last until the end of time.
tolerance.
Today's society says that truth is relative, objective, personal: what is true for me does not have to be true for me, and I have to "tolerate" your opinion.
As an English major, I am here to give you the definition of that word, tolerance.
Webster's dictionary gives us several different options to choose from:
1. An objective, permissible attitude toward those whose opinions, religion, race, etc differ from one's own.
2. Interest or concern for ideas, opinions, etc that are foreign
3. The act or capacity of enduring
Some synonyms we can properly use are:
patience, sufferance, liberality; agree in allowing the right of something that one does not approve; tolerance implies the sufferance of conduct with which one is not in accord.
Now, I understand that the etymology and dictionary definitions of words can be a bit mundane, so let me re-sum all this up for those of you who saw the word "definition" and skipped all of the above.
Tolerance: putting up with people who you disagree with.
The true definition is very different from today's wishful idea.
Daily, individuals are told that they need to be "tolerant" to other religions, but this "tolerance" is in reality turning a blind eye to everything else in the world, and resigning one's self to apathy.
If I disagree with anything someone else says, I am frowned upon and called a bigot or some other nasty name. America was founded on principles that celebrated freedom, whether that be for religion, race, etc. I am considered intolerant if I make any kind of statement in negation of someone else's beliefs, when in reality, this is one of the freedoms guaranteed to me by the American Constitution.
Some words can't change definition- it redefines values of a society. I'm praying for a remembrance of true meanings of words to be put into place, so our freedoms remain all they have been created to sustain.
As an English major, I am here to give you the definition of that word, tolerance.
Webster's dictionary gives us several different options to choose from:
1. An objective, permissible attitude toward those whose opinions, religion, race, etc differ from one's own.
2. Interest or concern for ideas, opinions, etc that are foreign
3. The act or capacity of enduring
Some synonyms we can properly use are:
patience, sufferance, liberality; agree in allowing the right of something that one does not approve; tolerance implies the sufferance of conduct with which one is not in accord.
Now, I understand that the etymology and dictionary definitions of words can be a bit mundane, so let me re-sum all this up for those of you who saw the word "definition" and skipped all of the above.
Tolerance: putting up with people who you disagree with.
The true definition is very different from today's wishful idea.
Daily, individuals are told that they need to be "tolerant" to other religions, but this "tolerance" is in reality turning a blind eye to everything else in the world, and resigning one's self to apathy.
If I disagree with anything someone else says, I am frowned upon and called a bigot or some other nasty name. America was founded on principles that celebrated freedom, whether that be for religion, race, etc. I am considered intolerant if I make any kind of statement in negation of someone else's beliefs, when in reality, this is one of the freedoms guaranteed to me by the American Constitution.
Some words can't change definition- it redefines values of a society. I'm praying for a remembrance of true meanings of words to be put into place, so our freedoms remain all they have been created to sustain.
March 5, 2011
Defying Gravity
Real live country song on my blog!
(This is a rare occasion.)
When I let you take control, then I'm defying gravity.
And when I'm bruised and I'm torn, I know you will pull me up, then I'm defying gravity.
God lifts us up out of our mundane lives and seeks to connect with us on a personal level. He comes down to our level, and when we allow Him to, we are lifted up to a level that lets us be near to Him.
His mercy endures forever.
-Amen.
The Rip and Tear
I've heard some powerful prayers in my life.
There have been times when in church an individual would come up to the altar and talk with the pastor, and he would have the church pray as a unit for the person.
Prayers for healing can be hard to get through with dry eyes.
I have gone through buckets of tears when praying for a lost friend or family member.
Although all of these can and have a major impact on my life, I believe the most powerful prayer is truly that of the Rip and Tear.
This kind of prayer is not often prayed, but is applicable to all people, because the question it gives to God is that He will take from your life anything that He deems unacceptable or unnecessary from your life.
If you pray this prayer, you should be forewarned that if you truly want this to happen, and ask God to "rip and tear" these harmful things from your life, He will do it. He created you to be ALL His, and if you surrender to what His desire is for your life, He will use you for His ends.
His ends and means are both justified, so there is no need to worry about either. If you are ready to surrender, pray for God to literally take away both the sinful nature you were born with and the sins that you commit on a regular basis, and He will rescue from these, and you will never be the same.
Just as William Cowper stated, "Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint on his knees."
There have been times when in church an individual would come up to the altar and talk with the pastor, and he would have the church pray as a unit for the person.
Prayers for healing can be hard to get through with dry eyes.
I have gone through buckets of tears when praying for a lost friend or family member.
Although all of these can and have a major impact on my life, I believe the most powerful prayer is truly that of the Rip and Tear.
This kind of prayer is not often prayed, but is applicable to all people, because the question it gives to God is that He will take from your life anything that He deems unacceptable or unnecessary from your life.
If you pray this prayer, you should be forewarned that if you truly want this to happen, and ask God to "rip and tear" these harmful things from your life, He will do it. He created you to be ALL His, and if you surrender to what His desire is for your life, He will use you for His ends.
His ends and means are both justified, so there is no need to worry about either. If you are ready to surrender, pray for God to literally take away both the sinful nature you were born with and the sins that you commit on a regular basis, and He will rescue from these, and you will never be the same.
Just as William Cowper stated, "Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint on his knees."
March 4, 2011
Food for Thought
Self-Esteem. It's probably the most driving force on the planet. If I believe in myself, I will press on to wherever I want to go: college, over seas, self-employment. Just like Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right." When we look at his own life, he had encounters with rough times. His mother passed away at an inopportune time, and he had to work incredibly hard to get where he is known to have gotten.
Henry Ford did not get his life handed to him. He had to get up off the couch and decide that he was going to accomplish something rather than sit around eating chips and dip watching nothing on t.v. He changed history, developed a tool that today Americans cannot dream of a world without. All this did not come to fruition in a day, nor did it show up on his door step on a silver platter.
