link

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEisSxR2cps

random quotes

Random quotes.

"Adventures are found by the courageous. But sometimes adventures will find the timid and make them courageous."

"A life lived in fear is a life half lived."

"A woman who is loved embodies certain characteristics. She is beautiful adn conficent. She walks like a princess and loves relentlessly."

"Lord break my heart, for the things that break YOUR HEART."


Dear Jesus,

What will it take for me to burn for you--to burn in the way that John the Baptist did in the wildereness, preaching that the Kingdom of God is at hand? To love You in the way Paul did, where nothing but You satisfied his heart, and that compelled him to preach the Gospel?

I walk through stores almost every day of the week. Most of the time, I forget to ask Jesus to show me His heart for those I pass. And even if I begin to feel His heart, I never ask anyone if I can pray for them, or tell them about Jesus. I go to school four days of the week, sitting in classes, knowing that many of the people who surround me don't know You.

But I let fear grip my heart, keeping me from speaking what I know would save their lives.

I cry out in the prayer room for souls. I ask God for my generation--that we would arise in a passion for the Kingdom of God that is unprecedented. I ask Him for a love revolution. I ask Him to raise up firey ones who are selfless and totally surrendered to Him. Yet...what will it take for me to stop thinking that the prayer closet is the only place for my passion--to notice that God has placed these prayers on my heart so that I can in turn become an answer to those very pleas? To see that where He has positioned me is my pulpit--and that it is my duty to live a life that is loud for Him--to not back down or apologize because others may call me intolerant or a bigot due to my claim of believing there to be only one absolute truth.

Jesus, this is my prayer. I want to be filled with power from on high, just like the disciples in the Book of Acts. I want to get rid of the cultural philosophies of what beauty, intelligence, and success look like...because those things only pull me out of the center of Your flame when I focus on them instead of You. I want to stop being consumed with trying to make myself look like a picture I saw in a magazine or live a copy-cat life of someone who has "made it" in the eyes of man...someone who is recongnized by man. Those idols of man's opinion and wealth and success...they break Your heart. This obsession with appearance and self opposes the very essence of what the Kingdom of heaven is about--an obsession with the King. But I need Your help, God. More and more I see how I cannot do it on my own--I can't live for You on my own. I can talk big and make myself and others get stirred up by preaching about You in a pulpit. But words mean nothing if there are no actions. God, please, be my courage. Make me bold. Make me ALIVE unto You. Thank You for the cross! Thank You for abundant life! I want to live for You.

Nelson Mandela: 1994 Inaugural Speech

Nelson Mandela: 1994 Inaugural Speech

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?”

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.

There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

(Attributed to Marianne Williamson in her book, A Return to Love)

UNTIL...stand

A man in my church talked about President Bush's visit to the Middle East. He was bowing down to Muslim Presidents as they put Islamic medals around his neck. Political correctness. How did we as a culture get to this place? It couldn't have been an instant shift, but a slow degrading of the mind-set of the church, a mind-set that is not renewed by truth. Instead, influenced by tolerism, even the possibility of absolute truth is dismissed. A slow death. Seeker-friendly, let's not rock the boat mind-set. Maybe that's not how we say it, but that's at the core of how we are behaving. "Peace, peace, when there is no peace."

Who will stand in the gap?

That is what God asked Ezekiel when a nation walked away from the One True God. He was looking for someone to climb into that whole, and make a stand--"UNTIL something shifts, I refuse to move." They own their stance--because they are owned by God. Like the mighty man in David's army who wouldn't move from the vegetable garden he was assigned to guard, they endure until the end. This warrior was prepared to defend and die for where he was assigned.

