Just a thought...

I I hate it when people get hurt in relationships over the years and instead of the other person actually dealing with the hurt and division caused he or she just chooses to abandon the relationship sweep things under the carpet put on a happy face and move on?

That doesn't lead to unity, that leads to hypocracy.

I struggle everyday to put aside bitterness and put on Chirst. Sometime throughout the day! But it really pisses me off when the people who have extremely hurt me, hurt those close to me, and cast judgements on me and my children go around acting like NOTHING EVER HAPPENED! How can you be real with people like that. I fight bitterness, because I opened up my heart and I got judged.

I am about being genuine and authentic. Honestly I think THAT is what Jesus was about too. I can be unified in that! It's just I shut down and pull out when people come along wanting to "play god" in my life. I mean, c'mon! I've got a Holy Spirit...and guess what? IT'S NOT YOU!

I think a lot of the reason people want nothing to do with the church is because they see those people in the church so full of themselves that Christ is nowhere to be found. Heck...sometime I want nothing to do with the church because of that reason.

That's why I believed my family is called to "save the church". Let's rip open out our guts and pull out our hearts...let's look at our lives as if we were dying and ask the question, "Why is God sustaining my very life when all I deserve is death?" Let us be drawn into worship of the very God who himself was abused and beated and hung on a cross to die by the very "church" he came to breath new life into.

I wish God's people actually would reflect his beauty for a change...

People aren't being saved because they look at the "church" and think that is an acurate representation of God. Now that breaks my heart.

What's in a Name?

Well...I think we are officially back to "Edmund" or "Eddie" for our pup...but really who cares! I guess the kids will have to settle for the middle name of "Dog Vader". Anyways, no calls...so I'm thinking he is more ours everyday...I even went out and bought a new collar and a "cow-print" leash today....oh and more food!

My Jedi Knight Turns 8 Today!

My little baby, Taylor, turns 8 today! I can't even believe it. 8 YEARS! Holy Cow! That's like high school and college combined! My little guy is getting so big...so mature. And I feel like he has just grown up over night. He's becoming just such a GREAT kid. He is so funny and fascinating.

I know we have our ups and downs. Sometimes I just can't stand the whinning, the fussing, the crying...but overall, TAYLOR IS A GREAT KID. He is just a neat little guy to be around. I will always hold him so dear to my heart simply because he is my first. Thinking back to that time in my life I am overwhelmed. Such a sweet little thing totally and completely changed my life forever. I love him so much.

He says when he grows up that he wants to either be 1.) A Jedi Knight or 2.) A Worship Leader like Chris Tomlin. Isn't that so sweet? Well, since I hope he doesn't grow up to be one of those creepy guys that go to conventions and live with their mother and reinact their favorite movie scenes...I hope he goes with option #2. Maybe he can weild a guitar instead of a lightsaber! What a precious guy with a sweet heart.

I love you buddy! Happy Birthday today!

Living in Hell

...all I can say, is...It's been a BAD week.

Deja vu?

Can I just say...

You know you're an idiot when you accidentily throw a dirty diaper into the laundry when you clean your clothes. It's just gross...all the diaper gel that keeps the pee in and absorbed fills with water and explodes into a million little gel balls all over the "clean" laundry.

God bless my daughter who thought MY hamper was the trash can!

I have more to spew but will have to come back later...ahhh Motherhood!

PS...Thank God it was not #2 this time if you know what I mean!

Spoken Groove

We had these two guys help lead us in Worship last night at Third Service. It was something I'd never heard before...art, smashing into poetry and meeting music along the way...it's really in a class of it's own. Sorta like the concept of JT's "Small World Story" "Collossians Project" but I think to a toatlly different audience.

I wasn't sure what to think at first since I was kinda a "spoken word" virgin...but it leads you down this intricate winding path of word and rhythm...story meets song...but somehow...strangely...it does lead you into worship.

