I don't know if I am going to post this or not... I'm totally playing this by ear.
I don't really know if I am tagged or not, so here goes!
Undoubtedly, there is this tag going around. So name your top ten favorite music artists before reading the questions below.
1.) Newsboys
2.) the Band Perry
3.) Sugarland
4.) Evanescence
5.) MercyMe
6.) Francesca Battistelli
7.) Taylor Swift
8.) Celtic Woman
9.) Newsong
10.) Garth Brooks
1.) What was the fist song you ever heard by 6? Beautiful, Beautiful
2.) What's your favorite song by 8? Mo Ghile Mear
3.) What impact has 1 left on your life? They have really encouraged me to give God more glory than I give myself.
4.) What is your favorite lyric of 5's? Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel? Will I dance for You Jesus, or in awe of You be still, will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall, will I sing, "Hallelujah!", or will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine.
5.) How many times have you seen 4 live? Never
6.) What is your favorite song of 7? Long Live
7.) Is there any song of 3 that makes you sad? No
8.) What is your favorite song by 9? Arise, My Love or This One's with Me
9.) How did you first get into 2? I heard their song Hip to My Heart on the radio and, though it wasn't my favorite of theirs, I liked her voice
10.) How did you first get into 3? I don't really know.... I've always listened to them....
11.) What is your favorite song by 4? My Immortal
12.) How many times have you seen 9 live? 3 or 4... maybe even 5?
13.) What is a good memory concerning 10? Karaoke.
14.) Are there any songs from 8 that make you sad? No, but a lot of them make me feel very calm and soothed.
15.) What is your favorite song of 1's? Shine or He Reigns
16.) How did you become a fan of 10? I have just always listened to him, so I have always liked his music.
Yep, I was right =). So, if you have read this, then TAG! You can't get out of it now =D.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tagged... Ten Things on My Mind
So, apparently, if you read Eldra's latest post, you are officially tagged, so I have been tagged!
Here are ten things that have been on my mind recently:
1.) Writing. I am currently writing a story about a princess (what else?) and I am really excited about the possibilities. So, we'll see how far it gets before I get bored... Let's see if I can actually finish a story =)
2.) ACT. I just took the ACT yesterday, and I seriously think I died on the Math section... I'm not very good with numbers. So, I'm pretty sure I bombed that portion, considering I had to guess on more than half of them. But I think I did pretty well on the reading and grammar, and even the science!
3.) Violin. I play the violin, and in my Orchestra class, we are playing Amazing Grace. It isn't the Chris Tomlin version... it's the traditional version, the one without the cool bridge. I mean, not that I don't like it without the cool bridge, I'm just not used to it... It's really good =D
4.) Hymns. Since I started playing Amazing Grace, I have had an infatuation with old hymns. I blew the dust off of my old hymnal that my great-grandmother gave me, and just started playing out of it =). I also have a really cool hymnal that gives you the sheet music and the history of the song, which is really cool.
5.) Celtic Woman. I love Celtic Woman! Their voices are just so soothing! I listen to them when I am writing. I also listen to soundtracks; the music from particularly epic scenes inspires particularly epic actions for my characters to perform.
6.) Taylor Swift. Yes, I like Taylor Swift. No, I do not think she is the best singer in the world. Yes, I get tired of her songs all being about more or less the same things. Yes, I also happen to think that she is a decent singer with a pretty cool talent of writing songs about whatever she wants.
7.) Birthdays. I just had a birthday a few days ago (I'M SEVENTEEN!!!!). My friend's birthday is today. I gave her a bunch of Reeses' Pieces for her birthday. It made her super happy, and when she is happy, it tends to be contagious. My little brother's birthday is tomorrow, and HE IS TURNING THIRTEEN!! My mom's birthday comes a little later, and then my sister's. SHE IS TURNING TEN!!!! We will officially have NO MORE SINGLE-DIGITS IN OUR FAMILY! It's actually kind of scary, because unlike with Cooper and Wesley, I remember when Natalie was born.
8.) Church. I have a friend who just moved here from Japan, and she is looking for a church. I recommended mine, and she said she'd look into it. Then, totally unaware of it, another friend of mine who goes to the same church as me recommended our church. Neither of us even knew that Jessica knew both of us! And we both recommended Christ Church to her! That made me really excited.
9.) Art. I have a Humanities test tomorrow, and I know all of the information, but I don't know the art... so lots of studying to do tonight and tomorrow.
10.) Cheetos. I am eating a napkin full of Puff's WHITE CHEDDAR Cheetos. They are SOOO good! They are just a little bit addicting, and they probably aren't very healthy. But oh, well. Too bad, cuz they are really good!
And you have read this now. So you're officially tagged. Your turn!
Here are ten things that have been on my mind recently:
1.) Writing. I am currently writing a story about a princess (what else?) and I am really excited about the possibilities. So, we'll see how far it gets before I get bored... Let's see if I can actually finish a story =)
2.) ACT. I just took the ACT yesterday, and I seriously think I died on the Math section... I'm not very good with numbers. So, I'm pretty sure I bombed that portion, considering I had to guess on more than half of them. But I think I did pretty well on the reading and grammar, and even the science!
3.) Violin. I play the violin, and in my Orchestra class, we are playing Amazing Grace. It isn't the Chris Tomlin version... it's the traditional version, the one without the cool bridge. I mean, not that I don't like it without the cool bridge, I'm just not used to it... It's really good =D
4.) Hymns. Since I started playing Amazing Grace, I have had an infatuation with old hymns. I blew the dust off of my old hymnal that my great-grandmother gave me, and just started playing out of it =). I also have a really cool hymnal that gives you the sheet music and the history of the song, which is really cool.
