I have nothing to say, except that this song is amazing. And this music video is a must watch!
Skyscraper by Demi Lovato(cover and music video)
2011-10-11
2011-10-07
Solitude
Often our lives are taken hold of by busy schedules. Day and after day is filled with activities. School, work, sports, etc. And these activities can include serving God, going to prayer meetings, accountability groups, small groups, the list goes on. But the one thing we sometimes forget is solitude and its importance. We may be at Church or Cross Culture or whatever, and hear a great message... but then comes the hustle and bustle or life. Hence, spirituality of mind is much injured from the constant bustle in which some benevolent people live. We can relate to the lady in this verse,
"...they made me keeper of the vineyards,
but my own vineyard I have not kept!"
(Song of Solomon 1:6 ESV)
Even if we don't realize it, we might be spending little to no time at all in solitude with God. Sin tells us we are too busy, or what we do is enough. But we need to realize the importance of solitude. When we try to focus on God in the midst of a busy life i can find it is hard. Thoughts popping up in your head, "Oh! I forgot about this!" One thought leading to the next on a continuous cycle until you realize where you should be focused.. which ruins your focus more!
"...they made me keeper of the vineyards,
but my own vineyard I have not kept!"
(Song of Solomon 1:6 ESV)
Even if we don't realize it, we might be spending little to no time at all in solitude with God. Sin tells us we are too busy, or what we do is enough. But we need to realize the importance of solitude. When we try to focus on God in the midst of a busy life i can find it is hard. Thoughts popping up in your head, "Oh! I forgot about this!" One thought leading to the next on a continuous cycle until you realize where you should be focused.. which ruins your focus more!
"Nothing can more beautifully exemplify the duties of holy retirement and active benevolence, than the life of Jesus. In the Gospels, we read how incessant were his labors for the spiritual and temporal good of the thousands who followed him. And there we also read, how "he went up into a mountain apart to pray;" how "when the evening was come, he was there alone;" how "he continued all night in prayer to God." This he did, not occasionally, but frequently; thus setting us an illustrious example of ardent devotion, combined with unceasing exertion for the present and future happiness of fallen man." ~ Spiritual Exercises of the Heart by Thomas Reade
As he says, Jesus was alone with God often. Now if you think about that, He and the Father are one! But he is still spending time after time alone with him!
Let our prayer be that we spend more time in solitude with God! Meditating on scripture, praying, etc. Let us find joy and importance in Solitude with God!
Jesus! my soul would now repose
Beneath the banner of your love:
Each rising storm do you compose,
Each darkening cloud far hence remove.
Beneath your smile is heavenly bliss;
How sweet in solitude with thee!
My soul, in such a world as this,
May now from anxious cares be free.
Reveal your mercies to my heart;
With joy my longing spirit fill;
Your grace unceasingly impart,
To do and suffer all your will. ~ Thomas Reade
Beneath the banner of your love:
Each rising storm do you compose,
Each darkening cloud far hence remove.
Beneath your smile is heavenly bliss;
How sweet in solitude with thee!
My soul, in such a world as this,
May now from anxious cares be free.
Reveal your mercies to my heart;
With joy my longing spirit fill;
Your grace unceasingly impart,
To do and suffer all your will. ~ Thomas Reade
2011-08-16
Sleep
This is my first post in a while and i hope you are blessed by it.
Each night we collapse into our beds, and eventually fall asleep. Then we wake up in the morning and start another day.
I have been reading Humility; True Greatness by CJ Mahaney (great book! Highly Recommend it) and in it he talked a little about sleep. Sometimes we see sleep as something we do every night to restore our bodies. What we fail to do is see where and how much, God is working in sleep.
When we go to our beds to sleep we often pray and thank God for the day and praise him, etc. But sometimes (at least for me) i fail to pray for my sleep. Now you might think, "Why pray for sleep?" Well, if you share this view i think this post will help you see the importance of God in sleep.
