Its been a long time....

I haven't written in over a year. I don't know why I longed in tonight (or should I say this morning), but I did. I was reading over the few posts I had in the few months I posted on here and was reminded about how much I like to write. I was also reminded that I am half way decent at articulating my thoughts through written word. Lets just say I communicate much more clearly when I write than when I talk. I'm the kind of person who would rather have a conversation on facebook chat even if I am sitting right next to you because I can just communicate better that way. I have a lot to say, and I should just say it. I don't say it because I'm afraid people will read it and not like what I have to say. Anyways, this is all I'm saying for now because if not this post will end up being very long!!

We need God

If you know me well, you know I am a very sensitive person who runs on emotion. This is probably not the best thing in the world, but it is who I am. This morning I was watching the news once again with tears in my eyes. Boy Scouts killed by a tornado, a city under water, and a nation so divided unity is no where in sight. Yesterday it was a double murder suicide (in my home town), another double murder of two precious little girls, and wicked weather. Each day previous has just been more of the same. I stare at the TV day after day and wonder when America is going to realize we need God.

I’m not saying that having God means no more wicked weather, but it means a change in the hearts of man. Then each day this thought is followed by the one asking myself if I know I need God. Have I been a Christian for so many years now that I forget the true deep down need in my life for God? Maybe the problem in America is that far too many Christians have forgotten that we actually need God. Has being a Christian become so routine that we have forgotten why we are Christians? We are not Christians so that we can socialize with our friends at the newest cool social club (the church). We are not Christians so we can feel better about ourselves. We are Christians because Christ has saved us from who we were!! We are Christians so that we can worship Him no matter the circumstances of our lives. We are Christians to share the hope we have with others so they may have it too. One day maybe more Christians will wake up and realize that we need God. And on that day, maybe we will truly begin to see change in our city, our state, our country, and our world.

Amazing Grace

"Having heard all this, you may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know." - William Wilberforce 1759-1833

This man fought for a cause he believed in. One man stepping out to say that from this day forward I will live my life differently. I will be changed, and I will strive to give hope and freedom to those people who do not have it! We learn so much of the story of William Wilberforce in the movie Amazing Grace. A movie titled after the number one recorded song of all time...Amazing Grace...its words penned by John Newton and sung by countless millions from the east to the west.

However, this is not the first time (or last) we have heard such a story. Some 1800 years before Wilberforce lived a man who dared to live his life differently in order to give hope and freedom to a lost and dying world. This was not just any man, but rather the one called Jesus...the Son of God...God Himself. He is the one for who the words "Amazing Grace" were penned. His life has been read about by more than can be counted, and His grace have been sung about by countless millions more than that.

These two men lived for the freedom of others. Jesus freed all men from their sins. Wilberforce fought to free men from other men.

I often think that I am only one person, and I cannot change things. However, these men lived everyday of their lives with purpose. The life of Jesus Christ has changed our entire world. We can now live knowing their is a purpose for which to live. William Wilberforce shows us that one man can stand up to the culture of his day and bring about change that rings forth for centuries to come. We can no longer sit back in a lost and dying world watching the view from where we sit. We must be the agents of change that will bring about hope and freedom that will ring true long after we are gone!!!

Drunk Drivers

Once again, I became so angry by the news that I was moved to tears. The story was about a man who had an accident while driving drunk. A toddler in the car was killed during the accident. I was so angry. Not too long ago, a couple was killed by a drunk driver leaving behind two children. This type of death has to be among the most senseless!!! Seriously, if you are going to drink, don't get behind the wheel of a car!!!

Joseph's Lullaby Part 2

THIS WORLD CAN WAIT FOR ONE MORE MOMENT

As I listen to this song, I hear the love of a father who wants to hang on to his precious little child for just one more moment. His new born infant he is just not quite ready to let go of. The world may have just waited one more moment that night as heaven celebrated on earth, but, dear friends, I tell you today that our world cannot wait one more moment!! Today, not tomorrow, not next week, today is the day that we must say we are tired of complacency; that we are tired of just sitting back and watching our lives go by. Today must be the day that we are going to take Jesus to our world. I don’t know what this looks like; I don’t know how to carry this out, but today is the day it must, I repeat, MUST be done. A dying world cannot wait any longer. I feel as if I am going to explode inside if it does not come out of me. Is today going to be just one more day I sit back in complacency or is today going to be the day that I share the Christ Child with the world?

