Monday, November 24, 2008
IHOP
I HIGHLY recommend trying IHOP's Coffee Cake Pancakes! MMmmmm! I got the Pecan Struesel Coffee Cake Pancakes, but they also have Apple and something else that I can't remember. They are yummy yummy! :)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Elijah Videos
For those of you who also read Summer's blog, you might remember her talking about Elijah getting the giant stuffed Boz bear. Well we had the priviledge of meeting the giant Boz this weekend. It is HUGE! We got some pretty funny videos of Elijah trying to tackle Boz. A few times Boz ended up tackling him! :) So anyway, here are some videos!
Elijah kicking Boz in the air... or at least attemping to. :)
Elijah just got some of those shoes that have the wheels in the bottom. Brad thought it would be a good idea to tell him to put those on, THEN try to tackle Boz. We were all imagining some hilarious thing to happen, but it was really pretty uneventful. You'll even hear Brad in the video say, "That wasn't nearly as funny as I thought it would be..." Haha!
When I first sent these videos to mom she said, "Oh what we do for entertainment..." :)
----Be sure to check out the new post below this one!
Elijah kicking Boz in the air... or at least attemping to. :)
Elijah just got some of those shoes that have the wheels in the bottom. Brad thought it would be a good idea to tell him to put those on, THEN try to tackle Boz. We were all imagining some hilarious thing to happen, but it was really pretty uneventful. You'll even hear Brad in the video say, "That wasn't nearly as funny as I thought it would be..." Haha!
When I first sent these videos to mom she said, "Oh what we do for entertainment..." :)
----Be sure to check out the new post below this one!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Finally, Maybe
The title was Matt's idea... Finally, MAYBE, we have picked a place for the wedding!
Last Friday, November 14th, Matt and I went to Denison to check out the prayer garden at Park Avenue Church of Christ. (That is where we first met and interned together) During our internship there, they were in the process of creating the garden and we would walk down there occasionally to check out the process. It is absolutely beautiful right now. The trees are starting to change colors and there are leaves on the ground. They just planted hundreds of new plants for the winter season and it is so beautiful. So... we have decided that we would like to get married there! Now, nothing is "OFFICIAL" yet, but this is what we are leaning toward. Again, not official, but we are also looking at the date November 14, 2009! We had originally planned on a December wedding, but we figured that November was at least a little more predictable as far as the weather goes. Matt said he likes that date because we also got engaged on the 14th of July so he says that is one less number to remember. :) We realize the weather can still be unpredictable then, but we're willing to take that chance. We would have the Park Avenue building as a backup. We certainly wouldn't expect people to come all "dressed up" - you could bring your blankets if you want! Anyway, we went back there the next day with my mom and dad to let them check it out and we took a few pictures - so check them out!
The pathway down to the garden...
The beautiful fountain...
The "stage" where we will be...
The pergola (I think that is what they're called!) where I would probably walk in...
Here is a slideshow of all of the pictures we took:
"By His Wounds..."
One of my favorite stories is the story of Jesus’ trial and Peter’s denial in Mark 14:53-72. Imagine being witness to the following events:
It is late in the night, and Peter follows Jesus and his captives at a distance into the courtyard of the high priest. Peter joins the guards by the fire to warm himself. As Jesus’ trial begins, there is mass chaos. There are many who give false testimony against him, and, to add to it, none of them can agree! They each have their own slight alteration of the true story. When asked by the priest how he would defend himself against such accusations, Jesus gives no answer. Isaiah 53:7 says “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth.” I can imagine sitting next to Peter watching the events and wondering, “Why aren’t you saying anything? This is your chance; tell them who you are!” Still, he says nothing.
