i'm reading a book called Shadow of The Almighty by Elisabeth Elliot about the life of her husband Jim, a missionary and a martyr.
As i was reading today, a prayer of his jumped out at me. it is as follows:
'He makes His ministers flames of fire.' Am i ignitable? God deliver me from the dread asbestos of 'other things.' Saturate me with the oil of the Spirit that i may be aflame. But flame is transient, often short-lived. Canst thou bear this,my soul-short life? In me dwells the Spirit of the Great Short-Lived, whose zeal for God's house consumed Him. And He has promised baptism with the Spirit and with Fire. 'Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.'
Am i ignitable? What a great question! One i think we should all ask ourselves. We say that we are willing. We say to God, "Here i am. Send me." But then what? We just go to church every Sunday and Wednesday. We may even go to a small group or First Priority and FCA. But where else do we go? To Walmart. To the movies. To our friends house every Friday night.
i find that even when the Spirit pricks my heart to speak, when He shows me an opportunity, i just push it out of my mind, out of my reach, until the opportunity is gone. And sometimes, i just go about the rest of my day like it never happened. i'm not even upset that i skipped out on that opportunity, like it's no big deal.
i long to be bold at a moments notice. As i read through this book about a man with an attitude so like Christ's, i'm convicted. About myself and my last of fervor and passion for the hearts of those lost.
Lord, ignite me. Place a fire so bright within me that it cannot be quenched. Make me bold to speak without giving it a second thought. May i count my reputation or acceptance by others rubbish in comparison with Your great love for me. May my heart be always on You and Your glory and not on the things of this world, for they will perish. But You, O LORD, remain always. Amen.
Another of his prayers also struck me.
Father, let me be weak that i might lose my clutch on everything temporal. My life, my reputation, my possessions, Lord, let me loose tension of the grasping hand. Even, Father, would i lose the love of fondling. How often i have released a grasp only ti retain what i prized by 'harmless' longing, the fondling touch. Rather, open my hand to the nail of Calvary, as Christ's was opened-that i, releasing all, might be released, unleashed from all that binds me now. He thought Heaven, yea, equality with God, not a things to be clutched at. So let me release my grasp.
WOW!
Father God, make that the cry of my heart. What You have been busy doing in my heart as of late, i see with some clarity now. Making me weak. Making me lean on You, because that's where i belong. Thank You for making me weak that i may give up, truly release, what i've been so selfishly holding on to. 'Take from me my life when i don't have the strength to give it away to You, Jesus.' Amen.
Friday, June 5
Monday, May 25
thanks
i'm starting something today that i want to make a habit of. i'm going to publicly thank the people God has placed in my life, those whom He has used to touch my life.
Falyn-Thanks you for your many prayers and support these last few weeks. we made it through...together. Your friendship has been so uplifting to me and i will never be able to express my gratitude for your sticking by me. i'm giving you a nickname today-Barnabas, son of encouragement. i know...it's a guys name, but it's the thought that counts. i love you girl. i know God has big plans to use you in our school next year. and, God willing, i will be right there with you, always. i'm here for you, whatever you need. and remember: there ain't no high like The Most High!
Falyn & Cat-"Sisters will stay together, never apart. maybe in distance, but never in heart."
Cat-i can't believe this year is almost over! i am so blessed with your friendship. your heart is so full of God. you're always there to listen and i appreciate it. your boldness to sing in front of your peers every wednesday at First Priority is...inconceivable (haha!). one day, i'll learn to play the piano, and we'll have a party and do nothing but sing to Jesus (actually, we should do that now). i'll never be as good an artist as you, though. i that category, you've got beat by a long shot.
Falyn, Cat, Tomko, Chris, & Jeremy-Prom '09! i've never had more fun at a dance EVER. y'all are the best. i thank God for our group. we were able to glorify with all we did! that's awesome! praise God!
Chris-thanks for giving me my first dance. and your courage to join the NAVY SEALS astounds me!! i don't think i could ever do that. i'm thankful for a great godly guy (woah!-all those g's) friend like you. that's rare these days.
Jessica-congrats! you are now a mother. i can't even begin to imagine the road that lies ahead of you. but i know two things-God is great and He is with you. your resolve to do as God would have you do with the Caleb's arrival amazes me. i pray that one day, when i have kids, my husband (whoever he is) and i will submit to His will in the same way you and Brian have. your example is priceless.
