Heaven's perfect melody
The Creator's symphony
You are singing over me
The Father's song
Heaven's perfect mystery
The king of love has sent for me
And now you are singing over me
The Father's song.
I will rest in this and only this- That my Father is exponentially more powerful than I can ever be. He gives me his love which is the greatest love, and I find peace and strength through him. He is the only way that I will ever be a greater person. He is the only truth I need when all other things are obscure. My world is obscure, but he has a greater purpose than I could ever try to fulfill if I knew his plan on my own.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Flaming Rose
Hosea 10:12-13 "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love and break up your unplowed ground for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness upon you. But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your own strength and many warriors."
I really wish I wasn't depriving myself of sleep to write this, but as the whipped cream melts into the hot chocolate and the hot chocolate becomes chocolate milk I must make this brief....
There are so many wonderful things in these two verses that, if my mind were to put thoughts together properly and keep them in there, I could write pages upon pages. But one thing I wanted to point out was the mention of the unplowed ground. Unplowed ground, especially if it is extremely hard, cannot receive all of the necessary moisture or nutrients necessary for farming. In order to plow this ground, something hard and heavy (i.e. a plow) must be used to dig in and expose what is inside. If we are to reap this fruit of unfailing love, we must plow the land of our hearts. Not what has already been turned over, but we must plow what has never been touched. If the land had feelings when it was plowed you would hear it groan in pain as the horses drug the plow across its surface. But it would feel much better when the rain comes and it is able to do so much more for the crops it yeilds. And so it is with our hearts. There are things in our lives which we have kept to ourselves and allowed no one else to touch. To allow that "dirt" to be dug in when it has never been touched is at first difficult to access. Then it is hard and painful to let what it is that is plowing to dig in our hearts and expose what is within us. But because this is exposed, we are able to absorb more of the "showers of rightousness" that God has already been trying to rain on our lives. Sure unlplowed land can still get wet, but it is only when it has been plowed that what has been planted within it can trully grow to its full potential.
This is something that I've been learning in my life lately through experiences and it was just now shown to me in this verse. This verse actually has a lot to do with what God has been showing me in my life over the past few years and I've just been able to get to the point of plowing my unplowed ground- looking at aspects of myself that I wanted to leave in that meadow behind the woods. Though I knew the meadow was there and I could retreat to it every now and again, it was not doing me any good. But now the ground is really being broken and I will seek the Lord until he comes.
I will try to speak more on this verse later...
And "Flaming Rose" is what we're thinking about naming the videography business...
I really wish I wasn't depriving myself of sleep to write this, but as the whipped cream melts into the hot chocolate and the hot chocolate becomes chocolate milk I must make this brief....
There are so many wonderful things in these two verses that, if my mind were to put thoughts together properly and keep them in there, I could write pages upon pages. But one thing I wanted to point out was the mention of the unplowed ground. Unplowed ground, especially if it is extremely hard, cannot receive all of the necessary moisture or nutrients necessary for farming. In order to plow this ground, something hard and heavy (i.e. a plow) must be used to dig in and expose what is inside. If we are to reap this fruit of unfailing love, we must plow the land of our hearts. Not what has already been turned over, but we must plow what has never been touched. If the land had feelings when it was plowed you would hear it groan in pain as the horses drug the plow across its surface. But it would feel much better when the rain comes and it is able to do so much more for the crops it yeilds. And so it is with our hearts. There are things in our lives which we have kept to ourselves and allowed no one else to touch. To allow that "dirt" to be dug in when it has never been touched is at first difficult to access. Then it is hard and painful to let what it is that is plowing to dig in our hearts and expose what is within us. But because this is exposed, we are able to absorb more of the "showers of rightousness" that God has already been trying to rain on our lives. Sure unlplowed land can still get wet, but it is only when it has been plowed that what has been planted within it can trully grow to its full potential.