Remember, in Mark, Jesus has not made the claim that he is the Messiah. Demons have claimed him as the Son of Man, but he has told them to remain quiet. In his trial before the high priest he is asked, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Facing his time of great suffering, Jesus finally reveals his true identity answering, “I am.” Furthermore, he says, “...and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Here, he echoes the words of Daniel 7:13-14. In this he makes the claim, “You judge me now, but I am truly your judge.” The high priest becomes angry at these words and considers them blasphemy; the penalty for cursing a ruler is death. Jesus knew they would consider him to be committing treason, but he still stands faithful.
All the while during the trial, Peter is sitting in the courtyard. As we watch Jesus facing an unfair trial, we also see Peter in his own trial. First, one of the high priest’s servant girls points out that he was with Jesus the Nazarene. Fearing for his life, although earlier he claimed he would follow Jesus to the death, Peter denies her saying, “I don’t know or understand what you are talking about.” One would think at this point he would remember the words of Jesus, “You will deny me three times,” and leave. You would think he would hear this very warning and get away from others in order that he might not deny his Lord. Placing yourself in the scene next to the fire, you might even think, “If they accuse me like they are accusing him, I’m getting out of here. I don’t want them to wrongfully accuse me too!” However, Peter stays. Again, the same servant girl sees him and accuses him of being a follower of Jesus, and, again, he denies him. The man who was probably previously rejected by another rabbi denies the very one who chose him specifically, Peter, to be his follower. Then, those around Peter recognized him as a Galilean and as one of the disciples; however, as he had twice before, Peter denies the claims. He even curses himself and swears; he makes an oath that he does not know Christ. He earlier declares Jesus as the Christ, but in the face of the surrounding world, Peter says he does not even know this man. Immediately the cock crows and Peter remembers. He breaks down and begins weeping. Jesus has withstood the test, but Peter has failed, denying his Lord three times, even after being warned.
So many times I find myself, just like Peter, denying Jesus in the way I am living out my daily life. After being given all of the warning signs, I still manage to fall into the trap and fail in my greatest trial.
Many would see this as the end of the story. Peter has failed; he denies Jesus. But the story does not end there. Peter goes on to live a faithful life, possibly even suffering the same type of death as his dear friend, Jesus. Even greater than this, though, is Jesus’ response to Peter’s denial. As Max Lucado puts it, after his resurrection, Jesus could have very well seen Peter and said, “I told you so.” He could have said, “I even gave you a warning and you still denied me; therefore, I will deny you!” However, he does not even bring it up. He simply asks him three times if he loves him. After Peter replies, “Yes,” Jesus tells him, “Feed my sheep,” and, “Follow me.” This is a story of great trial and failure of Peter, but it is also a story of the faithfulness and grace of our friend, Jesus.
Do we know Jesus? Do we love him? Are we ready and willing to proclaim the name of Christ before others? Are you prepared to feed his sheep and follow him? It is not easy and times of great trial and failure will surely come, but praise be to God for his love, grace, and forgiveness.
“he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53
-Matt
It is late in the night, and Peter follows Jesus and his captives at a distance into the courtyard of the high priest. Peter joins the guards by the fire to warm himself. As Jesus’ trial begins, there is mass chaos. There are many who give false testimony against him, and, to add to it, none of them can agree! They each have their own slight alteration of the true story. When asked by the priest how he would defend himself against such accusations, Jesus gives no answer. Isaiah 53:7 says “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth.” I can imagine sitting next to Peter watching the events and wondering, “Why aren’t you saying anything? This is your chance; tell them who you are!” Still, he says nothing.
Remember, in Mark, Jesus has not made the claim that he is the Messiah. Demons have claimed him as the Son of Man, but he has told them to remain quiet. In his trial before the high priest he is asked, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Facing his time of great suffering, Jesus finally reveals his true identity answering, “I am.” Furthermore, he says, “...and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Here, he echoes the words of Daniel 7:13-14. In this he makes the claim, “You judge me now, but I am truly your judge.” The high priest becomes angry at these words and considers them blasphemy; the penalty for cursing a ruler is death. Jesus knew they would consider him to be committing treason, but he still stands faithful.
