* This is God's Space *

Thankful & humbled

2007-09-06T08:13:00.000-07:00

I am thankful for clean water. Billions of people on this earth have no clean drinking water.

I am thankful for food. Millions of people go each day without food. 3 million of them are children

I am thankful for my next breath. Evry 3 seconds someone on this earth dies from hunger.

I am thankful to live in America.

I am thankful for the freedom to practice my faith, gather in a public place and worship God without fear of being thrown in jail or shot and killed.

I am thankful for my Bible. Many Christians in this world cling to the one little verse or scrap of paper torn from a Bible.

I am thankful to be able to express my thoughts and feelings without fear.

I am thankful for our soldier who go days, months, and sometimes years without being with their family, loved ones, & children. Who lay their life on the line everyday so that I may have these freedoms.

I am thankful to have such luxeries as shoes, clothes, ice cream, a roof over my head. Millions of people will never know such luxeries.

I am thankful for my job and to earn what I do. Most people on this earth are lucky to make $1 a day and they most likely work harder then I do.

Did you know that the amount of money American's spend on ice cream in a year could cloth, feed, and give medical attention to the world.

What are you thankful for?

A New Beginning

2007-08-29T08:24:00.001-07:00

I am starting a new dance year this coming Tuesday (the 4th) and I couldn't be more excited! Why? Cause it's the studio's 10th year!!!! Yep...I've been doing this for 10 years!! I have been working hard all summer to find new music, come up with new and fresh dance moves/choreography..still working at that. We (the studio owner and I, the director) have hired 2 new teachers and we hve a lot of new faces this year. Should be a very different & exciting year. We are starting out with a Christmas show called "The Christmas Express" and then will be working on 2 spring productions "Bless the Broken Road" and "One Way" plus I am thinking of maybe a small acrobatic/contortion showcase somewhere - somehow..we shall see. I also start a new job teaching drama for a home-schooled co-op so that too is new & exciting. I also feel very strong about meeting my "Mr. Right" this year or at least having an oppurtunity to date! So anyway, lots to look forward to. I am shaking off the boring, humid days of summer and jumping at the gate till Tuesday, the 4th. And...I'm off!

REAL LOVE

2007-08-13T11:35:00.001-07:00

LOVE SUFFERS LONG - meaning you are patient with the person. Patient when they make the same mistakes over and over. Patient when they seem to give up. Patient with their faults.

AND IS KIND - If we keep in mind that the purpose of real love is to seek the welfare of the one loved, then we see why real love must not only be patient but gracious. Kindness, not harshness, is more apt to encourage good in another person. Just as Proverbs says that "a soft answer turns away wrath" (15:1), so love that is practical and useful is skillful in bringing out the best rather than the worst in the one loved. Jesus reminds us that while love calls for truth, truth expressed without kindness is not loving. He reminds us that while love calls for patience, patience without kindness is not loving either.

LOVE DOES NOT ENVY - You don't get jealous of this person. What they have, who they are friends with, what kind of job they have, what kind of status they have, what kind of family they have. Jealousy wants what someone else has, but bragging tries to make others jealous of what we have. Remember comparrison is the seed and Jealousy is the fruit!
Real love says, "I can be happy for you, even if I never achieve the accomplishments, recognition, or comforts that you are enjoying. While I might wish myself more, I could not wish you less."

LOVE DOES NOT PARADE ITSELF
Love does not brag about its accomplishments. It is not given to self-display, not even to carefully worded statements of subtle self-promotion.
This concept finds ancient roots in the Bible. King Solomon said it well when he wrote, "Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth" (Prov. 27:2). Simply put, real love doesn't push itself into the spotlight.
Real love not only applauds the successes of another, but it knows how to handle its own wins when they come. I've heard it said that "for every 100 people who can handle adversity, there are only 10 who can handle prosperity."

IS NOT PUFFED UP
By contrast, puffed-up people, full of themselves and having an exaggerated opinion of their own importance, are likely to assume that their happiness, well-being, opinions, and feelings are the only things that really count. Puffed-up people find it easy to dismiss the needs and feelings of others.
The first place we might look to see if we have a puffed-up sense of our own importance is in our prayers. Do we pray only for ourselves and our own interests, or do we also pray for the children, spouses, and concerns of others? The simple truth is that real love does not allow us to assume that our health, our prosperity, our home, or our family is any more important than our neighbor's.

DOES NOT BEHAVE RUDELY
It reminds us that the honorable nature of real love will never make inappropriate demands of others. Real love will never prompt an unmarried person to say, "If you love me, you'll prove it by giving yourself to me." Those who love will never ask others to prove their loyalty by lying, cheating, or stealing for them.
By not behaving rudely, real love does not use the "love" of a friendship to pressure anyone to do something that is contrary to the principles of conscience or faith, or to the moral principles of God.
Real love, according to Paul, never pressures another person to do something that is wrong. Real love seeks the best for the one loved--not the personal gain, pleasure, or control that manipulation is often designed to achieve.

