I belong to Jesus.
To Jesus I belong.
To Him I will run and dance,
For Him I live, work, and be
By Him I breathe, laugh, prance
to Jesus I owe everything.
I belong to Jesus.
To Jesus I belong.
I'll conform into His image,
Into His and His alone.
By His grace He will carry me,
By His love and mercy shone.
I belong to Jesus.
To Jesus I belong.
Oh, for By grace I can be justified,
for by it I can stand; so I desire to
become more like Jesus.
For He is the greatest of Men.
I belong to Jesus.
To Jesus I belong.
God I can't live without you,
I cant find hope or new song.
So come consume me Father
for you know the journey is long.
I will Trust Your way
So lead and balance me,
In every thing I do,
In everything I say.
O come, O come, O God,
- In "Jesus" Name I pray.
P.P.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
The Good Fight - Owl City Blog Post
The Good Fight
On June 20th, 2011 by Adam Young - Re shared from: The Owl City BlogRight now I’m tucked snugly into my bunk on the tour bus as a sleepy chorus of tires on blacktop sweetly serenades me through the night. My eyelids are growing heavy. Our fearless driver is at the helm, a great courageous captain of the moonlit open road. It’s 2:34 AM and we’re skirting the east coast, stealing through the night, trekking from Baltimore to Montreal. A rich scent of evergreen hangs heavy in the air as our landlocked cruise ship pitches and reels over wave after wave of rolling coniferous hilltops.
A dear fan gave me a beautiful letter after my show a few nights ago and she wrote a verse on the inside cover.
Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:17)
I’m sure I must’ve read this verse fifty times before, but tonight it struck me in a new way. I spend so much time DOING… in whatever capacity the definition of the word DO includes. I, as a mortal human being, would go nuts if I wasn’t always DOING whatever it is I DO… and of course not all of it is BAD per se, because all of it just IS and sometimes I don’t pay any attention to it. I wake up, I do stuff, I fall sleep, I repeat. The conviction here is the fact that I so often forget to do whatever it is I do… in the name of the Lord Jesus, not because I’m willfully trying to be a greedy little monster (despite the classic nature of the flesh) but because sometimes it just doesn’t cross my mind. I stood onstage the other night during the encore and felt the Lord suddenly say, “You don’t have to be afraid to trust me. I’ve got you.” Everything in me wanted to cry out and say, “Yes, but I’m such a helpless sinner! What good can I do?!” Later that night I found myself reading 2 Peter chapter 3, and there was my answer… the fact that my wonderful Savior is ALIVE, and He is going to return for His own. Despite my many flaws, despite my endless list of weaknesses, Christ is so much BIGGER than all of that… my prayer is only that He grant me the strength required to finish this race, to fight the good fight, to remain steadfast, to further the Kingdom, and to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ… for it is painfully obvious that without Him, I am absolutely nothing. I deeply desire more than anything to make Him proud, that by my life or death, His name may be glorified.
Sometimes the good fight feels impossible, but I for one, am NOT giving up.
Jesus Will Come Again
My friends, this is the second letter I have written you to help your honest minds remember. I want you to think about the words the holy prophets spoke in the past, and remember the command our Lord and Savior gave us through your apostles. It is most important for you to understand what will happen in the last days. People will laugh at you. They will live doing the evil things they want to do. They will say, “Jesus promised to come again. Where is he? Our fathers have died, but the world continues the way it has been since it was made.” But they do not want to remember what happened long ago. By the word of God heaven was made, and the earth was made from water and with water. Then the world was flooded and destroyed with water. And that same word of God is keeping heaven and earth that we now have in order to be destroyed by fire. They are being kept for the Judgment Day and the destruction of all who are against God.
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: To the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day. The Lord is not slow in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The skies will disappear with a loud noise. Everything in them will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be exposed. In that way everything will be destroyed. So what kind of people should you be? You should live holy lives and serve God, as you wait for and look forward to the coming of the day of God. When that day comes, the skies will be destroyed with fire, and everything in them will melt with heat. But God made a promise to us, and we are waiting for a new heaven and a new earth where goodness lives.
Dear friends, since you are waiting for this to happen, do your best to be without sin and without fault. Try to be at peace with God. Remember that we are saved because our Lord is patient. Our dear brother Paul told you the same thing when he wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes about this in all his letters. Some things in Paul’s letters are hard to understand, and people who are ignorant and weak in faith explain these things falsely. They also falsely explain the other Scriptures, but they are destroying themselves by doing this.
Dear friends, since you already know about this, be careful. Do not let those evil people lead you away by the wrong they do. Be careful so you will not fall from your strong faith. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory be to him now and forever! Amen.
