Deep Thoughts or Random Ramblings?

Trust in the Lord

2012-02-01T07:56:00.000-06:00

Me (in a tizzy): God, can I ask you something?

GOD: Sure.

Me: Promise you won't get mad?

GOD: I promise.

Me (frustrated): Why did you let so much stuff happen to me today?

GOD: What do you mean?

Me: Well I woke up late,

GOD: Yes

Me: My car took forever to start,

GOD: Okay....

Me (growling): At lunch, they made my sandwich wrong and I had to wait

GOD: Hmmmm.......

Me: On the way home, my phone went dead, just as I picked up a call

GOD: All right

Me (loudly): And to top it all off, when I got home, I just wanted to soak my feet in my
foot massager and relax, but it wouldn't work. Nothing went right today! Why did you do
that?

GOD: Well let me see..... the death angel was at your bed this morning and I had to send
one of the other angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that.

Me (humbled): Oh...

GOD: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that
might have hit you if you were on the road

Me (ashamed): ............

GOD: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick and I didn't want you to
catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work

Me (embarrassed): Oh.....

GOD: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give a false
witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let you talk to them so you would
be covered

Me (softly): I see God

GOD: Oh and that foot massager, it had a short that was going to throw out all of the
power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark.

Me: I'm sorry God.

GOD: Don't be sorry, just learn to trust me.........in all things, the good and the bad

Me: I WILL trust you God

GOD: And don't doubt that my plan for your day is always better than your plan

Me: I won't God. And let me just tell you God, thank you for everything today.

GOD: You're welcome child. It was just another day being your God and I love looking
after my children.

Jesus Culture ~ Holding Nothing Back

2012-01-29T22:03:00.000-06:00

no worries

2012-01-27T23:23:00.000-06:00

Hillsong Live - God Is Able (Acoustic)

2012-01-27T23:15:00.000-06:00

Lord, I Need You - Chris Tomlin

2011-12-06T23:29:00.000-06:00

Christmas Comes Early

2011-11-19T20:28:00.000-06:00

In December we will begin a message series called Carols. Be sure to visit www.lifechurch.tv to find a location near you. If there's not one, no need to worry, you can also watch online. www.live.lifechurch.tvHere's a little bit of Christmas music our worship pastors put together. Enjoy!Carols by lifechurchtv

Gungor "Beautiful Things"

2011-11-16T23:55:00.000-06:00

Kristian Stanfill - Always (Live)

2011-11-16T23:53:00.000-06:00

Those Critical People

2011-11-16T23:11:00.001-06:00

We tend to elevate the opinions of people over the opinions of God...Becoming obsessed with what other people think about you is the quickest way to forget what God thinks about you. -Pastor Craig Groeschel

from week 4 of "Those People" dealing with critical people

One Sentence Sermon

2011-06-26T21:32:00.000-05:00

When you rebuke the enemy and return to God, by repenting of your sins and receiving Christ, your spirit will be reborn, your mind renewed, your life rebuilt, and when you'e connected to the vine, you will be reconciled to God by Christ's redeeming work and reap the rewards of relationship with Christ causing revival to break free. - Craig Groeschel

Expectation by Cristy Cash

2011-06-10T21:40:00.000-05:00

My dear friend Cristy!! I love this girl. Such an amazing heart for the Lord. What a great talent she has using the songs He gives her to minister to others.

Devotional Featuring Laura Story - Turning "Why?" Into "How?"

2011-06-10T21:02:00.000-05:00

While searching youtube for the previous song, I came across this devotional. Are we too busy asking God why we are going through something to ask Him how is he going to use it?

Blessings by Laura Story

2011-06-10T21:00:00.000-05:00

Heard this song today for the first time. It was too powerful not to share. Her voice is amazing. Hopefully we'll be hearing more from her.

Dare to be Weird

2011-04-24T23:19:00.001-05:00

G.O.S.P.E.L.

2011-04-24T23:15:00.001-05:00

GOD.OUR.SINS.PAYING.EVERYONE.LIFE

How Great Thou Art

2011-04-24T23:14:00.000-05:00

More Like Falling in Love

2010-05-20T22:43:00.000-05:00

I heard this song on the way home tonight. More Like Falling in Love by Jason Gray. My prayer is that we will all strive not to just believe in Jesus, but to fall in love with Him.

Give me rules
I will break them
Give me lines
I will cross them
I need more than a truth to believe
I need a truth that lives, moves, and breathes
To sweep me off my feet
It ought to be

More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance
Caught up, called out
Come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling, oh
It's like I'm falling in love

Give me words
I'll misuse them
Obligations
I'll misplace them
'Cause all religion ever made of me
Was just a sinner with a stone tied to my feet
It never set me free
It's gotta be

More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance
Caught up, called out
Come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling, oh
It's like I'm falling in love

It's like I'm falling in love, love, love
Deeper and deeper
It was love that made
Me a believer
In more than a name, a faith, a creed
Falling in love with Jesus brought the change in me

It's gotta be
More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance
Caught up, called out
Come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling, oh
It's like I'm falling in love

Is Suffering Optional? by Francis Chan

2010-04-19T00:35:00.003-05:00

This video is humbling, yet convicting. It will be worth the 45 minutes you spend watching it. Francis Chan has a way of presenting the Truth in a way you've never hear before, and will not soon forget.

**updated 04/24/11--looks like the original video was deleted. I found it again, but it's broken up in 5 parts**

Human Trafficking

2010-04-10T20:34:00.004-05:00

A friend shared this blog with me. It is written by a girl who is traveling to Moldova with a ministry. Please take time to read some of the posts.

■ Moldova is located between Romania & Ukraine.
■ The average income in Moldova is around $100 annually.
■ Moldova is the main source in Europe (60%) for women and girls trafficked in Western Europe, the Balkans and the Middle East. At least 20% of Moldovan females will be trafficked at some point in their lifetimes.
■ Moldova has the 18th highest suicide rate in the world.

The blog has been an interesting read. I first heard about human trafficking through Christine Caine's ministry, The A21 Campaign and then through All Things New out of Oklahoma City. It's a heartbreaking issue of today. It's not just something from days gone by or only in 3rd world countries. It's in your backyard, and the average age is 11!!

Awareness is the first step to prevention.

Because where there’s light, darkness can’t live.

What is Advent Conspiracy?

2009-12-03T00:37:00.000-06:00

Advent Conspiracy Challenge

2009-12-03T00:29:00.006-06:00

Christmas can [still] change the world!! The story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists. And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas? What if Christmas became a world-changing event again? www.adventconspiracy.org

Skyline is adopting the Advent Conspiracy mission this Christmas Season:
Worship Fully ~ Spend Less ~ Give More ~ Love All

We have also accepted a challenge to raise $60,000 to provide clean drinking water to Sierra Leone. What you and I take for granted-- that we can walk over to the sink and out comes a glass of water ready to drink & that is not going to make us sick... those in Africa may have to walk many miles to get. The "cleanest" of water, most of us would never dream of drinking. What could you cut back on or sacrifice this Christmas season? What if you gave that money you saved to help save the life of another? Please consider helping us reach this goal!! Donations can be made to Skyline and are tax deductable. If you would like to donate I would be happy to pick it up from you. No amount is too small. For more information on Skyline visit http://www.skylineokc.com For more information on the water pumps we are raising money for check out this video:

Here is the link to the message at Skyline the Sunday of 11/29/09:
www.skylineokc.podbean.com/2009/11/29/sunday-conversation-2009-11-29-skylineokccom/

Just a few facts from the message...
$18 billion would solve the world wide food crisis
$10 billion would solve the world wide water crisis (every 15 seconds a child dies without clean water)
$5 billion would educate every child in the world
That's a total of $33 billion
Each year in America:
$450 billion is spent on Christmas
$20 billion is spent on ice cream
$18 billion is spent on make up
$10 billion is spent on perfume & cologne
$5 billion is spent on Halloween candy

Where are our priorities? God has blessed us to bless others. I'm not saying give up all these things, but how can you cut back on them so that another may have a clean drink of water each day? If we spent half on Christmas alone, and gave the other half -- this would cover all these things almost 7 times!!