5.) Celtic Woman. I love Celtic Woman! Their voices are just so soothing! I listen to them when I am writing. I also listen to soundtracks; the music from particularly epic scenes inspires particularly epic actions for my characters to perform.
6.) Taylor Swift. Yes, I like Taylor Swift. No, I do not think she is the best singer in the world. Yes, I get tired of her songs all being about more or less the same things. Yes, I also happen to think that she is a decent singer with a pretty cool talent of writing songs about whatever she wants.
7.) Birthdays. I just had a birthday a few days ago (I'M SEVENTEEN!!!!). My friend's birthday is today. I gave her a bunch of Reeses' Pieces for her birthday. It made her super happy, and when she is happy, it tends to be contagious. My little brother's birthday is tomorrow, and HE IS TURNING THIRTEEN!! My mom's birthday comes a little later, and then my sister's. SHE IS TURNING TEN!!!! We will officially have NO MORE SINGLE-DIGITS IN OUR FAMILY! It's actually kind of scary, because unlike with Cooper and Wesley, I remember when Natalie was born.
8.) Church. I have a friend who just moved here from Japan, and she is looking for a church. I recommended mine, and she said she'd look into it. Then, totally unaware of it, another friend of mine who goes to the same church as me recommended our church. Neither of us even knew that Jessica knew both of us! And we both recommended Christ Church to her! That made me really excited.
9.) Art. I have a Humanities test tomorrow, and I know all of the information, but I don't know the art... so lots of studying to do tonight and tomorrow.
10.) Cheetos. I am eating a napkin full of Puff's WHITE CHEDDAR Cheetos. They are SOOO good! They are just a little bit addicting, and they probably aren't very healthy. But oh, well. Too bad, cuz they are really good!
And you have read this now. So you're officially tagged. Your turn!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Justification Through Faith vs. Through Faith and Good Works
I have often wondered why the Bible sometimes seems so contradictory on this matter. In Romans, it says, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the Law" (Romans 3:28). Also, in Romans 4:2-5, it says, "(2) If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about - but not before the eyes of God. (3)What does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.' (4)Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. (5)However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness."
However, in James, it says, "(24) You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. (25)In this way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? (26)As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."
Mental faith and full-blown faith are different. Even the demons have faith in God. Yeah, the demons in Hell know that God exists - but it hasn't helped them at all, has it?
But the mental knowledge that God is God - it's just as useless. When you choose not to act on it, it isn't really true faith.
Christians have a different faith in Christ - kind of like, faith in action. Not only to the acknowledge that God exists, but they give Him complete control.
This goes sort of back to when I talked about why we can't sin - when we have truly accepted Jesus Christ into out hearts, and believe without a doubt that He died so that we could have a chance to spend Eternity with Him, we have died to sin. If sin still controls your thoughts and actions, you are not truly dead to sin.
But if you truly have Jesus Christ in your heart, then sin becomes an abomination to you. Jesus is living in you and changing you, so that you consciously grow closer to Him. You are aware of the existence of sin, and are appalled by it. Naturally, you will tend to make a conscious effort not to sin.
Now, does that mean that you are never going to sin again when you are a Christian? Absolutely not. You are still human. But you have comfort in the fact that you know that Jesus has paid the price for your sins, so that you have assurance.
If you truly have faith in God, and if Jesus is truly living in you, then "good works" kind of comes natural. As you grow closer to Jesus, it becomes more natural to do good works, and that shows when you are in public. I think that is what James meant when he said that, "Faith without good works is dead." Good works aren't a stipulation for salvation; rather, they are a sign that you are saved. Does that make sense?
Forever in Christ,
Tyler Henke
However, in James, it says, "(24) You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. (25)In this way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? (26)As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."
Mental faith and full-blown faith are different. Even the demons have faith in God. Yeah, the demons in Hell know that God exists - but it hasn't helped them at all, has it?
But the mental knowledge that God is God - it's just as useless. When you choose not to act on it, it isn't really true faith.
Christians have a different faith in Christ - kind of like, faith in action. Not only to the acknowledge that God exists, but they give Him complete control.
This goes sort of back to when I talked about why we can't sin - when we have truly accepted Jesus Christ into out hearts, and believe without a doubt that He died so that we could have a chance to spend Eternity with Him, we have died to sin. If sin still controls your thoughts and actions, you are not truly dead to sin.
But if you truly have Jesus Christ in your heart, then sin becomes an abomination to you. Jesus is living in you and changing you, so that you consciously grow closer to Him. You are aware of the existence of sin, and are appalled by it. Naturally, you will tend to make a conscious effort not to sin.
Now, does that mean that you are never going to sin again when you are a Christian? Absolutely not. You are still human. But you have comfort in the fact that you know that Jesus has paid the price for your sins, so that you have assurance.
If you truly have faith in God, and if Jesus is truly living in you, then "good works" kind of comes natural. As you grow closer to Jesus, it becomes more natural to do good works, and that shows when you are in public. I think that is what James meant when he said that, "Faith without good works is dead." Good works aren't a stipulation for salvation; rather, they are a sign that you are saved. Does that make sense?
