Sunday, July 31, 2005

undignified

one of the most beautiful things in the world...

dancing.

i'm not talking about the whole bump & grind/club type dancing... i'm talking about real dancing. dancing and not caring. dancing in the overflowing joy one is immersed in. dancing even in times of pain. dancing and being "more undignified than this." dancing before Yeshua...

absolutely... beautiful... and, breathtaking.

let's be honest here, i'm not the greatest dancer in the world, but because i have the ability to dance, i love to. i might look ridiculous or dorky, but i know that when i dance, i bring the Father pleasure. knowing that, how could i not long to dance?... how could i not move my feet to the beat of a song?...

and David danced before the Lord with all his might... (2 samuel 6:14, NLT)

over the weekend, dancing before the Lord was spoken over me on numerous occasions. first to me by a woman down in kansas city, secondly from the Lord Himself directly to me, and thirdly this morning at church as one of my pastors spoke... and again, He has confirmed this as a key ingrediant in my life. i have been called to dance and not find it as undignified, but as being abundant before my Father.

david retorted to michal, "i was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and his family! he appointed me as the leader of israel, the people of the Lord. so i am willing to act like a fool in order to show my joy in the Lord. yes, and i am willing to look even more foolish than this... (2 samuel 6:21-22, NLT)

tears of relief stream down my face knowing that i have been called and can be bold in this way. yet, witnessing others dance before Him, brings even more tears...

it's. absolutely. beautiful.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

love & hate it

i too have been inspired...

dislikes:
1.) mosquitoes
2.) ponchos... especially when they're furry
3.) days when you walk outside and right away and you begin to feel the sweat seeping down your cheek and neck.
4.) charlie horses
5.) compulsive liars
6.) the dentist
7.) cats
8.) when people consistantly ask questions during a movie
9.) the "support your troop" magnets that people put on their cars
10.) sharks
11.) when people talk about something they obviously know nothing about, but think they do
12.) the phrase "dunzo"
13.) having my pants size range anywhere from a size 2-8
14.) not being able to wear certain tops for a certain reason (ladies, some of y'all know what i'm talking about)
15.) dry heaving

likes:
1.) having a friend smile at you for no reason
2.) laughing so hard you can't breath
3.) justin timberlake & *nsync
4.) the smell while cruising down the mountains on a snowboard in colorado
5.) romania
6.) walks on the beach
7.) brushing my teeth
8.) the feeling of diving off a block in a swim meet
9.) cuddling/spooning
10.) huge furry dogs
11.) bouquets of sunflowers
12.) 2500 ab workouts
13.) hearing the Lord's voice
14.) being picked up off the ground while getting a hug from someone
15.) when someone calls you just to say "hi" because they "were thinking about you"

this post really had no point other than i liked the idea and was inspired.

enjoy.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

ha... haha


today i was (and still am) in one of the weirdest moods i've been in in a long, long time. all day, i found myself talking in weird voices, breaking out into solo dance sessions, and busting into laughter over... umm.. nothing... and you know what? i've loved every minute of it. i love that i am weird. i love that i can become a huge dork and make a fool out of myself and not care. i love that i can find joy in making fun of myself. but most of all... i love that God is weird.

let me explain...

the Father created boogers, farting, the platapus, will ferrell... how could the one who came up with these things not be weird and hilarious?? i can just picture Him...

"let's see... oooh! I know! how about that when My people need to release some gas from their bodies, it comes out of their butts in a plethera of noises and smells!? perfect!"

genius i tell you, genius. i can see God's sense of humor everywhere i look (especially today...). the Lord wants us to see His humor and know that He's definitely up for having a good time. He doesn't want us sitting around starring at blank walls all day... as tempting as that sounds, i think i'd rather witness someone shoving their finger in their nose, slowly pulling it out, eyeing their finger for a moment, and then placing their newly found treasure inside of their mouth.

ha...

immature? maybe... or maybe not. the definition of immature is as follows: a.) lacking complete growth, differentiation, or development; b.) exhibiting less than an expected degree of maturity

who's to say what's mature and immature? i believe there is definitely times to be more serious (such as in the workplace), but why not be a nutcase every now and then? God created humor because He's weird and wants us to find the joy in being weird as well.

have you ever met a nonweird person?... they're... boring... and difficult to be around...

my challenge for y'all this week: GO AND BE WEIRD. laugh out loud at things that you may not want to admit are funny... have a dance party when you hear *nsync being played on the radio... laugh at yourself when you completely biff it while walking through the mall... giggle during awkward moments and when someone asks "what's so funny?", continue giggling... act like a total goof and enjoy it. while you do this, continue to praise the Lord and thank Him for being even more nutty than you. thank Him for having a sense of humor... and thank Him for making life...

absolutely hilarious.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

it's simple


it's simple...

be still and know that I Am God.

the world pulls us in. it's chains link around us pushing us to fill our lives with business and constant movement. amongst all of this is a voice whispering...

be still and know that I Am God.

are you listening? i haven't been. and i haven't been still... it continues, getting louder and louder...

be STILL and know that I AM GOD!

we, just like the world, have made our lives complicated... and we have made God more complicated than He should be. yes, He is mysterious in many ways, but He tells exactly what we are supposed to know and remember about Him...

