The Scariest Thing

One of my relatives posted this on Facebook and I thought it was so good that I had to share it.  Now I want to read the book.

"The scariest thing a woman ever offers is to believe that she is worth pursuing, to open her heart up to pursuit, to continue to open up her heart and offer the beauty she holds inside, all the while fearing it will not be enough.

"The scariest thing a man ever chooses is to offer his strength without knowing how things will turn out. To take the risk of playing the man before the outcome is decided. To offer his heart of strength while fearing it will not be enough."

[from "Love & War" by John & Stasi Eldredge]

From a Book

I read a book by Janette Oke while I was visiting my sister and brother-in-law this past week.  I don't notice many great truth's that are written in plain ol' fiction books very often.  I found this book to be an exception.

Closer to the ending of the book, a new pastor comes to the church the main character, Berta, attends.  His introductory sermon basically runs as follows:
    
     "Why am I here? I am here because I believe in God. I believe in a God.  I think it is perfectly reasonable to believe in a God. Not MANY gods.  Many gods would result in chaos.  Lesser gods, greater gods, warring gods, self-seeking gods.  Can you imagine such a world? It wouldn't work. If a god isn't really God of all, then he is no god at all.  Therefore, I believe in one god, the God, the reason for all that is and all that ever will be.  So, to me it has been settled. Forever. Clearly. I believe in one God, Creator and Sustainer of all things."
     "Since the Creator God has given us His Word, then it follows that I must also believe that the Bible, which tells us of Him, is truth.  It is His revelation to mankind.  The oldest and most accurate of religious documents, revealing who He is and what He stands for. So, I believe in one God, Creator and Sustainer of all things, and I believe that the Bible is His revelation to mankind of who and what He is."
     "If I believe that Bible is given by Him, and He is God, the God, then I must accept this Book as it is.  all of it. To dissect it and choose this and throw out that would discredit it all. To pick my own passages to please my own theories or personal pet doctrines, or pattern my own philosophies or religion on what tickles my ears or pleases my fancy, and reject what else it says, would invalidate the whole. So I must believe and accept it all for what it says throughout.  Thus, I believe in one God, the God, One, though triune, Make and Sustainer of all things.  I believe the Bible is His revelation to mankind. I believe the Bible must be accepted and obeyed in its entirety. It is the written Word of God."
     "So all my sermons will come directly from these pages.  We will study together what the Word says.  We will pray for understanding and His wisdom.  We will pray for willingness to accept with open hearts and minds what that means for you, for me, in our everyday.  We face hard questions in our modern world, but the answers are here in this Book.  To find the answers we must first know the Source, God.  God the Father, who loves us.  god the Son, who redeems us.  God the Spirit, who leads us.  On God, yet three in person, in working, a mystery beyond our human comprehension, but one God."
     "Our purpose for meeting here from Sunday to Sunday is to get to know that God.  To know Him better and better so that we can worship Him more fully."

Okay, so I didn't fully agree with the last sentence.  I feel that the purpose of study throughout the week is more to get to know God better, and the Sunday to Sunday meetings are to worship Him with fellow believers. Although, the Sunday sermon is a time to get to know God better.

Anyways, I just thought I'd share with ya'll.  this book wasn't written all that long ago, but I just love the way Oke explained that we are facing mysteries (trials and people outside the church questions or beliefs and trying to shake our foundations, Genesis specifically) and that we MUST go back to the Bible to stand firm.

What a Joke!

We have three dogs

A Blonde

A Brunette

&

A Red Head

Music

Funny story.

I just went to go listen to a CD on my laptop, and the first song that came on was titled "Music For Silent Movies." I immediately imagined the kind of music you hear when you would watch a silent film.  Here's an example:

"Silent Film Music" Link

Yeah, well, that wasn't what came on.  I clicked play and there wasn't any sound at all.  I started laughing immediately and wondered why in the world they had actually played a joke on the person listening to this CD! Of course it didn't sound like anything cause it was for a silent movie, which is silent! So I laughed for a minute and went on to the next song.  This was from Singing In The Rain, and it too was completely silent.

Needless to say, I had been mistaken about the first song and the sound just wasn't working on my laptop.  So, I restarted the computer and played the song again, and sure enough, it was a song very similar to that in the clip I added.

I'm VERY glad I got the whole sound thing worked out, cause I then got to talk to friends from JHBC for over an hour! Yahoo!! :)

Quotable Quotes: 12 (Or something like that)

"You don't have to be  a ma and a pa and  four kids to be a family. All you needed was people livin' together and lovin' and helpin' one another.  That's what makes a family - blood-ties and love-bonds." - Once Upon a Summer

"I've got two shoulders haven't I?"
"Yeah, and I like how they're arranged.  One on each side."
- Mickey Rooney and Bob Hope in "Off Limits"

"When you open your eyes in the morning, rejoice in the renewal of God's lovingkindness and tender compassion for you." - Gregg Harris Day By Day

Psalm 103

In my Bible study today I read Psalm 103.  The subject was grace.  I've read this chapter many times before, but I was blessed again today by the truth's it contains.

 Psalm 103 (ESV)
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
  and all that is within me,
  bless his holy name!
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
  and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
  who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
  who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
  so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD works righteousness
  and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
  his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious,
  slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
  nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
  nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
  so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
  so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
  so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;
  he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
  he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
  and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
  and his righteousness to children's children,
18  to those who keep his covenant
  and remember to do his commandments.
19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
  and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels,
  you mighty ones who do his word,
  obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the LORD, all his hosts,
  his ministers, who do his will!
22 Bless the LORD, all his works,
  in all places of his dominion.
 Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Music

This is how I think I look or sound like when I play:

How I sound to myself


This is how I probably really sound:

How I really sound