A New Year

Notes to my self: Well, here I am again. This last year went by so fast, it left me spinning. I am still finding myself signing "2010" on tests and notes. So, this is the time of year we make resolutions. (Keep in mind; I always get somewhat emotional and irrational this time of year because of the idea of one second I'm in 2011 and the next I'm in 2012!) So, last night, my sister and I were thinking about our resolutions. Should they be summerised in one word? Or should they be in list form? Are thirteen resolutions too many for me to keep? Are three enough? I was rather overwhelmed by these choices I created for myself. Then it hit me. What I really needed was a succinct list of things to work on for this upcoming year. So, I turned to, what else? The Bible. I eventually decided to worch on the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) in 2012, to grow more Christlike, to not be afraid to be different and swim against the current, and to witness to others more this year . Also as my one word resolution, I decided that my word would be TRUST. That I would trust Jesus more this new year. So with prayer and perspiration, I feel sure that I will accomplish my resolutions this upcoming year (a feat I have as yet to accomplish!)
Catherine

 

Sometimes the road can be confusing...

amazing movie with an amazing song...specialty combo?

Enter the day with thanksgiving and share with us what you are thankful for.

Wall Photos

How will you enter today?

Enter His gates with thanksgiving {And} His courts wi...th praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. Ps.100:4

Let's shock the world with our thankfulness today!-CraigSee More

By: K-LOVE Morning Show

Lord Undo Me

"Lord Undo Me"

I don’t really worship these day
I don’t really stand up to praise you with songs
Or prayers or actions
or with anything
I am full of all the right moves
I am full of all the right words
I am full of all the right religion
But it is all just illusion
I am really
Lonely
Lost
Calloused
Jaded
Cynical
Too religious
Too realistic
and well really just to lazy
to worship you anymore
I have lost my first love
I have lost the joy of your presence
But most of all I have lost the fear of your glory

Father I need to see you again
Like Isaiah I want to stand in awe of your glory
To fall down at your feet
To come face to face with your
Perfection,
Radiance,
Goodness,
Holiness,
Awesomeness
I want to stand before you and see you for who you are
and me for who I am
I want to be undone

I want to know me for who I really am
I want to see the depths of my heart
And know that you are the only way
You are the only truth
You are the only life
I want to see me and understand
What it really must have taken for you to
Love me
Care for me
See me
Speak to me
Want me
Communicate with me
Die for me
Die for me
Die for me

Lord, I want to stand in that place where all I can see is your glory
And my sin
Because in that place I can’t help but worship you.
Lord let me come undone
Undo my heart
Lord, undo my heart
break down these walls that I love so much
No, wait don’t,
I’m scared I don’t know if I can handle this
don’t
But I can’t live this way anymore
I can’t stand here in this half-life
this going through the motions life
this not really alive life
Father, I need you so come in and do what you must
Cut out the tumor on my heart
Break down the walls that I love
Lord let me come undone
Undo my heart
let me worship you again

Blake Williams

One of my favorite bands ever!

One of my favorite movies ever!!! Starring Leslie Howard.

This is a very femine and cute hairstyle that some might enjoy...

Aweome idea!

Cool idea I should try!

The Room...

 "THE ROOM"
 as written by a 17 Year Old Boy.


 17-year-old Brian Moore had only a short time to write something for a class.


 The subject was What Heaven Was Like.
 "I wowed 'em," he later told his father, Bruce .


 It's a killer.
 It's the bomb It's the best thing I ever wrote."
 It also was the last.


 Brian's parents had forgotten about the essay when a cousin found it while cleaning out the teenager's locker at Teays Valley High School in Pickaway County .

 Brian had been dead only hours, but his parents desperately wanted every piece of his life near them, notes from classmates and teachers, and his homework.
 Only two months before, he had handwritten the essay about encountering Jesus in a file room full of cards detailing every moment of the teen's life.


 But it was only after Brian's death that Beth and Bruce Moore realized that their son had described his view of Heaven.


 It makes such an impact that people want to share it.


 "You feel like you are there," Mr. Moore said.


 Brian Moore died May 27, 1997, the day after Memorial Day.


 He was driving home from a friend's house when his car went off Bulen-Pierce Road in Pickaway County and struck a utility pole.


 He emerged from the wreck unharmed but stepped on a downed power line and was electrocuted.

 The Moore 's framed a copy of Brian's essay and hung it among the family portraits in the living room.


 "I think God used him to make a point. I think we were meant to find it and make something out of it," Mrs. Moore said of the essay.


 She and her husband want to share their son's vision of life after death.


 "I'm happy for Brian.
 I know he's in Heaven.
 I know I'll see him."

 Here is Brian's essay entitled:



 "THE ROOM"
 In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room.
 There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files.
 They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order.
 But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction, had very different headings.
 As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "  Girls I Have Liked."
 I opened it and began flipping through the cards.
 I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one.
 And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was.
 This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life.
 Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match.
 A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content.
 Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching.

