http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBw3BFxcuUw
It's always nice to find a Christian song on a contemporary radio station or as the background music to a TV show. This song is off of One Tree Hill. Other than giving me a mad urge to pull out a piano and work out the chords, this song just seems to touch me inside. It's got a tone of broken-ness, darkness, despair even. But it also seems redemptive in a way.
I don't know. I just like it.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Striving for perfection
I'm tired of trying to be perfect. I'm tired of feeling awful when I make mistakes. I'm tired of obsessing over things that I could have done better. I'm tired of trying to please everyone. I am sick and tired of hiding my imperfections.
I make mistakes. I say stupid things. I'm not perfect. I never will be. And I am so tired of trying.
I make mistakes. I say stupid things. I'm not perfect. I never will be. And I am so tired of trying.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Reflections on my past 18 years
Sitting here reflecting on the past 18 years of my life, I remember a lot of firsts. The first time I walked to school alone. The first time I was allowed to sleep over at my best friend's house. My first piano recital. The first time I won a medal at a karate tournament. The first boy who told me he loved me...in the middle of the school hallway. The first time I realised that my parents weren't perfect. My first kiss. My first day in middle school, high school, and now college.
I've had quite a few highs, a couple of major lows, and a lot of ordinary good memories. I feel like I'm leaving a stage of my life behind to venture down a new road. I have no idea what it will bring, but I'm excited for God's plans to unfold.
I've had quite a few highs, a couple of major lows, and a lot of ordinary good memories. I feel like I'm leaving a stage of my life behind to venture down a new road. I have no idea what it will bring, but I'm excited for God's plans to unfold.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
In a perfect world...
- application forms would never have to be done.
- a fresh start would be available every time you screwed up.
- Shoppers drug mart would carry the most amazing and hardest to find menthol chap stick.
- it wouldn't be near impossible to find clean versions of songs.
- random people wouldn't invite themselves to your birthday parties.
- curly hair wouldn't be prone to frizz and poof.
- food wouldn't have expiry dates.
- phones would never exist.
- groups of Christians would be fun to hang out with.
- money would actually grow on trees.
- it would be possible to build and market a Loch Ness Monster.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Love; it's what makes the world go 'round
Amen.
If someone approached me with the question, "Anne, if there was one thing you could tell me about this world what would it be?" My answer would without a doubt be, "This world operates in love."
I strongly believe that love, or a motivation to receive love, is what makes this world the way it is. Everyone, even if they won't admit it, is searching for love in their own way. A prostitute on the street corner selling her body searches for love in the only way she knows how. A straight 'A' student looks for love and acceptance through his/her perfect grades in school. A middle aged business man spends hours working overtime in order to receive a promotion which proves he is worthy of love. Love is the reason that Britney is a drug addict and has two random children. It's the indirect root of Arnold Schwartzenegger's massive muscles. Whether you're willing to admit it or not, love is the backbone of every action committed in this world.
As humans, we build barriers to love. At one time in our lives, every single one of us openly craved love and believed that that internal craving could and would be satisfied. Whether that faith was crushed through parents, a teenage relationship, or a situation beyond our control; I believe that each of us still harbours that craving deep inside. Some of us try and satisfy that craving through possessions, others through physical relationships, and others through chemical substances. Some of us choose to become 'do gooders' and 'perfectionists' in order to recieve momentary satisfaction of that craving through other's respect for our accomplishments. Still others of us become bitter and resentful, proclaiming out-loud that love is merely another decision to be made in life; like choosing between two different coloured shirts. But I bet you anything, if you stripped away the barriers to and against love that we all uniquely possess, each person's soul remains the same...holey.
That hole, that one space that we as humans try so hard to fill with random crap was placed in our hearts for a reason. That inner void is not merely a species specific defect. I don't believe that God is up in the Heavens laughing at the chaos and mayhem he created in this world by leaving a void in our soul. I believe that the gap so prominent in our hearts was placed there by God for a very important reason; so that he could fill it. He created us with a puzzle piece missing that only He would fit.
I believe that too often, we as Christians are caught up in trying to be perfect. 'Show your faith through your actions' is too often equivalent in our minds with perfection. We are so focused on fixing our wrongs, overcoming our sins, that we forget about love. We forget that the world doesn't need perfection, it doesn't need evangelists who proclaim the name of Christ through their perfect deeds. The world needs the same love that we, as Christians recieve through Jesus Christ. What is the perfect offering that we can give back to Jesus, our Saviour, the One who loved us more than His own life? To show that same love to others.
