This is Lindsey rambling....

AWE

2012-01-24T21:07:00.001-05:00

Size comparison of our sun and betelgeuse. If you're lucky, you can see betelgeuse in the night sky during the winter months. Walk outside and check it out at some point.

Grey

We can do something NOW!

2012-01-24T12:23:00.001-05:00

Sign Your Name & Stand For Freedom | International Justice Mission

We can do this, folks! I've posted a lot of stuff on FREEDOM lately because I really do believe we can do something about this. Sign it, share it!

Grey

2012-01-23T23:11:00.001-05:00

"A million victims is just a number until you meet one. Then they aren't a number anymore, they become a person."

-Christine Caine

Grey

2012-01-23T18:27:00.000-05:00

This is something to be excited about! This is the new Passion album cover. March 13th can't come soon enough.

Grey

Not ashamed

2012-01-18T23:20:00.002-05:00

I've just had a Passion 2012 withdrawal. It's so easy to jump around in a stadium with 42,000+ college-aged followers of Jesus and say that you're not ashamed of Christ. When you get back to school, that's a different story. I don't feel like I've ever "denied God," but I'm by far not bold enough.

This is what I'm praying for so, so, so hard:

"Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel..." -Ephesians 6:19

I LOVE this verse. The words "fearlessly" and "mystery" are my favorites. The word "fearlessly" hits to the core, because I feel like at the root of my issue is that I'm afraid I won't be pleasing people or making a good impression if I make a big fuss about Jesus. The word "mystery" is by far my favorite! Mystery is something that we don't quite "get." There's this sense about the gospel that we can't fully wrap our minds around it. I think that by trying to reduce the gospel and making it "marketable," we are doing God a great disservice!!

The fact that the gospel is mysterious and that we've been given the responsibility to carry it, should bring us to our knees. It's not something that we can just throw around and hope that we're getting it right. It's a matter of begging God to give us the wisdom and the words to somehow give people just a glimpse of the love and grace of Jesus!

Wow. No more words...

Grey

FREEDOM for the 27 MILLION still enslaved today

2012-01-16T23:31:00.000-05:00

Here are links to a video that was shown at the Passion 2012 conference. I realize that they’re all a bit lengthy, but it’s worth it! I have a download of the film that I’m going to try to put on CD’s and distribute to folks that are interested. Please check out what I’ve written below if you have a chance or you may even want to read it first.

Episode 1- http://bit.ly/yJVJNK

Episode 2- http://bit.ly/ztH6nf

Episode 3- http://bit.ly/A57Jno

Episode 4, Part 1- http://bit.ly/wZTYBY

Episode 4, Part 2- http://bit.ly/A67fwR

There are 27 million people still enslaved around the world today. This is an issue internationally, and even right here in the states. These not just numbers- each person has a story to tell. These stories in the film are just a few out of many. This is not just an agenda that I’m trying to push, I promise. I know that I’ve sat in classes before while studying the holocaust and thought: “if I had lived back then, I would have made an effort to stop this. How could people have been so blind?” This is the same kind of scenario. We can’t just turn a deaf ear. 80 years from now, are people going to look back and ask “why didn’t they do something about this?!”

What do we do? So often people will try to make things like this sound more appealing by saying “oh, it’s not about the money.” The truth is, this IS about the money. In order for organizations like A21, IJM, and Tiny Hands to function, the funds are needed! Some organizations move in and do rescue missions, while some focus on prevention in affected areas, and restoration for freed slaves. Giving to these causes is important, but there are other things that you can do as well. For example, through A21 you can write letters of inspiration that will be given to women who have been freed from their circumstances. (Details can be found on the A21 site listed below.) Finally, you can pray. I know that people always say this. After a while, I understand that it starts to sound a little cheesy, but it’s true. Jesus is Lord over every circumstance, and nothing is impossible for him. You can pray for the funds, for the creative ideas to get the word out, and for the victims of slavery themselves! Check out these websites for more information on some organizations fighting for freedom:

Wellspring- www.wellspringliving.org

Hagar- www.hagarinternational.org

IJM (International Justice Mission)- www.ijm.org

A21- www.thea21campaign.org

Tiny Hands- www.tinyhandsinternational.org

For more info on the effort that us poor college-aged kids made at Passion, check this out:
http://268generation.com/passion2012/#!/freedom/

Grey

I'm pretty sure that I've run my blog into the ground.

2012-01-16T20:57:00.002-05:00

The title may just say it all. I haven't blogged in almost 3 months. I'm not going to try to do some grand update, but I'll write a few bullets. I'll probably start blogging more often, or maybe not. Who knows! I write quite a bit, but most of it I don't feel like posting. Anyway, without further delay...

Passion 2012. Wow. Wow. Wow. God shaped so much in me there and I'm still trying to process it all. Not to mention standing for the cause of FREEDOM!

My One Word 2012: "Free"
I'm searching for a church. Nuff' said.
College. College. College. I've gotten in two places, and I'm about to apply to my "dream college" in the next couple of days. I'll find out in April!
Exams. I'm exempt from half of my exams, so that's been good. Unfortunately, I've found that when I'm on a break, I tend to spend too much time playing "Dice with Buddies." (That's the free version of "Yahtzee" on the iPod.)
I'm now a fan of Port City Java's "Red Strawberry" smoothie. Amen and amen!

Grey

Update

2011-10-28T08:56:00.001-04:00

It's been such a long time since I've blogged. Wow. Months. If there's anyone out there who still actually reads my blog, hold on please- at some point I will hopefully be blogging regularly again.

Just to give a quick update- things have been wild. I'm taking 3 AP classes currently and I'm trying to finish up my senior project. So far, being a senior is pretty nice and things are going relatively well. I talk a lot about school and FCA through facebook, so if you're with me there, all is this is probably old news. Oh well.

I've been writing a lot and reading whenever I have some free time, but most of the things I write nowadays is pretty personal stuff. I'll probably post some of my writing at some point. I'm just a little burnt out right now.

Grey

Making excuses for my lack of summer blogs...

2011-08-20T22:39:00.001-04:00

Hello folks. I apologize because I've completely crapped out on Summer blogs. Things have been chaotic and I've had a lot on my mind. I've been writing a lot lately, but most of it is stuff that's a bit personal. I'm pretty open, but there's some stuff that I just wouldn't post on the web for everyone to read. That's beside the point though.

Right now I'm taking a bit of a break from the rush of trying to complete my summer assignments before Thursday. It's going to be one heck of a mess but hopefully I'll get through it. Also, if this was an official summer blog, I'd do a song of the day section, but because it's not...well, I guess it'll all just have to morph together. I've listened to some of Brooke Fraser's music before, but I've mainly been a fan of her Hillsong material. Recently I've bought a lot more of her "mainstream" stuff. Her "Albertine" album came out years back, but I'm just now discovering it, and WOW, it is amazing! I've really been digging "C.S. Lewis Song," "Faithful," "Shadowfeet," and especially "Love is Waiting."

"Love is Waiting" has been one of my favorites over the past few days. I discovered it at a great time for me personally. Purity is something that I've been thinking/writing a lot about lately, and this song just added to the goodness. While Brooke is married now, there's some talk this this song was written before she and her husband even met. Either way, it's one of my favorite songs now. Check it out here.

Grey

Summer Blog #58

2011-08-09T00:30:00.001-04:00

So I suppose the trend is that I blog every other day now...shame. Anyway...my day was spent mainly reading Jane Eyre. While I wasn't reading, I was checking out Google+ and watching the Discovery channel.

Significant Thought: I just finished watching a documentary on the Norway Massacre...yeah, depressing. The more I heard about Anders Breivik, the more I disgusted I feel. Just to be honest, from a real Christ-following perspective how should we feel about Hell? How do we handle things like this? Do people like Breivik honestly deserve Hell? Crazy mess. Just really makes you think.

What a way to finish a blog...dang...sorry people!

Grey

Summer Blog #56

2011-08-06T00:36:00.001-04:00

So...last night I went to a lock-in. Pretty good...just very tiring. This morning I got home and slept half of the day...in fact, I even slept through an appointment I had with my trainer at the gym...crap. crap. crap. Besides sleeping I really didn't do much today to be honest. But I DID watch the Juno launch! Juno launched on the Atlas V rocket, and the next stop is orbiting Jupiter! Really exciting!

Song of the Day: Today and over the past few days Jesus Culture's "I Want To Know You" has been a huge song for me. In all seasons of life, this is my prayer.

Significant Thought: Just to ramble on in a very nerdy manner even more, the Juno launch got be thinking about a lot of things. Juno will arrive at Jupiter in 2016 and we will begin finally discovering more about Jupiter's core and hopefully we'll get a better understanding of how our solar system was formed in the first place. Exciting!! To get to my point, I started thinking about the fact that in 2016, I will, Lord willing, most likely be student teaching in a high school science classroom. In the next few years there's a good chance that I'll have a class of my own and for me, it's super exciting thinking about all of the awesome things about this world that I'll be able to teach these kids (...I say 'kids'...I mean 'teenagers'...) because of the research that's ongoing through NASA. If you're reading this, you're probably thinking "what the crap? Nerd."

These kind of things get me so excited!

Grey

Summer Blog #54

2011-08-03T23:37:00.000-04:00

Today I got a relatively early start. I did some summer reading, got ready, had lunch at my friend, Jackie's, house, and then taught at Brigade. After Brigade, I ran home, picked up mom, and went back to church. Pretty busy day...and I'm pooped.

Random Insignificance: This past weekend I came to the conclusion that it wouldn't be such a bad idea to look for an audiobook of Jane Eyre, so I looked on iTunes and I found something glorious:

This is a podcast that is essentially the equivalent of an audiobook except that it is free and each episode is divided into individual chapters. Over the past couple of days I've read around 100 or so pages. Maybe there is hope for finishing my summer work!

Grey

Summer Blog #53

2011-08-03T15:51:00.002-04:00

I just realized that I completely failed to post number 53 last night. Whoops. Number 54 will be up tonight!

Summer Blog #52

2011-08-02T00:11:00.000-04:00

This morning I got up early and went to watch the sunrise at Wrightsville Beach. There wasn't much of a sunrise, but it sure was beautiful out there! Probably the highlight of my day. Then I met my friend, Cassie, and we hung out for a while. This post is probably going to be pretty short because it's pretty late.

Significant Thought: Today was the first time that I saw the mugshot of someone that I knew. I barely knew the guy, but I was around him everyday for a while, and it's hit me kind of hard. It just makes me wonder if there's something that I could have done. I wonder if I had lived out the gospel better than maybe he would've seen that we're part of a bigger picture than what we're seeing here. What a big, crappy mess.

Grey

Summer Blog #51

2011-07-31T23:39:00.001-04:00

Today I felt like I had a pretty lame existence....okay, maybe it wasn't that bad. I'm not sure what was going on with me. I don't think I've been sick, but I crapped out on church and slept almost half of the day. Not much happened. I did search for an article to write a current event on for my APES class. One productive thing happened. I also made plans with a friend for tomorrow. I'm also considering waking up early and heading to the beach to watch the sunrise.

Random Insignificance: Sometimes I pop in at church online at LifeChurch. Tonight while watching part of the service I found something odd....

Online-chat window-worship hands...

Do you see those? \o/\o/\o/\o/ <---- Look, they're holding hands...a whole worshiping family. I don't know what to think. Really. I want to laugh, but I really don't know. This is just weird. It's almost as if they want the rest of the world to think that they're really authentic worshipers. Anyway...not bashing church online...just the digital worship hands.

Significant Thought: Lately I've been thinking a lot about boundaries. Boundaries. Rules. They often seem like constraints to our lives. I've been thinking more and more lately about the importance of creating boundaries in our lives. I don't think we should continue applying more and more rules in our personal lives to where we're placing ourselves in a box. I'm talking about in relationships, what we decide to put on the Internet, the way we choose to act around certain groups of people, and so on. The examples I just mentioned are just a few of the things I've been pondering lately. Feedback on boundaries?

Grey \o/

Summer Blog #50

2011-07-30T23:53:00.001-04:00

Today I felt like a real resident of southeastern North Carolina. This morning Cory, Dad, and I went fishing at Wrightsville Beach. We caught several small fish but threw them all back. For lunch we fried up some shrimp..mmm. Good stuff. This evening I helped babysit with my friend, Courtney. I've never really baby-sat before but it didn't go so bad.

Random Insignificance: Cory caught his first fish today...well, kind of. He caught a sting ray. That was interesting.

Grey

Summer Blog #49

2011-07-30T00:29:00.000-04:00

I thought today was Saturday....sad story.