Live simply, so that others may simply live!!

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.
~ Matthew 25:37-40'

Update on Sorie

2009-10-22T15:15:00.000-05:00

Sorie, 12, lives in Sierra Leone and was burned horribly in an accident early in 2008. After a team from Oklahoma City met Sorie, they were moved with compassion to help him recover and lead a normal life. This is their story.

The Tapestry Project

2009-09-08T21:46:00.001-05:00

www.thetapestryproject.org

EVE Ministries

2009-09-08T21:29:00.000-05:00

Oh How He Loves Us!!

2009-09-07T10:47:00.000-05:00

Consume Me From the Inside Out

2009-09-07T10:37:00.000-05:00

Enough~Chris Tomlin

2009-06-14T01:18:00.000-05:00

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

You are my supply
My breath of life
And still more awesome than I know
You are my reward
worth living for
And still more awesome than I know

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

You're my sacrifice
Of greatest price
And still more awesome than I know
You're my coming King
You are everything
And still more awesome than I know

More than all I want
More than all I need
You are more than enough for me
More than all I know
More than all I can say
You are more than enough for me

Pushing Back Darkness

2009-06-12T10:25:00.002-05:00

Please read below from my friend Shanna. Most of you know that I have been working with a couple of ministires that help support this Orphanage. Please take time to check out this blog and be in prayer for how God is moving in Sierra Leone. Please feel free to repost and share however you can. We want the world to know of all the great things going on and how others can help if they feel led.

From Shanna:

There is a new blog you MUST read. Missionaries traveling to an orphanage in Sierra Leone, Africa with 4HIM will be blogging while on their trip. The first blogger is my friend Crystal. I will be the blogger for the next trip. You must read this...you must!
In fact, I am asking each of you for a personal favor. After you read the blog, will you please help us promote it. Either by emailing your peeps, or facebooking or twittering or yelling it from a mountain top :) The purpose of the blog is to help raise awareness for a group of children orphaned by a terrible civil war. May you be drawn closer to the heart of God as read the posts! Thank you for your help.

Oh...and leave a comment so we know you're reading :)

http://pushingbackdarkness.com/

In His Love,
Shanna

The Surving Church as Single Scorecard

2009-06-02T08:09:00.002-05:00

Taken from http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2009/06/550-surviving-church-as-single.html

1. Your church doesn't have a singles ministry. = + 1 point

2. Your church has a singles ministry but it's combined with the college ministry which creates opportunities for conversations like this:Student: "My roommate bought a microwave for our dorm room. I love being a Freshman!"Single: "My 401K is underperforming." = +2 points

3. Your church has a singles ministry but it's a triad that combines college, single adults and divorce recovery. = + 3 points

4. Your church has a singles ministry but it's the dreaded quad, combining college, single adults, divorce recovery and retired widowers that refuse to move to Florida. = +4 points

5. Someone pays you the world's most backhanded compliment, "I just don't understand how someone as great as you isn't married yet." = +1 point

6. Someone told you, “If you stop looking for love you’ll find it.” 2 points for each time you’ve heard that.

7. At church, people give you weird looks if you refuse to sit in the “singles” section of the sanctuary. = +1 point

8. When people introduce you, they say, “This is Matt, my single friend.” = +2 points

9. When people introduce you they feel compelled to list out your accomplishments, “This is Sally, my single friend who owns her own home, drives a luxury sedan and has a very, very stable job.” = +3 points

10. Your friends that have been married for 15 minutes act like they suddenly don’t remember anything about dating and therefore can't give you any advice. “It’s been so long since I dated, things have changed so much. I’m just out of that whole scene.” + 2 points

11. People are constantly volunteering you for things because, “you’re single, you’ve got so much free time.” = +1 point

12. People at church act a little surprised when they ask you, “How are you doing?” and you respond with, “Things are great right now. I love my life!” = +1 point

13. Married friends try to live vicariously through you, asking questions like, “What did you do this weekend? Road trip? I bet you went on some crazy cool, singles road trip, right?” = +2 points

14. Someone you just met for the first time said a sentence like this to you, “If you want to get married, you need to ______.” = +2 points

15. Whenever married friends call you at noon on a Saturday, they start the conversation by saying, “Did I just wake you up?” = +3 points

16. You assume that if you don’t get engaged by final exams of your senior year in college you'll never get married. = -2 points

17. You’ve secretly always wanted your own cat but are afraid that ownership of a single kitten will become some sort of gateway drug to becoming “the cat lady.” = - 2 points

18. You’ve ever given an impassioned, enraged monologue on the injustice that men who are single get to age gracefully and be considered “bachelors” while women are instantly judged as “crazy cat ladies.” = – 3 points

19. You’ve got a “don’t perpetuate the cat lady stereotype,” monologue locked and loaded at all times and have already stopped reading this post so you can put it in the comments section. = - 5 points

20. Someone has quoted the “it’s not good for man to be alone” Bible verse to you. = +2 points

21. When friends invite you to their church they start the invite by listing both the quantity and hotness of the singles that go there. = +1 point

22. That friend was named Jon Acuff and he said, “No one in Atlanta should ever involuntarily remain single with so many awesome single people at North Point Community Church.” (I've said this a lot. My bad.) = + 3 points

23. Your married friends tip toe around you during February because they think you're too delicate to handle the completely made up holiday, Valentine’s Day. = +1 point

24. You are too delicate to handle Valentine’s Day and have been known to describe it with a rich tapestry of words no Christian should even know exist, never mind actually say out loud. = + 1 point

25. The person that leads the singles ministry at your church got married in 1964. = +10 points for each decade they’ve been married

26. Someone told you, "Maybe you need to focus on being more like a Proverbs 31 woman." = 2 points for each time it wasn't sincere encouragement

27. You didn't know you were supposed to be unhappy as a single adult until you went to church and found the singles ministry to be akin to a support group. = +3 points

28. Upon hearing that you went on a first date with someone, your single friends at church stop inviting you to the single events because "you're in a relationship already." = +2 points

29. Upon hearing that you went on two dates, your married friends at church start telling you, "I'll be praying that this is the one!" = + 3 points

30. Your best friend of 15 years gets married and then suddenly acts like a magical gap has opened up between you and decides that until you get married too you can't be close again because you just don't understand each other anymore. = +3 points

31. To justify giving a four week marriage sermon series to a congregation that is 60% single, the pastor throws out one blanket statement like this at the beginning of the series, "And you single people listen up to this too, this well serve you well when you get married too." = +2 points

