Wednesday, March 31, 2010

NIPTO, Day 52

Ahhh today is another day. And it looks like it's going to be a gorgeous one! Hopefully it will be a little warmer than it has been... (between 40-55)
Today we are having a 'family day.' (Post about this later!) Dad took the day off work and so we're going to do some shopping and then go to see The Blind Side at Movies 10. Movies 10 used to be Movies 4. At Movies 4, they had 4 screens and the movies were a dollar. Movies 4 moved a little ways away and became Movies 10... where the movies are $1.25 or something like that. All of $2.50 in the evening I think. Granted, it takes a while for the movies to get to the theater, for example, The Blind Side is out on DVD. But it's still fun to see movies in the theater :)


Ahhhh. I hear music that sounds very Disney-esque coming from downstairs... kind of distracting! But on to the real reason for this post!




The plot against Jesus begins. duhn duhn duhhhhhhn.


Matthew 26:14-16-Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.


All it took was 30 silver coins. I mean, that was probably a lot of money in "bible times," but still... to betray the person who taught you and led you for so long... Crazy.




Mark 14:10-11-Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.


It's disgusting. These people were delighted. 
Delight-n. a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment. 
They enjoyed this. It's gross, it really is. All for money... and because they didn't like what he was teaching... but really. Judas handed him over for money. Stinking money that is soooo material. The use of money today is so frivolous. I hate consumerism. I go to the mall on a Saturday and am disgusted. (I might go to the thrift store after just to feel better... I mean there are people spending very LITTLE money on clothing... and that makes me feel better.) But really. Money lasts for like, 2 seconds. Jesus lasts forever... even though he died. But we'll get to that.




Luke 22:3-6-Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.


Ahhh Luke gives us some insight that the other writers don't give: Satan entered Judas. That explains his actions. He was in it for the money, but not really. He was in it because Satan wanted him to be in it because Satan was in him. Judas offered to betray Jesus and they were like "oh. Yeah. Let's do this. How much money do you want?" or something like that. I wasn't there. I don't know how the conversation went. But I think it went something like that. Or something.
Luke also adds that he was watching for an opportunity to hand Jesus over when no crowd was present. The priests&teachers were scared of the people. They knew that Jesus was powerful and they wanted to stop this before it got WAY out of hand and like, spread to the rest of the world. Woah... (too late for them though!)


Tomorrow Jesus is handed over to the priests&teachers and is tried. But that's tomorrow.


Mmmmm. Time to go to bed. Tomorrow my sisters and I are going to help my mom clean. Thennn we're going to act like 3 year olds and play with side-walk-chalk, jump ropes, and bubbles! YAY! I'll probably post about that at some point... but for now, sleep.


Death Cab for Cutie shoutout! [The time for sleep is now/But it's nothing to cry about/Because we'll hold each other soon/In the blackest of rooms]

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

NIPTO, Day 51

I officially had to guard the candy sources in my house today. My sister was doing homework and the M&M's were locked in the bathroom, and she gave me her Whoppers Robin Eggs for me to guard... I think that it was a little out of hand... but she got her homework done! 


Holy week: the week leading up to Easter. Consists of Maundy (not sure if I spelled that right) Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. The last week of Lent.


Today I am reading about: 


The authority of Jesus questioned: Matthew 21:23-27, Mark 11:27-33, Luke 20:1-8


Jesus was smart. He didn't give out answers willy-nilly. He made people think... or pay in some way or another. The chief priest, teachers of the law, and the elders asked Jesus where he got his authority. He didn't give them an answer, nooo. He asked them a question with a condition: If they answer, he would give them his answer. Was John's baptism from heaven or men. Well... they couldn't say from heaven because Jesus would rebuke them and ask why they didn't believe John. But they couldn't say from men because the people believed that John was a prophet... they would stone them. So the told Jesus that they didn't know. Jesus: "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things" -Luke 20:8




Jesus teaches in the temple: Matthew 21:28-23:39, Mark 12:1-44, Luke 20:9-21:4


I would like to reiterate the fact that Jesus was smart. He spoke directly to certain groups, and they knew it. The parable about the vineyard and the workers for example. They knew it was being "preached" at them. They started to plan&plot how they were going to kill Jesus, but the were afraid of the people. This shows how influential Jesus was in my opinion. If the people in charge were afraid of what the lower class people would do, you have someone influential on your hands. That was a problem for the "teachers of the law" and the priests.  A problem that will shortly be remedied. (Princess Bride anyone?)




Jesus anointed: Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, John 12:2-11


I decided to see what Google has to say about Nard. Nard is the perfume that "a woman," Mary, poured over Jesus. It says in John that it was about a pint. A pint is a lot of perfume when it comes to perfume. I remember talking about this section in Sunday School last year around this time I think. Matt, our sunday school teacher, asked if anyone had any kind of perfume on them. I had some Bath&Body Works peach body spray. I sprayed like... 5 squirts into the air. The room reeked of peach body spray. (They didn't like me very much...) But imagine a whole pint of perfume being poured over Jesus' head. That room had to smell. Google took me to a site that had some information about nard. It says that it "has intense, warm, fragrant, musky notes, similar to the aromas of humus." Mmmmm... humus... interesting, eh?


