Could not see
Eyes swelled shut
Could not breathe
Repeated prayer
A thousand times
LORD, I need you
Oh hear my cry
Cold, dark room
Warming light
Calm, still voice
"Everything's going to be all right."
Oh, so ***this*** is what peace of mind feels like! Thank you Lord!
| My Sister My sister told a million lies. She thought she was clever. She thought she was wise. She twisted things into so many knots, She forgot what was true and that which was not. Not only did she lie, But she blamed me, too. Her words cut like daggers. I was unsure what to do. Instead of meeting face to face, She ran away again, to start another chapter based on more deception. Oh, no one ever thinks they're bad. Even Satan thinks he's right. But he got hold of my sister, and I pray for her with all my might. |
My Other Sister My other sister listened and believed the others' lies. She didn't know the wool was pulled over her eyes. She followed along like a herd of blind sheep Never suspecting the wolf got her in too deep. If it wasn't so sad, I'd get really mad. They're causing pain with nothing to gain. My daughters have found what it's like to have peace. I pray night and day the same for my niece. |
The Rest of My Family The family I had growing up had its ups and downs. Maybe more downs than ups, but a family nevertheless. For a time, I ran away. Too focused on myself. I didn't realize what God had given me. I've been back for 20 years now. Maybe it's not perfect, but we're here for a reason. Hollywood has tried to distort our understanding of love and growth. There's only one book we need: The Bible. Read it! |
I do believe that lyrics can be evil, but music cannot. Music can be disharmonious and cause physical abnormalities (and even death), but that does not mean it's evil. If the lyrics glorify God, the song is good. If the song is only instrumental, then the song is not either good or evil. Instrumental music causes one to think and feel, and it is THOSE thoughts and feelings that are either good or evil, not the music.
Recently, too, has been the need of some to label music Christian or secular. Some secular songs please the LORD, so they are good. (Personally, I have limited myself to Christian radio stations and Christian CDs, but I do not think that people who listen to Bing Crosby, for example, at Christmas time are doing evil.)
And, the songs we listen to are no different than what we read or the movies we watch. What are we filling our minds and bodies with? If it's a rock song that praises the LORD, then I would think He would be well pleased.
I've also seen idolatry take hold. Fans screaming for dc Talk or Third Day, when they should be raising their voices to the LORD. So, we need to be watchful in our thoughts, feelings, and actions around music.
All-in-all, the conversations around this subject leave me saddened. It detracts from Him. It encourages disunity. What is important is that we focus on the LORD, and if that means sometimes using music to do it, then that is good.
Here's some links that are relevant to this subject, although I do not necessarily agree with all of them.
So, the Father asked His son to teach us these things so that we could understand them and be able to do them. Jesus knew the anguish and sacrifice He was going to have to go through, and came here nonetheless. He loved us enough to do this, and so today we celebrate Him -- His humility and His glory. Merry Christmas!
American football is one of the worst things that was ever invented! What's worse is that people who claim to be Christian defend their right and love for the "game" stronger than they preach the Good News. Football is bad for a lot of reasons (violence, corruption, idolatry, spending millions-maybe billions-of dollars on sports instead of helping our fellow men, losing focus on Who Really Matters, etc.), but I do not need to argue my point, because I will let the facts speak for themselves.
Here are some quotes from God's "playbook":
1 Timothy 2:24-25 "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves..."
James 3:17-18 "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."
Galations 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
Here are some quotes about American football:
[1] "The attitude that our program must be and will be tougher than anyone we face is now a trademark of our team. In the mind of a football player, one of the most rewarding moments in a game is when you hit a player so hard that he can barely get up for the next play. It is this exact emotion that our seniors have held in front of our noses and that we have strived for and will continue to pursue."
[2] "As he nears the blocker, the defensive lineman drives the heels of his hands forward and up, punching them into the armpits of the blocker. ... Keeping his back straight and the top of his helmet under the chin of the blocker, the defensive lineman drives the blocker straight into the quarterback. ... Instead of punching out with his hands, he now grabs the front of the blocker's jersey, and, using the blocker's own momentum, jerks him either to his right or left. ... Instead of slipping with the inside hand and arm, the pass rusher drives his inside forearm and hand into the rib cage of the blocker."
