wish

this is a music video made with scenes from Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ". Lyrics are below...




"Wish"-Brian Littrell

For just a moment
I wish I could have been there
To see Your first step, hear Your very first word
Tell me, did You ever fall and scrape Your knee?
Did You know Your wounds would one day heal the world?

For just one moment
I wish I could have seen You growing
Learning the ways of a carpenter's son
Just a little boy gazing at the stars
Did You remember creating every one?

If You passed by, would I have seen a child or a King?
Would I have known?

I wish I could have been there
My only wish is to see You face to face
Wish I could have been there
Just to see You, Jesus, face to face

For just a moment
I wish I could have been there
When You left Your footprints upon the waves
To walk along beside You and never look away
Just Your whisper and the wind and sea obey

To see You feed the people
To feel Your healing in Your touch

To hear You pray in the garden alone
Laying down Your will with each tear
To see You walk that lonely road
Willing to die for me
And in that moment
I know I should have been there
You took my cross and gave Your life

And You live again!
Wish I could have been there
My only wish is to see You rise again
Wish I could have been there
My only wish is to see You, Jesus, face to face
Someday I'll be there, I'm gonna be there
I'll see Your face, Your mercy, Your grace
Someday, someday
I'm gonna see You, Jesus
Face to face

I just started reading "Stop dating the Church" by Joshua Harris and last night when I was reading I came across this paragraph:

"The church community is where we learn to love God and others; where we are strengthened and transformed by the truth from the word; where we are taught to pray, to worship, and to serve; where we can be most certain that we are investigating our time and abilities for eternity; where we can grow in our roles as friends, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers. The church is the earths single best place--God's especially designed place-- to start over, to grow and to change for the glory of God. "


Now, I'm not to far into the book, I'm more of still in the beginning, but this paragraph has hooked me in. Since I'm away at college I don't have the opportunity of really going to and church that I am literally a member of, and i remain a member at my church here at home. Okay...nothing wrong with that. But I haven't taken the chance to look for a church that I can be involved in while I am at school. This book is going to be stressing the idea of not just being a member of the church but actually being involved; putting my time, and my effort into it (in other words not just showing up on Sundays and leaving it at that). When i read this paragraph i began to think about even before I went away...and how I wasn't as involved with my home church as I could have been. Harris points out in the book that today the church struggles with membership and commitment from its members because of things within the church that may scare us away like lack or moral integrity, arrogance, and greed. But how will those things change if no one takes the brave step of committing in the first place. I can tell this is going to be a good book. I'm also looking forward to going back to school and trying to find a church that I might be able to become involved in while I am there. Like Harris said, the church is a God designed place to not only grow, but also to change for the Glory of God. I don't see why it wouldn't be worth investing my time in it. Ill probably be writing some more later on this...

"And it may be miles and miles, before the journeys clear. There may be rivers, even oceans of tears. And the very hand that shields your eyes from understanding is the hand that will be holding you for miles. And one moment someone might whisper thank you, and just then another heart might cry 'how could you?" When Jesus, who sees us, says 'I'm with you, and I'm near you...' "
-Nichole Nordeman, Miles.


We go through a lot in life. I never know why certain things happen, whether they bring me tears of joy, or tears of sorrow. I love the chorus of this song because it talk about how when we don't understand what is going on at the present, we also don't know how long it might be until we understand why things happen. God know we don't understand and He does have a reason for it. Sometimes he might just be keeping us from understanding in order to open our eyes to something else, get our attention, or to help us learn that we need to have faith in His plan and just have comfort in the fact that he knows EVERYTHING. This all reminds me of a situation at my church where one of our youth leaders who is loved and deeply respected by everyone had stepped up to become youth pastor. It just so happened that when our church voted on it, the vote wasn't in his favor. I really admire and respect to the attitude that he and his wife showed when what they thought was what God wanted for then, didn't happen. I can't even how confusing it might have been. It was so easy to be mad about what happened and be bitter about how the vote turned out. They have been such a blessing to our church and it is really hard to see them leaving. But when i had been praying about the situation, I really starting thinking about how my attitude toward the whole thing is wrong. There might be a church somewhere that needs the service of them much more than our church does. and if I'm going to be a little bitter about what happened...then I'm being bitter toward God. I'm so thankful for the blessing and influence that they have been to us this far. I'm going to do my best to support them in whatever God put in their path. Faith in God is important, and I hope just that will be an encouragement to them. I'm excited to see what God has planned!

Peter's Reminder

I Peter 1: 24-25 "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever."

ok so whats pretty cool here is that Peter is quoting Isaiah.but anyway Its just a reminder that everything here on earth...my job, my clothes, the car i may have...everything is exactly what they are called; earthly possessions. none of it will be taken to heaven with us. It can be so easy to get caught up in what we have, and sometimes not even realize it. Grasping on temporary things is a waste, we should rather be focusing our time, energy, and even the money we earn on God. Everything we have is His in the first place, and He can take it away from us at anytime. i know that i would probably need an little but of adjusting if my things got taken away. I'm going to work on being a little more grateful than i have been in the past few months. Gratitude is just a part of our testimony and how we reflect on God, but its just as important as every other part.


ps. I had to get a loan but im all paid for and ready to start my next semester at Liberty! something ive been praying about and God worked it out for me : ) an answer to prayer.