Back to school!....(almost)...

Hey everyone!
I kind of doubt that anyone is going to read this....BUT, I just wanted to say that I am excited about another year of good food and fellowship and spiritual growth!!!
Eric and I (now married! ;) have been blessed with a wonderful and very large apartment (for the two of us, that is), and would LOVE to host our Friday nights again for this coming year.
(of course, as always, if others would like to host, they are MOST welcome!!! just let everyone know when and where!)

I know that some of you are going to be coming back to Chi-town sooner than when classes start (aka...Cat...? ;) and some of you already ARE here, because we live in Chicago... So we plan on starting most likely the week of classes, unless there seems to be a general interest in getting together sooner. ;)

This summer has been so great! Hope it has been equally satisfying to the rest of you!
Blessings and Peace,
Beth

Who Knew????!!!!

Ok, guys. I know this doesn't really have anything to do with anything spiritual... but I just thought I would let you know that I was doing a little art research this morning and found out the truth.

Yes, friends, the infamous shiny BEAN downtown is really NOT called "The Bean." In all actuality, it was designed by an Indian Sculptor whose name is Anish Kapoor, who titled it, as it was being built, "Cloud Gate."

"What I wanted to do in Millennium Park is make something that would engage the Chicago skyline…so that one will see the clouds kind of floating in, with those very tall buildings reflected in the work. And then, since it is in the form of a gate, the participant, the viewer, will be able to enter into this very deep chamber that does, in a way, the same thing to one's reflection as the exterior of the piece is doing to the reflection of the city around."
-Anish Kapoor

So, correct yourself and your friends...because while our beloved bean has been so dubbed by the Chicago public, in the art world, it is NOT a bean. It's a gate. A cloud gate, in fact.
Needless to say, calling it "The Bean" is way cooler.
And that's all I have to say about that.

Help Lord....

"Help Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception." Ps 12:1-2

I haven't posted in a while but I just spent 45 minutes ranting to Amanda about how I really feel about christianity. The sad part is that in other christian circles I feel as though I might almost be excommunicated for speaking about such feelings, but thank God that is not the case with this community.

For some time now I have read over this verse and said, "yep, aint that the truth!" I would say it in my heart as though I was sitting from this throne looking down on society and thinking about how godless everything is. "Oh God come and save me from these unbelievers," I would cry. But for the first time tonight I have the conviction of this verse slammed upon my own heart. I have this terrifying image of standing at the gate of heaven, listing off all the things I "accomplished" for the kingdom and having God tell me, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers."(Mt. 7:22)

The truth is, I'm wondering right now what the heck we're doing. Am I really Godly? Am I really the one who would say that I would go to the ends of the earth to find God even if I were the only one left? Or am I just doing the right thing... checking off marks on the christianity check list and and making sure I uphold the classic American christian template? I'm just so burdened with this idea of getting to heaven and hearing God say, "I NEVER KNEW YOU." "But God... I lead youth groups and prayer meetings. I... I made a difference for your kingdom." "But I NEVER KNEW YOU," he might say.

What if in reading this verse from David, it's really me and my peers it's aimed at? What if we're the ones that aren't Godly and "lies to his neighbor." "How ya doing this fine sunday morning Jim?" "Oh great Brian... good to see ya!(insert church smile here)" Meanwhile, there's arguments with the wife, troubles with finances and no intamacy with Christ whatsoever, but dang it, he's there volunteering his time for the kingdom! Have you been there? I sure have! Why are we so afraid to talk about the real issues facing the church today and instead choose to focus on just getting everyone out to the next church event? Was the body of believers not intended to be a place of openess and encouragement in the first place?

Church never saved anyone... JESUS did! I so long for a heart like David's that had next to no interaction with a body of believers(since he was a shepherd and spent a vast majority of his time alone on the hillsides) but instead cultivated a hunger for Christ based on first hand encounter and a family who brought him up right. I'm just so tired of being bound by what the status quo says I ought to look like if I want to be a dedicated christian. And the silly part is that I buy into it. I don't know how to cope without being committed to a cause. I want to KNOW Christ... not meet all the requirements, play by the rules and look like super-christian!

Please pray for our youth at Radiant Church here in the springs. Pray that they would see leaders that ooze Jesus, not just leaders who want see healings just so they can tell everyone about it. Pray that they would not just see leaders who want make them feel good about themselves for giving to the newest outreach event. Pray that they would long to be alone with God as a bride longs to be alone with her groom. Pray that they would see Jesus... not religion, not social interaction.... JESUS!

Silence- where God gets to be your justifier

The past couple of weeks I have been learning what it means to be silent. Over the past several months I have been struggling with this particular male friend whose friendship I had to bring to an end. We went for several months without speaking and just a few weeks ago he contacted me again in an attempt to reestablish our relationship. After a series of e-mails I decided that I still could not be friends with him and when I chose and path he hoped I wouldn't he ended by saying some nasty things.

Anyway, the point being, I sat at my computer reading what he wrote and fuming, wanting nothing more than to refute everything he had said. I knew full well that he didn't believe the things he said but that he wanted to provoke me into continuing the conversation. I wanted to defend myself, to insist that he was wrong and put him in his place. I went to talk to Pastor Judy in hopes of gaining a little perspective and she gave me some very wise advice. She told me to remain silent because it is in silence that we do not have to justify ourselves. She said, "[solitude] is a place where we go, a place where we let go of our need to be validated by the world, where we let go of our need to justify ourselves to it." How freeing is that, to simply let God be your justifier?