Another thing that Matthew and Mark record is that Jesus says that it was "a beautiful thing" that she did to him. I'm pretty sure that if I were one of the disciples, I would've been kinda mad at Mary. That perfume was expensive. It says it was worth a year's wages. That is a ton of money today. But the disciples didn't realized that what she was doing was very symbolic. She was anointing him for his burial. (He probably still smelled like the perfume when he was buried... heh.) No one would have been expecting his death except for Jesus. Sure he warned them about it, but none of them took him seriously. But Mary apparently knew something. I don't know how, but she did. 


It is now LATE... again. But it was totally worth it to stay up "late" and do that. I mean... it's only 10-to-midnight... that's not that bad... I should get at least 7 1/2 hours of sleep =P 
I'm going to see The Blind Side at the dollar theater in North Canton tomorrow. It should be fun. I told my mom today "We're going to see 2 movies in the same week... how weird is that?!?" It really is strange for our family... the last movie I saw before Alice In Wonderland was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at the dollar theater... that was like, last fall. Crazy. Well, it should be a fun day! 


Keep thinking about the "reason for the season" as they say around Christmas. The reason is almost more important. If Jesus hadn't died for our sins, there's no knowing where we'd be now...
Have a good... day? night? time of day...

The Barbarian Way: The Barbarian Invasion (Chapter 1)

I'm reading The Barbarian Way by Erwin Raphael McManus.


That's the book cover. It is a fantastic book. It's all about not being a civilized Christian. It's about being raw and open to what God is calling you to. I think in this post I might just post some quotes and my thoughts about the quotes from the book. I personally think that everyone should read this. And if you've read it, GREAT... read it again! If you've never read it, I probably have an extra copy laying around that I would be willing to lend to you *wink wink* (as long as you give it back!) P.S. You can get a used copy on Amazon for like... 3 bucks. It's like 12 if you get it new. Or you can get it at the library... that's free! (Unless you have a bad habit of forgetting when things are due... then it can get kinda pricey =P)
Those are just a few of the many ways you can get a copy of The Barbarian Way. Now, onto the book itself! Everything that is bold is a quote from the book. The (number) next to it will be the page number.

"It's hard to imagine that Jesus would endure the agony of the cross just to keep us in line. Jesus began a revolution to secure our freedom" (McManus 7). 

Sooo this is  really good point. Jesus didn't die just so we would be "good." He died so that we would be free. So we would be changed. 


The barbarian way is about love, intimacy, passion, and sacrifice. Barbarians love to life and live to love. For them God is life, and their mission is to reconnect humanity to him. Their passion is that each of us might life in intimate communion with Him who died for us. The barbarian way is a path of both spirit and truth. The soul of the barbarian is made alive by the presence of Jesus. (13)

I can think I honestly say that I want to be one of these barbarian people. (My sister says that she is a barbarian warrior princess. I, however, am a barbarian warrior princess in training. The "barbarian warrior princess in training" part is written on my mirror in dry erase marker. True story. Back to the book!) I don't know if I can honestly say that my passion is for every other person to live their life in such a way that they're in intimate communion with God. I think I just want that for myself. Selfish girl! (P&P quote anyone?) I do want to be made alive by the mere presence of Jesus. Oh wait. I am. I have the Holy Spirit living inside of me. I am alive. But am I spiritually alive? I'd like to think so. I read my bible. I'm doing NIPTO for heavens sake. (If you don't know what NIPTO is, read the side bar. It's what this blog is all about :)


Ah. Now McManus gets into talking a little bit more about Braveheart. It seems like  Braveheart is mentioned a lot in Christian circles... not really sure why, but it is. Maybe it's because it has a good message of fighting for your King. 

He's calling you to fight for the heart of you King. For some, doing this will be just way too barbaric, but for others, their only option will be to choose the barbarian way. (15)

Am I really willing to go into battle and really fight for the heart of My King? Am I willing to die for him? 


Because Jesus did not suffer and die so that we could build for ourselves havens, but so that we might expand the kingdom of His love. Because invisible kingdoms are at war for the hearts and lives of every human being who walks on the face of this earth. And times of war require barbarians who are willing to risk life itself for the freedom of others. The irony, of course, is that barbarians are driven away in times of peace--they only disrupt our communities, traditions, and sensibilities. It is only in the most desperate of times--times of war or conflict---that these outcasts are welcomed or even invited to return. (16)

Woah. I've heard it said so many times that there is a spiritual battle going on for every human being, and I get it, but I don't think I really do. But I want to be a barbarian that fights for their hearts. For the heart of my King. For the hearts of his people.  It's intense, but I want to be in the middle of it!


Jesus is being lost in a religion bearing His name. People are being lost because they cannot reconcile Jesus' association with Christianity. Christianity has become docile, domesticated, civilized. We have forgotten that there is a kingdom of darkness stealing the hopes and dreams and souls of a humanity without God. It is time to hear the barbarian call, to form a barbarian tribe, and to unleash the barbarian revolt. (17)

This is SO true! People don't want to accept what Jesus has done for them because they get so wrapped up in the fact that Jesus is the face of Christianity. So so so many people have been burned by the church. What happens when you get burned and you get close to something hot again? You pull away. It's so sad that that has happened, but unfortunately it has and that is something that a lot of people are dealing with. 


Thanks for reading this uuber long post. If you actually read this post straight through to here, I'll give you a piece of candy!

