What Changed

VBS song I learned today:


hello, *clap clap*
again! *clap clap*
were here with all our friends *clap clap*
its good, *clap clap*
so good *clap clap*
to praise the lord and sing together
hallelujah *clap*
hallelujah to our king

its so good to be together,
and say hello again

(repeat and speed up each time)



In bible class this morning we talked about the stoning of Stephen. In chapter 6, it tells how he became one of the 7 selected to help the widows that were being overlooked cared for. later on it tells how (verse 8 and following) that members of the Sanhedrin rose up and argued with him, but were unable to cope with his wisdom and the spirit with which he was speaking, but later in verse 13 it tells how they brought forth false witnesses against him after he was brought before the council. then in chapter 7 he gives his famous and very well put story, beginning with Abraham and then working to Jesus and then putting on them. but the main thing this morning was in verse 57, 58, and 8:1 it says in verse 57 and 58 that "they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears, and rushes upon him with one impulse. And when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul." then in 8:1 "And Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death."

and I started to think about how things are in chronological order. now Idk exactly how long its been. but it hasnt been more than a year or two for sure I would say since christ's death. and what I found interesting or made me think was about how different stephen's death and Jesus's deaths were and yet were very similar. they both were brought before the sanhedrin with very much the same with basically the same charges, and false witnesses. But Jesus said very little in his defense, and Stephen spoke a lot (not that it's really that important or even still the main point that made me think)

The thing that made me think was how they died and when. Jesus was brought to the Roman authorities because in John 18:31 it says that the Jews said they were not permitted to put anyone to death.

So what changed? these are the same men mostly I'm assuming, same charges for the most part, same circumstances and same basic things at stake. So why did they go ahead and kill this man, in a somewhat impulse move?

I don't really know the answer... or even really had a clue... it just made me wonder what had changed and how much pressure the Christians had put on them by just doing things differently...

and if anyone has any information or idea or anything I'd love to hear them.. but I just found it interesting and hope you did as well.



this is first song that played randomly when I turned on my computer and I haven't hear it in years, and it really just made me happy after a mood of seeing kids smile and learn about God. Hope the words can do the same for you.

Everyone's Happy by GH

(chorus)
everyone's happy. (cause) Everyone's free
to do what you like
and to do as you please
you sit in your homes
and you watch your tvs
but you're always to busy
to think about me

I stood along beneath a lonely sky
with nothing to eat
as the tables passed me by
they say I'm crazy
and they tell me that I lie
but no one can listen
if no one can hear
You'd rather smile
than to show any fear

(Chorus)

Some of my friends
were prostitutes and thieves
Yeah sin is sin, you see different degrees
but ti my father
your just killing me
at least they would listen
to what they'd hear
but you'd rather smile
than to show any fear

(chorus)

oh I was beaten
and blood ran down besides
whipped and chained
to take my pride
and when it was over
I allowed myself to die
so maybe you'd listen
and maybe you'd hear
but you'd rather smile
then to show any fear

(chorus 2xs)

Refresh

It's been a long time since High school. It feels just like yesterday I was traveling the halls among my friends and life was much different. The world was smaller, everything seemed so far away, and everything we seemed not to matter in the long run. But these days life is different. The world is larger, with so many possibilities and choices to be made, and every choice has a bearing on where you decide to end up. Choices is the truth of life. You can choose anything, but its with what you can live with, what you want, or what can happen. Life is now quickly changing from the comfortable surreal world of the comfortable home we've grown in, to that of a large expanse with roads leading everywhere and a plethora of questions.

"I'm no longer in Kansas"
In two years schools over, the real world begins, and it will more than likely completely disconnect me from most if not all of my high school connections. In two years The surreal world ends and another one begins to be created. We are creatures of habit, we love routine, and more than likely many of you I'll never see again. I challenge all of you to not always stay in routine your entire life, for what is a life with no adventure or without following your dreams. To all of you if I see you again please take the opportunity to say hi, don't forget to introduce yourself. I will miss many of you in the years to come, and I hope many of you I can stay in contact with. But this is a post about where I am in life. I'm on the verge of transformation. I'm on the verge of the real world. I'm on the verge of leaving the surreal. Life moves fast I realize that now, but I've been lucky enough to enjoy it. I've been lucky enough to be able to slow down and enjoy it with friends and I am thankful for the friends I have made. But I'm looking to the future and I know things will change and I know new memories and friends will be made and I can't wait to embrace the future, but I want to take it slowly one step at a time to enjoy all I can.