This is something that I've been learning in my life lately through experiences and it was just now shown to me in this verse. This verse actually has a lot to do with what God has been showing me in my life over the past few years and I've just been able to get to the point of plowing my unplowed ground- looking at aspects of myself that I wanted to leave in that meadow behind the woods. Though I knew the meadow was there and I could retreat to it every now and again, it was not doing me any good. But now the ground is really being broken and I will seek the Lord until he comes.
I will try to speak more on this verse later...
And "Flaming Rose" is what we're thinking about naming the videography business...
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Fall "Break" and new stuffz
I am two hours away from the end of my fall break. What have I done during that break? Well I've dealt with some fear issues within myself and grown closer to God. Friday night I was a bit distressed and had a long phone conversation. Then I didn't feel good at all by 2am, so I had to call out of work for Saturday.
Because of some realizations that I had on Friday, I decided to go up to the seminary on Saturday and just pray and read my Bible. I read through Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Colossians, and 1 Thessalonians and various other scriptures and just prayed that God would make me a stronger man, and not the whiner that I've been lately. I am very thankful that some weaknesses about my personality were pointed out to me. These were things that I was slightly aware of already, but when someone else pointed it out to me I was very senstive of it. And then I realized that lately I've lost a lot of good qualities that I used to have. And I've been praying that God would give those back to me. Sunday, I finally took the kyak out with Robert and Katie. We skipped rocks, and rowed around a bit on Falls Lake. Well, Robert and I did most of the rowing.
Sunday night, Katie and I had a much needed discussion on some communication issues on my part. I know now thatI need to be completely open and not vauge about what I say. And I need to not be afraid to say anything. And I guess some of you that may read this blog know that I have a tendency toward vaguness. I can easily say what I want to say without someone ever knowing I said it. And when it comes to communicating on a personal level, that can be a very dangerous habit.
Robert spent the night on Sunday and I showed him around the good 'ol Funkytown after we played SmashBros till about 1:30am. Then I met up with Chad at Starbucks where he prety much talked to me about communication in relationships without me even bringing it up. Yeah, I think God was trying to tell me something...
I hung out with Katie all afternoon and we read random spats in the Bible and prayed a bit. Then we talked for quite a while, until we were both hungry- it feels really good to be able to talk to someone. So we made some dinner and watched Beauty and the Beast. Oh man, I haven't seen that movie in at least four years. The ballroom scene amazes me everytime. And now that I know how to anaylize stories better, its cool to see all of the symbols, messages and themes that they have going on in that movie. Spectacular.
And I wrote a new poem on my poetry blog today. Check it out.
In other recent developments, Stefan and I are starting a wedding videography business. We don't have a name for it yet. (Help with that is greatly appreciated) and I have a short, 45 second sample reel to get us going. Tell me what you think please. I'm debating on if that is the proper music or not. And if you know anyone who is getting married, you can give them our name. We'll be shooting in HD with two cameras and charge less than a lot of the guys who shoot "broadcast quality" with one. So here it is. Enjoy.
Because of some realizations that I had on Friday, I decided to go up to the seminary on Saturday and just pray and read my Bible. I read through Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Colossians, and 1 Thessalonians and various other scriptures and just prayed that God would make me a stronger man, and not the whiner that I've been lately. I am very thankful that some weaknesses about my personality were pointed out to me. These were things that I was slightly aware of already, but when someone else pointed it out to me I was very senstive of it. And then I realized that lately I've lost a lot of good qualities that I used to have. And I've been praying that God would give those back to me. Sunday, I finally took the kyak out with Robert and Katie. We skipped rocks, and rowed around a bit on Falls Lake. Well, Robert and I did most of the rowing.
Sunday night, Katie and I had a much needed discussion on some communication issues on my part. I know now thatI need to be completely open and not vauge about what I say. And I need to not be afraid to say anything. And I guess some of you that may read this blog know that I have a tendency toward vaguness. I can easily say what I want to say without someone ever knowing I said it. And when it comes to communicating on a personal level, that can be a very dangerous habit.