DOES NOT SEEK IT'S OWN
It speaks of the person whose focus is outward, not inward. It describes the heart that is not so consumed with its own interests that it cannot show concern for the needs and interests of others.

In Philippians 2, Paul expressed the same principle of real love this way:

If there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love . . . . Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others

IS NOT PROKOVOKED
In other words, real love does not have a short fuse. It is not touchy or irritable. How easily we can forget this important quality of real love. After a few years of mutual disappointment, husbands and wives become easily provoked with each other. Exasperated parents shout unkindly at their children in frustration. Workers show a quick temper when an employer or fellow worker fails to give the consideration that not only is deserved but has been agreed to. Citizens become incensed when public servants use their office to violate the public trust. Why do we get provoked? Sometimes we simmer and boil inside because we want what we want, when we want it--and we won't take "later" for an answer. Sometimes our temper provides evidence of our own selfishness.

THINKS NO EVIL
Saying that love "thinks no evil" means that it won't keep records of unkindnesses with the intent of someday getting even. In other words, real love will not hold bitter grudges or allow longstanding resentments against others, even when the wrongs done against us are real.

DOES NOT REJOICE IN INIQUITY
Love does not hide evil by keeping secrets that need to be exposed. Love does not pass along a "juicy morsel" of someone else's failure just because it tastes good to do so. Love does not gossip to break the monotony, or to appear knowledgeable, or to feel better about itself by publishing the news of someone else's shame. Breaking the news of sin must be for the good of others rather than to promote a "feeding frenzy" around someone else's embarrassment and pain.

BUT REJOICES IN TRUTH
Paul's words to the Thessalonians give us a clue why he said "love rejoices with the truth." He wants us to think about the profound relationship between what we believe and what we do. On one hand, what we believe determines what we do. On the other hand, what we want to do determines what we are willing to believe. This is why the Bible puts such an emphasis on right beliefs. Good doctrine is right thinking about God, ourselves, and others. Right thinking, in turn, allows us to love one another in truth rather than in a setting of self-deception. All unrighteousness denies the truth. All wrong behavior is rooted in a misbelief about reality. All immorality is rooted in a process of self-deception that says, "I know better than God how to further my own interests and the interests of others."

BEARS ALL THINGS
The word bears comes from a Greek word that means "roof." The point is grand in its simplicity. Love covers and protects like a roof covers a house and protects it from storms. Love bears up and continues to work for the good of others regardless of what happens. Love bears the storms of disappointment, the rains of failure, and the winds of time and circumstance. Love provides a covering that shields from the extremes of cold winters and hot summer sun. Love provides a place of shelter that can withstand the worst circumstances imaginable.
Love cannot protect others from the harsh realities of living in a broken world. Neither can it protect others from the consequences of their own choices. But love does give broken, hurting people a place to find someone who cares for their good and well-being. Love gives even unrepentant people an advocate and intercessor who prays for their ultimate well-being. Love offers even the worst sinners a place to bring their repentant hearts.

BELIEVES ALL THINGS
The truth that "love believes all things" is central to our understanding of Christlike love. Real love is rooted and grounded in faith. Faith, in turn, is rooted and grounded in what God has said in His Word.
Without faith in God, love quits and dies. Unless we continue to "believe all things" God has said, our love will not survive the disappointments, rejections, and insults of life. Unless we build our love firmly on the Word of God, love will throw in the towel. Only by faith in God can love remain strong.

HOPES ALL THINGS
The psalmist said of God, "My hope is in You," (Ps. 39:7). Paul wrote, "Hope does not disappoint" (Rom. 5:5). And Peter added, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who . . . has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Pet. 1:3).
This is the power of love. It is fueled and sustained not by an ever-changing emotional or physical state, but by deep beliefs and hopes that are given by God to those who trust Him. Real love has a capacity to view life--and live it--with an optimism that is refreshing because of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27

ENDURES ALL THINGS
Here the emphasis is on how we respond to life in general. Love doesn't give up. It doesn't quit. It doesn't walk away. It perseveres to the point where it "endures all things."

