Matthew 3:43-44 You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.'But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Matthew 19:19 honour your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbour as yourself.'
Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
We, as believers in Jesus Christ are commanded to love God and to love people. It seems though that it's easy to say "love God and love people" and to believe that is what we are supposed to do, but to actually strive to do and to do it with all our heart, and to do it like God loves us and how Christ loves the church is a different story. I am reminded when I struggle with loving certain people how hard loving can be and that I need to fully rely on God to help me to love people how He loves us. Also, while I love people very much and am passionate about caring for people I have been reminded recently how important the act of love is. When I look at the world and all the hurt that is within, I see the great need for love. There is a lot more hurt than we realize. And when we love on those people and we are in relationship with those people, something beautiful happens. I love it when God gives me the opportunity to talk with people that I know and already have a good relationship with and then people I hardly know on a deeper level; I love being able to see their heart. Love is very important, after all it is commanded of us as Christians. I pray that I will continue to grow in my love towards others and my love towards God. We need God to help us, we can't do it on our own. Imagine the love that will be shared, if we let God take control. We need to love, and we need to be loved.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
SPRING!
Tomorrow is the first day of spring!! I am so very excited. In honor of spring, I shall share a little writing and some pics.
I wrote this about 2 years ago:
These don't exactly go with the theme, but I thought they were sweet :). They are springish colors though!ha
I wrote this about 2 years ago:
I don’t write about nature much, but I’ve been really lovin’ it lately, so I think today I will, so we’ll see what happens.
Something about flowers just makes me happy, especially those you make into a bouquet.
Flowers are such a simple beauty that God created for us to admire.
Well, I guess not only to admire, I guess they do serve a purpose for insects as well.
But, just a think about it, something so simple as a flower, but so beautiful.
This significant beauty, that’s what I’ll call it, is significant.
It has to be, at least that’s what I think. Why would our God create it if it wasn’t a least bit significant?
Flowers don’t have to do much, but sit in the ground or in a vase, but they are still fulfilling a purpose.
Flowers have a certain charm about them. They are just so pretty! Next time you’re driving down a road and see some on the side of the road, take a second to gaze at them. However, don’t take too long to look, because you don’t want to wreck! The next time you pass by a flower shop, step in for a second.
When you’re out in your mother or grandmother’s garden, take some time to look around and take in the beauty and the sweet scent that flower’s give out. It’s just an interesting thought, flowers.
I’ve loved flowers for awhile, but have never taken a whole lot of time to dwell on the idea of their existence. Oh, I can’t wait until the day comes when I can have a beautiful wedding bouquet or the day when I can have lots of flowers in my very own garden. It’s going to be wonderful!
Wow, that was really kind of cheesy haha, but aren't flowers great?! :)
Yay Spring! :)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Luke 2:25-35
25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,
28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
33The child's father and mother marvelled at what was said about him.
34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,
35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Luke 2:25-35
25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,
28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
33The child's father and mother marvelled at what was said about him.
34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,
35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
Thursday, March 10, 2011
He Will Come-Enter the Worship Circle
He Will Come
Karla Adolphe
Verse:
My heart is waiting inside it's fading
And the leaves they won't stop falling
Days grow shorter, nights are longer
Winter wraps its arms around me
Chorus:
(You said) Wait child
I'm in love with you
It's a solemn vow
I'll come back for you
Bridge:
He will come as surely as the sun bursts into light
He will come until then I will keep my lamp burning bright
He will come, He will come
Some Lit.-recent and not
It’s there, it always has been, even at the beginning
We just have to come back to it,
It can be found, it is there,
Really, it’s all around us
We have to be willing to let go and let it consume us,
We would all be better off if we did that.
There is none that is as powerful as He, none that even stand close,
We like to make our names high and boast in our goodness,
But really we’re called to become small and humble,
To lose every bit of power we may have or seem to think we have.
By no stretch of the imagination is it easy,
To become less, so He can become more,
But by every stretch of the imagination, it is possible.
We get so worried about things around us, we lose that factor that has always been there,
That simplicity.
It’s in the beauty around us, but we get so caught up, we get so distracted,
We forget it and lose it.
But it is attainable, it always has been.
It may not be as easy now to get as it was but my all means it is still possible.
Oh let us become silent and wrapped up in the beauty that’s out there.
Let us get away from the distractions and the hindrances that entangle us.
Let us trust in You
Let us allow You to captivate us
So that our focus is completely on You,
There is no room for anything else,
No room for worries, anxieties, stresses,
Just us and You,
There is nothing hard or complicated about that.
For if we could just come back to the beginning where it all started,
And see that all this nonsense isn’t necessary,
It’s not needed, nor is it wanted,
It has bogged our minds and pulled us down for too long,
Surely we do want to fix this.
It’ll be tough, but yes, it will be worth it.
Perhaps we’re so caught up, that we’ve forgotten that it’s there,
And maybe we’re scared and maybe we’re comfortable.
We may not want to work at it.
But oh, if we can bring it back, oh how it’ll be worth it,
Of course, we don’t have what it takes to do it ourselves,
We aren’t supposed to that is why He is here.
Oh let us lean on Him, reach out our small hand and grab on to His.