Robert spent the night on Sunday and I showed him around the good 'ol Funkytown after we played SmashBros till about 1:30am. Then I met up with Chad at Starbucks where he prety much talked to me about communication in relationships without me even bringing it up. Yeah, I think God was trying to tell me something...
I hung out with Katie all afternoon and we read random spats in the Bible and prayed a bit. Then we talked for quite a while, until we were both hungry- it feels really good to be able to talk to someone. So we made some dinner and watched Beauty and the Beast. Oh man, I haven't seen that movie in at least four years. The ballroom scene amazes me everytime. And now that I know how to anaylize stories better, its cool to see all of the symbols, messages and themes that they have going on in that movie. Spectacular.
And I wrote a new poem on my poetry blog today. Check it out.
In other recent developments, Stefan and I are starting a wedding videography business. We don't have a name for it yet. (Help with that is greatly appreciated) and I have a short, 45 second sample reel to get us going. Tell me what you think please. I'm debating on if that is the proper music or not. And if you know anyone who is getting married, you can give them our name. We'll be shooting in HD with two cameras and charge less than a lot of the guys who shoot "broadcast quality" with one. So here it is. Enjoy.
Monday, October 5, 2009
And Life Goes On...
Hi there! I know I've been MIA on here for a while, but I have decided it would be beneficial for me to return. I really have missed writing on here and I have no clue why I kinda dropped off the face of the internet. So now instead of just thinking about writing to someone out there on the vast expanse of the internet, I'm actually writing to you- whoever you are that is reading this. Yes you! Because you're important enough for me to let you know about me. Whether I know you or not. This is just a prelude into more days of blogging...but... since I've been away for so long its General Life Goings update:
So just to let you know, you will be hearing from me a lot more from now on. I need to write and you want something to read. You know you do. ;)
- I now live all alone in this big empty house. Meaning I have to pay more money to live.
- I still work at the same job. :/
- I met an amazing girl that I have become very close with, and it just feels natural to be around her. Maybe more on that subject later eh? ;)...
- Anchor Soul is back! And its going to be freaking amazing this year. Its so good to be doing that again.
So just to let you know, you will be hearing from me a lot more from now on. I need to write and you want something to read. You know you do. ;)
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Church Discipline- From Discussion Group on 6/25/09
I posted this on a discussion board for a bible study group that I will speak more of on here when I have the time... This is from the notes I took on our discussion of Church Discipline on Thursday. I just finished writing it.
The purpose of Church discipline is the restoration of the fallen brother (or sister, but just to make it easy the person will be referred to as brother from now on. lol).
In Galatians 6:1 Paul says that if someone is caught in sin, "you who are spiritual should restore him gently." Paul gives us an example of this in the first part of 2 Corinthians 2 where someone has done something wrong (possibly a reference to 1 Corinthians 5) in the church and has already been punished for it. The "majority" did punish this person somehow, but at the same time Paul says in verse 7 to "forgive and comfort him so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow." This means that when an issue of sin needs to be addressed it should not be done out of malice or some other form of ill intent, but rather "so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord." (1 Cor. 5:5) And we must forgive so that "Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." And his scheme in that place would be to divide the Church so that it would become ineffective as a tool for God.
"A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." It is not good to never address the sin once we are aware of it. In 1 Corinthians 5, the church embraced the sin that the man did. Paul says to "put out of you fellowship the man who did this" and "expel the wicked from among you" We should not allow one who continues in sin to create division through their sin. In Matthew 18:15... Jesus gives the guidelines for dealing with someone who you know is in sin: speak with them on your own, and if that doesn't work after a while, get a few people to go with you to speak with him, and if that doesn't work, then it should be brought to the attention of the body of believers. And if he still refuses to listen, Jesus says to treat him as a tax collector or pagan: an outsider. According to Paul's example with the church of Corinth, when that person realizes that they were wrong and changes, we can love them enough to bring them back gently rather than continually bash their face in with it. We are not above falling ourselves (Gal 6:1, Titus 3:3).