Living MY Life

Life is distracting. Life for many is all about what is going on around them; who is wearing what, what the next scandal is, or what is the best way to wear my hair. Life lived in such a way leads to never becoming one's self. Without living your life you never have a life, and without having a life how does one expect to feel satisfied?

These past few months I have been caught up in the game of Life. I've lived focusing on school, or the next event, or that one girl that keeps sitting beside me. It has been an exciting adventure and I have learned and accomplished much, but at what cost? I seem to have put many things on hold and have bypassed many things.

I have learned a lot this past year one of which is to look back on the past and learn, and not give in to the same things that you had before. One great example is the bible. It is a text of repeated blunders. From the beginning it is a story or overcoming and learning. As the story progresses it continues to reflect upon itself. It even points out continued faults of God's people repeated generation after generation for thousands of years.

Just like god's people thousands of years ago we continue to fall into these same mistakes just as we ourselves fall into the same things over and over. Whether they are temptations or sins, or just putting things off until another time. We are human, we make mistakes; but our goal is to learn, to adapt, and to put into practice what we have learned.

I have learned a lot this past year, but the most important thing is to live my life; to chase YOUR goals; and to learn from your mistakes. Without taking a chance on yourself and giving yourself a shot, you will never be completely satisfied. You will always wonder and wish, but you will only be able to act for so long; so stop, think, and reach for your goals.

Kid's Play

Someone told me the other day they can't remember the last time they really looked up at the sky and the clouds.

Do you find yourself starring at the sky?
or are you focused on what is going on in the here and now?
Does it seem childish?

In ancient times and even not that long ago when the world lived by their own agriculture, People looked to the sky. The looked for rain, they praised the rain; most civilizations even devoted a God to that of the sky and rain and placed them in the sky.

In the early 20th century we finally captured the power to fly, before that all we had were air balloons and gliders.

As children many lie on their back and look at the clouds or play with kites or just lay back and enjoy the great big blue sky.

So what is it about the sky that draws us in?
Why have Humans been so interested in the sky that we live? It hasn’t really changed or grown or shrank, it still looks basically the same? So what is it?

Well I’ve always enjoyed nature and the sky, and recently I’ve made some connections. To us the sky doesn’t end. We can’t see the ends we know it keeps going we have faith in that. The sky is continuous, eternal like God. We must trust that it will still be there and we have faith it won’t end or change, because it never has. God doesn’t change either; just how we perceive him does. Blue is a calming color and that is what God generally is, he calms us he’s strong and stable. The sky gets lit up with beautiful colors from time to time and it just shows Gods glory and beauty like he himself is. He also gets angry and fills the sky with clouds and storm, yet even in this time he still is beautiful in a new way. He’s firm, just, and strong.

These religious applications are only a few, but you can see just focus on one thing in nature and you can see god’s glory shine through in so many ways. But then again he did make it.

Have you ever looked at an invention? You can see what the inventor was trying to accomplish just by looking at it. A microwave: used to heat things up quickly. The pencil: someone wanted something to write with that was easy to make and cheap an something everyone could use.

What about the world? He made the world, to show his power, made us to show his love…

So why do we feel childish when we sit and relax in God’s creations? Why do we feel inferior when were outdoors to those making money in their office? I think the world needs to literally stop and smell the roses, maybe then people could understand God’s power and love.

But even more maybe people will remember what it was like to be a kid again. I think that is the bigger problem. Yes as we grow we are suppose to get older, but we make excuses for knowing things or doing things just because we are older.

Well Christ called us to be like the little child, and I think it’s more than having a pure heart I think it’s also being a little naïve and not fully understanding this world, because we don’t really belong here anyway. But even more than that it’s having creativity, not caring what the person next to you thinks, and enjoying the world we live in.

So maybe next time you have time just go outside sit relax maybe look at the sky or the trees or even be a little kid, play in the dirt, get dirty and just have fun and worship God by your actions of enjoying his creation and not complaining.

Just be a Kid!

And leave it to him, your father.