Nes Gadol Hiya Sham

Miracle...Life

Let us in all the troubles of life remember that our one lack is life, that what we need is more life--more of the life-making presence in us making us more, and more largely, alive.

George MacDonaldUnspoken Sermons, Second Series

I do live expecting great things in the life that is ripening for me and all mine—when we shall have all the universe for our own, and be good merry helpful children in the great house of our father. Then, darling, you and I and all will have the grand liberty wherewith Christ makes free—opening his hand to send us out like white doves to range the universe.

'But at risk of seeming like I take miracles for granted

(which I don't--I've just never seen anything that wasn't one),

I'm not at all surprised.'

wild thing kaddesh

My friend, Jamie named his baby, Max.
I know a really good story about a 'Max.'
This Max doesn't let time, or difficulties or regrets hamper him in any way.
He doesn't spend any time wondering why, or how, or what if.
Max just goes for it.
I want to be like Max.

Time:
'and he sailed off through night and day
and in and out of weeks and almost over a year'

'Y'hey sh'mey rabbah m'varach l'alam u'l'almey almahyah.'
May His great Name be blessed forever and to all eternity,
through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year...,

Time is ....wow, I can't finish that statement! I don't really know what Time is.
But I know this; it's something God created and He has complete control of time and He has a limitless supply of time.
Max can spend one evening in his room and travel through a day and a night and almost a year. I just want to use whatever time I have to bless His Name. And I think I can do that best by utterly trusting Him to all eternity through night and day and in and out of weeks, 'Beyond all the blessings and songs, praises and consolations that are uttered in the world.'

Difficulties:
'And when he came to the place where the wild things are they roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth
and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws
till Max said "BE STILL!"and tamed them with the magic trick'

Throughout the world which He has created according to His will.
When Max encounters the wild things, he doesn't bemoan their presence or try to reason why they are about...he looks them square in the face and accepts them and tames them!
When wild things come I want to stare into their eyes know that God is in control and trust Him.


Regrets:
'And Max the king of all wild things was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.
Then all around from far away across the world he smelled good things to eat so he gave up being king of where the wild things are.'

'May He establish His kingship, give blossom to His redemption and hasten His Messiah. '
Sometimes, like Max, I end up in a place full of my own wild things.

I need to give up my rule, I don't want to be (and really can't be) king. I need Him to be king. Him, who? Him who loves me 'best of all'. I want His Messiah to establish His Kingship and blossom with His redemption in my life and heart.

I want to let the unsurrendered 'wild thing', "know it's been a part of me for the time being, and part of God's plan for now, but it's not really needed any longer, it's done, and it can go about it's business elsewhere, thank you very much."

Yup, and my supper is still hot.

Blue is the Kaddesh..
Lilac is 'Where the Wild Things Are,' by Maurice Sendek

Come in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR_8kmOmxyk

Here's Hagrid again...only now he looks like me and there's dancing and I don't think there's
a moose but it's hard to tell!

Carry Me Away...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kov4nUt0Fwo

This has been my favorite Christmas song for a couple of years now!

Oh, I love this Blues Traveler guy's voice, oh my yes!

...and this video has what looks like Hagrid's back stomping through

the Forbidden Forest getting a tree...but then you realize it's a nice lady with a

big coat and great hair. Oh and it ends with dancing and a Bullwinkle:)

Here's some bunny pics...

Band-aid

"It is by loving, and not by being loved, that one can come nearest the soul of another; yea, that, where two love, it is the loving of each other, that originates and perfects and assures their blessedness. I knew that love gives to him that loveth, power over mny soul be loved, even if that soul know him not, bringing him inwardly close to that spirit; a power that cannot be but for good; for in proportion as selfishness intrudes, the love ceases, and the power which springs therefrom dies.

Yet all love will, one day, meet with its return. "

— George MacDonald (Phantastes)

About 3 months ago, I slammed my thumb in the door. The cool thing is that a few minutes before doing it, I was standing by the door watching my husband leave for work and I started sucking my thumb like I had already hurt it. Very cool.

I'd say I've got about another month to go before it stops looking purple. Sometimes it takes a long time to heal.

I'm glad I've got this band-aid of Love that is always ready to help me heal.

1John 4:7 -
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

He's coming to Town :)

Sharing at the Convalescent Home today..'cause Eric's sick :) gotta hurry !

'Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow...'

Anyone know the rest of that line?
Tell story about Eric opening up all the presents one year while his mom slept on the couch...
Anyone here find it hard to sleep at night?

I guess for us it's usually not because we're waiting for a special visit, especially a special visit from Santa but the Bible encourages us to have that same kind of expectation and delight in waiting for the Lord to appear.

(Should I try the 'Silly Virgin' story again????)
Yes, yes I will!
mAT. 25
1 "At that time the Kingdom of heaven will be like this. Once there were ten young women who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and the other five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any extra oil with them, 4 while the wise ones took containers full of oil for their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was late in coming, so they began to nod and fall asleep. 6 "It was already midnight when the cry rang out, "Here is the bridegroom! Come and meet him!' 7 The ten young women woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 Then the foolish ones said to the wise ones, "Let us have some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.' 9 "No, indeed,' the wise ones answered, "there is not enough for you and for us. Go to the store and buy some for yourselves.' 10 So the foolish ones went off to buy some oil; and while they were gone, the bridegroom arrived. The five who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was closed. 11 "Later the others arrived. "Sir, sir! Let us in!' they cried out. 12 "Certainly not! I don't know you,' the bridegroom answered." 13 And Jesus concluded, "Watch out, then, because you do not know the day or the hour.

These girls were waiting expectantly....
How can we have our lamps lit bright like the 5 wise virgins?
Right... be like a little kid waiting for Santa...
leave out milk and cookies for Him,
write Him letters,
talk about Him
think about Him,
watch for HIM!

Maybe some of you have seen the movie, "ELF"...
There's this cool man who was raised by Santa's elf's and when he hears
that Santa is coming, he just starts whooping and cheering and clapping.
It's like he can't contain himself.
I want to be like that about Jesus coming back, as excited as Buddy the elf.
I want to be as excited as the shepherds and wise men.
I want to be that little kid waiting and watching like the wise virgins who had
plenty of oil for their lamps.

Luke 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

(I think I'll wear my elf/Link/ robin hood costume!)

Moon Song

There You are
Speaking to me in the moon and the clouds and the stars. *
Here You are whispering to me in the wind,
telling me that you're my closest friend. **

Because You love me
Just as I am. ***
Because you love me
Just as I am.