We are to be held accountable to each other through the church by God's word. When we make a commitment to be associated with other believers, we are making a commitment to be held accountable by them to what God says. If we are committed to one another under the Bible, discipline flows naturally. We are to be one body unified by one purpose. We can never be too "holy" to be humble. We should desire correction from one another if one of us is in sin.
- If anyone has anything to add feel free to on this discussion board. Or if anyone was there and sees that I said something completely wrong about what we discussed or the conclusions we came to through our discussions please correct me. It is possible sometimes that I will take notes and not remember exactly what I meant those notes to say so then when I reproduce them to the world in a halfway intelligible form, it may come out wrong.
1 Peter 4:7-8 "7The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
The purpose of Church discipline is the restoration of the fallen brother (or sister, but just to make it easy the person will be referred to as brother from now on. lol).
In Galatians 6:1 Paul says that if someone is caught in sin, "you who are spiritual should restore him gently." Paul gives us an example of this in the first part of 2 Corinthians 2 where someone has done something wrong (possibly a reference to 1 Corinthians 5) in the church and has already been punished for it. The "majority" did punish this person somehow, but at the same time Paul says in verse 7 to "forgive and comfort him so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow." This means that when an issue of sin needs to be addressed it should not be done out of malice or some other form of ill intent, but rather "so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord." (1 Cor. 5:5) And we must forgive so that "Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." And his scheme in that place would be to divide the Church so that it would become ineffective as a tool for God.
"A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." It is not good to never address the sin once we are aware of it. In 1 Corinthians 5, the church embraced the sin that the man did. Paul says to "put out of you fellowship the man who did this" and "expel the wicked from among you" We should not allow one who continues in sin to create division through their sin. In Matthew 18:15... Jesus gives the guidelines for dealing with someone who you know is in sin: speak with them on your own, and if that doesn't work after a while, get a few people to go with you to speak with him, and if that doesn't work, then it should be brought to the attention of the body of believers. And if he still refuses to listen, Jesus says to treat him as a tax collector or pagan: an outsider. According to Paul's example with the church of Corinth, when that person realizes that they were wrong and changes, we can love them enough to bring them back gently rather than continually bash their face in with it. We are not above falling ourselves (Gal 6:1, Titus 3:3).
We are to be held accountable to each other through the church by God's word. When we make a commitment to be associated with other believers, we are making a commitment to be held accountable by them to what God says. If we are committed to one another under the Bible, discipline flows naturally. We are to be one body unified by one purpose. We can never be too "holy" to be humble. We should desire correction from one another if one of us is in sin.
- If anyone has anything to add feel free to on this discussion board. Or if anyone was there and sees that I said something completely wrong about what we discussed or the conclusions we came to through our discussions please correct me. It is possible sometimes that I will take notes and not remember exactly what I meant those notes to say so then when I reproduce them to the world in a halfway intelligible form, it may come out wrong.
1 Peter 4:7-8 "7The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
Thursday, May 21, 2009
But Here You Are
Lately I guess I've just been getting a lot of kicks to the face from God. These kicks are things that are teaching me how I should grow and love and whatever else it is that God thinks I should know more about or see in who I am or rather who I've become.
