I had a conversation last night with a friend and at some point we got on the topic of the different ways in which different people worship (in a collective setting) and how other people are not always accepting of that. I said something about how usually the "old farts" are the ones who get cranky about the way the younger people act during worship. And by "old farts" I specifically mean those older people who are so dead-set in the way they've always done something that they refuse to see the good in a new way of doing something; NOT just older people in general because there are plenty of wonderful and completely godly older people around. Anyway, today I was thinking a little more about all of this, and I look at it in this way. Different people, often categorized by their generation or age group, often approach God and worship God in different ways. Like way back in the day, say the early 1900 and even much later than that, the whole idea of church and worship was centered around being solemn and reverent. Jumping forward to my generation, the modern concept of worship is often with a band containing drums, electric guitar, electric bass, and so on, and often involves singing, the raising of hands, and even jumping around in some cases. I doubt very seriously that the people of the 1900s could have even imagined that to be worship. Yet both time periods were able to worship in their own way. [I would like to announce that I have no idea what my point is. I'm just writing till I find out!] One generation understood that God is to be reverenced and revered, yet failed to see that it is perfectly fine to get excited about the things of God as well. My generation, on the other hand, understands the getting excited part, yet I believe may often fall short in the reverence area. The true problem comes when a generation thinks their way is the best and that they "have it all figured out." The truth is we all have our strong points and our weak points. We should never think we are the group that has "arrived" at the perfect form of worship. Furthermore, the truth is worship is a state of the heart, and although what we do with our physical bodies during worship is somewhat important, we are commanded to worship God in spirit and in truth; not in body and in perfect form. My challenge to all of you as well as to myself is to worship God in the right spirit rather than simply conforming to the most popular "worship trend." And secondly, to be accepting of the next wave of worshippers that come along (and for that matter, the ones of the past generations, as well) because there may be something very valuable in their form of worship that is lacking in ours. I believe I've found my point, so I'll stop while I'm ahead! Later.

I love this song. It's so good. I posted it a long time ago, but it's worth a second time.

"No Sacrifice" by Jason Upton

To You I give my life;
Not just the parts I want to.
To You I sacrifice
these dreams that I hold on to.


Your thoughts are higher than mine;
Your words are deeper than mine;
Your love is stronger than mine;
This is no sacrifice; here's my life.

To You I give the gifts
Your love has given me.
How can I horde the treasure
that You designed for free?
(chorus)

To You I give my future
as long as it may last.
To You I give my present.
To You I give my past.
because... (chorus)



This is possibly my favorite poem. Or at least the one that I can most easily quote a certain phrase from!

Sonnet CXVI (116)
Shakespeare

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, althought his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

I'm going to bed now. I promise!

I wrote this in response to Katie's post where she mentions that she feels as though she does not pray enough. I thought it would be worth posting here as well.
"I understand completely the situation you find yourself in. It is very similar to my own. I would like to say, however, that recently I have begun to see prayer in a slightly different way. Although prayer as we typically think of it--a deliberate time of conversation--is important, we should also be mindful of the fact that we spend every moment of our lives with God since He has said that He will never leave us. Prayer can be simple statements/questions/requests mentioned throughout the day, like if you see a car accident and simply say "God be with them" you didn't have to set aside 30 minutes of "conversation time" for your prayer; you just said it as if He was right beside you, because He is. Like in a human relationship, although times of serious conversation are important, they are no more important than the minute to minute conversations we have with our friend as we walk throught the shopping mall together. without the latter, the former would be, at best, awkward. don't neglect the latter in your pursuit of the former. I should take this advice as well."
Please tell me what you think.

There's appearantly a new movie about Jesus coming out in the near future with Mel Gibson in it (he's not Jesus). It's called "The Passion." Read here for details.