My closet is the roof top ****
My ceiling is the sky
I feel your arms around me
with You I don't have to try

Because You love me
just as I am
because You love me
just as I am

Like the moon I'm changing
I'm filled up with your love
Your Spirit works within me *****
My strength comes from above

Because You Love me
make me like You
Because You love
me make me brand new ******

because You Love me
because you love me
because you love me...

*Psalms 19:1-6
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

**John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends

***Rom. 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

****Mat. 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

*****Ephes. 3:16b ..to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

******2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Duck Dive

Ever watched a surfer 'duck dive' under a big wave? This massive foaming wall of water is pounding towards the frizzy headed guy paddling on his board and it's just about to hit. Then he pushes the nose of his board underwater and the wave just roars on by over his curls. Sometimes if your hair is long enough you can feel the wave pulling your hair back but you're in this safe channel of peace beneath the turmoil. It's amazing to experience and breath taking to watch.
Yesterday, I found out that my breast lump has grown so I've gotta face the wave. It was really bugging me all afternoon and then we went to the surf movie, watched those guys duck diving those enormous waves. You know, I can't surf but I can act like a duck, take a deep breath, and dive.
God is so faithful. He's always there even when there's this confusing mass of water heading for you.
So come on! Let's take a deep breath of the Spirit and act like a duck.

beach towel cape

Well, I guess to some I come across 'like a kid with a beach towel for a cape who thinks she's
Superman.' But that's okay... I know I can fly and I want these kids to find out that they can too.
So if that means saying "yes" to the Spirit's musings and being misunderstood by some for a time, as long as the lightening flashes and a few see it and grow in Love and learn to let Him speak to their lives, that's cool.
When you get told by one person, 'You make no sense,' it sucks. But then you just scarcely turn around and another tells you how glad her son is that he bothered to wake up early on a Sunday, that I really inspired him...then well I'll take all the 'you make no sense' comments available.

Like my friend, Breeze reminded me; my whole point was not to spell it out. I want them to find out for themselves, to seek, to search, to ask, and to listen.
So let's get out those towels and fly around the room again.

silly rabbi

Okay, that was totally fun. I love teaching those teens. And there was a ton of them today because so many college students were home for break. The parable about the ten virgins led to me saying 'don't be a silly virgin' which led to me saying, 'Tricks are for kids' which I quickly down-played by heading straight to a joke I learned in my youth.

There was once a city of Trids. The Trids were sad because everyday a giant would come and kick them!

Oneday a wise Rabbi came to town. The Trids explained their problem to him and he promised to try to help.

When the giant came and started kicking the Trids, the Rabbi asked him, "Why are you kicking only the Trids? Why don't you kick me??"

And the giant answered..." Silly Rabbi, kicks are for Trids!"

I am so thankful that I have that joke stuck in my redhead forever and ever, vaed! Don't forget to watch for meteors tonight. Blessings.

Holy Oil

Saw 12 meteors this morning and thought and prayed about my teaching today...
Wish I could just mind meld with the youth...just let them see what I'm trying to communicate along with all the reason and feeling and history and love and faith and hope behind it. But I can't and it's probably a good thing 'cause then they'd also get all the yuckiness that's in my head too. The motives that I have but I don't want and maybe I'm not even really aware of yet.
But you know what...?
That's what the Holy Spirit is all about ...communicating all that good stuff that I can't . Here I am asking them to be Oily Sheep and I'm trying to be the Oil.
Holy Spirit ,
I trust You. I dance in You. I give You full reign this morning. My plans are for You to get all over and into these kids however You desire. In the worship music, in the Word, in your Presence, oh may You reign.
and thanks for all the cool meteors...Tons of Love, Back at cha! Cindy red.

Oily Sheep

Notes for teaching tomorrow..

Imagine if there was a pill you could take and all the tough things in your life would just be gone.
I woke up from a dream with that thought in my head this morning. In my dream, the pill was huge, like a horse pill and very dull looking and kind of mushy.
I decided against it.
The guy offering it kind of looked like a car salesman with a horsey smile and plastic features. I bet you wouldn't take it either. I bet George Washington or Judah Maccabeus wouldn't either. You all know who G. W is and probably most of you have heard me teach about the Maccabees before.
The thing that's really cool to me is that they both fought for the freedom of their country and that Washington lived about 200 years before our time and Judah Mac. lived about 200 years before Jesus' time. They both succeeded with God's help and a tiny band of rebels
to defeat the Empire! Yup, now I'm thinking of Luke Skywalker.
Without their tough times and their victories, we wouldn't have the US or Judaism, Hanukkah or Christmas..(or wookies dancing with those little creatures from Endor.)

Let's turn to John 10 and check out how Jesus celebrated Hanukkah one year.
Feast of 'Dedication' in hebrew that's Hanukkah.
It's called that because the temple was a mess. The evil empire had desecrated the most holy sacred place for Jews. The perpetually burning menorah was out and pigs had been sacrificed on the altar, the Emperor had set up worship of himself instead of for God.
John 10
22 Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade.

As Jesus walked along, he was probably thinking about the courage of the Macabee brothers and their father, Matthias in rebelling against the Emperor and fighting against the Empire's trained soldiers. A Great Miracle happened There'Nes Gadol Hiya Sham' in Hebrew and then another miracle happened when the perpetual menorah lamp was lit. There was only enough holy oil for 1 day but it stayed lit for 8; the time it would take to produce more Holy Oil! I'm sure Jesus was thinking of these things, chilling with the Father and just having a Happy Hanukkah. Then in comes trouble ...

24 The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
The religious leader of the day came in and started questioning him.
Are you the Messiah, the Anointed One, the King?If so tell us plainly.
Welpers, Jesus answered them in the spirit of Hanukkah
and referred to the miracles (He called them good works or mitzvoth) He had done.

25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me,
Now the thing that really blows my mind is that they don't deny that Jesus did miracles,.. check out verse 33...
we aren't stoning you because of the miracles you do but because of what you say.
Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, the King, One with the Father or as they put it 'you a mere man, claim to be God."

33 "We are not stoning you for any of these(miracles)," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."
Miracles, magic trouble relieving pills, do not convince people to believe God. Those religious guys, knew Jesus had power to heal and raise from the dead and multiply fish and loaves but these things don't convince people to follow God.
The most amazing miracles is in verse 28...
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

He gives his sheep eternal life and no matter what ;we are safe in His hand. No matter what!then the other super amazing miracle is in verse 30 where He says I and the Father are One.

