the truth we profess

this image haunts me...


you can find this image and others documenting Ramadan 2008 here

Muslim's around the world are observing their holy month of Ramadan. During this month they fast and pray. This includes fasting from sunrise to sunset, literally using a black string to distinguish these moments in time. Many of them will not even swallow their own spit during the day...unbelievable devotion to a god who cannot save. Hoping that on the day of judgment the scale is heavier with good than bad. Pray that in their prayers Almighty God will reveal Himself to them, through dreams and visions if necessary.

Praying that He'll allow us to be part of reaping the harvest,

Amber

ART MUSIC JUSTICE

check it out...and if you've never heard of NoiseTrade, consider this your introduction.

Loves Like a Hurricane, I am a Tree

found this here while I was looking for lyrics...lyrics are part of original post.

Dear God,

I'm gonna write this like you don't already know. And thoughts that don't line up neatly might make a little more sense on this screen.

I know we don't talk much these days. You're mostly ignored, save for some unguarded moments right before sleep. I've been busy dodging your calls and looking for hurdles to put in your path. But thoughts of you still slip in quiet, like when traffic surprisingly opens or gets out of my way. And you came back to mind in the middle of a movie today.

I don't have big reasons like war or the poor to stubbornly push you away. If we all sat and counted our hardships mine wouldn't stack up that tall. And that says more than a little about how easy I find it to fall. I've just got me and my everyday problems, and they don't even hold up that well. So I don't understand why I don't boomerang back to your side. Even when my head's alright with the thought, my heart is just shrugging and not really up for the ride.

Most of the folks that I love in this world have you in common. And if not for your church then we'd never have met. So when they ask how I'm doing it feels like I'm betraying some confidence. I used to sing songs with my hands held up high, but these days it's like scheduling time for the dentist. For the life of me I can't find one good reason to have lost trust in you. But that's how it is, and I was hoping we could do something about that.

I miss the looking forward to you. With all these feelings of falling and changing, I miss the gravity of you.

david

He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane - I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy

When all of a sudden I am unaware
These afflictions eclipse my glory
and I realize just how beautiful you are
and how great your affections are for me

yeah, he loves us - whoa how he loves us so
whoa how he loves us
whoa how he loves us

we are his portion and he is our prize
drawn to redemption by the grace in his eyes
if grace is an ocean - we're all sinking
so heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss
my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets
when I think about the way that he loves us

~ How He Loves Us, John Mark McMillan

a dissatisfied Messiah

i found this here: firstimportance.org

“The One on whom we wait is a dissatisfied Messiah. He will not relent, he will not quit, he will not rest until ever promise he has made been fully delivered. He will not turn from his work until every one of his children has been totally transformed. He will continue to fight until the last enemy is under his feet. He will reign until his kingdom has fully come. As long as sin exists, he will shower us with forgiving, empowering, and delivering grace.

He will defend us against attack and attack the enemy on our behalf. He will be faithful to convict, rebuke, encourage, and comfort. He will continue to open the warehouse of his wisdom and unfold for us the glorious mysteries of his truth. He will stand with us through the darkness and the light. He will guide us on a path we could never have discovered or would never have been wise enough to choose. He will supply for us every good thing that we need to be what he’s called us to be and to do what he’s called us to do in the place where he’s put us.

And he will not rest from his work until every last microbe of sin has been completely eradicated from every heart of each of his children!”

—Paul David Tripp, “Psalm 27: Inner Strength”

MIA

I haven't been around a lot recently. I haven't fallen off the face...just been busy. Mostly learning, and thinking...
Hopefully soon there will be words.

Glorious Day

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises,
One day when sin was as black as could be,
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my Example is He!

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He’s coming—O glorious day!

One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain,
One day they nailed Him to die on the tree;
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected:
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He!

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,
One day the stone rolled away from the door;
Then He arose, over death He had conquered;
Now is ascended, my Lord for evermore!

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He’s coming—O glorious day!

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,
One day the skies with His glories will shine;
Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing;
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He’s coming—O glorious day!

O glorious day!
O glorious day!

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He’s coming—O glorious day!

i wanna sing a song

since I haven't posted any new music in a while....

PSALM 62
Stuart Townsend and Aaron Keyes

My soul finds rest in God alone, My Rock and my salvation,
A fortress strong against my foes, And I will not be shaken.
Though lips may bless and hearts may curse, And lies like arrows pierce me,
I’ll fix my heart on righteousness, I’ll look to Him who hears me.

O praise Him, hallelujah, My Delight and my Reward;
Everlasting, never failing, My Redeemer, my God.

Find rest, my soul, in God alone amid the world’s temptations;
When evil seeks to take a hold I’ll cling to my salvation.
Though riches come and riches go, Don’t set your heart upon them;
The fields of hope in which I sow are harvested in heaven.

I’ll set my gaze on God alone, and trust in Him completely;
With every day pour out my soul, and He will prove His mercy.
Though life is but a fleeting breath, a sigh too brief to measure,
My King has crushed the curse of death and I am His forever.

and a short chorus from Hillsong...

the same power the conquered the grave, lives in me, lives in me

the same love the rescued the earth, lives in me, lives in me

can I be perfectly honest?

I'm learning something about myself...something big.

I'm afraid. I don't mean your average afraid. Not afraid of snakes, or planes, or the dark (although I am afraid of the dark).

I'm afraid of life.

I'm afraid of failure. Afraid of missing the mark. And messing everything up. Afraid of not being smart enough. Afraid of expectations. I'd rather you just not expect anything, I don't know how much I have to give. Afraid of love. Loving others and being loved. Afraid of change. The unknown. Afraid of me. Afraid of you. Afraid of what you'd say if you knew. Afraid I'll miss the plan. And miss out on my whole purpose. Afraid of disappointment. Of disappointing or being disappointed. Afraid of who you might really be. Afraid I'll make the wrong choice. Afraid I'm not pretty enough. That I don't fit the mold. Afraid I'll never figure it out. Afraid if I follow, there will be only pain.

For a long time I've been sitting in the corner, in the dark, afraid. But the Lord is shining His light in...and revealing the deep fears. The light hurts my eyes...but once I'm awake, I've adjusted...Lord, I wanna be brave...help me set my face like a flint and walk straight towards you. No fear, only faith...because perfect love casts out fear!

commission

"If a commission by an earthly king is considered and honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"

-David Livingstone

two things

My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior.
John Newton