Random Insignificance: I've become an outdoors-y kind of girl. Not A REDNECK. :) I just like our planet.

Grey

Summer Blog #46

2011-07-27T01:35:00.000-04:00

Today I woke up a little bit later than I would have liked to, but after a while I got myself together and I've been running ever since! Today I taught at Brigade and we did what I thought was a pretty cool activity! We talked about the three different rock types and of course with my dad being a geologist I had plenty of examples to show the kids. After that, we made models of sedimentary rocks using plaster of paris and various sediments. On Thursday we'll break our rocks out of their molds and talk about them a little bit more. Good fun. After teaching at Brigade, I went for a short walk at Castle Hayne Park...then the rain began. I came home, did some writing, and ate dinner with the fam. This evening I headed back into Wilmington, went for a late night trip to the gym, did some grocery shopping, and now after putting away groceries...here I am, writing.

Song of the Day: I mentioned yesterday that the new Hillsong Live album came out today. "Unending Love" from the album is my song of the day- I would bet that I've listened to it twelve times today. The chorus of this song has been huge for me today.

Random Blurb: Today I wrote a little bit after I got back from teaching at Brigade. Sometimes I get these teaching thoughts, and I just have to take note of them. I wrote it in Evernote and later published it publicly because I feel some folks could use to hear this. Here's the link if you're interested in reading.

Significant Thought: Lately this idea that "my life is not my own" has really changed my perspective on things. It's been a revelation. Jesus came, he lived, taught, died, and rose again to reconcile us with the Father. Roughly four years ago I decided to take up my cross and follow Jesus. My life is not my own. I've quit texting and driving because my life is not my own. I've started eating healthier and going to the gym not because I simply feel like it, but because my life is not my own. This way of living sounds like it would in some way be confining, but over the past little bit, I've felt differently. It's my joy; my very act of worship to live in a way that shows the world around me: "my life is not my own, it is His."

Grey

Summer Blog #45

2011-07-26T00:03:00.000-04:00

Today was busy. Period. I spent some time racing throughout Wilmington. I went to the beach and gathered a few bags of sand for the activity we're doing at Brigade tomorrow. Today, as much as it pains me to admit this on a public blog, I had to go to traffic school. After all of the chaos from my accident back in January, finally the asst. D.A. decided to dismiss the case if I were to agree to serve my time in traffic school. It wasn't that bad. I had some friends there too, so it didn't make me feel like too bad of a criminal. :) Beside the point, now I'm sitting here finishing up some planning for Brigade.

Random Insignificance: For some reason I've always been taught that buying hot dogs and such from convenince stores is gross. Over the past little bit I've been making a lot of trips to the Kangaroo to get my free icee. I was trying to save some money today so I thought "hmm...that cheddarwurst looks pretty dang good and it's cheap. What do I have to lose? Lunch time!" So I took a leap of faith a bought a hot dog from the Kangaroo. Good news: I'm alive, obviously, and it tasted good. No shame here!

Song of the Day: I've stayed up late tonight mainly waiting for the new Hillsong Live album to drop. I've already heard like half of the album beacause they've released a new single every week and I've watched a few leaked videos on YouTube. (Our Australian friends got the album 2 weeks ago.) If you look on iTunes, you'll see that "The Lost Are Found" is an "album only" song, but I can truly say that the one song is worth the entire album....and there are of course other great tracks on there! Not sure what it is about that song, but it's a huge song of faith- love it!

Significant Thought: Tonight on the way back from Wilmington I stopped by the school, pulled over, stood at the flagpole, and prayed for our school again. Call me a freak, but I love doing this. I love our school. I'm not sure when our teachers head back to school again, but I'm pretty sure it's in the next 2-3 weeks. I spent some time especially to pray for them, because as I will soon find out in the next few years, it's NOT an easy job. Join me in praying for our teachers- it takes a lot of devotion to do what they do.

Grey

Summer Blog #44

2011-07-25T00:06:00.000-04:00

It has been a busy weekend! This post will probably be relatively short. I've got to get some sleep. I'm trying to plan a little bit for my science session at Brigade this week...who's ready for sedimentary rocks?!

Random Insignificance: I'm not sure if I mentioned the Evernote app before, but I've been using it a lot today. It's weird writing things and storing them online, but it's super useful being able to sync my files and access them pretty much anywhere.

Don't have much more to say...sorry. :)

Grey

Summer Blog #43

2011-07-23T23:43:00.002-04:00

Today I spent most of the time chilling out around the house...and that wasn't so bad. This evening I went bowling with my youth group and ate some pizza. Haven't done a ton, but tomorrow's going to be BUSY...whoo!

Song of the Day: Apparently Hillsong released a new single this week and I failed to check iTunes. "Rise" from the "God is Able" album (which drops this Tuesday...) has been on repeat today. I really love this song. Legit songwriting on Joel Houston's part. I'm definitely posting the lyrics in the significant thought section.

Random Insignificance: I'm watching some of the highlights from the STS-135 mission on NASA TV....and there's one thing that's driving me crazy. Why does the orbiter fly in space with the payload bay doors open?? Just wondering....it's driving me nuts!

Significant Thought: Here are the lyrics of "Rise." These words say so much about our God.

"All the earth come alive

Lift your eyes to the morning

Let our hearts beat again

With a lifeblood that never fails

Your love it will never fail

Breaking down the divide in a holy collision

The Divine in disguise

Took the cross for our sin and shame

Our God You will never fail

See the lost in return

Swing the doors ever wider

See the tide as it turns

Love and mercy is on the rise

As the world folds into Your light

All creation will see Your light

Hear the sound of freedom rise

As our song breaks the silence

Echoing the angel cry

Let us lift up Your holy Name

Hereafter to sing Your praise

Forever and ever

We will hold, we will love

We will fall in surrender

We will rise, we will run

We will live to declare Your Name

Forever to bring You praise

Forever we’ll lift up Your Name

The universe on its knees

See the stars in surrender

God above kings and queens

Every idol will bend and break

But our God You will never fail

Forever and ever

Swing the doors wider

Sound the praise louder

All our hearts cry out

For the glory of Your Name

Our God You will never fail

Lift the Name higher

Shine the light brighter

All the earth cry out

For the glory of Your Name

Our God You will never fail

Forever we’ll lift up Your Name"

Grey

Summer Blog #42

2011-07-22T22:43:00.001-04:00

Last night I went cone-ing with some friends. Search coneing on YouTube and you'll find out. :) I then spent the night at my friend, Jackie's, house. I spent most of the day hanging out with some friends today. Here I am now....writing a very short post.

Random Insignificance: I'm trying to develop locavore habits. I really enjoy buying food from farmer's markets. If only I could grow my own purple potatoes like my friend, Sarah. <--- That right there, my friends, is a link to her blog where she talks about purple potatoes and such.

Grey

Summer Blog #40

2011-07-21T01:42:00.001-04:00

Day FOURTY. Wow. Today I spent most of the time just chilling out and preparing for the bible session at Brigade this afternoon. I also spent some time searching for more activities and such for the science session that I'm teaching tomorrow. Tonight I went to church...and some creep-butt-fool decided to show up, bust through some car windows, and steal purses. Not cool. Not at all. :(

On a lighter note, I just got back from the gym about 30 minutes ago. Tonight I got a pretty legit work-out and ran by Harris Teeter to pick up some things for the activity we're doing at Brigade tomorrow. I love these times! I'm a night person and I love spending this time praying and thinking about the day. I'm also waking up in a few hours to watch the STS-135 landing on NASA TV....whooo. I'm going to be tired.

Random Insignificance: Bless the Lord...Minute Maid has come out with a cherry limeade. I bought some tonight and it's not so bad!

I have more to say but because it's 1:30 in the morning I'm beginning to lose some concentration.

Also, I probably wont post a blog tomorrow, and if I do if will probably be rather short because I'll be away from the computer. Just sayin'....

Grey

Summer Blog #39

2011-07-20T01:04:00.001-04:00

Today turned around towards the end! It was also my dad's birthday today. Today I taught at Brigade again, which could have been better- but hey, we're all learning. This evening I spent some time reading a couple of the books that I have to read for AP. (Sarah Rogers, read that last line again. I read. :) After dinner with the family I went to the gym. I've been working on some more school stuff and now I'm here...typing this.

Random Insignificance: Lately I've really enjoyed just sitting out on my back porch, watching the moon rise, identifying the different stars and galaxies, and playing the guitar. This is my ultimate relaxation. Last night a song almost came out! But I could never formulate anything. My songwriting abilities have gone to crap. Any advice?

Significant Thought: Life can be crap at times...it really can. I struggle with this a lot. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed and so worked up over the everyday mess. We as humans are prone to worry the mess out of ourselves. Maybe it's our broken instinct that tells us to hold on so tightly to this life we live. Control freaks. I wish I could say that I felt it more often, but there's this peace of God that I've come to value more and more. ~~Occasionally~~ All the time there are these moments when I worry, worry, worry and my mind is racing. I spiral. Life seems to go to hell in a hand-basket. And then I realize....

God.
Is. In.
Control.

He is God. He is Love.
He is Peace. His grace is sufficient.
He is holding this world together.
He is holding my very human frame together....

And He will never fail.

(Do you see how I just did that "Rob Bell syntax thing" as I wrote? :)
Grey

Summer Blog #38

2011-07-19T01:06:00.000-04:00

Today I spent the majority of the day at Carolina Beach State Park. Relaxing time, but I'm incredibly sore from all of the hiking!

Significant Thought: I am: falling apart. a big mess. wrecked. questioning the view of God that I've always had. wishing that I could hibernate.

Sorry about the short posts lately. It's late!

Grey

Summer Blog #37

2011-07-17T23:21:00.000-04:00

Church. Food. Rest. Writing. Church. Food. Stargazing. <----- My day looked a little bit like that. Right now I'm trying to get a schedule together for this week so this post may be a bit short.

Song of the Day: I know that I've mentioned Mumford & Sons on here before, but I've really been jamming out to their album over the past few days. I love driving down the road with my windows down while "Roll Away Your Stone" or "Sigh No More" is blaring. Good fun my friends...good fun.

Random Insignificance: Has anyone else used Evernote? It's become one of my favorite apps. Sometimes I just like to write but don't really want to share it with the world....and when I do want to share it with the world I can. It's pretty cool. Check it out.

Grey

Summer Blog #36

2011-07-17T14:14:00.001-04:00

Just realized that I forgot to write summer blog number 36 last night! Whoops! More to come tonight!

Grey

Summer Blog #35

2011-07-15T23:34:00.001-04:00

Today I spent some time hanging out with my friend, Jackie. We're nerds...I'm going to have to admit that. We watched documentaries and played with her new calculator. (Okay...it wasn't that bad....we ate frozen pizzas too. :) This evening the family and I grabbed some dinner, and now I'm sitting here in my recliner watching the NASA channel. Overall, it's been a pretty relaxing evening.

Song of the Day: It seems like Hillsong has been dropping a single off of their forthcoming "God is Able" album every week...which is great, but a little odd. Anyway....their song "With Us" has been on replay lately. Check it out when you have time. Looking forward to the full-length album.

Significant Thought: Today I got the opportunity to watch Disney's "Earth" for the first time. Wow. Wow. Wow. When we stand back and look at the beauty of this planet that we're living on, it becomes obvious that it's completely foolish for us not to take care of it. Just one of my green revelations.

Grey

Summer Blog #34

2011-07-14T23:53:00.000-04:00

Is it really day 34? Summer needs to slow down....seriously....for many reasons. This morning I woke up, downed a 5 hour energy and headed out the Brigade to teach some 4-6th graders science. Afterwards, I headed home, cleaned out the wagon, and fixed some lunch.Later on, I hit up Barnes and Noble and then made a Harris Teeter run on the way home. I've been running on very little sleep today and it's getting to me so bear with me please. Before I ramble anymore, allow me to just say how much I love these kids at Brigade. They were super well behaved today. I love watching the gears turn inside their heads, and I love watching the lightbulb turn on. Truly humbling.

Random Insignificance: I believe I may have discovered today that it's not the best idea for me to go grocery shopping at 5 in the afternoon. I've never had road-rage issues, but I have legitimate grocery shopping issues. I seriously think that road rules should be applied in grocery stores. Turning signals should be used when you're about to scoot out in front of someone into an aisle. Maybe we should use our tax dollars to double the size of our grocery stores. For instance, we could expand the aisles by 4 feet in width. Two feet on either side of the aisle could be used for people to pull their cart to the side so they don't have to stand smack in the middle of the aisle; blocking everyone else while crossing "toilet paper" off of their list or pondering the question "What kids of marinara sauce should I buy?" I'm antsy. This is why I enjoy 24-hour grocery stores.

