stumble!

so apparently i'm really behind the times - but i just discovered (well not discovered...more like finally got around to looking at/signing up for) StumbleUpon.  basically you tell it what you're interested in and it gives you an endless list of websites/blogs/etc filled with things you might like.......

and i had NO idea that a simple button that says "stumble!" so enthusiastically could ever be the most addicting thing ever.  literally...but who knew all the great and random stuff that is out there?!?  mostly mindless, maybe...but still good.  i found a bunch of really cool artists already...really inspiring  love it. :)

anyways...i share this because it brought me to this great site full of random quotes.  (and i dont use the word random lightly...)

oh man.  good stuff.  some funny, some deep, some trying to be really inspirational but not so much living up to that standard...

but a couple i liked a lot and wanted to share with you all.

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

-Thomas Edison

love that...no matter how hard it seems, no matter how impossible things look - we just need to keep going.  keep fighting for what we've been promised...because we never know which step will be the one to get us across that finish line.  as long as we're still going - there's still hope

Draw a line. Live above it.

-Anonymous

amen.  

never settle for less than amazing.  we weren't created for good enough.  and according to 2 Corinthians - He's planned things that we haven't yet imagined...

enjoy your day friends!

-ALIVE

battle is a sport.

Good morning friends! the sun is shining, its “warm” out and its Friday…good stuff! :)
We had our Thursday ALIVE gathering last night…what did we do? quick version…
1) Bethany is a fearless warrior who attacks water-bending demons and
who also happened to turn 20 yesterday
2) Chocolate cake & red flavor starbursts are very good things…but
the former is hard to cut into pieces and serve with a plastic fork
3) “why is it worth it?”
4) Telephone Pictionary…upside down sumo wrestler, penguin commando, an
attempt at drawing toats ep…
5) Battle is a sport.
But I assume everyone’s night pretty much looked the same way… :)
but, just in case it didnt…a LITTLE more detail.
we celebrated Bethany’s birthday with a watercolored card/epic tale of her future, cake & starbursts. If that doesn’t welcome in another year of life – idk what would.
Then we settled in, gave everyone a piece of paper and writing utensil and read them this verse…
Philippians 3:7-12
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Earlier this week a few of us had met
up and were working on a new Project and a question came up as we were talking about the theme of the whole thing.
Here it is… “Why is Jesus worth it?”
Think about it for a second…why would we even think of giving anything up for Him, let alone everything? why is it worth it to risk our safety, our comfort, our desires – for Jesus? To follow Him? Why?
So we all took some time and thought about that, wrote down some things, and then prayed. Some people shared what they wrote…definitely something good to think about and be encouraged by other people who have decided that He is absolutely worth it.

Then we had chocolate cake. yum :) sarah labored over it for hours and made every crumb out of pure love – while being a fabulous mother and wife…and we are forever grateful to her for that.

And then we traveled into the “studio” for a little creative game time.
Aka…play hug tag for a few minutes (never stops being funny to watch) to get rid of excess energy and then sit down and play telephone Pictionary. Love that game. So funny to see the drawings and what people come up with. We laughed quite a bit.

And then all of a sudden it was 9 o clock and ppl started to leave. It went SO quick. and as ppl were leaving some of us were just sitting in a circle and having our standard, super deep, intellectual conversation…
And if you ever wondered...here is just a quick glimpse into what you would talk about if you came to ALIVE…

Jillian: oh – so I was just at comedy sportz, and they played this game…
Sarah: the three word game
Jillian: (looks at sarah confused) they don’t play that game…
Sarah: no, but its fun.
Jillian: oh…(continues on to tell a really really great story about comedy sportz and one of the games they played as everyone listens SUPER intently, not wanting to miss a moment)
(story ends)…slight pause
Austin: oh! One time for (drama thing at school…?) our teacher had us write the funniest skits we could and then we had to give them to each other to act out in front of everyone.
…another slight pause.
Sarah: what made you think of that? (as we're all thinking the same thing)
Austin: (looks down…) idk…comedy, sports, it was like a battle, kind of…and well, battle is a sport!
The rest of us: team.