All the while during the trial, Peter is sitting in the courtyard. As we watch Jesus facing an unfair trial, we also see Peter in his own trial. First, one of the high priest’s servant girls points out that he was with Jesus the Nazarene. Fearing for his life, although earlier he claimed he would follow Jesus to the death, Peter denies her saying, “I don’t know or understand what you are talking about.” One would think at this point he would remember the words of Jesus, “You will deny me three times,” and leave. You would think he would hear this very warning and get away from others in order that he might not deny his Lord. Placing yourself in the scene next to the fire, you might even think, “If they accuse me like they are accusing him, I’m getting out of here. I don’t want them to wrongfully accuse me too!” However, Peter stays. Again, the same servant girl sees him and accuses him of being a follower of Jesus, and, again, he denies him. The man who was probably previously rejected by another rabbi denies the very one who chose him specifically, Peter, to be his follower. Then, those around Peter recognized him as a Galilean and as one of the disciples; however, as he had twice before, Peter denies the claims. He even curses himself and swears; he makes an oath that he does not know Christ. He earlier declares Jesus as the Christ, but in the face of the surrounding world, Peter says he does not even know this man. Immediately the cock crows and Peter remembers. He breaks down and begins weeping. Jesus has withstood the test, but Peter has failed, denying his Lord three times, even after being warned.
So many times I find myself, just like Peter, denying Jesus in the way I am living out my daily life. After being given all of the warning signs, I still manage to fall into the trap and fail in my greatest trial.
Many would see this as the end of the story. Peter has failed; he denies Jesus. But the story does not end there. Peter goes on to live a faithful life, possibly even suffering the same type of death as his dear friend, Jesus. Even greater than this, though, is Jesus’ response to Peter’s denial. As Max Lucado puts it, after his resurrection, Jesus could have very well seen Peter and said, “I told you so.” He could have said, “I even gave you a warning and you still denied me; therefore, I will deny you!” However, he does not even bring it up. He simply asks him three times if he loves him. After Peter replies, “Yes,” Jesus tells him, “Feed my sheep,” and, “Follow me.” This is a story of great trial and failure of Peter, but it is also a story of the faithfulness and grace of our friend, Jesus.
Do we know Jesus? Do we love him? Are we ready and willing to proclaim the name of Christ before others? Are you prepared to feed his sheep and follow him? It is not easy and times of great trial and failure will surely come, but praise be to God for his love, grace, and forgiveness.
“he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53
-Matt
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Funny Video
This YouTube video is so funny. It DOES have a bad word in it, but that is the part that makes it so funny to me. Check it out...
Here is an interview with the little girl on the Ellen show - it is pretty funny, too!
Here is an interview with the little girl on the Ellen show - it is pretty funny, too!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?
Have you ever felt alone? I’m not talking about just feeling lonely like a college student feels when they move away from home and familiar faces for the first time. I mean have you ever felt truly alone, abandoned? If so, what was this like? What were you facing at the time you felt abandoned?
I’ve been lonely, hurt, confused, and betrayed, but I’m not sure I have ever felt truly abandoned. After being arrested, facing trial under the leadership of his own people, being beaten and crucified, Jesus went through more suffering than I could ever imagine. Not only was his body physical broken and torn, nails driven into his hands and thorns into his head, but he was betrayed, spit on, laughed at, mocked, and scorned. He felt truly abandoned.
In the garden, when the time came, Jesus and his disciples were approached by a group and Roman soldiers and one of his closest friends, Judas. This is the beginning of complete abandonment for Jesus. He is betrayed by a friend with a friendly gesture, a kiss. When he is arrested and led away, his disciples, the men he chose to follow him, completely flee the scene. They run away. Jesus is abandoned by his closest friends. In Mark’s account (14:51), just after the disciples flee, it says there is a young man following Jesus. The men who have arrested Jesus try to seize this young man, but they only grab his garment. He too runs away. Who is this young man? Some would suggest that this is possibly Mark; he would have been a young man at the time. Others suggest something radically different. Could this be an angel? After Jesus’ crucifixion, the three women arrive at his tomb to anoint the body. Not only do they find the tomb empty, but they also “...saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side...” (16:5). The young man in this scene is, of course, an angel. Throughout the Bible, there are numerous accounts of angels; each time, scriptures use the term “man” instead of “angel.” To further support the idea that this young man following Jesus after his arrest is an angel, it occurs just after Jesus’ disciples, the only people with him in the garden, run away. The people have already left the scene. If this is an angel, this not only means that Jesus’ friends have left his side, but now, even the angelic world has abandoned Christ.