It's our speech that gets us into trouble all the time. James tells us to control our tongues, something that I find so very difficult. However when I changed my perspective and started viewing it as using silence and solitude to let God justify if suddenly seemed easier. It's still a difficult thing and I occasionaly find myself wanting to go back and respond to that e-mail or to stand up and yell at this boy when I see him on campus, but I remember Judy's words and keep my big mouth shut.

And the results have been exactly what I have been looking for all along. Throughout our entire e-mail conversation I kept trying to end each e-mail in a way that would imply no response was necessary, but it never worked. Our words just kept coming and things kept escalating. But when I simply replied that I didn't care to carry on the discussion anymore and refused to try and justify myself, the e-mails stopped. Silence is a very powerful thing, my friends, and I think it's something we should all be attempting to use in a Godly way.

Encouragement from Chris

Hey everyone - I got a little behind in Chris DaVignon's monthly updates, and just read his March newsletter a couple minutes ago. I am posting it on here for you guys to read. What an encouragment and incredible testimony!!! If you have a chance, call or drop Chris a line sometime... he is still pressing on in San Jose, Costa Rica and would love to hear from all of us!


Reflections from my heart
Dear Sisters and Brothers
I am not a pastor , I am not a youth pastor , I don’t have a lot of bible training and I don’t know a lot about the world I live in and three years ago what I know about the world was limited as I had never left the borders of the United States. At the age of 18 I did not have a good relationship with my parents and well not many 18 year olds do so maybe my family was normal but, on the other hand my family fit into the normal American family my parents never got along and they separated when I was young and then a few years later made it final. Now at age 23 I look back on the past and in spite of all the crap of which some of it I was the cause can say that they did an ok job with me and I am thankful for that. My mother although she was not a big part of my life taught me one thing and that was how I did not want to live and how I did not want to bring up children. However, my father who I love dearly was my saver and he saved me from the abuse of my mother most of which was emotional. I am thankful that he was able to
see through her problems and save me from them in light of his own issues he was the dad that I think most kids dream of. Over the years the history of my family I have tried to forget and I have also tried to forgive my mother for all the things she did to me but, I just can’t seem to do that until this past summer.

As many of you know I worked in Mexico this summer on a church planting team and had the
opportunity to meet some awesome people and shear the love of Christ with a number of people through community development. One day droning the summer all the staff and all the interns where given the day of a day to rest and spend time with God droning that time I found pace with many of the issues from my past that had been on my heart and it was a good time of giving stuff to him. It may seem strange to some but, I am no stranger in the area of family issues as I have been through a number of them. It away it’s funny because when I asked God into my life back in 2000 at a Christ youth conference I thought life would get better because Jesus would fix it. It did not take long to find out not much changed but, something was different I just was to young in my faith to understand the complexity of what was to flow
over the next few years and for a number of years the dynamics of my family changed a number of times and many of the changes where healthy but, no one could have imaged that within a few short years life would hit me and my farther fast and we would find ourselves back in the old days when it was just me and him. However, this time was a little different with me looking at universities. Without God I don’t know where I would be today and without the love and support of my wonderful farther here on this awesome plaint which we call earth a lot of what happened would have never happened. I tell some people the stories of my past and they say that I would have fit into the group of at risk youth if that group was a groping when I was younger. There are times in our lives that our not always easy but over time we
learn what is right and what is wrong and somewhere along the line we learn what we can do about it.

Many people have taught me a number of things some good and some not so good but, overall we learn from doing as the most important things will never be found in a text book.
As members of a global community do we know what is going on around us?
In too many cases we can’t always see what is happing behind closed doors and what we see is
not always the truth. If we only see the world through the world that we know then what we can see is limited to only what we know and therefore we won’t be able to see anything that is outside what we know. As a child I had many people tell me that I would never go anywhere or become much of anything and that the disabilities that I had would prevent me from having a normal job and so on and so on…
As you can see I sucked at listing and I am thankful for reading tutors and other people who could see past what everyone around me was saying about me. I am not saying that everything has been easy as I have been down many bad roods but, over time I have learned to deal with what I have and I believe that God blessed me with a disability as I am able to understand a wonderful group of people who many will never get to know. Each of us has been given some kind of gift from God and this is what makes each of us a special member of the body. As each member has a job in the body and when a part of the body is broken it is the job of other member to help the hearting part.
“The work is plateful and the works are few”

