I just got done watching "Indescribable" by Louie Giglio again for the third time. It is such an amazing video. If you haven't watched it, I would strongly encourage you too. The pictures are incredible. If you like astronomy, you will like this video a lot.
Things lately for me have been going great, and I give all the credit to God. He has blessed me outstandingly, and I don't know what I would be like without him. My uncle is doing very well. In fact, if I have heard correctly, he will be able to go back to work soon. God is working through him, I just know it. Keep praying, though. They aren't out of the ballpark yet. My prayer is for remission and no relapses.
I also ask that you pray for another man. I talked to his wife last night at the library in Lawrenceville. She is looking to volunteer, so I showed her how everything works. My mom and I got to talking to her, though, and she told us a little bit of her story. She has two children and a husband. Three years ago, her husband was diagnosed with viral myocarditis, which is a severe problem with the heart. He was a man in the military, and he had gotten a good job after leaving. However, since this came up, he hasn't been able to work. Last June he was put on a heart transplant list, which is good, but it won't do him any good unless he gets a new heart. I ask of everyone who reads this - please pray for this man and his family. It has drastically changed them. They no longer have a steady income except for his military benefits, social security and disability that they are receiving. But we all know that in this economy, it is rough to survive without someone working. So just pray for their family - that he would get a new heart, that his body would accept it, and that their life can get back to normal.
Other than that, school has been going well for me. Finals are over, thank goodness, and I did decent on them - another praise. Now it's back to the old routine. In computer class, we are making our own websites, and I am planning on doing a website on all the things that I enjoy. Once it's up and running, I'll be sure to post the link so you can check out my amazing web designing abilities.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Finals are finally over!
I am pleased to announce to the entire world that my finals are officially over. Well, maybe I can't say that until the end of 7th period today, as we have a vocabulary "final" (not officially a final). It's a big relief to know that I won't have to take any more finals until ... May - which will probably be here sooner than I think.
Today has been a great day. I took my computer final and did well on that. I even got all of the parts for the bonus question! Pretty neat. We watched another video by Louie Giglio today in Bible class. This one was called "Fruitcake and Ice Cream". He is a phenomenal speaker and convicts me every time I watch. I like his videos so much, though, that I decided to buy the "Indescribable" DVD and show it at my youth group.
I am excited today because hopefully my mom will be coming home. It's been a week since she left for Baltimore to be with my aunt and uncle, but I still missed her. I never understood how much work around the house she actually does until I had to do it. Thankfully my sister is still home, and she has been a big help.
Keep my uncle in your prayers. He is doing well, and hopefully coming back home will help him.
That is it for now. I know that all two of you who read this are looking forward to another post. =P
Today has been a great day. I took my computer final and did well on that. I even got all of the parts for the bonus question! Pretty neat. We watched another video by Louie Giglio today in Bible class. This one was called "Fruitcake and Ice Cream". He is a phenomenal speaker and convicts me every time I watch. I like his videos so much, though, that I decided to buy the "Indescribable" DVD and show it at my youth group.
I am excited today because hopefully my mom will be coming home. It's been a week since she left for Baltimore to be with my aunt and uncle, but I still missed her. I never understood how much work around the house she actually does until I had to do it. Thankfully my sister is still home, and she has been a big help.
Keep my uncle in your prayers. He is doing well, and hopefully coming back home will help him.
That is it for now. I know that all two of you who read this are looking forward to another post. =P
Saturday, January 10, 2009
The Love of God
What is love? Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as: 1. strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties or 2. warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion. However, true love is far more than this. In fact, true love can hardly be defined. It is so complex, so indescribable, so holy - it is hard for a mortal human being to define. Webster did a fine job but didn't get the whole picture.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, defined love as this: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13 NIV) Love isn't just your typical gooey looks, butterflies in your stomach deal. Love is the gutwrenching feeling you get when you die for someone you love. Love is when you are willing to do a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g for the other person. Love is when you forsake your own hopes and desires to accomplish the will of someone else. And the greatest example of love came from the very person who defined it. Jesus Christ subjected himself to incredibly painful torture and death on a cross. For us. For you. For me. I am not talking about a few lashes on the back. If any of you have seen The Passion of the Christ, you see man's glimpse of the torture. It is unspeakable.
