Beloved,
I watched my mother weep
as I left the world behind.
I surrendered my life for you
An exchange made in love
I claim you as my own personal possession
Purchased with my blood.
I will seek you although you hide
My own special treasure I pursue
Apple of my eye,
Your name is on my palm
Come into the garden
I whisper secrets in your ear
There is nothing better than my will for you
For I make all things work together for your good.
I give you my strength and joy
The right side of my throne
Have the focus of my desire
My heart is yours to seek
Put my heart in yours and yours in mine,
One in Spirit, we intertwine
Receive my bounty for you
Lavish in my unfailing love
My King,
I claim you as my Savior
the one who gave His life
Your love has compelled me
To dedicate this new life
I lay my flesh before you
And my all my will alike
I leave my mother and father
And leave world behind
You captivate my eye
I will search you out
Be the focus of my desire
I write your name on my heart
Meet me in my garden
My secret place is dark without you
Lavish in my adoration
I give it all for you to take
The story of repentance and judgement is not one of rules, regulation, guilt, control, pride, or power struggle. It is a love story. A voluntary exchange of self, life, sacrifice, and longing. It’s about loving correction and protection. God does not ask for anything more than what He is already offering to us.
Someone explained it to me like this. Imagine you were on death row, guilty of horrible crimes, and a stranger just came and took your punishment, so you could live. All he asks of you is to change your ways, say you are sorry and proclaim that he saved your life, and on top of that, he leaves instructions behind for you receive life and life more abundandly? Wouldn't you want to tell everyone who is on death row about it? Wouldn't you fall to your knees in thanks? Wouldn't you love him?
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The Artist Exposed
Beloved,
I created your inmost being: I knit you together in your mother's womb.
You praise me because you are fearfully and wonderfully made; My works are wonderful, You know that full well.
Love,
Your Creator
Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)
Poetic. Everything our Lord does is a masterpiece; the words and works He inspires and those things He creates with His own hands. He breathed life into dirt and made us! We are His masterpiece!
I watched a young woman paint a picture for worship last week. We all watched her frantically paint random lines, colors, and shapes. I anxiously tried to figure out what image she was painting, but it made no sense; there seemed to be no order in what she was doing. After a few minutes, I noticed some women around me ooo and ahhh as they began to realize what she was painting, but I continued to struggle for my own realization. It was frustrating, and I felt like an idiot that I couldn't see and others could. Little by little, I started to recognize the images...When I began to identlfy part of the image, it seemed that she was almost done, but she continued for some time. By the time she finished, it was completely different than I had expected...it was so much more. It brought tears to my eyes. The painting was tittled: "You are my masterpiece".
At birth, you can't tell who you are or who are and what your purpose is. As you move into adolescence and adulthood, it seems to make no sense, and is so random that you appear to be a mess. The closer we get to completion, the more percievable it becomes. Sometimes, just when you think you've got it figured out, the end result ends up a surprise. Others can see the masterpiece in you that you cannot see yourself, and you begin to see other people arrive to completion ahead of you. And how many times can you not even recognize that you are a work in progress until the proccess is complete? Or, maybe it is never really complete? Maybe there is no end to perfection of the plans and blessings the Lord has in store for us? Maybe it is beyond our own understanding?
When you are looking at a painting and you say eww! It's so ugly! It's such a mess! No one will ever like it! It is not worthy of display! What are you insulting? Better yet, who are you insulting?
The awesome thing about this is that through His eyes we are without blemish. He only sees the completed masterpiece. We should see ourselves and eachother the same way. We are not defined by our lowest moment.
Art is the artist exposed; a manifestation of his/her truest self. Guess what??? We are Gods art! We are the manifestation of His true self, we are made in His , majestic, commanding, and tenaciously loving image...
Fearfully and wonderfully made!
TO WATCH A VIDEO OF THE PAINTING I WATCHED FOLLOW THIS LINK: The Artist Exposed Continued!
Originally written 8/17/2009. I did not notice the original date unil after I posted and edited this!! How cool is that?
I created your inmost being: I knit you together in your mother's womb.
You praise me because you are fearfully and wonderfully made; My works are wonderful, You know that full well.
Love,
Your Creator
Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)
Poetic. Everything our Lord does is a masterpiece; the words and works He inspires and those things He creates with His own hands. He breathed life into dirt and made us! We are His masterpiece!
I watched a young woman paint a picture for worship last week. We all watched her frantically paint random lines, colors, and shapes. I anxiously tried to figure out what image she was painting, but it made no sense; there seemed to be no order in what she was doing. After a few minutes, I noticed some women around me ooo and ahhh as they began to realize what she was painting, but I continued to struggle for my own realization. It was frustrating, and I felt like an idiot that I couldn't see and others could. Little by little, I started to recognize the images...When I began to identlfy part of the image, it seemed that she was almost done, but she continued for some time. By the time she finished, it was completely different than I had expected...it was so much more. It brought tears to my eyes. The painting was tittled: "You are my masterpiece".
