Thinking About My Youth

Author:  Susan L. Prince 

I was sitting in front of my computer tonight and something struck me "funny".  As a kid, I was so into music, mostly the music of the day, although as I was so into band I became a lover of all types of music.  I would sit downstairs where my stereo was and play album after album and listen non-stop to music.  I had my favorite radio stations and knew every song on the radio.  I could scan stations and name each song I heard a snippet of; title, artist, album and year.  I kept that skill for many years until it began to die off when my interest in pop music began to wane in the late eighties. 

The table downstairs was the old kitchen table.  I placed my turntable in the center against the wall, and speakers to either side.  The table was then decorated creatively with my beer can collection.  I would display my collection on that table and all over the speakers, stacking them into shining towers of my most prized beer cans, the rare imported ones.  I had some good ones, too!  Often, those cans would come crashing down because the vibration from the music would rattle them out of place.  A few times I think I awakened my parents in the middle of the night when those cans all came tumbling down.  Oops.  My bad!  LOL

I would doodle a lot when I sat there at the table listening to music.  I would write poems, draw pictures, jot down the name of my crush just to see what it looked like next to mine, compose letters, and just fill up a page with doodles.  That's all they were, doodles.

What struck me tonight was that I do the same thing today.  Wow.  It's thirty years later and I sit in front of my computer, which doubles as my stereo.  Two speakers stare at me and I sit and instead of doodling, I surf the web.  I do the same kind of thing.  I don't write poetry, but I could; "Roses are red, violets are blue, you think this will rhyme, but it won't."  I don't draw pictures and doodle much anymore, instead I post to my blog or update my Twitter feed or Facebook status. 

I had such an awesome kidhood.  :)

It just kind of struck me funny tonight that I'm doing exactly the same thing today that I did in the late 70s and early 80s. It bloggles the mind!

The Book of Eli

Author:  Susan L. Prince

If you have not seen The Book of Eli yet, stop reading now.  This post will have spoilers.

This is the plot synopsis from IMDB:  Eli (Denzel Washington) has been on a journey for 30 years, walking west across America after a cataclysmic war that turned the earth into a total wasteland. The world has become a lawless civilization where people must kill or be killed. The barren roads belong to gangs of cutthroats who rob and kill for water, a pair of shoes, a lighter, or just for fun. Eli is a peaceful man who only acts in self defense, and becomes a warrior with unbelievable killing skills when he is challenged. After the war and the "Big Flash", Eli was guided by a higher power to a hidden book and given the task of protecting the book and taking it to its final destination. Eli guards the book with his life, because he knows that the book is the only hope that humanity has for its future.

I've now seen this film three times.  The first time I was alone in a movie theater taking it all in.  The other two times it was to see it again myself in order to ponder it with the insight of having already seen it, and also to introduce my friends to it.  I wanted to talk about the movie and you can't unless the people you talk to have already seen it, or you will ruin it for them.  It is a given.  That is the reason I haven't posted about it until now.  I didn't want to spoil it for my friends.

A few things immediately come to mind when I think about The Book of Eli: what it means to love the Word of God, the supernatural protection Eli had, the faith aspect of the film, how evil and desolate a place can be when its inhabitants have no knowledge of God, and how even evil does in fact recognize God's word.

 I remember the first time seeing it, and thinking to myself wow.  If we only treasured the Book like this man does.  Protecting it with his life.  I have five or six bibles hanging out in my house, a few in the car and so there is always one available.  But, do I cherish the fact that I have them?  No.  Not like I should.  Do I read it everyday like Eli does?   No.  Not like I should. And what would it be like to have possession of the last existing Bible?

I remember conviction coming over me as I thought about the fact that some people don't have the Holy Bible available to them, and I do.  It is readily available to me and I should thank God for that rather than take it for granted.

Eli loved that book.  It was evident in how he protected it by covering it and securing it in his pack after each reading. He kept the book locked with a key and he would kiss it as he slid it back into its protective bag.  Eli slept with it always within his reach.  If anyone tried to take that book, it was a sure death sentence for that person.   