32. You set your alarm to "not going to church today" after the first week of the marriage sermon series. = - 2 points

33. The only time your married friends invite you over is when they need a babysitter. = +3 points

34. Someone throws the "Paul was never married" card on you. = +2 points

35. Friends assume that the only qualification that matters to you when it comes to finding a date is that she's available and set you up with people you have nothing in common with. = +2 points

36. You've ever said the rhyme, "I'm a bachelor til’ the rapture." = - 1 point

37. During a prayer at church celebrating wedding anniversaries, the person praying says a special prayer for all the people that are still single and lonely. (True story) = +1 point

38. You have a friend that feels like creating a dating profile on eHarmony is a sign that you might not be trusting God enough to provide a soul mate. = + 1 point

39. You've developed highly sensitive, "They're about to throw the bouquet" radar and know exactly when to leave a wedding. = +2 points

40. Instead of saying that you're "single" your friends describe you as "Not married yet." = +2 points

Blood Type

2009-04-17T10:14:00.002-05:00

It's a Wednesday night and you are at a church prayer meeting when somebody runs in from the parking lot yelling, "Turn on a radio, turn on a radio!" And while the church listens to a little transistor radio with a microphone stuck up to it, the announcement is made: "Two women are lying in a Long Island hospital dying from'mystery' flu." Within hours it seems, this thing just sweeps across the country. People are working around the clock trying to find an antidote. Nothing is working! California, Oregon, Arizona, Georgia, Minnesota, Massachusetts. It's as though it's just sweeping in from the borders. And then, all of a sudden, the news comes out. The code has been broken. A cure can be found.. A vaccine can be made. It's going to take the blood of somebody who hasn't been infected. And so, all through the country, through all those channels of emergency broadcasting, they ask you to do one simple thing: Go to your downtown hospital and have your blood type taken. That's all we ask of you. When you hear the sirens go off in your neighborhood, please make your way quickly, quietly, and safely to the hospitals...

Sure enough, when you and your family get down there late on that Friday night, there is a long line, and they've got nurses and doctors coming out and pricking fingers and taking blood and putting labels on it. Your wife and your kids are out there, and they take your blood type and they say, "Wait here in the parking lot and if we call your name, you can be dismissed and go home." You stand around, scared, with your neighbors, wondering what in the world is going on and if this is the end of the world. Suddenly a young man comes running out of the hospital screaming. He's yelling a name and waving a clipboard. What? He yells it again! And your son tugs on your jacket and says, "Daddy, that's me." Before you know it, they have grabbed your boy. Wait a minute!Hold on! And they say, "It's okay, his blood is clean. His blood is pure. We want to make sure he doesn't have the disease. We think he has got the right type." Five tense minutes later, out come the doctors and nurses, crying and hugging one another... some are even laughing. It's the first time you have seen anybody laugh in a week, and an old doctor walks up to you and says, "Thank you, sir. Your son's blood type is perfect. It's clean, it is pure, and we can make the vaccine." As the word begins to spread all across that parking lot full of folks, people are screaming and praying and laughing and crying.

Then the gray-haired doctor pulls you and your wife aside and says, "May we see you for moment? We didn't realize that the donor would be a minor and we need you to sign a consent form." You begin to sign and then you see that the number of pints of blood to be taken has been left blank. "H-how many pints?" you ask. And that is when the old doctor's smile fades and he says, "We had no idea it would be a little child. We weren't prepared. I'm sorry sir, we need it all!" "But but ... You don't understand." "We are talking about the world here... Please sign. We need it all!" "But can't you give him a transfusion?" "If we had clean blood we would. Can you sign? Would you sign?" In numb silence, you do. Then they say, "Would you like to have a moment with him before we begin?" Can you walk back? Can you walk back to that room where he sits on a table saying, "Daddy? Mommy? What's going on?" Can you take his hands and say, Son, your mommy and I love you, and we would never ever let anything happen to you that didn't just have to be. Do you understand that?" And when that old doctor comes back in and says, "I'm sorry, we've GOT to get started! People all over the world are dying. Can you leave?"

Can you walk out while he is saying, "Daddy? Mommy? Daddy?" "Why, why have you forsaken me?" And then next week, when they have the ceremony to honor your son some folks sleep through it. Some folks don't even come because they go to the lake or the seashore. Some folks come with a pretentious smile and just "pretend" to care. Would you want to jump up and say, "MY SON DIED FOR YOU! DON'T YOU CARE?" Is that what GOD wants to say? "MY SON DIED FOR YOU. DON'T YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I CARE?" "FATHER, Seeing it from YOUR eyes breaks our hearts. Maybe now we can begin to comprehend the great Love YOU have for us."

Oasis/The Fixx-How it All Began

2009-03-31T21:20:00.001-05:00

http://www.myspace.com/thefixxokc

The Tapestry Project

2009-03-31T21:18:00.001-05:00

http://www.thetapestryproject.org

Get Your Own Dirt

2009-03-26T19:03:00.001-05:00

God is sitting in heaven when a scientist says to Him,
"Lord, we don't need you anymore. Science has finally figured out a way to create life out of nothing. In other words, we can now do what you did in the ‘beginning'."

"Oh, is that so? Tell me..." replies God.

"Well", says the scientist, "we can take dirt and form it into the likeness of you and breathe life into it, thus creating man."

"Well, that's interesting.. Show Me. "

So the scientist bends down to the earth and starts to mold the soil.

"Oh no, no, no..." interrupts God. "Get your own dirt."

Why does my prescription take so long to fill?

2009-03-23T22:18:00.002-05:00

Ever wonder? Check out this blog. I promise this guy's story is more the rule and not the exception. Seriously! You wonder why I don't work at the pharmacy full time?!

http://drugmonkey.blogspot.com/2006/08/i-realize-today-ive-done-you.html

The Silent Sermon

2009-03-20T10:38:00.003-05:00

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the preacher decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The preacher found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his preacher's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The preacher made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the preacher took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead. Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The preacher glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow,once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it. As the preacher reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, 'Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.' We live in a world today, which tries to say too much with too little. Consequently, few listen. Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left unspoken.

No Dogs Allowed

2009-03-07T15:31:00.001-06:00

A dog had followed his owner to school. His owner was a fourth grader at a public elementary school. However, when the bell rang, the dog sidled inside the building and made it all the way to the child's classroom before a teacher noticed and shooed him outside, closing the door behind him. The dog sat down, whimpered and stared at the closed doors. Then God appeared beside the dog, patted his head, and said, 'Don't feel bad fella'...they won't let ME in either'.

Brennin Hunt's in Ellen's Bathroom Concert Contest!!

2009-03-06T23:35:00.002-06:00

http://ellen.warnerbros.com/polls/bathroomconcertseries/index.php

Please go vote for Brennin's video to win!! It does take a little bit for the page to load the first time, but the reload doesn't take too long. Vote as many times as you want. Thanks for your help!!

Brennin's entry:

Ellen's response:

simple advice to survive a complex world

2009-01-27T19:41:00.002-06:00

Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.
Pray.
Go to bed on time.
Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
Delegate tasks to capable others.
Simplify and unclutter your life.
Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
Take one day at a time.
Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
Get enough rest.
Eat right.
Get organized so everything has its place.
Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
Write down thoughts and inspirations.
Every day, find time to be alone.
Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
Make friends with Godly people.
Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus .'
Laugh.
Laugh some more!
Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
Sit on your ego.
Talk less; listen more.
Slow down.
Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.

a world we were not created for

2009-01-27T19:31:00.005-06:00

So many conversations recently, with so many different people. Discontentment with a certain area of life. Why Lord? Why me? I don't understand. Yesterday was eye opening, life changing. Such an easy concept, why has it not made sense before? Same "conversation", slightly different approach. "Light bulb moment". Twice in one day... ok, Lord. You are speaking... I am listening.

