This was my post on gmail earlier this afternoon: "Julie wants to blog but is having a hard time getting started." Upon reading that, a few of my friends sent me some blogging suggestions. A couple of them thought I should blog about my love for them and how they have impacted my life. One person suggested that I discuss how the sky is blue or how monkey's swing on trees or how Josie is like a ninja. Still another friend said that I should blog about how excited I am to go to the beach this weekend. Thanks for the suggestions and the laughs.
BTW, I am SO excited about the beach this weekend!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
My New Favorite Word Is...
HOSANNA!! I've heard that word many times in my life but until recently I never knew what it meant (thanks to Jason and Bob for enlightening me). I looked it up in Strong's Concordance, just to double check my sources, and found that Hosanna is a Greek word, a cry, an interjection (remember your School House Rock song?), meaning "save, I pray," or "save us." The root words are Hebrew terms meaning "save us" or "deliver us" and "now, I beseech, I pray." I think this is so cool!
HOSANNA!! Has become the cry of my heart lately as I talk to friends who are struggling with life and God's goodness. Andrew Peterson wrote a song about it, wanna hear it? It goes like this:
HOSANNA
"I am tangled up in contradiction. I am strangled by my own two hands. I am hunted by the hounds of addiction. Hosanna! I have lied to everyone who trusts me. I have tried to fall when I could stand. I have only loved the ones who loved me. Hosanna! O Hosanna! See the long awaited king come to set his people free. We cry O Hosanna! Come to tear the temple down. Raise it up on holy ground. Hosanna!
I have struggled to remove this raiment, tried to hide every shimmering strand. I contend with these ghosts and these hosts of bright angels. Hosanna! I have cursed the man that you have
made me. I have nursed the beast that bays for my blood. Oh, I have run from the one who would save me. Save me, Hosanna! O Hosanna! See the long awaited king, come to set his people free. We cry O Hosanna! Come and tear the temple down. Raise it up on holy ground Hosanna! We cry for blood, and we take your life. Hosanna! We cry for blood, and we take your life. It is blood, it is life that you have given.
You have crushed beneath your heel the vile serpent. You have carried to the grave the black stain. You have torn apart the temple's holy curtain. You have beaten Death at Death's own game. Hosanna! O Hosanna! Hail the long awaited king, come to set his people free. We cry O Hosanna! Won't you tear this temple down, raise it up on holy ground. O Hosanna! I will lift my voice and sing: you have come and washed me clean. Hosanna."
One other thing struck me as I studied this word. When you read Matthew 21:9, 15, Mark 11:9-10, and John 12:13, it seems that, while the people are crying out to Jesus for salvation, to be delivered, they are doing so with hearts of praise. I think this is worth pondering.
HOSANNA!! Has become the cry of my heart lately as I talk to friends who are struggling with life and God's goodness. Andrew Peterson wrote a song about it, wanna hear it? It goes like this:
HOSANNA
"I am tangled up in contradiction. I am strangled by my own two hands. I am hunted by the hounds of addiction. Hosanna! I have lied to everyone who trusts me. I have tried to fall when I could stand. I have only loved the ones who loved me. Hosanna! O Hosanna! See the long awaited king come to set his people free. We cry O Hosanna! Come to tear the temple down. Raise it up on holy ground. Hosanna!
I have struggled to remove this raiment, tried to hide every shimmering strand. I contend with these ghosts and these hosts of bright angels. Hosanna! I have cursed the man that you have
made me. I have nursed the beast that bays for my blood. Oh, I have run from the one who would save me. Save me, Hosanna! O Hosanna! See the long awaited king, come to set his people free. We cry O Hosanna! Come and tear the temple down. Raise it up on holy ground Hosanna! We cry for blood, and we take your life. Hosanna! We cry for blood, and we take your life. It is blood, it is life that you have given.
You have crushed beneath your heel the vile serpent. You have carried to the grave the black stain. You have torn apart the temple's holy curtain. You have beaten Death at Death's own game. Hosanna! O Hosanna! Hail the long awaited king, come to set his people free. We cry O Hosanna! Won't you tear this temple down, raise it up on holy ground. O Hosanna! I will lift my voice and sing: you have come and washed me clean. Hosanna."
One other thing struck me as I studied this word. When you read Matthew 21:9, 15, Mark 11:9-10, and John 12:13, it seems that, while the people are crying out to Jesus for salvation, to be delivered, they are doing so with hearts of praise. I think this is worth pondering.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Aurora Leigh?
I heard a quote this weekend from one of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poems but I'm not sure which one; if you know, please tell me.
"Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes - The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries."
I'm still pondering it but I really like it.
"Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes - The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries."