Insanity thy name is family

My sister, Katie, is officially insane. She locked the M&M bowl, the ever-present-on-the-island M&M bowl, in the bathroom. There's no one in the bathroom. Our bathroom doors aren't hard to unlock... but she locked the M&M's in there... So she won't be tempted to eat them. But I want M&M's... Thankfully I can get into the bathroom. I got my M&M's and locked them back in the bathroom. I mean, Katie and I are trying to be productive while Mom&Hannah are at Urban Vision... I need M&M's to be productive... I guess Katie doesn't =P

I'm working on a post about The Barbarian Way right now... I think I might have to split it into multiple parts, maybe by chapter, because there are so many different amazing quotes! Maybe I'll just post it and you can read it and tell me what you think. Keep an eye out for that and for my latest NIPTO post... I'm going to start working on that right now :)

Lataaa,

Monday, March 29, 2010

NIPTO, Day 50

Wow. 50 days. That's like... a long time. But sweet none the less.

Forgiveness and reminders:


I took this picture today when we (My mom and sisters and I) were at Starbucks. 
This 3 link chain actually belongs to Hannah, but I have one that is pretty much exactly the same. But different. But that's not the point. The point is that these chains represent sin. We got them at High School Leadership Training (HSLT or LT) in, I want to say 2008. But I'm not sure. But I think it was. We got  on Tuesday night. Tuesday night is traditionally "worship night." There's not really a teaching on Tuesday... just music and worshiping. But we got to throw the chains, our sins, at the cross to remind us that God got rid of our sins for us by dying on the cross. We were allowed to take a chain afterwards as a reminder. I wear mine on another chain as a necklace sometimes and Hannah wears hers on a lanyard. It's a good reminder. 


This week for NIPTO, as it is Holy Week, the week leading up to Jesus's death on Friday, we, the NIPTO-ers and you if you'd like(!), are going to be reading through the last week of Jesus's life in all four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I'm not completely sure what exactly I'm supposed to be reading, but I have a general idea, so here goes nothing. 

I guess today I'm going to focus on Peter a little. Well, a lot. But you know what I mean.

Matthew 26:33-Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will." 

A couple thoughts about this. 1) Peter was cocky. He thought he couldn't fail. At least that's what I think. 2) I find the phrase "on account of you" interesting. I don't know if I've ever really noticed it before. Okay. Just google searched "on account of definition" and www.thefreedictionary.com gave me this: for the sake of; by reason of; because of. If all fall away for the sake of you. I gotta admit, this doesn't really make sense... maybe looking at the other gospels will help...


Mark 14:29-Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not."

This is a little less confusing. He's basically convinced that he is the most faithful. On to the next one!


Luke 22:33-But then he replied "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." 

Well. That's good I guess. Because Peter did go to prison. And he was killed. Just not with Jesus. (Luke is probably the lengthiest gospel writer...)


John 13:37-Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you. 

Okay. I take it back. John might be the lengthiest writer... although his book is about 75% different from the other three, if I remember correctly. But seriously. The other books are 3ish chapters about Holy Week. (Kind of... not counting from the "triumphal entry" to the end... just the Passover feast) John is like, 8 chapters. Crazy =P 
It's interesting how Peter's statement morphs from "Even if everyone else falls away, I won't" to "I'll die for you." It would be so fascinating to know what he actually said... but I won't know that until heaven. 

Today has been a good day. I hope you had a good day too!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

NIPTO, Day 49

Today has been a good day. Music went well. Sunday school was fun. The sermon was good. I got to see Sophia! (A girl I babysat over the summer... I should write a post about that. It's a good story.) Lunch was good. Chuck is amazing. (Yes. I'm watching Chuck... again... but hey! My sister hasn't caught up, so I'm "helping" her catch up =P)
I'm not watching Chuck anymore. Just fyi. I'm also writing this post with my 3D glasses from Alice in Wonderland on... I'm  a strange child... that's what my best friend says. But whatever. I don't care what you think of me.


This just in: Apparently, I should separate the verses and what I write about them because "it seems overwhelming" according to my sister. Harumf. Just suck it up and read it, Katie... Hannah. I hope you two read this! =P I don't think I'll have as much today... but I can't make any promises. 




Acts 12:9-Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.


I think this is actually kind of funny. Even though it isn't. It kind of is. Peter didn't realize that what was happening was actually happening. Once he was actually out of prison, he realized what was going on. He genuinely thought that he was still in prison, just having a vision of what was happening. But it really happened. 




Proverbs 28:26-He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.


Soooo you shouldn't trust yourself? Nope. You shouldn't trust in yourself. Trust in God. Walk in wisdom. None of this foolish stuff. Wisdom. 




Revelation 21:6-He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life."


Sweet... nectar of life? I don't know where that came from. Ignore me. What do you get from this? If anything?

Saturday, March 27, 2010

NIPTO, Day 48

Ahhhhhh. Today has been a fantastic day. Sleeping in: good. Setting up for/the Easter egg hunt: fun. Eating lunch and jamming to Queen: faaaantastic. Going to see Alice In Wonderland in 3D:... SO MUCH FUN! Alice In Wonderland was an amazing movie. It was the first 3D movie I've ever been to. It was sweeeet. Definitely cool. Johnny Depp is an amazing actor. The graphics were amazing. It was great.

After dinner we went on a walk... it was sunset-y and gorgeous. I took some pictures.  
Robin. Tree. Moon.


Tree. Pretty.
Pretty sky...
The sky looked soft... I wanted to touch it.
Trees.

Today was great. It's nice to just be around my family... and laugh. And sing. We laugh so much that it's ridiculous. And we burst into song at random times throughout the day whenever anyone makes a reference to a song or just thinks of a song. It's great. I love it. 
Right now I'm just chilling in the living room, waiting for my dad to get Chuck set up so Katie can catch up!! (Have I mentioned that Chuck's my favorite tv show?? haha)

One Scotcharoo (rice-crispy-treat w/ chocolate&butterscotch) and one episode of Chuck later.... NIPTO time!

