Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder... or Forgetful

So, I've been gone for a little while and I'd like to apologize for that. But due to a lot of current stress, life has been a little busy. I kept thinking, 'I need to write. I need to write,' but other things got in the way of the specific work I am trying to do on this blog.

And then I got to thinking, that's how it is sometimes when it comes to our one-on-one time with God. We allow other 'more important' events to get in our way. 'We just have to go to that pro ballgame and miss church Sunday morning', or 'skipping Wednesday night just this once won't hurt, my day has just been too long.' The problem with this mentality is that we allow those 'one time' events to creep in and take over and before you know it, we're not attending church or spending time with God at all. 

 Now, I tend to get cranky when I don't get my worship time in during the week. I attend a small church on Sunday mornings and a larger church on Wednesday nights. I have been attending the smaller church for 18 years now and never intend to give it up. The people I worship with understand my weirdness and love me all the more for it. The larger church gives my children the opportunity to worship with more children their age and it gets me through the week. 

When I miss worship, or get behind in my personal devotional time, that hole begins to grow. Seeking after the things I want does nothing for me. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33 to

"seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

His commandment to me is to seek after Him first, not last. In Mark 12:30 Jesus goes on to say,

 "'And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’"

If I'm not  involved and accountable for my worship and devotional time with God, I am not loving Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Without God time, our hearts become heavy, our souls lost, our minds contaminated by worldly thoughts, and our strength stolen by the devil. Even if you've been gone for a long time, God always has His arms wide open, waiting to bring you close to Him. Don't wait until your heart has become forgetful, be proactive and spend ten free minutes this evening with Him.

Tonight, I'd like to leave you with the chorus to one of my favorite songs, 

"Light the Fire" (lyrics by Sonic Flood, parts in parenthesis are echoes)

"Light the fire
(light the fire)
In my soul
(in my weary soul)
Fan the flame
(fan the flame)
Make me whole
(make my spirit whole)
Lord, You know
(Lord, You know)
Just where I've been
(where I've been)
So light the fire
in my heart again "

source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/s/sonicfloodlyrics/lightthefireinmyheartlyrics.html

Weird Wednesday: Angels in the Outfield

In recent years, I have failed to find a fictional character or creature to capture my attention as much as vampires do. They're dark, mysterious, handsome, etc. etc...until now...

Angels are the creature that are currently stealing every reading hour available as of late. I've read different takes on fallen angels, archangels, guardian angels, and the nephilim race. Authors and books include (but never limited to) Lauren Kate's Fallen series, Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush series (my personal favorite), and Syrie James' Forbidden. Still to come are: Alexandra Adornetto's Halo Trilogy and James Patterson's Maximum Ride series and of course whatever else I can get my hands on that's good.

But all these mixed up fictional angel stories got me to thinking about the real angels that God has under his power. And yes, I did say real angels. God sent them as messengers and guardians in the Old Testament to warn his followers of impending danger or good news. In the New Testament we see an angel heralding the birth of Christ.

The only heavenly being I have come across is the cherubim. The first mention of a cherubim in the Bible is in Genesis 3:23-24

"therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life." (ESV)

God didn't want man to partake of the Tree of Life because He didn't want him to gain eternal life. So God placed the cherubim to protect the garden. Man is still in search of the garden trying to gain access to the fountain of youth that he is never going to find.

I found it interesting that cherubim are listed as having wings, but angels are not. (If anyone can correct me on this let me know.)

The first time we see an angel is when God sends a messenger to attend to Hagar and her son. God's plan for her is told in Genesis 16:6-9:

"But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” (ESV)

The archangel Michael (my favorite name of course) is first seen in Jude 1:9 arguing with the devil.

"But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgement, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (NASB)

Even Michael as an archangel didn't dare overstep he authority be judging the devil, but left that up to God. He is also shown in battle with the dragon in Revelation 12:7-9 when Satan is cast from heaven.

"Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world- he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown with him." (ESV)

As for the Nephilim race, they are first mentioned in Genesis 6:4

"The nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown." (ESV)

But the first of two angels and their world changing news can be read in Matthew 1:20-21 when the angel comes to Joseph to foretell the birth of Christ. 

"But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.'"

The second angel is found in Matthew 25:5-6 and he tells the best news we sinner could ever hope for. 

