“When I look at your heavens, the
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful
of him,
and the son of man that you
care for him?”
- Psalm 8:3,4

The same arms that spread the skies wrap you and me in loving embrace. The same hands that placed the stars in the sky comfort us when the world turns its back to us. The One who carved the moon out of nothing and placed it in the sky, sparkling silver in the sun’s golden light, lifts us, too, up out of our troubles and problems and pains, and he sets us in his bedchamber. We are his cherished ones; he created the sunset and the stars and the moon and the sun just for us. Kangaroos and the Serengeti and hummingbirds and spring meadows and the aura borealis, all were created for us! The One who names the stars knows the very number of hairs on your head, and he loves you. The same hands that painted the clouds and sunset and the waves lapping against the beach reach for you, pursue you, and draw you close. You are God’s one and only Beloved.

Thursday night gathering has turned into a chaotic animal house. No one pays attention; everything is just a big joke, oftentimes even the stuff we're talking about (even when the topic is, ironically, GOD); some of those there make fun of others, backbite others, throw gossip into the wind, spoiling the sacredness of whatever we're talking about. No one ever wants to DISCUSS anymore; they're there for the food mostly, and when there's no food, they get in and get out. Even some 'turn' when they get to small group, and are bent on disrupting it as much as possible.

What has happened? I am clueless.

Where did the first Thursday gathering go? Sitting together, immersed in nature, speaking our minds and our hearts and just reveling in the knowledge of God, and the knowing God. Where did the honesty and the interest and the sacredness run off to? Where did the genuine love for one another drip away to? I am lost; I don't know how to get back. For months I've tried to drag it together, but every time is a failure. I have tried it lovingly, but I must admit, I've been on the verge of ripping up the papers and just leaving.

I have had several friends tell me that it needs to change, that it upsets them the way it acts. A friend told me that last night, and was afraid it would make me upset; I agree with her, but what can I do? I just want to end it half the time.

It is a waste of my life, it feels, yet deep down, I know God put me there, and put the people that gather together in that room. So what now?

I don't know how to explain. Actually, I can't. It is one of those things you can't understand. I was praying in my room, when suddenly I stopped. It hit me, right between the eyes, an icycle piercing my soul:

"I am talking to God. I am talking to the Creator."

Think about that.

Wherever you are, open your Bible and read Daniel 10, because it has been an amazing insight for me. Daniel has received a terrifying revelation, and for three weeks he is fasting and mourning, no doubt starving for an answer from God. But no answer, no whisper, nothing has come from God. A lot of us would say we've blown it, or God is holding back from us. I have thought that SO MUCH. But if you read down through Daniel 10, you find God's messenger coming to Daniel, and apologizing for not coming right away. What happened? Evil forces held him at bay and he had to fight them off with the help of one of the mightiest angels, Michael.

What this reminds me of is two things. First, when our prayers go unanswered, when a family member tragically dies, when we screw up and fall into sin, when we bomb out in ministry, or when we go through a lot of dry times without tasting the goodness of God, it doesn't necesarily mean that we have completely screwed up; it doesn't mean that God has turned his backs on us or is practicing the 'silence of God' or is holding out on us; it doesn't even mean that he's testing our patience. We can't forget that we are in a WORLD OF WAR. All AROUND us a battle rages; if we open the eyes of our heart, we can see it. I can see it. You can, too - just open your eyes. It isn't a battle of flesh and blood, but a battle for our hearts, for our lives. It is God battling Satan for our freedom in Christ. No doubt there are battles raging over prayers, during worship, temptation, and tragedy. The good angels don't win every battle; Satan wins a few, too.

Second, Daniel 10 reminds me that while God has our lives planned out, it doesn't always 'go to plan.' A lot of people I know read the Scriptures that God has a plan for our lives and then just lay back, relax, and say, "I'm safe no matter what happens." They're deceived. Because while God has a plan for good for us, the Enemy has a plan for evil against us. So when tragedy strikes and we say, "Was this your plan?" maybe it wasn't. When we don't get into that college or we don't get accepted into that church ministry or when we don't get married to the person we want, maybe that didn't fit into God's plan? We have to remember this and not get complacent - we are in a massive war, and we have roles to play in the battle. And the last thing we can do is say "God has a plan" and ignore the fact that, yes, so does the Devil. Satan can't possess us; but he sure as heck can screw around with us.

There's a battle raging all around us, a battle we cannot see.
Grab your sword - we have to fight.