Acts 13:30-But God raised him [Jesus] from the dead. That's what it's all about. It's about Jesus dying on the cross. It's about him being dead for 3 days. It's about God raising Jesus from the dead. 

Proverbs 27:19-As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man. I've heard again and again that your heart reflects your actions. But really, whatever you prioritize in your heart, you're going to prioritize in life. It's a good practice (that I don't do very often... heh) to take some time to examine your heart and what's goin' on in there. 

Revelation 22:5-There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. I've been picking verses that tell about light this week. I think it's extremely symbolic. Light=God/holiness, Dark=Satan/sin. Simple as that. 

bwahhhh. it's late. I'm going to SLEEP now! WOOT! Doing music at church tomorrow. Should be a good time. NOW: onwards to the land of dreams... 

[What do a writing desk and a raven have in common?]

Friday, March 26, 2010

NIPTO, Day 47

Oh my goodness. There is snow on the ground. Spring break starts after school ends today... and there is SNOW on the ground. WOW. Wanna see some pictures? Okay! Here are a couple that I took this morning so I could document the craziness of snow on spring break. I would also like to add that my best friend is leaving for Florida today to go to Disney World... She's pretty excited to leave! hm.... I wonder why?
  Remember... today is March 26th.
There are buds on the trees.

See how wrong that is?!?! But I guess I live in Ohio and can't expect much else. (note: I did NOT leave my house to take these. I think I would be ridiculous if I did... and I'm not being sarcastic. I stayed in my house.

In other news: My sister is coming home today for spring break!!! She's going to be home for an entire week. And that's exciting... because she's going to Germany this summer for 11 or 12 weeks. So it's exciting to see her... it should be a super fun week!

Acts 12:24-But the word of God continued to increase and spread. Despite persecution. Persecution almost makes it spread faster. But it can also slow things down majorly. I mean... some people aren't into the whole "getting into something that could get you killed" thing. But some people, once they've heard/seen the truth, there's no way you could make them turn back. 

Proverbs 26:1-Like snow in summer [or spring] or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool. I thought this was particularly relevant to today... Snow in summer... or spring... It's just not right. So it's just as wrong for a fool to be honorable... I mean... A fool is a fool... and it's just not normal for a fool to have honor. Like having snow on March 26th... (but hey, it's Ohio. We'll live. We're used to 'extreme' conditions =P) 

Revelation 21:5-He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." I think "I am making everything new" is fantastic because it doesn't matter how broken and damaged something is, God will make it new. And it's true. It says so in the latter half of the verse. "These words are trustworthy and true." That's what it says. You can trust in them. They're not some big lie. They're true. 

So I'm reading Hebrews 11, right? And I'm on my computer blogging... so I decided to google "Faith quotes." I found this website and there are some good quotes, some cheesy ones, but here are two that I found that I liked. They're not exactly about faith, but they're good reminders.

Frequently remind yourself that God is with you, that He will
     never fail you, that you can count upon him.  Say these words,
     "God is with me, helping me."
   
                                                                    - Norman Vincent Peale
      



Worry is a total waste of time.  It doesn't change anything.
      All it does is taint your mind and steals your joy.
You can't have joy without peace, and there is no peace
      without God.



I hope you have a good day and that you enjoy the weather wherever you are, snow or no snow!


Thursday, March 25, 2010

NIPTO, Day 46

Wow. It's Thursday already. It seems like this week has gone by fast. And in my book, that's a good thing. Especially since it's the week before Spring Break!!! I can't wait for my sister to come home... to not have to do school... (to miss my friends while they're at Disney World in Florida.... Grrr.)

I have to really figure out whether or not I'm going to NYC this summer. I need to find out more about the actual program... and figure out whether it's feasible to get back on the 9th and leave on the 9th in the evening or 10th in the morning to go to North Carolina for LT... AH. So many logistics... I know that I want to go to NYC... but I need to really figure out if God wants me to go... If God says "no" then I'm not going. Simple as that. But I need to really figure that out... *sigh* I don't want to spread myself too thin... and being gone for 2 weeks straight (with less than 24 hours to do laundry at home in between) might be spreading myself thin... We'll see though. I'm sure I'll blog about it once I know if I'm going or not. So keep posted.

My bible smells like tropical smoothie gum from being in my purse with my tropical smoothie gum... Man. That stuff is pungent.

Acts 11:24-[Barnabas] was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Barnabas. The church in Jerusalm heard that there was something going on in Cyprus and Cyrene so they sent Barnabas to check things out. And there were *gasp* Greeks receiving the word of God. Only Jews had really been "allowed" to become Christians. But now there were Greeks becoming Christians. It's sweet.


Proverbs 25:25-Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land. I like the idea that this verse brings of being refreshed. That's all.


Revelation 21:23-The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. No sun. No moon. No night... just the glory of God. Indescribable.

I've gotta say, reading through the Who I am in Christ statements every day is encouraging. It's sweet to really figure out who I am in God's eyes. I like it :)
Hope you have a good day!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

NIPTO, Day 45

WARNING: Serious stuff, and not so serious stuff, ahead.


