Keep Calm And Write On

More than a song- A heart cry. Some people might think that I have fairly narrow category of music that I listen to but in reality, I'll give just about every christian artist a try once. I try to keep an open mind when it comes to a musical beat, sound, or style, because you never know what you might find. It was such open-mindedness that caused my interest to be taken by a band called Skillet. Five years ago, I barely knew their band name to hear it, and now I'm absolutely obsessed. I've seen them live-twice, and I have been known on occasion to to loudly and obnoxiously sing Jen ledger's part in the song, particularly in my favorites which remain to be "Hero"and "Monster".  "Hero," in particular I absolutely love, because it is so relate able.  "I'm just a step away.....I'm just a breath away, losing my faith today, falling off the edge today. I am just a man, not superhuman, someone save me from the hate.....I need a

Almost everyone in modern Christian circles is aware of the biblical ideology of 'being salt.' This idea, outlined in the fifth chapter of Matthew, verses thirteen through sixteen.     “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14  “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16)  Now, salt has been used for hundreds, even thousand of years as a preservation method, before refrigeration. In addition, salt also flavors food, bring a more pleasant, savory taste to even the most bland-tasting of food. But one oth

"Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long O Lord, how long?" Psalm 6:2-3  One of the things I like most about the psalms is that they were often written in desperation, a raw cry for help flowing from David's pen as fast as he could move it. He wrote as if his very life depended upon it. A lot of us have visited David's place of desperation as well. when our souls are heavy and our strength is failing, when the thorn in our flesh and the bane of our existence rears its ugly head, our flesh gives up and our souls look to God for their strength. But it is then, as weak as we are, that we come to a place of total surrender and peace in Jesus Christ.  Those of you with a chronic illness may well relate to this verse on a whole other dimension, as i did. When you have chronic pan, you know all too well what it's like to have 'bones in agony', and a 'soul in anguish'.  A brok

20 Year old Shawn Johnson is just a normal person. She has dreams, hopes, and aspirations just like anybody else.  But unlike anybody else, Shawn Johnson is an Olympic champion. She holds 1 gold and 3 silver medals in women's gymnastics, and earned the title of U.S all-around champion two years in a row, 2007, and 2008, and was the all-around world champion in 2008.  At an age when most people are halfway through college, Shawn has made it all the way to fame, with a mirror ball from the eighth season of ABC's Dancing With The Stars to her credit, as well as numerous television appearance's with well-known personalities, including Oprah, Letterman, and Leno.  But despite all the awards and fame, Shawn insists that she's really just a regular person. Her book Winning Balance: What I've learned so far about love, faith, and living your dreams is the perfect platform for her to share her story with the world. Her writing shines through as hones

We've all been there. The strange looks, the questions we can't answer, the explanations that are never enough to satisfy. The disbelief from the people who are supposed to support you.  Yes, everyone who has an auto-immune disease, or a handicap/disability knows what I'm talking about. Well-meaning friends may have even told you that your pain was caused by some lack within yourself, lack of faith in God, or withheld bitterness or sin that is making you physically ill. Not to say that this isn't possible, and it is true that as my faith and trust in God increased, my health got better, because my increase of faith brought a decrease of stress. But just because it's the case sometimes, does not by any means determine that all physical infirmities are caused by these things.  Life with a disease or disability can change rapidly from one day to the next. One day, you are worshiping God with all the fiber in your being, and the next, you have to force your tired,

I have committed (admittedly, rather late in the game,) to read through the bible in one year, and although I am months behind the people who began in January, I am finding that while on this reading plan, I find little nuggets of hidden wisdom-treasure that I would not have seen in my usual perusing of the psalms and proverbs.    One such nugget is the below verse that gave me reason to pause.  Matthew 10:16 "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."  Shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves? What does that mean, exactly?  Well, there's a prevalent thought among Christian circles; in order to stay pure followers of Christ, we must completely cut ourselves off from the outside world. The focus becomes entirely on keeping ourselves 'pure' and we forget completely to be sharing the news of the gospel in the world around us.  This is why I don't understand the Amish faith. Certain aspects are

  Although a little ashamed that I didn't know round one of the NFL draft was tonight, I am watching nonetheless. And I can't help but wonder...how cool would it be to have a voice just thunder out over the crowd and call you to something big. Suddenly, the cycle of monotony is broken, and your potential for greatness is recognized.  And then...it hit me. Every. Single. Christian knows this feeling. We know what it's like. We don't have to wonder what's like to have a higher calling. Just like celebrities and athletes, we have an entire world watching us. We are called to be committed, single-minded followers of Christ who readily accept the challenge of being more and doing more. Instead of a voice announcing our draft into one of the top NFL teams, we have within us the voice of the Holy Spirit that prompts us to a higher standard of living. Not to draw attention to ourselves or to win more games for a certain denomination, but to further the kingdom of Christ