We don't normally see sleep as a gift but more a need. In Humility, CJ tells us that sleep is a gift. Sleep can only be given by God, and without it we are energy-less. We need sleep to restore our bodies, we need it rest our muscles, we need it cause we're human. What we fail to see is that only God can give us the gift of sleep. We think it is something natural and all controlled by us and our bodies, but we are wrong. It all comes from God. A great way to acknowledge this, CJ says, is to thank God for and pray to receive this gift of sleep every night before we go to bed.
While in sleep there are two things that we don't know are happening but are evident in the morning.
1) Sustaining
"I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me." (Psalm 3:5 ESV)
You may think, "Why does God need to sustain us?" 3 subpoints.
a) While asleep we are almost completely helpless. A 3 alarm fire could break out and we might not awake and escape. If God is sustaining us he could keep the fire from happening but even if the fire were happening had he not been sustaining us we would be dead. He sustains us and would wake us up allowing us to escape.
b) When we are asleep some people don't know it but at times if you snore, you might snore really loud then not breath for a second or two. And i mean stop breathing. Millions of American's think they sleep fine but when tested they find that they stop breathing 15+ each night! And when i say stop breathing i mean for 3 or 4 seconds they are not breathing at all whatsoever. Thats scary! These people could die! It is only by God's grace and sustainment that they are alive in the morning.
c) We need to be sustained in sleep. God sustains us in many ways during the night but he also keeps us alseep. If God doesn't keep us asleep we won't experience his full gift of sleep. Now at times we will wake up in the middle of the night for reasons, but other than that it is not us keep us asleep but God.
2) He restores us. Each night as we sleep, dreaming of ice cream and unicorns, God restores our muscles, joints, bones, our soul, heart, and mind. And he does so so that the next day our refreshed body can praise him more than the day before.
Let us continually thank God and give him the glory for the gift of sleep we receive each night of our lives until the day were we need not sleep. Amen.
Again, all thoughts, comments and additions are welcome. Thanks!
Each night we collapse into our beds, and eventually fall asleep. Then we wake up in the morning and start another day.
I have been reading Humility; True Greatness by CJ Mahaney (great book! Highly Recommend it) and in it he talked a little about sleep. Sometimes we see sleep as something we do every night to restore our bodies. What we fail to do is see where and how much, God is working in sleep.
When we go to our beds to sleep we often pray and thank God for the day and praise him, etc. But sometimes (at least for me) i fail to pray for my sleep. Now you might think, "Why pray for sleep?" Well, if you share this view i think this post will help you see the importance of God in sleep.
We don't normally see sleep as a gift but more a need. In Humility, CJ tells us that sleep is a gift. Sleep can only be given by God, and without it we are energy-less. We need sleep to restore our bodies, we need it rest our muscles, we need it cause we're human. What we fail to see is that only God can give us the gift of sleep. We think it is something natural and all controlled by us and our bodies, but we are wrong. It all comes from God. A great way to acknowledge this, CJ says, is to thank God for and pray to receive this gift of sleep every night before we go to bed.
While in sleep there are two things that we don't know are happening but are evident in the morning.
1) Sustaining
"I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me." (Psalm 3:5 ESV)
You may think, "Why does God need to sustain us?" 3 subpoints.
a) While asleep we are almost completely helpless. A 3 alarm fire could break out and we might not awake and escape. If God is sustaining us he could keep the fire from happening but even if the fire were happening had he not been sustaining us we would be dead. He sustains us and would wake us up allowing us to escape.
b) When we are asleep some people don't know it but at times if you snore, you might snore really loud then not breath for a second or two. And i mean stop breathing. Millions of American's think they sleep fine but when tested they find that they stop breathing 15+ each night! And when i say stop breathing i mean for 3 or 4 seconds they are not breathing at all whatsoever. Thats scary! These people could die! It is only by God's grace and sustainment that they are alive in the morning.
c) We need to be sustained in sleep. God sustains us in many ways during the night but he also keeps us alseep. If God doesn't keep us asleep we won't experience his full gift of sleep. Now at times we will wake up in the middle of the night for reasons, but other than that it is not us keep us asleep but God.
2) He restores us. Each night as we sleep, dreaming of ice cream and unicorns, God restores our muscles, joints, bones, our soul, heart, and mind. And he does so so that the next day our refreshed body can praise him more than the day before.