In a country like the United States there is a church almost everywhere and people have access to God’s word and they also have access to learn about him and his wonderful gift of salvation. Over the past two year I have come to learn about the third world and lands where the name of Jesus is not know by many and if they know his name they don’t want anything to do with religion. At first I was confused way so many people did not want to hear anything about Jesus or God and over time I came to learn that people didn’t want anything to do with religion because in many case they had been hurt by the church or in some cases they where scared that there family would not be very happy with them if they said Christ was there Lord and Saver. After they learn about the love God has for them and his gift of salvation thy start to see that God has nothing to do with religion. There are a lot of good church’s out there but, I have
yet to find a church that sol focus is own living as a community and have Christ at the center.
We are not all called into full time ministry and we weren’t all created to sever our God and king
that way but, no matter what we do for a living we are in a small way severing our Lord and King.
If you’re a teacher your teaching the kids of today to be ready for tomorrow and if you’re a doctor yourdoing your part too and the list goes on and one. Ministry comes in many shapes and sizes and one size douse not fit all some of us work in our homeland and server in a verity of different ways and others go from there homeland and join up with locals to help them with their needs. I have meet a number of people who’s don’t understand missions and have little or no idea of what they need to do and as North Americans many of us have this “Fix it now” mentality which is as unhealthy as eating only fried food.
As missionaries we most ask a number of question before we try to help anyone and first off we most spend all of our time learning the history of the local people then as we are learning the history we must learn to speak the local language then over time as we get to know the local people and we gain an understand of who they are and what their needs are then and only then can we start to help them identify the needs of the area then ounces this has been accomplished then we can move into the next steps of working with the local people to utilize any local resources which might be able to help with the issues and needs that have been identify. At no time can we go into a community and tell the community what needs to changes and who they most changes as this method will not work and would you like someone coming from a unknown land coming into your community and telling you what you have been doing wrong for 100 plus years. I think not and over time as we work with the local people we teach them how
to teach others and as we are working with the locals on the needs of the community the opportunity to teach them about the Love of God and his gift of salvation will arise and then the teach moves to a new leave and in a short time the seeds we plaint well grow and then we move on and let locals teach locals.

I was online looking a few nights back looking for some information on the church and came
across a website for a church and my eye was drawn to this line “Youth Group membership at an all time low down 13.6 % from January 2007 but, Church membership up 20% this month as we have reach our goal of 2,000 plus.” This church has needs to take a good look at ask themselves where God is? Reading the line sounds like something I would see on the NY stock exchange website not on a website for a church. What happened to the church, what about the body of Christ? , what about living in community?
I am not trying to say that the church is a bad thing all I am saying is let us ask ourselves and see where God is and if he is not at the center then we need to check to see if we are rely working for him or have we become a part of the world that we are only visitors in?
This past week has been a time of rest and I am thankful for the time that I have been given to reflect on a number of things that over the past 8 months or so God has been teaching me. There are a number of question that need to be asked when it comes to ministry.
1. What are the needs of the local people according to the local people?
2. How can I/we help the local people come up with a plain to address their needs?
3. What recourse is available to that local community that can be used to address some or all
of the needs identified ?
4. How can we use this recourse?
5. What are two needs need to be address imminently?
6. What outside help is need to aid in addressing the needs of the community , what outside
aid do the local people think would be helpful
a. Job Training
b. Community development
c. Communication
7. What douse the community want to see happen over the next 6 months, 1 year , 2 years … ?
8. How is the community going to take ownership of their needs

It’s not easy being a member of the global community but, it is very important that we learn from each other to addresses each other’s needs. Some needs may seem obvious where other needs may be hidden from the view of the human eye. Needs such as conflict revaluation may not be as obvious as the need for access to clean water but, what every the needs of the community our it’s not our job to tell the community what their needs our it’s our job to help the local people see what their needs our and help them see what they can do to address their own needs. We are here to help each other , we are not send to another land to tell people what they our doing wrong for who are we to say what they’re doing in not wrong. It may not be how it is done in the states but, we have to remember that we are not in the states. I am reminded time and time again that God has been in a place for many years before I
even get there so it’s not my job to play God but, rather it’s my job to shear his love with the local people and he will do the rest.
As I move from place to place shearing the love of Jesus and his message of salvation with some of the youngest member of the kingdom and I add each place to where I am from as each place I live because a part of who I am, it douse not matter where I am or where I am going one thing will never change. I fit into the body of Christ and I fit among the member of the global church.
As I move from country to country I add it to where I am from as the people and their language becomes a part of who I am and my understand of the world changes as who I am changes. There are a lot of things I do not know and cannot answer but, I do know this I am a child of God and I am a member of a global community and I have a reasonability to work with my sisters and brothers in Christ to make the global community a better place.

How are you being part of the body of Christ as a member of a global community?
God’s already there before we arrive.
What have we let God do for us? What douse God want us to do? Where douse God want us to go?

Today I am studying Spanish in San Jose Costa Rica preparing to share the fathers love in the Spanish speaking world and to work with my Spanish speaking brothers and sisters make the world a better place. In the past year I have lived in Mexico and Costa Rica, I have also worked in a number of churches with inner-city youth and children as well as urban children and youth in Mexico. I have also been to three other countries on short term trips and have developed a view of the world that not many hold. I live in the third world and am a member of a global community. If you don’t agree with what I have to say I’m ok with that as what I am saying comes from my expenses from working on a global level. In addition I am struggling with a number of money issues and the money in my bank account keep going down and the bills don’t go away. I have been blessed up to this point and I have yet to be late on a payment so places pray that my money problems will not get out of hand. Also over the past few weeks I
have felt a need to stay in Central America maybe here in Costa Rica or to make a move to another part of the region. I have a number of ides I would like to try out and I would like to start experimenting with a few of them in La Carpio. My first idea which is not rely my idea but, comes from working in Mexico this past summer is a oven that uses the sun. They are cheap to make and they can save money as they use the sun and that’s free. For about 6-7 USD there also cheap to make. I have places to make them but, they have not gotten of the ground as of yet. Places pray for God to guide me as I work on trying to build on myself and convert the plans. Place pray that this solar over will become a ministry tool.

