This event has changed my life in a number of ways that will be shown below. First, let me tell you a little about Camp Kidstuf 2009. Camp Kidstuf 2009, and yes it's spelled "Kidstuf," is a camp for Kindergarten through 6th grade children to experience God through music, drama, and games. Depending on the age range of kids determines what game(s) they play that night. Now, the irony of it is that it changed how I look at things and turned a whole bunch of things around in a new perspective. The theme for this camp was "Shine." And of course, the music revolved around "Shine." A couple songs used at this camp will be posted at the video bars on the margins of my blog. I missed the first day of the camp, so you'll only be reading about two days:)
The first day I went was okay. The second day I went, which, keep in mind, was the last day oout of the three that was held, was life changing. They were probably the exact songs, but i don't know; it just got to me the third night, you know? The song "We Shine" by Steve Fee was amazing. It says, "We are the redeemed. We are the ones who are free. And we belong to Jesus. We are now alive. In this world we will shine. And we belong to Jesus." That is so true.
One thing it changed about me was that we shine for Jesus throughout everything we do. I teach a group of 4th grade boys about God in a way that they will understand and grasp the idea of Jesus Christ. There was what we call a "bottom line" where it's a statement the kids apply to their life. "How you treat and respect your parents shows what you think about God." That was one of our bottom lines. Now if you think about that, and think about how you treat(ed) your parents, does that seem like what you think about God? Do you say you love God, but don't show it in your life? That needs to change if you said "yes." You can't live a two-faced life, two-faced meaning a double life, kind of like Hannah Montana. It's hard and shouln't happen. Unlike Hannah Montana, that's a TV show and it just makes sense:P
But back to the point. We shine for Jesus through what we do and what we say. Cussing, having sex, and doing drugs are P E R F E C T examples of how to NOT shine for God. Worshipping Jesus, respecting everyone and everything, and helping people through the thick and thin are A M A Z I N G examples of what to do to shine for God. So that part of my life I live differently than I did.
This is all for now. Maybe more laterr.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The Air I Breathe by Louie Giglio ~2*
I was reading Chapter 4 of this book and I decided to blog to you about it. This section from the book is about a lady in a choir for her church named Lori. She went through some tough times. I'll explain as we go along.
"On this particular Sunday, the story for me (Louie) was a woman singing in a small vocal choir backing up the worship band. We were all standing and worshiping to David Crowder's version of "Make a Joyful Noise," and the place was rocking. As we sang, the camera focused on a woman in the choir named Lori. She was passionately worshiping God with a huge smile that beautifully reflected the joy we were singing about."
So far so good right? I mean, a woman in a choir at her church singing about the glory of God.
A M A Z I N G start off right?
"As Lori's face filled the big screen, my face filled with tears.
"I know Lori from 7/22, a Bible study I (Louie) taught in Atlanta for ten years. Geared toward young singles, 7/22 draws thousands of them every week to worship from all across our city. Being a middle-aged mom, Lori didn't exactly fit the typical profile of young people. But her teenage son kept inviting her, and she finally came."
What a B O L D move ! ! ! <------ Mark Malin
"Lori was divorced. She was wounded. And she was spiritually lost. But she came. Can you see it? a mom with a lot of baggage walking into her room packed with young people with her teen son...wall-to-wall people going after Jesus. Something about the place made her feel at home. the spirit she sensed among us drew her in. pretty soon her eyes were opened to the love and grace of God, and on one spring Tuesday night, Lori personally connected with God. Praying a simple prayer, she placed her faith in Christ for eternal life. In an instant she was alive, starting a new journey with God."
So far so good; despite the divorce. Even though she had those tough times, and who knows if she is now... but she found Jesus Christ through all those tough times and what roles He played in them. Jesus made the divorce happen for a reason, whatever that reason may be. Oh the power of Jesus Christ!
"Well, that part of the story is amazing enough...but it gets better. It turns out Lori's ex-husband. the teenager's dad, was searching too. His journey is like so many-a broken childhood and shattered dreams, with deep and desperate wounds leading him down every dead-end road on the planet. In his words, he was 'a hard case'. A lost cause."
This was/is an amazing transformation from in the stage he was in during his life to where he is now. The story goes on to where they both got remarried. If you have noticed throughout the story, they both went down similar paths. The only difference one divorced another. Both went through amazing transformations and put their faith in God. God opened the heart of Lori and Lori saw God in the midst of her life and most of her situations. In her husband's case, her husband had a much harder time, I think. She divorced him. He came through for her in the end and got remarried.