Pastor Dan-when i think back on the last few years, my mind runs across the good times and smiles-camping, concerts, and Student Life-all the things that i loved because i was with our youth group, my second family. i also remember the tears-the day you pulled out of class, all the ACLU stuff. while, at the time, i cried, now i smile. if there's one thing i've learned since i've known you, it's that God knows what He's doing. your strength in trials and transparency challenge me to be likewise. thanks for putting me on your refrigerator, too :)
Mr. Lay-i don't think i'll ever know how blessed i am to have you as my princi-pal. never before have i been so thankful for you. your ability to handle all this stuff is incredible and only by God's grace. thank you for standing on your faith and on God's Word. i hope to one day be the leader you are. i am praying for you and your family in these hard times. but REJOICE! God is faithful. He will provide. forgive like Joseph did.
But Joseph said to them, "Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones." Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Genesis 50:19-21
Dad-thank you for showing me what it means to know what you believe and that sometimes we have to go to great lengths and wrestle with things in order to find the truth. thank you for the spiritual leader you are to Mom and me. i love you!
Mom-for all you do for Dad and me-words cannot describe. for crying with me through all my meltdowns. i cherish the friendship that has grown between us. i love you, too!
Almighty God-for second chances.
Jesus-for Your love that gives me life.
Holy Spirit-for making me to hear Your still, small voice and obey.
Falyn-Thanks you for your many prayers and support these last few weeks. we made it through...together. Your friendship has been so uplifting to me and i will never be able to express my gratitude for your sticking by me. i'm giving you a nickname today-Barnabas, son of encouragement. i know...it's a guys name, but it's the thought that counts. i love you girl. i know God has big plans to use you in our school next year. and, God willing, i will be right there with you, always. i'm here for you, whatever you need. and remember: there ain't no high like The Most High!
Falyn & Cat-"Sisters will stay together, never apart. maybe in distance, but never in heart."
Cat-i can't believe this year is almost over! i am so blessed with your friendship. your heart is so full of God. you're always there to listen and i appreciate it. your boldness to sing in front of your peers every wednesday at First Priority is...inconceivable (haha!). one day, i'll learn to play the piano, and we'll have a party and do nothing but sing to Jesus (actually, we should do that now). i'll never be as good an artist as you, though. i that category, you've got beat by a long shot.
Falyn, Cat, Tomko, Chris, & Jeremy-Prom '09! i've never had more fun at a dance EVER. y'all are the best. i thank God for our group. we were able to glorify with all we did! that's awesome! praise God!
Chris-thanks for giving me my first dance. and your courage to join the NAVY SEALS astounds me!! i don't think i could ever do that. i'm thankful for a great godly guy (woah!-all those g's) friend like you. that's rare these days.
Jessica-congrats! you are now a mother. i can't even begin to imagine the road that lies ahead of you. but i know two things-God is great and He is with you. your resolve to do as God would have you do with the Caleb's arrival amazes me. i pray that one day, when i have kids, my husband (whoever he is) and i will submit to His will in the same way you and Brian have. your example is priceless.
Pastor Dan-when i think back on the last few years, my mind runs across the good times and smiles-camping, concerts, and Student Life-all the things that i loved because i was with our youth group, my second family. i also remember the tears-the day you pulled out of class, all the ACLU stuff. while, at the time, i cried, now i smile. if there's one thing i've learned since i've known you, it's that God knows what He's doing. your strength in trials and transparency challenge me to be likewise. thanks for putting me on your refrigerator, too :)
Mr. Lay-i don't think i'll ever know how blessed i am to have you as my princi-pal. never before have i been so thankful for you. your ability to handle all this stuff is incredible and only by God's grace. thank you for standing on your faith and on God's Word. i hope to one day be the leader you are. i am praying for you and your family in these hard times. but REJOICE! God is faithful. He will provide. forgive like Joseph did.
But Joseph said to them, "Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones." Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Genesis 50:19-21
Dad-thank you for showing me what it means to know what you believe and that sometimes we have to go to great lengths and wrestle with things in order to find the truth. thank you for the spiritual leader you are to Mom and me. i love you!
Mom-for all you do for Dad and me-words cannot describe. for crying with me through all my meltdowns. i cherish the friendship that has grown between us. i love you, too!
Almighty God-for second chances.
Jesus-for Your love that gives me life.
Holy Spirit-for making me to hear Your still, small voice and obey.
