The Struggle

Tenth Avenue North’s song ‘The Struggle’ from their new album (also titled The Struggle), is a great reminder that it’s okay to be broken and to struggle, because if we didn’t we wouldn’t have a reason for grace.

Hallelujah

We are free to struggle

We’re not struggling to be free

Your blood bought and makes us children

Children drop your chains and sing

Despite our imperfection God continues to view us as his children. He went to such great and painful lengths to make us that way. He sought us out in spite of our rebellion, and it was all for love. He’s given us a chance for new life with him, even though we continue to break his heart. It’s mind blowing!

Hallelujah, death is overcome

And we are breathing

Hallelujah, our stone hearts become

Flesh that’s beating

Hallelujah, chains have been undone

And we are singing

Hallelujah, the fire has begun

Can you feel it?

No matter what we do or say he’ll still love us desperately. It’s crazy! But that’s our God. He doesn’t need us but he wants us.

Sure we’ll mess up, but the point is he’s going to be there waiting with a bucket full of grace ready to embrace us.

We are free to struggle, but we’re not struggling to be free.

That’s something I never want to forget.

-Elizabeth L. W.

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Background

Lecrae’s song ‘Background’ has to be my favorite off of his album titled ‘Rehab’. He talks about how he wants Jesus to take the lead of his life.

I could play the background
I could play the background
Cause I know sometimes I get in the way
So won’t You take the lead, lead, lead?
So won’t You take the lead, lead, lead?
And I could play the background, background
And you could take the lead

I love the depth of this song and Lecrae’s honesty and humility. 

So I don’t want to take the lead, ’cause I’m prone to make mistakes
All these folks who follow me, gon’ end up in the wrong place

I’m human and humans tend to mess up quite a bit. We let things go to our heads and don’t stop to think how it is we got here in the first place.

And that’s this song is about. It’s about recognizing that we can’t do life without Jesus, because he is the ultimate life-giver!

So don’t you think we should let him do what he does best by allowing him to take the lead of our lives?

And I could play the background, background

-Elizabeth L. W. 

War Horse

“MAGNIFICENT! JOYOUS! UPLIFTING!”
— ROGER EBERT, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

 

“A MASTERPIECE”
— REX REED, NEW YORK OBSERVER

From legendary director Steven Spielberg comes the epic adventure War Horse, a tale of incredible loyalty, hope and tenacity. Based on the Tony award-winning* Broadway play, and set against the sweeping canvas of World War I, this deeply heartfelt story begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and his young trainer Albert. When they’re forced apart by war, we follow Joey’s extraordinary journey as he changes and inspires the lives of everyone he meets. Filled with spectacularly rich visuals War Horse is a “Genuine Movie Masterpiece” (Rex Reed, The New York Observer) and one of the most powerful and moving stories of friendship ever told.

Best Play, 2011

 

I am not really a big fan of horse movies; however, the touching tale in War Horse made this movie one of my favorite movies. It has amazing film techniques, acting, story, and soundtrack. This film is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of war violence. Several famous British actors are in this film including: Tom Hiddleston (Loki in Thor and Avengers), Peter Mullan, Emily Watson (voice of Victoria Everglot in Corpse Bride), David Thewlis (Remus Lupin in several Harry Potter films), and Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes in the BBC TV series Sherlock, and William Pitt in Amazing Grace). I hope that you get the chance to see this movie, and enjoy it as much as I did.

 