Forever in Christ,
Tyler Henke
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Ode to an Old Friend
I wrote this poem just now, after returning from my grandparent's house. It isn't Shakespeare; it doesn't rhyme. But it comes from the heart, and I must let it be known that I love my little friend, and the memories that we share.
I remember well the joy
That I got from my old friend.
As a little girl, free of care
Swinging round and round.
I remember making Grandpa sick
With my circular motions
That my faithful old friend
Allowed me to make.
I remember him asking me
Not to so round and round,
But rather up and down.
He'd gladly swing us through the sky
On our little black friend.
I remember squealing with fright
As wasps flew at me furiously
Coming out of their temporary home
In my little black friend.
I remember making my cousin
Dizzy, when I spun the two of us
Round and round and round.
Then back around again.
I remember fighting with my brothers
For the right to ride on my little friend.
I remember consenting to push them
As I grudgingly gave them their turn.
I remember crying when my hair
Got caught in the enduring blue ropes.
I remember the thrill of going to Gandma
And Grandpa's, to go play with my friend.
I remember spinning, waiting for dinner to be called.
I remember rushing through dinner, so that I
Could go back out to my lonely friend,
Trying to be the first of six
To get back on him again.
I remember thinking about that little black friend
Held away from the ground by sturdy blue ropes.
As we grew, we found new ways to
Fit four into the little hole.
Spreading out legs and standing.
But alas, everything must at one point
Come to an end. And I know that we have
Been blessed with the joy of the tire swing.
The five eldest of us have outgrown our
Little black friend.
I thought about asking for it to be taken down
But there is one grandchild yet
Who needs the faithful old swing.
And maybe, by the time she has
Outgrown it as well, there will be another
Little one to take the tradition
Into the next generation.
So I must plead, to whom it may concern,
Do not remove my friend. Let him hang
For generations to come.
Friday, March 11, 2011
So what had happened was...
Okay, so this one is just telling you about my day, because today was pretty awesome. For starters, I got to sleep in for about five minutes (but, let me tell you, it felt like an hour). Then I went to school. Well, I left my violin on the bus, so I had to run back against the student traffic, and grab it. Then I had to go put it in the auditorium and go to the library. I got a new book, called The Faerie Path (recommended to me by Ultima Thule) by Frewin Jones. After all this, I though I'd be late to class; and I made it with a minute to spare!
We watched Glory Road in U.S. History today... but the bell rang right before the game ended, so I don't know who won!! I still don't know how that movie ends.
When we got to third period, we were ready to leave for the concert festival for orchestra. We got onto the bus and dedicated one seat to "junk," meaning our instruments. The whole way to Ridgeway we spent singing and goofing off, and telling really bad jokes.
We got to the concert, and we listened to some orchestras perform... they weren't all that good; I can honestly and unbiasedly say that I though Mt. Pisgah was the best out of the ones we saw. They did really well for a twice-a-week class. They were together and in tune. They got superior ratings, and I am really proud of them =).
When we went, we thought we did horribly, but we got superior ratings, as well! We got a two on the sight-reading, but I think that we did very well.
When we got back to the school, there was about twenty minutes left in school. There were ten pizzas waiting for us; there are 25 people in the orchestra. You should have seen how fast those pizzas were going!! Mr. Philips literally opened a pizza box and all the pizza was gone in under ten seconds. Then he would go to another, and the same thing would happen. Some people had eight pieces stacked one on top of the other! It was really very comical - but now I am feeling the repercussions of eating three pieces of pizza in under ten minutes... my bed sounds very inviting right now...
But I'm not going to bed yet! I am babysitting two of the most AWESOME kids on the planet in a few hours, and I can't wait!!! I LOVE Joshua and Lizzie!! They are so sweet, and SO adorable (though don't tell Joshua I said that...). I have a pretty awesome day goin on, and it would take a lot to bring me down. Thank you, Lord, for blessing this day for us. I pray that you would do the same for others around the world.
Forever in Christ,
Tyler Henke
We watched Glory Road in U.S. History today... but the bell rang right before the game ended, so I don't know who won!! I still don't know how that movie ends.
When we got to third period, we were ready to leave for the concert festival for orchestra. We got onto the bus and dedicated one seat to "junk," meaning our instruments. The whole way to Ridgeway we spent singing and goofing off, and telling really bad jokes.
We got to the concert, and we listened to some orchestras perform... they weren't all that good; I can honestly and unbiasedly say that I though Mt. Pisgah was the best out of the ones we saw. They did really well for a twice-a-week class. They were together and in tune. They got superior ratings, and I am really proud of them =).
When we went, we thought we did horribly, but we got superior ratings, as well! We got a two on the sight-reading, but I think that we did very well.
When we got back to the school, there was about twenty minutes left in school. There were ten pizzas waiting for us; there are 25 people in the orchestra. You should have seen how fast those pizzas were going!! Mr. Philips literally opened a pizza box and all the pizza was gone in under ten seconds. Then he would go to another, and the same thing would happen. Some people had eight pieces stacked one on top of the other! It was really very comical - but now I am feeling the repercussions of eating three pieces of pizza in under ten minutes... my bed sounds very inviting right now...
But I'm not going to bed yet! I am babysitting two of the most AWESOME kids on the planet in a few hours, and I can't wait!!! I LOVE Joshua and Lizzie!! They are so sweet, and SO adorable (though don't tell Joshua I said that...). I have a pretty awesome day goin on, and it would take a lot to bring me down. Thank you, Lord, for blessing this day for us. I pray that you would do the same for others around the world.
