cite soleil

this video on the good things that are happening and changing lives for the haitian people in cite soleil, spurs on hope that through love and laughter we can change the world. this video will help you understand haiti. if you've got 28 minutes, and need a reason to smile, check it out.

http://www.vimeo.com/15065164

little miss who you are is so much more than you like to talk about

sugarland and matt nathanson are not only collaborating on tour together, but together have consipired to find the secret code to unlock my tear ducts today.

it's alright it's alright it's alright

yeah, sometimes you gotta lose til you win

it's alright it's alright it's alright

it'll be alright again

i'm okaaaaaay.

it'll be alright again.

pitypartyofme

as i see the lives of everyone i know unfolding and taking off faster than Haiti's previous president to exile, i silently lament the loss of my own plans and dreams.

and God whispers,"but I know the plans I have for you."

those are plans to prosper me and give me hope and a future. my dear Haitian friend at work, Lucita explained to me (in Creole, btw) that God was just "rearranging" my life for me. that He knows and sees all, even when my vision is blurred by the bling flying by my left and my right. i liked her explanation (or maybe my misguided interpretation) of the Lord "rearranging" somethings in my life so His plans and purposes pan out. i imagine that in my life, its like a few rows of tetris, in which i've gotten a few too many of the S and L shaped cubes, and the Lord is able to reverse the extra spaces in each line, so that he can properly pack as much of His will into my life as physically possible. we just have to trust that if God is the creator and sustainer and ordainer of all things, that He is also, indeed the great Tetris champ. He will trump me every time.

learning to trust. again and again. takes time, and pain, and trust. odd that you must trust in order to learn how.

if i had the spiritual discipline of beth moore, the unending funds of oprah, the insight of jesus himself, and a knack for coffee and strict deadlines, i'd write a devotional on Romans. i think Romans might be one of the most chopped-full-of-goodness books of the Bible. Paul is writing to a group of people he adored, that were like-faithed, and actually not being chastized (i mean, Paul is the man and all, but sometimes, he comes off a leeeeetle bit cocky. hey, he's sort of got the authority to. more power to him; quite literally.) i digress to say, i imagine that if paul ever thought, ever wanted a book to be published regarding his teachings on Christ, it would be this one. one written to those most near-and-dear to his own heart.

which makes me look at it in light of my own dear friends. dear friends that are praying for me and walking through this life with me, carrying me at times. dear girlfriends that came over for a new bible study we're starting. i'm reminded of the latter verses of Romans, in which Paul calls to his loved church to "rejoice with those who rejoice; and weep with those who weep." (Rom. 12:15), and enjoining those "who are strong, ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength." learning each others' weaknesses tonight reminded me that not only are we not alone in our struggles, but we are to be in this thing together. what gets us caught up, be it sin, or challenges, or passions, should cause our friends to fight or embrace that with us.

in a life thats unfortunately filled with a lot of letting things go, it was a humbling, encouraging reminder that i indeed have been blessed with people willing to stand up and fight with me. that breaks my spirit with gratitude, and for the first time today, reduces my numbed, emotionless body to tears.

thank you jesus for your many blessings.

bearing each others' weaknesses and rejoicing for victories and strengths,

xoxo

i'm not who i was

i just got lost in my blog from haiti and was totally reminded that i need to get that printed into a coffee table book stat. and also reminded that i need to keep writing. and keep seeking. and keep spending time in the word. i found myself jealous over my connection with scripture; almost found myself forgetting that i was the one that wrote it in the first place. humility, party of me. however, i do love that the Lord can use our past to renew us for the future. see, its not just that seedy little devil that gets to use our past to torture us and shame us, nuh-uh! God can remind us of His victories and use them to encourage us for the new victories to come! :)

okay, i'm certain i've reached my blog quota for the week. i'm sorry i got a little over-zealous all at once!

be blessed.

prayer through their eyes

this was lifted from the Livesay family blog at www.livesayhaiti.blogspot.com but it was far to good that it couldn't go without reposting. if we only had the eyes of little children, what we might be able to do for our world.

Hello Daddy!

We want to know you.

And be close to you.

Please show us how.

Make everything in the world right again.

And in our hearts, too.

Do what is best - just like you do in heaven,

And please do it down here, too.

Please give us everything we need today.

Forgive us just as we forgive other people

when they hurt us.

Rescue us! We need you.

We don't want to keep running away

and hiding from you.

Keep us safe from our enemies.

You're strong, God.

You can do whatever you want.

You are in charge.

Now and forever and for always!

We think you're great!

Amen!

Yes we do!

(The Lord's Prayer from Matthew 6 as paraphrased on page 226 of the JSB)

We love the Jesus Storybook Bible, our kids love it too. Check it out if you can.

" ... Jesus taught people to pray. He said, "When you pray, don't pray like those Extra-Super-Holy- People. They think if they say lots of words, God will hear them. But it's not because you're so clever. or good, or so important, that God will listen to you. God listens to you because he loves you. " (pg 224)

a word on suffering

Christ came to suffer, to die, so that He may be glorified.

interesting to think that we, too, are often only glorified after being through the refiner's fire.

chew on that. get depressed, and then thankfully rejoice that at least in our battles and devastation, we are brought into glory.