Because he had a dream, and believed that he could make it his reality, Henry Ford will be remembered by the world. He tried his best, which is all one can ask, and he was rewarded for his hard work and determination.
Yet we are so stagnant in our thinking and beliefs. We expect to be able to go up stream, but are refusing to paddle. Life is a river with a strong current, and we have to make an intentional resolution to get upstream, or else we will be swiftly removed from the face of the earth.
I want to make an impact on my world; I want Jesus to be pleased with the work I do during the brief time I will be here. My life is but a vapor, so the conquest must being now.
Henry Ford did not get his life handed to him. He had to get up off the couch and decide that he was going to accomplish something rather than sit around eating chips and dip watching nothing on t.v. He changed history, developed a tool that today Americans cannot dream of a world without. All this did not come to fruition in a day, nor did it show up on his door step on a silver platter.
Because he had a dream, and believed that he could make it his reality, Henry Ford will be remembered by the world. He tried his best, which is all one can ask, and he was rewarded for his hard work and determination.
Yet we are so stagnant in our thinking and beliefs. We expect to be able to go up stream, but are refusing to paddle. Life is a river with a strong current, and we have to make an intentional resolution to get upstream, or else we will be swiftly removed from the face of the earth.
I want to make an impact on my world; I want Jesus to be pleased with the work I do during the brief time I will be here. My life is but a vapor, so the conquest must being now.
Jesus, Lord Of Heaven
Your love is deeper than any ocean...
Reaches beyond the stars in the sky.
Your love has no bounds.
Jesus is such an amazing friend. He holds my life in His hands, and knows where He wants me to go, and what His will is to do with my life.
I let myself worry about my future, fretting about things that in reality I have no control over. He has a specific plan for my life, and regardless of what my little brain can comprehend, He has it all under His protection. He is working it all out for His good.
Thank God that His thoughts are above mine, that His plans are better and bigger than anything I could ever try to envision.
March 1, 2011
Snakes
Best Bedtime Story Ever!
I recently heard this story about a little five year old boy.
His parents got him a snake for his past birthday, and he loved the snake so much. After he had the snake for a while, and had proved he could be somewhat responsible for it, he asked his parents if it could sleep in his bed with him. Since it didn't seem like that big of a deal, the parents allowed it.
Soon after, the snake started having difficulty eating. It wouldn't eat any of the food the boy or his parents tried to feed it. After about a week goes by with the snake not eating, they took the snake to the vet. They shared the little they knew with the vet, that the snake had stopped eating. The vet suddenly got really tense and told the parents very seriously, "You have to get rid of this snake right away."
The parents were surprised at the severity of the vet's tone and couldn't help but ask why?
The only response they got was, "The snake is starving itself to make enough room to eat your son."
Parental heart attack?
Probably.
Biblical way to turn this verse into a threat to your enemies:
Jeremiah 8:17
"Indeed, I am about to send snakes among you, poisonous vipers that cannot be charmed. They will bite you. This is the LORD's declaration."
I'll probably make a fortune on this one in the world of Children's Literature...
I recently heard this story about a little five year old boy.
His parents got him a snake for his past birthday, and he loved the snake so much. After he had the snake for a while, and had proved he could be somewhat responsible for it, he asked his parents if it could sleep in his bed with him. Since it didn't seem like that big of a deal, the parents allowed it.
Soon after, the snake started having difficulty eating. It wouldn't eat any of the food the boy or his parents tried to feed it. After about a week goes by with the snake not eating, they took the snake to the vet. They shared the little they knew with the vet, that the snake had stopped eating. The vet suddenly got really tense and told the parents very seriously, "You have to get rid of this snake right away."
The parents were surprised at the severity of the vet's tone and couldn't help but ask why?
The only response they got was, "The snake is starving itself to make enough room to eat your son."
Parental heart attack?
Probably.
Biblical way to turn this verse into a threat to your enemies:
Jeremiah 8:17
"Indeed, I am about to send snakes among you, poisonous vipers that cannot be charmed. They will bite you. This is the LORD's declaration."
I'll probably make a fortune on this one in the world of Children's Literature...
February 28, 2011
From 'An Essay on Man'
"All Nature is but art, unknown to thee;
All chance, direction, which thou canst not see;
All discord, harmony not understood;
All partial evil, universal good:
And, spite of pride, in erring reason's spite,
One truth is clear: Whatever IS, is RIGHT."
--Alexander Pope.
Dear Mr. Pope,
You've got some flawed theology.
Now, don't get me wrong, I am an artist.
I love painting. It's one of my absolute favorite pastimes. Right behind breathing and sleeping.
Much of today's modern art is full of discord and chance. Splatter painting is common, along with the seemingly random line drawings like Kandinsky. What does it mean??
As a culture, we paint what we think matters, what it is that we think is beautiful, what is important.
So we value.... lines.
This is not really where I have beef with Pope however.
The last line of his first Epistle in 'Essay on Man' is the last line quoted: "Whatever IS, is RIGHT."
The New York Times headlines are as follows:
Qaddafi's Army and Jets Strike at Rebels
U.S. Readies Military Options on Libya
Poll Shows Support for Embattled Public Sector Workers
Jane Russel, Star of Westerns, Dies at 89
Government Presses Fight Over Lesbian Employee's Benefits
According to Pope, all of these things must be right, because this is how our world IS right now.
It follows Nature's rules that people should be at war with their neighbors; it is right that war should break out in a once calm area. The earth should always have death creeping across the land.
And we should accept this as good; this is Right.
Yet this contradicts how we react to our surroundings.
We seek to correct the "wrongs" around us, to fix the problems and set people at peace with their fellow man. It is a bad thing that there is a need for a military and government to keep people free and having equality.
