across the earth (long post!)

A couple weeks ago, Ryan & I went to see Hillsong United in concert. Those aren't really the right words...really, we went to worship. A while back, I got a Hillsong CD which is actually different from Hillsong United, which is the youth-oriented worship band from the church of the same name. Confused yet? haha. The best part is that even as confusing as it may be, it makes me want to move to Australia so bad. The point is that these are really great worship songs and have gotten me through some times - good & bad. It's amazing to me how one church can have such a worldwide influence over how the Church worships. But then I guess that's just God! He does big things.

It's hard to describe what a blessing the night was, but I'll try. I bought the tickets a long time ago, and so they were pretty good, right near the front, and supposedly seats. But when we got there, Hillsong United had asked to have all the pit seats taken out, so we were standing the whole time. And we were so close!


We got there with just enough time to spare, and then worship started...


Brooke Fraser! She's from NZ originally, so you know, she's a kiwi! I love her voice, it's something else.


Here are some of the best pics that Ryan took throughout the night...






The blessing of those hours...just the sweet fellowship with other believers, thousands of us brought together for one purpose: worship. To gather at God's feet and adore Him, tell Him how worthy He is, reflect on how much we need Him, how much we owe Him, how much He's done for us. Like a very small taste of what heaven might be like, when we are all together praising the Lord all the time! We were truly in the presence of the Lord that night. Which is why it's so hard to put it into human words.

Here are some videos that Ryan took too:
Mighty to Save

All I Need Is You - audio only

Salvation is Here - I have claimed this song through so many things - esp the marathon :)

From the Inside Out

town hall for hope

I have not ever taken any of Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace classes, though I know many who have and have heard what a difference it makes. Anyway, tonight, Dave Ramsey is holding a Town Hall for Hope...basically he is broadcasting to churches all over the nation and taking questions by phone, email, twitter, facebook etc. I think this is a great event for anyone who has questions about these uncertain economic times and wants to hear a message of hope rather than discouragement.

Check it out: Town Hall for Hope

O Holy Night

Merry Christmas!

I hope you are all having a wonderful day with family, and most of all that you would remember why we celebrate this day: God's Son coming to earth to save us from our sins...amazing!

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.


And I'll leave you with the first verse of my favorite Christmas hymn:

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

a woman's heart

Back in August, I started A Woman's Heart at my church. It ended about a month ago, and I had a little tear in my eye by the end. You know when something is so good, you just don't want it to end? I loved every minute of it. It went far too quickly! I strongly recommend the study to any woman, or man for that matter. I have a much deeper understanding of the Tabernacle and I am looking expectantly toward heaven - I can't wait to see what the Tabernacle could only echo down here on earth. We ended by partnering up and praying over each other, and then we said goodbye. I can't wait for January and a new study!

thanksgiving reflections

Happy Thanksgiving!

The half marathon was good - the last half was really hard! 4 hills :( But downhill to the finish so that was nice :) My #1 fan Ryan and a coworker from Turner came to cheer me on. Of course, I'll have more details & pictures later...some time. So behind.

But today I just wanted to reflect on all the things I am thankful. As I ran today, I kept singing  an old summer camp song in my head...

I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart

I will enter His courts with praise

I will say this is the day that the Lord has made

I will rejoice for He has made me glad!

He has made me glad! He has made me glad!

I will rejoice for He has made me glad!

And of course that song brings me to Psalm 100, which I read this AM before the race. My favorite phrase is "Know that the Lord, He is God." If there is one thing I am most thankful for this year, it is the way that God has continually revealed Himself to me and helped me to know Him more deeply each day.

And I think of the things I love and write about each day, running, this country, food, my relationship with God. 

I am so thankful that I can even run - I have 2 legs that work and amazingly can run for multiple miles at a time. I've ran this past year pretty much injury free. I've had an amazing supporter in Ryan, without whom I would not be at this point. And I've had some amazing friends & family, who came to what races they could and supported me emotionally through each one. I've been able to run some pretty cool courses and met some great people. Running has stretched me mentally and challenged me physically, and it has been quite a blessing, even on the days I've dreaded it.