30 I and the Father are one."

Jesus never said the words, "I am God" for a very good reason...He didn't want us worshiping three different Gods.
God is One. Get that? Not three God's, one God. That's why it's so cool here that He says, I and the Father are One. It's absolutely brilliant, but what did I expect from God :)
Anyways, so miracles and magic pills don't make us His sheep... and that really is the goal of our lives here...to be His sheep.
You might think it's to be successful or to do good or help people but the real goal;
the real reason we have life at all ;is to be His sheep.
In verse 27, we see what that means to be His sheep...
listen to His voice and follow Him..

27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

and the test to see if you are His sheep is simple too.
'I know them...'does He know you?
Do you listen to his voice and follow him?
Even a bunny can do it, (you knew I had to mention bunny!) She watches my every move and I see her watching me, twitching her little nose and I give her some petting or play with her or give her some nibbles.
Are you watching for Him? Here's an example..a parable of Jesus'..
Mat. 25:1 "God's kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom. 2 Five were silly and five were smart. 3 The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. 4 The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. 5 The bridegroom didn't show up when they expected him, and they all fell asleep. 6 "In the middle of the night someone yelled out, 'He's here! The bridegroom's here! Go out and greet him!' 7 "The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. 8 The silly virgins said to the smart ones, 'Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.' 9 "They answered, 'There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.' 10 "They did, but while they were out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked. 11 "Much later, the other virgins, the silly ones, showed up and knocked on the door, saying, 'Master, we're here. Let us in.' 12 "He answered, 'Do I know you? I don't think I know you.' 13 "So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive.

You know what?? that's so like H.
They needed their lamps to shine... they needed Holy oil and
oil is a symbol of the Holy spirit and you know where they got it from?
Same place it came from in the day of Judah M...from God!
Watch for Him, be ready to respond to Him...How? read this thing(Bible),
hide it in your heart and mind and soul and spirit.
Get alone with Him and listen... spend time praying, with others and studying this with them.
Let Him fill up your lamps with Holy Oil. Then He will know you and you will be
His sheep, the sheep of His hands.

Is. 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
Let's end with verse 14 and 15 from the same chapter.
John 10:14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Jesus laid down His life so that we can know the Father.

If you don't have one of these you can actually carry around and read ask for one for Christmas or Hannukah or ask Jamie and he'll give you one. Be the bunny, you're God's favorite, be an oily sheep.
If you don't know what I mean by 'Oily Sheep' go read Ps. 23 until you do.
Also read all of John 10, it is awesome for sheep...and answers so many tough questions, we all ask.

Gemini Rising

Oh Happy Sunday!

I get to teach the youth about Hanukkah...

and if that's not fun enough, it's like the

best meteor shower of the year.

Only problem is that once the moon rises at about 7:00pm

it'll be difficult to see many of the beauties.

So we just gotta watch for those shooting stars between

6:00 and 7:00.

Gemini will rise in the east and the twins will bring with them

the bits of dust that light up the night.

Then that big daddy moon will rise and shine speaking of truths

both old and new.

Oh my heart will rejoice as great miracles happen all about us and in us

and with us and through us.

deer and bunny

Pslam 84

Psalms 84:1-7 1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young-- a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.

Psalms 42:1-5
1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

I need to find your altar today...a beach walk, at a stop light, in my heart.

Happy Birthday George MacDonald!

"Now Phantastes ... had about it a sort of cool, morning innocence ... What it actually did to me was to convert, even to baptise ... my imagination." C. S. Lewis

When I read what C S Lewis said about George MacDonald, I had to try him out for myself. Immediately, my goal for that year of reading all I could of Lewis was vanquished.
I'd found my mentor, my soul-echo, and without the smell of a pub. I still love that Irishman who led me to MacDonald but Lewis is such a manly man. He's such a guy's guy. He couldn't begin to speak to my heart from the tavern bench or his academic desk the way my Scotsman sang from the moors. 'Baptise', immerse, set free indeed. George MacDonald allowed me to believe that God and His world are as wonderful and lovely as I'd hoped in my deepest desires.
He has taught me to think and notice; love and trust.

From Diary of an Old Soul by George MacDonald
Dec. 11 ....then shall I live such an essential life
That a mere flower will then to me unfold
More bliss than now grandest orchestral strife-
By love made and obedience humble-bold.
I shall straight through its window God behold;
God, I shall feed on thee, thy creature blest
With very being-work at one with sweetest rest.

Happy Birthday, George, soul-echo!

hannukah is coming!

Hannukah is almost here and I love God so much. He had so much fun today reminding me to edit my chapter on Hannukah. I all could think about lately when it comes to blogging is George MacDonald's birthday but not today. Micah asked for Hannukah CD's to give to his girlfriend's mom. One of my gal pals brought over a present and it's a super neat Menorah window light! Then a kid at youth group's mom made me a Hannukah handtowel. It's so fun to be blessed.

Saw eight (I think it was eight:) meteors this morning and that's definately a reminder of this Feast of Lights and Miracles. Anyways, miracles and light are constantly surrounding us, connecting us, and filling us with His Presence. Watch for 'em!

an E-mail conversation

Tons of Love, Cindy

May your 'tons' always weigh heavy upon me to squeeze out the earthy bits that are sprinkled through my soul:) -yj

Hi yj,

I used to sign letters, 'In His Love' but switched when someone pointed out that, 'love, (it's all His)!'

Thinking about your reply on the roof this AM. Wow! His Love is like this wonderful
weight; like a great heavy blanket or sheepskin wrapping us up and
pressing out 'the bits' that don't belong!
There's so much joy in the pressure.
2 Cor. 5:14 For the Messiah's love has hold of us...
Luke 13:34 Yerushalayim!..How often I wanted to gather your children,
just as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings...(quote from Jesus.)

from The Complete Jewish Bible

Can't you just picture Him with a big feather cape like the Indians use?
Wouldn't it feel great wrapped up under His arms?

I researched it and those capes represent power or royality and the Great Spirit.
Awesome! Sounds like Messiah, Jesus to me!

