It All Depends on How You View It!
Studying the artwork of Stephen Lauser, looking at the photography of Jacob Lauser and the writing of Matthew Lauser.
Time for a bit of promoting! Make sure you click on the links. ;)
When I look around me, I'm amazed to watch what God's doing in this generation through inspirational young men and women.
Girls who serve their families, reach out to the world through blogs and websites, using their various skills and talents in ways God has given them.
Girls like Carissa Mann, with her great editing and organising talents, who balances helping her family with changing other people's lives and her many blogs. Her bright faith, hope and passion reach out and inspire many. The same can be said of Hillary Hipps, Kaitland Conley, Rachel Garner, Grace Garner, Janae Leeke, Rebeka Fry, Anjelica Childs and so many others.
Guys like Jay Lauser (okay, I admit the world cannot imitate the achievements of the Lausers - but why not, in other areas?) who has created many websites, manages to balance family life - a HAPPY, HEALTHY family life with social networking, running his own forum, helping people *raises both hands*...Kyle Johnston, who has an active family and social life, runs his own web hosting company and uses social networking...Daniel Beals, author, musician, blogger, social networker...Andrew Beals, writer, musician, hopeful actor... and so many more.
Young men and women who try with all feeble human strength to love and serve God and reach out to others to the best of their ability, in the calling to which He has called them.
Join those people together and there will be a light that blazes across the world which no man can ignore, because that power is not of man, but of God.
God is the One Who calls the members of the body worldwide together. God is the One Who created man with the technology to build the internet, and it has brought His people together.
I don't believe that the world will come to know Christ. That isn't my doctrine and I don't see it taught anywhere in Scripture. But I believe that God can pour out through us a passion to change His church from the weak, spineless thing it has become to something filled with vibrating power and strength because HE is God and HE is worshipped and no longer our weak and human ideas and perceptions of Him.
I look at people like those I mentioned above. And so do you. We see their power, courage, strength, their waiting on God as they continue their day to day lives, and we see something extraordinary. Then we look at ourselves.
"What talents do I have that I can use for God? I can't see any opening to use them. I'm just - nothing. Nobody. I mean, they're all so gifted in all these areas, and my writing is poor. I can only sing a bit. I'm not very good at oratory. My poetry is poor - I can't get rhyme or meter or rhythm."
And you, like me, climb down off your ladder, go back to sorting tiny little ornaments and mounds of paper on your bedroom floor, think about your office job that's starting next week and see yourself doing this for the rest of your life. One endless cycle.
I'm willing to bet that most of those people I mentioned above don't see themselves as the extraordinary people I see them. That each of them just sees themselves as doing nothing more than a little something here and there, and carrying on doing their daily lives.
But God compiles little things into big things. I love Martin Luther's quote, "Until a man is nothing, God can make nothing out of him." And the same applies with little things. God never dropped a King in might and power on earth. Instead, He placed a helpless baby into an outcast family who was presumed to be illegitimate.
God uses the humble things to confound the wise. The naked, beaten Man on Golgotha lasted longer than the religious leaders who stood in front of Him, watching Him die. He rose. They died.
We all get eager for God to do something drastic. To change the world in a showdown that we can do big things for Him in. But God's way is slower. Taking things and breaking them, time and again, one small step at a time.
I start work this Thursday. Two days induction, then I start work properly on Monday next. It's a nine-til-five job, Monday to Friday, working at a call centre in Birmingham, phoning people and companies to do questionnaires down the phone. I've been wanting a job for almost a year now.
But I hate office jobs. Stuck indoors without a breath of fresh air. Fixed into a grind for the rest of my life of wake-eat-work-eat-work-home-online-sleep-repeat. Partly why I wanted to join the RAF was to get a varied work experience. An exciting life. A life of adventure. Now my life isn't my own.
But then...my life wasn't my own anyway. It always was God's. God called me away from the RAF to wait on Him, to accept any job that came my way in the meantime. He gave me a duty to support my family. A duty which is a joy to me, in a strange way.
It's a choice. It's always a choice. On how I view it. With the depressive attitude I mentioned above? Or with this.
It's money! Money that I can save to go back to my dear, dear friends in the States with! That I can pay off debts and help support my family and save towards a new house and things we need! Money that I can help support my friends with!
And it's a job. Needs me to be hard-working and industrious. It's something God's given me to do! A fresh new scope for adventure! Cause, as I've said before - every day with God is an adventure. :D For some reason, this is the new door He's chosen to open to me - and there's a reason in there somewhere!
