Holiday Open House 2015
8 years ago
Monday, March 24, 2008
The Brown Boys
My sister posted this on her blog. How handsome are they!?!?! It sort of made me tear up! They are all getting big!!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Lead Me To the Cross
I was listening to this song (Lead Me To the Cross) over and over the other day, and realized how fitting it was when thinking of Easter coming up. If you have not heard this song...you must check it out. It's from the latest Hillsong United CD. You can find it on itunes. And it's written by my favorite Brooke Fraser. Here are the lyrics...be moved...
Savior I come
Quiet my soul remember
Redemptions Hill
Where your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost
Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, lead me to the cross
You were as I
Tempted and Trialed
Human
The word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now You're RISEN!
To Your heart
To Your heart
Lead me to Your heart
Lead me to Your heart
Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Oh, lead me
Lead me to the cross
Jesus is powerful...He's alive...and He LOVES. I'm praying that walls would be burned down by His love, that hearts would be soften by His love, that you would be consumed knowing that He is for you and you can come to Him.
So many people celebrate Easter because that's what they do, they've grown up doing it. It's one of those holidays where you feel like you have to go to church.
I grew up that way. I completely know how that goes. I had no clue the significance of this day.
Let me tell you...it has changed my life.
I'm a sinner, I mess up ALL the time. That separates me from a completely perfect and Holy God. Instead of feeling guilt...instead of feeling the weight of all of that, instead of having to pay the consequence of sin...death and separation from God, Jesus took it on at the cross.
He bridged the gap.
God sent His Son, to be completely human and completely God, to live a completely perfect life, to show us how to live and to show us how to love.
God sent Jesus, His Son, to take our place, out of His pefect love.
So that we would not have to see and experience the depths of death, so that we could be covered by His blood, so that we could stand before a perfect God and be blameless and be called righteous...only by Jesus.
He died on a cross, going through the most excruciating pain and torture. He died on a cross and took on the death of the world. He died on a cross carrying the weight of all our sin.
But that wasn't it. 3 days later. He resurrected. Completely ALIVE.
He gave us a promise of new life, of being alive in Him, of having eternal life in and through Him.
In Him alone.
Not in anything of ourselves...we will never be good enough, we cannot do enough good things. We will still fall short.
But, Jesus says that if we believe in Him, give our lives to Him, die to ourselves, He will give us His Spirit that will live in us...that will take away the death and give us life.
That when we come to die, God will see Jesus in us. That it will be because of Him and our relationship with Him that we are even able to stand in His presence, in His home, in His glory. What great love! That He was willing and chose to die for us.
We have to surrender.
Surrender the pride of thinking you can do it on your own, you can't.
Surrender the thought of trying to be perfect and be a good person, you will fail.
Surrender your life to the only One who can satisfy and bring pure joy.
Surrender to His love that is unfailing and complete.
Surrender to His character that is unchanging and beautiful.
It is all for His glory.
He came perfectly human, perfectly God...for HIS glory.
He loved and lead the way...for HIS glory.
He died on a cross and took on sin and death...for HIS glory.
He is ALIVE and alive in us, if we let Him in....for HIS glory.
Philippians 1:21 "For me to live is Christ [His life in me], and to die is gain [the gain of the glory of eternity]."
John 15:13 "No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends."
Philippians 2:7-11 "But stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being.
And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross!
Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Galatians 2:20 "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
John 11:25-26 "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die."
John 14:6 "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me."
Romans 5:5-11 "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
This is good news my friends!! Believe it...Love it...Celebrate it!
Savior I come
Quiet my soul remember
Redemptions Hill
Where your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost
Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, lead me to the cross
You were as I
Tempted and Trialed
Human
The word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now You're RISEN!
To Your heart
To Your heart
Lead me to Your heart
Lead me to Your heart
Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Oh, lead me
Lead me to the cross
Jesus is powerful...He's alive...and He LOVES. I'm praying that walls would be burned down by His love, that hearts would be soften by His love, that you would be consumed knowing that He is for you and you can come to Him.
So many people celebrate Easter because that's what they do, they've grown up doing it. It's one of those holidays where you feel like you have to go to church.
I grew up that way. I completely know how that goes. I had no clue the significance of this day.
Let me tell you...it has changed my life.