Sorry...I do have significant, Christ-exalting things to say, but I've been writing this blog for an hour (I really need to get tested for ADHD) and I am literally about to fall over and sleep right here. More to come tomorrow.

Grey

Catch-up Summer Blogs 26-33

2011-07-14T01:25:00.000-04:00

This is the official catch-up blog. As I mentioned earlier, last week my dad an I took a trip down to Florida for the final shuttle launch. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. It was amazing. Last Wednesday evening my dad and I got on the road and drove to Daytona Beach. We got a few hours of sleep, woke up and headed to the Kennedy Space Center. We spent the majority of the day exploring the space center. It was space nerd heaven! We got to check out a full size shuttle model and some of the rockets. There was a lot of really interesting stuff at the KSC, but probably one of my favorite things was the Hubble 3D IMAX film. I've never been to an IMAX film, so this was a completely new experience for me. Not only that, but I LOVE Hubble and heck, it was in 3D! In the film they talked a lot about the Hubble servicing missions and there was a lot of footage from the STS-125 mission. The best part was when they showed the actual images from the Hubble telescope. (If you haven't seen the Hubble images, you can see some of them here.) As a nerd and follower of Christ, I was tearing up behind my 3D glasses in awe of our HUGE God. AMAZING. After our KSC trip, we headed back towards Daytona, grabbed some dinner, and went back to the hotel in hopes of getting a few hours of sleep. That didn't work. I couldn't sleep at 7pm. Oh well. We woke back up at 12am and headed out to Titusville. When we arrived in Titusville, this town was crankin' at 3 in the morning! After parking and gathering all of our stuff, we found a nice, shady viewing spot near a bridge. The waiting began...8 hours early. After many scares with the weather, NASA finally declared that the weather was green and Atlantis was go for launch. 11:26am: Atlantis launches. You could see it glowing in the sky and you could feel the whoosh in your chest. Amazing.

Whoo. Yep, that was a Florida summary.

I suppose I can call that catching up. Yesterday Matt Redman's "10,000 Reasons" album came out. It's good stuff. So far I would say my favorite songs are "Holy," "10,000 Reasons," "Fires," and "Magnificent." Check it out!

Wish I had the energy to talk about everything that's happened over the past little bit, but it's 1:30am. :)

Grey

2011-07-12T23:19:00.001-04:00

Sorry the summer blogs have been gone lately. Between getting back from FL and teaching Brigade today, life's been a whirlwind. Bear with me. Hopefully I will have time to do some serious updating tomorrow!

Grey

Summer Blog #25

2011-07-06T00:05:00.000-04:00

Today.....I gave blood, taught some kids at the Brigade Boys and Girls Club, and grabbed dinner with a friend, Carleigh. I've also spent the evening picking up some last minute things and packing for Florida.

Song of the Day: Today I was listening to the Relevant podcast (which I've been a HUGE fan of lately) and on the podcast there was a live performance by an indie band called Ascend the Hill. I've never heard of them before, but after I heard their performance on the podcasts, I downloaded half of their albums! I've never been a fan of old hymns. PERIOD. I've despised them, but this band put out an album called "Take the World, But Give Me Jesus" covering some old hymns...and wow, this blew me away. They also have another self-titled album out. So far I really like "Blow Me Away" and "None Compare," a spontaneous song...good stuff. (Both albums are available for download for free here.) Their passion is evident in the music. Check it out and be moved!

Random Insignificance: Yesterday I stayed up for a while and watched a special on the NASA channel walking through 30 years of space shuttle history. I love this stuff. When they talk about the Challenger and Columbia accidents I cry. I felt like the biggest nerd when I cried while watching the STS-134 Endeavour launch...not even sure why. I just think it's all so amazing! I hope I don't become the biggest blubbering mess in space view park on Friday...if the weather holds up! Watch for updates here.

Significant Thought: Today I really felt that I had not planned very well for the science session at Brigade, but it went relatively well. While sometimes I really have a difficult time with the younger kids, it's the smallest things that make my day. Today one girl ran up to me, tapped me on the side, and seemed to say with some sense of urgency: "Miss. Lindsey! Miss. Lindsey! Guess what?! Science is my favorite thing!" I quickly let out a "woot, woot" and gave her a high-five. Then later on tonight I saw a couple of my kids from brigade in the RP while I was grubbing with Carleigh. Their smiles fuel me to keep going.

Hang tight! Summer blogs will return on Saturday evening or so...

Grey

Summer Blog #24

2011-07-05T01:04:00.001-04:00

Today I went over to some of my friends, Mark and Sarah's, house for a fourth of July lunch with some other folks from church...we had good burgers (...and purple potatoes.) This afternoon, I did some reading and preparing for my FL trip. This evening my family and I fixed some brats on the grill...and I've been watching the NASA channel for the past little bit...love that channel!

Speaking of...I'll probably post a blog tomorrow, but after that there probably won't be another blog until Saturday or so....won't be near a computer for a bit. It's all good though. I'll record everything.

Grey

Summer Blog #23

2011-07-04T00:19:00.001-04:00

Today: church, chicken, friends, phone calls, and FL trip plans. That is all.

Grey

Summer Blog #22

2011-07-02T23:13:00.001-04:00

After my late night work out and grocery store visit last night, I was able to sleep in this morning, which was great! Today I ran a couple of errands around the RP, and we had lunch with my granddaddy. Following lunch, the fam and I headed into Wilmington to help some friends put in a headlight, run some errands and finally grab dinner. Bam!

Song of the Day: Okay...so apparently someone leaked part of the unreleased forthcoming Hillsong Live album onto YouTube. Well...I love the expectancy and excitement that comes with waiting for a new album, but I couldn't help myself. Good news: "The Lost Are Found" sounds amazing! (Specifically the bridge/ending hook!!) Bad news: My excitement level just dropped a bit, because I'm pretty sure that all of our Aussie friends who buy the full album before us will leak the remainder of it online...poo.

Random Insignificance: What classifies good writing as "good writing?" I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Trying to be a better writer....but I guess the answer to this question depends on the genre. Maybe? Thoughts?

Grey

Summer Blog #21

2011-07-02T15:21:00.001-04:00

Whoops! Totally forgot yesterday's blog! The main excitement of my day was going to the gym for a late night work-out, listening to a Louie Giglio sermon, and taking a trip to the 24-hour Harris Teeter. That's how I spend my Friday nights! Yeahhh!

Significant Thought: At the end of the day, in the middle of my mess I come to the conclusion that God is good. It's a comfort knowing that he works all things for good.

Not sure what subtitle this should be: I started a bible reading plan last night titled "Why Read The Bible?" I've been keeping public notes on the YouVersion app (if you'd like to check them out...) and I hope to continue doing so. This one should be interesting....and I'm just praying that I can actually stick with this one!!

Grey

Summer Blog #20

2011-06-30T23:26:00.002-04:00

This morning I spent some time leading a couple of science sessions at Brigade, then I ran some errands, took a 2 hour nap, and then came to help at VBS. The sessions at the BBGC went pretty well today! Sometimes I really have trouble managing the younger groups, but the older groups are always good. I am tired and I have a lot on my mind, so forgive me, because my posts have been a bit dry lately.

Song of the Day: Today I've been listening to Coldplay's "Moving to Mars" quite a bit. This is a new one off of their "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" EP. It sounds a lot like music from their "the Scientist" days...pretty good.

Random Insignificance: Not that I don't love VBS and the kids there, but I am so ready for this week to be over with. Between being at Brigade several times a week and then coming to church for VBS every night, I feel like I've been at church all. week. long.

Significant Thought: Confession: I have really horrible bible reading habits. I suck at it. Last summer, the scriptures rocked my world, but over the past 11 months or so, my walk with God has really suffered because of this. It's taken me a while to realize this, but I truly believe that if I were to "immerse" in the bible much more than I am, my walk with God would be completely different. Things are getting dry and stale. I'm running out of strength. And I've even found that when I teach the bible to others, the words I speak carry very little weight with me- there's a huge lack of passion- and I even have a hard time explaining things that once came naturally to me. I'm not posting this on my blog just to ramble on and on about my issues and attract attention. I hope this is part of being authentic....I debated on and on about posting this but I'm hoping there are some folks out there who could speak into this. Are there any words of wisdom out there? Any feedback? I need something...

Well, that was a downer...crap. More optimistic, interesting mess will return ~~tomorrow~~ eventually.

Grey

Summer Blog #19

2011-06-30T09:05:00.001-04:00

Sorry about this one. Yesterday, I had a TON going on and couldn't make out any time to write about it all....stick around for #20 tonight!

Summer Blog #18

2011-06-28T21:45:00.001-04:00

Day eighteen. Today I ran a couple of errands, did some AP work, took care of things at school, and worked at VBS tonight. Also, one of my favorite teacher friends, Carla, hooked me up with some resources for the science session that I'm leading at Brigade. Speaking of Brigade, the kids were on a trip today, so we'll start back on Thursday.

Song of the Day: Hillsong released the title track single today from their album, "God is Able." The new album comes out sometime in the next few weeks, and the single's pretty good, but the full-length album is going to be amazing!

Random Insignificance: Today I discovered Texas Pete honey mustard. It is amazing....Find it and buy it!

Sorry if these posts have been rather short lately. I've been typing them on my phone...and not only that, but I'm actually trying to go to bed a little earlier tonight because I have a LOT to do tomorrow!

Thanks for bearing with me!
Grey

Summer Blog #17

2011-06-28T02:24:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure how it's possible for ae person to take 2 hours to write a current event and post it online. I think I have a disability or something...."slow-writer-itis" maybe. Lack of concentration? ADHD? That's what I've been doing this late evening. All I can say is that is going to be one dang good current event! Beside the point. Today I ran some errands, did some school mess, and worked VBS at church tonight.

Song of the Day: I've really been jamming out to some Mumford and Sons lately. Their song "Dust Bowl Dance" has been a hit in my book lately...check it out.

Random Insignificance: I believe there are some businesses in America that should places signs out in front of their buildings reading: "WARNING: THE VERY INSTANT YOU STEP FOOT IN THIS BUILDING YOU WILL BECOME SO UPTIGHT THAT YOUR BUTT CHEEKS WILL SAVAGELY EAT ANY SEAT THAT THEY COME IN CONTACT WITH." Or maybe it's just me...but I'm thinking places such as DMV, traffic court, or Wal-Mart (specifically on Christmas Eve.) Just a thought...

Grey

Summer Blog #16

2011-06-26T22:16:00.000-04:00

Day 16. This post shall be super brief. Today consisted of church, more church, fixing peanut butter delights, and jamming out on the guitar. I posted a mini- cover here. (Not sure if you can officially call it a cover...it's only part of the song, and there's no vocals.)

Song of the Day: I've been listening to Hillsong United's "Take Heart" a lot today. There's so much passion behind this song, and aesthetically, it's amazing! This is probably one of the best overall songs I've heard in a while. If you haven't heard it already, now would be the time to check it out. I also found a couple of pretty awesome covers on YouTube that are worth checking out. This one...and this one.

Random Insignificance: Check out these cookies...pure bliss!

Side-note: I have a LOT to get done this week...oh boy!

Grey

Summer Blog #15

2011-06-25T22:54:00.001-04:00

Well, last night my dad and I went to the gym and then went to one of my favorite places ever....24-hour Harris Teeter! Exciting, right? I really enjoy working out at night, and I seriously am a huge fan of Harris Teeter any time of the day! (I think it may be the free sugar cookies...) Anyway, that was yesterday. Today some guys from church came and built a deck and wheelchair ramp off the back of our house for mom, which was amazing. They really did a great job! Meanwhile, I spent some time reading and searching for current events for one of my AP classes...I hope I'm at least making a little bit of progress. We ate dinner at Andy's tonight, and now I'm back here. I'm going to breeze through most of this post because the significant thought section is about to be longgggg.

Song of the Day: I'm not a huge Aaron Shust fan, but his new single "My Hope is in You" has been on replay for a while. I guess for me lately, I've been listening to songs with the reoccurring theme of hope in God. It's not too shabby.

Random Insignificance: Last night during our grocery store run, I discovered "Happy Hips." (Yes, you heard me...Happy Hips.)

(Please excuse the hair...I had to put it up somehow!)

"Happy Hips" dog food...hmmm, sounds good to me!

Significant Thought: This section will be a bit different than normal, but please stick with me. I'm trying to formulate this picture I've been thinking about lately.