Blessings
Tu hermano
Chris

My poor dad - his aunt is not doing so well. She, my grandpa's sister, has had a series of mini strokes for about a month/month and a half now. She would fall down, but recover quickly and be just fine... doctors still don't really know what's happening, and she's losing will to move or find out what's wrong, from what I could tell in the email dad sent my family today.

This aunt was to him what Aunt Jo is for me - giving and caring for him all through life, lending him a car till he could afford one, and being very supportive and important in his life.

pray for my dad, I know he has a lot on his mind. 

For the Seniors...

For all of you Seniors who are about to tackle your Comprehensive exams.....
Just breathe and smile. It will be over soon.... :)

The classic cosmic romance

It's ok guys. You can laugh. Really. :)

I should post something....

so I will...

I haven't posted in a long time.

But that's ok, right? Because I am posting today! (yay)
Anyway, I just wanted to let all of you know that although I dont post all the time, I DO read this blog often...

So Eric and I are "apartment shopping" this week. We applied for a lease on one today, and are waiting to see what happens with that. Please pray that the Lord would guide us to the place he wants us to be in, as well as guide the Landlord ('s) in choosing us or not for their new tenants. We know and believe that anywhere the Lord places us to live this year is going to be our new mission field. Please pray with us as we begin this process...and also pray that the hearts of the current residents (wherever it is that we end up) would be open to the Lord's working and new life!

As the Lord showed me this summer in regards to my future and how he has proven himself again and again in our lives, I can say with confidence that the LORD is our Provider! And more than that, he is good and loving, and cares for our needs in more ways than we can even ask for or imagine. The Lord is good and faithful toward all he has made.

Peace and Joy.

group blogs only work when people blog on them! I want to know what are you learning! 

For me, a myriad of things, but a theme lately is this: 

the Lord has been good to me and my family. I will call on His name and give Him glory. I am learning to do things I don't want to do and reforming my attitude. Because the Lord has been good to me, surely I can give Him praise and ask what's His plans for me.

it's basic, yes, but true. And I realized while I was at Grandma's funeral yesterday that I want to have the same things said about me that were said about her. A gentle spirit, always accepting and loving, and truly loving the Lord and trusting Him for every need. My grandparents' lives have been blessings to so many people because the Lord has been their focus, their all. 

I thank the Lord for my family's heritage and their love for Him. He is good. 

So yeah, things have been getting a little confusing and difficult and everything is changing, but the Lord doesn't change. He is constant in my life, in our lives, and always loving us and taking care of us. I can trust the Lord. I want to make Him proud. 

friends,

to be very honest I am very stressed. At the risk of sounding cliche or melodramatic or what have you, everything in my life is changing. 

I'm preparing (poorly) to graduate, my younger brother is finishing high school and moving to college this summer, my older brother is getting married and will become a father in the fall, I'm meeting his fiance sometime this summer (possibly after they marry since they're no longer having a ceremony), I'm moving cross country. Add to that schoolwork, yearbook (on which I am behind), comprehensive exams (10-15 page paper), and the everyday stresses of meal planning and cleaning and sorting my junk to be ready to move... 

and now the news that my grandmother who had a stroke last year has caught pneumonia and is being moved to hospice care. She could die very soon, or in awhile... we just don't know. 

prayer would be nice. My mom's going to call me at 6 Friday night. I know that's during fellowship time, but I have wanted to talk to her for several weeks now and she's been really busy. 6 is the only time she has free. 

PCC Internship

My church back home (California) has this amazing summer internship for college students and they're still looking for applicants this summer. If any of you are interested or know someone who might be, pass this on!



http://www.peninsulacovenant.com

Study Buddy

I have to be honest that I'm really tired of school, Chicago (this weather has really gotten to me), and the uncertainty of the details in my future. It's hard to motivate myself to do anything, and I don't like that. My default mode to "do nothing" or "do something semi productive" isn't pleasing to the Lord. I know this well. 

So please, help me put my faith into action: will someone do homework with me tomorrow? Or just be in the same room as me while I do mine? My apartment, the library, the yearbook office, anywhere. I don't have any classes, and I don't want to sleep in til noon. 

Amani Baby Cottage

Dreams of Grace

The other night I had a dream. I was at the airport, going to Japan. 

I lost track of time. I looked at a clock, and it was six. Six? My flight left at six! I can't miss this flight! I have to get to Japan! I can't afford to miss this flight! 

So I start running, panicking. How could I have lost track of time like that?

I kept running through this strange airport that I didn't recognize. I didn't know where I was going. And then I saw another clock: it was only 5:40. I hadn't missed the flight, I was just late for boarding. Ohmigosh. 

I can still make it. 

Then I woke up. 

The next day, I had another dream. I was in a train station, browsing through one of the convenience stores for snacks for my flight to Japan. And then I realized that I had gotten sidetracked, and was supposed to have been at the airport already. Running. Running through a strange airport that I had never been to before, trying to find the airline I was supposed to check in with. 

Then I woke up.