The prophetic time scale will go on. Wars and rumors of wars will haunt the hours of the last days. Tsunamis. Cold hearts. Nations rising against nations. Kingdoms rising against Kingdoms. Those are all a part of what will begin to happen. But, "Darkness no coveres the earth; deep darkness covers her people. But the Lord shines on you, and PEOPLE SEE HIS GLORY AROUND YOU." (Is. 60:2)

This gap is big. It seems impossible to stand there and actually believe that anything could happen. But that's just like God--to call out to a people to dream big dreams that could never be accomplished in their own strength. To dream the dreams that are on His heart--to be willing to lock into those dreams to see the face of the earth begin to change. It's only through dreaming these big dreams and going after them that the glory of God will shine on the earth. BURN FOR HIM!!! Yeah, you're going to seem crazy to most people...but in the process of trying to decide if you really want to be crazy, remember-- No decision is worse than a bad decision that is made from a pure heart! Universities burning for Jesus. Movies that change people's lives. Orphanages that minister to the next generation, helping to shape a nation for Christ. Supreme Court Justices who help end abortion. National prayer movements. Preaching to prime ministers. Yes, the gap is big. But God is bigger. Disappointment comes...but... UNTIL...I will stand. UNTIL...I will fight. UNTIL...I will burn. UNTIL...I will believe. UNTIL, UNTIL, UNTIL. I will stand in that gap UNTIL. Don't abandon your dreams. Don't get out of the gap.

a fantasy vs. a dream

FANTASY
/strong>Middle English fantasie — more at fancy
Date:
14th century
a class="lookup" href="http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/caprice">caprice5: the power or process of creating especially unrealistic or improbable mental images in response to psychological need ; also : a mental image or a series of mental images (as a daydream) so created


DREAM
Date:
13th century
a: a strongly desired goal or purpose b: something that fully satisfies a wish : ="http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/ideal">ideal



Although dreams and fantasies have similarities, their differences are enough to make one good and the other dangerous. A dream is based upon a strongly desired goal or purpose, whereas a fantasy is both unrealistic and removed from reality. The essense of a fantasy is dangerous, but a dream that is correct in its foundation can stir hope and passion and give endurance for the long race ahead. Fantasies are selfish and based on instant gratification. I think dreams can be selfish too--and even become fantasies--when not based in truth. But when they are based in truth, with a willingness to work hard, they can become reality--a reality that is meant to benefit mankind, giving life to others.

A fantasy world is not a good place to live. It is a place where sexual desires become deadly, with battle jails like pornography an easy trap to get a heart bound up in chains. It is a place where you imagine yourself in any place except for where you are, giving place to a mind-set that is unhealthy. It is a place where the thoughts are not renewed by the WORD--a sword that cuts through us to separate what is soul and what is spirit--to bring us to a place of learning how to function as true sons/daughters, who hate sin and love purity. Dreams are focused on goals--with actions accompanying the big ideas. Fantasy just stays put and tries hard to live in a different story without working to change the existing one.

When I look at the cross, I see no place for fantasy. There is a promise of life that causes me to dream. Living in a world where I am simply trying to "fix" my cravings and settle for instant gratification is not abundant life. Living in light of redemption is beautiful and powerful. In Christ, there is freedom from the bondage of fantasy. There is freedom to dream really pure dreams.

Hmm....just some thoughts....I'm going to look into this further. After looking at those definitions, I feel like our culture encourages fantasy worlds in a lot of ways. I want freedom for my generation--that our minds would be renewed by Truth--producing thoughts that push us forward instead of keeping us stagnated and ineffective.

I woke up this morning thinking about how the choices we make daily determine our future, and the road our lives will journey on each day after that.

When I got to my class, we watched a documentary film that Eve Ensler did on women in prison, which focused on mistakes and bad choices that they made...and how that has affected them. She really helped them get to a place of expressing their feelings. It’s called “What I want my words to do to you.” These women know they made bad choices—and the shame and guilt and regret is etched all over their faces.