Eli understood and respected the power in the words of the book he had carried in his possession for thirty years.  Unfortunately, so did Carnegie, the man who was the leader over a city that was as depraved as any city inhabited by people without knowledge of God.  He ruled by intimidation and weapons, but he knew that Eli had a more powerful weapon and was determined to take it.  Carnegie was evil to the core and knew that the Bible has powerful words and that if he had that book, he could use the words in it to have power over all the people.  He said "it's been done before".   That was an absolutely chilling statement to me.

Some people seem to debate if in fact   [ major spoiler alert ]   Eli was blind throughout the film.  I believe that the scenes at the end of the film that alternated between Carnegie finally getting his first look at the book he stole from Eli, and the camera focusing in on Eli's eyes as he is reciting scripture, are pointing out the fact that Eli was a blind man.  This is a twist in the film that I did not expect and was totally blown away by.  That obviously added an entirely different dimension to the movie for me because then I had to replay some of the scenes in my mind to totally grasp the awesomeness of that.  I mean, how did Eli fight so well as to kill to protect that book and himself when others were so bent on killing him and taking that book?  How could he walk through towns he was unfamiliar with so seemingly flawlessly?  How?  How could he have accomplished his mission to "go west" for thirty years while being absolutely blind?

Once I was aware of the blindness of the character of Eli and watched the film again, there are nuances that are shown very subtly that reveal that he is in fact blind.  For example; in many scenes the action is slowed down and the audio becomes the main focus.  In the very beginning of the movie we hear the cracking of branches as a cat makes its way through a burned out forest.  We hear the cries and purrs of the cat which helps Eli know its location.  Later Eli comes to an abandoned home where he opens some cupboards but reaches up to feel what is in them.  He opens a door, which consequently falls off the hinges, startling him, but the viewer thinks he is reacting to the dead body hanging there.  A few other times in the movie it becomes apparent that Eli is being guided by the faint sounds of his surroundings.  Very interesting to observe the movie again, once you know he is blind. 

I believe that The Book of Eli explains how he was able to accomplish his mission in total blindness by subtly unveiling the supernatural throughout the story.  Eli shares with Solara, a young girl who becomes his walking companion, how he came to be in possession of the book.  He shares that he "heard a voice and the voice led him to the book."  Eli also explains that the voice told him to "go west" and that is why, for thirty years, he's been walking across the country heading west.  In a somewhat humorous exchange, Eli explains a little more:

Solara: You know, you say you've been walking for thirty years, right?
Eli: Right?
Solara: Have you ever thought that maybe you were lost?
Eli: Nope.
Solara: Well, how do you know that you're walking in the right direction?
Eli: I walk by faith, not by sight.
Solara: [sighs] What does that mean?
Eli: It means that you know something even if you don't know something.
Solara: That doesn't make any sense.
Eli: It doesn't have to make sense. It's faith, it's faith. It's the flower of light in the field of darkness that's giving me the strength to carry on. You understand?
Solara: Is that from your book?
Eli: No, it's, uh, Johnny Cash, Live at Folsom Prison.

What an example of what it means to walk by faith and not by sight!  The second time viewing this movie, this scene obviously had more weight to it for me.  He was demonstrating what walking by faith really is, it is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 1:11)   Eli was aware of the importance of his mission to get that book to a safe haven, the future of humanity and the world was dependent on it, and this was his hope.  To anybody who didn't hear the same voice that Eli heard, his mission was nonsense.  An outsider could in no way grasp Eli's determination to finish his mission, or fathom why on earth he would bother trying, let alone see it as something that was even possible to do.  But Eli understood that with God, all things are possible.  (Mark 10:27

I was convicted about some issues in my own personal life and made me question how much faith I have.  I've even said on occasion to a friend who asked me to pray, "I can't.  I have weak faith today."  I want to have a faith that would make me take a sure step in total blindness, fighting off evil at every turn, totally trusting God to be in control, and never straying from the narrow.  Eli was tempted to stray from the course, too, but demonstrated holding his thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ when he came upon some trouble and had to remind himself, "Stay on the path. It's not your concern. Stay on the path. It's not your concern."