LOVE NEVER FAILS
Real love is a survivor. Because it finds its source and life in God, real love can endure anything. Even when the nature of our relationships change due to unfortunate human choices, the love of God can cause us to pray and, where possible, to act in behalf of another person. It is the love that reflects the heart of Christ and reveals the wonderful change that only He can make in a life. It is real love

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

My Prayer

2007-08-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

I want to die daily and renew my mind
have a heart like Jesus and always be kind
but the world is constantly pulling me in
I get so distracted from God and I sin
I'm running the race but I get off track
but I am saved and there's no turning back
I must stay focused and daily I pray
that I'll find strenghth in Him and I'll change my way
That I'll stay in His Word and keep praising His name
I so want to change and not stay the same
I'm ready to give all that I can give
I'm ready to die so that I might live
Lord here I am, I surrender all
Help me walk straight, help me not fall
Keep my eyes on the path, help me not stray
You are the life, the truth, and the way
I love you Lord, you're all that I need
You loved me so much You let your heart bleed
My past is forgotten, Your blood covers me
Thank you for being patient with me
Help me to always stay close to You
Help me be pure in all that I do
Help me to only speak what is right
Help me be salt, help me be light
I love you Lord, You know my heart
My mind's set on You and that's a good start

The Real Me

2007-08-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

You don't tell the truth. I know you have lied
your too blind to see the tears that I've cried
my relationship with God you don't understand
so you curse me and mock me as I hold your hand
I have nothing but love to give to you all
but instead you hurt me and make me feel small
All I want to do is share the real me
but you close your eyes. You choose not to see
You think you know me but you have no clue
there are strangers who know me better then you
what you don't understand is I've grown and I've changed
My God is not done but I've been rearranged
the things in my past I burried at the tree
but you keep digging them up. You won't let them be
you can't see the transformation that has taken place
instead you dwell in the past and throw it in my face
but God made beauty from ashes...why can't you see?
why can't you take time to know the real me?

The Secret Place

2007-07-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

(I wrote this on 11/18/96)

There is a room that I locked up tight so many years ago
It's a place that's in my heart. It's a place I do not show.
The pain that is inside is much to hard to bare
so I keep that door locked tight and I did not go there
When I was a child that room was built, the walls are very strong
They've stored the pain for many years, yes, it's been very long
It's a secret place where I don't go
So, I'd forgotten it was there
I didn't want anyone to know
I didn't think they'd care
One day while I was in church a preacher sang a song
A song about the secret place that I have had so long
and Jesus came and held my hand and said, We must begin"
"I will sweep away the pain if you will let me in"
So I agreed and He began to open up that door
I felt my heart start breaking like it had never broke before
The pain rushed out and was so intense it brought me to my knees
As a flood of tears ran down my cheek I felt a gentle breeze
That breeze then knocked that room down and swept it clean away
Now in it's place sits Jesus who fills it everyday

A Cry In The Dark

2007-07-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

(I wrote this during a time in my life when I was in a dark valley)

Alone in the dark, lost and afraid
regretting the past and mistakes that I've made
My heart's full of sorrow, my tears fall like rain
I'm dreading tomorrow. I can't stand the pain
I feel like I'm sinking deeper within
death has my hand and it's pulling me in
I feel like I've given all I can give
I'm asking why I should go on and live
I've been used and abused and so beaten down
The person I was just isn't around
I don't even know who I am anymore
I don't know what I should be living for
I know these are lies from the pit of hell
and I've lost God's vision for my life as well
Can you hear me oh Lord? Oh God rescue me!
Shine your light in my darkness so that I might see
Give me direction and hold my hand tight
Hold me and love me and please make it right
Help me be strong and not to give in
Forgive my mistakes, erase all my sin
Restore me to You, give me a new start
I'll never be lonely with You in my heart!

What I Choose

2007-07-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

Somewhere in the darkness I still can see the light
I feel I still have time to make this turn out right
This valley is a long one with many twists and turns
the flames consume my flesh. I still can feel the burns.
I must reach out by faith as my Lord extends His hand
I must rise after my fall. I know that I must stand.
I choose to be victorious. I choose to not give in.
I choose to let His cleansing blood wash away my sin.
I choose Jesus to be my Lord. I serve Him with all my heart.
So many hurts and pain to heal, but this is a good start!

The Truth

2007-07-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

God will always talk to us but we don't want to hear
Sometimes because of doubt, sometimes because of fear
Sometimes it is a simple thing that God wants us to do
like walk up to someone you know and say, "Jesus loves you"
Other times we just don't hear because we're doing other things
"Too busy, God, no time for that. No time to praise & sing.
No time to kneel and pray to You. No time to read your Word.
Fasting? Are You crazy? That is totally absurd!"
Sometimes we don't listen. We're afraid of what He'll say,
that He might reveal some sin and make us change our way.
Sometimes it's pure rebellion. We shut the door and lock it tight.
So Jesus comes a knocking but we shut out the light.
Then one day you need Him. Your life's beyond repair.
You open the door so quickly, you expect to find Him there.
You cry out, "Where are You God? What kind of friend are you?
Why aren't you here beside me now?" God says, "I am with you".
"I never left, you were the one who pushed Me far away.
You shut the door, you locked it tight, and hid the key away.
So many times I called to you but you didn't want to hear.
So many times I came to you, but you didn't want me near.
I sent my son to die for you and take away your sin,
but you never cared enough for Him to ever let Him in."
"And you wonder why your life's a mess and in need of repair?
You try to blame it all on me? Do you really think that's fair?"

*** This is God's Space ***