The Bible has something very different to say about the matter:
Jeremiah 8:11
"They have treated superficially the brokenness of my dear people, claiming: 'Peace, peace' when there is no peace."
The Bible has a lot to say about how man is born sinful, and that the world is full of evil. Not only is today's vision of reality incredibly skewed from reality, but is incredibly distant from a Biblical perspective that says that man needs to be righted, rather than be "right" like Pope says.
It confounds me when I try to understand how people can think that the world is right.
Maybe you think TRUTH is objective?
Perhaps you disagree, you believe that man is not born sinful.
I've never seen a parent sit their child down to teach them how to lie, yet I have experienced a young kid look me right in the eye and tell me a blatant, obvious lie.
What you believe doesn't make sense.
All chance, direction, which thou canst not see;
All discord, harmony not understood;
All partial evil, universal good:
And, spite of pride, in erring reason's spite,
One truth is clear: Whatever IS, is RIGHT."
--Alexander Pope.
Dear Mr. Pope,
You've got some flawed theology.
Now, don't get me wrong, I am an artist.
I love painting. It's one of my absolute favorite pastimes. Right behind breathing and sleeping.
Much of today's modern art is full of discord and chance. Splatter painting is common, along with the seemingly random line drawings like Kandinsky. What does it mean??
As a culture, we paint what we think matters, what it is that we think is beautiful, what is important.
So we value.... lines.
This is not really where I have beef with Pope however.
The last line of his first Epistle in 'Essay on Man' is the last line quoted: "Whatever IS, is RIGHT."
The New York Times headlines are as follows:
Qaddafi's Army and Jets Strike at Rebels
U.S. Readies Military Options on Libya
Poll Shows Support for Embattled Public Sector Workers
Jane Russel, Star of Westerns, Dies at 89
Government Presses Fight Over Lesbian Employee's Benefits
Now that's what I call truth and beauty!
According to Pope, all of these things must be right, because this is how our world IS right now.
It follows Nature's rules that people should be at war with their neighbors; it is right that war should break out in a once calm area. The earth should always have death creeping across the land.
And we should accept this as good; this is Right.
Yet this contradicts how we react to our surroundings.
We seek to correct the "wrongs" around us, to fix the problems and set people at peace with their fellow man. It is a bad thing that there is a need for a military and government to keep people free and having equality.
The Bible has something very different to say about the matter:
Jeremiah 8:11
"They have treated superficially the brokenness of my dear people, claiming: 'Peace, peace' when there is no peace."
The Bible has a lot to say about how man is born sinful, and that the world is full of evil. Not only is today's vision of reality incredibly skewed from reality, but is incredibly distant from a Biblical perspective that says that man needs to be righted, rather than be "right" like Pope says.
It confounds me when I try to understand how people can think that the world is right.
Maybe you think TRUTH is objective?
Perhaps you disagree, you believe that man is not born sinful.
I've never seen a parent sit their child down to teach them how to lie, yet I have experienced a young kid look me right in the eye and tell me a blatant, obvious lie.
What you believe doesn't make sense.
Kandinsky
This is Kandisnky's Yellow, Red, Blue.
Generally, when I reference Kandinsky, this is the picture I have in my head, just to give you a personal visual.
My Junior year of high school, my favorite class was my AP English Language class.
There was a poster of this painting above my teacher's desk and I drew inspiration from it many times.
Hope you can get a tiny taste of the sweetness that I have relished.
In Christ Alone
There in the ground, His Body lay,
Light of the World by darkness slain.
Then bursting forth, to glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again.
And as He stands in victory,
Sins curse has lost its grip on me!
For I am His and He is mine-
Bought with the precious Blood of Christ
-Owl City
Passover
Today I was learning about the Plagues in Egypt.
We listed all ten, and when we got to the end, I wrote Passover, right after the plague of the death of the firstborn of Egypt, but as I looked at the list, I realized that in actuality, they happened at the same time.
As the first passover meal was prepared and partaken of, the battle between Yahweh and the gods of Egypt was coming to a close. Ra had been blocked out, and darkness covered the homes of Egypt, but the Son lit up the houses of Israel as He displayed Himself through the blood from the sacrificed lamb that was sprinkled on the doorposts of the Israelite homes.
That night the Egyptians lost every one of their first born sons, but the homes who had performed the Passover were protected by the only Son who would ever be enough to cover the life of another.
The first born boys of Israel were protected by the blood that covered the front doors of their homes. As the blood of the sacrificed lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts, it formed a shadow of the symbol of the cross over the door, the eternal sign of God's Son.
In my own life, I have entered the family of God, and live in His house. My front door has the Lamb's blood upon it, the blood that was shed to cleanse me from my sins and my sinful nature. My life has been spared because I have been eternally protected.
I've been covered by the blood.
We listed all ten, and when we got to the end, I wrote Passover, right after the plague of the death of the firstborn of Egypt, but as I looked at the list, I realized that in actuality, they happened at the same time.
As the first passover meal was prepared and partaken of, the battle between Yahweh and the gods of Egypt was coming to a close. Ra had been blocked out, and darkness covered the homes of Egypt, but the Son lit up the houses of Israel as He displayed Himself through the blood from the sacrificed lamb that was sprinkled on the doorposts of the Israelite homes.
That night the Egyptians lost every one of their first born sons, but the homes who had performed the Passover were protected by the only Son who would ever be enough to cover the life of another.
The first born boys of Israel were protected by the blood that covered the front doors of their homes. As the blood of the sacrificed lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts, it formed a shadow of the symbol of the cross over the door, the eternal sign of God's Son.
In my own life, I have entered the family of God, and live in His house. My front door has the Lamb's blood upon it, the blood that was shed to cleanse me from my sins and my sinful nature. My life has been spared because I have been eternally protected.
I've been covered by the blood.
