My Life: February 2007

The Siren Call of A Dangerous God

So there is lots to blog about. I don't really have the time to update about everything so the rest will be coming soon.

Lately I have been reading alot. I just finished a book called "Who's Child is This?" by Bill Wilson. This is will blog about later :)

I just finished another book called "The Siren Call of a Dangerous God" written by Geoff Ryan. I actually met Geoff's wife Sandra in Italy when the Youth Band was there. She was the guest speaker for this youth weekend held in Italy. It is a SMALL world! haha.. Anyway I borrowed this book from Mhairi. It is a quick read, I suggest you read it if you haven't already. The book is awesome!! It really caught my attention by chapter two.
Young and Unafraid.
Give fire that makes men heroes, turn weakness into might,
The fire that gives the courage to suffer for the fight,
The fire that changes fearing to pentecostal daring,
The fire that makes me willing for Christ to live or die..
The world for God! The world for God!
I give my heart! I will do my part!
-Evangeline Booth
"A late victorian hymn with new life breathed into it by a fiery melody fashioned by a young British musician. I sang it with conviction and abandon and fervor along with several hundred others at a missions conference for young people. We sang it very well with enthusiasm and gusto, with eyes closed and faces upturned beseeching-demanding even-satisfaction of our God, some with raised fists and many, many with tears.
But did we mean it? As a friend of mine pointed out to me-Christians do not usually tell lies, but we often sing them.
Were we lying or was it just another terminal case of youthful euphoria, the strength of our convictions being no match for the stength of our emotions? Was our singing not ragged around the edges witha whiff of fear? What if we actually had to become heroes, live lives of pentecostal daring, make the choice between living or dying? What if our hearts were asked of us, our lives?"
hmm..makes me think. This excerpt is soo true. There are many times when you are in church just like he was and you are so on fire for God and ready to make a difference and then you go home and it's back to the same old same old! I know I'm guilty of it. Over these past couple months I have really been challenged by people and by God. God has given me a heart to want more and go further. He's taught me to not settle for mediocrity. All these songs we sing, if we don't mean them with our whole heart and carry out the duty that we are singing to God then we are like the book said, lying. Sad but true.
So what do we do? How do we live out the songs that we are singing?

I can't wait to start reading Geoff Ryan's other book "Sowing Dragons"

Contentment

You know what is bothering me more than anything recently? Being Content. It bothers me that people including myself sometimes feel content in the way that we are living. Shouldn't we always be striving for more? Shouldn't we never be satisfied and always want more? I'm talking about in the church of course just incase some of you were thinking something else. It bothers me when people are content with the amount of people in their congregation and content with the amount of kids in their program. Sometimes I sit and think of the Salvation Army and how we have so much potential! We can change the whole world! I think some of us just need a kick in the butt to get in gear. I'm not saying that the Army isn't doing alot already. Ofcourse it is but there is soo much more that we can do! Locally and internationaly. I think that people, including myself sometimes care too much about our own desires, what WE want and what is good for US. We need to realize that it's not about us all the time. It's about them. It's about the abandoned and unloved and unsaved druggies and alocoholics, it's about the people in the community who are going down a dark path. I don't really know where all this is going but I needed to get it out. Advice and criticism is greatly appreciated :)

I was inspired by Mhairi's blog to put up a video of one of those moments when everything is funny and you can't stop laughing. This video is Stephen, Seth, Tabitha and I making fun of Major Ditmers eye when it was all messed up. We couldn't stop laughing and could barely breathe. HAHHAHA.

This video is of our singing company. I love them all but they are CRAZY!

Psalm 97

I have a new favorite Psalm. This particular one keeps popping up in my life. I came across it on New years andthen again a couple weekends ago at the Project 1:17 previeq weekend Mhairi and I came across it again. She had a cool story about it but I can't remember it enough to tell you :)
Psalm 97
The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;
let the distant shores rejoice.
Clouds of thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side.
His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples will see his glory.
All who worship images are put to shame,
those who boast in idols- worship him, all you gods.
Zion hears and rejoices and the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments, O Lord.
For you, O Lord, are the Most High over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.
Let those who love the Lord hate evil,
for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is shed upon the righteous
and joy on the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,
and praise his holy name.

AMEN!

PRAY

Please pray for my friend. His name is Eric White, he goes to the Pioneer Corps. I just found out that he collapsed this morning and started having a seizure..They had to sedate him yesterday (Sunday) to stop the seizures. today at about 2:30 they started
to let him come out of the sedation. but he immediately started having seizures again. The doctors to not know what is causing this. All of the tests they have run so far have come out negative. He hasn't woken up yet. He's only 18 years old!!! He is such an awesome person...always making people laugh and always smiling. Pray for healing