Let us continually thank God and give him the glory for the gift of sleep we receive each night of our lives until the day were we need not sleep. Amen.
Again, all thoughts, comments and additions are welcome. Thanks!
2011-07-21
Posting
hmmm... not posted in 9 days..... Why does it seem so hard to post something, in the summer for the reason!? :P idk
anywho, there is only like 2 or 3 weeks till YC!! .... i think i just figured out a possible logo. :) I'm so smart..
But enough about my awesomeness (compliments of God xD) let talk about something else.
Like the horrible Famine i read about that is going on the the Horn Of Africa. There it is said that an estimation of about 11.7million people are in dire need for food. That just puts a frown on my face. I mean why should i get to live like this and they are suffering!? I get to live a healthy life when they have to live with whatever they are diagnosed with!? I'm living the "High Life" by being fed everyday! If i could trade my life for all of theirs i would do it in a second. But then i realize that someone has already done that, Jesus. He did it to heal their deepest disease, sin. Oh how i wish they could realize this!!! Oh how i wish they could find the true joy in the midst of such suffering! Yet i wonder how i would do if i was in their position. Would i respond in joy? Would i respond in thanksgiving? Oh how thankful i am to not have to be tried in such ways. Yet how sad i am that they have to...
I want to go to Africa someday.... real bad too... :\
any thoughts or addons are GREATLY appreciated.
anywho, there is only like 2 or 3 weeks till YC!! .... i think i just figured out a possible logo. :) I'm so smart..
But enough about my awesomeness (compliments of God xD) let talk about something else.
Like the horrible Famine i read about that is going on the the Horn Of Africa. There it is said that an estimation of about 11.7million people are in dire need for food. That just puts a frown on my face. I mean why should i get to live like this and they are suffering!? I get to live a healthy life when they have to live with whatever they are diagnosed with!? I'm living the "High Life" by being fed everyday! If i could trade my life for all of theirs i would do it in a second. But then i realize that someone has already done that, Jesus. He did it to heal their deepest disease, sin. Oh how i wish they could realize this!!! Oh how i wish they could find the true joy in the midst of such suffering! Yet i wonder how i would do if i was in their position. Would i respond in joy? Would i respond in thanksgiving? Oh how thankful i am to not have to be tried in such ways. Yet how sad i am that they have to...
I want to go to Africa someday.... real bad too... :\
any thoughts or addons are GREATLY appreciated.
2011-07-12
Joke time! :D
first joke.
Once, in the 1830's, a little boy was playing in the yard behind his house. During his pretend fighting game, he knocked over the outhouse. Now he was upset and worried that he would get into trouble so he ran into the woods and didn't come out until after got dark. When he arrived back home, his pappy was waiting for him. He asked suspiciously, "Son, did you knock over the outhouse this afternoon?"
"No, pappy," the boy lied.
"Well, let me tell you a story," said the father. "Once, not that long ago, Mr Lincoln received a shiny new axe from his father. Excited, he tried it out on a tree, swiftly cutting it down. But as he looked at the tree, with dismay he realized it was his mother's favorite cherry tree," his pappy paused." just like you, he ran into the woods. When he returned, his pappy asked, 'Abraham, did you cut down the cherry tree?' Abraham answered with, 'Father, I cannot tell a lie. I did indeed chop down the tree.' Then his father said, 'Well, since you were honest with me, you are spared from punishment. I hope you have learned your lesson, though.' So," the little boy's father asked again," did you knock down the outhouse?"
"Pappy, I cannot tell a lie any more." said the little boy. "I did indeed knock down the outhouse."
Then his pappy father spanked Sam boy red, white, and blue. The boy whimpered, "Pappy, I told you the truth! Why did you spank me?"
Pappy answered, "That's because Abraham Lincoln's father wasn't in the tree when he chopped it down!"
next one!
A golf pro dragged himself into the clubhouse looking as though he'd just escaped a tornado.
"What's wrong?" a woman asked.
"I just lost a game to Houlihan," the pro said.
"What? But Houlihan's the worst player I've ever seen. How could he have beaten you?"