10am LifeChurch.tv-SOKC. Tracey and I sat in the experience room. Unlike any other day, Pastor Craig full of his comedic stories...then bam... a profound statement and a room of silence. True[ish] week 2: As long as your happy. Today's funny story a fish out of water... put him on a beach... vacation time... sunglasses...a corona...and a playfish magazine...[oh yes! he really said that!!] is the fish happy? NO! He's out of the water he was created for. He's not where he belongs. The longer he stays away... he will begin to die. And then bam... we on earth are like the fish out of water. If we are basing our happiness on the things of this world, we will never find it. People think: better possessions + peaceful circumstances + thrilling experiences + right relationships + the perfect appearance = happiness. But... Nothing of this world will make us happy b/c we were not created for this world. We both look at each other... WOW!! I've never thought of it quite that way. I've always known, it's not the "things" that make you happy. But I've always limited those "things" to actual material objects. I certain can and have done without a lot of things that most think they can't do without. But have honestly never grasped the idea that relationships and peace are also "things". It's ok, to have wants and desires. & there will be times when God blesses us with material things, relationships, a peaceful life. But when we place these things before Him, true happiness and contentment will never be obtained. We must place our happiness in HIM, the ONE we were created for. All other blessings are a bonus.

Later in the day, I was reading a blog posted by my sweet friend Sarah. The morning's revelations were reenforced so perfectly by her words...

"There deep in the Word (both written and living) I find comfort that great warriors of Christ are simply human at times and only reside wholly in Him when we briefly escape our bindings. But the truth is blaringly clear: He brought the opportunity down from heaven and inserted it here in the middle of this world; the world we will never belong to, the world we were not intended for. He finds us here every day and seeks to give the Divinity of walking with Him….and, daily, this world blinds the eyes of many to seeing it. Nothing before Him!!! I say it again….Nothing Before Him!!!"

Wow!! So profound!! I leave you with a verse I found today. One that pretty much sums it all up:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge cloud of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. ~ Hebrews 12:1 NLT

What Do I Know of Holy?

2009-01-23T22:35:00.003-06:00

by Addison Road

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life "its" name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?

What if Christmas was a world changing event?

2008-12-07T19:32:00.000-06:00

Elf Yourself

2008-12-07T19:18:00.001-06:00

Just for fun! www.elfyourself.com

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

New Name

2008-11-21T21:53:00.001-06:00

Simply AMAZING!

Marcy Priest~Beyond Women's Event~11.08.08

What's your identity?

2008-11-16T23:08:00.002-06:00

Last weekend at the Beyond Women's Event, sweet Shari talked about identity. Thieves in many forms can steal it... but God creates and recreates it.

What steals your identity as you see yourself?

Sometimes I feel...
invisible, unworthy, tired, lonely, poor body image, guilty, bitter, finances, last, rejected, envious, lost, single

What is your identity as God sees you?

But in Christ I am...
accepted, friend, forgiven, comforted, adopted, called, free, loved, protected, beautiful

~Romans 12:2~
Do not conform anylonger to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Renew Me

2008-11-16T22:46:00.004-06:00

LifeChurch.tv-SOKC Beyond Women's Event 11/07/08

Renew Me by Avalon

Why am I such a dusty window
For your light to shine through?
Why am I just a tiny star
In a sky already blue?
Why do I offer everything
With my heart closed like a fist?
I want to love You better than this

Why do I live like I'm in chains
When You have set me free?
And why do I have to break Your heart
Before I fall to my knees?
I know it's time to pray for change
Give all I have to give
I want to love You better than this

So renew me
Remake me
Undo me
Unbreak me
Come into the empty spaces
Of my broken places
And consume me
Complete me
Pursue me
Redeem me
Let Your Holy Spirit living through me
Renew me

I need Your power to renew me, Lord, yeah
I need to know You're moving through me, Lord

I need You as my refuge
My first and last resort
Be the river always running
Through my deepest thoughts
Keep me in Your arms
'Cause even when I drift
I want to love You better than this

So renew me
Remake me
Undo me
Unbreak me
Come into the empty spaces
Of my broken places
And consume me
Complete me
Pursue me
Redeem me
Let Your Holy Spirit living through me
Renew me

My life bending to Your will
Seeking You until I'm more and more like You

Henry Poole is Here

2008-08-26T22:17:00.002-05:00

This weekend the girls and I went to the movies to see Henry Poole is Here. I honestly hadn't even heard of the movie, so I read the description online and thought, "oh, that will probably be pretty good". Pretty good? How about A-freakin'-mazing?! This was by far THE best movie I have seen in a long time. Laugh, cry, on the edge of your seat. Go see it!!

Cardboard Testimonies

2008-08-26T22:11:00.000-05:00

After a While

2008-06-28T10:18:00.002-05:00

After a while you learn
The subtle difference between
Holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesn't always mean security.

And you begin to learn
That kisses aren't contracts
And presents aren't promises
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes ahead
With the grace of a woman
Not the grief of a child

And you learn
To build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow's ground is
Too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way
Of falling down in mid flight

After a while you learn
That even sunshine burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden
And decorate your own soul
Instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers

And you learn
That you really can endure
That you are really strong
And you really do have worth
And you learn and you learn
With every good bye you learn.

by Veronica A. Shoffstall

Lucky

2008-06-18T19:01:00.004-05:00

Makes me miss my doggies. : (

Wrinkles ~ Shadow ~ Bailey

A GREAT DOG STORY

Anyone who has pets will really like this. You'll like it even if you don't and you may even decide you need one!

Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.' Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.

Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that is toys stay in the box. It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer.

Something told her she was going to die of this disease.....in fact, she was just sure it was fatal. She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders.

The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him. The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.

The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.

Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom.

Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap. Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon over came her and she dozed.

When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body felt heavy and hot.

But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned!

While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life. He had covered her with his love.

Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day.

It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky? He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.

We all need to remember to live every day to the fullest. Each minute is a blessing from God and never forget....the people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care for us.

If you see someone without a smile today give them one of ours!Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

I Believe

2008-06-10T21:22:00.002-05:00

I Believe - A birth certificate shows that we were born; a death certificate shows that we died; pictures show that we lived!

I believe - That just because two people argue, it doesn't meanthey don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I believe - That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe - That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I believe - That true friendship continues to grow, even overthe longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I believe - That you can do something in an instant that will giveyou heartache for life.

I believe - That it's taking me a long time to become the person Iwant to be.

I believe - That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. You never know when it may be the last time you see them.

I believe - That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I believe - That we are responsible for what we do (no matter how we feel).

I believe - That either you control your attitude, or it controls you.

I believe - That heroes are the people who do what has to be donewhen it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I believe - That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe - That sometimes the people you expect to kick you whenyou're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe - That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I believe - That maturity has more to do with what types ofexperiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe - That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe - That no matter how bad your heart is broken, theworld doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe - That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe - Two people can look at the exact same thing andsee something totally different.

