I want to write something, but I'm in a slump and can't think of anything. So I went back and found a note I wrote a little over a year ago:
It's almost the end of the school year! It's crazy thinking about it. I can't believe tomorrow's my last TAKS test ever!! Taking those things since 4th grade makes me want to scream. But, hey, it's life. Speaking of life. I'm in for an amazing ride. Ya'll don't have to agree or disagree. These are the facts and opinions I'm facing. Writing by hand is killing me due to AP Lang, ACT, and SAT, so typing it is:
God's doing something. I don't know what, but He is. I've had this constant remind of death lately. I don't know why, but I am. It's a scary thought. I want eternal life with God, but it's just weird knowing all this is temporary and people overly abuse what they have. People get so caught up in their lives and their drama. It's sickening. We're supposed to make this world a better place; we just make it worse. None of the 'go green' projects really make an impact (they may a little but not a lot). Water is in a constant cycle! It will never diminish. What IS diminishing is the faith of this world.
Today after the science TAKS I heard constant debate over religion. It's starting to get peevish. It's the same people, the same subject, and the same arguments. Now, don't get me wrong. I love the fact that these people have a passion for their faith, as we all should, but arguing the same thing over and over again gets us no where. I have the wonderful opportunity to travel to Ethiopia this summer. Boy, am I ever so stoked! We've been advised to stray from arguments (political and religious) and anything that doesn't show the true nature of Jesus Christ. We can't further God's kingdom by forcing our beliefs on someone. We have to show love, accept people for who they are, and KINDLY tell them about Jesus and what He has done for us. He died out of love.
But, this "love" has become a misconstrued concept in today's society. I myself have used it out of the context God intended it for. However, I'm now seeing it in a different light. Without love, no one can truly be accepted. Without love, Jesus is never seen. Without love, we can't survive. As Christians we are failing to show the love that Christ gave us. People see us as judgmental-Gandhi would have become a Christian had it not been for the Christians (think about that). I'm no saint, but there are people out there who are two faced and pain me. I want to cry every time I see them. No one's anywhere near perfection, but we need to strive for it.
I've watched "born again" Christians almost every day of my life do things that shock me beyond belief- or at least hear them talk of what they've done. I still love them, but it hurts to know that they're okay with what they've done. They don't care; they don't regret it; they don't even notice. It makes me doubt myself sometimes. Is Christianity the right thing? Is there something I'm missing?
I know God is going to use our generation some way and some how. We need to be ready for it. Who knows when the second coming is. It could be today; it could be next week; it could be in ten years. Yes, I shouldn't worry, but I do. Truth is, I'm scared. I don't want to mess up and find myself somewhere I don't want to be. I've got to have faith and trust in the unseen. We all do. I don't fully understand what God's trying to press upon my heart. However, I do know that He wants to use me in a big way, whether it be at school, downtown, or overseas. I want to follow His will and His alone. Not mine. Not yours. His and His alone.
"All of us are sinners. True Christians are repentant sinners. And God’s grace is mighty to save us and change us – every one of us and every part of us." (Definitely something I need to be reminded of each and every day.)
In Christ,
Tori
Monday, May 9, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Jars of Clay
This Friday is a big day for everyone. It marks the day our Lord Jesus Christ took all our sins upon himself 2000 years ago. He died for us! He became beaten and broken for us. Us lowly sinners, people who do no deserve what he did for us. As true as that all is, Friday marks something else for me.
Heart surgery.
No, it isn't open heart. It's a standard procedure that anyone with supraventricular tachycardia can get instead of having to take medicine the rest of their life. My doctor will place probes through my legs into my heart in order to get a better picture of where my extra pacemaker cells are and burn a small portion of them. For me, this is going to be my saving grace; I forget to take medicine when it's prescribed for long periods of time.
I've had SVT for a while, but it hasn't bothered me until now. My senior year, the year everything should be perfect; however, it's put me through a roller coaster ride. But it's been worth it. I've been able to meet some incredible doctors, realize I'm not who I thought I was, and rely on God a lot more. Being someone who wants to go into the medical field, it's hard for me to learn that I have a health condition. Sure, SVT isn't the deadliest thing out there to have, but to me, a 17 year old senior about to head out to college, it's pretty scary. I want to be the person helping other people out of their issues, not vice versa. I don't want to have my parents feel like something may happen at any possible second. And I definitely don't want to be kept from doing something I love because of a medical problem.
I've had to accept the fact that it's okay to have another medical issue on top of everything else being thrown at me this year; it's nothing to be ashamed of. God created me just the way he intended to, and I can't change that. He does things to make us grow. We are the clay, and he is the potter:
God has made us to where we have to learn to get through life. We can't just breeze through it and end up standing in Heaven without a few trials and errors on our behalves. We have to be broken, shattered if you will, to pieces and be put back together again. We have to be at our most vulnerable point and realize that without him, we can't be whole. He is the only one who can put us back together again by placing us in the kiln. We have to go through fire in order to be where God wants us. Remember, God hasn't made any mistakes; he just wants to tweak his designs a little.
I hope ya'll have a great Easter holiday. Don't forget: It's not all about the chocolate bunnies, marshmallow peeps, and dyed eggs. It's about God, his love for us, and his willingness to send his son to die.