Forever in Christ,
Tyler Henke
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
I have a beautiful little sister named Natalie. Natalie is nine years old.
When I was little - right after I turned four, which was when I was blessed with a second baby brother - I remember praying every night from that time on, for a little sister. "Dear God, thank you for Mommy, and Daddy, and Cooper, and Wesley, and help me to get a baby sister." I prayed for a little sister, as I said, every single night. Then, when Mom got pregnant with Natalie, I told her that if the baby wasn't a little sister, then I was moving out. And I still prayed that the baby would be a sister.
When we were discussing names for a possible little girl, I even helped name her. I wanted a sister that I could call "Nae-Nae," which was what I called a friend named Renee. So, we named the baby Natalie Renee, so that I could call her Nae-Nae.
When she was born, we found out that she had Moebius Syndrome. We had never heard of Moebius Syndrome, as not many people have. It is a very rare congenital disorder (as in, 20 max cases per million births), also known as an orphan disorder, that occurs because the sixth and seventh cranial nerves didn't connect during embryo. It is characterized mainly by a partial facial paralysis, which makes it difficult or impossible to do much with your face. When Natalie was born, the doctors told my parents that she would not be able to eat, talk, laugh, blink, smile, or show any kind of emotion whatsoever.
Natalie was also born with crossed eyes. She really only has one eye that functions, because she does not use the other. How does someone not use an eye? Well, Natalie cannot blink, and her eyelids cannot move on their own. So she holds one eye open when she needs to see well (p.s., if Natalie ever challenges you to a staring contest - which she absolutely will - be warned that there is no way you can possibly win).
She has very poor balance, so when she walks, she kind of tilts when she moves her legs.
Despite all of this, Natalie is one of the most wonderful people I know. She can do almost everything that the doctors had predicted that she would never be able to do - and she doesn't realize that she is different. She loves who she is, and she loves her life. She has overcome so many unfair advantages that she didn't know she didn't have. Natalie lives a life devoid of care. She hasn't allowed her physical disabilities to rule her life. Many times, I often forget that she is even disabled.
I think that when people see Natalie, she sort of makes them forget that she is different. We were at the park the other day, and a little girl walked up to Natalie and commented about her face. Natalie truly didn't know what the little girl was talking about, so she ignored it. After a few minutes, the two girls were playing Hide and Seek like they had always been friends. No more was said about the way that Natalie looked.
This is only one of the many times I have witnessed Natalie drawing people away from her face with her bubbly personality. I believe that my sister is a rare little girl - she is definitely the sweetest little girl I know, and I pray that this sweetness continues with her through adulthood.
Natalie is the answer to a little girl's fervent prayers. I cannot express my love for my little sister; nor can I express the gratitude that I feel every night when I think about her. God works in strange and wonderful ways - Natalie is living, breathing proof of that. There is not one thing that I would change about my little sister, even if I had the chance. Natalie is wonderful just the way she is, and I will always count her among my role models. I hope that one day, I can live with a love for life equivalent to that of my little sister's.
When I was little - right after I turned four, which was when I was blessed with a second baby brother - I remember praying every night from that time on, for a little sister. "Dear God, thank you for Mommy, and Daddy, and Cooper, and Wesley, and help me to get a baby sister." I prayed for a little sister, as I said, every single night. Then, when Mom got pregnant with Natalie, I told her that if the baby wasn't a little sister, then I was moving out. And I still prayed that the baby would be a sister.
When we were discussing names for a possible little girl, I even helped name her. I wanted a sister that I could call "Nae-Nae," which was what I called a friend named Renee. So, we named the baby Natalie Renee, so that I could call her Nae-Nae.
When she was born, we found out that she had Moebius Syndrome. We had never heard of Moebius Syndrome, as not many people have. It is a very rare congenital disorder (as in, 20 max cases per million births), also known as an orphan disorder, that occurs because the sixth and seventh cranial nerves didn't connect during embryo. It is characterized mainly by a partial facial paralysis, which makes it difficult or impossible to do much with your face. When Natalie was born, the doctors told my parents that she would not be able to eat, talk, laugh, blink, smile, or show any kind of emotion whatsoever.
Natalie was also born with crossed eyes. She really only has one eye that functions, because she does not use the other. How does someone not use an eye? Well, Natalie cannot blink, and her eyelids cannot move on their own. So she holds one eye open when she needs to see well (p.s., if Natalie ever challenges you to a staring contest - which she absolutely will - be warned that there is no way you can possibly win).
She has very poor balance, so when she walks, she kind of tilts when she moves her legs.
Despite all of this, Natalie is one of the most wonderful people I know. She can do almost everything that the doctors had predicted that she would never be able to do - and she doesn't realize that she is different. She loves who she is, and she loves her life. She has overcome so many unfair advantages that she didn't know she didn't have. Natalie lives a life devoid of care. She hasn't allowed her physical disabilities to rule her life. Many times, I often forget that she is even disabled.
I think that when people see Natalie, she sort of makes them forget that she is different. We were at the park the other day, and a little girl walked up to Natalie and commented about her face. Natalie truly didn't know what the little girl was talking about, so she ignored it. After a few minutes, the two girls were playing Hide and Seek like they had always been friends. No more was said about the way that Natalie looked.
This is only one of the many times I have witnessed Natalie drawing people away from her face with her bubbly personality. I believe that my sister is a rare little girl - she is definitely the sweetest little girl I know, and I pray that this sweetness continues with her through adulthood.