I believe - That your life can be changed in a matter of hours bypeople who don't even know you.

I believe - That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I believe - That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe - The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

I believe - " The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you"

When Your Hut's on Fire

2008-06-06T12:10:00.001-05:00

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, 'God! How could you do this to me?' Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! 'How did you know I was here?' asked the weary man of his rescuers. 'We saw your smoke signal,' they replied.

The Moral of This Story: It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the gr ound. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

One Lord, One Baptism, One Faith, One Prayer

2008-06-03T21:37:00.005-05:00

What would happen if believers from all over the globe came together to impact the world like never before? By living beyond ourselves, we can change our communities and our world. It started with a vision, and a blog. By word of mouth, LifeChurch.tv is partnering with over 1200 churches world wide to unite together for a series called 'One Prayer.'

Last weekend Craig did a preview message setting the stage for what is about to happen. You can watch this message at:

http://www.lifechurch.tv/message-archive/one-prayer/1

At LifeChurch, Craig will be doing the first week, follwed by 3 other pastors: Jentezen Franklin-Free Chapel Worship Center, Gainesville GA; Ed Young-Fellowship Church, Ft Worth TX; and Perry Noble-New Spring Church, Anderson SC.

One Prayer serves several purposes. Specifically, we believe it will…

Promote unity in the body of Christ as we stand together like never before.

Remove geographical barriers by allowing individuals to learn from great teachers and ministries around the world.

Refocus our understanding of the Church as a body of believers instead of a physical location.

Raise money to start churches in strategic areas across the globe.

Intensify our spiritual growth as we fast, pray, and seek God in concert with more than 700,000 other believers.

One Prayer is a series that will be launched globally on the weekend of June 7/8. Most churches will participate for four weeks: one week of teaching from your pastor and three weeks of teaching by gifted communicators who will visit your church via video. In each message, the speaker will answer the question, “If God would answer ‘one prayer’ for the church at large, what would you pray?” The messages will be titled, “Make us _________.”

Check out http://www.oneprayer.com/ to see a list of the participating churches, and to get full details of One Prayer.

Check out http://www.lifechurch.tv/ to see locations and times for our experiences.

You can also join us via the internet campus online:

Saturdays @ 6:30pm

Sundays @ 10 & 11:30am

Tuesdays @8pm.

Join us for this innovative series and see what God will do when we all stand together!

You can be a part of this worldwide movement by praying for all the churches preparing to begin the One Prayer series.

What's your true color?

2008-05-11T20:05:00.001-05:00

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Brown

You're brown, a credible, stable color that's reminiscent of fine wood, rich leather, and wistful melancholy. Most likely, you're a logical, practical person ruled more by your head than your heart. With your inquisitive mind and insatiable curiosity, you're probably a great problem solver. And you always gather all of the facts before coming to a timely, informed decision. Easily intrigued, you're constantly finding new ways to challenge your mind, whether it's by reading the newspaper, playing a trivia game, or composing a piece of music. Brown is an impartial, neutral color, which means you tend to see the difference between fact and opinion easily and are open to many points of view. Trustworthy and steady, you really are a brown at heart.

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=colorogt&c=50652

You Took My Place...

2008-05-06T10:07:00.004-05:00

One day, a man went to visit a church.
He got there early, parked his car and got out.
Another car pulled up near the driver got out and said,
'I always park there! You took my place!'

The visitor went inside for Sunday School,
found an empty seat and sat down.
A young lady from the church approached him and stated,
'That's my seat! You took my place!'
The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome,
but said nothing..

After Sunday School,
the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down.
Another member walked up to him and said,
'That's where I always sit! You took my place!'
The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment,
but still He said nothing.

Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them,
the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change.
Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet.
Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out,
'What happened to you?'
The visitor replied, as his hat became a crown of thorns,
and a tear fell from his eye,
'I took your place.'

Refuge OKC

2008-04-12T13:31:00.004-05:00

Here is an article the appeared in the Daily Oklahoman recently about Refuge OKC.

"Coincidentally" I have a previous blog posted about my MicroMission at the Refuge titled A Light in the Darkness--posted February 7, 2008.

To be a light in darkness: Old building is now a refuge

By Carla Hinton Religion Editor Sun April 6, 2008

A downtown Oklahoma City building adjacent to City Rescue Mission has been transformed from a crack house to a church house.

The bustling effort to repurpose a squalid apartment building at 823 W California was started a year ago by the new owner, who bought it without realizing it was a notorious haven for criminal activity.

As Californian Tim Ulrich painted the walls of the dilapidated building, a prostitute hiding from a pimp crept through the filthy rooms and pointed out a putrid mattress that had been used for illicit encounters.

Desperate people knocked on the doors and windows, looking for a crack fix or other illegal drugs.

Gang members surrounded him as he sat in his car, perhaps sizing up the person bold enough to step onto their territory.

Ulrich, 32, decided to sell the place. Quickly.

But God had other plans.

Ulrich partnered with several Oklahoma City area churches to renovate the building for use as The Refuge OKC ministry.

They are intent on making the building once known as a drug house and "Satan's stronghold" into a ministry hub for churches and volunteers who want to help the homeless and indigent.
"I went from selling the building to thanking the Lord that He gave me this crazy building," Ulrich said. "Our point is to be 'the church' down here. To be a light in darkness."

Annamarie Slater is director of Bridgeway Church, one of the ministries partnering with Ulrich. She said The Refuge fits with the mission of her church at 228 W Hefner Road to meet people where they are.

"Ten months ago, it was a crack house. There was gang activity," Slater said. "God's just redeeming it and bringing it back so that it can be a refuge from the storm."

Many weekends, volunteers from churches like Bridgeway, LifeChurch.tv, Mars Hills, Wildwood Calvary Chapel and New Covenant Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) visit The Refuge to work on restoring the building. Ulrich said some church groups have "adopted" rooms in the 25-unit building, refurbishing the floors, cleaning, installing cabinets and doors.

He said eventually he and others will live in the building as on-site "disciplers."

"We are so excited, we can't see straight," said the Rev. Tom Jones, president and chief executive of City Rescue Mission, 800 W California.

"Right up until Tim bought it, that building was one of the biggest crack houses in the city. We really believe in what Tim's doing and support it."

Jones said the building's proximity to City Rescue Mission previously proved tempting for people living at the faith-based homeless shelter and struggling to break free from drug or alcohol addictions.

"We were working diligently to get people off drugs, and they could go right across the street and get anything they wanted," Jones said.

The Rev. Ronald Scott, pastor of Serenity Outreach Ministries, said he visited The Refuge after hearing about it from people involved with his ministry's center for people recovering from substance abuse.

Scott said he was surprised and delighted that The Refuge had drawn young ministry-minded believers downtown.

Oklahoma City police Capt. Steve McCool said criminal activity at the building appeared to increase in 2006, based on the types of calls received. He said in 2005, there were five police reports regarding the address and in 2006, there were 24 reports. He said 18 police reports were made in 2007. He said the reports described problems such as public drunkenness, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, robbery and drug offenses.

Scott said after touring the building with Ulrich one day, he and the young minister prayed together.

"It really gave me a lot of hope," Scott said. "My prayers are with him."

Financial loss; spiritual gain.

Ulrich said before visiting his Oklahoma investment property, he was a youth pastor at a church in Yucaipa, a small town in southern California. He said the biggest problem he helped solve was youths struggling with the breakup of their boyfriend or girlfriend — nothing of the magnitude of the types of crises that awaited him here.