Feliz Semana Santa,
Tori
Heart surgery.
No, it isn't open heart. It's a standard procedure that anyone with supraventricular tachycardia can get instead of having to take medicine the rest of their life. My doctor will place probes through my legs into my heart in order to get a better picture of where my extra pacemaker cells are and burn a small portion of them. For me, this is going to be my saving grace; I forget to take medicine when it's prescribed for long periods of time.
I've had SVT for a while, but it hasn't bothered me until now. My senior year, the year everything should be perfect; however, it's put me through a roller coaster ride. But it's been worth it. I've been able to meet some incredible doctors, realize I'm not who I thought I was, and rely on God a lot more. Being someone who wants to go into the medical field, it's hard for me to learn that I have a health condition. Sure, SVT isn't the deadliest thing out there to have, but to me, a 17 year old senior about to head out to college, it's pretty scary. I want to be the person helping other people out of their issues, not vice versa. I don't want to have my parents feel like something may happen at any possible second. And I definitely don't want to be kept from doing something I love because of a medical problem.
I've had to accept the fact that it's okay to have another medical issue on top of everything else being thrown at me this year; it's nothing to be ashamed of. God created me just the way he intended to, and I can't change that. He does things to make us grow. We are the clay, and he is the potter:
God has made us to where we have to learn to get through life. We can't just breeze through it and end up standing in Heaven without a few trials and errors on our behalves. We have to be broken, shattered if you will, to pieces and be put back together again. We have to be at our most vulnerable point and realize that without him, we can't be whole. He is the only one who can put us back together again by placing us in the kiln. We have to go through fire in order to be where God wants us. Remember, God hasn't made any mistakes; he just wants to tweak his designs a little.
Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
-Isaiah 64:8
I hope ya'll have a great Easter holiday. Don't forget: It's not all about the chocolate bunnies, marshmallow peeps, and dyed eggs. It's about God, his love for us, and his willingness to send his son to die.
Feliz Semana Santa,
Tori
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
It never runs out on me.
I was a lost boy, and Wendy was taking us (all twelve of us) to London. We were leaving Neverland forever so we could grow up and be real Englishmen. We all climbed cheerily out of our underground hide-out and up through the tree-trunk that served as our doorway. I was the fourth or so to emerge, but, as I did, I saw Captain Hook hiding in wait, and, terrified, I bolted down the steps. As I did, I went down too quickly and my foot missed the step. I landed with all of my force just past the thick, pulled-back red curtains.
Yes, I was in a theatrical production of one of my all-time favorite stories, Peter Pan, and just before the end of Act II, I fell off a a prop piece. I would find out later that night that I had broken my foot. Five days later, I would go to the doctor and learn that it was a clean fracture that would heal quickly without a cast. But as for those five days? Those were the five longest days of my life.
It wasn't just breaking my foot. That was just the tip of the iceberg. My relationships with people were in a dangerous place, and I was beginning to lose my faith in humanity. I am not going to lie or make this pretty either--this happened at the end of January and I'm still struggling with trusting people now at the end of March. But the most beautiful thing we can do in our adolescence is lose faith in people. By doing that, we can begin to trust God within people. And I don't just mean Christians when I say that. C.S. Lewis, in his spiritual magnum-opus (I can get away with calling it that, right?), Mere Christianity, presents his idea of a universal moral code present inside all of us, guiding us to do the right thing. I wonder now who put that within us?
We have to stop trusting people, and instead look for God in people. But I digress, that isn't what I'm dedicating this post to. My greatest problem was that I had spent so much time looking to people, trusting people, having faith in people that honestly, I wasn't looking to God's love. And as I laid in my bed, my fractured foot elevated on a pillow, I cried out to Him quietly. I was at one of the lowest points of my life, and I needed to know He was still there for me.
That week, and the weeks that followed, and to this very day, God has been doing something incredible. As I lay there immobile, I gradually began to sense it stronger and stronger. It was God's love, and He was explaining to me in His eloquent and quiet way, straight to my heart, the power and intensity of His love. I was finally beginning to understand in a deeper way what it meant to be truly loved.
Weeks later, after many things were sorted out, I bought Jesus Culture's newest record, Come Away. There is a song on it called "One Thing Remains", and the first time I listened to the lyrics, really listened to them, I knew it was everything that God had been saying to me. "Your love never fails//Never gives up//Never runs out on me."
My love has failed others, and their love has failed me, but I realized this year what unfailing love looks like. It doesn't matter what we do, what we look like, where we have come from. It doesn't matter who likes us, who takes care of us, who comes to greet us, who leaves us forever. There is no circumstance that could ever cause God's love to fail you. God does not look down at someone who mistreats you and say, "Maybe they're right. Maybe there is something unworthy about my child. Maybe I should not love them quite so much." God's love does not give out on you. You cannot exhaust Him. His love will never run out.
God's love is infinite. There is not a point of time or area in your life where it begins to wear thin. "It goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on."
