I woke up this morning to no power...which means no alarm clock, and no coffee, but also it means no heat. Luckily after about an hour or so the power came back on...which means I got coffee, and heat, and my dad even went the extra mile to build a fire...he's pretty cool. Anyway, since I have been home from Passion (read my last post if you don't know what that is or if you want to know more about it), I have really been digging into the Word and God has really shown me a lot through that. It's been incredible. Here's a passage that Paul (Once Saul) wrote to the Corinthians.
-taye
MY power is made perfect in weakness
"I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
~2 Corinthians 12:1-10 NIV
Lately, one of the many things God has been showing me is just how weak I truly am. Therefore, I really do have nothing to boast of, apart from Christ. Compared to His surpassing greatness, I am nothing, and I feel so small and weak in comparison. That is a good thing to feel, and to realize how truly GREAT our GOD is, but I cannot go through life feeling lousy and helpless, I would get nothing accomplished for Christ. That is why, in His great power and strength, He lifts us up to be able to do great things for His name. HIS power is made perfect in our weakness; in my weakness.
I once heard this quote that goes well with this passage of scripture and is definitely an encouragement to me:
"God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called."
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
The Movie of Life
So I recently started reading Francis Chan's book Crazy Love. I've made it through the first three chapter so far and God is teaching me so much, and convicting me a lot too. I definitely recommend reading it. I want to share a excerpt from chapter two that compares our lives to a movie. It was definitely a kind of "holy slap in the face" to me.
-taye
It Sort of Goes Like This...
Suppose you are an extra in an upcoming movie. You will probably scrutinize that one scene where hundreds of people are milling around, just waiting for that two-fifths of a second when you can see the back of your head. Maybe your mom and your closest friend get excited about that two-fifths of a second with you...maybe. But no one else will realize it is you. Even if you tell them, they won't care.
Let's take it a step further. What if you rent out the theater on opening night and invite all your friends and family to come see the new movie about you? People will say "You're an idiot! How could you think this movie is about you?"
Many Christians are even more delusional than the person I have been describing. So many of us think and live like the movie of life is all about us.
Now Consider the Movie of Life...
God creates the world. (Were you alive then? Was God talking to you when He proclaimed "It is good" about all He had just made?)
Then people rebel against God (Who, if you haven't realized it yet, is the main character in this movie), and God floods the earth to rid it of the mess people made of it.
Several generations later, God singles out a ninety-nine-year-old man called Abram and makes him the father of a nation (did you have anything to do with this?).
Later, along come Joseph and Moses and many other ordinary inadequate people that the movie is also not about. God is the one who picks them and directs them and works miracles through them.
In the next scene, God sends judges and prophets to His nation because the people can't seem to give Him the one thing He asks of them (obedience).
And then, the climax: the Son of God is born among the people whom God still somehow loves. While in this world, the Son teaches His followers what true love look like. Then the Son of God dies and is resurrected and goes back up to be with God.
And even though the movie isn't quite finished yet, we know what the last scene holds. It's the scene I already described in chapter one: the throne room of God. Here every being worships God who sits on the throne, for He alone is worthy to be praised.
From start to finish, this movie is obviously about God. He is the main character. How is it possible that we live as though it is about us? Our scenes in the movie, our brief lives, fall somewhere between the time Jesus ascends into heaven (Acts) and when we will all worship God on His throne in heaven (Revelation).
We have only our two-fifths-of-a-second-long scene to live. I don't know about you, but I want my two-fifths of a second to be about my making much of God.
-taye
It Sort of Goes Like This...
Suppose you are an extra in an upcoming movie. You will probably scrutinize that one scene where hundreds of people are milling around, just waiting for that two-fifths of a second when you can see the back of your head. Maybe your mom and your closest friend get excited about that two-fifths of a second with you...maybe. But no one else will realize it is you. Even if you tell them, they won't care.
Let's take it a step further. What if you rent out the theater on opening night and invite all your friends and family to come see the new movie about you? People will say "You're an idiot! How could you think this movie is about you?"
Many Christians are even more delusional than the person I have been describing. So many of us think and live like the movie of life is all about us.
Now Consider the Movie of Life...
God creates the world. (Were you alive then? Was God talking to you when He proclaimed "It is good" about all He had just made?)
Then people rebel against God (Who, if you haven't realized it yet, is the main character in this movie), and God floods the earth to rid it of the mess people made of it.
Several generations later, God singles out a ninety-nine-year-old man called Abram and makes him the father of a nation (did you have anything to do with this?).