Ulrich said it was several months after he had met and prayed with many of the transient occupants of the supposedly vacant apartment building that he and his wife decided to heed the Lord's call and move to Oklahoma City. People from different congregations heard about the couple's move of faith and helpers began arriving.

He estimates he's lost about $200,000 in what he had initially hoped would be a lucrative endeavor. However, he said he's gained so much more than money — new friends, a new city and a new purpose.

"It's important that we are a light and as the light we're to go to dark places," he said. "This seems like this will be a place where Jesus would have hung out. He didn't come for the righteous, He came for the broken, and there are lot of them down here."

The Refuge is not ready for ministry efforts in the building, but churches have not let that stop them from using the site to offer a variety of services.

In November, LifeChurch.tv held a block party outside The Refuge, offering hot meals, tents, bedding, haircuts, shopping excursions and a worship experience to homeless people. In January, volunteers from New Covenant Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) converged on the building to clean and help with renovation.

Students from Oklahoma Christian University also have been involved in the restoration and two college students from the Dallas area showed up one day during spring break to clean and perform other rehab tasks. Ulrich estimates about 3,000 people have walked through the halls since he bought the building.

Looking out a window on the building's east side, Ulrich pointed to street corners where he hopes to hold prayer gatherings early each month, when drug and other criminal activity seem to increase.

Much of the work of The Refuge is simple, he said. Church congregations must come outside the four walls of their church building where the need for ministry is strongest, instead of waiting for people to come to them.

"The Lord was wanting to do some rescuing," Ulrich said.

Are we on hidden camera?!

2008-04-12T00:34:00.004-05:00

So Tracey and I went to Bricktown tonight to hand out flyers for the CD release. As we were walking back to the car... we were stopped by 4 young girls. They asked if we had a minute to answer a couple of questions. If we could answer 2 questions in 1 minute, they'd give us $20 and we could help each other answer the questions. Easy enough right? First question... name 10 sodas. We got this one. But I began to wonder if we're on some hidden camera show! LOL. 2nd question... name the 10 Commandments. Not so easy on the spot! We actually had 8 of them. But kind of ashamed we could not come up with the other two. Definitely one of the most creative evangelistic techniques I've seen.

So... The Big 10:

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4. Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.
5. Honor thy father and thy mother.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultry.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false withness.
10. Thou shalt not covet.

PS... I'm not telling you the 2 we missed.

Amazed by Desperation Band

2008-03-23T02:25:00.004-05:00

You dance over me

While I am unaware

You sing all around

But I never hear the sound

Lord I’m amazed by You

How You love me

How wide

How deep

How great

Is Your love for me

I decided to do a playlist of worship music to go on my blog. I found this song. A song and band I was introduced to on our mission trip to NYC last September. Oh how I miss our morning worship time. It's so easy to get up early and do these things when you away doing "His work". Why is it so hard to get up early to do them in "real life". Each day we get up no matter what we are set out to do, in some way we are a part of "His work". Why should we not be fully prepared for our day by first being consumed with Him?

Lord I pray that you will give me that unresting deisre to be at your feet each morning to start my day.

Still He Walked

2008-03-19T23:45:00.002-05:00

He could hear the crowds screaming "crucify" "crucify"...
He could hear the hatred in their voices,
These were his chosen people.
He loved them,
And they were going to crucify him.
He was beaten, bleeding and weakened... his heart was broken,
But still He walked.

He could see the crowd as he came from the palace.
He knew each of the faces so well.
He had created them.
He knew every smile, laugh, and shed tear,
But now they were contorted with rage and anger...his heart broke,
But still He walked.

Was he scared?
You and I would have been.
So his humanness would have mandated that he was.
He felt alone.
His disciples had left, denied, and even betrayed him.
He searched the crowd for a loving face and he saw very few.
Then he turned his eyes to the only one that mattered,
And he knew that he would never be alone.
He looked back at the crowd, at the people who were spitting
At him, throwing rocks at him and mocking him and he knew
That because of him, they would never be alone.
So for them, He walked.

The sounds of the hammer striking the spikes echoed through the crowd.
The sounds of his cries echoed even louder,
he cheers of the crowd, as his hands and feet
Were nailed to the cross, intensified with each blow.
Loudest of all was the still small voice inside his
Heart that whispered "I am with you, my son",
And God's heart broke.
He had let his son walk.

Jesus could have asked God to end his suffering,
But instead he asked God to forgive.
Not to forgive him, but to forgive the ones who were persecuting him.
As he hung on that cross, dying an unimaginable death,
He looked out and saw, not only the faces in the crowd,
But also, the face of every person yet to be,
And his heart filled with love.
As his body was dying, his heart was alive.
Alive with the limitless, unconditional love he feels for each of us.
That is why He walked.

When I forget how much My God loves me,
I remember his walk.

When I wonder if I can be forgiven,
I remember his walk.

When I need reminded of how to live like Christ,
I think of his walk.

And to show him how much I love him,
I wake up each morning, turn my eyes to him,
And I walk.

-- Author Unknown

You say... But God says...

2008-03-11T01:28:00.002-05:00

You say: "It's impossible"
God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)

You say: "I'm too tired"
God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: "Nobody really loves me"
God says: I love you (John 3:16 & John 3:34 )

You say: "I can't go on"
God says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can't figure things out"
God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: "I can't do it"
God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)

You say: "I'm not able"
God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: "It's not worth it"
God says: It will be worth it (Roman 8:28 )

You say: "I can't forgive myself"
God says: I Forgive you (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: "I can't manage"
God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)

You say: "I'm afraid"
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7)

You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"
God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7)

You say: "I don't have enough faith"
God says: I've given everyone a measure of faith (Romans 12:3)

You say: "I'm not smart enough"
God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: "I feel all alone"
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)

What's Your Birth Verse?

2008-03-10T23:09:00.002-05:00

Click on the title above to go to the website.

My Birth Verse:

~James 1:17 NIV~
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

What's yours? Post a comment and let me know. : )

Captivated

2008-02-25T22:08:00.003-06:00

Carrie sang one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard yesterday.
It's currently the profile song on my myspace page.

Captivated by Vicky Beeching

Your laughter it echoes like a joyous thunder
Your whisper it warms me like a summer breeze
Your anger is fiercer than the sun in its splendour
You're close and yet full of mystery
Ever since the day that I saw Your face
Try as I may, I cannot look away, I cannot look away…

Captivated by You
I am captivated by You
May my life be one unbroken gaze
Fixed upon the beauty of Your face

Beholding is becoming, so as You fill my gaze
I become more like You and my heart is changed
Beholding is becoming, so as You fill my view
Transform me into the likeness of You

This is what I ask, for all my days
That I may, never look away, never look away…
No other could ever be as beautiful
No other could ever steal my heart away
I just can't look away…

Breaking the Chains

2008-02-15T22:42:00.005-06:00

I was listening to a podcast today from Ed Young-- pastor of Fellowship Church in Ft Worth--called Pronoun-Us. ( you can get it on iTunes) Part of his message really made me think.

A man walking to a circus saw an elephant chained to a stake with a flimsy bicycle chain. He asked the trainer how the little chain held the big beast to the stake. The trainer laughed and said, I've had the elephant since he was a baby. When he was a baby, he didn't have the strength to break the chain. Now, if he wanted to, he could break it like a thread. But the memory keeps him teathered to the stake.