[part two]
On to Saturday. My weekend started at 6:00 am! (I haven't seen 6am in a long time!) The alarm went off and eventually I rolled out of bed around 6:15. I got dressed, cooked breakfast, and all that good stuff, and was at the church by 7:00. We, the college and career group, were going to Ichetucknee for the day, which, for those who don't know, is a river (or spring, or whatever you call it) that you float down on tubes or rafts or whatever. I had fun, but that's probably because I wasn't the victim of friendly tube-flipping. Poor Allison, she was the victim of the day! She only lasted the first half of the river and left at our lunch break. If the guys don't drive her insane by the time she's 25, nothing will! The first half of our day was quite cloudy and therefore quite cold in the 72 degree water. The sun finally came out after lunch though. As we got in the cars to go home, the rain finally hit and it poured the rest of the day. When I got home I was supposed to call Laci because we had talked about going out to a movie or something. I took my hot shower, got dressed, ate, and finally called her, sorta hoping that she had decided she didn't want to do anything because I was exhausted. To my surprise, that's exactly what she said--she didn't want to go out because she was tired from working all day. We did get to talk for quite a while on the phone, though, which was good. We did two months worth of ranting to each other in 20 minutes! Record time! It was good to talk to her again.

Sunday was Westside's "God and Country Day." It was good. First of all, I started going in Danny's new Sunday School class last week and I think I'll really like it, so I'm gonna stay while I'm here for the summer. The past two weeks he's just been sharing his heart as to where he wants the class to go. What I love about Danny is he gets a vision and will go after it with everything he has till he gets there. Tina, Philip, Erin, and JR are also helping out in the class in various aspects. I'm really excited about what's going to happen. I'll have to leave in September for school, but it will be cool to see where they are when I'm home on break.

During the morning service Bro. Keith preached from Jeremiah chapter 8. It was a really good message about the state of a nation, dealing with the Public, the Pew (the church), the Politician, and the Preacher. One verse he mentioned was 22 which says, "Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?" I paraphrased it this way: "Have I not given you everything you need to be cured (of your sin)? Am I not capable of healing you? Then why do you still live in sin?" The message dealt with a nation's "health" problem: the nation is sin-sick. Is there not a cure? Jeremiah proclaims: Yes, Christ is the cure, yet the people will not repent. They would rather hear the lies of false teachers who tell them that they do not have a problem. Bro. Keith's message was really good and really eye opening as to where our responsibilities lie. I always enjoy hearing him speak.

Sunday evening our guest speaker was Cheryl McGuinness, as well as her daughter. Cheryl's husband was the pilot of the first plane that hit the World Trade Center towers. I wouldn't necessarily say that Cheryl was the most powerful speaker I've ever heard, but the faith that she and her daughter displayed was incredible! It was so obvious how important their faith was to them and to their healing process. And their faith is what allows them to reach out and encourage others. My favorite part of Sunday night's service was when we (the choir) sang "It Is Well," as well as "How Great Thou Art" which was in a great arrangement. Those two songs are so powerful.

Monday I got called in to work, which is great because I need all the extra hours I can get. It was a full length shift, too, so I was very grateful.

The only other thing worth mentioning is God's incredible wisdom. He always seems to provide things for me that are exactly what I need, even when I don't know what it is that I need. The last few weeks have been full of things like that. I'm so glad that God always surpasses our meager expectations of Him.

[part one] (Here goes my fifth or so try for that post that got erased.)
I shouldn't be at a loss for things to say since I haven't posted in a while. I'll start with last Wednesday.