"You're a new parent. The past few weeks of your life have been a roller coaster. You and your spouse had a kid, and you're trying to figure out what all of this means. You're excited, yet nervous. It's 1:30am and the crying starts again. It's your turn. As you hop out of bed, you walk to your child's room, embrace your kid, walk to the kitchen, and warm up a bottle. Your kid's still crying. The microwave beeps and you make your way to the recliner, bottle in hand. You sit down, put up the leg rest, turn on the TV, and the crying dies down as the child begins drinking the formula. After 5 minutes of surfing the channels, you finally result to turning off the TV- infomercials are the only thing on. Minutes pass. The baby finishes the bottle and is beginning to doze off finally. You look down at the baby in your arms. You love this kid. In these moments you realize that you adore this baby. To you, this kid is better than life itself and you would do ANYTHING for him or her. You're their parent. Years pass and your child is now in their teen years. Up until this point in their life, you're been their everything, but things are beginning to change. Your kid, the one that you love so dearly is beginning to hang with the wrong crowd. One night they decide to stay out after curfew, you're worried, and even a bit angry. Eventually they show up, but days later you find out exactly what happened that night. They screwed up big time. Their rebellious nature got the best of them, and they ran the family name through the mud. You're angry, but most of all, you're hurt. You're hurt because you adore this child, you desperately want the best for them, and you know that the things they're doing are not going to bring a positive outcome."

I feel like God looks on us in the same beautiful way. (Yes, I realize that I could have written on longer and wrapped it all up as the parent once again embraces their child up in grace...but that's actually not where I'm going with this one.) God, our dad, looks on us, his kids, and he adores us. He gave his very son for us. He died for us- He died so that we could be reconciled, so that we could enter back into the same kind of intimacy with God that was experienced before the fall. We find ourselves placing our value in other things. We place our hope in worldly things. We screw up. We sin. We break our dad's heart. He's given us everything. He's given us himself, and we turn away and say "no thanks."

I have never really thought about sin in these terms until recently. When we get a tiny glimpse of our Holy dad's love for us, it should affect our actions.

Grey

Summer Blog #14

2011-06-24T22:35:00.002-04:00

Day fourteen. I'm not going to lie...today wasn't action packed. I spent the majority of the day at home, then ran a few errands. Cory and I also went to see Cars 2 today, which was pretty good. This post may be a little short because I think I may go to the gym in a bit. (Yes, I know...going to the gym at 10:30...)

Song of the Day: Kristian Stanfill's "Always" has really been a huge declaration for me lately. There's something about hearing and singing those words "Oh my God/ He will not delay/ my refuge and strength/ always" that's really been helping me along lately.

Random Insignificance: When I go to the gym, I pass by this place everyday:

Why is it called the DDT outlet? This drives me crazy! Everytime I drive by, I ponder that question. What does DDT stand for? What do you mean DDT? Like "Rachel Carson-Silent Spring-harmful" DDT? Or just DDT? I'm going to go in and ask someday...

Significant Thought: I've got a thought, but I want to spend more time writing and getting it right...so I'll post it tomorrow. I was thinking about it today and it was something that's really struck me...get ready for it!

Grey

Summer Blog #13

2011-06-23T22:57:00.001-04:00

Day thirteen. This post shall be short...not because today was boring by any means, but I've got some stuff the read before I head to bed! So, today I got up, got ready, went to school to take care of some stuff, which was...well, interesting. Then I went and hung out with a friend for a little bit. It wasn't long before I came home and crashed! Super tired. This evening, I went to the grocery store, bought some food, came home, fixed supper and ate. Now here I am.

Song of the Day: I believe I mentioned a few days ago that I pre-ordered Matt Redman's "10,000 Reasons" album. I also posted a link to a YouTube video where Matt talks about the album and we get a preview of a few of the songs. Well, I have played that video over and over today just to hear the 30 second clips of these songs. One song on the album is called "Holy," and that's the main one I've been previewing on the video...sounds so good!

Random Insignificance: I have realized that I am getting better and better everday at becoming sarcastic...sometimes this comes in handy and other times it just makes things worse....

Significant Thought: Years ago my friend, Brock, taught me about the "Jesus prayer." I've never been one to just repeat prayers...my prayers have always been spur of the moment things, but I've really come to value this practice. For those who don't know what the Jesus prayer is, you can google it. But in it's simplest form, the prayer says: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." This helps me so much at times. I love to pray this prayer when I'm in the car headed somewhere because it reminds me of my own sin before I can arrive somewhere and begin judging others. This happened this afternoon. I was headed somewhere and in all honesty I was grudging on some folks, so I prayed this over and over and over. There are several things that the Jesus prayer does for me personally.

One, it reveals my identity of sin, my personal flaws and it causes me to react differently to others. Two, it defines who Jesus is- the Son of God. He's sinless. He's the only one who hasn't screwed up, therefor the only place we can boast is in him.

Just a little tid-bit for ya!

Grey

Summer Blog #12

2011-06-22T21:18:00.001-04:00

Day 12. Well...at the end of the day, I'm breathing. Today wasn't exactly the best day....but it wasn't too bad either. I got up early, went to the gym for an hour or so, came home, watched Food network....(did you see that? I just caught that...), then I got ready, taught the Brigade kids bible with my friend, K'wan, went to church, and came back home. On a sidenote, if you know me well, you probably know I've had some issues with school mess lately. It's breaking me down and I feel like a complete and total failure. Granted, I don't always perform as well as I'd like to at school, but I care. I care a lot (a heck of a lot more than many people!), and one slip up makes me feel like I'm going to be looked down on and judged. I guess that goes back to where I'm placing my hope. Anyway, all of that aside...

Song of the Day: I haven't listened to a ton of music today, therefore I shall pursuit the shuffle method...okay...here we go: "Shadows" by David Crowder (feat. Lecrae) from Passion 2011. Not a bad song! The Passion version has a little bit of a different spin on it versus the version on the "Church Music" album...pretty good.

Random Insignificance: Life lesson: be sure to wear an oversized t-shirt when working out at the gym. This act prevents belly fatness from being seen by the general public while doing abdominal exercises and knee-ups.

"Soon to be new bible study section:" Last night I started a new YouVersion plan called "Environment: 30 Days for Creation's Caretakers." This one should be good!

Sorry to be such a downer at times, but I'm tired and stressed. Thanks if you've stuck around 12 days in!

Grey

Summer Blog #11

2011-06-21T22:20:00.001-04:00

Day eleven! Sorry for the short, dry blog post yesterday. Today was pretty awesome though. This morning I got the opportunity to lead a science session at the Brigade Boys and Girls Club. As I believe I mentioned earlier, I'll be leading some of these groups throughout the summer. Things went pretty well today! (I'll talk a little bit more about this in the "significant thought" section.) After that, I spent the majority of my day "chasing wildfires" with my friend Lauren. We got some grub, ran some errands, got some creamy deliciousness at the new "Cool Sensations" ice cream shop in RP, (...just a little plug for Cool Sensations...) and drove all over Hell and Creation in search of the Holly Shelter wildfire. We found it...and couldn't see through the smoke very well, so we turned around, but never really saw any flames. Not a bad day though! Now here I am trying to write quickly because I have lessons to plan, books to read, and I've got to go to the gym early tomorrow. It should be good though. :)

Mmmm. Nothing better than the smell of chicken houses and smoke!

Bible in {infinity} days: Okay, I'm just going to be honest. I'm really not enjoying this....I'm not going to lie. I'm not sure whether just to give it more time, or move on to some other study. I'm just not feeling it like I did last summer. Last summer I was determined, I wanted to take the challenge, and I absolutely fell in love with the scriptures...and that certainly has faded over the past year. I really want to get that passion back! Sorry if this sounds weak or disappointing...but there's a lot of other studies that I would really like to start, so I'm going to look over some stuff tonight, pray about it and maybe start a new plan or something. Anyway...

Song of the Day: Casey Darnell's "Coming Alive" album came out today, and I would have to say that I'm a name of the song "Coming Alive." I haven't had a ton of time to listen to music today, but when I did, this is what I listened to! On a side note, I pre-ordered Matt Redman's new album "10,000 Reasons" today. I'm am REALLY looking forward to this one...I am beyond pumped! It comes out July 12th. Check out more about it here.

Random Insignificance: I would like to rant, just for a second. Real quick. I would just like to say that while I realize that there are some people who are really in the media business for the right reasons, overall, I am completely and totally pissed at the media. There is big a difference between "informing the public" and ostracizing folks!...something I've just taken note of over the past few weeks. Okay, done! :)

Significant Thought: Like I said earlier, today I spent the morning at the Brigade Boys and Girls Club leading a science session. Today there were a couple of mix-ups at first, so I ended up leading K-3 in one big group...which went better than I originally thought it would. These kids literally are the highlight of my day! Today we planted some seeds in cups and talked about what these plants will need to grow and survive. Here's a few things little tidbits that I noticed from today:

The famous "clap-clap-clap, clap, clap!" is my hero! (I clap and they in response clap to the same beat...it gets their attention so I don't have to yell. YUSSS!)
I understand how annoying side-conversations truly are! Today I heard many memorable quotes in side-conversations such as: "Heyyy! There's a spider on your butt!" or "He took my seat!" and "I could push you over and make you cry!" Luckily we had another leader out there with us...and that helps ALOT!
I've really come to like that outspoken young girl who really cares about what she's learning and when the rest of the group wont be quiet she screams and says "Heyyy! Be quiet! Miss. Lindsey's talking!" That helps me a lot.
There's nothing that's more fulfilling than discussing something like the needs of plants with these kids and just watching the wheels turn in their heads! (Of course there are those kids who you constantly have to call down, but it's so cool to see these kids observe things about this world and take the initiative to talk about it!)

I love this stuff! Tomorrow afternoon my friend, K'wan, and I get the opportunity to lead a bible club with these same kids. I always look forward to that as well!

Summer Blog #10

2011-06-21T00:49:00.001-04:00

Folks, sorry for the delay. I've had a lot of planning and stuff to do for brigade tomorrow. I'll catch up in summer blog #11. But to keep it short today consisted of senior pictures, going to they gym, and getting ready for my science session at brigade tomorrow! :)

Summer Blog #9

2011-06-20T00:47:00.000-04:00

Day nine. Today was an interesting day. Two major things happened today...I got to celebrate the best dad in the world, and I finally "did something" with my hair. (That last statement sounded very odd when I typed it out....but it's true.) I've been rocking the infamous ponytail for a long time now and today (...the day before senior pictures) I finally went to a salon and got something done with it! Back to father's day: today I fixed my dad some lunch on the new Weber grill that we bought him for father's day. We had grilled chicken, brussel sprouts, corn on the cob, and dirty rice....yuss! Now, feast your eyes on this picture of the chicken breasts:

Bible in {infinity} days: I finished 2 Chronicles this evening. (Believe me, If I had really been sticking to the bible in 90 days schedule, I should've finished 2 Chron. like last week or something, but I suppose this shall be a slower process.)

While no king was absolutely perfect, Josiah really seemed to kick tail and take care of business in 2 Chron. 24.
There are times when I zone out when I'm reading, but when I started reading about passover, I very quickly snapped back. Passover sacrifices are GROSS. Just sayin'.

Song of the Day: To change it up a bit, I've really been enjoying Flyleaf's "Red Sam" lately. It's really cool, because from what I've heard it's a song telling Lacey's (the lead singer) story. It really seems to be a worship song when you really hear the lyrics. It's good stuff. Check out the acoustic version here.

Random Insignificance: Today I realized that throughout my high school career, I have had a different hairstyle every year. Freshman year: straightened. Sophomore year: the "peacock hair" (if you remember this one...it was horrible...) Junior year: the infamous, bodacious, "pebbles flinstone-like" ponytail. ( I seriously am going to miss this one!) Senior year: I'm not exactly sure what this year will hold, but I'm thinking I might call it the "Australian surfer hair" or something...

Before...

After!

Goodness, I have a pretty busy week ahead of me. Brigade lesson planning, reading, working out at the gym, errands to run, and more reading!

Grey

Summer Blog #8

2011-06-18T20:49:00.001-04:00

Day eight! Today I got to grab some lunch with my friend, Brock,g his daughter, Ella, and some friends for a little while- which was pretty much the highlight of my day. I love these folks! Later, I went to a friend's wedding, which was b-e-a-utiful! This evening, I had father's day dinner at Texas Roadhouse with my family. I ate too much! Whoo...seriously, too much food! (Just to give a head's up, this post will be relatively short because I'm typing this one on my phone.)

Bible in {infinity} days: I've read through a few chapters today. Hopefully tonight when I can get to my computer I'll be able to post more!

Song of the Day: For a while, I wasn't a huge Jesus Culture fan, but their music has grown on me. There's a song on their "Your Love Never Fails" album called "All Consuming Fire" that I've really been diggin' lately. Check it out!