"He tricked me," the pro said. "On the first tee, he asked for a handicap. I told him he could have 30, 40, 50 strokes- any handicap he wanted.
He said, 'Just give me two gotchas."
"What's a gotcha?" asked the woman. "That's what I wanted to know," the pro said. "Houlihan said, 'You'll see.' Then, as I was teeing off, just as I had my club poised, he screamed out 'Gotcha!'"
"I can guess what happened," the woman said.
"Sure," the pro said. "The scream threw me off, and I missed the ball completely."
"Understandable," the woman said. "But still, that's only one swing. How did he win the game?"
The pro answered, "You try swinging at a golf ball all day while waiting for that second 'gotcha!'
Last one!
This guy was watching TV as his wife was out cutting the grass during the hot summer. He finally worked up the energy to go out and ask his wife what was for supper.
Well, his missus was quite irritated about him sitting in the air conditioned house all day while she did all the work, so she scolded him. "I can't believe you're asking me about supper right now! Imagine I'm out of town, go inside and figure dinner out yourself."
So he went back in the house and fixed himself a big steak, with potatoes, garlic bread and tall glass of iced tea.
The wife finally walked in about the time he was finishing up and asked him, "You fixed something to eat? So where is mine?"
"Huh? I thought you were out of town."
Thats cruel.... but it made me lol xD
i hope you liked them!
Once, in the 1830's, a little boy was playing in the yard behind his house. During his pretend fighting game, he knocked over the outhouse. Now he was upset and worried that he would get into trouble so he ran into the woods and didn't come out until after got dark. When he arrived back home, his pappy was waiting for him. He asked suspiciously, "Son, did you knock over the outhouse this afternoon?"
"No, pappy," the boy lied.
"Well, let me tell you a story," said the father. "Once, not that long ago, Mr Lincoln received a shiny new axe from his father. Excited, he tried it out on a tree, swiftly cutting it down. But as he looked at the tree, with dismay he realized it was his mother's favorite cherry tree," his pappy paused." just like you, he ran into the woods. When he returned, his pappy asked, 'Abraham, did you cut down the cherry tree?' Abraham answered with, 'Father, I cannot tell a lie. I did indeed chop down the tree.' Then his father said, 'Well, since you were honest with me, you are spared from punishment. I hope you have learned your lesson, though.' So," the little boy's father asked again," did you knock down the outhouse?"
"Pappy, I cannot tell a lie any more." said the little boy. "I did indeed knock down the outhouse."
Then his pappy father spanked Sam boy red, white, and blue. The boy whimpered, "Pappy, I told you the truth! Why did you spank me?"
Pappy answered, "That's because Abraham Lincoln's father wasn't in the tree when he chopped it down!"
next one!
A golf pro dragged himself into the clubhouse looking as though he'd just escaped a tornado.
"What's wrong?" a woman asked.
"I just lost a game to Houlihan," the pro said.
"What? But Houlihan's the worst player I've ever seen. How could he have beaten you?"
"He tricked me," the pro said. "On the first tee, he asked for a handicap. I told him he could have 30, 40, 50 strokes- any handicap he wanted.
He said, 'Just give me two gotchas."
"What's a gotcha?" asked the woman. "That's what I wanted to know," the pro said. "Houlihan said, 'You'll see.' Then, as I was teeing off, just as I had my club poised, he screamed out 'Gotcha!'"
"I can guess what happened," the woman said.
"Sure," the pro said. "The scream threw me off, and I missed the ball completely."
"Understandable," the woman said. "But still, that's only one swing. How did he win the game?"
The pro answered, "You try swinging at a golf ball all day while waiting for that second 'gotcha!'
Last one!
This guy was watching TV as his wife was out cutting the grass during the hot summer. He finally worked up the energy to go out and ask his wife what was for supper.
Well, his missus was quite irritated about him sitting in the air conditioned house all day while she did all the work, so she scolded him. "I can't believe you're asking me about supper right now! Imagine I'm out of town, go inside and figure dinner out yourself."
So he went back in the house and fixed himself a big steak, with potatoes, garlic bread and tall glass of iced tea.
