I would rather live on the verge of falling and let my security be in the all sufficiency of the grace of God, than to live in some kind of pietistic illusion of moral excellence, not that I don’t want to be morally excellent. But my faith isn’t in the idea that I’m more moral than anybody else, my faith is in the idea that God and His love are greater than whatever sins that any of us commit. –Rich Mullins
In light of last weeks events, how does this make you feel?
Matthew 5: 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
That Guy - Andy Gullahorn
He scoped out the market
All the women and kids
With so many distractions
Nobody noticed him
Nobody noticed him
He had a jacket a size too big
A skullcap on his head
And a couple of homemade bombs
He duct taped them to his chest
He taped them to his chest
God loves that guy
God loves that guy
He followed his heart
To a co-worker’s bed
He could have salvaged his marriage with kids
But he chose to leave instead
He chose to leave
He thought it was love
But it was just a mirage
So he sits in his idling car
Parked in a closed garage
Inside a closed garage
God loves that guy
God loves that guy
Me on the other hand I can write somebody off
Like the last check for a student loan
I can love when it’s convenient
But it’s not always convenient
It’s not always the easy road
I want to look past the outside to the well-meaning heart
To the good they forgot that they had
Teach me to love, teach me to love
Teach me to love like that
He messed up again
Wanted to disappear
But he can’t ‘cause he’s easy to find
I see him in the mirror
I see him in the mirror
God loves that guy
God loves that guy
Teach me to love, teach me to love
Teach me to love like that
Easter - Raspberry Jam (Opening poem by George Herbert, 1633)
Rise, heart, thy Lord is risen. Sing His praise Without delays, Who takes thee by the hand, that thou likewise With Him may'st rise: That, as His death calcined thee to dust, His life may make thee gold, and, much more, just.
Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy part With all thy art, The Cross taught all wood to resound His name Who bore the same. His stretched sinews taught all strings what key Is best to celebrate this most high day.
Consort, both heart and lute, and twist a song Pleasant and long; Or, since all music is but three parts vied And multiplied Oh let thy blessed Spirit bear a part, And make up our defects with His sweet art. ______
A frustrated brow From the lies you create
To deceive yourself To deceive your soul
And somehow you rewrote His words To make yourself whole To make yourself whole
She whispers "Support" and I scream "Judgment!" You see Easter is for me and my plank-eyed soul
Frustrated is your mind Scattered are your nerves
It seems easier for Him to die
Than for me to forgive your lies Than for me to forgive your lies
She whispers "Support" and I scream "Judgment!" You see Easter is for me and my plank-eyed soul
In light of today's tragedy, I thought this song was fitting.
Grown Up Christmas List - Amy Grant
Do you remember me? I sat upon your knee; I wrote to you With childhood fantasies.
Well, I'm all grown-up now, And still need help somehow. I'm not a child, But my heart still can dream.
So here's my lifelong wish, My grown-up christmas list. Not for myself, But for a world in need.
No more lives torn apart, That wars would never start, And time would heal all hearts. And everyone would have a friend, And right would always win, And love would never end. This is my grown-up christmas list.
As children we believed The grandest sight to see Was something lovely Wrapped beneath our tree.
Well heaven surely knows That packages and bows Can never heal A hurting human soul.
No more lives torn apart, That wars would never start, And time would heal all hearts. And everyone would have a friend, And right would always win, And love would never end. This is my grown-up christmas list. This is my only life-long wish. This is my grown-up christmas list.
Here's really fun Christmas song with a great message by Bryan Duncan.
I've been a fan of Bryan's for many years, and he's always put out great music. "This Christmas, one of five bonus Christmas songs on the album Conversations. You can hear the Conversations album FREE for a limited time here: http://igg.me/p/286384/x/945004."
but you only have a few days left to get it!
If you happen to miss it, but want to get ahold of his new Conversations album, here's information about it: http://sogoodforthesoul.com/ You can also preview the entire album there.
This Christmas - Bryan Duncan
After the snowfall melts away
and Christmas bells have ceased to ring
one gift of love on Christmas Day
transcends the season
to be love the whole yearh through
Let this one gift last forever
its the love that I get from you.
