It's not often that God is referred to as a hiding place. He is known as a Rock, Savior, Redeemer, Lover, etc. However, He is also a refuge in times of trouble. There are days when I want to curl up under a rock and hide away from the world. There are times when the things of this world are too much for me. I am overwhelmed by the sin, by the sadness, by the poverty, by the despair, by the utter sense of hopelessness that most people are living with. I just want to run away and cry. However, when these days come, God is always there. He is my hiding place. He is the only one that I can turn to. When I am afraid, I will trust in Him. Selah's song "Hiding Place" is what I am basing this from. It's is a beautiful song with an amazing message.
Just when we think that we can't take another step, just when we want to die and end the pain we feel, God is there. We can fall into His arms and know without a shadow of a doubt that our God will never let anything harm us. We can stay in His presence knowing that He has conquered this world. When the things of life get us down, we need to remember Who wins in the end. Evil will one day be cast out of this world.
Oh Lord, I thank You for being my hiding place! I would be absolutely lost without You! Help me to stay grounded in Your Word and Your principles. Guide and direct Christians all over the globe. Give us a fire for the lost and a passion for Christ. Let Your perfect love overwhelm this lost and dying world!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
My life during summer vacation
Okay, so I realize that I haven't updated in quite a while, so I figured that I might as well let everyone know what has been going on lately. I finished my junior year of high school on June 5 and have been happily living homework free since.
I ordered quite a few books at the beginning of the summer, and so far, I am almost finished with them already. First off, I love Ted Dekker's books. He is a great writer, and he really keeps your attention. With that said, the books I ordered were Kiss, BoneMan's Daughters, Lunatic (Lost book #5) and Elyon (Lost book #6) all by Ted Dekker. I also ordered The Shack because I had heard that was a good book. I have already read Kiss, Lunatic, Elyon and I just finished BoneMan's Daughters an hour ago. They were all really good books. If you haven't read Ted Dekker, you really should.
Those were the fun books that I ordered. Now on to the required stuff. For those who aren't aware, my English teacher decided that this year would be a good year to start some required reading over the summer. I just love how it coincides with my last summer of high school. Haha, actually, I am looking forward to this reading, though that feeling probably won't last very long. The books that I am required to read are: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Lord of the Flies by William Golding and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitzen. Yeah, some pretty good books... I haven't started yet. I am kind of putting it off until after I finish my fun books. Besides, my sister had started to read Heart of Darkness and she said it was terribly boring. Fun, fun.
Reading hasn't been the only thing taking up my time this summer. I have had VBS from 9-11 so far this week, and I have been working Thursdays and Saturdays. However, a big part of my summer... and I am almost (almost) ashamed to say has been my Xbox 360. Along with books, I bought Halo and Halo 2 to go along with Halo 3 and Halo Wars. Needless to say, I like Halo. That was pretty much the only reason why I bought the 360, and let me tell you, I have not regretted it at all. I have already beaten Halo and Halo 2... again. And I am working on beating Halo 3... again, though this time on the Normal difficulty (which is still pretty stinkin' hard!) Okay, I'll leave it at this because I know that none of you are interested.
One last thing that I have done everyday this summer is running. I have been eating a lot of junk food this year, and I am determined to work it off and return to my former self. Also, I need to get in shape for my last year of soccer in high school! That is exciting and sad at the same time. It would be great if we made it to the tournament this year.
Anyway, that is pretty much my life so far. I will try to stay updated, but who knows... I might be busy... playing Halo... or something cool like that.
I ordered quite a few books at the beginning of the summer, and so far, I am almost finished with them already. First off, I love Ted Dekker's books. He is a great writer, and he really keeps your attention. With that said, the books I ordered were Kiss, BoneMan's Daughters, Lunatic (Lost book #5) and Elyon (Lost book #6) all by Ted Dekker. I also ordered The Shack because I had heard that was a good book. I have already read Kiss, Lunatic, Elyon and I just finished BoneMan's Daughters an hour ago. They were all really good books. If you haven't read Ted Dekker, you really should.
Those were the fun books that I ordered. Now on to the required stuff. For those who aren't aware, my English teacher decided that this year would be a good year to start some required reading over the summer. I just love how it coincides with my last summer of high school. Haha, actually, I am looking forward to this reading, though that feeling probably won't last very long. The books that I am required to read are: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Lord of the Flies by William Golding and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitzen. Yeah, some pretty good books... I haven't started yet. I am kind of putting it off until after I finish my fun books. Besides, my sister had started to read Heart of Darkness and she said it was terribly boring. Fun, fun.
