A long long time ago....

It's seems it takes an epic for a person to come full circle to see the light. Right now its seems that way to me. My life has had many twists, turns, moves and circles... especially over the last couple of years. My spiritual life hasn't been where it needs to be. I know Christ, but I somehow feel that I've drifted very far from where I once was. The joy that I wish was in my heart is not there. But where do I go? Must I traverse the universe and live a life in the dark side before I see the light or can I be rescued with the out-stretched hand of God as it was with one of the disciples one night on the sea. I know the latter is the truth but sometimes I feel like the former is closer to reality. I look out into the crowds at church and see people singing praises while I stand with dirty lips, not worthy of uttering these praises, wanting more but sliding so far away. What I want to do I don't do, what I do I don't want to. Makes so much sense and such tragedy sometimes.

How many pickles could a wood chuch pickle if Peter Piper was off piping wood?

Frosty Ball

First of all, sorry for such the long break between posts, it's been a busy, crazy month. I'm back in from a night with the youth playing frosty ball (basically miniature golf in freezing or close to freezing weather) and had a blast. This is probably not the best game, though, to play when you have a cold.
As everyone well knows this past Monday was Valentine's Day ( I almost forgot because of one "single" reason, I'm single.) This occasion reminds all of us, single or not, how much love is important to us and how much many of us have that longing in our hearts to be with someone. This also reminds me of how much God really loves us. He put us at the top of His creation. He gave us the entire galaxy to show how much power and how wondrous He is and in spite of all of His abilities, He came to Earth as a man to give us even more, LIFE. He came so that we can have life. He came not only so that we may have life, but it cost Him his own life in the process. "...there's no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for another." He actually did that for us. What kind of messed up people are we that when He did this for us, all we can do is go to church once a week, read the Bible every now and then, sing a couple songs and think that is enough. How much we fall, each time scraping our selves, bruising His "beautiful" bride. We should long for a pure and holy church, but when it all comes down to it, Satan is laughing at the bride coming down the isle, shaking his finger, and jeering because we're wearing a "white" dress.
I tend to get so sick, especially at myself, when we call ourselves Christians but then turn around and TRY to act like the non-Christian. Trying to act, talk, and seek their approval. I feel so often that I'm right there with Peter when the Cock crows thinking back "WHAT HAVE I DONE???" Our love, life, and strength should be fully devoted to Christ but we put Him so far down on the list of things to do. I pray that we would see the Light, as a people, as a nation, as a worldwide family of believers and truly start follow Him so that we may have a Pure and Holy Passion for living a life worthy of the Bride of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Jacyne's random thought: Why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of the drive-up ATM? :.::.:.

Powerade

I had the opportunity tonight to lead several teens in a praise band practice. The evening was awesome and at the end, while waiting on parents to pick up their student, one of them recieved two powerades from the vending machine for the price of one. Since being such an awesome praise team leader, he immediately gave the extra to me, and I'm sure that standing next to him the entire time had nothing to do with it.
Powerade is such a fun drink. When you're down and feel like you're running out of energy drink one of the puppies and you'll be renewed. This is a liquid engineered to quench your thirst and does a very satisfactory job at it. Often I wish that there was something called Spirit-ade. You know a drink that when you feel spiritually thin, not sure about what to do, take a drink and immediately you are replenished and filled up again, made whole. Many times I feel down, like the joy has seeped out the cracks in my skin and fled away leaving me a wasteland of empty self. Other times I don't "feel" like going the extra mile or even the first mile. If I had a bottle of Spiritade I could take a swig of it and become my better self; one filled with the fruits of the Spirit and much more importantly more pleasing to God. I even start to feel guilty that, after Christ has done so much for me, that I have the audacity to be down on life.
It is then when I am reminded of John 10:10 which says that Christ came so that we may have life and have it more abundant. Christianity is more than a feeling, it's a relationship, and like all relationships there will be the rocky times. But Christ is such a friend that the rocky times will only strength us in the long run. In our weakness He is made strong. God's love and power are amazing.
Jacyne's random thought: What do they pack styrophome in?

First Time

We all remember our first time: the first dance you had with a girl other than your mom, your first girlfriend, your first kiss, the first day of school, first day you move out of the house, the first time your mom leaves you at school because she didn't realize is was called off because of the flu... and finally the first blog you ever write. That's what this is for me and I hope everyone that decides to take a chance and read this will be touched, in some way, whether provoking more thoughts or just a snicker.
Someone once said knowlege is the death of faith. If that is true, then there is no wonder the world is in the shape it's in. We have internet access, news broadcastes, media in general. We have buildings holding millions of pages of information that is free to enter in at our own leisure. The Bible says in Hebrews that faith is being sure of what we hope for. In a world of knowledge that is erased from our minds. Do we really know what we hope for. We are told to live our life one day at a time. Set goals and live life as best we can, but life for many, Americans especially, life is lost one day at a time. We gain useless knowledge that leads us to believe life is about making money, be the best at our family as we can, and if all else fails start over. Life is lived without true purpose because our faith is misplaced in the world to give us our hope.
Our purpose in life can be found only in the one and only Son of God, Jesus Christ. He has a purpose for our live and in him we can place our faith, our hope. It's so amazing that is beyond reach of my mental grasp that God, creator of the universe, the Apha Omega and everything in between, gave himself for someone such as me. To give up His Son that he loved so much for me, a sinner of sinners, a nobody that does not deserve anything that comes from one so great. He loves me; pursues me; cherishes me; rescues me; He chooses me.
Jacyne's scattered thougtht: If cats, when dropped, always land on their feet and buttered toast, when dropped, always lands butter side down, what would happen if you tied buttered toast to the back of a cat and dropped them?