Wednesday night Bro. Mark spoke at Alpha and Omega. It was quite a good message. One of his first points was "Doubt is not a lack of faith; Doubt is being caught between two beliefs." That's huge! Some people may think that when Christians begin to doubt we've somehow lost our faith in God, but that's just not the case. It's good to know when doubt comes into our lives we can still rely on God to help us overcome that doubt. Mark was speaking from Matthew 11:1-6 where John is in prison and sends some of his disciples to ask Jesus if He is the real deal or if they should look for someone else. Mark equated John's questioning with doubt, which isn't necessarily how I would read that passage, but all the points he made about it were good, so I wouldn't make a big deal out of that. Mark pointed out that when John asked Jesus a question, Jesus didn't make John the issue; Jesus made Jesus the issue! In other words, it's not about us, it's all about Christ. One of the final points Mark made was when he quoted an author who said, "The person who finds the courage to go back to square one finds the strength to go on." He meant that when we begin to doubt we must go back to the foundational elements of our faith--the things we know to be true. Overall, it was a really good message.

Thursday in my devotions I read Proverbs 12:11-19. I wrote this: "This passage speaks much of the tongue, the mouth, and the lips, which all refer to speech. The speech of the righteous has been considered before it is spoken; it is healing and not hurtful; it is truth and will endure. The speech of the wicked gets him into trouble, is hurtful, and is fleeting." Then I wrote, "Make your words worth being heard. No one really listens to the person who talks all the time. Like James says, if you can tame your tongue you can do anything." This passage reminded me of something a friend told me during first semester this past year. She said something to the effect of "Megan, you never have much to say, but when you have something to say it's always valuable." That's so important to me. Without me ever really even putting much thought into it, it's always been one of my goals to be a person who only talks when she has something important to say rather than talking to be heard. It's not like there's anything wrong with being a talkative person; it's just that that's not who I am and it's better for me not to try to be something I'm not.

As my week ended, I planned on having a rather packed weekend, which is rare for me, but a few things changed. My friend Melissa from high school had invited me and some of our other high school friends to come over to her house to watch movies and hang out Friday evening. I got off work around 7:00 on Friday and called her to let her know I was going to stop to get gas and then come straight to her house rather than going home first. I called mom to let her know what I was doing; got on the interstate; got off the Wilson exit to get gas (the exit I normally take when going home); got gas; got back in my car; turned the key; nothing happened. Great. Tried several times to start my car and still nothing. So, I called home and dad headed up to the gas station to get my car started. He jumped my battery and followed me home. The only thing wrong was the battery had gone bad. I was really glad that's all it was because we've just finished spending a bunch of money on getting my car fixed and I couldn't imagine that there was anything left to go wrong! Anyway, by the time we had the new battery put in, it was too late to justify the long drive to and from Melissa's house, so I wound up staying home. I'm just glad I got gas near my house so I didn't have to sit for an hour at a weird gas station or anything.

I'm having trouble posting this new post I wrote, which I cleverly saved this time, so I'm going to try to post it in chuncks since it's so long. We'll see how that works.

I'm irate! I just typed up this huge long post about everything that's happened from Wednesday till Sunday and it got erased! I'm begining to be very angry with these Blogger people. This is not the first time this has happened. But this time it's with the new system, so I thought all the bugs would have been worked out. Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk, as they say. I'll try to redo it tomorrow (actually, later today). Later.

I've noticed as I've been reading through some of the blogs I've listed to the left that often people (Christians even) use the comment section of blogs to bash the mess out of other people's opinions. Rather than even trying to be polite, people basically just flat out say "no, you're wrong. your opinion is stupid. I have all the answers, not you." Okay, first of all, those who have a blog have the right to freely post their opinion in any way they want to. If you disagree, at least try to be kinda nice about it! It's not your websight!

I would like to say that I have something new and exciting and phenominal to write about today, but alas, I do not.

"I believe we are here for a reason. As each day unfolds, we see less of the shadow and more of the sun."
-a quote from a greeting card
I do believe we are here for a reason. And as each day unfolds, I pray that we each see more of the SON. In His presence all shadows of darkness flee.

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."