Reading hasn't been the only thing taking up my time this summer. I have had VBS from 9-11 so far this week, and I have been working Thursdays and Saturdays. However, a big part of my summer... and I am almost (almost) ashamed to say has been my Xbox 360. Along with books, I bought Halo and Halo 2 to go along with Halo 3 and Halo Wars. Needless to say, I like Halo. That was pretty much the only reason why I bought the 360, and let me tell you, I have not regretted it at all. I have already beaten Halo and Halo 2... again. And I am working on beating Halo 3... again, though this time on the Normal difficulty (which is still pretty stinkin' hard!) Okay, I'll leave it at this because I know that none of you are interested.
One last thing that I have done everyday this summer is running. I have been eating a lot of junk food this year, and I am determined to work it off and return to my former self. Also, I need to get in shape for my last year of soccer in high school! That is exciting and sad at the same time. It would be great if we made it to the tournament this year.
Anyway, that is pretty much my life so far. I will try to stay updated, but who knows... I might be busy... playing Halo... or something cool like that.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Living in an unraveling world
Right now I am listening to random Christian songs, and at the moment "Still The Cross" by FFH is playing. It is such a powerful song when you really listen to the lyrics. Basically it says that no matter what happens in this world, the cross will still stand as a tower of hope over us. It will always remind us that we are not alone in our troubles. Jesus paid our debt and because of His selfless sacrifice we will be able to leave this unraveling world and enter into the perfect peace in Heaven with Him. It is so comforting to me. There have been days recently when I just can't see myself going on living in this world. There is hardly any good news anymore. However, a beacon of Light shines on me, and it fills my heart with encouragement and comfort.
Now "You Were There" also by FFH is playing. This is one of my all time favorite songs. If you haven't heard it before, stop reading this and go listen to it. It is an amazing song with an even more amazing message. When you stop to think about it, God has always been there for everything. He was there in the garden of Eden, His heart broken because He knew what Adam and Eve had done and how it would shape the world. He was there when Abraham stood poised over his son, ready to kill him in an instant. He was with David when he faced the impossible - a giant threatening his land. He was right next to Daniel in the lions' den, whispering words of comfort in his ear. He was there when Israel turned to idols. He was there when they repented and cried out to Him - though He knew it wouldn't last. He was there that night when His perfect Son, who had taken the body of a man, was hanging on the cross, unrecognizable. He turned His back on His Son. Such a heartwrenching pain filled Him. It is a pain unknown to man. It is a pain that would kill us. He is there with us... in the corners of the classroom talking about unnecessary stuff. He is there when we are gossiping about a "friend." He is there when that word slips out of our mouths, and we only laugh about it. He is there when we are crying our eyes out. He is there when our heart is so filled with pain that we feel like exploding. He is there to hold our hands and dry our tears even when we don't acknowledge His presence. He is with us at every moment of our existence. There is nothing that we can do to escape Him.
Here are some other songs that I have listened to, and I really believe you should listen to them to. They are amazing.
"Uncommon" by Greg Long and Kristy Starling
"Feels Like Redemption" by Michael English
"On My Cross" by FFH
"Your Grace Still Amazes Me" by Philips, Craig and Dean
"When God Ran" by Philips, Craig and Dean
"In Not Of" by Avalon
"Healing Rain" by Michael W. Smith
"I Can Only Imagine" by Mercyme
"From the Inside Out" by Hillsong
"He Reigns" by Newsboys
"Only Grace" by Matthew West
If you would like more, let me know. I know of tons more. =)
Now "You Were There" also by FFH is playing. This is one of my all time favorite songs. If you haven't heard it before, stop reading this and go listen to it. It is an amazing song with an even more amazing message. When you stop to think about it, God has always been there for everything. He was there in the garden of Eden, His heart broken because He knew what Adam and Eve had done and how it would shape the world. He was there when Abraham stood poised over his son, ready to kill him in an instant. He was with David when he faced the impossible - a giant threatening his land. He was right next to Daniel in the lions' den, whispering words of comfort in his ear. He was there when Israel turned to idols. He was there when they repented and cried out to Him - though He knew it wouldn't last. He was there that night when His perfect Son, who had taken the body of a man, was hanging on the cross, unrecognizable. He turned His back on His Son. Such a heartwrenching pain filled Him. It is a pain unknown to man. It is a pain that would kill us. He is there with us... in the corners of the classroom talking about unnecessary stuff. He is there when we are gossiping about a "friend." He is there when that word slips out of our mouths, and we only laugh about it. He is there when we are crying our eyes out. He is there when our heart is so filled with pain that we feel like exploding. He is there to hold our hands and dry our tears even when we don't acknowledge His presence. He is with us at every moment of our existence. There is nothing that we can do to escape Him.