Watching that, I had a lot of emotions battling inside of me. I never used to feel sorry for people who committed crimes because I felt like they were bad people who deserved what they got, yet watching these women, I saw a little bit of myself in all of them. I saw how one foolish choice that happened in few split seconds would put them on a path of regret for the rest of their lives. And I have the ability to make foolish decisions. I don’t think that a person who murders another should get off without consequences. I would be angry if they did. But what did make me angry in these women’s situations was not that they had to pay for their mistake, but thinking about who in their lives could have helped them before it came to a life sentence in prison. Why has society helped to raise people who have good hearts, but end up doing terrible things? Where were their parents? Were there friends around them who could have taken a moment to care and said something wise that could have altered their decision? Where was the church in their community? I’m sure that in many potential crimes there have been people to intervene. But in these women’s cases, there was no one. Yet, they still have to accept responsibility—knowing that is was their decision, and not another’s. They chose to pull the trigger.

Yet, even in the midst of justice being served, can there still be redemption? Is it fair to say that because they did such a horrible thing, they are worse than another or that they have no chance at salvation? Sin crouches at everyone’s door, and its desire is for every individual. No one is exempt or immune from the disease of sin—a disease that has been in existence since the Garden of Eden. Cain learned this well, killing his brother Abel. He had to pay for his crime, yet God still allowed him to live and to produce a lineage. Jesus died on the cross next to a sinner who was repentant, and He forgave him. The man still died...but he spent eternity with his Savior.

Being in a secular college, one thing we didn’t discuss was sin as a factor. We did discuss that these women all had different circumstances, and to put them under one big label as murderers isn’t doing justice to each individual story—each individual’s fight to not just own their mistake, but to also forgive themselves and choose to be a voice so that others don’t go down the same path. All of the women expressed how they learned wisdom too late. Many of them hated themselves for what they did.

Yet sin is a major player. But that isn’t going to come from high school teachers or college professors. That comes from the church—through the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I walked away from class today grieved over lives that have been lost to sin, and how as a believer, I so often don’t even care about another’s issues. Just like Cain, I ask God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” I try hard to keep my relationship with God vertical, instead of realizing that anything contained within myself will rot and smell and eventually corrode. The Word of God is like a double edged sword—cutting and healing…and that sword is not just for me. It is meant for my generation. It is meant for lost children who don’t know that they have been called to sonship…who are entangled in sin but don’t know that they have a choice to be free…that they can choose life instead of death. We say so easily that everyone has a choice and that different decisions could have been made. But in reality, does everyone really know that they have another choice? Does everyone know that the cycle that they have watched those around them walk in doesn’t have to be their cycle? Do they really know that freedom and redemption are possible because of the blood of a perfect sacrifice—and not because they have lived perfect lives? Is it fair that I would look with eyes of judgment on people who could have been me—instead of praying for them and choosing to develop my hearing so that I can listen to God’s voice more clearly concerning those around me?

Yes, sin is crouching and my door. But it also crouching at my neighbor's door. Maybe they don't know that, but I do. And I know that it desires to destroy both of us. I also know, though, that it doesn't have to--that it's desire is not as strong as the Father's desire to save us, which was shown through the sacrifice of His dearest relationship--His own son. Sin's desire is not as powerful as the Father's desire to show us true life--life that is abundant and free from guilt and shame--a life that can visit us wherever we may be, whether that is in a jail cell with so many regrets we can't even list all of them, of anywhere else...a life that can not just visit us, but change us. And because I know that, it's my responsibility to share what I know with others. Because that's what friends do. That's what love does.

"Live a life less ordinary with me"

Normal.

The very thought of what that word means to me makes my stomach tie up in knots. 9-5 job. Nice house with a white picket fence. Steady lifestyle. Routines. Schedules. Convenience. Comfort. Success. Degrees.

Normal doesn't cut it for me...for a life that I believe everyone is capable of living. It just requires faith. I'm looking at my door, where I have a map of the world with the words, "God's aggressive love finds a way." I don't think that settling for a normal lifestyle allows God to be aggressive in His love...at least not to the degree He wants to be...not to the degree where people's hearts and lives are changed. It takes risk to step out of the boat...but that's the only way to learn that God has called me to walk on water. Just thinking about that today, and feeling challenged to not settle for ordinary.