I am so thankful for this country. Our freedoms that I take for granted each day. I was reminded today of the sacrifices our fellow countrymen make when a group of Marines ran past me in perfect lines, singing "left right left right" and carrying the American flag, tall & proud. I think of my aunt who served so many years in the Air Force and continues to work to keep our country safe. I love these men & women, the sacrifices they have made for me. I love this country and the values that we stand for. God bless America!

I am so thankful that not a day has gone by that I didn't have food to eat! And that I've gotten to try a lot of new foods and learned how to cook (and save money). I take this for granted every day, I don't even think about how blessed I am when there are so many people around the world who are starving or lack sufficient food.

And as I said before, I am so glad that I've grown a little more this year in my relationship with God. He's really taught me daily discipline in spending time with Him. I've also learned a lot more trust in Him in the area of money and finances, especially in these uncertain times. It's been so liberating! And I've been able to get more involved with my church and grown in a Bible study there and in service opportunities in the community & world. For these things I give the most thanks, and give Him all the glory!

So happy Thanksgiving y'all! Hope you ate a lot of turkey today :)

sunday morning

So, I am sitting in Goldberg's with my dad on Sunday morning (great bagels, by the way - try the sourdough! mmm), and I look up at the TV, which is on CNN. Before the break, the tease is about finances and they say, you might have all the answers in a book you already have. Ohhh interesting right? Then lo & behold, they come back from break, and I see my pastor...and then, hey that looks like the sanctuary...well wouldn't you know, CNN's Betty Nguyen interviewed my pastor about money matters. He had a lot of good stuff to say:

link of the day: Sukkot

Today is Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, the last and most joyous feast of the Jewish calendar. Mart DeHaan talks about this day on his blog here. It is a great read, as it is not only about Sukkot but also an overview of all the Jewish feasts.

I like this link so much, because I got to the end and said "yes!" in my heart. I feel the same way Mart feels about the feasts & Jewish history/culture. Just so cool!

"I find the story of the Holidays of God as compelling as it is provocative. What a picture of provision, of history, of the work of the Messiah. Seven holidays. Seven reasons to stop, to think, and to remember that everything we have comes from God...

...Seven reasons to deepen our confidence in a Provider God, to take us back to our spiritual roots, and to prepare us for days which will come to pass."

yom kippur

For the Jews, today is Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. I talked to one of my Jewish friends today who went to temple to observe the day, and I didn't really get much info on it. So if you are Jewish or have been to Yom Kippur services, I would love to hear about it. What is it like? What do you do to observe this day that was instituted by God so very long ago? My friend told me most Jews just fast today, go to a service/hear a sermon of sorts, and then after sundown, have a big feast. Is this the normal observation of the day everywhere? Since the day started as a day of animal sacrifices, prayer & fasting...how has it changed & what do practicing Jews do?

I am fascinated by Jewish culture. I think the Jews are so cool! I know that sounds funny. But seriously...how much cooler can you be than God's chosen people? I have a book called Harvest Festivals by Hugh Downie that outlines all their feasts and calendar...it is absolutely fascinating! I spent an hour or so last night just poring over his book, and Leviticus, and William MacDonald's commentary, and my A Woman's Heart workbook. I couldn't stop reading. It's amazing how it all comes together!

How perfect God's plan is in detail and time, how perfectly He orchestrates the past to shadow the future. How much He loves His chosen people. Amazing stuff.

So the Day of Atonement as it was first instituted was the one day of the year that the high priest could enter the Holiest of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant and God's mercy seat were located. He did so to make atonement for the sins of the year for the children of Israel.

From Downie:
"The great lessons of this day were the heinousness of sin and the holiness of God. It would appear that the high priest entered into the Holiest of All three times on that memorable day: with the incense (Lev 16:13); with the blood of the bullock for his own sins (Lev. 16:11, 14); and with the blood of the first goat, the sin offering for the people (v. 15)."