Random Insignificance: I love thunderstorms. I'm listening to a storm right now...one of the most amazing things!

Grey

Summer Blog #7

2011-06-17T22:22:00.000-04:00

Today began in the best place ever...traffic court. I got in an accident a few months ago, and the insurance company is being stubborn and not paying the other folks for their damages...long story...I wont bore you with it. After that, I took a trip to the National Weather Service in Wilmington with my dad to get some resources for the science session I'm leading at Brigade next week. I got a tour of the place and some cool posters and cloud charts...ah, it was heaven for a nerd such as I! I also did some father's day shopping for the best dad EVER!! To close out the evening I went to the gym and did some grocery shopping. Exciting huh? I enjoy it...

Bible in {infinity} days: Almost done with 2 Chronicles! (Sorry if I haven't posted much from 2 Chron...but it seems like he same process over and over. You know, "The Israelites were stubborn, their ruler sucked, God got mad and punished his people. God reconciles, raises up a good leader, and the Isrealites are on good standings with God...and then the process starts over and over again.)

Just as a random note, I wonder who the "levites" would be in today's church. Is there anything close to a levite equivalent. Maybe worship leaders, or plate passers of something?
In depth, thoughtful bullet point that I wish I had.

Random Insignificance: You know those little cards that sometimes hang on your key chain? The "Reward Zone"card, the "VIC" card, the "MVP" card, the "Petco Pals Pays" card? Yeah, I have a bit of an obsession...I love those cards. As long as they are free, I always register for them and make the people behind me in line wait for four hours as I fill out my basic contact information.

Song of the Day: On Fee's "Hope Rising" album there's a song called "Promised Land." It seems that this one may be a bit of a "side b" track...it's very rarely played on the radio, and don't get me wrong this one definitely had to grow on me! The first time I heard it, I honestly thought it was a joke...Steve Fee with an autotune? Now I'm a huge fan- in fact, I was practically yelling it on the way home from Harris Teeter tonight. It's just a really fun song. Check it out here!

Significant Thought: I mentioned earlier that I would "for sure" be blogging more about this journey of trying to figure out what it means to "go green." Here it is...a new post. So, I've really been thinking about this a lot lately, and it's been the smallest little things that I've been convicted about and felt like I should change. For instance, it's been things like "maybe I shouldn't drive as much...and is it possible that I could limit my number of trips to Wilmington each week?" It's also been thoughts as simple as "hey, maybe I should actually shut my computer down when I'm not using it...because I have a bad habit of leaving it on constantly." (I hope I don't sound dumb, but if so, be patient with me.) It's been pretty cool. I'm still just trying to figure out where exactly to "start." I did buy some of the reusable grocery bags at Harris Teeter this evening, which made me very happy. Not only were they reusable, but they were UNC bags! Paint it BLUE!

Also, on a more spiritual side of being green, I'm taking several different approaches right now.

Believing that creation is God's revelation, and that by trying to preserve it we will see more of God through creation, and so will others.
I want to value and love the things that God values and loves. God said that the Earth that He created was good. He took the time to create this place, when in his infinite ways, he could have done anything with us humans...he didn't have to make this place. Not only that but Jesus' mere presence on Earth should show us the value that God places on this planet.
Behind the trees and all of the environmental issues, there are people who are suffering because of our environmental recklessness whether we see it everyday or not. (I was listening to a podcast a couple of days ago and a guy named Ben Lowe, when talking about his organization, said "We are tree huggers because we are people lovers.") I think this is a really significant approach.

Feedback is always welcome...and believe me, I need it! :)

Grey

Summer Blog #6

2011-06-16T23:04:00.003-04:00

Day six! A good day, indeed! I slept pretty late this morning, and that was something that I definitely needed! After late nights of studying all junior year, catching up on some sleep really feels good. After a while, I met with my dad and we signed up for a gym membership! This is something that I've wanted to do for a while, and I'm hoping that I can stick with this one. Then I went and continued my job search and applied to a couple of places...I even tried a Chinese place! (Simply because I want to be that one white chick that work in a Chinese restaurant.) Following that, I went to the gym, met with a trainer, and left feeling happily sore. Being sore in this case is a good feeling. :) This afternoon I spent some more time reading and doing some work for AP...and now here I am.

Bible in {infinity}days: I've gotten pretty far today, and maybe it's because I'm a girl, but some of this war stuff is a little dry, but nevertheless, I'm getting through it.

"So now the Lord is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow. You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out." (2 Chron. 21:14-15) Ahh...numero uno: I don't even want to imagine how this is possible. Numbero dos: If any kind of prophet every says those words to me, I'm officially screwed.
2 Chron. 26: Uzziah is this sixteen year old king, who I'm rooting for at first, then I continue reading to discover that because of his pride he ends up with leprosy. FAIL. Pride comes before a fall- a lesson for us all.

Random Insignificance: While life gives you a huge pile of mulch, you should climb in it, make a mess, and get it all in your clothes. Well...maybe not...because it seems that mulch could become painful in some areas. I found this pile of mulch today, and I debated climbing on it, but I didn't.

Song of the Day: I know that I've blogged about Boyce Avenue before, but they keep putting out more and more covers, and they are AMAZING. The majority of the time, I end up like the covers better than the original songs. I think this may be the case with Five For Fighting's "Superman." I love some Five For Fighting, but I was surfing some YouTube last night and I found this cover by Boyce Avenue...holy cow...it's amazing! It's a simple cover, but there's something about the delay and reverb on the guitar combined with this dude's voice that makes it superb. Anyway, here's the link to the video, and you can also by the cover on iTunes.

Significant Thought: Lately I've really come to realize that this life is going to be nothing but inconsistent. I am going to go through different seasons of life, people are going to come and go, I am going to succeed and I am going to fail, and there are very few things that are going to remain constant. I've tried "do life" my own way, and I have tried to run on my own strength and put my hope in my success...but I have learned that this will only work for a while, then reality will hit, and I will spiral downward. In the midst of it all, my God will never change, he will never leave, and he will never fail me despite my failures and flaws. He will take me back, embrace me, and his love will not run dry. In him, is where my hope belongs.

"Oh, my God, he will not delay

My refuge and strength always

I will not fear, His promise is true

my God will come through, always"

("Always" by Kristian Stanfill)

Grey

Summer Blog #5

2011-06-15T23:11:00.000-04:00

Day five. I love my friends, so I spent some more time with a couple of different friends. I woke up, drove and went out to eat with my friend, Ashley. We ate in Wallace...how lame are we?! :) Then I got lost on the way back home, which was fun. After that, I stopped by the Brigade Boys and Girls club to get things set up for when I'll be leading the science session with the kids at Brigade, along with the Bible Club that I usually lead. I'm really pumped about this! Later on I met up with my friend, Carleigh, we grabbed some dinner and then I went to church with her. Things were pretty good today. Good conversations with good friends.

Bible in {infinity} days: I AM GOING TO READ TONIGHT...OR ELSE THIS LITERALLY WILL BECOME BIBLE IN INFINITY DAYS!

Song of the Day: I just recently discovered David Crowder Band's "Can I Lie Here." I've been rocking out to the "Church Music" album for a while, but for some reason I missed this song the first time around. Allow me to say, that I'm so glad I found it. I really like this one.

Random Insignificance: I'm thinking about buying a bike....maybe one with the big basket on the front and a horn. I really am serious, I'm trying to save some gas money. What do you think?

Significant Thought: Today I was reading Carlos Whittaker's blog and his post really got me thinking. Instead of me simply rambling about it for 20 minutes, I'll just redirect you there. But I will say that I totally agree with him when he says that "sites like this are like watching a car crash." It's really scary, but yet somehow eye opening to hear folks who are non-Christians talk about the church.

On a side note, I am seriously worried about the busyness of my summer...I've been running, and running, and running...tomorrow I might just sleep half the day and then wake up and do some AP work.

Grey

Summer Blog #4

2011-06-14T23:52:00.000-04:00

Day four- I'm tired. Last night I hung out with some friends, slept over there, and woke up this morning around ten or so. Today I went canoeing with friends, which was fun...but I believe that I may be the most paranoid human that has ever lived. I was terrified that we would run into snakes in the process...and luckily we didn't, but we did have to jump from the dock into the canoe because the water was so low in the river! DROUGHT!!! Afterwards, I headed back home, took a shower, ate some food, and went for a walk. Anyway...not that exhilarating of a day, but hanging with the friends was pretty great.

Bible in {infinity}days: Well, I got a few chapters down tonight!

2 Chron. 11:21: I realize that having tons of wives and prostitutes back then was common, but what was the reason for that? Was there some kind of biblical stance? Any ideas?
2 Chron. 17:10: I love this verse- wouldn't it be cool if people's fear of the Lord could get us out of wars. Weird to think about.

Random Insignificance: Today my rear-view mirror, without warning, fell off of my windshield. See:

This is where my mirror should be...

And....this is where it's at currently...

FAIL.

Song of the Day: Owl City's new album called "All Things Bright and Beautiful" dropped today. For a while I wasn't really a huge Owl City fan, but I've really come to enjoy Adam Young's creativity. He is a beautiful writer, and it seems that when he writes these songs, they're totally not written for us, therefore, he's pretty limitless in what he says. It's good stuff. Check it out!

There will be hopefully more creative stuff tomorrow...when I'm not so tired. Hope I'm at least halfway keeping your interest.

Grey

Summer Blog #3

2011-06-13T17:31:00.002-04:00

Day three. (Just to give fair warning, this post will probably be pretty brief, because I have to be somewhere very, very soon...and I'll talk about that one tomorrow. :) This morning consisted mainly of me calling back some of the places that I've applied for jobs at...and then I filled out more applications. That made me feel pretty productive...well, kind of. I love hearing the words "Yes, Miss. Harts....I'm sorry to say that we've chosen a more qualified applicant over you at this time." Music to my ears...the very sound of angels singing! So the search continues...but that's okay! Afterwards, I went and picked up the Life Community Church CD called "For Your Name" that was recorded at a night of worship that I attended a few weeks ago. Good stuff. I read a little bit, and now here I am.

Bible in {infinity} days: So, I didn't really get very far, but there will be more tomorrow. Here's what I have:

2 Chron. 9:1: Yeah, I'll call that a caravan!! (You may have to look these up if you're curious.)
2 Chron. 10: While Rehoboam wasn't wise like his father, and what he did after this wasn't very wise I believe that this act of going to talk with older, wiser folks while making decisions is something that I've learned to do, and it's had the greatest effect!
2 Chron. 10:10: Yeah, that's one huge pinky finger!

Song of the Day: A few weeks ago I went with a group of young girls from church and led at Caswell. It was a fun time, and I had the opportunity to lead song songs with them several times during the weekend. One song that I led was Chris Tomlin's "Set Free" from the "Passion: Here for You" album. Such a high energy song, and the kids loved it! It's been in my head today...a good song for sure!

Random Insignificance: Not sure about anyone else, but I really don't like to talk with anyone else when I'm trying to exercise. It's my "zone-out" time...just something I've noticed. Not to mention that I don't want to be seen picking out the king of all wedgies in the middle of a walk...

Anyway, on that note, I'm out! :)

Grey

Summer Blog #2

2011-06-12T21:59:00.007-04:00

Day two- not bad. I went to church this morning and gathered with some family afterwards. Later on this afternoon I went for a walk, got some blisters on my feet, and read a little bit. I actually started reading one of FIVE books that I have to read for my AP classes next year, Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys. I'm ten pages in and it's not too bad so far. I was in my summer mindset a few days ago, but I'm beginning to feel the weight of all that I have to do this summer. It's going to be a good summer, but I'm going to have a lot going on...and I need to find a job! ASAP. (Any recommendations?)

Bible in {infinity} days: Today I started where I left off last summer in 2 Chronicles, and I got through roughly seven chapters...and I'm hoping to get through about the same tonight. Here we go!

Sometimes it's what seems like the smallest things that hit me. In 2 Chron. 1:1 it's funny that it doesn't say "Solomon son of David established himself firmly over his kingdom because he worked hard in his AP classes and he lead a small FCA group." Instead it says: "Solomon son of David established himself firmly over his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great." God is with us, and when we press into him, he honors our faithfulness.
2 Chron. 2:5-6: I love the humble stance Solomon takes. He's about to go down in history for building this flippin' awesome temple, and yet he has a great recognition that nothing he could ever build could possibly contain the glory of God.
2 Chron. 2:10: I'm so glad there are footnotes in bibles to explain what things are...because I was completely lost when Solomon said he would give his servants 20,000 baths of olive oil. Baths of olive oil...at least they would be very well....ah...lubricated?!?
"I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands." (Mark 14:58) After reading about how extravagant the temple must have been, it's crazy thinking about what people might have thought when Jesus spoke these words. He was talking about a completely different temple, but it must have seemed like this incredibly blasphemous statement. So witty how Jesus says these kind of things all throughout scripture...