He loves you, and He's never letting His love for you go. :)
And because He loves us, we can love others fearlessly. We can trust. It isn't that we're trusting sin, or the demonic problems people are facing, we're trusting that as we obey and follow the Law of Love, God is going to protect us and guide us. He is leading us in the way we need to go. Because He has put His love in our hearts, we are called to love others with that same love. God is teaching us to love, and because we've come in contact with the God-kind of love, we are obligated to go out and express, share it, teach it. We need to let others know what it looks like and why we've chosen to love--and why we are able to love.
Be unafraid. One thing will remain after all things pass away. It is stronger than the power of the grave. It overcame the grave. And if you have accepted Christ, then that power, that precious love of God, dwells in you. And His love will never run out for you.
He will not give up on you.
In Him,
-Hannah
Yes, I was in a theatrical production of one of my all-time favorite stories, Peter Pan, and just before the end of Act II, I fell off a a prop piece. I would find out later that night that I had broken my foot. Five days later, I would go to the doctor and learn that it was a clean fracture that would heal quickly without a cast. But as for those five days? Those were the five longest days of my life.
It wasn't just breaking my foot. That was just the tip of the iceberg. My relationships with people were in a dangerous place, and I was beginning to lose my faith in humanity. I am not going to lie or make this pretty either--this happened at the end of January and I'm still struggling with trusting people now at the end of March. But the most beautiful thing we can do in our adolescence is lose faith in people. By doing that, we can begin to trust God within people. And I don't just mean Christians when I say that. C.S. Lewis, in his spiritual magnum-opus (I can get away with calling it that, right?), Mere Christianity, presents his idea of a universal moral code present inside all of us, guiding us to do the right thing. I wonder now who put that within us?
We have to stop trusting people, and instead look for God in people. But I digress, that isn't what I'm dedicating this post to. My greatest problem was that I had spent so much time looking to people, trusting people, having faith in people that honestly, I wasn't looking to God's love. And as I laid in my bed, my fractured foot elevated on a pillow, I cried out to Him quietly. I was at one of the lowest points of my life, and I needed to know He was still there for me.
That week, and the weeks that followed, and to this very day, God has been doing something incredible. As I lay there immobile, I gradually began to sense it stronger and stronger. It was God's love, and He was explaining to me in His eloquent and quiet way, straight to my heart, the power and intensity of His love. I was finally beginning to understand in a deeper way what it meant to be truly loved.
Weeks later, after many things were sorted out, I bought Jesus Culture's newest record, Come Away. There is a song on it called "One Thing Remains", and the first time I listened to the lyrics, really listened to them, I knew it was everything that God had been saying to me. "Your love never fails//Never gives up//Never runs out on me."
My love has failed others, and their love has failed me, but I realized this year what unfailing love looks like. It doesn't matter what we do, what we look like, where we have come from. It doesn't matter who likes us, who takes care of us, who comes to greet us, who leaves us forever. There is no circumstance that could ever cause God's love to fail you. God does not look down at someone who mistreats you and say, "Maybe they're right. Maybe there is something unworthy about my child. Maybe I should not love them quite so much." God's love does not give out on you. You cannot exhaust Him. His love will never run out.
God's love is infinite. There is not a point of time or area in your life where it begins to wear thin. "It goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on."
He loves you, and He's never letting His love for you go. :)
And because He loves us, we can love others fearlessly. We can trust. It isn't that we're trusting sin, or the demonic problems people are facing, we're trusting that as we obey and follow the Law of Love, God is going to protect us and guide us. He is leading us in the way we need to go. Because He has put His love in our hearts, we are called to love others with that same love. God is teaching us to love, and because we've come in contact with the God-kind of love, we are obligated to go out and express, share it, teach it. We need to let others know what it looks like and why we've chosen to love--and why we are able to love.
Be unafraid. One thing will remain after all things pass away. It is stronger than the power of the grave. It overcame the grave. And if you have accepted Christ, then that power, that precious love of God, dwells in you. And His love will never run out for you.
He will not give up on you.
In Him,
-Hannah
Sunday, March 20, 2011
"Why do I worry? Why do I freak out? God knows what I need." jf
This is short, sweet, and concise; it's been on my mind for a while now, but I can't ever think of how to properly word it:
Today is the last day of spring break. Tomorrow everything goes back to 'normal.' Tomorrow everything starts going downhill toward graduation. And I'm having terrible bittersweet emotions about it all: I'm ready to get out into the world. I'm ready to learn how to be an occupational therapist. I'm ready to be the missionary God wants me to be. But, I'm not ready for change. I'm not ready to leave everything I know again. I'm not ready to grow up and be an adult. I have my doubts, I have my worries, and I have my concerns. However, Jesus tells us not to worry. "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life" (Luke 12:25)?
Sure, we need to be concerned about how we live out lives, especially for Jesus. But, we don't need to worry about the little things in life. We need to head through each day with out best foot forward and give everything our best shot. We have to live life in the present moments and not look back to the past or look to far in advance. This is all hard to remember--trust me.
We have to put our trust in God that He'll take us through each and every day, that He'll be there for us every step of the way, that He'll continually give us direction even if we don't see it. "Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them" (Luke 12:24). There's no need to worry. No need to fear.