What I really love is the picture of the two goats. Two goats were brought to the tabernacle this day, but only one died. The goat that died had its blood sprinkled over the mercy seat, God's throne, to atone the people's sins. Then the high priest layed his hand on the scapegoat, confessed the people's sins over it, and released it into the wilderness.

Why two goats? Again from Downie:
"The reason was that one goat alone was not sufficient to represent the mystery to be revealed. Christ both died and rose again, but the same sacrifice could not die and live again without a miracle.

Christ was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification (Rom 4:25). It takes both the death and resurrection of Christ to meet the claims of God and the necessities of the sinner.

In the slain goat, we have the atoning power of the blood; in the scapegoat we are to see our sins put away forever. Nothing could more graphically set forth the full and free forgiveness of sin than the sending away of the scapegoat into the wilderness to a land not inhabited."

So beautiful...the atoning work of Christ. Once and done forever. No more sacrifice needed.

fear to peace

I just had a weird moment...I'm sitting here and I look over at CNN and there they are analyzing a piece of paper that looks oh so very familiar. My 401k statement. Not mine specifically. Maybe the news anchor's? I don't know. But it was like a "uhoh - gulp" moment. Oh, there they are on the national news talking about retirement accounts...oh, there's the form I get every quarter. Yeah, it looks exactly like that. Oh yeah, I've lost about as much money as that. Oh gosh.

But then I have to remember...everything on this earth, it won't last. I've been worried, scared, unsure of what to do. Especially yesterday when the market was down 700+ points.

But this morning, in a quiet time of prayer, God changed my heart, and I felt peace. I think I've been as smart as I could be with where I've invested money. There's not much more I can really do but wait it out. And all that I have, possessions, money, everything, it doesn't belong to me. I trust Someone else with it all. So no worries. I'll just take it a day at a time, trusting one day at a time. It will be a growing, stretching experience...which is a blessing. And what if I did lose it all? I have something so much greater to look forward to!

And anyway...just now things are looking up!

Bet you never thought you'd see the tags "economy" "spirituality" and "stock market" all in one post!

a new church plant!

So has anyone heard this? I guess it's kind of old news, but I've been out of the Northpoint/Passion loop since graduating (although the beach trip was fun & random). Today I'm roaming a friend's blogs, and I find out that worship leader Chris Tomlin has moved to Atlanta to start a new church with Louie Giglio. Um, wow!!! Not that I would leave my church...it is just really cool that God called them to this city, my city! I can't wait to hear what God does through them. Amazing speaker and amazing worship leader. And on top of that, Matt Redman is moving over from England, and the Nockels too! =)

cardboard testimonies

Here is something cool...cardboard testimonies. My church celebrated its 25th anniversary yesterday, and part of the service was something like the video below. Members of the church came up and shared their testimony (before & after) on cardboard signs. It was really, really amazing. To see how God is moving through the lives of His children...I was crying through most of the time. It's not really about the stories...it was about how awesome God is. The countless lives and countless changes. And that the same God who saves marriages, cures cancer, brings prodigals home, this is my God. How mighty, how powerful is He?! Nothing is impossible for Him!

i'm rich

So I have been reading 40 Day Spiritual Journey to a More Generous Life. Our whole church is reading it together as we embark on a pretty huge capital campaign for expansion. The book is pretty cool, every day is a bunch of different verses about giving. 40 days, each with 5 or so different passages - who knew there were so many unique verses about giving? It's also cool because it's really been stretching my faith in the area of giving...remember back when I was reading Celebration of Discipline?

But that's not what I want to talk about...
The cool and convicting thing I read about today is this website - the Global Rich List. I have felt reeeeally strapped for money lately (which is another story in itself). But then I put my income into this website, and yeah. I am really, really rich. I'm in the top 3.75% in the world. The world. Just something to think about! Try it out.

diggin this music

I just got this CD last week, and I'm really digging it. I listen to it when talk radio is on break in my car! I'm such a nerd. It comes from Hillsong in Australia.