Natalie is the answer to a little girl's fervent prayers. I cannot express my love for my little sister; nor can I express the gratitude that I feel every night when I think about her. God works in strange and wonderful ways - Natalie is living, breathing proof of that. There is not one thing that I would change about my little sister, even if I had the chance. Natalie is wonderful just the way she is, and I will always count her among my role models. I hope that one day, I can live with a love for life equivalent to that of my little sister's.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
A Day on Daremo
There is a blog that I am following, called "A Day on Daremo", and Eldra, the blogger, is having a contest thingie..... She calls it a "giveaway", so that's what I will call it =D
So Eldra is a really talented writer. If you click on her name, you can go to her blog. Her sister, Leauphaun, is an AMAZING artist, who not only paints, but she sketches and is a wonderful photographer, as well! Check out her Paintings, Drawings, and Photography. You'll find that I am not exaggerating! Check them out!! Follow them!!
So Eldra is a really talented writer. If you click on her name, you can go to her blog. Her sister, Leauphaun, is an AMAZING artist, who not only paints, but she sketches and is a wonderful photographer, as well! Check out her Paintings, Drawings, and Photography. You'll find that I am not exaggerating! Check them out!! Follow them!!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Leap of Faith
God loves you. He loves you so much, that He was willing to send His only Son to pay your debt - which we are supposed to die for, by the way - by dying painfully on the cross. I mean, even before you were born, He was taking care of you!! How amazing is that? You are SO precious to God! And He has already planned out your life, minute by minute.
God has this awesome, perfect plan for His children. And He uses His children to carry out that plan. No one really knows what that ultimate plan is, but I think that is a good thing - I mean, I can barely understand the plans for the weekend, much less the future of the entire universe!
But the wonderful thing is that God doesn't expect us to understand His plans. He doesn't expect us to know what to do - He doesn't expect us to handle it all on our own. He doesn't even expect us to make the plans - it's all Him!! All we do is help Him carry it out.
And He tells us how to do that. All we have to do is take a leap of faith into His Word, and let his instruction Book show is what to do, step by step!
"If there were a thousand step between you and God, and you could see no way across the great divide, just take one step toward His loving arms, and He'll take nine hundred, ninety nine." - Newsong
We don't have to walk the whole way! God will do all the work - we just have to have enough faith in Him to take that one step!
Don't worry about messing up, either. God knows that we are clumsy. God expects that! God knows that we can't possibly do anything by ourselves - we are way too small! But when we put our faith in Him, when we let Him carry us through life, we don't have to worry about falling down - He won't let us down, He won't let us go!
"It's time to take a leap of faith, so here I go! I'm diving in! I'm going deep! In over my head, I wanna be lost in the rush, caught in the flow, and over my head I wanna go. The River's deep. The River's wide. The River's water is alive. So sink, so swim, I'm diving in!"
When God calls you to do something, chances are it probably won't be too fun, or too comfortable, but guess what? He won't ask you to do something if He knows you can't do it. And we can do anything when we act on behalf of Jesus Christ.
"When I call on Jesus, all things are possible! I can mount wings like eagles and soar. When I call on Jesus, mountains are gonna fall. 'Cuz He'll move heaven and Earth to come rescue me when I fall." - Nicole C. Mullen
So here is a challenge to you (and to myself) for this week: When God calls you, will you take the plunge?
God has this awesome, perfect plan for His children. And He uses His children to carry out that plan. No one really knows what that ultimate plan is, but I think that is a good thing - I mean, I can barely understand the plans for the weekend, much less the future of the entire universe!
But the wonderful thing is that God doesn't expect us to understand His plans. He doesn't expect us to know what to do - He doesn't expect us to handle it all on our own. He doesn't even expect us to make the plans - it's all Him!! All we do is help Him carry it out.
And He tells us how to do that. All we have to do is take a leap of faith into His Word, and let his instruction Book show is what to do, step by step!
"If there were a thousand step between you and God, and you could see no way across the great divide, just take one step toward His loving arms, and He'll take nine hundred, ninety nine." - Newsong
We don't have to walk the whole way! God will do all the work - we just have to have enough faith in Him to take that one step!
Don't worry about messing up, either. God knows that we are clumsy. God expects that! God knows that we can't possibly do anything by ourselves - we are way too small! But when we put our faith in Him, when we let Him carry us through life, we don't have to worry about falling down - He won't let us down, He won't let us go!
"It's time to take a leap of faith, so here I go! I'm diving in! I'm going deep! In over my head, I wanna be lost in the rush, caught in the flow, and over my head I wanna go. The River's deep. The River's wide. The River's water is alive. So sink, so swim, I'm diving in!"
When God calls you to do something, chances are it probably won't be too fun, or too comfortable, but guess what? He won't ask you to do something if He knows you can't do it. And we can do anything when we act on behalf of Jesus Christ.
"When I call on Jesus, all things are possible! I can mount wings like eagles and soar. When I call on Jesus, mountains are gonna fall. 'Cuz He'll move heaven and Earth to come rescue me when I fall." - Nicole C. Mullen
So here is a challenge to you (and to myself) for this week: When God calls you, will you take the plunge?
Joy and a MAJOR Red Herring.......
What is the difference between happiness and joy?
Joy:(1) the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasures; elation (2) a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated (3) the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety (4) a state of happiness or felicity (5) to be glad; to rejoice (6) to gladden
Happiness: (1)good fortune; pleasure; contentment
So, what is the difference?
