Well, I guess it's been a while but what better way to get started again than blogging about my heart? I don't even know where to start but just when I feel myself losing passion, God sends something AMAZING to remind why I love what He loves and why I do the things I do.
The Rescue was this weekend and I was a little wary going into it. I just wasn't feeling as pumped as I used to be and wondering if this cause even mattered to me anymore (not that it doesn't matter, but whether it was still my heart). Then before I left I found my old journals.... how could I think that I could walk away? How could I think that this wasn't my heart? I'm an idiot, we'll just throw that out there because of it's truth.
April 25 was hot, frustrating, lacking in food and rest but there was an abundance of love, joy, friendship, and laughter. It is true that people don't survive on food alone but on human relationships. I was so blessed to be reminded of this that day. Everything essential to me was with me, and my heart was full and yet broken. These are the things I cannot do.I cannot look at the images of these children and walk away. I cannot hold back my tears, I cannot stop my voice from shouting at the injustices, I cannot stop my hands from writing to ask for mercy.
And these are the things I can do. I can weep for the loss of innocence, I can stand firm when people tell me to fall, I can yell for justice, I can write for help. But most of all, I can change the world.
Not by myself. I have never and will never claim that. But I stood in the midst of hundreds of people in one city- knowing that the same was happening in 100 cities around the world. 3 days later and 4 of those cities have yet to be rescued. And I know that change will happen, peace is possible. Our rescuer said, " I look at the generation around me, standing up for this, and I believe that the world is in great hands." How honored I am to be a part of this, cheering on others when I cannot be with them. Knowing that soon enough, the worldly things such as school and work will be unable to keep us from peace.
" Here's to the crazy ones. For the ones who are crazy enough to believe they can change the world, are the ones who actually do."
So here's to the crazy ones. The ones that joined me in Nashville, the ones still standing in cities today, the ones across the ocean, and the ones who have been suffering for 24 years. Stand strong, you are WORLD CHANGERS!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Narnia: Then vs. Now
" You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember." - Trumpkin
Wow. I have seen the movie 4 times and as I lay there tonight, I finally felt the depth of this statement. Many would assume that the dwarf was just referring to the bear or the animals. But Daddy revealed something more (as He always does).
He urged me to contemplate the first Narnia movie. If most remember there was one battle in the movie. Other than that the violence was out of sacrifice. But Daddy is revealing how these movies apply to a relationship with Him. I feel in the Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe, Narnia is this awe-inspiring, magical land. The movie is about our choices and listening to Aslan (God), culminating in the battle for our salvation. That's what Daddy showed me. The final battle is the one that takes place when we make our decision to follow Him. So what's next? Why are there more stories and movies?
Well, here is where Prince Caspian fits in. Yes, I could talk for hours on the "symbology" ( haha Ronsckevitz) of the movie but for now, please allow me to leave a lot of that out. ( we'll do coffee sometime, if you want?!?) So we find the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve returned to this fairytale land where the magic seems to have disappeared. So many times I think we fail to see the magic because we become consumed with so much else. It is at this point that Lucy is almost attacked by a bear and Trumpkin states:
"You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember."
Here they are talking of a Narnia of old. A place where the trees used to dance, animals could talk, and Aslan revealed himself. Narnia is not gone. It is there waiting but now we must fight for it.
It is a more savage place because the enemy knows upon which side we stand, the winning one. Therefore, he will stop at nothing to kill and destroy. he will seek to drain the magic from our vision, to stop the trees from dancing, to hush the animals. The enemy wishes us to find Narnia dull so that we will seek excitement elsewhere. Honestly, this savage Narnia is the truth because after that first battle, it is where we exist, where we live. It is harder daily to wake up and see the magic. It is harder to draw our weapons, put on our armor and march into battle knowing how often we will repeat it. But Aslan says:
" Things never happen the same way twice, dear one."
So my dear ones, the battles are constantly changing, never the same. We may win some and we may lose some. But the truth of the battle exists and our strength comes from Daddy. In this savage world, WE MUST FIGHT. Do not grow weary in the fight though. I look at Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy and I see a brotherhood much like ours. It is one that constantly gives: confidence, love,hope, strength, warmth- an authentic smile that encourages you to rush the enemy.... just_one_more_time.
We are that, my beautiful Ammis and Ruhamahs. We are given that by an ever-growing, indescribably indescribable God!
Aslan says: Every year that you grow, so do I.
So we continue. We fight this savage world, we grow, and so does our Daddy.
The truth is that the trees still dance.
So my friends, pick up your weapons, whatever they may be; a sword, an ax, a bow and arrow, a cross-bow. . .
Let us charge the enemy again...and again.... and again- for we leave no man behind.
"When Aslan bares his teeth. Winter meets its end. When He shakes his mane, we shall have spring again"
Love
Wow. I have seen the movie 4 times and as I lay there tonight, I finally felt the depth of this statement. Many would assume that the dwarf was just referring to the bear or the animals. But Daddy revealed something more (as He always does).
He urged me to contemplate the first Narnia movie. If most remember there was one battle in the movie. Other than that the violence was out of sacrifice. But Daddy is revealing how these movies apply to a relationship with Him. I feel in the Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe, Narnia is this awe-inspiring, magical land. The movie is about our choices and listening to Aslan (God), culminating in the battle for our salvation. That's what Daddy showed me. The final battle is the one that takes place when we make our decision to follow Him. So what's next? Why are there more stories and movies?