It never gets old
It's the love I need
and it's what I want
and it's what I want for you
The story is told
of a new born love
It's the best of all I know this Christmas brings
Long after Christmas ties are gone
and treasures here no longer new
this Christmas love just like a song
brings out the season
to be sung the whole year through
Let this one gift last forever
in the love that I get from you
It never gets old
It's the love I need
and it's what I want
and it's what I want for you
The story is told
of a new born love
It's the best of all I know this Christmas brings
Count the days till Christmas comes
Treat every soul like it was Christmas
364 plus one
and with this Christmas done
we'll start all over again
start all over again
It never gets old
It's the love I need
and it's what I want
and it's what I want for you
The story is told
of a new born love
It's the best of all I know this Christmas brings
It never gets old
This Christmas
and it's what I want
and it's what I want for you
The story is told
this Christmas
of a newborn love
and it's what I want for you
The story is told
this Christmas
Most of my family and friends probably don't known this. So, Shhhhh, don't tell them.
I like ballets. I like classical music. There. I said it in public.
The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy is part of The Nutcracker ballet. It tells the story of Clara and the Nutcracker. Here's a description of the ballet from Wikipedia:
Act I Scene 1: The Silberhaus HomeIt is Christmas Eve. Family and friends have gathered in the parlor to decorate the beautiful Christmas tree in preparation for the night's festivities. Once the tree is finished, the younger children are sent for. The children stand in awe of the tree sparkling with candles and decorations.
The festivities begin. A march is played. Presents are given out to the children. Suddenly, as the owl-topped clock strikes eight, a mysterious figure enters the room. It is Herr Drosselmeyer, a local councilman, magician, and Clara and Fritz's godfather. He is also a talented toymaker who has brought with him gifts for the children, including four lifelike dolls who dance to the delight of all. Drosselmeyer then has the precious dolls put away for safekeeping.
Clara and Fritz are sad to see the dolls taken away, but Drosselmeyer has yet another toy for them: a wooden nutcracker carved in the shape of a little man, used for cracking hazelnuts. The other children ignore it, but Clara immediately takes a liking to it. Fritz, however, purposely breaks the toy. Clara is heartbroken.
During the night, after everyone else has gone to bed, Clara returns to the parlor to check on her beloved nutcracker. As she reaches the little bed, the clock strikes midnight and she looks up to see Drosselmeyer perched atop the clock in place of the owl. Suddenly, mice begin to fill the room and the Christmas tree begins to grow to dizzying heights. The Nutcracker also grows to life-size. Clara finds herself in the midst of a battle between an army of Gingerbread man soldiers and the mice, led by the Mouse King. The mice begin to eat the gingerbread soldiers.
The Nutcracker appears to lead the gingerbread soldiers, who are joined by tin soldiers and dolls who serve as doctors to carry away the wounded. As the Mouse King advances on the still-wounded Nutcracker, Clara throws her slipper at him, distracting him long enough for the Nutcracker to stab him. Scene 2: A Pine Forest
The mice retreat and the Nutcracker is transformed into a handsome Prince. He leads Clara through the moonlit night to a pine forest in which the snowflakes dance around them. Act II Scene 1: The Land of SweetsClara and the Prince travel in a nutshell boat pulled by dolphins to the beautiful Land of Sweets, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Prince's place until his return. The Prince recounts for the Sugar Plum Fairy how he had been saved by Clara from the Mouse King and had been transformed back into a Prince.
In honor of the young heroine, a celebration of sweets from around the world is produced: chocolate from Spain, coffee from Arabia, and tea from China all dance for their amusement; candy canes from Russia; Danish shepherdesses perform on their flutes; Mother Gigogne has her children emerge from under her enormous skirt to dance; a string of beautiful flowers perform a waltz. To conclude the night, the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier perform a dance.
A final waltz is performed by all the sweets, after which Clara and the Prince are crowned rulers of The Land of Sweets. Soon, however, the people of the land of the sweets begin to disappear one by one, until the Nutcracker Prince himself disappears, and Clara is found sleeping in the parlor. The Nutcracker Doll is under the Christmas tree. Clara awakes, thinking it was all a dream, but then finds her crown sitting beside her, leading to question, was it a dream? She walks to the Christmas tree and takes her Nutcracker, going back to sleep, the implication being that if it was all a dream, that she would want to keep dreaming.
