I have decided.

I have decided to follow Jesus I have decided to follow Jesus I have decided to follow Jesus No turning back, No turning back The cross befront me The world behind me The cross befront me The world behind me No turning back, No turning back No turning back, No turning back No turning back, No turning back No one goes with me Still I will follow No one goes with me Still I will follow No turning back, No turning back No turning back, No turning back No turning back, No turning back

Too much!

Do you ever wonder if God gives you too much "food" to handle at once? I ask this because it seems that recently my brain has been overloaded by great books, great sermons, and great blog posts that are aimed from God to me. I've found myself suddenly submerged in a world where the terms "authentic", "relevant", and "post-modern" are thrown around at random. It's been interesting, reading these writings and hearing these new things. I've been at a loss at times as to what to do. My mindset is changing rapidly and I'm trying to figure out how to handle that. I've found myself becoming more and more *gasp* liberal in what I'm thinking. No, I don't mean politically liberal (I still lean on the conservative side). I mean spiritually liberal. The term "liberal" doesn't sit right with me, because it conjures up images of Christians who don't believe that the Bible is true, or that Jesus is the only way to God, and I still believe both of those. I guess I've just become less fundamentalistic (is that a word? It is now!). God's been opening my eyes to a lot of new stuff, and right now I'm having trouble with it. Not taking it all in--but getting it out! How to apply this new thinking to my heart, and then to my life. I guess I just have to trust that God knows what He's doing. Tichaonana, Sarah

Moving forward...

I just stumbled across a great post by Bruce over at YBMT? (Say the letters outloud really fast), and let me say he puts into words something I've been thinking about and wrestling with ever since camp orientation. Check out his post, "Moving Forward". And while you're there, check out some more of his writings. -Sarah

I can do it!

I've decided something very interesting today. I suffer from a deadly syndrome. It's name? "I Can Do It! Syndrome". Seriously though, I was thinking today about dieting and losing weight, something I need desperately to do. I was observing why I've failed in the past, and how I can resolve to do better. That got me to thinking about times when I struggle with a particular sin, whatever it may be. I've come to realize that there's one thing that constantly has gotten me into trouble--has caused me to fail--when I tell God, "I can do it!". You've all seen little kids try to do things on their own and fail miserably because they weren't prepared. For me, it gets personal because I teach tons of little girls each week. I'm a gymnastics teacher, in case you didn't know, and I absolutely love it, I really do. I teach girls from ages 5-16, from beginner gymnasts to our team girls, and this year I'll start teaching boys. I love seeing gymnasts "get" a skill for the first time, and experiencing that joy of knowing you helped a child acheive something. But coaching is frustrating too. One of the most frustrating "types" of girls is the "I can do it!" girl. The "I can do it!" girl is the type of girl who does not like for you to help her. "No spot" (meaning don't touch her) is constantly on her lips. It doesn't matter if she has done the skill only once or twice before, she is bent on doing it herself. She'll even get mad if you help. What "I can do it!" girl doesn't understand is that if you help her, she won't fall on her head. I'm "I can do it!" girl with so many things in my life. I like to tell God "I can do it! No spot!" with so many situations in my life. It's like I think I can lean over to God and say "Hey God, don't worry. I've got this one". Truthfully, I'm not ready, and whenever I try to do something on my own, I'll fall flat on my face. Sometimes God handles me by stepping in anyway, like I do with the girls who are seriously going to injure themselves. Other times he lets me do what I ask--he steps back and allows me to try my best. I tend to fall a lot. Thank goodness God puts mats called grace underneath me to catch me when I fall. I'm trying to learn a new phrase. "Help me!", or in gymnastics terms, "spot please!". Hopefully I'll realize that Teacher knows best. Wuasleglla, Sarah

For you know...

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 I absolutely love that verse. Recently it's really been on my heart and in my mind. I'll find myself throughout the day just saying that verse. I can know the grace of Jesus and how amazing it is in my life, but I can't understand it. I've slowly been learning that God's grace is bigger than my failings. He longs to bring healing to all areas of my life. I'm sort of at a loss as to what to post. Just know that God's grace is amazing.

Your love endures...