2 Peter 3
A dear fan gave me a beautiful letter after my show a few nights ago and she wrote a verse on the inside cover.
Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:17)
I’m sure I must’ve read this verse fifty times before, but tonight it struck me in a new way. I spend so much time DOING… in whatever capacity the definition of the word DO includes. I, as a mortal human being, would go nuts if I wasn’t always DOING whatever it is I DO… and of course not all of it is BAD per se, because all of it just IS and sometimes I don’t pay any attention to it. I wake up, I do stuff, I fall sleep, I repeat. The conviction here is the fact that I so often forget to do whatever it is I do… in the name of the Lord Jesus, not because I’m willfully trying to be a greedy little monster (despite the classic nature of the flesh) but because sometimes it just doesn’t cross my mind. I stood onstage the other night during the encore and felt the Lord suddenly say, “You don’t have to be afraid to trust me. I’ve got you.” Everything in me wanted to cry out and say, “Yes, but I’m such a helpless sinner! What good can I do?!” Later that night I found myself reading 2 Peter chapter 3, and there was my answer… the fact that my wonderful Savior is ALIVE, and He is going to return for His own. Despite my many flaws, despite my endless list of weaknesses, Christ is so much BIGGER than all of that… my prayer is only that He grant me the strength required to finish this race, to fight the good fight, to remain steadfast, to further the Kingdom, and to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ… for it is painfully obvious that without Him, I am absolutely nothing. I deeply desire more than anything to make Him proud, that by my life or death, His name may be glorified.
Sometimes the good fight feels impossible, but I for one, am NOT giving up.
Jesus Will Come Again
My friends, this is the second letter I have written you to help your honest minds remember. I want you to think about the words the holy prophets spoke in the past, and remember the command our Lord and Savior gave us through your apostles. It is most important for you to understand what will happen in the last days. People will laugh at you. They will live doing the evil things they want to do. They will say, “Jesus promised to come again. Where is he? Our fathers have died, but the world continues the way it has been since it was made.” But they do not want to remember what happened long ago. By the word of God heaven was made, and the earth was made from water and with water. Then the world was flooded and destroyed with water. And that same word of God is keeping heaven and earth that we now have in order to be destroyed by fire. They are being kept for the Judgment Day and the destruction of all who are against God.
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: To the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day. The Lord is not slow in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The skies will disappear with a loud noise. Everything in them will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be exposed. In that way everything will be destroyed. So what kind of people should you be? You should live holy lives and serve God, as you wait for and look forward to the coming of the day of God. When that day comes, the skies will be destroyed with fire, and everything in them will melt with heat. But God made a promise to us, and we are waiting for a new heaven and a new earth where goodness lives.
Dear friends, since you are waiting for this to happen, do your best to be without sin and without fault. Try to be at peace with God. Remember that we are saved because our Lord is patient. Our dear brother Paul told you the same thing when he wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes about this in all his letters. Some things in Paul’s letters are hard to understand, and people who are ignorant and weak in faith explain these things falsely. They also falsely explain the other Scriptures, but they are destroying themselves by doing this.
Dear friends, since you already know about this, be careful. Do not let those evil people lead you away by the wrong they do. Be careful so you will not fall from your strong faith. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory be to him now and forever! Amen.
2 Peter 3
What's your Drug?
If you don't go to Christ with your trials, questions, hopes, dreams, relationships...
you will go with them to something else, whether that be another person, another
filler, another outlet. But really there are only two all consuming sources for you
to choose from. 1. Christ. 2. The World.
Which one will you choose to go to? I see a lot of technology as just escapism,
escapism from reality, and a distraction from God. You see Technology has
become an outlet/addiction that many people go to just like they go to shopping,
alcahol, etc. The worst thing about addictions is not always the 'thing in it's self'
but the reason why you are doing it, and if/how that seperates you from God himself.
Everyone has an outlet though, everyone has a way they outlet their emotions,
express themselves, and most of the time that is in a form of art. That isn't bad.
And art is not bad...but, it can be if it seperates you from 'going to God', and
instead makesyou 'go to it' than it has become bad, and should be considered just
as any other addiction.You see, unless we find balance and have prospective than
we will never live free as we were meant to be.
I see this in art, in relationships, actually or anything that we continue to go to and
outlet or snuff our feelings. There is this girl at one of the youth groups I go to
she's not the only one, but she is addicted to smoking. But I don't think it's just
because it's the fact that cigaretes are addictive, but that she is doing to because
of the emotions she is pushing down insdie of her. She can't sit for long in youth
group,she starts to sink down on the couch while the leader is speaking, and
before long she starts to shift, shake, and before long whimper for her addiction.