Here's a pic of bunny all wrapped up... Tons of Love, Cindy

a facebook conversation

Cindy wrote...
hi H!
6:57pm H wrote
hayyy
have you had to deal with death?
8:46pmCindy
no I haven't
loss and pain yes,,, but not death
8:46pmH
do you know what the bible says?
8:46pmCindy
about death?
8:48pmH
people around you
dieing
8:48pmCindy
The thing I always think of is that...God loves the person who died more than we do and so we can totally trust Him with them
8:50pmH
but how should i deal with pain
8:51pmCindy
that involves trust too. Just have to keep on giving it to Him. Keep on saying "I don't understand but I trust You"
8:53pmH
what if you dont tho...
im so scared
8:54pmCindy
then ask Him for that trust, that faith to see Him as He really is...totally in control
and I will pray for you and go to sleep praying for you tonite
8:55pmCindy
and listen to the song. ' blessed be the name'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mZH9T9XNVU
8:56pmH
i always sing it and i dont remember the words....
hahah
wow
8:58pmCindy
He gives and takes away, my heart will choose to say , "blessed be the name"
8:58pmH
yea that parts about to come up
8:59pmCindy
He will use these hard things for good in your life and in others' lives too
8:59pmH
i just dont see good...
9:01pmCindy
Oh yup, it's gonna be a while maybe you'll never get to see the good until you go to heaven but there is good ...He's promised
Romans 8 talks about it
9:02pmH
awesome thats what i needed
brb
wait what part
9:03pmCindy
It also talks about how to pray when its too hard to pray...
rom. 8:26-28
9:04pmH
it seems i fell off because if it tho...
9:06pmCindy
that's why you can pray with the Spirit, words unutterable
9:06pmH
whats the last word meen?
9:06pmCindy
not words but groans
9:07pmH
huh?
9:07pmCindy
it's like music of your heart
9:07pmH
aww
9:07pmCindy
you don't know what to say so the spirit takes over
9:08pmH
how do you personaly pray
9:10pmCindy
I pray lots. On the roof in the morning singing with the stars and while I'm in bed for family and friends and I listen when I need too like right now
9:11pmCindy
and I thank pray all the time for lots of little things
9:11pmH
i wish i was that into god
9:12pmCindy
ask Him
9:12pmH
i get scared
9:12pmCindy
of what?
9:13pmCindy
He looks at you and He sees His sons blood covering you and making you pleasing to Him
He loves you
turn off the ipod, tv or whatever and spend time with Him. He loves you
9:15pmH
i get scared cause i cant show him i love him as much as he can
9:16pmCindy
yUP AND you will fail Him a bunch ..I know I do
9:17pmCindy
but I trust that He is using everything in my life to shape me and others for eternity
9:18pmH
you really help
9:18pmCindy
just go say 'hi, i love you' and wait for what He tells you or what comes next in your gut. He's waiting
9:19pmH
have you heard the song all i need is you
9:20pmCindy
Maybe, but God did say it's not good that a man be alone... we do need each other too!
9:20pmH
yea
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMV63_Vmf-74%26NR%3D1
9:21pmCindy
okay so let's go pray and I'll listen to that song!
9:22pmH
ok well im goin to take your advice
and get off line

tiny dancer

Known. Completely, utterly, joyously, known.
One little dancer in His hand and He knows me.
The great Composer finds the perfect venue and I dance.
I will trust Him to use my little dance in His great composition.

My heart cries out with joy as I dance in the living God.

In this ballet, where each smile, word, slip, each step can be used by Him;
My soul sings for joy to the living God.

I went to sleep and woke up with that 'tiny dancer' song in my head. I'm so glad I'm a girl.
I feel so completely adored and loved and cherished by God and I think maybe it's easier for girls to feel that because we don't mind being vulnerable and dependant and carried.

You know, I was told again that my posts don't really make sense and that I should explain more. But the One who adores me put this quote in my path without me even looking for it.

It has been ambitious and plucky of me to attempt to describe what is indescribable, and I have failed, as I knew I would. But I have discharged my duty to my society; and besides, a writer, like an acrobat, must occasionally try a stunt that is too much for him. At any rate, it is worth reporting that long before the circus comes to town, its most notable performances have already been given. Under the bright lights of the finished show, a performer need only reflect the electric candle power that is directed upon him; but in the dark and dirty old training rings and in the makeshift cages, whatever light is generated, whatever excitement, whatever beauty, must come from original sources—from internal fires of professional hunger and delight, from the exuberance and gravity of youth. It is the difference between planetary light and the combustion of stars. From The Ring of Time by E. B. White

I dance a star dance.

a conversation between brothers

Here comes George MacDonald's birthday. Sometimes I read his words and I just wonder at how someone so far removed from me, so different than me, can feel just the way I do. I wonder that he can explain to me what I know deep down in my heart.
George MacDonald died the same year that my grandfather was born 1905. I like that. It's like a little connection between us.
Here's an excerpt from 'What's Mine's Mine,' a wonderful romance novel by my favorite author.







"But I want to know what you mean by her having her revenge on you?"said Alister.
"Whether I loved her then or not, and I believe I did, beyond a doubt I love her now. It needed only to be out of sight of her, and see other women beside the memory of her, to know that I loved her.--Alister, I LOVE HER!" repeated Ian with a strange exaltation.
"Oh, Ian!" groaned Alister; "how terrible for you!"
"Alister, you dear fellow!" returned Ian, "can you understand no better than that? Do you not see I am happy now? My trouble was that I did not love her--not that she loved me, but that I did not love her! Now we shall love each other for ever!"
"How do you know that, Ian?"
"By knowing that I love her. If I had not come to know that, I could not have said to myself I would love her for ever."
"But you can't marry her, Ian! The Lord said there would be no marrying there!"
"Did he say there would be no loving there, Alister? Most people seem to fancy he did, for how else could they forget the dead as they do, and look so little for their resurrection? Few can be said really to believe in any hereafter worth believing in. How many go against the liking of the dead the moment they are gone-behave as if they were nowhere, and could never call them to account! Their plans do not recognize their existence; the life beyond is no factor in their life here. If God has given me a hope altogether beyond anything I could have generated for myself, beyond all the likelihoods and fulfilments around me, what can I do but give him room to verify it--what but look onward! Some people's bodies get so tired that they long for the rest of the grave; it is my soul that gets tired, and I know the grave can give that no rest; I look for the rest of more life, more strength, more love. But God is not shut up in heaven, neither is there one law of life there and another here; I desire more life here, and shall have it, for what is needful for this world is to be had in this world. In proportion as I become one with God, I shall have it. This world never did seem my home; I have never felt quite comfortable in it; I have yet to find, and shall find the perfect home I have not felt this world, even my mother's bosom to be. Nature herself is not lovely enough to satisfy me. Nor can it be that I am beside myself, seeing I care only for the will of God, not for my own. For what is madness but two or more wills in one body? Does not the 'Bible itself tell us that we are pilgrims and strangers in the world, that here we have no abiding city? It is but a place to which we come to be made ready for another. Yet I am sure those who regard it as their home, are not half so well pleased with it as I. They are always grumbling at it.
'What wretched weather!' they say. 'What a cursed misfortune!'they cry. 'What abominable luck!' they protest. Health is the first thing, they say, and cannot find it. They complain that their plans are thwarted, and when they succeed, that they do not yield the satisfaction they expected. Yet they mock at him who says he seeks a better country!--But I am keeping you awake, Alister! I will talk no more. You must go to sleep!"