At birth, you can't tell who you are or who are and what your purpose is. As you move into adolescence and adulthood, it seems to make no sense, and is so random that you appear to be a mess. The closer we get to completion, the more percievable it becomes. Sometimes, just when you think you've got it figured out, the end result ends up a surprise. Others can see the masterpiece in you that you cannot see yourself, and you begin to see other people arrive to completion ahead of you. And how many times can you not even recognize that you are a work in progress until the proccess is complete? Or, maybe it is never really complete? Maybe there is no end to perfection of the plans and blessings the Lord has in store for us? Maybe it is beyond our own understanding?
When you are looking at a painting and you say eww! It's so ugly! It's such a mess! No one will ever like it! It is not worthy of display! What are you insulting? Better yet, who are you insulting?
The awesome thing about this is that through His eyes we are without blemish. He only sees the completed masterpiece. We should see ourselves and eachother the same way. We are not defined by our lowest moment.
Art is the artist exposed; a manifestation of his/her truest self. Guess what??? We are Gods art! We are the manifestation of His true self, we are made in His , majestic, commanding, and tenaciously loving image...
Fearfully and wonderfully made!
TO WATCH A VIDEO OF THE PAINTING I WATCHED FOLLOW THIS LINK: The Artist Exposed Continued!
Originally written 8/17/2009. I did not notice the original date unil after I posted and edited this!! How cool is that?
Friday, August 6, 2010
The First Note
When I started to go to church, I only went because it made my son happy. I thought, "Well at least he can learn some decent morals". But I really thought that although the life lessons taught there were good, the whole heaven and hell, angels and demons concept was a complete obsurdity. I thought, "Who are these people to tell me that the only righteous way to live is as a Christian? You people are mere humans, not superior all knowing beings, how can you point the finger at my life and judge when you can't really know for sure yourselves? Whoever this God is, He gave us all brains so that we can think for ourselves. There are many ways to the top of the mountain. How dare you act as if morally superior to anyone else. You are a bunch of hypocrits anyway!"
Sound familiar?
In my mind at the time, wearing a cross necklace was like having an electric chair hang around your neck. And worshipping something? My pride would not allow me to comprehend that. BUT THEN, some weird things began to happen in my life, things I could not chalk up to coincidence, and the more I communed with these mysteriosly happy people, the more I could not ignore that there was something to this thing. There was something I could not put my finger on, something living, something my insides hungered for.
This conflicted with my intellect, my common sense. An epic "battle" between good and evil? This book that mere men wrote? Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Worship of some man that existed a gazillion years ago? I tried so hard to wrap my mind around it all and simalstaniously explain this hunger I was having. I just couldn't understand, but I knew that I couldn't remain in this limbo forever.
One night, I sat in my living room trying to understand the concept of this Christian God. Who is He? How are these things true? How is it that educated, normal people get so caught up in this? How do I explain my recent seemingly supernatural experiences? So, I dug out an old bible I had and said out loud. "Ok God.....show me what you’ve got. If you are for real, help me understand, which way do I go?". With my eyes closed, I aimlessly and without expectation, let the delicate pages flip from my fingers, and pointed at a random spot. And there it was, His first love letter to me...
Beloved,
Trust in ME with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Me,
and I will make your paths straight.
Love,
Your King
(Proverbs 3:5)
As I stared at the words, my eyes filled with tears, and I felt something... A rush of understanding flooded my mind, with clarity and peace that felt foriegn to me. He came like a courting gentleman who chivalrously appeared to carry a bag of stones for me. Out of the thousands of words written in that book, what are the chances that after saying what I did, my finger would fall upon those words?
And that was only the beginning...
Sound familiar?
In my mind at the time, wearing a cross necklace was like having an electric chair hang around your neck. And worshipping something? My pride would not allow me to comprehend that. BUT THEN, some weird things began to happen in my life, things I could not chalk up to coincidence, and the more I communed with these mysteriosly happy people, the more I could not ignore that there was something to this thing. There was something I could not put my finger on, something living, something my insides hungered for.
This conflicted with my intellect, my common sense. An epic "battle" between good and evil? This book that mere men wrote? Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Worship of some man that existed a gazillion years ago? I tried so hard to wrap my mind around it all and simalstaniously explain this hunger I was having. I just couldn't understand, but I knew that I couldn't remain in this limbo forever.
One night, I sat in my living room trying to understand the concept of this Christian God. Who is He? How are these things true? How is it that educated, normal people get so caught up in this? How do I explain my recent seemingly supernatural experiences? So, I dug out an old bible I had and said out loud. "Ok God.....show me what you’ve got. If you are for real, help me understand, which way do I go?". With my eyes closed, I aimlessly and without expectation, let the delicate pages flip from my fingers, and pointed at a random spot. And there it was, His first love letter to me...
Beloved,
Trust in ME with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Me,
and I will make your paths straight.
Love,
Your King
(Proverbs 3:5)
As I stared at the words, my eyes filled with tears, and I felt something... A rush of understanding flooded my mind, with clarity and peace that felt foriegn to me. He came like a courting gentleman who chivalrously appeared to carry a bag of stones for me. Out of the thousands of words written in that book, what are the chances that after saying what I did, my finger would fall upon those words?