I was thinking about the dreams today. It came to me pretty quickly, actually. They're about grace, even though I've developed senioritic tardiness. 

Example 1: Three weeks before spring break I was given an assignment due for the Wednesday after. I procrastinated because I really didn't want to do the assignment. Not even a bit. The week before break, I knew that I was in trouble - I still had the entire assignment to do, and it was a lot of work that required other people - people who would be gone for break. Two nights was not enough to get it done. 

Then Wednesday, the last night of class before break. My professor gave us an extension: a whole extra week. My butt was saved. Somehow I got motivated and finished a good chunk before break started, and got 75% of the total work done before the Wednesday after break (we did have to send in a rough draft instead). 

Example 2: There was another project that I had two weeks (including spring break) to do. I tried a little bit, but other stuff got in the way. I got tired of it, got frustrated with it, and didn't want to do it. It was due today, Thursday, at 6:30. Photoshop mockups for a design class. Well, you can't force creativity... but I honestly didn't try hard and I had a bad attitude. 

So today began and I took my sweet time in the morning, took a test, and continued to take my sweet time in the afternoon, until I started to do some sketches. I figured sketches would be something... 

And then I got an email from my prof saying that she cancelled class because too many people are leaving early for Easter. We could send her jpgs of our work before tomorrow. Hooray! And then I got motivated and got something kinda cool finished. Still needs a lot of work, but its a workable idea. 

All that to say, really... that I didn't deserve that grace. I deserved lowered grades and no chance for making up the work I slacked off on. I didn't deserve to have a second shot because I had had a horrible attitude. I didn't deserve the free time that I stole from my homework. 

The Lord reminded me in my dreams that He had given me grace, and that I should be humble. If you see me in the next few days, remind me that I have been given grace, and that I should not squander it. 

The Lord, He is good and His mercy endureth forever. 

I have been in a really really dry place lately. I have been here for longer than I would like. But just the other day, God and I had a little talk and it sparked some motivation to start getting out of this awful place. Tonight I came home from work, I sat down with my dinner and pulled out my Bible. In the past, anytime I have ever been in a dry place, the book I find myself always turning to is Psalms. And sure enough, here I sit with my Bible open to that same book. I opened it up to Psalm 55 and started to read through it and realized that what David was crying out is what my heart is crying out right now. Then I thought about how many times I have sunken to a place that I do not want to be, turned to the Psalms and repeated those prayers as my own. Yet still, time after time, I find myself still back in a terrible place where my heart is not right. I started to think about how I wish I had the heart of David, but am so far from it that I cannot even imagine what it would be like to be a woman after God's own heart. And then something occured to me, that David did not just cry out to God every now and then, he cried out to God from the days of his youth...ALL THE TIME. He prayed without ceasing and in that he began to know what it meant to be a man after God's own heart, to be a man that was so in love with God that he could not get enough. That, my friends, is what I lack the most. The time that I spend crying out to God, bearing my soul, praising him for everything is so sub par it is unbelievable. My desire is to be a woman after God's own heart. I want to be aching to know Him. I want to feel so empty and barren when an oppotunity to spend time with Him is passed by that I will not be able to do anything but fall to my knees and cry out to him.

Friends, my relationship with God has gotten to a place that is worse than it has ever been before. I have felt more weak and hopeless than ever before. But I leave you with the good news that I am on my way to restoration, restoration of my heart and of my soul...of my whole life.

I love you all, thank you for being such wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ.

-Amanda Newton

Update on Doctor's Visit

Turns out there is no 'test' for PCOS because they have really no idea what it's caused by. Instead, they told me I've gotta change my diet/ exercise and they've given me birth control to force my body to ovulate. Apparently, because I'm not ovulating, I'm at a higher risk for uterine (uterus) cancer and diabetes/high blood pressure. 

My main concern is the birth control, I've heard good things and bad things, and I'm really hoping for the good things. But, I react fairly well to medication, so that's a plus. 

hi guys,

tomorrow i go to see the doctor about pcos, and if you guys could pray that i dont have to do more tests than what i have to do tomorrow, that'd be great. 

i really just want to do this once, and find out quickly.

Words On Grace, or the Lack Thereof

I've re-written this post at least 5 or 6 times, because I don't want to say phrases that are tired and allegories that are overused. So I won't.

This song reminds me of how much I don't get grace.

---

To Be Alone with You- Sufjan Stevens

I'd swim across lake Michigan

I'd sell my shoes

I'd give my body to be back again

in the rest of the room

To be alone with you

To be alone with you

To be alone with you

To be alone with you

You gave your body to the lonely

They took your clothes

You gave up a wife and a family

You gave your ghost

To be alone with me

To be alone with me

To be alone with me

To be alone with me

You wen upon the tree

To be alone with me, you went upon the tree.

I've never known a man who loves me.

Please pray...

Hey guys.
So this trip for us has already been filled with tension and some unexpected turns...and we haven't even left yet. Please keep us in your prayers this week - especially as we get started. We will be leaving at around 3 AM this morning since Eric's brother Brian is coming to pick us up from Nebraska. Pray that this will be a refreshing time for all of us and that we will be safe on the road.
I love you guys! Thanks for being our family here.