 A file named "  Friends" was next to one marked    "  Friends I Have Betrayed."
 The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird.
 "  Books I Have Read," "  Lies I Have Told," " Comfort I have Given,"  " Jokes I Have Laughed At."

 Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "  Things I've Yelled at My Brothers."
 Others I couldn't laugh at: "  Things I Have Done in My Anger", "
 Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents."
 I never ceased to be surprised by the contents.
 Often there were many more cards than expected.
 Sometimes fewer than I hoped.
 I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived.

 Could it be possible that I had the time in my years to fill each of these thousands or even millions of cards?
 But each card confirmed this truth.
 Each was written in my own handwriting.
 Each signed with my signature.

 When I pulled out the file marked "  TV Shows I Have Watched,"  I realized the files grew to contain their contents.
 The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file.
 I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of shows but more by the vast time I knew that file represented.
 When I came to a file marked "  Lustful Thoughts,"  I felt a chill run through my body.
 I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card.
 I shuddered at its detailed content.
 I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded.
 An almost animal rage broke on me.

 One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see these cards!
 No one must ever see this room!
 I have to destroy them!"
 In insane frenzy I yanked the file out.
 Its size didn't matter now.
 I had to empty it and burn the cards.
 But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card.
 I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it.
 Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot.
 Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh.

 And then I saw it.
 The title bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel With."
 The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused.
 I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands.
 I could count the cards it contained on one hand.
 And then the tears came.
 I began to weep.
 Sobs so deep that they hurt.
 They started in my stomach and shook through me.
 I fell on my knees and cried.
 I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all.
 The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes.
 No one must ever, ever know of this room.
 I must lock it up and hide the key.
 But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him.

 No, please not Him.
 Not here.
 Oh, anyone but Jesus.
 I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards.
 I couldn't bear to watch His response.
 And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own.
 He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes.
 Why did He have to read every one?
 Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room.
 He looked at me with pity in His eyes.
 But this was a pity that didn't anger me.
 I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again.
 He walked over and put His arm around me.
 He could have said so many things.
 But He didn't say a word.
 He just cried with me.

 Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files.
 Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card.
 "No!" I shouted rushing to Him.
 All I could find to say was "No, no," as I pulled the card from Him.
 His name shouldn't be on these cards.
 But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, and so alive.

 The name of Jesus covered mine.

 It was written with His blood.

 He gently took the card back He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards.

 I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side.

 He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished."

 I stood up, and He led me out of the room.

 There was no lock on its door.

 There were still cards to be written.

 "  For God so loved the
 world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16

 If you feel the same way forward it to as many people as you can so the love of Jesus will touch their lives also.

 My "  People I Shared the Gospel With"  file just got bigger, how about yours?

 IF THERE IS ONE EMAIL THAT I HAVE READ THAT NEEDS TO GO AROUND THE WORLD, IT IS THIS ONE, PLEASE PASS THIS TO EVERY ONE YOU KNOW, CHRISTIAN OR NOT!

 "LET'S FILL OUR OWN FILE CARD" AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

 You don't have to share this with anybody, no one will know whether you did or not, but you will know and so will He.




 God Blesses Us Everyday,
 It's Up To Us To Notice!!!

Love this song and music video...

A Letter From Hell...

What I'm Listening To...

One of my new favorite songs...

What I'm Listening To...

Check out this amazing song by Sanctus Real. It is called The Redeemer.

Sanctus Real - Lead Me

     Another one of my favorite songs is Lead Me by Sanctus Real. This song shows the importance of male (and especially husband) leadership.

You Love Me Anyway-Sidewalk  Prophets

The question was raised
As my conscience fell
A silly, little lie
It didn’t mean much
But it lingers still
In the corners of my mind

Still you call me to walk
On the edge of this world
To spread my dreams and fly
But the future’s so far
My heart is so frail
I think I’d rather stay inside

(Chorus)
But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
How You love me

It took more than my strength
To simply be still
To seek but never find
All the reasons we change
The reasons I doubt
And why do loved ones have to die?

Chorus

I am the thorn in Your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas’ kiss
But You love me anyway

See now, I am the man that called out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking ground
Yes then, I turned away with this smile on my face
With this sin in my heart tried to bury Your grace
And then alone in the night, I still called out for You
So ashamed of my life, my life, my life

Chorus

You love me, You love me
You love me, You love me
How You love me
How You love me
How You love me

This song, performed by Sidewalk Prophets was so great I had to share.

Song of the Week...

The song of the week is Blessings by Laura Story. A simple sounding song with strong lyrics, wonderful vocals, and a beautiful melody. The song depicts a deep faith and trust in God even during the storms of life. Although God is not specifically mentioned in the song, the words could be applied to no one else. Although I have yet to purchase this song for my ipod, I intend to do so soon. (Click here to listen to the song or see playlist below.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ

A poem my sister wrote...

