Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
John 11:25-27
Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
John 14:1
Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight. Your faith has healed you."
Luke 18:42
Then he said to him, "Get up, and go your way. Your faith has healed you."
Luke 17:19
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be cured of your disease."
Mark 5:34
Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:12
Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him...These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking after a country of their own. If indeed they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had enough time to return. But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Hebrews 11
I am tired and I go through seasons of doubt just like everyone else. But, somehow I stumbled upon these verses about FAITH and I know God was speaking to me. Live in faith and do not grow weary. Our God will reward faithfulness. I know it gets tough sometimes, but we have to continually return to him. EVERY day. Surrender your heart to Him and do not walk away.
Funny how the lyrics Im listening to continue to repeat these words as I type:
"I am fractured from the fall, and I want to go home. It takes two, but it used to take one." -"Two" by Ryan Adams
...I am fractured from the fall of our sinfulness and I want to go home to my Father in heaven...we were once one with God and now it takes Jesus and us to be one again with Him. We desire a better country and I cannot wait to get there!!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Hand
Thanksgiving Day was near. The first grade teacher gave her class a fun assignment - to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful.
Most of the class might be considered economically disadvantaged, but still many would celebrate the holiday with turkey and other traditional goodies of the season. These, the teacher thought, would be the subjects of most of her student's art. And they were.
But Douglas made a different kind of picture. Douglas was a different kind of boy. He was the teacher's true child of misery - frail and unhappy. As other children played at recess, Douglas was likely to stand close by her side. One could only guess at the pain Douglas felt behind those sad eyes.
Yes, his picture was different. When asked to draw a picture of something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand. Nothing else. Just an empty hand.
His abstract image captured the imagination of his peers. Whose hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because farmers raise turkeys. Another suggested a police officer, because the police protect and care for people. Still others guessed it was the hand of God, for God feeds us. And so the discussion went - until the teacher almost forgot the young artist himself.
When the children had gone on to other assignments, she paused at Douglas' desk, bent down, and asked him whose hand it was. The little boy looked away and murmured, "It's yours, teacher."
She recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked with him here or there, as she had the other students. How often had she said, "Take my hand, Douglas, we'll go outside." Or, "Let me show you how to hold your pencil." Or, "Let's do this together." Douglas was most thankful for his teacher's hand.
Brushing aside a tear, she went on with her work.
The story speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something about teachers teaching and parents parenting and friends showing friendship, and how much it means to the Douglases of the world. They might not always say thanks. But they'll remember the hand that reaches out.
"Your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." Psalms 139:10
"I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand." Psalms 73:23
This story brought tears to my eyes...I CAN'T WAIT TO BE A TEACHER!!
Most of the class might be considered economically disadvantaged, but still many would celebrate the holiday with turkey and other traditional goodies of the season. These, the teacher thought, would be the subjects of most of her student's art. And they were.
But Douglas made a different kind of picture. Douglas was a different kind of boy. He was the teacher's true child of misery - frail and unhappy. As other children played at recess, Douglas was likely to stand close by her side. One could only guess at the pain Douglas felt behind those sad eyes.
Yes, his picture was different. When asked to draw a picture of something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand. Nothing else. Just an empty hand.
His abstract image captured the imagination of his peers. Whose hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because farmers raise turkeys. Another suggested a police officer, because the police protect and care for people. Still others guessed it was the hand of God, for God feeds us. And so the discussion went - until the teacher almost forgot the young artist himself.
When the children had gone on to other assignments, she paused at Douglas' desk, bent down, and asked him whose hand it was. The little boy looked away and murmured, "It's yours, teacher."
She recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked with him here or there, as she had the other students. How often had she said, "Take my hand, Douglas, we'll go outside." Or, "Let me show you how to hold your pencil." Or, "Let's do this together." Douglas was most thankful for his teacher's hand.
Brushing aside a tear, she went on with her work.
The story speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something about teachers teaching and parents parenting and friends showing friendship, and how much it means to the Douglases of the world. They might not always say thanks. But they'll remember the hand that reaches out.
