PROM!

wow! i can't remember the last time i had THAT much fun!!!

here's the first installment of photos, done by my lovely friend Marty.

http://picasaweb.google.com/4plusone/JordanSProm?authkey=Gv1sRgCNzi3pHflZOVYw&feat=directlink#

more to come!

ultimate flexibility

check out this video my dad just showed me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcvHaRaqJNo

that's crazy!

taylor the latte boy...

my new favorite youtube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXS0nEOx_20&feature=related

when i went to Covenant College for a preview weekend, they had a lip syncing contest called Mountain Air. a version of this song was sung (or synced, i guess)

and here's taylor's response:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK7QsyPJcnw&feature=related

i'll never go to starbucks the same again :)

friends=blessings

i spent a lovely afternoon with three of my friends a couple weeks ago. my mom took us all out to the park so we could have a photo shoot. who knew my friends were born to be models? who knew kait was such a great photographer? anyway, here are some of my favorites.

probably my favorite random shot:





"wow! i look so tan!:"









"my mom can never get a natural picture of me. i pose too much:"











"i look like i'm about to fight someone:"


my mom took us out for ice cream afterwards. what a great mom! (moms=blessings, too:) )


thank You, God, for the gift of friendship and a talent for photography. i will glorify You with these gifts as long as You allow. thank You.

stand

i'm listening right now to matthew west's cd sellout, specifically the song stand. it's written about the See You At The Pole event that happens every september.

It was an ordinary morning
At the school upon the hill
The sun was slowly rising
The flag was standing still
And the students were rushing
To face another day

But in the middle of the madness
There was one who made her way
She was standing at the flagpole
She bowed her head to pray
She said "I, I will not be afraid."

Who will stand, stand together
Heart to heart reaching out for love
Hand in hand with each other
By God's grace, who will stand?

Now everyone was watching
Staring at the girl
Some of them were laughing
And calling her a fool
They said "She, ohh she will stand alone"

But one by one they stepped out
One by one they came
Breaking from their silence
With a simple act of faith
They said "We, no we are not ashamed"

We will stand, stand together
Heart to heart reaching out for love
Hand in hand with each other
By God's grace, we will stand

And we will stand up for what we believe
We will stand up for our freedom
we wills stand up for one nation under God
With liberty and justice for all!

i'm moved by it because of the amazing works God is currently doing at my high school. see you at the pole was hugs this year. it's bigger every year. and this year, we had two. we held our own, student initiated SYATP about two months ago. how much more so does this song apply there. i don't mean to boast about how holy some of our students are. but it's amazing how God is moving though His children in such an incredible way. despite all the opposition we've been receiving from he ACLU, God is not stopped.

"three nails and a roman cross could not stop the mission of God." -jared herd

nothing can stop our God! AMEN!

as Easter nears, my heart feels the weight of what we celebrate at this time of year. i also realize that we shouldn't celebrate it just once a year. it's a daily rejoicing that should be taking place in our hearts and through our lives for the lost of this world to see. let God shine through you in all you do, all you say, and how you love those around you.

thank God that He sent His Perfect Sacrifice to die for our sins, so that we may be reconciled through Christ to the Father. now, we may go boldly into the throne room of Christ because He has made us clean and acceptable in front of God the Father.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

thank you Jesus!

moved

God has shown me a lot lately about being in awe of Him. sitting in physics class. lying in bed. riding around town. always standing in awe of Him. constantly praising Him with every piece of my life. in order to that, i've got to be calmed by the Spirit and be quiet.

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations,I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10 ESV

i heard this analogy:
imagine a lake, calm and picturesque. an acorn drops from a tree and breaks the water's smooth surface. what do you see?...ripples.
now imagine a storm. the water's choppy and the air's gloomy. an acorn fall from a tree and breaks the water's rough surface. did you see the ripples?

when we come to God, we should come as the calm lake, empty, silent, and peaceful. when God speaks to us, we can hear what He's saying. we'll be able to see the ripples He leaves.
if we're restless and worried about what's happening in our lives and consumed with thoughts of our day, we won't be able to notice when He speaks. God calls us to come to Him still and silent.

And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:7,8

so often, when we pray, we heap up empty phrases like, forgive us of all our sins," and, "...in Jesus name, Amen." do we really think about what we're saying? do we realize that when we pray, we are standing before the throne of the Creator of the universe? so often, the weight of prayer doesn't hit me. we ask God to get us through the Gettysburg essay test and to heal aunt jenny's bunions (to use pastor Rob's example). i spend so much of my prayer time talking and asking. i don't just sit and listen to what God has to say. who are we to think our words are more important than what god has to say?

i heard an interview today where Matthew West talk about his album "Something to Say." he talked about how many of us just talk on and on in our prayers. we think we've got something to say. but when Matthew had surgery on his vocal chords and had to spend two months in complete silence to heal, he heard God speaking to Him saying, "I've got something to say. Be quiet and listen to Me."



God has also shown me that praying isn't just interceding. it's praise. it's worship. we are to thank God for all of who He is.

Creator.
Shepherd.
Father.
Mediator.
Savior.
I AM.
Provider.
Hope.
Way. Truth. Life.
Master.
Healer.
Helper.
Everlasting One.
Almighty.
Rock.
Strong Tower.
Strength.
Friend.




stop. listen. stand in awe.

a servant's heart...

...spilled.

so tomorrow at First Priority, i'm giving my testimony. i'm so nervous & i probably won't get much sleep tonight. if you're reading this before tomorrow morning, please pray for me. and if you're reading this after i talk, please pray for the hearts of those who heard, that whatever God causes to come out of my mouth will resonate within their hearts & that they will glorify God because of what He does in them.

God has done such amazing things in my life in the last four and a half years (since He changed my life). there's so much to chose from! and i want to tell it all. I hope that after i give my testimony for the first time, God will light a fire in my heart so that i will never cease talking and sharing about Him. He's done all this amazing stuff in my life and He didn't do it so i could keep it bottled up inside but rather He wants me to share, to give Him glory by spreading His fame.

if you're not able to come hear me speak, here are a couple links to what i'll be talking about. a little mini-testimony if you will.

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=152b5103d741aca61093

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_82lZ2PpYQE&feature=related

http://hubblesite.org/


may God bless your heart as much as He has mine.

SOLO DEO GLORIA!

glory to God alone!