Why is so many times we are like that elephant? We've been tied to things that have had strongholds over us for so long. We have grown so accustomed to the things that tie us down, that we don't even try to break free. We just believe that where we are is all we're ever going to be. If we could only believe, if we only had faith, if we only had complete trust in the One that can break any stronghold... how much more fulfilling could life be?

A Light in the Darkness

2008-02-07T23:34:00.000-06:00

Jesus said also to the man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." ~Luke 14:12-14~

When throwing a party, for eternal reward, you need a guest list full of the least likely people you can imagine, people who can never pay you back, never make you fell cool for inviting them. Sounds crazy, huh? Jesus' way of doing things was often hard to accept.
One night in Phoenix on out way to a sleeping spot we liked, Sam and I passed a five-star hotel with well-dressed people milling about in front of the entrance and luxury sedans pulling up to drop off more partygoers.
Sam and I walked across the red carpet at the entrance, trying our best to be invisible (it didn't work). Then we stopped to look thru the window into a beautifully decorated ballroom packed full of people. Toward the front of the room a large sign read, "Happy Birthday!" Waiters dressed in white tuxedos passed through the crowd carrying silver platters heaped with expensive appetizers.
We stated silently, separated from another world only by a window.
A waiter passed by with a full platter of baked chicken dripping with rich sauce.
"Sam," I said, only half-joking, "I'll bet we could run in there, grab one of those trays, and be back outside, no problem."
Sam laughed. "Check out the security over there!" Two very large and intimidating guys were checking people's coats at the door. Any dreams of tender baked chicken evaporated.
We felt like kids pressing our noses against the candy display at an old-time country store. Everything we so badly wanted was just out of reach.
Just then an older gentleman right in front of us grabbed a glass of champagne from one of the waiters. He tilted his head back for a quick drink and noticed us standing outside looking in. With a warm smile he raised his glass towards us in salute.
Sam and I gave an embarrassed wave, nodded, and walked away.
"That was awkward, " Sam said.
"Sure as," I said.
We walked away in silence. We needed to stop drooling, find our sleeping spot for the night, roll out our bags, and forget about birthdays, banquets, and chicken on a silver tray.
Just as I was about to drift asleep, I reached for my Bible. I remembered reading about Jesus' party tips.
"Sam, dude, listen to this," I said, and began reading in Luke 14 where Jesus talks about how to throw a party of eternal proportions: "When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."
"Have you ever seen anything like that?" I asked when I was finished. "I mean, what would that kind of party look like today?"
"Dunno," said Sam. "I've never even been to a party with appetizers on a silver platter! But imagine-a whole ballroom filled with the weak, the drunk, the blind, the homeless. Let's do it!"
We both thought for a moment. The more we thought, the better the plan sounded.
"But maybe we shouldn't serve champagne," I said. We both laughed. We agreed that instead of party favors, at our banquet we'd hand out groceries or new sleeping bags.
Just before we dropped of to sleep, Sam asked the obvious question, "Do you think anybody would be willing to do what it takes to throw a party liek that?"
Probably not, we decided.
You have to ask, though: Why not? Why not throw a party Jesus' way? Why do thousands of Christians read this story every year but never actually do it?

We either add to the darkness of indifference... or we light a candle to see by. ~ Madeleine L'Engle, A Circle of Quiet

**Taken from My 30 Days Under the Overpass Devotional by Mike Yankoski**

In November of 2007 I sat in the experience room at the SOKC Campus of LifeChurch.tv as this was read before we went on the Block Party MicroMission. It moved me in a way I can't explain. I was about to be a part of something big, something life changing... not just for the homeless of OKC, but for me. Life Church in conjunction with Love Is An Action, Refuge OKC, and other area business set up a "party Jesus style"-- one that Mike and Sam believe no one would do. With donated food to feed 2000, 3 semi's full of clothing donated by many, people who donated their time to cut hair, take family portraits, and hundreds of volunteers that sacrificed their day to pour into the life of someone who may not have had a meal, much less a simple conversation with some one in quite some time. During the day, my sweet friend Marjorie and I along with a few others decided we were going to walk downtown and tell people about this party going on! We met up with a sweet couple in the Myriad Gardens and walked back to the mission sight with them. Joe had been in Vietnam, he's an alcoholic, we had a hard time communicating with him b/c he was pretty drunk that day. Bertha, his wife of 2 years was in a wheelchair b/c of her bad knees, and had the mental capacity of a small child. You could tell they really loved each other. Marj and I spent most of the day with Joe and Bertha--getting them food, and clothes to take with them. As we were sitting talking to them, a kid walked by with balloon he had gotten from the kids area they had set up. Bertha was intrigued by this. She asked where they got it, and I told her they had some stuff set up for the kids. She smiled and said I can be a kid! I told Marj I'd be right back, and slipped off to the kids area and got Bertha a ballon animal. She cried. Of all the things we had to offer that day, this simple balloon animal made her more excited than anything in the world.

As we were walking through downtown that day, we walked thru the library and around the office buildings nearby, I remember wondering what it would be like to work in that area, and what kind of opportunities it could open to make a difference being in that area daily. I really hadn't thought much about it since. Shortly after, I felt like God was telling me that I was supposed to make a change in my job... I wasnt' sure what, but I knew something was to come. At the end of this month, I am leaving my job of 12 years, and am going to be starting a new job, in one of the very office building that I wondered about... maybe there are bigger reasons, other than just a job change, I am supposed to be downtown? Maybe this is God's way of placing me in the area that I am supposed to be making a difference in? My eyes were opened big time when I went on my mission trip to NYC (see my blog at www.myspace.com/disneygirl17 posted 09/25/07), and again doing the block party. I really didn't realize the amount of homeless people in OKC. They are people just like everyone else. Some homeless by fault of their own, but others by unfortunate circumstance. Honestly as most of us live paycheck to paycheck. We literally are 1 or 2 paychecks away from homelessness ourselves. Some are only out for money for drug/alcohol. But most really are out for a caring smile, or a warm meal. So maybe this is my opportunity to be placed in an area to be a light. I don't know... just thoughts running thru my head.

Magnolias

2008-02-07T23:12:00.003-06:00

I spent the week before my daughter's June wedding running last-minute trips to the caterer, florist, tuxedo shop, and the church about forty miles away. As happy as I was that Patsy was marrying a good Christian young man, I felt laden with responsibilities as I watched my budget dwindle ... So many details, so many bills, and so little time. My son Jack was away at college, but he said he would be there to walk his younger sister down the aisle, taking the place of his dad who had died a few years before. He teased Patsy, saying he'd wanted to give her away since she was about three years old!

To save money, I gathered blossoms from several friends who had large magnolia trees. Their luscious, creamy-white blooms and slick green leaves would make beautiful arrangements against the rich dark wood inside the church.

After the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, we banked the podium area and choir loft with magnolias. As we left just before midnight, I felt tired but satisfied this would be the best wedding any bride had ever had! The music, the ceremony, the reception - and especially the flowers - would be remembered for years.

The big day arrived - the busiest day of my life - and while her bridesmaids helped Patsy to dress, her fiancé Tim walked with me to the sanctuary to do a final check. When we opened the door and felt a rush of hot air, I almost fainted; and then I saw them - all the beautiful white flowers were black. Funeral black. An electrical storm during the night had knocked out the air conditioning system, and on that hot summer day, the flowers had wilted and died.

