For a brief period of time as she sunk deeper into the cool, dark blue water, she entertained the thought of drowning. The water cradled her in her descent and comforted her broken mind. Finally able to feel a strange calm, she turned off her mind and floated calmly towards her end. Of course, she wasn’t thinking clearly, but being wrapped in a blanket of water had taken away her ability to reason. Was this not easier?
Then, it hit her- her oxygen was depleted. A pain in her lungs paralyzed her thoughts in a way the water couldn’t, but she knew her choice was now -finish it or fight. This was the point of no return. The deceptive waters held her even closer trying to make her decision one of ease, but her brain screamed, “WAKE UP, this isn’t you.” The fighter inside her arose. Thrashing about, she tried to escape the waters grasp. Stubborn, the water held on to it’s captive. She was losing the battle. Knowing this was her last moment, she used her precious last ounce of breath to cry out to her savior for help.
A supernatural peace came over her. Her thoughts were no longer muddled and strength flooded into her body that was not her own. She broke the surface of the dark and tumultuous water only to flip over on her back and bask in the light. The possessive water still lapped at her body- demanding it’s pound of flesh, but her thoughts were only on her savior and the light.
Her independence and complacency had gotten her here. Looking at the world through new eyes, that had to change. Her uprising out of the depths had placed her back in the arms of her first love-a place where the status quo was not acceptable.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The Bride
Just the other day, I found myself wondering what the Bride as a whole – mind, body and spirit- looks like in God's and Jesus' eyes. I mean neither one of them are so shallow to be caught up in looks, but what makes her so special that she catches the eye of the Most High.
First, let me clarify whom I am talking about when I talk about the Bride of Christ and use the pronoun “she”. I am talking about the body of Christ as a whole – both men and women- who have dedicated themselves to serving and loving Christ. The Bible frequently refers to a pure and spotless bride. Just as sea captains refer to their boats as female, Jesus refers to the Body of Christ as his bride. He longs for them just as a bridegroom longs to be married to his beloved, and is ravished by their attentions towards Him (Read Song of Solomon). Here is what I wrote in my prayer journal - probably wrong but feel free to give me your thoughts:
"The Bride of Christ is not a meek-mannered girl dressed in all white. She's a warrior - a fierce creature -, trained in battle, and unafraid of anything because she is used to keeping up with her beloved (Not an easy feat considering that He is constantly on the move). Jesus looks fondly at her battle scars because they are proof of victory. He's not looking for a princess, but a girl who can hold her own. Yes, she has all the grace and power of a queen, but it's her strength and devotion that draws Him to her. She's dark but lovely. Her weakness is her strength. She is compassionate, loving, and kind. Steadfast, she wrestles not with flesh and blood."
Jesus never believed in hurting people, but He does believe in war. The bride understands the war is on the inside. The battle is for keeps. I find more often than not, I am not fighting against some dark powers that be, but my own will. Though I do not doubt the desire of the devil to watch me fail, I know my own flesh fights against me to help him.
The bride understands the Beatitudes. Read them until they get into your system – they will transform your life:
Mathew 5:3-11
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7
Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10
Blessed are those who are persecuted
for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
First, let me clarify whom I am talking about when I talk about the Bride of Christ and use the pronoun “she”. I am talking about the body of Christ as a whole – both men and women- who have dedicated themselves to serving and loving Christ. The Bible frequently refers to a pure and spotless bride. Just as sea captains refer to their boats as female, Jesus refers to the Body of Christ as his bride. He longs for them just as a bridegroom longs to be married to his beloved, and is ravished by their attentions towards Him (Read Song of Solomon). Here is what I wrote in my prayer journal - probably wrong but feel free to give me your thoughts:
"The Bride of Christ is not a meek-mannered girl dressed in all white. She's a warrior - a fierce creature -, trained in battle, and unafraid of anything because she is used to keeping up with her beloved (Not an easy feat considering that He is constantly on the move). Jesus looks fondly at her battle scars because they are proof of victory. He's not looking for a princess, but a girl who can hold her own. Yes, she has all the grace and power of a queen, but it's her strength and devotion that draws Him to her. She's dark but lovely. Her weakness is her strength. She is compassionate, loving, and kind. Steadfast, she wrestles not with flesh and blood."
Jesus never believed in hurting people, but He does believe in war. The bride understands the war is on the inside. The battle is for keeps. I find more often than not, I am not fighting against some dark powers that be, but my own will. Though I do not doubt the desire of the devil to watch me fail, I know my own flesh fights against me to help him.
The bride understands the Beatitudes. Read them until they get into your system – they will transform your life:
Mathew 5:3-11
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7
Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10
Blessed are those who are persecuted
for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
This is why I'm alive
I really like this song. I feel as long as He's with me I can survive anything.
Let’s survive this –Laura Hackett
Let’s survive this together
We’ve survived so much together already
But I want to live through this with you
Vs.2
This is why I’m alive
It’s moments like this I want together with you
Let’s just take tonight and breathe again
Chorus:
You feel pain tonight
You won’t always feel this way
You feel pain tonight
And it’s gonna be ok
It’s gonna be ok
(back to vs. 1)
Let’s survive this –Laura Hackett
Let’s survive this together
We’ve survived so much together already
But I want to live through this with you
Vs.2
This is why I’m alive
It’s moments like this I want together with you
Let’s just take tonight and breathe again
Chorus:
You feel pain tonight
You won’t always feel this way
You feel pain tonight
And it’s gonna be ok
It’s gonna be ok
(back to vs. 1)
Sunday, November 7, 2010
What I wish I had know before I got married:
1) Movies are completely wrong. I'll let you know when I see a realistic one.
2) You never completely know your husband - it's terrible when you stop trying to explore his nature. He needs to be pursued.