"Your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." Psalms 139:10
"I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand." Psalms 73:23
This story brought tears to my eyes...I CAN'T WAIT TO BE A TEACHER!!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Artists
No better time to write a blog than when in the library attempting to write a 10 page paper on Michelangelo...
Somehow whenever I sit down to study or do homework or write papers, I seem to get distracted NOT by twitter or social media outlets, but by Jesus....I guess that is not a sad thing. What can I say, I just love my main man and I love to contemplate life.
"One recognizes the wisdom of a great man in the fear with which he does the things he understands best." -Michelangelo
What is it that I do best? What is it that I do that people might possibly recognize as wisdom?
Well, for Michelangelo, he was a remarkable artist. Most people, do not appreciate artists because they do not understand the full extent of the word. A real artist is usually brilliant and hosts a philosophical mind; they have so much going on in their heads they do not know how to express it other than with their hands. Whatever unfolds before an artist when he works is a manifestation of an idea formed within the brain. For Michelangelo, his force of imagination was so extraordinary he could never be fully satisfied with his work....he always depreciated its quality esteeming that his hand failed to attain the original idea he had formed in his mind.
Michelangelo's work is faultless in my mind, it is technically perfect, radiating with passion and supereminent in force. He believed strongly in Neoplatonic ideas stressing that things perceived by the senses are beautiful only because they imitate the Creator and that the artist himself, in creating his works, imitates God directly. WOW.
Anyways, I won't bore you with more admiration of an artist, but just wanted to give you a little insight into the real definition of an artist...I hope you learn to discover an appreciation for art and the beauty of what it reflects.
I am by NO means saying I am an artist. To be frankly honest, I do not feel worthy of the term, but when someone calls me an artist I am utterly flattered and entirely humbled.
Honestly, I used to hate going to museums and I still don't understand how scribble can be worth millions of dollars, but now that I have learned the context and the deeper meaning of this word, I LOVE museums. If you ever want me to teach you how to appreciate art, you know how to find me.
With that said, BACK TO YOU 10 PAGE PAPER...Im out.
Somehow whenever I sit down to study or do homework or write papers, I seem to get distracted NOT by twitter or social media outlets, but by Jesus....I guess that is not a sad thing. What can I say, I just love my main man and I love to contemplate life.
"One recognizes the wisdom of a great man in the fear with which he does the things he understands best." -Michelangelo
What is it that I do best? What is it that I do that people might possibly recognize as wisdom?
Well, for Michelangelo, he was a remarkable artist. Most people, do not appreciate artists because they do not understand the full extent of the word. A real artist is usually brilliant and hosts a philosophical mind; they have so much going on in their heads they do not know how to express it other than with their hands. Whatever unfolds before an artist when he works is a manifestation of an idea formed within the brain. For Michelangelo, his force of imagination was so extraordinary he could never be fully satisfied with his work....he always depreciated its quality esteeming that his hand failed to attain the original idea he had formed in his mind.
Michelangelo's work is faultless in my mind, it is technically perfect, radiating with passion and supereminent in force. He believed strongly in Neoplatonic ideas stressing that things perceived by the senses are beautiful only because they imitate the Creator and that the artist himself, in creating his works, imitates God directly. WOW.
Anyways, I won't bore you with more admiration of an artist, but just wanted to give you a little insight into the real definition of an artist...I hope you learn to discover an appreciation for art and the beauty of what it reflects.
I am by NO means saying I am an artist. To be frankly honest, I do not feel worthy of the term, but when someone calls me an artist I am utterly flattered and entirely humbled.
Honestly, I used to hate going to museums and I still don't understand how scribble can be worth millions of dollars, but now that I have learned the context and the deeper meaning of this word, I LOVE museums. If you ever want me to teach you how to appreciate art, you know how to find me.
With that said, BACK TO YOU 10 PAGE PAPER...Im out.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Thorn Bird.