"It is better than any sleep to hear you talk, Ian," returned Alister. "What a way you are ahead of me! I do love this world! When I come to die, it will tear my heart to think that this cave which you and I have dug out together, must pass into other hands! I love every foot of the earth that remains to us--every foot that has been taken from us. When I stand on the top of this rock, and breathe the air of this mountain, I bless God we have still a spot to call our own. It is quite a different thing from the love of mere land; I could not feel the same toward any, however beautiful, that I had but bought. This, our own old land, I feel as if I loved in something the same way as I love my mother. Often in the hot summer-days, lying on my face in the grass, I have kissed the earth as if it were a live creature that could return my caresses! The long grass is a passion to me, and next to the grass I love the heather, not the growing corn. I am a fair farmer, I think, but I would rather see the land grow what it pleased, than pass into the hands of another. Place is to me sacred almost as body. There is at least something akin between the love we bear to the bodies of our friends, and that we bear to the place in which we were born and brought up."
"That is all very true, Alister. I understand your feeling perfectly; I have it myself. But we must be weaned, I say only weaned, from that kind of thing; we must not love the outside as if it were the inside! Everything comes that' we may know the sender-of whom it is a symbol, that is, a far-off likeness of something in him; and to him it must lead us-the self-existent, true, original love, the making love. But I have felt all you say. I used to lie in bed and imagine the earth alive and carrying me on her back, till I fell asleep longing to see the face of my nurse. Once, the fancy turned into a dream. I will try to recall a sonnet I made the same night, before the dream came: it will help you to understand it. I was then about nineteen, I believe. I did not care for it enough to repeat it to you, and I fear we shall find it very bad."
Stopping often to recall and rearrange words and lines, Ian completed at last the following sonnet:--
"She set me on my feet with steady hand,
Among the crowding marvels on her face,
Bidding me rise, and run a strong man's race;
Swathed mo in circumstance's swaddling band;
Fed me with her own self; then bade me stand
Myself entire,--while she was but a place
Hewn for my dwelling from the midst of space,
A something better than HER sea or land.
Nay, Earth! thou bearest me upon thy back,
Like a rough nurse,and I can almost feel
A touch of kindness in thy bands of steel,
Although I cannot see thy face, and track
An onward purpose shining through its black,
Instinct with prophecy of future weal.

"There! It is not much, is it?"
"It is beautiful!" protested Alister.
"It is worth nothing," said Ian, "except between you and me-and that it will make you understand my dream. That I shall never forget. When a dream does us good we don't forget it.
"I thought I was home on the back of something great and strong-I could not tell what; it might be an elephant or a great eagle or a lion. It went sweeping swiftly along, the wind of its flight roaring past me in a tempest. I began to grow frightened. Where could this creature of such awful speed be carrying me? I prayed to God to take care of me. The head of the creature turned to me, and I saw the face of a woman, grand and beautiful. Never with my open eyes have I seen such a face! And I knew it was the face of this earth, and that I had never seen it before because she carries us upon her back. When I woke, I knew that all the strangest things in life and history must one day come together in a beautiful face of loving purpose, one of the faces of the living God. The very mother of the Lord did not for a long time understand him, and only through sorrow came to see true glory. Alister, if we were right with God, we could see the earth vanish and never heave a sigh; God, of whom it was but a shimmering revelation, would still be ours!"
In the morning they fell asleep, and it was daylight, late in the winter, when Alister rose. He roused the fire, asleep all through the night, and prepared their breakfast of porridge and butter, tea, oat-cake, and mutton-ham. When it was nearly ready, he woke Ian,and when they had eaten, they read together a portion of the Bible,that they might not forget, and start the life of the day without trust in the life-causing God.
"All that is not rooted in him," Ian would say, "all hope or joy that does not turn its face upward, is an idolatry. Our prayers must rise that our thoughts may follow them."
The portion they read contained the saying of the Lord that we must forsake all and follow him if we would be his disciples.
"I am sometimes almost terrified," said Ian, "at the scope of the demands made upon me, at the perfection of the self-abandonment required of me; yet outside of such absoluteness can be no salvation. In God we live every commonplace as well as most exalted moment of our being. To trust in him when no need is pressing, when things seem going right of themselves, may be harder than when things seem going wrong. At no time is there any danger except in ourselves, and the only danger is of trusting in something else than the living God, and so getting, as it were, outside of God. Oh Alister, take care you do not love the land more than the will of God! Take care you do not love even your people more than the will of God."

Star Trek, Star Bucks, and Love

"Peldor joi!" That's the traditional greeting for one of the few holidays repeatedly celebrated on 'Star Trek.' Troubles and problems are written on 'renewal scrolls,' burned and the Gratitude festival begins.

I love Star Bucks holiday cups. I'm sort of amazed that mid-summer, I've never been asked why there's a red Star Buck's cup perched next to the egg timer on the top of my stove. I've replaced it with this year's cup but it's about to be replaced again. If you go in ask for one of the 'short' cups. They are way cooler than the 'grandes' or the 'ventis' this year! I'm so thankful I decided to get a cute, little cup this year. The elks have this neat, sort of cloud above their heads. If you get one tell me what you think! Eric said something about CO2 but then it wouldn't be coming from their heads.

'Why are you going to Vegas?' Eric and I compared notes on the way there and it's funny how many people asked us that. But one friend didn't. She asked, "Are you going to see, 'Love'?" I thought, "You betcha! Love with my husband of 24 years, 10 months!"
But this Beatlephile, housebound friend of mine meant an amazing show about her favorite band. Next thing I know she's gotten me a couple of $100 tickets to this healing, uplifting, 'my-flying-blogs' echoing experience. I was like, "Yes, I feel that" Or "why am I crying? " Then realizing the song had to do with a guitar weeping. Never heard that song before, it was beautiful. The best was seeing the octopus' garden in the Stars. I was with squid floating in the stars.

Lord, we are so grateful for difficult things, for little things, and for unexpected gifts all coming down from You, Father of Lights.

Best Star Trek Peldor episode, 'Fascination.'
Best Star Bucks cup, 'Short' with Deer clouds.
Best Show in Vegas, 'Love' with big, white ropes tied to their ankles.
Don't forget to try the sweet potatoes!

waning moon

She may be waning but that's alright.
Her face is always in the sun's light.
He never leaves even if she looks slight.
She walks by faith and not by sight.