I'm a sinner, I mess up ALL the time. That separates me from a completely perfect and Holy God. Instead of feeling guilt...instead of feeling the weight of all of that, instead of having to pay the consequence of sin...death and separation from God, Jesus took it on at the cross.
He bridged the gap.
God sent His Son, to be completely human and completely God, to live a completely perfect life, to show us how to live and to show us how to love.
God sent Jesus, His Son, to take our place, out of His pefect love.
So that we would not have to see and experience the depths of death, so that we could be covered by His blood, so that we could stand before a perfect God and be blameless and be called righteous...only by Jesus.
He died on a cross, going through the most excruciating pain and torture. He died on a cross and took on the death of the world. He died on a cross carrying the weight of all our sin.
But that wasn't it. 3 days later. He resurrected. Completely ALIVE.
He gave us a promise of new life, of being alive in Him, of having eternal life in and through Him.
In Him alone.
Not in anything of ourselves...we will never be good enough, we cannot do enough good things. We will still fall short.
But, Jesus says that if we believe in Him, give our lives to Him, die to ourselves, He will give us His Spirit that will live in us...that will take away the death and give us life.
That when we come to die, God will see Jesus in us. That it will be because of Him and our relationship with Him that we are even able to stand in His presence, in His home, in His glory. What great love! That He was willing and chose to die for us.
We have to surrender.
Surrender the pride of thinking you can do it on your own, you can't.
Surrender the thought of trying to be perfect and be a good person, you will fail.
Surrender your life to the only One who can satisfy and bring pure joy.
Surrender to His love that is unfailing and complete.
Surrender to His character that is unchanging and beautiful.
It is all for His glory.
He came perfectly human, perfectly God...for HIS glory.
He loved and lead the way...for HIS glory.
He died on a cross and took on sin and death...for HIS glory.
He is ALIVE and alive in us, if we let Him in....for HIS glory.
Philippians 1:21 "For me to live is Christ [His life in me], and to die is gain [the gain of the glory of eternity]."
John 15:13 "No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends."
Philippians 2:7-11 "But stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being.
And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross!
Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Galatians 2:20 "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
John 11:25-26 "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die."
John 14:6 "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me."
Romans 5:5-11 "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
This is good news my friends!! Believe it...Love it...Celebrate it!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Just In Time
I spent some time tonight listening to a song by Misty Edwards. I mentioned her before in a post. She is an amazing songwriter. A lot of her lyrics are picked up from bible verses. I love it because it's straight from God's mouth.
I also spent some time tonight looking at different verses that go along with this song.
I found myself in tears, listening and reading God's word and letting Him fill me up.
It seems that, once again, I have let days go by where I haven't soaked in God's goodness from His Word.
He is faithful to remind me how GOOD it is and how GOOD HE is. Even when I find myself being lazy and loving the world more than His word.
Here are the lyrics to the song
JUST IN TIME
Like a rushing river am I
Like a raging torrent inside
I find that I'm full of knowing nothing
I find that I'm hungry for the fullness of Christ
Like a rushing river am I
Like a raging torrent inside
I find that I'm free falling again
I'm letting go of the mountain top view
Letting go but what into?
I've been crucified with Christ
Crucified with Christ, I've been crucified with Christ
Yet not I, for one thing I know
You make all things beautiful
You make all things beautiful
You make all things beautiful
Just in time
Just in time
What is the length, what is the width, what is the depth, what is the height?
Who can comprehend? Who can enter in?
What is the length, what is the width, what is the depth, what is the height?
From strength to strength From death to life to life to dead again
Deep calls out to deep calls out to deep calls out to deeper still...
deeper still...
You make all things beautiful
You make all things beautiful
You make all things beautiful
Just in time, just in time
What a sweet time of worship, y'all need to check out this song and get on your face!
Here are some verses that I meditated on and read over and over.
GALATIANS 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
ECCLESIASTES 3:11-16
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.
A commentary I was reading on Ecclesiastes says this:
"Every thing is as God made it; not as it appears to us. We have the world so much in our hearts, are so taken up with thoughts and cares of worldly things, that we have neither time nor spirit to see God's hand in them. The world has not only gained possession of the heart, but has formed thoughts against the beauty of God's works. We mistake if we think we were born for ourselves; no, it is our business to do good in this life, which is short and uncertain; we have but little time to be doing good, therefore we should redeem time. Satisfaction with Divine Providence, is having faith that all things work together for good to them that love him. God doeth all, that men should fear before him. The world, as it has been, is, and will be. There has no change befallen us, nor has any temptation by it taken us, but such as common to men."