I hate to even mention this, but all this Harry Potter nonsense is crazy. Christians who (in my opinion) are being completely rediculous are making such a big stink about the fact that there's witchcraft and wizardry in it so we shouldn't let our young people read it because it will corrupt their minds and make them Satan-worshippers and on and on and on. Darren from The Living Room posted about it (but he's on the same side as me; not one of the rediculous ones!). You can read his post rather than me rehashing all the info. But I will say, on a similar note, that when all of us church kids of my generation were little we weren't allowed to watch The Smurfs because of witchcraft, yet The Gummie Bears with their magic bouncing gummy juice was perfectly fine because it wasn't stirred in a black cauldrin! (I'm probably slaughtering all these words that I've never had a reason to spell before! If I am, sorry!) But if my memory serves me right, it was a "natural" substance (i.e. herbal, i.e. so are drugs) so what are we saying, that you can do drugs but not cauldrins? In real life, witches don't go around riding on broomsticks and wearing tall, black, pointy hats, so why should we give the kids the impression that that's what they should beware of? If we're harming the kids in any way, I would be quicker to say that these arguments against HP are giving them the wrong impression of what "evil" looks like. Satan isn't red with a pitchfork and a pointy tail either! If you want to teach the kids anything, teach them that books like HP are FICTION and to be read only as entertainment, not something to pattern your life after. And for those who are ready to say "that's not the kind of entertainment our kids need," dare I ask you what movies you watch? I'm sure they're not oozing the gospel message either! Teach the kids the books are fiction, and move on to teaching them that the Bible is different because it is Truth and IS something we should pattern our lives after. If nothing else, redirect your energy from complaining to teaching.

I'm done ranting for now!

I long so very much to have a day to go out and enjoy some great part of God's creation. Between the fact that I'm currently in the uneventful westside of Jacksonville (versus the beautiful and ever-popular St. Augustine) and the fact that it's been quite rainy, I've not had much to gaze at in wonder as of late. [I've recently become fond of the phrase "as of late." Not typical for most Americans, but I've picked it up from an Aussie.] I recall with fondness the days while I was at school that I broke away from my studying and sat at the fort on the edge of the Intracoastal, watching the tiny waves splash against the coquina wall and the ever-changing clouds overhead. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with the westside.... well, that could be argued.... but there's just not much great scenery here. Anyway, I suppose I should try to find some time just to be outside for a while this weekend. Maybe it won't rain after I'm off of work tomorrow. Speaking of which, I have to go in earlier than normal tomorrow, so I should get to bed. G'night.

Got one of those forwarded e-mails today. I don't usually care much for them, but this one was pretty cool. Rather than posting the whole thing, I'll just give the short version. It compared trying to figure out our lives on our own to trying to open a rosebud without tearing any of the petals. Just as God is the only one who can open a rose perfectly, He is also the One who can unfold the events of our lives perfectly. Let Him be in control and wait on His time. Good message.

A few posts ago when I talked about drinking, the blog that I made vague reference to was this one. (I might as well link to it if I'm gonna talk about it, even if my opinions differ from his in several areas. His post advocating drinking was on Thursday June 5.) I was re-reading his post last night to try to figure out if I agree or disagree with him. No matter what, I will say I am impressed by the appearant research he has done on what he writes. On this reading, I also read the TWENTY-FOUR comments that had been left (now 25 thanks to yours truely). Many interesting points were brought up. (I won't delve into which ones I agree with or disagree with.) In my quest for "answers" I realized, or rather God revealed to me, that far too often we focus on one particular aspect of life and make it seem like much more of a priority than it really should be. I think if we could keep our main focus on doing EVERYTHING to the glory of God life would be much better. However things like this have become issues in modern Christianity, and to some extent I guess we are forced to deal with them. There's a fine line to be drawn, I suppose, between the things we see as absolutes and the issues which should be left to personal conviction. Hmmm.... where I'm going with this I'm not sure. My main point I guess is to focus on God and not what other people are or are not doing. Don't make mountains of mole-hills. Don't judge people so harshly for believing slightly differently than you on little issues. Don't become like the Pharisees with their high-and-mighty list of DOs and DON'Ts. Most importantly (and slightly redundant) do what God calls you to do and also listen when He tells you "no."