Tonight at Catholic Mass, Father Anthony shared with us this story:
There is a legend about a bird which sings just once in its life, more sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth. From the moment it leaves the nest it searches for a thorn tree, and does not rest until it has found one. Then, singing among the savage branches, it impales itself upon the longest, sharpest spine. And, dying, it rises above its own agony to out-carol the lark and the nightingale. One superlative song, existence the price. But the whole world stills to listen, and God in His heaven smiles. For the best is only bought at the price of great pain... or so says the legend...
I was moved so deeply by this image. Something in this small bird's dying song struck a chord within me. I got lost in mass tonight in a funny dream, I could hear the bird singing. There was something singing within me a beautiful song of hope for whatever lies ahead, it tells me "To live is Christ, to die is gain." God cannot work through despair, he cannot move in denial or shame, God cannot move when we give up or quit trying. God moves through us when we are willing to be moved. Whether he will move us to suffering or comfort we do not know, but through faith we have to TRUST Him.
My Jesus, Our Jesus, is the songbird. He died upon the sharpest thorn singing the most beautiful song. For those of us who hear His song resonate in our soul, it makes us stop in our tracks and be still. Heaven smiles and we know the Hope of eternity. With that we must work, we must sacrifice and love until everyone hears the same song that came to save us.
"May the eyes of your heart may be enlightened that you may know the HOPE to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19
There is a legend about a bird which sings just once in its life, more sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth. From the moment it leaves the nest it searches for a thorn tree, and does not rest until it has found one. Then, singing among the savage branches, it impales itself upon the longest, sharpest spine. And, dying, it rises above its own agony to out-carol the lark and the nightingale. One superlative song, existence the price. But the whole world stills to listen, and God in His heaven smiles. For the best is only bought at the price of great pain... or so says the legend...
I was moved so deeply by this image. Something in this small bird's dying song struck a chord within me. I got lost in mass tonight in a funny dream, I could hear the bird singing. There was something singing within me a beautiful song of hope for whatever lies ahead, it tells me "To live is Christ, to die is gain." God cannot work through despair, he cannot move in denial or shame, God cannot move when we give up or quit trying. God moves through us when we are willing to be moved. Whether he will move us to suffering or comfort we do not know, but through faith we have to TRUST Him.
My Jesus, Our Jesus, is the songbird. He died upon the sharpest thorn singing the most beautiful song. For those of us who hear His song resonate in our soul, it makes us stop in our tracks and be still. Heaven smiles and we know the Hope of eternity. With that we must work, we must sacrifice and love until everyone hears the same song that came to save us.
"May the eyes of your heart may be enlightened that you may know the HOPE to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19
My calling.
Somehow, I actually got accepted into Teach for America in South Carolina.
I have been overwhelmed, but entirely excited about the adventure that lies ahead of me. For the next 2 years, I am legally bound to something I do not even fully understand the extent of and something I have mysteriously craved to do all my life. Ever since I was little I would pack a backpack and run away (really hiding in the treehouse) or ride off on my horse just to be alone–there has always been a desire in me to go away and truly discover if my life is real; I want to know if I am who I think I am without being defined by family, friends, where I am from or where I am going. Is my faith really as strong as I hope it is?
I am confident that although these next 2 years may be the hardest of my life, God will be shaping me and using me to bring light to a dim place. The kingdom comes not by what we do to serve God, but by God working in and through us. I am ready to give up my selfish college lifestyle and at least try to allow Jesus to live through me somewhere totally new.
When Jesus was resurrected He came back to his loyal followers to fully transform them in a powerful way. "He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit..." John 20:22. Up to this point they had followed Jesus and had come to trust Him, although they did not always understand Him–now Jesus unites Himself with them in an unusual spiritual manner. They are no longer merely followers of Christ, but rather mystically UNITED to Him and thus extensions of Him in the world.
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5
We are called to be His followers even when we do not understand; we are called to be obedient to His call. No matter what path we choose for ourselves, the Holy Spirit stands beside us and fortifies us with all the power and strength to teach, to heal, to save others from sinking in the world, to extend the mercy of Christ to all people...