So I want to live my life the best I can. So what? there are so many other people trying to do the exact same thing. Doing the best I can is something that I was focused so much on for the past year, possibly two years of my life. Its been "God how can I best serve you with what I have?" Its taken a lot for him to show me "Jeremy, YOU have nothing. You have done nothing. Can't you see this whole time that it was ME giving you everything that you posses within you and around you?" Lately I've been trying to measure up to the things that I think that I should be doing or the way that I think is the right way to go or the thing that I think I should do. And all the while I can now imagine God going:
"Jeremy, here is this month's car payment so you will see that I do provide. Jeremy, here is this camera so I can produce great and mighty things because of you. Jeremy, here is a friend because you cannot yet grasp that I am enough. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me... I am not in the earthquake that you so desperately hope to shake your life. I am not in the fire that you wish to destroy all but the path you should take. For in the earthquake you would be swallowed by the earth, and in the fire you would be consumed in the flames. No, I am not in these signs and wonders that you seek. As if my might and power need to be proven! No I am not. I AM the whisper. I am that silent wind that you hear only when you are standing still. I am that one thing that you- because of your preconceived human ideologies; you- because of this pathetic little box you have attempted to place me in (no matter how big you hope it to be); I am the one thing that you never thought I would be- the silence, the "nothing". I am the stillness in your heart when all things seem to never cease. I am the peace in your mind when all logic tells you that you are doomed. I am the tranquil silence when all of your emotions seem to scream with rage. I am the Love that you thought you forgot how to be. I am everything that YOU could never be. Come near to me by standing still, and everything will be for my glory in the end. I will use you in ways that not even on your best days can do on your own. Be still and know that I am God. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Love is patient. I will wait on the Lord. How I claim to love God with all my heart and yet not be patient, when he himself gives the first characteristic of love as patience! Oh, to be human! But to be human is to be loved by God. Oh, to be human! What a joy it can be when all I do is stop screaming at him long enough to listen to him whisper his reply: "Why are you crying out to me? You need only to be still."
Exodus 14
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"
13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen."
So I want to live my life the best I can. So what? there are so many other people trying to do the exact same thing. Doing the best I can is something that I was focused so much on for the past year, possibly two years of my life. Its been "God how can I best serve you with what I have?" Its taken a lot for him to show me "Jeremy, YOU have nothing. You have done nothing. Can't you see this whole time that it was ME giving you everything that you posses within you and around you?" Lately I've been trying to measure up to the things that I think that I should be doing or the way that I think is the right way to go or the thing that I think I should do. And all the while I can now imagine God going:
"Jeremy, here is this month's car payment so you will see that I do provide. Jeremy, here is this camera so I can produce great and mighty things because of you. Jeremy, here is a friend because you cannot yet grasp that I am enough. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me... I am not in the earthquake that you so desperately hope to shake your life. I am not in the fire that you wish to destroy all but the path you should take. For in the earthquake you would be swallowed by the earth, and in the fire you would be consumed in the flames. No, I am not in these signs and wonders that you seek. As if my might and power need to be proven! No I am not. I AM the whisper. I am that silent wind that you hear only when you are standing still. I am that one thing that you- because of your preconceived human ideologies; you- because of this pathetic little box you have attempted to place me in (no matter how big you hope it to be); I am the one thing that you never thought I would be- the silence, the "nothing". I am the stillness in your heart when all things seem to never cease. I am the peace in your mind when all logic tells you that you are doomed. I am the tranquil silence when all of your emotions seem to scream with rage. I am the Love that you thought you forgot how to be. I am everything that YOU could never be. Come near to me by standing still, and everything will be for my glory in the end. I will use you in ways that not even on your best days can do on your own. Be still and know that I am God. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Love is patient. I will wait on the Lord. How I claim to love God with all my heart and yet not be patient, when he himself gives the first characteristic of love as patience! Oh, to be human! But to be human is to be loved by God. Oh, to be human! What a joy it can be when all I do is stop screaming at him long enough to listen to him whisper his reply: "Why are you crying out to me? You need only to be still."
Exodus 14
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"
13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen."
Thursday, May 14, 2009
I Thought You Were Far Away...
Well I really wanted to update people on what's going on with me, but I need to go to bed so I'll leave you with this lovely picture. I called it "muddy espresso." 4 shots (I think) of espresso over probably 2 oz. of premelted chocolate. And of course whipped cream. The topping is chocolate shavings from the bottom of the bag of the chocolate chips. I made it a while back. It was amazing.
