Long time, no blog!

I realized that I have not blogged in forever, so here it is! My blog! So much has been going on lately that I have been sidetracked. My small group (left) went to the Cagle's Dairy Corn Maize once again this year and it was harder than we remembered! Still, fun times!

Thanksgiving break was a marvelous way to catch up with myself, and to relax but also get some things done around the house. During the break I was able to completely repaint my kitchen, which I am very proud of! Now it's two very subtle and calming shades of green that I am enjoying. Next step---cabinet gutting and renovation! I'm thinking this will happen post-Christmas though. Trying to be responsible with the funds!

At school we are working hard to prepare for singing next Thursday evening at the PTA Southern Supper with Santa. Then, on Friday we have our first chorus field trip to see The Nutcracker and that evening we sing at the Gwinnett Gladiators Sing for Santa event. Busy busy! Then, two weeks later we have our big Christmas chorus show which involves the singing of many carols plus a reinactment of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I'm excited!

I guess that's about it for now!!!

Remedy

I read this article in Atlanta Magazine about a woman who is a former strip club dancer who is now a Christian and has this amazing minstry where she and other former exotic dancers go into strip clubs and hand out goody baskets to the girls who work there. They also hold worship services in the middle of a questionable area of Atlanta which is evidently right near one of said clubs. So far, they have helped something like 125 girls get out of this lifestyle. I thought that was pretty life-changing.

Then, tonight at the Romania Partnership night, Pastor Gelu told this story of a time before Vox Domini Church was established when he and an American friend were out evangelising on the streets of Timisoara. He felt very uncomfortable doing that, and they are were getting ready to go home when his friend said, "Let's just go get that guy on the bike." So they chased down this man who was riding a bike and when they finally caught him and told him about Jesus right there, he responded by saying, "I've been waiting all my life for someone to tell me this."

It's been a really tough weekend, but God is still God and I am so blessed because of Jesus. This song by David Crowder Band just reminds me of who I am---who we are as Christians---and what a big world there is out there, just waiting for someone to tell them there's another way.

REMEDY, by David Crowder Band

Here we are, Here we are
The broken and used, Mistreated, abused
Here we are

Here You are, Here You are
The beautiful one, Who came like a Son
Here You are

So we lift up our voices, We open our hands
To cling to the love, That we can't comprehend

Oh, lift up your voices, And lift up your heads
To sing of the love, That has freed us from sin

CHORUS
He is the one, Who has saved us
He is the one, Who embraced us
He is the one who has come, And is coming again
He's the remedy

Here we are, Here we are
Bandaged and bruised
Awaiting a cure, Here we are

Here You are, Here You are
Our beautiful King, Bringing relief
Here You are with us

So we lift up our voices, And open our hands
Let go of the things, That have kept us from Him

[Chorus]

Oh, I can't comprehend, I can't take it all in
Never understand, Such perfect love come
For the broken and beat, For the wounded and weak
Oh, come fall at His feet
He's the remedy, He's the remedy

So sing, sing

You are the one, Who has saved us
You are the one, Who forgave us
You are the one who has come, And is coming again
To make it alright, Oh, to make it alright
You're the remedy, Oh, in us
You're the remedy

Let us be the remedy
Let us bring the remedy

I love that last bit..."Let US be the remedy..." That is what we are called to be to a dying world, isn't it?

Malachi's Prayer!

A friend of mine from college just posted her first-grade son's prayer from last night before he went to bed and I thought it was a riot. Bless his heart! I enjoyed it so much that I thought I'd post it here:

"Dear God, How are you? I was very good today. I stayed on green, got a hundred on my spelling test, and I'm star student of the week. Please bless Mom, Dad, Mary Ruth, and the dogs. And keep the Tooth Fairy safe when she travels to my house. Keep her warm because it's cold at night. Please let her leave me more money. If she does I promise I'll take canned goods to the student council food drive next week. And forgive me of my sins. Amen"

A Recap

How deep the Father's love for us, How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His chosen Son, to make a wretch His treasure.

Our sermon series the past four weeks has been, "Judgment Call," by Andy Stanley and I have learned several things lately about what the Bible actually says regarding judging others and being judged by others. As Christians, we go either one of two ways: we tend to think, "I can't judge because I'm a Christian," or we feel that we are the ultimate judges because we are Christians.

In Andy's first talk, he addressed the fact that as Christians, when we see something another person is doing that bothers us, we are to first look in the mirror and assess what it is that God is trying to address in our own lives. After that, we may be in a position to judge another, but only another believer. It is really unfair to try and judge a secular person by a standard that they do not subscribe to. Without addressing my own sin first, I have no leverage to help address the sins of others. He also talked about how when we sincerely have our hearts broken over something a friend is involved in, that is when it is time to approach others and confront them.

I think about this often. It seems that I am perpetually juggling the ball labeled "other people's problems" and I'll be honest, it stresses me out a great deal at times. How can my heart be breaking over so many people at once, and yet I'm supposed to balance my job, my friends, my family, and my many other responsibilities? This is still somewhat of a mystery to me.

Andy concluded the series by talking about awkward situations, those talks that nobody really wants to have, but those which are necessary for growth and ultimately, restoration. He also addressed our response to being the one who is having judgment passed on you unfairly. In that position, my responsibility is to forgive the person who has misjudged me and pray for them. Andy says that we either give our enemies power or we forgive them.

I thought of this from a psychological standpoint, and it really makes a lot of sense. When we begin to believe the lies that people speak into our lives, whether or not we admit it, we actually are giving power over to those people. For example, if someone has been told all their life that they are dumb, eventually they may begin to believe that they are. That person then, has in essence, given power to all those who have called her dumb by allowing them to create who she is. This strategy is something that we work to rewire in my school often. We try to uncreate the wrong messages parents have sent their children while we can still intervene. It's hard work! But how much more does God desire to restore our hearts from past judgments? Far more! He is so amazing and so forgiving. And that is what we must work toward...realizing that sometimes judging at the right moment is a loving thing to do and at other times, receiving judgment is necessary. And we must recognize that God wants us to forgive those in our past who have misjudged us and move on. Easier said than done for sure!