Danny spoke at Alpha and Omega, our college and career service, tonight. It was incredible. It just so happened that there was a scaffold in the Teachy Chapel from some new lights being installed or something, so earlier in the day Danny asked them to leave it there for tonight (he used it as an object lesson). His example was that God was up at the top of the scaffold and our goal is to get up there with God. (He made clear that no example is perfect, so if there's something "wrong" with this one, he already warned us that it would not be perfect.) His point was that we can't get up to the top without first going "to our knees," in other words, through prayer. It's not our strength that gets us up to God, but us letting God take control. So, yes, Danny climed up about 15 feet in the air to "where God was" and made the point that when we get on one of our "mountain tops" with God, we will automatically fall if we look "down" at all the other people, thinking to ourselves, "look how high I am compared to all of them," because we've taken our eyes off Christ (like Peter) and we get proud. So, yes, he jumped down to the ground, symbolizing his "fall away from God." The next part is the incredible part, though, that we often overlook. He said, "No matter how many times you fall, God's grace lets you climb back up." Think about that! When somebody fails us, we pitch a fit and vow never to trust them again, so-on and so-forth. Yet we ourselves are sinners who also fail. The sinless God of the universe, however, calls us back to Him every time we fall. He never says, "Okay, that's it. You've had plenty of chances. No more climbing back up for you." Instead, He cheers us on and encourages us. "Yes, the climb back up can be hard and tiring," Danny said. "You might even make a lot of racket and feel embarrassed when people look at you" (the scaffold was noisy, so the analogy fit perfectly). He talked about how non-Christians will often be the first to point the finger when a Christian fails, which can make it hard for us to want to get back up and try again, yet by faith in God's grace we can climb back up once again. That's about all for the object lesson, but that led into a bunch of other incredible stuff. Danny touched on the concept of being consumed by God. We're told to love God with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and our strength. Danny said, "God, how can I do that if I'm also supposed to love my wife and kids and the people around me?" He explained that when we are consumed with God all else falls into place. I instantly thought of "seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." It means that if God is our first priority, He makes it possible for us to fulfill all the things He has in store for us. Oh, I never mentioned what scripture Danny spoke on. It was Genesis 39:1-3. It talks about how Joseph was taken into Egypt and bought by Potiphar (vs. 1), God was with Joseph (vs. 2), and Joseph's master (who basically had no idea about Jesus and the one true God) could see God in Joseph (vs. 3)! The scripture worked in with the object lesson in that when you're truely close to God ("on top of the scaffold") everyone can see that-- even the pagan world who has no prior concept of God. I'm not sure how he crammed so many topics into one night, but Danny also mentioned stepping out of your comfort zone. He said that when we're out of our comfort zone is when God can use us the most. He didn't say a whole lot about that, but it was something I definitely needed to hear. I get so comfortable in my daily routine, with my typical group of people, sitting in my usual spot at church, doing what I'm used to doing, etc. I think that's something God's been trying to show me lately, but it took tonight's message to make me realize it. Something I could not be reminded of enough is that the world does not revolve around me! God's plans and purposes are far more important than my own, so the right thing for me to do would be to surrender daily to that concept and let God have His way instead of me having mine. I'm gonna quit now, but I could go on forever. I'll probably think of more to say tomorrow on this same topic.

I've been pouring through websights today, just for the heck of it mostly. As I read many different opinions on many different subjects, I realized (actually remembered) that it seems as though I have sort of "reconsidered" my stance on several issues within the past year. I guess that's something that comes with going away to college; your eyes are opened to a whole new world, so to speak. But do not fear: I am not implying that I am in any way turning my back on my Christian upbringing. It's just that some things which I had a firm opinion on for no particular reason now seem more negotiable to me. Not the basics, just the details. The foundational principles of my faith are still the same, yet I am becoming more leniant on some of the "detail" items, which quite honestly may challange the opinion of the majority of the people (at least older people) in my church and even denomination. Okay, before you think I've completely gone off the deep-end, I'll explain what I'm talking about. Two particular issues come to mind: tattoos and drinking, neither of which do I participate in. About a year ago I probably would have told you that I absolutely positively think both are wrong. For that matter, on any given day in the present, I would probably come close to saying the same thing. Yet within the past year my convictions on those two issues have come into question.

