Wednesday, January 19, 2011

My heart's song

Josh Wilson has captured the prayer of my heart so perfectly. Heavenly Father, captivate my heart. Help me to live my life for you. Help me to reach out to those in need of Your love. Help me to not stay in my selfish ways. Help me to get out of my comfort zone. Help me to learn to walk in the shoes of another. Help me to break down these walls that are keeping me from being me again. Help me learn how to pray like I have never prayed before. Help me to thirst for Your Word like I haven't had anything to drink in months. Help me to REFUSE to sit back and do nothing to serve the least of these. Lord, You know my heart. Take it, and let it be Yours.

"Sometimes I, I just want to close my eyes

And act like everyone's alright

When I know they're not

This world needs God, but it's easier to stand and watch

I could pray a prayer and just move on

Like nothing's wrong

But I Refuse

I don't want to live like I don't care

I don't want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

I could choose not to move

But I refuse

I can hear the least of these, crying out so desperately

And I know we are the hands and feet of You, oh God

So if You say move, it's time for me to follow through

And do what I was made to do

And show them who You are

I don't want to live like I don't care

I don't want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

I could choose not to move

But I refuse

I refuse to stand and watch the weary and lost cry out for help

I refuse to turn my back and try and act like all is well

I refuse to stay unchanged, to wait another day to die to myself

I refuse to make one more excuse

I don't want to live like I don't care

I don't want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

I could choose not to move

But I refuse"

Sunday, January 16, 2011

"Beautiful Ending"

I LOVE this song, and I hope you will too.

Oh, tragedy
Has taken so many
Love lost cause they all
Forgot who You were
And it scares me to think
That I would choose
My life over You
Oh, my selfish heart
Divides me from You
It tears us apart

So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?

Oh, why do I
Let myself let go
Of Hands that painted the stars
And hold tears that fall?
And the pride of my heart
Makes me forget
It's not me but You
Who makes the heart beat
I'm lost without You
And dying from me

So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?

Will my life
Find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful
So beautiful

At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms

So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
'Cause Your love is beautiful
So beautiful

-Barlow Girl

Thursday, January 13, 2011

As I was putting on my makeup this morning, these lyrics popped in my head:
"There's no such thing as perfect people,
There's no such thing as a perfect life."
-Natalie Grant

I realized that the sin or sins that we weigh as the heaviest or see as the biggest, such as sexual impurity, pornography, materialism, murder, adultery, abuse, idolatry, stealing, the list goes on and on, are NO different than the sins that society sees as minute. Lying. Cheating (in a relationship or on a test). Disobeying our parents/guardians. Sneaking out to see a boyfriend or girlfriend. Getting drunk. Bullying. Again, the list goes on and on. ALL of the sins that society divides into 2 categories of "really bad" and "not so bad" are the same in God's eyes. The SAME.
Now, I know you're thinking "Duh Rachel, I've heard it all before!" But have you ever really stopped and put it into perspective? Think about it... The little white lie you told the other day, is the SAME as looking at pornography on the internet in God's eyes. Being sexually impure holds the SAME weight as cheating on that test you didn't study hard enough for. Don't you see? No matter what the sin is, God sees them as EQUAL.
The GREAT NEWS is that through His son Jesus Christ, God gives us unfathomable grace. A grace that we are so undeserving of. He tells us to give all of our burdens to Him, and He will make us whole again. Cast ALL your cares on Him.
None of us are perfect. All of us will make mistakes at some point in our lives. We all do or say things that we later wish we could take back. I'm here to tell you that you may have baggage in your life that you haven't fully given over to Christ. Surrender them, surrender them to the only ONE who can make you new. The ONE who can radically change your life, if you let Him. The choice is yours.