Every once in a while, when I happen across a Bible verse that fits my situation perfectly, the hair on the back of my head stands up, and I wonder if it was written expressly for me.  2 Timothy 1:6-7  "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind."  I have been told I have a 'servant's heart', and a spiritual gifts inventory once told me my spiritual gift was compassion. Now, I could have been putting those to work for Christ in a much greater fashion, but when opportunities are presented to me, I tend to drag my feet. My mom often reminds me that fear doesn't come from God. Any fear you have about putting into use the gifts that God gave you comes from the enemy. It seems that Paul was telling Timothy this very thing. If Paul wrote his letter to Timothy in 2012, he might say;  "Timo

Okay, I'm going to admit it....I'm a total geek.  Not only am I a geek, but I'm a geek who watches Lego Ninjago: Rise of the Snakes .  With my siblings, of course. to...ah...filter it?  That's not going to fly, is it?  Yeah, I didn't think so. But it's not like I play the online games....or have the wallpaper on my desktop...Those people are just weird . Anyway.... From episode one, my mom decreed Lego Ninjago to be a cross between Star Wars and Kung Fu Panda, and I'd have to agree. Much like star wars, there are so many parallels between the world of Ninjago and Christianity that I almost have to wonder if that was the creators' intent. Let's start with the characters. Sensei Wu has taken it upon himself to train and prepare the four ninja to follow their destinies, after having supplied them with the four elemental weapons of spinjitsu. Kai, ninja of fire, Jay, ninja of lightning, Cole, the ninja of earth, and Zane, the ninja of ice

"as far as the east is from the west,    so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit." Romans 8:1   Everyone knows the story of Jonah, right? The guy who was swallowed by a fish and stayed there for three days and three nights because he as running from God's direct order to go to Nineveh and warn them to change their evil ways and turn back to the Lord.  Most people know the rest of the story, too. Nineveh repented. But Jonah still wanted the whole city wiped out. He wanted them to pay for their sins, even after God had recieved them with grace.  Gut check: how many times have I done that? how many times have I thought it unfair that 'sinners' live in prosperity while 'model christians' sometimes struggle in this earth?  Take a new spin on this: how many times have you had a hard time believin

I learned a neat trick from my grandpa when I was younger; if you make a diamond shape out of the thumb and pointer finger of each hand and look through the diamond with one eye, it has the same effect as bifocals.You can see a 1 millimeter diamond clear as day.  Now that you've done it yourself, (because I know you have) allow me to make a spiritual application here. when you hold the fingers up to your eye, you may think you can see quite a lot, but really, you can only see a fraction of the bigger picture.  The problem arises when someone sees only a small part of a situation and assumes that they see the whole situation. This is especially frustrating for people struggling with disabilities and 'invisible illnesses'. It is incredibly frustrating and disheartening when someone makes assumptions based on what they see, and don't give enough thought to what they can't see. If someone appears to be 'lazy' to you, maybe they really struggle with pain and

  I feel like I'm standing on the edge of something great. I wrote those words two months ago in my journal, although having absolutely no idea what that something great was at the time. Although now, I think I have a pretty clear picture. Although now, I don't feel like I'm standing on the edge of a high place, I feel like I'm at the foot of a mountain, looking up at an incredibly steep incline, and I feel so insignificantly small. I've come to accept what I believe to be God's will for the summer after graduation....although what happens after that, I haven't the foggiest. After I climb and conquer the mountain of my fears and insecurities, then I will once again be standing on the edge, with great things behind me and greater things before. Standing on the edge of everything familiar, ready to once again dive deep into the waters of life with a leap of faith, and embark on the next chapter of this adventure we call life.  I'm struggling.....wi

  As I was writing an email related to a ministry opportunity, I caught myself wondering why. Why do I do what I do? For what purpose was I given a heart to see special needs kids impacted by Jesus Christ? Why am I so far from the cut-and-dried norm of society? In a world that places so much emphasis on pursuing one's own happiness, why do I feel like my life's mission is to love on those that the world looks down upon? Am I giving up anything in order to do this? By walking a way contrary to the rest of the world, am I forgoing happiness? "The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes." Psalm 19:8 I may be forgoing happiness as the world defines it, but this verse seems to define happiness differently. The precepts, or 'guiding principles' given by God  are where my heart draws joy from. At some point in their lives, everyone comes to a crossroads and has to make a choice; l

Lately, I've been captivated by the epistles to Timothy. Timothy is referred to by Paul as his "son in the faith" ( 1 Timothy 1:2), and had been raised in knowledge of the scriptures by his mother and grandmother. There are mixed opinions as to how old Timothy was at the time of his receiving this epistle, some would place his age in his late teens to early twenties, and some would place him in his late thirties to early forties.  No matter how old he was, it is evident that at least some members of the early church didn't think Timothy to be quite old enough. This was apparently such a concern that Paul brought it up in his first letter to the Corinthian church. "Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear: for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do. Let no man therefore despise him: but conduct him forth in peace: that he may come unto me: for I look for him with the brethren." (1 Corinthians 16:10-11) What Paul was saying wa