Well, when I think of joy, I think of a little girl with her hands held high, facing the heavens, with a true smile on her face. And I picture that same little girl ten years later, in the same orant posture, her face still upturned.
When I think of happiness, I think of a little girl with an ice cream cone or a new Barbie doll.
The two are seemingly the same, but I think that joy is more... permanent. Even of you are sad, or hurt, or lonely, or angry... I think you can still have joy. Joy is more of a state of being - even if you are sad, because of whatever reason, you can still feel joyful.
Happiness is more temporary; likely to change.
Note that joy doesn't necessarily mean ecstatic. It doesn't mean energized and bubbly; joy can be serene, as well. Joy can be something that you feel all the time.
I have noticed that when I have left my trust in Jesus; when I know that He is caring for me and when I am 100% confident that He is indeed in control - when I know that I can rest easy knowing that He is taking care of me, I feel this serenity.
A few days ago, there was a really bad tornado warning. I knew that if there was a tornado, that I would have to put on a brave face, so Natalie wouldn't be scared more than she already was. But when the sirens went off, I simply closed my eyes - I didn't really pray using words, but I knew that as I closed my eyes, God didn't need any more invitation than that - He took my fear and worry, and I found that I didn't have to put on a face - I wasn't afraid at all. I knew that God controlled the tornado, and even if He saw fit to allow it to hit us, I knew that He was in control of it, and I realized, to my surprise, that I didn't care. If God was going to destroy the house - so what? God would also take care of my family. He wouldn't do it unless He had a plan for our ultimate safety.
I wasn't afraid - I was actually content. I was in that same state of joy that I have always felt when spending time with my God - whether in prayer or in worship, or in reading, or in simple "quiet time" with God.
So, yeah.... that's my little thingie (I really don't know what you can call these....) for today =D
May God bless you, and may you let Him provide you with the same joy that he has provided me.
In Christ forever,
Tyler Henke
Joy:(1) the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasures; elation (2) a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated (3) the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety (4) a state of happiness or felicity (5) to be glad; to rejoice (6) to gladden
Happiness: (1)good fortune; pleasure; contentment
So, what is the difference?
Well, when I think of joy, I think of a little girl with her hands held high, facing the heavens, with a true smile on her face. And I picture that same little girl ten years later, in the same orant posture, her face still upturned.
When I think of happiness, I think of a little girl with an ice cream cone or a new Barbie doll.
The two are seemingly the same, but I think that joy is more... permanent. Even of you are sad, or hurt, or lonely, or angry... I think you can still have joy. Joy is more of a state of being - even if you are sad, because of whatever reason, you can still feel joyful.
Happiness is more temporary; likely to change.
Note that joy doesn't necessarily mean ecstatic. It doesn't mean energized and bubbly; joy can be serene, as well. Joy can be something that you feel all the time.
I have noticed that when I have left my trust in Jesus; when I know that He is caring for me and when I am 100% confident that He is indeed in control - when I know that I can rest easy knowing that He is taking care of me, I feel this serenity.
A few days ago, there was a really bad tornado warning. I knew that if there was a tornado, that I would have to put on a brave face, so Natalie wouldn't be scared more than she already was. But when the sirens went off, I simply closed my eyes - I didn't really pray using words, but I knew that as I closed my eyes, God didn't need any more invitation than that - He took my fear and worry, and I found that I didn't have to put on a face - I wasn't afraid at all. I knew that God controlled the tornado, and even if He saw fit to allow it to hit us, I knew that He was in control of it, and I realized, to my surprise, that I didn't care. If God was going to destroy the house - so what? God would also take care of my family. He wouldn't do it unless He had a plan for our ultimate safety.
I wasn't afraid - I was actually content. I was in that same state of joy that I have always felt when spending time with my God - whether in prayer or in worship, or in reading, or in simple "quiet time" with God.
So, yeah.... that's my little thingie (I really don't know what you can call these....) for today =D
May God bless you, and may you let Him provide you with the same joy that he has provided me.
In Christ forever,
Tyler Henke
Sunday, January 23, 2011
We are the Church
Today at church, our pastor gave a great lesson. He talked about the church, and what a church is.
Basically, a church isn't a building or a place or an event; the church is the people gathered to fellowship. That kind of tied in to the lesson we had at Sunday School this morning.
Why don't I just start at the beginning of the service?
At Sunday School (which the Youth Group has before the service), we read Acts 2:42-47.
42: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer
I just think that that is SO neat, that they gathered everyday for praise, fellowship, and worship. In the early church, people would meet the needs of everyone in the community, even if it meant selling off all of their own things to meet the needs of a brother. They would pray and worship and learn together. And people saw the way that the church lived and they wanted that, so "the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
That was what I learned in Sunday School. This is what I learned during the service:
We as believers are the Church. The Church isn't the building that we meet in, nor is church an event. The Church is the body of believers, who happen to meet in a building on Sunday. "The Bible never defines the Church as a place; it always defines Church as people." - John Horne
We read 1 Corinthians 12:1-25
14-17: (14)For the body is not one member, but many. (15) If the foot shall say, Because I am not that hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? (16) And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? (17) If the whole body [were] an eye, where [were] the hearing? If the whole [were] hearing, where [were] the smelling?
