Hypocrite Song eLi

Yesterday I took my oldest 2 daughters and dropped them off at camp.  Camp my favorite place in the summer or for a retreat.  I went last week, my oldest 2 daughters are on their 2nd week of camp this summer, and in 2 weeks, we will go to family camp… but I digress…

I was listening to my iPod and a variety selection of songs as we drove. We heard Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman, Hold on to Jesus by Erin O’Donnald, and many others, but the song that stuck with me was The Hypocrite Song by Eli…  You can find the lyrics here: Hypocrite Song Tabs – eLi Praise and Worship Lyrics & Chords by Higher Praise.

This is a great song, that helps us all remember that we are not perfect.  The final verse says:

“I can’t wait to see my Savior and look Him in the face shake His hand and plainly thank Him for forgiving my mistakes and for helping me remember that even when I’m right I’m wrong. Then we’ll rejoice and sing this hypocrite song.”

Another great line from the song is “I thank the Lord that there’s a heaven full of hypocrites like me.”

We are all so ready to tell everyone else how they need to live, yet fall short of even taking our own advice.

Thank you Jesus for forgiving me, and loving me as I am. Help me to be more like you and to not judge others, but love them.  Help them to see the right way to live, but not point fingers in judgment.  Give me your love and help me to love others…

Great Article on Leadership

http://www.arenewalenterprise.com/2010/07/good-leadership-books.html

The link is to A Renewal Enterprise blog. This one gives the reading list from a class on leadership and 3 movies that were recommended for the students. The best part about this thought is the quotes from the students about leadership.

Maybe if we all saw it is not about power or control, and about what we’ve been called to do through our gifts and how we use them together we would go farther.

Thank you ARE for the work you do!

Lent…

Today at camp is Lent. The 40 days that we remember Jesus’ trek in the wilderness. We remember the testing Jesus went through with the questioning of Satan.

Lent is the time for reflection and self actualization in who we are in Christ. This day is to help the youth here remember what was done for them, that we all celebrate in Easter.

Maybe today we all can reflect on what are hardships are, and how they do not compare to that which Christ went through for you…

This is the day…

Today is the day we get to live. We have some say in what happens, but some is left to chance, or karma, or insert the word of your choice here.

My devotional readings this morning delt with hardship, and how we are not promised a great life with no hardships when we follow God. Even if we are whole heartedly seeking out the creator of everything, we coukd still be going through one of the darkest valleys!

That is when the verse, “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” popped into my mind.

I am suppose to rejoice in the valley, and be glad in my hardships? Yes, because every situation has a door that can lead us to greater intimacy with God.

So no matter the circumstances, rejoice and be glad today that God loves you.

The Cross

I walked out of my cabin on Christmas morning to be struck with the image of the cross…

That is the focal point of it all right? The cradle would not matter if the cross was not there…

The cross is the most beautiful and ugly piece in all of history. Ugly for the suffering, beautiful for the freeing from suffering!

Today at camp is the season of Christmas, and Christ is with us. May the cross over shadow your life today, helping you to remember the suffering he went through for you, and the freedom from suffering you were given.

The Change…

Steven Curtis Chapman released a song called The Change a few years ago, and it is going through my mind this weekend, because it goes along with my sermon for the weekend…

The text this weekend is the text of the Good Samaritan.  I blogged on this Friday in What is the right question….  I am still struck by the question of the lawyer about what he can do to get an inheritance.

Why is it we are always looking out for our selves, and trying to make everyone else think we have it all together?

Steven’s song is crucial in our understanding, it is not enough to believe or have the t-shirt, the bumper sticker, the button, or anything else if what we believe has not changed us.  If what we believe has not infused itself in our lives, than we need to empty ourselves and look to God, and receive freely as He gives to all freely, and then follow where He leads…

National Mental Health Care Week

I received this by email this morning and wanted to share…

From one “mental case” to another

This coming week is National Mental Health Care week.

You can do your part by remembering to contact at least one unstable person to show you care.

Well .. .. .
my job is done. Your turn!

Please send an encouraging message to a disturbed friend.
Just as I’ve done. I don’t care if you lick windows or take the special bus…. You hang in there sunshine, you’re special..

Every sixty seconds you spend angry, upset or mad, is a full minute of happiness you’ll never get back.

Today’s Message of the Day is: Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you smile

Life may not be the party we hoped for but

while we’re here we might as well dance.

What is the right question…

In the parable of the Good Samaritan the lawyer asks 2 questions and Jesus asks 3…

My wondering is on the first question…

‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ – This question has been argued and discussed and mulled over and a number of different things through out that ages…

What must I do?  As Lutheran’s we believe there is nothing I can do.  I am however moved by the gift given to me to do acts of love and compassion.  It is because I am forgiven, and have been loved that I am able to love and forgive.

But what can you do to inherit eternal life?  What can you do to inherit anything?

NOTHING!!!  There is absolutely nothing you can do to inherit anything. There are a lot of things you can do to not get and inheritance, but nothing you can do will get you an inheritance.  You receiving an inheritance depends solely on the person giving the inheritance.  They make the decision, not you.

That is why we need to think about our questions.  My daughters ask me all the time can I go out side and play? Can I get a drink?  and my answer sometimes will be, “I don’t know, can you?”  The correct question is may I…

Just like the billboards I saw on my travels, they asked in some form or fashion, “Where will you spend eternity?”  Interesting thing to this is, are you ever 100% certain?  They do call it faith for  reason…

I believe where will you spend eternity is like can I… it is the wrong question.  Eternity is from now on, forever, should I be concerned with tomorrow.  The Bible tells God will provide for us, and that the birds of the air are taken care of… how about Manna?  Does tomorrow matter if all I do with today is mess it up?

I think a better question is, since you are alive today, why are you gonna live?

It does not matter if we believe, it matters if that belief has an effect on us, and creates that new creature that lives in the life of faith and love – giving more abundantly than we have been given, because we KNOW we will get much more back…