February 23, 2011
Missions Emphasis Week
LU Style
This week is going down in my history book as one of my favorite weeks at school: Missions Emphasis Week.
Liberty brought all kinds of missionaries from across America to school to show our students just a glimpse of what we could be doing a. this summer and b. the rest of our lives.
We have heard from Steve Saint, son of Nate Saint, one of the 5 young men who were killed in Ecuador whose legacies live on, and whose mission is thriving still today.
I have always been fascinated with the story of Jim and Elizabeth Elliot, and have read several books about them and their ministry and have hoped that someday I could live a life that followed the example they made, regardless of the intense life they had.
One of the main themes of the week was complete surrender.
When looking at the lives of the Elliots, there is no doubt that they were completely surrendered to God and what His will is.
While complete surrender can be such a difficult concept to understand, and even more so to actually carry out, in reality it can be one of the most freeing actions a person can do.
When I am completely surrendered to God and His will, I don't have to worry about making my own decisions. He is going to do what He wants with my life.
He is in control of everything, and will do what's best for us. Thus we don't have to worry about His decisions; they are automatically going to be unimaginably better than anything we had planned.
Although from the outside of the Elliot and other families story in Ecuador appeared to have spiraled out of control, the beautiful portrayal of love that was shown by the wives to the people shows God's bigger plan to do more than we could even imagine with our lives. His path is on a higher level.
Let me give up my rights, I want Your plan.
Liberty brought all kinds of missionaries from across America to school to show our students just a glimpse of what we could be doing a. this summer and b. the rest of our lives.
We have heard from Steve Saint, son of Nate Saint, one of the 5 young men who were killed in Ecuador whose legacies live on, and whose mission is thriving still today.
I have always been fascinated with the story of Jim and Elizabeth Elliot, and have read several books about them and their ministry and have hoped that someday I could live a life that followed the example they made, regardless of the intense life they had.
One of the main themes of the week was complete surrender.
When looking at the lives of the Elliots, there is no doubt that they were completely surrendered to God and what His will is.
While complete surrender can be such a difficult concept to understand, and even more so to actually carry out, in reality it can be one of the most freeing actions a person can do.
When I am completely surrendered to God and His will, I don't have to worry about making my own decisions. He is going to do what He wants with my life.
He is in control of everything, and will do what's best for us. Thus we don't have to worry about His decisions; they are automatically going to be unimaginably better than anything we had planned.
Although from the outside of the Elliot and other families story in Ecuador appeared to have spiraled out of control, the beautiful portrayal of love that was shown by the wives to the people shows God's bigger plan to do more than we could even imagine with our lives. His path is on a higher level.
Let me give up my rights, I want Your plan.
February 21, 2011
Healer
One of the leading artist groups on the christian scene, Hillsong has quickly become one of my favorite bands.
You, God, are more than enough for me!
The Art of Patience and Patients
To shed some light on my personal life: I have been sick for the past weekend and a half.
Though I feel that I am going to be better and back to normal soon, I am pretty certain that God is trying to show me something through my illness.
By being sick I have had to rely on others very much for not only getting things done but also for going through much of the healing process.
Without certain people in my life, I would probably be unable to type these letters right now.
Just as I have to rely on other people in my life in order to be healed and continue to function on a somewhat human level, we as humanity have the sam desperate need.
Much more intense than the flu or common cold, humanity has a much deeper sickness that is worse than cancer throughout us.
There is only one way for us to be healed, and there is no possible way for us as individuals to get better on our own, or even look to our peers to help us to cope with our disease.
The only One who can heal us from our inborn illness is the One who created us. God designed us to be like Him, and even though we start out fallen far from where His standard is, He wants to help us to become more like Him, but it is our own personal choice.
Just as one must set up an appointment and drive to the doctor's office in order to begin the healing process, one must come to God willing to accept His medicine and the treatment necessary to heal us inside.
He's better than the doctor's though: He is always available 100% of the time, and He is always right next to you, ready for you to talk to Him.
Though I feel that I am going to be better and back to normal soon, I am pretty certain that God is trying to show me something through my illness.
By being sick I have had to rely on others very much for not only getting things done but also for going through much of the healing process.
Without certain people in my life, I would probably be unable to type these letters right now.
Just as I have to rely on other people in my life in order to be healed and continue to function on a somewhat human level, we as humanity have the sam desperate need.
Much more intense than the flu or common cold, humanity has a much deeper sickness that is worse than cancer throughout us.
There is only one way for us to be healed, and there is no possible way for us as individuals to get better on our own, or even look to our peers to help us to cope with our disease.
The only One who can heal us from our inborn illness is the One who created us. God designed us to be like Him, and even though we start out fallen far from where His standard is, He wants to help us to become more like Him, but it is our own personal choice.
Just as one must set up an appointment and drive to the doctor's office in order to begin the healing process, one must come to God willing to accept His medicine and the treatment necessary to heal us inside.
He's better than the doctor's though: He is always available 100% of the time, and He is always right next to you, ready for you to talk to Him.
February 20, 2011
Everything Falls
Thank God that He has everything together!
Even when I've fallen down on my face, He lifts us up.
Cause when everything falls apart, Your Arms hold me together.
When everything falls apart, You're the only Hope for this heart
When everyhting falls apart and my strenght is gone,
I find you Mighty and Strong.
You keep holding on!
<3 Fee
February 18, 2011
Radical Follower
Here are some of my thoughts on Liberty's convo from this morning by Dr. David Platte.
Our world is full of people who are in deep, but quenchable need. The majority of people in the world die of easily curable diseases or a lack of clean water. As Americans, it's a pity that we don't really understand this.
Nearly a third of people across the globe claim to be Christians.
Now, with this in mind contemplate with me some of the DEMANDS that Jesus Christ, the leader of the Christian faith has made:
Matthew 16:24
"If any man may come after me,
let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
Luke 9:57-62
As they were traveling on the road someone said to Him,
"I will follow You wherever You go!"