After all, that is all that has been required of us,
To reach out our hand.
KW
In a locked and guarded place
lies the innocence we dear to trust;
it shines in a young child’s face
and is too beautiful to ever rust.
That innocence that we so secretly long for
is so evident in that child's face;
its radiance is inescapably noticeable.
We desire it so much.
We hold that desire deep inside,
so deep that sometimes we forget about it
and lose our way.
But the children know the way,
and their song is love.
The children aren't afraid to sing
and to do it so everyone can hear.
Although their spirit is spilling out,
among everyone,
not everyone can hear, see, or even feel it.
They are deaf to hear the child's song.
And when a child fears,
he fears in the open.
And when a child loves,
there are no rules.
Why must we fear in hiding?
Why must our love have rules?
Our fear is entangling us;
our insecurities are choking us,
keeping us from feeling, from singing.
We need to stop and remember that song of old,
that song the child sings.
So where ever you are,
lying awake, worrying about money,
at the bedside of an ailing friend,
in an empty bar wondering where your life went,
fear not to sing the children’s song.
The song is love,
the dance is innocence.
The children know the way
And there is great freedom in that way.
Let go and trust the love
and innocence their song provides.
They have something we don't.
they are humble and their way
can lead to the ways everlasting.
There’s a simple and sweet note they write.
Their song is calming and refreshing.
If we've stopped listening
or become numb to the feeling of innocence,
let us not fret, it isn’t too late.
Take heart, there is hope.
Get up, listen to the Savior,
become like that child your soul longs to be.
NA and KW
< 
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
None of you (if anyone is reading this) may be interested in reading the following (bc of how interesting the topic is ;)), but this is my blog and I'm free to write whatever I want, whether any one desires to read it or not ;), (however it does it make more worth while if I know some one is actually reading it hehe) nonetheless, I shall write the following one way or another.
I have decided to take a break from facebook, yes once again. I gave my password to a friend so she'll change it, that way I have no option, but to stay off facebook. And I will say, it hasn't even been 24 hours and I'm already having withdrawls...how pathetic is that, seriously? haha. I have to have access to interaction with mankind at all times, apparently. However, I do think this will be beneficial. I wonder how long I'll be able to do this? Last time I did it for more than three weeks (quite the accomplishment for me). We shall see how long I go this time. Facebook is a distraction and an extreme waste of time, so I'm thinking this will be worth my while.
Deuces (that's prounced Doo-ses)
I have decided to take a break from facebook, yes once again. I gave my password to a friend so she'll change it, that way I have no option, but to stay off facebook. And I will say, it hasn't even been 24 hours and I'm already having withdrawls...how pathetic is that, seriously? haha. I have to have access to interaction with mankind at all times, apparently. However, I do think this will be beneficial. I wonder how long I'll be able to do this? Last time I did it for more than three weeks (quite the accomplishment for me). We shall see how long I go this time. Facebook is a distraction and an extreme waste of time, so I'm thinking this will be worth my while.
Deuces (that's prounced Doo-ses)
Monday, March 7, 2011
My Constant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBtpqFIH7q0
It's such a cool reminder that God gives me... He is my constant. He stays the same, he doesn't waver. His grace, love, and mercy stay the same. God isn't moody, nor is He circumstantial. He is not gonna stop listening because I've made him mad. God won't turn His back on me because I've made some stupid decision. This life is full of disappointment, full of unsteadiness. Things happen unexpectable...tragedies happen...people get sick, accidents occur; all kinds of hurt happens that cause us to go into disarray. While all this is going on, God is there and He is the same as He always has been and always will be. We are surrounded by people whose moods change (including ourselves) and we have to somehow adjust to that. Well, with God we don't have to do that...we can always count on God. It's just been a real encouraging thought, to know that God is constant. My God doesn't change. Think about that...think about all that changes in our world...the attitudes of people, the tragedies that occur, etc. etc. God remains the same. He remains faithful. He doesn't change His mind. He keeps His promises. We can see throughout the Bible where prophecies were fulfilled...God kept His promises. Jesus will one day return...yet another prophecy will be fulfilled...yet another promise kept. He consistent, as well. Such a beautiful thought :).
It's such a cool reminder that God gives me... He is my constant. He stays the same, he doesn't waver. His grace, love, and mercy stay the same. God isn't moody, nor is He circumstantial. He is not gonna stop listening because I've made him mad. God won't turn His back on me because I've made some stupid decision. This life is full of disappointment, full of unsteadiness. Things happen unexpectable...tragedies happen...people get sick, accidents occur; all kinds of hurt happens that cause us to go into disarray. While all this is going on, God is there and He is the same as He always has been and always will be. We are surrounded by people whose moods change (including ourselves) and we have to somehow adjust to that. Well, with God we don't have to do that...we can always count on God. It's just been a real encouraging thought, to know that God is constant. My God doesn't change. Think about that...think about all that changes in our world...the attitudes of people, the tragedies that occur, etc. etc. God remains the same. He remains faithful. He doesn't change His mind. He keeps His promises. We can see throughout the Bible where prophecies were fulfilled...God kept His promises. Jesus will one day return...yet another prophecy will be fulfilled...yet another promise kept. He consistent, as well. Such a beautiful thought :).
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