So last night I was listening to music on my phone. (Phone=mp3 player=awesomesauce!) And I was listening to the song Yearn by Shane&Shane. I really like that song. It reminds me of LT&Colorado... but not Colorado LT. tee hee hee. I'm so clever.... But anyways. Back to my story. I was listening to the lyrics (shocker. I know.) But I was actually listening and paying attention. And one of the lines caught my attention.

Your Joy is mine
So why am I fine?

And I really started to think about it. I have the Joy of the LORD. WHY am I fine??? Why am I content to just live with it? Why do I not revel and rejoice in that joy every single day without fail? Nehemiah 8:10b says "Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." When I feel weak, I can fall back on the joy that God gives me and it will strengthen me. How awesome is that?


Acts 13:52-And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.  Huh. I wonder why this verse stuck out to me... haha. But really... These disciples were filled with joy after they had been rejected. I don't know about you, but I tend to get discouraged when I'm rejected. These men were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. It's incredible. 

Proverbs 24:29-Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did." Revenge... is said to be sweet. It is also said that it is a dish best served cold... revenge is ice cream. (ha. ha. ha. I know. I'm just full of awful jokes today. But really) Revenge is not God's way for us. First I typed "Revenge is not God's way."  But then I realized that God will get revenge for us. We shouldn't do anything about it because we will not, I repeat will not, go about revenge with the right motives. Which sounds strange. But God will give everyone their just desserts. *snickers* *... realizes that Snickers could be dessert...* *facepalms* I really need to get more sleep or something... 

Revelation 21:22-I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. I think this is interesting for the following reasons: They had temples before Jesus came that was where God lived. Now, however, we are the temples. God lives in us because Jesus died and made us holy for God. But in heaven, there will be no need for our bodies or for temples because we will be in the presence of God and Jesus eternally. Sweet. 

Who I am in Christ: I am complete in Him Who is the Head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:10). I am Complete. I don't need anything other than God to complete me. No family. No boys. So often as a teenager you feel like you need to have a boyfriend or girlfriend to complete you, but all you need is God. (wah wah wah-wha wahh... all you need is God... God. God is all you need) And that is comforting ::insert cheesy smile here::

Okay. I just need to stop. Now. Toooooo many bad jokes today. I'm sorry. Will you forgive me? 

One last thing: Tonight at EncounterRemix, they're talking about worshiping God through dance. I can't go because I'll be at dance. Ironic, no?
Hope you have a good day!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

NIPTO, Day 44

I've decided that when you're half-asleep, you can come up with some pretty strange excuses... for example, this morning, my alarm went off and I kind of woke up and felt awake. I reasoned with myself that I should definitely hit snooze and go back to sleep because I felt way too awake... Oh dear. Then the hitting the snooze button about 3 more times ensued... then I finally gave in and woke up. I'm thinking about going to bed early tonight... Weird. =P

Acts 12:9-Peter followed [the angel] out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. This chapter tells the story of Peter's escape from prison. It's crazy. But it really happened. It reminds me of a story from The Heavenly Man. A story about Brother Yun, who wrote the book. He was in a high-security prison. He was crippled and couldn't walk. He had to be carried by other prisoners when he had to be interrogated. One day one of his fellow brothers in Christ who was in prison with him, told him that he should escape. I don't remember everything, but I do know that Yun got up and walked out of the prison. Mind you, he hadn't been able to walk for... months? But he was healed and walked out through several sets of doors that are normally locked. He walked through the courtyard that had security guards in it, out the front gates, and into a taxi. Insane.


Proverbs 23:12-Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. It doesn't say to apply your mind to instruction. It says to apply your heart. I think that as a student, I apply my mind to instruction, but I don't apply my heart. In my heart I don't want to do the work. I think this is going to be my verse of the day. :)


Revelation 21:7-He who overcome will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. When we put our trust in God, we are added to the family. And when we're added to the family, we receive our portion of the inheritance of God. It's sweet.


Who I am in Christ: I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people (1 Peter 2:9). A chosen generation. My generation is going down hill. But God has chosen us. Those of us who are His will be lights. BRIGHT lights. And that is crazy awesome. 




It's time for me to do schooooool now... but I'm starting my day thinking about Proverbs 23:12 and who I am in Christ. That makes things good. Really good.


Monday, March 22, 2010

NIPTO, Day 43


You should listen to this song. It's pretty amazing. We sang it on Friday night... and it was the first time I'd ever heard it. I love it... and you should listen to it :)

There's a thunderstorm going on right now (God's roaring like a lion). I love it. I used to hate thunderstorms with a passion, but now I love love love them. I also have a whole week of new NIPTO material in front of me. It makes me happy. So I'm pretty much in a great place right now. More opportunities to spend time with God+Thunderstorm=Happy Abby. =D
Also, today starts week SEVEN of NIPTO. I mean... I know we have 46 weeks left... but yeah. It's exciting. I'm really doing this. Awesome.

Acts 11:15-17- As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." 17So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?" I like those last few words. Who was I to think that I could oppose God. Really. If these people were doing the same thing you were doing in the name of the same person, you can't do anything about it because, well, God kinda told them to do this. I mean... the Holy Spirit came upon them too... so yeah. I wouldn't want to oppose God!

Proverbs 22:2-Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all. This verse is proof that you can't say "I have absolutely nothing in common with this person" because you do. God made both of you. And that is something to bond and rejoice over. 

Revelation 21:4-He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. How cool is that? No more pain or crying... to be honest, I kind of cry a lot. It doesn't really take much to set me off. You hit something that's close to my heart, I cry. Sometimes I don't cry for a long time, and then it all comes bursting out at some random time. Usually when something upsets me. Even just a little bit. But when we're in heaven, no. more. crying. Just worshiping God in his holiness.