Jesus told him, "Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head."
Then He said to another, "Follow Me."
"Lord," he said, "first let me go bury my father."
But He told him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God."
Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house."
But Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."
Our world is full of people who are in deep, but quenchable need. The majority of people in the world die of easily curable diseases or a lack of clean water. As Americans, it's a pity that we don't really understand this.
Nearly a third of people across the globe claim to be Christians.
Now, with this in mind contemplate with me some of the DEMANDS that Jesus Christ, the leader of the Christian faith has made:
Matthew 16:24
"If any man may come after me,
let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
Luke 9:57-62
As they were traveling on the road someone said to Him,
"I will follow You wherever You go!"
Jesus told him, "Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head."
Then He said to another, "Follow Me."
"Lord," he said, "first let me go bury my father."
But He told him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God."
Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house."
But Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."
Luke 12:22-34
Then He said to His disciples:
"Therefore I tell you, don't worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing.
"Consider the ravens: they don't sow or reap; they don't have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren't you worth much more than the birds?
"Can any of you add a cubit to his height by worrying? If then you're not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?
"Consider how the wildflowers grow: they don't labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon" in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! If that's how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will He do for you—you of little faith?
"Don't keep striving for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don't be anxious. For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
"But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. Don't be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won't grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 28:19-20
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you, and remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
I know that some of this stuff is often seen as metaphors, but when taken literally, these commands are very demanding.
Quite different from the fluff Salvation we have created for ourselves, using Jesus Christ's death as a ticket out of Hell, as an escape from an evil past, as a safety net to use for our own desires and plans. This is so varying from the true Gospel message.
As we have seen from the info posted a few days ago from John MacArthur, throughout the entire Bible we are called to be the Slaves of God, not simply servants.
Who of us is actually willing to obey the Creator of the Universe and do as He commands?
1. The command from Matthew 16:24 says that we are to pick up our cross, which was the main instrument of torture back then (our contemporary equivalent to the electric chair or water boarding) and Jesus tells us to carry it around on our shoulders. He also commands us to deny our own wants and say "no" to ourselves and "yes" to Him.
2. Luke 9:57-62 holds three comments from Jesus on what our Christian life will hold for those who decide that they will follow Him. In the first, Jesus tells us that we are not guaranteed a roof over our heads as believers. Jesus also says that we cannot look back onto our old lives once we become a follower of His. The two latter statements deal with giving proper good-byes to our family members, which He says cannot have precedent over King Jesus. Difficult though this may be, He deserves no less than our full devotion.
3. Jesus shows that even though His commands seem more demanding than we could ever bear, He tells us in Luke 12:22-34 that He will take care of us fully. He reminds us of all the other beings He cares for such as the ravens in the sky and the wildflowers on the fields, who are cared for with a watch eye by their Creator in heaven.
4. Lastly, the great commission given in Matthew 28:19-20 commands the Christian to go out, despite the fiery arrows the devil will hurl, and show people what Christ was truly all about. The message is not all fluff, as the popular vision of today's church says, for He is worthy of every breath to be used in the glorification of Himself. Our lives are to become dedicated to Him, the One who is worthy.
This is what my faith has the power to do: take an evil, self-loving sinner, and turn this person into a being who seeks only to give glory to the Creator, who is humbled in the presence of an Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent God.
February 17, 2011
Divine Romance
This song by Phil Wickham has some amazing lyrics.
I love worship songs, they are some of my favorite things to listen to.
Hope you can relish this song as much as I do.
For You I sing and I dance
Rejoice in this Divine Romance...
Lift my heart and my hands
To show my love...
Eternal Beauty
I'm loving Elisabeth Elliot's book Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot.
Here is a quote from one of Jim's letters to his brother Bert,
"Eve's daughters are as flowers and none can ever say they are through unfolding. And what man can predict the consummate end of such a life when its ultimate center is Sharon's Rose?"
How beautiful an idea is this!
Thank God that He is never through with us; He is constantly waiting for us to surrender all to Him, so that He can use us in miraculous ways that we would never have been able to imagine.
He has such more for me than I can comprehend.
I remember a song I heard once, by a local band near where I lived, Desert Reign. The chorus had a line that said, "Forgiveness is the fragrance that the trampled flower casts upon the foot that crushed it into the ground."
While yes, it is quite a mouthful, the idea behind it is so precious.
It is never-ending, the love of God.
This has been true in my own life, as I have experienced the infinite forgiveness and love of God. He doesn't care what I have done in life, He wants to use me for His ends, for His purposes.
Regardless of what we encounter in life, God is always there to pick us up off the ground. He scrapes us up from the dirt that we have been ground into, breathes His life into our noses, and brings us back to life, over and over again.
He sees us as beautiful, and has freed us from our pasts with His love. The daughters of Eve will forever be blessed and used and loved of God, His mercy endures forever.
Thank God for His view of us, the mirror that never sees us as anything but what we really are: made in His image. He is Beauty, and we were created to look just like Him, from our beautiful conception to the surrendering of our last breath.
-Amen.
Here is a quote from one of Jim's letters to his brother Bert,
"Eve's daughters are as flowers and none can ever say they are through unfolding. And what man can predict the consummate end of such a life when its ultimate center is Sharon's Rose?"
How beautiful an idea is this!
Thank God that He is never through with us; He is constantly waiting for us to surrender all to Him, so that He can use us in miraculous ways that we would never have been able to imagine.
He has such more for me than I can comprehend.
I remember a song I heard once, by a local band near where I lived, Desert Reign. The chorus had a line that said, "Forgiveness is the fragrance that the trampled flower casts upon the foot that crushed it into the ground."
While yes, it is quite a mouthful, the idea behind it is so precious.