Ever feel like the walls have been closing in around you? Whenever I think of that phrase, I inevitably think of the scenes in Wild Wild West where James West is trapped in these ridiculously shaped rooms with no possible way out. But, after a dramatic pause and a commercial break, Jim always manages to get out. There's always a gadget available to him, or some scheme he can put into action. My favorite is the little zip cord he can shoot from his pistol.  Wouldn't it be nice if we had a zip cord out of our sticky situations sometimes? Itd be like "Oh, I should be studying, but I really want to watch tv.....*zip* oh hey! French flashcards! 13  No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13  Guess what? with God, there's always a way out, a "zi

Pant pant pant.  slap slap slap pant pant pant.   Sandals flapping against the ground, the man ran for his life. He was alone except for his servant. His steps slowed to a stop at the place called Beersheba. "stay here." He told his servant, who sank down to the ground to rest gratefully. Now truly alone, the man continued a days journey into the wilderness. Seeing a broom brush, he  sat down under it. From the depths of the heart filled with despair, he cried out; "I have had enough, Lord! Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors."  Exhausted from his long travels, the man fell asleep under the bush. Suddenly, an angel awakened him and told him; "Get up and eat." Turning around, the man saw food lying by his head. Bread baked over hot coals, and  a jar of water. He ate the bread and drank the water, and fell asleep once more.  Once again, an angel woke him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." So he got

As Christians, our eventual goal or model of behavior is Christ. Christ is the perfect model because he struggled too. He faced temptations just like we do everyday. The difference, though, is that while Christ was fully man, he was also fully God, so it was impossible for Him to sin. Have you ever wondered why Christ? Why a human form? why both fully God and fully man at once?  It's mind boggling/ And it's supposed to be. If we could understand why God does things, then he wouldn't be God. we are given understanding through the Bible, and anything not given in the Bible is not for us to know, or at least not in this world.  But something occurred to me a few minutes ago- have you ever noticed how you tend to stop trying once you reach your goal?  Some little mechanism inside of you determines that it's time to stop, that the time for stretching and persevering is over. Otherwise, runners wouldn't stop at the finish line. Football games wouldn't stop after f

For days now, an idea has been tugging at the corners of my mind, waiting to be released to the outside world. An idea that has been persistently cropping up in my thinking. An idea that could change the world. Prayer. Consistent, intercessory, passionate prayer. “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:19-20 I have a heart for the lost people of the world, and in addition to that, God has placed a burden on my heart for my country. We are far from what we used to be. Being the history buff that I am, I know that many of the laws in place in our country today would make the founding fathers’ wigs’ curl. I see our country going down a path of darkness and despair. God has blessed our country with wealth and prosperity, but I disagree with the ways this wealth is being used. So, I’m asking you, pr

I said, "I'm not strong enough." He said, "My armor is tough." I said; "My feet are slipping," He said, "I am your Rock." "I am alone." "My presence will go with you always," "I am afraid." "You have not been given a spirit of fear." "I feel worthless." "You are my workmanship." "I can't do anything." "You can do all things in my name, I will give you strength." "But Jesus, I'm so sad." "I, even I, am He who comforts you." "I dont know where to go next." "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Several things occur to me when I think about the method I'm using to learn French. The first-I'm never going to succeed. The second-I think I've heard of this before.  The method I'm talking about is the Immersion method, meaning that you basically 'immerse' yourself in the language, surrounding yourself with almost exclusively that language, and you learn out of necessity. This is the same way that children learn their first language, by doing. It  sounded promising, so I decided to give it a shot. I switched my facebook page to french. Bold move, yes, but desperate times call for desperate measures. In addition, I found french episodes of my favorite cartoons ever in the history of the world-courtesy of the wonder known as youtube, of course.  In order to learn a language by the immersion method, you almost have to forget about thinking about anything else and only focus on the language.  This reminded me of Christianity. Why? well, think about it. In

  A stunning revelation struck me this morning as I furrowed my brow over biology and art. I am content. Even though my reason for waking up early was because my active brain wouldn't let me sleep, I am content. I've put in a full day of school, I've done all my chores, and now I'm writing this blog-post, and its only 1pm?! I've been awake since 4:30am! If only I could be this productive every day!  I am content because I am blessed. And I am blessed because I am a child of God. And I am a child of God because I have come to the point of surrender and given my life over to Him.  The apostle Paul also was content-and his circumstances were a lot worse than mine! However, he recognized that God worked in all circumstances, and he gave thanks accordingly.  "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of

                                                       "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4 "Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones." Isaiah 49:13 These verses are a great help to me, especially lately. My great-grandma passed away on the 13th. She was my fifth relative to pass in the month of January over the years. My Granny was a special lady. I am so blessed to have had as much time with her as I did. Lately, all of my memories of Granny have come flooding back, and it's a sort of collage of memories and images in my head. When I close my eyes I see things like playing Racko, or eating applesauce, or my frustrated face as she taught me how to crochet. I see her fingers flying as she created an afghan for one of her 40+ descendents. I see things like my white knuckles against the dashboard as I hung on