As you may have figured out, I look visual representations for 'lessons' or points:
Jon Foreman's "Your Love is Strong"-
JJ Heller's "All I Need"-
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
In Christ,
Tori
Today is the last day of spring break. Tomorrow everything goes back to 'normal.' Tomorrow everything starts going downhill toward graduation. And I'm having terrible bittersweet emotions about it all: I'm ready to get out into the world. I'm ready to learn how to be an occupational therapist. I'm ready to be the missionary God wants me to be. But, I'm not ready for change. I'm not ready to leave everything I know again. I'm not ready to grow up and be an adult. I have my doubts, I have my worries, and I have my concerns. However, Jesus tells us not to worry. "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life" (Luke 12:25)?
Sure, we need to be concerned about how we live out lives, especially for Jesus. But, we don't need to worry about the little things in life. We need to head through each day with out best foot forward and give everything our best shot. We have to live life in the present moments and not look back to the past or look to far in advance. This is all hard to remember--trust me.
We have to put our trust in God that He'll take us through each and every day, that He'll be there for us every step of the way, that He'll continually give us direction even if we don't see it. "Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them" (Luke 12:24). There's no need to worry. No need to fear.
As you may have figured out, I look visual representations for 'lessons' or points:
Jon Foreman's "Your Love is Strong"-
JJ Heller's "All I Need"-
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
In Christ,
Tori
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The Numbers
When times like these arrive, no matter where we are, we need to know how to respond. This year has proved to be world changing already. The revolutions in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia rising up and with the natural disasters in New Zealand and in Japan have made their mark on history and we're only in the middle of it. On Friday a tsunami struck Japan with devastating force and I've felt a need to write about it. If you have not heard or want to know more please go check out some media, they're more than willing to help.These days we hear a lot about a lot of big numbers and we grow numb to the volume of devastation. According to the internet the death toll in Japan is 2,734 people and at least 3,743 more are missing. In addition to this, there are high fears of nuclear dangers that will have lasting affects on the nation. I don't know what more to say really, I feel like all this speaks for its self. It's awful, absolutely awful. Thousands of homes have been washed away, neighborhoods just gone. Here's something I want you to see though: some before and after satellite shots.
How do we respond to this? What do we who have no connection do? Honestly, prayer is powerful. As strange as it feels to us at times, God loves to see people praying in faith. I want to encourage you to pray for the people in Japan, the ones missing and the people who are mourning, the people who are left to take care of families and the people searching.
If you feel like it or feel called, Samaritan's Purse is a ministry who was quickly at work in relief of the disaster. Friday they are sending a load of aid to help and a donation of any size would be very helpful.
In the wake of these disasters and wars I can't help from feeling great hope and assurance of something. While He was on earth Jesus spoke of when He would come back and this is what He said:
"...nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places
there will be famines and earthquakes..." (Matt 24:7)
I suggest you read that whole chapter.So please keep all these things in your prays, these are desperate times.
Come, Lord Jesus, come!
Michael
Monday, February 28, 2011
True Love
The other day I found the following printout on the computer desk. I don't know who printed it or where it came from, but it made me smile--and tear. I guess I should point out that this is directly toward you female readers...but, guys, God has an unending love for you as well; you're just as much a part of Christ's bride as any one else.
How can a woman not love the Lord?
I encourage you to print out the list and place it somewhere you'll accidentally come across it, i.e. a journal, the crevices of your junk drawer, or between the pages of your Bible. I know I find encouragement notes in the most bizarre places, but they're always the perfect thing for the moment. So maybe you'll do the same.
I know Valentine's day has come and gone, but we should never cease to show love-agape, storge, etc.- to others around us. And in the times you don't feel appreciated, remember God is always there for you.
"God is love."
-Tori
How can a woman not love the Lord?
- He is a gentleman
- He is confident
- He is a provider and protector
- He is rich and powerful
- He owns everything, there is nothing He wouldn't do for me
- He perfects all things concerning me
- He anticipates my wants and needs
- Every day He tells me and shows me how much He loves me
- I don't have to perform in order to earn his love
- He keeps all his promises
- No one can influence his opinion of me
- He is the ultimate intimate partner
- He can't "disown" me because I am part of him
- He prepares a table for me
- He covers me and doesn't expose me
- He wrote his loving words down so that I'll never forget how He feels about me
I encourage you to print out the list and place it somewhere you'll accidentally come across it, i.e. a journal, the crevices of your junk drawer, or between the pages of your Bible. I know I find encouragement notes in the most bizarre places, but they're always the perfect thing for the moment. So maybe you'll do the same.
I know Valentine's day has come and gone, but we should never cease to show love-agape, storge, etc.- to others around us. And in the times you don't feel appreciated, remember God is always there for you.
"God is love."
-Tori
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Something's Got to Change
My friend posted this on FaceBook the other day. I'm going to let the video speak for itself.
-Tori
-Tori
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!
I read a story recently that excited me greatly. It was full of hope, courage, controversy, good vs. evil, destruction of social norms, the underdog and an epic victory. This is prime Hollywood material right here, folks! This is a story of an oppressed nation and there is little hope of ever being the great nation they had been before. This is the story of the a boy becoming a warrior and leading the people to great victory!