Holy experiment

If you will give God your right to yourself,
He will make a holy experiment out of you.
God's experiments always succeed.
The one mark of a saint is the moral originality
which springs from abandonment to Jesus Christ.

In the life of a saint there is this amazing wellspring of original life all the time;
the Spirit of God is a well of water springing up, perennially fresh.
The saint realizes that it is God Who engineers circumstances,
consequently there is no whine, but a reckless abandon to Jesus.
Never make a principle out of your experience;
let God be as original with other people as He is with you.
Oswald Chambers

Test tube time, my head's hitting against the cork, my eyes are
constantly moist, my heart is locked in reckless abandon to the hope
that His experiments are always original and always succeed.
Okay, no whines, but a couple of sighs.
I wonder what He's making.

Waxing Moon

Did you know that the moon is really always full?
The moon is constantly looking at the sun and is fully illuminated.
Is that cool! We just can't see it.
I saw a little sliver of the silver beauty this morning
at sunrise but if I were standing on the sun,
swimming through waves of burning light,
I could her see her whole face. Well, I'd need super special eyes,
but if I'm wading in solar flares chances are I'd have peepers to match my amazing frame.





What's cool too is that no matter where we are on the Earth,
we see the same phases of the moon.
All of us are going through the waxing and waning together.





Make me like the waxing moon,
Oh I want to grow in You.
My whole body full of light,
illuminated by your Love so bright.

The moon always beholds your face,
Even when my eyes don't see trace.
Oh my desire is to behold thy Son,
when I awake and we're all One.








Luke 11:36 "If therefore your whole body is full of light,
with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined,
as when the lamp illumines you with its rays."

Mat.18:10
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you,
That in heaven their angels do always behold
the face of my Father which is in heaven.

Ps. 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness:
I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

known

washing down on my head
constant river of love
Presence
sand in my shoes
waves in my ears
where are you?
I search for you.
'and there was no longer any sea.'
dolphin back, black against grey water
nothing will be hidden


'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men'
'Behold,.. all things new'
'of him, and through him, and to him, are all things'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNAwNhlcYN4

simple and clean

star dust, Adama & Ruach HaKodesh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xELEOs-_cY

Okay I still have my head in the clouds... Everything just comes together in this beautiful symphony all around me. Did you know that star dust smells like fire dust? I found that out last year in the cool way, the 'connectedness' way.
I kept smelling smoke, and there just wasn't any.
I even started talking about it to my friends...who pretty much thought I was nuts.
I'd ask, "Does my hair smell like smoke?"..."Do you smell that?"
"No, Cindy, it's your imagination," was always the answer.

But I 'happened' upon a story about star dust... astronauts say it smells like smoke!
Yes! Star dust!

The Space station astronauts woke up this morning to these beautifully connected musicians
and a fire alarm.
"I checked everything, no smoke," said the flight engineer, Yuri.
Oh Yuri, it's star dust listen to the music and enjoy the 'dust in the wind,'
the "Adama in the Ruach."*
Everything is 'dust in the wind' which for me means a beautiful symphony connected
and orchestrated together by the Composer of Love.

* Adama and Ruach covered in earlier posts :) 'Dirty Bunny' and 'Orion and Ruach HaKodesh'

Flying

Can you feel it? Oh I can. I think that's what got me a little confused at about 3:30 this morning.
I love going on the roof to watch for the morning rain of meteors and talk to my Creator but I felt I would need to bring a big, white rope if I went up this morning. One of those ropes that the people use in the circus to hang and circle and fly with one foot held by this big, soft, white, rope. If I'd of had one that I could put on my ankle and secure the other end to my white, rattan, lounge chair, I'd have gone up.
I even asked Danny at breakfast, "Have you ever seen me flying?" I should have asked Gabriel instead. He'd have understood. I was just sure that I'd spent a lot of time flying in the house but I'm just not sure about flying out in the open air yet. Yes, Gabriel is my dreamer, one of my muses, he'd have understood. Danny didn't.
But I was going to tell you what I think I it is...this wonderful feeling.
Did you know that the Universe is accelerating? We are moving faster and faster everyday. That's why the Dark Matter and Dark Energy theories are necessary...something to explain it, to make sense of the unexplainable.
It's like sitting in a roller coaster on it's way down, with the wind whipping in my hair. Only our coaster(the Indiana Jones one that's like being on a puffy balloon cloud) isn't heading down, it's heading forward, outward, everywhere! and when I can feel it, my reality gets a little blurred.

Future and present and past meld together and I feel what I will feel, I fly when I haven't yet actually flown, I remember what hasn't yet happened. I was there this morning, lying in bed, looking up at my stars from the window over my bed board. I stayed where I was, had to keep my knuckles from getting skinned on the rot iron curly circles of my bed board. But I wanted to go and fly.
Maybe someone will bring me a big, white, soft, beautiful, linen rope.

1 Thes. 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

flying music

http://www.myspace.com/urbanrescue

listen to their song...'reflection'

or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWbQ5pTPuKg

Okay,,,,I'll fly around the room....

Do you see it? My heart is flying around the room.

My heart is fixed, My heart is fixed on making music to You, Oh Lord.

Awake, oh my soul. Awake oh, sky-colored harp and fly with me.

Open the window of our souls, Lord.

We will awaken the dawn.

waving

to the birds....

ps 57:7-8,

Selfless/ /everyOne Full

I want that Light that makes all the 'dark black clouds hide'.
'Dedicating your life to fully knowing the Oneness of God
in order to be so selfless that Everything
you do is aimed at ending the suffering of all beings everywhere'
...giving over control to such an embrace
to be so consumed with Love that all else fades...
That's what I want, God and I guess that's just saying
I want You

Our Gentle King

I getta teach again:) tomorrow,,,here's my rough draft...any suggestions ?:) Yeah, yeah, I love this ...

Since Homecoming was yesterday, I decided to wear my tiara! Yup, believe it or not I was a Homecoming Princess years ago. Since I was a band geek and a cheerleader, I was an easy pick, friends with everybody, I even did a quick change from my cheerleading skirt to my Shako hat for the half time show at football games:)
and you know I'm not the only Princess here! We're all princes and princesses if our Father is the King. Jamie suggested we do a series on the Kingship of Jesus...
so I thought we'd start with the question ...
Is Jesus King?