"But the angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I now that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.'" (ESV)

So at the end of the day, the angels have my attention hands down. They were trusted to guard the garden from man. They showed a nation it's start. Showed the devil what side he should be on at the end of the day. But most of all, they heralded the birth of Christ, my risen Lord. And loving all men with his love is what get me through the toughest days, because Hebrews 13:3 reminds me:

'Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.' (NASB)

Media Monday: Goth Girl Running

This is your quick post for the night. I've been running for a little over a year now and my love for it rivals my love of music. I love all kinds of music, so I have various playlists on my iPod. However, since I'm running in three 5k races in the next month and a half, I thought I'd create a new running playlist. Entitled "GOTH Girl Running" it is as follows:

1. Tonight TobyMac
2. Live Life Loud  Hawk Nelson
3. Stay Close    Fireflight
4. Hang On (remix)  Plumb
5. Breathe Into me    RED
6. In My Arms (remix)   Plumb
7. In Need You   Relient K
8. All Things New   Rapture Ruckus
9. Monster  Skillet
10.Cross the Line  Superchick
11. Afterlife   Switchfoot
12. I Get Wicked   Thousand Foot Krutch
13. Faceless  RED
14. Im So Sick   Flyleaf
15. For Those Who Wait   Flyleaf
16. We Are Loved  David Crowder Band
17. Again   Flyleaf
18. Better Than Drugs   Skillet
19. Dead Man   Jars of Clay
20. To Know That You're Alive  Kutless
21. Where I Belong   Building 429
22. Keep You Eyes Open   NEEDTOBREATHE
23. Busted Heart   for King and County


Yeah, I know, it's an odd number, but all these songs mean something special to me and I can't have it too long. They all also remind me that "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

For those of you who don't know, I've been having on and off health problems with my nerves for the last year and a half. I'm not supposed to be running at all, but I have found that I can shrug off the stress of the day on the pavement and go to bed relieved to not be carrying negative thoughts. If you are in need of great uplifting, loud, and get you moving music, I recommend any on this list along with the groups. The last three songs are a little slower, but I need those to get through the cool down and the messages are unsurpassed at this time.

With that, I'm off for the night and hope that you'll join me in music (Winter Jam 2013 baby!) or running! (To get any easy start check out www.coolrunning.com)

Weird Wednesday! Depeche Mode Baby

I love Depeche Mode! I have loved them ever since I first remember being introduced to their music back in the summer of 1995 while staying in Germany with my friend Anna. The first album I purchased was "Songs of Faith and Devotion" which is still one of my favorites. When my cell phone rings, part of the song "Enjoy the Silence" plays, which is ironic because I'm busy enjoying the song instead of any silence. The dulcet tones of David Gahan just make me smile.

But lately, I've been thinking about the the song "The Policy of Truth." And right now, I'm not worrying anything about what the song might actually mean or what hundreds of other people think it means. I'm focusing on one specific stanza with one question in mind (that we'll get to later):

"It's too late to change events
It's time to face the consequence
For delivering the proof
In the policy of truth"

Someone in this song has made a bad decision. Sometimes it's really hard to tell the truth if we're afraid we will disappoint another person. Some people think maybe a little white lie won't hurt a soul. But sadly, there are people on this green planet that think lying is just as natural as breathing and will lie to you every day in every way.  

So back to that question: What's your policy of truth? 

Do you believe it's okay to lie to someone if you think you're sparing their feelings down the road? Or are you keeping something hidden that you need to unburden yourself of desperately? Or maybe you're the type that just doesn't care how many times you lie, who gets in the way or who gets hurt?

Personally, I think getting the hurt out of the way and just telling the truth in the first place is hard, but the best plan. It saves time and feelings (guilt on your part and betrayal on the part of the other party involved) in the long run.  

Having to face up to the truth of sin to others is one of the hardest things for a person to do. I know this first hand. Having to tell my parents, church, but most importantly, God,  that I was pregnant and unmarried at the age of 18 was so painful. It's still hard to think about. But one thing I know for sure is that I took that to God, begged forgiveness, and was forgiven. Matthew 26:28 tells us:

"For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

Remember John 3:16, "For God loved the world so much, He gave His only son" Love like that doesn't grow on trees. 

Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 13:4-7 that:

"Love is patient and kind; loves does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or due. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

The end of verse six tells us the the greatest of all things "does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth." Now I'm sure you're thinking, 'Um, yeah, but no one's happy when something painful is told or thrown in their face!' But that's where you're wrong. Because verse seven tells us that love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things. 

Now, when we bear our soul to Christ and ask forgiveness and tell him the truth, He gives it, but at the price of His blood shed on the cross of you and me. Ephesians 1:7 tells us:

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace."

And John 14:6:

"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

He is the way, truth and life and without Him, I won't see Heaven. So what about you? Are you ready to face up and revise your policy of truth? 

"I'm so goth, I sacked Rome!"

So I found this book the other day in the library and certainly got a good laugh out of it!

Most of the pictures are grainy and evidently "The Cure" is one of the most popular goth bands ever. And according to the fashion chapter, I'm officially a goth. The only thing I'm missing is a white, puffy poet shirt. However....