When coming down ill this week, Satan was throwing all my failures at me. I failed to get up at quarter to six. I failed to initiate regular family prayer. I failed to keep up the Bible reading with my sister - once because of my niece's crying, once because my sister was very tired, now because I am down ill with Hand Foot and Mouth (contagious).
It's a choice. Whether I choose to listen and let the burdens of my failures carry me down, or get back up and carry on, in God's strength and not in my strength.
The little things make up the big things. God will use us in big ways if we leave our impatience and faithfully serve Him in the little jobs He has called us to. Letters make words. Words make sentences. Sentence make pages. Pages make chapters. Chapters make a book. Who are we to complain if God seems to be using someone in a bigger way than us? He's prepared them for that task. He's preparing us for ours. Little stones make big castles. And we're based off the Chief Cornerstone.
Keep your eyes on the papers you're sorting, your heart with God. It's all in the way you view it. It's all a choice.
In Christ,
Jane
Something's Coming.
I'm restless, bursting with energy,
A feeling I cannot contain.
I'm seeing the bigger picture,
In a clarity hereto yet ungained.
I sit on my bed and type,
With a room at my feet to complete -
And I know there's a world that is stirring,
With a power I have yet to meet.
I know the world out there is dark,
The lights of Christian faith burning dim.
But something out there is coming,
And I'm positive I'm burning for Him.
There's potential in so many people,
This generation is starving for more.
God has called us and set us alight,
If not to light the world, then what for?
I've been with the next generation.
The young people who sit at home
Go out to club or on a date,
Or play games and "BORED" they moan.
And been with another generation,
Young people called by God, set apart.
They have a purpose, a fire,
God, let what's coming, start!
There's an irradience, a beauty,
A passion we're dying to meet.
Oh God, what can it be
That's driving us to our feet?
We long and long to serve You,
To show Your glory and power.
But keep us waiting, Father,
Teach us patience til Your hour.
We have so much that's left to learn,
And will til eternity.
The passion, God, let it linger,
Fill our hearts with fire for Thee!
Teach us humble submission.
Teach us to love Your ways.
Remove ourselves entirely.
Then use us - to Your praise.
Time for a bit of promoting! Make sure you click on the links. ;)
When I look around me, I'm amazed to watch what God's doing in this generation through inspirational young men and women.
Girls who serve their families, reach out to the world through blogs and websites, using their various skills and talents in ways God has given them.
Girls like Carissa Mann, with her great editing and organising talents, who balances helping her family with changing other people's lives and her many blogs. Her bright faith, hope and passion reach out and inspire many. The same can be said of Hillary Hipps, Kaitland Conley, Rachel Garner, Grace Garner, Janae Leeke, Rebeka Fry, Anjelica Childs and so many others.
Guys like Jay Lauser (okay, I admit the world cannot imitate the achievements of the Lausers - but why not, in other areas?) who has created many websites, manages to balance family life - a HAPPY, HEALTHY family life with social networking, running his own forum, helping people *raises both hands*...Kyle Johnston, who has an active family and social life, runs his own web hosting company and uses social networking...Daniel Beals, author, musician, blogger, social networker...Andrew Beals, writer, musician, hopeful actor... and so many more.
Young men and women who try with all feeble human strength to love and serve God and reach out to others to the best of their ability, in the calling to which He has called them.
Join those people together and there will be a light that blazes across the world which no man can ignore, because that power is not of man, but of God.
God is the One Who calls the members of the body worldwide together. God is the One Who created man with the technology to build the internet, and it has brought His people together.
I don't believe that the world will come to know Christ. That isn't my doctrine and I don't see it taught anywhere in Scripture. But I believe that God can pour out through us a passion to change His church from the weak, spineless thing it has become to something filled with vibrating power and strength because HE is God and HE is worshipped and no longer our weak and human ideas and perceptions of Him.
I look at people like those I mentioned above. And so do you. We see their power, courage, strength, their waiting on God as they continue their day to day lives, and we see something extraordinary. Then we look at ourselves.
"What talents do I have that I can use for God? I can't see any opening to use them. I'm just - nothing. Nobody. I mean, they're all so gifted in all these areas, and my writing is poor. I can only sing a bit. I'm not very good at oratory. My poetry is poor - I can't get rhyme or meter or rhythm."