Have you ever been in this situation or have been alongside someone who had this difficult of a time finding God through the midst of everything? I have. My parents. They got divorced. Mom found God. My dad is now attending church. That's a step up right?
I guess the point I'm T R Y I N G to make is spread the W O R D of J E S U S C H R I S T to everyone you can. Start a Bible study or club at school? Don't ask... my mom mentioned it:P
"On this particular Sunday, the story for me (Louie) was a woman singing in a small vocal choir backing up the worship band. We were all standing and worshiping to David Crowder's version of "Make a Joyful Noise," and the place was rocking. As we sang, the camera focused on a woman in the choir named Lori. She was passionately worshiping God with a huge smile that beautifully reflected the joy we were singing about."
So far so good right? I mean, a woman in a choir at her church singing about the glory of God.
A M A Z I N G start off right?
"As Lori's face filled the big screen, my face filled with tears.
"I know Lori from 7/22, a Bible study I (Louie) taught in Atlanta for ten years. Geared toward young singles, 7/22 draws thousands of them every week to worship from all across our city. Being a middle-aged mom, Lori didn't exactly fit the typical profile of young people. But her teenage son kept inviting her, and she finally came."
What a B O L D move ! ! ! <------ Mark Malin
"Lori was divorced. She was wounded. And she was spiritually lost. But she came. Can you see it? a mom with a lot of baggage walking into her room packed with young people with her teen son...wall-to-wall people going after Jesus. Something about the place made her feel at home. the spirit she sensed among us drew her in. pretty soon her eyes were opened to the love and grace of God, and on one spring Tuesday night, Lori personally connected with God. Praying a simple prayer, she placed her faith in Christ for eternal life. In an instant she was alive, starting a new journey with God."
So far so good; despite the divorce. Even though she had those tough times, and who knows if she is now... but she found Jesus Christ through all those tough times and what roles He played in them. Jesus made the divorce happen for a reason, whatever that reason may be. Oh the power of Jesus Christ!
"Well, that part of the story is amazing enough...but it gets better. It turns out Lori's ex-husband. the teenager's dad, was searching too. His journey is like so many-a broken childhood and shattered dreams, with deep and desperate wounds leading him down every dead-end road on the planet. In his words, he was 'a hard case'. A lost cause."
This was/is an amazing transformation from in the stage he was in during his life to where he is now. The story goes on to where they both got remarried. If you have noticed throughout the story, they both went down similar paths. The only difference one divorced another. Both went through amazing transformations and put their faith in God. God opened the heart of Lori and Lori saw God in the midst of her life and most of her situations. In her husband's case, her husband had a much harder time, I think. She divorced him. He came through for her in the end and got remarried.
Have you ever been in this situation or have been alongside someone who had this difficult of a time finding God through the midst of everything? I have. My parents. They got divorced. Mom found God. My dad is now attending church. That's a step up right?
I guess the point I'm T R Y I N G to make is spread the W O R D of J E S U S C H R I S T to everyone you can. Start a Bible study or club at school? Don't ask... my mom mentioned it:P
Thursday, June 4, 2009
"The Air I Breathe" by Louie Giglio
So, as you all may have noticed, my title of this post is one of the most influential Christian and religious writers that has ever lived on this planet! ! ! This book would be the kind of book that I would request for a non-Christ seeker to read. So, everyday from this day forward, I'm going to blog a quote from this book and blog about it and how it applied to my life or simplify it down and explain it and maybe list some ways you could apply it to my life as I could to mine.
Today's Quote
"That's why we come from the womb equipped for connectivity with God, prewired to praise. And that's why, from the youngest age, we begin to worship. We arrive in this world as objects of divine affection, miraculous receptors designed to bring Him pleasure. If only everyone could KNOW we've been created by and for God!" -Louie Giglio, "The Air I Breathe", page 17
At the beginning, when I first read this paragraph on page 17, I was puzzled by the last sentence. "If only everyone could KNOW we've been created by and for God." I thought about it for about 30 minutes, and usually that's not me. Haha. But I was thinking, "Does everyone absolutely KNOW that we've been created by God?" In my opinion, and probably by fact, not everyone absolutely KNOWS if you have been created by God or not. I KNOW I have been created by Him. But imagine if the whole world KNEW that He created all of us. Just imagine that. Wouldn't it be a perfect world? No, probably not; but do you know where I'm getting at with this? Obama wouldn't be in Japan right now; He probably would'nt be Muslim either. Probably the wrong thing to say. Just to let people know, I'm not bringing down Mr. Obama, I don't intend to hurt people's feelings if they support what he does. I mean, yeah we get Japan as a friend and all, but people are getting worried. What if the U.S. becomes a Muslim country? I know it won't; but, think about it. God put us on this world for a purpose, and one of them is to spread Christianity and tell people about Him and what He does/did for us.