We all have visions, if we spiritual at all, f what Jesus wants us to be, and the great thing is to learn not to be disobedient to the vision, not to say this it cannot be attained. Yet in fulfilling visions we must be revolving around and overcome not by the cause or product but by a Person, Jesus Christ! We need to be absolutely for Jesus Christ, seeing nothing else, living for nothing else. Our whole lives are to have no end, no aim, no purpose but Jesus! - Oswald Chambers

I am excited. Tomorrow I am purchasing Waking the Dead by John Eldredge. I have all his other books, and I am eager to reread them all. If you want to borrow any, just ask! They are revolutionary. John Eldredge is also the author of The Sacred Romance, The Journey of Desire, Wild at Heart, and his newest, EPIC. All are well-worth a deep, thoughtful look.

All Christians need to vote Bush or they've got their views all messed up. All Christians need to vote Republican - God's a Republican. If Christians vote for Kerry, they're going against God's will and need a brain check. If Kerry wins, the End is coming soon.

I don't really believe any of that, but these are some of the statements that have been popping up on televangelist news, websites all over the Internet, and in the school cafeteria. If I were voting, I admit that I don't really know WHO I would vote for. Bush stands for a lot of things I stand for, but so does Kerry. I guess I would vote Kerry because he can actually make a big impact on the things I stand for - helping out with the poor, etc. I know Christians who are die-hard Bush and Christians who are die-hard Kerry, but I have disagreements with none of them!

I saw a sticker that said GOD IS NOT A DEMOCRAT... OR A REPUBLICAN. I jokingly told my friends that Jesus would be an independent, but I really don't think Jesus would run for President. Politics are hardly even mentioned in the New Testament, except for when Jesus says, "Render to Caesar's what is Caesar's," and, "obey the laws of the land." The Scriptures also tell us that whoever wins will either a) be placed in power by God's choosing, or 2) allowed to be in power by God's permission. Either way, nothing that happens tonight and none of the results of tomorrow are going to throw God's plans out-of-whack. It's all in His Plan!

And to say Kerry is evil incarnate is just plain dumb. Kerry is a good man. I really do believe that. I think he is capable of running the country. You may consider me a hypocrite for throwing some Kerry jokes on here a week or two back, but even then I pointed out I had no problems with Johnny. To say Kerry is the antichrist is a little too extreme - that sure is going to attract non-Christian Kerry-voters to Jesus!

So really, I don't care who wins tomorrow. Either way, no skin off my back. I pity my friends who are going to have a meltdown in Kerry wins :-). Check out Doug Hill's blog for an amazing insight into some of the stuff I've said here.

Prayer Remix 2

If you've ever seen Louie Giglio's 'prayer remix' message, then it probably hit you as hard as it hit me. Everyone I've talked to who's heard it says it is very powerful. I actually did a house church message on it! But I realize there was one thing he didn't talk about in that message (however, I did not see his other prayer remix messages, it just wasn't in this one). I believe God has been laying it on my heart to pray for other people, and for the past few days, I have been. Sometimes we get so wrapped up with me-me-me in our prayers that we don't look upward (towards God) and outward (towards others). What I've discovered is that when i focus my prayers on God and not on myself, something amazing happens. When I focus my prayers on God, God uses me in tons of different ways. And when i focus my prayers on others, the prayers get answered. I encourage everyone to pray for others. It sounds Sunday-Schoolish, I know, but it is so important. Perhaps, when we have the chance to talk about anything, say anything, or ask for anything from the Creator who can DO anything, and we focus not on ourselves but on the Creator first and others second, maybe He sees our selflessness and says, "Granted." I don't know. But here are two ways my prayers 'for others' have been answered specifically (others probably have, I just haven't heard about them).

1) The first actually happened Saturday night. A bunch of my friends were going to a concert, so I just prayed that they would have a good time and it would be a night they would never forget. Well, Sunday morning they were bouncing off the walls. I find out that they met Russ from ZAO and the guitarist from another band they were excited to be seeing. They were also first in line and in the very front. It was an amazing concert.

2) my friend Tyler has been struggling a lot with 'message' ideas for a Bible Study he co-leads on Monday afternoons. He has expressed to me over and over how hard it is for him, and while he's been praying for help, it was slow in coming. So I just 'lifted him up' in prayer, and then while he was in Business class, out of the blue rushed TONS and TONS of ideas, barraging him from all directions, and he was literally screaming in excitement during lunch.

Those are just two ways I have heard of. Who knows what else God is doing? I just think we should all pray for others more than for ourselves. What would change if everyone in a local church turned their prayers away from themselves and just prayed intensely for each other? Looking at the first days of the early church, I have an answer: MIRACLES.