tuesday thoughts.

So often our actions are motivated by fear.
So often we are driven by our fears.
A fear of abandonment
a fear of rejection
a fear of being caught
a fear of being laughed at
a fear of not being what we want to be
a fear of men...

Perfect love casts out all fear.
What is love?
To me it is all about acceptance
and commitment.
I know who you are
and I still,
and because of that
choose to love you.
I am committed to you
and would not go away
no matter what.

To me, the biggest fear of them all is
to often to be able to express myself
and to sort of let loose,
to be what I am or what I am not,
honest and not clear,
not fitting into boxes
and being sometimes too little
and sometimes too much,
to be all that comes in this package
that is me.
And then I am scared of it,
seeking whether I am still accepted,
if people still want to stick around
if they still like me
after all of that.
Am I too much for them,
or not enough?

I guess it doesn't really even matter
as I can't be answer to anyone's question
or need. God is.
And He is. He has always been.
And always will.

Yet,
To me, the biggest wonder of them all
is
if you still stay,
if you still listen,
if you still answer
and if you still ask.

few things to think about...

What is your response to these?

In essentials -> unity
In non-essentials -> liberty
In all things -> love.

- (source unknown)

“In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women
centering on the living Christ. Then the church moved to Greece,
where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome,
where it became an institution. Next, it moved to Europe,
where it became a culture. And, finally, it moved
to America, where it became an enterprise.”

- Rev. Richard Halvorson, former chaplain to the U.S. Senate

music theme continues...

I absolutely love this...
I wonder if they sell club for five cd's in
amazon as i need to get one...LOL

*Joshua Rap*

For God's story on monday me
and Katie wrote this rap about Joshua
and Israelites...based on few first chapters in
the book of Joshua. I think it might have been
even recorded... :D
My first public rap perfomance hehee.
It was fun!
_______________________
After 40 years
living in fears
going beserk
wandering in desert
The time is drawing near
for a change in the atmosphere

Don't you just hate it
Moses never made it
But Josh the son of Nun
is gonna get the job done
God has promised him
to always be with him
Be bold be strong!
And nothing will go wrong.
Together we will make it
the Land is there: Just take it!

From the wilderness in Lebanon
to the great sea setting toward the son
I will end the story
as you take the territory
Be strong and do right
each day I will be your delight

So off they go and cross the river
wonder if cold water of the Jordan made them shiver
to make things right they all got cut
and share a meal on the fourteenth day of the month
As sure as the sun is bright
they had to set things right

First city they conquered was Jericho
where they strategy was just to shout: "YA-YE-YO!"
The walls of the city came down
and the glory of God was shown
Between Israel's tribes
they took no bribes
but divided the Land
Land of milk, honey and sand.

take off my shoes.

I’ll take off my shoes, I’m coming in,
Untie this rope, I’m staying with him,
Love of my life, I’ll live and die,
Just for the moments for my king and I.

Why did you call, why did you wait,
For someone so guilty, someone so fake.
There are no words for my beautiful song,
Now I’m in the arms of my beautiful one.

Hold me, blow all the pride from my bones,
With your fire.
Hold me, breathe on this heart made of stone,
Keep it pure.
Hold me, saviour of heaven and earth,
King forever.
Hold me, love of my life lead me on,
Through the fire, lead me on...

I’ll take off this crown and fall at your feet,
The secret of joy are the moments we meet.
How could a man with all of your fame,
Pull me from darkness and call me by name.

So hold me today, as I carry your cross,
Into the desert to find who is lost.
Look at my hands, they’re still full of faith,
God keep them clean till we finish the race.

Written by Delirious? ©2005 Curious? Music UK

Pray for peace to Jerusalem.

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Rom.1:1-2 [MSG]

How easy it would be to be adjusted in the culture, without noticing. So please, don't.
Do not become adjusted to culture (i say, even "church" culture) without thinking.
All we seek acceptance and that's often why we try to adjust and fit in. Mostly unconsciously.
Another thing is that media has more power on us than what we even think of.

I'm preparing to talk about sabbath as a spiritual discipline tomorrow morning.
And I also want us to pray for and bless Israel.
I think that both are probably quite against main culture at the moment.
Atleast I found that even preparing, I felt that these things are even more important
and deep than what I thought in the first place.

I would love you to read Romans 9-11 and especially that chapter 11,
to see what Paul had to say about this subject. He puts it so well that
it is perfectly relevant today.

cloud of witnesses.

Something i really enjoy about
Springboard and living in Guildford,
is having people around. After
a period in "the wilderness" it is
refreshing to meet everyday
people who are walking on the same
paths and ways
and asking the same questions.
Just loving it!

Today's illustration is a "Icon" i made
for our mini project on the Saints.
It is fascinating to find out
who have been these people
who have gone before us, on whose
shoulders we stand, who have
finished the race before us.
Still not personally very keen on the Saints though.


Heb. 1:1-3