The wife finally walked in about the time he was finishing up and asked him, "You fixed something to eat? So where is mine?"
"Huh? I thought you were out of town."
Thats cruel.... but it made me lol xD
i hope you liked them!
2011-07-05
Longtime no see!
I have not post in 5 days (ik! 5 days!!) but here i am again. to say welcome i am posting a chat i had with cleverbot as if it were my blog.
User: Hello Blog. long time no see! I have changed in 5 days!
Cleverbot: I dont see you. Your probably sill ugly...
User: I am not blog! I have changed! I think....
Cleverbot: I think that was rude. You should apologize to me.
User: I am sorry blog. Will you forgive me?
Cleverbot: Perhaps. You will have to make it up to me though.
User: How?
Cleverbot: That what I'm asking you.
User: Oh, how about a Coke?
Cleverbot: Sure.
User: How would you like that done Blog?
Cleverbot: I want you to fall in a volcano and see what happens. If you live. Come back and say so. If you don't. Well.. Nice knowing you.
User: Thats mean! Bully....
Cleverbot: Because I don't know you that well.
User: Thats why you are bullying me?
Cleverbot: Do you mean pirate?
User: Yes I mean pirate. Are you a pirate blog?
Cleverbot: Yes.
User: Awesome! Can I have your peg leg Sir Blog?
Cleverbot: Did you murder someone?
User: No. Did you???
Cleverbot: Yes.
User: Ahh! I'm running away! *runs away*.
Cleverbot: Why?
User: Cause you are a murderer!
Cleverbot: That makes no sense...
User: Really??? Doesnt it???
Cleverbot: Yes it does.
User: Ok good.
Cleverbot: How about you Jenny?
User: I am not Jenny.
Cleverbot: What happened to Jenny?
User: Jenny was a friend of mine.
Cleverbot: Can Jenny make sandwiches?
User: Yes. Very tasting sandwiches!
Cleverbot: Will you make me a sandwich?
User: No but Jenny can.
Cleverbot: When will it stop?
User: Hello Blog. long time no see! I have changed in 5 days!
Cleverbot: I dont see you. Your probably sill ugly...
User: I am not blog! I have changed! I think....
Cleverbot: I think that was rude. You should apologize to me.User: I am sorry blog. Will you forgive me?
Cleverbot: Perhaps. You will have to make it up to me though.User: How?
Cleverbot: That what I'm asking you.User: Oh, how about a Coke?
Cleverbot: Sure.
User: How would you like that done Blog?
Cleverbot: I want you to fall in a volcano and see what happens. If you live. Come back and say so. If you don't. Well.. Nice knowing you.
User: Thats mean! Bully....
Cleverbot: Because I don't know you that well.
User: Thats why you are bullying me?
Cleverbot: Do you mean pirate?
User: Yes I mean pirate. Are you a pirate blog?
Cleverbot: Yes.
User: Awesome! Can I have your peg leg Sir Blog?
Cleverbot: Did you murder someone?
User: No. Did you???
Cleverbot: Yes.
User: Ahh! I'm running away! *runs away*.
Cleverbot: Why?
User: Cause you are a murderer!
Cleverbot: That makes no sense...
User: Really??? Doesnt it???
Cleverbot: Yes it does.
User: Ok good.
Cleverbot: How about you Jenny?
User: I am not Jenny.
Cleverbot: What happened to Jenny?
User: Jenny was a friend of mine.
Cleverbot: Can Jenny make sandwiches?
User: Yes. Very tasting sandwiches!
Cleverbot: Will you make me a sandwich?
User: No but Jenny can.
Cleverbot: When will it stop?
User: Now.
2011-06-30
The end
well this is the end. The final
of the 30 days in June of which I was challenged to post on everyone of those days.. and I did! I didnt miss one day!
Anywho I'm very tired and need sleep.
so goodnight.
Quote of the day: "I like this truck!" --
The Joker
of the 30 days in June of which I was challenged to post on everyone of those days.. and I did! I didnt miss one day!
Anywho I'm very tired and need sleep.
so goodnight.
Quote of the day: "I like this truck!" --
The Joker
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