[3] "15 high school football players died during regular season and playoff games in 1999, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. Another 11 athletes have died in high school games and practices since late August of this year -- and that number is expected to rise during playoffs. In addition, another 29 players this year have suffered 'catastrophic injuries' on the field, leaving them paralyzed or seriously disabled."
Sources:
[1] http://www.yaleherald.com/archive/xxx/2000.12.01/sports/p28.html
Jason Lange, JE '03, a defensive tackle on the Yale football team
[2] http://www.nflhs.com/TipsDrills/features/features_03022000a_db.asp
Tips and Drills for high school football
[3] http://www.lp.org/press/archive.php?function=view&record=162
Football kills as many students as school shootings (Oct 2000)
When I was young, I thought I'd figure out who I am one day. Now I know that self-discovery is a continual process, and it is best done with other people, not in isolation. Thanks goes to Aubrey, Courtney, Erin, George, and Conor for helping me realize and enjoy this.
Sun rays
piercing through the clouds,
dancing on the water,
like diamonds.
Languid waves
lapping at the sand
in late afternoon
enticing your entry,
beckoning,
like sirens.
Come to me,
Come in me.
Immerse yourself.
Let me envelop you.
Caress your skin.
Heal your pain.
Come to me,
Come in.
When I brush up against
The point of no return
When life is too hard to bear
You are there
You are there
When frenzied laughter turns
into cynical sobs
And tears flow like the rain
You are there
You are there
When we need a prayer
When we need a hand
Or when a smile can't be found
You are there
You are there
We're here for each other
Yet there is only You to trust
"One can only hope"
You are here
You are here
For me
Thank You LORD
Thank You Jesus
Thank You LORD
For being here
The Problem with Normal
Lord, please give strength to this person who hurt me; Lord, please bless this person with peace.
"If you have no desire to worship the LORD, choose today whom you will worship ... But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15
"Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me." Matthew 12:30
"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" John 13:35
Now that I prayed that prayer for you (at the top of this entry before the pictures), once again, I am filled with the peace of Christ (no angst, no resentment, only love), and I truly hope you find it.
Jesus alone saves. Jesus alone is Lord. Only Jesus' sacrifice can cleanse us. Only by faith are we made right before God. Justification is only by our faith and the Lord's grace--not by anything we do.
It's not just a necklace.
It's not just for bling.
You really are too reckless
If you use it for such a thing.
This is my testimony for everyone to see
That my savior went through torment
Because of His love for me.
I wear this cross with pride
Cuz I am not ashamed.
I do not want to hide,
and will tell the world His name.
That Jesus was a real man
And part of the Godhead too
Who made up a divine plan
For me and for you.
This cross is not about church
Or rules that man has made.
It's all about my search
And how Christ changed me one day.
He or his angel came to me
In a moment of utter despair
I called on His name you see
And he whispered in my ear...
"Everything will be all right,"
He said, with a golden glow about.
Peace washed over me in that light
And removed from me all doubt.
I was a new creation,
And it can happen to you, too.
It has filled me with elation
And I want to share it with you.
When Christ died on the cross,
They laid Him in a tomb,
But he physically ascended to heaven
His body left the room.
So the next time that you see
This cross on its chain
Know that it's not just jewelry
And how you too can change.
He stands at the door,
And when you knock,
He will open it for sure,
And He'll be your rock.
Just call on His name
Like I did that day
You'll never be the same
And you will have the way
to Peace!
You lied to me
to your family and friends
to your clergy
to your government
to yourself
And how do you feel now?
I'll love you forever, I forgive you, and I hope you wake up someday to what Love and Truth really are.
After eight years of trying to show you by example,
and proving to you that together we could conquer the darkness and spread the Lord's light,
you couldn't see past the end of your nose or realize who I really am and that
I saw ***everything***, but I'll keep shtum. You chose the low road; that's your prerogative.
Praying for you.
