Royal Wedding- Bishop of London

The Sermon at the Royal Wedding was simply amazing in my eyes. It was simple and eloquent. I love how Prince William and Kate made their ceremony about God & His Blessings. Read their prayer at the end of the Sermon.
Oh and by the way, Kate's brother did a reading of 12:1-2, 9-18 in the wedding. Amazing.

The Bishop of London's Sermon at the Royal Wedding:

"Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” So said St Catherine of Siena whose festival day it is today. Marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their deepest and truest selves.

Many are full of fear for the future of the prospects of our world but the message of the celebrations in this country and far beyond its shores is the right one – this is a joyful day! It is good that people in every continent are able to share in these celebrations because this is, as every wedding day should be, a day of hope.

In a sense every wedding is a royal wedding with the bride and the groom as king and queen of creation, making a new life together so that life can flow through them into the future.

William and Catherine, you have chosen to be married in the sight of a generous God who so loved the world that he gave himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

And in the Spirit of this generous God, husband and wife are to give themselves to each another.

A spiritual life grows as love finds its centre beyond ourselves. Faithful and committed relationships offer a door into the mystery of spiritual life in which we discover this; the more we give of self, the richer we become in soul; the more we go beyond ourselves in love, the more we become our true selves and our spiritual beauty is more fully revealed. In marriage we are seeking to bring one another into fuller life.

It is of course very hard to wean ourselves away from self-centredness. And people can dream of doing such a thing but the hope should be fulfilled it is necessary a solemn decision that, whatever the difficulties, we are committed to the way of generous love.

You have both made your decision today – “I will” – and by making this new relationship, you have aligned yourselves with what we believe is the way in which life is spiritually evolving, and which will lead to a creative future for the human race.

We stand looking forward to a century which is full of promise and full of peril. Human beings are confronting the question of how to use wisely a power that has been given to us through the discoveries of the last century. We shall not be converted to the promise of the future by more knowledge, but rather by an increase of loving wisdom and reverence, for life, for the earth and for one another.

Marriage should transform, as husband and wife make one another their work of art. It is possible to transform as long as we do not harbour ambitions to reform our partner. There must be no coercion if the Spirit is to flow; each must give the other space and freedom. Chaucer, the London poet, sums it up in a pithy phrase:

“Whan maistrie [mastery] comth, the God of Love anon,

Beteth his wynges, and farewell, he is gon.”

As the reality of God has faded from so many lives in the West, there has been a corresponding inflation of expectations that personal relations alone will supply meaning and happiness in life. This is to load our partner with too great a burden. We are all incomplete: we all need the love which is secure, rather than oppressive, we need mutual forgiveness, to thrive.

As we move towards our partner in love, following the example of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is quickened within us and can increasingly fill our lives with light. This leads to a family life which offers the best conditions in which the next generation can practise and exchange those gifts which can overcome fear and division and incubate the coming world of the Spirit, whose fruits are love and joy and peace.

I pray that all of us present and the many millions watching this ceremony and sharing in your joy today, will do everything in our power to support and uphold you in your new life. And I pray that God will bless you in the way of life that you have chosen, that way which is expressed in the prayer that you have composed together in preparation for this day:

God our Father, we thank you for our families; for the love that we share and for the joy of our marriage.

In the busyness of each day keep our eyes fixed on what is real and important in life and help us to be generous with our time and love and energy.

Strengthened by our union help us to serve and comfort those who suffer. We ask this in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

April 29th 2011 - Royal Wedding

When William & Kate (I refuse to call her Catherine) announced their engagement I stood back with the scoffers and really didn't care about the royal hurrah.

BUT about a month ago that all changed and I was sucked in the royal wedding whirlwind. I have been following blogs, social magazines, newspapers & gossip rags; anything to keep up with the goings on of Prince William and his lucky lady, Kate Middleton.

Yes, many people see it as another over-dramatized soap opera of a couple who they believe won't make it.