According to all the reviews, especially on www.awfullibrarybooks.net this book is a terrible non-fiction resource for the goth scene. It's more of a book to make parents feel better that their child is dressing in black. Thank goodness my parents didn't have to worry about my clothes being too short, just a little too dark. :)

But all this got me to thinking. I've had quite a few people I've met for the first time lately asking me what it's like to be a goth or "goff" in one person's case. And honestly, I don't really know, because as I said in my first post, I don't really see myself that way. I just see me as the unique person God made me to be. David tells God in Psalm 139:14

"I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." (ESV)

I thank Him every day for all the wonderful things He has made in my world. God made in His image, so even though I dress in black with skulls and skeletons everywhere, I am still His child clothed in His salvation as Isaiah tells us in chapter 61:10:

"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed my with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."

I was a little shocked that someone asked a friend of mine if I could tell him about paganism. I know, I know: 'That's what you should expect dressing the way to do,' is was a lot of people would say. However, since I try (try being the key word here) not to be the judging type, again I was shocked. My friend however, was very sweet and said "She may look the part on the outside, but her heart is far from anything like that." 

It made me smile to know that those around me know that I seek God, even though I dress a little weirdly at times. But there are also times that my feeling are hurt when I overhear someone say that I'm a weirdo or have a person tell me that I'm "twisted and a freak." God loves me just as much as He loves those people and so everyday, I try to love them with the love of Jesus. So it's been nice to have the following challenge offered at my church.

We are currently being challenged (Bethany's Challenge, see below) to do something on purpose and one of mine is to be on here more often, sharing how God is working in my life, even if it seems as though it's in a different sort of way. Book reviews are also going to be coming along with more recipes and Weird Wednesdays.  Thanks for hanging in there with me, even though I've let life get in the way a little lately. 

You can find more information on Bethany's Challenge at 
https://www.facebook.com/Bethanyschallenge

Hope you all have a great week!

Weird Wednesday: Skullies Skullies Everywhere

About two weeks ago, I was once again asked why in the world I choose to wear skulls. "Do you like them? Do they stand for something? Are you just a big weirdo?" OK, so I made that last question up, but I do get the first two all the time and not just by people who don't know me.

I love most things weird. Notice that I didn't say all, 'cause zombies are gross, nasty and really freak me out. For most people I meet, skulls remind them that no one lives forever and that death is inevitable. But for me, skulls do represent something (besides some of them being on the cute side). I always give the same passage:

Romans 6:23 tells us "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."


 So let's finally take that trip to Skull Island I keep meaning to get to.

Every one's seen 'Peter Pan' right? Or at least you know the gist of the story. Well at some point in the movie Tiger Lily is kidnapped by Captain Hook and taken to Skull Island where she is tied to a post and set as a trap for Peter. Hook knows that Peter will take the bait, come to save Tiger Lily and in doing so, Hook will kill him and also allow Tiger Lily to drown. Fortunately, Peter saves Tiger Lily and they get away leaving Hook trying to escape his own tormentor, the crocodile.

By using Peter's trigger, Tiger Lily, as a lure, Hook easily draws Peter to Skull Island to his possible death. (And while I do realize that Peter was doing the right thing, we also believe that we are at times too). We suffer from temptations that trigger us to sin when we get arrogant by listening to Satan's lies and feel like we can to what we want to do. But afterwards we feel empty and dead on the inside, knowing we have broken God's word.

Romans 5:12 says "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." 


While there is no escape from the death that sin causes, we are set free from sin through Christ and given eternal life. 


Romans 6:22 "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life."


So every time I look down at my many skull bracelets, I am reminded that my sins will cause my eternal death, but that Christ died on the cross to give me eternal life. 

In Whose Image Are You Made?

So I started the journey to Skull Island yesterday when I was distracted by a news story on K-LOVE. The modeling industry is now labeling a women's size 6 as "plus size." Many women, including myself, are outraged by this because it gives our girls another reason to worry about their image.

But then I got to thinking, like I normally do, and decided that it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. As long as we are teaching our children what God craves from us, then the world's expectation according to looks and style won't matter.

 Society tells us to be perfect (something that will never be attainable on this earth) or we will be thrown by the wayside in favor of fake beauty. Proverbs 31:30 says "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."

So while society is content to LIE to us, and make us believe their opinions are what matters, God is telling and has given us the TRUTH.

Genesis 1:27 tells us:
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

God doesn't tell us in the Bible to be a certain size to fit His standards, He created us in His image to be an example to others. Paul tells us in Philippians 2:14-16 
^" Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain."

We have to be lights to this world so others so they can find their way to Him. He goes further on this point in the book of Romans when he says


"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

Be a rebel with a cause like me. Don't conform to what the world wants you to be. Pray and ask God what He wants of you, because then you will know that it is good and acceptable to Him. Choose to go after God's heart and be the example, not the follower.