I Saw God Today, part 2

So, this is what I got out of this song today. 

How often during the day does God cross your mind?  For me, honestly, not very often.  Sometimes, when something really good happens to me, I will say a quick, absentminded prayer, like, "Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with this."

But the Bible says to praise God at all times, not just during the times that He blesses you.  If you had a totally normal day, would God cross your mind?  Would you think to open your Bible?  Would you randomly take the time out of your day to say a quick little prayer?

We get so caught up in our lives, that God tends to NOT be priority.  He tends to take second place in our minds, and our hearts. 

Is that okay?  I mean, we have an amazing Savior that made peace with God for us through His birth, life, death, and resurrection.  That kind of deserves priority, right?  Instead, we get so caught up in making good grades or working or just our everyday lives, that we don't give God a single thought. 

My youth leader challenged us tonight:  Take a minute to pray.  Then take a minute to read the Bible.  The write about what you read for a minute.  That's three minutes out of your day.

I am going to take this challenge, too.  Remember to hold your fellow Christians accountable.  That is part of our jobs as brothers and sisters in Christ - to hold each other accountable for our relationship with Christ.

Once again, in love,
Tyler Henke

I Saw God Today...

I just walked down the street to the coffee shop
had to take a break
I'd been by her side for eighteen hours straight
I saw a flower growing in the middle of the sidewalk
pushing up through the concrete
like it was planted right there for me to see
the flashin' lights, the honkin' horns
all seemed to fade away
in the shadow of that hospital at 5:08
I saw God today

Chorus:
I've been to church
I've read the book
I know He's here, but I don't look
near as often as I should
Yeah, I know I should
His fingerprints are everywhere
I'd just slow down to stop and stare
opened my eyes and man I swear
I saw God today

I saw a couple walking by they were holding hands
Man, she had that glow
yeah I couldn't help but notice she was starting to show
I stood there for a minute takin' in the sky
lost in that sunset
a splash of amber melted in the shades of red

Chorus

I got my face pressed up against the nursery glass
She's sleeping like a rock
My name on her wrist wearing tiny pink socks
She's got my nose, she's got her mama's eyes
My brand new baby girl
She's a miracle
I saw God today

Now, obviously, I can't relate to the verses of this song.  However, I can relate to the chorus.  

"I've been to church, I've read the Book; I know He's here, I just don't look near as often as I should - yeah, I know I should.  His fingerprints are everywhere; I just slowed down to stop and stare.  I opened my eyes, and, man, I swear - I saw God today."

I recently saw a status on FaceBook that asked when you last saw Jesus.  I copied it to my status, but the I had to think to answer it.  I had to think about my entire day, and ask myself, "Was Jesus in that?"  

Why don't we look for Jesus?  Why do we expect Him to give us this huge neon sign that says, "I'm here!  I'm real!  One way ticket to Heaven sold here!"?  He is in  SO many things that we don't even think about!  He can be seen in a little girl giving her ice cream to someone she sees crying on the street.  He can be seen in a little flower growing in a busy city.  He can be seen in a person helping pick up your books that you dropped on the floor in the school halls.  There are so many little things that Jesus can be seen in, if only we take the time to look!  

Tomorrow, watch the things in your life.  Watch and take note of all the little things you see that make you see God.  I don't mean carry around a little notepad and take a tally (although if you want to do that, then more power to you).  I mean just remember to look for Jesus in your everyday life.  It won't be a flashing light in the air.  But if you ask God to reveal Himself to you, He will.  He just won't necessarily do it the way that you are expecting.

Just some thoughts that I had today =)

In love, forever, 

Tyler N. Henke

We're the Land of the Free because of the Brave...

It isn't Memorial Day.  It isn't Veteran's Day.  There is nothing special about today, besides the fact that we are alive, well, and loved.  But I was just thinking the other day, we as Americans take SO much for granted! We are so privileged; we still have so many freedoms that not much of the world has.  

Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears - Celtic Woman

On the first day of January,
Eighteen ninety-two,
They opened Ellis Island and they let
The people through.
And the first to cross the threshold
Of that Isle of Hope and Tears,
Was Annie Moore from Ireland
Who was all of fifteen years.

[Chorus:]
Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears,
Isle of Freedom, Isle of Fears,
But it's not the Isle you left behind.
That Isle of Hunger, Isle of Pain,
Isle you'll never see again
But the Isle of Home is always on your mind.

In a little bag she carried
All her past and history,
And her dreams for the future
In the Land of Liberty.
And Courage is the passport
When your old world disappears
But there's no future in the past
When you're fifteen years

[Chorus]

When they closed down Ellis Island
In Nineteen Fourty-Three,
Seventeen million people
Had come there for Sanctuary.
And in Springtime when I came here
And I stepped onto it's piers,
I thought of how it must have been
When you're fifteen years.

[Chorus]

 A poem that a friend and I made up for U.S. History is about kind of the same thing:

After two weeks on that wretched boat

We arrive on the Golden Shore.

America, America, we're finally here!

After all this time, its oh, so near!

We arrive at the dock and are taken to the station.

Why do I suddenly feel this fear and frustration?

There are just so many of us, what if we don't make it through?

I just don't know what my family would do...

There's nothing for us in the land we're from.

That's why to America we've decided to come.

Luckily and thankfully, we made it in. 

The smile of my husband and my daughter's broad grin

Made this whole journey worth it in the end.

But alas, it is only the beginning...

We arrive at the apartments and see all the other people.

I think to myself, Why do they look so feeble?

My daughter starts school, but with those only of her kind,

I can only imagine what's going through her mind.

My husband starts his job but works until late.

He says he's just fine, because there's food on our plate.

Although we're separated, We're free!  We're free!

And considering where we came from, that's alright with me.

America does have some problems.  She always has.  That's because people are only human, and no one is perfect.  But America is still the land of the free.  We are the Land of Hope, for SO many other people!  

Now, I don't necessarily agree with our troops being overseas.  I don't necessarily support the war.  But I most certainly appreciate the men and women who are putting their lives on the line for the things that they believe in.  "Many people have died for their beliefs... the courage is in living and suffering fo rwhat you believe in." - Brom, Eragon.  Their have been men who have died for their beliefs overseas... men and women are risking their lives everyday.  That demands our respect.  Even if we don't agree with the cause, we need to recognize the heroes that stand up for their beliefs.

If tomorrow, all I had was gone...

All I'd hoped to see...

And I had to start again

With my friends and family...

I'd thank my lucky stars

To be living here today

'Cause the flag still stands for freedom,

AND THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY!

And I'm proud to be an American

Where at least I know I'm free!

And I won't forget the men who died

And gave that right to me.

And I proudly stand up

And defend her still today.

'Cause there ain't no doubt,

I love this land!

God bless the USA!

GOD BLESS THE USA!