She is seriouslyaddicted. Because she has made it a habit of going to smoke
insteadof going to God... Technology can be the same thing..that instead of going
to God with everything, you go to technology, facebook, chat, even blogging...
But you see, Facebook won't solve your lonliness, and blogging can only release
typedideas, it can't settle the feelings you have inside, it can''t bring you peace of
mind, or even closer relationship with Christ.
So what is your drug? is it friends? is it art? Do you go to these things just to
outletemotions, or in order to make the pain less painful? It won't heal it!
It won't 'solve' it!Only God can! Go to Him! He's waiting. And when you go to
him,with your dreams,with your hopes, with your relationships, with your future,
withyour emotions,with everything...Then and only then, will you begin to live the
life you want to live. Here'sthe flip side.The cool thing though is you don't have
to go to go just with a verbal prayer, you can go to God with your artistic talents
/giftts. For example yesterday I went to a youth group and for worship- we were
each given a piece of large paper to either paint,
draw, or write on. Just like in singing, or playing an instrument you can call out to
God and express your feelings before Him with art...but don't just go to the
'art' itself to fill or heal you, go before the Ultimate Artist, God. So Go to him with
your talents, your art, your gifts...
God can supply all good things in your life, but only if He is first in your life.
He loves you, he made you, and he wants the best for You. Trust it! and go!
Jesus is my Drug.
you will go with them to something else, whether that be another person, another
filler, another outlet. But really there are only two all consuming sources for you
to choose from. 1. Christ. 2. The World.
Which one will you choose to go to? I see a lot of technology as just escapism,
escapism from reality, and a distraction from God. You see Technology has
become an outlet/addiction that many people go to just like they go to shopping,
alcahol, etc. The worst thing about addictions is not always the 'thing in it's self'
but the reason why you are doing it, and if/how that seperates you from God himself.
Everyone has an outlet though, everyone has a way they outlet their emotions,
express themselves, and most of the time that is in a form of art. That isn't bad.
And art is not bad...but, it can be if it seperates you from 'going to God', and
instead makesyou 'go to it' than it has become bad, and should be considered just
as any other addiction.You see, unless we find balance and have prospective than
we will never live free as we were meant to be.
I see this in art, in relationships, actually or anything that we continue to go to and
outlet or snuff our feelings. There is this girl at one of the youth groups I go to
she's not the only one, but she is addicted to smoking. But I don't think it's just
because it's the fact that cigaretes are addictive, but that she is doing to because
of the emotions she is pushing down insdie of her. She can't sit for long in youth
group,she starts to sink down on the couch while the leader is speaking, and
before long she starts to shift, shake, and before long whimper for her addiction.
She is seriouslyaddicted. Because she has made it a habit of going to smoke
insteadof going to God... Technology can be the same thing..that instead of going
to God with everything, you go to technology, facebook, chat, even blogging...
But you see, Facebook won't solve your lonliness, and blogging can only release
typedideas, it can't settle the feelings you have inside, it can''t bring you peace of
mind, or even closer relationship with Christ.
So what is your drug? is it friends? is it art? Do you go to these things just to
outletemotions, or in order to make the pain less painful? It won't heal it!
It won't 'solve' it!Only God can! Go to Him! He's waiting. And when you go to
him,with your dreams,with your hopes, with your relationships, with your future,
withyour emotions,with everything...Then and only then, will you begin to live the
life you want to live. Here'sthe flip side.The cool thing though is you don't have
to go to go just with a verbal prayer, you can go to God with your artistic talents
/giftts. For example yesterday I went to a youth group and for worship- we were
each given a piece of large paper to either paint,
draw, or write on. Just like in singing, or playing an instrument you can call out to
God and express your feelings before Him with art...but don't just go to the
'art' itself to fill or heal you, go before the Ultimate Artist, God. So Go to him with
your talents, your art, your gifts...
God can supply all good things in your life, but only if He is first in your life.
He loves you, he made you, and he wants the best for You. Trust it! and go!
Jesus is my Drug.
I surrender To Jesus.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Becoming like what we Love: My Dreams
It's interesting, how we become more like that which we love. It is true, that where you invest your love, is where you invest your life. That's exactly why you have to be aware where you invest your love, and if where you are investing your love is exactly where you 'should' be 'investing' it.
That wherever I am, and whoever is there; I may still do whatever I do in the 'presence' of God, and for the 'glory' of God. I don't want to live life without Him.
I want to invest my life in loving God, He must be first. Second, I would like to love others as he would have me, and thirdly I would like to be creative & do creative things to glory Him, honor Him, encourage/inspire others, and also just for healthy recreation.
But I pray that in everything I do in my life, that firstly it is a love for God and God's love for me, that stirs me to do what I do, and 'motivates' me. Anything else would be positively a waste of my life.
I would like to live life always in the presence and constant realization of the presence of God; that everywhere I go, whether I'm on city streets, or country roads, that wherever I may be, and whomever I am with, that God would be there.That wherever I am, and whoever is there; I may still do whatever I do in the 'presence' of God, and for the 'glory' of God. I don't want to live life without Him.
I want to be able to walk constantly in the creativity and inspiration of God. I desire this more than anything else for my future path. It would be totally amazing to live spontaneously like an artist, and yet always do what I do for a reason beyond myself, an audience, or a career. I've felt like I would never be able to do this though, without some other special person that God has planned for me. Because I can be a quieter/thoughtful person "until" I come into contact with another person, and than I can be inspired beyond words. That's one reason I always figured I needed 'someone else', or other 'Christ inspired'/ creative people, and I'm still convinced that that would be amazing...but God is also showing me something else, that I can do things I hadn't thought I could...yet still, I usually only do them when I am inspired by another perosn...when I realized this, I got a little scared, because I always wanted and thought God was my inspiration/motivation. Maybe after all, I do have some 'blood of an artist' in me, something I hadn't thought I had before. God knows I want to love Him 'first' and always be inspired by 'Him' first of all, but in order to reach others in my life, perhaps God is showing me something else; and that is: the reality of 'being human'. That might seem crazy I know. Everyone should know what it means to be human...well, maybe.. I just never really considered myself as closely related to humanity, in the past... and how in the world would I have been able to reach others in my life for Christ? if I couldn't 'personally' relate to humanity? I guess God has just been balancing me out. I just hope and pray that I will always keep God first, and that I will never be inspired in the same way I am inspired by Him, by someone or something else.
God please watch over me, lead me constantly, guard me consistently, and prepare my paths according to Your will. Teach me what I must learn. God I know that we all become like that which we love, God please steal away my heart...sneak into my Heart more and more Matter of fact, invade, I don't mind, really, "invade".
Let me discover you more and more each day.
Let me discover you more and more each day.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
MY CAMERA!
It's finally here. YES!
The Panasonic gh2 is now officially mine. I feel like I should have a ceremony of some kind.
But so far I am so thrilled that I'm afraid to take it all out of the box and turn it on, just in case
something is not perfect with it lol. So right now it is sitting on my desk, and I am thinking about it,
and am now going to go over to it and stroke it for an hour lol, no not really haha.
Any how I'll keep ya posted!
Bon Voyage to the world of paper cameras! for my Panasonic Baby has 'finally' arrived!
Happiness
This is a totally random video. Which I edited in a few minutes.. which means it's pretty much not edited hehe It's just for fun, & for one of my friends; we were taking a walk and slightly goofing off :) We both were acting like little kids and we even look like little kids in this video lol.
Oh, and I forgot to put it on the video lol...but for the sake of credit due, the song playing herein is by Owl City.
Oh, and I forgot to put it on the video lol...but for the sake of credit due, the song playing herein is by Owl City.
Mirroring the Heart: Identity
Don't you dislike dirty mirrors?
...have you ever looked into a mirror and all you could see was dust, fog or dirt?
Sometimes I feel like we each have a mirror inside our heads. And there are times when all we can is see is everything through a dim mirror. Personally I don't like that feeling. I would rather see myself, a situation, or someone else just as they are, rather than have to deal with the fog of uncertain thoughts, or lack of view. It's easy to then go up to your "mirror' and start rubbing at your reflection, and wonder if that dirt, dust, and fog on the mirror is really what you, the situation, or other person, looks like after all? It's confusing, yet 'there are' times in your life when the mirror is 'clearer', and there are times when it's almost perfectly 'clear'. But those times of doubt, uncertainty, worry, they sure are daunting. The fact is I don't claim not to be-human. But maybe that has been one of my worst enemies, the fear of: 'being human', after all. Waking up one day and realizing that I have let emotion have it's way. After all, I can't hardly wait for the day that I can just let my feelings soar, but in this fallen world, honestly, it's not always a safe reality...We have to watch every step we take, we have to depend on wisdom and, more times than not, we have to tell ourselves that our 'emotions' shouldn't lead us. Pity, because life would be so much easier that way, right?
...have you ever looked into a mirror and all you could see was dust, fog or dirt?