After being charged with treason, his own people send him away to be tried under Pontius Pilate. When asked by Pilate what he should do, they yell, “Crucify him,” and he is sent away to face the cross. It was the ninth hour, about 3 p.m., when Jesus cried out. Stop for a second and place yourself at the cross of Jesus, having watched the events of the day. Listen as he cries, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This is a suffering man who is feeling absolute abandonment. Although I am certain his Father was right there suffering through the cries of his Son, Jesus feels complete despair. He is, possibly, quoting directly from Psalms 22. I would suggest taking the time to read all of Psalms 22, however, and not just stopping at the direct quote. Perhaps Jesus is crying out more than, “Why have you forsaken me?” The end of the Psalm gives praise to God. Here, Jesus is not simply asking a question. He is saying, “God, I do not understand this. Why did it have to come to this? Why must I suffer like this? I have absolutely nothing left to give, but I trust in your honor and your glory.”
This is a statement of faith! He is acknowledging his Father’s glory. In doing so, he is setting an example for us in love. He doesn’t understand the suffering, but he wholly trusts in the Father. His faith is never failing, even as he breathes his last. May we all remain faithful, even to our very last breath.
-Matt
I’ve been lonely, hurt, confused, and betrayed, but I’m not sure I have ever felt truly abandoned. After being arrested, facing trial under the leadership of his own people, being beaten and crucified, Jesus went through more suffering than I could ever imagine. Not only was his body physical broken and torn, nails driven into his hands and thorns into his head, but he was betrayed, spit on, laughed at, mocked, and scorned. He felt truly abandoned.
In the garden, when the time came, Jesus and his disciples were approached by a group and Roman soldiers and one of his closest friends, Judas. This is the beginning of complete abandonment for Jesus. He is betrayed by a friend with a friendly gesture, a kiss. When he is arrested and led away, his disciples, the men he chose to follow him, completely flee the scene. They run away. Jesus is abandoned by his closest friends. In Mark’s account (14:51), just after the disciples flee, it says there is a young man following Jesus. The men who have arrested Jesus try to seize this young man, but they only grab his garment. He too runs away. Who is this young man? Some would suggest that this is possibly Mark; he would have been a young man at the time. Others suggest something radically different. Could this be an angel? After Jesus’ crucifixion, the three women arrive at his tomb to anoint the body. Not only do they find the tomb empty, but they also “...saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side...” (16:5). The young man in this scene is, of course, an angel. Throughout the Bible, there are numerous accounts of angels; each time, scriptures use the term “man” instead of “angel.” To further support the idea that this young man following Jesus after his arrest is an angel, it occurs just after Jesus’ disciples, the only people with him in the garden, run away. The people have already left the scene. If this is an angel, this not only means that Jesus’ friends have left his side, but now, even the angelic world has abandoned Christ.
After being charged with treason, his own people send him away to be tried under Pontius Pilate. When asked by Pilate what he should do, they yell, “Crucify him,” and he is sent away to face the cross. It was the ninth hour, about 3 p.m., when Jesus cried out. Stop for a second and place yourself at the cross of Jesus, having watched the events of the day. Listen as he cries, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This is a suffering man who is feeling absolute abandonment. Although I am certain his Father was right there suffering through the cries of his Son, Jesus feels complete despair. He is, possibly, quoting directly from Psalms 22. I would suggest taking the time to read all of Psalms 22, however, and not just stopping at the direct quote. Perhaps Jesus is crying out more than, “Why have you forsaken me?” The end of the Psalm gives praise to God. Here, Jesus is not simply asking a question. He is saying, “God, I do not understand this. Why did it have to come to this? Why must I suffer like this? I have absolutely nothing left to give, but I trust in your honor and your glory.”