As followers of God, our task, the Great Commission, is to "know Christ and to make Him known." You can do that by becoming an active member in the church. As Christians, we need the fellowship and spiritual cleansing/feeding that comes from surrounding ourselves with fellow believers. This helps us to become closer to Christ. When people see us living the way the early church that Peter was talking about in Acts 2, they want to have something like that. That will help to make Christ known (that doesn't mean that you shouldn't go out into the world and spread the Gospel; you most definitely should, but we will get into that later.)
Basically, a church isn't a building or a place or an event; the church is the people gathered to fellowship. That kind of tied in to the lesson we had at Sunday School this morning.
Why don't I just start at the beginning of the service?
At Sunday School (which the Youth Group has before the service), we read Acts 2:42-47.
"42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
42: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer
- The believers would meet and devote themselves to learning the teachings of the apostles, very much like a church service today.
- They would also devote themselves to fellowship. The definition of fellowship that was given by my Youth minister was when people gather together for one common purpose. In this case, the common purpose was love for Jesus Christ and a desire to learn His ways. Everyone would gather and come together in love for one another and for Jesus.
- They would gather for the breaking of bread, which could mean communion, or it could simply mean having a meal together. The believers would use the time for fellowship and just making friends. (This would be the part after church, when you and other members of your church have decided to go out to Pei Wei or CiCi's for lunch.)
- And, of course, they could gather for prayer. I don't know about you, but I feel amazing when I am sincerely praying to my Lord. Sometimes I feel the need to meet with my God in private, and just pour out my heart to Him. Other times, when I am in a group of believers, and we pray, I feel... liberated, some how. I feel more free to express myself in groups of believers. (Don't get me wrong, I know that when I am conversing with the Lord, that I am free to say anything that I feel)
- The apostles and believers were a community - they lived together, in - here comes that magic word - fellowship.
- Now when it says that they had everything in common, it doesn't mean that they agreed on every single subject. Rather, they shared everything. They knew that material wealth was God's anyway, and so they shared it with anyone with the need.
- They did this every day. Every day of the week, they met and worshiped and gave and learned. So, they had Sunday every day.
I just think that that is SO neat, that they gathered everyday for praise, fellowship, and worship. In the early church, people would meet the needs of everyone in the community, even if it meant selling off all of their own things to meet the needs of a brother. They would pray and worship and learn together. And people saw the way that the church lived and they wanted that, so "the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
That was what I learned in Sunday School. This is what I learned during the service:
We as believers are the Church. The Church isn't the building that we meet in, nor is church an event. The Church is the body of believers, who happen to meet in a building on Sunday. "The Bible never defines the Church as a place; it always defines Church as people." - John Horne
We read 1 Corinthians 12:1-25
14-17: (14)For the body is not one member, but many. (15) If the foot shall say, Because I am not that hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? (16) And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? (17) If the whole body [were] an eye, where [were] the hearing? If the whole [were] hearing, where [were] the smelling?
- We are "different yet essential in the Body of Christ."
- It's almost like the different members of the Body are jealous of each other. The eye is discontented because it is not an ear; teh foot is discontented because it is not a hand... But you need your feet just as much as you need your hands, and you need your eyes just as much as you need your ears, if your body is to function properly.
- God has a master plan for you. He has given certain people certain gifts, and He expects us to use those gifts for His glory.
- We are dependent on one another in the Body of Christ.
- This part reminds me of the song "Lean on Me" - the concept is similar.
As followers of God, our task, the Great Commission, is to "know Christ and to make Him known." You can do that by becoming an active member in the church. As Christians, we need the fellowship and spiritual cleansing/feeding that comes from surrounding ourselves with fellow believers. This helps us to become closer to Christ. When people see us living the way the early church that Peter was talking about in Acts 2, they want to have something like that. That will help to make Christ known (that doesn't mean that you shouldn't go out into the world and spread the Gospel; you most definitely should, but we will get into that later.)
Friday, January 21, 2011
Hero
Hero
by Superchic[k]
No one sits with him, he doesn't fit in.
But we feel like we do when we make fun of him.
'Cuz you want to belong, do you go along?
'Cuz his pain is the price paid for you to belong?
It's not like you hate him or want him to die.
But maybe, he goes home and thinks suicide.
Or he comes back to school with a gun at his side,
And a kindness from you might have saved his life.
Heroes are made when we make a choice.
You can be a hero, heroes do what's right.
You could be a hero, you might save a life.
You could be a hero, we must join the fight
For what's right,
For what's right.
For what's right.
No one talks to her, she feels so alone.
She's in too much pain to survive on her own.
The pain that she feels overflows to a knife.
She writes on her arm,wants to give up her life.
Every day she goes on is a day that she's brave.
Fighting the lie that giving up is the way
Each moment of courage, her own life she saves.
When she throws the pills out, a hero is made.
Heroes are made when we make a choice.
You can be a hero, heroes do what's right.
You could be a hero, you might save a life.
You could be a hero, we must join the fight
For what's right,
For what's right.
For what's right.
No one talks to him about how he lives.
He thinks that the choices he makes are just his.
Doesn't know he's a leader with the way he behaves,
And others will follow he choices he's made
He lives on the edge, he's old enough to decide.
His brother who wants to be him is just nine.
He can do what he wants, because its his right,
But the choices he makes change a nine-year-old's life.
Heroes are made when we make a choice.
You can be a hero, heroes do what's right.
You could be a hero, you might save a life.
You could be a hero, we must join the fight
For what's right,
For what's right.
For what's right.
Little Mikey D. was the one in class
Who every day got brutally harrassed.
This went on for years,
'Till he decided that never again would he shed another tear.