When Steel Bends

You slaughtered millions of your people,

Killed the preachers, broke down steeples

Forcing all to bow the knee

With pain of death or lock and key.

Ruling Russia with iron hand

Building up you castles of sand.

Yet on the night when death did call,

And you were led into the presence of the Lord of All,

Without your wealth or power to show,

You realized your position before the judgment throne.

A weak and helpless man,

With innocent blood upon your hands.

Then it was your turn, you see,

To bend your back and bow the knee.

I'm afraid you missed the greatest treasure,

Of living with your Lord forever.

Isn't that powerful? And yes, she wrote that all by herself in, amazingly, about five to ten minutes! :D The poem is about Stalin. Although his actual name was not Stalin, he used the name Stalin as his favorite alias when he authored books. He especially loved its meaning, "Man of Steel".

Respecting authority

1 Peter 2:13, “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake whether to the king as supreme.”

That verse has been controversial throughout the ages of the church. How do you respect the king when that king is sinning against God? Sure it is easy to respect the king (or queen) when you have someone like Queen Victoria of England on the throne but what about when you have a Mary, Queen of Scotts? Well, first we need to define some terms:  submit, ordinance, and supreme.

First submit: To allow one’s self to be subjected. Ok, be humble. Well, not exactly. To be humble means to be meek, not proud. To be subjected goes much further and deeper.  Humility is putting yourself under someone. To be subjected is them placing themselves in authority over you.

Second ordinance: A statue of regulation especially from the government. That is pretty easy to understand what that means. The government sets in order laws which we, the people, are obligated to obey.

Third supreme: Highest in power, authority, or rank. Again that is easy to understand. Someone is highest in authority, above all else. This is the key to understanding this passage, as I will explain in a moment.

Ok, now that we understand our terms, how do we piece the together to understand this passage?  Let’s replace the words submit, ordinance, and supreme in the passage with “be subjected”, “regulation”, and “highest in authority”. (This is not to be mistaken for actual Scripture. This is done to understand that verse and is not a legitimate translation.)

                Here it is, “therefore be subjected to every regulation of man’s for the Lord’s sake whether to the king as highest in authority.”  Still means pretty much the same doesn’t it? But notice the words “king as highest in authority”.  Is the king the highest in authority? God is the highest in power, authority, and rank.  So God has placed the king over us for us to obey but when God’s Word and the king’s will clash we have to remember who is really supreme.

                 Ok, but we don’t have a king, we have an elected president.  The same thing goes for him and kings. When the president and God collide (i.e. signing a bill that funds abortion which is legalized murder) God is still supreme and we must obey Him above any other authority.

Unity

Eph. 4:3, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

                    When we have so many people reading and writing, thinking, believing, and debating (or discussing what we've run across via the internet and other sources), we know that we are not always going to agree. Let us see the meaning of unity. According to an on-line dictionary, unity is:

(1.)The state of being one, singleness.

(2.)The state or quality of being in accord, harmony.

Well, we know that the first one applies to married couples mainly. You know you must have the same values as your spouse (i.e. not being unequally yoked and both equally agree with the same strength the same convictions). But what about the second one?

We must be in harmony or accord.  As we know, even in the body of Christ we do not always agree! Churches split up over the simplest things. Why can’t we live in unity? Because Satan wants to keep the Body of Christ apart. Besides, what does the world we are trying to evangelize think when people leave the church over whether to have real wine or grape juice at communion. They will not be inclined to come and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, when they show more tolerance to each other than we show to fellow believers. This is just what Satan wants. When we split up, Satan knows that we are not getting the spiritual encouragement we need to be useful to Christ.  Satan scores again. Lincoln once said, “A house divided cannot stand.” How true is that! Since Satan has learned that he cannot destroy the church outwardly, he will tear it apart from the inside.

We will have differences. We must not let them separate us from each other. There are some cases where it is necessary that we remove ourselves from each other.  We must only separate when it is a matter of Christian liberty not the kind of liberty John McArthur is talking about when he says, we live in an age when men, women, and even children are seeking liberation. "Do your own thing" is the manifesto of the freedom movement. Authority is being challenged as the individual follows the desire of his own heart. Self-centeredness is the motivating factor of worldly freedom. But that is not real freedom according to the Bible. Jesus said in John 8:34, "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." While the liberation movements can't really set a person free, Jesus can. He said, "If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). Freedom comes in Jesus Christ. That is the manifesto of Christianity.  One reason it is difficult for Christians to understand current liberation movements is that they can't relate to bondage because of their liberty in Christ. In essence, strive to be like Christ.

Introduction

Hi! By way of introductions, I will simply say that this blog is where I will post reflections on God, myself and those I come across. So basically, random thoughts I have on everything. Bye for now! In Christ Alone, Kate