Memorial Day
today, we remember our veterans and our current armed forces, both men and women. thank you for what you do and have done. i also remember, today, my fifth grade graduation, which was held in a church. i remember the 2007 and 2008 PHS graduations, which friends of mine prayed at. at that time, the thing that amazed me was how they kept their calm while praying in front of so many people. now, i look back and i'm amazed that the ACLU hadn't jumped on us sooner.
we had a prayer walk this morning. students, parents, and other faithful supporters gathered at the flagpole to pray, then separated into small groups, and sometimes only by themselves, to pray for teachers, students, school members. it was awesome. God is moving in this county like i've never seen. and i pray that He only comes more strongly.
we also had a meeting at my friend's house last night. we discussed some legal things, plans of action for next year, what we're really fighting for. we realize that having our class presidents speak at graduation this year isn't going to happen. there's not a whole lot we can do about that. but we can fight for years to come.
my pastor said yesterday at church that this is no longer a first ammendment battle. our Jesus is being dethroned. and we can't let that happen. we're fighting for Jesus now. there are people out there who don't want His name or any likeness of Him in public and they will do anything to get there way.
we also talked about how we should love them-the ACLU and the two students named in the lawsuit as Minor 1 and Minor 2 who complained in the first place. we can't fight them successfully with the law of this land. we have to fight with the love of God. and His love outlasts all things. His light will still shine when all else fades.
Thanks be to You, O LORD, for You are with us. Thanks be to You, Jesus, for Your love which brought You to the cross. Thanks be to You, Holy Spirit, for guiding us, Your children, this far.
Our hope is in You!
Thursday, May 14
how great is our God?
i haven't posted in a while. School is crazy and almost over for the summer (believe me i can't wait!)
i have a million and two things running through my head lately. With friends. With school. With yearbook. With God.
With God...He's so big. You may or may not have known that, so i'm here to proclaim it. He's huge!!! Bigger and more magnificent than we can ever hope or imagine. His Word says that His ways are high and His thoughts are vast. We can't comprehend Him. Our finite minds can't contain Him. Even the temple which Solomon built for God, in all it's beauty and splendor, could not hold God's presence...
Yet somehow, God became a man. Not just any man-a servant, the son of a carpenter. Jesus was born into a world full of sin and evil. He faced the same temptations we have, do, and will face. But He did so without sin. Therefore He was the only one who could be the once for all spotless, perfect Lamb. He was sacrificed. He was slain. He died. For us.
But, here's the thing, the Good News: HE IS RISEN! Just as He promised. On the third day, God raised Him from the dead.
"Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." -Romans 10:13
Praise God for the gift of His Son, of redemption and forgiveness through His blood.
"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life." -Leviticus 17:11
God is proving Himself to be more than i can swallow, more than i can handle. His ways are high. His thoughts are vast. But with Him, they are not impossible. With Him, all things are possible.
i have a million and two things running through my head lately. With friends. With school. With yearbook. With God.
With God...He's so big. You may or may not have known that, so i'm here to proclaim it. He's huge!!! Bigger and more magnificent than we can ever hope or imagine. His Word says that His ways are high and His thoughts are vast. We can't comprehend Him. Our finite minds can't contain Him. Even the temple which Solomon built for God, in all it's beauty and splendor, could not hold God's presence...
Yet somehow, God became a man. Not just any man-a servant, the son of a carpenter. Jesus was born into a world full of sin and evil. He faced the same temptations we have, do, and will face. But He did so without sin. Therefore He was the only one who could be the once for all spotless, perfect Lamb. He was sacrificed. He was slain. He died. For us.
But, here's the thing, the Good News: HE IS RISEN! Just as He promised. On the third day, God raised Him from the dead.
"Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." -Romans 10:13
Praise God for the gift of His Son, of redemption and forgiveness through His blood.
"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life." -Leviticus 17:11
God is proving Himself to be more than i can swallow, more than i can handle. His ways are high. His thoughts are vast. But with Him, they are not impossible. With Him, all things are possible.
Monday, May 4
PROM '09 (part 2)
here's some more photos. my mom & i took these.
don't forget to check out the link in the previous post.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lovelyloser21/PROM09#
don't forget to check out the link in the previous post.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lovelyloser21/PROM09#
Sunday, May 3
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!
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!
Saturday, April 11
ultimate flexibility
check out this video my dad just showed me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcvHaRaqJNo
that's crazy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcvHaRaqJNo
that's crazy!
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