Language of Silence

-My friends at school participated in the day of silence. I came home feeling good after the day was done, but I didn't really think we had made much of an impact. Today at school, one of my teachers gave me a 'thank you' card reading: Dear Pro-Life Students at Citrus High, Your silent protest in defense of the unborn came to my attention through a colleague who was persuaded to change his vote to a pro-life candidate as a result of your witness. It has been said, "God's first language is silence. Everything else is a poor translation." Thank you for serving as a megaphone for God's voice.

This is a testimony of a student who took part in the day of Silence for standtrue.com. For those who are not aware, day of silence was a day where students around the nation wore red tape across their mouths in observation of the silence of over 5 million babies represented because of abortion.  Standtrue.com is similar to abort73.com, both of which I support greatly because of the things they have done and the testimonies I have seen and heard because of these websites.  What this teacher said in the thankyou card to the student who observed day of silence recently is AMAZING.  It really hit me, God's first language IS silence.  I don't know necessarily that that can be literally translated but it can be a true and powerful statement.  We may walk by some one and pray for them as they pass.  They may never literally know that we did but God can do powerful things to make that known.  This is one of the many reasons I support websites such as this and also the cause that they stand for.  Go visit these sites, pick up some shirts and read up so you too can be educated and possibly change some ones mind or situation they are in.

http://www.abort73.com

http://www.standtrue.com

Patiently awaiting

Patiently awaiting what you are so impatiently hoping for is the hardest.  Happiness is so fleeting but so longed for.  Fun times are so cherished, but so easily vanished into the cold early morning air.  It never truly satisfies, it just quinches the longing for something in the mean time. Yet soon disappears.  You feel like you are being fooled into being happy again, and then it comes crashing down for the littlest reason.  A feeling of excited butterflies and hope for whats ahead is the best feeling.  Leaving where you were smiling bigger then you have in a long time, but being too high above the clouds to realize its not true, it never was in the first place.  But holding on to it for too long hurts even more.  Which of the two is better? I don't know, really,  I dont. Wish I could say, but I would be lying to myself, and you too.  You want the answers, walking around with your head high and hoping to fall for another one maybe being treated better than what you were. But... how is that possible when you were being treated like a princess? Will the lies ever subside and will trust ever be regained? Not just by that one, but by others?  The sensible answer would be: yes.  But it isn't that easy.  Hiding behind the "joy" is so easy to do, but so deceiving and yet so much better then showing the real feelings behind that smile and energy.  Isn't that what happened in the first place? Joy, happiness, times that lasted and ended with a smile and a kiss.  That was very clearly so fake.  Or was it?  These questions are but mere theories, that have probably already been proved but the oblivion behind that not so every lasting joy stricken smile is clueless to the answers that are probably already there.  Dwelling on this will seem so silly soon after this, but now, it seems perfectly reasonable.  It may be, but it also very likely may not be. The maturity is probably severely lacking, but what being doesn't experience this? What being experiences this in a way that is much better than possible?  Not this one. Being so caught up in the words that are said and the charming actions are all too common to get brought down yet again by.  Thinking it may be different is a pure mistake.  But so completely easy to fall back into once your there again.  Feeling lonely is way too much to handle, but provides so much time to think about the way things were handled.  Where to go and what to do next will forever be a mystery.  Will it ever come about again that true love is shown?  Doubtfully so, but what a thought to hold on to.  Is it worth it....?

A picture worth a thousand words

This is a picture I will be doing my third essay on in my English 101 class  We were asked to look at a gallery of World Press Photo of the Year gallery.  This gallery is full of 50 pictures with the most memorable/tragic photo of the year.  This one specifically took place in April 1980 in Uganda.  This as I'm sure you can tell is a small, starving Ugandan boy with a missionary holding his hand up.  I have a  heart for people hurting such as this and I felt like what a better opportunity to learn more about it and pray for these people than by doing a report on a picture that says more than I will be able to express in my essay.  Mike wells is the photographer and in the paragraph about him, it included that this picture laid on his desk for five months before he published it.  When he won he felt as though he was unworthy of the gift when people are starving and suffering in Africa.  This picture says so much to me, and I can't wait to write about it.  Although this boy is likely not with us any more here on this earth, pray for others who are in the exact same position, and likewise, for their salvation.  It is sadly, but so amazingly the only thing they have to hold on to. 

What is he hiding?

Did you know?

Some thoughts on Sunday Sermon @ DSC

Worship is response.  It does not begin or end with us.  It is solely focused on the one who created worship with that thought in mind that God himself is a jealous God and wants worship to be focused around Him, not us.  So often we raise our hands our close our eyes and forget that this is done to worship the true Creator of worship, not to show our love for the Lord to other people but to extol Him during worship by gestures such as this.  

To see that the oppression in this world is not outside ourselves but is truly us is the first step to realizing something bigger than us.  We so often walk around oppressing others for what they do when in all reality, we are the oppression by even doing that.  What a thought.  That really hit me, because often times I do catch myself oppressing others about silly things that don't last but don't realize truly I am causing more oppression than they are by being themselves, the selves that the Lord perfectly created in His eyes.  Yes, its much easier said than done, but such a good reminder.

The reason that Jesus taught and came to preach freedom to us in Luke 4 is because of the following three experiences he personally took part in: captivity, exile and freedom.  What a better way to express and teach freedom then to have personally experienced and fought through it.  It made so much sense to preach what you have done or been through.  What an encouraging way to live.  

