I heard this song in church today. It was a great comfort and encouragement to me, especially regarding my impending graduation and move to college--a.k.a. leaving my beloved family. It's even better with the music, so go download it!
I want to run, it's my nature to run
And I want to fight, it's my nature to fight
And I want to live, but you tell me to die
I have resolved that I'm much better off
In your hands than mine
I'm begging you to hold on tight
Begging you to hold on tight
Begging you to hold on tight
Begging you to take my life from me
I want a crumb, but you are a feast
I want a song, but you are a symphony
I want a star, but your a galaxy
And I have resolved that I'm much better off
In what you have for me
I'm begging you to hold on tight
Begging you to hold on tight
Begging you to hold on tight
Begging you to take my life from me
So tell me you won't let go
Tell me you won't let go
Cause you are the only hope for me
Take my life from me, It's the only hope for me
Take my life from me, It's the only hope for me
And I'll never want for more
I'll never want for more
I'm begging you to hold on tight
Begging you to hold on tight
Begging you to hold on tight
Begging you to take my life from me
So tell me you won't let go
Tell me you won't let go
Cause your the only hope for me
You're the only hope for me
Yeah, your the only hope for me
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Monday, December 8, 2008
"Whatever You're Doing (Something Heavenly)" - Sanctus Real
This song has meant a lot to me over the past few months. It expresses much of the feelings going on inside of me now, during my Senior year.
It's time for healing
Time to move on
It's time to fix what's been broken too long
Time make right what has been wrong
It's time to find my way to where I belong
There's a wave that's crashing over me
All I can do is surrender
Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
but I'm giving in to something heavenly
Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Reevaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow your will
Or just climbing aimlessly over these hills
So show me what it is you want from me
I give everything I surrender...
To whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
But I'm giving in to something heavenly
Time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out
That I've wanted to say for so many years
Time to to release all my held back tears
Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but I believe
You're up to something bigger than me
Larger than life something heavenly
Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but now I can see
This something bigger than me
Larger than life something heavenly
Something heavenly
It's time to face up
Clean this old house
Time breathe in and let everything out
It's time for healing
Time to move on
It's time to fix what's been broken too long
Time make right what has been wrong
It's time to find my way to where I belong
There's a wave that's crashing over me
All I can do is surrender
Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
but I'm giving in to something heavenly
Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Reevaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow your will
Or just climbing aimlessly over these hills
So show me what it is you want from me
I give everything I surrender...
To whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
But I'm giving in to something heavenly
Time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out
That I've wanted to say for so many years
Time to to release all my held back tears
Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but I believe
You're up to something bigger than me
Larger than life something heavenly
Whatever you're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but now I can see
This something bigger than me
Larger than life something heavenly
Something heavenly
It's time to face up
Clean this old house
Time breathe in and let everything out
Sunday, December 7, 2008
My World is an Ever Climbing Mountain
My world is an ever climbing mountain.
I cannot see the top.
I have been climbing for ages
On this rocky, convoluted road.
My legs feel like rubber.
I don’t know how much longer I will last.
This road is too hard.
I want to turn back.
But I look behind me,
And the path has disappeared.
The slope is more treacherous than when I scaled it.
I want to collapse and faint.
Unconsciousness is better than awareness.
Knowing nothing, feeling nothing—
Whether sorrow or joy—
Is better than this torture.
But I cannot collapse.
I cannot faint.
Something keeps my consciousness,
Something keeps me moving.
Is it the Enemy?
Does he want to drive me so hard
That I abandon the one who set me on this path?
Or is it my Friend,
Who is not letting the Enemy gain control
And crush me?
Still, something pulls at my heart.
I cannot help but climb.
How crazy do you have to be
To think climbing this mountain
is a good idea?
I must have been the craziest person alive
When I started at the base
all those ages ago?
There was some good reason
That started me on this journey.
Something that made this trek
Worthwhile.
I knew this would be difficult.
What reason convinced me?
I stop and look around me.
All I can see
Is the path at my feet
And the opaque clouds surrounding me.
I look behind me.
The fog cover lifts.
I can see the sky.
I can see the sky!
It is the end of day.
The sun is setting.