Later, along come Joseph and Moses and many other ordinary inadequate people that the movie is also not about. God is the one who picks them and directs them and works miracles through them.
In the next scene, God sends judges and prophets to His nation because the people can't seem to give Him the one thing He asks of them (obedience).
And then, the climax: the Son of God is born among the people whom God still somehow loves. While in this world, the Son teaches His followers what true love look like. Then the Son of God dies and is resurrected and goes back up to be with God.
And even though the movie isn't quite finished yet, we know what the last scene holds. It's the scene I already described in chapter one: the throne room of God. Here every being worships God who sits on the throne, for He alone is worthy to be praised.
From start to finish, this movie is obviously about God. He is the main character. How is it possible that we live as though it is about us? Our scenes in the movie, our brief lives, fall somewhere between the time Jesus ascends into heaven (Acts) and when we will all worship God on His throne in heaven (Revelation).
We have only our two-fifths-of-a-second-long scene to live. I don't know about you, but I want my two-fifths of a second to be about my making much of God.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
My God's not dead
So I just got back from Passion 2011 in Atlanta. Honestly, it was the most incredible experiences I have ever had, and not only because it was fun, and entertaining, and productive, but it's completely because of GOD. So much was thrown at me and into my mind that I'm still trying to process it all, but here's a look at the three main things I'm taking away from it.
-taye
YOU make beautiful things out of us
Before I begin going on about everything that God showed me during this weekend, I want to start by saying all the things He blessed me with this weekend.
He blessed me with wonderful roommates. I already knew I was rooming with them months in advance, and I've known them since I was born basically, but I continued to realize just how amazing and productive it is when your closest friends are just as in love with God as you are.
He blessed me with wonderful new friends. The community groups (or small groups) continually got better and more effective as the weekend progressed. The groups were supposed to have only eight people in them, but mine had twelve...however, looking at it, each and every single of the dozen people in our not-so-small group were significant and each and every one has and will play a role in influencing my life, and God brought each one into my life for a purpose. The groups were called family groups, but I had no idea how truly like family they would become.
He blessed me with focus. If you know me, you know that I get so easily distracted, but throughout this weekend, I was so much more focused than I usually am. I'm not going to lie and say I never zoned out once during a speaker, or that not once did I find myself singing without praising, but I was more focused and I think I was able to get so much more out of it because of that.
Those were just a few of the tremendous blessings from this weekend. But now for the best stuff...what God has showed me. He showed me so so so much but these are the three main things that really just kind of slapped me in the face.
He showed me His glory. All the time I go to church or read my Bible without even taking a though to think about how glorious and mighty and worthy God is. Isn't that terrible? It makes me sad to think that, but over this weekend I was just shown how powerful and perfect Christ is, especially when I look at myself next to Him. I look so small compared to Him and His perfection.
He showed me His love. Pretty much all of my high school life, but more so this past semester, I have been constantly searching for love. It's like I knew God's love was better, but I thought that I could find something better, because I didn't experience Christ's love on a daily basis. How blind I have been. On Saturday night, some of us went to the David Crowder concert (so incredible in and of itself, but that's not the point. The majority of the concert was Christmas music, but at one point he sang How He Loves and it was like God just jumped out of nowhere right in front of my face and just looked at me and "I. Love. You., why have you not seen that?" It's so wonderful how patient God is with us, but that after a while He just has to jump in front of us and show us where we've gone wrong. After that I felt so loved, and not just knowing Christ's and yet looking for it elsewhere, but knowing His love and being perfectly content in that. In the song By Your Side by Tenth Avenue North, there's a line that I've always loved, it says "Why are you looking for love? Why are you still searching as if I'M not enough? Where will you go child? Tell me, where will you run?" I love that because, first off, that's exactly what I've been doing: continuing to search for love, even though Jesus' love was always right there.
He showed me joy. Being completely joyful; completely and utterly happy, has always been kind of a struggle for me, especially lately (which I think ties in with the whole looking elsewhere for love thing). This was the first time in my entire life where I have felt completely alive and fully happy. This was also the first time in my life where I got truly excited to praise God. I found that almost every time we went to worship, I would be singing my heart out and sometimes I would have to stop singing because I could not help but smile. That's what true joy is. Also, in when John Piper spoke on Monday night, he spoke about joy, and how necessary it is to have GOD as the foundation of our joy rather than ourselves, and I think before this weekend, I had myself as the bottom of the foundation, but Christ close on top of that so that I thought I had Him at the bottom, but in reality it was myself.