Your Love Endures by Third Day Though the treasures of This life may fade Your love endures, forever They will pass away Things that man has made But Your love endures forever No I can't explain, Or even understand Why you gave your life, To save sinful man But I know it's true, I've seen it myself Your love endures forever Though the seasons change With the passing time Your love endures forever And the sun will fade If just for the night Your love endures forever Though our pains and joys Will come and go Your love endures forever Even in my fears I will always know That your love endures forever...

Gone...like Frank Sinatra...

I'm leaving today to go down to Charlotte for a Christian music festival and to hang with some awesome friends. So there will be no post tomorrow. I'll post again on Saturday:) A Prayer by Paul Lawrence Dunbar O LORD, the hard-won miles Have worn my stumbling feet: Oh, soothe me with thy smiles, And make my life complete. The thorns were thick and keen Where'er I trembling trod; The way was long between My wounded feet and God. Where healing waters flow Do thou my footsteps lead. My heart is aching so; Thy gracious balm I need.

Without You

Daddy, I don't know what to do So, Daddy, now I'm looking straight at you I just don't want to try it on my own again Cause I'll just end up all alone again Right now I don't know where to go And no one can tell me how the wind's gonna blow Just don't want to try it on my own again Cause I'll just end up all alone again without You and nothing to do Without You, There's nothing to my life at all When I leave You is when I fall I always feel so far away like walking home would take six days I've tried to wring water out of sand I've gotten off my knees and tried to stand without You and nothing to hold on to Without You There's nothing to hold on to Cause when I'm lost, I find you ------------ Without our Father, we are lost. I don't know if I'm the only one with this problem, but I find that I try to do everything on my own. I like to be independent. I like to look at something and say that I did it. I have to get everything done on my own. What Jesus wants most from me is trust. He wants me to trust Him with everything, instead of saying "no, I got it". Without Jesus, I get lost. If I let go of what I'm holding on to, He'll catch me. This week, let go. Nägemizhehesai, Sarah

What a cool story...

Lions in Ethiopia protect kidnap victim What a cool story! Notice how they have an "expert" say why it's logical. I call that a miracle.

Relevant

I went to the bookstore tonight and bought two new books. One of them is a book about evangelism, which should be good. I, personally, find witnessing really hard. It’s not that I’m scared of talking to people about Jesus or God or issues about that, but what I find hard is bringing it up. I’ve read all the things that say “non-Christians have questions about God”, but they never come up when I’m around—not even in places where no one has an idea that I’m a Christian, like at community college. But that’s not really what this post is about. I want to throw out a word—relevant. No, not the magazine, but just in a general sense. Relevance is something I struggle with in terms of the culture at large. I don’t mean that I’m out of the loop, on the contrary I consider myself fairly up to date on cultural trends, on entertainment trends, on fashion trends, and all that stuff. I know who the influential people of the moment are, especially in entertainment. If it were just about cultural relevance, I would have this cat in the bag. Heck, I read 2 newspapers a day and visit Google News and many blogs every day. The problem isn’t being in the world, it’s being in the world without being of it. I got a book from the library once because I liked the title, but it wasn’t quite what I was looking for(even though the book was good). It was titled Too Pagan, Too Christian; How to Love the World Without Falling for It. I’ve noticed that the more I get into cultural things and factors, the more I get sucked into the culture. Let me give you a few examples: Ok, I love browsing around E! Online. I don’t care about the private life of these “celebrities”, but I read all the articles so if I’m somewhere and someone mentions something, I know what they’re talking about. I hate feeling stupid. Movies are probably another thing. I like knowing what people are talking about when they talk about movies. Plus, from an acting/directing/writing standpoint, I love watching them. I appreciate good movies. I saw Monsters Ball a few months ago and loved it. There’s other examples, but those come to mind first of all. Now is where I’m going to explain my dilemma. I can tell a difference in my spiritual life when I don’t watch many objectionable movies, or when I avoid E! Online. I can tell a difference when I don’t watch certain shows, even if they aren’t “bad” per se. I think it has something to do with the fact that I’m less distracted and can focus on God more when I cut them out. But then I feel completely lost whenever I talk to people about anything. How do I find that balance? I would hate to become one of those fundamentalist Christians who don’t have anything to do with ‘the world’. Jesus hung out with tax collectors and sinners! Something also important to note, Jesus was culturally relevant. In His time, the biggest influence in the lives of the Jews was the Roman empire—Caesar’s kingdom. So when Jesus was talking about “the Kingdom of Heaven” and “the Kingdom of God”, it meant something to them. It had a relevant place in the Jews’ lives. I heard somewhere recently a story about 1 Corinthians 11:1. The person(a seminary student) said that in Corinth, the prostitutes would stand around the city leaning up against walls with their legs positioned so you could see the bottom of at least one shoe. On the bottom of their shoes the phrase “follow me” was written. So when Paul wrote “follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ”, he was bringing this spiritual issue to what was relevant to them, something they knew. So how do I find that balance? I struggle with being relevant to the world without becoming lured in by it. In A New Kind of Christian, Brian McLaren talks about how this “new Christian” needs to be more culturally relevant and make a bigger impact on the world as a whole, and how we don’t need to be a cult. I’m struggling with how to do that and still keep my focus solely on Christ. It is easier to be a Christian in a monastery or at camp where there are no distractions. It’s never easy, is it? Adishatz, Sarah