Beyond the words on this page, I cannot express enough thankfulness for my friends and the people God has touched me through. The devil has a funny hold on me in the times I feel most alone and anxious about the future, but I know beyond the shadow of a doubt the Lord has used and will continue to use numerous people to ease my anxiousness. Thank you, friends and family, for your prayers and encouragement, but most of all for your obedience–without your obedience to the Spirit, I would not be here. All that to say, I expect ALL OF YOU to get a flight to South Carolina ASAP:)
"Call upon me and I will show you great and mighty things, things that you don't even know are going to happen to you!" Jeremiah 33:3
I have been overwhelmed, but entirely excited about the adventure that lies ahead of me. For the next 2 years, I am legally bound to something I do not even fully understand the extent of and something I have mysteriously craved to do all my life. Ever since I was little I would pack a backpack and run away (really hiding in the treehouse) or ride off on my horse just to be alone–there has always been a desire in me to go away and truly discover if my life is real; I want to know if I am who I think I am without being defined by family, friends, where I am from or where I am going. Is my faith really as strong as I hope it is?
I am confident that although these next 2 years may be the hardest of my life, God will be shaping me and using me to bring light to a dim place. The kingdom comes not by what we do to serve God, but by God working in and through us. I am ready to give up my selfish college lifestyle and at least try to allow Jesus to live through me somewhere totally new.
When Jesus was resurrected He came back to his loyal followers to fully transform them in a powerful way. "He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit..." John 20:22. Up to this point they had followed Jesus and had come to trust Him, although they did not always understand Him–now Jesus unites Himself with them in an unusual spiritual manner. They are no longer merely followers of Christ, but rather mystically UNITED to Him and thus extensions of Him in the world.
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5
We are called to be His followers even when we do not understand; we are called to be obedient to His call. No matter what path we choose for ourselves, the Holy Spirit stands beside us and fortifies us with all the power and strength to teach, to heal, to save others from sinking in the world, to extend the mercy of Christ to all people...
Beyond the words on this page, I cannot express enough thankfulness for my friends and the people God has touched me through. The devil has a funny hold on me in the times I feel most alone and anxious about the future, but I know beyond the shadow of a doubt the Lord has used and will continue to use numerous people to ease my anxiousness. Thank you, friends and family, for your prayers and encouragement, but most of all for your obedience–without your obedience to the Spirit, I would not be here. All that to say, I expect ALL OF YOU to get a flight to South Carolina ASAP:)
"Call upon me and I will show you great and mighty things, things that you don't even know are going to happen to you!" Jeremiah 33:3
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The Wait.
It seems were always waiting.
As a child we wait for Santa Claus to come down the chimney, our birthday party once a year, our first tooth to fall out, our Dad to come home from work, the first time to wear make-up and see PG-13 movies, the first time to fly in an airplane.
Then we wait to see if we made the volleyball team or the cheerleading squad, we wait to get asked to prom, for the day we rule the school as "seniors", to get the SAT score back, the big step when we apply to college and anxiously await responses.
Eventually, we move away from home and wait for the adventure college holds.
In college life stands still and we never want to leave the never-ending-vacation, but theres still something lingering in us that is waiting for something more.
There is a whole life out there waiting for us to find it, or it to find us.
As much as I have always wanted to get over this whole phase of waiting, I think theres much to be said about this idea of waiting that shows up again and again in our lives.
I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God. Psalm 38:15
When we are in waiting we feel uncertain and unsure, we ask ourselves, "On what is my hope based?" "Where do I find joy and comfort again?" We find none in the contemplation of the world itself, in man and his pursuits; in the course of things so shadowy and so mysterious, we ultimately find ourselves contemplating God.
The contemplation of a world so vain, so shadowy, so mysterious leads us away from expecting to find what we need in the world or finding a solution to the questions which confuse us...ultimately this contemplation brought on by the "wait" leads us to the great God who is infinitely wise, and who can meet all the necessities of our inadequate human nature. In his own time, our Lord can solve all these mysteries, so why not wait on Him and not our own desire to control and understand?