The sky looks like a sea made out of air.
But no sea ever varied in color like this.
The golden sunlight melts into shades of orange and pink.
The rays catch the bottoms of the clouds,
While the tops are shadowed by the coming night.
The sight changes as the minutes pass.
The light slowly fades away.
Left is a beautiful blanket of indigo,
Sprinkled with glittering stars.
A wave of love washes over me.
I close my eyes in remembrance.
I took this road for love.
I took this road because the Painter of the Sunsets
loves me.
The One who scattered the stars in the sky
Gave up his life that I might live abundantly.
He bid me take this road.
I was pleased to obey.
His love sustains me.
It is sufficient for every circumstance.
How could I forget a love so divine?
The fog returns.
I emerge from my thoughts.
I look up the mountain.
I can see no more than before.
The road looks easier.
I continue on with renewed strength.
I cannot see the top.
I have been climbing for ages
On this rocky, convoluted road.
My legs feel like rubber.
I don’t know how much longer I will last.
This road is too hard.
I want to turn back.
But I look behind me,
And the path has disappeared.
The slope is more treacherous than when I scaled it.
I want to collapse and faint.
Unconsciousness is better than awareness.
Knowing nothing, feeling nothing—
Whether sorrow or joy—
Is better than this torture.
But I cannot collapse.
I cannot faint.
Something keeps my consciousness,
Something keeps me moving.
Is it the Enemy?
Does he want to drive me so hard
That I abandon the one who set me on this path?
Or is it my Friend,
Who is not letting the Enemy gain control
And crush me?
Still, something pulls at my heart.
I cannot help but climb.
How crazy do you have to be
To think climbing this mountain
is a good idea?
I must have been the craziest person alive
When I started at the base
all those ages ago?
There was some good reason
That started me on this journey.
Something that made this trek
Worthwhile.
I knew this would be difficult.
What reason convinced me?
I stop and look around me.
All I can see
Is the path at my feet
And the opaque clouds surrounding me.
I look behind me.
The fog cover lifts.
I can see the sky.
I can see the sky!
It is the end of day.
The sun is setting.
The sky looks like a sea made out of air.
But no sea ever varied in color like this.
The golden sunlight melts into shades of orange and pink.
The rays catch the bottoms of the clouds,
While the tops are shadowed by the coming night.
The sight changes as the minutes pass.
The light slowly fades away.
Left is a beautiful blanket of indigo,
Sprinkled with glittering stars.
A wave of love washes over me.
I close my eyes in remembrance.
I took this road for love.
I took this road because the Painter of the Sunsets
loves me.
The One who scattered the stars in the sky
Gave up his life that I might live abundantly.
He bid me take this road.
I was pleased to obey.
His love sustains me.
It is sufficient for every circumstance.
How could I forget a love so divine?
The fog returns.
I emerge from my thoughts.
I look up the mountain.
I can see no more than before.
The road looks easier.
I continue on with renewed strength.
The Story Doesn't End with the Birth of a Baby
I wrote this essay last Christmas, when this subject was rather on my mind.
This Christmas, every time I hear the Christmas story, I can’t help but think, “How could someone cut off the Christmas story like that?” The story doesn’t end with the birth of a baby, nor does it begin with an angel appearing to a teenage girl. One familiar Christmas tune sings, “Have yourself a merry little Christmas”. It doesn’t matter how comfy and cozy you Christmas might be, but the story is not “little” at all! No, the story is so large that is spans the whole of history. The Christmas story is a story of God’s love that began at Creation. The first promise of Savior is found in God’s curse to the serpent at the Fall of Man: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Genesis 3:15). Here the waiting began. All throughout the Old Testament there are types pointing forward to the Messiah: the symbolic sacrifices and festivals of the Israelites, Jonah in the belly of the whale for three days, and Pharaoh ordering the Israelite’s sons to be killed for fear of rebellion.