This is a statement of faith! He is acknowledging his Father’s glory. In doing so, he is setting an example for us in love. He doesn’t understand the suffering, but he wholly trusts in the Father. His faith is never failing, even as he breathes his last. May we all remain faithful, even to our very last breath.
-Matt
Monday, November 10, 2008
intersection
We went with the youth group last night to a thing called Intersection. It was held at one of the churches here in Austin and all the area youth groups get together to have one big thing. We sang, played some games, ate, and listened to the speaker.
The speaker was Jordan Shipley, a receiver for the ut football team. He certainly wasn't a good, professional speaker, but he did a good job. He talked about his faith and how he has gotten to the point where he is now. He also talked about some of the efforts that he and his roommate, Colt McCoy, make to share their faith with the rest of the team. Even if they are longhorns, it was cool to see them taking their time to come out to a youth group event and share their faith. Colt McCoy was there too, but he didn't speak to the group as a whole.
At the end of Jordan Shipley's talk he opened it up for questions. Most people were asking things like, "What is your shoe size? Who is the fastest person on the team? What is your favorite food?" At one point he pointed out someone and I heard them ask, "Where did you get that shirt?" Jordan kind of laughed and said, "Colt McCoy... I got this shirt from Colt McCoy's dresser..." Come to find out, it was Colt that asked the question. Jordan quickly added that Colt steals his clothes as well.
One of my favorite parts was when Jordan was "quoting" some scripture. Throughout his talk, he would pull out random scriptures from memory and recite them. However, at one point he was talking about how he and Colt keep each other accountable and how having an accountability partner is always a good thing to have. He then said something like, "It is like that scripture that says just as iron sharpens iron..... yeah... your friends." We got a good laugh out of it and he just kind of laughed then smiled real big... I'm sure he is used to his smile getting him out of things.
Something that he shared that was pretty cool is something that the whole team participates in. He said they have big white boards in their locker room and that every day SOMEBODY puts up a different scripture. He said different people do it each time, but there is always something up there. He said they clear it off every day, and every day there is a new one up. We thought that was pretty cool.
Anyway, I still hope the rest of their football season stinks (especially come Thanksgiving) - but I respect them for taking time out of their busy schedules to share their faith with youth groups.
The speaker was Jordan Shipley, a receiver for the ut football team. He certainly wasn't a good, professional speaker, but he did a good job. He talked about his faith and how he has gotten to the point where he is now. He also talked about some of the efforts that he and his roommate, Colt McCoy, make to share their faith with the rest of the team. Even if they are longhorns, it was cool to see them taking their time to come out to a youth group event and share their faith. Colt McCoy was there too, but he didn't speak to the group as a whole.
At the end of Jordan Shipley's talk he opened it up for questions. Most people were asking things like, "What is your shoe size? Who is the fastest person on the team? What is your favorite food?" At one point he pointed out someone and I heard them ask, "Where did you get that shirt?" Jordan kind of laughed and said, "Colt McCoy... I got this shirt from Colt McCoy's dresser..." Come to find out, it was Colt that asked the question. Jordan quickly added that Colt steals his clothes as well.
One of my favorite parts was when Jordan was "quoting" some scripture. Throughout his talk, he would pull out random scriptures from memory and recite them. However, at one point he was talking about how he and Colt keep each other accountable and how having an accountability partner is always a good thing to have. He then said something like, "It is like that scripture that says just as iron sharpens iron..... yeah... your friends." We got a good laugh out of it and he just kind of laughed then smiled real big... I'm sure he is used to his smile getting him out of things.