Well, here is where Prince Caspian fits in. Yes, I could talk for hours on the "symbology" ( haha Ronsckevitz) of the movie but for now, please allow me to leave a lot of that out. ( we'll do coffee sometime, if you want?!?) So we find the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve returned to this fairytale land where the magic seems to have disappeared. So many times I think we fail to see the magic because we become consumed with so much else. It is at this point that Lucy is almost attacked by a bear and Trumpkin states:
"You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember."
Here they are talking of a Narnia of old. A place where the trees used to dance, animals could talk, and Aslan revealed himself. Narnia is not gone. It is there waiting but now we must fight for it.
It is a more savage place because the enemy knows upon which side we stand, the winning one. Therefore, he will stop at nothing to kill and destroy. he will seek to drain the magic from our vision, to stop the trees from dancing, to hush the animals. The enemy wishes us to find Narnia dull so that we will seek excitement elsewhere. Honestly, this savage Narnia is the truth because after that first battle, it is where we exist, where we live. It is harder daily to wake up and see the magic. It is harder to draw our weapons, put on our armor and march into battle knowing how often we will repeat it. But Aslan says:
" Things never happen the same way twice, dear one."
So my dear ones, the battles are constantly changing, never the same. We may win some and we may lose some. But the truth of the battle exists and our strength comes from Daddy. In this savage world, WE MUST FIGHT. Do not grow weary in the fight though. I look at Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy and I see a brotherhood much like ours. It is one that constantly gives: confidence, love,hope, strength, warmth- an authentic smile that encourages you to rush the enemy.... just_one_more_time.
We are that, my beautiful Ammis and Ruhamahs. We are given that by an ever-growing, indescribably indescribable God!
Aslan says: Every year that you grow, so do I.
So we continue. We fight this savage world, we grow, and so does our Daddy.
The truth is that the trees still dance.
So my friends, pick up your weapons, whatever they may be; a sword, an ax, a bow and arrow, a cross-bow. . .
Let us charge the enemy again...and again.... and again- for we leave no man behind.
"When Aslan bares his teeth. Winter meets its end. When He shakes his mane, we shall have spring again"
Love
When I Grow Up...
So this is a little random but it's just something God was asking me the other day- maybe it applies to you, maybe it doesn't. Just a thought :) enjoy
Thinking back to my childhood, I think my favorite phrase was, " When I grow up. . . " I couldn't wait to be older, smarter, bigger, more talented, everything. Yet the things I used to say baffle me. Why was it that at age 4 I wanted to go to Africa? age 6, I was headed for the olympics, age 3, a princess. . .
Wait. . . when did I stop saying " when I grow up"?
When did I reach the point of "grown up"?
What does it mean to " grow up"? Is it a magic age or activity that renders the statement inapplicable?
I think the truth of it is that we do not stop "growing up" until we die.
Physically there are parts of us that never stop growing ( nose, ears ahhah), 1 Colossians 1:10 talks about continuing to grow in the knowledge of God. These things NEVER stop, so why do we think they do? Why don't I say " when I grow up. . . " anymore?
Honestly, I think it's because we quit dreaming.
What 4 yr old says, " when I grow up I want to work as a bank teller off highway 96"?
They don't.
They say, " when i grow up I want to be a superhero or an artist, a firefighter, a writer, a princess."
We dream the impossible and the extravagant.
Why do we get to a point where we believe ourselves incapable of those dreams? any dreams?
I know our dreams change as we get older; we have dreams for families, money, success, etc. But why do we limit those?
When did we stop wishing for the prince and the castle?
the truth is I will never stop growing, never stop dreaming.
I want to be lying on my deathbed whispering to my great- grandchildren about what I want to be when I grow up. I want my dreams to be never-ending, crazy.
When I grow up I want to be a lover, a fighter, a teacher, a missionary, a joy, a strength, a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a hope, a princess. . .
What did you want to be? Has it changed? why?
Thinking back to my childhood, I think my favorite phrase was, " When I grow up. . . " I couldn't wait to be older, smarter, bigger, more talented, everything. Yet the things I used to say baffle me. Why was it that at age 4 I wanted to go to Africa? age 6, I was headed for the olympics, age 3, a princess. . .
Wait. . . when did I stop saying " when I grow up"?
When did I reach the point of "grown up"?
What does it mean to " grow up"? Is it a magic age or activity that renders the statement inapplicable?
I think the truth of it is that we do not stop "growing up" until we die.
Physically there are parts of us that never stop growing ( nose, ears ahhah), 1 Colossians 1:10 talks about continuing to grow in the knowledge of God. These things NEVER stop, so why do we think they do? Why don't I say " when I grow up. . . " anymore?
Honestly, I think it's because we quit dreaming.
What 4 yr old says, " when I grow up I want to work as a bank teller off highway 96"?
They don't.
They say, " when i grow up I want to be a superhero or an artist, a firefighter, a writer, a princess."
We dream the impossible and the extravagant.
Why do we get to a point where we believe ourselves incapable of those dreams? any dreams?
I know our dreams change as we get older; we have dreams for families, money, success, etc. But why do we limit those?
When did we stop wishing for the prince and the castle?
the truth is I will never stop growing, never stop dreaming.
I want to be lying on my deathbed whispering to my great- grandchildren about what I want to be when I grow up. I want my dreams to be never-ending, crazy.
When I grow up I want to be a lover, a fighter, a teacher, a missionary, a joy, a strength, a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a hope, a princess. . .
What did you want to be? Has it changed? why?
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