Now we are talking the Creator of the universe. The Alpha and Omega. The One who set the stars in place. The One who has named every single star in every single galaxy. Why should He give His life for us? Because He loved us. He was willing to do whatever it took - no questions asked - to ensure that we would live with Him eternally. He didn't look for a quick and painless death. No! He experienced one of the worst ways to die in the history of this earth. All this to show us just how much He loves us. Love is so much more than a "warm attachment" as Webster says. True love - the love that God shows to us - is amazing. Words cannot describe how precious and pure it is.
Yet we still reject Him. As if He hasn't done enough already. And let me remind you that He did not have to do anything. He didn't even have to create us! But He did, and He loves us so unconditionally. One of my favorite hymns says,
"The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled, and pardoned from his sin.
Oh love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure, the saints' and angels' song.
Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, tho' stretched from sky to sky.
Oh love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure, the saints' and angel's song."
Such beautiful words by Frederick M. Lehman. Even if man exhausted his every resource, we would not come a fraction closer to defining God's love. God loves you so much, and He is willing to do whatever, whatever, it takes to bring you into His fold. I have experienced only a portion of God's tremendous love for me, and let me tell you, there is no greater feeling.
And the miracle of this is that we don't need to earn God's love. We can experience it freely! All we need to do is put our trust and hope in Him. We need to surrender our every dream, our every hope, our every being to the power and love of God. Opening your heart to the Maker of the galaxies will change your life forever. I guarantee that if you do that... you will never regret it.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, defined love as this: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13 NIV) Love isn't just your typical gooey looks, butterflies in your stomach deal. Love is the gutwrenching feeling you get when you die for someone you love. Love is when you are willing to do a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g for the other person. Love is when you forsake your own hopes and desires to accomplish the will of someone else. And the greatest example of love came from the very person who defined it. Jesus Christ subjected himself to incredibly painful torture and death on a cross. For us. For you. For me. I am not talking about a few lashes on the back. If any of you have seen The Passion of the Christ, you see man's glimpse of the torture. It is unspeakable.
Now we are talking the Creator of the universe. The Alpha and Omega. The One who set the stars in place. The One who has named every single star in every single galaxy. Why should He give His life for us? Because He loved us. He was willing to do whatever it took - no questions asked - to ensure that we would live with Him eternally. He didn't look for a quick and painless death. No! He experienced one of the worst ways to die in the history of this earth. All this to show us just how much He loves us. Love is so much more than a "warm attachment" as Webster says. True love - the love that God shows to us - is amazing. Words cannot describe how precious and pure it is.
Yet we still reject Him. As if He hasn't done enough already. And let me remind you that He did not have to do anything. He didn't even have to create us! But He did, and He loves us so unconditionally. One of my favorite hymns says,
"The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled, and pardoned from his sin.
Oh love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure, the saints' and angels' song.
Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, tho' stretched from sky to sky.
Oh love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure, the saints' and angel's song."
Such beautiful words by Frederick M. Lehman. Even if man exhausted his every resource, we would not come a fraction closer to defining God's love. God loves you so much, and He is willing to do whatever, whatever, it takes to bring you into His fold. I have experienced only a portion of God's tremendous love for me, and let me tell you, there is no greater feeling.
And the miracle of this is that we don't need to earn God's love. We can experience it freely! All we need to do is put our trust and hope in Him. We need to surrender our every dream, our every hope, our every being to the power and love of God. Opening your heart to the Maker of the galaxies will change your life forever. I guarantee that if you do that... you will never regret it.
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