I panicked, knowing I didn't have time to drive back to our hometown, gather more flowers, and return in time for the wedding.

Tim turned to me. "Edna, can you get more flowers? I'll throw away these dead ones and put fresh flowers in these arrangements."

I mumbled, "Sure," as he be-bopped down the hall to put on his cuff links.

Alone in the large sanctuary, I looked up at the dark wooden beams in the arched ceiling. "Lord," I prayed, "please help me. I don't know anyone in this town. Help me find someone willing to give me flowers - in a hurry!" I scurried out praying for four things: the blessing of white magnolias, courage to find them in an unfamiliar yard, safety from any dog that may bite my leg, and a nice person who would not get out a shotgun when I asked to cut his tree to shreds.

As I left the church, I saw magnolia trees in the distance. I approached a house... No dog in sight. I knocked on the door and an older man answered. So far so good . . . No shotgun. When I stated my plea the man beamed, "I'd be happy to!"

He climbed a stepladder and cut large boughs and handed them down to me. Minutes later, as I lifted the last armload into my car trunk, I said, "Sir, you've made the mother of a bride happy today."

"No, Ma'am," he said. "You don't understand what's happening here."

"What?" I asked.

"You see, my wife of sixty-seven years died on Monday. On Tuesday I received friends at the funeral home, and on Wednesday . . . He paused. I saw tears welling up in his eyes. "On Wednesday I buried her." He looked away. "On Thursday most of my out-of-town relatives went back home, and on Friday - yesterday - my children left."

I nodded.

"This morning," he continued, "I was sitting in my den crying out loud. I miss her so much. For the last sixteen years, as her health got worse, she needed me. But now nobody needs me. This morning I cried, 'Who needs an eighty-six-year-old wore-out man? Nobody!' I began to cry louder. 'Nobody needs me!' About that time, you knocked, and said, "Sir, I need you."

I stood with my mouth open.

He asked, "Are you an angel? The way the light shone around your head into my dark living room..."

I assured him I was no angel.

He smiled. "Do you know what I was thinking when I handed you those magnolias?"

"No."

"I decided I'm needed. My flowers are needed. Why, I might have a flower ministry! I could give them to everyone! Some caskets at the funeral home have no flowers. People need flowers at times like that and I have lots of them. They're all over the backyard! I can give them to hospitals, churches - all sorts of places. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to serve the Lord until the day He calls me home!"

I drove back to the church, filled with wonder. On Patsy's wedding day, if anyone had asked me to encourage someone who was hurting, I would have said, "Forget it! It's my only daughter's wedding, for goodness' sake! There is no way I can minister to anyone today."

But God found a way. Through dead flowers.

Three Trees

2008-01-30T14:58:00.000-06:00

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty."

Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."

Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter," and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree the woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true.

One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree, I'll take this one," and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped . At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

The Mousetrap

2008-01-30T14:45:00.000-06:00

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to seethe farmer and his wife open a package. "What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed thewarning. "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house! "The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence tome. I cannot be bothered by it. "

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house! "The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers. "

The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in thehouse! "The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose. "

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone. That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.

The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in thewall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

REMEMBER:EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY; OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON.

Rich vs Poor

2008-01-30T14:41:00.000-06:00

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.
"Oh yeah," said the son.
"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.
The son answered:
"I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.
We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."
The boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."
Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have. Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends!

On His Plan for Your Life

2008-01-30T03:01:00.000-06:00

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone -- to have a deep soul relationship with another; to be loved thoroughly and exclusively; but God, to a Christian, says:

"No, not until you're satisfied, fulfilled and content with being loved by Me alone; with giving yourself totally and unreservedly to me; to having an intensely personal relationship with me alone; discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction to be planned for you.

You will never be united with another until you are united with Me -- exclusive of anyone or anything else, exclusive of any other desires or longings. I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing, one that you cannot imagine. I want you to have the best. Please allow me to bring it to you. You just keep watching Me, expecting the greatest things. Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I Am. Keep listening and learning the things I tell you.

You just wait. That's all.

Don't be anxious; don't worry. Don't look around at the things that others have gotten or that I've given them. Don't look at the things you think you want. You just keep looking off and away up to Me, or you'll miss what I want to show you. And then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than any you would ever dream of.

You see, until you are ready, and until the one I have for you is ready (for I am working even at this moment to have both of you ready at the same time), until you are both satisfied and exclusively with Me and the life I prepared for you, you won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with Me, and thus the perfect love.

And, dear one, I want you to see, in the flesh, a picture of your everlasting union of beauty, perfection and love that I offer you with Myself. Know that I love you utterly. I AM. Believe it and be satisfied."

When I Say I am a Christian...

2008-01-30T02:57:00.000-06:00

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin."
I'm whispering "I was lost,"
Now I'm found and forgiven.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need CHRIST to be my guide.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
and need HIS strength to carry on.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
and need God to clean my mess.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
but, God believes I am worth it.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain,
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
who received God's good grace, somehow.

Author ~Maya Angelou~

Do you see?

2008-01-30T02:50:00.000-06:00

If we don't see God working in our lives, there may be a problem with our spiritual eyesight.Have you ever wondered why we go through the things we do?God said:

If you never felt pain, then how would you know that I'm a Healer?
If you never went through difficulties, how would you know that I'm a Deliverer?
If you never had a trial, how could you call yourself an over comer?
If you never felt sadness, how would you know that I'm a Comforter?
If you never made a mistake, how would you know that I'm forgiving?
If you knew all, how would you know that I will answer your questions?
If you never were in trouble, how would you know that I will come to your rescue?
If you never were broken, then how would know that I can make you whole?
If you never had a problem, how would you know that I can solve them?
If you never had any suffering, then how would you know what Jesus went through?
If you never went through the fire, then how would you become pure?
If I gave you all things, how would you appreciate them?
If I never corrected you, how would you know that I love you?
If you had all power, then how would you learn to depend on me?
If your life was perfect, then what would you need Me for?

Maybe...

2008-01-30T02:09:00.000-06:00

Maybe...God wanted us to meet the wrong people before meeting the right one so that, when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift.

Maybe...when the door of happiness closes, another opens; but, often times, we look so long at the closed door that we don't even see the new one which has been opened for us.

Maybe...it is true that we don't know what we have got until we lose it, but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing until it arrives.

Maybe...the happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

Maybe...the brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; after all, you can't go on successfully in life until you let go of your past mistakes, failures and heartaches.

Maybe...you should dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you dream of and want to do.

Maybe...there are moments in life when you miss someone -- a parent, a spouse, a friend, a child -- so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real.

Maybe...the best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.

Maybe...you should always try to put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that something could hurt you, it probably will hurt the other person, too.

Maybe...you should do something nice for someone every single day, even if it is simply to leave them alone.

Maybe...giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back. Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart; but, if it doesn't, be content that it grew in yours.

Maybe...happiness waits for all those who cry, all those who hurt, all those who have searched, and all those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of all the people who have touched their lives.

Maybe...you shouldn't go for looks; they can deceive; Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile.

Maybe...you should hope for enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy.

And the last maybe.....when you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

Maybe...you should try to live your life so that when you die, you are the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying