Whirling

There's a Hebrew word called "Macowl" (spell?) that means to whirl or spin. It is used in alot of the passages in the Old Testament particularly in the Psalms whenever it talks about dancing in praise of God. I like it. That word has meant alot to me for many reasons..

This summer has been a whirl-wind but what I love is that I have been whirling with God. Through all the hecticness (6 cross country road-trips anyone?) of this summer I have had that underlying peace of knowing that I am whirling with God. Maybe a little crazy concept but so true.

There are so many stories from this summer - I can't begin to start writing them all. Starting out with a road trip to Miami, heading up an Inner-City Fine Arts camp for a week, travelling up to MI to work on a horse ranch for a week with amazing people, teaching another ballet camp, travelling to CO for a week of camp, my dad's surgeries and all the complications and scariness of that, trying to figure out whether or not we would stay in Miami or go back to MI, and trying to pack and move and finally leave a day early because of a hurricane - my life has been insane this summer. I have met wonderful people - deepened relationships with old friends and God has been teaching me so much about whirling with Him no matter what.

It was harder leaving Miami than I thought it would be - saying goodbye is never easy so I don't know why I thought it would be this time. My heart is sad missing beautiful people there - but I know that God has me in MI again for a reason and I am very excited about everything here too.. very mixed emotions. Whirling. That is my word.

Colorado 2008

Crooked Creek was amazing...

since a picture's worth a thousand words...

80's work-out girls!

that's me! (we definitely had a massive whip cream fight later!)

some of us on top of the mountain

our whole cabin on top of the mountain..

Ballet Camp

Ballet Camp Pics :)

I'm off to Colorado for a week of camp.. :D I'm so excited and cannot wait to see what the Lord has for us all there. A lady who is on the prayer team is somewhat of a mentor to me and she Emailed me this morning and was just saying how she cannot wait to see what the Lord has to teach every one of us. :) Amen...

Imagery from Romans 8

Some poetical-ish thoughts after reading Romands 8:18-27

All creation is groaning
It was made to be whole
Not experiencing decay
Or blood spilled on it's ground

It was made to be alive
Not choked by sin and destruction
It's groans resonate inside
Waiting for redemption one final time

Our spirits deep inside
Groaning for true life
Longings unfulfilled must mean
We're made for another life

Groanings un-explained
Waiting for that day
Intercede when our groans become too much
And remind us You're coming to redeem, restore and to save!

Group

Last night we went to group and it was so wonderful. There was a brother and sister there and a few months ago the brother who just graduated from high school became a Christian. He had been doing drugs and supplying them and you could just see such a huge difference in Him. He was talking about his parents and how they're catholic and some of the conversations he's had with them since he became a Christian. You could see the transformation and the true love just bubbling out of him. Then a few weeks back he brought his sister to group and you could just see the hunger on her face for Christ and really listening to everything being shared and said. Then yesterday she came again to group and with this face just absolutely shining shared with the whole group that two weeks ago she accepted Christ after group with her brother in the car on the way home. It was beautiful. Last night they were praying for eachother and thanking the Lord that they had eachother to talk to and asking the Lord to protect eachother and it was sooo beautiful. Just the joy and the transformation inside of them both is SO obvious. :)

Another girl was born in Pakistan and grew up there and also Muslim. Last year at group she became a Christian and if she goes home she will probably be killed. All of her family over there are muslims. It's crazy hearing her talk. She has a room-mate now who is Hindu and has all the idols in their room and Sai was talking about how literaly you could feel the spiritual warfare and that she has just been praying. Well, last night her room-mate and another Hindu came to group with Sai. They didn't really say anything but the girl told Bri (one of the leaders) that she would be back next week and she loved it.

It is just so cool to see the diversity culterally and all the different stories and the meshing of brand-new believers and believer's who have believed for a long time and how we all challenge and encourage eachother and the deep love for Scriptures and just reading through it together and sharing all the different perspectives and insights and just WORSHIPING Christ. I love group so much and am so thankful. They are precious people and brothers and sisters. Beautiful.

the vision and the vow

so I'm reading the book "The Vision and the Vow" by Pete Greig currently.. amazing stuff!

"Their DNA chooses Jesus

(He breathes out - they breathe in)

Their subconscious sings

They had a blood transfusion with Jesus"

Be Near Me

"I cannot believe You are angry or unjust
You have done nothing but have compassion on us
And be near when I have given up, be near me!"
~Bethany Dillon~


That whole song is amazing.. "Be Near Me" I have listened to it on repeat alot the past few days.