And so today I will wait. I am going to be here, present to what life hands me. And when its time to be somewhere else, I will be there...present to what life hands me there.
Are we supposed to be comfortable or always living in Trust?
As a child we wait for Santa Claus to come down the chimney, our birthday party once a year, our first tooth to fall out, our Dad to come home from work, the first time to wear make-up and see PG-13 movies, the first time to fly in an airplane.
Then we wait to see if we made the volleyball team or the cheerleading squad, we wait to get asked to prom, for the day we rule the school as "seniors", to get the SAT score back, the big step when we apply to college and anxiously await responses.
Eventually, we move away from home and wait for the adventure college holds.
In college life stands still and we never want to leave the never-ending-vacation, but theres still something lingering in us that is waiting for something more.
There is a whole life out there waiting for us to find it, or it to find us.
As much as I have always wanted to get over this whole phase of waiting, I think theres much to be said about this idea of waiting that shows up again and again in our lives.
I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God. Psalm 38:15
When we are in waiting we feel uncertain and unsure, we ask ourselves, "On what is my hope based?" "Where do I find joy and comfort again?" We find none in the contemplation of the world itself, in man and his pursuits; in the course of things so shadowy and so mysterious, we ultimately find ourselves contemplating God.
The contemplation of a world so vain, so shadowy, so mysterious leads us away from expecting to find what we need in the world or finding a solution to the questions which confuse us...ultimately this contemplation brought on by the "wait" leads us to the great God who is infinitely wise, and who can meet all the necessities of our inadequate human nature. In his own time, our Lord can solve all these mysteries, so why not wait on Him and not our own desire to control and understand?
And so today I will wait. I am going to be here, present to what life hands me. And when its time to be somewhere else, I will be there...present to what life hands me there.
Are we supposed to be comfortable or always living in Trust?
Friday, November 4, 2011
Thankful.
So thankful for life. So thankful for today.
This morning, it is 7am and I am here. I am breathing, my heart beats steadily and I know that he is God. My life is not in my control; as much as I want everything to be in my control, it is not.
Hot cup of coffee and 26 degrees outside puts me in a state of contemplation and stillness. Today I will walk outside and expect to go to class at 8:00am, I will expect to run some errands after class, maybe take a nap or get caught up on homework...but little do I know, my whole life could change in a minute, a second, a flash.
We can go through life pretending like we have it all together all the time, we can plan, we can commit to obligations. Or we can live in the present and introduce ourselves to Eternity that intersects us at every step we take.
Today I dare you to walk with Him. Picture Jesus walking not behind you (past) or in front of you (future), but with you in the present...get to know Him and let him guide you through campus, around your house, through class, maybe common grounds.
"As we read spiritually about spiritual things, we open our hearts to God’s voice. Sometimes we must be willing to put down the book we are reading and just listen to what God is saying to us through its words." -Henri Nouwen
This morning, it is 7am and I am here. I am breathing, my heart beats steadily and I know that he is God. My life is not in my control; as much as I want everything to be in my control, it is not.
Hot cup of coffee and 26 degrees outside puts me in a state of contemplation and stillness. Today I will walk outside and expect to go to class at 8:00am, I will expect to run some errands after class, maybe take a nap or get caught up on homework...but little do I know, my whole life could change in a minute, a second, a flash.
We can go through life pretending like we have it all together all the time, we can plan, we can commit to obligations. Or we can live in the present and introduce ourselves to Eternity that intersects us at every step we take.
Today I dare you to walk with Him. Picture Jesus walking not behind you (past) or in front of you (future), but with you in the present...get to know Him and let him guide you through campus, around your house, through class, maybe common grounds.
"As we read spiritually about spiritual things, we open our hearts to God’s voice. Sometimes we must be willing to put down the book we are reading and just listen to what God is saying to us through its words." -Henri Nouwen
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