EPHESIANS 3:14-20
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you , being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. AMEN!
A commentary I was reading on the Ephesians verses said this...
"The breadth (width) shows its extent to all nations and ranks; the length, that it continues from everlasting to everlasting; the depth, its saving those who are sunk into the depths of sin and misery; the height, its raising them up to heavenly happiness and glory."
I hope this encouraged you tonight. I would strongly suggest listening to this song! You can download it from itunes here.
MUCH LOVE!
I also spent some time tonight looking at different verses that go along with this song.
I found myself in tears, listening and reading God's word and letting Him fill me up.
It seems that, once again, I have let days go by where I haven't soaked in God's goodness from His Word.
He is faithful to remind me how GOOD it is and how GOOD HE is. Even when I find myself being lazy and loving the world more than His word.
Here are the lyrics to the song
JUST IN TIME
Like a rushing river am I
Like a raging torrent inside
I find that I'm full of knowing nothing
I find that I'm hungry for the fullness of Christ
Like a rushing river am I
Like a raging torrent inside
I find that I'm free falling again
I'm letting go of the mountain top view
Letting go but what into?
I've been crucified with Christ
Crucified with Christ, I've been crucified with Christ
Yet not I, for one thing I know
You make all things beautiful
You make all things beautiful
You make all things beautiful
Just in time
Just in time
What is the length, what is the width, what is the depth, what is the height?
Who can comprehend? Who can enter in?
What is the length, what is the width, what is the depth, what is the height?
From strength to strength From death to life to life to dead again
Deep calls out to deep calls out to deep calls out to deeper still...
deeper still...
You make all things beautiful
You make all things beautiful
You make all things beautiful
Just in time, just in time
What a sweet time of worship, y'all need to check out this song and get on your face!
Here are some verses that I meditated on and read over and over.
GALATIANS 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
ECCLESIASTES 3:11-16
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.
A commentary I was reading on Ecclesiastes says this:
"Every thing is as God made it; not as it appears to us. We have the world so much in our hearts, are so taken up with thoughts and cares of worldly things, that we have neither time nor spirit to see God's hand in them. The world has not only gained possession of the heart, but has formed thoughts against the beauty of God's works. We mistake if we think we were born for ourselves; no, it is our business to do good in this life, which is short and uncertain; we have but little time to be doing good, therefore we should redeem time. Satisfaction with Divine Providence, is having faith that all things work together for good to them that love him. God doeth all, that men should fear before him. The world, as it has been, is, and will be. There has no change befallen us, nor has any temptation by it taken us, but such as common to men."
EPHESIANS 3:14-20
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you , being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. AMEN!
A commentary I was reading on the Ephesians verses said this...
"The breadth (width) shows its extent to all nations and ranks; the length, that it continues from everlasting to everlasting; the depth, its saving those who are sunk into the depths of sin and misery; the height, its raising them up to heavenly happiness and glory."
I hope this encouraged you tonight. I would strongly suggest listening to this song! You can download it from itunes here.
MUCH LOVE!
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Friday, March 07, 2008
Lovesick; I Am Yours
I have been listening to Misty Edwards a lot lately. She is a worship leader songwriter for IHOP. Here are a couple of songs that I have been listening to and love...
LOVESICK
I am lovesick, for my Beloved
My Beloved and my Friend
I am lovesick, for my Beloved
My Beloved and my Friend
Only YOU can satisfy
Try as I may to chase another lover,
I find there is, there is no other
Try as I may to chase another lover,
I find there is, there is no other
Only YOU can satisfy
And happy am I, to live a hungry life
Blessed am I, to thirst
Disillusionment, it is my gift within
I am blessed, I am blessed among men!
To be lovesick, for my Beloved
My beloved and my Friend
Only YOU can satisfy
Try as I may to chase another lover,
I find there is, there is no other
All the other lovers fade away
All the other lovers fade away
Only YOU can satisfy
And happy am I, to live a hungry life
And blessed am I, to thirst
My desire for You, it is my gift within
I am blessed, I am blessed among men!