I'm still pondering it but I really like it.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Grove
Today was a professional development day at school so Carol, the other counselor I work with, and I went to Oak Grove Elementary to talk with their counselor. On the way down there we passed a sign that tickled me. Accoding to Carol, that sign has been up since the school year started. I took a picture with my cell phone's 1.3 megapixel camera so it isn't very clear.
If you saw this sign that says "Lordy Lordy Diane Carr", how old would you assume she was?
I bet you didn't say "51".
If you saw this sign that says "Lordy Lordy Diane Carr", how old would you assume she was?
I bet you didn't say "51".
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Resurrection Letters, Vol. II
Josie, Shannon, Whitney, Ashton, and I skipped LIFE group tonight. We went to Andrew Peterson's cd release concert and it was great! It wasn't anything fancy or showy, it was just Andrew on stage with his guitars and a piano, singing to a half-filled sanctuary. He went through each song on his new cd "Resurrection Letters, Vol. II", giving his background thoughts and the scripture basis for each one. It was a good time of worship.
I downloaded the first song off of this cd several weeks ago and I'll share it with you now.
"All Things New"
"Come broken and weary. Come battered and bruised. My Jesus makes all things new, all things new. Come lost and abandoned. Come blown by the wind. He'll bring you back home again, home again. Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake, the light of the dawn is upon you. Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake, he makes all things new.
Come frozen with shame. Come burning with guilt. My Jesus, he loves you still, he loves you still. Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake, the light of the dawn is upon you. Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake, he makes all things new. The world was good, the world is fallen, the world will be redeemed, so hold on to the promise. The stories are true that Jesus makes all things new. The dawn is upon you. Rise uup, oh you sleeper, awake, the light of the dawn is upon you. Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake, he makes all things new. All things new."
The following verses are the ones Andrew cited as the basis for this song:
"Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Ephesians 5:14
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." II Corinthians 5:17
"And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' Also he said, ' Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'" Revelation 21:5
During the intermission, Josie commented that she felt like she had been covered with the Truth tonight; I'm pretty sure that is exactly what each of us needed.
(The cd isn't being released until October 21st but you can listen to a sample and/or buy the single on iTunes. If you want to buy the whole thing, you can pre-order it here.)
I downloaded the first song off of this cd several weeks ago and I'll share it with you now.
"All Things New"
"Come broken and weary. Come battered and bruised. My Jesus makes all things new, all things new. Come lost and abandoned. Come blown by the wind. He'll bring you back home again, home again. Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake, the light of the dawn is upon you. Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake, he makes all things new.
Come frozen with shame. Come burning with guilt. My Jesus, he loves you still, he loves you still. Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake, the light of the dawn is upon you. Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake, he makes all things new. The world was good, the world is fallen, the world will be redeemed, so hold on to the promise. The stories are true that Jesus makes all things new. The dawn is upon you. Rise uup, oh you sleeper, awake, the light of the dawn is upon you. Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake, he makes all things new. All things new."
The following verses are the ones Andrew cited as the basis for this song:
"Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Ephesians 5:14
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." II Corinthians 5:17
"And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' Also he said, ' Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'" Revelation 21:5
During the intermission, Josie commented that she felt like she had been covered with the Truth tonight; I'm pretty sure that is exactly what each of us needed.
(The cd isn't being released until October 21st but you can listen to a sample and/or buy the single on iTunes. If you want to buy the whole thing, you can pre-order it here.)
Friday, October 10, 2008
It's A Sunflower!!
Our Kindergartners went to the punkin patch today. One of the highlights of this trip is that they each get to choose a pumpkin to take home with them. Even though the teachers remind them to pick a pumpkin they will be able to carry by themselves, the eyes of 5 year olds are often bigger than their arms in these situations. Because of this, I went out to meet them as they arrived back from their field trip. Sure enough, several of them were dragging their pumpkin down the steps of the bus, up the sidewalk, and down the hallway to their classrooms. It was hilarious, but I guess you would really have had to see it for yourself.
One of my favorite 5 year olds, Cameron, came running up to me after getting off the bus. He had something he wanted to give me; he brought it back just for me. I was touched! He reached into his plastic bag which carried his small pumpkin and pulled out a sunflower. He was so proud of it! I got a little choked up! I took a picture of it.
I taped it to the wall to show all of it. Isn't is sweet!?!
One of my favorite 5 year olds, Cameron, came running up to me after getting off the bus. He had something he wanted to give me; he brought it back just for me. I was touched! He reached into his plastic bag which carried his small pumpkin and pulled out a sunflower. He was so proud of it! I got a little choked up! I took a picture of it.
I taped it to the wall to show all of it. Isn't is sweet!?!
I Doubt You'll Like It...
...but I do. This one is mainly for my mom but you are welcome to look too.
I got my hair cut and colored today.
I got my hair cut and colored today.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