Random Insignificance: I cooked some tasty chicken today. Look at it's magnificence and be jealous:

Song of the Day: Okay, so what I'm about to post technically isn't really a song, but it's still amazing. I'm a huge NASA fan and I love all things NASA. A few months ago I was surfing iTunes for NASA stuff, and I found this:

This, my dear friends, is an album consisting of ten-30 minute tracks of pure glory. Each track is, from what I can gather, a recording of what these planets sound like spinning in space. (Because space is a vacuum and no real sound can be heard by the human ear, the clips are radio emissions captured by Voyager and they're converted into sound waves that we can hear. Not really sure how that works, but I believe them!) Really cool, and sometimes eerie sounding stuff! Always makes me think about how small we truly are...

Grey

Summer Blog #1

2011-06-11T22:05:00.003-04:00

{{ Just to give a little background info, I'll be posting everyday this summer and like last summer I'll be breaking up each post into sections. I'll give a brief summary of the day and what made it significant, a "random insignificance" section, where I satirize about funny/odd things that I notice on a daily basis, a "song of the day" section, and a "deep/relevant thought" section. I'm hopefully also going to pick up on "bible in 90 days" where I left off last summer....(obviously more like "bible in infinity days" now!) If you find any interest in this, great! If not, well...sorry, find another blog to read. This is just a way for me personally to stay connected with folks and also a way for me to be held accountable so I do not waste my summer break away! :) }}

Ah....summer blog numero uno! First day of summer break on a Saturday is a little lame, but I'll take what I can get! Today consisted of going to graduation, and watching all of my senior friends walk across the stage. I really love these folks, and a lot of them I've grown up with so it was pretty cool getting to be a part of an afternoon like this.

Andy (don't you just love his expression?!) and I

Hilary and I

I went to a Chinese restaurant after graduation....and, ah, it's time for a diet. The honey shrimp is going to be the death of me! To ease my guilt, I went for a thirty minute walk, which wasn't so bad.

Bible in {infinity} days: I'll start reading tonight!

Random Insignificance: I realize that the bluetooth earpieces are really useful when driving, but the rest of the time, it seems that they, unfortunately, cause you look like an idiot. Take this example: you're walking through Petco and meanwhile, you're talking with a friend on your bluetooth, and you maybe you're asking them for some advice. The folks who are on the opposite side of you who do not see the bluetooth on your ear make one of three assumptions: a. you're talking to yourself, b. you are praying, or c. you are talking with the animals in the store. Maybe bluetooth users should just start wearing large, flashing, neon signs on their backs that read "I am on my bluetooth. Please do not give me that 'who the heck are you talking to' look. Thanks!" Just a thought...:)

Song of the Day: "Mine is Yours" by Cold War Kids. I heard about the Cold War Kids through Relevant Magazine, and finally decided to check them out. "Mine is Yours" isn't a bad song, but the only part that I really enjoy is the twenty second "woah" part at the beginning- manily because those are very fun to yell in the car while driving.

Significant Thought: I just finished reading Jonathan Merritt's Green Like God about a week ago. I initially started this book last summer and just never had the time to finish it. But, wow, I'm glad I got the chance to really soak it all in! It was a very well written book, and I love the stance Merritt takes on environmental stewardship. I was very impressed at how Merritt didn't necessarily fill the book completely with his opinions, but he instead, laid things out scripturally. For a while I've wanted to "go green," but I just haven't really been sure where to begin and I wanted to have a larger purpose behind it than just "being green is a social thing to do, so I suppose I'll jump on the bandwagon." Merritt begins by talking about the ways in which God reveals Himself to us. (Two major ways: through the bible, and through creation.) He then talked about something that he once heard from one of his professors at seminary: "When we destroy creation, which is God's revelation, it's similar to tearing a page out of the bible." Wow. Yeah, that was huge to me. There's a lot more that I learned from the book, and I feel like God's showed me along the way. I could write on and on about this topic, but this post is getting lengthy. I'm in the process of trying to wrap my mind around what environmental stewardship should be. I'm really praying about this one. There will for sure be more posts about this!

Give me some feedback if you've got thoughts on this!

(Sorry about the lengthiness of this post! They won't all be this long!)

Grey

The joy of my life...

2011-06-08T22:31:00.000-04:00

So many times I've heard people talk about how they've discovered what their purpose is in life and time after time I've been told that this process may just be the joy of one's life. I haven't lived long, but over the past few months, I believe I've gotten a taste of this joy.

If you know me well, you know my passion for education. I've always wanted to pursuit teaching from the beginning, but over the past few months God has affirmed this passion. Through my teacher cadet class at school and my experiences over the past few months, I've come to realize that this is what I am going to do with my life. When people ask me why I want to become a high school science teacher something inside of me wells up. (I have several reasons for specifically going into a high school classroom- but that's a completely different blog in itself!) My answer remains the same. I want to go down this path because in everything I do I want God to be lifted high. I want my students to see God on my face and in my life, like I see his presence in many of my teachers today. I want my students to gain an understanding that there's a bigger picture going on outside of their worlds. I want my students to see the splendor of God through science in all of its complexity. In a nutshell, that's my heart. I realize that like most things, this will not be easy...but I'm trusting and believing that God is for me.

I love talking with folks about my passion for education. So often I'm asked the question "what are you going to do in life?" or "what are you planning to do after high school?" For a while this question annoyed me because I heard it so much...but I guess that's just part of "growing up." Now I love getting to tell folks what my plans are! I realize that I've got a long way to go before this actually becomes a reality, but the thought of doing anything else with my life devastates me. A woman once told me that if I were not to become a teacher, I would be completely unsatisfied...and I believe this is true.

But there is one thing brings me to my knees at the end of the day: I'm not sure why, but it seems that it is in the times when I struggle the most that God reveals more and more what his divine plans are for this life of mine. It is in those same times when I am overcome by my sin and imperfections, that God continues to embrace me, reaffirm my purpose, and fill me up.

God is good.

Just had to spill all of this. :)
Grey

He's working it all out!

2011-06-01T21:58:00.001-04:00

"We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose." -Romans 8:28 (CEV)

Nuff' said. No rambling on my part needed. :)

Grey

Catching up...

2011-05-14T22:49:00.006-04:00

This post has the potential to be long and unorganized, but I'm going to take this time to catch up. I just wanted to say that I'm going to be doing blogs everyday this summer, like I did last summer....and I'm super pumped!!! I'm not sure why I enjoyed it so much, but I think it acted as some form of accountability- that way I couldn't sit around and do nothing all summer long. :)

I'm wondering if I should be a radical and continue where I left off with Bible in 90 Days last summer...it could be fun! This summer I'm going to be spending a lot of time at the Brigade Boys & Girls Club- and I'm pretty psyched about that. I'm going to be leading a bible club there that I've helped lead over the past few years with my friend, Brock. I'm also as a part of my senior project going to be leading a science session with the kids at the club over the summer and through the fall- REALLY excited about that! Along with volunteering, I'm searching and applying left and right for part time jobs- mainly because senior year is fixin' to be super expensive! (Cap & gown, class ring that I have yet to order, spring break trip to the grand canyon, and college apps....oh. my. goodness.) Not to mention the butt loads of AP summer work that I'll receive from my teachers in the next couple of weeks...oh boy. It's going to be a good summer though!

Just a couple of random tidbits-

Music: I realize that I'm pretty late, but I've just recently become a huge Owl City fan. I just bought the entire deluxe version of his "Ocean Eyes" album today....I'm really hardcore when I buy the entire album. I love that Adam Young (lead-man of the band) has such a platform in the secular world, and yet he openly shares his faith. His song "Meteor Shower" has become my prayer today. It's not considered a "Christian song" and it's not filled with "churchy" jargon- but it's honest.
Insignificant randomness: I'm not sure why, but I've always felt like drinking coffee out of these cool coffee cups seemed like such a social thing. I don't drink coffee- I love the smell, but hate the taste. But tonight, I invested in one of these nifty little cups. I'm a poser- I drink water out of this thing. Oh well. :)

Something you should pay attention to, but I can't think of a proper subtitle: So, I have these friends- the Tharpe family. Brock has recently accepted a job at White Stone Church in Knoxville, TN, where they are from. I'm super pumped for these folks that I dearly love, and while I'm going to miss them a TON around here, I'm so happy for them because of the journey that God is about to lead them through! There's one thing that you must do...do yourself a favor and read their blog!

If you made it through all of that, then you are now considered a saint in my book. Anyways, stay tuned for summer posts!
Grey

God is..

2011-05-01T22:30:00.000-04:00

faithful. As I've learned over the years, it's in our biggest flaws and struggles that God is exalted. (That word- "exalt" is such a weird, churchy word, but it's a good word.) In the middle of some of my struggle right now, this is what I'm resting in. God is faithful....and in my faithfulness through the chaos and confusion of life, He is going to be lifted high.

Grey

Endeavour's last launch

2011-04-28T20:26:00.000-04:00

I know I'm a nerd, but I definitely just cried when I watched this:

Endeavour's final launch takes place tomorrow (Friday, April 29th) at 3:47pm. I know it will be on the NASA channel, and most likely on other news stations. It's going to be a special moment in space exploration history.

Grey

At the end of the day...

2011-04-27T23:40:00.002-04:00

I'm a mess and sometimes I screw up. I'm not always the best leader, friend, or follower of Jesus. There are times when I just want to run away. I struggle to hear God's voice- our (more like "my") communication is fuzzy. I don't "have it all together" by any means, and I don't know all of the answers. I don't study as hard as I should sometimes, and I don't read the bible nearly as much as a want to or should- I fail in that area. Sometimes I'm extremely critical of not only myself, but especially others. I'm a living contradiction. But at the end of the day, I want one thing to be known- I love Jesus and he's all I really want in this life. He's all I want.

Grey

Christ is Risen

2011-04-25T10:42:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I heard this song for the first time...HOLY.COW. Such a powerful declaration. It's called "Christ is Risen" by Matt Maher. Check it out on iTunes.

"Let no one caught in sin remain
Inside the lie of inward shame
But fix our eyes upon the cross
And run to Him
Who showed great love
And bled for us
Freely You’ve bled for us

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Beneath the weight of all our sin
You bowed to none but heaven’s will
No scheme of hell

No scoffer's crown
No burden great
Can hold You down
In strength You reign
Forever let Your church proclaim

O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
The glory of God has defeated the night
O death, where is your sting
O hell, where is your victory
O church, come stand in the light
Our God is not dead
He's alive! He's alive!"

Grey

Love this...

2011-04-15T21:57:00.002-04:00

These are my friends...the ones that make me laugh day after day. :)

(You can click on it and make it bigger.)

Grey

My latest obsession.

2011-04-13T23:05:00.002-04:00

Over the past few years and months, my love for the cosmos has increased. I love walking outside on a clear night and looking around, trying to identify constellations and stars. A good friend of mine got a telescope for her birthday this past February, and I'm pretty sure I'm about to copy her. I think I'm going to try to invest in a telescope at some point.

Our beloved natural satellite...also known as the moon. :)

It's so crazy looking around and seeing stars such as Betelgeuse, Rigel, Pollux, Sirius, Arcturus, and even Saturn...not to mention that the moon has been beautiful lately! It's amazing realizing that these stars aren't just "twinkle, twinkle, I'm a cute little ornament in the sky," but that they're HUGE!

{Insert cosmos-related bible verse declaring the majesty of God....}

Grey

It's written on our faces...

2011-04-05T13:17:00.002-04:00

I may have already blogged about this before, but this past summer at Student Life, Louie Giglio used a really great analogy; I've been thinking about it lately, so I thought I'd share.

On Extreme Makeover Home Edition, the show progresses to one pivotal point when you've got a family returning home (usually a real heart-breaker family...it's usually a family with a really tough situation) to a newly built home. Finally, the limo rolls up, and before you know it, the entire community is standing there shouting "MOVE THAT BUS!" The bus moves and camera pans over to the family. We've been watching the construction of the house for an entire hour, but they're seeing it for the first time and they're amazed. We see their faces.

I love looking at their faces. They're blown away! They cry, the laugh, they dance around, and they hug. They can't take their eyes off of the awesome house that's just been built for them in the midst of their situation.