Something that he shared that was pretty cool is something that the whole team participates in. He said they have big white boards in their locker room and that every day SOMEBODY puts up a different scripture. He said different people do it each time, but there is always something up there. He said they clear it off every day, and every day there is a new one up. We thought that was pretty cool.
Anyway, I still hope the rest of their football season stinks (especially come Thanksgiving) - but I respect them for taking time out of their busy schedules to share their faith with youth groups.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Watch!
Since today is the election, for those of you who haven’t voted yet, instead of providing you with a devotional thought, I would like to give you who you should vote for if you are a Christian...
...I’m kidding. In fact, I would like to offer something to take our thoughts off of the election and onto something of great importance, Jesus.
In Mark 14:32-42, as Jesus prepares to face the coming ordeal, he takes his disciples about halfway up the side of the Mount of Olives to Gethsemane. He then takes his inner group, the three first chosen to be his followers, Peter, James, and John, to a separate place in the garden. He tells them to stay there and keep watch. Here, the word “watch” is one of great importance. Earlier in Mark 13, Jesus, in telling his followers of the coming of the end, he reminds them that the day and the hour of his return is unknown even to the Son. He then tells them three times to keep watch. He says, “...keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.” When the rooster crows—possibly a foreshadowing of Peter not watching?
Here, in chapter 14, Jesus once again tells them to watch. He then goes off to pray in agony. “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Jesus is, without a doubt, in deep suffering. He knows what is coming and does not want to go through it; who in their right mind would? So he humbly asks for this cup of suffering to be removed. If he would have left his prayer at that, I wonder if, as the song says, “ten thousand angels” would’ve arrived to destroy the world and set him free. He could have very well made this appeal, but his prayer doesn’t stop there. He then says, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.” In his faithful love, he does not want to break the relationship between the Father and the Son.
In verses 37, 40, and 41, Jesus comes back to find his disciples asleep—three times. Remember, in chapter 13, Jesus has said three times to keep watch. Here, he has told them once again to keep watch and pray, but they fall asleep each time. They still do not understand! In their most powerful test, they are caught sleeping. The disciples have just made the claim that they will stand by their Lord, even if it means death. These brave words are greatly contrasted, though, in their performance. When push comes to shove, they fall asleep.
We are given a beautiful example by Jesus. In his time of terrible suffering, in agony, he still remains faithful: “Not my will, but what you will.” Father, I don’t want this; I don’t understand this! But you are much greater than I; my life is yours. This is our example, yet so many times we are like the disciples. I have made great claims of following Christ to the death, yet, when push comes to shove, I often times catch myself sleeping. We have been told, as we have read in chapter 13, to watch and pray.
Are we diligently watching and praying? Are we daily offering our entire lives as a living sacrifice just as Christ faithfully offered his own life, or do we only make the claim and still follow our own desires? Is it truly not what we will, but what God wills, or have we fallen asleep?
...I’m kidding. In fact, I would like to offer something to take our thoughts off of the election and onto something of great importance, Jesus.
In Mark 14:32-42, as Jesus prepares to face the coming ordeal, he takes his disciples about halfway up the side of the Mount of Olives to Gethsemane. He then takes his inner group, the three first chosen to be his followers, Peter, James, and John, to a separate place in the garden. He tells them to stay there and keep watch. Here, the word “watch” is one of great importance. Earlier in Mark 13, Jesus, in telling his followers of the coming of the end, he reminds them that the day and the hour of his return is unknown even to the Son. He then tells them three times to keep watch. He says, “...keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.” When the rooster crows—possibly a foreshadowing of Peter not watching?
Here, in chapter 14, Jesus once again tells them to watch. He then goes off to pray in agony. “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Jesus is, without a doubt, in deep suffering. He knows what is coming and does not want to go through it; who in their right mind would? So he humbly asks for this cup of suffering to be removed. If he would have left his prayer at that, I wonder if, as the song says, “ten thousand angels” would’ve arrived to destroy the world and set him free. He could have very well made this appeal, but his prayer doesn’t stop there. He then says, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.” In his faithful love, he does not want to break the relationship between the Father and the Son.