My favorite song is From the Inside Out...but another song that has really ministered to me is More to See. The lyrics from Lamentations...

His mercies are new every morning
His mercies are new every day

In A Woman's Heart, we just finished learning about the manna in the desert, how the Israelites had to go out and gather it every morning. What really struck me from this week was how we have to put the effort in to gather up the manna, gather up the mercies of the Lord. Get in the Word, get into prayer, get into laying out everything before the Lord. EVERY DAY. How often do I wonder where God's mercies are...and then I realize that I have not gone out to gather them! Or that I have waited so long and not sought Him on a daily basis.

And then how cool is it that the Creator of the universe wants a daily relationship with me! :)

Sorry if the thoughts are rambling...but I thought a break from politics would be nice :)

Lam. 3:22-24
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.

a humbling place

I have learned so much in just 1 week in A Woman's Heart...a LOT of reading! But more than that, I'm super excited about the women that I will be surrounded with every Wednesday for the next couple months. I'm pretty sure I'm the youngest woman there, but I think that puts me in a good place, a humbling place. I have so much to learn, and these ladies have so much wisdom from their lives to impart.

I didn't know this when I signed up, but the leader of our group has been through some crazy times. She gave her testimony at church a couple weeks ago, but I missed it (I've been going to the later service). Anyway last night she told us a little bit about her struggle in trusting God through hard times. She didn't go into too much detail but mentioned that they had put her testimony on YouTube. So of course I looked it up and posted it for you here. About 5 minutes in, she mentions having a breakdown at church and having verses from Daniel prayed over her. And then, her husband had read those same verses that morning. God works in simply amazing, powerful ways.

fried chicken & chocolate

So I have been going to this church for over 2 years now, and although it has its pros & cons, I've mostly enjoyed it and felt at home there. However, I haven't really done much to get more involved. This is really sad that I've dropped the ball so much, when I used to be really involved with church back home and with ministries throughout college.

Well with last Sunday's sermon, I was really struck with the need to be more involved. Our pastor just started a series on the journey of faith for God's people. And for the past 2 years, I've just been sitting at the beginning of the journey, and not taken the next steps.

So, yesterday I went to my first Wednesday night at church. It was really fun. Now I'm kicking myself for not being brave enough to go sooner. It's a big church, so it can be really intimidating! But I went to fellowship dinner, which was fried chicken, mashed potatoes, rolls, salad, collard greens, and dessert bar. The chicken was awesome. Mmmmmm.

Then I wandered upstairs for Coffee & Chocolate, the introduction to Women's Bible studies for the fall. Now this was the scary part, seeing as I knew no one when I walked in. But I immediately was greeted, given a mug full of chocolate, and someone explained to me what was going on, etc. So only a brief moment of scariness!

When I went to buy a book, I realized I didn't have enough cash or my checks, so that made me sad. But I went on to the class I picked anyway. We started class and the teacher said "does anyone not have a book?" and I sheepishly raised my hand, explaining the lack of appropriate form of payment...then this lady turns around to me and hands me a $20 bill. "you'll want the book today. you can pay me back next week." Wow! What a nice lady =) At that moment I felt like I really had made the right choice and was exactly where God wanted me to be. I walked out to get the book and heard the teacher joke "hey you have any more $20 bills you want to hand out?" Hehe.

If you're curious, the study is A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place. It's Beth Moore's first study and I've always wanted to do it. I always learn a lot from her! So I'm pretty excited about this, and I'm sure you'll hear more as the weeks progress.

over halfway there!

Yesterday I ran 14 miles! Yikes! I've finally gotten to the point where I understand why people think I'm crazy for doing this...what have I gotten myself into?