I love the way that Louie described this. This is us. We've want to see God in this way. We want to just get a glimpse of God and everything that he is....all of his glory. When we encounter God in this way, he's on our face. The people around us may not have seen God, but they see our expression, they see our response, and at some point, they begin to wonder what it is that's so breathtaking a wonderful. They world around us sees God on our face.

I love this. This also reminds me of the story when Moses saw the glory of God on Mount Sinai....when he came off of the mountain, his face was glowing. When he came off of the mountain, the people saw a glimpse of the glory of God on Moses' face.

This is what we want. This is what I want. We want to encounter God in a way that's so extravagant, that it's written on our faces, for the world to see.

Grey

Sprint. Stop.

2011-03-26T22:02:00.000-04:00

Have you ever sprinted and just stopped running abruptly, without walking it off? You know that "I'm gasping for air and I'm totally in shock right now" feeling? That's how I feel right now. For the past few weeks I have ran, and ran, and ran like a madwoman. Nonstop. I've been trying to get all of my school work done and manage my time better. Now that spring break has hit, there's no more rushing to get things done or chugging of 5-Hour Energy every night, and I'm in shock. I haven't had a chance to walk it off. I'm pooped.

Anyone else know that feeling?

Grey

The BIG Picture

2011-03-20T22:05:00.001-04:00

I love Jesus. I love science. Jesus is my purpose, but science is one of my passions. Many people still hold the perspective that science and God are battling it out and that they contradict one another. I disagree. God is bigger than that. In a sense, God created science. One of my prayers as a student, follower of Jesus, and a future science teacher is that I will never cease to be amazed by the complexity of God's creation.

Sometimes I'm sitting in my science classes trying to understand something like ionic bonds or electron configuration and then it all clicks inside of me....subatomic particles make up atoms, many atoms bonded together create molecules, molecules form cells, cells contain different organelles that serve unique purposes, cells makes up tissues, and make our bodies work in some crazy, wild, complex, mind-blowing kind of way.

GOD is BIG.

Just needed to brain dump and say that. :)
Grey

Church...

2011-03-20T15:22:00.002-04:00

I don't know that I want to do this anymore...

That is all.
Grey

Struggling...

2011-03-16T22:09:00.000-04:00

This morning I was really struggling with FCA. To be honest, I didn't even have a discussion prepared- this was the root of my problems and my anger. I felt terrible, and that set the mood for quite a bit of my day. While I was driving to school, I was praying that somehow through my ramblings and my big mess of a morning, God would be glorified and would speak to my FCA folks. There was one thing that he said to me that I may never forget. He said simply this:

"If you were in my Word more often, you wouldn't really be having this issue."

Hurt. I have a tough time getting into the bible at times...(actually, almost all the time.)
I really wonder how many of the issues and stresses that I face on a daily basis would be eliminated if I actually read His truth for a little while.

Grey

This is going down....

2011-03-03T20:17:00.000-05:00

...This Saturday.

I'm PUMPED. A lot of folks at Trask have put in a lot of hours over the past few weeks trying to get ready for this Saturday. Really looking forward to it!

Grey

Catching up.

2011-02-26T22:20:00.009-05:00

Sorry I haven't blogged lately....I've had a lot going on. Not that I haven't cared about school in the past, but this semester I've really tried to give my all, not only because it's something that I "should do", but because I feel like it's important in relation to God's calling for me. Here's a few things that I've been loving lately:

Google docs. I'm not sure if anyone's tried using Google docs, but it rescued me this week! I had an assignment due online, and I couldn't open the file because it was some kind of weird file type...very simple. Load it onto Google docs, edit, do whatever, and then download it again with the appropriate file type. Amazing.
Forever Reign. I'm not sure why, but this song has really shook me lately. I've loved it for a while, but I was singing this song with a friend last night, and God really did something in me with this song. It's originally by Hillsong, but this version is by Kristian Stanfill from Passion 2011. Give it a listen: Forever Reign
Senior Project. I know this is nerdy, but I'm actually kind of excited about what I'm basing my senior project on. [For those who don't know, the senior project is a pretty major project consisting of a research paper and physical product that every high school student at Trask (and other surrounding schools) must complete during their junior and senior years...] Mine's on science education and the scientific method. It's called "A Scientific Approach: The Scientific Method in the classroom and everyday life." :)
Acts. I'm reading through the book of Acts right now. I'm really trying to figure out what church may have looked like "back in the day" and what we can learn from that. There are some things that I've read so far and I've thought "how simple!" It's crazy how we as the church easily complicate things.
FCA Mini-golf. Tonight I went and played mini-golf with some great folks. Good times.

Grey

Take Heart

2011-02-19T11:33:00.001-05:00

This week, Hillsong United put out a new album called Aftermath. The opening song is called "Take Heart" and it's really carried huge weight with me this week. Life has been such a mess over the past few days and it's such a comfort hearing these words and understanding that even though we're going to have trouble in this world, Jesus has overcome.

"There is a light

It burns brighter than the sun

He steals the night

And casts no shadow

There is hope

Should oceans rise and mountains fall

He never fails

So take heart

Let His love lead us through the night

Hold on to hope

And take courage again

In death by love

The fallen world was overcome

He wears the scars of our freedom

In His Name

All our fears are swept away

He never fails

All our troubles

And all our tears

God our hope

He has overcome

All our failure

And all our fear

God our love

He has overcome

All our heartache

And all our pain

God our healer

He has overcome

All our burdens

And all our shame

God our freedom

He has overcome

All our troubles

And all our tears

God our hope

He has overcome

All our failures

And all our fear

God our love

He has overcome

God our justice

God our grace

God our freedom

He has overcome

God our refuge

God our strength

God is with us

He has overcome"

Grey

Confession...

2011-02-13T15:34:00.000-05:00

Confession time, here we go:

Sunday's are a rough time for me. I've become a terrible cynic when it comes to church. Church as a whole. The thing we call "church." The way we "do" church. Going to church. A lot of things dealing with church. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of things that I like about church and I love my church family, but right now I really dislike church as a whole. Period.

Just thought I'd throw it out there...
Grey

Some thoughts from AP...

2011-02-08T13:34:00.002-05:00

Today in my AP class we looked at some Transcendentalist writings from folks such as Emerson and Thoreau. Although, I don't exactly agree with all of the Transcendentalist beliefs, this stuff is pretty interesting to me. It'll take me like 15 minutes to dissect one paragraph....good stuff. Here's a quote I found in Emerson's "Self-Reliance" passage:

"Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misundersood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood...."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Interesting stuff.
Grey

Ski Trip!

2011-02-05T23:05:00.004-05:00

It's been a pretty lovely day here in Boone. :)

A plug for Boyce Avenue

2011-02-02T14:01:00.000-05:00

Allow me to introduce you to Boyce Avenue. I've been a huge fan of these guys for a while. They write a lot of their own music, but they mainly do acoustic covers of songs. Most of the time after I hear their version of songs, I prefer it over the original. Flawless vocals. Check out some of their music on iTunes. Here's one of their covers:

Mmm. I love it.

Grey

Symphonies

2011-01-31T23:44:00.003-05:00

I've always been an astronomy nut, but over the past weeks, I've been going crazy. NASA podcasts, NASA apps, astronomy books, and every scripture I can find about the cosmos! Everything. I was looking around and I found this:

This, my friends, is a complete album full of Voyager recordings. Essentially, this album includes different audio recordings captured in space that have been translated into a format that the human ear can hear. These recordings are the sounds of the planets (they're also about 30 minutes per recording). The first time I heard one of these recordings, it was a video of the sun and the sound that it makes as it rotates. I was so fired up! At 1am, I wanted to take a lap around my house and yell "Yeah! That's what the sun sounds like! That 2 second clip is what the sun sounds like! Our God is hugeee! Whooo!"

Amazing! It's weird thinking that these are the things that God hears all the time. He hears Jupiter spinning on its axis out in the middle of the universe, and then he hears a bunch of sinners on Earth singing about how great he is. Crazy contrast to think about....

Anyway, check it out...
Grey

Speaking Truth

2011-01-27T13:30:00.001-05:00

During FCA yesterday, a really cool thought struck me; a humbling thought. During FCA, we discuss passages of scripture, we hold honest conversations, we connect with God. We connect with each other. This is such a beautiful thing to me. Sometimes I wonder how often students in my school even think of God, his existence, or who he is...how often do they even touch a bible? What about the teachers? When was the last time they considered God or his words? When was the last time anyone made a connection with God within the doors of this school? These kinds of thoughts hold great value with me. During FCA may be the only time of the week that these folks hear the bible read, or even begin to think of something bigger than themselves...it may be some of the only real, absolute words of truth that they hear all day. It may be the only time of the day that these folks are involved in a true, meaningful conversation; a kingdom-related conversation. This blows me away. It reminds me never to hold back, even when I feel like I'm supposed to share a difficult topic with the group. I love these folks. God has gifted us with a great thing.

Grey

Post-Daniel Fast Feast

2011-01-24T15:06:00.000-05:00

Following the 3 weeks of the Daniel Fast, a few friends and I had a feast at Golden Corral. It was lovely. I've really enjoyed the fast, but it was good to taste some chicken again. :) Right now I'm feeling alright, but I've got a feeling that my digestive system could have a fit later. Either way, it would be a great story to tell. Anyway, here's a clip:

Grey

More ramblings...

2011-01-22T21:19:00.002-05:00

Lately I've really been diggin' this idea of being a high school science teacher. Everytime I think about it, something inside of me explodes. (I would argue that the "something" inside of me is God knocking around saying "Hey! I made you for this!) While I was writing a paper for my Teacher Cadet final, this is one of the things that I wrote.

"I often hear statements like 'why don’t you want to be an Elementary school teacher?' or 'why would you want to work with teenagers?!' I have several responses on why I want to teach high school students. Personally, I know that as of this far, my teenage years have been a time where having responsible adults around me has shaped more than the peer pressures that I experience every day. Through the years, not only have people like my youth pastor, friends, and parents kept me 'grounded,' but so have my teachers. I would not be the person I am today without them. Studies like Erickson's Psychosocial Theory of Human Development have shown that during the adolescent years, the core personality and beliefs of a person are formed. In today’s society, many children are growing up without a stable home life, and have a lack of positive adult influences in their lives; therefore, they have difficulty during their teenage years. Also, statistics show that some of the major issues teenagers are facing today are substance abuse, eating disorders, and depression. I want to be a teacher that not only educates, but displays an attitude that says 'I love and care about my students.' I want to be a teacher that teenagers know that they can come to not only with their struggles as a student, but their struggles as an individual as well."

I hope I didn't sound like "know-it-all"...these are just my observations and thoughts.

Grey

We are tiny...

2011-01-20T09:05:00.001-05:00

Finals are over and for the rest of the week I plan on blogging, reading, facebooking, tweeting, and altogether relaxing. On Monday, for my Teacher Cadet final, I presented a lesson on the Solar System. I would have to say that it went pretty well. While I was preparing it, I was so hyped up and pretty in awe.

During my presentation I gave a rough summary of each planet, it's atomospheric content, it's average temp, it's size, the length of it's day and so on. During my bit about the sun, I said "by the way, if you ever begin to feel like it's all about you, look at this picture:"

I never think of myself as "tiny" and that's a fact. Believe me, ask anyone who knows me well. I'm not a tiny person. Granted, we're not as close to the sun as this picture portrays, but it still never ceases to amaze me. We are tiny! I am tiny. There's this raging ball of fire out in space, that we know as the sun, and look how small the Earth is. You and I are just little specks on there.

Do you ever think about how complex things are? Not only the universe, the galaxy, our solar system, but the things we see everyday, even our bodies....we're fearfully and wonderfully made.

Just something to chew on....
Grey

Psalm 139

2011-01-18T19:12:00.004-05:00

This passage has really been getting to me lately. I love these phrases like "fearfully and wonderfully made." I love how sometimes in the Psalms, things will be flowing so beautifully and then David goes on a rant about how much he hates the people that hate God. I suppose it's bibilical....it's just wierd.

"O Lord, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O Lord.
You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name
Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord,
and abhor those who rise up against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."

Grey

Some thoughts as a future teacher...

2011-01-15T13:10:00.001-05:00

"As I’ve grown up, I’ve noticed that for some reason from a student’s perspective it’s perceived that teachers have no life outside of the classroom. It seems like many students see their teachers as these one-dimensional, assignment dispensing creatures. For me, over the years, I’ve come to view my teachers as real people with real lives that experience real struggles. This is such a comforting thought for me. "

(Some of my thoughts from my Teacher Cadet paper....I'm enjoying this.)