As a true believer in fairytales and happily-ever-after, I see otherwise. I want to believe that William and Kate have a chance.

Last night when Kate went to bed, I wonder what went through her thoughts. She, a common born daughter of a pilot and airline stewardess was going to marry into one of the most famous royal families of history. The thoughts & emotions must have been overwhelming.

And then today, she walked into Westminster Abbey as Kate Middleton and emerged Duchess Catherine of Cambridge, wife of Prince William of England.

What an incredible Cinderella tale!

I think in most girls' hearts lies a wish for such a fairytale. Oh, to be noticed in our common state by a handsome prince and swept away into our happily ever after. We want that. And you know what, we will find that. No, our prince may not be heir to a British throne. No, we may not ride away in an Aston Martin. No, we may not get married in Westminster Abbey by the Bishop of London.

But our prince will come and we will see our fairytale. It may not be the Disney fairytales we grew up with but it will be real and true.

Maybe one day we can hear words, much like the ones spoken by the Bishop of London,....

"I pray that all of us present and the many... watching this ceremony and sharing in your joy today, will do everything in our power to support and uphold you in your new life. And I pray that God will bless you in the way of life that you have chosen,..."

  



Good Friday

   Good Friday to all of you,...

I have a confession to make. This is the first Good Friday I have ever "observed." By observed, I mean I have sat down and taken the time to think about what went on the day of the Crucification. I have been thinking about what Jesus must have went through, about what those around Him were thinking, and about how His suffering has affected my life.

As I read over the last few chapters of Luke

 I am amazed at the events that took place in the week of Passover.

AMAZED.

Another thing that just floors me is the words spoken by the crowd in Luke 23.

34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

And they divided His garments and cast lots. 35 And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” 36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.” 38 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ,[j] save Yourself and us.” 40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”

 "Save Yourself."

"Save Yourself."

"Save Yourself and us."

If they only knew,... He could have saved Himself. He didn't have to come down to earth and become human. He didn't have to wade in sin daily. He didn't have to tempted.

He didn't have to go through the pain, shame & betrayal.

But He Did.

For you and for me.

If only the crowds knew when they shouted out, "Save youself!!"

He was dying for them.

If only the Soldiers knew as they jeered & called out for Him to, "Save Yourself and us!!"

that both could not be saved.

But One had to die.

I am grateful, humbled, awed, unworthy of the choice He made that day.

I  did not deserve to be saved.

I didn't deserve the blood that was shed on Calvary.

But for some strange, beyond-human understanding reason,

He saw us as worthy.

The words of Isaac Watts come to mind,...

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down!

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet?

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

What Things?

I'm a huge fan of LCBlogs. The girl is hilarious. Every once so often she will post something that just leaves me sitting there in awe. Wondering "why have I never looked at ____ this way?"
That's was today for me. She posted a fantastic bit about Luke 24:13-19.
I hope you all enjoy!

Spoiler Alert by LCBlogs

Have you heard the good news? I'm a little pre-mature in the telling of this story, but the tomb is empty! He has risen!
This morning, I have been thinking a lot about the Disciples as I do every year at this time. I'll never be able to wrap my mind around all the things they got to see and be a part of and it's likely that I'll never understand why I've been chosen to receive the free gift of salvation.

So, today I'm thinking about what happened after the stone was rolled away. The part of the story where Jesus was taking his stroll along, what I imagine to be a dirt road, actually, a sand road and he was making his presence known.

Luke 24 reads,
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”19 “What things?” he asked.

WHAT THINGS?!

How much do you love that Jesus, in the flesh, strolled up to them and casually asked, "What's the 411, people? What's the word on the street? What's good on TMZ?"

CAN YOU IMAGINE?

What would I have said to Jesus? Would I have known it was him? Would I have assumed Moses was wrong and the prophets were speaking some mumbo-jumbo? Would I have told him the story and been all like, "OMG, DUDE. So, like this guy..." Would I have paused to check a text message?