Passion 2012 will be at the Georgia Dome next year in Atlanta. I would recommend it to everyone high school senior-college. It will change your life, but really Passion won't change your life, God will.
"Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws,
we wait for You;
Your name and renown
are the desire of our hearts"
-Isaiah 26:8
268generation.com
-taye
YOU make beautiful things out of us
Before I begin going on about everything that God showed me during this weekend, I want to start by saying all the things He blessed me with this weekend.
He blessed me with wonderful roommates. I already knew I was rooming with them months in advance, and I've known them since I was born basically, but I continued to realize just how amazing and productive it is when your closest friends are just as in love with God as you are.
He blessed me with wonderful new friends. The community groups (or small groups) continually got better and more effective as the weekend progressed. The groups were supposed to have only eight people in them, but mine had twelve...however, looking at it, each and every single of the dozen people in our not-so-small group were significant and each and every one has and will play a role in influencing my life, and God brought each one into my life for a purpose. The groups were called family groups, but I had no idea how truly like family they would become.
He blessed me with focus. If you know me, you know that I get so easily distracted, but throughout this weekend, I was so much more focused than I usually am. I'm not going to lie and say I never zoned out once during a speaker, or that not once did I find myself singing without praising, but I was more focused and I think I was able to get so much more out of it because of that.
Those were just a few of the tremendous blessings from this weekend. But now for the best stuff...what God has showed me. He showed me so so so much but these are the three main things that really just kind of slapped me in the face.
He showed me His glory. All the time I go to church or read my Bible without even taking a though to think about how glorious and mighty and worthy God is. Isn't that terrible? It makes me sad to think that, but over this weekend I was just shown how powerful and perfect Christ is, especially when I look at myself next to Him. I look so small compared to Him and His perfection.
He showed me His love. Pretty much all of my high school life, but more so this past semester, I have been constantly searching for love. It's like I knew God's love was better, but I thought that I could find something better, because I didn't experience Christ's love on a daily basis. How blind I have been. On Saturday night, some of us went to the David Crowder concert (so incredible in and of itself, but that's not the point. The majority of the concert was Christmas music, but at one point he sang How He Loves and it was like God just jumped out of nowhere right in front of my face and just looked at me and "I. Love. You., why have you not seen that?" It's so wonderful how patient God is with us, but that after a while He just has to jump in front of us and show us where we've gone wrong. After that I felt so loved, and not just knowing Christ's and yet looking for it elsewhere, but knowing His love and being perfectly content in that. In the song By Your Side by Tenth Avenue North, there's a line that I've always loved, it says "Why are you looking for love? Why are you still searching as if I'M not enough? Where will you go child? Tell me, where will you run?" I love that because, first off, that's exactly what I've been doing: continuing to search for love, even though Jesus' love was always right there.
He showed me joy. Being completely joyful; completely and utterly happy, has always been kind of a struggle for me, especially lately (which I think ties in with the whole looking elsewhere for love thing). This was the first time in my entire life where I have felt completely alive and fully happy. This was also the first time in my life where I got truly excited to praise God. I found that almost every time we went to worship, I would be singing my heart out and sometimes I would have to stop singing because I could not help but smile. That's what true joy is. Also, in when John Piper spoke on Monday night, he spoke about joy, and how necessary it is to have GOD as the foundation of our joy rather than ourselves, and I think before this weekend, I had myself as the bottom of the foundation, but Christ close on top of that so that I thought I had Him at the bottom, but in reality it was myself.
Passion 2012 will be at the Georgia Dome next year in Atlanta. I would recommend it to everyone high school senior-college. It will change your life, but really Passion won't change your life, God will.
"Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws,
we wait for You;
Your name and renown
are the desire of our hearts"
-Isaiah 26:8
268generation.com
Thursday, December 30, 2010
You're My beloved, You're My bride
Over the past few days two things have been on my mind: how I want to fall in love with a guy, and how I want to fall in love with God. There is a video that some people made that's been going around facebook of this couple's wedding, it's beautiful and adorable, but even so you can see how much both of them love God as well as each other. There is a song that Kari Jobe sings called "My Beloved" and it goes really well with everything that's going on in my head.
-taye
Come away with Me, My love
For as long as I can remember; from the time that I was a little girl, I have wanted a fairytale. Disney movies are great, but at a certain point a girl wants a real life prince to come up on a white horse and whisk her away to his magical kingdom. However the incredible thing that I'm beginning to realize is that God is that Prince. Isaiah 54:5 says "For your Maker is your Husband..."