In verses 37, 40, and 41, Jesus comes back to find his disciples asleep—three times. Remember, in chapter 13, Jesus has said three times to keep watch. Here, he has told them once again to keep watch and pray, but they fall asleep each time. They still do not understand! In their most powerful test, they are caught sleeping. The disciples have just made the claim that they will stand by their Lord, even if it means death. These brave words are greatly contrasted, though, in their performance. When push comes to shove, they fall asleep.
We are given a beautiful example by Jesus. In his time of terrible suffering, in agony, he still remains faithful: “Not my will, but what you will.” Father, I don’t want this; I don’t understand this! But you are much greater than I; my life is yours. This is our example, yet so many times we are like the disciples. I have made great claims of following Christ to the death, yet, when push comes to shove, I often times catch myself sleeping. We have been told, as we have read in chapter 13, to watch and pray.
Are we diligently watching and praying? Are we daily offering our entire lives as a living sacrifice just as Christ faithfully offered his own life, or do we only make the claim and still follow our own desires? Is it truly not what we will, but what God wills, or have we fallen asleep?
Monday, November 3, 2008
6 Random Things
I know I have made a LOT of new posts just today, but I forgot that Summer tagged me in her blog, so I have to put 6 random things about myself!
6 Random Things
1. I used to like mustard. One day Brad decided that he didn't like mustard anymore, and I wanted to be like him so I decided I didn't like it either. I KNOW it is all in my head, but to this day I don't like mustard.
2. Summer taught me how to touch my nose with my tongue. I could never do it but she showed me how to do it a different way (she has a special technique, I guess) and now I can do it!
3. I really like Mojitos. I just discovered them a month or so ago... and they are so yummy.
4. I remember when I was a kid and I was watching "Hook" with Robin Williams. He was flying around in the movie and I started "flying" around my room with my arms out, running in circles. I remember flying around then turning toward my door and my mom was standing there watching me. I was so embarrassed. Whereas I WAS a kid, I remember that I was really too old to get caught "flying" around my room...
5. I LOVE the show "Reba". Yes, it is kind of cheesy, but I think it is HILARIOUS! I watch reruns nearly every day. It cracks me up every time!
6. When I was little, Jason used to come in at bedtime and read to me each night from the book "Charlotte's Web". I still remember it perfectly and it is a really special memory for me.
6 Random Things
1. I used to like mustard. One day Brad decided that he didn't like mustard anymore, and I wanted to be like him so I decided I didn't like it either. I KNOW it is all in my head, but to this day I don't like mustard.
2. Summer taught me how to touch my nose with my tongue. I could never do it but she showed me how to do it a different way (she has a special technique, I guess) and now I can do it!
3. I really like Mojitos. I just discovered them a month or so ago... and they are so yummy.
4. I remember when I was a kid and I was watching "Hook" with Robin Williams. He was flying around in the movie and I started "flying" around my room with my arms out, running in circles. I remember flying around then turning toward my door and my mom was standing there watching me. I was so embarrassed. Whereas I WAS a kid, I remember that I was really too old to get caught "flying" around my room...
5. I LOVE the show "Reba". Yes, it is kind of cheesy, but I think it is HILARIOUS! I watch reruns nearly every day. It cracks me up every time!
6. When I was little, Jason used to come in at bedtime and read to me each night from the book "Charlotte's Web". I still remember it perfectly and it is a really special memory for me.
Halloween
Matt and I had a "couple" costume this year. I will go ahead and give you the heads up... it is REALLY cheesy! Even so, we thought it was pretty funny. We didn't tell anyone what we were - we made them figure it out. SO, I will give you the opportunity to try to figure it out yourself. The only thing you need to know that isn't clear in the picture, is that my costume has HOLES in it... So guess away!