Later on, Jesus meets up with all of the Disciples and broke bread with them. It was then that their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. Again. CAN. YOU. IMAGINE?
In my heart, I want to believe I would know it was Him.

Just like today, I want to believe that I'm constantly walking in His will and constantly believing in His promises for me. But, sometimes I'm not. Sometimes, I miss the big picture. Sometimes, I miss Jesus walking next to me on the street and asking, "What things?"

It's my prayer that no misses the big picture. That everyone can see and believe in what Jesus did on the Cross. And that He did it for everyone.

Wow! Great concept. "What things?"
I challenge you. Ask yourself if Jesus walked up to you and asked, "What things?" how would you respond?

More than a Case of Blues,...

I'm doing a series on Depression with my Dad and thought I would share some of my thoughts with all of you. This post will be up on  Intersecting Life in the next few days.
Enjoy!

     Depression, it's a heavy word for a heavy emotion. We have all suffered from depression; whether we care to admit it or not. Don't believe me? According to the NIH (National Institute of Health), depression may be described as "feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps."
However, some of us have experienced a deeper emotion/mood that goes beyond the normal bad day. It's called clinical depression. "Clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended period of time."

    Clinical depression is what stops us from living the joyful, Christ-centered life we were intended to live. It keeps us from being productive at work. This depression kills communication with our family, friends and peers. Sadly, NIMH says 15 million adult Americans suffer from clinical depression each year. That means nearly 8% of American population of age 18 and over, is currently dealing with depression. Specialists predict that by 2020, depression will become the 2nd most common health problem throughout the world.

     The question: with depression on the rise and daily affecting our lives, what can we do as Christians to combat it? I've come up with five things that as Christians will help us fight against depression. I have made sure that each is backed with the Word. Disagree with the point? Take it up with Him.

• Prayer: In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  We need to learn to take anything to God; our burdens, our fears, our anxieties and throw them down at Jesus' feet. His Word promises peace and rest. Read Psalms 51:12. We need to pray for a return of joy and pray for Him to sustain us. 2 Timothy 1:7, Luke 10:19 and Romans 8:37 speak of how we need to learn to control our fears and realize who we are in Christ. Do you have a consistent prayer life? Are you aware of who you are in Jesus Christ?
• Seek Help: You are never too good or too big of a super-star to seek help. Doubt it? Read your Word and study up on Moses. He was a leader to millions, the voice of God, and a bit of a doubter when it came to the promises of God. This man listened to the counsel of his father-in-law and surrounded himself with a group of like-minded leaders to help him. They enabled him to be more effective in the work place and focus on the main thing, God. Are you allowing others to help you?
• Exercise: Our bodies are living, breathing displays of God's creative power. Sadly, many of us distort the original design because we're too lazy to maintain. Check out the Word on that! Proverbs 6:6-11. Are you allowing laziness to create depression? "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20. It's been proven by numerous medical studies that physical exercise can ease the symptoms of depression. The Mayo Clinic has an article on how exercise has proven to reduce and eliminate mood disorders and physical illness. Find time each day to exercise and you will be amazed by the results!
• Community: Who are you surrounding yourself with? Are you surrounded by healthy, uplifting people? Or Debbie-Downers? The attitudes, emotions, and beliefs of those you are around will rub off on you. Read the story of Rehoboam, son of Solomon in 1Kings 12. He could have been a successful ruler but he listened to his unwise peers and ended up losing his kingdom. Are you surrounded by wise, emotionally sound people?
• Serve: Are you selflessly serving others? Key word: selflessly. Servanthood isn't about being seen or praised. This is about you giving someone else a helping hand. It's hard to be worried and anxious about your circumstances when you're serving a homeless family a meal at a soup kitchen. It's hard to be self-centered on your problems when you're providing groceries to a single mother. "I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35 Also, read Luke 6:38.

Take these steps. Apply them to your life and see if depression is still strong in your life.