~ Ellie

The Room

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE… “THE ROOM” as written by a 17 Year Old Boy.   This is excellent and really gets you thinking about what will happen in Heaven. 17-year-old Brian Moore had only a short time to write something for a class. The subject was What Heaven Was Like. “I wowed ’em,” he later told his father, Bruce . It’s a killer. It’s the bomb It’s the best thing I ever wrote.” It also was the last. Brian’s parents had forgotten about the essay when a cousin found it while cleaning out the teenager’s locker at Teays Valley High School in Pickaway County . Brian had been dead only hours, but his parents desperately wanted every piece of his life near them, notes from classmates and teachers, and his homework. Only two months before, he had handwritten the essay about encountering Jesus in a file room full of cards detailing every moment of the teen’s life. But it was only after Brian’s death that Beth and Bruce Moore realized that their son had described his view of Heaven. It makes such an impact that people want to share it. “You feel like you are there,” Mr. Moore said. Brian Moore died May 27, 1997, the day after Memorial Day. He was driving home from a friend’s house when his car went off Bulen-Pierce Road in Pickaway County and struck a utility pole. He emerged from the wreck unharmed but stepped on a downed power line and was electrocuted. The Moore’s framed a copy of Brian’s essay and hung it among the family portraits in the living room. “I think God used him to make a point. I think we were meant to find it and make something out of it,” Mrs. Moore said of the essay. She and her husband want to share their son’s vision of life after death. “I’m happy for Brian. I know he’s in Heaven. I know I’ll see him.” Here is Brian’s essay entitled: “THE ROOM”  In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read ”  Girls I Have Liked.” I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn’t match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named ”  Friends” was next to one marked    ”  Friends I Have Betrayed.” The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. ”  Books I Have Read,” ”  Lies I Have Told,” ” Comfort I have Given,”  ” Jokes I Have Laughed At.” Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: ”  Things I’ve Yelled at My Brothers.” Others I couldn’t laugh at: ”  Things I Have Done in My Anger”, “ Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents.” I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my years to fill each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature. When I pulled out the file marked ”  TV Shows I Have Watched,”   I realized the files grew to contain their contents.. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn’t found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of shows but more by the vast time I knew that file represented. When I came to a file marked ”  Lustful Thoughts,”   I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!” In insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn’t matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it. Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore “People I Have Shared the Gospel With.” The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand. And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt. They started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn’t bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn’t anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn’t say a word. He just cried with me. Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card. “No!” I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was “No, no,” as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn’t be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, and so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, “It is finished.” I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written. ”  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   John 3:16 If you feel the same way forward it to as many people as you can so the love of Jesus will touch their lives also. My ”  People I Shared the Gospel With”   file just got bigger, how about yours? IF THERE IS ONE EMAIL THAT I HAVE READ THAT NEEDS TO GO AROUND THE WORLD, IT IS THIS ONE, PLEASE PASS THIS TO EVERY ONE YOU KNOW, CHRISTIAN OR NOT! “LET’S FILL OUR OWN FILE CARD” AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL! You don’t have to share this with anybody, no one will know whether you did or not, but you will know and so will He. God Blesses Us Everyday, It’s Up To Us To Notice!!!

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace is a movie behind the hit song also called,  Amazing Grace. It takes place in 1700’s where William Wilberforce is trying to stop slavery. He runs into some people and some problems, but he keeps on trying to stop slavery. It is a very touching movie and an even more touching song. Of the song, my favorite part is this-

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine

It says that this world and everything in it will perish and the sun will no longer shine, but God will be reigning forevermore. He will be your light in heaven. I hope you have made the decision to follow Jesus and make him the center of your life. I have. And if you haven’t, I encourage you to very, very much.

~Lili

http://www.titletrakk.com/movie-dvd-reviews/amazing-grace-review.htm

Adopting James

Hi there. We’re the Toys. One guy from California who married a girl from Florida and now we live in Kentucky with three dachshunds. We would like to have a child (or several of them), and we would like to adopt. I want to be a writer (fiction, fantasy, you name it), and Sarabeth wants to be a stay-at-home mom. The economy is rough right now so we’re both stuck working jobs that we don’t necessarily want to be working at. So, we started this blog, AdoptingJames, to help raise awareness of our adoption and to promote my writing. It’s sort of turned into a place where I talk about current issues like movies and books and news and help others view them through a Christian worldview.

So stop by, and take a look around. We’d love to hear some feedback from you to know what parts of the blog you particularly enjoy (or not enjoy). Hope to see you there! Oh, and if you’re a fan of Pixar/Disney movies, you’ll find yourself quite at home on our blog. See ya!

-Andrew Toy

AdoptingJames

That was a guy who has an awesome story! I encourage you to go to their blog.

~Lilian

My First Shower Nearly Killed Me, A Clip From Do Hard Things

 

I still remember my first shower. It was a horrible experience. I was eight years old and all I had ever known was baths. Baths were neat and tidy ordeals where the water flowed in from below my head and – provided I didn’t splash too much – stayed below my head.

I found showers to be an entirely different beast. The water, rather than flowing as a solid stream that was easily visible and avoidable, sprayed out as nearly invisible and unavoidable droplets that seemed to have a magnetic attraction to my eyes.

I did not ask to be promoted from Junior Bath Taker to Junior Shower Taker, but my parents had set the date for my graduation and protesting made little difference. It didn’t help that my twin brother Alex loved showers and had taken one earlier that week.

Before I could draft my formal petition, let alone get anyone to sign it, I found myself staring up at the dreadful shower head just as a brave soul stares down the barrel of his executioner’s gun.

However, once the trigger was pulled and the shower head began rumbling and hissing, my courage melted away, and I was screaming before the first drop hit me.

You see, in my mind there was no moral difference between making your child take a shower and stripping that same child naked and locking him out of the house during a thunderstorm. It was abandonment. I wasn’t a Water Nymph. I wasn’t a shower person. I was a bath person and I was happy that way.

The funny thing is that this morning, nearly ten years later, I took a shower and didn’t think twice about it. I even purposefully let the water spray on my face! It is incredible that what then seemed to be an impossible hurdle is now part of my everyday routines.

~Brett Harris, Do Hard Things

I encourage you to read the book and become a member of their forums, which can be found www.therebelution.com

Please leave a comment if you have questions or comments about the site or join the site. We would love to know!

Also, just so you know, the picture of the girl above is not the author.:)

~CTL

P.S. The pic came from here-http://www.therebelution.com/about/