Does this sound familiar? I know if that above was told to me I would name quite a few stories before getting the right one.
I highly encourage you to go read Judges 6-8, it's some classic lit, let me tell you. (Don't forget to get a copy of my si-fi version when I finish it because it'll be a hit too.) When I read the story of Gideon recently I was struck by how cool the whole thing was. A man referred to as the Angel of God comes and visits this young man and tells him: "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!" (Judges 6:12) This is a farm boy, working hard in the field to hide the grain before their enemies steal it, and this random guy says the God that let them fall into the hands of their enemy is with him? He was confused, doubtful and had plenty of questions to ask. After their conversation Gideon was given a sign and he realized it was God he had been talking to and built an alter. Later he gets sneaky and goes at night and destroys the alter to the false god and chopped down the neighboring goddess statue and uses her as firewood for God's alter. Isn't that awesome?! I still think you should go read all this yourself.
Here's the part we all know, Gideon rounds up the people if Israel against the Midianite (who's number is greater than the sands of the sea) and after God thins the lines of men to a group of three hundred men, Gideon defeats the Midianite hordes and chases them out of the land and chops off the kings' heads. (For real, you need to read this.) But how? Well like the angel said: the Lord was with them. Gideon heeded the Lord and acted in faith. The likelihood of winning a battle is so slim when it's three-hundred against we-haven't-invented-the-number-yet but when God is on your side you can't help but win.
Here's the super cool part, when all was said and done the people told Gideon to be their ruler and for all his kids to be too and this is what he said. “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.”
I guess the point I mean to convey is this: God's hands and feet are His faithful. You read in Joshua, Esther, Acts and everywhere that where there are faithful believes there is God in action. In the gospels Jesus is always moved with compassion at the sight of faith. It doesn't take a great person for God to use them, it takes faith. God doesn't need us but He loves to use us and He uses the weak to show the world just how strong He is.
Christ, our Savior, once said: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
For His glory,
Michael
Does this sound familiar? I know if that above was told to me I would name quite a few stories before getting the right one.
I highly encourage you to go read Judges 6-8, it's some classic lit, let me tell you. (Don't forget to get a copy of my si-fi version when I finish it because it'll be a hit too.) When I read the story of Gideon recently I was struck by how cool the whole thing was. A man referred to as the Angel of God comes and visits this young man and tells him: "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!" (Judges 6:12) This is a farm boy, working hard in the field to hide the grain before their enemies steal it, and this random guy says the God that let them fall into the hands of their enemy is with him? He was confused, doubtful and had plenty of questions to ask. After their conversation Gideon was given a sign and he realized it was God he had been talking to and built an alter. Later he gets sneaky and goes at night and destroys the alter to the false god and chopped down the neighboring goddess statue and uses her as firewood for God's alter. Isn't that awesome?! I still think you should go read all this yourself.
Here's the part we all know, Gideon rounds up the people if Israel against the Midianite (who's number is greater than the sands of the sea) and after God thins the lines of men to a group of three hundred men, Gideon defeats the Midianite hordes and chases them out of the land and chops off the kings' heads. (For real, you need to read this.) But how? Well like the angel said: the Lord was with them. Gideon heeded the Lord and acted in faith. The likelihood of winning a battle is so slim when it's three-hundred against we-haven't-invented-the-number-yet but when God is on your side you can't help but win.
Here's the super cool part, when all was said and done the people told Gideon to be their ruler and for all his kids to be too and this is what he said. “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.”
I guess the point I mean to convey is this: God's hands and feet are His faithful. You read in Joshua, Esther, Acts and everywhere that where there are faithful believes there is God in action. In the gospels Jesus is always moved with compassion at the sight of faith. It doesn't take a great person for God to use them, it takes faith. God doesn't need us but He loves to use us and He uses the weak to show the world just how strong He is.
Christ, our Savior, once said: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
For His glory,
Michael
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
He is on our side
American Idol's tenth season started last week. When I lived overseas, my family and I would watch it together in order to have some know of what was going on in the music realm. Each episode has its ups and downs, the amazing and the not-so-amazing. However, this season is different. They've changed around the judges and the way they present the auditions. Producers now added more meat to contestants by showing more of their personal lives and less of the auditions that make you want to cringe. And, well, today's episode had one of the hardest hitting stories they've ever shown.
Of course, the producers show snippets throughout the two hours in order to keep audiences interested, and they keep the story for the VERY last part possible. The man auditioning shows Jennifer, Steven, and Randy his girlfriend's engagement ring, and he proceeds to tell his story: He and his girlfriend have been dating for eight years; they've been engaged for two. The couple made plans to marry exactly two years-- to the date--after the engagement. But plans had to change. The fiance was in a tragic accident two months before they were to make their vows. She is now paralyzed and unable to speak. He has never left her side; he and her mom work together to support her. "I could never leave when she needed me the most," says the contestant.
I don't think I've ever cried so much during an Idol episode. I could never know how much they have been through. It's hard to think how something so tragic could happen to such a beautiful couple, such a beautiful girl. It broke my heart to see her nod her head in approval as she learned her fiance was going to Hollywood; she had to move her entire torso to get her point across. I'm glad God is giving the couple as much strength as he is. Their story is the perfect example of how God loves and treats us.