Sometimes I feel like we each have a mirror inside our heads. And there are times when all we can is see is everything through a dim mirror. Personally I don't like that feeling. I would rather see myself, a situation, or someone else just as they are, rather than have to deal with the fog of uncertain thoughts, or lack of view. It's easy to then go up to your "mirror' and start rubbing at your reflection, and wonder if that dirt, dust, and fog on the mirror is really what you, the situation, or other person, looks like after all? It's confusing, yet 'there are' times in your life when the mirror is 'clearer', and there are times when it's almost perfectly 'clear'. But those times of doubt, uncertainty, worry, they sure are daunting. The fact is I don't claim not to be-human. But maybe that has been one of my worst enemies, the fear of: 'being human', after all. Waking up one day and realizing that I have let emotion have it's way. After all, I can't hardly wait for the day that I can just let my feelings soar, but in this fallen world, honestly, it's not always a safe reality...We have to watch every step we take, we have to depend on wisdom and, more times than not, we have to tell ourselves that our 'emotions' shouldn't lead us. Pity, because life would be so much easier that way, right?
Back to that mirror I was mentioning...a lot of times I would compare a mirror to Vanity...and maybe after all that is what it all comes down to, a fear or distraction of vanity. But for me personally, I've never feared much expect for vanity, and rebellion. And the sad thing is; most of the world that we know, is based on those two things, Vanity and Rebellion.
I've heard that our true desires are based out of our heart...and that depends on whether or not we have a heart that is Redeemed by the blood of Christ or not, but if it is, then our true, deep, desires, are what we should follow. And they are placed there by the Creator Himself.
Which to me, makes sense. But just because your heart has been saved, and believes in the blood and resurrection of Christ, does not mean that all the desires of your heart are holy and right. We all have individual things that we must surrender to Christ. And Christ can only change as much as we have surrendered to Him. If we just surrender our worst sins, than that is all we have given him...but if we surrender our affections, our time, our hobbies, our relationships, to Him...He can work in all those areas then. But only after we willingly surrender those areas to Him. A lot of Christians have only surrendered their selves on the level ,of salvation from the 'consequences' of sin, and hell. And then there are those who have surrendered certain 'lusts' to Him, and then there are those who have surrendered there 'selfishness' to Him...These things are all good, but remember God can only work with as much as you are willing to surrender to Him.
That is why a lot of Christian Rappers/Musicians have been speaking about such things as 'going hard', 'surrendering affections', and 'desiring God's plan for your life'...because these are relevant issues. A lot of Christians aren't finding their 'Identity in Christ'...Or else they are just 'finding their Identity in salvation', or 'finding their Identity in Him only around other Christians', or only on weekends...No, God must be continue to invade your life, in every area...That doesn't mean that you will be willing to surrender all, at once...and that doesn't mean that you even are able to surrender everything all at once...Living for the Lord is a Journey, and a continual 'process of sanctification', in all the areas of your life...
Back to that mirror you're looking through. Are certain things clouding your view? Surrender them to God. But you must be willing to surrender them... Are you mirroring your heart at this time of your life?
I've heard that our true desires are based out of our heart...and that depends on whether or not we have a heart that is Redeemed by the blood of Christ or not, but if it is, then our true, deep, desires, are what we should follow. And they are placed there by the Creator Himself.
Which to me, makes sense. But just because your heart has been saved, and believes in the blood and resurrection of Christ, does not mean that all the desires of your heart are holy and right. We all have individual things that we must surrender to Christ. And Christ can only change as much as we have surrendered to Him. If we just surrender our worst sins, than that is all we have given him...but if we surrender our affections, our time, our hobbies, our relationships, to Him...He can work in all those areas then. But only after we willingly surrender those areas to Him. A lot of Christians have only surrendered their selves on the level ,of salvation from the 'consequences' of sin, and hell. And then there are those who have surrendered certain 'lusts' to Him, and then there are those who have surrendered there 'selfishness' to Him...These things are all good, but remember God can only work with as much as you are willing to surrender to Him.
That is why a lot of Christian Rappers/Musicians have been speaking about such things as 'going hard', 'surrendering affections', and 'desiring God's plan for your life'...because these are relevant issues. A lot of Christians aren't finding their 'Identity in Christ'...Or else they are just 'finding their Identity in salvation', or 'finding their Identity in Him only around other Christians', or only on weekends...No, God must be continue to invade your life, in every area...That doesn't mean that you will be willing to surrender all, at once...and that doesn't mean that you even are able to surrender everything all at once...Living for the Lord is a Journey, and a continual 'process of sanctification', in all the areas of your life...
Back to that mirror you're looking through. Are certain things clouding your view? Surrender them to God. But you must be willing to surrender them... Are you mirroring your heart at this time of your life?
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