Anyway...these guys are very passionate about what they do, so...check it out:

www.spokengroove.com

Jonathan Edwards got a Bad Rap!

This week my 2nd grader has been working on a project about a "Famous American". We decided to pick Jonathan Edwards, the Puritan Preacher, for the influence he has had on our country but more importantly on our own family. For years Jonathan Edwards preached on the "spiritual affections". He preached that being in a relationship with God would move our heart in worship as we find enjoyment in God. God is the greatest pleasure and delight in life and our pursuit is to know Him more fully. (You can see what a major influence he has been on John Piper.) Anyway, much of his preaching and stressing the importance of God not just on Sunday, but in the everyday, is what led him to be one of the forefront preachers of the American "Great Awakening". He preached alongside George Whitfield from London and his papers and messages were distributed throught New England and Europe.

Anyway, most people think of Jonathan Edwards as the "Hell, Fire & Brimston" preacher who presented "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." But in doing the research with my son I learned this week of the audience to which he preached this message. Do you know it?

Throughout "The Great Awakening" Jonathan Edwards preched God's love and mercy and many were brought to Christ. The Great Awakening saw 30-40,000 people being saved in America. People all over were being wrapped up in revival and were turning their hearts to God. But there was one congregation in Enfield, Massachusetts, that just had been unresponsive during the entire reformation. So the pastor called Jonathan Edwards in to be a guest preacher to speak into the hardened hearts of these "so-called" believers in this small congregation. These were people who confessed faith in Christ, but their hearts were hard and their lives were unchanged.

Read this now with these new eyes and you will be absolutely blown away! (I was wrecked.):

http://www.jonathanedwards.com/sermons/Warnings/sinners.htm

Jonathan Edwards was not even able to finish preaching this message because people in the congregation were wailing and crying out asking, "How can I be saved?"

People think "hell, fire & brimstone" are seeker unsenstive...but sometimes it seems we all would do some good to remind our church people what lies ahead "were it not for the restraining hand of God."

"So-called Christians" are without excuse...dwelling in the house of God and yet unresponsive to the call of God and no visible heart change in their life. How many congregations are filled with these kinds of people? I think our church needs this kind of rebuke, which, by the grace of God, will lead to this kind of revival.

My favorite quote:

"The bow of God's wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood. Thus all you that never passed under a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls; all you that were never born again, and made new creatures, and raised from being dead to sin, to a state of new, and before altogether unexperienced light and life, are in the hands of an angry God."


Church...it is time to get honest. It's time to get real. It's time to act. And it's time to CHANGE!

That Prayer

A Voice: Lord Jesus Christ, God's glory and love shone through you that day on the mountain and you persisted in revealing that glory and love through your words and deeds; through your life of humble service. We hear again these wonderful words of God "You are my Son, the Beloved, listen to him!"
We confess our failure to listen to you because of the influence on our lives of the gods of this world. When this happens our attitudes conceal rather than reveal your glory and your love.

A Voice: If we conceal your love because our pursuit of other priorities prevents us from seeing and serving people in need:

All: Forgive us, Lord.

A Voice: If we conceal your glory because all we reflect is our own self-centredness:

All: Heal us, Lord

A Voice: If we conceal your truth through our lack of credible witness:

All: Change us, Lord.

A Voice: If we conceal your justice through our failure to empower those who are powerless:

All: Forgive us, Lord.

A Voice: If we conceal your mercy because of our hard and unforgiving attitudes:

All: Heal us, Lord

A Voice: If we conceal your compassion because of our prejudice and intolerance:

All: Change us, Lord.

A Voice: Lord Jesus Christ, cleanse our lives of all shameful attitudes of mind and heart so that we reveal your glory in and through all we do and say and are.
This we pray in your name and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen

It is the God who said, " Let light shine out of darkness" who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ( 2 Corinthians 4:6 ) The good news is that we are not only enlightened by our belief in Christ, we are cleansed and we are forgiven!

With passion and joy let us give thanks!

ALL: Thanks be to God!