And that was only the beginning...
Monday, August 2, 2010
Encounter With the King
This is an e mail that I wrote on January 6, 2008 regarding my father's death on December 26, 2007 (2 weeks after he was baptized and publicly confessed His surrender to God). It has been slightly revised so that those who do not know the situation could follow. The fact that I wrote this on 1/6 is significant as you will see.
Sent: Sun 1/6/2008 4:04 PM
Subject: God's blessing
I wanted to share this story with someone because it has impacted me so profoundly...
This is testimony of how God took this tragic situation and made it His. While in practically a constant state of prayer day in and day out over the last 2 years for Papi's healing, I realized how selfish my prayers where. Still, I continued to pray, knowing that I was asking for my will to be done not His. I couldn't let go... I didn't even want to ask Him to help me let go; I just wanted Papi healed. I even preposterously tried reasoning with God! As if I had a chance! Finally, I began to pray for the ability to entrust my will to Him, and little by little, He did.
As Papi's lifeless body lay on the middle of the sunroom floor, minutes after the paramedics pounded on his chest, violently shocked his frail body, and finally pronounced him to be dead, I looked at his face and was suprised to see that he had the most peace filled smile on his face, one that words could not come close to describing, and not do to be understated. It wasn't an illusion or some sort of after death facial contortion. It was so penetrating, that someone in the house took a picture of it! I have never seen such a perfectly content look on anyone's face. This simple but abysmal facial expression was surely God revealing himself to me! Just think, if my heart aches just thinking about it this indirect view of Him, I can't imagine looking at God himself right in His face!!!
This provoked an awesome epiphany. This simple event made the meaning of salvation eminently personal. I now have a new understanding; the veil over my eyes has disolved. I cannot put into words how humbled, and overwhelmingly grateful I am now for the sacrifice God has made for us. . . for me!! Moreover, what the sacrifice was for! The words "eternal life" were electrically surged with breathing consciousness. All of my doubts about God's promise disappeared; He has allowed me to get a peek of a piece of Heaven! Look at how a mere glimpse has impacted me, imagine an eternity there.
I now am sure of where I am going when I die, and I know where Papi is. God has revealed to me his Glory and the reality of my salvation! He has manifested Himself in the face of my earthly father. This has truly been a momentous and lucid time in my walk with Christ. Not only am I able to surrender my will, but I have an extraordinary understanding of what being a Christian is. These are two of many blessings that came with the death of my father.
(P.S. WOW!! while looking up the word epiphany to make sure I spelled it correctly, I found that it not only means
"a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience."
it also means
1. a Christian festival, observed on January 6 , commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day. [funny I chose today to write this huh?]
2. an appearance or manifestation, esp. of a deity.
How about that?
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Sent: Sun 1/6/2008 4:04 PM
Subject: God's blessing
I wanted to share this story with someone because it has impacted me so profoundly...
This is testimony of how God took this tragic situation and made it His. While in practically a constant state of prayer day in and day out over the last 2 years for Papi's healing, I realized how selfish my prayers where. Still, I continued to pray, knowing that I was asking for my will to be done not His. I couldn't let go... I didn't even want to ask Him to help me let go; I just wanted Papi healed. I even preposterously tried reasoning with God! As if I had a chance! Finally, I began to pray for the ability to entrust my will to Him, and little by little, He did.
As Papi's lifeless body lay on the middle of the sunroom floor, minutes after the paramedics pounded on his chest, violently shocked his frail body, and finally pronounced him to be dead, I looked at his face and was suprised to see that he had the most peace filled smile on his face, one that words could not come close to describing, and not do to be understated. It wasn't an illusion or some sort of after death facial contortion. It was so penetrating, that someone in the house took a picture of it! I have never seen such a perfectly content look on anyone's face. This simple but abysmal facial expression was surely God revealing himself to me! Just think, if my heart aches just thinking about it this indirect view of Him, I can't imagine looking at God himself right in His face!!!
This provoked an awesome epiphany. This simple event made the meaning of salvation eminently personal. I now have a new understanding; the veil over my eyes has disolved. I cannot put into words how humbled, and overwhelmingly grateful I am now for the sacrifice God has made for us. . . for me!! Moreover, what the sacrifice was for! The words "eternal life" were electrically surged with breathing consciousness. All of my doubts about God's promise disappeared; He has allowed me to get a peek of a piece of Heaven! Look at how a mere glimpse has impacted me, imagine an eternity there.
I now am sure of where I am going when I die, and I know where Papi is. God has revealed to me his Glory and the reality of my salvation! He has manifested Himself in the face of my earthly father. This has truly been a momentous and lucid time in my walk with Christ. Not only am I able to surrender my will, but I have an extraordinary understanding of what being a Christian is. These are two of many blessings that came with the death of my father.
(P.S. WOW!! while looking up the word epiphany to make sure I spelled it correctly, I found that it not only means
"a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience."
it also means
1. a Christian festival, observed on January 6 , commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day. [funny I chose today to write this huh?]
2. an appearance or manifestation, esp. of a deity.
How about that?
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