So he walked through the door, grabbed a four-four
Out of his father's dresser drawer, and said,
"I can't take life no more," and like that,
Life can be lost.
But this ain't even about that. All of us
Just sat back and watched it happen
We think it's not out responsibility to solve
A problem that isn't about me
This is our problem. This is one of the
Daily scenarios in which we choose
To close our eyes instead of doing the
Right thing.
If we make the choice to be the voice
For those who won't stand up for themsleves,
How many lives could be saved, changed, and
re-arranged?
Now it is our time to pick a side.
Don't keep walking by not wanting to
Intervene 'cuz you just want to exist
And never be seen.
So let's wake up. Change the world.
Our time is now.
You can be a hero, heroes do what's right.
You could be a hero, you might save a life.
You could be a hero, we must join the fight
For what's right,
For what's right.
For what's right.
Unfortunately, this song mirrors things that happen every day. People get made fun of. People think that they are worthless. People think that they don't mean anything to anybody. And these people are everywhere around us. Sometimes they are disguised, or hidden behind masks. Other times, they are openly in pain. We tend to close out eyes to things like that. We tend to just look the other way and "not even notice."
Why do we do that? Why do we naturally turn away from people in need? Is it because we don't want to make a scene? Are we scared of something? People all around us are hurting, and we just turn a blind eye to it all. There really is no reason for that. Especially for Christians.
It's out job to make sure that people know about the Good News. That means that we have to let them know that they are important to their Father. We as Christians should be sensitive to the pain around us. We should be aware of it.
You don't know what is going on in the lives of others. Maybe that kid sitting alone over there just doesn't like company. He probably chooses to sit alone. At least, that's what we want to think. But you don't know if that is the case. What if that guy is going through really hard times at home, and he just needs someone to talk to. Maybe he doesn't really want to sit alone, but he doesn't have the courage to find someone to sit with. Who knows? Maybe that girl who doesn't talk to people is just antisocial. Maybe she doesn't want to talk to people. Or maybe she is hurting inside and is thinking of cutting herself to feel something real. Maybe her circumstances have made her come to think that she is worthless. It is our duty as witnesses of God to let her know that she is loved and wanted by her Father.
The third part really got to me. So many of us have little brothers and/or sisters, or some kind of figure that uses us as guides for their lives. Our choices influence everyone around us. I know that I set an example for my brothers and sister, even though my brothers are in their early teens. I am a role model, even though I don't always know it. People are watching me, and counting on me to show them how to live. That verse made me think: Am I setting an example that I would want my siblings to follow? Do I live the way I would want them to live? Do you live the way you want your watchers to live?
My prayer for you is that you will remember that the choices you make will change the lives of those around you, and that you will make the choices that will turn the tables toward life.
My prayer for you is that you will open your eyes to the world around you, and become more sensitive to the pain.
My prayer for you is that God will use you as His vessel, and use you to save a life.
My prayer for you is that you will allow God to use you as His vessel.
My prayer for you is that you will grow in Him and will listen to His Voice.
Your sister forever in Christ,
Tyler Henke
Thursday, January 6, 2011
A Friend is... a whole bunch of cheesy truths =)
Friends are amazing.
A Friend is someone with whom you can be yourself with no reserves.
A Friend is someone that knows your habits and flaws, and accepts them as parts of you.
A Friend is someone who won't try to change you no matter how flawed you are.
A Friend is someone with whom you can laugh all night about absolutely nothing and remember it forever.
A Friend is someone you can't live without.
A Friend is someone that you see when you picture your life.
A Friend is the first person you think of when you need a hug.
A Friend is the person who knows you are hurt even from miles apart, and will call you up in the middle of the night and listen.
A Friend is someone who answers the phone when you call at midnight, even if she isn't fully aware that she is doing so.
A Friend is someone with whom you share so many stupid inside jokes that you could have your own language based upon them.
A Friend is someone who loves you through thick and thin, through the miles and hours, and through the tears and laughter.
A Friend is someone who knows your secrets and wishes well enough that they could be her own.
A Friend is someone with whom you will fight for the last bag of chips, win, and then end up sharing them with you... or not =)
A Friend is someone who has plenty of chances to stab you in the back, but chooses not to.
A Friend is someone who, instead of taking that opportunity, uses it to tickle you.
A Friend is someone that enters your life, and never leaves it.
A Friend is someone with whom you can be yourself with no reserves.
A Friend is someone that knows your habits and flaws, and accepts them as parts of you.
A Friend is someone who won't try to change you no matter how flawed you are.
A Friend is someone with whom you can laugh all night about absolutely nothing and remember it forever.
A Friend is someone you can't live without.
A Friend is someone that you see when you picture your life.
A Friend is the first person you think of when you need a hug.
A Friend is the person who knows you are hurt even from miles apart, and will call you up in the middle of the night and listen.
A Friend is someone who answers the phone when you call at midnight, even if she isn't fully aware that she is doing so.
A Friend is someone with whom you share so many stupid inside jokes that you could have your own language based upon them.
A Friend is someone who loves you through thick and thin, through the miles and hours, and through the tears and laughter.
A Friend is someone who knows your secrets and wishes well enough that they could be her own.
A Friend is someone with whom you will fight for the last bag of chips, win, and then end up sharing them with you... or not =)
A Friend is someone who has plenty of chances to stab you in the back, but chooses not to.
A Friend is someone who, instead of taking that opportunity, uses it to tickle you.
A Friend is someone that enters your life, and never leaves it.
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