The remarkable thing about the Word of God is what it says about itself and the Creator.  It says that "only a fool says there is no God."  (Psalm 14:1) and that "even demons believe".  (James 2:19)  In the Book of Eli, even the evil people were not so ignorant as to say there is no god.  In fact, the evil Carnegie acknowledged the power of the Word of God, even though his purpose was to pervert it for his own gain.  When one thinks about it, that is exactly what evil is, perverting what is good for our own personal gain.  And,  often, it happens so subtly that it can easily be unnoticed until it has totally infiltrated one's heart, until the heart becomes hardened.  Sad.   

The bible teaches that even the demons believe and shudder, and in The Book of Eli, the evil people noted the supernatural when one of the men pursuing Eli, after having come upon a couple of men "only a few hours dead" remarked "it's like he's protected somehow, nothing can touch him." Eli's pursuer's recognized that he was "different" because of how he has been able to escape their grasp a few times already.  Earlier he had miraculously escaped from a guarded room and they had witnessed him walking away from an gun battle in which he was drastically outnumbered.  In another scene they were seeing what was left in Eli's wake as he continued to "go west".   Also, the voice Eli heard did tell him that he and Solara would get out of another gun battle alive.  Eli totally trusted what the voice in his heart would tell him.  Conviction came over me because sometimes I may suppress the voice of God in me, oh me of little faith! 

Evil people understand the power of God's Word, and too often, sinful people use it improperly for personal gain, rather than to glorify God and lead people to a knowledge of Him and His Love.  Carnegie angrily responded to one of his men questioning his determination and fervor to go through all of this trouble for a book?  "IT'S NOT A #$%^*&' BOOK!  IT'S A WEAPON.  A weapon aimed right at the hearts and minds of the weak and the desperate. It will give us control of them. If we want to rule more than one small, $#%^&' town, we have to have it. People will come from all over, they'll do exactly what I tell 'em if the words are from the book. It's happened before and it'll happen again. All we need is that book."

In The Book of Eli, the viewer sees what remains of a world that no longer has knowledge of God and it is a desolate place.  It is filled with depravity everywhere one turns.  After the third viewing of this movie, my friend opened her Bible to Isaiah 24 and began reading.  Wow.  What a comparison to what we had just witnessed on screen.  I urge you to go read it for yourself and just contemplate what life without God is like.

I was really taking note of something Eli said when asked about what the world was like "before"?  He answered Solara saying,  "People had more than they needed, people didn't know what was precious and what wasn't, people threw away things they kill each other for now. "  Throughout the movie it is evident that water was the hot commodity.  Everybody wanted water, and he who had water had power and wealth.  Chapstick was another hot item.

People were desperate for things that give life.  People weren't fighting for the last hot toy of the Christmas season on the shelf.  People were bargaining for, begging for, water, a life-giving substance.  It made me ponder what true poverty is?  It made me think about materialism and I'm pondering if it is sin in my life.  Am I throwing away what people might kill for in the future?

It was amazing to think that God's plan for Eli was to walk for thirty years, read His Word everyday, and protect the book.  What happened was astounding, and that was the fact that all those years of reading the book allowed Eli to commit the entire Bible, chapter and verse, to memory.  It was written on his heart and when the book was stolen away by the evil Carnegie, who later learned that the book was of no use to him because it was all in braille. Eli was able to have the Bible transcribed and humanity would now have the Word of God as it tried to start civilization again.

This emphasized to me the importance of learning Scripture and reading it everyday.  It needs to be written on my heart, my future depends on it!

There are so many discussion points in The Book of Eli.  It is a movie that really made me stop and ponder many things.  I know that it is just a movie, but the spiritual truths it highlights are worth discussing and thinking about.  I've rambled on enough about some of my thoughts on it, and believe me, I haven't shared all of my thoughts on it.  Now I'd like to hear yours if you have any you wish to share.

"Coming Out" on Jennifer Knapp's Coming Out

Author:  Susan L. Prince

This is a tough one for me.  You see, I LOVE Jennifer Knapp's music.  I basically held vigil for her return after her spontaneous withdrawal from all things music in 2001.  And yes, I heard all the rumors and chose not to believe them.  I would at least give her the benefit of the doubt. Rumors are often wrong about what they say, and they are always wrong to spread or participate in.

Upon her return to music, I was ecstatic to catch her live show in Nashville at The Belcourt Theater last November, 2009.  I saw her again in the Spring at TPAC in downtown Nashville.  Then, in the April 13th, 2010 edition of Christianity Today, she shared her "secret" with the world and announced her homosexuality.