For such a long time I have had in my mind that I must fall in love with God before a guy will come along, which in a way that is completely true, however I have had in my mind that the guy would be the ultimate prize to fall in love with, but what God is trying to show me is that HE is the prize, not the guy. Human love is only another way that God shows His love among us, not the other way around.
Everything that I have said is only a glimpse at everything swarming my mind, but now I am going to enjoy my true love in Christ as a wait patietly and expectantly for the man that God will someday bring along, through whom Christ will continue to show His love for me.
"My Beloved" by Kari Jobe
You're My Beloved
You're My Bride
To sing over you is My delight
Come away with Me My love
You're Beautiful to Me
So beautiful to Me
Under My mercy
Come and wait
Till we are standing face to face
I see no stain on you
My child
You're Beautiful to Me
So Beautiful to Me
I sing over you My song of peace
Cast all your care down at My feet
Come and find your rest in Me
I'll breathe My life inside of you
I'll bear you up on eagle's wings
And hide you in the shadow of My strength
I'll take you to My quiet waters
I'll restore your soul
Come rest in Me and be made whole
You're My beloved
You're My Bride
To sing over you is my delight
Come away with me my love
-taye
Come away with Me, My love
For as long as I can remember; from the time that I was a little girl, I have wanted a fairytale. Disney movies are great, but at a certain point a girl wants a real life prince to come up on a white horse and whisk her away to his magical kingdom. However the incredible thing that I'm beginning to realize is that God is that Prince. Isaiah 54:5 says "For your Maker is your Husband..."
For such a long time I have had in my mind that I must fall in love with God before a guy will come along, which in a way that is completely true, however I have had in my mind that the guy would be the ultimate prize to fall in love with, but what God is trying to show me is that HE is the prize, not the guy. Human love is only another way that God shows His love among us, not the other way around.
Everything that I have said is only a glimpse at everything swarming my mind, but now I am going to enjoy my true love in Christ as a wait patietly and expectantly for the man that God will someday bring along, through whom Christ will continue to show His love for me.
"My Beloved" by Kari Jobe
You're My Beloved
You're My Bride
To sing over you is My delight
Come away with Me My love
You're Beautiful to Me
So beautiful to Me
Under My mercy
Come and wait
Till we are standing face to face
I see no stain on you
My child
You're Beautiful to Me
So Beautiful to Me
I sing over you My song of peace
Cast all your care down at My feet
Come and find your rest in Me
I'll breathe My life inside of you
I'll bear you up on eagle's wings
And hide you in the shadow of My strength
I'll take you to My quiet waters
I'll restore your soul
Come rest in Me and be made whole
You're My beloved
You're My Bride
To sing over you is my delight
Come away with me my love
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Give Thanks
Thanksgiving is coming up in a couple of days, and so in preparation for that...here's a list of ten things I'm most thankful for.
-taye
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness.
1. I am thankful for salvation, which I am so underserving of
2. I am beyond thankful for my best friends, who mean the world to me
3. I am thankful for memories...most of them have the ability to cheer me up when I think of them
4. I am thankful for peanut butter...but only the crunchy kind
5. I am thankful for beauty...it's everywhere, and it always points back to the Creator
6. I am thankful for my family...yes, they're insane but I love them, and they are a large part of who I am today
7. I am thankful for random friends who live all over the country...it's neat to know that I have some who live everywhere from California, to Kansas, to New Jersey and even Canada (though I'm aware that's not in the country)
8. I am thankful for the ability to walk and dance :)
9. I am thankful for God's patience...sometimes I don't know how He puts up with me
10. I am thankful for the little things in life that mean so much.
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving time?
-taye
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness.
1. I am thankful for salvation, which I am so underserving of
2. I am beyond thankful for my best friends, who mean the world to me
3. I am thankful for memories...most of them have the ability to cheer me up when I think of them
4. I am thankful for peanut butter...but only the crunchy kind
5. I am thankful for beauty...it's everywhere, and it always points back to the Creator
6. I am thankful for my family...yes, they're insane but I love them, and they are a large part of who I am today
7. I am thankful for random friends who live all over the country...it's neat to know that I have some who live everywhere from California, to Kansas, to New Jersey and even Canada (though I'm aware that's not in the country)
8. I am thankful for the ability to walk and dance :)
9. I am thankful for God's patience...sometimes I don't know how He puts up with me
10. I am thankful for the little things in life that mean so much.
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving time?