Here are some other songs that I have listened to, and I really believe you should listen to them to. They are amazing.
"Uncommon" by Greg Long and Kristy Starling
"Feels Like Redemption" by Michael English
"On My Cross" by FFH
"Your Grace Still Amazes Me" by Philips, Craig and Dean
"When God Ran" by Philips, Craig and Dean
"In Not Of" by Avalon
"Healing Rain" by Michael W. Smith
"I Can Only Imagine" by Mercyme
"From the Inside Out" by Hillsong
"He Reigns" by Newsboys
"Only Grace" by Matthew West
If you would like more, let me know. I know of tons more. =)
Friday, April 17, 2009
An "in computer class" post
Today is such a beautiful day. It is supposed to get up into the 70s which is long overdue. However, I have to work, and so I will be inside pretty much all day. It seems like I always work on the gorgeous days. Oh well, I just have to keep telling myself that I am lucky to even have a job.
This isn't going to be long because I seriously have no idea what to write. Lately I have been l been listening to a few songs that are really inspiring to me. For example, one song is "Feels Like Redemption" by Michael English. Also, some other awesome songs are "Your Grace Still Amazes Me" by Philips, Craig and Dean and "Uncommon" by Greg Long and Kristy Starling. If you have the chance to listen to them, you definitely should because they are awesome.
Well, I am out of things to talk about... so yeah, this is it.
This isn't going to be long because I seriously have no idea what to write. Lately I have been l been listening to a few songs that are really inspiring to me. For example, one song is "Feels Like Redemption" by Michael English. Also, some other awesome songs are "Your Grace Still Amazes Me" by Philips, Craig and Dean and "Uncommon" by Greg Long and Kristy Starling. If you have the chance to listen to them, you definitely should because they are awesome.
Well, I am out of things to talk about... so yeah, this is it.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
More rambling
Well, Easter is over, and I have to go back to school tomorrow - something that I am not looking forward to. My break has been pretty great, though, so I really can't complain. My sister was home for a little over a week, and we spent most of the time watching CSI episodes. We are almost caught up... only about a season or two left, and judging by the way she has been watching them, we will be caught up within a matter of months. Yeah, I know, we have no lives.
Lately I've found myself to be completely surprised by God. He keeps showing Himself to me in ways that I would have never expected. Sometimes it's through a song that I hear on FLN, sometimes it's something that Pastor Doug says in church, and sometimes it is something that I read in my devotions. I find that I am taken back by His power every single time. It's funny because sometimes I get this feeling that I have God all figured out. I have to laugh at myself because that notion is absurd. We can't figure out God. Not at all. He's too great for our minds to comprehend.
Sometimes I feel myself becoming overwhelmed with prayer. There are so many people that I try to pray for, and most of the time I forget them. Other times I feel like the people I am praying for are lost causes. It's very frustrating and disappointing when you pray for someone who doesn't care or someone who only seems to sink further into their sin. It's extremely hard to keep on praying for them. But God works in mysterious ways. He knows what is going to happen even before you start praying about it, so that is definitely an encouragement.
Haha, I don't really know why I am posting all this. I am sort of in a comtemplative mood, I guess. Well, enough with the deep stuff. I am just ready for it to be summer. I am sick of school, and I am looking forward to being a senior. However, that prospect scares me. I've always known that it was coming, and I have seen many friends graduate from high school and college, but it's never hit me that that will be me. I can't grasp the concept of me graduating. I mean, high school is all I've ever known, and college is a terrifying thought. However, after spending some time with April at Grove City, some of my fears have been calmed. College is actually a lot of fun (and I am not talking about partying... I don't see why people enjoy that). I am looking forward to it more now, but I don't know how long that is going to last seeing as how I am looking at close to 8 years there...
Here I go on rambling again. I guess this means that I should stop, haha. Besides, I have to leave for my piano lesson in 10 minutes.
Until next time...