Let's pray... Lord, You say we can be your children, we can be the children of the King. Help us to hear Your voice and listen with our hearts to what You want to say to each of us, individually.
We love you, Jesus. Amen

Last week we were talking about us being works of art and God using suffering and especially the great Suffering Artist to shape us and make us.
How can a King be gentle and humble and suffer like Jesus did?
Can He really be the King?
Here's one example that shows Jesus as Messiah King...
2Sam 7:16 -
Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'"
God told David that his kingdom would last forever that it would never end. Well, around 70 AD when the temple was destroyed, so were the records in the temple and so was the recording of the line of David. How could there always be a Son of David on the throne, a king forever if no one even knows for sure who is a Son of David?
1Ch 28:20 -
David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.

Here's a little hint in answering that question given by David to his son, Solomon. He promises that God will not fail until all of the temple service is done. Since 70 AD there hasn't been any service done in the temple. All the sacrifices and offering have ceased.

Jesus prophesied that the service of the temple would come to an end and He said from the cross, "It is finished." The final sacrifice, the atonement for all time had been made, Jesus gave Himself as the offering for us all.
Jesus was from the line of David on both His mother's and step-father's side...(see Matthew.) There's really no longer an option if the verses about David having a son on the throne forever are to be fulfilled it's Yeshua, Jesus or nobody.

But He suffered, and died and doesn't seem to be bringing in a beautiful Messianic Age???
What a about a conquering King coming in power and great glory?


I've shown you before how these verses in Daniel predict just when the Anointed One or the reigning King, in Hebrew; the Messiah will come.
Dan 9:25 -
"Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.
Dan 9:26 -After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed

Daniel points out the Anointed One will suffer, be cut off, and will have nothing. Doesn't that sound ALOT like someone we know?
Doesn't sound to me like the Messiah will provide immediate external peace. Nope He came to bring a Kingdom of the heart and internal kingdom that never, ever ends no matter what is going on around us.
But remember the history and math we looked at, that Daniel provided and how it was so accurate that the three wisemen, the kings from the east knew when to come looking for the birth of Messiah .
Is. 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

In fact, Daniel had it down to the exact day that Jesus entered Jerusalem as predicted in Zech....


Mat 21:5 & Zech 9:9
"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Last week we were talking about how Mary expressed her love for Jesus through a gift and physically...anybody remember how she did that??? (anointed Jesus with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair)
Well that was the night before Jesus' donkey ride and have you ever put on some really good perfume and then not washed your hair for a couple of days. What happens?
Yeah you can still smell that perfume. It just surrounds you. Well here's this scene...
we've got this country bumpkin kind of guy ('can anything good come from Nazareth', they were kind of the hicks of the nation of Israel) his 12 followers who had sort of stole a donkey...
and He smells like the richest perfume, no way had Jesus taken a shower from the night before...
Why did Jesus say she put that perfume on Him???('anointed for burial!' talk about Emo!)

You could also see that He was anointed as the King.

Luke 19:30 "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.'" 32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" 34 They replied, "The Lord needs it."

Now just like Mary doing something beyond what she thought; this donkey and it's owners were doing something probably beyond what they thought. They were fulfilling prophecy!
Zech 9:9 !


Luke 19:35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

Can't you just see it these people start singing a Hillel Psalm to Jesus, Yeshua proclaiming Him Messiah and King.... the Pharisees knew it! They tell Jesus to shut them up.
I love Jesus' response...
Luke 19:40 "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."(like in Joshua and Hab.)
He says just you try it! If they were quiet, the stones would shout because this was predicted in the prophets and it will happen!
Sometimes I just watch big stones (like the one by the Hotel Del down on the walk to the water) just waiting for them to start singing,,, I wrote a song about that too. It's called 'I Wanna Hear Rock Music!"

Once I saw a guy staring at that rock on the beach too and I thought ...yeah! someone else waiting for that stone to sing! But it turned out he was just watching for his wife.
Anyways...That's a future prophecy and today we're looking at the ones already fulfilled by Jesus our King!
I can't hit all the prophecies King Jesus fulfilled. Remember the example I gave you once..
in order for Him to fulfill them all the prophecies He fulfilled by chance it would be like filling Texas with silver dollars up to your chaps and marking one with a red lamb and dropping it somewhere in Texas then wading in and picking out one coin and it be the red lambie!
This Suffering Artist, and King is our Messiah. If you let Him be the king of your life then this amazing tapestry that He is creating will include the threads of your life hemmed in with others and just so intricately woven into His Masterpiece.
Romans 11:33-36
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" 35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Oh the depths and beyond searching out are these amazing things of our king.

Sometimes the back of a tapestry looks like a confusing mess. But it isn't.

Everything, every little stitch, is significant and if we could flip the tapestry over and see the whole, we would know what an amazing work He is accomplishing. That's what prophecy shows us. A glimpse of the other side of the tapestry... that everything is happening for a reason even a donkey ride is predicted and written and happens right on schedule to show us this peaceful King, God has provided for us.

So yes, Jesus is the Anointed One the King and He longs to use you his child, as another thread in the wonder of this work of art we call Life.

Lord, Messiah, King remake our hearts in Your likeness, we want to be Yours, your princes and princesses, children of the King.! Amen

Dirty Bunny

Bunny has learned a new trick. She loves to dig. She's not trying escape or find food. She's just gettin' in that dirt and digging.

Bunny kind of inspired me today to do a bit of digging in the dirt too. I just reached in with my little hand, to discover what could possibly be making the strange noise that I've heard for months in the depths of my.....garbage disposal!!! Yucky, yucky gunk.

I have no idea what the grayish lumps of crud were but I cleaned 'em out!

I really shouldn't compare the dirt that bunny digs in with the filth of my garbage disposal, which by the way is also used by the 5 guys I live with:)

On the kibbutz years ago, my kibbutznik boss lectured me for calling the earth we were digging in 'dirt.'

"This is not 'dirt.' Yael said. "This is soil, 'Adama' what Adam was made of and we cherish it because of the crops we can grow in it."

Yael is right 'adama', or soil is not the same as dirt or crud!

God sees the difference too.

Ps. 103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.

We're this wonderful soil just waiting to grow His seeds of compassion.

Of course, that doesn't mean that there's not some yucky dirt in our lives that needs to be cleaned out.

Ps. 51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

His great compassion washing, cleansing that we could grow His seeds of Love. Let's spend some time with this Loving Father today and let Him work in us.

Ps 150:5... Praise him with the harp and lyre, 4 praise him with tambourine and dancing,
Praise him with the strings and flute....

I was reading about Jesus today and just imagining Him at all these weddings he must have gone to through His 33 years. Can you imagine all the dancing He must have done? Then that one amazing day when He turned the water into wine at the wedding feast. What a party that must have been! So much fun that they ran out of wine, and the Author of Love blessing the celebration with the very best wine ever served!
And think of it, He used these giant clay jars used for ceremoniously cleaning, in other words for keeping the law, that harsh, burden of Law.
Here's what Jesus said when some people got down on Him for not washing according to the Law.

