Thursday, August 27, 2009

Beyond Measure

Ah, the blog has been getting kind of lonely lately, and I thought I'd share this song with you (obviously) :]. (look at the youtube site if you want to see all the lyrics.)



~Jeremy Camp "Beyond Measure"

(Bridge)
"Everything I have
has been given so unselfishly,
and shown that even when I don't deserve,
You always show the fullness of Your love"

There are always times in our lives when we're feeling out of touch with...well, everything. Feeling down or even numb. This song such a wonderful reminder of God's unrelenting pouring out of blessings on us. Every breath we take, every beat our heart pumps, is yet another glorious blessing God gives us. And God is so ready to take you and I places. "Every next step, is an extrodinary scene". Every chapter of our lives is written with purpose by the hand our amazing Creator. I don't know about you, but when I pull my attention away from myself and think about how much our God has blessed us, things seem to be better, though situations might be exactly the same as before. God has given us a beautiful life, though fog sometimes blocks our view. When we try to figure things out though, grope through everything we have for meaning, for purpose, for something REAL, we'll find every time that we are nothing and would have nothing apart from God.

To kind of really understand this song, you have to know a little bit about Jeremy Camp's life. In this song, Jeremy Camp praises God for several specific ways He has blessed him: a newborn child, a loving wife, and then more. Jeremy also understands that this life brings a lot of pain. In his early twenties, his girlfriend whom he loved very much was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The two got married five months before her passing. Jeremy's first album "Stay" has several songs talking about this inconceivably trying time for him, the song "I Still Believe" being the first song he wrote after his first wife's death. Through all of this, he sees that God guides our steps and goes with us through everything... everything.

Jeremy Camp's story is awesome.. but I'm realizing more and more that your story and my story is just as beautiful, filled with all of God's amazing love and grace. We've been given so much more than beyond what we can measure. This beautiful life He's given us.. I don't want to watch it go by, not understanding the great gift He's laid before us. When we meet God and look back, will we be ashamed that we had our blinders on for too long to see that He's poured out so much on us? More than that, for us now, we should be excited! Excited for where God is going to take us next, whether it be through our first college years or the last years in high school or just tomorrow even! What AWESOME blessings God has planned for us... please guys, remind me of this when I just can't see things clearly. I'll try to do the same for you =].

(Chorus)
"I know that I've been given more than beyond measure
I come alive when I see beyond my fears
I know that I've been given more than earthly treasure
I come alive when I'm broken down and given you control"


Oh, and if you want to check out "I Still Believe", here you go. I still cry sometimes when I hear it... glory to the God who mends our brokenness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4qPceadBMU

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

The Lost Get Found- Britt Nicole






hey guys,

i've been wanting to share this song for a long time.

sometimes God puts something in my heart to say
but i'm scared to say it because i don't want to hurt or offend others.
i like to keep peace.

this song reminds me that the lost getting found is worth the risk.
if i don't take these risks, how will the lost hear the truth?

and yes, when i finally step out and follow the tug in my heart, God has
allowed me to sprinkle some salt in the conversations with the lost.
praise God for all of those opportunities and please pray that i will
be faithful with the ones to come.

thanks for reading and i hope you'll enjoy the song!

How Many Kings

I know I've shared this song for most of you who still read this blog, but I thought that I might as well put it on the blog itself. PLus the band is really cool, with one guy singing crazy high and the other singing really low.. *thumbs up*.



A little while ago, I became very compelled by the stories of the astronomers from Persia. These people, after studying for years and years the constellations of stars and such, have finally discovered where the Messiah from the Scriptures would appear. Furthermore, it would happen within their lifetime! So leaving their own home, they take this long journey to seek out the Messiah they've been waiting for for so long... to find that the way God would present the Savior is in the weakest form, a baby. But despite the irrationale that this humble baby would be the one to save Israel (and in fact the entire world), they present their gifts to this presentation of God's love.

This travel that the astronomer's take come from a deep conviction to see their Savior! Imagine: the Messiah! The One that all the prophets said would free Israel would be showing up soon! What elation, what enormous emotion must be running through these men's veins! So they leave behind their homes, their families, their comfort, to travel a huge distance (without a car!) to find this Savior. If we heard that Jesus was showing up, say in Minnesota, would we want to go see Him? hehs, okay, hard to imagine..but to what distance would we travel to see where God is showing up? It would be great, if we could go whatever distance to see God showing up! to have that kind of excitement and "wow!"ness.

So say we did travel that distance..read that book, speak to that person, take that stand, basically take that extra mile...after we do that, we should be giving all our praise to this God who can do all things. yay.

And speaking of the chorus.. why should the KING of kings, the LORD of lords, the CREATOR of all creation step down in such a dramatic way, manifesting Himself in the weakest and most vulnerable form? His love is something I will never understand...to send His son to save us through His son's death. (wow.) He really does deserve everything. What an awesome God we have.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

I am for you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKWcQqKsT6g

I am for you ~ waking ashland


I remember listening to this song when I was in my early high school years. Not sure if this band is a christian band, but they come from a christian label.....so i think that they are christians xD. It's cool because back then, I only liked this song because it sounded pretty. Now listening to this song again a couple of years later, I can see God.

This song gets me thinking about how many people believe that God is against them. How they are struggling so much and think that God must really hate them. Of course, as Christians, we know that is not true.

In my opinion, the lyrics are amazing. For example, "Right and wrong is black and white
The illusions of this world And there is hope again."I don't know how you interpret it, but I interpret it as life is not just black and white. There's so much more to that. God is complex. I don't think that He would make life that simple. It is an illusion to view this world as only black and white. Life doesn't make sense. There will be unanswered questions, struggles that we don't understand, happiness that can't be described in words....and etc; In all that God can be found, there is hope. If life was easy, then we wouldn't need God to help explain it or live through it.

"The comfort we create to prove were something .But we're starving." We have our comfort zone. Day by day we build up this comfort zone. We build and build, but where will it lead us? We are comfortable, but is that enough? Are we satisfied, are we even happy? haha....whoah i typed out all those questions and I look down at the lyrics and this line follows: "Screaming in the night cause you want answers." I must've been thinking the same thing as waking ashland when they were thinking of those lyrics. =]


Life makes no sense. Our comfort is not enough. I can understand why people would think that God is against them. Knowing about God's love and who He is makes me understand why He does those things. I can justify what seems as negative things by finding God's love in those situations. ".... If God is for us, who can be against us? romans 8:31"

Something’s very wrong here
Your heart has frozen over
and something’s very strange here
You've lost all desire

The comfort we create to prove were something
But we're starving
Screaming in the night cause you want answers
From the one
And there is hope again

Don't give up your not thinking
Don't give up just keep seeking
And I, I am for you
And I, I will love you
And I, I am for you
And I, I will save you

Come and take my face or forever I will walk alone
And all the same mistakes
Cause I know you, I deny you
Days go by and choices still remain forever
Right and wrong is black and white
The illusions of this world
And there is hope again

I send my self to you
Yes always and always
I send my love to you

You found today, found today, you found today, saw today

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Smile



"Smile" - by Kutless

Sorry if you read the paragraph that I had originally posted--I was bitter. And that's not the message I wanted to convey, especially not with this song. "There is a joy inside / the realm of God is all I know from which this could originate." Let's smile, a genuine and pure one, please... :]

[I'll give my thoughts on the song later.]