I need to ask you guys for continued prayer for Uganda. I talked to my mom today to tell her a little bit more about my plans for the trip and the rest of the summer and she once again has decided we need to talk more about... which was her basically saying I can't go unless I find a group to go with. As logical as her argument may sound, I need to do this alone. I need to own this trip as my own and be confident that God is going to provide for me. Continue to pray for a change in her heart as I will be home this week and I'm sure this will be a topic for much tension.

Allison's comments...Post Script

So, just want to clarify that tonight is the first time I have published anything on the blog, for those of you who were confused by my previous comment. I have enjoyed everyone's postings...especially Beth's Eagle picture.
love you all--

allison

Allison's comments...

Finally! Lisa saved me from my blogging ignorance, and I have been released to publish on my own accord ( I was listed under Peter for some weird reason). I actually have my own blog...just could not figure out for the life of me how to use this one! sheesh!

I have been struggling with a bad attitude the past couple of days. It must be a pretty penetrating bad attitude, because it is coloring my dreams and impacting the way I think about class work and the purpose of being in college. It has been hard to pray, and I feel a greater pull toward the world and its pleasures. So I have been listening to hymns, reflecting on the lyrics, being reminded that there is a world beyond our own, or as Marcus says, alongside our own, that is filled with spiritual significance. As I was listening to "As I survey the Wondrous Cross" tonight, I was filled with appreciation for a Christ who resonates beyond my perceived reality and "does battle" with the principalities and powers FOR ME. Our Christ is Life. Our Christ feeds us and animates us and encourages us in our weaknesses, even as HE DOES BATTLE FOR US against the spiritual forces that try to take our joy and beat us to the ground, even attack our basic belief in the Power of the Cross.

As a sociology major, I am constantly confronted with the ideas (some very valid) that "man makes society, man makes religion, man makes god." It is easy to justify the "man makes religion" part, because it is true to a very great extent...but it becomes easier to say, then, that we have created "god" as well. Oh Lord Jesus...please deliver me from forgetting the Reality of the Cross, the Reality of the Spirit, the Reality of the Eternal Grace and Eternal Salvation you have created us to enjoy...beginning now. Thank you for Your Blood; thank you for your Resurrection Life that we have the honor to partake in TODAY! Lord you are Good! Lord, we Love You!

Please pray for me...
and thank you to those who have.

Be encouraged. Christ is Life.

allison

Im not peter anymore

I think I can actually post on this thing now...
I'm not Peter anymore, though I must admit, it was really interesting being, you know, him.
hehe.
getting serious...
pray that my brains don't fall out.
hours of work, no time awake.
love
al

A quote to probe your thinking

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." - Gil Bailie

John Eldridge shared this in "Wild at Heart" and I have no idea when/where Mr. Bailie, a catholic layman/author/lecturer, stated this, but I feel like it is fitting for the notion of championing each other on in our dreams and visions. I doubt that one's foremost dreams are full of dull and trite ambitions. As Christians, Christ should be the one that makes us come alive (does "Christ is life!!" echo with anyone?) and by way of our vibrant relationship with him can we understand what it is that empowers, energizes, and ultimately enables us to follow our dreams and visions.

Also, Eric and I shared an interest today in a pre-spring break get-together/dessert/prayer on Thursday Night 8:30ish ---- any takers?

Blessing

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,

who walk in his ways.

You will eat the fruit of your labor;

blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;

your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.

Thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord.

May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life;

may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem,

and may you live to see your children's children.

Peace be upon Israel.

Psalm 128

Fear the Lord, and may you be blessed today as you seek to bless and serve others!

Multi-faceted worship

Last Friday I had the oppurtunity to finally attend theMILL (New Life Church's college ministry here in the springs). I had been looking forward to it for some quite time as it had been weeks since I had actually had the chance to attend. One thing theMILL is known for is absolutely amazing worship times. Indeed it was no disappointment. "Small" and "intimate" are not words that describe worship times at theMILL. Rather, words like "rowdy" and "powerful" more appropriately characterize it.

I love how worship has many different dimensions to it.

Worship is indeed a gateway to taking us into the presence of God. No doubt there are days where my God time simply doesn't get started without sung worship streaming through my headphones.

Others, worship is a true manifestation of where our walk with Christ is on that given day... things he's shown us and us echoing back to Him the love He's poured on us. These are the days where it feels as though we simply can't contain the love that God has given us and we absolutely have to sit at His throne and worship, less we will explode. These days are especially great and I'm quite confident God is especially keen of us capitolizing on these days with song and dance.

But there's one element that I think is mis-interpreted quite frequently in the church and that is the idea that we are putting on a concert for God everytime we gather for worship. I don't think it's any secret that God loves music. Nearly every instance where heaven is mentioned in the bible a mentioning of trumpets and music follows shortly thereafter. Or how about David? The guy after God's own heart!... obsessed with song and dance for the Lord. He even devoted vast amounts of Israel's resources to having people that played music 24 hours a day in his tabernacle. So if it's no secret as to how much God loves music, why are we so hesitant to put song and dance on the top of our list of things to do really well? I for one want God to look down on our times worship and be captivated by the show we're putting on. That means giving all we have whether it be resources, time or just a completely devoted heart.

If you talk to any performing musician they will tell you that they feed off of the crowd. The better the crowd is into it, the better the artist is into it. We as worshippers have the most committed crown of all time: The God of the Ages! The crowd is waiting, and He wants the greatest encore ever! Let's give it to Him.