What are my thoughts?   Ache.  Disappointment.  Sadness. Confusion.  I had many questions:  Should I listen to her music?  How can I listen to her music?  Is my buying her music condoning sinful behavior?  Am I sinning while listening to it?  How can a person who has written some of the most passionate music ever written about God's mercy and love, turn her back on His Word?  Does she pray her own prayers, by that I mean her songs, which are humble prayers?  These and many other questions came to mind as I read about the struggles Knapp has endured, and the temptation she eventually gave herself over to.  Heartbreaking.

Stop. stop. stop this foolish pride of mine.
That dares to drag me far away from you.
When I try to do it my way I always lose.
I always lose your point of view.

I don't intend to debate this issue.  I have participated in conversations about this news, especially when it first broke.  I have read what both sides of the spectrum have to say about this, and now I'm going to just put out there some of my thoughts on this.

Lord, come with your fire,
Burn my desires; refine me
Lord, my will has deceived me
Please come and free me
Refine me

It is not sin for me to listen to Jennifer Knapp's music or to buy it.  However, when I hear a song, what does it make me think about?  It makes me grieve.  I think about her sin.  It does remind me to pray for her, but it is difficult for me to listen to her music and not wonder how it can be that she has written some of the most heartfelt prayers set to music, and then fall so far?  This is not condemnation, this is a serious question.  Did she really want to know Him?  Did she really want to be refined?

We are all susceptible to falling out of fellowship with the Lord which is why the Bible teaches us to "be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall..." (2 Peter 3:17) and  "if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted" (Galatians 6:1).

I am sure she has run into her share of "christians" who have demonstrated an ungodly attitude toward her and have heaped condemnation on her, and not tried to restore her gently.  In fact, before her "news" broke, it was evident by some of what she shared at her live shows that she had encountered some "issues" with "church people".  This has not represented Christ well at all.  Knapp is a sister in Christ,  and as with any brother or sister, we should embrace her and love her, just as God loves us.  We can not condone her sin, but we can let her know she is loved and that we would so like to see her restored into a right relationship with the Lord.  You see, when somebody chooses sin, or to live their life in contradiction to the Word of God, they are choosing to serve a different master, they are choosing to serve themselves, or the world, and one can not serve two masters.  Either you serve God, or you serve the god of this world.  It is heartbreaking to observe sin running its course.

Often the argument is "but we all sin".  True, we all sin and fall short of the glory of God, but the difference is repentance.  God can not forgive excuses. God can not forgive alibis. God can only forgive sin.  God will make one clean again, but, one must choose to turn from their sin.


In reading some of the interviews Knapp had with the media after the news broke, including some of what was said on the Larry King Live interview, it was noticeable that she was uncomfortable calling herself "Christian" and instead would say "woman of faith", or "I have faith".  She mentioned the difficulty she had and still has singing some of her old songs.  I wonder if it is because the Holy Spirit uses her own words and music to smite her and convict her?  She said she doesn't currently have a church home, and I can't help but question why?  If she had a church home maybe her church family would help restore her to the fellowship, and the reason she stays away from church is because she knows she has chosen sin over submission to God's Word, therefore a healthy functioning gospel church is the last thing she would want.

"For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it."  (Matthew 7:13)

It is apparent to me that Knapp does not want to be some "poster child" for homosexuals and/or to promote a "christian homosexual" agenda, but unfortunately with her fame and notoriety, she is thrust into the spotlight by default and has inevitably become somewhat of a reluctant spokesperson.   I believe she is gifted by God and is a talented artist, but her art right now is being perverted. Also, satan is having a field day using this to "make it ok" for others trapped in the same sinful lifestyle.  What is sad as well, is that many in the Christian community have chosen to condemn, rather than try to restore, and this serves to hurt the cause of Christ.

You in the mirror. staring back at me. O' conscience let me be....to the pure, all things are pure. To those who defiled unbelieving: nothing is pure. Their minds, their conscience defiled. They profess to know God. But deceive him by deeds all the while.