And you, like me, climb down off your ladder, go back to sorting tiny little ornaments and mounds of paper on your bedroom floor, think about your office job that's starting next week and see yourself doing this for the rest of your life. One endless cycle.
I'm willing to bet that most of those people I mentioned above don't see themselves as the extraordinary people I see them. That each of them just sees themselves as doing nothing more than a little something here and there, and carrying on doing their daily lives.
But God compiles little things into big things. I love Martin Luther's quote, "Until a man is nothing, God can make nothing out of him." And the same applies with little things. God never dropped a King in might and power on earth. Instead, He placed a helpless baby into an outcast family who was presumed to be illegitimate.
God uses the humble things to confound the wise. The naked, beaten Man on Golgotha lasted longer than the religious leaders who stood in front of Him, watching Him die. He rose. They died.
We all get eager for God to do something drastic. To change the world in a showdown that we can do big things for Him in. But God's way is slower. Taking things and breaking them, time and again, one small step at a time.
I start work this Thursday. Two days induction, then I start work properly on Monday next. It's a nine-til-five job, Monday to Friday, working at a call centre in Birmingham, phoning people and companies to do questionnaires down the phone. I've been wanting a job for almost a year now.
But I hate office jobs. Stuck indoors without a breath of fresh air. Fixed into a grind for the rest of my life of wake-eat-work-eat-work-home-online-sleep-repeat. Partly why I wanted to join the RAF was to get a varied work experience. An exciting life. A life of adventure. Now my life isn't my own.
But then...my life wasn't my own anyway. It always was God's. God called me away from the RAF to wait on Him, to accept any job that came my way in the meantime. He gave me a duty to support my family. A duty which is a joy to me, in a strange way.
It's a choice. It's always a choice. On how I view it. With the depressive attitude I mentioned above? Or with this.
It's money! Money that I can save to go back to my dear, dear friends in the States with! That I can pay off debts and help support my family and save towards a new house and things we need! Money that I can help support my friends with!
And it's a job. Needs me to be hard-working and industrious. It's something God's given me to do! A fresh new scope for adventure! Cause, as I've said before - every day with God is an adventure. :D For some reason, this is the new door He's chosen to open to me - and there's a reason in there somewhere!
When coming down ill this week, Satan was throwing all my failures at me. I failed to get up at quarter to six. I failed to initiate regular family prayer. I failed to keep up the Bible reading with my sister - once because of my niece's crying, once because my sister was very tired, now because I am down ill with Hand Foot and Mouth (contagious).
It's a choice. Whether I choose to listen and let the burdens of my failures carry me down, or get back up and carry on, in God's strength and not in my strength.
The little things make up the big things. God will use us in big ways if we leave our impatience and faithfully serve Him in the little jobs He has called us to. Letters make words. Words make sentences. Sentence make pages. Pages make chapters. Chapters make a book. Who are we to complain if God seems to be using someone in a bigger way than us? He's prepared them for that task. He's preparing us for ours. Little stones make big castles. And we're based off the Chief Cornerstone.
Keep your eyes on the papers you're sorting, your heart with God. It's all in the way you view it. It's all a choice.
In Christ,
Jane
Something's Coming.
I'm restless, bursting with energy,
A feeling I cannot contain.
I'm seeing the bigger picture,
In a clarity hereto yet ungained.
I sit on my bed and type,
With a room at my feet to complete -
And I know there's a world that is stirring,
With a power I have yet to meet.
I know the world out there is dark,
The lights of Christian faith burning dim.
But something out there is coming,
And I'm positive I'm burning for Him.
There's potential in so many people,
This generation is starving for more.
God has called us and set us alight,
If not to light the world, then what for?
I've been with the next generation.
The young people who sit at home
Go out to club or on a date,
Or play games and "BORED" they moan.
And been with another generation,
Young people called by God, set apart.
They have a purpose, a fire,
God, let what's coming, start!
There's an irradience, a beauty,
A passion we're dying to meet.
Oh God, what can it be
That's driving us to our feet?
We long and long to serve You,
To show Your glory and power.
But keep us waiting, Father,
Teach us patience til Your hour.
We have so much that's left to learn,
And will til eternity.
The passion, God, let it linger,
Fill our hearts with fire for Thee!
Teach us humble submission.
Teach us to love Your ways.
Remove ourselves entirely.
Then use us - to Your praise.
very interesting. I really appreciated your thoughts.
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