Starting today, every day, for the rest of the NIPTO year (kind of like a fiscal year but different!) those of us who are in NIPTO are going to be reading about who we are in Christ. It's pretty amazing actually. If you want to read what we're reading, you can just click on this link and it'll take you to the post :)

It's time for me to go to sleep to the sound of the rumbling thunder and the pitter pat of raindrops on the roof... and Jim Dale's voice reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to me... =P (Yes. I listen to Harry Potter every single night as I fall asleep. I fall asleep fastest that way!)

Goodnight!

Not Me!



I check up on MckMama's blog regularly and she does a piece called "Not me! Monday" every Monday and I though I would jump in on it today. Not Me Monday's were designed so participants can share what they have NOT been doing... Here goes nothing...

I did not finish my dance for Friday night on Thursday night... less than 24 hours before I had to perform it. I also did not leave my jeans at the warehouse. I'm so much more responsible than that. I am also not posting this with my laptop on top of my open chemistry book... I am so on top of my school work. I don't procrastinate at all by blogging... 

Oh dear. Well. There is what I have not been doing. You can hop on over to MckMama's blog and see what other people have not been up to this week!

Enjoy!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

NIPTO, Day 42

Oh dear. It's late. Sunday nights are not my favorite because: Sunday night is a school night. Uhf. Contrary to almost everyone, I like Mondays... for the most part. There's school... there's class, which is different than school, and there is CHUCK. My favorite television show that is currently on the air on a channel that we get. (Psych is on the air too, but we don't get USA =P) Chuck is currently suspenseful... but I can't say anything about it because I believe that my sister, Katie, who is not caught up on Chuck, reads this. Oh my. I'm tired. I can tell. I'm talking about random stuff. Kind of... it's random in a related sort of way? Okay. Nipto time.

Proverbs 21:21-He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor. I like it... but it's seriously too late for me to think straight...

That's all you're getting for tonight. I know it seems lame, but I did all my other reading... soooo, not quite so lame. If you want to read more about what I did this past weekend, you can read this post. It's interesting I think... there are pictures at least! So go check that out. :)
Goodnight!

Generation Akron... Band dances... your normal weekend.

So much has happened in the last 48 hours. And I'm going to try to sum up.

Friday night was the Generation Akron prayer "meeting" thing. It was fantastic.
Here are some pictures that either I or my dad took.
The Warehouse. (I'm in love with it)


Praying for different subjects


Life. 


Brandon talking. Pretty inspiring.

That night was so... amazing. I'm having a hard time coming up with words. To quote Katie: The energy in there was amazing. 
I don't think I could quite grasp it. I was there from the beginning. Katie came in the middle. I think walking into that building in the middle of something like that would be insane. I think I also couldn't quite grasp it because I was nervous. Oh so VERY nervous. I danced... it went well. I don't think it went as well as it could've, but that's my opinion. But that doesn't really matter. I'm a selective perfectionist which can be good and bad. But really. Praying with other people for the city of Akron was amazing. 
It was a good night over all and I'm looking forward to the next time! Generation Akron's goal for the next few weeks is to meet 2 nights next week, 3 nights the next week, and 4 nights (or all nights?) the next week! The warehouse will be open from 7 until everyone leaves. I'm hoping to stop by once a week if not more. The only problem is, I can't drive. So I have to bum a ride off of someone =P


Saturday night I went to Band Formal with Katie and Paige. It was fun. It was crazy. It was a lot better than Winter Formal. haha. It was a late night. But it was fun. :)

It's time to do NIPTO and print some homework for class tomorrow... 

Saturday, March 20, 2010

NIPTO, Day 41

Last night was awesome. But I'm going to write another post on that when I'm done with this... maybe... if I have the time.

Acts 10:15-The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." I think that we as fairly average, middle-class Americans look down on God's children who are not average, middle-class citizens. But we shouldn't. God made them in his image too. We're the same no matter what our financial situations. We might look at the homeless and think that they're dirty and unclean, but God has washed them and made them pure in his sight. here is a great post that was posted today... it's the guy I told you about a couple days ago. The one who was living on the streets of New York as a homeless man? Yeah. Him. This is a great new perspective on homelessness.


Proverbs 20:27-The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being. Dude. That's scary. To have God know everything that's in my heart? Crazy intense. I mean... even if I want to hide something from him, he still knows it... Crazyyy.

Revelation 20:12-And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
This almost makes things confusing. Because it says that they "were judged according to what they had done." But what you do doesn't really matter. If you've accepted that Jesus died for your sins, then you will have eternal life.


Hebrews 11:19-Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. Abraham was an incredible man of faith. He was willing to kill his own son if God told him to. And God did tell him to. But God, at the last minute, stopped Abraham from killing his son because he had seen his faith. But Abraham believed that God could raise Isaac back from the dead even if he did kill him. That, my dear friends, is faith at its finest.

I'm going to try to cram some nipto homework in now... it's due tomorrow and I realized that I'm not going to have time to do it unless I do it right now. So unfortunately the Generation Akron post is going to have to wait. But it's going to be a good one, so keep an eye out for it. I'll try to get it done tomorrow afternoon, but I have no clue if I'm going to have any time tomorrow... Church, birthday party, Nipto?, youth group, home early... crazy day. But it should be fantastic. So just keep an eye out for it, would ya?