God loves Jennifer Knapp.  He wants a thriving relationship with her.  She is confused and God is not the author of confusion.  Does she not see that she is defiled?  That she is professing to know God but deceives Him by her deeds?  In the interviews I've read/seen, she questions the interpretation of the Bible in places...and most of her songs are scripture!   Or, at least they used to be!  Does she not believe it now?  It is way too convenient to "interpret" the Bible to say what we want it to say so that we can have our way.  God hates sin, and He hates it whether or not we acknowledge a certain behavior is sin.  Sin is sin, and the wages of sin is death.  Choosing sin keeps us separated from the love of God.  It is an uncomfortable place to be which is why Knapp sang "Undo Me"!

Now, the trouble I have listening to Knapp's music right now is not because she has announced her homosexuality.  I am a huge Indigo Girls fan and they are both lesbians.  I am a Melissa Etheridge fan.   I love their music and I have no problem listening or supporting it, but they do not claim to live as Christians. The trouble I have listening to Knapp is that she claims to be a "woman of faith", and for years was billed as a christian singer/songwriter who represented Christ, and now she is out there announcing her sinful behavior and denying that it is sin.  It is the fact that she is unrepentant right now that makes it difficult for me to justify supporting her career.  The sin isn't so much the problem, it is the unrepentance.

Knapp has said that she understands that a person purchasing her music or attending a show does not mean they support her lifestyle, and that it only means they like her art.  I am somewhat comforted by this, because I am not about to trash my Jennifer Knapp collection.  It is still some of the best music and will always be, and someday I hope to be able to listen to it with new ears.  I have had to remove it from my mp3 player for the time being.  I have not yet listened to Letting Go, her new release, the new music I've waited so long for, although most of it I have heard from her website and from the demo CDs I got from her live shows I attended before she revealed her sin.  It breaks my heart because I waited and prayed for her, and her return to music, for 8 years.  I couldn't wait for new music from Knapp and when it happened I was absolutely ecstatic, but then I was blindsided.

If I give my Life if I lay it down can you turn this Life around, can I be made clean by this offering of my soul. Can I be made whole again?

God is faithful and just to forgive, but in order for Him to do that, we need to repent.  We need to turn from evil and turn to Him.  I believe that deep within Jennifer Knapp is heart that pines for God and that His Word is hidden in her heart.   I believe this because she has difficulty performing her "old" music.  I believe this because she has difficulty calling herself a "Christian".  I believe this because she avoids church.  I believe that the difficulty she has shows that there is a level of conviction in her, but still, she is willfully choosing her own pleasures over submission to God.    Debbie, a friend of mine, put it this way " As for Jennifer's faith, I think it is one that she has crafted to tolerate her sin, which is why she has such conviction otherwise."

I am praying for her to really cry out to God like she once was able to do and so eloquently shared through her music.  I pray that she will "Lay It Down", be broken, "Fall Down" and allow God to "Undo" her, "Refine" her and make her "Whole Again", because "His Grace is Sufficient".  With God all things are possible.

And when it happens, she really will be Letting Go. 

Testimony of My Sailor: Meeting with God on the Pacific

Author: Katie

Tonight I received the most awesome letter any Mom could ever want from her Sailor at sea. Physically we are miles apart but the same omnipresent God who walks with me daily...is sailing on a Navy ship in the Pacific with my son. Here is his testimony....

"Hey mom. Much has happened since we last talked. But I got asked a question from Sydnie and it was, ”What has God been teaching you?” and this is what spilled out. Feel free to share with anyone. Actually please do. I will leave you to read.

Now about what God has been teaching me. I am going to be 100% honest, I had some rough days after I got back to my old job and was very depressed. And I want you to forgive me cause that is why I wasn’t keeping in touch. I was very upset about where I am in my life, and wasn’t getting any emails from anyone for a few days. I felt that I shouldn’t write any to get any, and that was selfish on my part. But one night I was just fed up of all of this and everyone and being on the ship away from everyone and everything I love and I just bought a coca cola and went outside when it was dark away from everybody. I just wanted some alone time with GOD to talk things out. I prayed and just let it all out. I told God how I felt knowing that he already knew, but it was just good to say it out loud. I kept telling Him how I don’t want to be here and I said it over and over, and then out of nowhere I remembered how when Jesus was in the garden praying for God to let this pass but only if it was his will. And after that I actually just started crying. There I was sitting by myself on a ship in the middle of the pacific ocean, on a ship, crying my eyes out. I felt so selfish. And I was. I still don’t want to be here, and I am still going to try to go army or back to SWCC, but if it isn’t his will and it doesn’t happen, then I am ok with that. I don’t want to be here and He didn’t want to die on the cross for me…..but He DID. So I will be here and do his will. Slowly people are realizing why I am so different from them. They keep saying, “you’re a virgin?!,” or, “why don’t you cuss?” And I tell them why. No more unless they ask. But I can see in there eyes take is something they are not used to. If I cant go army or back to SWCC them I will bid my time here and get out after four years and go to college… if that’s what He wants.