Lately I've found myself to be completely surprised by God. He keeps showing Himself to me in ways that I would have never expected. Sometimes it's through a song that I hear on FLN, sometimes it's something that Pastor Doug says in church, and sometimes it is something that I read in my devotions. I find that I am taken back by His power every single time. It's funny because sometimes I get this feeling that I have God all figured out. I have to laugh at myself because that notion is absurd. We can't figure out God. Not at all. He's too great for our minds to comprehend.
Sometimes I feel myself becoming overwhelmed with prayer. There are so many people that I try to pray for, and most of the time I forget them. Other times I feel like the people I am praying for are lost causes. It's very frustrating and disappointing when you pray for someone who doesn't care or someone who only seems to sink further into their sin. It's extremely hard to keep on praying for them. But God works in mysterious ways. He knows what is going to happen even before you start praying about it, so that is definitely an encouragement.
Haha, I don't really know why I am posting all this. I am sort of in a comtemplative mood, I guess. Well, enough with the deep stuff. I am just ready for it to be summer. I am sick of school, and I am looking forward to being a senior. However, that prospect scares me. I've always known that it was coming, and I have seen many friends graduate from high school and college, but it's never hit me that that will be me. I can't grasp the concept of me graduating. I mean, high school is all I've ever known, and college is a terrifying thought. However, after spending some time with April at Grove City, some of my fears have been calmed. College is actually a lot of fun (and I am not talking about partying... I don't see why people enjoy that). I am looking forward to it more now, but I don't know how long that is going to last seeing as how I am looking at close to 8 years there...
Here I go on rambling again. I guess this means that I should stop, haha. Besides, I have to leave for my piano lesson in 10 minutes.
Until next time...
Monday, April 6, 2009
Random update
Well, I haven't written in a while, so I thought that I would write a little update. My life has been going pretty normally, although this weekend I had to work quite a bit. I worked 8-3 on Saturday (which feels like the longest shift EVER) and 11-5 on Sunday. I was really upset because I wasn't supposed to work this Sunday, but something came up and I ended up working. I haven't been to church in over a month, and I didn't realize how much I would miss it. However, I am NOT going to work this Sunday. No power on earth could make me work another Sunday, especially Easter Sunday. Okay, so maybe a nuclear threat to the United States, Canada and Brazil could, but when that happens, I will be open to discussion.
Anyway, we had the Benefit Banquet at school on Friday night. I was a server at my parents table, which was fun. The food looked so amazing, and I wasn't allowed to eat any of it. The whole high school ended up singing three songs, which was a lot of fun. I especially liked "The Sound of the Round" song. It's pretty much awesome to sing. The only bad part was that we were so confused when we walked up on stage, everyone was chaotic pretty much. But we got through it and sounded good (I thought).
I am excited for this week because we only have Geometry once this week. Plus, we are going to see a Shakespeare play tomorrow so no classes, Thursday is a 1:00 dismissal along with Korean Day (headed up by our wonderful exchange students) and Friday, Monday and Tuesday we have off for Easter break. It is going to be so much fun because I only have to work on Thursday and Saturday - so the rest of my break is off! And I will get to hang out with my sister and Kent (who comes home on Wednesday for his break). I am excited, though I already said that.
Well, I am sitting here in Government class doing class related things on the Internet, so don't worry, I am not being illegal! And if you need a witness, just ask Cassie because she is sitting next to me... albeit, she is doing some questionable things - oh wait, she is looking at her blog and my blog. Okay, I had better post this before the bell rings.
Anyway, we had the Benefit Banquet at school on Friday night. I was a server at my parents table, which was fun. The food looked so amazing, and I wasn't allowed to eat any of it. The whole high school ended up singing three songs, which was a lot of fun. I especially liked "The Sound of the Round" song. It's pretty much awesome to sing. The only bad part was that we were so confused when we walked up on stage, everyone was chaotic pretty much. But we got through it and sounded good (I thought).
I am excited for this week because we only have Geometry once this week. Plus, we are going to see a Shakespeare play tomorrow so no classes, Thursday is a 1:00 dismissal along with Korean Day (headed up by our wonderful exchange students) and Friday, Monday and Tuesday we have off for Easter break. It is going to be so much fun because I only have to work on Thursday and Saturday - so the rest of my break is off! And I will get to hang out with my sister and Kent (who comes home on Wednesday for his break). I am excited, though I already said that.
Well, I am sitting here in Government class doing class related things on the Internet, so don't worry, I am not being illegal! And if you need a witness, just ask Cassie because she is sitting next to me... albeit, she is doing some questionable things - oh wait, she is looking at her blog and my blog. Okay, I had better post this before the bell rings.
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