Sunday, November 21, 2010
You are the light that's leading me
I love this song by Lifehouse. I listened to it this weekend on the car ride home from Mississippi and just rememebered that God is in complete control of my future, which was good considering I was on my way home from a college visit/dance audition.
It's called "Everything" by Lifehouse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1tVk-QlBKs
There's a link ^ and here are the lyrics...enjoy!
-taye
Find me here, speak to me
I want to feel you, I need to hear you
You are the light, that's leading me
To the place where I find peace, again.
You are the strength, that keeps me walking
You are the hope, that keeps me trusting
You are the life, to my soul,
You are my purpose, you're everything
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
You calm the storms, and you give me rest
You hold me in your hands, you won't let me fall
You still my heart, and you take my breath away
Would you take me in? Take me deeper now?
And How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
Cause you're all I want, You're all I need,
You're everything, everything
You're all I want, You're all I need
You're everything, everything.
You're all I want, You're all I need.
You're everything, everything
You're all I want, You're all I need.
You're everything, everything.
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better, any better than this.
And How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
It's called "Everything" by Lifehouse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1tVk-QlBKs
There's a link ^ and here are the lyrics...enjoy!
-taye
Find me here, speak to me
I want to feel you, I need to hear you
You are the light, that's leading me
To the place where I find peace, again.
You are the strength, that keeps me walking
You are the hope, that keeps me trusting
You are the life, to my soul,
You are my purpose, you're everything
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
You calm the storms, and you give me rest
You hold me in your hands, you won't let me fall
You still my heart, and you take my breath away
Would you take me in? Take me deeper now?
And How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
Cause you're all I want, You're all I need,
You're everything, everything
You're all I want, You're all I need
You're everything, everything.
You're all I want, You're all I need.
You're everything, everything
You're all I want, You're all I need.
You're everything, everything.
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better, any better than this.
And How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Found Seeking
This is from an email my mom sent me a few months ago. I first read this poem after an amazing girl at Camp Marannook gave me a copy of it this summer. Throughout the summer I had read this almost everyday...it is such an encouragement! I hadn't read it in a while until last night it fell out of my bible, so I read it once again and it was exactly what I needed to hear from the Lord last night. I'm bolding my favorite parts.
~taye
Found Seeking Poem
Everyone longs to give himself completely to someone, to have a deep soul relationship with another, to be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But God to a Christian Says:
“No, not until you are satisfied, fulfilled, and content with being loved by Me alone, until you give yourself totally to Me, having an intensely personal and unique relationship with me alone, discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction found. Then and only then will you be capable of the human relationship that I have planned for you.
You will never be wholly united with another until you are united with Me, exclusive of any other desires or longings. I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing- one that you cannot imagine. I want you to have the BEST!
Choose my way. You just keep watching Me, expecting the greatest and keep experiencing the satisfaction that I AM. Keep listening and learning the things I tell you. You just wait, that’s all. Don’t be anxious. Don’t look at the things you want. You just keep looking off and up to Me or you will miss what I want to show you. You see, until you are ready (and I am working even this moment to have both of you ready at the same time), until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I have prepared for you, you will not be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with Me and this perfect love.
My Dear One, I want you to have the most wonderful love for one another. I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me, and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty, perfection, and love that I offer you with Myself. Know that I love you completely and eternally. I am the Almighty God. Believe Me, trust Me, and be satisfied. “
~taye
Found Seeking Poem
Everyone longs to give himself completely to someone, to have a deep soul relationship with another, to be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But God to a Christian Says:
“No, not until you are satisfied, fulfilled, and content with being loved by Me alone, until you give yourself totally to Me, having an intensely personal and unique relationship with me alone, discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction found. Then and only then will you be capable of the human relationship that I have planned for you.
You will never be wholly united with another until you are united with Me, exclusive of any other desires or longings. I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing- one that you cannot imagine. I want you to have the BEST!
Choose my way. You just keep watching Me, expecting the greatest and keep experiencing the satisfaction that I AM. Keep listening and learning the things I tell you. You just wait, that’s all. Don’t be anxious. Don’t look at the things you want. You just keep looking off and up to Me or you will miss what I want to show you. You see, until you are ready (and I am working even this moment to have both of you ready at the same time), until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I have prepared for you, you will not be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with Me and this perfect love.
My Dear One, I want you to have the most wonderful love for one another. I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me, and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty, perfection, and love that I offer you with Myself. Know that I love you completely and eternally. I am the Almighty God. Believe Me, trust Me, and be satisfied. “
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