Also after I read the book obsessed He taught me more through it. I need to be obsessed with Him. Not to just want to be with Him but to be like the man who found a treasure in the field and sold everything he had so he could buy that field and call the treasure his own. To be obsessed is what God made us for, and why not? He is OBSESSED with us. Love is an obsession. An analogy that my youth leader told us to get to the kingdom was that your in a large room, FILLED with people moving around pushing and shoving each other. You are at one corner and you have to get to the door on the other side to get out, but the only way to get there is to follow a small line on the floor that you cant see , and that is curvy not straight. All the while people are pushing you and trying to get you off the line.

A way I see it is kind of like that. But you are running with all your might. As soon as you get your speed up you get knocked back sometimes down. But you still run even though you get hit and pushed, your body gets beaten over and over, but your so obsessed that you don’t even feel it, and in a way it seems to even make you speed up with every hit or knock back you just crave it more and more like a drug. Till you finally get there. And He is there so you may finally rest and be with Him….forever. no more running after that. That is what he has taught me.

Love

Justin, your son, Full of justice"

This is what it means to me when Proverbs 31 says "Your children will rise up and call you blessed"

Only Humans Measure Time

Author:  Susan L. Prince

My dog never frets about time. He doesn't know what time the clock says when he wants dinner, he only knows that he is hungry. He also doesn't think, while his legs are crossed and he is dancing around the house, man! I think I can hold it for a few more minutes. They are due home in about ten. He only knows that he's gotta go! He never considers the passing of time.

I noticed something today when I was configuring my virus scan to scan while I am at church weekly. The program doesn't anticipate doing that scan. When the time comes, it just starts the scan. It's an inanimate object and never considers the passing of time. It never considers that there are only a few more seconds before it begins the scan, it just starts that scan in that very moment it was scheduled to.

A couple of weeks ago, some of us in this time zone, switched to Daylight Savings Time. My computer made the switch without batting a byte. Now, as a human, I made arrangements to adjust to the time. I mourned the loss of an hour of sleep and also anticipated the additional hours of daylight.

Every year millions of people anticipate the coming of a new year and often count down the last minute of the last hour on the last day of the year. We watch time. We measure time.

I am anal about time. I am constantly watching the time and planning in my head what time I will do what. Even on my days off work I am planning ahead. I think things like if we leave now, it will take about fifteen minutes to get there, about forty minutes to order and eat, fifteen minutes back and we'll be home for about one hour until it is time to leave for the movie at 1:15.

My friend Katie says this just brings me additional stress. I just say "no, being on time brings no stress at all, but being late does!" LOL

Anyway, I thought it interesting that the only thing on this planet that measures time are humans. Nature just goes about doing its thing as God planned, and animals just do their thing. Inanimate objects don't care either way. Humans break time into increments and are the only creatures that anticipate the arrival of time, and mourn the passing of it.

I don't believe God experiences time as humans do, although, I know Jesus did. God is everywhere, all at once. He is the beginning of time and He is the end of time.  He is infinite, but I do believe he conceived time and created it...although, I do ponder if time exists as we know it in heaven?

"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven"

The third chapter of Ecclesiastes may suggest that time exists for those things "under heaven", and not necessarily in it. This is good news for me because I figure, if there is no measurement of time...then I will no longer have want for patience! Now, THAT would be heaven!

What is This I Keep Hearing About an "Eclipse"?