He has NEVER left our side. He is ALWAYS there for us. Don't ever doubt his love and adoration for you. If it doesn't seem like he cares, he really does! Jeremiah 29:11 says: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.God's the only one true love we can ever have; he supports us through and through. He thinks you are the best there can be. God can always use you to further his kingdom and make his story known, for you are beautiful, intelligent, graceful, inspiring, no matter what happens.
Psalms 139:14
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
JJ Heller "Your Hands"
-Much Love,
Tori M.
Of course, the producers show snippets throughout the two hours in order to keep audiences interested, and they keep the story for the VERY last part possible. The man auditioning shows Jennifer, Steven, and Randy his girlfriend's engagement ring, and he proceeds to tell his story: He and his girlfriend have been dating for eight years; they've been engaged for two. The couple made plans to marry exactly two years-- to the date--after the engagement. But plans had to change. The fiance was in a tragic accident two months before they were to make their vows. She is now paralyzed and unable to speak. He has never left her side; he and her mom work together to support her. "I could never leave when she needed me the most," says the contestant.
I don't think I've ever cried so much during an Idol episode. I could never know how much they have been through. It's hard to think how something so tragic could happen to such a beautiful couple, such a beautiful girl. It broke my heart to see her nod her head in approval as she learned her fiance was going to Hollywood; she had to move her entire torso to get her point across. I'm glad God is giving the couple as much strength as he is. Their story is the perfect example of how God loves and treats us.
He has NEVER left our side. He is ALWAYS there for us. Don't ever doubt his love and adoration for you. If it doesn't seem like he cares, he really does! Jeremiah 29:11 says: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.God's the only one true love we can ever have; he supports us through and through. He thinks you are the best there can be. God can always use you to further his kingdom and make his story known, for you are beautiful, intelligent, graceful, inspiring, no matter what happens.
Psalms 139:14
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
JJ Heller "Your Hands"
-Much Love,
Tori M.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Love is here.
Do you know that God loves you? He is really crazy about us. Do you know how in love with us He is? Well, for starters, He CREATED us. He created YOU. He spent nine months making you just the way He wants you to look, and probably planned you long before that. He gave you a place to live. It's called Earth. All the trees, the animals, the food, the sky. God made it for us. And not just that, He gave us eyes with which to see the sky, ears with which to hear the birds, noses with which to smell the flowers, mouths with which to taste the apples, hands with which to work, and feet with which to run and dance.
You know that slimy thing inside your mouth that you need to be able to lick ice cream from a cone? It's called your tongue. God gave it to you so that you could speak and sing and relate to other people. God gave it to us. And the little white things that you have to brush twice a day so that they don't rot. They are the teeth that God gave to you so that you can chew meat that He has provided for you. I could go on forever about the things on our bodies that God has blessed us with. If you think about it, it's insane. God knew what you needed to live, and He provided you with the right body to do the things that He knew you would do.
So, He has given us bodies to live in and a place comfortable enough for us to live in. I once hears somewhere that if the Earth was a few meters closer or further away from the Sun, it would be either too hot or too cold for us to live on. Isn't that amazing? Out of all the planets that God created, he chose one to be at the exact position for our lives to be comfortable.
He gave us each other. He didn't just make one human and say "That's enough. One will be fine." No. Right now, there is over 6 billion on this planet. That's alot of people, alot of unique, individual people. Just stop and think about it. Out of the millions of people God has created over the course of human history, there is no one, NO ONE just like you. You are special. You are unique. You are original. But you aren't alone. God knows that we need other people. People to live with, to comfort us when we are down, to laugh with, to cry with, to share with. He has made a community for us.
He gave us feeling. Have you ever thought what the world would be like if there was no emotion in it? Life would be bland. God gave us love so that we could love Him. He gave us laughter and tears, grief and joy. He gave feeling so that we could live deeper lives, so we could feel His love for us, so that we could feel the joy in being with other people, the grief in the death of our grandparents, laughter to express happiness, and tears to express sorrow. And if you just think about love for a moment. He let us have an attraction to certain people. He lets us experience a little bit of what His relationship with us is when He gave us marriage. He is amazing.
He gave us commandments to live by. Not because He is strict or mean, but because He loves us. He gives us rules because He knows that if we follow them, it will be better for us and everyone around us. He told us "Do not lie" because He knows that if we all are honest, we can trust each other and rely on one another much better than if all of us are liars.
He gave us the ability to obey those commandments. But He loves us so much that He doesn't want us to be robots, doing just what they're meant to, without minds of their own. So, He gave us free will, the ability to choose whether to obey or disobey what He tells us to do. He lets us choose whether we want a relationship with Him or not. And even if we reject Him, He still loves us and pursues us.
He knew that we would all break His commandments and do whatever we wanted to do instead. And when He created commandments He created consequences for disobeying those commandments. [If you think about it, if God has not given us punishment for doing wrong, then His laws cease to be laws, just suggestions.] In early Hebrew history, when someone had sinned, that person had to sacrifice one of the best of his animals to make restitution for what he had done. God decided to have His Son become a human, a mere human, to lead us and to teach us and to love us.