Louie also says, before the quoted paragraph above, "You've been created by God. And if that wasn't enough, you've also been created for Him. As a result, there's an international homing device riveted deep within your soul that perpetually longs for your Maker. An internal, Godward magnet, pulling your being toward Him." - Page 16. So it all comes together and makes sense to you now does it? I hope it does! We came "prewired", as Louie says, to worship to God. There's a little gut feeling inside you that is saying that God is your Creator and Maker and you are being pulled toward Him and beginning to know Him.
You know, there is this saying at the top of my blog and something I say to people all the time. If I haven't said it to you, let me know. ;) . And that's this-----> "Don't put God in your life as a small part, like school, your friends, and your family. Be a H U G E part in God's story. Be His hands and feet and serve others. Be His mouth and tell other people about Him. Be His eyes and look up to Him and the Word. Be His heart and have love and compassion for others." I think all this ties together. You are a part of His HHhhhhhhhUUuuuuuuGGGGEEEEEEeeeee story and worship God. That's what you were made to do. You weren't made to have sex and reproduce, says some scientists. You were made and put on this earth to WORSHIP GOD in ways that have never been done before! Go out there and be who you were made to be!
Today's Quote
"That's why we come from the womb equipped for connectivity with God, prewired to praise. And that's why, from the youngest age, we begin to worship. We arrive in this world as objects of divine affection, miraculous receptors designed to bring Him pleasure. If only everyone could KNOW we've been created by and for God!" -Louie Giglio, "The Air I Breathe", page 17
At the beginning, when I first read this paragraph on page 17, I was puzzled by the last sentence. "If only everyone could KNOW we've been created by and for God." I thought about it for about 30 minutes, and usually that's not me. Haha. But I was thinking, "Does everyone absolutely KNOW that we've been created by God?" In my opinion, and probably by fact, not everyone absolutely KNOWS if you have been created by God or not. I KNOW I have been created by Him. But imagine if the whole world KNEW that He created all of us. Just imagine that. Wouldn't it be a perfect world? No, probably not; but do you know where I'm getting at with this? Obama wouldn't be in Japan right now; He probably would'nt be Muslim either. Probably the wrong thing to say. Just to let people know, I'm not bringing down Mr. Obama, I don't intend to hurt people's feelings if they support what he does. I mean, yeah we get Japan as a friend and all, but people are getting worried. What if the U.S. becomes a Muslim country? I know it won't; but, think about it. God put us on this world for a purpose, and one of them is to spread Christianity and tell people about Him and what He does/did for us.
Louie also says, before the quoted paragraph above, "You've been created by God. And if that wasn't enough, you've also been created for Him. As a result, there's an international homing device riveted deep within your soul that perpetually longs for your Maker. An internal, Godward magnet, pulling your being toward Him." - Page 16. So it all comes together and makes sense to you now does it? I hope it does! We came "prewired", as Louie says, to worship to God. There's a little gut feeling inside you that is saying that God is your Creator and Maker and you are being pulled toward Him and beginning to know Him.
You know, there is this saying at the top of my blog and something I say to people all the time. If I haven't said it to you, let me know. ;) . And that's this-----> "Don't put God in your life as a small part, like school, your friends, and your family. Be a H U G E part in God's story. Be His hands and feet and serve others. Be His mouth and tell other people about Him. Be His eyes and look up to Him and the Word. Be His heart and have love and compassion for others." I think all this ties together. You are a part of His HHhhhhhhhUUuuuuuuGGGGEEEEEEeeeee story and worship God. That's what you were made to do. You weren't made to have sex and reproduce, says some scientists. You were made and put on this earth to WORSHIP GOD in ways that have never been done before! Go out there and be who you were made to be!
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