Author: Susan L. Prince

I got this Life on the Way Devotional email today. I've never seen anything "Twilight" and I don't want to. But, the way teenage girls are freaking out about these vampire guys, I thought it worthy of sharing:

Regarding Love and Reality (and Vampires) by Nikki Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first. 1 John 4:18-19, New Living Translation See This Verse In Context Dear Tiffany, Madison, Emma, Kaitlyn, Kyla, Meghan, Emily, Ava, Elizabeth, Olivia, Abigail, and (insert name here), I was thinking about you this weekend. It was while I was watching a movie. It was probably the most anticipated movie of 2009. Females all over the country, possibly the world, chose a team, put on the t-shirt, and maybe even camped out overnight in exhilarated excitement to take in the next chapter of this supposedly timeless love story. I was a little late in getting around to it, but as I finally sat down to watch New Moon, you were on my mind. And here's why: IT'S RIDICULOUS. Look, I know it's just a movie, and it's meant for entertainment. I am a movie buff myself, and I love escaping into another place and time and diving into a world of imagined intrigue. It's awesome. But with this one, I couldn't even take that journey because it was just so RIDICULOUS. Bella's pain, relentless agony, and perpetual longing may seem romantic on a big screen, but please know this is NOT what love looks like. Please know it is NOT normal or healthy to be this obsessed with a guy, to feel as if life is over or not worth living because he isn't a part of it anymore. Or to think this other guy might do the trick if guy number one leaves. Please know your whole life and self-worth will never be wrapped up in any man. God completes you. End of story. I know this because I've let myself buy into that way of thinking before. I thought there would be no life for me if it didn't work out. And guess what? I'm still here. And God is still awesome, and life is still rolling. Sure, I get it. It's a movie and it's fun. Go ahead, watch, enjoy, be entertained. But it's just a story. Please don't get too caught up in the picture of love Edward and Bella paint for you. Please don't buy into it, or you may miss out on how big and life-changing love can really be. I was thinking about you as I watched this, and I just had to tell you. Nikki For more thoughts from Nikki and other fun stuff, check out morningswithbrant.com.

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Many Friendships Would Not Have Survived

Author:  Susan L. Prince

I returned home tonight after spending a wonderful weekend with my friend Katie.  Katie is one of the most special people in my life and as we talked over these last two days, at one point I said "God is so good.  He has done an amazing work in our lives, because many friendships would not have survived all that we have gone through over the past few years."

I am not going to go into details about all that Katie and I have been through.  Some of it played out on this blog, but mostly over the past two years, posting was scarce because the both of us were going through a lot of difficulty, and some of that was in our relationship as friends.  Neither of us felt comfortable sharing the details of our struggles.  The details aren't important.  What is important is what God has done.

I've just really been pondering it this weekend since she and I talked about it and I am absolutely dumbfounded at the faithfulness of God.  Most people would not have endured the experiences and woundedness of our friendship, yet because we each sought Him, separately, He was faithful to each of us.  "He who began a good work in each of us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  (Phillipians 1: 6)

God did bring us together as friends all those years ago and used our friendship for His purposes.  Somewhere along the line we started to put more focus on our friendship, than on our individual relationships with Him.  God is a jealous God.  He did not like not being the center of attention!  He saw to it that we were fitted with new spiritual lenses.  He used other people to help us see, He used circumstances to help us see, and He used our prayer time to reveal truths. It was grueling at times, but worth it.

It has been a wild-roller coaster ride of emotion, but in the end, God revealed Himself as faithful.  Our friendship became strong again the day that I decided to put God on the throne, and not me.  Our friendship started to grow again when Katie decided to put God on the throne again.  

We now live in different states physically, but I am so grateful to God that He loves me so much that He helped guide me through to this point, that allows me to still enjoy such a special friendship with Katie.  I know this all sounds so cryptic to those readers who are not close to the situation, but suffice it to say that God's amazing grace has healed a fragile and broken relationship and is now restoring it.

I feel absolutely blessed that God has grown me through all of this and still chooses to trust me with the responsibility of relationship.  I have learned that I need to handle relationships with care and that whatever friendships God allows me throughout my lifetime, they should always point to Him. Yes, in some particular way, that relationship should help me to grow in Christ, "as iron sharpens iron".  I need to appreciate the friendships that I have, because obviously friendships are a sweet bonus in life, but they in no way compare to the love and importance I have in my relationship with Him.

God's faithfulness and love bloggles the mind!