You have probably heard this alot, but please dont go cliche on me. You already know that God loves us so much that He gave us His Son to die for us, so that we may have eternal life. Think about it. God loves us so much that He GAVE us His SON to DIE for US so that we could have ETERNAL LIFE. Think about someone in your life that you love more than anyone else. Now, pretend that you have authority over that person. You're giving up that person, you're letting that person suffer a brutal, painful death. That is what God did with Jesus. He let Jesus die on a cross so that we, His CREATIONS, could live a holy, pure, blameless life with Him forever. We matter that much to God. It's amazing how much He loves us. God loves us so much that He took all of our sin, ALL OF IT. The sin we have committed, are committing, and will commit in the future. He took all of it and put it on the head of Jesus, to make him pay for what we have done. It's like what Paul said in Colossians 1:13b-14 "He forgave all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with it's regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross."
God's love for us is SO extensive and SO great. We could probably write ten hundred books about the love of Christ and not cover everything. As humans, we probably cannot even comprehend how much God loves us. So, what should our response be to this? I think that if God loves us this much, if He let His son die so that He could have a relationship with us, He is really worth getting to know pretty well. I encourage you all to just spend more time in the Word and in prayer. Trust me, it's worth it.
Here is a music video by Tenth Avenue North that I really like:
In Christ,
-Daniel
You know that slimy thing inside your mouth that you need to be able to lick ice cream from a cone? It's called your tongue. God gave it to you so that you could speak and sing and relate to other people. God gave it to us. And the little white things that you have to brush twice a day so that they don't rot. They are the teeth that God gave to you so that you can chew meat that He has provided for you. I could go on forever about the things on our bodies that God has blessed us with. If you think about it, it's insane. God knew what you needed to live, and He provided you with the right body to do the things that He knew you would do.
So, He has given us bodies to live in and a place comfortable enough for us to live in. I once hears somewhere that if the Earth was a few meters closer or further away from the Sun, it would be either too hot or too cold for us to live on. Isn't that amazing? Out of all the planets that God created, he chose one to be at the exact position for our lives to be comfortable.
He gave us each other. He didn't just make one human and say "That's enough. One will be fine." No. Right now, there is over 6 billion on this planet. That's alot of people, alot of unique, individual people. Just stop and think about it. Out of the millions of people God has created over the course of human history, there is no one, NO ONE just like you. You are special. You are unique. You are original. But you aren't alone. God knows that we need other people. People to live with, to comfort us when we are down, to laugh with, to cry with, to share with. He has made a community for us.
He gave us feeling. Have you ever thought what the world would be like if there was no emotion in it? Life would be bland. God gave us love so that we could love Him. He gave us laughter and tears, grief and joy. He gave feeling so that we could live deeper lives, so we could feel His love for us, so that we could feel the joy in being with other people, the grief in the death of our grandparents, laughter to express happiness, and tears to express sorrow. And if you just think about love for a moment. He let us have an attraction to certain people. He lets us experience a little bit of what His relationship with us is when He gave us marriage. He is amazing.
He gave us commandments to live by. Not because He is strict or mean, but because He loves us. He gives us rules because He knows that if we follow them, it will be better for us and everyone around us. He told us "Do not lie" because He knows that if we all are honest, we can trust each other and rely on one another much better than if all of us are liars.
He gave us the ability to obey those commandments. But He loves us so much that He doesn't want us to be robots, doing just what they're meant to, without minds of their own. So, He gave us free will, the ability to choose whether to obey or disobey what He tells us to do. He lets us choose whether we want a relationship with Him or not. And even if we reject Him, He still loves us and pursues us.
He knew that we would all break His commandments and do whatever we wanted to do instead. And when He created commandments He created consequences for disobeying those commandments. [If you think about it, if God has not given us punishment for doing wrong, then His laws cease to be laws, just suggestions.] In early Hebrew history, when someone had sinned, that person had to sacrifice one of the best of his animals to make restitution for what he had done. God decided to have His Son become a human, a mere human, to lead us and to teach us and to love us.
You have probably heard this alot, but please dont go cliche on me. You already know that God loves us so much that He gave us His Son to die for us, so that we may have eternal life. Think about it. God loves us so much that He GAVE us His SON to DIE for US so that we could have ETERNAL LIFE. Think about someone in your life that you love more than anyone else. Now, pretend that you have authority over that person. You're giving up that person, you're letting that person suffer a brutal, painful death. That is what God did with Jesus. He let Jesus die on a cross so that we, His CREATIONS, could live a holy, pure, blameless life with Him forever. We matter that much to God. It's amazing how much He loves us. God loves us so much that He took all of our sin, ALL OF IT. The sin we have committed, are committing, and will commit in the future. He took all of it and put it on the head of Jesus, to make him pay for what we have done. It's like what Paul said in Colossians 1:13b-14 "He forgave all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with it's regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross."
God's love for us is SO extensive and SO great. We could probably write ten hundred books about the love of Christ and not cover everything. As humans, we probably cannot even comprehend how much God loves us. So, what should our response be to this? I think that if God loves us this much, if He let His son die so that He could have a relationship with us, He is really worth getting to know pretty well. I encourage you all to just spend more time in the Word and in prayer. Trust me, it's worth it.