It is never-ending, the love of God.
This has been true in my own life, as I have experienced the infinite forgiveness and love of God. He doesn't care what I have done in life, He wants to use me for His ends, for His purposes.
Regardless of what we encounter in life, God is always there to pick us up off the ground. He scrapes us up from the dirt that we have been ground into, breathes His life into our noses, and brings us back to life, over and over again.
He sees us as beautiful, and has freed us from our pasts with His love. The daughters of Eve will forever be blessed and used and loved of God, His mercy endures forever.
Thank God for His view of us, the mirror that never sees us as anything but what we really are: made in His image. He is Beauty, and we were created to look just like Him, from our beautiful conception to the surrendering of our last breath.
-Amen.
February 13, 2011
Just Shut Up!
"Do not be Hasty to Speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven, and you are here on earth, so let your words be few."
-Ecclesiastes 5:2
A.K.A.
Dear (fill in your name here),
I Am God in heaven, and I know what is going on in your life.
This being said, I don't need you to try to tell me what to do or what you think I need to know.
Be quiet, and listen to what I have already been saying to you.
Love everlasting,
Your Maker.
-Ecclesiastes 5:2
A.K.A.
Dear (fill in your name here),
I Am God in heaven, and I know what is going on in your life.
This being said, I don't need you to try to tell me what to do or what you think I need to know.
Be quiet, and listen to what I have already been saying to you.
Love everlasting,
Your Maker.
February 12, 2011
A Song For Today
The Orange County Supertones: So Great A Salvation
This song has such a great message:
I feel I got a glimpse of Heaven right here on earth...
Why me God?
Why should you chose me?
Oh, Hold me in Your arms of love
Sometimes I swear I feel Your Heartbeat...
I could never, ever thank You enough.
Here's my life for whatever it's worth.
Let that be my heart.
Amen.
February 11, 2011
Yet another Amazing Song
So since I found this song on Pandora (and it's not on youtube that I could find) you'll have to copy and paste. but believe me, it's well worth it.
This song is melancholy~ it reminds me of my childhood: one of the songs is also on a Muppet's movie- that song Kermit sings, 'The Rainbow connection.' It also has another song mixed in that applies to my life now, which makes for a great listening mood. Absolutely fantastic!
http://www.pandora.com/land/song/6ced6e8ac0e0c185?referrer=liza-at-chs&station=71b961b0cdabd691305c5c82564ecf36029f66448ae0bc98&fb=1
This song is melancholy~ it reminds me of my childhood: one of the songs is also on a Muppet's movie- that song Kermit sings, 'The Rainbow connection.' It also has another song mixed in that applies to my life now, which makes for a great listening mood. Absolutely fantastic!
http://www.pandora.com/land/song/6ced6e8ac0e0c185?referrer=liza-at-chs&station=71b961b0cdabd691305c5c82564ecf36029f66448ae0bc98&fb=1
Slavery
John MacArthur is an amazing, intelligent man of God.
Today in Convocation, he spoke to the students of Liberty, and he had a message for us that will impact my life perspective forever if I can only put it into full out motion.
He is a Koine Greek language scholar, and has discovered a severe discrepancy in the translation of the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into English.
I myself am a second semester Greek student myself, and was thus able to keep up with him in general, and will try to explain to you the fallacy that is being sold to Americans and the English speaking population.
The word 'δοῦλος' (doulos) is used in the Greek New Testament 141 times. This word has a very specific meaning, that fortunately for our contemporaries has a very specific, particular meaning.
The word doulos literally and plainly means 'slave.'
Now, I'm not sure how many of you have read your entire Bible, or even just the New Testament- I myself have only read through the New Testament- but I digress from the point.
In the King James Version of the Bible, the word doulos is almost always translated as 'servant' rather than 'slave.' Actually, in every translation (with the exception of MacArthur's Holeman Christian Standard Bible) the word is translated as servant, especially when concerning the Christians.
I'm rather upset that this concept has been hidden from contemporary Christians.
I've been taught my whole life that I am to be a servant of Christ, but that is not at all what the entire idea of the New Testament holds for us.
God does not call me to serve Him. He requires me to be His slave.
He chose me.
He has bought me with the blood of Christ.
My life's purpose is to be His completely, do whatever He asks me to do.
This in reality makes the idea of salvation hundreds of times better.
God has bought me, and made me a slave, yes, but I have become His friend.
He has made me a Citizen of His country, but all of this was not enough.
I, through Christ, have become a Joint-Heir, a Daughter of the the Creator of the Universe.
Even though I was once a speck of dirt, nothing but dust.
Unworthy, yet allowed to one day stand in the presence of God.
Now THAT is True Love.
Today in Convocation, he spoke to the students of Liberty, and he had a message for us that will impact my life perspective forever if I can only put it into full out motion.
He is a Koine Greek language scholar, and has discovered a severe discrepancy in the translation of the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into English.
I myself am a second semester Greek student myself, and was thus able to keep up with him in general, and will try to explain to you the fallacy that is being sold to Americans and the English speaking population.
The word 'δοῦλος' (doulos) is used in the Greek New Testament 141 times. This word has a very specific meaning, that fortunately for our contemporaries has a very specific, particular meaning.
The word doulos literally and plainly means 'slave.'
Now, I'm not sure how many of you have read your entire Bible, or even just the New Testament- I myself have only read through the New Testament- but I digress from the point.
In the King James Version of the Bible, the word doulos is almost always translated as 'servant' rather than 'slave.' Actually, in every translation (with the exception of MacArthur's Holeman Christian Standard Bible) the word is translated as servant, especially when concerning the Christians.
I'm rather upset that this concept has been hidden from contemporary Christians.
I've been taught my whole life that I am to be a servant of Christ, but that is not at all what the entire idea of the New Testament holds for us.