Grey

Mountains Move

2011-01-10T23:56:00.002-05:00

If you've read my blog (anyone read...at all?) for a while, you've probably heard me mention Kristian Stanfill before. This guy is a worship leader from ATL who's been involved with a lot of Passion events and Student Life camps. I'm a fan. A couple of days ago I read a tweet someone had posted referring to Stanfill and it said "I'm in love with @kpstanfill...well, actually, I'm in love with his worship." I wanted to shout an "amen." Kristian and the band seem to be such a passionate group....very genuine as well. Anyway, so let me get to the point:

The band released an album today (1.11.11) called "Mountains Move." Everyone should check it out on iTunes! It's worth it. All of the songs are great, but from my listening over the last 20 minutes, right now I'm loving "You Will Reign," "My Reward," "Holding My World," and "We Glorify your Name."

E.P.I.C.-Just Saying.
Grey

Daniel fast update.

2011-01-08T16:37:00.001-05:00

So the daniel fast has been going pretty well so far. There's one half of me that's saying "I really want my chicken and diet coke...maybe I should quit" and the other half is saying "God is rockin' my world! I'll do this for the rest of my life if I have to!" I'm definitely not giving up. I have also really enjoyed the everyday conversations with Kristin, who's also doing the fast.

Anyway, here's some pictures of the food I've been eating:

Brown rice. Beans. Whole wheat pasta. Pitas. Couscous. Almonds. Peanuts. Sunflower seeds. Popcorn (butter free). Hummus. Corn. Tomato paste/sauce.

Don't you love my nicely arranged fruit? Apples. Oranges. Strawberries. Blackberries. Cherries. Grapes. Lemons. Limes.

As far as the bible reading goes, I don't think I've done too bad this week. I'm on a 21 day reading plan that goes along with it. Although, I still would like to be in there more.

Anyway...that's all I have.
Grey

Fruits!

2011-01-05T22:11:00.000-05:00

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self‑control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."
-Galatians 5:21-25

I've been thinking about this passage quite a bit lately. Notice that the passage doesn't say "but the fruit of [insert name here] is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control..." I've learned that it's not about us trying to muster up enough strength to look like Jesus and display these things. It's about surrendering and allowing the Spirit to live through us. Sometimes I think to myself "did I really just do that?"...and then I realize that it's God living and moving through me.

These are some of my greatest moments of joy.
Grey

So...

2011-01-04T20:24:00.000-05:00

Today was my first "official" day of the Daniel fast. I've done pretty good all day, until the last few hours. My family ravaged some fried chicken...ah, I love chicken, but I settled for pinto beans. These 21 days could be rough...but I'm pretty expectant about what God's going to do.

Side note: Passion 2011 ended today, and the Giglio's announced that next year Passion 2012 will be in ATL again. (Whoooo!!!) So, being the freak that I am, I'm ready to register and everything! There's only a limited number of spots for high school seniors, so I've got to get a move on! At first I thought that you had to register in a group, but apparently not. I still would like to go in a group, but if not, I will rock the wagon all the way down to Georgia by myself! (Like my Dad would be okay with that...)

Anyway....who would be interested in going? Registration starts February 1st!

Sorry if I'm over the top. :)
Grey

the Daniel fast

2011-01-03T22:51:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I've always wanted to try the Daniel fast, but I've never had a group to do it with. Today, a friend of mine, Kristin, started the fast and I jumped on board with her and some friends. I'm so pumped! I really don't know what I'm getting myself into, but I believe it's going to be good! This is a 21 days fast and we're only supposed to eat fruits and veggies, as well as drinking only water and juices. (We're eating peanut butter too....) I've never done a "real" fast before, so this should be good.

From what I've heard, you have to be some sort of spiritual crackhead to do this. We're up for it! Everyday there are scripture readings that go along with it from the book of Daniel. (Obviously, the fast is all based off of Daniel's fast....I haven't read much yet, so I don't have the best understanding....but I believe it's in Daniel 10.)

When I was looking over the fast and the reading plans, it recommended that we try to focus on one theme or prayer during the duration of the fast. When I was thinking about it tonight, only one thing came up. It's simple...my prayer is just for more of God. More God. More Jesus. More Holy Spirit. I've been thinking about that lately. So many times I get wrapped up in these other things about life and God, that I feel like I forget what it's like just to want God.

This should be interesting. Prayers appreciated!
Grey

Here comes January

2011-01-01T15:57:00.000-05:00

So there are a few things on my mind this new years day....every year in Atlanta, during the first four days of January, the Passion conference kicks off. I'm pretty pumped about reading all of the tweets and updates about all that's going on there. This year they'll be streaming the main sessions live every night. (You can check the details here.) Even though I've never been to Passion, I love this conference and these people. (I keep telling myself "one more year, one more year, and you'll be a high school senior and you can go...")

Also, every year I participate in this thing called my one word. It's where a word is chosen to live by and focus on during the year. I've really enjoyed choosing a word over the past few years and I love how God uses it to shape me. I have yet to pick a word this year, but there will be a blog post when I do!

Anyway...that's all I've got.
Grey

Is it really New Years Eve??

2010-12-31T15:54:00.001-05:00

I'm not quite ready to let 2010 go yet. It's been lovely...although, somehow my years tend to blend together into one big, beautiful mess of a life...so I tend to forget what moments and events happened what year.

Whatever...
See you next year! :)

Random: I just realized that I've written 120 blogs in 2010. I'm for sure going to beat that in 2011!
Grey

Podcast Confessional...

2010-12-26T23:22:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I love podcasts. I really try to listen to a few when I have time. Some of these are pretty nerdy, I'll admit. I'd love to hear what everyone else is listening to. Recommendations? Anyway, here we go...

Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast: I've only listened to a couple of these so far, but I've found the things that he's said in these sessions to be pretty useful.
AP Biology Podcast: Go ahead, laugh. (Half of this is over my head, but at least I feel smarter when I get done listening. :)
Elevation Church Podcast: I love listening to Steven Furtick preach. Period. There's something unique about him.
Grand Parkway Baptist Church: No doubt, Neil McClendon, is an awesome preacher....sometimes he says things and in my head I'm thinking "Haha! Did he really just say that?" He cracks me up! (Thanks Brock, for recommending this one.)
Hillsong Cape Town: I saw Hillsong in concert this past summer, and Phil Doodley (Hillsong CT pastor) was touring with them as well. It was great listening to him, so when I got home, I checked out the podcast.
LIFEPOINTNOW.COM (A.K.A: Lifepoint Church): Jeff Kapusta and Lifepoint are local folks. Check em' out.
Mars Hill Bible Church: Some people think that Rob Bell is "Mr. Controversial Theologian," but I'm a fan.
Mars Hill Church: Mark Driscoll: The other Mars Hill church. Driscoll seems to be a little bit like McClendon as well. He's not afraid to speak the truth.
NPR: I listen to several NPR podcasts. Science Friday. On Science. Environment. Education. Religion. I've lost interest in a few of them, because they tend to stray from the topics, but I LOVE Science Friday.
Passion City Church: I love Louie Giglio. I just do. He's probably my favorite. He seems to be such a down to Earth guy.
PC3 Weekend Services: I attended Port City for about a year on and off. I still enjoy listening to Mike Ashcraft's sermons.
Philosophy Bites: I know...who would listen to a podcast called "philosophy bites?" I usually comprehend about 30 seconds of their 25 minute segment. I for some reason feel a bit smarter after just hearing robust British accents. :)
Stuff You Should Know: I've only listened to this one once, but it is in the top ten on iTunes...so, why not? :)
Teaching Strategies: Tenacious Teacher: So I'm not a teacher....yet. (Yes, I just bolded and underlined in the middle of a sentence. :) While the intro music is very cheesy and annoying, I really enjoy listening to these folks discuss strategies and what they've experienced in the classroom.
Timothy Keller Podcast: Tim Keller is wise. Point blank. For some reason, podcasts are only uploaded every few months, nevertheless, I enjoy them.
Neue: Neue is actually a magazine that has branched off of Relevant Mag. They do a lot of interviews with worship leaders and church leaders. I really enjoy this one.
All About Worship: I love this one. Mainly because they feature a lot of interviews with worship leaders like John Mark McMillan and Christy Nockels.

Whoo! That was a lot of hyperlinks. What's everyone listening to? What should I check out?

Grey

Snow!

2010-12-26T11:07:00.001-05:00

I believe this one was close enough to call it a White Christmas. The wagon is looking mighty spiffy in the snow, if I say so myself....hopefully it'll crank.

Posting more later.
Grey

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I just wanted to say...

2010-12-25T16:50:00.003-05:00

Feliz Navidad!

Grey

Wrapping

2010-12-23T16:40:00.001-05:00

I don't think I've actually wrapped presents in years. I usually do the whole thing where you put the gift in a bag and declare it to be wrapped. I don't think I did too bad today....in fact, I actually enjoyed it. Today has been a little rough, and for some reason, seasonal paper and bows made it better.

Grey

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Class Ring

2010-12-21T22:02:00.001-05:00

Any opinions? Yay? Nay?

Grey

Sustain

2010-12-21T20:41:00.001-05:00

Recently, I've become a fan of a band called "The Glorious Unseen." Posted below are the lyrics to one of their songs called "Sustain." I love this song. I love that it's raw. It's honest. It's a conversation with God. Lately, I've thought a lot about these questions. Some people believe that God shouldn't be questioned in this way. I believe God can handle our questions, our anger, and our impatience. He's God. There's nothing He can't handle, and he loves us. We're his kids....

"Cover me - there’s a battlefield ahead.
Cover me - there’s an enemy that wants to have my head.

Why do You let evil have its way?
How can You let orphans die in vain?
When will You give answers for the pain?
Is there a place where hope can still sustain?

Cover me as I walk this out alone - as I search deserted streets - for a place to call my own.
I’ve wandered over all the earth - like an angel without wings.
I’m a song without a voice.
I’m a ghost without a grave.

Why do You let evil have its way?
How can You let orphans die in vain?
When will You give answers for the pain?
Is there a place where hope can still sustain?

So please come, take the burdens that have held me down so long...
And if I scream Your name again, will You reach my bloody hands?
God, I’m holding on to You - for You can make me new.
If I scream Your name again, will You reach my bloody hands?

God, I’m holding to Your arms. I’ve been holding on so long..."

Grey

Proskuneo

2010-12-19T23:19:00.000-05:00

Last night was the first time in a long time that I've really slowed down to spend some time with God. Everything that He did inside of me is still resounding a little bit. Somewhere in the process, I ended up looking at this story:

"When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them...." (Luke 7:36-38)

(For the sake of space, I didn't post the rest of the story. It goes through verse 50. Check it out in its entirety.)

I love this story. It's one of my favorites. The imagery moves me. I really love that this woman shows up on the scene in such a undignified, uninvited, messy way. I love that she kisses Jesus' feet. (As creepy as it may sound....) I believe this was this woman's act of worship and way of saying "Jesus, I'm so unworthy. I'm such a mess. But I absolutely adore you, and I'm giving my everything to you in this moment."

While reading through this story, I looked at some of the Greek translations of the word "worship" and came across one of the most commonly used words:
Proskuneo: meaning to kiss, to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):--worship.

I love this! I love the intimacy of this term. I love that "proskuneo" doesn't appear to be some sort of corporate worship thing, but it seems to be such a personal act and posture of adoration.

"I dreamed I kissed your feet
Between the cigarette butts
On the side of fourteenth street
I got down on my hands and my knees
With an alabaster jar
I dreamed I'd bleed with your praises
Just to make the world
Smell like your grace again
I got down on my hands and my face again...."
("Kiss Your Feet" by John Mark McMillan)

(Sorry if there wasn't much structure, organization, or closure to this one...but I just thought I'd share anyway. :)
Grey

Slow it down...

2010-12-18T23:57:00.003-05:00

This has hit me this week:

The Lord and his disciples were traveling along and came to a village. When they got there, a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said. Martha was worried about all that had to be done. Finally, she went to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!” The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.”

(Luke 10:38-42)

I want to be like Mary so bad. I just want to slow down, leave all of my "stuff" behind for a while, and just rest with Jesus. Just to listen; to soak in the words of God. I've been acting like Martha for so long now, I've almost forgotten what it's like just to slow down for once.

That is all....

Grey

Random, but epic post...

2010-12-12T19:31:00.007-05:00

Random post: I love church pictures....like the ones taken during church services. I'm not sure why. I found a few today. (Some were on Google, and some of the others were taken locally.) What's your favorite?

I must say that the 1st, 6th, and 7th....and the 8th are my favorite pictures. (Especially the 6th! It's going to be framed in my house someday...) The 4th isn't really a church service picture, but because I'm baptist...moments like that are a significant part of my faith... :)

Which ones are you digging?

Grey