3) Your relationship with God changes, because all of the sudden you are one person in two people's bodies.
4) There is no Better Wives Bureau, but there should be.
5) Marriage can cause a sudden loss of friends.
6) Pet names for each other can be great as long as they aren't too graphic. The public isn't ready for such nonsense. And Hippo is never acceptable or cute.
7) A man's truck is his castle. Don't wash it with a brillo pad.
8) One chick flick to 10 action films is a reasonable deal.
9) Everything is a "that's what she said" and should be treated as thus.
10) Guys don't understand girls so go easy on them and spell things out a lot.
10.5) Which brings me to my next point -Use the term Halo numbers when exaggerating (It's easy to understand). IE: " I washed a thousand dishes in halo numbers of course." Quite similar to killing "9" grunts when in actuality you have only killed 4.
11) Keep a close eye on the unmentionable drawer.
12) Two walk-in-closets can sometimes not be enough.
13) Turtlenecks= shrugs
14) Bed and Breakfast= AWESOME
15) Don't skimp on the honeymoon.
16) Don't forget to put a why behind I love you occasionally or those three words become meaningless.
17) People will always look at you crazy when you tell your dog "mommy wants you to go find daddy."
18) There is no magical day when the fighting completely stops. You are two people dying to oneself. Doesn't mean you have to always agree.
19) Guns do complicate matters, but in the end are a good thing.
20) Champagne baths
21) One screw-up meal a month is allowed -That is all.
21.5) If you are not an expert, carrot is not a good base for a soup.
21.75) Remember to shell your crustaceans before putting them in a meal.
22) Buy the five pack of pregnancy test - it's completely worth it.
23) Love letters don't need to stop just because you got married. Looking back on your history is one of the best things you can do.
23.5) You should write her a love song because she asked for one, Cause she needs one - you see.
24) Apologies go a long way.
25) Don't let your dog play with your husband's soccer ball.
26) Frozen grapes.
27) Always remind your husband when you have the grill in the back of the truck especially when nearing the garage.
28) Nobody likes to be an iphone widower
29) Don't forget to pray over your husband in front of him. NOT SARCASTICALLY.
30) Never forget marriage means FOREVER... No outs.
2) You never completely know your husband - it's terrible when you stop trying to explore his nature. He needs to be pursued.
3) Your relationship with God changes, because all of the sudden you are one person in two people's bodies.
4) There is no Better Wives Bureau, but there should be.
5) Marriage can cause a sudden loss of friends.
6) Pet names for each other can be great as long as they aren't too graphic. The public isn't ready for such nonsense. And Hippo is never acceptable or cute.
7) A man's truck is his castle. Don't wash it with a brillo pad.
8) One chick flick to 10 action films is a reasonable deal.
9) Everything is a "that's what she said" and should be treated as thus.
10) Guys don't understand girls so go easy on them and spell things out a lot.
10.5) Which brings me to my next point -Use the term Halo numbers when exaggerating (It's easy to understand). IE: " I washed a thousand dishes in halo numbers of course." Quite similar to killing "9" grunts when in actuality you have only killed 4.
11) Keep a close eye on the unmentionable drawer.
12) Two walk-in-closets can sometimes not be enough.
13) Turtlenecks= shrugs
14) Bed and Breakfast= AWESOME
15) Don't skimp on the honeymoon.
16) Don't forget to put a why behind I love you occasionally or those three words become meaningless.
17) People will always look at you crazy when you tell your dog "mommy wants you to go find daddy."
18) There is no magical day when the fighting completely stops. You are two people dying to oneself. Doesn't mean you have to always agree.
19) Guns do complicate matters, but in the end are a good thing.
20) Champagne baths
21) One screw-up meal a month is allowed -That is all.
21.5) If you are not an expert, carrot is not a good base for a soup.
21.75) Remember to shell your crustaceans before putting them in a meal.
22) Buy the five pack of pregnancy test - it's completely worth it.
23) Love letters don't need to stop just because you got married. Looking back on your history is one of the best things you can do.
23.5) You should write her a love song because she asked for one, Cause she needs one - you see.
24) Apologies go a long way.
25) Don't let your dog play with your husband's soccer ball.
26) Frozen grapes.
27) Always remind your husband when you have the grill in the back of the truck especially when nearing the garage.
28) Nobody likes to be an iphone widower
29) Don't forget to pray over your husband in front of him. NOT SARCASTICALLY.
30) Never forget marriage means FOREVER... No outs.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
A great evil has taken over my house
There is a great evil in my house. My dog seems to think the devil himself resides here now.
It all started yesterday. Helo (my dog) noticed the outdoors started becoming indoors. Bright lights attacked him from every angle and glitter covered his fur. Sure of the devil's hand in my Christmas decoration, he has lived in constant wariness. He sleeps with one eye open, sure his soul is about to be taken from him. Letting out little barks of warning at every turn, he tries to warn me of the impending doom. It doesn't help that these are dark days anyway as daylight savings time creeps up upon us.
My husband and I just wanted to decorate together for once before he goes back to work. We had no idea how it might crack our dog and send him to a puppy insane asylum.
Happy First Christmas Helo!
It all started yesterday. Helo (my dog) noticed the outdoors started becoming indoors. Bright lights attacked him from every angle and glitter covered his fur. Sure of the devil's hand in my Christmas decoration, he has lived in constant wariness. He sleeps with one eye open, sure his soul is about to be taken from him. Letting out little barks of warning at every turn, he tries to warn me of the impending doom. It doesn't help that these are dark days anyway as daylight savings time creeps up upon us.
My husband and I just wanted to decorate together for once before he goes back to work. We had no idea how it might crack our dog and send him to a puppy insane asylum.
Happy First Christmas Helo!
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