If someone approached me with the question, "Anne, if there was one thing you could tell me about this world what would it be?" My answer would without a doubt be, "This world operates in love."
I strongly believe that love, or a motivation to receive love, is what makes this world the way it is. Everyone, even if they won't admit it, is searching for love in their own way. A prostitute on the street corner selling her body searches for love in the only way she knows how. A straight 'A' student looks for love and acceptance through his/her perfect grades in school. A middle aged business man spends hours working overtime in order to receive a promotion which proves he is worthy of love. Love is the reason that Britney is a drug addict and has two random children. It's the indirect root of Arnold Schwartzenegger's massive muscles. Whether you're willing to admit it or not, love is the backbone of every action committed in this world.
As humans, we build barriers to love. At one time in our lives, every single one of us openly craved love and believed that that internal craving could and would be satisfied. Whether that faith was crushed through parents, a teenage relationship, or a situation beyond our control; I believe that each of us still harbours that craving deep inside. Some of us try and satisfy that craving through possessions, others through physical relationships, and others through chemical substances. Some of us choose to become 'do gooders' and 'perfectionists' in order to recieve momentary satisfaction of that craving through other's respect for our accomplishments. Still others of us become bitter and resentful, proclaiming out-loud that love is merely another decision to be made in life; like choosing between two different coloured shirts. But I bet you anything, if you stripped away the barriers to and against love that we all uniquely possess, each person's soul remains the same...holey.
That hole, that one space that we as humans try so hard to fill with random crap was placed in our hearts for a reason. That inner void is not merely a species specific defect. I don't believe that God is up in the Heavens laughing at the chaos and mayhem he created in this world by leaving a void in our soul. I believe that the gap so prominent in our hearts was placed there by God for a very important reason; so that he could fill it. He created us with a puzzle piece missing that only He would fit.
I believe that too often, we as Christians are caught up in trying to be perfect. 'Show your faith through your actions' is too often equivalent in our minds with perfection. We are so focused on fixing our wrongs, overcoming our sins, that we forget about love. We forget that the world doesn't need perfection, it doesn't need evangelists who proclaim the name of Christ through their perfect deeds. The world needs the same love that we, as Christians recieve through Jesus Christ. What is the perfect offering that we can give back to Jesus, our Saviour, the One who loved us more than His own life? To show that same love to others.
Monday, January 7, 2008
It's all in God's time
Without elaborating too much, I'd like to say that I am slowly realising how much more perfect and significant God's time is than my own. Being a human being, I am extremely impatient. I want things, and I want them now! I despise waiting. I pray and I lose faith when my prayers aren't answered right away.
I've come to realise that God doesn't work in 'right nows'. God works in asaps. As soon as possible. No sooner, no later than His perfect timing. In the past I've chosen to focus on the first part of the phrase rather than the latter section. I expect God to work immediately. I want Him to work in my time rather than His time. As soon as possible. God's promise is like that sentence.
Think of the contrast between our ways and God's ways. We seek the spectacular act of devotion, the quantum leap of faith; God focuses on the seemingly insignificant changes that occur 'little by little'. We are concerned to watch out for number one; God invites us to 'renounce the care of ourselves'. We want to relegate God to the extracurricular category of our lives; God wants our complete attention. We want things done right now; God possesses eternal patience. These are the ways God chooses to work, and as we come into line with God's ways and operate in constancy with His ways, we learn that they are altogether good.
- Richard J. Foster.
I've come to realise that God doesn't work in 'right nows'. God works in asaps. As soon as possible. No sooner, no later than His perfect timing. In the past I've chosen to focus on the first part of the phrase rather than the latter section. I expect God to work immediately. I want Him to work in my time rather than His time. As soon as possible. God's promise is like that sentence.
Think of the contrast between our ways and God's ways. We seek the spectacular act of devotion, the quantum leap of faith; God focuses on the seemingly insignificant changes that occur 'little by little'. We are concerned to watch out for number one; God invites us to 'renounce the care of ourselves'. We want to relegate God to the extracurricular category of our lives; God wants our complete attention. We want things done right now; God possesses eternal patience. These are the ways God chooses to work, and as we come into line with God's ways and operate in constancy with His ways, we learn that they are altogether good.
- Richard J. Foster.
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