*Please note that I do not suggest you disregard any of your practicing physican's medical advice.

Sixteen Years

“Everyone has a "best friend" during each stage of life-only a precious few have the same one.”

I'll never forget that fateful day a note slid over to my school desk,

 " Can we use clicky pencils? Yes or No."

That note started what is now an amazing friendship

with my best friend, Jessica M.

We've shared much in these last 16 years

From Nancy Drew mysteries to history books,

 Egyptology, Socialogy, and Psychology (we can analyze your socks off!)

Hideous sweaters, ugly glasses and shoes that should have never been designed.

Cute boys(who never gave us a glance) and jerks who stole our hearts,

90's Pop songs and corny movie quotes

One would think in Sixteen Years a lot would change

But it hasn't.

We're still nerds. Still klutzy.

Still hopeless, cynical romantics(Yes we can be both!)

Still fashionably hopeless.

 Still breaking out hideous sweaters.

We still sing 90's Pop with all the soul we can muster.

We still quote the lamest lines known to film.

We're still us. 

Just older.

In Sixteen Years, we've learned a lot.

 We've learned that Truth Guns may possibly

be the best thing ever invented.

We've learned that there's a difference

between Besties and best friends.

We've learned what it means to love

someone with all you have, 

we've learned to forgive that person

when they rip the heart from you.

We've learned to cry, straighten our shoulders and face the world.

We've learned life is tough. Get over it.

We've learned when listen and when to speak.

We've learned we can agree to disagree.

We've learned that our Mum's had reason

to raise us the way they did.

They definitely created two strong, independent women.

   

  

 Bestie, thanks for sixteen years of unselfish, unconditional friendship.

My Thoughts Thursday

It's Thursday, thank goodness! I am so ready to shed this work week and take on a lovely weekend! AR weather is GORGEOUS! It's time to soak up the vitamin D and relax!

Being that it's Thursday(which is of no major significance), I've decided to start having " My Thoughts Thursday."  A posting about my thoughts on a random, mix of topics.

And here we go!
BTW: the order of the list is not by importance.

• Alexander Dumas- The man could write! I try to read  Count of Monte Cristo each year. One of my favorites! I've read the book over three times but I still get lost in its pages. On that note: I think that book is going on my summer book list.

• White Sand Beaches- I miss the ocean. The sounds, the sand, the smell,.... all of it. Cannot wait until May for the annual Girl's trip. This year we revisit the beach. I'm ready! Favorite part of it? Watching the sunrise and the sunset on the ocean. Normally I'm an earlier riser and I will venture out on the beach for some God time. The beach is quiet and deserted. Just me and God,...
• FPB- The First Pentecostals of Benton is booming! God has been doing amazing things here. I'm glad I am apart of one of the friendliest churches in the world! Don't believe me? Come visit, I dare you.  I love how God has been raising up people in the church. Pray Matthew 9:38 and watch what happens!
• Painting- One of my goals this year was to create at least one decent painting.I want to try my hand at some abstract work. Note: I've never painted. Ever.  We'll see what happens. If anything, I'll have fun getting paint all over me.
• AdoptUsKids- I follow AdoptUsKids on Twitter and they wreck my heart with each tweet about a child who needs a home. If I currently could, I would. Someday,... If you are going to adopt, please consider adopting a foster child. Those kids need it!
• Matt Wertz - "I'm waiting, all of my life been waiting, ...Maybe, if I had a Somebody, maybe...Until then I'll be the one pretending I'm perfectly fine with all this living life here on my own." Aptly spoken, Mr. Wertz.
• John 15:1-11 Especially this seventh verse: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will[a] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."  hmm,... check out the verses before #7. Questions raised: Am I abiding in Him? A sign of abiding in Him, is fruit. Is fruit evident in me? And if I'm abiding in Him, am I correctly exercising the authority I have as branch of the Vine?

Thus concludes My Thought Thursday.... I told you it was a insane mix!