A question to ponder and give me your thoughts on:

Why can't god just go over the whole world and miraculously heal every body?  

Ryan asked us this question in the message yesterday and I would love to hear your thoughts.  Its some thing I know we have all thought about or do think about at some point in our lives. 

Go listen to:  Sing to the Lord by Hillsong

We sang this yesterday in the service and it is such a powerful song.  You will enjoy it :o)

ESPN Video, touching story

I know I'm posting alot of videos lately, but sometimes words can only say so much until a story makes all the more difference than a 250 word blog.  So here it is: Check this out, what a testimony. Thanks Zach (http://www.takeyourvitaminz.blogspot.com)

Remembering Christopher Laurie

Christopher Laurie | A Life Changed from Harvest Online on Vimeo.

This man is amazing, he did so much.  It breaks my heart, and yet I never knew him personally.  I knew some of the people surrounding him in life though, and I also know the ever so raw feeling of a completely tragic loss of a loved one.  Especially but not limited to those who are atimately serving Christ and following after Him so hard.   The ones who have SO much to offer this world.  It brings back harsh yet realistic memories of the tragic loss my family, I and many others experienced four years ago October 20, and once again on November 15, just three years ago.  It makes me yearn for a better quality of life, that months down the road becomes once again so fleeting to me.  It makes me yearn for peace in times of trouble such as the Laurie family is still most likely experiencing.  I am a person who wants to take it away, because I know the ever so present and miserable feeling of that.  Yet the hope that lies within the concept of our Savior is so promising.  Watch this in remembrance of Chris Laurie and his family, meanwhile praying for the needs this family is continuing to actively experience day to day.  What a Savior we have.  What a Savior.

Interesting and Controversial?

Interesting line from the recent debate between McCain and Obama as they closed their debate.

"...nobody is pro-abortion. I think it's always a tragic situation" -Obama

Hmmm... 

All I have to say. 

These people are LEGIT

I was watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition last night before I went to sleep.  If you didn't know, Extreme Makeover came to Albuquerque and served a family and a local pastor in the South Valley.  The family received a new home for themselves, and also the houses next to them as the family houses those who are unable to live on their own or are rehabilitating from an addiction or life struggle.  It was an amazing story and such a work of the Lord.  I since then have watched this show as much as possible.  It is amazing to see the joy in these people's hearts as they receive a gift they would have never expected or much less even asked for, as they are thankful for enough in their circumstances.  I watched it last night and saw a story of a family who had tragically lost parents to two young girls.  Similarly, the cousin that took them in has a son that is a survivor of cancer.  They couldn't have asked for more, they were content with being together as a family and still being alive.  But much to their surprise, Extreme Makeover saw their circumstances and instantly fixed their house to better suit them.  They were so thankful and tears were brought to their eyes, as were mine.  These episodes always do this to me.  I see their hurting hearts and see the joy they experience just a mere week later and it breaks my heart.  I take for granted so much that those people would LOVE to have, but don't even dare to ask.  And then, I see it on the other side.  Ty Pennington is well off, so are the people that work alongside him on the show. Yet, they give EVERYTHING they can possibly get their hands on.  Its amazing.  Its praiseworthy.  Yet, is it?  I thought about writing this blog, praising them for the things they do for these people.  But, who is REALLY worth of this praise?  Them? Well, to an extent.  But ultimately to the Lord,  whether these families realize it or not they are blessed beyond all belief and most don't realize it.  By God's grace, the family in Albuquerque brought some of the EMHE staff to the Lord as they worked on their house.  But other than that, where are these families without the Lord? Blessed? Yes. But do they know why?  Most don't, and for this, prayer is most worthy.  Check out some episodes on TV or on this website to see what I mean! :)

"http://abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/index?pn=index"

SO CUTE!

Sad Reality

Nothing yet so much to say

She is the one who every body goes to, the one who when they are hurting and upset, they run to.  They want advice and seek her position and opinion on things.  They admire the love for the Lord she tried to portray every day and yet knows that she too is nowhere near perfection.  Never will be.  She smiles and says "I'm doing well and you?" when asked how she is that day.  She pretends its all perfect, but most of the time, it really is.  She meets as many people as possible and tries her hardest to maintain those relationships because she cares.  She prays for those who walk past her, knowing she will likely never see them again, but hopes that some how they feel the presence of the Lord over them in whatever they are dealing with.  Most likely, she's been through it too and would love to take their pain away for the hopes of saving their hearts dealing with the same thing she has struggled through.  Yet, she sees in herself imperfection, someone struggling for hope, someone hoping for the best in the situation, someone crying out to God after awhile of not having to do that, someone running back into His arms.  Seeing other surrounding her where she sits, hurting and most likely hurting more than her.  Why would she deserve this?  The answer: because she too is sinful and needed to be brought back to her Savior who is loving and comforting more than any person, more than any fake smile, more than any happy response that is deeply hidden with a world of hurt for herself and for others experiencing the same.  Yet, she can't say any thing.  She doesn't want to, she believes others don't deserve to hear her pointless struggle when so many more are struggling that much more.  But she wants to cry out, plea for comfort, ultimately to the Lord, but to others who are important to her and could offer some  comfort, some happiness. That would offer her some peace, but relationships with people are so fleeting compared to her everlasting relationship with some one who will never leave.  There is nothing to be said with so much given to her, but yet so much to say and to be heard. She waits and rests in the peace of her God who will show her there is no one like Him.