God does not call me to serve Him. He requires me to be His slave.
He chose me.
He has bought me with the blood of Christ.
My life's purpose is to be His completely, do whatever He asks me to do.
This in reality makes the idea of salvation hundreds of times better.
God has bought me, and made me a slave, yes, but I have become His friend.
He has made me a Citizen of His country, but all of this was not enough.
I, through Christ, have become a Joint-Heir, a Daughter of the the Creator of the Universe.
Even though I was once a speck of dirt, nothing but dust.
Unworthy, yet allowed to one day stand in the presence of God.
Now THAT is True Love.
February 9, 2011
River Flows in You
Totally, completely love this song.
Yiruma is an amazing artist. <3 <3 <3
I can listen to it over and over without getting bored, and that means a lot in today's society, especially considering our attention span.
I'm so glad God gave us the ability to create beautiful things that reflect His Nature.
Revamp
I'm trying out a new color scheme and background for the blog now...
Sorry if it throws any of you off.
<3
Sorry if it throws any of you off.
<3
February 7, 2011
Jealous God
It is so precious to think of how patient God is with us.
Humans are like endless roller coasters, we go through hundreds of ups and downs without warning, all within a matter of seconds.
God, in His infinite wisdom, understands us, knows our needs, and yet is often looked to last when we are in need.
Like the people of Israel after they had been rescued from Egypt, we first cry to God, thanking Him for rising victorious over our enemies, but soon after are bowing down to idols we ourselves have crafted, feeling powerful while using life, mind, and tools that were given us by the All-Powerful One.
I believe God feels pain, and that as He watches the very ones He rescued fall in love with something other than Him, that He is Jealous.
And we are created in the image of God.
So often I feel myself having such similar feelings, this "green monster."
God is truly the only One who can righteously be jealous, for who else is worthy of our adoration?
He is the One who gives us the breath in our lungs, yet we focus on our own accomplishments to give us satisfaction and a purpose.
We worship the created rather than the Creator.
Nevertheless I find myself full of jealousy when one that I love spend time with someone else, or focus on something that I know is ethereal or evil.
I find myself wanting to slap my friends and loved ones when they want something that I believe is harmful to themselves or that will dissuade them from their goals.
I worry about those whose lives I have invested in, that they will not aspire to the dreams I have for them.
But I can never do enough to make their lives perfect. I am of little consequence in this world; I am a grain of sand somewhere in the Sahara. I cannot move myself, but am reliant upon the breath of God to blow me where He wills.
He is jealous for me, and all I can control is what I worship.
I praise God that He never gives up on me. I stumble and fall, yet He is still picking my up continuously. Though I have scrapes, scabs, and scars covering my body, He calls me beautiful. He sees past my superficial front into my soul, and loves me and wants me to be in love with Him.
He waits, hand outstretched, asking me to dance, and never is His desire for anything else than to love and be loved by me.
Humans are like endless roller coasters, we go through hundreds of ups and downs without warning, all within a matter of seconds.
God, in His infinite wisdom, understands us, knows our needs, and yet is often looked to last when we are in need.
Like the people of Israel after they had been rescued from Egypt, we first cry to God, thanking Him for rising victorious over our enemies, but soon after are bowing down to idols we ourselves have crafted, feeling powerful while using life, mind, and tools that were given us by the All-Powerful One.
I believe God feels pain, and that as He watches the very ones He rescued fall in love with something other than Him, that He is Jealous.
And we are created in the image of God.
So often I feel myself having such similar feelings, this "green monster."
God is truly the only One who can righteously be jealous, for who else is worthy of our adoration?
He is the One who gives us the breath in our lungs, yet we focus on our own accomplishments to give us satisfaction and a purpose.
We worship the created rather than the Creator.
Nevertheless I find myself full of jealousy when one that I love spend time with someone else, or focus on something that I know is ethereal or evil.
I find myself wanting to slap my friends and loved ones when they want something that I believe is harmful to themselves or that will dissuade them from their goals.
I worry about those whose lives I have invested in, that they will not aspire to the dreams I have for them.
But I can never do enough to make their lives perfect. I am of little consequence in this world; I am a grain of sand somewhere in the Sahara. I cannot move myself, but am reliant upon the breath of God to blow me where He wills.
He is jealous for me, and all I can control is what I worship.
I praise God that He never gives up on me. I stumble and fall, yet He is still picking my up continuously. Though I have scrapes, scabs, and scars covering my body, He calls me beautiful. He sees past my superficial front into my soul, and loves me and wants me to be in love with Him.
He waits, hand outstretched, asking me to dance, and never is His desire for anything else than to love and be loved by me.
February 4, 2011
Can I Live?
I believe in the sanctity of life, from the moment of conception, to the last breath of every human being.
I just watched this video from Nick Cannon, and thought it was worthy enough to share with you.
Powerful Stuff.
Eternal thanks to my mother and father who gave me the gift of Life, and to my Heavenly Father for giving me that same gift, Eternally. I am blessed to breathe the air in my lungs.
Sanctification
I'm failing miserably at an attempt to read through the Old Testament this semester.
I am in Exodus, the rest of my family are already into Leviticus.
Regardless, I am where I am.
Not to be confused with the I am WHO I am. :)
I'm reading along, enjoying the parts that do not contain large lists of numbers and laboring through those verses that do. There is one verse that has remained etched in my mind, that applies very much to my life today, even though it was written hundreds of years ago:
"And you will sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever touches them will be holy." -Exodus 30:29
I love the idea of Sanctification.
Through His Son, God has 'Sanctified' us~set us apart, took us out of bondage, and has made us able to become victorious over sin. It's a beautiful concept.
He has pulled me out of the mire, washed me clean of the filth I was stained with, and continuously washes my feet when I stray onto unclean paths that Satan tempts me with. His mercy endures forever.