As for tattoos, I would have sited Leviticus 19:28 as my reasoning for thinking that they were wrong. As I began truthfully thinking about the issue, however, I began to think about the fact that there are many other Levitical laws that we completely disregard in our modern lives, such as not eating pork. I studied Leviticus 19 on my own for a short while and concluded that even though there were things in it that could not apply to our lives today, such as laws for sacrifice, the majority of it could easily apply. More importantly, however, I came away with the belief that God simply wants us to be different from the lost world -- devoted to Him and seperated from the world's system of beliefs. I am no longer sure of my opinion of the wrong-ness of tattoos, but I do know that that is not the issue. The issue is whether or not we are devoted to God to the point that we would do whatever He asks of us, and furthermore would NOT do whatever He asks us not to do. Although it is weird not having a firm opinion, I'm actually glad I don't because it's helped me become less judgemental. Whether you do or don't have tattoos, I no longer care. (Not that I particularly cared in the first place. I wouldn't have hated you for it or anything.) Moving on...

As for drinking, I realized today how much I have shifted on this issue when I read a guy's site that more or less condoned it and backed it up with scripture, and I didn't throw a fit about how ungodly he is to use scripture in that way. For me not to make a big deal out of a "Christian" condoning drinking is a new thing. What he said kinda made sense, I'd have to say. Before, I would have said that to drink at all is wrong. I am beginning to think, however, that it is not so much the "drinking" but rather the being "drunk" that is wrong. The problem is most people can't do the former without eventually getting to the latter. In our society of "do what feels good" few people would stop after one or two drinks. And most people drink more to "fit in" than because they have a taste for the drink. That I do believe is wrong. A glass of fine wine with a formal dinner, I am beginning to think, is a decent thing. A beer at a ballgame, however, I think I still would not approve of. Dare I mention that I'm contemplating having a champaign toast at my own wedding (in the distant future!!)! Actually, that may not happen. I would rather not have it than offend people who would be there. Besides, seeing as how I've never drank ANYTHING, I don't know if I would like it. At any rate, I still would rather steer clear of drinking for the most part for many reasons. First, I know for me it would go against what my parents would want. Also, you never know what other people would think of it. If it would make me look like a "bad Christian" to someone, even if I thought they were wrong, I would rather not drink. Some people would suggest, in that case, only drinking in the privacy of your own home. But truthfully and honestly, how many issues really stay inside homes?? Eventually someone finds out, and then it looks like you're trying to hide something, which can make you look worse than if you just did whatever it was out in the open. Okay, this is getting long!

In conclusion... I'm not sure why I decided to post about this. Probably more for me than for anyone who may read this. I will say one last thing that my opinion has NOT changed on... actually two. Sex and abortion. I believe sex is exclusively for marriage. There's not much else I could say about that one. As for abortion, I do believe it is murder. I read somewhere today that supporters of abortion have called it "reproductive freedom". REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM???!!! Reproductive freedom is choosing whether or not to have sex in the first place!! HELLO!! No sex = no "unwanted" pregnancies. Seeing as how the majority of abortions are with unmarried girls, I think I covered my opinion of that in the first part of this paragraph. Anyway, it's too late for much of a rant on this topic tonight. Comments?

I was looking at a sight today called Brick Testament that has scenes from Bible stories depicted in LEGGOS! It's actually quite incredible! Not only are the guy's Leggo models very good, also -- if you know anything about photography -- the pictures are really good. He must have a LOT of time on his hands! I heard rumor that the guy is possibly an atheist. If that is true, he sure has devoted a huge portion of his life to depicting Biblical things.