After 400 years of silence from God, the Messiah came. But his people did not see him. In all their agonizing waiting they had stopped looking, thinking that the King’s arrival would be evident to all. Here begins the Christmas story we know and love; the event that the most joyful time of the year is centered around. Yes, the incarnation is wonderful. The fact that God, who is infinitely larger than the whole universe, could be condensed into a tiny infant is beyond the scope of our human minds. But without his sacrifice, we would have nothing to celebrate today. Had the God-Man lived a perfect life on this earth, and yet had not condemned himself to take away our condemnation, his birth would be of no consequence. Sure, he might have become renowned as the best person who ever lived, but there would be no holiday. At Christmas, we must remember Easter.
However, not even Christ’s death and resurrection mark the end of the Christmas story. The story continues today. With each new day, God continues to reveal to mankind his awesome glory and love. Now, we are anticipating Christ’s second coming – the glorious one that many Jews are still waiting for. He has made us a part of his story; he has shown us his love and has given us the privilege of being able to share it with the world! What better time is there to share it than Christmas? What better gift could we offer the Christ child?
Remember this the next time you hear the Christmas story.
This Christmas, every time I hear the Christmas story, I can’t help but think, “How could someone cut off the Christmas story like that?” The story doesn’t end with the birth of a baby, nor does it begin with an angel appearing to a teenage girl. One familiar Christmas tune sings, “Have yourself a merry little Christmas”. It doesn’t matter how comfy and cozy you Christmas might be, but the story is not “little” at all! No, the story is so large that is spans the whole of history. The Christmas story is a story of God’s love that began at Creation. The first promise of Savior is found in God’s curse to the serpent at the Fall of Man: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Genesis 3:15). Here the waiting began. All throughout the Old Testament there are types pointing forward to the Messiah: the symbolic sacrifices and festivals of the Israelites, Jonah in the belly of the whale for three days, and Pharaoh ordering the Israelite’s sons to be killed for fear of rebellion.
After 400 years of silence from God, the Messiah came. But his people did not see him. In all their agonizing waiting they had stopped looking, thinking that the King’s arrival would be evident to all. Here begins the Christmas story we know and love; the event that the most joyful time of the year is centered around. Yes, the incarnation is wonderful. The fact that God, who is infinitely larger than the whole universe, could be condensed into a tiny infant is beyond the scope of our human minds. But without his sacrifice, we would have nothing to celebrate today. Had the God-Man lived a perfect life on this earth, and yet had not condemned himself to take away our condemnation, his birth would be of no consequence. Sure, he might have become renowned as the best person who ever lived, but there would be no holiday. At Christmas, we must remember Easter.
However, not even Christ’s death and resurrection mark the end of the Christmas story. The story continues today. With each new day, God continues to reveal to mankind his awesome glory and love. Now, we are anticipating Christ’s second coming – the glorious one that many Jews are still waiting for. He has made us a part of his story; he has shown us his love and has given us the privilege of being able to share it with the world! What better time is there to share it than Christmas? What better gift could we offer the Christ child?
Remember this the next time you hear the Christmas story.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Build a Bridge
Build a Bridge …
A bridge to what?
What gap will I seal?
You can’t build a bridge across solid ground.
There’s nothing that needs connecting.
It’s all one plane.
Life is Full of Bridges …
Bridges that need to be built,
Bridges that need to be burned.
Some bridges collapse at the least likely moment.
But if you float down the river,
You’ll always find something to hold onto.
What Bridge are You on?
What bridge do you need?
What gaps in your life need connecting?
What bridges should be turned into inescapable ditches?
If a bridge doesn’t hold, there’s a reason.
But instead of trying to figure it out,
Just drift till you find a rope.
Inspired by Disney’s Bridge to Terabithia
(Terabithia could possibly mean “Land of Forever")
A bridge to what?
What gap will I seal?
You can’t build a bridge across solid ground.
There’s nothing that needs connecting.
It’s all one plane.
Life is Full of Bridges …
Bridges that need to be built,
Bridges that need to be burned.
Some bridges collapse at the least likely moment.
But if you float down the river,
You’ll always find something to hold onto.
What Bridge are You on?
What bridge do you need?
What gaps in your life need connecting?
What bridges should be turned into inescapable ditches?
If a bridge doesn’t hold, there’s a reason.
But instead of trying to figure it out,
Just drift till you find a rope.