SOON ENOUGH YOU’LL SAVE THE DAY BUT FOR NOW, DEAR CHILD OF MINE OH MY JESUS, SLEEP TIGHT

When I hear the words save the day I think of somebody like Mighty Mouse or Superman, a hero who arrives in times of trouble. When we were kids and the question arose about heroes, there was always that one kid who undoubtedly would say Jesus was his hero. Everyone else would want to know why he was giving the Sunday School answer and not a real answer. I want Jesus to be the real answer. He is the real answer. He is the hero. He not only gave His death for us, He also gave His life. Think about it…Christ death on the cross would have meant nothing if He did not live the life he lived. If Christ would not have lived a perfect, sinless life, His death would have been in vain. He would not have been a perfect spotless lamb that could atone for our sins and become an eternal sacrifice!! So, Jesus is the hero who gave us both His life and His death. What does this mean for us? Well, what did it mean to have a hero when you were a child? You wanted to be just like that person, of course!! This means we should want to be just like Christ. We should want to dress like Him, talk like Him, be like Him. When I say dress like Him I do not mean wear clothes from Biblical times. It means we should adorn ourselves in the attributes of Christ. When we talk like Jesus, this does not mean we should go around speaking in Aramaic. It means we should tell people we love them, tell people they are sinners, tell people there is hope because Christ died for their sins, tell them their lives must change in order to be like Him. We should strive every moment of our lives to be just like Christ. Is Christ someone you want to be like?

Decisions...

Two post in the same day is very strange..I know, but I actually wrote part of this one last night.

What does it feel like when you have a big decision hanging over your head and you actually make a decision? It feels amazing! If feels right! It feels exciting! It feels Scary! It feels sad! Yes, it feels like all of these things. The weight of the world off your shoulders! The ability to breathe again! Butterflies in your stomach as you wait to begin! The thought of being alone! The knowledge of leaving behind those you love! Yay for decisions!

I am so nervous and scared right now, but at the same time I am so excited. In the next few weeks, I will be praying for wisdom, clarity, and affirmation that this decision is truly the one I should make. I will be praying for strength to step out and do something that is totally outside of the bounds of my comfort zone. I will be praying for courage to stick with the decision even when I see the other option as being so much easier and so much more fun!

It easier in life to make decisions when you have amazing friends, and I am going to go ahead and say I probably have some of the most amazing there are!! I know even when the decision is hard my friends are going to be the most encouraging people ever!! If you have built walls in your life that hinder your ability to form true lifelong friendships, I encourage you to begin the process it takes to break down those walls. I know its not easy...trust me I know. At the same time, I know it is so worth it. It is worth it because of the amazing friendships that come out of it, but its even more worth it because when you stop hiding and face reality that is when God truly begins to move in your life and use it for His glory!!!

Joseph's Lullaby

I love Christmas music. In fact, I have had a Christmas CD as my alarm clock since last Christmas. Well, last night a friend of mine gave me a Christmas CD that was a mix of a bunch of random songs. I knew there was a song on it that I like by Trans Siberian Orchestra, but other than that I had no idea what I was getting. I put it in my car last night so I could give it a listen. I didn't have far to drive so I had to finish listening to it on the way to work this morning. As I was driving a song came on and it stopped me in my tracks. Well, I didn't literally stop because I was still driving. However, everything I had been thinking about disappeared from my brain. I was actually thinking about a conversation last night to write about in my blog today and now I can't even remember what it was about. Anyways...I digress. The song is called Joseph's Lullaby and its on MercyMe's Christmas CD. Here are the words...

Go to sleep my Son
This manger for your bed
You have a long road before You
Rest Your little head

Can You feel the weight of Your glory?
Do You understand the price?
Or does the Father guard Your heart for now
So You can sleep tonight?

Go to sleep my Son
Go and chase Your dreams
This world can wait for one more moment
Go and sleep in peace

I believe the glory of Heaven
Is lying in my arms tonight
But Lord, I ask that He for just this moment
Simply be my child

Go to sleep my Son
Baby, close Your eyes
Soon enough You'll save the day
But for now, dear Child of mine
Oh my Jesus, sleep tight

Its been about four hours since I listened to this song, and its lyrics are all I can think about. One of the most peaceful things I can think of is holding a sleeping baby. How peaceful would it be for that sleeping baby to be the glory of Heaven, the hope of the world? Did Mary and Joseph truly know who it was they were holding. Did that tiny sleeping baby know He was the KING OF KINGS? What it must have been like to hold the Christ Child. I was actually blown away at the thought of the Living God as a sleeping baby. I wondered what it was like for Him. As the baby did He know? I know that question has an answer but one I won't know. The lyrics of this song are so profound that I could write for hours on them, but I won't...well at least not here.

As I was reflecting on the song, I began to think about the first night I will get to hold each of the children I hope to have one day. What a day that will be!! I was thinking about Mary and her holding the hope of the world and wondering what the child I will be holding will be. Will I even begin to be able to imagine the potential in that little gift from God? Will I be a parent who says, yes I love my child so much, but I love God so much more that I will allow Him to use my child however he sees fit?

I began to think about my own life. What was it like for my parents that first day of my life? What hopes and dreams did they have for me? What has God called me for? How is He going to use my life? Am I going to be selfish and hold back or am I truly going to allow Him to use it?