I love how when we "know what's going on" or when "we figure God out" that He can just cause a "tornado" to go off and remind you that you can NEVER figure Him out but that you can always trust Him. I feel like I have let go in a new way this week-end and that I have finaly realized that I cannot figure God out. (duh) I know that but I was reminded of that this week-end. I like it. And I absolutely love that even though I cannot "figure Him out" that I can TRUST Him with my whole heart. :D

You never know what a day will bring.

Lately I've been looking at people through my eyes. Jesus has been teaching me about looking at people through HIS eyes which are full of hope and see people how they are supposed to be. I see people and just get filled with doubt but that's NOT my job. I need to be seeing them how Jesus sees them and that is whole - not broken- completely free to worship HIM! I hate that I can be so cynical sometimes...


"Is it alright if I stay here all night.. by the shoreline.."
~Bethany Dillon~

Secrets

“Secrets”
6/18/2008

It started out as something so small
A neglected heart at the edge of the crowd
What draw the crowd has – one may never know
But she stands at the edge –feeling alone and left out

There is a war going on much deeper than she knows
It started almost before time
So how can she fight if she doesn’t know?
The war for a soul – defenseless and standing at the edge of the crowd

What secrets held inside?
Secrets that are meant to be shared
Secrets that stay inside only bind you in fear
The voices that no one hears but scream at you at night
They hold you alone and keep you at the edge of the crowd

That’s part of the war that started before time
The battle for a soul – Satan has no right
He stretches out the tentacles that keep you locked up in fear
Freedom seems impossible
Secrets are what bind you in fear

The father of lies is the father of secrets
When you hold them inside the secrets control you
Not only the secrets but the father of secrets
Each secret a tentacle –keeping you from your freedom

Each secret a chain and lock that must be opened
To be able to trust and to gain your freedom
You can’t hold these secrets they don’t belong to you
You were bought at a price before you even know what love was

The chains held by the father of secrets
That keep your soul locked and bound
Can be opened and freed – you must trust and get rid of these secrets

Secrets held in the dark will only tie you down
You must shed light on them
Though your eyes squint and you shudder from what used to hold you down

The light will expose the dark secrets and the darkness will flee
When you trust and share the secret
Only then can you be free

Like a child...

God loves children. I kinda like them myself. :D I was in a restraunt the other day and there was this adorable little boy. The waitress brought him out a balloon and his eyes just lit up! I love seeing children re-act to things around them. What makes them smile and laugh for joy. Where does that come from? How does a baby know to cry when he's unhappy or needs something. Children are SO precious. They are the closest thing to how God intended us to be.

I had a conversation with my "sister" Abby the other day about how we expect children to grow up so fast and cut down their dreams and imagination like it means nothing. Why are we not protecting them and nurturing them? Their dreams and innocence is the most precious gift they posess and we treat it like it doesn't matter.

Luke 10:21

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, because you have hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little children."

Luke 18:16-17

Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Michael Card wrote a song about his son Will called, "The Sunrise of Your Smile." It is beautiful..

Reject the wordly lie that says,

That life lies always up ahead,

Let power go beofre control becomes a crust around your soul,

Escape the hunger to posess,

And soul-diminishing sucsess,

This world is full of narrow lives,

I pray by grace your smile survives.

For I would wander weary miles,

Would welcome ridicule, my child,

To simply see the sunrise of your smile,

To see the light behind your eyes,
The happy thought that makes you fly,

Yes, I would wander weary miles,

To simply see the sunrise of your smile.

Now close your eyes so you can see,

Your own unfinished memories,

Now open them, for time is breif,

And you'll be blest beyond belief,

Now glance above you at the sky,

There's beauty there to blind the eye,
I ask all this then wait awhile,
To see the dawning of your smile.

Butterfly Effect

"There are no words that we can say to explain why we feel this way; though we try only God knows who we are when we change from catepillars to butterflies"
~Hana~

So me and this girl ^ and another girl had the most divine time last night... God did some pretty HUGE things and it was just amazing.. enough said! I told them about my special love of butterflies and the symbolism to me. Hana then wrote that up there about it..

Family is SO important.
When you merely omit something that is also a lie.

When you omit things to your family (not telling them what's going on in your life) you are in actuality feeding lies. There is no where for truth to grow then. Some of the happiest people I know are the people who do not have to hide anything. They tell their families everything. Growing up, I had a "no-secrets" policy with my family -which freed me UP! I never had to wonder if they would find out about something. If I didn't tell them something right away, my parents were pretty good about figuring out if I was hiding something so I would always end up telling anyways. Read the last chapter in Malachi... here's a part:

Malachi 4:6
He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children
and the hearts of the children to their fathers
or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.

God did not create families for no reason. Part of living free and full is having that relationship with your family and not hiding things from eachother. The people (peer-wise) that I hands down respect the most have this same "no-secrets" policy with their families and respect and love for them. It's amazing how God uses what He created for freedom and full life and life abundantly in Him!