Inspired by Disney’s Bridge to Terabithia
(Terabithia could possibly mean “Land of Forever")
Author of Life
For ages Christians have struggled and debated over questions regarding predestination and why a loving God would allow us to suffer. Try as we might we can't fully comprehend what God intends, nor do I think we will ever find a solution to this intriguing mystery. While we live in a state of confusion, however, I have found an illustration that has helped me to understand this a little bit more.
Think about when you read a book. As you read the story and watch the characters struggle to make the right decisions, sometimes making the wrong ones; as they are pursued by villains, injured in the process, perhaps even killed, are you really thinking about the fact that the author forced this to happen, especially when you are engrossed in the story? But when you finally finish the book, after going through the adrenaline rushes and emotional calms with the characters, you can step back and observe the big picture, and then you silently praise the author's amazing story, confident in the fact that, although many horrible things happened, in the end, those events contributed to the glory of the story.
Several times throughout Scripture, God is called the Author of Life. This is precisely what he is. He has control over what happens in His divine drama, but at the same time it is the characters in the story you witness making the choices they make, not the author. Unfortunately for us, we are the actors in the Story of Creation, stuck in the middle of the story, not knowing what's going to happen. The reason we cannot understand what's going on and why is because we haven't reached the end yet. Only then will we be given the capability to see how everything in Creation conspired to come together and glorify the Creator. When we see this and finally comprehend, then we will sing praises to God the Father for all eternity for His infinite wisdom. We will praise Him for the pain, we will praise Him for the joy; we will praise Him for putting us through trials and for offering His grace.
Think about when you read a book. As you read the story and watch the characters struggle to make the right decisions, sometimes making the wrong ones; as they are pursued by villains, injured in the process, perhaps even killed, are you really thinking about the fact that the author forced this to happen, especially when you are engrossed in the story? But when you finally finish the book, after going through the adrenaline rushes and emotional calms with the characters, you can step back and observe the big picture, and then you silently praise the author's amazing story, confident in the fact that, although many horrible things happened, in the end, those events contributed to the glory of the story.
Several times throughout Scripture, God is called the Author of Life. This is precisely what he is. He has control over what happens in His divine drama, but at the same time it is the characters in the story you witness making the choices they make, not the author. Unfortunately for us, we are the actors in the Story of Creation, stuck in the middle of the story, not knowing what's going to happen. The reason we cannot understand what's going on and why is because we haven't reached the end yet. Only then will we be given the capability to see how everything in Creation conspired to come together and glorify the Creator. When we see this and finally comprehend, then we will sing praises to God the Father for all eternity for His infinite wisdom. We will praise Him for the pain, we will praise Him for the joy; we will praise Him for putting us through trials and for offering His grace.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
"In The First Light"
In the first light of a new day no one knew he had arrived
Things continued as they had been while a newborn softly cried
But the heavens wrapped in wonder knew the meaning of his birth
In the weakness of a baby they knew God had come to earth
As his mother held him closely it was hard to understand
That her baby, not yet speaking, was the word of God to man
He would tell them of his kingdom but their hearts would not believe
They would hate him and in anger they would nail him to a tree
But the sadness would be broken as the song of life arose
And the firstborn of creation would ascend and take his throne
He had left it to redeem us but before his life began
He knew he'd come back, not as a baby, but as the Lord of every man
Hear the angels as they're singing on the morning of his birth
But how much greater will our song be when he comes again to earth
Hear the angels as they're singing on the morning of his birth
But how much greater will our song be when he comes to rule the earth!
Things continued as they had been while a newborn softly cried
But the heavens wrapped in wonder knew the meaning of his birth
In the weakness of a baby they knew God had come to earth
As his mother held him closely it was hard to understand
That her baby, not yet speaking, was the word of God to man
He would tell them of his kingdom but their hearts would not believe
They would hate him and in anger they would nail him to a tree
But the sadness would be broken as the song of life arose
And the firstborn of creation would ascend and take his throne
He had left it to redeem us but before his life began
He knew he'd come back, not as a baby, but as the Lord of every man
Hear the angels as they're singing on the morning of his birth
But how much greater will our song be when he comes again to earth
Hear the angels as they're singing on the morning of his birth
But how much greater will our song be when he comes to rule the earth!
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