I AM GOD!

enough said.

so stop running. stop talking. stop making God complicated.

go be still and know that HE is GOD!

be still. be still. be still.

Friday, July 22, 2005

bitterness

i hate the feeling of bitterness. it leaves me feeling slimy and cheap. with the bitterness comes some strong built up anger, followed by tears of saddness. i hate it... slimy and cheap.

i need to vent...

i am not one to hold grudges. yes, i am a girl so there will be times when it takes me longer to get over some things than others... but grudges... not usually. the few times i have been bitter towards someone though, all had one thing in common... they all dealt with my heart in some way. i had a couple back in high school concerning stupid boys/crushes, but no longer am i bitter, and haven't been for years. thank the Lord... wew.

right now though is a different story. good friends have a way of hurting you more than anyone else can. ... i miss my friendship i had for so long with that person... it's not there at all anymore... and.i.am.bitter. when any two good friends stop hanging out and/or talking, the relationship comes to an end, and just as a romantic relationship would... often times it leaves one of the two with... some... bitterness.

slimy and cheap. ick.

i long to have that bitter taste in my mouth gone, and have the taste of the Father's sweetness rushing through my body. bitterness does something to you... it makes you cringe. it catches you off gaurd. it suprises you (in a bad way). and it... makes... you... feel... slimy and... ch..ea..p.

there is a time and place for everything... but... i'm coming to understand that my time and place for this bitterness is... up...

i am sorry.

... He tells me, "go and rinse your mouth out"...

i can taste the bitterness slowly turning into something different...

sweetness.

amen.

Thursday, July 14, 2005

alive and real

an attack from darkness happens the most when the Lord is doing mighty things in our lives. we cannot forget that satan and demons are alive and real... living in this world.

encountering evil is scary as h-e-double hockey sticks (probably because that's where they're from)... but it's such a wake up call. [thank you Father for waking me up]. followers of Christ need to be shaken awake and reminded that satan is out to get us, and he is alive living all around us. just as God is not a distant God, satan is not a distant devil. he's right there.

his ultimate goal is to destroy. he wants every person on this earth to flee from Christ. he most often will use temptations to lure us into his trap, but there are moments when he will allow you to physically see him and hear him. fear is a weapon he uses to fight with.

satan knows how powerful and mighty the Father is and he wants to fool us into thinking the Lord isn't what we need in our lives.

do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God? well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! (james 2:19, NLT)

be prepared to fight against the authorities not of this world... be prepared to hold up your sword (the word of God)... be prepared to be atacked. as a believer, you are imprinted with Christ's name and you cannot be touched, but it won't stop the darkness from moving all around you, messing with your mind. don't be suprised to come face to face with a demon... don't be suprised if evil wakes you up in the middle of the night... and don't be suprised if crazy things happen when God is working the most.

... be prepared and remember he is real.

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

reality check

a few things i've learned since being overseas...

1.) take advantage of the free condiments at fast food restaurants
2.) fabric softener is wonderful
3.) ask people if they want to hear the 1 minute, 15 minute, or 1 hour version of how your trip was before answering the question "how was your trip?!" because most likely, they don't care
4.) saying "water" actaully gets you water and not that bubbly crap
5.) knowing what i'm ordering to eat off a menu is amazing
6.) it's important not to hang out in huge groups right when you get home... you emotions will run around crazy
7.) euro shoes are amazingly cute, but they hurt your feet like hades
8.) you haven't seen a metrosexual until you go to eastern europe
9.) in europe, guys are way too touchy feely as they walk by girls on the street
10.) romania has cats like the states have squirrels
11.) chicago drivers are extremely safe/slow compared to romanians
12.) gypsy's are most beautiful people in the world
13.) hot water is a beautiful thing
14.) americans are fat, lazy, spoiled, and absolutely ridiculous
15.) it's better to eat your big meal of the day during lunch time
16.) when in europe... girls: if you want to get a guy, tell him you play soccer; guys: if you want to get a girl, tell her you're from america
17.) i hate PDA more than ever
18.) enlglish is a hideous language but for some reason everyone wants to learn it
19.) europeans love america, but hate americans
20.) no humidity is a gift from God
21.) deodorant is also a gift from God
22.) american music videos, magazines, and posters/ads are squeeky clean compared to europes
23.) i love walking
24.) there actually are stars in the sky... lot's of them too

just a little preview of the small things learned.

but continuing on about #2: fabric softener... you don't realize what a blessing this stuff is until you don't have it. imagine picking up your favorite t-shirt, excited to wear a nice clean top, but then as you begin to put your arms through it, you begin to feel like thorns are gashing into your wrists and elbows, tearing your skin open. then you slowly push your head through the top opening, where you feel like your whole face is being scratched off into the inside of the shirt, and you bite your lip in order not to scream in pain. and then you finally pull the shirt down over your back, chest, and stomach, in hopes that you aren't bleeding profusely, and that blood stains have not ruined your shirt.

thank you Jesus for fabric softener.

ps - i'd like to make a shout out to the vice president of the G.A.M.N. club. ;-)