The Silver Comet & I have become close friends. I won't say good because we have a love-hate relationship. Love because the air is clean, the trees are shady, there are no cars, it's really flat. Hate because the miles seem to stretch on forever and I get bored after an hour or 2 of running. I guess there is more love than hate though!

Anyway! I started at the Floyd Road entrance, there is a cute little bike depot. Ryan rented a bike, and it was really fun seeing him whiz past me with a big grin on his face. The people at the depot were really nice, and they had a lot of selection. I was definitely jealous of Ryan and I hope to be able to take my own bike out there soon.

I ran 3 miles west, 3 miles back, water/powerade break. Then 2 miles east, 2 miles back, water/powerade/energy gel break. At this point, Ryan was back at Floyd Rd. and we had a quick talk about how his bike ride went, and then I said I could stop at 10 miles if he wanted to leave. But Ryan, my ever-encouraging fan, said, "No, you need to run the rest of the 14 miles." (or something to that effect). I'm so glad he made me finish the run though, painful as it was. So I ran 2 miles west and back in again. I really have to give a shout-out to Ryan here, because if he hadn't wanted to go with me to the trail, I probably wouldn't have gone. And if he hadn't have been there with me at mile 10, I probably would have stopped and gone home. So many thanks go out to my #1 fan! :)

I have to say, and this is really weird to say, that the first 6 miles were cake. Who would have ever thought I'd come so far as to say "6 miles? that's nothing." But then the next 4 miles were a little harder and I could have happily stopped there. But the last 4 miles were excruciating. I'm talking pain so bad that it felt better to keep running rather than stop and/or walk because then I REALLY felt the pain. Isn't that weird? So run I did. After I passed mile 13 I really felt a surge of rejoicing, beacause I was happy that I had passed the halfway mark to the marathon, and I was overjoyed that there was only 1 mile left. Whew!

When I was running the last 4 miles, I kept thinking my mantra in my head. I've been following the training program in the Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer, and a lot of the training is psychological. So at one point in the training, I had to come up with a short paragraph that would empower me while I was running. So mine is "I am a marathoner. I love to run. Running is fun. God's got my back. He gives me the strength. He gives me the energy. This is a blessing. I am so thankful!"

So on the back 4, I was thinking my paragraph, and then I was thinking, what do I mean by "this is a blessing"? And then I realized as the pain got worse and my steps got slower...this is a blessing because I am pushing my human body to the limit, limits I've never known before. And in putting myself in my weakest possible state, there comes a point where I can either quit or I can say "Hey God, do this through me. Give me Your strength & give me Your power." So running becomes a blessing because it's an opportunity to trust God and see Him do something amazing. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I ran 14 miles with God's help. There's no way I did at alone. This is a blessing.

open feelings

Every morning I try to read Our Daily Bread. I often miss days when I'm running late to work, or sometimes I just forget. I'm far from perfect! But this message from the other day really hit me.

Do you ever feel angry toward God? Or do you ever feel angry, and then feel guilty for feeling angry? Because you feel like it's not right, do you try to suppress the anger? Or when bad things happen, do people tell you not to be angry at God?

Well for me, the answer to all these questions is yes. When I feel badly or angry towards God, I also start to feel guilty, like I shouldn't feel that way.

But, God wants us to express all of our emotions to Him. That's what the Psalms basically are, the entire range of human emotions layed out openly before God. Philip Yancey mentions that "The psalmists do not rationalize anger or give abstract advice about pain; rather, they express emotions vividly and loudly, directing their feelings primarily at God. The anguished conclusion of Psalm 88 provides ample evidence (vv.13-18)."

It's good to get the feelings out there. In bringing our weaknesses and our feelings out honestly before Him, that's the only way He can help us. It's such a relief to know this.

community

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matt. 11:28

As Memorial Day approached, I found myself with no plans. I longed to go to the beach, which for me is the place I find the most refreshing and the most honesty. Then I get a phone call from a friend...want to go to the beach? And bonus, it's a group of about 50 people who are going with the specific desire to rest in the Lord. Didn't take much convincing for me to say yes. The only "worry" I had was not knowing more than 2 people out of the 50 going. But how could I not go, when God so obviously put this opportunity in my path?