Thoughts

I am not a person particularly drawn to the "Native American" type paintings. But I was looking online for images that I needed for an art class, and I came across this one. I know that not all of you are artists or drawn to the visual arts, but if you can, appreciate this with me for a moment. I think that the first thing that catches my eye in this image is the sheer vibrancy and almost translucency of the colors in it. And everything is taking flight and soaring...the mountains are reaching and sloped towards the heavens, the eagle is soaring on the wind, and everything seems centered around the sun.

Poor explaination for such a profound image. But close your eyes and imagine for several seconds that you are this human...and everything in this painting is what you are experiencing...and you will find yourself surrounded not just by the awesome beauty of nature, but the powerful and overwhelming presence of God!

I think I understand why David focuses so much in the Psalms on nature praising the Lord and bringing glory to him. Isn't it amazing that the Lord created literally EVERYTHING to bring him praise and glory?! And the coolest thing about it is that our experience of those things can actually be a form of worship to our Lord!
I am in complete awe of who the Lord is as I stand on this rock surrounded with the power of his presence and might!

hmmm....

This is the waterfall that never falls....or does it?
Kudos to M.C. Escher!

The LORD has been poking my heart with the idea of generosity. What does giving look like in my life, especially when my eyes don't see much to give? How do I begin to trust the LORD with the resources He has given me and give up my selfish desires, yet balance my own needs (or what I perceive to be needs)?

I'll share with you one of the things I've always pictured for my life when we meet on Friday. But I wanted you to know I was thinking about generosity. 

Please pray for Uganda... things are moving slowly and I'm getting anxious because this is not something that I want to have to rush at the end. And pray for softness of heart for my mom. She was attempting to be supportive until I came to her for her final consent (needed by the place I'm going... which is ridiculous because I'm 21!). Now she holds the power in her hands and is taking her sweet time to research things before she goes to fax in her consent. My heart desire to go to this place so bad, and it has for over a year now. I'm afraid that my mom will scare me out of going like she always does. She hates for me to go so far away and the thought of me not being home for the summer. I need you to pray protection over me and courage to not turn back because of discouragement.

Email list

Ok, here's the deal on email notifications:

Blogger only gives one spot for an email address to update in the settings section, and I know of at least two people who want email updates. The way to get around that is to create a Google groups thing, where an email address is created that people "join". Everyone in the group receives the email when someone (or something) emails the address.

So if you want email updates, you get to join another group! :) I sent invites to Alli and Amanda already, just let me know if you want to get in on the email notifications.

E-Mail

Hey guys I just wanted to let you guys know how much I appreciate the fellowship that we had while Brendon and I were there. You all welcomed us there as if we had been around all along and I love that feeling. I am excited about this blog and the fact that we get to be a part of it from Colorado, I know that it will be a great encouragement to all of us.

I was also wondering if Lisa could perhaps set it up so that we each get an e-mail when someone posts on here so that we know to check it. I've never used a blog before so I'm not in the habit of thinking to check it...so an e-mail reminder would be wonderful.

Thanks a bunch guys, you are all amazing!

-Amanda Newton

O yeah....

Sweeeeet!!!!!!!! I can even upload pictures!!! heh heh... more to come, friends.....

Feel the power today.... and smile!! ;)

Proverbs 28, February 28 and justice.

Good morning friends.
I read this verse this morning and wanted to share it with you all. Bear with me, even though this whole post is not very well articulated....just something I am thinking through right now.

"Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully."
Proverbs 28:5

Read within context, this verse is within a chapter that talks unceasingly about caring for the poor, not oppressing them, and fearing the Lord - being faithful to trust in the Lord's financial provision and care.
When I read this verse, I get this beautiful picture in my mind of a person being enlightened by the Lord... it is almost as if I, for instance, climb inside the Lord's heart and begin to feel my own heart beat in union with his. His thoughts become mine, his heartbeat becomes my own, and his feelings towards his people blossom within me, changing my view of the world around me completely 100%.
Although issues of justice can be seen in many different lights, and all in different contexts, in this case, I simply see a person who knows the Lord's heart and understands exactly what He feels for his people. Especially the people that are suffering, being oppressed, or not receiving the justice that they deserve. Maybe this justice is simply having food to eat that day. Don't all human being born into this world have a right to eat and keep themselves alive?

It's as if, when we ask the Lord for his heart in these matters of poverty and justice, he replaces the glasses covering our eyes with his heart, and all of the sudden, we can see and fully understand. We may not ever know why something like poverty and suffering is allowed to exist in the first place, but we will know the height, width, and depth of Christ's love for his people. We will know his heart for justice, and his compassion that he has for the poor and hurting.
But be careful what you ask for. Once you see, you wont be able to justify living without doing something about it. And this is what the Lord wants from us! He wants a compassionate church, a loving Bride, a family that makes sure that justice happens!

I will end this post with verse 14 of this chapter...
"Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble."

Fear the Lord, you his Saints!!!! Seek his heart, pursue justice, and love... love until your hearts burn and break with compassion towards His people...

Hi guys!
I finally figured out how to post to this blog!

