Open Up The Sky

Open up the sky
Fall down like rain
We don't want a blessing
We want You
-Open up the sky by Deluge

Yes that's what I want too. I don't want to just feel good when I'm worshiping God. I want Him. I'm not doing for me, that's for sure. It's all for Him. It is so easy to get caught up in the thought that Sunday morning is for my benefit only. The "feel good" time of my week to get caught up with everyone, sing a few songs, and listen to a sermon.
I don't want to just be blessed on Sunday mornings. I want Jesus. I don't care how long it takes on Sunday mornings for that to happen. He's supposed to be the reason I go anyway so I should make Him my priority especially then.
Its got to be like this 24/7. Its got to be a bigger priority for me. Why else do all of this stuff? Why should I gain the whole "church" world, yet lose my soul? Yeah... totally don't want to do that.
Open up the sky, Lord. Reign in me with all Your mighty power.

Isaiah 1

13-17"Quit your worship charades. I can't stand your trivial religious games:Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings— meetings, meetings, meetings—I can't stand one more!Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You've worn me out!I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning.When you put on your next prayer-performance, I'll be looking the other way.No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I'll not be listening.And do you know why? Because you've been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.Go home and wash up. Clean up your act.Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don't have to look at them any longer.Say no to wrong. Learn to do good.Work for justice. Help the down-and-out.Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless. (The Message)

13-17 Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies--I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen Your hands are covered with blood. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow. (New American Standard Bible)

Yep. Me too.

Desert Song

Desert Song by Hillsong from the This Is Our God cd
Verse 1:
This is my prayer in the desert
When all that’s within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

Verse 2:
This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

Chorus:
I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Verse 3:
This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I’ll stand

Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

Verse 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favour and providence flow
I know I’m filled to be emptied again
The seed I’ve received I will sow


This is what I'm singing right now. Anybody else singing along with me?

Happy New Year

This year is going to be great. I can just feel it. There is so much hope for the future.
Can you feel it?

Smiles

The Greatest Place To Pray?

Last night at small group there was a bit of a discussion about prayer and the greatest place to do it. The boys all said the bathroom. We, girls, thought that was a bit not right, but unfortunately for me I have to agree with the boys on this one... let me explain....

2 years ago I did a semester abroad in Costa Rica as a fulfillment of my Spanish major. Our home base was Costa Rica, but we also got to travel to Nicaragua, Panama, and Guatemala. I loved my entire time there and I wish I could've stayed there forever.

Now in Panama we visited an indigenous people group called the Kuna Yala. They live on a bunch of islands off the coasts of Panama and Colombia. We lived on an island that was maybe 4 square blocks in size. The left stick hut in the picture is the bathroom that I used for 5 days. The other stick hut is the lobster/crab cage. There was a two-by-four that you had to walk to get to the "bathroom." There was a hollowed out stump that you sat on to do your business and it was usually moist(and you hoped that was just from it being over the ocean). I prayed like Jesus was coming back tomorrow on that thing. It was scary and you could feel the current. It wasn't the most stable structure ever.

Here is a view from... well I was standing on the two-by-four that led to the "bathroom" to take this picture of my host siblings. We slept in hammocks. We ate fish. We lived in solidarity. And in poverty. Of course, they saw themselves as rich because they had a fishing business and they had 30 coconuts. It was a crazy 5 days, but well worth it. My eyes were opened to so many things.

My high school youth pastor had this saying. "God is known, love is felt, lives are changed." Well that saying explained my entire trip.

Maybe I'll blog more about my semester abroad and use my pictures. This is just a small taste of it all. :-)

Track

Yesterday at work, I was ringing up a man's Bible purchase and he said to me, "Do you know Jesus?" And then proceeded to hand me a track. I said, "Yes I do," and tried to give him his track back. I then said something to the effect of you can give this to someone who doesn't. He then said, "Well maybe you should double check and read this." Where he then handed the track back to me. I bit my tongue and smiled and got a real sick feeling in my stomach. He left and my coworkers and I couldn't believe that had just happened.
Now I did read the track. I didn't disagree with it other than it used a lot of words with ith and eth at the end of them(I'm pretty sure this guy was from a KJV or else denomination--not that its a bad thing, but I'm a little more open to other translations). Maybe if I hadn't been on the clock, I would have told this man how inappropriate it was for him to ask me to double check if I know Jesus.
I'm pretty sure it says somewhere to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Then there's this idea that I agree with where yes you make that big first time decision to follow Jesus, but its a daily decision too. I mean I work to be a excellent as I can be, but I do fail sometimes so I do need to make a concious decision. Keep myself in check.
I do find it funny that the guy felt the need to ask me that. But what erks me the most is that he didn't even believe me. The entire transaction took like 3 minutes. How could he come to the conclusion that I'm a dishonest person in that amount of time?
We(all of us up front at the time it happened) did get a pretty good laugh out of it. At least I did hold my tongue with him and not lash out. I mean it could have gotten ugly.