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Heb 10:25

I went, and God did amazing things. Most amazing to me is that this trip was planned by a bunch of friends, who then invited their friends, and invited their friends, etc etc. til it grew to a group of 50 or so people all united in one vision of taking time to build community and focus on God. All through my life, I've gone on organized retreats or conferences...but this was a trip organized by a small group with a purpose. It was so refreshing to be around so many people my age who had this kind of focus and direction. Community. Meeting together. Gathering together. Community is something that we all crave. Everyone I met was so nice, and so clearly in love with Jesus. I don't surround myself enough with this kind of community. And I'm so excited about the connections I made there, how many of these relationships continue to build even though we're so far from the beach now.

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Eph 5:19-20

Every morning, we had devotions, prayer, and singing. Totally optional, but the house was standing room only at this time. How cool! And then my favorite moment of the weekend, Sunday night worship on the beach. So dark that you couldn't really see anything but outlines of people, white crests of waves, and stars in the sky. We sang for 2 hours, song after song in praise to God for His creation, for His work on the cross, for His work in us. After worship, I walked down to the shoreline and took in how vast the world is, how small we are, and yet how amazing our God is to actually love each one of us so much, so much that He died so that we could live...so much that He knows the exact number of hairs on our head...so much that He hides us in the palm of His hand. And then I thought of creation and how His Spirit moved over the waters. And there I was at the waters, meeting God, praying & singing. It was a really powerful time of reflection, and of honesty. I say honesty because every time I am at the beach, I'm humbled by the beauty and the vastness. It makes me take a good long hard look at myself and where I am, and helps me think about where I'm going. I would live at the beach if I could. But then maybe I'd get overwhelmed thinking too much! hehe.

when life is crazy

So I have been remiss in posting lately...I have plenty to blog about, but just copious amounts of work & life to deal with.

Pictures are coming for the Hope 5K...we forgot a digital camera so they're on actual film. So allow time for developing.

Have eaten out a lot lately, so reviews are coming!

I'm sure there will be much to talk about with the last couple primaries happening. And as Tatay pointed out, the Ron Paul Revolution is far from over!

And I have a lot to say about fasting...

So...stay tuned!

the world is green

Have you noticed?

I went for a run yesterday evening, and although I have run this particular route countless times, I felt like I was seeing it for the first time. It was so green. Green, green everywhere. The way the trees and plants draped the roads, green was all I could see. At some points, the trees were so tall, they made a kind of a canopy over my head. Almost like a cathedral ceiling.

But as I ran, I thought "man, it's so green...it's almost...fake?" Like someone had painted everything this vivid bright green. But of course that doesn't make sense, because the trees, the plants, the grass - this is the real world. But I am so entrenched in my everyday life, my repetitive thoughts, my numb senses. That I actually get out to the real world and I can't even fathom it being real. Being so green. Seeing those colors and the depths of them. How the color green that I think about every day pales in comparison to the green I saw yesterday.

Before my brain goes on overload trying to wrap thoughts around nature & reality, think about what this means in different areas of life. So for Iraq...we have been there a long time, and all anyone can think about is how we need to leave, how tired we are of death, the list goes on. But have we, as Americans, become so entrenched in anti-war thinking, that we can't see the reality over there? Only a privileged few know what is really going on over there. But what about the stories of hope? The new freedoms established?

Or what about the presidential campaign? When will we extricate ourselves from the emotions and critically think about the issues at hand? What is the reality of this campaign? What does it mean practically for each one of our lives?

Or what about our 9-5 lives? I must confess, mine wears me down and dulls my senses. How can I break out of the doldrums and feel something fresh? Feel something real? My short run through the green, I felt the enormity of the world. It's huge. There's so much out there. There are more real colors to see, and more real experiences to have. Life is so short...and there's so much more I want to do!