I'm also trying to update my links on the left. I'm going to add some blogs that I've come across that I find interesting.

Take a moment to stop what you're doing and just think about how good God is. Sing a song to Him. Talk with Him. Lift up your hands in praise. Do a little dance, if you feel so inclined! [What? You feel silly praising God in your own house? Then where in the world will you ever feel comfortable?] Remember this: church on Sunday is not the only place and time where we meet with God, nor is it the only place and time where God deserves our praise. He is worthy always. When we fail to acknowledge Him in our day to day lives it's like saying that our agendas are more important than the holy God that we say we worship and serve. So take second to praise Him.

What a good day! Nothing particularly special about it, just good. I guess I cleared my mind of several things this weekend, so despite my battle with a sinus headache all day and the drizzley rain outside, I still had a great day. Still nothing especially exciting to post about... but I KNOW everyone's favorite store is Old Navy of Orange Park and I know everyone wants to come see me while I'm working this week (Thursday evening or Saturday daytime). If you happen to be at the mall, come say hi. Anyway, that was really random and useless! I'm gonna quit now before I bore you completely!

This morning in choir we finally got to sing a song we've been practicing for a while that I absolutely love. It's called "Total Praise" and it's by the Brooklyn Tabernacle people. It says...

Lord, I will lift my eyes to the hills
knowing my help is coming from You.
Your peace You give me
in time of the storm.
You are the source of my strength.
You are the strength of my life.
I lift my hands in total praise to You.

It's such an incredible song with a powerful picture of true worship. I'm really glad we got to sing it today.

In my quiet time lately I've been reading in Galatians. Paul is writing to the Galatian people and explaining to them that they have been set free from the law because Christ provides salvation through His grace. Here are a few "application" type things I wrote down.
"We should not begin to think that our good works make us any better than someone else. If we feel that way, Christ's death is in vain." (2:15-21)
"Christ's blood not only saves us, but also is the only way by which we can be perfected. It is Christ, not ourselves." (3:1-9)
"Funny how we try to come up with our own way of doing things even after God has told us the way He wants it done!" (3:17-22)
"Although we are corrupt, God loves us enough to ADOPT us and clean us up and make us royalty! How incredible! We are now princes and princesses!" (4:1-7)
"Don't leave behind your excitement for Christ when circumstances aren't perfect. Remain zealous!" (4:8-18)
"The promises of God are always stronger than our ability to keep the law. In salvation through faith when we fall God's grace catches us. There's nothing to catch you under the law, yet you WILL fall!" (4:19-26)
"God has set us free so we should live like it. At the same time, we are to honor, not abuse, the grace He's given us." (4:27-5:1)
The Galatians had been saved, yet they still tried to keep the law as if that was what would "keep" them saved. Paul tried to get them to understand that God isn't concerned with how good you are because He saves us just as we are. I remembered this morning that our good or bad deeds do not make us more or less saved, and also do not make it easier or harder for Christ to save us! He had to die for our sins regardless of whether we only told one little lie or were murderers. This is not to say that Christ does not want us to pursue good works after our salvation; we simply should not act as though our good works are what saves us or as if they will give us more favor in the eyes of God. God sees us all the same: we're either His children or we're not. There's only two possibilities. Good works are simply what we should be compelled to do in response to what Christ has done for us. I hope this all made sense. Feel free to leave comments or questions if I've confused you on any point! Later.

So, work is good. I like the fast-pace so far and I work with some really great people. There's A LOT to remember when you're first learning it, though, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it really soon. Long day yesterday: VBS, work, church, and Tina and Danny's house. I skipped out on VBS today. I'm going back tomorrow, though. Nothing else really to post about right now. Sorry. I'll try to be more interesting in days to come. Later.