Luke 11:46 Jesus replied, "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

Jesus took these implements of the Law and turned them into new wine, beautiful wonderful new wine.
Oh and there were 6 of them..Ha! To me 6 is the symbol of 'not 7'! Get it 7 is perfect, 7 is our Lord, 7 is amazing and 6 well it's just 'not 7.' Heck, I think that's the whole point of the scary 666 number. It's this three 6's. Trying to be three, a trinity of sevens but just not! We need the Everlasting One, the beautiful menorah of the seven spirits of God. The Law just couldn't save us. We need this amazing wine, a free gift from our Messiah.

An alien on Star Trek once called us, humans, 'containers of mostly water.' Those clay jars are a lovely picture of us, I think we are about 95% water. Jesus takes that water and turns into wine.
Then the dancing can go on! Dancing at this amazing wedding feast.

Guess what happened when the prodigal returned to his Father? Uh, that would be dancing!
What's gonna happen at the end of this age? That would be the wedding feast of the Lamb, the Anointed One, the Messiah; where wine will be served and I'm just sure the dancing is never gonna stop!

Crazy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lQ9e7eYFTA

Ever thought, "If today was my last here, in this world...what would I do?"
It's funny how fast an idea shot into this little red head.
"I'd dance. I'd dance everywhere, right down Orange Ave."

I love to dance praises to God, oh I hope you'd join me :)!

2 Samuel 6:14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might!

Bunny, chicken, and love languages

Get to teach the youth again tonight, so let's see if I can write what I just got up on my roof.

Who can speak 'Bunny?' I'm sure a bunch of you can speak, 'dog' but I bet most of you can't speak 'Rabbit' language. It's a very subtle language (good SAT word) that is pretty tough to even notice. She doesn't wag her tail like a dog, she chews. When she's most happy and content and loving she sort of grines her teeth a little...everybody say your content in bunny...

When she angry, she'll stamp her foot. I almost feel like she's cursing at me, my little daughter saying, "Forget you, Mom!"

Well all of us have this sort of language that we speak that might be really different than someone else's language and I'm not just talking about Spanish or French I'm talking about out Love Language.
The amazing thing is that God speaks all of our Love Languages and He's just waiting for us to hear it.
How can we hear God's love for us and tell Him, we love him back?
Let's pray... God we want to hear and understand and live in Your Love. Help us God. Help us to experience your Love and help us to, in our own unique way to give that Love back to You.
We love you, Jesus. Amen

You guys probably all know how much I enjoy blogging and I've found that I really super love getting positive comments on my blog. It's like my brain just explodes with delight.
Ever felt that feeling?
Now the weird thing is that when someone gives me a present, I'm pleased but it just doesn't even compare with the love I feel when someone give me words of affirmation, that is; says nice things about me to me. Crazy huh?

This guy named Gary Chapman wrote this book called the 5 Love languages and there's a little test where you can find out what your love language is! I'll give the web address later if you want..you could have your mom take it and know just how to make her happy which could be useful as well as bless her :)

For example Danny... I made him take it and I found out that one of his most important Love languages is 'Acts of Service'... that's why it's so important to him that someone pack his lunch for him for college or carry his folded laundry to his room. It'll just sit in our garage for days...he'll even walk down in his boxes to get clothes. He wants me to say, "I love you, Danny by taking that clean laundry to his room." Kind of cool huh?

Now I found an example of this in the Bible, we were talking about hurting broken hearts. Jesus wept with Mary and Martha because of the death of their brother, Lazarus. Anyone know what happens next in the story?
Yup! Lazarus is raised to life again when Jesus prayed. Later we see a feast given for Jesus. The three siblings want to express their love for this healer of broken hearts

John12:2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

and here at this party for Jesus, we see Martha and Mary and Lazarus opening up their hearts to love and thank Jesus. It's so cool to see these once broken hearts restored and loving each in their own way!

Gary Chapman's Five Love Languages... This book talks about the 5 different ways people hear and say "I Love You!"
Quality Time(Lazarus, is chillin with Jesus, reclining, [that's kind of like laying around on a couch] at the table with Him. He's sharing a meal and enjoying his company)...God gives us this kind of love by the presence of His Spirit. He's always just waiting to chill with you. and He'd love to be loved by you by chillin with Him.
John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. (Green Pastures)

Words of Affirmation(Lazarus probably is telling everyone at the party all that Jesus has done for him. Thanking Him and praising Him) ...We can give God this kind of love through songs of praise, poetry, prayer. He gives it back through the Love Letter of Love Letters, the Bible, the Word. He also speaks to our hearts through His Spirit.
Jer. 31:3
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness

Gifts (Mary comes in with a very expensive bottle of perfume. It may have been her most precious possession and she gives it to Jesus.)...
We can give this love back to God by tithes, offerings, and gifts of charity..cookies.
He gives it to us through the free-gift of salvation and through all the blessings surrounding us. Just everything is a gift from Him! Each cell, each feather, each lovely sunset is a gift from Him.
Ro 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Physical touch (Mary then anoints Jesus with the perfume and physically wipes His feet with her hair..I bet that feels good.) ...We can hug God by raising our hands in worship, dancing, and just like all the rest of these by doing these things to others. God gives me hugs often when I need them, sometimes I can almost feel these wings of Love around me like a cocoon of angel feathers. But a hug from a friend is like a touch from heaven too.
Isa 40:11 -
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
Lu 13:34 -
........ how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! (I talked a lot here about Jesus knowing 'chicken language!')

Acts of Service (Martha, Martha loves to serve! She made this wonderful meal, serves it, and probably will clean up afterwards, I'm thankful for Marthas.)
How can we serve God? Seems pretty much that involves serving people in our lives. Jesus said if you give a cup of water to someone it's like giving it to Him. Oh the constant acts of service, God is doing for us! My heart is beating, my spirit is soaring with the little humming birds out of my window...constant!

John 14:23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 "All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.


Oh I love the paradox here! If you love God, you will obey Him and keep His commandments. What's His number Uno and important command? To love God with all your heart and others as yourself.

What I want you to do is remember that God made each of us so unique and precious. Remember that He longs to Love us and to receive love from us.
Don't forget Him today accept His Love and give it to others in the unique way He made you!

Lord, thanks for making us so amazingly unique and for loving each of us in our own unique way. Please help us to love others with Your love flowing through us.