P.S. Today is the first day of Spring! Happy Spring everyone!

Friday, March 19, 2010

NIPTO, Day 40

Wow. It's day 40. That's how long lent is. That's almost a month and a half. That's a long time. Today is also March 19th. I've held this date in my mind for a kind of long time. Today is the Generation Akron prayer meeting. I am SUPER excited. I know that God is going to do some spectacular things tonight, and I hope that one of the things he does is through me. I am going to perform a dance that I choreographed with the help of my sister. I'm SUPER excited to perform it, and I hope that it changes some lives tonight. Someone is going to videotape it for me... and I'll post it on here when I finally get around to it =P I'm guessing that tomorrow morning you'll get a nice long post about tonight... but I could be wrong. It could be fairly short... or it might take me a couple days to process it... so we'll see :)

I want to make this fairly short since I slept in today (on purpose.) But who knows. I'll use God's timing. But I have a lot to get done today before 7pm! Really 6:30 'cause I think that's when we're leaving. I'm so excited. (and I just can't hide it... right. hahah)

Acts 9:5-"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. Okay. Saul was this big time Jesus hater. He killed Christians. He was on his way to Damascus to put more Christians in prison. BUT on the way to Damascus, Saul saw a bright light. It was Jesus. And this bright light that was Jesus changed Saul's life. Saul went from being a crazy Christian killer to  being Paul who wrote letters to the churches of the New Testament... Soooo crazy. After Saul became a Christian, the other brothers of the church were afraid of him because they had heard what he had come to do. Let me tell you, I would be scared if someone who had previously persecuted Christians all of a sudden converted and was this nice Christian guy... I would be freaked out. And most of them were.  But thankfully, not all of them were :)


Proverbs 19:20-Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Oh man. It's hard sometimes to accept correction. But I guess that's not the same as instruction.  But it's still hard to accept instruction when you're 16 and you know everything. ;) It's something I'm workin' on.

Revelation 19:1- After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God."
I'm not quite sure what to say about this other than the fact that it's fantastic... because, I mean, salvation, glory, AND power belong to our God? Sweet.


Hebrews 11:13-All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. I think that all too often we think of earth as our permanent home. It's not. It's our temporary home. We are only guests here for a short time. Our permanent home is Heaven. And those people who lived by faith were looking forward to heaven, not their life on earth.

Hope you have a fantabulous day! I'm pretty sure I'm going to :)
Press on,

Thursday, March 18, 2010

NIPTO, Day 39

Today is another day. It's supposed to be another beautiful day. And I'm excited. I'm alive and somewhat healthy (... I say somewhat because I'm still getting over being sick from last week!) But I'm here. God put me here. And I this morning I'm taking the time to ask him what he wants from me today.

Acts 8:35-Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. Philip shared the gospel with him. The word "gospel" simply means "good news." I also really like how it says "with that very passage of Scripture." Almost anywhere in the Bible is a starting point for sharing the gospel. There might be a couple of exceptions... like the book of Numbers... but that's just a small portion of the bible =P


Proverbs 18:24-A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. This is not saying that you shouldn't have lots of friends. It's just saying that in having lots of friends... and I think he's talking about close friends, there are a lot more chances to fall into traps of sin and whatnot. But there is always that friend... that friend that's always there for you no matter what. I love my friend like that. And I tell her that regularly :)


Revelation 18:20-Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she has treated you. This is talking about the destruction of the city of Babylon. Babylon did not treat Christians well. And God judged that city because of it.


Hebrews 11:2-This (faith) is what the ancients were commended for. Why? Because they didn't have Jesus. They had God who spoke to them through signs and visions, and in Moses's case through a burning bush, but also on Mount Sinai God came down and spoke to Moses directly. The common people of the day had to listen to the prophets and believe what they said. That seems like it would be difficult to believe what these guys were saying. But they were commended for being faithful and believing in what the couldn't see.

I'm looking out the window and it looks like it is most definitely going to be another gorgeous day!
I can't believe it, but the Generation Akron: Call to Prayer is tomorrow! It seems like it kind of snuck (sneaked?... but snuck would be the past-perfect... Oh I give up) up on me. It should be a good time. If you live in or around Akron, you should definitely check it out! We'll be at the Warehouse Forum (that's a map link) from 7-10 (Possibly later... you never know how these things will work out! =P)!
Hope you have a good day! I know I'm looking forward to mine :)

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

NIPTO, Day 38

I went on a walk with a friend this morning. It was fun. We got to see the sun. It was nice. Here are some pictures:

It was a pretty morning. A little cold, but it'll get warmer :) I'm excited for morning walks this summer. It should be a good time... especially once it gets warmer.

Ermm. I'm kind of freaking out... I'm supposed to do this dance at the Generation Akron prayer meeting on Friday night, and it's not finished yet. So that's getting some major time tomorrow. I want to finish it tomorrow so I'm not working on it the day of the performance, ya know? Not exactly a good thing. Sooooo I'm going to get school done quickly. And I'm going to get that dance finished. I don't have that much left... but I just need to get 'er done. So. Tomorrow: Wake up, NIPTO, School, more school, dancing, thenn going BOWLING with my good friends Katie and Paige :) It should be a good time. 

Now: NIPTO. 