The process goes deeper than even this though: God wants us as human beings to revert from our old ways into actions that glorify Him; our lives should become living mirrors of His personality and should reveal His Nature to others.
He has working an eternal action upon our lives, but we must also put actual effort into growing a relationship with God.
Our Sanctification is steadily becoming more influential in our lives, and is not a once in a lifetime event, but must be nurtured.
We were Sanctified in the past, and we are still being set apart from the world, to be lights to the darkness, shining brighter and brighter until the day of perfection.
I am in Exodus, the rest of my family are already into Leviticus.
Regardless, I am where I am.
Not to be confused with the I am WHO I am. :)
I'm reading along, enjoying the parts that do not contain large lists of numbers and laboring through those verses that do. There is one verse that has remained etched in my mind, that applies very much to my life today, even though it was written hundreds of years ago:
"And you will sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever touches them will be holy." -Exodus 30:29
I love the idea of Sanctification.
Through His Son, God has 'Sanctified' us~set us apart, took us out of bondage, and has made us able to become victorious over sin. It's a beautiful concept.
He has pulled me out of the mire, washed me clean of the filth I was stained with, and continuously washes my feet when I stray onto unclean paths that Satan tempts me with. His mercy endures forever.
The process goes deeper than even this though: God wants us as human beings to revert from our old ways into actions that glorify Him; our lives should become living mirrors of His personality and should reveal His Nature to others.
He has working an eternal action upon our lives, but we must also put actual effort into growing a relationship with God.
Our Sanctification is steadily becoming more influential in our lives, and is not a once in a lifetime event, but must be nurtured.
We were Sanctified in the past, and we are still being set apart from the world, to be lights to the darkness, shining brighter and brighter until the day of perfection.
February 3, 2011
God's Infinite Wisdom
Bad news hurts.
You know that feeling you get when you hear something from a loved one that just cuts you to your core?
That gut wrenching twist of the knife that rips through your whole body?
I hate that feeling.
Being away from home gives that feeling to you. When you are so far away, you feel helpless, restricted, powerless.
For me, that weakness is crippling, essentially because generally I have maintained a powerful hand above the devil in having control in my life and in the lives of those whom I love.
I suppose this feeling is one I should become accustomed to, even relish. Certain knowledge I have just gained has told me, blatantly, that there is stuff in life that I cannot do anything about. I have tried, but there are no words I can add to what I have already spoken, and choices that I do not LOVE are going to be made, whether or not I agree with them.
I know I'm not superwoman, although the meta-human skills would come in handy. I cannot ascertain what will happen in those lives that I love, but I do know of One that is certain, which does lighten the load that weighs down my soul.
It is only when I recognize that I cannot fix everything around the world, that I must look to the One who CAN fix it all.
God, in His Infinite Wisdom, understands and sees all.
It is so relieving to know that God is not confined to my time schedule. I have never been able to keep a watch running. They are constantly running out of batteries, falling into water, or getting lost. Perhaps that is God's way of reminding me to not become a slave to our human idea of time.
I revel in watching the second hand of an analogue clock circle round and round through the seconds. But as I watch the seconds pass me by, I see my humanity clearly.
Praise God that He is Infinite.
He is the author of the Universes, and sees the entire set of Volumes He has written at one time. My life may seem to me like a time line, but He knows my beginning and my ending. He is not restricted by the bounds of time, for He created it. He knows what happened yesterday, that which is occurring now, and what is yet to come.
Yet still He says, "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of Peace, and not of Evil, to give you an expected end."
The Hebrew translation sheds a brighter, more beautiful light to this commonly treasured word: "For I know the plans that I have, declares Yahweh, plans of peace and not evil, to give a future of hope."
Thanks be to the 'One who Is, the Existing One' who is infinite in wisdom, regardless of our human error. I have a future of hope that will last for as long as He Is.
You know that feeling you get when you hear something from a loved one that just cuts you to your core?
That gut wrenching twist of the knife that rips through your whole body?
I hate that feeling.
Being away from home gives that feeling to you. When you are so far away, you feel helpless, restricted, powerless.
For me, that weakness is crippling, essentially because generally I have maintained a powerful hand above the devil in having control in my life and in the lives of those whom I love.
I suppose this feeling is one I should become accustomed to, even relish. Certain knowledge I have just gained has told me, blatantly, that there is stuff in life that I cannot do anything about. I have tried, but there are no words I can add to what I have already spoken, and choices that I do not LOVE are going to be made, whether or not I agree with them.
I know I'm not superwoman, although the meta-human skills would come in handy. I cannot ascertain what will happen in those lives that I love, but I do know of One that is certain, which does lighten the load that weighs down my soul.
It is only when I recognize that I cannot fix everything around the world, that I must look to the One who CAN fix it all.
God, in His Infinite Wisdom, understands and sees all.
It is so relieving to know that God is not confined to my time schedule. I have never been able to keep a watch running. They are constantly running out of batteries, falling into water, or getting lost. Perhaps that is God's way of reminding me to not become a slave to our human idea of time.
I revel in watching the second hand of an analogue clock circle round and round through the seconds. But as I watch the seconds pass me by, I see my humanity clearly.
Praise God that He is Infinite.
He is the author of the Universes, and sees the entire set of Volumes He has written at one time. My life may seem to me like a time line, but He knows my beginning and my ending. He is not restricted by the bounds of time, for He created it. He knows what happened yesterday, that which is occurring now, and what is yet to come.
Yet still He says, "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of Peace, and not of Evil, to give you an expected end."
The Hebrew translation sheds a brighter, more beautiful light to this commonly treasured word: "For I know the plans that I have, declares Yahweh, plans of peace and not evil, to give a future of hope."
Thanks be to the 'One who Is, the Existing One' who is infinite in wisdom, regardless of our human error. I have a future of hope that will last for as long as He Is.
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