(this is us with our "Most Original" award!)
.JPG)
Any guesses? In case you just absolutly can't guess, you can scroll over the text below and you'll find the answer...
We are: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
I told you it was cheesy, but we thought it was pretty funny... :)
I hope you all had a happy Halloween!
(this is us with our "Most Original" award!)
.JPG)
Any guesses? In case you just absolutly can't guess, you can scroll over the text below and you'll find the answer...
We are: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
I told you it was cheesy, but we thought it was pretty funny... :)
I hope you all had a happy Halloween!
One More
I forgot to mention possibly the BEST concert I went to in October! :) Haha!
But really, Matt played at a big Harvest Festival in Austin on Halloween day. Pond Springs (our church) teamed up with another local church, Northwest Fellowship, and helped them with their festival. I never heard how many people showed up this year, but last year they had over 600 people come. A lot of people from Pond Springs volunteered in different ways. Most people took shifts running the game booths. I made a cake for the cake walk, and Matt filled one of their "live music" slots.
He did a REALLY good job!! And no, I'm not just saying that because "I have to". There were a lot of people who were really impressed! We heard a lot of "Who is that guy? He's good!" Anyway, he really did do a good job. Here are just a few pictures I got while he was playing...
Here is the flyer I made for him to pass out at the Festival.
That's all :)
Concerts!
Better late than never, I suppose! Here are some pictures from our concerts! I didn't get any pictures from the Needtobreathe and Gavin DeGraw concert because I forgot my camera. :( But here are a few from the others!
Marc Broussard on Friday night:
We were right next to the stage! This picture was when he was standing right in front of me. I had to actually kind of lean back some to get the picture!
This was when we first got in. We were so close!!
The concert was AWESOME! Marc Broussard sings with so much soul and his band was awesome too. Toward the end of their set they went NUTS and were rocking out the stage! It was so cool! I can safely say it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to!
Missy Higgins and Ben Folds on Saturday night:
We were actually at the very front again for this concert - we had one row of people in front of us! The pictures got kind of out of order, but this first one is actually toward the end of the concert. We were at the front for a while, but we were right in front of the speakers and it was VERY loud, so toward the end we walked to the back and listened from there. Here is Ben Folds from the back! (Oh and they wouldn't let us use the flash on our cameras, so all of these are kind of blurry)
Missy Higgins! She is one of my favorite artists! She is from Australia so she doesn't have very many shows in this area, so I was super excited to see her! She was VERY good! Again, my pictures are out of order - but this is her singing with Ben Folds during his set.
Ben Folds...
Missy Higgins...
Marc Broussard on Friday night:
We were right next to the stage! This picture was when he was standing right in front of me. I had to actually kind of lean back some to get the picture!
This was when we first got in. We were so close!!
The concert was AWESOME! Marc Broussard sings with so much soul and his band was awesome too. Toward the end of their set they went NUTS and were rocking out the stage! It was so cool! I can safely say it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to!
Missy Higgins and Ben Folds on Saturday night:
We were actually at the very front again for this concert - we had one row of people in front of us! The pictures got kind of out of order, but this first one is actually toward the end of the concert. We were at the front for a while, but we were right in front of the speakers and it was VERY loud, so toward the end we walked to the back and listened from there. Here is Ben Folds from the back! (Oh and they wouldn't let us use the flash on our cameras, so all of these are kind of blurry)
Missy Higgins! She is one of my favorite artists! She is from Australia so she doesn't have very many shows in this area, so I was super excited to see her! She was VERY good! Again, my pictures are out of order - but this is her singing with Ben Folds during his set.
Ben Folds...
Missy Higgins...
We had a great time going to all of our concerts in October, but we were WORN OUT when it was all said and done! Here are all the people we saw (including opening acts): Chuck Wicks, Jewel, Brad Paisley, Needtobreathe, Gavin DeGraw, Flyjack, Marc Broussard, Missy Higgins, and Ben Folds! :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)