Psalm 103

1 Praise the Lord, I tell myself; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me. 3 He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. 4 He ransoms me from death and surrounds me with love and tender mercies. 5 He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle's! 6 The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. 7 He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious; he is slow to get angry and full of unfailing love. 9 He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. 10 He has not punished us for all our sins, nor does he deal with us as we deserve. 11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 12 He has removed our rebellious acts as far away from us as the east is from the west. 13 The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. 14 For he understands how weak we are; he knows we are only dust. 15 Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. 16 The wind blows, and we are gone-- as though we had never been here. 17 But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children's children 18 of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments! 19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything. 20 Praise the Lord, you angels of his, you mighty creatures who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. 21 Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will! 22 Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everywhere in his kingdom. As for me--I, too, will praise the Lord.

A "New" kind of Christian.

So I read this book, "A New Kind of Christian" recently. It's by Brian D. McLaren, the pastor at Cedar Ridge Community Church near Washington DC. I've been almost hesitant to post about this book, simply because I had to organize my thoughts about it and the issues it presents. It's a well-written book, I'll start with that. McLaren really does a nice job of writing this book so the normal person can wrap their brain behind it. He writes it as a series of conversations, allowing him to anticipate the questions that you raise in your own mind and to answer them. I personally like teaching this way, and so I also like reading this way. McLaren works on breaking down terms that are tossed around without much thought nowadays in a lot of Christian circles, such as "post-modern" and "emergent". The biggest issue I came across when reading this book was trying to figure out if what I was reading was wrong, or if I just thought it was wrong because it was contrary to what I have always learned. What I want you to do is read the book(which I am very bad at explaining) and tell me what you think. I need to have someone to talk to about this, so I'm not the only one who is trying to think about this, and all my friends are too busy. Let me know what you think, and mention anything that you think is important. I'll post on it later. Au revoir, Sarah

Of pet peeves and typographical errors.

have u evr red sumthing tiped badley n wunderd y noone evr told the person they can't tipe??? It takes everything in my energy not to change that sentence and actually type it right. I've been learning about love and unity recently, but it does not say in the Bible that we can't have pet peeves. One of my biggest annoyances is people who do not type correctly! Now I understand that if you are talking on IM, sometimes it's easier to type "BRB" instead of "Be right back" or to use "LOL" instead of saying something stupid like "That's really funny!". I use those acronyms often. What I don't use often is just plain laziness. There's no reason to, as someone did tonight, IM someone you don't know with "hu r u?" I believe that this lack of effort in typing leads to bad grammar in everything, as well as all-around laziness. I type just as fast as a lot of people I know when I'm in IM, or typing e-mails, and I still can produce grammatically correct and correctly spelled sentences. There is no reason, none whatsoever. If you are one of my friends and you type with such horrible internet slang, STOP! It is for your benefit that I am telling you this! It's a lot harder to read badly typed sentences, and it's too much work! Please, just leave the internet "slang" well enough alone! Kastan, Sarah