Here is a music video by Tenth Avenue North that I really like:
In Christ,
-Daniel
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Sugar Rush
As many of you know, Ohio defeated Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl last Tuesday in New Orleans. (Arkansas could have had it if Ohio didn't intercept the ball, but we won't discuss play by plays here. That's what YouTube is for.) I was actually at the game. Yes, you read that right: I was there! My brother plays trumpet in our school's band, and they were invited to be a part of the pregame and halftime shows. It was a once in a lifetime experience I never want to forget.
Sitting on the field was definitely a little disgruntling. We could hardly see the game because the team stood right in front of us and we weren't allowed to stand for long periods of time. And it was difficult to watch the screens since they were high up and unclear. So I was forced to depend on the thousands of fans to help me know what was going on. Fact: The Superdome can hold almost 80,000 people!! 80,000!! That's a LOT of screaming fans. (For you European futbol fans, think World Cup vuvuzelas times 2.)
The whole weekend we were in NOLA fans swarmed the streets and sporadically yelled their respective school cheers (OH...IO! or Woo pig sooie!) It was really cool to see how passionate people were about the game. But, at the same time, it made me wonder: What if we as Christians had the same amount of passion about Christ as these fans have for their schools? Wouldn't it be amazing!?
Since I couldn't see the field well, I imagined the entire Superdome screaming and shouting for God's team; I was moved to tears. It was so surreal! If we can set time in our schedules to travel to a bowl game, can't we set time in their for God? Can't we go crazy for the Lord, too?
People often choose which university/college they will attend because of the football (American or European) team. They want the adrenaline rush of cheering at the top of their lungs until their voice is no longer in existence. They want the thrill of beating the other team. If we could spend just as much energy voicing our faith in Christ, the world would be a different place. So many more people would realize how exciting a relationship with Jesus really is. (I'm not saying it's easy, but it's definitely worth it.)
So instead of having a sugar rush, let's have a Jesus rush.
-Tori M.
Sitting on the field was definitely a little disgruntling. We could hardly see the game because the team stood right in front of us and we weren't allowed to stand for long periods of time. And it was difficult to watch the screens since they were high up and unclear. So I was forced to depend on the thousands of fans to help me know what was going on. Fact: The Superdome can hold almost 80,000 people!! 80,000!! That's a LOT of screaming fans. (For you European futbol fans, think World Cup vuvuzelas times 2.)
 | |
| Superdome before fans are allowed in. |
 |
| Superdome after fans are aloud in (pun intended). |
The whole weekend we were in NOLA fans swarmed the streets and sporadically yelled their respective school cheers (OH...IO! or Woo pig sooie!) It was really cool to see how passionate people were about the game. But, at the same time, it made me wonder: What if we as Christians had the same amount of passion about Christ as these fans have for their schools? Wouldn't it be amazing!?
Since I couldn't see the field well, I imagined the entire Superdome screaming and shouting for God's team; I was moved to tears. It was so surreal! If we can set time in our schedules to travel to a bowl game, can't we set time in their for God? Can't we go crazy for the Lord, too?
People often choose which university/college they will attend because of the football (American or European) team. They want the adrenaline rush of cheering at the top of their lungs until their voice is no longer in existence. They want the thrill of beating the other team. If we could spend just as much energy voicing our faith in Christ, the world would be a different place. So many more people would realize how exciting a relationship with Jesus really is. (I'm not saying it's easy, but it's definitely worth it.)
So instead of having a sugar rush, let's have a Jesus rush.
-Tori M.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Illuminate: To become lighted; glow.
Last week, I attended a youth retreat, which several youth groups participated in. The main theme was to illuminate. Illuminate: Verb
1. To become lighted; glow.
1. To become lighted; glow.
2. To provide intellectual or spiritual enlightenment and understanding
3. To be exposed to or revealed by radiation.
How are Christians expected to illuminate in a dark world? One thing that the speakers pointed out is that Christians have become so comfortable with the darkness, and the sin of this world. We watch TV shows that we secretly know we'd instantly turn off if Jesus was visibly in the room. We listen to music that glorifies things that do not glorify God in any shape, or form. By standing out of the norm, by denying our sinful desires that will wreck our relationship with God, we bring out a glow. That glow, which can be illuminated by others, can eventually be a fire on a hill. A light that cannot be put out.
I encourage you, as January 2011 rolls on, to consume more and more of God's word. No, I don't mean those two chapters you cram in just before you go to sleep, or get ready for school, but actually take time to understand it. Personally get to know God. Read 10 chapters a day, instead of just 3. It may seem like that's pushing it, but it's so worth it. Is watching your favourite TV show more important than knowing God? Do whatever it takes to spend quality time with him, so that your eyes will be opened, and your life will surely change.
Let your love for God illuminate your daily life. Don't let excuses, or bad habits, dictate your relationship with Him. Get a buddy, who can keep you accountable, or put up signs to stop you from doing things you're most vunerable with. Most importantly,
ILLLUMINATE!
Your Sister in Christ,
Olivia
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