This is the generation, is trying everything
This is the generation of Jacob
This is the generation, doubt all those things
Only YOU can satisfy
This is the generation, is looking for the face of God
This is the generation of Jacob
This is the generation, Searching for the face of God
And only YOU can satisfy
The Spirit and the bride, we say, come!
We say come!
I AM YOURS
Though I sleep, my heart is awake
Though it's night, on You I wait
It's been a long night, and I am weary
It's been a long time, and I am hungry
So I'll wait in the stillness again
I'll wait in the quiet again
For when I heard Your voice
When You said my name
When I heard Your voice
My heart it yearned
In the middle of the night
In the middle of the night
In the middle of the night
My heart it yearns
Though You're far away, still I'm here to say
"I am Yours, I am Yours"
And when You feel so far away, still I am here to say
"I am Yours, I am Yours"
And I pay my vows, no turning around
I burn the bridges they can't be found
For when I heard Your voice
And You said my name
When I heard Your voice
My heart it yearned
For You.
LOVESICK
I am lovesick, for my Beloved
My Beloved and my Friend
I am lovesick, for my Beloved
My Beloved and my Friend
Only YOU can satisfy
Try as I may to chase another lover,
I find there is, there is no other
Try as I may to chase another lover,
I find there is, there is no other
Only YOU can satisfy
And happy am I, to live a hungry life
Blessed am I, to thirst
Disillusionment, it is my gift within
I am blessed, I am blessed among men!
To be lovesick, for my Beloved
My beloved and my Friend
Only YOU can satisfy
Try as I may to chase another lover,
I find there is, there is no other
All the other lovers fade away
All the other lovers fade away
Only YOU can satisfy
And happy am I, to live a hungry life
And blessed am I, to thirst
My desire for You, it is my gift within
I am blessed, I am blessed among men!
This is the generation, is trying everything
This is the generation of Jacob
This is the generation, doubt all those things
Only YOU can satisfy
This is the generation, is looking for the face of God
This is the generation of Jacob
This is the generation, Searching for the face of God
And only YOU can satisfy
The Spirit and the bride, we say, come!
We say come!
I AM YOURS
Though I sleep, my heart is awake
Though it's night, on You I wait
It's been a long night, and I am weary
It's been a long time, and I am hungry
So I'll wait in the stillness again
I'll wait in the quiet again
For when I heard Your voice
When You said my name
When I heard Your voice
My heart it yearned
In the middle of the night
In the middle of the night
In the middle of the night
My heart it yearns
Though You're far away, still I'm here to say
"I am Yours, I am Yours"
And when You feel so far away, still I am here to say
"I am Yours, I am Yours"
And I pay my vows, no turning around
I burn the bridges they can't be found
For when I heard Your voice
And You said my name
When I heard Your voice
My heart it yearned
For You.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Happy Birthday Mom!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! I love you SO much and I'm so thankful that God created you! You are truly beautifully and wonderfully made!!
I love you Mom!
I love you Mom!
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
The Personalized Google Desktop Countdown Has Started
I've officially set the personalized google desktop countdown.
I'm heading to Albuquerque, New Mexico to visit some good friends of mine!!
I'm heading to Albuquerque, New Mexico to visit some good friends of mine!!
The Nielsen's
Zach and Kim have been key people in my life and in my walk with Jesus, they have walked through a lot of life with me, through a lot of ups and a lot of downs! Zach and I sang together in a band (Beautiful Feet) for many years, until he moved to Nashville to become a professional rockstar! They've recently moved to Albuquerque, NM and I must go see them!
Zach and Kim have been key people in my life and in my walk with Jesus, they have walked through a lot of life with me, through a lot of ups and a lot of downs! Zach and I sang together in a band (Beautiful Feet) for many years, until he moved to Nashville to become a professional rockstar! They've recently moved to Albuquerque, NM and I must go see them!The countdown is set and it's 30 days!! It can't get here soon enough!
Here are the precious little faces that I get to see...
In Zach's words...."Emery will love you..."
"Autumn will be all over you..."
"And Taylor will fart on you..."
I can't wait!!!
"Autumn will be all over you...""And Taylor will fart on you..."I can't wait!!!
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