In Acts 10 it talks about a man named Cornelius. This man makes me think of a certain song called, you guessed it, Cornelius. It's by the Newsboys. They were a great band before Peter Furler left... *sigh* Oh. Well. Here is a link to the song on YouTube. It's a good song... sorry that it's a corny music video that some people made for a school project... it's the best I could find =P Acts 10:34-35-Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. Yay. I want to be like God and accept everyone for who they are. But that's hard. I feel like everything I post, I want to do, but it's hard. Man... Maybe God's showing me that I need to attempt to do what I'm being shown even if it means that I fail sometimes because it's too hard... hmm... Interesting thought... 

(Proverb of the day... HEY! It's St. Patrick's day. You should really head over to Wikipedia and see what it has to say about St. Patrick! It's actually pretty cool :) and I even linked it up for you! So you have no choice but to go read it. Even if it's just the opening paragraph!) Proverbs 17:5-He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished. I'm going to ignore the second half of this verse. The first half reminds me of a blog post I read today about a fantastic man by the name of Barry Rodriguez who I believe works for World Next Door. For four days and nights Barry is going to "be homeless" in New York City. I would encourage you to go read this post. It's fantastic. It will give you a new perspective. I love it. So go read it and let me know what you think! I'm going to be keeping up to date with what he's posting and will probably post links on here too :)

Revelation 17:14-They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is the Lord of lords and the King of kings--and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers. These "they" people in this passage are kings who are going to make war against God. But it's sooo cool because the Lamb, Jesus, is going to overcome them because he is who he is. And with him are going to be his faithful, devoted, called, chosen followers. We are God's chosen followers. How amazing is that? I know I'm going to be there. Are you?

Hebrews 11:10-For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
This is talking about how Abraham didn't mind living in tents or whatnot because he was looking forward to the "city with foundations." We live in a temporary place. Earth is temporary. It isn't going to last forever. Why set your sights here when you can set them on the permanent things of Heaven? The song "Turn Your Eyes" has a great lyric that goes like this: 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace

Isn't that awesome? I think so.

I'm going to SLEEP now. Because, once again, it's late. Oops. 
Press On!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

NIPTO, Day 37

So I was doing practicing piano today, right? And my mom hands me the phone because it's Brandon's weekly update. So I listen to it and get all the info I need and whatnot, and I hang the phone up, and I feel all bogged down inside. I just felt gross. I don't know if I was just like "oh, I can go hang out tomorrow at the church" or "I really need to talk to my parents about New York, cuz I need to hand my deposit in in 2 weeks if I'm going, and if I don't, I'm can't go" or what. So I decided to sit down and have my quiet time because I didn't do it this morning like I was planning to because I woke up late (whoops). We'll see if this makes me feel better. God usually does make you feel better. That's one thing I like about God. (Notice, I said one thing. I like lots and lots of things about God. Maybe I'll make a list sometime.)

Acts 9:13-14-"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." What I love about this, is that Ananias doubted. That may seem like a weird statement, but it makes me feel good that he was doubtful. In the next verses, God assures him that Saul isn't going harm him. But it took some convincing from God before he went. I doubt waaay too often. Trusting God and having faith is SO hard for me. I'm not really sure why but it is. So that's something I'm working on.


Proverbs 16:1- To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. I'm still trying to process what this verse means. I know I like it because I try to plan my own life and that never works out. Any thoughts from anyone on what this means???


Revelation 16:7-And I heard the alter respond: "Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments." God's judgments are true. They're just. They're what's right for us. But we don't always get that. It's hard to accept something that you don't like. But when you look back on things that you've accepted but haven't liked, you realize that it really was better that it turned out that way.


There wasn't anything that jumped out at me in Hebrews 11 today, so you should click on that link and read it yourself and tell me if there's anything that jumped out at you!

It's time to go to Urban Vision! Soooooo... yeah. Bye! (I do feel much better now!)

Monday, March 15, 2010

NIPTO, Day 36

Good morning!
Yes. It's morning. I'm up. I'm blogging. Life's good.

Last night after I finished my post and went upstairs to get ready for bed, I was thinking. (A dangerous pastime... I know!) I was thinking about this week that's coming up. I think it's going to be a hard week. And I was mentally complaining about it, and then I decided: I need a challenge. What's life without the ups and downs? Boring. Soooo... I've decided that I'm just going to face this week head on with God by my side, and we'll see what comes of it!

Acts 8:30-31- Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. 31"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. This is significant, I think, because back then, they had to have someone explain the word to them because many of them didn't have the Holy Spirit to reveal God's word to us. We are privileged to have the Holy Spirit inside of us. 

Proverbs 15:1-A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. I can't help but notice that one harsh word stirs up anger. It's hard to go through life and not say harsh things. Sometimes they need to be said (in the kindest way possible, at the right time. If you say something that is harsh but honest at the wrong time, the person is going to get angry.) But when someone confronts you about something, it's important to not answer in a roughly defensive way. I know when someone confronts me about something, the first thing I think about is defending myself. It's important to take a step back and see from their perspective what's going on. 

Revelation 15:3-They had harps given them by God and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the lamb: Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways King of the ages. Revelation reminds me that we will ultimately be in heaven worshiping God constantly. I wonder if, whenever I think a certain thought that I think a lot, I could remember to praise God in that moment... I'm going to try this. I'll let you know how it goes. :)

Hebrews 11:8-By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Abraham obeyed God without knowing what was going on. In America today, we like to know what's going on. I know that I freak out when I don't know what's going on. My mom freaks out when she doesn't know what's going on. So to trust God without knowing what's going on, is crazy. It takes faith. The end.

Hope you're having a good day!