Tuesday

I didn't really know where to start, but if you can dispel any unsavory childhood memories of a loud and unruly chorus of over-zealous, rhythmically-unified, scripture-reciting machine 4th graders at your local Pioneer Clubs or AWANA meetings, then perhaps you'll find in yourselves a renewed appreciation for this passage.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

[Proverbs 3:5-8]

Well, that was the setting that came to my mind when I re-read this passage today.

I've been more sensitive to the notion of fearing God lately; that's mainly because I haven't been fearing him. I tend to believe in [and often become the subject of] God's sense of humor in that I find a certain comfort/comical element in humility. It's hard to initially laugh at my faultiness, but I do eventually come to a point where I'm grateful for that which the LORD has been teaching me and can only look back and laugh at my foolishness/folly of thinking I had my life all put together. So I ask, what does it mean to "fear the Lord?" That's a tough question. The soundest insight I may have right now is to be settled with not knowing, but trusting, that which the Lord would have for you. Sometimes people see me as a wise individual and come to me, confide in me, and seek advice and answers. I let that get to my head more often than not, and sometimes neglect the fact that all wisdom is God-given...this would be being "wise in my own eyes." By priding myself on maturity/wisdom, I prouded myself on relationships I've formed and the role which I have in some people's lives.

That was errant of me. On Sunday a fear of the Lord overcame me to a point where I sought to make signficant changes in my mindset, fasting from situations and people in whom I would compromise the shift and to instead seek the Lord where he is to be found and to call on him while he is near. I don't necessarily know what this'll look like; I'm still trying to grasp the "realness" of it all. Humility always gets me, but when broken or brought so low, the Lord works and encompasses us in his abundant grace and mercy. As Eric shared earlier, we have a calling, as Christ's body, to encourage one another and build each other up, championing each other to lives of significance [sorry to utilize a lame North Park Cliche], but more imporantly the establishment of the Kingdom. Humility, I believe, is a key aspect to genuine community. Through the fear of the Lord and an intentional embrace of humility, the health of the body will only strengthen and become so strong that evil cannot penetrate it. The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom. [Proverbs 1:7]

So, have some thoughts today, as vague and disconnected as they may be. And be blessed, brothers and sisters, I've been most blessed by your genuine community of late.

Peter

I'm Bringing Someone New Too!

I've asked my very good friend Beth Ritchie to come and join us on Friday nights. She's been very important to me this year, and so has our community, and I think we'd both be blessed by bringing the two of them together.

love Love 

-Cat. 

Hello dear friends!
We may be having a new person joining us in a couple weeks. I invited Chris Welander to come on Fridays and he seemed very excited to get to spend time in some quality community. So, if any of you know him let him know you're excited he's going to join us!

Be blessed

Championing one another

I had a good conversation with Brendon last night about the purpose of the body and I want to relay some of that to you guys. Brendon shared with me what Omega (the small group they are a part of in the springs was about and it triggered a really good conversation about carrying one another’s dreams and visions. I know this has been a struggle for me as we have sought a church. A couple scriptures before I say more:

Hebrews 10:24 says:
24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Philippians 2:1 and 2 says:
1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

So these two passages both talk about unity in the body. Often we interpret them to mean we need to share a common vision and dream. In reality though we need to be championing each others dreams, weather they are the same as ours or not. Brendon and Amanda have a heart for ministering to the ski communities in Colorado/Utah area. None of us here have that same heart right now. So does that mean we can’t make joy complete because we aren’t like-minded? No, no and no! Quite to the contrary we left Brendon and Amanda up and praise the Lord that they have a vision for something we don’t! Our response to them is (should be) “praise the Lord that he has given you a desire to serve him in this way!” Our response too often is to take a minimal interest in dreams and visions that are not our own. We fail to lift them up and spur one another on towards love and good deeds. Our whole purpose of meeting is wrapped around this one thing. Our spirit and purpose is not to minister in Colorado, or Bolivia, or Costa Rica, it’s not to save babies in the jungle or build house in Mexico or start a fortune 500 company in Chicago. It is to expand the kingdom. If you can honestly say that what you are doing is with that intent then the church is to cheer you on in that. To champion you in a way that prepares you to fulfill that calling.

So, you have an assignment for this week. I think anybody should be allowed to give assignments here, anything you want to do at the next meeting that people need to prepare for, put it up on this blog. My assignment is this. Begin to pray earnestly about what your calling is and what you want to be championed and spurred on in. Next time we meet we are going to share those callings, those dreams and visions, and encourage one another to them.
Discuss below.

Blessings family,
-Eric

My 21st.....

Hey everyone!
I just wanted to say THANK YOU for the fun time last night celebrating my 21st!!!! You guys are awesome! It's always hard for me to be away from my family on my birthday and this year was so special in that I really feel like I have family here now as well. Thank you again so much. (sorry for breaking your banks.....:}
Enjoy the Lord today as we all celebrate in his goodness and life! Praise his name that we are all alive and well and that the Spirit of the Lord lives within us!!!!

Peace and Joy

Cheesy First Post

Welcome to our new mode of sharing with each other!

All this takes is a gmail account. When you're in gmail, go to the "more" menu, hit "blogger" and create a blogger account with your gmail sign in. Easy. And then we can start adding you to the posting list for this blog, and we'll go from there!

Edited to add: apparently you don't have to have gmail (excuse: it was 2 am). 

May the Lord bless you and bring you peace.