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone, my hope is found He is my light, my strength, my song; This cornerstone, this solid ground Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, When fears are stilled, when strivings cease, My comforter, my all in all, Here in the love of Christ I stand. In Christ alone, who took on flesh, Fullness of God in helpless Babe! This gift of love and righteousness, Scorned by the ones He came to save. 'Til on the cross as Jesus died, The wrath of God was satisfied. For ev'ry sin on Him was laid; Here in the death of Christ I live. There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain; Then, bursting forth in glorious day, Up from the grave He rose again! And as He stands in victory, Sin's curse has lost its grip on me; For I am His and He is mine, Bought with the precious blood of Christ. No guilt in life, no fear in death This is the pow'r of Christ in me; From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man Can ever pluck me from His hand; 'Til He returns or calls me home, Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand In Christ Alone Keith Getty & Stuart Townend 2001 Kingsway’s Thankyou Music ---- I admit, I've been a lazy blogger. I don't really have excuses...well, ok I do. I've been back from camp since Sunday and haven't blogged since. It's hard to explain why not, but I guess I should try. Have you ever had a life-changing experience where it changes almost completely your old mindset? You, to quote the Bible, become "transformed by the renewing of your mind". Suddenly you want to change everything. You want to go back and take everything back that you've said before, and you want to tell everyone about the change in your life. That's where I'm at. I just came to realize, through the revealing work of the Holy Spirit, so much about grace and Christianity and how I live my life. I could go on and on for days, but my thoughts aren't half as coherent as Jerry's (The camp director). If you want a small taste of what I experienced, you can read a devotion here. Pretty much the above song, which one of the other staff members played one night, sums it up. I'll try to post something more interesting tomorrow--I'm busy being at the pool all day, but I do mean to reply to the comments on the previous post. *HUGS* Arveûy, Sarah

Civil unions

Well, I have kept meaning to post about this, since I took your input and the overwhelming majority wanted me to talk about why I support civil unions for homosexuals. So let's get into it! In March, I posted on homosexuality and how the church doesn't handle it right (at least in my opinion). I said this in that post: Verses like Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26-28, and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (Where it talks about the male prostitutes and homosexual offenders not inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven), speak against homosexuality. None of the marriage models in the Bible include homosexual relationships. So first of all, I am not saying that I support homosexuality. I do not. And actually my stance on homosexual civil unions probably shouldn't be taken as support. I'm not going to go out and picket for the gay rights groups around here (of which there are plenty). I don't really have a position for going into this, but I'm going to start. I do not support homosexuals being able to marry. Marriage is uniting man and wife in a union blessed by God. If God sees homosexuality as wrong, how can he bless a gay union? Now I don't think that God is any more pleased with people who don't take their marriage vows seriously, or cheat on their spouses. I think that pre-marital counseling should be required, to be honest, by law. But I digress. Back to why I support civil unions. Reason #1: It keeps the sanctity of marriage. Even if you're just using the word marriage as still being set apart, I'll take it. I think that civil unions or homosexual marriages are inevitable, but I think if we say that civil unions are ok, then the drive for homosexual "marriages" will be lessened. Reason #2: You can't legislate morality. The Puritans tried it, and it did not work. If someone doesn't believe in God or in the Bible as it is written, then they have no reason for following God's law. Another way to say it is that you can't stop sinners from sinning. Does that mean we should just let the world go to hell and ignore everything, living in a bubble? No! But what it does mean is that we should spend more time living OUR lives for God rather than against sin. Reason #3: All civil unions are is a validation of a relationship by the state. It is NOT a blessing by God. And that's the difference. All civil unions do is speak for the state, not speak for God. Quite honestly I'm ok with that. I don't see the problem. I know that wasn't very clear, but I do have to get to bed because I have my SATs tomorrow! AH! And then I'm leaving for 9 days....ack! If you have any comments, if you disagree, if you agree, whatever, please comment and I'll try to respond when I get back! Kastan, Sarah

With what shall I come to the Lord and bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves? Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my first-born for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?Micah 6:6-8 Nothing more does He ask of me... Butog mwongo, Sarah

Come, Thou long expected Jesus Born to set Thy people free; From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in Thee. Israel’s strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art; Dear desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart. Born Thy people to deliver, Born a child and yet a King, Born to reign in us forever, Now Thy gracious kingdom bring. By Thine own eternal Spirit Rule in all our hearts alone; By Thine all sufficient merit, Raise us to Thy glorious throne Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus words by Charles Wesley