I Know, I Know...

...it's been a while.  Today was/is the first Sunday of Advent.  I found this on the internet and it seems to me to be a great explanation of the spirit of Advent.

Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing. There is a yearning for deliverance from the evils of the world, first expressed by Israelite slaves in Egypt as they cried out from their bitter oppression. It is the cry of those who have experienced the tyranny of injustice in a world under the curse of sin, and yet who have hope of deliverance by a God who has heard the cries of oppressed slaves and brought deliverance!

It is that hope, however faint at times, and that God, however distant He sometimes seems, which brings to the world the anticipation of a King who will rule with truth and justice and righteousness over His people and in His creation. It is that hope that once anticipated, and now anticipates anew, the reign of an Anointed One, a Messiah, who will bring peace and justice and righteousness to the world.

WOW!!!

I wanted to post the words to one of the hymns we sang in church today.  Jason encouraged us to listen to the lyrics from the perspective of the coming of Christ, first as a baby sent to die for our sins, and second as our Savior who will come again to take us Home.  To use one of his terms, these words really resonated with me today.  They are worth meditating on.

Come, Thou long expected Jesus

Born to set Thy people free;

From our fears and sins release us,

Let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel’s strength and consolation,

Hope of all the earth Thou art;

Dear desire of every nation,

Joy of every longing heart.

Joy to those who long to see Thee,

Dayspring from on high appear.

Come, Thou promised Rod of Jesse,

Of Thy birth we long to hear!

O’er the hills the angels singing,

News, glad tidings of a birth:

“Go to Him, your praises bringing;

Christ the Lord has come to earth.”

Come, to earth to taste our sadness,

He whose glories knew no end;

By His life He brings us gladness,

Our Redeemer, Shepherd, Friend.

Leaving riches without number,

Born within a cattle stall;

This the everlasting wonder;

Christ was born the Lord of all.

Born Thy people to deliver,

Born a child and yet a King,

Born to reign in us forever,

Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit

Rule in all our hearts alone;

By Thine all sufficient merit,

Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

NeedToBreathe

I am WAY behind in my "40 Days of 40" blogging but to be honest, I haven't done much to blog about. I will update my mom's memories soon but first I need to post some videos from another great concert.

This past Saturday night, October 3rd, I went with a couple of my favorite girls to see NeedToBreathe at WorkPlay. LOVED IT!!!! If you don't know their music, check it out here. Their new cd is great and they are even better live. Here are some videos from the concert.

Lay 'Em Down

Washed by the Water, part 1

Washed by the Water, part 2

Washed by the Water, part 3

Perfect Attendance

Day 3 (yesterday) - Mom's memory: "When we got home, your two grandmothers were there to see you. Actually they wanted to be the one to take you into the house. But your Daddy took care of that; he walked around the car and announced that _/*he*/_ would carry you in himself. And so he did. (I think that I may have had to get out of the car and into the house by my self???!!!?)"

Day 4 (today) - It has been a busy day today but it has been a good one. Whitney gave me a goodie bag tonight and here is a photo of what was in it. Thanks, Whit! I love it all, especially the finger nail polish - Bewitching Bordello, or is it Bordeaux?

I haven't gotten my "memory" from my mom yet but I will post it when I do.

Two, Going on Three

Day 2 of "40 Days of 40":

• Meeting all day;
• Upsetting lunch at Zaxby's;
• Met parents at two prospective future residences;
• Hung out with Stephanie;
• Updated blog with videos from last night;
• Was wisely advised against the two prospective future residences;
• Day 3 begins in 2 minutes - I need to plan better.

Mom's Memory: "I was in the hospital for almost a week when you were born. I only got to have you in the room 3-4 times a day, and for just a short "visit". Fathers were not allowed to visit at any time baby's were in the rooms. So your daddy could only see you in the nursery (thru the window) and I walked down with him sometimes. My how times have changed!. The very idea of the baby being in the room with both daddy and mother!?"

There's Nothing on TV

The Ingrid Michaelson concert was SO good last night. Here are a couple of videos. The videos are grainy at best, a little shaky at times, and some person's arm keeps getting in the way. If that bothers you, close your eyes and just listen.








She even sang "Happy Birthday!"

If you ever get a chance to see her in concert, I strongly recommend it.

40 Days of 40

About 10 years ago, I was a little depressed at the thought of turning 30. I decided to help ease the pain by celebrating for 30 days during October (the month I was born); I called it "30 Days of 30" (creative, huh?!). My friends and I did various things throughout the 30 days in celebration of the "big" day that was to come. I wish I could remember all that we did (if you were part of that and can remember, please let me know).

Well, if you are doing your math, or know me at all, you know I will turn 40 pretty soon. Once again, to ease the pain, I have decided to celebrate 40 days of turning 40. It begins today and ends November 2nd when I get home from my birthday cruise. I have no idea what all I will do to celebrate so if you have any ideas, please share them. I plan to blog during these 40 days so that you can celebrate with me.

Also, my mom just sent me an email with "40 memories of '40'" in the subject line. In the email she shared one of her memories of me and I am assuming/hoping that she will continue that for the next 39 days.

So, Day 1: I just got back from Camp Cosby where I left about 100 5th graders and 20 or so parents/teachers to enjoy another day without me. We arrived there yesterday and went non-stop until 9:30 last night and we started back again this morning at 8:00. I really did have a good time hanging out with the teachers, hiking through the woods, and getting to know the students outside of school. Tonight, my roommate and I are going to WorkPlay to hear Ingrid Michaelson and I can't wait!

My mom's memory for today: "When you were a just born you made a squeaking sound. I called you "Squeaky" for awhile. Mother was so worried that I would get in the habit of calling you that."

God of the Impossible Messes

Monday, 13 July 2009

Sally is doing morning devotionals for us each morning on the life of Jacob from Genesis. Here is what struck me about Jacob as I was thinking through what she was saying and what God’s word says about him:

Genesis 25:23 “And the Lord said to [Rebekah], ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.’”
25:27 “When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.”

Jacob was quiet, probably sitting back and observing all that was going on, figuring ways to work his family to his advantage. He cheated his brother out of his birthright. He lied and schemed to steal his Father’s blessing which also belonged to his brother. The Lord ordained from the beginning of time that the older (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob) and all of this would be accomplished through Jacob’s sin. Bottom line: Jacob was a liar and a cheater.

So, when God refers to Himself as “The God of Jacob,” He is saying that He is the God of the liar and the cheater. I find that incredibly encouraging! Perhaps He really can be trusted to work in areas where things seem to be out of control or where we think we have crossed some self-defined point of no return. Perhaps He truly is the God of impossible messes!