Have a beautiful weekend! Enjoy the sunshine :)

-ALIVE

consider the lilies

"I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes...Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

Consider the lilies, how they grow. They do not labor or spin- Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire - how much more will he clothe you, you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For these things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father knows that you need them. So seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom..."

Luke 12:22-32

i love the line - "consider the lilies..."  i've never been a flower person...until recently. when i started going to the farmers market.  and they're everywhere...and i just cant help but love them.  they're gorgeous and there are so many different kinds and colors and they're just so bright and happy.  and when i read this verse i think of them - how all the money and possessions in the world could not create them w/out God's help.  how all the money in the world could not create the beauty that God can create from nothing.  so why do we worry about anything?  

as we choose to believe in God, He delights in giving us His kingdom.  not just the bare minimum so that we can survive - but His KINGDOM.

amazing, right?

i mean really - AMAZING stuff.  so next time you look at a lily - remember that the God who created the beauty of that flower, is the God who is caring for your every need...

and rest in that.  no worries necessary.

:)

-ALIVE

something to do this weekend...

i just want to share some pictures with you all...i got this email forwarded to me from someone at work who knows i'm a huge fan of art and i am in awe of these.

they are incredible and it makes me want to bust out my art supplies and start creating.  

i just love love love seeing how other people's creativity comes out...

anyways - this guy is called The Chalk Guy...

and yes, these are all done on streets/sidewalks with chalk...

i will now leave you to lean into your computer and say "wait, what??? is that?  wow" (at least thats what i did) and wonder how in the WORLD he did these and how many years he spent working on each one (not sure how long...prb not years) and praying it didnt start to rain before he finished......

the ppl in the photo are all real - the ice crevasse is not...

 this one's my favorite...so so so amazing...

anyways...just had to share those with all you other art fans out there.  and if you're like me and seeing these just motivates you to draw until you can do stuff like this - its just one more reason to wish that spring was here!  

but we certainly serve a creative God!  who else would think - oh hey, i'm going to give this one really good at working with chalk...?

:) 

does it make you wonder what crazy gifts He thought to give you that you haven't found yet?

-ALIVE

a much needed reminder at the right time...

life has been crazy lately and as a result i have pushed aside my time with God for the past few days.  partly because i just haven't had time and partly because i'm in a place right now where i know nothing about what comes next in my life - i'm 100% waiting on God, which is good...but hard.  and while prb the worst thing to do (and there are no excuses) - i have been putting off my time with Him from a fear of either not hearing Him or hearing something I don't want to.

but yesterday...yesterday i went to the worship service at Edinbrook and God just grabbed a hold of that opportunity and made sure i was paying attention.  i finally took a moment to listen and He poured in.  we watched a video of a girl's testimony telling how God changed her life - she had to go through some tough times but she trusted Him and God pulled her through...and she got baptized during the service.

it was such an amazing thing!  and i didnt realize until that moment how much i needed to be reminded that God is so faithful.  that He is working and that He can do anything.

doubt is a powerful thing.  and its easy to let it take over - but we have no reason to doubt.  

because God is faithful.

i've spent the last 2 days looking back on and remembering all the times God has come through for me...when i've known He was at work.  and there are SO many.  it is so important to remember those times - especially when doubt  tries to work its way in...

trusting in God IS crazy.  it shouldnt make sense.  it shouldnt work.  and yet - somehow it does.

take some time and remember the times He's been there to comfort you, when He's provided for you when you had no idea how you were going to make it, the times you felt like you couldn't go on and yet you somehow found the energy to not only finish what you had to but dominated it and left feeling so strong...

because those times are real.  doubt is not.  it'll try to make you believe that God can't and won't do the seemingly impossible - but He can and He will.  we can't forget that.

He's too good and too faithful.

so i just wanted to share the reminder that God encouraged me with this week.

that He is faithful

even if you don't see Him moving in the moment or if things seem too big for Him to do anything with at the time - He's still there, and He's still got it all in His hands.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

phillipians 1:3-6

i thank God for every moment that He has revealed Himself to His children.

and i thank Him for calling us to crazy things - and for being with us to pull us through every single step of the way.

He really loves us.  its so amazing.

 -ALIVE